Ran a 10k in June (1 Viewer)

[jmcc]

I asked the doc what my HR should be when running he said 150 should be my target.

That would be pretty much walking for me. Is this doc an athlete and is knowledgeable in the area? Or was he just spouting off some round number? 150 by itself doesn't mean a lot without knowing your max heart rate.

I think he looked at my age and gave me the standard answer. He is a cardiologist but I dont believe he is an athlete or knowledgeable in the area of athletics. I am seeing him today for results and if I see an opportunity I will ask him how he came up with 150.Walking for me my HR stays under 100. When on the treadmill I avg 150-165?When I first started it was in the 160s for sure. As time has gone on my HR has dropped while doing the same amount of work. I thought this meant I was getting better. If a year ago I was running 5.5 on the treadmill with 165 HR and now I run 5.5 with 150 HR, this means my heart/strength has gotten better. Correct?Keep in mind the fastest I have run 3.37 miles is at 10.5 min/mile. I am not at the level of a lot of folks in this thread. That 10.5 is a big improvement from when I first started though. When I read about guys running 7 min miles it blows my mind. Hopefully some day I will be doing close to that.

 

[Keggers]

His accent makes it even more funny!

 

[gruecd]

Hi, this is Stephon. His name is Stephon. Harden the F up, Stephon! Did 3 miles last night in the dark with the headlamp (kinda freaky seeing the animals' eyes and stuff) and then 12 miles this morning. Pretty happy with this morning's run. It was a relatively tough, hilly course, and I'm not used to running in the morning anymore, and yet I still managed to average 7:50's with a nice negative split (47:37 for the first half and 46:28 for the second half).

At the office now for a little bit, and then it's time to hit the road for Minneapolis for the relay. My team starts at 11:00 tomorrow, and I'm guessing my first leg will start around 2:00 or shortly thereafter.

I'll probably post some updates on FB, but I'm not sure if I'll be on the computer at all this weekend, so good luck to all my fellow racers (if there are any), and I'll for sure check in on Monday!

 

[pigskinliquors]

There is zero way your Dr. can know your actual target HR without testing you. He probably used a calculator similar to this one to figure it out. = 100% guess! ___________________________________

My update:

20 miles on the bike yesterday. Concentrated on spinning at least 90 RPM's while maintaining 20+ MPH. With very tired legs, I did a 2 mile warm-up and 2 mile cool-down, to help avoid injury. Today I did an extremely ez 5 mile run. I again had every mile at least 5 seconds quicker than the previous, but did all that I could to keep my HR down.

Tomorrow I hope to get in my first (of the year) and only (prior to HH = 102 miles) 50+ mile ride in. Depending on how my legs feel this weekend, I'll then get a 12 mile run in on Sunday (or take it ez and just do 8). I'm hoping to get the 12 in; as I missed my long run last week bc of camp, and will miss next week bc of the bike race. With the heat/humidity and trying to cross-train it's not necessarily a bad thing to keep my mileage low, but I don't want to fall too far behind going into the Fall.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Thanks for the tip about the Garmin 305. Going to put that on my wish list.

Today's 6:15 a.m. weather conditions -- 77 degrees and 92 percent humidity. Good morning, Baltimore! Ugh.

I feel like I've hit a "dead leg" period in my training, kind of like pitchers supposedly go through in spring training. Does such a thing exist? Did a half-mile warm-up, then ran two miles at my 7:45 5k race pace, then had to jog home the last half-mile. 10 days ago, I could do 3 miles at 7:45 pace. Maybe I'll blame some of it on the weather, which has been oppressive. But a couple of weeks ago my legs felt springy and energized during the workday following my a.m. runs. Right now they feel heavy and kind of sore all day. Hoping the bounce comes back.

Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

Sounds like your body might be telling you that you need a little rest. Oppressive weather obviously doesn't help, either. I'm actually looking forward to beginning my taper after this weekend, my legs need it. I know I didn't really give myself much time to recover from the marathon, it was just 3 weeks between the 26.2 and the 4 hour, 18 mile trail run this past weekend. And now I'm staring at a 5-6 hour trail run this weekend, I'm considering a 25 mile hilly loop that is used for the Headlands 100. My quads are still not quite back to normal after last Sunday, though, so I might end up doing something without 10,000'+ of elevation gain instead!

But after this Sunday I'll be doing mostly shorter runs, and I'm going to tone down the climbs/descents. Probably do 12 or so next Sunday, 8 the week after, with some of my normal 6-mile trail runs during the week. But if I need to shorten those longer runs even more I'm not going to worry too much about it, assuming I get through this weekend the most important thing for the 2 weeks leading into the ultra is going to be having fresh legs at 7:00 AM on 9/12 in Tahoe!

As for books probably the most comprehensive (900+ pages) is Noakes' The Lore of Running. He's an MD, and writes like one, a ton of footnotes and references to clinical studies. He starts with the basics of the body, the first 250 pages are Part 1: Physiology and Biochemistry of Running. So it might be a little overkill, and I'm just getting into Part 2: Training Basics, with Transferring Training to Racing and Running Health parts 3 and 4. But it is literally everything you could ever want to know about running.

One that is more entertaining, with a good mix of anthropology, history, science, and great storytelling is McDougall's Born to Run. Not so much a book about the basics of training, racing, etc, but a great book centered on running.

 

[gruecd]

Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

First of all, don't feel bad asking us questions. I can only speak for myself, but I like helping people get started, and I love talking about all things running-related!Second, yes, I have a lot of good books at home. I'll get you the titles early next week!

 

[The_Man]

Thanks for the tip about the Garmin 305. Going to put that on my wish list.Today's 6:15 a.m. weather conditions -- 77 degrees and 92 percent humidity. Good morning, Baltimore! Ugh.I feel like I've hit a "dead leg" period in my training, kind of like pitchers supposedly go through in spring training. Does such a thing exist? Did a half-mile warm-up, then ran two miles at my 7:45 5k race pace, then had to jog home the last half-mile. 10 days ago, I could do 3 miles at 7:45 pace. Maybe I'll blame some of it on the weather, which has been oppressive. But a couple of weeks ago my legs felt springy and energized during the workday following my a.m. runs. Right now they feel heavy and kind of sore all day. Hoping the bounce comes back.Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

Sounds like your body might be telling you that you need a little rest. Oppressive weather obviously doesn't help, either.

Thanks for the insight -- still new enough to this that I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is normal and I should just power through it, or if it means I need a break. I'm thinking you're right.Just realized that I've now run 5 of the last 6 days and that my best runs were easily the first two in that stretch (following back-to-back off days). Tomorrow is a scheduled off day, but maybe I should think about only doing 4 days a week instead of 5.Looking back at my running log, it suddenly becomes easy to see that my times are "good" (i.e., at or above my intended pace) when I run a little less and have been kind of "bad' this week as I continue to increase my mileage.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Thanks for the tip about the Garmin 305. Going to put that on my wish list.Today's 6:15 a.m. weather conditions -- 77 degrees and 92 percent humidity. Good morning, Baltimore! Ugh.I feel like I've hit a "dead leg" period in my training, kind of like pitchers supposedly go through in spring training. Does such a thing exist? Did a half-mile warm-up, then ran two miles at my 7:45 5k race pace, then had to jog home the last half-mile. 10 days ago, I could do 3 miles at 7:45 pace. Maybe I'll blame some of it on the weather, which has been oppressive. But a couple of weeks ago my legs felt springy and energized during the workday following my a.m. runs. Right now they feel heavy and kind of sore all day. Hoping the bounce comes back.Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

Haven't read ahead to see if this has been mentioned, but my wife and I started our distance "careers" with Marathoning for Mortals. Loved it and still reread parts from time to time.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Go get'em and DON'T GET HURTShould be a blast for you and your team.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Thanks for the tip about the Garmin 305. Going to put that on my wish list.Today's 6:15 a.m. weather conditions -- 77 degrees and 92 percent humidity. Good morning, Baltimore! Ugh.I feel like I've hit a "dead leg" period in my training, kind of like pitchers supposedly go through in spring training. Does such a thing exist? Did a half-mile warm-up, then ran two miles at my 7:45 5k race pace, then had to jog home the last half-mile. 10 days ago, I could do 3 miles at 7:45 pace. Maybe I'll blame some of it on the weather, which has been oppressive. But a couple of weeks ago my legs felt springy and energized during the workday following my a.m. runs. Right now they feel heavy and kind of sore all day. Hoping the bounce comes back.Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

Sounds like your body might be telling you that you need a little rest. Oppressive weather obviously doesn't help, either.

Thanks for the insight -- still new enough to this that I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is normal and I should just power through it, or if it means I need a break. I'm thinking you're right.Just realized that I've now run 5 of the last 6 days and that my best runs were easily the first two in that stretch (following back-to-back off days). Tomorrow is a scheduled off day, but maybe I should think about only doing 4 days a week instead of 5.Looking back at my running log, it suddenly becomes easy to see that my times are "good" (i.e., at or above my intended pace) when I run a little less and have been kind of "bad' this week as I continue to increase my mileage.

What it sounds like you need is to add some cross-training to the mix (bike, swim, low impact stuff) to allow you legs some recovery time while also strengthening other muscles you'll need when the "running" muscles tire.

 

[Sand]

Looking back at my running log, it suddenly becomes easy to see that my times are "good" (i.e., at or above my intended pace) when I run a little less and have been kind of "bad' this week as I continue to increase my mileage.

Primo case study why you should use periodization in your training. Build up the volume/intensity, then have a light week to recover. Build up higher, then recover. Your "bad" weeks are what is building you up for your good weeks.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Thanks for the tip about the Garmin 305. Going to put that on my wish list.Today's 6:15 a.m. weather conditions -- 77 degrees and 92 percent humidity. Good morning, Baltimore! Ugh.I feel like I've hit a "dead leg" period in my training, kind of like pitchers supposedly go through in spring training. Does such a thing exist? Did a half-mile warm-up, then ran two miles at my 7:45 5k race pace, then had to jog home the last half-mile. 10 days ago, I could do 3 miles at 7:45 pace. Maybe I'll blame some of it on the weather, which has been oppressive. But a couple of weeks ago my legs felt springy and energized during the workday following my a.m. runs. Right now they feel heavy and kind of sore all day. Hoping the bounce comes back.Finally, does anyone have recommendations for a really good running book? I really appreciate everyone's knowledge, but feel bad about peppering the thread with all my newbie questions about training, heart rate, etc.

Sounds like your body might be telling you that you need a little rest. Oppressive weather obviously doesn't help, either.

Thanks for the insight -- still new enough to this that I'm not sure if what I'm feeling is normal and I should just power through it, or if it means I need a break. I'm thinking you're right.Just realized that I've now run 5 of the last 6 days and that my best runs were easily the first two in that stretch (following back-to-back off days). Tomorrow is a scheduled off day, but maybe I should think about only doing 4 days a week instead of 5.Looking back at my running log, it suddenly becomes easy to see that my times are "good" (i.e., at or above my intended pace) when I run a little less and have been kind of "bad' this week as I continue to increase my mileage.

Perfect example of a real benefit of keeping a running log.It's a tough balance, whether to HTFU and power through or back off. But the more I educate myself (I've only been running for 2 years), both through reading and my own experience, the more I tend to lean towards listening to my body and making sure I get enough rest. I saw a quote recently that said something like speed work doesn't make you faster, it's the recovery afterwards that does. Captures the importance of rest and recovery pretty well, I think.

 

[tri-man 47]

Hipster -

Your knee pain is quite likely due to overtraining, as it sounds like you've geared up quickly, or possibly shoes (how old are yours?). Pace yourself! The speed and endurance will come along just fine.

--

Did a very nice 16 miler, as planned. 8 miles on country roads (8:45/mi pace), a quick potty break and fuel belt refill, then 8 miles on a paved trail (8:10/mile pace). I could tell my quads were getting weaker (which was my downfall in my first marathon two years ago), so I'll have to work on that. But otherwise, I felt Energizer bunnyish. Didn't intend to negative split it, but I love that trail.

Followed up today with a great 40 minute lake swim. Overcast skies, so no bothersome morning sun. NObody else on the entire lake as I swam across and back. :heaven:

gruecd - have a blast with the Ragnar Run!!! I'll be heading to Rochester, NY early in the morning for the weekend, and hoping to catch a little 5K on Saturday nearby.

 

[gruecd]

Go get'em and DON'T GET HURT

Should be a blast for you and your team.

Thanks, 2Young. Hadn't even considered the possibility of getting hurt, so thanks for putting that thought in my head!!! tri-man - Good luck in your 5K!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Go get'em and DON'T GET HURT

Should be a blast for you and your team.

Thanks, 2Young. Hadn't even considered the possibility of getting hurt, so thanks for putting that thought in my head!!!

I so meant this to be a positive, its not like I said break a leg.

 

[gruecd]

Go get'em and DON'T GET HURT

Should be a blast for you and your team.

Thanks, 2Young. Hadn't even considered the possibility of getting hurt, so thanks for putting that thought in my head!!!

I so meant this to be a positive, its not like I said break a leg.

Doh!!!

 

[jmcc]

I saw the doc about my echocardiogram today and diagnosed with atrial septal defect.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000157.htm

He said he did not catch it in the past because this echocardiogram machine is much better then the old ones. I got the impression he was making up a reason this was not found before. He says this may be the cause for my feeling that I run out of breath sooner then everyone else. He wants me to do a trans esophageal echo. This sounds like being deepthroated :X : I have not scheduled it yet but I probably will. There is a way to repair this but I am not sure I want to. This has freaked me out quite a bit. I feel better after reading up on it but still MY HEART HAS A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!

He said there is no reason to stop exercising or anything like that. Just get the TEE done and go from there. I have had this my whole life and I kind of wish I was still ignorant to it.

He did say he was surprised to see it as my stress test was so good he assumed the echo would be nml.

More info about atrial septal defect, testing,and treatment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect

 

[2Young2BBald]

I saw the doc about my echocardiogram today and diagnosed with atrial septal defect.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000157.htm

He said he did not catch it in the past because this echocardiogram machine is much better then the old ones. I got the impression he was making up a reason this was not found before. He says this may be the cause for my feeling that I run out of breath sooner then everyone else. He wants me to do a trans esophageal echo. This sounds like being deepthroated : I have not scheduled it yet but I probably will. There is a way to repair this but I am not sure I want to. This has freaked me out quite a bit. I feel better after reading up on it but still MY HEART HAS A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!

He said there is no reason to stop exercising or anything like that. Just get the TEE done and go from there. I have had this my whole life and I kind of wish I was still ignorant to it.

He did say he was surprised to see it as my stress test was so good he assumed the echo would be nml.

More info about atrial septal defect, testing,and treatment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect

I can't imagine not getting the test. Spinning this a bit, no way in heck you even found this out if you hadn't started running (sure, the whole giving blood, come to the white light ordeal didn't hurt). You've made a lifestyle change that should be a lifetime change. Don't mess with your health.

 

[jmcc]

I saw the doc about my echocardiogram today and diagnosed with atrial septal defect.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000157.htm

He said he did not catch it in the past because this echocardiogram machine is much better then the old ones. I got the impression he was making up a reason this was not found before. He says this may be the cause for my feeling that I run out of breath sooner then everyone else. He wants me to do a trans esophageal echo. This sounds like being deepthroated : I have not scheduled it yet but I probably will. There is a way to repair this but I am not sure I want to. This has freaked me out quite a bit. I feel better after reading up on it but still MY HEART HAS A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!

He said there is no reason to stop exercising or anything like that. Just get the TEE done and go from there. I have had this my whole life and I kind of wish I was still ignorant to it.

He did say he was surprised to see it as my stress test was so good he assumed the echo would be nml.

More info about atrial septal defect, testing,and treatment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect

I can't imagine not getting the test. Spinning this a bit, no way in heck you even found this out if you hadn't started running (sure, the whole giving blood, come to the white light ordeal didn't hurt). You've made a lifestyle change that should be a lifetime change. Don't mess with your health.

I intend to set up the test at least.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

 

[2Young2BBald]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

Somebody go get Floppo out of there and in here.

 

[bentley]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[2Young2BBald]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

You owe us a triathlon too, so get busy.

 

[bentley]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

You owe us a triathlon too, so get busy.

Damn good memories around here. All the triathlons around here seem to be in the spring (which is good because I wouldn't be ready before then). Is that common everywhere?

 

[2Young2BBald]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

You owe us a triathlon too, so get busy.

Damn good memories around here. All the triathlons around here seem to be in the spring (which is good because I wouldn't be ready before then). Is that common everywhere?

More Summer here with late may being the earliest (and I swam one with an air temp of 46 degrees this year), but you are in a much warmer place (blasted memory). Go to trifind.com and you'll see tons of chances to race. How is the little Bentley doing?

 

[wraith5]

I saw the doc about my echocardiogram today and diagnosed with atrial septal defect.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000157.htm

He said he did not catch it in the past because this echocardiogram machine is much better then the old ones. I got the impression he was making up a reason this was not found before. He says this may be the cause for my feeling that I run out of breath sooner then everyone else. He wants me to do a trans esophageal echo. This sounds like being deepthroated : I have not scheduled it yet but I probably will. There is a way to repair this but I am not sure I want to. This has freaked me out quite a bit. I feel better after reading up on it but still MY HEART HAS A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!

He said there is no reason to stop exercising or anything like that. Just get the TEE done and go from there. I have had this my whole life and I kind of wish I was still ignorant to it.

He did say he was surprised to see it as my stress test was so good he assumed the echo would be nml.

More info about atrial septal defect, testing,and treatment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect

I can't imagine not getting the test. Spinning this a bit, no way in heck you even found this out if you hadn't started running (sure, the whole giving blood, come to the white light ordeal didn't hurt). You've made a lifestyle change that should be a lifetime change. Don't mess with your health.

I intend to set up the test at least.

I'm sorry for the diagnosis, but certainly thankful that he was able to make the diagnosis! From what I read it appears very common to not catch this type of defect if it isn't very large (which in a way is a bit of good news for you). Personally, it sounds like the test is somewhat worse than the fix - but by and large neither sounds worse than leaving the hole untreated. Scary, absolutely, but not worse.

Does this now change any of the running plans you had been thinking about?

Please keep us in the loop!!

 

[bentley]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

You owe us a triathlon too, so get busy.

Damn good memories around here. All the triathlons around here seem to be in the spring (which is good because I wouldn't be ready before then). Is that common everywhere?

More Summer here with late may being the earliest (and I swam one with an air temp of 46 degrees this year), but you are in a much warmer place (blasted memory). Go to trifind.com and you'll see tons of chances to race. How is the little Bentley doing?

He's awesome. We just need a little more neck control and then we're ready to be off in the jogging stroller to hit Town Lake for exercise (and checking out the scenery) on Saturday mornings.

 

[Sand]

Culdeus and BnB showing off their bike skills.

(yeah, yeah, I know that was mean, but the video is cool).

 

[BassNBrew]

250 pages, good job guys! 53 posts away from being the 5th longest thread evah! Come on guys, let's not let the freakin' soccer thread be above us!

I guess this is a sign that I should get back to running and quit talking so much about soccer. Hit the treadmill 3 times this week for the first time since the baby was born. I'm a tubby mess. I've only put on six pounds in the last 2.5 months, but it's all fat and then some. Hoping to stay in the swing of things. Need to HTFU and quit worrying so much about the heat or just accept that I'm a treadmill guy for the next couple months.Hope everyone is doing well.

You owe us a triathlon too, so get busy.

Damn good memories around here. All the triathlons around here seem to be in the spring (which is good because I wouldn't be ready before then). Is that common everywhere?

Jan 11 until November 7. Seventy-one triathlon events to chose from. You could do one a weekend if you wanted to be a multi-sport gru. Some of those 71 have an olympic on Sat and a sprint on Sunday if you want to go back to back.

 

[bentley]

Culdeus and BnB showing off their bike skills.

(yeah, yeah, I know that was mean, but the video is cool).

I thought for sure you were going to post
.

 

[wraith5]

Culdeus and BnB showing off their bike skills.

(yeah, yeah, I know that was mean, but the video is cool).

I thought for sure you were going to post

recently posted already - good call regardless. Bentley = quality

how old is lil' Bentley now?

 

[bentley]

Culdeus and BnB showing off their bike skills.

(yeah, yeah, I know that was mean, but the video is cool).

I thought for sure you were going to post

Dammit. I should have read the last few pages. 11 weeks old.

 

[wraith5]

how old is lil' Bentley now?

11 weeks old.

Awesome. Sometimes I miss mine being that little. Of course now mine are old enough that Mrs. Wraith only threatens bodily harm when I go for a run... Enjoy every minute, GB.

And welcome back to the thread (from one lost sheep to another!)

 

[Sand]

Culdeus and BnB showing off their bike skills.

(yeah, yeah, I know that was mean, but the video is cool).

I thought for sure you were going to post

I'm much more hip than that.

 

[jmcc]

I saw the doc about my echocardiogram today and diagnosed with atrial septal defect.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000157.htm

He said he did not catch it in the past because this echocardiogram machine is much better then the old ones. I got the impression he was making up a reason this was not found before. He says this may be the cause for my feeling that I run out of breath sooner then everyone else. He wants me to do a trans esophageal echo. This sounds like being deepthroated :X : I have not scheduled it yet but I probably will. There is a way to repair this but I am not sure I want to. This has freaked me out quite a bit. I feel better after reading up on it but still MY HEART HAS A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!

He said there is no reason to stop exercising or anything like that. Just get the TEE done and go from there. I have had this my whole life and I kind of wish I was still ignorant to it.

He did say he was surprised to see it as my stress test was so good he assumed the echo would be nml.

More info about atrial septal defect, testing,and treatment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect

I can't imagine not getting the test. Spinning this a bit, no way in heck you even found this out if you hadn't started running (sure, the whole giving blood, come to the white light ordeal didn't hurt). You've made a lifestyle change that should be a lifetime change. Don't mess with your health.

I intend to set up the test at least.

I'm sorry for the diagnosis, but certainly thankful that he was able to make the diagnosis! From what I read it appears very common to not catch this type of defect if it isn't very large (which in a way is a bit of good news for you). Personally, it sounds like the test is somewhat worse than the fix - but by and large neither sounds worse than leaving the hole untreated. Scary, absolutely, but not worse.

Does this now change any of the running plans you had been thinking about?

Please keep us in the loop!!

Doc said I can keep doing what I am doing, so I will keep running. Financially it changes race plans. I dont think I will be entering any races due to cost. I will keep running and I may volunteer to work a race just to get into the atmosphere.I am feeling better about it but I got to be honest I feel like a little girl afraid of a monster. This has freaked me out, although I always felt something had to be up with the way I ran out of breath faster then others. In some ways I am glad they found an answer for my symptoms. I will be looking at my work schedule and figuring out when I can do this.

 

[jonmhend]

Hi all - been lurking for the last month or so. The thread has helped to inspire me to get back into running.

My story: Used to run in the mid 90's and ran a half marathon (Indy) in 96. Got busy with work, wife, kids and just stopped. Occasionally tried to keep active, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm pretty much a tub of goo now. I was about 170-180 in 96 (I'm 5'11) and now I'm about 210-215 and I turn 40 in a month.

So this week I started back up. I plan to run the half marathon at the Rock n Roll AZ in mid Jan. It seems like most of the training guides start assuming you have a decent base. I don't have that. I can go 30-35 min at a pretty slow pace (probably about 11min miles) with 2 (1 min) walk breaks - that's what I've done the last 4 days. Its still hot here (AZ) so I'm really looking forward to the cool early mornings in about a month.

I've got 22 weeks to the half in January and I was planning on using Higdon's 12 week plan but going up and down the weeks a bit more like: 1,2,2,3,4,3... I figure I'll stretch his plan out to about 18 weeks and that gives me 4 weeks to try and establish a base. My goal for the half will be primarily to finish without walking. We'll see how the training goes before I establish a time goal. I want to be realistic and not over-do it because I'd like this to become a lifelong thing (said the guy who's 4 days into it...)

I guess my question is: What does a good start-up program look like? Assume that I'm really out of shape - get winded walking up 3-4 flights of stairs and am at least 20-25 pounds heavy. Should I just be looking to get in 30 min of activity or should I target 3 miles no matter how long it takes? How many days a week should I run to build up a base?

Any thoughts for a complete newbie would be appreciated.

 

[The_Man]

Hi all - been lurking for the last month or so. The thread has helped to inspire me to get back into running.My story: Used to run in the mid 90's and ran a half marathon (Indy) in 96. Got busy with work, wife, kids and just stopped. Occasionally tried to keep active, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm pretty much a tub of goo now. I was about 170-180 in 96 (I'm 5'11) and now I'm about 210-215 and I turn 40 in a month.

I'm too new myself to offer any practical advice, but can tell you what a difference running has made to my fitness. I turned 40 at the end of April and two weeks after weighed myself and found I had topped 190 for the first time in my life (I'm also 5'11). Looking at my dad and his dad, and their giant guts made me realize I was headed that way myself unless I took some action.So I've pretty much completely eliminated sweets from my diet, eat a lot less fried food, and only have meat one meal a day (instead of 2 or 3), while running 15-20 miles per week. Since mid-May, I've lost about 11 pounds and gone from puffing my way through two miles in 18 minutes to doing 3 miles in under 24 minutes. And I hadn't run since high school. So if I can do it, anyone can. Good luck!

 

[pigskinliquors]

Welcome to the thread Jon! Higdon plans have been used by many in this thread, and have been shown to be effective. Post your trials and tribulations in here, and we'll keep you honest with your workouts. With an 18 week plan, you've got more than enough time to be very ready for the race!

JMCC: Glad to hear that you are going to get the test. Take care.

Sand: Great video! I'm pretty sure that resembles Culdeus and myself more than Culdeus and BnB though. BnB is more masculine than we are (NTTAWWT!).

_________________________________

My update:

I got my 50 mile ride in this morning. My only goal was to get the mileage in, and not burn my legs out too much so that I can at least consider getting a long run in on Sunday (12 miles scheduled). The ride went pretty well, though my legs are more tired right now than I'd like them to be. My HR stayed below 172 for the whole ride, and I was able to still average 20.3 MPH. I had major sunglasses issues = I most likely won't wear them for the race next Saturday. My Garmin also lost satellite quite a few times, = I relied on my Garmin just for HR information, and used my Cateye for Speed/AVE speed/distance information. I also took my Camelback with me for the first time (for a bike ride), and don't know why I don't just live with the thing on. It's too much easier to drink when you want than water bottles. I might use it tonight as I'm pretty sure I'll be getting my drink on, as some friends are taking me out for a belated birthday bash.

 

[Sand]

Hi all - been lurking for the last month or so. The thread has helped to inspire me to get back into running.My story: Used to run in the mid 90's and ran a half marathon (Indy) in 96. Got busy with work, wife, kids and just stopped. Occasionally tried to keep active, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm pretty much a tub of goo now. I was about 170-180 in 96 (I'm 5'11) and now I'm about 210-215 and I turn 40 in a month.So this week I started back up. I plan to run the half marathon at the Rock n Roll AZ in mid Jan. It seems like most of the training guides start assuming you have a decent base. I don't have that. I can go 30-35 min at a pretty slow pace (probably about 11min miles) with 2 (1 min) walk breaks - that's what I've done the last 4 days. Its still hot here (AZ) so I'm really looking forward to the cool early mornings in about a month.I've got 22 weeks to the half in January and I was planning on using Higdon's 12 week plan but going up and down the weeks a bit more like: 1,2,2,3,4,3... I figure I'll stretch his plan out to about 18 weeks and that gives me 4 weeks to try and establish a base. My goal for the half will be primarily to finish without walking. We'll see how the training goes before I establish a time goal. I want to be realistic and not over-do it because I'd like this to become a lifelong thing (said the guy who's 4 days into it...)I guess my question is: What does a good start-up program look like? Assume that I'm really out of shape - get winded walking up 3-4 flights of stairs and am at least 20-25 pounds heavy. Should I just be looking to get in 30 min of activity or should I target 3 miles no matter how long it takes? How many days a week should I run to build up a base?Any thoughts for a complete newbie would be appreciated.

Welcome! There are some good runners in here to give you better advice than I can, but I do know that Higdon is highly regarded.

 

[wraith5]

I guess my question is: What does a good start-up program look like? Assume that I'm really out of shape - get winded walking up 3-4 flights of stairs and am at least 20-25 pounds heavy. Should I just be looking to get in 30 min of activity or should I target 3 miles no matter how long it takes? How many days a week should I run to build up a base?Any thoughts for a complete newbie would be appreciated.

Welcome to the thread!! This is a great place for support - I was here when it started then disappeared for a long time (I have 2 little kids - running went to the back burner) and came back this summer. Lots of good folks - and good athletes - around. Hal Higdon is definitely a solid way to go - I know he has a bunch of programs on his website, so you should be able to find a program that suits you well. After a couple of weeks you should get a true feel for where you're really starting from and go from there. PS - I think I've mentioned that I own like 5 Camelbaks - I love the things. I've never actually used it for... recreational drinking, but I have used my HAWG to smuggle stuff into Wrigley on occasion!

 

[wraith5]

This morning I did some speedwork (reversed my speedwork/tempo runs this week because I wasn't sure I'd get both it).

1 mile warm-up, 1k (7:15 pace), 2k (7:33 pace), 1k (7:09), 1k (7:01), 1 mile cool-down. 400 meter rest interval between each repeat (some walking, mostly jogged it out).

MUCH cooler out and overcast this morning - makes a dramatic difference for sure! I was very glad to be able to make my last repeat my fastest for once!

Planning on attempting 15 on Sunday. It looks like the weather should cooperate.

Have a good weekend!!

 

[BassNBrew]

Sprint tri for me tomorrow. My first. Results will be as they hosed us on the bike course.

 

[pigskinliquors]

Sprint tri for me tomorrow. My first. Results will be as they hosed us on the bike course.

####### Hosers!

 

[wraith5]

Sprint tri for me tomorrow. My first. Results will be as they hosed us on the bike course.

Good luck!!

 

[BassNBrew]

I'll put some times out here for me to shoot for.

750m swim: 20:30 water time plus 30 secs to cross the mat - 21 min (or 15 min if the rescue boats fish me out)

13.3mi bike: expect to average about 21 mph on a hilly course on my road bike. min speed 9mph, max speed 38 mph - 38 min

5k run: ran 24:32 last week on the front end so let's add two minutes on the back end - 26.5 min

 

[SFBayDuck]

Hi all - been lurking for the last month or so. The thread has helped to inspire me to get back into running.

My story: Used to run in the mid 90's and ran a half marathon (Indy) in 96. Got busy with work, wife, kids and just stopped. Occasionally tried to keep active, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm pretty much a tub of goo now. I was about 170-180 in 96 (I'm 5'11) and now I'm about 210-215 and I turn 40 in a month.

So this week I started back up. I plan to run the half marathon at the Rock n Roll AZ in mid Jan. It seems like most of the training guides start assuming you have a decent base. I don't have that. I can go 30-35 min at a pretty slow pace (probably about 11min miles) with 2 (1 min) walk breaks - that's what I've done the last 4 days. Its still hot here (AZ) so I'm really looking forward to the cool early mornings in about a month.

I've got 22 weeks to the half in January and I was planning on using Higdon's 12 week plan but going up and down the weeks a bit more like: 1,2,2,3,4,3... I figure I'll stretch his plan out to about 18 weeks and that gives me 4 weeks to try and establish a base. My goal for the half will be primarily to finish without walking. We'll see how the training goes before I establish a time goal. I want to be realistic and not over-do it because I'd like this to become a lifelong thing (said the guy who's 4 days into it...)

I guess my question is: What does a good start-up program look like? Assume that I'm really out of shape - get winded walking up 3-4 flights of stairs and am at least 20-25 pounds heavy. Should I just be looking to get in 30 min of activity or should I target 3 miles no matter how long it takes? How many days a week should I run to build up a base?

Any thoughts for a complete newbie would be appreciated.

Welcome! I'm still a relative newbie myself, started running for the first time at the age of 34 less than 3 years ago. I thought about that a lot as I finished my first marathon a couple weeks ago!You're already in better starting position that I was. I started at the beginning of the Cool Runnings Couch to 5K program, but you could start at week 5 or 6 and do the last 3-4 weeks, would fit in well with building up a bit more base before starting a Higdon program.

But sounds like you've got the right idea - give yourself time to build a base, follow a program and stick to it, and you'll be ready come January to tackle that 13.1!

 

[jmcc]

Hi all - been lurking for the last month or so. The thread has helped to inspire me to get back into running.My story: Used to run in the mid 90's and ran a half marathon (Indy) in 96. Got busy with work, wife, kids and just stopped. Occasionally tried to keep active, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm pretty much a tub of goo now. I was about 170-180 in 96 (I'm 5'11) and now I'm about 210-215 and I turn 40 in a month.So this week I started back up. I plan to run the half marathon at the Rock n Roll AZ in mid Jan. It seems like most of the training guides start assuming you have a decent base. I don't have that. I can go 30-35 min at a pretty slow pace (probably about 11min miles) with 2 (1 min) walk breaks - that's what I've done the last 4 days. Its still hot here (AZ) so I'm really looking forward to the cool early mornings in about a month.I've got 22 weeks to the half in January and I was planning on using Higdon's 12 week plan but going up and down the weeks a bit more like: 1,2,2,3,4,3... I figure I'll stretch his plan out to about 18 weeks and that gives me 4 weeks to try and establish a base. My goal for the half will be primarily to finish without walking. We'll see how the training goes before I establish a time goal. I want to be realistic and not over-do it because I'd like this to become a lifelong thing (said the guy who's 4 days into it...)I guess my question is: What does a good start-up program look like? Assume that I'm really out of shape - get winded walking up 3-4 flights of stairs and am at least 20-25 pounds heavy. Should I just be looking to get in 30 min of activity or should I target 3 miles no matter how long it takes? How many days a week should I run to build up a base?Any thoughts for a complete newbie would be appreciated.

WelcomeWhere in Az are you? I am N of Tucson.

 

[jmcc]

I scheduled my test for 9/11.

 

[BassNBrew]

I'll put some times out here for me to shoot for.750m swim: 20:30 water time plus 30 secs to cross the mat - 21 min (or 15 min if the rescue boats fish me out)13.3mi bike: expect to average about 21 mph on a hilly course on my road bike. min speed 9mph, max speed 38 mph - 38 min5k run: ran 24:32 last week on the front end so let's add two minutes on the back end - 26.5 min

Ugh....unofficial times.Swim went better than expected. Got out of the water at 17-18 minutes. Surprised at how cooked I was. HR was thru the roof. Used a combo of crawl, breast, and back stroke. I'm sure several guys have bruised kidneys from my breast stroke kick. I'll have about another 2 minutes added on as the T1 mat was up a couple hundred yard maze.T1 - No clue. Took some time to clean my feet as we ran thru gravel, pine needles, mud, and sand.Bike was a 21.7 average, I'm guessing just south of 37 minutes. The computer started when I was rolling in transition and back to the rack. Negetive split the ##### at 21.2 for the first half (348 ft climbing) and 22.3 for the second half (313 ft climbing). The breast stroke cooked my hips and it took me awhile to get into the groove. The final climb was .53 mile at 4.2% grade (6.5 max). Average 16 mph up the ##### and keep it above 10 mph the whole way. three people passed me early in the bike leg, I caught all of the on the 2.25 mi run in with a 24.6 mph average. i was just getting into my groove when the fun was over. We caught a shower during the bike so some of the final corners were very dicey.T2 - One shoe on the pedal, the other foot didn't slip out and brought the shoe along for the jog. Everything was smooth here.Run - 30 minutes is my best guesstimate. Funny thing is that I felt like I ran faster. The dickweeds had the 1 mi water stop at 3/4 (didn't know this at the time). I passed it just over 7 min and thought I was smoking the run. At 15 min we turned into a long straight away. oh no...where's the 2 mi maker. 17 mi...still nothing. Finally at 19 min I passed it. Now I know the mileage was wrong and was sure how to pace my effort. Finished in 1:28:27 according to my watch. I very disappointed with my run. If I'm right about the time, my pace was close to my untrained pace back in Feb on a 4 mi run after doing another 4 mi run and a 30 mi bike. Finished 6 mi off the podium. My team mates had a 3rd in open, two 1sts in age group, one 3rd in age group, and a 1st in clydesdale. There were 700 people in this event, 60/40 men to women, and the talent was top shelf.

 

[gruecd]

Hey, guys. Back at my sister's apartment after a long but AWESOME couple of days at the Ragnar. Truth be told, it was probably the most fun I've ever had at a running event!!! We finished the 193 miles in just a little over 23 hours, and while I haven't seen any official results, I'd be hard-pressed to think that we didn't win the mixed division, because we were HAULING ### out there!!! Super pleased with how I nailed my runs. Did my first run at 2 PM and averaged 6:41's for 6.48 miles on a relatively flat course. Second leg started around 11 PM and was SUPER hilly. Still managed to average a solid 7:09 pace for 6.6 miles. Got maybe 15 minutes sleep before my 3rd leg at 5 AM, but managed to pound out 7:02's for 7.46 miles! Also ran a few miles with one of the girls on my team, so I probably ended up pushing 25 miles or so for the entire event. And believe it or not, my legs actually feel pretty good!!!!

Anyway, made a bunch of awesome new friends, and left feeling more confident than ever about Chicago. My weight is down to about 208, which I think also made a big difference on those hills. I'm usually a horrible hill runner, but I #######' killed it out there. Also amazing to me how a person can dig deeper for that little something extra when you know you have teammates out there waiting for you!

In any case, already looking forward to next year. Gotta go clean up and then go meet the sis and her friends. Have a great weekend, everybody!

(Oh yeah, I just woke up for a 2-hour nap, giving me a grand total of 2-1/2 hours of sleep since yesterday morning at 4:30!)