Ran a 10k in June (3 Viewers)

[tri-man 47]

As I believe I mentioned, 40 miles into the bike leg of my half-IM, a friend from years ago came up along side me and we chatted our way back to T2 ("transition"). He's a professor, and just now caught up on my email to him asking how the rest of his race went since he HTFU'd the two-loop run while I called it a day and headed home. His comments:

"I will remember that tri in Effingham for a long time! After the first loop on the run I went and sat in the lake for about 15 minutes to try to cool off. Then on the second loop a girl wanted to walk with me which was fine but she was crying and moaning like she was going through child birth. They finally pulled her off the course. I really had no reason to finish other than I didn't want my wife reminding me I should not have done a duathlon the day before the half."

at the 15 minute mid-run cool down; at the girl's condition; :X at struggling through a brutal half-IM so the wife won't give him grief!

 

[pigskinliquors]

at the 15 minute mid-run cool down; at the girl's condition; at struggling through a brutal half-IM so the wife won't give him grief!

www.nomarriage.com

 

[gruecd]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say "thanks" for helping me through my track workout this afternoon. It was super warm out there, with the heat index up over 90 degrees, and it felt even hotter with the heat radiating off the black surface of the track.

Ran the 2+ miles to the track and knocked out 5 x 800M at 2:58, 3:00, 2:59, 3:01, and 3:01 (3:00 average). After each repeat, I'd stop to grab a quick drink of Gatorade and towel off my face, and then I'd jog an easy lap (2:07 average) before knocking out the next one. Pretty much wanted to quit after the second one, but I didn't want to come back on here tonight and tell you guys how I ####ed out. Jogged the 2+ miles home and called it a day. Total with up and down = 8 miles at 7:36 average pace.

Pfitz suggests rest intervals at 50-90% of the work intervals, and between the jog intervals and the water breaks, I was probably pushing the high end of that range. Whatever.

Hope you all have a great night!

 

[pmbrown_22]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to say "thanks" for helping me through my track workout this afternoon. It was super warm out there, with the heat index up over 90 degrees, and it felt even hotter with the heat radiating off the black surface of the track.Ran the 2+ miles to the track and knocked out 5 x 800M at 2:58, 3:00, 2:59, 3:01, and 3:01 (3:00 average). After each repeat, I'd stop to grab a quick drink of Gatorade and towel off my face, and then I'd jog an easy lap (2:07 average) before knocking out the next one. Pretty much wanted to quit after the second one, but I didn't want to come back on here tonight and tell you guys how I ####ed out. Jogged the 2+ miles home and called it a day. Total with up and down = 8 miles at 7:36 average pace.Pfitz suggests rest intervals at 50-90% of the work intervals, and between the jog intervals and the water breaks, I was probably pushing the high end of that range. Whatever.Hope you all have a great night!

Hey, you got through them and that is what matters. Great workout. It will be worth it in the end. Yesterday afternoon I finished my second recovery run in 100 degree temps. Funny though as it was a much easier run than the humid one in the morning. Neither felt great, but it amazed me the difference.This morning I was up at 3:40 to get in my 15 miles in. I only did 14 as it was 80 when I started and about 100% humidity. It kicked my butt pretty hard. I just could not do anymore and really probably should have stopped at like 11 or 12. Well I get to rest the remainder of the day and then a 5 mile recovery tomorrow.

 

[prosopis]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did. I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go.

It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story.

I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

 

[pmbrown_22]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did. I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go. It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story. I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

It happens and is pretty good you can laugh at it. The guilt goes away after a day or two.

 

[prosopis]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did. I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go. It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story. I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

It happens and is pretty good you can laugh at it. The guilt goes away after a day or two.

I am just hoping it wasnt at some kids bus stop.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did.

Ooh. This sounds like something out of Letters to Penthouse.

I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go. It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story. I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

Well, maybe not so much.

 

[FUBAR]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did. I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go. It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story. I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

happened to me on vacation. Met my wife's younger sister for a beach run in the morning, I woke up a little later than intended and didn't have time to go before hand. We were to run 3 out and 3 back. After the 1st mile I started to feel uncomfortable and that started to build to the point of no return. I made up some BS about having to get back earlier than planned and cut back at mile 2, 100 yards later I cut into the island, found some privacy and dropped the deuce. The phrase is "#### happens" for a reason.

 

[FUBAR]

It’s just clear to me that if I want to improve my finish times next year, I need to ... put most of the pure running races on the shelf.

Not cool.

just me maybe, but I'm gearing more towards running at this point. I'll still ride once or twice a week but focus on running with biking/swimming being my cross training. At least until I get a better bike.

I wish I understood my psyche better than I do. I LOVE being on my bike. My legs feel great after even the hardest of workouts, while much of my body hurts after a difficult run. Yet, my brain wants me to run more, and I almost religiously always get my three runs in, yet I have difficulty getting more than one quality bike ride in per week. I don't get it.

For me, that's a time issue. I can get a good run in in 30 minutes, but I don't feel I get much out of a ride under an hour.

 

[El Floppo]

I never thought this would happen to me but it did.

Ooh. This sounds like something out of Letters to Penthouse.

I got up at 4:30 am to do 4 miles. I was doing it before work to beat the heat and I have a dental appt today so I probly wont go to the gym. I strapped my garmin on ate a banana and headed out. About 3/4 of a mile in I felt the abdominal pain and I though maybe I should have tried harder to drop a deuce at home. I kept going but it was really tough at one point I thought a pebble or two may have escaped my clenched cheeks. I had to stop and really fight not to crap myself. I was walking when it became apparent that this was gonna happen. I headed to the side of the road. It was dark and early so I figured I was gonna be ok and I really didnt have a choice, it was an emergency. As I dropped shorts I heard the dogs start barking. Thankfully they were in a fenced yard. I exploded on the side of the road. The dogs are going crazy. Then the flood lights at the house with the dogs came on. I pulled my shorts up and started a little walk. I saw someone looking out of the door with the flood lights so I started a half hearted jog. Person watched for a few seconds and turned the lights off. I walked home. That is a horrible feeling knowing you are gonna crap and there is no where to go. It is kinda cool to see the whole event on my garmin tracking. The graph shows the whole story. I hope these shorts can be saved as they are my only lined pair.

Well, maybe not so much.

fwiw- used to happen to me a lot on trail runs (in Marin, not NYC). once you get your workout on your working it out schedule, you'll be fine.no run this morning. ... forgot to set the alarm after watching the US v Brazil game at a friend's place last night.

 

[El Floppo]

It’s just clear to me that if I want to improve my finish times next year, I need to ... put most of the pure running races on the shelf.

Not cool.

just me maybe, but I'm gearing more towards running at this point. I'll still ride once or twice a week but focus on running with biking/swimming being my cross training. At least until I get a better bike.

I wish I understood my psyche better than I do. I LOVE being on my bike. My legs feel great after even the hardest of workouts, while much of my body hurts after a difficult run. Yet, my brain wants me to run more, and I almost religiously always get my three runs in, yet I have difficulty getting more than one quality bike ride in per week. I don't get it.

For me, that's a time issue. I can get a good run in in 30 minutes, but I don't feel I get much out of a ride under an hour.

agree- plus, there's the time needed to arrange the gear beforehand.

 

[BassNBrew]

Another bad running day yesterday, but this one was even worse. I have been geting abdominal cramps just below the rib cage to the sides when I run. Last nite back pain in the kidney area entered the mix. My throat is a little be sore so I hoping it's just a virus. or something. Another double digit run average as i jogged .05 miles and then walked .05 miles. Looks like my "A" event in a couple of weeks might be hosed. I'm wondering if the sudden weight loss has something to do with this?

 

[Workhorse]

Cranked out a 9 miler yesterday with 5 miles at Half-marathon pace (7:30). Started with a bit of a knot in my right calf/behind my knee but it faded after mile 4 or so. The back is starting to loosen up as well. Full steam ahead!

 

[Sand]

I'm wondering if the sudden weight loss has something to do with this?

I have found that if I really drive my weight down quickly that I run into substantial fatigue issues. Thought about taking a day or two completely off?----On my end I had a pretty darn good day yesterday. Finally got to ride my tri group ride with my new powertap toy. Great stuff - managed to average 200watts over the meat of the ride. Chump change to guys like BnB and Pigskin, but a good place to start tracking and improving from. Even managed a comfortable 2 mile brick run afterward (sub-8!). Taper mode has now been fully activated.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Another bad running day yesterday, but this one was even worse. I have been geting abdominal cramps just below the rib cage to the sides when I run. Last nite back pain in the kidney area entered the mix. My throat is a little be sore so I hoping it's just a virus. or something. Another double digit run average as i jogged .05 miles and then walked .05 miles. Looks like my "A" event in a couple of weeks might be hosed. I'm wondering if the sudden weight loss has something to do with this?

I bet it does. Right before my one and only marathon, an huge amount of work stress caught up with me and I dropped about 5 pounds right before (big loss for a guy at 157 pounds to begin with). I bonked at mile 17 and struggled to the finish. With the HIM training this year, I dropped to 153 for a while. I found that I was blowing through gels & Gu Chomps during training and :knockswood: there has been no bonking this whole season. I eat a bag of Gu Chomps about a 1/2 hour before the gun. I also switched to Greek Yogurt with granola as my pre-workout/race meal of choice. Its very high in protein and seems to "fuel" me well. I'd play with your pre-race meal routine a bit and see if it helps.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Got a double in yesterday, 1500 meter swim and a 5K run about 2 hours later (the heat index was 98). No reason for a double other than that I had the time. Had the MRI on my hand this morning. This is the second one I have had, this was was much more miserable than the first. I had to lay on the tray on my stomach with my left hand extended Superman style, strapped in so I couldn't move it. Next up is the EMG test on Friday, which I made a huge mistake of Googling up. This is going to hurt

 

[Ned]

Well I'm now about 14.5 weeks away from the Philly half (11/21), so I'm buckling down and starting my training. I've decided I'm going to do the Higdon Intermediate program. Since it's a 12 week program, I'm going to repeat week 1 3x before moving on to week 2. I have a 5K that I'm running next Wendesday, but other than that I'll be trying to stick to the schedule verbatim.

Monday called for Strength training, so I did the Chest/Back/Ab Ripper from P90x. God I forgot how hard that stuff was. I may need to modify and maybe only do half of the P90x discs on the strength days if I feel like it's affecting my running. We'll see...

Tuesday was a '3mi run'. I know for the seasoned guys here it's obvious, but for me holding a pace where I can have a conversation is just foreign to me. With the temps at 96 and god knows what the heat index was, I forced myself to take it nice and slow at the start:

1mi - 9:29

2mi - 9:12

3mi - 8:48

That was pretty slow, but with the heat I was pretty exhausted at the end. This is probably the first time I've ever been able to run negative splits each time, but starting at a 9:29 made it easy. The heat really got to me and I had to strip down to just my shorts to cool off on the walk home. It was just too damn hot.

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

 

[gruecd]

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

Here you go, my friend: McMillan Running CalculatorEnter your goal marathon time, and it will tell you the recommended pace for the different types of runs (long, tempo, recovery, etc.).

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

Personally, I do my long runs at a slow, conversational pace that feels too easy at the beginning and that I know I will still have no serious problem maintaining at the end. For me, that means ~9:30/mi but obviously that's going to be different for different runners. Going 100% by "feel" doesn't work well for me because I want to know that I'm not going to fast (going too slow isn't as much of an issue). I would not recommend doing all your runs at that "conversational" pace. Otherwise you'll lose speed over the course of your training cycle. I do at least two of my other runs at my normal off-season training pace of 8:30/mi, which is about 40 seconds faster that my PMP. The only time I run slower than this pace on anything < 10 miles is if I need a short recovery run.

Edit: Or, in other words, what gru said.

 

[FUBAR]

For me, that's a time issue. I can get a good run in in 30 minutes, but I don't feel I get much out of a ride under an hour.

agree- plus, there's the time needed to arrange the gear beforehand.

It doesn't take me that much time to prepare the bike (just throw on a water bottle, bike jersey with gu/chomps, and shoes, but there's always the potential flat or other issue that can create havoc on the day. I haven't swam in a couple weeks now, the pool doesn't open until after 10, and by then I can't justify taking an hour or more away from the fam right now although I wouldn't get grief for it, I just want to spend that time with the kids before heading back to work (it's different if I'm out and back around 9ish). But I've been running a lot more, mostly 4-7 mile jaunts as my longer days are on the bike. Loving this area for running, I'll head out at a decent pace, around 7:40, then hit a wooded trail which are all over the place. The variations are how long I follow the trail and some speed work, I feel these hills are helping me big time. I just need to start going longer again - I just find it's a difficult balance between long runs and rides while I can get in my 30-50 minute runs pretty easily.

 

[FUBAR]

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

Personally, I do my long runs at a slow, conversational pace that feels too easy at the beginning and that I know I will still have no serious problem maintaining at the end. For me, that means ~9:30/mi but obviously that's going to be different for different runners. Going 100% by "feel" doesn't work well for me because I want to know that I'm not going to fast (going too slow isn't as much of an issue). I would not recommend doing all your runs at that "conversational" pace. Otherwise you'll lose speed over the course of your training cycle. I do at least two of my other runs at my normal off-season training pace of 8:30/mi, which is about 40 seconds faster that my PMP. The only time I run slower than this pace on anything < 10 miles is if I need a short recovery run.

Edit: Or, in other words, what gru said.

personally I prefer going by feel on longer runs, but that's a personal preference. I'll take my garmin, switch to map mode just to keep a good idea of where I am (still getting used to this area), and roll. You absolutely have to vary your training. Slower recovery days are vital, as is speed work (or at least hills), and long runs. I like Yasso 800s but some believe they're overrated but still good training.

 

[Sand]

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

Here you go, my friend: McMillan Running CalculatorEnter your goal marathon time, and it will tell you the recommended pace for the different types of runs (long, tempo, recovery, etc.).

Gotta disagree here. If you are in an area of the country that is mega hot right now I'd go by feel and just get the miles in. A heat index of 110 will make hitting your recommended paces really tough. When it cools down to non-insane levels then start hitting real training paces.

 

[bostonfred]

Well, I ran my weekly 5k again yesterday, even though my legs felt horrid after a hilly run on Monday. The theme of yesterday's race was an age and gender weighted tag team event - each runner paired up with a teammate, and the winner is the one with the best combined time, handicapped for their age and gender groups. I didn't have a partner, but I didn't anticipate placing in the race, either, so it wasn't really an issue. But it was a little disconcerting when I got to the race, because it was a much larger crowd than I'd expected. It's hard to say if they've been getting this kind of crowd all year, because I've typically been getting to the start line after everybody's already long gone, but there were a few hundred people that ranged from 5 to 75 years old, with some "parent of the year" candidates entering their children into a road race sponsored by a bar that goes down an active highway.

At the start line, a large crowd is gathered around a guy with no microphone who seems to be yelling instructions to people about how to run the race and how it will be scored. As I pull closer to try to hear anything he's saying, he shouts, OK, let's get started! And everyone around me starts running, sending me staggering. I turn around and start running with them, only to jam on the brakes as everyone in front of me takes their position on the start line. Future race organizers, take note: Please don't yell "OK, let's get started" to a group of novice runners if you don't want them to, you know, get started.

The race takes off, and it's clearly amateur hour, with people cutting each other off, slowing down and speeding up and criss crossing without warning. There's a girl wearing a Wonder Woman outfit and what must have been her out of shape boyfriend in a full blue bodysuit that appeared to give more detail than support. Fortunately he was at least wearing a mask. They were the only ones in costume in the whole race. I hope for his sake that his friends never find those pictures.

I start out running a little faster than I should have, trying to work my way around the crowds, but using twice the energy to avoid the random kid who just stopped running or the walkers who were going upstream on the bike path where the race starts. The combination of the 85 degree racetime temperature and humidity and the body heat of a crowd of runners reminded me that I wasn't properly hydrated for the race at all. But just as I decide to settle into a more comfortable pace, I see her, the runner who broke a hundred hearts, wearing her tiny little something and an even tinier little something else. She didn't have the perfect body, but it was mesmerizing - tan and blonde and a little sweat and just enough left to the imagination. I hardly even noticed that she was flying by the group I was in, because as soon as she passed, everyone in the group sped up. And I'm not ashamed to admit that that includes me.

When we hit the hills, it became clear that I was overheating, but I knew that once I slowed down, she'd be gone, and so would any will I had left to run. Still, I'm more of downhill specialist than an uphill kind of guy, and I inevitably started to drop back as I was sucking wind. And I noticed a lot of the other guys in the group did, too, and that the group ahead of us started to pick right up just like we did. I've probably dropped to a ten minute mile pace at this point, maybe even worse, and I'm seriously considering walking. But I decided I'd rather jog for a while and cool way down then try to finish strong than walk for even a moment in a race this short, so I focused on heel toe, heel toe, and breathing.

Then the race destroyed what was left of my already fragile ego. I hear a father giving his kids instructions, and one of them says, excuse me, while another one yells out "on your left" at the top of his lungs. It's all I can do to pull over to the side to let them pass. And as I get to the next water station, a couple of septuagenarian runners pass me like white haired lightning, and as they pass me, I can hear them say, did you see that? We got passed by a couple kindegartners, and now we're back here with the fat guys and old men. Hey thanks, gramps, I can hear you you know.

I grab my water and jog to the finish line, willing to admit defeat. I have nothing left in the tank for a narrow final stretch that is peppered with inexperienced runners walking back upstream from the finish line. I'm preparing for my final sprint when I see the clock is over 28 minutes, and realize I just don't care anymore, so I did whatever the opposite of HTFU is, crossed the line, dropped off my number, and started working my way back to my car. On the way, I hear some people talking about the raffle at the bar that sponsors the event, so I decide to grab a bud light and check it out. There's a huge patio in the back, and there's Jogbra, grinning ear to ear, surrounded by a group of oglers and their angry girlfriends. They announce the raffle winners and I "win", which really means I got a couple of free running towels, whatever those are. They look like big washcloths and have no writing or logo on them whatsoever. But then something unexpected happened - they announced the people who set personal records. And it turns out that Jogbra and 46 other people all set personal records the same day. And the funny thing is, despite my terrible run, I was one of them, because my previous time was a late start.

So somehow, after getting passed by the AARP guys who got passed by the kindergartners who all passed me after I couldn't keep up with Jogbra, I walked home with a medal for running a terrible time. It's the kind of medal that goes on the bottom shelf of an empty trophy cabinet, but it's kind of cool nonetheless.

 

[Ned]

First off - grue, Ivan, Sand, Fubar - THANKS! Exactly what I was looking for. I 'heard' what Higdon was saying, but it just didn't sit well. I grew up just picking a distance for the day, going out and running it hard. The thought of LSD just didn't make sense. But I'm seeing the light...

Question about pace - Should I be looking for specific times I should be running or should I go completely by feel (i.e. where Higdon says to just keep it slow to where you can talk the whole time)?

Personally, I do my long runs at a slow, conversational pace that feels too easy at the beginning and that I know I will still have no serious problem maintaining at the end. For me, that means ~9:30/mi but obviously that's going to be different for different runners. Going 100% by "feel" doesn't work well for me because I want to know that I'm not going to fast (going too slow isn't as much of an issue). I would not recommend doing all your runs at that "conversational" pace. Otherwise you'll lose speed over the course of your training cycle. I do at least two of my other runs at my normal off-season training pace of 8:30/mi, which is about 40 seconds faster that my PMP. The only time I run slower than this pace on anything < 10 miles is if I need a short recovery run.

Edit: Or, in other words, what gru said.

The bolded is exactly what I'm scared of when thinking about all the slow running. I'm a sprinter by nature, so my speed is near/dear to me. I have to admit a big reason I picked the Intermediate program over the Novice program is for the Wednesday '400m' intervals. That had me salivating. Today's the first of my 400 intervals and I can't wait.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

bostonfred is the Faulkner of 5K race reports.

 

[bostonfred]

bostonfred is the Faulkner of 5K race reports.

Sounds like someone is jealous of my PR.

 

[Ned]

On the way, I hear some people talking about the raffle at the bar that sponsors the event, so I decide to grab a bud light and check it out. There's a huge patio in the back, and there's Jogbra, grinning ear to ear, surrounded by a group of oglers and their angry girlfriends. They announce the raffle winners and I "win", which really means I got a couple of free running towels, whatever those are. They look like big washcloths and have no writing or logo on them whatsoever. But then something unexpected happened - they announced the people who set personal records. And it turns out that Jogbra and 46 other people all set personal records the same day. And the funny thing is, despite my terrible run, I was one of them, because my previous time was a late start. So somehow, after getting passed by the AARP guys who got passed by the kindergartners who all passed me after I couldn't keep up with Jogbra, I walked home with a medal for running a terrible time. It's the kind of medal that goes on the bottom shelf of an empty trophy cabinet, but it's kind of cool nonetheless.

You have more adventure in 1 race than I ever have had running, ever.

 

[Nigel]

bostonfred is the Faulkner of 5K race reports.

Sounds like someone is jealous of my PR.

I forget - are you still in the Boston area? where are these 5Ks you do?

 

[Ned]

Sorry for all of the noob questions, but I'm curious about today's workout...

Today is 5x400m @ 5K pace. Using my last 5K time (24:10), that equates to a 1:56 per 400m. As a stand alone workout, 5 400s at that pace seems pretty easy. Is this right? Would I be doing myself harm if I pushed it to 1:30s?

 

[El Floppo]

Sorry for all of the noob questions, but I'm curious about today's workout...Today is 5x400m @ 5K pace. Using my last 5K time (24:10), that equates to a 1:56 per 400m. As a stand alone workout, 5 400s at that pace seems pretty easy. Is this right? Would I be doing myself harm if I pushed it to 1:30s?

If you're a younger guy, I'd say to go ahead and push yourself a bit. If you're on the other side of 35, I'd recommend building your fitness up slowly and getting to more speed work once you've logged a bunch of miles.But I know nussing.

 

[gruecd]

Sorry for all of the noob questions, but I'm curious about today's workout...Today is 5x400m @ 5K pace. Using my last 5K time (24:10), that equates to a 1:56 per 400m. As a stand alone workout, 5 400s at that pace seems pretty easy. Is this right? Would I be doing myself harm if I pushed it to 1:30s?

Is your last 5K time indicative of your current fitness level? If so, then stick with that pace. I feel like I'm here, but again, the point isn't to be doing every workout as fast as you possibly can. The point is to get the desired benefit while leaving your body in the best shape possible to handle the next workout.In other words, you likely wouldn't get any additional benefits by doing the repeats faster, and you'd have a harder time doing your next workout because you'd be unnecessarily sore/fatigued.Make sense?

 

[tri-man 47]

bostonfred is the Faulkner of 5K race reports.

Sounds like someone is jealous of my PR.

"Reports" is the operative word, here.And it is a great story.

--

Ned - listen to the advice given! Different workouts have different purposes. On the long runs, you have to trust that good things are happening internally ...it's micro-capillaries and other neat stuff. Be patient on those runs as part of your training.

Workhorse - keep at it! You're going strong!

 

[Ned]

Appreciate the advice, guys. As I noted a few pages back, I'm just a noob trying to learn how to really train for distance running. All I knew to do before any of this is to go out hard and hang on.

Looking forward to the workout.

 

[Sand]

All I knew to do before any of this is to go out hard and hang on.

 

[Ned]

All I knew to do before any of this is to go out hard and hang on.

So I headed the advice........as best as I could. I didn't press it hard, but I didn't keep to the prescribed 1:56 either. Baby steps...It was 93 and humid, but I felt really good today. Legs felt 'so alive'. I did the 5x400 and it felt really good. I could've done 2-3 more, but I held off. 1 - 1:432 - 1:37 (whoa there tiger - forcefully held back after that)3 - 1:424 - 1:415 - 1:40

 

[2Young2BBald]

Darrin, bad news from my co-worker on the Purdue 1/2. Here is an excerpt from her email:

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/Cities-...race-is-a-no-go

The mini is definitely off and there are some instructions to obtain a credit if your friend used a credit card.

Sorry D, I feel very bad that you'll not get to race this!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Chicago guys, any buzz about the latest 1/2 marathon addition there, the Chicago Monster? A belt buckle for a medal is damn cool. If there is interest, I could see skipping the Detroit 1/2 for this one!

 

[wraith5]

Chicago guys, any buzz about the latest 1/2 marathon addition there, the Chicago Monster? A belt buckle for a medal is damn cool. If there is interest, I could see skipping the Detroit 1/2 for this one!

I just recently read about this - looks interesting. I'll be 3 weeks off the marathon so I might possibly be able to run again at that point. Still in Lake Geneva having a blast with my family. This morning I managed to slip away with 2 of my sisters-in-law for a run on a trail around the big lake. It's actually very cool - all of the private residences around Lake Geneva are required to allow for walkers/runners along the water front. SomI* e have dirt trails, some have crushed limestone, some have paved trails with stone or outdoor tile, some have nothing but slightly warn grass. Makes for an interesting run!! I did a slow 6 miles with them, then got in a less-slow final mile at an 8 minute pace. The rest of the day was spent at the beach in the am and the pool in the afternoon.

Golf tomorrow morning, and hoping to get another run in Friday before heading back to Chicago.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Ned - I will add one more thing to what the others have said. I would think that in that workout it may do you good to have a warm up and a cool down. This will also ease your mind a bit of getting more running in. I would work on a mile warm up and mile cool down at a pretty slow pace, especially with how hot the weather is. Everything that I have ever read and even the Higdon plans say to do a bit of a warm up and cool down as well.

---------------------------

I did not get my run in this morning as I did not get much sleep last night. I will probably get it in tonight. If I take the day off, then I am cool with that as well as today is a recovery run. I am up early tomorrow to do 13 before we head out for the weekend for a wedding in Terre Haute, IN. I will be doing the weekend routine out there.

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[El Floppo]

Did a repeat of the 4 mile run, including a 2m lower loop in Central Park.

Muscle memory is a funny thing. It's been probably a year since my last run, and 3 years since I did any kind of training (for 07 NYC marathon). But my legs- quads, specifically- are always ready to go, dating all the way back to my college soccer days. The heart and lungs are another story, but they kind of equalized today as opposed to the that went on in that first run. But the legs were ready to attack the hills and pass people. Soooooo nice to be getting my way almost back in the swing of this.

Gotta say, it's also really nice being so close to the park.

Saw a couple of people wearing my old Tri-team/club kits sitting on their speed-demon bikes at the old bike-waiting-area in Central Park. Realized it's been 5 years since those days... and a LOT has happened since.

 

[tri-man 47]

Chicago guys, any buzz about the latest 1/2 marathon addition there, the Chicago Monster? A belt buckle for a medal is damn cool. If there is interest, I could see skipping the Detroit 1/2 for this one!

I'll be downstate at a conference. If you're itching for a good Chicago race, on 11/6 is 'Hot Chocolate 15K' sponsored by RAM racing. (They also sponsored Wraith's Bang's Lake tri.) They typically have great goodie bags (I recall that last year they included a winter running cap). We could offer you and M a place to stay ...

 

[El Floppo]

well, dammit.

Here's the 10k mud run my friend signed me up for...

 

[gruecd]

It was 93 and humid, but I felt really good today. Legs felt 'so alive'. I did the 5x400 and it felt really good. I could've done 2-3 more, but I held off.

1 - 1:43

2 - 1:37 (whoa there tiger - forcefully held back after that)

3 - 1:42

4 - 1:41

5 - 1:40

Nice job, Ned. I assume you did a short, active recovery (jog) between intervals, right? Somewhere between 50-90 seconds?

 

[Ned]

Ned - I will add one more thing to what the others have said. I would think that in that workout it may do you good to have a warm up and a cool down. This will also ease your mind a bit of getting more running in. I would work on a mile warm up and mile cool down at a pretty slow pace, especially with how hot the weather is. Everything that I have ever read and even the Higdon plans say to do a bit of a warm up and cool down as well.

---------------------------

I did not get my run in this morning as I did not get much sleep last night. I will probably get it in tonight. If I take the day off, then I am cool with that as well as today is a recovery run. I am up early tomorrow to do 13 before we head out for the weekend for a wedding in Terre Haute, IN. I will be doing the weekend routine out there.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Thanks pm. I do a decent warm-up/cool down after each run. Its definitely not a mile each way, but I do try to focus on getting my body nice and warm before heading out (usually a light sweat) and then try to gradually get my HR down before hitting the shower/plopping on the sofa.Enjoy the wedding!

 

[gruecd]

For our monthly "fun run," my running club did a 5K/10K "prediction run" last night. Basically you decide which of the two distances you're gonna go, and then you write your name on a card, and you predict your finishing time. No watches, Garmins, iPods, or other electronic devices are allowed. In theory, whoever comes closest to his predicted time is the "winner," but we usually have so many door prizes that it's just a matter of determining who gets to pick first.

Anyway, my legs were still kinda sore from my massage yesterday morning, so I figured I'd do a nice, easy recovery run. I signed up for the 10K distance and guessed an even 51 minutes (8:14 pace). It was hot and humid, so I just took it easy, and at the turnaround point of the out-and-back course, I felt like I was doing a pretty good job of pacing myself. Felt really good coming back, and either I'd run a lot faster than I thought in the first half, or I really picked it up in the second half, because when I crossed the finish line and looked back at the clock, I saw that my time was 47:20. Overestimated by 3:40, whereas the winner (5K runner) was only one second off her predicted time. Whoops.

All in all, a nice 10K training run in the heat at 7:38 pace. And I still walked away with a gift certificate for a free basic tune-up at the LBS that hosted the event.

Another 10 miles on tap for tonight. Hope you all have a great day!

 

[Ned]

For our monthly "fun run," my running club did a 5K/10K "prediction run" last night. Basically you decide which of the two distances you're gonna go, and then you write your name on a card, and you predict your finishing time. No watches, Garmins, iPods, or other electronic devices are allowed. In theory, whoever comes closest to his predicted time is the "winner," but we usually have so many door prizes that it's just a matter of determining who gets to pick first.

Anyway, my legs were still kinda sore from my massage yesterday morning, so I figured I'd do a nice, easy recovery run. I signed up for the 10K distance and guessed an even 51 minutes (8:14 pace). It was hot and humid, so I just took it easy, and at the turnaround point of the out-and-back course, I felt like I was doing a pretty good job of pacing myself. Felt really good coming back, and either I'd run a lot faster than I thought in the first half, or I really picked it up in the second half, because when I crossed the finish line and looked back at the clock, I saw that my time was 47:20. Overestimated by 3:40, whereas the winner (5K runner) was only one second off her predicted time. Whoops.

All in all, a nice 10K training run in the heat at 7:38 pace. And I still walked away with a gift certificate for a free basic tune-up at the LBS that hosted the event.

Another 10 miles on tap for tonight. Hope you all have a great day!

That's a pretty cool idea. 1 second? Wow, now that's knowing your body.

 

[Third]

Update:

I hate high humidity. 90F at 90% humidity this morning. Makes me feel like I'm running in heavy combat boots, breathing through a paper bag.

 

[bostonfred]

For our monthly "fun run," my running club did a 5K/10K "prediction run" last night. Basically you decide which of the two distances you're gonna go, and then you write your name on a card, and you predict your finishing time. No watches, Garmins, iPods, or other electronic devices are allowed. In theory, whoever comes closest to his predicted time is the "winner," but we usually have so many door prizes that it's just a matter of determining who gets to pick first.

They do that as one of the themes at my weekly run too. Next week when you sign up you get a bar coasters. You write your name and bib # on it, and while you're running, you pass three buckets you can throw your coaster into. They draw one name out of each bucket for a prize worth between 50 and 100 bucks. And you're not allowed to stop running to make your throw. It seems like this favors the power walker contingent, but who am I to judge.

 

[pigskinliquors]

BF: You may be the Faulkner of writing, but you are the Will Ferrell of runners.

The Third: Humidity kills me as well. I can run at night in 95 degrees and get through any run, but the mornings at 80 degrees, but 90% humidity destroys me.

EF: HTFU. With a race on the docket, get your ### out there!

Grue: GREAT run! I have been working on looking at the Garmin less and less, and have found I can predict my mile pace fairly well much of the time, but every once in awhile I'm :shocked: at how fast/slow I'm actually going. I am actually extremely proficient at predicting my speed on my bike, but that simply bc I always know what gear I'm in, and try to maintain a very consistent cadence.

Tri-Man/2Young: a chance for a slumber party =

Ned: I agree with Grue, that you need to do some speed work to avoid declining times, but I have only been working on negative splits for one run per week = I start very slow, and run every mile quicker than the previous, with the first half mile of the final mile being considerably faster than the rest. I do this during the heat, to avoid blowing up, and not getting the full workout in. A typical run for me would look like this:

mile 1: 9:10

mile 2: 9:00

mile 3: 8:50

mile 4: 8:40

mile 5: 8:30

first half of mile 6: 7:45

second half: 9:15 (= cool down)

___________________________

My update:

I had "company" for the last two nights/days so I missed my normal run this morning. I did get lots of workouts in, and got my HR up considerably, but almost all of those workouts were inside away from the heat/humidity. I'll double up tomorrow, with a run in the morning, and a swim in the afternoon.

This weekend is my birthday, and I'll be having a "man" weekend (fishing, poker and beer) on a nearby Lake = I'll likely get a good open water swim in, but no bike or run.