Ran a 10k in June (3 Viewers)

[IvanKaramazov]

Ivan - Am I misreading or did you just do 22 miles on a 400m track?

Yes. It's monotonous, but the surface is a lot easier on my joints than concrete, and I don't have to worry about traffic.

 

[The_Man]

A guy on the RW forum had a piece of advice for marathon training that I'm trying to follow: Slow down 90% of your runs, speed up your speed work, and run more.

Gee, where have I heard that before???

You have definitely been sharing the wisdom of "run your slow runs slow and your fast runs fast" for the year+ that I've been here. The breakthrough for me was realizing that 50% of my runs didn't need to be fast. Higdon's Intermediate I plan doesn't call for any speedwork, the closest are the regular 6 or 7 mile runs at Goal Marathon pace. So on stepback and/or weeks with no Goal Pace run, I've modified the plan to use a few miles of the midweek runs as speedwork. But never more than 10% of my weekly mileage are faster than Goal Pace, and sometimes less than that - especially as I move into the 40+ mpw range next week.

Question for you: what are you going to do for your HM mini-taper?

 

[Ned]

Ivan - Am I misreading or did you just do 22 miles on a 400m track?

Yes. It's monotonous, but the surface is a lot easier on my joints than concrete, and I don't have to worry about traffic.

Wow kudos to you for sticking that out. 88 laps would drive me insane. I probably would've started chasing the rabbits and skunks around lap 9.

 

[tri-man 47]

so i have been tinkering with the idea of getting back to regular running. i was never a long distance runner, as i was a sprinter when i ran track back in day. through my 20's i kept running shorter distances - 3-5 miles - and liked it well enough. i kind of got off of running in my mid-30's but i'm kind of getting the itch again. i'd like to shoot for something, like a half-marathon, but i really hate large races. i did a corporate challenge years ago in NYC and loathed running alongside what seemed like 10,000 people. it really put me off the whole large race experience. any suggestions?

You might start with a small (neighborhood) 5K just to get back into it. Many of those races will be anywhere from 150-500 runners, so the logistics are easy and they're more relaxed. Are you in NM now? From a quick look, El Paso has a number of shorter races coming up in the winter months. If you are in TorC, NM, I'd have to think trail running would be pretty great down there.

 

[bostonfred]

Ivan - Am I misreading or did you just do 22 miles on a 400m track?

Yes. It's monotonous, but the surface is a lot easier on my joints than concrete, and I don't have to worry about traffic.

Do you change directions? You may be putting a lot of strain on your inside leg.

 

[saintfool]

so i have been tinkering with the idea of getting back to regular running. i was never a long distance runner, as i was a sprinter when i ran track back in day. through my 20's i kept running shorter distances - 3-5 miles - and liked it well enough. i kind of got off of running in my mid-30's but i'm kind of getting the itch again. i'd like to shoot for something, like a half-marathon, but i really hate large races. i did a corporate challenge years ago in NYC and loathed running alongside what seemed like 10,000 people. it really put me off the whole large race experience. any suggestions?

You might start with a small (neighborhood) 5K just to get back into it. Many of those races will be anywhere from 150-500 runners, so the logistics are easy and they're more relaxed. Are you in NM now? From a quick look, El Paso has a number of shorter races coming up in the winter months. If you are in TorC, NM, I'd have to think trail running would be pretty great down there.

i live in chicago which has a very active runner scene, i think. i don't think turnouts are small. i might try a short race to see if it's any better.

 

[gruecd]

Question for you: what are you going to do for your HM mini-taper?

Really just front-loading my hard/long workouts into the early part of the week. It's only Wednesday, and I've already done my VO2max workout and my MLR. I will take tomorrow as a rare mid-week rest day (although I might take out the bike for a short, easy spin), and then Friday I'll do an easy 5-miler with some strides. Race is Saturday morning.I've tweaked my schedule so that this week is a cut-back week for me, so I'll probably only do about 45 miles total.

 

[wraith5]

so i have been tinkering with the idea of getting back to regular running. i was never a long distance runner, as i was a sprinter when i ran track back in day. through my 20's i kept running shorter distances - 3-5 miles - and liked it well enough. i kind of got off of running in my mid-30's but i'm kind of getting the itch again. i'd like to shoot for something, like a half-marathon, but i really hate large races. i did a corporate challenge years ago in NYC and loathed running alongside what seemed like 10,000 people. it really put me off the whole large race experience. any suggestions?

You might start with a small (neighborhood) 5K just to get back into it. Many of those races will be anywhere from 150-500 runners, so the logistics are easy and they're more relaxed. Are you in NM now? From a quick look, El Paso has a number of shorter races coming up in the winter months. If you are in TorC, NM, I'd have to think trail running would be pretty great down there.

i live in chicago which has a very active runner scene, i think. i don't think turnouts are small. i might try a short race to see if it's any better.

The runner scene is VERY active here. CARA in the city, and there are tons of other running groups in the 'burbs. A lot of the races are geared for big crowds - but if you look for them there are also a lot of smaller races you can do. Tri-man and I did a few trail races last year that were maybe 200 people each.

 

[wraith5]

Ivan - Am I misreading or did you just do 22 miles on a 400m track?

Yes. It's monotonous, but the surface is a lot easier on my joints than concrete, and I don't have to worry about traffic.

Do you change directions? You may be putting a lot of strain on your inside leg.

88 laps, 352 right (or left) turns. Yikes. Count me out for any of that!!

 

[wraith5]

Last nite I had my bike interval class. First up was a 15 min interval at 270 watt average finishing with a minute at 300 watts. This should have been cake but i had to gut it out as the abdominal pain came back as I hit zone 4. After i finished i had the urge to puke and stepped outside for a few minutes. needless to say the second 15 min interval was scaled back to 200 watts.Well that was enough. I pulled the plug on the team time trial next week and won't be signing up for the HIM I was contemplating in November. Shifting to base buildling mode for the next few months.

This seems like useful information for diagnosis. Were you well hydrated? Has most of the pain been when you were riding? or running? or swimming? or all three? Have you had the pain when you weren't exercising?

Hydrated - Yes. Between cranberry juice, tart cherry juice, and water I'm about to float away.The issue first only came up when running after getting off the bike, not when solely doing a run workout. Now it's occurring on the bike when I approach zone 4. Now that I think about it, this same pattern has been occurring since spring, just a milder version. Passed it off as a side stitch or too much water while exercising. For a couple of days after excersing there will be lingering soreness that eventually fades away. If I wasn't exercising I wouldn't have noticed anything. About three weeks ago I had a knot below my left rib cage one day that was gone the next. It was replaced by a knot where the leg meets the abdomen was was only there for a day.I was planning on timelining this for my appt next week, but your post help jar my memory about a couple of things. When I visit the doc I'll dedicate the wiggley finger to you.

I really hope they can figure out what's wrong and get you on a fast track to recovery.

 

[wraith5]

the last thing you want to encounter -- other than LHUCKS of course -- is a skunk.

 

[wraith5]

Cool weather continued today, had me feeling "frisky" for my 5-miler.Did the first two at 9:00 pace, then did the next two in 6:54 and 6:46 before cruising home with an 8:22. That's the first time I've put together back-to-back sub 7:00 miles. For those of you who haven't gotten the cooler weather yet, you are in for a big treat.

Wow - nice run! Good to know I'm not the only one using 3200M as speedwork anymore - Of course I'm not quite as fast when I do it -

 

[wraith5]

I was up around 3:40 this morning and did my 15 miles. It was about 65, but a little more humid than I thought. The cooler weather was great and I pushed it a bit this morning. I hit 8:17 average for all my miles so it was pretty good. I did stop and walk a few times to get a drink and take gels, but I am extremely happy with the effort. I felt like I could have gone a lot faster and had to slow myself down a couple of times because I did not realize that I had picked up pace.Have a great day everyone.

3:40am... that hurts. Fantastic effort all the way around! I had basically the same weather for my 20 miler on Sunday, and I noticed a significant difference when I was not exposed to the sun. I'm starting to like running before the sun comes up because almost regardless of the humidity it just feels easier. Tho I reserve the right to alter that statement this winter.

 

[wraith5]

15 miles yesterday evening at 9:13 pace. Feeling it in my knees this AM.

Congratulations on your longest run ever!! No stomach issues this time around?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Ivan - Am I misreading or did you just do 22 miles on a 400m track?

Yes. It's monotonous, but the surface is a lot easier on my joints than concrete, and I don't have to worry about traffic.

Do you change directions? You may be putting a lot of strain on your inside leg.

Yeah, I reverse direction every two miles, give or take. You can screw up your IT band if you run the same direction all the time. It's really not as bad as it sounds. Your garmin eliminates the need to count laps, and you can listen to whatever you want with no traffic concerns. You can also take water/fuel whenever your schedule dictates instead of having to loop back or stash stuff along your route. The main drawback is obviously that it's flat, so if you were training for Big Sur or some other hilly event you would probably want to find a different training route. I typically only do 3-4 runs per month on a track because I do want some time on concrete/asphalt just to be accustomed to it, but it's nice for longer runs. And speedwork obviously.

 

[saintfool]

The runner scene is VERY active here. CARA in the city, and there are tons of other running groups in the 'burbs. A lot of the races are geared for big crowds - but if you look for them there are also a lot of smaller races you can do. Tri-man and I did a few trail races last year that were maybe 200 people each.

one of the reasons i have the itch to run again is some co-workers that are training for the Chicago Marathon. I was thinking of training for a marathon but I just can't see myself running in an event like that. i'd just get really frustrated and want to strangle someone. i think i am going to hit up the fleet feet saturday running group to see what's what. i like the idea of running with another person or in their case a group because i'm damned competitive.

 

[tri-man 47]

The runner scene is VERY active here. CARA in the city, and there are tons of other running groups in the 'burbs. A lot of the races are geared for big crowds - but if you look for them there are also a lot of smaller races you can do. Tri-man and I did a few trail races last year that were maybe 200 people each.

one of the reasons i have the itch to run again is some co-workers that are training for the Chicago Marathon. I was thinking of training for a marathon but I just can't see myself running in an event like that. i'd just get really frustrated and want to strangle someone. i think i am going to hit up the fleet feet saturday running group to see what's what. i like the idea of running with another person or in their case a group because i'm damned competitive.

The city races are crazy-big. But the suburban ones are comfortable numbers. E.g., my area (Oak Park) has a few 5Ks each year ...a few hundred people or so at each (and you could get there via the el). That'd be the way to go for a smaller race.

 

[Ned]

Just had the Garmin 305 delivered. Holy crap is this thing intense.

 

[The_Man]

Just had the Garmin 305 delivered. Holy crap is this thing intense.

You will soon be unable to remember what life was like before you had it. When I got mine, I found this guy's web site to be pretty helpful: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2007/11/review-...runner-305.html

The best thing I did was set up each mile I run as a "lap." Now when I'm running, I have one field displaying total elapsed time, another showing total distance run, and one showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

I also use the Heart Rate Monitor and have that as the fourth field on the display.

 

[El Floppo]

The runner scene is VERY active here. CARA in the city, and there are tons of other running groups in the 'burbs. A lot of the races are geared for big crowds - but if you look for them there are also a lot of smaller races you can do. Tri-man and I did a few trail races last year that were maybe 200 people each.

one of the reasons i have the itch to run again is some co-workers that are training for the Chicago Marathon. I was thinking of training for a marathon but I just can't see myself running in an event like that. i'd just get really frustrated and want to strangle someone. i think i am going to hit up the fleet feet saturday running group to see what's what. i like the idea of running with another person or in their case a group because i'm damned competitive.

running with a group is always better, IMO- unless they hold you up or flake.I've used this thread as my "group"... with hot and cold success (failures more about me than the group).

 

[gruecd]

Now when I'm running, I have one field ... showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

Or you could just set this field to "current lap pace" instead of "time elapsed on current lap." That way you could check your pace for the current mile at any point without having to do the math in your head.

 

[The_Man]

Now when I'm running, I have one field ... showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

Or you could just set this field to "current lap pace" instead of "time elapsed on current lap." That way you could check your pace for the current mile at any point without having to do the math in your head.

Is the current pace thing fairly accurate? I've heard differing opinions. One of the nice things about running right around an 8:00 pace is how easy it is to compute the math - 2 minutes per quarter-mile, and just about 50 seconds per tenth of a mile.

 

[wraith5]

Now when I'm running, I have one field ... showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

Or you could just set this field to "current lap pace" instead of "time elapsed on current lap." That way you could check your pace for the current mile at any point without having to do the math in your head.

Is the current pace thing fairly accurate? I've heard differing opinions. One of the nice things about running right around an 8:00 pace is how easy it is to compute the math - 2 minutes per quarter-mile, and just about 50 seconds per tenth of a mile.

Lap Pace, not Current Pace. The Lap Pace tells you your average pace for the current lap so it smooths out the data. Current Pace will just make you nuts. ___________________________________________ Took advantage of working from home (meet the teacher day for my newly minted kindergartener) and went for a 25 mile bike ride - longest distance ever by just a bit, and longest in the saddle too (a testament to my SLOW pace on the bike!). I did manage a couple of loops on my normal course at an average of 18.6 mph, but mostly I was on the bike path winding through woods and neighborhoods and just enjoying a beautiful day and a ride with no clear goal in mind (until I got to mile 20 and decided to hit 25, that is). I was pretty darn tired by the end and my lower back was screaming at me. 10 miles in the morning at "marathon pace" - I just need to decide what that is these days!

 

[Ned]

Just had the Garmin 305 delivered. Holy crap is this thing intense.

You will soon be unable to remember what life was like before you had it. When I got mine, I found this guy's web site to be pretty helpful: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2007/11/review-...runner-305.html

The best thing I did was set up each mile I run as a "lap." Now when I'm running, I have one field displaying total elapsed time, another showing total distance run, and one showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

I also use the Heart Rate Monitor and have that as the fourth field on the display.

Thanks for the link!I had 5x400 intervals today and figured out the workout thing pretty quickly so I took the Garmin for a spin. The chest band was pretty comfortable after I found the sweet spot. I was a little apprehensive about wearing that thing, but I quickly forgot about it after the warm-up. I can already tell this is going to bring out the analyst in me.

I did a super slow 1mi warm-up and then stretched and jumped in:

1 - 1:37 max HR 172

2 - 1:35 max HR 176

3 - 1:36 max HR 177

4 - 1:33 max HR 180

5 - 1:36 max HR 181

Another fantastic day due largely to the relatively cool weather again (76 degrees, 64% humidity). I feel like I could've done 3 more of them at that pace.

What do the HR numbers tell me? I don't quite know yet. Time to go read up...

 

[Sand]

Just had the Garmin 305 delivered. Holy crap is this thing intense.

You will soon be unable to remember what life was like before you had it. When I got mine, I found this guy's web site to be pretty helpful: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2007/11/review-...runner-305.html

The best thing I did was set up each mile I run as a "lap." Now when I'm running, I have one field displaying total elapsed time, another showing total distance run, and one showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

I also use the Heart Rate Monitor and have that as the fourth field on the display.

I have the 310, but I can't get mine to stop beeping at me and popping up a "lap" banner every time it decides to hit a lap. I'd love to have a lap time of .2 miles or something like that, but the first time I did that I was on a 30 mile bike ride. That damn thing beeped 150 times and annoyed the crap out of me and everyone else around.

 

[Sand]

Now when I'm running, I have one field ... showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

Or you could just set this field to "current lap pace" instead of "time elapsed on current lap." That way you could check your pace for the current mile at any point without having to do the math in your head.

Is the current pace thing fairly accurate? I've heard differing opinions.

That is what I have going. Yes it is accurate. It does lag a tad and it is jumpy (as you'd expect). But it does work ok. I really need a "how to set my Garmin for lap times" for dummies.

 

[Sand]

What do the HR numbers tell me? I don't quite know yet. Time to go read up...

You won't know until you figure out your true max HR. And don't believe the equations out there. They aren't accurate.If you want max HR, well, I think you know what kind of pain you need to get there...

 

[Ned]

What do the HR numbers tell me? I don't quite know yet. Time to go read up...

You won't know until you figure out your true max HR. And don't believe the equations out there. They aren't accurate.If you want max HR, well, I think you know what kind of pain you need to get there...

Yeah I've seen those calcs before and don't believe them. It's way too personal of a measurement to trust some arbitrary calculation. To the bolded - Can't I just guess and go on with life?

 

[prosopis]

4.3 miles on the tread mill for me today. Still over 100 here but I may try some evening running outside tomorrow after my daughters middle school open house.

 

[BassNBrew]

What do the HR numbers tell me? I don't quite know yet. Time to go read up...

You won't know until you figure out your true max HR. And don't believe the equations out there. They aren't accurate.If you want max HR, well, I think you know what kind of pain you need to get there...

Yeah I've seen those calcs before and don't believe them. It's way too personal of a measurement to trust some arbitrary calculation. To the bolded - Can't I just guess and go on with life?

To the bold - No, you must run hard until you puke and then sprint another 200 yards.

 

[BassNBrew]

Just had the Garmin 305 delivered. Holy crap is this thing intense.

You will soon be unable to remember what life was like before you had it. When I got mine, I found this guy's web site to be pretty helpful: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2007/11/review-...runner-305.html

The best thing I did was set up each mile I run as a "lap." Now when I'm running, I have one field displaying total elapsed time, another showing total distance run, and one showing time elapsed on the current lap (i.e., the current mile I'm running). This is great for pacing each mile - if I look down and I see I've covered 2.5 miles total and that my time for the current lap is 4 minutes, I know I'm running my current mile at an 8:00 pace.

I also use the Heart Rate Monitor and have that as the fourth field on the display.

Thanks for the link!I had 5x400 intervals today and figured out the workout thing pretty quickly so I took the Garmin for a spin. The chest band was pretty comfortable after I found the sweet spot. I was a little apprehensive about wearing that thing, but I quickly forgot about it after the warm-up. I can already tell this is going to bring out the analyst in me.

I did a super slow 1mi warm-up and then stretched and jumped in:

1 - 1:37 max HR 172

2 - 1:35 max HR 176

3 - 1:36 max HR 177

4 - 1:33 max HR 180

5 - 1:36 max HR 181

Another fantastic day due largely to the relatively cool weather again (76 degrees, 64% humidity). I feel like I could've done 3 more of them at that pace.

What do the HR numbers tell me? I don't quite know yet. Time to go read up...

Those look like great numbers. You may have been sandbagging the first just a bit. The effort on four bumped the heart rate. On five your time slowed hair (split hairs here) and the heart rate went up again. I'd say that you put out pretty consistant efforts that were hard enough to accumulate some fatigue which peaked it's head on effort 5.Ideally you would like to determine your lacate threashold and run these intervals above that number by 1-5 beats per minute. You can do consistant efforts at that spot. You don't want to spend to much time above that due to injury risk and the fact that you're not sprint training.

How do you determine threshold? Find a route that will stay relatively flat for 20 minutes. You're going to run these 20 minutes as hard a possible. You will want to dole out your effort such that you don't blow up, but you'll have nothing left in the tank after 20 minutes. Record your average hr from min 10 to min 20 and this should get you close.

 

[Ned]

Those look like great numbers. You may have been sandbagging the first just a bit. The effort on four bumped the heart rate. On five your time slowed hair (split hairs here) and the heart rate went up again. I'd say that you put out pretty consistant efforts that were hard enough to accumulate some fatigue which peaked it's head on effort 5.Ideally you would like to determine your lacate threashold and run these intervals above that number by 1-5 beats per minute. You can do consistant efforts at that spot. You don't want to spend to much time above that due to injury risk and the fact that you're not sprint training.How do you determine threshold? Find a route that will stay relatively flat for 20 minutes. You're going to run these 20 minutes as hard a possible. You will want to dole out your effort such that you don't blow up, but you'll have nothing left in the tank after 20 minutes. Record your average hr from min 10 to min 20 and this should get you close.

Really appreciate the advice, BNB. Aside from casual reading about HR training and knowing the basics, I'm pretty green. I was holding back a bit since I'm following the Higdon Intermediate HM plan and it calls for doing this at 5K pace. I have little to no self control and can't help but run faster than the prescribed 1:50ish pace. So I compromise and give it a decent stride and not press full on. That first one was probably a 1:35 or so since it was the first time I had run with the Garmin and all the beeps confused me. I pulled up when it was giving me the warning beeps thinking I was done when I still had a few feet left. Here in DE there's nothing but flat stuff so finding 20mins worth is no problem. I'm curious what my threshold is, so I'll probably take a stab at this tomorrow in lieu of the 3mi run I have on the plate.

 

[BassNBrew]

Those look like great numbers. You may have been sandbagging the first just a bit. The effort on four bumped the heart rate. On five your time slowed hair (split hairs here) and the heart rate went up again. I'd say that you put out pretty consistant efforts that were hard enough to accumulate some fatigue which peaked it's head on effort 5.Ideally you would like to determine your lacate threashold and run these intervals above that number by 1-5 beats per minute. You can do consistant efforts at that spot. You don't want to spend to much time above that due to injury risk and the fact that you're not sprint training.How do you determine threshold? Find a route that will stay relatively flat for 20 minutes. You're going to run these 20 minutes as hard a possible. You will want to dole out your effort such that you don't blow up, but you'll have nothing left in the tank after 20 minutes. Record your average hr from min 10 to min 20 and this should get you close.

Really appreciate the advice, BNB. Aside from casual reading about HR training and knowing the basics, I'm pretty green. I was holding back a bit since I'm following the Higdon Intermediate HM plan and it calls for doing this at 5K pace. I have little to no self control and can't help but run faster than the prescribed 1:50ish pace. So I compromise and give it a decent stride and not press full on. That first one was probably a 1:35 or so since it was the first time I had run with the Garmin and all the beeps confused me. I pulled up when it was giving me the warning beeps thinking I was done when I still had a few feet left. Here in DE there's nothing but flat stuff so finding 20mins worth is no problem. I'm curious what my threshold is, so I'll probably take a stab at this tomorrow in lieu of the 3mi run I have on the plate.

If you're training for a 1/2 or full marathon I can see why 5k pace would be considered speed work. Basically this test is a 5k pace. I should have qualified my statement above about training above threshold applying to the 5k to possibly 10k range. Gru can probably add in some advice here, but speed work faster than 5k pace for a marathon isn't going to help and may be counter productive.Regardless it's still a helpful test for those of us who prefer to train by heart rate rather than pace. It allows me to ignore variables like hills and weather when trying to keep workouts on target.

 

[prosopis]

I am at the link http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2008/01/ten-ran...our-garmin.html for the 305 garmin that someone put in here. The link says to stop using the garmin training center and to use SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks

Does any one use that? I am a computer idiot so bear with me here. When I plug my garmin in after a run the garmin training center fires up automatically. If I download sportTracks how do I get that to be the default? From what I am reading the garmin training software is not that good compared to other software. I will wait for a reply here before downloading anything.

 

[Sand]

I am at the link http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2008/01/ten-ran...our-garmin.html for the 305 garmin that someone put in here. The link says to stop using the garmin training center and to use SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks

Does any one use that? I am a computer idiot so bear with me here. When I plug my garmin in after a run the garmin training center fires up automatically. If I download sportTracks how do I get that to be the default? From what I am reading the garmin training software is not that good compared to other software. I will wait for a reply here before downloading anything.

The standalone Garmin Training Center app that you install is a piece of junk. On the other hand I find the online version (Garmin Connect) to be quite nice. Garmin connect may be everything you need - it all depends on what you want to do. Sportracks can do a decent bit of stuff, but for all that other folks like it I find it to be difficult to navigate. Do you just want to look at your basic stats, maps of where you went, and 1 mile intervals? Garmin Connect is fine.

Do you want to track your daily workouts? I find the online app at Beginnertriathlete to be superb.

Do you want a pretty rendering of your workout course as well as more fine analysis of your run/bike? Use topofusion (the demo version works fine, is free, and doesn't expire).

 

[gruecd]

Gru can probably add in some advice here, but speed work faster than 5k pace for a marathon isn't going to help and may be counter productive.

Yeah, I do all of my speedwork at 5K pace, too. Like you said, it's another one of those things where you could maybe do it faster, but you'd only be taxing your body beyond what's necessary to achieve the desired adaptations.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I am at the link http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2008/01/ten-ran...our-garmin.html for the 305 garmin that someone put in here. The link says to stop using the garmin training center and to use SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks

Does any one use that? I am a computer idiot so bear with me here. When I plug my garmin in after a run the garmin training center fires up automatically. If I download sportTracks how do I get that to be the default? From what I am reading the garmin training software is not that good compared to other software. I will wait for a reply here before downloading anything.

The standalone Garmin Training Center app that you install is a piece of junk. On the other hand I find the online version (Garmin Connect) to be quite nice. Garmin connect may be everything you need - it all depends on what you want to do. Sportracks can do a decent bit of stuff, but for all that other folks like it I find it to be difficult to navigate. Do you just want to look at your basic stats, maps of where you went, and 1 mile intervals? Garmin Connect is fine.

Do you want to track your daily workouts? I find the online app at Beginnertriathlete to be superb.

Do you want a pretty rendering of your workout course as well as more fine analysis of your run/bike? Use topofusion (the demo version works fine, is free, and doesn't expire).

Oh hell yeah. I've been using the default Garmin Training Center all these years, and I'm definitely going to spend the weekend playing around with some of these alternatives.

 

[prosopis]

I am at the link http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2008/01/ten-ran...our-garmin.html for the 305 garmin that someone put in here. The link says to stop using the garmin training center and to use SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks

Does any one use that? I am a computer idiot so bear with me here. When I plug my garmin in after a run the garmin training center fires up automatically. If I download sportTracks how do I get that to be the default? From what I am reading the garmin training software is not that good compared to other software. I will wait for a reply here before downloading anything.

The standalone Garmin Training Center app that you install is a piece of junk. On the other hand I find the online version (Garmin Connect) to be quite nice. Garmin connect may be everything you need - it all depends on what you want to do. Sportracks can do a decent bit of stuff, but for all that other folks like it I find it to be difficult to navigate. Do you just want to look at your basic stats, maps of where you went, and 1 mile intervals? Garmin Connect is fine.

Do you want to track your daily workouts? I find the online app at Beginnertriathlete to be superb.

Do you want a pretty rendering of your workout course as well as more fine analysis of your run/bike? Use topofusion (the demo version works fine, is free, and doesn't expire).

Oh hell yeah. I've been using the default Garmin Training Center all these years, and I'm definitely going to spend the weekend playing around with some of these alternatives.

Let me know how it goes. I need something idiot proof which was the attraction to the GTC for me.

 

[Workhorse]

11 miler at recovery pace last night (9:30). This week is a big buildup to get over 50 miles over the 7 days. Pretty quick ramp-up given that my marathon is still over 10 weeks away but my body is responding well so far.

 

[gruecd]

11 miler at recovery pace last night (9:30). This week is a big buildup to get over 50 miles over the 7 days. Pretty quick ramp-up given that my marathon is still over 10 weeks away but my body is responding well so far.

I think that's the longest "recovery" run I've ever seen. What plan are you using?SRD for me today, which sucks, because it's BEAUTIFUL outside this morning!!!

 

[pmbrown_22]

Not much for me to add this morning. My wife has decided to start running with the neighbor and her days are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to get her runs in the morning. I will do my 6 miles recovery tonight after work. I am happy to oblige though as I have been wanting her to start running for awhile and am happy to see her start.

And Wraith, the getting up early is hurting less and less. As long as I get to bed pretty early and get good sleep, I am fine. In the winter it is easier for me because the cold weather wakes you up pretty quickly even though it is nice to stay in a warm bed for awhile longer.

Bass - Question on the threshhold you were talking about. You said that it is best to run on someplace flat for 20 minutes. Is it best to hit the track for that? I just don't have any place flat near me like that. You can't go a half a mile without having to run up a hill.

Have a great day.

 

[BassNBrew]

Not much for me to add this morning. My wife has decided to start running with the neighbor and her days are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to get her runs in the morning. I will do my 6 miles recovery tonight after work. I am happy to oblige though as I have been wanting her to start running for awhile and am happy to see her start.

And Wraith, the getting up early is hurting less and less. As long as I get to bed pretty early and get good sleep, I am fine. In the winter it is easier for me because the cold weather wakes you up pretty quickly even though it is nice to stay in a warm bed for awhile longer.

Bass - Question on the threshhold you were talking about. You said that it is best to run on someplace flat for 20 minutes. Is it best to hit the track for that? I just don't have any place flat near me like that. You can't go a half a mile without having to run up a hill.

Have a great day.

I just needs to be "flat" enough that your heart rate doesn't drop on the downhill. If you can run downhill fast enough that your heart rate is about the same as the uphill, then that will work. You don't want to be spiking on the uphills and recovering on the downhills.

 

[bostonfred]

It rained yesterday, so I decided to hop on my wife's new spinning bike. Unfortunately, it's one of those standalone bikes with no readouts, so I have no idea how fast I'm going, what level of resistance I'm on (there's a turn knob for it, but no numbers), or how long/far I've gone. So I find myself riding inconsistently, which sucks, or putting the resistance harder than I should, then burning my quads, and having to dial back a little. For now, since I'm still getting my bike legs back, I decided to do some intervals. I tried riding for 10 minuntes, then doing a minute interval, then hopping onto the treadmill for a minute, then back to the bike, then back to the treadmill. After 30 minutes of this, I cooled down with a quick mile run out in the rain, which felt great. I could definitely feel it in my quads and all throughout my legs in a way to which I'm not accustomed. Not sure it's the best workout plan, but it felt good.

One major downer, though - my treadmill started skipping yesterday. I think I need to adjust the deck height. I may need to call someone in for this so I don't break anything.

 

[Workhorse]

11 miler at recovery pace last night (9:30). This week is a big buildup to get over 50 miles over the 7 days. Pretty quick ramp-up given that my marathon is still over 10 weeks away but my body is responding well so far.

I think that's the longest "recovery" run I've ever seen. What plan are you using?SRD for me today, which sucks, because it's BEAUTIFUL outside this morning!!!

It's more of a medium aerobic run really but after doing speedwork/hillwork I typically do medium length runs at my "recovery" pace.Doing Pfitz's Advanced Marathoning plan.

 

[Sand]

I am at the link http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2008/01/ten-ran...our-garmin.html for the 305 garmin that someone put in here. The link says to stop using the garmin training center and to use SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks

Does any one use that? I am a computer idiot so bear with me here. When I plug my garmin in after a run the garmin training center fires up automatically. If I download sportTracks how do I get that to be the default? From what I am reading the garmin training software is not that good compared to other software. I will wait for a reply here before downloading anything.

The standalone Garmin Training Center app that you install is a piece of junk. On the other hand I find the online version (Garmin Connect) to be quite nice. Garmin connect may be everything you need - it all depends on what you want to do. Sportracks can do a decent bit of stuff, but for all that other folks like it I find it to be difficult to navigate. Do you just want to look at your basic stats, maps of where you went, and 1 mile intervals? Garmin Connect is fine.

Do you want to track your daily workouts? I find the online app at Beginnertriathlete to be superb.

Do you want a pretty rendering of your workout course as well as more fine analysis of your run/bike? Use topofusion (the demo version works fine, is free, and doesn't expire).

Oh hell yeah. I've been using the default Garmin Training Center all these years, and I'm definitely going to spend the weekend playing around with some of these alternatives.

Let me know how it goes. I need something idiot proof which was the attraction to the GTC for me.

Garmin Connect online is pretty idiot proof. And I find to be reasonably useful. Topofusion is more fun, though.

 

[Sand]

It rained yesterday, so I decided to hop on my wife's new spinning bike. Unfortunately, it's one of those standalone bikes with no readouts, so I have no idea how fast I'm going, what level of resistance I'm on (there's a turn knob for it, but no numbers), or how long/far I've gone. So I find myself riding inconsistently, which sucks, or putting the resistance harder than I should, then burning my quads, and having to dial back a little. For now, since I'm still getting my bike legs back, I decided to do some intervals. I tried riding for 10 minuntes, then doing a minute interval, then hopping onto the treadmill for a minute, then back to the bike, then back to the treadmill. After 30 minutes of this, I cooled down with a quick mile run out in the rain, which felt great. I could definitely feel it in my quads and all throughout my legs in a way to which I'm not accustomed. Not sure it's the best workout plan, but it felt good.

For the bike try and concentrate on cadence. Figure out what your natural cadence is and then try to hold that steady while increasing the resistance. If you wanted to get all fancy you could buy a super cheap bike computer and slap a small magnet on there to pick up cadence (and calculate some sort of "speed", though while stationary speed is irrelevant).

 

[Sammy3469]

It rained yesterday, so I decided to hop on my wife's new spinning bike. Unfortunately, it's one of those standalone bikes with no readouts, so I have no idea how fast I'm going, what level of resistance I'm on (there's a turn knob for it, but no numbers), or how long/far I've gone. So I find myself riding inconsistently, which sucks, or putting the resistance harder than I should, then burning my quads, and having to dial back a little. For now, since I'm still getting my bike legs back, I decided to do some intervals. I tried riding for 10 minuntes, then doing a minute interval, then hopping onto the treadmill for a minute, then back to the bike, then back to the treadmill. After 30 minutes of this, I cooled down with a quick mile run out in the rain, which felt great. I could definitely feel it in my quads and all throughout my legs in a way to which I'm not accustomed. Not sure it's the best workout plan, but it felt good.

For the bike try and concentrate on cadence. Figure out what your natural cadence is and then try to hold that steady while increasing the resistance. If you wanted to get all fancy you could buy a super cheap bike computer and slap a small magnet on there to pick up cadence (and calculate some sort of "speed", though while stationary speed is irrelevant).

I've found that riding inside on these spinners basically makes it mandatory (or at least really really more useful) for you to use a HR monitor and then do either the interval workouts BnB suggests or some variant of a climbing workout (really amp up the resistence and lower your cadence to your "regular" climbing cadence and keep it there for 10-15 minutes basically mimicking a 2-3 mile climb). I've found that I basically revert to my natural cadence on whatever resistence I've set on the spinner (and it always feels hard whether I'm really working hard or not) necessitating the HR monitor.

 

[Sand]

It rained yesterday, so I decided to hop on my wife's new spinning bike. Unfortunately, it's one of those standalone bikes with no readouts, so I have no idea how fast I'm going, what level of resistance I'm on (there's a turn knob for it, but no numbers), or how long/far I've gone. So I find myself riding inconsistently, which sucks, or putting the resistance harder than I should, then burning my quads, and having to dial back a little. For now, since I'm still getting my bike legs back, I decided to do some intervals. I tried riding for 10 minuntes, then doing a minute interval, then hopping onto the treadmill for a minute, then back to the bike, then back to the treadmill. After 30 minutes of this, I cooled down with a quick mile run out in the rain, which felt great. I could definitely feel it in my quads and all throughout my legs in a way to which I'm not accustomed. Not sure it's the best workout plan, but it felt good.

For the bike try and concentrate on cadence. Figure out what your natural cadence is and then try to hold that steady while increasing the resistance. If you wanted to get all fancy you could buy a super cheap bike computer and slap a small magnet on there to pick up cadence (and calculate some sort of "speed", though while stationary speed is irrelevant).

I've found that riding inside on these spinners basically makes it mandatory (or at least really really more useful) for you to use a HR monitor and then do either the interval workouts BnB suggests or some variant of a climbing workout (really amp up the resistence and lower your cadence to your "regular" climbing cadence and keep it there for 10-15 minutes basically mimicking a 2-3 mile climb). I've found that I basically revert to my natural cadence on whatever resistence I've set on the spinner (and it always feels hard whether I'm really working hard or not) necessitating the HR monitor.

That's what I meant. HR monitors are good, too. They don't work on short intervals (your HR lags), but on longer sets it gives you a good idea of RPE.

 

[gruecd]

11 miler at recovery pace last night (9:30). This week is a big buildup to get over 50 miles over the 7 days. Pretty quick ramp-up given that my marathon is still over 10 weeks away but my body is responding well so far.

I think that's the longest "recovery" run I've ever seen. What plan are you using?SRD for me today, which sucks, because it's BEAUTIFUL outside this morning!!!

It's more of a medium aerobic run really but after doing speedwork/hillwork I typically do medium length runs at my "recovery" pace.Doing Pfitz's Advanced Marathoning plan.

Got it. Yeah, I think I averaged 8:16s on my 12-miler yesterday morning after hitting the track on Tuesday night. Not quite recovery pace, but probably a little slower than GA pace.

 

[Workhorse]

11 miler at recovery pace last night (9:30). This week is a big buildup to get over 50 miles over the 7 days. Pretty quick ramp-up given that my marathon is still over 10 weeks away but my body is responding well so far.

I think that's the longest "recovery" run I've ever seen. What plan are you using?SRD for me today, which sucks, because it's BEAUTIFUL outside this morning!!!

It's more of a medium aerobic run really but after doing speedwork/hillwork I typically do medium length runs at my "recovery" pace.Doing Pfitz's Advanced Marathoning plan.

Got it. Yeah, I think I averaged 8:16s on my 12-miler yesterday morning after hitting the track on Tuesday night. Not quite recovery pace, but probably a little slower than GA pace.

I vary those GA runs a bit depending on the workload before and after. Tomorrow AM, I've got a medium length VO2 max run too so I was snail-pacing last night.