Ran a 10k in June (8 Viewers)

[pigskinliquors]

Happy Monday All!

JB: Having your HR hit 196 is not all that rare. My max, which I've hit quite a few times is 195. As long as you didn't sustain it for long, it was likely an accurate reading. I would check to see what caused it, and then show the Mrs. that it was just you showing your manliness by pushing yourself to your threshold Regarding the :08, Boston rounds down, as should you. You ran a 2:00 half.

ShoNuff: You be getting fast!

SteelC: As Grue showed, either a hard or soft reset should fix. If not, just put on the charger for awhile, then try hard/soft again. Regarding your toenails, not rare at all. Welcome to the toenail club! If you want to avoid losing toenails for eternity, just follow these instructions.

PmB: I sure miss my old 8 mile run. It was by far my favorite distance. It was always my indicator of being in shape. Anything over 1:00 = not in shape, anything under = shape. Using that criteria, I'll likely never be in shape again. Regarding Pfitz, kudos to you if you want to try to stick with it. There are plenty of other plans out there that are less time consuming.

Grue: Best of luck at the pool. Awesome that you are doing a full program. I have zero doubt that you'll be swimming like a fish soon. Your fitness level will carry you until you find ways to breathe and move efficiently through the water.

Ned: Sorry to hear about your post-marathon prob's. Get your butt back at it to get those endorphins flying, and get signed up for your next race.

________________________

My update:

My Saturday ride was much better than anticipated. I ended up doing 28 in 15 mph winds at 20.5 mph. Had a couple purps in the middle of it, but all in all it went well. Yesterday was 60 minutes of killer Spinervals on the trainer as I didn't want to take Heidi (my bike) out in the rain.

 

[jb1020]

Alright, let’s try this RR again…

First off despite my best efforts to make sure race day and the night before went off without a hitch we still ran into plenty. The 3 hour trip to Memphis turned into about 5-6 between traffic and the wife wanting to shop. So my plan of checking in, relaxing, walking to the start/finish and mapping out the meet up spots all fell thru.

We checked in and the room was not as described. It wasn’t a true 2 room suite as we were advised. I didn’t want to get frustrated and ruin a good time over that, so we just let it go. It did have a divider wall that covered about half a wall…better than nothing we figured.

We walk to the expo, which was really nice. Unfortunately the 19 month old wasn’t really in the expo mode. Between his fussing and my wife pushing the stroller thru the mess of people we left pretty fast. We probably saved a good bit of money though.

We had a decent dinner and turned in. Kid was asleep and I was snoozing at 9pm. I felt pretty good about that. My son decided he wasn’t really in the sleeping mood at 3am. My wife, being awesome as she is, gets him and sleeps on the coach with him. No one got any sleep after that.

On to the race…

I had no trouble meeting up with my buddy in the corral. He warned me he’d been struggling with IT Band Syndrome…I don’t know a thing about it but he conceded the fact that he would probably be walking after 5-6 miles. He was shooting for a 2 hour half like me. He had a buddy with him I didn’t know. We all took off together.

Mile 1 9:29

Wading thru the sea of people was a little more difficult than I thought, but I was happy with the pace. I was hoping to stick to the 9:20-30 pace for about 8 miles. Then we started downhill towards the MS river.

Mile 2 9:00

Mile 3 9:05

The crowd thinned out a little bit and with the adrenaline and the downhill I though the pace was alright. I felt great here and knew my wife and kid we’re waiting around the 4 mile mark.

Mile 4 8:57

Mile 5 9:06

Mile 6 9:05

Somewhere after mile 4 I started thinking to myself I need to scale it back a little bit. Then I remembered reading here, and I can’t remember who said it…find a comfortably uncomfortable pace and settle in. Well, I felt great. I was able to keep up a decent conversation with my friend. My HR would spiek ti the 170’s briefly, but for the most part it was on the 160-170 range. My buddy was struggling though. I actually didn’t realize it, but we left his buddy at the 3 mile mark. Mile 5 took us thru the St. Judes campus which was mildly emotional and inspiring at the same time. You couldn’t help but feel horrible for those kids and their parents, but they were out there cheering you on despite what kind of hell they must be going thru.

Mile 7 8:59

Mile 8 8:53

Mile 9 9:00

I separated from my buddy at Mile 7. He was gassed and I honestly thought there was no way he could even finish. I was still feeling great here.

Mile 10 9:10

Mile 11 9:21

Mile 12 9:22

I started to get shaky around mile 10. It took us thru Overton Park and the crowd disappeared. You don’t realize how much you feed off the crowd. Rolling hills between 10-12 made for a tough go for me. I never felt like I wouldn’t finish, but I knew a strong finish was unlikely. Mile 11, my buddy’s buddy caught me! That son of a #####! I thought. He paced himself and now he’s cruising to a sub 2.

At this point my Garmin was still reading 9:06 pace. So I thought to myself, great I’ve got 2 hours in the bag! But I’m an amateur and failed to realize while running a half that I would certainly run more than 13.1 miles.

Mile 13 9:07

Remaining .1 7:07

I could tell the last mile was downhill, I said #### it, balls out. This is when my HR spiked to 196. My one complaint about the race is the last .1 miles into the ball park got really narrow. I was trucking and folks were in my way. I’m sure I cut off some people, but I thought if I wanted the sub 2 I might have to sacrifice a few people.

When I crossed my Garmin read 2:00 13.21 miles @ 9:06. I still thought I had done it. I collected my thoughts in the outfield grass for about 5 minutes and went looking for my wife. I saw the official time keeper table on the way in and stopped in. The lady typed in my number and as she saw it she gave a slight frown. I’m sure she realized I had just missed sub 2. I was disappointed, but for only a second. I murdered my old time of 2:18.

That got a little lengthy…

 

[jb1020]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

 

[sho nuff]

Nice report jb...and yes, I feel the pain on looking down and seeing the 2 hours on the garmin and knowing you were close.

I was still thrilled over the improvement from my first half...but the thought of a sub 2 was nice. Looking back...Im absolutely happy with my 2:00:36 given the progress I made this year and the hilly course I likely should not have even gone for it...glad I tried it and gave it a go.

What you write about the St. Jude campus is why I want to run that race (be it the half or the full) next year. And probably no way Id come through it without it get a little dusty. Part of my reason to start wanting to run a half was inspiration from some college friends who lost their daughter to neuroblastoma and have dedictated themselves to raising money and awareness. Seeing those kids would definitely bring on the emotions but also be a huge inspiration to push on and push on strong on the course.

 

[jb1020]

Nice report jb...and yes, I feel the pain on looking down and seeing the 2 hours on the garmin and knowing you were close.I was still thrilled over the improvement from my first half...but the thought of a sub 2 was nice. Looking back...Im absolutely happy with my 2:00:36 given the progress I made this year and the hilly course I likely should not have even gone for it...glad I tried it and gave it a go.What you write about the St. Jude campus is why I want to run that race (be it the half or the full) next year. And probably no way Id come through it without it get a little dusty. Part of my reason to start wanting to run a half was inspiration from some college friends who lost their daughter to neuroblastoma and have dedictated themselves to raising money and awareness. Seeing those kids would definitely bring on the emotions but also be a huge inspiration to push on and push on strong on the course.

I'm definitely coming back to run it again next year. Not sure which, we'll see where I am. They have inspired me to sign up to be a "hero." Its either donate or raise $500. We try to donate to various things each year and now we'll add St. Judes to the list. They announced before the race $3.4 mill was raised. I think that only keeps the place operating maybe 3 days.

 

[Sand]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

Everyone can sympathize with missing some mark by a few seconds. I did that my first HM - missed the time I wanted by 4 seconds. I then went out this year and clobbered that time by over 4 minutes. My bet is the extra motivation will help you crush it your next time around. Trust me - it feels spectacular to see the finish and know you're going to come in under your time. In my first 5k I really wanted 1:30 (but first wanted get there alive). After a long, solitary, sensory deprived race finally being able to pop up and see the finish and seeing 1:28 was probably the best feeling I've had in a race. Trite, but you really don't forget those moments - great motivation for the work necessary to get there.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

Huh. Looks like that hill that peaked at 2.69 miles gotcha pretty good and you never were able to back things all the way back down. I am guessing you are somewhere in your early to mid 30s, so the average HR in the mid 170s is OK and I am sure you'll see this drop as you continue your training. And, you hit your max during your sprint to the finish. Normal as normal can be based on the excitement and trying to squeeze every lat bit of effort out. What is a bit odd, is that that hill at around 8.5 miles had little additional impact on your HR. You may want to rewind the tape in your head and figure out what you did here to keep things in check and apply this to hills all the time.

 

[jb1020]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

Huh. Looks like that hill that peaked at 2.69 miles gotcha pretty good and you never were able to back things all the way back down. I am guessing you are somewhere in your early to mid 30s, so the average HR in the mid 170s is OK and I am sure you'll see this drop as you continue your training. And, you hit your max during your sprint to the finish. Normal as normal can be based on the excitement and trying to squeeze every lat bit of effort out. What is a bit odd, is that that hill at around 8.5 miles had little additional impact on your HR. You may want to rewind the tape in your head and figure out what you did here to keep things in check and apply this to hills all the time.

I'm 29. The hill at 2.69 was coming back up from the MS river. I practically gunned it up the hill, probably not the smartest thing but I felt great.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

Huh. Looks like that hill that peaked at 2.69 miles gotcha pretty good and you never were able to back things all the way back down. I am guessing you are somewhere in your early to mid 30s, so the average HR in the mid 170s is OK and I am sure you'll see this drop as you continue your training. And, you hit your max during your sprint to the finish. Normal as normal can be based on the excitement and trying to squeeze every lat bit of effort out. What is a bit odd, is that that hill at around 8.5 miles had little additional impact on your HR. You may want to rewind the tape in your head and figure out what you did here to keep things in check and apply this to hills all the time.

I'm 29. The hill at 2.69 was coming back up from the MS river. I practically gunned it up the hill, probably not the smartest thing but I felt great.

Explains a lot and your HR makes perfect sense now (and was just fine IMO). Suggestion (with the understanding that I take race planning to insane levels), review the course map and elevation charts (water stops, porta johns, etc) well in advance of you race. This may have allowed you to keep things in check on that hill and had much more in the tank for later in the race. I enjoy the race planning but know that many here think I am for the extent I take it to.

 

[Ned]

Heres the Garmin data.

I do truly appreciate everyone in this thread. Yall answer my dumb noob questions all the time. Everyone here is a big help. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a million times how cool it would be to come back and report a sub 2 to everyone.

Congrats again! I can guarantee you every single one of us lean on each other as an outside source of motivation. It's a big reason why this thread's staying power is so strong.Your HR data is perfectly normal. I've never hit my max HR at the end of a long distance event (always see it at the end of a 5K or 10K), so I'd safely wager you might have another bpm or 2 to go on the max. Scary, huh? (don't tell your wife!)

 

[Ned]

A couple of good low HR runs on Saturday and today. Things are coming back, slowly.

Saturday - Impromptu 4.6mi recovery to mentally unwind. 135 @ 9:36

Today - 8mi GA. 144 @ 9:25

 

[SteelCurtain]

In my first 5k I really wanted 1:30 (but first wanted get there alive). After a long, solitary, sensory deprived race finally being able to pop up and see the finish and seeing 1:28 was probably the best feeling I've had in a race.

??????

If this is what Sanding means, then sign me up. I'd love to do a 5K in 88 seconds.

 

[tri-man 47]

My son decided he wasn’t really in the sleeping mood at 3am. My wife, being awesome as she is, gets him and sleeps on the coach with him. No one got any sleep after that.

I'd imagine not!

I murdered my old time of 2:18.

Excellent!! Don't sweat the seconds when you totally crushed your previous time by over a minute/mile!!!Thanks for the report.

 

[The_Man]

Grue - great to see you back. Sorry you aren't feeling great. I totally admire your willingness to tackle new challenges like yoga, swimming, and biking. Some runners are just runners (um, like me) but you are really an athlete whose primary sport is running.

jb - great run. You are just tapping your capabilities and even bigger things are right around the corner.

I can't believe the HR on some of you guys. I'm 42 and the highest HR I've ever gotten to, by far, is 176. When I did 5 at 7:24 pace Sunday, my average HR was 158. I'm going to have to measure my resting HR one of these mornings.

 

[sho nuff]

I can't believe the HR on some of you guys. I'm 42 and the highest HR I've ever gotten to, by far, is 176. When I did 5 at 7:24 pace Sunday, my average HR was 158. I'm going to have to measure my resting HR one of these mornings.

Its not our fault you are dead inside.

 

[Ned]

I can't believe the HR on some of you guys. I'm 42 and the highest HR I've ever gotten to, by far, is 176. When I did 5 at 7:24 pace Sunday, my average HR was 158. I'm going to have to measure my resting HR one of these mornings.

Its not our fault you are dead inside.

176 max is just as shocking to me. What was your MP HR? Low 150s?

 

[The_Man]

I can't believe the HR on some of you guys. I'm 42 and the highest HR I've ever gotten to, by far, is 176. When I did 5 at 7:24 pace Sunday, my average HR was 158. I'm going to have to measure my resting HR one of these mornings.

Its not our fault you are dead inside.

176 max is just as shocking to me. What was your MP HR? Low 150s?

My overall average HR for last year's marathon was 162 -- didn't run with the HR monitor this year, but I'm going to try to go back to it now. I think last year's Marathon HR was a little elevated by the hills and warmth of the day. Generally the high 150s has been a hard but sustainable rate for me.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Nice report, jb. Don't sweat those extra seconds. Just call it a 2 hour half and be good with it.

 

[jb1020]

Nice report, jb. Don't sweat those extra seconds. Just call it a 2 hour half and be good with it.

I'm cool with that, some where between those 13.21 miles I ran, I ran 13.1 of them in less than 2 hours.

 

[Sand]

In my first 5k I really wanted 1:30 (but first wanted get there alive). After a long, solitary, sensory deprived race finally being able to pop up and see the finish and seeing 1:28 was probably the best feeling I've had in a race.

??????

If this is what Sanding means, then sign me up. I'd love to do a 5K in 88 seconds.

That's hours and minutes. And I somehow forgot to put "swim" in there (a lot more sense with that in there!). The race is actually 3.3 miles, so I was doing 27 minutes/mile or so back then.

Huh. Looks like that hill that peaked at 2.69 miles gotcha pretty good and you never were able to back things all the way back down. I am guessing you are somewhere in your early to mid 30s, so the average HR in the mid 170s is OK and I am sure you'll see this drop as you continue your training. And, you hit your max during your sprint to the finish. Normal as normal can be based on the excitement and trying to squeeze every lat bit of effort out. What is a bit odd, is that that hill at around 8.5 miles had little additional impact on your HR. You may want to rewind the tape in your head and figure out what you did here to keep things in check and apply this to hills all the time.

I have to formally object - that looks more like a speed bump than a hill. And his HR is fine. I'm north of 40 and in my HM in February I was at 173 avg. HR. His HR is constantly rising, which goes to show he ran really hard and probably needs more base mileage.

 

[Ned]

I can't believe the HR on some of you guys. I'm 42 and the highest HR I've ever gotten to, by far, is 176. When I did 5 at 7:24 pace Sunday, my average HR was 158. I'm going to have to measure my resting HR one of these mornings.

Its not our fault you are dead inside.

176 max is just as shocking to me. What was your MP HR? Low 150s?

My overall average HR for last year's marathon was 162 -- didn't run with the HR monitor this year, but I'm going to try to go back to it now. I think last year's Marathon HR was a little elevated by the hills and warmth of the day. Generally the high 150s has been a hard but sustainable rate for me.

Wow 162 is really high if 176 is really your max. That translates to a 178 for me which is probably closer to HM range for me.My Philly HR avg was 173 which would be a 157 for you. Sounds about right. I'm still fascinated with this stuff.

 

[prosopis]

Thanks for the feedback, Bike Guys! Trust me when I say this is definitely for my son -- I don't like biking and I hate swimming, plus I don't have regular access to a pool. I will leave that multi-sport stuff to people who can focus on more than one thing at a time.

Ivan - nice job on the recovery.

SportsFan - sounds awesome. You know you are locked in when you find excuses to run, instead of finding them not to run.

Sofa Kings - congrats to your daughter! Hope you feel better soon.

JB - what a great job. Can't wait to read about it.

ShoNuff - you are running really well right now. Great job on the 5k. That effort also shows you the benefit of warming up. Yes, 5 miles is a long warm-up, but I have found the older I get, the more vitally important a solid warm-up becomes.

PMB - very interesting about the Pfitz. If it's too much, I think you should definitely back off. It was too much for me to do the 18/55 last winter. By attempting it and then failing, it shook my confidence big-time and kind of threw me out of synch. I ended up doing less than I had been doing before I attempted it. Earl Weaver used to avoid asking players to do things they weren't capable of - he said they would just fail anyway, and end up losing their confidence in the things they were capable of. You've got a lot going on right now, and winter is just beginning, so don't bite off too much!

I finished up my first recovery week with my legs feeling frisky after running so few post-marathon miles (just 13 for the week, including yesterday). Went out for 5 yesterday and ran way too fast - first mile at 8:00, then the next 4 at 7:14 pace, culminating with a final mile in 6:56 (with me running fast at the finish to break 7:00). Legs feel fine today, but I know that wasn't the smartest, so I will dial it back down this week in intensity, even while beginning to build the mileage back up.

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

 

[prosopis]

Hey, guys. Crappy week of running for me. Developed some pain in my left soleus/achilles towards the end of my 10-miler on Tuesday. Took Wednesday off, and then ran 8 on Thursday night. Felt good until about mile 3, then sore. Took Friday off, and then ran 7 on Saturday, this time with a calf sleeve. Felt pretty good most of the way through. Took yesterday off, and I'll try running 7-8 later this afternoon. Played hoops last night and didn't even feel it, so that definitely bodes well for today's run.Also, I start my 10-week swim clinic tonight. Apparently there are like 30 people signed up, all of whom are better swimmers than I am. A good buddy of mine (an Ironman triathlete) is also going, and he says that it's all just drills and that I'll be fine, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. It's super hard for me to check my ego and to do something that I'm not good at. But I guess you've gotta start somewhere, right?

Hope the pain in your left foot goes away. Good luck with the swimming. It is cool you are taking on another challenge.

 

[prosopis]

Nice report jb an even better run. Good reading in here today.

 

[2Young2BBald]

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

 

[prosopis]

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

 

[gruecd]

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

prosopis - The only way to fail is to not try. Get out there and finish the ####### race. You got this.

 

[gruecd]

And prosopis, I'll take my own advice, too. My swim clinic tonight sucked. The instructor makes us use a swimmer's snorkel for doing the drills, and I couldn't use the damn thing for the life of me. Couldn't force myself to breathe through my mouth, so I kept on getting water up my nose and having to stop. All of this while everyone else in the 30-person class is circling up and down their respective lanes. At one point I actually took off my snorkel and my goggles and threw them against the wall. I'm top 5% in most running races; I was the single worst swimmer in that class. I was embarrassed, and I almost said "#### it" and walked out.

But you know what? I'll go to the pool a couple of times between now and next Monday, I'll get comfortable using the stupid snorkel, and I'll go back to class next Monday. And I'll get good at swimming, and I'll do a stupid Ironman in the next couple of years. But you know what? If I don't keep trying and risking failure, it's never gonna happen.

 

[gruecd]

Oh, and the soleus is fine. Was crunched for time this afternoon, so I just did a quick 5-miler (7:21 pace), and everything felt normal. In fact, I ran so little last week that the legs felt unusually fresh.

What was funny is that I ran the 4th mile in 6:49, so just under my marathon pace from Lakefront. I seriously cannot believe that I ran that pace for almost 3 hours. A little too much of and the last couple of months, methinks...

 

[pmbrown_22]

Propsis - just remember that you have put in the training and you can do it. Trust your training. You are going to attempt something that most people consider crazy. That in itself is a victory.

Gru - Way to get out of your comfort zone. You can only get better from here on out. These are the points in life that make us grow not only physically, but most importantly mentally. You will over come this, I don't think it is in your nature to give in easily so you will learn to swim well and you will succeed at an Ironman. No doubt.

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

Did not get out yesterday because of the rain. We got over 3 inches of rain handed to us yesterday alone so I stuck to the dreadmill and covered 5 miles. I took advantage of it and did a mile warm up and than 3 miles at about 7:20. Then one cool down mile. I did pretty well, but I still have a bit to go before I am where I want to be, but I think I could have gone longer if I needed to.

Have a great day all.

 

[The_Man]

Grue, great job. I have no doubt you will be "Most Improved" by the time the next session rolls around. Nice job on the run - I, too, am amazed that you could run 26 miles at that pace.

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

Very You are ready for this and you are going to have a great experience. Congratulations! The finish line of your first marathon is actually the starting line for all the great running that is going to follow. So just focus on enjoying (as much as you can) the accomplishment.

Wow 162 is really high if 176 is really your max. That translates to a 178 for me which is probably closer to HM range for me.My Philly HR avg was 173 which would be a 157 for you. Sounds about right. I'm still fascinated with this stuff.

Because of my relatively low max HR, I focus way more on HR reserve than on actual HR. The last time I checked it, my resting HR was something like 48. So my reserve is 128 -- the same as for someone with a max HR of 190 and resting HR of 62. Using the Karvonen Formula, my 80 percent level (about where I go anaerobic) is 152 and my 90 percent effort level is 165. I find these to match pretty well with what I perceive while running. I think I'm also fortunate that I seem to be physiologically set up for endurance sports -- whether it was on the cross country team in high school, or now 25+ years later. To me, it just seems natural that it would be easier to sustain a 162 HR for 26 miles than it would be to sustain a 178 for the same distance.I've mentioned above how Pfitz 18/55 kicked my ### the last time I tried it -- but this time, I think I'm really ready to do it, and I can't wait to see what kind of Marathon I could run if I do stick to it. For this last marathon, my highest weekly totals were a couple of 41-mile weeks and I averaged 35 mpw during my 8 highest-mileage weeks, so there's room for improvement. Today, my legs were definitely feeling in recovery mode, so I took it pretty easy: 5 miles at 8:24 pace with a 143 HR (which is right between 70 and 75 percent by the Karvonen formula).

 

[Ned]

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

prosopis - The only way to fail is to not try. Get out there and finish the ####### race. You got this.

We're all pulling for you, prosopis. Stay smart!

 

[sho nuff]

It is like you are looking into my mind. This is exactly where I am at. I have my first marathon on Sunday and I have to say I am very worried about it. Triman has been helping me through e mails but I am still more then just a little nervous. I really regret trying to do the Pfitz program. I feel like a headcase but that is where I am.

We have all been there. Seriously, all of us. You are going to finish, that is goal #1 IMO and there is not a goal #2 and when you do you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. There is a guy that I have had the chance to train with. He is a 5 time Ironman and recovering alcoholic who has provided me with some darn good perspective. He views races as adventures he could have never imagined and, because he is not going to win, views them as really long training days. When I did the 10 leg survival triathlon back in August I thought about this a lot. I finished dead last in my age group and it was my favorite day racing ever, because I could not believe it was me doing what I was doing. Come this weekend, time really does not matter. Go enjoy 26.6 miles, doing something that most only dream about.

prosopis - The only way to fail is to not try. Get out there and finish the ####### race. You got this.

We're all pulling for you, prosopis. Stay smart!

 

[2Young2BBald]

Reminder NBC is broadcasting their production of this year's

this Saturday @ 4:30 EST. Got serious chills just watching the swim start in the linked video. I'll be riding on the trainer during the broadcast with a couple of buddies I train with. Prosopis, I can't think of a more motivating thing to watch the day before a marathon.

 

[tri-man 47]

Reminder NBC is broadcasting their production of this year's

Thanks for the reminder!! Very good point about the motivation, especially the special stories they always feature.

 

[gruecd]

Reminder NBC is broadcasting their production of this year's

Could always go to www.bodyrock.tv and watch one of Zuzana's workout videos.

 

[prosopis]

Expo in 3 days!!!

Has anyone used these drop bags? They say you put your stuff in it and it is waiting at the finish line for you. Should I trust enough to put my car keys in it? This race has us parking at one spot and being bussed to the star line. I think it is going to be very cold but I hoping for a warm up. I am starting to get excited about this. All the encouragement I get here really helps. It is very to cool to have all the experience in here to draw from.

 

[prosopis]

Quick question.

I have always used body glide but I still get chafing going around 13-15 miles. Should I try vaseline on Sunday or just stick with body glide? Is there some technique that makes it last longer?

Thanks

 

[2Young2BBald]

Expo in 3 days!!!Has anyone used these drop bags? They say you put your stuff in it and it is waiting at the finish line for you. Should I trust enough to put my car keys in it? This race has us parking at one spot and being bussed to the star line. I think it is going to be very cold but I hoping for a warm up. I am starting to get excited about this. All the encouragement I get here really helps. It is very to cool to have all the experience in here to draw from.

I am not a big fan of the bag drop, only because I don't want to go out of my way to get there and then to the start line. I'd rather put a single key or key fob in my race belt. As for staying warm, find an old long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt you and to part with and, possibly, a hat. You can dump them at the start, or really anywhere along the route (coolness if you drop it at an aid station) and most big events wash them and donate them to some local shelter. Old turtlenecks work good too as you can make a make shift hat with the neck. A garbage bag works good too with the arms cut out and, you can turn it in to a mini porta-potty with a Gatoraide Botte.

 

[tri-man 47]

Quick question.I have always used body glide but I still get chafing going around 13-15 miles. Should I try vaseline on Sunday or just stick with body glide? Is there some technique that makes it last longer?Thanks

Ask at the expo ...many marathons will have volunteers with Vaseline out on the course. You then could, uh, reapply. Or I suppose, if you wear gloves, put a big gob on the back of the gloves. After a number of miles, reapply some Vaseline and ditch the gloves.

 

[prosopis]

Quick question.I have always used body glide but I still get chafing going around 13-15 miles. Should I try vaseline on Sunday or just stick with body glide? Is there some technique that makes it last longer?Thanks

Ask at the expo ...many marathons will have volunteers with Vaseline out on the course. You then could, uh, reapply. Or I suppose, if you wear gloves, put a big gob on the back of the gloves. After a number of miles, reapply some Vaseline and ditch the gloves.

Will the volunteer of my choosing apply the Vaseline?

 

[17seconds]

For half marathon training - is it better to workout with 1 day of rest a week or is it ok to rest 2 or even 3 days a week with harder workouts?

I'm trying to follow this but I've been resting 2 or 3 days a week. For 2 reasons - I can't find time 6 days a week, and my legs are thrashed after the long runs. The good news is I've compensated by working out harder. Instead of the 3mi runs I'm doing 4-6mi and all of my runs are very hilly.

Is this going to matter?

 

[tri-man 47]

Will the volunteer of my choosing apply the Vaseline?

I'm sure he will, if you ask nice. ---17 seconds - more rest days are fine, if that's what fits your schedule. But make sure you're running those long runs sloooowly. Save the racing for race day!

 

[Ned]

Quick question.I have always used body glide but I still get chafing going around 13-15 miles. Should I try vaseline on Sunday or just stick with body glide? Is there some technique that makes it last longer?Thanks

I'd be careful trying something new on race day. Have you tried compression shorts? How thick are you layering body glide on? Are you using the stick or cream? I found the stick works better from a coverage perspective.

 

[Ned]

For half marathon training - is it better to workout with 1 day of rest a week or is it ok to rest 2 or even 3 days a week with harder workouts?

I'm trying to follow this but I've been resting 2 or 3 days a week. For 2 reasons - I can't find time 6 days a week, and my legs are thrashed after the long runs. The good news is I've compensated by working out harder. Instead of the 3mi runs I'm doing 4-6mi and all of my runs are very hilly.

Is this going to matter?

This is actually going to burn you out pretty quickly. Those Wednesday 3 milers are meant to be recovery type runs that are sandwiched in between speed and tempo days. By hammering and lengthening those Wednesday runs, you're setting yourself up for a pretty hard crash. Those recovery days are meant to be just that - time for your body to recover from the previous day's workout. You're now heading into the 2nd most important workout (Sunday longs being #1) with tired legs. Tempo runs are pretty crucial for HM success. You want to be pretty fresh for this so you can put in some quality running.Since 6 days are tough to juggle and the long runs are killing your legs, I'd take Monday's off. If you want to keep the mileage up, doing the 4-6 on Wednesday would work as long as you run them very easy. I struggled with the concept of recovery runs for a long, long time. I still have to remind myself the purpose of the run. It's all about the mindset before heading out the door.

GL!

 

[gruecd]

Expo in 3 days!!!Has anyone used these drop bags? They say you put your stuff in it and it is waiting at the finish line for you. Should I trust enough to put my car keys in it? This race has us parking at one spot and being bussed to the star line. I think it is going to be very cold but I hoping for a warm up. I am starting to get excited about this. All the encouragement I get here really helps. It is very to cool to have all the experience in here to draw from.

I use bag & tag all the time. I don't know that I'd put my car keys in there (usually put my key fob in a baggie in the little pocket inside the front of the shorts), but it's nice to have a dry change of clothes, sandals, my phone, etc., after the race.

 

[sho nuff]

Well...I had zero motivation last night.

Got the kids to bed a little late last night and just decided another day of rest would be fun.

Will go out for 6 tonight then 3-4 tomorrow.

 

[jb1020]

For half marathon training - is it better to workout with 1 day of rest a week or is it ok to rest 2 or even 3 days a week with harder workouts?I'm trying to follow this but I've been resting 2 or 3 days a week. For 2 reasons - I can't find time 6 days a week, and my legs are thrashed after the long runs. The good news is I've compensated by working out harder. Instead of the 3mi runs I'm doing 4-6mi and all of my runs are very hilly.Is this going to matter?

I just finished a half and my trainer was pretty simple. I'd go 3-4 days a week. Long runs on the weekend, Two 3-4 miles easy runs and one 5 or 6 miles tempo run. Worked well for me. I don't think I ever ran 3 days in a row.

 

[gruecd]

For half marathon training - is it better to workout with 1 day of rest a week or is it ok to rest 2 or even 3 days a week with harder workouts?

I'm trying to follow this but I've been resting 2 or 3 days a week. For 2 reasons - I can't find time 6 days a week, and my legs are thrashed after the long runs. The good news is I've compensated by working out harder. Instead of the 3mi runs I'm doing 4-6mi and all of my runs are very hilly.

Is this going to matter?

This is actually going to burn you out pretty quickly. Those Wednesday 3 milers are meant to be recovery type runs that are sandwiched in between speed and tempo days. By hammering and lengthening those Wednesday runs, you're setting yourself up for a pretty hard crash. Those recovery days are meant to be just that - time for your body to recover from the previous day's workout. You're now heading into the 2nd most important workout (Sunday longs being #1) with tired legs. Tempo runs are pretty crucial for HM success. You want to be pretty fresh for this so you can put in some quality running.Since 6 days are tough to juggle and the long runs are killing your legs, I'd take Monday's off. If you want to keep the mileage up, doing the 4-6 on Wednesday would work as long as you run them very easy. I struggled with the concept of recovery runs for a long, long time. I still have to remind myself the purpose of the run. It's all about the mindset before heading out the door.

GL!

What he said.Seriously, I've said this multiple times in here, but you have to remember that each run has a specific purpose. A lot of runners (newer ones, in particular) think that it must be a good thing if each run is faster than the last one, and while I can certainly understand why a person would think that way, it's most definitely not the case. Like Ned said, sometimes the purpose is simply active recovery. Other times, it's to work on your aerobic fitness. Sometimes you're working to improve your Lactate Threshold (tempo runs), and other times you want to improve your anaerobic threshold (intervals).

I know you're not training for a full marathon right now, but pick up a copy of Pete Pfitzinger's book, Advanced Marathoning. It does a great job explaining all of this. And good luck!!

 

[gruecd]

10 miles last night at 7:41 pace with a 2-minute negative split, and then did the quick turnaround thing and met a buddy at 5:15 this morning for another 5 miles at 7:54 pace.

Yoga tonight, and then 7-8 miles and another yoga class tomorrow. Some pool time (to work on the snorkel) and another 7-8 miles tomorrow, and then 15 on Saturday.

If only I could get rid of this pesky job.....