Ran a 10k in June (7 Viewers)

[parasaurolophus]

Wow, I missed all sorts of stuff in the last couple of days.

gruecd -- Dear God that's a lot of miles. I can't even wrap my mind around doing 15+ the day after a marathon-length run.

duck -- Sorry to hear about your daughter but I'm glad she's doing well. That's got to be difficult.

prosopis -- This just sounds like an indicator that the zombie apocalyse thing is jumping the shark. And to no refreshments at the finish line. WTH?

tri-man -- Nice job and great time. Chicago events sound like a blast. I miss not living nearby anymore, but I get to go there in a couple of weeks for a conference.

parasauropholus -- . . . and now that my kids are old enough to be left alone in a hotel room for a few hours, there's really excuse for my wife and I not do more MSP events. The drive to the twin cities really sucks from my town -- two lane state highways most of the way -- but it's an easy weekend trip otherwise.

___________

Kind of a poor/mediocre 15 miles earlier today. Not sure why, but for some reason this run turned into a slog after about 7-8 miles. I should have been well-rested with comparatively light mileage the past two weeks, and while it was cold and windy it wasn't anything that should have caused problems. Oh well -- one of those things. Looking ahead, Easter weekend is supposed to be pretty nice, with highs getting into the upper 40s. It's about damn time.

It seems like there are runs every weekend in MSP. Wisconsin doesn't have anywhere near as many.

 

[beer 302]

Juxt sorry to hear that but like grue said, don't throw in the towel so quick. You're one of the quickest guys in this thread, you've put in the work and just had a bad day. I think you're right in that you need to train your mind more than your body. You have the ability, you just need to believe in yourself. Don't short the run has been my mantra this year. No matter how ####ty it gets, how much you want to bag it, don't short the run. Finish it out no matter what.

 

[2Young2BBald]

It seems like there are runs every weekend in MSP. Wisconsin doesn't have anywhere near as many.

Have you tried here? Its my new race -ho's best friend.

 

[tri-man 47]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

 

[SteveC702]

Seems like a lot of good running/racing/training going on around here. I'll try to comment more later but just wanted to say: Jux don't get too down on yourself. I don't know much about your training history yet but it seems like you're doing some higher mileage than you are used to in the past? and more intense workouts as well? It's definitely hard to race in the middle of marathon training even if you back off a little bit. I actually had serious thoughts of dropping out of my last 2 half-marathons as well. (the only reasons I didn't was because the first one was out-and-back and I had a ton of friends/family at the 2nd one, two of whom were running their first half-marathons ever and I didn't want to explain why I dropped out because I "didn't have it that day" when we all went out to lunch later)

Another thing I noticed is that it's particularly hard to go out fast and hang on in a race when you are in the middle of marathon training. It's been happening to pretty much everyone I know. If anything you probably saved your legs for a couple of last solid workouts before Boston.

 

[SteveC702]

Sho Nuff- Good to hear surgery went well.

Ned- Nice week and and solid long run. I probably lean on the side of running more MPs/Threshold workouts than most runners/coaches would advise. I just think they're safer workouts for long-term development (lower risk of injury, more time on feet and quality running overall) than VO2max/speed workouts. I figure I am in this thing for the long haul, so I would rather get some solid/quality running in a couple of times a week than force a few speed workouts and deal with injuries if I can. In fact, I developed a semi-serious case of shin splints after my treadmill 800s and it took a few days of easy running and constant icing for it to finally go away. (I think it's gone?)

2Young2bald- Definitely jealous of you having a kid that loves to run. That 800 sounds like pretty much every single runner's story of their first 800. Hell, there were juniors/seniors on my high school teams that still did that kind of stuff after 3-4 years of racing. Your son definitely sounds like he has a lot of potential, keep us posted.

BassNBrew- Cool story on your kid as well. Maybe you and 2young2bald can set up some sort of father/son relay showdown.

Gruecd- I saw the pictures on FB and that course looked brutal. Well done man and congrats on the weekly mileage PR.

Beer302- Kudos on getting as much done as you did with that schedule. Hang in there man and it'll get easier (hopefully).

Prosopis- That's an awesome story, makes me want to give those races a try.

Tri-man 47- Congrats on the solid season-opener in what sounds like not-so-optimal conditions. You got anything out of the AG podium finish?

SFBayDuck- Hope your daughter feels better as well, and glad to hear you seem to have put the achilles issue behind you.

parasaurolophus- Nice work, especially being sick so close beforehand.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Sho Nuff- Good to hear surgery went well.

Ned- Nice week and and solid long run. I probably lean on the side of running more MPs/Threshold workouts than most runners/coaches would advise. I just think they're safer workouts for long-term development (lower risk of injury, more time on feet and quality running overall) than VO2max/speed workouts. I figure I am in this thing for the long haul, so I would rather get some solid/quality running in a couple of times a week than force a few speed workouts and deal with injuries if I can. In fact, I developed a semi-serious case of shin splints after my treadmill 800s and it took a few days of easy running and constant icing for it to finally go away. (I think it's gone?)

2Young2bald- Definitely jealous of you having a kid that loves to run. That 800 sounds like pretty much every single runner's story of their first 800. Hell, there were juniors/seniors on my high school teams that still did that kind of stuff after 3-4 years of racing. Your son definitely sounds like he has a lot of potential, keep us posted.

BassNBrew- Cool story on your kid as well. Maybe you and 2young2bald can set up some sort of father/son relay showdown.

Gruecd- I saw the pictures on FB and that course looked brutal. Well done man and congrats on the weekly mileage PR.

Beer302- Kudos on getting as much done as you did with that schedule. Hang in there man and it'll get easier (hopefully).

Prosopis- That's an awesome story, makes me want to give those races a try.

Tri-man 47- Congrats on the solid season-opener in what sounds like not-so-optimal conditions. You got anything out of the AG podium finish?

SFBayDuck- Hope your daughter feels better as well, and glad to hear you seem to have put the achilles issue behind you.

parasaurolophus- Nice work, especially being sick so close beforehand.

Bookmarking so I can refer to for the notebook.

 

[tri-man 47]

Seems like a lot of good running/racing/training going on around here. I'll try to comment more later but just wanted to say: Jux don't get too down on yourself. I don't know much about your training history yet but it seems like you're doing some higher mileage than you are used to in the past? and more intense workouts as well? It's definitely hard to race in the middle of marathon training even if you back off a little bit. I actually had serious thoughts of dropping out of my last 2 half-marathons as well. (the only reasons I didn't was because the first one was out-and-back and I had a ton of friends/family at the 2nd one, two of whom were running their first half-marathons ever and I didn't want to explain why I dropped out because I "didn't have it that day" when we all went out to lunch later)

Another thing I noticed is that it's particularly hard to go out fast and hang on in a race when you are in the middle of marathon training. It's been happening to pretty much everyone I know. If anything you probably saved your legs for a couple of last solid workouts before Boston.

Very !!And to answer your question: I should get a medal, though I don't know if they'll mail it or if I have to pick it up. I am an admitted medal monger.

 

[gruecd]

It seems like there are runs every weekend in MSP. Wisconsin doesn't have anywhere near as many.

Where in Wisconsin? I'm in Appleton, and it seems like there's always something going on around here.

 

[FUBAR]

Seems like a lot of good running/racing/training going on around here. I'll try to comment more later but just wanted to say: Jux don't get too down on yourself. I don't know much about your training history yet but it seems like you're doing some higher mileage than you are used to in the past? and more intense workouts as well? It's definitely hard to race in the middle of marathon training even if you back off a little bit. I actually had serious thoughts of dropping out of my last 2 half-marathons as well. (the only reasons I didn't was because the first one was out-and-back and I had a ton of friends/family at the 2nd one, two of whom were running their first half-marathons ever and I didn't want to explain why I dropped out because I "didn't have it that day" when we all went out to lunch later)

Another thing I noticed is that it's particularly hard to go out fast and hang on in a race when you are in the middle of marathon training. It's been happening to pretty much everyone I know. If anything you probably saved your legs for a couple of last solid workouts before Boston.

ramping up mileage and intensity can hurt. I've significantly cut back in the last 10 days to recover from a small hernia not to push it. Still planning to do the marathon in late April, but I might take the half instead. I'll go 18 this Saturday to see where I'm at. Biggest mistake was taking 6+ months off of road running (Afghanistan isn't a good place to run outside), then going after a marathon. I was in shape from cross-fit and the treadmill, and cardio-wise I'm fine, but I overlooked the impact of road running - felt great while running, so I pushed. The reptitive motion and impact did a number on me. And this isn't my first rodeo.

Still plan on doing a HIM and then a full IM in the next 18 months, just have to slowly ramp up the road miles after I get my legs back.

Plus, getting older sucks as for recovery from workouts.

 

[Hang 10]

Chi-Town Half Marathon Race Report

1:36:30ish, 7:22/mile, 170 avg. HR

For the first 'season-starter,' I'll take it. I was a bit worried due to the lingering soreness/tightness in the hammy and knowing I'd spent all Fri/Sat sitting at the computer working on my paper ..not conducive to being loose and ready. Morning routines were all fine. Juxt came by around 7 a.m. to pick me up (thanks, Juxt!!). Just as he pulls up, some snow flurries start ...but they stopped and we saw no more. Easy drive to the Chicago lakefront, park a mile away, and jog to the staging area for race pick-up (8:15 a.m. start). We then each went about our own warmups and exchanged a quick before the start. Temp around 30 or so, and a rather stiff wind coming east off the lake ..more a nuisance than a hindrance. Course was essentially flat.

One oddity: It was a 10K and HM. Looking at the maps (and seeing the course set-up), we all started together and followed the same course. We looped back near the start at around mile 6, and they had signs for the 10K folks to turn and head to the finish while we ran a big loop further north. But: The young volunteers were telling the 10K folks to turn right away, half a mile into the race. I have NO idea how that all worked out. Later on, we were passing 10K'ers going the opposite direction, and they seemed to be a bit puzzled.

Anyway, given my training to date and rather uncooperative legs, it was a textbook race (that book being "Ned's Guide to HR Running"). I hung with the 1:35 pace group for the first 5 miles or so, but then slowly backed off when my HR got to 170/171. I ran the rest of the race solely by HR. We did a big turn at mile 9 and headed in for the final 4 miles, and I let my HR pick up as I slowly pushed the pace back to the finish:

mile 1: 7:15 ..158 HR

mile 2: 7:13 ..166

mile 3: 7:19 ..167

mile 4: 7:16 ..169

mile 5: 7:18 ..171

mile 6: 7:20 ..171

mile 7: 7:33 ..170

mile 8: 7:28 ..171

mile 9: 7:31 ..171

mile 10: 7:31 ..173

mile 11: 7:25 ..172

mile 12: 7:27 ..174

mile 13: 7:17 ..177

final .1: 6:31 .181

Haven't see race results yet (we scooted right out ..for me, I didn't want to miss Palm Sunday church). The hammy/butt weren't good. Any sort of inclines (just road overpasses) were painful. The beauty of the HR running, though, is my mind doesn't really think about anything, particularly not negative thoughts. I just hold the HR and keep going. My first HM last spring was early May at 1:35:22, so I'm probably about where I was at this time last year. It was great to spend some time with Juxt again as he gears up for Boston in three weeks.

gruecd - congrats on the 50K!

SFDuck - hope your daughter is back on her feet real soon!

---

eta: 3rd of 30 in my age group. 89 of 1,063 overall.

Nice race.

Chi-Town Half Marathon Race Report

Congrats to Tri-Man on a solid race! Unfortunately, mine didn't go as well.

The goal for me was to set a PR. That was 1:27:46 set last September -- a 6:42 average pace.

Mile 1: 6:34/229 average heart rate

Mile 2: 6:36/213

A little fast here but my first 2 miles from my PR were faster than the average too. Sometimes my HR monitor takes a few miles before it gives accurate readings. Obviously, that's the case here.

Mile 3: 6:49/166

Not feeling well at all here. Lower calf/upper Achilles' area throbbing (which happens to me occasionally but usually goes away) but also just not feeling like I'm going to hit my groove. This mile is already slower than PR pace and I know I'm not setting a new PR today. During this mile there was some confusion with a group of runners ahead of me. Apparently they missed a turn and they stopped. I didn't know if they were running the 10K or the half (turns out they were running the 10K) but I was following the signs and kept on going. A runner passed me and asked me which race I was running. He was running the half too but told me he wasn't sure if we were on the 10K or the half marathon course.

Mile 4: 6:49/164

I was really tiring. Believe it or not, I was actually hoping I was on the 10K course.

Mile 5: 7:09/160

Just felt done. Getting very annoyed by everything. The cold. The wind. Dogs without leashes running around. Somehow there were all these inclines everywhere even though we were running near the lakefront in Chicago that was build on top of a marsh.

Mile 6: 7:11/158

Some type of turnoff here where they were directing half marathoners to go one direction and 10Kers to go another. Very disappointed to discover that I was indeed on the correct route. I ran about a quarter mile farther then thought "#### it!" and doubled back to the split and asked a volunteer how to get to the 10K finish.

Jogged another mile back and I was done.

I can think of all types of excuses but the bottom line is it's quite apparent that I'm not where I was last year speed-wise. Also, I've come to the conclusion that something is wrong inside my brain. Any normal person who is having difficulty during a race will just slow down and make the best of it but similar to that 5K I quit last summer, I just get this overwhelming desire to give up. Maybe it's some hyper-competitiveness thing.

Oh well, I'll spend a day or two feeling sorry for myself and they get back at it. Quite certain my sub 3:00 dream at Boston is dead.

Dude...

 

[gruecd]

Pretty sore this morning. I woke up thinking, "Damn, I feel like I just ran a marathon!"

Oh, wait.

 

[beer 302]

BassNBrew- Cool story on your kid as well. Maybe you and 2young2bald can set up some sort of father/son relay showdown.

This is ####### brilliant. I can see it now, 10k thread cornhole at a neutral site based around some marathon / half marathon that typically draws about 100 people, we all sign up and run and then the showdown.On course laid out by the members here and agreed to by the two participants, a head-to-head 5k in the middle of nowhere. Bragging rights for a year to the winner.

 

[BassNBrew]

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park.

Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

 

[Annyong]

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

 

[Hang 10]

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

Oh yeah. You need to rest. Hammy's can linger if you don't let them heal.

 

[BassNBrew]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

Jux - Maybe some tough love coming here, but maybe you mentally set yourself up for failure (and I use that word loosely as any or your miles would be a PR for me) last week. I remember several posts about the weather not be favorable for a PR attempt. Next thing I reading that you're starting off at sub-pr pace. Just wondering if you spent more time thinking about not succeeding than accomplishing your goal.That said, you shouldn't be at peak form at this point in your training. You're hitting all you marks in training so don't throw the towel in on Boston goal at this time. See how you feel at taper time and think positive.

 

[BassNBrew]

Triman - congrats on more hardware. Great run.

Props - great report. I'm think zombies don't need water.

Gru - Your absolutely killing it right now.

 

[worrierking]

Tri, congrats. Fantastic time.

Grue, that is insane mileage. Are you tapering now?

Parasaur, I had a bug last week and it is taking a long time to feel normal. Today is the first day since last Tuesday that things went well. Nice job! I am guessing if you were 100% you could have shaved some time off the 5k.

38 glorious degrees in SW Louisiana this morning. Probably our last taste of cold air until November. Supposed to be upper 30s the next two mornings as well and I am going to try to make hay while I can. I doubt we see the 40s anymore after this.

 

[gruecd]

Grue, that is insane mileage. Are you tapering now?

Yep, effective immediately. Only 48 miles on tap this week, including a mid-week 12-mile MLR and a 17-mile long run that I'll do on Friday afternoon since the market is closed anyway. And TWO rest days!!

 

[tri-man 47]

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park. Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

 

[Ned]

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park. Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

Dude's acting like he's getting ready for a 5K.

 

[Ned]

And TWO rest days!!

Pansy. ;-)

 

[Juxtatarot]

Thanks for everyone's input.

Steve Yes, this training plan has had more miles. I've taken a few days off these last few weeks before the races so I was hoping that would help. You're right, though, training fatigue probably was a factor.

BnB The wind wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be so I decided to try for the PR after all which was my original idea. That was probably a mistake and I think you're correct that I was setting myself up for failure. What Tri-man wrote is also true - you should always have a plan B. I'd been on a good streak PRing my last 2 marathons and in each of my last 3 half marathons so sometimes I force myself to learn the hard way.

Grue You're right, sometimes you just have a bad day. I had 3 or 4 DNF training runs during my marathon training last fall and still managed to PR. It puts me in a pickle about Boston though. The last thing I want is to go out running sub 6:52s and blow up the second half and have a miserable experience. I have a feeling I'm better off not concerning myself with sub 3:00 or even a PR and just having a good time. Of course, if I feel strong and want to pick up the pace that could always be the plan B. I've noticed that when the wheels start coming off early, I'm past the point of recovering well in the race. During my good races I always feel in control the whole time (even if I'm exhausted near the end).

 

[parasaurolophus]

Grue, that is insane mileage. Are you tapering now?

Yep, effective immediately. Only 48 miles on tap this week, including a mid-week 12-mile MLR and a 17-mile long run that I'll do on Friday afternoon since the market is closed anyway. And TWO rest days!!

Only 48... insane that is a shortened week for some of you guys.

 

[Annyong]

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

Oh yeah. You need to rest. Hammy's can linger if you don't let them heal.

Dammit, i have a couple races coming up at the end of April.

 

[gruecd]

It puts me in a pickle about Boston though. The last thing I want is to go out running sub 6:52s and blow up the second half and have a miserable experience. I have a feeling I'm better off not concerning myself with sub 3:00 or even a PR and just having a good time.

I have two very good friends who are also doing Boston for the first time next month, and I've told both of them that Boston is a very hard race to run well your first time. There's just so much going on to detract from your focus, and from a tactical standpoint, the hills make it virtually impossible to run even splits, requiring more of an "even effort" approach that most people (especially flatlanders like us) just aren't used to taking.My personal advice? Back off the aggressive goal and enjoy the experience like you said. Hell, run with me if you want and just focus on re-qualifying. Save the PR attempt for Naperville.

 

[gruecd]

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

Oh yeah. You need to rest. Hammy's can linger if you don't let them heal.

Dammit, i have a couple races coming up at the end of April.

You might be OK with that. Ice, heat, gentle penis stretching (yoga?) are all your friends. Have you considered massage? Dry needling? All of this stuff speeds recovery. It's just a matter of how much time and money you want to invest.

 

[Juxtatarot]

It puts me in a pickle about Boston though. The last thing I want is to go out running sub 6:52s and blow up the second half and have a miserable experience. I have a feeling I'm better off not concerning myself with sub 3:00 or even a PR and just having a good time.

I have two very good friends who are also doing Boston for the first time next month, and I've told both of them that Boston is a very hard race to run well your first time. There's just so much going on to detract from your focus, and from a tactical standpoint, the hills make it virtually impossible to run even splits, requiring more of an "even effort" approach that most people (especially flatlanders like us) just aren't used to taking.My personal advice? Back off the aggressive goal and enjoy the experience like you said. Hell, run with me if you want and just focus on re-qualifying. Save the PR attempt for Naperville.

I've already qualified for Boston 2014 from Chicago 2012. You've given me that advice before and I think I'm going to accept it now. I was originally hoping the extra mileage of Pfitz 18/70 would put me in a far better place than I was in last year and I could ignore your advice but I don't think that's the case now.

 

[Hang 10]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

Jux - Maybe some tough love coming here, but maybe you mentally set yourself up for failure (and I use that word loosely as any or your miles would be a PR for me) last week. I remember several posts about the weather not be favorable for a PR attempt. Next thing I reading that you're starting off at sub-pr pace. Just wondering if you spent more time thinking about not succeeding than accomplishing your goal.That said, you shouldn't be at peak form at this point in your training. You're hitting all you marks in training so don't throw the towel in on Boston goal at this time. See how you feel at taper time and think positive.

That's not tough love. This is...Jux, seriously dude, you need to man up. What's with this mindset that you are either going to PR a race or give up and quit? That just blows my mind. Even on your "bad day", you were going finish in the top 5% of racers. Take some pride in that. You should have stuck it out and maybe you could have learned a little something about where you're at for your Boston goal. Instead, you've just filled yourself with more questions and doubt.

Better luck next time.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

Jux - Maybe some tough love coming here, but maybe you mentally set yourself up for failure (and I use that word loosely as any or your miles would be a PR for me) last week. I remember several posts about the weather not be favorable for a PR attempt. Next thing I reading that you're starting off at sub-pr pace. Just wondering if you spent more time thinking about not succeeding than accomplishing your goal.That said, you shouldn't be at peak form at this point in your training. You're hitting all you marks in training so don't throw the towel in on Boston goal at this time. See how you feel at taper time and think positive.

That's not tough love. This is...Jux, seriously dude, you need to man up. What's with this mindset that you are either going to PR a race or give up and quit? That just blows my mind. Even on your "bad day", you were going finish in the top 5% of racers. Take some pride in that. You should have stuck it out and maybe you could have learned a little something about where you're at for your Boston goal. Instead, you've just filled yourself with more questions and doubt.

Better luck next time.

Yes, that's certainly true.

 

[koby925]

Hang in there, Jux. I do think the training had something to do with it. You have been doing the mileage and great workouts. It's in there. You just need to taper and the results should come.

On thoughts about stopping, see what Steve said? We have all considering stopping in races. Heck I think about it in most races. I have had races where I felt like stopping the whole time and maybe should have (like the wicked hilly Machester Road Race I ran slower 4.75 miles than my HM pace) but I've also had races where I feel like death in the beggining or in mile 2 of a 5k and I end up "old man PRing", or in mile 9 of my lone half where I later get a second wind and I'm so glad I pushed on.

Think about letting spectators down. Or think of letting us down. We're here waiting for the results. Whatever you need to do in your mind to get past that block, do it. It won't always be pretty, but I think even the races you keep going and run terribly are great races to build upon.

 

[Hang 10]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

Jux - Maybe some tough love coming here, but maybe you mentally set yourself up for failure (and I use that word loosely as any or your miles would be a PR for me) last week. I remember several posts about the weather not be favorable for a PR attempt. Next thing I reading that you're starting off at sub-pr pace. Just wondering if you spent more time thinking about not succeeding than accomplishing your goal.That said, you shouldn't be at peak form at this point in your training. You're hitting all you marks in training so don't throw the towel in on Boston goal at this time. See how you feel at taper time and think positive.

That's not tough love. This is...Jux, seriously dude, you need to man up. What's with this mindset that you are either going to PR a race or give up and quit? That just blows my mind. Even on your "bad day", you were going finish in the top 5% of racers. Take some pride in that. You should have stuck it out and maybe you could have learned a little something about where you're at for your Boston goal. Instead, you've just filled yourself with more questions and doubt.

Better luck next time.

Yes, that's certainly true.

Just sayin, you've basically got two choices when you throw a race into your training schedule. You can either treat it like a training run or you can race that ####er like it's your job. You choose that later. Your goal should have been your best effort, not a PR. Worst case is you're a little bummed about your time but that will pass. It's like these guys have said, you were probably just a bit slower yesterday because of all training but now you've allowed doubt to creep in. You gotta fight through that ####. It just seems that a marathon is almost as much as mental grind as it is physical. You're already strong enough physically to run one helluva a race but you gotta be just as strong mentally to know no matter what, you're going to grind it out.

 

[BassNBrew]

Thanks for everyone's input.

Steve Yes, this training plan has had more miles. I've taken a few days off these last few weeks before the races so I was hoping that would help. You're right, though, training fatigue probably was a factor.

BnB The wind wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be so I decided to try for the PR after all which was my original idea. That was probably a mistake and I think you're correct that I was setting myself up for failure. What Tri-man wrote is also true - you should always have a plan B. I'd been on a good streak PRing my last 2 marathons and in each of my last 3 half marathons so sometimes I force myself to learn the hard way.

Grue You're right, sometimes you just have a bad day. I had 3 or 4 DNF training runs during my marathon training last fall and still managed to PR. It puts me in a pickle about Boston though. The last thing I want is to go out running sub 6:52s and blow up the second half and have a miserable experience. I have a feeling I'm better off not concerning myself with sub 3:00 or even a PR and just having a good time. Of course, if I feel strong and want to pick up the pace that could always be the plan B. I've noticed that when the wheels start coming off early, I'm past the point of recovering well in the race. During my good races I always feel in control the whole time (even if I'm exhausted near the end).

Some thoughts...1. Your hr data suggests that you didn't blow up. You slowed and your hr came right down. You weren't past the point of recovering, you were recovering. I'd take that as a huge positive.

2. I guess since you're already qualified for next year, you could fun run it for the experience and tackle next year. I must not be a true runner because for that time and expense I can think of numerous things that would be more fun.

3. I always set multiple goals and adjust on the fly. If it were me, I'd go out at a pace that met my A goal. You can always slow down, but you can't get back miles you've already run. If you're not feeling it, back off and focus on the B goal. You'll already be ahead of that pace so you'll have time to recover. If you totally blow it, the C goal is finishing, enjoying the event, and learning the course for next time.

 

[dhockster]

First post in this thread.

Just started running again about 5 weeks ago after having not run regularly for several years. I ran the Houston marathon in 2006 but let my weight go from 195 then to 242 six weeks ago. I started the Quick Weight Loss diet because I couldn't get motivated to lose weight on my own. About a week into the diet I started running to get in some sort of shape to go skiing for spring break two weeks ago. I was amazed by how much energy I had just from a week of eating healthy/taking the vitamins and supplements on the quick weight loss diet. Anyway, before skiing I got up to about 3 miles at about a 9:30/mile pace. Skiing went well and I decided last week that I wanted to run a 5K. Looking online I found one in my neighborhood for last Saturday. I decided to try to run it in 28:00. I finished in 27:55 and felt really good. My weight is down to 217 in five weeks. I plan to continue to do 5K's regularly with a goal of trying to run one at 7:00/mile pace. While I may not make that, I know 8:00/mile is definitely doable.

I can definitely take some motivation from some of the running stories in here.

 

[Hang 10]

First post in this thread.Just started running again about 5 weeks ago after having not run regularly for several years. I ran the Houston marathon in 2006 but let my weight go from 195 then to 242 six weeks ago. I started the Quick Weight Loss diet because I couldn't get motivated to lose weight on my own. About a week into the diet I started running to get in some sort of shape to go skiing for spring break two weeks ago. I was amazed by how much energy I had just from a week of eating healthy/taking the vitamins and supplements on the quick weight loss diet. Anyway, before skiing I got up to about 3 miles at about a 9:30/mile pace. Skiing went well and I decided last week that I wanted to run a 5K. Looking online I found one in my neighborhood for last Saturday. I decided to try to run it in 28:00. I finished in 27:55 and felt really good. My weight is down to 217 in five weeks. I plan to continue to do 5K's regularly with a goal of trying to run one at 7:00/mile pace. While I may not make that, I know 8:00/mile is definitely doable.I can definitely take some motivation from some of the running stories in here.

Nice work. Stick with it and you'll get there.

 

[Sand]

Chi-Town Half Marathon Race Report

1:36:30ish, 7:22/mile, 170 avg. HR

Very nicely done. Even brought it home strong the last mile. Bodes well for late season!

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park.

Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

This is just awesome.

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

Oh yes. In my soccer days did hammy damage a decent bit. The only thing that really helps is rest. Gotta be real careful with them as they are very easy to redo and make worse. Pernicious injury.-----

On my end my Saturday was 10 hours of driving and 5 hours of moving. Nothing fun. Yesterday was supposed to be 60, a bit breezy, but otherwise ok all day long, so joined a 45 mile hill route ride. After 10 miles we had a bit of a sprinkle. Checked the Weather Channel - no storms on the horizon. So off we went into what turned out to be the wild blue yonder. Mile 20 - heavy rain. Mile 25 - heavy rain and 30mph gusts. Temperature drops 10 degrees to 51 or so. Wet and really cold. So awesome. Mile 30 - a freakin' transformer blew right over my head; scared me half to death. I thought lightning had hit right over me. Girls (also idiots out in the weather) 1/4 mile down heard it and asked about it. That thing was loud. And bright. After that the rain stopped but the winds were 25-30 sustained. Tough, tough riding. Cut it a bit short and got back soaked, mud covered, and cold after 38 miles. I won't forget this one too soon.

That said I set 7 PRs on Strava. All of them uphill. Went downhill like a complete wuss. BnB - on one good climb for the last 1:40 I held ~410w and set a PR by one second after loafing the first half. If I would have known that I would have crushed it early and really set a new mark.

 

[BassNBrew]

Chi-Town Half Marathon Race Report

1:36:30ish, 7:22/mile, 170 avg. HR

Very nicely done. Even brought it home strong the last mile. Bodes well for late season!

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park.

Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

This is just awesome.

anyone ever have any hamstring issues? I've been sidelined for about a week after experiencing some discomfort behind my knee.

Oh yes. In my soccer days did hammy damage a decent bit. The only thing that really helps is rest. Gotta be real careful with them as they are very easy to redo and make worse. Pernicious injury.-----

On my end my Saturday was 10 hours of driving and 5 hours of moving. Nothing fun. Yesterday was supposed to be 60, a bit breezy, but otherwise ok all day long, so joined a 45 mile hill route ride. After 10 miles we had a bit of a sprinkle. Checked the Weather Channel - no storms on the horizon. So off we went into what turned out to be the wild blue yonder. Mile 20 - heavy rain. Mile 25 - heavy rain and 30mph gusts. Temperature drops 10 degrees to 51 or so. Wet and really cold. So awesome. Mile 30 - a freakin' transformer blew right over my head; scared me half to death. I thought lightning had hit right over me. Girls (also idiots out in the weather) 1/4 mile down heard it and asked about it. That thing was loud. And bright. After that the rain stopped but the winds were 25-30 sustained. Tough, tough riding. Cut it a bit short and got back soaked, mud covered, and cold after 38 miles. I won't forget this one too soon.

That said I set 7 PRs on Strava. All of them uphill. Went downhill like a complete wuss. BnB - on one good climb for the last 1:40 I held ~410w and set a PR by one second after loafing the first half. If I would have known that I would have crushed it early and really set a new mark.

Better to leave some pr room in the tank for latter in the season.Saw your post about the new bike. The only way it will help you keep up back with me is if the frame was filled with lead and the brake calipers drag the wheel.

 

[BassNBrew]

No pain in the hip after my pt visit today. I'm so chopping at the bit to put it to the test tonite. I know this won't go well but I'm like a caged animal right now.

 

[Sand]

Better to leave some pr room in the tank for latter in the season.

Saw your post about the new bike. The only way it will help you keep up back with me is if the frame was filled with lead and the brake calipers drag the wheel.

PR tank is full and ready to go. No worries there.New bike, sadly, will have neither lead construction nor misaligned brakes. My current roadie is 26lbs - a veritable brick. So I will be getting and instant 10lb. liposuction when the new one comes in. And it will be just slightly more aero than the one I have (to the tune of 25w at 25mph). This thing may well pedal itself uphill.

 

[BassNBrew]

Better to leave some pr room in the tank for latter in the season.

Saw your post about the new bike. The only way it will help you keep up back with me is if the frame was filled with lead and the brake calipers drag the wheel.

PR tank is full and ready to go. No worries there.New bike, sadly, will have neither lead construction nor misaligned brakes. My current roadie is 26lbs - a veritable brick. So I will be getting and instant 10lb. liposuction when the new one comes in. And it will be just slightly more aero than the one I have (to the tune of 25w at 25mph). This thing may well pedal itself uphill.

Maybe I can attach a tow rope to you.

 

[Sand]

Better to leave some pr room in the tank for latter in the season.

Saw your post about the new bike. The only way it will help you keep up back with me is if the frame was filled with lead and the brake calipers drag the wheel.

PR tank is full and ready to go. No worries there.New bike, sadly, will have neither lead construction nor misaligned brakes. My current roadie is 26lbs - a veritable brick. So I will be getting an instant 10lb. liposuction when the new one comes in. And it will be just slightly more aero than the one I have (to the tune of 25w at 25mph). This thing may well pedal itself uphill.

Maybe I can attach a tow rope to you.

Only if it has a sail attached, as well.

 

[tri-man 47]

BTW, Sand, you'll be interested to know that in looking back at my times & HR data from the first half-marathon last year, I probably left 30-45 seconds on the table by starting at a moderate pace instead of SandingTM the start to some degree like I did a year ago. As I stepped into the starting shoot rather late, I was behind the 1:35 (7:15/mi) pace group and figured I'd go ahead and hang with them ...but they took off at about a 7:30 'warm-up' kind of pace. It was too crowded to break free. The first mile differential alone was 23 seconds. It did me no good to keep the HR under control for the first mile or two.

 

[BassNBrew]

No pain in the hip after my pt visit today. I'm so chopping at the bit to put it to the test tonite. I know this won't go well but I'm like a caged animal right now.

And so it went...Decided to run a hard 5k. 7:20 over the first mile felt like a breeze. Faster than my pace for my last set of intervals. Hip felt great and I felt like I was keeping things in check. 8:08 2nd mile which has a hill at the start which knocked the crispness off the wheels. 3rd mile was was dead into the wind and an 8:01. Hip started barking here. Cruised on in for 24:08, my fastest 5k of the year.Hip is aching but that's not a surprise. I'll run through the exercises I did earlier today and see if that remedies it. Felt great to push the pace for a change.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Juxt - thanks for waiting patiently this morning. It couldn't have been fun hanging around on a cold morning after your disappointing run, but you were gracious about it.

What strikes me is that your HR continued to decrease over the miles you ran (correlated to a slowing of the pace). That tells me the issue was not physical. I have to wonder if the issue is tied to maybe not having a 'plan B.' Something to think about for Boston ...the first goal will be to finish that great event; you might then have a couple of different time goals depending on the weather and how you feel that day. I know you'll be wrestling with the issues over these next three weeks ...but that can be a positive process of self-evaluation, rather than going in with a singular focus on a sub-3:00 or a PR.

prosopis - interesting experience for you at the zombie run! Sorry it wasn't better organized.

--

Race results are posted ...I got 3rd of 30 in the AG.

Jux - Maybe some tough love coming here, but maybe you mentally set yourself up for failure (and I use that word loosely as any or your miles would be a PR for me) last week. I remember several posts about the weather not be favorable for a PR attempt. Next thing I reading that you're starting off at sub-pr pace. Just wondering if you spent more time thinking about not succeeding than accomplishing your goal.That said, you shouldn't be at peak form at this point in your training. You're hitting all you marks in training so don't throw the towel in on Boston goal at this time. See how you feel at taper time and think positive.

This is a really good point. When I did 18/55 last year, I was pretty pessimistic about my chances in the marathon right before my taper. After the taper, I ended up running faster than expected and a little disappointed that I didn't go out harder because I had so much left in the tank at the end. Running a HM PR was probably never a realistic expectation at this point in your Boston training.

 

[Sand]

BTW, Sand, you'll be interested to know that in looking back at my times & HR data from the first half-marathon last year, I probably left 30-45 seconds on the table by starting at a moderate pace instead of SandingTM the start to some degree like I did a year ago.

Seriously - good thing you're doing a number of runs. Nothing like being able to figure these things out.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park. Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

I'm going to have to have my crew keep tabs on you and updating me while I'm running half as far as you!I had 45 minutes to squeeze a run in before taking my daughter to a follow up Dr. appt - she's back to normal physically, in terms of anxiety levels has a ways to go. So I hit a relatively flat fire road near my house for an out and back a little over 4 miles. For some strange reason I felt the need to work off some stress and pushed my HR from my normal 141-151 range up to splits of 161 and 165 in miles 3 and 4, running for a few minutes in that last mile in the 170s. Gotta say it felt good, and literally felt like I was leaving some stress behind. And the achilles felt fine, so I hope to get out and go a bit longer tomorrow. While I desperately need a few good runs in the next 7-10 days to give me some confidence going into the 50M, on some days running isn't about training at all......

 

[beer 302]

While I desperately need a few good runs in the next 7-10 days to give me some confidence going into the 50M, on some days running isn't about training at all......

So true and well said. I know we all run for different reasons and have various causes we all champion. As of late my brother has been on my heart, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer a few months ago and is getting ready to begin treatment. One of my Mom's dying wishes to me was don't forget your brother Mike. He's always been kind of the odd duck in the family but just a great guy. For whatever reason the only luck he's ever had seems to be bad but he's always persevered through it all and managed to make lemonade from lemons. He doesn't have a lot but he's content in his life. I just feel like he's been dealt such a ####ty hand in life and now this, it's almost like a kick in the teeth. He's 67 and the downhill part of his run in life but our family has a history of longevity so I feel like he's still got gas in the tank if he can get through this. I spend a fair amount of my running time talking to the Lord and while I know that's not for everyone it works for me and helps to center me to start my day. Recently it came to me to start running for my brother, not necessarily to raise money or anything but just to add a little purpose to the runs. If any of you follow me on Twitter or Daily Mile or FB you'll notice the occasional Miles 4 Mike reference or #M4M. Now you know the rest of the story

 

[tri-man 47]

BTW, Sand, you'll be interested to know that in looking back at my times & HR data from the first half-marathon last year, I probably left 30-45 seconds on the table by starting at a moderate pace instead of SandingTM the start to some degree like I did a year ago.

Seriously - good thing you're doing a number of runs. Nothing like being able to figure these things out.

To my credit, you know I've figured this out for 5Ks. As to HMs, this was only my fourth time at this distance. Nevertheless ..I won't let it happen again, sir.--

beer - thanks for sharing with us about Mike. M4M -

 

[BassNBrew]

Live Reporting. We will attempt to post live results every 1 to 2 hours through our website. WWW.UMSTEAD100.ORG. We will make every effort to get near live results out but please understand we sometimes have communications coverage issues at our location in the Park. Less than 2 weeks to go for me.

I'm going to have to have my crew keep tabs on you and updating me while I'm running half as far as you!I had 45 minutes to squeeze a run in before taking my daughter to a follow up Dr. appt - she's back to normal physically, in terms of anxiety levels has a ways to go. So I hit a relatively flat fire road near my house for an out and back a little over 4 miles. For some strange reason I felt the need to work off some stress and pushed my HR from my normal 141-151 range up to splits of 161 and 165 in miles 3 and 4, running for a few minutes in that last mile in the 170s. Gotta say it felt good, and literally felt like I was leaving some stress behind. And the achilles felt fine, so I hope to get out and go a bit longer tomorrow. While I desperately need a few good runs in the next 7-10 days to give me some confidence going into the 50M, on some days running isn't about training at all......

Good news on your daughter. Glad you were able to blew off some stress w/o stressing the Achilles.I'm number 137. Appreciate the "sweat", that's a good kind of pressure to carry along with me.