Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)

[Ned]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Good luck, gruecd. Any updated timeline on your surgery? Still later in the year?

 

[ChiefD]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

 

[Juxtatarot]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

 

[Juxtatarot]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

 

[Hang 10]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

 

[Hang 10]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

I haven't. I was doing some 600's on Tuesday and got up as high as 189 but haven't really tried to test it yet. I'm thinking somewhere in the low 190's.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I'm new to this heart rate data and I guess it's easy to assume everyone's max is close to the same, when that's obviously not the case.

 

[Ned]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

I haven't. I was doing some 600's on Tuesday and got up as high as 189 but haven't really tried to test it yet. I'm thinking somewhere in the low 190's.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I'm new to this heart rate data and I guess it's easy to assume everyone's max is close to the same, when that's obviously not the case.

Yup, #1 rule with HR.... don't blindly compare to other's numbers without knowing eachother's maxes.

I'm a 196 max, so my HR on tempo runs hovers around the 175 mark; I won't let it go past 178.

Just keep running with it as you normally have been running and log the data. You'll see some trends form. Definitely wear it on your upcoming 5K - I'll bet you get very close to your mHR at the end of the race.

 

[Ned]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

Yeah, something's definitely screwed up. A 187 max shouldn't perceive a 182HR as a '5' effort. That's more like an 8.5.

 

[Hang 10]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

I haven't. I was doing some 600's on Tuesday and got up as high as 189 but haven't really tried to test it yet. I'm thinking somewhere in the low 190's.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I'm new to this heart rate data and I guess it's easy to assume everyone's max is close to the same, when that's obviously not the case.

Yup, #1 rule with HR.... don't blindly compare to other's numbers without knowing eachother's maxes.

I'm a 196 max, so my HR on tempo runs hovers around the 175 mark; I won't let it go past 178.

Just keep running with it as you normally have been running and log the data. You'll see some trends form. Definitely wear it on your upcoming 5K - I'll bet you get very close to your mHR at the end of the race.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Just kinda seeing where the data goes and not really dictate how I actually feel. Though I didn't wear it for my half because I was afraid it would just give me one more thing to think about.

As for the 5K, I will wear it but just heard some devastating news....it's not timed. Though, it's still a race because they give out awards for the top 3 males and females. I may just go out hard and if I'm not in the top 3, just dial it back and just use the race as a workout.

 

[Ned]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

I haven't. I was doing some 600's on Tuesday and got up as high as 189 but haven't really tried to test it yet. I'm thinking somewhere in the low 190's.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I'm new to this heart rate data and I guess it's easy to assume everyone's max is close to the same, when that's obviously not the case.

Yup, #1 rule with HR.... don't blindly compare to other's numbers without knowing eachother's maxes.

I'm a 196 max, so my HR on tempo runs hovers around the 175 mark; I won't let it go past 178.

Just keep running with it as you normally have been running and log the data. You'll see some trends form. Definitely wear it on your upcoming 5K - I'll bet you get very close to your mHR at the end of the race.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Just kinda seeing where the data goes and not really dictate how I actually feel. Though I didn't wear it for my half because I was afraid it would just give me one more thing to think about.

As for the 5K, I will wear it but just heard some devastating news....it's not timed. Though, it's still a race because they give out awards for the top 3 males and females. I may just go out hard and if I'm not in the top 3, just dial it back and just use the race as a workout.

No wonder they're giving away free entries.

 

[Hang 10]

Last night I ran my last tempo-ish run before our half marathon a week from Sunday. Windy and rainy so I used the treadmill. After 2 warm up, did 6 @ half marathon PR pace (6:39). Heart rate creeped up to 166 by the last mile. Perceived effort was about a 7 the last few miles which isn't a good sign.

166 doesn't seem all that high for a half marathon pace. When I did my pace runs before my half was mid to high 170's and in the end I basically raced at that pace the entire race. That's a reason I'm glad I didn't get a heart rate monitor sooner than I did. I feel like it would always tell me I'm running too fast and that would have held me back.

Have you figured out your max yet?

I have a lower max than most of the runners here -- probably about 182. 166 is 91% of my max. I know from other races that I'm pretty much toast if it gets up to 170. I can handle that for a shorter race like a 5K but not for the longer ones.

I haven't. I was doing some 600's on Tuesday and got up as high as 189 but haven't really tried to test it yet. I'm thinking somewhere in the low 190's.

Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. I'm new to this heart rate data and I guess it's easy to assume everyone's max is close to the same, when that's obviously not the case.

Yup, #1 rule with HR.... don't blindly compare to other's numbers without knowing eachother's maxes.

I'm a 196 max, so my HR on tempo runs hovers around the 175 mark; I won't let it go past 178.

Just keep running with it as you normally have been running and log the data. You'll see some trends form. Definitely wear it on your upcoming 5K - I'll bet you get very close to your mHR at the end of the race.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Just kinda seeing where the data goes and not really dictate how I actually feel. Though I didn't wear it for my half because I was afraid it would just give me one more thing to think about.

As for the 5K, I will wear it but just heard some devastating news....it's not timed. Though, it's still a race because they give out awards for the top 3 males and females. I may just go out hard and if I'm not in the top 3, just dial it back and just use the race as a workout.

No wonder they're giving away free entries.

Exactly.

 

[ChiefD]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

Yeah, something's definitely screwed up. A 187 max shouldn't perceive a 182HR as a '5' effort. That's more like an 8.5.

I'm about ready to throw the heart monitor away. It sure is taking the fun out of running, because at this point I have no idea if what I'm doing is right, wrong, not working right, am I articulating this stuff correctly to you guys, am I really running as hard as I thought I was....shiiiitttt.....who knows?

 

[Ned]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

Yeah, something's definitely screwed up. A 187 max shouldn't perceive a 182HR as a '5' effort. That's more like an 8.5.

I'm about ready to throw the heart monitor away. It sure is taking the fun out of running, because at this point I have no idea if what I'm doing is right, wrong, not working right, am I articulating this stuff correctly to you guys, am I really running as hard as I thought I was....shiiiitttt.....who knows?

It's really simple, but if the data you're getting is a mess it's going to do absolutely nothing for you.

Its not the monitor, its the phone (most likely).

 

[ChiefD]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

Yeah, something's definitely screwed up. A 187 max shouldn't perceive a 182HR as a '5' effort. That's more like an 8.5.

I'm about ready to throw the heart monitor away. It sure is taking the fun out of running, because at this point I have no idea if what I'm doing is right, wrong, not working right, am I articulating this stuff correctly to you guys, am I really running as hard as I thought I was....shiiiitttt.....who knows?

It's really simple, but if the data you're getting is a mess it's going to do absolutely nothing for you.

Its not the monitor, its the phone (most likely).

That's the frustrating part. I have used the MapMyRun app since I started running, and I know the pace portion is accurate because I have checked it against my race chip times and it's been dead on.

I bought the heart monitor that goes with it, and it seemingly tracks the heart rate using bluetooth while I'm running. I guess the only way to be sure is to buy a different one. Just can't afford to right now.

 

[Ned]

When in doubt, go back to basics.... Tempo runs (15K-HMP) should have that comfortably uncomfortable feel to them (grue's TM).

 

[Sand]

The 2 Pace runs on 3/8 and 3/11 are telling me you're body may not be ready for those paces, but I still suspect you're a bit over-trained. For HM pace, you should be training at your LT range. For a 187 mHR, you should be in the mid to high 160s. 174 & 178 are in the ranges of a 196ish mHR runner.

The 15K at 8:44/168 concerns me too. Yesterday I started typing out advice a couple times but stopped because I wasn't sure I could give good advice with 3 weeks left.

I guess if I were Chief I'd completely rest for two or three days than retry a run something like, 2 warm-up miles, 5 @ HMP or under and then a cool down. Even if he doesn't realize it, maybe fatigue is affecting him. A run like that after rest might give him a better idea where he's really at and whether his goal pace is realistic.

Well, I fully intended to run this today, but had to make a few adjustments on the fly. I rested the last 3 days, so I was ready to run. Obstacle #1 was my neighbor wanting to run. She has a 1/2 a week after mine, but has done little training. She wanted to do a slow 3, so I decided to just use this as my warm up and then drop her off and keep going. My heart rate was around 152 for the first 3 miles: pace was around 9:20.

At mile three I started going and did a little under 3 miles at a faster pace. Average pace was 7:41: heart rate was right about 180 through this entire stretch. Complicating things was it was REALLY windy here today, so for the last 1.5 miles I was running into about a 20 MPH wind. So I was working pretty hard there.

Then finished with a mile cool down. My pace here was 9:10ish, with a HR around 170 and dropping as I finished.

Overall I felt good. I know I have a lot of work to do from a HR standpoint, but I only have 2 months of that type of training under my belt.

Need to see real numbers not just what you saw at a given time when glancing at your watch. What watch are you using? Hopefully its giving you avg HR per split (mile?)...

Specifically, need to know your avg HR for those 3miles @ 7:41. If it was really 'about 180', you went way too fast or your mHR test of 187 was way off. On a scale of 1-10, how hard were those 3 miles? 1 being a walk in the park, 10 being puke your guts out.

I use an app through my phone that's tied to my heart monitor, so I looked at the data after the fact. So with the first 3 miles being my warm up:

Mile 4: 7:35 pace. HR = 180

Mile 5: 7:40 pace. HR = 182

Mile 6: 7:50 pace. HR = 180

On a scale of 1-10, probably the first 2 miles were about a 5: the last mile was about a 9. But that was also the portion where I was running dead into the wind also.

I wonder if the HR data you're getting isn't accurate. This doesn't make any sense. IIRC you got similar HR numbers when you tried to find your max a month or two ago. Now you're getting that reading on miles with a perceived effort of a 5?

Yeah, something's definitely screwed up. A 187 max shouldn't perceive a 182HR as a '5' effort. That's more like an 8.5.

I'm about ready to throw the heart monitor away. It sure is taking the fun out of running, because at this point I have no idea if what I'm doing is right, wrong, not working right, am I articulating this stuff correctly to you guys, am I really running as hard as I thought I was....shiiiitttt.....who knows?

It's really simple, but if the data you're getting is a mess it's going to do absolutely nothing for you.

Its not the monitor, its the phone (most likely).

Speaking of HR straps, I am so ready to ditch mine. Hate the darn thing - really makes me feel constricted while running. I have this on preorder - can't wait.

 

[gruecd]

Good luck, gruecd. Any updated timeline on your surgery? Still later in the year?

So that's the funny part. I'm not even sure I need surgery anymore.

I definitely have a torn labrum in my hip. But they did a diagnostic injection, and now my doc thinks that the tear is asymptomatic and that something else is causing my groin pain. So I'm seeing another specialist on 4/10 to rule out a sports hernia, but I don't think it's that, either. Honestly, I think it's just a really severe, chronic soft tissue injury. I just wanna make it through Boston without making it worse, and then I can spend a couple of months biking and doing other stuff so that it hopefully gets better.

 

[gruecd]

When in doubt, go back to basics.... Tempo runs (15K-HMP) should have that comfortably uncomfortable feel to them (grue's TM).

 

[tri-man 47]

Good luck, gruecd. Any updated timeline on your surgery? Still later in the year?

So that's the funny part. I'm not even sure I need surgery anymore.

I definitely have a torn labrum in my hip. But they did a diagnostic injection, and now my doc thinks that the tear is asymptomatic and that something else is causing my groin pain. So I'm seeing another specialist on 4/10 to rule out a sports hernia, but I don't think it's that, either. Honestly, I think it's just a really severe, chronic soft tissue injury. I just wanna make it through Boston without making it worse, and then I can spend a couple of months biking and doing other stuff developing a softer forefoot strike so that it hopefully gets better.

Fixed.

Juxt - funny, but I saw your HR numbers and thought 'someone's going to say that's too low.' I know your max is lower than the rest of the gang!

Chief - if the HR stuff is frustrating, I'd suggest just running how you want to run ...but accumulate the data. Once you have data for different distances and different paces, you should be able to piece it together and see some patterns. Don't let it influence you right now. Get the data, and see if it's meaningful.

I slipped in some more speed work yesterday afternoon (I've been fighting a bad chest cold all week and grabbing extra sleep in the morning). More surprises: I did 4 x 400m and ran them at :85 (5:40 pace). They hurt like hell, but it's good to see those times. I'll add a tempo run this weekend to see where my general pacing is at.

 

[Sand]

Good luck, gruecd. Any updated timeline on your surgery? Still later in the year?

So that's the funny part. I'm not even sure I need surgery anymore.

I definitely have a torn labrum in my hip. But they did a diagnostic injection, and now my doc thinks that the tear is asymptomatic and that something else is causing my groin pain. So I'm seeing another specialist on 4/10 to rule out a sports hernia, but I don't think it's that, either. Honestly, I think it's just a really severe, chronic soft tissue injury. I just wanna make it through Boston without making it worse, and then I can spend a couple of months biking and doing other stuff developing a softer forefoot strike so that it hopefully gets better.

Fixed.

Fixed.

Chief - if the HR stuff is frustrating, I'd suggest just running how you want to run ...but accumulate the data. Once you have data for different distances and different paces, you should be able to piece it together and see some patterns. Don't let it influence you right now. Get the data, and see if it's meaningful.

As much of a data whore as I am I don't really look at that kind of data until afterwards. Unless I am about to gag and fall over and then I just give my watch a confirmatory look to see that I am trying to be a hummingbird (and failing).

 

[beer 302]

Took a runcation day. Work has been nuts the last few weeks and I just needed to not be there today. Hit the trails at sunrise and got in a solid 18 before I called it quits. Trails kicked my ### today, been off of them too long. If I get 6 in tomorrow I hit 50 for the week. 1st time in a long time I've managed that distance.

Good to hear from you grue, hoping you enjoy Boston. I'm getting geeked up for it just from all the folks I know running it.

 

[MAC_32]

Talks about it with my wife today, I want to do something special boston marathon day, don't know what, but something. We are all one big dysfunctional family and there are days last years event creeps into my head and I get weepy feeling like part of my family was taken away last year. Anyone heard of anything being done that day? Other than, you know, running 26.2 miles.

 

[Hang 10]

Bailed on the 5k this morning as my daughter was puking all night and my wife has been sick as a dog the past two days. So this morning, I got up with the baby and once I put her back down for a nap I decided to go out for a bit of a speed trial.

Warmed up with about a mile and a half and then it was 2 miles hard and then a mile and a half cool down.

Mile 1- 5:59 (190)

Mile 2- 6:15 (197)

Looks like I'm not ready to go sub 19 yet but I don't think I'm that far off either. Pretty sure that 197 heart rate is my max as well... So I got some good data today at least.

 

[Sand]

Took a runcation day. Work has been nuts the last few weeks and I just needed to not be there today. Hit the trails at sunrise and got in a solid 18 before I called it quits. Trails kicked my ### today, been off of them too long. If I get 6 in tomorrow I hit 50 for the week. 1st time in a long time I've managed that distance.

Good to hear from you grue, hoping you enjoy Boston. I'm getting geeked up for it just from all the folks I know running it.

My trails here are a muddy mess. And will be much worse since they decided that the 24hr bike race there will go on as planned.

Sucks.

 

[pizzatyme]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

 

[ChiefD]

Ok, this 300 dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

Nice job.

 

[tri-man 47]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

Fantastic! I know I speak for all these nuts in saying we're thrilled hear of your great progress and that you came out of the run healthy.

What you could try is to run 8 or 9 next weekend (4/5), 10-12 after that (4/12), then drop back to 8-9 again (4/19) before tapering for the race on the 3rd. Take a day or two after the long runs to rest/stretch. For the shorter mid-week runs, which won't feel so long now, accelerate the pace for short periods ...focus on a nice stride (a little quicker, or with a smooth cycle). The race environment will 'give' you the extra couple of miles due to the crowds or having other runners to stick with. Exciting stuff!

 

[chauncey]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

Awesome! Great to see another beginner in here. Best advice I could give is don't increase your long run more than a mile or few each week depending on your time frame, and don't worry about pace at all on the long run. Slow and steady keeps you healthy on those. Also, invest in some glide for those longer runs, when I first started and had some extra cushion in the thigh area it was a disaster on anything over 6mi without the lube. Now the thigh/scrote area is good without the glide but I did chafe my left nip this past sunday in a half, so you may want to butter up the nips too.

And congrats on doing the Indy race, as some of the others in here have mentioned this week it is on the Half Marathon Bucket List for most. It will be a memorable day for you and Mrs PT.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

Nice!!! That event is in my top 5 favorites and the best organized of all the events I've done. My advice is to go in to it with two goals; finish and have fun. Bands and other music every 1/4 mile makes the run go by quick. And, take a camera. I ran with my wife there and we have some great photos, including pics of each of us kissing the bricks on the 500 track.

 

[Sand]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

Chess ability and running ability are inversely related. So just become exponentially worse at chess :cough:atthenextourney:cough:.

 

[FUBAR]

Taking the weekend off from training with a cold and the wife is out of town. So Monday, thinking I'll get my real bike max heart rate.

 

[beer 302]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

My advice? Keep moving forward ;-)Oh, and do whatever they tell you in this thread regardless of how stupid it may sound, they're pretty smart.

 

[Ned]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

kick ###! These stories never get old. Biggest thing is to play it conservatively. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. Tri's advice is right on the money.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Included two 13.1 mile runs in training this week. Half marathon 15 days away. 1:41 on Tuesday and 1:37 today. Looking back at training, I noticed I ran a 1:35 a week before setting my HM PR last fall so I think I'll try to beat that next weekend. I'll try a long tempo next week too. Probably not "by the book" training, but I think it will help my confidence.

1:34:03 today. Average heart rate 152. Almost perfect weather today. 50 degrees and not too windy. Effort was right on the border between comfortable and uncomfortable which is probably a good description of being in "no man's land" but whatever...I feel ready for next weekend.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Ok, this 300lb dude just put in 8 miles in 2:20 and in happy to say no shin splints this time!

I know it's laughable compared to you studs, but to think 5 weeks ago I was dying at a mile, I've come a long way.

Tips, tricks, and suggestions appreciated as the SO and I are doing the Mini Marathon here in Indy May 3rd.

kick ###! These stories never get old. Biggest thing is to play it conservatively. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. Tri's advice is right on the money.

+1. Great job, pizzatyme. I'm looking forward to seeing how your race goes.

 

[Hang 10]

Included two 13.1 mile runs in training this week. Half marathon 15 days away. 1:41 on Tuesday and 1:37 today. Looking back at training, I noticed I ran a 1:35 a week before setting my HM PR last fall so I think I'll try to beat that next weekend. I'll try a long tempo next week too. Probably not "by the book" training, but I think it will help my confidence.

1:34:03 today. Average heart rate 152. Almost perfect weather today. 50 degrees and not too windy. Effort was right on the border between comfortable and uncomfortable which is probably a good description of being in "no man's land" but whatever...I feel ready for next weekend.

Nice work! That's a beastly training run. You shooting for 1:25?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Gorgeous day for my 15-miler today -- about 45 when I started and 55 when I finished. It seemed like the whole freaking town was out running. Pretty sure I encountered more runners today than I did in all of February combined. It also felt nice to do a long run in shorts and a t-shirt, without the burden of 27 layers of various cold-weather gear.

My first race of the season is a 5K this Saturday. Last year the field was super-slow with lots of families (my first time in this event -- just checked the results online), so depending on who signs up, I may have a shot at an AG award. Regardless, this is mainly just a tune-up and I'm not doing anything special to prepare for it. It's just taking the place of what would normally have been a long tempo run.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Included two 13.1 mile runs in training this week. Half marathon 15 days away. 1:41 on Tuesday and 1:37 today. Looking back at training, I noticed I ran a 1:35 a week before setting my HM PR last fall so I think I'll try to beat that next weekend. I'll try a long tempo next week too. Probably not "by the book" training, but I think it will help my confidence.

1:34:03 today. Average heart rate 152. Almost perfect weather today. 50 degrees and not too windy. Effort was right on the border between comfortable and uncomfortable which is probably a good description of being in "no man's land" but whatever...I feel ready for next weekend.

Nice work! That's a beastly training run. You shooting for 1:25?

Ahhh...no.

I probably have no business shooting for a PR but I probably will start out at that pace because I have trouble doing otherwise. In the end, I'll be happy just to beat you.

 

[Hang 10]

Included two 13.1 mile runs in training this week. Half marathon 15 days away. 1:41 on Tuesday and 1:37 today. Looking back at training, I noticed I ran a 1:35 a week before setting my HM PR last fall so I think I'll try to beat that next weekend. I'll try a long tempo next week too. Probably not "by the book" training, but I think it will help my confidence.

1:34:03 today. Average heart rate 152. Almost perfect weather today. 50 degrees and not too windy. Effort was right on the border between comfortable and uncomfortable which is probably a good description of being in "no man's land" but whatever...I feel ready for next weekend.

Nice work! That's a beastly training run. You shooting for 1:25?

Ahhh...no.

I probably have no business shooting for a PR but I probably will start out at that pace because I have trouble doing otherwise. In the end, I'll be happy just to beat you.

Ha... *******.

 

[tri-man 47]

Gorgeous day for my 15-miler today -- about 45 when I started and 55 when I finished. It seemed like the whole freaking town was out running. Pretty sure I encountered more runners today than I did in all of February combined. It also felt nice to do a long run in shorts and a t-shirt, without the burden of 27 layers of various cold-weather gear.

My first race of the season is a 5K this Saturday. Last year the field was super-slow with lots of families (my first time in this event -- just checked the results online), so depending on who signs up, I may have a shot at an AG award. Regardless, this is mainly just a tune-up and I'm not doing anything special to prepare for it. It's just taking the place of what would normally have been a long tempo run.

Nice! Did the school visit go OK?

 

[Annyong]

Holy crap it was beautiful out here in the Chicago burbs today. Nothing like the first long run of the year when you aren't freezing your penis off.

 

[pizzatyme]

That would be a downer.

 

[wilked]

21 miler Sat, will be the longest run before Boston. It was a big Charity run, all charity runners out there as well... we ran the course to the top of Heartbreak. I ran it 0:30 slower (pace) than my Boston last year, started getting heavy legs toward the end, but overall did ok.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Ran my 2nd half marathon a week ago in Oakland. While it was fun, I was bummed with my performance. Was on pace to hit a 2:03 finish through about 7 1/2 miles, but then had major leg fatigue in miles 7.5-11. Finished strong at the end, but it was too late to hit my time.

Any advice from the grizzled veterans? Seems like I need to build leg strength and endurance.....possibly just stick to more rigorous training. Appreciate any and all suggestions.

 

[beer 302]

Included two 13.1 mile runs in training this week. Half marathon 15 days away. 1:41 on Tuesday and 1:37 today. Looking back at training, I noticed I ran a 1:35 a week before setting my HM PR last fall so I think I'll try to beat that next weekend. I'll try a long tempo next week too. Probably not "by the book" training, but I think it will help my confidence.

1:34:03 today. Average heart rate 152. Almost perfect weather today. 50 degrees and not too windy. Effort was right on the border between comfortable and uncomfortable which is probably a good description of being in "no man's land" but whatever...I feel ready for next weekend.

Nice work! That's a beastly training run. You shooting for 1:25?

Ahhh...no.

I probably have no business shooting for a PR but I probably will start out at that pace because I have trouble doing otherwise. In the end, I'll be happy just to beat you.

Ha... *******.

Annnnd it's ON!

Ran my 2nd half marathon a week ago in Oakland. While it was fun, I was bummed with my performance. Was on pace to hit a 2:03 finish through about 7 1/2 miles, but then had major leg fatigue in miles 7.5-11. Finished strong at the end, but it was too late to hit my time.

Any advice from the grizzled veterans? Seems like I need to build leg strength and endurance.....possibly just stick to more rigorous training. Appreciate any and all suggestions.

Run more, farther

That's as gray an answer as it can be but at the end of all the advice it will boil down to that simple answer. In order to build up leg strength you need to put in more miles although I don't know what your training schedule is so if you could post that it would help. Also depends a lot on the course, if it's hilly then you obviously need to train on hills to be prepared for that. If it's flat then just run Forest, run. There are much more qualified folks in here that can provide better answers.

 

[Sand]

Ran my 2nd half marathon a week ago in Oakland. While it was fun, I was bummed with my performance. Was on pace to hit a 2:03 finish through about 7 1/2 miles, but then had major leg fatigue in miles 7.5-11. Finished strong at the end, but it was too late to hit my time.

Any advice from the grizzled veterans? Seems like I need to build leg strength and endurance.....possibly just stick to more rigorous training. Appreciate any and all suggestions.

I'd say just more long runs or longer long runs. What did your long runs look like before this half? I felt the best in a HM where I had done a few 14-15 milers and a 16 to top it off. It really seemed to help down the stretch.

 

[Ned]

Ran my 2nd half marathon a week ago in Oakland. While it was fun, I was bummed with my performance. Was on pace to hit a 2:03 finish through about 7 1/2 miles, but then had major leg fatigue in miles 7.5-11. Finished strong at the end, but it was too late to hit my time.

Any advice from the grizzled veterans? Seems like I need to build leg strength and endurance.....possibly just stick to more rigorous training. Appreciate any and all suggestions.

Volume is king. Lots of long slow runs are going to be best bang for the buck. Just don't add too much too soon; +10% weekly increases is the general consensus.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Gorgeous day for my 15-miler today -- about 45 when I started and 55 when I finished. It seemed like the whole freaking town was out running. Pretty sure I encountered more runners today than I did in all of February combined. It also felt nice to do a long run in shorts and a t-shirt, without the burden of 27 layers of various cold-weather gear.

My first race of the season is a 5K this Saturday. Last year the field was super-slow with lots of families (my first time in this event -- just checked the results online), so depending on who signs up, I may have a shot at an AG award. Regardless, this is mainly just a tune-up and I'm not doing anything special to prepare for it. It's just taking the place of what would normally have been a long tempo run.

Nice! Did the school visit go OK?

Yep. The review team's preliminary report contained nothing that we didn't expect, and they highlighted a few areas that upper administration needed to hear. (We've been telling them some of this stuff for years, but they don't listen when it's their own department-level leadership -- the message carries more weight when it's delivered by outsiders from peer institutions).