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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (5 Viewers)

Does she definitely know it was tired legs and not a bonk (glycogen depletion)? When you bonk it feels like you just can’t move your legs the same. 
Pretty sure. It was the quads, not her whole legs. She was moving her feet faster and then tried lengthening her stride but the hamstrings started hurting when she did that and was afraid they'd pull so she went back to shorter strides. And she was able to speed up the final bit to get in under 3:50. 

Conversely, pretty sure she hit that wall and bonked in Minocqua. 

 
First, recovery from the race and feel good for reasons described in #2  

Second, the multiplier effect touted here that the subsequent cycles bear the fruit.  For more experience reasons as well as more base and training accumulation reasons.  

As to the J&J cycle, how’d the tempo/goal pace runs go and did she hit them all in that 70%? Was it easy runs dropped. The tempos really tell the tale and if it’s the book plan, the 3 swings at each distance give a lot of time at target pace. Stretching out the long runs longer is also a move some apply.  Since you put a # out there of 70%, that’s 20-30 missed runs over 18 weeks so that has ample volume upside. 
It was mostly the tempo runs that were missed, but she only missed maybe 10 total runs. I know you aren't following her, but a few here are and can attest that she was still doing solid quality. She missed maybe 4 total tempo runs, a couple speed workouts and a couple easy runs. 

When she did her tempos, they were on point.

70% referring to the actual plan workouts, but she got most of the miles in. 

 
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For the first 12 weeks, she stuck to it pretty good. Final 6 weeks were more variable in terms of the actual workouts and the order of them but the miles were mostly accounted for.

 
For the first 12 weeks, she stuck to it pretty good. Final 6 weeks were more variable in terms of the actual workouts and the order of them but the miles were mostly accounted for.
She may have net the prescribed mileage, but it wasnt via SoS. Given the mpw volume i think that's an important takeaway. 

 
Was the Mrs doing much hill or strength work? I know she's busy, so if separate strength workouts aren't possible, I think regular hills and/or adding squats to runs will help. I used to do out and backs with a set of squats at the return point, weighting the legs as the run went on.
Where we live is moderately hilly. Except for long runs and some tempo runs that were run on a flatter area, most miles are around where we live and average 40-50'/mile. It's not insignificant. 

As far as doing specific hill work, no. She did do some wall squats the last few weeks as well.

 
What does she likely need to do to get that final 26.2 at her goal pace?

-- More volume?

-- Leg strengthening training

-- Specific workouts?

-- Not much, it was the course and it'll come soon?

-- Something else?
What did she do in the way of long runs?  I'm a stated fan of getting in a few 20 milers, and specifically going longer than 20.

Beyond that, your second bullet about leg strengthening training seems relevant.  Whether for $49.95, finding some videos, or trial and error, building leg strength should help.

You do live in a generally hilly area.  Does she do any hard hill repeats?  Mostly up, but some down as well?

 
Where we live is moderately hilly. Except for long runs and some tempo runs that were run on a flatter area, most miles are around where we live and average 40-50'/mile. It's not insignificant. 

As far as doing specific hill work, no. She did do some wall squats the last few weeks as well.
Definitely listen to the gang- my marathon training is nil...I was more focused on stronger legs.

I do recommend the squat sets with oabs though- timed to return equi-tempo, either hitting the same out spot (consistent pace) or pushing it farther each time (to increase pace).

I need to he doing these the way my pace has been decreasing on my runs

 
Like everything it depends, there are different paths to getting better and they generally include more work and time. My immediate concern with your wife is the idea of racing two marathons in just over three months. I would have a tough time with that, after my first two marathons I needed a break.

That being said 40-45 mpw is a little light, and I needed more than that for my first BQ.  
Unless you’re @SayWhat? then you run 100 mile races doing 30-35mpw

 
Got a block and a half into my planned bridge/hill-repeats run this am before my Achilles on both legs sent me home. Considered going on to let my legs warm up, but didn't want to risk more pain.

Just did some eccentric heel drops when I got home, but am going to have to figure this out.

 
We've been trying to get through Lisey's Story on Apple. It's definitely trying for "serious" art-TV, with a narrative structure all over the place (editing and chronology jump around) and lots of knock-out visuals, and decent acting...but something's missing and it's a slog. I think we're almost done...hard to tell with the way the timeline bounces around.

 
We've been trying to get through Lisey's Story on Apple. It's definitely trying for "serious" art-TV, with a narrative structure all over the place (editing and chronology jump around) and lots of knock-out visuals, and decent acting...but something's missing and it's a slog. I think we're almost done...hard to tell with the way the timeline bounces around.
In episode 4, Lisey moves to a new AG and does well.  Oh, sorry …spoiler alert.

 
We've been trying to get through Lisey's Story on Apple. It's definitely trying for "serious" art-TV, with a narrative structure all over the place (editing and chronology jump around) and lots of knock-out visuals, and decent acting...but something's missing and it's a slog. I think we're almost done...hard to tell with the way the timeline bounces around.
Yeah, but how's her 5K training going?

 
We've been trying to get through Lisey's Story on Apple. It's definitely trying for "serious" art-TV, with a narrative structure all over the place (editing and chronology jump around) and lots of knock-out visuals, and decent acting...but something's missing and it's a slog. I think we're almost done...hard to tell with the way the timeline bounces around.
She doesn't have a shovel. When you are trying to get through a slog it's all about the proper gear. Duh. 

 
Where we live is moderately hilly. Except for long runs and some tempo runs that were run on a flatter area, most miles are around where we live and average 40-50'/mile. It's not insignificant. 

As far as doing specific hill work, no. She did do some wall squats the last few weeks as well.
While on this subject this will be the first cycle I do this, but my plan is to incorporate hills into my tempos. I've overtly done it for years on MLR's and long runs, but SoS will be new. This has been linked before, but some variation of these workouts (and a few others) is what I intend to do. What specifically just depends on available time and location, but the first and third ones stick out.

Sticking to flat land was smart as she's still relatively new and with such a short period of time between races (and Indy being flat) adding anything like this now would probably be a bad idea - just focus on volume. But if/when she makes it, this is one next level to consider...especially when considering the Boston course.

 
While on this subject this will be the first cycle I do this, but my plan is to incorporate hills into my tempos. I've overtly done it for years on MLR's and long runs, but SoS will be new. This has been linked before, but some variation of these workouts (and a few others) is what I intend to do. What specifically just depends on available time and location, but the first and third ones stick out.

Sticking to flat land was smart as she's still relatively new and with such a short period of time between races (and Indy being flat) adding anything like this now would probably be a bad idea - just focus on volume. But if/when she makes it, this is one next level to consider...especially when considering the Boston course.
I don’t have long hills to run but I thought this part of the article was interesting:

“When marathon record-holder Eliud Kipchoge’s training (or an approximation of some things he may or may not have done, depending on who you ask) was released, the schedule included a steady diet of 3-minute intervals. There is some research that three minutes is a sweet spot for development of critical power. I have seen that it’s just a good place for most athletes to develop speed without having fatigue lead to significant slowing.”

I ran 800s this morning which weren’t quite 3 minutes but the recent experience has me see how 3 minutes could be a sweet spot. I should do such workouts more often.

 
So, it's probably time for an update. This may be long but bear with me. This post has been a long time coming. But I have a lot on my brain and I need to get it out. This is probably the only place I can put this where I know most of you won't judge and will just lend support.

I'm a mess right now and I've known it for a long time - physically and mentally.

Coming off of Carmel in 2019 I was on a high. And then hitting that PR in the half marathon two weeks later was the icing on the cake. Physically and mentally I was on a peak after that second race.  I knew at that time the kind of runner I COULD be, and felt like I had a good sense of how to execute things.

I learned during that cycle a couple of things:

1. I am capable of way more than I give myself credit for

2. Spring races are way better for me in terms of commitment

So my goal going into fall of 2019 was to maintain a solid base and sign up for my normal spring half in 2020. The goal there was to try and break 1:40. Which if I could do that, would possibly help springboard me into a serious long term plan to possibly put myself into position where I could qualify for Boston. That would have been a several year project, but I would have been building toward that. I know with my talent level it would take A LOT of work. It's no secret my mental challenges with running here, but things where starting to come together.

Then of course Covid hit right in the middle of that half training cycle.  I'll never forget the day: I was in Florida on vacation and on a training run and came back and saw the notification in my email. To say the air came out of my sails was an understatement.

The world was shutting down. And I shut down along with it. 

And I haven't been able to shake it. With all the down time during Covid I had a lot of time to think. And sit around. And drink beers with my wife just watching people walk by because that at least seemed normal.  I would run a little bit here and there, and the spring race series with you guys helped a ton. But after that was summer.

And it became easier not to run:

1. there are no races to run anyway

2. it's hot out here

3. sports are starting again - let's have a beer and watch that instead

Summer turned to fall, fall to winter, and on and on until now. The world got back to somewhat of a normal cycle but I did not. I went the other direction. Those beer nights turned into an every day occurence. Usually only 1 or 2 beers with my wife, but weekends turn into day drinking affairs. There was a stretch there where I probably drank something every day for months. 

As a child of an alcoholic, I'm well aware of the danger here. I would run here and there, and get a moment of inspiration to try and break me out of this cycle. But there was always an excuse not to run.

This past year has been tough for me. Not in any kind of financial or marriage kind of way, but all of this downtime has made me question a lot of things. The kind of husband I am, the kind of father, the kind of man I am.  It's like I know the mistakes I have made and am making, but my answer has been to overthink things and go into my shell and just keep quiet.

It's like I know I can't do any damage if I just keep quiet. This comes from my dad and the mental scars I'm carrying from him. o I know where it comes from. I know you guys might be thinking:

"go talk to someone. see a therapist."

But I can't and won't do this. There are some things I'm carrying that have to remain and die with me. That is non-negotiable in any terms. But what I have to figure out is how to get through this. All of it. But I have to take them one at a time.

There are also some physical things I'm working through:

1. Degenerative disk in my neck. This was diagnosed early of 2019 right when I was in the middle of my marathon cycle. I chose to not do anything at that time because it wasn't bothering me much and the running seemed to help keep me loose. But it's gotten much worse. I'm in pain daily. I'm feeling pain in my upper body and down my arms and up into my head at times. So I'm starting the process again on what to do. I'm on a steroid right now to try and simmer things down, and hopefully that can buy me some time. So I have that to deal with. 

2. Overall fatigue and such. I've been having just weird stuff going on. What I feel are heart palpitations, shortness of breath at times, just overall crappy feeling. Now, I know some of this could be tied to drinking too much. But I still am getting this checked out. I'm getting that heart calcium test done and then a consult with a cardiologist. So there's that also.

So I'm a freaking mess right now. But I am also aware of that and know that there are things I can do to control this.

The things I can fix:

1. Quit drinking so much. This one is a no brainer, and I've taken some steps in the last three weeks to address this. I'm not ready to call myself an alcoholic yet, but I know the signs and the technical definitions. I also love having a cold beer with my friends and watch a game. But this will be scaled back A LOT. I've been here before and this is certainly the one thing I can control. Which leads me back to:

2. Running. This has saved me before and it's going to have to do it again. It's the one thing I can point to that gives me a purpose (outside of family of course). It gives me a direction. It gives me a plan. It gives me something to look forward to (the race). I have to get back into this consistently.  I've been trying to get out more and more, if only for 3-4 miles at a time.  My plan as of today is to try and get back to 5 days a week. One of the reasons I like to run at night is it's an easy way to keep me off the booze. After I run I usually just go eat dinner, then hang with the family, and then head to bed. So I need this routine right now.  

The next step is to sign up for a race. I'll be signing up for my normal spring half once they open it up. That race is usually the second week of April. My plan as of today is: just make it to that race. Build up mileage the best you can.

3. The Mental Stuff. For me, simplifying things is always the best thing. I also need things to do. The whole idle hands thing...... So, I've started taking some steps there too. My yard and garden have never looked better.  :lol:   I started the bait company with my son. I started feeding the birds (of course, now I'm in warfare with the squirrels and grackles, but that's another story).  I've been listening to music more. Things that I love and that can keep me occupied mentally. I need to read more - that's the next step. Turn off a meaningless game and read a book. 

Anyway, sorry about the brain dump today. I needed to do this desparately and put this into words so I can be accountable to it. Thanks for always being here guys. You have no idea how much you have all helped me over the years.

I'll never be able to pay that back. 

 
There's a reason @ChiefD is one of my favorite humans.  The hardest step in any race is that first one.  And not just running races.  And you can't ever finish without taking that first step.  I can confidently say you'll be there taking that step and I'm pretty sure I'm not speaking for myself when I say we'll be there for each step you take to those goals.  Well, I need a few more days for a few of those steps, but come Thursday.....

 
Hey @ChiefD, this is going to sound weird, but we have never met but some of your takes on social issues over the years tell me you are a completely good soul.  Plus, who doesn't love a shovel lover?  

You are a good family man (your son's bait company is just another example of this).

I get what you are saying about drinking.  There was a time (25 years ago) where I wondered if I had a drinking problem.  Fortunately, I was able to stop and get it under control.  I don't think I had the same demons as many others, but I recognized a problem and did something about it.  I see you are doing the same thing.  I applaud you.

I have an addictive personality and I'm socially an introvert (in a career that demands me to be outdoing and extroverted way more than I like.)  So running is my outlet. I can run (sometimes way too much) but it helps my mind not go into overdrive.  Running is my therapy.

I share this because many of us have demons which we battle. Sending you a big old guy hug...we are here for you in whatever way we can support.  DM if you ever want to chat.

 
So, it's probably time for an update.
@ChiefD, we've never met, but someday I hope to.  When you post about your family and your life, I see a very level-headed, family-oriented, generous, fair, and thoughtful individual.  Which is what makes me hope to hang out (or run!) with you and get to know you better.

And your post above is consistent with everything I've seen from you before.  Taking responsibility for your life and your actions, and knowing that you just need to execute on your plan.  

You'll always find support from us here.  I know my notebook isn't very good, but are you still moving to MN, and if so, does that present an opportunity to reset your habits toward something you would rather them be?

 
@gianmarco - regarding the Mrs.

1.  She will likely want to get right back at it in her prep for Indy. I can not stress enough that she takes at least 3 weeks to recover fully.  (in some cases, 4 weeks might be better.)  Her legs are trashed.  Next week, she will find herself feeling almost "normal".  But I don't need to tell you that the muscles, tendons, ligaments are all still damaged, healing and weaker.  They are susceptible to injury so nothing but easy runs for a bit.  This is not the time to go nuts prepping for Indy.

2.  I think volume is king.  I agree with @gruecd.  She needs to up that weekly mileage.  There is no easy way here. If I didn't run lots of miles, I wouldn't BQ.  I don't have the natural ability that others in this thread have.  Every BQ for me is a struggle and total commitment to get there.  She is likely like me.  She can get there, but it will take work.

3.  Strength training is crucial.  There are lots of ways to do this.  One example is hill workouts, doing lunges with weights, burpees, etc.  Its something I struggle with to be honest.  The peloton app has been a lifesaver for me to do strength (they have workouts titled "Strength workouts for runners") and stretching.  For $10 a month, it may be a really good investment.  Peloton is so much more than biking.  I have done almost twice as many stretching and strength workouts than I have cycle classes. 

 
@ChiefD I don’t know a lot of things, but I’m fairly certain that at times you’re way too hard on yourself.  You weren’t alone with the idle hands thing and there are far worse things that you could do than having a couple beers a day with the wife.

I am sorry to hear about the pain you’re experiencing in your neck and the general fatigue, hopefully you’ll get that figured out soon.

Remember the things you know about yourself:

1. I am capable of way more than I give myself credit for

2. Spring races are way better for me in terms of commitment
If you desire to drink less, I’m confident that you will. It’s tough to be motivated to run when there aren’t any races on the calendar. I’m hoping you sign up for the Monumental Half, I’d love to meet you in person.

 
all the :wub:  to our gb. I know we can all empathize and sympathize with most of what you're going through. 

you'll do what you need to do- awareness and taking steps to rectify are the hallmarks of the standup dude we've all seen you be here. I'll emphasize what gets me through my own lifelong struggle with depression (not feeling sad at times- but clinically depressed which paralyzes me when I don't fight it, leading to downward immobility and increased depression and paralysis)... any steps are still steps in the right direction- keep moving towards the things you love and make you happy, however incrementally. 

and get yourself properly checked out with solutions for fixign- physically for sure. and I know you said you won't, but mental/emotional checking out is genuinely helpful... whether it's talking to a therapist, priest, shovel guru, whatever- I find it hugely beneficial to get a trained, impartial, outside set of eyes focused on what's going on. my 2c. 

 
@ChiefD I've hinted at this before and someday we should talk more about it. We appear to share a lot in common. Just know that you inspire me to want to be better - and that is in a wide range of ways. Be a better dad, be a better husband, be better at taking care of myself, getting a better shovel collection. Thanks for all you do and sharing as openly as you do. I appreciate you greatly. 

 
Thanks for always being here guys. You have no idea how much you have all helped me over the years.

I'll never be able to pay that back. 
No need to waste any thoughts worrying about this, my friend.  You bring so much to this community and our friendships.  We're blessed to have you here.  You're a great husband, father, and friend.  We can't ask for more than that.  

 
Big fan here, @ChiefD , good luck with everything and we’re here for you. It’s clear walk the walk as a good person and are very hard on yourself. Your mental health and physical health are closely linked but don’t put all your physical eggs in the running basket if your neck is making that miserable currently.  Maybe you’ve tried other stuff but if not, bike/swim/weights/other with a few runs here and there could do wonders for your neck and ramp you back into more running if that’s what you want.  A laser focus on running can turn a good thing into another hurdle. 

If sharing here or with others is the closest you can get to therapy, go with it.  You aren’t alone.  

 Good luck GB. 

 
@ChiefD I'm not super religious, but I've always liked the saying that God never gives us more than we can handle. You're a good dude, and there's no doubt in my mind that you'll come out the other side of this thing feeling strong as ever.

If there's ever anything you need, you know how to reach me. 

 
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@ChiefD, just to add my thoughts to others here, I lurked for a long time before I took the plunge and registered just to post in this thread.  You were one of the first to welcome me here.  I still read way more than I post, and I can't remember reading any post of yours that had any sort of malice in it.  It's folks like you that make this place a breath of fresh air compared to most of the internet.  I'm sure you're focused on your faults (which can be good for self improvement), but don't lose sight of the good that shines through you.

Like you and others I've done a lot of thinking during the pandemic, and there's a lot of different aspects of unfortunateness if you observe other people.  Weddings postponed.  People not being able to visit sick loved ones.  Families spread across countries who can't reunite.  People with health problems terrified of getting deathly ill, and of course all of the families that have lost loved ones.  But I think ruminating on it all, the thing that bothers me most is the way so many have lashed out to blame others.  Depending on your perspective, there's no end to the ways you can point fingers to try to pin a whole crappy year and a half on somebody.  But in the end, we're all just trying to get by, and the vast majority of us are trying our best to be good people and do the right thing.  And, for whatever faults you have or think you have, you get that last bit and it comes through in your posts.  So, for that you deserve some shovels of goodwill your way.

 
anyone want to try the ridiculous core workout program i just started

https://youtu.be/pcYYUU5tIxU

Bring Sally up bring Sally down push up planks with side knees/plank waves just to spice it up.  Day 1 I got through 18 of the 30 before quitting 
After doing this a dozen times it's nowhere near as intimidating as it originally seemed but man is my core feeling stronger. I haven't been eating well and my running has been OK but down from where it was a month ago but I can feel where my six pack will be when I lose the last of this weight.  C

 
This past year has been tough for me
Keep in mind that almost everyone you know probably feels the same in one way or another, and many of us haven't articulated it or even necessarily understand it ourselves.    Most of us took one or more steps backwards during the past 17 months.  Kudos to you for figuring it out and thinking about your plan to get back on track. And thank you for your help as I've gotten into this. 

 
Thanks for posting this - I've been meaning to do more core work, and this seems less like drudgery than regular planks.
I wasn't able to finish my first three tries, but made progress each time. I got to a point where I was able to complete it without collapsing in a puddle of my own sweat, and switched so I use my left (non dominant) hand first.  Made it much more difficult for a while and I had to switch to right first after a few.  Just finished it today and I'm still sweating but not like I was when I first started. 

I've got some yoga with Adriene's that I like for core and will give those a try again soon, lots of boats and boat ups, scissor kicks and similar stuff but with some unique twists that make them more fun.  Will share if you're looking for something different 

 
After reading @ChiefD life update, I realized how amazing it is that we all have a place to share our personal lives with each other. I’ve been somewhat absent from communicating in here for a while, so I’ll spill my life onto you all because I need a place to say this.

I was training for the Jack and Jill just like @gianmarco and @gruecd. About a month ago, my fitness started to tank again. I had some things going on in life and stress started to creep in. I try to live a controlled, stress-free life. I keep things simple and don’t venture out of my comfort zone much. 
 

Along with the stress of training for a marathon in the Florida summer, I took on a new role at work as summer school principal. During this time, my sleep schedule started to change. Here’s where this is going to get really tough, and I’m already crying just writing about it. 
 

My wife and I got our dog Honey about three months after we started dating 15 years ago. She’s been the center of our world ever since. Unlike most people in here and in the real world, we don’t have children. Honey is our daughter. About three to four weeks ago, she was waking up at all hours of the night. She would pace, go to the bathroom, throw up, want food, something that caused either me or my wife to wake up and take care of her.

This really started to weigh on me because it took me out of my comfort zone. Trying to train on little sleep some nights wasn’t ideal. The thought of our trip to Washington looming over us and leaving Honey behind really began to weigh heavily on me. To the point where it consumed my thoughts. Three weeks before the marathon, I finally said out loud what my wife and I were both thinking. Maybe traveling for a run and being away from Honey for three to four days isn’t the best idea. Just saying that out loud and having her confirm that knew it was the right thing to do. 
 

A huge part of me felt awful because of the commitment I made to @gianmarco and @gruecd. I texted Gian to let him know we may not be going.

In the weeks that followed, Honey got progressively worse. She began throwing up every meal. She would only eat certain foods. She was extremely tired and not herself. We finally decided to officially cancel the trip to Washington around 10-14 days before the run. The reasoning behind it was, we’ve been with this little girl every step of the way for 15 years, and we would’ve felt terrible if something happened while we were away. The week of the race and the days leading up, I questioned the decision multiple times throughout each day. It turned out to be the best decision we’ve ever made.

My wife and I tried to do a few mini day trips instead. This way, we could enjoy some much needed vacation and still be close to Honey. Sometime during last Thursday to Saturday, we both got Covid (both vaccinated). It hit me really hard, and I am still pretty sick. Honey also got worse. 
 

Early Monday morning she had some sort of seizure. It was the most awful thing I’ve ever witnessed. We woke up to her screeching at the top of her lungs. She was laying on her side and convulsing, I thought this was the end. I immediately started petting and holding her telling her it was okay. My wife was a mess. This went on for about 30 seconds, and she finally came out of it. Had we went to Washington, we wouldn’t have been there for her when she needed us most.

We called the vet, and she came out on Wednesday and gave us the grim news. Honey was is bad shape and wasn’t going to get better, we should probably think about putting her down. I held it together but was hysterical when she left. I called my wife, and we scheduled it for today at 12:30.

The past two days have had its ups and downs. I’ve cried my eyes out, held her, fed her whatever she’s wanted, carried her back and forth to places, and just told her how much I love her and how much she’s meant to me. 
 

Honey has really changed my life. She is the most special Jack Russell pup in all the land. We have another dog, and he is a typical dog, but Honey is different. She’s like a real person. She’s the reason I am a Vegan. She showed me how special animals truly are. I just empathize with her feelings so much. She has feelings like a person. She gets lonely when my wife or I aren’t there. Which is why I never travel, I always stay back home while my wife is away to comfort Honey. She hates loud noises. She has to be constantly touching one of us at all times. 
 

I know this has turned into a rant without much point, I just feel the need to write about my little Angel. I am going to miss her so much. I have no clue where she is going to go, but I just hope she’s not alone. Thank you all for this amazing place, it truly is special. Please hug and kiss your pets, I know I am going to for the last few hours I have with Honey. 

 
Sorry to hear it gb.  JRTs are amazing animals and you got to spend a long time with an especially good one.  It's always tough when it's over but when you look back you will always be glad you had that time together and it sounds like she lived her best life too.  

 

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