Thursday, July 27, 2006
Passing the "Test"
With the Chicago Distance Classic just three weeks away, last Sunday I planned to run 12.5 miles at as close to an 8 min/mile pace as possible. This was going to be a test run for the race (since an 8 min/mile or better pace qualifies you for a preferred start at Chicago this fall). I also planned to experiment with energy gel during the training run, which I've never done before.
So how accurate was it? Well, on Saturday I ran ~8 miles at the weekly Team in Training group run. I won't be doing that the day before the Distance Classic. The race starts at 6:30 to hopefully avoid the August 13th heat. My Sunday started lazily and I didn't start until 8:00. Not much of a test so far.
However the actual run went really well. The first 6.25 went by in 49:25 (7:55 avg), but then I started to feel the effects of Saturday's run. The next 5 miles took 41:36 (8:18 avg), but then I really pushed the last mile and a quarter to finish in 1:40:15, or an overall pace of just over 8:01 per mile.
I didn't bother with the gel since I didn't want to take the time, so that part of the test failed too. But overall, the lesson is that if I know I'm trying to beat a time goal or have a hard training run coming up, I should take it easy the day before and make sure I'm rested and ready to go when that race or workout arrives.
Now the Distance Classic is just 17 days away. If I can run that pace under those imperfect conditions, then I really think I'll be ready to run fast on race day. If the weather cooperates...
So how accurate was it? Well, on Saturday I ran ~8 miles at the weekly Team in Training group run. I won't be doing that the day before the Distance Classic. The race starts at 6:30 to hopefully avoid the August 13th heat. My Sunday started lazily and I didn't start until 8:00. Not much of a test so far.
However the actual run went really well. The first 6.25 went by in 49:25 (7:55 avg), but then I started to feel the effects of Saturday's run. The next 5 miles took 41:36 (8:18 avg), but then I really pushed the last mile and a quarter to finish in 1:40:15, or an overall pace of just over 8:01 per mile.
I didn't bother with the gel since I didn't want to take the time, so that part of the test failed too. But overall, the lesson is that if I know I'm trying to beat a time goal or have a hard training run coming up, I should take it easy the day before and make sure I'm rested and ready to go when that race or workout arrives.
Now the Distance Classic is just 17 days away. If I can run that pace under those imperfect conditions, then I really think I'll be ready to run fast on race day. If the weather cooperates...
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Donor Motivators
I tell everyone who donates to the Leukemia Society that they are not just funding life-saving cancer research but that they are keeping me motivated to keep going when I'd really rather quit. Yesterday that motivation came through when I most needed it, on the longest and toughest Team-in-Training group workout of the year (so far). The heat and humidity combined for an official heat index of yuck.
The schedule called for 10 miles, and while I made it through the first 6 pretty well I started to fade during mile 7. The path on this part of the run featured trees on one side that managed to block the breeze but couldn't be bothered to get in the way of the sun. The heavy air, the miles of pounding steps, the sun cheerfully torching my face and a nice dry mouth were the perfect opening for a voice in my head.
"Just walk a few steps, it'll feel much better." "You've already written off your goal pace for today, so walking for a minute can't hurt." Not that my pace was unltimately important - nobody was keeping time yesterday. But I thought of those who have donated to LLS to support me, and decided I would do what I had told them I would: let their support carry me through to the end of the run, just when I wanted to stop.
I ended up finishing just a few seconds under 90 minutes, a pace that I would have been ecstatic with just a few months ago. But I'm trying to see what I can really do, and I wanted to thank everyone, though you didn't know it, for encouraging me and pushing me to keep going.
The schedule called for 10 miles, and while I made it through the first 6 pretty well I started to fade during mile 7. The path on this part of the run featured trees on one side that managed to block the breeze but couldn't be bothered to get in the way of the sun. The heavy air, the miles of pounding steps, the sun cheerfully torching my face and a nice dry mouth were the perfect opening for a voice in my head.
"Just walk a few steps, it'll feel much better." "You've already written off your goal pace for today, so walking for a minute can't hurt." Not that my pace was unltimately important - nobody was keeping time yesterday. But I thought of those who have donated to LLS to support me, and decided I would do what I had told them I would: let their support carry me through to the end of the run, just when I wanted to stop.
I ended up finishing just a few seconds under 90 minutes, a pace that I would have been ecstatic with just a few months ago. But I'm trying to see what I can really do, and I wanted to thank everyone, though you didn't know it, for encouraging me and pushing me to keep going.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Slow and Steady... Gets a PR?
Well, maybe not quite a personal record, but improvement regardless. Here's what happened. Last Saturday at the weekly Team in Training workout I ran pretty hard with two other Teammates, and averaged just over 8 minutes/mile for the 8-mile distance. Pretty good. Then Tuesday a step back: Though Tuesday is a shorter run, it was my first day with new shoes, plus I started out hard, and soon had to slow due to complaining leg muscles. Not fun at all.
So Wednesdy the schedule called for 6 miles. To get through that without lots of calf and whatever-runs-up-the-outside-of-your-shin pain I decided to take it slow and steady, and pay attention to how I felt rather than my mile split times. My breathing was much better than Tuesday, my footsteps were much less "stompy" and I had virtually no muscle pain.
Since I wasn't obsessively checking my watch each lap I didn't push at the end to beat a time goal, but once I finished I was happy that not only had I run pretty well - about 8:12/mile - but felt pretty good afterwards instead of being exhausted. So while my run wasn't quite a personal best for the distance, it was close enough, and I felt good enough, that the slow and steady run was a success.
So Wednesdy the schedule called for 6 miles. To get through that without lots of calf and whatever-runs-up-the-outside-of-your-shin pain I decided to take it slow and steady, and pay attention to how I felt rather than my mile split times. My breathing was much better than Tuesday, my footsteps were much less "stompy" and I had virtually no muscle pain.
Since I wasn't obsessively checking my watch each lap I didn't push at the end to beat a time goal, but once I finished I was happy that not only had I run pretty well - about 8:12/mile - but felt pretty good afterwards instead of being exhausted. So while my run wasn't quite a personal best for the distance, it was close enough, and I felt good enough, that the slow and steady run was a success.
