Ran the same route I did yesterday, only the opposite direction.
Crazy first mile, with HR peaking at 175. Which I'm pretty sure is a HRM issue, not a heart issue. :) Especially since it hammered back down to low 140s. Average HR could probably be a little lower if not for that. Next highest max was 164.
THIS is what running with tired legs feels like. Only times my legs felt this tired last cycle were if I did a good solid workout after the Saturday run.
Despite tired legs, last two miles were accelerating: 8:43 @ 154 (mostly downhill), 9:02/mile @ 155 (mostly flat) Oops.
To me this confirms what I thought last cycle, which is that I run better after two days in a row. I'm pretty dang happy with 10 seconds difference on two back to back days at a lower HR. :) I went back and looked... On Sat/Sun pairs, the second run is as good or better pace wise, and HR wise as well.
Mild stiffness and soreness after the run during the day, but nothing significant.
I'll add the tempo run this week and a bit more mileage on the weekend, then we'll see when I take a down week to make sure I don't cause myself any problems. May also start adding the gym back in this week.
11.14 miles in 1:43:19 (9:16/mile) @ 150 bpm avg.
Monday, August 31, 2009
8/29 Medium Long Run
Slept in a little since it was the weekend and a short 'long' run. Go out the door and on the road by 7:15. Cloudy and just under 60. Very comfortable for a run. Took me an extra couple of minutes to get kitted out since I had put all my long run stuff away after RnR Seattle. So there was a lot of: Oh yeah, fuel belt. Oh yeah, ziploc bag of TP. Etc...
The plan was to get out for 10. I need to start building mileage for Seattle, since the Octoberfest Half in a month might be a stretch, and I'm 4 weeks behind the power curve.
I was at 47 miles at this point for RnR Seattle, and the week looked like: 6,8,6,9,18. I did 6,6,6, this run, and whatever I do Sunday this week. I feel like I'm behind, anyway.
This means to me that I need to make this cycle about quality and intensity, not base building. It's time to step it up and see how training to pace, not HR, works for me. I'm going to target my runs using McMillan's pace recommendations, and try to build to doing the commonly recommended tempo and speed workouts as well. So the goal for this run was between 9:04/mile and 10:04/mile. (From LU10K results)
Still undecided about speed work. 400s? 800s? Longer? More research required. :)
As usual, just the fuel belt with water, but no breakfast and no on run fuel. No problems at all.
Ran the 12 mile course through Mill Creek, and intended to turn at 148th since I thought the mileage would work out. When I hit 148th basic math skills weren't working so I just went up to Seattle Hill Road and came down that way. Just a mile longer, so no problem.
I will say that this route is much more difficult when you are running to keep a pace, not by HR, where you can just slow down when you hit the hills. And this route has some decent hills. Once I found a mapping app that mapped the run properly, and had the start and end points at the smae altitude, (MapMyRun was the final choice), i discovered that the course has, in 11 miles, roughly the same elevation gain as the Seattle marathon course. Cool.
Switched Pandora on the iPhone to Heavy Metal from Industrial, which I normally run long with, and it came through for me this run. Good tunes overall, lots of 80s and 90s stuff, and a Metallica I don't think I'd ever heard before; Whiskey in the Jar (a cover of an Irish drinking song). Put a smile on my face while that was on. Lots of friendly runners and riders out today
I need to think about/see if I can set Garmin up to have HR and current pace on the same screen
11.16 miles in 1:43:09 (9:14/mile) @ 152 bpm avg.
The plan was to get out for 10. I need to start building mileage for Seattle, since the Octoberfest Half in a month might be a stretch, and I'm 4 weeks behind the power curve.
I was at 47 miles at this point for RnR Seattle, and the week looked like: 6,8,6,9,18. I did 6,6,6, this run, and whatever I do Sunday this week. I feel like I'm behind, anyway.
This means to me that I need to make this cycle about quality and intensity, not base building. It's time to step it up and see how training to pace, not HR, works for me. I'm going to target my runs using McMillan's pace recommendations, and try to build to doing the commonly recommended tempo and speed workouts as well. So the goal for this run was between 9:04/mile and 10:04/mile. (From LU10K results)
Still undecided about speed work. 400s? 800s? Longer? More research required. :)
As usual, just the fuel belt with water, but no breakfast and no on run fuel. No problems at all.
Ran the 12 mile course through Mill Creek, and intended to turn at 148th since I thought the mileage would work out. When I hit 148th basic math skills weren't working so I just went up to Seattle Hill Road and came down that way. Just a mile longer, so no problem.
I will say that this route is much more difficult when you are running to keep a pace, not by HR, where you can just slow down when you hit the hills. And this route has some decent hills. Once I found a mapping app that mapped the run properly, and had the start and end points at the smae altitude, (MapMyRun was the final choice), i discovered that the course has, in 11 miles, roughly the same elevation gain as the Seattle marathon course. Cool.
Switched Pandora on the iPhone to Heavy Metal from Industrial, which I normally run long with, and it came through for me this run. Good tunes overall, lots of 80s and 90s stuff, and a Metallica I don't think I'd ever heard before; Whiskey in the Jar (a cover of an Irish drinking song). Put a smile on my face while that was on. Lots of friendly runners and riders out today
I need to think about/see if I can set Garmin up to have HR and current pace on the same screen
11.16 miles in 1:43:09 (9:14/mile) @ 152 bpm avg.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
8/28 Run
Better. Much better.
Apparently one of the things I did over the last couple of days helped bring back my mojo.
First, I took an extra day off, and since I ran in the morning on Tuesday it was almost like taking an extra day and a half, or that's how it felt anyway.
Second, I was finally able to get my Vytorin (for cholesterol. yes, at 36. Genetics. It's a bitch.) prescription filled. Tag with the pharmacy, waiting til the last minute, tag with the doc meant I missed 4ish days. I don't know it it had anything to do with how I felt, but I felt better within hours of taking it.
Finally, I cracked the box on the last pair of Mizunos I had, and took a pair of brand new kicks out for a spin. Pair #1 has 450 miles on them, and Pair #2 is around 390. Felt very nice, but they'll be even more comfortable once I get another 30 mile son them and get the lacing tension set properly.
Got up at 5 and had to wrangle Toby. There were either 'coons out in the neighbors yard and tress, (or the worlds largest house cats), and it took a while to talk him into coming back inside. Finally on the road a touch late at 5:40ish.
Went clockwise around the block, and at my regular 75% HR pace. First mile felt great, and the whole run worked pretty well. The last three miles I was fighting the desire to run faster and heart rate drift, and didn't do a particularly good job controlling it. As you can see from the splits I just turned up my tunes and ignored the anguished beeping from Garmy. Average was still at the max goal of 143, but the goal is to keep all the runs <= that. That being said, I've read in a couple of places recently that the max aerobic HR may be as high as 80%. Whatever. It was a good run. One of those energizing runs. Until I stopped moving anyway. :) Need to rework my breakfast strategy I think.
Saw one of Kaitlyn's favorite teachers from school out for her morning walk around halfway through. Also remembered hearing on of the "Ride the Ducks" tour guides saying Monday that "Seattleites refer to the Burke-Gilman Trail as the spandex highway". I found it amusing. I've never actually heard anyone call it that, but some ggoling finds a few references. Heh. :)
Depending on how I feel tomorrow (Saturday) morning, I'll be running either 6 or 10 I realized I was considering running the Oktoberfest Half Marathon in Leavenworth October 3rd. Guess I need to start training for that. Doh. I may look for something a few weeks later instead. And less of a pain to travel to.
6.17 miles in 1:01:19 (9:56/mile) @ 143 bpm
9:35 @ 133
10:06 @ 144
9:34 @ 143
10:14 @ 144
10:11 @ 146
9:54 @ 145
1:44 (10:24 pace) @ 147
Apparently one of the things I did over the last couple of days helped bring back my mojo.
First, I took an extra day off, and since I ran in the morning on Tuesday it was almost like taking an extra day and a half, or that's how it felt anyway.
Second, I was finally able to get my Vytorin (for cholesterol. yes, at 36. Genetics. It's a bitch.) prescription filled. Tag with the pharmacy, waiting til the last minute, tag with the doc meant I missed 4ish days. I don't know it it had anything to do with how I felt, but I felt better within hours of taking it.
Finally, I cracked the box on the last pair of Mizunos I had, and took a pair of brand new kicks out for a spin. Pair #1 has 450 miles on them, and Pair #2 is around 390. Felt very nice, but they'll be even more comfortable once I get another 30 mile son them and get the lacing tension set properly.
Got up at 5 and had to wrangle Toby. There were either 'coons out in the neighbors yard and tress, (or the worlds largest house cats), and it took a while to talk him into coming back inside. Finally on the road a touch late at 5:40ish.
Went clockwise around the block, and at my regular 75% HR pace. First mile felt great, and the whole run worked pretty well. The last three miles I was fighting the desire to run faster and heart rate drift, and didn't do a particularly good job controlling it. As you can see from the splits I just turned up my tunes and ignored the anguished beeping from Garmy. Average was still at the max goal of 143, but the goal is to keep all the runs <= that. That being said, I've read in a couple of places recently that the max aerobic HR may be as high as 80%. Whatever. It was a good run. One of those energizing runs. Until I stopped moving anyway. :) Need to rework my breakfast strategy I think.
Saw one of Kaitlyn's favorite teachers from school out for her morning walk around halfway through. Also remembered hearing on of the "Ride the Ducks" tour guides saying Monday that "Seattleites refer to the Burke-Gilman Trail as the spandex highway". I found it amusing. I've never actually heard anyone call it that, but some ggoling finds a few references. Heh. :)
Depending on how I feel tomorrow (Saturday) morning, I'll be running either 6 or 10 I realized I was considering running the Oktoberfest Half Marathon in Leavenworth October 3rd. Guess I need to start training for that. Doh. I may look for something a few weeks later instead. And less of a pain to travel to.
6.17 miles in 1:01:19 (9:56/mile) @ 143 bpm
9:35 @ 133
10:06 @ 144
9:34 @ 143
10:14 @ 144
10:11 @ 146
9:54 @ 145
1:44 (10:24 pace) @ 147
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Some Random Race Pics
We've been cleaning off cameras, and snagging pictures from family so here are a couple of random race pictures from the year.
St. Patricks Day Dash 2009 Start
Me getting my Age Group 3rd at the Beach To Chowder half Marathon
Me and Tina Ellis (the Marathon Maniac) running in to the finish at Rock and Roll Seattle
St. Patricks Day Dash 2009 Start
Me getting my Age Group 3rd at the Beach To Chowder half Marathon
Me and Tina Ellis (the Marathon Maniac) running in to the finish at Rock and Roll Seattle
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
8/26 Run
First run trying the new strategy of getting up to run before work. Now that I have to WORK at work, I need to play with my schedule a bit.
One of the hardest runs I've had in months. It was just sadistically brutal. I thought Tuesday's run was bad, but this was worse. Left thigh felt like it might cramp, calves tightened up and ached from mile 3 on.
I'm taking Thursday off and going to be early tonight after some quality time with a foam roller.
It makes all the walk breaks and slow running easier to know that I can run faster when I race though. :)
6.17 miles in 1:03:48 (10:20/mile) @ 142 bpm
One of the hardest runs I've had in months. It was just sadistically brutal. I thought Tuesday's run was bad, but this was worse. Left thigh felt like it might cramp, calves tightened up and ached from mile 3 on.
I'm taking Thursday off and going to be early tonight after some quality time with a foam roller.
It makes all the walk breaks and slow running easier to know that I can run faster when I race though. :)
6.17 miles in 1:03:48 (10:20/mile) @ 142 bpm
8/25 Run
Squeezed out at lunch to save my sanity. I was going to run in the evening, but decided not driving my fist through my monitor was a better idea.
Counter clockwise around the lake was a tough run, even with a full day off on Monday. Calves tightened up pretty badly after the first 3 miles. Lots of walk breaks. Really having trouble getting a rhythm at a slower pace.
6.1 miles in 1:04:03 (10:30/mile) @ 142 bpm
Counter clockwise around the lake was a tough run, even with a full day off on Monday. Calves tightened up pretty badly after the first 3 miles. Lots of walk breaks. Really having trouble getting a rhythm at a slower pace.
6.1 miles in 1:04:03 (10:30/mile) @ 142 bpm
8/23 - Lake Union 10K Race Report
The inaugural Lake Union 10K, was, as I had hoped, a really nice race. While the course was very familiar, since I run it 3-5 times a week, it had enough variations to make it interesting, and racing is a heck of a lot different than just going out for a run, even a hard one.
Up at 5:00, dealt with Toby and the morning routine, got suited up and out the door by 5:45. Drank my 16oz of water and ate my 2 CLIF nectar bars that have become my prerace routine on the drive down. Day of race packet pickup was 5:30 to 7:00 for a 7:30 start and I didn't want to screw that up. :) Pulled into the parking garage at work, three blocks from the start, and free, at 6:15, right on schedule. A brief pitstop. Ahhh, access to heated bathroom facilities before a race. :) Another selling point for today's race. :)
Walked down to the lake, looking for the 'expo', which wasn't quite where I thought it would be. For some reason I thought the finish was in the parking lot near the Center for Wooden Boats. Nope. It was in the parking lot just south Kenmore Air, which is where the start was.
'Packet' pickup was a little different from what I was used to. A separate table to check in and find out what your bib # was. Another table to get your shirt and really nice swag bag (a real Whole foods reusable shopping bag, in green). The bag was very nice and much more ecologically friendly. The pile of info from sponsors and races went into the recycle shortly after I got home though. Finally, a third table where you picked up your chip, ankle mounted with Velcro and a neoprene protector (Yay! After tearing my ankle up at Seattle it's something I pay attention to. :))
Back to the garage to drop of the cool new bag and my shirt, very pretty, and while technical, not obviously so. I actually wore it to the store later in the day and didn't feel like people would notice. Another pitstop, and then back to the lake at a light trot to start warming up. Apparently the coffee place across the street from work is the place the Seattle PD hangs out on Sunday mornings there were between 3 and 5 cars parked near it and our building each time I stopped at the office. It's amazing how 20 minutes can change the way a place feels. It's 7 now, and all the sudden there's more traffic. (I'm sure some of it was for the race, but still... :) )
Ran into a former coworker and friend, Jaime, just as I was about back to the registration are. We hung out, got what I suspected would be the only pictorial proof of the race (I was wrong. Pics aren't out yet, but there were photographers on the course.) It was nice to hang out and catch up on work, life and how the Rock and Roll Seattle Half (her first!) went. (2:29:49 for her first ever, and with starting too far back and having to dump lots of energy with that, and then some pretty severe stomach issues the last mile.)(Oh, Jaime, I suspect that may have been a reaction to combining the cytomax and GU. Or it was the under distance long run issue we discussed)
A final brief trot up to RockSalt and back and finally about 7:25 we all started moseying towards the start, and Jaime kicked me up in the queue to go run fast. :) The only thing that was a little squirrely about the race was the start. The start line was on the north side of the entrance to Kenmore Air's parking lot, which meant that there was a straight shot from the sidewalk to the south and then another feeder from the parking lot to the left (where I was). This meant a merge into a 10 foot wide sidewalk, with Seattleites, who are not known for their merging skills.
The horn went off with no warning, or intro or anything (very odd). A couple of us looked at each other and were like. Oh, I guess we're racing now. It was even more abrupt than Beach to Chowder in 2008. A bit of shuffling and button clicking and I'm over the mats and working to get my heartrate up to my target, between 172 and 176 bpm (per RW's HR recommendations for racing, 85-88% MHR)(last fast run was 173 bpm avg), and start racing.
Mile 1: 7:21 @ 166
Calves feel really tight and weak. Hope they're going to cooperate. Lots of bobbing and weaving, trying to to hit people and signs as I work my way through to the group I'm going to spend the next 40 minutes with. :) Good flat mile for warming up and getting up to speed.
We hit the mile marker to a symphony of chirps as everyone either split's their watch, or their Garmin goes off. :)
Mile 2: 7:21 @ 176
Calves are still a little off, but I'm still moving pretty well. Kept pace going up the hill to the Fremont bridge, and over. Photographer as we are crossing the bridge I think. Second mile marker, water stop, and portasan is just after Speedy Reedy. I don't drink on 6 mile or less unless the heat is up so I blow on through. Super happy about the weather and tep at this point. 55ish and cloudy. Close to perfect.
Mile 3: 7:40 @ 176
And as you can see, this is where I start hemorrhaging speed. Calves finally start working properly. We didn't go up onto the sidewalk like I thought when I ran the route on Monday, which was nice. Middle back is bothering me a little, as it has on a couple of other runs. More ammo for getting back to work on my core routine. It's getting a bit harder to get my legs to respond to keeping the pace. A little bit of a side stitch right when I hit the mile marker. Really tried to make an effort to thank the police and volunteers this mile.
Mile 4: 7:46 @ 174
The 'hill' was in this mile and it tore me up. We peak at all of 89 feet (a pretty big chunk of our awe inspiring 233 feet of elevation gain). I tried to hammer up the hill to the University Bridge, but it wasn't happening. As with last mile, it's getting increasingly difficult to get the legs to keep the HR pegged out. Spend a lot of time at 177, which was a little high, but I seemed to settle in there once I got there. I think I actually lost some pace coming down the hill at the end of the bridge, just too steep. Glad it was short. Another waterstop setup at the mile marker. Passed on the water, but thanked them. Really noticed the course markings, both the cool arrows on traffic cones, but also the detailed instructions on the sidewalk/roads.
Mile 5: 7:56 @ 176
About 4.25 miles is a short STEEP (or it feels that way anyway) hill that turns into an alley and with some steep rollers. Tore up my thighs and jacked up my HR, but fortunately there was a pretty nice downhill shortly afterwards. Pushing hard according to HR, but I lose another 10 seconds/mile. What do my calves look like when I run? That's what I see the most of during my races, even with my head up, so... May have to ask Val to take a pic someday. :) Cramp/strain of the abs right above my left hip flexor, nothing serious, but it's complaining and pressure seems to ease the pain. I can run through it, so I do.
Mile 6: 7:51 @ 175
Doing my best to push, but my legs are sluggish, and it takes them a long time to let me get my HR up. Need to practice running at race pace, but before I ran this race I had no idea what a valid goal might be. Ab pain comes back again, but dissipates rapidly. Pretty sure I'm going to break 48 minutes, but it's going to be close. Can't seem to do the math for the last 0.2 at current pace. :) About half a mile to go and I get passed by a pair of tan thighs in a grey underamour running on her toes. She proceeds to chick me and 2 or 3 other guys on her way into the finish. I try to give chase, but I've got nothing.
0.2: 6:52 @ 180
Only ~1050 feet to go. Let's get what little is left in the tank and see if we can't come in strong. And maybe I can close the gap on 'thighs'. :) Photographer just before the weave to the finish banners, I think he got a pretty good shot. No gap closure, but I come through the finish line pretty strong.
Final: 6.21 miles in 47:45 (7:41/mile) @ 174 bpm avg
Chip Time: 47:45 (7:41/mile)
Overall 89 of 689
Age 15 of 61
That's good enough to meet my goal of breaking 48 and a 1:45 PR, on am uch harder course. (Beach To Chowder was at 49:30, and had about 30 total feet of elevation gain. vs. 230. :) )
Winner finished in 34:09 (5:30/mile). Holy effing crap.
Walked throught he chute, took off my chip and dropped it in a bin, grabbed a bannana, chatted with someone handing out Team literature, and then started to head towards the car. Val texted me and asked how I was doing, and then said that she and K were OK, so I decided to head backwards onto the course and pickup Jaime and see how she was doing.
Picked Jaime up around the point I got chicked, and we ran and chatted our way in. I bailed out to let her cross the finish solo, then we met back up and chatted for a while. Then we both headed back home to start our days. :)
Any problems I had today were totally training for speed, and leg strength. No problems aerobically, which wasn't suprising, but was still very nice to discover. Time to stop running slow all the time and add some faster running.
Garmin doesn't seem to be turning off/ going into sleep mode since this race. It might be that I didn't reset after the race according to one blog. It also brought up my concerns about the 405 for >8hour efforts. Someone pointed out that the charging cable is USB, so you can just use on of those USB Batteries if you don't mind the cable hanging around. It still tracks data, you just can't see it. (Or dole out the money for the 310XT with it's 20 hour battery life and waterproofing. :)) More research required.
Firmware upgrade for the Garmin appears to have fixed the sleep problem, fortunately
Up at 5:00, dealt with Toby and the morning routine, got suited up and out the door by 5:45. Drank my 16oz of water and ate my 2 CLIF nectar bars that have become my prerace routine on the drive down. Day of race packet pickup was 5:30 to 7:00 for a 7:30 start and I didn't want to screw that up. :) Pulled into the parking garage at work, three blocks from the start, and free, at 6:15, right on schedule. A brief pitstop. Ahhh, access to heated bathroom facilities before a race. :) Another selling point for today's race. :)
Walked down to the lake, looking for the 'expo', which wasn't quite where I thought it would be. For some reason I thought the finish was in the parking lot near the Center for Wooden Boats. Nope. It was in the parking lot just south Kenmore Air, which is where the start was.
'Packet' pickup was a little different from what I was used to. A separate table to check in and find out what your bib # was. Another table to get your shirt and really nice swag bag (a real Whole foods reusable shopping bag, in green). The bag was very nice and much more ecologically friendly. The pile of info from sponsors and races went into the recycle shortly after I got home though. Finally, a third table where you picked up your chip, ankle mounted with Velcro and a neoprene protector (Yay! After tearing my ankle up at Seattle it's something I pay attention to. :))
Back to the garage to drop of the cool new bag and my shirt, very pretty, and while technical, not obviously so. I actually wore it to the store later in the day and didn't feel like people would notice. Another pitstop, and then back to the lake at a light trot to start warming up. Apparently the coffee place across the street from work is the place the Seattle PD hangs out on Sunday mornings there were between 3 and 5 cars parked near it and our building each time I stopped at the office. It's amazing how 20 minutes can change the way a place feels. It's 7 now, and all the sudden there's more traffic. (I'm sure some of it was for the race, but still... :) )
Ran into a former coworker and friend, Jaime, just as I was about back to the registration are. We hung out, got what I suspected would be the only pictorial proof of the race (I was wrong. Pics aren't out yet, but there were photographers on the course.) It was nice to hang out and catch up on work, life and how the Rock and Roll Seattle Half (her first!) went. (2:29:49 for her first ever, and with starting too far back and having to dump lots of energy with that, and then some pretty severe stomach issues the last mile.)(Oh, Jaime, I suspect that may have been a reaction to combining the cytomax and GU. Or it was the under distance long run issue we discussed)
A final brief trot up to RockSalt and back and finally about 7:25 we all started moseying towards the start, and Jaime kicked me up in the queue to go run fast. :) The only thing that was a little squirrely about the race was the start. The start line was on the north side of the entrance to Kenmore Air's parking lot, which meant that there was a straight shot from the sidewalk to the south and then another feeder from the parking lot to the left (where I was). This meant a merge into a 10 foot wide sidewalk, with Seattleites, who are not known for their merging skills.
The horn went off with no warning, or intro or anything (very odd). A couple of us looked at each other and were like. Oh, I guess we're racing now. It was even more abrupt than Beach to Chowder in 2008. A bit of shuffling and button clicking and I'm over the mats and working to get my heartrate up to my target, between 172 and 176 bpm (per RW's HR recommendations for racing, 85-88% MHR)(last fast run was 173 bpm avg), and start racing.
Mile 1: 7:21 @ 166
Calves feel really tight and weak. Hope they're going to cooperate. Lots of bobbing and weaving, trying to to hit people and signs as I work my way through to the group I'm going to spend the next 40 minutes with. :) Good flat mile for warming up and getting up to speed.
We hit the mile marker to a symphony of chirps as everyone either split's their watch, or their Garmin goes off. :)
Mile 2: 7:21 @ 176
Calves are still a little off, but I'm still moving pretty well. Kept pace going up the hill to the Fremont bridge, and over. Photographer as we are crossing the bridge I think. Second mile marker, water stop, and portasan is just after Speedy Reedy. I don't drink on 6 mile or less unless the heat is up so I blow on through. Super happy about the weather and tep at this point. 55ish and cloudy. Close to perfect.
Mile 3: 7:40 @ 176
And as you can see, this is where I start hemorrhaging speed. Calves finally start working properly. We didn't go up onto the sidewalk like I thought when I ran the route on Monday, which was nice. Middle back is bothering me a little, as it has on a couple of other runs. More ammo for getting back to work on my core routine. It's getting a bit harder to get my legs to respond to keeping the pace. A little bit of a side stitch right when I hit the mile marker. Really tried to make an effort to thank the police and volunteers this mile.
Mile 4: 7:46 @ 174
The 'hill' was in this mile and it tore me up. We peak at all of 89 feet (a pretty big chunk of our awe inspiring 233 feet of elevation gain). I tried to hammer up the hill to the University Bridge, but it wasn't happening. As with last mile, it's getting increasingly difficult to get the legs to keep the HR pegged out. Spend a lot of time at 177, which was a little high, but I seemed to settle in there once I got there. I think I actually lost some pace coming down the hill at the end of the bridge, just too steep. Glad it was short. Another waterstop setup at the mile marker. Passed on the water, but thanked them. Really noticed the course markings, both the cool arrows on traffic cones, but also the detailed instructions on the sidewalk/roads.
Mile 5: 7:56 @ 176
About 4.25 miles is a short STEEP (or it feels that way anyway) hill that turns into an alley and with some steep rollers. Tore up my thighs and jacked up my HR, but fortunately there was a pretty nice downhill shortly afterwards. Pushing hard according to HR, but I lose another 10 seconds/mile. What do my calves look like when I run? That's what I see the most of during my races, even with my head up, so... May have to ask Val to take a pic someday. :) Cramp/strain of the abs right above my left hip flexor, nothing serious, but it's complaining and pressure seems to ease the pain. I can run through it, so I do.
Mile 6: 7:51 @ 175
Doing my best to push, but my legs are sluggish, and it takes them a long time to let me get my HR up. Need to practice running at race pace, but before I ran this race I had no idea what a valid goal might be. Ab pain comes back again, but dissipates rapidly. Pretty sure I'm going to break 48 minutes, but it's going to be close. Can't seem to do the math for the last 0.2 at current pace. :) About half a mile to go and I get passed by a pair of tan thighs in a grey underamour running on her toes. She proceeds to chick me and 2 or 3 other guys on her way into the finish. I try to give chase, but I've got nothing.
0.2: 6:52 @ 180
Only ~1050 feet to go. Let's get what little is left in the tank and see if we can't come in strong. And maybe I can close the gap on 'thighs'. :) Photographer just before the weave to the finish banners, I think he got a pretty good shot. No gap closure, but I come through the finish line pretty strong.
Final: 6.21 miles in 47:45 (7:41/mile) @ 174 bpm avg
Chip Time: 47:45 (7:41/mile)
Overall 89 of 689
Age 15 of 61
That's good enough to meet my goal of breaking 48 and a 1:45 PR, on am uch harder course. (Beach To Chowder was at 49:30, and had about 30 total feet of elevation gain. vs. 230. :) )
Winner finished in 34:09 (5:30/mile). Holy effing crap.
Walked throught he chute, took off my chip and dropped it in a bin, grabbed a bannana, chatted with someone handing out Team literature, and then started to head towards the car. Val texted me and asked how I was doing, and then said that she and K were OK, so I decided to head backwards onto the course and pickup Jaime and see how she was doing.
Picked Jaime up around the point I got chicked, and we ran and chatted our way in. I bailed out to let her cross the finish solo, then we met back up and chatted for a while. Then we both headed back home to start our days. :)
Any problems I had today were totally training for speed, and leg strength. No problems aerobically, which wasn't suprising, but was still very nice to discover. Time to stop running slow all the time and add some faster running.
Garmin doesn't seem to be turning off/ going into sleep mode since this race. It might be that I didn't reset after the race according to one blog. It also brought up my concerns about the 405 for >8hour efforts. Someone pointed out that the charging cable is USB, so you can just use on of those USB Batteries if you don't mind the cable hanging around. It still tracks data, you just can't see it. (Or dole out the money for the 310XT with it's 20 hour battery life and waterproofing. :)) More research required.
Firmware upgrade for the Garmin appears to have fixed the sleep problem, fortunately
Friday, August 21, 2009
8/20 Run - 5:1 Experiment
Another evening run, out on the road around 9:30, clockwise around the block at home. Much more human of a temperature in the mid 60s with a breeze. Much better. :)
I've been feeling a little off the last couple of nights, so I decided to do the run 5, walk 1 experiment I've talked about a couple of times. The ultra runners apparently recommend the combo, so I thought I'd see how it felt. I kept my HR the same during the run component, and just walked during the walk.
I messed up the interval timer on the watch at first and was on a 5hour/1hour interval. Changed that a couple minutes in and started things up again. I had hoped to see that the speed would be the same since I hoped the pace would be a bit higher during the run segments. Not so much.
Felt like it took much longer to warm up than normal. The first 3 or 4 transitions between running and walking caused some twinges and aches I didn't expect.
I certainly felt much less 'tired' when I finished.
I'll be curious to try this during a longer run, say 16 or more and see how it does. It may be worth experimenting with a slightly higher heartrate during the run section to keep the overall pace up.
6.17 miles in 1:06:21 (10:45/mile) @ 137 bpm
I've been feeling a little off the last couple of nights, so I decided to do the run 5, walk 1 experiment I've talked about a couple of times. The ultra runners apparently recommend the combo, so I thought I'd see how it felt. I kept my HR the same during the run component, and just walked during the walk.
I messed up the interval timer on the watch at first and was on a 5hour/1hour interval. Changed that a couple minutes in and started things up again. I had hoped to see that the speed would be the same since I hoped the pace would be a bit higher during the run segments. Not so much.
Felt like it took much longer to warm up than normal. The first 3 or 4 transitions between running and walking caused some twinges and aches I didn't expect.
I certainly felt much less 'tired' when I finished.
I'll be curious to try this during a longer run, say 16 or more and see how it does. It may be worth experimenting with a slightly higher heartrate during the run section to keep the overall pace up.
6.17 miles in 1:06:21 (10:45/mile) @ 137 bpm
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
8/18 Run
On Tuesday I had to work at work again, so I ran in the evening. May have to look at scheduling now that work is getting busy again.
I remember now why the evening runs can be so challenging. That last pitstop in the evening is 'joy'.
Felt good, but slow. Really noticed how fast my HR recovers early in the run compared to late. Early I could just slow down and my HR would recover. Later would require walking for the same effect.
6.17 miles in 1:04:44 (10:29/mile) @ 142 bpm
I remember now why the evening runs can be so challenging. That last pitstop in the evening is 'joy'.
Felt good, but slow. Really noticed how fast my HR recovers early in the run compared to late. Early I could just slow down and my HR would recover. Later would require walking for the same effect.
6.17 miles in 1:04:44 (10:29/mile) @ 142 bpm
8/17 Run
Decided to try out the Lake Union 10K route so I knew what was coming on Sunday. Good run, but a little warm. Only mid 70s, but I felt like I was baking.
The little cut through the alley they used to keep us off Eastlake is pretty interesting though. Good to know about. :)
Got caught by the Fremont Bridge again. One of the advantages of it getting cooler... less boats out on the water. :)
6.38 miles in 1:06:10 (10:22/mile) @ 142 bpm
The little cut through the alley they used to keep us off Eastlake is pretty interesting though. Good to know about. :)
Got caught by the Fremont Bridge again. One of the advantages of it getting cooler... less boats out on the water. :)
6.38 miles in 1:06:10 (10:22/mile) @ 142 bpm
Friday, August 14, 2009
8/14 Run
A much better run than Tuesday and Thursday, by far. Slow, but felt decent. Cool and 60 degrees. Counterclockwise around the lake for some variety.
Center for Wooden Boats was doing a peapod sailing class for kids by Zymo. Looks fun.
6.11 miles in 1:02:12 (10:11/mile) @ 142 bpm
Signed up for the Lake Union 10K next Sunday. Why not. It's pretty close to my home ground, and barring something bizarre, I should be able to put in a PR with 48 minutes of work. :) I'd really like to break 48. I was close last week around the lake and Wednesday around the block at home, so I might be able to pull it off.
The route is pretty close to what I run normally, but I'm going to need to map the variations and try to run it next week. Race is Sunday. I'm thinking I'll run normally Monday through Thursday and then take Friday off for a full two days of rest. Maybe a short 3 miler on Friday to keep things loose.
When I mentioned the race Val was actually interested in run/walking the 10K distance. It was too soon for her to ramp up, but I think she's committed herself to the 4 mile Run at the Super Jock and Jill Half Marathon Labor Day weekend. Yay! (She also got a new PR for the Bench Press this week (110# for 2 reps)(And a 165# Deadlift last week!) Yay!)
I was prepared to run the 10K with her instead of race it, so this works out well since after 2 months of no run over 6ish miles I'm in no way prepared for a half.
I finally got caught up entering runs at Breaking the Tape and realized my mileage this year topped last years a few hundred miles ago. Cool. I might break 1500 miles this year. Also cool. :)
2008: 838.8 miles
2009 (YTD): 1125.64 miles
Center for Wooden Boats was doing a peapod sailing class for kids by Zymo. Looks fun.
6.11 miles in 1:02:12 (10:11/mile) @ 142 bpm
Signed up for the Lake Union 10K next Sunday. Why not. It's pretty close to my home ground, and barring something bizarre, I should be able to put in a PR with 48 minutes of work. :) I'd really like to break 48. I was close last week around the lake and Wednesday around the block at home, so I might be able to pull it off.
The route is pretty close to what I run normally, but I'm going to need to map the variations and try to run it next week. Race is Sunday. I'm thinking I'll run normally Monday through Thursday and then take Friday off for a full two days of rest. Maybe a short 3 miler on Friday to keep things loose.
When I mentioned the race Val was actually interested in run/walking the 10K distance. It was too soon for her to ramp up, but I think she's committed herself to the 4 mile Run at the Super Jock and Jill Half Marathon Labor Day weekend. Yay! (She also got a new PR for the Bench Press this week (110# for 2 reps)(And a 165# Deadlift last week!) Yay!)
I was prepared to run the 10K with her instead of race it, so this works out well since after 2 months of no run over 6ish miles I'm in no way prepared for a half.
I finally got caught up entering runs at Breaking the Tape and realized my mileage this year topped last years a few hundred miles ago. Cool. I might break 1500 miles this year. Also cool. :)
2008: 838.8 miles
2009 (YTD): 1125.64 miles
8/13 Run
This run was only acceptable thanks to the speedy running of yesterday. It's amazing how some runs are acceptable either because of yesterdays run, or because of the tomorrows. :)
This run was a real slog with nothing unique to distinguish it from most others. Clockwise around the lake. Only variety was a gal who was looking for a Post Office. I'm pretty sure the place I directed her to did mailings. Hopefully it wasn't just a mail delivery/pickup type store.
6.13 miles in 1:05:34 (10:42/mile) @ 142 bpm
This run was a real slog with nothing unique to distinguish it from most others. Clockwise around the lake. Only variety was a gal who was looking for a Post Office. I'm pretty sure the place I directed her to did mailings. Hopefully it wasn't just a mail delivery/pickup type store.
6.13 miles in 1:05:34 (10:42/mile) @ 142 bpm
8/12 Run
I hate it when work interferes with my running. :) Our new corporate overlords were in town and I got to spend 4 hours in the first orientation session to our new company. Needless to say this ate into my scheduled lunch run, and once the meeting was done real work needed to get done. :)
After all of that, and the evening routine, the last thing I wanted to do at 9:30 was go out and run. But I sucked it up and wandered out of the house. Since Val wanted me to bring my phone, I cranked up some good tunes as I walked down to the start point, and decided to run this one fast. Just record the HR data and see what I could do.
I'm well aware that this isn't the best strategy for a speed workout, especially if you look at the paces that McMillan recommends, but I just wanted to blow out the carbon, as well as finish the run and get home.
I'm finding that with all the stuff to do, including house and playing with my new computer, that dedicating the time to the fitness stuff is harder. I do need to find the time to do the workouts though, as I am starting to feel aches and twinges around knees and hips from my IT Band, something that goes away when I'm working out regularly.
I went ahead and let the hammer down, and set a new PR for course and distance. Now I just need to get a 10K scheduled so I can get an official PR. :) I ran the block counter-clockwise from 110th. The biggest challenge with running the route this direction is the hill up 110th, which feels more impressive and painful in person than it does when you look at it in a mapmyrun elevation chart. :) I managed to do the ~130 feet of elevation gain in .5 miles or so at an 8:00 pace or so. I'm pretty happy. :)
6.22 miles in 48:15 (7:45/mile) @ 173 bpm avg..
After all of that, and the evening routine, the last thing I wanted to do at 9:30 was go out and run. But I sucked it up and wandered out of the house. Since Val wanted me to bring my phone, I cranked up some good tunes as I walked down to the start point, and decided to run this one fast. Just record the HR data and see what I could do.
I'm well aware that this isn't the best strategy for a speed workout, especially if you look at the paces that McMillan recommends, but I just wanted to blow out the carbon, as well as finish the run and get home.
I'm finding that with all the stuff to do, including house and playing with my new computer, that dedicating the time to the fitness stuff is harder. I do need to find the time to do the workouts though, as I am starting to feel aches and twinges around knees and hips from my IT Band, something that goes away when I'm working out regularly.
I went ahead and let the hammer down, and set a new PR for course and distance. Now I just need to get a 10K scheduled so I can get an official PR. :) I ran the block counter-clockwise from 110th. The biggest challenge with running the route this direction is the hill up 110th, which feels more impressive and painful in person than it does when you look at it in a mapmyrun elevation chart. :) I managed to do the ~130 feet of elevation gain in .5 miles or so at an 8:00 pace or so. I'm pretty happy. :)
6.22 miles in 48:15 (7:45/mile) @ 173 bpm avg..
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
8/11 Run
After a great run on Monday, I had said that I was finally consistently under 10 min/mile. Not so much. Obviously the last few days caught up with me.
About the same weather conditions as Monday, mid 60s and cloud, but no rain.
6.13 miles in 1:02:57 (10:15/mile) @ 142 bpm
All sorts of odd aches and twinges, most of which worked themselves out over the course of the run fortunately. I felt just clump and off. Lots of walking to keep the heart rate down, especially compared to yesterdays run. It was just unpleasant from mile 4 on.
The run still worked it’s magic with my mental state, despite how frustrating the run was. Saw ponytail gal just gliding up Eastlake as I was plodding down at mile 5 or so. I was… annoyed… by the ease at which she, and just about every other runner was moving along.
And that’s why I go out for another run.
8/10 Run
After 4 days "off" I was really ready for a run. The last 4 days were full of family and friends, work on the house, trying to deal with my brother’s newly discovered degenerative eye disorder, and assorted other stuff.
I knew I was really off as I totally overreacted to the fact that I had misconfigured the first new to me computer I’ve ordered in 10 years. Apparently if you don’t pay attention when you try to add a Personal Media Bay to an HP you can end up with an external drive only.
Nice day for a run, weather wise, 66ish, cloudy and overcast. Once I got started moving I could really feel that I had a lot of pent up energy, and that feeling kept with me the whole run. I was twitchy and had a lot of trouble keeping pace and staying steady. I think the biggest advantage of multiple days of running in a row is that it settles me down and helps make me more efficient.
Saw the female runner with the distinctive gait, as I seem to every couple of days. Actually, I saw her pony tail over some cars before I saw her. :) No idea how women with long hair can put up with that.
So… How discreet would a van pulling up to your house emblazoned with logos for “Pleasure Parties: Discreet Parties for Women”. The van pulled up beside me near Speedy Reedy, and I thought it was a bit amusing. :)
Decided at some point that my hat was actually making me hotter, so I tucked it into the back of my shorts and ran with it off. I felt like I had discovered the coolest thing ever. The simple pleasures I suppose. :)
The drizzle started around mile 4 and was more than welcome.
The kids were kayaking by Zymo again. They looked much more comfortable and confident than the last time I saw them. Made my whole day. Just after someone was cutting English Ivy. A distinctive smell full of memories of doing work for my grandparents every summer.
6.13 miles in 1:00:59 (9:57/mile) @ 142
It all felt much better after a run. I don’t have it solved, but it’s all soluble again. And that’s the best ting with the running. It may not solve the problem, but it helps put things back into perspective again.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
8/5 Run
No doubt today, new PR for 75% HR Clockwise around the lake!!!!
6.1 miles in 59:42 (9:48/mile) @ 141 bpm
63 and cloudy
Yesterday my ankle whined at me at 3.5 miles in, but it felt much better today. Really glad I went out.
Bailed out of the pool to finish the family room cabinets, and continue getting the house ready for the friends and family BBQ this weekend
6.1 miles in 59:42 (9:48/mile) @ 141 bpm
63 and cloudy
Yesterday my ankle whined at me at 3.5 miles in, but it felt much better today. Really glad I went out.
Bailed out of the pool to finish the family room cabinets, and continue getting the house ready for the friends and family BBQ this weekend
8/4 Run
Clockwise around the lake again. Temps are back down to something human. Mid 60s and sunny for this run. It was super cloudy in the morning, so I was really surprised to have no cloud cover at all.
6.08 miles in 1:00:33 (9:53/mile) @ 141 bpm
Pretty close to the PR again (6.13 in 1:00:37 (9:53/mile) @ 142 bpm.
I know I didn't take the route closer to the lake since I caught the light by Speedy Reedy, but this made me wonder about the milage around the lake. Especially since the last lake PR was 6.13. I think I'll remeasure it in mampmyrun or gmap-pedometer and compare.
Up late installing cabinets in the family room. Yay! Storage!
6.08 miles in 1:00:33 (9:53/mile) @ 141 bpm
Pretty close to the PR again (6.13 in 1:00:37 (9:53/mile) @ 142 bpm.
I know I didn't take the route closer to the lake since I caught the light by Speedy Reedy, but this made me wonder about the milage around the lake. Especially since the last lake PR was 6.13. I think I'll remeasure it in mampmyrun or gmap-pedometer and compare.
Up late installing cabinets in the family room. Yay! Storage!
Monday, August 3, 2009
8/3 Run and Swim
And this is why I should do these entries when I come back from the run. Doing this a week late so they don't completely disappear. :)
Temps are down so I got to run at lunch, mid 70s. Clockwise around SLU.
6.1 miles in 1:00:21 (9:54/mile) @ 141 bpm
Within a second/mile of the current PR for clockwise, and with no break for the bridge. Yay!
Pretty dang close to the PR (6.13 in 1:00:37 (9:53/mile) @ 142 bpm).
Felt really good in the pool, in the evening, so I did a full 1000 yards. The suckage reached equilibrium just below my quit threshold at about 400 yards, so, like some runs, so I just worked through it and went long. Some toe/foot cramping in my left foot around 800 meters, and my calves, of all things, hurt the next day. Some form work needed I think.
1000 yards in ~40 minutes.
Temps are down so I got to run at lunch, mid 70s. Clockwise around SLU.
6.1 miles in 1:00:21 (9:54/mile) @ 141 bpm
Within a second/mile of the current PR for clockwise, and with no break for the bridge. Yay!
Pretty dang close to the PR (6.13 in 1:00:37 (9:53/mile) @ 142 bpm).
Felt really good in the pool, in the evening, so I did a full 1000 yards. The suckage reached equilibrium just below my quit threshold at about 400 yards, so, like some runs, so I just worked through it and went long. Some toe/foot cramping in my left foot around 800 meters, and my calves, of all things, hurt the next day. Some form work needed I think.
1000 yards in ~40 minutes.
7/31 Run and Swim
Cool enough to run outside again (low to mid 70s @ 9:45) , and I wanted to swim again, so I drove to the gym and ran counter clockwise around the block from there.
Forgot my hat, which made a pleasant difference in cooling. That and the haircut. :) Need to get a visor for hot weather.
Finally figured out how to get ht back light to stay light on the Garmin. For a 405, go to menu | Settings | System | Backlight | Timeout. Change it to Stays On. Then the double touch turns it on and off. Much better than having to turn it on all the time. And, as was pointed out in a Runner Loungecast, it improves your visibility at night.
6.16 miles in 1:01:43 (10:00/mile) @ 141 bpm
By the time I was done with the run it was pretty late, which made it easy to get into the pool since the lanes were open. Every one in the pool are awas either using the saunas or the hot tub.
I felt mildly selfconscious with the couple of guys who in the 20 minutes I was swimming never moved form their chairs in front of the sauna. Like they were sitting on their porch, watching the world go by.
Hit 500 and thought I might try for 600, got about a quarter of a length down the pool and came back. Just didn't have it in me. The wobbly sensation when I got out of the pool went away this time. Is that normal, the wobbly thing after a swim workout? Had to go back out anyway to snag my keys from the bottom of the bool though. The clip on the keys just didn't hold.
Alternated 'freestyle' and backstroke. Reminds me of the Couch To 5K intervals. :) Spent some more time with my face in the water working on my breathing (such as it is) and such during the 'freestyle' segments.
500 yds in the Pool in ~19:30
Forgot my hat, which made a pleasant difference in cooling. That and the haircut. :) Need to get a visor for hot weather.
Finally figured out how to get ht back light to stay light on the Garmin. For a 405, go to menu | Settings | System | Backlight | Timeout. Change it to Stays On. Then the double touch turns it on and off. Much better than having to turn it on all the time. And, as was pointed out in a Runner Loungecast, it improves your visibility at night.
6.16 miles in 1:01:43 (10:00/mile) @ 141 bpm
By the time I was done with the run it was pretty late, which made it easy to get into the pool since the lanes were open. Every one in the pool are awas either using the saunas or the hot tub.
I felt mildly selfconscious with the couple of guys who in the 20 minutes I was swimming never moved form their chairs in front of the sauna. Like they were sitting on their porch, watching the world go by.
Hit 500 and thought I might try for 600, got about a quarter of a length down the pool and came back. Just didn't have it in me. The wobbly sensation when I got out of the pool went away this time. Is that normal, the wobbly thing after a swim workout? Had to go back out anyway to snag my keys from the bottom of the bool though. The clip on the keys just didn't hold.
Alternated 'freestyle' and backstroke. Reminds me of the Couch To 5K intervals. :) Spent some more time with my face in the water working on my breathing (such as it is) and such during the 'freestyle' segments.
500 yds in the Pool in ~19:30
7/30 Run
Nothing spectacular to report for this run other than the fact that it was finally cool enough to go run outside. Low 70s when I went out at 9:50 to run.
Got out later than I had hoped after putting Kaitlyn to bed and talking with my brother about his vision problems. (He appears to be going blind. At 33. Holy crap!)
Ran the block at home clockwise, and in the dark. Other than a couple of people who felt the need to yell at me as the drove by, it was a nice, comfortable workout.
It was nice to see that I was able to come within a few seconds a mile of my treadmill speeds at 10 points lower of heart rate, though. The difference in convective cooling I think. :)
Heart rate track was pretty consistent, I think because I wasn't trying to red line my HR right at 143 the whole time, and let myself have a buffer of a few points.
6.18 miles in 1:02:03 (10:02/mile) @ 141 bpm
Got out later than I had hoped after putting Kaitlyn to bed and talking with my brother about his vision problems. (He appears to be going blind. At 33. Holy crap!)
Ran the block at home clockwise, and in the dark. Other than a couple of people who felt the need to yell at me as the drove by, it was a nice, comfortable workout.
It was nice to see that I was able to come within a few seconds a mile of my treadmill speeds at 10 points lower of heart rate, though. The difference in convective cooling I think. :)
Heart rate track was pretty consistent, I think because I wasn't trying to red line my HR right at 143 the whole time, and let myself have a buffer of a few points.
6.18 miles in 1:02:03 (10:02/mile) @ 141 bpm
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