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Re: Race Director gets personal

Marykb — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:17:38 GMT

JimmySneaks wrote:

When a simple "sorry, we can't make any exceptions" would have sufficed, why call into question my personality? I (and many others) felt that he lashed out and was inappropriate in his response. I will absolutely agree with Taylor and Cuneiform that I should not have then responded in the manner that I did. I further amplified the problem, and for that I am sorry.

Actually, that is pretty much what he did say in his first reply to you. But you didn't accept his answer. When you continued to challenge the ruling, that is when things got out of control on both sides.

Re: Couch to 5K_What should my speed be?

Marykb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:17:53 GMT

I'm not a treadmill runner, so it is hard to relate to how you find your speed. But keep one thing in mind: when you run outside you don't have a display telling you how fast you are going so you will tend to find your proper speed naturally. You basically run at a pace that feels comfortable, where you are just slightly out of breath but not breathing so hard you can't talk. The same thing applies to any cardio exercise (although you work harder during training intervals, but that is another issue).

I don't know if you can do that on the TM, but maybe you can try to find your natural speed by not looking at the display while you're running until you are in the proper zone. From what little TM running I did in the past, I think one of the drawbacks is that you get too "locked in" to a number which may or may not be the optimal speed for you. At the very least, try not to get too hung on numbers while you're a beginning runner and focus instead on running in the zone where you are making an effort, but you're not working so hard you feel like you can't keep going for another 15-20 minutes. That is about where you should be for your running segments. The walking segments are "cool downs" so they should be at any comfortable pace that lets you recover slightly before you run again. The speed there doesn't really matter much at all since over time you are going to phase out those walking segments anyway (or at least greatly reduce them). Again, if you were walking outside you would find that pace naturally.

If possible, I encourage you to do at least an occasional run/walk outdoors. That may help you find your paces and have a perceived exertion level to compare to your TM running. Good luck!

Re: no music really?

Marykb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:06:07 GMT

Marykb, I have had quite the opposite situation. In ALL the races I have run, headphones have not been forbidden (and I have run over 30 in the past two years).

I'm not sure why your many races have always allowed headphones, but possibly you don't even realize they're banned. It is usually in the fine print in the race packet and if you aren't specifically checking for that you might not even notice it. That could be one reason why I've been at races where everyone is plugged in in spite of the rule. Maybe the prohibition is simply a disclaimer so if someone gets hurt because they couldn't hear what was going on, the race organizers are covered....I dunno.

For me, personally, I run alone every day - no running buddies ever in all the years I've run - so it is a treat to run with others in a race, although some of them can be annoying for sure. Also lots of races have bands and people cheering you along and other things going on that I want to experience. I can listen to my music anytime, but a race is a special event so I don't want to tune out the fun.

Re: Anybody planning on doing a Thanksgiving 5k?

Marykb — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:51:06 GMT

I'm doing a Thanksgiving 10K this year. Last year I did a Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day so this is kind of a let down (training didn't go as well this year). But I'm looking forward to the race, even though I still have to come home and cook - same as last year!

Re: no music really?

Marykb — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:07:24 GMT

Almost every race I've done has forbidden headphones and in almost every race I'd done there are quite a few people using them. (But as a mid-pack runner, the folks around me using headphones aren't worried about being DQ'd so that's not really an issue.) In other words, you probably won't get kicked out of the race for using headphones unless you are a contender.

But I agree with those who say try running without them anyway. Not only in keeping with the spirit of the event, but also to give yourself the best possible race experience. Music may be fine on long, solitary runs where you just need to keep your mind occupied. But in a race you are running with 100's or 1000's of other people and there is an atmosphere of camaraderie, excitement and energy. Why miss all that by tuning it out?

Re: Probably been asked before, but...nerves on race day

Marykb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:38:46 GMT

Good luck on your first marathon!

I'm sorry I don't have any calming techniques to offer. Although I am normally a high strung, Type A person I don't usually get race day nerves other than the logisitical "where are we going to park?" or "will I have time to go to the bathroom?" type of thing. Once we are queued up at the starting line I am a little anxious for the race to begin because I hate just standing there waiting. After that, it is all fun for me. (Being a "middle of the packer" and knowing that is all I'll ever be, I don't get too wrought up over it)

I'm sure this goes without saying, but keep in mind that nervous tension uses ENERGY that you want to save for the race. A little nervous energy might be a good thing for a short, fast race like a 5K where the "fight or flight" reaction to nerves might give you an edge. But in a marathon (which I haven't run yet myself, but I'm just guessing) you need to run in a relaxed frame of mind in order to pace yourself for the distance. Whatever you can do to remain calm will certainly be to your advantage. I wish I had some calming words of wisdom to offer, but instead I will offer you my best wishes for a great race!

Re: New Slow Runner

Marykb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:05:54 GMT

You're right, she did say she has been running a year but she didn't give a lot of information about what kind of training and mileage she has been doing. Maybe she is already at a solid base in which case she is probably ready to begin some more intense speed work. I guess she needs to let us know some more specifics of where she is at and what her exact goals are. Sometimes it is hard to give advice without some more information.

solarflare wrote:

Hey guys. If you look at her original post, it says she started running a year ago. (She quit smoking 6 weeks ago.)

Re: New Slow Runner

Marykb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:29:57 GMT

dwm082 wrote:

I would strongly discourage you from embarking on any sort of speedwork at this point. Six weeks in, your body is still adapting to the stress of running. Speedwork is very punishing, and you're likely to end up getting hurt and find yourself on the sidelines.

If you concentrate on building endurance, I promise you that you'll also get faster (at least at shorter distances). After you've built a solid base (typically defined as running 20 miles per week for a few months, give or take) and your body has made all the changes it needs to, it makes sense to start in on speed work. Right now, speed is the enemy. A 34 minute 5k time on your first outing isn't bad at all. No, it's not crazy-fast, but it's way faster than you were sitting on the couch.

Good luck, and congrats again!

Don

I totally agree with this. I made some general recommendations for increasing speed (which isn't really my "thing" BTW) but forgot the caveat that speedwork is not a priority for the first few months of running. You do need to work on establishing a solid base mileage before you try to take it to the next level. Keep in mind that gradually increasing your mileage will automatically increase your speed somewhat anyway.

At that point, as Cyndi pointed out, you need to decide what your goals are. Maybe you want to go for distances like a half or full marathon or maybe you want to go for speed and excel at the 5K or 10K. It won't take you long to determine whether you tend towards short, fast races or endurance events. (One test is this - at the end of a race is your first thought "I want to do this distance again faster" or "What is the next distance I can conquer?")

One adage to remember is that Time = Strength and Strength = Speed. So take your time building up your strength through consistent running and workouts and the speed will follow.

Re: New Slow Runner

Marykb — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:43 GMT

34:00 isn't bad at all. Don't pay too much attention to the rankings, they can vary a lot depending on how competitive the race is. Many 5K "fun runs" have people who walk/run MUCH slower than that - you would probably rank right in the middle of most of those. I run most races at a 9:45-10:45 pace (depending on the distance) and I am usually right in the middle of the pack but I have ranked anywhere from top 25% to bottom 25%.

You can get faster several ways:

1. run longer distances

2. run hills

3. run speed drills (intervals, fartleks, tempo runs, etc.)

All these increase your strength which translates into greater speed. But keep in mind that some of us are built more for endurance, and others more for speed. I am about your age and although I ran sub-30:00 5Ks ten years ago, I don't know that I will ever reach that goal again. If you are in the low 30:00's for a 46 year old woman, you are doing well so don't get too down on yourself about your time. Just keep running and enjoy all the benefits of how good it makes you feel.

Re: How has your 5k time improved?

Marykb — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:48:20 GMT

I must be the only person on the planet who PR'd in my first 5K (back in 1996). I have run many, many races since then and never come close to breaking that record. Go figure....