Active Community: Message List - Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

Re: Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 01:23:45 GMT

Pete Pfitzinger is/was quite an athlete and I believe he's got an on-line training site as well. So D.H., when you two were running cross country, was Pfitz in a league by himself, or were you competitive with him?

Ray, do you have a goal race in mind to train for? If so, I'd find a training schedule and jump in when it's time to start training. I believe most runners back off and recover for a while before entering their next training cycle, but can't give you particulars.

If you're just trying to maintain fitness for now, maybe a Google search would help.

You're right D.H., most younger vets would have been at their jobs at lunch time today...

Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:01:36 GMT

Rich in NH wrote:

Pete Pfitzinger is/was quite an athlete and I believe he's got an on-line training site as well. So D.H., when you two were running cross country was Pfitz in a league by himself, or were you competitive with him?

Rich, back in high school I was always injured, just like now.

I'll tell you a funny story, though. In my very first high school cross country race, I ran a varsity time: 14:xx on a 2.5 mile course. Everybody including me figured I was on my way up through the team ranks. However, I promptly started having injuries, especially my hip. I never ran that fast again till my last race senior year.

Dark Horse

Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:21:07 GMT

Ray, I don't have enough experience to answer your training questions. Rich will have some thoughts for you.

My high school cross country teammate Pete Pfitzinger has a good book out, that might answer some of your questions:

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Racing-Serious-Runners-Multispeed/dp/0880118180/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352765653&sr=8-2&keywords=pete+pfitzinger

Pfitzinger won the 1984 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, beating the favorite Alberto Salazar. At Los Angeles 1984, Pfitzinger got a cramp early in the marathon, and he fell so far back that the TV commentators actually stopped mentioning his race position. Then he shook off his cramp, finished the race like a bat out of hell, and was 14th overall. Without the cramp he might have medalled. He was fantastic at peaking for a goal race. I think he beat Salazar in the Olympics, too; but I am not 100% sure about that.

Dark Horse

Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:12:15 GMT

Rich in NH wrote:

Odd that younger vets don't take advantage of the free meal, I wonder why that is.

You know what, a surprising number of businesses were open today. I had the day off, but maybe a lot of other people didn't. That might explain why only golden-agers were at the restaurant between 1 and 2:30 p.m. Maybe the working-age vets were at their jobs, and had signed up for the evening meal. The restaurant was serving free meals to vets all day; you could pick your time slot.

Dark Horse

Re: Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:09:55 GMT

DH, Way to go! Gotta love that mileage! My mother would've approved of your dinner!

Rich, Sounds like a good run, weather sound similar. I think things just feel bad, but my guess is you'll get it back quicker.

I'm lazying today. Official results from yesterday's race 45:46, 30th overall, 20th male and 1st in 50-59. 61 year old woman kicked my ***, tho, with a 42:29 - 2 seconds behind my son (I'm guessing he out sprinted her at the end...).

At this point I am a bit adrift on my training. I think the last training schedule worked pretty well for me (maxed out at 39/week with a 10 mile long run) allowing me to complete a 1/2 marathon with a reasonable time. Should I step up to an actual 1/2 training schedule? Or, take like the last 4 weeks of my 10K schedule and try to up the intensity a bit? Thought? Suggestions?

Thanks!

Ray

Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:05:00 GMT

Rich in NH wrote:

Hey, 6 miles for you today!

Rich, thanks.

My current thinking is that I want to cap my weekly mileage at 20. You said a few months ago, "I remember you as a low-mileage guy." You have a good memory, and you are right. The biggest mileage year I ever had was 900 miles in 2007. That's less than 18 miles per week. Since then I've mostly been injured.

If my body holds up, and it's way too early to tell, I'd like to maintain 20 mpw, but eventually do it in just three runs per week, and gradually run the miles faster.

We'll see how that plan goes.

Dark Horse

Re: Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:32:56 GMT

Sounds like you had a great day D.H., I always enjoy talking with people from my parent's generation, they're always a class act.

Odd that younger vets don't take advantage of the free meal, I wonder why that is.

Hey, 6 miles for you today! That's a first, isn't it? Way to go!

Re: Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:13:41 GMT

Beautiful day in Newburyport, too, Rich. Dark Colt drums in the high school band so I watched him marching in the parade downtown.

Then Dark Mare and I enjoyed a fringe benefit of my veteran status: Michael's Harborside restaurant, also downtown, hosts a free dinner for local veterans every Veterans Day. We sat next to two veterans of WWII and their wives. We had a good time talking with them--not about wars, but about mutual acquaintances. The two men are only one year older than my father, but that made all the difference: they served at the tail end of the Big One, and he served in the Korean War.

Edited to add: I think Dark Mare and I were the youngest couple in the restaurant at age 54. Isn't that odd? You would think there would be a ton of young veterans from the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But no. At least not between 1 and 2:30 p.m. when we were there.

Then I raked leaves till it was too dark to see, and went to the gym.

6 miles on the treadmill, 1% incline, in 52:51 (8:49 mile pace).

Dark Horse

Runs & workouts, Monday, November 12, 2012

guest — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:17:39 GMT

With the sun out and temps in the mid 60's, it was a great day for a run, so that's what I did. 4.6 miles, the first 2 on the railtrail, then I turned right onto the pavement for another 2.6 to take me home.

The run was comfortable enough with no complaints from my injured foot, but I'm surprised at how much fitness I've lost. Splits were 10:13, 8:51, 8:44, 8:55 and 6:07 and I was working to do that.

Anyway, I figured when I left the house my Plantar Faciitis plagued foot would make me pay for this run, I just hope it isn't too bad. Up here in the "Frozen Tundra" winters can be long and cold and any opportunity I get to run with shorts and a T this time of the year, I'm taking, regardless of the consequences.