Afternoon Don (or morning for you :P)

It took me a while to rememeber where i'd seen it but it was on This Topic with a link out to another forum.

I tried my hand at a 3 mile tempo run today - how fast should you go? I went pretty much race pace all out, was tired by the end but managed to destroy any times i've done before with a 23:44!!!! Under 8 minute miles. My splits were pretty good as well (8:07, 7:42, 7:54) most accurate I think i've ever been , i usually tend to get all excited and burn out after 1.5-2 miles... then it's just not fun. I slowed right down on hills which made it a heck of a lot easier. Next run is going to be much slower and steady though

Finding someone to run with was luck I think. It's good to chat to someone about it - it's funny trying to chat to non-runners about running becase they often have no idea (as i used to) how far something is... Telling someone you ran 6 miles and then hearing them say "oh... is that good?" is a bit of a let down hehe.

Have fun at day two of your conference!

Iain.

Hi all,

Wow Iain, you're fast!   I've never done a mile under 9 minutes, much less under 8!  Well, when I was a teenager I might have, but I wasn't timing myself then, just going the distance.  But I doubt it!

So THAT's what a tempo run is!  I never quite got the difference between a tempo run and repeats or other speed work type stuff.  That's tough to do - I've tried to do it (without knowing that's what it was called) a few times.  It did increase my overall speed when I did it.  I just had a look back at all the workouts I've done (MapMyRun has a feature that puts them all in a spreadsheet format) and my pace has slowly, slowly, but steadily, got a little faster.  I'm still in the 10:15 mile range though

My Garmin hasn't come yet - I took the free shipping offer through Amazon so it's going to be a while.  I'm getting impatient though now

Have been having a tough time running lately.  My 4.5 on Monday that I felt so sluggish for I developed a pain in my right side, near the center of my body just under the bottom part of the ribcage.  I thought it was a stitch and just tried to relax and breath through it, but it didn't go away after I stopped running, it was still there, just kind of a soreness.  It was there yesterday too, although not as bad, and would kind of come and go - it wasn't any worse during my run, and I did the same 4.5 mile run (but 2 minutes faster!) as the day before.  In the middle of the night I woke up and the soreness was there, got worse for a moment, and then went away.  WEIRD!  I did 6.2 miles today, but still feel really sluggish.  It's about 75 and I thought maybe I was needing fluids so carried a water bottle with me with water, Emergen-C and a little juice.  I think it helped, but I still didn't feel very "get up and go."  If I had to self diagnose I would say gall stones, but that just seems too bizarre!

Don and Iain you are doing awesome.  Thanks for keeping up the dicussion.  Love reading your posts!  What is FIRST?

Nico

Well guys, the bad news is we did get 41cm of snow +15mm of rain yesterday so I didn't start my increased intervals. My back was pretty much shot after clearing mine, and my parents' driveways....

the good news is I felt a bit better tonight so I figured I'd just run with no real plan as such....ran 1.5 miles before the foot started giving me grief so I walked a half mile and called it there. Felt pretty good though, it's the first time in about 2 months I've run that far straight (that'll give you guys a good idea of how far I slipped), so I'm about halfway  to my 5k goal, a lot better than I thought I was ready for.

Good Morning Everyone - Went out on 3 miles today and it went well, I am still maintaining close to a 11:00/Mile. My next scheduled run will be a 6 miler on Sunday and I will have completed the HHST training program. It is a great program and one I would recommend anytime.

Val - I am with you on the beauty of being a slow runner. There is much less stress when you are a back of the pack runner. I glad you are putting in the miles more consistently now. I am sure weather has a huge part of it.

I am enjoying that even at 4:00AM I can get out of the house wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Spring is here!!!

Mike

Hey Y'all

I'm feeling a bit better.  No more side pain at all and not feeling quite so sluggish.  Haven't had a flying run in a while though!  Don got me inspired so I decided to do a 3 mile tempo run.  I didn't do any specific calculations but knew I wanted to do the miles at about 9:30.  Came in at 9:27, with almost even splits, so I was happy :).  I might try some repeats next week.

Question for those of you who are doing long distance events.  Are you going to keep up your long distance training or cut back some?  I'm not sure what I should do at the moment.  I've been thinking that maybe I should just ramp up the training before a race - say 10 to 12 weeks out from a 1/2 marathon, 6-8 out from a 15k, and just rely on my base miles for anything shorter.  I'm planning to do 4.5 miles 2 to 3 times a week, 3 miles once or twice and 6 miles once.  Or should I keep my long runs around 10?  I know it's up to me, but I don't want to lose any fitness I've gained, but I also don't want to kill myself.  Any thoughts?

Happy first day of Spring everyone!  May the sun shine down on those heaps of snow and melt it so you northerners can wear SHORTS!!

Frank?? Are you around?  I'm sending Val's personal mounties after you

Nico

I swear, those mounties find me every time.!http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/silly.gif!   I had an unexpected trip out of town.  I left Monday and didn't get back until Wednesday night.  I only packed for one night so my whole routine was fcked up.  I know you people living in the frigid north won't want to hear this but I was down in the Florida Keys.  It sounds a lot better than it was.  5 1/2 hour drive, do my job, find a motel room, fight off a bunch of drunks on St. Patrick's day to try and get some food.  Check out of the motel, end up having to stay and work another day, try to find another motel..............It was a pain in the as.  I did manage to swim some laps but it was tricky.  The darn kids would not get out of my way in the pool.  You'd think they were on spring break or something.!http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif!

I also ran 4.5 miles Tuesday morning.  It was nice.  I ran along the Gulf of Mexico.  I can't complain about that.  This was the first time my coach incorporated some speed work.  This was my training plan for that day - 60 minute run as 15 minute gradual warm up, then 10 minutes at 10k pace. Slow to marathon pace and run with 8x1 minute farlteks. 2 minutes recovery between

CD: 10 minutes easy

The 8 fartlek's killed me.  I had to walk for the 2 minute recovery periods.  I could barely move the next day.  I felt like I had just raced a 5K.  It really took about 2 days before my legs quit hurting.  But I managed to run 4.5 miles at a avg pace of 12:44.  Not great but ok for me considering I ran those 8 X 1 minute fartlek as fast as I could go.  And then promptly died during the 2 minute recovery, lol.

I have a Garmin 305 and I do use the HR monitor.  My coach and I have established HR zones.  Today on the bike, he wanted me to ride for 2 hours in zone 3, which for me is my tempo pace, Lactic Acid Tolerance/Anaerobic Threshold pace.  I failed miserably at this.  I could not get my HR into zone 3 and keep it there.  I was pitiful.

My lactate tolerance/tempo heart rate zone is 134-147 beats/minute.  We calculated this by me riding the bike on the trainer and him having me ride for certain periods of time at certain HR's.  We just kept going until I couldn't go any longer.  My zones are lower on the bike than they are running.  The highest I've ever been on the bike is 148.  I've been up to 180 running.

Anyway, this is what they say about this pace - "This is 90-100% of your Anaerobic Threshold.  This could also be called "tempo".  this is the zone where many people spend the majority of their time because they "feel like" they're working only at or just above 78%.  Depending on one's level of fitness, the frequency and duration spent in this zone will drop you into an overtraining abyss or gradually maximize your athletic potential.  As you raise your AT, this zone should feel easier and easier.  It is not an "easy" level of intensity but one that you should be able to hold for long periods.  In the early "base building" part of the season this will be the upperlimit of higher intensity training".

I'm obviously in the base building part because I just couldn't sustain that heart rate.

Don, 15 miles!  You rock.  I am so impressed.  Iain, glad to see you back.  Nico, I was thinking gall-bladder too.  Michael, keep up the good work.  I'd like to do the World Wide Half Marathon too!  We can be the Long Hauler Team.  Doug, glad your foot is doing better.  I have to give you a lot of credit.  I know I wouldn't be out there running in all that snow.  I'm not even sure I'd make it to the gym.  Be proud of yourself for keeping on.  As you can see from the few people still around, most people don't stick with it.  You're one of the winners!

So, where are Frank and Kevnick?  Frank didn't go out and overdo it did he?

And just so you don't send the mounties again, I will be going to NYC on Thursday.  I won't be returning until Tuesday night.  I doubt I'll have access to a computer.  And I'm not too sure how much exercising I'll be able to fit in.  I've found a gym at NYU.  I just need to get my niece to go with me since you have to go with a member.  And I'm not too sure how keen she will be about getting up at 5am to take me to the gym.?:|

Ok, that's it for me.  Keep on running and stay safe.