Saturday, June 9, 2012

Lakefront 2

Summary

Name Lakefront 2
Location Chicago, IL
Start Time 6/9/2012 8:34 AM (UTC-05:00) Category My Activities:Running
Distance 2.24 mi Time 00:18:20.0
Time Moving 00:18:20.0 Stopped 00:00:03.0
Average pace 08:11 min/mi Max. pace 06:31 min/mi
Weather Clear; 79.7 °F
Calories 270 kCal
Notes Yes, today's objective was simply 2 miles. Just checking out how I feel at the end of my first week back as a runner.

Off again tomorrow then a series of 3-milers next week. I need to be patient given where I'm coming from.

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Friday, June 8, 2012

So today is a scheduled off day. My legs are feeling okay but the lowest of my abdominals have felt extremely weak and a little sore over the past few days. I am hopeful this will abate with time as my body re-acclimates to a running life style. I've been thinking about comments I made on a beginning runner's dailymile page a few years ago. I went back to dailymile.com to try to find my comments but, as far as I can tell, dailymile doesn't have a viable "search old posts and comments feature". At times like this I wish that I was a clever enough to write a script to scrape the site for what I was looking for. Alas, I'm not that clever so I had to find it the old-fashioned way. So after over 300 mouse clicks, I found it. I'm pasting into this blog entry so I can find it myself later and refer to it now. I suppose I can think of it as advice from my past avid-runner-self to my current novice-runner-self. ... yes, that's weird .... Cory B. Two thoughts: First, if you're both running, you each need a Garmin. Sharing is nice but for reasons already mentioned not a great idea. Second, the heart rate monitor is over-rated. What are you going to use it for ... data curiosity ...? Yes, my heart was beating while running .... Get 2 Garmin 205's - everything you need w/o the heart rate monitor. 2 years ago edit Ange Cory... so you don't hold to the 'exercise in the optimum HR zone' theory? Pretty much you should just run how it feels good and push yourself if you can, you'll know if your heart is beating too fast? 2 years ago • Like Cory B. Several studies suggest that training by heart rate is not beneficial to optimal performance. One thing heart rate tracking can do is show session-by-session effort on a relative basis. This can be helpful if a runner is trying to compare a summer run (90° & 90% humidity) with a winter run (35° 55% [this morning in Houston]). Obviously, pace isn't a good comparison because blood viscosity changes with weather climate differences. Relative comparisons can also be made for flat versus hilly runs. 2 years ago edit Cory B. Heart rate training is essentially an old aerobics concept. (Very useful in its proper context.) However if you go for a +20 minute run, you're assuredly "in the zone". 2 years ago edit Ange Good point Cory - I always appreciate your perspective 2 years ago • Like Cory B. Almost forgot, the best use of heart rate monitors for runners is to prevent over-training. Most recreational runners don't need to worry about that! 2 years ago edit P Peter L. I have to agree with Cory - I know a lot of people use HRM's all the time, but I'm not one of them. I bought one last year, and it rarely leaves my gym bag. With the Garmin, you become very attuned to pacing, and I generally know how hard I'm working by how fast I'm running. 2 years ago • Like
Here's the dailymile entry I really wanted to find. It was actually on my dailymile profile not comments I had made on someone elses .... York Minster Out-&-Back + 5.72 mi 00:45 07:46 pace mixed in 6x75 second bursts @ 5:45 5:57 6:06 6:07 5:55 6:02 Kicked it up a notch today. No, I didn't break any land speed records I just got into the workout mentally rather than just rolling up ... read more 3 years ago Comment Edit Ange Do you ever take a day off? Sounds like you know what you're doing but doesn't your body ever need a rest? over 2 years ago • Like delete Cynthia P. Nice running today!! over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. I do take at least 1 day off each week. I've found there are many training reasons to run 6 days a week. There are also infinite excuses not to run on any particular day. But there aren't may good reasons not to run. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. A day without running results in: -Loss of blood volume -Loss of V02Max -Loss of efficiency -Diminished motor-neural and sensory awareness. You don’t realize you are pushing too hard when you return (all stocked full of glycogen). -You think you can push harder when you come back from resting, but this is not a good idea. -All this can make people more prone to injury over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. From a wise runner and coach: “Frequency of running is directly linked to efficiency. If you run more often, you improve your efficiency. You run along using less energy. You extend your stamina. You simply don’t get tired like you used to!” As interpreted by a US Olympic marathon trials runner: "To put it another way, in order to race faster, you must run more. If you take days off, you will not reach your true potential. It’s a personal choice, but when it comes down to it, it’s that simple!" over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Thanks for the nod, Cynthia. over 2 years ago edit delete Ange That's very interesting Cory -- it almost seems to go against conventional wisdom. So if you were running a race Saturday (say a1/2 marathon) how much would you run the week before? And would you run the day before? If so how much? over 2 years ago • Like delete Ariana H. +1 Cory!!! over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. Tapering, of course, is different than training. The only way to realize the benefits of tapering is to train properly for weeks in advance. Were it not so, we would all just spend our time tapering. :-) Most of the concepts mentioned earlier, I have validated by my own experience. For example, I, like many runners, spent years over-tapering for races. Then I would wonder why I was sluggish on race day. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. I believe many training programs (conventional wisdom?) prescribe running too easy and resting too much during the taper. I knew this school of thought existed which suggested a more aggressive approach but didn't subscribe to it until I just trained right through - no taper - a few races. The result, I run better and felt better. I'm still fine tuning my approach but hope to have it dialed in at some point in the future. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Sample last week taper for half marathon (your mileage may vary!) Day 6 - Rest Day 5 - 5 mi. moderate pace & form drills Day 4 - mixed intervals (1 mi. WU; 2k@HMP; 1mi.@10kP; 1k@5kP each w/2 min.active recovery;1 mi. CD) Day 3 - 2 mi. easy pace Day 2 - 1 mi. WU; 2 mi.@HMP; 1 mi. CD Day 1 - Rest Day 0 - 1 mi. WU; HALF MARATHON!; 1 mi. CD over 2 years ago edit delete Ange Thanks for taking the time to write all that Cory - it's very interesting. I'm a total beginner and am not anywhere near ready for a 1/2 marathon. I'm doing a little 5K Saturday and haven't been feeling great when I'm running all week and haven't been pushing it. I know I'll finish the run but am not optimistic to beat my time last week on the Turkey Trot. Now that I've read what you have to say I think I should have tackled this week differently. No matter, there will be other times. over 2 years ago • Like delete Ange Do you have articles or websites that you read that are in line with what you've come to understand how your body responds or is all of your thinking experiential? Maybe you should write something on it and submit it somewhere? over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. My approach generally isn't my own. I'm a fan of Jack Daniels, Pete Pfitzinger, Greg McMillan, Ed Eyestone, and Tom Schwartz among others. I try to read and understand their concepts then apply them to my running. It's quite interesting and enjoyable when a concept clicks - an "ah ha" moment. I've considered coaching and have been asked to work with beginner and intermediate groups. Other time demands (why I ran at 5 AM) have precluded this so far. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Ange - Good luck at Saturday's 5K. If you like a challenge, try to Go Zone pacing strategy I describe at http://todayirun.blogspot.com/2009/03/inadvertent-taper-results-in-big-5k-pr.html (disregard all the other nonsense on that entry). over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. One of the benefits of a 5K is that the recovery time is short so we can run them often. This allows us to experiment with different approaches. Another thought: As a beginner, I wish someone would have suggested to me that two 2-mile runs on consecutive days are better than a 4-mile run followed by a 1-day rest. As runners, we know the incredible adaptive qualities of the human body. Train it and it will adapt ... usually much faster than we might imagine. It just takes persistence. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. I enjoy Runners' World. It seems to be a good magazine especially for beginners and recreational runners. over 2 years ago edit delete Ange I'll check that out Cory -- I'm trying to get to 5 miles right now... done 4 miles once last week and it went well. The rest of this week I've been doing shorter runs mainly because I just haven't been feeling it - like I said. Suggestions on my goal to get to a 10K this time next year? (keep in mind I'm no spring chicken anymore!). I appreciate your words of advice! Looks like the snow is gone!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Lakefront 4

Summary

Name Lakefront 4
Location Chicago, IL
Start Time 6/7/2012 5:30 AM (UTC-05:00) Category My Activities:Running
Distance 4.17 mi Time 00:36:07.0
Time Moving 00:36:07.0 Stopped 00:00:01.0
Average pace 08:39 min/mi Max. pace 07:44 min/mi
Weather Clear; 57.5 °F
Calories 524 kCal
Notes Ran .... Mental and physcial progress. Off day tomorrow.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Lakefront 3

 

Summary

Name Lakefront 3
Location Chicago, IL
Start Time 6/6/2012 5:03 AM (UTC-05:00) Category My Activities:Running
Distance 3.32 mi Time 00:28:50.0
Time Moving 00:28:50.0 Stopped 00:00:08.0
Average pace 08:41 min/mi Max. pace 06:11 min/mi
Weather Clear; 55.8 °F
Calories 416 kCal
Notes Pace happens ... or in today's case ... not so much. No worries. I saw a beautiful sunrise on Lake Michigan ... and ... I ran ....

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Lakefront 3

Summary

Name Lakefront 3
Location Chicago, IL
Start Time 6/4/2012 5:51 AM (UTC-05:00) Category My Activities:Running
Distance 3.30 mi Time 00:28:09.0
Time Moving 00:28:09.0 Stopped 00:00:01.0
Average pace 08:31 min/mi Max. pace 07:59 min/mi
Weather PartClouds; 62.3 °F
Calories 417 kCal
Notes So the results of my own psychoanalysis:

1. The move to Chicago has not been good to my running life.

2. I now define myself as a "recovering non-runner". (This means I have to take one day at a time and it's not easy!)

3. Part of the complexity with my current status is that I continue to compare my current self with my former faster self. This is completely unproductive in every sense.

I'll have more to say as I undertake the journey to find my back ....

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