The Running Thread - 2018

[McNs]

January Summary - another excellent month, over 200km for only the third time.

Distance 200km/127mi
Time 18 hours
Elevation gain 3,394m/11,135ft (that's 2.1 miles - lots of hills!)
Average HR 153

 

[jmasgat]

Day 7 of a nasty cold. I can see the end in sight, but it has sapped my enthusiasm for any kind of physical activity. I've been a blob for a week, and have no motivation to get out and do anything.

That said, I need to get structured. After Dopey, I took a week off, then ran easy/mostly easy til my cold hit. I need to focus on a winter goal, and maybe something in the 8-12 week range. Thinking 5 or 10k.

So question: does anyone have a good, intermediate/advanced 5-10k plan to recommend? Not like I intend to try and PR, but I need something where I get a real workout.

@DopeyBadger could this be up your alley?

 

[DopeyBadger]

Now, all my reading up on taking the long runs slower and combined with wondering about how to minimize injury has brought me to wondering how a new approach will work. If I were to do all short runs at my recently achievable faster pace and then do all long runs at 15-16 minutes per mile, I'm coming to understand that on the day of the half itself, I could successfully run most if not all of the race at the faster pace even though none of my long runs will have been at this faster pace.

Am I wildly off base here? How much injury risk is inherent in this idea?

For point of reference, my current run walk ratio is roughly 13:30 for 1 1/2 minutes of running and roughly 15:45 for 2 1/2 minutes of walking.

If this works the way I hope it does, this will allow me to continue working on increasing my speed on the short runs without compromising my training on the long runs and reducing injury risk. Am I thinking the right way or am I missing something.

I think the first step is figuring out current fitness. Do you have any 5k or 10k races where the goal was to run for time? Since you have multiple HMs with character photos or really hot conditions, it makes it difficult to say exactly where you are physically.

The first clue I'd start with is the run/walk you're working with.



A 90/150 at 13:30/15:45 on the surface appears similar to a mile paced speed workout (45-90 seconds run with roughly double duration rest). But when I use that in a race equivalency calculator, that comes out to a 3:36 HM. So that's not a good assessment of fitness as a workout either. But what it does say to me is that you've chosen a pace that is 14:49 average. A Galloway LR is M Tempo + 2 minutes. So, this means the pace you are training at (14:49) would suggest a 12:49 marathon current fitness. That's a 2:40 HM and is very likely too fast, unless your current fitness justifies this pace.

So based on this, my first recommendation would be to actually attempt to assess your fitness. You could either do this with a Galloway Magic Mile. Warmup for ~2 miles with easy running (barely any effort). Then do a few acceleration gliders (where you pick up the pace gradually and then hold and then gradually slow down). These gliders should not be a sudden burst of sprint and you shouldn't be sprinting at the peak of it. They should only last a few seconds in total duration. After the WU and gliders, then attempt a mile at a relatively fast pace, but not an all out effort. This could serve as a measure for current fitness. Another option is signing up for a cheap local 5k and just seeing how that goes and go from there.

For the purpose of data, I'll give you an example of someone with HM current fitness of 2:59:59. Again, don't use these paces as you need to assess current fitness first. Train where you are, not where you want to be.



A 2:59:59 HM is a 13:44 min/mile average pace. The M Tempo is 14:18, which means the bulk of the Galloway LR pacing should be at 16:18 min/mile. This certainly creates a conundrum because your walking pace is a 15:45 min/mile. So you can actually walk faster than your scheduled average Galloway LR pace. Again, your current fitness may dictate differently. For the purpose of the example, I'll use a 17:00 min/mile walking pace.



The purpose of the LR is to be aerobic at it's core. Thus, I like to schedule aerobic pacing for the run portion. That means a pace between M Tempo (aerobic threshold) and LR. So in this example, I set the run pace at 15:20, walking pace at 17:00, and walking duration at 30 seconds (currently recommend walking duration by Galloway - my thoughts on why [link]). So with those three variables set, the only remaining variable is running duration. For the average pace to be 16:18 (the desired Galloway + 2 min), then the run duration is 20 seconds. So, a 20/30 at 15:20/17:00 is one option for a long run for someone aiming for a 3:00 HM.

That easy/LR pacing should make up the bulk of your training (like 80%). The other time spent training can be sprinkled in with faster pacing. How much faster pacing is dependent on how much other running you do in total. But if you went with say a HM Tempo run or 10k run, you'd still do that in short durations not the whole entirety of a mid-week run. Like someone else's example:

0.5 mile @ Easy + 4 mile @ 120/30 sec @ 9:15/16:00 paces + 0.5 mile @ Easy

So start with a current fitness assessment and move from there.

So question: does anyone have a good, intermediate/advanced 5-10k plan to recommend? Not like I intend to try and PR, but I need something where I get a real workout.

@DopeyBadger could this be up your alley?

I can do 5k/10k workouts. I use the Daniels 5k/10k scheme and customize it to the user. The plan focuses on mile, 3k, and threshold pacing. The 3k paced runs per Daniels are "the most difficult endurance runner paced runs". They are very difficult from my own experience. As does any plan with very fast pacing it does come with a higher risk for injury. It's all about maintaining proper running form throughout and really really listening to your body. Here are two example testimonials from people who finished the plan:

Plan #122
Name: redacted
Race/Distance: 10K
Training Plan Duration (weeks): 14
Continuous or Run/Walk: Continuous
Days per Week: 5
# of Hard Days (per week): 3
Peak Week Duration: 6:27:46
Peak Week Mileage: 31.125
Peak Single Run Duration: 1:54:30
Peak Single Run Mileage: 12
PR at Distance Going into it (including when it occurred): 51:18
Expectations Going into it: There was a lot of "What have I gotten myself into?" early on in the training. I had just come off a marathon and told myself I was going to take a month or two off. I had also been dealing with some foot problems on and off for 18 months or so, which had limited me to three days a week of running. Speed training five days a week seemed a little risky and DB even mentioned the plan came with a high risk of injury. That said, I had read nothing but good things about DB's plans and I figured it couldn't hurt (much) to give it a try and pivot to a more traditional marathon training plan if things didn't work out. Ultimately, I was just trying to stay in shape during the winter months.
Testimonial: The numbers speak for themselves. The final day of my training was a 10K "race"/time trial. Not only did I PR the 10K at 46:01, I also set PRs for 1K, 1 mile, 2 miles and 5K. My first mile out was 6:45, most likely a lifetime PR! There is no other way to put it: DopeyBadger's plan made me stronger, faster and more fit. He also personally offered encouragement throughout the training period, which was always appreciated. At 34, I would have never guessed five days a week was possible. I would have never guessed those PRs were possible. If someone told me six months ago I'd do a sub-7 minute mile, I would have laughed. Now, I'm willing to rethink what is possible for me and my fitness goals.


Plan #71
Name: redacted
Race/Distance: 10 mile
Training Plan Duration (weeks): 15
Continuous or Run/Walk: Continuous
Days per Week: 5
# of Hard Days (per week): 3
Peak Week Duration: 6:04:38 *scheduled (actual was 6:23:45)
Peak Week Mileage: 37.125 (actual 37.9)
Peak Single Run Duration: 1:30:11
Peak Single Run Mileage: 10 (1M WU + 9M Tempo)
PR at Distance Going into it (including when it occurred): 1:33:32
Expectations Going into it: I was really worried how this would all work out. You warned me that there was risk of injury due to the nature of the training. That coupled with the fact that my “easy” runs were now 5.5 miles instead of 3 scared me a bit. I had followed Nike+ and Higdon plans before. Both of those included some speed work but not nearly as much and the overall mileage was a lot lower. Despite my nerves, you assured me we could adjust as needed so I committed.
Testimonial: I did a pretty good job at sticking to the plan early on. As summer heated up and my motivation waned, I missed a few runs but still completed more than I had for other recent training periods. Finding the pacing was difficult for me for the longer hard workouts. I mentioned it several times in my journal, but I believed at the time (and still do) that it was a mental focus issue more than a fitness issue. All that is to say, I had a few doubts in my head about how the race would go.
Going into the training, I had a goal of breaking 1:20 which would have improved my POT for Disney. You assessed my fitness to establish a goal 1:22:30. A few weeks before the race, my husband asked when my legs got so sexy (maybe that's TMI?). Anyway, I was pretty sure my goal wasn't attainable anymore so I had decided that at least I would get that small victory. In the end, I finished in 1:18:21 which is better than I could have imagined. On top of achieving the time goal and improving my POT (which turned out to be a moot point), this training cycle gave me a great base to work from for the WDW marathon.
Thank you for that! And thank you for all your encouragement and advice along the way! I know I could have done a better job with my marathon training, but your positive attitude and knowledge let me forget that on race day and trust the training I had done. Who knew someone could enjoy running for 26+ miles with only running up to 16 miles in training? I’m a believer and a testament to that ideology now.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

DH January totals:
63.2 miles running
8700 yards swimming

A week ago today, I hit the local college track, and for the first time since my September injury let myself increase pace outside. Finished 4 miles at over 1 minute/mile faster than other recent outdoor runs and treadmill runs. Then, after some dynamic stretching, did a magic mile to see what I could do. That came in 75 seconds/mile faster than the previous 4 miles. Sore the rest of the day and Sunday, but it felt good. Graduated from physical therapy Monday to complete the month and comeback from injury.

 

[kleph]

January total: 59 miles

A pretty solid month of running that takes on a bit more impact when compared to the past year. The primary goal for 2018 is a minimum of 500 miles. An irregular work schedule has allowed me the chance to get the runs in thus far but that could change significantly in the next month or so. There is a 10K and half marathon planned for February. Get through those and I'll see if a more ambitious target is possible.

 

[baxter24]

January miles: 99 (48.6 from Dopey)

Ran the Kripsy Kreme challenge this morning with my husband and it was fun! It was a chilly 22 degrees at the start but the sun was out and we were lucky that we were able to park pretty close to the start line so we hung out in the car till close to start time. We didn’t have a time goal but we wanted to eat at least four donuts and not puke on the way back. I ate four while Brad ate three and I ate one more that people were giving out about 3/4 of a mile left to go. We carried our boxes of donuts back because we promised out kids we would bring some back to them. The jog to the Kripsy Kreme went a lot better for my husband compared to the way back. It’s a longer run back to the finish and way more hills. He even admitted he was out of shape and I ended up carrying his box of donuts along with mine for two of the miles back. He was having a hard time towards the end but we managed to finish in 59:15 (run time of 47:43). The course length was 4.77 miles. Last time we ran it, it was closer to 5 miles so I don’t know why they changed the route.

While it is a fun event, I was frustrated with the lack of runner etiquette by some and then a little mad with some of the logistics. I know that everyone will not always be on their best behavior during a race but you could really tell there were a lot of people who don’t normally run races by the way they were barging though people or just acting like they have no clue what’s going on. It’s always super crowded once everyone gets to the Kripsy Kreme but we could barely find any water. I managed to find a Dixie cup filled halfway with water and Brad only managed to find a same size cup with just ice in it. There were ZERO water stops on the way back which is a longer distance, more hills, and people have consumed anywhere between 0-12 donuts. Once we crossed the finish line, it took us a few minutes to find water again. I also had an issue with finding the medal I pre-ordered. They don’t give out medals at the finish line but I decided I would order one for the two of us. Ended up finding medals for sale at the merchandise tent and was told to get in two different lines to figure out how I was supposed to get my medal. A woman in front of me was having the same issue so we finally discovered that our bibs (in incredibly tiny font) said the word MEDAL so we could go back to the first merchandise line and pick one up of from the table.

Overall, it’s a fun event! People get dressed up in really funny costumes and it’s a neat idea to raise money for charity. For sure will bring my own water next time and won’t be buying any extra race stuff.

 

[MissLiss279]

Add me too, please!

@MommaoffherRocker

 

[IamTrike]

January miles: 99 (48.6 from Dopey)

Ran the Kripsy Kreme challenge this morning with my husband and it was fun! It was a chilly 22 degrees at the start but the sun was out and we were lucky that we were able to park pretty close to the start line so we hung out in the car till close to start time. We didn’t have a time goal but we wanted to eat at least four donuts and not puke on the way back. I ate four while Brad ate three and I ate one more that people were giving out about 3/4 of a mile left to go. We carried our boxes of donuts back because we promised out kids we would bring some back to them. The jog to the Kripsy Kreme went a lot better for my husband compared to the way back. It’s a longer run back to the finish and way more hills. He even admitted he was out of shape and I ended up carrying his box of donuts along with mine for two of the miles back. He was having a hard time towards the end but we managed to finish in 59:15 (run time of 47:43). The course length was 4.77 miles. Last time we ran it, it was closer to 5 miles so I don’t know why they changed the route.

While it is a fun event, I was frustrated with the lack of runner etiquette by some and then a little mad with some of the logistics. I know that everyone will not always be on their best behavior during a race but you could really tell there were a lot of people who don’t normally run races by the way they were barging though people or just acting like they have no clue what’s going on. It’s always super crowded once everyone gets to the Kripsy Kreme but we could barely find any water. I managed to find a Dixie cup filled halfway with water and Brad only managed to find a same size cup with just ice in it. There were ZERO water stops on the way back which is a longer distance, more hills, and people have consumed anywhere between 0-12 donuts. Once we crossed the finish line, it took us a few minutes to find water again. I also had an issue with finding the medal I pre-ordered. They don’t give out medals at the finish line but I decided I would order one for the two of us. Ended up finding medals for sale at the merchandise tent and was told to get in two different lines to figure out how I was supposed to get my medal. A woman in front of me was having the same issue so we finally discovered that our bibs (in incredibly tiny font) said the word MEDAL so we could go back to the first merchandise line and pick one up of from the table.

Overall, it’s a fun event! People get dressed up in really funny costumes and it’s a neat idea to raise money for charity. For sure will bring my own water next time and won’t be buying any extra race stuff.

That race has always intrigued me, but it seems to involve a lot more puking than I'd like.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

@DopeyBadger Thank you so much for the detailed answer. You've given me a lot to think about. It's something I'm going to revisit once I feel like my knee is completely back to normal. I think it's getting closer, but it's not there yet. I do think I'm capable of resuming normal training albeit at a slower pace. And since I've finished all of my races after training slower, that's good enough to finish.

 

[PrincessMickey]

Back the Blue 5k Race Report:
“I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run, what they would give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me.” — Unknown

Fair warning this report is full of all kinds of girlie emotions so here goes.

I have to say this was by far the hardest run I have ever done. Not from a physicality standpoint but from an emotional aspect. Physically, it was tough with a bunch of hills, I think only about a half mile was flat and apparently I need more hill work, I have only trained on flat. Emotionally, so many highs and lows, most of which I can't put into words. This run was put together in less than a month when a LEO was killed in the line of duty to support his family as well as the fallen officer fund. Little did anyone know, in the short amount of time before the run could take place, we were laying to rest another LEO just a day earlier. Initially they were expecting maybe 500-1000 people but had to close registration at just over 3000 and opened several virtual run options around the city. To see the crowd support along the run, waving flags and cheering, was absolutely overwhelming. The emotions from the last 2 days ranged from heartbreaking to heartwarming, tears of pain and sadness to tears of happiness, negativity to positivity, and so much more but most important was the sense of solidarity and support.

There were a few logistics that need some work but knowing the short time this was put together I'm sure will be fixed for next year. They allowed strollers and dogs but asked for them to start in the last wave. I was in the first wave which was for first responders and their families that had lots of strollers, young kids and dogs. I wish they would have asked for them to start in the back of the wave as the first several minutes were dodging all of them. I do run/walk but due to all the dodging it was hard to get into a groove. The first mile was my fastest mile ever at 10:45 but then reality of the hills hit home, it was easier to get into a groove though and I slowed down quite a bit for the last two miles. The water stop they were passing out water bottles but there were no trash cans around so I ended up carrying the bottle with no lid, splashing water all over me, for about a mile until I could throw it away. Overall I finished in 38:38. Slower than I wanted and knew I could do but it was such an honor to run this and I am so proud of my finish. I finished #386 overall, 184/1429 for females, and 68/410 in my age group. But best of all, I have a new PR, not hard to do though, my only other timed 5k is in Disney making lots of character stops. Just before the 3 mile mark I passed a Deputy who had been paralyzed a year or two ago on the job. He was getting out of his wheelchair and onto a bench. I wasn't sure what was going on and continued onward pushing to the finish. After cheering people on at the finish and getting water, they announced an honorary person about to cross the finish. It was the Deputy I saw earlier finishing on his own two legs utilizing special crutches and robotic leg things. To see the support of his family, friends and fellow Deputies crossing the finish line with him was so incredible to watch. There is so much negativity towards law enforcement right now sometimes it takes moments like these to see there still good in so many. I will definitely do this run again, hopefully under different circumstances next year.

 

[gjramsey]

Katy Half race report: After racing harder than planned last Sunday, I went into yesterdays race planning on running with the 1:45 pace group and enjoying myself. Both the pacers for the 1:45 group are members of my running club and folks I run with most weekends. I ended up running and chatting with another member of the club the whole race. She had just crushed Houston 3 weeks ago with a 3:25, and is starting her plan for Boston in April. We hung out behind the 1:45 group since they ended up having about 15-20 people running with them. We decided to put the hammer down at mile 11 and see how many we could pass the last couple of miles. We passed the 1:45 group at mile 12 and continued to pass as many as we could to the finish. I think we got between 20-25.

We ended up with a 1:42:39 time and a two minute negative split (the 1;45 pacers came in at just under 1:44, and most that ran with them finished in front of them). That was probably the most enjoyable race I have had in a while. No goals and good conversation.



I ended up 113 of 1194 overall, and 8/54 in age group.

 

[JulieODC]

Happy weekend everyone!

Quick race recap - I ran the Super Sunday 5 miler this morning in Cambridge.

Carpooled with some friends - and was running a little short on time - and completely forgot to eat my breakfast! I never ever forget a meal, so this was weird. And there wasn’t anything to eat at the start - so I ran on an empty stomach. Oops!

It was a little windy and chilly at the start, but warmed up - so I was definitely overdressed. Oops #2!

Course was relatively flat - 2 gradual hills up and down, with the 2nd down coming around mile 4 - which was a nice way to hit the last mile.

First time running a race of this distance, so it was a PR I actually ran continuously the whole way too - took a mile for crowds to loosen up and just kept going. My final time was 46:01, pace of about 9:13. I was really happy with this (didn’t have a goal, but was hoping for 50:00 or under).

And, great beer, wings, and burgers after the race! Fun crowd excited for the Pats too

 

[michigandergirl]

Quick Groundhog half marathon race report:

This is the third year I’ve done this race and it’s always interesting running a half in February in Michigan. The race is a looping route through Grand Rapids Millennium Park, 3 loops for the half and 6 for the full. The trails are paved but not plowed, so we had about an inch or two of fluffy snow to run in. Temp was about 18 degrees at the start with some light snow during the first half of the race.

I settled into my long run pace and just enjoyed the run and the scenery. Official time was 2:20:45.

 

[Waiting2goback]

January Summary:
Miles: 68.32

(Does anyone know a way to get a good summary from Fitbit? I found where I could set my activity date range, but it was a jumble of all activities, including walks, etc. I had to manually sum all the Run activities)

Dopey was amazing, but knee issues limited me for a couple weeks once I got home. I definitely enjoyed sleeping later (i.e., not waking up at 5am for training runs), but I'm anxious to get ready for my next half marathon in March.

Here's my big challenge for February: I've spent the last 2 years focusing on distance and stamina for Goofy & Dopey and my speed has taken a major hit. I did an 8 mile run on Sunday, and my speed was a full minute/mile slower than my best from 2016, and I was wiped out. I'm trying to remain positive and realize that I'm shifting my training to a different purpose (speed vs distance); however, it was a bit disheartening that I just completed 48.6 in 4 days, but 8 miles wiped me out.

I am in the same boat. I have been running so much slower than I am capable and now that I am doing my runs on a treadmill, until it warms up here, I can set my pace. I have been pushing the pace a bit on some runs. I'm beat after 4 miles. Of course I think, I just ran a marathon a couple of weeks ago, how is 4 miles making me tired. But, things will return to normal soon enough if we stay consistent.

Argh, went to start my slow run today and discovered I pulled my groin yesterday compensating for my wonky calf. I feel like my body is trying to tell me something.....

It's telling you to be careful and rest. Don't let the injuries start piling up. It will be a long year if that happens.

 

[LSUlakes]

QOTD: Does the color of your running shoes bother you?

ATTQOTD: When I first started running it did and I went out of my way to avoid bright colors. I got over all of that shortly after and as long as the shoe feels good I do not care if they are bright pink at this point.

 

[kleph]

ATTQOTD: I am an Alabama fan. I will not wear anything orange under any circumstances whatsoever.

 

[gjramsey]

ATTQOTD: Don't care. I have run in brightly colored shoes, and boring colored shoes. As long as they fit and feel good when running I will wear them. I think my 17 year old prefers the brightly colored ones when he inherits my aged out shoes, since those are the ones I see on his feet the most.

 

[Jules76126]

Love bright colored shoes. I am always disappointed when there is only grey or black available. The brighter the better

 

[Anisum]

QOTD: Does the color of your running shoes bother you?

No, but a lack of color will sometimes. I generally like colorful exciting shoes so when I end up with a pair that's monotone or just has one color I'm a little less excited unless I'm in love with that color.

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: Does the color of your running shoes bother you?

I actually prefer the bright and/or funky colors.
If all I can get in whatever shoe works best for me is plain colors, I'll wear them (right now I have a pair of gray shoes), but my preference is the fun colors.
For much of my life, I've worn boring clothing and expressed myself through my shoes ... even though I do wear some fun running clothing, it's still important that when I can, I use my shoes to express my personality.