Running with the sub-3s -- ut oh (Read 2050 times)

    Damn fine run. And thanks for joining me on the culinary adventure. And I didn't even make fun of you for ordering a water with your cheesesteak.

     

     

    stadjak


    Interval Junkie --Nobby

      Damn fine run. And thanks for joining me on the culinary adventure. And I didn't even make fun of you for ordering a water with your cheesesteak.

       

      To be fair, I asked for Bud Lite.

      2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

        To be fair, I asked for Bud Lite.

         Same thing.

         

        dallison


        registered pw

          Congrats, i am jealous.

          2017 goals:

          sub 1:30 half 

           

          stadjak


          Interval Junkie --Nobby

            tl;dr: The new season (Spring 2013) is upon the sub-3s; we're having a bit of trouble getting going.

             

            December scattered us to the fireside couches of our homes.  Many of the sub-3s took the break honestly and did very little running, if any.  Myself, I tried to take a bit of rest (a week) then ramp back up to the mid 30s.  Just slow jogs every morning -- 2 days a week off.

             

            But of course, there were a couple of 5Ks (that I did poorly in -- but expected to) and a 20mi trail run that I ran with Derek (a certified sub-3 as of this Fall).  I only intended to run 12mi (half way), but Derek said, "It's only 8 more miles.  And they're going really slow . . ."  I'm a sucker.  I put in for the other 8.  Completely wiped me out.  We hadn't planned for a long run, much less a "time on feet" run of 3hrs and 20mins.  So, without any nutrition or gatorade we were unexpectedly spent.  I have to say, it was interesting to just "go out for a 20mile trail run" w/o any training/preparation.  Just did it because we could.

             

            Derek bent his ankle, I almost smashed my knee into a boulder.  That put Derek out for a few weeks.  My left ankle felt like it was recovering from a sprain the week before.  Surprisingly it gets better the longer I run so the trail didn't matter.  But Xmas week, I decided to give it some earned rest and took the whole week completely off . . . and gained about 6lbs of holiday "cheer".  My ankle actually felt worse after the rest.

             

            Getting the band back together has been spotty.  A few show at the Wed track workout, but not the whole team.  Also a few guys are taking this season off marathoning: a few doing the local 10miler, one pacing his wife at Boston, one doing a Tough Mudder(maybe).   I'm not sure, but I might be one of only 3 really training for a marathon PR.  That's a bit of a downer.

             

            Had a few good workouts recently.  The guy who won the Richmond Master's division, Jim, did some hill repeat fartleks with me.  We were both pushing.  And it turned out to be a great workout.  One that both of us admitted we couldn't have done alone -- we would have punked out early.

             

            The most interesting workout was last Saturday: half marathon over some kinda hill terrain (Buck Mountain HM course).  It was done at AHR (7:30 and faster).  The problem with these short runs is there are a few non-marathoners who join us.  This guy Hernan, who runs like a rabbit, locks up the 50+ age group in all the short races.  He often places in the open.  There' s also Jeremy, who is a new Tri guy who joined us.  Beside usually having a shorter run to keep that pace for, they also don't have a recovery cycle to battle.  All the Nov marathon sub-3s had a rough rough go of it.  We were really working at a pace that would have been easy in Oct.  Even Jim the Master's juggernaut, who ran 3-flat at Boston last year in 90F, was barking about how hard the run was.  And it wasn't the cardio for most, it was the punishment of pavement on the legs.  Collectively we all felt beat-up.  When Steve's calf cramped up we all *cough* supported him by stopping the run a bit early to walk back to the cars.  At least for me, I kept up with those guys.  I wasn't even last.  But damn I was working.

             

            A day later, the weather was perfect and so I went on a "recovery run" that was a bit too fast and more like an easy AHR; just felt great.  A day later I had a real AHR planned and it was immediately clear I was under-recovered.  It wasn't even a good recovery run -- I resorted to walking parts of it.  So, the next day I took off in order to be good for today's track workout.

             

            So I had to go it alone today.  Odd Fartlek workout.  It was 13F and icicles formed in my beard.  I didn't feel spry.  I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights.  So when I took off for 5min at MP and my watch read 8:15pace, I wasn't surprised.  I was working a lot harder than that pace, but I guess that was the effort today.  I finally brought it down to 8:00, but had to work what I thought was a bit too hard for that.  The next few rounds went similar and I got a bit depressed that I was really working hard and moving so slow.  Without the gang to keep me going I cut the workout a bit short (didn't do the 2min @ 5K before going up the pyramid).  It was about then I found out my watch was lying to me.  It was showing my avg pace for the whole workout (including warmup and active stretching and walking around).  Heh.

             

            Turns out that MP run was at 6:32 pace, HMP 6:22 and 10K at 6:05.  I did the remaining slower when I could see my watch pace.

             

            This revelation hasn't yanked me out of my funk, though.

             

            Things I think I'm missing:

            - structure of a laid out marathon training plan (currently going week by week)

            - more consistency with sub-3 workouts

            - more sleep

            - drop a few more pounds (would like to hit 168, but at least 172)

             

            Goal for the Spring:

            Toronto(?) Marathon - 3:03 I think is achievable. Sub-3 if I have a good day.

            2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

              Woohoo!

              "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus