Information overload...can someone stop the madness? (Read 1179 times)

Is there any easy way to import all my previous workouts into this system? I have been diligent about tracking my workouts, first with the Nike iPod thingie and then with a Garmin 305. I suppose I could do it by hand if that's the only way. Last night was probably the low point for me. I got home and napped for about 90 minutes before going out for my run. I hardly ever nap and never for that long; plus I've had 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep all week. The run itself was painful. We ran 3 miles at just under 12:00/mile. My heart rate peaked at 1.8 which is where my historical data suggested it would be given that pace and that temperature (hot) and at the end of the run I was about as sweaty as I should be for a very easy run. The thing is, my perceived exertion was a 6 or 7 for most of the run. I wasn't able to hold a conversation and I felt like I was pressing. My long run isn't until Sunday so I'm going to focus on diet, rest, and hydration until then. I'm also planning to do my long run using a 3 min run and 1 min walk pattern to see what that does. My last two things are looking into a strength training program for my legs and getting into to see my doctor to make sure there's nothing else going on. Question: Is it worth moving inside to the treadmill for some of my running? I'm inclined to think not because the treadmill would seem to do more to improve aerobic/anaerobic condition and less to improve leg strength (esp hams & glutes) and right now leg strength seems to be a challenge. Thanks for all the help!

It sounds like you have a ton of stuff going on that has little to do with your training, combined with a lack of base mileage. You need to find the balance to get the rest you need; if you are tired going into your runs you will not do well and got get much out of them (been there, done that).

ETA Part 2: Just some food for thought for everyone... Why do so many novice runners want to jump right into 1/2 marathon and marathon training right away? I just don't get this. I can see maybe after a few years of getting the cardiovasuclar, respiratory, and skeletal systems used to the demands of running... but in the meantime, I wonder why more beginning runners don't concentrate on the 5K and 10K more?? I am a new runner and new triathlete and for me, the next two years will be about excelling as best as I can at the sprint and olympic distance tris (and 5K - 10k road races). A half-ironman will have to wait until at least 2010. I just don't understand why more newbies don't take this approach.

I've voiced this opinion too, but am usually beaten down as an elitest snob bashing in peoples' dreams of finishing a marathon. I didn't run a marathon until I had a decade of running in. I probably moved up too early, it would have been nice to tweak my shorter distances more while I had the youth to do so.

I am a heart rate trainer, so I would stick with the HRM and keep up the volume. I would make a goal to just finish and then try to PR the next time around when my fitness was batter. But that's me. I could care less about umpteen zones too. I would pick a low heart rate, commit to it, and start pounding out the miles for a couple of years. I would probably take the FIRST book and use it for firestarter, or give it to someone that I would like to see hurt. Ok, I don't like seeing anyone hurt so I guess I would just burn the damn thing.

If you are concerned about any underlying health issues you should see your doctor but to me you are showing the classic symptoms of burnout. Do your legs feel like lead or very wobbly like they have no strength when you run? Are you running harder but getting slower? Wheezing? Loose motions most of time? If so you need to STOP now before you break down completely. You have just struggled through a 3 mile run and yet you are still contemplating doing a long run. You are talking about doing strength training putting even more stress on your body. What your body needs is not more work but more rest - how much rest is difficult to say. Take some time off and then try some very short, very slow runs to see how you react to them. Gradually build up the regularity and distance of these runs but keep off any intensity until you are sure your body can handle it. You will eventually come back a stronger and better runner but you will need to have some patience. I have some experience of this matter. Like you I am goal orientated and like you I pushed too hard too soon. It took me 6 months to get back to where I was before. Siince then I have improved further so you CAN come back. Don't forget to have a doctor check you over and good luck.

ETA Part 2: Just some food for thought for everyone... Why do so many novice runners want to jump right into 1/2 marathon and marathon training right away? I just don't get this. I can see maybe after a few years of getting the cardiovasuclar, respiratory, and skeletal systems used to the demands of running... but in the meantime, I wonder why more beginning runners don't concentrate on the 5K and 10K more?? I am a new runner and new triathlete and for me, the next two years will be about excelling as best as I can at the sprint and olympic distance tris (and 5K - 10k road races). A half-ironman will have to wait until at least 2010. I just don't understand why more newbies don't take this approach.

The thing that draws me to want to do a half is the fact that there are literally NO 5k or 10k races around here. I have to go 500k to another city to get a single 10k race and that only happens in June. Oh well. I'm not going to rush into the half I'm just dealing with living without the social enjoyment of a race for now.

Ok, so I was out of town all weekend and haven't been able to respond until now. There are a couple misconceptions that I want to clear up (I'm not sure if I wasn't clear at first or if someone made an assumption and everyone used that as data). 1. I didn't jump into a 1/2 or full marathon training program. I started running in March of 08. In 08 I trained for and ran two 5K, one 10K, and one 10 miler. So far this year I've ran an 8K, a 10K, and a 5K. 2. I didn't stop training over the winter. I slowed down over November and December but my slow down was two treadmill runs a week and maybe 12 to 15 total miles a week. In Jan I slowly started building my base again by adding 10%-15% a week and being diligent about doing all my runs in HR 2. I was not using the FIRST program at the this time. 3. I started my 1/2 marathon training on April 27. I had been building base since Jan 1 and running since March 08. The distances and the paces were well within my limits at that time. I had been training 100% on HRM up until that point but stopped using the HRM as a training tool and stuck with the FIRST paces based on my fastest 5K time (and I actually "fudged" it to be a little slower than my fastest 5K because I wasn't concerned about it being as fast as possible). 4. In June when the temp went up, I slowed down, way down. I dropped my training paces significantly and dropped my target 1/2 marathon pace from 9:00/mile to 10:00/mile in an effort to avoid over training. 5. I completely stopped training with FIRST on June 30th. My problems started the week of June 23rd when my marathon training program was kicking off. I'd missed my long run the week before. I was scheduled to run 13 miles. It was my longest run to date but I'd ran 9, 10, and 11 miles in the three weeks before missing the long run. 13 didn't seem unrealistic. My 13 miles basically turned into 4 miles. I just wasn't feeling it and I listened to my body and I quit. I had a 6 mile FIRST tempo run on Wednesday that I had done 7 or 8 times before with no problems and just couldn't finish it. After a couple more failed runs I decided to take some time off. I didn't run for 6 days. For the next three weeks I ran 3 or 4 days a week for 3 to 5 miles at a very slow pace. I also did some light cross training on my bike. July was quickly getting away from me and I decided that if I had any shot of finishing my marathon then I had to get back in the saddle. I picked up Hal's novice marathon program and I've been training with that at a pace that is slow as slow can be and still haven't felt "right". Couple other things. I've done some cross training but not as much as I should and not enough to really mention. My heart rate training book is "Total Heart Rate Training" by Joel Friel. His zones are a little more aggressive than some but I thought the book was great and my aerobic and anaerobic endurance both improved dramatically. I don't have my zones in front of me but my max HR (per his tests is 187). I don' remember where my threshold is but I can look tonight. Sunday (yesterday) was cooler here than it's been for awhile (at least in the AM) and the humidity was much better. I did 13 miles. I warmed up with 1/2 mile walk, ran 2 miles at 12:00/mile and then ran using a run 3 min, walk 1 min ratio and felt great throughout the run and afterward. When the trail was shady, I was running about 9:10's, when I was in the sun it was about 9:55's. I didn't really ever look at my watch (just listened for the beeps to start and stop). I ran what felt good and just looked at my paces once I got home. My pace for the entire run, counting the warm up, was 11:05/mile. Last thing, and sorry for the really long post, I am not in disagreement with slow running and base building but a person that understands what anabolic threshold is and trains properly (and I'm not saying I did or didn't train properly) will very quickly run laps around the person that goes out with no focus and no direction. I'm never going to race to win and I don't really care who I beat, the only thing I want to do is beat my own expectations.

So, what's the issue, exactly?

In summary, I was going along great for quite a while, and then the wheels fell off and I've been struggling to get it all back together.