New runner, training for 1/2 Marathon (Read 1808 times)

Speed: Couldn't find the video.

Announcer: Meet Ellen Sherman, Cleveland housewife and mother.

Housewife: Hi! I’m a nuclear physicist and commissioner of consumer affairs. In my spare time I do needlepoint, read, sculpt, take riding lessons and brush up on my knowledge of current events. Thursday is my day at the day care center and then there’s my work with the deaf but I still have time left over to do all my own baking and practice my backhand even though I’m on call 24 hours a day as a legal aide (fades out)

Announcer: How does Ellen Sherman do it all? She’s smart. She takes Speed! The tiny blue diet pill you don’t have to be overweight to need.

Housewife: And then I collect these paper bags and I have them right here, all folded and everything, in case anyone needs a paper bag I have one (fades out)

Announcer: Yes, Speed.

Housewife: (fades in) ‘cause I fold them neatly you know, I don’t fold them just any old way (fades out)

Announcer: Why not ask your family doctor for a prescription today? And when that runs out, you can ask your neighbor’s doctor. And your mother’s doctor. And your college roommate’s doctor. And your best friend from high school’s doctor. And your babysitter’s doctor . . . (fades out)

50% seems extremely low to me.

Quote from TanyaS on 1/8/2009 at 5:31 PM:

So is spell check. (couldn't resist)

Quote from TanyaS on 1/8/2009 at 5:38 PM:

Well played. The spell checker won't catch brake.

I heard that if you post on this thread, your chances of PR'ing in your next marathon improve substantially.

Quote from Jeff on 1/8/2009 at 6:03 PM:

Awesome. Now I don't even have to train!

Jeff's hattricking skill knows no bounds.

Quote from fallstoclimb on 1/8/2009 at 3:42 PM:

Fallstoclimb:

I am so glad that you responded. My BIGGEST concern was that you might get discouraged and give it up.

My biggest frustration is (and yes, Mikey, this IS my frustration) is that so many people, most of us, never fulfill our potential. There's always an excuse, isn't it? Once again, sure, not everybody would have to go after "fulfilling potential". Majoriy of people are, after all, ordinary. Thanks to Nike, in recent years, even more so than a few decades ago, Pre (Steve Prefontine) has been a big deal among younsters (I've been a fan of him since 1976, man!). I have a poster with his black and white picture and it says; "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Yet, when you look at some of very popular running forums, what many of young people say is that they don't want to run a lot. They completely miss out one of the most vital parts of training that is to develop one's aerobic capacity. Pre, if I remember it correctly, got up at 6, regardless of how late he was out partying the night before, for his morning run. Now young kids would argue that "doubles are not healthy" or "those are junk miles"... They are after fashion aspect of "Pre" instead of spirit of Pre.

Now interestingly, most of late-bloomers, go complete opposite. They run miles and mile and miles, spending 3, 4, 5 hours over the weekend, plodding along (don't they have a family?) but NEVER even tough "speed". They label themselves, right from the get-go, that they are SLOW. They don't even get near "track" even with a 10-foot pole. However, when they step on the track, they do endless numbers of 800m repeats for their "quality" workout. I personally feel they would get so much better out of working on their actual "speed" because that would improve their efficiency/technique and lessen their chance of getting injured (if done correctly, that is). That actually does frustrate me.

Sure, like I said, not everybody would have to work toward improving their performance. Yet, they look down on themselves and scoff at those who might try to shove a few seconds in shorter distances by calling them "eliteist". Let me tell you. Goind the distance; up to 20 miles or so, is not that difficult if done correctly. Cuttint some seconds off from your mile time is not that easy. I'm not placing ranks; but I think far too many people are impatient to actually go the distance; they push too much too fast; and get discouraged; get hurt; figure they'd never be fast; and settle for being slow. There are way far too few coaches out there who can actually explain what body's reactions are and correct way to "train". If you just want to get out and run; fine. That's great. I never ever offer advice or "coaching" to people in the neighborhood (unless asked); they are perfectly happy, getting out once a week and "run". That is perfectly GREAT! I have no argument to that.

I've been involved in MDRA (Minnesota Distance Running Association...man, how many times have I mentioned their name on this forum? I should get paid to promote them! ;o)) Beginning Women's Running Class for the last 4 or 5 years. It's an 8-week course inthe spring. We always have a mile test run on the first day; then another mile test on the 8th week. This lady came late on the final mile run this year so I hang around and timed her. A couple of peole hang around and paced her (which, by the way, made me even more proud). She ran something like 8:30. She said that was her second time taking this course. She said, on the first day the year before, her first ever mile test was something like 12 minutes. She just ran her first every 10k in the fall in just over an hour.

In terms of body-buld; have you heard of a German lady by the name of Eva-Marie...something. In late 1970s, when she was in her 50s, she ran 3:20+ and, if I remember it correctly, set the world record for 50s for the marathon. I tried to find the image but couldn't find it. Hate to say for her, she's what you would least expect as a runner. Long skinny legs, sure; but, well, rather BIG body... You know her training program? Van Aaken method. If you never heard of it, you should google it. Almost a half a century before Maffetone advocated long slow running. Have you seen the image of Toshihiko Seko of Japan (http://www.juanjosemartinez.com.mx/seko.html); twice Boston champion, 4-time Fukuoka champion. He's short, stocky, his legs are, well, not skinny, and short. I have a picture of Seko sprinting past Martti Vainio of Finland in a track race; and Vainio's legs were coming up to Seko's chest! Yet, he ran alright.

Also, running slow is a relative term. In 1983, they had a race between Sydney and Melbourne, some 580 miles, up and down the mountains... The winner of that particular race was a guy by the name of Cliff Young. He was 63 years old at the time; he started running when he was 58. He wasn't particularly "fast" but, while other competitors were sleeping 8~10 hours a night, he would take only 3 hours of sleep and got about 30 miles lead on the first day while everybody else was laughing and thought, there's this old guy, we'll catch him later... He won the race by 30 miles. Classic tortoise and hare story, a living example.