Friday, 1/9... another treadmill run today. Running by heart rate, I ran the first 2 miles to warm up @ 125 bpm, then jumped the pace to 130 bpm for half a mile. After that, I alternated half miles at either 125 bpm to rest or quicker paces for a little speed work. The next half at a quicker pace was 140 bpm and the last at 150. Kind of a weird run, but gave me a good workout and kept the boredom away. 5 miles total.
az... I don't even know what to say about your weather, I thought mine was bad!!
Ray... a couple of nice runs for you, eh? Have you ever considered adding a little bounce to your step? And speaking of an exception to ideal form, that's me, Mr. "Poetry in Motion". (A HS track coach actually called me that once)
Dan... thank goodness someone actually appreciated that video... Good luck with the long treadmill run, if you figure out a creative way to make it easier, let me know...
NH Runner I may have missed what you are aiming for in your heart rate runs. ? percentage of max. 70%, 80%? But 140's at our age is pretty good, I think, from past experience.
Almost 3 years ago, I ran my best HM (2:00) with a heart rate of 150, not sure what my max. was then. I don't have much understanding of all these formulas for running intervals at such and such a pace, long runs at this other pace, tempo runs at this heart rate. (Daniels' book put me to sleep)
It is like the old cartoon for me....brain hurts.
rmcj0001 You always have nice wildlife to observe. It is good to meet up with another runner and have an excuse to go those extra miles.
az2mntrail I don't know how you (and some of my group) run outside in these temps! Hope you're keeping up your fitness for AZ!
justrundan Hope your cold clears up soon.
Art in AZ Temps of 70's in Mesa would be very nice. I ran a race in Glendale on New Years in 2012, it was 32F overnight.
Past 3 days off due to work. windchill here -32F.
25 runners plus the TRI group on the track this morning, so it felt like a party! Lot's of people to talk to for a few laps. (4 from my group are training for the (89 Km) Comrades marathon, which has to be finished in 12 hours or less or else you don't get a finishing time.)
13 miles done.
"dancing on the path and singing, now you got away,
you can reach the goals you set from now on, every day"
Sonata Arctica
Thursday and Friday rest days because of work. But got some walking in going back and forth to the different desktop areas and the server room. Even have a few ladder climbs in there.
Ray - Thanks for the link. I'll have to try that. I was trying to upload the picture from my computer.
Rich - That's one way to help with running on a treadmill.
Chantilly - This year's New Years events had weather that cold if not a little colder plus it was drizzling out. Talked with a couple that attended and they were cold the whole time. Did the 5K before New Years for the last event of the year, short rest and champagne toast to the New Year and then another 5K as the first event of the year.
This morning's 10k weather was cloudy and cool. Probably in the upper 40s to low 50s. Small event out to support AZ Disabled Sports. Course was two laps around Riverview Park and the Cubs Spring Training facility. Felt fine running and thought I was at a good pace. Flat course with 3 turn arounds in each lap. Ended up with a 50:01 time. Felt strange though as I felt I was running faster than the last 10K. 2nd in age group. There were only four of us old timers. 20/80 overall. Most of the runners towards the front were spaced out some so there wasn't much challenging going on. I tried to push it towards the end but there wasn't anyone in the immediate area to chase.
Oh well. Five weeks to the IMS half.
Art in AZ
Mesa, AZ
justrundan
Art- nice job on the 10K! You're looking in good shape for that half.
Chantilly- 32 below!? No wonder the track was busy!
Rich-You do what you have to do on the TM. changing pace, grade, switch TV channels. Whatever.
I did 8 mi on TM this morning; DW was on the elliptical for some of that, and she was watching an HGTV show, Love it or Leave It. Mostly people thinking of going from one overpriced home to another. HR belt that came with the TM was kinda funky today. late in run it would suddenly drop to about 1/2 what it should have been. Usually late in a run, the warmth allows better contact, so I hope it's not defective. We will see. So glad I don't have to try and run outside, even if it is warmer here than MN or ND!
Dan
Saturday, 1/10... 3 mile railtrail run today. Evidence of 2 dogsled teams and numerous snow mobiles out ahead of me in the snow, but the footing was still soft and slippery. Splits were 11:32, 11:22 and 10:57.
Chantilly... the town I live in just announced a 1 mile foot race as part of the festivities for this year's winter carnival on Feb. 8th, that's why I upped the pace in Friday's treadmill run, to get ready. The old saying, "You have to run faster to run faster" is silly, but true. Tempo runs help your body better handle Lactic Acid and VO2max workouts increase oxygen flow to muscles. Running faster also stretches things out a bit if you haven't done it in a while and I'm actually a little sore from just that. I'm a firm believer in mixing things up to give your body something new to adapt to as well. Whether it's smart training for an Ultra runner is another question, but it certainly can't hurt if done with a healthy dose of common sense thrown in. Another nice run for you, solid as ever!
Art... that's a solid time in your 10K and a good training run to get you ready for the half in 5 weeks.
Dan... congrats on the 8 miler, you did well. And agreed on running in the colder weather, I dislike the treadmill, but it's a lifesaver when the temp's below zero.
Friday: rest day.
On Saturday, it was around 5 degrees, 12mph wind, feels -10 but partly sunny so I drove to gym. I decided to run OUTSIDE to enjoy the sun instead .......for a few miles at least. There were other runners along the bike trail that goes through the university campus along the lake. Ran 4.1 miles. Very invigorating!! Then to the gym, 3 miles on TM, finishing with 3 miles on mini track = 10.1 miles. YAY!! 5 mins on rowing machine, 5 mins cycling, 10 mins. on weights.
Sunday (today): around 11 am, it was about 3 degrees, 5mph wind, feels -8 and SUNNY!! Decided on a short recovery run, finished 2.5 miles around neighborhood. NICE!!
Chantilly: those sub-zero temps are dreary and gets into your bones. Thank goodness you have an indoor gym to go to. You are doing fantastic! WOW!!
NH: lots of snowmobiling around here too ......with the sunny days! We had our share of those when we lived in ND but DH is selling them now. Can't believe we use to ride those in the middle of the night with a full moon on a frozen lake!! CRAZY but FUN!! Good job on running safe on those trails, good workout for your ankles.
Art: YAY!! Great finish time and congrats on the 2nd in AG!! I ran the IMS a couple of years ago, and the course goes through 4-5 towns. The back of the race shirt had a map of the course so if you feel lost or want to know where you are, just run up behind a runner, LOL!! Good race, I thought. Start is at different location, DH dropped me off there. I love the finish area, pretty exciting crowd and supporters!! One of these days, I'd like to run that again. I think the Lost Dutchman event is same day? Have you run in that event?
Dan: way to hang in there on the 8 miler!! geezzz, I hope the TM doesn't go out on you!! Give it a rest and run outside? LOL!!
Art in AZ Congratulations on your AG place in the 10 Km! Good training for the HM.
justrundan Nice run on theTM. Is the HR monitor rubbing on your shirt? Sometimes static electricity is a problem.
NH Runner One mile race.... painful.... Those TM runs should help you out, hope the weather/footing is better by Feb. for your race.
az2mntrail Some good runs with cross training for you. Does Grandma's go into Superior at all? The photos look like they are running on part of that newer divided elevated highway connecting Duluth and Superior. (I haven't been there for 10 years, so not really sure)
7 miles. Left foot sore. Went to LRS and bought a pair of Ghost 7's and will try them out tomorrow. My left foot likes Ghosts, but the right one doesn't, so I don't always buy them. These ones are much lighter than their 5 model was.
NHRich - Bounce? I think I might have too much bounce in my step...Actually, my stride changes depending on speed and I go from "gazelle" to "glider" to "grotesquely slow" I'm glad I don't have to deal with your weather and kudos for getting those runs in!
Chantilly - It's rough when work gets in the way of running! Some good runs for you too!
Art - Nice race! 2nd in AG is awesome! Sounds like the HM will be good!
Az - Think I'll go put on another sweatshirt! Great job getting your miles in!
Dan - TM when it's that cold is just what the Doctor ordered! I know how tough those TM miles can be. Kudos!
Saturday was SRD.
Sunday, Hot Chocolate 15K San Francisco. My first 15K, so I new it would be PR I didn't realize how much this race attracts women and was a bit surprised that the ratio was about 3 to 1, with just under 8000 runners for the 15K. We did packet pickup on Saturday and they were warning everyone to come early and parking would be a problem, so we did. Parking was a breeze and we stayed in the car for an extra 45 minutes before heading to the start. DW and DS1 checked our bags while DSGF and I used the porta-potties. We didn't see them, so headed to the start corrals and jumped the barrier to get in our corral just as they said go. DSGF and I were near each other for first mile, but were going a bit slower then I wanted dodging through the start. I picked up the pace on some of the downhills and was running with a 20-something for next 2 miles. He might have been tracking me for a bit before that and he slowly pulled away. Hit the 5K mark at 21:29 (if accurate a new PR for 5K). At that point you are on the Great Highway, running along the beach. This is very flat. Just before mile 5 you hit the turn around. Around 4 miles we can see the leaders returning. Finally hit the turn around and time to go back. I was trying to stay up with all the people around me, but I feel like I've sprung an oil leak. Hit the 10K mark at 44:11 - only 5K to go, how hard can it be? Much harder then I thought, turns out we're at almost 0 elevation at 10K and finsh area is at 260' . Did my best to wheeze up the hills, but I could tell the last month wasn't that great training wise. Fortunately, the last 1/4 mile is almost flat and was working hard when I finished at 1:09:06. 135th/7799 overall, 96th male and 5th in AG. Turned out 4th in AG was 134th with same time listed. DS1 net time was also 1:09:06 and 136th - you would have thought we were running together! DSGF finished in 1:18:58 and DW in 1:21:32. We got our Hot chocolate mugs, ate them up and headed for home.
Ray
10 miles this morning. Started out sunny and breezy and then the clouds moved in. Felt good running during the last couple of miles. Then did a few minutes of gardening and cut off a broccoli head for dinner tonight.
Dan - nice run on the treadmill. The HR monitor was defective. You just got in a groove running at a very efficient pace.
Rich - That's one thing I have never done but thought would be fun to do was ride a dog sled. The closest I got was having a Huskie as a pet.
AZ - Yes, the Lost Dutchman is the same weekend. Did that one a few years ago. Wanted to try someplace new. Thought the IMS was a good choice. This year part of the course goes through Luke Air Force base. Should be interesting. Even if it is on the West side of town.
Chantilly - I had a pair of Ghosts a couple of years ago. They were comfortable to run in for short distances but felt just a little off. Turned out they were neutral shoes while I use stability. Should have paid more attention when shopping. But they were great as everyday shoes.
Art - Well done on the 10k! Your training has certainly paid off.
Ray - Another nice finish. Bummer that the final 5k was mostly up hill, but you pushed through to a great time.
My 15k on Saturday started off with cloudy conditions and about 59 degrees. There were quite a few more folks entered than there were when I last ran this race 2 years ago (1300 this year for the 15k/5k). The course is fairly flat and runs along Fiesta island and Mission Bay. Unfortunately they changed the start/finish line and there is less parking nearby, so DW and I had a fairly long walk from our vehicle to the start even though we arrived an hour prior to the 15k start time. The 15k started on time at 7:30 and DW's 5k kicked off a half hour later. Felt fine at about a 9:00 pace for the first 7 miles, then legs began to tire. Cardio was okay, just got leg fatigue. Pushed through and was able to pick up the pace just a bit near the finish. They had me at 1:21:52, but my watch said 1:22:44. There were twelve others in the 60-69M age group, and my time was smack in the middle of the pack. Was blown away by the fellow who finished first in our AG at 59:49 for an overall pace of 6:25 per mile. I think I'd have to be on skates to match that! Took a while to find DW after our races as the 5k finish line was in a different location which we didn't expect. All worked out though, and after the long walk back to the car we went home for a late breakfast and spent the rest of the day taking down our Christmas decorations.
Rich
PRs: 9/1/2012 Disneyland 5K 27:08, 01/06/2013 Resolution 15K 1:30:17, 03/10/2013 San Diego HM 2:18:05, 04/19/2014 ACT! Today 10K 51:54
Monday, 1/12... took yesterday off and ran 4 miles on the treadmill today. First 2 miles to warm with heart rate @ 120 BPM, mile 3 @ 135 BPM, 145 'til 3 1/2 miles and 150 'til 3 3/4 miles. Eased up and cooled off the last 1/4 mile.
az... congrats on the 10.1 miles, nice!
Chantilly... good luck with that sore foot!
Ray, you ol' speedster you! Nice race! 9.3 miles is a long ways to shake things out, your placement among 7799 was really good! You saw the "Gazelle versus Glider" video, eh? lol
Art... can you imagine the expense of owning 10 Huskies for a dogsled team? That and the amount of work it would take to care for 'em would discourage most people. You're right though, riding in a sled with a pack of dogs pulling you along would be quite an experience. You had a nice run today, congrats. I wanted to run outside today, but got sabotaged by a snowstorm that kicked up before I had a chance to get out the door.
Rich... that's a solid time for your 15K, nicely done! The winner in your division was similar to the guy who ran the 5K I was in last Sept. in 20: xx.
rmcj001 Congratulations on your PB at 15 Km! Hot chocolate would be great afterwards. Nice to have your family there running, also doing well. You realize the elites only race a couple of times a year, not every month?
Art in AZ The weather sounds nice there now. You have broccoli in the garden? Didn't the cold weather over Christmas damage it?
WDWRich Congratulations on your 15 Km!
NH Runner Good solid TM run. I liked your video on the elite runner's stride.
Ryan Hall looks like he is over-striding in his videos.
9 miles in the new shoes. Felt good.
6 miles. Back to work.
Chantilly: Sounds like you're wearing in the new shoes quite well. Good job on the mileage!!
Grandma's does not go into Superior (WI). The course is actually along the west shore of Lake Superior. It starts at north end and finishes south in downtown area of Duluth. The HM starts halfway of the course so they all finish together in same location. I've driven along the course, very scenic until you get into the city.
Sunday: 2.5 miles outside around the neighborhood. Temp was 3 degrees, 12mph wind, feels -8 and SUNNY!!
Monday: kinda felt the blahs with slight sore throat so called it a rest day and loaded up on Vit. C (yummy oranges).
Tuesday (today): felt much better. Started out with a SUNNY morning, got much 'warmer' ......about 1 degree, 10mph wind, feels -15 but the high was 12 degrees even when the clouds set in. Drove to gym instead. Intervals by running faster pace on TM, slower pace on mini track. 15 mins weights. The spring semester for the university begin this Monday so track and field team back to their schedule where the mini track closes for a couple of hours. I try to get there before then. Finished 6.2 miles. Miles and time flew by. Wish I had more of these type of runs.
Ray: Awesome finish and place on the 15k!! "Chocolate" as part of the event name didn't give you a clue?!? Yeah, those Hot Chocolate Runs are in other cities as well and female runners outnumber the males. I missed out on the one in AZ a couple of years ago, had to head back to MN. Congrats to DW and DS and DSGF!! What's next on your list?
WDW: WAY TO GO on the 15k!! and to DW!! Your training pushed you for a strong finish!! That's alot of runners!! And that is incredible time for the 1st place in your AG!! Under an HOUR for a 15k!! Amazing!! It's humbling when 60+ yrs old runners, male and female, whiz by me!!
Art: "even if it is on the west side of town?" That area has exploded in the last few years. I like Lost Dutchman for the scenery and location but I don't like out and back races. IMS is not as scenic but it's from point A to point B, lots of turns though.
NH: dogsledding does take alot of time and training too!! It would be cool to attend a race: the dogs would be magnificent to watch!!