Healed Hammy
On Thur 7/4 I ran my first 10k in over 30 years. This is the 33rd running of the Revolutionary Run in Washington Crossing, PA, yes the very place where Washington crossed the Delaware over 240 years ago. Woke up early, the race is only 10 minutes away and I was too lazy to pre-register, so I ponied up the extra $5 ($30 total) and got no tee shirt, but had to be there at 7:00am for an 8:30am start.
Temps were 77 deg with a 74 dew point that early, so yes it was hot. Flat course, out and back along the Delaware river on a paved street. I must have nailed the tangents since Garmin said 6.2 miles, I suspect the course was not certified. Start line was a single stroke of sidewalk chalk and 2 small American flags. Over 700 runners in the 10k, the 800 or so 5k runners started 15 min earlier.
My A goal was sub 46:00, B goal was sub 47:00, C goal was to finish if the heat was too bad. I ran 46:33.
My fall goal is to run 3:45 in the Philly marathon, and based on McMillan I should be able to run 7:20 splits for the 10k. Race day adjustment said run 7:40 due to the heat. Funny how my last 5k and this 10k line up in McMillan - each race predicts the other to within 5 sec so my effort is consistent with the calculators.
Splits as per Garmin 7:27 7:19 7:32 7:40 7:42 7:29 7:18 (last .2mi)
I started about 8 rows back, settling in nicely behind a really tall blonde (hehe...I am a guy after all, lol). First mile I remark to a guy that I wonder how many peeps we will pass soon as I was running a 7:25 pace and they were sprinting. Anyway, only 2 other runners pass me after mile 1 and I passed plenty on the way. My breathing was close to 4 x 4 on the first 2 miles, harder than normal but not panting. Funny how some other runners were really breathing hard that early. Course is flat (although it actually is uphill as you run along a river, duh water flows downhill). I slowed a bit due to heat, mile 4 had a water break where I stopped for about 3-4 sec to get water in my, I was sweating really hard then. My breathing never progressed beyond a 3x3 pattern with most of that on the last mile. It was hard, I was clearly looking to finish, but I never felt in pain or like I couldn't take another step. Anyway, glad it was over, no bling, watermelon and water after. Said hi to a few friends and was back home by 10:00.
My question is: Did I really just run a 6.2 mile tempo rather than race, McMillan has my tempo pace in the 7:20 - 7:40 range. I have been averaging 35 miles a week for the last 5 months with most runs around 8:30-8:40. Secondly, since it has been so long since I last raced (high school), I forget what a hard effort is. Should I expect to race at a 3x3 pattern for about 4 miles and then go to a 2x2 for the last 2 as closer to maximum effort? It is funny how we mentally hold back to avoid pain, yet that is the very essence of racing - maximum effort = maximum pain. I suspect that I really did not challenge myself and instead ran a hard workout. Any thoughts as to what race effort versus tempo effort feels like (I know the comfortably hard mantra - but that has so many different meanings to runners). For me equating that to a breathing pattern is has more relevance, since that relates to effort. Could one run a 10k at a 2x2 pattern the entire time for instance?
McMillan has your tempo at that pace but without adjusting for weather. I think you raced it well, considering the weather, or if not, a tad slower, depending on which adjustment calculator you look at (I would have adjusted 10-15sec/mile). You cannot expect to run the same pace as McMillan estimates you when it's warmer.
Looking at your splits, it could be that you're faster than you think and the McMillan paces are too slow for what you can do now. Only you can tell that later in the training, or maybe try another race in early Fall and see.
Congrats on the race.
Damaris
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All I'll say is that I happen to be in your area right now, and have been here since the 5th. If you ran that race in this heat and humidity, you deserve major kudos. I've been running indoors, in A/C and the humidity damned near wiped my out on Saturday even so. It was a little better yesterday but still.
Congrats on a great comeback race, regardless of whether it was a tempo run, race or whatever you did, it was fast and a great effort in this weather.
First of all nice race. That is a solid effort in the weather you had. If you haven't raced much since high school, it is very possible that the race calculators don't work very well for you yet. First of all, your conditioning is probably still improving rapidly, so a hard effort 2 months ago, may not be so hard now. Also, these calculators only work if you have recently raced at full effort. I don't know if you have done this. In my view, it will take a few races before you really get the feel for race effort. It is not a terrible thing to push too hard in a 5k or 10k, bonk and find your limits. The stakes are low and you will learn from it.
2013 goals: 800m: 2:20 | mile: 4:59 | 5k: 18:59 | 10k: 39:59 | HM: 1:32 | Marathon: 3:20
Skirt Runner
Nice job!
I can't answer any of your questions.... but I want to hear a little more about the course. I am considering doing a 15K race there later this summer to replace one of my LRs. I am trying to find a few longer races this summer while HM training to mix things up a bit and the Washington's Crossing 15K is a good candidate. Is the course gravel? If so is it very difficult to run on? Is it really narrow and get congested?
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
I will be running the 15k this year, I did it last year. Runs on a Sat night, weather was not too bad last year. Entire course is shaded (well 95% or so). Starts out in the park, 1st 1/3 mile on paved roads, then turns onto the packed red shale stone path. Could be some puddles if there was rain, otherwise nearly an ideal surface to run on.
Not crowded, path is 3' wide with grass on either side, maintained by the Park Service. 4 water stops if necessary. Free parking in a safe area, short walk across a grass field to the check in. Course is out and back, there were about 140 runners last year. Chip timed, nice food spread afterwards (pizza, pasta, fruits, juices, water). Lots of awards, finishes well into daylight, all-n-all a good run. Come on down and we can FE, you will be pleased I hope.
SheCan
First 10k in 30 years and you did that good???? That's not fair! Er...I mean, congratulations, great job! Seriously.
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson
For me, steady state tempo runs and 10k races are similar in agony but for different reasons. Steady state runs are difficult because the pace is challenging but you are in training, so the mental demons have a field day with me.
A 10k is difficult because you are usually racing faster than tempo pace, so it hurts physically and you have the mental demons at play.
Depending on where you are fitness-wise, it may have been a tempo run, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I did something similar for my first 10k of the year (ran it at tempo pace) but each successive one thereafter I targeted 25 to 15 seconds of my 5k pace for 10k race pace.
No matter how you slice it, it was a good race for you. And you should be ready to step up the pace for your next 10k.
A couple of thoughts. First, I don't see your 5K time anywhere. It's difficult to say anything without having that for a base point. Second, I breathe 2 x 2 regardless of my pace and that is what Daniels recommends. It's not that I do it because Daniels recommends it but I have found that a 2 x 2 breathing patters works well for me. The only thing that changes as my pace increases is the effort it takes for me to breathe.
Having said that, I plugged your 10K time into a Daniels VDOT calculator which I find much more useful than McMillan. His paces are just too damn wide. There is an enormous difference between 7:20 and 7:40. Daniels gives you one and only one number. With a 10K of 46:33, Daniels gives you a tempo pace of 7:42. He also gives you an easy pace of 9:37 and while I don't run my easy paces quite as easy as Daniels suggests, I do think you are running your easy runs way too hard. An 8:30 easy pace is more appropriate for someone running about a 20:00 5K.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
flashlight and sidewalk
Way to hit your B-Goal in the tough conditions.
You use breathing patterns like the gears on a bicycle? That's what I do too! (not everybody does this...I have found that I don't need to do this either, but I still like it). Try doing an easy run with faster breathing (3x3 or 2x2 or 2x3)...you get used to the huffing and puffing and it doesn't feel like as much work after a while.
It sounds to me like you are questioning where the ragged edge between blowing up and running your best race is. The only time I really knew where that point was for any race distance, I was running a lot of races (5ks).
**Ask me about streaking**
Sounds awesome!! I am strongly considering it!
I will be running the 15k this year, I did it last year. Runs on a Sat night, weather was not too bad last year. Entire course is shaded (well 95% or so). Starts out in the park, 1st 1/3 mile on paved roads, then turns onto the packed red shale stone path. Could be some puddles if there was rain, otherwise nearly an ideal surface to run on. Not crowded, path is 3' wide with grass on either side, maintained by the Park Service. 4 water stops if necessary. Free parking in a safe area, short walk across a grass field to the check in. Course is out and back, there were about 140 runners last year. Chip timed, nice food spread afterwards (pizza, pasta, fruits, juices, water). Lots of awards, finishes well into daylight, all-n-all a good run. Come on down and we can FE, you will be pleased I hope.
The only thing that changes as my pace increases is the effort it takes for me to breathe.
Yeah I couldn't even tell you what breathing pattern I use. I tinkered with it my first year running but found trying to count breaths and steps too much for my bird brain to handle so I bailed on the whole idea.
The one thing I can say about breathing at race pace (whatever the distance is) is that I try to get into a rhythm of inhales and exhales, but other than that I got nothing.
Go figure
Yeah I couldn't even tell you what breathing pattern I use. I tinkered with it my first year running but found trying to count breaths and steps too much for my bird brain to handle so I bailed on the whole idea. The one thing I can say about breathing at race pace (whatever the distance is) is that I try to get into a rhythm of inhales and exhales, but other than that I got nothing.
I have to say, I'm always confused when LTH says 2x2. I probably breathe in for a good 6 steps before I exhale, and would just feel like I was panting if I tried to get a breath in every two steps. This is probably one of those things where there is an ideal number, maybe even 2x2, but lots of other options work too (much like swimming).
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
SIAR, for me my breathing pattern coincides with steps. Initially I take four steps on the inhale (left/right/left/right) and then exhale on the same 4, hence the 4x4. When I get to a race pace or R pace then I am 2x2 (left/right inhale, left/right exhale), obviously trying to get more oxygen in my system.
Breathing in a pattern helps me to stay focused during a race, tuning into how hard my effort its. On a long run I rarely worry about breathing unless I am going up a hill and then only to make sure I am not running it too fast. I find that patterning helps to maintain a pace. What I don't know is how hard I was truly running. LTH indicated a steady 2x2 rate, using leg turnover as the measure of speed. Right now that would not work for me. Recently I read in the main forums that a 3x2 may be an optimal intake/exhale rate but I suspect that there is no hard data to back that up. Mind you, these patterns are for race efforts and hard workouts, not your typical GA or long run segment.
Hip Redux
I have tried this, and I get lightheaded because, yeah, it's more like panting. I don't hit 2x2 until I am really cranking (relative, of course, since my cranking is your LR pace). I'm sure comfortable breathing pattern is a personal/relative thing.
I posted this in the other thread, but the article below talks about breathing patterns and has been really helpful for me. I feel much more at ease with my pace when I concentrate on my breathing. If I start talking or lose focus, I end up with really ragged breathing and that sucks.
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/running-air-breathing-technique