blog, training log
warmup - 9:24/154, 9:07/131 -- wonky HRM first mile 7:18/155, 7:18 /162, 7:14/164, 6:59/164, 7:09/166, 7:02/168, 7:15/168, 7:09/167, 7:31/168,7:18/167, 7:10/169, 7:04/167, 7:06/168, 0:45/171 (0.10) cooldown - 8:47/153, 8:28/150 Here are the splits from the Frederick marathon I ran in May for comparison 7:35/157, 7:21/168, 7:31/170, 7:34/169, 7:26/170, 7:26/171, 7:23/171, 7:28/171, 7:34/171, 7:32/171, 7:26/172, 7:38/172, 7:43/172, 7:40/173, 7:31/173, 7:29/173, 8:04/173, 7:35/173, 8:14/174, 7:53/174, 7:42/173, 7:56/173, 7:57/174, 7:40/176, 8:10/176, 7:58/175, 2:24/180. I'm pretty excited about the speed improvement, but I'm also nervous that I'll go out to fast using my normal HR plan and end up bonking. Any advice?
Oh, and stop it with the frickin' metric. This is America where we rely on arbitrary and senseless measurements. And if you're going to measure splits in miles, then why the ks? Bad karma. Stop it.
run-easy-race-hard
The Frederick HR plan was definitely aggressive. I was walking the line between giving myself a chance at 3:15:59 and sticking to the usual HR plan. Those early 170's would normally be 168's. Still a 3-minute positive split with the second half hills and wind wasn't too bad as I'm sure Jesse can tell you.
I've noticed over the years that my breathing rhythm seems to have increased as my times have improved. MAF HR started out at somewhere between 5-5 and 4-4 (steps breathing in - steps breathing out) and is now probably between 4-4 and 3-3. Have others experienced this? Part of the reason I ask is that I've had a semi-sudden improvement in pace at a given heart rate and I'm wondering if it's real because my breathing is harder than I'm used to at a given heart rate. ...
This is a great topic. Breathing out is obviously important, maybe even more important because of how carbon dioxide regulates breathing and heart rate. Somewhere long ago, Maffetone talked about this pattern of breathing. When I was testing athletes on the treadmill, it was clear that those who exhaled one more step than the number of inhalation steps, their heart rate did not get as high and their fat burning remained higher. It's not dramatic, but it's somewhat significant. I think Maffetone's take on this was about mechanical stress -- if you're always breathing in on the same foot-strike it can increase stress on those joints more. I look at it from a standpoint of the cardiovascular effects, and how metabolism might be affected (fat and sugar burning). I typically breath in for 3 steps, then out 4; or in 4, out 5. If I'm anaerobic I may go to 2-3 (or occasionally 1-2).
Interesting. I was monitoring my breathing the other day during a run, and I realized I definitely take longer to exhale than to inhale. Don't most of us do this? (honest question!)
Jesse, at the risk of criticizing the guru, I think your method of running by feel w/o regard for goal time is terrific in the abstract but not the way to go for Greg who has tried for at least two years to hit the magical 3:15:59. Remember, when we gamble with our time we choose our destiny. (gee that dovetailed well with the mental soundtrack) For this one race, I would take the most conservative route possible to achieve that goal. Greg, you can run by feel in Boston and find out just how miserable that can make you when the course is loaded with "easy" downhill miles at the start of a race. If I wasn't already booked, I'd come pace you for the first 20 -- and then watch you fade into the distance as I reel for breath. But this is the year that I tackle the dreaded JFK 50. The Jesster can handle a marathon a week after 50, but that's out of this hombre's league.
I didn't know you were doing JFK.
Max McMaffelow Esq.
Said Arthur Miller to Marilyn Monroe.