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Got a few race questions. (Read 910 times)


Now that was a bath...

    Ok - so my first race is five weeks from today. Originally my family were coming with me - until we noticed that the race ferry departs for the island at 6:45AM and the ferry port is 40 minutes away. We don't fancy getting all the kids up and ready that early so we have decided that I should go alone. I have a few questions though. It is a 12K race over a very hilly course and the temperature will be about 80 degrees. Apart from a towel, suncream and a change of clothes - will I need to take anything else with me? Also, they say that my bag will be transported to the finish line by ferry - is it safe to leave my money and my mobile phone in it? Today I ran 11.33K over a hilly course. I have added a bigger hill to my run (in fact almost all of todays run was on hills) in preparation for Waiheke. Do I continue to increase my distance or should I stop at 12k? Do I need to rest or taper at all before a 12k run? What is the best way to maximise my training over the next five weeks? I am also having a small issue with my left knee - it feels weak. I notice it when I am not running, it's not really painful, it just feels funny. When I am running it is fine, although I was aware of it towards the end of today's run when I was fatigued. Anything to worry about? I feel really sad that I will be crossing the finish line without my family to cheer me on. This will be a monumental achievement for me. I have only been running for five weeks and I have had to really push myself with distance, pace and hills to prepare for this race. Often I have thought that I am insane for picking this particular race as my first but I am starting to feel ready! Would have meant a lot to me though to have my nearest and dearest there to pat me on the back. Oh well! Claire xxx
  • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
  • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
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    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      I feel really sad that I will be crossing the finish line without my family to cheer me on. This will be a monumental achievement for me. I have only been running for five weeks and I have had to really push myself with distance, pace and hills to prepare for this race. Often I have thought that I am insane for picking this particular race as my first but I am starting to feel ready! Would have meant a lot to me though to have my nearest and dearest there to pat me on the back. Oh well! Claire xxx
      If I could afford the round-trip flight I'd be there in a heartbeat...heck, I'd run it with you (though you'd probably kick my ass and have to cheer ME on after you'd already crossed the finish line)! Big grin k

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

        You've only been running five weeks and you're doing a 12K? That's great. Too bad about your family but, I think you're taking the sane approach. You'll probably have enough on your mind ( pre-jitters & all) to worry about getting the kiddies up & going at that hour. If it's that warm out at race time I'd suggest tanking up on the New Zealand equivalent of Gatorade. If the race organizers are offering the ferry service I'm sure they'll be storing your gear in a secure place. I think your knee has the answer to your training schedule. Maybe you're overtraining a little bit. If you can already do the 12K distance, don't sweat it. Maybe lighten up your load a little bit & let your knee heal. I have the similar problem with my right hip. If I'm overdoing it gets hinky when I get fatigued. I just looked at the race website & it looks like they'll be photographers taking pictures of the runners during the race. They're available free at the end. That's really cool. Any race I've ever been in race pictures cost extra dough. Make sure you get any race pictures of yourself. I bet your family will be thrilled.
        JakeKnight


          You're amazing. I peeked at your log, and can't believe either the mileage or the pace you're putting in. But I think PEKE98 got it exactly right - your amazingness might be a bit ofa problem. I think you're pushing too hard. So what should you do? Well, a few things jumped out at me. One of them was Trent hiding in my bushes, but I threw a monkey in his direction and he ran away screaming. The other things: You're running what you label "hills/flats" 2-3 or more times a week. I don't know what those hills look like, of course, so maybe that's no big deal. But if those workout are actually pretty hilly, you might want to limit them to once a week. If you run hills every day, you're going to wear yourself down. Next thing - and it's a big one - is your pace. You really ought to be running your "easy" runs at least a full minute slower than your goal pace, and your long runs ought to be more like 1:30-2:00 slower. And that's your goal pace for the 12-k ... not necessarily the fastest pace you can run. I checked - and of your last 10 runs, I think all but yesterday were well below 10:00 pace ... even though your 5-k PR is at something like 9:20 pace. In fact, you've run at least two recent runs FASTER than your 5-K PR. You've got to slow down, at least a couple of these runs a week. Now I realize this advice is hard to apply to you, since you seem to improve more in a week than most do in a year. But since I doubt you'll take an extra rest day, and you may not have a choice about the hills ... if you could make one or two runs a week SLOW RECOVERY runs, I think you'd find the injury clear up ... and I think you'd end up running faster in the race. Sorry to hear about your family. I know it's hard on everybody getting up that early. Hard enough when you're running it; it's got to be just as hard to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m. (or more like 4:00 in this case?) so you can go stand in the dark. Just get a really good race picture, and make some new friends. And when you cross that finish line, look up at the camera and SMILE. None of that looking down at your watch stuff. I cannot wait to see how fast you do this.

          E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
          -----------------------------

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          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            Sorry to hear about your family. I know it's hard on everybody getting up that early. Hard enough when you're running it; it's got to be just as hard to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m. (or more like 4:00 in this case?) so you can go stand in the dark. Just get a really good race picture, and make some new friends. And when you cross that finish line, look up at the camera and SMILE. None of that looking down at your watch stuff. I cannot wait to see how fast you do this.
            No joke...I'm really eager to see how well you will do! You appear to be one of those freaky naturals, like my brother (he got the brains, the looks, the height, the speed...bastard!). You know, I had 2 races this season that my hubby and son didn't go to (both were 5ks). In some ways it was kind of nice. There's nothing quite so annoying as a 5.5 year old, chipper, zippy kid running alongside you for a bit, pleading to "go faster, mom!" as you are dying. At mile 12 of my HM I wanted to clobber him, but I wouldn't have had anything left for the finish if I had, LOL! But, like Pete points out, it's much easier to concentrate on your race and try to relax in the AM when you don't have to be mom, too. Tongue Jake gives great advice re: the training aspects, too. Don't work so hard now that you hurt yourself before your awesome first race! Smile k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

            Mile Collector


            Abs of Flabs

              Claire, I think you're amazing! Good job in getting up to 11km+ so quickly. I looked at your log, and noticed that your long runs are getting longer without any breaks in between. The aches and pains you're feeling is probably due to overtraining, as stated by others. You have 5 weeks to go, and I think you should continue to increase your mileage because it will help you prepare for the race. However, you should cut back your weekly distance (including your long run) next week to give your body a much needed rest. After that, you can increase the long run to 12 or 13k, which will give you confidence during the race. As for tapering, I don't think you need much of it. You could reduce your weekly mileage the week leading up to the race. That should give you enough time to recover. The most important thing right now is to rest! You shouldn't be pushing your body so hard so quickly without any rest.
                First, pat yourself on the back. You have trained hard and it shows! You will do very, very well. 1. Include some easy recovery runs into your training program. I mean easy runs, which for you, rocket girl, means slowing down a lot. If your knee keeps bothering you take it even easier. 2. Ice baths after long runs help a lot with aches and pains. It is easier to get into the tub and start the cold water than hopping into it. Then add some ice. You don't need to fill the tub to the top, just to get your leggs and your hips covered. Have a nice cup of hot tea while you soak and your favorite running book or magazine and you are all set. And good luck with the rest of your training. If you tell us exactly when your race starts we'll be sending good thougths your way to push you over those hills. Ewa
                I would rather wear out than rust out. - Helen Klein You create your own universe as you go along. - Winston Churchill
                  Some great advice here already. I will just add that though I agree with the recommendation to keep it slow on your easy days I'm not sure you know yet what that pace should be since you are so new to running--you are getting fitter so fast and learning that feeling of how to be "comfortable being uncomfortable" that comes with training that your training and racing paces are all a moving target. So I would just say 1.) make sure that most of your runs each week are at what feels like a pretty relaxed and easy pace (I don't know you may be doing this already) and 2.) be flexible on your goal pace for the race--run the first 1/2 to 3/4 like its a normal training run, then turn them loose. You may surprise yourself--but no matter what it will be a PR, and PR's are to be savored. I can relate to wanting your family there. My wife and kids have seen so precious few of my races. Just imagine they can see you. And then accept your pats on the back from them when you get home and tell them your race story. In some ways it is one less thing to worry about on race day...are they okay? are they giving daddy a hard time? are they bored stiff waiting around for me? You will now be able to soak in the entire race experience. Feel it all. Drink in every detail. At big races where it was necessary to check a bag (especially point-to-point races), I have always put my money and mobile phone in the bag I checked...it's one of those times when you've gotta take your chances. I've never lost anything that way. It's a bit early for a pre-race pep talk but enjoy the last few weeks of your training. You are doing great.

                  Runners run


                  Now that was a bath...

                    I like the sound of all that advice (except the ice bath - Ewa, i'll save that for more painful injuries - blimey!). I think i'll keep my runs shorter, flatter and slower for the next week. i am learning that running slow is quite a skill. I set out today to run really slow, but it's very difficult to judge when you are actually out there. Kirsten - it would have been cool to have you along for the ride. I honestly don't think that I will be any faster on race day than I am now, but I guess we will all have to wait and see. I have been concerned about pacing myself when I am setting out with other runners. I really don't want to go out too fast and have nothing left for the big hills. JK - you're a lot faster than me! Hey - what pace would you call a slow recovery run? Should they also be shorter than my usual easy runs? Everyone else - thanks so much for the supportive words and great advice. Mike - your advice about running the first half to 3/4 at training pace is what I am aiming for. I remember you telling someone else this before and I play with the idea on my longer runs already. I hold back for quite a while until I am feeling the run properly and I guess this will be particularly important on a hilly course. I am 50% excited about it and 50% nervous about it. I'll defintely be sharing when the race is though Ewa. In fact I have a feeling that you won't be able to shut me up in the week before! Claire xxx
                  • jlynnbob "HTFU, Kookie's distal tibia"
                  • Where's my closet? I need to get back in it.
                    zoom-zoom


                    rectumdamnnearkilledem

                      I have been concerned about pacing myself when I am setting out with other runners. I really don't want to go out too fast and have nothing left for the big hills.
                      That can be really tough. When Eryn and I did the HM we realized that we had run the first mile in 10 minutes...which was a little faster pace than either of us wanted to do, so we had to REALLY concentrate on going slower after that. It's VERY easy to get caught up with the crowd and the excitement, but if you can check your stopwatch at early distance markers it can really help a lot. k

                      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                           ~ Sarah Kay

                      bas


                        All of what they ^^^ said. Plus, what helped me against overdoing it during my long runs was a heart rate monitor. At first I didn't want to use one, thinking: 'Hey, I am old but not that old!' But then I read about the benefits, asked people who own them wheter they actually use them and what they thought about that... That's when I started to understand that a HRM is not about being afraid my heart will stop while running. Makes sense, when my heart stops I won't be able to read the little screen in any case. Anyway, I bought one and now this device slows me down on long runs. It feels much better this way, and I seem to be training more efficiently for races too. Or so they tell me Smile bas

                        52° 21' North, 4° 52' East

                          I like the sound of all that advice (except the ice bath - Ewa, i'll save that for more painful injuries - blimey!). I think i'll keep my runs shorter, flatter and slower for the next week. i am learning that running slow is quite a skill. I set out today to run really slow, but it's very difficult to judge when you are actually out there.Claire xxx
                          I really struggled with this. Every time I ran outside I was doing it at my race pace. Having purchased a Garmin really helped. You could also try a Nike+
                          RunningHammer


                            I honestly don't think that I will be any faster on race day than I am now, but I guess we will all have to wait and see. I have been concerned about pacing myself when I am setting out with other runners. I really don't want to go out too fast and have nothing left for the big hills.
                            Hi Claire I was concerned with the same thing on my first race 2 months ago (is that all it is, feels like forever!). I think you will surprise yourself though - if you carbo load and taper the week before the race i think you'll find like me that you run that race like the wind. The trouble with that is, if you take off too quick then you'll be knackered for those hills. My advice is when you see people flying past you at the start, DON'T GIVE IN to the temptation to keep up with them. It is REALLY difficult because as a beginner you've trained hard for your first race and feel stronger than you ever have before, but you can suddenly feel inadequate cos all these "experienced" runners are flying past you after 1/4 mile. But it's not really like that. Be firm with yourself and run your own pace. Cos it'll be you laughing at the other end of the race. Wink Cheers Dave
                            Chris UK


                              These links can be useful (with the usual caveat of appropriate training for the event etc.)- Training Pace Calculators http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=1676 http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%201/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm Race Time Predictors http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=1681 http://jeffgalloway.com/resources/gallracepredict.html Modified to wish you good luck with the training and race!! Blush

                              2013

                              3000 miles

                              Sub 19:00 for 5K  05-03-13 Clee Prom 5K - 19:00:66 that was bloody close!

                              Sub-40:00 for 10K 17-03-13 Gainsborough 10K - 39:43

                              Sub 88:00 for HM