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How to get faster (Read 367 times)


Feeling the growl again

     

     

    An update for you all...I can't believe how much I'm enjoying NOT TIMING my runs. Holy cow. I wish I had done this a longggg time ago. I'm enjoying myself so much more than obsessing over pace.

     

     

     

    This is very good to hear.  Smile

    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

     

    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

     


    running > all else

      Looking back through the thread, I can finally reply...now that I have some downtime. Life gets in the way too much.

       

      While some of you think the thread went off track when the topic of HR came up...I think it's important to touch on. I don't have any issues with that, for either running or cycling. I have been cycling for a number of years, but it works the body slightly differently than running, of course.

       

      But, with running, I haven't pushed to a 13 mile run...so, I wonder...how does one 'control' a sustainable HR, throughout a HM? I tend to be a worrier...lol One more thing to worry about now!


      Feeling the growl again

         

         

        But, with running, I haven't pushed to a 13 mile run...so, I wonder...how does one 'control' a sustainable HR, throughout a HM? I tend to be a worrier...lol One more thing to worry about now!

         

        It is about learning yourself and knowing how to pace through the race.  No better way than to get experience.  Start out slow on your first one.  As you learn you will know in 2-3 races how hard an effort to start out at.

         

        Also, you will experience cardiac drift.  At a given effort your HR will climb.  If you try to hold an even HR throughout you will leave time on the course.  Cardiac drift is the result of both fatigue and dehydration.

         

        My first HM, I started out slow...fast conversational pace.  But I gained confidence and hammered the last 3-4 miles at much faster than average pace, so I probably still finished within 30sec of my top ability on that day had I paced evenly.  Much better than a crash-and-burn.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         

          haha okay. No such thing as crashing my thread though...all are welcome. I can glean something from everyone, I'm sure. Smile

           

          An update for you all...I can't believe how much I'm enjoying NOT TIMING my runs. Holy cow. I wish I had done this a longggg time ago. I'm enjoying myself so much more than obsessing over pace. I'm so grateful for the advice, you have no idea! It's the little things. This might seem to obvious to some of you,but when you get stuck in patterned behavior...you don't know how to change it. I would never have guessed...running without timing and just concentrate on increasing mileage would be the best way to train for a 1/2 marathon. That's just...ugh...awesome! You are all brilliant. lol I think so, anyways.

           

          I will update my log later. This weekend I plan to run a longer run, Saturday...trying to exceed 6 miles. No matter how grim or slow it goes. I have run 6+ miles before, but gosh, it's been a while. Weight lifting sort of shifted running to a supplemental activity. So bringing it up to the forefront, it's just taken some adjusting. Anyways...I'm really excited! Smile

           

           

           

          Since I bashed up my foot and it has some gnarly bone spurs in my big toe, I stopped timing run for months.  I didn't want to know pace, but I did know I wanted to run.  I even ran/walked {GASP}..what walked?!  yep, walked in my runs and I counted it as part of the distance.  It was glorious!  No Garmin could grade my run.   Gadget free and I still do it most of the week and I give myself an A for getting it done.  I've also filled in my missing mileage with weight lifting.  Figure the stronger I get, the harder it is for me to fall apart.

           

          Good luck this weekend - Let us know!  Willie


          running > all else

            Yes, experience is a good teacher. (sometimes lol) Thx for the feedback about cardiac drift. I have a feeling I'm going to be asking you lots of questions, if that is ok. haha Smile

             

             

            It is about learning yourself and knowing how to pace through the race.  No better way than to get experience.  Start out slow on your first one.  As you learn you will know in 2-3 races how hard an effort to start out at.

             

            Also, you will experience cardiac drift.  At a given effort your HR will climb.  If you try to hold an even HR throughout you will leave time on the course.  Cardiac drift is the result of both fatigue and dehydration.

             

            My first HM, I started out slow...fast conversational pace.  But I gained confidence and hammered the last 3-4 miles at much faster than average pace, so I probably still finished within 30sec of my top ability on that day had I paced evenly.  Much better than a crash-and-burn.

               Much better than a crash-and-burn.

              +100!


              running > all else

                lol about 'walking.' That's a great story. I laugh reading 'gadget free.' Yea, perhaps that's it too...a mindset of always needing a gadget of some sort to track life. I don't mind keeping track of my pace. It's been something I've grown used to doing for a long time. But, it definitely has caused me to lose some of the spontaneity and fun of my runs. I took to running years ago, because I liked the freedom of it. But, realistically, I will get back to pacing myself, but it's good to know I can work on my training for the HM, without having to worry about my pace at the moment. I weight lift too. I think that is a great way to fill your time during your recovery period. Weight lifting ...knowing you can pick up heavy things without help...is really a cool feeling. haha

                 

                Thx for your support here!

                 

                 

                 

                Since I bashed up my foot and it has some gnarly bone spurs in my big toe, I stopped timing run for months.  I didn't want to know pace, but I did know I wanted to run.  I even ran/walked {GASP}..what walked?!  yep, walked in my runs and I counted it as part of the distance.  It was glorious!  No Garmin could grade my run.   Gadget free and I still do it most of the week and I give myself an A for getting it done.  I've also filled in my missing mileage with weight lifting.  Figure the stronger I get, the harder it is for me to fall apart.

                 

                Good luck this weekend - Let us know!  Willie

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