running by feel...what did I do wrong? (Read 1495 times)

I think you need to remind yourself that your workout goal was 'easy run' when you started trying to run down someone else. Racing during an easy run are generally two incompatible ideas.

'xactly. It's no big deal to do this on occasion, but don't make a habit of compromising your workouts just because someone's ahead of you. Save it for the start line.

Modified to add: You win, Berner. You officially pissed me off. Congratulations.

Hopefully this was sarcasm. Nothing in my response should have been interpreted as a personal attack against you or against hippies in general. Next time use more emoticons please.

Berner, nothing in jay's original post indicates that the run FELT like a race or hard effort. If so he can correct me. He himself eluded that the hamstring was a SEPARATE ISSUE, which led me to conclude that is has been a problem recently. You are leaping to the conclusion that only speed causes injuries...of the few running injuries I've had none occurred during fast sessions. They can happen any time so that is a faulty conclusion. If it were a hard effort, it would feel hard. When was the last time you ran yourself into the ground and felt like it was a morning stroll? On a side note, the next time you insinuate I am part of the "hippie crowd" you WILL piss me off. There is a distinct difference between hippies and people who just happen to have a ton of experience in this sport.

I respect your right to drink the kool-aid and try the "running by feel" thing.

and this is different from the HRM kool-aid how?

I guess I am the only one around here that uses a HRM, but isn't a slave to it.

One of the only ones.

On a side note, the next time you insinuate I am part of the "hippie crowd" you WILL piss me off. There is a distinct difference between hippies and people who just happen to have a ton of experience in this sport.

Eh. What do you know? It's not like you ever ran a 2:28 marathon.

Eh. What do you know? It's not like you ever ran a 2:28 marathon.

Your obvious sarcasm aside, Jake, being fast and giving good advice aren't synonymous. One of the earliest (and best) pieces of advice I picked up when new to running was that you don't follow someone's training plan just because they run faster than you. Anyway, Pfiztinger has a better PR than spaniel anyway.

On a side note, the next time you insinuate I am part of the "hippie crowd" you WILL piss me off. There is a distinct difference between hippies and people who just happen to have a ton of experience in this sport.

Not sure why you would take offense at my post, but I don't think anyone was questioning your experience. Experience isn't the issue here; the issue is trying to help a fellow runner in our little community here become better runner. In fact, I don't even think I recommended that the OP change his approach. Re-read my post; I actually told him to stay the course with his "running by feel" thing while keeping note of the pluses and minuses.

and this is different from the HRM kool-aid how?

No difference at all. But if a HRM helps keeps you in-check and running healthy, then I say wear the damn HRM. Indeed, the only reason I even posted in the thread is because no one was addressing the injury issue. I have to say it again: if you can't get through a planned 6 mile easy run without aggravating an injury, then something wrong is going on. It could be any one of a hundred things, but when someone posts about an injury within a couple days of trying a new training approach, I don't think I'm off base to raise the possibility that the approach could be part of the problem or could be making the problem worse.

I don't think it's a debate, it's more of just berner referring to running by feel as 'kool-aid' and anyone who does it as a 'hippy', so being a bit of a troll.

Since you seem inclined to take a personal shot at me, allow me to clarify. The "hippy" reference is an inside gag in the 2000 Mile group, of which many of the "running by feel" posters are members. If you haven't spent time reading that group's forum, the reference might be lost on you. In any event, its not a terribly inapposite label, considering that we're talking about science-based rigid training schedules, on the one hand, and experience-based run-by-feel training philosophies, on the other hand. (If for some reason you consider "hippy" to be a personal insult, that's your own personal politics at play, and I can't really be held accountable for your sensitivities.) As for the "kool aid" comment, well, I consider that pretty appropriate as well. The whole "running by feel" thing on this message board shares a lot of elements with classic cult culture: the group displays zealous and unquestioning commitment to its belief system; questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished; the group is elitist; the group's beliefs are supported by experiential or anecdotal evidence, and scientific review of the group's beliefs are discouraged; the group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality. Admittedly an overly dramatic comparison, but enough to make me chuckle. For the record, I don't actually think you folks are "hippies" or cultists. I just have a different opinion on how a newer runner can optimally train than you do.