Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition (Read 448 times)

darkwave


Mother of Cats

    Potentially interesting biological stuff: Through work wellness stuff I was able to go get a Dexa scan and RMR (resting metabolic rate) test Friday after a half-day at work, and today a continuous glucose monitor (2 week trial thing) showed up at my door. I haven't put that on just yet, but probably will later today.

    With this info available to me I'm also curious about getting a Vo2Max test. Not so much to know what that number is, but rather to see the mix of fats/carbohydrates my body burns at different intensities, and seeing exactly where the tipping point is where I switch from primarily fats to primarily carbohydrates.

     

     

    Some observations:

    My dominant limbs (right arm/left leg) have more mass than my weak side limbs, and the left side of my body overall is more lean than the right (strikes me as a bit odd that my dominant leg is leaner than the other, but my dominant arm is less lean than the other).

     

    Runner's bone density for the win! In particular, my legs, pelvis, and spine are particularly dense.

     

    I can't help but see my total fat mass (I know a certain portion of this is essential for health) from a  "seconds per mile" perspective.

    You and everyone else.

     

    I get a DEXA every two years to check bone density.  I've asked if they can give me body fat/muscle too, and they always tell me that "it's not that kind of DEXA" - I'm not sure if that's true, or if they just don't want to get sucked into the body fat measurement side of it.

     

    Interesting on the distribution of leanness.

    Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

     

    And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

    SteveChCh


    Hot Weather Complainer

      Earthquakes and tornados - I have now experienced:

      a) a small (EF1) tornado that the mid-west people would ignore, and

      b) a small earthquake (5.8 magnitude) that the Californians and Kiwis would laugh at. 

       

      Didn't get any advance warning for either.    The tornado was scarier, but that was because I first thought that the earthquake was just a metro (subway) train rattling through underneath (only to remember a minute later that there was no metro track under my condo).  We were pretty sure that it was a tornado or close to one due to the wind and the noise.

       

      My Californian friends were critical of my decision to grab my cat and exit my condo as soon as I realized there had been an earthquake.  I maintain that staying inside post-earthquake makes a lot of sense if you are in a building designed for them.  If you are living in the basement of a 100+ year building that was never designed for any sort of earthquake, you exit promptly.

       

      Both earthquakes and tornados are less scary to me than being without a car for an extended period of time.

       

      5.8 is getting up there!  Depending on the type of earthquake.  The major ChCh one was only 6.3 but was shallow and directly under the city.  I'm pretty sure the ground velocity numbers were the highest ever recorded in a populated area.

       

      99% of the buildings were damaged beyond repair but stayed up long enough for people to get out (with 2 major and tragic exceptions).  I would agree that getting outside is almost always the best option.  Possibly the exception would be if you're in an area with tall buildings and at risk of being hit by debris or glass.  Buildings in Christchurch are now built at a very high earthquake standard though so maybe staying now is an option.

      5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

       

      2024 Races:

      Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

      Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

      Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

      Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

      zebano


        Potentially interesting biological stuff: Through work wellness stuff I was able to go get a Dexa scan and RMR (resting metabolic rate) test Friday after a half-day at work, and today a continuous glucose monitor (2 week trial thing) showed up at my door. I haven't put that on just yet, but probably will later today.

        With this info available to me I'm also curious about getting a Vo2Max test. Not so much to know what that number is, but rather to see the mix of fats/carbohydrates my body burns at different intensities, and seeing exactly where the tipping point is where I switch from primarily fats to primarily carbohydrates.

         

         

        Some observations:

        My dominant limbs (right arm/left leg) have more mass than my weak side limbs, and the left side of my body overall is more lean than the right (strikes me as a bit odd that my dominant leg is leaner than the other, but my dominant arm is less lean than the other).

         

        Runner's bone density for the win! In particular, my legs, pelvis, and spine are particularly dense.

         

        I can't help but see my total fat mass (I know a certain portion of this is essential for health) from a  "seconds per mile" perspective.

         

        This is really interesting stuff though I'm not sure what you can actually do with the information. If you didn't have good bone density that'd be a different story. Careful with the fat mass conclusion.

         

        How did RMR compare to the generic BMR calculations that are available online? and what's the difference between the two rates.

        1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

        JMac11


        RIP Milkman

          James - your tornado vs. earthquake example is similar to "how would you rather die: cancer or a heart attack?" One is prolonged and painful, the other is quick. Most people say heart attack, but some like knowing they have time to say goodbye to their families. Either way, it sucks. I'll throw hurricanes into the mix too.

           

          Personally, I am still very scared of lightning. I was on the golf course two years ago when a "bolt from the blue" almost struck us. It was one of those where the light was blinding, the sound was like a bomb, and the two were at the same time, meaning it stuck within a quarter mile of where I was standing. After that, I don't screw around with it anymore. I try to use the 30 second rule to start heading in, but will run for cover once it gets within 10 seconds (which I had to do last night in a storm). I'm still not sure how Central Park compares to other locales in terms of lightning safety. In one regard, it's in the middle of Manhattan, which is probably the safest place in the world to be outside during a tstorm. OTTH, you're a good half mile from the nearest building in parts of CP, so I don't know how far lightning will travel to hit the highest point, knowing it doesn't always do that.

           

          Steve - are you saying they had to tear down 99% of Christchurch? That's crazy.

           

          I agree with Zebano on the information: cool, but not sure how you can use it. Maybe smarter minds can tell us how.

          5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

           

           

          Running Problem


          Problem Child

            Apparently my wife's cousin was struck by lightening as a kid. I think twice.

             

            dwave makes sense to go outside after an earthquake for the exact reason you said. Even a building designed for it wouldn't be where I'd want to be after one hit. Unless it was a 7am morning and I was a teenager having it wake me up. I'd roll over after I realized what it was.

             

            Jmac Electricity in general scares me. Well...I have a healthy respect for it. Sucks/ironic you workout last night was interrupted....by lightening. I saw your TDP score. I thought MY day was bad. SHEESH! Oh and the downside of Central Park during a lightening storm is if lightening hits a tree and breaks a branch off while you're on your way home. Some say a car is safe. I think my house is safer than CP. Mostly because it's cozy inside. 

             

            Steve I assume you're talking about the 2011 earthquake. 5th deadliest event in the city. A plane flight is number one.

             

            One thing people don't talk about with earthquakes is duration and aftershocks. A 7.2 magnitude is a big hit but if it happens for 4 seconds it isn't much compared to a 5.4 going for 2 minutes. 1989 earthquake that interrupted the World Series was 15 seconds and centered 10 miles (16km) away. It was destructive because San Francisco is built on top of loose ground and 3 inches apart from the next building. There were 20 aftershocks of a 4.0 or larger for the next week. I was about 5 years old so too young to really remember it happening. It is the "big one" in the California I grew up in.

            2018 Anchorage earthquake was a 7.1 and had 80 aftershocks of 5.0. One of them was a 5.7 and it occurred six minutes after the first hit. One article I read says the 7.1 is equal to 3.9 billion pounds (1.769e9 kg) of force. It was about 10 seconds long as well. I think being able to see a tornado going away from you is different than the earth moving under with no idea when it will stop or if it will get worse. The1964 earthquake up there was a 9.2 and lasted 4-5 minutes. MINUTES.

             

             

            y'all get bodies measured? I thought that was top tier sponsored athlete type stuff. I just stopped stepping on the scale and looked at what I was eating to determine my body mass. I think it improved each time I cut beer/wine out of the diet. Also when I switched to sugar free energy drinks.

            Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

            VDOT 53.37 

            5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

              Its amazing how quickly astronauts lose bone density in zero gravity hence all the exercise equipment on the space station.

              Running must encourage our body to make our legs stronger for sure, bones and muscles. Thats why the " how are your knees holding up " is a myth 

               

              Met up with Steve yesterday for a nice hour jog round Hagley Park. Great catchup. Always good to run with a forum member.

              55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

              " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

              Somewhere in between is about right "      

               

              CommanderKeen


              Cobra Commander Keen

                 

                This is really interesting stuff though I'm not sure what you can actually do with the information. If you didn't have good bone density that'd be a different story. Careful with the fat mass conclusion.

                 

                How did RMR compare to the generic BMR calculations that are available online? and what's the difference between the two rates.

                 

                 

                Online calculators predicted my RMR at ~1725kCal/day, this system predicted 1,780. My measures RMR was 1,930. So I'm ~8% above their predicted value, and they consider "normal" to be +/- 10% of the predicted value.


                Mostly this is for general health and seeing how different things affect my body. I think it'll be interesting to see how my blood sugar reacts during longer fasted runs.

                 

                This morning I had zero impact from eating a couple stroopwafels 30 minutes prior to my workout. It spiked to 110 at about the time of my 3rd interval, nearly 90 minutes after eating (given the delay of a GCM vs finger prick this likely was actually happening as my intervals first started). High point of 121 was ~15 minutes after my last interval, right in the middle of my cool-down. I was at about 109 at the end of the workout, and back down to 92 within the next 15 minutes.

                No increase in blood sugar during/after meals yesterday evening or today (low to no carbs) - my post-prandial glucose readings have so far been below the reference ranges for even a fasted pre-diabetes diagnosis.
                I know I haven't had it for long, but so far I can't decide if this GCM is super-interesting or completely boring. Time to do some food tests!

                5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

                 

                Upcoming Races:

                 

                 

                SteveChCh


                Hot Weather Complainer

                  JMac - I should clarify, 99% of the CBD was demolished.  It was several years before the whole CBD was accessible again due to constant aftershocks hitting unsafe buildings.  I'd say less than half has been replaced so far.  In the suburbs it wasn't quite as bad but I believe 20-30K houses were demolished.  Some rebuilt, some land condemned.  I don't know the exact numbers but I would guess over 80% of houses needed repairs of some kind.  Unfortunately some are still waiting, or waiting for the repairs to be repaired.  Some insurance companies did not cover themselves in glory.

                   

                  Great to catch up with piwi last night.  I had no knee soreness except a couple of times when it was so minor I normally wouldn't even think about it.  It's pulled up well today too.  I don't know how to describe it though, but something doesn't feel quite right.  Like if I did a hard session I think it wouldn't cope well.  Also feeling quite low on motivation.  I think I'll see how I go for the rest of the week and then decide if I want to do this race in 3 weeks.  I want to cash in some fitness in a race but not much point if it's a chore.  I wish it was a month later.

                  5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

                   

                  2024 Races:

                  Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

                  Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

                  Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                  Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                  watsonc123


                    I would be surprised if there were any Christchurch houses that needed zero repairs.  Including cracked paths, surface cracks on internal walls etc.

                     

                    My parents old house (sold years prior) was damaged beyond repair, and too dangerous for people to live in.

                     

                    My parents house they were in at the time was damaged beyond repair, but was completely safe and liveable for over a year after the quake, so sorting out insurance and buying a new place was fine for them.

                     

                    Many people ended up camping in to relatives houses, often converting cold garages into bedrooms.

                    PRs: 5km 18:43 (Dec 2015), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:26:16 (Sep 2016), full 3:09:28 (Jun 2015)

                     

                    40+ PRs: 5km 19:31 (Oct 2020), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:29:39 (Jun 2018), full 3:13:55 (Sep 2022)

                     

                    2023 PRs (hope to beat in 2024): 5km 20:34, 10km 41:37, half 1:32:32, full 3:21:05

                     

                    2024 PRs: 5km 20:25

                    Marky_Mark_17


                       

                      Personally, I am still very scared of lightning. I was on the golf course two years ago when a "bolt from the blue" almost struck us. It was one of those where the light was blinding, the sound was like a bomb, and the two were at the same time, meaning it stuck within a quarter mile of where I was standing.

                       

                      We were on the Gold Coast in Australia ~10 years or so ago when a big thunderstorm blew in late in the day as we were driving home.  A bolt of lightning hit a transformer on a power pole about 30m away as we were driving past and sparks flew everywhere.  It was like something out of an action movie.

                       

                      They get high quality thunderstorms over there.  We sat outside under the covered balcony that night and there was so much lightning it was like watching a fireworks display.

                       

                      Piwi / Steve - good job on the catchup!

                       

                      Steve - I know what you mean on the motivation front.  Give it a few days and see how you're going then.

                       

                      Piwi - studies have shown that "running wrecks your knees" is a myth, and it does encourage bone density and strength (as long as your form isn't terrible).

                      3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                      10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                      * Net downhill course

                      Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                      Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                      "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                        Getting this for dinner tonight, the Mark one

                         

                        55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                        " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                        Somewhere in between is about right "      

                         

                        Marky_Mark_17


                          Sounds good Piwi, haha and I am a snowboarder too!  Tbh I would personally have gone for the Andy the Electrician but that is a quality lineup there regardless.

                          3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                          10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                          * Net downhill course

                          Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                          Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                          "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                          JMac11


                          RIP Milkman

                            Beetroot! Yucks.

                             

                            I would pick Shane. Although I have no idea what an invisible handshake is. Is that like a happy ending?

                            5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                             

                             

                            zebano


                              None of those have pork ya'll fail at this fueling thing 

                               

                              At least beatroot has been shown to improve aerobic performance! Egg on burgers everything is seriously underrated. I had egg on my poutine yesterday and it was heavenly.

                               

                               

                               

                              Steve Sorry the knee isn't quite right. It doesn't sound like you're too keen to race in 3 weeks so at least the timing is good. Hopefully it goes away quickly. Awesome that you and Piwi got to ketchup.

                               

                              I love watching thunderstorms! sounds like I need a trip to Australia.

                               

                              Keen Is a low/no carb dinner typical for you? Do you usually fuel your morning runs with stroopwaffels or were you just investigating the blood-sugar spikes? I'm always curious how people do handle nutrition when they're concerned about running well. My personal take is that all lunches and dinners should involve a protein, a bunch of veggies and then as many carbs as my body feels it needs (usually something equivalent to a cup of rice); I almost never fuel before an easy run but will have a piece of toast with PB and maybe half a banana before a workout or long run. Congrats on being pre-pre-diabetic!

                               

                              Speaking of Australia, did you all see Stewart McSweyn set a new Aussie mile record!!

                               

                              Non-complaint complaint. I ran almost twice as long as coach scheduled me to on Tuesday and he immediately texted me and chewed me out. I'm personally worried about losing fitness and he's playing the long game telling me to just chill until I'm not sick anymore.  +1 for having a coach.

                              1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                              CommanderKeen


                              Cobra Commander Keen

                                I vote Shane or Mark burgers. I'd probably have to flip a coin.


                                Zebano - Low car/no carb is pretty typical for me. Long story short, over the years I've realized that I feel better and better the fewer carbohydrates (plant foods in general, really) I eat.

                                A couple stroopwafels pre-workout are typical for me, and occasionally I'll use gels during a LR (usually if it's also a workout) because I'll do it in a race, too. I'm not sure I've really seen much benefit from the carbs pre-workout in most cases, though. In general the liver will produce all of the glycogen I need from protein (gluconeogenesis). My easy runs (and some workouts) are all fasted.


                                Nice that your coach is paying close enough attention to you that he can intervene when he thinks you're at risk of over-doing it.


                                It's looking like Monday will have the best weather for my TT, by far. I need to check with the coach about possibly doing a standard LR instead of a progression on Saturday.

                                5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

                                 

                                Upcoming Races: