Forums >Racing>2023 The Waltons: Racing & Training Thread
Zebano - I've heard it said that a good orthopedist is one who knows that a runner will halve any prescribed time off. When I last saw one due to rolling my ankle badly on a rock, he told me there was a hairline fracture. Instead of telling me not to run, he told me I could still run but if I took another wrong step before it healed then the entire joint could let loose. Pretty clever of him to leave the decision up to me in that way - I took 4 weeks off.
That's a good ortho there. Glad you're trending in the right direction. I'm hoping that I can find a clear spot to do a small amount of speedwork today but I'm not counting on it.
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
JamesD
Got back from two weeks in Chile yesterday and was not surprised when the NP said I had bronchitis. Had been coughing and bringing up gunk for a week or so, and the OTC Chilean medicine was numbing my throat but wasn't helping much otherwise. So in the last four weeks, I've run three times for a total of less than two hours. Given how long it usually takes me to get back in racing shape, I doubt I'll be ready for any spring goal races, so I've got a while to get ready for a late-August 5K. I always tell myself that when I'm sick and not running I should do bodyweight leg strengthening & balance work, but I never seem to get around to it. Did some this time, though. Trip was fun otherwise, and my being semi-sick for the last week wasn't all that much of a problem, as DW could hang out with her sister and our son with his cousin without me.
Good luck in Houston next weekend, darkwave!
Post-1987 PRs: Half 1:30:14 (2019); 10K 39:35 (2019); 5K 19:12 (2017); Mile 5:37.3 (2020)
'23 Goals: health; consistency; age-graded PRs; half < 1:30
I ran the 10k trail race today (2 loops of the 5k). My first goal was to finish the first loop before my son and the rest of the 5k runners began, half an hour after the 10k started. I managed to do that but was tired. As I came into sight of the finish line, the second time around, which is near the top of a hill, I had 40 seconds to go to finish in an hour. My wife said it was obvious I was working hard to get up that hill. My final time? 1:00:01. 'Doh!
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming race(s): Turkey Trot, 11/25; Hangover 5k, 1/1
Fred - something similar happened to me a few years back when I came up 1 second short on my 10k PB in a race!
Me - had a really good progression workout on Tues, my best in at least a month, despite having to fight the wind. The weather was pretty terrible all week with wind and rain giving way to high humidity without either wind or rain (arguably worse). Came down with some random bug on Thursday that caused me to lose my voice and sleep a lot so I was pretty conservative on Saturday's track session, but everything seemed to bounce back to normal by Sunday, fingers crossed it stays that way.
Looks like next week is a slightly easier week after a couple of big weeks.
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: Devonport HM, 1 Oct, course PB.
Up next: Omaha HM, 3 Dec, go harder.
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Warm, high humidity and no wind is much worse than wind and rain.
Week was OK.
Tuesday's intervals would normally be Wednesday, but moved to allow Wednesday yard work, so these were a bit slow as I was still recovering from the previous Sunday long run.
I ran ParkRun on Saturday in officially 20:37, I was a bit late stopping my watch, but looking at other results v Strava, I suspect the timekeepers were 2s late starting the timer. So officially 22s quicker than the week before, which in turn was 25s quicker than the week before.
I officially start marathon training next week. And on Tuesday I start back at work post Xmas/New Year.
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)
Zebano - sorry for being late for front page. Trentham ParkRun 7 January, aim 20:30, actual 20:37.
Fred - it's annoying when we miss out by 1 or 2s!
James - I hope you recover quickly.
Fred congrats on running 59:61! It's funny how much mere seconds can bug us.
Mark, for getting sick yet again that's a really good week.
Watson great progress on the parkruns!! I need to start utilizing the one 45 min from me.
Fred congrats on running 59:61! It's funny how much mere seconds can bug us. Mark, for getting sick yet again that's a really good week. Watson great progress on the parkruns!! I need to start utilizing the one 45 min from me.
59:61. Love it!
James, welcome home
Fred, the 1 second is super annoying! I was surprised to read you still ran the race, hope things continue to improve with your knee.
Mark, your weather sounds miserable. Hope you continue to feel better.
Watson, wow impressive on the week to week improvement! Will you keep a few parkruns in your marathon training?
Kiwis, I mentioned on the old thread that my parents would be cruising around NZ. Well, the combination of the long flight and being on the ocean did not go well for my dad. A preexisting heart condition flared up and now my parents are in Dunedin for the foreseeable future. He's in stable condition but he has a ways to go before they're willing to let him try to fly home. Most of their time will be spent in the hospital but if anyone has any recommendations for must see/do/eat things while they recover I'd appreciate it. My parents have been so impressed by the care they're receiving and how helpful everyone has been. Immigration even came to them in the hospital and gave them 3 month visas which just amazes me.
Focusing on easy runs helped me feel more like myself again so I did what I thought was a conservative workout on Thurs 3 x 1 mi @ zone 3 HR w/ .25 mi recovery. It felt medium hard while I was doing it and most of my effort was in controlling my HR. Friday morning I woke and felt completely wrecked. Took 2 days off and managed 45 min today. Guess I need to focus more on just easy efforts.
5k 24:53 (2020) |10k 52:24 (2021) |HM 1:57:14 (2019) |FM 4:24 (2007) |50k 5:57 (2022)
Hot Weather Complainer
Fred - That 1 second would be very annoying but it sounds like you gave it your all. It can't have been an easy trail given how much slower that pace is than your recent times.
Caitlin - That sounds really nasty and unfortunate. I'm stunned to hear that immigration actually did something right - they have been an absolute shambles since Covid started.
I used to live in Dunedin which is a pleasant enough town, although very quiet in summer while the students are away. I'm guessing nothing too strenuous is all they can do? Otago Peninsula and Larnach Castle are definitely worth a look. I would say a Speights Brewery tour but that may not work. The Catlins are also stunning but again, would involve a fair bit of walking. If things improve then a trip down to Stewart Island is a must.
My week was solid with 2 good workouts. On Saturday I did the Rapaki trail - a famous strength work trail in Christchurch. It was not a summer day with a strong southerly and drizzle, and the southerly came straight down the mountain into me so it was even harder. It was supposed to be a maximum of 30 mins climbing and I did it in 27 but looking at the HR data perhaps I could have pushed it harder although both physio and coach said to be conservative especially early on. The hardest sections have about 100m elevation gain over 1km.
<caption>Weekly Grid</caption>
5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23
Upcoming Races:
Foster Park Run 5km November 25
Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024
Christchurch Marathon April 21, 2024
The hardest sections have about 100m elevation gain over 1km.
Uff-da. That's a serious trail. As an aside how did you determine AeT?
CC - so sorry to hear about your Dad. I hope he improves and they get to enjoy a little bit of a vacation.
James I missed shouting you out earlier. Good luck with the bronchitis. I laughed at your part about should be doing strength work.
My week was solid if unspectacular. Just a bunch of really easy runs at nearly 10/mi waiting for my body to fully recover from Covid.
M 90 min / 10 mi long run as 7E + 3moderate+ str & mob work. 35 min bike PM
T easy 35 min + str & mob. Felt really worn down from Monday. Took the evening off
W off
Th 48min 8k w/ uphill strides + str & mobility. PM 40 min spin
Fri 50 min (5.3 mi) easy run + str & mob.
Sat easy 10.5 in 1:42
Sun easy 5 (50 min) + str & mob. PM: mile with kid + 40 min bike.
40 miles running
1 hour str & mob
2 hour bike.
I run my easy runs by HR which is why they're so slow. Next week I plan to add in a touch of swimming. Friday I came home and had yet another home project waiting for me. Since getting Covid: My kitchen sink has leaked, my washing machine died (water valve wouldn't shut), the circuit my dishwasher is on died, my kitchen light died and the water line my dishwasher connects to sprung a leak. It's a veritable soap opera here. Thankfully I have everything fixed except the circuit but I have an electrician coming this week.
I imported all my data into Training Peaks and my new coach worked out my zones. Then he got me to do a 5km last week to fine tune which actually increased the pace zones a little. I'm trying to run workouts (and easy runs for that matter) off heart rate more than pace now - in the past that was probably part of my over training, going too hard on the pace regardless of heart rate. I pushed a bit hard on the Wednesday workout and got a rebuke from the coach. I've updated to watch face to only show me elapsed time and heart rate now.
Pretty good weekly from you considering all the sh!t you're dealing with! Hope you get an improvement.
Zebano - go buy a lotto ticket!
Caitlin - so sorry to hear your father is unwell. Dunedin is a pretty unique town, mostly revolves around the university (which as Steve says is basically empty for another 6 weeks or so). Vogel St Kitchen is a pretty neat cafe and the Octagon in the middle of town is kinda cool. The old Railway Station building is worth a look too as well as the options Steve mentioned. I have a soft spot for it after having a couple of great races down there back in 2018 and 2019.
Steve - heart rate based zones have been very helpful for me and I've always found them to be a better measure of relative effort than pace which can bounce around for all sorts of reasons (weather, sleep, fatigue, shoes, illness etc.). I've found it particularly helpful for setting the degree to which I'll push it on workouts... if my heart rate is sitting low relative to perceived effort then I know it's a day to really push a workout, whereas if it's sitting on the higher side I know to back off a bit.