Forums >Racing>Competitive Jerks Racing and Training - 2023
Mother of Cats
My week:
40 miles running, 1000 yards swimming and 2:30 hours pool-running.
M: 90 minutes pool-running. T: 10 miles, including a track workout of 2x(1600, 800)+2x200 in 6:44, 3:15, 6:38, 45, and 45. Recoveries of 5:0x after the 1600s and 2:44 after the first 800; full recovery for the 200s. Followed with lower body strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.W: Streaming yoga and 8 miles very easy (9:35 plus drills and hill strides)Th: 60 minutes pool-running and upper body weights/core. F: 6 miles, including 1600 at tempo effort (6:57).Sa: 2 miles very easy (10:03)Su: 3.5 mile warm-up, Broad Street 10 Miler in 1:10:26, 0.5 mile cooldown. 500 yards recovery swimming later.
Went up to Broad Street to beat my time at Cherry Blossom; ran very slightly slower. Oh well. Race report is here.
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.
Are we there, yet?
WCRunner - do you have access to a sauna? I've found 10-20 minutes of sitting in one set to 180 degrees is very helpful for acclimation.
Heat acclimation has been more an issue the last few years with more erratic weather leading to sudden early season temperature spikes or extended cool periods when warm weather is the norm, then back to warm weather on race day. Since I don't have access to a sauna or other aids to heat acclimation, I've tried overdressing for the temperature on my runs and taking hot baths. I normally run in the afternoon, so I'm already running at the warmest part of the day. A secondary issue has been dealing with direct sunlight. That can raise the apparent temperature by 10+ degrees F. I wear a hat to prevent getting sunburned on my scalp, but even with hats that supposedly have airflow for cooling, that still contributes to overheating. Cold drinks and ice on race day seem to be my best counter to that.
I've had quite a few races where I've had heat issues dating back decades, and I think that makes me more susceptible. In addition my doctor says that as we age, our body's ability to regulate temperature decreases. Mostly I've adjusted by focusing on spring and fall races, avoiding anything in the summer (except for 6 Days in the Dome which is inside on a track around an ice rink, so a nice 55F). So it's mostly an issue with unseasonably early heat or warm temperatures extending well into the fall.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Problem Child
Strength training matters as much as you want it to. If something matters to you you’ll treat it differently than if it doesn’t matter. My strength training was part of my first sub three hour marathon, and I’ve run two without doing strength training.
Darkwave don’t worry. They’re a long read. When you’re finished you can read about my Sunday run. I didn’t INTENDED to write a report. It just happened when I tried explaining it here. “I’ll just put this into Word. I’ll just....this is a race report. Great.”
EDIT:
Boston Marathon jackets are down to $84 IF you're a member.
https://www.adidas.com/us/boston-marathon-2023-celebration-running-jacket/HY0263.html?forceSelSize=M
I still don't like the color. It looks slightly purple, and the jacket has one pocket. The sticker on the back also seems cheap.
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
Overweight per CDC BMI
Oleg (Cal) - Good to see you back on RA. After we were on the same team last year on the RA Game, JMac convinced me to join this thread for additional accountability and resources as I advance in my running. Looking forward to your comments and occasional ranting about how something minor compares to your former life in the Soviet Union.
Memphis / 38 male
5k - 20:39 / 10k - 43:48 / Half - 1:34:47 / Full - 3:38:10
So the 5k from a week ago has really irritated my Piriformis on my left side again. After the Half in March, I was just a little tight but had no pain. It is really the fast running like sprints or going at max effort for just a few miles which irritates it. I am going to spend the month of May just running at easy to moderate pace with the only speedwork being some miles at tempo pace during a longer run.
The question I have is should I be focusing on strength work in my hips in conjunction with lots of stretching when I am in pain or should I only do stretching until the pain is gone and then start building strength? I know I need both to be able to get back to running at 5k pace or faster again but if that speedwork irritates the muscle, wouldn't strength work do the same?
I got a message that Mikkey requested my return to the thread. As a former contributor of the original Competitive Jerks thread on RW, it is a bit tragic that 70%ers have taken the name. I ran 86% AG at a half last Fall, and will be trying for 90% this Fall. Mikkey - I'm glad to hear you're back running! Cheers!
Cobra Commander Keen
DWave - Thanks for that article, it's really interesting. Especially given that I felt better even on my first morning in Denver than I have any day since getting back, despite far better sleep here.
Cinnamon - Come back to put all us hobby joggers to shame.
5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22
Upcoming Races:
OKC Memorial 5k - April 27
Bun Run 5k - May 4
Mmmm Bop
Thanks and great to see you back here and running again! 70% is now the new 80% around here so I hope you stick around! Have you got any races lined up? Btw sorry you weren’t able to run Valencia in December….is work still hectic?
This was me at the last funeral I attended! I have put in my will that the Moose Mug is inside my coffin as I’m lowered into the ground. (pic is courtesy of Flavio )
5k - 17:53 (4/19) 10k - 37:53 (11/18) Half - 1:23:18 (4/19) Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)
Intl. correspondent
As a former contributor of the original Competitive Jerks thread on RW, it is a bit tragic that 70%ers have taken the name. I ran 86% AG at a half last Fall, and will be trying for 90% this Fall.
Welcome back! In my defense I only joined the thread cause I saw "jerk" in the title 😎
For those out of context: the original competitive jerks thread was for people running sub 2h40 for the marathon, and also Cinnamon who's probably national elite level.
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: some 800m race (or time trials) / Also place in the top 20% in a trail race
Tool to generate Strava weekly
Cinnamon- Welcome back! First Piwi, then Cal, now cinnamon....We're getting the band back together!
Dwave- Thanks. Your consistent training is a weekly reminder to me to "get it done!"
Dave- Nice week! Good job coming back from the injury.
MMerk- Solid work and way to mix in some faster stuff. I make the mistake in base training of focusing only on volume and skipping out on the speed. Changing it up is Key.
5K 18:36 (2023), 10K 39:40 (2022), 1/2 1:24:37 (2023), full 2:58:36 (2015)
Andy My opinion, based on personal experience mostly, is that strength is usually "the answer". It seems a lot of issues with muscles arise because that muscle isn't strong enough to withstand the load you are introducing it to. This isn't to say that I am in any way against stretching. But in my experience stretching is what's lacking when the muscle literally FEELS tight. If it's a pain/strain feeling then it might be too weak. I don't think strength work will necessarily irritate the muscle the same way speed work will. Strength work is probably a more gentle and controlled exercise where your mind is focused on that muscle group. If you're blasting some speedy intervals, you have a lot to pay attention to and the pain, which might get worse now, might not show up until later or the next day. Just my 2 cents, I am absolutely NOT a PT or anything close to that.
Fishy Idk if it's in my head, but I feel like if I ignore speed for too long, my legs get "stale" and it starts to feel more difficult to run faster paces. Even marathon pace. I wonder if others have thoughts on that.
Dw Didn't realize you had a race. I'll get to that RR soon. The past couple weeks have been crunch time for me. I realize I've been a little delinquent.
DW very nice 16 mile race. You ran quite alot faster in the 2nd half. I sometimes feel the disconnect between my brain and legs. Hopefully it's just getting older !
Mikkey that burial image is hilarious. Maybe I will get the sub 3 tattoo after all
Cinnamon nice age grade %. Good luck on the 90 %
I just moved up to 55 age group. 80% I need 19 mins flat 5k.
My illness only lasted 2 days so I'm back running although a little lack Lustre. Moved up to Cal and Mikkeys age group. Will the lure of sub 3 at 60 keep Cal from his balanced lifestyle a bit longer
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 "
So the 5k from a week ago has really irritated my Piriformis on my left side again. After the Half in March, I was just a little tight but had no pain. It is really the fast running like sprints or going at max effort for just a few miles which irritates it. I am going to spend the month of May just running at easy to moderate pace with the only speedwork being some miles at tempo pace during a longer run. The question I have is should I be focusing on strength work in my hips in conjunction with lots of stretching when I am in pain or should I only do stretching until the pain is gone and then start building strength? I know I need both to be able to get back to running at 5k pace or faster again but if that speedwork irritates the muscle, wouldn't strength work do the same?
My understanding is that you have an unstable core, which leads to the piriformis working extra. Strengthening the core will help wonders.
Yes, you can do strength training. Very slow and controlled reps. Probably avoid single leg deadlifts and deadlifts for this week, but you can still do core work including bridges, pushups, pullups, rows, resistance work on the upper body, calf raises, probably even bulgarian squats if you put more focus on the hip flexors.
Stretching is not your only answer here, you can also foam roll or use a massage ball gently on the piriformis to slowly reduce the tension.
I use this stretch below which helps quite a bit, aim for at least 60s but hopefully 2 minutes on each side.
Straight leg band assisted piriformis stretch
EDIT: Boston Marathon jackets are down to $84 IF you're a member. https://www.adidas.com/us/boston-marathon-2023-celebration-running-jacket/HY0263.html?forceSelSize=M I still don't like the color. It looks slightly purple, and the jacket has one pocket. The sticker on the back also seems cheap.
That model put me right off, if I'm being honest.
50+ age-group PBs: Half Perish 1:24:24 (June '23 Road Race) - 10km 37:52 (2022 Local Road Champs) - Track 5km 18:49 (Aug '22) - Perish Run 3:17:42
2024 Goals: Boston Perish Run Sub 3:15 - Road/Track 10km Sub 37:30 - 5km Sub 18:20
But in my experience stretching is what's lacking when the muscle literally FEELS tight. If it's a pain/strain feeling then it might be too weak. I don't think strength work will necessarily irritate the muscle the same way speed work will. Strength work is probably a more gentle and controlled exercise where your mind is focused on that muscle group.
Michael - thanks for the input. I can tell you stretching is certainly necessary because I have been tight in the hip, through the IT band, and down into upper calf ever since I started doing a lot of speedwork in January. The pain in the butt (pun and literal) is now part of the tightness. But you make a good point, the forces on my butt muscles and hamstrings are significantly higher during a 200m sprint than doing body weight exercises and using resistance bands.
Flavio - I will do some more core work as suggested as it cannot hurt. As for a stretch, I have found tying together a few resistance bands with them attached to a doorknob is good for laying down on the floor with it stretching my hips just like in that video. It also helps to be able to do some PNF stretching in conjunction with the static stretching. Using a heating pad before stretching has been helpful.