Thanks for the insight guys.  Makes perfect sense that my heart rate isn't up there yet and consequently the oxygen delivery isn't primed yet.  Guess I'm not used to actually having the endurance that I get faster as the intervals progress.  I remember through high school, I'd lose 5-10 seconds every lap I ran.  Of course, I used to have trouble with running 1.5 miles in less than 12:30 and got assigned to intramural jogging until I could, year after year.  I think there's definitely a psychological hold back aspect as well.  Do all you guys warm up for the shorter races?  Is there a distance cutoff where it compromises your endurance at the tail end of the race?

Thanks for the insight guys.  Makes perfect sense that my heart rate isn't up there yet and consequently the oxygen delivery isn't primed yet.  Guess I'm not used to actually having the endurance that I get faster as the intervals progress.  I remember through high school, I'd lose 5-10 seconds every lap I ran.  Of course, I used to have trouble with running 1.5 miles in less than 12:30 and got assigned to intramural jogging until I could, year after year.  I think there's definitely a psychological hold back aspect as well.  Do all you guys warm up for the shorter races?  Is there a distance cutoff where it compromises your endurance at the tail end of the race?

I dont know what the general rules are, but for me, I warm up for anything from a half marathon on down.  In marathons, my best miles are from about 5 to about 16, so I figured getting 1 or 2 of the lousy ones out of the way at the beginning and adding in a couple of good ones at the end would help.  The most I ever warmed up was 2 miles for a 10k.

Simon:  Nice speedwork! I usually find the middle intervals the easiest for whatever reason!

Banshee:  Welcome back!  Hope you are feeling better!

Roll:  Nice 6...hope your speedwork goes well!

Docket:  Nice 11!

Got my speedwork done on the TM this morning (we got about 4 inches snow last night)...4 x 1200M @ 7:13/mile pace with 400M recoveries.  Total 7 miles with wu and cd.  This was a pretty tough workout for me...legs just felt kinda dead and I am still just really tired from  yesterday, even though I slept 11 1/2 hours!  On the last interval, I wanted to quit so bad but I practiced my mental toughness (really trying to improve here!) and kept going!  I had 0.15 miles left to go and had that wonderful feeling of knowing I was going to make it.....and the damn TM shut off!!  I was so mad I think I yelled out loud...at least the gym wasn't very crowded.  Anyway, I did re-set it and finished the interval, it just lessened my feeling of accomplishment a bit!  Start the strength workouts next week and I am excited but scared all at the same time.  Have a great day Donuts!

For the Chicago Marathon I purchased the Hansons' 20 week 60 - 80 mpw plan and I was reading through it and it looks really good.  With all this talk about warming up and getting the heart rate up before races, or intervals I noticed that on marathon day in this Hansons' plan they actually have a 1 mile warmup scheduled for just before the marathon.  I had never considered warming up before a marathon, thinking that the first miles would just be a warmup.  But of course if I did that, then those miles would be at a slower pace and I'd be spending the rest of the marathon distance trying to make that time back up.  (Does this mean that I'll be running an ultra on that day?  )

Good morning! SRD for me.  Cold and windy today in the ATL.  Hoping this is the last gasp of winter as we'll be back to our normal 60s for highs by the weekend.  Hope none of you are snowed in from the big winter storm.  Stay safe out there!

Intervals:  Just like the rest of you, my first interval seems so difficult, while the remaining seem to get easier.  Good to know the logic behind that.

Race warm-up:  I only warm up with a few strides to get the blood flowing.  Now if I raced shorter distances (5K or 10K), I probably would.  I usually don't have a problem going out at pace for a half or full marathon so there's no worry for me to make up any "warm up"  time on the back end.

Banshee:  I was thinking about you too.  Glad you are feeling better.

AmiK:  Oh that's so frustrating!  Been there myself.  You got it done.  That's all that matters.

Simon:  I'm the same way about baseball.  I can take it or leave it.  Down here it's just something to pass the time until football season starts.

Hey all,

My brother left yesterday--it was fun hanging out with him, but it's always sad to say goodbye. Today is day 2 of my rest. Does it mean anything that I'm not itching to go for a run? Usually, when I have to take a day or two off, due to a cold or something, I'm chomping at the bit to get back out there. But right now, I'm just content to rest. As if I'm on vacation. In fact, I feel like I'm on vacation.

Regarding warm ups, I totally agree. Like Onemile, I'm not sure I'd warm up for a marathon, but I do plan on warming up for my half. I also agree that being warmed up is what makes the latter intervals easier.

Lot's of great running going on here! Keep it up!

Morning!  5 recovery miles later.  I was coughing all night and then I realized it was probably the allergy shot coupled with the run.  Yay me.

 

It takes my asthma lungs 3-4 miles before I stop coughing so a warmup for a marathon is out of the question for me.

 

be back later!

In that case, if you ran 3-4 miles before the marathon, you wouldn't be coughing during the marathon! 

Jedi:  Keep it together man!  Just a couple more days!

Donuts, I have a dumb question about seeding for my upcoming goal HM.  I submitted a 48:42 10K, which qualifies for preferred level, which is corrals D, E, and F (which are assigned based on registration date).  My plan had been to try to go under 48 this weekend, which qualifies for level 3 seeding, or corral C. The weird thing is, I checked my confirmation today and it says level 1, which is corral A.   You need a sub 40 for that corral, so obviously, it was a mistake.  I guess my question is, should I just leave it and move back to C (I don't see the point in me starting in A....that will just temp me to go out too fast!)?  Or, if I run a 47x Saturday, should I submit that?  I realize it's a dumb question that probably doesn't even matter, but just curious on the thoughts.