I got up at 4:30am this morning to run a 10 miler. I felt a little sore from Thursday's workout. The soreness was in my lower abdomen and groin, but it was gone by 2 miles once my blood got moving. I arrived at Cady Way Park a little late and missed a couple runners from my training group. I did see one of them and we said hi, but I wasn't ready yet. There were a lot of runners out on the loop today, because it was only the second long run for MarathonFest. Some of the newbies were only running 4 to 6 miles. It's really amazing to think that they will be running a marathon in a few months.
I felt really good out there. No pain. I even felt that I was just cruising a couple times during the last 3 miles and pushed myself to the edge of getting out of breath. From mile 6, I kept calculating my times trying to reach 10 miles at 8 minute pace. I didn't quite make it. I know that I pushed really hard on the last half mile, too.
10 miles in 1:21:46 which is an 8:10 pace.
So the reason I was sore from Thursday's workout is because we ran 200's. 3 sets of 4 reps with 200 recovery jog between reps and then 2 minute rest between sets. We were supposed to run them fast, but not sprinting. Coach wanted us to work on our form and our turnover, so I did. I got good knee lift and drive. Kept my arms in tight to my sides and elbows around 90 degrees. I wasn't pushing off my hind legs too much and opening up my stride in fear of pulling a hamstring again. I went as fast as I could go without sprinting and really going after it... if that makes any sense.
3 sets
(37,38,40,40)
(37,37,38,40)
(35,38,39,34)
So my fastest time was a 34, which is a 68 quarter or 4:32 mile, and my slowest time was 40, which is a 1:20 quarter or 5:20 mile. There were a couple of reps that left my hands and feet tingling, but because we were only running 200's, it didn't last long. Even though jogging recoveries seem harder than just resting between reps, it actually helps with the workout. This was truly evident during my last set. Coach was running during the entire workout clockwise on the inside field of the track. On the last set, he noticed that my recovery jogs were really slow, so he told me that I needed to be jogging a little faster than my cooldown speed. That seemed really hard to do, but I think it actually helped.
So the soreness on Friday and Saturday was more from the knee lift and drive more so than the actual speed of the workout.
Showing posts with label long run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label long run. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Longest Run in 20 Years for Me - 12 Miler
I didn't really warmup this morning and I didn't run with my group. When running with our group, there is usually water and Gatorade in different places on the route. On my route this morning, there was water. Once every 4 miles there was water and that didn't seem to bother me too much until the last 2-3 miles when I really started dragging.
Not warming up a little wasn't a good idea. I got right into it and my right hamstring was tight for the first 2 miles. I stopped for a couple minutes and stretched it out, but my pace seemed to be trained into me already. I ran the first 2 at 10 minute pace. I pretty much kept that up the entire run, too. As of last night, I planned on running my normal 10 miles, but since I started off so slow, I decided that I would make up for it by running a couple more miles. Those last 2 miles were brutal for me. I had no energy and it was really hard just to keep my legs going.
When I got home, I drank a Gatorade and a couple slices of deep dish pizza from my favorite place Pizzeria Uno's. They're called Unos Chicago Grill or something like that now, but whatever. I'm not showing up for anything but the pizza. I sat down with my laptop and was about to start typing away on my blog, but I was literally delirious and couldn't type more than 3 letters without making typos. I felt like I was going to pass out sitting up. It took a good 30 minutes before the Gatorade and pizza really kicked in and started to give me some energy back.
The most I've run recently has been 10 miles. I've done that distance plenty of times, but I haven't run 12 miles since high school when I did the the Citrus Bowl Half Marathon a couple of times. I'm debating in my mind whether I want to try running 12 again next weekend or just settle back into 10 considering how depleted I felt this morning.
Just for a note on Thursday's workout.
Coach had us run 4.25 miles from the track around Lake Baldwin and back. Our instructions were to run 5 minutes pretty hard, but just a little slower than 5k pace. Then run slowly as a recovery for 2 minutes. He said to do this 3 times since it was hot. If we had a 4th one in us, then do it. For good or bad, I ran a 5th hard portion plus another 25 seconds to bring it all the way home to the track. I thought it was bad, because it took me that long to run 4.25 miles, but my coach thought it was good that I gave the effort of running a 5th portion.
Not warming up a little wasn't a good idea. I got right into it and my right hamstring was tight for the first 2 miles. I stopped for a couple minutes and stretched it out, but my pace seemed to be trained into me already. I ran the first 2 at 10 minute pace. I pretty much kept that up the entire run, too. As of last night, I planned on running my normal 10 miles, but since I started off so slow, I decided that I would make up for it by running a couple more miles. Those last 2 miles were brutal for me. I had no energy and it was really hard just to keep my legs going.
When I got home, I drank a Gatorade and a couple slices of deep dish pizza from my favorite place Pizzeria Uno's. They're called Unos Chicago Grill or something like that now, but whatever. I'm not showing up for anything but the pizza. I sat down with my laptop and was about to start typing away on my blog, but I was literally delirious and couldn't type more than 3 letters without making typos. I felt like I was going to pass out sitting up. It took a good 30 minutes before the Gatorade and pizza really kicked in and started to give me some energy back.
The most I've run recently has been 10 miles. I've done that distance plenty of times, but I haven't run 12 miles since high school when I did the the Citrus Bowl Half Marathon a couple of times. I'm debating in my mind whether I want to try running 12 again next weekend or just settle back into 10 considering how depleted I felt this morning.
Just for a note on Thursday's workout.
Coach had us run 4.25 miles from the track around Lake Baldwin and back. Our instructions were to run 5 minutes pretty hard, but just a little slower than 5k pace. Then run slowly as a recovery for 2 minutes. He said to do this 3 times since it was hot. If we had a 4th one in us, then do it. For good or bad, I ran a 5th hard portion plus another 25 seconds to bring it all the way home to the track. I thought it was bad, because it took me that long to run 4.25 miles, but my coach thought it was good that I gave the effort of running a 5th portion.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Twinkie and Luther Fueled My 10 Mile Run This Morning
Let's see. Three things to talk about today. I did a 10 miler this morning. Felt pretty good, although, I forgot to start my watch timer. I know when I started and when I finished, but I don't know how long my water pit stops were. I felt strong through 4 miles, just kept plodding one foot in front of the other through 8 miles and then got a second wind and felt strong again for the last 2 miles. Overall, it took me 1 hour 29 minutes which includes 2 water breaks. Maybe that's 4 minutes, so I ran somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 minute miles. Not great by any means, but I got it done. Around the 7-8 mile mark, I started feeling slight pain and tightness in my left hip again like 2 weeks ago. This time, I tried to push off a little harder, increase my turnover rate and by getting a little more toe off, I raised my center of gravity a little and ended up not pounding the pavement so hard. That seemed to help. I timed the last 3 miles and that was 24:30, so 8:10 per mile. The first 3 miles was probably about the same or slightly faster, which means the middle 4 was considerably slower.
It has been a little over 2 hours since I finished my long run. My lower right thigh, knee, and upper calf are killing me right now. I am probably going to take a nap shortly and see if it feels any better this afternoon. I may need to talk to my little friend Aleve. We'll see.
Second thing... Thursday's workout was the first hill workout since November and the hour change. We don't run the hills in the winter, because it is too dark and the whole thing is on brick. That would lead to some twisted ankles and probably some spills. We ran the long 2.5 mile hill loop twice. It was nice to run the hills, because it is half shaded by lots of Oak trees. When it's 90 plus degrees, the shade makes it feel like 80 something and that is highly welcomed. We ran the entire loop like a fartlek. 3 minutes hard followed by 1 minute easy and keep doing that until 5 miles is covered. It was good, but a hard workout. Over the course of the 2.5 miles, there are 5 hill segments.
Lastly, I have to mention what I ate last night. I ate part of a deep fried Twinkie. I have to start by saying that I have never liked Twinkies. Now, if you take that Twinkie, dip it in batter a few times and dunk it down in a fryer, I likes me some Twinkie all of a sudden. This was made by the Tree House Truck, which is a food truck in the Orlando area. You can follow them on Twitter at @TreeHouseTruck. It was raining, so I thought it best to stay under their awning. Just let me lie to myself for a second, ok? I started looking over their menu and they have a few burgers on it. One of them is called the BearGrr... AKA "The Luther". I grabbed this picture from another blog and it shows what a Luther is.
It has been a little over 2 hours since I finished my long run. My lower right thigh, knee, and upper calf are killing me right now. I am probably going to take a nap shortly and see if it feels any better this afternoon. I may need to talk to my little friend Aleve. We'll see.
Second thing... Thursday's workout was the first hill workout since November and the hour change. We don't run the hills in the winter, because it is too dark and the whole thing is on brick. That would lead to some twisted ankles and probably some spills. We ran the long 2.5 mile hill loop twice. It was nice to run the hills, because it is half shaded by lots of Oak trees. When it's 90 plus degrees, the shade makes it feel like 80 something and that is highly welcomed. We ran the entire loop like a fartlek. 3 minutes hard followed by 1 minute easy and keep doing that until 5 miles is covered. It was good, but a hard workout. Over the course of the 2.5 miles, there are 5 hill segments.
Lastly, I have to mention what I ate last night. I ate part of a deep fried Twinkie. I have to start by saying that I have never liked Twinkies. Now, if you take that Twinkie, dip it in batter a few times and dunk it down in a fryer, I likes me some Twinkie all of a sudden. This was made by the Tree House Truck, which is a food truck in the Orlando area. You can follow them on Twitter at @TreeHouseTruck. It was raining, so I thought it best to stay under their awning. Just let me lie to myself for a second, ok? I started looking over their menu and they have a few burgers on it. One of them is called the BearGrr... AKA "The Luther". I grabbed this picture from another blog and it shows what a Luther is.
 |
| The Luther |
This is a bacon cheeseburger between 2 Krispy Kreme donuts. This is something like no other. I loved it. Sweet on a greasy burger and throw in a bacon accent. Forget about it. If you are in Orlando, follow the Tree House Truck on Twitter and track them down. They even took my order on an iPad and then paid them with my debit card on their iPhone. It's like the future is now payment method.
I did share the burger with 2 other people, so I diffused the caloric intake just a wee bit. I also have to admit that I wanted to try a chicken and waffle sandwich with gravy, but decided I would have to wait for another time. It was hard, but I did prioritize my long run this morning. I will find Melissa's Chicken n Waffles food truck another day and another place, but I will find it. Maybe that can be my next Friday night dinner leading into my next 10 miler.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Long Run with a New Pair of Shoes
I just bought a new pair of running shoes yesterday. I already like my Asics Gel Cumulus 12's. As named, they made me feel like I was running on clouds. My warmup was just a hair over 1 mile and immediately I could feel the difference. I was stiff, but there was no joint pain "like normal." What a feeling it is to have no pain.
This was a group run and I stayed with my group for 3 miles. We had 7:47, 15:11, and a low 23 range time for splits. It was a little faster than I wanted to go, but it was good to push it and be able to stay with my group. There is normally a water stop at that point and I was getting thirsty after the 2nd mile. I stopped for 30 seconds and then got back on pace. I watched the group go around a corner and checked my time when I went around the same corner to gauge how far off pace I was dropping. After another mile, I was behind by 1 minute and 5 seconds, so if I didn't stop, I would have dropped back only 35 seconds. Not too bad.
At one point during the run (around 5 miles), the group went straight and I ran off to the right. I knew there was a water fountain at Cady Way Park. That was the 6 mile mark and I stopped for water. Maybe 2 minutes to catch my breath a little. My core/chest was starting to get hot, so I took my tech shirt off and wore it around my waist. What a difference that makes for cooling your core area.
About half a mile later, I misjudged a slight incline and pushed my right foot into the ground a little too hard. This caused some pain in my patellar tendon where it attaches to the quads. I had to slow down a little and take some short strides for about 200 meters until the pain subsided.
Once that went away, I got a sharp pain in my left hip. Changing my stride didn't help much with that and I didn't want to start walking. I had been running on the left side of the road for some time and it was angled which most road are. I went over to the right side of the road and the pain went away. I usually don't like running on the right side for obvious safety reasons (can't see cars coming from behind), but also because that usually makes my left ankle hurt.
Overall, the new shoes are fantastic.
I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it tastes decent and you get some of your vegetables and fruit in at the beginning of your day. It's a green smoothie.
Blend 1 cup of water and 1 cup of kale leaves (get rid of thick stems) until the kale is broken into very small particles and it looks like green sludge. Add 1 cup of raw spinach and continue blending. Add 1 banana and to make the smoothie cooler, I add frozen mixed fruit. Usually this is blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. That's the normal smoothie. This morning, I added half cup of broccoli after the spinach. I don't know how much fiber I just took in, but it should undo any damage that happens tonight from eating at the Daily City Food Truck Bazaar.
This was a group run and I stayed with my group for 3 miles. We had 7:47, 15:11, and a low 23 range time for splits. It was a little faster than I wanted to go, but it was good to push it and be able to stay with my group. There is normally a water stop at that point and I was getting thirsty after the 2nd mile. I stopped for 30 seconds and then got back on pace. I watched the group go around a corner and checked my time when I went around the same corner to gauge how far off pace I was dropping. After another mile, I was behind by 1 minute and 5 seconds, so if I didn't stop, I would have dropped back only 35 seconds. Not too bad.
At one point during the run (around 5 miles), the group went straight and I ran off to the right. I knew there was a water fountain at Cady Way Park. That was the 6 mile mark and I stopped for water. Maybe 2 minutes to catch my breath a little. My core/chest was starting to get hot, so I took my tech shirt off and wore it around my waist. What a difference that makes for cooling your core area.
About half a mile later, I misjudged a slight incline and pushed my right foot into the ground a little too hard. This caused some pain in my patellar tendon where it attaches to the quads. I had to slow down a little and take some short strides for about 200 meters until the pain subsided.
Once that went away, I got a sharp pain in my left hip. Changing my stride didn't help much with that and I didn't want to start walking. I had been running on the left side of the road for some time and it was angled which most road are. I went over to the right side of the road and the pain went away. I usually don't like running on the right side for obvious safety reasons (can't see cars coming from behind), but also because that usually makes my left ankle hurt.
Overall, the new shoes are fantastic.
I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it tastes decent and you get some of your vegetables and fruit in at the beginning of your day. It's a green smoothie.
Blend 1 cup of water and 1 cup of kale leaves (get rid of thick stems) until the kale is broken into very small particles and it looks like green sludge. Add 1 cup of raw spinach and continue blending. Add 1 banana and to make the smoothie cooler, I add frozen mixed fruit. Usually this is blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. That's the normal smoothie. This morning, I added half cup of broccoli after the spinach. I don't know how much fiber I just took in, but it should undo any damage that happens tonight from eating at the Daily City Food Truck Bazaar.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My Ryan Hall American Marathon Record Breaking Inspired Run This Afternoon
The inspiration was about the only thing related to my run. Ryan Hall breaks records; I listen to them.
I didn't feel good about my long run being cut short on Saturday, so I decided that I needed a do over. It was even hotter in the afternoon today, but I was feeling inspired by following the Boston Marathon online. Ryan Hall led most of the men's race and Desiree Davila was so close to winning the women's race. Ahhh! That's got to hurt. I hope she wins it one day.
Back to me...
The first part of my run was 4.35 miles in 38:10, which is 8:46 per mile pace. Felt like I was running faster though. Stopped for maybe 2 minutes to go inside my apartment, drink a glass of water, run my arms and my head under the sink and then get back in it.
This is like when I wanted to give up on Saturday, but Ryan Hall didn't give up today so neither was I.
I finished another 2.83 miles in 21:59, which is 7:46 per mile pace. Oddly enough, I felt like I was running about the same speed as the earlier part of my run.
In total, I got 7.18 miles (8:22 avg) logged in 1:00:09 which doesn't include my warmup of 1.69 miles. That brings me to a total of 8.87 miles for the day.
I need a 55 gallon drum filled with water at the track on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There's gotta be a way to figure out how to cool off during the speed sessions this summer, so I can continue to be productive.
I didn't feel good about my long run being cut short on Saturday, so I decided that I needed a do over. It was even hotter in the afternoon today, but I was feeling inspired by following the Boston Marathon online. Ryan Hall led most of the men's race and Desiree Davila was so close to winning the women's race. Ahhh! That's got to hurt. I hope she wins it one day.
Back to me...
The first part of my run was 4.35 miles in 38:10, which is 8:46 per mile pace. Felt like I was running faster though. Stopped for maybe 2 minutes to go inside my apartment, drink a glass of water, run my arms and my head under the sink and then get back in it.
This is like when I wanted to give up on Saturday, but Ryan Hall didn't give up today so neither was I.
I finished another 2.83 miles in 21:59, which is 7:46 per mile pace. Oddly enough, I felt like I was running about the same speed as the earlier part of my run.
In total, I got 7.18 miles (8:22 avg) logged in 1:00:09 which doesn't include my warmup of 1.69 miles. That brings me to a total of 8.87 miles for the day.
I need a 55 gallon drum filled with water at the track on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There's gotta be a way to figure out how to cool off during the speed sessions this summer, so I can continue to be productive.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
I thought I knew where I was going
The problem with doing long runs with a group is when you think you know where you're going and you fall behind. Of course, that is what happened this morning.
The loop we run covers 10 miles and there are water and Gatorade stations every 2-3 miles. There are so many people running that you are either passing or getting passed by runners the entire time and there are people that start at different points and going both directions. It's crazy how many people are out on this course at 6am.
I tried to find a video on the internet, but I guess that would be hard to do. That is record and run at the same time. I've seen people do it and the results usually aren't that spectacular. Bouncing and cameras are not friends. Well, I was able to find the course map online (obviously after I got home) and if you look just before the 5 mile mark, you can see a school called Rollins College. That's where I went the wrong direction somewhere and ended up on their campus for like 5 minutes walking around trying to find the road out of there.
I was frustrated and started getting mad at myself and at the idea of the course going through this campus in the first place. I knew I could just go around the school and continue on, but I wanted to find my way. And the whole "guys don't stop and ask for directions" doesn't apply here, because I couldn't really ask one of the maintenance guys to point me in the direction of my running group. I mean, maybe I could...
The loop we run covers 10 miles and there are water and Gatorade stations every 2-3 miles. There are so many people running that you are either passing or getting passed by runners the entire time and there are people that start at different points and going both directions. It's crazy how many people are out on this course at 6am.
I tried to find a video on the internet, but I guess that would be hard to do. That is record and run at the same time. I've seen people do it and the results usually aren't that spectacular. Bouncing and cameras are not friends. Well, I was able to find the course map online (obviously after I got home) and if you look just before the 5 mile mark, you can see a school called Rollins College. That's where I went the wrong direction somewhere and ended up on their campus for like 5 minutes walking around trying to find the road out of there.
I figured that I had to be at least half a mile since I hit the 4 mile water stop and if I just went back the way I came, then I'd have 9 miles logged. So that's what I did. It ends up that I logged 9.74 miles, so it worked out quite well. And for good measure since I wasn't sure how far I had gone, I loosened my laces and slowly jogged another mile after finishing. Total for the day was around 10.8 miles.
At least I have a map of the course now. Thanks Joel for posting it to your Daily Mile. Next time will be better.
At least I have a map of the course now. Thanks Joel for posting it to your Daily Mile. Next time will be better.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Reset on the Long Run
After getting up to 10 miles on my long runs, I have hit the reset switch and am now back at 6 miles for my long runs. I didn't run as fast as my 10 milers either.
I didn't start with a warmup this workout, because I had my girlfriend pacing me on her bike. She stayed slow enough for me to keep up with her, which was very nice. I say this because a cyclist could very easily push the pace and send a runner into anaerobic activity in no time flat.
My left ankle has hurt since Friday. No particular reason. My GF felt my ankle and thinks that I am missing some cartilage. Could be, but I don't really want to know that. It was still a little sore when I started today's run, but it felt normal by the time I hit 2 miles.
Everything felt nice and smooth through 3 miles. That's when I had to start thinking about pushing myself to maintain my pace. I would say that I probably was running in the high 8's for most of the run. Somewhere between that point and mile 5, my GF says to me, "Let me see that gazelle stride you talk about." Of course, I start pushing off harder and lifting my thighs as I drive my knees forward. I picked it up and ran sub-6 minute pace for about a quarter mile and was out of breath in no time. I told her to wait as I slowed down, but kept motivated enough to go back to my previous pace.
I yelled out when we had 1 mile left, because I have that marked in my head (from too many runs to count). When we hit about half mile left, she tells me that we're close and I need to pick it up a little. I really like that about her. She knew exactly when to push me. When we finished up, I was spent. The temperature was high 70's when the sun was going down. Felt great!
I didn't start with a warmup this workout, because I had my girlfriend pacing me on her bike. She stayed slow enough for me to keep up with her, which was very nice. I say this because a cyclist could very easily push the pace and send a runner into anaerobic activity in no time flat.
My left ankle has hurt since Friday. No particular reason. My GF felt my ankle and thinks that I am missing some cartilage. Could be, but I don't really want to know that. It was still a little sore when I started today's run, but it felt normal by the time I hit 2 miles.
Everything felt nice and smooth through 3 miles. That's when I had to start thinking about pushing myself to maintain my pace. I would say that I probably was running in the high 8's for most of the run. Somewhere between that point and mile 5, my GF says to me, "Let me see that gazelle stride you talk about." Of course, I start pushing off harder and lifting my thighs as I drive my knees forward. I picked it up and ran sub-6 minute pace for about a quarter mile and was out of breath in no time. I told her to wait as I slowed down, but kept motivated enough to go back to my previous pace.
I yelled out when we had 1 mile left, because I have that marked in my head (from too many runs to count). When we hit about half mile left, she tells me that we're close and I need to pick it up a little. I really like that about her. She knew exactly when to push me. When we finished up, I was spent. The temperature was high 70's when the sun was going down. Felt great!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Long Run - Cut Short
It was a little chilly this morning. I started with an 11 minute mile warmup and some stretching. I planned on running 4 laps around Lake Ivanhoe near downtown Orlando. Due to the cool weather, I was very dehydrated and had to stop every lap. Mind you, each lap is 2.5 miles, but that made me slow down and start back up too frequently.
I did the first lap in 19:47, so just under 8 minute per mile pace (7:55). The second lap was 40:12 total (20:25 split), so just over 8 minute pace (8:10) for the second 2.5 mile set. That brought the average of 5 miles to 8:02. I continued to slow down on the third lap and was having to focus on my form, which was being altered due to another blister on my left food. At the end of the third lap, I decided to stop. I could have done another lap to complete a 10 miler, but I just didn't feel like beating myself up today. That blister would have been killing me after another 2.5 lap. Anyway, my final time was 1:02:45 which is exactly 8:14 average pace for the entire workout. That means I ran the last 2.5 mile lap in 21:33, which is an average of 8:37.
Although shorter than my recent long runs, it felt good.
I did the first lap in 19:47, so just under 8 minute per mile pace (7:55). The second lap was 40:12 total (20:25 split), so just over 8 minute pace (8:10) for the second 2.5 mile set. That brought the average of 5 miles to 8:02. I continued to slow down on the third lap and was having to focus on my form, which was being altered due to another blister on my left food. At the end of the third lap, I decided to stop. I could have done another lap to complete a 10 miler, but I just didn't feel like beating myself up today. That blister would have been killing me after another 2.5 lap. Anyway, my final time was 1:02:45 which is exactly 8:14 average pace for the entire workout. That means I ran the last 2.5 mile lap in 21:33, which is an average of 8:37.
Although shorter than my recent long runs, it felt good.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Hello 10 Mile Run!
Hello old friend. I haven't seen you in years. You make my calves and feet hurt.
Just kidding... about a 10 mile run being my friend. The pain is real, though. I haven't run 10 miles in a day in a few years. My running group goes out every Saturday and does a long run together except when there is a race. I have been running with this group since August 2010 and this was the first time I did the long run with them. Late bloomer I guess.
I needed this. If I was trying to run this by myself, I would have done one of two things and possibly both. First, I wouldn't have run this fast. I would have averaged at least a minute slower per mile pace. Second, I probably would have given up after 7 miles.
There were water and Gatorade stops at different points along the way and that helped tremendously. I stopped at all of them. They lasted 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 2 minutes. The first break was like a warmup stop a little after a mile. There were 7 runners in our group. We split up into 10 mile and 12 mile groups at the first break. 3 of us stuck together for the 10 mile run. The second pit stop helped me catch my breath around the 4 mile mark. Within half a mile, I told the other 2 guys that I was going to slow down a little and for them to keep going. I didn't want to slow them down. By the time we hit the next break around 7 miles, I was about 300 meters behind them. I was toast at this point. I drank up and stretched for a total of 7 minutes. It was a little too long of a rest, because my legs felt a little stiff when I started up again. I tried to keep up the pace, but could not do it. I made my way about a mile and a half to the next water break, which I didn't see until I was right on top of it. My left calf was cramped at that point. I knew I only had a little more to go, so I pushed on.
Because I was tired and my calf was hurting, I started to alter my form for the worse. I am a fore foot striker and started pushing my feet forward into the ground with each step. This made my toes start hitting the fronts of my running shoes. Not good, because I can feel the two long ones starting to bruise. As I type, they are already turning red. They'll probably be purple by tonight and black tomorrow. Good bye toenails in a couple weeks. All in all, I have 2 bruised toes and 3 blisters. One of the blisters was filled with blood. Those are always cool. I am of the faith that popping them as soon as possible is the best medicine by relieving the pressure and therefore ridding the body of pain.
I plan on heading to Track Shack today sometime and signing up for next Saturday's race - Season's 52 Park Avenue 5.2k. It is my first time running this race and since the distance is just over 5k, I am guaranteed a PR!!!
Summary of today's long run... 10 miles. 1:41 total time on the road. 17 minutes spent at water breaks. Total run time: 1:24 which is an average pace of 8:24.
Just kidding... about a 10 mile run being my friend. The pain is real, though. I haven't run 10 miles in a day in a few years. My running group goes out every Saturday and does a long run together except when there is a race. I have been running with this group since August 2010 and this was the first time I did the long run with them. Late bloomer I guess.
I needed this. If I was trying to run this by myself, I would have done one of two things and possibly both. First, I wouldn't have run this fast. I would have averaged at least a minute slower per mile pace. Second, I probably would have given up after 7 miles.
There were water and Gatorade stops at different points along the way and that helped tremendously. I stopped at all of them. They lasted 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 2 minutes. The first break was like a warmup stop a little after a mile. There were 7 runners in our group. We split up into 10 mile and 12 mile groups at the first break. 3 of us stuck together for the 10 mile run. The second pit stop helped me catch my breath around the 4 mile mark. Within half a mile, I told the other 2 guys that I was going to slow down a little and for them to keep going. I didn't want to slow them down. By the time we hit the next break around 7 miles, I was about 300 meters behind them. I was toast at this point. I drank up and stretched for a total of 7 minutes. It was a little too long of a rest, because my legs felt a little stiff when I started up again. I tried to keep up the pace, but could not do it. I made my way about a mile and a half to the next water break, which I didn't see until I was right on top of it. My left calf was cramped at that point. I knew I only had a little more to go, so I pushed on.
Because I was tired and my calf was hurting, I started to alter my form for the worse. I am a fore foot striker and started pushing my feet forward into the ground with each step. This made my toes start hitting the fronts of my running shoes. Not good, because I can feel the two long ones starting to bruise. As I type, they are already turning red. They'll probably be purple by tonight and black tomorrow. Good bye toenails in a couple weeks. All in all, I have 2 bruised toes and 3 blisters. One of the blisters was filled with blood. Those are always cool. I am of the faith that popping them as soon as possible is the best medicine by relieving the pressure and therefore ridding the body of pain.
I plan on heading to Track Shack today sometime and signing up for next Saturday's race - Season's 52 Park Avenue 5.2k. It is my first time running this race and since the distance is just over 5k, I am guaranteed a PR!!!
Summary of today's long run... 10 miles. 1:41 total time on the road. 17 minutes spent at water breaks. Total run time: 1:24 which is an average pace of 8:24.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I Hate Long Runs
It rained last night for a few hours and it was cloudy all morning. I thought it would be a good day for a long run. It would have if the sun didn't come out after about a mile. Nothing like the Florida sun warming up the vegetation a day after a long rain. Humid is normal in Orlando. Humid is expected. This type of humidity, though, is steamy. Sometimes you suck a warm steamy breath in and it takes you off guard and feel like you are going to choke. It's hard to explain. Wait, it's like running and then all of a sudden you hit a pocket of air like you are in a sauna.
I am used to having my hamstrings feel tight for a warmup and then it usually goes away after the first mile or two. Today, my left hamstring was tight for the first 4 miles. I only ran 6.75 miles, so that was most of my run. I finally felt good for about the last mile. I had a destination in mind, so I stopped running, but I finally hit a point where I thought I could run a little longer. I should have mapped out a route before I started. I just started down the road and I thought it would be around 8 miles by the route I chose. Apparently not.
I just feel so bored running more than about 4 or 5 miles. I have no idea how people can run a marathon. Hours? Really? I can't even think of a genre of music that I could play and still enjoy it for that much time running. I hate long runs. I know I need them to increase my endurance, so it is a necessary evil, but I wish riding a bike for a long distance would do the trick. There is no replacement. Just the long run.
This was my long run for the week and it still fell short of what I wanted to accomplish. Considering I missed Thursday's group practice, I hope I didn't lose any ground on my progress.
I am used to having my hamstrings feel tight for a warmup and then it usually goes away after the first mile or two. Today, my left hamstring was tight for the first 4 miles. I only ran 6.75 miles, so that was most of my run. I finally felt good for about the last mile. I had a destination in mind, so I stopped running, but I finally hit a point where I thought I could run a little longer. I should have mapped out a route before I started. I just started down the road and I thought it would be around 8 miles by the route I chose. Apparently not.
I just feel so bored running more than about 4 or 5 miles. I have no idea how people can run a marathon. Hours? Really? I can't even think of a genre of music that I could play and still enjoy it for that much time running. I hate long runs. I know I need them to increase my endurance, so it is a necessary evil, but I wish riding a bike for a long distance would do the trick. There is no replacement. Just the long run.
This was my long run for the week and it still fell short of what I wanted to accomplish. Considering I missed Thursday's group practice, I hope I didn't lose any ground on my progress.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Long Run for the Week
I know most people run in the mornings to avoid the heat and traffic and maybe just so they get it done and out of the way for the day. Me, nope. I waited until midday when the temperature was 92 degrees F and the heat index said it was 99. That's my time.
I know I don't make all of the brightest decisions. Like this one for instance.
Last week, I ran just over 7 miles. If I follow the rule of not increasing mileage by more than 10 percent each week, I should keep it under 8 miles. I did exactly 8 miles.
I ran from my apartment to downtown's Lake Eola. Got a quick water break and stretch done. Then 2 inner loops and 2 outer loops, which is 4.5 miles. I stopped between laps for water, because as I stated earlier... it was stupid hot today. Then, I finished up the run with 1.5 miles home. I had a hard time mentally running the portion home, except for the last half mile. I just wanted to give up and stop under an Oak tree and call it quits.
Once I got to within a half mile, I sped up a little and just thought that it was 2 laps around the track and that brought me home.
I know I don't make all of the brightest decisions. Like this one for instance.
Last week, I ran just over 7 miles. If I follow the rule of not increasing mileage by more than 10 percent each week, I should keep it under 8 miles. I did exactly 8 miles.
I ran from my apartment to downtown's Lake Eola. Got a quick water break and stretch done. Then 2 inner loops and 2 outer loops, which is 4.5 miles. I stopped between laps for water, because as I stated earlier... it was stupid hot today. Then, I finished up the run with 1.5 miles home. I had a hard time mentally running the portion home, except for the last half mile. I just wanted to give up and stop under an Oak tree and call it quits.
Once I got to within a half mile, I sped up a little and just thought that it was 2 laps around the track and that brought me home.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Slow Long Run
Well, I finally broke the 7 mile barrier last night. I did 7.25 miles. I didn't even have a goal when I set out on my 1 hour 9 minute journey. Initially, I thought I might run 5 miles, which is 2 laps around Lake Ivanhoe. I ran into too many little bugs that kept sticking to my face and they are gross when they keep flying into your mouth. It makes for a really annoying run.
I decided to venture away from the lake and just keep a nice easy pace. I didn't push myself at any point during the entire run. The only thing that I tried to work on was my breathing exercises about once per mile. What I did was consciously inhale and expand my diaphragm down and pushed my belly out. I've always heard that this will help with side stitches, so why not work on it.
It was a nice evening run. I waited until the sun went down before I started just to make sure it would be as cool as possible. It was humid as usual and the temperature was in the high 80's.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that I was trying out a new pair of running shorts and socks. The shorts were standard seamless New Balance. They worked great. Light weight and completely unobtrusive. I didn't make note of the exact type. The socks were great, too. They were called Hidden Comfort by Balega. Easily the best socks I have purchased in some time. They were 9 bucks, but worth every penny.
I decided to venture away from the lake and just keep a nice easy pace. I didn't push myself at any point during the entire run. The only thing that I tried to work on was my breathing exercises about once per mile. What I did was consciously inhale and expand my diaphragm down and pushed my belly out. I've always heard that this will help with side stitches, so why not work on it.
It was a nice evening run. I waited until the sun went down before I started just to make sure it would be as cool as possible. It was humid as usual and the temperature was in the high 80's.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that I was trying out a new pair of running shorts and socks. The shorts were standard seamless New Balance. They worked great. Light weight and completely unobtrusive. I didn't make note of the exact type. The socks were great, too. They were called Hidden Comfort by Balega. Easily the best socks I have purchased in some time. They were 9 bucks, but worth every penny.
Balega Hidden Comfort socks
I have to admit that the reason I felt able to run longer was due to the comfort of these new socks. I think I am going to get at least one more pair... maybe two. I will have to see how they feel during speed work. I have been tempted to get a pair trainer flats for the track lately. I was eyeballing a few at Track Shack yesterday, but didn't make the next step of trying any of them.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Long Run
I read an something in a recent Runner's World that gave a chart of how long your long runs should be. It says that for 5k training, which is what I am doing, you should run between 12-15 miles or 1 hour 15 minutes-1 hour 45 minutes.
Last week, I got 6.75 miles logged and I knew I had to make an improvement. I went out Sunday with the temperature hovering around 90 degrees and very humid. It was overcast, though. This may sound weird, but it felt like a cool 90 degrees, so I thought I could definitely do more mileage today.
I had a route planned in my head. When I got to the southern most point of my route, the sun came out and that 90 turned into something else. I started feeling the heat in my chest and my head and that really makes it hard to push yourself.
I cut my route a little short, so I could get to a park with a water fountain. I stopped and rested for a few minutes to cool my core down a little. In the process, I ended up cooling my muscles too much. When I started back up to run the last 2 miles, my left calf was tight and stretching didn't help. I had to change my form, because it felt like if I kept running the way I normally do, I would pull my calf muscle.
I limped my way home and finished with 6.15 miles in 57 minutes. Still over 9 minute average pace. I did the 10 percent rule, except I ran 10 percent less than last time. Better luck next run.
Last week, I got 6.75 miles logged and I knew I had to make an improvement. I went out Sunday with the temperature hovering around 90 degrees and very humid. It was overcast, though. This may sound weird, but it felt like a cool 90 degrees, so I thought I could definitely do more mileage today.
I had a route planned in my head. When I got to the southern most point of my route, the sun came out and that 90 turned into something else. I started feeling the heat in my chest and my head and that really makes it hard to push yourself.
I cut my route a little short, so I could get to a park with a water fountain. I stopped and rested for a few minutes to cool my core down a little. In the process, I ended up cooling my muscles too much. When I started back up to run the last 2 miles, my left calf was tight and stretching didn't help. I had to change my form, because it felt like if I kept running the way I normally do, I would pull my calf muscle.
I limped my way home and finished with 6.15 miles in 57 minutes. Still over 9 minute average pace. I did the 10 percent rule, except I ran 10 percent less than last time. Better luck next run.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Long Run
I sat at my computer trying to map out a route that would be over 6 miles, but less than 8. Click, click, click. Undo last point, undo last point. It was a lot of that for 20 minutes. I've got my easy run, hill run, and tempo run loops all figured out, but the long runs get boring unless you try something different each time. You need something to keep yourself occupied mentally... like trying to remember where you are supposed to make turns on your just mapped out route.
I mapped 7.5 this evening. I cut a little off when I actually ran it and ended up with 6.75 miles in 1 hour. I ran just under 9 minute pace. I am pretty sure my endorphins kicked in around 5 miles, because that feeling like you can run forever took over and I was running with ease the rest of the way home. If I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn't have cut the .75 out of my loop.
My goal was to run 6 miles and mission accomplished. Next week's long run must be over 7 miles to make sure I am making improvement.
I mapped 7.5 this evening. I cut a little off when I actually ran it and ended up with 6.75 miles in 1 hour. I ran just under 9 minute pace. I am pretty sure my endorphins kicked in around 5 miles, because that feeling like you can run forever took over and I was running with ease the rest of the way home. If I knew that was going to happen, I wouldn't have cut the .75 out of my loop.
My goal was to run 6 miles and mission accomplished. Next week's long run must be over 7 miles to make sure I am making improvement.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Running Partner
Tuesday and today, I had the pleasure of having my girlfriend ride her bicycle next to me while I ran. Yesterday, it worked, but my legs hurt. I didn't have a chance to warmup. I only ran 2 miles, though, so it wasn't all that bad.
Today, I had my long run day. Keep in mind that I primarily run 5k's, so my long days are 5 to 7 miles. I ran 4 miles before heading back by home and picked up my girlfriend on her bike. I was already well warmed up and ready to go the same speed as her cycling. Again, keep in mind that she isn't cycling like Lance Armstrong. I wish I could run that fast. Doesn't everyone though. We did just over 2 miles together and today, she kept giving me motivation to keep pace. She was saying things like, "Keep those knees up" and "you got this." I didn't ask her to do it, which made it so much better. She's such a great person. It was like having a coach and not having to pay for one.
In the end, I ran much faster than I have previously during my long runs.
Today, I had my long run day. Keep in mind that I primarily run 5k's, so my long days are 5 to 7 miles. I ran 4 miles before heading back by home and picked up my girlfriend on her bike. I was already well warmed up and ready to go the same speed as her cycling. Again, keep in mind that she isn't cycling like Lance Armstrong. I wish I could run that fast. Doesn't everyone though. We did just over 2 miles together and today, she kept giving me motivation to keep pace. She was saying things like, "Keep those knees up" and "you got this." I didn't ask her to do it, which made it so much better. She's such a great person. It was like having a coach and not having to pay for one.
In the end, I ran much faster than I have previously during my long runs.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April Fool's Day Run
I ran 5 miles on Tuesday with the intention of running 7.5. My legs were just too heavy. Well, I made up for it today. I did 3 laps around Lake Ivanhoe and got my 7.5 miles logged.
My mind played an April Fool's joke on my legs. My legs felt heavy for the first 2 miles during my warmup, but my mind fooled them into running 5 and half more. I felt really good up until the last mile.
Warmup was 10:30 and 11:00 pace for the 2 miles. A quick retie of my shoelaces and off I went. Of my workout mileage, the first 2 miles were 8:30 and 8:45. I don't know what my times were after that, because of how the loop is and I don't have everything measured.
I died the last mile of my run. I felt like quitting and walking the rest of the way home. There was a headwind most of it. My right foot obviously had a blister and was starting to unnerve me. Where does the runner's high kick in exactly, because I needed it about then.
It started easy and turned into a hard run. 7.5 miles logged and I feel good about it. I will take off tomorrow, but I hope the blister (which popped on its own during the workout) heals and hardens into a callous by Saturday. I would like to log another long run.
My mind played an April Fool's joke on my legs. My legs felt heavy for the first 2 miles during my warmup, but my mind fooled them into running 5 and half more. I felt really good up until the last mile.
Warmup was 10:30 and 11:00 pace for the 2 miles. A quick retie of my shoelaces and off I went. Of my workout mileage, the first 2 miles were 8:30 and 8:45. I don't know what my times were after that, because of how the loop is and I don't have everything measured.
I died the last mile of my run. I felt like quitting and walking the rest of the way home. There was a headwind most of it. My right foot obviously had a blister and was starting to unnerve me. Where does the runner's high kick in exactly, because I needed it about then.
It started easy and turned into a hard run. 7.5 miles logged and I feel good about it. I will take off tomorrow, but I hope the blister (which popped on its own during the workout) heals and hardens into a callous by Saturday. I would like to log another long run.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Long Run turned into Average Run
I had every intention of running 3 laps around Lake Ivanhoe today during the rain, since it was supposed to do that all day. Didn't happen. Either did my 3 laps. The sun came out and it got hot. 79 degrees at my run time.
I took off at a pace that I thought I could do my 7.5 miles with relate ease. I felt real good after 2.5, which is 1 lap around the lake. At about 4 miles, I started to feel tired and having a hard time. I usually feel good when my mind is wandering and I'm thinking about anything but my breathing and arms and legs.
When I hit home at 5 miles, I called it quits. 51 minutes. 10:12 average pace. The good thing is that I kept an even pace the entire time and thought I was running around 10 minute pace. When you can tell the relative speed you are running without using a clock, that's a good sign of your progress.
I feel a little let down, but instead of completely resting tomorrow as I planned, I will take an easy run at some point during the day.
I took off at a pace that I thought I could do my 7.5 miles with relate ease. I felt real good after 2.5, which is 1 lap around the lake. At about 4 miles, I started to feel tired and having a hard time. I usually feel good when my mind is wandering and I'm thinking about anything but my breathing and arms and legs.
When I hit home at 5 miles, I called it quits. 51 minutes. 10:12 average pace. The good thing is that I kept an even pace the entire time and thought I was running around 10 minute pace. When you can tell the relative speed you are running without using a clock, that's a good sign of your progress.
I feel a little let down, but instead of completely resting tomorrow as I planned, I will take an easy run at some point during the day.
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