2 laps around Lake Ivanhoe. That's 5 miles. I didn't have a goal in mind other than not to push too hard.
I started with 1.5 miles of warmup. Oddly, my left hamstring was tight during my warmup. It felt fine after stretching, though.
I ran 3 miles and progressively ran faster as I went. I probably started around 9 minute pace and got down under 8 at the end. I didn't carry a watch, so I don't have exact times. It felt like I averaged around 8 minute pace for the whole 3 miles, but since I haven't run much lately, it took a lot more effort to do it.
I think I may need to run more frequently. I don't think I'm getting enough mileage including before my hamstring pull.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Almost Normal Again
It has been about 3 and half weeks since pulling my right hamstring. My latest workouts include 3 miles easy on Tuesday, November 23rd, 6 miles easy on Sunday, November 28th, and 3 miles today.
When I ran on November 23rd, there was a little pain in my hammie, but it felt good to get out there. I ran 1 mile as a warmup and just wanted to see what I could do. I ran 8 laps and started to feel tired. Coincidentally, my leg started to tighten up, so I finished up lap 9 and called it a night.
On Sunday, November 28th, I did 2 miles as a warmup. I did 1 lap around Lake Eola (1 mile) and there were too many people walking around the park. I kept having to change direction to avoid running into people and that was causing a little pain. Running straight forward didn't hurt though. I went to the track around the block at Howard Middle School and did another 12 laps around the track. 6 miles total.
Tonight, I ran 2 laps as a warmup followed up by 4x100 striders. The striders was my test to see if I could run an actual workout with the group. It felt great. NO PAIN!!! So the workout was 20 minutes comprised of 1 minute at 5k pace alternating with 1 minute of jogging. I was able to keep up with a couple other runners, so it was a success and no pain throughout the entire workout.
I didn't feel like I could fully give it everything again, though. I think it will be a couple more weeks before I am completely back to form.
When I ran on November 23rd, there was a little pain in my hammie, but it felt good to get out there. I ran 1 mile as a warmup and just wanted to see what I could do. I ran 8 laps and started to feel tired. Coincidentally, my leg started to tighten up, so I finished up lap 9 and called it a night.
On Sunday, November 28th, I did 2 miles as a warmup. I did 1 lap around Lake Eola (1 mile) and there were too many people walking around the park. I kept having to change direction to avoid running into people and that was causing a little pain. Running straight forward didn't hurt though. I went to the track around the block at Howard Middle School and did another 12 laps around the track. 6 miles total.
Tonight, I ran 2 laps as a warmup followed up by 4x100 striders. The striders was my test to see if I could run an actual workout with the group. It felt great. NO PAIN!!! So the workout was 20 minutes comprised of 1 minute at 5k pace alternating with 1 minute of jogging. I was able to keep up with a couple other runners, so it was a success and no pain throughout the entire workout.
I didn't feel like I could fully give it everything again, though. I think it will be a couple more weeks before I am completely back to form.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Hamstring - Getting Better
It has been a week of nursing my hamstring now. I only used ice to keep the initial swelling down on the first 24 hours. During that same period, I kept my leg elevated as much as possible, wrapped it with bandages, and tried to walk as little as possible. Walking did hurt, too. I couldn't remember if it was a good idea to use pain killers right away. I started with the Aleve the next day and was using them regularly through the first 5 days.
I have been able to walk without pain for 2 days and was able to go up and down stairs at work without pain for 1 day now.
I went out to the training group last night. It made me want to get back out there and run even more. It was definitely a different perspective watching people run in circles versus being one of those runners. I played assistant coach by yelling off splits to some of the runners and giving out motivation as my fellow runners passed me.
I am starting to do strength and stretching exercises now since it is 1 week since my injury and I hope to be jogging within a couple days. Fingers crossed that I will be running in another week.
I have been able to walk without pain for 2 days and was able to go up and down stairs at work without pain for 1 day now.
I went out to the training group last night. It made me want to get back out there and run even more. It was definitely a different perspective watching people run in circles versus being one of those runners. I played assistant coach by yelling off splits to some of the runners and giving out motivation as my fellow runners passed me.
I am starting to do strength and stretching exercises now since it is 1 week since my injury and I hope to be jogging within a couple days. Fingers crossed that I will be running in another week.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Pulled Hamstring - RICE time
The workout this evening did not go as planned. Worked late, back cramps, pulled hamstring.
First of all, I worked late and got out to the track late. I got right into a few warmup laps. I did 3 laps at a decent clip for me. I was doing this while everyone was stretching and doing the usual 4x100 striders to loosen up.
The planned workout tonight:
4x1km @ 5k goal pace with 200 recovery
3 minute rest
4x200 @ full speed with 1:15 rest
I started out fast. The first 1000 was 4:05 (6:34 pace). The second 1000 was 3:56 (6:19 pace). These are closer to my mile pace than to my 5k pace, but you gotta have goals. I knew this wasn't going to go well. I got 600 into my third rep and stopped due to cramps in both sides of my back. That made it too hard to breathe. I was wheezing like a 50 year smoking vet. I finished up my 1000 slowly, but I have no idea what my time was and after stopping, I guess it doesn't really matter. I did the forth 1000 paced at 10k speed through the first 800 and then took off for the last 200. I felt a little better, but could feel the cramping starting to come back after the pickup.
Insert three minute rest.
The 200's. I love running 200's. You get to haul ass and no matter how out of breath you are at the finish, you can get right back into it after a very short rest. I have no idea how fast I was running. I felt really smooth, yet at the same time my legs were very taught and spring like. I felt like a machine. It just came effortlessly. Took a quick 1 minute rest and off on the next one. I took off from the pack immediately and just kept going. I rounded the curve and shortly after hitting the straightaway, my right hamstring popped. I am pretty sure I was overstriding. I was definitely lifting my thighs higher than my normal running form, but it didn't feel awkward, so I didn't think anything of it until it was too late. I got one more stride in after the pop feeling and that didn't feel good at all. OK. It hurt. I hobbled on my left leg off the track to get out of the way of the other runners and went straight to the grass.
I am currently sitting in a chair typing (Rest) with Ice under my thigh at the point of the pull. I have done this before a couple times, but both times were my left. I have some bandages for Compression and will put pillows under my leg when I sleep to keep it Elevated. That's what you see all over the internet - RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
If all goes well and on the same time frame of recovery as my other pulled hammies, I will be running, albeit slightly slower, in two weeks.
First of all, I worked late and got out to the track late. I got right into a few warmup laps. I did 3 laps at a decent clip for me. I was doing this while everyone was stretching and doing the usual 4x100 striders to loosen up.
The planned workout tonight:
4x1km @ 5k goal pace with 200 recovery
3 minute rest
4x200 @ full speed with 1:15 rest
I started out fast. The first 1000 was 4:05 (6:34 pace). The second 1000 was 3:56 (6:19 pace). These are closer to my mile pace than to my 5k pace, but you gotta have goals. I knew this wasn't going to go well. I got 600 into my third rep and stopped due to cramps in both sides of my back. That made it too hard to breathe. I was wheezing like a 50 year smoking vet. I finished up my 1000 slowly, but I have no idea what my time was and after stopping, I guess it doesn't really matter. I did the forth 1000 paced at 10k speed through the first 800 and then took off for the last 200. I felt a little better, but could feel the cramping starting to come back after the pickup.
Insert three minute rest.
The 200's. I love running 200's. You get to haul ass and no matter how out of breath you are at the finish, you can get right back into it after a very short rest. I have no idea how fast I was running. I felt really smooth, yet at the same time my legs were very taught and spring like. I felt like a machine. It just came effortlessly. Took a quick 1 minute rest and off on the next one. I took off from the pack immediately and just kept going. I rounded the curve and shortly after hitting the straightaway, my right hamstring popped. I am pretty sure I was overstriding. I was definitely lifting my thighs higher than my normal running form, but it didn't feel awkward, so I didn't think anything of it until it was too late. I got one more stride in after the pop feeling and that didn't feel good at all. OK. It hurt. I hobbled on my left leg off the track to get out of the way of the other runners and went straight to the grass.
I am currently sitting in a chair typing (Rest) with Ice under my thigh at the point of the pull. I have done this before a couple times, but both times were my left. I have some bandages for Compression and will put pillows under my leg when I sleep to keep it Elevated. That's what you see all over the internet - RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
If all goes well and on the same time frame of recovery as my other pulled hammies, I will be running, albeit slightly slower, in two weeks.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Group Fartlek Workout
I had problems with my bicycle on my way to practice, so I arrived late and didn't get a full warmup. I ran about half a mile warmup and missed the beginning of the actual workout. I had to just warmup as I went and jump in.
I didn't know exactly what course we were doing. Our coach was running with us and when he passed me, he said to just do some quick 10 second sprints in the middle of my warmup jog and catch up to someone that would be running my speed.
That worked and I only missed a small portion of the workout. The workout is below and the rest of the group ran 4 x 2 minutes in the first set.
Fartlek Workout:
2 x 2 minutes @ 5k pace; 1 minute recovery jog
4 x 1 minute @ mile pace; 1 minute recovery jog
4 x 45 sec @ full tilt; 1 minute recovery jog
I didn't quite cover the entire distance of the loop during the fartlek, so I finished up with a steady pace. I was partnered up with someone the whole workout until this last segment. He wanted to start at our jog speed and gradually increase the pace going back to the starting point of the loop. I got about half way and couldn't keep up. I stayed at a consistent pace and he slowly kept pulling away.
It is the first workout in awhile that my legs didn't actually hurt at the end. I don't know what the difference was, though.
Total mileage: 4.35 miles
I didn't know exactly what course we were doing. Our coach was running with us and when he passed me, he said to just do some quick 10 second sprints in the middle of my warmup jog and catch up to someone that would be running my speed.
That worked and I only missed a small portion of the workout. The workout is below and the rest of the group ran 4 x 2 minutes in the first set.
Fartlek Workout:
2 x 2 minutes @ 5k pace; 1 minute recovery jog
4 x 1 minute @ mile pace; 1 minute recovery jog
4 x 45 sec @ full tilt; 1 minute recovery jog
I didn't quite cover the entire distance of the loop during the fartlek, so I finished up with a steady pace. I was partnered up with someone the whole workout until this last segment. He wanted to start at our jog speed and gradually increase the pace going back to the starting point of the loop. I got about half way and couldn't keep up. I stayed at a consistent pace and he slowly kept pulling away.
It is the first workout in awhile that my legs didn't actually hurt at the end. I don't know what the difference was, though.
Total mileage: 4.35 miles
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Down Ladder Workout - Tuesday
Ladder Workout - Interval workout with a systematic progression. This is more easily understand with examples. Any distances can be used such as 400, 600, 800, 1000, 800, 600, 400. You would run the 400's at mile pace, the 600's slightly slower, the 800's at 5k pace, and the 1000 at 10k pace or slightly faster. I used to run a lot of these in high school on the track team. We would specifically call these Up and Down Ladders. We broke our ladder defitions down to also include an Up Ladder workout and a Down Ladder workout. The Up Ladder workout would be short distances at faster speeds increasing in distance and slowing in speed as the workout progresses. An example would be something like 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200. My group's workout on Tuesday was a Down Ladder. This is the opposite of the Up Ladder. You start at longer distances and increase speed with shorter distances as the workout progresses.
Since I didn't run this weekend, I decided to start warming up early. I jogged 1.5 miles before the group warmup. I jogged another mile and then the usual 4 x 100 striders to loosen up.
Here was our Down Ladder workout.
2 x 1000 (@ 10k goal pace)
4 x 800 (@ 5k goal pace)
4 x 400 (@ 1 mile goal pace)
between each repetition, 200 jog recovery
between each set, 3 minute rest
I ran the first set of 1000's a little fast. I don't remember my splits though. I know I was about 10 seconds faster than my goal and the second was 1 second faster or slower than the first rep.
The 800's were much faster than my goal pace. I think my goal was 3:45 before we started. The first was 3:15 and I could tell that was too fast. I hit the rest in 3:21, 3:24, and 3:20. I posted the times on DailyMile.com and the first one was wrong. I remembered now that I ran that first one just behind Jonny and he did a 3:14. That's a virtual 2 mile time of 13:20.
The 400's were brutal as they should be. They are fast and I was supposed to start jogging immediately after finishing each one, but I had to stop for a few seconds after each one to catch my breath. I was obviously overachieving. I ran them in 1:21, 1:26, 1:21, 1:35. I started cramping and couldn't control my breathing on the last one, but it was only a 400, so I pushed through it. I don't think I could have kept going if it was an 800 or more. Then again, I wouldn't have run that fast if it was an 800. That's a virtual mile time of 5:43. I can't believe that I used to run those pretty easily in high school. I ran a 6:07 at the time trial a couple months ago. I would think that I would be getting close to 5:43 without rest or recoveries, but I guess that I am not taking into account that this was at the end of the workout. At least, that's what I am hoping is the case.
My times are coming down along with the temperatures. This was a great workout!
Since I didn't run this weekend, I decided to start warming up early. I jogged 1.5 miles before the group warmup. I jogged another mile and then the usual 4 x 100 striders to loosen up.
Here was our Down Ladder workout.
2 x 1000 (@ 10k goal pace)
4 x 800 (@ 5k goal pace)
4 x 400 (@ 1 mile goal pace)
between each repetition, 200 jog recovery
between each set, 3 minute rest
I ran the first set of 1000's a little fast. I don't remember my splits though. I know I was about 10 seconds faster than my goal and the second was 1 second faster or slower than the first rep.
The 800's were much faster than my goal pace. I think my goal was 3:45 before we started. The first was 3:15 and I could tell that was too fast. I hit the rest in 3:21, 3:24, and 3:20. I posted the times on DailyMile.com and the first one was wrong. I remembered now that I ran that first one just behind Jonny and he did a 3:14. That's a virtual 2 mile time of 13:20.
The 400's were brutal as they should be. They are fast and I was supposed to start jogging immediately after finishing each one, but I had to stop for a few seconds after each one to catch my breath. I was obviously overachieving. I ran them in 1:21, 1:26, 1:21, 1:35. I started cramping and couldn't control my breathing on the last one, but it was only a 400, so I pushed through it. I don't think I could have kept going if it was an 800 or more. Then again, I wouldn't have run that fast if it was an 800. That's a virtual mile time of 5:43. I can't believe that I used to run those pretty easily in high school. I ran a 6:07 at the time trial a couple months ago. I would think that I would be getting close to 5:43 without rest or recoveries, but I guess that I am not taking into account that this was at the end of the workout. At least, that's what I am hoping is the case.
My times are coming down along with the temperatures. This was a great workout!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Go 600's
What are Go 600's? I just found out today. You run 400 at your 5k goal pace and then GO for 200 to finish off your 600. We did 6 of these with a 2 minute rest recovery. I needed a water break after 4, so I took a 4 minute rest break and then ran number 5 with everyone as their last one. I ran my 6th one by myself.
My goal was to run the first 400 at 1:45, which is a goal 5k pace of 22 minutes flat. My actual times were between 1:28 and 1:34. My final 600 times were between 2:07 and 2:17.
My goal was to run the first 400 at 1:45, which is a goal 5k pace of 22 minutes flat. My actual times were between 1:28 and 1:34. My final 600 times were between 2:07 and 2:17.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Greater Maitland 5k - Race Report
Needless to say, there was a small field of competitors this morning. Now with that being said, I took home FIRST PLACE in my 30-39 Age Division!!!! I was 20th overall with a time of 22:17. I said it was a small field.
I got up early and had a good breakfast and 3 cups (mugs) of coffee before the race. I was definitely eye-opened by race time at 7:30am. I also took a couple of pain pills when I woke up, so my back and hamstrings wouldn't hurt. That definitely helped. I've read recently that it's not a good idea to do that, but I think it mainly pertains to marathon runners since a 5k isn't that taxing on your system.
I ran this course 2 years ago, so I knew what to expect.. It is relatively flat the entire way. There was one hill that was nice at the beginning and hurtful toward the end, because the course it pretty much an out and back. For anyone outside of Florida, you probably wouldn't even call it a hill.
I ran the first mile in 6:55. The second mile trailed off a little at 7:20 (14:15) and I maintained that through the last mile with a 7:18 pace (calculated since I didn't pay attention to my 3 mile split). This is my "over 30" PR. My previous best was 22:29 from a couple years ago. I also bettered my last race time of 23:07 by 50 seconds.
My average pace was 7:10 per mile which is 16 seconds per mile faster than my last race.
Now, I need to pick a race in about a month and see if I can knock my average pace under 7 minutes per mile. That means my next goal is to get under 21:44 (-00:33).
I got up early and had a good breakfast and 3 cups (mugs) of coffee before the race. I was definitely eye-opened by race time at 7:30am. I also took a couple of pain pills when I woke up, so my back and hamstrings wouldn't hurt. That definitely helped. I've read recently that it's not a good idea to do that, but I think it mainly pertains to marathon runners since a 5k isn't that taxing on your system.
I ran this course 2 years ago, so I knew what to expect.. It is relatively flat the entire way. There was one hill that was nice at the beginning and hurtful toward the end, because the course it pretty much an out and back. For anyone outside of Florida, you probably wouldn't even call it a hill.
I ran the first mile in 6:55. The second mile trailed off a little at 7:20 (14:15) and I maintained that through the last mile with a 7:18 pace (calculated since I didn't pay attention to my 3 mile split). This is my "over 30" PR. My previous best was 22:29 from a couple years ago. I also bettered my last race time of 23:07 by 50 seconds.
My average pace was 7:10 per mile which is 16 seconds per mile faster than my last race.
Now, I need to pick a race in about a month and see if I can knock my average pace under 7 minutes per mile. That means my next goal is to get under 21:44 (-00:33).
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bladder Bust Workout
We had a group run as usual on Thursday. Coach wasn't there, but he sent instructions to one of the other runners. She told us what our workout was. It was a medium intensity workout, because many people are running races this weekend. I am doing the Greater Maitland 5k, while most of the runners are doing the UCF U Can Finish 5 Miler on Sunday.
We started by doing the normal 1.25 mile warmup and 4 x100 striders.
I was supposed to run 4 x kilometer repeats like the rest of the group, but I had to leave early. I ran 3 instead. The groups broke up into Murphy by himself in the front, a lead pack, a trailing pack, and then me on the caboose. I wasn't too far behind the trailing pack. I think my times were around 2-3 seconds back the first lap and then got up to about 5-7 seconds behind by the third lap. Our goal pace was 5 mile speed, so that is why it was supposed to be moderate to easy. Each kilometer was supposed to be 2-3 seconds faster than the previous one. I was running slightly faster than my 5k goal pace. I ran 4:10, 4:09, 4:06. That equates to 6:42, 6:40, 6:35 mile pace. That's great in theory.
Well, I was supposed to run that 4 times. I only 3. The reason is because my bladder was going to bust if I didn't get out of there and to a restroom in short order. The public restroom at the park was locked. Awesome! Oh, well. Race is tomorrow morning and I'm about as ready as I can be.
I was supposed to run 4 x kilometer repeats like the rest of the group, but I had to leave early. I ran 3 instead. The groups broke up into Murphy by himself in the front, a lead pack, a trailing pack, and then me on the caboose. I wasn't too far behind the trailing pack. I think my times were around 2-3 seconds back the first lap and then got up to about 5-7 seconds behind by the third lap. Our goal pace was 5 mile speed, so that is why it was supposed to be moderate to easy. Each kilometer was supposed to be 2-3 seconds faster than the previous one. I was running slightly faster than my 5k goal pace. I ran 4:10, 4:09, 4:06. That equates to 6:42, 6:40, 6:35 mile pace. That's great in theory.
Well, I was supposed to run that 4 times. I only 3. The reason is because my bladder was going to bust if I didn't get out of there and to a restroom in short order. The public restroom at the park was locked. Awesome! Oh, well. Race is tomorrow morning and I'm about as ready as I can be.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
400 Repeats
Just to log what I did this weekend, my long run on Sunday was great. The weather was beautiful. There was a light breeze and I started my run around 2:30pm and the temperature was 82 degrees. That is the coolest it has been since spring, so it was very welcome. I took it easy and was able to get 8.7 miles logged in 1:24:17, so that was an average pace of 9:41 per mile. I stopped once for 4 minutes to get water and do a quick set of leg stretches.
Today, the weather was about the same, but a little windy. We were running on the track, so the good and bad is that you run in a circle. The wind as at your back just as much as it is in your face.
We did our usual mile warmup jog, stretches, and 4x100 stretches. Today's workout was 5 sets of 2 x 400 with 1 minute rest between reps and 2:15 between sets. The intended pace was 2-3 seconds slower than mile pace on the first and then mile pace on the second rep.
My mile time at the time trial was 6:07, so that means my mile pace would dictate a 1:32 and the first, slower lap would be a 1:34/35. I didn't run anything over 1:30. I ran most of them between 1:23 and 1:28. The slowest was 1:30 and the fastest (last one) was 1:20. I wish I had a way of recording them... or remembering. I don't know why, but I pushed the pace and was able to keep up with the middle pack today. After the first few, I was able to stride out and stay tall in my posture. I felt relaxed after the first 4 laps and didn't feel forced. That's about when my left hamstring finally loosened up. One of these days, I am going to find a jacuzzi and soak this leg. I will probably wait until after my 5k this weekend. Even though I felt good during this workout, Coach Nathan thought it best that I sit out the last set. I would have overruled him, but considering my hammy condition, I agreed. Almost everyone else in my running group ran 6 sets. I did some extra hamstring stretches after the general workout. We ran as a group for 1.25 miles as a cooldown around Lake Eola to finish up the night.
Note: I kept my shoes less taut at the beginning of the workout and I felt my feet sliding around causing friction and unnecessary heat buildup. Half way through the repeats, I tightened up my shoestrings and the adjustment allowed me to carry on with the workout with no blisters.
Today, the weather was about the same, but a little windy. We were running on the track, so the good and bad is that you run in a circle. The wind as at your back just as much as it is in your face.
We did our usual mile warmup jog, stretches, and 4x100 stretches. Today's workout was 5 sets of 2 x 400 with 1 minute rest between reps and 2:15 between sets. The intended pace was 2-3 seconds slower than mile pace on the first and then mile pace on the second rep.
My mile time at the time trial was 6:07, so that means my mile pace would dictate a 1:32 and the first, slower lap would be a 1:34/35. I didn't run anything over 1:30. I ran most of them between 1:23 and 1:28. The slowest was 1:30 and the fastest (last one) was 1:20. I wish I had a way of recording them... or remembering. I don't know why, but I pushed the pace and was able to keep up with the middle pack today. After the first few, I was able to stride out and stay tall in my posture. I felt relaxed after the first 4 laps and didn't feel forced. That's about when my left hamstring finally loosened up. One of these days, I am going to find a jacuzzi and soak this leg. I will probably wait until after my 5k this weekend. Even though I felt good during this workout, Coach Nathan thought it best that I sit out the last set. I would have overruled him, but considering my hammy condition, I agreed. Almost everyone else in my running group ran 6 sets. I did some extra hamstring stretches after the general workout. We ran as a group for 1.25 miles as a cooldown around Lake Eola to finish up the night.
Note: I kept my shoes less taut at the beginning of the workout and I felt my feet sliding around causing friction and unnecessary heat buildup. Half way through the repeats, I tightened up my shoestrings and the adjustment allowed me to carry on with the workout with no blisters.
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