Today I went to my second - count it! - second Thursday morning session. Thursday mornings with my new running group are just a little bit earlier (5.15am) and a little bit farther. I can faithfully set my alarm for 4.55am, but there is something about 4.30am that seems infinitely earlier in the morning.
Last night I desperately tried to think of an excuse to not set my alarm for 4.30am. But I had a 10k long run on my program for this week, and darned if I was going to let laziness get in the way of my training!
I went through a quick check in my mind: Could I run later on Thursday? Nope. Friday morning? Nope. Friday afternoon? Yep. (But would I run 10k Friday afternoon? Nope). Saturday anytime? Nope.
So it came down to Thursday morning. But on the bright side, I'd actually do my long run, and I'd get to run with others!
I met the group and we set off in the dark. There were lots of marathoners recovering or tapering and everyone had a different goal set out by our lovely coach. As we started off, my coach offered me words of encouragement. She had read my blog about Tuesday's session and offered me some fabulous advice and support. Always appreciated!
I joined up with two other gals who were planning to run at the same pace as my "long run" was meant to be. We had a great time chatting away. It was a small struggle after the first couple of k's, but never to the point where I had to stop talking - thank goodness! - or lag behind the others. We kept a steady 6min pace for the duration, which totalled around 13k. I'm not sure exactly, as I didn't have my fancy watch on.
I felt pretty great. The day was cool and the company delightful. Suddenly, setting my alarm at 4.30am on a Thursday doesn't feel so bad any more...but I'll reserve judgement until next Thursday rolls around!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Pyramids (but not Egypt)
Pyramids. Gorgeous in Egypt, tough on a speed session! Yesterday's pyramids involved one set of 500m/1k/2k/1k/500m with a negative split, and recovery jogs of half the distance we'd just run. Oof!
My times were set as follows:
500m - 2.24min / 1k - 4.48min / 2k - 9.36min / 1k - 4.46min / 500m - 2.22min
The first rep was easy. I love 500m! What a short sprint! Anything under 1k feels fantastic and short. I breezed through in 2.25min.
The next rep wasn't too bad either. I was running with a good friend who is around my speed - some days faster, some days slower - and it's great to be constantly challenged. We finished up in a time of 4.50min. Not the best, but it's well within my "5 second" buffer time I allow myself, so I was happy.
Onto the dreaded 2k rep! Just as any reps under 1k feel short and breezy, anything over 1k feels like a painful, never ending slog. This was arranged that we'd go out in one direction 500m then return to the start and continue in the other direction another 500m to make a round trip of 2k. At the 1k mark I was a couple of seconds off the mark, sitting at about 4.53min. I don't know what happened. My mind said yes, my body said I'm trying and my final time said nope. I crossed the line at 9.55min. That's 19sec slower than my goal time! In the second km I had dropped significantly slower.
It was disappointing. I just couldn't cut it physically. I don't know what feels worse - knowing I'm capable of running faster but not mentally pushing myself hard enough, or mentally pushing myself but not being physically able to increase my speed.
Fortunately, my slightly faster running friend was able to keep me feeling positive and keep me feeling motivated to keep up with her! The next 1k rep I finished in a familiar time of 4.50min. I think of my 1k personal best of 4.36min and wonder how I ever got down there!
The final 500m my friend all but flew, while I struggled to close the gap. She breezed through the final 250m as if it was her first interval of the morning and I staggered in behind her with a respectable time of 2.16.
My times were set as follows:
500m - 2.24min / 1k - 4.48min / 2k - 9.36min / 1k - 4.46min / 500m - 2.22min
The first rep was easy. I love 500m! What a short sprint! Anything under 1k feels fantastic and short. I breezed through in 2.25min.
The next rep wasn't too bad either. I was running with a good friend who is around my speed - some days faster, some days slower - and it's great to be constantly challenged. We finished up in a time of 4.50min. Not the best, but it's well within my "5 second" buffer time I allow myself, so I was happy.
Onto the dreaded 2k rep! Just as any reps under 1k feel short and breezy, anything over 1k feels like a painful, never ending slog. This was arranged that we'd go out in one direction 500m then return to the start and continue in the other direction another 500m to make a round trip of 2k. At the 1k mark I was a couple of seconds off the mark, sitting at about 4.53min. I don't know what happened. My mind said yes, my body said I'm trying and my final time said nope. I crossed the line at 9.55min. That's 19sec slower than my goal time! In the second km I had dropped significantly slower.
It was disappointing. I just couldn't cut it physically. I don't know what feels worse - knowing I'm capable of running faster but not mentally pushing myself hard enough, or mentally pushing myself but not being physically able to increase my speed.
Fortunately, my slightly faster running friend was able to keep me feeling positive and keep me feeling motivated to keep up with her! The next 1k rep I finished in a familiar time of 4.50min. I think of my 1k personal best of 4.36min and wonder how I ever got down there!
The final 500m my friend all but flew, while I struggled to close the gap. She breezed through the final 250m as if it was her first interval of the morning and I staggered in behind her with a respectable time of 2.16.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Good Enough
Trail run day! Last time on the trails (in MAY!) I took a tumble. Today, with wet ground, two sore Achilles, and questionable fitness levels I was a tad nervous.
There is one thing to be said for rejoining the trail runners on Sunday morning: if I was getting a big ego about my quickening speed, this deflated it as effectively as a nail on a tire. Yep, my head which had been swelling with pride became as de-swollen as a bee sting after Benadryl.
There is something very humbling about going your hardest, doing your best...and being dead last. If you have never experienced that in your life, you are rare! I wouldn't say "lucky" - just "rare".
But the day was cool with a beautiful mist winding throughout the forest, and to my great fortune, some steep hills and rocky trails were just what the doctor ordered for my poor Achilles. In no time at all I was chugging along pain-free. And best of all, the trail runners were as friendly as ever. They stopped frequently to allow me to catch up & catch my breath and at no point did my best feel not good enough.
When we got back to the parking lot, I opted to go home rather than back up another hill for a 3k loop. I was happy with my 10k effort for the day. No sense pushing too hard in my first run back!
There is one thing to be said for rejoining the trail runners on Sunday morning: if I was getting a big ego about my quickening speed, this deflated it as effectively as a nail on a tire. Yep, my head which had been swelling with pride became as de-swollen as a bee sting after Benadryl.
Run, rabbit, run!
But the day was cool with a beautiful mist winding throughout the forest, and to my great fortune, some steep hills and rocky trails were just what the doctor ordered for my poor Achilles. In no time at all I was chugging along pain-free. And best of all, the trail runners were as friendly as ever. They stopped frequently to allow me to catch up & catch my breath and at no point did my best feel not good enough.
When we got back to the parking lot, I opted to go home rather than back up another hill for a 3k loop. I was happy with my 10k effort for the day. No sense pushing too hard in my first run back!
What a fantastic, colourful group! I'm in the front middle-ish in the purple shirt & red hat. (Stylin'!)
Our fearless leader of the group composed an awesome video of us running. If you can't find me, just wait until everyone (or nearly everyone!) has run by. As you can see by all the smiles and camera antics, we had a great day, whatever our speed.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Endurance Run at Park Run & Video-Strides
My first official run on my new training program! I'm super jazzed about this awesome program my coach put together for me. He not only gave me the distances, he also gave me a goal pace for every run!
Today's run: 5k endurance run (50-70sec slower than race pace). For me, that falls between 5.50-6.20min/km.
So off I went to Park Run, bringing along my friend Chris. Sadly, she wasn't able to run at this pace today, so I was on my own. I was actually very curious to see how I'd go holding a steady pace at this speed. Steady pace has not been my strong suit these past few weeks! I've mostly been dying off within a couple of k's from the start.
Off we went and I had the strange luxury of having to slow myself down constantly. Every time another runner passed me I couldn't help but thinking, I can beat this person and would inevitably find myself speeding up. A quick glance at my watch (thank you, Garmin!) would pull me up quickly.
I have never been a "negative split" runner. I've always liked the idea of negative splits (i.e. running the second part of the race faster than the first), but in reality I'm a little bit too optimistic about what my race goal will be. I just feel so bouncy and energetic the first few k's and I think, surely I can go faster. THIS race I won't burn out!
And I do...burn out, I mean.
So I kept it steady and pulled in to the finish just over 30min. Excellent! Right on target!
Today's run: 5k endurance run (50-70sec slower than race pace). For me, that falls between 5.50-6.20min/km.
So off I went to Park Run, bringing along my friend Chris. Sadly, she wasn't able to run at this pace today, so I was on my own. I was actually very curious to see how I'd go holding a steady pace at this speed. Steady pace has not been my strong suit these past few weeks! I've mostly been dying off within a couple of k's from the start.
Off we went and I had the strange luxury of having to slow myself down constantly. Every time another runner passed me I couldn't help but thinking, I can beat this person and would inevitably find myself speeding up. A quick glance at my watch (thank you, Garmin!) would pull me up quickly.
I have never been a "negative split" runner. I've always liked the idea of negative splits (i.e. running the second part of the race faster than the first), but in reality I'm a little bit too optimistic about what my race goal will be. I just feel so bouncy and energetic the first few k's and I think, surely I can go faster. THIS race I won't burn out!
And I do...burn out, I mean.
So I kept it steady and pulled in to the finish just over 30min. Excellent! Right on target!
Showing off my new running technique...just kidding! I was actually going for a fantastic finish-line-leap, but the camera missed the jumping action.
When I got home, Chris kindly stood out in the cold weather to film me doing a super-short stride attempting my new running technique. She took about 14 videos, and I've posted one of them below. Perfect form? Nope. Improved? I hope so! I wanted to get some footage of what I actually look like when I run now, so I can hopefully spot the errors of my ways and fix them. I'm glad that I don't look like the hopping kangaroo I had imagined.
I'm not opposed to hearing any suggestions on ways to improve. :) And just for the record, these video-strides felt a lot faster than they look!
Monday, July 8, 2013
Gold Coast Cheering
Gold Coast Marathon was yesterday. Traditionally I have entered the half marathon, but this year I entered nothing.
Yep, nada. Although not injured, I sat on the sidelines and cheered my fellow runners on. I revelled in their personal bests (there were many!) and sympathized with those who were disappointed. This is the first race that I've just watched. And it was actually sort of fun. After so many years of so much support from my friends & family, it was nice to offer some of that support to others.
Watching the marathoners push through on the final stretch (the far side of the road is around the 30k marker.)
There were lots of emotions rolling through Gold Coast, and it was strange to be a side-liner to it all.
Still, at least I don't look like this today...
That's not to say I haven't looked like this before, or won't look like this today. But on this particular Monday, I'm walking just fine, thanks.
Yep, nada. Although not injured, I sat on the sidelines and cheered my fellow runners on. I revelled in their personal bests (there were many!) and sympathized with those who were disappointed. This is the first race that I've just watched. And it was actually sort of fun. After so many years of so much support from my friends & family, it was nice to offer some of that support to others.
There were lots of emotions rolling through Gold Coast, and it was strange to be a side-liner to it all.
Still, at least I don't look like this today...
That's not to say I haven't looked like this before, or won't look like this today. But on this particular Monday, I'm walking just fine, thanks.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Back in Time
Form, form, form!
That was my focus for this week's New Farm ParkRun. I started with a 3k warm-up before hitting the 5k timed run. My goal was to not worry about speed. I tried instead to run with perfect technique and be aware when things changed (e.g.: when I fatigued or slacked).
2k into the 5k, I started to fatigue - keep in mind this is also after a 3k warm-up! I could hear my footsteps get heavier and feel myself start to drag. My calf muscles felt like I'd done 100 jumping jacks ("star jumps"). I'm wondering if I'm landing too far forward on my toes, or if I'm simply that weak in my calf muscles.
Regardless the reason, I slowed the pace back until I felt that my form was improved. Gradually, I started speeding back up. I maintained a steady pace for a while and then my footsteps started to get loud and heavy once again. So, down I slowed once again.
This cycle happened a few more times in the final part of the race.
Interestingly, the first thing to weaken were my calves today.
For all this new running form is supposed to be energy efficient, it sure did wear me out today! I squeaked in at just over 29min. I could have gone faster, but I'm not sure how I would've maintained my form. Or maybe I was more tired because I was going too slow for such awesome technique. Hmm. Lots to think about over the next few weeks as I prepare for Jetty2Jetty. Lots to discuss with my coach!
That was my focus for this week's New Farm ParkRun. I started with a 3k warm-up before hitting the 5k timed run. My goal was to not worry about speed. I tried instead to run with perfect technique and be aware when things changed (e.g.: when I fatigued or slacked).
2k into the 5k, I started to fatigue - keep in mind this is also after a 3k warm-up! I could hear my footsteps get heavier and feel myself start to drag. My calf muscles felt like I'd done 100 jumping jacks ("star jumps"). I'm wondering if I'm landing too far forward on my toes, or if I'm simply that weak in my calf muscles.
Regardless the reason, I slowed the pace back until I felt that my form was improved. Gradually, I started speeding back up. I maintained a steady pace for a while and then my footsteps started to get loud and heavy once again. So, down I slowed once again.
This cycle happened a few more times in the final part of the race.
Interestingly, the first thing to weaken were my calves today.
For all this new running form is supposed to be energy efficient, it sure did wear me out today! I squeaked in at just over 29min. I could have gone faster, but I'm not sure how I would've maintained my form. Or maybe I was more tired because I was going too slow for such awesome technique. Hmm. Lots to think about over the next few weeks as I prepare for Jetty2Jetty. Lots to discuss with my coach!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Add a Little Bounce to my Step
This morning at training I was lucky enough to get some one-on-one regarding my form (or lack thereof). I did 100m strides with my coach running behind me. At the end of every rep, he would give me feedback on what I was doing wrong. I'll give you a hint: there was a LOT! But how amazing to get such individual feedback. As I have - praise God! - run injury free most of my life, and as no one had made any specific criticism about my technique, it has never been something I've thought strongly about, other than to believe I was "naturally good".
But that doesn't mean I'm not keen to hear about ways to improve! My coach simplified everything into 3 key areas for me to focus on. With luck, fixing these 3 areas will have a positive ripple effect on the rest of my running technique.
Key Area #1: keep my elbows bent to 90 degrees. Apparently, my hands are still too low. This causes my shoulders to enter the fray, throwing my body weight around and using up more precious energy during my runs. If I get the arms up I can keep the shoulders relaxed rather than engaged, and my speed & energy should improve.
Key Area #2: higher knees. I always thought keeping low to the ground would be more energy efficient, but I was apparently wrong. My coach has encouraged me to add a little bounce to my step, by bringing my knees up higher and landing with my foot flat under me rather than stretching out in front of my hips. The goal is to feel like I'm running light on my feet, not plodding heavily.
Key Area #3: Butt-kicks. To add to the principle of light on my feet I need to start adding more of a butt kick right before the high knees action. When I do both (high knees + butt-kick) this makes my legs go more in a circular bicycle pattern. It feels like I'm prancing rather than running.
Two fellow runners joined me in the 100m reps. Towards the end of our 10 reps, I felt like I was starting to get it. Although I wasn't actually running any faster, I felt lighter and faster on my feet. I can feel that there will be lots of potential - once I get used to it.
Of course, the session didn't end there! My coach pointed out to me that I should be using this technique even in a slow jog. To prove his point, he sent me and my fellow 100m buddies on a 3k jog at the end of the session. It felt weird.
Or rather, I felt WEIRD. I felt like I was bouncing more than running. My companions assured me I didn't look weird at all, which made me feel a bit better. Around the 1k mark, I started to get a strange sensation... my butt was getting tired! Clearly, I've never used these muscles before if they were fatiguing so quickly.
I tried to keep my form up during the jog, but without my coach giving me constant feedback it was easy to give in to fatigue. I'd like to think I made it the entire 3k while keeping decent form, but I wouldn't bet on it. I "pranced" back to the main group and told my coach about this newly discovered muscle weakness. He's given me some great strengthening exercises to try to whip my poor butt into shape.
I guess I have some homework to do for the next few months!
But that doesn't mean I'm not keen to hear about ways to improve! My coach simplified everything into 3 key areas for me to focus on. With luck, fixing these 3 areas will have a positive ripple effect on the rest of my running technique.
Key Area #1: keep my elbows bent to 90 degrees. Apparently, my hands are still too low. This causes my shoulders to enter the fray, throwing my body weight around and using up more precious energy during my runs. If I get the arms up I can keep the shoulders relaxed rather than engaged, and my speed & energy should improve.
Key Area #2: higher knees. I always thought keeping low to the ground would be more energy efficient, but I was apparently wrong. My coach has encouraged me to add a little bounce to my step, by bringing my knees up higher and landing with my foot flat under me rather than stretching out in front of my hips. The goal is to feel like I'm running light on my feet, not plodding heavily.
Key Area #3: Butt-kicks. To add to the principle of light on my feet I need to start adding more of a butt kick right before the high knees action. When I do both (high knees + butt-kick) this makes my legs go more in a circular bicycle pattern. It feels like I'm prancing rather than running.
Two fellow runners joined me in the 100m reps. Towards the end of our 10 reps, I felt like I was starting to get it. Although I wasn't actually running any faster, I felt lighter and faster on my feet. I can feel that there will be lots of potential - once I get used to it.
Of course, the session didn't end there! My coach pointed out to me that I should be using this technique even in a slow jog. To prove his point, he sent me and my fellow 100m buddies on a 3k jog at the end of the session. It felt weird.
Or rather, I felt WEIRD. I felt like I was bouncing more than running. My companions assured me I didn't look weird at all, which made me feel a bit better. Around the 1k mark, I started to get a strange sensation... my butt was getting tired! Clearly, I've never used these muscles before if they were fatiguing so quickly.
I tried to keep my form up during the jog, but without my coach giving me constant feedback it was easy to give in to fatigue. I'd like to think I made it the entire 3k while keeping decent form, but I wouldn't bet on it. I "pranced" back to the main group and told my coach about this newly discovered muscle weakness. He's given me some great strengthening exercises to try to whip my poor butt into shape.
I guess I have some homework to do for the next few months!
Butt-kicks will make me into a superhero runner in no time!
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