The February 2016 Running Challenge

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  • michable
    michable Posts: 312 Member
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    11.52 km @ 7:32 min/km; Av HR 130, max HR 149. Warm and humid run this morning; 23.9 C and 94% humidity at 4.45am. My legs are still a little sore from the Runners World Iron Strength workout I did on Sunday. I don’t mind the kind of muscle soreness you get when you haven’t worked muscles for a while. To me, it means I had a good workout, and those muscles will get stronger. I just need to keep doing it now. The strength stuff is the first thing that falls out of my training plan when I get busy.

    1 Feb 6.18 km
    2 Feb sick
    3 Feb sick
    4 Feb Rest
    5 Feb 11.13 km
    6 Feb 6.62 km
    7 Feb 19.00 km (long run)
    8 Feb Rest
    9 Feb 6.28 km
    10 Feb 10.46 km
    11 Feb 6.28 km
    12 Feb Rest
    13 Feb 15.41 km
    14 Feb Iron Strength workout
    15 Feb 6.29 km
    16 Feb Rest (DOMS from strength workout on Sunday)
    17 Feb 11.52 km

    Total: 99.17 km / 165 km

    Races:
    5 June Rocky River Run 21km
    3 July Gold Coast Marathon


    exercise.png
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    karllundy wrote: »
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @Stoshew71 and anyone else that has insight. I have a training question:

    I love having my regular runs up to 7+ miles. I know every other week I need a long run. But I've added a group run 3 out of 4 weeks, which is at a faster pace for me, probably wouldn't be inaccurate to say about race pace.

    Should I abandon my long run? Or use it the one week I can't make the group until I get conditioned? What are my option here? I think I'm in a good spot, taking it up a notch, but don't want to over do it.

    I'm shooting for 25-28 miles a week this month, March is scheduled for 150, ~34 miles a week (will prob add lots of walking in the transition). I'm considering adding a day (5 days) and splitting the mileage where a 7 miles run is now 2, 4-5 mile runs easy pace. (Speed work is hit and miss with my hip, not pushing it.)

    Thanks. I am here -->7miles x 3days plus group run 6-8 miles, increased pace.

    Before group run... 6*3, and 1 long run (last one was 11 miles, adding 2 miles every other week). Be 13 or 15 this week.. Per HM training.

    I have more questions than answers. :-)

    What are your goals? Why a long run every other week? How much more increased pace is this group run?

    Here is what I shoot for for my goals.
    2 quality workouts plus a long run with the rest of my runs being easy or recovery paced.
    Goal is to have only 20% of my weekly mileage be in the faster than easy pace range.

    A quality workout would be a medium long run (10 miles that takes me ~90 minutes) a tempo paced run, an intense hill workout, or if I did any kind of speed workout. I used to do way too many medium long runs during the week just because i was trying to hard to fit in my weekly mileage early in the morning. I have been doing a better job lately breaking that up into multiple runs per day which I find much more successful to manage and recover from.

    Your first option 7 miles x3 plus a group run 6-8 miles faster pace. To me, that is just 4x 7 milers with one of them being a faster paced. That's 25% faster paced and that is lumping 1 quality workout per week. To me that is not a good option. Long runs are bread and butter workouts. I believe you need one each week. (90 minutes minimum -2.5 hours maximum for easy paced running non-stop or at least very short breaks to get the maximum benefit). The next important workout in my opinion is a tempo or lactate threshold run. There are different ways to do it but the most popular is a 20 minute run at Lacate Threshold. but there are also 1 mile or 2 mile cruise intervals at LT, or 40-60 minute runs just a tad bit slower than LT. Then you got other choices for your second quality workout. A medium long run, hills, VO2 max short intervals, neuromuscular repeats or another tempo workout.

    The idea is to spread your more quality workouts around between your weekly mileage. So if I was planning a 25 mile week, this is what I would do.

    Right off the bat segregate my long run. So long run maxes out at 33% of the weekly mileage. 8 miles for 25 mile week or 9 miles for a 28 mile week. If you are looking to do a long run of 13 eventually, then you need to build up to 39 weekly miles.

    So back to a 25 mile week. 8 miles set aside for my long run. Boom. leaves me with 17 miles left to play with.
    I have 2 quality workouts plus the remainder to add easy paced and recovery runs.

    20% of a 25 mile week is 5 miles. So I have 5 miles to plan 2 quality workouts.

    I could do 2x 2.5 mile tempo runs (plus warm-up and cool down).
    So if I do 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool down, each tempo run is 4.5 miles. 9 miles planned.
    I have 8 miles to play with for easy runs are recovery.

    So this may be how I would plan my week.

    Mon Cross Train
    Tue 4.5 miles (1 mi w/u, 2.5 LTP, 1 mi c/d) (Quality Day)
    Wed 4 mile recovery paced
    Thu 4.5 miles (1 mi w/u, 2.5 LTP, 1 mi c/d) (Quality Day)
    Fri REST or Cross Train
    Sat 8 mile Long Run
    Sun 4 mile recovery paced
    25 miles 80% is easy paced or recovery & only 20% is faster than easy pace.
    2 quality workouts plus a long run.


    ^^^^ This is just an idea, not suggesting you actually do this. But just trying to explain how you plan a weekly workout. If you are trying to build up mileage for HM training, then it would be ideal to build up to 39 weekly miles (100% easy paced or slower as you are building). Base building or mileage building is an entire quality week. The 2 quality workout/week rules should come into play only after the mileage is already built.

    I was actually going to write a blog about my complaints against some of the HM and Marathon Plans that are out there. Many of them break so many rules and set a lot of people up to failure and injury in my opinion. While the plans are better than "winging" it, they are still not so safe.




    @Stoshew71 - Is this gonna be a blog post? This is right where I need to be. Good info I want to be able to find.

    Not this next time around. My next blog post is actually going to be my gripes against many of the plans out there and the people that follow them. Although, some key things about the right way to do things will be addressed.

  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
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    karllundy wrote: »
    On a not serious note, I am guessing most of us are pulling for @kristinegift to beat @Stoshew71 in that everyone wants to see the teacher get beat sort of way.

    I would not call myself the teacher and kristine a student tho.
    I have mad respects that kristine joined this challenge group already with plenty of knowledge. She has been very vocal many times when questions were asked and I feel she answered them pretty acurately. Most likely from her personal experience apart from my contribution. I even seen her very vocal with good advise in the Long Distance Runners forum.

    However, if you were correct in your assumption, then this would best capture the moment, maybe?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZD1f9RTEJU
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @Stoshew71 OK, I think I understand, I don't want every run to be 7 miles. I'd like to do 6-8 with the group, but not sure I want that to be my long run, just yet. They run the road, I'm usually on the trails. They will go 14+, some of us just pick up sections with them. But I can turn that into my long run if I back down the mileage during the week and work on slow steady pace without walk breaks.

    I'll work on the quality runs. Thanks. I'm gonna follow your example.

    Oh the group pace is 9:30-10, I can totally hang, I'm just learning to omit walk breaks an pace properly- not gunning it at 8- 8:5 or 7's

    Edit-what would a base building week look like? Like what I'm doing, long slow miles?

    @Elise4270 - First, I want to say that I think @Stoshew71 is giving you good advice. I'd like to offer a slightly alternative opinion.

    Is your goal to run a half marathon, or to run a half marathon as fast as you personally can? This is an important distinction. If your goal is to run the half fast, you want the full panoply of varied training, with quality workouts and long workouts and fill in with easy miles. But if your goal is just to be able to run a half marathon, things are simpler. You need a long run, and you need lots of easy miles. Quality workouts (speed work, tempo runs) are optional for a goal of simply finishing.

    Based on the kinds of things you've mentioned, right now I'd guess that identifying what your long run pace should be and learning to run at that pace would be high priority. You won't really appreciate the difference between easy and speed work until you know what easy should feel like.

    Base building is a longer process than a week. Just because I ran 68 miles last week and 62 miles the week before doesn't mean I have a 60+ mile base; the base is a level of running that can be sustained, week in and week out. I spent about two months building a base before starting my current structured training program. There are different ways to do this. The way I did it was to increase miles at some point, then hold the weekly mileage steady until I'd run that far 3 weeks in a row and didn't feel beat up after the 3rd week. Lather, rinse, repeat until you reach the desired level of base miles or run out of time. (I ran out of time, and achieved a base of 46 miles per week when I had wanted 50. This was not a disaster, because the training plan had instructions for scaling down to fit the base I had.) While building a base, you don't add quality workouts. If you've already got them, you don't make them tougher.

    Just the process of building a base can get you to the finish line of a half marathon. The rest of the stuff @Stoshew71 is talking about is very helpful in getting you to that finish line more quickly.

  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
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    Cake lady is definitely a much better option to the person who used to come to my gym a few years ago - he smelled like tacos and would always plant himself on the treadmill next to me. Again, I like tacos, just not when I'm running. Then there is the guy who walks at a super-slow pace, but he walks to the front of the treadmill, then stops walking until it takes him to the back of the treadmill, then he walks to the front, and then stops until he's at the back, then forward, then back. I call him "yo-yo man." I had to keep myself from yelling at him a few times.

    I have a guy my friend calls "Fred Flinstone". He actually looks a little like Fred, but most importantly, he puts the incline at some ridiculous angle, grabs onto the bars and stomps while shaking his sweaty head back and forth like some sort of wildebeest.

    There really are a lot of characters at the gym--most of them I just really respect their dedication, but some really do give you pause, lol.

    1/31 Rest
    2/1 6.25 @ 12.00 on the treadmill
    2/2 3.5 (3 @ 11:50 and .5 walking) and strength training
    2/3 Rest day
    2/4 10.25 @ 11:46 on the treadmill.
    2/5 Planned rest day--taking my daughter on her first college visit!
    2/6 5 @ 10:35 on the treadmill
    (25/25 for the week)

    2/7 Rest
    2/8 5 @ 11:23 on the treadmill. Knees were giving me a little trouble at the beginning but warmed up ok.
    2/9 3.25 @ 10:46 on the treadmill and strength training
    2/10 11 @ 12:00 on the treadmill. Dear goodness golly that was awful.
    2/11 Rest
    2/12 6.25 @ 11:23 on the treadmill.
    2/13 Rest
    (25.5/25 for the week)

    2/14 No race day. :( It was 7 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like -5. I just couldn't do it. Last time I ran in temps like that I had painful lungs for days after, and I don't want to risk being ill or hurting next Sunday.
    2/15 5 @ 12 ish on the treadmill-saurus in my basement since we're having another stinking snow day
    2/16 5 @ 12 ish on the treadmill at home. My legs/ankles/whatever are not feeling great today
    2/17
    2/18
    2/19
    2/20
    (10/20 for the week)

    Upcoming Races:
    Feb. 21 Disney Princess Half Marathon, Orlando, FL


    exercise.png





  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    edited February 2016
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @Stoshew71 OK, I think I understand, I don't want every run to be 7 miles. I'd like to do 6-8 with the group, but not sure I want that to be my long run, just yet. They run the road, I'm usually on the trails. They will go 14+, some of us just pick up sections with them. But I can turn that into my long run if I back down the mileage during the week and work on slow steady pace without walk breaks.

    I'll work on the quality runs. Thanks. I'm gonna follow your example.

    Oh the group pace is 9:30-10, I can totally hang, I'm just learning to omit walk breaks an pace properly- not gunning it at 8- 8:5 or 7's

    Edit-what would a base building week look like? Like what I'm doing, long slow miles?

    @Elise4270 - First, I want to say that I think @Stoshew71 is giving you good advice. I'd like to offer a slightly alternative opinion.

    Is your goal to run a half marathon, or to run a half marathon as fast as you personally can? This is an important distinction. If your goal is to run the half fast, you want the full panoply of varied training, with quality workouts and long workouts and fill in with easy miles. But if your goal is just to be able to run a half marathon, things are simpler. You need a long run, and you need lots of easy miles. Quality workouts (speed work, tempo runs) are optional for a goal of simply finishing.

    Based on the kinds of things you've mentioned, right now I'd guess that identifying what your long run pace should be and learning to run at that pace would be high priority. You won't really appreciate the difference between easy and speed work until you know what easy should feel like.

    Base building is a longer process than a week. Just because I ran 68 miles last week and 62 miles the week before doesn't mean I have a 60+ mile base; the base is a level of running that can be sustained, week in and week out. I spent about two months building a base before starting my current structured training program. There are different ways to do this. The way I did it was to increase miles at some point, then hold the weekly mileage steady until I'd run that far 3 weeks in a row and didn't feel beat up after the 3rd week. Lather, rinse, repeat until you reach the desired level of base miles or run out of time. (I ran out of time, and achieved a base of 46 miles per week when I had wanted 50. This was not a disaster, because the training plan had instructions for scaling down to fit the base I had.) While building a base, you don't add quality workouts. If you've already got them, you don't make them tougher.

    Just the process of building a base can get you to the finish line of a half marathon. The rest of the stuff @Stoshew71 is talking about is very helpful in getting you to that finish line more quickly.

    Very good points as to why I degress to my, if you are building a base, then all mileage is easy paced or slower.
    I answer these questions by assuming that I am answering the question for more than 1 reader. Also, maybe at some point it time down the road, Elise would be ready for adding quality workouts.

    You make an excellent observation that base building is more than simply reaching a maximum mileage and wallaah, you are there. I have been running ~60 miles each week and still feel that it's still kicking my butt. I also have hills and some of my runs aren't exactly all easy. Some are at tempo but i don't do any speed work.

    But breaking a couple of my 10 miler mid week runs into 2 smaller runs has helped a lot. Thanks for your insight Moby.

  • username301
    username301 Posts: 247 Member
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    last jog with two walking intervals today. A couple of runs with 1, 1min walk in the middle this week and next. So am on schedule for a full 5k jog by 29 Feb.

    date....distance.... Mtd......ytd
    1/2........ 5k.............5k.........50k
    3/2.........5k.............10k......55k
    7/2.........5k.............15k.......60k
    10/2.......5k.............20k.......65k
    12/2.......5k.............25k.......70k
    14/2.......5k.............30k.......75k
    16/2.......5k.............35k........80k
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    edited February 2016
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    February Running Totals (miles)
    [1/31 – 14.01 easy with hills]
    2/1 – 6.08 easy + 4 strides
    2/2 – 9.73 warm up, speed work, cool down
    2/3 – 6.30 group run
    2/4 – 11.04 long speed work
    2/5 – scheduled rest day
    2/6 – 15.00 long speed work
    Weekly total 62.16 vs. target 62

    2/7 – 11.35 easy 1.5 hour
    2/8 – 5.96 easy + 4 strides
    2/9 – 11.08 warm up, speed work, cool down
    2/10 – 6.01 easy
    2/11 – 11.75 warm up, speed work, cool down
    2/12 – scheduled rest day
    2/13 – 22 on inside track
    Weekly total 68.15 vs. target 68

    2/14 – 12.64 easy 100 minutes
    2/15 – 6.06 easy
    2/16 – unplanned rest day – Winter Storm Olympia

    February total to date – 135.00

    Goal – 62 or 68 miles per week, per training plan
    Expected February total - 262 to 265 miles

    Today's notes – If you look online at The Weather Channel, it will tell you that Winter Storm Olympia is no big deal today, mostly a rain event along the East Coast, with a bit of snow inland. Look at the map, and you'll see a very narrow band of purple representing the heaviest snow running from south to north into Lake Ontario.

    Rochester, NY is right at the center of that band of purple. Good thing today was a work at home day.

    I got up this morning and went to shovel the driveway. Had to put the shovel down and get out the snowblower. Can't complain too loud, because February 16 is awfully late in the season to be putting gas in the snowblower for the first time. I figured I'd get back out and touch up with the shovel. Hah! At 11 AM, it was deep enough to need the snowblower again. If I hadn't cleared it the first time, the snowblower might have choked. Since then, I've shoveled three times. And there's still 45 minutes of Winter Storm Warning left.

    This is from about 3PM, the obligatory picture of the mailbox and the view from the garage looking out. I shoveled again later on. For reference, yesterday the tips of the grass showed through the snow.

    9trgrv0pimpv.jpg
    upjlu5m8mzlj.jpg

    I thought about walking over to the inside track to get my speed work in. It's about 3 miles, no big deal getting there; but walking home afterward was a bit intimidating. Maybe the roads will be clear enough by 6? Turned out that the college closed due to inclement weather, so I didn't have to make that decision. In slightly better conditions, I'd just run easy on the road today and do the speed workout tomorrow; but there are snow plows.

    The snow plows move along pretty fast. The drivers know where they're going, but don't have the greatest visibility. They won't be looking for runners. If I encounter one in a bad spot, I might not have anywhere to get out of the way.

    I don't run on the roads when the plows are active. I don't own a dreadmill. The indoor track is closed. So today is a rest day.

    Tomorrow is not my normal day for speed work, but if the roads get cleaned up enough that's what I'll do instead of the easy run I would normally do on Wednesday.

    Sigh. I turn 60, and all of a sudden I'm a big time weather wimp. Ran indoors Saturday, and let the weather keep me from running at all today.

    Upcoming races:
    March 12, 2016 Johnny's Runnin' of the Green 5 mile (Rochester, NY)
    March 26, 2016 Spring Forward Distance Run 15K (Mendon, NY)
    April 18, 2016 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA)
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    @MobyCarp All good advice. Ultimately I'd like to be able to run a fast HM at 12 pounds lighter, (win the lottery, be 20 years younger, gain an additional 30-40 IQ points... And eat better).

    But honestly, I'm concerned that I just do not have the physical capabilities, while some days/weeks I think I'm not that far behind someone without my issue.

    I think I'll ride it out, and build my base, get my left up to speed the best I can. I should be happy just getting out there. I've come along way. And if surgery happens, I'll be able to get back to running (I hope) easier than if I hadn't.

    I'm gonna have to root for @kristinegift , nothin' personal Stan, girls gotta stick together.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited February 2016
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    1---6.10
    2---rest
    3---6.25
    4---6.26
    5---not enough rest day
    6---15K
    7-9--busted knee.
    10-- 6.30
    11---rest
    12---7.05
    13---rest dumb knee
    14---7.39
    15---rest dumb knee
    16--- 4.60 rough... So tired. (7.2 behind)

    53.49/Goal 110+ miles

    Upcoming races:
    03/19/16 Rock N Roll 5K Dallas
    03/20/16 Rock N Roll Half Dallas
    04/24/16 OKC Memorial undecided distance
    Run the year 2016  153.43/2016
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
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    Well, I'm going to have to jump in for team Stan. Mostly because, well, somebody has to do it! :lol:

    Don't tell Stan though, but I might secretly be rooting for team Kristine.
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »


    I'm gonna have to root for @kristinegift , nothin' personal Stan, girls gotta stick together.

    Exactly what I was going to say, us girlies stick together, and you are my friend @stoshew71 :smiley:
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited February 2016
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    karllundy wrote: »
    On a not serious note, I am guessing most of us are pulling for @kristinegift to beat @Stoshew71 in that everyone wants to see the teacher get beat sort of way.

    @karllundy I will do my best!!

    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    karllundy wrote: »
    On a not serious note, I am guessing most of us are pulling for @kristinegift to beat @Stoshew71 in that everyone wants to see the teacher get beat sort of way.

    I would not call myself the teacher and kristine a student tho.
    I have mad respects that kristine joined this challenge group already with plenty of knowledge. She has been very vocal many times when questions were asked and I feel she answered them pretty acurately. Most likely from her personal experience apart from my contribution. I even seen her very vocal with good advise in the Long Distance Runners forum.

    However, if you were correct in your assumption, then this would best capture the moment, maybe?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZD1f9RTEJU

    ::wipes away happy tears:: While I may not write long (and super helpful and remarkably knowledgable) treatises the way @Stoshew71 does, I'm glad he doesn't think I'm a novice :)

    @skippygirlsmom Girl power ftw!
    @WhatMeRunning Boy power ftw!
    (This site needs a Like button SO BADLY as a means of acknowleding posts!)
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @Stoshew71 and anyone else that has insight. I have a training question:

    I love having my regular runs up to 7+ miles. I know every other week I need a long run. But I've added a group run 3 out of 4 weeks, which is at a faster pace for me, probably wouldn't be inaccurate to say about race pace.

    Should I abandon my long run? Or use it the one week I can't make the group until I get conditioned? What are my option here? I think I'm in a good spot, taking it up a notch, but don't want to over do it.

    I'm shooting for 25-28 miles a week this month, March is scheduled for 150, ~34 miles a week (will prob add lots of walking in the transition). I'm considering adding a day (5 days) and splitting the mileage where a 7 miles run is now 2, 4-5 mile runs easy pace. (Speed work is hit and miss with my hip, not pushing it.)

    Thanks. I am here -->7miles x 3days plus group run 6-8 miles, increased pace.

    Before group run... 6*3, and 1 long run (last one was 11 miles, adding 2 miles every other week). Be 13 or 15 this week.. Per HM training.

    Will throw in my 2 cents, even though I haven't read through others' answers yet... (and I'm sure those are lengthier and more detailed than mine will be):

    So you are increasing your long runs every other week... what about the non-increasing weeks? Are you doing 11, 11, 13, 13, or are you dropping down in the in-between weeks (ex: 11, 7, 13, 8, 15...)? You could go to the group runs on those "off" weeks (if you are in fact running lower mileage those LR days) and use those as race-paced training runs. If NOT, you could also do every other week as lower mileage at race pace with the group, with a few solo miles as recovery or as warm up; or arrange however works with your schedule (obviously) :)

    And you know I'm in favor of adding extra runs ;) If you think you can make do with one less rest day, then I think 2 4-5 mile runs will not only boost weekly mileage, but give you a nice mental break from those 7+ milers.

    Long story short: Don't cut the long runs! Long runs are great! When is the race you're training for?
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »
    @Stoshew71 and anyone else that has insight. I have a training question:

    I love having my regular runs up to 7+ miles. I know every other week I need a long run. But I've added a group run 3 out of 4 weeks, which is at a faster pace for me, probably wouldn't be inaccurate to say about race pace.

    Should I abandon my long run? Or use it the one week I can't make the group until I get conditioned? What are my option here? I think I'm in a good spot, taking it up a notch, but don't want to over do it.

    I'm shooting for 25-28 miles a week this month, March is scheduled for 150, ~34 miles a week (will prob add lots of walking in the transition). I'm considering adding a day (5 days) and splitting the mileage where a 7 miles run is now 2, 4-5 mile runs easy pace. (Speed work is hit and miss with my hip, not pushing it.)

    Thanks. I am here -->7miles x 3days plus group run 6-8 miles, increased pace.

    Before group run... 6*3, and 1 long run (last one was 11 miles, adding 2 miles every other week). Be 13 or 15 this week.. Per HM training.

    Will throw in my 2 cents, even though I haven't read through others' answers yet... (and I'm sure those are lengthier and more detailed than mine will be):

    So you are increasing your long runs every other week... what about the non-increasing weeks? Are you doing 11, 11, 13, 13, or are you dropping down in the in-between weeks (ex: 11, 7, 13, 8, 15...)? You could go to the group runs on those "off" weeks (if you are in fact running lower mileage those LR days) and use those as race-paced training runs. If NOT, you could also do every other week as lower mileage at race pace with the group, with a few solo miles as recovery or as warm up; or arrange however works with your schedule (obviously) :)

    And you know I'm in favor of adding extra runs ;) If you think you can make do with one less rest day, then I think 2 4-5 mile runs will not only boost weekly mileage, but give you a nice mental break from those 7+ milers.

    Long story short: Don't cut the long runs! Long runs are great! When is the race you're training for?

    Race is March 20. I'm hoping a PR, second HM, so I should be good if I don't trip and bust my knee. First HM 2:23:50 OT

    I had abandoned the LR for the group. But, miss the solitary challenge of the LR. I didn't know if I should just even out the mileage and work on a steady pace, or distribute the miles with regular 4-5 mile runs, a group pace 6-8, and work in a LR.

    So I don't know what I'm doing now that I have the group run. I was doing LR, SW ,LR, SW... Etc My speed work was haphazard shorter bursts of 400 meter(ish) pushing pace. Or I'd dig in to some hills.

    My current mileage base may be somewhere about 20/week. I seem to have increased the quality/intensity (less walking) a bit last week, I'm actually sore and legs are tired.

    I working on my form, retraining how I hold my torso, which make my butt/quads do some work. So not only adding distance.

    I like your view- still got my vote :relaxed: Thanks for your view!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited February 2016
    Options
    @kristinegift I'm hoping this give you a better idea as to how I was doing it, before the introduction of the group. (And @stoshew71 too, and @MobyCarp )

    Last sat in Jan 6M group run 9:57 pace (scheduled SW)
    1---6.10
    2---rest
    3---6.25
    4---6.26
    5---rest
    6---15K <should have been LR
    7-9--busted knee.
    10-- 6.30
    11---rest
    12---7.05
    13---rest dumb knee <SW, but injured, no group run worked.
    14---7.39 (4.41) behind
    15---rest dumb knee
    16--- 4.60
    20<should be 15m LR, will do group.

    15 miles would be my longest run. I can abandon the progressive LR's for a less challenging distance. 9-12 is prob good.

    Can I do weekly group at increased pace and do a LR?. That's 15-20+ miles in 2 runs. Maybe March?.. Seems like a big move.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
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    @Elise4270 Since the race is only 4.5 weeks away (is my math right?), I think the focus should be the long, easy runs to get the mileage in. Maybe you can do a shorter taper run with the group ~2 weeks before the race? But I'd encourage switching it up every once and a while with the group post-race. Before you know it, their easy pace will be yours too! Or, just recruit more people in your pace range ;)

    Also I feel you about liking the solitary challenge of long runs. I do my pre-LR run with a group, but I prefer to do my long runs solo. I think it's fun to get out on my own for a few hours without distractions! Plus, it's good practice for all that time during a race when I'm not with a buddy!
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    @Elise4270 Since the race is only 4.5 weeks away (is my math right?), I think the focus should be the long, easy runs to get the mileage in. Maybe you can do a shorter taper run with the group ~2 weeks before the race? But I'd encourage switching it up every once and a while with the group post-race. Before you know it, their easy pace will be yours too! Or, just recruit more people in your pace range ;)

    Also I feel you about liking the solitary challenge of long runs. I do my pre-LR run with a group, but I prefer to do my long runs solo. I think it's fun to get out on my own for a few hours without distractions! Plus, it's good practice for all that time during a race when I'm not with a buddy!

    Thanks. There are some in the group that are faster, I'm mid to back of the pack. And if it gets "easy", I can just add mileage with them. Currently, I'm just catching a segment of their run.
  • Wendy1Fl
    Wendy1Fl Posts: 102 Member
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    2/6 Sat 1.57 miles
    2/7 Sun rest day
    2/8 Mon 2 miles
    2/9 Tue 2 miles pace 13:03
    2/10 Wed rest day
    2/11 Thurs 2 miles pace 13:00
    Weekly total: 7.57
    2/12-2/14 too many rest days
    2/15 Mon 2.25 miles pace 12.74
    2/16 Tue 3.25 miles pace 13:30
    13.07 down, 6.93 to go
    I had a better time of it today, but man, am I ever starving! Gotta go consume the entire contents of my kitchen now...
  • Becky_44
    Becky_44 Posts: 227 Member
    edited February 2016
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    @Elise4270 I'm working on my form too, after watching, I think the last two videos @Stoshew71 posted. I can't believe the difference using more butt makes!! Holy moly! I also noticed alot less bounce since my ponytail didn't swing back and forth. Less bounce is a good thing right?
    Elise4270 wrote: »

    I working on my form, retraining how I hold my torso, which make my butt/quads do some work.