December 2017 Running Challenge
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12/1 – 0
12/2 – 5 miles
12/3 – 0
12/4 – 7 miles
12/5 – 5 miles
12/6 - 0 miles
12/7 – 6 miles
12/8 - 0 miles
12/9 - 3 miles
12/10 - 7 miles
12/11 – 0 miles
12/12 - 6 miles
39 of 100 miles
Pretty pretty morning for a run, like 42F/5C very little wind at all, lots of Christmas lights on, just a pretty morning.
@RunsOnEspresso yeah for fries – French fries and mashed potatoes are my comfort food. I’d drive 40 miles out of my way for good fries.
@allyphoe great job getting the run in and letting the geese know who is boss
@juliet3455 I’m rolling on the floor reading your post recap.
@PastorVincent I’m going to start posting my times in min/km it’s the only way I’ll get faster
@katharmonic your runs in DC sound awesome. Skip and I talk about going back up in the Spring to tour and run. We went when she was in 5th grade, her first time there and it was chaos. Let’s tour DC in 2 days with 100 kids ha ha
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12/1 - Les Mills Body Pump / CX Works
12/2 - 12
12/3 - REST
12/4 - 4
12/5 - 2.5
12/6 - 2
12/7 - REST
12/8 - REST
12/9 - 13.1 (!!!!!!!)
12/10 - REST
12/11 - 4
12/12 - 3
40.6/80
Gave "tempo run" a try today and had one of my most consistent times yet, and after the first mile going that quick moved from "sorta hard-ish" to "okay I can do another mile like this-ish". Now I know what it feels like to hold and manage my speed for longer than just short bursts, and should be able to replicate. Also have the fortune of working at home today, so I didn't have to run quite so early and was able to run after dropping my son off at school.
Since the HS will be out over winter break, I might try the next few week's "x400 at 5k pace" runs on the HS track down the road from me.
Also plotting my long run for this weekend. Trying to keep on the trails for those. I figure, my speedier work during the week will help my Feb 10k and the trail long runs will keep me prepped for my first April trail 10k which appears to be more technical but not very uphilly.
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@fitoverfortymom your level of planing way exceeds my own. You will do great!0
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@RunsOnEspresso My daughter and hubby have Celiac. It's always wonderful when we find out places where they can have fries! What state are you in?0
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@PastorVincent If I have a plan, then I'm more apt to stick to it, although I try to keep it flexible or at least have a Plan B or Plan C in mind. Without a plan, I'd binge watch Netflix all day and never run at all!1
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fitoverfortymom wrote: »12/1 - Les Mills Body Pump / CX Works
12/2 - 12
12/3 - REST
12/4 - 4
12/5 - 2.5
12/6 - 2
12/7 - REST
12/8 - REST
12/9 - 13.1 (!!!!!!!)
12/10 - REST
12/11 - 4
12/12 - 3
40.6/80
Gave "tempo run" a try today and had one of my most consistent times yet, and after the first mile going that quick moved from "sorta hard-ish" to "okay I can do another mile like this-ish". Now I know what it feels like to hold and manage my speed for longer than just short bursts, and should be able to replicate. Also have the fortune of working at home today, so I didn't have to run quite so early and was able to run after dropping my son off at school.
Since the HS will be out over winter break, I might try the next few week's "x400 at 5k pace" runs on the HS track down the road from me.
Also plotting my long run for this weekend. Trying to keep on the trails for those. I figure, my speedier work during the week will help my Feb 10k and the trail long runs will keep me prepped for my first April trail 10k which appears to be more technical but not very uphilly.
That sounds like you have it planned out well. I'm another person who needs a plan, but I'm way too good at ignoring my own, so I had to get a coach. 400m repeats at 5k pace are my favorite workout, though right now I don't know what my 5k pace would be.0 -
Date Miles today - Miles for December
12/1 5 miles - 5
12/2 14.5 miles - 19.5
12/3 REST DAY
12/4 8 miles - 27.5
12/5 9.5 miles - 37
12/6 4.25 miles - 41.25
12/7 10 miles - 51.25
12/8 4 miles - 55.25
12/9 REST DAY
12/10 10 miles - 65.25
12/11 8 miles - 73.25
12/12 10 miles - 83.25
Elkmont Hound Dog Half (unofficial) - 1/21 << 1:46:48 2 OA
Elkmont Hound Dog Half (rescheduled) - 2/18 << 1:41:04 1 in AG & 24 OA
Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon - 4/29 << 4:09:59
Upcoming races:
Oak Barrel Half Marathon - 4/7/18
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December Running Challenge
Goal: 90 km
Ran: 45.2/90 km
12/12/17 Run 6.3 km
11/12/17 Run 7 km
10/12/17 Run 6 km 32
9/12/17 Rest day
8/12/17 Walk 5 km
7/12/17 walk 10 km
6/12/17 Run 8 km
5/12/17 Run 6 km
4/12/17 Run 6 km
3/12/17 Walk 1 hour
2/12/17 rest day
1/12/17 Run 6 km1 -
12/1 - 5 miles. Still loving the warmer than average weather!
12/2 - 5 miles.
12/3 - Busy / rest day.
12/4 - 5.15 miles. This weather is nuts! It was 63° at 4:45 a.m.
12/5 - 4.75 miles. 35° temperature drop in 24 hours...Brrr!
12/6 - 3.5 'mill miles, then upper body weights / abs.
12/7 - Unplanned rest day. Didn't sleep...ZZZZZ
12/8 - 3.5 on the treadmill, then weights and abs.
12/9 - 4.5 windy miles.
12/10 - 3 'mill miles, then extremely short upper body weights.
12/11 - 5 miles.
12/12 - Rest day.
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@katharmonic- That sounds like a great business trip! I was in DC for a work trip a couple of years ago and I had the best time too. Lots of great running.0
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@skippygirlsmom Yes! I always want fries when I'm stressed. My old go to was always McDonalds.
@fitoverfortymom I'm in Arizona, Phoenix specifically. It's not too bad for finding gf stuff. There's a couple completely gf places. They are a drive for me so I don't go much.1 -
fitoverfortymom wrote: »
Can someone who is better than me explain tempo runs? I'm looking at the Hal Higdon intermediate 10k plan here: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51123/10K-Intermediate-Training-Program to improve my 10k time. To give you an idea of my current running style, it looks something like:- Get out of bed around 4:30 am.
- Stumble to the bathroom to get dressed and put my hair in a ponytail.
- Head outside and raise fist to the sky so the Garmin GPS knows where I'm starting.
- Press "start" on my watch and run my route for however many miles is on the plan for that day.
- Come back home a little before 6am and walk the dog for a cool down.
- Shower and get ready for work and get on with the rest of my day.
I basically just kind of run the best I can and when it feels hard that day, I keep my brain busy with some fartlek stuff between posts on a fence. So far, it's simply been about getting the miles in. I also don't know what my 5k race pace is because I've only run one 5k race and the course was somewhat of an anomaly.
So what I'm asking is how do I do a "tempo run?" What is the benefit of doing a tempo run and if I'm not consciously doing a tempo run
@fitoverfortymom @WandaVaughn
Tempo runs are workouts targeting your lactate threshold. The lactate threshold is one of those fancy markers that says, you are starting to run so hard that your anaerobic system is starting to be working much harder than your aerobic system. As @PastorVincent already mentioned, a good runner can maintain a steady pace at their lactate threshold for about an hour. Newer runners are closer to maybe 40 minutes.
OK, skip over if science nerdy stuff makes your head hurt. So you run because of a series of muscle contractions. (bending your knee, extending your hip, extending your knee, bending your ankle, extending your ankle, bending your elbow, rotating your shoulder, extending your elbow, ect). Muscle contractions are fueled by a chemical your muscle cells produce called adenosine triphosphate (or simply ATP). There are different ways your muscle cells can produce this ATP, but for running, the most efficient way is by the following:
Blood glucose enters the muscle cell cytoplasm. A system called Glycolysis is a process by which your muscle cell will take that molecule of glucose (a very simple sugar) will break that glucose sugar down by turning 1 molecule of glucose into 2 molecules of pyruvate. This process creates a net sum of 2 molecules of ATP. But we are not done. Those 2 pyruvate molecules exit the muscle cytoplasm and go into the muscle cell mitochondria and with the power of oxygen and a process called the Krebs Cycle followed by a process called the Electron Transport Chain (or ETC) converts that pyruvate into a whole bunch of ATP (like about 30-34 molecules of ATP). The byproduct of this Krebs Cycle and ETC is carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) that you breath out.
Glycolysis is considered anaerobic (because oxygen is not needed) and the Krebs Cycle and ETC combined are considered our aerobic system (because oxygen is involved).
Now, if we run at a pace that is considered easy (or conversational), we build up our ability to improve that entire process that I mentioned above. (This is why running lots of easy miles is very good.)
Now what happens if we start to run just a little faster than that easy pace? Well, Glycolysis is going to work a little bit harder than what the Krebs Cycle and ETC can handle. The Glycolysis is holding onto these 2 pyruvate atoms and goes, what the heck do I do with these? The Krebs guy can't accept them and I need to keep going. Well, Glycolysis ferments these 2 pyruvates and turns them into something called lactate. Also, some extra ionized hydrogen atoms are also dangling around as well which acidifies the muscle cell. Then the muscle cell just releases this lactate and hydrogen atoms back into your blood. Now a neighboring cell can use this lactate as energy if it has room and oxygen for it (just as if it were pyruvate). Your brain cells can also use lactate for energy production. Eventually, your liver will take any left over lactate out of your blood and turn it back into glucose sugar. The process for another muscle cell or the brain or your liver to take out the leftover lactate and hydrogen atoms is called lactate clearance. Muscles also release chemicals that buffer the acid effects of the hydrogen atoms (called lactate buffering).
Tempo runs or (aka lactate threshold runs, or just threshold runs), is a workout that makes your body practice running at a level where it improves your ability to buffer and clear lactate.
The threshold is that particular intensity that you run when your body's ability to clear lactate is overcome. In other words, run this xyz pace, and your body has no problem clearing this lactate. Run just a little harder beyond the threshold, and now your body cannot keep up because your body is producing more lactate and hydrogen ions than your body can clear. The result, your muscle pH begins to acidify and you get that burning feeling and eventually your brain starts shutting things down and you no longer can run at that intensity. Again, you can run exactly at your threshold pace for anywhere between 40-60 minutes. It depends how experienced you are. The more you run or practice your threshold pace, the better you can clear lactate. So your threshold pace will slowly improve over time. So by theory, if your threshold pace were say for example, 9:30 min/per over time you can make that say 8:30. What that means, what you used to sustain for 9:30 for about 40-45 minutes, now you can run at a steady 8:30 pace for say 45-50 minutes.
But you don't want to stop running easy runs and replace them all with tempo runs. You still want to follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of your mileage at easy pace, 20% something faster to include your tempo runs.
That's because there are negative effects that out number the benefits if you go beyond aerobic training too much. 20% seems to be the nice mix.
More on threshold runs can be found at this link.
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@Stoshew71 great post!1
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PastorVincent wrote: »
Did part of my hilly route today, so a bit slower but almost 1000 foots of elevation. The only thing of note was I saw a lady that was HAPPY running, all bright eyes and smiles AND of course had a beautiful dog, probably a golden, running by her side. She cheerfully said hi as she ran by (we were heading in opposite directions).
Must have been an alien. That is the only thing I can come up with to explain it.
I don’t think I ever look happy while I’m running! In fact friends will tell me - oh I saw you running, you looked so serious I didn’t beep or wave.
It’s my trying not to die while running face.
Yeah, I just saw my race pictures from this last week and this!! All this. I looked gross and miserable.0 -
12/1 9.75mi
12/2 4mi
12/3 rest
12/4 4mi
12/5 6mi
12/6 5.64mi
12/7 10mi
12/8 4mi
12/9 4.3mi
12/10 rest
12/11 5.5mi
12/12 4mi
4 miles on the treadmill because I was too chicken to run outside in the cold
Sadly it’s going to be even worse tomorrow! With wind chills it’s supposed to feel like 20 degrees. Brrrr
I have 6miles with 8 strides tomorrow which sounds miserable on a treadmill. I guess I’ll just have to tough it out 1 -
katharmonic wrote: »
Arrived in DC today and wow, much nicer weather! My flight was delayed and then there were stupidly long waits to get into the gate and get a bus to the terminal and I was just itching to get outside! As soon as I checked in to the hotel I changed into my running clothes and got out there. I had a really nice run from my hotel along the National Mall, close to the White House, and all around. Just fantastic to see everything that I've only driven past. The run felt really good, such a contrast to yesterday's slog fest. Almost 50 degree temps didn't hurt at all.
I clocked 5 miles, with erratic pacing due to picture taking and walking along the Vietnam Memorial, plus several stoplights. But my last mile back to the hotel was a great pace for me, so I was really happy with that. I celebrated and used up all those calories (and more) with a great burger and some FABULOUS Key Lime Pie. OMG. So good. I'm so full now I can't even believe, but so worth it.
Also my hotel room has a huge soaking tub that I made the most of after my run. How awesome was today? I submit that it was very awesome.
@katharmonic this sounds amazing!!!0 -
PastorVincent wrote: »QUESTION:
Maybe it is just cause I am fat, old and slow... but when I have to take a bunch of days OFF in a row, the first run back is like stiff and more painful. Is that normal?
I like @MNLittleFinn 's answer. It depends.
Maybe we can blame that mysterious DOMS guy? lack of stretching? Bad sleep or poor diet contributing to slower recovery? Stress also contributing to slower recovery? Maybe your aerobic strength is starting to deteriorate? Maybe it's just Mars lining up with Jupiter?
My guess is that it has to be something with blood flow into your muscles. Takes a few days to loosen them back out.
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PastorVincent wrote: »QUESTION:
Maybe it is just cause I am fat, old and slow... but when I have to take a bunch of days OFF in a row, the first run back is like stiff and more painful. Is that normal?
I like @MNLittleFinn 's answer. It depends.
Maybe we can blame that mysterious DOMS guy? lack of stretching? Bad sleep or poor diet contributing to slower recovery? Stress also contributing to slower recovery? Maybe your aerobic strength is starting to deteriorate? Maybe it's just Mars lining up with Jupiter?
My guess is that it has to be something with blood flow into your muscles. Takes a few days to loosen them back out.
Well, I KNOW my arthritis is always worse when I move less - and my doctor confirmed that was normal. In fact, she was begging me to explain that to her other patients who when they hurt, stop moving despite her telling them otherwise. Might just be another symptom of that I guess.2 -
seanevan10 wrote: »Yeah, I just saw my race pictures from this last week and this!! All this. I looked gross and miserable.
@seanevan10 the key to a good race photo is to be ready and plan your pose ahead of time.
From a trail race last spring:
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@7lenny7 Great photo. I definitely need to keep that in mind. This weekend was a bad run anyway. Sinus drainage...ewwww.0
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