April 2016 Running Challenge

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Replies

  • ChrissalmonPT
    ChrissalmonPT Posts: 54 Member
    5 miles today, total so far for April 23 miles. My target is 100 miles.
  • Amandajs232
    Amandajs232 Posts: 194 Member
    No running this week :(
    Sore hips and knees still after a cutback week have led me to conclude that my "duck feet" are going to keep getting me injured. My right side is the worst and it is my right knee that hurts - not agony just now but had same thing last time I threw myself into exercise and I ended up limping then giving up and getting fat again. I have today started trying to correct it by forcing myself to walk straight footed - day 1 and already quite uncomfortable on my hip. Anyone else had to correct this? Any tips? Any idea how long to fix this?
    I am still keeping up with all you guys progress every day as it is motivating me to not give up. I am also excited for all your big races coming up.
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
    edited April 2016
    No running this week :(
    Sore hips and knees still after a cutback week have led me to conclude that my "duck feet" are going to keep getting me injured. My right side is the worst and it is my right knee that hurts - not agony just now but had same thing last time I threw myself into exercise and I ended up limping then giving up and getting fat again. I have today started trying to correct it by forcing myself to walk straight footed - day 1 and already quite uncomfortable on my hip. Anyone else had to correct this? Any tips? Any idea how long to fix this?
    I am still keeping up with all you guys progress every day as it is motivating me to not give up. I am also excited for all your big races coming up.

    Duck feet are a sign that there are imbalances in the hip. Your external rotators overpower your internal rotators. Normal treatment include foam rolling the external rotators to loosen them up and training your internal rotators. I used to have one leg externally rotated and one neutral. I started to train my hip in all the 4 direction (extension, flexion, abduction, adduction) and the problem went away. Also stretches for the hip work well. Here's a vid. It may take a while, like months but it's either this or a bone structure problem in case there isn't much you can do but that is pretty rare. Just make a habit to spend on this at least 3 times a week. Make it a routine

    You should also take into account that other things could cause your pain, like a tight IT band

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CwSuEfzZOk&nohtml5=False
  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    It could have been a tempo or at least a pace that Greg McMillan calls steady state.
    Tempo usually means a race pace that you can sustain for 40-60 minutes. About 30 seconds slower than that is what is known as steady state.

    Tempo is comfortably hard. You are breathing heavy but not hyper ventalating. You would be able to get out one or 2 words answers while running. If you slowed down to a steady state pace, you would be able to slowly feel yourself recover (just barely).

    Oooh...this is helpful. I've been very confused by what all of you fancy-talking runners mean by tempo and such!

    So, for me (and if you want slow, @MNLittleFinn , I'm S...l...o...w like a sloth), my steady state would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.8-5.0 mph--a pace I could probably comfortably run for 4-6 hours if my life depended on it (I don't know if my joints would hold out that long, but I think my muscles would, and I know my lungs would). My tempo would be somewhere like 5.2-5.5 mph (depending on incline, probably)? When I know I'm only going to run 3 miles or less, I usually run at 5.5-5.8 mph. I can run 6.0 mph, but not more than a few miles, and probably not without stopping for a breather or a water break. Am I understanding the terms correctly, then, @Stoshew71 ?


    4/1...5.0 @ 12:00 on the TM (4.0 @ 11:15 and 1.0 walking)
    4/2....3.1 @ 11:45 through the neighborhood. My ankle hurt the first mile or so, especially on the uphill bits--downhill isn't too bad
    4/3...Rest day
    4/4...4.6 @ 11:32 on the rail trail and neighborhood streets
    4/5...2.8 @ 11:50 on the TM--that's 2.3 (just to make it even!) @ 11:15 and .5 at a walk, plus strength training
    4/6...Rest day, but I got to go help out at my son's RunFit club. Next time I'm wearing my own running shoes so I can chase him with a sharp stick so he doesn't walk so much! (That was a joke...don't call CPS or Jeff Galloway...)
    4/7...7.0 @ 11:25 on the TM (This was really 6.25 at 11:05 and .75 walking to cool down)

    Upcoming Races:
    Healthy Strides Community 10k.....April 23, 2016
    Run and Ride Kings Dominion 10K...May 22, 2016 (maybe!)
    Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon.....November 6, 2016


    exercise.png

  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    edited April 2016
    1pqhszpzl13j.png

    I have a hard time controlling/varying my pace. I feel like I need to keep including runs that are 10+ min average pace but it's getting harder and harder. Do I just accept that I'm getting faster or do I force myself to slow down sometimes? I started the year doing a warmup mile at about 10:30 and going faster each mile or sometimes just staying steady with 10 min miles. Now my warmup miles have turned into 9:30 and then I work my way faster and end with miles under 9 min. I can bust out a couple miles at about 8:30 pace right now but no more than 2-3 miles probably. Last year I got to the point of an 8:08 5k pace and I feel like I could get there again but I don't want to overdo it like before. But how long to I have to force myself to slow down to like 3 miles at 10 min pace? At some point maybe a 9:30 pace would become easy, right? Honestly, all running has always felt hard to me :-/ I don't understand running at a pace where I could talk. But then I don't know if my asthma causes that or if I'm just always trying too hard. My point is, I've never really had any concept of how to control my pace and run "easy" or "tempo" or whatever.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    @greenolivetree Honestly the best way to tell if you're running to hard is to literally talk out loud to yourself. I do this all the time and look like a crazy person, but there's usually not anyone actually around to hear it (though I was singing along to Hamilton yesterday and turned a corner and someone was outside watering some plants... oops). If 8:30 would be a 5k race pace for you right now, then 9:30-10:30 sounds about right for an easy pace as long as it's conversational.
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Also for people here that do strides, at what speed should I do them? Should I go as fast as I can while concentrating on form?

    It depends how you do them. The way I was originally taught "strides" I was told to do them in the middle of an easy run at 5K race pace. Start at an easy pace for a mile or so then just start running at 5K pace for about 20-30 seconds then slow back down to easy pace for about a minute or so, then crank back into 5K pace. Repeat 4 or 6x.
    Later on, I found out that these are actually called "surges" or "bursts".

    Technically, "strides" are done as a separate workout after you are done with an easy run. You start at full rest and just go into a slow run so that within 15 seconds you are running at 95-98% of a full all out sprint. Hold for about 5 seconds and then slow back down into a complete stop within 10-15 seconds. Stop, and just stand for about 2 minutes. Then repeat 3-5 more times.

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    My modest contribution thus far for April:

    4/1 - walked/rest
    4/2 -1.2 miles
    4/3 - 1.6 miles
    4/4 - walked/rest
    4/5 - 1.6 miles
    4/6 - 1.2 miles
    4/7 - 2.4 miles

    This time around, I'm planning to stick with 5k and shorter and just see what I can do with speeding things up. For the next few weeks though, my goal is don't die and don't pass out.
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    @kristinegift I do sometimes complain outloud, usually when I turn a corner and get blasted by the wind! Haha!
  • Amandajs232
    Amandajs232 Posts: 194 Member
    No running this week :(
    Sore hips and knees still after a cutback week have led me to conclude that my "duck feet" are going to keep getting me injured. My right side is the worst and it is my right knee that hurts - not agony just now but had same thing last time I threw myself into exercise and I ended up limping then giving up and getting fat again. I have today started trying to correct it by forcing myself to walk straight footed - day 1 and already quite uncomfortable on my hip. Anyone else had to correct this? Any tips? Any idea how long to fix this?
    I am still keeping up with all you guys progress every day as it is motivating me to not give up. I am also excited for all your big races coming up.

    Duck feet are a sign that there are imbalances in the hip. Your external rotators overpower your internal rotators. Normal treatment include foam rolling the external rotators to loosen them up and training your internal rotators. I used to have one leg externally rotated and one neutral. I started to train my hip in all the 4 direction (extension, flexion, abduction, adduction) and the problem went away. Also stretches for the hip work well. Here's a vid. It may take a while, like months but it's either this or a bone structure problem in case there isn't much you can do but that is pretty rare. Just make a habit to spend on this at least 3 times a week. Make it a routine

    You should also take into account that other things could cause your pain, like a tight IT band

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CwSuEfzZOk&nohtml5=False

    Thanks for this - much better than the results of my googling. I found videos that needed you to be a zen master of all your muscles and others that were too vague. This looks easy to follow and I will invest the time in this. Pretty sure it is not my IT band as pain is very much lower inner knee and hips and my right foot is really very rotated. Oh no just realised I am like the female Penguin..!!!! (Batman reference for anyone picturing an Antarctic bird).
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    edited April 2016
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    It could have been a tempo or at least a pace that Greg McMillan calls steady state.
    Tempo usually means a race pace that you can sustain for 40-60 minutes. About 30 seconds slower than that is what is known as steady state.

    Tempo is comfortably hard. You are breathing heavy but not hyper ventalating. You would be able to get out one or 2 words answers while running. If you slowed down to a steady state pace, you would be able to slowly feel yourself recover (just barely).

    Oooh...this is helpful. I've been very confused by what all of you fancy-talking runners mean by tempo and such!

    So, for me (and if you want slow, @MNLittleFinn , I'm S...l...o...w like a sloth), my steady state would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.8-5.0 mph--a pace I could probably comfortably run for 4-6 hours if my life depended on it (I don't know if my joints would hold out that long, but I think my muscles would, and I know my lungs would). My tempo would be somewhere like 5.2-5.5 mph (depending on incline, probably)? When I know I'm only going to run 3 miles or less, I usually run at 5.5-5.8 mph. I can run 6.0 mph, but not more than a few miles, and probably not without stopping for a breather or a water break. Am I understanding the terms correctly, then, @Stoshew71 ?

    I am not sure. LOL I forgot what mph is since it's been the longest time since I ran on a TM. So all I go by these days is mins/mile paces.

    The other thing is, what speed or pace is a tempo verses easy verses... whatever is very individual.

    So looking at speed to pace conversions:
    4.8-5.0 mph is 12:30-12:00 pace. You are saying that is your easy pace.
    5.2-5.5 mph is 11:32- 10:54 pace. Is what you are saying is your tempo?

    You can run 3 miles (or less) at 5.5 - 5.8 mph or 10:54 -10:21 pace.

    All of these are all training times. So it's hard to say what you can really do in a race situation. But if you ran a 3 mile race at a 10:21 pace- You would run it in 31:03.
    Question would be, could you sustain that pace for 1or 2 more miles if it was a race?

    Your tempo (or more accurate term lacate threshold) pace would be a pace that an experienced runner can race at for about an hour. A beginner can probably sustain their LT pace in a race for at least 40 minutes. What would happen is that you have no problems pushing this particular pace for 40-60 minutes. But then after that, no matter how hard you push, you will no longer be able to sustain it. You would feel so much of a burning in your muscles and your breathing would be so heavy that you would just have to stop. That would happen because of all the hydrogen ions that get's build up in the lactate process that the pH level in your muscles become so acidic that you just have to stop.

    I would actually suggest that you sign up for an 8K (5 miles) and see if you can run the whole race at a pace of 10:54. It would take you 54:30 to race those 5 miles. If you succeed and had nothing left in your tank, then 10:54 would be your LT (or tempo) pace. Depending how far away from the finish line that you had to stop and walk (or how much further you could sustain that pace) you can still estimate how close your true LT pace should have been.

    Does that make sense?




  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    edited April 2016
    Totally random question, since the box arrived today. I just got my new shoes, they are the same as my old ones, Nike Pegasus 32 in this year's model. The only difference is that My old ones are WOMENS size 8, because they didn't have any mens in my tiny size at the store, and the new ones are MENS size 6.5, which is basically the same.

    So here's the question. Good to go for my long run on Saturday, or wait for my Sunday recovery run to take them out for their first spin?

    Oh yeah, obligatory pic:j5crb6vtukcx.jpg

  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    @greenolivetree Honestly the best way to tell if you're running to hard is to literally talk out loud to yourself. I do this all the time and look like a crazy person, but there's usually not anyone actually around to hear it (though I was singing along to Hamilton yesterday and turned a corner and someone was outside watering some plants... oops). If 8:30 would be a 5k race pace for you right now, then 9:30-10:30 sounds about right for an easy pace as long as it's conversational.

    If you could sing Christina Aguilera's Fighter out loud in perfect rythem (singing in tune is optional) while running; then you are running a good easy pace. If not, slow down your pace until you can.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    Totally random question, since the box arrived today. I just got my new shoes, they are the same as my old ones, Nike Pegasus 32 in this year's model. The only difference is that My old ones are WOMENS size 8, because they didn't have any mens in my tiny size at the store, and the new ones are MENS size 6.5, which is basically the same.

    So here's the question. Good to go for my long run on Saturday, or wait for my Sunday recovery run to take them out for their first spin?

    Oh yeah, obligatory pic:j5crb6vtukcx.jpg

    I'd save em for the recovery run.
  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I'd save em for the recovery run.
    That was my first thought, but I figure there's a wealth of knowledge here to tap. Thanks!
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    @greenolivetree Honestly the best way to tell if you're running to hard is to literally talk out loud to yourself. I do this all the time and look like a crazy person, but there's usually not anyone actually around to hear it (though I was singing along to Hamilton yesterday and turned a corner and someone was outside watering some plants... oops). If 8:30 would be a 5k race pace for you right now, then 9:30-10:30 sounds about right for an easy pace as long as it's conversational.

    If you could sing Christina Aguilera's Fighter out loud in perfect rythem (singing in tune is optional) while running; then you are running a good easy pace. If not, slow down your pace until you can.

    This is a tellingly specific example, @Stoshew71 ;)
    I figure if I can rap "My Shot" from Hamilton while also moving my body forward, I am A-OK.
    "I'mma get a scholarship to King's College. I prolly shouldn't brag, but dag, I amaze and astonish. The problem is I got a lot a brains but no polish, I gotta holler just to heard, with every word I drop knowledge..." I didn't think I had this song memorized until I was running my shake-out last week and made it through half the rap without music (I'd been running with a friend and didn't have my ipod). Now I'm a pro! ;)
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    @greenolivetree Honestly the best way to tell if you're running to hard is to literally talk out loud to yourself. I do this all the time and look like a crazy person, but there's usually not anyone actually around to hear it (though I was singing along to Hamilton yesterday and turned a corner and someone was outside watering some plants... oops). If 8:30 would be a 5k race pace for you right now, then 9:30-10:30 sounds about right for an easy pace as long as it's conversational.

    If you could sing Christina Aguilera's Fighter out loud in perfect rythem (singing in tune is optional) while running; then you are running a good easy pace. If not, slow down your pace until you can.

    Bonus points if you can sing this version (at 180 bpm) in perfect rythem:
    http://picosong.com/download/67S8/
  • greenolivetree
    greenolivetree Posts: 1,282 Member
    edited April 2016
    I am a singer when I'm not running so challenge accepted :smiley:
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    @greenolivetree Honestly the best way to tell if you're running to hard is to literally talk out loud to yourself. I do this all the time and look like a crazy person, but there's usually not anyone actually around to hear it (though I was singing along to Hamilton yesterday and turned a corner and someone was outside watering some plants... oops). If 8:30 would be a 5k race pace for you right now, then 9:30-10:30 sounds about right for an easy pace as long as it's conversational.

    If you could sing Christina Aguilera's Fighter out loud in perfect rythem (singing in tune is optional) while running; then you are running a good easy pace. If not, slow down your pace until you can.

    This is a tellingly specific example, @Stoshew71 ;)
    I figure if I can rap "My Shot" from Hamilton while also moving my body forward, I am A-OK.
    "I'mma get a scholarship to King's College. I prolly shouldn't brag, but dag, I amaze and astonish. The problem is I got a lot a brains but no polish, I gotta holler just to heard, with every word I drop knowledge..." I didn't think I had this song memorized until I was running my shake-out last week and made it through half the rap without music (I'd been running with a friend and didn't have my ipod). Now I'm a pro! ;)

    This may go before your time (unless you watch Nick at night)


    Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
    Beans don't burn on the grill.
    Took a whole lotta tryin'
    Just to get up that hill.
    Now we're up in the big leagues
    Gettin' our turn at bat.
    As long as we live, it's you and me baby
    There ain't nothin wrong with that.

  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    No running this week :(
    Sore hips and knees still after a cutback week have led me to conclude that my "duck feet" are going to keep getting me injured. My right side is the worst and it is my right knee that hurts - not agony just now but had same thing last time I threw myself into exercise and I ended up limping then giving up and getting fat again. I have today started trying to correct it by forcing myself to walk straight footed - day 1 and already quite uncomfortable on my hip. Anyone else had to correct this? Any tips? Any idea how long to fix this?
    I am still keeping up with all you guys progress every day as it is motivating me to not give up. I am also excited for all your big races coming up.

    Duck feet are a sign that there are imbalances in the hip. Your external rotators overpower your internal rotators. Normal treatment include foam rolling the external rotators to loosen them up and training your internal rotators. I used to have one leg externally rotated and one neutral. I started to train my hip in all the 4 direction (extension, flexion, abduction, adduction) and the problem went away. Also stretches for the hip work well. Here's a vid. It may take a while, like months but it's either this or a bone structure problem in case there isn't much you can do but that is pretty rare. Just make a habit to spend on this at least 3 times a week. Make it a routine

    You should also take into account that other things could cause your pain, like a tight IT band

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CwSuEfzZOk&nohtml5=False

    @Amandajs232 - yep ^^^^ this is what I was going to say too. Like @AdrianChr92, I had one neutral and one rotated out. PT gave me the same exercises when I was going for an injury in my calf.
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I'd save em for the recovery run.
    That was my first thought, but I figure there's a wealth of knowledge here to tap. Thanks!

    I too would save for the recovery run. You don't want to be 4-5 miles out and find out you can't run in them for whatever reason...
  • Amandajs232
    Amandajs232 Posts: 194 Member
    @shanaber can I ask how often you did these and how long it took to correct?
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    Initially I did them every day, typically after my run. I still do them now a few times a week, rotated in with other exercises and stretches. I also made (and still make) a point to make sure my feet are straight when I run, when I am standing, walking or working out. The paved trail where I run has a line down the middle so I often run with my foot on the line but I also try not to stare down at my feet all the time I will end up on my face :smiley:
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    I was anxious to get out between meetings, wear my new running shorts from SkirtSports and run in the cool weather. I grabbed my prescription sunglasses instead of my running ones and realized it when I started feeling queasy. I ended up just putting them up on my hat. It was fine because it was cloudy but I ended up with gnats in my eyes! Then when I got to the gate where I would turn off to go home, the construction workers had closed it and I had to go all the way back around! I was almost late to my meeting and it was my PA review with my boss!

    Date..........Miles.........Total
    04/01.......5.44..........5.44
    04/02.......8.33........13.77
    04/03.......0.00........13.77
    04/04.......5.25........19.02 - + Agility
    04/05.......5.21........24.23 - + Strength Training (one armed :))
    04/06.......0.00........24.23
    04/07.......5.86........30.09 - + Strength Training (one armed :))

    exercise.png

    Upcoming Races - Let me know if you will be running too!
    06/25/16 - SHEPower Virtual Half Marathon
    07/31/16 - San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon
    09/xx/16 - Beat the Blerch Half Marathon, Seattle
    11/19/16 - USA Invitational Half Marathon (Yay, I qualified again!)
    xx/xx/xx - Nike Women's Half Marathon, Los Angeles
    12/18/16 - San Diego Holiday Half Marathon
  • Amandajs232
    Amandajs232 Posts: 194 Member
    shanaber wrote: »
    Initially I did them every day, typically after my run. I still do them now a few times a week, rotated in with other exercises and stretches. I also made (and still make) a point to make sure my feet are straight when I run, when I am standing, walking or working out. The paved trail where I run has a line down the middle so I often run with my foot on the line but I also try not to stare down at my feet all the time I will end up on my face :smiley:

    It feels really weird to straighten my foot - when it is straight it feels like it is turned inwards. Not sure I can run with it straight yet - feels really clumsy even to walk with it straight (probably been that way for almost 30 years so no wonder). I will take another few days of walking and doing these exercises then go for it. Thanks to both @shanaber and @AdrianChr92 for your advice.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Another amazingly difficult run. Last week was so great I thought I'd be able to put surgery off indefinitely. This week is a complete 180. And I can't wait for my next appointment, the 14th.


    1---rest
    2---6.79
    3---7.38
    4,5---tired
    6---5.20
    7---7.28

    26.65/130 miles

    "Don't let fear decide your future" Shalane Flanagan. Olympic Bronze Medalist


    Upcoming races:

    04/24/16 OKC Memorial Half
    10/16/16 THAT dam half, Lewisville TX
    11/05/16 Jenks Half Jenks OK
    Run the year 2016  533.94/ 2016
  • ariceroni
    ariceroni Posts: 422 Member
    edited April 2016
    4/01: Off, rest day
    4/02: 12 miles, long and easy
    4/03: 8K race - 36:36 (7:22 pace) - new PR! + 1 mile warm up
    4/04: 4 miles, easy
    4/05: 5 miles, easy
    4/06: 5 miles total, 2 miles @ 7:38 (LT) pace (am)
    4/06: 4 miles, easy (pm)
    4/07: 5 miles, easy
    Total: 41.18 miles

    Overview:
    An easy 5 miles this afternoon to stretch out my legs. Finally managed to avoid running in the rain too! Rest day tomorrow and then my half marathon saturday morning! The forecast is calling for cold weather, but at least it should be pretty sunny.


    exercise.png


    Races I'm registered for:
    04/03 - Shamrock Shuffle (8K) 36:36 - new 8K PR!
    04/09 - Chi Town Half Marathon
    04/24 - Ravenswood Run (5K)
    05/22 - Chicago Spring 13.1
    05/28 - Soldier Field Run (10 miles)
    07/21 - Esprit de She 5K
    09/10 - Magnificent Mile Half Marathon
    09/25 - Chicago Lifetime 5K
    10/09 - Chicago Marathon
    10/30 - Hot Chocolate 5K
    11/27 - Space Coast Half Marathon
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    @ariceroni Good luck on your race! I wish it was going to be cold at mine! Haha. Switch weather?
  • Nedorostok
    Nedorostok Posts: 19 Member
    4/5 rest
    4/6 yoga
    4/7 1.6 miles ran
    Total ran 3.6 miles, 21.4 miles to go
  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    Stoshew71 wrote: »
    It could have been a tempo or at least a pace that Greg McMillan calls steady state.
    Tempo usually means a race pace that you can sustain for 40-60 minutes. About 30 seconds slower than that is what is known as steady state.

    Tempo is comfortably hard. You are breathing heavy but not hyper ventalating. You would be able to get out one or 2 words answers while running. If you slowed down to a steady state pace, you would be able to slowly feel yourself recover (just barely).

    Oooh...this is helpful. I've been very confused by what all of you fancy-talking runners mean by tempo and such!

    So, for me (and if you want slow, @MNLittleFinn , I'm S...l...o...w like a sloth), my steady state would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.8-5.0 mph--a pace I could probably comfortably run for 4-6 hours if my life depended on it (I don't know if my joints would hold out that long, but I think my muscles would, and I know my lungs would). My tempo would be somewhere like 5.2-5.5 mph (depending on incline, probably)? When I know I'm only going to run 3 miles or less, I usually run at 5.5-5.8 mph. I can run 6.0 mph, but not more than a few miles, and probably not without stopping for a breather or a water break. Am I understanding the terms correctly, then, @Stoshew71 ?

    I am not sure. LOL I forgot what mph is since it's been the longest time since I ran on a TM. So all I go by these days is mins/mile paces.

    The other thing is, what speed or pace is a tempo verses easy verses... whatever is very individual.

    So looking at speed to pace conversions:
    4.8-5.0 mph is 12:30-12:00 pace. You are saying that is your easy pace.
    5.2-5.5 mph is 11:32- 10:54 pace. Is what you are saying is your tempo?

    You can run 3 miles (or less) at 5.5 - 5.8 mph or 10:54 -10:21 pace.

    All of these are all training times. So it's hard to say what you can really do in a race situation. But if you ran a 3 mile race at a 10:21 pace- You would run it in 31:03.
    Question would be, could you sustain that pace for 1or 2 more miles if it was a race?

    Your tempo (or more accurate term lacate threshold) pace would be a pace that an experienced runner can race at for about an hour. A beginner can probably sustain their LT pace in a race for at least 40 minutes. What would happen is that you have no problems pushing this particular pace for 40-60 minutes. But then after that, no matter how hard you push, you will no longer be able to sustain it. You would feel so much of a burning in your muscles and your breathing would be so heavy that you would just have to stop. That would happen because of all the hydrogen ions that get's build up in the lactate process that the pH level in your muscles become so acidic that you just have to stop.

    I would actually suggest that you sign up for an 8K (5 miles) and see if you can run the whole race at a pace of 10:54. It would take you 54:30 to race those 5 miles. If you succeed and had nothing left in your tank, then 10:54 would be your LT (or tempo) pace. Depending how far away from the finish line that you had to stop and walk (or how much further you could sustain that pace) you can still estimate how close your true LT pace should have been.

    Does that make sense?




    OK...that's a lot of info, lol. :)

    I'm happy to convert to paces; that's how I record my runs. I'm just used to seeing the mph on the treadmill (which--only about half my runs are on one, less in warm weather).

    I've only run a handful of races:
    3 5Ks--34:47, 33:39, 32:56
    1 8K--58:57 (this is actually a little more than 8K, and it was 15 degrees with sub-zero windchills)
    2 10Ks--1:20:15 with a trail portion and 1:09:45
    1 Half--2:49:33

    and I can't really say that I've left it all on the course in any of them, although I'd say the one that took the most out of me was the second 10K because I was trying to place my corral for the half. I don't like that feeling you're describing, and I slow down when I experience it! My fear is that I dislike it so much that I'm actively avoiding it and not really running as fast as I can in a race. I'm signed up for another 10K in two weeks, so that will give me an opportunity to see just how long I can keep up that sub-11:00 pace. Unfortunately it's mostly a trail run, although it's a gravel trail and not a technical one, which tends to slow me down some.