Thursday, December 23, 2010
Out of the Office
MHM is out of the office for the next couple weeks but will return with all sorts of exciting stuff after the new year.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
1:45:18
First the good news: this year I ran an 8:02 pace, which is considerably quicker than last year's 8:27. With the exception of one moment in the middle of a three-mile climb I felt strong and comfortable. I got my clothes right and was neither exceptionally cold or overburdened with layers.
On the other hand, I got to the start five minutes later than I planned, had to wade through some seriously crowded streets for several miles and, oh yea missed my goal by eighteen seconds. Even though I improved last year's time by 7:39, those eighteen seconds really annoy me right now. Reading a race average HR of 169 and a max of 187 (92% and 102% of my theoretical max, respectively) the data, however, points to a solid effort so I can't complain, even if I was hoping for more.
I am planning on running this race again next year, but it's way to soon for me to be thinking about exact changes to my training, except that I know I want to do more like a fifteen-week run up next time.
In the shorter term, my 5K season starts in January and ends in April. As such, I'm going to focus a lot more on speed work and general strength for the next four months with the goal of tipping my muscle to fat ratio a bit more favorably toward muscle, and boosting my short to mid-distance top speed.
p.s. I'll post pictures from the race when they're available.
On the other hand, I got to the start five minutes later than I planned, had to wade through some seriously crowded streets for several miles and, oh yea missed my goal by eighteen seconds. Even though I improved last year's time by 7:39, those eighteen seconds really annoy me right now. Reading a race average HR of 169 and a max of 187 (92% and 102% of my theoretical max, respectively) the data, however, points to a solid effort so I can't complain, even if I was hoping for more.
I am planning on running this race again next year, but it's way to soon for me to be thinking about exact changes to my training, except that I know I want to do more like a fifteen-week run up next time.
In the shorter term, my 5K season starts in January and ends in April. As such, I'm going to focus a lot more on speed work and general strength for the next four months with the goal of tipping my muscle to fat ratio a bit more favorably toward muscle, and boosting my short to mid-distance top speed.
p.s. I'll post pictures from the race when they're available.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Two Days Out
The Mrs. and I are headed off to the big race tomorrow. I'll pick up my bib number and all that first thing and then we'll do all our big citying; we'll have an early dinner somewhere nice, maybe see a movie or go shopping, but then it's off to bed so I can be up and moving in the morning. Our hotel is only about two miles from the starting line, so I only have to get up by 6:00 or so to be caffeinated and warmed up for the start.
After that, my plan look like this:
The big lesson for me this year--thanks in part to a more reliable HRM--is that I can settle in at a much higher effort level than I thought I could three or four months ago. Intervals and tempo runs were very valuable parts of my training, but where I really began to understand things was in my ten-mile-plus runs. Last year I treated anything that distance as a completion-only exercise. This year I tracked my pace and aimed for specific goals and doing so forced me to understand that there's often (but not always) a little more in the tank than it feel like there is. I'll be wearing my HRM for the race and will be aiming for an AvHR in the neighborhood of 165. Assuming proper hydration that should put me in the 1:40-1:45 window I'm looking to hit.
Updates after the race.
After that, my plan look like this:
- Get a good start position--preferably a spot from which I can see the 8:00 pacer.
- Run a conservative first four miles. I'll be very happy to run the first four somewhere between 32:00 and 32:30.
- Pick up the pace slightly at the start of mile five and reevaluate every mile or so.
- Plan on hurting for the last two miles, but know that I can hurt more than I use to think I could.
The big lesson for me this year--thanks in part to a more reliable HRM--is that I can settle in at a much higher effort level than I thought I could three or four months ago. Intervals and tempo runs were very valuable parts of my training, but where I really began to understand things was in my ten-mile-plus runs. Last year I treated anything that distance as a completion-only exercise. This year I tracked my pace and aimed for specific goals and doing so forced me to understand that there's often (but not always) a little more in the tank than it feel like there is. I'll be wearing my HRM for the race and will be aiming for an AvHR in the neighborhood of 165. Assuming proper hydration that should put me in the 1:40-1:45 window I'm looking to hit.
Updates after the race.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Week 9: Penultimate
This has been a really interesting one. Between my inability (still) to cope with the time change and all the running around that goes with the end of fall classes I was really having a hard time getting in my miles. Add to that a handful of days when I just didn't feel up to it and you have all the makings of a conundrum burrito.
Unlike a frustration taco or a combo of despair, the conundrum burrito is relatively easy to choke down. In this case, I decided that while I did want to stick to the plan in abstract, I didn't believe that I was doing myself any favors working out when I was tired enough to sleep. If I were training for some sort of twenty-four hour endurance race I might feel differently, but I'm not, so I don't.
That said, I still ended up getting in three quality runs, including a set of 800 yard intervals and a six mile tempo run that averaged out at a 7:39 mile. All in all, I feel pretty decent about the state of my fitness. I'm lighter and in better shape than I was this time last year. I'll be posting my actual race day strategy later this week, so I won't get into that now except to say that I feel like I have a much better grasp of a13.1 psychology this year. More on that later.
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| Believed to be extinct, fossil records suggest conundrus wrapuperous would have looked something like this. |
Unlike a frustration taco or a combo of despair, the conundrum burrito is relatively easy to choke down. In this case, I decided that while I did want to stick to the plan in abstract, I didn't believe that I was doing myself any favors working out when I was tired enough to sleep. If I were training for some sort of twenty-four hour endurance race I might feel differently, but I'm not, so I don't.
That said, I still ended up getting in three quality runs, including a set of 800 yard intervals and a six mile tempo run that averaged out at a 7:39 mile. All in all, I feel pretty decent about the state of my fitness. I'm lighter and in better shape than I was this time last year. I'll be posting my actual race day strategy later this week, so I won't get into that now except to say that I feel like I have a much better grasp of a13.1 psychology this year. More on that later.
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