Run-Walk-Run 1:1 Fun

I went for a short run yesterday over the lunch hour and learned some things. Three points: dress for success, check your gadgets first, and walk breaks work.

Dress for success: Ankle socks keep more sand out of my shoes than “peds”. I tried my thin wool Patagonia socks that I use cycling. They worked well. But I was overdressed for the conditions. I need to adapt to the change of seasons.

Afraid of being cold, I immediately had to shed some clothes. I ended up carrying my jacket for nearly the entire run. The seasons are changing. To avoid being cold, I have been layering a lot of clothes to run comfortably, generally in the mornings or evenings when it’s cool, wet and dark. This time, I was running in the middle of a sunny, warm day. The temperature above 20C when I started. I didn’t need my long tights or my jacket. What I did need was a hat to shade my face, sunglasses, some sunscreen and a water bottle.

Before heading out, check your gadgets: I wanted to try running with a GPS to mark my distances. I got about 10 minutes into my run to a place I wanted to mark. When I pulled the GPS out of the pouch, I saw an error code that required a response before it would start logging my trail. So I didn’t capture the whole run.

Plus, I wanted to practice 1:1 run-walk intervals. So before heading out, I reprogrammed my heart rate monitor for one-minute intervals, hoping for an audible reminder of when to switch my pace. Turns out, I set up one-hour intervals. Not quite what I had expected. Instead of fussing with the watch, I simply ran, using the lap button and the second-hand. I felt distracted to check the watch every 15-30 seconds for the 40 minutes I ran. But I got better at estimating my time.

Walk breaks work: I think these will help me build speed, endurance for distance. I was skeptical about a 1:1 run-walk-run ratio. But I tried it anyway. I ran a faster pace than I usually run continuously and used the walk breaks to recover. Above is the graph from the heart rate monitor.

I took advantage of the only elevation gains around to build some strength. Several times, I ran up and down some stairs and the ramp to the beach. Odie thought it was a little silly to keep changing directions, but he stayed with me.

I felt a little concerned when I began to notice some soreness in my knees at about 35 minutes. My knees didn’t bother me the rest of the day, however, and they feel fine when I am walking around or taking the stairs today. To reduce the inflammation, I took a larger (one tbsp.) of ultra-refined fish oil last night and this morning.

Ready Set Run

To prepare for my Saturday long runs (which start at 8:15 when my buddy shows up at the front door), I make sure I drink all my 80 oz of water in the day before ~ no point trying to catch up the next day & slosh around while running.

I get up early (by 7 am) and eat Low Glycemic ~300 calorie balanced breakfast (30F-40C-30P) - usually a raspberry & strawberry fruit smoothie with whey protein powder and fish oil (can't taste it - I swear) - even though some say to avoid the fiber. I have a wand mixer that makes this very easy.

I also have two espresso's with a little milk - even though some say don't eat dairy before a run....I like the caffeine.

I drink 8-10 oz of water as soon as I am standing in front of the stove to make the coffee.

Getting up early gives my body time for its morning "toilet" routine, so I don't feel the call of nature on the run.

I bring sports dextrose tablets with me on the run - they're like lemon sugar wafers. I eat one about every half hour. They're about 15 cal each. More frequently towards the end of the run, if I'm feeling a little low. They dissolve. They're not sticky - not gummy bears or hard candy (blech...). This helps me avoid bonking.

I keep myself on a low-glycemic, moderate protein (~80 grams a day), No-White-Food (skip the wheat & white rice, mainly), calorie-deficit diet (trying to burn excess fat...). So I consider the tablets to help me guard against low blood sugar and make up for glycogen depletion while running. This could be pseudo-science on my part, but it works for me.

My running buddy carries these little water bottles on an elastic strap. I have some somewhere in a box I haven't unpacked yet.... But at the mid-point of my run, I'll drink about 6 oz - or what I'm thirsty for.

When I finish the run, I go to the kitchen and refuel within 30 minutes ~ a good carb selection with some protein - usually fresh grapefruit fruit juice and cheese sticks or a boiled egg, deli meat, whatever I can rummage in the fridge. There you go.

First Long Training Run 11 April 2009

I ran 13 or 14k Saturday. It was fun. Only thing was I ran 5k on Friday since my mid-week runs got off by a day - so my knees were still a little sore even this morning - just going up the stairs. They were fine when I took a spin with a friend who hadn't been on her bike since Oct. Easy 27k. Earn those chocolates! Odie slept a lot today. He ran both Fri & Saturday and was, well, dog-tired.


Weekend Workout Assigned: 10k
Actual: ~13.5k
Time 1:47 HRM 148 average; 168 max
Pace: ~ 10k/60 min. I took walk breaks when I felt like it. First one after about 15 minutes. More frequent after the first hour. I stopped to chat with my husband and son, who had camped on the beach overnight to get a good storage spot for the Hobie Cat at the sailing club. Stopped at the end to chat goodbye to running buddy. I subtracted chatting time to arrive at the estimate, using a pace of 10k/60min (my last race pace - probably a bit generous); actual time minus ~20 minutes standing around talking. A lot of walking towards the very end.

Comments
I estimated the distance because I ran on the beach, without obvious landmarks. I based my estimate on a comparable pace on other runs where I know the distance. I realized Saturday morning that the GPS I wanted to carry lacked fresh batteries. I commit to better prep & planning for next week.

Weather & Temperature: clear and sunny; 20C - probably cooler when I started out.

Aches & Pains? My knees were a little sore immediately afterwards. They were tender climbing stairs on Sunday morning. Took 200mg advil & extra dose of fish oil. Felt fine during & after my bike ride on Sunday. My mid-week training schedule was off by a day due to family committments. So I ended up running my second mid-week run on Friday morning, rather than on Thursday. Next week I won't run the day before the weekend run.

Questions for the Coach:
1. I do not know how to pace myself using a time/distance metric. I have always trained with a heart rate monitor and by adapting to my current physical condition - perception of effort, breathing, fatigue, etc. Do I need to carry a GPS? Run somewhere else on a pre-measured route?

2. I want to increase my pace. The woman I am running with on Saturdays can run faster, but has been satisfied with my pace so far. I'd like to try to speed up. When/how do I work on this? Once a week on my mid-week run, I have been adding high intensity intervals - short sprints followed by walk recovery.

3. The Paris race features a huge hill. How should I prepare for it, considering I live in "the low country"? I have been running up a hill near my house and running up a long flight of stairs in the Dunes. Is this enough? Add in treadmill with incline?

Next Week's Planned Workouts

Sunday - 26K bike ride (done)
Monday - easy row - weights (when I get done with this post!) (DONE - skipped the weights)
Tuesday - 30 - 45 minute run (at least 5 K) HIIT - Swim laps
Wednesday - easy row & weights
Thursday - 30 - 45 minute run (at least 5 K)
Friday - easy row & sauna (rest before run)
Saturday - assigned training run - 5k