MM feedback and race plan for Paris

You had a really good MM. With better pacing, you could have run faster by about 6-9 seconds.

On the next MM, do the first and second 200s in 1:10, then drop to 1:07, then 1:05. You should be able to pick up the pace during the last 3-4 200s. Above all, have fun.

Assuming that you will run the 16K this weekend, you only need two 30 minute runs. You can either run these easily or insert some CD and Acceleration-gliders. You can place your swimming and cycling on the days that work for you.

Pacing: I suggest running the first 2-3 kilometers at 8 min/km. If you feel good, go down to 7:30 per kilometer. At the 12K mark, you could run whatever you want. Remember to slow down if it is warm: 15 sec per kilometer slower for every 2C above 14C.

Let me know what happens, I look forward to this.

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Run with Odie

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled

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Magic Mile 19 September 2009 Smokin!

Today's weekend running assignment was an easy 5k jog with a magic mile in the middle. I took it out to the marked trail near the house - out and back to the starting point is 3.0k, making this a perfect little workout.

200 01:02.7
400 01:02.2
600 01:13.0
800 01:03.3
1000 01:19.5
1200 01:02.1
1400 01:18.1
1600 01:05.3
total 09:06.2

1.5k WU 12:42.8
1.5k CD 13:35.5
5k 35:24:00

Looking at my lap times, I think I went out a little fast and could have saved some for the second half. I wasn't using pace music, so this was "by feel" and faster than my 800 meter repeats.
By comparison, I ran the magic mile in April as 10:44.0

I am really pleased with my progress, even though I am impatient to run faster. I remind myself if I try too hard, I will hurt myself. Such a set back would take me further from my goals. So, steady there, Steady!

Observations

You had a really good MM. With better pacing, you could have run faster by about 6-9 seconds.

On the next MM, do the first and second 200s in 1:10, then drop to 1:07, then 1:05. You should be able to pick up the pace during the last 3-4 200s. Above all, have fun.

Marathon Training Schedule

Sep 13--22K

Sep 20--5K with MM

Sep 27--16K Race

Oct 4--24K (very easy, using 20 sec run/40 sec walk)

Oct 11--5K

Oct 18--Amsterdam Half Marathon--plus 3K warm up and 3K warm down

Oct 25--6K

Nov 1--32K

Nov 8--6K

Nov 15--37K

Nov 22--6K

Nov 29--42K

Dec 6--6K

Dec 13--Marathon

Dec 20--4 miles

Labor Day Long Run

1. Distance assigned: 22 Distance ran: 24.1k

today was my first "run away from home" - After dropping my son off at sailing lessons, I ran in the "green heart" of Holland - on a bike path starting from Braassemermeer (the lake) along a canal leading up to Amsterdam. I ran with shoes & socks. No knee or foot pain. It was easier to run on the pavement than on the beach. Even so, this week's pace was a minute per mile slower on average than the last long run I did on the beach. I truly hated my socks during the last four kilometres (my toes were deep in conversation with the seams on the socks). And I forgot my running shorts at home. So I ran in my warm up pants. Not bad, considering it was windy and overcast. But these pants are certainly not my favourite. Summer has packed up and left with all the tourists.

I went over the assigned distance. I lacked an easy turn-around landmark, so I planned as best I could and then plotted the actual distance after I got home. Here's the route - http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/netherlands/kaag-en-braassem/444125225434159582

It was quite pretty to be in the countryside. I will have a new Garmin GPS in a couple weeks, so the days of a "wild guess" hopefully will be over. I really like long distance running (although this should really be called wogging).
2. Pace assigned: "slow" Pace actually run: 16min/mile - 4:00 hrs total
3. Walk break ratio assigned: 1:1 Walk break ratio used: as assigned -
4. Speed-work done: n/a
5. Any aches/pains? nope. Feet and knees were fine during the run.

6. Questions? nope. About shoes - I ran 20 minutes Friday on the treadmill. Not surprisingly the shoes were too big (being a half size bigger than I usually wear - arches were in the wrong place relative to the heels) - I returned them to the shoe store and got my money back instead of store credit, which annoyed the salesman. Enough said. Ran in the Brooks today. They were fine - paid attention to my form and had no pain or fatigue in my right foot. Planned my nutrition in advance (a sports drink with a 3:1 carb to protein ratio) and carried 1.8 L with me - ran out after three hours. I should have planned for a 4-hour run. But I was almost done anyway and the weather was cool.
7. Weekend workout planned for next weekend: 800m*14

shoe saga continues

I don't know how to describe yesterday. I felt bored with food. Not cooking, shopping, or planning. Just foraging in my kitchen and eating at the canteen. I wasn't not hungry in the morning. Ate when I get to work. Lunch was roast chicken that had a sweet chili sauce. I think that triggered a sugar craving and I ate half a bag of licorice. Instead of tasty apples sitting on my desk. Then a late inadequate dinner, which was a sports meal replacement bar. Eaten at the checkout stand because I was feeling light-headed. Even so I am quite pleased with myself. I had been feeling a little too perfect with my food lately.

Thursdays are the only day of the week when stores stay open past five. So last night I ran errands on my bike in a rainstorm, complete with high winds and lightning, to try out some new running shoes (again) and replace the bath salts I used up. And buy go-gel and sports drink for this weekend's long run. I picked a local marathon out for December. It's a homely little race nearby; by then it will be cold, dark and rainy here. A fine time to run.

So I have yet another pair of running shoes, these a half-size larger. According to the shoe guy, the Brooks are fine for shorter distances but they are too soft and my right foot needs more support against bending and rolling off my foot at an angle. I think the real problem is my form since my right foot turns out just a bit. I will try a treadmill run so I can try the shoes while keeping them clean. I'm vaguely suspicious of shoe guy's opinions. He's in the business of selling shoes, after all. He didn't have my size in the shoe he was recommending - turns out he wants to put me back in the same Asics Nimbus I already have.

I mail-ordered some VIBRAM five finger shoes the other day to see if barefoot running continues to work better for me. Shoe store guy offered his opinion that I would hurt myself running on asphalt. [don't they all say that?] That my feet don't hurt on the the beach because it acts like a cushioned running shoe. Time will tell. But I know my Brooks hurt after 8k on sand or asphalt. He said they were half a size too small. Crikey. The same store sold them to me. He did give me a discount on the new shoes though. So I'll try the Saucony, which are not as stiff as the Nimbus.

Selecting my first marathon

This Holland race on 13 December (linked below) fits the bill, I think - it's nearby, very affordable and my family can stand in the cold rain and cheer me on. The event looks "gezellig" (Dutch for cozy) & it's in familiar territory - flat, flat, flat. The little movie of the course gives you a good idea of Holland (although I near the beach in Scheveningen, a fishing village, now resort town).

Comments in the guide

And there's a "neighborhood" 10k the following week called the Mackerel Run. Don't know if I'll really feel like another race so soon, but they are offering split pea soup and fried fish for all the runners afterwards. How can I miss that? (here comes the dark wet winter)

For a "big" Marathon close to home, Rotterdam in April 2010.

So, there's a brief sketch. I will start looking at some Olympic distance triathlons too - they're harder to find locally because the North Sea is not really swimmable - most races are in Eastern Holland in lakes. But one of my friends wants to race in the UK, and I have some friends in Sweden & Germany who race tri's too. So we may buddy up for the next race season for some fun.

suggestions for avoiding foot pain, drinking water, and combatting fatigue

Suggestions for addressing my foot pain:

1) find a shoe that will not hurt the foot, and 2) don't limp or change my stride because of the pain in the foo. No worries if it does not get worse. I will go back to the store and see if I can find a shoe that will work for me.

On water consumption, Jeff suggests:

Remember that you should not consume more than @ 600ml per hour. Drinking more than this can produce a dangerous situation called hyponatremia. On long runs, the camelback or the fuelbelt products are used most commonly. Choose a route that allows you to refill at the half way point.

I think my consumption levels are below his recommendation. I will need to measure the flasks to see if I'm right.

Jeff suggests

When you are feeling flat, just take an extra day off, or run extra easy all
week--no fast running.

This is exactly what I did last week. He also suggested eating

a simple carbohydrate snack of about 250 calories, within 30 minutes of
finishing a long or fast run. On the short runs, eat a snack of about 100
calories of simple carbs.

After my long run, I ate 3/4 c veggie fried rice and shrimp, and then jumped on my bike. I bought some sports drink during the ride. Afterwards, I wasn't hungry. I think I didn't eat enough dinner that night.