We're all out there chasing our better selves (FredtheDuck chases on)

[FredtheDuck]

This is really, really good advice, especially when you are just starting out. Pushing too hard too early only invites possible injury and burnout. Great race results are built on the culmination of your workouts, not any one individual workout.

Thanks. I have to remember that even though I've been running for a few years now, I've been toiling at a pretty low level in terms of both distance and intent. So in that sense, I'm still new to this, at least when it comes to distance. I'm also a novice with asthma and a bad knee, and could stand to lose a few lbs... factors I can't discount when it comes to how my body reacts to challenges, even if I want to.

Please don't increase weekly mileage too quickly. The general rule of thumb is to increase weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week. I know you are specifically talking about the long run above, but I would suggest looking at your plan as total weekly mileage.

I haven't thought about it this way, so thank you for encouraging me to shift my mindset. With couch to 5k, each run is a goal to be obtained, each new distance or running time achieved a milestone. I've been done with the program for a while, but I haven't quite moved to a more big-picture way of thinking about runs.

The analytical side of me will enjoy thinking through all of this food for thought. Thanks, everyone!

 

[FredtheDuck]

Following along! Congrats on a great race!!

Welcome, and thanks for the kind words.

Well done on your race!

Oh thank you! I'm excited to keep it up!

 

[FredtheDuck]

I did get out today. It rained most of the day and I was slammed at work, but was just misting when I pulled in to my daughter's daycare parking lot, so I decided to sneak in a quick run before I got her.

I run that neighborhood a lot, and it's pretty hilly. Typically, I challenge myself and run the harder option, which is several short but steep hills and then a little over half a mile all uphill, then rolling hills to finish. I debating doing that again today, but decided to not push myself too hard in the first run after my 10k and did the route in reverse. Still hilly, but that long stretch is all downhill.

My calves felt a little tight at first, but once I got going, I felt fine. I had hoped to add a quarter mile to the end of the regular route for an even 2, and I felt fine to do it except... I needed to use the restroom. Sorry, I know that's probably TMI. The only reason I'm putting it here is because it's happened to me several times on runs, and I really don't know what to do about it. Probably running in the morning instead of early evening would help (emptier stomach?), but I stopped running in the mornings when I switched my work schedule after my kid was born (hard enough to get up at 5:30 now).

So, yay that I felt pretty good one rest day removed from the 10K. Boo that my GI tract struck again.

Today's stats: 1.73 miles, 18:30 (10:37/mi).

 

[FredtheDuck]

Erg. So I wanted to run yesterday. I had hoped to get out and go during my lunch break at work, but something came up. So I figured I'd do the same route that I ran on Tuesday, by my daughter's daycare, but this time I was determined to get that two miles in. I changed in to my running clothes before I left work and was all excited to go.

Unfortunately, traffic had other ideas. Our Metro had a meltdown on the line I live off of yesterday morning, and it happened early enough that everyone just got in their cars to get to work. Which made the drive home an absolute nightmare. By the time I got to daycare, I didn't have time to get the run in before they closed, and by the time I got home, I needed to get dinner on the table before she went to bed.

So yesterday's run got pushed to today. Tomorrow's run will get pushed to Sunday. Probably a better schedule anyways, since tomorrow is supposed to be blazing and Sunday will be cooler.

That said, it was a hot today. Like, I didn't run that hard or that far and I was pouring sweat. DH is teleworking today, so he said he'd "go on the run with me" (read: call me while he ran at home and I ran at work). He did. But he was playing the piano when he called. Nothing like some slow lounge-y piano (Rainbow Connection, for those that are interested) that someone is just learning how to play to pump you up for a run (/sarcasm). I'm going to blame that and the fact that I got stuck at a crosswalk and my Runkeeper didn't auto-pause (so I lost about 20 seconds) for my less than stellar speed today. And, did I mention it was hot?

Today's stats: 2.01 miles, 22:50 (11:21/mi). Oi.

In other news, I'm trying to convince DH that we should do the WDW half in January. It would be a bucket list run for me. And, it would be a stellar time to train, since it isn't blazing hot her in October-December, but isn't icey yet, either. However, we'll be in California for the holidays and between the odd travel schedule that would set up, as well as the cost, he's not biting. We're going to WDW next month (my first time!), so that trip ate up a lot (all) of our non-holiday travel budget. Boo to being rational.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Boy am I glad I had to delay Thursday's run to Friday. It pushed Saturday to Sunday, and given how GROSS it was here yesterday (91 and humid)... today was the better day.

DH said he'd run with me today. Our schedules don't often align to run together. We had planned to run on a trail near where we get coffee and bagels every week, but kiddo needed a morning nap, so we took advantage and ran while she slept. (Lest you worry, my dad lives with us, so we always have someone to keep an eye on her.)

DH strained his back doing yard work yesterday, so we decided to run a route that would have let him bail after a mile if the run irritated him. He decided he wanted to keep going so we pushed for a 5k. I had hoped for 4 miles but was glad to have to company, and since my next race is a 5k, there was no reason to push for more.

Pro: we got to run together! Apparently this was my second fastest 5k, which is funny because it kind of felt slow.
Con: shorter than I intended. Also, I know running in my neighborhood is good for training but man, these hills. ALTHOUGH, I just looked at my stats for this run and it was better than my Thursday run, which was much less hilly. So... go me?

Stats: 3.10 miles, 34:23 (11:06/mi)

In other news, I think DH is slowly gaining interest in the WDW half in January. Fingers crossed for a good bounceback when we are there in May.

 

[ZellyB]

It's great to get to run with your spouse. If not for my husband running with me, I'm pretty sure I never would have stuck with running. Hope you can convince him to run the WDW half in January. It's a great race and great weekend!

 

[FredtheDuck]

Hope you can convince him to run the WDW half in January.

Me too! I know he wants to, and he likes the idea of training in the winter months here (gross in the summer but we don't get much snow/ice until after marathon weekend). But, money is money is money, so we'll see.

I did get out on a run today. It's in the mid-70s with low humidity, pretty windy. So, a good running day EXCEPT my allergies are now killing me. The run was fine - I started a little faster than I thought was sustainable, so I slowed down a little. I finished strong and am happy to have negative splits (10:33 the first mile, 10:06 the second mile, 9:30 the last .11).

I have exercise-induced asthma, so I normally take an inhaler before I run. I haven't had to take one after my run in a few runs and thought it was a byproduct of either the inhaler I'm taking or better fitness, but I actually think it might just have been because I wasn't really pushing myself too hard on those runs, and now that I look, my times the past couple of weeks support that theory. I took the inhaler today.

Stats: 2.11 miles, 21:40 (10:17/mi)

I have a 5k race this weekend, so I don't mind keeping to shorter runs this week. @DopeyBadger reached out to offer with customizing a training plan, which I'm both thankful and excited for. I've got some thinking to do about my running goals and commitment level (greater now than it's ever been), and am pumped to get to the next chapter in my running life.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Here's how my May 2017 has gone. I'll update as new runs are added. I'll use the date: distance, time (average pace) format.

* will mean I ran with my DD in her jogging stroller, probably in our neighborhood or near her daycare, both of which are hilly. I'm noting because it throws my pace off quite a bit.

Week 1
5/2: 2.11 miles, 21:40 (10:17/mi)
5/4: 1.21 miles, 12:13 (10:06/mi)
5/7: 3.25 miles, 34:32 (10:40/mi)* (RunKeeper time, not bib time)
5/8: C25K training with mom (no stats)

Week 2
5/8: C25K training with mom (no stats)
5/10: 2.15 miles, 22:43 (10:34/mi)
5/12: 2.16 miles, 22:48 (10:35/mi)
5/14: 3.00 miles, 42:44 (14:13/mi)

Week 3
5/16: 2.01 miles, 28:08 (14:02/mi) (+2 sec/mi from scheduled EB pace)
5/18: 2.02 miles, 26:58 (13:19/mi) (-41 sec/mi from scheduled EB pace)
5/19: 3.01 miles, 42:31 (14:08/mi) (-48 sec/mi from scheduled EA pace)
5/20: 3.15 miles, 39:58 (12:41/mi) (-51 sec/mi from scheduled LR pace)

Week 4
5/23: 3.03 miles, 40:03 (13:22/mi) (-38 sec/mi from scheduled EB pace)
5/25: 3.04 miles, 39:45 (13:04/mi) (-56 sec/mi from scheduled EB pace)
5/26: 3.05 miles, 41:19 (13:34/mi) (-82 sec/mi from scheduled EA pace)
5/27: 2.22 miles, 29:45 (13:24/mi) (+2 sec/mi from scheduled LR pace)

Week 5
5/30: 3.09 miles, 40:21 (13:05/mi) (-55 sec/mi from scheduled EB pace)

 

[roxymama]

Great paces! And good luck on your 5k coming up

 

[FredtheDuck]

We've got some heavy rain coming in this afternoon and through tomorrow, so I figured I may as well start my transition to morning running early so that I could sneak my second short run in this week. One of my dogs even helped me by farting right in my face before my alarm even went off, and it was so bad that I got up even earlier than I intended to. Thanks, dog.

DH suggested that I keep today's run short (he suggested a mile) because we have the 5k this weekend. It seemed kind of silly to "taper" before a 5k, but I figured it meant I could ease in to waking up earlier by not having to allow so much time. I also decided that if I was going to run a shorter distance, I wanted to focus more on speed. I thought it would be great to do a sub-10:00 mile pace.

The first half mile of my neighborhood run is essentially a long hill. I started fast (by my standards - sub-9:20), but sometimes when I push too hard I start to feel a little nauseous, so I backed off until things settled down. I ended up with a 10:02 for the first mile, and a 10:21 the last .21. Merp.

Stats: 1.21 miles, 12:13 (10:06/mi)

Pros: I'm already done with my run today, so I don't have to worry if work is busy or traffic is bad. Also, I felt like a regular Cinderella out there... lots of rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc. Finally, my kiddo was up not long after I got back (see cons below), so I got some extra time with her.
Cons: Unclear whether it's my fault (DH said he didn't hear me leave at all), but my kid woke up 45 minutes earlier than she normally does, at just about the time I walked out of my house. Ooops, sorry to my husband .

One thing I'm thinking through: my stride. I saw pictures from the 10k and in all of them, I look like I've barely got my feet off the ground. I had wondered if trying to get my knees up a little more would help my speed. I focused on that this morning, but I was more sore than usual after. DH tells me that a longer stride is harder on the body (and increases heel strikes, which I'm already guilty of) and so should be avoided. I think he's probably right, but I suspect my shuffle is probably not the optimal form, either. So, something to research.

 

[DopeyBadger]

One thing I'm thinking through: my stride. I saw pictures from the 10k and in all of them, I look like I've barely got my feet off the ground. I had wondered if trying to get my knees up a little more would help my speed. I focused on that this morning, but I was more sore than usual after. DH tells me that a longer stride is harder on the body (and increases heel strikes, which I'm already guilty of) and so should be avoided. I think he's probably right, but I suspect my shuffle is probably not the optimal form, either. So, something to research.

I'd be careful drawing too many conclusions from still pictures on your stride because it can be deceiving. I'd suggest having someone film you if you're truly interested in how it looks. I'll say from my experience as a shuffler that I believe you can run as fast as 6:30 min/miles before shuffling becomes an issue. I personally shuffle and am completely capable of 7 min/mile pace without issue and my knees never come up. There are two ways to increase speed - increase cadence or increase stride length. It's my opinion that you try to increase your cadence before worrying about stride length. The stride length comes from the power behind the steps. The power comes from endurance and mitochondrial density/volume. The cadence is a matter of muscle memory and teaching your body to physically move faster. But in neither case would it be necessary to have your knees higher than what feels natural for the pace you're running. I'm always wary of messing with the fundamentals of the form, than just trying to move my feet faster. Now if you're cadence gets up into the 220s per minute, then maybe you'll need to find another route. But cadence is where I'd start. I always think the shuffle is efficient because there's less force going in the vertical plane. Less worrying about gravitational forces when you're gliding across the ground with low foot movements.

I also agree with your husband on the longer stride. How that longer stride is obtained matters. If it's by more power in each step, then I think that the longer stride works. But if the longer stride occurs because you "reach out" more with your feet, then I think you're more likely to end up with injuries such as shin splints. It'll force your foot to fall further in front of your body which will cause braking forces on each step that resonates up through the bone/muscle. Forcing a faster cadence while keeping your foot fall underneath your torso, that then includes more "umph" behind the steps will eventually make you a faster runner at faster paces.

No matter what method you choose in making changes to your biomechanical style, I'd suggest you ease into it slowly. You'll want the body to slowly adapt to any new method. If you try to slam a new method too quickly on the body it may lead to some growing pains.

Just my two cents though.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Thanks @DopeyBadger! It's encouraging to hear that you're a shuffler, too, and that I shouldn't have to tear down my entire form to get closer to my goals. Speaking of which, I got your PM and am crafting my answers now. I want to be thoughtful about my goals and realistic about the time commitment I can make, so I'm taking a while to think through everything. Very much looking forward to your advice and didn't want you to think I was ignoring the offer .

 

[DopeyBadger]

Thanks @DopeyBadger! It's encouraging to hear that you're a shuffler, too, and that I shouldn't have to tear down my entire form to get closer to my goals. Speaking of which, I got your PM and am crafting my answers now. I want to be thoughtful about my goals and realistic about the time commitment I can make, so I'm taking a while to think through everything. Very much looking forward to your advice and didn't want you to think I was ignoring the offer .

No worries, ready whenever you are!

 

[FredtheDuck]

I had an interesting running experience today. My mom is here visiting (she lives across the country from us) and told me she's trying c25k in a bid to lower her blood pressure and get healthy. I have an actual 5k tomorrow and hadn't planned to run today, but she's only in week two so I knew it'd be a lot of walking and slow running... I joined her.

During our outing, I talked to her a lot about lessons I've learned as a runner, goals I have now that I'd never have had when I did my first c25k, and we talked a little strategy. It really made me realize how far I've come. I remember the days when 2 minutes of slow running seemed like a lifetime. I remember my husband forcing me to slow to a conversational space so I could finish my interval, which I did for her today. I remember feeling like he was so much faster and how running with me must have been so boring. Now, on the other side, I see how fun it is to teach, to help someone succeed, and to distract them when the run seems tough.

I'm not counting the run as a workout for my stats, but I'll say that it was one of my favorite outings in recent memory. It was a good opportunity to remember how far I've come (instead of how far I still want to go), and I'm SO proud of her for getting started.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Interesting experience at the Takoma Park 5k this morning. The last time I ran this race was in 2014, before I had my daughter. It was MUCH more crowded this time. Lots of kids with a running program called Let Me Run.

Because of crowds and weaving kids, it was a slower start than I would have liked. It wasn't until about a mile and a half that the crowd started to thin, and even then, there was a lot of weaving around kids who petered out and stopped running. Also, they didn't use cones to divide the out and back portion so there were a lot of people on the wrong side of the road as runners were starting on the "back" portion.

Here's my thing with this run: my RunKeeper tells me this course was 3.24 miles. My husband, who ran separately and finished a few minutes before me, tracked with his Apple Watch and his said 3.22. Someone on the course also commented that mile 1 was incorrectly marked.

If my RunKeeper is to be believed, I finished 3.24 miles in 34:32, or 10:40/mile. If the bib time is to be believed, I finished 3.1 miles in 34:28 for 11:05/mile. So which do I believe? It's the difference between making my goal and missing it, so I'm really disappointed in the whole situation.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Interesting experience at the Takoma Park 5k this morning. The last time I ran this race was in 2014, before I had my daughter. It was MUCH more crowded this time. Lots of kids with a running program called Let Me Run.

Because of crowds and weaving kids, it was a slower start than I would have liked. It wasn't until about a mile and a half that the crowd started to thin, and even then, there was a lot of weaving around kids who petered out and stopped running. Also, they didn't use cones to divide the out and back portion so there were a lot of people on the wrong side of the road as runners were starting on the "back" portion.

Here's my thing with this run: my RunKeeper tells me this course was 3.24 miles. My husband, who ran separately and finished a few minutes before me, tracked with his Apple Watch and his said 3.22. Someone on the course also commented that mile 1 was incorrectly marked.

If my RunKeeper is to be believed, I finished 3.24 miles in 34:32, or 10:40/mile. If the bib time is to be believed, I finished 3.1 miles in 34:28 for 11:05/mile. So which do I believe? It's the difference between making my goal and missing it, so I'm really disappointed in the whole situation.

In all likelihood, based on your description of weaving through the course because of crowds, it is more likely correct at 3.1 miles than not. Was the race advertised as USATF certified? Unless you run the perfect tangents on a USATF certified course you'll also find you won't finish in 3.1 miles. More often than not, the course will measure long on your GPS device and that's not always because the course was incorrectly marked. I'm always much more concerned when the course is short, because that gives it a much higher likelihood that it was in fact short of the correct distance.

 

[FredtheDuck]

In all likelihood, based on your description of weaving through the course because of crowds, it is more likely correct at 3.1 miles than not. Was the race advertised as USATF certified? Unless you run the perfect tangents on a USATF certified course you'll also find you won't finish in 3.1 miles. More often than not, the course will measure long on your GPS device and that's not always because the course was incorrectly marked. I'm always much more concerned when the course is short, because that gives it a much higher likelihood that it was in fact short of the correct distance.

Thanks. It is USATF (or as the race website says, USAFT) certified, thought their website also says the start line was moved this year. So who knows. I assume the track was right and that you and @opusone are right about weaving and tangents.

What, then, in terms of analyzing the run/goal, would you consider your time/pace? The RunKeeper pace or the official bib time/pace?

 

[DopeyBadger]

At the end of the day, I always recognize the official race time as the pace/time.

ETA - Well actually I can think of a few scenarios were I wouldn't trust the official race time. But that usually occurs when the course I ran doesn't match up to the USATF certification. Has happened a few times to me.

 

[FredtheDuck]

At the end of the day, I always recognize the official race time as the pace/time.

ETA - Well actually I can think of a few scenarios were I wouldn't trust the official race time. But that usually occurs when the course I ran doesn't match up to the USATF certification. Has happened a few times to me.

That's fair (and also: cruddy for you and the other runners it has happened to). That means I missed my goal by a shade. Oh well. Next time!

 

[FredtheDuck]

Mom was still in town on Monday, so I did her C25K training with her - she's doing great and I'm super proud of her. She's crossed that hurdle from hating it to liking it enough to invest in some knee support and an arm band, so I think that's a good sign.

I knew yesterday would be a long day, so I pushed my run to today. It was a fine run. I felt good in terms of form, the weather is gorgeous, and DH "ran" it with me (he is teleworking today so he ran at home but chatted with me on the phone while we both ran). I really wished I had more time, I would have loved to have gotten another mile or two in.

Stats: 2.15 miles, 22:43 (10:34/mi).

DH and I talked mostly about how we're not super inspired by any of our local half marathon options this fall, mostly because we would rather run the WDW Half in January (looks like that won't be in the cards). The Baltimore Half seems dauntingly hilly at just the wrong part of the run, the Navy-Air Force Half is an out-and-back, which DH finds demoralizing, and the Parks Half has a time limit that I'm not convinced I can adhere to, since it'd be my first attempt at a half. Meh. We'll figure something out.