Running Renaissance: One Skip Ahead of my Doom

[nancipants]

The park hired them to eat the brush. I think it's win/win/win. Win for the park, win for the goats, and a win for me

I like that you said the park hired them, like they're getting paid. But I guess their pay is grass.

 

[GollyGadget]

Base Training Week 9

This week was all about remembering my why. After a brief cool down on Monday, the summer weather returned with a vengeance. The heat definitely zaps some of the enjoyment out of running so I had to dig a little deeper () to remember why I'm doing this. In the end, self discipline was the real hero of the week. Way moreso than motivation.

Weekly Goals: 35 miles + 3 strength

14 Aug - 4 miles
An atypical week for me that required being in the office on Monday. I was going to see The Black Keys in the evening so a morning run was the only choice. The run went really well, the weather was perfect, and there was no residual soreness from the long run on Sunday.


15 Aug - rest
With the late night and beverages if the night before, I elected to move my typical rest day. I'm really going to miss this flexibility once I get back on a plan.

16 Aug - 5 miles
This run was done after work in full sun. I planned to rely on the park water fountains but the one at my turnaround point wasn't working properly . Fortunately there was another one in roughly a mile on my way back. Unfortunately, a cyclist pulled up to it the same time as I did and proceeded to fill up his two water bottles. I waited in the shade so at least that was an option but I swear my brain was in a fog for the rest of the week . Dehydration is not good.

17 Aug - 5 miles
I went to find the nearby hills. Took a slightly shorter route but still ended up with 200 ft ascent. There was shade and I did this run just before lunch so all in all it went much better even though the course was more difficult than the day prior. The way back was .05 miles longer which is a good reminder why is important to run your tangents during a race

18 Aug - 6 miles
I postponed this run until evening when it’d be slightly cooler out. It was still warm and I could taste my dinner the entire run. do not recommend.

19 Aug - 5 miles
I should have set my alarm to get this run done before my volunteer shift at the zoo. It was very unpleasant when I returned home just before 11a. The run really wasn’t too bad despite the heat & humidity. The worst part was all the sweat in my eyes. Two important lessons for the day.

20 Aug - 10 miles
A bit wiser from the day before, I made sure to get this run finished before 11a. I also wore my hat to help with the sweat. I’m sure it helped but I was still dripping and constantly wiping my face. The last few miles were a real slog. Somehow my pace didn’t suffer, with my last mile being my third fastest of the day but I was 100% ready to be done.

Weekly Accomplishments: 35 miles + 0 strength

I have no excuses for the missed strength. At least not good ones. I got off schedule with the Tuesday rest day and never got back to it. Time to turn the page

 

[WillRunForPizza]

With the late night and beverages if the night before, I elected to move my typical rest day. I'm really going to miss this flexibility once I get back on a plan.

I don't know, I move my rest day around all the time, plan or no plan

 

[GollyGadget]

I don't know, I move my rest day around all the time, plan or no plan

I’m really bad about thinking I’ll move the rest day and then just taking extra rest instead. I’ve decided on the Hanson plan for the wdw marathon but in the future I might try something more similar to Daniels with the flexibility he provides. I’ll just need to be disciplined to actually do all the runs without pre planning them.

 

[striker1064]

in the future I might try something more similar to Daniels with the flexibility he provides.

This is one thing I'm really liking about Daniels - just get the mileage in. Even if it means you have to move/take an extra rest day.

So, step 1 - actually do those miles. Still working on this.

 

[GollyGadget]

So, step 1 - actually do those miles.

Yes, this is the key and the hard part.

 

[GollyGadget]

Base Training Week 10

This week was a lot of treadmill time. Five hours of it to be exact. I'm not complaining though because it sure beat running in the heat. Unlike @DopeyBadger , I'm not trying to set any T+D records around here. Plus, I had lots of world athletics championship content to watch.

Word on the street is that it's going to warm up again this weekend, I'm going to need to find something to watch. Let me know if you have any recs! Right now I'm leaning toward rewatching Sabrina as spooky season kicks off.

Before I move on to the recap, I also want to point out how wild it is that I'm 10 weeks into base training. This blows my mind. It's practically an entire training cycle. Except for one week of ragbrai recovery, I've been really consistent too. Without a race as motivation . The flexibility has definitely played a role. Plus it's kinda nice to not be doing anything hard in the peak summer heat. I may just do this again next year!

Weekly Goals: 40 miles + 3 strength

21 Aug - 6 miles
Originally I was dreading this run in the treadmill but I told myself just get in at least 4. Then I got really enamored by the world athletics championship and nearly ran off the front of the treadmill cheering for Sha'carri. I followed up this run with my pt exercises.

22 Aug - 6.5 miles
Pretty much a repeat of the day prior but managed one additional half mile.

23 Aug - rest

24 Aug - 4.5 miles
Hattie woke me up early so I snuck in what I could before work. A great example of the benefits of the flexibility of this "plan". I ran longer on Monday & Tuesday so it was no harm in running shorter on Wednesday. It was still dark when I awoke so I thought about running outside, but when I realized it was 89 with 83% humidity, that became a hard no.

25 Aug - 5.5 miles
Treadmill + track & field

26 Aug - 5.5 miles
It had cooled off a bit and I could have run this one outside but I stuck to the treadmill to watch team USA once again.


27 Aug - 12 miles
I set my alarm to ensure I got this done before it got too hot. It went much better than my last two long runs, felt easier and not near as much "I can't wait for this to end." I used dates as fuel again but salted them to cut the sweetness. I much prefer real food so hoping these little fruits continue to work for me. I did the run at my 4 mile lake route so I could stop at my car for water bottle replacements and was happy to find my goat friends still hard at work.


Weekly Accomplishments: 40 miles + 0 strength

True to form, my strength training has been the first thing that gets cut when my schedule gets busy. I need to get this figured out before marathon training starts next week

 

[azrivest]

True to form, my strength training has been the first thing that gets cut when my schedule gets busy. I need to get this figured out before marathon training starts next week

Same here. I've been relatively good at sticking to my strength training this summer, but it is such a chore to get through and I'll find any excuse not to do it. Why is that? Why is getting out the door for a 45 minute run so much easier mentally than 30 minutes of weight lifting?

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Go Sha'Carri! I'm so happy for her

 

[nancipants]

What kinds of shows do you like? I'm currently watching Good Omens Season 2 and I'm really enjoying it. I also loved Our Flag Means Death and season 2 is starting in October, yay!

Also, whether or not you like Star Wars, I highly recommend Andor that came out last year. It's a slower show but one of my absolute favorites.

 

[GollyGadget]

Same here. I've been relatively good at sticking to my strength training this summer, but it is such a chore to get through and I'll find any excuse not to do it. Why is that? Why is getting out the door for a 45 minute run so much easier mentally than 30 minutes of weight lifting?

I wish I knew. I'm sure it has something to do with running being something that I enjoy and strength training being something "I have to do." I need to figure out how to change that mindset.

 

[GollyGadget]

What kinds of shows do you like? I'm currently watching Good Omens Season 2 and I'm really enjoying it. I also loved Our Flag Means Death and season 2 is starting in October, yay!

Also, whether or not you like Star Wars, I highly recommend Andor that came out last year. It's a slower show but one of my absolute favorites.

Good question. I'm really not sure. I don't like gore or toilet humor. Most anything else is fair game. I need something that would keep me interested but also didn't require me to pay a lot of attention to the dialogue. My treadmill is loud and my mind tends to wander.

I've never even heard of any of those shows! I'll definitely be checking them out.

 

[RuntheMouse]

True to form, my strength training has been the first thing that gets cut when my schedule gets busy. I need to get this figured out before marathon training starts next week

I feel you on this! I didn’t do much strength training this summer after my half In June. Started back up again with a new training cycle and ooooffffff. It’s rough!

I just keep reminding myself how much better that last block went with the addition of strength training.

 

[GollyGadget]

I just keep reminding myself how much better that last block went with the addition of strength training.

This is what I need to do. I was in a LOT of pain at the end of my last marathon and I believe it was strength related.

I thought I had a plan for how to make it fun, but that was going to require hour long commitments and I'm not sure I have that in me with Girls on the Run and marathon training starting up next week.

 

[GollyGadget]

Marathon Training Preview
As I've mentioned a few times lately, marathon training officially begins next week. I thought it might be interesting to do a sneak preview of my plan and goals. This will make it easier to reflect at the end of the plan on what went well and where I should make some changes.

This will be my third marathon training cycle using Hansons' Marathon Method. This plan has worked well for me because I like running most days of the week but I struggle to get motivated for super long runs. Most of my struggle is just getting out the door and not the execution.

I am making one big change this time around and that is following the advanced plan instead of beginner. I do not really see myself as an "advanced" runner but I've handled the beginner program twice now and feel it is time to level up. The advanced plan has more speed workouts in the first half but the second half is very similar. Actually, all the SOS (something of substance) runs are identical in the strength phase; the difference is additional easy mileage. Of course, I reserve the right to adjust if my body isn't adapting to the increased mileage.

Other modifications are specific to my fall schedule. I'm racing a 5K at the end of September so I'm removing the speed workout that week and moving the marathon tempo into it's place. Generally, the HMM book suggests removing the tempo but I need more practice at marathon tempo and a 5K race is going to be more similar to the speed workouts. This also lead to me pushing back the remaining speed sessions so I don't jump right from 600m repeats to 1000m. Additionally I have a half marathon in mid October. For this one, I'm following the book's suggestion and removing the marathon tempo and putting a long easy run in its place. That's really it for planned modifications. I have a bit of travel on the calendar but just a few days at a time and I should be able to keep my runs on schedule.

My biggest struggle in putting together this plan is deciding what would be appropriate pacing. Last year I used a 3:47 time goal but my actual finish time was 3:57. I haven't raced since June and the conditions were not great so I feel as though my ability is probably above the 1:47 HM but I have no idea how much (if at all). The same is true for my 49:14 10K from May. My April 5K puts me somewhere between 3:40-3:45. I'm normally someone who would advocate for using the slower time. Honestly, I'd be thrilled with a 3:45 finisher time. However, my gut is telling me that 3:40 is a better fit. I'll monitor how my races go and how I'm feeling and adjust if needed. Someone please tell me if this is a horrible idea

As for goals, specific time goals for the marathon will have to wait. I do have ambitious PR goals for the other two races but will have to see how my body is responding since I won't be tapering or training for them specifically. Mostly, I just want to complete the training. Ideally at least 90% of the mileage but I have a hard time saying that's my goal since injury and illness should not be ignored.

Finally, and like always, I need to put some focus on strength training. I sincerely believe that muscle imbalances were the culprit last time around and I need to prevent that from happening again. Three times/week has not been working for me so I'm hoping a more manageable twice/week will lead to a habit forming and I can grow from there.

That's all I can think of for now. Let me know if you have any questions or advice.


Happy training y'all!

 

[DopeyBadger]

My biggest struggle in putting together this plan is deciding what would be appropriate pacing. Last year I used a 3:47 time goal but my actual finish time was 3:57. I haven't raced since June and the conditions were not great so I feel as though my ability is probably above the 1:47 HM but I have no idea how much (if at all). The same is true for my 49:14 10K from May. My April 5K puts me somewhere between 3:40-3:45. I'm normally someone who would advocate for using the slower time. Honestly, I'd be thrilled with a 3:45 finisher time. However, my gut is telling me that 3:40 is a better fit. I'll monitor how my races go and how I'm feeling and adjust if needed. Someone please tell me if this is a horrible idea

My advice is to use the slower paces. They won't hold you back big picture. See how the Sept 5k and Oct HM go, and adjust paces if you exceed those marks. With that being said, the 1:47:00 would be a 3:42, and not all that far off from the 3:40 training paces. Using real world runner data, to go sub-3:40, you want to see a HM in the 1:42:45-1:44:45 area. I ran a 1:45:47 about 6 weeks ahead of my 3:38:53 in 2015, and a 1:38:49 about 2 months afterwards.

 

[Herding_Cats]

If you like angsty teenage dramas, The Summer I Turned Pretty has been very enjoyable (it's on prime,) To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and Never Have I Ever (both on Netflix.) You can get the gist of them without having to really focus. I usually have subtitles on while I treadmill.

Call the Midwife can get repetitive, but sooooo good (on Netflix)

Kind of a crime-thriller/drama (deals with a type of assault that will get censored on here, but isn't visually graphic that I remember) is Unbelievable also on Netflix.

 

[GollyGadget]

If you like angsty teenage dramas, The Summer I Turned Pretty has been very enjoyable (it's on prime,) To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and Never Have I Ever (both on Netflix.) You can get the gist of them without having to really focus. I usually have subtitles on while I treadmill.

Call the Midwife can get repetitive, but sooooo good (on Netflix)

Kind of a crime-thriller/drama (deals with a type of assault that will get censored on here, but isn't visually graphic that I remember) is Unbelievable also on Netflix.

Oooh. Angsty teen dramas are the perfect fit for the treadmill.

I've watched some of Call the Midwife and I liked it but I have no idea what season or episode I stopped. At this point, I could probably just start over

 

[GollyGadget]

My advice is to use the slower paces. They won't hold you back big picture. See how the Sept 5k and Oct HM go, and adjust paces if you exceed those marks. With that being said, the 1:47:00 would be a 3:42, and not all that far off from the 3:40 training paces. Using real world runner data, to go sub-3:40, you want to see a HM in the 1:42:45-1:44:45 area.

Thanks for the advice. I know that's what I would tell someone else. Like Alice, I rarely listen to my own advice. It's helpful to hear it from someone else.

I feel like I have a sub 1:45 HM in me but I guess I should prove it. And I'd much rather train a bit slower than push myself too far.

In reality, I rarely get anywhere close to the top end of easy runs so those paces won't be impacted. For the speed sessions, I'm planning to use my recent 5K time as suggested in the book. That only leaves the marathon tempo sessions with an adjustment for now. Then I can reassess in mid October before the strength sessions begin.

 

[GollyGadget]

I ran a 1:45:47 about 6 weeks ahead of my 3:38:53 in 2015, and a 1:38:49 about 2 months afterwards.

Almost forgot...This blows my mind! What a massive improvement!! What sort of training were you doing back then?