First a quick recap, last Wednesday during experiment #1 I ran the first 5 miles easy and then the last 5 miles at 8:22 pace with 1 min walk per mile.
This time I wanted to do the same workout but with 0:30 walk breaks for the last 5 miles.
During the first 5 miles I averaged a little over 10:00 pace. I did my usual 1 min walk break after each mile. My heart rate averaged about 135 for these early miles.
Then:
Mile 6 – 7:37 – Avg HR 165 (I was thinking this was way too fast)
Mile 7 – 7:25 – Avg HR 176 (maybe that wasn’t too fast)
Mile 8 – 7:10 – Avg HR 177 (gradual downhill for most of this mile)
Mile 9 – 7:12 – Avg HR 181 (major traffic light and a short but steep hill, HR spiked to 192)
Mile 10 – 7:03 – Avg HR 186 (mostly flat)
Keep in mind that each of these splits contains a 30 second walk.
Last 5 miles in 36:27 (7:17 pace). I am really floored with these results, this is a faster pace than my best 10K. I think that there must have been some other factors at work here. I expected to run faster with the walk times cut in half but not by this much. Maybe last week I was tired, less focused or something. I noticed that the transitions seemed a lot smoother than last week. Don’t let anyone tell you that run/walking is only for slower runners.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Solid weekend of running
Saturday: 15 miles run in 2:24 (9:37 pace) average heart rate 139.
Sunday: 6 mile trail run. Its 3 miles and 1520’ elevation gain to the top, I only time the accent portion because I like to compare it to accents.
I ran the uphill in 38:12 (12:44 pace), average heart rate 175 with a peak of 189 bpm. 38 min may not sound very good but one of my goals for this year was to reach top in less than 40 min so I can take that off my list. Also I beat last year’s best time by over 5 minutes and 2009’s best time by about 16 minutes. And now some pictures from this run.
Trail Head: elevation - 6046’, 33F, Foggy
This is a little over half way to the top, fog is getting thicker.
About 0.25 from the top and it’s snowing
Finally reached the top, elevation - 7570’, really cold and really thick fog.
Here is another shot at the top, behind that shelter is a great view of down town Denver but not today.
This is about half way down the mountain the sun is thinking of coming out. If you look way down the valley you can see the highway. Also on the other side of the valley is the famous red rocks Amphitheatre.
Sunday: 6 mile trail run. Its 3 miles and 1520’ elevation gain to the top, I only time the accent portion because I like to compare it to accents.
I ran the uphill in 38:12 (12:44 pace), average heart rate 175 with a peak of 189 bpm. 38 min may not sound very good but one of my goals for this year was to reach top in less than 40 min so I can take that off my list. Also I beat last year’s best time by over 5 minutes and 2009’s best time by about 16 minutes. And now some pictures from this run.
Trail Head: elevation - 6046’, 33F, Foggy
This is a little over half way to the top, fog is getting thicker.
About 0.25 from the top and it’s snowing
Finally reached the top, elevation - 7570’, really cold and really thick fog.
Here is another shot at the top, behind that shelter is a great view of down town Denver but not today.
This is about half way down the mountain the sun is thinking of coming out. If you look way down the valley you can see the highway. Also on the other side of the valley is the famous red rocks Amphitheatre.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Gloomy Easter Morning on Mt Falcon
Its 3 miles and 1520’ elevation gain to the top, I only time
the accent portion because I like to compare it to accents.
I ran the uphill in 38:12 (12:44 pace), average heart rate 175 with a peak of 189 bpm. 38 min may not sound very good but one of my goals for this year was to reach top in less than 40 min so I can take that off my list. Also I beat last year’s best time by over 5 minutes and 2009’s best time by about 16 minutes. And now some pictures from this run.
Trail Head: elevation - 6046’, 33F, Foggy
This is a little over half way to the top, fog is getting thicker.
About 0.25 from the top and it’s snowing
Finally reached the top, elevation - 7570’, really cold and really thick fog.
Here is another shot at the top, behind that shelter is a great view of down town Denver but not today.
This is about half way down the mountain the sun is thinking of coming out. If you look way down the valley you can see the highway. Also on the other side of the valley is the famous red rocks Amphitheatre.
I ran the uphill in 38:12 (12:44 pace), average heart rate 175 with a peak of 189 bpm. 38 min may not sound very good but one of my goals for this year was to reach top in less than 40 min so I can take that off my list. Also I beat last year’s best time by over 5 minutes and 2009’s best time by about 16 minutes. And now some pictures from this run.
Trail Head: elevation - 6046’, 33F, Foggy
This is a little over half way to the top, fog is getting thicker.
About 0.25 from the top and it’s snowing
Finally reached the top, elevation - 7570’, really cold and really thick fog.
Here is another shot at the top, behind that shelter is a great view of down town Denver but not today.
This is about half way down the mountain the sun is thinking of coming out. If you look way down the valley you can see the highway. Also on the other side of the valley is the famous red rocks Amphitheatre.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Run/walk speed experiment #1
I am not ready to resume track workouts but I want to have some kind of hard work out during the week. Then I remembered that I was going to do some speed experimentation on the run/walk strategy.
Parameters of the run:
1. Clock never stops out on the course (actually I never stop my watch during a run).
2. Walk 1min after every mile
3. First 5 miles will be a warm up at a comfortable pace. Last 5 will be the experiment phase, I want to test this out on not so fresh legs.
Here is how it went
Miles 0 - 5, 51:04 (10:13 pace), Average HR 131
Miles 6 – 10, 41:52 (8:22 pace), Average HR 161, Max HR 181, last mile in 8:11
Total time – 1:32:56 (9:18 pace), Average HR 144
I created some tables to show how much a walk affects overall pace at different speeds. If my mile time with walk breaks is 8:20 then my running pace has to be 31 seconds faster. This means that I was averaging 7:40-7:50 pace during the running portions of the last 5 miles.
Psychologically this feels pretty easy, I am only thinking about how far I have till the next walk section not how many miles till I get home. The down side is that first few steps into and out of the walk zones are a little tougher on the body, especially slowing to a walk. The run/walk method seems a lot less efficient at this speed. Looking back it might have been easier to run the last 5 miles at this pace without stopping. Next Wednesday I am going to do this run again but with 30 sec walks.
If anyone wants to see these run/walk pace tables let me know and I send you a copy.
Parameters of the run:
1. Clock never stops out on the course (actually I never stop my watch during a run).
2. Walk 1min after every mile
3. First 5 miles will be a warm up at a comfortable pace. Last 5 will be the experiment phase, I want to test this out on not so fresh legs.
Here is how it went
Miles 0 - 5, 51:04 (10:13 pace), Average HR 131
Miles 6 – 10, 41:52 (8:22 pace), Average HR 161, Max HR 181, last mile in 8:11
Total time – 1:32:56 (9:18 pace), Average HR 144
I created some tables to show how much a walk affects overall pace at different speeds. If my mile time with walk breaks is 8:20 then my running pace has to be 31 seconds faster. This means that I was averaging 7:40-7:50 pace during the running portions of the last 5 miles.
Psychologically this feels pretty easy, I am only thinking about how far I have till the next walk section not how many miles till I get home. The down side is that first few steps into and out of the walk zones are a little tougher on the body, especially slowing to a walk. The run/walk method seems a lot less efficient at this speed. Looking back it might have been easier to run the last 5 miles at this pace without stopping. Next Wednesday I am going to do this run again but with 30 sec walks.
If anyone wants to see these run/walk pace tables let me know and I send you a copy.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
2011 Eisenhower Marathon Race Report
26.2 miles - 4:25:39 - 10:08 pace - 37 min PR.
Ready set go. Miles 0 - 6, 10:08 pace, 137 Avg HR.
At the start of the race it was a little warm with a light breeze. I felt great I had actually slept decent the night before. For these early miles I was just trying to keep my cool and not get caught up in all the excitement. My discipline paid off and I stuck to my schedule walking 1 min every mile. It’s hard to walk 1 mile into a marathon with everyone running past.
Into the wind. Miles 6 – 13.1, 10:09 pace, 147 Avg HR.
This was and an out and back course and when we came out of the park it was almost a straight shot to the turnaround. This entire section was run into a constant head wind. You can tell from my heart rate that I was working much harder to hold the same pace. Also this section was not flat like I thought it would be (there are hills in Kansas). One of the downsides to the run/walk strategy is that you have to run your own race. I couldn’t draft off someone going 10:00 min pace or my mile time would be up around 11 min. But other people certainly didn’t have any trouble speeding up to drafting off me. I didn’t let this get to me I just kept on going my only though was about getting to the turnaround. My knee problems were short lived they started and ended some time in this section.
Wind at my back, who turned off the AC? Miles 13.1 – 20, 9:59 pace, 159 Avg HR.
I assumed that once I turned around I would just fly with the tail wind. What I didn’t realize was that the temperature had climbed up into the 70’s and the wind was keeping me cool. My pace did increase but so did my heart rate. For a comparison 2 weeks ago I ran 20 miles in 3:07 at 138 Avg HR today I had to work much harder for 20 miles coming in at 3:21 with an Avg HR of 150. I hadn’t planned for the heat, hills or wind but I didn’t let it get to me I was focused on getting the job done.
Getting hot and tired. Miles 20 – 23, 9:49 pace, 176 Avg HR.
My mini goal for today was to arrive at 20 miles in good shape and in a decent time. I have heard from a lot of people that a marathon is can be split into two halves a 20 mile warm up followed by a 10K. I agree, the real test begins at 20 miles. We turned off the long straight out and back road and returned to the park. Now there is no wind at all and I am really starting to heat up (in case you wondering heat is my kryptonite). But my pace is steady and maybe starting to increase a little. I should also say that I am passing people in droves. This walking strategy is really paying off.
Dark times. Miles 23 – 25, 10:43 pace, 180 Avg HR.
Near the end of the journey through the park I start taking a turn for the worse. I feel terrible and like I’m dangerously close to the dreaded wall. My mind was clouded with thoughts of doubt and my legs felt like lead. My pulse has spiked, I actually saw it in the low 190’s. But I kept my cool (mentally not physically) I changed up my strategy and walked 1 min at the start and another at the half for both of these miles. Interesting thing was that I was still passing people during this time. Coming out of park we turned towards town and went over the last hill.
Finish! Miles 25 – 26.2, 9:43 pace, 184 Avg HR.
After coming over that hill I could see the town, more importantly I could see the steeple of a particular church. This was the church where the race started and finished. It was that exact moment I knew I was going to finish. My mood did a 180 and I felt refreshed and excited I was almost there. I resumed my normal pace and strategy and I finished strong. I passed so many people in that last mile it was nuts. I was so proud of myself and so happy it was just a great moment at that finish line.
Post Finish Analysis/Random Thoughts
The run walk strategy was great and I got to mile 20 in pretty good shape. After about 5 miles almost no one was passing me and I was doing all the chasing. The wind and heat really gook a lot out of me, I wonder how fast I would have run in better conditions. Looking over my heart rate stats after the race was a real eye opener. I was only running 10 min miles but the effort I was putting in was huge, my heart rate was over 180 the last 4 miles. I bet on fresh legs a 180 heart rate would get me 6:30 pace for 4 miles. Anyways I finished 4th out of 12 in my age group and beat my previous time by over 37 mins. I’m 30 lbs lighter than my last marathon but I think a bigger factor was is that mind was much stronger and more confident than previous marathons.
Ready set go. Miles 0 - 6, 10:08 pace, 137 Avg HR.
At the start of the race it was a little warm with a light breeze. I felt great I had actually slept decent the night before. For these early miles I was just trying to keep my cool and not get caught up in all the excitement. My discipline paid off and I stuck to my schedule walking 1 min every mile. It’s hard to walk 1 mile into a marathon with everyone running past.
Into the wind. Miles 6 – 13.1, 10:09 pace, 147 Avg HR.
This was and an out and back course and when we came out of the park it was almost a straight shot to the turnaround. This entire section was run into a constant head wind. You can tell from my heart rate that I was working much harder to hold the same pace. Also this section was not flat like I thought it would be (there are hills in Kansas). One of the downsides to the run/walk strategy is that you have to run your own race. I couldn’t draft off someone going 10:00 min pace or my mile time would be up around 11 min. But other people certainly didn’t have any trouble speeding up to drafting off me. I didn’t let this get to me I just kept on going my only though was about getting to the turnaround. My knee problems were short lived they started and ended some time in this section.
Wind at my back, who turned off the AC? Miles 13.1 – 20, 9:59 pace, 159 Avg HR.
I assumed that once I turned around I would just fly with the tail wind. What I didn’t realize was that the temperature had climbed up into the 70’s and the wind was keeping me cool. My pace did increase but so did my heart rate. For a comparison 2 weeks ago I ran 20 miles in 3:07 at 138 Avg HR today I had to work much harder for 20 miles coming in at 3:21 with an Avg HR of 150. I hadn’t planned for the heat, hills or wind but I didn’t let it get to me I was focused on getting the job done.
Getting hot and tired. Miles 20 – 23, 9:49 pace, 176 Avg HR.
My mini goal for today was to arrive at 20 miles in good shape and in a decent time. I have heard from a lot of people that a marathon is can be split into two halves a 20 mile warm up followed by a 10K. I agree, the real test begins at 20 miles. We turned off the long straight out and back road and returned to the park. Now there is no wind at all and I am really starting to heat up (in case you wondering heat is my kryptonite). But my pace is steady and maybe starting to increase a little. I should also say that I am passing people in droves. This walking strategy is really paying off.
Dark times. Miles 23 – 25, 10:43 pace, 180 Avg HR.
Near the end of the journey through the park I start taking a turn for the worse. I feel terrible and like I’m dangerously close to the dreaded wall. My mind was clouded with thoughts of doubt and my legs felt like lead. My pulse has spiked, I actually saw it in the low 190’s. But I kept my cool (mentally not physically) I changed up my strategy and walked 1 min at the start and another at the half for both of these miles. Interesting thing was that I was still passing people during this time. Coming out of park we turned towards town and went over the last hill.
Finish! Miles 25 – 26.2, 9:43 pace, 184 Avg HR.
After coming over that hill I could see the town, more importantly I could see the steeple of a particular church. This was the church where the race started and finished. It was that exact moment I knew I was going to finish. My mood did a 180 and I felt refreshed and excited I was almost there. I resumed my normal pace and strategy and I finished strong. I passed so many people in that last mile it was nuts. I was so proud of myself and so happy it was just a great moment at that finish line.
Post Finish Analysis/Random Thoughts
The run walk strategy was great and I got to mile 20 in pretty good shape. After about 5 miles almost no one was passing me and I was doing all the chasing. The wind and heat really gook a lot out of me, I wonder how fast I would have run in better conditions. Looking over my heart rate stats after the race was a real eye opener. I was only running 10 min miles but the effort I was putting in was huge, my heart rate was over 180 the last 4 miles. I bet on fresh legs a 180 heart rate would get me 6:30 pace for 4 miles. Anyways I finished 4th out of 12 in my age group and beat my previous time by over 37 mins. I’m 30 lbs lighter than my last marathon but I think a bigger factor was is that mind was much stronger and more confident than previous marathons.
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