Soaked in Sweat: A 5K Dynasty

[larrymcg421]

I ran Cross Country and Track in High School and was fairly good, but stopped after that and pretty much became a couch potato. Flash forward 16 years and I've got back into running again.

This isn't the first time I got back into running. Last year, I made a bet with a friend where we picked a 5K one month out and raced, the winner receiving $10 plus $2 for every 30 seconds. The motivation helped me do good enough to win the race by 7 minutes, although the 35 minute time wasn't very impressive. After that, I lost the motivation as my friend no longer wanted to run anymore.

About a month ago I decided to give it a shot again. I started running a little bit here and there, generally a little bit longer than a half mile and slowly increasing my distance. I started feeling better and better the more I ran. With my new Android phone, I added an app called IMapMyRun, which does a good job of measuring running distances and pacing.

Week three was a major breakthrough week. I did my first ever three mile run since starting back (in 32 minutes, already faster than last year) and have consistently felt great running. I did 13.76 miles and compiled over 2 hours of total running time. My average pace was 10:07 min/mile. That's not bad for the third week of starting back. My goal for this week July 24-30) to go under 10 min/mi and run 15+ total miles.

I plan to start entering 5K's (if I deem myself ready I will run the Wounded Warriors 5K on August 6). This dynasty will be to track the daily progress of my runs and my performances in 5K's. I have been doing this on Facebook and it has worked very well for motivational purposes.


Race Results


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</td> <td class="xl68" style="width: 107pt;" width="143">Race</td> <td class="xl68" style="width: 107pt;" width="143">
</td> <td class="xl68" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Distance</td> <td class="xl68" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">
</td> <td class="xl68" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Time</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">8/6/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Wounded Warriors 5K</td> <td>
</td> <td>5K</td> <td>
</td> <td class="xl66" align="right">0:29:15</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">8/13/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>ATC Grand Finale</td> <td>
</td> <td>5K</td> <td>
</td> <td class="xl67" align="right">0:28:08</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">8/20/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Free to Breathe 5K</td> <td>
</td> <td>5K</td> <td>
</td> <td> 0:28:44
</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">9/24/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Singleton 5M/10M</td> <td>
</td> <td>5M</td> <td>
</td> <td> 0:47:03
</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">10/1/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Cartersville 10K</td> <td>
</td> <td>10K</td> <td>
</td> <td>0:56:14
</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">10/15/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Haunted Hustle 5K</td> <td>
</td> <td>5K</td> <td>
</td> <td>0:25:58
</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">11/5/2011</td> <td class="xl65">
</td> <td>Run Around the Rock 10M
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</td> <td>5M</td> <td>
</td> <td>TBD</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> <td class="xl66" style="width: 107pt;" width="143">
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[larrymcg421]

I took Sunday off as a rest day, which I will do 1-2 times per week. It is doubtful I will ever pull a 7 day week as we didn't even do that in Cross Country/Track days and that is likely to just lead to injuries.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Distance: 2.69mi
Time: 00:25:31
Pace: 9:29min/mi
Speed: 6.33mi/h

Not quite the distance I wanted to get today, but the loop course I took was a little shorter than expected. I felt pretty good even with the increased pace and this run gives me confidence that I will be ready to run a 5K in two weeks.

[corbes]

Best wishes Larry. I'll be watching here for updates!

[larrymcg421]

Had to take today off due to pain and swelling in my left foot. It's not too bad. I even tried to run on it, but quickly realized that it wouldn't be possible. I will wrap it and soak it tonight, and hopefully get back to things Wednesday.

[larrymcg421]

Best wishes Larry. I'll be watching here for updates!

Thanks!

[Antmeister]

Awesome. Good luck with this. Need to get back in shape myself.

[larrymcg421]

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Distance: 1.83mi
Time: 00:17:50
Pace: 9:45min/mi
Speed: 6.16mi/h

Took it easy today coming back from the foot injury. It still felt slightly sore, but not too bad. I bought a pair of Thorlo running socks and that seemed to help quite a bit. My 15 mile goal this week will be hard to reach as I'd need to do 3.5 miles per day from here on out, but I should have no problem meeting the sub-10 min/mi goal unless I really slow up the rest of the week.

[larrymcg421]

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Distance: 3.13mi
Time: 00:29:14
Pace: 9:20min/mi
Speed: 6.42mi/h

My best run yet. A full minute and 20 seconds per mile faster than the only other time I've gone 3 miles. The new running socks are helping a ton. My first 5K is in 9 days and I'm feeling better than ever. I've privately been saying I'd like to go under 28 minutes. That equates to just over a 9 minute pace. Maybe too optimistic, but I think it's possible if I keep improving over the next week.

[Blackadar]

Good timing on this thread.

I'm not a runner - seismometers and car alarms go off when I run - but I'm going to give a 5K a try next month. Even though I work out almost daily, my attempt at running this morning was not pretty. I probably looked like a crazed mental patient as I staggered along the pavement, tongue hanging out, hair sticking up and drenched with sweat. And that's before I even made it out of my driveway. :lol:

I have no real hope of actually running the entire 5k - there's just not enough time to train and I just don't run very well. But it's the effort that counts, right?

[larrymcg421]

Trust me, you won't be alone out there as a large portion of 5K fields are filled with walkers or walkers/runners. Even I walk parts of my training runs. Like even the one today I had to walk twice for about 100m each. So even after several weeks I'm not completely all the way there on a 5K.

Just do what you can for now. My first few runs were just the same as what you described. There's a lake behind my apartment and I started off running around that. It is only 0.6 miles and I was dying at the end of those runs. I slowly increased the distances as I got more comfortable.

I'm actually now to the point where I look forward to my morning runs and I was seriously pissed that the foot injury kept me from doing it on Tuesday.

[larrymcg421]

Friday, July 29, 2011

Distance: 3.24mi
Time: 00:31:19
Pace: 9:40min/mi
Speed: 6.21mi/h

Absolutely brutal run today due to insanely long uphill climb over the first mile (from 960 ft at the start to 1066 at the 1 mile mark). I didn't think I'd finish the run at that point, but thankfully it was a nice steady downhill most of the remaining 2 miles. Still, it was a struggle because I sapped so much energy that first mile.

Hills are something I've really had to adjust to as when I ran in high school it was in Florida and there weren't many hills at all. However, the humidity was much worse, which is why I think I've handled the heat well and my cardio is holding up better than my legs for the most part.

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, July 31, 2011

Distance: 2.17mi
Time: 00:23:01
Pace: 10:36min/mi
Speed: 5.66mi/h

Had a difficult time today. Managed a 9:20 pace in the first mile, but was pretty much dead after that and struggled to get as far as I did.

[larrymcg421]

Took Sunday off. Next Saturday is my first 5K. The plan is to run Monday through Thursday and then take Friday off before the race.

I'm also going to try some interval training this week. This might throw my reported pacing off a bit as it will incorporate walking, jogging, and sprinting, but it's a very effective method of of getting in shape and improving speed. It'll also be a nice change of pace from repetitive runs.

[larrymcg421]

For reference, here is the interval workout I plan to go for Monday morning:

Jog for 4 minutes
Sprint for 1 minute
Jog for 2 minutes
Sprint for 1 minute
Walk for 1 minute
Sprint for 1 minute
Jog for 2 minutes
Sprint for 1 minute
Walk for 1 minute
Sprint for 1 minute
Jog for 2 minutes
Sprint for 1 minute
Walk for 1 minute
Sprint for 1 minute
Jog for 2 minutes
Walk for 1 minute
Sprint for 1 minute
Jog for 4 minute

This includes 8 1 minute sprints and a 28 minute total workout.

[larrymcg421]

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Distance: 2.09mi
Time: 00:19:32
Pace: 9:21min/mi
Speed: 6.42mi/h

I didn't quite go for as long as I wanted as I was pressed for time (had to do this on my lunch break). Still, this was a very intense interval workout and I really liked how it went. I was surprised to find out the pace was actually faster than my normal workouts. I will do similar workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, then a practice 5K on Thursday.

[larrymcg421]

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 00:22:17
Pace: 9:49min/mi
Speed: 6.11mi/h

More intervals today and it was a really intense workout. I did the first mile in 8:30 and that included a one minute walking interval. I may need to adjust the length of the sprint as 1 minute may be too long. Either that or throw in more 1 minute walking sessions.

[larrymcg421]

With race day coming up soon, I've been thinking of my strategy to beat the 28 minute mark. To do that, I need a pace of 9 minutes per mile.

The 2nd mile is always my most difficult. The one training run where I did a 9:20 pace I slowed to almost a 10 minute mile before I was able to get back in gear for a 9:20 final mile.

Because of this, I think I will attempt an 8:35-8:40 first mile. This will give me some wiggle room if my 2nd mile is much slower. I always get an adrenaline boost during the third mile, so I'm confident that if I finish that 2nd mile at the 18 minute mark, then I will have no problem achieving my goal.

All of this could change depending on how my practice 5K goes Thursday.

[corbes]

One thought is how crowded will the race be? Sometimes the first mile is slower than expected if you have to navigate your way through the pack for the first half-mile or so. You might have to focus on running a good pace between 0.5 miles and 1.5 miles?

[RPI-Fan]

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 00:22:17
Pace: 9:49min/mi
Speed: 6.11mi/h

More intervals today and it was a really intense workout. I did the first mile in 8:30 and that included a one minute walking interval. I may need to adjust the length of the sprint as 1 minute may be too long. Either that or throw in more 1 minute walking sessions.

If you can do it and are still able to walk at a good pace, it's not too long.

[larrymcg421]

If you can do it and are still able to walk at a good pace, it's not too long.

Yeah, I might throw in some more walking in place of some of the jogging intervals as they may not be giving me enough of a rest in between sprints. If I do that, I might be able to get more sprints in and a longer workout.

[larrymcg421]

One thought is how crowded will the race be? Sometimes the first mile is slower than expected if you have to navigate your way through the pack for the first half-mile or so. You might have to focus on running a good pace between 0.5 miles and 1.5 miles?

That's a good point, plus I will probably lose a few seconds at the start. I will have to find a decent starting point. On my practice 5K Thursday I will try to account for that and start a bit slower.

[RPI-Fan]

That's a good point, plus I will probably lose a few seconds at the start. I will have to find a decent starting point. On my practice 5K Thursday I will try to account for that and start a bit slower.

If I were you, I would start further BACK than you think you need to. For me, at least, always much easier on me mentally (and, derivatively, physically) to spend my energy navigating through the pack to pass people rather than to be passed.

Don't worry about where you cross the official start line. If it is a big race, you will be wearing a chip that won't start until you actually get over the start line. If you don't have a chip, just wear a watch and start it once you hit the line.

[larrymcg421]

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Distance: 1.91mi
Time: 00:18:27
Pace: 9:40min/mi
Speed: 6.21mi/h

As planned above, I altered the interval workout today. I started off with a 2 minute jog, then alternated 1 minute of sprinting and walking the rest of the way. Was pressed for time this morning, so didn't get to go for as long as I wanted, but I think this worked out really well. I ended up doing 9 1 minute sprints, and was able to go harder than I did in the past two days.

[larrymcg421]

If I were you, I would start further BACK than you think you need to. For me, at least, always much easier on me mentally (and, derivatively, physically) to spend my energy navigating through the pack to pass people rather than to be passed.

Don't worry about where you cross the official start line. If it is a big race, you will be wearing a chip that won't start until you actually get over the start line. If you don't have a chip, just wear a watch and start it once you hit the line.

Hopefully there will be a chip because I'd like to be able to point to my "official" time, even if I know I personally went faster. If not, then I'll just start the app on my phone when I cross the start line.

[Blackadar]

Well, it's about two weeks before my 5k and I decided to do a bit of training. I'm using the awesome iMapMyRUN app for the iPhone. It's awesome.

2.10 miles
23:24
11.09 mins/mile

Given that my neighborhood is almost nothing but hills, I suppose that's not too bad for a beginner. The 5k course is pretty flat, so that will make things interesting.

[larrymcg421]

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

So my goal for my practice 5K was to go out at a 9 minute mile pace and see if I could hold on to that. I also started off slow to try and mimic what it will be like jostling for position in the real race. The first .2 was done in 9:30, but then I started to pick it up and crossed the 1 mile mark in 8:54. Once again, the 2nd mile was my nemesis and I just couldn't hang on to the pace. At 1.3 it had slowed to 9:03 and I kept slowing to the point where I began the 3rd mile at a 9:25 pace. I turned it on for the third mile and slowly increased the pace times. At 2.5 miles I had reduced it to 9:20. I knew the sub-28 wasn't happening today, but I felt at least I could put in my best 5k training time if I pushed it. I pushed really hard and finished at 28:40, which was good enough for a 9:13 pace.

Distance: 3.11mi
Time: 00:28:40
Pace: 9:13min/mi
Speed: 6.51mi/h

What does this mean for my 5K? The sub-28 minute goal may be harder to reach than I realized. 40 seconds is alot to shave off, even with the adrenaline boost I will get from the competition. Still, I'm gonna push hard and try to get it. I'm taking Friday off to rest and will carb up Friday night.

[larrymcg421]

Well, it's about two weeks before my 5k and I decided to do a bit of training. I'm using the awesome iMapMyRUN app for the iPhone. It's awesome.

2.10 miles
23:24
11.09 mins/mile

Given that my neighborhood is almost nothing but hills, I suppose that's not too bad for a beginner. The 5k course is pretty flat, so that will make things interesting.

Yeah, iMapMyRUN is the app I use and I love it.

That's a good point about the hills. My practices have been in a very hilly area. The first two miles are a gradual uphill and then there's a downhill for the final mile. This definitely has alot to do with my 2nd mile issues. I have no idea what the course is like that I'm running on, but if it's more balanced then that should help a ton with my pacing.

[corbes]

Good work Larry. Best wishes for the race!

[Blackadar]

Yeah, iMapMyRUN is the app I use and I love it.

That's a good point about the hills. My practices have been in a very hilly area. The first two miles are a gradual uphill and then there's a downhill for the final mile. This definitely has alot to do with my 2nd mile issues. I have no idea what the course is like that I'm running on, but if it's more balanced then that should help a ton with my pacing.

From what I've read, you're likely to be 5-10% slower going uphill on a 2% grade than you would on a flat track. You're only likely to gain back about half of that time going back down. So if you're running hills, you may be quicker than you think.

[larrymcg421]

From what I've read, you're likely to be 5-10% slower going uphill on a 2% grade than you would on a flat track. You're only likely to gain back about half of that time going back down. So if you're running hills, you may be quicker than you think.

That is promising, so maybe that will make up the difference. One thing I love about the app is that it also maps out your elevation grid. I have been taking that into account with different courses I run. I avoid insanely hilly courses, but I don't want to train on flat surfaces because I want to be prepared for hills when they happen.

BTW, your time is definitely good for starters. Have you set a personal goal of what you'd like to do in your 5K?

[Blackadar]

Have you set a personal goal of what you'd like to do in your 5K?

Yeah, finish without having a coronary. :)

[larrymcg421]

It is race day! Heading out now. Race begins in 90 minutes.

[larrymcg421]

So, not sure what really happened here. My official time was 29:10, but IMapMyRun was disagreeing with the distance the whole race. The final app results show:

Distance: 3.37mi
Time: 00:29:46
Pace: 8:50min/mi
Speed: 6.79mi/h

And this is after taking 36 seconds to shut my app off. I have no idea what's going on here. It's a USATF certified course, so I'd certainly trust that over the app, but could IMapMyRun really be off by a quarter mile? That would be incredibly irritating.

Either way, 29:10 is what I will accept as my official time. It's not at all what I wanted, but it's something to build from. Next 5K is the Free to Breathe 5K in two weeks.

[Blackadar]

Gratz on the 5k Larry!

I broke into my local city park this morning (it *ahem* wasn't open for another hour) and ran a different route. It's significantly flatter than the one around my neighborhood, though it's all hard-packed gravel and occasionally dirt.

2.14 miles
22:15
10.22 mins/mile

So I'm almost a minute per mile faster on a flat gravel surface than I am on a hilly pavement surface. Sounds ok to me. I think I need to increase my mileage a bit, but I'm happy with those results considering I haven't run in 25 years.

[RPI-Fan]

So, not sure what really happened here. My official time was 29:10, but IMapMyRun was disagreeing with the distance the whole race. The final app results show:

Distance: 3.37mi
Time: 00:29:46
Pace: 8:50min/mi
Speed: 6.79mi/h

And this is after taking 36 seconds to shut my app off. I have no idea what's going on here. It's a USATF certified course, so I'd certainly trust that over the app, but could IMapMyRun really be off by a quarter mile? That would be incredibly irritating.

Either way, 29:10 is what I will accept as my official time. It's not at all what I wanted, but it's something to build from. Next 5K is the Free to Breathe 5K in two weeks.

The distance is always long on GPS systems. In short, what happens is the GPS is creating a line tracking your run from a lot of data points. Even though you are running in a straight line, the lines connecting the data points are a bunch of diagonals because the data points have a little bit of x-axis variance (as well as y-axis variance, but that one cancels itself out), creating extra horizontal skew. Bottom line, all GPS's will give you distances longer than reality (and generally, by roughly the margin that you experienced).

[Dodgerchick]

Just stumbled across this thread, that's pretty damn awesome! I keep wanting to get back into running but always talk myself out of it.

Great dynasty, keep up the good work!

[larrymcg421]

The distance is always long on GPS systems. In short, what happens is the GPS is creating a line tracking your run from a lot of data points. Even though you are running in a straight line, the lines connecting the data points are a bunch of diagonals because the data points have a little bit of x-axis variance (as well as y-axis variance, but that one cancels itself out), creating extra horizontal skew. Bottom line, all GPS's will give you distances longer than reality (and generally, by roughly the margin that you experienced).

Good to know. I guess I should be happy then with my time because no matter what it was faster than I had been running before. I was just apparently slower than I thought all along.

[larrymcg421]

Gratz on the 5k Larry!

I broke into my local city park this morning (it *ahem* wasn't open for another hour) and ran a different route. It's significantly flatter than the one around my neighborhood, though it's all hard-packed gravel and occasionally dirt.

2.14 miles
22:15
10.22 mins/mile

So I'm almost a minute per mile faster on a flat gravel surface than I am on a hilly pavement surface. Sounds ok to me. I think I need to increase my mileage a bit, but I'm happy with those results considering I haven't run in 25 years.

That's better than some of the training runs I've done, so not bad at all.

[larrymcg421]

Just stumbled across this thread, that's pretty damn awesome! I keep wanting to get back into running but always talk myself out of it.

Great dynasty, keep up the good work!

Thanks!

[corbes]

Congratulations! And under 30 minutes is a completely respectable time for a 5K.

[hoopsguy]

Thanks for the tip on mapmyrun - I think I'll use this for tracking all the walks I go on with my family so I've got some idea of distance + calories burned. If I get particularly ambitious, it looks like I could actually track my diet there instead of using the spreadsheet I started last month.

[larrymcg421]

Thanks to all those who have been reading this dynasty. It definitely helps with my motivation.

The full official results are out: http://zuluracing.com/results/OVR4WW.html

They actually have me down for a 29:15. Still, that is good for 297th in a field of 905. Also, I was 20th out of 45 in the Male 35-39 age group. Definitely room for improvement but it's a decent start.

I signed up for the Atlanta Track Club, which includes a free t-shirt, discounts to specialty running apparel stores, and free entry to 12 specific events throughout the year. One of the free events is the ATC Grand Finale 5K, which happens to be this Saturday, so I'll be doing my next 5K even sooner than I thought.

Took Sunday off from training, and will repeat the Monday-Thursday schedule I did last week. This afternoon I plan to run three hard mile long intervals with 2 minute breaks in between each. The goal is to run the second and especially third miles in under 9 minutes.

[larrymcg421]

Monday, August 8, 2011

Well, that was quite a workout! Here is the hard data, which includes my two walking intervals...

Distance: 3.27mi
Time: 00:31:15
Pace: 9:33min/mi
Speed: 6.28mi/h

And then the mile splits...

Mile 1 - 8:04
Mile 2 - 9:02
Mile 3 - 10:05

I mapped out an actual mile course and did my mile times point to point. For instance, my first time in the app showed me at 1.04, but I counted that as my 1.0 mile time. This should give me a more realistic picture of where I am.

Part of the reason for doing this workout was to improve my toughness, especially my ability to run with pain. I think I was a bit weak in the third mile Saturday and could've pushed for a much better time. In that regard, this workout was a great success. I pushed hard for a good first mile time. The 2nd mile I thought I was going to die at the halfway mark trying to hold on to the 9 min/mi pace. I barely missed but I'm proud of the way I fought through that second half mile. The third mile, let's just say I'm not sure how I even ran it. I had a stitch in my side before even starting (probably need better pre-workout hydration). I was running slower than walking speed at some points. I almost gave up three times, but kept pushing and even managed a nice pace for the last quarter mile. 10:05 with a stitch in my side the whole way? I'll take it!

[Blackadar]

Great workout Larry!

By the way, where do you get your time splits on IMapMyRun?

Back to my neighborhood track this morning. I doubled up on the few flat spots to increase my distance a bit.

2.85 miles (seemed a bit shorter)
29.23
10.17 mins/mile

If that holds, that's a minute/mile faster than last week. Since my 5k is a week from this coming Saturday, it's good to make progress after only 4-5 runs.

[larrymcg421]

Great workout Larry!

By the way, where do you get your time splits on IMapMyRun?

Back to my neighborhood track this morning. I doubled up on the few flat spots to increase my distance a bit.

2.85 miles (seemed a bit shorter)
29.23
10.17 mins/mile

If that holds, that's a minute/mile faster than last week. Since my 5k is a week from this coming Saturday, it's good to make progress after only 4-5 runs.

IMapMyRun used to give me lap splits which were the equivalent of 1 mile each, but for some reason it stopped doing that and now says it has no lap data. So I've had to do my splits from memory.

Good job on the improved speed and distance after such a short time!

[larrymcg421]

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

Distance: 2.97mi
Time: 00:29:16
Pace: 9:51min/mi
Speed: 6.09mi/h

Running only 11 hours after a really hard workout isn't exactly the best idea, but I wouldn't have been able to run tonight and wanted to get back on schedule. So I did a nice, slow pace for this one, only turning it on for the last quarter mile or so. My legs felt like lead, so just finishing the run was enough of a challenge.

[larrymcg421]

Furthermore, I just did a weigh in today and I now weigh 198 lbs., which is 12 less than when I started running and the first time I've been under 200 in about 8 years.

[larrymcg421]

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

So when I went out running, the goal was to run some intervals. However, the app was not giving me my minute by minute updates. Still not sure why that happened, but instead of stopping and starting over I decided to turn this into a really hard 3 mile run. Taking one of the hardest routes near my apartment (uphill for the first mile, rolling hills for the 2nd mile, downhill 3rd mile), I managed to put in my best training time yet.

Distance: 3.05mi
Time: 00:27:33
Pace: 9:02min/mi
Speed: 6.64mi/h

The other good thing is that without voice updates, I had no idea how fast I was going and was just trying to match my usual intensity. It felt like a hard run but not particularly faster than I've done before. This means same intensity is getting me better results, meaning I am improving quite a bit.

[RPI-Fan]

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

So when I went out running, the goal was to run some intervals. However, the app was not giving me my minute by minute updates. Still not sure why that happened, but instead of stopping and starting over I decided to turn this into a really hard 3 mile run. Taking one of the hardest routes near my apartment (uphill for the first mile, rolling hills for the 2nd mile, downhill 3rd mile), I managed to put in my best training time yet.

Distance: 3.05mi
Time: 00:27:33
Pace: 9:02min/mi
Speed: 6.64mi/h

The other good thing is that without voice updates, I had no idea how fast I was going and was just trying to match my usual intensity. It felt like a hard run but not particularly faster than I've done before. This means same intensity is getting me better results, meaning I am improving quite a bit.

You know what they say about even world-class runners - it hurts every single bit as much as it does for you, they just do it faster.

[Northwood_DK]

However, the app was not giving me my minute by minute updates. Still not sure why that happened

That’s some solid improvement.

I can recommend the Endomondo.com app if you are not happy with the one you use now. I used that and was happy about it before I went out and bought a Forerunner clock instead.

[Blackadar]

I found where iMapMyRun will "talk" to you on your splits. I turned that on yesterday while at work and then conveniently forgot about it. So I'm running at 5:15 AM in the dark, listening to music, panting heavily and this voice comes out of nowhere and starts giving me my split times after the first mile. It scared the ever-livin' shit out of me. :)

I gave it my all this morning. When I got done, I was done. So for right now, the times below represent my current maximum effort on my neighborhood course. I don't think I'll push quite as hard the next couple of runs.

2.72 miles (same course as the one on Tuesday - I thought 2.85 miles seemed a little long...)
26:37
9:47 mins/mile

My pace was consistent - 9:55, 19:47 and then the finish - despite of the hills in the neighborhood. At least I managed to break the 10 minute barrier.

[larrymcg421]

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Distance: 2.71mi
Time: 00:25:33
Pace: 9:26min/mi
Speed: 6.36mi/h

Today was interval workout time. I did 4 minutes running at normal pace, followed by one minute sprint, 1 minute walk, and repeat. I skipped my first walking interval, and cut short my last normal pace interval so I could finish with a 1 minute sprint. It was a good workout and I feel pretty confident heading into my next 5K this Saturday.

[larrymcg421]

You know what they say about even world-class runners - it hurts every single bit as much as it does for you, they just do it faster.

I'd never heard that before, but it definitely makes sense. I was in just as much pain when I ran low 20 minute 5K's in high school.

[larrymcg421]

That’s some solid improvement.

I can recommend the Endomondo.com app if you are not happy with the one you use now. I used that and was happy about it before I went out and bought a Forerunner clock instead.

Thanks for the tip! I figured out the problem with the voice updates and fixed it today, but I may give Endomondo a try sometime next week.

[larrymcg421]

I found where iMapMyRun will "talk" to you on your splits. I turned that on yesterday while at work and then conveniently forgot about it. So I'm running at 5:15 AM in the dark, listening to music, panting heavily and this voice comes out of nowhere and starts giving me my split times after the first mile. It scared the ever-livin' shit out of me. :)

I gave it my all this morning. When I got done, I was done. So for right now, the times below represent my current maximum effort on my neighborhood course. I don't think I'll push quite as hard the next couple of runs.

2.72 miles (same course as the one on Tuesday - I thought 2.85 miles seemed a little long...)
26:37
9:47 mins/mile

My pace was consistent - 9:55, 19:47 and then the finish - despite of the hills in the neighborhood. At least I managed to break the 10 minute barrier.

Hey, that is pretty damned good for how long you've been running. If anything, you're coming along faster than I have. Hell, you might even do your 5K faster than I did mine.

You can also set the voice updates based on time instead of distance. I prefer to do it this way since the app doesn't let you get distance updates at anything less than 1 mile. For my interval runs I have it set to update me every minute. When I do a regular hard run, I have it update me every 2 minutes.

[Blackadar]

Hey, that is pretty damned good for how long you've been running. If anything, you're coming along faster than I have. Hell, you might even do your 5K faster than I did mine.

You can also set the voice updates based on time instead of distance. I prefer to do it this way since the app doesn't let you get distance updates at anything less than 1 mile. For my interval runs I have it set to update me every minute. When I do a regular hard run, I have it update me every 2 minutes.

Thanks. That represents my maximum effort currently possible, so surpassing your time is pretty much a pipe dream. I'm in pretty good shape shape - lost 60 pounds in the last year mainly by working out 6 days a week - but running is an entirely different animal and my arch-nemesis. I have really despised running in the past because it's boring and far too painful to tolerate (shin splints, bad feet, etc.). Signing up for the 5k was a way of testing myself and mixing things up. I haven't found it enjoyable yet, but I'm working on it. I'm about to also start a kettlebell routine right after completing the 5k and it should be easy to add a jog to the beginning or end of the kettlebell workouts...so I might sign up for another 5k depending on how much I like the one coming up.

I think having iMap talk to me every minute or two would take me out of my zone (you know, the 10 seconds or so where I forget I'm running and enjoying the music instead), not to mention that I'm almost constantly on hills so my speeds would be wildly variable. I could see using that feature if I was doing the sprinting thing you're working on, though. If I keep this up, I might use that run/walk/jog thing you're doing. Sounds interesting, though I wonder if it translates to hills.

[larrymcg421]

Thanks. That represents my maximum effort currently possible, so surpassing your time is pretty much a pipe dream. I'm in pretty good shape shape - lost 60 pounds in the last year mainly by working out 6 days a week - but running is an entirely different animal and my arch-nemesis. I have really despised running in the past because it's boring and far too painful to tolerate (shin splints, bad feet, etc.). Signing up for the 5k was a way of testing myself and mixing things up. I haven't found it enjoyable yet, but I'm working on it. I'm about to also start a kettlebell routine right after completing the 5k and it should be easy to add a jog to the beginning or end of the kettlebell workouts...so I might sign up for another 5k depending on how much I like the one coming up.

The actual running part isn't "fun", but when I'm finished I feel amazing and have a sense of accomplishment that I just don't get with any other type of exercise. I have started doing some minor strength exercises to mostly work on my leg strength.

I think having iMap talk to me every minute or two would take me out of my zone (you know, the 10 seconds or so where I forget I'm running and enjoying the music instead), not to mention that I'm almost constantly on hills so my speeds would be wildly variable. I could see using that feature if I was doing the sprinting thing you're working on, though. If I keep this up, I might use that run/walk/jog thing you're doing. Sounds interesting, though I wonder if it translates to hills.
Yeah, I don't pay much attention to the updates until after the first half mile. The further you go, the less variance there is depending on hills and terrain. But the best training run I've done was when the app was completely off and I had no idea how fast I was going, so there might be something to that.

As for the interval runs, I do usually do those on a flatter route, but they work just fine on hills as well. The idea is to run at a higher intensity than you'd be able to do on a more evenly paced run (also your body gets used to running faster), so you don't need to sprint uphill as fast as you would downhill, just match the same intensity.

[larrymcg421]

Couple of good notes about my race this Saturday:

This one will be a chipped race, so I won't have to worry about my starting position.

Also, I've been able to take a look at a map of the course, so I've got a better idea of what to expect. This should help me with pacing, so I won't need to rely on my phone.

[larrymcg421]

As usual, I took pre-race day off from training, although I will do some stretching and minor strength exercises tonight, just to stay loose.

[Blackadar]

Good luck, Larry!

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

RACE DAY: ATC Grand Finale 5K

This being a chipped race, I was able to pick a more comfortable starting spot. The course wraps around the perimeter of Chastain Park. The first mile was mostly downhill and as a result I crossed the mile marker with a shock when I hear 8:10 as my split. That's way too fast even with the downhill advantage. I sure paid for it on the 2nd mile which contain a long, steep, twisting uphill portion that (graded out 4.2% steep for over .6 miles). When I crossed the 2 mile mark, my time was 18:00. The third mile began with a long descent, which I took advantage of before finishing with a short, sharp uphill. I finished with the clock reading 28:16, but the official results later gave me a 28:08. Oh so close from my goal, but still a significant improvement (more than a minute!) over my performance from last week.

So my splits were 8:10, 9:50, and 9:12. Those are some pretty wild numbers, and improving my pacing is something I'll look for in my next 5K.


Final stats:

Distance: 3.10mi
Time: 00:28:08
Pace: 9:05min/mi
Speed: 6.61mi/h

I adjusted the stats from MapMyRun since it was off by almost the exact same amount as last time, so at least I now know how to adjust when doing my training runs.

I have one more 5K next week and then my next race will be on September 10th. After that, the free races offered by the Atlanta Track Club will be a 5 miler and a 10K so I'll start working on some extra distance in the coming weeks.

[larrymcg421]

I added a results chart in the first post, including the upcoming races I plan to run.

[Blackadar]

Nice time on your 5k Larry. That's great improvement from the prior one is such a short time.

After doing a Tabata workout on Friday, I was pretty leg-dead on Saturday. According to iMap, I did 2 miles in 19:38 and that was it for this weekend. I'd worked out for 2 weeks straight and my body needed a break on Sunday. There's only so far you can push your body as you get older.

Provided I get my runs in on Tuesday/Thursday, I'll enter my 5k this coming weekend with a grand total of 8 practice running workouts. That ain't much training, but it's the best I could do with such short notice. Another two weeks of training would probably be very beneficial.

---

If anyone is unfamiliar with Tabata, it's 20 seconds of exercise at full blast (everything you have) with 10 seconds off. Do that 8 times (total 4 minutes) and then take a minute break. Then repeat. It's very beneficial for your cardio-vascular system, but it'll kick your ass. You could do it running by sprinting for 20 seconds, walking for 10 and repeat it for 4 minutes.

[Dodgerchick]

wow 28 minutes, nicely done!

[larrymcg421]

Thanks guys! The crazy thing is I know I can do even better with better pacing.

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Distance: 4.31mi
Time: 00:40:05
Pace: 9:18min/mi
Speed: 6.45mi/h

Took Sunday off as usual. This week I plan to run longer distances and do them at a more controlled pace than I have in the past. Today's run was a major success. I started off at a 9:30 pace, ended up doing a 9:00 2nd mile. I missed the 3rd mile report, but my final pace of 9:18 means I did the 2nd two miles at almost the same pace as the first two. Furthermore, I didn't need to stop once on this run, eventhough it was my longest run yet.

[Blackadar]

Wow, Larry's cranking up the mileage.

Today was my 7th of 8 practice runs prior to the 5k. Nice morning to run - cooler, low humidity, almost a full moon so I could actually see where I was going.

2.78 miles (same course as last week)
27:05
9:44 mins/mile

Considering that I ran the same course, I was about 30 seconds slower than last Thursday even though iMap says my pace was quicker. I must have slowed a bit on the hills midway through the run. The difference today is that I didn't feel like I was going to die at the end of my run. I was pretty wiped, but not quite as bad as I was last Thursday. I could have slowed down to a walk, walked maybe 30 seconds and then started running again which I couldn't do last Thursday. It still hurts though - calves, ankles, Achilles, lungs - it all hurts.

So then I went inside and did 25 minutes of kickboxing.

[larrymcg421]

Wednesday, August 16th, 2011

Unfortunately, I was not able to get a run in yesterday due to time constraints, so this will be a shorter week than usual.

Distance: 3.45mi
Time: 00:33:36
Pace: 9:44min/mi
Speed: 6.16mi/h

I felt terrible at the beginning of today's run. My legs were already hurting at the half mile mark. But amazingly I started to feel better throughout my run and was able to finish a decent distance without stopping. Considering I've had to stop and briefly walk on both of my 5K's, I think this is a good sign for improving my time this Saturday.

[Blackadar]

My last training run before my 5k on Saturday. I've adjusted the distance down a quarter of a mile simply because I think iMap got it wrong and grossly overstated it.

3.16 miles
29:32
9:34 mins/mile

Encouraging. I'll work the upper body tomorrow and rest the legs in preparation for Saturday.

[larrymcg421]

My last training run before my 5k on Saturday. I've adjusted the distance down a quarter of a mile simply because I think iMap got it wrong and grossly overstated it.

3.16 miles
29:32
9:34 mins/mile

Encouraging. I'll work the upper body tomorrow and rest the legs in preparation for Saturday.

That's very good. You're not far off from where I was at for my first 5K after all!

[larrymcg421]

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

In my last workout before my next 5K, I decided to focus on some pacing training. There is a lake behind my apartment that is just under .6 miles long. The goal was to do 5 laps and do each lap faster than the previous.

Raw data:

Distance: 2.94mi
Time: 00:27:40
Pace: 9:25min/mi
Speed: 6.38mi/h

Splits:

Lap 1 - 5:50
Lap 2 - 5:30
Lap 3 - 5:25
Lap 4 - 5:35
Lap 5 - 5:20

It didn't quite completely work out. I did do my 4th lap pretty slow, but was able to put together a really good 5th lap. I did manage a consistent pace, but the overall pace is certainly slower than I wanted. Once again my legs felt pretty tired early on in the run, which is a bit concerning with my 5K coming up.

[larrymcg421]

So I've been doing some reading on running technique and one thing i realized was that I haven't been swinging my arms nearly enough, and at times in my runs I noticed that I wasn't swinging them at all. Once I altered that, I've had much less issues with hills.

I did alot of hill training this past week because this is the one 5K I did last year. Also, I was able to pull up a map of the course on MapMyRun, so I know exactly what to expect. The first mile is mostly downhill. The 2nd mile begins with a steep uphill climb that lasts for half a mile. Then it goes into a long gradual decline from the 1.5-2.5 mark, before finishing with a steep climb.

I'm aiming for an 8:30 first mile, which should be fairly easy with the downhill start. Then I'm going to try to maintain at a 9 minute pace on the first hill. At the 1.5 mile mark is when I plan to fly. I will take advantage of this long downhill as best I can to put myself in good position for the grueling finish. I want to make it to that final hill by the 22 minute mark. This will put me in excellent position for the grueling finish.

This will be my last race for a few weeks, so I'm really hoping for a good showing.

[Blackadar]

Well, I'm a 5k virgin no more.

Ran the course in 31:47. Both my iMap and my friends said we ran 3.4 miles rather than 3.1 and a lot of people were saying the course seemed a bit long. So be it. I died the last mile and had to walk briefly a couple of times because it was all $$!@##@$%! uphill. It just whooped me.

I finished tops in my (old) age group, so there's something to be said for that. Some 62 year old guy smoked me by 3 minutes, but that was the only person older than I am to finish faster.

[Dodgerchick]

Congrats Blackadar, that's awesome! Your 5k cherry has been popped :p

Everytime this thread gets bumped, I get an itch to go running. I hate running on the treadmill but when it starts cooling down, I think I'm just gonna do it. I don't know how ppl run in this 105 degree heat, I'd freaking die.

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, August 20th, 2011
Race Day: FREE TO BREATHE 5K

Well I knew going in that this was a really tough course, but I hadn't planned for the setback I experienced today. I tried to keep a moderate pace for the first mile, but still crossed at 8:15. Still, I held on a little better in the 2nd mile than last week and crossed in 17:55. I tried to power through the hills in the 3rd mile and felt I was doing a fairly good job even if I was completely exhausted, but I still ended up with a shock when I turned on to the final street and saw the clock reading 28:30. I pushed as hard as I could from here, but settled for a very disappointing 28:44.



Mile splits:

Mile 1 - 8:15
Mile 2 - 9:40
Mile 3 - 9:50

I still have alot of work to do on pacing. Plus running three 5K's in three weeks was probably not a good idea. I will have some time now to really prepare for my next race.

[larrymcg421]

Good job, Blackadar. That's a great start!

[Blackadar]

Congrats on your time Larry. I'm not sure why you consider that a setback if the course is tougher. I wish I could have broken 30 minutes on my run, but I didn't realize the entire last mile would be uphill (never mind that the distance seemed a little long).

I learned a lesson this morning, which was "Don't try running after doing 20 minutes of 2 hand kettlebell swings". I had to quit after a mile because the legs weren't working. Perhaps next time I should run before I start slinging around the kettlebell.

I'm debating on going on another 5k next month. It's good incentive to keep me running and I figure running is a good companion exercise to the KB program I just started.

[Blackadar]

For those who are interested, my tongue-in-cheek version of the 5k:

About 2 months ago, a guy in my office (Phil) started doing P90X. Since I had just come off of my X rotation, he was naturally asking me questions about the set. So we started talking about exercise on a regular basis. He's about my size, though I had to lose 60 pounds to get down to that size. But we're still both big, old, slow guys and so we can fully understand the aches and pains we both feel from working out. It's funny laughing at each other as we groan about our latest hurts.

One Monday last month, he comes in and tells me about the 5k he just completed that weekend. He decided to run another one the next month and encouraged me to give it a shot. I figured it might be a good challenge and since I had days off with Cathe's STS Meso 1, I decided to give it a go. Of course, the last time I ran further than from the couch to the bathroom (commercial during the Super Bowl...go now!) was around 25 years ago.

I only had 3 weeks to get ready. The first time I went out to jog, the pain set in within a couple of minutes. My eyes started to bug out. My tongue started hanging out of my mouth. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. My body was crying out, "STOP! And go eat a donut while you're at it!" Everyone said it'd get easier. It didn't. I just was able to go a little longer and a little faster over my next few jogs, but it never got easier. #$!@@#$! liars.

So, with a grand total of 9 practice runs over 2 1/2 weeks, I did my 5k this weekend. I showed up and felt like a hippo at a racehorse convention. There's all these lean, tight people with effortless strides walking around confidently. Then there's me, looking at the other runners and thinking, "well, I could probably eat you if I could catch you". Thank goodness Phil showed up. Between he and I, we could probably create a rolling roadblock on the race course.

I managed to pin my number to my shirt without drawing blood (a major achievement!) and prepared to run in the ungodly humid North Carolina August air. READY...SET...GO! As I lumbered away from the starting gate, the nervousness was replaced by the energy of the crowd. I felt good. I was doing this!

That lasted about 10 steps. Then I was back to the tongue-hanging, eye-bugging, earthquake-pounding running that I had mastered over the previous 3 weeks. Everyone around me looked like they were gliding effortlessly over the pavement, while I looked like I was trying to flee a Weight Watchers convention.

I kept on going, down one road and up the next. I kept going when we hit the park. I hit the wall after the 2nd mile but kept going. I felt like Gimli during the Lord of the Rings:

"I'm wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

http://www.tk421.net/lotr/film/ttt/img/xtra17.jpg

However, the supposedly flat course was all uphill on the 3rd mile. #$!@@#$! liars x2. I had to walk a bit because someone forgot to install the elevators on the sheer cliffs that loomed before me in mile 3, or at least they seemed that way as I waddled my way up the constant hills. But when all hope was almost lost, the oasis of the finish line appeared in the distance. I knew they were cooking pancakes, so I pushed on and I even finished with a flourish, actually passing someone (this is a new experience!) with 2 seconds to go.

Crossing the finish line, I felt like I had accomplished something. My first ever 5k was complete! A triumph! Hold on, I need to throw up. Oh wait, I don't. Where's the frickin' pancakes...?

I completed the course in 31:50, which was actually good enough to finish in the top 1/3rd or so of all the racers. I guess that's not too bad for a hippo with 3 weeks of training. Phil was a little bit behind me (37 minutes).

Now I find myself looking at upcoming 5ks and considering doing it all over again. What in the world is wrong with me?

[larrymcg421]

Yeah I've learned not to trust anyone when they say flat course. Especially since I'm from Florida and I ran cross country there high school and my definition of flat is clearly different than anyone here in GA.

As for mine, I'm very competitive and get down on myself pretty easily if I feel like I should've done better. Eventhough it was a tougher course, I still felt that I should've come closer to the previous week's time, especially since I was better at the 2 mile mark. I'm just disappointed that I died on the 3rd mile like I did. But I will use that as motivation to get better for my next race.

[larrymcg421]

Monday, August 22, 2011

Distance: 3.84mi
Time: 00:35:47
Pace: 9:19min/mi
Speed: 6.44mi/h

Did some more hill work today, sorely needed after my experience in the last 5K. After my run, I did lots of strength training. Now I'm really, really sore, but I feel like I had a terrific workout.

[Blackadar]

Ow...ow...ow...ow

Tried jogging this morning. My feet, ankles, Achilles started hurting about a mile in and the pain just kept getting worse. Then the shin splints started and the pain crept into my knees. I had to quit after two miles because I was starting to do some real damage.

Not sure why this came up. I'll try a different pair of shoes on Friday, but for now I'm a bit of a hurtin' puppy.

[larrymcg421]

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Distance: 4.18mi
Time: 00:39:06
Pace: 9:21min/mi
Speed: 6.41mi/h

Great run today. The first two miles were almost entirely uphill but I still managed them at a really good pace. Then I was able to push myself by running harder in the mostly downhill 2nd half. I finished, as I always do now, with a sprint up a short, but extremely steep hill and I powered through it better than I've done in the past.

[Blackadar]

I'm sliding backwards a bit. My pace was in the high 9s before the 5k. Since my 5k a little over a week ago, I've had 4 runs:

Last Monday: 1.4 miles or so, 10:44 pace. I figured it was due to the kettlebells that I couldn't run and stopped early.

Last Wednesday: 2.2 miles, 10:15 pace.

Last Friday: 2.2 miles, 10:17 pace.

Today: 2.2 miles, 10:38 pace.

It ain't getting easier. In fact, today was difficult even though I ran before I did my kettlebells. I'm not quite sure what's up, but I'll see if I can keep on plugging away.

[larrymcg421]

So after a terrible run on Thursday where I had to stop at the 2 mile mark and walk most of the remaining distance, I got a little discouraged and decided it was time to take a bit of a break. It was frustrating how my legs just felt dead at the very beginning of some runs, making it a struggle just to get a good workout. Combined with stress from work, finances, returning to school, social obligations, it was time to take a break. So I didn't run at all last weekend. I didn't run again until Monday afternoon, and wow the break was just what I needed.

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Distance: 5.57mi
Time: 00:52:43
Pace: 9:28min/mi
Speed: 6.34mi/h

I could tell things were better from the very beginning. My legs felt so good it felt like I was floating. I didn't even have to stop and walk once. I even managed to handle a steep half mile hill at the 2.5 mile mark without much trouble. This run gives me renewed confidence, especially for the 5 mile race I have coming up in September.

I decided that for the time being, I am going to run every other day. I think I started to overdo it a bit much, running three 5K's in three weeks and running almost every day of the week. Also, I will take two days off before races instead of one like I do now.

[Blackadar]

Nice Larry. Just think of my old ass huffing and puffing about 5 minutes behind you in any given 5k.

I have to run again tomorrow, but I'm a bit discouraged. It's getting harder and I'm getting slower right now. I need to sign up for another 5k soon to stay motivated.

[Blackadar]

First up: I'm knocking down the mileage that iMap gives me 1 or 2 tenths of a mile for "truer" numbers. I wasn't doing that prior to the 5k, but I've been doing that ever since.

Little better this AM.

Ran my 2.2 miles in 22:05, so I'm back down to a 10 minute mile pace. I'm not exactly happy with that, but it's improvement.

After that run, I took a minute break and did another 1.3 miles or so as a walk/run - running the flats and downhills and walking the uphills. I was pretty well hurting the entire time, but managed to struggle through. I did that in 17 minutes, so about a 12 1/2 minute pace. That's about where I was on my 5k, so that sounds about right.

I gotta get me some better shoes. It's the shoes!

http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-eye/images/09042008_spikelee.jpg

[Blackadar]

Maybe it was the shoes.

Got my first pair of Nike sneakers in 25 years - they usually aren't wide enough, but this pair just seemed to fit like a glove. I went running the following day (Sunday), even though it was ungodly humid.

Did my normal 2.2 miles, but this time I did it in 21:10 and the pain in my feet wasn't as bad. My first "mile" (according to iMap) was 8:50, which was most definitely a personal best...though it was a bit too fast and I couldn't maintain that pace. My lungs were the limiting factor since it was like trying to breathe through a straw. I'll run again tomorrow (weather permitting) to see if that holds, but I'm hopeful that I can start to run longer/faster than I've been.

[Blackadar]

Signed up for my next 5k - September 24th. That doesn't give me a lot of time to train, but at least I've been running some lately.

Went a little further - the "long" course in my development. IMap says it's between 2.72 and 2.83 miles, but it's probably more like 2.6 or so. Ran it in 27:38, which is about what I was running it back in August. My feet ached some, but it leveled out to just a moderate discomfort and I probably could have run some more which is a good thing. Not sure if I'll get to run Friday or Saturday, so I might have an extended break. But at least I'm still chugging along.

[larrymcg421]

Didn't run this weekend because I was attending Dragon*Con. Will be getting back to it this afternoon.

[Blackadar]

Still preparing for my 5k this coming weekend.

I ran 3 times last week (the normal M, W, F routine) around the 2.2 (or so) miles in the 'hood. Monday's time was 21:10, a personal best around the neighborhood. Wednesday's time was a dismal 22:46 and I was really tired doing it. Friday, I split the difference and ran it in 22:02.

Did the longer run today (somewhere between 2.6-2.7 miles, iMap shows it between 2.8 and 3.0 miles). Ran that in 26:47, so I'm still clocking along at 10 minute miles. That will probably be my last training run before Saturday, so that's that. I'll do something else tomorrow, Wednesday I'm traveling on business, Thursday I'll be in a hotel room and Friday I'm traveling again too early to work out.

[larrymcg421]

Been a while since I've posted, but I've been keeping up with the running. I did not do the downhill 5K as planned due to an injury, but I will be running the Singleton 5M this Saturday. It will be the longest race I've done yet. And I'll be following it up with my first 10K the following week. My ultimate goal is to complete the 10K in under an hour, which requires a pace of 9:39 per mile.

Had a great training run last night....

Distance: 5.15mi
Time: 00:47:34
Pace: 9:14min/mi
Speed: 6.50mi/h

[Northwood_DK]

With just two days before i will be running my first ever half marathon i need to check inn here. When I started running in January my hope was only to get thru the 21 KM alive. Now I hope to get under 1:40.

Start Time Sep 22, 2011
Distance 8.31 miles
Duration 1h:05m:38s
Avg Speed 7:54 min/min

[Blackadar]

Daaaaamn, Northwood. That's awesome. I couldn't run that fast if I were chasing a donut truck.

5K #2 was today. 30:17, which means I cut a minute and a half off my time in a month. I'm pretty happy with that and it places me in the upper half of my age bracket. It's respectable for a big guy like me.

[hoopsguy]

Good work to all the runners who are posting their results in here. Sounds like everyone is achieving better results.

I'm not doing any kind of competitive races yet, but I hope to dip my toe in the water next spring. As of right now I can run a 5K at about 10 minute mile pace, but I would like to see if I can extend my distance and pace over the next couple of months before winter slams into Chicago. If I've built up good enough habits (running 3x per week is target, I've been at 2-3 per week for past couple) by then I'm hoping I can sustain the running even with bad weather/conditions acting as a deterrent.

Edit - or I'll just do treadmill over the winter, but I would really prefer to be doing outdoor running when I'm doing distance. I have a hard time keeping interested on the treadmill after 20 or so minutes.

[larrymcg421]

September 24, 2011
Race Day
Singleton 5 Miler

So my goal was to go under 50 minutes and do it with better pacing. To that end, I managed to do the first three miles all at almost the exact same speed - 9:20, then amazingly picked up the pace for a 4th mile at just over 9:00. During the final mile I felt a stitch on my side that was very problematic. I almost stopped, but I was able to finish, albeit with a slow final mile. Still, my final time was way better than I could have hoped for - 47:03!

Distance: 5.00mi
Time: 00:47:03
Pace: 9:26min/mi
Speed: 6.36mi/h

[Northwood_DK]

Missed my goal of 1:40 by just over 5 minutes but still had a great day in my first ever race.

Endomondo | Community based on free GPS tracking of sports (http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/vwhTkRRLfYs)

Sep 25, 2011 1:37 PM
Distance 13.15 miles
Duration 1h:45m:31s
Avg Speed 8:01 min/mi

[Blackadar]

That was your first race ever? Or first race of that distance?

Either way, that's an awesome time. I think for my next 5k, I'm just going to hire you to pull me around the track while I'm wearing roller skates.

On my race on Saturday, I finished 154th out of 471 and 24th out of 51 in my age bracket. Given that I don't run much, I don't run fast and haven't been running for long, I'm ok with those stats. Plus, I can bench press everyone who finished ahead of me. :)

[larrymcg421]

10K coming up this Saturday. Hoping for anything under an hour.

I've kept my workouts light this week. I did a speed one yesterday and then an easy 4 mile jog today. I will probably not run the rest of the week so I'm fully rested for the race.

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, October 1st, 2011
Race Day
Cartersville 10K

Well, I did way better than an hour. I felt really good before the race so despite this being my longest yet, I went out at a pretty quick pace. I crossed the first mile at 8:51. I felt pretty good here so I decided to try and hang on to a 9 minute pace as long as possible. Mile 2 was exactly 9 minutes, meaning I crossed the 2 mile at a faster pace than any of my 5K's. The 3rd mile was 9:02, meaning I beat my 5K personal best on the first half of the 10K! I started to slow a little, as the next two miles were 9:14 and 9:19. Still, this put me at 45:26 for the 5 mile mark. Just last week, my 5 mile race was 47:03! Hearing this time mustve given me a bit of adrenaline, because suddenly I picked it up. The course finishes with 2 laps around a track. On the last lap, I broke into a sprint at the end passed at least 6 people. My pace for the final 1.2 was stunningly an 8:47. My final official time was 56:14, well ahead of my hour goal and a better pace than my best 5K!

Distance 6.21 mi
Duration 56:14
Pace 9:03
Speed 6.6 mi/h

The Free to Breathe 5K killed some of my confidence, but the last two weeks renewed it. I cannot wait to run the Haunted Hustle 5K 2 weeks from now.

[hoopsguy]

Wow, sounds like you crushed this run. Nice job!

[larrymcg421]

Thanks, hoops! Yeah, I was so happy with that result. It was way beyond anything I had expected.

I'm doing mostly speed workouts this week since my next race is a 5K. This weekend I will be spending at a cabin in the North Georgia mountains with some friends. Plenty of nice places to run up there, but I've never run at altitude that high before, so it'll be interesting.

[RPI-Fan]

Thanks, hoops! Yeah, I was so happy with that result. It was way beyond anything I had expected.

I'm doing mostly speed workouts this week since my next race is a 5K. This weekend I will be spending at a cabin in the North Georgia mountains with some friends. Plenty of nice places to run up there, but I've never run at altitude that high before, so it'll be interesting.

Not sure exactly what your elevation is, but since the highest peak in Georgia is on the order of 4,500 feet, I'd imagine you're staying below 3,000 feet. The effect on your exercise abilities should be negligible. See, e.g., Altitude.org | Football: FIFA World Cup 2010 (http://www.altitude.org/football.php) (altitude exercise capacity at 4,000 feet is 97%).

[larrymcg421]

I've tried some different apps, including Endomondo, but the one I really like the most lately is Runkeeper. It has a nice variety of options, including the ability to set up a complex interval workout and to give you splits at more precise distances. The distance measuring seems to be better than MapMyRun. I will test it out on this week's 5K and if the distance is close to accurate, then I will dump MMR and use Runkeeper exclusively.

[larrymcg421]

Haunted Hustle 5K is tomorrow. Really excited for this one. The course is three flat one mile loops, mostly on grass. I'll be going out really aggressively and aiming for a sub 27 minute time.

The crazy thing is I'll actually be doing another 5K the very next day, the Aids Atlanta Walk and 5K Run. However that is a charity walk/run so I can jog that if need be. I'll be putting all my effort into the Haunted Hustle.

[larrymcg421]

October 15, 2011
Race Day
Haunted Hustle 5K

This was a really nice course, mostly flat as advertised and had a mixture of grass or dirt gravel paths. It was a nice change of pace from pounding the pavement.

I went out really aggressive as planned and crossed the first mile at 8:05. At that point I picked a couple people out that looked like they were running a nice even pace. I tried to stick with them as long as I could. My 2nd mile time was 16:37, more than a minute faster than my previous 2 mile time. I had a hard time holding on to them at the third mile and they eventually pulled away. This last mile was pretty painful, probably because I went out a bit too fast but I tried to hold on as best I could. When I hit the final straightaway and could see the clock reading 25:45, I found a final bit of energy and sprinted to the finish. Final time: 25:58!

I took more than two minutes off my previous 5K best!

Raw data:

Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25:58
Avg. Pace: 8:20 min/mi
Avg. Speed: 7.20 mph

[Dodgerchick]

That's freaking awesome Larry! You go with your bad self :)

[larrymcg421]

In preparation for my 10 mile race, I did a practice run on Saturday of 9.23 miles:

Distance: 9.23
Time: 1:31:38
Pace: 9:56 min/mi
Avg Speed: 6.04 mph

That's much much slower than I'm hoping to go in the race, but at least I managed to make the distance without stopping once. Also, it was a very hilly route, much more so than the course I'll be racing on Saturday. I'll do a couple days of speed work on Tuesday and Wednesday and then rest up for Saturday.

[larrymcg421]

Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Race Day
Run Around the Rock (10 Mile)

So this was a really difficult race. It is two 5 mile laps around Stone Mountain. I went out trying to maintain a 9 minute pace, but midway through the 3rd mile I had a really bad stitch in my side and an awful shoulder cramp. This slowed me down immensely and it just so happened to be right when the toughest hill was. The stitch and cramp eventually went away but it really slowed me down. For a while, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish, but ironically I felt better during the second lap than I did on the first. I crossed the finish line for a time of 1:37:24. It's not as fast as I wanted, but it's the longest race I've done and I'm happy enough to have simply finished it.

Distance: 10 miles
Time: 1:37:24
Pace: 9:44/mi

Mile splits:

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="64"><colgroup><col style="width:48pt" width="64"> </colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt; width:48pt" height="20" align="right" width="64">8:59</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">8:59</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">10:27</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">9:17</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">9:58</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">10:02</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">9:33</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">10:17
</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">9:14</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt" height="20" align="right">9:38
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

[Blackadar]

Resurrection!

I still hate running, but it's a necessary part of my workouts, so I'm back to it now that Spring is here. I ran my first 5ks last year (two of 'em) and I'm shooting for my first at the end of May of this year. Running is painful and boring to me. But I may have a secret weapon this year.

ZOMBIES, RUN! (https://www.zombiesrungame.com/)

It's an IPhone app that tells you a story as you run. I gave this a go for the first time this morning. It's dark, 5:20 AM and I'm let loose in a zombie filled city. That's a bit eerie for a zombie app.

So what is it?

I don't want to reveal much of the story, but you're a "runner" for a walled off compound in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Well, the app tells you the start of story and gets you moving. Then, usually after the end of a song, it tells you a little more of that story. Along the way, you'll pick up stuff - everything from a first aid kit to a sports bra (really?!?) - that you can use in the "town building" minigame after the run is over. The story is enough to get my mind off the agony of running for a bit, and the overall run seemed to pass faster even though I went a bit further than normal. It's very well done with high production values and sound effects.

Also, there's an option for a "zombie chase", which happened twice on my run. You have to pick up the pace or the zombies catch you - the penalty for which is losing your stuff. The first time I didn't know what to do, so I lost everything. The next time I kicked up the pace for 30 seconds and managed to evade the brain-eaters.

Ok, what I didn't like:

1. No shuffle option on the playlist. I shuffled it before I started the zombie app, so maybe I need to do that after I start the zombie app.

2. My songs were quiet. There was a noticeable difference in the volume between the songs and the app. Not sure why, but it was a bit irritating.

3. No run map after it was done. It said I did 2.98 miles in around 30 minutes, but I don't quite believe it and the GPS in the IPhone isn't reliable. IMap at least shows the path you took, so you know if the GPS went a bit haywire.

My next run probably won't be until next week - the lows here are projected to be in the high 30s (which coincides with my run times) the next few days and that's too damn cold to run. Today was about my cold limit (47 degrees), so I need it to warm back up again before I get back out there. But there's a little voice nagging me right now saying, "you can deal with 38 degrees Thursday morning, lets find out where this story goes". I guess that's a good thing.

[Blackadar]

I don't think anyone is reading this anymore, but so be it.

I only got to run 3 times or so and then my 12 year old son saw a banner for a 5k in our local town - sponsored by the YMCA. He wanted to do it. So, with little to no running done this spring, I headed out to a 5k last weekend. Just like all the other 5ks, it was painful. But I managed to break 30 minutes for the first time (29:12) and so I was quite happy with that performance. I figured I wouldn't beat my times from last year, so that was a bit of a shocker.

Oh, and my 12 year old? 26:55. Man, it sucks getting old. :)

We're both signed up for another at the end of May, which gives me 4 weeks to actually do a bit of training before I do it again. I won't be able to beat my son, but I'd be happy with beating 30 minutes again.

[Blackadar]

Did another 5k today. 27:22. I was astounded that I managed to run at that pace.

[hoopsguy]

Nice job, Blackadar. Almost 2 minutes better from last time seems like a pretty massive jump.

[Kodos]

I should really try to get into running again. Would probably help me break out of being stuck at 196 to 198 pounds, and would also give me some much-needed competition in my life.

[larrymcg421]

Congrats on your success, Blackadar.

Sorry I haven't written here in a while. The combination of school+work, then an injury, then dealing with the stress of unemployment, then full time schoolwork added up to not very much training over the last few months. However, at my current school (GSU) there is an awesome rec center that has an 1/8 mile indoor track. I have an hour in between classes every day, giving me the perfect opportunity to train when I have nothing else to do. The 1/8 mile track is also perfect for interval workouts, so I've been getting some really good sessions in this week.

I am running the Peachtree Road Race on July 4. It will be my first time doing the Peachtree and I'm really excited.

[Blackadar]

Congrats on your success, Blackadar.

Sorry I haven't written here in a while. The combination of school+work, then an injury, then dealing with the stress of unemployment, then full time schoolwork added up to not very much training over the last few months. However, at my current school (GSU) there is an awesome rec center that has an 1/8 mile indoor track. I have an hour in between classes every day, giving me the perfect opportunity to train when I have nothing else to do. The 1/8 mile track is also perfect for interval workouts, so I've been getting some really good sessions in this week.

I am running the Peachtree Road Race on July 4. It will be my first time doing the Peachtree and I'm really excited.

Go for it, you speed demon!

Running a 10k in July in Atlanta is not my idea of fun, though. :)

[larrymcg421]

So the Peachtree Road Race is tomorrow. It will be my first time running it, so I'm pretty excited. I got a pretty good start wave of D thanks to my time at the Cartersville 10K. Not sure if I'm completely back yet, but last week I had a mostly terrific week of running, including a very nice 4 mile indoor run at a 9:15 pace.

The elevation profile for the Peachtree is mostly downhill for the first half and mostly uphill for the second half. At the 6K mark, there is a very steep hill called Cardiac Hill that sounds pretty intimidating. I'm going to aim for something like an 8:45 pace for the first half and 9:15 pace for the second half but we'll see how it goes. It's going to be verrrrry hot.