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FrogMan · 05-09-2014, 11:22 AM

Let's go back in time a bit...

Since my running history is less than a year, I should be able to spot some key runs and races (a few of them virtual Strava challenges) that will highlight my progression in that last year. So let's go back in time.

During the early part of that first Summer of running, the concept of using a training plan was at first foreign and kind of unnecessary to me. I simply wanted to get out there and run a bit, letting my body guide when it felt ok to run. I had little clue what I was doing but I was happy doing it and I felt free when running and listening to music. That was enough.

I signed up for Strava almost immediately and was amazed at the metrics you could look at. Watching and analyzing the stats of a run became almost as fun to me as the run itself. I wasn't really trying to go faster every run, again just running and comparing if the pace I was doing felt easier or tougher than the previous time I did a similar distance/pace kind of run.

I didn't use any C25K plan other than my own that lasted two runs.

On June 3rd, I ran my first 5K without walking. It took me 29:21 or an average pace of 5:52/km. It wasn't a race or anything and maybe I could have pushed it but I was simply very happy and kinda proud to say I had just run 5 kilometers without walking...

Only a couple weeks after that run, Strava held their first "Any Way 10K" challenge for which you had to do a run of at least 10 km on June 16 or 17, 2013 and they would rank you based on your average pace. I still didn't have a training plan in place and decided to take a shot at that 10K the day before that weekend.

Before that 10K challenge, my longest run to date at that point was 7.22 km. With a mere 2 weeks of running under my belt, I was very much a newbie. Such a newbie that a proper warmup for me was to walk around a bit, stretch some and then go. I had little clue what could be my average pace over a 10K.

It ended up being a pretty good first hard run. 10.54 km in 54:25 for an average pace at 5:10/km (8:18/mile). The extra 0.54 was because I wanted to make sure it would qualify for the "more than 10 km" rule. Looking back, if you take only the first 10 km, it took me 50:30 for an average pace of 5:03/km (8:08/mile).

I started out that virtual race just a bit fast but not too fast. First K in 4:50 but settled at about 5:02 or so for a few K then had one slow one at 5:14 only to rebound and do one under 5 at the 8K mark. I was very pleased with that run at the time, so pleased that I ended up ordering a couple t-shirts from Strava, including the one they had designed that said "Any Way 10K finisher". It was something special for me and little did I know, maybe the start of something special for the future...

FM

05-09-2014, 11:22 AM	#21
FrogMan Hattrick Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Pintendre, Qc, Canada	Let's go back in time a bit... Since my running history is less than a year, I should be able to spot some key runs and races (a few of them virtual Strava challenges) that will highlight my progression in that last year. So let's go back in time. During the early part of that first Summer of running, the concept of using a training plan was at first foreign and kind of unnecessary to me. I simply wanted to get out there and run a bit, letting my body guide when it felt ok to run. I had little clue what I was doing but I was happy doing it and I felt free when running and listening to music. That was enough. I signed up for Strava almost immediately and was amazed at the metrics you could look at. Watching and analyzing the stats of a run became almost as fun to me as the run itself. I wasn't really trying to go faster every run, again just running and comparing if the pace I was doing felt easier or tougher than the previous time I did a similar distance/pace kind of run. I didn't use any C25K plan other than my own that lasted two runs. On June 3rd, I ran my first 5K without walking. It took me 29:21 or an average pace of 5:52/km. It wasn't a race or anything and maybe I could have pushed it but I was simply very happy and kinda proud to say I had just run 5 kilometers without walking... Only a couple weeks after that run, Strava held their first "Any Way 10K" challenge for which you had to do a run of at least 10 km on June 16 or 17, 2013 and they would rank you based on your average pace. I still didn't have a training plan in place and decided to take a shot at that 10K the day before that weekend. Before that 10K challenge, my longest run to date at that point was 7.22 km. With a mere 2 weeks of running under my belt, I was very much a newbie. Such a newbie that a proper warmup for me was to walk around a bit, stretch some and then go. I had little clue what could be my average pace over a 10K. It ended up being a pretty good first hard run. 10.54 km in 54:25 for an average pace at 5:10/km (8:18/mile). The extra 0.54 was because I wanted to make sure it would qualify for the "more than 10 km" rule. Looking back, if you take only the first 10 km, it took me 50:30 for an average pace of 5:03/km (8:08/mile). I started out that virtual race just a bit fast but not too fast. First K in 4:50 but settled at about 5:02 or so for a few K then had one slow one at 5:14 only to rebound and do one under 5 at the 8K mark. I was very pleased with that run at the time, so pleased that I ended up ordering a couple t-shirts from Strava, including the one they had designed that said "Any Way 10K finisher". It was something special for me and little did I know, maybe the start of something special for the future... FM __________________ A Black Belt is a White Belt who refused to give up... follow my story: The real life story of a running frog...