Do you have an online running log that it uploads too? How did you measure your runs before this and how did the Garmin match up? The Garmins look pretty big, I'm concerned it will feel like I have my Blackberry attached my wrist. Does yours display your speed at you run?
Wait a minute - you're a fantastic runner...how do you not have a Garmin? What do you currently run with?Do you have an online running log that it uploads too? How did you measure your runs before this and how did the Garmin match up? The Garmins look pretty big, I'm concerned it will feel like I have my Blackberry attached my wrist. Does yours display your speed at you run?
I was going to PM you with the questions, but maybe there are others who haven't got one yet. Then again, I may the only one stuck in the last century
Nor do I have one - basically because I like to have my body dictate my pace - if I was looking down and saw I popped a 5:50 last mile, I might be tempted to go faster. This is one of the ways I get hurt.
Fantastic? Thanks, I appreciate that. I've been steadily improving for a couple years. I remember the first time I ran 5 miles (since I ran track in HS) it took me 50 minutes and I was dying. I can still only dream of being the runner Dave, or some of the other stars that post here. When I run Boston then I'll consider myself fantastic
So, do you envision your 'base' period being May,June and July and your marathon training period being Aug,Sep and into Oct? Curious to know what your avg base will be before you uptick into your marathon building. If you're doing 25-35 now, if you slowly moved up into 35-45 during those months, it might go a long way in building base.
Part of the reason I ran Hyannis was to keep training through the winter and regain some of the fitness I lost through minor injuries in Oct and Nov. It allowed me to stay in the mid 20s which would allow me to build up to the mid 50s in the summer.
Mar 25
Apr 29
May 35
Jun 42
Jul 48
Aug 50
Sep 50
Impressive graphs - I wish I had it in my to take a step back and look at my training and stuff like that. Nice to see you're working a training regime around what you have to work with (5 days a week training,etc) - that's determination in my book. You're doing the hard part focusing on your training - the running/racing will be the easy part if you stick to your goals.
From my previous post, here's how I chart my daily run.
I find the graphs make it easier to see the big picture.
Good luck FW49. If you've been able to handle an 8 mi run already then you're probably ahead of the game. How many miles are you running each week now?
I work in the Back Bay and go for a run once or twice a week during the afternoon, but that doesnt seem to match your time. There are some people at work that live in the area, I can check with them. Some are thinking about preparing for the Corporate Challenge in Boston (TBA for now)
Sometimes it helps to take a step back every few weeks. It can allow you to push it up even more in future weeks.
The time off was good for the fact that it allowed me to recover from some of the wear and tear my body has been experiencing since I started training. Living in an urban environment has me on my feet basically all day and it's much harder to recover from minor running-related ailments than I would have previously expected. So, it was nice to have that break.
Thanks - definitely think differently of running now. I may actually go for a jog later or tomorrow.
Good luck with the training! Keep us posted here on your progression ...
Amazing - I'm hoping I'm breathing at that age and he's pulling this stuff. This kinda stuff is in the ultimate pantheon of running like what the Hoyt's do.
I'm in a bit of a quiet time as far as training goes. My goal is to keep my streak of 20+ mile weeks (dates back to November) and my streak of 100+ mile months (started in December). These number pale in comparison to some of the stars here, but it's more than I've been able to maintain through the winter. The weather is better better and I'm feeling very good.
I think Higden's marathon training guide is posted earlier in the thread, but it's worth looking at. It's also a mark of coolness if you refer to him as 'Higgy Babby'. Sounds to me like you're on the right track in terms of increasing your miles, but there's no need to overdo it. Sometimes when you get in a groove and you see improvement in mileage you want to keep pushing to that next target (when I finally ran 10 miles about a year and a half ago I felt about 10 feet tall), but take your time. It's good to ratchet it up and then ratchet it back down, at specific intervals. If you've got a race in mind, create a calendar, book your days you plan to run based on that longer-term goal, then make your runs. You'll get there.
Thanks but far from godlike - I've been trying to maintain while on lower mileage. I am also the first to admit I overtrain at times - something my body has gotten used to..
Damn, I hope this is a phase that will end (working part). I remember trying to train during the hectic times at work and the last thing you want to do after work is head out for a run.
You will improve just on this fact alone. Knowing the course is a bigger advantage than most people think.
Thanks but far from godlike - I've been trying to maintain while on lower mileage. I am also the first to admit I overtrain at times - something my body has gotten used to..
Damn, I hope this is a phase that will end (working part). I remember trying to train during the hectic times at work and the last thing you want to do after work is head out for a run.
You will improve just on this fact alone. Knowing the course is a bigger advantage than most people think.
That's pretty good to be able to run negative splits like that in your first race. I'm sure you feel you could have gone even faster with more even splits. That is unless the last couples miles were all downhill. Great job and enjoy preparing for your next race.
Nice job training - 'make them count' is my mantra for mileage if you can't do a lot of them. Regarding the weight, just think of the advantage if you could lose 10-15 lbs - right now if me and you were racing a 5k I would be carrying 2 20lb dumbbells to even out the weight which would slow me down a lot!
It was so much easier in HS when I weighed 135 and could run 2:03 800m and 53 seconds in the 400m :c070:
I would think actually doesnt represent how much of an improvement you could expect from losing weight down to the baseline. Losing height would negatively impact your speed (shorter stride), but it gives you an idea how much your weight slows you down.
Wait until you get back into training at normal paces. You'll feel like you're walking!
Ok - I'm not a runner, but I know someone who runs a ton. I asked your question and here's what was suggested:
Gel, gatorade especially - both good ideas.
Sounds like you're doing all the right things - be sure to let us know how you did! And have fun at mile 20, you never forget (you try to) your first 'boink'.
I used gels a lot a couple years ago. I tried training without them last year to get used to running low on glycogen. Not sure if it really made a difference, but I'll probably use them some again this summer.
I used the gels when I started reaching some longer distances leading up to a half-marathon, based on the advice of someone in my office. I think they helped. I don't think you'll suddenly feel like SuperDude after eating them, but they helped me. I definitely used them on the 1/2 marathon and I know they helped; I finished (relatively) strongly and still had gas in the tank at the end, more than I expected. Having run some 7-8-9 mile runs in the months leading up to the race without using the gels, I know I felt better using them.
I felt they gave me a huge boost when I used them training for my first marathon. I took them after 60 mins then every 40 min after. Last year I didnt feel like I needed them as much. Also, when I ran my half this year I didnt use any.
Metronome anyone? That's amazing consistency.
Mr G., I saw the episode last year and it was pretty interesting. Those of you who listen to WEEI will recognize Steve DeOssie when he joins the group a couple weeks into the program. He joins a bit late. I wish they went into the different aspects of training a bit more, but overall it was very good. My wife watched it with me to get a better feel what people go through preparing for a marathon. I think the participants ran times ranging from around 4 hours to close to 7
