Ran a 10K with one of my running wives this morning. it was her first 10K. It’s interesting how much running so slow, 14 min mile pace, which at one time was my pace interferes with my current stride/gait/etc. 6 miles at that pace feels like 12 at my current pace of 11 ish average.
Nothing super significant about this run really. We came, we saw, we ran, we finished.
Our training schedule today called for a 10K Race so at omfg early we headed out. I was using the 10K PR workout I made for my last 10K race which has a slower 1 mile warm up, a faster 4.5 mile middle and then a faster yet .77 end.
We stuck to it fairly well till about 2/3rds of the way through and then we just kept going faster till the very end, ending up with all but 1 mile negative splits. The 1 mile outlier was due to a water break but it was needed by yours truly. My #runningwife not necessarily so much in spite of what she says but she likes to pretend she’s as bad as me at running so I don’t feel bad. But I see what she does or doesn’t do.
As usual at a couple of points I hit that personal wall of “this is ridiculous” and as usual I pushed through it and kept going. I’m not a saint, there are times the wall wins. But I can usually push through it.
In the end I cut almost 4 minutes off my last 10K Race and 2 and a half minutes off my PR from back in May.
As my #runningwife was quite quick to point out, it wasn’t her fastest 10K but it was her fastest 10K in the last several years. But since she insists on sticking to my pace my PR’s will be her PR’s until she decides to cut her boat anchor and move on.
The fact that the cooler temps shows that I have actually improved somewhat over the summer in spite of my summer race and training times is somewhat heartening. I was starting to wonder if I’d hit the ‘this is as fast as I can be’ point. Obviously there is a moment in everyone’s running where, that’s it, that’s all I can do with what I have to work with.
But maybe I’m not quite there yet after all.
So I’ve missed my second scheduled training day in the last 10 months. I ran a 10K race on Saturday (setting a new PR by 6 minutes; go #notarunner). I’ve felt a couple of twinges in my left knee on a few of my last runs, nothing major, just enough to make you go “hmm I don’t care for that”.
putting a cold pack on it twice a day trying to encourage shrinkage”
Then Sunday I had a 10K training session. Now leading up to the training run my knee was doing okay after the 10k, no major ouchies. But from the very first running stride on Sunday my knee went straight from a 0 to a level 3 pain (out of 10). I of course being me did the run and if I hadn’t already set a PR for my 10K the day before I’d of set it on Sunday just not as fast.
But not being totally dumb I decided to give my Tuesday run, a 45minute Z3 run, a pass. One could say I’d already done it and then some between Sat and Sun’s runs. And then some. But I don’t want to risk doing greater damage because honestly if I’m out for any significant length of time I don’t know that I’ll start up again. I don’t enjoy it, it’s taken me 9 months to get from the couch and 2 minute runs to being able run for 2+ hours. Not sure I have the enthusiasm and energy to fall very far and have to climb back up.
In regards to the injury I’ve gone so far as to putting a cold pack on it twice a day trying to encourage shrinkage and increasing my intake of turmeric and tart cherry extract/juice as well as nsaids. All anti-inflammatory. I also now own KT tape and use it as directed on the off chance it does what it says. There’s no science that I could find to back up their claims and their benefits could easily fall under the psychosomatic category but for a few bucks I’m willing to give it a shot.
The pain site and symptoms all say ‘runner’s knee’ which is inflammation of the attachment points of the tendons. Not sure if there’s a specific cause, we’ve added more mileage, more hills and on top of that trail running. I don’t ‘think’ it’s shoes since I’ve worn three different pairs of shoes during this time frame, Nimbus 19’s, Topo Terraventure and Hoka Clifton 3’s.
I think I’m going to add a pair of Altra Torin 2.5 or Paradigm 2.0 to my line up. Luckily with 3 kids, ages 14, 12 and 12 who are all over 6′-2″ any shoes that don’t work out for me I simply give to them as daily shoes.
Tomorrow is another training day. I may either due Tuesdays run 45m z3 or Thursday’s run of 7 minute sprints followed by 90 second recoveries x 3. With a 10 minute warm up. Not sure which is going to be least stressful.
Sunday is 105 minute z2 run. We’ll see how it goes.
Ran my first real 10k race today. By real I mean one that I was able to run it at my pace, as slow as that pace is.
I guess mine suffered from shrinkage as it has been cold”
I ended up with 1:08:00 for my 10K time. This shaved 6+ minutes off my last 10K PR time so that’s not bad. I was also able to get negative splits on almost every mile. Only mile 2 was a few seconds slower than the preceding mile. Average pace was 10:54. My last mile was at a 10:12 pace.
I felt okay at the end of the race and now which means I could have shaved a another minute or two off my total time. At no time was I huffing although the last 3 miles saw my HR creep from a low Zone 3 and into Zone 4. That’s telling me that my upcoming half (April 28th) I’ll have to slow it down.
Using the Race Predictor in Pace+ for Android it’s showing me at a 2:30 for a half. Which is IMO far more realistic than the Garmin race predictor which has me running a half in 1:51:19. The Garmin’s predictions in my opinion are more than a little jacked up. I can’t do a mile in 8 flat much less the 5K Garmin says I can do in 24:12. I’m honestly not sure what Garmin uses to get these numbers but they’re far more enthusiastic for everyone I know who has them than is possible.
Anyway the Pace+ at 2:30:00 is right where I think I may land. If I can do a half in 2:30 I’ll be fairly okay with that. I’m still 120lbs heavier than the average distance runner. That’s a LOT of dead weight to be carrying over long distances. It’s better than the almost 200lbs over the average runner I did have.
This race I ran with a Nathan hand held, I really like the strap on those, super soft materials. In it I had 150calories worth of Tailwind Orange, basically a scoop and a half. I went through almost all of the 15oz of it over the course of the race. The bottle supposedly holds 16 oz but I guess mine suffered from shrinkage as it has been cold. Or the fact that it’s double shelled for insulation is consuming some of the internal space.
For the Golden Driller Half I’ll be wearing my Jurek FKT vest with the one 20oz bottles of plain water and one with a 2 scoop Tailwind mix. I’ll also put probably 20oz or so in my bladder, not so much because I may need it all but to just balance things out.
Tomorrow is a 10K training run and I’m going to try the Green Tea Tailwind, I ordered a sampler pack to find out if I like one of the other flavors better. The Green Tea version appeals as it has caffeine in it which on early morning runs I can use to keep a caffeine headache at bay. I also picked up a bottle of SaltStick Plus tabs which have caffeine in them that I can also use to offset a headache.
I found the Tailwind to be better for me than any of the gels. I still prefer Stinger Waffles for taste, texture, enjoyment, but Tailwind is likely to become my primary fuel source for longer runs and I’ll reserve chewables for pre-race carb hits.
My Hoka Clifton 3’s held up well during the race, no complaints with them at all. I believe this is the first >4 mile run I’ve done in them. If I don’t find anything better I’ll probably order a couple or three pairs when the Clifton 4’s come out and the 3’s take a price cut. They’re not OMFG good but they’re good enough to invest in if there’s nothing better. I’m hoping the Topo road shoes get an upgrade this year, I’d love to give them another shot.
I’ve added a couple of hand helds to my inventory and have been using one lately. On 2+ hour runs my arms, especially my left one has been bothering me so I thought adding hand helds would help in conditioning my arms to be bent at an L shape for hours on end. And it lets me not use my belt which can be annoying if I have anything more than keys and my phone on it.
having the most cushion you can get will make it more comfortable for all concerned.”
The jury is still out on if I care for the handhelds. For trail runs they restrict my ability to catch myself on a fall or use trees as hand holds when the trails get really technical. Also since I carry my phone with me so that my wife can track me using Garmin Live Track it puts my phone at risk; if I have to catch myself the phone is going to take the hit first.
I read a study that had data that indicated hand held water is the least efficient way to carry water if you carry water at all. A vest is best followed by a belt or pack and then hand helds. This is due to the fact that it takes more energy/effort when your water is at the end of levers, aka your arms, as opposed to just riding passively at your back or waist.
This coming weekend is my first 10K race on Saturday and I think I’m going to wear my Hoka Clifton 3’s. The last few runs I’ve used my Nimbus 19’s, Topo Terraventures and Clifton 3’s with a mix of distances, 11 miles to 3 miles, and road to trails and my left knee on the outside has been bothering me. Nothing ‘major’ but enough to make me shorten my stride and slow down my pace. But I think having the most cushion you can get will make it more comfortable for all concerned.
Tomorrow is an hour run at zed 3 pacing, for me that’s going to be around an 10:30 to 11:00 mile pace. We’ll see how the knee fares with that, I’ll be using some compression sleeves on my calves to see if it makes a difference.
I have noticed that compression sleeves have helped me with calf pain when I run with slower runners; yes Virginia there are slower runners than me.
Last long run I used some DIY Huma chia gels. Even making my own I’m just not a fan of chia based gels. It was chia seeds ground to a flour in a spice grinder, a mix of complex sugars, tart cherry juice and strawberry puree. With some sea salt and salt substitute for sodium and potassium. But in general I find the gels to be barely tolerable at best and downright eww at worst.
My preferred supplements are still the Stinger waffles and the Stinger chews. I’m probably never going to be a high fat low carb non-runner in spite of my normal diet consisting of high protein, moderate fat and low carbs.
One month give or take and I’ll do my first half marathon. I don’t see me not finishing. I would like to finish in in a 2:30 or less but we’ll see how it goes. Remember I’m carrying 120lbs more than the average runner’s weight, it takes a lot of energy to move that much mass and the energy costs aren’t linear.
Busy weekend really in terms of not running. Saturday was a 10k run that was supposed to be in z4 but yeah that’s not happening. Ran it the someone who’s still a little behind me in ability and she was pushing 11:00 pace but we did have to do a impromptu run walk run starting about mile 3. Finished with a 12:07 pace which was a PR for me on a 10k so not too shabby. For me.
they’re all a little weird to me in consistency and flavoring”
I could have finished it faster I’m sure, I didn’t feel the need to walk, anymore than I normally do, when we did walk but it doesn’t bother me. I was asked about that and honestly it doesn’t. I’m #notarunner so running slower with someone else isn’t a problem for me.
Bottom line is she’ll catch up. And I have no doubt subsequently pass me by. I’m not built for running.
Sunday I had the thought of doing a little extra so that on our scheduled hour run in Z2 we’d be in sync. And as it turns out I was spot on. I showed up a little early and did 2 9minute miles, a 2 mile PR for me thank you very much. My current runner in tandem showed up right as I was finishing so we just went straight at it.
During the run we were both at the same spot in our HR zones the entire time, when I was pushing into Z3, she was and when we slowed down we were both at the top of Z2 etc. It was better than the normal state where I’m a full zone behind.
All in all I did 2 9 minute miles and 5 12 minute miles and overall happy with that. It also shows that running slower with someone else is still improvement. Maybe not as fast as pushing yourself every time, but also not nearly the same risk of injury.
My TE aka Training Effect for the last couple of months since I started primarily running with her has been around 2.5-2.6. 2.0 is maintaining, 3.0 is improving. It’s a Garmin thing in conjunction with someone else.
My 2 miles today was a 3.0, the next 5 miles was a 2.4. The 10k the day before as a 2.6.
I had some Clif Bloks right before I started today and finished the package after I did the 2 miles. Miles 2 and 3 of the slower 5 mile stretch were feeling a little ‘pushy’ for me after the fast pre-run miles but by mile 4 the carbs got metabolized and things went a little easier.
Clif Bloks aren’t my favorite energy source, I just have several I need to use up. In the “it’s like old Jello” type of carbs I prefer Stinger brand, they’re not as hard to chew as Clif’s and go down a bit easier. Gels such as Gu and Clif and Stinger are all quicker to ingest but they’re all a little weird to me in consistency and flavoring.
Which brings me to a chia based gel I tried. Never again. It was like eating some weird slime jelly except gritty like it had mushy sand. Yes I know that’s exactly what chia seeds are like. I shan’t be partaking of this again.
Of the various energy sources I’ve tried which is most at this point, I’ll likely settle on Stinger Waffles, Tailwind (in water) and Jelly Bellys + SaltStik (or pay the premium for Sport Beans), at least once I’ve used up the various brands of gels and blocks I have. I might switch out the jelly beans for Stinger’s gel block option. The jelly beans are harder to eat.
I’ve got my own recipe for energy cookies which is a DIY Stinger Waffles recipe. It fairly closely matches them in carbs and electrolytes and just in terms of costs are what I’ll likely be using this spring summer as the training sessions get longer and longer. I make them as cookies since I don’t have a pizzelle waffle iron and it seems dumb to spend the money on one when I could just buy 3 or 4 boxes of stingers for the same money. So cookies it is. I’m still playing with it, once I’m happier with it I may post here.
Set a new PR today for a 10k of 1 hour, 14 minutes, 54 seconds. Some folks are rolling their eyes at at that I’m sure. But try putting a backpack of 70lbs on your back and 25lb ankle weights on each ankle and let’s see where we stack up against each other. 🙂 That’s roughly the difference in weight between myself and the average male distance runner.
she was eaten by zombies twice”
This was the 10K Z4 training run of the Garmin level I HR based half marathon training. Week 8 or 9 I think. Tomorrow is a Z2 hour run.
I have issues with Z4’s. I can’t sustain it for long much less 6 miles, I’m pretty much a Z3 racer/runner when I push it. My heart is more like a semi truck than a Porsche. It takes time to ramp up and the gas pedal only goes down so far to reach the top end. Bu
I was running with a girl, technically a woman but women younger than me by more than 10 years are girls in my mind. This was her first 10k run in several years and 2 kids ago. She’s doing so much better than me. From nothing to 10k in 2 months to reach a pace it took me 6 months to reach. She’s a Porsche. She runs sustained at a heart rate that would quite literally kill me.
Granted she was eaten by zombies twice when the random zombie chases of Zombie Run kicked in and she couldn’t kick in the 20% faster pace necessary to escape. The zombie chases are brutal if you’re already near the top of your distance sustained pace.
So in the event of a real zombie apocalypse it’s good to know I don’t have to outrun the fast zombies I just have to out run her.
The Fleet Feet Sweetheart Double has been done. I ran this with a very old friend of mine. Not that he’s old per se, he’s younger than me, but that I’ve known him for 25 years give or take at this point.
there was some hot and heavy sweating all the way through”
This was his first 5K and he chose to run both the 5K and the 10K with me. I’m happy to report he did really well given he’s only been running awhile and he’s only run 3 miles at one time a single time before now.
The 5K was fully ran albeit slow but we finished fast enough to be ready for the start of the 10K.
I wore my Jurek FKT vest for the first time today, just water bottles, no bladder. I must say I liked it. It receded from concious notice fairly quickly and easily. Kind of like wearing a LBE Vest for awhile, you just forget it’s there until you need the stuff on it.
I had no problems having enough ‘stuff’ for the races, some beans, some waffles for the two of us and had pockets to store trash in. The waterproof pocket held up, I put a couple of salt tablets in it and they didn’t melt on me and there was indeed sweating going on.
Like I thought it might, the lack of any 3D mesh or air foam or ridging meant there was no air flow between the pack and my back. It’s also fairly wicking so… Since I didn’t have a bladder in the vest there was some hot and heavy sweating all the way through.
I’ve got a long run tomorrow as usual, it being Sunday, 10min warmup, 50min run, 5 min recovery, 50min run, 10min cool-down, and I’m going to put a bladder in it, I have an old platypus that mostly fits. I may get a new 2L Source bladder, I really like their bladders, for the vest but we’ll see how this one rolls.
When we finish our half marathon training in another couple of months we’ll start a full marathon, just in time for Oklahoma summers. Since I’m not a morning runner and I don’t like running later in the evening after I’ve eaten, I may end up running alone during the week. But that’s a problem to worry about later.