Muddy girl wrote:
Oh KC, I am so sorry you feel deflated. I ran all my PRs prior to having children at 31, and I never got back to that level again (sub 16:50 5k, 1:19 1/2). As a master, I've run 1:24 1/2, 24 min. 6k, and a 58 min. 15k, but those were in my 40s. Since then, its been a decline (1:31 1/2 as a 50+) and I've never had any expectations that I've ever see PRs after I turned 30. So maybe that's been better, I don't know.
MG, I'm fine. The disappointment lasted about 48 hours and then I did some sleuthing. And I think I've found something very useful.
Six months ago I stopped running on HR and relied entirely on training paces ... conservative paces at that. So I went back and re-read Matt Fitzgerald's 80/20 Running 18 months after I first read it. I've learned so much since then about myself. Things people on this board have been doing for years (e.g., knowing when you're running at ventilatory threshold) are things I'm still learning.
Anyway, I had forgotten that Matt recommends doing recovery and easy runs on heart rate, not pace. Again, this may be obvious to others, it wasn't for me. Then again, 18 months ago I wasn't logging my miles or doing the kind of injury prevention I do now. So I got on the chest strap, did a time trial, checked my race results (when I also wore the strap), and determined my LTHR. To confirm, I backed into my LTHR using my threshold pace. The numbers agreed.
Just to give you some idea, the conservative pace tables I was using said to do easy runs at 7:35-8:40. Greg McMillan's tables (also Matt Fitzgerald's, and he coaches masters) said do them at 6:55-7:55. But in three easy runs since going back to the HR strap, I've been consistently going under even that while staying at 86-87% of LTHR.
What's head-slapping about this is that I've known for some time that my body has fun doing easy runs at the more aggressive pacing but I've been obediently slowing down when my pace alert tells me "awk! 7:30 too fast! awk!" (that was a chicken sound) I've been recovering fully from the faster easy runs. I feel great and obviously training :45-:55/mile faster is going to help me race faster.
Igy, to your point, I'm trying to do both -- enjoy the run and set short term goals. I filed stories for 20 years so it's the way I work, I guess. And don't forget I have the additional goal of learning all I can about running (and have fun learning, too). Race-wise I've made no progress the past six months but it's been a solid, even fun learning experience. Who knows, maybe I just did six months of fabulous base training....