Brilliant runing Dave. Sub 17 @ 55 plus is out there.
Rtype you are making me jealous with all that rain.
Brilliant runing Dave. Sub 17 @ 55 plus is out there.
Rtype you are making me jealous with all that rain.
Today was one of those days where I woke up and decided to enjoy coffee, breakfast, more coffee, music, paper, laptop, then church --- all before my LSD run. Got back from church noted my Falcons were hammering on their way to 4-0 and went to run across our new Tillikum Bridge. Dang thing is 1/2 mile long and a bit far for my fitness level but got that 12 miler in anyway. Bonked a bit but i'm happy to add it to the ongoing aerobic tank building process. Read TY hit 2 300 mile months. I'm lucky to hit 200. More tank building to do if I want to enjoy Club Nats, Indoor and another year of Outdoor.
Be well ALL y'all.
KP
Nice job, SCgal! I'm glad you ran smart -- and it turned out great. I have the first of our 4 race qualifiers next weekend (they only count 2 though). I generally try to do all of them, but in the past, I was the only 50 anyway, so I have an automatic spot. ;) This year, though, I can't do the 2nd one - but in the end, I think getting to the end of the season healthy will be the key.
I ran my first race since December - in a college xc invitational - yesterday. I got there in time to see the earlier women's race, and got a decent jog in before. But I hadn't worn my spikes since December and I had to take out the spike implements (since it is not a spike friendly course) and by the time I was done and heading for the start, I only have about 7 minutes!! I have to say my run to the starting line was rather brisk!! Made it with a few minutes to spare.
I noticed in earlier races that they had a lead bike AND a trail bike following the last runner --- and I so desperately didn't want to be last!! Those college girls all go out so fast!! Thankfully, there were some slow college girls and I actually had a group to run with (and a bunch to pass). So I wasn't last! (only about 30-35 behind me, I think, though).
I swear I heard someone yell, "Go Granny" when I went by, though thankfully the college girls didn't really notice me. My time and place wasn't very good, but I didn't really feel that I was running that hard, so I was pleased with it overall, especially since I haven't been training hard.
A woman came up to me afterwards and told me I was "her hero" because I had run and even beaten her daughter. She was surprised that a woman in her 40s would still try to run with the college girls (I turn 56 on Friday). Anyway, she was very excited and nice and her daughter was sweet.
Lots of work to do - I'm still 7 lbs over race weight - and my training hasn't been ideal, but it's a start. Calves and hips are a little tight, but better than expected and I survived my long run (~11 miles) today. Hopefully next week will be a little better.
Nice race report, muddy girl. Someone should tell all the non-runners that they will look 10 years younger if they take up running. Even knowing about it, I still can't guess the ages out on the trail.
The training group I run with is big enough that they have a PT on staff. On a typical Saturday she (sometimes he) usually sees two or three runners for various issues. The largest part of these thousand runners -- 500+ of the half marathoners (including me) and 150 or so of the full marathoners -- are training for the same race. With that race now two weeks away, the PT yesterday was busier than a one-armed paper-hanger. Calf, back, knee, knee, hamstring, foot, calf, quad, etc. Injured runners all desperate to make it to the starting line for their cherished PR.
I was doing some light stretching nearby and half heard something she said to one of them. When there was a lull in the queue, I went over and asked her to repeat it. Basically, if you are right handed, then typically your right hip is stronger, and you pronate more on the left foot.
Cool, thanks! I'm right handed, but my right hip has three issues, and is way weaker. You just explained why my right big toe hurts when I run fast. When I run slow I can tell myself not to push off so hard, but when I run fast I can't help mashing it.
We looked at some other things, agreed that I do not have: inflexible big toes, tight calves. Yoga, you know.
I need to fix this hip someday. But even the PT admitted that she could not recommend anything for me, too many problems at once.
mo'pak wrote:
... the hammy is more chronic niggle than active injury at the moment.
Ditto on mo'pak's above.
SCgal - congrats and glad to hear your niggles are manageable also.
muddy - great race report. Way to go Granny!
CO57 - great half time! congrats.
Been very distracted by shiny things lately, so just running for "fun". Workouts have taken a back seat for runs in the 6 - 8 mi range during the week and 10 - 12 mi on Sat's with training group. If the hip/hammy is hurting, then I take a day off. And low and behold -- I am doing much better.
Last week:
Mon - 6 mi easy
Tues - 8 mi easy
Wed - OFF
Thurs - 8 mi with 2 at 7:45
Fri - 9 mi with 3 at 8:10
Sat - 10 mi at 8:30 pace. Cooler temps, so felt great.
Sun - 6 mi easy
Hope all of you in the SE don't get rained on too much! Be safe out there.
Best to you all.
Alan Bennet wrote:
Someone should tell all the non-runners that they will look 10 years younger if they take up running. Even knowing about it, I still can't guess the ages out on the trail.
That sure is the truth. Without being creepy... We sat next to 64 year old Kathryn Martin's table yesterday at the awards brunch. I swear she doesn't look a day over 30!
I had a decent 40 mile taper week. Felt sluggish early in the week; actually confidant and feeling pretty good going into Syracuse. My race summary posted in my log:
"I need to accept I'm that I'm slowing down... and start racing like it. Really not satisfied with my effort though the results are what I wanted. Pretty happy about not getting passed the last 400 but not too happy about getting blitzed by Chris, Dan & Ruben the last 600... So... 55-59 National Champ, Age grades to 91.12% / 14:09. Fun facts: Race #543, Age group win #219, 120th 5k race, 103rd 5k under 17:00...... 50+ team champs along with Ron, Dan & Ruben. Let's get ready for Tulsa."
It was pretty cool having our group finish within a few seconds of each other. I didn't see my training partner and two teammates until about 600 to go when they passed me so I wasn't sure where they were. It certainly helped chasing them on that final long straight to the finish. It was fun...
M: 6.6 miles easy...Heavy legs
T: 8 miles with 8x400 81.7, 80.3, 80.6, 80.6, 80.3, 79.8, 79.2, 75.0
W: 4.7 miles easy
Th: 5.6 miles easy @ 7:47
F: 3.1 miles easy @ 7:37 + w/6x100 strides
S: 3.1 miles easy
S: 8.5 miles inc. 16:55 5k (5:13, 8:14 halfway, 10:00 3k, 10:47'ish? 2 mile)
Thanks for the congrats, everyone! Think I'll just get back to the basics for a while, get my miles up and 'just run'....
See you on the roads,
Dave
Dave, you are a big slice of Awesome. Congrats!
Felt stiff and tight after both upping mileage as well as adding one weight lifting (legs) and one non explosive plyo workout. Still managed to run 7.5, 6.5, 7, 6 over 5 days with some pickups and quicker finishes in 3 of 4 runs.
Played 3 hockey games in 25 hours over the weekend. Average age of my B2 team is 48. We beat a B1 team 15-20 years younger. Got smoked by two other B1 teams. Did not run; could barely walk.
Unfortunately have gained 7lbs recently so that's disappointing.
My house is on the Twin Cities Marathon route so enjoyed cheering folks on Sunday morning. Ridiculously perfect conditions. Hope everybody PR'd.
Cheers
Ken
Alan Bennet wrote:
Basically, if you are right handed, then typically your right hip is stronger, and you pronate more on the left foot.
I am also right-handed, but my right hip is significantly weaker. It wasn't always that way, and 30 years ago, by right hip was probably stronger. (I used to take off on my right foot for both LJ and HJ when I did those as a youth.) Now I can do a pistol squat only on my left side.
M: off.
T: 4 miles / 7 miles.
W: 10 miles.
R: 4 miles / 7 miles.
F: 7 miles.
SA: 7 miles.
SU: 17.8 miles. (the last mile @ 7:41)
I felt good enough in my long run on Sunday, so I did a little pick up at the end. Wed's 10 miles was also a progression of sort, but I only peaked @ 7:53. Since I could not start my last two marathons due to injuries, my biggest goal right now is to avoid injuries for the next 9 weeks.
It sure is motivating to read about the races and training weeks you all are putting down.
I'm local to the SF Bay Area so there's no 'qualifying' for our team (I guess qualifying for your team means they'll pay your expenses?). Any of us in the 50's can run, and we'll probably have at least 6 or 7 guys and I'll be lucky to score for our team.
Having said that I'm getting fit. My weight's down to within a couple pounds of my previous ideal racing weight. I've strung together some good training weeks and any niggles I have are very minor at this point.
I got back from a 7 day vacation where I did only 18 miles of running though I did get in a 6 mile run at 10,000 feet of elevation and a 16.5 mile very tough hike also at 10,000 feet so not a total ZERO training-wise.
Sunday I nailed a pretty decent 12 mile comfortably hard run at about 7:30 pace overall and today I got in a solid 9 miles (with w/u, c/d) including a 3 X 3200 (2:00 recovery) interval workout at 6:35 pace. Super consistent at 13:08, 13:08, 13:09 without looking at my watch. I've got a 5K this Sunday and then my real goal is a 1:26 or better 1/2 marathon the following Sunday.
I'm loving training again now that I'm healthy. Today's workout felt so satisfying to complete!
Congrats again Dave! Cool stats you've got there in your journal. And wow on the 91%+ THAT is always a great stat... and for me is way way more difficult to do beyond 1500 meters. Oh and one more thing... is your team coming to Club Nats XC? If you've got two more gazelles you have a shot at winning the team title. I'm hoping to be a fit #7 man for BTC. If so we also have a shot at that medal stand.
KP
Had planned on running a fast and flat 5K to try to break 23:00, which would be a PR of 1:40 for the year. Fastest time so far this year 23:16.
Somehow threw away the plan and ran a 5K trail race. Recruited by 14 y.o. (former CC runner and now lazy bum) daughter to pace me. The plan was to go out in 7:10 to 7:15 and come back with a 7:25 to be on pace to break 23:00.
I didn't know if I was capable of it as I had run mostly slow distance all late summer and fall fighting off calf and achilles issues, but I felt just awesome in the warmup.
It wasn't a competitive group (perhaps the really good runners were in the 10K or half-marathon), but we went out in 5/6 and it felt fast but comfortable. I ran off daughter's shoulder to give people room to pass on the 5 foot wide trail, but only 2 people passed us in the first mile, then nobody.
Final time was 23:24. If you asked me what my splits were without looking at my watch I'd have said: 7:00 - 8:00 - 9:00; That last mile was just hell. HR > 95% the whole way. I was actually trying to slow down to get the HR back down.
But my watch said: 8:06 - 7:45 - 6:53.
Very weird. How could my sense of pace be that wrong. Well, it could be because I suck, but other than that as a possibility, I'm just shocked by the splits.
Although I didn't PR, I have a couple of positive take-aways. First, and most importantly, I felt awesome in the warmup. My build-ups were quick and springy; man I felt like a runner. That may sound weird, but most races I've been more scared of injury than excited about running my best. Second, I'm very confident on a fast road course I'd be able to pace myself better and go under 22:30. Third, I broke 7 minutes in a mile for the first time since the 80s. SERIOUSLY - WOW. Fourth, I feel so good right now 3 hours after the race that I want to find a fast and flat race tomorrow and get that PR.
Cheers
Ken
*************************
Week 227
*************************
Salutations, 50+ers! A lot of nice training/racing posted up last week, and especially thanks for the nice race reports---Dave, Muddy Girl, reboot runner...good stuff! And somehow I missed sending props to Steve L. the week before, sounds like it was a crazy race!
My week was weird. I managed to get 36 miles in on 5 days, but I seem to have joined the myriad of folks that are getting sudden intense lower back/hip pain. But a lot of foam roller action was able to subdue the trigger points and get me back on the roads. Log reads as such:
Sun: 5 with some progression (6:59 avg pace)
Mon: off (could barely walk!)
Tue: 6.0 w/ 4-miles of Fartlek: 2:00 "on", 2:00 "off"
Wed: 4.1 easyish (7:22 avg pace)
Thur: off (more lower back pain!)
Fri: 6.0 easy (7:59 pace)
Sat: 15.0 very easy (8:22 pace)
My runs actually felt pretty good this week, it was the in-betweens that were a bit funky. I experienced more tightening up than I have in recent months---for example, Monday, when I almost couldn't walk into work. It caught me a bit by surprise, so no time to turn around and work on it, and I had to pathetically hobble through the day with my sciatic nerve being pinched. Luckily, when I finally got home and could do a serious foam-roller session (I've gotten a much stiffer one, Triggerpoint Performance, that I like a lot,) I was able to work most of the tightness/pinching out and Tuesday I felt fine. Tuesday was meant to be a track workout, but there was a middle-school football game that wasn't on the high-school schedule, so we relocated over to the park to do some Fartlek. The 4-miles of 2:00-on/2:00-off averaged 6:44/mile, with the 2-on about a minute/mile faster pace (around 6:10-6:15/mile pace) than the 2-off. From that point on, the rest of the week was keeping it on the easy side.
Today is the Iron Horse Half-marathon here in the Bluegrass, and it seems to have become a favorite destination for Jeff Galloway. One of our club members has become good friends with him, and invited him to come speak to our club, so Thursday evening (yes, he came in that early), we had a nice intimate audience of about 25 people to listen to him and ask questions. It was interesting, to say the least. Can't say I'm sold on Run/Walk/Run method, but if I ever try a marathon again, I'll have to say that he was fairly convincing.
Also, Good Luck to a couple of my buddies that are running Chicago Marathon this morning.
That's all I've got. What's happening in your realm of this little blue dot?
All the Best!
Week 227: 5 hours 25 minutes in 6 runs.
Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri - 52 min easy (Thu was a little faster)
Sat - 1 hr 18 mins with the 9:15/mile pace group, skipped the faster finish this week
Sun - 39 min
It's time to schedule regular fallback weeks; I have been building slowly but steadily since April and I guess I really needed one. The tendonitis is responding nicely to the decrease in intensity -- the heal pain is down to just a fuzzy feeling, the snapping in the ankle is mostly gone as well. Meanwhile I decided to taper for next Sunday's half marathon, so started that yesterday, and the leg is liking the reduced volume as well. Will aim for 39 mins each day this week (= 75% of 52 mins per day).
Notable was the day off on Monday. As usual I got up early for my run, except my feet felt like boxes of broken twigs. Painful just to walk, so I went back to bed. The last time I missed a run -- the log says 8/16 -- was for the same reason. Monday night I felt fine, almost went for a run but decided to be cautious. Tuesday morning the feet felt fine but I ran ridiculously easy anyway, still being cautious. Tuesday night I dozed off in the middle of doing laundry; when I came to the feet felt even worse than Monday! I hobbled to the laundry room, and the short walk was enough for the feet to completely recover. Very weird. I checked my shoes in the log, that's not the reason. Next time (if ever) this happens in the AM, I will go for a short walk and then try to run, see how that goes.
RE Galloway - I love run/walk, but for someone with a time goal in a race it seems to be about the worst possible pacing strategy. I do sometimes walk through a water stop, no big deal. I generally do run/walk when I have given up on the time goal and just want to finish without getting injured and/or worsening an existing injury. I know Bill Rodgers would have dropped out, but that's not me.
I have done run/walk on a long run as fast as 9:00/mile average, and would not recommend it! At least not for someone whose best MP was around 8:00. But if your average training pace is slow, say slower than about 10:30/mile, I think run/walk is probably better than continuous run, at least for the training. If your race pace is that slow, then run/walk should be better for the racing as well. Running slowly involves really bad mechanics, and slogging through a marathon in five hours of continuous running is just begging for injury. At those paces, the run-walkers in my training group do much better than the runners.
Last weekend was coolish (high 60's) and drizzly at the track. This weekend was hot (80's by 9:00 a.m.). What a difference! Last weekend we returned home from an extended vacation and I was ready to jump right back into training until a nasty chest cold developed mid-week. So last Sunday, hurdles and sprints (and I felt good!). Monday was a speed endurance workout of 6x150 at the track and I was exhausted, far more than I should have been. I started coughing that evening and when I woke up Tuesday it was a full-on congested cold. So Tuesday and Wednesday I laid around, ate chicken soup, and slept. Thursday I woke up feeling better but still congested so I went to the gym and did an hour on the elliptical. I figured low-impact and low-intensity would allow me to get through the workout without coughing up a lung. Friday I lifted weights and did a pool workout where I wear swim fins and hold on to the edge in the deep end. I cycle through as if I'm running with high knees and have full extension through the hip on the backward push. I did 8x100 of these pool strides which was a big workout for the posterior chain. Saturday was hurdling but was fairly light as the greater intensity caused me to cough up a lot of "lung gunk." I just came back from my Sunday hurdling workout. The coughing is decreasing and it was a strong hurdle session. Tomorrow I'll rest!
Race reports, anyone? Have a good one!
Two weeks ago after 4 XC races in 6 weeks I was feeling pretty worn down. This past week I felt like my legs were recovering from all the racing and I got in a good 50 miles, including 10 miles yesterday with a 2 mile warm up, tempo 5 miles at 7:02 pace and 3 mile warm down. I now have 3 weeks until my next race and 2 weeks after that the local XC series championship race. I am going to try and get in a good block of VO2 max and speed training from here to the championship race if all the joints and connective tissue will hold together for it.
Get well soon lucKY and Spikez. Good luck on your race next week Alan. Nice week OGII, esp that 5 miles at 7:02 pace. That’s throwing it down!
My week:
M = 2.25 miles Run: 7:41 pace
T = 5 miles Ellip: 7:15 pace (really tired legs)
W = 2.25 miles Run: 8:51 pace (tired and sore legs)
T = 5 miles Ellip: 7:08 pace
F = 2.25 miles Run, hilly: 9:04 pace (legs tired and sore)
S = 5 miles Ellip: 7:06 pace
S = 2.25 miles Run: 7:30 pace
Run Total = 9 miles
Elliptical Total = 15 miles
My legs felt zippy Monday and today but the rest of the week they stayed sore. For a while the Elliptical seemed a novelty that was overly easy. It’s turned into a good workout leaving me dripping in sweat. I’ve noticed my calves, hams, quads, glutes, chest and arms have all gained muscle mass. I’ve always shied away from cross training so I could use some muscle. I’ve almost forgotten about my right knee so that’s some welcome news. Oddly enough I have a little bit of pf smack dab in the middle of my right foot. How the heck do you get pf running only 9 miles a week!? That’s crazy! Next week I move the runs to 2.5 miles and keep the Ellip at 5. I plan on getting to 3 miles running and then sticking there a while and work on form and pace. I have zero interest in racing anything over a 5K.
@reboot runner - Agreed, with even splits and a road surface, a 22:30 is in the bag. It doesn't even have to be "flat and fast". But what is your hurry? The fitness is not going away soon, relax and let it happen. Next weekend is soon enough.
@Spikez - I need to find a pool and learn to like it.
@Rtype - If I run in the afternoon I can just go. If I run in the morning I need to walk first, then ease into the pace. I don't believe the distance would matter, because it is the first mile that gets me, if I don't warm up correctly.
You are right. No hurry. I had a great 9 miler this morning with the wife averaging 8:30. Truly a pleasure to be somewhat fit.
Fall is in the air and XC season is rolling along swell. Hope the same is happening with many of y'all.
My week was solid for training with 12 miler last Sun and another one today. May seem silly to y'all but those are two of the longest runs I've had in years. Aerobic Tank Work continues.
Last Tuesday I did a ladder down tempo of 16mins @ 6:15 pace (5min jog rest) 10 mins @ 6:00 pace (5min) 6 mins at 5:45 pace. It felt like tempo for the first rep but the next 2 felt like racing. So be it. But I was so trashed the next two days I could hardly run. Clearly, i did not run the workout properly. Seems to be a recurring problem with this here middle distance runner trying to fare well in XC. Yesterday's 5k XC was NOT fun with these heavy legs. 5:45-6:00-6:15 awful positive splits. Chalking it up as a "race run knowingly tired".
Advice welcome. Meanwhile I remain optimistic longer tempo runs will bring me strength for hill and dale.
KP