30:45 sec run/walk ratio
10 min run
4x Acceleration Gliders
4x 800 meter intervals
10 min run
1:18:03 hours
4.74 miles
16.5 minutes/mile
Today's run was speed work. We did a 10-minute warm-up run, then four acceleration gliders, then four 800 meter speed intervals, then a 10-minute cool-down run. The speed intervals were actually a half mile run, followed by a 3-minute walk. We were supposed to try to run the half mile 15 seconds faster than we would normally run a half mile. I don't normally run a half mile! I was not sure I could do the whole half mile without taking any walk breaks, but I decided to just run at a comfortable speed and see how far I got. I wasn't trying to go fast, but I figured that if I could even manage to run the whole way, it would be faster than walking half the time.
I did pretty well, I think. I ran all four half-mile intervals without any trouble. It was actually rather enjoyable, to just run, without all that stopping and starting. My overall time wasn't that great, but as a first time at doing 800m intervals, I was pleased with the way it went. Maybe next time I'll actually put on some speed! In any case, I think it's good training to do some long intervals so my body is used to running farther. It will make the shorter intervals that much easier, especially later in the run when I start to get tired. I wish my app kept track of splits, though. It would have been nice to see how fast those intervals really were.
I decided to just follow the training program out from where I started last week, instead of skipping weeks to catch up with my original plan. That will get me up to 15 miles before the half marathon, instead of 17, but I think 15 miles is plenty.
I also did both my midweek runs this week. Tuesday's run was speed work, cadence drills and acceleration gliders, plus two miles, so it was about an hour altogether. Thursday's was a 40-minute run. So I'm running harder and longer during the week than with the beginner's "to finish" training. I like it. It's something new and different, and working harder during the week feels like it makes the weekend runs easier (don't know if it really does, or if it's just psychological, but either way, it's a nice boost).
The weather was perfect, sunny with a breeze, about 60 F. Good day!
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Week 2: Seven and a half miles
30:45 second run/walk ratio
2:11:47 hours
7.90 miles
16.7 minutes/mile
Well, my plan was, after not being entirely satisfied with my time in Surf City, to use the "improve time" setting of my running app, instead of just training to finish, and increase my run/walk ratio to 30:30, and see how it went. I set up a schedule for the OC Half Marathon in May and did my first midweek run on the new setting on the Tuesday after I got home from Huntington Beach, even though I felt tired and had a sort throat and thought I might be coming down with a cold.
And then I did come down with a cold, a bad one that is still lingering, and did no more running or exercising of any kind until today. Skipped all my midweek runs and my long run last week, which was scheduled to be a 5-mile run.
I've been getting gradually better but still have some congestion and low energy today, but I figured I was well enough to do a slow, easy run, and I'd better get back out there if I'm going to be ready for OC. I forgot to check my schedule to see what week I was on in my app, and I thought I'd written 8 miles on my calendar, so when I came to Week 3 at 7.5 miles, I figured, close enough, and used that. Actually was scheduled for Week 5, 9 miles, but 7.5 was enough.
I got started a little before noon. It was a nice, sunny day with a light but cold breeze, around 60 F. I wore long leggings, short-sleeved tee, and my zipper jacket. Sometimes the jacket was a bit warm, but then the wind would come up and I'd be glad I had it.
I took it easy, making no attempt at any sort of speed, but kept up my pace and had no trouble finishing.
I'm glad I'd already registered for OC and made hotel reservations, so I was motivated to get back out there and start running again. It would have been so easy to just stop running after two weeks of being sick. But with a commitment to do another half marathon in three months, I got back in gear and only skipped one long run.
2:11:47 hours
7.90 miles
16.7 minutes/mile
Well, my plan was, after not being entirely satisfied with my time in Surf City, to use the "improve time" setting of my running app, instead of just training to finish, and increase my run/walk ratio to 30:30, and see how it went. I set up a schedule for the OC Half Marathon in May and did my first midweek run on the new setting on the Tuesday after I got home from Huntington Beach, even though I felt tired and had a sort throat and thought I might be coming down with a cold.
And then I did come down with a cold, a bad one that is still lingering, and did no more running or exercising of any kind until today. Skipped all my midweek runs and my long run last week, which was scheduled to be a 5-mile run.
I've been getting gradually better but still have some congestion and low energy today, but I figured I was well enough to do a slow, easy run, and I'd better get back out there if I'm going to be ready for OC. I forgot to check my schedule to see what week I was on in my app, and I thought I'd written 8 miles on my calendar, so when I came to Week 3 at 7.5 miles, I figured, close enough, and used that. Actually was scheduled for Week 5, 9 miles, but 7.5 was enough.
I got started a little before noon. It was a nice, sunny day with a light but cold breeze, around 60 F. I wore long leggings, short-sleeved tee, and my zipper jacket. Sometimes the jacket was a bit warm, but then the wind would come up and I'd be glad I had it.
I took it easy, making no attempt at any sort of speed, but kept up my pace and had no trouble finishing.
I'm glad I'd already registered for OC and made hotel reservations, so I was motivated to get back out there and start running again. It would have been so easy to just stop running after two weeks of being sick. But with a commitment to do another half marathon in three months, I got back in gear and only skipped one long run.
Monday, February 08, 2016
Surf City Half Marathon
It was a good race! Not a great one, but good. Official finishing time was 3:30:17, a good ten minutes faster than Long Beach, but not the 3:25 I was hoping for.
I left home around noon on Saturday, giving myself four hours to do a few last-minute errands in town (gas, money, wash truck) and drive down to Huntington Beach for a 4 PM check-in at the hotel. Google said it would take 2:37 to get there—which I knew was bogus, because Google doesn't take into account traffic, which is always a factor in the LA area. I figured if I got there early, I'd just park and go to the Expo first and check in later, but as it turned out, I pulled into the hotel at just about exactly 4 PM. Traffic was slow in spots, nothing too terrible, but enough to add a good hour to my transit time. But, because I'd left early, I was relaxed and got there in plenty of time.
Checked in and headed over to the Expo to pick up my packet, for the most complicated and confusing packet pick-up I've ever experienced, but I got my stuff and wandered around a bit, then headed back to the hotel. I didn't bring dinner with me, as I did in Long Beach, thinking that I'm not strictly vegan any more so eating out wouldn't be such a problem, but I kind of wish I had. The hotel restaurant menu didn't appeal to me, so I went out in search of food. Ended up eating a tuna sandwich and a salad at Johnny Rocket, which was good, but I'd had a tuna sandwich for lunch, and didn't mean to have the same thing for dinner!
I wanted to have an early night, but I hadn't made any attempt to adjust my schedule in the week before the race, so I found it hard to get to sleep, and once I did, I didn't sleep well at all. I got up at 5:30 AM feeling tired and queasy, but went ahead and got ready. Had a cup of coffee and a cup of soy milk with chocolate and got dressed. I'd brought long- and short-sleeved tee shirts, and dithered about which to wear—it was cool at that early hour, but I knew it would be warm later, so finally wore the short-sleeved tee with capri leggings. I was glad I did once the race started, but it was chilly standing around waiting for the start! I was also glad there were portapotties right near the start line—with no waiting—so I could make one last stop before the race started.
Start time for the half marathon was 7:45 AM, but it was a wave start and I was in the last corral, so didn't cross the start line until around 8:20 AM. And we were off!
The route took us up the Pacific Coast Highway and back, with one little spur off to the east. The full marathoners also went down and ran along the beach, while we half-marathoners stayed up on the highway. It was a nice route, with the ocean off to the west, and fairly flat.
I brought three GU with me, but I was hungry already when the race started, and wondering if it would be enough. I'd drunk my soy milk early and was already up for 3 hours by the time the race started! But, fortunately, they were handing out Clif Shot Bloks at some of the water stations, so I grabbed those when I could. I've had them before and liked them, so I knew they'd be fine for my stomach. I ate them at I think 3, 5, and 7 miles? I wasn't really paying attention, which turned out to be a problem—I'd gotten used to thinking they'd be available all along the way, but when they stopped handing them out, I didn't realize it right away, I just thought, well, maybe at the next station, until I started feeling tired and slowing down around mile 10. I had planned to eat a GU at mile 11, but I went ahead and had it early and I perked up again right away. I'm sure I lost some time by not eating enough soon enough, but at least I recognized the signs of low blood sugar before it got too bad, and corrected it.
I didn't use the GPS on my running app, and it decided I was finished about a mile before I was actually done, so I just estimated my running intervals for the rest of the race. I knew I'd slowed down so I tried to just run it in for the last quarter mile or so.
After crossing the finish line, I got my medal and had my finisher photo taken, then wandered around a bit, eating an orange and some frozen acai thing and drinking water, then I went back to the hotel to rest and eat a Clif Bar before heading out for lunch. I was tired, but in much better shape than I was in Long Beach! I flubbed my nutrition slightly, but recovered and finished well.
The race results page also gave some split times:
5K pace: 14:52
10K pace: 15:43
10 Mile pace: 15:49
and my overall pace was 16:03. So I did slow down considerably over the race. That's something I need to work on for the next race. Am I going out too fast? Is my walk interval too short? Do I need to eat more? My app doesn't show split times, only totals. I should start timing splits so I can see where the trouble spots are. Maybe I should get myself another sport watch.
Anyway, another half marathon complete! Time to start working on the next one!
I left home around noon on Saturday, giving myself four hours to do a few last-minute errands in town (gas, money, wash truck) and drive down to Huntington Beach for a 4 PM check-in at the hotel. Google said it would take 2:37 to get there—which I knew was bogus, because Google doesn't take into account traffic, which is always a factor in the LA area. I figured if I got there early, I'd just park and go to the Expo first and check in later, but as it turned out, I pulled into the hotel at just about exactly 4 PM. Traffic was slow in spots, nothing too terrible, but enough to add a good hour to my transit time. But, because I'd left early, I was relaxed and got there in plenty of time.
Checked in and headed over to the Expo to pick up my packet, for the most complicated and confusing packet pick-up I've ever experienced, but I got my stuff and wandered around a bit, then headed back to the hotel. I didn't bring dinner with me, as I did in Long Beach, thinking that I'm not strictly vegan any more so eating out wouldn't be such a problem, but I kind of wish I had. The hotel restaurant menu didn't appeal to me, so I went out in search of food. Ended up eating a tuna sandwich and a salad at Johnny Rocket, which was good, but I'd had a tuna sandwich for lunch, and didn't mean to have the same thing for dinner!
I wanted to have an early night, but I hadn't made any attempt to adjust my schedule in the week before the race, so I found it hard to get to sleep, and once I did, I didn't sleep well at all. I got up at 5:30 AM feeling tired and queasy, but went ahead and got ready. Had a cup of coffee and a cup of soy milk with chocolate and got dressed. I'd brought long- and short-sleeved tee shirts, and dithered about which to wear—it was cool at that early hour, but I knew it would be warm later, so finally wore the short-sleeved tee with capri leggings. I was glad I did once the race started, but it was chilly standing around waiting for the start! I was also glad there were portapotties right near the start line—with no waiting—so I could make one last stop before the race started.
Start time for the half marathon was 7:45 AM, but it was a wave start and I was in the last corral, so didn't cross the start line until around 8:20 AM. And we were off!
The route took us up the Pacific Coast Highway and back, with one little spur off to the east. The full marathoners also went down and ran along the beach, while we half-marathoners stayed up on the highway. It was a nice route, with the ocean off to the west, and fairly flat.
I brought three GU with me, but I was hungry already when the race started, and wondering if it would be enough. I'd drunk my soy milk early and was already up for 3 hours by the time the race started! But, fortunately, they were handing out Clif Shot Bloks at some of the water stations, so I grabbed those when I could. I've had them before and liked them, so I knew they'd be fine for my stomach. I ate them at I think 3, 5, and 7 miles? I wasn't really paying attention, which turned out to be a problem—I'd gotten used to thinking they'd be available all along the way, but when they stopped handing them out, I didn't realize it right away, I just thought, well, maybe at the next station, until I started feeling tired and slowing down around mile 10. I had planned to eat a GU at mile 11, but I went ahead and had it early and I perked up again right away. I'm sure I lost some time by not eating enough soon enough, but at least I recognized the signs of low blood sugar before it got too bad, and corrected it.
I didn't use the GPS on my running app, and it decided I was finished about a mile before I was actually done, so I just estimated my running intervals for the rest of the race. I knew I'd slowed down so I tried to just run it in for the last quarter mile or so.
After crossing the finish line, I got my medal and had my finisher photo taken, then wandered around a bit, eating an orange and some frozen acai thing and drinking water, then I went back to the hotel to rest and eat a Clif Bar before heading out for lunch. I was tired, but in much better shape than I was in Long Beach! I flubbed my nutrition slightly, but recovered and finished well.
The race results page also gave some split times:
5K pace: 14:52
10K pace: 15:43
10 Mile pace: 15:49
and my overall pace was 16:03. So I did slow down considerably over the race. That's something I need to work on for the next race. Am I going out too fast? Is my walk interval too short? Do I need to eat more? My app doesn't show split times, only totals. I should start timing splits so I can see where the trouble spots are. Maybe I should get myself another sport watch.
Anyway, another half marathon complete! Time to start working on the next one!
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