DFW running club mark 3!! ALL ARE WELCOME!!

evab_2

bj I don't look at my GPS too much as I seem to get into a nice stride and as you say I run better when I ignore it. My Garmin also has a function that pauses when I have to wait at traffic lights which I find more helpful than stopping and starting it.

becky_rtw

B.J. - I try only to look at my watch at key points or at the end - I find I end up clock watching otherwise anyway and not concentrating - dont worry about fixing your speeds - they will naturally both vary and come down a lot

I was tired today so I prob ran about 11 minute miles, but I'm not worried about it even though my usual for that distance is 9:30 or so because I ran to stretch my legs so I ran to an effort level of 'easy' - I find it the best way for me to pace stuff - easy, medium, hard

easy is all runs that are filling the miles in
medium is tempo, fartlek and 1m intervals
fast is 5k race pace and 800, 400 and 200m intervals

The times vary but the effort level I try to keep the same

RichOneday_2

bj-sailaway wrote: »

Rich, £25!!!!!!! Are you running around Buck. house?!

OK, £10 now sounds good.

Becky, thank you! I've got a plan from the runners world site, but it's very rigid, and I've no idea how I'd fix my speeds as rigidly as they state.

I'll use your 'recipe' as a benchmark to start from. I guess you're just used to knowing roughly the speed you're running at? I'm beginning to really dislike the Garmin watch, I spend too much of my running time looking at it and trying to work out if I need to speed up or slow down! My best run the other day was when I ran - and totally ignored the bloomin' watch!

BJ - Its complete nonsense to try to run at a certain pace, instead runs should always be at a certain 'effort level' with the watch purely a recording device, not something which must be obeyed.

As an example, my 10 miler on Sunday was run at a 'rhythm', ie a constant effort level. The first lap (2.11 miles) was at 7:02/mile, the second lap at 6:46/mile and the remainder speeding up to 6:15/mile by the end.

To have run a constant pace would have meant progressively dropping the effort level which wouldnt make any sense.

On other occassions a constant effort level may result in the pace gradually dropping - which is fine if that is how the body is responding.

But to force it into a constant pace tells you very little and does nothing in terms of training you how to run races, which should always be run on effort not pace.

bj-sailaway

Yes, I can see exactly the sense of what you guys are saying. And that's what put me off the plans I downloaded. OK, effort it is!

Idiophreak

Hi All,

Just a quick note to assure you all that I am, in fact, still alive (sure you were worried ) - anyway, my last couple of weeks -

2 weeks ago last saturday I did a lovely 13.5 mile route around Blenheim Palace - was proper lovely, maybe the nicest run I've done, except for the way there, when I go lost anyway, I wanted a 9minute average, so in order to regain the lost 5 minutes I ran miles 6-8 in around 7 mins each...got back feeling strong and like I could have gone further....for the first time I felt like the <40 10k could maybe be possible.

2 weeks ago last Sunday I turned the TV on and my back went ping. Doctor said I either tore a "deep muscle" whatever that might be, or slipped a disc. Very painful. Anyway, that put me out until:

Last weds, with my 5k approaching (29th) I decided I'd better see whether I'd be able to run at all - a very gentle 3.5 with my old man - about 40 mins.

Last friday I thought I'd better see where my pace was, went out for a 5k with a target pace of 7:00 average - gave up after about 1.5 miles and jogged back (cut the way back, so only did 2 miles total).

Sunday I set out in the 5k, with very low expectations. Wanted to start off slowly, but my BIL I was running with pushed the pace to around 7:00ish, thought I'd hang on as long as I could. Mile 2 came and went and I was feeling fine, so cranked it up a bit...half mile from the end and I dropped it to around 6:00 for the last dash.

Result - 22:49, although route was actually 3.4 miles, not 5k, (the half mile sprint was looooong!!), so the 5k clocked just under 21mins. Best of all, actually finished 3rd in the event, so got a little prize and had to go on stage to collect it and stuff. Only about 100 people ran, but I was really pleased given my back problems.

Anyway, back to gentle training now, and looking forward to Swansea for the <40 attempt, but reckon I'll need a couple more races before the end of the year to actually get it cracked.

ETA: I don't think the long run caused my back problem, by the way - I've bought a new desk chair and, sitting in it now, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that's to blame...

Alias_Omega

I was staying near you this weekend with work, was staying in a place called 'Black Bourton' aka in the middle of no-where..

Anyway, last 10k road race tomorrow...

Simplycynical

Week 8/15 (Abingdon)
Mon 24/8 Rest Day
Tues 25/8 Rest Day
Wed 26/8 Rest
Thurs 27/8 10k 01:03:37 (10:14/mile)
Fri 28/8 8 Miles 01:21:38 (10:10/mile)
Sat 29/8 Rest Day
Sun 30/9 20 Miles 03:42:42 (11:07/mile)

Week 9/15 (Abingdon)
Mon 31/8 Rest Day
Tues 1/9 10k Fartlek 00:59:06 (09:29/mile)

A good run this morning; I enjoy the speed sessions as they give me a chance to stretch my legs out :D

Well done on the mileage evab; you must be pleased with your progress :T

Hi Idio; nice to see you again, well done on the prize :hello:

Ukevas

on the up side Simply....you got a marathon next month...

:rotfl:.

becky_rtw

Wow well done Idio on a great 5k time Nice to see you back - me and Rich we're wondering to ourselves where you had got to actually this weekend...

Some nice running Simply - I see you've got Chippenham in two weeks - are you looking forward to it?

Good luck for tomorrow Alias - it should give you a really good idea where you in GNR training as well

Simplycynical

yeah ..... thanks for that Uk :rotfl::rotfl: Six weeks to go sounds ages away but next month??????? :eek:

Thanks Becky - Chippenham? Yes, really looking forward to it; I'm not going to taper though as I'm supposed to be doing a 20 mile race that week. Rich suggested running a 10k warm up before the half but I think I'll see how tired my legs are first.