Every Run is a Great Run!

April 25, 2024

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Location:

Spanish Fork,UT,USA

Member Since:

Jan 15, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

Lifetime PRs:

Marathon: 3:07:59 2013 Big Cottonwood Marathon

1/2 Marathon: 1:24:30 2008 St. George Painters

10K: 38:39 2008 SLCTC

5K: 18:44 2009 Nestle Art City Days

55-59 AD PRs:

1/2 Marathon:???

10K:???

5K:???

Short-Term Running Goals:

2023 plans:

Work on core strength
Lose 5 lbs
Overcome lingering injuries
Have fun!

Long-Term Running Goals:

Consistently place in the top 5 of my age division as long as my body will allow it.

Beat Terry Bean at any distance at least one time before I depart this earth.

Take care of mind and body so I can be in it for the long haul. Don't do STUPID THINGS!

Run until I'm 99 with Kim by my side and remember that EVERY RUN IS A GREAT RUN!

Peace of mind by striving to live like this

Personal:

I've been married to the lovely Kimberly for 36 years. We have 5 great kids and 5 great grandkids.

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	20.00	Month:	94.20	Year:	389.20
Saucony Fastwitch #1 Lifetime Miles:						65.50
Asics Gel-Nimbus23 #3 Lifetime Miles:						718.70
Asics Gel-Nimbus23 #4 Lifetime Miles:						622.45
Asics Gel-Nimbus23 #5 Lifetime Miles:						218.75

Tue, Sep 23, 2008

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
5.00	0.00	4.00	0.00	9.00

AM: Well today was a test day to see how the legs would respond to some miles in the HMP to MP pace range (6:30-7:15). Ended up being a good-news/bad-news type of run but overall I'm happy that my legs seem to be responding pretty well to the taper and cross-training regiment. Kim joined me on the bike as she is diligently nursing her IT band.

So the good news is that my legs felt pretty good for the faster miles. I didn't get the signals I've been getting the last couple of weeks that tell me I need to quit the workout early. I warmed up for 2 miles, did some light stretching then eased into a pace that felt like an HMP to MP pace. Plan was for 2x2 miles with .5 mile jog/rest in the middle. First 2 miles were slight uphill and into the wind. Last 2 miles were just the opposite.

Mile splits were 6:57, 6:56, (rest .5 miles), 6:37, 6:48.

Now the bad news...running at this pace felt much harder than it should have! Felt too much like 10K pace rather than marathon or half marathon pace after the first mile, so I'm counting them as threshold miles. Makes me feel kind of out of shape and it wasn't just a matter of my brain being asleep, I wore the HR monitor and it pretty much agreed that I was working in what would be more in line with a 10K pace effort. But I can't imagine that I've really lost much fitness in the last week or 2 so I'm willing to chalk it up to the cold I've had the last couple of days and also not getting the best sleep last night.

Average/Max HR for each mile is as follows:

173/182, 183/186, (HR down to 140s during .5 mile jog) 181/185, 185/189.

Doesn't HR in the 180s seem pretty high for 6:40-7:00 pace? I would think around 170-180 to be more reasonable, assuming my Max HR to be in the 190-195 range. It will be interesting in the coming weeks/months to monitor HR and see what happens during both good and bad training runs and races. Trying to decide if I want to wear the HR monitor during SGM or not.....

PM: 12 minutes on the bike + core workout. The more and more I look at my run today the more I'm getting bummed about my prospects at SGM, even for sub-3.

Comments

From Terry on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 10:51:04

I'm hoping today was one of those days for you that your body just wasn't ready to go at best ability. And I'm hoping in about 11 days your body decides it wants a big PR day.

From Terry on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 10:52:18

My opinion on the heart rate monitor on race day is that it is information overload. However, it is fun to see the results after the race.

From Tom on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 11:01:42

Terry I'm thinking the same thing about the HR monitor during the race... maybe too much information to think about and overanalyze and not sure how comfy it will be to wear the strap that whole time.

But then on the other hand it would be very interesting and informative to look at all that data after the race. And perhaps it would help keep me in a more optimal pace range early on and help avoid a repeat of what happened at Provo River 1/2 marathon when I went out too fast that 1st mile and crossed the "red line" that results in me not being able to hold a decent pace the last half of a race and being in misery for more miles than I should have to be.

I guess I'll have to ponder the HR monitor question a bit more before deciding what to do.......

From JeffC on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 11:11:24

I didn't wear the HRM at Ogden and looking back I wish I would have just for the info after the fact. I will probably wear it at SGM but won't really use any of the information during the race. I felt a bit like you today during my own faster run. Like I was working too hard to be going slightly faster than marathon pace. It could be related to the taper as well as numerous other things. I bet it will get better toward the end of the week.

From Kerry on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 11:24:52

I've worn the heart rate strap during a number of marathons and it really wasn't an issue. Information overload can be a real problem, especially in the last few miles of the marathon, but I just set up an alarm that let's me know when I well into the red zone. It' surprised me a number of times, because I didn't feel all that different. It is helpful to look at the data after the race and compare HR, elevation changes and pace and see the impact further along in the race. I find that my HR will sometimes rise dramatically during the last few miles of the marathon, even as my pace is slowing and I'm even going downhill.

From JimF on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 12:00:58

Good to hear that you don't have any problems with the legs. I agree with the others that it was probably just not a great day and you will be fine once race day rolls around. You have been telling me about "race day magic" so I am hoping it works for you.

From Andy on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 14:27:56

If you were the HR strap, don't use the results during the race. I don't think that you have enough base line data to make adjustments during the race based on HR.

Try not to stress about the marathon. You have put in the work and are ready for sub 3. We should have a good sized group planning on hitting the half in 1:30-1:32. Stick with the group through the half then let loose and see what is left.

From Dale on Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 22:48:36

Don't sweat the tough feel of the pace too much...your body probably just needs a jolt to recall what fast running feels like and to readjust. The 180 does seem real high for that pace, but I'll bet if you ran the same thing in another couple of days the HR would be back down in the 170s.

I wear my HRM on all my runs, just because....info overload probably, but sometimes it can tell me when I'm having an off day (when it's real high) and I can back off to fight another day. Plus, I've got baseline data from all my marathon's, which I used to see what my HR average was, when it drops off (if I hit the wall), etc. Just more data, I guess.

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