Day 6... 5.45 miles in 47:40. Average pace of 8:43/ mile. Asked Patrick last night on the coach chat, what pace these challenges should be run at and he said zone 1, and that by day 14-15 the suck will be evident. Anything harder will require much easier days to recover. So zone 1 it is.
4.7 mi in 39:10, then 0.7 mi/7:20 for 5 strides. While I am doing the runs in Z1, I am adding strides at the end of most runs to ease the transition into the OS runs. Strides, of course, only last about 30 seconds each, and come with a full rest in between. The max amount of non Z1 work time I will have should be 3-5 minutes. I'm only planning on 30-45 minutes/day, and don't know yet if I will do any "long" runs (8 miles) or not. I'm also swimming 5-6 days a week, about 2.2 km per day. No biking yet since IM AZ, which is a first for me.
Easy 5-miles yesterday with my best sustained cadence yet (92 fpm). Ran in new K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Lights which were pretty awesome. Very light, no blisters (ran sockless).
Day 7 ... 5.36 miles in 46:32 with an avg pace of 8:39/mile. Starting to get my running legs back from IMAZ. Hopefully by the end of this challenge I will have solidified a cadence of 93+ and be consistantly mid foot striking.
3.6 mi in 30:10 @ the college track on the way to work. My right ankle and knee feel better and better. I hope more swimming cures my rotator cuff soreness on the right side as well. No strides today. I too am concentrating on quick feet and a slight forward lean at my ankles, and staying away from the Newton's in favor of the Saucony Kinvara's. My ultimate goal for 2012: go faster in Hawaii than I went in Arizona, at least on the run.
Day 8... 5.42 miles in 46:28 with an avg pace of 8:27/mile. Had some right ball of my foot pain after yesterdays run. But today I concentrated on my foot fall and afterwards feet feel great.
I'd been running in Newton's regularly for 1.5 years until August of this year. Then, when I was in Colorado in Aug and Sep/Oct, I took my Saucony's with me. I came back in early October, and did my first long run back in the Newton's, and that's when my plantar fascia went ballistic. The Newton's were getting at the end of their useful life. Also, I researched care of the PF, and found that a stiffer mid-foot sole was a good idea. The Newton's bend very easily in the middle, while the Kinvara's have more stiffness there. Both shoes are light weight (Kinvara 7.7 oz, Newton's 9.5 oz), and both have a low rise - toe to heel angle. So I stopped using the Newton's thinking they might not be a good idea for my PF. Now that it's better, I'm scared to go back, and also they are so much more expensive. I already had bought the Kinvara's a year ago, and was using them for treadmill and speed work anyway. Off to swim now.
OK...I have been playing, but since I have not run even 5 days in a row in many, many years, I wanted to make sure the body would not break down and Make me suffer the public humiliation of another failed challenge. But, having now actually run 8 days in a row (started on 11/30, but will not count that) I am now looking for some support to make sure I keep going. Have done the following: 12/1 - 4.03 miles on mill in 34:02 12/2 - 3.88 miles in hotel parking lot in 35.29 (very boring but better than the mill) 12/3 - 3.56 " in 30:02 12/4 - 3.65 " in 30:03 12/5 - 4.01 miles back on the mill in 33:18 12/6 - 4.13 miles on mill in 32:15 with mile 3 @ 7:30 and 4 @ 7:15 12/7 - 4.14 miles on mill in 33:04 with 8 X 45" @ 10.0/1:15" @ 6.8
@Al- I am coming up on time to change out my Newton training shoes and was tinkering with the idea of changing to a different shoe. I have read the reviews on the Saucony Kinvara 2, so now with your experience I might have to look a little closer. One concern is the absence of carbon rubber on the sole, suspect that they will wear quickly. The Saucony's are $30 cheaper and I don't have to drive to Kent to get them. Fleet Feet in Bonney Lake carries them.
4.7 mi in 39:23; one stride and out, as my left quad seemed too sore.
@ Steve - I've had the Kinvara's for over 120 miles now, and they are not wearing ot at all. This is my second pair; the other lasted probably 350-400 miles. They've got some hard black stuff on the heels. They have a very wide base on the front and back of the sole, as if to make up for the lack of any real heel rise. I'm also going to look at their ProGrid 4A, 6.5 oz racing flat, which Pete Jacobs wore at Kona (fastest run split).
Nice work all. I've been running, but stuck indoors on the tmill, mostly due to rain. Not a fan of the wet stuff when it's pitch black out. runs 6, 7, and 8 were 3 miles, 4 miles and 4 miles all at z1 pace ~10:00 miles. Looking forward to getting back outside.
I'm still in as well. 8 runs for 8 days for me. Like Dominic, mostly on the treadmill as we have had snowstorms and single digit temps. My knee has been a little flared since IMAZ, but it usually only hurts for the first 1/2 mile of my run.
I am making the switch TO Newtons right now. I did it hoping it would help out this nagging knee pain. I've been doing the switch gradually and so far...so good. We'll see.
Day 9 ... 6.16 miles in 53:30 with an avg pace of 8:40/mile. Did three 30 second strides at the end. I figure that I am nearly 3 weeks out from IMAZ so a little speed work should probably come back into my workouts. Also added another short loop to the daily run to get my daily mileage over 6 miles. This will get me over 40 miles per week.
@Steph- glad you're still with us. I have some left knee pain for the first 1/2 mile or so as well, not bad enough to rest it but it lets me know it's still there.
@Dom- Rain is my favorite, as long as the temp stays over about 35*. My best runs are at 4:30am in the rain, just me and my headlamp.
@Al- 400 miles is commendable, I would be perfectly happy to get that out of shoes. My Newtons start to hurt my feet at about 350 miles.
12/8 ran 4.02 miles in 33:01. Again on the mill. Will run on the mill again today and tomorrow get to enjoy the start of our "Frostbite Series" with a 12k. I think Matt S is doing it as well.
I am also running in Kinvaras and have had no issues with wear.
Today, I swam a mile and went to the weight room for 35 minutes. So while at the gym, I threw down 4.2 miles in 37:00 on the treadmill, 4 strides included at the end.
9 for 9. 4.5 miles on 12/9 in 40:28 for a 9min/mile average. With lower mileage than most here, I've been pushing the pace outside. Still looking to get the mileage up to closer to an hour per day. Next week I'll shoot for at least three 1 hour runs.
@Steve - no way I'd run in 35 degree, rainy weather. Not only just cold, but the drivers in my area don't seem to care for runners and cyclists late at night. I am becominig a flashing light placement expert and reflective vest wearing fool on the clear nights however. It's amazing how well blinking lights work at night at getting drivers to create space.
Day 10... 10 miles in 1:21:49 with an avg pace of 8:10/ mile. 26 degrees out but clear. Big time negative split, did the first half of the run in 43 minutes and the second half in 38 minutes. The last mile at a 6:52/mile pace. Probably could have gone faster but was running with my dog and her threshold pace is about 7:00/mile so I was kind of dragging her along for a little over a mile.
I was going to start swimming this week but found out my pool is closing for a week next week so I will start to swim the week after Christmas.
I'm still trudging along @ my LRP: 5 miles in 43:20. Of course, the extra five pounds of clothes I wore to ward off the chill may have been a factor. I'm watching the Kona broadcast today with the tri club in Tacoma, then I'll swim afterwards.
Day 11 ... 6.28 miles in 53:40 with an avg. pace of 8:33/mile. Legs were a bit stiff from yesterdays harder than usual "long" run. Accumulated miles: 58.38
3.5 mi in 28:30, after 2000 yard swim. 26.6 miles for the week, up from 18.5 the week before. I'm worried about increasing mileage too quickly and exacerbating the plantar fascia and quad tenderness. I'm also healing a rotator cuff soreness in the pool. So easy does it for the next 2-3 weeks for me, then after Christmas, I hit the OS running (so to speak).
As planned, Friday did 4 miles on mill in 34 w/ 5 30" strides. Got in the pool for the first swim since my bike crash and boy do the noodles that hang off my shoulders feel weak. Still some impingement and the doc has me starting therapy for RC issues. Saturday did 1 mile w/u and 1 mile cool down surrounding a local 12k in 54:22. Not bad for no real training other than this challenge since the accident. Sunday ran 4 miles in 32:07 in the park. 11 days in December must be an alltime record for me!
Dat 12...3 miles in 24:45 with n avg pace of 8:15/mile. This week will be runs of shorter duration as I am getting to run the Santa Run 5K for my OS Vdot test. The pounding on my legs these last couple of weeks will have a negative effect on my race if I don't tone it down a bit prior to saturday.
Runs 10 and 11 done over the weekend as well. Went slightly longer on Saturday (6.48 miles in 57:52, 8:56 avg) and a quick 3.45 in 31:54 last night (9:14 avg). With a vDot around 40-41, my LRP should be 10min/mile +, but I find that 9-9:15/mile pace is very comfortable for me. With the shorter distances, fatigue has not been a problem. I have also noticed that when it gets in the mid-20's in temp it's pretty darn cold to run in shorts. Might have to invest in some running pants soon! Weekly mileage is currently 30 miles and I'll continue to try to bump that up slightly.
3.65 in 30:46 @ the college track before work, frosty surface and 28F. My heel's been hurting all day, worse than anytime in the past 2 months. I'll see what tomorrow brings after my swim.
Not sure what the problem but cannot put any weight on my right big toe. So I will have to bow out of the 30 day run challenge. It's not worth screwing something up before OS just to finish a an arbitrary challenge.
Day 12 of 30 on the treadmill last night with 25 degree temps last night. 4.3 miles in 45 min for 10:28 average pace. I'm fighting a new chest cold and I'm starting to feel some fatigue from the daily runs. Took about 20 minutes to "warm up" during my run, but I can't replicate the same feeling or pace on the treadmill that I get out on the road. My theory about the slow pace on the treadmill is that the deck spring is set too soft. I'll stiffen it up tonight and see if that makes a difference. As soon as this cough clears up I'll be back outside though.
@Steve - sorry to see you bow out, but it's probably the right move to heal up especially since you have a big year planned.
Huge breakthrough run for me on Saturday with 10-miles in 1:16:09. This used to be my race pace for this distance, now its Zone 2. Definitely could have gone a lot longer without having to slow down. Back on the treadmill yesterday for an easy 5-mile run to practice cadence.
All RIGHT, KEVIN! Really, 7:30 miles for 10 miles? Bodes well for the upcoming race season.
I'm heading out now to test my right ankle/foot. If things hurt as much later today as they did yesterday, then I think I'll join Steve on the shelf. Otherwise, I'll keep at it with the minimum 30 minutes a day as long as the foot feels like it's getting better. I already swam a mile this AM, and pushing off the wall was no problem, so here's hoping ...
OK, even tho I ran 3.5 miles in 30 minutes, my right foot/ankle/PF are telling me I must shut it down for a while. Everything was slowly improving over the past two months, but after (not during) yesterday's run on a track, and during today's run on soft surface, things felt as bad as they did before I took a week off in October. So I will not run again until (a) things feel healed and (b) my doc, whom I'm scheduled to see tomorrow, gives me a green light again.
Comments
4.7 mi in 39:10, then 0.7 mi/7:20 for 5 strides. While I am doing the runs in Z1, I am adding strides at the end of most runs to ease the transition into the OS runs. Strides, of course, only last about 30 seconds each, and come with a full rest in between. The max amount of non Z1 work time I will have should be 3-5 minutes. I'm only planning on 30-45 minutes/day, and don't know yet if I will do any "long" runs (8 miles) or not. I'm also swimming 5-6 days a week, about 2.2 km per day. No biking yet since IM AZ, which is a first for me.
@Al- why the change from Newtons to Saucony's?
12/1 - 4.03 miles on mill in 34:02
12/2 - 3.88 miles in hotel parking lot in 35.29 (very boring but better than the mill)
12/3 - 3.56 " in 30:02
12/4 - 3.65 " in 30:03
12/5 - 4.01 miles back on the mill in 33:18
12/6 - 4.13 miles on mill in 32:15 with mile 3 @ 7:30 and 4 @ 7:15
12/7 - 4.14 miles on mill in 33:04 with 8 X 45" @ 10.0/1:15" @ 6.8
@Al- I am coming up on time to change out my Newton training shoes and was tinkering with the idea of changing to a different shoe. I have read the reviews on the Saucony Kinvara 2, so now with your experience I might have to look a little closer. One concern is the absence of carbon rubber on the sole, suspect that they will wear quickly. The Saucony's are $30 cheaper and I don't have to drive to Kent to get them. Fleet Feet in Bonney Lake carries them.
@David- Welcome to our little challenge.
4.7 mi in 39:23; one stride and out, as my left quad seemed too sore.
@ Steve - I've had the Kinvara's for over 120 miles now, and they are not wearing ot at all. This is my second pair; the other lasted probably 350-400 miles. They've got some hard black stuff on the heels. They have a very wide base on the front and back of the sole, as if to make up for the lack of any real heel rise. I'm also going to look at their ProGrid 4A, 6.5 oz racing flat, which Pete Jacobs wore at Kona (fastest run split).
I am making the switch TO Newtons right now. I did it hoping it would help out this nagging knee pain. I've been doing the switch gradually and so far...so good. We'll see.
Day 9 ... 6.16 miles in 53:30 with an avg pace of 8:40/mile. Did three 30 second strides at the end. I figure that I am nearly 3 weeks out from IMAZ so a little speed work should probably come back into my workouts. Also added another short loop to the daily run to get my daily mileage over 6 miles. This will get me over 40 miles per week.
@Steph- glad you're still with us. I have some left knee pain for the first 1/2 mile or so as well, not bad enough to rest it but it lets me know it's still there.
@Dom- Rain is my favorite, as long as the temp stays over about 35*. My best runs are at 4:30am in the rain, just me and my headlamp.
@Al- 400 miles is commendable, I would be perfectly happy to get that out of shoes. My Newtons start to hurt my feet at about 350 miles.
I am also running in Kinvaras and have had no issues with wear.
Today, I swam a mile and went to the weight room for 35 minutes. So while at the gym, I threw down 4.2 miles in 37:00 on the treadmill, 4 strides included at the end.
9 for 9. 4.5 miles on 12/9 in 40:28 for a 9min/mile average. With lower mileage than most here, I've been pushing the pace outside. Still looking to get the mileage up to closer to an hour per day. Next week I'll shoot for at least three 1 hour runs.
@Steve - no way I'd run in 35 degree, rainy weather. Not only just cold, but the drivers in my area don't seem to care for runners and cyclists late at night. I am becominig a flashing light placement expert and reflective vest wearing fool on the clear nights however. It's amazing how well blinking lights work at night at getting drivers to create space.
Keep up the good work all!!
I was going to start swimming this week but found out my pool is closing for a week next week so I will start to swim the week after Christmas.
I'm still trudging along @ my LRP: 5 miles in 43:20. Of course, the extra five pounds of clothes I wore to ward off the chill may have been a factor. I'm watching the Kona broadcast today with the tri club in Tacoma, then I'll swim afterwards.
Runs 10 and 11 done over the weekend as well. Went slightly longer on Saturday (6.48 miles in 57:52, 8:56 avg) and a quick 3.45 in 31:54 last night (9:14 avg). With a vDot around 40-41, my LRP should be 10min/mile +, but I find that 9-9:15/mile pace is very comfortable for me. With the shorter distances, fatigue has not been a problem. I have also noticed that when it gets in the mid-20's in temp it's pretty darn cold to run in shorts. Might have to invest in some running pants soon! Weekly mileage is currently 30 miles and I'll continue to try to bump that up slightly.
@Steve - sorry to see you bow out, but it's probably the right move to heal up especially since you have a big year planned.
All RIGHT, KEVIN! Really, 7:30 miles for 10 miles? Bodes well for the upcoming race season.
I'm heading out now to test my right ankle/foot. If things hurt as much later today as they did yesterday, then I think I'll join Steve on the shelf. Otherwise, I'll keep at it with the minimum 30 minutes a day as long as the foot feels like it's getting better. I already swam a mile this AM, and pushing off the wall was no problem, so here's hoping ...
OK, even tho I ran 3.5 miles in 30 minutes, my right foot/ankle/PF are telling me I must shut it down for a while. Everything was slowly improving over the past two months, but after (not during) yesterday's run on a track, and during today's run on soft surface, things felt as bad as they did before I took a week off in October. So I will not run again until (a) things feel healed and (b) my doc, whom I'm scheduled to see tomorrow, gives me a green light again.