NOS Week 8 Run Tests
So I kicked off my week with a run test at the local 5k, aptly entitled Beat Santa. If you can beat Mr and Mrs Claus you get to pick a price. There were probably 400-500 folks there...weather was windy and the temp was about 32-degrees Farenheight.
First mile is quick and I find myself in 3th place...after many turns mile one comes through at 5:43 pace. We move inland for a while and loop by the finish/start area...it's here I move into second place as we climb a bit up into the wind for a 5:53 second mile. I see first place coming back at the out/back and there's no way I am catching that guy.....I pick it up and start flying as hard as I can. Mile three is 5:44. I kick through the finish to see I went 17:44. That's another 1/3 of a vDOT point and a nice improvement from a flatter 18:09 I had run a few weeks ago.
vDOT = 57.31
Time to rest for that bike test...good luck you TURKEYS!!!!
Comments
Nice work Coach P!!!
I am going to test on the track this time, and will need some team mojo to get me sub-19:45.....
@ ;Coach P - First it was the 10k race and now the 5K. You know that you are getting to the pointy end when you are counting 1/3 of a vdot point.
@Jeff - Don't worry about your old 5k time focus on the improvement from week 1 vdot. Nice job getting it done.
Gordon
Coach - on a way off course side note - i'd like to commend you/Rich for this team/company/group/organization concept or whatever you call it - it's really an amazing thing how you harness all the members energy/knowledge and turn us into stakeholders - really makes us feel like we have some skin in the game - Great business model - i run a small company and we make "widgets" - i often talk to new employees about the strength of a company resides in the software (people) not the hardware (machines) - anyone can buy machines and make things but the most successful companies are a result of the people that run the machines/organization
Wishing you and your families a Joyous Holiday season and a prosperous New Year
sorry for the rambling - usually i'm the quiet reserved type - must have caught me @ weak moment
Jeff
I've been a day early this week so I did my run test today. Wasn't quite sure if the weather would hold here in chicago but the weather stayed just south of the city and apart from a few drizzles and a slight southeastern wind, the 40 degrees and darkness made for a fun run at 6pm this evening. I was hurting at the end and had a nice slow walk/jog for the mile to get back home. Same course as the previous run test however the weather was much cooler and it was night instead of daytime. Overall felt good, forgot to change the autolap setting on the garmin so I wasn't getting the data as I expected. This was a blessing and curse - I ended up running harder/based on how I felt which resulted in a little faster initial mile (6:44) and then settled into 7:05 and 7:02 for the miles 2 and 3. I guess the first mile and the last 0.1 was quick enough to bring me below 7min/miles....a first for me. Two tests complete this week, two improvements.
Results:
Week 1 OS 5k 22:00 (7:05 min/mile) Avg HR 163 for a Vdot of 44.42
Week 8 OS 5k 21:28 (6:55 min/mile) Avg HR 170 for a Vdot of 45.72
Question with interpreting the HR: is the increase in HR a good/bad/indifferent feature of this test?
Team- Thanks for creating accountability, I am definitely seeing the impact of consistent work! Good luck with your run test this week.
Mile 1: 6:44
Mile 2: 6:51
Mile .34: 6:52
About halfway through mile 3 (I count steps, so I know pretty much dead on where I was), I checked my watch and it was dead. No idea what's going on, because it was fresh out of the cradle this morning. Almost stopped and gave up, but instead just kept going since I knew exactly where the 3.1 mile mark was. Held the pace as best I could and tried to pick it up for the last 1/2 mile. Punched the on button not he watch one more time around 2.8, and it came on briefly and said I was running 6:44, so I feel like I probably held my pace reasonably well. I'm calling it a 21:10, so a good 30 second improvement , and 1.5 pts. of VDOT.
Anyone got any suggestions for fixing the dang watch!
Disappointing test for me today. Tested on the tm in the basement because I had to run at dark o'clock before the kids got up. I've realized I'm a lazy treadmill runner. My paces always seem to be faster and feel easier outdoors. Anyway, I made a whopping one second improvement.... 21:53 down to 21:52.... giving me 7:03 average pace. Splits were pretty even. I started at 7:10 pace, and then held close to a 7:00 pace for the duration (with a push into the high-6 range for the last .10). I did try to bump under 7 a few times, but it wasn't there. I might try to test again if I get a clear day outdoors. My run is kind of frustrating me these days....
good work everyone
got the run test done this morning and man did i feel like shit.
VDOT bump another point to 30 here are the deets:
11/2 5K = 33:07 for VDOT of 27
11/24 T-day 5K = 31:15 for VDOT of 29
12/21 5K = 30:51 for VDOT of 30
still running kneed pain free (knock on wood). Went out too hard i first mile with the first quarter over a minute per mile too fast. Legs still feeling the effects of the bike FTP test on Monday.
Now comes VO@ fun for all.
Nice work everyone.
@Jenn - if conditions allow, try getting outside. The TM can let you cruise a bit. And as the VO2 block progresses, you will start to feel much fatigue in your legs.
So I tested at the track near work so that the walkers and their dogs could be my witnesses. Packed all my gear, except my shoes!!! Wore an old pair of beefed-up, heavy, worn out Mizunos from my pre-minimalist days. Good thing I had my gym bag in the car. I bit slower than I was hoping for, but can't complain too much. My km splits:
1- 4:01; 2- 4:01; 3- 4:05; 4- 4:06; 5- 4:04
20:17 - gains are gains. I REALLY want to go sub-20!!
Strong work all! Some with improvement here while others holding the line there. Keep in perspective that it is tough to raise both vDOT and FTP at the same time.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135666004
for the second time…… 
34 degrees F and light wind for this morning’s run TT.
Flat to last test basically. I felt like it was a bit tough to warm up properly in these temps. At mile 1.9 of the warm up I had to find a bathroom
Good work everyone, it's a hard week to do this test with the holidays and the weather. Keep it strong!
I'm visiting my folks, but did the test at a local high school track. It was surrounded by a tall fence with barbed wire and just one gate open. During my run I saw a guy over at the gate and was hoping he wasn't the janitor locking me in! I didn't want to stop though. Luckily I was not locked in when I finished.
I'm happy with my test. My previous was 27:11, and I was pretty sure I could go 26:30 or better, so I set the timer on my watch to repeat at 2:07:30 increments, which would put me at an 8;30 pace for a 26:30. I held the first mile to this pace, then figured I'd pick it up slightly if I felt like I could.
Results:
Mile 1: 8:26
Mile 2: 8:24
Mile 3: 8:12
.1: :54
for 25:59! Breaking 26:00 was fun, and taking over a minute off. New VDOT: 36.6
My first test was on 11/2 and I did 5k in 22:10 on a course with some decent hills for a VDOT of 44.
Today I did the test on the TM. 5k in 19:14 with an avg HR of 178 for a VDOT of 52.2.
I realize a good chunk of the improvement is a result of testing on the treadmill but I've been nailing the workouts and I definitely feel faster!
I think following your resting HR, noting how long your HR takes to recover after intervals, etc. is more useful. If you see a trend that has you concerned then post something in the forums and some of the WSM's will chime in.
That said - time for me to go do my test - details shortly...
Last week: 8:08, 7:50, 7:38
This week: 7:32, 7:28, 7:38 (left leg still tired from the bike test)
So lot's of progress, but I still have a ways to go to catch up with Jenn. Her times are my target benchmark for success.
@ Jeff-
Thanks, I'm not too worried about HR overall, resting is dropping nicely and my HR drops very quickly during the rest intervals, waiting for stoplights while running, at the end of the workout etc. I'll keep watching and pondering and might post in the main forums as well.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135970612
Did my 5k test yesterday, after spending 3 hours iceskating with my 3 boys. Strange .... no issues with my limbs today ...
I took the same trail than the first test and beat my former self by 50sec, so VDOT is now 43 (2 points up), and like on the bike test my avgHR went down 5 beats 171.
Pacing felt perfect, the course is a slightly uphil and windy between meter 2000 and 4000, but I was "flying" the last 1k and had nothing left at the "finish line", merely made it the car.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/135990744
That makes a now an improvement of 5% on pace and 3% on "HR", which are nearly the same like the bike from Monday.
Happy chrismas to you all!