Week 9 Run
OK, I'll kick this off...
The kids and DW are on winter break so I decided to do my Wednesday run this morning at the local HS track instead of my usual after work time. Cold and dark when I got going but once I warmed up not so bad.
As for the intervals, much like the 30/30s on the bike yesterday, this workout didn't feel as hard as the 3x1 and 2x2 threshold workouts. It was definitely fun to do short and "fast" reps and really focus on form and leg turnover. All my 200s came in the 47-49 second range and my 400s were in the 1:32-1:35 range -- which were all right about my 6:12 Z5 pace. I even added an extra 400 because I was feeling pretty good and had the time. Definitely nice change of pace. It'll be interesting to see how my legs recover and adapt (especially for tomorrow morning's bike workout).
One question...the plan says "full recoveries" between reps. Does that mean you take the same length of time to recover as it took you to do the rep or same distance? That is, if I did a 400 in 1:30 do I recover for 1:30 or recover for 400 meters?
Comments
full recovery is at least the time it took for you to complete the segment, more if needed. don't sweat an extra minute here or there. if you really want to stick to the time part so say 1:30 on/1:30 off and are struggling to hit the "on's", you can always walk your off's and then jog back up to speed to kick off the next on.
modified mine a little on the fly this morning. work treadmill is a little on the fritz so the display is stuck on distance. instead of playing rain man with the 200's and 400's I just did 6x400 and used my watch for time. early a.m. = keep it simple.
all 6 at 7:13 pace with 80 seconds recovery in between. felt great! finished up the run with 15' at MP for a total of 5 and change in 45 min.
Apparently, I'm illiterate, because during the very last interval this morning, I realized that I'd been doing 400's when I was supposed to do 200's, and 800's when I was supposed to do 400's. So I guess that I got double the work in (not smart), but feel OK. I'll be doing some extra stretching / rolling pretty much all day now.
7.5 mi, with 2.75 over threshold.
OCD and illiteracy are a dangerous combination...
Mike
Super treadmill workout this morning with my friend Rich and my husband. Hit the paces, not much else to say.
Wishing great runs for everyone!
Work: n/a
rTSS: 3.3 (1.102)
NGP: 5:51 (274.9 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: -1.33%
Distance: 0.242 m
Work: n/a
rTSS: 3.6 (1.184)
NGP: 5:27 (295.4 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: 0.76%
Distance: 0.248 mi
Work: n/a
rTSS: 8.7 (0.993)
NGP: 6:30 (247.8 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: -0.84%
Distance: 0.738 mi
Work: n/a
rTSS: 11 (0.969)
NGP: 6:40 (241.7 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: -2.08%
Distance: 0.985 mi
Work: n/a
rTSS: 10.2 (0.943)
NGP: 6:51 (235.2 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: -0.62%
Distance: 0.959 mi
Duration: 1:42:39
Work: n/a
rTSS: 94.2 (0.729)
NGP: 8:51 (181.7 m/min)
VI: n/a
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: 15.19%
Distance: 9.996 mi
Elevation Gain: 1224 ft
Elevation Loss: 1235 ft
Grade: -0.0 % (-11 ft)
Min Max Avg
Heart Rate: 68 174 142 bpm
Speed: 5:20 0:00 9:12 min/mi
@ Chris - like Leigh said recovery is whatever it takes to nail the next interval, walk, jog, puke, whatever.
@ Leigh - Nice to see all your running training for Dallas spilling over.
@ Mike G - After reading your Day 6 challenge post, I was wondering if I read the intervals wrong and did less. Glad to see you made the overage mistake and I didn't do less. I messed these up all the time last year.
@ Linda - Another nugget I gleaned from you treadmill training with Rich last year, 'the first mile is a throw away.' Keep 'em coming for this year.
Dave
Am i reading the plan right?
Intermediate 2 x 200 + 2 x 400 + 2 x 200 + 6 recovery periods.
Do we need to fill in the rest of the hour with z3 work?
Robert, the total time of the workout is not cast in stone. It's a rough estimate. For me, I did a 20' warmup somewhere between MP and EP, then the intervals which totaled about 20' then I tried my best to run for another 15' so I could get an hour in for the run challenge. If the challenge wasn't going on, I would have cooled down for 5' and called it quits.
I had nothing close to zone 3 left in my legs after the intervals. It was more like EP + 5 seconds
Dave
Will do!
For those who missed this nugget, my friend Rich really helped me relearn the benefit/importance of a real warm-up. Rich was a sub-2:20 marathoner at his prime. This year at age 59, he's going for sub-2:50 and an intermediate step to shooting for a podium spot in Boston next year at age 60. (Guy looks like he's in his 40s, I swear.) I've known him for years, but we started running intervals "together" last year on the treadmill. He does whatever I tell him I'm doing in the EN workout--but just goes about 2x as far as I do.
Anywho...when we first started running together I noticed he warmed up like a turtle. For a guy who can run at speeds he does, he does THE WHOLE FIRST MILE at about 6.0-6.3-or ~10' mile--same pace I was running! Then he starts cranking it up with short bursts for about a 15' total w/u. He explained to me that his first mile is always, always, a "throw away." He never short changes it. When he ran with his group of guys in the heydays--say a hammer fest for 20 miles--he would be sure to show up early and slog jog ~a mile before the group pummeling began.
It's changed a lot for me. Taking the time to warm up EZ, then crank it up has made the workouts more enjoyable, and, I swear, easier to hit the paces. For what it's worth, I pass the pearl along again.
@Dave - thanks for the info dave.
@ LInda - thanks for sharing that with us, I always cut the warmup short, probably because I've never had a plan for one before.
Ok, 1st OS question here. On these shorter interval runs, do you just hammer whatever you can hold, or do you try and follow a pace guideline? I'm usually able to hold the short runs at a faster pace than my z5 mile pace.
These treadmill workouts are harsh, not just the running in place but the heat, and the number of people who, everytime, point out that my face is red. I ran for 1 hour, but I walked my recoveries. My first time doing these Z5 intervals, at first I thought that the treadmill was going too fast and I was going to loose it, but after a few steps it was not bad, it just sounded really fast. Hard to imagine that this is my 5K pace, these are tough to hold for 1/4 mile!
Interval workout on Wednesday was really cool. Running along Ocean Blvd in Santa Monica and finished up with a couple sets of stairs on Entrada. Like the weather there. This morning was the Hangover Handicap 5 Miler. Did the 5 miles 2,3 and 5 at TP. Amazing for me was running along with some buddies at what was tough pace for them just having a conversation. This OS stuff really works! They think I am nuts for all the stuff I am doing, but will realize the payoff come June 27th at IMCDA!!
Couldn't beleive it that the legs felt all perky and ready to go this morning after yesterdays workout. Everything just felt easy today. The warmup pace felt stupid slow but I stayed disciplined and kept at pace, then the 2X1.5mile (1mile easy between) felt like easy to hold pace and this is with the newly adjusted Vdot. Don't know really where that came from but I'll take it when I have these days.
It has really seemed to be a roller coaster for me this OS. I'll have a day when it seems I have to give it everything I have to maintain pace, then the next it will almost seem easy to hit the paces.
Good runs to all (espacially those in the frigid cold Northwest)
So glad I read Trent's post before I left for the gym! Yep, I was feeling ready, so decided not to doubt it. Had a great run. Channeled Trent a bit at the end--I swear the last 2/100ths took an hour. That's right, 2/100ths, not 2/10ths.
Int. peeps had 1x .5 mile; 1 x 1 mile, and 1 x 1.5 with 1 mile EZ between. Did it all. Did it all at TP pace. Played with negative splitting the reps; some incline up and down--anything to add some variety. It flew by. There were times when I just wanted to blast the speed to get the distance to tick over faster, but I kept telling myself "don't booger the workouts downstream..."
After last week's testing and nailing the workouts this week I am feeling pretty darn good about all this! Another great OS going down!!!!
Another cool thing--my friend Brian is a trainer for the the Celtics, and my gym is the Celts practice gym. Ran into Brian this morning, and he showed me where their top-'o-the-line Woodway treadmill is stashed. He said it was OK to use it. I LOVE the Woodway's in the gym, but this...it was like running on pine needles. Incredible. Surely, not in my budget.
Way to smack it, LP.
I ran on the Woodway today too. They're nice but was wasted on me. I struggled. Got the tp intervals done, jogged in between but not a full mile. Figured that feeling shot I should just get the intervals done and call it a draw.
Yesterday's bike wko was borderline as well. Hoping to bounce it back up by Tuesday.
What does amaze me is how great I felt after the run was over. As I walked back to the house with sweat streaming down my face, I felt absolutely invincible! My energy level really climbs off the charts after these interval runs vs. after the plodding steady runs where I just want to be finished.
That's great to read, Al. No matter what, no matter how it goes, I always take something positive away from every workout. It ends up building drive and focus in the long run!
Tough day for me today. Woke up and it was dark and 15 degrees with 40-50mph wind gusts so that made my decision pretty easy. Off to the gym for a dreadmill session. And, as usual when I'm on the treadmill, I had a really hard time holding Z4 pace for the intervals. For some reason it's just really tough for me mentally. Took a nice easy 15 minute warm-up and then did some strides but when I set the speed to my Z4 pace it felt like my legs could barely keep up with the belt. Just made it through the first rep. For the second one I could only make 1 mile before bailing. Then I did 4x400s at Z4 to make up the final half mile. So I got the work done in chunks but felt a bit bummed I couldn't do the full distance. My legs actually felt OK after yesterday's killer workout on the bike. I think the treadmill is just psychological for me.
But man...give me outdoor intervals any day!
-Chris
Monday it is back to the plan.