Running/Cycling Thread - 2016 Style! - Page 6
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micronesia
United States24340 Posts
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L_Master
United States7946 Posts
Day 1 was a 7.9 mile TT over reasonably flat, but slightly rolling terrain. These days are never great for me because I'm poor and don't have the right bike, equipment, fancy wheels, etc. to go fast. And even on my rode bike my position is not aero. Warming up I felt not too bad, which lulled me into going out pretty aggressive, even by my pre-illness goal. Didn't plan out, and while I didn't explode, I faded pretty hard over the second quarter, then pretty much stayed there for the last half. Ended up averaging 304w which wasn't a pitiul showing, but was slightly subpar compared to earlier efforts and definitely subpar to what I've started to feel capable of last couple weeks. Field was pretty strong, and this left me 12/20 on the day. Day 2 - This was an out and back circuit repeated 3 times for a total of like 21 miles. Basically a short flat/gentle uphill, decently steep downhill, a 1 mile climb that start steep and gradually flattens, another gentler downhill, and then a rise to the turnound, where you then go back the opposite direction of what I just described. Didn't get to warm up much so I didn't feel awesome about that. Started out easy till the first climb, where people went nuts. I quickly realized I was on a good day as despite the torrid pace I was easily able to move right up through the field up to the very front as half the guys in the field were already shelled. From there we gradually whittled down to a group of 6 guys that had the strength to keep up, with 2 being big build guys that were really fast on flats but struggled up the hills. Pretty uneventful till the return trip of the last lap, and with the legs I had everything had felt nice and controlled all day. I felt I had the legs to win if I played things right, but definitely didn't want to leave it down to a sprint. One other guy in the group I had marked as seeming pretty comfortable and good on the climbs, so I was keeping on eye on him as well. My plan was basically to jump hard halfway up the last short 2' hill where it was steepest and things would begin to hurt, and then try to hold it across the last 1500m or so of flat/downhill to the finish. Right before I was ready to go the guy I had been curious about made has move as well, having the same idea in mind. I reacted immediately, but he had got the jump and with his momentum had 6 or 7 seconds on me. He had been attacking viciously, so I planned to just power hard up to him as he gradually died down. Unfortunately, he was stronger than I realized and I basically just held the gap to him at around 5s or so, but had a good 10s or slightly larger gap back to the 4 chasers. Equally unfortunately I had put a ton into catching him, and was now hurting bad myself. The guy in front of me was clearly stronger one up, and if anything he began to increase his gap on the flat. I tried pretty hard to close it, but was gradually dying off, dropping down from 400w to 300w over the last bit. Which wasn't enough with the two big engines in the chase behind me working together they came roaring past me with about 100m to the line, and sprinted amongst themselves for 2-5. The guy in front of me just held on for the win by about two seconds. While it wasn't a bad performance, this day disappointed me a little because I had the legs for better. In hindsight, I should have gone super viscous sprinted, rather than gone hard, get on the wheel of the eventual winner, as that would have dragged me to second, with possible chance for recovery to sprint around him at the end and contest the stage win. A classic case of how important tactics are in cycling. Day 3 - Today was the big one. It's features the outbound portion of yesterdays circuit, a long fast downhill, a rolling but relatively flat few miles with several turns, then a steepish 2-3' hill of 7%, followed by a fast downhill run into a gradual climb that kicks up dramatically with about 700m to go at over 10% at the line. Didn't feel good warming up, but did get in a good warm up. Race started and as expected thing were chill towards the the first time up the steep hill (called 'the wall'). Up the wall everybody started going pretty hard, but I felt okay. Not as good as yesterday, but I wasn't on a terrible day as I was slightly concerned I might be while warming up. Race was pretty relaxed all the way around the first lap, though on the steep downhill I had a panic moment where I came unhitched on the downhill due to grabbing a little too much brake, and because I run a gearing more for mountains, didn't have the same gear to pedal up to speed as most of the group, and could only watch as the gap grew to about 5s by the time we turned onto the rolling road. Fortunately, everybody basically just sat up and chilled at that point or it could have been trouble for me. Made it back on after sprinting like a mofo for 30 seconds or so. Second trip up the wall (start of second/final lap) and things really started to heat up. We went hard up the wall, but unlike last time guys were sensing blood and instead of softpedalling at the top kept the hammer DOWN. I latched on, and just like that the group was whittled down to about 11 guys of the 50 that had started. We hit the big climb from yesterdays race and continued the rlentless pace, which shelled another 5 to bring the selection down to 6. Knowing some guys would catch back on if he relaxed we kept the hammer down and started pulling through nicely, keeping the pace absolutely sky high all the way onto the steep downhill. So high in fact I was in severe danger of coming unhitched several times. Through the flatter section we kept rotating, but with less urgency, especially as people were aware that we had a good lead now over any pursuers and that there were two steep hills left. Coming into the first of those steep hills, I made a mistake of being at the back of the 6 coming out of the right hander onto the base of the hill, and had to sprint back on. Shortly after, yesterdays winner made another viscious attack on the penultimate hill. I tried to follow, but after about 30 seconds, I cracked and watched him and two others go back up the road. Knowing I had no chance on my own, I waited briefly for the other two from our six that had been found wanting to catch up, and then took a a big time pull to get us over the climb, and then flicked the elbow and pulled off for the other guys to work. One of those guys obliged, and I was curious if we had a chance as I had pulled back a few seconds and figured the lead three might start to cat and mouse to save up for the climb up the wall to the finish. Unfortunately, the guy that did pull (stage 1 TT winner) was just too gassed to really do anything crazy, and the gap didn't come down at all as we went through the roundabout and on to the gradual ramp to the wall. I just sat on at this point, and when the road started to pick up, went with an attack and powered as hard as I could to the line. I had more than expected left, and easily gapped the two other guys I was with to nab the fourth spot. Disappointed to have missed out on the podium today, but it was a good effort none the less. I think I was largely beaten by guys better than me today, but didn't do myself favors having to sprint back on seconds before the decisive attack came. Had I been able to follow, I might have grabbed third, but second place guy finished notably faster than I did, and the winner (same guy as yesterday) absolutely flew, nabbing a top 10 on the segment all time. There was no way I, or anyone else was touching him, and it's especially ridiculously because he basically sat at the front pulling all of the first lap and easily did over 50% of the pulling over our second lap as well. Then still had enough to get a top ten on a race finishing strava segment. Of course, it turns out that he is apparently a Norwegian national team nordic skiier so that does explain it... Today's 4th also got me fourth in the overall stage race, which might well have been 2nd if I had any sort of TT equipment. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now it's time for the summer hill climb season, and to really get to work getting lighter which hopefully won't be derailed this time by illness on end. Being right up there in the hunt for wins is encouraging for what I can do when I'm significantly lighter. | ||
Bonham
Canada655 Posts
R.e. TT gear, is there any way to get it on the cheap? E.g. I get some free shoes, free entry in most races, and discount attire through a local running chain because my coach works there, and I'm a long way from a pro-level runner. | ||
Bonham
Canada655 Posts
http://racedaytiming.ca/results/2016BanffMarathon21K#.V2h0KpMrKHp NoNy, did you win this race? For myself, I'm getting ready for the Scotiabank half in Vancouver this coming Sunday. I feel pretty fit and it's a very fast course, so if the weather cooperates I should have a good chance at a solid PB. Wish me luck! | ||
L_Master
United States7946 Posts
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mtmentat
United States142 Posts
Congrats to NoNy, that's awesome! Good news: As of 6/1 I am a father, with a little gal whose huge feet and often frantic flailings are a sure sign of future running ability. Surprising news: I can still run once in a while! Lunch runs, have to force myself out the door and get over the "I'm sleepy and it's hot" barriers, but I'm slowly getting back into a groove that gives me 3-4 runs per week. Only targeting Peach Festival 5k and the Rattlesnake Ramble 4 mile for the Fall = keeping running fun. When the weather turns cool, it'll be time to get my butt in gear and register/train properly for Boston 2017. | ||
Bonham
Canada655 Posts
On June 21 2016 13:51 L_Master wrote: So how about this Jama Aden news? Yeah! Biggest thing since BALCO bust, you reckon? If I were a betting man, I'd wager this will be bad news for him but none of the associated big names (Dibaba, Farah) will go down because they are like hot air balloons: too big to pop. Interesting times, though, for sure. I'm curious to know your thoughts on Farah. To me, his suspicious development curve (suddenly jumped from international also-ran to world beater at the ripe old age of 28) and proclivity for hanging out with suspicious coaches cements him as a doper. Whether he'll ever get tagged for anything is another matter. But I know you're a little less cynical than me so I'd like to know your thoughts on this. On June 22 2016 02:18 mtmentat wrote: 'Bout time this thread heated up again. Seriously, the heat last week here in CO was pretty bad for my poorly-timed midday runs. Congrats to NoNy, that's awesome! Good news: As of 6/1 I am a father, with a little gal whose huge feet and often frantic flailings are a sure sign of future running ability. Surprising news: I can still run once in a while! Lunch runs, have to force myself out the door and get over the "I'm sleepy and it's hot" barriers, but I'm slowly getting back into a groove that gives me 3-4 runs per week. Only targeting Peach Festival 5k and the Rattlesnake Ramble 4 mile for the Fall = keeping running fun. When the weather turns cool, it'll be time to get my butt in gear and register/train properly for Boston 2017. Hey, congrats! That's amazing. I hope mom is healthy and doing well. Is she (i.e. the baby) sleeping through the night yet? Also hooray for still running! | ||
NonY
8716 Posts
I'm going to run another half in 9 weeks, at Santa Rosa. It looks to be a pretty fast course so I'm hoping to chunk down my PR a lot there. I think sub 1:12 will be possible but I'll be happy with sub 1:15. Current PR 1:16:31. My friend will be attempting to qualify for Boston at that race and his coach is gonna be there running the half. His PR's are 1:01 and 2:13 and he thinks he will run around a 1:04. It'll be pretty cool to meet him and chat a bit. My race schedule now: Santa Rosa half marathon August 28, Big Sur half marathon November 13, Disneyland half marathon January 15. Really hoping for sub 1:10 in January. Bonham I'll be looking for your results tomorrow. Good luck! | ||
Bonham
Canada655 Posts
So I'm going to throw some text about the Sunday race in here. Disclaimer: things might get literary or something. Consider yourself warned. | ||
Jetaap
France4814 Posts
On June 28 2016 13:28 Bonham wrote: This space reserved for an epic race report. I write marketing material for a large corporation for a living, and I sometimes struggle to find the motivation to write if I'm not being paid. Samuel Johnson once said that no one but a fool ever wrote for free. But I rather relish these occasions that give me ample grist for the mill with no brand themes or key messages to consider. So I'm going to throw some text about the Sunday race in here. Disclaimer: things might get literary or something. Consider yourself warned. Looking forward to it! | ||
Faust852
Luxembourg4004 Posts
I didn't run at all for last month because of my exams, but I plan on running 5x/week for the the hollidays. I have a slow pace, something like 5:30 - 6min / km, and I run generally 5 to 8km. So my issue is that I recently got a fitbit to track my runs, and it says that I'm always at 165+ bpm, which is above the "cardio" line and into the "maximum" line. I had the same result on my gym treadmill. Isn't it like way too high ? My fitbit say my resting rate is 65 to 70 depending on the day. So what should I do ? reducing my pace ? Keep going ? Check a doctor ? | ||
ShoCkeyy
7814 Posts
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Half the Sky
Germany9029 Posts
On June 29 2016 02:57 ShoCkeyy wrote: I'm about to start running and my gf bought me some Nike Roshe One's, are these any good for running? There is a lot of reviews, but I want to hear other opinions too. Are you training for anything specific or are you looking to mix running with other types of exercise? If you are looking to build in multiple days of running, I would honestly consider going to a running store, checking your gait/stride as it's possible your shoe might not be giving you the support you need (esp if you have flat feet). During the course of 6-7 years of long-distance running (up to and including marathons) I've learnt there are also shoes out there that work better for shorter and intermediate distances (5-12 miles/12-20km) relatively speaking than others; there are some that I would recommend over others if you are aiming for marathon type distances. I can't comment on Nikes for running - I am not brand loyal here as models are constantly changing, brands I've owned throughout the years for distance running (10M, half and full marathons) have varied between Asics, Brooks, Mizuno, and Saucony. (edit: I have run tested at least two pairs of Nikes for my running team - wasn't a big fan of either personally, but I don't remember the specific model.) My go to marathon training shoe is the Brooks Ravenna, all the models I've had, the support has been great for me. | ||
ShoCkeyy
7814 Posts
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Bonham
Canada655 Posts
On June 29 2016 01:04 Faust852 wrote: Hey guys, I started running back in November last year, and I kept running till now. I didn't run at all for last month because of my exams, but I plan on running 5x/week for the the hollidays. I have a slow pace, something like 5:30 - 6min / km, and I run generally 5 to 8km. So my issue is that I recently got a fitbit to track my runs, and it says that I'm always at 165+ bpm, which is above the "cardio" line and into the "maximum" line. I had the same result on my gym treadmill. Isn't it like way too high ? My fitbit say my resting rate is 65 to 70 depending on the day. So what should I do ? reducing my pace ? Keep going ? Check a doctor ? When you're running and the fitbit says your heart is going so fast, how hard are you working? You have to really hammer to get your heart into the max zone. An easy jog effort should not max you out. According to the American Heart Association, 165bpm is in the target heart rate zone for people in their 20s. If you're a little older it might be worth checking in with a doctor, but for the average TL forum denizen 165 is not cause for alarm. | ||
Faust852
Luxembourg4004 Posts
On June 29 2016 05:37 Bonham wrote: When you're running and the fitbit says your heart is going so fast, how hard are you working? You have to really hammer to get your heart into the max zone. An easy jog effort should not max you out. According to the American Heart Association, 165bpm is in the target heart rate zone for people in their 20s. If you're a little older it might be worth checking in with a doctor, but for the average TL forum denizen 165 is not cause for alarm. I'm 24. Thank you it looks like I'm not going to die soon, I can run for 30 to 50min without dying at the end, I'm pretty ok after the run once I catch my breath. | ||
Yrr
Germany796 Posts
And now I ended up losing 3,5 kg in like 2 months. wtf? I wanted to gain weight, not lose it. For reference I'm 1,88 m and now 66,5 kg. | ||
L_Master
United States7946 Posts
On June 29 2016 01:04 Faust852 wrote: Hey guys, I started running back in November last year, and I kept running till now. I didn't run at all for last month because of my exams, but I plan on running 5x/week for the the hollidays. I have a slow pace, something like 5:30 - 6min / km, and I run generally 5 to 8km. So my issue is that I recently got a fitbit to track my runs, and it says that I'm always at 165+ bpm, which is above the "cardio" line and into the "maximum" line. I had the same result on my gym treadmill. Isn't it like way too high ? My fitbit say my resting rate is 65 to 70 depending on the day. So what should I do ? reducing my pace ? Keep going ? Check a doctor ? ' You're fine. It's definitely not way too high. It might be a little high to run at if you're running 6-7 times a week all at that HR. People vary a ton for HR. For me a good hard 20:00 effort gives a heart rate around 180. Race effort for 20:00 close to 190. Fitbit zones are based around a formulaic guess of maximum HR. Real HRMax can vary significantly between people. Some people can be 200bpm and have plenty more in the tank, others are redlining at 150bpm. So bottom line is ignore whatever fitbit is telling you about zones. It's worthless unless you know your own HRMax and have gone in and set it yourself. Even then, there is nothing wrong with going at high HRs or pushing max. But trust me, you'll know if you are because your legs and lungs will be burning and you'll be having to talk yourself into every extra 5m you want to run. If you feel like your runs are hard, but with a little bit being held back, then that's a good hard run effort. Most of your runs should feel quite easy though, very easy to get out multiple sentences and carry on a conversation and with a feeling like you could run for an hour or more at this pace and not get tired from a breathing standpoint. | ||
L_Master
United States7946 Posts
On July 01 2016 03:03 Yrr wrote: I'm lazy as fuck and I dont like to run when it's not warm. I started my running again a few months ago with one run every 1 or 2 weeks. A few weeks ago I started to go for 3 runs per week since the weather is very nice. I also did a little more upper body workout but nothing serious. And now I ended up losing 3,5 kg in like 2 months. wtf? I wanted to gain weight, not lose it. For reference I'm 1,88 m and now 66,5 kg. Can we trade bodies or something? That's like a perfect BMI. I'm jealous of you people that can accidentally lose weight, I'm 1.73m and like 68kg, would prefer to be like 60kg or so but I struggle like hell to keep the discipline on and drop weight like that. Anyway, you lost weight because you were at a caloric deficit. Most likely your runs burned extra calories and you didn't eat more to accommodate that and lost weight. Eat 1000kcal more each day and you'll start gaining around 0.3-0.5 kg a week or so. | ||
L_Master
United States7946 Posts
On June 29 2016 02:57 ShoCkeyy wrote: I'm about to start running and my gf bought me some Nike Roshe One's, are these any good for running? There is a lot of reviews, but I want to hear other opinions too. Good/Bad shoe is more or less an individual thing. Is the shoe comfortable over runs of all durations? Do you get injured wearing said shoe? If the answer to those questions are yes and no respectively, then it's a good running shoe. If you're looking to run a bunch of trails, then you might need to add a third question about whether it delivers the traction and stability you need. | ||
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