On May 09 2017 15:24 p4NDemik wrote: So the Flying Pig was yesterday. I had run exactly 5 out of 48 days since L.A. I could have done more work, but for the most part the lack of training was due to April being particularly busy. Both jobs cranking along, the last weeks of the spring semester, along with social commitments, and I had essentially told myself I was putting running lower in my set of priorities.
The days run by all accounts should have been an absolute shit show. I got up, got prepped, left my house and got parked. As I got out of my car I realized I didn't put on my Garmin but had left it charging. "Fuck it," I thought to myself. Going into that weekend I had told myself I would just run without any pressure. Not even try to qualify, just run to finish and enjoy it. Oh well. Weather was actually pretty great - low 30's at start, predicted to warm to just around 50 Fahrenheit at finish. Much better than last year.
So I got to the starting area, got prepped, stretched, and proceeded to the pig pens as they call them. I dropped back to pig pen B instead of A as I didn't want to run with the faster group out of the gate. Also, Pig Pen B had portable toilets that I needed to use. So I waited in line to use them. As I entered I dropped my energy gels on the ground because my shorts don't have a spare pocket and I'm not bringing them anywhere in that god forsaken stall. Anyways, point is I get out of the stall, proceed to the front of pen B and forget my gels.
Start race, go out at reasonable pace, trying to keep pace with the 3:20 pacer, but out of traffic. By mile two we hit the first aid station, I get gatorade, and I realize I've left my gels at the starting line. FUCK IT. I have the thought "I'm going to bonk even fucking harder than L.A." for a moment but I manage not to dwell on it by remarking at my idiocy to a few nearby runners, whom I'm sure did not give one shit. FUCK IT. I'm just going to run.
And run I did. Very steady 7:33 to 7:25 pace for 7 miles ... 10 miles ... at the half ... 15 miles. It's at this point in the race when the course has taken us out of the city and into the NE suburbs of Cincinnati. At 15 miles I took off my long sleeve compression shirt as things were beginning to warm up. At this point all elevation gain is behind me and it's a long, steady downhill for some time. By mile 19 I was beginning to realize I was somehow in good shape. I felt better than I had the previous year and was steadily gaining on the 3:15 pacer that I had in eye-sight for quite some time. I nab a free GU shot hoping it will do anything, but doubting it will (why the fuck do they give these out at mile 19 and not mile 9?).
By mile 22 the course flattens out along the Ohio River and you get glimpses of the city in the distance. Knowing how close I was to the pacer, how well I was feeling, and how close I was to the finish, despite my lack of further training after L.A., despite my idiotic ditching of my gels, I could taste a PR. I probably pushed my pace up to 7:20 or slightly lower for a mile or two in an effort to reach the pacer group and coast with or overtake them. That was probably a burst of energy slightly too early.
Right at the 25 mile marker my right hamstring cramps up entirely and I enjoy the splendor of walking peg-leg in front of spectators for about 30 or so seconds. Eventually the cramp unwinds itself and I can walk with a decent gait, then I can start lightly jogging again. By the time I'm jogging again I can see the 25.2 time station and the clock: 3:10 and change. 3:18:12 was my time last year (PR). Fucking hell.
"Well fuck. I guess I'm doing this." I think. I curse a few times and probably offend a few families as I start into a faster pace. Hamstring seems fine. No reason I can't do this. My arms are bent at a hairpin angle, my form is shit, but I'm able to squeeze out a decent push. 3:17:39. 7:10 final mile. PR. No fucking idea how I got there other than having great race weather. Because I did not put in the work, and my fuel plan was completely out the window.
Weird race, but it was in the end very satisfying I suppose. Not the elusive BQ I had previously been chasing but it was still quite sweet. I'll take a PR whenever I can get it. Oddly enough, last year I had to pee in the first mile and I paused my watch while I was in the portable toilet. My unofficial time in the 2016 Flying Pig going by my watch? 3:17:39. Spooky. Cheers guys! I'm gonna take a few weeks off running and then check back in when I've decided what my next race will be.
Nice work! PR in sub-optimal conditions usually is a little annoying but a really nice confidence boost since it means your fitness is definitely as least as good as you were hoping it was. Marathon is really tough to get right, keep getting after it! Sub 3:10 or better coming up next one!
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
How's the cycling going? Any races coming up?
Well I had been pretty darn busy with school/work, been getting in a little training here and there but pretty minimal. Unfortunately 2 weeks ago had a training crash out riding with some teammates when one of them moved over for a drainage ditch and our bars got tangled.
Landed hard and ended up with a sprained right wrist/hairline fracture + grade III AC separation of the shoulder. First few days were utterly terrible, since it got at both sides of my body. Couldn't sleep from the pain in my right wrist, and couldn't use my right hand without extreme pain. Shoulder felt massively fucked up, and basically couldnt move the arm without significant pain. Made it next to impossible to be anything. Even eating was horribly uncomfortable. Fortunately my wrist went back to 95% in just a day so I didn't have to literally rely on friends cooking for me and such.
Good news is that it's definitely consistently improving. Bad news is the shoulder is taking it's sweet time. I imagine best case scenario is another 1-2 weeks before I feel good enough to ride (outside anyway), and probably 4-8 weeks before I've got pain free ROM back.
So yea...crappy start to the summer, especially when I was ready to get to work getting back in shape with some more time available. Right now it's a bit of an ugly picture though, as not only is my fitness a bit lacking, but I've really put on quite a bit of weight. Sitting at 75kg/165lb right now, compared to the 67-69kg/148-152lbs or so I've spent most of my time at.
Not sure I'll really have time to train super seriously again for the next year or so...but I guess it depends on just how bad my junior EE courses are, but the rumour on the street is to expect to do 30-40 hours per week outside of class for schoolwork, and then I work 20 hours a week or so as well. Given that, I probably won't try to train 15 hours a week on the bike. I'll either ride a little more casual and just try to stay "in shape", or possibly do some running since that's a little more time friendly. Remains to be seen
Trying to get back into running - its going well I guess but the time when I was young and I was running so effortlessly floating through the air - well that time seems distant. But I do enjoy running - not running for such a long time was definitely one of my many questionable lifestyle choices ^_^
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
Holy shit, went mountain biking yesterday and I forgot how tough it was, I was a little bit too ambitious and got on a really steep track on the way up, it was a real struggle to get to the top and the way down was not much easier, I fell at the start of the way down, luckily nothing serious but this morning I felt like I was 80 years old, left knee hurts (automatic pedals were not a good idea...), right wrist as well, scratches on my left side and arm... really feels like I took a beating. That was fun though, minus the falling part ^^.
On July 17 2017 18:41 Jetaap wrote: Holy shit, went mountain biking yesterday and I forgot how tough it was, I was a little bit too ambitious and got on a really steep track on the way up, it was a real struggle to get to the top and the way down was not much easier, I fell at the start of the way down, luckily nothing serious but this morning I felt like I was 80 years old, left knee hurts (automatic pedals were not a good idea...), right wrist as well, scratches on my left side and arm... really feels like I took a beating. That was fun though, minus the falling part ^^.
Haha you're almost as bad as me at going down technical stuff on the MTB. I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to rocky/super steep stuff on a MTB. Smooth and flowly single track, or modest roots aren't so bad...but start throwing in rock gardens or nasty root layouts and other obstacles and I go from like maybe top 1/3 on strava stuff to like the bottom 10% or worse.
And yea, climbing 10% on a MTB is challenging to begin with, and I'm sure it only gets a ton worse when it gets really technical. Need to be super good at picking up the front and back end to get over obstacles when you have to go that slow.
Guys that can just casual ride stuff like this (20%, all the dropoffs between boulders are like 1-2 feet or more in height) are just nuts (10:34)
And then here is someone with mad skillz going up, note around 30 second mark gives you a pretty clear look at what it's like going down...only the boulders are actually even bigger due to camera foreshortening.
On July 17 2017 18:41 Jetaap wrote: Holy shit, went mountain biking yesterday and I forgot how tough it was, I was a little bit too ambitious and got on a really steep track on the way up, it was a real struggle to get to the top and the way down was not much easier, I fell at the start of the way down, luckily nothing serious but this morning I felt like I was 80 years old, left knee hurts (automatic pedals were not a good idea...), right wrist as well, scratches on my left side and arm... really feels like I took a beating. That was fun though, minus the falling part ^^.
Haha you're almost as bad as me at going down technical stuff on the MTB. I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to rocky/super steep stuff on a MTB. Smooth and flowly single track, or modest roots aren't so bad...but start throwing in rock gardens or nasty root layouts and other obstacles and I go from like maybe top 1/3 on strava stuff to like the bottom 10% or worse.
And yea, climbing 10% on a MTB is challenging to begin with, and I'm sure it only gets a ton worse when it gets really technical. Need to be super good at picking up the front and back end to get over obstacles when you have to go that slow.
Guys that can just casual ride stuff like this (20%, all the dropoffs between boulders are like 1-2 feet or more in height) are just nuts (10:34) https://youtu.be/_FbzRBJn_Vs?t=634
And then here is someone with mad skillz going up, note around 30 second mark gives you a pretty clear look at what it's like going down...only the boulders are actually even bigger due to camera foreshortening. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RQgXZYWNXs
Nice videos, from experience it looks way steeper in real life than in videos so these guys are beasty ... My biggest issue when climbing on the MTB is that I have no technique so the only way I stay on the bike is by going fast... and I'm not strong enough to do it this way. I find it insane how some people manage to go super slow up hill on rough terrain and maintain equilibrium..
edit: video of the track looks way easier on video, with good riders and DH bikes ^^
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
Didn't go well. Wasn't feeling it after 4-5 miles and turned it down to more of a training pace. Finished 7th overall with a 1:17 and 2nd in age group, won a bottle of wine.
If I can run a 5k at approximately 6.6 mi/hr, what is a good pace for lunchtime 30 minute jogs? I think I tend to run too fast 100% of my runs. How do you determine how much slower is appropriate for casual runs?
On July 20 2017 11:11 micronesia wrote: If I can run a 5k at approximately 6.6 mi/hr, what is a good pace for lunchtime 30 minute jogs? I think I tend to run too fast 100% of my runs. How do you determine how much slower is appropriate for casual runs?
Depends on the goals and overall training, especially how often you are running.
But, if you're goal is just a general endurance easy pace, I'd say somewhere around 11:00-12:30 pace would be about right, in percentage terms you're be looking around 60-80% of 5k race pace. Given approximately 30 minutes for a 5k, perhaps more towards 65-85% in that case.
If those lunchtime jogs are the sole training you do, and you're looking to get faster as opposed to just running for "general health", then I'd say you wouldn't want to be using that pace very often. You won't build fitness running like that unless you're quite new, or in the middle of increasing mileage/adapting to running.
If, on the other hand, those lunchtime jogs are supplemental to other hard session during the week, then I'd err on the easier side of that range.
Well assuming I do three lunchtime jogs a week for 30 minutes and that's all I do, how fast should I run relative to race pace? Maybe two days of 80% and one day of 95% or something like that? From the speed I quoted you should get a decent idea of how bad I am at running lol
On July 20 2017 11:43 micronesia wrote: Well assuming I do three lunchtime jogs a week for 30 minutes and that's all I do, how fast should I run relative to race pace? Maybe two days of 80% and one day of 95% or something like that? From the speed I quoted you should get a decent idea of how bad I am at running lol
It would depend a little on your goals, but assuming a tight 30 minute schedule I'd do something like this:
Day 1) - 5 min WU nice and easy, slower than 12:00 pace, 3x3 min ON, 1 min OFF (ON @ approx 8:30-8:45 pace, OFF @ slow shuffle/walk). Remaining time easy running around 12:00 pace +/-. Workout progresses first by rep number until you get to about 6x3, then from there you could go to 6x4, and then from there start work on bringing the pace down a little each time.
Day 2) - Steady, high aerobic run. Ease into the run, but look for appox 25' at about 90-95% (approx 10:40 pace). You could also alternate this 3x5' at 5k pace or a smidge over, so around 9:10-9:30 pace. Progress this a few minutes at a time until you have a steady 25' at 9:15 pace or so.
Day 3) - VO2 work. I'd start with like 3x3' at around 8:15 pace (how hard this feels depends a little on anaerobic capacity, so if this pace is not too bad for 3' reps, you could work down to 8:00 or maybe even 7:45 if you're an anerobic monster). This workout could then go to 4x3', 5x3', 6x3'; then move to 4' reps until you get to 5x4'. At that point, further progression would be intensive, meaning increasing the pace.
The one thing you'd want to watch is sometimes running is a little more susceptible to too much intensity, so if you're feeling a little tight/sensitive somewhere then it's certainly okay to change the next session to a nice, easy recovery jog at 12:30+ pace.
It's worth noting there are two main ideas here, almost competing ones, but not quite.
- Extensive first, then intensive. What this means if that you start with a small volume of work and gradually build to more; the goal is NOT to increase the intensity (pace) but the duration. After you've reached the desired duration of work, then you can build intensively, by working on gradually progressing the intensity (pace) of the workouts. I think this is especially important in running where it's so much easier to get injured
- Always be pushing. Quite simple, there has to be progression. You either need to be extending the workouts, or increasing the intensity from session to session. Repeating sessions has a fairly limited effect. If you completed a workout you know your body can handle it, and doing the same workout again has much less of a stimulus for improvement; you're body is already adapted to that challenge. A critical note here is that this MUST be measured. You can absolutely push too hard, too fast. Workouts should increase in volume/intensity, but at a reasonable rate. You might do your first 3x3' session and think "that wasn't bad, I could do way more. Probably like 6x3'"...and you might well be right. That doesn't mean you would be wise to do so.
On July 20 2017 12:17 micronesia wrote: For perspective, I do my workouts on a treadmill which may somewhat limit the variety of what I can do.
Honestly, for workouts like these that makes it super easy. Only thing treadmills aren't good for in my opinion are true sprint/alactic workouts (400m pace or faster), or anything where you are really changing pace all the time. E.g. straights and turns (sprint straights, jog turns) on a treadmill is utterly obnoxious.
For anything steady, treadmill is about as easy and simple as it gets.
On July 17 2017 18:41 Jetaap wrote: Holy shit, went mountain biking yesterday and I forgot how tough it was, I was a little bit too ambitious and got on a really steep track on the way up, it was a real struggle to get to the top and the way down was not much easier, I fell at the start of the way down, luckily nothing serious but this morning I felt like I was 80 years old, left knee hurts (automatic pedals were not a good idea...), right wrist as well, scratches on my left side and arm... really feels like I took a beating. That was fun though, minus the falling part ^^.
Haha you're almost as bad as me at going down technical stuff on the MTB. I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to rocky/super steep stuff on a MTB. Smooth and flowly single track, or modest roots aren't so bad...but start throwing in rock gardens or nasty root layouts and other obstacles and I go from like maybe top 1/3 on strava stuff to like the bottom 10% or worse.
And yea, climbing 10% on a MTB is challenging to begin with, and I'm sure it only gets a ton worse when it gets really technical. Need to be super good at picking up the front and back end to get over obstacles when you have to go that slow.
Guys that can just casual ride stuff like this (20%, all the dropoffs between boulders are like 1-2 feet or more in height) are just nuts (10:34) https://youtu.be/_FbzRBJn_Vs?t=634
And then here is someone with mad skillz going up, note around 30 second mark gives you a pretty clear look at what it's like going down...only the boulders are actually even bigger due to camera foreshortening. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RQgXZYWNXs
Nice videos, from experience it looks way steeper in real life than in videos so these guys are beasty ... My biggest issue when climbing on the MTB is that I have no technique so the only way I stay on the bike is by going fast... and I'm not strong enough to do it this way. I find it insane how some people manage to go super slow up hill on rough terrain and maintain equilibrium..
The trail itself looks super fun, though of course head mounted GP's are about as bad as it gets for making rocks look tiny. It looks like it has a few short rock garden sections, but much of the trail is somewhat flowly singletrack...that's about as nice as it gets in my book!
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
Gah, sorry, I've shamefully fallen out of the habit of looking at this thread. I'm still slowly easing back--managed a 10k total run yesterday. I'm seeing my go-to physio on Monday and hoping he can give me the final tweaks needed to get my feet back under me. It's amazing what intramuscular stimulation (aka IMS, aka shut up and stick some needles in me) can do.
Recovery has definitely been complicated by my crazy vagabond lifestyle these days. I'm essentially moving to a new city every month, which makes continuity of care a challenge. I've been hitting up my physio in my hometown whenever I'm back for a visit, but that's like every two months tops. This has taken way, way longer than I expected, but I've had some fun riding my bike in the interim.
The situation is mysterious. After three false starts, I *think* I'm on the path back to running. But I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.
I was off in Spain for the last two weeks (where I turned 30; I'm old now everyone). Got in about 10k of walking a day which the tendon seemed to tolerate. Now back in North America where I can do more intensive rehab and, thank God, cycle again.
My physio has got me started on brisk walks post-cycling. The idea is to add 500m per walk and start from 2.5k until we get to 5k. I'm up to 3 and going for 3.5k today. So far the tendon feels fine, but it does still swell a bit right after the walk. Still, I'm hopeful I'll try an actual run sometime next week.
Didn't go well. Wasn't feeling it after 4-5 miles and turned it down to more of a training pace. Finished 7th overall with a 1:17 and 2nd in age group, won a bottle of wine.
Ah man, that's a bummer. But at least you won something! Do you have any sense of what went wrong? What was the weather like?
On July 20 2017 11:43 micronesia wrote: Well assuming I do three lunchtime jogs a week for 30 minutes and that's all I do, how fast should I run relative to race pace? Maybe two days of 80% and one day of 95% or something like that? From the speed I quoted you should get a decent idea of how bad I am at running lol
It would depend a little on your goals, but assuming a tight 30 minute schedule I'd do something like this:
Day 1) - 5 min WU nice and easy, slower than 12:00 pace
5 minutes jogging at slower than five miles per hour (I find slower than five a bit difficult to be honest, but five is fine).
3x3 min ON, 1 min OFF (ON @ approx 8:30-8:45 pace, OFF @ slow shuffle/walk).
Jog for three minutes at 7 mph (slightly faster than racing pace), then jog at WU speed or walk. Repeat twice for a total of 12 minutes this phase, 17 including warmup.
Remaining time easy running around 12:00 pace +/-.
For the remaining ~13 minutes, jog at roughly 5 mph.
Workout progresses first by rep number until you get to about 6x3, then from there you could go to 6x4, and then from there start work on bringing the pace down a little each time.
As I improve, increasing the number of reps gradually from three to six. Later, increase the "ON" time to 4 minutes. This puts me a bit over my budgeted time so perhaps I should work up to 6x3 and then jump to 5x4 (5 minutes WM, 25 minutes interval phase).
Day 2) - Steady, high aerobic run. Ease into the run, but look for appox 25' at about 90-95% (approx 10:40 pace).
Ease up from very easy jog for five minutes, then do 25 minutes at about 5.6 miles per hour.
You could also alternate this 3x5' at 5k pace or a smidge over, so around 9:10-9:30 pace. Progress this a few minutes at a time until you have a steady 25' at 9:15 pace or so.
I actually much prefer a steady run and will plan on that for 'day 2' for now.
Day 3) - VO2 work. I'd start with like 3x3' at around 8:15 pace (how hard this feels depends a little on anaerobic capacity, so if this pace is not too bad for 3' reps, you could work down to 8:00 or maybe even 7:45 if you're an anerobic monster).
I'm assuming 3x3' means three sets of 3 minutes on, 1 minute off like on day 1. For this day, 'on' is about 7.3 mph. I'm assuming any unused time afterwards can once again be a slow job akin to the warmup (~5mph). If I feel like I can easily push further, I can try the 'on' portion as fast as 7.7 mph.
This workout could then go to 4x3', 5x3', 6x3'; then move to 4' reps until you get to 5x4'. At that point, further progression would be intensive, meaning increasing the pace.
Increase the reps and then length of 'on' periods same as day 1 (basically this is day 1 on steroids but with the same format).
The one thing you'd want to watch is sometimes running is a little more susceptible to too much intensity, so if you're feeling a little tight/sensitive somewhere then it's certainly okay to change the next session to a nice, easy recovery jog at 12:30+ pace.
Feel free to back out of a planned day at any time and just treat it like an easy day 2. Doing intervals on the treadmill is a bit annoying because I like to just listen to music and zone out for 30 minutes (other than ensuring my form is correct), but at least I have the benefit of knowing I'm running at the correct speed all the time!