The Running Thread—2023

[sandam1]

PSA: “I just want to get some more mileage to make them a better value for what I paid” is a TERRIBLE reason to reach for a running shoe.

I resemble this statement. I spent 18 months in physical therapy because I didn't want to go shoe shopping and tried to get a little more time out of a pair of shoes. Penny wise, pound foolish.

 

[Naomeri]

Today was the worst conditions T&D wise that I’ve run in this year. Made it, better than anticipated, but definite Springtime Surprise vibes today !

I woke up at 5am and saw the windows fogged up and decided not to go out running. It’s just gross and I feel sorry for people who have to live in this nonsense long-term

 

[Grabnar]

I woke up at 5am and saw the windows fogged up and decided not to go out running. It’s just gross and I feel sorry for people who have to live in this nonsense long-term

You get really used to it after a certain point

T+D this morning of ~150-155 (depending on how close I am to the creeks in the neighborhood)

My AQI was really bad this morning due to the saharan dust and a fire near me and I still wanted to run instead of riding my bike. So due to my asthma I did 5 mi like this:

 

[DopeyBadger]

My goal is to go sub-4:00 in my “A” race in February. I did threshold mile repeats earlier this morning and I don’t know if I should feel encouraged or discouraged by my current state of fitness as it pertains to potentially achieving my goal. During the runs, I focused on keeping my heart rate below my VT2 (163 bpm). Any thoughts or feedback is certainly appreciated.

For a realistic sub-4 attempt (and sure there's a lot of caveats with that statement), I'd want to see a 23:30 5k, 49 min 10k, or 1:48 HM within the last year. And yes, you can do a sub-4 without having done those, but those values indicate a better than 50% chance of doing a marathon in less than 4:00 when well trained. Someone with that fitness profile would be doing lactate threshold repeats around an 8:00 min/mile pace under ideal conditions.

As for your run, was the fade in the three repeats (8:19, 9:03, 9:38) purely HR driven, or was there a fade in effort as well? If you were to repeat this workout, and the intent was a 3 x 1 mile workout, then I'd suggest under the same conditions and route to start at a 9:38 min/mile pace first. The fade in paces absent a dramatic change in elevation of the course or swing in weather is not a great sign. Under hot conditions and a rise in core body temp can be a reasonable explanation for a fade of ~80 seconds. But if I see a fade of >10-15 seconds from T+D adjusted goal, and it comes with a fade, it's usually a sign that the workout should be over.

How confident are you that your HR goal is in the appropriate place?

 

[kps7795]

For a realistic sub-4 attempt (and sure there's a lot of caveats with that statement), I'd want to see a 23:30 5k, 49 min 10k, or 1:48 HM within the last year. And yes, you can do a sub-4 without having done those, but those values indicate a better than 50% chance of doing a marathon in less than 4:00 when well trained. Someone with that fitness profile would be doing lactate threshold repeats around an 8:00 min/mile pace under ideal conditions.

As for your run, was the fade in the three repeats (8:19, 9:03, 9:38) purely HR driven, or was there a fade in effort as well? If you were to repeat this workout, and the intent was a 3 x 1 mile workout, then I'd suggest under the same conditions and route to start at a 9:38 min/mile pace first. The fade in paces absent a dramatic change in elevation of the course or swing in weather is not a great sign. Under hot conditions and a rise in core body temp can be a reasonable explanation for a fade of ~80 seconds. But if I see a fade of >10-15 seconds from T+D adjusted goal, and it comes with a fade, it's usually a sign that the workout should be over.

How confident are you that your HR goal is in the appropriate place?

I based my run on my threshold heart rate based on a Joe Friel's threshold field test. Based on the threshold test, my VT2 is 163. For each mile interval, I kept my heart rate below 162. I thought that my heart rate was around 159 for the most part, but my data shows an average heart rate of 157 bpm, 158 and 157 respectively. By the third interval, I definitely needed to back off because my lungs were burning and I felt spent.

Are you familiar with the Irish Olympic runner, Stephen Scullion? He had an interesting explanation on the benefits of adding threshold training to your running.

This was my impetus to training just below my threshold heart rate. I actually didn't look at my pace at all until after my run was completed.

Thank you for your input as always, Billy. I think that I'm going to continue mile repeats using my threshold heart rate and see where it gets me. The good thing is that I have time on my side. Marathon training wouldn't begin until November, so I have three months to see where easy running four days a week (with strides on two of those days) and one day of threshold repeats gets me. But, it's nice to know where I stand with how realistically I can attain my goal come race day.

 

[flav]

@dis_or_dat @jmasgat and all whom it may concern: 100 days before NYC

 

[kps7795]

@dis_or_dat @jmasgat and all whom it may concern: 100 days before NYC

Good luck! I hope that your training goes well.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I based my run on my threshold heart rate based on a Joe Friel's threshold field test. Based on the threshold test, my VT2 is 163. For each mile interval, I kept my heart rate below 162. I thought that my heart rate was around 159 for the most part, but my data shows an average heart rate of 157 bpm, 158 and 157 respectively. By the third interval, I definitely needed to back off because my lungs were burning and I felt spent.

Are you familiar with the Irish Olympic runner, Stephen Scullion? He had an interesting explanation on the benefits of adding threshold training to your running.

This was my impetus to training just below my threshold heart rate. I actually didn't look at my pace at all until after my run was completed.

Thank you for your input as always, Billy. I think that I'm going to continue mile repeats using my threshold heart rate and see where it gets me. The good thing is that I have time on my side. Marathon training wouldn't begin until November, so I have three months to see where easy running four days a week (with strides on two of those days) and one day of threshold repeats gets me. But, it's nice to know where I stand with how realistically I can attain my goal come race day.

I have not heard of that runner, but I don't disagree that threshold training is useful.

 

[jmasgat]

100% humidity for my run today. I have never been more soaked upon return. That plus no power at our house -2nd time in 4 days--makes for just a tad of discomfort.

We've lived in our house for 35+ years and have lost power way more often in the past few years than in the previous 30. Pretty bad when a generator becomes a must-have instead of a nice-to-have. Still waiting for the measly bill credit from our 4 day outage in February.

Oh well, time to go shopping in brutally air conditioned stores. There seems to be no middle ground!

 

[dis_or_dat]

@dis_or_dat @jmasgat and all whom it may concern: 100 days before NYC

Funny, I haven't been able to go on the boards very much but able to drop by today and saw this nice message. Started training in earnest although hampered by injuries and decreased fitness. Hope I can get through this ok!

 

[mmm_texas]

I constantly neglect to note the dew point, but the temperature was 78° with 88% humidity. The race (which is a marathon) is in Fort Lauderdale. If the temperature is the same as this past year, it will be in the mid 60’s.

FYI, according to https://www.calculator.net/dew-point-calculator.html, that would be a 74º dew point, so 152 T+D.

 

[kps7795]

Funny, I haven't been able to go on the boards very much but able to drop by today and saw this nice message. Started training in earnest although hampered by injuries and decreased fitness. Hope I can get through this ok!

Good luck with your training. I hope that you get back to full health and fitness soon!

 

[Naomeri]

100% humidity for my run today. I have never been more soaked upon return. That plus no power at our house -2nd time in 4 days--makes for just a tad of discomfort.

We've lived in our house for 35+ years and have lost power way more often in the past few years than in the previous 30. Pretty bad when a generator becomes a must-have instead of a nice-to-have. Still waiting for the measly bill credit from our 4 day outage in February.

Oh well, time to go shopping in brutally air conditioned stores. There seems to be no middle ground!

I would be in so much trouble if I got home to no power after a 100% humidity run—I’m out in the boonies and need power to take a shower!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Can anyone comment on the best All Star Resort to stay at for a race weekend? I might consider a split stay but would like to know if there are some advantages I haven’t thought of.

Last April we stayed at ASMo and were assigned a ground floor room in the Dalmatian section (complete opposite of our request but it was a good thing!). The advantages were: Closest section to the runDisney bus stop (not where the park buses go). Also close to ASMu (often that was the available bus at the park for returning to the resort). We were also very close to the leisure pool which we preferred to the main pool.

The one that is open.... (Said because I think one of them was being refurbished when I was there Jan 2022).

I don't know that any of them are measurably better or worse than the other. Get a room with a short walk to the bus stop, and it's a longer walk from your car. When I was there, I was at the back of the resort, which meant nice short walk with luggage to/from the car, and no noise from the pool area. OTOH, it was a little longer walk to the buses and food, which didn't seem like enough to notice until walking to/from the room after the marathon...
I don't think I made any sort of room request and wound up on the top floor, which was better for not having as many people walking by as a ground floor room. YMMV

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I went for a run today. Made it to a little over a mile before things started hurting, but the return wasn't too bad. Had my second PT session yesterday. Apparently just tightness in my glutes and lower back is pinching a nerve, so the solution is stretching and strengthening in the other direction.
It's progress, albeit slower than I want.

 

[Bree]

@dis_or_dat @jmasgat and all whom it may concern: 100 days before NYC

Not even remotely ready for it. Coming back from surgery has not been easy even though I’ve adjusted my paces to be slower. I am not mentally into it either. Add in house buying, packing to move in September and getting mine ready to sell.……..it’s been stressful. My DH keeps telling me I should just defer to next year, but I dunno. I am over training during FL summers for fall marathons and just want to get this major crossed off my list.

 

[flav]

Not even remotely ready for it. Coming back from surgery has not been easy even though I’ve adjusted my paces to be slower. I am not mentally into it either. Add in house buying, packing to move in September and getting mine ready to sell.……..it’s been stressful. My DH keeps telling me I should just defer to next year, but I dunno. I am over training during FL summers for fall marathons and just want to get this major crossed off my list.

You know best what is good for you and I encourage you either way! I have a conservative marathon plan and yet I know that it will be plenty. If you choose to train for it, consistency is more important that crazy volume. Good luck with all the changes.

 

[flav]

Funny, I haven't been able to go on the boards very much but able to drop by today and saw this nice message. Started training in earnest although hampered by injuries and decreased fitness. Hope I can get through this ok!

Good luck with the training

 

[flav]

July 2023 totals
Distance: 102.6km (64mi)
Average pace: 6m51s/km (11:00/mi)
YTD: 1081km on 2023km

Back from vacation and slow ramp up on my new training plan for NYC

 

[sky13]

I'm really annoyed - over the last week I've been getting bitten by mosquitoes while out on my runs/walks and I think I've developed an allergic reaction to mosquito bites (Skeeter syndrome I think it's called)! Getting lots of large areas of redness and inflammation and a couple of tiny blisters around mosquito bites.

Never used to have such bad reactions to mosquito bites before! Mosquitoes aren't even a seasonal thing here (they're here all year round) and I've been running this route without incident for the last 4 years or so, so getting so many mosquito bites (10+ bites in the last 2 days) with this sort of allergic reaction was completely unexpected.

Thank goodness for antihistamines and anti-itch cream.

Need to look into some sort of mosquito repellent for running now...