We're all out there chasing our better selves (FredtheDuck chases on)

FredtheDuck

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
About me: Hiya. I'm @FredtheDuck. Despite the name, I'm a lady. Mom of an almost 2-year-old daughter. Athlete growing up, but never a runner (I was exempt from even doing the mile in school because of exercise-induced asthma).

I started running after being inspired by my non-runner husband training for and successfully running a half marathon. I started with a couch-to-5k program in late 2013 and ran a few 5ks throughout 2013 and 2014. I got pregnant in 2015 and ran until it was too hard on my back (sometime in my seventh month), and picked back up in mid-late 2016.

This running journal chronicles my journey to my first half (completed in September, 2017), as well as what came (and is still to come) after. I absolutely welcome suggestions, questions, comments, encouragement, etc.

Here are the monthly training logs as I prepared for my first half. The race on was September 10, 2017, so there is no log for September (taper, race, recovery, ease back in).
April, May, June, July, August

Here are my 2017 goals:
- Run a 5k race under 11 min/mile pace - DONE! (Suds & Soles 5k on 6/24/17)
- Run a 5k race under 10:30 min/mile pace - DONE! (Suds & Soles 5k on 6/24/17)
- Run a 10k - DONE! (Pike's Peek 10k on 4/23/17)
- Run a half marathon - DONE! (Parks Half Marathon on 9/10/17)
 
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I am starting to think through 2018 races. Here's what I have tentatively:

5/6/18 - Takoma Park Safe Route to Schools 5k (29:59 / NA) Note: I may not race this if it doesn't work with my HM training)
5/20/18 - Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon (TBD / NA)

I had hoped to do Pike's again (with a PR attempt) but just realized I'll be at a wedding that weekend. I'll also definitely do Suds & Soles again if it is offered, and would like to do Run Under the Lights as a fun run again, too.

Here are my 2017 races in Date - Race & Distance (Goal / Result) format.

4/23/17 - Pike's Peek 10k (Finish / 1:12:39) PR (first 10k!)
5/7/17 - Takoma Park Safe Route to Schools 5k (34:10 / 34:28)
6/24/17 - Suds & Soles 5k (34:10 / 32:04) PR!
9/10/17 - Parks Half Marathon (Finish / 2:39:26)
10/22/17 - Marine Corps 10k (1:15:00 / 1:02:22)
11/12/17 - Candy Cane City 5k (29:59 / 30:46)
11/18/17 - Run Under the Lights 5k (NG / 38:37) (fun run/stroller run)
11/24/17 - Turkey Chase 2 Miler (19:59 / 20:17*) (not chip timed, result is based on Apple Activity app time)
 
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Here's how my April has gone. I'll update as new runs are added. I'll use the date: distance, time (average pace) format.

* will mean I ran with my DD in her jogging stroller, probably in our neighborhood or near her daycare, both of which are hilly. I'm noting because it throws my pace off quite a bit.

Week 1:
I had strep throat. I took the entire week off from running.

Week 2:
4/10: 2.03 miles, 21:58 (10:50/mi)
4/13: 2.09 miles, 20:35 (9:50/mi)
4/15: 2.00 miles, 22:18 (11:08/mi)*

Week 3:
4/17: 1.73 miles, 17:58 (10:25/mi)
4/20: 2.16 miles, 23:44 (11:00/mi)
4/23: 6.31 miles, 1:12:39 (11:30/mi)

Week 4:
4/25: 1.74 miles, 18:30 (10:37/mi)
4/28: 2.01 miles, 22:50 (11:21/mi)
4/30: 3.10 miles, 34:23 (11:06/mi)
 
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Steal away! Sounds like you have the right motivation and a lot of good goals to lead you to your first HM!
Life is tricky that it likes to get in the way...so I just have made running more part of the "life" priority and less of a "side/optional" priority. Signing up for races is the biggest thing that helps keep it that way.

Looking forward to reading along. Hopefully I can help! :)
 
4/20: 2.16 miles, 23:44 (11:00/mi)

Today's run was not my best work. I work an adjusted schedule (7:30A-4:00P) so that I can pick my daughter up from daycare after work (I have an hour-ish commute each way, and her daycare is near my house). I'm really lucky to work at a place that allows me that flexibility. That means I get 30 minute lunches, so I have to keep my lunch runs short. Today's run was a lunch run because it rained this morning and is supposed to rain this afternoon.

Do you ever have runs where you just can't find your groove? That was me today. It typically takes me somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a mile for my body to stop arguing with my brain and for me to lock in to the run (Body: "Why are we running again? We hate running. Our shins hurt. Our knee is tight. It's hot." Brain: "Shut up, Body, we can deal with 20 minutes of this and it's good for you."). Today, I just couldn't lock in. Which is a bummer because the route I take near my work is one of the easier routes I do in terms of hills, so I tend to have good splits. Not today. My first mile was a 10:26 pace. Second, which is usually faster, was a whopping 11:37. Yikers. Last .16 was 10:48 pace.

Oh well. At least I got the run in.
 
Following along! You've got this!

Biggest advice I can give to someone just starting back up is to slow down. Almost all of your runs should feel really easy, like too easy (like minutes slower than goal race pace). And even when you do harder runs with faster paces, you should almost always end the workout feeling like you could have done one more (whether that be one more mile, one more interval, one more house to run by, one more street, etc.). Lastly, the one thing you want to avoid seeing is "the fade" where the end of your workout is a slowdown compared to the beginning but the effort feels the same or harder. It tends to be a sign that the workout was too hard or the week/days have been too hard collectively.
 


Following along! You've got this!

Biggest advice I can give to someone just starting back up is to slow down. Almost all of your runs should feel really easy, like too easy (like minutes slower than goal race pace). And even when you do harder runs with faster paces, you should almost always end the workout feeling like you could have done one more (whether that be one more mile, one more interval, one more house to run by, one more street, etc.). Lastly, the one thing you want to avoid seeing is "the fade" where the end of your workout is a slowdown compared to the beginning but the effort feels the same or harder. It tends to be a sign that the workout was too hard or the week/days have been too hard collectively.

Thanks for this! Pacing isn't something I've had to really practice yet, and I think I'm at the point where I need to pay more attention to it, especially as I start to add miles back on.
 
Thanks for this! Pacing isn't something I've had to really practice yet, and I think I'm at the point where I need to pay more attention to it, especially as I start to add miles back on.

Well based on the training runs you posted and your race, I'd say your run on 4/13 (2 miles at 9:50 min/mile) was the "best" run (or best judge of fitness). Thus, I would suggest the following training paces:

Screen Shot 2017-04-20 at 2.43.49 PM.png

Your 2 miles @ 9:50 suggests your 5k is a 31:00 (10:00 min/mile) and 10k is a 1:04 (10:26 min/mile) when trained appropriately. So I'd say those goals you posted are well within reach! I would personally advise pacing about 80% of your running at a 12:11 min/mile or slower. This pace threshold (12:11 or slower) will build endurance and then enable you to race faster. The mantra is - train slow to race fast. Hope this helps!
 
Your 2 miles @ 9:50 suggests your 5k is a 31:00 (10:00 min/mile) and 10k is a 1:04 (10:26 min/mile) when trained appropriately. So I'd say those goals you posted are well within reach! I would personally advise pacing about 80% of your running at a 12:11 min/mile or slower. This pace threshold (12:11 or slower) will build endurance and then enable you to race faster. The mantra is - train slow to race fast. Hope this helps!

This is incredibly helpful, I've never been able to puzzle this out for myself. Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this... I'm going to shoot for a longer run this weekend and will start working these paces in. I'm excited!
 
This is incredibly helpful, I've never been able to puzzle this out for myself. Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this... I'm going to shoot for a longer run this weekend and will start working these paces in. I'm excited!

Happy to help! Let me know if you've got any other questions! You got a question and I'll do my best to find the scientific answer!
 
I did it!! I ran a 10K race! I ran the Pike's Peek 10K, a race I've always been interested in but never ready for. We ended up signing up yesterday, after learning it wasn't going to rain after all (and with the cajoling of neighbor who knows I'm trying to be a better runner).

I went in to it with two goals:
1) Finish
2) Don't walk until after four miles

I ran the whole thing! My longest distance ever. And I think I paced well - I felt like I could have run another couple of miles at the end. I'm so glad to have run with DH, who encouraged me the whole way and never made me feel like I was slowing him down. I had a blast.

Total distance: 6.31 miles. Time: 1:12:39. Average pace: 11:30 mile.
 
Welcome, and thank you for the compliments on the run!

I don't really have a plan for this week. Looking at how my schedule is shaking out, I'll probably have time for a couple of miles tomorrow evening, 2-3 miles towards the end of the week, and then a longer run over the weekend.

When I finished the 10k, I asked DH if he thought I should pick my half marathon training back up at the 6-mile long run mark. Before my training skidded to "maintenance mode" late last year, I was at the 5 mile mark, and my next long run would have been 6 miles. I did the 10k with much less trouble than I anticipated (both mentally and physically), but I also did it at a pretty easy pace because I was worried that if I pushed too hard, I'd end up with a DNF.

He thinks I should go back to the week where I was doing a 4-mile long run and build back up from there. The 10k was PR course (mostly downhill, some easy uphills), so I think he's trying to keep me from pushing too hard, too fast. I'm tempted to push for 5. I have a 5k on 5/7, so that'll be my long run that weekend.

I need to find a HM to aim for. I love the idea of traveling to one (we road-tripped to DH's HM and met up with friends, but that was both before we had our daughter and before I started running), but since I have a 1.5 year old and I race with my DH, I'm afraid I'm stuck with local runs so that someone can watch her while we run.
 
Biggest advice I can give to someone just starting back up is to slow down. Almost all of your runs should feel really easy, like too easy (like minutes slower than goal race pace). And even when you do harder runs with faster paces, you should almost always end the workout feeling like you could have done one more (whether that be one more mile, one more interval, one more house to run by, one more street, etc.). Lastly, the one thing you want to avoid seeing is "the fade" where the end of your workout is a slowdown compared to the beginning but the effort feels the same or harder. It tends to be a sign that the workout was too hard or the week/days have been too hard collectively.

This is really, really good advice, especially when you are just starting out. Pushing too hard too early only invites possible injury and burnout. Great race results are built on the culmination of your workouts, not any one individual workout.

Congratulations on starting your running journey. Don't worry about your speed right now - whatever pace you're running, it's faster than standing still! Progress comes to the patient and persistent. Happy running!
 
When I finished the 10k, I asked DH if he thought I should pick my half marathon training back up at the 6-mile long run mark. Before my training skidded to "maintenance mode" late last year, I was at the 5 mile mark, and my next long run would have been 6 miles. I did the 10k with much less trouble than I anticipated (both mentally and physically), but I also did it at a pretty easy pace because I was worried that if I pushed too hard, I'd end up with a DNF.

He thinks I should go back to the week where I was doing a 4-mile long run and build back up from there. The 10k was PR course (mostly downhill, some easy uphills), so I think he's trying to keep me from pushing too hard, too fast. I'm tempted to push for 5. I have a 5k on 5/7, so that'll be my long run that weekend.

Please don't increase weekly mileage too quickly. The general rule of thumb is to increase weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week. I know you are specifically talking about the long run above, but I would suggest looking at your plan as total weekly mileage. So, if your currently running 8-10 miles per week, you should only increase by about 1 mile per week maximum. Combine this with @DopeyBadger's 80% of weekly miles at an easy pace, and you are well on your way to a plan. If you are going to switch back to your previous training plan, again I would look at the weekly mileage of the training plan and compare it to your currently weekly mileage to determine the correct place to start.
 

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