|
**TeamLiquid now has a group on what I consider to be the best GPS/logging site out there: Strava. You can join the group here: http://www.strava.com/clubs/Teamliquid**
A thread for all my fellow TL'ers who run. A place to discuss goals, training, racing, motivation; anything related to running. Should be a little easier now that everything won't get lost in all the traffic of one mega-thread.
Useful/Good Articles/Training Concepts
- Beginner/Starting Running
+ Show Spoiler +For those new to running their are a few common mistakes that many people make. The first is just plain doing too much, too soon. A general guideline reference is to increase mileage about 10% per week, with every 3/4 week being a cutback week of maybe 50-75% of the distance you just achieved. Obviously some people can increase much faster than this, and others will get an injury even following these guidelines. For people new to running its safe to add a day per week until your running 6/7 days a week, stay at the previous weeks number of days if that week felt particularly demanding. The other common mistake is running too hard. Perhaps because of PE/sports/etc. their is this mentality of "no pain, no gain" when running. This is wrong. Especially for beginner the key is adjusting to running and finding some enjoyment out of it. This probably won't happen if your hammering every run at 5K pace - 10 seconds. If you EVER have to take a break to walk (and its just not immense fatigue from long distance) your running WAY to hard. To give some basic guidelines if you can RACE a mile in: 5:00 - Normal running @ 7:00-7:45 pace/mile 5:30 - Normal running @ 7:30-8:45 pace/mile 6:00 - Normal running @ 8:15-9:00 pace/mile 6:30 - Normal running @ 9:00-9:45 pace/mile 7:00 - Normal running @ 9:30-10:15 pace/mile 7:30 - Normal running @ 10:15-11:00 pace/mile 8:00 - Normal running @ 11:00-11:45 pace/mile 8:30 - Normal running @ 11:30-12:15 pace/mile 9:00 - Normal running @ 12:15-13:00 pace/mile 10:00 - Normal running @ 13:30-14:15 pace/mile 12:00 - Normal running @ 16:00-17:00 pace/mile For those totally new to running that have been sedentary/non-athletic most their life here is one of the best introductions to running out there: Couch to 5K For those that have maintained a minimal level of activity beyond being sedentary its reasonable to jump in at 3-4 days a week of 3-4 miles. Progressing by adding a day per week until you reach 6 or 7 days per week. Mileage can be increased from there.
- Injuries:
+ Show Spoiler +General recommendation for most injuries is if the pain lessens, and perhaps if its mild and doesn't intensify you can continue to run on it. If the pain increases as you run, definitely stop. Nothing like turning a mild case of achilles tendinitis into a long term case of prolonged achilles tendinosis. You really have to listen to your body on these though. For the non-competitive runner running for fitness, its probably wise to just play it safe and take a a day or two off at any hints of injury. If your training competitively or for an important event then you really just need to try to listen to and judge the injury. Obvious training with anything other than routine soreness runs the risk of turning something minor into something serious, however, if you break training for every possible suggestion of injury you probably won't put together very good blocks of training. Great general listing of possible running injuries, descriptions, and treatments: The Fix: Primer for Running Injuries Not gospel obviously, but can help give you an idea of what may be going on the necessary PT to prevent recurrences.
- Glossary of Running Terms:
+ Show Spoiler +Racing Flat/Flat - Very lightweight shoes designed for long distance racing Trainer - Standard, heavier, and generally more supportive shoe used primarily for training due to wearing out less frequently than thinner racing flats
Easy Run - light run for general aerobic development; usually can converse easily with a partner, breathing rhythm usually around 2/2-3/3. Typically 60-75% of max heart rate. Marathon Pace/M-Pace/Aerobic Threshold Pace - usually fastest aerobic pace, obviously pace at which you could run for a marathon. Approx 40-60 second slower than 5K race pace Tempo/T-Pace Run - A common term that refers to several different run types. Tempo's typically have three popular durations, 20-30 min, 40-60 min, and extended tempos of 60-80 min. Correct pacing is around 5K+20-25 seconds per mile for short ones, 5K+35-40 seconds per mile for the medium, and 5K+50-60 seconds per mile for the longer ones. Reps - Fast track intervals @ around mile race pace w/recovery time twice that of repeat (400m in 75 seconds = 150 second slow jog recovery). Used to build economy at speed and make fast paces seem easier Intervals/V02 Max Interval - Longer repeats at slower pace with less recovery. Usually 1:1 recovery/repeat at around 3K-5K race pace (1200m in 3:30 w/3:30 jog recovery). Long Run - run longer than typical for YOUR mileage. Usually around 20% of weekly mileage (aka runner running 60mpw might run around 11-13 miles for a long run) Fartlek - Swedish for "speed play". A run that can be pretty much whatever a runner wants. Can involve just picking random targets and running as hard as desired toward them and then recovery for however long you want, or can be structured as in 2 min "ON", 2 min "OFF". Strides - Short pickups of about 50-100m done anywhere from 400m-1600m race pace. Serve to "stay in touch" with speed and maintain neuromuscular coordination for fast paces. NOT meant to be hard.
Kick - runners strong finish to the end of a race; crucial to winning championship races which are generally slower and more tactical in nature Tactial Race - typically slower pace, refers to a race in which different runners try to force the race to their strengths. Ex: a super fast runner might want to wait till 100m to go before kicking hard for home, while the slower, but stronger runner might really pick up the pace with 400m+ to go and try to "run the kick out of" the faster runner. Move - An increase in speed to either pass runners, obtain position, or make a move for the win. It's said you get one move in the 800m, 2 in the 1500m, and 3 in the 5000m/10000m Surge - Increase in pace of the race by a runner Stagger - difference in starting places to account for varying radius of the curves in races that are fixed lane or partially fixed lane. Turnover - basically a runners stride, turnover essentially referring to the length and rate of stride Cadence - Steps per minute Mileage - miles run, usually given as a weekly value MPW, mpw - miles per week Raw Speed - Most common measure is an athletes 200m time Speed - Generally refers to top end gear, but for distance runners is often cited as 400m speed. Ex: A world class 800m runner likely has 45-47 second speed V02 Max - measure of maximum oxygen uptake vV02 max - Velocity at V02 Max, lowest speed at which an athlete is at maximum oxygen consumption. Usually occurs between 3K and 5K pace Anaerobic Threshold - inflection point on the lactic acid accumulation curve, at which point blood levels of lacate increase significantly faster. Usually around high end tempo pace, a little slower than 10K pace. Bonk - usually applies to marathon, occurs when a runner goes out to hard and deplets glycogen too soon resulting in a massive increase in speed and major pace drop off Elite - top level runner LSD - long, slow distance Negative Split - last half of race faster than first Overpronate - Higher than normal amount of inward roll of the foot Heelstrike - generally undesirable stride in which the foot lands forward of center of gravity resulting in a braking effect and extra stress Splits - Times at specific distances. Ex: in a 5K might have splits read every K, in a mile splits might be read every 400m World Best - best time for an event without official world records, or a non-ratified world record. Ex: marathon world record is 2:03:59, world best is 2:03:02 World Lead - best time run for an event in that calendar year NR - National Record
- Running Form:
+ Show Spoiler + **All credit for this goes to Airblade Orange. **
Head
Your head and neck should look as if you were standing still as someone was measuring your height and you want to squeeze in every extra millimeter possible. Your head should be up tall and your eyes should be looking straight ahead. It helps to focus on an object in the near distance that you are aiming for. If you are racing stare at the back of a runner a little ahead of you. Do not stare at the ground because it will likely mess up the form of your midsection.
Arms
While you are swinging your arms visualize there is a vertical line in the middle of your chest. Do not cross any part of either arm over to the other side. Also make sure your arms are not swinging too far to the outside on the other side of your body. Keep your arms swinging between your imaginary vertical chest line and your shoulder. Your right arm should be between your right shoulder and the vertical chest line and your left arm should be between your left shoulder and the chest line.
Keep your elbows bent at about 45 degrees. Your elbows should not be doing much bending or straightening as you are running; keep them at close to 45 degrees the whole time.
Maintain stable wrists throughout your movements. Do not bend them in any way.
Keep your hands in a loose fist. If they are too tight you will be using unnecessary energy and if they are too lose you will look like a not as cool T-1000. Maybe if you're a sprinter you can do the T-1000 with your hands completely straight, but not as a distance runner. I like to keep my thumbs on the top and outside of my pointer finger rather than wrapping around a fist. Your thumb will be straight and pointing away from you if you do it this way. Doing it like this helps me focus on keeping a loose hand and straight wrist.
Chest/Back
Your chest should be just as it would be if you were standing still, straight, and tall. Your back will be straight as well. If you find that you are leaning forward, make sure you are looking ahead of you rather than below you. Also, you may have weak abdominal muscles that prevent you from running up straight and tall. I ran like this for the first couple of years when I started because I had no abs.
Hips
Keep your hips underneath you and forward you as if you're banging a hot girl and you're about to ejaculate. Practice this in front of a mirror without a shirt when nobody else is around or someone you are trying to impress IS around. Keeping your hips forward will help your body drive forward.
Legs
This is where most runners tend to need the most work. You should be hitting about 3 strides per second when you are running at a moderately fast to fast pace. This means that your feet are striking the ground at a rate of 3 steps per second. This is the most efficient way to run for distance runners but is difficult and probably not worth doing if you're not running fast (relative to your own ability). But the next time you are running faster, whether it's a tempo run, strides, or whatever, try this out. Count how many steps you take in 10 seconds. How close is it to 30? You probably need to be taking more and shorter steps.
Pick up your feet as soon as they hit the ground. It sounds obvious but really make an effort to think about this as you are running. The longer your feet stay on the ground the more momentum you are losing. Keep them legs moving fast and forward. Try running in place with this principle in mind.
Pick up your feet higher than where you perceive your knee to be. While some people (usually old people) prefer the marathon shuffle, keeping your legs moving in a more circular manner, you can increase your efficiency as long as you use all of these leg tips together. Just go watch some videos of elite distance runners to get a visual or this or anything else being described. Most elites have excellent form, specifically in the beginning of races before they get too tired. This is another technique that is difficult to do unless you are running fast. But when you are running fast this will make you fast AND smooth.
This last tip can be debated but I'll lay it down anyway. Strike the ground with your mid foot. Heel striking is very common and the normal way most people run when they slip on running shoes. This is interesting because if you run barefoot you will be mid foot striking. Try it out. I am a believer in the benefits of barefoot and minimalist shoe training, but that is a topic for another time. I still think a mid foot strike to be the best bet here. Not only is it the most natural way for humans to run but it also keeps your feet on the ground for less time. Remember that you are fighting inertia and need to keep your feet off the ground and your legs driving forward.
American<->SI Pace Conversion Tool (credit: Malinor) + Show Spoiler +
List of TLer Training Logs: + Show Spoiler +
TL Members 2020 Goals/Progress: Feel free to post up your goals for upcoming year, season, target race, etc. I will keep them updated.
+ Show Spoiler +
*Added a section to the OP for training logs. If you log your running online in an accessible form feel free to post your log up and I will add them to the OP.*
|
Well it's a new year folks. 2019 was....eh, okay. It was better than 2018. The first half was horrible, and I was bordering on getting genuinely out of shape. When I started back in earnest in May I was seeing over 100bpm just walking around which is very, very high for me.
But I had a good summer where I just rode a bunch, and got some good general fitness block. August and September were a bit wild, but I had some really good training between Oct and early Dec that saw me get back to within shouting distance of my good fitness. Some downtime over the holidays to avoid getting to crazy early, but now I'm ready to go.
The difference for this year is, I think, I've figured out how to be disciplined enough with my schedule and tasks to be able to keep training amidst the chaos of another intense ENGR semester + working. I think. This will be a much harder schedule than last semester, but if I keep on top of it, I know I can put in quality training. That's an if though.
That said, because I feel like I've figured it out, I've got big goals for this year. Especially true because I'll graduate in December and this feels like my last big year to really accomplish my goals before I have to dive into working hard to make up for lost time. I'm also 30, which means the gradual decline is beginning.
My goals this year are:
- Sub 21' Manitou Incline (Top 15 all time)
- Consistently place in the top 10 at major Zwift races (virtual racing), with the aim of qualify for US Nats in SP 21'
- Get back to where I can comfortably ride a bike again
- Mayyyybbbeeee.....actually race a bike outside
So, why Zwift? It's e-racing, not real bike racing. The simple answer is because it's fun and I do lots of my training inside in the winter so it works nicely. It's also something that suits my skillset, as many races are won with punchy efforts rather than massive sprint power. Ideally, I'd like to get back to outdoor racing, but after a crash and a really scary encounter with a massive gust of wind going 90kph/60mph I've just mentally lost it. I've gone from a mediocre descender, usually like 25th-50th percentile on strava, to absolute horrible, holding the brakes going 20mph down a basic hill feeling out of control descender, and am generally just nervy. It sucks. It takes away a huge portion of the joy of bike riding outside.
My plan for the fitness is pretty straightforward. Train consistently and intelligently, and stop eating like a dumbass. I say that about eating every year, and haven't really been motivated enough to fix it. I think if I get in a really good training groove, that motivation will pick up steam.
As for getting confidence back, my plan is lots of MTB riding (my confidence on the MTB is almost unaffected) building both confidence and more skills there, lots of road skill drills, and working my way up from basic, super flat boring routes towards being able to ride normal parcours without constant anxiety and tension about every little bump, wind gust, car, and downhill.
Fingers crossed. I think it will be a better year than 2019 for sure, and it might be a good or even great one!
|
Yeah! The tradition continues!
My big goal for 2020 is pretty boring: build my fitness as efficiently as possible with an eye to running fast in 2021. I've got two races on tap for the year (Sin Seven trail relay in the summer and a local 5k fun run in October) and no real expectations or goals for either of them. The plan is to grind out consecutive months of solid training and let the process do its thing.
Part of this is managing the risk of injury. I'm doing two new things on this front.
The first is lifting weights twice a week. The routine is pretty basic leg stuff (leg press, Bulgarian split squats, hamstring curl machine, etc) and some injury rehab stuff intended to help my once-broken foot stay strong. There's some pretty compelling evidence that this is a great way to lower injury risk and increase running performance, so I'm very optimistic that it will make a difference for me.
The second is running a little lower mileage and being less uptight about missing some miles here and there due to travel/vacation/work. I'm currently running about 130k/week every three weeks, then taking a recovery week where I run ~90k. When the weather improves a bit I might inch up to 140-150, and in the fall I think I'll attempt a single three-week cycle of 160k/week if everything is feeling good.
So in summary my goals for 2020 are:
- Stay healthy and train consistently
- Bring track tempo paces down below 3:20/k
- Run over 5,000k for the year
- Run hard and have fun at Sin Seven
@L_Master
Great to see you still at it, man. Could you tell me more about that hill footrace you mention?
As someone who likes to ride casually, I think caution while descending is generally a good thing. I'm curious about your mountain biking remarks, though. Why does descending on a mountain bike not freak you out if riding on the road does?
The Zwift thing has really taken off in my social circle in the last year; about half of my Strava feed is Zwift rides at this point. Looking forward to watching your progress. Is there a way to stream Zwift races? Might be fun to tune in and cheer you on virtually.
|
My big goal for 2020 is pretty boring: build my fitness as efficiently as possible with an eye to running fast in 2021. I've got two races on tap for the year (Sin Seven trail relay in the summer and a local 5k fun run in October) and no real expectations or goals for either of them. The plan is to grind out consecutive months of solid training and let the process do its thing.
Part of this is managing the risk of injury. I'm doing two new things on this front.
The first is lifting weights twice a week. The routine is pretty basic leg stuff (leg press, Bulgarian split squats, hamstring curl machine, etc) and some injury rehab stuff intended to help my once-broken foot stay strong. There's some pretty compelling evidence that this is a great way to lower injury risk and increase running performance, so I'm very optimistic that it will make a difference for me.
The second is running a little lower mileage and being less uptight about missing some miles here and there due to travel/vacation/work. I'm currently running about 130k/week every three weeks, then taking a recovery week where I run ~90k. When the weather improves a bit I might inch up to 140-150, and in the fall I think I'll attempt a single three-week cycle of 160k/week if everything is feeling good.
So in summary my goals for 2020 are: Stay healthy and train consistently Bring track tempo paces down below 3:20/k Run over 5,000k for the year Run hard and have fun at Sin Seven
Sounds like some pretty good goals you have for the year! I haven't seen too much linking weight training to performance gains, but the injury prevention side of things is quite interesting. What's your gameplan there? I know you listed lifts, but are you going to do lighter weights, heavier training, a mix?
I will say I use that 3 ON, 1 OFF scheme for my training and absolutely love it. It's not used as much in running for whatever reason, but I really like having that down week to "absorb" the gains if you will and recharge mentally for the next little block.
-------------------------------------------
For the MTB stuff, I'm assuming it's a combination of the speed and the fact that road bikes are lighter weight and have more responsive frames and geometry leading to twitchier handling, combined with the fact that the actual trauma of crashing and getting blasted by the gust occurred on that bike. The MTB just feels a little more secure, and I just have more "trust" in the bike right now. I guess mental trauma is weird like that.
The other advantage of the MTB is that it tends to develop bike handling skills and abilities much more than road riding because you're so much more active on the bike. Generally, guys coming from a MTB background pick up road skills and racecraft much quicker than someone coming from another sport. This is huge, because real outdoor road racing places a HUGE emphasis on position and skills. In running terms, you can waste the type of energy that a guy with a 5:00 pace threshold could struggle to keep up with a group that averages a 6:30 threshold because of wasted energy.
- I generally try to stream my zwift races when I do them, but I can post in here when I'm racing. Depending on the race, watching a zwift race and by moderately interesting to incredibly boring though.
- Hill footrace? You mean the incline? If so, that's not a race, it's just a very famous "staircase" near Colorado Springs. 2000' of vertical in 0.91 miles, which works out to around 44% avg gradient. Very commonly used training ground for elite MUT guys, Olympic athletes, and general local community.
|
On January 03 2020 06:57 L_Master wrote: Sounds like some pretty good goals you have for the year! I haven't seen too much linking weight training to performance gains, but the injury prevention side of things is quite interesting. What's your gameplan there? I know you listed lifts, but are you going to do lighter weights, heavier training, a mix?
There's a particular study I'm thinking of that my physiotherapist sent me last year. Researchers had a team of college runners lift over the course of the season (not the control group, of course). Treatment group got injured less and showed improved performance.
I can't seem to dig it out of my inbox, but I've written to my physio about it. Once I track it down I'll post the citation here; I found it very interesting.
As for the specifics of the program, it's nothing too crazy. Each workout takes about an hour, including walking to the gym and back. The hardest exercises are leg press, hamstring curl, weighted calf raise, and Bulgarian split squat. For each exercise I generally do two sets of ten reps, with enough weight that it's hard by the end.
Dialing in exactly how hard has been a learning process. I've found a little goes a long way as far still feeling sore and tired for a workout later in the week. I've been ramping up gradually since the fall and I'm now moving noticeably more weight than I was at the start, which is neat. But it's very much an adjunct to the training and not the main course. I don't really go "in the box" and suffer like I (sometimes) do for a running workout.
Long-term, I'd love to learn to squat with good form. But I'm a little scared of the risk of injury. So it's leg press for now.
On January 03 2020 06:57 L_Master wrote: - I generally try to stream my zwift races when I do them, but I can post in here when I'm racing. Depending on the race, watching a zwift race and by moderately interesting to incredibly boring though.
That would be cool! Where are they streamed?
On January 03 2020 06:57 L_Master wrote: - Hill footrace? You mean the incline? If so, that's not a race, it's just a very famous "staircase" near Colorado Springs. 2000' of vertical in 0.91 miles, which works out to around 44% avg gradient. Very commonly used training ground for elite MUT guys, Olympic athletes, and general local community.
Pardon me, I misunderstood. Sounds like a fun (by which I mean awful) time! Is this a staircase you bike up or run up?
|
United Kingdom10443 Posts
Glad to see this thread continue. It's always exciting to see what others set as a goals and read about their progress.
2019 closed out on an encouraging note. I didn't do any racing but trained consistently and ran a 1:29:30 Half marathon.
Over the Christmas holidays I took some time to plan out the year ahead. 30 is coming up this year but the literature is encouraging , I took up running later in life so there is still time and a lot of room to improve and run quick.
First part of the year is going to be building base endurance with the goal of racing a half marathon early April. Aiming for 1:27:30.
Race season is going to be focused on the 10k. There is a chance I can go sub 36:00 (current PB is 37:17 set in July)
End of the season culminates with a relay duathalon in London. I do a 10k run. friend does a 44k bike then I finish with a 5k run.
The other goal is more focused off the road. Broadly speaking it is to enjoy myself and relax.
Don't get me wrong, I love being competitive and trying to set PB's. But I am never going to be a gold medalist or turn professional.
A missed run or a bad meal causes me to be overly harsh on myself , sending me into a shame/depression spiral.
Running improves my mood, lowers my stress and encourages a better lifestyle. But there is a problem if an off day negatively effects my mental health.
The aim is to run as much as possible without over training, but there are more important goals and, inevitably, life gets in the way.
Just let that happen. Running is a hobby for any amateur, something that brings joy. A missed day or two is nothing to worry about. I need to remind myself of that now and then.
|
Happy new year to all! I just joined the strava club to hopefully provide and receive some extra motivation, plus I just love seeing other people's rides, runs and routes.
RE: cycling confidence, I have never really had it but the last year or two since I switched my primary focus to running it has tanked even further. I don't like extended descents at all and feel very anxious and worried the whole time. Cars aren't a big issue for me when riding on the road/shoulder/bike lanes but it is still scary sometimes and I always think about getting in a wreck and being laid up for a few months not being able to exercise. Cornering too is something I lack a lot of cinfidence in and will slow down a fair amount and never bank too hard when turning. Part of all this is that my bike is currently not in the most optimal condition (it just needs a thorough tune-up) but structurally everything is fine, yet I always feel a "what if" in the back of my head. Almost all of my riding last year was commuting to/from work and I am seriously considering getting a new (probably a used one) road bike this year to have more fun out on the roads when the weather turns around.
Zwift is something I have been wishing I had as I finally have a garage to be able to set up in. One of my friends is on it nearly everyday and apparently now they have a running portion of Zwift too which is interesting. I need to look into the setup more and see if it might be worth it. I do like that they have drills and stuff to work on like cadence and power intervals in addition to virtual racing.
On January 03 2020 20:09 KelsierSC wrote: The other goal is more focused off the road. Broadly speaking it is to enjoy myself and relax.
Don't get me wrong, I love being competitive and trying to set PB's. But I am never going to be a gold medalist or turn professional.
A missed run or a bad meal causes me to be overly harsh on myself , sending me into a shame/depression spiral.
Running improves my mood, lowers my stress and encourages a better lifestyle. But there is a problem if an off day negatively effects my mental health.
The aim is to run as much as possible without over training, but there are more important goals and, inevitably, life gets in the way.
Just let that happen. Running is a hobby for any amateur, something that brings joy. A missed day or two is nothing to worry about. I need to remind myself of that now and then.
I definitely feel this a lot. I am about your level and have been steadily improving all the time. For the first three years I never really thought about a training schedule or thought that I really should run today to get a mileage threshold. I would just run because I wanted to at the time and that was it. I didn't race except a single 10k a year so I wasn't training for some race (and even that one race I never trained for, it was just a check-in).
Now though, I am signing up for races and targeting my training towards them and I do think that I need to run x amount this day and y amount some other day to make my distance targets so at some point the burnout is gonna happen. I do still have a hobbyist mindset about the whole thing though and don't take it too seriously. If I can't make a long run on Sunday, I might do it a different day, or if it's pouring rain and I don't want to go outside, then I won't. You have the right approach and you probably are good at listening to your body, which will hopefully keep you healthy. I am surrounded by older runners and my goal is to still be running when I'm 50+ like them. A few days or a week off will maybe set you back a bit, but it's better to be undertrained and healthy than overtrained and overstressed.
|
Heard back from my physio! This is the study I was thinking of:
"The Effect of Strength Training on Performance Indicators in Distance Runners" from our friends Kris Beattie, Brian P. Carson, Mark Lyons, Antonia Rossiter, and Ian C. Kenny.
The formatting is a bit wonky, but it's an interesting read.
Study subjects were a group of 20 "collegiate and national-level distance runners." Experimental group did a 40 week strength program; control group did not.
There's lots of fancy stats in the paper beyond the ken of a simple man like me, but one sentence from the discussion jumped out at me:
The main finding of this study was that strength training can significantly improve strength (maximal and reactive strength) and key physiological performance indicators, specifically [running economy] and [velocity at maximum oxygen consumption], in competitive distance runners.
|
Happy new year everybody!
2019 ended like crap: decided to take serious a break after my last race in october to get rid of my nagging shin issue, then a few bad things came together and I fell into quite the depressed rut. Instead of getting back into training in november I had 0 motivation to do anything, ate like crap and gained about 4kg, doing hardly any sports until january.
Usually I'm not a new years resolution guy, but this change of year was great timing and I used it to get my ass back into gear jan 1st. Decided to do "something" everyday, be it running, a few pushups or whatever. It's almost scary how much my mood improved in only over a week! Supplementing vitamin d may have sth to do with it, but I already started that in mid december after having my levels tested (= critically low). Like 3-4 days after exercising daily everything was bearable again and while I still feel weak I'm back to smiling most of the day.
Today my Stryd footpod was in the mail so I still plan to have running a big part of my exercise regimen this year, though no concrete goals set as of now. There's my favourite 10k race in a week and a half marathon in march I already signed up for, other than those my only plan for this year is:
take it easy, don't stress out about race times or mileage, don't overdo it and be more consistent.
Last year I was up to 700km by first week of april and finished the year with less than 1300km, definitely want to avoid repeating that.
|
8713 Posts
Training is going really well right now. I've increased mileage to 60+ and am looking to average mid to upper 60's for about a 4 month period. Considering I had only run over 60 a few times before with a high of 63, this is pretty new territory. Definitely the fittest I've ever been right now and looking to make the breakthrough early in this year that I was hoping to make last year. I'm not racing until April when I'll do my big goal race for this training cycle (a 10 miler in Sacramento), and then I'll probably do a bunch of minor races April - July like I did in 2019.
The 2020 Cross Country Club Nationals is going to be a 40 min drive from me (in San Francisco) so I want to take advantage of that and make that my big goal race for the 2nd half of the year. That's in December. I'm also thinking I'll do the Rock n Roll Las Vegas half marathon in November.
|
United States23454 Posts
I essentially took the entirety of 2019 off of running (like a fool) despite the fact that I had signed up for the WDW Marathon which was two days ago. Needless to say, my time and body paid for that pretty majorly. Looking to get back into the swing of things after a great 2018! Will probably put a training log here at some point. Goal races are half marathon in late October and a repeat of the full marathon next January. Probably a couple shorter races (there always seems to be a 10k happening near me).
|
On January 10 2020 10:32 Bonham wrote:Heard back from my physio! This is the study I was thinking of: " The Effect of Strength Training on Performance Indicators in Distance Runners" from our friends Kris Beattie, Brian P. Carson, Mark Lyons, Antonia Rossiter, and Ian C. Kenny. The formatting is a bit wonky, but it's an interesting read. Study subjects were a group of 20 "collegiate and national-level distance runners." Experimental group did a 40 week strength program; control group did not. There's lots of fancy stats in the paper beyond the ken of a simple man like me, but one sentence from the discussion jumped out at me: Show nested quote +The main finding of this study was that strength training can significantly improve strength (maximal and reactive strength) and key physiological performance indicators, specifically [running economy] and [velocity at maximum oxygen consumption], in competitive distance runners.
I always loved running but am now totally emerged in the Powerlifting scene. Given that background it is probably no surprise that I believe that strength training may have a positive effect on running as well. What I found surprising: From a study I heard about lately (of course I do not know the name right now), they proposed that runners also lift relatively heavy, meaning more in the range of 3-8 reps with higher weights. I always naturally assumed that training for strength-endurance in the 10-15 rep range makes sense for runners. I thought about this a bit lately and now I could definitely see the benefits of lower rep ranges. For once, they make you stronger with less focus on hyperthrophy, which is something runners do not strive for. I assume the main challenge is to incorporate something like this in your training protocoll. When you run like 100km+ a week, handling recovery and getting the most out of the strength sessions does not seem to be a trivial task.
|
United Kingdom10443 Posts
On January 15 2020 17:10 Malinor wrote:Show nested quote +On January 10 2020 10:32 Bonham wrote:Heard back from my physio! This is the study I was thinking of: " The Effect of Strength Training on Performance Indicators in Distance Runners" from our friends Kris Beattie, Brian P. Carson, Mark Lyons, Antonia Rossiter, and Ian C. Kenny. The formatting is a bit wonky, but it's an interesting read. Study subjects were a group of 20 "collegiate and national-level distance runners." Experimental group did a 40 week strength program; control group did not. There's lots of fancy stats in the paper beyond the ken of a simple man like me, but one sentence from the discussion jumped out at me: The main finding of this study was that strength training can significantly improve strength (maximal and reactive strength) and key physiological performance indicators, specifically [running economy] and [velocity at maximum oxygen consumption], in competitive distance runners. I always loved running but am now totally emerged in the Powerlifting scene. Given that background it is probably no surprise that I believe that strength training may have a positive effect on running as well. What I found surprising: From a study I heard about lately (of course I do not know the name right now), they proposed that runners also lift relatively heavy, meaning more in the range of 3-8 reps with higher weights. I always naturally assumed that training for strength-endurance in the 10-15 rep range makes sense for runners. I thought about this a bit lately and now I could definitely see the benefits of lower rep ranges. For once, they make you stronger with less focus on hyperthrophy, which is something runners do not strive for. I assume the main challenge is to incorporate something like this in your training protocoll. When you run like 100km+ a week, handling recovery and getting the most out of the strength sessions does not seem to be a trivial task.
Based on experience and literature I've gravitated towards strength training 2-3 times a week with a focus on the compound movements (squats, deadlift ), generally lifting heavy in the rep range you have specified. My sessions are only 30-40 minutes , partly due to a busy life schedule and because my form and effort suffer after this time. Another option if I don't want to lift weights is doing hill sprints, good way to build strength in the legs.
However I don't do this all year round, instead I use base building / pre season to lift heavy as this is when the running workouts are less intense and it's a lot of easy miles so it's a good time to build strength.
When it gets into the transition period / race season, then i'd only lift twice a week, doing like 2 x 10-15 with lighter weight. This is just to maintain and stop myself getting injured. I do this workout on the morning of my running workout days (running workout in the evening) . This way I keep my hard days hard. Plus I can't push too hard as I don't want to inhibit the workout later on.
Edit - I have no idea if this is optimal or supported by science but it's worked for me.
|
Rather improbably, I am now signed up for two races this year!
Doing the Sun Run, which is a big 10k road race here in April. Running as part of a corporate challenge team for my brother. No idea what to expect but sub-35 seems reasonable.
Second race is a half marathon in August. Again, no idea what's really tenable, but at least sub-1:15 would be awesome. We will see I guess.
Mostly I want to avoid feeling crummy and down on myself like I did when I ran a 1:20 half coming back from injury.
|
On January 11 2020 08:49 NonY wrote: Training is going really well right now. I've increased mileage to 60+ and am looking to average mid to upper 60's for about a 4 month period. Considering I had only run over 60 a few times before with a high of 63, this is pretty new territory. Definitely the fittest I've ever been right now and looking to make the breakthrough early in this year that I was hoping to make last year. I'm not racing until April when I'll do my big goal race for this training cycle (a 10 miler in Sacramento), and then I'll probably do a bunch of minor races April - July like I did in 2019.
The 2020 Cross Country Club Nationals is going to be a 40 min drive from me (in San Francisco) so I want to take advantage of that and make that my big goal race for the 2nd half of the year. That's in December. I'm also thinking I'll do the Rock n Roll Las Vegas half marathon in November.
Good stuff! That mileage bump will serve you well, especially with some of the longer races you're looking at! Excited to see how this season goes for you.
|
Well I kinda told my sister I'd run a half marathon with her. Guess I have to get back in shape. First step is lose 40lbs.
|
On February 02 2020 14:23 Jerubaal wrote: Well I kinda told my sister I'd run a half marathon with her. Guess I have to get back in shape. First step is lose 40lbs.
Similar to the amount of weight I need to lose
Good luck with the training and eating! When's the race?
|
Rowing Test Day
Possibly the most painful aerobic thing I've ever done
Testing short stuff today rowing. Massive ouch. I've done running, cycling, a little bit of XC skiing...this hurts so bad. It's hard to describe, but it's just every part of you is suffering and you can feel the power just going out.
I feel...okay with the effort. Felt very good through 650, and good through 750...and then the wheels slightly came off. I ran out of power and just couldn't go anymore, which was a disappointment based on how I aerobically. I think it was more muscular gas out...because the HR leveled off and I've seen 178 on the rower already doing a one minute effort where I did 1:28.3 pace.
Pacing was clearly good for what I had today, but I have a feeling this can go much lower. Maybe down towards 3:15 by year's end...which would put 6:4x 2k in play I think. Right now sub 7 seems perhaps a bit of a stretch.
Plan is to keep rowing as easy volume some through spring/summer. It feels really good and is an EXCELLENT combo for all the hunched over stuff you get on the bike. Maybe some rowing intervals in the fall with a concerted effort for a decent "little guy" 2k.
Tomorrow is the big one hour bike test, be a good baseline to see where I am at after basically nothing but easy training at 55-65% of HRmax for the past few months. That's also gonna hurt big time...
|
Haha, I know what you mean. The hardest rowing I did during my foot rehab was 5k time trials. I don't think I ever got under 19 minutes. The last third of each attempt was a new kind of discomfort for me. Discomfort is much more diffuse throughout the body compared with running, where it's mostly legs and lungs that give you hell.
How did the hour cycle go?
|
On February 08 2020 01:22 Bonham wrote: Haha, I know what you mean. The hardest rowing I did during my foot rehab was 5k time trials. I don't think I ever got under 19 minutes. The last third of each attempt was a new kind of discomfort for me. Discomfort is much more diffuse throughout the body compared with running, where it's mostly legs and lungs that give you hell.
How did the hour cycle go?
How tall are you? 19:00 is pretty stout. Likely would have you between 6:45-7:00 2k (rowing standard).
Height has a HUGE impact on rowing performance.
|
|
|
|