hello? got some goals? - Page 3 - Triathlon Week

juliaberry · 04-24-2003, 02:29 PM

Gummi bears work quite well too. I usually just stick a bottle of extra sweet gatorade in the middle of my loop and thats good both for hydration and sugar. Going to experiment with some food on upcoming long runs. Sugar cookies I've heard are great--sugar and a little bit of fat so you don't crash quite as badly and it sticks with you longer--although that can be a bad thing.

I cannot motivate myself to get up early and run. There just are not enough hours in the day to get into bed early enough. I'm more productive at night so that's when I study and workout. I've been better this term because I don't have class until late on MWF so I can run at like 10am. Never been able to get up more than a couple days in a row for really early runs.

The wall, something I haven't really experienced and hoping that I won't. I know I traditionally crash during runs it's for one of 2 reasons: 1)Too fast (the most common one!) and 2)No food--another reason I don't run early in the morning. I'm hoping that my training is sufficient that I won't hit that wall. I am going to try for a 22 miler about 4 weeks prior to the race as opposed to the 20 that I had originally planned. That only leaves 4.2 miles of uncharted territory so to speak that I have to contend with. Done that before--or close in the half marathon--longest run of 10 miles and really I did fine. Obviously the marathon is a completely different story but I think (I hope) I'll be OK and not hit the wall too hard--specifically like your friend did--ouch!

Hopefully the 11 works out for you after work today. I'm going to go sit on a bike for a while and get the lift in that I didn't do yesterday because I was absolutely covered in mud after my run and was STARVING as usual. Always hungry!

juliaberry · 04-25-2003, 10:52 PM

You mentioned that you have a GPS system that you run with. I have been looking for one but they are SO expensive and the ratings on them really aren't good at all. I have been looking pretty seriously at the Timex Speed and Distance one. Any thoughts? I'm borrowing a pedometer from a friend tomorrow for my 16 miler just so I have an idea as to how far I'm running since I have no other way to mark the trails and the one in my car is broken. I'm not sure how terribly accurate the old school pedometers are but we'll see. I guess I could learn to read the map at the trail head too---there's a thought! Good luck on the 21 miler tomorrow!

ARZEE · 04-28-2003, 06:28 AM

Ya I run with the Timex Speed and Distance watch. I find it to be very accurate. I use it mostly on trails and when I have a goal pace (usually faster). I had the Nike watch that has the pod on the foot, but had a lot of trouble with the watch coming apart. After talking to the people at Running Room, it seems that it was a pretty common thing for this watch to be coming apart. I took it back and bought the Timex. No trouble with it. Only thing that is a little disturbing is finding out that some of the runs you were doing are shorter than you thought. One loop our group does turned out to be .25 miles short. This threw everybody into turmoil as they now realized that there run logs were all out of whack with respect to mileage. I re-ran the loop one day and ran on the outside of of it (no corner cutting) and the mileage was ok. Eveybody was happy again. Didn't run 21 on Saturday as the rest of my group was doing a 17 mile trail run. So I did too. Ankles are a little sore,but nothing I can't handle. How did your 16 miler go??? Is this your longest run to date? I find a difference between 15 and 16. At 15 I can get away with improper nutrition and hydration the day before, but at 16 I need to be careful. Did you notice a difference? Maybe it's in my head (like most things in distance running). Last week didn't turn out the way I had hoped. Thursday and Friday were a bust. No miles either day. I'm feeling run down today and haven't done a run yet. Lots of sick people around me right now. Maybe I'm fighting something and feel extra tired from it. I'll pull out of it- but today I just want to sleep!!!

juliaberry · 04-28-2003, 09:06 AM

I made 16 on saturday! It went really well. Actually it was probably a little bit more than 16 but regardless, it went really really well. Very consistent pace. I have a mile marked out that I come out off the trail and run to see where I'm at and at mile 6 I was at a 9:03 then at mile 14 I was at a 9:08 so the pace was not only a lot faster than I thought I was running or even planned on running but it was very comfortable. I crashed shortly after mile 14 and probably slowed quite a bit, or maybe it just felt like it. The 15 didn't really feel much different than the 15 to me but really I only ran about 5 minutes more time wise because I did it so much faster (I estimated a 9:10 or so this week versus a 9:30 last week). Funny you mention hydration and nutrition. I am a train wreck in both departments. I don't hydrate as well as I should ever and I rarely eat the way I should. My schedule is such a mess that I end up eating fast food or junk for lunch every day and often times have coffee for breakfast. Dinner I'm a little better about but really my diet is atrocious! It's going to catch up with me soon. I notice that stuff the most when I run early in the AM, which is why I don't. Withough fail my runs go infinitely better in the afternoon/evening. I actually felt OK afterwards. I finished and had to go back to work for a few hours and cover a track meet so that kept me from laying around and tightening up. That was my longest run ever and my highest weekly mileage ever so I'm pretty excited. I'm going to see how the 8 at what I hope to be race pace goes on wednesday and register for this thing! I've been kind of waiting on this run before I did.

The timex one is pretty good? I may buy one soon. I have to figure out how to pay for it first. I don't get paid for June, July and my loan doesn't start up again until the end of Sept so funds are a little low for the summer months. May have to wait until fall to do that! I'd like to have it now for my long runs but I just don't know if I can swing it!

Rough week huh? Well, sometimes you just need a couple days off. I did two in a row two weeks in a row and I feel so much better this last week or so. I'm definitely not the die hard kind of runner some are but I find that once I get over the guilt of not running, it's not a big deal to take a couple days off. It gets me a little more when I do it in the middle of a training program but sometimes you just have to. I'm usually very good about not taking more than one day off at a time but sometimes I just can't do it, you know! If there are lots of sick people around you, you are no doubt fighting something off especially after the 17miler--since long runs supress your immune system a bit. I actually read a research paper on that not too long ago.

Well, hopefully this week goes well for you! I haven't yet decided what to do about mileage for this week. I have 33 planned since I did 30 this past week but depending on how I feel I may drop that back a little bit to give my legs some recovery if they need it. We'll see. The plan right now is:
MON: 6mi easy/recovery
TUES: Rest/XT
WED: 8mi at race pace
THURS: Rext/XT
FRI: 7mi
SAT: Rest
SUN: 12 mi Long (hopefully close to race pace).

ARZEE · 04-30-2003, 08:17 AM

Congrats on the 16'er. Sounds like you are prepared for the longer runs that should be coming up in your schedule. I don't know what you have on tap for the coming weeks. What is the date of your marathon? Doing a couple of 20'ers will really benefit you if you have the time. I've recovered and feeling better today. Did 6 miles in 46 mins. last night at 10 p.m. and slept very well. Doing 10 on the trails this afternoon. 21 or 22 on tap for Saturday. I'll be doing 3- 20+ milers more before the taper starts for me. My marathon is June 15th. My training hasn't been where it has to be to run 3:10, so I'll have to do 3:30 or so. My plan is to go 3:10 this year (Chicago I guess) and then do a sub- 3:00 in 2004. Boston in 2005. Long tern goals are important especially after completing your marathon. After finishing my first one I had a little bit of a mental crash. My goal had been reached after a lot of work... but then what?? Long term goals are important to keep you on track to continual improvement. I know it seems hard to believe, but it is normal to be unhappy in the weeks after the marathon. Mission accomplished- now what?? Try to set out 2-3 years of plans and you will have less trouble when a goal is reached. What is the race pace for today?? Once again- congrats on the 16'er.

juliaberry · 04-30-2003, 02:22 PM

Yeah, the 16 went great, I'm just going to pay for it all week! Couldn't finish 6 on monday. Legs were protesting hard 2 miles in so thought better of finishing (only did 4) and then the same thing today. Legs were protesting and my shin was the worst it's been yet so I stopped at 6 instead of 8. Same thing happened the week after the 15 miler so I'm counting on this week being tough and then getting back on track next week. I have 12 this weekend then 18, 12-14, 20-22 and then taper. The race is June 28th so I'll manage to get 2 of at least 20 in. Can't really swing more than that I dont think without risking my legs! Sub 3hour huh? That's impressive. I'm thinking my training is not where it should be to run the 3:40 Boston qualifying time I want but there is always next time too. I just want to finish this one and then really tear it up on the next one. I just didn't know what I was doing when I started training so I'm short on time and training at this point--I feel. I need to be comfortable at 30+ miles/week before I even begin a program and I'll be golden. Just wasn't there and honestly didn't know that is where I needed to be (or I would have been!) Right now I want to finish and I want to do it in under 4 hours. If I can do it faster I will but for the first time, that's my goal. As far as the future, next year (summer) is up in the air because I'll get my masters in June and then, depending on the job situation I don't know where I'll be. I think for next fall/winter/spring I want to try to do as many shorter races as I can to get a speed base. I'm thinking 10K-half maybe a little longer. Those are quicker and easier to train for and I can do them on shorter notice. I'd like to try to do another marathon 2 years from now if next summer doesn't work. But at the same time I may just train for a particular one and get there if I can and if not try to slide into one wherever I end up. I agree on long term goals and I've though quite a lot about "life after the marathon". I'm leaving day after the marathon to go to my parents house for 2 1/2 weeks so that will be relaxing and I never even want to run there because I want to spend as much time with them as I can so it'll hopefully distract me! Boston in 2005 huh? I would love to run Boston. Honestly I just want to qualify for it and I'll be more than happy! Good luck on the 22miler this weekend. Let me know how it goes.