Going for 21k in May 2011

[K4marathon]

Thanks

Yes, it gives confidence. I will aim for that consistency and speed now, hopefully being able to run at lower HR to gain efficiency in the future (this long run had an average of HR 161). I also hope to find some other shorter race before my May race, in order to get some experience with the race environment. Let's see if I can find something that fits the schedule.

Let's stay in touch!

K4m

[K4marathon]

Hello TheEd,

I ran into some minor issues at my longer run in the weekend. I noticed after the run that one toe nail on each foot (different toes) got a bit damaged during the run. Especially one of them seems like it might fall off, and they are a bit aching. I did easy runs Mon and Tue, but now decided to keep a couple of days off running to let them heal. Do you think I have too small shoes or is this normal? I did not have similar problems so far. I have two pairs of shoes, both Nike Pegasus 27 of the same size that I alternate (one pair is the Gore Tex model and the other one the "summer" model but otherwise the same shoe). When I bought them I pressed the foot toward the toe end and could fit approx two fingers behind my heel. This was the instruction by the person selling the shoes.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

K4m

[TheEd]

it sounds as though you have had the correct size recommendation and now you should check that maybe your feet have been slipping forward and so your toes are banging against the front

you becoming a runner with this happening

this shouldn't happen so much in winter as the feet do not swell

this is not so uncommon

see here - footcare
http://www.time-to-run.com/women/footcare.htm

don't worry too much about the title but look to see if there is anything there that can assist you

congrats

TheEd

[K4marathon]

Thanks for the comments and the link. I've tried to treat my toes properly, and also took a few easier days because of this. One of the toes is still not looking very good, but as such it does not really harm training, so I am back on the program.

Otherwise things are quite fine. I'm doing the normal runs of the program and it feels like the speed is constant. Assuming the toes won't cause any more problems, I will try to really follow the program strictly each day again from next week. Today I run 8k in 38:42 on the track, although my legs felt slightly heavy and the HR again was quite high at 163 on average. I tried to keep the normal "fast" speed of 4:50 per km which I also kept almost exactly. It was very tough and I feel I probably could not have kept the speed for any longer distance.
What I'm trying to figure out is if I could develop myself to run the first 10k in 55min, and then slightly improve the speed toward the end of the half marathon and finish the 21k in 1:50. At the moment I don't feel I am ready for it, but I still have 10 weeks left!
Do you think I should change anything in the program closer to the race or just go on the same way?


Let's stay in touch!

K4m

[TheEd]

you will be OK, these are the normal problems of a person first starting out at running on a program

believe it or not, you will have come a long way and your development has been far greater than you would currently consider

once you rest up after a few weeks of training, all your runs will become quicker once you are fresher

so don't lose the faith, you are definitely moving in a forward direction and the pace and distance will become one

TheEd

[K4marathon]

I've tried the Fartlek in the past, but I never really got any "kicks" out of it really. I did it indoor as 3*5min with one minute slow´between, but rarely got the body really awake during those short sessions. I felt the exercise was really short and not so productive.

But yesterday I did it with a bit longer run and a bit faster pace. I ran 6,6 km with four sections of 5 minutes each, with slower running between.
It felt really great! The whole run went well and I did it in 34:24, which on average is 5:10 per km including the slower sections. I felt very good after the run. I really needed this faster and varying run after so much training at constant slower speeds. And it also feels great to be able to run fast outdoor again after this long period of extreme cold weather. Now we have around 0 degrees, perfect for running!


All the best for now

K4m

[TheEd]

this sounds good and positive k4m

all the quality sessions should have at least a 10 minute warm up and a 10 minute warm down

most important

nice to see you enjoyed the session

TheEd

[K4marathon]

Yep, I am normally doing a little slow running and stretching before and after the sessions for around 10 minutes.

Thanks for the comments. Tomorrow I will again have the 4k run...


K4m

[K4marathon]

Hello again

This morning I ran the 4k run at 17:23. It felt very good and refreshing. I also feel this is a better indication of my current state than last month's 18:03, and I'm quite happy with the result at this point.

The only thing I am slightly wondering about is that while I "give everything" in the race, I am not really overly exhausted afterward. In fact, 5 minutes after finishing I felt like I could go and run one more similar run...
And I also am not really able to reach my maximum HR (182) whatever I try in the end of the race. I can barely reach 175 these days whatever I try. Is this normal? I felt that while starting my running career a few months ago, I could reach the 182 more easily. Can this be because my body is more used to the slower / longer running now?


K4m

[TheEd]

Hi k4m

nice to see the improvement, this must be encouraging for you

you are still very new to running at pace and your progress is good over the next few months you should learn more about running and pace and with that comes the knowledge gained to approach running differently

the 4km is a distance is someway in-between and to finish the run and recover quickly is a positive aspect that bodes well towards the half marathon.

Don't worry too much about the max HR not being reached for now, there is no need for such intensity and it does show that you are absorbing the training if you able to sun the sub 17:30 and have the pulse below your max HR

you improving and the next level to aim for is sub 17 and then you on your way

congrats .. we revamp the pace for the sessions, so we need to talk about that shortly

TheEd