I'm a little disappointed, but I'll get to that in a minute. Here's the race recap. Rain the whole way. I ran the first 3 miles in just under 28 (something like 27:54), and I picked it up a little at that point. I used my iPod to mark the miles, but I have just realized that it doesn't give you the actual time at that point. It just gives you what it deems to be your pace and distance. Annoying. Perhaps the best indicator is that I got passed by about 60 people in the first 3 miles, and no one passed me for the next 3 miles. After that I slowed the pace a little. In hindsight, I just don't think I had the juice to go too much faster and finish well. Maybe I did. At any rate, I didn't feel as though I approached the next 3 miles as aggressively. I still ran faster than the first 3, I think. I got passed by about 5 people or so, and I probably passed another 2 or 3 myself. I had my traditionally strong kick at the end. One important note is that I really don't think this race was a full 15k. After 9 miles, it really didn't seem as though we ran another 0.3m to me. I was running faster, but I don't think it was that fast. Anyway, my best guess is that it was closer to 9.1m or maybe 9.15m than a true 15k.
Here's the disappointment factor: I don't feel as though I can really run at a fast enough tempo and maintain it for long stretches. This is obviously something I need to address in training. Bluntly, I need to train faster. Why I haven't been doing more of this I don't know. The next question becomes how. Do I finish out the last 3 weeks of my current program before the marathon relay? Do I try to switch one of the two easy 4-5m runs I have in a week to a faster or speed-focused workout? Questions abound. Perhaps I really can run faster, and I just need to do it more in practice so I feel more comfortable with it. Who knows? I'm just a guy who looks remarkably like some dude named Leonard from Buffalo who runs a mean steeplechase.
8 comments:
1:23:17 is not bad at all dude... actually you should feel really encouraged with that time... that is under 28 minutes per 5k, and UNDER 9 minute pace... your goal for the marathon relay is around 8:50, right??? Rain is definitely a factor.. how much of a factor is impossible to say, but, you could have ran faster with no rain, plus the 9.3 miles is much further than you are going to run in the marathon relay. As for the distance, i feel you have to trust the race officials for the distance.. perhaps they had the 9 mile mark a little past where it should be.. who knows, but im betting it was very close to the actual 15k.
As far as training, i wouldnt change anything up at this point... except maybe try to finish out the last 5-10 minutes running a little bit faster than you normally do. that will add a little bit of speed, without shocking your body.. no reason to risk an injury or risk overtraining by going out and giving yourself a ton of speed work at this point.
i meant to say.. maybe 1 run a week, finish out the workout pushing the pace somewhat for the final 5-10 minutes... dont do that every workout.
woops, i just realized that your pace for the 12k leg is right at 8 minutes per mile... anyways, you still ran under 9 minutes a mile in the rain.. dont count out 8 minutes a mile as impossible yet.
Thanks for the feedback, man. In looking back at my training times, it is easy to see how much I have improved. Still, it is always nice to have positive reinforcement. I think everyone does a little better with some encouragement, so thanks for providing that for me. I will definitely try and pick it up at the end of one of my workouts.
As for the actual race results, you can check them out here. I'm not really sure what to make of their pace estimates. They obviously used 9mi instead of the full 15k as the distance. This doesn't do much to despell my thoughts of a shorter race. I am, however, will to suspend my disbelief of the distance in order to build my ego with the thought that I ran the race at a sub-9 min/mi pace.
One last thought: As it has become increasingly evident that I need a goal to work toward in order to motivate me to train, I have decided what my next one will be (after the marathon relay.) I will train to run a sub-6 min mile. Much more on the reasons/history behind that choice later.
Thanks again, Jackson.
hi brother...yeah, i'm looking to run a sub 9-min mile today in the redbud too...what's that you say? isn't my personal best a 12:30-min mile? okay so maybe sub 9 isn't really a goal of mine, but i'm proud of you for still doing your race even in the rain. can't wait to see you for the best-relay-yet at the end of the month.
as a former attendent of the baylor cross country camp, i think it is well within your reach to run a 9-minute mile, alison.
but as someone who uses summer camps attended nigh 14 years prior to authenticate the veracity of his prediction, i think it is well within your reach to disregard any comment i make, alison.
jason, i think you need this: find a local track, like one that is likely base, and bring your running shoes, favorite stopwatch, trusty shorts, and a trendy choice of hydration.
today you're going to run 1200s. (that's three laps, or 3/4 mile, to the uninitiated). and you're going to pick the pace you'll run at.
you'll start with 1mi warmup, jogging easily, and after a short rest with stretching and psyching up, you'll start the first 1200 at 9:00 pace (your last race). on each 1200 you'll decrease your mile pace by 15s, so the second is at 8:45 and the fifth at 8:00.
that sounds like a lot, but really what you'll be doing is this: 3 laps in 2:15 each for a total of 6:45. then rest a few minutes (1-2) and start 3 laps at ~2:10 each. the third set is 2:07, fourth t 2:04, and fifth set at 2:00 per lap for a 6:00 1200.
not too fast and not too long, but easily stepping down to the race pace you want. you can do this sort of tempo run on the roads, but it's easier to learn on the track because you get instant feedback. and, should you feel spritely, finish with a sixth 1200 at your own pace, preferably with the first two laps in 4:00 and the last as fast as you wish.
then stretch and finish with a cool down jog of two to four laps. that gives you 6.5 mile for 6x1200 or 5.75 for 5x1200 if you do 1 mile on each side. it's not a small amount of miles or speed, but easy to attain. that's your hard workout for the week and keep up your other runs, taking the long run easy (you 've got the stamina).
do it again next week and then do it on race week, if your body gives you good feedback. and if it feels too easy (all week) then run more 1200s at race pace.
that's the secret of distance racing: training endurance to specific speeds. tell us how it works if you try it.
ok, some parts of that comment are entirely unintelligible.
the track you're looking for may be on base.
and the training is you setting the pace, which i told you to do...
so if it doesn't makes sense, though i think you can figure it out, let me know.
Thanks for the workout, man. I will definitely try that next week. Truth be told, I didn't read the post until after today's workout. Sadly, a treadmill workout. On an up note, 6 mi at an 8:27 pace. Now if only I had a way to translate that to the road....
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