Training Workouts

By | November 10, 2017

So this is the first time I’m actually following a training plan. Or trying. As with everything I’ve done throughout this running journey, it’s a hybrid. I overthought it and consulted three plans. I know that the ones that have more than three-four days are not for me as my body needs that rest day. I also think there’s something to the 3plus2 theory in Run Less, Run Faster, even if that ultimately isn’t for me right now.

RunKeeper ended up running a promo for Go and with that came the ability to set a custom plan, and that’s where I landed. How am I following it? Well, I’m trying. I think I’m doing pretty well.

The Good:

  • my base long run is longer than their start so I feel like I’m maybe starting in week 3. I’m less concerned about not being worried
  • I feel like the weekday workouts are doable, time wise and it progresses at a rate I can keep up with
  • I’m enjoying it

Needs work:

  • treadmill endurance, aka boredom
  • endurance with intervals/hills

Tuesday 11/7

Thursday, 11/9

Two of this week’s workouts, although there’s a little more than meets the eye

  • Tuesday was in three due to a combination of watch/biological breaks. Intervals in 3 sets: 5.3/5.8 for 1.5 miles, same for .75. Then 5.2/6.0 in .25s for 2.1 miles. That’s what Strava said but there’s some missing mileage that Runkeeper/TomTom had.
  • Today was deliberately split in two because I knew I couldn’t maintain the speed intervals over 4.5 miles without a break. I smelled a PR on the 5K (more on that later) so went hard for that while switching between 5.2 and 6.0. After a break to stretch and mentally kick my ass, I switched to hills for the final 1.37 miles.

So what did the first workout look like?

PR! 21 seconds

Pace over time

I smelled it early, but then I wasn’t sure I was going to make it so I took the last .23 miles at 6.2 which was hard. But I did it. Love looking at my pace over time. That blip? Of course that’s the Damon Runyon Yankee Stadium 5K that I turned into a fun run. I’d say I have nowhere to go but up with that one, but not sure I’d do it again.

I actually contemplated calling the workout at 5K and decided to use the stretch break to think about it. I could rationalize it – 3miles is all Higdon’s plan called for and I did have the two miles from Sunday in the bank. But as I stretched, I felt like I could finish this. There’s no rule that prescribed 4.5 miles had to be in one go, so I went back out there.

Two halves of the workout

The hills, aka treadmill on random, were good. Hard but not bad, which seemed about right. One thing I’m going to have to figure out is balancing long runs on the weekend with trying to work in the Harlem Hills, which I haven’t done since that day. The time change has made post-work outdoor runs an impossibility so all but the weekend will be on treadmill.  Definitely need to find a better source of distraction. It looks, however, that 4.5-5.0 is longest weeknight run on this plan, and I know I can do that even if it has a mid run break at the moment to stretch. While “faster” is a good thing, my main concern is the long runs and getting those up. I’d rather finish more slowly than DNF.

Other:

  • NYCRuns opened up the Frozen Penguin 2018 and I’m in! Almost certain to be my first race back on the same course since I have yet to run in Riverside Park again and curious to see my year on year progress. Hope the shirt is as cute as I need a new one.
  • Gels experimentation continues. These two were without caffeine since workouts don’t start until 6:30-7. The apple cinnamon didn’t sit well and tasted a little too sweet. The Clif vanilla was delicious and sat fine. Look forward to trying vanilla/orange this weekend

Vanilla is good. Apple cinnamon, not so much

On to the next

4 thoughts on “Training Workouts

  1. Liz Dexter

    Ooh, you have different gels to us, well, we have the Clif ones. I like a thicker gel and alternate caffeine with pudding flavour ones! Well done for TRYING, too. I’m terribly bad at that, but when I do it, I usually improve my running and enjoy it! I ran last night for the first time in 2 weeks, signed off by the physio, and it felt really good!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I have an oddly delicate stomach so it’s a trial and error for me on all things. I’m glad to find some gels that work because I can’t run after eating (3 hour mark seems OK) in time for a morning run and while I can do a 10K on empty, I don’t think it’s my best 10K or doable over longer distance.
      Pudding flavored? I know a pudding there is different to ours (what I think you’d call custard), but does pudding have a certain flavor?

      Today’s pickups, two other vanillas: Gu Vanilla Bean (with caffeine) and PowerBar Power Gel vanilla without. Trying either one of those or the orange/vanilla one I found last week if I get out the door in the morning. (18F wind chill right now. -7 or thereabouts, I think.) I’ve run in worse, but that was a pre-paid race. We’ll see what happens in the morning or if I just treadmill. Don’t particularly want to as I have a treadmill class Sunday. We’ll see.

      Yay on running again so soon after your race

      Reply
      1. Liz Dexter

        Oh I forgot the pudding thing. Just meaning the sweet bit at the end of a meal. They have rhubarb and custard, apple crumble, banoffee pie, etc flavour! I can’t run within 3 hours of eating, either, but I get up early, eat, then sleep a bit more if running early.

        Reply
        1. cari Post author

          The biggest differences I chuckle about w/r/t American v. British English is when the same word means something different. It’s one thing if they’re completely unrelated, like boot for your foot vs. car part but when they’re in the same family like pudding and crisps, makes for fun translation.

          mm apple crumble! That’s why I had such high hopes for the apple cinnamon one.

          Reply

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