So with the Kentucky Derby 13.1 behind me, I was at a loss of what to do.
Then my performance objectives at work came on the horizon and I have to get 2 Certifications. So it appears in the near future there will be a 10K, and a lot of studying for Cert. #1 (that I have been putting off for 3+ years). I'm not looking forward to it at all (the studying).
As for the 10K, well, I got a 10K PR while running 13.1 miles. So that leads me to believe if I actually tried to pace myself for 6 miles, I might even be faster. So off to Hal Higdon I went. Let me say...no way in hell I'm running/working out more than 4 days a week if I'm not training for a triathlon. Let me say...no way in hell am I running 3 miles and then lifting weights. Oh and I'm starting on Week 3.
So Monday, I walked .25 miles, ran 1 mile and walked .25 miles. I think I shocked both D and myself when I got the treadmill to 5.7 mph and stayed there for at least 4 minutes (I was building up to it). I ran my mile in 11:17. And I think I could have gone faster (or stayed at 5.7 longer). Then we lifted weights. On the last station, I did heel lifts. I think I had too much weight. Did I change it? No. Has my hip hurt since then? Yes. So note to D...don't let me lift whatever is written on the chart on Monday.
Tuesday, was a standard 4 mile run. However, somewhere on Monday I came in contact with turkey. The way Nitmos describes speedwork, well that's the way I describe turkey and me...except no looksee. So thanks to a restaurant who was told of the allergy and still didn't wash their knives between cutting sandwiches, I got to spend the day at home on Wednesday. After eating a Clif Bar (because high fiber is just what is called for) and feeling decent, I went and did a tempo run.
I never did a tempo run before. Reading the 18 articles about it on the web didn't clear it up for me. I had a 40 minute one scheduled. However, I run slow as molasses. So 40 minutes won't even be 4 miles. I couldn't find anything to compute the minutes to miles (like C25K says either run this long, or run this distance). So I decided I would run 1 miles at a "normal" pace, 2 miles at a comfortably hard pace, and 1 mile back at normal. So the first mile went fine (4.7 mph); jacked it up to 5.1 mph for 1.2 miles before I decided I would die, and took it to 4.9 mph for the last .8. The last mile was between 4.3 and 4.7mph. I got the 4 miles done in 50:33 minutes (fast for me).
This morning, I got up and went to do Tuesday's run (the Hal Higdon 3 miles for Thursdays is already out the door). I started at 4.7mph and immediately knew that wasn't happening. Neither was running straight through. I knocked it to 4.5mph and did 4:1 intervals. I bounced between 4.5 and 4.7 for 54:52 minutes when the TM finally said, 4 MILES. I did my cooldown and stretches. Oh and someone disobeyed the urinal/TM rule, but he didn't smell, so I was nice, and didn't sneeze on him.
Next up is 6 miles on Saturday (yeah, that Hal Higdon Cross Training day isn't happening either.).
4 comments:
Shooting for 40 minutes for your first temp run is a lot. Most people just getting into tempo (and then speed work) start at warmup, 2x12 minutes with a break in between, cool down. That's it!
Every week add 2 minutes to both sets until you get to 2x20. BTW: These are supposed to be hard and after this short workout you will be toast (if done right).
Hal's plan calls for too much running. ARGH!
Did u figure out tempo run?
Here's what I think it is.
For example, if you have 4 miles on tap, you would run the first and last mile slower than what you want, and the middle two faster/goal pace.
I think if you are ambitious, you might be able to do the first and last 0.5 mile at slower pace and those in between at goal pace.
Hi there. When I do tempo runs, the distance on the schedule is the tempo part (meaning, it doesn't include a warmup or cooldown). So if the schedule says 4 tempo, I actually run 5-6 miles because I do anywhere from 1/2 mile to 1 mile as an easy warmup, then the 4 tempo miles, then another 1/2 mile to 1 mile coodown. Hope that helps.
P.S. Tempo runs suck. :)
40 is a long tempo run. When I do tempo runs, i just try to run tempo pace for 1 or 2 miles in the middle. with slower pace at the beginning and end. so maybe 1 mile warm up, 1-2 miles tempo, 1 mile cool down. something like that.
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