Wind and Rain (keepeth me slow)
Scheduled workout: 10 miles @ 7:02 pace. (90% MP) Method: continuous pace. Purpose: Build aerobic resistance.
Result: 10 miles @ 7:11 pace (100% MP or 84% maxHR)
Not exactly as I planned but a hard workout nevertheless. The wind and rain put the lid on any hopes I may have had for scooting about town running at a 7:02 pace. I also poorly designed my course with too many turns to keep a good cadence going amid the pressing wind and steady downpour. I would have been much better off on longer stretches of road. I chose to stay in town today because I thought the mid-day traffic would be too much out the highway and also I wanted to be close to home to get water etc. I haven't been feeling well the past two days (I feel good presently) so I wanted to be near home for safety sake. Well no matter, I felt like I was on a cross country course the entire time.
It was a 2.02 mile loop. Here are the splits:
2.02 miles: 14:22 (7:07 pace)
4.04 miles: 14:18 (7:05 pace)
6.06 miles: 14:21 (7:06 pace)
8.08 miles: 14:39 (7:15 pace) - had to stop and tie my shoes
10.1 miles: 14:55 (7:23 pace) - pace falling apart
I emailed Marc right after the run to let him know how it went...
Immediately, you should be able to see there are too many turns. There is no way to keep a cadence going like this. Plus, today it was raining so hard that each intersection was filled with water. I had to especially watch for mid-day traffic not expecting a runner doing a 90% MP run trying to make a fast turn. It was real work! Then to top it all off, Hawkes was a real bear of a climb it was so long. I would have been better off running the course in reverse and going up the steep hill by the house then this thing. I could feel the lactate build in the legs just as I got to the top.
And then there was the wind. The direction I was running this oddball loop was wrong considering the wind. During all the short sharp turns I was out of the wind. During the long straights (County coming back, Key going out) I was dead into a headwind pushing me back hard. So when I was out of the wind I was either climbing a long hill, making too many turns, or coming down a steep hill (braking). So I didn't get to take advantage of the wind at my back.
The good news is this: even though my pace faltered at the end, I wasn't tired. When I finished I could have kept going if I was going to run slowly. It was the 84% maxHR business that I was done with. So it is nice to know that 10 miles "hard" is still in me - ready to be trained. Next time, I'll carry a small bottle of water and run a straighter route even if it means longer periods in the wind. At least I'd be able to keep my cadence.
I was thinking of Dallon and Greg and what they had to go through for most of their race at Chicago. Their great times is a testament to their great fitness.
One thing nice about a 2 mile loop is while at first it seems long, it is soothing to know that each loop is over in less than 15 short minutes. So when I passed the house for that final lap (#5) I knew I'd be done in a jiffy.
Now that I'm back on program (hard /easy) I am looking forward to a slow 15 miles tomorrow.
2:45 report: 10 miles hard. It's in me, ready to train.
Wreckage report: Ran harder than I intended due to struggle against wind, rain, and the watch. Just glad I stayed at MP effort and nothing higher.
Result: 10 miles @ 7:11 pace (100% MP or 84% maxHR)
Not exactly as I planned but a hard workout nevertheless. The wind and rain put the lid on any hopes I may have had for scooting about town running at a 7:02 pace. I also poorly designed my course with too many turns to keep a good cadence going amid the pressing wind and steady downpour. I would have been much better off on longer stretches of road. I chose to stay in town today because I thought the mid-day traffic would be too much out the highway and also I wanted to be close to home to get water etc. I haven't been feeling well the past two days (I feel good presently) so I wanted to be near home for safety sake. Well no matter, I felt like I was on a cross country course the entire time.
It was a 2.02 mile loop. Here are the splits:
2.02 miles: 14:22 (7:07 pace)
4.04 miles: 14:18 (7:05 pace)
6.06 miles: 14:21 (7:06 pace)
8.08 miles: 14:39 (7:15 pace) - had to stop and tie my shoes
10.1 miles: 14:55 (7:23 pace) - pace falling apart
I emailed Marc right after the run to let him know how it went...
Immediately, you should be able to see there are too many turns. There is no way to keep a cadence going like this. Plus, today it was raining so hard that each intersection was filled with water. I had to especially watch for mid-day traffic not expecting a runner doing a 90% MP run trying to make a fast turn. It was real work! Then to top it all off, Hawkes was a real bear of a climb it was so long. I would have been better off running the course in reverse and going up the steep hill by the house then this thing. I could feel the lactate build in the legs just as I got to the top.
And then there was the wind. The direction I was running this oddball loop was wrong considering the wind. During all the short sharp turns I was out of the wind. During the long straights (County coming back, Key going out) I was dead into a headwind pushing me back hard. So when I was out of the wind I was either climbing a long hill, making too many turns, or coming down a steep hill (braking). So I didn't get to take advantage of the wind at my back.
The good news is this: even though my pace faltered at the end, I wasn't tired. When I finished I could have kept going if I was going to run slowly. It was the 84% maxHR business that I was done with. So it is nice to know that 10 miles "hard" is still in me - ready to be trained. Next time, I'll carry a small bottle of water and run a straighter route even if it means longer periods in the wind. At least I'd be able to keep my cadence.
I was thinking of Dallon and Greg and what they had to go through for most of their race at Chicago. Their great times is a testament to their great fitness.
One thing nice about a 2 mile loop is while at first it seems long, it is soothing to know that each loop is over in less than 15 short minutes. So when I passed the house for that final lap (#5) I knew I'd be done in a jiffy.
Now that I'm back on program (hard /easy) I am looking forward to a slow 15 miles tomorrow.
2:45 report: 10 miles hard. It's in me, ready to train.
Wreckage report: Ran harder than I intended due to struggle against wind, rain, and the watch. Just glad I stayed at MP effort and nothing higher.
posted by Andrew at 3:36 PM
2 Comments:
Nice workout Andrew, maybe a little fine-tuning on that course and your set. Keep at it.
Yes, very nice work. The loop concept is a good one, if you can put together a course away from traffic. Then you can apex the corners without losing rhythm. Try to avoid any hills as well. Not sure how easy that is where you are. You definitely don't want your legs burning with lactic acid for any length of time during an aerobic workout.
Cheers!
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