After a day off and mostly low intensity runs this week, I felt it was time for some intervals. I started with a longer than normal 1 mile warmup in 8:30, then a slightly faster than last time set of 8x200m intervals:
1x10.0 mph (6 min mile pace)
1x11.0 (5:29)
1x11.5 (5:13)
5x12.0 (5:00)
Yeah, the last few hurt. I checked my HR at T+30 secs and it was 170bpm. A minute later, it was down to 150, and at t+5 was 130. I guess that qualifies as high intensity, for me, anyway.
I'm a little worried about some pain that cropped up early in the set at the top of my left thigh. It seems to be associated with the pain in my left lower back, as both appeared about the same time, and often recur together. It hurts more when I run faster, but I can't tell yet whether I need to rest it more or run through it.
Tomorrow, I plan to do a longer, easier run, probably five miles in 40 or so. Still planning on a timed mile over the weekend.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Day 24: 3mi, 24:45; 3mi, 21:50
Did an easy 3mi in the am, and felt like doing another 3mi after work. I thought about doing a fast 3mi this evening, but I was a little too tired after travelling this weekend. I managed to run two of the last three miles in 13:55, but didn't feel I had enough left in the tank to maintain that pace. I'm also keeping in mind my resolution to run longer but easier more times per week.
I plan to do a timed mile on the track this weekend, just to see where I am. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
I plan to do a timed mile on the track this weekend, just to see where I am. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Day 21: 3.5mi, 30 mins
I managed to get in an easy run this afternoon. I like this idea of doing low intensity/low HR longer runs. This was only 3.5, but felt very comfortable. I wasn't wearing a watch, so couldn't record my HRs. Next run: Monday.
formula correction
One note on the formula: as written (below), it takes a mile time in seconds, and returns the pace in minutes per mile. If you prefer seconds per mile output, eliminate the division by 60 at the end.
The pace calculator
As promised, here is my excel formula for converting a given mile pace into equivalent times for other distances:
[mile time]*(1.1)^(LOG([other distance],2))/60
You input a mile time (in seconds) and a distance (in miles or fraction of a mile), and it returns a pace (in seconds per mile) that would be roughly comparable for that distance. Basically, the formula assumes a 10% speed decay with each doubling of distance, so a 5 minute mile is comparable to 2 miles in 11 minutes (5 1/2 minute miles). With a little algebra, you can also use it to convert, say, a 10k race time into a comparable time for the single mile. The formula says I should be able to run a 40:20 10k when I can do a 5 minute mile. I'd say they are equally distant from here!
[mile time]*(1.1)^(LOG([other distance],2))/60
You input a mile time (in seconds) and a distance (in miles or fraction of a mile), and it returns a pace (in seconds per mile) that would be roughly comparable for that distance. Basically, the formula assumes a 10% speed decay with each doubling of distance, so a 5 minute mile is comparable to 2 miles in 11 minutes (5 1/2 minute miles). With a little algebra, you can also use it to convert, say, a 10k race time into a comparable time for the single mile. The formula says I should be able to run a 40:20 10k when I can do a 5 minute mile. I'd say they are equally distant from here!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Day 20: 2.5 miles, 19:05, intervals
A half mile warmup, then the following 200m splits, each followed by a 200m jog:
1x10.0mph (6 min/mi pace, 45 secs)
1x10.5 (5:42 pace)
1x11.0 (5:29)
4x12.0 (5:00)
The last couple of intervals were tough. On the 0-10 intensity scale, this felt like a 9, i.e., not quite nausea, but almost. HR at t+2 was 150bpm, and 124bpm at t+5.
Should be able to get in an easy 3-5 miles tomorrow, but unlikely anything on Sat or Sun. Will also post my calculator formula tomorrow.
1x10.0mph (6 min/mi pace, 45 secs)
1x10.5 (5:42 pace)
1x11.0 (5:29)
4x12.0 (5:00)
The last couple of intervals were tough. On the 0-10 intensity scale, this felt like a 9, i.e., not quite nausea, but almost. HR at t+2 was 150bpm, and 124bpm at t+5.
Should be able to get in an easy 3-5 miles tomorrow, but unlikely anything on Sat or Sun. Will also post my calculator formula tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Day 19: 5 mi, 39:43
In keeping with my new longer/slower training mode, I did a moderate 5 miles on the treadmill tonight in just under 8 mins/mi. Maybe a bit faster than I should have run (7:18 last mile), as my heart rate ended at about 140bpm and at t+5 was 118.
Tomorrow, I'm flying back to London in the evening, but I will try to squeeze in an interval session.
Tomorrow, I'm flying back to London in the evening, but I will try to squeeze in an interval session.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Day 18, part 2: 3 mi, 22:44
Yep, a second workout today, this one after work. Felt very smooth and easy from the beginning. I guess my morning run was a nice warmup. I didn't push too hard, first mile in 8 mins, second in 7:30, third in 7:15. My HR at t+1 was 136, and at t+5 was 105.
So why the two workouts? well, partly because I didn't have enough time to do the mileage I wanted this morning, and partly because of some advice I got yesterday. I set out my sub-5 goal on one of the coolrunning.com forums, and asked for suggestions. The respondents agreed on two things: that I should increase my mileage, and that I should slow down sometimes. They thought I was running too close to 'race pace' too often. I'm going to take these comments on board, although I still plan to do intervals/high intensity workouts one or two times per week.
One writer suggested checking out the pace calculator on mcmillanrunning.com (here: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/rununiv/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm). This also suggests that my medium and long runs were too fast for my mile pace. So I will try doing some more mileage at an easier pace and see how that works.
By the way, I built a similar calculator myself that I have been using for the past few years. Not sure how to post it here from an excel file, but I'll put the formula up tomorrow.
So why the two workouts? well, partly because I didn't have enough time to do the mileage I wanted this morning, and partly because of some advice I got yesterday. I set out my sub-5 goal on one of the coolrunning.com forums, and asked for suggestions. The respondents agreed on two things: that I should increase my mileage, and that I should slow down sometimes. They thought I was running too close to 'race pace' too often. I'm going to take these comments on board, although I still plan to do intervals/high intensity workouts one or two times per week.
One writer suggested checking out the pace calculator on mcmillanrunning.com (here: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/rununiv/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm). This also suggests that my medium and long runs were too fast for my mile pace. So I will try doing some more mileage at an easier pace and see how that works.
By the way, I built a similar calculator myself that I have been using for the past few years. Not sure how to post it here from an excel file, but I'll put the formula up tomorrow.
Day 18: 3.3mi, 28:40
A nice, slow, early morning run. 8 1/2 minute miles. HR at t+1 was 119, and 90bpm at t+5. I'll post more detail on why I ran this way in my next post.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Day 16: 6mi, 48:55
I did an easy 6 miles outside this morning. A beautiful, sunny day, but only 20 degrees F, with a brisk wind. Running into the wind for the first three miles kept my pace down, although the additional effort helped keep me warm. I run in the cold a lot, but this is the first time I remember my feet feeling cold. I kept a steady pace throughout, basically 8 mniute miles. Ending HR at t+1 was 120bpm, and at t+5 was 100.
Gmap One issue with running outside is trying to figure out how far I've actually run. I used to estimate my pace and back out the distance from the total time, but this is pretty rough, especially for longer distances. In marathon training, makes a big difference if I estimate I ran 21 miles but it was really only 19. Maybe that's why I always run too fast in the first half! But now there is an online solution to the problem: Gmap, a web-based pedometer that uses Google's mapping technology. You can plug in any route on here, and it will give you an accurate measure of the route's distance. My run today is here:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=657420
Gmap says it was 5.9669 miles. I'll go out and do the other 0.0331 miles later.
Gmap One issue with running outside is trying to figure out how far I've actually run. I used to estimate my pace and back out the distance from the total time, but this is pretty rough, especially for longer distances. In marathon training, makes a big difference if I estimate I ran 21 miles but it was really only 19. Maybe that's why I always run too fast in the first half! But now there is an online solution to the problem: Gmap, a web-based pedometer that uses Google's mapping technology. You can plug in any route on here, and it will give you an accurate measure of the route's distance. My run today is here:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=657420
Gmap says it was 5.9669 miles. I'll go out and do the other 0.0331 miles later.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Day 15: 5mi, 37:19
Slightly shorter than my intended 6 mile run, but a decent workout anyway. On average, just under a 7:30 pace, with negative splits, and my last mile in under 7. My heartrate at t+1 was 150, and t+5 was 120.
Two other points about treadmill running: one is that the machines in my gym are Lifefitness, not Lifecycle (same company, though the other name is for their bikes, obviously). The other is that these treadmills only go up to 12mph, which is five minutes per mile. So my training will have to shift to the track as the goal gets closer. I only consider as legitimate the mile times that I run on a track, but I will also need to get out there to do intervals at sub-5 pace in training.
Two other points about treadmill running: one is that the machines in my gym are Lifefitness, not Lifecycle (same company, though the other name is for their bikes, obviously). The other is that these treadmills only go up to 12mph, which is five minutes per mile. So my training will have to shift to the track as the goal gets closer. I only consider as legitimate the mile times that I run on a track, but I will also need to get out there to do intervals at sub-5 pace in training.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Day 14: Intervals
I ran intervals on the treadmill this morning. 3/4 mile warmup (it was the morning, after all), and then 8x200m, spaced by 200m jogs. Total run 2.75 miles in 20-21 minutes (forgot to check the final time). My HR at T+1 was 162, and T+5 was 125. My paces were:
2 x 10 mph (6 min/mi)
2 x 10.5 (5:42)
2 x 11 (5:29)
2 x 12 (5:00)
So I managed to get in some work at my target mile pace. Now, if I can just hold that pace for eight times the distance, I'm done!
I'll try to get in one longer run tomorrow, and a medium intensity 3mi on Sunday.
Treadmill running I've often wondered how running on a treadmill compares to running on the road. My gut feel is that treadmill is slightly easier, but I can't come up with any physics that would explain why. So I mainly use my treadmill times for comparison against other treadmill times, to track my progress. I have to say, though, it seems I work just as hard on the treadmill for a given pace as I do on the road. A friend of mine who is an elite runner thought the treadmill was maybe 5% or 10% easier, and so he would put a slight incline on the treadmill to make up the difference. If anyone out there knows the answer, let me know.
My other minor issues with the treadmill are more functional. One is that the Lifecycle machines I use seem to give me credit for the speed I punch in before the belt and I actually get to that speed. So if I start at 8 min/mi pace, it can take a good ten seconds to get up to speed, but I still get to the quarter mile in two minutes even. Not a big deal, but it makes a difference in the intervals, so I normally enter the high speeds a few tenths of a mile before I start the interval to give the machine time to catch up, and I enter the slower speed only after I finish the distance. The other issue is that dialing in the lower speed when I am running 12 mph is extremely awkward. Not sure how to get around this, but seems like a great way to pull a muscle!
2 x 10 mph (6 min/mi)
2 x 10.5 (5:42)
2 x 11 (5:29)
2 x 12 (5:00)
So I managed to get in some work at my target mile pace. Now, if I can just hold that pace for eight times the distance, I'm done!
I'll try to get in one longer run tomorrow, and a medium intensity 3mi on Sunday.
Treadmill running I've often wondered how running on a treadmill compares to running on the road. My gut feel is that treadmill is slightly easier, but I can't come up with any physics that would explain why. So I mainly use my treadmill times for comparison against other treadmill times, to track my progress. I have to say, though, it seems I work just as hard on the treadmill for a given pace as I do on the road. A friend of mine who is an elite runner thought the treadmill was maybe 5% or 10% easier, and so he would put a slight incline on the treadmill to make up the difference. If anyone out there knows the answer, let me know.
My other minor issues with the treadmill are more functional. One is that the Lifecycle machines I use seem to give me credit for the speed I punch in before the belt and I actually get to that speed. So if I start at 8 min/mi pace, it can take a good ten seconds to get up to speed, but I still get to the quarter mile in two minutes even. Not a big deal, but it makes a difference in the intervals, so I normally enter the high speeds a few tenths of a mile before I start the interval to give the machine time to catch up, and I enter the slower speed only after I finish the distance. The other issue is that dialing in the lower speed when I am running 12 mph is extremely awkward. Not sure how to get around this, but seems like a great way to pull a muscle!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Day 12: day off
No run today, but wanted to lay out in more detail how I will tackle the sub-5 quest. There are really two elements to getting there - an aerobic piece and an anaerobic piece. A few months back, I read an article by a man named Frank Horwill. He is a running coach in the UK, and has coached five sub-4 minute milers in his career. The article discusses training for a sub-4 mile (uhh, not currently my goal), but I think the principles apply equally well here. The full article is here (http://www.serpentine.org.uk/advice/coach/fh15.php), but my main takeaway is that he sees the mile as 50% aerobic, 50% anaerobic. By comparison, a 100m sprint is 100% anaerobic, while a marathon is close to 100% aerobic.
The reason this struck me is that I always knew intervals and speed work were important to improving my mile times, but I thought this was simply a matter of getting my legs used to running faster. The real reason to do intervals is to build up anaerobic capacity - to improve the body's ability to work with less oxygen than it can take in.
At the same time, the aerobic training is intended to raise the body's oxygen intake capacity (VO2 max). Interestingly, he says that longer, half-marathon pace runs just 'get in the way'. Of course, he still advises running that distance, but at a pace only 1 minute slower than best mile pace. Ok, that would kill me right now, but maybe that's only for four-minute milers.
His training regime includes three aerobic and three anaerobic (intervals) workouts per week. In phase I of my training, I plan to do only one or two interval sessions per week, but I will increase this if/when my times come down. The anaerobic piece is going to become more and more important as the 5 minute barrier approaches.
The reason this struck me is that I always knew intervals and speed work were important to improving my mile times, but I thought this was simply a matter of getting my legs used to running faster. The real reason to do intervals is to build up anaerobic capacity - to improve the body's ability to work with less oxygen than it can take in.
At the same time, the aerobic training is intended to raise the body's oxygen intake capacity (VO2 max). Interestingly, he says that longer, half-marathon pace runs just 'get in the way'. Of course, he still advises running that distance, but at a pace only 1 minute slower than best mile pace. Ok, that would kill me right now, but maybe that's only for four-minute milers.
His training regime includes three aerobic and three anaerobic (intervals) workouts per week. In phase I of my training, I plan to do only one or two interval sessions per week, but I will increase this if/when my times come down. The anaerobic piece is going to become more and more important as the 5 minute barrier approaches.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Day 11: 3mi, 21:00
I set out to do this run in 20 minutes flat, and was making good progress until I got about halfway done. I was on pace, but at 2 miles had to slow down. I just got tired. I managed to keep going and pick it back up for the last half, but the result was a 21 minute 3 miles. My splits:
0.25mi 2:04
1.25mi 9:08 (7:04 mile)
2.25mi 15:44 (6:36 mile)
3.0mi 21:00 (7:25 pace)
It's ok to ease up once in awhile. Some days, you just aren't feeling it. As long as there are some days when you push hard, you should make progress.
Some people may use heart rate monitoring to optimize your training. I check my HR at the end of the run, but not during the run (don't wear a monitor). I'll record my HR's at 1 minute into my cool down run (T+1) and at five minutes in (T+5). and see how that changes over time as the training progresses. Today was moderately intense, and my HRs were:
T+1 150bpm
T+5 120bpm
0.25mi 2:04
1.25mi 9:08 (7:04 mile)
2.25mi 15:44 (6:36 mile)
3.0mi 21:00 (7:25 pace)
It's ok to ease up once in awhile. Some days, you just aren't feeling it. As long as there are some days when you push hard, you should make progress.
Some people may use heart rate monitoring to optimize your training. I check my HR at the end of the run, but not during the run (don't wear a monitor). I'll record my HR's at 1 minute into my cool down run (T+1) and at five minutes in (T+5). and see how that changes over time as the training progresses. Today was moderately intense, and my HRs were:
T+1 150bpm
T+5 120bpm
Monday, January 15, 2007
Day 10: 4 miles, 28:56
Had a nice, progressive 4mi run today. A little faster than I expected, but my back felt pretty good, and I hadn't run since Wednesday. My splits were:
Mile 1: 8:15
2: 7:20
3: 6:50
4: 6:20
Tomorrow I have a full schedule into the evening, so not sure I will get in a run, but my next workout will be a three mile high intensity run, whether it is tomorrow or Wednesday. Since my run today felt good, I will target 20 minutes for the 3mi.
New shoes I forgot to mention one other thing I did about a week ago - I bought a new pair of running shoes. I change them regularly - usually after about 250 miles. I don't know whether this is directly responsible for the improvement in my back or just helping a little, but it is important if you are training regularly to keep updating your shoes. Keep track of your miles so you know when to change them - the change in the old pair is gradual, so the lack of cushioning won't become noticeable until they are well beyond helping you. Usually, mine don't feel that bad at 250 miles, but when I put on a new pair I can feel a big difference.
I have tried buying two pair at once, but I find it is hard to keep track of total miles on each shoe, so I am back to one pair at a time. I've tried a lot of different shoes over the years, but I have been loyal to Saucony (http://www.saucony.com/) for about the past five. They fit me well, and I don't have any problems with them. That's mainly what I am looking for in a running shoe - something I don't have to think about.
Mile 1: 8:15
2: 7:20
3: 6:50
4: 6:20
Tomorrow I have a full schedule into the evening, so not sure I will get in a run, but my next workout will be a three mile high intensity run, whether it is tomorrow or Wednesday. Since my run today felt good, I will target 20 minutes for the 3mi.
New shoes I forgot to mention one other thing I did about a week ago - I bought a new pair of running shoes. I change them regularly - usually after about 250 miles. I don't know whether this is directly responsible for the improvement in my back or just helping a little, but it is important if you are training regularly to keep updating your shoes. Keep track of your miles so you know when to change them - the change in the old pair is gradual, so the lack of cushioning won't become noticeable until they are well beyond helping you. Usually, mine don't feel that bad at 250 miles, but when I put on a new pair I can feel a big difference.
I have tried buying two pair at once, but I find it is hard to keep track of total miles on each shoe, so I am back to one pair at a time. I've tried a lot of different shoes over the years, but I have been loyal to Saucony (http://www.saucony.com/) for about the past five. They fit me well, and I don't have any problems with them. That's mainly what I am looking for in a running shoe - something I don't have to think about.
Day 5: Intervals
On Wednesday, I ran 8x200m intervals on the treadmill, with 200m jogs in between. I run a half mile warmup, and total running time was 18:30 minutes. I ran the first 200m (1/8 miles, really) at 10mph (45 seconds) and increase it from there. My interval times:
1. 45 secs
2. 45
3. 43
4. 43
5. 41
6. 41
7. 41
8. 41
The last four I ran were at 11mph. I actually ran 300m on the final interval at the same pace. I felt ok, but I am still taking it a little easy so I can see how my back reacts to my return to running at higher speeds.
I did not get a run in over the weekend. The good news is that my back actually felt pretty good on Saturday and Sunday, despite having slept on a plane Thursday night and my overall lack of sleep. I flew back to Boston on yesterday, so today (Monday), I will take advantage of the holiday and run a nice steady 4mi. Crappy weather outside, so it will be another treadmill day.
1. 45 secs
2. 45
3. 43
4. 43
5. 41
6. 41
7. 41
8. 41
The last four I ran were at 11mph. I actually ran 300m on the final interval at the same pace. I felt ok, but I am still taking it a little easy so I can see how my back reacts to my return to running at higher speeds.
I did not get a run in over the weekend. The good news is that my back actually felt pretty good on Saturday and Sunday, despite having slept on a plane Thursday night and my overall lack of sleep. I flew back to Boston on yesterday, so today (Monday), I will take advantage of the holiday and run a nice steady 4mi. Crappy weather outside, so it will be another treadmill day.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Day 4
Tonight I ran a medium effort 3 miles on the treadmill in 23:23. A slow 8:30 initial warmup mile, followed by a sub-8, and a 7 minute final mile. I wrote yesterday that I would run intervals today, but I normally don't plan two high-intensity workouts in a row. I also woke up with a return of the back pain that has been plaguing me recently, so I opted for the more casual run.
Tomorrow, I'll try to do the intervals. Thursday night I am flying to London for the weekend to visit my kids. When I am there (every other weekend), it's hard to squeeze in more than one run, since they are young and can't be left alone. So I'll put up what I can tomorrow, and hope for one more run this week.
Tomorrow, I'll try to do the intervals. Thursday night I am flying to London for the weekend to visit my kids. When I am there (every other weekend), it's hard to squeeze in more than one run, since they are young and can't be left alone. So I'll put up what I can tomorrow, and hope for one more run this week.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Sub-5 quest: Day 3
I took Sunday off, after all. I did do some light running/basketball late in the day, but not enough to consider it a workout. Tonight (Monday) I ran my 3 mi on the treadmill. My goal was 20:30. I did 20:44.
When I run on the treadmill for time, I normally run a half mile or so warmup, then straight into the 3 mi - i.e., a running start. In the 3 mi, I usually run negative splits - continually increasing the speed as I go.
Tonight, I ran the half in 4:00, or an 8 minute mile pace. Just before I got to the 0.5 mile mark, I increased the pace to 6:59 min/mi (8.6 mph). Each half mile, I increased the speed by 0.1 or 0.2 mph, so when I hit the 2.5 mile mark, I was running 9 mph (6:40 min/mi). Although my goal was to run through to mile 3.5 (since my first half mile was warmup), I was waning at mile 3. I got to 3.25 and hit the cool down button. Had I kept the pace through to 3.5, my final 3 miles would have been 20:24.
My mileage should be between 15-20mi/wk in this initial phase. My program will be to do 3mi three times each week, one medium length run (4-6mi), and one set of intervals (2.5-3mi). For the 3 mile runs, two will be in the 21-23min range, and one will be high intensity, with a targeted time. For intervals, I will alternate between 1/8 and 1/4 mile high intensity runs, with 1/8 or 1/4 mi jogs between. The runs will be at increasing speeds, starting at 10mph and peaking at 12mph, while the jogs will be at 7-7.5mph.
Tomorrow: Intervals.
When I run on the treadmill for time, I normally run a half mile or so warmup, then straight into the 3 mi - i.e., a running start. In the 3 mi, I usually run negative splits - continually increasing the speed as I go.
Tonight, I ran the half in 4:00, or an 8 minute mile pace. Just before I got to the 0.5 mile mark, I increased the pace to 6:59 min/mi (8.6 mph). Each half mile, I increased the speed by 0.1 or 0.2 mph, so when I hit the 2.5 mile mark, I was running 9 mph (6:40 min/mi). Although my goal was to run through to mile 3.5 (since my first half mile was warmup), I was waning at mile 3. I got to 3.25 and hit the cool down button. Had I kept the pace through to 3.5, my final 3 miles would have been 20:24.
My mileage should be between 15-20mi/wk in this initial phase. My program will be to do 3mi three times each week, one medium length run (4-6mi), and one set of intervals (2.5-3mi). For the 3 mile runs, two will be in the 21-23min range, and one will be high intensity, with a targeted time. For intervals, I will alternate between 1/8 and 1/4 mile high intensity runs, with 1/8 or 1/4 mi jogs between. The runs will be at increasing speeds, starting at 10mph and peaking at 12mph, while the jogs will be at 7-7.5mph.
Tomorrow: Intervals.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
The Sub-5 Blog
This blog will chronicle the training and progress I make on my quest to run a sub-5 minute mile. This has been a goal of mine for many years, and while I have often come close, I have never actually run a mile in less than five minutes. So why am I publishing my efforts? Three reasons:
1. it might give me that extra little bit of encouragement I need
2. it might help others to train for their own personal goals
3. I might get some feedback that will assist me in reaching my target
And maybe it will be a little entertaining.
I intend to give my running plan (including time targets) in advance, and then record the actual times and distances achieved. My goal is to be within striking distance by the end of the summer. Since I am already 43 years old, if I don't get this done soon, I am never gonna get there!
My starting stats
Most recent timed mile: Oct 06, 6 minutes flat.
I am a regular runner. I get out there about 4 times a week. My typical run is 3 miles; my long run is 6 miles. My regular 3 mile runs on the treadmill are now around 21 minutes. I ran 4mi outside yesterday in 30 minutes, and 6 miles outside today in 48.
These current times are significantly slower than my times up to and including last summer. In October, I did something to my back (not sure exactly what) that caused me to miss most of November and December. I was forced to consider dropping any hope at all of getting to sub-5. I still have pain, but it seems to be improving, or at least it isn't getting worse, so I have been gradually getting back into running.
My short term targets are to get my times back into my previous range: I should get my 3 mi on the treadmill at high exertion to between 19:30-20:00. My 6 mi run should come in below 44:00. And I want my mile times to be around 5:30. At that point, I will reset my targets times for each distance.
I've run the last four days, so I may take tomorrow (Sunday) off, or do an easy four miles outside (65 degrees here in Boston today!) in about 30 minutes. Monday, I will do 3 mi on the treadmill after work, and target 20:30.
If you've ever thought about running a sub-5 mile, I hope you'll join me on my quest. If your target is some other time or distance, I hope you will gain encouragement and support from this blog for your own goal. All the best!
John
1. it might give me that extra little bit of encouragement I need
2. it might help others to train for their own personal goals
3. I might get some feedback that will assist me in reaching my target
And maybe it will be a little entertaining.
I intend to give my running plan (including time targets) in advance, and then record the actual times and distances achieved. My goal is to be within striking distance by the end of the summer. Since I am already 43 years old, if I don't get this done soon, I am never gonna get there!
My starting stats
Most recent timed mile: Oct 06, 6 minutes flat.
I am a regular runner. I get out there about 4 times a week. My typical run is 3 miles; my long run is 6 miles. My regular 3 mile runs on the treadmill are now around 21 minutes. I ran 4mi outside yesterday in 30 minutes, and 6 miles outside today in 48.
These current times are significantly slower than my times up to and including last summer. In October, I did something to my back (not sure exactly what) that caused me to miss most of November and December. I was forced to consider dropping any hope at all of getting to sub-5. I still have pain, but it seems to be improving, or at least it isn't getting worse, so I have been gradually getting back into running.
My short term targets are to get my times back into my previous range: I should get my 3 mi on the treadmill at high exertion to between 19:30-20:00. My 6 mi run should come in below 44:00. And I want my mile times to be around 5:30. At that point, I will reset my targets times for each distance.
I've run the last four days, so I may take tomorrow (Sunday) off, or do an easy four miles outside (65 degrees here in Boston today!) in about 30 minutes. Monday, I will do 3 mi on the treadmill after work, and target 20:30.
If you've ever thought about running a sub-5 mile, I hope you'll join me on my quest. If your target is some other time or distance, I hope you will gain encouragement and support from this blog for your own goal. All the best!
John
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