Well I got up this morning and went and ran but man did I have a bad attitude. The weather didnt help humid misthing rain and very dark. I should have felt better considering that I took the whole holiday weekend off, but I didnt. During my warm up run I was complaining to myself so much that I started to sound like the kid from the Shel Silverstein poem that didnt want to go to school. My anchles ache, my chest is congested, I have a headache, Im hungery. Finally I just decided to quit whinning and run. Today was my hill day. I usually go over the hill and back 6 times for 5.25 miles but this morning I actually got cut short by lightning. Didnt want to be on the only hill for miles around after it started lighting up the sky. I did 4 complete repeats. I maintained an 8:06 min/mile and felt great when I finished. I think I won that mental wrestling match. I hope the rest of the week goes easier. Hope all have a great run and a great day.
johnnyk8 says:
Nice job - those are the battles you need to win. Now next time you feel this way you can look back and say "I made it last time. Why is this any different."
Wrapped up my week with a great 4.9 mile run. I have felt great all week. (except for the mental battle against the clock on Monday) Today was no exception. I PRd on my almost 5 mile route I ran it in 37:10 for a 7:32 min/mile (my fastest pace of the week). I felt good through out the run and think I might be able to hold this pace for another mile or so. Will try and find out next week.
My week stats were
Mon 6.9 miles 56:24 8:13 min/mile
Tue 5.3 miles 42.25 8:02 min/mile
Wed 3.4 miles 25:36 7:34 min/mile
thur 6.9 miles 55:18 8:02 min/miles
Fri 4.9 miles 37:10 7:32 min/miles
Total 27.35 miles
3:36:58
7:54 min/mile average pace
I want to get all runs down below 8 min/miles.
Hope everyone has a great run and a wonderful weekend.
johnnyk8 says:
I love seeing posts like this.
You are making some serious progress to your 8:00 - 7:50 goal.
Today I ran my 6.88 mile rounte again (the same one I ran Monday) This time I was able to finish with out having such a mental block. When I passed the mark just over 5 miles (previously believed to be the 5 mile marker) My time was about the same as on Monday 41 minutes. However, this time I just kept running no getting upset thinking I was running slow just kept on crusing. I ended up finishing in 55:18 which is a 8:02 min/mile. I am very pleased with that and just a little embarassed about the run on Monday. Oh well I guess we all have those days, at least I know I do. Today was good and felt great. I hope everyone has a good run and a great run.
I never heard of doing recovery runs until recently. I have always just gone out and ran. On my days off I usually take the day off. I have tried to cross train some but mostly I just rest. But now I have read some articles and reading blogs on here and I here about mixing in shorter slower "recovery runs". Is this to give muscles a break? I do that on my weekends. Or is it to help flush lactic acid or just loosen joints or what? My son has soccer practice three times a week in the evenings and I have been thinking about jogging through the park not for speed or real milage just for relaxation. Would this count as a recovery run and would it help or would the added miles just tax me more possibly leading to overtraining and injury? Not real sure what I am doing, I have just been running steady again for two months and before that the last time was back in the early 90s. I have always just sporadically trained and used races for fun. Never have really "trained" (since High S... Read full entry
markz88 says:
On rest days I was always taught you can do either; that being you can either
take the day off if you need it or you can go for a nice and easy 30 minute run,
a recovery run-- Personally, I feel taking the day off is a good idea to give the
muscles time to rest and prepare for the next upcoming week of more running
strutton1313 says:
I just reread my blog and realized I didnt make my question very clear. I run 5 days a week in the morning and was wondering if I started jogging 3 days a week slow and relaxed in the evenings (kind of doubles but no time not measured runs) would this be recovery or just more training taxing miles?
markz88 says:
I'm not an expert, but I feel like whenever I've run 2 separate times in a day the 2nd time is still like a training run b/c I don't think the muscles have had fully enough time to recover; however I do feel like running 2 separate times during the day is beneficial-- not an expert though just an avid runner
johnnyk8 says:
Not an expert here either -
I define a recovery run as not only a physical relaxation but mental too. Not only do I change my pace and intensity but I change the venue.
My recovery runs are on trails in the woods, on the beach or on a different path. Somewhere other than the same old same old.
Typically my average pace is about 6:55 - 6:35 in the 6.2 mi runs. I will run at a 7:30 pace or maybe 7:45 pace on a recovery day. This will reduce my HR from 155 to 125 or so. In other words a nice relaxing run, mentally and physically. Numbers will vary for different people at different training levels.
It's important to reduce your HR and your pace (they are directionally proportional) and shorten the distance too.
There are my lines of thinking. Mine does not come from any school. It's just what I do.
OR - just take a nice eay bike ride throught he countryside. That's my favorite recover as I have trouble controlling my pace. I always want to go fast.
Post edited by: johnnyk8, at: 2010/09/02 09:11
johnnyk8 says:
Here is a great link from a fellow runner and foodie.
Well my plan this week was to add a little bit of milage to my long runs and then break them up with a short easy recovery run. Well like I said that was the plan. I started the week with a 6.9 mile run and then yesterday I did my weekly hills (5.25 miles at a PR of 8:02 min/mile), so todayI was supposed to run a short recovery run. However, it seems that short milage sends the message to the brain that its time for speed. I didnt meen to go faster I planned on just taking it easy. I even tried to not look at my watch; however, at the half way point I looked and realized I was running pretty good so I just kept it up. I wasnt hurting I was just cruising. I finished in 25:36 for 3.4 miles a 7:34 min/mile. Not bad pace but may have to work a little harder at a recovery run. But maybe that is what I should do. It wasnt real fast just about 10-20 seconds faster than my normal 5-6 mile time so....Maybe I did it right????? Oh well have a good run and a great day.
I finished the month of August up with 5.25 miles worth of hill repeats this morning. I ran over the .44 mile hill and back 6 times in 42.25 which is barely over 8 min/mile. I felt great this morning, legs felt strong.
This month I passed the hundred mile mark for the first time in a month. I ran:
Run Distance: 106.63 miles
Run Time: 14:48:21 min
Average Pace: 8:19 min/miles
Decided to add more milage to a couple of my run days and subtract from a couple. This would keep my milage about the same but add in a few recovery days. Today was the first day of the plan. I took of with the plan of going 6.9 miles (1.5 miles farther than I have been doing previously). I started off at my regular pace. Hitting the first 3 miles in right around 8 min/miles then I checked the watch at what I thought was mile 5 and was supprised to see that I had slowed down and my time was at 41:30 instead of at an 8 min/mile at 40. Seeing this time was like taking a mental right hook to my temple. Immediatly my legs felt like jello and I felt deflaited. I came to a stop and walked about a hundred yards. I talked to myself and decided that I didnt care about time and I was just going to take off again and do the best I could. So I did. I finished in 56:29 which is an 8:13 min/mile. I realize now that it is obviouse that my invisioned mile markers were off and if I hadnt hav... Read full entry
adigerati says:
It's a pretty thin line between encouragement and discouragement. I use to see I was behind where I thought I should be (slow pace, mile/time check) and it would encourage me to give it a little more. Like seeing that lone racer in front of you causes you to surge a little. Lately though it's just like you described, instant deflation.
I hope to one day regain that ability to be able to pull out of a slower pace and step it up but right now I'm just letting pace fly out the window. It's been easier to let go of then I thought.
Congratulations on recovering your run, especially after taking a walk.
