I ran a very good cross country race...even though I missed my time goal. Fortunately, my time goal was wrong...because, apparently, I'm no longer a very good counter.
Here's how I set my goal time: 21:42 is 7 minutes flat for a 5K. I added 30 seconds per mile to that (93 seconds over the 3.1 mile course) and got 22:45, which I then rounded up to 23 minutes as my time to beat. Whoops! That 22:45 should have been 23:15. Which I would then have increased to 23:30 as my goal.
Hooray! I solidly beat my newly computed correct goal by running 23:08.
How do I know that's actually good? Well, the race included 4 members of my GNY team who had also vied with me in last week's 4-miler. They all had beaten me by fairly comfortable margins, but not this time. I beat 2 of them and significantly closed the gap on the others.
To top it off, racing cross country was actually lots of fun! Who knew??
The course descriptions I've read...and pictures I've seen... for Van Cortlandt Park have always made the course seem ominous! The hills were vicious and steep, the footing uncertain, and the end result slow and exhausting. So I didn't feel much enthusiasm for the event. I feared I was on my way to a race in which I'd do embarrassingly badly and, possibly, injure myself. Right before the start of the men's race (the women began 20 minutes later...the trails are too small to reasonably handle both groups at once) I wondered if I might finish last.
Nevertheless, when I first got off the subway alongside the Park, I thought Van Cortlandt was beautiful. A long field on which people were playing soccor and cricket (which I'd never seen in person)and then the woods and hills off in the distance. It felt like the country in the Bronx and the sight of the woods bordering the playing field reminded me of my childhood delight, the softball field at Lansmans Bungalow Colony, where my family spent many Summers. In the Catskills, the deep outfield actually sloped down, leading to the forest that surrounded left, right and center. Many times I flew down that slope, chasing fly balls that ended in my glove before they could make the trip all the way into the woods.
The race started on the long flat playing field (The Flats). We ran straight across between the various games for over half a mile, turned left around a pole featuring the tortoise and the hare (I feared I knew which one I was to be that day), left again and then right till me entered the dreaded woods. I had no real idea what to expect in that mysterious place.
And that's why I'd run the Flats cautously...I was conserving energy for the unexpected. Well, I could have started the race more aggressively...
...Because I loved the woods! Surrounded by trees, unable to see any part of the City (till we ran over a bridge that crossed a major highway), it was cool and other worldly. Some of the dreaded hills were steep but they were VERY short. The footing was not bad at all. In fact, the hardest part was running the steep down hills. Twice I picked up so much speed while my body was at such an unusual angle towards the ground that I feared tumbling over and thus had to struggle to slow myself down a bit.
Less than half way through the woods I came upon our team leader, Bob Glover. He had beaten my solidly the week before and then said after the race that he had not "pushed it" near the end because he was already well ahead of his age group competition. In other words, he could have beaten me by even more! I went by him and never looked back!
Then, up ahead, was JC, another team runner I'd never come close to. Well, he was close this time, maybe 50 meters or less ahead. This was great, but I decided to concentrate on my footing and maintaining a good pace over the hills and not exhausting myself for when we reemerged on the Flats. I'd been told that there would still be a long way to go to the finish and I didn't want to falter there. The race was still more with myself than with others.
Running through the woods, pushing up the not so awful hills and then flying down while trying to maintain enough control, all the while doing a very nice pace, was SO MUCH FUN!! Still, I kept wanting the fun to end, to get out of the woods and on to the finish. And that was because I feared that perhaps there WAS one last hill still lurking that would be exactly as bad as I'd been lead to believe!
But there wasn't. We left the woods and turned on to the trail that would lead us back across the Flats to the finish. JC was, maybe, 25 meters ahead of me and certain to pick up speed now that we faced no more hills. The finish line, though in sight, was still way too distant to begin a kick. No way I could maintain it that long. I was pretty tired and not sure that I had a kick left inside me. In fact, as we raced to the end, I wanted to pull back and slow down. There was too far to go to even maintain the quick pace that I was running. But there was JC not that far ahead and I didn't want to weaken so late. If he could do it, so could I! And then we were passing the starting point for the women's race and I could hear teammates' shouts of support. I certainly didn't want to falter in front of them.
The finishing banner was now not so far away...nor was JR. I was gaining on him, maybe within 10 meters. He started to kick and so did I. Well, it didn't feel like much of a kick as I was now near totally spent. But the finish was beckoning and the distance between us was lessening. If only he'd pull away I could stop pushing and end the race in some level of comfort, but now it was too close to call off the chase.
I pushed it all the way in and so did he and by the end the gap was about 1 meter, 1 second according to the official posted finishing times. It was JC who prevailed by that slim margin. Couldn't we race just one more kilometer?
I was disappointed...but not very. Because it's not just JC that I'm gaining on!!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
FACING CROSS COUNTRY
Tomorrow I run cross country for the first time...a 5K race in hilly Van Cortland Park. I don't know what to expect. However, I'm feeling pretty good, because:
-My resting heart rate seems to be down. It hit a low of 41 the other morning while it had been hovering around 44, 45 till recently. At my best, in the Fall of 2005, it was down as low as 37 (briefly). Steady lows right around 40 is a sign of good conditioning.
-My running heart rates also seem lower. Yesterday afternoon I averaged 118 for a slow paced 6 miler. Anything under 120 is a good sign and my heart rates are generally higher in the PM. That my max HR never hit 130 also seems like a good thing.
-I'll enter this race a bit more rested than the last one when I'd done a solid 4 mile tempo only 2 days before.
-The weather has gotten better. It should be in the 60s tomorrow with low humidity. In fact, long range prediction is for similar temperature next weekend when I race a road 5K.
Though my time in the recent 4 mile race doesn't suggest it, I suspect I could run about 7 flat pace (21:42) in a regular 5K with good weather conditions. But cross country is supposed to be slower, so it's hard to know what the equivalent time might be. Would I be totally off to guess 30 seconds per mile slower? If so, then my goal is:
-22:45. So let's say 23 minutes or better is a reasonable goal.
I could add more goals but they'd just be guesses...as, I think, this one is! So let's leave it at that and see what happens.
Truthfully, given my inexperience with cross country and a recent course description that makes it sound like the footing in some areas is insecure, I'm thinking of this as more of a hard workout than a race. My mind is most set on the upcoming Newport 5K next weekend. That is the flat, fast course on which I ran my best 5K time. Since it seems that the weather will be good, that should be a good measure of where I stand in comparison to the period 2 years ago when I did my best racing. Grete's, 2 weeks after that, and the Paramus 10K (if I run it about 2 weeks later) should also give me nice comparisons.
It's starting to get interesting!!!!
-My resting heart rate seems to be down. It hit a low of 41 the other morning while it had been hovering around 44, 45 till recently. At my best, in the Fall of 2005, it was down as low as 37 (briefly). Steady lows right around 40 is a sign of good conditioning.
-My running heart rates also seem lower. Yesterday afternoon I averaged 118 for a slow paced 6 miler. Anything under 120 is a good sign and my heart rates are generally higher in the PM. That my max HR never hit 130 also seems like a good thing.
-I'll enter this race a bit more rested than the last one when I'd done a solid 4 mile tempo only 2 days before.
-The weather has gotten better. It should be in the 60s tomorrow with low humidity. In fact, long range prediction is for similar temperature next weekend when I race a road 5K.
Though my time in the recent 4 mile race doesn't suggest it, I suspect I could run about 7 flat pace (21:42) in a regular 5K with good weather conditions. But cross country is supposed to be slower, so it's hard to know what the equivalent time might be. Would I be totally off to guess 30 seconds per mile slower? If so, then my goal is:
-22:45. So let's say 23 minutes or better is a reasonable goal.
I could add more goals but they'd just be guesses...as, I think, this one is! So let's leave it at that and see what happens.
Truthfully, given my inexperience with cross country and a recent course description that makes it sound like the footing in some areas is insecure, I'm thinking of this as more of a hard workout than a race. My mind is most set on the upcoming Newport 5K next weekend. That is the flat, fast course on which I ran my best 5K time. Since it seems that the weather will be good, that should be a good measure of where I stand in comparison to the period 2 years ago when I did my best racing. Grete's, 2 weeks after that, and the Paramus 10K (if I run it about 2 weeks later) should also give me nice comparisons.
It's starting to get interesting!!!!
Monday, September 10, 2007
SLOW START
It was a slow start to my 5 race challenge...29:11 in the 4 mile race. This is not a good time for me.
The day was warm and humid and I did do a fairly tough speed workout on Thursday and both these things factor against a speedy performance. And I honestly didn't expect to be that fast. But I also didn't expect to be quite this slow!
Coach Shelly said to not be too worried about it. Among other things she noted that I'm training with greater mileage this year in preparation for the Marathon. She says that tends to slow speed workouts and races. No doubt that's true. And she says that it can be good to experience the races "in the moment," not as predictors of what is to come.
That's fine and that's true and, to some extent, that's what I did. I ran the race steadily, pushing myself to maintain a good pace, particularly on the final mile when the fatigue and the weather were making things very difficult. I think that, overall, it was a good workout that will toughen me up.
Next Sunday I have the cross country 5k at Van Cortland Park. That's bound to be slow...everyone says cross country is slower than road racing. So I expect to not be fast. And I expect the race will further toughen me and move me along in my training and get me in even better shape. It's a race where I really shouldn't worry too much about time.
But after that, I'd sure like to be faster!!
The day was warm and humid and I did do a fairly tough speed workout on Thursday and both these things factor against a speedy performance. And I honestly didn't expect to be that fast. But I also didn't expect to be quite this slow!
Coach Shelly said to not be too worried about it. Among other things she noted that I'm training with greater mileage this year in preparation for the Marathon. She says that tends to slow speed workouts and races. No doubt that's true. And she says that it can be good to experience the races "in the moment," not as predictors of what is to come.
That's fine and that's true and, to some extent, that's what I did. I ran the race steadily, pushing myself to maintain a good pace, particularly on the final mile when the fatigue and the weather were making things very difficult. I think that, overall, it was a good workout that will toughen me up.
Next Sunday I have the cross country 5k at Van Cortland Park. That's bound to be slow...everyone says cross country is slower than road racing. So I expect to not be fast. And I expect the race will further toughen me and move me along in my training and get me in even better shape. It's a race where I really shouldn't worry too much about time.
But after that, I'd sure like to be faster!!
Friday, September 7, 2007
FIVE STARTING LINES
I have 5 races scheduled over the next 5 weekends. They are all VERY DIFFERENT:
-A flat 5K on the New Jersey course where I smoked a Personal Best 2 years ago.
-A cross country 5k (something I've never run) in hilly Van Courtland Park.
-A 4 miler tomorrow in Central Park. I've raced this a bunch of times so it will be great for a comparison.
-The famous Fifth Avenue Mile...a race I've run only once. I can't wait to measure my time now against the speedy time I hit years ago.
-Grete's Gallup. The perfect Central Park half marathon to assess my Marathon expectations and to compare with my good times of the last 2 years.
All this while I'm squeezing in 20 milers, other long runs and speed workouts as part of marathon training. Can I even hold up under this?
That, however, is not the question most on my mind, though, perhaps, it should be. I'm worried about my lack of consistent speed. I run a fast half, a fast mile, whatever, but the next one is slower and, by the end, my time is way up as is my heart rate. When I compare my current performances to earlier, similar workouts, my times are, generally, okay but not near my best.
Except for last week's half mile intervals which were very good.
On the other hand, the previous 3 times I've run MILE intervals I was so fatigued by the end that my last mile was over 7 minutes. That is comparitively POOR!!
So I don't know where I am. Am I held back by the uncomfortable summer weather, the training I missed while injured, aging, something else? Or am I, in fact, coming along fine to the point where I'm set to pop some good races? I don't really know.
The truth right now is that I'm hoping to run really fast but expecting not to. That's an uncomfortable position to be in. I'll certainly know more soon, but, till then, this is the uncertainty that I bring to Five Starting Lines.
-A flat 5K on the New Jersey course where I smoked a Personal Best 2 years ago.
-A cross country 5k (something I've never run) in hilly Van Courtland Park.
-A 4 miler tomorrow in Central Park. I've raced this a bunch of times so it will be great for a comparison.
-The famous Fifth Avenue Mile...a race I've run only once. I can't wait to measure my time now against the speedy time I hit years ago.
-Grete's Gallup. The perfect Central Park half marathon to assess my Marathon expectations and to compare with my good times of the last 2 years.
All this while I'm squeezing in 20 milers, other long runs and speed workouts as part of marathon training. Can I even hold up under this?
That, however, is not the question most on my mind, though, perhaps, it should be. I'm worried about my lack of consistent speed. I run a fast half, a fast mile, whatever, but the next one is slower and, by the end, my time is way up as is my heart rate. When I compare my current performances to earlier, similar workouts, my times are, generally, okay but not near my best.
Except for last week's half mile intervals which were very good.
On the other hand, the previous 3 times I've run MILE intervals I was so fatigued by the end that my last mile was over 7 minutes. That is comparitively POOR!!
So I don't know where I am. Am I held back by the uncomfortable summer weather, the training I missed while injured, aging, something else? Or am I, in fact, coming along fine to the point where I'm set to pop some good races? I don't really know.
The truth right now is that I'm hoping to run really fast but expecting not to. That's an uncomfortable position to be in. I'll certainly know more soon, but, till then, this is the uncertainty that I bring to Five Starting Lines.
Friday, August 31, 2007
SPEEDY CLASS
I went to Speed Class last night. It was the first time. Normally my work schedule keeps me from the Tuesday and Thursday night workouts. But I'm on vacation now so Coach Shelly invited me to come to the classes that she and her husband Bob offer.
It was a new experience. I've NEVER run speed with anyone, and that's good. I don't want anyone seeing how undisciplined I am. I'm always going too fast at the start, then slowing down, huffing and puffing and suffering as the end nears. Never a pretty sight; certainly not one that I want anyone to witness.
So I run alone. But not last night because, as I said, I was at Speed Class. With the Competitive Group. We were going to do half mile intervals, 6 of them, in the area of the 103rd Street Transverse.
There were about 25 of us plus Bob and Shelly (I think) and 4 coaches. Each coach would lead a small group and keep us on pace. The first group would be the fastest runners, the second the next quickest and so on. This would be a tough workout. I didn't want to embarass myself in a too fast group where I couldn't keep up. On the other hand, a too slow group would not help me to a good workout. Which too choose? Remember, I had no experience with this.
Bob made it easy. He announced: "First group, who can do under 7:00 (per mile)in a 5K." Ah, perfect! That was definitely me. We'd probably go 3:10 to 3:15 pace or so for each interval. I'd averaged 3:16 a month ago. So this would challenge me to improve by a reasonable, surely doable, amount.
I was the first out to the starting line and a bunch of runners who knew me (and knew it was my first time) cheered and shouted encouragement. Cool! Speed class is obviously a wonderful, supportive place!! I got ready to run.
Our coach got to the front and said we'd go at a sub 3 minute pace. Three minutes? What? That's way too fast!! How does a sub 7 minute 5K translate to under 3 for a half mile? I've NEVER run that fast. This is the WRONG group for me...I should wait for the next one or perhaps even the one after that. But how can I go back now? Everyone had cheered when I'd first gone out. Well, obviously, I was gonna run with these folks!
Off we went at a VERY brisk pace. I stayed near the front and, when we turned onto the Transverse, we were half way done. The road slopes down a bit there and I just tried to hang on. I finished at 2:55, my best ever!
This was great but there was NO WAY I could maintain it. I slid back into the next quickest group and ran the next 2 at just a few seconds above 3. I was very pleased, but, in the humid evening, pretty exhausted. Another runner said encouringly that we were half way through, but I felt a whole lot more than half finished at that point! In fact, I was thinking about falling back another group. But I decided not to. I'd try to hang in where I was.
Interval 4 went up the transverse and that was tough. My time increased, but, so, it seems, did everyone's. All I wanted to do was get to the end and I did. On the 5th, however, I got some strength back and did a 3:10. Nothing great, but better than anything I'd run a month ago. For the finale I told myself not to kill myself, just finish. Well, 3:18 is quite a jump from where I started, but I could live with that. I averaged just under 3:08 and that is the fastest I've ever been for this workout.
Pretty speedy!
I can go to 2 more classes before my vacation ends. Can't wait for the next one!!
It was a new experience. I've NEVER run speed with anyone, and that's good. I don't want anyone seeing how undisciplined I am. I'm always going too fast at the start, then slowing down, huffing and puffing and suffering as the end nears. Never a pretty sight; certainly not one that I want anyone to witness.
So I run alone. But not last night because, as I said, I was at Speed Class. With the Competitive Group. We were going to do half mile intervals, 6 of them, in the area of the 103rd Street Transverse.
There were about 25 of us plus Bob and Shelly (I think) and 4 coaches. Each coach would lead a small group and keep us on pace. The first group would be the fastest runners, the second the next quickest and so on. This would be a tough workout. I didn't want to embarass myself in a too fast group where I couldn't keep up. On the other hand, a too slow group would not help me to a good workout. Which too choose? Remember, I had no experience with this.
Bob made it easy. He announced: "First group, who can do under 7:00 (per mile)in a 5K." Ah, perfect! That was definitely me. We'd probably go 3:10 to 3:15 pace or so for each interval. I'd averaged 3:16 a month ago. So this would challenge me to improve by a reasonable, surely doable, amount.
I was the first out to the starting line and a bunch of runners who knew me (and knew it was my first time) cheered and shouted encouragement. Cool! Speed class is obviously a wonderful, supportive place!! I got ready to run.
Our coach got to the front and said we'd go at a sub 3 minute pace. Three minutes? What? That's way too fast!! How does a sub 7 minute 5K translate to under 3 for a half mile? I've NEVER run that fast. This is the WRONG group for me...I should wait for the next one or perhaps even the one after that. But how can I go back now? Everyone had cheered when I'd first gone out. Well, obviously, I was gonna run with these folks!
Off we went at a VERY brisk pace. I stayed near the front and, when we turned onto the Transverse, we were half way done. The road slopes down a bit there and I just tried to hang on. I finished at 2:55, my best ever!
This was great but there was NO WAY I could maintain it. I slid back into the next quickest group and ran the next 2 at just a few seconds above 3. I was very pleased, but, in the humid evening, pretty exhausted. Another runner said encouringly that we were half way through, but I felt a whole lot more than half finished at that point! In fact, I was thinking about falling back another group. But I decided not to. I'd try to hang in where I was.
Interval 4 went up the transverse and that was tough. My time increased, but, so, it seems, did everyone's. All I wanted to do was get to the end and I did. On the 5th, however, I got some strength back and did a 3:10. Nothing great, but better than anything I'd run a month ago. For the finale I told myself not to kill myself, just finish. Well, 3:18 is quite a jump from where I started, but I could live with that. I averaged just under 3:08 and that is the fastest I've ever been for this workout.
Pretty speedy!
I can go to 2 more classes before my vacation ends. Can't wait for the next one!!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN
I haven't been running fast. In perfect conditions last week I did a 5 mile race in 36:22. Not terrible but, alas, not particularly good...about 90 seconds off my best. Recent workouts, speed and otherwise, seem also to indicate that this is about where I am.
Am I just slow to recover my aerobic capacity after the loss of 2 training weeks to that awful injury in June? Or is it something else, something I can't overcome?
I bought a new sports watch recently that claims to measure aerobic capacity. It computes VO2 Max (a measurement of the amount of oxygen the body can take in and process) by examining resting heart rate and how it fluctuates over several minutes of inactivity. My score was 53...elite level in my age group and for several age groups below mine. I'm in the good category even among 20 to 25 year olds, people 35 years my junior. Pretty impressive, right?
So why do my running times suck???
So this morning I went out to run as fast as I could. Mile intervals on a flat course. Three of them with 4 minute recoveries in between. It's a workout I've done many times over the years...most recently just 18 days ago. The distance is a good one, I think, to measure endurance as well as speed. More so, say, than the shorter interval workouts of 400 and 800 meters.
Oh, by the way, the weather was bad...warmish and quite humid. I'm setting up my excuses...I know, not very promising forshadowing!! Please read on anyway.
After a 2 mile warmup and some stretching, off I went! I wanted to be agressive, definitely faster than tempo pace, without so burning myself out on the first mile that I'd suffer through the rest of the workout at ever decreasing speed...or even not be able to finish all 3 intervals, which has happened before. On the other hand, I didn't want to be too slow...say anything at 7 minutes per mile or above. Plagued by these tardy fears, I went out hard...harder than I should have, I thought, as I passed the half mile mark around Canal Street. My breathing was increasingly uncomfortable as I pushed on and I wondered if I could maintain the pace. Then I wondered if I even wanted to...this was getting just too uncomfortable and there was still 2 more hard miles after this one. Up ahead I saw the batting cage which was the tenth of a mile to go point. I told myself to just stay fast to there. And when I got there, instead of coasting in, I pushed myself to the end.
Never mind my VO2 Max, I could not take in enough oxygen as I walked to recover. However, my time was 6:32 for the mile and I was delighted. I hadn't seen a time like that in 16 months!! This was great! It is SO wonderful to see numbers like that on MY watch!!!
And yet, it is not enough. The workout is Mile X 3. There were still 2 more to be run. While it's very important to know that I can still do even a single mile at this pace, my ability to maintain it (or relatively close to it) would indicate my endurance. And that's what leads to good race times.
Two years ago, on a flat New Jersey course with perfect weather conditions, I ran my best 5K ever...perhaps my best race. The first mile was 6:24, 8 seconds faster than today. I slowed over the remaining 2.1 miles of the race, but not too badly (15 seconds on mile 2 and 18 more for the third mile) and so my endurance was good enough to get me home in first place (by alot!) in my age group and in a time far better than anything I'd run before.
So what would today bring?
After a 4 minute walking recovery I set off again. It was not pretty! I was drenched with sweat and feeling kind of loopy. I'd speed up, become extremely uncomfortable and then slow to regain my breath. I wondered if I would even complete this second mile. Maybe I should stop at the half mile mark? I'd do a couple of half mile intervals and that would make for a good workout. I got to the half mile mark and pushed on. When I passed .6 miles I figured I'd finish. But I felt myself slowing and that couldn't be good. Then my legs, without direction from my brain, seemed to pick it up by themselves and get me to the end.
6:44. Twelve seconds slower. Too many seconds slower. It showed that I'd run the first mile too fast. But I ALWAYS do that, frankly, and 12 seconds slower was, actually, better than I thought I'd do. OK, not bad.
As I walked slowly to recover, I felt BEAT!!! So tired, so weary, so fatigued and so not wanting to deal with another mile of increasing discomfort and pain. Truly, I didn't see how I could push myself to run another full mile. But I wanted it to be a good workout. Certainly that would mean completing the distance. I told myself that's all I had to do...just run that final mile no matter what the time. Okay, fine, time pressure's off. But then I thought about what I would consider a good average time for the workout. Averaging under 7:00 of course was minimum acceptable. Under 6:50 would be good. But what would get me in under 6:50? My oxygen depleted brain had already forgotten my first mile time. I thought it was about the same as mile 2, 6:45. Hmmm, not much breathing room to get an under 6:50 average finish. I'd need about 7:00 or better. I didn't think I could do that.
I began the third and final interval telling myself to just run a decent pace...and by that I meant don't slow to a jog! Don't let the other runners there who were not doing speed work fly by me...or get by me at all!! No one was passing me but still it felt like I was slogging along. I wanted to stay below my pain threshold, at least for a good part of the mile, but that wasn't working out too well. At .3 mile I told myself that was respectable...a mile, another mile and then 3 tenths of one. Stop here and go home. But I was playing tricks with myself. By the time I'd finished that thought I was already approaching the tennis courts which would take me to .4 mile. And then to the half way point at Canal Street. And then .6 at Watts Street. And then....
Tricks could only help so much. There was not enough oxygen in the humidity filled air (see, I made it back to my opening excuse). I was slowing badly. There were 2 women joggers ahead of me and I couldn't gain on them. And then I went passed them...oh, I did? Well, my brain is addled. But I was definitely slowing. This was toooo uncomfortable. But there was the batting cage again and there were my legs picking up the pace. What were they even thinking??
And then it was over. 7:03. Nothing to brag about. And on top of that my new sports watch was sending off weird heart rate numbers. Up at 188, about 15% beyond my maximum. But then, when I stopped at the water fountain or at a red light as I was about to cross the highway to leave Henry Hudson Park my heart rate dropped to where it should be, just over 120. Damn this new transmitter! They short out so quickly because it's impossible (at least I find it so) to get them dry after I've washed them off following a run. Damn!!!
At home I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover how quick I'd been on mile 1 and to find that I'd averaged 6:46. This is a respectable place for me. Off my fastest but not bad. Ten seconds per mile faster than just 2 weeks ago, though that took place on a hilly course. If I stay healthy and consistant with my training and if the weather improves there's no doubt that I will be faster. Actually, there's always doubt. Maybe I won't be faster. Maybe today was the absolute best I could do (doubtful, if only because I'm SURE that at least the weather will be better at some point). Still, today I ran as fast as I could and these miles make me hopeful.
I'll just have to find out about the future...later!
Am I just slow to recover my aerobic capacity after the loss of 2 training weeks to that awful injury in June? Or is it something else, something I can't overcome?
I bought a new sports watch recently that claims to measure aerobic capacity. It computes VO2 Max (a measurement of the amount of oxygen the body can take in and process) by examining resting heart rate and how it fluctuates over several minutes of inactivity. My score was 53...elite level in my age group and for several age groups below mine. I'm in the good category even among 20 to 25 year olds, people 35 years my junior. Pretty impressive, right?
So why do my running times suck???
So this morning I went out to run as fast as I could. Mile intervals on a flat course. Three of them with 4 minute recoveries in between. It's a workout I've done many times over the years...most recently just 18 days ago. The distance is a good one, I think, to measure endurance as well as speed. More so, say, than the shorter interval workouts of 400 and 800 meters.
Oh, by the way, the weather was bad...warmish and quite humid. I'm setting up my excuses...I know, not very promising forshadowing!! Please read on anyway.
After a 2 mile warmup and some stretching, off I went! I wanted to be agressive, definitely faster than tempo pace, without so burning myself out on the first mile that I'd suffer through the rest of the workout at ever decreasing speed...or even not be able to finish all 3 intervals, which has happened before. On the other hand, I didn't want to be too slow...say anything at 7 minutes per mile or above. Plagued by these tardy fears, I went out hard...harder than I should have, I thought, as I passed the half mile mark around Canal Street. My breathing was increasingly uncomfortable as I pushed on and I wondered if I could maintain the pace. Then I wondered if I even wanted to...this was getting just too uncomfortable and there was still 2 more hard miles after this one. Up ahead I saw the batting cage which was the tenth of a mile to go point. I told myself to just stay fast to there. And when I got there, instead of coasting in, I pushed myself to the end.
Never mind my VO2 Max, I could not take in enough oxygen as I walked to recover. However, my time was 6:32 for the mile and I was delighted. I hadn't seen a time like that in 16 months!! This was great! It is SO wonderful to see numbers like that on MY watch!!!
And yet, it is not enough. The workout is Mile X 3. There were still 2 more to be run. While it's very important to know that I can still do even a single mile at this pace, my ability to maintain it (or relatively close to it) would indicate my endurance. And that's what leads to good race times.
Two years ago, on a flat New Jersey course with perfect weather conditions, I ran my best 5K ever...perhaps my best race. The first mile was 6:24, 8 seconds faster than today. I slowed over the remaining 2.1 miles of the race, but not too badly (15 seconds on mile 2 and 18 more for the third mile) and so my endurance was good enough to get me home in first place (by alot!) in my age group and in a time far better than anything I'd run before.
So what would today bring?
After a 4 minute walking recovery I set off again. It was not pretty! I was drenched with sweat and feeling kind of loopy. I'd speed up, become extremely uncomfortable and then slow to regain my breath. I wondered if I would even complete this second mile. Maybe I should stop at the half mile mark? I'd do a couple of half mile intervals and that would make for a good workout. I got to the half mile mark and pushed on. When I passed .6 miles I figured I'd finish. But I felt myself slowing and that couldn't be good. Then my legs, without direction from my brain, seemed to pick it up by themselves and get me to the end.
6:44. Twelve seconds slower. Too many seconds slower. It showed that I'd run the first mile too fast. But I ALWAYS do that, frankly, and 12 seconds slower was, actually, better than I thought I'd do. OK, not bad.
As I walked slowly to recover, I felt BEAT!!! So tired, so weary, so fatigued and so not wanting to deal with another mile of increasing discomfort and pain. Truly, I didn't see how I could push myself to run another full mile. But I wanted it to be a good workout. Certainly that would mean completing the distance. I told myself that's all I had to do...just run that final mile no matter what the time. Okay, fine, time pressure's off. But then I thought about what I would consider a good average time for the workout. Averaging under 7:00 of course was minimum acceptable. Under 6:50 would be good. But what would get me in under 6:50? My oxygen depleted brain had already forgotten my first mile time. I thought it was about the same as mile 2, 6:45. Hmmm, not much breathing room to get an under 6:50 average finish. I'd need about 7:00 or better. I didn't think I could do that.
I began the third and final interval telling myself to just run a decent pace...and by that I meant don't slow to a jog! Don't let the other runners there who were not doing speed work fly by me...or get by me at all!! No one was passing me but still it felt like I was slogging along. I wanted to stay below my pain threshold, at least for a good part of the mile, but that wasn't working out too well. At .3 mile I told myself that was respectable...a mile, another mile and then 3 tenths of one. Stop here and go home. But I was playing tricks with myself. By the time I'd finished that thought I was already approaching the tennis courts which would take me to .4 mile. And then to the half way point at Canal Street. And then .6 at Watts Street. And then....
Tricks could only help so much. There was not enough oxygen in the humidity filled air (see, I made it back to my opening excuse). I was slowing badly. There were 2 women joggers ahead of me and I couldn't gain on them. And then I went passed them...oh, I did? Well, my brain is addled. But I was definitely slowing. This was toooo uncomfortable. But there was the batting cage again and there were my legs picking up the pace. What were they even thinking??
And then it was over. 7:03. Nothing to brag about. And on top of that my new sports watch was sending off weird heart rate numbers. Up at 188, about 15% beyond my maximum. But then, when I stopped at the water fountain or at a red light as I was about to cross the highway to leave Henry Hudson Park my heart rate dropped to where it should be, just over 120. Damn this new transmitter! They short out so quickly because it's impossible (at least I find it so) to get them dry after I've washed them off following a run. Damn!!!
At home I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover how quick I'd been on mile 1 and to find that I'd averaged 6:46. This is a respectable place for me. Off my fastest but not bad. Ten seconds per mile faster than just 2 weeks ago, though that took place on a hilly course. If I stay healthy and consistant with my training and if the weather improves there's no doubt that I will be faster. Actually, there's always doubt. Maybe I won't be faster. Maybe today was the absolute best I could do (doubtful, if only because I'm SURE that at least the weather will be better at some point). Still, today I ran as fast as I could and these miles make me hopeful.
I'll just have to find out about the future...later!
Monday, August 6, 2007
A+ PERSON; A- SEASON
We hadn't played the first game yet and already my 2007 softball season was off to a bad start. My nephew Adam was managing the team now instead of me (I quietly stepped aside since over half the players were his friends...and his age!)and he sent me his proposed starting lineup for my feedback.
Well, my feedback was that I HATED his proposed starting lineup. I was not the lead off batter as I'd always been...I was listed 11th. I was not an outfielder as I'd always been...I was the extra hitter. And, on closer analysis, I wasn't even that. There was another person's name next to mine. Apparently, He was the 11th batter and extra hitter and I merely his substitute. Talk about receiving a message. Though I'd played quite well last year I was now nothing but an afterthought, a substitute for the least important player on the team.. After all, we'd added a few guys, all of them much younger and, sight unseen, certainly better than me. Why should I be a starter at all, particularly, I guess, at my age?
Game time arrived, however, and we were missing a guy so I did get to play. And did well. And the next game someone else was missing so I played again, this time batting lead off and scoring 3 runs.
And that's how the rest of the season went. Someone was always missing, I kept playing and kept playing well. And one of the new guys didn't get a single hit till the season was almost over and another played like he'd never much played the game before (actually, he hadn't!). Still others seemed to disappear whenever the game was tough or pick key moments to do incredibly foolish things. And I kept playing and doing the best I could. And by season's end my stats were as good as anyone's on the team.
Imagine that!
Still, as the playoffs approached, I wondered how I'd fit in. If everyone finally came down (as often happens with the playoffs) perhaps I'd be pushed aside. It was a sad thought and so I didn't look forward to the playoffs with my usual enthusiasm.
At the field, I was chatting with a couple of the players. One told me that they had rated all the players on the team, using 2 criteria. The first was whether a player performed up to his potential. The second ranked the value of the contribution the player actually made to the team. With a smile he asked if I'd like to know how I was rated. Of course!!
I received an A PLUS for playing to my full potential. I got an A Minus for how well I actually played. The two guys who were, apparently, my usurpers at season's start?
A D for both.
And so I was in the starting lineup for our playoff games. Was it because a few players were missing or because I simply deserved it? Unfortunately, the team REALLY sucked and we lost two in a row. I was the only player on base 4 times over the pair of games and the only player to score 2 runs. Nothing spectaculor but good enough to feel pleased as I certainly didn't suck.
And I really felt nice about my A+, A- ranking. Till it occurred to me that they think I played up to my full potential? They think A- is the best I could do? Actually, I could have done better.
Well, my feedback was that I HATED his proposed starting lineup. I was not the lead off batter as I'd always been...I was listed 11th. I was not an outfielder as I'd always been...I was the extra hitter. And, on closer analysis, I wasn't even that. There was another person's name next to mine. Apparently, He was the 11th batter and extra hitter and I merely his substitute. Talk about receiving a message. Though I'd played quite well last year I was now nothing but an afterthought, a substitute for the least important player on the team.. After all, we'd added a few guys, all of them much younger and, sight unseen, certainly better than me. Why should I be a starter at all, particularly, I guess, at my age?
Game time arrived, however, and we were missing a guy so I did get to play. And did well. And the next game someone else was missing so I played again, this time batting lead off and scoring 3 runs.
And that's how the rest of the season went. Someone was always missing, I kept playing and kept playing well. And one of the new guys didn't get a single hit till the season was almost over and another played like he'd never much played the game before (actually, he hadn't!). Still others seemed to disappear whenever the game was tough or pick key moments to do incredibly foolish things. And I kept playing and doing the best I could. And by season's end my stats were as good as anyone's on the team.
Imagine that!
Still, as the playoffs approached, I wondered how I'd fit in. If everyone finally came down (as often happens with the playoffs) perhaps I'd be pushed aside. It was a sad thought and so I didn't look forward to the playoffs with my usual enthusiasm.
At the field, I was chatting with a couple of the players. One told me that they had rated all the players on the team, using 2 criteria. The first was whether a player performed up to his potential. The second ranked the value of the contribution the player actually made to the team. With a smile he asked if I'd like to know how I was rated. Of course!!
I received an A PLUS for playing to my full potential. I got an A Minus for how well I actually played. The two guys who were, apparently, my usurpers at season's start?
A D for both.
And so I was in the starting lineup for our playoff games. Was it because a few players were missing or because I simply deserved it? Unfortunately, the team REALLY sucked and we lost two in a row. I was the only player on base 4 times over the pair of games and the only player to score 2 runs. Nothing spectaculor but good enough to feel pleased as I certainly didn't suck.
And I really felt nice about my A+, A- ranking. Till it occurred to me that they think I played up to my full potential? They think A- is the best I could do? Actually, I could have done better.
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