My race to a sub 90 minute 15K
As I posted early on, I have a goal of running the NYRR 15k on December 1 in under 90 minutes. This is pretty aggressive. It will take a 9:35 pace and my best 10K pace right now is a 10:15. There are a few things that I hope will come together in the next eight weeks.
First, I’m working on dropping another 8 pounds. My weight has been coming off SUPER SLOW. I’m eating well; making healthy choices and managing my calories well. While I’ve dropped one whole pants size and can see a noticeable difference in the mirror, the scale is creeping along slower than me going uphill. In total since August 20th, I’ve only dropped 5 pounds. At this rate it will take me until the start of training next year to get down where I want to be. I’m just going to keep plugging away at this. I can’t obsess over it (too much). Even a drop of 5 pounds before the race will make a noticeable difference in my ability to run well.
Second, I’ve embarked on a speed program. I’ve looked at a variety of speed programs aimed at 5k’s and 10k’s. I couldn’t find one for a 15K so I improvised a bit. The core of the plan involves 2 speed workouts a week, one long run, and one mid distance tempo effort. I did my first speed workout on Tuesday it included the following: 800m warm up, 2x1200, 2x800, 4x400, and 6x100, 800 cool down. I ran all repeats at my goal pace of 9:35/mile with 2 minutes of recovery between and the 100’s I ran at my speed interval pace of 9:00/mile with 100m recovery in between. I liked the workout a lot. It was my first real track workout ever and it felt good to go fast. I still had some kick in me after. I knew I could have gone faster, but I stuck to my plan. What took work was not getting distracted off my pace. A few times I found that when my mind wandered, I slowed down. Not because I needed to, but because I wasn’t paying attention to my leg turnover. Besides the fast twitch benefit of speed work, this focus work will help me a great deal. After all, I started this business of running as a marathoner. I never spent much time at all working on short distances. When I run long, it has become natural to disassociate from my body. 2 or 3 hours into a run, it was impossible for me to sustain focus on my footsteps. I think the track workout (sans the ipod) will help me with this. To really perform, I need to stay in touch with what my body is doing and focus how it is feeling.
I did my second speed workout on Friday. First I biked 60 minutes of hill repeats around my house (the 5 Sisters Loop), came home, ate and went to the gym for a treadmill run. Did a half mile warm up, 2x800, 4x400, 4x200, 4x100 all at 30 seconds faster than my goal pace. It was a solid effort and I got through it without too much struggle. I think I’m on my way!
Lastly, to compensate for the fact that I am gunning for a 15K PR on a 10K speed program, I will continue to run over-distance long runs, similar to what I would do for a half marathon. 15k is just long enough to need a good pacing strategy. I will run my long runs in the Race With Purpose fashion of a commute, warm-up, race pacing. I figure that running long runs of 10-13 miles with a good progressive pacing strategy will help me race the 15K distance well.
I have 2 tune up races between now and then, a 5 miler on October 28th and a 4 miler on November 18th . We’ll have to see what I can do at those.
722 days to go.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Go Chrissy Go!!
Chrissy Wellington - World Ironman Champion 2007 9:08:45
Here is living proof that anything is possible – even my remotely insane dream of going to Kona in 2009.
Chrissy Wellington
- began triathlon in 2005
- Raced her first Iron-distance race in IM Korea 2007 as an Age Grouper and WON.
- Turned pro after IM Korea and seven weeks later arrived at the starting line of the 2007 World Championship
- Posted a 58:04 swim split
- Burned up the bike course finishing with the fastest women’s split by 5 MINUTES. She also managed a negative split with an average speed of 23.1 in the second half (5:06:15)
- Sealed the deal with just under a mile lead in the finish and a blistering 2:59:58 marathon.
Holy Newbies, Batman! Who is this woman?!
Yes, it’s true that it was a bad day for many of the top pros. It looks like stomach flu put most of them out of commission, either before the race or during it. Yes, it’s possible that had Natasha Badmann not crashed her bike early in the bike course, she might have given Chrissy a run for her money, but let’s be clear a 9:08:45 finish is a full 10 minutes FASTER than the time Michellie Jones won with last year and only 13 minutes slower than the course record. The girl has got game!
Chrissy must have had a strong fitness base before starting triathlon, and she did secure one of the top coaching professionals in Great Britain to train her for Korea. Even so, I have to believe that she had extreme clarity of purpose and “iron” determination to achieve the goals she set for herself. Clearly she did not enter IM Korea with the intent to finish and similarly she did not discount her own ability to perform on the great Kona stage either. She put on a fearless performance, confident in her abilities, and committed to giving it all.
I’m always motivated by watching great sports events, but I can count on one hand the events where true champions can emerge spontaneously. I watched Chrissy’s finish over the live internet feed on Saturday. As usual, I found myself getting all choked up watching her high five people along the last half mile. I think a tear snuck out when she grabbed a Great Britain flag from a spectator to carry across the finish. She even stopped and turned around to wave briefly just before crossing the tape. I wanted to watch it again. It’s been playing in my head ever since. I keep thinking, “That could be me, crossing the finish of IM Lake Placid. Knowing I’m going to qualify.” It’s not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Be clear, be determined, be fearless.
724 days to go.
Here is living proof that anything is possible – even my remotely insane dream of going to Kona in 2009.
Chrissy Wellington
- began triathlon in 2005
- Raced her first Iron-distance race in IM Korea 2007 as an Age Grouper and WON.
- Turned pro after IM Korea and seven weeks later arrived at the starting line of the 2007 World Championship
- Posted a 58:04 swim split
- Burned up the bike course finishing with the fastest women’s split by 5 MINUTES. She also managed a negative split with an average speed of 23.1 in the second half (5:06:15)
- Sealed the deal with just under a mile lead in the finish and a blistering 2:59:58 marathon.
Holy Newbies, Batman! Who is this woman?!
Yes, it’s true that it was a bad day for many of the top pros. It looks like stomach flu put most of them out of commission, either before the race or during it. Yes, it’s possible that had Natasha Badmann not crashed her bike early in the bike course, she might have given Chrissy a run for her money, but let’s be clear a 9:08:45 finish is a full 10 minutes FASTER than the time Michellie Jones won with last year and only 13 minutes slower than the course record. The girl has got game!
Chrissy must have had a strong fitness base before starting triathlon, and she did secure one of the top coaching professionals in Great Britain to train her for Korea. Even so, I have to believe that she had extreme clarity of purpose and “iron” determination to achieve the goals she set for herself. Clearly she did not enter IM Korea with the intent to finish and similarly she did not discount her own ability to perform on the great Kona stage either. She put on a fearless performance, confident in her abilities, and committed to giving it all.
I’m always motivated by watching great sports events, but I can count on one hand the events where true champions can emerge spontaneously. I watched Chrissy’s finish over the live internet feed on Saturday. As usual, I found myself getting all choked up watching her high five people along the last half mile. I think a tear snuck out when she grabbed a Great Britain flag from a spectator to carry across the finish. She even stopped and turned around to wave briefly just before crossing the tape. I wanted to watch it again. It’s been playing in my head ever since. I keep thinking, “That could be me, crossing the finish of IM Lake Placid. Knowing I’m going to qualify.” It’s not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Be clear, be determined, be fearless.
724 days to go.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Grete's Gallop
October 6, 2007, Grete’s Gallop 13.1 miles 2:30:11
Given the heat and humidity, I’m delighted with the results. I ran a god awful 2:47 half marathon in March of this year and a 2:34:44 last year at Grete’s. What went right? I’m feeling very confident about my running these days. No injuries at all and a respectable amount of mileage each week. I built up slowly to the distance and it worked well. I felt more prepared going into this race than any other in recent history.
What went wrong? It was hot and humid. The kind of day I just melt. I did not have a nutrition plan well thought out. I’ve stopped using Gatorade, because it doesn’t agree with me. Even if I dilute it, my gut just empties it out. I ran brilliantly according to plan until mile 10 when I started to bonk a bit. I only had 1 hammer gel with me that I used at mile 8. 90 calories weren’t enough to get me to the end and I was dehydrated. The last set of hills just wiped me out. I still was very happy with my results; knocking 4:30 off a ½ mary is pretty cool. There was one other point that will mark this race as one that I won’t forget.
I’ve run long enough and in enough places to know that runners come in all shapes and sizes; tall, short, old, young, slow, fast, fat and skinny. It’s one of the very things that kept me coming back to the starting line. There is truly a place for everyone, be it 1st or 1537th. I used to joke with one of my marathon running buddies, Nancy Shanley (good race by the way, girlie!) that my real goal of running was to someday be able to run in just a sports bra. Well, it was half a joke. Like many people, athletes included, I struggle with my body image. Carolynn tells me I am too hard on myself in that respect, but this body has been bigger for most of my life and it’s a hard image to erase. Anyway, right around the time I began to bonk and overheat, I was passed an older woman. She looked a little overweight and had wrinkles on her face and body that would suggest she was a lifetime “in the sun” runner. The very first thought that went through my mind was, “I can’t believe she’d run without a shirt on.” How horrible of me! I actually sped up a little to run side by side with her. She had such a serene smile on her face. The longer I looked the more I realized how strong and vibrant she was. Of course I couldn’t keep up as we approached another hill, but as I faded back I began to get jealous. It was obvious she could care less what people around her thought about her body; she was using her body in a way she loved. I was jealous that I was not only carrying all that emotional crap, but also a drenched shirt that was not helping me keep cool. So I took it off! Yep, ran the last 3 miles in just a sports bra and since brightroom was out there, there will by pictures to prove it! A milestone can be more than just a PR.
So what’s next. This is the longest run I intend to do until next season. I have a goal of completing a sub 90 minute 15K at a race on December 1st. It may be a little aggressive, but I’m gonna give it a shot. Next week I start a 7 week plan of speed and tempo work that should give me a boost. I’m still looking to drop another 7-8 pounds before the race. I’ll load up my training plan on my google calendar later this week, but the heart of it is 2 days of track workouts per week at a pace 30 seconds faster than my target pace. Roughly this translates into sets at a 9-minute mile pace (target pace is a 9:37). I’ll still be doing 8-12 miles on the weekend to keep up my endurance; 15k is 9.36 miles. It will be a nice way to end the season.
I had a great swim workout yesterday with a total of 1400m of “swimming golf” (100m sets) and technique sets. Today I tackled the “5 sister hills” bike workout. Essentially I live on a hill and there are 5 separate streets that get you to top of the hill. Each has a different pitch and grade and I rode them all in succession for a total of 10 miles. Really solid strength workout and it beat a DVD in the basement on a trainer.
I want to wish Peter and Bryan a great race in KONA this weekend! Make us proud, boys and bring me back some good course recon for 2009!
732 days to go.
Given the heat and humidity, I’m delighted with the results. I ran a god awful 2:47 half marathon in March of this year and a 2:34:44 last year at Grete’s. What went right? I’m feeling very confident about my running these days. No injuries at all and a respectable amount of mileage each week. I built up slowly to the distance and it worked well. I felt more prepared going into this race than any other in recent history.
What went wrong? It was hot and humid. The kind of day I just melt. I did not have a nutrition plan well thought out. I’ve stopped using Gatorade, because it doesn’t agree with me. Even if I dilute it, my gut just empties it out. I ran brilliantly according to plan until mile 10 when I started to bonk a bit. I only had 1 hammer gel with me that I used at mile 8. 90 calories weren’t enough to get me to the end and I was dehydrated. The last set of hills just wiped me out. I still was very happy with my results; knocking 4:30 off a ½ mary is pretty cool. There was one other point that will mark this race as one that I won’t forget.
I’ve run long enough and in enough places to know that runners come in all shapes and sizes; tall, short, old, young, slow, fast, fat and skinny. It’s one of the very things that kept me coming back to the starting line. There is truly a place for everyone, be it 1st or 1537th. I used to joke with one of my marathon running buddies, Nancy Shanley (good race by the way, girlie!) that my real goal of running was to someday be able to run in just a sports bra. Well, it was half a joke. Like many people, athletes included, I struggle with my body image. Carolynn tells me I am too hard on myself in that respect, but this body has been bigger for most of my life and it’s a hard image to erase. Anyway, right around the time I began to bonk and overheat, I was passed an older woman. She looked a little overweight and had wrinkles on her face and body that would suggest she was a lifetime “in the sun” runner. The very first thought that went through my mind was, “I can’t believe she’d run without a shirt on.” How horrible of me! I actually sped up a little to run side by side with her. She had such a serene smile on her face. The longer I looked the more I realized how strong and vibrant she was. Of course I couldn’t keep up as we approached another hill, but as I faded back I began to get jealous. It was obvious she could care less what people around her thought about her body; she was using her body in a way she loved. I was jealous that I was not only carrying all that emotional crap, but also a drenched shirt that was not helping me keep cool. So I took it off! Yep, ran the last 3 miles in just a sports bra and since brightroom was out there, there will by pictures to prove it! A milestone can be more than just a PR.
So what’s next. This is the longest run I intend to do until next season. I have a goal of completing a sub 90 minute 15K at a race on December 1st. It may be a little aggressive, but I’m gonna give it a shot. Next week I start a 7 week plan of speed and tempo work that should give me a boost. I’m still looking to drop another 7-8 pounds before the race. I’ll load up my training plan on my google calendar later this week, but the heart of it is 2 days of track workouts per week at a pace 30 seconds faster than my target pace. Roughly this translates into sets at a 9-minute mile pace (target pace is a 9:37). I’ll still be doing 8-12 miles on the weekend to keep up my endurance; 15k is 9.36 miles. It will be a nice way to end the season.
I had a great swim workout yesterday with a total of 1400m of “swimming golf” (100m sets) and technique sets. Today I tackled the “5 sister hills” bike workout. Essentially I live on a hill and there are 5 separate streets that get you to top of the hill. Each has a different pitch and grade and I rode them all in succession for a total of 10 miles. Really solid strength workout and it beat a DVD in the basement on a trainer.
I want to wish Peter and Bryan a great race in KONA this weekend! Make us proud, boys and bring me back some good course recon for 2009!
732 days to go.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Proof of Fitness
I'm getting fitter!
No really. Above is a screen shot from my garmin comparing the same interveral run, on the same course. It shows my heart rate during the run. What do you think?
The workout consisted of 8 interverals of 5 minutes at 10K pace then 30 second pick ups, then back to 10K pace. A total of 44 minutes for the whole workout and both workouts were on the exact same route.
The blue line in the chart is from September 12th. I covered 4.19 miles in 44 minutes. My average heart rate was 154 my max was 168. Total ascent 880 feet.
The pink line in the chart is from tonight October 3rd. I covered 4.22 miles in 44 minutes. My average heart rate was 145, my max was 161. Total ascent 880 feet.
I'm feeling really good about my running these days. I ran a 10 miler loop on Monday at an average pace of 11:04 per mile, a whopping total ascent of 2335 ft AND my heart rate averaged 146. I'm excited about Saturday. I'm running Grete's Gallop Half Marathon in Central Park. I've run that twice, with a best time of 2:34:32. My best 1/2 mary was the Manhattan 1/2 in 2004 at a time of 2:30:34. I'm hoping to PR this saturday with a 2:28 or better. I think I have a shot! Tune in on Sunday for the results.
738 days to go!
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