A Long Run - At least for me...
On Friday I tried commuting by foot for the first time (running home from work). Today I once again tried something new - running across the city from my house to my Dad's place. The knee has been feeling better and better, and even though it is not yet 100% I am convinced it was my lack of attention to hip flexor strength that (once again) precipitated this problem. On another note, the plantar fasciitis is also not gone, but continues to improve. Perhaps that too is linked to my hips?
Anyway, I had planned on a longish run today, and the distance from my house to my Dad's seemed like a perfect venue. The weather was perfect - temperatures just above freezing, clear blue skies, and sunny. The first half of the run was easier than I'd anticipated, though I had to navigate the traffic on the Danforth and was forced to run among the cars a few times. At about the 6k mark the run ceased being easy and my heart rate started to climb while it became increasingly difficult to maintain the same pace. I was running faster than the slow'n'steady 6:00/km pace up until that point, but now I began to wonder if I was going to get to the finish at more than just a stagger.
I used google's pedometer to check the distance and it was about 10k, a couple short of the 12k that I wanted to run. At the 8k mark I had a decision to make - head straight for my Dad's and be satisfied with 10k, or turn uphill towards St. Clair Avenue to add the extra 2k by looping around. I decided to do the latter and headed uphill. Interestingly, this didn't spike my heart rate as much as I thought it would, and also had the added benefit of giving me a kind of second wind once I got to the top. For the last three kilometres I felt great even as my legs started tightening up. I have a long way to go to be able to complete 30k, but I think a run like this is a good milestone. After all, it was the longest training run I've ever done!
Long story short, I manage the 12km in 1:07:20 for an average pace of 5:36/km. My average heart rate was 153bpm, a bit higher than I'd like it to have been, but I never felt winded so I think this was OK.
Garmin don't lie.
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Anyway, I had planned on a longish run today, and the distance from my house to my Dad's seemed like a perfect venue. The weather was perfect - temperatures just above freezing, clear blue skies, and sunny. The first half of the run was easier than I'd anticipated, though I had to navigate the traffic on the Danforth and was forced to run among the cars a few times. At about the 6k mark the run ceased being easy and my heart rate started to climb while it became increasingly difficult to maintain the same pace. I was running faster than the slow'n'steady 6:00/km pace up until that point, but now I began to wonder if I was going to get to the finish at more than just a stagger.
I used google's pedometer to check the distance and it was about 10k, a couple short of the 12k that I wanted to run. At the 8k mark I had a decision to make - head straight for my Dad's and be satisfied with 10k, or turn uphill towards St. Clair Avenue to add the extra 2k by looping around. I decided to do the latter and headed uphill. Interestingly, this didn't spike my heart rate as much as I thought it would, and also had the added benefit of giving me a kind of second wind once I got to the top. For the last three kilometres I felt great even as my legs started tightening up. I have a long way to go to be able to complete 30k, but I think a run like this is a good milestone. After all, it was the longest training run I've ever done!
Long story short, I manage the 12km in 1:07:20 for an average pace of 5:36/km. My average heart rate was 153bpm, a bit higher than I'd like it to have been, but I never felt winded so I think this was OK.
Garmin don't lie.
View Larger Map
posted by Vava at
9:02 PM
5 Comments:
Congrats on your longest run! That's a pretty good pace. Almost my goal marathon pace!
Great long run! I like the fact that rayou finished strong with the hill.
I think you are doing a great job commuting on foot! I had to smile at your comment about the weather being perfect, just above freezing!
you are doing awesome!!! great job on the run!
Way to go!
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