Let's Just Call That "Interesting"
Well, I have completed my first PMP run of the training cycle and, like the title of this post intimates, it was interesting...
Yesterday I managed a nice 8km recovery run, although it was a bit too fast (averaged 5:18/km) for recovery purposes. I had to get back in time to allow Monica to go to an appointment and I was a bit late given that Owen and I lined up outside our local library at 7:20am to get free passes to the Toronto Zoo. We were 6th in line for a 9am opening and there were only 5 passes for each venue to be had so we figured we were in time to get our Zoo passes. When the doors finally opened guess what happened? Yup, Murphy struck again and all five people in front of us wanted the Zoo passes so we were SOL. I grabbed a pass to the Royal Ontario Museum and left rather disappointed as you can imagine.
Anyway, that was yesterday. Today was the first Planned Marathon Pace run of the 18-week cycle. 21km total with 13km at what I figured would be a good test of my preferred marathon pace, that being 4:30/km, also known as BQ pace. From the first step I knew this would be an interesting venture as I felt stiff and sore, my heels were aching, and I was not particularly energetic. I ran the first four kilometres down to the Lakeshore and proceeded to go at PMP around the Leslie Spit. I wore my heart rate monitor chest strap for the first time in forever just to see what 4:30/km pace would do to me.
The first few splits were done without too much trouble, but it wasn't exactly a breeze. The only breeze was the constant one in my face no matter in which direction I was running. My stomach started to feel bad within the first few kilometres and I was just hoping to hold on until the end. Unfortunately, at the 12km mark I had to make my first stop. Not a washroom break, but all of a sudden I developed an awful stitch in my side that felt like what I can only imagine a rusty steak knife being slowly inserted into my oblique. I waited a couple of minutes while eating some Sharkies and then started running again. That's really when I felt my right Achilles. I guess it tightened up while I was resting.
Anyway, the other problem after that stop was the my stomach started to really hurt. I knew a washroom break was required and so ran towards the boardwalk hoping that the beach house would be open. Indeed it was when I got there at the 15.5km mark and I made a rather long pit stop before starting up again with more stiffness and soreness than before.
Having finished the 13km of PMP at the 17km mark I still had 4km to go before I got home. These last splits were super slow and painful. In the end I was just happy to be done.
Although I can't call this a success, it was instructive. I think 4:30/km pace is simply too fast for me and I have to re-evaluate my training paces as a result. Here are the splits from my PMP section along with my Heart Rate:
1. 4:27:51, 149bpm
2. 4:29:11, 154bpm
3. 4:31:46, 158bpm
4. 4:29:47, 160bpm
5. 4:29:27, 161bpm
6. 4:30:95, 164bpm
7. 4:29.13, 166bpm
8. 4:30:96, 167bpm (break due to side stitch after this split)
9. 4:29:38, 155bpm
10.4:29:45, 166bpm
11. 4:27:65, 166bpm
12. 4:35:47, 164bpm (washroom break halfway through this split)
13. 4:27:95, 162bpm
Clearly my Heart Rate was too high to call this marathon pace. Ideally I think it should be in the 150s, so hanging in the mid 160s for much of the time is a sign that I was going too fast. Of course, it could be the result of other factors, such as lack of sleep and the cumulative training effect taking its toll. Either way, I am disappointed that I had to stop twice in the middle and that is the clearest sign of all that I was pressing too hard.
Like the title says, it was interesting. If I didn't call it that I'd be left with the undesirable label of "failure", so I'll leave it at that and move on...
Yesterday I managed a nice 8km recovery run, although it was a bit too fast (averaged 5:18/km) for recovery purposes. I had to get back in time to allow Monica to go to an appointment and I was a bit late given that Owen and I lined up outside our local library at 7:20am to get free passes to the Toronto Zoo. We were 6th in line for a 9am opening and there were only 5 passes for each venue to be had so we figured we were in time to get our Zoo passes. When the doors finally opened guess what happened? Yup, Murphy struck again and all five people in front of us wanted the Zoo passes so we were SOL. I grabbed a pass to the Royal Ontario Museum and left rather disappointed as you can imagine.
The first few splits were done without too much trouble, but it wasn't exactly a breeze. The only breeze was the constant one in my face no matter in which direction I was running. My stomach started to feel bad within the first few kilometres and I was just hoping to hold on until the end. Unfortunately, at the 12km mark I had to make my first stop. Not a washroom break, but all of a sudden I developed an awful stitch in my side that felt like what I can only imagine a rusty steak knife being slowly inserted into my oblique. I waited a couple of minutes while eating some Sharkies and then started running again. That's really when I felt my right Achilles. I guess it tightened up while I was resting.
Anyway, the other problem after that stop was the my stomach started to really hurt. I knew a washroom break was required and so ran towards the boardwalk hoping that the beach house would be open. Indeed it was when I got there at the 15.5km mark and I made a rather long pit stop before starting up again with more stiffness and soreness than before.
Having finished the 13km of PMP at the 17km mark I still had 4km to go before I got home. These last splits were super slow and painful. In the end I was just happy to be done.
Although I can't call this a success, it was instructive. I think 4:30/km pace is simply too fast for me and I have to re-evaluate my training paces as a result. Here are the splits from my PMP section along with my Heart Rate:
1. 4:27:51, 149bpm
2. 4:29:11, 154bpm
3. 4:31:46, 158bpm
4. 4:29:47, 160bpm
5. 4:29:27, 161bpm
6. 4:30:95, 164bpm
7. 4:29.13, 166bpm
8. 4:30:96, 167bpm (break due to side stitch after this split)
9. 4:29:38, 155bpm
10.4:29:45, 166bpm
11. 4:27:65, 166bpm
12. 4:35:47, 164bpm (washroom break halfway through this split)
13. 4:27:95, 162bpm
Clearly my Heart Rate was too high to call this marathon pace. Ideally I think it should be in the 150s, so hanging in the mid 160s for much of the time is a sign that I was going too fast. Of course, it could be the result of other factors, such as lack of sleep and the cumulative training effect taking its toll. Either way, I am disappointed that I had to stop twice in the middle and that is the clearest sign of all that I was pressing too hard.
Like the title says, it was interesting. If I didn't call it that I'd be left with the undesirable label of "failure", so I'll leave it at that and move on...
posted by Vava at
9:52 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks a lot for all the swimming tips! Your analogy about splashing sounds good to me, kicking at air makes it really easy for me to understand. I'll aim for no splash now!
Sounds like your marathon pace run went okay, but seems like you were going at a bit too high of an intensity. I think your max heartrate is about 10 beats lower than mine, so if I had 10 beats to the numbers below, I would be working pretty hard.
Not sure if you have figured out what your ideal marathon heart rate is, but maybe just try to run them at this heartrate instead of at a specific pace? Because as you get fitter during training your marathon pace will likley quicken, and your heartrate will likely drop. Also, running at too high of an intensity over long distances is a recipe for injury.
No sooner said than done, Nelly. Your words are wise, as my next post will reveal...
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