Andrew Haberkorn's Group - FULL (Page 13)

Huge congrats here!  Sounds like you had an amazing race!  7th in your AG and 20th OA (think that's what it was) is a great accomplishment - you should absolutely be proud.  

A couple thoughts after reading your race report:

• In a race that short, you don't need to worry about hydration.  As long as you come into the race properly hydrated, your performance won't be effected over that duration.  That being said, if it's something that you prefer to do, by all means keep doing it.  Sounds like the fuel belt might be the way to go, or you can practice drinking out of a paper cup while running (it's HARD).
• The O2 "issue" is likely fitness, but you also have to remember you are racing at ~6K elevation.  It doesn't matter how great of shape you're in, you will be breathing hard when pushing the pace.  Come down to sea level and you'll be amazed how you feel.

Congrats again!

Drew  
 

 

Love this!  My dad coached my baseball teams growing up with another dad - I look back and really appreciate all he did, and I'm sure your daughters will feel the same.



It's funny, I find it really easy to be good with food when I'm training consistently.  If my training isn't consistent, I start to crave crap food.  Even on my days off, I crave stuff I easily turn down on training days.  Nice work on staying focused!  It makes a huge difference.

Definitely a success!  That's a solid run any way you slice it. 

Sorry for the delayed response here!  I had a great, but busy weekend.  The training plan called for the "Doughnut Ride" on Saturday AM.  Now, I've lived in L.A. for ~7 years now, and I've never heard of this ride.  I "Googled" it on Friday night and read that it is a big, aggressive group ride that usually draws some pros (cyclists).

To make a long story short, the ride started with ~75-100 people and from the get-go it was fast.  We went climbing through the hills in Palos Verdes and guys were HAMMERING!  I was doing all I could just to hang on to the lead riders.  I didn't even have time to look back to see what was going on behind me.  Before I knew it, I found myself alone with a group of ~8 guys climbing up and down the PV mountains (WHERE THE HELL DID EVERYONE ELSE GO!?!?) haha.  Turns out 2 of the guys were pros visiting from Canada who weren't afraid to push the pace.  After 60 miles, my legs were fried but it was a great workout!  

On Saturday evening, I headed down to Carlsbad (just north of San Diego) to support two of my college teammates who were running their first marathon.  We stayed at my friends parent's house and had a fun evening that included a little wine and sushi.  The race started at 6am, so we had to call it a night at midnight (the guys running stayed in a hotel and were in bed much earlier).

5am came WAY too quickly, but we rolled ourselves out of bed to cheer on the guys.  They both ran really well (2:42.XX) on a difficult course.  Very proud of those guys for pushing it out there, but I am convinced I won't be running any marathons anytime soon!  However, I used the closed roads to get in an 8 mile tempo run, which I did at ~5:30 pace with some hills mixed in.  My legs weren't fully recovered from the ride on Saturday, so I was cooked by the end.

How was everyone else's weekend?  Any good training?  Any fun outside of training?  Hope all is well!

Drew 

 

sounds like a fun and challenging bike ride this weekend. Looks like everyone was very busy -Boo for Monday!!

Been a little MIA.  Came down with a stomach flu.  Sucks when you are training so hard and feel so strong, and then you get sidelined.  Feeling much better today, but plan on taking today off in order to rest properly from being sick.  Plan on hitting the plan hard tomorrow.  The good news is I only missed two days full days of training.  

 

Nice work!  I always have a love/hate relationship with the first swim back.  Great to get back at it, but always tough to shampoo your hair when you can't lift your arms! haha 

Sorry about the flu!  It is definitely the right decision to take the time to recover fully before resuming training.  I used to be one of the "train through anything" types, but have come to realize that I end up hurting my training for far longer with that mentality.  Taking a few days off to get back to 100% is better than being 70% for two weeks (in my opinion). 

20 mile runs, sub-7 minute miles, first swim workouts, new bikes, first 5K's - We're really movin' I'm hopefully back on track now...I had my entire digestive system looked at yesterday and even solved one of my triathlon mysteries...They answered the question of the epic burp that relieves pain during the run portion of tri's for me. Apparently, I swallow air during the swim, which only is painful during running, when it pushes on my diaphragm and puts pressure on a nerve leading to my right shoulder. When I BUURRRP..it is relieved. How quizzical! Also, my resting heart rate is 40bpm. Which delighted the nurses. Hm.

Anyway, I'm coming back to workouts today and I have some questions. 

One: I am training for a half marathon. I originally was hoping for the 20th of March but I can go later if need be.  I figured that since my latest 5K miles were 9:09 and my most recent 10K was 1:06:XX that I should do my longer runs at 10 minutes each on a treadmill. Wrong?  I "bonked" (granted, there were other issues with sock and shirt fit b/c I needed to do laundry) at 3.1 miles with a time of 31 minutes.  I then realized that this would have been a good 5K time for me just last year and perhaps this is too fast. 5.5 mph feels great to me. I can chat but I'm still really working. Should I do my "long" runs at this rate?

Two: Is "running  9:00-minute miles in a 5K at the end of the 2011 season" a fair goal for me?

That's all for now. Also, thanks for the inspires from teammates

 

Have any of you done any Duathlons?  I've got my first one in about two weeks, it's very short at 2/12/2 miles (though the bike is offroad so it should be around an hour effort for the 12 miles).  I'm not sure how to think about my run pacing.  I've done no speed work of any kind in a long time, most of my runs are in the 10:15-10:45/mile range.  However, my stand alone 5k pace is probably around 8:00/mile.

I'm thinking I should just drop the hammer and run the first 2 miles pretty much flat out since it's so short, then bike at a normal race pace, then see what's left for the final 2 mile run.  Do you think I ought to pace the first run at all?  I was also thinking of maybe holding to a 8:30-9 min/mile (only giving up ~2 minutes) and being fresher for the bike.  I've never done a reverse brick so I don't know how the bike will feel after a hard run, maybe I should try that this week?  I'm planning a long bike on Friday, maybe I'll do a quick 2 mile hard run before it just to see how it feels.

any thoughts?
david.

question 1:  I think you are probably running a bit fast.  According to Daniels' Running Formula (a highly regarded running book) 9:09 min/mile on a 5k puts you at about a VDOT of 34.  (the VDOT is just an experimentally derived number he uses).  From that number, he would say that your long easy runs should be run at ~11:30 min/mile.  Sounds very slow, I know.  Your 'Marathon Pace' which you would run harder effort runs at would be more like 10:00/mile.  Hard tempo runs would be ~9:20/mile, but you probably shouldn't really be doing those yet (just my opinion, anyway).

I'm certainly no expert, just a guy armed with a book.    But I'd say slow down enough that it feels easy.  You should not be breathing hard, and should feel like you could keep going when your run is over.

Question 2:  If you are already at 9:09 for a 5k, 9:00 sounds very reasonable!

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts as well.  I'm doing my first duathlon in April.  It's a 3/11/2 and the bike portion is on the road.  I was thinking about running the first three miles at a moderate pace, riding at a moderate pace, and then doing my best HTFU impression for the last 2 miles.  I'm concerned that if I go out to hard and try to be a hero on the first run, I'm going to be wasted for the second run.  There's a lot of time between now and then but right now, my goal is to finish the race running strong (not walking or shuffling).  

I'd love some advice too.  Anything.

 

That's good they are getting you all fixed up! 40 BPM is a great RHR too!

I'm going to back what David said. If you're not doing speed work, don't worry about speed. I know it's impossible not to check pace, etc. but don't push yourself unless it's part of your plan. I'm a big believer in base building, especially for the run! Let your body build slowly, then start working in some easy speed work. When I say easy, I mean short, non-anaerobic, sub-LT Fartleks once a week. The key is to avoid injuries while your body strengthens. Just take your runs nice and easy for the time being and avoid the injury bug. You'll be surprised at how much speed you gain even without doing speed work.

BTW, the March 20th is only 7.5 weeks away. If you're comfortable at 5.5, stay there and build up your mileage. No sense in trying to push yourself if you can only finish half of the race.

Thanks so much for the specific, implementable answers. I'm on it and taking a sigh of relief that I don't have to keep up that pace on my LR's!  I'll be doing that DU with Ben also - so I'm looking forward to those responses as well. Also, our local Y is hosting a meet again this February and I'm just getting back in the pool. I think I may do it again this year though - last year was a lot of fun and I saw some of my tri pals. Also, it will get me working in the pool more

So going to FL tomorrow for work training over weekend. I am excited That I will get to see what it is like to run at sea level.

How I roll:

YMCA Adult Swim Meet, February 26, 2011 (C)

Wrenthem Duathlon, April, 2011 (B) registered

Middlebury Maple Run - The Sweetest Half, VT, May 1, 2011 registered

Sudbury Sprint Triathlon, May 8, 2011 (A) registered

Summerfest 3.5 Mile Fun Run, Holyoke, MA 4:00 June, 2011 (A)

Whately Police Triathlon, July, 2011 (B)

Greenfield Lightlife Sprint Triathlon, August, 2011 (A)

Seattle Race?  August, 2011 (B)

Journey For Sight Triathlon, August, 2011 (A)

Warrior Dash (EXTREME racing!!!) September, 2011 (C)

Jailbreak Race October, 2011 (A)

Question one seems to have already been covered, and I agree with the advice given.  As for question two....ABSOLUTELY!  

Let me first come out and say that I have never raced a DU, so take this with a grain of salt...

Just like any other endurance race, it would seem that a DU is all about pacing.  While going out "guns-a-blazin'" may seem like a good idea, my *guess* is that you may likely end up on the bike needing to ride slower than you can to recover.  I think what you have to decide is how much you think you'll be giving up on the 2nd bike/run by running all-out during the first 2 miles.  Obviously, a very hard question to answer since you've never raced one of these.

This is what I *think* I would do if I was doing this race for the first time.  For the sake of this argument, let's take my 15:11 5K PR and assume I can hold 5:00/miles (for the first 2 mile run).  Although I can hold that, I believe that would hinder the remaining bike/run.  Because the event is short, I would probably end up running the first 2 miles at 5:15/mile.  Not a huge difference, but enough to keep my heart from jumping out of my chest.  I then get on the bike and am able to push my desired pace without ever taking time to get my heart rate back down.  Jump off the bike, and at that point I'm just giving everything I have left.

To make a long story short, I think I would ease the pace on the first run, but not by a large amount.  

Again, that's just what I think I would do.  It will depend on your fitness and how you feel your body can handle the speed at this point in the season.

Good luck!  I'm really excited to see all of you start racing.

Drew

 

Awesome!  It looks like you have a ton of great races planned.  What event(s) are you swimming on 2/26?  I haven't jumped in a swim meet since high school, but I think it would be a blast!  

Jack Daniel’s running formula is a great book – I use the VDOT a lot – here is an online calc - http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp

And yes, if you are running 9:09 in a 5k then sub 9 minute miles is the next goal.

While I am no expert, I have competed in a DU. Most of them are very short, just like yours. There really is not much time to hold back much. I mean, you don’t want to blow up but you will get a few seconds rest in the transitions. Also, the first minute or two on the bike will settle you down. I would try to run the first and second runs as evenly as possible. DU’s are harder in many respects than triathlons. Most of us can’t push the swim like we can a 2 mile run.

Me – I’m in taper mode with a slight ITB issue. It has me worried but I am taking the appropriate steps. I am kind of frustrated because I NEVER get injuries and I ALWAYS think I am training smart. I mean I dropped my volume way down and then picked my intensity up. However, I think it has been coming on very slowly and I have been putting it in the back on my mind. It is time to get SMART again. I only have about 2 week until my marathon. Like I said, I am in taper mode so the impact should be minimum.

Definitely a good call to be smart with the ITBS.  I've dealt with it twice in my life; once in college (took me out for 3/4th of my senior XC season), and in 2009 leading into AG Worlds.  Once you are past your marathon, I would look into strengthening exercises if you're not already doing them.  That is the only thing that seems to get me over the hump.  If you want some workouts, I'm happy to send them your way.  Luckily, you are in taper mode which should help keep it under control.

One question - I obviously don't know the intimate details of your training/race history, but it *seems* that you are racing a TON!  Is that the norm for you?  Any issues with feeling burnt out or like you are pushing you body too often?

Drew 

Actually – yes, this is the time of year that I race a lot. It is mainly because I find a race setting helps with the longer runs at pace. I usually allow a day or two for taper and then a day or two to recover. I am one of those people that do not train well but am able to race well. Although, I have raced about half as much this season. A lot of my running buddies have become drinking buddies. Fewer people to race with.

I have not been run down (much) and I have actually ran / raced less than in previous years. Last year was my first stand alone marathon (I don’t count the ironman – different animal) and I wanted to do well – BQ. I was successful. But I have been very aggressive this year by wanting a sub-3 hour marathon. This is the first injury that I have had pop up in a long while.

I have started a strength training program to help my glutes, quads, hamstrings and hip flexors. It is too late for this race but should help in the future.

Basically, do what you see in this video below (video at the bottom of the page):
http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_3893_A_CategoryID_E_358

AND/OR

http://ezinearticles.com/?Iliotibial-Band-Syndrome---Exercises-and-Treatment&id=1221057

The band exercises are all I've needed to heal my issues.

Hope that helps!

Drew