Yanti & Salty Mad Manatees PART 3: FULL POD (Page 54)

Seriously? You finished in 3:22...did they think you ran 5  min miles then had a lovely cool down stroll for the last mile or so? HOnestly, I'm starting to rethink my obsession with technology and just get out there and RUN because of you.  THAT is the take-away from Salty's super-speedy marathon

Good. I'm glad. I also want to clarify that I think technology has a place for some people, sometimes. But I think when depended upon, it is a huge limiter in our ability to really know our bodies. When enough is enough and when we can dig deep and push. 

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=451486&start=21&posts=24

Did my wish come true?  Poseidon1650, 1 post, sounds vaguely familiar

Speaking of technology...

After watching a gazillion (estimated) Strava commercials during TdF and reading the BT thread about it I decided to check it out (I currently use RunKeeper). I downloaded the app and I am sooooo excited to go do my normal routes again because it keeps track of all the users riding those same "segments" and deems the fastest as KOM (or QOM)!  I can't wait to go home and ride now!  That will def push me on my rides, which is nice since I don't ride with a group to push me.

But I like to look at the little mappies I get from my Garmin!  More than anything I like that it tells me how far I have gone, without having to manually map my ride or run.  I do admit, that when I first got it, I was a bit of a slave to it.  Mostly because I was always running too fast.  Like out of breath fast.  Course then I was trying to run in HR zone 1 and grannies with walkers were passing me... 

I have read good things about Strava and know many people who are on it. The only downside is the idiots who run stop signs and whatnot.

I have read good things about Strava and know many people who are on it. The only downside is the idiots who run stop signs and whatnot.

Too many Cat 1 folks where I live for me to worry about KOMs

Strava is good for finding other riders.  Say you go out on a solo ride and catch onto a paceline and break off awhile later.  If any of those people upload on Strava you'll get a link to them on your ride segment.  Which is pretty cool because you can chat later instead of interrupting your ride to exchange info.

After awhile you get pretty familiar with certain folks in your area.

I think that can fall under the some people, sometimes category. Also, in terms of mapping runs and that kind of stuff? Shoot, I have to use stuff too. For most of my runs (now that I do it so much) I know pretty much how far I need to go but for something like a 20 miler? I need to map that. 

One of my usual routes has a QOM posted at 60.6 MPH.  Really!?!?!?!?!?! I'll be happy to take 2nd on that one.

I love not mapping runs, too. But I find myself checking my pace all the time, and either being happy that I'm going faster than I thought (which means I'm not intimate with my body hubba hubba lol) or disappointed because I'm going slower (which probably means I'm tired and its just not my day for a faster pace). What if I just felt happy because the pace felt right on that day? I think for speed work (which I understand Salty didn't really do much of, for various reasons, right?) the watch has it's place, but even then I shouldn't be staring at my Garmin to know my pace (and trust me,  I stare).  I need to learn to feel it, and a Garmin is a total crutch in that respect (so is music - my pace fluctuates with the beat of the music!). It also distracts me from the beauty of just running in the world and enjoying the outdoors.  there are so many days that the no-frills peace of just going for a run would do me a world of good.

hehe, thanks. I had to hold my tongue. But what I really wondered is why they had the idea I walked. I said I slowed down but that's more like... down to an 8 min pace vs low 7s. 

I just have a hard time believing that looking down at a watch is miraculously going to make me run faster. 

I admittedly screwed up on my pacing early on but that was because of the A. the tunnel and B. because I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone so that I know my absolute limits. Looking down at a watch wouldn't change that.  

I love not mapping runs, too. But I find myself checking my pace all the time, and either being happy that I'm going faster than I thought (which means I'm not intimate with my body hubba hubba lol) or disappointed because I'm going slower (which probably means I'm tired and its just not my day for a faster pace). What if I just felt happy because the pace felt right on that day? I think for speed work (which I understand Salty didn't really do much of, for various reasons, right?) the watch has it's place, but even then I shouldn't be staring at my Garmin to know my pace (and trust me,  I stare).  I need to learn to feel it, and a Garmin is a total crutch in that respect (so is music - my pace fluctuates with the beat of the music!). It also distracts me from the beauty of just running in the world and enjoying the outdoors.  there are so many days that the no-frills peace of just going for a run would do me a world of good.

What if I just felt happy because the pace felt right on that day?

Super thought.

If the pace feels right for that day and for that length/purpose of that run ... then it IS right. And it's the rightest it can be. A bit of doggerel that got drilled into me over and over during medical training that I think is apropos: "Treat the patient, not the numbers." The body takes all internal and external factors AND experience into consideration when giving feedback. What other machine can do the tiniest fraction of all that?

As far as speedwork goes, there are many different kinds. Salty can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but there were really only two reasons: speedwork was neither necessary nor probably advisable for her. It likely is now, but really only just about now.

There's a pretty good thread going on about that currently:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=451682&posts=22&start=1

A good friend of Salty's and mine gives this advice: to run a fast 5K, train for a marathon. And nobody gives better running advice than he does.

Are you talking about speedwork for me? If so. Yeah. The reason I didn't do it was because I was still ramping up with my miles. That was, in itself, taking a tole on my body AND I was in the midst of trying to figure out what was working for me and what wasn't. You can't really work on volume AND speed (as in speedwork, don't you worry, volume WILL help your speed) at the same time.

If you'll notice, I don't suffer from injuries. I'd also like to keep it that way. I could tell when I did a little speed, that it was taking a tole on my body and definitely making me more susceptible to injury. 

Now that I am comfortable with the volume I can start thinking about speed. Only a little at a time though.  I feel like volume, experience and consistency gets you like...90 percent of the way. The speed stuff gets you the rest of the way. 

Are you talking about speedwork for me? If so. Yeah. The reason I didn't do it was because I was still ramping up with my miles. That was, in itself, taking a tole on my body AND I was in the midst of trying to figure out what was working for me and what wasn't. You can't really work on volume AND speed (as in speedwork, don't you worry, volume WILL help your speed) at the same time.

If you'll notice, I don't suffer from injuries. I'd also like to keep it that way. I could tell when I did a little speed, that it was taking a tole on my body and definitely making me more susceptible to injury. 

Now that I am comfortable with the volume I can start thinking about speed. Only a little at a time though.  I feel like volume, experience and consistency gets you like...90 percent of the way. The speed stuff gets you the rest of the way. 

What if I just felt happy because the pace felt right on that day?

Super thought.

If the pace feels right for that day and for that length/purpose of that run ... then it IS right. And it's the rightest it can be. A bit of doggerel that got drilled into me over and over during medical training that I think is apropos: "Treat the patient, not the numbers." The body takes all internal and external factors AND experience into consideration when giving feedback. What other machine can do the tiniest fraction of all that?

As far as speedwork goes, there are many different kinds. Salty can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but there were really only two reasons: speedwork was neither necessary nor probably advisable for her. It likely is now, but really only just about now.

There's a pretty good thread going on about that currently:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=451682&posts=22&start=1

A good friend of Salty's and mine gives this advice: to run a fast 5K, train for a marathon. And nobody gives better running advice than he does.

She lives in Arden-Arcade near the American River. Whatever that means. I am too lazy to look up how close to the start/finish that is. But, it's something to keep in mind. Lynn has done that marathon a few times, right?

Ohhh yeah, the zoo!!!!!! 

Ok, I am a 'how does it work' kinda girl.  I go to the chiropractor and want to know 'how and why' my SI joint locks up.  Never mind just fix it, 'how' does it happen.  I'm sure my massage therapist likes the clients who just go to sleep, but I keep asking why/how/what if about all the muscles that are tight.  So, can someone please help me to understand 'why' running lots, even 'slowly', makes you run faster?  Is it that your body (muscles, tendons, ligaments) just gets used to the motion? Is it your brain saying 'ah man, we ran 100 miles in one week, we can run this 26.2 in 3:22'?  How, please?  (Please note: not disputing at all.  I can't do speedwork because my body won't tolerate it.  If I can get faster by running lots o' short distances, I'm in.  But I have need want to understand it.)

I've also noticed from ogling your running logs (you'll be happy to know that every once and a while I go running because of them) that you do vary your pace quite a bit, even thought it may not be a "speed session" or track workout.  Do you do that on purpose (e.g., you were seeking to get into a zone of discomfort), or is it that you are just feeling good those days?

Oh look ... I seem to have written an article just about that ...

http://beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=2165

The article addresses endurance training in general for the three sports, but whatever it says goes even more so for running because of the higher impact and stress it places on your musculoskeletal system.

The article does also say to question like hell, so right on.

As for more frequent running, total volume being the more important factor than speed or even longest runs, I don't have the data at my fingertips. Much of that evidence has come from the mass experience of the thousands of runners who train that way and the results they've gotten.

It also comes back to that you can fit more volume in, ultimately, with greater frequency but shorter runs. The same physiological adaptations take place.

Long runs, and "speedwork" appropriate to one's recent continuum of running experience have their place. But for the vast majority of running, your body is going to respond the same way to a 3-mile run as it does the last 3 miles of a longer run. The major difference is that the longer run in total is going to break your body down more and take longer to build back from.

Oh look ... I seem to have written an article just about that ...

http://beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=2165

The article addresses endurance training in general for the three sports, but whatever it says goes even more so for running because of the higher impact and stress it places on your musculoskeletal system.

The article does also say to question like hell, so right on.

As for more frequent running, total volume being the more important factor than speed or even longest runs, I don't have the data at my fingertips. Much of that evidence has come from the mass experience of the thousands of runners who train that way and the results they've gotten.

It also comes back to that you can fit more volume in, ultimately, with greater frequency but shorter runs. The same physiological adaptations take place.

Long runs, and "speedwork" appropriate to one's recent continuum of running experience have their place. But for the vast majority of running, your body is going to respond the same way to a 3-mile run as it does the last 3 miles of a longer run. The major difference is that the longer run in total is going to break your body down more and take longer to build back from.

Oddly enough, the CIM runs literally across my street! Which gets me all pizzed off 1st thing in the morning, cause everyone and their families decide to park on our street---blocking driveways--especially mine!!!! Especially when I am trying to leave for work!!! Grrrr.

I digress. Yes, it is here, I live about a 4th of the way in on the route. your relative is probably about halfway through the route, but they live in a pretty decent area (oh to live by our river...>sigh

As for the weather, its usually pretty cold (I would say 40s to low 50s), with occasional forays into the 30s. However, its generally not TOO rainy at that time of year.

As for the zoo, I would totally get you passes at the least, and most likely hook you up with a tour. I would NOT keep you in an exhibit--I don't want to add to my work load! I have enough with my ever growing numbers of frogs and salamanders! 

I have heard that CIM is a great race, very fast, fun, with a lot of cheering from the sidelines....if you decide to do it I would totally take the day off from work so I could cheer you on....hmmm, then I wouldn't have to get angry at the car parking issues either....Who knows maybe I'll give it a shot in 2013...

oh crap....what did I just say?!?!