Big Steve's Group (Year Two) - CLOSED (Page 9)

The thing is with your heart rate that high what's the max distance can you run?

I'll relate it to my training. Last fall\winter I was going out on Sunday mornings and running 7.5 miles. I was trying to crush it and get under 8 miinute miles. The route I was running was hilly but nonetheless I could get down to 8:10-ish but my average heart rate was in the 170's. It would take me half the week to recover from these runs.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I wasn''t improving, at all. So I took it back and started running in zone two and was doing 10:10/mile but I quickly got my long runs up to 10 miles and I was recovering so much faster.

Now I go out on a long run of 15 miles and average 9:14/mile @ 148 average heart rate. Again my recovery is pretty fast. I can go out and run that same 7.5 miles at 8:10 pace and my average heart rate will be in the high 150's over 15 beats per minute slower and again I'm not having half a week to recover.

The goal of every workout isn't to crush it. There's different goals. Sometimes speed, sometimes recovery, sometimes building the aerobic zones, etc. Learn from my mistakes. I was way too stubborn on this topic for way too long.

Check out my logs I train this way.

Also by constantly training outside of your zones you're more prone to injuries.

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.php/site/calculator

This is a good tool to figure out your ranges. If you haven't run a straight running race do a ten minute low intensity warm up. I'm taking heart rate under 120. Then go out and run your fastest 5k. The pace will spit out your long, short easy and interval runs for your level.

Here is this weeks totals, not as much as I wanted, but not too bad.

I would agree with the discussion of heart rate, not that I am any expert, but everything I have read suggests training at a pretty low heart rate. Last year I was using Mark Allen's (6x world champion) recommended HR of under 136 for all of my training, this meant at first I was walking on some of the hills to stay below this rate. It really seemed like I was going no where, but in the end my overall fitness was improving. Now I am still trying to keep it low, not as low as before, but I can run everyday and not have a problem, I am still not fast, but that will come one day??

It's pretty weak, but I was on vacation for most of the week.  Next week's totals should look better, then it will be tough due to lots of traveling.

My first week back after nearly 2 months off...took it slow:

Swim:  2000 yards (mostly drill & technique work)

Bike:  6.0 miles (only 1 evening on the trainer...have to get moving here)

Run:  3.2 miles

Strength Training:  1 hour 20 minutes

Will be ramping efforts up over the next few weeks.

Many more reporting weekly summaries than last week.  Good stuff!

Our group mileage total is up to 625 miles.  We're already @ 31% of our 2012 miles goal!  I think we can hit it before the end of January.

Here is last week's summary for the group...

Sorry, I'm about six minutes late getting last week's numbers in:

Bike: 2:30 - 38.94 miles

Run: 1:32 - 9.35 miles

Swim: 0

-Ron

It's awesome that we are already over 30% to 2012 and it only the 2nd week of January. It'd be awesome if we tried to hit 2012 miles every month as a group. Gives us all something to work for. AND for a reward if we do it we can all race for our PR's! Haha.

What's everyones plan for Today? I'm going for 5 miles tonight with the wife and try to stay in Zone 2.

My totals from January 2 - 8:

Bike: 5:00:05 / 108.01 km (67 mi)
Swim: 1:32:18 / 2300 meters
Run: 1:28:00 / 9.8 km (6.1 mi)
X-Train: 1:20:00
Total: 9:20:23

I had to make my runs at work pretty short because I was on nights.  I am still in prep phase, so I'm not too worried at the moment.

Masters swim this morning for 70 minutes. I was pretty beat up from the last two days so this workout being on the easier side was nice. I was dreading walking in and seeing 15 sets of 100's with the intervals all 1:45 or less.

100 free
200 2X100 pull with paddles on :10 RI
50 kick
50 breast
100 Free
250 free
200 pull with paddles
250 5X50 @60
500 4X125 @2:15
200 2X50 kick 50 swim with fins
300 2X150 50 hard, 75 easy, 25 hard @2:30
200 2X50 kick 50 swim
300 6X75 swim, drill, swim
200 2X50 kick 50 swim with fins
300 3X(4X25 desc 4th all out)
100 free
3300

Nice swim Scott and run the other day. I already know I am not going to be able to keep up with your running.

Yester day did a good swim 1200 m followed by some speed work and strength training. Today I ran 5 miles folloed by a core class for 30 minutes. Then I swam 1500 m doing 25's, 50's, and 100's. I wish there was a masters class around my place but I haven't been able to find one. Might to a easy hour on the trainer tonight to get the blood flowing in the legs.

No worries Ron.  Will get your numbers in so our group totals are accurate.

Great job. Masters makes such a difference especially on mornings where you're tired. Bike and run you find your groove even on those mornings but swim is rough and I'm a decent swimmer. I never would have put in a workout like, and that one was relatively easy, that on a morning like this one without it.

Man we've been quiet today or I haven't been very busy.

So I don't know if this has been discussed yet but what are we all riding?

I'll go first because I ride an absolute monster. I have a 2009 Scott Speedster S-50. It literally has bottom of the barrel shimano components and weighs around 20 lbs but I love that bike. I got it for $250 on Craigslist. I've put probably 3000 miles on it and it's just starting to get angry with me every now and then.

The 2 guys I ride with all the time have a BH Connect (Super freaking nice bike) and a Cervelo S4(?) (Sexy) so I feel funny riding with them. I can keep up so I hope when I upgrade to carbon with 105/Ultegra I'll be a faster rider. Funny thing is when I'm at tri's I have a few guys that will come up and say "Dude...that's an awesome bike". I figure it was probably their starter bike at sometime! Haha.

So what do you got?

As long as you keep up doesn't matter what you're riddin, its the engine that matters!

I got this bad boy last year... Canondale Rival S4

 The bike is still better than I am, but I'm working on that!!

I picked up a used Serotta Fierte last year, it's a steel frame with a carbon fork and shimano 105's. It still a great bike, a few years old but I enjoy it. I am still getting used to a road bike, I am to used to my Mountain bike.

I got back on it for the first time in several months, let me just say body glide would have been in order!

(Serotta.jpg)

I'm on a 2007 specialized allez expert that I'll add clip on aero bars for races. With shimano ultegra, the bike has served me well and will hopefully keep doing so for another few years.

2010 Guru Magis that I bought last year new. My colors and wheels are different but that's the basic look.

2009 Caad 9.  My first roadie - I totally love this bike.