Using VDOT Numbers to Inform Your Running

May 19, 2012 Leave a comment

I recently mentioned VDOT scores to my running friend Cait.  We were discussing her goals for improving her 5K performance.  I know that she can cut several minutes off of her 5K PR by doing the kind of speed work I have been blogging about.  Of course, cutting several minutes will take a couple of years, but through hard work & wise resting she can definitely accomplish this.

But what is a VDOT and why should a runner care?  It is a measurement created by Dr. Jack Daniels to track the progress of the runners that he has coached over the years.  Daniels goes into great details in his book, the Daniels Running Formula. If you want all of the information straight from the source, I recommend buying the book.  If you just want a quick summary, keep reading here.  :)

What is a VDOT?

Without going into the detailed scientific stuff, your VDOT number represented the amount of oxygen you consume during a minute of running.   If you have the money, you can go to a lab and get your VDOT tested exactly.   Thankfully, your VDOT can be estimated fairly accurately by your recent race performances.

How is VDOT useful to the typical runner?

1)  Tracking Progress over Various Distances.   It is a system that allows you to track your overall running performance and progress in getting faster.  It is especially useful for runners that run a variety of distances.

2)  Determining Productive Training Paces.  Over the years, Daniels has perfected a system that determines paces for various types of training runs that are fast enough to make progress but slow enough to be safe.

Personally, I have been using VDOT calculations for a little less than a year.  I have found that the numbers to be right on target.

Below is a brief VDOT chart.  To use it, look up a recent performance.  Let’s say that you have recently run a half marathon in 2:14:03.  Look at the half marathon column and find the time closest to 2:14:03.  The closest number is 2:13:49.  Looking across that row of numbers tells us a few details.  First, a 2:14:03 translates roughly to a VDOT of 32.  On the same row are equivalent performances at 5K, 10K, and marathon distances.  This is a rough estimate of what you may have been able to do on that day if the race was those distances.

Also on the same line are the suggested paces for your training runs.  These paces should be reasonable & achievable for you at this stage.  Even if you can go faster, it may not be a good idea.  This is fast enough to make progress, but slow enough to reduce the chance of injury.

5K

10K

Half-Marathon

Marathon

VDOT

Easy Pace (Per Mile)

Tempo Pace (PM)

Interval Pace (400 M)

30:40

63:46

2:21:04

4:49:17

30

12:40

10:18

2:22

29:05

60:26

2:13:49

4:34:58

32

12:04

9:47

2:14

27:39

57:26

2:07:16

4:22:03

34

11:32

9:20

2:08

26:22

54:44

2:01:19

4:10:19

36

11:02

8:55

2:02

25:12

52:17

1:55:55

3:59:35

38

10:35

8:33

1:56

24:08

50:03

1:50:59

3:49:45

40

10:11

8:12

1:52

23:09

48:01

1:46:27

3:40:43

42

9:48

7:52

1:48

22:15

46:09

1:42:17

3:32:23

44

9:27

7:33

1:44

21:25

44:25

1:38:27

3:24:39

46

9:07

7:17

1:40

20:39

42:50

1:34:53

3:17:29

48

8:49

7:02

1:36

19:57

41:21

1:31:35

3:10:49

50

8:32

6:51

1:33

19:17

39:59

1:28:31

3:04:36

52

8:16

6:38

1:31

18:40

38:42

1:25:40

2:58:47

54

8:01

6:26

1:28

18:05

37:31

1:23:00

2:53:20

56

7:48

6:15

1:26

17:33

36:24

1:20:30

2:48:14

58

7:34

6:04

1:23

17:03

35:22

1:18:09

2:43:25

60

7:22

5:54

1:21

16:34

34:23

1:15:57

2:38:54

62

7:11

5:45

1:19

16:07

33:28

1:13:53

2:34:38

64

7:00

5:36

1:17

15:42

32:35

1:11:56

2:30:36

66

6:49

5:28

1:15

15:18

31:46

1:10:05

2:26:47

68

6:39

5:20

1:13

14:55

31:00

1:08:21

2:23:10

70

6:30

5:13

1:11

A couple more tips:

  • There are VDOT calculators available on various web sites with more detailed information.   I always find it best to use more than one to double-check the numbers, but that’s just me.
  • NEVER look up your goal time to estimate training paces.  Only use recent race performances.  Using your goal time can lead to training too fast and being injured!

If you are serious about making progress and setting new PRs, I suggest that you being using VDOT numbers & corresponding paces.  If you do it right, you can make consistent progress!

Happy Running!

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Going to the Next Level: Gradually Increasing the Fast Mileage

May 10, 2012 2 Comments

Everyone has their own pace.
If you want to go faster, read on as
I share my current strategy for getting to the next level. 

Keep in mind that  in order to apply the idea to your running,
you will need to adjust the numbers accordingly.

_____________________________________________________

I have been doing a careful analysis of my runs over the last month.  Typically, when runners talk about their training they report miles per week.  Yes, it is easy to add up all of the miles I have run, but that will not tell me about my speed.  I need to know more detailed info.

The big question:  How fast am I running?

To find out, I added up all of the little sprints & intervals on the track, the tempo miles, & all the other types of runs.

In the last month, I have run:

  • a total of 4 miles under a 5 minute mile pace
  • a total of 8 miles between 5 & 6 minute mile pace
  • a total of 21.85 miles between 6 & 7 minute mile pace
  • a total of 74 miles at 7:00-8:40 minute mile pace

Why have I chosen these pace zones?  Becauselast year I ran almost every race at around a 7 minute pace.  I ran 5Ks & 10Ks just below 7 minute pace and half marathons just above a 7 minute pace.

To move to the next level, I’m gradually increasing the distances at the faster speeds.  I am accomplishing this in distances that are short enough for me to safely run at that pace.  The idea is simple enough:

  • When I wanted to race at a 7 minute pace, I ran as many miles as I could at a 6 minute pace.  To get to the next level, I just extended the logic.
  • If I want to eventually race at a 6 minute pace, then I have to gradually increase the total mileage that I run at a 5 minute pace.
  • Likewise, if I ever want to get comfortable running races at a 5 minute pace, then I have to gradually increase the total mileage that I run at a pace much faster.
  • I have no plans to train at a 4 minute pace. My body can’t handle that.  I can, however, complete some 200 meter repeats  and 400 meter repeats at a 4:30-ish mile pace. That will have to suffice for now.

Just to be clear: I am NOT making 1 minute jumps!   I am using 7, 6, & 5 as cut-off points to create pace zones for the sake of analyzing running paces.   I am not trying to run at exactly a 6 minute pace for some things or exactly at 5 minute for some things.   I am running a wide variety of paces at distances at which I can run those paces in a safe, relaxed form.  As I have pointed out in previous posts, it is important to keep a relaxed form while doing speed work.  To avoid injury, I am focused on maintaining relaxed form as I gradually increase the distances.  When I can no longer maintain it, then I know that I am done with my speed work for the day.  Better to ease up and stay healthy so that I can gain speed on another day!

From now on, I will keep weekly totals of overall miles AND miles in each pace zone.  I will make sure to very slowly increase the mileage in the faster zones.

Gradually, over time, I will run faster farther.

I want fast to feel normal.  :)

Happy Running!


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My Lifetime Running Goal

April 23, 2012 Leave a comment

As a professor of teacher education, I am always asking people, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I ask the same question of potential & current students regardless of their age or present job. I ask it of college freshmen & graduate students. I ask it of principals, teachers, and future teachers.

Lately, I have been asking myself the same question regarding my running. “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

The problem has been in translating into running terms. I thought the question might be, “How fast do you want to run a marathon?” or “What will be your lifetime PR in the marathon and/or half marathon?

With this as the question, I was shooting in the dark. There are so many unknowns. I haven’t mastered the art/science of a marathon just yet, so I couldn’t really anticipate how fast I might get. I knew that at some point, I ran a half marathon in 1:20:48. Based on that, I thought that a 2:50 or 2:45 marathon would be a reasonable lifetime goal. After studying the work of Dr. Jack Daniels, I thought that perhaps I might be able to go a little faster.

Some folks would tell me to not worry about the numbers, “Just go out and enjoy the run.” I AM enjoying the run. I am also enjoying setting goals and working towards them. Setting specific goals should never spoil your fun. If it does, then you need to rethink your goals.

Still, I never felt comfortable with any specific goal that I set. Today, I figured it out. I finally know what is wrong with the way I was setting my goals. There are way too many variables involved in marathon running to be able to set my lifetime running goal based solely on that. Weather, illness, hydration, nutrition, electrolytes, hills, …. all of these things and more must be considered and you can’t control all of them. It is shaky ground.

When thinking about my training today, I set a goal which I believe is the final word.

P. Mark Taylor’s Lifetime Running Goal:

I want to run 10 mile repeats at a 5 minute pace.

[10 x 1 mile repeats with a short rest in between]

Why is this a better goal? Because it is about training rather than racing. I am not dependent on the weather being right on some particular day. If I am ready and the weather is bad, I can wait a day or two. If it is too hot, I can run it earlier in the day. If it is too cold, I can wait until it warms up.

In fact, when it comes down to it… I think I really love training more than I like racing. There is no pressure, just me and my goals for the day. I can tweak it if I don’t feel 100% or I can supercharge it if I feel great.

Anyway, what happens to the marathon and half marathon goals? If I meet my lifetime goal for training, I will surely have some excellent PRs in those events. Setting my goals this way means that on race day I can follow their advice and “just enjoy the run.”

Setting your goals this way may or may not be best for you. Set your running goals in a way that makes sense to you and allows you to get the best out of yourself and your running.

So from now on when you ask me what my goal is for an upcoming race, I will not respond with a time. I set my goals for training and let the race be a happy byproduct.

Happy Running!


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Running Faster: My New Weekly Routine

April 13, 2012 1 Comment

“I’ve always felt that long, slow distance produces long, slow runners.”   – Sebastian Coe

I am in the “Crazy Speed Training” phase of 2012 as determined by my annual goals & plan.  As I plan my weekly routine, I have to think about the types of runs to include.  I have blogged recently about “How to Run Faster” and it is time to follow my own advice.  In that blog, I listed several general types of runs:  repeats, intervals, tempo runs, & easy/long runs.  Hence, that list was my starting point when I sat down to establish a basic weekly schedule or runs.

Repeats:   1 Day of 400 meter repeats

Crazy speed is my main goal for the next few months, so any training routine must begin with repeats.  Since the biggest goal I have for this time is running mile in less than 5 minutes, it makes sense to run my repeats at 400 meters.  400 meters is a good distance to train because it is about 1/4 of the goal distance.  I can run 400 meters at a much quicker pace than the pace that I can maintain for a mile.  Training at this new speed will gradually strengthen my legs.  The plan is to run eight to ten 400 meter repeats at a pace that is a little faster than my goal pace.  Remember that in repeats you get full rest in between.  It is speed training, not endurance training.

For the next few weeks, I will run the 400s between 71 seconds and 75 seconds.  When that seems comfortable, I will speed them up a few seconds for a few weeks.  Once my legs have adjusted to this, the pace for a 4:59 mile will feel easy & relaxed compared to the pace on the repeats.  :)

Intervals:  1 Day of Yasso 800s

Bart Yasso, the Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World magazine found a relationship between his 800 meter interval training and the pace of his marathons.  He noticed that if trained regularly on ten 800 meter intervals with  jogging 400 meters in between and no rest, that his pace on the 800s would predict his race results.  If he ran the 800s at 2 minutes & 50 seconds, then his marathon time was around 2 hours and 50 minutes.  If he ran 800s in 2:40, then he would finish his marathon in around 2:40:00.  That is why this workout is named after him.  Not everyone gets the same exact results, but it is a good starting place for training for a faster marathon.  Since my secondary goal is to run a faster marathon, this workout seems to be the next piece of the puzzle as far as a training regimen.

Remember that this is interval training, so these will not be nearly as fast as the pace for the repeats.  Repeats are about building speed.  Intervals are about getting used to a slightly faster pace.  In the first week, I intend to run my Yasso 800s in 2:40.  I was running them around 3:00 a year ago, but I am a lot faster.  In a few months, I want to be running the Yasso 800s in 2:30 or a little below.

Tempo Runs: 2 Days of Short runs (3-5 miles)

Even though I am working on raw speed for a while, I have already gotten quite a bit faster over the last year.  I want to use my two short runs of the weeks to embrace that new level of speed.  In my last training schedule, short runs were supposed to be run at around an 8 minute mile pace.  In this speed-focused phase, I want to keep the pace of my short runs between a 6:40 mile pace and a 7:10 mile pace.  This is a lot slower than my repeats and intervals but it is still a lot faster than my pace a year ago.  In a few weeks, this pace will feel routine.

Long Runs:  1 Day of 8 to 15 miles

I love long runs, so this is my day to rekindle the passion for running deep in my heart. On my long run days, I will not display my pace or time on my Garmin.  I will only use it to tell me how far I have gone.  I am setting my third screen to only display the distance.  This is my day to relax and enjoy the run.

As for the distance, I have just wrapped up a marathon training phase.  Hence, any long run less than 20 miles feels like taking a break.  I will set a minimum distance for the day and run farther if I feel like it.  I can do that because my mileage will be so much lower on the other days that I can afford to add a few miles safely.

Rest Days:  2 Days of “Full Rest”

By full rest, I mean days in which I don’t run.  I can still mow the lawn or go for a walk in the park.  Full rest just means no running.  No running, even if I feel healthy and refreshed.  I am 44 years old.  I need these days to heal.  Rest days are an important part of getting faster!

So that is my new weekly routine.  I have not preset the order in which these days occur.  The details of my life and how my legs feel will determine this.  I just have to get it all done.

After a couple of months, I will add the sub-5 minute mile to my list of accomplishments for the year and begin a new training routine.  I’ll let you know as I go.

Happy Running!


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Running Faster: Training at the Right Pace

April 12, 2012 Leave a comment

“Training too fast, too soon is the quickest way to failure.”  — Greg McMillan

Once you have set goals for your running, the next decision is how you will get there.  Train too slow and you are in danger of not meeting your goals.  If you train too fast, you are likely to end up injured.

This is the dilemma that I was facing after the Knoxville Marathon.  I knew that I wanted to do some serious speed workouts for the next few months, but I was not sure how to get there.  Everyone sets a goal appropriate for their level.  For me, my next major goal is run a mile in less than 5 minutes.  I know that I can run a 5:20 to 5:30.  I need some speedwork!

Dilemma:  I want to push as hard as I can without getting injured.  Where is the line?

How fast should I run my 200s, 400s, & 800s in my bigtime speed workouts?

Thankfully,  a lot of research has been done in this area.  There are tools on the internet which can guide your decision-making about the pace for your training runs at any distance.  The tool that I use the most is the MacMillan Running Calculator.  [click there to visit the page]

It is relatively easy to use.  Choose a recent running performance: Select the distance and input the time.  It is absolutely critical that you only input something you have done in last few months.  DO NOT enter your goal time.  If you do, it will give you times that are less than ideal and may lead to injury!!!!!

Since I have raced and trained at a lot of different distances over the past few months, I actually examined 5 different performances which gave 5 different sets of training paces.  Since my current goal is for the distance of 1 mile, I put more trust in the numbers generated when I put in shorter performances.  If I were training for a marathon right now, I would go by the numbers generated by inputting my most recent marathon and half marathon performances.

Here are the suggested training paces based on my recent performance of running 400 meters in 59 seconds:

  • 400m  1:11 to 1:14
  • 800m  2:25 to 2:32
  • 1200m  3:48 to 3:58
  • 1600m  5:11 to 5:23

Those are the numbers from the “Speed Workout” section, specifically under the middle distance column.  I am choosing middle distance numbers because I am working on my mile.  If I were training for a 10K or longer, I would be going by the “Long Distance” column.

Double-Checking the Numbers

I wasn’t 100% confident in these numbers.  When I ran that 400m in 59 seconds, it was on the dangerous side.  It took me a few days to fully recover.  To make sure that these numbers weren’t too fast for my training, I headed out to the track today to test myself a little.

After warming up, I ran the first 400m at 1:18…a lot slower than the suggested pace which assumes that you can run as many as 8 to 10 repeats.  I rested up and found my legs with a 1:08 on the second 400m, a little faster than the suggested time.  On the next two 400m repeats, I ran a 1:08 and then a 1:10.  Since this was just a test, I had no intention of doing a full workout today.  For me, this little test confirmed that I can probably handle running eight to ten 400 meter repeats in the suggested zone without risking injury.

Not Just for Short Distances

The calculator also gives suggested times for the other kinds of workouts that runners commonly do:  recovery runs, long runs, easy runs, tempo runs, cruise intervals and more.

No matter what you are training for, you can use this calculator or others on the web to inform your choices of how fast to run.

Happy Running!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Time to Stop Running

April 3, 2012 4 Comments

“The best laid plans of mice & men often go awry.”  — John Steinbeck

I trained harder and smarter than ever before.  I planned more carefully.  I ate & drank more carefully.  I followed every bit of advice from outstanding experts on running & nutrition.  I actually planned what pace to run each mile, …no, it was more specific than that.  I planned the pace of each uphill, downhill, and flat stretch of every part of the 26.2 miles that make up the course of the Knoxville marathon.

I followed the plan every step of the way, from the week before the race.  Every meal was planned.  No morsel went into my mouth that was not in the plan.  On race morning, I met up with a fellow runner aiming for the same pace and we warmed up exactly as I had planned.  For the first 6 miles, we ran the course almost exactly as planned… never more than a few seconds off the anticipated pace.

If everything was going according to plan, then why is the word stop in the title of this post?  Because it just wasn’t my day.  Once I started warming up, I could tell that I was not quite right.  I decided it was just jitters, but by the third mile I knew it was something more.  Still, I pressed on in the hopes that I would suddenly feel better.  I drank a little extra.  Not better.  I let my friend know that I would be stopping at the port-a-potty and that I would try to catch up if I could.  I just needed to take a break and see if I could figure out how to force myself to feel better.

I took another drink and set out to see if I could catch up.  I maintained pace for several more miles, but it was more difficult than it should have been.  It was the right pace for my training.  I had calories on board & I was drinking according to plan.  At that point it was still overcast so it was cooler than I had anticipated.  I should not have felt worn out, but I did.

By mile 12, I had managed to maintain a 7:11 pace but I was slowing down fast.  I picked up the pace a little as I passed the crowds in World’s Fair Park, but I was struggling.  As soon as I got around the corner I walked for a bit.  I ate a little extra and drank 8 ounces of water that I was carrying with me.  Then I gave it another go.  The extra fuel and water did no good.  I continued getting worse.  It felt as if I were hitting the wall, but I knew better.  I had plenty of fuel.  I just felt horrible.

When I got to the water station around mile 16, I stopped and drank 10 cups of Powerade.  I didn’t think I was dehydrated, but I did not know what else to try.  I stood at the table and drank cup after cup.  I walked a hundred feet.  I stretched and waited for the extra fuel to filter into my body.  Time was slipping by but I was not panicked.  My attempt at a PR was done. I knew that.  I just wanted to see if I could learn something about my body.  Could I recover from this tailspin and maybe learn an important lesson for next time?

I began to jog but did not press too hard.  I wanted to find out if my body could recover or if it was just sick.  The first 13 miles were at a 7:17 pace.  The next 5 miles averaged around 12 minutes per mile.  18.38 miles into the race, my muscles quit.  They locked up.  No amount of Powerade or gel was going to help me recover.  I sat on the curb of Central Street and rubbed my legs while runners jogged on past.

I walked a little bit in one last attempt.  I analyzed my situation as I walked.  I had people that were waiting and expecting to see me enter the stadium at my target time, but that was not going to happen.  I was capable of walking the last 8 miles, but I asked myself the tough questions:

  • What benefit was there to me continuing?
  • What risks were there?

There would be no PR for marathon and not even a course PR.  I had already experimented with the only things that I could change and that did not work.  Walking in would meet no goals.  The only real benefit would be for my ego.  I did NOT want my first DNF [did not finish].  The risks were huge.  My form was horrible, so if I jogged, I would be tearing up muscles and wearing down joints.  If I walked and I really was sick, I might risk making myself more sick.  Both choices would lead to weak legs and missed training.  Despite the failure in this race, I had made great progress in training.  I had proven this in the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon just 6 weeks earlier.

I had nothing of real value to gain, and I had a lot to lose.  Time to quit.  I sat at the corner of State St. and Cumberland Avenue and talked to the nice policeman that was monitoring the course and keeping it safe.  Then I collected myself, removed my bib, and started walking back to the car.  Thankfully, the car was less than a mile away.

I did it all right, but still had a bad day.  6 months of training for one event.  On that day, I was sick.  It happens.

The difference between this event and other disappointments in my life is that this was very public.  I have been sharing my training ups and downs with thousands of people online through Facebook, Twitter, and the Daily Mile.  My friends from the Knoxville Track Club were also aware of this.  Many people were in the stadium waiting to help me celebrate.  I had set a huge goal and completely flopped in front of the entire world.

The good news:  I have gotten nothing but support and understanding from everyone.  Runners rock!  I was sick on the wrong day.  So what.

Good news part 2:  This was not my biggest event of the year.  I still plan on making more progress and breaking the 3 hour mark at the 7 Bridges Marathon in October.

I will continue to share my journey and I hope my response to this situation will give hope to other folks that have to stop in a race.  Stopping during a race when you are hurting does not make you a quitter.  It means that you want to be healthy.  It means that you intend to keep trying on another day.  That is not quitting.  That is wise running.

Happy Running!

_________________

New Theory about this:

Based on the events of the last few days, I believe my major loss of power was due to seasonal allergies.  Under certain conditions (current or recent mowing) my strength is just sapped.  I avoided doing my own mowing until after the race.  Unfortunately, I did not account for other folks & the city mowing during or just prior to the race.  This is more of an issue in the spring allergy season.  It was a condition not present when I did all of my 22 milers in practice.  Hence, I just didn’t see it coming.

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How to Run Faster**

March 11, 2012 3 Comments

“The most effective path to faster running is to run faster.”  — P. Mark Taylor

No, I’m not kidding.  It is possible to gradually get faster by running longer, but that is more effective for the newbie runner.  Once you reach a certain fitness level, the increases in speed that you get from increased mileage begin to dwindle.  When this happens you have only one choice: run faster.

To some this will sound like a catch 22 situation;  I can’t run as fast as I want to but you are telling me to just start running faster.  Well, it is more complicated than that, but for the sake of learning I will simplify my explanation.  I am telling you to run faster but we will change how far you run so that you will be able to run that fast.  Still seem like a puzzle?

The thing that allows you to run faster than you have been running recently, is that some of your runs should be in a series of runs at shorter distances. If you can run 4 miles at a 10 minute pace, then you can probably already run 400 meters much faster than that pace. That is the key.

Key Idea:  Doing runs at a variety of distances and paces will prepare your body to handle running faster and move you towards your goals.

If you thought of running as just going out and putting one foot in front of the other, you are right.  That is true with all types of runs.  Each type of run, however, has a specific goal & purpose.  If you want to get faster, the best way to do it is to do a little bit of each type.  The ideas in this article are true for runners at all levels and at all distances.  I use this way of thinking whether my goal is the 5 minute mile, which I plan to conquer in a few months, or the marathon.  If you are thinking about 5Ks or 10Ks, this advice will work for you as well.

Safety Warnings:  Before I go on to the details, I want to say three things about safety when it comes to getting faster.

1)  You should be relaxed & comfortable at any speed.  Yes, I said relaxed.  You can work really hard and still be relaxed.  By relaxed, I don’t mean loose and free-flowing, just that you should not feel tense while you run.  If you tense part of your body, then your form will suffer.  If your form suffers, then you are on the road to injury.  Nobody gets faster by getting injured.  Stay both focused & relaxed as you do your speed work.

2)  Too fast, too soon is hazardous for your health.  Exceeding the guidelines leads to injury… and nobody gets faster by getting injured.

3)  You can’t do speed work every day.  It is not safe & your muscles need to recover.  The newbie runner can do one speed workout each week.  More seasoned runners can do 2 hardcore workouts each week.  See the section on easy runs & rest days for details.

With these important safety notes in mind, let’s talk about different types of runs done at different distances:  Repeats, Intervals, Tempo Runs, Race-pace Runs, & Easy runs.  Not everyone would agree on these as the types, but that is what I am going with for today’s blog.  Within these categories there are dozens of styles and specialized types of training, each with their own suggested guidelines.

Repeats

Repeats are the fastest of the runs, done at the shortest distances.  If you are running for more than 2 minutes, then you are running too far to do repeats.  Yes, they are that short.  Any distance that is under two minutes could be a repeat.  If you are training for long distance, this might be 400 meters (1/4 mile).

  • Run your repeats at race pace or a little faster.  Race pace is the pace at which you could run a 5K now, NOT the pace that you hope to achieve later.
  • Be sure that you are fully recovered from the first 400 meter run before you start the second.  Walk it off.  Carefully stretch. Get a small drink.  When you feel ready and relaxed, then start the next one.
  • You don’t have to do 10 to get faster from doing repeats.  Some people do 4 repeats.  Some people do 10.  Do what you can do while still maintaining your relaxed form.

If your pace will not allow you to complete 400 meters in 2 minutes, then you might not be ready for repeats just yet.  You can start with Intervals.

Intervals

Intervals are a lot like repeats, but have a different goal in mind.  While repeats are about increasing raw speed, intervals are more about maintaining your new speed over a distance.  Because of this, intervals should be at a little bit longer distance.  Aim for a distance that you could complete in less than 5 minutes.  800 meters (1/2 mile) is a common distance for interval training.

  • Run your intervals at race pace, but no faster.  Remember: Race pace is the pace at which you could run a 5K now, NOT the pace that you hope to achieve later.
  • Instead of being fully rested as you did in repeats, interval training does not allow for full rest.  The time between intervals should be about the same time as you took to run the last interval.  Unlike repeats, you jog during the recovery time between intervals.
  • Since the distances are longer than the distance for repeats, the number of intervals that you complete in one workout should be less.  You can do 3-8 intervals as long as you continue to maintain your relaxed form.

Tempo Runs

If you are racing longer distances, then you will want to practice running faster for even longer periods of time.  This is the goal of a tempo run.

  • Run your tempo miles a little slower than race pace, about 80-90% of the full effort that you would use in a 5k race now.
  • Tempo runs can be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on your fitness and goals.
  • You can choose to do one or more tempo runs as part of a longer run or have it as a stand-alone workout.  In either case, make sure that you run a warmup and a cooldown in addition to the tempo miles.
  • To get faster, seek the combination of distance & speed that pushes you consistently near the limit of what you can maintain.  If you can’t maintain relaxed form, you are pushing too fast or too long. 

Easy Runs & Rest Days

Will easy runs & rest days make you faster?  Probably not.

Are easy runs and rest days important for building speed?  Absolutely critical!

How does that make sense?  Easy!  If you work the same muscle group hard every day, the muscles will get weaker.  The muscles need time to heal.  Easy runs exercise your muscles as they recover from the stress of the speed workouts.  It gets your blood flowing & speeds healing, especially the day after the speed work.

Easy days are the runs in which you ease up and get in the rest of your miles for the week.  I define the “easy” pace as being around 2 minutes per mile slower than how fast you would run a 5K today.

As for rest days, some runners can run every day.  Most runners cannot.  I recommend at least one day of full rest for your legs each week.  As for me, I am 44 years old and moving closer to the next age group. :)   As my workouts have become increasingly challenging, I have increased my rest days from 1 per week to 2 per week.  Listen to your body.  Rest enough to heal quickly and prepare for more speed work!

In Conclusion

Enjoying running is more important than being the fastest runner in the park.  I want you to enjoy the challenge of getting faster while maintaining your health.  If you haven’t done speed work before or it has been a long time, then go into it carefully and slowly.  Stick to the guidelines.  Rest up.  Maintain relaxed form.  You will gradually get faster.

Happy Running!

__________________

**The ideas in this blog post are my oversimplified understanding of the kinds of workouts suggested by a number of experts in running.  If you are serious about running faster, then I suggest doing a lot of reading.  The last book I read was Daniels’ Running Formula, 2nd Edition.  It is fairly technical, but incredibly informative.

 

 

 

 

Filed under Training & Racing Tagged with ,

How Often Do You Race?

February 24, 2012 Leave a comment

“A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding.”  — Steve Prefontaine

  • I have running friends that race almost every weekend.
  • My kids’ high school track team will average over two meets per week for a couple of months.
  • Some folks run two marathons per month on the average.

Does all of this sound normal & healthy to you?  I have to say that they all sound crazy to me, but I know better.  Each of these folks have different reasons for doing what they are doing – reasons that make sense for them.

  • The road-runners out there every weekend find great joy in racing.  They love the crowds, the pandemonium, and the adventure of travel that comes with racing.  Frequent races make sense for these runners.
  • The track team is in its first year at my kids’ school, so they are trying to build experience.  The coaches want the kids to learn what track is all about, what racing is all about, and to begin to decide which type of track athlete they will become.  Frequent meets make sense for these kids.
  • The frequent marathoner is one who loves running the distance, loves to travel to new places, and is not in search of a personal record (PR) as much as just an enjoyable experience.  It makes sense to marathon as much as they want as long as they take it relatively easy.

As for me, I am driven for PRs.  I am not just trying to beat my personal records; I am trying to smash them into oblivion.  I want to be so much faster than last time that it makes people wonder what I ate for breakfast.  I am still early in my second running career and I am quite determined to reach my full potential.

With this as my basic philosophy, it is no wonder that I do not race every weekend.  First, it breaks my heart when I don’t PR.  Racing every weekend would not lead to PRs every time or even close to that.  More important is the fact that one race can take away two or three training days – one for rest before the race, one for the race, & one for the recovery run after the race.  While those days may count a little towards training, my training always has its biggest & most important workout of the week on Saturday.  It is the day I have the most time to get it done.  Take out the weekends & I will make very little progress each week.  I might try this approach after I feel that I have reached my full potential, but I am nowhere near that point just yet.

At some point, I would love to tour the country running marathons as frequently as I can.  Experts say that you can run as many as 20 marathons per year without a problem if you only run at 90% of your potential.  If I have the time and money later in life, this sounds like a lot of fun.

For now, I am enjoying chasing down the dream of running as fast as I can.  I know that I will never see a 2:10 marathon, but I want to see if I can get down into the 2:30 region.  I want to beat that PR for the half marathon that I set in 1984.  I am still just over 10 minutes away from that mark.  Maybe by the end of this year?

That means I have to keep the races down to once a month or less.  This year, I plan to run 2 marathons, 2 or 3 half marathons, a few 5Ks, and just one 10K.

Here is what I already have on the schedule from now until the end of 2012:

Apr 1          Knoxville Marathon (Knoxville, TN)
Apr 27        Dogwood Mile  (Knoxville, TN)
May 26       KTC Expo 10K  (Knoxville, TN)
Jul 3           Pilot Fireball Classic 5K  (Knoxville, TN)
Oct  21       Seven Bridges Marathon  (Chattanooga, TN)
Nov 18       Secret City Half Marathon  (Oak Ridge, TN)

Now let’s hear from you!  What is your philosophy of racing?  How often do you race?

 

Happy Running!

 

Filed under P. Mark's Blogs, Training & Racing Tagged with , , , , ,

Running Towards My Goals

February 21, 2012 Leave a comment

Since I began the process of rekindling my running career, I have made steady progress.  I have discussed much of this process through various posts since I started this blog in July 2011, but I wanted to show you the overall numbers for yourself.  Let me know if you have any questions!

 

From my profile on Athlinks.com

 

Filed under Health & Nutrition

How I Improved from 5:35 to 3:27 in the Marathon in 18 months

January 27, 2012 4 Comments

“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming.”   – Frank Shorter

Even though Frank was a world-class marathoner, I respectfully disagree.  I do remember my last marathon.  I remember all three of them.  If I didn’t remember, then I would not have learned from them.  If I had not learned from them, then I would not have returned for a second or third.  The name of my blog is Wise Running.  That is not a claim that everything I do is wise.  In fact, it is the opposite.  I am gradually becoming wise through the school of hard knocks.  The more mistakes I make while running, the wiser & faster I become

I am now in training for my fourth marathon.  I have my training plan and I am sticking to it as much as I can.  It is, to say the very least, vastly different from the training for my first marathon.  Looking back, I no longer consider that training.  What I did before my first marathon was haphazard and probably a little dangerous.

  • I was only running a few days a week, because my knees were always sore after a run.
  • I didn’t have a plan, I was just making it up as I went.
  • I only ran one 17 miler and one 20 mile run, everything else was 13 miles or less.
  • I took a total of three drinks of water during training runs in the entire “training” program.
  • There was only 1 run where I tried to consume any calories

Yes, that’s right.  I didn’t feel comfortable drinking while running, so I took a grand total of 3 drinks during the entire “training” program.  If you know anything about running long distances, you can probably guess what kind of experience I had in my first marathon.  Not good.

In April of 2010, I glided through the first half of the Knoxville Marathon in just over 2 hours and felt strong.  By mile mile 16, I knew I didn’t feel right.  By mile 18, I started cramping a little.  By mile marker 19, every muscle in my body was taking turns cramping.  I walked the last 7.2 miles.  It began to rain hard.  By the time I crossed the first bridge over the river, it was raining sideways because of the huge cross-breeze.  I was wet, cold, shivering, and generally miserable.  Thank God for nice people!  A volunteer under the bridge in the 20th mile gave me poncho.  It kept me warm enough to stave off the medics and gradually walk to the finish.  It was a humbling experience watching all of the pacers pass me one by one.  I refused to quit.  I completed my first marathon in 5 hours and 35 minutes.  I was in pain & suffering for the next week.

What did I learn from marathon number 1?  Plenty!

  • You had better have a training plan or you will suffer!
  • You had better have calories, electrolytes, and drinks or you will suffer!
  • I am not a quitter. :)

That is the beginning of the story.  What happened in the next 18 months? 

The first thing that I always do after a bad run is to plan my return.  You can’t let a course beat you.  The second thing I did was to start reading.  I had half-heartedly looked at training plans before, but now I was seriously shopping for one.  I read up on hydration, energy gels, shoes, & everything else I could find.

I did not start the marathon training right away.   In fact, I started where I should have started the first time.  I began to train for shorter distances first.  A couple of months later, I ran the Expo 5K in 21:55, a 7:03 mile pace & almost a full minute faster than my previous 5K time.  Next I set my sites on improving my half-marathon time.  I had managed to survive a 1:59:27 at the Oak Ridge half the previous year.  I began to build a mileage base running 4 days a week fairly consistently, which was not easy because my knees were still ailing.  In October of 2010, I ran the Secret City Half Marathon in 1:48:59.

The things I was doing differently than before:

  • I gradually built up my weekly mileage.
  • I did a speed workout at the track about once a week, running 400m or 800m repeats.
  • On my runs over 10 miles, I was experimenting with sports drinks and energy gels.

One more critical thing happened in late December of 2010.  I purchased a pair of Vibram Fivefingers KSOs.  These are extreme minimalist shoes.  They are not for everyone, so don’t take this as a suggestion.  The KSOs were important for me because they have no cushioning.  The lack of cushioning caused me to alter my running form to a much better and safer form.  The result was happy knees!  When I run in Vibrams or other shoes with no cushioning, my knees do not get any more sore than any other part of my body.  What a blessing!

Training for the 2011 Knoxville Marathon

Despite my best intentions of implementing the full Hal Higdon marathon training schedule, I found myself starting late.  I did, however, accomplish most of his Advanced 1 training schedule.  I started on the Advanced 1 rather than intermediate plans because of the mileage base that I had built.  I found that I could adjust this particular schedule just a bit and it pushed me just a little harder.  Just right.

The things I was doing differently than before:

  • I was following an expert’s marathon training plan that challenged me just enough.
  • I focused my track work on 800 meter repeats exclusively, running every 800 at 3:30.
  • I was taking electrolyte capsules to supplement the sports drinks & energy gels.
  • I ran three 20 mile runs in preparation for the marathon.

1 Year After My First Marathon

I returned to the scene of the crime a year later.  I was not going to allow a course to defeat me and get away with it.  I was here for revenge.  I had specialized training, energy gel, a fuel belt with my own Gatorade, electrolyte tablets, and cool shoes.  Yes, folks, I was back to kick some butt!

Did it all go as planned?  Of course not.  I had rumblings in my tummy before I had reached mile marker 5.  Thankfully, the Knoxville Track Club and the race director know what runners need.  There were plenty of porta-potties along the route.  I made prolonged visits to these facilities no less than four times.  That was glitch number one.  Glitch number two came when I dropped the electrolyte capsules somewhere in the first 6 miles.  Thankfully, I had taken several before the start so I wasn’t completely out of luck.

Despite these issues, I still finished the first half of the marathon at around 1:48.  The first part of the course has more hills than the second half, so I knew that I could cruise to a decent time even if I got tired and crampy.  This time the second half of the marathon did go much better.  I took the time to drink more, but kept a respectable pace.  I felt my body running low on fuel, but I had energy gel.  I felt sort of a pre-cramp feeling, so I chose to slow down my pace and try to relax my muscles.  I did gradually slow down more than I wanted to, but I managed to complete the course in 3:55:59 - about an hour and 40 minutes faster than in 2010.

I still felt as if I had been run over by a truck and my feet had a lot of blisters, but I had taken that course to school!  It had beaten me in 2010 and I beat it in 2011.

The Next 6 Months

It only took a couple of days to recuperate from the extreme soreness.  In that time, I was already beginning to plan my next race.  I knew that I would return to run the Knoxville Marathon in 2012, but I wanted to run a marathon before that.  I eventually found the 7 Bridges Marathon scheduled for mid-October of 2011.  It was just a short drive south to Chattanooga and the course looked to be flatter than Knoxville.  I did not wait for the 18 week marathon training schedule to kick in.  After resting and some gentle, short runs for the first two weeks, I began the process of cranking up my mileage and speed work.

  • IMPORTANT:  At this time, I learned that the most important way to handle running in extreme heat is to be running long runs as the heat increases from spring to summer.

In other words, in addition to precautions of extra water and electrolytes, you also have to gradually get your body used to running in increasingly hot temperatures.  If you begin to increase your mileage a lot when it is already hot, you may suffer a heat stroke!!!

Thankfully, that did fit my plan.  The official training plan that I used to prepare for the 7 Bridges Marathon was Hal Higdon’s Advanced 2 plan.  It represented another increase in mileage and intensity.  By this time, I had shifted to running in Vibram Fivefingers Bikila LS shoes.  I ran six days a week and felt pretty good.

I followed Higdon’s advice and used my marathon training to get some faster times in shorter races.  I ran the 2011 Expo 10K in May in 43:09 [6:56 mile pace] and the Fireball 5K in July in 20:41 [6:39 pace].

The things I was doing differently than before:

  • I ran 6 days per week & rested every Friday regardless of how good I felt.
  • I was following a new marathon training plan that challenged me just enough.
  • I was now doing my 800 meter repeats at 3:00, 30 seconds faster than before
  • I continued testing out new sports drinks & energy gels.
  • I ran more 20 mile runs in preparation for the marathon and even went 22.5 once.

18 Months After the First Marathon

I was beginning to fantasize about qualifying for Boston.  At my age, it would have taken a time of 3:25.  That would have been 30 minutes and 59 seconds faster than my marathon just 6 months prior.  At this level, it is not considered realistic or even smart to try to improve that much in such a short time.  On the other hand, I knew that I was getting faster and smarter.  I thought I had an outside chance if everything came together just right and the wind was at my back the whole way.

Rather than expect a miracle, however, I decided to say that 3:25 was my fantasy goal but that I would be happy to finish anywhere in the 3:30s. After all, 3:35 would be a big improvement over 3:55.  For the pace of my training, this seemed reasonable.

At the start line, I was nervous!  I couldn’t decide between my two strategy choices.  Should I run at an 8 minute pace and then speed up on the back half to see what I could do?  Should I start out a little faster than “Boston pace” and hope to get close to that mark?  When the starting gun went off, I was thinking plan B.  I had to take a shot at Boston.  If I failed, I would still finish with a good time.

That is exactly what happened.  I finished the first half at a 7:24 pace that felt comfortable.  It did not feel like pushing it.  I drank and ate more than I had ever attempted in previous marathons in the effort to avoid the dehydration and nutrition issues that had slowed me down.  I was gradually slowing down throughout the second half, but with three miles to go, I could still run the last miles at a 9 minute pace and qualify for Boston.  Unfortunately, that is when I really started to slow down.  Despite my best training and my best drinking strategy, I was still dehydrated.

When I crossed bridge number 7 I had no gas left and that is when the cramps set in.  I gave up Boston and slowed down.  I was disappointed, but I knew that I had made a tremendous improvement and run the right race.  Looking back, the only change I would have made would be to drink 5-8 more cups of Powerade along the way.  It is just an educated guess, but I believe I would have finished 5 to 10 minutes faster if I had slowed down to drink.

As it was, I dragged myself across the finish line in a time of 3:27:27.  I had improved my time by a little less than half an hour.  Nice!

And From There?

I have my 2012 in races planned out.  You can read that post here: http://wiserunning.com/?p=411  I will tell you this.  I am planning two marathons this year.  If all goes well, I would like to finish the second one at around 2:50.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller

_____________

Maybe you knew all of these lessons already, but they were new to me.  If you have learned just one new idea from reading this, then I will be happy.  We runners have to stick together.  Its more fun and safe that way.

You can find me on the web:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wise-Running/223617527674175

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/Wise_Running  @Wise_Running

Daily Mile:  http://www.dailymile.com/people/PMarkT

Happy Running!

 

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