Cool Running for the week of May 30, 2005

[Isabeau]

Can't wait to see you with the Donald Duck medal hanging from your neck Betty. You're awesome! I'm heading off for my run in about an hour!

[ttdriver]

Thanks, girlie!! I'll probably get a GOOFY medal, knowing me!! :nod :nod

I am so cranked right now, I think I could run another 13 miles!! WOOHOO!!

Have a great run, sweetie!!

Betty

[TWTMhomeschoolMom]

yahoo, running a half-marathon, you ROCK Betty.

I ran 4.8 miles this morning in the spitting rain. My HRM only registered 2.2 miles so I had to go over my route---a new one no less-- with my car to find out how far it was. I don't know why it is acting crazy.

I decided not to run the 5K today since I would have had to get up at 6am which I don't like to do on a Saturday. And the 10K tomorrow is out too cause I would have to leave at 5am, drive 90 minutes, and through NASCAR race day traffic ---too much of a hassle for me. I'll just go out tomorrow and do an extra loop around the neighborhood to get me over 6miles. But now, how do I make sure my HRM records the distance?

I stepped on the scale this morning and have taken off 4-1/2# of the 9# I gained while camping last week. Probable will take a few weeks to take the rest off, but better now then later. ':joy'

Carole

[TWTMhomeschoolMom]

Ran 4.8 miles in 58 minutes. Replaced the battery on my HRM and it worked great today.

HOWEVER, my HR which is usually in the 130 - 140 range kept going up to 147---beep, beep, beep---and so I'd go really slowly, and that wouldn't bring it down. Walking brought it down to 129 rather quickly but then it would shoot up again.

'urplequ:' 'urplequ:' 'urplequ:' 'urplequ:'

So, my question is: is this what happens in hot/humid weather? The temp this morning was 74 with 79%humidty and I had been running in 45-50 degree temperatures and low humidty.

[ttdriver]

Ran 4.8 miles in 58 minutes. Replaced the battery on my HRM and it worked great today.

HOWEVER, my HR which is usually in the 130 - 140 range kept going up to 147---beep, beep, beep---and so I'd go really slowly, and that wouldn't bring it down. Walking brought it down to 129 rather quickly but then it would shoot up again.

'urplequ:' 'urplequ:' 'urplequ:' 'urplequ:'

So, my question is: is this what happens in hot/humid weather? The temp this morning was 74 with 79%humidty and I had been running in 45-50 degree temperatures and low humidty.

GREAT JOB, SWEETIE!! Excellent progress!!

I believe I am over qualified to answer your hot/humid weather question, living down here in the SAUNABELT!! :yes Your heartrate ALWAYS climbs during periods of high humidity .. it takes alot more exertion to thrust yourself through that thick air, thus you are working harder and so is your heart. You can't believe the difference in my HR during our 'winters' ... it stays so low, and I can run twice as fast! Serious!!
Then come the dog months of steam heat and I have to accept the fact that I've got to slow down, stay WELL HYDRATED and work harder to go the distance.

Hang in there...after your body gets better conditioned for the heat/humidity, you should be fine.

Yesterday I ran in 73 degree temps at 6:30 a.m. with 91% humidity for 13.1 miles. My heart rate stayed in the 150s (that's low for me) ... which shows that once you get used to the humidity, your rate should come down too.

Keep up the great work!

Betty

[TWTMhomeschoolMom]

Thanks Betty, your response makes so much sense too. Do you know that a swimming work-out, because you are pushing yourself through water, is 4-5x harder than a running workout? What I've been told is that swimming 1 mile is equivalent to running 4-5 miles. So, pushing yourself through all that humidty would be harder----makes so much sense now. ':nod'

Now, a question for you. We are similar age and I'm just wondering about your work-out HR. Why do you keep it so high? How'd you figure the proper rate? I've been using the (220-age) * 80% which gives me my max of 138. When I include my resting HR of 62, I get 149. Just curious cause at times it is hard to keep the HR down when I'm trying to increase my running speed.

[ttdriver]

Now, a question for you. We are similar age and I'm just wondering about your work-out HR. Why do you keep it so high? How'd you figure the proper rate? I've been using the (220-age) * 80% which gives me my max of 138. When I include my resting HR of 62, I get 149. Just curious cause at times it is hard to keep the HR down when I'm trying to increase my running speed.

Well, I've always had a faster heart rate than most people .. initially that was because I was hyperthyroid for many years ... back then, my RHR was like 110!!! I had a subtotal thyroidectomy in 1997 which of course put me hypothyroid, so now I take Levothroid for that issue which is fine. The HR did come down alot once I had my thyroid removed, but its still seems higher than most people. Sometimes at rest, it will be like 68 or so, but seldom lower. When just walking at a leisurely pace it hits 100-110 easy, even though I'm not exerting myself.

The typical method of figuring your MHR just doesn't work in my case. Good grief, I'd be at my 80% range just walking to the corner! :yikes

What I did was to do an ALL OUT EFFORT RUN for a couple of minutes to see how high my MHR really was .. and it hit a little over 200 (yeah, scary I know!), so I just arbitrarily set my MHR on my HRM at 185, but I try and do my running in the 150 to low 160 zone ... seems to work well. I can still carry on a conversation, I don't feel like I'm overdoing it, and I hold up well on the long-sustained running days. Factoring in our humidity .. (ugh), sometimes, I'll let my HR go up to 170ish for short spurts, then back off again.

Personally, I think varying your HR during your runs is a great idea. You know, start slow .. which in my case would be 140ish, then gradually and slowly build up to the 160 range, spend a few minutes at 170s and then back way off until it come down to the high 150s, etc. In other words, keep your body "guessing" by changing your pace periodically. This is especially helpful as your miles increase, because its actually PAINFUL to stay at the same pace for over 2 hours ...

Yesterday when I ran for 3 hours 9 minutes, I actually sprinted the last 1/2 mile as fast as I could ... it felt good! And besides, at that point, my body was exhausted and all my brain could do was tell it "hurry up and FINISH!"

Sorry for the long-winded reply. Hopefully what I said makes a little sense!

Give yourself time to adjust to the humidity, okay? And be sure and take lots of water with you. Also you may want to increase your potassium too to make sure you don't cramp up.

Betty

[TWTMhomeschoolMom]

I can still carry on a conversation, I don't feel like I'm overdoing it, and I hold up well on the long-sustained running days. Factoring in our humidity .. (ugh), sometimes, I'll let my HR go up to 170ish for short spurts, then back off again.

Your explanation makes so much sense. And being able to carry on a conversation is, from what I've heard, a good measure too.

I'll give myself some time to get used to the humidty, and during the week I'll be running at 5am which is a cooler time too.

BTW, I've been running 3x a week, sometimes 4x, but I'm going to up it to 5x. I'm going to run on Sat, Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs; with my longer runs on Sat and Tues. This will up my mileage from 18-20 miles to ~25-27 miles. What ya think?

And, I'm working on dropping those 30# which would help tremedously too. YIKES, just thinking about that 25# turkey I picked up at the store and thought about how much easier it would be running without carrying that around with me. I need reminders like that of how *heavy* 25# really is.

[ttdriver]

I'll give myself some time to get used to the humidty, and during the week I'll be running at 5am which is a cooler time too.

BTW, I've been running 3x a week, sometimes 4x, but I'm going to up it to 5x. I'm going to run on Sat, Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs; with my longer runs on Sat and Tues. This will up my mileage from 18-20 miles to ~25-27 miles. What ya think?

Yes, take it easy for awhile with that humidity!! Good plan!

As for your running schedule, sounds good .. just don't overdo it. Don't increase your mileage more than 10% at any one time and stick with that number for several weeks before adding another 10%, etc. As your miles really begin increasing, you may want to have a rest day in between your running days .. we don't want injuries!!

I try and do 8 miles M & W, 6.5 Fri and 13.1 on Sat. Rest days are always Sun, Tues, & Thurs. Unless of course it rains (which in the summer is every afternoon!) :anger Last year, I tried getting up at 4:30 a.m. to run 4.5 miles 3 days a week, but that took its toll having to work a full-time job and keep up with the housework ... I was stressed!! So this year, I've changed it up and decided to run on my lunch hour at work during the week and early AM (6:30ish) on Saturday mornings. So far, so good!

Great work, sweetie! I have no doubt you will shed that 30# in no time!
And you're so right about picking things up and realizing you used to carry that around! It amazes me that I used to carry an additional 40# on these tiny little bones! :no NEVER MORE NEVER MORE!

Betty