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OMG Unbelievable new 5K PR!!
Here's a copy of my post from the runner's board I post on:
Except for the fruit my smoothie was all lo-carb hi-fat, and the latte had sugar-free vanilla flavor (people on that site freak out when they hear lo-carb) The fruit was 1/2 banana + 4 strawberries...
And the swag after the event sucked so I didn't eat anything except a sample-sized Clif bar and my usual lo-carb Myoplex protein bar.
I really think that I've got the fat-burning going since I really didn't eat that much carbs yesterday. I'm going to keep doing the maffetone and see how far it gets me.
First I want to thank everyone for posting all the advice they do.
Lately I've been working with the Maffetone Method...keeping my training HR very low. Previously I had been training with my HR around 160-165...now it's 140-145. My long runs have taken forever...1:45 for 7 miles.
So I had no idea if it was working. I just felt slower and slower.
So today I ran the Midnight 5K at Seattle Center. I had done a very similar course in November and I remember having to walk parts of it.
I've been running a weekly training run thru parts of the same course...but at my training HR of course.
So I told myself today: "Just attack the downhills and easy on uphills." That was my strategy. I decided not to go out slow since the first 1/2 mile is all downhill.
So I put myself in the middle of the pack to start...and lo and behold as I start I'm not getting passed left and right. Then on the first hill, I notice that I have lots of energy...and I started passing some people. I wasn't getting out of breath. The previous time in Nov. I walked part of this hill.
Then I go downhill again and up another. I finally start getting out of breath on this hill. But now I'm able to take it down a notch...sort of drawing on my low speed training to push thru. It felt like I had a low gear like a truck.
All of a sudden I see the 2mi mark. (I missed the 1mi mark somehow) and I glance at my HRM. 21 minutes...a new PR split for 2 miles. But now I'm getting tired. Back onto the first hill again...starting to lose steam but my legs feel good. Just hard to breath and I'm feeling really hot and sweaty. One more downhill then a short steep hill. I take it easy knowing I'm near the finish but get out of breath again at the top. Then I see the finish. I start a kick and round the bend........
My last time on this course was 36:57 in Nov.
My last 5K 4 weeks ago was 34:32.
I round the bend and see 31 on the clock.
I finished in 31:39!! (31:50 officially...they didn't have a start timing mat)
2 minutes and 53 seconds faster!!
I ran a 10:11 pace! That's 55 secs faster than my last 5K. My last long run on Thurs was horrible. My feet and ankles were so sore I could barely complete it. Yesterday I had to do an "emergency" trail run in hiking boots and 25lb pack because my wife hurt her back and I had to pick her up...so I ran the trail a mile back to the car.
I guess all the training has been worth it. At this rate...maybe I can break 30 mins 5K by the end of the summer....or the end of the month!
You could argue that my extra mileage(almost 20/week) or the fact that I run more hills in training helped too. But whatever it is...I'm starting to feel like a runner. I didn't back down from the hills...I was able to attack the downhills....and I finished strong. I didn't worry about form at all. I just ran.
Thanx guys!
BTW for food I had a fruit/protein/yogurt smoothie at around 6, a soy latte around 10, and about a liter of water after the latte.
ADBB notes:Lately I've been working with the Maffetone Method...keeping my training HR very low. Previously I had been training with my HR around 160-165...now it's 140-145. My long runs have taken forever...1:45 for 7 miles.
So I had no idea if it was working. I just felt slower and slower.
So today I ran the Midnight 5K at Seattle Center. I had done a very similar course in November and I remember having to walk parts of it.
I've been running a weekly training run thru parts of the same course...but at my training HR of course.
So I told myself today: "Just attack the downhills and easy on uphills." That was my strategy. I decided not to go out slow since the first 1/2 mile is all downhill.
So I put myself in the middle of the pack to start...and lo and behold as I start I'm not getting passed left and right. Then on the first hill, I notice that I have lots of energy...and I started passing some people. I wasn't getting out of breath. The previous time in Nov. I walked part of this hill.
Then I go downhill again and up another. I finally start getting out of breath on this hill. But now I'm able to take it down a notch...sort of drawing on my low speed training to push thru. It felt like I had a low gear like a truck.
All of a sudden I see the 2mi mark. (I missed the 1mi mark somehow) and I glance at my HRM. 21 minutes...a new PR split for 2 miles. But now I'm getting tired. Back onto the first hill again...starting to lose steam but my legs feel good. Just hard to breath and I'm feeling really hot and sweaty. One more downhill then a short steep hill. I take it easy knowing I'm near the finish but get out of breath again at the top. Then I see the finish. I start a kick and round the bend........
My last time on this course was 36:57 in Nov.
My last 5K 4 weeks ago was 34:32.
I round the bend and see 31 on the clock.
I finished in 31:39!! (31:50 officially...they didn't have a start timing mat)
2 minutes and 53 seconds faster!!
I ran a 10:11 pace! That's 55 secs faster than my last 5K. My last long run on Thurs was horrible. My feet and ankles were so sore I could barely complete it. Yesterday I had to do an "emergency" trail run in hiking boots and 25lb pack because my wife hurt her back and I had to pick her up...so I ran the trail a mile back to the car.
I guess all the training has been worth it. At this rate...maybe I can break 30 mins 5K by the end of the summer....or the end of the month!
You could argue that my extra mileage(almost 20/week) or the fact that I run more hills in training helped too. But whatever it is...I'm starting to feel like a runner. I didn't back down from the hills...I was able to attack the downhills....and I finished strong. I didn't worry about form at all. I just ran.
Thanx guys!
BTW for food I had a fruit/protein/yogurt smoothie at around 6, a soy latte around 10, and about a liter of water after the latte.
Except for the fruit my smoothie was all lo-carb hi-fat, and the latte had sugar-free vanilla flavor (people on that site freak out when they hear lo-carb) The fruit was 1/2 banana + 4 strawberries...
And the swag after the event sucked so I didn't eat anything except a sample-sized Clif bar and my usual lo-carb Myoplex protein bar.
I really think that I've got the fat-burning going since I really didn't eat that much carbs yesterday. I'm going to keep doing the maffetone and see how far it gets me.
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