March Runs

[Anelia]

Today I did some hill runs but I felt so heavy and unfit. Recently I can't raise my heart rate neither cycling, nor running:my heart rate in Garmin but the initial high HR is due to the monitor mistake, Í don't go to 173 in the first 5 minutes of running.

[skhill]

First race of the year is done! It was plenty warm-- about 58F at start time-- and also plenty windy. Nothing like a 20 mph headwind for the last 3rd of a race... I started out fast, with my best mile yet in 7:15. Then I faded, running into that wind. Finished the 3k in 14:04, a pr by 38 seconds (whew!). That was good enough for 3rd in the age group, as a lot of the fast 40 year old women weren't there. The woman who usually finishes every race about 5 seconds ahead of me was 4 seconds ahead of me (oh well). Can't help thinking that if I had pushed a little harder when I slowed down to gather myself for a final kick, I might have broken 14 minutes (and beat Liz too).

Now it's off to the St Pat's festival, to visit the beer tent. It's blowing even harder now, I'll need that beer after biking into a head wind getting there...

[OakLeaf]

Very nice skhill! Enjoy your beer.

Anelia, I wonder if you aren't dehydrated and/or overtrained, the way you've been describing your workouts. Has your resting heart rate gone up?

This week has been a little bit of a bust for me, with a houseguest and the motorcycle races this weekend. 20 again on Monday, a quickie Wednesday, bridge repeats Thursday and I'm going out for a quick loop yet this afternoon. I've pretty much made my footwear decision for the marathon - which is not the nice light Nikes I really want to wear but seem to be hard on my Achilles, but the brick heavy Brooks that I've done all my long runs in so far. Ah, well. Not like I was going to be setting any PRs this time in any case.

[skhill]

It took until September last year before I had a pr; got that out of the way early this year! Next Saturday is my first 5k of the year, which I need to run fast to get off to a meeting at church. And I've been invited to go riding with a couple guys I know about an hour after the meeting is supposed to end-- they're both older and less fit than me, but with better bikes and more miles in this winter/almost spring. What to do, what to do....

Oak, the shoe issue is one thing that has me reluctant to sign up for a marathon. I'm running exclusively in VFFs these days, and I've done a half in them without much trouble. Not sure about extending out to a full marathon in them, however, and I don't really want to go back to conventional running shoes. Guess getting to the finish line in good shape is the most important thing!

[Anelia]

Anelia, I wonder if you aren't dehydrated and/or overtrained, the way you've been describing your workouts. Has your resting heart rate gone up?

In fact, it's down...My HR is 35 (yes, I'm sure). I went for a regular physical and the red circle is my HR:
I'll try to drink more water before I go running.

[Anelia]

skhill,
Congratulations! This is a very fast run in the wind!

[Anelia]

Yesterday I had to run against the stopwatch to test my 1500 m by my gps did not work and I think I ran less than 1500: maybe 1300. My time was 5:29 so I guess my 1500 would be around 6 and something.

[skhill]

Race day! again. It was great weather, upper 30s with just a hint of a breeze and a bit overcast. Well, great weather once we got running; standing around waiting for the race to start was quite chilly. The race was a 5k fundraiser for an organization that has a lot of folks I know working with them (they put on fun summer day-camps, focused on helping kids who are poor readers improve their reading skills). I was hoping to run somewhere around 24:30, and that's exactly what I did (24:31). Not many of our fast local runners were there, and I find it really hard to go as fast as I know I'm capable of when I'm basically running alone (there were a handful of fast folks out in front, and then a handful of us strung out in the 24 to 26 minute range, then a whole lot of slower runners and walkers). Not sure about placement, as I couldn't stick around for the awards, but I was either 3rd or 4th among women. With how fresh I felt at the end, I definitely had it in me to go faster; maybe next time!