Tri Training: Cylcing PR

Hit the road on the bike today!  First time without kid baggage in awhile.  I must say, I am always amazed how "easy" it is ride when you are not pulling anything!  I had a little of a time constraint, nap time and the hubs was home early waiting to get his work out in as well.  So I hit it and wow, did it feel good. 

It was my longest ride to date at almost 8.5 miles.  I know it would have been faster than the 36 minutes I logged it in, but I had a lot of side of the road riding because of the route I chose, which definitely slowed me down.  I was shocked when my speed was consisitently announced as 15-19 mph, and I distinctly remember a 23mph split.

http://runkeeper.com/user/clyoungsey/activity/41318860

My experience with Jeff Galloway's Run Walk Program

OK, so a wonderful book sent me to check out Jeff Galloway's Run Walk Training Program.  Completely trusting the gals at Run Like A Mother, I googled, found it and went for it.  The philosophy behind it is that if you run and then walk for an interval you will in the long run, run faster and with less injury.  As I am currently training for a second half marathon and I got injured during training for the first, I was very open to sugestions.

Everyone who uses it will have a specific ratio based on their pace.  (See chart below)  When I run solo (no jog stroller) I typically am in the low 10's high 9's minute miles.  So when I run solo, I did the 4:1 ratio.  When I ran with the stoller, I did 3:1 (but 2:30 to 1 might be better)

Run-walk-run ratio should correspond to the training pace used:
8 min/mi—run 4 min/walk 35 seconds
9 min/mi— 4 min run-1 min walk (my solo ratio)10 min/mi—-3:1
11 min/mi—2:30-1 (my stroller ratio)12 min/mi—-2:1
13 min/mi—-1:1
14 min/mi—30 sec run/30 sec walk
15 min/mi—30 sec/45 sec
16 min/mi—30 sec/60 sec

How I felt:  The run segments felt much stronger and faster than straight running.  Think about it, anyone can run for 3-4 minutes; especially when you know that you will be walking for a full minute to recoop.  It changes your mindset and I found that I pushed myself harder for the 3-4 minutes and was able to recover and hydrate during the walk interval  And I didn't poop out at the end.

Runkeeper says:  Overall, my average time per minute was 9:45, I have never ran 6 miles at that pace.   Some of my fast running segments were around 8 minutes.   The runkeeper graph showed the intervals in segments representing what I felt:  first minute was fast and then progressively got a little slower toward segment 2-4.  The walk interval was only about 20 seconds slower than the run, so I mathematically I lost 1 minute and 20 seconds over the course of the run, but gained between 1-2 minutes per running segment because I was able to push myself knowing I got a break.  So that is how I ended up faster in the long run.

It was hard to find another 6 mile solo run, because lately, most have been with the jog stroller.  But here was one from Feb, which I know was solo:

http://runkeeper.com/user/clyoungsey/activity/41271798

And this is the one from this past Sunday: 

http://runkeeper.com/user/clyoungsey/activity/40928725

As you can see (and part could be from me just getting faster from doing it more) I am about 2 minutes per mile faster.  And when I was done, I felt amazing.  There was no fatique until about mile 5.

Rhonda, "Slow Mother Runner" also tried this method and she was on the treadmill so she could set her pace.  Here is her report.

Hope that helps explain it a little better!

TR14: If it blows...hit the trail

The weather report this morning called for 15-25 mph winds from the west.  The west is a flat field that offers NO wind protection whatsoever.  We dropped Greyson off at pre-school and then hit the trail in the 'burg.  It was sooooooo much calmer than at our house, as it is surrounded by trees. 

I adapted the JG run/walk method to the stroller, with a 3:1 ratio, which is pushing it a little, it is hard, especially in 15 mph winds!  As you can see, it really is pictureseque!

We parked at the local grocery store and ran to the trail and hit it.  It is about a 4.5 mile trek.

Here is the trail route:  http://runkeeper.com/user/clyoungsey/activity/41216629

I did forget to mention, this was yet another therapuetic run.  I had insomnia last night, was actually awake and online when the mommy of a very special boy posted that he earned his angel wings, after that...no sleep.  I ran because I was emotionally spent, so as we said in Evansville, "running is my therapy" ;)

TR13: Jeff Galloway, I may love you

Ok, so today, I set out for my first 6 mile run in I don't know how long.  Actually, I can say the last 6 mile run I ran was sometime in March.  Yes, I ran longer than that closer to now, but 6 miles, was in March.  Today, I did the Jeff Galloway run/walk training method, based on a 9:30-10 minute mile.  That put me at a 4 minute to 1 minute ratio of walking to running.  I did six miles in less than an hour and I am pretty stoked about that, as is my hubby who watched the kiddos while I ran!

I did a 4:1 ratio, which means I ran 4 minutes, walked 1.  The time I ran, I felt stronger and faster than I have before.  The walk break re-energized me and I honestly didn't feel any real fatique set in until after mile 5.  I have to say that is amazing.  I looked uo my times, the last time I ran a 6 mile was in March and now I am 10 minutes faster, which is about a 9:44 minute pace, which again is just way faster than my times in March AND when I was done, I felt AMAZING!  I just may LOVE this man...

Here is my new 6 mile route, that I may never do again....http://runkeeper.com/user/clyoungsey/activity/40928725

That pitbull on the invisible chain scared the crap out of me at about mile 2; I swore he was going to break the chain and get me...I LOVED the route, hated the dog.

TR13....will happen ????

One of these days....I will get to run when I want to.  Not when the kids want me to, not when the hubs want me to, but when I want to.  I am not sure if I will run tonight, which would be the best case scenario for wanting to have a glass of wine, but hot as heck.  Or tomorrow, where there is a chance of rain and 78% humidity.  I think tonight I have a better chance of a solo run...so we will see.

I have it all planned out:


http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/38755952

six miles....

TR12: I did not want to run

I have a two-year old.  He is technically supposed to be 22 months (thank prematurity) but however old he is, he is getting terrible.  He is soooooooooooooooooo busy I cannot keep up with his naughtiness at times.  So today, the day after my mini sprint, I DID NOT WANT to run.  But I HAD to run.  I needed a shot of the street legal high that makes being a mommy easier.  So, I got my almost 3 in while sweating my ass off in 20 mph winds that wouldn't even let the jog stroller's canopy stay down.  (Running into those on the way home...ugh.)

But when I was done, I felt better and even rehydrated with water (and a glass...or two...of wine)  Mommy all better.

TR11: 3 in a mini sprint tri session

Today, I upped the brick to a mini tri, backwards like.  I ran 3, biked 8.5 and then swam 500m.  I burned a buttload of calories and felt really accomplished when I got it done.  Here is the lowdown.

I had a sitter so I could actually take the hour plus it took to do all of it.  It was all inside, so it would be what you call "ideal" conditions.

I began with 3 miles on the mill.  I ran at about 6 to 6.5mph, got my 3 miles in for half training and the amount of running most sprint tris would require in.

I then jumped on the spin bike, set it on hills plus, so that it wouldn't be just flat race.  I managed to get 8.5 miles in in 30 minutes.  By this time I was sweating at hog status.

So, when I got in the pool, the water felt AMAZING...I swam in the endless pool for 20 minutes.  17.4 minutes is supposed to be .28 miles, so I was a little over a 1/4 of a mile.

I got done and was spent...totally burned off the peanut m&m's I had chowed down for energy!

No cool routes to post since it was all inside...