K, I think it takes very little effort to record run times though. I brought a stopwatch for £5. Recording progess is very important if you want to progress imo.
I think it also helps with motivation and analysis. Sometimes I feel like I've had a crap run, then look at the time and realise I wasn't far off my normal times at all, or sometimes I'll be checking my HRM as I go along, knowing I should be at a particular point at a particular time. Plus you're a bloke Seiken Steve, and it gives you more gadgets and stats to play with, what's not to like? Mitch
Whats it signify when someone can run relatively long ( if paced ) distances with not too much trouble, but nearly collapses after doing 4 or 5 sets full speed interval sprints of 2 - 3 minutes duration with 1 min. rests between? Same with mountain climbers, etc.
I think it's tougher as you get older to run all out at high speed for interval runs. In my experience I know I could run a lot faster at 100m and the cross country at school. Max HR is lower too which could explain why I can't do hill sprints as fast as some of my younger colleagues yet have a faster recovery. I do try to get times for my runs but change the route and add distance each week, except was on a little holiday this week, and the 5+ mile run included a 200m climb that was as steep as stairs, took a good half mile until I recovered a decent pace again.
Sore calf muscles today, possibly from wearing standard trainers rather than the ones I had recommended and fitted. Time to go back to the specialist and get some new trainers me thinks.
It means you need to do more interval work... unless you don't care about speed. It sounds like you're comfortable with endurance and you just need time to get used to using your legs in a different(faster) way.
That your aerobic energy system rocks, and your anaerobic system does not lol. Also if your doing it for 2-3 mins it's not a sprint. Your ATP energy system lasts for 10 seconds roughly, I like to do sprints pushing slightly beyond that 12-20 seconds more than that its a fast run IMO.
Even worse 'n I thought...my sprints = your warm ups From Valley Forge Striders: "intervals Training in which short, fast "repeats" or "repetitions" often 200 to 800 meters, are alternated with slow "intervals" of jogging for recovery; usually based on a rigid format such as '"six times 400 meters fast [these are the repeats] with 400-meter recovery jogs [the intervals],"' interval training builds speed and endurance. " I supose instead of 'Sprint' I should've said "stride" <== that the correct term? Short, fast, full-on, but controlled. The rest period in my case is a fast walk, not a equivalent-distance jog. 1st set - I do an all-out till I hit the 800 metre stick. Ive needed 3 minutes for that and walk around in circles catching my wind for a minute. 2nd set - Another flat-out back to the .75/.25 (600 metres) mark and it's 2 1/2 min. by the watch. Walk around very winded for a minute or so and still winded as I go for the halfway mark (400m) - for the third set - now the time is going back over the 2 1/2 minute mark and I'm feeling the equivalent of what'd it be like to have a 45 cal. sucking chest wound. A minute and a half doesn't even get close to recovery but I head on for the last set to the .25/.75. You don't need to hear the time. Obviously, I don't do this for a living. I know it aint good, but how bad is it?
I only know a little bit about running but... as far as I know 'strides' are used in a distance run as a bit of cardio work to help pick up the pace, along with track runs of shorter distance, longer steady tempo runs, and hills sprints. When I went to a C25K running group the coach would stick these strides in we would run a bit faster than comfortable for maybe 500m or so. It would be difficult to get more than a word out talking, and to concentrate on technique, keeping head up, driving with the hips, etc would be challenging. Not a sprint though.
That's the nature of intervals! If all you've done is long distance, it doesn't matter how good you are at it because running faster at shorter distances works your body in an entirely different way. There had to be a day many years ago when you sounded like darth vader on a ventilator when running long distance. Right now your legs have less fast-twitch muscle and your anaerobic capacity probably isn't anywhere near the level of your aerobic fitness. I know it's hard, but just keep it up and you'll notice improvement. Just don't go overboard though because if you injure yourself your fitness will really go down the drain while you wait to heal.
Hmm, quick question, does that mean that if you only ever do interval training or any other short distance kind of exercise, your long distance running will suffer as well? Is it the same on the flip side?
Just did my first proper run for ages. About 2 months ago I was working through C25K with my wife but as an ex-distance athlete and with some carry over from weight training I usually finished up the session with sprint intervals so it wasn't exactly taxing me. Since she's studying at the moment it's stopped, however I fancied a straight run to see what my pace was like. I managed just over 3Km at a speed of 7.41mph. If anyone is using a GPS enabled iPhone I would recommend Runmeter by Abvio, it tracks your route, distane and speed and let's you sync with Dailymile. It's a very nice toy
It depends on the event.If its the marathon you will get best results from training that pushes the cardiovascular system to the limit,ie,intervals, coupled with a long run once a week to build up endurance.When doing longer distances such as 100 miles its leg strength that is more important and training should be geared up towards time on your feet more than anything else.This mainly applies to serious competitive runners and a "fun runner" entering their first marathon should try and spend as much time on their feet as possible as they will have to keep going for a few hours.A faster runner iwll have got the distance over with in less than two and half hours and can concentrate on speed more than anything else so intervals are an ideal way of preparation.Zatopek who won the marathon at the 1952 Olympics spent all his time doing interval training.
Just 2.5 miles. I was just not at the races today. Had slight doms from doing some bodyweight work yesterday, but not enough for it to be an excuse. Just one of those days. Glad I went though. Nice shower, glass of water and feel much better for the run, even though it was not as good as I wanted.
Never did any running till...what? 30 something... dormindo's post 116...thats always been the way for me...even when I did a half-marathon some years back. I think my overall speed was a little faster, but the ability to do intervals was never there. Well, always been the way till recent...now, as I posted to Master B,'s training log not long ago, I'm finding that trying to reset this threshold so that I have any anaerobic capacity at all is a monster.
Absolutely great thread.. Just about to break 700 miles run since august of last year. If anyone wants to know a little more about military based fitness training specific to running, don't hesitate to ask here or PM me. Dave
