It's Not the Years, It's the Mileage - birthday marathon training journal

[Herding_Cats]

Oooh I’ve spent plenty of time in that same wallow! Try not to cake too much mud on yourself, it simply isn’t worth it.

 

[GollyGadget]

Today was what Garmin classified as a "Threshold" run, which was one 17 minute interval with a goal heartrate of 158. Garmin gave me a 12 percent execution score, which I guess is better than 0.

I feel attacked. My last threshold workout was 0% execution score.

I didn’t realize you were still using r/w/r. I definitely don’t think the garmin plans are designed for that. Whether you were using pace or hr, it would expect something more stable. Garmin used to have adaptive plans where you selected a coach and one was Galloway. That might work a bit better for you.
https://connect.garmin.com/features/coach/

Regarding speed, have you tried doing fartleks or 15 second sprints? I wonder if you could trick your brain into a really quick interval. I can generally convince myself to push for at least a minute. Once it gets over a few minutes though, my brain starts to wander and my effort decreases.

 

[GollyGadget]

I just tried to create a Coach Plan and had trouble finding it. It does still exist, but you must select "Achieve a Milestone" as your goal.

 

[The Expert]

I agree that the Garmin plans really aren't built for r/w/r and they also aren't built for treadmill, which is what I used most of the time. I've been curious to try one since they added Galloway, though.

After hunting and pecking for the last 10 years since I started running, I've found most plans out there are for younger, faster runners with different goals. I don't want to BQ, I just want to be comfortable, not hurt, and not come in last. Parts of some plans work, but then other parts just do not. That's why I started going to DopeyBadger, since he's studied them all and combines the best aspects of what he knows works, then can apply that to any pace and to r/w/r runners too.

I have enough of his plans built up that when I feel I need one, I just go back to one of his. But I also know he's written some pretty specific plans for folks here who have made huge improvements in speed (@SheHulk comes to mind). I know he's terribly busy (which is why I'm not tagging him here), but it might be worth hitting him up for your POT attempt plan for when he does have the time.

 

[nancipants]

I applaud your doing a plan that uses effort level. I would never be able to make anything like that work. It's too subjective. And HR has always been a joke for me since everything I do is never below 2-3, so it would say I'm doing things "wrong". For me, paces are easier to adjust and gauge progress. And Garmin was fine for that type of plan that I just finished.

I hope you find a better fit plan for your needs. And it's not wallowing.....it's assessing what is working and what is not. Data is good to help you refine in the future.

Thank you. Effort-based plans are useful for me since at least half of the year is too hot and humid to run at my "best" paces. The first time the temperature gets below 60 in the fall, my easy pace drops at least 30 seconds to a minute per mile!

Oooh I’ve spent plenty of time in that same wallow! Try not to cake too much mud on yourself, it simply isn’t worth it.

I feel attacked. My last threshold workout was 0% execution score.

I didn’t realize you were still using r/w/r. I definitely don’t think the garmin plans are designed for that. Whether you were using pace or hr, it would expect something more stable. Garmin used to have adaptive plans where you selected a coach and one was Galloway. That might work a bit better for you.
https://connect.garmin.com/features/coach/

Regarding speed, have you tried doing fartleks or 15 second sprints? I wonder if you could trick your brain into a really quick interval. I can generally convince myself to push for at least a minute. Once it gets over a few minutes though, my brain starts to wander and my effort decreases.

I've gotten several 0 percents.

I did see that they have a Galloway based plan, but I picked the "Garmin Coach" plan since it will adjust based on other watch metrics, and I thought that would be cool. Turns out, no, I like having a structured plan and forcing myself to run no matter how I feel. I'm definitely going to look into the Galloway plan for next time.

That's a good idea about trying a faster interval. I usually stick to 30/30, or use 15/30 during the summer, but I'm not opposed to trying it and see if it helps me run faster for longer! I follow an instagram account called RunGallowayGirls and they can run like 8 minute miles doing 15/30 intervals, which seems WILD to me.

I just tried to create a Coach Plan and had trouble finding it. It does still exist, but you must select "Achieve a Milestone" as your goal.

View attachment 951374

Thanks!

I agree that the Garmin plans really aren't built for r/w/r and they also aren't built for treadmill, which is what I used most of the time. I've been curious to try one since they added Galloway, though.

After hunting and pecking for the last 10 years since I started running, I've found most plans out there are for younger, faster runners with different goals. I don't want to BQ, I just want to be comfortable, not hurt, and not come in last. Parts of some plans work, but then other parts just do not. That's why I started going to DopeyBadger, since he's studied them all and combines the best aspects of what he knows works, then can apply that to any pace and to r/w/r runners too.

I have enough of his plans built up that when I feel I need one, I just go back to one of his. But I also know he's written some pretty specific plans for folks here who have made huge improvements in speed (@SheHulk comes to mind). I know he's terribly busy (which is why I'm not tagging him here), but it might be worth hitting him up for your POT attempt plan for when he does have the time.

Thanks! I'm going to check out the Galloway plan on Garmin, but DopeyBadger plans have always been good to me!

 

[nancipants]

Thanks everyone for commiserating with my wallowing. I'm feeling slightly better today, still discouraged about my ability to get a POT, but trying to focus on the positives: I can run and my fitness is improving. Today I had a 30 minute "base" run and I did it on the treadmill since I wanted to keep a steady pace. I ran for a mile straight, took a 1 minute walk break, and ran for the rest of the workout. First mile was 14:24 and second was 13:46. Running continuously at faster than 4.0 speed used to make my heart rate go into zone 3, and my max heart rate for this run was 138, so I will take that small bit of progress.

 

[avondale]

Effort-based plans are useful for me since at least half of the year is too hot and humid to run at my "best" paces. The first time the temperature gets below 60 in the fall, my easy pace drops at least 30 seconds to a minute per mile!

Amen to this, and I don't even live in Florida!

I do wonder how much the slowness of the HR monitor response is affecting everything. You could have been at threshold HR level for most of your long interval but if the HR monitor didn't catch up to that, the watch isn't going to think you've done it. Heck, you might have been above your threshold level.

 

[nancipants]

So, for poops and giggles, I changed the preferences on my plan to show me goal paces, and yeah, there’s something very off here!

Did I mess up while setting up this plan? I picked finish a race with a time goal. Should I have picked a different option?? Why do they think I should do a 11:15 pace in a warm up when my goal pace is 11:16???

I should just quit this plan, but I’m stubborn, LOL.

 

[The Expert]

So, for poops and giggles, I changed the preferences on my plan to show me goal paces, and yeah, there’s something very off here!

Did I mess up while setting up this plan? I picked finish a race with a time goal. Should I have picked a different option?? Why do they think I should do a 11:15 pace in a warm up when my goal pace is 11:16???

I should just quit this plan, but I’m stubborn, LOL.

That seems way off for sure!

 

[nancipants]

That seems way off for sure!

It's like it thinks I've already achieved this goal. Which is why I'm thinking I selected the wrong option (finish with a time goal) and I should have picked achieve a milestone. But it didn't EXPLAIN that when setting up the plan!

 

[nancipants]

I just did a bunch of squats, lunges, and dead lifts, and if this doesn’t make me run faster, I’m suing the internet for telling me it would help.

 

[sandam1]

I just did a bunch of squats, lunges, and dead lifts, and if this doesn’t make me run faster, I’m suing the internet for telling me it would help.

It might not make you faster, but it should help keep you healthy. At least that's what my physical therapist keeps telling me...

 

[The Expert]

When I started running, my trainer told me if I did nothing else, work on my glutes. If your glutes are firing, nothing else is overcompensating. Glutes + balance are the best strength training you can do to compliment running. Now I just need to practice what I preach.

 

[nancipants]

It might not make you faster, but it should help keep you healthy. At least that's what my physical therapist keeps telling me...

Anything to make me feel better during the Western Way-finish portion of the Marathon!

 

[nancipants]

Today's "Anaerobic" run, which consisted of 7 x [1 min at 7:50 pace, 3 min rest]. My average pace was 7:52 and I got an execution score of 77!



Despite feeling like I was going to puke after each interval, I really liked this workout. It was fun to push myself really hard and then have a recovery period. I'm definitely going to incorporate more like this in the future.

I was supposed to do this workout on Friday, but moved it to today since I had more time. Now Garmin wants me to do a Threshold workout tomorrow and Sprints on Friday!!! No, thank you. I'm doing just an easy run tomorrow and another speed workout Saturday (have to move it around due to plans).

Next Sunday (April 13) is my "race" day, which I'm just doing around my neighborhood. My goal is 1:10, but I'll be happy with anything faster than 1:15. The weather has gotten stupid hot again, so we'll see.

 

[nancipants]

Update: I was dumb and did the "Threshold" workout today (although Garmin classified it as a Tempo run). YOLO.

It is STUPID hot (seriously, everyone doing Springtime Surprise: HYDRATE and DON'T TRY TO PR) so my interval paces slowed down a bunch, but hey, I did it. The T+D was 143 when I STARTED my run.



For anyone else trying to get faster, may I recommend running to the song "Without Me" by Eminem on repeat? My legs automatically started turning over to the beat of the song and that may have been why I had to slow down in the last interval.

Hopefully, I'll be able to replicate this next weekend. It's supposed to cooler then (high 50s in the morning), which will make my 1:10 goal much more attainable. I need to hit 11:16 minutes per mile, so the middle interval (11:10) would be perfect to hold. We will see.

 

[nancipants]

I'm waiting for a meeting to start, so here's a quick update:

April 3: rest day. Went to the Springtime Surprise expo and met up with @The Expert and @superchime. Got a flipbelt, Feetures socks, sunglasses, visors, and a Dopey color hat which I guess I'll use when I do Dopey in 2029 for my 48th birthday.

April 4: Sprint workout.
15:00 warm up
2 x [3 X [:15 sprint with 3:00 recovery] + 5:00 recovery ] (yes, that was hard for me to parse, too, but thankfully my watch guided me through it)
10 minute cooldown



Ummm, okay, so I love sprints??? Run fast for fifteen seconds and then chill for 3 minutes? I can do that! I also had no idea my legs were even capable of moving in the 6-7 minute per mile range, even for such a short amount of time. Plus this workout gave me some coveted anaerobic points, so I guess I need to add in sprints/strides to my regular workout rotations.

Went to Legoland afterward, so I got a lot of time on feet.

April 5: rest day. Went to Kennedy Space Center and had a BLAST.

April 6: Base run.
3.24 miles, 44:41 minutes, 13:49 average pace. As I'm sure everyone at Springtime Surprise was aware it got hot again.

April 7: Base run.
3.08 miles, 40:01, 12:59 average pace. I tried something different and set up an interval workout on my watch so I could better see what my pace was during the "run" sections. I ran 1 minute, walked 30 seconds, ran 30 seconds, walked 30 seconds, and repeat. My running average pace was 10:56. Good to know! And again, it was HOT. And my groin muscles are bothering me.

April 8: Tempo run.
10 minute warm up
4 X 5 minute run, 2 minute recovery
10 minute cool down



This was hard, but I did it! The weather cooled off a bit and was a little rainy overcast, which helped. I took two walk breaks during the first interval, one during the second and third, and ZERO during the second! I finished thinking the same thing I always do - how the heck am I supposed to hold those paces for an entire 1:08???

One thing though - my groin muscles were still very sore during this run, especially my right. I've been stretching more the past few days and using the massage gun, and hopefully it will go away quickly. The soreness did seem to subside a bit the more I was moving, but it still felt uncomfortable to move fast.


Tomorrow I have an easy run, and Friday is another set of sprints. Garmin has me doing my "race" on Saturday, but I'll probably do it Sunday since the weather is supposed to cool down into the 50s (woo-hoo!).

HOWEVER! I was planning to do this run around my neighborhood just to see if I could actually hit my goal of 1:10. Then take a few weeks off before starting another plan with the intention to get a POT over the summer. BUT! I did find a 10k race about 75 minutes away from me on Saturday, and the cool front has me wondering if I should sign up and go for it. I STRONGLY doubt I could get 1:08 right now, but YOLO, right?

I will have to see how I feel in the upcoming days and if my leg feels better.

 

[avondale]

Ummm, okay, so I love sprints??? Run fast for fifteen seconds and then chill for 3 minutes? I can do that! I also had no idea my legs were even capable of moving in the 6-7 minute per mile range, even for such a short amount of time.

Yes, I love these kinds of sprints because how often do you get to just go for it as hard as you can? I'm glad you're doing the 3-min recovery, because that's really important for these sorts of sprints.

 

[nancipants]

Today I was supposed to do a 36 minute base run but I took a rest day instead. I’ve been stretching and massaging my thighs/groin and it feels like it’s getting less sore. I did walk the dog for about 45 minutes and my legs felt better the more I moved, which is typical of my running-related muscle issues. I also did an abs/arms video.

I’m still debating on the race, but leaning more towards doing it. I even picked out an outfit tonight, so, yeah. Even if I don’t get 1:08 for a POT, I can at least get a good idea for where I’m at, recover and work on strength, and then start another training plan for the race in July.

I’ll reassess my leg tomorrow, maybe do a short run at lunch, and hopefully sign up for the race.

 

[The Expert]

One thing though - my groin muscles were still very sore during this run, especially my right. I've been stretching more the past few days and using the massage gun, and hopefully it will go away quickly. The soreness did seem to subside a bit the more I was moving, but it still felt uncomfortable to move fast.

Do you do any pre-run warmups? I did an iFit series last year where the trainer did just a few minutes of dynamic stretch/warmup exercises at the start of each workout, and I started doing them on my own for other runs. It does seem to help when I remember to do them in addition to my post-run static stretching.

It's simple series:
- toe walks and heel walks: slowly walk on your tip toes for 10-20 steps, then slowly walk on your heels with toes lifted for 10-20 steps, repeat 3 or 4 sets.
- hip rotations: lift one knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, then rotate out to the side and down. Alternate legs with a few traveling steps in between. Repeat 10 or so times per leg.
- high knees: slowly but forcefully lift your knees up as high as you can, alternating legs, with a few traveling steps between. Repeat 10 or so times per leg. OPTIONAL: end with 5-10 high faster repetitions, removing traveling steps and jumping up with your plant foot.
- butt kicks: slowly but forcefully kick your heels back, trying to touch your butt. Alternate legs with traveling steps in between and repeat 10 or so times per leg. OPTIONAL: end with 5-10 faster repetitions, removing the traveling steps and jumping up with your plant foot.

The whole thing takes maybe five minutes but it does seem to prepare and remind my body what it's supposed to be doing.