Yeah, I just can't stay away, can I?! This was my 74th parkrun, today - and still as rubbish as usual, lol. But I can't escape, I just keep on turning up!!! So I headed along to Edinburgh parkrun this morning, little knowing there would be a few familiar ultrarunner faces in the crowd today, all three giving me a bit of support at points in my last 2kms, long after they'd finished their own runs. My run was wholly uninspiring, and yet another run slower than 41 minutes, which is generally a little rubbish, but it's 30 seconds faster than last time (2 weeks ago) and I guess that can't be sniffed at!!! I'll take it, I guess, and at least it's better than staying in bed. As it remains 7 minutes slower than my 5k personal best time, it's a little pointless at this stage trying to analyse the run, however I compared the km splits from today's run to last week's all the same. I don't think it tells me much, really, seeing as I'm still plodding my way around in a run/walk style. The tailrunner, bless his heart, told me to use the benches alongside the path as my run-walk interval guides (...if I had a pound...) but it's a valid point that I need to be a little better structured with my running - right now, though, I just need to focus on building things back up again in general. The tailrunner, as with the last time I ran (two weeks ago), commented on how much support I was getting from other runners on the course - it's great to remember the friendliness I get from that crowd, especially as I've
purposely avoided this particular parkrun for most of the last couple of years. I will definitely be doing this run more regularly for a while - though I will certainly be making a return to some of the other local parkruns that I've made friends at, with their more challenging courses, and stronger community feel.
So let's have a look at this fairly meaningless comparison. You'll note it's slightly longer than 5km, lol - Edinburgh's 5km route always measures about 5.06km, or thereabouts. As you'll see, not
really telling me anything, other than I start faster than I finish (no surprise - but of course you can see my old PB run on the same course
was negative splits), but it really gives me a chance to show off my amazing html table-making skills. ;-) It's something I'll use moving forwards, my immediate aim of course is to get under 40 minutes again, which means averaging sub-8 minute kilometres. I'll work out an appropriate pace for training, and use my Garmin's beepy-buzzy features to try and keep me within that pace! I will, eventually, be giving heart rate training a go, but it's pointless at the moment, because my weight and poor cardio fitness, means my heart rate rises very quickly immediately - I need to be a little fitter before that can become a valuable training aid for me. For now, it's just about running a little more often than I am, but using the gym sessions to also help me get fitter, and so on.
| km |
This week |
2 weeks ago |
Jun 2012 PB |
| 1 |
7:39 |
7:52 |
6:33 |
| 2 |
7:34 |
7:54 |
6:59 |
| 3 |
8:47 |
8:55 |
6:57 |
| 4 |
8:41 |
8:27 |
6:47 |
| 5 |
8:08 |
8:15 |
6:21 |
| "extra" finish |
0:30 |
0:26 |
0:27 |
| Total |
41:19 |
41:49 |
34:04 |
30 second improvement is perfectly respectable. A sub 40 minute time won't be too far away if you keep chipping away and improve upon your pacing - not that it's too bad looking at the splits.
ReplyDeleteW.r.t heart rate training/pacing. It doesn't matter that you aren't yet as fit as you'd like to be, your heart rate will be similar for a given level of exercise intensity - the only thing that changes substantially is that you'll be going faster for a given heart rate. The information you get is just as valuable for training and pacing regardless of fitness level.
What I'd suggest is that you actually pay a bit more attention to the HR monitor and not be too shocked by seeing high readings. Ignore what others see on their HR readings, learn what happens when you sit, walk, climb stairs, jog, race, time trails on the treadmill, when doing circuits etc. After a while you'll get a feel of what type of HR you can sustain for different periods of time.
For pacing a race your average HR for a given race will stay roughly stable over time, so if you find it's 160 in a 5k two weeks ago, in two week's it'll be around the same level if you put in a similar effort level. When we exercise we naturally see a drift upwards of HR the longer we exercise even if we maintain the same pace. If you find yourself enable to at least maintain a level HR throughout the race then it's a sure sign that you've gone out too fast and slowly substantially later as a consequence.
If you know your average HR from a previous race then use this as a HR not to exceed for the first half of your next race. Second half your can see how hard you can push on and let the HR rise.
What you will find is that to maintain a roughly even HR you'll need to slow down substaintially when going uphill, and speed up quite a bit on descents. If you use a HR monitor during training you can learn how the pace needs to ebb and flow as you go up and down. You will be really surprised just how easy you need to take it uphill, but don't ignore, if you're HR is up you ARE working hard even if you are walking slowly.
If you can improve your pacing you'll find that you find it easier to keep running for longer and at a higher average pace. This works for a 5k or running the whole WHW, the only big difference is the average HR you'll see, the further you go the lower your HR.
For me I can run a 10k at around 175bpm, the Fling at 154, and the WHWR this year I averaged 138. You'll have your own HR range that suits you, all you need to do is start logging your HR during training and racing and you'll soon figure out what your own body does.
That's really interesting stuff, thanks - I was thinking HR training would be pointless because it goes so high straight away, but I hadn't thought about doing some work first on finding out how my HR currently operates, and using that. I'll start wearing my HR monitor for gym sessions, as well as running, and just try to get as much data as possible, cheers.
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