It's good to be training on a Tuesday again - getting a third run in Thursday will be much easier than getting motivated on a Friday night. It was also the first training run with Running Cat in a while - it's great to be training with RC again! I tagged along with her to the Hobo's running club, who run along the water from Newport down to Williamstown and back on Tuesdays - a 7km run. I turned around the halfway mark at 22:08 and got back at around 45:30. I was reasonably happy with the time and would hope to see improvement on this each week.
Here's the route:
A really lovely guy ran with us the whole time - we kept up with the group until the halfway mark where we dropped back a little. I can't remember his name, which is annoying. Running Cat pulled ahead a little at the end and I dropped back a bit, but he continued to run with me. He asked if I had much left in my legs with about 700m to go, and I said I didn't, but he could race to the end. He said that no, if he does that I'll back off and I was going to keep up the pace we were running to the end - he was so right! I would have slowed up as soon as he ran up ahead.
It definitely seems to be a friendly and supportive running club - great find from RC!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Skipped the Melbourne Marathon training, but ran 8km on a lone run
I got up late this morning and then Running Cat said she was skipping the Melb Marathon session due in part because of the weather... I looked out the window and considered the rush I'd have to be to get there in time and went back to bed. I really wasn't looking forward to trying to keep up with a group that would probably be running faster than I can for a distance longer than I've run before in the rain anyway.
I didn't want to skip a run though - 2 runs a week really is the minimum - I remember when I left it a week between runs when I was sick and it was hard hard run the next week. I'm sure it was hard going because I was still a little bit ill, but don't want that feeling again! So I headed out with the aim to do an 8km run at a slow pace. I've read in many places that it's important to run at a slower than usual pace when you are running longer distances than you have before, so that was the plan. And I'm happy to say I got it done.
Here was my route:
Split times were 6:21, 6:23, 6:36, 6:49, 6:57, 7:28 (a killer km), 7:14 (feeling better), 7:00 (feeling good but a tad sore).
There's just no getting around it though - running alone is damn boring! You notice the kilometres crawling by whereas there's so much more to think about in a group.
I've chatted to Running Cat about joining her at Hobos... it sounds like a fantastic group and the Melb Marathon sessions have been a tad disappointing. I'm not sure that Wednesday night works the best for me either - training on Friday as the third session hasn't happened yet and I'm keen to start getting a third session in, but Fridays, eww.
I didn't want to skip a run though - 2 runs a week really is the minimum - I remember when I left it a week between runs when I was sick and it was hard hard run the next week. I'm sure it was hard going because I was still a little bit ill, but don't want that feeling again! So I headed out with the aim to do an 8km run at a slow pace. I've read in many places that it's important to run at a slower than usual pace when you are running longer distances than you have before, so that was the plan. And I'm happy to say I got it done.
Here was my route:
Split times were 6:21, 6:23, 6:36, 6:49, 6:57, 7:28 (a killer km), 7:14 (feeling better), 7:00 (feeling good but a tad sore).
There's just no getting around it though - running alone is damn boring! You notice the kilometres crawling by whereas there's so much more to think about in a group.
I've chatted to Running Cat about joining her at Hobos... it sounds like a fantastic group and the Melb Marathon sessions have been a tad disappointing. I'm not sure that Wednesday night works the best for me either - training on Friday as the third session hasn't happened yet and I'm keen to start getting a third session in, but Fridays, eww.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A frustrating training run
Looking on the positive side, at least it wasn't frustrating because my body didn't want to do what I wanted it to - I found it frustrating because the run leaders that took us out last night picked a poor route. It was raining, but I didn't mind that so much. They decided to take us down Docklands way for something different, but we probably stopped 12 times - I'm not exaggerating! They didn't seem to know exactly where we were going, so we took some wrong turns and literally had to stop and turn around, and there were numerous traffic lights. The girl that took us out at the front also seemed too worried about the beginners keeping up - some people weren't even sure they could make the 6km - and kept the group at a 7:30 pace for the first half of the course. Excruciatingly slow! Maybe I should be grateful that an excruciating slow pace exists for me now. I was partly kicking myself because I was debating doing the 8km slow group and then chickened out and told myself I would next week.
But strangely... my legs are sore today. Go figure. Perhaps because pushed out harder on the way back and we got closer to 7km than 6... one of the ladies in the group that was wearing a GPS watch said it was 6.8km. I'm not entirely sure of our track given we did a little bit of backtracking... it may have looked something like this:
I'm finding the Melbourne Marathon training a tad frustrating at the moment, partly because the pace is all over the place. I liked that the Run Melbourne guys stuck to a certain pace; the guy at the front kept an agreed pace and let the group position themselves around him. The guy at the back might be doing a pace 30 seconds slower so the group would spread out between the two. It seemed very straightforward and worked really well. Maybe the Melb Marathon guys will get it sorted soon. I hope.
I've been debating a GPS watch purchase since I started talking about it with a colleague at work. There's a watch that Garmin do that combines GPS and a HRM that I like the look of, and the output of the maps looks really good too - it's the Forerunner 405CX:
I certainly wouldn't pay $500 for it - it seems you can get them on Amazon.com for a lot cheaper and in online stores for a bargain price from time to time. I was thinking that I couldn't justify the cost when I should be saving it for my time overseas, but then I remembered I got a $500 VISA gift card from work... coincidence?
I'll keep thinking about it a little longer, but I my mind was mostly made up once I remembered the gift card. I'm not sure I'll be even able to use my iPhone overseas depending on where we end up, and I think I'm getting some weird lopsided running action from running with my iPod/Phone in my left hand. Running Cat pointed out to me that my left shoulder looked a bit stiff and I've thought about it since and realised it probably comes down from running with something in my hand since I started running last year. Hehe. My left arm doesn't seem to swing as much as the right (you have to keep an iPod or iPhone steady you know or you might accidentally throw it out of your hand!). So I've been consciously trying to relax my left side and correct it... and once you know your route, distance and pace via GPS it's hard to go back!
But strangely... my legs are sore today. Go figure. Perhaps because pushed out harder on the way back and we got closer to 7km than 6... one of the ladies in the group that was wearing a GPS watch said it was 6.8km. I'm not entirely sure of our track given we did a little bit of backtracking... it may have looked something like this:
I'm finding the Melbourne Marathon training a tad frustrating at the moment, partly because the pace is all over the place. I liked that the Run Melbourne guys stuck to a certain pace; the guy at the front kept an agreed pace and let the group position themselves around him. The guy at the back might be doing a pace 30 seconds slower so the group would spread out between the two. It seemed very straightforward and worked really well. Maybe the Melb Marathon guys will get it sorted soon. I hope.
I've been debating a GPS watch purchase since I started talking about it with a colleague at work. There's a watch that Garmin do that combines GPS and a HRM that I like the look of, and the output of the maps looks really good too - it's the Forerunner 405CX:
I'll keep thinking about it a little longer, but I my mind was mostly made up once I remembered the gift card. I'm not sure I'll be even able to use my iPhone overseas depending on where we end up, and I think I'm getting some weird lopsided running action from running with my iPod/Phone in my left hand. Running Cat pointed out to me that my left shoulder looked a bit stiff and I've thought about it since and realised it probably comes down from running with something in my hand since I started running last year. Hehe. My left arm doesn't seem to swing as much as the right (you have to keep an iPod or iPhone steady you know or you might accidentally throw it out of your hand!). So I've been consciously trying to relax my left side and correct it... and once you know your route, distance and pace via GPS it's hard to go back!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday morning long run, also known as - You've Been Served.
My first attempt at 8km! Well, we only did 7.4km in the end, but either way, it's seems a lot longer than the 5km I've been regularly plodding out, or the 6km on Wednesday. My body got a little sore towards the end, but not too bad and I've been lucky with little soreness today.
It was quite amusing, because I was walking from where I parked my car to the gym where the session was being held and chatting to another girl who was clearly headed to the same thing... we were talking away and I made the assumption that we were at a similar running level given she looked the same age as me and didn't smack of elite runner, but when they called out for the 22 and 26kers, her hand shot up! Never assume there's a stereotype for a runner. There were a lot of people I hadn't suspected as marathoners, but didn't even look remotely scared at the prospect of doing a half marathon before breakfast.
If I was starting to feel too confident about my running ability, the Sunday session put me in my place. They ran through the list... a dozen 26kers headed off, then 30 or so 22kers after them. Then the 16 and 14kers. And finally the 8kers. One of the run leaders for the 8km group explained that the medium-fast group would be taken out at a 5-5.15 pace and the slow group who are around that "beginner level" would be a 5:30 minute pace. That's faster than my race pace! And despite all of my hard work over the last few months, I'm still a beginner. So be it.
Looking at it positively, I did want the training to be more challenging, and even it's a little out of my league at the moment, it should pull me up to the level of the group. One of the run leaders in charge said there might be scope for a 10km beginners type group, and I'd be happy with that. It's still a step up from a 5km beginner!
My run may or may not have looked something like this:
It was quite amusing, because I was walking from where I parked my car to the gym where the session was being held and chatting to another girl who was clearly headed to the same thing... we were talking away and I made the assumption that we were at a similar running level given she looked the same age as me and didn't smack of elite runner, but when they called out for the 22 and 26kers, her hand shot up! Never assume there's a stereotype for a runner. There were a lot of people I hadn't suspected as marathoners, but didn't even look remotely scared at the prospect of doing a half marathon before breakfast.
If I was starting to feel too confident about my running ability, the Sunday session put me in my place. They ran through the list... a dozen 26kers headed off, then 30 or so 22kers after them. Then the 16 and 14kers. And finally the 8kers. One of the run leaders for the 8km group explained that the medium-fast group would be taken out at a 5-5.15 pace and the slow group who are around that "beginner level" would be a 5:30 minute pace. That's faster than my race pace! And despite all of my hard work over the last few months, I'm still a beginner. So be it.
Looking at it positively, I did want the training to be more challenging, and even it's a little out of my league at the moment, it should pull me up to the level of the group. One of the run leaders in charge said there might be scope for a 10km beginners type group, and I'd be happy with that. It's still a step up from a 5km beginner!
My run may or may not have looked something like this:
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I ran 6km with the "medium" group tonight!
Granted, they did a slower than planned pace, but I'm still pretty pleased with myself! The medium group ran just under a 6 minute pace, finishing in about 35 and a half minutes.
The Melbourne Marathon training sessions are on a much smaller scale than the Run Melbourne ones were. There were 6 groups to choose from - slow and medium groups for 6km, 8km and 10km. There were run leaders for the front and back of each group, which is a relief - the idea of running with a group that stretches you and losing them is a little scary!
Because the majority of the 6kers wanted to run the slow pace of 6-6:30 mins they only had half a dozen that wanted to run a medium pace of 5:30, so decided to run the two groups together with under 6 at the front, 6 in the middle and 6:30 at the back. It was so strange because I thought that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the medium guys, but about 2km in I completely lost the slow group and was at the back of the medium one. Because the groups were so much smaller and there weren't any lights most of the way we spread out quite a bit and I felt like I was running by myself for the majority of the way. In fact I was for the last km or so!
The ran felt... dare I say it... easy tonight. My legs felt very fresh and I didn't actually feel tired at any time. Now, I'm not sure I'll be saying that after running 8km on Sunday!
The Melbourne Marathon training sessions are on a much smaller scale than the Run Melbourne ones were. There were 6 groups to choose from - slow and medium groups for 6km, 8km and 10km. There were run leaders for the front and back of each group, which is a relief - the idea of running with a group that stretches you and losing them is a little scary!
Because the majority of the 6kers wanted to run the slow pace of 6-6:30 mins they only had half a dozen that wanted to run a medium pace of 5:30, so decided to run the two groups together with under 6 at the front, 6 in the middle and 6:30 at the back. It was so strange because I thought that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the medium guys, but about 2km in I completely lost the slow group and was at the back of the medium one. Because the groups were so much smaller and there weren't any lights most of the way we spread out quite a bit and I felt like I was running by myself for the majority of the way. In fact I was for the last km or so!
The ran felt... dare I say it... easy tonight. My legs felt very fresh and I didn't actually feel tired at any time. Now, I'm not sure I'll be saying that after running 8km on Sunday!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Signed up to the Spring Into Shape series and the 10km at the Melbourne Marathon
So, three more races before I depart this country of golden soil girt by sea. I've signed up to the 12km (12km!) first and second races in the Spring Into Shape Melbourne series. The third race of the series is on the day I leave Sydney on a boat to San Diego, so I'll miss out there. It's a shame because I like the feeling of completing all of something, but not much I can do there. The plan was to start out with the 8km race and move up to 12km, but I've decided it would be nice to be able to directly compare the two times.
I've also officially signed up for the 10km Melbourne Marathon... number 20765. In some ways 10km seems just around the corner from 5km, but in others it seems so much more of a challenge. It probably depends on how hard a training run is on any particular day!
I've also officially signed up for the 10km Melbourne Marathon... number 20765. In some ways 10km seems just around the corner from 5km, but in others it seems so much more of a challenge. It probably depends on how hard a training run is on any particular day!
Final wrap up of the Run Melbourne 5km
So the official results have been posted up on the Run Melbourne website. They seem to be having issues with the database crashing, so I'll get an image up here from an email I have tomorrow. I was very happy with how I did versus the field - from memory my time was better than 71% of the group, which is pretty darn cool given it was my first formal 5km fun run.
Running Cat came prepared with her camera on Sunday...
Our beautiful friend Deborah (in the City) came and cheered us on at the 4km mark and enjoyed a lovely brunch with us after the run.
Running Cat came prepared with her camera on Sunday...
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Finished the Run Melbourne 5km in 30:57 - and made my 30-minutes-something goal!
I really enjoyed Run Melbourne course today, and the feel of the event was great. We couldn't have had a better winter morning to run... the sun was out in spurts, but not out the whole time we were running, which can get a little hot even in winter.
Oh... and did I mention I made the time I wanted to?? Okay, I met my revised goal for the 5km race. After last week's run of 31:27 on a very flat course I thought sub-30 may be a little ambitious and could cause me to make the classic rookie mistake (yes, I said rookie, running cat!) of going out too early and having to slow down dramatically... or worse, walk! So my revised goal was to run 30-minutes-something, which I just managed to do. And I didn't really know what the course would be, so with 1 horrible hill, 1 decent hill and 1 reasonable hill at the end plus a headwind in places, I'm pretty pleased with 30:57 and my placing of 1,267 in a field of I'm-not-too-sure-yet.
Here was today's course:
We'll find out more when the results are posted online and in The Age on Tuesday. I'm hoping they have the same info they had for the Mother's Day Classic - giving you your placing in the event overall, but also comparing you to others in the same age bracket. We also ran over a mat at about the 2km mark, so it will be interesting to see the split time.
Everything about the event was so well organised by Start to Finish - the training groups were fantastic, they sent everybody off in waves properly, and there were bands playing along the course too. A couple of things to nitpick at (like, don't put school children that are just going to stop and walk after 3 minutes in front of us!), but overall I had a really fun day.
Bring on the Melbourne Marathon training (or should I say The Coffee Club 10km) on Wednesday!
Oh... and did I mention I made the time I wanted to?? Okay, I met my revised goal for the 5km race. After last week's run of 31:27 on a very flat course I thought sub-30 may be a little ambitious and could cause me to make the classic rookie mistake (yes, I said rookie, running cat!) of going out too early and having to slow down dramatically... or worse, walk! So my revised goal was to run 30-minutes-something, which I just managed to do. And I didn't really know what the course would be, so with 1 horrible hill, 1 decent hill and 1 reasonable hill at the end plus a headwind in places, I'm pretty pleased with 30:57 and my placing of 1,267 in a field of I'm-not-too-sure-yet.
Here was today's course:
Everything about the event was so well organised by Start to Finish - the training groups were fantastic, they sent everybody off in waves properly, and there were bands playing along the course too. A couple of things to nitpick at (like, don't put school children that are just going to stop and walk after 3 minutes in front of us!), but overall I had a really fun day.
Bring on the Melbourne Marathon training (or should I say The Coffee Club 10km) on Wednesday!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Last run before Run Melbourne on Sunday
Tonight was a much better night to run... I don't mind running in the rain, I quite like it in many ways, it's just the puddles that get a bit annoying.You can't see puddles at night in particular, so you end up landing hard in them and splashing dirty water all over yourself. But no rain in sight this evening and I had a fairly comfortable run. 5km in 32:19, so about a minute longer than the VRR race on Sunday. I'm happy doing that time at the stage I'm at when nobody's looking. The 'nobody's looking' bit is important... it's so easy to slack off when you are running solo at night!
The bit I was most pleased about is that I maintained my pace the whole way. It's been a bit of a challenge for me because when I get tired my stride shortens a lot so I have to consciously watch out for that when I'm getting fatigued.
My split times were: 6:27, 6:12, 6:36, 6:26, 6:25.
The bit I was most pleased about is that I maintained my pace the whole way. It's been a bit of a challenge for me because when I get tired my stride shortens a lot so I have to consciously watch out for that when I'm getting fatigued.
My split times were: 6:27, 6:12, 6:36, 6:26, 6:25.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Training for the Melbourne Marathon begins... well, soon
I'm training for 10k, not the marathon... this year, anyway!
The details for the training sessions they are putting on for the Melbourne Marathon are up under the training section.
I'm looking forward to starting a new round of training sessions that are a bit more challenging. I only hope they are as well run and welcoming as the group that organised the Run Melbourne sessions. It says the training sessions are for those training for the 10k, half marathon and marathon, but the sessions seem fairly demanding in terms of distance - 10km on the second Sunday! I'm pretty sure I could get my way through 10km now, but it will be interesting to see what pace they run the groups at. Slow could mean anywhere from 5.30-6.30 min kms... we shall see.
I meant to get my last run in for Sunday's race tonight, but got home from work late and it was pouring, so decided to delay it until tomorrow. Tomorrow will definitely be the last day to get that run in if I want to make sure there is no chance of being sore on race day.
The details for the training sessions they are putting on for the Melbourne Marathon are up under the training section.
I meant to get my last run in for Sunday's race tonight, but got home from work late and it was pouring, so decided to delay it until tomorrow. Tomorrow will definitely be the last day to get that run in if I want to make sure there is no chance of being sore on race day.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Things I have learned
First of all, I want to acknowledge my awesome friend, Running Cat, who I blatantly stole this blog format from. I owe her a little more than that though... if it wasn't for her suggestion to join up to run the Mother's Day Classic, I may never have gotten back into running again. I didn't train particularly conscientiously for the event, but I have a terrible guilty conscience and couldn't be a no-show, so that kick started my efforts (I was determined not to walk any of that 4km course even though I'd only dedicated two weeks of training to it!).
Oh, and she also found out about the Run Melbourne free training sessions on every Tuesday night at Fed Square. Wow, I do have a lot to thank her for. Thanks, Ms Running Cat!
There are lots of new things I've learned about running this time around:
1. I need to have something to aim for!
I used the Couch to 5k plan last year to work my way up to running non-stop for 30 minutes last year and kept it up for about 4 months. But what then? Training for an event makes every run seem worthwhile. Running for fitness or body tone just gets plain boring quickly.
2. Running with a group makes it really challenging and fun
It was probably lack of confidence that made me think I'd never be fast enough to run with a running club. The Run Melbourne training sessions have been amazing... a 12 week build up with a beginners group as well as different distances and paces. It makes it almost easy to keep improving. Well, it feels easy after the run is over each week.
3. Running with a partner is great
Again, perhaps a bit of a confidence thing, but I was certain that most everybody on the planet runs faster than me, and with the variation in running paces I'd never find somebody that I could comfortably run with. I was wrong! Running with a friend pushes you harder than you'd push yourself and gives you a reason to show up to complete a planned training session. And the Run Melbourne training sessions showed me that plenty of people run at a similar pace to me.
4. Shoes are super important
I ran with some old shoes the first time around and had a fair few niggles in my ankles and the bottom of my legs. I got fitted by a podiatrist at Active Feet and haven't looked back. Not a single foot or leg / knee issue since *crossing fingers*.
5. I need a training plan / routine to stick to
Or else I wouldn't make my minimum training sessions each week.
6. I shouldn't be scared to challenge myself
I read somewhere that newbies to running often make one of two mistakes, one - worrying about pushing themselves too hard, and therefore don't and don't improve, or two - push themselves too hard too quickly and quit. I fell into the first group the first time round, but now feel like I challenge myself on a regular basis and therefore continue to improve.
Hmm, 6 is an annoying number of things but I suppose I'll just have to deal with it.
Oh, and she also found out about the Run Melbourne free training sessions on every Tuesday night at Fed Square. Wow, I do have a lot to thank her for. Thanks, Ms Running Cat!
There are lots of new things I've learned about running this time around:
1. I need to have something to aim for!
I used the Couch to 5k plan last year to work my way up to running non-stop for 30 minutes last year and kept it up for about 4 months. But what then? Training for an event makes every run seem worthwhile. Running for fitness or body tone just gets plain boring quickly.
2. Running with a group makes it really challenging and fun
It was probably lack of confidence that made me think I'd never be fast enough to run with a running club. The Run Melbourne training sessions have been amazing... a 12 week build up with a beginners group as well as different distances and paces. It makes it almost easy to keep improving. Well, it feels easy after the run is over each week.
3. Running with a partner is great
Again, perhaps a bit of a confidence thing, but I was certain that most everybody on the planet runs faster than me, and with the variation in running paces I'd never find somebody that I could comfortably run with. I was wrong! Running with a friend pushes you harder than you'd push yourself and gives you a reason to show up to complete a planned training session. And the Run Melbourne training sessions showed me that plenty of people run at a similar pace to me.
4. Shoes are super important
I ran with some old shoes the first time around and had a fair few niggles in my ankles and the bottom of my legs. I got fitted by a podiatrist at Active Feet and haven't looked back. Not a single foot or leg / knee issue since *crossing fingers*.
5. I need a training plan / routine to stick to
Or else I wouldn't make my minimum training sessions each week.
6. I shouldn't be scared to challenge myself
I read somewhere that newbies to running often make one of two mistakes, one - worrying about pushing themselves too hard, and therefore don't and don't improve, or two - push themselves too hard too quickly and quit. I fell into the first group the first time round, but now feel like I challenge myself on a regular basis and therefore continue to improve.
Hmm, 6 is an annoying number of things but I suppose I'll just have to deal with it.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Practice for the Run Melbourne 5km race next week
Welcome to my blog! I thought today was as good as any to officially start it.
Running Cat and I attended a Victorian Road Runner 5km race today to see how we are placed for the Run Melbourne 5km race next week. I am fighting another cold this weekend, my second in a fortnight, but despite my body screaming, "I hate you for making me run when I just want to rest", I ran an okay time. I at least ran the 5km non-stop, which you'd think is a given by this stage, but our Run Melbourne training sessions often have to stop in a couple of places for lights.
For today's 5km route click here.
The run today was by the Maribyrnong river, which was a really nice place to run actually... if I lived in the west I might consider going back there for a training run in the future. Here is the scenery we enjoyed today:
It was great being among another group of running enthusiasts of all ages and varying abilities, but clearly all fairly serious runners. I'm realising more and more that the Melbourne running community really is well established and there are plenty of people participating right through winter while the majority of the public are getting massive doona time.
Running Cat and I attended a Victorian Road Runner 5km race today to see how we are placed for the Run Melbourne 5km race next week. I am fighting another cold this weekend, my second in a fortnight, but despite my body screaming, "I hate you for making me run when I just want to rest", I ran an okay time. I at least ran the 5km non-stop, which you'd think is a given by this stage, but our Run Melbourne training sessions often have to stop in a couple of places for lights.
For today's 5km route click here.
The run today was by the Maribyrnong river, which was a really nice place to run actually... if I lived in the west I might consider going back there for a training run in the future. Here is the scenery we enjoyed today:
It was great being among another group of running enthusiasts of all ages and varying abilities, but clearly all fairly serious runners. I'm realising more and more that the Melbourne running community really is well established and there are plenty of people participating right through winter while the majority of the public are getting massive doona time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)