This is my last week of FTL, which is sad because it is such a nice acronym. That being said, I'm not quite following that plan this week either. Next week, the training shall be as follows:
Monday: 4
Tuesday: 3
Wednesday: Rest (fly to Germany)
Thursday: Rest (jet lag)
Friday: 3
Saturday: 4
Sunday: 3
This is the warm-up for the actual half-marathon plan that I will be starting in June. You do a month of reasonable weekly mileage to get prepared. However, I haven't been up to running these distances, so yesterday I decided that the time had come to bump up training with a 4-mile run.
It was a 4-mile run of agony!
First, I think I got going too quickly considering that it is hot. Not quite summer conditions, but it was still 90F when I got started (at this was at 7pm). That is hot. So next time, I need to slow down. Evidently, I forgot just how slowly I had to run last summer when I was adapting to the heat.
Second, I need to run more.
What I am hoping now is that the next time I try 4 miles, it will not be as agonizing. We will see that as progress. It's the little victories at this point.
Showing posts with label FTL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FTL. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Figuring out a plan
Yesterday, I sat down and made a plan that should take me from now until the Oak Tree Half Marathon on Labor Day. It's almost 6 months, so almost half the year. And that seems positive. This has definitely not been my best year for running thus far and it's consoling to know that not all is in vain.
I'm going to stick with the FTL plan for a few more weeks, then transition to a 5-day-a-week plan, and finish up with the half-marathon plan, which is 12 weeks. It looks relatively doable. Some conflicts will likely come up; for instance, I will be flying to Germany, which will knock me out, but it's okay. Getting off track once or twice is not the worst thing.
Today I did my 'F' run, with another pyramid. I thought that it was going to be awful because the temperature was 86F. However, it really wasn't as bad as I expected. No idea why. Let's hope this keeps up.
I'm going to stick with the FTL plan for a few more weeks, then transition to a 5-day-a-week plan, and finish up with the half-marathon plan, which is 12 weeks. It looks relatively doable. Some conflicts will likely come up; for instance, I will be flying to Germany, which will knock me out, but it's okay. Getting off track once or twice is not the worst thing.
Today I did my 'F' run, with another pyramid. I thought that it was going to be awful because the temperature was 86F. However, it really wasn't as bad as I expected. No idea why. Let's hope this keeps up.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Successful week (at long last)
I did it! Today was 'L' of FTL, with a 55-minute 'long' run. I didn't even have to walk! Victory!
Although, I did want to walk. Today was still less awful than normal, but in the direct sun, I still felt terrible. I went after 6pm, so I was hoping that it wouldn't be too bad. Part of me knows that adaptation will happen, eventually, and that it just takes time.
Another part of me knows that I never fully adapt and that I need to just suck up this icky hot.
That part of me remains unhappy.
What I should focus on instead: running elsewhere (not in Florida) this summer and the half-marathon in upstate New York. It will be okay. Sometimes I just lose sight of that. Speaking of which, I need to figure out a game plan for that thing soon--probably I will have to start gearing up for real training in May or so. Right now, I am nowhere near ready 'real training.' But this week was a good start.
Although, I did want to walk. Today was still less awful than normal, but in the direct sun, I still felt terrible. I went after 6pm, so I was hoping that it wouldn't be too bad. Part of me knows that adaptation will happen, eventually, and that it just takes time.
Another part of me knows that I never fully adapt and that I need to just suck up this icky hot.
That part of me remains unhappy.
What I should focus on instead: running elsewhere (not in Florida) this summer and the half-marathon in upstate New York. It will be okay. Sometimes I just lose sight of that. Speaking of which, I need to figure out a game plan for that thing soon--probably I will have to start gearing up for real training in May or so. Right now, I am nowhere near ready 'real training.' But this week was a good start.
Dare I dream?
Since the crazy storms from the previous post, the weather has been very nice: mid-70s with lower humidity than normal. I wish that the weather could always be like this. But no. However, it's still around today, which is great.
This marks an exciting week: I think that I will actually get through FTL for the first time...well...since I adopted this plan. Progress! Today I will do the long run.
Yesterday, I did my pyramid piece (which is the 'F' of FTL. 'F' for pyramid. Not really. 'F' for fartlek). I went after 10am and didn't feel like I was going to die (miracle)--although the sun was hot when there was no shade. Nothing really noteworthy about the run except that I continue to feel like I am running in sludge. Somehow I doubt that this sentiment is going to go away anytime soon.
This marks an exciting week: I think that I will actually get through FTL for the first time...well...since I adopted this plan. Progress! Today I will do the long run.
Yesterday, I did my pyramid piece (which is the 'F' of FTL. 'F' for pyramid. Not really. 'F' for fartlek). I went after 10am and didn't feel like I was going to die (miracle)--although the sun was hot when there was no shade. Nothing really noteworthy about the run except that I continue to feel like I am running in sludge. Somehow I doubt that this sentiment is going to go away anytime soon.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tempo run
Yesterday, I got myself motivated to run. I went with the tempo run, which was four 5-minute intervals with 90 seconds in between. This time around, I took the toy, so I was able to track the time very accurately. I haven't actually looked at any of the other statistics; it's pretty safe to say that they were not very good, because I felt vaguely like I was running through sludge.
The key, though, is that I did it.
Also, it was kind of hot. I was definitely feeling the weather, even though this was only in 5-minute intervals. Yeesh. I did a sunset run again, because I'm still not able to get myself motivated to tackle the early-morning conditions.
I was supposed to run a 5k this weekend, but apparently it has been postponed (awwwwwwwwww). Today there have been some pretty violent storms, although honestly I just spent the last four hours in the kitchen preparing things related to strawberries (such as jam) and I seriously doubt that I would have gone. Tomorrow might get weird, but at least it looks like the weekend should be clear sailing.
The key, though, is that I did it.
Also, it was kind of hot. I was definitely feeling the weather, even though this was only in 5-minute intervals. Yeesh. I did a sunset run again, because I'm still not able to get myself motivated to tackle the early-morning conditions.
I was supposed to run a 5k this weekend, but apparently it has been postponed (awwwwwwwwww). Today there have been some pretty violent storms, although honestly I just spent the last four hours in the kitchen preparing things related to strawberries (such as jam) and I seriously doubt that I would have gone. Tomorrow might get weird, but at least it looks like the weekend should be clear sailing.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
It was as bad as I thought it would be
Feeling my usual lazy self this morning, I decided to wait until the PM to go for a run.* It was 85F when I started, although the humidity was low and the dew point was a reasonable 65F (by which I mean it was not a horrific 75F+). That being said, this is too hot for me, at least right now. I had to walk at around the 30-minute mark.
I decided that today was my 'long run' of my FTL. I am using that term very liberally.
Actually, I was reminded of when I first moved to Florida. It was the start of August, which is the 'Oh God someone shoot me' time of year, weather-wise. Being that I am lazy in the mornings (are you seeing a pattern here?), I often tried running around sunset. I also noticed that practically no one could be found after dark, so I avoided that. However, the actual temperatures were still very nasty and no matter what I did, I had to walk after around 30 minutes. Did not matter how fast/slow I started. Did not matter what pace I maintained (although back then, I did not really track my pace very carefully). At around 30 minutes, I would suddenly have to walk.
Tonight was essentially the same thing. So I walked for about 1-2 minutes, then picked it back up, nice and slowly. After that, things were okay. I suspect that if I had tried to run for much longer, I would have required another walking break, but I also suspect that I got going a bit faster near the end since the end was (metaphorically) in sight--it wasn't actually in sight since I was going by time, but you know what I mean.
I also realized that you need to know what you can and cannot do, athletically. For instance, I knew that I could get through a marathon when I decided to train for one on the grounds that I don't injure very easily and am generally good at sticking to plans, despite what you might glean from this blog. However, I also knew not to expect to be too fast, because I'm not fast. I'm doing a 5k next Sunday and I think that it will be the last one for a while. One thing that I have learned after 4+ years of running down here is that I am not equipped to run in heat. Probably some people are. Then again, some people have knee problems, whereas so far I have been lucky enough to avoid them. Such is life.
I guess the good news is that the more of this I do, the less awful it will feel eventually. It's just so blech when you're actually going through the adopting to heat phase!
*Incidentally, the humidity was in the 90%+ range this morning. In some ways, I'm so glad to be lazy in the mornings. That would have been ick.
I decided that today was my 'long run' of my FTL. I am using that term very liberally.
Actually, I was reminded of when I first moved to Florida. It was the start of August, which is the 'Oh God someone shoot me' time of year, weather-wise. Being that I am lazy in the mornings (are you seeing a pattern here?), I often tried running around sunset. I also noticed that practically no one could be found after dark, so I avoided that. However, the actual temperatures were still very nasty and no matter what I did, I had to walk after around 30 minutes. Did not matter how fast/slow I started. Did not matter what pace I maintained (although back then, I did not really track my pace very carefully). At around 30 minutes, I would suddenly have to walk.
Tonight was essentially the same thing. So I walked for about 1-2 minutes, then picked it back up, nice and slowly. After that, things were okay. I suspect that if I had tried to run for much longer, I would have required another walking break, but I also suspect that I got going a bit faster near the end since the end was (metaphorically) in sight--it wasn't actually in sight since I was going by time, but you know what I mean.
I also realized that you need to know what you can and cannot do, athletically. For instance, I knew that I could get through a marathon when I decided to train for one on the grounds that I don't injure very easily and am generally good at sticking to plans, despite what you might glean from this blog. However, I also knew not to expect to be too fast, because I'm not fast. I'm doing a 5k next Sunday and I think that it will be the last one for a while. One thing that I have learned after 4+ years of running down here is that I am not equipped to run in heat. Probably some people are. Then again, some people have knee problems, whereas so far I have been lucky enough to avoid them. Such is life.
I guess the good news is that the more of this I do, the less awful it will feel eventually. It's just so blech when you're actually going through the adopting to heat phase!
*Incidentally, the humidity was in the 90%+ range this morning. In some ways, I'm so glad to be lazy in the mornings. That would have been ick.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Getting caught up
Last week I was on semi-vacation, touring around various parts of Florida to see spring training games. I did get to run, but maybe not as much as would be ideal in a perfect situation. Here is the summary:
1) Monday I did the Long Run of last week's FTL. Sunday, I was feeling far too tired to actually get up and run, so I postponed it (not to mention that it was the switch to EST). I did manage to eke out a 45-minute run, which isn't too bad, all things considered. Actually, I can't really remember the last time I did a 45-minute run, so I'm seeing this as a victory. It was 'somewhat chilly' when I started: 50F! Warmed up plenty while I was out, though.
2) Then I didn't do much.
3) Yesterday, I made a plan. You remember how I mentioned that I want to start doing push-ups? I found a website that trains you to get from total suckitude at push-ups to 100 in 6 weeks. You're supposed to do this program three days a week. I'm also hoping to run three days a week. So the new plan is that if I don't run, I have to do push-ups. You might think that this is an obvious answer, since push-ups are easier than running. However, you are underestimating just how bad I am at push-ups. The answer is: really super mega-bad. So I'm hoping that this serves as a good motivator.
4) Today, I toyed around with a variety of things that I could do. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately (probably just a cold), so I took the opportunity to sleep in this morning. Then I decided that later I would maybe hit the treadmill at the gym and do the 'F' portion of this week's FTL. This decision resulted in 'meh,' though since I needed to be back home to do stuff...okay, I could have done it, but I wasn't feeling it one bit.
Instead, I did some aqua jogging, using it as my 'T' part. I did 5 minutes of intense water-running, followed by a two-minute break, repeating this pattern four times (except for the part where I did longer than 5 minutes because the watch did not reset automatically). Also, I drew an important conclusion: aqua jogging is not as good as running, but that doesn't mean it is cheating. It's just different. Not bad. Different. Still better than nothing.
Another thing that I realized: we only have five weeks left in this semester. Then I can develop more of a routine since I won't feel as crunched for time.
Tomorrow I am running a 5k in my neighborhood (the Strawberry Classic), so that should be good. Not good as in I expect to rock it or anything. Good in the sense that I don't have to get up super-early or drive super-far. And it is still running! I plan to do another 'L' on Sunday, this time working up to 50 minutes. So yeah, all in all, this past week was not a disaster.
1) Monday I did the Long Run of last week's FTL. Sunday, I was feeling far too tired to actually get up and run, so I postponed it (not to mention that it was the switch to EST). I did manage to eke out a 45-minute run, which isn't too bad, all things considered. Actually, I can't really remember the last time I did a 45-minute run, so I'm seeing this as a victory. It was 'somewhat chilly' when I started: 50F! Warmed up plenty while I was out, though.
2) Then I didn't do much.
3) Yesterday, I made a plan. You remember how I mentioned that I want to start doing push-ups? I found a website that trains you to get from total suckitude at push-ups to 100 in 6 weeks. You're supposed to do this program three days a week. I'm also hoping to run three days a week. So the new plan is that if I don't run, I have to do push-ups. You might think that this is an obvious answer, since push-ups are easier than running. However, you are underestimating just how bad I am at push-ups. The answer is: really super mega-bad. So I'm hoping that this serves as a good motivator.
4) Today, I toyed around with a variety of things that I could do. I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately (probably just a cold), so I took the opportunity to sleep in this morning. Then I decided that later I would maybe hit the treadmill at the gym and do the 'F' portion of this week's FTL. This decision resulted in 'meh,' though since I needed to be back home to do stuff...okay, I could have done it, but I wasn't feeling it one bit.
Instead, I did some aqua jogging, using it as my 'T' part. I did 5 minutes of intense water-running, followed by a two-minute break, repeating this pattern four times (except for the part where I did longer than 5 minutes because the watch did not reset automatically). Also, I drew an important conclusion: aqua jogging is not as good as running, but that doesn't mean it is cheating. It's just different. Not bad. Different. Still better than nothing.
Another thing that I realized: we only have five weeks left in this semester. Then I can develop more of a routine since I won't feel as crunched for time.
Tomorrow I am running a 5k in my neighborhood (the Strawberry Classic), so that should be good. Not good as in I expect to rock it or anything. Good in the sense that I don't have to get up super-early or drive super-far. And it is still running! I plan to do another 'L' on Sunday, this time working up to 50 minutes. So yeah, all in all, this past week was not a disaster.
Monday, March 7, 2011
New plan. Yes. Again.
I was revisiting an issue of Running Times today (a ridiculously hardcore running magazine), and ran across an article about what to do when your training plans are not going so well. Their advice was to keep training three days a week with the following runs: fartlek, tempo, and longer run. I've summarized it in my mind as FTL--much like GTL, but less orange.
Fartleks are basically speed drills, where you run normally, then sprint for a while. I suck at them because I crave structure, so I tend to do pyramids instead, which is where you run 1 minute fast, then 1 minute slow, followed by 2/2, then 3/3, and back to 2/2, finishing with 1/1. I like them and they don't take too long to do (while giving you a good workout).
Tempo runs are meant to be challenging, but not impossible. You try to hold a 'pushing it' pace for about 20 minutes (after a warm-up). I've decided that these shorter races like 5ks are about where I am right now mentally and physically, so this should be helpful for those. Actually, I liked the last 5k so much that I signed up for another one in two weeks: the Strawberry Classic, conveniently located in the neighborhood just to the south of me across the street.
The last run is a 'long run.' I think that I'm feeling about an hour for this one. That is longer than anything I have run in a while, so it should be good.
Okay, this is it. This is the plan. Three times a week with some variation. I've got this!
Also, as further inspiration, I got new running shoes....which were long overdue:
They are trail shoes, which wasn't exactly on purpose. However, I think that they will be good. I will be traveling to Germany for a month in May/June, so I can also use these for hiking. This plan worked well in the past and I think that it's a great time for trail shoes.
Fartleks are basically speed drills, where you run normally, then sprint for a while. I suck at them because I crave structure, so I tend to do pyramids instead, which is where you run 1 minute fast, then 1 minute slow, followed by 2/2, then 3/3, and back to 2/2, finishing with 1/1. I like them and they don't take too long to do (while giving you a good workout).
Tempo runs are meant to be challenging, but not impossible. You try to hold a 'pushing it' pace for about 20 minutes (after a warm-up). I've decided that these shorter races like 5ks are about where I am right now mentally and physically, so this should be helpful for those. Actually, I liked the last 5k so much that I signed up for another one in two weeks: the Strawberry Classic, conveniently located in the neighborhood just to the south of me across the street.
The last run is a 'long run.' I think that I'm feeling about an hour for this one. That is longer than anything I have run in a while, so it should be good.
Okay, this is it. This is the plan. Three times a week with some variation. I've got this!
Also, as further inspiration, I got new running shoes....which were long overdue:
They are trail shoes, which wasn't exactly on purpose. However, I think that they will be good. I will be traveling to Germany for a month in May/June, so I can also use these for hiking. This plan worked well in the past and I think that it's a great time for trail shoes.
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