Wanted to finally say official Hello

Member

Well now I'm not sure again what I am suppose to be doing. Shocked

Although I know all the answers are opinions and there is no absolute correct answer I wanted to just be told ~ do this.

Are 400's intervals? I have done a tempo run and it was okay, I have never run a fartlek. And I really like the 400's. It seems to make the time go by much faster. I guess breaking up the pace where I am not running all the same pace.

I can make my first mile slower unless I am in a race. I have actually done 3 before and get caught up in the excitement and always go out too fast. I guess I should try to have a plan before the next race and keep my splits even.

Maybe I'll just not worry about the next 5K's time, I'm sure it will be close to 28 minutes again and just try to add the miles so I am strong before the half training starts. The race in January is the one I really want to have a good show at. The 5k I just signed up for fun.

So if I do that ~ do I add 10% and stay at it for a couple weeks then add 10% again?

Thanks for all the help!
Rachel

Member

Rachel,

Sorry to add confusion to the mix. You are right, there are a lot of opinions out there and you need to find what works for you. When I started to increase my mileage my coach said to do some light speed work to help move things along but not to do anything heavy. I pretty much did hills, tempo runs (short and long), and fartlek. Fartlek is my favorite. Basically, I would run an easy mile for a warm up and then at the start of every mile after that I would run at a faster pace for a minute, then I would run the rest of the mile at the easy pace. This helped me get use to running faster and still allowed me to get my miles in.

I would think at this point (IMHO) running 400's are not going to help you too much. You will get a greater benefit from building your endurance by increasing your mileage.

Master of Prissface

Yes, 400's 800's, all the stuff you do on the track are intervals. I think Higdon calls them repeats also. Same thing. Fartlek is just kind of inserting some sprints into your run, like looking ahead and saying, OK, from here to that house, tree, phone pole, whatever, I am going to pick it up...a little at first, or a lot if you can, then when you get there, slow down to recovery pace like you do on the track, and repeat a couple times throughout the run. I like to do those on the roads because those are the conditions in which you race, so for me it's a mind game. I can replay in my head the picture of me running faster when I'm in a racing situation and that seems to help some.

I too am guilty of that all out boogie in the first mile, and it ends up strangling me for the second, or worse, depending on how fast I go out. Bad move. The best way to run a race is to run negative splits, with each mile faster than the last, and a kick at the end if you have anything left. But is sooooo hard not to get caught up in it and take right off. I ran the 400 in HS so I am used to going at the gun, and distance racing has been a constant struggle for me for that reason. It takes discipline but it pays off.

What I tried that helped with this mentally is, sometime a week or preferably two before your 5K, is run that day's run as if it were the race, in other words, try to run it at your goal pace--and work on the splits then. If you feel yourself going out too fast, work with it, and try to consciously pick it up on miles 2 & 3, and see if you can't sprint the last .1 to train yourself to do that for a finishing kick. Someone told me to try that and while I am still realllly slow, I was even slower before and the pacing helped me focus during the race. It's not foolproof, but it helps. Most training programs will have you do some runs at your goal pace anyway, kind of like the tempo run, to get yourself used to running at that pace. Does that make sense?

Member

I guess practicing at the pace would make sense to help keep my pace more even. I looked at my watch on the last race but they only have mile splits so I had already gone too fast before I knew it. Mad

I would probably like a fartlek because it would help to break up the same plod I do. I think I will just not worry too much about the next race and try to get my training on a even keel. I'll probably still throw in some type of hills or tempo/fartlek but try to just get more miles under my legs. I started back up in Feb and I think I was a 11/12 min pace then ~ so now I am right over 10 and when I try I am a 9 min pace.

It's getting hotter in Houston anyway so I imagine I'll get a bit slower anyway. I like that I can run further and not have my lungs dying I just wish I was quicker at it. Mr. Green

It'll come I know. Patience I keep telling myself.

Pyromaniac

Welcome Rachel. You'll find the "regulars" here sufficiently weird enough to keep you coming back. And the lack of political bs is quite refreshing. Akerns' posts are worth reading just to check out whatever avatar she's got going.....

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Master of Prissface

Master of Prissface

Grr...double posting!

crazy cat lady

Rachel!!! A fellow Houstonian!!! Welcome! Dancing Banana

I did the half this year and plan to do it again next year! Where do you run? What race on the 31st? We need to PM I think... Wink

anyway, Welcome!

Member

Hey Cheryl

I saw the Astros old shirt in your avatar! I was at the game on Monday ~ awesome game. They win everytime I go I was trying figure out how to convince Drayton I need season tickets to keep their record up. Very Happy

I'd love to talk to you. I'll Pm you and see if maybe we can get together for a run or something.

Rachel

Wanted to finally say official Hello

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