by admin

Thanks Rogue Training

Hi Rogue Training,

Just a short note to say that I’m slowing down and will probably not be taking anymore Rogue Training.

I started with Rogue when it was barely a gleam in your eyes having taken RunTex University Marathon training in 2003. Over the past few years I’ve been very successful with Rogue Training culminating in qualifying for Boston twice and running it in 2011. This is all thanks to you and your marvelous coaching. I especially enjoyed the intense early morning Team Rogue workouts. All your organizing during the trip to Sacramento for the California International Marathon in 2010 was great. Your courses made me aware of the social aspects of running. Over the years I’ve met wonderful people while training and I still keep in touch with many of my “running buddies”. Other members of your coaching staff has been superb and that right now I can’t even remember all their names over the 10 years I’ve been training with you. Ten marathons including numerous Austins, one Chicago, one CIM, one Gainesville, and sweet Boston. So many miles, so many smiles. It’s changed me… after running all over the Austin streets it’s help me navigate throughout the city. Also I’ve come to realize that many aspects of my life are marathon-like from my marriage of 40 years to my working at the same company for 42 years. I will always be a marathoner on the roads and in life. You helped show me that.

However, over the past few years things have caused me to slow down. From just getting older (now 64) to some medical problems which hopefully are behind me. So although training may not be as much of a focus I still plan on running. So 3-4 mile morning runs are still happening, and weekend 10 mile long runs on Lady Bird Lake continue. It’s just not the intensity like before during “training season”. What’s next is still an open question. Since I still want to be active and I’m been toying with doing some hiking. Naturally this is very tentative, and may never happen, but I’ve been thinking about hiking one of the US long trails, specifically the Pacific Crest Trail. Over the past few months I’ve been following one of my coaches who has been hiking the Appalachian Trail. Now if you had a Hiking Training course that would be great and I’d sign up tomorrow. One thing that Rogue is known for is it’s love of hills, and if you offered hiking then hills would definitely be required. Think about Ladera Norte with a 30 pound pack – YEAH!

Well in any case, I’ll be stopping by to purchase things in Rogue Equipment, poke my head in to Rogue Training to see the weekend long run course copies, and always thinking about the fun I had with all of you. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Brian “Bri” Watt

* edited to remove specific names.

by admin

New Shoes

Got new shoes today. The are Mizuno Wave Inspire 8, size 8.5 from Rogue Equipment. Also bought 4 pairs of socks, and some Body Glide. I’ll see in the next few days how these running shoes work out.

by admin

Wednesday’s Warhurst part deux

Cindy,

Take two of Warhurst. My previous ones are below so you can compare. So since I was a bit congested I eased up a bit and didn’t push it which shows. So over time as I got warmed up I feel like I did OK if anything a bit too fast – I just don’t have a fine-grain control on my pace. As a comparison if my MGP is 10:46, then my HMGP is 10:14 and 10K is 9:40.

1 Mile 11:10 min.mile - too slow
800 m  10:31 min/mile - too slow
Delta   0:39 min/mile - about right

1 Mile 09:53 min/mile - too fast
800 m  09:08 min/mile - too fast
Delta   0:45 min/mile - a bit big

1 Mile 09:29 min/mile - too fast
800 m  08:22 min/mile - much too fast
Delta   1:07 min/mile - much too big

Bri

by admin

10 miler today

Cindy,

So I didn’t push it today since it was recovery, but I tried to be consistent for all the miles – one foot in front of the other [1fifoto] as I say. However, after 10 miles I was starting to feel drained which disappointed me. I was hoping that I’d be better at the end of this short distance. Maybe it was because I didn’t have any fuel or electros during it – just water at the stops. Nevertheless my legs didn’t throb afterwards which is good. So I’ll just keep on keeping on.

Bri

P.S. Another speedwalking comment happened, so I’m just going to have to live with it – maybe I should just embrace it and become a speedwalker – HAH!

Mile Pace
01 11:32
02 11:01
03 11:09
04 10:19
05 10:08
06 10:33
07 09:37
08 10:10
09 10:20
10 10:24

by admin

Today’s 1.5 Marshes

Cindy,

So that was a hard workout this morning. I tried my best to recover on the straights and speed up on the coves. I did it by feel alone so I wasn’t going at my 10K pace (about 10 min/mile), but probably much faster. I measured the distance, time and pace where the distance started at your car and ended at the far end of Tallwood. You can see that the distance was about 1.6 miles (a bit longer than your stated 1.5 miles). The results show that going up hill definitely took longer. I was surprised that the first one was slower than the last one even though on the last one I was totally wiped.

Bri

Mile Time Pace
1.59 15:48.0 9:56
1.63 13:45.2 8:26
1.59 15:09.0 9:32

by admin

My results for the past few days

Cindy,

I ran the 5 mile Turkey Trot with my son a bit fast (note: I didn’t start my GPS until 0.38 mile was done). I was surprised by the pace throughout.

mile pace
01 9:42
02 9:14
03 9:09
04 8:35
05 8:33
Total 41:53.1
Average 8:59

Here is my 20 miler today with an average of 11:03 per mile and I wasn’t pushing it at all, if anything I felt sluggish/slow because of all the turkey/food I’ve had. So I’m again surprised by my results

01 11:54
02 09:42
03 10:58
04 10:44
05 10:48
06 10:53
07 10:40
08 10:48
09 12:37
10 10:30
11 10:31
12 11:18
13 11:12
14 11:39
15 11:12
16 10:53
17 10:09
18 12:06
19 11:27
20 11:34
21 09:46

Bri

by admin

18mi long run times from today

Dear Cindy,

So today went well I think. I stayed focused, keep my pace relatively constant, fueled at 7 & 14 miles w/ electrolyte tabs, and completed in 3:17+. My average pave was 10:47. Very few people were around me while running especially at the end – IOW it was quite lonely, but I listened to my iPod. So regardless it was a good day. My legs were throbbing afterwards, but a choc milk helped. However, I was quite stiff after sitting for a few hours at the 1:30 PM IMAX showing of Skyfall.

Bri

01 11:15
02 10:34
03 11:05
04 10:32
05 10:21
06 10:09
07 09:50
08 11:10
09 10:22
10 11:16
11 11:28
12 12:40 (stopped to talk to Nedra about cake baking for a min or two at water stop)
13 10:49
14 11:30
15 10:23
16 10:21
17 10:46
18 10:05
19 09:28

by admin

Today’s HMGP & 10K paces

Cindy,

Here are my paces from today’s 1 mile and 800m sections (adjusted for the actual distances). So if my MGP is 11 min/mile then my HMGP should be 10:27 and my 10K time should be 9:53 with a delta of 00:34. So I was going way way too fast – ugh. So I need to view my watch to be able to pull back on the speed. Sorry.

1 Mile 09:12 min/mile
800 m 09:01 min/mile
Delta 00:11 min/mile

1 Mile 08:55 min/mile
800 m 08:44 min/mile
Delta 00:11 min/mile

1 Mile 09:07 min/mile
800 m 08:49 min/mile
Delta 00:18 min/mile

Bri

by admin

Last weekend’s long run times

Hi Cindy,

You asked me to send you my long run times so we could try and find my goal MGP. Here are the times from last weekend. Although you told us not to go beyond 10 miles I accidentally forgot to turn around at Bobbie’s 5 mile water stop and continued on for about .6 miles before I realized it. Oops!

1 11:48.8 1.00 11:49
2 11:10.2 1.00 11:10
3 10:40.5 1.00 10:41
4 11:14.3 1.00 11:14
5 10:50.6 1.00 10:51
6 10:37.1 1.00 10:37
7 10:54.8 1.00 10:55
8 10:52.5 1.00 10:53
9 10:56.2 1.00 10:56
10 10:22.4 1.00 10:23
11 09:38.5 1.00 09:39
12 03:13.9 0.34 09:29
Total distance: 11.34
Average Pace: 10:47

Bri

by admin

Need your input – what should my MGP be?

Cindy,

So I have no idea what MGP I should consider as my goal – right now I’m guessing 11min/mile might be about right – but that’s not what I did. Today I decided to push it a little (not a lot though) – in other words, run at a concerted effort right from the start until the end of the MGP. I wasn’t focused on my watch and time per mile at all. So here is what I did for my 16 miles today (see below). After 10 miles I had 2 electrolyte tabs and a Clif shot and I probably should done that earlier (around the 1 mile easy). BTW The final three miles were a struggle, I was all alone (that’s nothing new this year – sigh) listening to my iPod and I had to push myself to get ‘er done. At the end I was fully cooked – I don’t think I could have gone any farther. Yet, I had run a progressive pace for those final 3 miles – go figure. Legs throbbing for about 30 minutes afterwards, but now at home they’re OK.

So my question is… what should my MGP be?

Bri

P.S. So it happened again – on the way up Congress a young lady next to me said that I was an excellent speed-walker. I didn’t answer since I was listening to my iPod – that is, I kinda ignored her. I need a snappy comeback. Maybe I should say how her pregnancy makes her glow. Grrrr. I’m sorry that I’m slow and my form is terrible. I’m doing the best I can. At least I’m out there doin’ it. Maybe next week we need to have a very short runner sensitivity speech by Ruth before our long run about this.

Warmup
01 11:00
02 09:22
03 10:11
3 miles at MGP (first mile includes 20-30 secs time at water stop)
04 10:42
05 10:00
06 09:48
1 mile easy (I did try to slow down a bit)
07 10:31
3 miles at MGP (first mile includes time at water stop)
08 10:06
09 09:34
10 09:54
6 miles (first mile includes big rest talking to Larry at water stop about NYC marathon cancellation)
11 14:56
12 11:39
13 11:04
14 11:24
15 10:36
16 09:49
17 09:06 0.22mi