Watt's Running

This is what I have to do in class tomorrow night which is the first night.

Why did you join this class: I joined this class because it is first good exercise, second because it is on Tuesday nights, and third it is nearby, that is, it is convenient.
What would you like to learn more about: I’d like to learn more about how to reduce the stress on my body while maintaining my endurance. I now fear the marathon and how hard it will be especially when I have a goal time. I tend to push myself too hard.
What is your goal: To complete a marathon in under 4 hours.
How realistic is it? What are some obstacles that might arise: I have completed 6 marathons so completing it is not the issue. I have also finished two in under 4 hours so the time is not totally impossible. However, as I continue to age I have less endurance.
Come up with a few intermediary goals that we could check off in 2 weeks, then four weeks: I’m going to need so help with these. Whereas with other runners over the running season they tend to improve dramatically with the conditioning I tend not to vary as much. Maybe it has something to do with my age. So to set some goals is good, but just what exactly they should be I need to talk to the coach.
Who’s going to help you stay focused: Staying focused has never been a problem. I attend all workouts, do all long runs, and put in the needed time and energy. However, I really don’t have any other people who will assist me in this goal except maybe the staff of the running class, that is, my coach and an acquaintance or two.
What is the ultimate goal: Sorry to repeat myself, but it’s complete a marathon in under 4 hours. Why you ask? Well for my age group this is my Boston qualifying time.

Note: This was done for my marathon training class.

I signed up with Rogue for their 2010 Austin Marathon course. My coach is Charles, also known as, Geezer. Since I turned 60 this year that adds an extra 15 minutes to my BQ qualifiying time which is now 4 hours, and I’ve run under 4 hours twice, but that’s been a few years ago, so I’m considering coming out of retirement and actually running it.

In class I ran eight 200 meter diagonals at 5K pace, but actually I was running all out, that is, no 5K pace. If I really did 5K pace I should have completed 200m in 1 minute. “Diagonals” means I ran 200m on the track (first number) and then cut across the track back to the start (second number). What is interesting is that my time overall improved from run to run. This was because I was at first chasing Monica and Nadia, and then I caught up to them and they seemed to ran faster so I had to also. What was good is that I had to do eight repeats (I’m in the beginner class) where they had to do ten (they are in the intermediate class).

Run, Recovery
50.41, 50.63
51.63, 46.72
51.38, 48.25
48.00, 52.18
49.57, 50.63
49.37, 52.52
47.60, 54.50
47.90, 1.01.00

Each year at the beginning of my running class we are required to run a two mile time trial. This typically sets our pace for future workouts. Then later in the course we run another time trial to see how much we’ve approved. So at the beginning of the year I ran 15:45 or about 7:53/M. Well today at class we had another time trial and I ran 14:38 or about 7:19/M. That’s a 34 second improvement per mile which is significant. I think this improvment comes from both my conditioning and my weight loss. Both of which makes me feel good.

Yesterday night’s running class was interesting. We had to run a mile at critical velocity, then rest for a minute, and repeat three times. I interpreted critical velocity as fast but not so fast so as to cause me to breath uncontrollably hard, that is, where I can’t catch my breath. I consider it balancing between controllable or uncontrollable breathing. Our coach said it was to be at our 15K pace or close to our 10 mile race pace. However, I didn’t run the 10 miler this past weekend, so all I could use is my 10 mile PR of 1:25 or 8:30/mile set a few years back. Yet when I ran yesterday I was doing about 8:00/mile. What was amazing is that I was able to do this reasonably. My three miles were 8:07, 7:59, and 8:03. The big question is could I keep it up. I don’t know, but I was impressed with my current performance. I have to thank my training and my weight loss.

The running class tonight absolutely kicked my butt. We did a 1.5 miles warm up on the local roads around the Burnet Middle School. Then we did a series of eight stations where a station consists of a calisthenic followed by 100m run to the next station. The eight stations included: 30 jumping jacks, 30 cheerleaders kicks, 10 yard shuttle run x10, 30 second water ski, high knees: 60 total, 10 lunges, 2 times, walk back for recovery, 2 sets of 10 push ups, and 2 sets of 10 crunches. We did this three times. By the time I was done I was cooked, double cooked, double dog-dare-you cooked. My legs were quivering. It’s now been over a hour since class, after a shower, and my leg muscles are still weak. You think that you’re fit, but this just goes to show you that you are not fit at all. OH MY GAWD this was some workout.

P.S. Wednesday: It’s now been 24 hours and I’m still sore. I can barely bend over, sit down, kneel down, or reach up high. I don’t know how everyone else is feeling. Answer from my coach “Would it make it any better to know that Geezer (the other coach) is telling the story about you finishing the pushups during your final 400? Pretty cool.” My response: “I was to do 20 push-ups and I only got 15 done when I was supposed to do them, so on the last lap I stopped and finished the last 5 and then he high-5’ed me”

P.P.S. Totals:
90 jumping jacks,
90 cheerleaders kicks,
30 10-yard shuttle run,
90 water skis,
180 high knees,
60 lunges,
60 push ups,
60 crunches and now I know why I’m so sore.

P.P.P.S Thursday: Still sore, can barely move to sit down, but ran 4 miles slowly this morning with two 500mg Tylenols in my blood stream to help out.

P.P.P.P.S Friday: I’m beginning to come out of my crippling fog. Woohoo. And tomorrow I can re-enter it (actually I doubt this) by running 12 miles.

Gosh, why do I hate these dang 2-mile time trials. Maybe it is because I try too hard. I looked back to last year and I ran it in 15:13. This year I did it in 15:46. It’s so much fun getting older and slower. Oh well suck it up “old man”, and keep on plugging – one foot in front of the other. Maybe if I just lose a bit of weight I’ll speed up – yeah right, I’m such a weirdo thinking that way. I just need to accept myself as I am and what I can do and move ahead.

Here is my running class coach, Coach Peri.

We met at Anderson High School at 5:45 PM. We introduced ourselves to each other. There is about 20 of us. Then we ran about 3/4 mile to where we were going to have practice. Next we did calisthenics – standard Rogue stuff. Then we did two fast/slow loops around a few streets in the neighborhood. We recovered on the way back to the high school. Afterwards we did foot drills, some stretching, and called it quits at about 7:00 PM. Good class and good coach.

Celeste and I decided to park at RunTex and run the 1.5 miles over to Rogue to add in some extra miles. The class left together with the coach, Peri, and did 5 miles from Rogue to Longhorn Dam and back. So all total Celeste and I did 8 miles. During the class run I met a number of my fellow students including Rob, Briana, Surab, Diane, and Charlene. Some old familiar faces were at the start since all the classes were meeting at Rogue for their long runs. It feels good to me to be back running in a crowd, meeting people, and getting the miles in. Yet I need to tell Peri, the coach, that although I’ll put in 110% during the course and do what is asked of me that I will not be running the marathon and probably not running any of the distance-challenge races too.