Tonight will be a big test! My FIRST schedule calls for me to run 1 easy mile, followed by 10 miles at 8:00 minute/mile pace. That is the pace that I need to run a marathon at to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I am pretty sure I can do it, though I haven’t done it before.
In a week and a half I am signed up to run a half marathon (The Niagara Falls Half Marathon on 10/28). My planned pace for that race is also going to be 8:00 minute miles. But tonight will give me a heads up as to how hard it will be to hold that pace for 10 miles. If I can do 10 tonight with no problems, then I am sure I can do the half marathon at a 8:00 pace as well. I still have 6 1/2 weeks before the full marathon. And I am getting faster and stronger every week.
I am debating about exactly how to run the training tonight. I usually take 1 minute walk breaks every mile during races. I could run tonight at 8:00 pace for the whole thing, or run slightly faster, and take 1 minute walk breaks so that the average pace works out to 8:00 miles. We’ll see.
I read about running with a metronome and wanted to try it. Supposedly the optimum cadence for running efficiently is 90 (or 180 footfalls per minute). So I bought a small Seiko DM50 metronome that I could clip onto my treadmill. So far running to beeping of the metronome seems to be working. I am also adjusting other elements of my running form.
I have a few races coming up: an off-road duathlon, a half marathon, and a full marathon. I am not planning on using a metronome in the duathlon. But I want to try it in the half and full marathon. I tried to figure out how to take the little clip on metronome with me, but feared killing it with sweat, or having it pop off while I am running. I checked to see if my Garmin 305 had a metronome function, but not that I can tell. I search around for other options. I found a metronome watch named “Feel The Beat”. It has the advantage of having a vibration mode which would be nice. I think other runners might get annoyed at a persistent beeping for 13.1/26.2 miles. The watch should come this week, and I will give it a shot on the treadmill to see how it works. I am hoping it will give me an edge in hitting my Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:30!
I planned to get up with my wife who got up early to go take a test for school. But I ended up sleeping in till about 7am. I dragged myself out of bed, vegged for a few checking my email. I got my running shorts on an ran 5 miles on the TM while watching the Evolution Running DVD that came the other day. I was trying to follow the instructions on the DVD and correct my running form. It will take a while I think! I couldn’t wait for the metronome that I ordered to come so I could practice my cadence.
I got cleaned up, changed and headed off to aikido class. Nice good hour long workout there. Came home, and my wife got home shortly after I did. She thinks she did well on the test. She only needs to pass it, and apparently it doesn;t mean anything beyond that.
I got changed, and got on the treadmill again. I ran 3 miles and decided to check the mail. Yay! My metronome came!!! Also a couple spin training DVDs (cycling) and a front derailluer I bought off of ebay.
I counted my cadence a couple days ago, and I have been running about a 170 cadence. I set up the metronome and ran another 2 miles. I have the metronome going at 90bpm and I am trying run at 180 foot steps per minute which is supposed to be very efficient. So I need to shorten my stride just a little, and increase my cadence. I will practice this cadence until it becomes natural. Maybe I will take the metronome with me for the Nigara Falls Half Marathon. beep, beep, beep, beep for 13.1 miles! LOL!
I still have another 10 miles to go. I am going to run those with the metronome.
I also ordered a ChiRunning DVD as well. Maybe I can learn some different perspectives on proper running form.
I ran Wednesday night doing my tempo run. I have no running scheduled for Thurdsays or Fridays. My next run is a 20 miler tomorrow. So I try to mix in crosstraining on my off days. I have a bunch of cycling DVDs with spinning workouts. I have done most of them, but last night I decided to do one I hadn’t doen before. The others that I have done have been an hour long. But the one I chose last night was only 45 minutes. I figured it should be a piece of cake. WRONG!!!! That thing was intense! I had to pause it, and take a short breather a little over half way through it. I did get back on the bike, and finish it. I was seriously gasping for breath and getting light headed at spots. My legs are still feeling it today. What a great workout!
My Evolution Running DVD came in the mail yesterday. I started watching it this morning before I started getting ready for work. I have maybe watched a third of it so far. I hope there is more instruction in the upcoming parts. He spends a lot of time telling us, and showing us what efficient running looks like, and why it is more efficient. But not so much how to get to running liek that. SO far the main suggestions seem to be running with a metronome so that we get used to running at a 180 steps per minute pace. This will mean shorter strides, and faster leg turnover. They also show a drill where we run in place.
I know my running (looks more like a shuffle) doesn’t look like anything the people in the video are doing.
I have been using the FIRST program to train so that I can improve my marathon time, and qualify for the Boston Marathon. Last night I was scheduled to run 6 miles. The first and last miles were to be easy ones, and the middle 4 miles were to be run at 7:29 minute/mile pace. I did the first mile gradually incresing the speed of the treadmill. Then I decided to try an find my metronome. I spent about 5-10 looking for it, but couldn’t find it. I have one somewhere. I have ordered another electronic one that has a clip on it. The metronome will be usefull to guage my running cadence.
Having not found the metronome, I got back on the treadmill. I set it to 7:30 pace which was the closest setting it had to the schedule 7:29 pace. I ran 2 miles, then took a 30 second walking break. I ran another mile, and took another 30 second walking break. Then I ran the last of the fast miles. I went and ran my head under some cold water. Then I went back onto the treadmill, and ran one more mile at a 12 minute pace to cool down.
The faster runs are getting easier. I am needing to cheat less and less to get through them.
Next weeks tempo run should be interesting as I am scheduled to run 10 miles at a 8:00 pace, which is the pace I need to run to qualify for the Boston Marathon.