Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[Paddaman]

Those are the typical over use injuries which I blame on Ultra distance fever.... I’ve been unable to run for an extended time due to injuries twice in my life.

Once when I entered Comrades and subsequently did to much to quickly and got ITB, and once again when I was training for ultra Triathlons and did to much training.... both times I could not fun for months.

 

Other than the ultra fever effect it’s also down to trying to follow your own training program instead of a professional coaching programme. In those days the inter web was not like it is now..... training programs were written / printed on paper and not freely available.....well that’s my excuse anyway.

 In the early days both Bruce Fordyce and Norrie Williamson had columns in the local newspapers, and Tim Noakes had just published the overkill called "lore of Running", so info was very available to those that would read.  However, at every club there was the "more is better" brigade that advocated the Extra-Long LSD, the LFD and the Insanely fast and far time trial....

Maybe hardheadedness, which is a positive trait of a distance runner was the real reason....

[Lexx]

After the Big Balls Up, Loskop will fix our entries.

[Frosty]

Question from a newbie:

 

What's the best way to control one's pace?

Having to look at my watch every time it vibrates/tones to say "too fast/slow/in desired zone" gets a bit uncomfortable.
 

Today I had to run 1.6Km at about 6:20/Km then recover for 400m (7:25/Km) and repeat another 1.6Km (6:20/Km). That after a 5 min warm up and before a 5 min cool down. Not far, but it's the 6th week of 14 in a plan to run 10Km in an hour.

 

I struggled to maintain the 6:20 pace... I was either too fast (mostly) or too slow (occasionally when backing off on the "too fast" pace).

I'm comfortable at 5:45 - 06:00, and feels similar to the sweet spot I'm used to on my bike - that pace one (feels) can maintain forever. On my bike it's easy, as I've done just over 92,000Km so the feeling is second nature.

[SeaBee]

Question from a newbie:

 

What's the best way to control one's pace?

Having to look at my watch every time it vibrates/tones to say "too fast/slow/in desired zone" gets a bit uncomfortable.

...

I'm comfortable at 5:45 - 06:00, and feels similar to the sweet spot I'm used to on my bike - that pace one (feels) can maintain forever. On my bike it's easy, as I've done just over 92,000Km so the feeling is second nature.

Not to be nit-picking... but if that's (bit I bold-ed) the case, you don't need a program to get you to run 10k in under an hour, because 6min/k is exactly an hour for 10k's?

 

Back to the original question - it will (as with the cycling) come with time. And some days not. Some days your RPE says one thing and you feel like rubbish, only to feel the buzz at the end of a k and see you're actually flying, that's why you're a bit short of breath - or the other way around! 

 

Do most of your training at slower than race pace speeds - and do not ramp up too fast. It will feel like you're just faster than walking at times, but as the mileage ups, the added strains of running will compound if you're running too hard every day/time.

 

The old adage of high mileage does you no good if you puts you on the sideline instead of the start-line. Ask one who is returning from injury... 

[Hacc]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend? 

 

I am doing Garbie 32km on Sunday. It is a flat double lapper, going to be working all the way. 

[Mudsimus]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend?

.

Comrades qualifier. Its an out of town race, so a 2am wake up. And it looks like the heat will be crazy. Should be fun????

[Ed-Zulu]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend? 

 

I am doing Garbie 32km on Sunday. It is a flat double lapper, going to be working all the way. 

21km training run on the back of a hilly 16km last weekend, should be tough on the pins

[Hacc]

Comrades qualifier. Its an out of town race, so a 2am wake up. And it looks like the heat will be crazy. Should be fun

Good Luck Mudsimus! Hope everything goes according to plan with the qualifier. Keep us posted.

[Andrew Steer]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend? 

 

I am doing Garbie 32km on Sunday. It is a flat double lapper, going to be working all the way. 

18km odd slow run tomorrow, waterpolo match in the afternoon and then hopefully a bike ride on Sunday 

[dave303e]

Question from a newbie:

 

What's the best way to control one's pace?

Having to look at my watch every time it vibrates/tones to say "too fast/slow/in desired zone" gets a bit uncomfortable.

 

Today I had to run 1.6Km at about 6:20/Km then recover for 400m (7:25/Km) and repeat another 1.6Km (6:20/Km). That after a 5 min warm up and before a 5 min cool down. Not far, but it's the 6th week of 14 in a plan to run 10Km in an hour.

 

I struggled to maintain the 6:20 pace... I was either too fast (mostly) or too slow (occasionally when backing off on the "too fast" pace).

 

I'm comfortable at 5:45 - 06:00, and feels similar to the sweet spot I'm used to on my bike - that pace one (feels) can maintain forever. On my bike it's easy, as I've done just over 92,000Km so the feeling is second nature.

 

You see, this is why I hate training programs that are generalized, you need to be able to make it work for you, if 6:20 is out of your natural rhythm then adjust the training to match you, maybe go 1,6 at 5:45-6:00 and then 400 at a comfy recover pace but not slower thansay 7:35ish, you can't always do exactly what they state

 

An example- I don't really have a perfectly structured plan, I have the next few weeks and the weeks leading up to events planned in my head though, but yesterday I woke up with the intention of running a tempo 15km, but when I woke up I realised pushing this week after a violent 16km fun run on sat I was going to do more damage than good running yesterday, so I moved my rest day to yesterday and went climbing instead. I will run my 15km tempo this afternoon. A lot of people don't seem to juggle their sessions and manage them according to a bike, which is why a coach is pointless unless they are monitoring you closely and working with you and how you are feeling from day to day, some times a well timed rest day can save a lot of trouble and just get you back on top of things again. My legs today are feeling 100's again and I will actually get good benefits from running today and tomo I will be back on what I had planned so all good...

The key is swapping and adjusting training while maintaining the end goal and training load in long run but not just dropping it for the easy way out which a lot of people do.

[ScottCM]

Comrades qualifier. Its an out of town race, so a 2am wake up. And it looks like the heat will be crazy. Should be fun

 

Best of Luck Mudsimus 

[Paddaman]

Question from a newbie:

 

What's the best way to control one's pace?

Having to look at my watch every time it vibrates/tones to say "too fast/slow/in desired zone" gets a bit uncomfortable.

 

Today I had to run 1.6Km at about 6:20/Km then recover for 400m (7:25/Km) and repeat another 1.6Km (6:20/Km). That after a 5 min warm up and before a 5 min cool down. Not far, but it's the 6th week of 14 in a plan to run 10Km in an hour.

 

I struggled to maintain the 6:20 pace... I was either too fast (mostly) or too slow (occasionally when backing off on the "too fast" pace).

 

I'm comfortable at 5:45 - 06:00, and feels similar to the sweet spot I'm used to on my bike - that pace one (feels) can maintain forever. On my bike it's easy, as I've done just over 92,000Km so the feeling is second nature.

Rule #2: START GRADUALLY & TRAIN GENTLY

Rule #3: TRAIN FIRST FOR DISTANCE, ONLY LATER FOR SPEED

Rule #4: DON'T SET YOURSELF A DAILY SCHEDULE

I think this should guide you a bit.  Train to be able to finish the 10km (which means being able to run at least 2/3 of the distance consistently during training.  Once you are able to confidently finish the distance then incorporate speed work.  Although it is good to set goals in terms of distance and speed, do not become anal retentive about your DAILY program.  Listen to your body on this, if you can go further then enjoy the moment and add a few intervals or km's onto the session.  If you feel that you can really pound the last few sets of the interval session then do it.  BUT in the same breath, if you are having a Bleh day and your legs are lead then there is nothing wrong with ending the training session early or running even slower.  Focus a bit more on your weekly objectives and most importantly LISTEN TO YOUR BODY  (and sometimes to your wife, who knows you better than you think.  She will be the first to notice if your are overtraining or becoming a coach potato, even before your GARMIN)

ps Bruce Fordyce has never finished the RAC pre-comrades training run, legend has it that he always pulls anchors before the 32km mark.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Paddaman

[Chris_]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend? 

 

 

 

Time to test my knee out. Have taken a break this week from running, stuck to the pool and bike.

 

Will try 5kms. and hopefully begin the build from there.

[Khronis]

The weekend is upon us. What are your running plans for the weekend? 

 

I am doing Garbie 32km on Sunday. It is a flat double lapper, going to be working all the way. 

 

Will also be doing the Garbie 32km.

[SwissVan]

18km odd slow run tomorrow, waterpolo match in the afternoon and then hopefully a bike ride on Sunday

Triathlon soon, sounds like you training for one

[SwissVan]

Question from a newbie:

 

What's the best way to control one's pace?

Having to look at my watch every time it vibrates/tones to say "too fast/slow/in desired zone" gets a bit uncomfortable.

 

Today I had to run 1.6Km at about 6:20/Km then recover for 400m (7:25/Km) and repeat another 1.6Km (6:20/Km). That after a 5 min warm up and before a 5 min cool down. Not far, but it's the 6th week of 14 in a plan to run 10Km in an hour.

 

I struggled to maintain the 6:20 pace... I was either too fast (mostly) or too slow (occasionally when backing off on the "too fast" pace).

 

I'm comfortable at 5:45 - 06:00, and feels similar to the sweet spot I'm used to on my bike - that pace one (feels) can maintain forever. On my bike it's easy, as I've done just over 92,000Km so the feeling is second nature.

You will have to look at your watch occasionally to make sure you are in the correct zone.

 

I never set limits / alarm for intensity or speed on the watch, only the timer to vibrate and beep when the interval starts and finishes.