Pine Belt Pacers Forum

Terry has graciously made me a training plan and is guiding me to success. I have already tried to manipulate the program a couple of times, but was told to stick to the program. Example: Today calls for 9 miles at easy pace. I wanted to jump into a 5K today. I was told that I could if I ran 3 before, ran a moderate 5K, (not race pace), and then immediately picked up the last 3, then ok. After much thought, I decided against the 5K. I am not strong enough yet to avoid that adrenalin rush and full out race. (I am sick and need intervention). So, I am going to stick to the plan!! The plan ends at Tupelo, 14.2 in September. Physically, I am up for the task. The real challenge for me, is to "STICK TO THE PLAN"!! Rest on rest days (or light x-training), stick to the pace. I started my training log, and I am ready to go!! I am excited, optimistic, but also nervous, (seems silly), but I have never stayed with "the plan". So this is kind of a pep talk to me, and a reminder to me, to be strong mentally, and don't be distracted by my own stupidity. I will post intermittedly.

It's called trust! You have to have trust in Terry that he knows what he's doing (and I certainly do think so) and trust in yourself that you are in need of intervention. You have admited to all of us that you have a problem and you have confessed your "sins" and now it's time to turn yourslef over to someone else.

Seriously, I would think that you would have somewhat of a sense of relief in that someone else is planning your running. Although, this may be difficult for you since you tend to have issues with "taking it easy" or with rest days.

How about I turn the tables on you? When you plan a rehab program for one of your patients, do you have them go hard every single day? Do you have variety in the program? Do you progesssively work for them to get stronger? Do you set short-term and long-term goals? I think I know the answers to the above questions and I think that you can see how the same holds true with your personal training program.

Just accept that Terry knows what he's doing and turn yourself over to the plan. I think that you will soon find that you look forward to your easy/rest days just as much as you have enjoyed trying to run hard/long all the time.

Please post your weekly workouts. I think there are probably others who can benefit from reading about your plan.

I did my 9 at the trace, and had a couple of issues. 1) The deer flys are back (so beware)!! 2) Cooked cabbage with sausage is not a good pre-run meal, 3) Those hedges with the pretty white flowers that smell so sweet, almost sent me into one of those breathing issue things (asthma attack). However, having those strikes against me, I stuck to the plan. The garmin is a marvelous tool. I started out too fast, and looked at the garmin, and pulled myself back. The plan was to do my run at 9:00 min. I got into an easy rhythm and averaged 8:49. Not exactly 9:00, but for me, that is pretty close. I felt tired afterwards, but not exhausted or miserable. I made one stop around 5 miles, gelled and watered up, and actually had to slow down again (per the garmin), to stay on pace. Today is a rest day, so I am thinking some Wii yoga, with a short bike ride. I am feeling really motivated and am really looking forward to my next training run, which I haven't been this excited about training in a while! I almost feel like I am on a 12 step program. I will keep repeating to myself, "Keep to the Plan"!! Thanks Becky, I will post, and when/if I backslide, feel free to remind me to get with the program!!

I am disappointed in myself today, mentally and physically. I had a 10 mile scheduled. I know some of the mistakes I made today, looking back. 1) Started too late. I started at 9:00 am and it was already hot. 2) Biked a little too hard on my day off yesterday, so my legs were a little sore. 3) Had a severe allergy reaction to something on the Trace and could not breathe. (nothing I could do about that one).
Anyway, I was going along fine, found a good rhythm, and all of a sudden, I couldn't breathe. I hate that, cuz it feels like you are drowning. I completed a little over 5 at 8:45 pace, then stopped to catch my breath, water and gel up. I had to walk a mile, run a mile, walk a mle then run another. Then, I was just done, physically and mentally. I was disappointed because some days, I can run through the breathing problems, but not today. So, here is my question to all of you, what do you do when you don't complete your training run. Do you try to get the miles in by running again later in the day? Do you try again the next day? I will not be running at the Trace for a while. Something there is trying to kill me!!

Audrey,

By my count you completed 9 miles, just 1 mile short of your scheduled distance. I know a couple of the miles were walking miles, but I wouldn't sweat it. Between the heat (this time of year is tough because we aren't acclimated to the heat/humidity yet) and your allergic reaction (?) you did fine. Just continue with your training plan.

To answer your question about what I do when I don't complete a training run. If it is because of schedule, I do try to make it up. For instance, if I am scheduled to run 18 on Saturday, but life happens and I just don't have time, I might run 5 on Saturday and do the long run on Sunday. If I don't make the mileage because the legs just didn't have it, I DO NOT try to make up the miles. I understand that my body needs more rest than I scheduled and I just continue with my plan.

Also, notwithstanding the allergy thing, your mistake wasn't that you started too late. Starting earlier would certainly have been cooler, but you started when you started. What you failed to do was to take into consideration the heat and SLOW DOWN. You went at a pretty aggressive pace in weather you weren't ready for. You now know better. Remember that today was a learning experience - and that is an important part of training.

Terry

Thanks Terri. I will stick to the plan. I will slow down a little, and it is a learning experience.
A bad run can sure beat up your confidence!! At least it is is early in my training. I thought about playing catch up today, but I think I will just do some balance and strengthening ex. Again, thanks for all your help.

Hi Audrey, never let a bad run beat up your confidence!
Look at me. All my last couple of runs just suck.... but I still think I will come back stronger in a couple of weeks. ... welll.. If I lose some weight!

Audrey - I would mark the 9 mile run completed. You covered the distance. I would mark the run complete and move on with the schedule. We all have bad runs, I am sure you have more with the breathing issues, but you finished it. You should turn it into a positive - you covered the distance and completed the run under bad conditions. When I first complete a bad run, I beat myself up for a couple of hours and I am disappointed- then I turn to the positive parts and try to use the positive parts to my advantage. (you could have called it a day @ 5 miles, but you finished the distance) If "my mistakes" caused the bad day, then I try to correct the mistake and "try" not to do it again. Great example - everyone knows that I am very serious about hydrating - that was a lesson from a VERY bad run that Amber and I suffered through in Aug., 2 years ago. We had some water, but not enough. The run was so horrible, to this day, we still talk about it and remember it vividly. To this day, we also are very sure to put waters, gatorade, gels, cool rags, or whatever we need to do to be sure to hydrate properly. We may still have a bad run, but it probably will not be because we do not have enough to drink.

Hope you breathe easy very soon!

Where was everyone for the McHenry 10K? Ginny and I had to carry the Pacers!! Anyway, it was a running adventure!! I think there were 8 runners, more women than men. This was a training run for me. I kept repeating that to myself. Ginny and I drove the course and we knew right away that this was absolutely not going to be a PR course, even if this was my intention. (But it wasn't)!! These were killer hills, all 6 plus miles!! Anyway, when the race director said go, I took off, just like usual, way too fast. I looked at my Garmin, it said 6:25!! Whoa, girl!! I remembered I needed to stick to the plan. I pulled back and calmed down and did a 7:45 first mile. From then on, I tried to find a rhythm and really paid attention to the garmin. I notice though, that it is difficult to find a rhythm on hills. However, I am happy to say, I did it Terry!! YAY!! My revised plan, after seeing the hills was between 8:15 and 8:30, but my top secret plan was to try and pace the original goal, even on the hills. I averaged exactly 8:00 min. per mile. This was the best pacing that I have ever done. My slowest mile was 8:12, my fastest was that first mile. Anyway, I am jazzed!! Oh, I did promise myself that if I stayed with the pace, that if anyone was ahead of me within 100 yards at the end, that I was going to take off and sprint to the end. (okay, I am still sick, but I am recovering)!! Thank goodness I did not have to sprint, cuz that last hill was a killer. So, I am sticking to the program, following the plan, and I am learning to be patient during a run and learning to pace. Oh, and Ginny and I won a cactus!! We were the first and second females, and placed 3rd and 4th overall!! The race director is going to send me the official results, and I will submit a race report along with it!!
See all of you at the Relays!!

Way to go Audrey! You ran an excellent race. I am so proud of you for sticking with the plan. Queen of speed and Queen of distance. You are superwoman. Keep it up!

Audrey,

Great job! I especially like the 6:25 pace at the start. You're a mess. BUT you adjusted quickly and ran a smart race. Remember today and tomorrow are recovery days. Don't get so psyched you run too fast. Saturday is going to be a hard training run. The goal between now and then is to recover so you can put forth the appropriate effort. Hopefully the weather will hold out, but if it is raining run anyway (unless the weather poses safety risks - i.e. lightening, high wind, etc.). Races are sometimes held in the rain, so training in those conditions isn't a bad thing.

Since Saturday's run is a "dress rehearsal" for Renaissance, I'd mimic as closely as possible the race experience. What ever your normal race day routine is, do that Friday night and Saturday morning. For instance, Renaissance starts at 6:00 a.m. so begin your run on Saturday at that time. If you normally wake up 2 hours before the start of the race and eat a yogurt and drink a glass of OJ for breakfast, do that too. One of the cardinal rules of running is NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY. Also, the body has a tendency to react differently during hard efforts as opposed to easy efforts. So what is a good pre-race meal before an easy 8 miler can be different from what is good before a hard 10 miler. These are lessons you want to learn during training, not during race day. If I remember correctly, you now know cooked cabbage with sausage is not a good pre-run meal.

Terry

A dismal failure of a run today!! I got a later start, but that was ok. It was rainy but not pouring down. The temperature was ok, so what was the bad variable? My breathing/allergy/asthma thing. I decided to run (again), on the trace. I wanted a flat distance so I could do the tempo portion of the run easier. I kept to the plan, the first 5 just under 9:00 a mile. However, I was having difficulty with drainage and breathing at mile 1. I thought I could fight thru, but frankly, my body just gets worn down. (I imagine it is kind of like what water boarding feels like ) Anyway, when it came to picking it up to the tempo pace, I was 10 seconds off at mile 5 to 6, 20 seconds off 6 to 7, and 7 to 8, well I was just struggling to keep running. At that point, I just decided I was going to stop, catch my breath, and just finish up the miles running. I got the 10 miles in, and I am feeling pretty puny right now. I know that I can do the times required in the training. Heck, I just did a 10K and managed faster times on nasty hills. The shorter stuff, I can fight through the breathing probs. So, here are my solutions to the problems. I am going back to the Dr., I don't think the inhalers are doing anything for me anymore. Also, I am going to stay away from Epley/Sumrall and try the other end, maybe Gateway doesn't have whatever weed is killing me. I will continue to stick to the plan. If I can just figure out the longer runs, I will have it made!! So, back to the drawing board, next week is another hard week, I am going to attack it, look forward to it, and conquer it!!

Not a failure at all. You did manage to get in quality for over half of the mileage, and you finished the run again. Nothing you can do when you can't breathe. (I am the same way with my training, so I know how you feel)

Look to the positives about your run and be proud that you finished the mileage.

05/26/09 Yesterdays run was a tempo. I had to bail after 2 1/2 miles into the tempo. Averaged 7:42, needed to keep this up for another mile and a half. Just could not keep it up. Completed 5 miles total avg. 8:20.
05/27/09 Added 1 mile to my run today to catch up on mileage for the week. Completed 8 at an avg of 8:38. Too fast up front, slowed down at the end. I find that I have a tendency when I have a bad run the day before, to go out too fast the next run. Anyway, still battling with some lung probs. Dr. says my lung appears to be irritated. I have an appt. with a pulmonologist. I am still running better this year than last, so it is all good, I can run through it, just have to stay off the Trace!!

Audrey,

All in all, it appears your training is going well. If you keep running out of steam on your hard efforts we may need to modify your training program. That is to be expected. Coming up with the right combination of distances, paces, rest days, etc. the first time would be rare indeed. But it appears you are experiencing the expected (and temporary) fatigue associated with increasing your effort. The wildcard is your allergy/lung irritation problem. When you called me after your run on Saturday, you sounded like you had a cold (very nasally)… something is certainly going on. I hope you and your doctor can figure it out.

According to your post, you ran your scheduled tempo run on Tuesday, but then 8 miles the next day – is that correct? Your schedule called for a 3 mile recovery run yesterday. If you needed to make an adjustment due to scheduling conflicts, that’s one thing, but if you are trying to pile on miles to make up for cutting your tempo run short, that’s another. Although you cut Tuesday’s run short, you ran enough of it to count as a hard effort.

I’ll also take this opportunity to remind you that Saturday’s 11 miler is to be run at a relaxed pace (i.e. comfortably slow). You will have plenty of opportunity to run long, fast stuff later in the program. Forgetting about your allergy issues, how do you like the program so far? Is the basic design of two hard weeks and one easy week good for you? At the end of the second hard week, do you look forward to the recovery week? Is there enough variety (or too much) in your workouts? Every person is different and we need to develop a program this is both effective and fun for you.

Later,
Terry