My 8K Ahem Race and End of Training Plan

My throat finally quit hurting, but I was waiting for the humidity to drop before I tried to run my 10K "race" to finish up my 3 month training plan.  Well, on Wednesday, the humidity dropped from 99% to 98% so I went for it.

Distance: 5 miles
Pace: 10:30 min/mile
Avg Heart Rate: 174 bpm

Fear of rain caused me to turn my 10K into an 8K.  I was pushing a stroller, and I tried not to look at my heart rate for the entire time.  At the 3 mile mark, I tried to push myself a bit harder. This is about what I would expect for a 5 mile run where I pushed myself based on the paces from my hard runs.

Here are all of the stats for my 3 month training plan so you can see the trends:

5K Pre Training Plan:
Distance: 3 miles
Page: 10:49 min/mile
Avg Heart Rate: 184 bpm

Week 1 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 15:02 minute mile
1 Mile Hard Run - 11:13 minute mile

Week 4 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 13:48 minute mile
Hard Run Intervals - 14:46 minute mile

Week 8 Paces:
5 Mile Easy Run - 12:40 minute mile
3 Mile Hard Run - 11:00 minute mile

Week 12 Paces:
5 Mile Easy Run -  12: 33 minute mile
3 Mile Hard Run -  10: 27 minute mile

As you can see, there is plenty of improvement.  As you can also see, the hard runs are too slow for my liking.  I am considering contacting the author of the book to see if he has any comments.  It would be nice of him to say, you need to exercise at a much higher heart rate.  I can see that now.  Bwah ha.  I guess I will give up on my hopes of being an elite runner.  Kidding..I never had those dreams.  WNBA, yes.  Olympic gymnast, yes

Other than that, I have to decide what to do next.  I can:

A. Sit on the couch
B. Sign up for a race and run as fast as I want to while training
C. Try to get back into weight training and still run a few times a week

Decisions, decisions. 



Related Posts:
Heart Monitor Training - Why Am I Trying It?
Heart Monitor Training - Part 1 - Max Heart Rate
Heart Monitor Training - Part 2 - Resting Heart Rate 
Heart Monitor Training - Part 3 - Hard vs Easy Runs
Heart Monitor Training - 1 Month Update 
Heart Monitor Training - 2 Month Update

Heart Monitor Training - 2 Month Update

I have finished 2 months of the heart monitor training plan.  Here are the stats.

Week 1 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 15:02 minute mile
1 Mile Hard Run - 11:13 minute mile

Week 4 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 13:48 minute mile
Hard Run Intervals - 14:46 minute mile


Week 8 Paces:
5 Mile Easy Run - 12:40 minute mile
3 Mile Hard Run - 11:00 minute mile

So what do we see?  Progress.  Yes, progress.  I have been disappointed in my times, but when I look at the progress I have made, I am slightly encouraged.  I have one more month before I complete this plan.  Remember how I said I will be disappointed unless my slow run pace drops down to 10:00 minute mile?  Well I did, and I will most likely be disappointed since I am not even allowed to go that fast for my fast runs.  Heart rate...there is still time for a miracle!  For month 3, I continue with 6 days a week of running, but we step it up to 2 hard runs a week.  Exciting.


Related Posts:
Heart Monitor Training - Why Am I Trying It?
Heart Monitor Training - Part 1 - Max Heart Rate
Heart Monitor Training - Part 2 - Resting Heart Rate 
Heart Monitor Training - Part 3 - Hard vs Easy Runs
Heart Monitor Training - 1 Month Update

Heart Monitor Training - 1 Month Update

Ok folks...I have been running about 20 miles a week for the past 4 weeks consistently following the heart monitor training plan.  That breaks down to 5 runs a week - 4 days of easy and 1 day of hard.

Have I improved? Yes.  Have I improved as much as I wanted to? Not yet.  I have only had one "stellar" slow run so far.  I ran 4 miles at 12:16 min/mile Tuesday evening.  There was no stroller, a nice breeze, and I was in a great mood.

As a reminder, I have to keep my heart rate for slow runs around 153 bpm.  My heart rate requirements for the hard runs vary based on the training plan, but in general have to be under 170. 

Week 1 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 15:02 minute mile
1 Mile Hard Run - 11:13 minute mile


Week 4 Paces:
3 Mile Easy Run - 13:48 minute mile
Hard Run Intervals - 14:46 minute mile

I can't really compare the paces for my hard run because week one's hard workout was 1 mile 65%, 1 mile 80%, and 1 mile 65%.  For week 4, I had to run 1 mile 65%, 1 mile striders, 1 mile 400m interval at 80%, and then 1 mile 65%.  After striders, my heart rate is high and I can't do my intervals very fast at all. I even walk all recovery intervals instead of jog.  Maybe I should slow down on my striders but that is the whole point of them.  P.S. I do feel like a maniac running really fast down the sidewalk with my jogging stroller bouncing around.  I always wonder if people think I am being chased.  They might also think I am a super fast runner, but if they wait about 5 seconds they will see me walking again.

So at one month, yay, I have improved.  I have not improved as much as I want to yet but there is definite progress.  I will consider this training plan to be a total winner if I can get my slow runs to around 10:00-10:30 minute mile pace.  That was my slow run pace back in the "good ol in shape days" and my heart rate was probably in the high 160s for that.  Come on heart! You can do it.  I will check back in with everybody in another month.

Related Posts:
Heart Monitor Training - Why Am I Trying It?
Heart Monitor Training - Part 1 - Max Heart Rate
Heart Monitor Training - Part 2 - Resting Heart Rate 
Heart Monitor Training - Part 3 - Hard vs Easy Runs