I have to confess that I'm getting a little concerned that I might be turning into a bore (please don't question the "turning into" - it would make me cry). Thing is, I am quite proud of being a blogger. It's something I've thought of for a while, but I wanted to have a focus for it, and the training seemed a good hook. But now my training has started "proper", and the blogging is making me focus a lot on the exercises, and I'm learning a lot about training... I just hope I don't bore you all rigid. Then the other issue is, I don't know if I'm being a bigger bore about the running, or the blogging...
Well, one quite good thing about the training is that I've been doing different things all week. This is infinitely preferable to just going out for a run. You may have picked up that I don't like running. If it weren't for the Natural Runners, I wouldn't be able to motivate myself to go out. It is only with the greatest of effort (mainly by imagining what Sally would look like if she were cross) that I go during the weekends. I'm working on finding someone who's prepared to come with me then too, I have a couple of offers but neither have come good yet. Well that's unfair, Summer did come with me 3 weeks ago, but we had to abort the run because I had pulled a muscle in my calf, and it turned out not have recovered (all better now). In fact, another reason for starting the blog (as long as I'm making confessions) was to not quit running. I'd embarrass myself if I started a blog about training and then quit.
Anyway, yesterday's 4th Labour of Hercules was pace training. I've never done this before. I also got to use the Garmin. Using the Garmin could easily count as a challenge in its own right. Sal explained how to use it when she handed it over, but I had to download the manual and read it first. And while I was online, I thought I ought to watch Not Going Out, because it's very funny. So all in all, it took me a whole hour to leave the house. I almost had to abandon the training, because of being in the play, but obviously I couldn't, or Sal would find out, so I thought I'd just have to risk being late. So off I went, pace training for beginners. The idea, as it was explained to me, is that after a "warm up" jog, you do a fast run for 3 minutes, then a slow jog for 2 minutes, and repeat 4 times. Then finish with another slow ten minute jog, 40 minutes. It was OK, I was doing a passable impression of Puff by the 4th lap (not really - he really does puff - I was just a bit out of breath) but I did it.
I have to confess (again with the confessions!) that another reason for almost not doing it was I haven't got the new trainers yet, and having been told off by both Sal and Anita, I didn't know what to do. So I decided to wear my real trainers, instead of the walking shoes (which look trainer-ish to me). I put the trainers on and remembered that I'd stopped wearing them because my right heel had blistered. But I loosened the laces on it, and that seemed to help. And honestly, it did make a difference. My shins didn't hurt, and the hurty hip flexor didn't give me gip until the final lap. And I didn't get blisters either, although my three middle toes went numb. But what's numb toes compared with ruining your knees for life? All in all, a success.
Not impressed with the Garmin though. I mean, I'm clearly terrified of it - Sal also wants me to measure my heart rate at rest, by strapping in before I get up in the morning. I'm telling you, it went up from 63 to 87 while I was just lying there, that's how much it terrifies me. I don't think we're going to get on - for a start, it doesn't like trees, and cuts out every time we go under one. And I'm so obsessed with watching it, I couldn't possibly listen to music and focus on it at the same time. Also realised that my lack of mental arithmetic may let me down on this task. I'm not kidding, every time I had to work out the three minutes, I had to count on my fingers. So what've I've learned is, that like my Salsa classes, where I can't hear the beat at all, I also can't keep pace. The Garmin veers wildly between 8:30 minutes/mile and 10:15 m/m when I think I'm going at the same speed. I blame the Garmin. It doesn't like me.
Stick with the Garmin, don't pay too much attention when you run. I have a 305 and I love it. The info you get back really helps motivate you for progress and makes you feel good when you have something set in stone (by stone I mean a webpage) that you achieved a personal best.
ReplyDeleteCurrent pace is useless, yes because it darts around but really you probably do fluctuate that much. But there should be a way to display current average pace, which will be much more accurate and checking that every so often gives you an idea whether you have to speed up generally or slow down but...my advice is...turn it on, use it, but once you've pushed "start" never look at it again until you are pushing "stop"!
Then just take it all in on garmin connect later.
Good luck with the running. When it comes to race day you'll probably be going "oh? is it the 13th mile already? feels like I just started!"