Tempo Run

Gee, two posts right in a row! I must be on a roll.

After having such a great track workout yesterday I was anxious to see what a tempo run would look like today. Normally I have an easier recovery day right after track, but Troy had football practice right after school, only giving me 1.5 hours. I didn't have time to come home, get Topaz and head out for the trail. I just ran 10 miles around the lake two times and then was on schedule to pick up Troy.

The tempo run was awesome! After a day of having my senses assaulted by the noise in the school office on the first day of students back to school I was certainly ready for a good long hard run. I warmed up slowly the first mile..then hit the next 4 miles at a 7:37 minute mile pace. I felt so good that I looked down at my watch and decided I could push it harder. I ran the next 4 miles at a 715 mile pace. What? I don't know. Whatever it is, it is good. GOOD I say. I have never run this fast. It just amazes me as to what the body can do with training. I began what, 12 weeks ago, on this speed schedule. It's made a big difference..was the Lean Horse 100 PR of 22:36 partly because of my tempo and track workouts? I'm beginning to think so. Maybe it was the hard training and not just good luck. Wow. How does a few hours of fast running each week equate to running a 100 mile ultra faster, though? To run faster you need to run faster. Is that it?

Matt Patten: you left a comment that you hear this comment: I remember when Julie Berg was slow. I smiled at that comment. Thanks. It made me feel good.

This just goes to show you dear readers that if you are struggling and feeling slow, you can get faster! You don't have to be genetically gifted, you don't have to be lucky, you can work hard and get results! Isn't that fantastic? It makes us equal. We can work hard and get faster. I love it. I truly love it.

Running With The Boys

I normally perform my speed work on Tuesdays. I know, Jenn Shelton would disapprove that I run upon a schedule. However, since running Voyager 50 Mile Trail Run on Saturday I thought I'd skip it this week, if necessary.

Yesterday I was still a bit tight in the calves so thought I'd pass. Today while running with Topaz for our morning 5 I was feeling real good and decided I'd go for a speed workout today. I had the mind battle going on: you may be tired from V, therefore a crappy speed workout, that will crush your ego and make you sad; yes, but any speed work is better than none, just go give it a whirl and see how it goes. OK. You win.

Off I went.

I was surprised to see action at the track. The 3rd and 4th graders were on the football field practicing and the Strength and Training workouts were taking place on the track. I recognized many of the guys as Tyler's friends. I stood around, watching, then heard hellos and how ya doing Julie. I'm fine, came for my track workout, how long will you guys be? Oh, about an hour. Dang, I was thinking to myself. Oh well. I sat down and watched a bit. Pretty soon a real good friend of Tyler's yelled to the Coach "Can Julie Berg run on Lane 8, we aren't using it" Coach said "Why don't you move over and give her Lane 1" Sweet!

In speaking with Coach I realized S&T work outs are scheduled on M,W,F; I'm usually at the track on Tuesday, that is why I haven't seen them out there before. He told me he had no problem being there and was welcome to work alongside with them. I then was reminded that he graduated from Proctor. I remembered Scott Jurek graduated from Proctor. Bingo! He ran with him on the track team. Small World.

So, the workout was fabulous. I'm so shocked. I ran 800s again with the thought that I could quit at any time but on the other hand I would then feel my ego deflate so I thought I'd try to hang it and it would be OK if I were slower than last week. I wasn't! I can't believe I wasn't tired or slower with the race on Saturday. What is up? I ran a 1 mile warm up, (being sure to tell the boys it was a warm up) and a 1 mile cool down (they were already gone) and 8x800. My fastest was #3 at 327 and slowest #5 at 345! I'll take it.

Having other people on the track really helped. I was thrilled! It was a great workout and it is amazing how it makes everything well within the world for me this afternoon. Makes me want to set a goal time at Lean Horse. Isn't it funny how a good workout can make everything dandy.

The scrambled tofu I had post run #1 may have helped as well! I'll have to post a picture/recipe. My first try with tofu and I loved it. It was so good I think I'll eat the leftovers in a wrap this afternoon.

From now on I believe I will be hitting the track on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

800s, 1200s, Tempo Runs, Heart Rate Training..Oh My

So this is a little embarrassing. I purchased a Garmin 50 last May. The 50 because the battery lasts a year, versus 8 hours that the other Garmin with GPS last. I mainly wanted it as a pacing tool to use at FANS last year, which I did. Worked great. What good is an 8 hour battery going to do me. Really.

I haven't really used it since. I sprayed mosquito spray on the face and it is now all scratchy, but still readable. I never took the heart rate monitor out of the box or the ANT stick until today..over a year later. Yeah.

This morning Topaz and I ran our usual 5 fun miles on the trail, taking it easy, knowing I was going to try my first tempo run this afternoon. I took out my Garmin box and read the instructions for the heart rate monitor and the foot pod as it has been forever since I used the foot pod. Of course the watch shows a low battery signal. No matter, I was taking it for a spin as soon as I dropped off Tyler at work.

I looked up a quickie heart rate calculation at Runners World. By plugging in my last 5K race pace, last month at the Princeton 5K at 26 minutes I came up with a tempo run at 8:33 minute mile pace. Don't laugh. I'm not real fast. For the max heart rate I did the 220-44 and came up with 176. Ta da. Now this should be my max heart rate. Well, after my tempo run today there is no freaking way that 176 is max for me.

I'll have to try the method of running 3x800, 1 200 recovery and another 400 full boar to figure out max heart rate I guess. (I should have brought this along with me when I ran at the track on Tuesday. Yes! Another track workout; this time all 800s :) I read this somewhere, is this a good enough way to figure max heart rate? At least it is more individualized than the standard 220-age. I mean come on. We are all different. Don't tell me all 44 year olds are going to have the same max heart rate.

I ran the certified Big Lake 8K course this afternoon. Apparently I don't know how to toggle between pace from the foot pod and heart rate or the 50 isn't capable of this feat. I was stuck at heart rate and recalled that 156 heart rate would be 'tempo' if 176 was max .

OK, so maybe the 405 with the 8 hour battery would be a good item to purchase for speed workouts. I'm seeing the light.

The first 3 minutes HR was 150 to 171, then stayed 171 to 173 for the next 36 minutes. I saw 176 as I ran up a hill and I wasn't dieing or gasping so I really don't think it was max. 39 minutes for 8K, not full out, just a quick pace that I was able to sustain..but couldn't sustain for an hour and half I'd imagine. 39 minutes was plenty. Now I have a starting point.

How do most of you figure your heart rate? Do you train with a HRM? I'm never too old to learn.

Heading up north to the beautiful Superior Hiking Trail for three days of long slow running with friends. BETA IV!