Crunching the Numbers
The Polar S625X really is a running computer. I don't know if I actually use it to "Train Like the Pro's", but it certainly has that capability.
The past two weeks have been quite eye-opening for yours truly. After feeling down in the dumps and having a hard time throwing off my post-Vancouver-marathon lethargy, I found the ideal cure in a little speed work. Nothing works like getting your blood moving...
The marathon clinic started again, and as like last clinic, a couple of really talented athletes made their appearance. This time it is C and J, two very fast young women with no real idea of how fast they actually can be. My attempt last week to catch up to and keep up with Hugh, and to try and catch C (Hugh and I failed) during the 8K tempo run got my heart rate up to 185 and my heart back into running.
This Tuesday I arrived early for the Marathon Clinic and had a chance to chat with both J and C about their training strategies for the upcoming Fall marathon. Both of them have so little running experience that they hadn't given it much thought. And well both of them knew that they were fast, they really had no idea of how fast. In fact, both of them admitted to holding back a little. Since they were both now familiar with the tempo route I suggested that there was no time like the present for them (in honour of Michael) to "put the hammer down." Ladies I said, "What are you saving it for? Let's see what you've got!".
This is what it must have been like to open Pandora's box. Because I peeked under the lid and a couple of demons slipped by me. I unleashed a couple of hell hounds, I mean...greyhounds. After last week's 34 minute 8K, Hugh and I paced each other to what I thought was a pretty respectable 35 minute 8K. Cognizant of the Scotia Bank Half Marathon coming up this weekend, I went out determined to be disciplined and to run at 82-84% or 164-168 BPM. If you look at my heart rate chart, you can see that I managed my pace quite well. I must admit that I was surprised we were only a bit more than a minute slower than the previous week.
A close look at the two tempo run charts reveals that we picked up the pace a little quicker at the start this week, but never turned the run into a race like last week.
Last week C finished about 400 meters ahead of Hugh and I, This week? She finished at least a full kilometer ahead of us. As in, 8K in about 30 minutes. We went out and ran an out and back course, and C caught and passed everyone who was running 6.8K.
And J? Only a few minutes behind C and at least 4 or 500 meters ahead of Hugh and myself. J ran a 32 and change 8K. Not bad for a couple of first timers! I guess if you're going to get thrashed, you might as well get beaten by women.
On a training note, doing the 10K runs the day after the tempo runs has been a very different experience week to week. After last week's tempo run effort, both Hugh and I eased off the throttle the next day in the 10K. This week, despite being only a minute slower in the 8K, but much more in control, we went out and did a 10K last night that was a full mile further than last week's, in almost exactly the same time. By slowing down our 8K tempo run, our 10K run was seven and a half minutes faster. And our legs felt much more recovered from the previous day's workout.
There is a lesson in here somewhere. The amount of information you get from the Polar S625X is truly staggering. Aside from that fact alone, I can now not even IMAGINE that a serious runner interested in a serious time would NOT train with a heart rate monitor.
The past two weeks have been quite eye-opening for yours truly. After feeling down in the dumps and having a hard time throwing off my post-Vancouver-marathon lethargy, I found the ideal cure in a little speed work. Nothing works like getting your blood moving...
The marathon clinic started again, and as like last clinic, a couple of really talented athletes made their appearance. This time it is C and J, two very fast young women with no real idea of how fast they actually can be. My attempt last week to catch up to and keep up with Hugh, and to try and catch C (Hugh and I failed) during the 8K tempo run got my heart rate up to 185 and my heart back into running.
This Tuesday I arrived early for the Marathon Clinic and had a chance to chat with both J and C about their training strategies for the upcoming Fall marathon. Both of them have so little running experience that they hadn't given it much thought. And well both of them knew that they were fast, they really had no idea of how fast. In fact, both of them admitted to holding back a little. Since they were both now familiar with the tempo route I suggested that there was no time like the present for them (in honour of Michael) to "put the hammer down." Ladies I said, "What are you saving it for? Let's see what you've got!".
This is what it must have been like to open Pandora's box. Because I peeked under the lid and a couple of demons slipped by me. I unleashed a couple of hell hounds, I mean...greyhounds. After last week's 34 minute 8K, Hugh and I paced each other to what I thought was a pretty respectable 35 minute 8K. Cognizant of the Scotia Bank Half Marathon coming up this weekend, I went out determined to be disciplined and to run at 82-84% or 164-168 BPM. If you look at my heart rate chart, you can see that I managed my pace quite well. I must admit that I was surprised we were only a bit more than a minute slower than the previous week.
A close look at the two tempo run charts reveals that we picked up the pace a little quicker at the start this week, but never turned the run into a race like last week.
Last week C finished about 400 meters ahead of Hugh and I, This week? She finished at least a full kilometer ahead of us. As in, 8K in about 30 minutes. We went out and ran an out and back course, and C caught and passed everyone who was running 6.8K.
And J? Only a few minutes behind C and at least 4 or 500 meters ahead of Hugh and myself. J ran a 32 and change 8K. Not bad for a couple of first timers! I guess if you're going to get thrashed, you might as well get beaten by women.
On a training note, doing the 10K runs the day after the tempo runs has been a very different experience week to week. After last week's tempo run effort, both Hugh and I eased off the throttle the next day in the 10K. This week, despite being only a minute slower in the 8K, but much more in control, we went out and did a 10K last night that was a full mile further than last week's, in almost exactly the same time. By slowing down our 8K tempo run, our 10K run was seven and a half minutes faster. And our legs felt much more recovered from the previous day's workout.
There is a lesson in here somewhere. The amount of information you get from the Polar S625X is truly staggering. Aside from that fact alone, I can now not even IMAGINE that a serious runner interested in a serious time would NOT train with a heart rate monitor.
posted by Vince Hemingson at 12:17 PM
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