Recovery? Rest day? Who needs 'em?
ORN: 4.6 miles, 40 minutes, 1 degree incline. Yep, another dreadmill run. Let's face it, almost all of my runs are going to be dreadmill runs. Until it either gets lighter outside at night, or they actually put some lights in more of the neighborhood, I'm not going to be doing much running outdoors. During the day, I would have to push Kevin around in the jogging stroller, which is really meant for short, 2-3 mile jogs, not 6-8 mile runs. So, I take him to the Y, where they can watch him while I do my hamster impersonations.
Today was ostensibly a recovery run from yesterday's long run. According to the schedule, the day after the long run is supposed to be a rest day, but I am trying to get the schedule back on track without losing too many miles. So, I took today pretty easy, though I admit to being a bit on the stiff and sore side for the first mile or so.
I did have an interesting conversation with one of the people at the Y. There is a program for people recovering from heart attacks, or who, for other reasons, find it useful to have a nurse nearby to monitor heart rates, blood pressure, and so forth. So, today I asked her (while I was running along) how accurate the heart monitors on the 'mill were. She told me that they were usually pretty accurate, though for some people they read about half of what it should be. I told her that my reading certainly wasn't low - if anything, it seemed really high.
So, she took my pulse (which was where I thought it was - about 170), and then I resumed running, continuing the conversation. I feel much better about things right now - see, I have the general fitness that I want. In theory, a HR of 170 is about 85% (going with the 220 - 1/2 age idea), or about 92% (going by the 220 - age formula). I can hold that pace, and converse, at that heart rate, for somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour to an hour and a half. I can slow down a little, and probably do that for considerably longer. Strike that - I know that I can. After all, yesterday, I felt winded and sore during the run, but it would have actually been easier to run along with someone, at about a 9-minute pace, for that entire time.
I'm fit. I'm just not fast. I have to keep reminding myself of that. And, remind myself that, I can speed up. Tomorrow is cross-training, and Wednesday is tempo work. I might not see any difference before the end of Spril, but I will before the end of summer.
Today was ostensibly a recovery run from yesterday's long run. According to the schedule, the day after the long run is supposed to be a rest day, but I am trying to get the schedule back on track without losing too many miles. So, I took today pretty easy, though I admit to being a bit on the stiff and sore side for the first mile or so.
I did have an interesting conversation with one of the people at the Y. There is a program for people recovering from heart attacks, or who, for other reasons, find it useful to have a nurse nearby to monitor heart rates, blood pressure, and so forth. So, today I asked her (while I was running along) how accurate the heart monitors on the 'mill were. She told me that they were usually pretty accurate, though for some people they read about half of what it should be. I told her that my reading certainly wasn't low - if anything, it seemed really high.
So, she took my pulse (which was where I thought it was - about 170), and then I resumed running, continuing the conversation. I feel much better about things right now - see, I have the general fitness that I want. In theory, a HR of 170 is about 85% (going with the 220 - 1/2 age idea), or about 92% (going by the 220 - age formula). I can hold that pace, and converse, at that heart rate, for somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour to an hour and a half. I can slow down a little, and probably do that for considerably longer. Strike that - I know that I can. After all, yesterday, I felt winded and sore during the run, but it would have actually been easier to run along with someone, at about a 9-minute pace, for that entire time.
I'm fit. I'm just not fast. I have to keep reminding myself of that. And, remind myself that, I can speed up. Tomorrow is cross-training, and Wednesday is tempo work. I might not see any difference before the end of Spril, but I will before the end of summer.
posted by Garou at 11:18 PM
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