The handful of runs I've done since the marathon have been short and fast. I was surprised at how zippy my legs felt. In fact it was hard to hold back the pace. Maybe its knowing that I'm not going to be running for 2-3 hours that provides the incentive to push harder.
I'm also tracking my pace and stats with a GPS watch now, the Garmin Forerunner 10. I had been using my phone, but it was impractical for certain runs. After reading some reviews on what they can do coupled with the unexpected bestowal of a gift card and a 20% off storewide sale at Fleet Feet, I took the plunge. What is normally a $130 watch ended up costing me less than half that. So far I love it. I can tell my pace at any point during the run, total distance run, time each mile, all without a giant smartphone clumsily lashed to my arm. And I can upload all this information and get even more detail, including elevation change and automatic compilation of weekly totals.
After these initial runs, the 1:30 goal for this upcoming half marathon is probably a little too lofty. Realistically, I'm going to shoot for under 1:40, roughly 7:30 miles. This is pushing it, but doable in the limited amount of time I have before the race. Depending on how the intervals and strength training go, I hope to whittle that goal down some.
I did 5.5 miles today at a 7:33 pace. I plan to go up to 6 miles next week, then increase a mile a week until 2 weeks before the race. Weekly intervals, increasing distance, weekly strength work-lunges, squats, using the stairs at work, running the Talmadge Bridge. Also 1-2 maintenance runs during the week, usually 2-4.5 miles.
Sticking with the diet of fat and protein, crack carbs almost exclusively while running. I've bottomed out my weight it seems at 145 lbs. My body fat% is still coming down some, currently 11%. Hopefully this means I am building some muscle mass, because my total weight hasn't changed for well over a month.
I'm also tracking my pace and stats with a GPS watch now, the Garmin Forerunner 10. I had been using my phone, but it was impractical for certain runs. After reading some reviews on what they can do coupled with the unexpected bestowal of a gift card and a 20% off storewide sale at Fleet Feet, I took the plunge. What is normally a $130 watch ended up costing me less than half that. So far I love it. I can tell my pace at any point during the run, total distance run, time each mile, all without a giant smartphone clumsily lashed to my arm. And I can upload all this information and get even more detail, including elevation change and automatic compilation of weekly totals.
After these initial runs, the 1:30 goal for this upcoming half marathon is probably a little too lofty. Realistically, I'm going to shoot for under 1:40, roughly 7:30 miles. This is pushing it, but doable in the limited amount of time I have before the race. Depending on how the intervals and strength training go, I hope to whittle that goal down some.
I did 5.5 miles today at a 7:33 pace. I plan to go up to 6 miles next week, then increase a mile a week until 2 weeks before the race. Weekly intervals, increasing distance, weekly strength work-lunges, squats, using the stairs at work, running the Talmadge Bridge. Also 1-2 maintenance runs during the week, usually 2-4.5 miles.
Sticking with the diet of fat and protein, crack carbs almost exclusively while running. I've bottomed out my weight it seems at 145 lbs. My body fat% is still coming down some, currently 11%. Hopefully this means I am building some muscle mass, because my total weight hasn't changed for well over a month.
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