TheGymGuy
Well-known member
Put them running shoes on more often from here on out and see improvements every time. Great job giving it a first go!
Be honest: can I do this?
- Thread starter SuzanneSLO
- Start date
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SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
Thank you from the bottom of my (now repaired) heart.
After my AVR and aortic repair last June, I have been training towards a 10K next month. Without your support and encourgement last summer, I don't know if I would have signed up. My husband has also been a wonderful support to me and cheered me on during my first organized 5K run on Thanksgiving.
Without the goal, however, I'm not sure I would have kept at it as the days got shorter and the tempertures dipped.
It has been a crazy 12 months for me. Last December, for the first time my annual echo for BAV showed signficiant regurgitation. I had started a C25K program before that, but had to take a break in November when I twisted my knee playing with my dog. I started back on my program in late January even though there was a big question mark about the need and timing of surgery. Before surgery, my longest distance was 2.5 miles. Now, I do 3 miles several times a week, along with a longer run.
I just wanted you to know that you may be strangers on the internet, but you have made a powerful postive difference in my life. Again, thank you. -- Suzanne
After my AVR and aortic repair last June, I have been training towards a 10K next month. Without your support and encourgement last summer, I don't know if I would have signed up. My husband has also been a wonderful support to me and cheered me on during my first organized 5K run on Thanksgiving.
Without the goal, however, I'm not sure I would have kept at it as the days got shorter and the tempertures dipped.
It has been a crazy 12 months for me. Last December, for the first time my annual echo for BAV showed signficiant regurgitation. I had started a C25K program before that, but had to take a break in November when I twisted my knee playing with my dog. I started back on my program in late January even though there was a big question mark about the need and timing of surgery. Before surgery, my longest distance was 2.5 miles. Now, I do 3 miles several times a week, along with a longer run.
I just wanted you to know that you may be strangers on the internet, but you have made a powerful postive difference in my life. Again, thank you. -- Suzanne
ski girl
Well-known member
Glad to hear you're still aiming for the 10km Suzanne! I just started my training for a half marathon in August. Let us know how the race goes!!
coffeelover
Well-known member
Suzanne. that is awesome! Good luck with your training!
SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
I finished my 10K yesterday and had a great time.
I walked more than I expected because it was so crowded on the course, but still finished within the required pace. I was actually surprised that with close to 9000 finishers, almost 2000 of them were slower than me! And that does not count the hundreds who never had the chance to finish because they were "swept" off the course before mile 4 for failing to maintain the required pace.
The only downside is that I am hooked! Now that I have finished, I plan to continue to train for another race. -- Suzanne
I walked more than I expected because it was so crowded on the course, but still finished within the required pace. I was actually surprised that with close to 9000 finishers, almost 2000 of them were slower than me! And that does not count the hundreds who never had the chance to finish because they were "swept" off the course before mile 4 for failing to maintain the required pace.
The only downside is that I am hooked! Now that I have finished, I plan to continue to train for another race. -- Suzanne
Congratulations. That's a good exercise program to get "hooked" on.
Well done 
Great way to start the year.
Great way to start the year.
TheGymGuy
Well-known member
Wooohoooo. Great job!!!!
Rachel
Well-known member
That's pretty cool!!!!!
Keep running!
Keep running!
SumoRunner
Well-known member
But of course. That's how the disease progresses.
SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
Thank you for all your support.
My question now is what's next? I still am a verrrry slow runner. My 10K race time was 15.46 m/m, but I finished at a run (jog) and had a great time on a crowded course.
Any suggestions for a training program to slowly work up to a faster time for this distance?
I was running 3 days a week and walking 3 days a week for about 18 miles total prior to the 10K, but have dropped back to 5 days (3 runs & 2 walks) for about 30 min X4 and 45 min X1. This means I will log about 11 miles per week at current pace.
While I usually do a run/walk/run, during the 10K, I walked most of the back half until the last .3 miles. As a beginning runner, I don't have a good feel for a running pace I can sustain. On the other hand, I "know" when my walking pace is under 16 m/m and know I can go a long way at that pace.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have. -- Suzanne
My question now is what's next? I still am a verrrry slow runner. My 10K race time was 15.46 m/m, but I finished at a run (jog) and had a great time on a crowded course.
Any suggestions for a training program to slowly work up to a faster time for this distance?
I was running 3 days a week and walking 3 days a week for about 18 miles total prior to the 10K, but have dropped back to 5 days (3 runs & 2 walks) for about 30 min X4 and 45 min X1. This means I will log about 11 miles per week at current pace.
While I usually do a run/walk/run, during the 10K, I walked most of the back half until the last .3 miles. As a beginning runner, I don't have a good feel for a running pace I can sustain. On the other hand, I "know" when my walking pace is under 16 m/m and know I can go a long way at that pace.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have. -- Suzanne
SumoRunner
Well-known member
There are about a million different training programs online. You can follow one of those which gives you a day by day schedule for acheiving particular goals. Some want you run lots of distance, some push high intensity, but they all follow a general trend.
1) run 4-5 days a week
2) do one longer run each week
3) do an interval workout each week
So look at what you've been doing the last 4-6 weeks and calculate an average distance per run, not averge per day. Your long run should be about 1.5 times longer than the average run, but not more than 3 times. If you're doing 3 miles per run, then 4.5 is a good long run and 9 miles is way too much (for a beginner). The high intensity run is interval training, meaning break one run into fast and slow parts. The fast interval can be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes alternated with a slow recover jog of equal length. The total distance of the interval run can be a typical distance or maybe even a bit shorter. I prefer to do interval training on a track by distance rather than by time, but if a track is not open to you then just wing it on your normal route.
You won't see results until about 6 weeks, but once you do the effects will be dramatic. As you go along, you can increase that long run, say every other week from 4.5 to 5 to 6 to 7 and still not feel over stressed.
Here's something that you must ALWAYS remember. The training effect is what happens while you rest. The workouts are stress and the body rebuilds itself to cope with that stress while you are NOT working out. So the most important days of the week are the ones when you don't run.
AZ Don
Well-known member
Congratulations on your run. I think interval training is very effective. Great advise from SumoRunner.
Rachel
Well-known member
I agree - seriously excellent advice from SumoRunner!
I'll add - have fun!
I'll add - have fun!
SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
Thank you SumoRunner. I really appreciate your advice!
And thank you to Rachel and AZ Don as well. It is great to get support from those of you who are more experienced athletes. -- Suzanne
And thank you to Rachel and AZ Don as well. It is great to get support from those of you who are more experienced athletes. -- Suzanne
SumoRunner
Well-known member
I was perusing running issues online and came across someone or several someones, calling themselves "The Common Sense Coach". Now, I'm not the type to make a fuss over this, but I do believe I was the first and original internet "Common Sense Coach". It was after I took a USA T&F coaching certification course in 1991 that I began using that identifier. And I was probably among the first to do online coaching of distance runners. There was no World Wide Web at that time. This was the pre-web, pre-browser, online forum internet and all communications were done by email or bulletin boards.
There's a thing called the wayback machine that stores very old internet discussions from those days, so I did a search for the forum name "rec.running" and "Common Sense Coach". Sure enough it finds me with that tag 20+ years ago. The earliest date I found was July, 1991, but I'm sure I used it a bit before that on some private email lists like the "Dead Runners Society".
Oh yeah, something else I have that goes back a ways. My AVR was July 91 also. Just sayin, I've been around a while.
There's a thing called the wayback machine that stores very old internet discussions from those days, so I did a search for the forum name "rec.running" and "Common Sense Coach". Sure enough it finds me with that tag 20+ years ago. The earliest date I found was July, 1991, but I'm sure I used it a bit before that on some private email lists like the "Dead Runners Society".
Oh yeah, something else I have that goes back a ways. My AVR was July 91 also. Just sayin, I've been around a while.
You should attach Common Sense Coach to your signature, Jack. You've earned it!
SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
I agree that you've earned the name! It's too bad that coaching ( as with so many other things), common sense can be so hard to find.
Thank you. -- Suzanne
Thank you. -- Suzanne
SuzanneSLO
Well-known member
Me again. Once again in need of advice from those more experieinced than I.
After my 10K in January, I've been working on shorter and faster, with intervals once a week. With a local 5k at the end of April, I've been running about 2 miles 3X per week and walking 2X.
And then, about 4 weeks ago, while walking in the dalylight at a pretty good clip but feeling wonderful, I tripped and learned first hand the meaning of "face plant." 4 stitches on my lip, 3 broken or cracked teeth. I thought of all of you and your ability to handle injuries and that helped a lot.
I took 3 weeks off before starting back in on my morning routine. Last week was great but today, once again, I tripped while walking on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn hours. This time at least, I managed to avoid the face plant and "only" skin my knees and rip my tights.
While it seems obvious that I need to modify the manner in which I walk, I'm not sure what to try.
Is it worth it to change out my shoes? The first time I tripped, I was wearing shoes that may have been half a size too large due to my recent weight loss. But today, I was wearing the same walking shoes, just half a size smaller. My running shoes have a small negative heel (but are probably also too large). Might this negatice heel help?
I've thought about joining a gym and working with a trainer on a treadmill. Any idea how to find a local trainer who might actualy help with walking?
Then again, it may just be that I come to being an "athlete" so late in life. These kinds of 'bumps' in the road may seem more signficant if you have not experienced them before the time you are eligible for senior discounts.
I know I want to continue to walk and run. Although I have been walking at least 4 days a week for more than 5 years, I need and want to move faster now.
-- Suzanne
After my 10K in January, I've been working on shorter and faster, with intervals once a week. With a local 5k at the end of April, I've been running about 2 miles 3X per week and walking 2X.
And then, about 4 weeks ago, while walking in the dalylight at a pretty good clip but feeling wonderful, I tripped and learned first hand the meaning of "face plant." 4 stitches on my lip, 3 broken or cracked teeth. I thought of all of you and your ability to handle injuries and that helped a lot.
I took 3 weeks off before starting back in on my morning routine. Last week was great but today, once again, I tripped while walking on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn hours. This time at least, I managed to avoid the face plant and "only" skin my knees and rip my tights.
While it seems obvious that I need to modify the manner in which I walk, I'm not sure what to try.
Is it worth it to change out my shoes? The first time I tripped, I was wearing shoes that may have been half a size too large due to my recent weight loss. But today, I was wearing the same walking shoes, just half a size smaller. My running shoes have a small negative heel (but are probably also too large). Might this negatice heel help?
I've thought about joining a gym and working with a trainer on a treadmill. Any idea how to find a local trainer who might actualy help with walking?
Then again, it may just be that I come to being an "athlete" so late in life. These kinds of 'bumps' in the road may seem more signficant if you have not experienced them before the time you are eligible for senior discounts.
I know I want to continue to walk and run. Although I have been walking at least 4 days a week for more than 5 years, I need and want to move faster now.
-- Suzanne
AZ Don
Well-known member
Due to a knee injury years ago I had to give up running. I took up biking and swimming instead, but after my OHS I've done a lot of walking. When I want to increase the intensity, rather than try to go faster (which to me just doesn't seem natural, that's what running is for) I just go up hill. Either on a treadmill at the gym that I can raise up, or a stair master, or I hike the local hills. All of these definitely increase the intensity. Perhaps that's what you are looking for by trying to go faster?
