heyalvi's Journal

I'm quite new at running myself and I'm enjoying it a lot. I ran my first 10K a few weeks ago. Lots of hills! I thought I did well (1:04:12) but I could have done better. I don't know much about strategy in races, but I read that the few seconds you lose by walking the hills are easily recovered running faster downhill with the energy you saved from walking instead of running. And I was looking at those walking uphill and thinking, "toughen up!". Well they all zoomed past me on the last miles. Lesson learned! I'm going to run at least one more 10k this year and I'm training to do it under 60min. A half-marathon is in the plans for next year. Yesterday I went for a 6mile long run and ended up running 9miles. So You're right, once you run 10K adding another few miles is not that difficult. You could check NYRR half-marathon strategy article. Good luck on your half!

I am also training for a half in December in Orlando, FL.  I took a couple of training schedules from different sites and merged them into something I could do.  Check out the Cool Runnings site.  The key is to do some speed training and hill training to work up your performance in maintaining your speed while on a race.  The excitement of the race alone will make you go faster and if you are not used to having your legs do that quick rotation and your lungs breathe a certain way, then you will burn out before it ends.  I learned it the hard way.  I have participated in two 5Ks and the first one took my surprise.  I started off too fast and had little to give toward the end.  My next one, I paid attention to my pace and heart rate so that I could push it at the end.  I made it in 29:40 and I did not feel completely depleated. I felt like I could have done better.   I am doing another in October and am learning from my previous ones on what I need to improve.

I bought a Garmin watch to help me track my miles and pace but more importantly my heart rate.  I can now easily run at about 80% of Heart Rate at a 6 mph and not have to stop.  If you have your heart rate in check and your breathing in check it should go smoothly.

Also, check into Chi Running.  Google it and check out the videos.  My husband got me a book about it and I learned a different way to run.  I can now run and not be sore and exhausted.  It is hard when you start and you have to slow your pace but you will find yourself going longer, faster and with little effort soon...

I have a disease that affects my joints and if it wasn't for this Chi Running I don't think I would be able to achieve what I have done so far.  I am now running 11 miles on my long run.

Trying to improve your body's effeciency envolves so many factors; heart rate, posture, foot stike, pace, percentage of heart rate to train in, Fartlek, hills, long run, etc...  I thought doing this was as easy as putting on a pair of sneakers and going outside!  But if you want to improve and try to be as injury free as possible, there must be some method to the madness.

I hope any of what I wrote helps.

Good luck!

Wow good for you!

I'm not a runner. Lol. But I also hope that through more diet and continuous exercise I can eventually morph myself into one. But at this point it's just too much for me to handle I guess.

So, you inspire me! Keep up the good work!