I decided to follow a My Asics plan for a 10k in May.
So this week according to the plan I'm to do 4 very slow runs 2 5ks & 2 8ks. All at 7:48 m/km.
After my 5 min warm up I started to run as slowly as possible, came to a huge unpassable puddle, went to the inside where it should have been shallower & splat next thing I knew I was lying in the mud. There had been a stick in the puddle which I couldn't see & it made me slip. I was both wet & muddy from head to toe, but decided since I had only grazed my knee I would just continue. (I had to stop at a 'clean' puddle to wash my face & hands!) I was so thankful the park was deserted!
Anyway the rest of the 5k passed without incident, but I just couldn't run slow enough, I kept checking my pace & it remained consistently at 6:49 m/k. So for the last k I just gave up & ran at a faster pace.
So my compromise with the my Asics? It wants me to run at 7:48, I regualary run at 5:25ish but for this week I'll try to keep it around the 6:40 mark.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else finds that "problem".
Written by
Davoda
Graduate10
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The 'Jog' pace for all MyAsics runs/plans are always exceedingly slow. I just tend to go at a pace that I find very comfortable and not worry at all about what it is. Your plan won't be adjusted based on what you do in the 'Pre-Conditioning' phase, anyway.
Hope your knee heels nice and quickly but if you are going to go arse over head, you might as well do it in a muddy puddle. 😏
The MyAsics plans I have done have all been 12 weeks or more, Davoda and with those they are adjusted during the 'Going Further' or 'Going Faster' sections if there is a significant difference in your performance compared to the plan. I am not sure if those adjustments are made with a much shorter plan.
I guess I'll soon find out! It's a 9 week plan & has me supposedly getting faster next week. (Still slower than my normal speed, so we'll see how that works!) I've got 3 weeks of that, before I hit "race simulation"
Wow, the My Asics plan sounds interesting, although, even with all my aches and pains I think I'd find it hard to run at 7:48m/k. I think I walk faster than that on my warm up. No wonder you found it difficult to slow down enough.
Anyway, I thought you were already successfully running 10k...
I hope you recovered from your dip in the puddle, I'm guessing the gremlins had planted that stick there for you to slip on (probably because they needed something to do, after leaving me alone this morning )
And there's nothing wrong with that at all RainbowC 😀. It's just my natural more comfortable pace is a bit faster - so I had to be really disciplined to hold back - but apparently it's good for you! (I've got long legs!!) The bonus was I did the uphills at exactly the same speed, which looked nice on the splits afterwards!
I am running 10k regularly, but decided to see if using a plan would just give me a structure for the next couple of months - rather than making it up every time I go out the door! This way I know I have 4 runs every week & what they're meant to be.
You should look at it, it mixes up your runs & just gives you a good blend of intervals, fast, long, slow.
Running VERY slowly at little more than fast walking pace is very tiring and painful in the legs department (as well as mentally). It is uncomfortable in many ways - but the mental side has to be conquered to be able to run distance runs counted in hours. It is so much easier and nicer for us to run just that little bit faster in a comfortable zone. But in, the leg muscles department, unless we train the particular muscles that we require most for distance running, we will finish up be running using another type of leg muscle which is more suited to short fast running and which tires far too early on a long run. Do some research on slow and fast twitch muscles - and see why we must train at ridiculously slow paces
To be honest it really wasn't much faster than my walking pace. I was glad I had a jacket & I didn't break sweat at all - if it hadn't been for the mud bath, I wouldn't have needed a shower.
I had read about the importance of slow running for distance, so I will stick as close to it as I can - promise!
The slow first phase is called the conditioning phase if I remember correctly
By the time your plan is done you'll probably be desperate for more of the very slow jogs 😀 I choose only the beginner plans and they are killers. Gawd 'help you if you have chosen intermediate or heaven forbid the advanced plan 😱
The first slow runs are to condition your legs for the rigours to come.
My last plan was quite short but they changed the time four times. Up and down.
Fancy you going for a swim during your run. Good that you found somewhere to have a wash as well. That was handy 🛀 Lucky you 😆
Teehee yes I've chosen the advanced plan! The maximum speeds in it are pretty much what I run 10k in, but if it becomes too much I'll just change it. 😀
Oh no for the unexpected dip (I think most of us normally save our showers for after our run, but y'know, whatever works... ) Hope your knee is okay - I admire you carrying on. I would have sobbed and gone home!
Ah, Asics! Nagging Nancy, my friend Have you tried the voice guidance bit in the settings? I have written quite a bit about her in previous posts
I found the runs at the start of any plan too slow even for me, but as others have said they are important for conditioning. Just go as slow as you can. The plan will adjust. Also, I didn't pay too much attention to mine, although I wasn't aiming for the time it offered - I wanted the structure of the emails telling me to haul my sorry backside out for a run rather than making sure I got the time it said I could on the day.
Oooops, bad luck with the puddle, but very happy to hear it was just a graze.
As for the ASICS "conditioning phase", I think that's a common issue with the tool. I tried using it once, and it was that phase that put me off their plans.
It feels like they are chosing a VERY conservative slow pace to make up for the fact that they don't have your running history in any great detail, don't know your heart rate zones, and don't know when you're struggling and when you're cruising.
I don't do heart rate zones 😀 Advanced plan! 😮 Even the beginner plan is a killer. The speeds even in there are too much for me. On the easy plan, bear in mind I am nearly 60, was for a finish time of 52:15
Yes, deffo tweak if they recommend it. At least you won't have to wait long for feedback. Be sure to input all your training runs though 🙂
My word you were flying! My predicted time with the plan I'm on is 56:11 & that is the advanced one!!!! But if it's too hard I'll just switch it to medium!
Don't know about the Asics, but the puddle incident.... I would love to have been there,not to see you fall, but to see you washing your hands and face in a clean puddle x
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(I think most of us normally save our showers for after our run, but y'know, whatever works... 
) Hope your knee is okay - I admire you carrying on. I would have sobbed and gone home!
Have you tried the voice guidance bit in the settings? I have written quite a bit about her in previous posts 
but to see you washing your hands and face in a clean puddle 
I did the triple-Bennett! 
Asics #2 for me too mixed 
Running Slower For Endurance.
A (Very) Early Morning 5K Run 🌞🏃♂️
