Hi gang - hope all you guys are doing well. I "fell off the wagon" at the start of roseabi 's plan last autumn, and ended up drifting, running here and there, keeping my feet active, but with nothing in mind. I blame the winter, cold rainy nights, always dark etc... but now here we are in the glorious sun (sometimes! lol).
While Abi was honing her plan and over the proceeding months, I kept going back to it, and reading other plans looking for insight, ideas, clarity and dare I say hope! Another VRB Jay66UK posted around October time that he had a "pace" and that was that.... It didn't matter how far, he would run it, but it was "his pace".
This then got me thinking, most plans talk about pace - Easy Pace, Race Pace, Hard Fast Pace, Long run etc - Confusing huh! So I started to read more about it and how to work out what it all meant and more importantly - what to do about it!
I came across the following article / calculator that allows you to enter a recent time / distance and it gives you your various "paces"
Of course speed comes with time and training. You don't need to be exact but it does give a very good indication of what you can aim for as part of your training runs. I hope this helps. (I'm sure there are more out there as well!)
Well done for climbing back on the wagon 😀. I used that pace calculator when I was training for my first HM over the winter. I found it really, really useful. You can always adjust as you go. I too had always pretty much run at one pace til I started Abi's plan back in October last year. I found the new (for me) variation in paced runs really added to the interest and enjoyment. Good luck and enjoy 🙂
Good to see you here. I used that pace calculator for the HM plan last time, but after injury issues for sometime I’m not worrying about pace for now. If I can make it to the start of a HM race uninjured, then I’ll see that as enough success for my first go! 😂❤️
It seems like I’ve been inside doing run/walk intervals on a treadmill for forever, Mitch, due to ongoing ankle issues then a knee issue... I was finally allowed out for 1 continuous run last week though, and was pleased to do 7k without pain! 😃
This week I do 2 of my 3 runs as continuous (and sneakily start building distance back up). I’m eyeing up the Wirral HM in early Sept, but will take things pretty cautiously... 😊
I may always stick to doing 1 run a week as run/walk intervals on a treadmill now, as I was surprised how much less impact there is on the treadmill, and the short walk breaks make it easier for me to tell if it hurts a lot as soon as I restart each running interval! 😂❤️
I've found that calculator to be a useful guide but for me the easy pace is too slow - it causes me to alter my gait too much so I generally run easy around 15-30 secs a km faster than the calculator gives me so I think as linda9389 says it can and should be adjusted as necessary. As long as I can hold a conversation on an easy run and feel I could go all day I know I'm about right!
Also my speed work stats are usually quicker than the calculator.
I'm actually trying at the moment to learn to run to effort because A I won't be able to wear a watch for the Army Selection test and B my ex husband is seeing huge improvements in his parkrun times just running to feel with zero tech 🤣
I seem to remember seeing a guide to the paces that described how they should feel - was it in your HM plan roseabi
Ha, I was planning on keeping out of this conversation 😄 I still can't understand why anyone would use a calculator to tell them their easy pace!!??
Anyway, I did have some pace descriptions on my plan, but I have since simplified it all a bit. But basically:
"Easy" is a comfortable pace where you can imagine yourself able to hold a full conversation - breath only slightly heavier than it would be if you were walking.
"Tempo" is "comfortably hard" - you can carry on for the duration of the run without stopping to catch your breath, but you will be breathing harder and be less able to talk (still get a few words out at a time though). I have removed the term "tempo" from my plan because there are too many different interpretations of it!
"Fast" (or maybe "VO2max") is about 80-90% of your hardest possible effort - you'll be breathing hard and very glad when the interval is over 😊
I would agree with these comments based on my experiences.... Easy is to easy..... and I haven't been following the latest version of your HM plan, I had been reflecting on my own thoughts etc when we were discussing last autumn. (and possibly don't remember all the notes you put on the sheet )
I'm becoming increasingly interested in running to effort as being a Hastings girl so much of my running involves hills! I like your descriptions - I think they're pretty much how I'd sorted them in my own head x
Haha Abi! I guess I'm just a numbers girl 🤷♀️. Can never get my head round descriptions and subjective ideas. Give me a number or an equation any day. Science over art. Quantity over quality (?). I've always secretly admired right brainers .... my right side is apparently dormant 🤣
I guess that explains a lot for me - I'm always looking for a way to "work it out" I'm an accountant by training, so it's all starting to make sense now!! lol.
I’ve since adjusted my view on pace. My close VRBs made me realise that I was being a lazy so and so and just ran everything at gentle pace in my slipper-like Brooks Glycerins.
More recently I’ve got some “faster” shoes - Brooks Launch - and there is a definite change in my pace between 5k, 10k, 10 miles and HM.
Its not a huge difference, perhaps because I’m still inherently an energy conserver (my 5k is still over 30 mins) but my shorter runs are noticeably faster than my longer ones.
I just plugged my numbers in there for my last 30k road race and the paces are quite close to what my limits are. But I’m with pianoteacher in that the easy pace is too easy, but it looks like a handy tool just the same.
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