HM training week5 day4 - intervals

I’m so fed up. I’m running 2-3min/km slower than before my injury. I just can’t get my pace back up. It’s partly that my chest is congested the whole time. The inhaler helps but doesn’t fix it entirely. It’s actually no fun running this slowly ALL the time. Intervals today and I’m STILL mega slow! Please don’t tell me it doesn’t matter - it does! Although I’m getting the endorphins after a run, I’m not getting that wonderful high during a run because I’m plodding along so slowly. Also I really don’t want to take hours and hours completing my half marathon in October.

[Clairecandothis Marathon Half Marathon]

Have you just ran free Flick with just the watch monitoring your zones but no plan? I'm not faster as such but I can run effortless in zone 4 or 5 now wheras before that would have made me exhausted. Try running in zone 4 and see. You won't want to run past that really anyway. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Clairecandothis]

I do that if i finish a training run some distance from home, but i'm still struggling. I'm on week five of the plan now and can see an improvement, but not enough yet. I really think running in a hilly area before kept me fitter. I used to have 10-20 minutes struggle at the beginning of a run, during which I had to tackle at least two steep climbs, then I would feel fine and my breathing would settle. I never get that now. Boo! xx

[Outofpuff]

I’m doing the great north run in September - I’m feeling a lot of pressure to get fit enough- I’m raising money for a charity so that’s my motivation but it really isn’t easy as I don’t have the body or fitness of a runner and the pressure can perhaps take some of the pleasure out of just pootling along. Could you have a day where you just ditch the tech and concentrate on being in the moment? Are you doing cross-training - yoga, Pilates?

[Hidden in reply to Outofpuff]

Hi, I have to run five days to stay with the HM training plan. I do yoga every day and dog walk every day, then on the two non running days I swim. You do have the body of a runner We all do. it is what we were born to do.

[misswobble Marathon]

Slow equals smart when you’re doing longer training runs You’ve got to be on your feet for extended periods, so keep the pace down in training.

I’ve been doing deliberately slow longer runs in training, the idea being you feel as fresh at the end as you do at the beginning. Not easy when it’s very hot. During the runs I do a pick up at some point, just 30 seconds, to keep me awake in the final quarter when it starts getting tough. It’s also a test to see if my body will shift up a gear if I need it to

I love slow running though. Slow, plodding, one foot in front of the other kinda running It’s a means to an end, to get me uninjured to my half and full marathon. I take myself off on the trail and just get lost in it all 🙂

If you have your asthma issue you have to work with it. It’s all about patience! Long, slow running, chewing up those miles is bad ass💪✊👊💥🏃‍♀️👍

Don’t get bogged down and tyrannised by your stats Run without them - just once - and see how you do Getting frustrated, impatient and unhappy won’t help your breathing Release your inner Zen 😁

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

I like slow running too - but it’s much slower now and is impacting on my joints. I have to keep the pace down for the slow hr zones, but today was intervals, which meant going up into zones 4/5 for five minutes at a time, which I did but was still slow. I did a lot of slow criss country running last year so I know how it goes. This is just weird, since the injury ALL my runs are slower, with or without the zone training.

Btw, I don’t have asthma - thank gods! - I have dog allergy: my peak flow etc are above average once I’ve been away from the house for more than four hours.

[Sadie-runs Half Marathon]

Oh Flick, I do understand your frustration. Big hugs. The dog allergy breathing thing is a total bummer.

I do think that Clairecandothis and misswobble suggested something good – just go for an "off-plan" run. Make it a short one, and try for a wee bit of speed now and again? Just to get your spirits up? (I know your plan is pretty rigid, but honestly my love, don't feel you need to be a slave to it – all running will count towards your HM success.) Don't forget, running is as much in the head as it is in the body, and you sound a little down and demoralised. Unnecessarily, as I really do think you are doing SO well and seeing improvements are what it is all about. But of course I am not denying the validity of how you are feeling; and I am really sorry to hear you are feeling this way, poor love. xxx

[Hidden in reply to Sadie-runs]

You are so lovely! Thank

You ❤️

I’ve been doing free runs at the end of training runs if I’m still some distance from home 😊 xxx

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Sadie-runs]

Remember too why we run. To enjoy it! 🙂

I was counting my blessings yesters whilst running. I was ok and the sun was out I had music and malt loaf. Oh and I saw an egret All that and it didn’t rain 😁

[Hidden]

Everybody, I’m already doing free runs off plan - I sometimes end a training run some distance from home so save the planned run then start another straight away...

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Yeah so do I. Shake it out jog to get home. My mood lifts at that point 😃

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Im just so confused as to why I’m so much slower now. It’s from before I began the training. But it occurred to me today that we’ve always had stripped floors but this house has fitted carpets, and I think it’s holding the dog dander and hair more. Consequently the allergy is worse. Can’t afford to remove them and get the floors stripped as the moved cleaned me out!

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

If you look at every other post of mine, it’s says how much I’m enjoying it - I think I’m allowed a wobble 😊

Interestingly someone responded to my Strava post: she had time out with injury too and is also finding she can’t get her pace back.

[misswobble Marathon]

yeah cd be that. Factor in the hot weather though. It slows everything down

my weight was creeping up so I reined myself in and ditched four pounds I run better when I run a bit lighter. I ran my last marathon two pounds lighter than my first I can feel the extra so it had to go

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

I ran all through the heatwave last year with no loss of pace, and that was up and down hills. I’m not overweight, so it isn’t that. It’s a mystery ...

[misswobble Marathon]

Stop worrying then, hang loose and see what gives ✌🏻

You could have a rest for a week and say maybe just swim 🙂

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

No I can’t, it will totally screw my training plan. Anyway, I had enough resting earlier in the year when I couldn’t run, missed my Town & Gown 10k and had to defer a half marathon. I’m NOT screwing up my half marathon training. I don’t WANT to have a week off doing what I love. I was extremely pissed off from February to June when I was hobbling around, hardly ran then couldn’t run. AND I love summer running so I don’t want to miss a week. I HATE winter running!!!! Grump grump grump ☹️

[Clairecandothis Marathon Half Marathon]

I also think we all have a slower pace for longer distances. I run 10k quicker than a half. I've tried upping my pace for a half and I was fine for 8 miles and then the wheels fell off and I struggled to finish. X

[Hidden in reply to Clairecandothis]

Lol, I haven’t done more than 7k since I started training, and most of my runs are sub 5k 😂😂😂 xx

[Clairecandothis Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I know.... if I want upping the distance for myself my plan only has me running a max of 20k ovet the week. Other marathon plans suggest mileage goes up and up! I'm trusting that any long run is about time on feet and a steady pace as much as the actual distance. 🤞 🙈🤣🤣 xx

[Clairecandothis Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Clairecandothis]

*wasn't

[Hidden in reply to Clairecandothis]

I have a “long” run tomorrow: 1.20. If it isn’t too hot when I set out, I’m thinking of extending it and seeing how far I go without getting too tired. The longest run I’ve done since my April 15k is 7.25k, and that was back in June before I began the training xx

[Clairecandothis Marathon Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I'm not long back from my long run for this week. It is my first run in the evening in forever and at 22 temperature it was too hot for me to easily stay within my heartzones. Zone 2 was near impossible so I basically walked 2k! I wasn't able to get a pace going really and that went on for 40 minutes of torture! Once I hit zone 3 I could run ish but the slow running of zone 2 had drained me a lot so I was weary. In just under 2 hours I ran 12k! Most of that will have been my zone 3 run in the last hour of running. This training plan is tough.... once I found my pace I could have continued so there is something in it working but it is a stuggle to stay in my zones when it's so hot! I should have ran 21k today so I'm going to have to decide if I follow Polar or distances soon. I think I may have to have 2 long runs. One with polar at training pace and another in zone 3 but off plan. If you find your happy pace you will be able to run a good 10 to 12k easy Flick. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Clairecandothis]

That’s the problem with the heat. Today it was 16mins in the first three zones then five minutes intervals in 4&5. That first 16mins I thought it would be easy to stay in the green, it before I knew it I was up in orange.

The way I’m handling this is sticking to the plan but adding another run on straight after the long run. I’m worried that otherwise I shan’t get the distance in before the race. I’m on the last run of week 5 tomorrow and have yet to top 7.25k xx

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Flick, could you just leave the watch/HR monitor off for a day and go out for a nice gentle run where you are just running by 'feel' (sorry, spoken like a true Luddite who has never used HRM in her life!). Run as long or short a distance as you feel - 🙂🏃🏽‍♀️.Sometimes it's good to step off the training plan, even if for only a day.🙂

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Oh, just seen that you do run off plan too!! Oops!

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

I do indeed. I can’t miss an actual day of the plan though as I left it late to start and will only finish just in time for the HM in October 😀

[Tbae Metric Marathon]

Hi Flick,

Just a novice alongside you.

You are doing great.⭐️👏👏

I find I cannot mix the two.Although both compliment equally in either direction without considering unique physical situations.🤔

Perhaps just stay focused on your HM programme and you will find after completing it, you will just go out turbo charged and surprise yourself with your pace.Quick running brings its own demands on your physique.

Your happy HM pace is all that is important.Don’t worry about hours and hours.🤔.That is reflecting strength and endurance also.

Sorry for the moider🙈

👊💥🏃‍♀️⭐️👏👏❤️