My wife and I drove to the trail head at 100th South and went north on the Jordan River trail. I did 1.65 miles again and she walked 2 miles. I felt pretty good. It was mid-day when we started our workouts, so we worked out in the hottest part of the day.
Hello Allen
ReplyDeleteI am posting to you on this blog - because I am unsure if your other blog "Running Injury Free" is still active (in terms of new posts) -- but I can see that this one is.
I am an old man too -in Australia. I am 67 and started running six months ago -doing the Couch to 5K programme. I have successfully finished that programme and run 5k in around 40 minutes three times per week -- but also we have an organisation here called Parkrun which does weekly timed 5k runs - and my PB for that is 33 minutes (this is really a full on "race" aginst yourself and I don't think I will better that time for a while -- but don't really want to because I want to move onto longer distance.)
I am currently in a bit of a dilemma and seeking direction. I am signed on for the Sydney City to Surf 14 klm funrun/race in August.( the elite athletes race - while the rest of us just run :) ) Whilst the 5K training programme that I did aimed at getting me to run non-stop for 5k, I will be using a run/walk type strategy for this 14K run and have been doing long runs accordingly -- I have successfully been using a 2minute run/1minute walk strategy to take me out to 12k and expect to be easily able to take it out to 14K before the race. I do modify that a bit in that I also run down all hills, mostly walk up all hills and do the run/walk on the flat.
NOW - my dilemma is this. I like the look of your distance training plans. I note that the intermediate one goes from 3x5k per week (which I can do easily now) to 5x different distances up to 10K. I want a continuing involvement with the 5k Parkrun organisation which essentially means running 5ks non-stop -- but don't know whether to gradually adopt to running non-stop for longer distances up to 10-15k or whether to follow your plan but using a run/walk strategy instead of non-stop. I have read that you suggest walking for a minute or so every mile (which for me would be about every 10-12 or so minutes) and I have actually started to do that --- but still can't work out in my own mind whether I should continue that or concentrate on non-stop running even for the longer distances.
Any thoughts please??
Barry in Brisbane Australia
Hi Barry, you're doing well for an old guy. Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteFirst, my runninginjuryfree.org blog is still active, not in new posts but in visitors and comments. That blog has more visitors than this blog.
Second, what should you do? Should work up to longer distances without walking? Should you take walking breaks every half mile or every mile? Should you do Galloway's run/walk/run? It all depends on you and what your body can handle.
My purpose in life is to run without injury, and my blogs and comments are geared toward that goal. Most important, I think, is the so called 10% rule (for us older runners it is more of a 5% rule. Our bodies can adapt to smaller increases in stress better than with larger increases, hence the rule. Another rule that I think important is the heavy/light strategy in running. Follow each stressful workout with at least one easy workout or cross training. Older runners may need two or three easy workouts between stressful workouts. Another useful "rule" is that huffing and puffing don't belong in LSD runs. Do LSD such that you stop before you run out of energy.
So, what ever you decide to do, Barry, keep these rules in mind, listen to your body and enjoy your runs. I went from 13 minute miles to 7 minute miles for my LSD workouts without doing speed training. Of course it took me several years for that increase -- I traded stress for time. But now, in looking back on my life, those eight years spent in getting from no running to 7 minute miles are just a brief moment in my life. I've been running for 40 years, and eight years is not much at all. I've only had one minor injury in 40 years, and that came because of speed training. For me, LSD rules!
Hi again Barry, one philosophy that I like is to have one long run per week, one medium run per week, and the remaining runs are rest runs or cross training.
ReplyDeleteI used to run nonstop all my workouts, including marathons, but I started to take walking breaks as I got older, especial after my auto accident in 2004. After that accident, I had to learn to walk again. My first attempt at running was about 1/8 mile, and that came about three or four months after the accident. Using the rules I described in my previous reply, I worked up to the half-marathon distance and ran my first half about 14 months after my accident.
Thanks for your thoughts Allen. It is very difficult to decide. I am perfectly happy with doing run/walk strategy - however I don't really need to do it for short runs (say up to 3miles/5K). At the present , I am basically running non-stop 5K runs and run/walk for longer runs. I sometimes feel that the two different "styles" of running interfere with one another and I should decide on one or the other.
ReplyDeleteI frequent a VERY active Internet forum -- mainly used by British people -- it is for the Couth to 5K programme participants -- they are a very enthusiastic bunch, mostly all discovering running for the first time - all sorts , women men, old young, fat , thin, etc . You can find it here https://healthunlocked.com/couchto5k I have introduced your blog to them - and in particular your training plans. Some of the C25K graduates are taking an interest in your intermediate plan because it takes them on a long journey and they are always unsure where to go after they complete the C25K programme -- they generally get to like the structure of the C25K plan and look for other structured plans to take them further.