After a week of not running, due to a little cold (Oh daddy, sure you can't go running *cough* *cough*. I've got such a nice daughter) last monday I picked up where I left of. It felt great to go out and get busy. Even though summer is still far away, it's nice outside. Today was a little bit cold but I made a little progress.
My knees feel fine so that's nothing to worry about (Thanx to the PSB Patella Braces). It feels great being able to run again. I am looking forward to those 5km runs and then on to 10km. And that's it. No more 10 mi for me. I like 10km much more than 16.2km (So no, I won't be running the Dam-tot-Dam loop anymore. Been there, done that). But I do look forward to find some nice 10km runs to join. I will probably enlist for the 8km (5mi) of De Lintloop MAX Vleuten. It's right outside my door so no long travel time. And it's not until November 9 so that gives me quite some time to prepare. Until then, there may be other runs I am going to sign up with.
Ok, I can hear the shower calling my name and my wife is preparing dinner so I have to finish this blog for now.
Hope you'll be here for my next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
And then I caught a cold...
So, I started running again. But the past week, I ran a grand total of 0 km. Why, because I got a cold and I keep on coughing. I sincerely hope the coughs will go away soon so I can get my feet on the road once more.
A very short blog but a blog it is anyway.
I got to get moving again and when I do, I will blog once more.
Greetinx
Johan
A very short blog but a blog it is anyway.
I got to get moving again and when I do, I will blog once more.
Greetinx
Johan
Sunday, March 9, 2014
"init 6" my running
I know, I know, I am a bad blogger. August 26, 2012 was my last blog and I promised all kind of things to blog about but somehow I didn't.
So what happened since August 26, 2012? I ran the Dam-tot-Dam loop (16.2km) and I finished it within 1 hour and 45 minutes. After that, it all went pear-shaped. Today, exactly 1 year ago, I had to stop running due to 2 injuries: Meralgia Paraesthetica on my left hip and an overstretched knee ligament on the upper inside of my right knee. The MP was probably caused by my participation of the Dam-tot-Dam loop and the injury to the knee was probably caused by a combination of Aikido and running. So, I had to stop running and I quit Aikido.
This week my wife and daughter started running so I decided to give it another try as well. Sarah, my daughter, found the Start to Run podcast from the Belgium "Radio Een" station so all 3 of us started of with those schedules. However, I decided to revert back to the Podrunner Interval "First day to 5K" mixes.
Last year, while skiing, I tried the PSB Patell Brace which helped me tremendously. Now I use them for running too and I experience no knee problems what so ever!
In short, I did an "init 6" (UNIX/Linux people know that as a reboot) of my running and I'll see where it goes from here. No goals have been set and there are no runs I am targeting (yet) but I just want to get back to running. Hopefully I'll be back at 10k in about 3-4 months but there is no pressure.
Also, I will do my best to write a blog at least once a week :D
'till the next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
So what happened since August 26, 2012? I ran the Dam-tot-Dam loop (16.2km) and I finished it within 1 hour and 45 minutes. After that, it all went pear-shaped. Today, exactly 1 year ago, I had to stop running due to 2 injuries: Meralgia Paraesthetica on my left hip and an overstretched knee ligament on the upper inside of my right knee. The MP was probably caused by my participation of the Dam-tot-Dam loop and the injury to the knee was probably caused by a combination of Aikido and running. So, I had to stop running and I quit Aikido.
This week my wife and daughter started running so I decided to give it another try as well. Sarah, my daughter, found the Start to Run podcast from the Belgium "Radio Een" station so all 3 of us started of with those schedules. However, I decided to revert back to the Podrunner Interval "First day to 5K" mixes.
Last year, while skiing, I tried the PSB Patell Brace which helped me tremendously. Now I use them for running too and I experience no knee problems what so ever!
In short, I did an "init 6" (UNIX/Linux people know that as a reboot) of my running and I'll see where it goes from here. No goals have been set and there are no runs I am targeting (yet) but I just want to get back to running. Hopefully I'll be back at 10k in about 3-4 months but there is no pressure.
Also, I will do my best to write a blog at least once a week :D
'till the next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Post holiday blog
My (our) holiday has finished. 2 weeks in Italy, 1 week in Tuscany and 1 week in near the Lago Maggiore. Sun, relaxing and running. Running? During you holiday? Yes, because I have a very challenging target. I just couldn't stop training for 2 weeks. So I did 3 runs in Italy. Early in the morning, I got up, put on my running gear and ran. Before we left, I investigated some routes.
The first run, I planned a 45 minute run but the course I choose was a bit shorter (or I ran a bit faster) than anticipated. After 38 minutes, I finished my lap of 6.11km.
Next, 2 days later was a speed run. My target was 30 minutes. But I started going up a hill. My calves exploded after about 10 minutes :( the run was cut short after 20 minutes, after only 3.63km. Quite disappointing.
The third run didn't quite go as I planned either but this time, it was because of the route I planned. More precise, it was because I got lost halfway through my run so I had to double back along the route I already ran. I planned to run around the Lago Mergozza but at the opposite site of the lake from where I started, I couldn't find the road I planned to follow... In the end I didn't quite make the 10km I planned but still it was a nice run along a small lake.
Friday, we took the 13 hour trip back home. The holiday was finished. Saturday morning I planned another endurance run. Not really knowing what I would be able to do, I just started and would decide my route along the way depending on what my body would tell me. So I ran and ran and ran. And after 95 minutes I decided to stop. I reached on of my goals 2 weeks ahead of target! And even the distance was more than I anticipated. My Runkeeper app told me 15.3km but there were some GPS hickups and it turned out I "only" ran 14.9km. 14.9km!!! That's only 1.3km less than the Dam-tot-Dam distance!!! WOW!!! I'm almost there!
In the next 3 weeks, I hope I'll be able to run the 16.2km in 95 minutes but making those 10 miles is my prime target. Keep an eye on this blog to see my progress.
Till the next blog
Greetinx
Johan
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Sayings
In China they have a saying: Even a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. Start small and build up to your goal. I thought I had taken quite a number of steps already but today my training showed me I still have a long way to go.
The goal is not the finish line but the journey towards it (or something like that) but today, that journey wasn't all that good. My legs were made of jelley and my body told me it was time to call it a day.
My wife likes to say: The bow can't be always under tension (I really don't know the English equivalent of the Dutch saying: "De boog kan niet altijd gespannen zijn") I really hate it when she says that but there is some truth to it. You can't always perform at your maximum.
Today is a short blog. As my run was a short one (WAY TOO short). My target was somewhere around 85-95 minutes but the engine ran out after only 26:35
Soooo, better luck next time.
Till next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Longer, Further, Faster
The Olympic Games have started. Citius, Altius, Fortius. The official olympic motto. Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger. I am by no means anywhere near olympic material (It's more probable, I'm not even allowed to say "I" and "olympic material" in the same sentence). That doesn't mean I have no goals. My goals do adhere to another olympic motto "The most important thing is not to win but to take part!" In another blog, I already mentioned my goal. To finish the Dam-tot-Damloop 2012.
One of my passions is being a volunteer for the Dutch organisation "Vereniging voor Gehandicapte Wintersporters" (Organisation for Disabled Winter sports). After last winter season, a new club house was build. Yesterday, all was ready to move all the material from the old location. And of course I worked hard. Maybe a bit too hard. In the evening, my shoulder was hurting like crazy. Don't know what I did but I did something wrong. Aside from hurting my shoulder, I bounced my shins on the edge of the loading floor of the moving truck. My first thought was: "There goes my endurance trainging which I moved to Sunday". Come Sunday morning I was stiff, a bit tired but I had to try. A good thing I did! My legs felt great. My shoulder still hurts but didn't bother me at all during my run and in general it felt GREAT :-D
My primary target for today was 75 minutes. If possible quicker than my last endurance run (7:17min/km). A third goal I had was pretty much out of my hands: Not receiving a stand-by call.... In my head I had my course laid out. It was based on the main "Het Lint" track with a little side track added around the Haarrijnse plas.
There is a tree on the 1.4km loop of the northen most subtrack of "Het Lint". The loop is right in front of my house so I use it in my runs quite a lot. That tree is usually a target for the end of my various training types.
After 75 minutes of running I knew the tree was only about 5 minutes away. Sooooo, I decided to go for those additional 5 minutes. IT FELT GREAT! It looks like I am going quite a bit faster than my schedule has planned for. In addition, my average pace was quicker than last week. The phone didn't ring during my run so I reached all 3 of my goals.
As I am ahead of my schedule, I can start working on my secondary target: averaging at least 5:50min/km during the Dam-tot-Damloop.
Next week, I hope to reach my endurance target of 95 minutes. Would be nice.
Stay tuned, till next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
One of my passions is being a volunteer for the Dutch organisation "Vereniging voor Gehandicapte Wintersporters" (Organisation for Disabled Winter sports). After last winter season, a new club house was build. Yesterday, all was ready to move all the material from the old location. And of course I worked hard. Maybe a bit too hard. In the evening, my shoulder was hurting like crazy. Don't know what I did but I did something wrong. Aside from hurting my shoulder, I bounced my shins on the edge of the loading floor of the moving truck. My first thought was: "There goes my endurance trainging which I moved to Sunday". Come Sunday morning I was stiff, a bit tired but I had to try. A good thing I did! My legs felt great. My shoulder still hurts but didn't bother me at all during my run and in general it felt GREAT :-D
My primary target for today was 75 minutes. If possible quicker than my last endurance run (7:17min/km). A third goal I had was pretty much out of my hands: Not receiving a stand-by call.... In my head I had my course laid out. It was based on the main "Het Lint" track with a little side track added around the Haarrijnse plas.
There is a tree on the 1.4km loop of the northen most subtrack of "Het Lint". The loop is right in front of my house so I use it in my runs quite a lot. That tree is usually a target for the end of my various training types.
After 75 minutes of running I knew the tree was only about 5 minutes away. Sooooo, I decided to go for those additional 5 minutes. IT FELT GREAT! It looks like I am going quite a bit faster than my schedule has planned for. In addition, my average pace was quicker than last week. The phone didn't ring during my run so I reached all 3 of my goals.
As I am ahead of my schedule, I can start working on my secondary target: averaging at least 5:50min/km during the Dam-tot-Damloop.
Next week, I hope to reach my endurance target of 95 minutes. Would be nice.
Stay tuned, till next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
Monday, July 23, 2012
Progression
I am truly amazed. With my progress that is. The original plan was to run 45 minutes a week ago and 55 minutes last week. At a heart rate of 70-75% of my max heart rate. Using the Karvonen calculation method that comes down for me to 141-148BPM.
A week ago, when I did my first endurance training, I was able to run 60 minutes at an average of 140BPM averaging 8:05min/km for a total distance of 7,45km. After I posted my blog for that run, I got in touch with Jim again because back then I calculated my heart rate range between 125-134BPM. We reworked the training schedule and for last Saturday I was to run 70 minutes. I also looked for a better heart rate calculation and came across the Karvonen calculation which comes much closer to the heart rates I actually have during my run.
In Vleuten-De Meern, there is a beautiful running area through the new Leidscherijn areas. The main course is 8km so I decided to go for that one during my run of last Saturday. It turned out, the course I choose was too short :-D I ran for 71 minutes with an average heart rate of 145BPM, an average pace of 7:17min/km!!! A quick calculation (or a look at my Runkeeper activity) shows a WHOPPING 9,76km!!!
The bottom line:
Greetinx
A week ago, when I did my first endurance training, I was able to run 60 minutes at an average of 140BPM averaging 8:05min/km for a total distance of 7,45km. After I posted my blog for that run, I got in touch with Jim again because back then I calculated my heart rate range between 125-134BPM. We reworked the training schedule and for last Saturday I was to run 70 minutes. I also looked for a better heart rate calculation and came across the Karvonen calculation which comes much closer to the heart rates I actually have during my run.
In Vleuten-De Meern, there is a beautiful running area through the new Leidscherijn areas. The main course is 8km so I decided to go for that one during my run of last Saturday. It turned out, the course I choose was too short :-D I ran for 71 minutes with an average heart rate of 145BPM, an average pace of 7:17min/km!!! A quick calculation (or a look at my Runkeeper activity) shows a WHOPPING 9,76km!!!
The bottom line:
- An increase in time of 11 minutes
- An increase in distance of 2,31km
- A decrease in pace of 48sec/km
- An increase of HR of only 5BPM
But, I am also a realist. I know I can't keep these progress curves going like this and I expect I'll have to flatten them down a bit. There is room to flatten these curves but the end goal is still to finish the 16.2km by September 23rd at the Dam-tot-Damloop. And if possible with a pace of around 5:50min/km (~95 minutes)
Tomorrow, I'll run my next (3rd) Tempo run but when I get home it'll be around 27C so that will probably be later in the evening. We'll see how that goes.
Till the next blog.
Greetinx
Johan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)