Tuesday 18 November 2008

MAF Test #1 @ 143HR

Mile 1 in xx:xx (xxxHR) - great start pressed the stop instead of the lap button. Mile 2 in 08:14 (142HR) Mile 3 in 08:16 (143HR) Mile 4 in 08:26 (144HR) Mile 5 in 08:22 (142HR) I felt a bit like a fraud at the track this evening running at 8 min plus pace while everyone else was churning out 200s, 400s, 800s - I was the only one doing slow 20 lappers. My warmup mile was the fastest. The only way is up! Covered 7.25 mile in total.

6 comments:

  1. Cool! I'll bet you're just itching to do the next one already. Nice even HR too.

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  2. Nice and easy, no need to rush at this point. Enjoy.

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  3. Grellan - do you need to pay close attention to the temp and humidity for these tests? I imagine if it were 5-10 degrees warmer you'd need to go slower to not exceed the HR target - vice versa if it's cooler.

    As the temps get cooler as we progress into winter, even w/ no fitness gain the paces should go up for a HR of 143. Is there a good way to separate how much of the gain comes from fitness vs temperature?

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  4. Mike you certainly have a point and I am not aware of any scientific or empirical formula for converting effort at one temperature to an equivalent effort at another temperature. At least I should log the temperature on the day I do the test (around 10 and 12 Deg C yesterday). However unlike most parts of the world temperatures in Ireland do not fluctuate significantly during the winter (from -2 to +12 Deg C) and clod snaps never last too long.

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  5. Good start (except for Mile 1). It'll be interesting to see how fast the pace becomes, and also if it "evens out" over time.

    I agree with you about the temperature - I don't find any negative consequences unless it's hotter than 18C. More clothing with low temps can slow the runs though. The biggest variable seems to be the wind.

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  6. Hi Grellan

    I am really pulling for you. I can sense your frustration and impatience to get back to where you were while training for Amsterdam. You honestly did not get the race experience you deserved there, but if we only ran for that it probably wouldn't be worth it. It is probably not any of my business and I hope I am not overstepping my bounds, but you need to find the joy in your running. I almost feel like you should lose the watch, heart rate monitor, and absolutely the Garmin and just run naturally for a while. Get in touch with how your body feels as you run. Feel your heart beating and your arms and legs moving in concert to propel you forward. Concentrate on your form; are your arms swinging forward properly? Where is your head positioned? How is your body lean?

    Truly, best of luck.

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