Setting new parkrun goals

I’m going through another parkrun phase at the moment.  It’s the perfect time of year to go to parkruns – the weather’s good, and there are a lot of fun runs/cross country coming up. Having a hard 5km effort (that’s not a race) to look forward to each week is great! So much better than doing tempo runs every week.

It is also a good opportunity to set mini goals:

Run at every different location in South East Queensland at least once. There are currently 12 events within a 1 hour drive of my house, with 2 more starting soon. I’ve recently discovered a most events list, and I want to be on it! So far I’ve run at 9 of the different events and 3 inaugrals.

Cleveland inaugral

Varsity Lakes event 4

Run naked: parkrun is the perfect opportunity to practice running to effort, rather than being a slave to the numbers on a watch. I’ve run the past 3 parkruns naked and it’s not making me slower – they’ve been some of my fastest runs in a while. Not close to my PB, but also not at a PB effort. I keep telling myself that I’m running fast but easy.

Chase course records: so this one doesn’t really gel with the parkrun philosophy, but it’s something that I’m having a bit of fun with. Some of the newer events are fairly small, and I know that my times will be beaten very quickly but seeing my name listed at the bottom of the parkrun event page is another little confidence boost. I’ll never be a world beater so this is a way for me to feel like I’m having a little bit of success.

Volunteer: parkrun depends on volunteers in order to provide free, consistent events. I haven’t volunteered yet, but I want to help out at least once over the next few months.

I’m also trying to keep my parkrun page updated to provide a central sort of resource for parkrun in this area!

How to stay (almost) injury free.

I am proud of the fact that I’ve stayed away from running injuries. I had a bit of trouble with my calf recently, but within a few weeks of modified training and some treatment I was back to normal. This is how I did it:

TI + 0: (Time of injury) I had planned to do a tempo run with 15 minutes of effort, 1 minute walk, then 10 minutes effort. I felt fine during the first section, but as soon as I started the second section it almost felt like my calf seized up. I stopped to stretch, but it didn’t make any difference so I walked back to my car.

TI + 5: I took the next few days off, spending time stretching and attacking my calf with The Stick. It felt better a few days later, so I attempted my long run. Fail! Within 1km my calf was pretty unhappy so I stopped running and headed home to wallow.

TI + 7: I booked in for a massage and she spent an entire hour on my lower legs. It was agony! I’ve always had tight calves and shins, and she seemed happy there was no tear. I was instructed to take it easy for a couple more days to let it settle down, then get back into normal training.

TI + 8: I actually was starting to get sick, so I was happy to just run 20 minutes easy. The calf still didn’t feel great, but not horrible either.

TI + 9: I wanted to test the calf a bit more with a fartlek. I lasted 15 minutes before calling it quits and going for a walk.

TI + 11: My cold was fully blown by now, but I wanted to run a cross country relay (3x4km) with my club. I also decided to try using Roktape on my calf to see if it made any difference. Miraculously I was able to run without pain! And we won our race, even with my dismal performance.

Go Pac!

TI + 13: Unfortunately the relief was short lived. I ran an easy 40 minutes with the tape on, and the pain came back. I’ve since read that Roktape/kinesio tape isn’t proven to have any benefits, and any effect of it is short lived. It was time to call in the big guns.

TI + 15: Visit to the physio. He took a really extensive case history, did a few assessments, and told me that he thought the trouble was actually nerve pain stemming from my glutes (which had actually been suggested to me by someone else). After the physio spent some time sticking his thumbs into certain areas of my glutes I got up to walk and the pain was gone! I was actually amazed how instantaneous the improvement was. I was able to run 20 minutes that afternoon completely pain free.

TI + 15 and onwards: The pain has not returned. I am doing some hip/glute/core strengthening, stretching and self massage, and I’ve been back to the physio for some more ‘good pain’ to try and release whatever is going on.  Apart from a self sabotaged 5km race (that’s a story for another blog post) my running is back to where it was before this drama began.

The takeaway message: I have a fairly low pain threshold when it comes to bad pain. I can tolerate tattoos, painful massages, and a bit of DOMS but I back off straight away when something doesn’t feel right (which also means that I probably don’t push myself hard enough during races…). Stopping a run early, and taking a few days off is not going to kill me! If this doesn’t improve the situation it’s time to get a professional opinion (and/or treatment). I’ve also discovered that going to see different people to get the correct diagnosis can be beneficial, I think the physio probably used the fact I’d already gotten a massage as part of his differential diagnosis.

And a disclaimer: every injury is different. Just because this worked for me, it may not work for you. When we’re talking about stress fractures or biomechanical issues the game will change entirely!

I’m kinda bummed that track season is over

Why is it that if something takes so long to arrive, it then feels like it’s over way too quickly? It has been 4 months since I started training specifically for track, and I had my last race of the official season last night. I’ve run two 800m races since I last posted, there was meant to be a 1500m in there as well but they cancelled the meet because of rain. It takes a lot of rain for a Brisbane meet to be cancelled, but I think they made the right call. I was looking forward to racing, but it just wasn’t meant to be!

The first of the two 800m races was last friday night. 12 girls entered, and they split the field 8/4 for the 2 heats. I was a bit disappointed that I’d only be racing a couple other girls in the slower heat, especially when one girl withdrew. I was still happy with my run – I went sub 2:40 for the first time (2:38 to be exact) and my splits were even for the second race in a row! The second lap is definitely key, and having people to chase (even in a 3 person race) makes it easier to cope with the hurt.

Last night wasn’t quite so great. I’d been feeling nervous all day (which is dumb – it was a low key all comers meet) and I showed up at the track feeling quite apprehensive. There was just the one heat, which means that I was up against the speedy kids. I know 800s are meant to hurt, and after 200m I was really feeling it! I think the first lap was 73 seconds, and I finished in 2:41. That’s a pretty dramatic slowdown. I was spat out the back of the race right from the start, so I essentially ran a time trial. I was pretty disappointed with my time when I finished, but it’s still my second fastest 800 and I can’t really expect to improve dramatically each time! Maybe with the right race, and the right mindset I’ll be able to maintain 73-75 second laps.

But now there are no more races

I couldn’t enter the state champs in the end (I’m working out west for a couple weeks). There are normally a few low key track meets during cross country season so I’ll race a few of those, but I really wish I had just one more race in a few weeks time! I really enjoy racing, even when I come last. There’s always something to learn from putting everything out there – and it’s not always about the time.

It’s now time to start working on endurance again. I’m going to push my long runs back up to around 15km (they’re 12km at the moment) and it’s time to add those pesky tempo runs back in as well. And hills, lots of hills. I’m bad at cross country but I know it will make me stronger so I’m going to embrace it once the season starts!

Today is a rest day, and it’s turning into a fat day of epic proportions. I had Maccas for lunch, and we’re going out for beer and wings tonight. I’m not going to feel bad about any of it – I need to let loose every once in a while! That endurance stuff can wait until tomorrow…

Sprint training, rain and 800m

When you start running, any running that you do is going to make you fitter. Then, after you’ve built up a decent base it’s time to introduce faster running (workouts). Initially, any fast running will be beneficial but eventually each runner will start to get a feel for what workouts are best for them. Of course, we all need variety in our routine – but doing workouts that you enjoy is the best way to keep running motivation high! Until recently most of my speed work was done with long reps and short recoveries, and I never felt like I got the most I could out of the sessions. I’d feel like my pace would turn into tempo (or survival) pace, rather than maintaining a quicker effort. Over the past 4 months I’ve shifted focus to shorter races, and the shorter workouts have really renewed my excitement for running.

We’ve had lots of torrential downpours recently, but luckily they haven’t disrupted my training. I’ve been doing 2-3 workouts per week, which initially involved a tempo run, a workout with reps of 400m and above, and another workout with reps of 100-300m. Plus a weekly long run (of 12km – cue the people telling me that 12km isn’t a long run!), plus hill sprints once in a while. I still dont follow an exact program but I know what I’m aiming to achieve each week.

The past few weeks have seen a shift away from tempo runs, and an introduction to sprint training. I’m not talking just fast running, I’m talking proper sprinting. The aim is to improve technique/efficiency, but I’m also really enjoying the new challenge.

Waiting to warm up

We start with a loooong warmup, including running, dynamic stretching and then form drills (A skips, B skips, etc) followed by strides. We mix it up a little bit from here - the sprint distance will vary between 20m and 60m, and we also spend some time bounding. I like bounding, but apparently I need to learn to stop pointing my toes when I do them (my old dancing teachers would be horrified thinking of flexed feet in the air).

When we sprint, we also vary our starts. Standing starts, 3 point starts, sink-tip-drive… At this stage I spend too much time thinking about the start, and not enough time accelerating into the sprint. We have someone giving us feedback when we do it, but I think I really need to see a video of myself so that I can figure it all out a bit better. My favourite has got to be the flying start – we’ve done 30m sprints with a 30m flying start, so you build up speed in the first 30m and then hold 100% for the second 30m.

Whenever I come home from sprints I am really exhausted, but really hyperactive. And then there’s the inevitable entire body soreness for the next few days. This week I made the mistake of doing sprints on tuesday, an easy run wednesday and then longer intervals today. I would have been better doing back to back workouts tues-wed and then giving myself 2 days to recover properly – the DOMS was pretty bad this morning. When it hurts to roll over in bed you know it’s going to HURT to run. It’s all trial and error.

What else? Oh yeah, that little thing called racing. So I ran the road mile a few weeks ago, then an 800m 10 days ago. The 800m was fairly unremarkable (2:43, same time as back in November), but I actually ran fairly even splits and had some girls to compete against. It was the first 800m where I felt like I knew what I was doing. The best advice I was given before the race was to

Think of the first lap as a warmup lap, the second lap is when the race really begins.

I went out slightly easier, which meant I had a little bit of fight in me for the final lap! After the race I spent about an hour throwing a football around – the following day my shoulder was sorer than my legs!

I’ve got either 2 or 4 weeks left of this track season. I’m racing this weekend (and the weekend after, then the weekend after that…). I need to decide if I want to enter the state championships. I don’t care if I come last, but if I’m going to be racing by myself it won’t really be worthwhile. I’ll see how I go over the next few weeks and then make a decision, and I can probably enter and then pull out if I change my mind.

Road Mile Fun

It is now getting close to 4 weeks since we arrived home from NZ, and racing season is back in full force. I’ve put in a solid 4 weeks of consistent training along with racing on the weekend.

On the 10th of February I ran the Brisbane Blast Road Mile, which was the 1 running race amongst a day of cycling criteriums. We raced one and a bit loops of the course at Southbank, which I think was the first event of its kind in Brisbane. I found it really exciting watching the cyclists speed around the course – the noise of the peleton was insane. The road mile was really small, and definitely second fiddle to the cycling. The lack of information beforehand was pretty frustrating, but it was a lowkey race and a lot of fun.

The mile had its own start line away from the mayhem of the cycling start/finish, ran past the finish line before completely a lap around the block. It was a fun course – slightly downhill to start (perfect for going out too hard – eek!), followed by 600m of flat running, then 450m uphill (right when the legs are starting to burn). We then ran back down past the start line before a final quick left turn and then the finish line. There were only 8 people in the race – and more girls than guys for once!

When we started I was actually able to get into a good rhythm fairly quickly, and I feel like I used the downhill to my advantage to accelerate easily. There was definitely no fanfare at the start – just ready, go. We all spread out fairly quickly, but I could still the most of the other competitors in the distance. I say most, because the winner of the race is really quick…

When we hit the hill, I was feeling good. I should clarify – I don’t normally even realise there’s a hill on Merivale Street, even when I run along it on my long run. It’s just that when you’re running mile pace and it’s already hurting, any incline is going to be hard!

I actually overtook a guy on the hill, and accelerated from him on the downhill. Coming into the home straight I also chased down another girl. Boom! Except then the guy came sprinting through, and just got me on the line. It was such a fun race. I definitely run my best race when I have mini battles with the people around me, and I was really happy with my time. I’d looked up my predicted time (based on the 3000m from the weekend before), and I managed to run 30 seconds quicker than that on a hilly not flat course

Finish time: 5:55. They never actually published results. I think I was 4th female.

Running extra reps after a race is apparently a really good way to boost fitness. I wouldn’t recommend doing it after a major A race, but after a low key race like this it works really well.  I had a quick drink after the race, and then headed to the Goodwill Bridge for some hill sprint fun. Keeping a short break between the race and the reps meant that adrenaline was still high, and that my legs hadn’t yet realised it was time to slow down. I only did a short set – 5x30seconds, and I felt really strong. It was almost like the race had given me brief super hero powers!

I really hope that more events like this start appearing around the place, and that more runners decide to join in. It’s less intimidating than a track race, and a mile is such a fun distance.

Shoe Hoarder (racing shoes)

I’ve already posted about my training shoes, so here is the next instalment: racing shoes! I like racing shoes even more than training shoes – there’s something very exciting about putting a pair on, and knowing they’re designed to run fast.

Nike Zoom Streak XC M8.0 (retired)

I’m sad to finally get rid of these. They’re a really good pair of racing flats – really light, really simple. I should have gotten rid of them few months ago but I just kept holding on. I had no problems with the fit.

New Balance RC5000 M8.0

These are my replacements for the Zoom Streak XCs. So far, so good. I’ve worn them for one track race (3000m), one track session and a road mile. They’ve felt really good every time. I’m not going to wear them for training now that I’ve settled into them – like all really lightweight racing flats they are going to wear out really quickly.

Nike Lunaracer M8.0 (retired) and M8.5

These were shoes that I had been wanting to try for a long time, because so many people rave about them. I bought the size 8 pair first, which is my usual size. They’re too small and the upper is pretty unforgiving so I only wore them a handful of times. Luckily they were on sale! The 8.5s are a lot better, but I still don’t think they’re the perfect fit for me. The toe box tapers too much so after longer runs I end up with blistered little toes. They’re good shoes for short tempos, or hill reps – runs with lower km.

Nike Zoom W F9.5

These are fairly new spikes. They’re not super light but I’m not super quick either, so these do the job for me on the track. I’m only wearing them for 800m and 1500m races, and wearing flats for anything longer. It’s strange wearing spikes, because the sole isn’t very flexible (I think to encourage you to get on your toes) and because, well, there are spikes in the sole. I had sprinting spikes in high school and these have a bit more of a heel in comparison. I haven’t worn them enough to decide how much I like them, but they look great!

If you don’t wearing racing flats at the moment, I’d suggest getting a pair. Even if they’re just a lighter trainer, it really does feel special to have racing shoes!