Why Runtastic?
First off, I need to declare that this experiment is completely of my own volition. I am not being rewarded financially or in-kind by Runtastic or Adidas. Apart from receiving the one-year premium subscription for free, the only benefit I will receive from this is from my own sweat equity.
I was musing a few years ago about switching to a new device and was doing a lot of reading about the Adidas mi Coach. At the time I was doing a bunch of reading and research about run cadence and wanted something with a foot pod. I had tried the Nike+ system and was reasonably pleased with it. I had a bunch of Garmin Forerunners - all of which I liked - and thought about picking up one of the Garmin SDMn (n = 1, 2, 3 or 4) models. All were compatible with the Forerunners I had at the time.
I was surfing Kijiji and found a Garmin SDM4 for sale, as well as a miCoach wrist unit and footpod for nearly the same price. I created a miCoach account, downloaded the app and poked around the app and website as extensively as I could without having the devices connected, and I was pretty impressed. What drove me to buy the Garmin footpod was the fact that I didn't want to have to start over with w new system. I had already done that years ago when I switched from Polar to Garmin, and partially so when I received a TomTom Runner as a gift. Once I had the new (to me) footpod, I didn't give miCoach a second thought, that is until I received a message from them in February...
In February Adidas replaced its miCoach service with Runtastic - a €220 million acquisition they made in August, 2015. Apparently, everyone with a miCoach account received a one-year premium subscription to the Runtastic system. Now I'm a guy who gets a lot out of the free subscriptions to fitness services (Strava, RunKeeper, DailyRunner, etc.), as well as the services offered by the device manufacturers (Garmin Connect and TomTomMySports), and have not really considered signing up for any service as a "Premium Member." That being said, now that I had this subscription come to me, I didn't want to let it go to waste.
The Experiment
My plan was (and is) to exclusively use as many of the apps/services in the Runtastic system until the subscription runs out. As I said in a previous post, I am pretty much done with training for running by just running and also want to have better all-around fitness. This means having a healthy balance of resistance training and cardio. Since run streak was halted in January due to illness, I had not done any exercise and needed to get busy doing something... anything. These two realities (premium level fitness offering and complete lack of fitness) were colliding.
The Plan
The first thing I did was download all of the apps and log in with my miCoach credentials (I can't believe that I remembered them.) I also logged in on the Runtastic web site. I will admit at this point that I did not have any real method to assess the Runtastic system; my plan was to start with the Runtastic Results app - the one app that seems to be the hub for everything else Runtastic - and then build out from there. The web site also aggregates all of the data collected through the various apps and presents everything in a common view. I ran through the premium benefits that are available to me and was presented with an opportunity to build a custom 12-week workout plan, starting with a fitness test.
As I was completely out of shape, the fitness test was tortuous, but I made it through. I was put through four exercises and I had the record how many reps I could do. At the end, I was presented with my plan where I could choose how many days per week I wanted to work out and I could commit to a certain number of minutes of cardio, which is measured through the Runtastic app. On days when I ride or run, I use the Runstastic PushUps app for a bit of pre- or post-activity strength training. I plan to install PullUps, SitUps and Squats apps down the road. In addition, I want to see if I can pair my phone with the Bluetooth heart rate strap that came with the TomTom runner. If so, I should be able to add heart rate monitoring to all of the Runtastic apps that support it (most likely Runtastic and Runtastic Results).
I just recently noticed that "free" training plans are a premium benefit, something Runtastic has in common with other services. (They are "free" because you pay for the subscription, hence not really free.) I just signed up for a half marathon plan that ends on September 17, which happens to be race day for the Army Run. When I selected the plan, it only presented me with three possible end dates. I would prefer to select my own race day. That ought to be fixed.
My Impressions So Far
The thing that impresses me the most is how well the system is integrated. The apps call home well and work well with each other. I don't find that I have to go to one app for a particular piece of information and another app for other information. Results has everything in one timeline. That being said, it is a bit of a closed system. I can connect it with Google Fit and Apple Health, but there are no options for connecting to other activity tracking apps outside the system (e.g. Strava). I can export activity data in .gpx and import it into Garmin Connect and Strava, but it is a manual process.
Another thing I like is that it works with my Pebble watch. With the announcement last December that Pebble has been subsumed by Fitbit, I know that the writing is on the wall for Pebble and that support has already started to disappear. Strava hitched their wagon to the Apple Watch and don't offer Pebble connectivity from iOS. The Pebble connectivity with Runtastic is flawless.
I need to log in to the Runtastic app every time I open it. I don't need to do this with Results or PushUps, and I have no idea why things are different with Runtastic. It's not a defect per se, but it is annoying and I think this also ought to be fixed.
UPDATE (May 24, 2017): This has been fixed. My first ticket with Runtastic support ended when the support agent wrote that the issue has been escalated to the Product Managers and marked the ticket as 'Solved', which was a bit odd since the issue was not 'Solved.' After advertising this blog post on Twitter, Runtastic replied, asking me to register another ticket. I did and the helpful agent informed me that the issue was indeed resolved and that I would need to completely uninstall the app from my phone and re-install. That worked and I can now stay logged in. Thanks, Runtastic!
I have found many other systems do not allow for mixing strength training with cardio in one place. In the past, I would go to one app to do strength training and the results would be stored there, and then use other app (or apps) to ride or run or ski or snowshoe and store the results there. Perhaps there are apps out there that will aggregate the data, but I haven't found a good one. The upside of a closed well-integrated system is that this is possible and the data is well aggregated and unified in presentation; the downside is that one is forced to completely buy-in to the closed system or manage fitness data in a collection of disparate (best-of-breed) systems.
Next Steps
The first step is to complete the 12-week program to see where that takes me. I have committed to 90 minutes of cardio each week (3x30min sessions). My hope is that I will be leaner and in decent running shape by the August. I am also considering doing a half or full marathon in late Autumn, but I am remaining cautious on that.
Once I start seeing measurable results, I will post them. In the mean time, I recommend giving Runtastic a try.
Showing posts with label tomtom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomtom. Show all posts
Monday, May 1, 2017
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Inaugural Barefoot Shoe Run
I wanted to get a run in over the weekend to break out of the running funk I have been in and managed to do it. Victory! I also wanted to see if I could manage a run in barefoot shoes. (Oxymoron?) I picked my never-been-worn Merrell Bare Access's (0mm drop) and took them for their maiden voyage. They were a treat to wear. I have an upcoming blog post where I describe my minimalist plans.
All of the conventional wisdom I have read suggests that I shouldn't run very far when transitioning to 0mm drop shoes (like starting at a few hundred metres) and that I should gradually increase the distance/duration, but I didn't heed that wisdom. I have been moving to progressively flatter shoes for the past couple of years and decided to take the final 4mm plunge. (Note: My last few pairs of shoes were 4mm.) To be honest, they felt great during the run and even 9 hours later as I write this, I feel no lasting effects.
The run itself felt great. My goal duration for the run was 30 minutes and because of the heat I planned in keeping the peace slow. It was definitely slow and hot, but I managed. I did an out and back on Hilldale Road and I dawned on me how it got its name. The road was up or down the whole way: hill, dale, hill, dale, hill, dale. I wore my TomTom Runner, but didn't wear the HRM. Even without it, I knew that my HR was up there, partly because of the heat and the hills, but mostly due to lost fitness. It took a while for it to come down afterward, but otherwise I recovered rather quickly.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Running Streak - Day 99
After three days on the treadmill, it was great to get outside again. I know it was only three days, but it felt longer and running outside is just so much better than moving your legs with everything else staying in place. The one tough thing was that it was cold. It wasn't the coldest weather that I've run in this year, but is certainly felt like it. The sun was great, but the wind was biting and seemingly coming from all directions.
It was one of those "wear everything you brought with you" runs. Because Ottawa weather is, well, Ottawa weather, I always bring extra stuff with me so that I have options. When I checked the forecast in the morning, it called for -4C and light wind. By the time lunch rolled around, it was -18C with the wind chill. I just dumped everything in my bag on the floor and put it all on (full base layer top-to-bottom, tech shirt, Brooks Storm jacket, nylon pants, toque and gloves). It was a good call on my part.
The schedule called for 30 minutes easy with my HR in zone 2. I chose my new go-to 5.5km route that loops over the Pretoria Bridge, and for some reason I had a hard time keeping my HR down. It was nothing crazy, just slightly into zone 3. I will chalk it up to a string of late nights and the wind. I'm not looking for excuses - I think they are probable reasons - and apart from niggling over the HR, the run was fantastic. The paths were mainly clear; I finished another episode of Zombies, Run!; and, sensation-wise, I felt terrific. Day 100 is tomorrow.
A note on heart rate monitors...
I used the Garmin Forerunner 610 for this run, and it captured my HR perfectly. For the last three runs on the treadmill, I was using my TomTom Runner with the HR transmitter pod on the strap that came with it and a Polar premium strap, which is the best strap on the market and works with pods from Garmin and TomTom, and maybe others. If you look at the treadmill runs over the weekend, the HR curve is a mess, with my HR apparently getting into the 200s. I think I can safely conclude that HR recording on the TomTom is really poor. I don't know whether it is the chest strap, transmitter or wrist unit, or some combination of the above. Maybe it is better with the newer units that use optical technology and no strap. The web is full of folks griping about problems with straps. For the most part, I have been able to overcome my problems, but I'm at the point where I think I am going to cry uncle with the TomTom.
It was one of those "wear everything you brought with you" runs. Because Ottawa weather is, well, Ottawa weather, I always bring extra stuff with me so that I have options. When I checked the forecast in the morning, it called for -4C and light wind. By the time lunch rolled around, it was -18C with the wind chill. I just dumped everything in my bag on the floor and put it all on (full base layer top-to-bottom, tech shirt, Brooks Storm jacket, nylon pants, toque and gloves). It was a good call on my part.
The schedule called for 30 minutes easy with my HR in zone 2. I chose my new go-to 5.5km route that loops over the Pretoria Bridge, and for some reason I had a hard time keeping my HR down. It was nothing crazy, just slightly into zone 3. I will chalk it up to a string of late nights and the wind. I'm not looking for excuses - I think they are probable reasons - and apart from niggling over the HR, the run was fantastic. The paths were mainly clear; I finished another episode of Zombies, Run!; and, sensation-wise, I felt terrific. Day 100 is tomorrow.
A note on heart rate monitors...
I used the Garmin Forerunner 610 for this run, and it captured my HR perfectly. For the last three runs on the treadmill, I was using my TomTom Runner with the HR transmitter pod on the strap that came with it and a Polar premium strap, which is the best strap on the market and works with pods from Garmin and TomTom, and maybe others. If you look at the treadmill runs over the weekend, the HR curve is a mess, with my HR apparently getting into the 200s. I think I can safely conclude that HR recording on the TomTom is really poor. I don't know whether it is the chest strap, transmitter or wrist unit, or some combination of the above. Maybe it is better with the newer units that use optical technology and no strap. The web is full of folks griping about problems with straps. For the most part, I have been able to overcome my problems, but I'm at the point where I think I am going to cry uncle with the TomTom.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Run Ottawa Running Streak - Days 21-25
This is the longest I have gone without providing an update on the streak(s). Yesterday - January 25, 2016 - was Day 25 of #RORunStreak and Day 85 of my personal quest for 100 days. I'm noticing now that getting a run in is not a source of stress anymore. My obsession with keeping the streaks going has morphed to a sense of commitment, and my focus on the streak has been replaced by a focus on getting fit. For years, I needed an external goal to keep me on track; now my motivation to be healthy and fit is internal. Once my main streak hits 100 days, my goal will be to do some kind of vigorous exercise every day, be it snowshoeing, skiing, plyometrics, cycling or running. All that said, I really like running and I have a few races to prepare for.
Treadmill Days: 21, 22 and 24
Regretfully, I had to put three days in on the treadmill towards the end of the week. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday, I did runs of 20, 20 and 30 minutes, respectively - no distance records here. All were done using pre-set workouts while watching The X-Files. In every case, it was a question of busyness on the particular day. Things to take care of work-wise or at home pushed the runs to late at night. The upside is that I can now fall asleep quickly after running and cleaning up. While on the treadmill, I have been focusing on keeping my knees high, increasing turnover and keeping my head up. To do this, I have been trying to break a bad habit of running really close to the top (motor/console) end of the belt, and moving to the center of the belt. I don't shuffle, bent over at the waist, staring at the ground in front of me when I run outside; I shouldn't be doing it when I run inside.
An added note... I am using my TomTom Runner for the treadmill and my Garmin Forerunner 610 for running outdoors. I will start using the 610 inside once I have an opportunity to calibrate my footpod
Outside Days: 23 and 25
Today (Saturday), I finally added a long run to my week. I say "long", but it was only 12.5km, which after training for a few marathons does not seem that long. Because I have been running for only 20-40 minutes every day for the past few months, I had no idea how 12.5km would feel. In actual fact, it felt great.
Saturday was one of those bright sunny days without a cloud in the skies that felt brutally cold and windy. I believe that is was colder than -20C with the wind chill and 30+km/h winds. The route I took is a rectangular loop that I have run many times and apart from a few copses of trees, there is no shelter from the wind. Fortunately, the wind was hitting me from the side on the two longest sides of the rectangle, which didn't slow me down at all.
I had my iPod Nano with me and was able to listen to the latest episode of Serial from beginning to end. I don't like listening to podcasts in installments. If you don't listen to Serial, you should. Since each episode is just less than an hour long and I was running for over 75 minutes, I wanted to switch to an unfinished episode of Phedippidations - another podcast to which you must subscribe. The problem is that, due to its size, the Nano is especially sensitive to cold. It won't stop up during playback if it gets cold, but as soon as playback stops, the battery drained warning appears and it shuts off. Once it warms up again, the battery appears charged again. I enjoyed the sounds of silence and nature for the last 20 minutes.
I was really pleased with the run. I locked on to a "long, slow distance" pace and had no trouble holding it throughout. I didn't have to stop even once, and actually, I felt like I could keep on going. The other nice thing is that there was almost no recovery time. I hadn't eaten or drank much beforehand and I ran just before noon,; therefore, I needed some food and water when I got home. Otherwise, I felt fine.
One interesting issue is that the inside of my right ankle was sore.if you could see just about any pair of my shoes, you would see that I wear out the outside edge of my outsoles before another part of the shoe. The new shoes (New Balance Minimus Ionix 3090v3) have lugs around the edges of the sole. I believe that these lugs are causing my foot to strike more evenly across the sole, and are stretching the tendons on the inside of my ankle. I will need to be careful as I transition to these shoes. Perhaps I should run in my old ones every once in a while until I adjust completely.
Next week, according to the schedule, my "long run" is only 45 minutes. I may run that one a little faster. I have a 10km race the following day and I need to start varying the pace of my runs.
Yesterday (Monday) was much warmer, only -3C under overcast skies. I thought the schedule said 30 minutes easy, but it was 40. I even left the latest episode of Zombies, Run! at the default length of 32 minutes. (I would have lengthened it had I been dialed in.) The problem was that I chose a route that I could run in just over 30 minutes and I ended up back at the start needing a bit more runway, so I went exploring.
Normally, I run up the driveway to the NAC to cross at Elgin Street and head down Queen Street back to work. Today, I ran half way up the driveway and then continued under the bridge where Wellington crosses over the Canal and headed to the locks at the start of the Rideau Canal. I just wanted to see how far I could go. I continued on to the path that runs along the Ottawa River behind the Library of Parliament. It has not bee ploughed, but the snow is well trodden and I had no problems making my way along. The frozen footprints make for a really uneven surface (see photo above), but the new shoes provide good traction and a good surface for pushing off. It helps that the snow was pretty hard, too. The ice on the river is nearly even with the path. I had to navigate my way around a couple of construction fences and eventually made my way to the parking lot behind West Block, where I do hill workouts. It was the first time running up the marking lot in a long time and my legs felt it. I need to do more hills.
Treadmill Days: 21, 22 and 24
Regretfully, I had to put three days in on the treadmill towards the end of the week. On Thursday, Friday and Sunday, I did runs of 20, 20 and 30 minutes, respectively - no distance records here. All were done using pre-set workouts while watching The X-Files. In every case, it was a question of busyness on the particular day. Things to take care of work-wise or at home pushed the runs to late at night. The upside is that I can now fall asleep quickly after running and cleaning up. While on the treadmill, I have been focusing on keeping my knees high, increasing turnover and keeping my head up. To do this, I have been trying to break a bad habit of running really close to the top (motor/console) end of the belt, and moving to the center of the belt. I don't shuffle, bent over at the waist, staring at the ground in front of me when I run outside; I shouldn't be doing it when I run inside.
An added note... I am using my TomTom Runner for the treadmill and my Garmin Forerunner 610 for running outdoors. I will start using the 610 inside once I have an opportunity to calibrate my footpod
Outside Days: 23 and 25
Today (Saturday), I finally added a long run to my week. I say "long", but it was only 12.5km, which after training for a few marathons does not seem that long. Because I have been running for only 20-40 minutes every day for the past few months, I had no idea how 12.5km would feel. In actual fact, it felt great.
Saturday was one of those bright sunny days without a cloud in the skies that felt brutally cold and windy. I believe that is was colder than -20C with the wind chill and 30+km/h winds. The route I took is a rectangular loop that I have run many times and apart from a few copses of trees, there is no shelter from the wind. Fortunately, the wind was hitting me from the side on the two longest sides of the rectangle, which didn't slow me down at all.
 |
| Me and my shadow |
I was really pleased with the run. I locked on to a "long, slow distance" pace and had no trouble holding it throughout. I didn't have to stop even once, and actually, I felt like I could keep on going. The other nice thing is that there was almost no recovery time. I hadn't eaten or drank much beforehand and I ran just before noon,; therefore, I needed some food and water when I got home. Otherwise, I felt fine.
One interesting issue is that the inside of my right ankle was sore.if you could see just about any pair of my shoes, you would see that I wear out the outside edge of my outsoles before another part of the shoe. The new shoes (New Balance Minimus Ionix 3090v3) have lugs around the edges of the sole. I believe that these lugs are causing my foot to strike more evenly across the sole, and are stretching the tendons on the inside of my ankle. I will need to be careful as I transition to these shoes. Perhaps I should run in my old ones every once in a while until I adjust completely.
Next week, according to the schedule, my "long run" is only 45 minutes. I may run that one a little faster. I have a 10km race the following day and I need to start varying the pace of my runs.
Yesterday (Monday) was much warmer, only -3C under overcast skies. I thought the schedule said 30 minutes easy, but it was 40. I even left the latest episode of Zombies, Run! at the default length of 32 minutes. (I would have lengthened it had I been dialed in.) The problem was that I chose a route that I could run in just over 30 minutes and I ended up back at the start needing a bit more runway, so I went exploring.
 |
| The Ottawa River in Winter |
Monday, December 21, 2015
Running Streak - Days 49 and 50
Day 50
I had a 40 minute tempo run in the Garmin schedule, but I forgot my HR strap. Given the conditions and the fact that the delay expired for the next mission in Zombies, Run!, I decided to do the 37 minute mission and take the run easy. It was the right decision. I can do the tempo run tomorrow.
Today was nasty with freezing rain. The footing was bad - thin film of slush where there wasn't a deep frigid puddle or a thin film of ice - and my clothes were soaked through within 5 minutes of the start. My shirt chafed me so bad that I had blood dripping from the abrasions. (Note to self: Remember the BodyGlide tomorrow.) I dropped the pace and focused on posture and a proper foot strike. Despite the condition of my rapidly deteriorating shoes, I didn't slip once. Mentally, running in horrible conditions is a great morale booster. You feel so hardcore when you finish.
Day 49
The streak continues, but I need to become more diligent about the daily reporting.
I managed to squeak in a 6.5km run with the last remaining minutes of daylight. It seemed colder than it has been over the last few weeks, but all I needed to do was shield myself from the wind. I wore the MEC Dart pants and Peak Performance jacket over a long sleeve tech shirt. I could have even taken off the hat and gloves about 2/3 of the way through, but I left them on. Getting outside sure beats the treadmill.
I did the loop through Sarsfield, and sought to keep an even pace throughout. Mission accomplished and I didn't use any gadgetery. The TomTom threw a couple of HR spikes again despite using electrode gel and changing clothing. I noticed that it is fine when running on the treadmill or in warm weather. Maybe the cold temperatures or reduced humidity has something to do with it. Not being able to get to the bottom of this is really frustrating me. Reading the forums tells me that I'm not alone in this, but to me, it is still a small consolation.
I had a 40 minute tempo run in the Garmin schedule, but I forgot my HR strap. Given the conditions and the fact that the delay expired for the next mission in Zombies, Run!, I decided to do the 37 minute mission and take the run easy. It was the right decision. I can do the tempo run tomorrow.
Today was nasty with freezing rain. The footing was bad - thin film of slush where there wasn't a deep frigid puddle or a thin film of ice - and my clothes were soaked through within 5 minutes of the start. My shirt chafed me so bad that I had blood dripping from the abrasions. (Note to self: Remember the BodyGlide tomorrow.) I dropped the pace and focused on posture and a proper foot strike. Despite the condition of my rapidly deteriorating shoes, I didn't slip once. Mentally, running in horrible conditions is a great morale booster. You feel so hardcore when you finish.
Day 49
The streak continues, but I need to become more diligent about the daily reporting.
I managed to squeak in a 6.5km run with the last remaining minutes of daylight. It seemed colder than it has been over the last few weeks, but all I needed to do was shield myself from the wind. I wore the MEC Dart pants and Peak Performance jacket over a long sleeve tech shirt. I could have even taken off the hat and gloves about 2/3 of the way through, but I left them on. Getting outside sure beats the treadmill.
I did the loop through Sarsfield, and sought to keep an even pace throughout. Mission accomplished and I didn't use any gadgetery. The TomTom threw a couple of HR spikes again despite using electrode gel and changing clothing. I noticed that it is fine when running on the treadmill or in warm weather. Maybe the cold temperatures or reduced humidity has something to do with it. Not being able to get to the bottom of this is really frustrating me. Reading the forums tells me that I'm not alone in this, but to me, it is still a small consolation.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Running Streak - Day 46
I knew from the get-go that I would be on the treadmill in the evening, but I didn't think it would be after 10:00PM. I had a lunch planned with some former colleagues at a Chinese buffet that we always have eaten at. The company today was terrific, but the food was lousy and I felt horrible all afternoon. I still haven't eaten. I'm not sure if it was the quantity, the volume or both. I have been eating better since the streak began and as of this morning, I was down to 175 lbs. I don't think my body can't handle eating crappy food like that anymore.
The run tonight was good. I selected another 20min pre-set workout where the elevation rose to 10% and the top speed was 6:30 min/mi (yes, no metric on the treadmill.) It was more challenging than the other one I have been using. Normally, I can still read my Kobo while running, but I couldn't do so once the pace went above 7:30 min/mi. Trying to continue to read would have resulted in a wipe-out of spectacular proportions and everyone was already in bed. It would be awful for everyone.
The good news is that I got accurate HR readings - no spikes. I need to get to the bottom of this. I'm sure it's not the running clothes or a defective chest strap. There would be more sources of interference inside the house than outside. I'm wondering if it is the degree of contact between my skin and the strap when the temperature drops. I have been going light with layers to get myself to acclimatize to the cold temperatures, when they eventually come. Maybe I should try over-dressing to see if being warmer helps maintain better contact.
The run tonight was good. I selected another 20min pre-set workout where the elevation rose to 10% and the top speed was 6:30 min/mi (yes, no metric on the treadmill.) It was more challenging than the other one I have been using. Normally, I can still read my Kobo while running, but I couldn't do so once the pace went above 7:30 min/mi. Trying to continue to read would have resulted in a wipe-out of spectacular proportions and everyone was already in bed. It would be awful for everyone.
The good news is that I got accurate HR readings - no spikes. I need to get to the bottom of this. I'm sure it's not the running clothes or a defective chest strap. There would be more sources of interference inside the house than outside. I'm wondering if it is the degree of contact between my skin and the strap when the temperature drops. I have been going light with layers to get myself to acclimatize to the cold temperatures, when they eventually come. Maybe I should try over-dressing to see if being warmer helps maintain better contact.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Running Streak - Day 45
It was another terrific run today, and looking back, I don't see too many days where I had a bad one. I recall really struggling physically and mentally at the beginning of the streak. I was disappointed at how much I had let myself go and how I was having to re-start after a prolonged yet again. I don't think like that anymore. I realize that it has been only six weeks, but now running does not feel like a chore. I actually feel like I am training again, not just trying to find my feet. The really curious thing (for me) is that I'm not focused on a particular event. I am simply running to, yes, keep the streak going, but mainly because it is making me feel good.
Wednesday is intervals day and this week the plan called for adding another rep to the workout I have going through for the past few weeks. Today was a 10 minute warm up and cool down with 6 x 2:00 on/1:00 off in between. Again my pace for all of the work segments was very consistent. The one thing I noticed is that I start each interval hard and then steadily slow down. (See the graph below.) My HR is steady, but my pace drops off . I need to work on ramping up and then maintaining the pace more evenly.
It was definitely colder today (1C with a "feels like" of -2C), but the wind was much calmer. I covered up with my Dart pants, Sugoi vest and gloves, but no hat. I really need to find my toque; it would have come in handy. I have two of them, but they must be mixed in with other clothing at home somewhere. If there was any precipitation today, it definitely would have been snowing and I need to start being prepared for the eventuality of snowfall. Ottawa is being spoiled.
Wednesday is intervals day and this week the plan called for adding another rep to the workout I have going through for the past few weeks. Today was a 10 minute warm up and cool down with 6 x 2:00 on/1:00 off in between. Again my pace for all of the work segments was very consistent. The one thing I noticed is that I start each interval hard and then steadily slow down. (See the graph below.) My HR is steady, but my pace drops off . I need to work on ramping up and then maintaining the pace more evenly.
 |
| December 15, 2105 Interval Session |
It was definitely colder today (1C with a "feels like" of -2C), but the wind was much calmer. I covered up with my Dart pants, Sugoi vest and gloves, but no hat. I really need to find my toque; it would have come in handy. I have two of them, but they must be mixed in with other clothing at home somewhere. If there was any precipitation today, it definitely would have been snowing and I need to start being prepared for the eventuality of snowfall. Ottawa is being spoiled.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Running Streak - Day 44
When I checked the temperature in the morning, it was 9C with moderate winds and a "feels like" of 6C, which would have been great. As it turns out, my 1:00PM, when I started my run, it was 5C with strong winds (gusts of up to 35km/h) and a "feels like" of 0C. Sadly, I didn't check before I left and dressed for the morning conditions. It wasn't horrible, but man, in shorts, long sleeve shirt and vest, it felt cold.
Since there was nothing on the plan for me today and the 6 day delay had passed for the next Zombies, Run! mission had passed, I decided to let the mission parameters dictate the duration of the run: 41 minutes, no problem. I ran an out-and-back on the Ottawa River again, getting to just past Parkdale before turning around. The curious thing is that I ran almost the same distance as yesterday - I even turned around at the same set of benches - and yesterday it felt much more difficult. When I checked the data at the end of the run, I ran only 5 seconds slower per kilometer than my average pace yesterday. 5:42min/km shouldn't feel much different than 5:36, but it did. I can't explain it.
Another weird thing is that I had no HR data from the run. I guess the transmitter on the strap never connected to the receiver in the watch. It would have been great to have HR data to compare the effort between the two runs. After the run was over today, I stopped the workout and put it into Treadmill mode as I walked around the building*. The connectivity was fine. Again, I can't explain the problem.
* I discovered that if I have it in Treadmill mode and don't start a workout, I can see my HR in BPM, which is really useful in recovery as I walk around to cool down. My HR isn't visible in Run mode before starting a workout.
Since there was nothing on the plan for me today and the 6 day delay had passed for the next Zombies, Run! mission had passed, I decided to let the mission parameters dictate the duration of the run: 41 minutes, no problem. I ran an out-and-back on the Ottawa River again, getting to just past Parkdale before turning around. The curious thing is that I ran almost the same distance as yesterday - I even turned around at the same set of benches - and yesterday it felt much more difficult. When I checked the data at the end of the run, I ran only 5 seconds slower per kilometer than my average pace yesterday. 5:42min/km shouldn't feel much different than 5:36, but it did. I can't explain it.
Another weird thing is that I had no HR data from the run. I guess the transmitter on the strap never connected to the receiver in the watch. It would have been great to have HR data to compare the effort between the two runs. After the run was over today, I stopped the workout and put it into Treadmill mode as I walked around the building*. The connectivity was fine. Again, I can't explain the problem.
* I discovered that if I have it in Treadmill mode and don't start a workout, I can see my HR in BPM, which is really useful in recovery as I walk around to cool down. My HR isn't visible in Run mode before starting a workout.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Running Streak - Day 43
Today I used my Tomtom Runner for a tempo run targeting a particular HR zone for the first time. I have figured out how to set up interval sessions, but I realized today that I hadn't yet used the device for HR training. The first step was to make sure that the zones were set up correctly. I logged in to Garmin Connect and wrote down my HR zone info that was configured in my settings. I have used these zones for many workouts and trust them to be correct (enough). I then transferred the information to my profile on the Tomtom website. Setting up the zones on the Tomtom site is very easy - enter the max HR and then just slide the limits into place. High marks for usability. After re-syncing the device, I selected Zone-HR from the training menu and then selected "Endure". (The plan today was for 40 minutes in Zone 3, which in Tomtom-speak is named Endure.)
The run itself was OK. It was cloudy, dark, cold and windy (3C with a wind chill of -1C) and I was feeling a bit sluggish. The zone training on the Tomtom was interesting. The device is very good at telling you when to speed up and when you are on target. It completely forgets to tell you to slow down. I found that I was blowing out the top of the zone and only realizing it later when I saw what my actual HR was. Once I slowed down a bit, I was told that I was on target again. For effective zone training, staying in the zone is critical and Tomtom needs to fix that. I did my best to stay in the zone and my average pace indeed decreased in the second half of the run, but after turning around at exactly 20 minutes, I still nearly finished where I started - two city blocks behind. In my books, that's not too shabby.
The run itself was OK. It was cloudy, dark, cold and windy (3C with a wind chill of -1C) and I was feeling a bit sluggish. The zone training on the Tomtom was interesting. The device is very good at telling you when to speed up and when you are on target. It completely forgets to tell you to slow down. I found that I was blowing out the top of the zone and only realizing it later when I saw what my actual HR was. Once I slowed down a bit, I was told that I was on target again. For effective zone training, staying in the zone is critical and Tomtom needs to fix that. I did my best to stay in the zone and my average pace indeed decreased in the second half of the run, but after turning around at exactly 20 minutes, I still nearly finished where I started - two city blocks behind. In my books, that's not too shabby.
Running Streak - Days 41 and 42
I'm going to combine the blog entry for days 41 and 42 because the runs were identical in every respect: 20 minutes on the treadmill using the same pre-set hill workout starting at 11:30PM. The weather outside was beautiful. It was mostly cloudy and 14C on Saturday; 5C on Sunday. I took advantage of the good weather to get some work done in the yard and on the outside of the house that didn't get done in the Summer. That work, coupled with other prior commitments, meant that I would be on the treadmill late at night again, which is no big deal, except that I'm starting to feel tired.
I discovered that my Forerunner 310XT is simply not suited to running indoors. It is taking a long time to "boot" up and there is no Indoor Mode that other models have. Saturday's run was captured as having happened on April 1, 2007. In its defense, a hard reset is probably long overdue. Periodic hard/soft resets are, in my opinion, a critical part of maintaining these devices (from all manufacturers). I can't explain it; I have just come to accept it. An interesting finding... There was no HR spike when using the Garmin. I forgot the chest strap for the other run where I used the Tomtom.
I calculated how many days that this streak is supposed to run. I cannot believe, given my nature, that I had not done this earlier. November 2 to January 1 is 61 days, inclusive, which means that, as of today, I am now 2/3 of the way. My Sunday School class thinks I should extend the streak to 100 days, with a new end date of February 9. I'm not making the call right now, but with 41 runs behind me and no ill effects, 100 days is looking awfully tempting.
I discovered that my Forerunner 310XT is simply not suited to running indoors. It is taking a long time to "boot" up and there is no Indoor Mode that other models have. Saturday's run was captured as having happened on April 1, 2007. In its defense, a hard reset is probably long overdue. Periodic hard/soft resets are, in my opinion, a critical part of maintaining these devices (from all manufacturers). I can't explain it; I have just come to accept it. An interesting finding... There was no HR spike when using the Garmin. I forgot the chest strap for the other run where I used the Tomtom.
I calculated how many days that this streak is supposed to run. I cannot believe, given my nature, that I had not done this earlier. November 2 to January 1 is 61 days, inclusive, which means that, as of today, I am now 2/3 of the way. My Sunday School class thinks I should extend the streak to 100 days, with a new end date of February 9. I'm not making the call right now, but with 41 runs behind me and no ill effects, 100 days is looking awfully tempting.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Running Streak - Day 40
Round numbers have a such a nice ring to them, and 40 sounds like a bona fide milestone. To me, my biggest milestone so far was 4. Once I strung 4 consecutive days of running together, I felt like I was actually going somewhere, especially having been on the couch of doom for so long. Two weeks (14 days) really surprised me, too. Now that I'm at 40 days, I'm looking ahead more than behind. After tomorrow I will be 2/3 complete.
Today was the best day weather-wise of the whole week. It was sunny, 14C and absolutely un-December-like. Every runner I saw on the Ottawa River pathway was grinning from ear-to-ear. We are all out there running looking like cats who swallowed the canary. I know that anyone reading this blog is wondering why I am going on so much about the weather. To give you an idea, it was a balmy -3C with a bit of snow on this date last year, and in 2013 it was a frigid -22C. A "normal" temperature for mid-December in Ottawa is -10C and today I was out in a short sleeve tech shirt and shorts. This is an absolute blessing, and I am so grateful to be able to take full advantage of it.
I started out a little hard today, perhaps frolicking in the warm temperature. I got to the 1km point and said to myself, "What are you doing?" I should cut the pace and enjoy my time in the sun a little more, rather than blast through the run to get it done. I also was feeling the effects of the intervals on Wednesday and the up-tempo run yesterday. I slowed down noticeably and as it turns out, I had the opposite experience of Tuesday evening. I thought I had slowed my pace quite a bit, but it was faster than planned. I can't explain it.
The Tomtom produced spikes in the HR readings at the beginning of the run again. I was thinking about it and am starting to wonder if it is "premium" chest straps that don't get along with me. My rigid Garmin strap does not do that, but I have had the same thing with all three (Polar, Tomtom and Garmin) straps. I'm going to explore this a little more. It's too bad that I can't wear two straps at one to compare the readings.
Today was the best day weather-wise of the whole week. It was sunny, 14C and absolutely un-December-like. Every runner I saw on the Ottawa River pathway was grinning from ear-to-ear. We are all out there running looking like cats who swallowed the canary. I know that anyone reading this blog is wondering why I am going on so much about the weather. To give you an idea, it was a balmy -3C with a bit of snow on this date last year, and in 2013 it was a frigid -22C. A "normal" temperature for mid-December in Ottawa is -10C and today I was out in a short sleeve tech shirt and shorts. This is an absolute blessing, and I am so grateful to be able to take full advantage of it.
I started out a little hard today, perhaps frolicking in the warm temperature. I got to the 1km point and said to myself, "What are you doing?" I should cut the pace and enjoy my time in the sun a little more, rather than blast through the run to get it done. I also was feeling the effects of the intervals on Wednesday and the up-tempo run yesterday. I slowed down noticeably and as it turns out, I had the opposite experience of Tuesday evening. I thought I had slowed my pace quite a bit, but it was faster than planned. I can't explain it.
The Tomtom produced spikes in the HR readings at the beginning of the run again. I was thinking about it and am starting to wonder if it is "premium" chest straps that don't get along with me. My rigid Garmin strap does not do that, but I have had the same thing with all three (Polar, Tomtom and Garmin) straps. I'm going to explore this a little more. It's too bad that I can't wear two straps at one to compare the readings.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Running Streak - Day 39
Another absolutely stunning day, weather-wise. A lunch with some former colleagues was cancelled, but fortunately I had my running stuff with me at work and was able to get out shortly before 1:00PM, when it was 10C. Being so warm, I was out in my long sleeve Army Run tech shirt and shorts, which was ideal. I was contemplating going with short sleeves, but as it turned out, there was a pretty stiff westerly wind and I was glad to have something covering my arms.
Apart from knowing that I wanted to run The Bridges, I had no objectives for time or intensity. My plan was to enjoy the weather and the undulating route. I've been saying that pretty soon I will be confined to the flat pathway beside the Rideau Canal at lunch, but the forecast is now saying that it will not be that soon; there is only one day in the long range forecast where it below 0C. I wonder is we are looking at a green Christmas.
I have been trying to sort out my Tomtom HRM and I'm not winning. I shorted out the battery in the transmitter pod and the watch picked it up right away. I'm still showing spikes in the readings at the beginning of my run (see graph below of today's run). If you look back on all of my other runs with the Tomtom, you will see the same behaviour. My Garmin Forerunners do not tend do this, at least not as consistently.
I have now followed all of my own advice, but nothing has solved it yet. Since the readings are normal after the spike, there is an indication that normal operation is possible. I have apparently eliminated the strap as a cause because the readings are the same with the Tomtom strap and the Polar strap (perhaps I should try the Garmin strap?); therefore, in my small mind, it must be the transmitter pod. It's really frustrating because I rather like the unit. I will start interrogating Mr. Google to see what he can offer.
Apart from knowing that I wanted to run The Bridges, I had no objectives for time or intensity. My plan was to enjoy the weather and the undulating route. I've been saying that pretty soon I will be confined to the flat pathway beside the Rideau Canal at lunch, but the forecast is now saying that it will not be that soon; there is only one day in the long range forecast where it below 0C. I wonder is we are looking at a green Christmas.
I have been trying to sort out my Tomtom HRM and I'm not winning. I shorted out the battery in the transmitter pod and the watch picked it up right away. I'm still showing spikes in the readings at the beginning of my run (see graph below of today's run). If you look back on all of my other runs with the Tomtom, you will see the same behaviour. My Garmin Forerunners do not tend do this, at least not as consistently.
 |
| Heart Rate Spike |
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Running Streak - Days 37 and 38
Day 38
Todays scheduled run consisted of intervals where it was 2:00 on/1:00 off with a 10:00 warm-up and cool-down - the same workout as last week. This workout is very do-able over a lunch hour, and it felt awesome today. I don't have much snap in my legs yet, but I can increase my pace on demand and hold it for 2:00. I haven't looked ahead in the Garmin training plan to see if the work portion of the intervals will increase. I suspect that it does. Even if it doesn't, I know that I will benefit. Like the folks at Endurance Nation preach, first you get fast, then you go long.
It was another day with amazing weather: 6C, slight wind and sunny. Again , I was in shorts, long sleeve tech shirt and vest, but I probably could have dropped the vest after 10 minutes or so. The only thing I should have brought was sunglasses. I can't believe that this is December, and the forecast for the rest of the week has highs in double digits.
Still having problem with spikes in HR readings at the beginning of my run. I experimented with something new. I connected the transmitter pod to my Polar premium strap, but nothing changed. It worked perfectly with my Garmin transmitter when I was getting silly readings with the Garmin premium strap and it was chafing me nearly in half when I ran with it. Having seemingly eliminated the strap as the cause of the spikes, I am thinking of shorting out the pod by inverting the battery for 30 seconds and then re-pairing it with the watch.
Day 37
My day was full of meetings and I couldn't get out for a run a lunch. When the lunch our is book-ended like it was today, I don't like the stress that rushing through the run causes. I normally can confine my running sessions to an hour or less, but I something holds me up - I run into someone I know or I have to wait for a shower to become available - I'm late for the second meeting, guaranteed, and no one (especially me) likes that.
I had some forced waiting time in the evening and decided to get the run in then. I dressed for the run in the building where I work so that I could run from then spot where I would need to wait later, and I just ran a loop with a nice hill a few times. I didn't want to stray too far in case I needed to cut the run short. I re-listened to Mission 2 of Zombies, Run! When I did it the first time, I shortened the duration to only 18-20 minutes; today I did the entire mission at the recommended length of 31 minutes and picked up more supplies. I will do this again with another couple of missions until the delay for downloading a new episode has expired.
The run itself was interesting. According to my phone, it was cloudy, negligible wind and 2C. The phone was correct on everything, except for the temperature, which felt definitely colder. Luckily, I brought a thermal base layer shirt to add to the long sleeve tech shirt and vest I was wearing. I had my MEC Dart nylon pants to cover my legs. I thought I was clipping along at a good pace, but when I checked my watch or received alerts from Zombies, Run!, it turns out that I was running slower. I gradually picked up the pace and negative split every kilometer. My dumb move of the day was wearing my Tomtom HR transmitter on the Polar strap with my Garmin Forerunner 310XT on my wrist. I wanted to see if I could find the source of the spikes in the HR readings, but the mismatch in devices meant no HR readings at all. I will try the experiment tomorrow.
Todays scheduled run consisted of intervals where it was 2:00 on/1:00 off with a 10:00 warm-up and cool-down - the same workout as last week. This workout is very do-able over a lunch hour, and it felt awesome today. I don't have much snap in my legs yet, but I can increase my pace on demand and hold it for 2:00. I haven't looked ahead in the Garmin training plan to see if the work portion of the intervals will increase. I suspect that it does. Even if it doesn't, I know that I will benefit. Like the folks at Endurance Nation preach, first you get fast, then you go long.
It was another day with amazing weather: 6C, slight wind and sunny. Again , I was in shorts, long sleeve tech shirt and vest, but I probably could have dropped the vest after 10 minutes or so. The only thing I should have brought was sunglasses. I can't believe that this is December, and the forecast for the rest of the week has highs in double digits.
Still having problem with spikes in HR readings at the beginning of my run. I experimented with something new. I connected the transmitter pod to my Polar premium strap, but nothing changed. It worked perfectly with my Garmin transmitter when I was getting silly readings with the Garmin premium strap and it was chafing me nearly in half when I ran with it. Having seemingly eliminated the strap as the cause of the spikes, I am thinking of shorting out the pod by inverting the battery for 30 seconds and then re-pairing it with the watch.
Day 37
My day was full of meetings and I couldn't get out for a run a lunch. When the lunch our is book-ended like it was today, I don't like the stress that rushing through the run causes. I normally can confine my running sessions to an hour or less, but I something holds me up - I run into someone I know or I have to wait for a shower to become available - I'm late for the second meeting, guaranteed, and no one (especially me) likes that.
I had some forced waiting time in the evening and decided to get the run in then. I dressed for the run in the building where I work so that I could run from then spot where I would need to wait later, and I just ran a loop with a nice hill a few times. I didn't want to stray too far in case I needed to cut the run short. I re-listened to Mission 2 of Zombies, Run! When I did it the first time, I shortened the duration to only 18-20 minutes; today I did the entire mission at the recommended length of 31 minutes and picked up more supplies. I will do this again with another couple of missions until the delay for downloading a new episode has expired.
The run itself was interesting. According to my phone, it was cloudy, negligible wind and 2C. The phone was correct on everything, except for the temperature, which felt definitely colder. Luckily, I brought a thermal base layer shirt to add to the long sleeve tech shirt and vest I was wearing. I had my MEC Dart nylon pants to cover my legs. I thought I was clipping along at a good pace, but when I checked my watch or received alerts from Zombies, Run!, it turns out that I was running slower. I gradually picked up the pace and negative split every kilometer. My dumb move of the day was wearing my Tomtom HR transmitter on the Polar strap with my Garmin Forerunner 310XT on my wrist. I wanted to see if I could find the source of the spikes in the HR readings, but the mismatch in devices meant no HR readings at all. I will try the experiment tomorrow.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Running Streak - Day 36
Work was busy today and I had spontaneous 90 minute meeting that went straight through lunch. I had put my stuff in one of the day lockers early in the morning. As noon was approaching, I had a check in my spirit that I should abandon an e-mail I was writing and drop into my colleagues office instead to see him in person. It was definitely the right call. As such, I knew that without a run at lunch, I would be on the treadmill tonight. The positive side is that it was not as late as runs have been in the past couple of weeks, and I will get a decent night's sleep.
Because it was a little earlier, I selected a 30 minute pre-set workout that was a little faster and a little hillier than the other one I had been using. I completed Mission 6 of Zombies, Run! and figured out a little trick for doing these missions on the treadmill: select the duration for the workout in my head or on the treadmill and then adjust the length of the mission to one minute less than the workout. This gives me enough time to start the treadmill, start the watch and then start the mission and have it all come out of the oven at the same time.
In the topic of the watch, my Tomtom HR chest strap is giving me fits. I did everything I recommended in my other post, with one exception: I did not moisten (i.e. lick) the contacts or use electrode gel. I had hand-washed it thoroughly early this morning and let it hang to dry, and it is still is producing high readings at the beginning of the run. I will wash it again right after I publish this and try it with electrode gel tomorrow.
Because it was a little earlier, I selected a 30 minute pre-set workout that was a little faster and a little hillier than the other one I had been using. I completed Mission 6 of Zombies, Run! and figured out a little trick for doing these missions on the treadmill: select the duration for the workout in my head or on the treadmill and then adjust the length of the mission to one minute less than the workout. This gives me enough time to start the treadmill, start the watch and then start the mission and have it all come out of the oven at the same time.
In the topic of the watch, my Tomtom HR chest strap is giving me fits. I did everything I recommended in my other post, with one exception: I did not moisten (i.e. lick) the contacts or use electrode gel. I had hand-washed it thoroughly early this morning and let it hang to dry, and it is still is producing high readings at the beginning of the run. I will wash it again right after I publish this and try it with electrode gel tomorrow.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Running Streak - Day 33
I did my first interval session of the streak today, and the experimental angle on today's run is that I programmed the Garmin training plan workout (10min warm-up; 5x2:00 Work, 1:00 Rest; cool down), into my Tomtom Runner. The process of setting up the workout was very intuitive. It would have been nice to have the ability to assign target HR zones to the "Work" portions (Tomtom vocabulary), but then again, it felt really good to run hard by feel and how have the watch chirping at me. I'm not sure if I can set up a bunch of interval workouts or if I will need to set up one at workouts a time on or before the day I'm scheduled for it.
Dressing for running these days has been difficult. I checked the forecast when I woke up and it said high of 5C by noon with a "feels like" of 0C. I end up packing a bag full of clothes in the morning because I can't know exactly what I need until I head to the change room. Today I wore a long sleeve tech shirt, nylon vest and shorts. My legs were fine, but my torso was really cold for the first 10 to 12 minutes (teeth chattering cold). Once I warmed up and turned around so that the wind was at my back, I was fine. That's the difficult thing: I was underdressed when heading into the wind and just right for the second half.
It felt really good to get outside again. This treadmill stuff has to be saved for only the worst days. I was really surprised that I could get the pace below 5:00/km and run all five intervals at a very consistent pace. When I was doing speed work in the Spring, my pace would decline with each interval. I think the consistency in my running over the past month is starting to show. I feel that I'm forming a good base. I just need to dial in the sleep and nutrition.
Dressing for running these days has been difficult. I checked the forecast when I woke up and it said high of 5C by noon with a "feels like" of 0C. I end up packing a bag full of clothes in the morning because I can't know exactly what I need until I head to the change room. Today I wore a long sleeve tech shirt, nylon vest and shorts. My legs were fine, but my torso was really cold for the first 10 to 12 minutes (teeth chattering cold). Once I warmed up and turned around so that the wind was at my back, I was fine. That's the difficult thing: I was underdressed when heading into the wind and just right for the second half.
It felt really good to get outside again. This treadmill stuff has to be saved for only the worst days. I was really surprised that I could get the pace below 5:00/km and run all five intervals at a very consistent pace. When I was doing speed work in the Spring, my pace would decline with each interval. I think the consistency in my running over the past month is starting to show. I feel that I'm forming a good base. I just need to dial in the sleep and nutrition.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Running Streak - Days 29 and 30
Day 30
The forecast today was for periods of freezing rain and I didn't want to be running in that mess. That motivated me to get out as soon as I possibly could, which was around 11:40AM. The temperature was -1C (-7C with the wind), and I wore thermal base layer long sleeve shirt, Peak Performance jacket, lycra exercise shorts under MEC Dart nylon pants, Salomon Gore Tex ball cap and Mizuno Breath Thermal gloves. Again, I was right on with my clothing selection. It has been a good Fall for that; normally, I mess it up a few times before figuring out my thermostat for the Winter. Because of the cloudy skies, I wanted to use the Tomtom because it locks on the satellites much quicker than the Garmin, but the Garmin was all I had. In its defence, it locked on uncharacteristically fast today.
My run around the Bridges was terrific. I ran just over 5km at 5:36 min/km pace, and I had no problem holding the pace. I also felt great on the hill that runs along the locks beside the Chateau Laurier. I'm definitely getting stronger, but oddly, I have been feeling heavier for the past couple of days. I'm not in the mood to get on the scale. I will drink more water to see if I am slightly dehydrated and get some more sleep. That ought to do it.
Day 29
This has got to stop. It was the third day in a row that I squeaked in a 20 minute run on the treadmill after 11:00PM. This time it was totally a thing of my own design. I procrastinated by working through lunch and didn't feel like going for a run in the middle of the afternoon. Even though I had worked up until that point, I didn't want to have to explain myself to others who didn't know what was going on. Then I stalled throughout the evening at home - even falling asleep on the couch at one point - before I said, "That's it. Get your butt down to the basement and get the run in."
I did the same pre-set workout that I did last night and the night before: 20 minutes, up to an 8% grade, pace between 12 min/mi and 9 min/mi. Again aided by a novel on my Kobo, the time raced by and I had the run in by 11:45PM. I felt stronger and smoother than the previous two nights, but I'm also feeling the effects of lack of sleep. It's really hard to fall asleep afterwards, and I ended up (again) watching TV until after 1:00PM. Tomorrow, I'm running on lunch.
The forecast today was for periods of freezing rain and I didn't want to be running in that mess. That motivated me to get out as soon as I possibly could, which was around 11:40AM. The temperature was -1C (-7C with the wind), and I wore thermal base layer long sleeve shirt, Peak Performance jacket, lycra exercise shorts under MEC Dart nylon pants, Salomon Gore Tex ball cap and Mizuno Breath Thermal gloves. Again, I was right on with my clothing selection. It has been a good Fall for that; normally, I mess it up a few times before figuring out my thermostat for the Winter. Because of the cloudy skies, I wanted to use the Tomtom because it locks on the satellites much quicker than the Garmin, but the Garmin was all I had. In its defence, it locked on uncharacteristically fast today.
My run around the Bridges was terrific. I ran just over 5km at 5:36 min/km pace, and I had no problem holding the pace. I also felt great on the hill that runs along the locks beside the Chateau Laurier. I'm definitely getting stronger, but oddly, I have been feeling heavier for the past couple of days. I'm not in the mood to get on the scale. I will drink more water to see if I am slightly dehydrated and get some more sleep. That ought to do it.
Day 29
This has got to stop. It was the third day in a row that I squeaked in a 20 minute run on the treadmill after 11:00PM. This time it was totally a thing of my own design. I procrastinated by working through lunch and didn't feel like going for a run in the middle of the afternoon. Even though I had worked up until that point, I didn't want to have to explain myself to others who didn't know what was going on. Then I stalled throughout the evening at home - even falling asleep on the couch at one point - before I said, "That's it. Get your butt down to the basement and get the run in."
I did the same pre-set workout that I did last night and the night before: 20 minutes, up to an 8% grade, pace between 12 min/mi and 9 min/mi. Again aided by a novel on my Kobo, the time raced by and I had the run in by 11:45PM. I felt stronger and smoother than the previous two nights, but I'm also feeling the effects of lack of sleep. It's really hard to fall asleep afterwards, and I ended up (again) watching TV until after 1:00PM. Tomorrow, I'm running on lunch.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Running Streak - Day 28
I made it to Day 28 - four consecutive weeks. I knew that I would be running late at night tonight because I had planned to watch the entire Grey Cup and then run after. I thought it would be over at around 9:30PM, but I ended up running at 11:15PM. I'm not getting used to running late, but it is not as foreign of a concept anymore, compared to at time before the streak.
I ran the same pre-set workout as I did last night and, no pun intended, it was like night and day. My run tonight was definitely smoother. I was still tired because of the time I started, but I didn't want to continually stop and get off. There is not much else to say. I had hoped to get in a 60 minute long run this weekend, like the Garmin plan called for, but the schedule didn't allow for it (or I didn't make it a priority). That is something to analyze another day.
I ran the same pre-set workout as I did last night and, no pun intended, it was like night and day. My run tonight was definitely smoother. I was still tired because of the time I started, but I didn't want to continually stop and get off. There is not much else to say. I had hoped to get in a 60 minute long run this weekend, like the Garmin plan called for, but the schedule didn't allow for it (or I didn't make it a priority). That is something to analyze another day.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Running Streak - Day 25
The weather was unseasonably warm today. I think it was 10C at noon with only a slight wind. There was some light rain, but I'm not complaining. November has been fantastic. I was out in a long sleeve tech shirt and shorts. I was going to try my new Bluetooth ear buds, but the battery died just after I hit the start button on the Tomtom. No Zombies, Run! for me today. Mission #5 will have to wait for another day.
The run itself felt really smooth. I didn't feel like I was running especially fast, but when I checked my run data on Strava, it looks like I ran much faster today than what I have been averaging over the past couple of weeks. Today my average pace was 5:31/km; yesterday was 6:17/km. That being said, my GPS was way off at the beginning and readings from my HRM were erratic throughout the entire run. (I think my chest strap is due for a wash.) In my mind the data is very suspect, but I still think I was faster.
I need to catch myself here. I have seen improvements in my gait, pace and weight, but I can't let myself get caught up in this and start pushing harder. I have been prone to do this in the past. If my primary objective is consistency and completing this streak, I need to run in such a way that I complete the streak, i.e. not get burned out or injured. This is a prime opportunity to set a good base. Speed and endurance can come later.
The run itself felt really smooth. I didn't feel like I was running especially fast, but when I checked my run data on Strava, it looks like I ran much faster today than what I have been averaging over the past couple of weeks. Today my average pace was 5:31/km; yesterday was 6:17/km. That being said, my GPS was way off at the beginning and readings from my HRM were erratic throughout the entire run. (I think my chest strap is due for a wash.) In my mind the data is very suspect, but I still think I was faster.
I need to catch myself here. I have seen improvements in my gait, pace and weight, but I can't let myself get caught up in this and start pushing harder. I have been prone to do this in the past. If my primary objective is consistency and completing this streak, I need to run in such a way that I complete the streak, i.e. not get burned out or injured. This is a prime opportunity to set a good base. Speed and endurance can come later.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Running Streak - Day 21
The closest call to date. I was busy with other work today and couldn't run until well past 11:00PM, managing to squeak in 20 minutes on the treadmill that finished at 11:59PM - not exaggerating. I must have missed the start button on my TomTom, and the treadmill's opinion on how far or fast anyone runs leaves much to be desired, but I managed to record the run for posterity in (What else?) Zombies, Run! I finished Mission 2 today - no zombie chases, but I picked up quite a few items. Abel Township is growing quite nicely.
The run was just a checkmark run. 20 minutes at an easy pace to get the run in for the day. I'm feeling stronger and a light day every once in a while must be good for recovery. I have been doing many, many hours of work on the computer over the past couple of days and tonight my neck went on strike. It was nearly totally seized by the time I tore myself from my desk to run, and just after I started on the treadmill, it loosened it up straight away. I love the side benefits that running offers.
The run was just a checkmark run. 20 minutes at an easy pace to get the run in for the day. I'm feeling stronger and a light day every once in a while must be good for recovery. I have been doing many, many hours of work on the computer over the past couple of days and tonight my neck went on strike. It was nearly totally seized by the time I tore myself from my desk to run, and just after I started on the treadmill, it loosened it up straight away. I love the side benefits that running offers.
Monday, November 16, 2015
The First 14 Days
Two Week Summary
I now have two weeks of continuous days of running in the bag. Here are the vital statistics:
Activities: 14
Total duration: 6:45
Average Duration: 0:30
Total distance: 64km
Average distance: 4.6km
Energy: 5540kcal
I need to fight nostalgia because there have been weeks in the past when I have been preparing for a full or half marathon where my weekly totals would definitely eclipse these figures, and I would take a rest day or two. That being said, I am really pleased to have got to 14 days straight.
The Plan
I have decided to follow a training plan I found on Garmin Connect - Getting Started (Level 2) - and it starts today. It is only three runs per week plus cross-training. I will do some of the cross-training, but plan to fill the other four days during the week with recovery-pace runs. To do this I want to start using my Garmin Forerunner 301XT on "plan days" and the TomTom on the other days.
I really like my TomTom as a tracking and recording device, and I especially like the fact that the software can connect and upload to multiple sites; however, the connection is only one-way. I prefer my Garmin devices when I am following a training plan because of how well the device is integrated with the web site. I can select a training plan from GC and send the plan to the device. If I'm not using a Garmin plan, I can set up my workouts and push them to the device. With the TomTom, I currently can not program workouts on-line, schedule them and download them. Hopefully, it is in the works.
I now have two weeks of continuous days of running in the bag. Here are the vital statistics:
Activities: 14
Total duration: 6:45
Average Duration: 0:30
Total distance: 64km
Average distance: 4.6km
Energy: 5540kcal
I need to fight nostalgia because there have been weeks in the past when I have been preparing for a full or half marathon where my weekly totals would definitely eclipse these figures, and I would take a rest day or two. That being said, I am really pleased to have got to 14 days straight.
The Plan
I have decided to follow a training plan I found on Garmin Connect - Getting Started (Level 2) - and it starts today. It is only three runs per week plus cross-training. I will do some of the cross-training, but plan to fill the other four days during the week with recovery-pace runs. To do this I want to start using my Garmin Forerunner 301XT on "plan days" and the TomTom on the other days.
I really like my TomTom as a tracking and recording device, and I especially like the fact that the software can connect and upload to multiple sites; however, the connection is only one-way. I prefer my Garmin devices when I am following a training plan because of how well the device is integrated with the web site. I can select a training plan from GC and send the plan to the device. If I'm not using a Garmin plan, I can set up my workouts and push them to the device. With the TomTom, I currently can not program workouts on-line, schedule them and download them. Hopefully, it is in the works.
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