What a workout

After a few problems with Internet access this week due to changing our ISP I'm back up and running.

As you might have guessed if you read my last post I was a little down after the weekends run, but isn't it amazing what a couple of good runs can do to lift your confidence!

Tuesday was a nice and easy 8 km (5 miles)at a comfortable slow pace. I just wanted to get through it with no problems. Due to the issues I had been having with the numb foot, I switched from the hard orthotic, which I thought might be compressing a nerve, to a soft & thin cushioning insole. I also decided to try the Pose Method again given that when I had been experimenting with this last month I didn't suffer from the dreaded numb foot.

I got through the run with only slight numbness towards the end of the run but nothing like Sunday's discomfort. The Pose style does place more stress on the calf though so I will have to keep a watch on this.

Distance - 8.16 km (5.07 miles)
Time - 42:40
Pace - 5:13 min km's (8.25 min miles)
No HR data


Today's work out was was a real blow out. It was my first real attempt at a structured up tempo run. With my first ever 5 km race coming up on Sunday, I wanted to pick things up a bit today and really test my self with some speed work. With some help from Map My Run, I measured out a 1 km section along Tamaki Drive with the idea of running each kilometer at 5 km race pace before turning and jogging back to the start point again. I did four repeats and these were the times;

1 - 4:10
2 - 4:30
3 - 4:28
4 - 4:25

Tamaki Drive is about 2 km from my office all downhill to the water so it allowed a good warm up before the repeats. Obviously it's a 2 km climb back to work but if anything that just added to the intensity of the workout. Check out the side bar where I've placed a link to a Map of the run.

I got through the whole workout with no numb foot. The calf was starting to tighten midway through the run so I reverted to my natural style which places less stress on the calfs. The calf has been a bit tight this afternoon so hopefully no repeat of last months strain. I think it will be okay.

As you can see after the first one I settled into a nice consistent pace. If I can maintain a pace of around 4:45 on Sunday for a time of 23 to 24 minutes then I will be happy with the result.

Distance - 12.6 (7.8 Miles)
Time - 1:05:40
Average pace - 5:13 min kms (8:23 min miles)
Ave HR - 154
Max HR - 175


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Another Step towards full Recovery

Today's run was a regular route for me, three laps of the Auckland Domain.

It's a pretty easy route with just once small hill/incline of about 500 meters. The elevation drops away again before remaining relatively flat for the remainder of the loop. It measures 2.7 km or almost 5.1 miles. Half of each loop takes takes you through the Domain with the other half along busy streets.

The stats;

- Distance - 8.1 km (5 miles)
- Time - 41:40
- Ave pace - 5:06 km (8:12 miles)
- Max HR 168
- Ave Hr 150

Today I kept a split time for each lap and the laps looked like this;

- Lap 1 13:30, pace 4:58/7:58
- Lap 2 13:15, Pace 4:52/7:50
- Lap 3 14:55, pace 5:29/8:49

I found this interesting because I have never kept a close eye on split/lap times before. I only run with basic HR monitor and not a GPS which seems to be popular with most other bloggers. I therefore have to remember these numbers as I go, which was okay.

What the above figures tell me is that I really need to think about starting out slower not only to ensure I get a proper warm up but to also keep from running out of gas too early. I was telling myself tonight to take it slow and easy from the start as my calfs are still not a 100%, but as the above stats show I could really have been about 20-30 seconds slower per k for that first lap.

In the second lap I attempted my version of a mile repeat (well it was more of a one off effort mile). As I've got no GPS I had to do my best to estimate a mile. I figured I could probably run a mile in about seven minutes at a push so I just went hard for seven minutes over the flat section of the loop before easing off when I came to the hill. The calf was starting to tighten as well but this seemed to come and go as I tinkered slightly with my foot position. I was a little surprised that the lap time was only 15 seconds faster than my supposed slow warm up lap. I guess I did ease off a fair bit after the mile.

Over the last lap I didn't want to risk further injury so I just took it real slow, which is shown out in the timings. The calf actually got a bit better over the last lap which was a relief. I am wondering whether it is just a cramp rather than the strain. This is probably related to the Pose Method as if I switch my landing position more toward the heel the cramp is not so noticeable. Maybe I need to find a happy medium between Pose and my own natural style.




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A Run too Fast, too Soon?

Today's run was another test to see how far the strained calf has come along. Rather than the slow and easy I have been running over the last week today I stepped it up a notch.

- Distance - 6.6 km (4.1 miles)
- Time - 33:45
- Pace - 5:05 mpk (7:32 mpm)
- Max HR 169
- Ave HR 140

The physio said I should aim to increase my runs by about 5 minutes per week. With the Xterra 11 km Trail Run coming up in Rotorua on Saturday week, I have been trying to up the distance by about 1 km or 5 minutes on each run. Hopefully that will get me to Rotorua in some sort of shape to have a good run. Today that meant I needed to run for about 35 minutes.

I also decided that I needed to up the speed work a bit. After about 15 minutes I was still moving along at I guess about 5:20 pace (K's) but the HR was still way short of 150.

I lifted the pace for a K then eased back for the next K. The calf was beginning to tighten and say "enough". I wanted to try one more faster K but delayed it until the calf had settled. I again lifted the pace but before long the calf was tightening again. I stopped, stretched and then just jogged the last K back to work.

I was a little worried that I may have gone too hard and done some damage but the calfs seem to have settled down okay this afternoon and I'm sure they're okay. Sometimes I wonder whether the other calf has a slight strain also but then it could just be the calfs still adjusting to the Pose Method.

I'm heading down to Christchurch tommorrow on a business trip. Will be spending Tuesday night down there so will take the opportunity for a rest from training for two days before hitting the road again on Thursday where I'll aim for 7-8 K.

Have a great week & happy running.


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