After some 7-8 weeks break due to busted knee and too much scary ice and slush, I finally started running again Jan 17th. I thought it'd take weeks, even months to get back to where I was in fall, but after a very slow first run, I've been making surprisingly good progress.
And this Saturday I ran 3K in 17:25 mins, which is the fastest I've ever run 3K - couldn't get under 18 mins in fall! I credit it all to intervals: running 2 mins/walking 1 or running 4 mins/walking 1. 4/1 is an especially good interval for me - in fall, I could 4/1 5K practically as fast as running it in one strech :o) !
My immediate goal is to add an extra K to my training runs and using intervals to work towards running 4K in one stretch - so run/walking it once in 2/1, then in 4/1, then in one stretch (with at least a couple of days' rest inbetween). I don't know if 24 mins is realistic for the last of those three runs, but 6 mins/K is what I need to aim at, if I want to run 5K in under 30 mins. Which for the first time actually seems like it could be possible. Eventually, at least.
Yay, I am so happy you are running again! And the interval thing does help a lot. I ran 4/1 or 5/1 for a very long time, including for my first 2 half-marathons and my first marathon.
Intervals are so great - I used to think it was all about endurance, and felt it was counter-productive/cheating to constantly stop and walk. But intervals help build both speed and endurance, while at the same time being much easier on my knee. Brilliant!
I doubt I'm in "a lot better" shape than you - at this level, it doesn't take much to fall behind or pull ahead :o)
Anyways, it's practically all due to biking 11K a day (to/from work) - in the city, where I constantly have to stop and start because of red lights, bus passengers with right-of-way, slower cyclists, stupid pedestrians, etc. It is an incredible work-out: I've only run 6 times this year (since Jan 17th), all of them on a 3K course, and 4 out of 6 runs being intervals (i.e. much walking). Those 6 little runs alone wouldn't do much to make me run that last 3K so fast :o)
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And this Saturday I ran 3K in 17:25 mins, which is the fastest I've ever run 3K - couldn't get under 18 mins in fall! I credit it all to intervals: running 2 mins/walking 1 or running 4 mins/walking 1. 4/1 is an especially good interval for me - in fall, I could 4/1 5K practically as fast as running it in one strech :o) !
My immediate goal is to add an extra K to my training runs and using intervals to work towards running 4K in one stretch - so run/walking it once in 2/1, then in 4/1, then in one stretch (with at least a couple of days' rest inbetween). I don't know if 24 mins is realistic for the last of those three runs, but 6 mins/K is what I need to aim at, if I want to run 5K in under 30 mins. Which for the first time actually seems like it could be possible. Eventually, at least.
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Intervals are so great - I used to think it was all about endurance, and felt it was counter-productive/cheating to constantly stop and walk. But intervals help build both speed and endurance, while at the same time being much easier on my knee. Brilliant!
no subject
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Anyways, it's practically all due to biking 11K a day (to/from work) - in the city, where I constantly have to stop and start because of red lights, bus passengers with right-of-way, slower cyclists, stupid pedestrians, etc. It is an incredible work-out: I've only run 6 times this year (since Jan 17th), all of them on a 3K course, and 4 out of 6 runs being intervals (i.e. much walking). Those 6 little runs alone wouldn't do much to make me run that last 3K so fast :o)