From an earlier discussion here’s a thread for TR user’s who occasionally dabble in a bit of running as well!
I got my running year off to it’s usual start with a Half Marathon this morning. It’s the same race I’ve done for the last 6-7 years or so as a steady year opener at a comfortable pace. Not ‘raced’ myself but I ran with a friend and paced him to a time he was happy with.
My goal Half Marathon this year is 10 weeks away and I’ve got my eyes on a PB there and this was a nice start to the build to that with a reasonable time while feeling relatively easy.
Anyone here with running goals? Races coming up or later in the year? Let’s hear about them.
My running volume is relatively low these days with fitting in the cycling, swimming and strength (rarely exceed 20 miles p/w) so I’m mainly concentrating on 5K and 10K distances at the moment. I’d like to drop below 19 min for 5K and finally get under 40 mins for 10K this year.
There’s a cracking 5K race series that’s started at the Brownlee cycle centre in Leeds, so I’ll try and get over to that a few times to try and sharpen up.
Running volume is still low with around 30km per week and will go up over 70km from April onwards. Focus is still on (indoor) bike and swimming.
Every Wednesday is track training with repeats between 400m and 3000m - adding up to roughly 12km. Weekends are for longer runs and to accumulate elevation meters.
I’ve run 3 marathons (plus a few Ironman marathons) but never an Ultra. I have thought about it as I tend to get better the longer the distance but I’ve not quite got round to it yet!
No need to feel guilty about not riding as much. A good periodised year and different types of target is good for overall fitness and keeps the motivation up
The interesting part is how you change your thinking about distances: initially a marathon is a far away goal - the focus is on mastering the distance. When you have done a couple you don’t focus on the distance any longer. Rather you start thinking about improving your time or stepping up to the next challenge (distance). I guess you are at that point now…
Most Ultras are trails and not flat anymore. If you have done a Marathon you can do an Ultra. It is more about your preference: speed on tarmac or trails and elevation. Marathon finish times can easily be compared across races - Ultra finish times are highly specific to the course.
My strong preference is trails and I don’t care very much about absolute finish times.
I picked up the running bug again a few months ago, and now I have added the NYC marathon as my second ‘A’ race/event of the year (to go along with the GFNJ Estremo). Still only running 1-2x a week for now but will switch over to more running as the summer winds down. But even then I plan on doing a great deal of my aerobic training on the bike.
I’ve got my first open marathon in three years coming up in two weeks. In an ideal world I’m looking to go under 2:40, though I’m under no illusions it’s going to be easy. (Current PB is 2:42).
Then a one week break before training for a September Ironman. After months of run training, I’m actually itching to get back onto the trainer!
Running is my first love…
BUT I gained serious weight over the last 10 years, so running completely fell out of the window, it is not nice to run when you weigh 105kg or 230lb. I started cycling to loose weight and really loved it, so now the weight is dropping as I focus on training on TR and getting my eating habits sorted out. I am currently at 93kg or 205lb. My goal is to get to 80kg or 176lb, then to start running again more seriously. I want to be able to do a half marathon with “relative” ease before 2019 is out, and then do a full marathon in 2020.
That should be a good one. I’ve run the London marathon a couple of times and of all the races I’ve done, whether running, riding or triathlon it was hands down the best atmosphere I’ve experienced. I imagine NY would be similar.
Sounds like you’re heading in the right direction though. For all the talk about the weight side of Watts/kg on the bike those extra kg’s when you’re running can be brutal!
I have a half marathon coming up in 2 weeks time where I would like to achieve 1:45. I’ve been cycling and using TrainerRoad for 3 months now and it’s the first time I’ve not got injured in the build up to a running race. Really noticeable how cycling has helped build fitness without the strain on my knees.
I plan to do my second marathon October time this year. I’m also interested in taking part in some trail running, I think I’ll find it much more interesting than road running and tend to do a fair bit of my training on trails rather than road.
Good look for your race in two weeks 