I could use some advice from folks that ‘broke through’ with their running.
My swim is pretty solid, my bike times have improved dramatically, but if feel my running is actually declining. I do endurance and speed work in all three and do bricks at least once a week. Heck I feel better on the run after the bike than stretching and going out for a run.
Anyone find a great book or tips on helping their run times?
UPDATE:
I have taken the advice of the ST’s who posted. Thanks. I really focused on running as much as I could (distance, frequency and cadence). 6 days a week running (+ biking + swimming + job + family) is tough, but I have increase my mileage and frequency. I just ran a 10k and was able to maintain my 5K pace through the 10k. This is big for me.
OTHER OBSERVATION:
Some other observations i have made. I refuel very well on the bike but really don’t on a run. Because my HR is higher on the run, I believe I use and deplete my blood glucose quickly, which then begins to knock me down after about 5 miles. Refueling is helping.
A NEW QUESTION:
I have signed up for the Gulf Coast Half in May and will continue to increase my mileage. After the about 5-6 miles my legs (where the quads connect to the hip in the front) begin to ache and fatigue. I am running at a cadence of about 90 so my stride is quite short. Anyone have this issue or ideas? They are not sore the next day. It is really a temporary phenomenon.
The simple rule of getting faster at running is to do more of it and/or do it faster. Take your current runs and keep the pace where it is but make them longer. Or take your current runs and run them faster. What is your training looking like now?
Run faster then normal during a run, not speed work fast but drop your normal mile pace by 15 or 30 seconds and see how it feels.
I was always running the same distance at about the same speed. Then one day I just decided to run farther and push it. I is still one of my favorite running moments. I was just cruising not paying attention to my watch just running by feel. I glance at my watch about 4 miles into the run and realize that I am cruising at 30 seconds per mile faster then I had ever run and it felt good. I realized then that I was selling my running short in both speed and distance.
Breakthroughs in running for me, probably minor compared to “good” runners came from:
Running 6-7 days a week and gradually increasing mileage to consistent 40+ mi/wk for several months (ala Barry’s suggestion & others on fall '06 threads)
Building to a 1:30-2:15 long run every week.
learning to run at ~90 rpm so that it is automatic and natural
Running with someone who is substantially faster than me (you are capable of longer/faster tempo than you think).
Running regularly with someone who is substantially slower than me (you probably don’t run recovery slow enough).
These folks who advocate running a lot to improve running are onto something, who would have thought it?
I agree with Barry and Fleck, my best year running is when i had accumulated a huge “base” and was running 6 days a week. I spent a lot of time going slow and building base. I was pleasently surprised at how much my speed picked up after this.
what Barry said. I went from running 2-3 times/wk to 5-6, and I’m crushing every PR I ever had, and still getting better at a good rate. Weight loss is another one- I lost 20# this year- what a difference!
Well, the message looks consistent. I am running 3-4 times a week. The ‘base’ comment makes sense. I put many miles on the bike and I am getting much faster (and it is fun).
Yes, I could lose more weight (15lbs or so), I guess you saw my user id!!
I have a few nagging aches and pains but I will start running 6 days a week.
Soft, quick footfalls, even at very low speeds. Don’t land hard on your heels. Don’t plod. Keep the cadence up. You’ll feel like a dork at first, but run like a sandpiper until you get the hang of quick gentle steps.
I’m in the middle of this transition now…I’m already seeing improvements.
Was a typical triathlete, running 3 times a week, 20-25 miles most of the year. Now up to 5-6 times per week…getting my mileage up to the mid-40’s.
Already a huge difference in
a) what pace feels comfortable. Before my ‘steady’ pace was 7:15-20’s, now its closer to 7 flat to 7:10’s.
b) recovery. Even after a long run, my legs are fine the next day…Though I am still sore after track workouts.
c) weight…i’m 6’2" about 184 now…I’ve lost about 3-4 lbs in the last month without doing anything different to my diet.
Congrats on your breakthroughs. That is yet another data point to verify the high frequency program.
Regarding your hip pain…I’ve never heard of anything like that before. If its bad, I suggest running up to the pain and hope that you can eventually extend the distance beyond what you currently can do. Make sure you stretch a lot before hand to see if it helps. Hit everything in that area - hamstrings, calves, quads, hipflexors, glutes, and especially the IT band. When it starts to hurt, stop (nothing wrong with stopping) and stretch a lot of stuff out and see if it helps.
Regarding your hip pain…I’ve never heard of anything like that before. If its bad, I suggest running up to the pain and hope that you can eventually extend the distance beyond what you currently can do. Make sure you stretch a lot before hand to see if it helps. Hit everything in that area - hamstrings, calves, quads, hipflexors, glutes, and especially the IT band. When it starts to hurt, stop (nothing wrong with stopping) and stretch a lot of stuff out and see if it helps.
I did this to myself about 5 years ago running up a mountainside in freezing rain (stupid and suicidal) and it bugged me for probably 2 years later. It was probably acute tendonitis of some sort. Anyway, my eventual solution to it was to do a lot of ab and core work, building up to doing crazy stuff on the order of 1500-2000 situps/crunches/leg lifts/donkey kicks/standing leg raises all in one evening. I’m not sure I’d recommend that to anyone else. A “lunge-type” stretch works well for this spot. Also take a break at mile 1 after you are warmed up and stop to stretch calves/quads/hamstrings/hips. I habitually do this every 3ish miles anyway.
After doing this it really hasn’t bugged me for years, but on the Space Coast Marathon 2 weekends ago I had the exact same problem flare up on my right hip. I was wearing my race belt and the little Gu pack was bouncing on the front of my quad right at that spot. It was irritating that muscle/tendon big time. I haven’t done an ab workout in 6 months and it’s probably starting to show…