True Confessions of a VERY Slow Runner

When you are a slow runner, telling someone your pace is like telling them your weight.  This week I started running based on my heart rate and I went from a very slow runner to a very, very slow runner.  After setting my VO2 Max testing goals, I have to say I met them very well this first week.  I wanted to try and get my average heart rate from the mid 150's to the low 150's.  So for the first time I will be completely honest on my times.

Monday I woke up and had a pain in my quad.  It wasn't a normal tight muscle but felt like it was pulled.  I decided no speed work and let it rest.  My PT fixed it up that afternoon which is good.

Wednesday I ran 5 miles.  I was in Zone 4 for 44% of the run.  I think I equate zone 4 to how much of the run I walked.  While I found myself walking more then I'm used to, I'm happy that I was able to get my heart rate average down.

On Friday I ran the same loop and found the stats very interesting.  The difference between the two were only .01 mile less and 39 seconds slower.  The heat and humidity were about the same between the two, but I found myself in Zone 4 for 54%, which is the complete opposite from Wednesday.  I know I walked a lot more as well.

My long run got pushed to Sunday.  While the training team does have a Sunday group, I chose to run on my own.  I didn't wan the pressure of running faster when I know I would be very slow.  I didn't want to get all caught up and start running when my HR was higher.  I also was a little excited to run my favorite 10 mile loop (with an easy 4 mile loop after).  The run was good and over cast, and when I started the 4 mile loop, things started to get hard.  The sun started to come out from the clouds and I was just tired at that point.  It was interesting that my heart rate was very high during the last four miles at the same time as my legs were getting real tired.  My hip really started to bother me at that point too, which meant that I had a nice tight knot in my glute (PT on Monday can't come soon enough).  I found myself in Zone 4 for 43% and my average heart rate at 150, the best of the three runs.

This is my base week.  It looks like I'm 1 1/2 minutes slower then my average runs have been going.  I want to give myself 2 weeks to see if my speed comes back up while lowering my heart rate.  While I'm not in the targeted heart rate zone yet, I just wanted to take baby steps to improve.  We will see how things go over the next few weeks.

Have you ever run based on your heart rate?  Any success stories? 

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

VO2 Max Testing (Friday Five Edition)

A few weeks ago, I went to a local college and had my VO2 Max tested.  I've been interested in seeing what I could do to make my running better and I had read a bunch on running by heart rate materials.  While I'm still not sure how to incorporate it into my training fully, I think the little bit I've done has helped.  I slow down when I hit Zone 5 and slowly but surly my speed has picked up.  So understanding what my VO2 Max and heart rate zones really were will help me solve a little more of this puzzle.  This is 5 things I learned from the test.

This is not me.  I wish I would have had them take a picture of me all strapped in.  Really.

1.  The mask is just as uncomfortable as it looks.  They hook you up to the mask and then plug up your nose so all of your air is going through the tube.  There were a few moments while I was waiting for everything to calculate before I started that I thought I was going to have a panic attack.  I don't like enclosed spaces and the mask defiantly was making me feel like things were enclosing on me.  But once I got running and pushing it, I didn't think about it at all.  Though I did slobber a little, but they were ready with paper towels.

2.  I did like the cheering.  First, you start out at a gentle run for 3 minutes.  Then every 2 minutes the incline is moved up 2 levels.  At first when it was real easy, every so often one of the 4 people in the room with me would cheer me on.  I thought it was weird at first.  But when I got to the 10 incline level and huffing and puffing, not knowing if I could go on, they were all cheering.  One would tell me I still had gas in my tank every so often.  Without their cheering I think I would have quit a lot earlier.

3.  After some thought on it, I think I did quit early.  There might have been something left in my tank, but I will never know.  When I was at incline level 8 all I wanted to do was make it to 10.  I kept pushing to make it to the next level.  Then I wanted to be at that level for a little bit.  I was huffing and puffing and I wasn't sure if I could go on, so I tapped out.  I really think there might have been enough in me to go to level 12, but I will never know that now.  But it did wipe me out!

4.  You shouldn't go strait back to work after the test.  I did it at lunch time and by the end of the test, I was drenched in sweat.  Trying to cool down and be fresh and perky without a shower was impossible.  I really hope I didn't stink too much to my coworkers when I made it back.

5.  As for the actual results, I found out that my VO2 Max = 34 ml/kg/min.  So, what does that mean?  Looking at the chart, for my age, it is average.  It was shown that my ventilatory threshold was 64% of my VO2 Max.  Ventilary threshold is the point where oxygen to the muscles becomes limited and your body starts using more anaerobic energy.  Basically when you hit a point in your exercise when you are breathing so much you don't feel you can draw as much air in as you need.  The threshold can range from around 50% for those that are unfit to 90% for elites.  If I can get mine closer to 75% I could exercise at a higher intensity without subsequent fatigue, which could lead to faster runs.  To do this, I need to exercise in zone 3 (140-147 for me).

I have found that my average runs have been in the mid 150's, so I have a little work to do.  I did find that my watch did have the same VO2 Max, so that was an interesting fact.  The zones are different on my watch as was noted to me in my test, the big difference being the test had 4 zones while my watch has 5.

What's next?  For right now, I am going to work on getting my average HR down to 150.  Looking back at my runs since I started using my HR monitor, I have slowly gotten down from the upper 150's to mid 150's, so I think it's possible.  I hope that I have the time to bounce back my times before MCM.

The Run Lab does have a biomechanics test, which includes a 2-D strike analysis and 3-D gait analysis, that I will do later this summer.  I was supposed to have a lactate threshold done with my VO2 Max test, but they were out of lactate strips because they just finished testing the whole basketball team.  So they recommended that I come back in August and do the biomechanics test and they will do the lactate test then.  That way, I can see if I have had any improvement on my threshold.

If you are looking to do the same sort of testing, check out your local colleges or gyms.  I've seen ads for VO2 Max testing in both.  I went with the college because they had more then just the VO2 Max testing and I was interested in my gait analysis as well.

Have you ever done a VO2 Max test or gait analysis?  Have you found these tools helpful?  Have you ever run based on heart rate?

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia