The Pace Machine

After some good feedback about my last "Tempo Run" and how I could improve, I managed to do a true 5 mile Tempo Run.  I kept the pace at 8:30 min/mile for 5 miles  (give or take 5 seconds/mile).
Here's the Data:  5 mile Tempo run at 8:30 pace by koritruesdale at Garmin Connect - Details

2	00:08:31	1.00	08:32
3	00:08:28	1.00	08:28
4	00:08:35	1.00	08:35
5	00:08:32	1.00	08:32
6	00:08:34	1.00	08:34

I omitted the warm up and cool down laps from the chart above.


I felt alright on the run, but I don't know why I can't keep myself from eating something right before I go out and run. It's usually something small. This time, Ella had a rice cake with peanut butter smeared on top and she didn't want it...so I just ate it and then though, "ah man." Well let's say that my stomach could have felt better.

I did feel better keeping the 8:30 pace for the whole 5 miles. Whereas when I went out hard for the first 2 miles, I then couldn't keep a pace under 9 minutes very easily.

Until next time, keep tri'ing

Green Silence...shhhhhhhh

Most of my runs have been in the 3 to 4 mile range and with the Disneyland Half coming up in a month, I want to start getting some more miles in. I made up a training schedule to push myself to get longer runs in. Today was a 5 mile day which will be my shortest run outside of some recovery runs.

Even with some of the tempo runs I have been doing over 3 or 4 miles, I have struggled to hold a 8:30 pace or lower (8:30 is the pace I want to do the half marathon in).

Today I was able to end up with an average over 5 miles of 8:26 (moving pace).

Here's the link to my run info: 5 mile Tempo run by koritruesdale at Garmin Connect - Details

My new shoes were nice on the asphalt, fast on the down hills. Not so great on the dirt trails though, the grip isn't very good on loose dirt.
They are very light and only have a 8mm heel to toe drop.  I was able to land on the mid foot to fore foot with ease.  I got these primarily to run races and especially triathlons in, as I don't want to try to put on Five Fingers in the transition area, hehe.

I finished my 5 miles pretty strong and had a 25 yard walk across a little mowed field right out front of our house. That is where I saw the first rattlesnake I have seen in the 3 years at this house.

A little blurry because it was dark out. About a 2 footer and pretty skinny. Just a baby...damn snakes :(

Swimingly

I have been focused lately on swimming and improving my form. It's amazing how technical every movement is and how much faster/more efficient a little thing can make you!
What I've forgotten about is that I have a half marathon to run the first weekend of September. I need to RUN! Luckily I'm a pretty good swimmer already and I've been biking for a long time, so the running is where I can improve the most for the triathlon (Oct. 15th) anyway.

I did a 4 mile run on Friday evening with the first 2 mile at a pace of 8:27 and 7:28 respectively. Then did a slow two cool down miles at 10:30.
The 7:28 min/mile pace is huge for me and hopefully I can build on that kind of speed. I'm trying to increase my foot speed on my runs in order to facilitate a quicker time. If any of my running friends have any drills/tips, I would love a comment :)

Until next time...stick your sole out.

Blood Lubricates the Wound

Today I ran my first half marathon as a runner. I did the Carlsbad half marathon 10 years ago or so and barely ran at all, I was so out of shape and heavy.
Today was a completely different story. Same course as ten years ago but it just flew by.

Leading up to the race I had hopes of coming in at a sub 2 hour time, but I got injured playing soccer one and a half weeks ago. Since my injury I haven't been able to train at all. So I hadn't ran for two full weeks and only got back to walking normal this last Wednesday. I was quite nervous starting the race because I had no idea how my leg was going to respond.
I started out at a 10 minute pace to test out my leg and it felt good so I bumped it up to 9:30-9:45. I kept this pace for most of the first half of the 13.1 mile course. Then around mile 8 I was feeling good and a woman marathoner started to pass me at a 8:40 pace so I matched her for the remainder of the race and came in with a time of 2:02, according to my watch. My mind was so knackered that I didn't even look at the big time clock.
Around mile 5 my Vibram FiveFingers started to wear the skin off of my right instep. I messed with it for a second but didn't want to get out of the groove. So I let the shoe wear it down so the blood could just build up a lubrication layer and I didn't feel it anymore after mile 7 or so.

I'm pleased that I could go out and run very close to my goal time while "injured" and without training.

Special thanks to Ryan & Kristina for driving and cheering me on at the finish line...awesome experience!

Running a lot, barefoot...well almost.

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted. Since then we've had Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I've been so busy that the time just flew away.

I found out that I am signed up to run on a team in the Ragnar in April. Ragnar is a 12 person relay foot race of about 200 miles (about 16.5 miles/person). It goes from Huntington Beach to San Diego and I am super excited about participating. Just looking at all the information on the website (http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/southerncalifornia) has jumpstarted my running schedule and my drive to get out there in the sub-freezing temperatures of Ramona at 5am.

For the first time in my life I am starting a long term, 15 week, training program to culminate with the race on April 15th. I am already finding the joys of running and being free in the wilderness of Ramona. There are some really cool places if you just take all those trails that you never gave a second thought about which jut off the main trail. All of a sudden you are ALONE and won't see anyone else for an hour or two.

Since August I have only ran in my Vibram Five Finger KSO's. I plan on never running in "regular" shoes again and have nothing but praise for the 5fingers.
I plan on posting regularly as my training progresses and I experience new "running" type things that I've never experienced before.

In this new year get out there and try something new or push yourself in a way you've never done before.

Keeping my sole's on the ground, and running forward,
-Kori

Review: Nike Free 3.0

While I was in Portland, Oregon I did some running. I planned on running the entire time in my Vibram FF KSO's, but I ran on a path with some rough terrain and bruised the middle of my forefoot. It's the exact spot where the ridge in my KSO's pushes on my foot, so those were out of the picture.

My Dad has a pair of Nike Free 3.0's. These are a minimalist running shoe designed to have very little stabilization. I borrowed them and went for a few runs. I did a run of 2.6 miles while out picking up Thai food. A run of 3 miles and then a 4.5 mile run.

While they are pretty flat (the heel height is not much more than the toe height)and really light, the toe box is narrow and pointy. The toe area of the shoe is longest at the big toe and it angles back to your little toe. This is how shoes normally are, but the angle on the Free 3.0's is too extreme. I feel like while running my foot is rolling to the outside and pushing off of my little toe. I would like to push off with all of my toes, thank you very much.
This rolling action made the inside (ligaments / tendons) of my knees ache and get tight. This is a feeling I definitely do not have with New Balance shoes and really don't have with my FiveFingers.

All in all it's a good attempt at a minimalist shoe, but I wish it had a wider toe box and less of an angle to the toe slope.