I think I can run faster...
Once again, Runner's World has given me something to fantasize about (in the good clean runner way :)) - a faster race finish time. I know, I know -duh. Isn't that what everybody is working towards? But the other day I found this table on their website which tells you what paces you should doing your training runs in order to improve your VDOT/max VO2 (oooh, fancy speak). It's based on your previous race times, so I worked out that my efforts from last summer, 30:41 for 5k and 1:02:46 for 10k, put me roughly in the humblest and lowest of VDOT categories represented in the table, a.k.a. 30.
Fair enough - I know I have a lot of ground to cover. But then, my eyes lit upon the training pace I was recommended - 12:40 for an easy run?!? (Now, I habitually think in kilometres, and I painstakingly converted the whole table to be more metric-friendly, but I read enough American publications to know that this is slooooooow.) I'm no jackrabbit but I can keep up a mean 10:30 mile for quite some time.
This means one of two things: either I'm training far faster than my optimal level, or racing way slower! I think I can honestly justify the latter, as running 10:30-11:00 really feels easy for me - nice and relaxed with steady breathing. Much slower and I actually feel like I'm stifling my stride. So my conclusion is that I must have run those races way too conservatively and I actually have a lot more juice than I think. Which is an encouraging thought. By the table, I should roughly be able to eke out a 26:22 5k, or a 54:44 10k. Which may still be slow for most, but I would be totally thrilled.
When will the snow melt and give way to racing season, so I can test out my brilliant theory???
Fair enough - I know I have a lot of ground to cover. But then, my eyes lit upon the training pace I was recommended - 12:40 for an easy run?!? (Now, I habitually think in kilometres, and I painstakingly converted the whole table to be more metric-friendly, but I read enough American publications to know that this is slooooooow.) I'm no jackrabbit but I can keep up a mean 10:30 mile for quite some time.
This means one of two things: either I'm training far faster than my optimal level, or racing way slower! I think I can honestly justify the latter, as running 10:30-11:00 really feels easy for me - nice and relaxed with steady breathing. Much slower and I actually feel like I'm stifling my stride. So my conclusion is that I must have run those races way too conservatively and I actually have a lot more juice than I think. Which is an encouraging thought. By the table, I should roughly be able to eke out a 26:22 5k, or a 54:44 10k. Which may still be slow for most, but I would be totally thrilled.
When will the snow melt and give way to racing season, so I can test out my brilliant theory???
posted by Liv @ 9:28 p.m.
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