Evaluate my running progress?
Posted on Aug 02, 2010 with Comments 8
Question from Gyromite
Beginning runner (started running 6/2), Starting fitness level: below average
Beginning runner (started running 6/2), Starting fitness level: below average
6/2: 11:35 (1 mile walk/run)
6/3: 10:27 (1 mile run)
6/4: 10:38 (1 mile run)
6/7: 14:13 (1.5 mile run) = 9:28/mile pace
6/9: 9:30 (1 mile run)
6/10: 14:17 (1.5 mile run) = 9:31/mile pace
6/11: 14:17 (1.5 mile run) = 9:31/mile pace
6/12: 19:47 (2 mile run) = 9:53/mile pace
Comments? Suggestions for future progress? The trouble is that tonight’s 2 miles didn’t exactly feel really that challenging.
6/14: 18:42 (2 miles) 9:21/mile
6/17: 18:39 (2 miles) 9:19/mile
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Filed Under: Running Fitness Q & A
if you want better times when i was playing high school football i always did 100 yard srint 50 yard jog 100 yard sprint 50 yard jog. do that till your legs are num should see really good improvements in your staniuma
Thats a good progression from below average fitness, if 2 miles aren’t feeling that challenging then you are obviously ready to start mixing it up slightly, as a fitness base is obviously there. What are you aims, I’m assuming as none stated that your just aiming to get fit and become a decent runner, and will work from that. At the moment carry on your current progression intil you can run a full 30 mins, which looks to be about 3 miles for you, you’re saying your current rate of progression is feeling too slow, so jump it straight up to 2.5, then when that feels to easy jump up to 3 miles.
When you can easily do 30 mins then you need to mix your training up: one long slow run a week, start of with this being an hour and build up to between 2 and 3 hours, and run it slowly; throw in some sprints or intervals, the answerer above specifies a decent interval training, that will build on endurance base as well as speed; a tempo run, thats basically what you appear to currently be doing, go out for a mid distance, and run that distance as if you were racing it, and every week try and get a better time, when it starts taking you less than 30mins to do that then you increase the set distance; for your other runs of the week you can just run normally, nice and gentle and try and follow your current progression to get it up to about 45mins to an hour. There are other techniques you could throw into your schedule, but put these in first off and you should notice a quick improvement in your endurance and speed.
The fact the speeds lowered is not a signs of getting worse, the distanc is increasing showing improvement, and the time is not varying more. You will not run 100 miles with the same min/miles as a 100m sprint, yet anyone can run the 100m (not compete but run) it takes someone special to do the 100 miles. Longer runs will slow you down, the speed then increases as you get used to doing this distance. For the majority the time/mile has decreased (11:35 to 9:30) and obviously the increase in distance will slow the pace, once used to that distance you could get the time down easily.
If the 2 miles didn’t feel challenging that is GREAT! You are getting fit. This is where you are supposed to be training, at a comfortable pace. Keep slowly increaseing your distance on the longer runs. Try throwing a couple of 15-30 burst of speed into your shorter runs to change it up and add some speed work.
Keep it up
Seems like a fairly good progression over a short space of time, well done. You hit the nail on the head in your own question when you said the 2 mile run on the 12th wasn’t that challenging. Is that why the time is a bit longer, because you weren’t feeling motivated? In which case stretch it out a bit. Shock your body with a 3 mile run, see if you can keep your pace roughly the same as 9.30/mile you’ve been doing for the 1.5 mile run. Once that gets easy take it out to 4 miles. About 35-40 mins would be a good time for this if you can stick to the 9.30/mile pace.
Remember if its getting easy, push it out a bit.
If 2 mi don’t feel hard than try upping your pace 30 sec.
Do not I repeat do not try to work on your speed by running a 100, 50 and all the other sprints if you expect to improve your long distance running. Sprinting and long distance running are two very different things. In sprinting you ned explosive muscles while in distance you need lean muscles. I would advice you to increase your pace and add a mile every week to two weeks your choice but sprints do not help your long distance running
Dude to be honest you should have gotten alot better in that time span, in fact you got worse. Run more and harder. The toughest people know that the mind tires before the body.
Good. The most important information I get from this log is that you are being regular. If you feel like it (maybe tonight, for example), let yourself run farther. Or try to run farther once a week. Eventually that longer run will feel normal and you’ll easily be able to do it more often. Most important of course is just to be consistent and don’t push yourself in a way that makes it a painful chore. Keep it light and fun. Don’t worrry too much about the exact pace, as long as you are breathing well and not gasping. Here again, the key is to do what you can sustain. Good luck.