#32 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#90 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
Finally I got my pulse watch back and a new pulse belt and today it was time for pulse based interval training.
So finally I wouldn’t go on feeling, instead I would actually during the intervals be a couple of beats under my threshold pulse. And it would also be interesting to see what pace I would have during the intervals.
So first it was 2K warm up where I was running in the beginning in a comfortable pace but increased the pace at the end.
So then it was time for the first interval. I got up to around 160, but then at the end I ran into some heavy upwind where I realized I increased the pace and heart beat raised to 165, a bit above my threshold pulse. Finally I got back to 161.
Rest 2 min where I drank some water.
Second interval I got up to around 160-161 but on a hill I automatically increased the pace and got up to 163 and had to slow down a bit to get back to 160. Tried to be on max 161 in each interval.
Rest 2 min where I drank water.
Third interval. Also upwind and got a heart beat to 163 and had to slow down a bit to get to 160-161.
Rest 2 min, drank water.
Finally the last interval where I also in the beginning was getting up to 160-161 but also increased the heart beat to 163 on a hill.
Then cool down for 1K
What i realized, that even if I didn’t see the pace the brain was focused on pace even if I did pulse based interval training. If the pace decreased during upwind I wanted to run faster but pace is not important here, the heart beat should be around 160-161. Also when I ran up on a hillier bike path and the pace decreased I increased the pace and got above 160-161.
I am a bit flabbergasted by myself over the pace during the intervals. It is not the pace normally run in, way beyond my comfortable level and can keep it for 2K.
Distance: 6.87 miles (11.06K), time: 1.07.24 h, average pace: 6.05 min/k, max pace: 3.56 min/k,
VO2 max: 29 ml/kg/min, cadence: 186
#31 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#89 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
Today it was time to take Lidingöloppet to St Hans hills to see if I am ready for Lidingöloppet or not. Which meant 10 laps on St Hans hills.
Last year I did this also, the difference now was that I started at the start of the original St Hans Extreme (SHE) and ran up the original ”Mördarbacken”, started the first lap in reverse order and did that on every other lap. On my way back I started on the 11th lap but when I got down in grove I ran back home to get as close to 30K as possible.
Since I started close to lunch and it was warmer I had 3 bottles of water in my water belt and 2 bottles of Resorb. I t was quite warm today.
When I got to the hills I realized it was crowded with freesbee golf players, I was wondering if it was a competition. I was hopint I wouldn’t get a freesbee on my head.
There were some other runners that ran on the SHE route.
Since it was quite warm I had to wet my hair and face during the run.
On the seventh lap I started to feel tired in my calves but it was not too bad. Felt that the heat also was affected and drank more Resorb at the end to fall apart.
On lap 9 and 10 I got a bit more tired in my calves. Part of me wanted to stop and walk but someone told some weeks ago that I am not allowed to walk so I just had to keep going. Since I wanted to get as Close to 30K I started on lap 11 and it was a nice feeling when each hill was the last and then it basically flat flat til I got back home.
I am definately ready for Lidingöloppet. Some really great things after the run
1) Took off my water belt, shoes and socks and then with clothes on sitting in the bath tub with cold water was a relief
2) Foam rolling my calves
3) Smoothie
4) Drinking cold water
5) Later on cold beer
Eve if I had to have a lower pace due to the heat I am satisfied with the time.
Distance: 18.32 miles (29.5K), time: 3.51.02 h, average pace: 7.49 min/k, max pace: 4.24 min/k
#30 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#88 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
This afternoon it was time to get out on a shorter run.
I knew it would be hot but was hoping for a breeze.
Put my water belt on with 5 bottles of water.
It felt that I had a good pace in the beginnning but then I started to feel the heat and felt that I had to slow down a bit, part of me wanted to stop and walk but I told myself it is just going to take longer to come back home. me, running and heat are not firends. But all of a sudden I was hit by a cooler breeze 🙂
Even if I wet my hair and drank water and the cooler breeze the last 3K was no fun. They felt very heavy.
Distance: 7.92K, time: 50.09 min, average pace: 6.19 min/k, max pace: 4.58 min/k
If I am lucky I will get the new smart sensor and pulse watch back tomorrow.
#29 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#87 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
So after my hilly run I decided I would do some barefoot running again.
I have increased the time to 15 min, I tried to run barefoot running normally, like I would when I am running with shoes.
Tried to run a bit faster but I think that the hilly run problably tired my legs a bit. It was faster but not as fast as last time.
Started on the grass and then ran to the parking space and then back on the grass and then back again to the parking pace.
There are some ”scary hills” to conquer
This is the little hill that I start on
And then when I am on my way to the parking space I have a tougher hill 🙂
Today I did not run over branches but there are these tiny stones on the asphalt that also can do harm 🙂
When I walked back there came a dad with his two daughters and I overheard a comment from one of the daughters 🙂 why is she walking barefoot? And dad said that she like to walk barefoot. That put a smile on my face.
Distance: 1.22 miles (1.96K), time: 15.01 min, average pace: 7.39 min/k, max pace: 5.15 min/k
#28 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#86 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
This afternoon it was time to run 4 laps on St Hans hills. My next race is Lidingöloppet end of September and need to focus more on hilly runs since it has not been too many of those this year. I have the distance, 30K but need more hilly training til beginning of September when it is time for resting weeks.
It was a great day for running, the sun was out, the sky was blue, temperature was 30oC (86F) but it looked like it would be a breeze but of course I do not run without my water belt with 3 bottles of water and 2 bottles of Resorb. Running shoes for this run was Altra Lone Peak.
This time I started the hilly run on the half moon at the bottom and then ran up the ”mördarvariant”
Most people who were at St Hans hills were getting a tan, not so many other runners but there were some.
I am so grateful today that I am back after all my issues this spring. I decided I would rehabilitate myself so I could continue my goal to become a bit faster this year and I am so glad I made that decision.
Now I can run faster down and up hills and I feel so much stronger and that makes me very happy. I have promised myself that I won’t get overtrained so I hope that this positive continues through the whole year. It also looks like I can fulfill my goal at the Ultra race in December.
From time to time I had to wet my hair.
It was fun to hear a girl scream at me when I was on my way up ”Slalombacken”, turned out it was Marina, a running buddy of mine from Coach K Runners, who did some pepping.
While I was running I changed my mind about my 30K hilly run this weekend. It looks like I am ready for that. You will find out later what I will do.
Two times I was on my way to fall flat on my face but managed to stay up on my feet 🙂
Distance: 8.3 miles (13.37K), time: 1.35.38 h, average pace: 7.09 min/k, max pace: 3.28 min/k
#27 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#85 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
Today it was time again for some barefoot running.
And it was also time to increase the time to 15 min.
When I started with barefoot running I was a bit afraid of my feet and was running slower but I felt that I today could try to run faster as well.
Since I have both my pulse belt and pulse watch sent in for inspection I had to use Movescount to get this run registered which means no cadence.
Started on the grass and then I ran to the parking space to run on smooth asphalt. And then ran back to the starting point and then did the same run again
Where I am doing this barefoot running there is a tiny grass hill and a then a longer grass hill that I also run up and down on. Down hill I have to run on my whole foot otherwise I do forefeet running.
It is no good to run on branches and these prickly green plants that looks like dandelions but is something else, I do not remember the name. That can hurt 🙂
It is interesting how I have changed my mind. I have not been interested in barefoot running since I have heard a lot of stories about stress fractures and that runners have started with too long distance too soon and all the issues that they have had. But I also know runners who run in barefoot shoes and are excellent barefoot runners. They have a more graceful running. But with all the running technique discussion I have had this summer I decided I would give this a try.
Distance: 1.45 miles (2.34K), time: 15.01 min, average pace: 6.25 min/k, max pace: 3.58 min/k
#26 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#84 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
I have decided that the weekend after I have ran a longer trail run that I will run around 20K flat run and today it was time to do that.
The temperature was 25oC (77F) but what saved me was the breeze 🙂
I have had a discussion with some people that believe that you should just drink when you are thirsty and I do not agree with them. I agree that you should drink when you are thirsty but at other times as well. I usually drink every 15 min but since I do not have a pulse watch at them moment and had a water belt with a pocket on my belly I didn’t keep track of the time so I drank when I was thirsty and also wet my hair during the run.
The route is running out in the country til I get to T-junction and turn back. So on my way to the T-junction it was warm but then I had the breeze that kept me going.
Last time I ran here was a month ago and it was a beutiful landscape with all the Lovely fields. This time they had started to reap.
I was a bit bored part of the run and I was wondering if I have gotten used to these lovely trail runs.
When I turned around at the T-junction I was hit in the face with a much cooler breeze which was awesome but it also meant upwind. But I prefer cooler breeze and upwind then oppressive heat
I felt strong today and felt that I was running a bit faster but I saw that I was faster last time. I do not think it was so warm then and I think that the upwind slowed me down a bit.
What I wanted to check was how far off Movescount would be with the distance. Last time I got 18.7K and now I got 18.74K so it was pretty much the same.
At the end I increased the pace and then I was home.
Distance: 11.64 miles (18.74K), time: 2.00.05h, average pace: 6.24 min/k, max pace: 4.10 min/k
#25 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#83 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
Tonite it was time for intervals again.
I am very satisfied with my Suunto Ambit3 Peak but during the spring the pulse watch ran into issues not finding the pulse belt from time to time. It was not such a big deal in the beginning because I could live without not getting the pulse registered, even if it is interesting looking at once in a while.
But since I started to look at my VO2 Max and also have started with pulse based training the pulse has become more important.
Suunto Customer Service has been great. I have had several support requests about the pulse belt, I have gotten several solutions and then it has worked for a while but then the issue has come back and now it was time to get to the bottom of this. I have suspected that the pairing of the pulse watch and pulse belt falls out and we have discussed if the pulse belt is the problem.
So when I scheduled pickup with UPS this morning I found out they could fetch my pulse belt and pulse watch this afternoon.
This meant that I wouldn’t be able to see the pulse and had to use Movescount on my iPhone during this training.
So I had to go on feeling as far as the pulse was concerned. When I was running on a hill up and down with my running buddy Lars at Vallåsen I was having a pulse some pulse beats below my threshold pulse and remembered the feeling in my body.
Last time I did this interval training I was increasing the pace a lot on the last intervals and the plan was not to run too fast.
This pulse based interval training means that I run 4x2K intervals and the positive things about this type of intervals are the following:
+ Gentler
+ Less risk of getting injured
But it is also important not to be above the threshold pulse because then it becomes so hard that it might require several days of rest!
It was very warm today so I brought one bottle of Resorb and one bottle of water in my energy belt.
Started with 2K warm up. I pass a horseback riding place during this warm up and today a girl was out with a horse on the dirt track. I am not afraid of horses but I know what damage one kick can do so I had to run across to another path because I felt that I wouldn’t have enough space to pass the horse.
Then it was time for the brutal pain. First interval. Part of your brain want to quit but it gets a bit easier when it it 1K left. Decided to stand still during the rest for 2 min and catch my breath.
Another brutal pain for 2K. Here is a longer hill, last time I was flying up that hill but today it was tougher. Could be that I still has not rested enough after my 48K trail run last weekend, the heat or that I ran alone. The pace got a bit slower here. When I was standing to catch my breath a elderly lady asked me if I had trouble breating. Inside I was laughing a bit because of course it can look that way after a interval and she didn’t know that I just finished an interval. So I told her that you would be a bit breathless after an interval. A conversation started about summer allergy and I couldn’t just start running, felt I had to finish this conversation so the rest was a bit longer than 2 min.
During the third interval I felt that I got above my threshold pulse and had to slow down a bit. Rested for 2 min.
Then the final interval, same thing happened here, increase the pace so I got above my threshold pulse and had to slow down a bit.
Ended with 1K cool down.
Since I did not use my pulse watch, no cadence was registered and of course no pulse or VO2 Max.
I have a little separation anxiety and hope that Suunto technicians can find a solution to the pulse belt issue and that I will get my pulse watch back soon. But it worked quite good with using Movescount on my iPhone.
Distance: 11K, time: 1.07.42 h,
average pace: 6.09 min/k, max pace: 4.04 min/k
#23 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#82 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge
This morning it was time again for another trail raun.
It is definately worth getting up at 5 am to start a trail run at 8.17. Of course I have the attitude that I am going to have a good day but I am also realistic and prepared for anything. That’s why it is good to start early.
I had the pressure to not walk at all 🙂 but it is also something I am aiming at this year.
I am such a different person now. This spring I started with a glutues issue that forced to run much slower and not longer than 20K up till end of March. And after my first ultra race it was time to get ready for the rest of the year.
This spring I did not have any enjoyable runs because I was forced to walk part of the runs and now I am just running. It is so much fun to be out running now on those trails and see results.
The weather report did not look good. It was suppose to rain between 10 am and 4 pm but I was optimistic it would be better than that. When I walked out of the train and started running the sun was out
I wore t-shirt, semi compression tights, regular low socks, my altra lone peak 1.5. Earlier this week I had problems with my pulse belt and this morning it refused to be found but lucky me it was working with me when I was started running which meant that I would get the VO2 Max registrered.
When I had ran around 5K it started raining but it did not bother me, it was actually OK. I do not like to run in the rain but it was just drizzling.
The rain did not get me very wet, my shoes got soaked early due to wet grass and my t-shirt due to wet bush leaves 🙂
When I got to Frostavallen I realized it was a dog competition there and got a bit confused and forgot to turn up to the left but did not get very far til I realized I was at the wrong place.
Today I would run where there would not be any markers or streamers. I have helped removing some of the streamers and also got a bit far when I was going to run up a hill near the quarry but also did not get very far before I realized that as well.
Near Frostavallen there is a local cheese factory and you can have a coffee break there and taste their cheese. I said hi to the owner or this cheese factory plus she also has a really cool hotel called Nyrups naturhotell. I had to turn around and tell her that I am still interested to come and have a coffee and taste their cheese but another. I have to work on this 🙂
So after this cheese factory you are running on a dirt road and turn to the right and get on a dirt track and then after a while you are turning to the left and cross a stone wall and in December you see a path very clearly. The problem with this season is that it is very overgrown. Even if I had the route on my GPS pulse watch I gott off track and here is a stream and cavities but at least I fell soft 🙂 I had to take a time out and get back on track and finally I found this path in the jungle.
I could see on my pulse watch that I had part of the run a pace under 6 min/k and around 7 min/k which made me very happy.
When I got back to Frostavallen I ran to the left of a lake and also got a bit too far to the right and had to run back and get back on track 🙂
I then realized that the run would be longer than 45K.
When I had finally got my tights dry and t-shirt it was time to run through the bushes and grass and get wet all over again. I couldn’t help myself then just laugh.
Since I had the pressure to not walk I just had to run through the loop even if it is a tricky part and managed. It is a lot of dry branches and cavities.
When I get tired during a trail run I get grumpy but it seems to happen only when I run solo 🙂 I have a tendency to not lift my feet so I bounce into stones and since my trail shoes are a size to small my big toes get extra beating so I have to pep myself to lift my feet and get less grumpy.
This trail run was a good run to evalute my altra trail shoes. Salomon Fellraiser handles gooey better but Altra is OK, both Salomon Fellraiser and Altra Lone Peak 1.5 is not good on wet branches and footbridges. Altra is good on the other hand on wet stones. There is another thing that is negative about altra is the shoe laces. I had to stop 3 times to tie them again. Does not help with double knots or triple knots. Altra has improved the lacing system though 🙂
At the end I had very tired legs but I could still run and I had a natural Fartlek at the end when it was about 1K left Since I was going to run 45K in 6 hours I realized it would take longer than that, also because the distance was going to be longer. Since I was more focused on the speed I got too far to the right at one marker and I got far before I realized that. Had happened one time this spring one time when I was really tired at the end but did not get very far til I arealized that.
So now I had to run faster to not miss the train, missed it by 4 min last time, they go every hour.
When I bought the ticket the train came so I was very sweaty on the train 🙂 I did not have time to buy a coke but when I got back to town I Went and bought a dr pepper instead of a coke. Drank this in the 80’s and forgot the taste. I cannot believe I liked the flavor then 🙂
Distance: 29.7 miles (47.81K). time: 6.19.39 h, average pace: 7.56 min/k, max pace: 5.03 min/k,
VO2 Max: 40 ml/kg/min, cadence: 170
So proud of myself. Really good time for me who finished with 8h on this ultra race in Dec.
