Friday, September 01, 2006
Always Rule #1
This evening I went running on the ODC Parkway Path at Aviation Parkway. I haven't been on it in a while because I've been generally trying to avoid checking my mileage during my runs much. With ODC being marked every 400 (and in some places 200) meters, I'd decided to set that aside for quicker days or something.
There had been no quick days since.
I picked up Running the Lydiard Way and was curious to see what kind of pace my 70% to 100% effort that he spoke of, equated to in terms of minutes per mile. Frankly, 70% seems a little fast to me -- so I kinda translated it to, "What pace you can go tough for the duration of your run but still could have gone harder/faster."
In which case, I would have to say 100% would be based on your max effort (as in race pace?) for the distance of your run?
I don't know.
Regardless, I think I broke the system when I heard a bicycle pull onto the pathway and trail behind me at about 20 meters. I expected him to pass by but he seemed to be peddling and then cruising.
I could hear the buzzing that bicycles give out when they cruise, being cut up by the squeaks of peddling. I (thought) I held my pace while I waited. Afterall, I was going at an alright pace. Maybe it was just another case of a slow biker
Next thing I know, there is a different bicycle coming at me on the opposite side of pathway. I was already on soft dirt shoulder of the path when he and I passed next to each other.
It was here -- in the chaos of the wind in my ears with the buzzing from the bicycle paired with the sound of my footsteps crunching on the dirt -- that the fellow behind me made his move and zoomed right past.
It made no sense. He wasn't going all that much faster than me (given that he was on a bike) but he was opening up a gap and quick.
Knowing better, I held back at my current pace and watched his seizing red light blink away into the darkness.
When I finished I checked my watch and discovered that I was significantly faster for the trip back. Meaning, I either held a faster pace while he tailed me, or I didn't let him go when he passed me.
Based on the way my legs felt with a mile left compared with how little he had gained on me, I think it was the latter. He had psychologically ruined my run by defeating me with Sebastian Blax's first rule of running; pass with authority.
Maybe I'll try that 70% to 100% business again this weekend.
There had been no quick days since.
I picked up Running the Lydiard Way and was curious to see what kind of pace my 70% to 100% effort that he spoke of, equated to in terms of minutes per mile. Frankly, 70% seems a little fast to me -- so I kinda translated it to, "What pace you can go tough for the duration of your run but still could have gone harder/faster."
In which case, I would have to say 100% would be based on your max effort (as in race pace?) for the distance of your run?
I don't know.
Regardless, I think I broke the system when I heard a bicycle pull onto the pathway and trail behind me at about 20 meters. I expected him to pass by but he seemed to be peddling and then cruising.
I could hear the buzzing that bicycles give out when they cruise, being cut up by the squeaks of peddling. I (thought) I held my pace while I waited. Afterall, I was going at an alright pace. Maybe it was just another case of a slow biker
Next thing I know, there is a different bicycle coming at me on the opposite side of pathway. I was already on soft dirt shoulder of the path when he and I passed next to each other.
It was here -- in the chaos of the wind in my ears with the buzzing from the bicycle paired with the sound of my footsteps crunching on the dirt -- that the fellow behind me made his move and zoomed right past.
It made no sense. He wasn't going all that much faster than me (given that he was on a bike) but he was opening up a gap and quick.
Knowing better, I held back at my current pace and watched his seizing red light blink away into the darkness.
When I finished I checked my watch and discovered that I was significantly faster for the trip back. Meaning, I either held a faster pace while he tailed me, or I didn't let him go when he passed me.
Based on the way my legs felt with a mile left compared with how little he had gained on me, I think it was the latter. He had psychologically ruined my run by defeating me with Sebastian Blax's first rule of running; pass with authority.
Maybe I'll try that 70% to 100% business again this weekend.
