Random Running Questions

Anyone have any idea what could cause you to slow down your running pace without meaning to? I'm a very basic slow jogger. Usually used to run 5 to 10k at 6:10 per km or thereabouts comfortably enough. I've been losing weight amd thought I would naturally speed up because I'm carrying less but the opposite is happening. Feels like the same level of effort and I'm down to 6:50 or 7;00 per km. Can't pin point any particular reason.

Losing concentration?

Are you calorie counting to lose weight? If so, how much of a deficit are you typically doing per day? Or do you have another approach?

I've been calorie counting for about 3 months and have been losing weight, and at the start I was probably being too aggressive with it. Was finding runs a bit harder effort wise for sure.

The most concrete example I have is one Saturday early on, I planned to run 14k at just over 6:30/km , and after 12k I had to take a walk break.

The following Saturday I had a 10mile race. For the week I increased my calories a bit, especially on Friday, and fuelled more than I typically would on the run with gels. My average pace for the race was 6:08/km, which I know is not fast, but it's a pretty big improvement on not being able to run 12k at a slower speed only the week before.

It's tough to get the balance right between eating enough to properly run and lose weight, but if you can get it right, losing weight definitely makes a huge difference.

I raced another 10 mile about 6 or 7 weeks after the above and my average pace was 5:33/km. I had done 30-40km per week in between so I probably was fitter anyways, but I was 6kg lighter too.

Were you at your heavier weight when running the 6:10 pace runs? Or have you put on weight since then?

1800-2000 seems pretty reasonable without knowing what type of food it is.

When I was being too aggressive with the calories I could feel it even on 5k runs. That was 1500 calories max though

What time of day do you normally run? If you normally run in the mornings, maybe try an evening run after you've had some food and see how you feel.

One thing I felt helped for the first few weeks was just almost writing off running performance for a few weeks. Primary goal was weight, running was second. I'd commit to getting the runs done but if I had to slow down to do them, I would. (And I definitely did need to)

Anyone here with experience of racing off heart rate? Thinking of doing the Craughwell 10 mile next week.

Part of my issue is that I don’t really know what pace I can do it in or for that matter the marathon. So I was hoping to use HR to pace this race and then see where that leaves me for the marathon.

Have been doing all my longer runs and recovery runs off HR so I figure its no harm to give it a go in a race that doesn’t mean too much to me.

Was planning on 80% for 8k, 85 for the next 5k and then let it go for the last 3k.

I do realise that without proper testing that I can’t really know my zones but I figure there are that many variables and unknows that being out by 5% on any one figure will statistically even itself out with something else being out. I’m not going to get too caught up on the zones being out by a few BPMs.

Racing a 10-miler based purely on heart rate is a bad strategy for a shed load of reasons -Anxiety or excitement before or during a race can elevate your HR leading to bad judgement of your effort level. Also temperature and humidity can affect your heart rate, making it difficult to maintain a consistent HR. You might even end up adjusting your pace too frequently, especially if your HR spikes or dips due to factors other than your running effort. This can lead to an inefficient race strategy making it difficult to maintain a steady pace.

Running on uneven terrain, or in windy conditions will affect your HR. If you try to maintain a consistent HR you will slow down too much on hills or speed up too much on descents, which will disrupt your race performance. you to miss out on adjusting your strategy based on race conditions, pacing with other runners for example, responding to competitors, or taking advantage of favorable sections of the course.

Racing is dynamic and I would think focusing on HR will only limit your ability to respond to changes during the race. You might miss opportunities to push harder when you feel good or fail to conserve energy when you need to.

Genuine question but would you not combine the HR with a race strategy? Not stick rigidly to the HR but use it as a base to judge your effort, taking into account that it will spike when you hit a hill and you need to find a sweet spot that balances the HR and not burning yourself out on the hill either.

If you wanted to trial racing by HR rate what race would you recommend?

If you want to keep it a hr range then I’d be more give it a quick check after a couple of km to see what range I’m in on the assumption nothing out of the ordinary in conditions (weather or route) if it’s good then just keep the effort up if at the intended pace. Gives it a chance to settle down after the initial spike at the start

I am, but of course you should try it. Why not, if the 10 mile is not your target race then its a free hit bu if you're looking for a guide on Marathon pace, maybe go all out at the 10 mile, ignore your HR.

Best of luck either way, even though I like the 10 mile distance, never raced it 😎

What do you mean by that. Ignore hr completely or just hr training and figure out what’s easy, threshold and hard.

Apart from the vast majority of people running easy to hard I’d even go more would do it without some sort of hr monitoring but unless they’re using a chest or arm strap then it’s pot luck on the figures so kind of pointless then

Unbelievably, I am after getting an entry into Tokyo through the general ballot.

Has anyone done it before, grateful for any tips.

Get the test done but I wouldn’t be doing it before a marathon that close. You should treat the test like a race as you’ll be working during it. Especially if they do a v02 as part of it

Cheers, yeah, I've done one before. I would say it's more like a mini session.

Fine to do during taper imo.

Maybe some background on your mileage might help? Like ballpark starting mileage and ending mileage that you find sustainable? And where you find(if you do) to breakdown from niggles or injuries?