Start time: 01/10/06, 6:30pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 4 miles & 2 miles
Run:Walk ratio: 6:1 & all running
Average pace: 10:50min/mile and 8:35min/mile
First, a funny side-story. After planning on doing so for a while now, I started doing stomach crunches on Sunday. The idea was to start with with a reasonable amount, then add a few more on every day for a nice slow-and-steady build up. So I did the crunches on Sunday, added a few more on Monday morning, then got up this morning and… ow. My abs were not happy. So, new rule: on days when I’m going running, I don’t have to do stomach crunches. Phew! (I could still feel the soreness when I ran today, though.)
Anyway, Julie and I ran four miles together at a 6:1. Julie seemed to handle them pretty well, and I let her set the pace. I know she wants to build her speed back up, so once she’s used to these I’m going suggest picking the pace itself up a bit. The splits were actually back and forth, back and forth: 10:37, 10:59, 10:37, 11:05. Afterwards Julie headed out and I was going to do the same, but at the last second I decided to take two more miles and do them a bit faster; preparing, as you will, for possibly running with the speedies again.
For these other two miles I took splits for each half mile: 4:13, 4:13, 4:24, and 4:18. Very consistent early on, then slowing down a tiny bit later. It felt great to speed up, though. I’d love to be able to sustain that speed for longer distances—a goal to work towards.
Do the stomach crunches after a run… you’ll be warmed up and stretched out and you’ll still get the benefits.
But I like my days off, darn it! 🙂 Maybe after another week or two… my stomach muscles seem to be getting used to this so going to crunches more than four times a week will be a possibility.
don’t stop doing the crunches, whatever you do. i got lazy and stopped working my abs completley. totally messed up my lower back. no fun. when i was serious marathon training i worked my abs obsessively. (and had a nice little 2 pack to prove it. haha!)
glad i found your running journal. will be a motivational read.
Eek! Good to know!
I’ve never done abwork before so it’s all new to me. It’s going pretty well, though, considering I’m still in the early stages. (First ab workout was on the 8th and was just 50; today’s was 65.) I figure this should work pretty well. I’d like to eventually to get a 2-pack. 🙂
And this reminds me, I need to update the running journal with yesterday’s brief run.