Alameda Runners – Get After It!

When you go out for a long run, it is so easy to get caught up with looking at the clock.  It is in a distance runner’s nature to want to go faster.  I don’t know if that is a fact or not but it seems that way with everyone that I know.  We look at our watch and see that we are running at an 8:05 pace and just have to speed up to a 7:58 pace.  It just looks better to have that lower number next to our run time in our training logs that only we look at.  When you are sprinting, that is a different matter.  Go for max speed on your sprints.

When I do my long runs, I run for the first mile or so at a warm-up pace, then I start paying attention to my heart rate.  I don’t look at my watch for the first mile.  I use this as my gauge to see how I will feel for the run.  As I discussed earlier, a heart rate of 119 is mathematically ideal for my long slow run pace.  Since humans are not mathematical formulas, I use this as a gauge, not a rule.  I try to keep my heart rate between 119 and 127 for my long slow runs and let the minutes per mile fall where they may.  The first 3-4 miles are where I fall into my groove for the run.  After the first few miles, I have the pace set and I don’t have to worry about much until the last few miles.  Since I know all of the routes to my house, I suffer from the “old horse syndrome” where I want to charge back to the barn as quickly as possible.  I keep a close eye on my HRM as I know I do this on long runs.  The bad thing about charging back to barn on a long run is that you are usually a longer distance than you usually run and are prone injuries at this point.

The key rule for long runs – Take it easy