Monday, August 30, 2010

10k!

Longest run so far - 10k (6.3 mi).  Time 75 ½ mins.  Pace: 7:33/k (12:04/mi).  Actually ran this at a faster pace than the 9.5k on Friday.  Had a Gatorade last night before bed as a bonus, and ate a small bowl of pasta and sauce at 9 pm. (maybe this is why I had that little extra bit of energy to keep the pace up - plus a whole Sunday of rest.)  Even spent about 1 ½ minutes walking in total during water breaks.  I seem to be making progress.

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Other questions for my blog friends:
1. Do you have a coach or are thinking of getting one?  What led you to getting a coach?  Who's your coach, would you recommend them for a wannabe like me?  What do you want to achieve through your relationship with your coach?  How much does your coach cost?

2. Please hook up your webcam, start it recording, put your mug in front of it and ask me a couple of questions. Load it up on your favorite vlog site (mine is YouTube) and send me a link.  I'll answer your questions the best I can.  What's the catch?  You and I will both try to be funny.

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Work in progress: checking out other online and on-computer software for monitoring your training.

29 comments:

Kandi said...

I had a coach in high school (obviously?). It was awesome but it's not something I've considered since then. I liked that he ran all the workouts and was in charge of telling us what to run. I never had to think about my training, I just listened to him.
I've considered getting either my old hs coach or some other old running buddies who are much better than me to write up a plan for me but haven't as of yet. We'll see for the future- who knows, I could get more competitive (with myself) and want outside help with my training plans.

abbi said...

Congrats on the 10K...no coach for me, but I read a lot! I don't consider myself competitive enough to warrant a coach, but that's just me.

Teri S. said...

Congrats on running a 10k - that's awesome! I do not have a coach, though I do occasionally take advantage of my running club's track workouts. I have thought about it, but I'm happy with fumbling around for now.

KovasP said...

No coach, self-training. I can see the benefits of hiring someone who knows what they are doing, but I've also enjoyed the research and trial and error.

gmontalvo13 said...

i always feel i perform better when i eat pasta the night before--it may be psychological not sure?? :)

i run w/team in training's certified run coach-- you should check them out in your area: www.teamintraining.org
it's so much more fun training w/a team and for a good cause!

skierz said...

Great job! New personal best is always an awesome thing! Getting a coach should be aligned with your goals. each will have a different method or system based on his/her experience. I am a coach and have led myself to great results and many others to the start and finish line based on the expectations they have of themselves. What I think a coach is best at doing is holding you accountable to your maximum potential!

The Green Girl said...

I have a coach. I met him through my physical therapist - he recommended him. I had a personal training session with him and then joined his running group because I liked him so much.

I think referrals are always a great way to find good people.

Anabela (Bela) Neves said...

Good job on the 10K. No coach for me.....I like to do things my way and have a hard time listening to someone else.....LOL

Anne said...

Great job on the 10K!!!

I took a running clinic for my half-marathon...but, no individual coach yet. For now, I don't feel the need...although, my PT definitely helped me get on track.

Jimmy @ Run, Jimmy, Run said...

Andrew, although I completely forgot to be funny, here's a video question for you:

http://www.runjimmyrun.com/2010/08/30/canada-whats-that/

Have fun with it brother :)

-Jimmy

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your 10K milestone!
High school: coach
Adulthood: self-coach (eek!)

Johann said...

You are certainly making progress, well done and yeah for 10k! I’ve never had a coach and will never even think of it. I just do my own thing. Been doing it for 29 years now so no need to change it. I’m so slow that nobody will really be interested in coaching me anyway.

The Trail Jogger said...

Great job. Keep up the good work!

Molly said...

congrats on the 10K!! I don't use a coach, but I do read runners world, and different running books, and take what I need from there.

Rae said...

Congrats on the 10K! You are doing great! I have my longest yet...5 miles...coming up this weekend! I'll get to 10K soon!

5 Miles Past Empty said...

I think a coach could be good if you don't have a lot of knowledge about training. I got most of my knowledge form running track in HS and a little in college and cross country. I recently emailed my old coach and asked her to send me some on our old workouts! I think I would definitely have a running coach if I wanted to achieve something big. Rigth now I just kind of enjoy running for fun and don't need a regemented schedule.

Runner Dude, not sure if you read his blog, he does virtual coaching which could be pretty cool!
http://www.runnerdudesfitness.com

I actually think it would be a good idea to have one and kind of learn how to do certain workouts adn then you can just be on your own in the future!!

Great job with your 10k!!!!

Kruns2 said...

Yeah for getting that mileage conquered! As for getting a coach, if you have the funds then why not? Just make sure to research your options so you get your money's worth. I'm low on the cash and have been running long enough that I'm fairly confident with my self-coaching. But one day when I'm done producing small adults, want to get pretty serious with my racing, and have money to spend...I would welcome some expert training.

You asked my opinion on stretching over at my place and I was going to leave you a comment but since this is already getting long I'm shootin' ya an email instead. ;)

Caratunk Girl said...

HEy great run A!!

I never have had a coach. But I am getting one for IMLP because I have taken myself as far as I can with research, and I want to see what I can do with the IM distance.... So I self-trained from 2005 until 2011...

I don't have a webcam...but I am sticking my tongue out at your right now thhhhhh...

Christina said...

Nice job! You are definitely making progress.

I don't have a coach and probably will never get one because I need to save some money for that new rug you suggested on my blog. I heard that good Persian rugs are expensive! Well, I like to run for fun and I have been putting more "stress" on myself by working harder at the running. I doubt I will ever lose interest in running, but I am going to eliminate things that will make me lose interest. Besides, I don't like doing what people tell me what to do anyway. :)

Unknown said...

No coach for me. I tend to train by reading and the pearls of wisdom from experience and friends. If I had a coach, I would want a personal trainer to drag me out to the track.

I'm happy to help you out if you have questions and need guidance. Just ask.

Oh, and I always leave salt out of recipes; I just include it because the recipe does call for it and people sometimes panic if they don't see little things like that and vanilla.

Anne said...

Andrew, you must stop calling yourself a dumbass Canadian...us Canadians are badass, but not dumbass :)

Second, that would be 180 STEPS per minute, not beats...yikes! As in, 3 steps per second :)

Unknown said...

congrats on the 10K

over time, i've had two coaches and two personal trainers. the first coach didn't work out well for me. the other one did. first personal trainer was pretty good, the second wasn't. a lot depends on your goals and how well the coach can help you get there(vs. having a coach try to get you to HIS goals)

Kim said...

I used a coach for the first half of 2010. He is a friend of mine, Lloyd Thomas, who helped keep me accountable and made me run, when I didn't want to run in the winter.
After 6 months, I felt I had gotten my mojo/motivation back somewhat. I still log my miles at the site he recommends, www.runningahead.com

wendy said...

Thank you so much for your kind words! It has been fun to watch your progress with running and I like reading your blog : ) I think you are doing really well and the most important thing is to enjoy yourself!

Take care!

LARRY BRADLEY said...

Thanks Andrew for visiting my site!

I love your blog site and congrats on keeping it so fresh. Always one of the hardest things to do. Best of luck on your 5k coming up. I think you are well on your way so keep it going and have a blast enjoying the fruits of your labour!

As for the coach thing, totally depends on what your goals are for the future. If you just want to run for fitness and have fun, I would suggest a Running group at a local store or a running club. Lots of great people to share in your adventure.

If you want to improve your running form and results, yes, a coach is a great resource. You will find lots of options out there from personal to online coaching. Make sure you do your research and get one that understands your needs. You can end up paying anywhere from $50 to $250 per month so it really depends on what you require from this professional.

I find a great place to ask these kinds of questions is the forum on www.runningmania.com

A great site from Canada with lots and lots of runners at all sorts of levels.

Hope this helps a little.
Larry

Adrienne said...

Yeah! I found your blog. I swear I looked for it before and didn't think you had one. (I'm slow at other things along with running)
Good job on 10K! Awesome!
Do I have a coach? Yes/No-- I went to a running camp (that I heard about from Christine over @ Lazybonesrunning) and I learned more in 4 days than I have learned in the last 5 years I've been running. I didn't do track or xc in H-school so my running was all self taught. I learned I had been doing pretty much everything wrong. I use to log lots of miles 5-6 days a week now I only run 3 maybe 4 days a week and have improved after just a few short months because my running is totally different.
Cost? It can vary depending on what you want. Camp was $325 for 4 full days of instruction including room and board. Definitely a good deal. I'm not training for a specific race right now (I'm the Nonrace runner remember) but when I do decide on a longer (1/2 or full marathon) I will pay him for a plan. It will be worth it. I don't want to have a bad experience.
Good luck.
Hope this helped.

Jill said...

Nice job on the 10k and your farthest distance - whoohooo!

And I AM a certified running coach. I help coach the cross country team at my school and I personal coach many in every distance - especially the half and full marathons. I also hired a personal trainer for 3 years, even though I am a certified one there, too - it just helps me because I'm just an emotionally needy person and I like to be accountable to someone else - it makes me be more honest and I like how they inspire me. Cost? I'm pretty cheap, comparatively. I don't do it for the money, I do it for the love of the sport. But I know I've paid a small fortune for a trainer and I one I had was crap.

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Congrats on the 10k

I had a coach, $75 a month, Basically it takes all the thinking out of the workouts, you get a schedule and you are expected to complete it, then you report back what the workout was like, the good and the bad. I enjoyed a coach, but I went solo because of the cost. I see the benefit of a coach for anyone, I plan on hiring one again when I attempt an iron distance race

The Boring Runner said...

NICE WORK on the distance PR goal! I accept your challenge of a video post. Will look into doing it tomorrow.