What’s that Beeping?

What’s that Beeping?

10 PAX got a tad of education then headed on Wednesday at 0515 out on the 4MileCreek/McAlpine/McMullen Greenway for some exploring in the wilderness. 2 PAX got there at some point, did something, and joined us at COT.

The Thang:

• The Great Cadence Debate – Cadence in running is defined as how many steps you take per minute.  Why is this important?  Many runners have a low cadence because they aren’t aware there is a more efficient way.  That can lead to problems with Overstriding (quoting from linked article), “Most…who overstride tend to reach with their lead leg, locking out their knee and slamming their heel into the ground with each step, says Larson. In addition to slowing you down, this puts undue stress on your joints and can lead to injury. Lessening this risk can be as simple as upping your turnover rate 5 to 10 percent. “As you increase cadence, you tend to bring your landing foot closer to the center of mass,” says Larson.”
  • Our learning point – A well-regarded measure of cadence for efficiency is 180 steps per minute.  During the first mile of the run, we used a 180bpm Metronome app to make us more aware of our own cadence – was it slower or faster than 180bpm.  Thankful that the beeping only lasted a mile, but you may want to try it on your own.  Several music options / mixes for the 180 (or 90) bpm, but you’ll want to wear headphones if you use the metronome app…
• How Should I Breathe When I Run – Breathing patterns are defined by how many breaths you take per step. “3-3” means that you are taking one breath IN that lasts 3 steps, and then you breath OUT for 3 steps.  If coupling that with a 180 steps per minute, you’re taking 30 full breaths (30 out + 30 in) per minute.  Quoting from the linked article, “One of the most useful things about having a set breathing pattern — whether 3-2 or 2-3 or 2-1 or even 2-2 — is that it puts you in tune with how hard you’re working. Coates has a scale he uses with his athletes where easy running correlates to an easy 3-2 breathing pattern, but eventually as they speed up the 3-2 pattern becomes impossible to maintain. At that point, they either have to switch to a 2-1 breathing pattern or slow down.”  Another highly regarded coach, Jack Daniels, prescribes that you need to be in tune with breathing to know how hard you are working.  This is important to know your exertion level if you don’t have a HR monitor or Speed/Distance monitor.  Check out two pages from his book here.
  • Our learning point – Breath rate is a personal measure of exertion, so be familiar with yours.  If you are supposed to run Easy Long-Slow-Distance (i.e. GhostRunner, RumRunner, Ritchie Run, some days at DevilsTurn or Sweet6), then make sure you don’t exceed a 3-3 or 3-2.  If you want to push it on a run, know that if you are breathing 2-2 or 2-1, you are close to maxing out.
    
• After the instruction, we hit the Greenway with the objective to meet back at the Bridge over McAlpine Creek (1.75mi from home) at 0555.  Pretty much no one got that right today because we were all a little late, so failure from the Q on communication or timing.
• Run the last 1.75mi as a Progression Run trying to pick up the pace at each 0.25mi marker.  Goal was run each 0.25mi 5 seconds faster than the previous, which equates to 0:20/mi of pace faster.  Choose your starting point wisely, for with 6 speed changes over 1.75mi, your ending pace/mi will be 2:00 faster than your starting pace/mi.  For example, if segment 1 was 8:00/mi (2:00 for the 0.25 mi), then segment 7 would be 6:00/mi (1:30 for the 0.25mi).  Front of the pack chose 8:20/mi as the starting point and was at or under all of the marks.  Well done everyone!

Moleskin:

• Kotters to Cheddar who was off celebrating his new marriage. Know you were struggling a bit more than usual out there, but also know that it’s only a matter of time before you come back stronger than before.
• Bout Time that he came out to DevilsTurn.  Not only did it appear he was begging Sanka to go faster on the “out”, he ran away from the field on the Progression Run “back”.  Not sure if he was spitting out bugs or aiming at frogs on the side, but dude could probably win a spitting contest, too.
• Ex-Lax –  this guy was not apparently a Site FNG.  What was obvious is that he can sandbag with the best of them.  Sitting back in the field on the “out”, he absolutely pushed it to the limit on the “back” and was nipping at Bout Time’s heels.  All while chilling out to some Death Metal on his headphones.
• Sanka – seemed to be the big draw today with pulling in Bout Time.  Also wanted to make it the furthest the fastest by leading the group all the way to I-485 before lapping the field on the way back to the meet point.
• Beaker – Site FNG, but knew every twist, turn, frog, and bridge because this is his “home course”.  We’ll have to get him into some unfamiliar territory to tell if he’s still as strong, because he wasn’t happy going slow, that much is certain.
• Simba / Tootie – What time is 5 till 6?  Is that 5:55, 5:06, 6:05, or just wait until everyone turns around and follow them?  Getting tricked into running further than last week, Simba figured that he would also make Tootie pay the dues and get him to run further.  Nice PR on the DevilsTurn distance Simba!  Tootie wanted to keep it rolling, but we had to stop for COT and go home at some point.
• Abacus – was back out there and perhaps the one guy that will have to modify the 180bpm.  A giant of a frame and a huge heart, he delivered a great thanks to the PAX at COT in support of his brother Bill.
• Mallcop / Wolfman – what preblast?  is there a plan for each week?  After a Wolfman sighting for two weeks in a row, YHC noted that sunrise is right around 0615 these days.  Since Mallcop and Wolfman rolled in right about 0620, it was shocking to see that Wolfman had returned to human form.  Just make sure to not pull in to COT at 0615 next week, for that may be shocking in more ways than one!

Announcements:

• Southern Discomfort – 8/1
• Gladiator Games – 8/8 – obstacle course at Indian Land Elementary off Hwy 521 on Harrisburg Rd.
• Area 51 running shirts – keep an eye out for details.  Check with MallCop to get questions answered.