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Training wk 20

Basingstoke was a bit of a strange place to me. Very sort of run down in the centre area, sad looking people in most places but once you got out of there to the Old Basing area it was different. Much nicer. So I did most of my running out to the east of the actual city and I liked it quite a bit actually.

The downside is the lack of sidewalks. It is a narrow road, 30/40 mph but people generally seems to drive a lot faster and the lack of sidewalks makes it a risky business to go running here in the dark so that is not recommended. I did my runs in the afternoon and that was ok though I had a close encounter with some stingy nettles trying to avoid a car at one time. I was running in shots.

Last day I ran in the War Memorial park, rather central to the Basingstoke city and it was a different experience. Lots of people there, children and dogs playing and then a number of drunks yelling offensive words at people walking (and jogging) past. Quite the experience when I answered back and decided to not run past them again ;)

Day by day

Monday
Starting of from the hotel at London Rd. and then around Basing Commons and back again. A nice route actually with asphalt the whole way. Made a couple of wrong turns on my way back but it did not matter, I was not out to do it on any particular time, I was just happy to go running.
Tuesday
Another round similar to Monday run but farther away in a bigger circle and checking out that nice old railway bride (and the pub on the other side, where we went back in the evening to grab some drinks and a meal) and it was a beautiful run! My legs was a little tired but I managed a steady and nice pace anyhow.
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Around the War Memorial park in Basingstoke City. Nice place in general except for the drunks being rather offensive there.
Saturday
Rest
Sunday
Rest

This Week

Total distance 17,92 km Total tim 2:32:28 HMS
Avg tempo 8:31 min/km Avg. speed 7.1 km/h
Max. HR 168 bpm Avg. HR 154 bpm
Training Effect 4,4 TE/EPOC Energy spent 3 220 kcal
VO2(max) 49 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 194 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 83 l/min Max breathing 41 bpm

Last Week

Total distance 11.66 km Total tim 1:33:13 HMS
Avg tempo 8:00 min/km Avg. speed 7,5 km/h
Max. HR 172 bpm Avg. HR 150 bpm
Training Effect 4.1 TE/EPOC Energy spent 2 051 kcal
VO2(max) 51 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 201 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 83 l/min Max breathing 41 bpm

Better than last week, still under the 20 km I want to do in a a week on average (or more really) but still okay considering traveling and all that. Tempo is not so bad, running in unfamiliar terrain and so on, and the condition figures (mainly VO2max and ventilation) seems to be on the right track still.

I have decided that next week will be really good working out :)

English

Training Wk 19

This week I was working with the radio systems all the week and I managed only two workouts which felt a little bad but that’s life sometimes. On Sunday I left for Basingstoke, UK for training with Motorola on their TETRA system so the next week is all about running in Basingstoke.

Day by day

Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Jogging at Järvafältet. My nice 8 km route there was begging for me to come out and it felt really good. Nice tempo as well, around 8 min/km which is not bad considering…
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Slammertorp route here in Kallhäll. All the way, the most hilly part as well. 7:33 tempo and a nice runners high actually.
Friday
Resting
Saturday
Resting
Sunday
Resting

This Week

Total distance 11.66 km Total tim 1:33:13 HMS
Avg tempo 8:00 min/km Avg. speed 7,5 km/h
Max. HR 172 bpm Avg. HR 150 bpm
Training Effect 4.1 TE/EPOC Energy spent 2 051 kcal
VO2(max) 51 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 201 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 83 l/min Max breathing 41 bpm

Last Week

Total distance 20.54 km Total tim 2:55:02 HMS
Avg tempo 8:31 min/km Avg. speed 7.0 km/h
Max. HR 162 bpm Avg. HR 149 bpm
Training Effect 4.0 TE/EPOC Energy spent 3 405 kcal
VO2(max) 47 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 80 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 90 l/min Max breathing 41 bpm

Not enough workouts really, will regard this week as a maintaining week but not very developing. Although I managed to up the pulse a bit with some good VO2max results as well. Next week I will be running in Basingstoke so we will have to see how that works out :)

English

Connect those androids

1 kommentar

This is so cool it is almost insane! And this will definitely increase the usefulness of an already extremely useful device beyond what anyone can dream of today.

Android 3.1 SDK new Open Accessory API

The new Android API, primarily for tablets (let’s hope it will be used on smartphone devices soon as well) means it will be much simpler for hardware manufacturers to connect peripherals to your Android device.

The API allows any device with host USB functionality to connect to a multitude of USB devices and interact with many different kinds of devices from music devices, exercise equipment, input devices such as joysticks, standard USB keyboard… you can almost find no end to the stuff that you could potenmtially hook up to your android.

Lovely.

English

Training wk 17

This week was actually very good, personal best on one run (6,5 km) and generally good workouts all over. 5 workouts in the same week and over 4 hours spent running. That is exactly what I was going for so I feel really good about that.

Although several runs felt rather shitty this week I also had a very good one. Strange how that works really, my sunday run which was going to be a nice slow jogg for about 8,5 km over Järvafältet and back again was terrible. Hard winds did their thing but I also had trouble pushing on and I ended up walking short periods to get my muscles back in order.

Day by day

Monday
7 km in Svinninge with Jenny and Linda, good run, lots of hills, about 200 height meters to cross which definitely was a good workout!
Tuesday
4,3 km asphalt in Kallhäll – one of my old runs that I really like sometimes. Felt good this one.
Wednesday
6,5 km to Jakobsberg and back again on the other side of the rail tracks. A new fave of mine with about 2/3 on asphalt and 1/3 on gravel road.
Thursday
Resting day
Friday
6,5 km to Jakobsberg and back again, this time personal best for the distance!
Saturday
Resting day
Sunday
A miserable 8,5 km run that never felt really good. It was just painful from start to end but I managed to get through it. 8:40 tempo.

This Week

Total distance 35.54 km Total tim 4:38:58 HMS
Avg tempo 8:19 min/km Avg. speed 7.2 km/h
Max. HR 174 bpm Avg. HR 149 bpm
Training Effect 4.2 TE/EPOC Energy spent 3 962 kcal
VO2(max) 33 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 221 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 87 l/min Max breathing 42 bpm

Last Week

Total distance 26.8 km Total tim 4:03:42 HMS
Avg tempo 9:06 min/km Avg. speed 6.6 km/h
Max. HR 173 bpm Avg. HR 148 bpm
Training Effect 4 TE/EPOC Energy spent 3 032 kcal
VO2(max) 32 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 169 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 93 l/min Max breathing 42 bpm

Did about 10 km more this week than last week. Can explain why my legs are a little bit more tired this Sunday than what I want them to be. But I onlu spent about 30 min extra in workout which means my pace has picked up a bit. Average pace was 8:19 compared to 9:06 last week which is definitely a difference.

I spent about 1000 kcal more running this week than last. Good development really. Heart rates are the same but one interesting thing stands out, the ventilation has increased. I think I know which run this is, that was the friday run where I was running much harder than normal and had to really think about breathing to get enugh oxygen in.

English

Android runner app: iMapMyRun

2 kommentarer

I was prompted on Twitter to test out the Android mobile app ”iMapMyRun” and so I did today. My first impression was that the software is not there yet, it has not reached a mature enough state to seriously compete with BuddyRunner or Endomondo or CardioTrainer or to be used even for beginners.

When registering I got buttons to select imperial/european units but none of the buttons seemed to work when I pressed them and in the end I had to chose to move on. When I did so I could not find another way to go back and change the settings, nor could I update my personal data such as weight and so on.

Today I took it for a test run and I used other tracking software at the same time. After about 2/3 of the way the iMapMyRun software stopped recording it seems and instead it just plotted the last position when I turned it off at my finish. Therefore it just went in a straight line for the last 1/3 of the run. Definitely something fishy was going on there. Neither did it record the GPS elevation data for some reason, the accompanying web site says ”There was an error retrieving the elevation”, I have no idea why. Of my 5 km run this app recorded only 3.

Both other recording apps (Google Tracks and Endomondo) worked fine through all this. On top of all that it feels unintuitive and quirky and a little backwards but that may be just me expecting things from being used to the other apps in this field.

When the workout finished I got a ridiculous question about peanyut butter, an ad that felt intrusive and out of place. Peanut butter is hardly the stuff for athletes so it felt rather misplaced. The whole app and the accompanying web site is riddled with ads. If you are viewing your runs, you have to upgrade to the payed version or wait 15 seconds before you can see your run. Again it is not on the level with the competing softwares in this respect.

My recommendation is to wait and see if this app matures. In the mean time check out BuddyRunner or Endomondo, both very mature and well working GPS tracking apps for runners.

It gets one running shoe out of five for now.

English

Training Wk16

This week, easter week was a very good week actually. Foodwise we kept in check and I had some really good runs including my first 10 km run this year. Weather has been perfect for outdoors activities so it has been a real pleasure to be outdoor this week. Dun has been nice and warm but in the nights the temperatures drops down and best runs are done in the afternoons really.

I have started using a new sports tracker on my Android phone called Endonundo and so far, for all similar softwares I have tested this one seems to be best of them all. I also love the BuddyRunner software but Endomondo does very much the same thing but has even better statistics.

Day by day

Monday
speed in the forest, 2.35 km in 6:36 tempo, pretty good for being me actually, I was very happy with that.
Tuesday
Altorp 6.7 km with Jenny, had a really good time as always and although I came home late it was a really good run that.
Wednesday
Resting, no training.
Thursday
My first 10 km this year. Eastern Järvafältet and that was good as well, but HARD. I was struggling at the end to keep it together and I had some walks in the middle of it as well but I did it even if it took me 99 minutes.
My first 10 km run this year
Friday
Short runt at home, a very slow run to just flex everything up a bit from the 10 km the day before.
Saturday
A 5km run a new route I have not done before. Down to the Görväln castle and then back home again. Beautiful run but some hills that was really straining and by now I am starting to feel the miles in my legs this week. Decided this was last for this week!
Sunday
Resting.

This week

Total distance 26.8 km Total tim 4:03:42 HMS
Avg tempo 9:06 min/km Avg. speed 6.6 km/h
Max. HR 173 bpm Avg. HR 148 bpm
Training Effect 4 TE/EPOC Energy spent 3 032 kcal
VO2(max) 32 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 169 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 93 l/min Max breathing 42 bpm

Last week

Total distance 16,8 km Total tim 1:19:16 HMS
Avg tempo 8:29 min/km Avg. speed 8.29 km/h
Max. HR 175 bpm Avg. HR 153 bpm
Training Effect 5 TE/EPOC Energy spent 1 162 kcal
VO2(max) 32 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 159 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 96 l/min Max breathing 45 bpm

10 km more than last week is not horse manure. Probably too much of an increase in a single week but I feel good nevertheless. Time spent training also increased to more than the double, not bad at all but my average time dropped with 30 s/km. Not too surprising, longer runs and more km into the legs. Spending almost 3 times the amount of energy on running as last week, yay, almost two days worth of food.

Average heartrate has dropped a bit, longer and slower running and perhaps a bit better condition as well but the max hartrate is very similar and shows that I am still about 10 beats from maxing out. Good thing, don’t wanna do that alone… tried it once and i had such a bad tunnel vision I thought I was gonna faint.

Training effect is a 4 which is great compared to a 5 last week which was overtraining. Getting better at keeping slow on the long runs and not over-excerting myself to the point of breaking down rather than building up.

Ventilation and breathing is up a little though VO2max seems very similar. A higher peak EPOC and a lower Training Effect just means I have leveled on the training effect scale (to a level 6.0 from a 5.0 where I started).

Tomorrow is a resting day and then monday is a free day, I will see if my good friend Jenny can manage a nice run together then, looking forward to the next time.

Weight wise I have gone up 0.5 kg this week. Still keeping diet but I have also noticed my legs are getting stronger. I believe I am building more muscle. This is good, it means I will be able to run faster and longer and increase my metabolic rate even when I sleep. Good stuff that.

 

English

Training Wk15

Three good workouts this week!

First on Tuesday started out nice together with Jenny in Näsbypark, a 7 km mainly on asphalt but with a bit of trail as well. Good workout and lovely dinner as well. Got home rather late from that however, takes time going from Täby to Järfälla although you could drive there in about 20 minutes.

Second workout was my favourite route here close at home. A long startup and then two laps with a finish down at the lake. Chose the middle tough route on one of the laps, in total about 5 km and even if my condition is now improving after the flu it was still tough.

Third workout was a 5 km in Altorp together with Jenny again. Very good quality run, lovely weather, really really good run.

Total distance 16,8 km Total tim 1:19:16 HMS
Avg tempo 8:29 min/km Avg. speed 8.29 km/h
Max. HR 175 bpm Avg. HR 153 bpm
Training Effect 5 TE/EPOC Energy spent 1 162 kcal
VO2(max) 32 ml/kg/min Peak EPOC 159 ml/kg
Max. ventilation 96 l/min Max breathing 45 bpm
English

A few obvious tips

Are you using a pulse watch to track your training? Has a foot pod tracking your cadence, speed and pace when running? If you have there are a few things you may not think of that are actually rather obvious and just because of that they are easy to forget.

Battery change
When it is time to change the battery in any one of the following devices; pulse belt, foot pod, wrist watch connecting to the above, GPS pod, bike pod etc, change all the batteries. One lost stats when out is okay in a year but several is highly annoying. By changing all batteries at once you can probably go for another full year before you have to change them again.
Foot pod depletes unexplicably
Some foot pods, like mine from Suunto, starts when they feel acceleration. This means pretty much any vibration. Have your gymbag in the car for a few days when driving around? Keeping your sneakers in a backpack to and from work? Chances are the foot pod activates and depletes the battery without you working out.
Pulse belt depletes unexplicably
Pulse belts are usually activated by moisture. So if you keep it in your gym bag with your used workout clothes, chances are it keeps trying to find your pulse for hours and hours. Leave it over night a few times like this and it definitely is noticeable on the battery life. Some pulse belts like the Suunto is connected to the sensor and when disconnected it stays off so it does not suffer the same problem.
GPS pod
GPS pods generally has an on/off switch. Switch off when not in use of course.