January - A Month for PRs!

I had another great run this morning!  Today I ran along the Ala Wai canal, then the four mile Diamond Head circle.  And yep, two more PRs!  This brings my total PRs for the month to eleven.  Since I've run these routes for years, getting a PR is a big thing.  This many PRs is surprising to me.  And now I've probably jinxed myself and my next run will be horrible ;)

This view does not get old! Sorry to my friends running in the snow!

The first PR was the Ala Wai canal.  This is 1.4 miles, totally flat.  I ran it in 13:44, 9:46 pace.  I have run this segment 63 times.  This is right at the beginning of my run, so it's kind of a test to see how the run it going to go.

The second PR was the Monsarrat Mile.  This is 0.9 miles at 3% grade with 154 feet of elevation gain.  I ran it in 11:01, 11:11 pace. I have run this segment 46 times.  My previous best was in 2013 when I was running this route on a regular basis.

The Monsarrat "mile" that isn't a mile

I had a little issue my Stryd power meter this week.  I couldn't get a heart rate or power reading on Tuesday.   I came home and the unit was blinking.  Found out it was a dead battery (new unit, but it had been sitting in the warehouse a while.)  Today I got heart rate but no power.  I couldn't figure out what was going on.  When I uploaded the file it showed an average of almost 2000 watts!  I've been averaging 160-180 watts, so I knew something was crazy wrong.

Today's power (orange) and heart rate (purple)

I left a comment on the Stryd forum and was contacted for a video chat.  It ended up being a simple fix - apparently there's a little bug that changes body weight when a new battery is installed.  It changes weight to an extremely high number (just what every woman wants to hear) and that makes the power number crazy.

Saturday's power (orange) and heart rate (purple)

I was very impressed with the customer service from Stryd.  They were quick to respond and offered several suggestions not only to fix this error but ways to keep the battery from dying prematurely.  I suggested they put the information about changing body weight in the forum discussion and they have already done so.  As a brand new company they seem to be working hard to keep their customers happy.

Devices - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

That Time I PR'd the Tantalus Loop (Another Runner's HI Run)

Since I started running on Oahu in 2013, my favorite loop is the 10 mile loop up and down Tantalus.  I've blogged about it plenty, but here is the elevation profile from Saturday:

10 miles.  First 5 with 1,654' elevation gained, second 5 with 1,437' elevation lost.  It was a rare completely dry and clear morning on the mountain.  I started out early and even saw stars!  There was more traffic than usual.  I didn't know it at the the time, but the HURT 100 trail race was going on.

I stuck to the road

My pace for the first 5 miles was 13:47.  My pace for the second 5 miles was 8:29.  The key in hitting a PR for this run is mile 6.  It's the first mile that finally starts going down, but then it kicks back up!  I don't know if I've ever run that entire mile before - it seems like when I get to the reversal my legs just refuse to run up anymore.  Not Saturday!  I kept turning 'em and hit that mile in 8:59.  I was feeling really good and kept right on pushing.

During mile 9 I saw a runner up ahead.  I couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman they were so far ahead of me.  I slowly caught them, and saw it was a young woman (late 20s, early 30s, I'd guess.)  I caught her, passed her, and never looked back!  That's a rare occurrence, so I savored it a bit!

After uploading my file to Strava, I saw that I was 9th overall on the entire loop (a new PR), plus 9th overall on the descent (another PR!)  I PRd the climb but am only 14th overall on it.  Les commented about it, and I agree, I am still reaping the benefits from my last marathon.  I didn't go through weeks of burn out or muscle soreness, I will say it again - cross training works!

Runner's HI

We traveled to Oahu yesterday so Les could be in the office here for a few weeks.  The company recently moved to a new location and they are hosting an open house for clients tomorrow.  It's not all work and no play as evidenced by the load of luggage we bring!

We were awake around 4:00 this morning, so I finally got up and went for a short run (and Les went for a bike ride.)  I never expect much on our first morning here.  Jetlag, warmer temps, humidity, you name it, I'm usually pretty sluggish.  I glanced down at my watch during the first mile and saw 9:35.  What?  That's pretty speedy for me!  I didn't feel like I was pushing super hard, so I just went with it.

Mile 1 9:39
Mile 2 9:28
Mile 3 9:33
Mile 4 9:32

4 miles in 38:16, 9:34 pace.  Not too shabby!  I also kept an eye on my power and it held steady at around 185-190 watts, max of 224 and average of 184.  I had an average heart rate of 150 with a max of 161. According to Strava, I PRd three segments in those four miles and even moved up to 10th female on one of them.

I've worked hard the past month, especially on the hills around my house.  It's true, "hills are speed work in disguise!"  Here I am several hours later and I'm still feeling really good about this effort. Runner's high + Hawaii = Runner's HI!

First Week of 2016 - Hello El Nino!

Last night's sunset

I started 2016 off with a rest day!  I pushed hard Monday through Thursday to hit 2015 for 2015 and needed the rest.  But I took off on the second...

Saturday 1/2 - Ran 10 miles in 1:45:52, 10:35 pace

Sunday - Rested

Monday - Ran 3.54 miles with Les.  The first 2 miles went pretty good, then Les' calf started cramping up and we walked the rest of the way home.

Tuesday - Rained out
We got about 1 1/2 inches of rain.  Hopefully the start of a wet year for us.

Wednesday - Ran 5 miles in 56:28, 11:17 pace
I started out slow, but my final two miles were strong.  About 30 minutes after I got home it was raining again.  We received another inch or more.

Thursday - Rained out again
I knew my Stryd would be delivered, so I was okay with another rest day.

Friday - Ran 5.03 miles in 51:11, 10:12 pace
My first run with my Stryd Power Meter

Saturday - Rode 14.34 miles in 1:13:57, 11.6 mph
I'm hoping to get back on the trail on Monday, but after so much rain I wasn't in the mood for mud ;)

Total
Running 23.57
Cycling 14.34
Total  37.91

Taking My Stryd for a Test Run

I received my Stryd power meter in the mail yesterday so of course I took it out for a run this morning!  I could not get a heart rate the entire run, which was annoying and distracting, but other than that it was an interesting run.

After several days of rain, this morning it was clear, cool and windy.  I headed out to one of my normal loops that has a pretty tough climb and a nice downhill.  I really didn't know what to look for or expect.  Here are my mile breakdowns:

Mile 1 - 10:29 pace/ +73' / -39' / 180 Ave Power / 244 Max Power
Mile 2 - 11:33 pace/ +128' / 184 Ave Power / 356 Max Power
Mile 3 - 10:57 pace/ +92' / -23' / 186 Ave Power / 254 Max Power
Mile 4 -  8:52 pace/ +10' / -171' / 196 Ave Power / 263 Max Power
Mile 5 -  9:03 pace/ +20' / -120' / 203 Ave Power / 242 Max Power

The most significant point - my biggest power spike was during the mile with the most climbing even though that mile was my slowest.  It's also interesting to note that my downhill miles still had high power output.  That doesn't happen in cycling - downhill = coasting in cycling.

Total
5.02 miles in 51:11, 10:12 pace
348' elevation gain
377' elevation loss
190 watts Average Power
356 watts Max Power

We did figure out why I wasn't getting HR data.  I just needed to update the software.  A quick and easy fix, so my next run will include HR data.

So what does all this mean?  I really have no idea! I'm posting it today so a few weeks from now, when things do make sense, I can come back and look at these numbers again.

I'm sure as I gather more data this will start to make sense.  I knew I was working hard, and without any heart rate data, the power data was able to confirm that.  The goal is to learn what I am able to sustain for a long period, slowly working to make that number higher so I can run faster without burning out before the end of a race.

I'm pretty sure for the next month or so Les is going to be having way more fun with this than I am!  He was thrilled to have these numbers to look at and kept saying things like, "Your 10 second power was..."  "your 5 minute power was..."

First Race of 2016

I am a long time reader of the Runs for Cookies blog.  Katie is an inspiring writer who lost an amazing amount of weight and became a runner along the way.  She and I both ran our first marathons in 2012, which is when I started reading on a regular basis.

Katie's birthday is January 25th.  When she turned 31 in 2013 she decided to have a virtual 5k - Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K.  I signed up and "ran" this in 2013 - it was actually my first run after we moved to Oahu in 2013.  I struggled big time with the heat and humidity, but actually did 6.3 miles that day.  Les and I hiked 5.7 miles on Kaʻena Point in 2014.  Last year I had the flu and didn't run/walk/hike/crawl at all!

It was kinda windy on Ka'ena Point!

Last night I signed up for the 2016 Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K.  This will be race number one of 2016.  It's free, there are no medals or t-shirts, but it's a great way to kickoff the year.  Funny thing, we'll be on Oahu again when this takes place!

Do you participate in virtual races?

2016 ~ The Year of Power

I had been coming up blank as far as running goals for this year.  They were sounding like a repeat of last year.  Since 2015 was such a good year, that's not a completely bad idea, but I wanted more.  More is now on its way in the form of a belated Christmas present called Stryd.  What is Stryd, you ask?  Stryd is the world's first power meter for running.

What is a power meter?  Cyclists have used power meters for years to measure their output.  Yes, they look at speed (instead of pace) and heart rate, but power shows exactly how much energy they are using no matter the conditions (hilly, windy, drafting, etc.)  Les started using a power meter in 2013 and has seen significant increase in his overall abilities.  He likes to go out and do intervals on his bike, watching his watts (power.)  He has a number that he knows he can pretty much sustain for long periods on the bike.  When he's on an endurance event (100+ miles) he knows that if he pushes his power number way above the magic threshold, he's going to blow up and his speed will drop significantly.  On the other hand, he knows when he's taking it easier than he needs to and can pick up the pace if he wants.

Until now, there hasn't been the technology to measure this for runners. From Stryd's website:

Power is the only number you need to pace yourself to a new PR at any distance.
Power is consistent and reliable. It doesn’t vary with conditions. Hilly course? No problem, Stryd has you covered.
Power is a better measurement of performance. And better measurement leads to better results.

The Stryd design is a chest strap. I've been wearing a heart rate monitor for more than a decade, so this will not be an added piece of equipment, it will replace the heart rate monitor I currently wear.  It will still give heart rate information, but will also include power.  It pairs with many sport watches on the market, including my Suunto Ambit2. There is a very informative article on Ultra Runner Podcast.com. I thought what it had to say about power vs. heart rate was very helpful:

So why a power meter instead of heart rate? 
After using a heart rate monitor for almost every run, race, or workout I have done for the last year, heart rate is a nice tool, and that is it. Don’t get me wrong, I still use a heart rate monitor but I do not trust it to be consistent. Your heart rate is influenced by temperature, humidity, altitude, stress, illnesses, fatigue etc. It is usually the same day after day, but not always. As you first start running with a HRM it takes about 10 or so minutes for most monitors to be accurate. If you had a bad night’s sleep or you are coming down with a cold your heart rate could be as high as 10 to 15 beats per minute higher than the week before. Pacing yourself at a race or a workout will leave you running slower than your legs can actually allow. The other downfall of using heart rate for intervals is that your heart rate is too slow to react to your effort, which will leave you unsure if you are giving enough effort. After multiple intervals your heart rate will also start to get higher after each interval, called cardiac drift.

A power meter will not be effected by any of these situations. It gives instant feedback. It does not change when you get tired or have not warmed up yet. This is the reason they are so popular in the cycling world, and will soon be popular in the running world.

I realize this is more than most of us really want to study and understand, but I have my own personal power meter coach!  Do I see the value?  I'm sure I won't fully appreciate it until I've used Stryd for a few months, but I was already thinking about how it will impact my training.  For instance, I ran 10 miles on Saturday and it was very windy (15+ mph.)  I ran every step and my average pace was 10:35.  I knew I was pushing and there were times when I saw my pace slow, but did that mean I was putting out less effort or were the conditions making me actually work harder?  Hopefully, knowing the answer to that question will make training better, turning me into a better runner!

It's now been shipped and I am expecting it to arrive on Thursday. I'll be blogging about it as I learn.