35, 5, and 2

Mark B wrote:First off, I'll just add a +1 to Michele's post. Steady progress and incremental gains are the way to go. The goal is to get there intact.

Second, interesting numbers. What do you devine from them? I see improvements, though your low carb experiment has pretty seriously thrown off your numbers lately. I think it's going to be worth it, though.

It's a fair question and opinion. Looking back, I did seven 8 mile runs with the goal of keeping the HR at 140 (70%) and now, around 60-65%. In the past, temperature was the biggest factor in pace, where I could figure a 30 second per mile increase for every 5 degree increase in temperatures. And I think it's still a good estimate.

The late May runs (#9 and 10 on 6.66 miles & #5 and 6 on 8-10 miles) have similar HR's, but the longer distance has a faster pace. I'm pretty much trying to stay in the 65% hr for the first half of the run. But I may run the next 8 mile run at 70% to see how it stacks up against the February 8 milers, when it was cooler.

Makes pondering an interesting exercise on what the numbers mean. I think temperature and objective of the specific runs could be too much to levelize the runs to find a common thread. But the future long runs and maybe adding the temps plus 1st and 2nd half splits could help to levelize the runs.

3rd in the series of Sunday evening runs for the distinct purpose of running in the heat and daylight. Tonight, it was 86 degrees at 6:45 p.m. with a dewpoint of 71, high overcast clouds, and a <10 mph SE wind. I had not run since Thursday morning and it was a little slow getting the motion, but I got into the groove in a half mile.

The goal was to keep the HR under 140 for the first half of the 6.66 mile run, the same distance as the prior two. The second half of the run was to be a negative split up to 150 bpm (75%) because if I'm running in the heat and have 3 miles to go to finish a race, I'm not going to be able to hold a certain HR without a bleeding of time. I don't know if 'tempering a metal' is the proper metaphor, but it seems to be in my simple mind.

6.67 miles, 1:22:13, 12:19 pace, 144 avg bpm, 163 max hr in mile 6. 1st half pace 12:28, 2nd half pace 12:10.

1. 12:22, 132 bpm
   
2. 12:19, 139 bpm
   
3. 12:32, 142 bpm
   
4. 12:39, 142 bpm
   
5. 12:32, 149 bpm
   
6. 12:00, 154 bpm
   
7. 11:49 pace, 155 bpm
   

I was really sweating from almost the start. But getting the run done wasn't overly taxing, of which I'm pleased.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:First off, I'll just add a +1 to Michele's post. Steady progress and incremental gains are the way to go. The goal is to get there intact.

Second, interesting numbers. What do you devine from them? I see improvements, though your low carb experiment has pretty seriously thrown off your numbers lately. I think it's going to be worth it, though.

It's a fair question and opinion. Looking back, I did seven 8 mile runs with the goal of keeping the HR at 140 (70%) and now, around 60-65%. In the past, temperature was the biggest factor in pace, where I could figure a 30 second per mile increase for every 5 degree increase in temperatures. And I think it's still a good estimate.

The late May runs (#9 and 10 on 6.66 miles & #5 and 6 on 8-10 miles) have similar HR's, but the longer distance has a faster pace. I'm pretty much trying to stay in the 65% hr for the first half of the run. But I may run the next 8 mile run at 70% to see how it stacks up against the February 8 milers, when it was cooler.

Makes pondering an interesting exercise on what the numbers mean. I think temperature and objective of the specific runs could be too much to levelize the runs to find a common thread. But the future long runs and maybe adding the temps plus 1st and 2nd half splits could help to levelize the runs.

D'oh! I forgot to factor in heat and humidity. Please forgive me. I forgot that you live in hell.

Nice workout, BTW.

Since posting the list of my runs since the end of January on the prior page, last week, Mark was curious about how my times may have slowed since the early part of the year. And even though the temperatures was probably more of the cause than anything else (to which Mark had an 'oh, yeah' moment ), it did cause me to ponder how my time or HR has changed (I guess 'fitness' would be the proper word) since that cluster of 8 mile runs in January and February.

So, this morning I figured would be a good morning for a time trial. I was to try to maintain a 140 bpm average and just see what happens. No checking of the time, just the HR.

By the way, all of the January and February runs were performed in 50-55 degree weather.

8.12 miles, 1:37:56, 12:03 pace, 139 avg bpm, 155 max bpm during mile 6, 75 degrees with a dewpoint of 74.

1. 11:36, 126 bpm
   
2. 11:21, 141 bpm
   
3. 11:36, 141 bpm
   
4. 12:21, 141 bpm
   
5. 12:32, 139 bpm
   
6. 12:06, 143 bpm
   
7. 12:23, 142 bpm
   
8. 12:20, 142 bpm
   
9. 13:20 pace for .12 miles, 140 bpm
   

This was a quite taxing run. Partially because I couldn't run on how I felt, rather what the HR was showing and throttling up or down, as needed. And partially because it was a tad warm. I'm sure more conditioned to run the first half at a slower heart rate, then bumping up the speed for the second half. So, running at 70%~ for the entire time was sure different.

But comparing this run with the earlier 8 mile runs, I can be only happy as shit with the results. Only 1 of the prior runs in January and February in temps in the 50's was faster than today's run. I'm about 15 pounds lighter than then, too. That is also a factor. Conjecture on my part, but the weight and temperature was probably equally contributory to the result. I'm thrilled.

Thanks for stopping by.

ounce wrote:Since posting the list of my runs since the end of January on the prior page, last week, Mark was curious about how my times may have slowed since the early part of the year. And even though the temperatures was probably more of the cause than anything else (to which Mark had an 'oh, yeah' moment ), it did cause me to ponder how my time or HR has changed (I guess 'fitness' would be the proper word) since that cluster of 8 mile runs in January and February.

So, this morning I figured would be a good morning for a time trial. I was to try to maintain a 140 bpm average and just see what happens. No checking of the time, just the HR.

By the way, all of the January and February runs were performed in 50-55 degree weather.

8.12 miles, 1:37:56, 12:03 pace, 139 avg bpm, 155 max bpm during mile 6, 75 degrees with a dewpoint of 74.

1. 11:36, 126 bpm
   
2. 11:21, 141 bpm
   
3. 11:36, 141 bpm
   
4. 12:21, 141 bpm
   
5. 12:32, 139 bpm
   
6. 12:06, 143 bpm
   
7. 12:23, 142 bpm
   
8. 12:20, 142 bpm
   
9. 13:20 pace for .12 miles, 140 bpm
   

This was a quite taxing run. Partially because I couldn't run on how I felt, rather what the HR was showing and throttling up or down, as needed. And partially because it was a tad warm. I'm sure more conditioned to run the first half at a slower heart rate, then bumping up the speed for the second half. So, running at 70%~ for the entire time was sure different.

But comparing this run with the earlier 8 mile runs, I can be only happy as shit with the results. Only 1 of the prior runs in January and February in temps in the 50's was faster than today's run. I'm about 15 pounds lighter than then, too. That is also a factor. Conjecture on my part, but the weight and temperature was probably equally contributory to the result. I'm thrilled.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wooot!!!

What should positively THRILL you is how relatively stable your splits became as the run continued. Yes, you drifted up a couple of bpm, but the lack of a huge progressive fall-off in times after a few miles shows that your endurance work is paying off nicely. With low HR training, this sort of endurance tends to come first, followed up an overall increase in speed. Bravo!

And to do it in virtual swamp-like conditions? While still doing a low-carb regimen? (Which, IMO, probably balances out whatever improvement you're enjoying from losing that 15 pounds.) Even better.

Thanks, Mark. That last .12 was really perplexing on the time. I crossed the last intersection and it's where I usually put on some speed, so when I noticed the HR was 151, it took half the distance to get the HR down to 140. Had to disappoint the routine. The time increase from mile 3 to 4 is odd, as well. I felt a little wobbly at the end of mile 4, maybe I extinguished any remaining carbs and was transitioning to full fat-burning mode. It took a little time to get back in the groove, but the times for miles 4 and 5 wouldn't indicate what I was feeling.

I was hoping for a 12:12 pace overall, so it really was great to get that 12:03. After the run and writing the initial report, I got a knot in my left calf that I'm working on at work. I'll be off from running all next week, so I'm not concerned about further injury to it.

13 mile run on Friday morning. 60% chance of rain (but that might be in the daytime). Good times!

Was able to do a yoga class at the CrossFit box, yesterday evening. It was the first yoga that I've done since last Fall and it felt great. Now, yoga at a CrossFit location is not air conditioned and there's usually a workout session going on with a lot of headbanging music. Only when the workout is done, do you get to hear just the whirring of the high-speed box fans. I don't know any different, so it's normal to me.

Doing some of the poses, I could feel my spine just releasing like falling dominos. Not the noise from twisting your spine and hearing the crack, just dominos. There were 4 of us, plus the instructor. I should be able to do it alot during the summer.

This morning, I did the treadmill hill workout again on the same settings of course 3, 12 minute pace for 40 minutes. Worked well with no problems, except I forgot to charge my Shuffle, so I had no tunes. but I made it through!

Planning on having a really low carb day today. Some cabbage (6 ozs), steamed spinach (2 bunches), along with some tuna 'n mayo, mayo on the cabbage and butter on the spinach. Had 3 poached eggs for breakfast with some cinammon on top.

13 miles on Friday morning, then no running until June 17.

Entered Houston lottery. Thanks for the reminder about hotels, too.

Liz R wrote:Entered Houston lottery. Thanks for the reminder about hotels, too.

Excellent, Liz! Holler if you need some help on location, if you were going to try a place other than the Four Seasons.

I'll post the mile splits tonight or tomorrow, but I wanted to get the text of the run in, while it's still fresh in my noggin.

13 mile long run today on week 3 of 20, ahead of the Crossroads Marathon in Odessa, Texas. This will be the shortest long run until the 13 mile taper run on September 21. Also, this was the first run or long run I've done in true low-carb state, known as ketosis.

There were a few negatives to the run, this morning. Firstly, I shouldn't have done the hills on the mill on Thursday as the right calf was a bit whiny. Secondly, my shoes were too used up for the run. I knew it was close, but now I know for sure. Those Vomero 6's were the ones used in my Houston PR. Now they get casual duty. Thirdly, I was a little tired during the run. I have to determine if being in ketosis requires me to get a little more sleep prior to a long run.

Looking at the objective evidence, my splits were just fine. Heart rate was hard pressed to get to 130 in the first few miles, but the time was better than expected for the heart rate expressed. Subjectively, being in ketosis had a different 'aura' or feel about it. If it was a fog, it didn't affect my times. Which was the odd thing. The only metaphor I can come up with is musical. To play a song or piece, you have sheet music to give you the notes, beat, etc. At some point, you play the song by feel. You feel the song and it adjusts or tweaks how the song is expressed and heard.

Being in ketosis was like reading sheet music. I never felt the run. I did the run. I never thought that I couldn't finish the run, but I never emoted, if that makes any sense. But I never had any cramps or light headedness from a lack of carbs, but 13 miles isn't the test. 18 miles without carbo loading will be a test. And that won't happen until July 20. So, it was an interesting run. And maybe I'll have more comments, when I post the splits tonight or tomorrow.

12.95 miles, 2:47:17, 12:55 pace, 133 avg HR, 154 bpm max during mile 13. 13:03 first half pace and 12:47 2nd half pace. 76 degrees and a dewpoint of 75 degrees. It had rained prior to me running at 2:30 and I wasn't quite sure if it was going to rain more.

1. 12:59, 127 bpm
   
2. 12:54, 127 bpm
   
3. 12:56, 129 bpm
   
4. 13:19, 130 bpm
   
5. 13:19, 131 bpm
   
6. 13:04, 128 bpm
   
7. 12:49, 130 bpm
   
8. 13:06, 128 bpm
   
9. 12:39, 135 bpm
   
10. 12:32, 136 bpm
    
11. 12:53, 136 bpm
    
12. 12:42, 143 bpm
    
13. 12:40 pace, 146 bpm
    

I'm really pleased that I was able to get 9 of the miles under 13 and all but the last 2 miles at or under 68% of max (136 bpm), plus the first 8 miles were at or under 65% (131 bpm). Just a pluggin' along.

Well, considering your brain runs on glucose, I'd say this run went pretty well for you. When you do your 18-miler, we'll be checking the papers in your area for reports of a runner shambling along like a zombie.

Kidding aside, when you do your longer run in ketosis, I'd consider packing along a gel or two, just in case of emergency. I've done a full bonk before, and it's miserable. The sugar won't really fuel the muscles, but it'll pull your brain back from the brink.

Training for my first marathon, I zombied at mile 8. So, I got Fig Newtons for the clarity. I'll probably carry a couple on the high-teen LRs, like you suggested.

I'm more concerned about cramping due to under-carbing. When I get cramps like that, it's not a pretty picture.

If I get past the first 20 mile LR on low carbs, I'll probably eat 1 carbo loading meal for the 2nd 20 mile LR to see what the effect is. I would usually eat 3 carbo loading meals for a 20 mile LR. Because if I chicken out and carbo-load for Odessa, I want to at least know what my body will say and the 2nd LR would give me an idea.

And it's not totally out of the realm of possibility to low-carb train, but carbo load for races.

ounce wrote:Training for my first marathon, I zombied at mile 8. So, I got Fig Newtons for the clarity. I'll probably carry a couple on the high-teen LRs, like you suggested.

I'm more concerned about cramping due to under-carbing. When I get cramps like that, it's not a pretty picture.

If I get past the first 20 mile LR on low carbs, I'll probably eat 1 carbo loading meal for the 2nd 20 mile LR to see what the effect is. I would usually eat 3 carbo loading meals for a 20 mile LR. Because if I chicken out and carbo-load for Odessa, I want to at least know what my body will say and the 2nd LR would give me an idea.

And it's not totally out of the realm of possibility to low-carb train, but carbo load for races.

No, it's quite possible to low-carb train and load for races. But I've never heard of cramps coming from a lack of carbs. Rather, it's from a lack of electrolytes. Or are you talking about gut cramps rather than muscle cramps?

charley horse in about the last foot of the intestines, if i didn't carbo load enough. Happened on my first 17 mile run for the 2005 Houston. Almost passed out. Happened once a year, since then, when I try to cut the intake a little too close.

Regarding low carbing, then loading for a race....that's what's so cool about this. I can work on losing fat by low carbing, then toss it out the window and carbo-load for a race. I can lose weight and train for a marathon.

But it is interesting testing the 'gold standard', as Hal called it, that one doesn't have to rely on carbs to do a long run (maybe even a marathon). The first time I saw a Paleo triathlete crow about not carbo loading for an ironman, i thought, "That's nuts."

If I can improve on LR times and lose weight, that's fine with me. And I'm getting a buttload of protein to rebuild the muscles.

ounce wrote:charley horse in about the last foot of the intestines, if i didn't carbo load enough. Happened on my first 17 mile run for the 2005 Houston. Almost passed out. Happened once a year, since then, when I try to cut the intake a little too close.

Regarding low carbing, then loading for a race....that's what's so cool about this. I can work on losing fat by low carbing, then toss it out the window and carbo-load for a race. I can lose weight and train for a marathon.

But it is interesting testing the 'gold standard', as Hal called it, that one doesn't have to rely on carbs to do a long run (maybe even a marathon). The first time I saw a Paleo triathlete crow about not carbo loading for an ironman, i thought, "That's nuts."

If I can improve on LR times and lose weight, that's fine with me. And I'm getting a buttload of protein to rebuild the muscles.

Wow! I have never heard of that sort of cramping. That sounds exceedingly nasty.

I wish you luck on this low carb/carb load experiment. It would be nice to be able to manage weight and train for long distance - it's not something I've ever been able to manage. Maybe if I was running 70-80 mile weeks, but that's not in the cards.

Protein is good, but I though the idea was to lose the butt, not load it.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:charley horse in about the last foot of the intestines, if i didn't carbo load enough. Happened on my first 17 mile run for the 2005 Houston. Almost passed out. Happened once a year, since then, when I try to cut the intake a little too close.

Regarding low carbing, then loading for a race....that's what's so cool about this. I can work on losing fat by low carbing, then toss it out the window and carbo-load for a race. I can lose weight and train for a marathon.

But it is interesting testing the 'gold standard', as Hal called it, that one doesn't have to rely on carbs to do a long run (maybe even a marathon). The first time I saw a Paleo triathlete crow about not carbo loading for an ironman, i thought, "That's nuts."

If I can improve on LR times and lose weight, that's fine with me. And I'm getting a buttload of protein to rebuild the muscles.

Wow! I have never heard of that sort of cramping. That sounds exceedingly nasty.

I wish you luck on this low carb/carb load experiment. It would be nice to be able to manage weight and train for long distance - it's not something I've ever been able to manage. Maybe if I was running 70-80 mile weeks, but that's not in the cards.

Protein is good, but I though the idea was to lose the butt, not load it.

Replacing the bad carbs (processed foods and sugar) with protein is said to fine because the protein builds muscle cells, your body can't eat your muscle because it has protein to eat, just to name a couple. And the carbs I can eat is a 'net carb' thing, where Carbs - Fiber = Net Carbs.

I'll tell you, Mark, last July when I got to 197, I was determined not to gain the usual 10 pounds for training for a marathon. So when I carbo loaded for a long run, I ate plain, white rice (sometimes with a pat of butter) or spaghetti with a little olive oil and maybe grated parmesan cheese. I cut out the sauces and that saved a bunch of calories. Prior to carbo loading for this past Houston marathon, I weighed 200.

It can be done.

Since I'm one to compare a past run or performance against a current one to gleen some sort (hopefully) positive improvement, I'm comparing a 14 mile run against Friday's 13 mlie run. While the improvement year over year is in seconds per mile rather than at least a minute something (drat!), it's still improvement. And to keep it short, here it is.

Sept 17, 2011: 13.9 miles, 3:04:58, 13:18 pace, 136 bpm, max 156 bpm, 1st half pace 13:25, 2nd half pace 13:11.

June 8, 2012: 12.95 miles, 2:47:17, 12:55 pace, 133 avg HR, 154 bpm max during mile 13. 13:03 first half pace and 12:47 2nd half pace.

ounce wrote:Since I'm one to compare a past run or performance against a current one to gleen some sort (hopefully) positive improvement, I'm comparing a 14 mile run against Friday's 13 mlie run. While the improvement year over year is in seconds per mile rather than at least a minute something (drat!), it's still improvement. And to keep it short, here it is.

Sept 17, 2011: 13.9 miles, 3:04:58, 13:18 pace, 136 bpm, max 156 bpm, 1st half pace 13:25, 2nd half pace 13:11.

June 8, 2012: 12.95 miles, 2:47:17, 12:55 pace, 133 avg HR, 154 bpm max during mile 13. 13:03 first half pace and 12:47 2nd half pace.

Can't help but notice that your avg HR in your latest effort is 3 bpm LOWER than the 2011 run. So there's a real apples-to-oranges aspect to the numbers, but in a good way. You weren't running as hard, but you were still a lot faster. Averaging 136 probably wouldn't have got you a full minute of speed over 9/17/11, but it would have gotten you closer.

It's all good, grasshopper.

I agree with Mark! I also love doing similar run comparisons. It is so sweet when both the pace & hr go lower - a double positive!

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:Since I'm one to compare a past run or performance against a current one to gleen some sort (hopefully) positive improvement, I'm comparing a 14 mile run against Friday's 13 mlie run. While the improvement year over year is in seconds per mile rather than at least a minute something (drat!), it's still improvement. And to keep it short, here it is.

Sept 17, 2011: 13.9 miles, 3:04:58, 13:18 pace, 136 bpm, max 156 bpm, 1st half pace 13:25, 2nd half pace 13:11.

June 8, 2012: 12.95 miles, 2:47:17, 12:55 pace, 133 avg HR, 154 bpm max during mile 13. 13:03 first half pace and 12:47 2nd half pace.

Can't help but notice that your avg HR in your latest effort is 3 bpm LOWER than the 2011 run. So there's a real apples-to-oranges aspect to the numbers, but in a good way. You weren't running as hard, but you were still a lot faster. Averaging 136 probably wouldn't have got you a full minute of speed over 9/17/11, but it would have gotten you closer.

It's all good, grasshopper.

Dave P wrote:I agree with Mark! I also love doing similar run comparisons. It is so sweet when both the pace & hr go lower - a double positive!

Thank you both. Some information can be extracted from nearly similar distances.

***

This morning was my first run since the June 8 13 mile run. Was going to do it yesterday, but events got in the way. I didn't have any time goals in mind for this run. I just wanted to see to what degree my fitness lessened and if my little niggles healed themselves while I wasn't running.

So, the schedule called for a 6 mile easy run and I run 6.77 (which just last week I ran the same route and it measured at 6.66). Gotta love technology.

6.77 miles, 1:29:15, 13:11 average pace, 136 avg HR with a 152 max during mile 3. 12:48 first half and a 13:34 second half. 75 degree temp with a 70 degree dewpoint and dead calm.

1. 12:28, 130 bpm
   
2. 12:46, 136 bpm
   
3. 12:58, 137 bpm
   
4. 13:14, 139 bpm
   
5. 13:32, 138 bpm
   
6. 13:36, 139 bpm
   
7. 13:48 pace, 137 bpm
   

So, this was 7 minutes slower than the June 3, Sunday evening run I did. 12:19 vs 13:11 pace. That'll be all of the comparative analysis I will do, otherwise, I'll rip it to shreds. I'll just leave it with, "Well, it's nothing you can't get back."

One niggle remains and it has to do with the front of the right leg where it meets up with the right foot. I believe it has to do with the hill training I'd been doing on the treadmill, where the angle of the right foot during the highest degree of inclination.

Did CrossFit after the run and I did well on stuff, except the Power Snatch where my weak upper body shone through. I enjoyed the session, though. Got my heart rate up to 87% during a 1,500 meter rowing session.

This was a non-running day, so it became a CrossFit day! Front squats & bent over rows was the strength part with the Conditioning piece being 12 times, then 10, 8, 6, 4, & 2 times of chest to bar (me it was knees to waist), box jumps and 100 meter run.

I enjoy doing front squats and bent over rows. I know if I wasn't running, that I'd be a lot stronger. But I wouldn't be writing this.

Tomorrow is a 6 mile (probably 6.66 miles) pace run. Tweaking the low-carb thing by not eating (or eating less than 20 grams) of carbs beginning tomorrow to see if I can get into ketosis by Friday morning's 14 mile run. I haven't been carbing out the wazoo, probably less than 75 grams a day. But I'm balancing calories and ketosis because I can stay in ketosis, but once I start eating more fat than I'm used to eating, I tend to really start scarfing. That signal in my brain becomes an air horn to suck up everything in sight.

One must retain balance.

I pulled up my running schedule spreadsheet and looked at my comments for the 2010 marathon. I was around 230 pounds, at the time. My comment after a 21 mile run that was 6 weeks (December) before the 2010 Houston read, "13:57 pace. A little hard to believe it was that fast, but who am I to question Garmin?" I ended up running that race at a 14:09 pace. Sitting here 2 1/2 years later, I can believe I was pleased with a 13:57 pace. And it was already cool, to boot! Ah, good times.

6.66 mile pace run. This was more a test of how fast I could run this distance, than an actual run at pace. I'm not sure what marathon pace is yet, but I know that a morning when it was 75 degrees with a dewpoint of 72 won't be the standard.

I was slowing during the 2nd half. I had set my 305's virtual trainer to a pace of 12:16/mile. I thought I could do 12, but I stuck a buffer in to the time.

6.66 miles, 1:19:14, 11:53 pace, 147 avg HR, 160 max HR during mile 3, 11:38 first half pace and 12:08 2nd half pace.

1. 11:41, 141 bpm
   
2. 11:24, 144 bpm
   
3. 11:35, 146 bpm
   
4. 11:54, 148 bpm
   
5. 12:15, 150 bpm
   
6. 12:11, 150 bpm
   
7. 12:23 pace, 148 bpm
   

At this point, I can't run sub-12 marathons. Working on it, though.

Yesterday's schedule called for a 14 mile long run. Last week, I did a 13 mile run in ketosis, which felt like I was doing the run, just not feeling the run. Yesterday, I did the run in ketosis, as well, but it wasn't a good run at all. 14 miles in a state of bonk is a very long, VERY long, V-E-R-Y L-O-N-G run. So, I'm going to end the experiment of long runs in ketosis because I'm not maintaining the speed I want. It's fine for runs of less than 12 miles, it's just not for me for longer runs where training for a race is the objective.

14 miles, 3:26:24, 14:44 pace, 127 avg bpm, 147 max HR in mile 3, 74 degrees with a dewpoint of 71, 1st half pace 14:27, 2nd half pace 15:01.

1. 14:01, 130 bpm
   
2. 13:55, 127 bpm
   
3. 13:43, 129 bpm
   
4. 14:21, 130 bpm
   
5. 14:46, 124 bpm
   
6. 15:01, 123 bpm
   
7. 15:20, 122 bpm
   
8. 14:19, 124 bpm
   
9. 15:13, 126 bpm
   
10. 14:54, 127 bpm
    
11. 14:53, 128 bpm
    
12. 15:09, 130 bpm
    
13. 15:15, 131 bpm
    
14. 15:24, 130 bpm
    

I saw a lot of 116-120 bpm on the 305, while running. So, I guess I got a lot of aerobic conditioning. So, I get to do some carbo-loading now. 16 mile long run, next Friday. 15 weeks to Odessa.

Fourteen miles in ketosis? Oof. No wonder you felt like crap.

I think working some carbs back in is a very. good. idea.

And I think your last few runs (not counting the mega-bonk) have gone pretty well. It was good that you got a sense of where you are right now in terms of possible MP, but you do still have 15 weeks to race day... you might just get there, especially if you give your body fuel for the race.

The 13 mile long run was in ketosis, as well. And while the literature I have read about low-carb running would recommend staying with it for another 3 weeks, I don't want to do that. I don't think there are enough options or things to tweak in low-carb running that would make a significant or progressive improvement to get back to my pace and better it.

Looking forward to the next 15 weeks and losing 10 pounds in 10 weeks.