Abe and I took a trip to El Paso, TX to check out Fort Bliss and the surrounding area paying special attention to the housing market. (Pictures and more details to come). While there I noticed how unusually flat it was compared to Colorado which I was already sort of prepared for. That got me thinking about what running will be like in El Paso versus what I am used to running on out here in Colorado. So I pulled out my Garmin Forerunner and plugged it into the computer to check out the elevation changes from some of my recent runs (a function I never took advantage of until now and one I won't need where I'm moving to apparently).
Now I knew my runs were hilly and strenuous, but I didn't know how much until now. Basically I run up and down hill the whole way which puts a lot of uneccessary stress on my legs. Running on hills is great to strengthen your legs but it can be overdone and I think I do just that. But really what choice do I have? The TM? Drive forever to a nice flat county road? So what did I find on my Garmin? Well on my first 20 miler I had a total ascent of 2092 feet and a total descent of 2089 feet. On my 21 miler I had a total ascent of 1840 feet with a descent of 1767. The easiest run so far was a 17 miler with a total ascent of 1054 feet and a descent of 1399 feet. That extra descent was thanks to my husband who dropped me off at the north end of town which has a higher elevation than where I ended up at the park.
So what is the plus side to all of this? Basically the Ogden Marathon has very little, if any, incline with an elevation drop of over 1,000 feet. So I should be all set right? Maybe not....I've read that running on flat land uses different muscle groups so I am worried my muscles won't be trained to run on that terrain. I have incorporated some downhill running on a treadmill with a slight declilne though during my week runs. I hope that will help. I've been running about 4 times a week though and most is outside so on up and down hills.
3 comments:
Wow I can't believe your marathon is so soon. I know what you mean about having not having a choice to run hills. I can't imagine the muscles you use for hills versus flat would be that drastic. So I am sure things will be fine.
Thanks for your comment, Jessica. Nice to know I'm not the only one with "pretty" toes. As far as your training, I'm sure you will do great. You are prepared and I bet you will adjust quickly to the terrain here. I'm excited for you ladies. When do you guys move to Texas? If it's not for a couple months you should think about the Hobble Creek 1/2. It looks like most of the running girls will be doing it (and I'm about 99% sure I will do it too.) I'm getting my leg checked out this week and will decide on the race after that. Anyway, I'm excited for you and know you will do well.
Charlene: I did read an article "somewhere" saying that for long distances you can hurt if you're not used to running on a certain terrain. And the terrain for Ogden is completely different. I'm sure my time will be faster because it is an easier course but I'm also sure my legs will wonder why it's not getting a break from working the same muscles after a time. uphill=calf work and downhill=quad work basically. At least that's what I read. That's why I'm a little worried and yet prepared for it. How did your 5K go?
Jamie: I move to Texas in June. I'd love to do the Hobblecreek if time permits.
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