Yasso 800s, Pokemon Go, and The Silencer

Posted on by therarerunner

Time is flying this summer – there’s so much to catch you up on from the last 3 weeks including my introduction to a few new things: Yasso’s 800’s, Pokémon GO, and The Silencer!

 
First, I’m happy to report that my marathon training is going really well.  The decision to join the Fleet Feet Marathon training program has been a game-changer for me – both physically and mentally.
Each week I’ve learned something new, made new friends, and have been held accountable for getting the training done.  Aside from a few expected aches and pains, I’ve (knock on wood) remained injury free & have made small improvements each week.  Slowly, but surely, I’m getting stronger & faster.

On our Wednesday night workouts, we’ve covered hill repeats, Yasso 800’s, and most recently a 6 miler at marathon pace.  I’ve really enjoyed the variety of workouts. 

YASSO 800’s

 

You may be wondering, “What the heck are Yasso 800’s?”  I also had that question going into the training.  The term comes from Bart Yasso, a running champion & the chief running officer at Runner’s World magazine.  Yasso 800’s are a specific speed workout that in theory can predict your marathon finish time.  This involves running 10 800m (1/2 mile) repeats, and the idea is whatever time you run your 800’s in, is the predicted time it should take you to complete your marathon.  For example, if your goal is to run a 4:30 marathon, your Yasso 800 pace would be 4 minutes 30 seconds per 800m repeat.  If you can hold onto that pace for 10 repeats, you should be able to run a 4:30 marathon (assuming you follow the rest of your training plan).

 

We started off with 4 repeats the first week, and worked up to 5 in the second week.  I’ve never considered myself a fast runner, and I was thinking that I’d hate this workout, but I was wrong.  I actually enjoyed the speed work, and was surprised at the pace I was able to maintain throughout the repeats.  Our plan is to work up to 10 repeats over the course of the program, and I’m hopeful I’ll be able to maintain my pace going forward.

Pokémon GO

 

 

During our long runs, we talk about all sorts of topics ranging from hydration/nutrition to our work/family lives to politics and world events.  A few weeks ago, the conversation centered around the Pokemon GO sensation.  It started when a few of our fellow runner’s were chasing a Pokémon.  Most of us laughed, and shrugged off their silly behavior over a new game app. 

I had no idea what was ahead, but following that brief introduction to Pokémon GO at that group run, it was all I heard about on the radio, TV, and social media.  There hasn’t been a place I’ve been to this summer that I’ve not observed someone with their face down in their phone, walking like a zombie & playing Pokémon. 

Eventually, I caved and downloaded the app – strictly for research purposes of course.  I wanted to know how the game worked, would playing it get me moving more, what was the hype all about? 

Well, after reaching level 20, and adding 66 different types of Pokémon to my Pokédex, I think I can safely say, I’ve experienced enough, and I’m ready for retirement.  I learned that catching Pokémon while running is pretty difficult, and can be dangerous if you’re not aware of your surroundings.  I’ve actually been much more successful catching Pokémon while sitting on my couch.  There is a Pokéstop right outside my house.  All I need to do is drop a lure, and the Pokémon come to me.  Don’t get me wrong, the game has been a nice distraction to all the recent news – the multiple terror attacks, police shootings, the election.  But I think the rest of the summer, I’ll just pick up a book and read for my escape 🙂

The Silencer

We’ve been slowly increasing the mileage on our Saturday long runs- we’re now up to 12 miles.  The past two Saturday’s we’ve run along the Rock Creek Trail.  The trail has provided much needed shade and water stops, but the runs have nevertheless been hot, humid, and hilly.  There is a section of the trail that runners have appropriately nicknamed “The Silencer”.   Although most of our long runs are full of jovial conversation, both weeks there has been no talking on that hill.  The only noises are the sound of feet shuffling, deep breaths, and hydration packs swishing back and forth.

Hill running is probably my least favorite part of training, but I’m glad that it has been plentiful this go around.  I’m going to need to get in as much practice as I can on hills before covering the distance in New York. 

I purchased some new gear to try out this week, a pair of Feeture’s sock & a CamelBak Marathoner Hydration Vest.  The socks are great, and I think have helped with my foot pain.  The hydration pack is going to take some getting used to, but I think it’s going to be necessary as we get into even longer runs where there are minimal water stops.  The pack I chose carries up to 2 liters of water, has pockets that you can carry additional hydration bottles, your phone, keys, nutrition, or other necessities.

On Tap This Week:

 

This week I hope to focus not just on the training, but also on the fundraising for the NYC Marathon.  I have a goal of raising a minimum of $3000 for the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD).  This is a very personal cause as I’ve lived my entire life battling a rare metabolic disorder, but it’s not just about me.  Rare disease impacts the lives of over 30 million Americans and an estimated 350 million people worldwide.  If you’d like to help me kickstart my fundraising campaign, here’s a link to my page for the NYC Marathon: 

https://www.crowdrise.com/runningforraretscnewyorkcitymarathon/fundraiser/kristinclubbs