Last Friday the dreaded lactate threshold run was successfully completed, with six of the ten miles at around 7:05 min / mile pace. I sneakily arranged the route so that the last 1.5 fast miles were downhill!
Then on Sunday before breakfast I did my first 20 miler of the training plan. This went... fine! I plodded around the suburbs of Stockport at 8:30 min / mile pace and did the run in 2 hours 50 mins. Even a stop to water the flowers and lugging around an unneeded extra bottle of Lucozade didn't stop me! I had a distinct lack of energy the rest of the day but that is the price of marathon training I guess.
After cross training on Monday I did a 14 miler yesterday - again averaging 8.30 min / mile pace for most of the run but I then picked things up for the last 4 miles to bring the average down to 8.15.
Today and tomorrow are recovery runs before a really tough run on Friday - 16 miles with 12 at marathon pace. Yikes!
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Thursday 25 July 2013
First 18 miler
Last Saturday I decided to have some fun with my 7 mile recovery run. I jogged the two miles to the Bramhall parkrun, arriving just before the start. I then started right at the back, spending the next 24 minutes overtaking people and doing some strides. After a short rest I then jogged the 2 miles back.
On Sunday morning I did the first 18 miler of my training plan. This went really well; I managed a steady 8:30 min/mile pace throughout despite running before breakfast. I no longer fear the long runs - it is those pace runs you have to dread!
After a very humid 5 miles recovery on Tuesday I tried running with the Bramhall Runners yesterday evening. They mainly did 300m intervals around Bramhall park - not really marathon training but fun nonetheless. I then did the parkrun route to make up the distance.
Less than 10 hours after I stopped running last night I was out this morning to do 12 miles slow. This again went rather well - I managed a steady 8:15 min/mile pace and the legs felt fine.
Maybe that three peaks challenge did my legs some good!
Tomorrow is the dreaded lactate threshold run - 10 miles with 6 at @ LT pace. Ouch!
Sunday is the first 20 miler but I am OK with long runs now.
So long.
On Sunday morning I did the first 18 miler of my training plan. This went really well; I managed a steady 8:30 min/mile pace throughout despite running before breakfast. I no longer fear the long runs - it is those pace runs you have to dread!
After a very humid 5 miles recovery on Tuesday I tried running with the Bramhall Runners yesterday evening. They mainly did 300m intervals around Bramhall park - not really marathon training but fun nonetheless. I then did the parkrun route to make up the distance.
Less than 10 hours after I stopped running last night I was out this morning to do 12 miles slow. This again went rather well - I managed a steady 8:15 min/mile pace and the legs felt fine.
Maybe that three peaks challenge did my legs some good!
Tomorrow is the dreaded lactate threshold run - 10 miles with 6 at @ LT pace. Ouch!
Sunday is the first 20 miler but I am OK with long runs now.
So long.
Friday 19 July 2013
11 miles slow
After completing the UK three peaks challenge last weekend I became very well acquainted with DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. This made going down stairs a bit of a challenge for three days, let alone attempting tempo runs!
I decided to re-arrange my schedule so that in the three days after the hiking I had two days off and one recovery run.
As a result I am now in the middle of four running days in a row but my legs seem to be coping.
Yesterday was the dreaded lactate threshold run - 10 miles with 5 of them at half marathon pace (7 minutes / mile for me.) In the end the extended rest paid off and I managed it reasonably comfortably, completing all 5 fast miles in under seven minutes each.
Today was 11 miles slow. Now that I have discovered the joy of running slowly these runs are quite enjoyable and I normally end up doing a sizable negative split as I stretch my legs at the end. Today was the same with the first half at 8.30 pace and the second half at 8.00 pace.
Even at 6 am the temperature was still around 18 degrees C - too hot for distance running and I ended up drenched. I normally cycle to work in the same clothes but today that was unthinkable!
Tomorrow I am hoping to combing my recovery run with the Bramhall Parkrun and then it is 18 miles of plodding on Sunday.
I decided to re-arrange my schedule so that in the three days after the hiking I had two days off and one recovery run.
As a result I am now in the middle of four running days in a row but my legs seem to be coping.
Yesterday was the dreaded lactate threshold run - 10 miles with 5 of them at half marathon pace (7 minutes / mile for me.) In the end the extended rest paid off and I managed it reasonably comfortably, completing all 5 fast miles in under seven minutes each.
Today was 11 miles slow. Now that I have discovered the joy of running slowly these runs are quite enjoyable and I normally end up doing a sizable negative split as I stretch my legs at the end. Today was the same with the first half at 8.30 pace and the second half at 8.00 pace.
Even at 6 am the temperature was still around 18 degrees C - too hot for distance running and I ended up drenched. I normally cycle to work in the same clothes but today that was unthinkable!
Tomorrow I am hoping to combing my recovery run with the Bramhall Parkrun and then it is 18 miles of plodding on Sunday.
Monday 15 July 2013
Three peaks challenge
The great thing about the P&D up to 55 mile training plan is that it has two free days a week, leaving some flexibility to do other things with your life!
I made the most of this by doing the UK three peaks challenge last weekend, where you climb the highest mountains of Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours.
In order to have a weekend off from running I had to do all five runs in the week. This meant that on Thursday morning (the day after the Offerton 10K) I had to plod through 4 miles recovery. Then on Friday morning I had a 12 mile slow run to do before work. This went rather well, finishing with the last 4 miles at under 8 minute / mile pace and the last mile at 7 minute / mile pace.
On Saturday at 5pm we climbed Ben Nevis in 4.5 hours. Then after a 6 hour drive down to Wasdale Head we climbed Scafell Pick in under 4 hours. Then after a 5 hour drive to Snowdon we climbed it in just under 4 hours as well. Challenge completed in 23 and a half hours! The weather was completely awesome with all three peaks being dry and clear.
Today is thankfully a rest day.
Tomorrow I have got to coax my shattered legs into a lactate threshold run. Help!
I made the most of this by doing the UK three peaks challenge last weekend, where you climb the highest mountains of Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours.
In order to have a weekend off from running I had to do all five runs in the week. This meant that on Thursday morning (the day after the Offerton 10K) I had to plod through 4 miles recovery. Then on Friday morning I had a 12 mile slow run to do before work. This went rather well, finishing with the last 4 miles at under 8 minute / mile pace and the last mile at 7 minute / mile pace.
On Saturday at 5pm we climbed Ben Nevis in 4.5 hours. Then after a 6 hour drive down to Wasdale Head we climbed Scafell Pick in under 4 hours. Then after a 5 hour drive to Snowdon we climbed it in just under 4 hours as well. Challenge completed in 23 and a half hours! The weather was completely awesome with all three peaks being dry and clear.
Today is thankfully a rest day.
Tomorrow I have got to coax my shattered legs into a lactate threshold run. Help!
Wednesday 10 July 2013
Offerton 10K
Thankfully the temperature dropped to a pleasant 20 degrees for tonight's 10K.
The race starts with two laps of a running track and then has three laps around the park. This would all be lovely except the park lap includes a killer 150 foot hill. Doing this three times is enough to put anyone off running!
The first mile passed smoothly in 6:45 minutes but then it was down the hill and back again. The hill is so steep that it is hard to run fast down it. I just tried to maintain my pace and let gravity pull me down. On the way up my pace dropped all the way down to 9:30 minutes / mile but this was still faster than most of the runners around me and I did a lot of overtaking on that first hill.
On the second lap I was running behind a lady called Rachel who everyone was cheering on. She dragged me along at just under 7 minute / mile pace until the second hill at which point I overtook her and didn't see her again.
On the third lap an older man was in front of me, again at just under 7 minute / mile pace. I kept up with him throughout the lap and then overtook him just as we went back to the track for one last lap.
I managed to overtake one more runner on the track and finished with a time of about 43:40.
This was actually about 30 seconds slower than the first 10K of my recent half marathon but that hill adds on at least 30 seconds to your time each time you encounter it!
Overall I enjoyed the race much more than my recent half marathon as I ran within myself and managed a burst of speed at the end.
Ultimately it felt like a hard tempo run with some crazy hills!
Assuming I am still running in a year's time I would definitely do it again. It is too convenient and cheap not to!
Now time to sleep before 6 miles recovery tomorrow!
The race starts with two laps of a running track and then has three laps around the park. This would all be lovely except the park lap includes a killer 150 foot hill. Doing this three times is enough to put anyone off running!
The first mile passed smoothly in 6:45 minutes but then it was down the hill and back again. The hill is so steep that it is hard to run fast down it. I just tried to maintain my pace and let gravity pull me down. On the way up my pace dropped all the way down to 9:30 minutes / mile but this was still faster than most of the runners around me and I did a lot of overtaking on that first hill.
On the second lap I was running behind a lady called Rachel who everyone was cheering on. She dragged me along at just under 7 minute / mile pace until the second hill at which point I overtook her and didn't see her again.
On the third lap an older man was in front of me, again at just under 7 minute / mile pace. I kept up with him throughout the lap and then overtook him just as we went back to the track for one last lap.
I managed to overtake one more runner on the track and finished with a time of about 43:40.
This was actually about 30 seconds slower than the first 10K of my recent half marathon but that hill adds on at least 30 seconds to your time each time you encounter it!
Overall I enjoyed the race much more than my recent half marathon as I ran within myself and managed a burst of speed at the end.
Ultimately it felt like a hard tempo run with some crazy hills!
Assuming I am still running in a year's time I would definitely do it again. It is too convenient and cheap not to!
Now time to sleep before 6 miles recovery tomorrow!
Tuesday 9 July 2013
16 miles with 10 at marathon pace (Aargh!)
After an easy 5 miles on Saturday I hoped I would have enough energy to complete the proscribed 16 mile run on Sunday.
I wasn't worried about the distance, it was doing the last 10 miles at marathon pace that concerned me!
Even though I started the run at 7 pm the temperature was still near the mid 20s so I was weighed down with two water bottles for some of the run.
I did the first 6 miles really slowly (about 8.45 min / mile) and then sped up for the last 10. I managed 3 of the last 10 at marathon pace (7.30 min / mile) and the rest were up to 30 seconds too slow.
Despite not doing the proscribed pace I am not too worried as this is the first time I have run 16 miles since my running comeback and I wasn't completely spent at the end.
I am now trying to conserve energy ready for the 10K race tomorrow. After a slow 5 miles yesterday and an equally slow 8 miles this morning I feel pretty stiff still but hopefully by tomorrow night I will be ready to attack that Offerton hill!
I wasn't worried about the distance, it was doing the last 10 miles at marathon pace that concerned me!
Even though I started the run at 7 pm the temperature was still near the mid 20s so I was weighed down with two water bottles for some of the run.
I did the first 6 miles really slowly (about 8.45 min / mile) and then sped up for the last 10. I managed 3 of the last 10 at marathon pace (7.30 min / mile) and the rest were up to 30 seconds too slow.
Despite not doing the proscribed pace I am not too worried as this is the first time I have run 16 miles since my running comeback and I wasn't completely spent at the end.
I am now trying to conserve energy ready for the 10K race tomorrow. After a slow 5 miles yesterday and an equally slow 8 miles this morning I feel pretty stiff still but hopefully by tomorrow night I will be ready to attack that Offerton hill!
Friday 5 July 2013
10 miles slow
On Tuesday I was supposed to do a tempo run but slept in and did a recovery run at lunchtime instead. It felt awful! I guess I still wasn't over the long run on Sunday night.
On Wednesday morning I did the tempo run - 9 miles with the middle 5 at lactate threshold (LT) pace. This corresponds to about 7 minutes / mile for me. It felt tough but I managed it OK. However I was a bit sneaky as the last mile and a half of the middle 5 were downhill. Tut tut!
Thursday was the normal gym session and then this morning was 10 miles slow.
This was one of those lovely runs where your body wakes up halfway through and you end it feeling really strong. My average pace of 7.50 min / mile was a bit fast but I just can't seem to go any slower when I am fresh.
I ran to nearby Woodbank park where next week's Offerton 10K is set. The race comprises three laps and part of the lap is a killer hill. You descend about 150 feet in about a quarter of a mile, turn around and come back up. It was steep but mercifully fairly short.
The weather forecast for next week is very hot so it is going to be a good workout!
Monday 1 July 2013
15 miles slow
My final run in Madrid was 10 miles at 8 min/mile pace. I got to know the loops in that park so well that I could almost run them blindfolded!
Saturday was a 4 mile recovery run where I got a bit carried away on the last mile and did it in 6:20. This is not a good idea when you are running on bumpy pavements as my sore knee testified.
Sunday night was a slow 15 miler. It started off easily enough with splits around 7:45 but I slowed in the second half to just over 8 min / mile pace. In the end my average pace was 7:55 which was once again too fast. Naughty me!
My route involved a number of switchback ramps to get up to a bridge and I noticed that my Garmin doesn't really have enough accuracy to take the short switchbacks into account. Instead it told me I had done a 8:40 mile! The switchbacks are annoying in any case so I think some route modification is needed.
Today I feel pretty stiff. I guess my body is getting used to running over 40 miles a week!
Saturday was a 4 mile recovery run where I got a bit carried away on the last mile and did it in 6:20. This is not a good idea when you are running on bumpy pavements as my sore knee testified.
Sunday night was a slow 15 miler. It started off easily enough with splits around 7:45 but I slowed in the second half to just over 8 min / mile pace. In the end my average pace was 7:55 which was once again too fast. Naughty me!
My route involved a number of switchback ramps to get up to a bridge and I noticed that my Garmin doesn't really have enough accuracy to take the short switchbacks into account. Instead it told me I had done a 8:40 mile! The switchbacks are annoying in any case so I think some route modification is needed.
Today I feel pretty stiff. I guess my body is getting used to running over 40 miles a week!
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