The plan said 10 miles for today so I did seven in the morning, including a parkrun, and 3 miles recovery this evening.
The running was all supposed to be at recovery pace but I set off a bit late for the parkrun, meaning I had to do a fairly steady warm up to get there on time. Once the parkrun started my legs felt decent so I worked my way through the pack, overtaking a few club mates and acquaintances along the way to a 24:30 5K.
This evening I was very happy to plod along at 9 minute miles.
So, one more day until the taper. I may celebrate with some chocolate after that last 22 mile run!
Saturday 31 March 2018
Salford 10K 37.43
I had no idea what to expect today. My parkrun on Saturday had been sluggish and I had done a 19 mile day three days ago. On the other hand my legs had felt pretty good yesterday and the conditions today were perfect for racing.
The course is fast if not particularly scenic. Two 5K laps around a nondescript area of Salford. The route is flat though and all on roads / pavements which would make a nice change from cross country races and muddy parkruns.
As normal I started rather too far back in the field and spent much of the first mile working through the pack. I soon locked in to a hard but sustainable effort and was pleased to see an average pace of 6:00. It never ceases to amaze me how much easier this pace feels in a race compared to training.
For the rest of the first lap I gradually worked through the field and maintained the pace, going through 5K in 18:45. With a PB of 38:03 I knew if I could avoid a disaster in the second half I was on for a PB.
The fourth mile was slightly uphill and this came out as a slightly slower mile at 6:04. However I was still feeling strong and managed to clock off another 6:00 mile in the easier fifth mile. Just one mile and a bit to go and the PB would be mine.
I can normally manage a strong last mile and a sprint finish but I didn't seem to have that in the tank today. Over the last kilometre or so a few runners came past me but I managed to hold things together for a 6:05 final mile and then 6:09 pace over the slightly uphill last 400 metres. 37:43 is a 20s PB.
In one sense 20 seconds is not much for the amount of training I have done in the last year but I will take it. I would like to think that if I targeted a 10K seriously I could get quite a few more seconds off that time. I definitely felt strong today but didn't have much bounce or zip in the legs. Hopefully that will be there in just over three weeks time.
The course is fast if not particularly scenic. Two 5K laps around a nondescript area of Salford. The route is flat though and all on roads / pavements which would make a nice change from cross country races and muddy parkruns.
As normal I started rather too far back in the field and spent much of the first mile working through the pack. I soon locked in to a hard but sustainable effort and was pleased to see an average pace of 6:00. It never ceases to amaze me how much easier this pace feels in a race compared to training.
For the rest of the first lap I gradually worked through the field and maintained the pace, going through 5K in 18:45. With a PB of 38:03 I knew if I could avoid a disaster in the second half I was on for a PB.
The fourth mile was slightly uphill and this came out as a slightly slower mile at 6:04. However I was still feeling strong and managed to clock off another 6:00 mile in the easier fifth mile. Just one mile and a bit to go and the PB would be mine.
I can normally manage a strong last mile and a sprint finish but I didn't seem to have that in the tank today. Over the last kilometre or so a few runners came past me but I managed to hold things together for a 6:05 final mile and then 6:09 pace over the slightly uphill last 400 metres. 37:43 is a 20s PB.
In one sense 20 seconds is not much for the amount of training I have done in the last year but I will take it. I would like to think that if I targeted a 10K seriously I could get quite a few more seconds off that time. I definitely felt strong today but didn't have much bounce or zip in the legs. Hopefully that will be there in just over three weeks time.
Thursday 29 March 2018
6 miles easy
In the final big week of the plan this is the easiest day. 6 miles recovery. I thought I had better do it the day before the race.
The pace ended up being 8 min miles which always makes me pleased. I think the wind may have been behind me but still, a great way to start the day.
The forecast looks decent tomorrow and the course is flat. Let's see what my legs have to offer.
The pace ended up being 8 min miles which always makes me pleased. I think the wind may have been behind me but still, a great way to start the day.
The forecast looks decent tomorrow and the course is flat. Let's see what my legs have to offer.
Wednesday 28 March 2018
8 miles with strides
There was a young man called Phil
Who thought running was brill
Nothing got in the way
Of a run every day
Although the pace was often run-of-the-mill
Another run on weary legs. Once again the phrase "As good as could be expected" comes to mind.
On a good day I look to get the strides below 5 minute mile pace. On a day like today I am happy just to get below 6 minute mile pace for a few seconds.
The day started with a short swim, then cycle to work, quick gym session at lunch and run home. A great triathlon day!
Now for a genuinely easy day tomorrow before a 10K race on Friday.
Who thought running was brill
Nothing got in the way
Of a run every day
Although the pace was often run-of-the-mill
Another run on weary legs. Once again the phrase "As good as could be expected" comes to mind.
On a good day I look to get the strides below 5 minute mile pace. On a day like today I am happy just to get below 6 minute mile pace for a few seconds.
The day started with a short swim, then cycle to work, quick gym session at lunch and run home. A great triathlon day!
Now for a genuinely easy day tomorrow before a 10K race on Friday.
Tuesday 27 March 2018
A double but not as we know it
Normally double days are 6 miles recovery followed by 4 miles recovery.
Today was a bit more sadistic: 15 miles medium long run followed by 4 miles recovery. Yikes!
The MLR went well. I had the morning off work to get it done. I have so much more mental energy when I run in the mornings; enough to push myself a bit and hit my pace targets. This meant 8 minute miles in the first half and 7:20 miles in the second half. This gives an overall average pace of 7:40 which I managed to hit.
After an afternoon's work I cycled home, had tea and then got out for the recovery run. This went as well as could be expected, averaging 9:00 pace although the first mile was more of a shuffle than a run.
And that is the last midweek 15 miler done! It may be a while before I do another.
Today was a bit more sadistic: 15 miles medium long run followed by 4 miles recovery. Yikes!
The MLR went well. I had the morning off work to get it done. I have so much more mental energy when I run in the mornings; enough to push myself a bit and hit my pace targets. This meant 8 minute miles in the first half and 7:20 miles in the second half. This gives an overall average pace of 7:40 which I managed to hit.
After an afternoon's work I cycled home, had tea and then got out for the recovery run. This went as well as could be expected, averaging 9:00 pace although the first mile was more of a shuffle than a run.
And that is the last midweek 15 miler done! It may be a while before I do another.
Monday 26 March 2018
8 miles in the light
I have probably moaned about Monday evening runs enough on this blog. So for a change I will say: today's run was OK!
The legs were happy to chug along at 8:30 minute miles (although they would have happily gone slower as well!) Thanks to the clocks going forwards it was still light and the weather was pleasant. If my legs had been fresh it would have been a lovely run. But I will settle for a decent one on a Monday.
Tomorrow will be the last 15 mile midweek run. It will be a farewell to my long route home from work. I don't think I will miss these longs run home from work but I will miss the snooze afterwards!
The legs were happy to chug along at 8:30 minute miles (although they would have happily gone slower as well!) Thanks to the clocks going forwards it was still light and the weather was pleasant. If my legs had been fresh it would have been a lovely run. But I will settle for a decent one on a Monday.
Tomorrow will be the last 15 mile midweek run. It will be a farewell to my long route home from work. I don't think I will miss these longs run home from work but I will miss the snooze afterwards!
Sunday 25 March 2018
20 weary miles
I have been marathon training for 16 weeks now!
Normally at this stage in the plan it would be 14 weeks but I added two extra recovery weeks.
16 weeks is a long time, especially with the winter we have had. Physically I am surviving. Mentally I am so ready for the taper!
I know many people regularly do more miles, whether marathon training or not, but I guess it is a case of what you are used to.
I personally find fitting 20 mile runs into family life at the weekends hard. I do plan to do more marathons but don't plan to do another plan involving so many long runs. 18 miles is plenty for me.
Today I did the 20 miler that I didn't do last weekend because of my cold and the snow. This was supposed to include 14 miles at marathon pace but I don't have the energy for those at the moment.
The legs actually felt OK and the 8 minute miles came easily enough in the first half. In the second half I pushed the pace a bit as normal but didn't get much below 7:40 pace. Still it is 20 miles banked at an acceptable pace.
Hopefully the taper will restore my mental and physical energy. Otherwise I will have to put this build up down to experience!
Normally at this stage in the plan it would be 14 weeks but I added two extra recovery weeks.
16 weeks is a long time, especially with the winter we have had. Physically I am surviving. Mentally I am so ready for the taper!
I know many people regularly do more miles, whether marathon training or not, but I guess it is a case of what you are used to.
I personally find fitting 20 mile runs into family life at the weekends hard. I do plan to do more marathons but don't plan to do another plan involving so many long runs. 18 miles is plenty for me.
Today I did the 20 miler that I didn't do last weekend because of my cold and the snow. This was supposed to include 14 miles at marathon pace but I don't have the energy for those at the moment.
The legs actually felt OK and the 8 minute miles came easily enough in the first half. In the second half I pushed the pace a bit as normal but didn't get much below 7:40 pace. Still it is 20 miles banked at an acceptable pace.
Hopefully the taper will restore my mental and physical energy. Otherwise I will have to put this build up down to experience!
Saturday 24 March 2018
Sluggish parkrun (19:35)
You would think that all this training would make me faster! Not today it didn't. I have often had slow parkruns during marathon training in the past and today was another case in point.
I guess having done 14 miles on Thursday and 10 yesterday my legs were hardly rested. During the warm up my pace seemed a bit off for the heart rate but this is often the case before a race.
However when the race started my legs were a bit lifeless. I felt strong but didn't have much speed. After the first lap I had climbed up to 8th place but there was about 40 metres between me and 7th. This was too much for me to close and I spent the whole lap isolated.
I guess 3 miles at LT pace on a hilly and twisty course is not disastrous. I'll have a couple more shots at parkruns on fresher legs before the marathon.
3.7 miles before and 3.3 miles after made 10 for the day.
I guess having done 14 miles on Thursday and 10 yesterday my legs were hardly rested. During the warm up my pace seemed a bit off for the heart rate but this is often the case before a race.
However when the race started my legs were a bit lifeless. I felt strong but didn't have much speed. After the first lap I had climbed up to 8th place but there was about 40 metres between me and 7th. This was too much for me to close and I spent the whole lap isolated.
I guess 3 miles at LT pace on a hilly and twisty course is not disastrous. I'll have a couple more shots at parkruns on fresher legs before the marathon.
3.7 miles before and 3.3 miles after made 10 for the day.
Coming back to life
Fridays are double day. 6 miles into work. 4 miles at lunch time and then cycle home after work.
The second run is normally a complete plod but my legs felt surprisingly good today and the recovery pace was faster than normal (about 8:20 compared to 8:40 on other weeks.)
The mental energy is starting to come back. Hopefully I can have some fun at parkrun tomorrow.
The second run is normally a complete plod but my legs felt surprisingly good today and the recovery pace was faster than normal (about 8:20 compared to 8:40 on other weeks.)
The mental energy is starting to come back. Hopefully I can have some fun at parkrun tomorrow.
Thursday 22 March 2018
14 miles in spring
Another grumpy morning for me today with the cold lingering on. The sore foot is no worse at least.
I had the afternoon off to do the 14 mile run and the weather was pleasant for once so I decided to just ease myself into it.
The first mile was pretty slow (8:50) so after that I decided to just try to get the average pace down to 8:00. After another slow mile I got into the flow and most of the subsequent miles were below 8:00 with the average pace ending up at 7:57.
That is still a bit slow for a medium long run (I am supposed to average 7:40) but an improvement from last week's 8:30.
With the head cold and sore foot I am just lacking a bit of mental energy at the moment to really get into these runs and push when I need to. I am still getting the miles in though and hopefully that will pay off.
I had the afternoon off to do the 14 mile run and the weather was pleasant for once so I decided to just ease myself into it.
The first mile was pretty slow (8:50) so after that I decided to just try to get the average pace down to 8:00. After another slow mile I got into the flow and most of the subsequent miles were below 8:00 with the average pace ending up at 7:57.
That is still a bit slow for a medium long run (I am supposed to average 7:40) but an improvement from last week's 8:30.
With the head cold and sore foot I am just lacking a bit of mental energy at the moment to really get into these runs and push when I need to. I am still getting the miles in though and hopefully that will pay off.
Wednesday 21 March 2018
Goodbye cruel winter
And relax. Spring is here.
Today started off as winter and ended as spring. Either way it was a gorgeous cold, sunny morning with barely any wind.
My foot felt a bit better and the cold was definitely waning so I had a go at some more speed intervals. The plan only called for a lightweight session - 5 x 600m. This is because the plan calls for a race on Saturday and doesn't want to wear you out before the race. I am not doing a proper race on Saturday, just a parkrun, but was very happy to do a lighter session.
In the end the remnants of the cold held me back from anything too spectacular but the intervals were solid enough, ranging from 2:15 to 2:05. The 2:05 equates to 5:40 pace so I will definitely take that but I somehow don't think I could sustain that for 5K.
More calf raises at lunch time to hopefully keep the plantar fasciitis in check. I have beaten it before and will beat it again.
Today started off as winter and ended as spring. Either way it was a gorgeous cold, sunny morning with barely any wind.
My foot felt a bit better and the cold was definitely waning so I had a go at some more speed intervals. The plan only called for a lightweight session - 5 x 600m. This is because the plan calls for a race on Saturday and doesn't want to wear you out before the race. I am not doing a proper race on Saturday, just a parkrun, but was very happy to do a lighter session.
In the end the remnants of the cold held me back from anything too spectacular but the intervals were solid enough, ranging from 2:15 to 2:05. The 2:05 equates to 5:40 pace so I will definitely take that but I somehow don't think I could sustain that for 5K.
More calf raises at lunch time to hopefully keep the plantar fasciitis in check. I have beaten it before and will beat it again.
Tuesday 20 March 2018
It's cold, I have a cold and my foot is sore.
Wake me up when marathon training is over!
This cold is making me grumpy and the plantar fasciitis playing up is making me grumpier still. It normally disappears as quickly as it appears so fingers crossed and many prayers for mercy.
The legs felt OK this morning at least. 6 miles into work. 6 miles cycle home. Managed to squeeze in some more calf raises as well.
Tomorrow is the last day of winter. But it's not going without a fight. Below freezing again in the morning! This may just be normal winter weather for some countries but us English get upset when the weather is below freezing or above 20 degrees. We like things tame and predictable!
This cold is making me grumpy and the plantar fasciitis playing up is making me grumpier still. It normally disappears as quickly as it appears so fingers crossed and many prayers for mercy.
The legs felt OK this morning at least. 6 miles into work. 6 miles cycle home. Managed to squeeze in some more calf raises as well.
Tomorrow is the last day of winter. But it's not going without a fight. Below freezing again in the morning! This may just be normal winter weather for some countries but us English get upset when the weather is below freezing or above 20 degrees. We like things tame and predictable!
7 miles Baltic recovery
Monday is slog day. Physically tired after a big week and mentally tired after a day at work. I just shuffle home at whatever pace my legs have to give. Today I averaged 8:40 pace. Fine.
Have felt a spot of plantar fasciitis returning over the last few days so made sure I did some fully-loaded calf raises at lunch. You are supposed to do these to failure but with my chunky calves I can't find a weight big enough to fail on! I just hold a 24 Kg kettle bell and do two sets of 15 reps on each leg. When the PF was really bad a few years ago I used to get one of my children to climb on my shoulders and do them on the stairs at home. Worked a treat!
Have felt a spot of plantar fasciitis returning over the last few days so made sure I did some fully-loaded calf raises at lunch. You are supposed to do these to failure but with my chunky calves I can't find a weight big enough to fail on! I just hold a 24 Kg kettle bell and do two sets of 15 reps on each leg. When the PF was really bad a few years ago I used to get one of my children to climb on my shoulders and do them on the stairs at home. Worked a treat!
Sunday 18 March 2018
Getting it done is not always fun
I seem to have completely forgotten to update the blog for a few days. Ooops!
Friday was the normal 6 mile run into work, 4 miles at lunch and cycle home. Still had a cold.
Saturday morning the legs felt good. 6 miles easy to my local parkrun. Then a progressive effort at the parkrun finishing with a fun kick. Then two miles jog home. Should be plenty left in the tank for a HM the next day.
Today I woke up feeling like crap. Bloody cold still lingering around. I then found out that the race was cancelled due to heavy snow which I was selfishly quite happy about. It saved me the stress of deciding whether to show up or not.
As normal I perked up a bit after about 3 cups of tea and later in the afternoon, with the wind dying down slightly, I ventured out. I definitely wasn't up for the scheduled 20 with 14 @ MP or any number of MP miles for that matter. In fact 20 miles was a psychological hurdle too high so I decided to settle for a steady 18 and do 20 next weekend instead. I also didn't fancy concentrating hard on where I was stepping for over two hours so headed to a local industrial estate. There is a loop there of about 700 metres which is well lit and should be traffic and ice free. A perfect place to zone out with a podcast and get the miles done. Sort of like a road equivalent of a treadmill.
And so it panned out. My legs were happy to plod along at 8 minute miles, I could run on a snow free road and I only encountered a handful of vehicles the whole time I was on the estate. The downside was having to do about 35 laps of the loop!
Some people think I am crazy for doing loops but on some days I am just not in the mood for an adventure. I have a pretty high boredom threshold in any case and don't mind repetition (as anyone who has had to share my narrow taste in music will attest!)
84 miles for the week. Considering the head cold and the weather, that will do.
Friday was the normal 6 mile run into work, 4 miles at lunch and cycle home. Still had a cold.
Saturday morning the legs felt good. 6 miles easy to my local parkrun. Then a progressive effort at the parkrun finishing with a fun kick. Then two miles jog home. Should be plenty left in the tank for a HM the next day.
Today I woke up feeling like crap. Bloody cold still lingering around. I then found out that the race was cancelled due to heavy snow which I was selfishly quite happy about. It saved me the stress of deciding whether to show up or not.
As normal I perked up a bit after about 3 cups of tea and later in the afternoon, with the wind dying down slightly, I ventured out. I definitely wasn't up for the scheduled 20 with 14 @ MP or any number of MP miles for that matter. In fact 20 miles was a psychological hurdle too high so I decided to settle for a steady 18 and do 20 next weekend instead. I also didn't fancy concentrating hard on where I was stepping for over two hours so headed to a local industrial estate. There is a loop there of about 700 metres which is well lit and should be traffic and ice free. A perfect place to zone out with a podcast and get the miles done. Sort of like a road equivalent of a treadmill.
And so it panned out. My legs were happy to plod along at 8 minute miles, I could run on a snow free road and I only encountered a handful of vehicles the whole time I was on the estate. The downside was having to do about 35 laps of the loop!
Some people think I am crazy for doing loops but on some days I am just not in the mood for an adventure. I have a pretty high boredom threshold in any case and don't mind repetition (as anyone who has had to share my narrow taste in music will attest!)
84 miles for the week. Considering the head cold and the weather, that will do.
Thursday 15 March 2018
Lurgy 15 miler
So far I have run every day since Christmas and have done almost all the miles in the plan.
This morning I woke up with a bit of man flu as well as the normal tired legs but there was no way I was going to have a rest day. Not with 15 miles scheduled.
The cycle into work actually felt fine but then after lunch it was time for the 15 mile run home, into the wind and slightly uphill.
What with a marathon done on Sunday and a speed session yesterday, today was not a day for heroics. Instead I jogged the whole way. I did not feel great but I kept my heart rate low and got through it. 15 miles @ 8:30 pace.
Once I had recovered a bit at home I actually felt better for the run. Hopefully I will recover for Sunday's half marathon.
This morning I woke up with a bit of man flu as well as the normal tired legs but there was no way I was going to have a rest day. Not with 15 miles scheduled.
The cycle into work actually felt fine but then after lunch it was time for the 15 mile run home, into the wind and slightly uphill.
What with a marathon done on Sunday and a speed session yesterday, today was not a day for heroics. Instead I jogged the whole way. I did not feel great but I kept my heart rate low and got through it. 15 miles @ 8:30 pace.
Once I had recovered a bit at home I actually felt better for the run. Hopefully I will recover for Sunday's half marathon.
Wednesday 14 March 2018
Life in the old legs yet
Doing speed intervals 3 days after a marathon doesn't seem like a great idea on paper. But then again, the plan has speed work two days after a 24 mile run so I guess what I was doing was no worse.
Even so I was not entirely confident that my legs would hold together so decided to ease into the intervals gently. I would start with a target HR of 140 and go up 4 each time.
After a 3 mile warm up it time to get going.
This was the first time attempting intervals with my Apple Watch. To mark the end of a lap you have to double tap the watch. This only works with gloves off so I did the session carrying one of my gloves. I suspect the fact that the watch was designed in California meant that working while wearing gloves wasn't a priority!
Anyway it turned out that the legs were working and the splits progressed nicely.
4:20
4:00
3:50
3:45
3:45
3:40
This was a very pleasant way to do intervals. Next time I will start with a higher HR (140 is a bit wimpish) and progress more gently but try to keep the progression going as this is so much nicer than a fade.
Absolutely exhausted tonight. I feel like I am fighting a sore throat and combined with the early start this morning I am whacked.
Even so I was not entirely confident that my legs would hold together so decided to ease into the intervals gently. I would start with a target HR of 140 and go up 4 each time.
After a 3 mile warm up it time to get going.
This was the first time attempting intervals with my Apple Watch. To mark the end of a lap you have to double tap the watch. This only works with gloves off so I did the session carrying one of my gloves. I suspect the fact that the watch was designed in California meant that working while wearing gloves wasn't a priority!
Anyway it turned out that the legs were working and the splits progressed nicely.
4:20
4:00
3:50
3:45
3:45
3:40
This was a very pleasant way to do intervals. Next time I will start with a higher HR (140 is a bit wimpish) and progress more gently but try to keep the progression going as this is so much nicer than a fade.
Absolutely exhausted tonight. I feel like I am fighting a sore throat and combined with the early start this morning I am whacked.
Tuesday 13 March 2018
Beaten up but marching on
You do feel a bit beaten up after a marathon, even a training one.
Showers have been painful thanks to runners' nipple. The front of the bottom of my left leg is sore, probably from doing the marathon in almost new trainers. There is a twinge on the side of my left knee that seems to be getting better.
Having said that the pace of my easy run into work this morning improved a lot over yesterday at about 8:15 minute miles.
The second run this evening was a plod at 9:00 pace and I was fine with that.
I have some speed work planned for tomorrow morning. Hmmm. I may just do progressive intervals and try to end up at the right pace.
Showers have been painful thanks to runners' nipple. The front of the bottom of my left leg is sore, probably from doing the marathon in almost new trainers. There is a twinge on the side of my left knee that seems to be getting better.
Having said that the pace of my easy run into work this morning improved a lot over yesterday at about 8:15 minute miles.
The second run this evening was a plod at 9:00 pace and I was fine with that.
I have some speed work planned for tomorrow morning. Hmmm. I may just do progressive intervals and try to end up at the right pace.
Monday 12 March 2018
The day after the marathon before
Normally after a marathon I have two days off running and then a short, easy run on the Wednesday.
The question was, after doing an "easy effort" marathon would I just be able to resume training as normal?
The answer appears to be yes. The cycle into work this morning felt good. I do have a slight twinge in one knee but that may be from some aggressive horseplay with my son rather than the marathon!
I was a bit worried about running 7 miles today but once I got going it was fine. The pace was very slow, averaging about 9:20 minute miles but the run passed quickly enough and hopefully the pace will improve each day. I am not sure about doing speed work on Wednesday but I guess it is a case of one day at a time.
The question was, after doing an "easy effort" marathon would I just be able to resume training as normal?
The answer appears to be yes. The cycle into work this morning felt good. I do have a slight twinge in one knee but that may be from some aggressive horseplay with my son rather than the marathon!
I was a bit worried about running 7 miles today but once I got going it was fine. The pace was very slow, averaging about 9:20 minute miles but the run passed quickly enough and hopefully the pace will improve each day. I am not sure about doing speed work on Wednesday but I guess it is a case of one day at a time.
Sunday 11 March 2018
Wrexham Marathon
I have always wanted to run a marathon as a training run, partly to make a long run more fun and partly to see what the distance felt like at an easier effort.
The plan today was to start off easy and gradually increase the effort, finally cruising home at a nice pace, overtaking all and sundry.
It didn't quite work out like that.
The first half felt fab. The pace was around 7:40 and I felt like I was jogging. However I hadn't checked the course profile beforehand. The first half is downhill and the second half is up.
After halfway I increased the effort a bit and gradually reeled people in, still feeling good. However the last 6 miles are mainly uphill and after 20 miles my legs started getting heavy and I was ready for the race to be over.
By this point the 20 mile and Half Marathon races had merged with my race and overtaking the back markers in the other races was a welcome distraction.
At one point I thought I might go sub 3:15 without too much effort but the hills at the end put paid to that dream. I managed a respectable pace though, with all the miles sub 8 minute. In the end I finished in 3:21. This is quicker than I had planned but it was also harder than expected.
I guess a marathon is a long way even at a steady effort. At the end of my biggest week ever it ended up being a slog at the end. But my goal of doing a marathon as a training run was achieved and it was much more fun than doing a 24 mile run by myself.
90 miles for the week.
The plan today was to start off easy and gradually increase the effort, finally cruising home at a nice pace, overtaking all and sundry.
It didn't quite work out like that.
The first half felt fab. The pace was around 7:40 and I felt like I was jogging. However I hadn't checked the course profile beforehand. The first half is downhill and the second half is up.
After halfway I increased the effort a bit and gradually reeled people in, still feeling good. However the last 6 miles are mainly uphill and after 20 miles my legs started getting heavy and I was ready for the race to be over.
By this point the 20 mile and Half Marathon races had merged with my race and overtaking the back markers in the other races was a welcome distraction.
At one point I thought I might go sub 3:15 without too much effort but the hills at the end put paid to that dream. I managed a respectable pace though, with all the miles sub 8 minute. In the end I finished in 3:21. This is quicker than I had planned but it was also harder than expected.
I guess a marathon is a long way even at a steady effort. At the end of my biggest week ever it ended up being a slog at the end. But my goal of doing a marathon as a training run was achieved and it was much more fun than doing a 24 mile run by myself.
90 miles for the week.
Saturday 10 March 2018
8 miles easy
One of the runs I enjoy the most in the P&D plans are the general aerobic medium distance runs. These can be run at a fairly leisurely pace and are never more than 10 miles so leave you feeling energised afterwards. Sadly the high mileage plans have less of them and more MLRs or recovery doubles.
So today was a rare chance to start the day with an easy 8. I decided to practice the easy heart rate I will be targeting in the first 6 miles of the marathon tomorrow and was happy to see a HR of 126 - 128 giving sub 8 minute miles.
At least one local race that was supposed to happen tomorrow has been cancelled due to the heavy rain this week (causing a flooded car park) but my marathon is still on touch wood. And the conditions look very nice - cold but dry and not windy. Bring it on!
So today was a rare chance to start the day with an easy 8. I decided to practice the easy heart rate I will be targeting in the first 6 miles of the marathon tomorrow and was happy to see a HR of 126 - 128 giving sub 8 minute miles.
At least one local race that was supposed to happen tomorrow has been cancelled due to the heavy rain this week (causing a flooded car park) but my marathon is still on touch wood. And the conditions look very nice - cold but dry and not windy. Bring it on!
Friday 9 March 2018
Double run and more
Today and tomorrow I have the chance to recover a bit before Sunday's marathon. Today was a 6 and 4 mile double. The morning 6 felt quite nice at 8 minute miles and the 4 at lunch was rather slower (8:40.)
I then did an easy cycle home and an easy swim session in the evening (800m.)
So plenty of activity but all of it at a nice easy effort and leaving me feeling weary but very alive.
I then did an easy cycle home and an easy swim session in the evening (800m.)
So plenty of activity but all of it at a nice easy effort and leaving me feeling weary but very alive.
Thursday 8 March 2018
15 miles steady
These Thursday medium-long runs have become a regular routine over the winter. The wind is normally behind me, they are done in daylight and they mostly fly by pretty quickly. I will almost miss them once the marathon training is over!
Today was the normal 15 miler on my normal route and the wind was behind me most of the way as normal. The only abnormal factor was the tired legs from 12 miles yesterday with a 10K tempo.
The legs actually felt OK and the pace was comfortably below 8 minute miles in the first half. As normal I increased the effort a bit in the second half and once I had climbed up the hills to my favourite trail the pace dropped to 7:15 miles. This was surprising as my legs were definitely feeling weary at this point and the running was feeling laboured.
That's 45 miles so far this week. This big week is going pretty well so far.
Today was the normal 15 miler on my normal route and the wind was behind me most of the way as normal. The only abnormal factor was the tired legs from 12 miles yesterday with a 10K tempo.
The legs actually felt OK and the pace was comfortably below 8 minute miles in the first half. As normal I increased the effort a bit in the second half and once I had climbed up the hills to my favourite trail the pace dropped to 7:15 miles. This was surprising as my legs were definitely feeling weary at this point and the running was feeling laboured.
That's 45 miles so far this week. This big week is going pretty well so far.
10K tempo
The dreaded lactate threshold tempo runs. The plan called for 12 miles with 7 @ LT but I think that 7 miles is too far unless you are an elite athlete. So I did 6.22 miles (10K) instead.
To make up the miles I did a 4 mile extended warm up. My legs felt pretty good.
Then after a brief pause to water the flowers and put my man suit on it was time to get started. After half a mile the average pace had dipped under 6:20 so it was a case of keeping the heart rate around 155 bpm and seeing what pace came out.
Thankfully the pace stayed around the 6:20 minutes per mile range. That pace felt quite sustainable but I didn't have the energy to go much faster.
So the 10 kilometres were completed in about 39:30 minutes; my fastest 10K tempo in training ever. My heart rate was also lower that it was the last time I tried this session.
A 2 mile jog home made it 12 for the day.
I am very happy to have finally achieved an decent early morning tempo run. I am also very happy that this is the last one in the plan!
To make up the miles I did a 4 mile extended warm up. My legs felt pretty good.
Then after a brief pause to water the flowers and put my man suit on it was time to get started. After half a mile the average pace had dipped under 6:20 so it was a case of keeping the heart rate around 155 bpm and seeing what pace came out.
Thankfully the pace stayed around the 6:20 minutes per mile range. That pace felt quite sustainable but I didn't have the energy to go much faster.
So the 10 kilometres were completed in about 39:30 minutes; my fastest 10K tempo in training ever. My heart rate was also lower that it was the last time I tried this session.
A 2 mile jog home made it 12 for the day.
I am very happy to have finally achieved an decent early morning tempo run. I am also very happy that this is the last one in the plan!
Tuesday 6 March 2018
Double double this week
For possibly the first time ever I will be doing two double days this week. I am used to doing a double on Fridays now but I also went out for an easy 4 miler this evening as well as my normal 6 mile run commute into work in the morning.
My legs felt pretty good this morning. When the easy miles are sub 8 minute then I know I am having a good day. The legs still felt good tonight with recovery effort coming out at about 8:20 minute miles.
Hopefully they will feel equally good first thing tomorrow morning when I attempt some tempo miles. My early morning tempos have all gone badly recently so I am hoping that an early night tonight will put an end to that.
My legs felt pretty good this morning. When the easy miles are sub 8 minute then I know I am having a good day. The legs still felt good tonight with recovery effort coming out at about 8:20 minute miles.
Hopefully they will feel equally good first thing tomorrow morning when I attempt some tempo miles. My early morning tempos have all gone badly recently so I am hoping that an early night tonight will put an end to that.
Monday 5 March 2018
Could this be the biggest week of my life?
Well it could, but only in terms of weekly miles.
The mile count got off to a steady start with 8 easy miles home from work. The legs felt as good as I could hope for 24 hours after a steady 18 miler, and soon settled into 8:20 pace.
And that was pretty much that. Cycle to work, strength session at lunch and run home. Day one complete.
The mile count got off to a steady start with 8 easy miles home from work. The legs felt as good as I could hope for 24 hours after a steady 18 miler, and soon settled into 8:20 pace.
And that was pretty much that. Cycle to work, strength session at lunch and run home. Day one complete.
Sunday 4 March 2018
18 miles steady
After a week of running in the snow I was looking forward to some normal running surfaces today. However up on my favourite trail there were still some sizeable snow drifts which kept the pace slower over the first 6 miles. My shoes got so wet that the laces came undone - very frustrating as I hate having to stop to retie them!
The trail cleared in the second and my pace improved, with most of the second half at just over 7 minute mile pace. 18 miles in 2 hours 17 minutes with an average pace of 7:36 will do nicely. 75 miles for the week.
The trail cleared in the second and my pace improved, with most of the second half at just over 7 minute mile pace. 18 miles in 2 hours 17 minutes with an average pace of 7:36 will do nicely. 75 miles for the week.
Saturday 3 March 2018
Snowy parkrun
The plan called for a 10 km race today with at least 10 miles running in total including warm up and cool down. There wasn't a 10 km race available but there was a parkrun 3.5 miles away so by running there and back I got my 10 miles in.
The parkrun course was heavily altered due to the icy conditions. Rather than the normal two laps on concrete paths it was now 5 laps on the grass. Clearly not a day for PBs, especially as the course was more like 5.5 km!
I started quite far back and worked my way through the field up to 9th place. According to the watch I was going a bit faster than marathon pace but I suspect I was going rather faster than this as GPS watches always cut the corners and there were plenty of them!
In any case it was good to get the heart rate up after a week of plodding on the snow and all the lapping was quite fun. Maybe it is wrong to enjoy overtaking people but I can't seem to help it!
The parkrun course was heavily altered due to the icy conditions. Rather than the normal two laps on concrete paths it was now 5 laps on the grass. Clearly not a day for PBs, especially as the course was more like 5.5 km!
I started quite far back and worked my way through the field up to 9th place. According to the watch I was going a bit faster than marathon pace but I suspect I was going rather faster than this as GPS watches always cut the corners and there were plenty of them!
In any case it was good to get the heart rate up after a week of plodding on the snow and all the lapping was quite fun. Maybe it is wrong to enjoy overtaking people but I can't seem to help it!
Not my best look today but I kept warm!
Friday 2 March 2018
Treadmill double
Treadmills are a bit boring but they have their place in my opinion. Sometimes you just don't feel like going outside in the cold yet again and it is nice to zone out in the safety of a gym.
With the temperature not even getting above freezing today, and having spent two hours out in the cold yesterday I decided today was a treadmill day.
5 miles at lunch and 5 miles after work went OK. A combination of music, podcasts and gradually increasing the speed got me through the tedium.
Running at room temperature sure does get sweaty though. I really hope there isn't a heat wave on the marathon weekend - that will kill me.
With the temperature not even getting above freezing today, and having spent two hours out in the cold yesterday I decided today was a treadmill day.
5 miles at lunch and 5 miles after work went OK. A combination of music, podcasts and gradually increasing the speed got me through the tedium.
Running at room temperature sure does get sweaty though. I really hope there isn't a heat wave on the marathon weekend - that will kill me.
OK, it is a beast
Today the cold temperatures were combines with gale-force winds to make for interesting conditions.
I still couldn't stomach two hours on the treadmill so decided to do my 15 miler on my favourite trail (where else!)
The first two miles were uphill into the wind and at times I was almost forced to a standstill. Once on the trail it was OK, the snow was quite runnable apart from the odd snow drift and the wind was a crosswind. After 6 miles the trail was covered in snow drifts so I had to turn round and run up and down the same section of trail a couple of times to make up the distance. Still better than running on a treadmill.
15 miles averaging 7:55 will do in these conditions. Another run is done and winter can't stay forever.
I still couldn't stomach two hours on the treadmill so decided to do my 15 miler on my favourite trail (where else!)
The first two miles were uphill into the wind and at times I was almost forced to a standstill. Once on the trail it was OK, the snow was quite runnable apart from the odd snow drift and the wind was a crosswind. After 6 miles the trail was covered in snow drifts so I had to turn round and run up and down the same section of trail a couple of times to make up the distance. Still better than running on a treadmill.
15 miles averaging 7:55 will do in these conditions. Another run is done and winter can't stay forever.
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