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!
Monday, 1 July 2013
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Running in Madrid
I am in Madrid for a Microsoft conference but the marathon training continues!
Although the temperature reaches 30 degrees C by lunchtime the day starts out at a rather pleasant 15 degrees C - the kind of temperature I like to run in.
The only decent running location near my hotel is a small park on a hill. You can either do a lap of the whole park which is about 1 km and hilly or you can stick to the top of the hill and do a 0.5 km lap. Although it is hardly an idyllic route the amount of joggers in the park at 7 am suggests that there aren't any better options nearby!
My runs so far this week:
5 miles recovery (at home.) After two days off from running my legs felt fresh and I did this at 7.30 min / mile pace.
7 miles aerobic + 10 * 100m strides. Averaged 8.10 min / mile pace for this. I felt a bit sluggish. Maybe it is the altitude here (Madrid is almost 700m above sea level.)
6 miles recovery. 7.50 min / mile pace.
Just one run left while I am here and then back to the cold and wet of England.
Although the temperature reaches 30 degrees C by lunchtime the day starts out at a rather pleasant 15 degrees C - the kind of temperature I like to run in.
The only decent running location near my hotel is a small park on a hill. You can either do a lap of the whole park which is about 1 km and hilly or you can stick to the top of the hill and do a 0.5 km lap. Although it is hardly an idyllic route the amount of joggers in the park at 7 am suggests that there aren't any better options nearby!
My runs so far this week:
5 miles recovery (at home.) After two days off from running my legs felt fresh and I did this at 7.30 min / mile pace.
7 miles aerobic + 10 * 100m strides. Averaged 8.10 min / mile pace for this. I felt a bit sluggish. Maybe it is the altitude here (Madrid is almost 700m above sea level.)
6 miles recovery. 7.50 min / mile pace.
Just one run left while I am here and then back to the cold and wet of England.
Sunday, 23 June 2013
14 miles slow
Wednesday was recovery day - four miles slow along my old route. Once again I discovered that my old measurements were a bit short!
Thursday was a 7 mile tempo run. Splits were:
7:40
7:15
7:15
7:05
6:55
6:50
8:10
I am doing tempo runs properly with only miles 3 to 6 being at tempo pace (half marathon speed.)
Due to being away for the weekend I had to do my long run on Friday. This was 14 miles down the Middlewood Way. My average pace was 7.50 min/mile and I did the last mile in under 7 mins for a negative split. Overall it felt comfortable.
This week I am in Madrid with temperatures up to 30 degrees forecast. Better pack the running bottle!
Thursday was a 7 mile tempo run. Splits were:
7:40
7:15
7:15
7:05
6:55
6:50
8:10
I am doing tempo runs properly with only miles 3 to 6 being at tempo pace (half marathon speed.)
Due to being away for the weekend I had to do my long run on Friday. This was 14 miles down the Middlewood Way. My average pace was 7.50 min/mile and I did the last mile in under 7 mins for a negative split. Overall it felt comfortable.
This week I am in Madrid with temperatures up to 30 degrees forecast. Better pack the running bottle!
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
10 mile aerobic
I am now in the world of Pfitzinger and Douglas (commonly referred to as P & D.) Their training schedules emphasise long runs throughout the week with short recovery runs in between them. The Hal Higdon schedules tend to have short and medium runs in the week and one long run at the weekend. Rather than running at lunchtime I will now have to get better at getting out of bed early to do the long mid-week runs. A bit of discipline probably won't do me any harm!
The new regime kicked off this morning with a 10 mile aerobic run. I should probably be running these at about 8.30 min / mile pace based on a marathon pace of 7.30. However I don't like running that slow but I did manage to keep most of the miles down to 8 min pace which as an achievement for me.
The Garmin report shows that there is an elevation gain of about 60 meters in the first 2.5 miles with obviously a corresponding drop at the end as it was an out-and-back route. No wonder I have been running the last couple of miles fast.
It also showed that my mile markers were a bit short and what I thought was 5.0 miles is actually 4.9 miles. That sounds trivial but saving 0.2 miles on a 10 mile run could shave 90 seconds off my time. No wonder I got the pacing at Freckleton a bit wrong!
After the run I had an hour's "rest" and then I had to cycle the 6 miles to work. The cycling is not in the schedule but a bit of additional cross training does not seem to hurt.
This new schedule feels great! I now have my lunchtimes back.
The new regime kicked off this morning with a 10 mile aerobic run. I should probably be running these at about 8.30 min / mile pace based on a marathon pace of 7.30. However I don't like running that slow but I did manage to keep most of the miles down to 8 min pace which as an achievement for me.
The Garmin report shows that there is an elevation gain of about 60 meters in the first 2.5 miles with obviously a corresponding drop at the end as it was an out-and-back route. No wonder I have been running the last couple of miles fast.
It also showed that my mile markers were a bit short and what I thought was 5.0 miles is actually 4.9 miles. That sounds trivial but saving 0.2 miles on a 10 mile run could shave 90 seconds off my time. No wonder I got the pacing at Freckleton a bit wrong!
After the run I had an hour's "rest" and then I had to cycle the 6 miles to work. The cycling is not in the schedule but a bit of additional cross training does not seem to hurt.
This new schedule feels great! I now have my lunchtimes back.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Freckleton Half Marathon
Yesterday was race day - time to see what another 12 weeks of Hal Higdon's Advanced Half Marathon training program had achieved.
The previous week's training had been pretty awful but I put that down to overdoing it on my 16 mile run on the previous Sunday.
On Saturday my new baby arrived - a Garmin GPS watch. It was great to be able to try the watch out with a race. No more guessing distances for me!
The day was quite warm at 16 degrees and only a slight breeze.
The race had a record turnout with over 800 runners. It is quite unusual in that it starts at 2 pm. This did make for an early lunch but apart from that it was nice to start at a different time.
At 2 pm sharp we were off and I settled into a 7 min / mile pace. The course wound around Freckleton for a few miles before heading out into the countryside. The pace felt fine apart from a few hills in miles 5 and 6. Mile 7 was downhill and felt great - a 6.50 split for that one.
However after that it just gradually felt harder and harder. Miles 8 to 10 were done at just over 7 min / mile pace but the last three miles were a bit of a death march at 7.25 pace. The route was on the pavement of a busy road and was slightly uphill. After 10 miles I started counting down the quarter miles to try to make it go quicker. The only consolation was that everyone around me seemed to be struggling just as much.
I was hoping for a burst of energy in the last mile but it did not come. A lady glided past me and I had nothing in the tank to chase her with. Finally about 100 metres from the finish line a bit of adrenaline kicked in and I managed to sprint past the guy in front of me.
My time of 1:33:17 represents a 3 minute PB so I guess I should be happy with that and put the pacing issues down to experience.
Compared to the Wilmslow Half 12 weeks ago this was a real slog! I think negative pacing is the way forward. I really did not enjoy those last 3 miles!
Today my legs felt fine and I managed the normal short run to the gym and back. My struggles were probably down to dehydration. I need to get better at drinking out of cups while running or take a bottle with me.
It is now 16 weeks until the Chester marathon. I am going straight into week 3 of a Pfitzinger and Douglas sub 55 mile schedule. I had better get to sleep ready for that 10 mile run before breakfast tomorrow!
The previous week's training had been pretty awful but I put that down to overdoing it on my 16 mile run on the previous Sunday.
On Saturday my new baby arrived - a Garmin GPS watch. It was great to be able to try the watch out with a race. No more guessing distances for me!
The day was quite warm at 16 degrees and only a slight breeze.
The race had a record turnout with over 800 runners. It is quite unusual in that it starts at 2 pm. This did make for an early lunch but apart from that it was nice to start at a different time.
At 2 pm sharp we were off and I settled into a 7 min / mile pace. The course wound around Freckleton for a few miles before heading out into the countryside. The pace felt fine apart from a few hills in miles 5 and 6. Mile 7 was downhill and felt great - a 6.50 split for that one.
However after that it just gradually felt harder and harder. Miles 8 to 10 were done at just over 7 min / mile pace but the last three miles were a bit of a death march at 7.25 pace. The route was on the pavement of a busy road and was slightly uphill. After 10 miles I started counting down the quarter miles to try to make it go quicker. The only consolation was that everyone around me seemed to be struggling just as much.
I was hoping for a burst of energy in the last mile but it did not come. A lady glided past me and I had nothing in the tank to chase her with. Finally about 100 metres from the finish line a bit of adrenaline kicked in and I managed to sprint past the guy in front of me.
My time of 1:33:17 represents a 3 minute PB so I guess I should be happy with that and put the pacing issues down to experience.
Compared to the Wilmslow Half 12 weeks ago this was a real slog! I think negative pacing is the way forward. I really did not enjoy those last 3 miles!
Today my legs felt fine and I managed the normal short run to the gym and back. My struggles were probably down to dehydration. I need to get better at drinking out of cups while running or take a bottle with me.
It is now 16 weeks until the Chester marathon. I am going straight into week 3 of a Pfitzinger and Douglas sub 55 mile schedule. I had better get to sleep ready for that 10 mile run before breakfast tomorrow!
Thursday, 13 June 2013
4 miles tempo
Yesterday I did a 3 mile recovery run in 22:15. The legs felt really heavy.
Today I did 4 miles at 6:45 tempo. The splits were:
6:45
6:40
6:45
6:35
26:45
Once again it felt really hard work. I almost got cramp while stretching afterwards and was perspiring much more profusely than normal!
I think that long hard run on Sunday has really impacted my training this week. Hopefully I will have recovered in three days when the race takes place!
Today I did 4 miles at 6:45 tempo. The splits were:
6:45
6:40
6:45
6:35
26:45
Once again it felt really hard work. I almost got cramp while stretching afterwards and was perspiring much more profusely than normal!
I think that long hard run on Sunday has really impacted my training this week. Hopefully I will have recovered in three days when the race takes place!
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