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My Last Run
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Hazel, I understand that. For me, any run over 10 miles feels like a long run.
From where I'm standing you seem to be holding up very well, physically and psychologically. You seem to be spending a lot of time in Scotland of late! Work or recon for a Welsh invasion??
Hazel, good variety there. I see you use the bike but not as structured cross training. When I was training for duathlons I really liked the bike-run combination of training. There's something very ying and yang about it!
Cal, I wish I'd never got the Garmin with the HRM! I ran quite happily oblivious to my AHR for nearly 40 years.
Here's another odd thing. No matter what workout I do my Garmin always tells me my VO2 max is 47.
I'm not unhappy with that but its like the thing took one look at me and categorised me as a '47' with no scope for variation!
6k today made up of warms up and down, hill sprints and recoveries. So much more 'me' than a 15k slog!
Yep I bike on occasion but strictly gently exercise only JB. More of a trundle around the landscape and enjoy the views sort of exercise. Saying that I would like to build back up to a 100k ride again but gently..
My watch (Coros) also spits out all sorts of data but I tend to ignore the lot. Pacing is generally done via latest race results and McMillan, Fetch and P&D pace tables. Seems to work ok.
Out with two running buddies yesterday late afternoon for 10k. We met at the other lady's house which meant straight into a long climb. She lives half way up a hill - well we could have gone down and then back up - but up and then down is the preferred option! Pace was nice and gentle and needed to be in parts as we had to skip across rooty trails. One steep downhill was also walked as the light was fading by then and no-one fancied a fall as it was difficult to workout what was lurking under last year's beech leaves.
I also prefer the fartlek-type stuff. Much more fun.
Sounds like a good run there, Hazel...not a fan of steep downhills myself. They do scare me a bit. I'd be a terrible fell runner.
Gym today for me.
Quick question - anyone recommend an autumn marathon? I don't have the funds to leave the country and I don't want to do Chester or Yorkshire again, good as they are. Also don't want to do Abingdon as I had a very miserable time in that part of the country when I was younger. (I'm also considering not doing a mara at all and just trying to get my speed back up for a half, so there's that).
Cal, no marathon advice from me, I'm afraid. Sussex races would be within your travel distance so I'll keep my eye out.
Naughty today: 2nd consecutive day of intervals but this time flat ones: 4x500m and 6x250m.
https://findarace.com/events/death-star-marathon-half-marathon
My Vo2 max is 41(excellent) according to my watch.. hmmm. And I should be able to run a marathon under 4 hours (well I hope so).
Easier or rest day today JB? If you can handle two days in a row then why not as long as you put in some easier ones as well.
6 miles recovery yesterday with 8 x strides. A flat out and back route interrupted by some up and downing for the strides. I was pleased to keep the effort/pace down to where it should be. First stride was a bit creaky - legs went - what, we are supposed to go quick now? - but a couple of them sorted that out. Bit drizzly - first wettish run for a while.
7 miles today - grey, windy and miserable. Got it done, though.
Cal, it could be worse: there used to be a track one in Eastbourne and you might remember the one I did around the velodrome in Brighton. Mental!
So, I went out today to run a hilly 10k but got a slight twinge in the groin and baled out after 4k. This is partly because I had the hernia OP a few years ago and have no desire to have a matching pair!
Hope the groin is ok.
Well done on the 7 miles in not so great conditions Cal.
One of the P&D nasties for me yesterday - around 12 miles miles split up into 2.5 miles warm-up with a few relaxed bursts of speed. Then a bit over 7 miles tempo and another 2 miles cool-down. I did 10k tempo a couple of weeks ago with no great problems but maybe I didn't have the right mindsight yesterday and temporarily ground to a halt after about 5 miles. I did get going again for the remainder and punished myself for stopping by doing 7 miles rather than the shorter 11k but had dropped a bit off the pace. Likely I started off a bit quick (as usual) at around 7.06 m/m though initially that felt ok. Overall pace was 7:19 which is actually ok and within my tempo pace band. I'm glad to have that behind me now. One reason for grinding to a halt was spotting random people wandering around - I don't like people seeing me struggle in training!. I should just ignore them. Conditions were good - t-shirt and shorts temps and no wind.
Personally I'm a long way from donning the shorts but this is a public decency issue as much as a preference! Old geezers in shorts don't look great. What are the parameters of your current tempo band? I calibrate mine in km pace and I reckon 5.15 or thereabouts.
No run today but:
1. Short sharp (hilly) bike ride
2 Got on the Concept 2 and banged out 8x250 metres at sub 4 pace and with 1 minute rests.
These both drove the AHR up to dizzy heights but I was too chicken to measure it!
Parkrun tomorrow. Windy= no chance of a PB.
How was parkrun today?
I got a lift from my mate Tunde to Bracknell parkrun. It's a two lap trail course with a very wiggly half mile section through some woods and quite a lot of tree roots which the volunteers helpfully mark out with flour. I didn't push the pace as I'm racing tomorrow but it wouldn't have been a fast course regardless - not hilly as such but not flat either, and the wiggly part was quite narrow so overtaking was impossible in places. Still, 29:46 so faster than last week.
Just the local prom parkrun where there was a nasty, cold NE wind. My 3k 'warm up' left me with ice blocks for hands.
Then 20.29, about what I'd expect. An age cat victory and the 84% AG was the 5th best.
But the interesting stat is this: in a big field of 430, 4 of the first 5 across the line were women. Surely that is extraordinary??
PS my Garmin tells me my 'fitness age' is 20. Nobody told my knees!
John that is unusual! Some of the girls in my club have been overall first at parkruns but 4 of 5 is a lot! Great time from you though.
The race went well enough. I was trying to average 9:30s which I mostly did. Left knee was a little achy to start but it was quite faint and passed after a bit. Left hip also got pretty tight in the later stages though it was the right hip/groin/ham that ached after the race.
On more of a mental health front, I had no issues with either of the bridges.
I didn't quite manage sub-2:05 (got 2:05:30) but close enough given that the GPS wasn't quite aligning with the mile markers, and after a slight wobble at 11 miles where I felt a little off, I managed to pick up the pace a little for the final two miles. My watch measured my HR as high (over 180 for the last four miles) but not sure I believe it as I wasn't breathing hard. Regardless, I'm pretty content with that.
Much colder down here for a 15k effort. Aimed under 80 minutes and managed it.
Well done on your half Cal. You judged that very well (expected finish time and your pacing). Recover well. Good news too that the bridges didn't freak you out this time. Are you not normally an early riser anyway? I am not looking forward to an 8am start for my marathon - I am trying not to think about when I need to get up.
Friday and Sunday were short recoveries for me - yesterday's was pretty windy - I got blown to a standstill a couple of times. At -3 it was also quite nippy. I had watched the forecast quite closely and was expecting those conditions to turn up so wisely did the main run of the weekend on Saturday although I could have done with an extra day between the long tempo and the long run. Rather than do a flat run and fuss about sticking to paces I decided to do a big loop from home involving a long, mostly gentle downhill, along a bit including a bump and then, you guessed it, back up the hill. 20.3 miles in 3:12 with some 450m of climbing. That left me about 1.5 miles from home - I could have stretched it out to run the lot but 20 and a bit was enough so I walked the rest. 3 gels and water were consumed on route (hydration rucksack). Was hard work but I got it done without any particular issues.
I have, however, entered a 16 miler that starts at 8 and will required me to start my journey before 6am so I better get used to it, eh? (That's in a few weeks' time).
Well done on your 20.
Rest day yesterday (didn't go to the gym either...just a walk) but legs were still leaden today so I just did 5 slow miles. I'd intended to do some strides but decided against it.
I think I'm going to end my lower mileage experiment and go back to 5 days a week - I am no less tired or injured for reducing my mileage but I am fatter.
Cal, another very bad sleeper here. I end up listening to the World Service for hours. It's very good but, my god, it can be depressing.
Big deal here: a friend had a pristine but slightly used pair of Saucony Endorphin 3s for sale. As I'm a fan of the brand, I swooped in and got them for £100. Took them for a test run and shaved a few seconds off this and that.
Still a bitter NE wind here, but nothing like Hazel's I suspect with gratitude....................
VO2max I'm never sure how to take it, watch registers 53 and been at 57. Runalayse puts me at 46... All I know is I'm probably in better shape than I have been for a while so who cares !
Managed to get back to Tredegar House Parkrun ! 1st since October/November as it was closed. Great to be back home...
Few other interval/tempo sessions with my biggest run to date at 30k. Biggest run week at 78k I think I've ever done. Calves still ache from that although pace sets yesterday I probably shouldn't have done and left an extra day. Still rest of the week is easy ready for Newport half Sunday...
Training changed a little now as well, easy during the weeks with quality Sunday sessions. This week Newport half, next week a 20 miler @5:10 - that may kill me !
What's Tredegar like?
I was going to do 10 miles today but took a couple of wrong turns and ended up doing 12. Felt OK though, so I guess I'm relatively recovered from the half.
Good grab of the Endorphins JB. I use the Speed 2 for speedwork and will try them on this Sunday's 10k.
Good luck with the half DH - I assume you will race it? 20m @5:10 does sound hard.
Low key end to February and start to the week for me - 1 short recovery run @ 5k and a few easy miles (7) yesterday afternoon. Still cold and breezy.
Cal, another 12m clocked up even if it should have been 10. They all count.
Hazel, 19k for you this Sunday for for me a week later. The AG challenge is on! Target time and AG?
Talking of which, I've been very wary of running a 10k time trial (only 1 since Xmas) and today I nudged towards it by running 8k at an intended 4.15 pace.
I didn't have my new fancy dan shoes on and managed 4.16 pace without too much distress. This was a confidence builder as much as a fitness builder, so I was pleased with this as it was sub 43 pace for a 10k.
I asked if long run or racing 1/2 would be more beneficial... answer race, so gunning for that PB
I like running new areas and "getting lost", you find some great additional running routes to mix it up ! So it wasn't a wrong turn Cal it was exploring new ground...
Interesting to see the outcome of John vs Hazel now
John, excellent job there. It's not easy to do a time trial outside of a race or parkrun.
I'm not a great explorer - I tend to plot out new routes in advance and will sometimes load them to my watch (just a breadcrumb map which can lead you astray). Or I might take my phone but get annoyed if I have to stop to navigate too often.
Marathon training can't stop for the 10k unfortunately - I will be racing untapered other than a couple of recovery days beforehand. (getting in the excuses already). Yesterday's run was therefore a speedwork session with 5 x 600m (250 jogged recoveries). As usual I found it hard work and pace wasn't too great. Got it done though. 8miles in total.
Once I have marathoned and recovered I should likely look into doing regular speedwork rather than just avoiding it all the time.
Hazel, well I talk a good game but in a one off challenge it's all about performing on the day, so who knows? I've got no clue what the course is like so it could be nearer 45 minutes.........,(or worse).
Cal, oh no, I'll miss you!! I'm doing Fareham as I'm visiting my sisters both of whom live in Hampshire.
Worthing is
- dead flat
- crowded at the start but when you get to the pier it opens up nicely
- lop sided: the turn isn't quite half way and and the 'back' is longer than the 'out'
-this is usually good news when there's a westerly wind: it blows you home
- but tomorrow will be a NE wind I think (yuk!)
- If you want a novelty warm up, run around the pier as there are great views east and west
- dont get intimidated by the flying machines that this PR sometimes attracts
- if you are getting a lift Waitrose is a good place to park: ten mins walk to prom and free for 2 hours
Don't on any account speak to the locals. They are all horrible!😁
Looking forward to hearing what you think. I'm quite proud of the place so please be gentle.
PS on your right as you go out there a building called the Dome. It is I think the oldest working cinema in the country and a bit of a gem.
And what a shame I wont be there to say hi.