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No aching or other issues this morning so 5 recovery miles on treadmill took me to 40 miles for week.
Weather permitting I may have a crack at parkrun next weekend as need a gauge of fitness in advance of Bath half.
I had a good week too - nearly 32 miles. No particular speed focus to any of them just however I feel. Defo feel brisker in the evenings though. Which won't help when I have another crack at a return to sub 20 parkrunning next Saturday (weather permitting).
It wasn't a particularly intense speed session being just 4 reps and it wasn't a maximal session as it had been so long since I'd done one. Equally the 15 was a largely flat route and was low end easy effort so nothing major.
Friday still had me feeling energetic but short of time so I ran a Kenyan Hills style session, with 10 repeats of a quarter mile hill, building the effort up as I went along. Initially I felt apprehensive about doing it after the previous days effort but got well into my stride and really enjoyed the feeling of working hard with good form at the end.
I did a kind of fartlek 5-ish mile run on Saturday and then on Sunday I set off with our club Sunday run. I realised about 7 miles in that I was within striking distance of a Great Run Local 5k event, so, after letting the rest of the group know of my deviation from plan, I put a spurt on and arrived about 20s before the start. I hoped to run 5k around marathon effort, but as I was unfamiliar with the hilly route I held back for the first lap and the lead runner kindly guided me round, before I then I got up to marathon effort for the remaining three laps to finish first in 20.12. It was sparsely attended though, with just 11 doing the 5k (quite a few took the 2k option
The weather forecast is looking good for next weekend and a parkrun. I could be tempted by Pitchcroft but also have a 10 mile race planned for Sunday (training run over a tough course, looking ahead to Bath half, to see whether I can do a bit better at holding half marathon effort).
well done on the weekends running and local run glory. They all seem a bit of a con to me in that regardless of the success of them, The council pay them to organise them.
Spin session for me over lunch as have some physio/sports massage tonight, which I'm hoping will be enough to do away with the final niggles.
Yes, forecast currently looking good for Saturday.
Been ticking along here. Nice easy 10 mile mlr Tuesday, followed with an 8 with 5 and 160bpm yesterday. Despite a few drinks and a late night Wednesday and some strong headwinds it came out 6.42mm, with a 6.31 last mile.
Recovery 5 with strides today then an attempt at Worcester Pitchcroft parkrun in the morning. Conditions look perfect. No idea where my fitness will be. It's one thing knocking out steady efforts, however the discomfort and intensity of an all our 5k is a different matter when you've not come near that sort of effort for some time.
Also been ticking along here, had no chance to run at the beginning of the week so a couple of additional rest days.
Last night was the usual Thursday marathon specific session. This week we attempted one of the BAC sessions as popularised by Steve Way and friends. The session was 20 minutes MP / 5*3mins@5k pace (off 90 secs jog recovery) / 20 minutes MP. It was pretty tough but managed to nail it, although I was hanging on a bit at the end of the 4th rep but pulled myself together for the final rep. The MP stuff came out at 7:07 min/mile for the first set and 6:59 for the second bit, the efforts came out at an average of 5:52 pace so effectively covering just over half a mile in the 3 minutes.
Hopefully a gentle jog out later and then long run on Sunday incorporating the final league cross country race of the season at the Trent Meadows bogfest.
I had a rest day Wednesday after 6 days consecutive running, including 7m mara-ish effort on Tuesday then back at it Thursday for an easy 3.5m at lunch then 8m in the evening with some hard hill reps. I think you need a few of those in your life DT to get used to the 5k effort ! Seems like a decent mara effort session there, similar paces to mine on Tuesday.
I was marshalling at parkrun (not Pitchcroft) this morning and got away with running it too, as I was on tokens. I ran 18.25 for 2nd place making it a fairly stiff effort in the end. It was a muddy, up and down course with not much tarmac so I was pleased to see sub 6 paces drop out at that effort. Hopefully that won't totally ruin me for the race tomorrow.
I see from Connect that there was a thread parkrun frenzy today ...
Nice parkrun, Muddy. What's tomorrow?
I also came 2nd today at Worcester parkrun, but I only had to run 18.26 for it. Pretty surprising outcome and now I now I can do that and not blow up I think I could go harder next time. Annoying to be 2 seconds short of pb but I did finally bag a 75% wava.
Also good so see Charlie, with whom I enjoyed a warm down.
I thought I was destined to be beaten by a girl today as during my warm up Jenny Nesbit was cruising around the park. Thankfully she was on a 10k steady effort.
I wanted sub-20 today at Pitchcroft and I guess I knew I'd get it - I got 20:03 three weeks ago when it was windy and the non-hard bits were v.soggy indeed. So this time out it was a bit soggy still, but no wind. By about half a mile I was stranded. The guy in front was way out, and only one guy overtook me. First mile 6:15 (although I didn't know that!) By now I kind of felt like I was red-lining, but you're meant to feel like that when you're doing a 5k properly, right? Mile 2 dipped a bit at 6:30, but when DT went past me at the turn and I could see how far ahead he was, I attempted to catch him up by running the final half mile in about 1 minute flat. For some reason that didn't work, but I got 6:28 for the last mile for 19:20. Yay! I guess I could train a bit harder and go for sub-19 on this fast course, but I probably won't. I hate getting up early on Saturdays anyway.
Good parkrunning muddy, DT and Charlie. Looking promising for the spring season.
I share Charlie's dislike of early runs but I woke up to such a beautiful morning that I decided to skip breakfast and jog the 3km to Highbury Fields. Also did without tights, jacket, hat and gloves for the first time in ages: be bold, start cold.
It's not an ideal course: undulating, twisty, lots of trees and bollards to avoid plus it's 5 and a bit laps finishing uphill. I found it hard going and was considering quitting after 3 laps. Strangely, it then began to feel easier and I finished quite strongly for a somewhat disappointing 23:01. First in my new age category though
I'd forgotten how hard it is to judge the right intensity for 5k and heart rate stats show that I didn't push hard enough. I need to practise more and maybe do some of those hard hill reps muddy recommends. At least I've finally bitten the bullet and run another "race" so I hope I can push on from here.
Pete, well done on the age group win. It'd hard to adapt to 5k intensity after a week of training too! I'm ashamed to say I was in tights, baselayer, long sleeve and woolly hat, mainly on account of the token duties ahead of me.
Nice to casually go sub 20 Charlie. What would your ideal race time be then ? There's a theory that we are properly warmed up and at our daily peaks around 4pm. Handy for the school run
Cheers all. Yes it was a tough session but I don't think it was too outrageous, there are some monster looking ones on the BAC page which I'm going nowhere near!
Nice parkrunning all round. I find it quite difficult to get in to proper 'race' mode for a parkrun which I think is partially due to the start time (the Battersea Park 10k that started at 8 was hideous). My 5K and 10K PB's come from evening races, although my HM PB is from Edinburgh half which starts at 8am I think.
Had a couple of easy jogs out on Friday and Saturday which seemed to freshen my legs up a bit. Today's 20 miler comprising a 13.5 mile warm up, a 5 mile race through an absolute quagmire and a 1.5 mile cool down went pretty well. Felt reasonable on the start line of the race, took it reasonably steady on the first lap, before picking it up a bit on the second lap and gained about 12 places. Still had my XC shoe son for the coll down so ended up running round some drier parts of the course, which was a bit of a drag. Glad to get the first 20 of the campaign ticked off ad legs feel pretty good so hopefully can have another decent mileage week ahead of the National XC next weekend.
It wouldn't surprise me if I had a doppelganger though Charlie. People say hello to me at races (not just being friendly; like they've not seen me in ages) and when running round Malvern there's a running club I see out sometimes who shout and wave at me. I respond halfheartedly feeling somewhat obliged not to be rude to avoid turning them aginst my doppelganger.
Anyway I was attempting a reasonable facsimile of running north of Birmingham through the Cannock Forest this morning in the Rugeley 10. After spending most of yesterday afty sneezing and blowing my nose, I woke up hoarse and feeling worse for wear so fell back to running at - you guessed it - marathon effort.
It was a very challenging course and my reading of the course profile as 6 up 4 down was quite wrong. It was more like 8 miles on an undulating climb (filled with regrets) and then 2 miles on a very steep downhill at the end just to finish me off. Neither of these miles were much faster than miles in the parkrun yesterday which all goes to show how quickly your body can shut things down. I was 22nd place and 3rd v45 in 1.05.35.
Good 20 miler Tommy, 13.5 as a warm up. Must try that sometime ! I guess it beats trying to do it after the cross country.
Well done on the 10 miler, Muddy. I'll have to make a note never to enter that one.
I have this image of the locals of Malvern heckling and aggresively gesticulating at you whilst you wave calmly at them.
well done on the parkrun, Pete. Hopefully you'll have a taste for racing now?
I decided I needed to get this marathon thing moving today. Having only just built to 15 last week, i decided the obvious thing to do was run a 20. Legs were a touch stiff after yesterday's parkrun (I'm not used to running fast either) so first 5 were a bit clunky but then legs woke up and ended with a pleasant 20 at 7.44mm. After brum Mara I commited to forcing my body to use gels. I managed 4 today and I must say, they make a big difference.
That's a 50 mile week. My family went on holiday today for the week so I'm planning a big training week. My highest ever mileage week is 57. I'm looking to break 60. That'll be 4 decent weeks training so sets me up for a cut back week before Bath half two weeks today.
Good work on the 20, DT. Any reaction in the hip/adductor?
I'm intrigued; was it DT or Muddy or someone who looks like a cross between the two?
Legs feel pretty good today, so should be good for a few easy miles with the club a bit later on.
Well Charlie didn't mention me and it was a matter of me putting my own hat in the ring to claim to be this mysterious runner.
My legs are pretty stiff generally today after yesterday but there is nothing standing out from the problematic area. I guess if it can withstand a 50 mile week with a mp session Thursday, easy run Friday, Parkrun Saturday and a 20 yesterday then it's OK.
Spin night for me. I should probably have a day off running after that 4 day burst.
Off out for a very easy one tonight after nearly 15 miles yesterday.