Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
My #asics262 Journey to Paris: Sub 4 James
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
First time in ages I popped into the gym this morning. Spent a short spell on the bike and then a few core exercises. Snuck today's cycle in this way and also conscious I had too much kit to fit on the bike! Feeling remarkably good today after yesterday's long run. In fact I feel better than most Mondays of recent!
James - Good work on your 18m, great pace as well. Yes, I am racing at Eton Dorney on the 15th, I think Malcs is also. Make sure you come and say hello! Shame about the shin. Is it something you have had before? Sam may well be able advise how you train on it. Not got any plans for any MTB this year, need to be a bit safer before I trust myself to race against others! I will be racing triathlons as of May. Not sure which one will be the first of the season.
Sophie - Well Done on your 16 miles, I am sure it was a welcomed relief from painting! Intervals tomorrow!
Ashley - You and I seem to come out at nearly exactly the same pace after every long run! Good work. I am a fan of out and backs, especially on the lsr. Not the world's best planner of distances hence my over mileage on a few of these!
Seren - You have had a great weekend, congratulations. I am sure you are really happy with all those placings. It took me nearly 6months of research before I bought my mountain bike. Looking forward to getting on it again soon! Blew out a tyre last outing. Fixing the tubeless tyres took some YouTube research!
Hi Sam,
thanks for this week's updated plan. Seems pretty gentle after last week's! I have sent you over the summary for last week which I am sure you already have. If I was to fit a cycle in on Weds, would it be a problem?
Great pace James! I'm a fan of out-and-back, a downside is you limit yourself on new places to run/things to see. With my 20 coming up I'm trying to think of new places to run. My other half is a fan of just dropping me off and letting me find my way home (not sure how to take that!).
12 LSR for me yesterday, it was all XC and just over 2 miles in knee/shin deep water. My pace suffered because of it, not to mention my fairly new trainers!
I have had a niggle on the ball of my right foot for a couple of days, i think it's just wear and tear of mara training - although yesterday's ice cold river water helped a bit!
Hi James,
no problem to fit in a cycle on Weds. D'you reckon you'll be itching to do more this week, then?! Will be good to feel like you are chomping at the bit by end of week 9 before we unleash you on the half marathon course
Evening Hannay, I do like the idea of going and exploring new places when out for a run. Training on las doesn't do it for me. My wife can run the same course time and tim again, I don't know how she doesn't get bored! Sounds like your xc run yesterday was very similar to mine a couple of weeks ago.
Sam - I am fine with taking a rest day on Weds. Happy to save the legs for the 15th!
James - turns out it's not really the shins but the tendinitis in the knee. I pick up a quite a few niggles because I have an imbalance between the left and right side of my body. This is new though. Went to see my sports therapist this evening and she's given me a few exercises. Going to replace all my runs this week with swims, hopefully I'll get a decent run in on Sunday.
Hoping to be fit for the half. Aim was to go sub-1.50 for the first time, but might need to treat it as another training unless the knee gets better quickly. Will definitely come and say hi.
Good luck to everyone this week.
James - just popping in to say well done on your 18 miler at the weekend! Sounds like you paced it really well.
Nice planning to have the easier bit at the end too. This is something I screw up on a regular basis. Like Ruth, I'm a loop fan but I all my loops seem to be hard at the end no matter which way I run them
Sam - good to hear you're feeling better!
James L - wow, just looked up your site, that is quite some challenge!
Got out for a good 7m today - intervals ended up 7x800m @ 7:15mm . Was meant to be 6 must have been tired when setting up the Garmin workout.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/440572205
I am making a few changes to this week's plan, I have had Sam's approval!
Wed 6M easy
Thu 7M: 2M easy, 3M at (7.20-7.30) threshold pace, 2 M easy
Fri Rest
Sat Rest
Sun 9M VERY EASY OFF ROAD (or at least mixed terrain)
I may actually run the 9m on Sat rather than Sun. Will see how the end of the week works out.
Ruth - I am eating more regularly during the day and I can feel the difference come the evening. Not quite so ravenous by meal time. Will go with the race day plan on the 15th and will follow your advice for mealtime on the 14th.
Malcs - many thanks. Was pleased with the pacing on Sunday. The route took a bit more thought that on other runs! Looking forward to the Race your Pace. Touch wood, I will have shifted this cold and be raring to go!
James - good news that the pain isn't anything too sinister. A bit of less impact exercise should put you right.
Adrian - good work on the long run - by the end of my 18m it was def a bit of a mind game convincing my body it was feeling fine!
Hi James, sorry to hear you have a cold... I was struggling last week but managed to get through the week with basic mileage and feel much better this week, so hopefully it will be the same for you!
Morning!
Good work on the intervals and hope the cold doesn't linger for too long. I did the interval session last night in the freezing wind and rain. I half expected to wake up with a cold this morning!
I ended up doing 7 x 800 as well as I went a different route, got a bit lost and ended up running a total of 7.4 miles so thougt it best to chuck another interval in to liven it up!
Apologies, have been crazily busy and still fighting the cold which isn't helping. 2 runs to update you with:
Wednesday's
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/441041438
Thursday's
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/441385953
I can safely say I felt pretty rubbish on both of them. Cold wasn't helping and the energy levels are noticeably down. No running now until Sunday due to BUPA assessment tomorrow. Probably a good opportunity to shift this cold.
Another strange niggle that seems to be persisting is in my left elbow??? The running def make it sore, any ideas?
James
Make sure if miles are going up you are eating enough? Hopefully just the cold making the runs so hard??
Elbow - not a common running niggle as far as I know ....Sam???
Morning all,
it feel like then end of the week is much better than the start. Have now shift the cold and have done run left for week 8. Today it will be a very easy 9m. Was meant to be off road but not sure how much of it will need to be on the road due to the awful rather of the last 24hrs. I guess I will find out a bit later.
On Friday evening, I was lucky enough to have a full BUPA fitness assessment. The information that I received at the end of a 2hr assessment was incredible. I was pleasantly surprised. It started pretty well with the fat percentage; back in December when we visited the Asics store I was horrified that mine was 18%! That information alone made for a Christmas of restraint. However on Friday it had dropped down to 13.8%, the slowest I think it has ever been in my adult life! James, my fitness assessor put this down to the range of training I was doing, and the fact that it was so well tailored to me personally. Also the eating habits that Ruth has spent the last 2 months persuading me to adopt. Sam and Ruth, well done!
It was the first time I had undertaken a VO2 test. After establishing my lung capacity was close to 6 litres, we were ready to go. Lots of ECG pads stuck on and a respirator in my mouth made for a interesting if somewhat scary sight. The incremental increases whilst on the bike where comfortable to start with but after 10mins it was incredibly difficult! The outcome however was very good, y assessor was particularly impressed and said my body had the potential to handle endurance spots pretty well. A final VO2 score of 50.6 was a great end to a pretty full on day.
I am more than happy to post up my full health report if it is of interest to anyone or if anyone is interested in undertaking one themselves.
A big thank you to James at Canary Wharf Bupa centre.
Great progress on the fitness and body composition James!
Yeah, they're 'fun', VO2 max tests, aren't they? We used to do them at uni and have a mattress positioned behind the treadmill just in case someone flew off the back as they maxed out!
Sorry to hear you've had a cold - all my charges have been in the wars this week, one way or another. Gareth with his troublesome shin, Isabel with gastric flu and now you with a man cold!!
I'm making a few adjustments to the remaining 8 weeks of the plan, which I'll post shortly. Don't worry if you didn't venture off road today - I realise it's tricky in these conditions. We had a group long run today - 14 of us - we went and marked the route with pink ribbons last night, but a few had blown away by this morning! I took it easy - parked my bike at the far end of the route so I cycled back and could check in with everyone and not be tempted to do too far after 2 weeks off....
Fitness assessment sounds really interesting. Not sure I'd want to know what my fat % is! I'd definitely be interested in seeing what is included in the full health report.
Hope your run went well today. I ran 10 miles today, first run this week. Enjoyed my swims this week, but it's not quite the same as running. Knee is feeling ok and looking forward to the half marathon next week, although not sure I'm in PB condition.
How did everyone's runs go this weekend?
When I see all the hard work and training everyone else is putting in, I understand why you're all improving so much, whilst I will probably still take longer than 4 hours for the marathon. I really admire you all. Whilst I might not be doing the hard work, I am enjoying my running, was pleased I ignore the met office warnings and headed to the S.Devon Coast for a CTS half marathon, despite the mud it was one of their easier events, and whilst the wind was tough on the way out, we got blown back
, it was even sunny most of the time! An awesome event. Maybe I'll try doing some more structured training soon 
Evening all,
have had a good couple of rides on the bike today, equating to 20miles. Nothing too strenuous as I want to save the legs for Sat.
These are the splits for yesterday's 9m - easy pace throughout.
http://connect.garmin.com/splits/442761675
Sam - I think the ma cold is def on the way out. Glad I had it last week rather than this week! The 9m was mostly on road, I did venture round the park which was like a swamp so didn't spend too long there.
James - good to hear you're back on form. Will see you at Dorney on Sat.
McHilly - Those CTS races sound more and more punishing each time you race. Def will try and squeeze a couple I next year. I can just imagine how strong the winds were along the coast. Great effort.
Ruth - I am eating enough, much better spread of meals over the day now. It does make a noticeable difference. Not on my knees with tiredness so early.
Week 9 - adapted sessions
Mon CYCLE
Tue 5M of 1M jog, then 4 x 1000m at between 5-10km speed (4.20-4.30 per rep), with 2min30 secs jog recoveries, 1M jog
Wed 4 miles easy (or rest/cycle of feeling tired)
Thu 6M out and back: out in steady pace bracket, and aiming to get back 30-90 seconds quicker.
Fri Rest
Sat RACE YOUR PACE HALF MARATHON plus w-up/cooldown (14)
Sun 5 MILES VERY EASY
Evening James
This Friday would be a prefect time to try a one day carb load and Saturday morning race day breakfast?
James (and James), I'll keep an eye out too, as I'm at Dorney also
good luck for the half on Saturday james. I have a half the weekend after but not sure what to do about the long runs. Only did 9 miles at the weekend ( due to wind and floods) but 18 weekend before. Feel like I should go long this weekend but not sure how long as half mara weekend after . Any advice would be gratefully recieved
Morning,
5m intervals ticked off the list. Today was 1m warm up, 4x1000m at 5/10k pace with 2:30min recoveries, then a 1m cool down. Felt much better than this time last week! Thank goodness.
Ruth - I will carb load on Friday and then Sat morning race breakfast. Shall I carb load using the drinks or solids?
Rachel - see you on Saturday!
Ashley - This may answer your questions if you are thinking about the long run and how it fits in. This is my proposed plan for week 10 - Sam may still want to amend. I think I may be running Tuesday's session in the Cotswolds, not sure that much of the area is flat. Could see the session leaving me in tatters.
WEEK TEN w/c 17 Feb (approx 40M)
Mon CYCLE
Tue 8 M WINDERS session. Warm-up 1-2 miles then 5 x 1 mile at threshold pace bracket with 90 second recoveries. But here's the challenge: each one needs to be a tiny bit faster than the last! 1 mile easy cooldown
Wed REST
Thu 6M easy
Fri 6M of 1M easy, then 4M at marathon pace, then 1M easy
Sat REST
Sun 20M very easy
Hey James,
Sounds like you are doing really well with training! I've just been reading through your posts and I think I'm having some issues that you have had with food. It gets to the evening and I am starving! Have you been eating more every day? Or just on longer run days? Was hoping to lose a bit of weight with this marathon training and worried I'll eat too much
Any advice on how much you are eating would be great
Keep up the good work!
thanks Sam for the advice ,running Manchester on 6 april so think I 'll be going long this weekend fromm what you say.
James,
Could you have a look through the carb load plan below as you may find the volume too much compared you what you usually eat, even with a high amount as liquid. I never usually recommend fruit juice on a day to day basis as whole fruit is always best for teeth and sugar content but for the sake of carb load can be useful!
Breakfast: 70g of cereal with 200-250ml of skimmed milk) & 300ml glass of fruit juice with large banana
Mid-morning: 1 litre of high juice/cordial/fruit smoothie & cereal bar between breakfast & lunch
Lunch: Sandwiches (4 slices of thick bread/two large rolls) with one meat/fish filled sandwich and one banana sandwich. 2 slices of malt loaf.
Mid-afternoon: Between lunch and dinner a further 1 litre of high juice or fruit juice & 5 jaffa cakes or two slices of pre-sliced malt loaf.
Evening meal: 100g cooked rice or pasta with tomato based sauce and large glass of lemonade and fresh orange.
Supper: bowl of cereal & 2 slices of thick bread with jam or honey
Hi Ruth. What would you recommend on the morning of the race?