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I think they say endurance before speed...?
When I was increasing my long runs for the half in Oct I had plenty of time (like you do) to build up to full race distance and then go down an bit and then back up.
From the achievement side of things I think I was happier knowing I had run 13 miles in my training rather than the time I was running it in.
Which races are you doing?
I'm planning to do the Jack Crawford Memorial 10K in January and the Reading Half in March. So, like you said Jen, I have a bit of time.
I'll aim for 15 miles then. Makes sense and also I would feel more confident knowing that I'd run beyond the required distance in training.
Ta for the advice
Sam
I see it as an incentive to run faster, get it over and done with. I can cope with rain, wind etc, if I have to but doesn't mean I want to several times a week.
Anyway, must think of the old complexion, don't want to look too weathered and crinkly...
Also, for me, it's not only because of the weather I use the treadmill, I like to be able to track progress very accurately, have bespoke programmes and getting a pb is as much about tactics as actual running, conditioning I find I am able to transfer onto the road. For example, I'm good at judging speed.
As for using the treadmill to track progress acurately, I'm afraid treadmills are not always that accurate. Also, there are such things as running tracks and watches for accurate training along with other devices such as Speed/distance monitors and heart rate monitors. But as I say each to their own!:o)
Oh, before I forget there's also great creams these days for the skin:o)
I use a daily protection cream by Green People as it has an SPF of 15 but it seems to "melt" and run into my eyes!!
With that in mind, it's worth looking at the length of your second longest run as well as the long one. If you could get one or two runs of 8-10m in during the week as well as the long one, you would really feel the benefits. After all, if you can make 10m feel normal, then you only have to work through another three in the half...
I've only just started using a log over the last month. I wasn't sure what to write at first but am getting the hang of it now, I think. How much detail do you include?
Sam, I think it's prob a personal thing how much detail you choose to include as to what you'll find useful to monitor/track - I'll be including stuff like route, distance, pace, HR (resting, highest & average), nature & category of run, how hard/easy it felt, stuff that might've affected the run like weather/temperature/ how I felt generally (eg if tired / stressed or generally fresh) - really anything that might be useful to look back on in a few months' time that might help me to see where I was going right or wrong.
Just to say that I have managed to get out two lunch times in a row this week and am very much back into the swing of things!!! My GPS isn't much of a fan of the park where I am running so I am not entirely sure of the speeds I have been going at. It has been a bit more difficult than I hoped actually but I ran for over an hour today and am doing my speed session tomorrow, X-training on Thursday, run on Friday and Pilates, then long run on saturday and possibly shorter recovery run on Sunday with a huge abs session.
So good to be back out there after a rather unscheduled week off! (only one run and a pilates session last week!).
I have a splitting headache this evening though. I don't tend to get headaches, but when I do they are huge stabbing pains that seem to come like a pulse. Don't sppose anyone has any ideas what it might be? I wondered if it would be related to running (though I haven't had this problem before).
It might have had something to do with a shandy I had with tea. Sometimes I can't cope with the smallest amount of alcohol!
Am going to check the weather and might be out early tomorrow morning now too....
I am going to do a non-flat half on 21st Nov so I know I am not going to get a PB time, I just want to enjoy the race.
However three weeks later I have a 10k I want to do really well in.
I am concerned about tapering for the half because I don't want to lose training time for the 10k and I wonder if I could just approach the half as a training run. I am up to about 13 miles for my long runs at the moment.
Of course I could get carried away with the event, push myself, not achieve what I think I could have achieved if I had tapered, and then end up having to take a week recovery because I pushed too hard.
Then again, if I taper, push, do ok, I will still have to recover because I will have pushed. So pretty much two weeks lost.
Obviously the answer is to restrain myself in the race...... does anyone have experience of this?!?
Sure someone else will tho'
If it's the 10k you're after a PB in then why not do the half, as you say, as a training run and just try to enjoy it.
You can always enter another half later on and go for a good time.
Good luck
Let us know what you decide!
sunday - 8m
monday - 8m with 2 at race pace
tuesday - 7m
wednesday - 7m
thursday - 6m with strides (short fast intervals)
friday - 5m
saturday - 3m
All of this would be run at easy pace except for the faster bits as mentioned.
Basically you have to hit the balance between keeping your legs fresh and not doing so little that you lose your edge. It's very much a personal thing and will relate to the mileage you're used to.
Today was to be my weekend long run 4.5 miles. My 2 x 3mile runs in the week were unusally hard but this a.m. disaster struck. I could not even finish 2 miles without stopping. slinked back home by the back route with my head hung low.
Prep this morning was
rise 6:30 small bowl of bran flakes and sultanas and Glass of apple juice.
Light stretching exercises
2 glasses of water
set off at 7:45
doing a paula by 15 mins later
No sympathy please but any help or explanation would be good
This week I have done:
Monday:5 miles
Tuesday: 7miles
Weds: Speed training over 6 miles
Thurs: yoga
Fri:Xtraining & strengthening and pilates
Sat: 12.5 miles
Feeling on top of the world again and felt confident I could have got another run in somewhere so hopefully I can get to 35-40 miles a week by Christmas.
Steaders - haven't a clue why you might have found this morning difficult. Be careful of stretching before running. Advice tends to be along the lines of not stretching cold muscles. I know you say light stretching so you probably are being careful but I get the impression a fair few people don't stretch before hand. I do a bit of a warm up and some short stretches mostly in my calves because they are the most likely to get tight for me.
Other thoughts - too much water before the run? I think they say that too much water beforehand is more likley to bring on stitch.
Also, the long run is supposed to be slow as it is all about building up endurance. Perhaps you were going at the pace youwould go for the 3 miles runs and not realising?
This morning I had an actimel and a scotch pancake with honey on it before setting off. For supper I had two scotch pancakes with peanut butter to try and give me some energy for the morning, but for long runs I try to make sure I have something little before setting out too. I do some gentle jogging around while my GPS finds a satellite signal and then I am off.
As for half tapering, I took a full week off before my first half. I was concentrating on making sure I worked towards not feeling the dull ache in my legs. Would do some craoss training and very light strangth training but not push myself at all in the week before with my last run a short 4 miles a week before. But that is just me.