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Hard Marathon Training with Mike Gratton
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Message for Duck Girl.
Am runner living in Swansea. Have just done my 1st Marathon in Florence this year. Have now entered hamburg. What running clubs are in this neck of the woods?
Thanks
I don't live here most of the year, as I'm a student in York.
In Bridgend (1/2way to Cardiff) there's Bridgend AC & Brackla Harriers (they'll both come up on Google). When home I run with Bridgend AC, which meets Mondays & Thursdays (joint session with Welsh Tri squad) & has a large junior but smaller senior side.
A better place to ask might be the Cwmafan 10k thread since I'm quite a long way from Swansea without a car. I would put in a plug for Bridgend though - it has fantastic running surrounds, Merthyr Mawr dunes & beach through to Porthcawl are tremendous, & the clifftop run from Southerndown throgh to Llantwit Major direction is utterly awesome. If you don't drive, running from the station to the dunes etc is good once you get out of town, & makes a fantastic long run (I'm home at the moment ultra training).
Enjoy!
Mike, I've managed to fit in just over 70 miles in 5 days with the intention of taking tomorrow and Christmas Day off to rest for my 10k on Boxing Day. I was tired this morning and instead of trying to run hard for 1 min, easy 1 min I just did 10*100m's at the end of my run on the track, does that sound ok and is having 2 complete rest days sensible before a 10k?
Thanks!
I only take one when my body can take no more - it'll be about 18 in total this year.
FAS-I didn't take 2 days off before all my races, I normally take the penultimate day and then do 3-5 miles easy the day before. I've also done races where I've done a run in the morning and raced in the evening, but these are more hard training runs and I don't really care what time I get. If however I want a chance of getting a good time, for me, then I like to feel my legs are rested. My training this week has been quite hard going, coupled with the hassle of arranging things for Christmas and having all my young adult family home has left me a bit more drained than usual.
Our club doesn't do anything on Christmas Day, but they do meet on Boxing Day and then we have a Hare & Hounds run on the 28th, which is always good fun with everyone wearing silly hats-the best gets a prize. Then it's off to a pub to socialise and eat:o)
I can run on Christmas Day, but it's normally the one day I do plan to take off as I'm always to the one to cook the dinner!:o( This year though I'll do what Mike suggests and welcom the 30 mins run away from the kitchen!
BR-don't you ever think to yourself I'll do 3 weeks then have a days rest? I often plan in the odd day as a reward to myself and normally really enjoy that odd day. I might go to have my hair done (I do this anyhow, but it's better when it's on a run rest day:o) or I'll just laze around reading or hit the shops for girly things, lots of things to do on planned rest days!:o)
It just occurred to me that the days of the week and dates are exactly the same for 2004 & 2005 as for 1982 & 1983, and the LM marathon in 1983 was April 17th – very weird but very handy for revealing my 1983 diary!
I can’t guarantee that doing the same training as me will result in you winning the marathon – but hopefully it will bring you personal success. Happy New Year & best of luck to all in 2005.
HARD TRAINING (once a day - sessions to miss in brackets)
Sun 26 Dec: am 2hrs 30mins steady, pm (30-40 mins easy)
Mon 27 Dec: (am 30-40 mins steady), pm 30 mins Tempo Run (85% MaxHR – 15 min warm-up & cool-down)
Tue 28 Dec: (am 30-40 mins steady), pm 1 hr steady
Wed 29 Dec: (am 30-40 mins steady), pm 1hr 30 mins steady.
Thu 30 Dec: (am 30-40 mins steady), pm 40 mins hill circuits – 10 mins warm-up/cool down.
Fri 31 Dec: (am 30-40 mins steady), pm 1 hr steady.
Sat 1 Dec: (am 30-40 mins), pm <1 hr steady.
MIKES 1983 SCHEDULE (diary notes in brackets)
Sun 26 Dec: am Boxing Day parlauf relays – Folkestone sea front 3 x approx. 700mts road/4 mins recovery (1.50, 1.49, 1.55), pm 9 miles steady.
Mon 27 Dec: am 8 miles (6min/mile pace), pm 14 miles (5.30min/mile pace)
Tue 28 Dec: am 5 miles easy, pm 11 miles (fast around Wembley)
Wed 29 Dec: am 6 miles steady, pm 11 miles road.
Thu 30 Dec: am 6 miles steady – travel to Cheltenham, pm 18 miles fast (intended to do 10 miles fast but got lost!).
Fri 31 Dec: am 7 miles XC over Cotswolds, pm no training (travelling back to Wembley)
Sat 1 Dec: am 8 miles (quick pace), pm 7 miles steady.
(Note: raced on Sun 2 Jan, Essex Beagles XC relay – Fastest leg Colin Reitz 13.48, 2nd Eamonn Martin 13.59….4th MG 14.01.)
Looks like the best position the rest of us can hope for is 12th!
BTW I am also a '3/4 heavy weeks 1 lighter week' trainer. If I don't do this my legs become more & more fatigued.
Discount Kannouchi, El Mouziz & Pinto, they're past there best, a couple of drop outs and a no-show or two and a top 5 place could be possible Wardi!
For Pantman
MG is 12th at present.
Just getting ready to go off for my 10k race now-me nervous, never:o)
later!
No snow here, but a bit of ice around. Although for the 10k the conditions were very good.
Didn't feel good at any stage of this race. My legs were heavy jelly weights! Struggled to keep going, but focussed counting off the 4 laps of the lake.
Still, got a pb of 30 secs finishing in 41:36 and as it was off a 74 mile week I think that's good going for me!
Last race of the year and a prize for 2nd f35-trophy, wine and hand care set.
I've achieved pb's over all distances in the last 6 months, lots of thanks to Mike for his advice, which has helped me achieve this! I hope there's more to come in 2005!:o)
Well done, that's a great time particularly as you are building your mileage up again.
I'm sure the next 6 months will be as good as the last
Mike T
12th is some placing on the all-time list Mike!
How's you own training going as I read somewhere you're doing a couple of races at the beginning of 2005?
- not that I would want anyone to think that I was trying to copy Mike training too precisely! Am I correct in having a dim memory of reading that you also hail from those parts, Mike, and so, like me relative-visiting over Christmas ?
I then managed to finish my run. Everybody was concerned when I got in because I only expected to be gone an hour and I had been gone about 2 and a 1/2.
Not what I expected for a Christmas morning run.
My wife comes from Wembley TmR - Preston Road - and I did a fair amount of training around there or over on Hampstead Heath. My main training was around Canterbury where I was teaching at the Arichbishops School (not as posh as it sounds, just a Church Secondary Modern).
Well done Hilly, great end to the year - an much more to come in 2005 I think.
Yep, ranked 12th on the all-time list. Never got to be GB no. 1. I nearly got it in 1983 as my 2.09.43 stood up for nearly the whole year. Hugh Jones was 2nd in Chicago with 2.09.45 and I thought that was it I would finish the year on top - then Geoff Smith ran faster in New York on his debut.....I think I am the fastest 29 year old still!
Getting back slowly Hilly, 30-35 min runs at the moment. I'm not often this unfit, but a few years ago made myself run around the Canterbury 10miles in January - did about 78 mins, but by the end of the summer was running 6 min miles again. It's getting started that is the hardest thing....it's hard to accept running 78 min for 10 miles when your PB is 47!
tim
I had an awful long run today though. It took me 3hrs 42 mins to do 20 miles off road. The terrain was bad with bogs, mud, hills etc, but my legs didn't feel recovered from previous runs and I also had really tight calves and right hamstring. I'm not going to run this afternoon like I have been doing after my long runs as I thing rest would be better. Some days running is so hard, other days feel great!
I can imagine it is very hard running much slower than the times you've achieved in your career! But, I'm sure if you can get yourself training consistently again you're still capable of some good times. You just have to set yourself new goals. Nobody can take away what you achieved and for many they will never experience that achievement either! Wouldn't you like to see what you could achieve now you're a few years older:o)