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Hard Marathon Training with Mike Gratton
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End of week 4 of my marathon training.
I ran a pleasing 1 hr 15 min marathon pace run Saturday. I ran at 152-153 bpm for the first 20 mins before increasing the pace to 156-157. It is supposed to be 160 but I have a bit of trouble maintaining that by myself. It was a bit windy which made it harder. My pulse only dropped to the low 150's a couple of times when I lost concentation.
I still do not feel as smooth at marathon pace as I would like. I think in a few weeks it will feel better as I start to gain the benefits of the faster speedwork. It will make the slower marathon paced work feel easier. It will also help with my cadence.
I tried to use the cyclists on the cycle paths as a goal to help me on the way. Two weeks time I will run a 1 hr 30 pace run.
Today I ran 2hrs, and did not feel too bad. The most encouraging fact was that if I completed the route I had planned I would of finished it in 1hr 51, which is 4-6 mins faster than a few months ago at the same effort..
A total of 50 miles this week, 90 for the forthcoming week. The most for a couple of years.
No news here either. Been to France for two weeks - some ticking over runs in the heat but swimming every day which was fantastic with half IM in 6 weeks time.
Back on the bike yesterday and got a nice bit of cyclist's sunburn and 40m under my belt.
SC the turbo is a good workout as you don't get to coast. You will flatten the tyre on your bike eventually but I wouldn't worry. I'm sure it'll be cheaper to buy a new tyre a little more regularly than to buy a spare wheel, let alone the aggro of changing wheels each time you want to ride. You'll see the profile of your tyre become a little more square shouldered and will have to use your judgment when to change it.
Realised I had the highlights of FLM on my Skyplus last nght so watched 10 mins and had forgotten how wet it got. It pi$$ed down didn't it!
Hi Ebenezer, good luck in your half IM. Re FLM Rain...yep, I look like a drowned rat in the photos and they have an interesting soft focus grainy finish! Got some good ones from the Stroke Association though (the official ones were pretty C...P) so I may actually add it!
Hope things are going well for everyone. I managed a very hot run yesterday at tempo pace, so when I get out there it is not too bad.
Feeling jaded! That's what 5 days of Cornwall Hills does to you.
Absolutely bleedin knackered...can't find any flat ground anywhere (apart from running in a stiff 25mph wind along the soft, sandy beach - just as hard). I reckon an 80 mile week here equates to 100+ back up north.
Indian Queens Half on sunday...thinking of a hard run tomorrow and then feet up for 2 days.
I did do the first interval session of MG's schedule yesterday on 400m of mild hill (ie, 1:17 down, 1:22 up) and that went OK...so I'm definately in 2:40 marathon form right now....well, I did 16x400m at "10k pace" and I could have done a few more I reckon.
Just need to keep injury at bay for the next 8 weeks.
Lord Didsbury saw you where entered for queens half,hopefully you'll enjoy this course more than the old one?.
New course this your as flat as you can find down this way,a couple of small hills.
Full course info on event thread.
Kessman - yes, a little disappointed to be quite honest!
Did the Polzeath to Delabole and back annual pilgrimage (it's the Bill Adcock marathon kick-start run, for anyone who's read his book).
Compared pace v heart rate from 2 years ago (prior to a 2:43 marathon) and am running 17 secs/mile faster. Plus, it was a bit windy today.
So, am hoping that puts me at 2:36 marathon pace....erm, on paper that is, since my next marathon is Anglesey and it ain't flat there!
My calves are burning and I've finally figured out why.
3 weeks ago I started a new Matt Fitzgerald plan and started to add in some plyometrics, but after doing just 2x15 split squat jumps as part of a Thursday morning routine I had to take 3 days off to let my calves recover from the trauma. Fortunately I had 2 days at the AAA/Olympic trials, so I still had plenty of athletics to keep me sated (and was able to watch my friend get through the 800m heats on Saturday into the the B final on Sunday where she finished 5th - she took up running 4 years ago and has been doing 10ks - fast but hardly national standard - and then tried some track races late last year and 'discovered' that she's got a natural talent for middle distance - 2:07 - what a star!)
Anyhow, my calves had finally settled down so yesterday morning I tried the plyometrics again, this time a little more cautious with just 10 single leg squat jumps each leg. The result: again my calves are burning. I didn't run last night and I won't be able to run tonight so it's on the bike for me. I'm hoping my calves may have settled in time for the Sunday run.
I was puzzled, thinking surely plyometrics can't be that damaging, but I think I've worked out the problem. Those last 2 Thursday morning sessions were done at home without a proper warmup, to save time as I've got a bit of a commute at the moment. The lack of proper warmup may have been a factor, but I reckon the real reason is that I did the session bare-foot. Bad idea!
Beware the power of bare-foot plyometrics!
Good luck with Anglesey Dids. Let's hope you can find some paper to run on!
Did the Indian Queens Half (Cornwall) this morning. A superb event.
I was 2 mins outside a PB, but it's not the fastest course in the world, so I think I'm reasonably happy.
Righto...off to look at the Rick Stein Fish Restaurant menu (if it' online). We've foolishly agreed to go with friends tomorrow night, but now I'm told it might be pricey.
Can't see why - it's not as if fish is a rare commodity round there.
...and just had a quick look.
I think, I hope, I pray that we are booked into the Cafe and not the Restaurant. What's the difference? About £40/meal!
I will start planning a lame excuse just in case.
He owns, in this price order:
a hotel
a restaurant (probably more expensive than the hotel)
a cafe
a chipshop
a bakery
...and I've just done that from memory, so maybe a pub and souvenir shop are also in there. We've been to the chippy before and they are more expensive than your average greasy high-st...and very busy.
Padstow is an horrendous place during the day. Thousands upon thousands of people cramming into a handful of shops serving pasties and junk. There's not a square inch around the harbour without a fat tourist occupying it.
With punters so concentrated, it's a little goldmine for Old Rick.
Hi Dids
Well done i say !!
Well build me up and the knock me down!...
I just spoke to the FLM office to ask about my champ application and the possibility of having to put in a GFA application before the deadline. I was told by the guy that 3:15:18 would get me a championship place - whoopee! Then, there was some mumbling and a "Oh, hang on a bit". I was then told that this year 3:15:18 would not be good enough. Boooo!
I half suspected this as I reckon the good conditions would have meant lots of fast times.
There's clearly been a change of policy this year. I reckon his colleague must have been making signals across the office when he heard him tell me I was OK, and hence the rapid backtrack.
My pointing out all the time I lost behind the Maasai warriors didn't seem to make any difference.
No pressure on the Gosport Half Marathon then! Hmm
Hi Susie, that was a roller-coaster ride I bet! Good luck in Gosport
I have not put in an application for GFA yet as life is so chaotic and I might not even be in this country. At the moment the training lurches from all or nothing with whatever I can fit in. However, in spite of all the stress, my resting heart rate is coming down so I must be getting something right even on 3 runs a week. 2008 is not a good year!
Hope things work out for you Tootie. GFA closes this month some time - it's earlier than past years.
I had another disappointment on Wednesday night with the prize structure of the prom 5k. Despite finishing 5th overall (or maybe 6th - I've not seen the results yet) and 2nd in my category for the series I didn't receive a prize. There were only first place prizes in each category. I'm W45 but the prize for W40 went to a woman I've beaten in every race of the series. In most other race series, Jane the W45 winner would have been bumped up to W40, or possibly W35 as I think she may have beaten the winner of that cat too, and I would have got the W45 prize (or possibly the W40). Ho hum.
Ebenezer - thanks for that. I'm finding the turbo-training really useful to get my HR up as I still can't run more than 2 miles without extreme pain in the ITB/knee area. Actually, I only got back from my hols in Southwold, my ancestral homelands, visiting my Aged parent on Sunday night, and I couldn't do any turbo-training there, so I walked, ran a bit, lifted weights like billy-o and swam of course. But the main exercise there last week was dodging the media who were pursuing Gordon Brown, Ed Balls, Prince Charles and Camilla who had all heard that cos I was there it was a good time to come down. Southwold is getting far too popular with the upper middle-classes and now it's all expensive organic shops and designer clothes shops and restaurants. It's changed so much since I was a wee girl, nearly 50 years ago. It's so crowded with chelsea tractors and hooray Henrys.
So, still no running, much less racing to report from me. Just getting older, but my new hairdo is attracting lots of favourable comments! Must post a new forum pic - I don't look anything like the one one that's up now.
Susie - I meant to say: wait until nearer the date of the FLM to see about blagging an upgrade. Every year loads of those who have got guaranteed champs start places get injured or are unable to take them up - the attrition rate is high. Mike G adivsed me to blag an upgrade in 2005: I had a time of 3:16:40 from Copenhagen in 2004, and I asked about an upgrade 7 weeks before the 2005 event and got one. So try again nearer the time.
Tootie - I have a splendid suntan from my week in Southworld - I generally manage to pick the sunniest week of the year!
I have tried to change my forum pic but it won't let me: I think Windows Vista has something to do with it. Still my Facebook profile has an up-to-date picture.
Well I managed to sort out the blocked pop-ups which were preventing me uploading a new picture. But can I work out how to compress my picture to 12kb? Can I hell? The only compressor I could find would shrink it to 13.2kb, but that's not small enough. So, I am consigned to be remembered with my Annie Lennox crop - albeit in my fitter days.
Off to see a sports injury specialist tomorrow in frustration at no progress with my ITB problem, despite copious self-treatment.
Good luck tomorrow....I too fail to shrink it down to fit, hence the fact I remain resolutely unrecognisable. But it is more Shirley Temple (who? says anyone younger than me!) than Annie Lennox in my case, though I could lie like mad and go for Catherine Zeta Jones who bears no resemblance to me in any department.
At least I've managed to throw some energy into cross-training. Thankfully the bike seems to be OK, I'm doing lots of spinning and also discovered I might be quite good at rowing - I'm seriously considering an intensive beginner's course (4 weeks, 4x/wk) with the rowing club at Island Gardens (Poplar, Blackwall and District Rowing Club) which takes place next month. I've never rowed in a proper boat before, could be quite exciting! And if I lose 3kgs or so I'd officially be a 'Lightweight'.
Next running race scheduled is the half-marathon starting at the O2 in October. My plan before then is to keep as aerobically fit as possible and tentatively try out the running again in a few weeks. We'll see...
Hello all:
not been around for a while and I've not read back yet, but it looks as if things are quite slow on here at the moment.
Very quick update.....Race the Train on saturday, so off to North wales tomorrow and looking forward to the usual "plenty of rain" as always seems to happen over there.
I'm looking forward to it as training feels as though it's been going in the right direction, I even managed a pb in the club time trial last week. I am expecting to beat it, but not by much!
Good luck to Paula in the marathon! it looks as though I'm going to miss it though!!!
evenin/mornin all....
last day of hols tomorrow. last day of endless hills.
Got loads of good, very hard sessions in the past three weeks as I'm now right in the middle of the bastard part of Gratton's peaking weeks. I have just about come to terms with 5 tough sessions/week now.
Comfortably did 20x400m at 5:25 pace this morning which makes me feel that a 2:37 marathon is on.
Only thing is the amazing amount of injuries I am getting. Two very painful calf-injuries, a sore hip, the long standing toe injury, a minor knee injury and now a rather worrying ankle injury. So far, I've only missed 5 days in the last month due to them. I'm going through a lot of ice and iboprofen but have been lucky with the swiftness of getting back running.
v-festival this weekend....so may have a booze up.
Veeeery quiet on here. Just checking in to say I did my first proper distance run last week - 13.1m as part of my half IM training. Not fast but felt okay and it was nice to have that beaten up feeling that only running but not biking can give you.
Been up at 3am the last two days to watch the Oly Tri - feeling a touch jaded now.
Philpub Thanks for your sympathy and sorry to hear you've suffered similar. It's May 25th since I last ran properly, and it's still not improving. Am off for "stripping" treatment to my ITB on Friday, which I understand is very painful - just the way I like it! Rowing is a good sport - my ex-husband was a rower and rowers are in my opinion, some of the fittest people about. My ex is teaching our son to row (aged 13) at the moment, as he can't run either because of Sever's disease (aka growing pains) in his ankles poor lamb. He's enjoying it, but there's a lot of technique to learn before you can race.
Lord D My daughter has just returned from the V festival and seems to have enjoyed it.
As for me - I'm suffering a touch of the multiple disaster syndrome. I saw my son off back to Edinburgh at London City Airport on Sunday night, had a cheese and ham baguette at "Eat" there for my tea as I had no food in the house, as usual. Then at 4 am I woke up feeling terribly nauseous. I then proceeded to be sicker than ever before in my life for the next 3 hours and felt feverish. I caught sight of my face in the mirror and I looked like death - grey-skinned, clammy and haggard. I felt so frightened (I was on my own of course), I rang 999 and got an ambulance at 7:30 am, fearing I was dying. They took me to hospital, put me on a drip and did various tests. In the end they thought it was a virus, and I have been very weak and feverish ever since, at home in pjs and dressing gown. No exercise beyond making cups of fruit tea. My daughter has visited, bringing fruit and making smoothies for me. Still, there are worse times to be sick than when the Olympics is on TV all day...
Hope I'm well enough by Friday to go and get this intense pain inflicted on my right ITB!
Hello All,
I have just finished a 5 week block of training. I am now having an easier week. Last Sunday I did an approx 30k marathon pace run. I felt tired, a bit stiff and sore Monday & I struggled to run 8 min miles whilst out and about. Better today and managed 4 x 1.5 miles reps. I normally do these on an undulating circuit round a local park, but did them on the track this eveming.
I was only running about 8.30 for them. The session was tiring but my legs still lack bounce after Sunday.
Just under 4 weeks before the marathon, so more speedwork and fine tuning. I have one more race, a 10k a week Saturday. It is the same course that I ran on in March & June, so it will be interesting to see if I have made any more progress. I hope so.
SC - I hope your ITB session bore fruit.
Take care all.
I'm here (but shouldn't - not quick enough)
signed
A Lurker