Good work Carl. All is going well for you. Enjoy the recovery week. Don't do too little though.
I ran 10 miles this morning!
Spoons - well done on the 10 miles this morning. Does this mean you are back in the saddle ?
My weekly total this week was 47 miles which is my biggest running week ever so far. Going through my weekly data I discovered that my watch recorded a 5k PB during my tempo run on Tuesday of 22:31 which was about 40 - 45 seconds faster than my previous PB.
My plan for my recovery week is to broadly follow my usual weekly plan pacewise but reduce my LSR and midweek easy run.
So subject to underfoor conditions improving (as we have had snow all day and have freezing temperatures forecast for tonight) is :
Tues 25 min tempo same as last week (7 miles in total)
Wed 8 mile easy run at 9:15 mm pace
Thurs intervals 4 x 1200 (same overall distance as I did 6 x 800 this week)
Sat - 14 mile LSR (20 miles this week)
Sun 3-4 mile recovery (4 miles this week)
Does this seem ok for a recovery week and what pace should I run the 1200 intervals at ?
Spoons - what food/drinks are normally available at an aid station in a marathon ? I've been looking at a couple of links to 50 mile ultras and they will have things like water, coke, Energy Gels, Chocolate, Sweets, Wraps, Sandwiches, nuts, fruit etc. Is there this selection during marathons or would it only be at an ultra due to the length of the run ?
Road marathons - water. Maybe a sport drink and if you're lucky a gel. If I were you I would plan on only getting water and if you want anything else then take it with you. You'll only get cake and biscuits on off road events and ultras.
Carter - from memory the VLM give out water every mile after about mile 2 / 3; 330ml sports drink (lucozade) every 5 miles and also have gels (lucozade) at 2 locations (14m and 21). Check out the website for your marathon and they will probably tell you what they do. At some opf the other races I have been in Gatorade has been the favoured sports drink. Inportant to know this as it it best to have tried out whatever drink / gels you are going to use on race day in advance and if they do not supply what you are used to, then be prepared and bring your own. Nothing worse than putting all that training in and taking something on race day that disagrees with your delicate inards and knocks you off your stride.
Tempo run for me tonight. I suspect the track will still be shut so I will have to find some road that is free from snow and ice. 25 mins @ 7:45 will be the target tonight plus warm up and cool down.
When I left for work this morning at 6:00 it was still throwing it down with snow.
The track was closed so attempted a tempo run outside. Both the pavements and roads were either ice, slush, snow or clear. It proved difficult to run at a consistent tempo pace as I was jumping from pavement to road all the time. So I took in a couple of hills and did a version of hill reps but without doing the downhill bits. On the flat I pushed it where I could. Ended up with 7.1 miles @ 9:15 so a decent session under the circumstances
At the minute you just have to do what you can do. I found a hill that was clear so did some hill work. Hopefully all this nonsense will be over soon, but it could easily stay until March....
Foortpaths were still full of snow / ice / slush so took a slightly different route to get to my loop around Regents Park to do my speed section. Did the majority of this on the road and only time I nearly came a cropper was when I had to move onto the fotpath to avoid a car that came too close
Strong headwind in places particularly for a half mile section where it slowed me down as my breathing went missing and I was struggling but picked it back up again to run the speed section at a relatively consistent pace over 25 minutes.
Stats as follows :
Warm Up - 1.61 miles 9:02 min/mile
Pace - 3.39 miles 7:19 min/mile
Cool down - 2.12 miles 8:43 min/mile
Overall 7.14 miles at 8:08 min/mile.
Very pleased with that in the conditions and while somewhat slower than last week, I maintained the 25mins at pace and felt much stronger during the cool down. And after all it is a recovery week.
Looks like the running track is closed at the moment so I might have to improvise for my intervals later in the week.
Not sure if I am due any more snopw this week. The forecast earlier today was talking very very cold later in the week but now it is just very cold.
I'm thinking of changing things around a bit this weekend. Saturday I will do a few easy miles, say 6-8. Sunday there is the Tigger Tor that I might enter. It's a 10 mile fell race up near me but if I do enter it I won't be racing, a target of 2 hours or so. That, of course, depends what the weather is like
I've got liversedge HM 2 weeks after and am aiming to race that for a PB. I'm still new to ghis racing malarky so learning how my body copes with races. My only previous half took me 3 weeks to fully recover. Also, I've never done a fell race before. It includes a bit of navigation, of which i dont have any experience, and checkpoints. I know the area well, as i do some of my training runs up there, so should hooefully not get lost ! I think I would like to see how they work and get a bit of experience under my belt before racing one.
All the snow here has now frozen making any sort of speedwork difficult. So, as things are, for the next few days I think it will be regular shortish runs to keep the old legs turning over. I might even attempt a parkrun on Saturday !
What are conditions like were you are now Spoons/Carl ?
It was bitterly cold here with rain at times tonight but did an easy 7 miles at 9:12 min/mile. Underfoot conditions are improving still slush of varying degrees in many places.
I am optimistic that the running track will be open tomorrow so I can get my interval session in. Nothing to base this on but if the thaw keeps going I am hopeful.
That said they are talking about more snow tonight / tomorrow.
Comments
Spoons - well done on the 10 miles this morning. Does this mean you are back in the saddle ?
My weekly total this week was 47 miles which is my biggest running week ever so far. Going through my weekly data I discovered that my watch recorded a 5k PB during my tempo run on Tuesday of 22:31 which was about 40 - 45 seconds faster than my previous PB.
My plan for my recovery week is to broadly follow my usual weekly plan pacewise but reduce my LSR and midweek easy run.
So subject to underfoor conditions improving (as we have had snow all day and have freezing temperatures forecast for tonight) is :
Tues 25 min tempo same as last week (7 miles in total)
Wed 8 mile easy run at 9:15 mm pace
Thurs intervals 4 x 1200 (same overall distance as I did 6 x 800 this week)
Sat - 14 mile LSR (20 miles this week)
Sun 3-4 mile recovery (4 miles this week)
Does this seem ok for a recovery week and what pace should I run the 1200 intervals at ?
Thanks
Sounds OK Carl. You could drop the weds run down to 6. I would suggest between 7:00 and 7:15 pace for the 1200s. Unless it feels to easy of course!
Spoons - I see you have logged some runs on Jantastic, does that mean the shins have made a full recovery ?
Rest day today and working from home due to the snoe. Although I might take the mutts out in the snow later
Only 2 runs last week. Looking promising but I don't want to go mad just yet....
Spoons - what food/drinks are normally available at an aid station in a marathon ? I've been looking at a couple of links to 50 mile ultras and they will have things like water, coke, Energy Gels, Chocolate, Sweets, Wraps, Sandwiches, nuts, fruit etc. Is there this selection during marathons or would it only be at an ultra due to the length of the run ?
Road marathons - water. Maybe a sport drink and if you're lucky a gel. If I were you I would plan on only getting water and if you want anything else then take it with you. You'll only get cake and biscuits on off road events and ultras.
Carter - from memory the VLM give out water every mile after about mile 2 / 3; 330ml sports drink (lucozade) every 5 miles and also have gels (lucozade) at 2 locations (14m and 21). Check out the website for your marathon and they will probably tell you what they do. At some opf the other races I have been in Gatorade has been the favoured sports drink. Inportant to know this as it it best to have tried out whatever drink / gels you are going to use on race day in advance and if they do not supply what you are used to, then be prepared and bring your own. Nothing worse than putting all that training in and taking something on race day that disagrees with your delicate inards and knocks you off your stride.
Spoons - will do. That should bring me just under 40 miles for my recovery week. I seem to remember that last year I only hit 40 miles twice.
Carter - as Carl says - that's why most regular racers only take water at races and if they want a gel or a sport drink they take their own.
Cool, thanks guys.
Tempo run for me tonight. I suspect the track will still be shut so I will have to find some road that is free from snow and ice. 25 mins @ 7:45 will be the target tonight plus warm up and cool down.
When I left for work this morning at 6:00 it was still throwing it down with snow.
Hope everyone is ok and running well.
Otherwise getting to the location for tempo section will be tricky.
Might have to fall back to the dreadmill.
Keep safe out there.
There is a chilling wind here so might be driven indoors.
Decided that I will brave the conditions. Back later.
Good luck.
At the minute you just have to do what you can do. I found a hill that was clear so did some hill work. Hopefully all this nonsense will be over soon, but it could easily stay until March....
Back in and no broken bones.
Foortpaths were still full of snow / ice / slush so took a slightly different route to get to my loop around Regents Park to do my speed section. Did the majority of this on the road and only time I nearly came a cropper was when I had to move onto the fotpath to avoid a car that came too close
Strong headwind in places particularly for a half mile section where it slowed me down as my breathing went missing and I was struggling but picked it back up again to run the speed section at a relatively consistent pace over 25 minutes.
Stats as follows :
Warm Up - 1.61 miles 9:02 min/mile
Pace - 3.39 miles 7:19 min/mile
Cool down - 2.12 miles 8:43 min/mile
Overall 7.14 miles at 8:08 min/mile.
Very pleased with that in the conditions and while somewhat slower than last week, I maintained the 25mins at pace and felt much stronger during the cool down. And after all it is a recovery week.
Looks like the running track is closed at the moment so I might have to improvise for my intervals later in the week.
Not sure if I am due any more snopw this week. The forecast earlier today was talking very very cold later in the week but now it is just very cold.
Easy 6 miler tomorrow night.
I'm thinking of changing things around a bit this weekend. Saturday I will do a few easy miles, say 6-8. Sunday there is the Tigger Tor that I might enter. It's a 10 mile fell race up near me but if I do enter it I won't be racing, a target of 2 hours or so. That, of course, depends what the weather is like
Good work Carl
Carter - why not race it?
Fair enough!
That said, there is every possibility that my competitive nature will take over and I will run as hard as I can !
What are conditions like were you are now Spoons/Carl ?
A strange mixture of snow, ice, slush and mud
It was bitterly cold here with rain at times tonight but did an easy 7 miles at 9:12 min/mile. Underfoot conditions are improving still slush of varying degrees in many places.
I am optimistic that the running track will be open tomorrow so I can get my interval session in. Nothing to base this on but if the thaw keeps going I am hopeful.
That said they are talking about more snow tonight / tomorrow.
Weather forecast for here is today 0, Friday 1, Saturday 2, Sunday 9 degrees
Best get your sun tan lotion out !
5.4 miles this morning on the way in to work @ 8:42m/m. Still icy in places and carried my kit but pushed it a little bit were I could.
Crickey - that's balmy weather! It's currently -6 here.
@Carterusm - I've made the same error a few times. I've found a decent backpack has really helped with the weight distribution and aches.