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The Middle Ground
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...so we've started sharing the track with a footie team. No worries about the regular Tuesday session but the track won't be available tomorrow evening for my threshold miles. I reminded myself that I've used Millwall Park on the Isle of Dogs for the odd interval session and decided to measure it properly. How perfect is this for mile reps!
What have the done to the quote function on this forum?
Something changes every day at the moment, and all for the worse!
Decent couple of days running for me. The bit of rest and cross training earlier in the week seems to have all but cleared the niggles.
5.1 miles last night at mostly easy pace, with a bit of steady stuff in there to try to tune into firstly my natural running form with the imbalance I've identified and then a bit more concentrating on getting the weaker leg to do more of the driving. Was very noticeable just how much work the stronger leg was doing when I was trying to drive forward unless I consciously tried to be a bit more balanced. A bit of hip rotation in there too which might well be what has been causing the grumbles.
No adverse reaction to that, and having voluntarily given up parkrun this Saturday in the interests of marital harmony, decided to make tonight my one hard session of the week. Probably a better balance to the week now, with Sunday's long run not being the day after what would have been a really concerted attack on 21:40 or better.
Was slightly sulky on the way home nevertheless, so decided to do one of my progressive runs, but stick a nasty twist on the end of it to really test myself. Idea was to progress from the first 2 miles, towards LT pace (7:28) for miles 3 and 4, and then after 3 mins recovery, attack km reps at 10k (7:20) and then 5k (7:04) pace for 6.5 miles in total.
Came out as 8:33, 8:00, 7:34, 7:28, three mins jog recovery, 7:15 for the first km rep, two mins jog recovery, 6:56 for the second km rep, cool down of another km.
Hard session! Was blowing out of my arse by the end of the kilometre at 6:56 pace, 8 seconds inside my 5km pace - not surprising I suppose as I was almost 10km and over 45 mins into the run by then!
Thoughts on that? Reasonable set up for my one hard session of the week, or was it a bit kamikaze?!
Hi BBB
Your session sounds similar to my club one this week, after the warm up we ran 20mins at tempo pace (6.23 for me) jog recovery then 3x1k at 5k pace with 2mins jog recovery (6.03, 6.00, 5.55). We did the same session about a month or so ago and it felt so much easier this time round, well less painfull anyway. So your session sounds reasonable to me but I have no expertise whatsoever!
Thanks, Vellooo. Good to know.
Was shattered when I got home, but recovered fairly quickly after I'd showered and eaten, and feel ok today, though the legs know they've had a hard workout.
Doesn't seem to have aggravated the niggles in any way though, which is good, so I'll try another similar session in a couple of weeks. Been a while since I've done an even paced tempo, so might make next week's effort session a 4-miler at a steady pace around the 7:25 mark.
Good session from you there - must be encouraging to find it was less painful than the previous time you ran it too - strong evidence of progress!
BBB and Velloo both sessions sound great.
I'm dreaming of good sessions at the moment. Tried to do 8x800m this morning. Felt awful and binned it after 2 reps. Will keep plodding...
Reports finished and entered on the system with 5 minutes to spare this morning
. Now to catch up with all the work I haven't been doing while I've been doing reports.
All looks good to me BBB - as long as the niggles are under control.
cb - Seems to me you put more effort into your report writing than my old music teacher, who started every single report with the word "Capable..." and either finished it off there with a full stop, or the word "but" followed by a maximum of three other words! I don't think OFSTED was around in those days.
I hit the 0.5 mile park loop last night for 8 x 1 mile w/ 30s recovery. Average pace bang on 5:30/m which was pleasing as this is the first time I've done the session on my own, away from the track. Feeling a little achy this morning, but that's 44 miles in the last three days, with 16 miles at either MP or quicker. Easy stuff now till the Finchley 20 on Sunday. (Plan: 5 miles progressive, 15 @ MP). *Rocky theme tune...*
Nice brinkmanship with the reports there, CB! Wish it wasn't, but 'tis the only way I can work effectively. Shame to hear you're struggling to get to grips with the quicker stuff in your running - I'm sure it'll come back sooner rather than later if you stick at it.
Thanks, Phil.
Some typically heavy duty stuff from you as ever...I can't even begin to get my head round most of your sessions! Good luck on Sunday.
Yippee! I have a pass to race Dulwich on Saturday
nice sessions from BBB, velloo and Phil!
Glad to hear your reports are finished CB!
Phil I was thinknig about you removing your biking and adding extra mileage now - isnt it a bit late for adaptation in time for the marathon or are you doing it to reduce tiredness?
Curly - I'll do a few doubles going into the taper, so I think 3/4 weeks is enough for a bit of a "top-up", but it's also psychological; I've got my running head on now, so I may as well spend my exercise time getting some extra easy running miles in. Assuming I get single runs in today and tomorrow, by the end of Sunday I'll have run a record mileage week, and so far it's felt very manageable. So it won't be doing any harm to my confidence.
Fair enough Phil sounds like an interesting experiment and I doubt it can do any harm. I'd be tempted to reduce my mileage on the bike during my taper but sadly I cant get to work otherwise! No showers so no option to run either.
7 miles @ 8:27 this morning. Still struggling to keep the pace down! But darnn it the wind is back - hope it eases off before tomorrow morning
Good luck tomorrow morning, Curly! Jealous.
Not sure you're in luck with the weather though: -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2650803
The wind is due to peak at 22mph along with the pouring rain at 9am tomorrow!
Off the back of what you've been doing recently though, I'll still tip you for a sub-20...no pressure.
Curly, yeah that makes sense. More good sessions by the sounds of it!
BBB - shame about parkrun, useful having a gf who got her 50th t-shirt a few weeks back and is probably more obsessed with parkrun than I am
As for the session, useful to test where you are but not something I'd do every week! Good confidence boost you're going in the right direction though.
Still griding it out here. Pylometrics Thursday morning in the snow. Snow melted yesterday! So sneaked in 4*150 in outs at the track today into a headwind - 21.8, 21.8, 22.1, 22.4. Another session done the day after 10 hours at work and it felt really slow, the last 50m especially. Never mind.
I also have the (almost) full set of dates for the track season - lots of them and all managable (pretty much all on a Sunday & work is good about letting me have days off to do this sort of thing). I think Aberdeen AAC will have their championships & a few meets scattered about too. Nationals still need to be added in too - they'll be in August.
20/04/2013 - Scottish Athletics League - Ayrshire
12/05/2013 - Petrofac League - Dundee
19/05/2013 - Scottish Athletics League - Grangemouth
24/05/2013 - East District Championships - Meadowbank
25/05/2013 - East District Championships - Meadowbank
30/06/2013 - Petrofac League - Aberdeen
21/07/2013 - Scottish Athletics League - Grangemouth
04/08/2013 - Petrofac League - Dundee
25/08/2013 - Scottish Athletics League - Aberdeen
01/09/2013 - Petrofac League - Aberdeen
If I can run all or most of those, training through the first few up to around June, then really cutting back when I approach peaking by the summer I should be on fire.
prf - heard back from Strathclyde, they're sitting down in the next few weeks to finalise details & will get back to me as soon as.
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/avnpanel1.htmlqq
Nice training Curly and good luck today! Wish I shared your feeling of wanting to slow the pace down mind....I've been feeling sluggish most of this week which is probably the consequence of last Saturdays crazy long run/Parkrun double! Feeling ok after a good sleep though
Sounds like a good set of training from you BBB! Perhaps you could slowly build the mileage up but with more steady running involved with that over the coming weeks?
Nice set of racing plans there Duck...sounds like you are some good form already so an exciting season ahead there! Oh and Giggs, it wouldn't surprise me if it was another mistress on the side!
Nice session Vellooo - and some good paces there, have you got any target races coming up?
Hopefully the speed work sessions will improve CB! I don't think I'd get past much more than a few reps if it was first thing in the morning and in this sort of weather! Do you think the early start for those sessons has a bit of an influence on performance? Hopefully a change in the weather will bring a change of fortunes with it over the coming weeks!
That is the right photo Phil! As I say I remember seeing just having a look around the forum and it does stand out! Shows a huge effort though but for gurns it wins by a mile for me!
Talking of which - meal plans....I'm guessing both you and Curly are not having your last pre marathon meal as a carb load as such? Am I right and if so what is the reasoning for this? Is it to avoid any feeling of being over full on race day?
Possibly buying new shoes today....after that I have planned on doing 20 or so miles on my current ones which will leave me with one final long run before tapering a week Tuesday afterwards. Last week I managed over 42 miles and could hit another record mileage week by tomorrow evening....perhaps another reason for feeling a little tired!
Yes, basically. What works for me is a 24 hr carb load period from Friday lunchtime (probably straight after a final easy run) through to Saturday lunchtime. From what I understand of the literature, combined with a good taper and minimal training Thursday/Friday this'll get your glycogen levels back up about as far as they'll get, and it should stay there if you don't do anything too strenuous on Saturday. So you can eat normally Saturday evening (when I top up carbs with some lovely mash anyway!) and get a good night's sleep.
Your wetter/weather url isn't working. Where's the race?
Duck - Looks like you're champing at the bit already with the summer racing!
I wonder whether Curly's dried out yet? (And do I want to bother going out in it myself??)
WJH - Yes, that's the plan. Up to 24 miles this week, and hopefully 26/27 next week - vast majority of it easy mileage as I build towards my next 10k on Easter Monday.
Regarding the weather, a mate of mine is an unconventional weather forecaster, but has far more accuracy over the 14-30 day period than the met office, so much so that most of the major supermarkets engage him for their medium range stock planning. Was reading his mid-March to mid-April forecast earlier, and he's predicting this lousy weather to continue for another month yet I'm afraid. Plenty of cold, damp weather, occasional spells with penetrating frosts and even the odd threat of further snow, with just the odd hint of spring until the second week in April when it should finally turn. He doesn't always get the detail right, but is rarely far out with the general trend...unfortunately! Hope it doesn't adversely affect your race too much next week if he's right!
Having the same internal debate as you, Phil. Miserable out there, and need to do some shopping as well as a run. Time to bite the bullet I think, otherwise I'm going to run out of time before I head off to Northampton where I'm taking my Dad to see (what's left of) The Dubliners this evening. Need to get down there in time to get holed up in a pub for the rugby and some pre-gig lubrication!
Later all.
Seems to make sense with the meal plans Phil! I have previously religiously eaten a large pasta meal the night before as well as carb loading over previous days but see where you are both coming from...always good to know and learn on these things! Sorry about the link...its basically a weather model called GFS.....the 'T' symbols are low pressure and 'H' high pressure...and the green/blue colours indicate a colder air mass...the runs are updated 4 times each day....Eastleigh is on the 24th and each model run has been showing crappy weather! It's even showing potential for an easterly gale now!
It may improve so we shall see! To be honest though, I am more in Brighton mode now anyway and as with previous races, a good performance aside from other factors (marathon training, weather, etc) will be a bonus!
Can always run another 10k easily enough if it does turn out bad. Here is a the link which should work now...
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/avnpanel1.html
And indeed your mate may not be wrong with the coming few weeks either BBB! Talking rugby, I will be in Winchester later....same pub as last year where I was one of the only Welshman where I found it very hard not celebrating we turned the game round - so snuck out quietly at the end!
Duck I feel your weather pain today! Bloody awful out there down South.
Anyway that looks like a tasty track season. How will you keep fresh over such a long period (obviously you will train through to some extent the early meets, but still its going to be difficult to stay at peak speed for that many races).
20:11 for me this morning - wind was one problem and the other was my legs that werent really in the mood from the off, if you'd offered me that time a few weeks ago I'd have bitten your arm off for it so here comes a period of consolidation of times as often happens before the next breakthrough I suspect. Went off too hard as well as they had very kindly organised a sub 20 pacer for me, now he did very well but I think he took the first lap a bit too fast and I went with him. No worries though, I'm hoping BBB's mate is right about the mid April weather turn. Nice calm, cool day for Brighton please
21 to do tomorrow for another 60 week - marathon here I come!
WJH 'm not surprised your legs are still a bit wibble from last week. I dont actually carb load at all... but I am weird.
BBB - depressingly I can see your mate's predictions coming true
perhaps emigrating from October - June is a good idea....
Curly, good time and as you said it's a time you'd have been delighted with a month ago which is such a sign of progress!
As for keeping fresh, I'll train through the first through as I said without worrying too much about fatigue, then cut out most easy runs and just have quality/rest. Early races along with training should whip me into shape pretty quickly!
RD this morning at parkrun - a few glitches with the timer I think so a few times are out - need to let them process and get some feedback from runners before I make any changes though. gf ran 23:53 for a huge pb and she's delighted - not a bad time to pb, just 3 weeks before Paris!
8M afterwards along the Deeside line - 7:39/m average w/ miles 6, 7, and 8 comortably at 7:19/m average! A very nice and positive run.
Due to the shite conditions I gave parkrun a miss and decided on a wet n' windy run which turned into an impromptu tempo ish thingy!
9.45 miles inc. 3.45@6.36 then 1 min jog followed by 3 @6.43 ( into the wind).
Felt hard but haven't ran that quickly for quite a while.
First race since October next week, an unfit parkrun notwithstanding. Won't be pulling up many trees but being on the treeless Fens that may be a good thing..
Well done, PRF, on the double century! Great dedication and not a little consistent consistency!
After two weeks off on the bench actually ran today! 2 miles in 18:30 off road. Just hope there is no calf reaction: will be walking rather than running tomorrow.
Nice work today, Curly: and well done on the win, too!
Did my penultimate long run today....20.2 miles all at MP averaging 7:51. Felt on the hard side of comfortable but manageable! Fastest mile was the first in 7:40 slowest the 17th mile in 8:00. Happy with the consistency there. Thinking that my last 20+ run should be time on feet??? And MP sessions being focused on medium/long runs...
Well done to your gf on the PB Duck!
Good session Dash and good progress Alehouse! Great 5k Curly and you will smash that 20 mins with focused training post marathon.
When is marathon day?
Curly - very nice. Once you crack it, you'll probably find every 5K sub 20 and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Alehouse - sounds like a decent pace indeed. Hope there is no reaction.
Dash - shut your whining. If you can run that speed, you can run. My race pace was 8.17 (or something, I haven't even bothered to check) today. Unfit at 6.36, pfft. I'll show you unfit
BMAF XC Champs for me today, ugh. Nothing like being put to shame by M75's (not to mention F55's, etc) to boost your confidence
Sigh. One more league XC to go.
WJH, it's beyond my comprehension...both the miles and the rugby!
Kelly, 3 weeks back and a month solid on the elliptical previously. Historically, this works but conversely I've yet to improve for various reasons. Time will tell..
I know how you feel though. I'd settle for just getting back to where I was, I don't necessarily need to improve from there... For now
Good luck.
Dash, kel's right, those paces you laid down aren't exactly dossing. Good to have you back.
Cracking day for half marathons looking at my fb....3 pals getting 1:15;xxs, a chap getting 1:12, a lady doing 1:17 and coming 2nd British woman home at Reading, and the shocking one, a sub 1hr 20 from a 24/25 year old girlie pal who seems to be making monumental improvements. She was 1hr 25 this time last year, 1hr 23 at a half classed as NAD in September, and now sub 1hr 20!
blimey!
Kelly.. congrats on toughing out that XC race, I'm rubbish at them as well!
Nice pace in that 20 miler WJH, looking good!
Good paces in that tempo effort Dash!
That must have felt good Alehouse, hope the progress continues.
Duck.. didn't know you had a new girlie, good effort in the lothario dept! Good PB'ing from her as well.
Curly.. that's a great run in less than ideal conditions. Shame you weren't at York - 5 degrees and 8mph winds up here!
Not that I ran at York. A sudden re-visitation of a nerve problem in my right leg on Friday. I was limping on Friday night so took 2 days off, 1 painkiller and sacked the Parkrun (really hacked off about that given the ideal conditions
) After much stretching & manupualtion leg much better last night. 10k test run this morning and all seems well. Bliddy snowing here all afternoon!