17 days off work- how best to take advantage of them

My idea is to set myself a simple cumulative goal- 100km total over the period. That way every run out, even if cut short by the after effects of seasonal excess, social obligations or crappy weather, will be chipping away at what I hope is an achievable challenge. Any thoughts?

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Comments

  • a bit of silly fun if it keeps you running when you would otherwise be lazy, what's the harm image

    Don't be lazy for 14 days and think you can run 50 odd km in the last 3 days and it still counts.... Set maybe a couple of targets 33km by x and 66 by x and stick to them even if it means a bit of hangover running, i'm sure it's good for your soul image

  • Unless you are already up to running 26.465 km in the first week you'll not be able to keep under the "don't add more than 10% mileage a week to avoid injury" rule of thumb to get to 100 km in 3 weeks, let alone 17 days.

    What are your current miles per week?

  • Erm.. last couple of weeks aside, since September I'd built up to an average of about 35k/week

  • Had cold and a tight calf so a bit of a layoff

  • Then 100K in 17 days should be a breeze as it is below average mileage!  I'd set a slightly harder target  - say 120 or 150kmimage

  • Not so fast! 35/7=5; 5x17=85. 100 is a bit over that.
  • Indeed my mistakeimage I was rounding up to three weeks in my head.  How about (50/7)*17..120ish?  With time off work you can afford to go longer but slower to build an endurance for your probably 3 month training plan to start at the end of Jan?

  • Good idea Daeve.  Need patience and time for the endurance bit.  Easier in the daylight and when you've got a bit more time.

  • Be carefulimage I have done some slow heart rate training and I think I run slightly different going very slowly and it's irritated my it band and I also have a small quad tear, but I'm sure I'll be better off for the change in the long run.

  • I guess slow and very slow can be very different - a couple of minutes a mile slower than your 5K race pace probably won't be that different but if you fall in to that "almost walking, very short strides" very slow run to keep your HR low I guess the mechanics can be quite different.

    Last year I took a week off and, keeping it easy, got my mileage up from about 18 miles a week to 45 (4x10 milers in there).  I know "they" say you shouldn't increase so much, but I'm usually ok with long slow runs - its excessive intervals/tempos that do me in.  I enjoy the feeling in the day of just heading out, no time constraints and no real route in mind.

  • Well I got the first 11km in today. Slow and hilly. I think I'll stick to 100 as an initial goal, and then anything over that is a bonus. Going out  witha friend tomorrow at early o'clock, probably do somewhere betwween 10-15, whatever he feels like doing.

  • And 12 more today, good start I feel.

  • Damn good start sir!  How are the legs feeling?  Going to head out tomorrow for a long run myself as off work as well image

  • booktrunk wrote (see)

    Be carefulimage I have done some slow heart rate training and I think I run slightly different going very slowly and it's irritated my it band and I also have a small quad tear, but I'm sure I'll be better off for the change in the long run.

    I seem to have the same issue running slow hurts my legs whilst running more than the quicker runs. Just make sure you vary your runs Dan, some long slow others with more pace.

  • Dan you have done 2 days now, even with my limited experience in running please remember you will need rest days to help avoid injury.

  • Another slowwwwww 11k today, taking me up to 34k for the holiday period. Tomorrow the plan is just to go for a long walk, then on Xmas day I don't think I'll be able to get out at all.

  • Nice one!  Depending on your family circumstances, I find it really nice to get out on Christmas day - weather should be a bit better by then too - today was awful, I almost had to take shelter under a hedge for fear of being blown into the road and to avoid painful hailstones.

  • Weather's been fine where I am. Sub-zero early on when I go out, but as long as there's no wind or rain that's actually quite nice. I'm near Madrid.
  • But pissing down today.
  • Weather's been fine where I am. Sub-zero early on when I go out, but as long as there's no wind or rain that's actually quite nice. I'm near Madrid.
  • Well I've done 52km since Saturday, mostly pretty slowly. That's 48 left to hit the target I set for myself, with 11 days to do it in. Heading to Rota near Cadiz tomorrow, where it is nice and flat, so if my legs hold up I hope I'll reach and exceed the 100km in good time.
  • Update: 33k to target after this morning. Feeling very pleased with myself. I achieved a PB of 10k in 55:33.
  • That's great - a PB in training means you'd beat it in a race easily!

  • Thanks, I hope so. It's a bit different here from what I'm used to- sea-level and flat as opposed to 650m up, hilly and rough underfoot. I can feel the asphalt in my ankle today.
  • But went out anyway. 6km along the cycle lane and seafront. My daughter came with me in her new skates and set the pace, which was quite fast but frequently interrupted to drink from water fountains and look at fish in th water and stray cats on the pier and that kind of thing.
  • And now only 27k to go to reach my distance target.
  • Well I did it with a day to spare, and 2.5k over the 100. I also got 10k and 5k PBs under my belt in the process. Fairly pleased with that, now it's time to start thinking properly about this half marathon.

  • Brilliant. What half Mara and when is it? Are you on a DIY plan if not which plan are you following? 

  • Well I've been looking at the Hal Higdon plans but there are a couple of 'yes buts'. The first thing is scheduling. For at least the next couple of mnths Tuesday and Wednesday are more or less impossible, which cuts the week in half, with my two rest days back-to-back. On Saturdays and Sundays I have a running buddy. What we've been doing is about 8k on Saturdays, quite quickly (for us!), and then building up distance on Sundays when we both have more time- we are already up to running 16k, but with some walking and stretching breaks. I like both of these runs, as being with somebody else pushes me to go faster and further, but it seems that to have my fastest run followed by my longest run goes against the advice on the training plans. So my plan lokks more or less like this 

    Mon- easy run 5/6k

    Tues - ditto

    Wed- rest

    Thurs- rest

    Fri- easy run 5/6k

    Sat- faster 7-9K

    Sun - Long run of 15k

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