Just to clarify - if Bryan wants that sub 2 - he is going to have to put 13 miles of a fraction over 9:00 per mile. It will be especially hard at the Great North because it is very crowded around that area of the field (or indeed all areas back from 1:15 pace!)
At the moment, I think that pace will be hard for Bryan, even in training, until his speed and endurance have increased though I would suggest a more experienced runner, say with a 2:01 recent pb should do the bulk of his training faster than I have proscribed for Bryan.
Re cross training. If you can do other forms of training, fine - I would be happy to suggest where best to fit in a bike, swim or weights. I went on the bike and did weights myself today, but ultimately you can't use a bike, swim or throw weights when you do a half-marathon and running training should take priority but there are days when it is best to give the running legs a rest, when a bike ride or swim are far more beneficial than a run that could lead to injury.
Thanks for all your posts - I am really busy just now trying to tie things up as I finish my current job on Friday. I will be able to make more posts after that. I will make a quick posts and let you know how tomorrows training session goes.
On the subject of biking and swimming - I am currently getting physio for a shoulder problem so won't be doing a lot of either until I get the all clear.
OK - after a couple of days rest todays schedule said 45 mins easy with 15 mins at half marathon pace. Earlier guidance indicated 10min/mile for the moment but I will have to lift this to get about the 2:00.
Got in form work having been presented with a card, book and bottle of Bruichladdich because I am leaving tomorrow. All very nice but don't they know my body is a temple at the moment - admiitedly it's either a temple to Bacchus, or the temple of doom - not sure which. Anyway chucked down a couple of painkillers and got ready to toddle out the door accompanied by Wee Jimmy Krankie.
Toddled along for the first 15mins at 11'32"min/mile with an average heart rate of 144, then did the next 15 mins at 9'56" min/mile at an average heart rate of 163, finished with an 18min run home (I know it was meant to be 15 but I didn't have the bus fare with me so just had to run all the way) at 11'16" min/mile and an average heart rate of 168 - I probably should have slowed down to let it come down a bit but am figuring that this is a 10 week plan and I can do longer slower runs after the GNR to build a base for Switzerland. All in all it felt not too bad until Mrs Snail, who had gone off ahead of me and done an extra bit at the beginning told me that her average heart rate had been 143 for the whole thing.
At least it is another session done and another step along the road to GNR.
Saturday and Sunday say 30min easy or rest and slow hour, I am thinking however that there is a flat 10k race (according to Mrs Snail) along the road on Saturday and I could do that then either a very easy 30min on Sunday or rest.
Steve - if you are reading this what do you reckon?
Wishing you good luck for your 10K tommorrow, hope it's not too hot, a rain storm halfway through would be welcome. Look forward to reading how you get on.
Ran a 5k race Wednesday evening, difficult conditions but the support was good and that got me round. Have a 90 minute steady tommorrow and then I rest til Tuesday. Can't be bad.
Meldy - do you remember "get off the ruddy treadmill for a start ..." a post back in April? Well, that was me.... (changed my name) so it's thanks to you that I am here!
Good luck tomorrow Bryan - hope its not too hot for you..... I might get up at dawn and do my long run before the sun starts shining .....
Prepared for the race by going on a works night out and drinking a restrained amount of guiness and coke (I was driving home so had to be restrained) and doing the Joe Cocker version of "With a little help from my friends" at the karaoke - didn't see why should be the only one suffering!!
Got up this morning and my back was protesting but chucked down some coffee and strong painkillers then proceeded to injure myself eating breakfast - I broke a tooth - this could put my whole race in jeopardy, what if I couldn't get my gel sachet open? Decided that I might just get away with it so I toddled off to registration.
Eventually found myself on the start line with a lot of peeps who looked significantly fitter than me and some fat old ba***rds who also ran quicker than me. (Mmmm .... wonder if this is a case of pot kettle black etc.)
Initial plan was to do the first 6k at about 160-166bpm heart rate then put a bit more into the last 4k. Started to hit about 170 bpm at about 3k so walked for 20-30 seconds to let it drop a bit then did the same about 6k at a water station (I wouldn't normally think about taking water for a 10k but was glad of it today). I didn't really feel that I had enough left to start to speed up to the finish so just continued to grind it out at roughly the same pace to the end. It was a relatively flat course - the steepest incline was a couple of bridges which the course went over but the surface was a bit of a mixed bag going from grass, to pavement, to dirt track to lumpy gravel and I was a bit surprised at the varying amount of effort required on each of them. The temperature wasn't extreme but did feel moderatley warm and muggy. Got round almost in one piece and mostly alive.
Total time 1:03'55". Not my fastest ever 10k, just checked and it is not even my fastest this year (I did Grangemouth in February at 1:02'16 - thought it was slower than that actually). So this actually appears to be a personal worst for a 10k race. I suppose that off the back of a total of less than 10 runs since February it is not really surprising and the only way to make it better is to work harder.
I am not unduly disturbed by the result, it is a realistic reflection of where I am now. I have just started on a training programme so it unrealistic to expect to be seeing any benefits this early. I still feel that it was worth doing at this stage as todays result will act as a baseline against which I can measure any (hopefully there will be some) improvement.
Is there such a thing as a "personal worst"?? I don't think so!!
Thankfully, Brian, I would have been able to keep up with you today, so assuming we progress at the same kind of rate, we'll be able to turn the lights out together at GNR!!
Well done today...... especially after a night out on the tiles drinking or no drinking, I am good for nothing the next day if I am not tucked up in bed before 11.00 pm!
Well done BtS - I think we all have races like that from time to time - maybe try not to look on it as a personal worst, but more of a reasonable training session
Not sure that guinness & karaoke count as good race preparation though
Well done BtS, great report, thanks for sharing it with us. As you say, you've got something to measure your improvement on now. It's been scorching down here so didn't envy you. You need to see a toof mendy man....I know quite a good one, shame you're such a long way away!
Comments
Just to clarify - if Bryan wants that sub 2 - he is going to have to put 13 miles of a fraction over 9:00 per mile. It will be especially hard at the Great North because it is very crowded around that area of the field (or indeed all areas back from 1:15 pace!)
At the moment, I think that pace will be hard for Bryan, even in training, until his speed and endurance have increased though I would suggest a more experienced runner, say with a 2:01 recent pb should do the bulk of his training faster than I have proscribed for Bryan.
Re cross training. If you can do other forms of training, fine - I would be happy to suggest where best to fit in a bike, swim or weights. I went on the bike and did weights myself today, but ultimately you can't use a bike, swim or throw weights when you do a half-marathon and running training should take priority but there are days when it is best to give the running legs a rest, when a bike ride or swim are far more beneficial than a run that could lead to injury.
Just read the discounted donut story. If BtS has that much will then he's gonna ace this one.
Way to Go BtS!
Thanks for all your posts - I am really busy just now trying to tie things up as I finish my current job on Friday. I will be able to make more posts after that. I will make a quick posts and let you know how tomorrows training session goes.
On the subject of biking and swimming - I am currently getting physio for a shoulder problem so won't be doing a lot of either until I get the all clear.
I was only throwing in a tri-related joke.
>> I am currently getting physio for a shoulder problem so won't be doing a lot of either until I get the all clear.
Same old excuses tsch!
OK - after a couple of days rest todays schedule said 45 mins easy with 15 mins at half marathon pace. Earlier guidance indicated 10min/mile for the moment but I will have to lift this to get about the 2:00.
Got in form work having been presented with a card, book and bottle of Bruichladdich because I am leaving tomorrow. All very nice but don't they know my body is a temple at the moment - admiitedly it's either a temple to Bacchus, or the temple of doom - not sure which. Anyway chucked down a couple of painkillers and got ready to toddle out the door accompanied by Wee Jimmy Krankie.
Toddled along for the first 15mins at 11'32"min/mile with an average heart rate of 144, then did the next 15 mins at 9'56" min/mile at an average heart rate of 163, finished with an 18min run home (I know it was meant to be 15 but I didn't have the bus fare with me so just had to run all the way) at 11'16" min/mile and an average heart rate of 168 - I probably should have slowed down to let it come down a bit but am figuring that this is a 10 week plan and I can do longer slower runs after the GNR to build a base for Switzerland. All in all it felt not too bad until Mrs Snail, who had gone off ahead of me and done an extra bit at the beginning told me that her average heart rate had been 143 for the whole thing.
At least it is another session done and another step along the road to GNR.
Saturday and Sunday say 30min easy or rest and slow hour, I am thinking however that there is a flat 10k race (according to Mrs Snail) along the road on Saturday and I could do that then either a very easy 30min on Sunday or rest.
Steve - if you are reading this what do you reckon?
well done. Good session. very encouraging this early.
Yes the 10k would be more interesting than a slow hour by yourself so do the 10k and then have a rest day Sunday (or brisk walk as you can't bike)
Bruichladdich?
They know how to buy leaving presents up there then! sheesh...........
my av HR was 136 actually not 143 ; - )
Stump - if I'd realised I would have asked them to give him chocolates instead as I much prefer them to that awful stuff
Hello Bryan
Right, I'm slow on the uptake, so bear with me. Is debbo actually Mrs Snail?
wotsit - sadly, yes ; - )
but I'm slightly less snail-like in my sporting endeavours, but not by much
Is Bryan training today?
A slug and a snail on the street corner. Slug shouts "Big Issue! Big Issue!".....
Tee hee.
lol Flyaway
and Melds, no, today is a rest day - and it's his last day in his job so he's having a beer or two
but he's doing a 10k race tomorrow
Hi BtS
Wishing you good luck for your 10K tommorrow, hope it's not too hot, a rain storm halfway through would be welcome. Look forward to reading how you get on.
Ran a 5k race Wednesday evening, difficult conditions but the support was good and that got me round. Have a 90 minute steady tommorrow and then I rest til Tuesday. Can't be bad.
BtS / Debbo - outed!
Anyway - I'm not racing tomorrow - going for an early bike and then off to family party.
Have a great race!
Meldy - do you remember "get off the ruddy treadmill for a start ..." a post back in April? Well, that was me.... (changed my name) so it's thanks to you that I am here!
Good luck tomorrow Bryan - hope its not too hot for you..... I might get up at dawn and do my long run before the sun starts shining .....
sorry - wasn't April - it was last October!
The snail has raced (or something similar).
Prepared for the race by going on a works night out and drinking a restrained amount of guiness and coke (I was driving home so had to be restrained) and doing the Joe Cocker version of "With a little help from my friends" at the karaoke - didn't see why should be the only one suffering!!
Got up this morning and my back was protesting but chucked down some coffee and strong painkillers then proceeded to injure myself eating breakfast - I broke a tooth - this could put my whole race in jeopardy, what if I couldn't get my gel sachet open? Decided that I might just get away with it so I toddled off to registration.
Eventually found myself on the start line with a lot of peeps who looked significantly fitter than me and some fat old ba***rds who also ran quicker than me. (Mmmm .... wonder if this is a case of pot kettle black etc.)
Initial plan was to do the first 6k at about 160-166bpm heart rate then put a bit more into the last 4k. Started to hit about 170 bpm at about 3k so walked for 20-30 seconds to let it drop a bit then did the same about 6k at a water station (I wouldn't normally think about taking water for a 10k but was glad of it today). I didn't really feel that I had enough left to start to speed up to the finish so just continued to grind it out at roughly the same pace to the end. It was a relatively flat course - the steepest incline was a couple of bridges which the course went over but the surface was a bit of a mixed bag going from grass, to pavement, to dirt track to lumpy gravel and I was a bit surprised at the varying amount of effort required on each of them. The temperature wasn't extreme but did feel moderatley warm and muggy. Got round almost in one piece and mostly alive.
Splits as follows:-
1k 9'22 min/mile 149 bpm ave
2k 9'49 161
3-4k 10'17 165
5k 10'57 164
6k 11'02 165
7k 11'32 165
8k 11'31 166
9k 11'50 164
10k 10'57 165
Total time 1:03'55". Not my fastest ever 10k, just checked and it is not even my fastest this year (I did Grangemouth in February at 1:02'16 - thought it was slower than that actually). So this actually appears to be a personal worst for a 10k race. I suppose that off the back of a total of less than 10 runs since February it is not really surprising and the only way to make it better is to work harder.
I am not unduly disturbed by the result, it is a realistic reflection of where I am now. I have just started on a training programme so it unrealistic to expect to be seeing any benefits this early. I still feel that it was worth doing at this stage as todays result will act as a baseline against which I can measure any (hopefully there will be some) improvement.
Is there such a thing as a "personal worst"?? I don't think so!!
Thankfully, Brian, I would have been able to keep up with you today, so assuming we progress at the same kind of rate, we'll be able to turn the lights out together at GNR!!
Well done today...... especially after a night out on the tiles drinking or no drinking, I am good for nothing the next day if I am not tucked up in bed before 11.00 pm!
Well done on the race Bts. Sounds like you were luckier with the weather than I was you lucky s*d!
Good luck with househunting and moving jobs etc etc etc.
Well done BtS - I think we all have races like that from time to time - maybe try not to look on it as a personal worst, but more of a reasonable training session
Not sure that guinness & karaoke count as good race preparation though
Bad news about the tooth too ...sounds painful
Keep Going Lass, glad to have been of assistance
<smiles sweetly at Bryan>
<waves meat cleaver at Meldy>
Nice run mate; world class beer-drinking, just to ensiure that you didn't put down too tough a marker to start with