Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Glad to hear it.  Let's see how this week goes - if it's the same we'll start adding some runs back in and making the quality sessions a bit more challenging (including increasing mileage). 

    I would also like to further increase your long run distance - would you be comfortable with a weekly 15 / 16 miler as a short term target?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Sounds good

     The 15-16 probably sounds sensible as a good over distance session for both 10milers and half marathons, as bar say a very small handful of times in the past I'd never done over 10miles, despite doing 15 half marathons to date!

    Tonight is the first of my club's speedwork sessions, but these aren't particularly structured..but I'll go and see what it's like for now, and if need be in future do sessions on my own.

    I've dropped you a quick email as a guy in my club sent me some speed sessions, so just want to know what you think of them. Obviously happy to follow your plan, but as he went to the effort of writing them for me...thought I'd see what you thought!

     just realised when I was completing the training spreadsheet that the 13miler on sunday should actually have been a 12 as I was looking at the wrong date session!

    image

    Therefore, should I keep it as 13 this sunday coming as originally planned or increase by 1 again?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    first speedwork session with the club... did a 1mile warm up myself then joined the club's warm up....so about 3.5m warm up in total!

    session was typical of my club...too few reps, done too fast, and all a bit ad hoc, so in the end did about 6x150m flat out sprinting...and then 2 long hill efforts...at probably 5k effort if not pace.

    couple of mile warm down...

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Let me know what you did in tonight's session.

    Stick with the 13 miler this sunday and report back.  We'll increase it the following week if there are no adverse reactions.

    I got the speed sessions that were written.  They are pretty standard sessions / progressions and aren't bad but a couple of observations:

    1)  I don't think the mix is right.  For someone whose primary focus is the 10k I wouldn't be spreading your speedwork equally across 5k to 800m paces without working at 10k pace. 

    2)  I don't go for the splitting up of the vo2 max intervals like that - I would rather make the end pieces at a faster pace if doing this at all. 

    3)  For a runner of your standard I would rather see the 5k reps longer unless it's an aerobic power workout where the focus is on pace of recovery section rather than rep. 

    4)  These workouts are based around aspirational paces, rather than reflecting current fitness.  Workouts are generally more effective when done at intensity relevant to current fitness - not a fitness you want to aspire to.  Although I have no problems with the 800m and 1500m workouts done this way as these distances create demands on your speed that longer distances don't. 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    you were probably writing the above just as i'd written about tonight's session!

    As fun as it is lashing much slower runners, I know 100% that the club sessions aren't that beneficial. Therefore, the choice I suppose is to do the sessions of a rival club, available on the link I sent a few pages back, or probably better following a session you set and doing it myself.

    Thursday evening I have a commitment this week, so will probably have to do the 10miler due thursday evening, tomorrow evening.

    Am fresh from tonight's session as it wasn't that taxing or prolonged so shouldn't be a problem?

    Only thing it does mean is Thursday evening, and all day Friday will be rests. Should I add a short easy run in Friday, or just take the back to back rests bearing in mind the 6 and 13 are following sat and sun?

    Did you say to rejig the planned 10miler, or do as planned as 4m easy, 3m steady and then 3m MP?

    No problems on the schedules, happy to continue as we're doing, as I'm looking forward to an increase in mileage and quality!

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Yes, x-post. 

    2 quality days in a row aren't ideal but given the strange nature of today's session go ahead and do the 10 miler tomorrow.  Let's keep it as originally planned given the circumstances. 

    No need to have two days off in a row - so get between 4 and 6 miles in on friday at easy pace.

    I'm out of town most of this week so will get your next 2 weeks together on sunday and will check out the other clubs workouts and see if and how we can fit them in.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Have a good break!

     Good 10miler tonight. 4m easy, 3m steady and then  meant to be 3m at MP (6.23). Did mile 8 at 6:21 so fairly spot on, but did the last 2 a little too quick as the adrenaliney race feeling kicked in a bit, so 9 and 10 done 6:08 and 6:03.

    Was trying to keep the pace down a little on those last 2, one for the sake of the session but also for the sake of my stomach!

    Anyway...good session, fairly demanding near the end, but that's probably as I've never done any prolonged pace work (and also a little as i over cooked the last 2m a bitimage)

    The last 5k must have worked out at around 18:50 which is pleasing at the end of a 10miler when my 5k pb is only 17:23!

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Well done - definitely in the progressive spirit of the run so I'm quite happy you finished the last two at half marathon pace.  In the short term I'd like to get to the point where you feel as though 45 minutes @ MP is doable without wiping yourself out.  We can then progress to 45 minutes of MP through to tempo if we feel it's appropriate at that point in the schedule.  This sort of fitness will help you at all your target distances.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    few runs ticked off since last post

    4m easy thur

    the extra one this week, 4m easy Friday

    and today, the 6m, with 10x diagonals.

    All polished off nicely, 10diagonals session is a nice little saturday one, as you're working reasonably hard for a short amount of time, sandwiched in an easy run.

    Am probably ok to add an extra easy session into the week's schedule if you think it's time, as the extra easy run Friday was slotted in fine.

    Otherwise I await the latest 2 week schedule, expecting a bit of an addition in the total mileage spread across the week, while increasing the quality?

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Stevie G

    Will try and get it to you later this evening.  I'm on a train in Germany trying to get home from Poland.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Blimey...hope that goes ok!

     I'll just do the 4m easy tomorrow if I don't hear from you.

    13miler easy today in 1hr 40..little bit more of a hilly traily route to keep the brain ticking over.

    Comfortable fare...as it should be.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭
    I'm now briefly in a pub in Holland.  Go ahead with 6m in the evening tomorrow as well if you feel fresh. 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    sounds good...cycling is a poor sub, so happy to have the 6m monday evo back

    hope the mad trip home is going ok! Where in England is home by the way?

  • McBoodMcBood ✭✭✭
    Good to see all this structure taking place. Should make mincemeat of that 10k pb. Nice 6miler today? 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    4m easy at lunch, 6m easy in the evening...went ok. managed to keep the pace down despite other runners being around...the old me would have purposely gone out to steam past them!

  • Sounds like your doing well mate.

     Just wait till you pass those same runners on a tempo day. image

  • McBoodMcBood ✭✭✭

    Exactly, gotta remember theses runs aren't a race.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    yep...finally realising the easy - hard mix rather than just medium the whole time!

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Hi Stevie

    Sorry it's late - things will get back to normal from wednesday onwards assuming the ferry goes as planned tomorrow.

    Here is this week's schedule.  It will be the last week of the structural phase, as after this we will have a good understanding on the volumes / workouts you can manage.  Then I will send the phase overview for the next few months and we'll start getting serious.

    M:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 6m easy

    T:  Club session of 9 miles total or (preferably) 9m w / 2m+ easy || 5 * 100m strides || 4 * mile @ 10k pace w / 90 to 120 seconds recovery || cd.  (Only take 120 sec recovery if necessary).

    W:  a.m. 4m recovery / easy; p.m. XT

    T:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 10m high aerobic = 2m easy || 1m steady state || 6m @ MP || cd.  If you are feeling good you can push the last mile or two at HMP or tempo.  Don't allow technique / form to get sloppy.

    F:  OFF

    S:  6m inc. 5 * 100m strides; 10 * diagonals.

    S:  14m easy.

    I've sent you the spreadsheet also.  Can you please update it with all the workouts done so far and return.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

     Hope the return trip isn't too arduous! Well done for still getting the sessions over!

    Had a quick look...looks good, and nicely challenging at this stage.

    Will do the evening session tomorrow on my own rather than at the club. If i go to the club it'll be something useless like run to someone standing an indeterminate distance away x 4 and rest for 5mins in between.

    Good for fooling yourself you're a decent runner beating people way older who only run once a week, but nothing compared to the proper sessions we're starting to get into!

     until tomorrow!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

     9miler notched off. 3miles warm up, then strides. Felt a little dehydrated before, the normal feeling I have before 5k races!

    did the 1mile efforts pretty much on a flat smooth road, efforts 1 and 3 one way and efforts 2 and 4 back the other way. Realised near the end of effort 1 there was a slight incline...

    Splits as follows, the 90 sec was more a stop recovery then a light jog, in fact the recovery after rep 2 was a quick bush visit, my error eating fruit and drinking lucozade a mere 90mins before! Kept that to 90seconds tho!

     5:41 

    5:33

    5:56

    5:36

    Therefore, slightly too fast for the target zone of 547 to 552 for 3 of the 4, but i'm not overly used to pacing, I'm sure that will come. Felt like I was working reasonably hard, but that's a good feeling. 

     I write this about an hour after and no feelings of tight muscles , so looking good.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Well, you nailed that one without too much fuss - well done.  Fortunately there are lots of ways we can make it harder!

    The pacing will come with practice.  At the end of this week we'll have a really good idea of the sort of volumes you can handle - you're in good shape.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Good to hear!

    Have felt for a while I could step things up but got caught in a rut of both mileage and medium paced running. This schedule has finally forced me to do the essentials. So far so good!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    wed  4m easy, evening 10k cycling machine, weights...well...5mins

    thur 4m easy

     and main session  10m, 2m easy, 1m steady, then 6m MP increasing pace near end if can.

     went pretty well....2m easy including a bit of a hill, 1mile steady

    6main miles of session,

    6:36, 6:12, 6:24, 6:10, 6:10, 5:59

    Looking at the elevations, a slight incline 4 to 5 , but then 5 to 10 rise by 100feet, which I suppose isn't too bad over 5miles.

    Whenever I checked my watch I seemed to be going  a little faster than target zone, so was making sure I slowed it a little here and there.

    Last mile was working reasonably hard, but not flat out. Warm down done, nice 10miler in.

    Stretched off afterwards, no tightness now as I write this an hour on.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Well done - you're looking fit.  This is a good indicator that you have decent upper aerobic fitness.

    Next week life should get a bit tougher assuming you're feeling good at the end of this one.

    Have you decided on your 3rd May race yet?  I have an opinion but would like yours first!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    I'm fairly open on the 3rd May race, nothing entered yet.

    3 of the races I would be in the top 3 mixer at least, came 2nd in the 5.2 last year and have obviously sped up this year, but probably the 4th race makes the most sense, the Shinfield 10k.

     It gives a chance to crack the 10k pb, and there are some quality local runners at the top end to run against. Top 27 were under 37 last year, although by all accounts it was a short course, so the result doesn't stand on power of 10.

     it's slightly longer distance than the 5miler focus race on the sunday , the Marlow 5 and is meant to be a fast course, although being a new course hard to tell, Runners world just says "flat/undulating".

     However, interested to hear which of the 4 you think is the best option.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭
    I agree on the 10k assuming they have fixed the course distance.  Much better to go for the race with strength in depth rather than pot hunting at this stage.  The 10m is too far with a priority 1 6 days later.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Agreed, I'll do the 10k.

    Their website guarantees 10k this time, and being Reading way means there should be a good amount of runners I compete against in the Thames Valley cross country league. That means I should be able to pitch the effort better than in a low key race where I'm right up the field!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    6mile sat run done....slight quad tightness at the start, but that went soon in.

    Hadn't really fuelled up properly food wise yesterday but still went fine. Will make sure fuelling is properly done today with 14miler at 7am tomorrow!

    Just went to enter online for Shinfield, but missed the deadline...however is entry on the day so no problems there.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Busy two weeks ahead with 2 races.  Do you go for an early morning run on the morning of races in the afternoon (this assumes you don't)?

    First up, your training from monday onwards will be organised into 3 phases:

    Aerobic Power:  4 weeks

    VO2 Max:  5 weeks

    Racing:  3 weeks

    If possible, could you try and find a 3k track race in the middle of the VO2 max phase.

    W/c 26th May

    M: a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 6m easy

    T:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 9m:  {3m w-up || 5* 100m strides || 3 * (4 * 200m in 39 secs w / 100m jog rec); 400m jog between sets || cd}

    W:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 6m easy

    T:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 9m:  {3m w-up || 5* 100m strides || 7 * 600m in 2:04 w / 200m run recovery || cd}

    F:  14m long

    S:  OFF

    S:  5m easy w / 4 * 100m strides

    W/c 3rd May

    M:  Shinfield 10k (2.5 - 3m w-up, 5 * 75m strides || race)

    T:  4m recovery

    W:  a.m. 4m easy; 6m easy

    T:  a.m. 4m easy; 6m stride fartlek (easy run with 8 * 100m spaced throughout run)

    F:  OFF

    S:  5m easy with 4 * 100m strides

    S:  Marlow 5m (2.5 - 3m w-up, 5 * 75m strides || race)

    Notes to follow in a sec....

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