Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • mee meepmee meep ✭✭✭

    Yeah over in Bracknell, should be a laugh.

    Im not sure which is the quickest one as only did 3 of them last year starting with Marlows. I do know that next week if they switched the route and ran it in reverse it would be quicker as the undulations would suit a quicker second half.

    For anyone reading this thread, Wargrave 10k, June 13th, entries still available image

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Forgot to post this week's sessions, although already sent by email:

    W:  a.m. 4m easy; p.m. 9m inc 7 * 600m in 2:04 w / 200m recovery in 50 seconds.

    T:  6m easy

    F:  a.m. 4m easy; 9m inc strides, 3 * (3 * 400m) in 78 secs w / 100m jog; 400m jog.

    S:  OFF

    S:  14m easy.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Wednesday at the track seems a far easier ride, as apart from 30 kids appearing and then disappearing within 5mins i had it pretty much to myself... seems tue and thur are the packed days with a local club using it.

     9 mile session I'd say went 90% to plan. Better than the last one as Id eaten at the right times!

    Splits  (target 2:04 per 600m rep)

    2:00, 2:01, 2:08, 2:04, 2:02, 2:04, 2:04

    Recoveries (aiming for 50s average)

    53, 53, 56, 55, 55, 54, 53

    Not quite the 50 average for the recoveries, but comes out a 54. Splits pretty much hit the button, bar number 3 which was probably surprise that the mass of kids has vanished completely from the track while I was going down the back straight...maybe I hallucinated them! That and doing the first 2 a bit too quick, even though I eased it down near the end of them.

    Felt more comfortable than the last time I did this session which had longer recoveries, but I knew what to expect this time.

    Just a quick one regarding the 4miler on the day of the 5k race next tuesday,  should I do this at very easy pace so as not to burn out for the 7:30pm race or is the theory that an earlier run boosts performance? Last year for the 5k I took half days and basically had a nap and ate for the hours before..didn't run on the same day.  If I run as early as say 11 or 12, it shouldn't harm the 5k in anyway should it, as it'd be a light run, and then onlya  3.1mile race? 

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Good session there.  We may revisit this one and push down the recoveries further before starting on the full on vo2 max repeats.  Do you think you could have done the recoveries more quickly?

    If you run 4+ hours before at a very easy pace it won't hurt your 5k race.  You'll also be doing the full warm-up for the race as well.  This is the time to try different routines as you aren't peaking.  Let's try this and see how it works.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    I think last time the 1min or so recoveries felt essential, but this time the shorter recoveries averaging 54 felt more comfortable. I suppose I was keeping a little in the bank to be safe to hit the split paces. 

     I think I have a bit of a safety first approach usually, certainly in races. Have never really blown up in a race, although long may that continue! Have obviously started too fast a lot in races, but that's soon calmed to the correct pace.

    yep will try the morning run on the 5k race day. I completely see the benefit (at last!!) of the 2.5 to 3m warm up, after years of feeling that would kill my energy, so sure the morning very easy run will be good too.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    did the 6m at lunch instead of the evening, but it went good, no reactions to yesterday.

    therefore, the body can enjoy tonight off but it's all go again tomorrow!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

     Evening session was tough, but hit the times on the nose. 3sets of 400metres with 100m recovery in  between each and then 400m in between sets. Splits within the 3 as below

    78,  78, 77

    77, 76,78

    78, 77, 78

     What struck me on the 76 was that I thought I was doing a monster effort in the last 200m, yet it came out a mere 2 secs quicker than target pace!

    Overall, pretty much achieved the aim of this session. Clocked myself at 4:43 a mile pace at one time in one effort, but I'm sure that pace wasn't held for too long!

    Nice day off tomorrow, and thena  leisurely 14miler to savour sunday morn!

    Saw one of the local top 5k guys at the track afterwards...seems to be injured again...so that's one place higher in the pecking order for the local 5k series guaranteed!

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭
    Well done mate.  That's another good session in the bag.  I like the fact you didn't try and really gun the last rep of each set but kept them disciplined which is the right thing to do at this stage of proceedings.
  • mee meepmee meep ✭✭✭

    Turbo X done, the most fun in any race ever! 10miles of the most ridiculous ups and downs, then chuck in swamps and bogs and you never want to run on the road again! Had tight calves after about a mile even though id already decided not to run hard, did I say the hills were ridiculous!

    Your training looks like its goin well SG. I bet you are looking forward to Tuesday now. Any predictions?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

     nice race!

    Predictions? How about quicker than at Wargrave last year but lower down the field...that'd be weird!

    No, this year I'll be doing a proper 2.5 to 3 mile warm up before the races along with a gentle 4miler at lunchtimes. Last year I took half days, including a nap (!), and my warm up pretty much consisted of a token 100metre pootle and a few pit stops!

    No wonder the first mile or so felt so darn hard.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    sunday morn...return to the 14mile epic runs.

    Done at 7am in 1hr 50...which is spot on in the easy pace zone.  First 2 miles were through some undulating woods and there was another climb later on..just to make it a little bit more taxingimage

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    a female friend at uni in the north just told me her boyfriend ran 35:05 up at Manchester's Great run 10k today...we'll add that to the motivation bank. Which is to be fair overflowing anyway!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Monday, 4m easy lunch, 6mile including 5x75m strides. Spread these out through the run, a couple done when I saw someone I knew in the distance!

     5k tomorrow evening, first one of the series is always the best attended, so we'll see what I'm up to.

    Did 17:37 there last year which was a fair old break through at the time, so will be interesting.

    It's all road, but a little undulating, first half a little downwards, second half a little up. Think there's a slight downhill last couple of hundred metres to whip up a good finish.

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭
    Good luck tomorrow.  I think you should be looking at low 17:20's and quicker if you can hit it hard and get the pacing right.  You're training well and have demonstrated you have the pace to give it a good go.
  • mee meepmee meep ✭✭✭

    How did you do time wise SG? It was good to put a face to the name, (you thought i was a woman!). If you are doing Burnham in two weeks it would be good to have a chat.

    Not a great time for me, 19:13, glad thats our 5k done now, had all of a 400m warm up after car park duty. All good though.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Well Mr M you got it pretty much on the button!

    Did 17:22/23 pending the exact results...if it's 1722 that'll be a 1 second pb...but if not (and we know they normally come out slower than we hope for), it'll still be a 14second improvement on last year at this 5k.

     Tiptoed through the 4m at lunch at the slow end of easy pace, but made sure I got the 2.5m warm up in and some strides before hand...bit dry lipped but probably adrenaline/nerves etc.

     Splits

    3:14, 3:23, 3:29, 3:47, 3:30  are the rounded figures and that comes out as 17:23...but I'm still hoping for 17:22image

    Came 4th in the race out of 250ish...the front 3 were a good 15-20sec ahead, so was never racing them, and the runners behind were a good 10-20 behind me...so couldn't use anyone to push things.

    This was no pb course and ks 4 and 5 were slowed by a bit of a hill on each, but as usual I shot out of the blocks! Was working hard but felt good.

    Was quite pleased to beat by a good margin someone I've run against in my last 4 road races now ! Honours are even really as he beat me over 5miles, but I've beaten him over 10k and now 5k! He's done a 35:30 10k not too long ago, so on a flat course on the right day who knows.Same for 5ks really...a flat one on road (ie none of this series) I'd like to think I'd be sniffing low low 17s.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    ps Mee Meep...as per my above waffle!

    Good to meet a fellow forumite, even if it was brief. As per usual my clubmates wanted a piece of me, so we'll chat at Burnham for sure. I think that one is faster than Wargrave as the hills are shorter and sharper, and there always seem a good stack of downs!

    Treat yourself to a good warm up for the next one...I'm finally realising the benefits!

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    That's a decent result well done - especially as you were racing on your own.  Did you get anything for 4th place?

    What's the story on the upcoming schedule?  Including tonight you have 7 5k's and one half marathon between now and the 20th July.  Not only that you've already had two races this month already.

    As far as I'm concerned that is a fairly good way of guaranteeing a plateau.  I can see you hammering each race coming away with a couple of seconds improvement each time.  We need some time to get some solid training in so we arrive at the races fully trained and ready to race hard.  You can only go deep into the well so many times. 

    To get your best results you need to rationalise this, it's not a smart approach.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Local 5k series to be honest, so decent standard, but no awards as such.

    Agree on the schedule, it's just my club have a championship which involves the 5  5ks including tonights, and there need to be a number of road races, so I've gone for the short options of 5ks at Chiltern Chase and Sam.

    Wycombe also has a 10k on the same time as the half...so can always be reduced.

    I think this will be my last year doing the championship which will then free my whole year up to periodise better.

    Therefore, how about I train hard in between these races, and then after the Wycombe race, I'll allocate a good 2-3months just to the training?

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    If your objective is to race all of the races as best you can that's fine - but it's most likely at the expense of getting the best time possible over that period.  As long as you understand that and still want to do that series we can plan accordingly.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    The 5 races of the 5k series (one chalked off) are pretty much ones I have to notch off, as I want one last year of winning all 5 trophies at my club! However, I appreciate that this is a smaller success in the scheme of things, compared to getting faster.

    Therefore, from July onwards I'll be 100% up for getting the best results  via hard training and specially picked races to work to.

    The Chiltern Chase is more a multi terrain number, so is a bit different to these 5 5ks, and the Sam 5k I won last year...so alterior motive on that oneimage

    However, the Sam 5k and Wycombe half can be negotiable...in that I don't have to do the Sam 5k (unlike the other 6) and Wycombe can be downgraded to a 10k if that's better?

  • MoraghanMoraghan ✭✭✭

    Let's drop the Sam 5k then as it's 3 days before one of the 5k's in the series.  It's a small victory for me, but I'll take what I can get!

    Wycombe race is entriely up to you, but suspect the 10k would be a better reflection of your recent training.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Fair enough, I'll drop the Sam race, for one thing hopefully the Chiltern Chase will be my pot hunt this year image

    Will get through the next few week's of training and the 5ks and judge Wycombe in due course...if we return to the viciously sweltering summers when I last ran the half, it would make sense to do the 10k!

    it's a course that has a 1mile hill on both races, so either way isn't a pb job! But is about 200metres from my door!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    time from yesterday confirmed as 17:22 a pb by 1second!image And out of 299 in the end.

    29seconds off 3rd...and 16seconds ahead of 5th. 3 people broke 17, when last whole series only a couple broke 17 in total!

    Anyway...that's pbs at the 5 distances 5k, 5m, 10k, 10m and 1/2m all wrapped up by May.

    Of course that's not enough though...so on we go...

  • Moraghan, Stevie.

     Been reading this thread a bit. Quite an interesting one really. Just curious as to why SG shouldn't be doing all the 5ks etc. I understand he can't expect optimal performance using this approach but in term's of preparing for races later is this still a bad thing?

     I ask because I am looking at races a fair few mid-week races in prep for a race later in the year, but just look to absorb them in my general training cycles?

    Stevie, I saw you at Marlow 5, was going to come say hi, but looked like you were off to do something in the buses...image. I based in Maidenhead, if you ever fancy a light jog.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Blimey I'm starting to get recognised, first by Mee Meep now you image

    You should have said hello... I'd have held off on my "key race preparation"!

    I don't suppose you do 14miler runs at 7am on sundays do you!

     27:41 for 5miles, that's very nice. I'm over a min slower at the moment, but hopefully on the up...

    I'm a little tied by my club's schedule at the moment but after the summer I will start focusing more on target races, and key training leading upto them.

    I'm undertaking a monumental change in approach, but we're only 6 weeks into the training and in the 4 road races I've done in that period I've set 4pbs at the 4 distances I've run. image

    A decent part of that is because I was on a natural imrpovement anyway, so with a few more months of this quality schedule should be getting faster soon. Once the summer schedule is over I'm prepared as Moraghan advises to completely focus on training hard for 2-3months without racing. 

  • SG I think you will get massive improvements, I have been using a much more structured training approach for the last 8months now and my improvement (particularly over marathon, which is my focus) has been massive. A half-hour improvements, and that was a little dissapointing. I was slightly over optiminstic with my predicted time, meaning I suffered majorly...

     I will be doing long runs most weekends (at about 7min/mile pace) but am currently in process of starting work down in bristol which wil disrupt my routine. Once I'm settled into my routine, I'll be more than "happy" to join for a few runs.  

    In the meantime I will continue to enjoy reading/stalking your progress.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Off that 5miler pb, you must be knocking on the door of 2:45 at least?

    Here's hoping to the improvement. The half at Wokingham in Feb gave confidence that all the lower distances would drop next time out which has happened. Have definitely changed from thinking a mid 37min 10k was good, to thinking 36:44 for 10k can and will go down.

    Have an obscene amount of desire at the moment, so the motivation is there.

    Ironically am sitting here knackered today... probably because it's a .rest day...normally get a lunchtime run in which revitalises my day!

    Stalk away, and feel free to add anything along the way. I'm always keen to listen to anyone who has experience of running good times.

  • I clocked 2h46 in Barcelona (March) but paced it very badly, I was aiming for 2h38, but in reality, I was in 2h42 shape I think, so a 1h18 half left me in a world of hurt for the second (all good fun).  My preparation was good, but I did one race which really took its toll on me in the lead up to Barcelona (check power of 10 for details, it wasn't nice), so I think next time I will have another good improvement on this.

     That's one thing I noticed when I first started on a "schedule" motivation was sky-high, it wil inevitably go down, I am now in training for my second "big race" on a schedule and do not feel as motivated as before. But am still loving the running and training which is good. I am still scared on the "tough" sessions but always come home (covered in sweat) thinking I loved it. I think this is the most important thing.

     I am particularly interested in your training because your mileage is fairly similiar to what I have been doing, although this second block will see me increase my mileage a bit.

     We raced in the Henley 10k one year, if you remember?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Do you think it was due to the race being a marathon that reduced your motivation a bit? I've heard it can be a bit what now?, after one of those, which is why I stick to the half marathon as my maximum!

     Ah Henley 10k...was that in 2008? The ridiculous year when they set the half marathon off about 5mins before the 10k, so we had to plow through 1000s of runners for half the route, only to find out they weren't properly timing the 10k! You won and I came 2nd but I didn't see you all race, then watched you get a massive trophy and £50 while I didn't get even a certificate. No I don't remember it image

    I know what you mean about the track work. Some of the sessions I look at and think...this will be a challenge, burn it, and then come home happy!

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