Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Moraghan Training - Stevie G
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
At the top of the hill I heard a bump and a scrape to see he was face first in the Tarmac. Mistake number two was then slowing and waiting for him to catch back up as he just tucked back straight in behind me! Last 1/4 mile it was a sprint to the finish where I was on the losing end.
Made up for it in a 10 miler last year, I ran behind 2 lads until 6 miles when we were sheltered from the wind and I kicked on to take second spot to Andy Norman.
First bit of 'speed work' since November tonight on a treadmill. 4 x 6 mins in my tempo zone with the recoveries being 2 minutes in my easy/recovery zone. I just crept into the tempo zone on rep 1 at 19.4kmph. Jesus wept. On rep 2-3-4 I was just creeping into my tempo zone between 18.8-19.2kmph. An eye opening introduction to it.
What kind of 'tempo zone' is that then Matt? 31 minute 10k pace or something? Good God.
PMJ, you are a strange and wonderful man.
Nice stories from the windbreaks. I realised I was heading a group running into the wind at about mile 3 of the Wokingham half a couple of years ago. I said something to the effect of "I'm going to be pissed off if you guys are using me as a windbreak". It did the trick, as someone took the hint and took his turn at the front. It was a good group in the end, think 4 of the 5 broke 75.
Bit tired today - woke up at 1am last night on the sofa, having fallen asleep during a documentary about racists. Unfortunately I still had to do the washing up and put the bins out. To make it worse, my wife had made a batch of marmalade. Now I think my wife's marmalade is delicious, but the process of making it seems to coat the whole kitchen in a sticky substance that takes bloody ages to clean. Not a great night's sleep then.
10k tempo run this evening. Done in 34:27, so 5:33 pace. I think to be in the shape I want to be in at Wokingham, I'd need to be about 4-5 seconds per mile quicker over a run like that, but it's still 3 weeks for it to come together. Haven't really done much speedier, so 5:30 pace is about as fast as I've been running lately, so no wonder it feels tough.
Dachs, that's just mind boggling - you are disappointed with a 34:27 10k. In training FFS!
(68s faster than my all-time 10k goal! It's all relative - must keep telling myself that!)
Why is 35:35 your all time goal?
for the glory of the matching nature Dachs. It's second only to a nice rounded time.
Why else do you think I leave my 10k pb at 34:30
I do like the angry mid race Dachs. The chaps on here who haven't met you make me laugh when they see you as some kind of laid back jokester. In the flesh you're a mean scary serious fellow
Indeed - early on in my running career I knew 25:25 was unrealistic so had to aim for next best....
Told you it had boggled my mind! Even basic maths went out the window
92s faster - not even sure where 68 can have come from! In case i still can't add up, that's supposed to be a sub 36
It was interesting to see that late on rep 3 and rep 4 that I was able to drop the pace below 19kmph as my HR was starting to get near 180 and I wanted to stay at the very bottom of my zone while I get used to the paces. That's probably where the lactate was starting to build to my HR was going up.
I've done some threshold running that has been 6min + miling when outside, I get on a treadmill and I end up running 5.30s!
Andrew - oh there's plenty more wind moaning from me during the year..my pet hate! Good Temp Dachs..good stuff!
Glad to get back on the track at Luton last night, trailing well behind Kimpton as per usual doing 10 x 600 off 200m jog. First one was a real 'woah! - welcome back' rep..couldn't get my breath after 300 and did 1.54. Got down to 1.51's and got to 1.49 and 1.48 for the last two. Shame there was an annoying icy patch around the top bend too which didn't help. All in all, decent night's work.
Looks like we might be coming into a cold spell which could be difficult to get on the track..
Bracknell's track seems to collect water at about the 250m mark, not far for the perennially empty steeplechase pit.
Tends to get a bit interesting there in a cold snap.
Good reps Simon. Cracking tempos Matt and Dachs. 34:27? Christ on a bike (or any other deity for that matter!).
SG, Gosport is now two out and back laps and pretty much all along the road and tarmac paths by the seafront. No airfield part now. Was actually a very quick course last November but I imagine it would be totally different if the wind got up as it often does there.
speedy sessions dachs, matt and simon.
another here to moan about the wind and rain last night. 10*300 off 100 jog rec. all came out 49s / 50s. but the wind was obscene and i couldnt feel my hands with the cold (even though i was wearing gloves). Coach said the reps were closer to 46/47s on a still night , such was the wind.
yesterday ordered a new treadmill, this one goes upto 22kmph so should be quick enough for me
, bearing in mind Mo farahs 10k at 2012 was a 21.8kmph pace. At least now i can always get my sessions done so not so beholdant on weather and childrens routines.
Matt, would you recommend that lactate test? how much was it and where did you get it done? what sort of outcome/pack of info do you get at the end? i am on the hover but probably should do this properly...im always worried they test me and find out im actualy a built for a marathon not track.
Dean - Blizard Physio, Dave Tune same guy I get coached by his training may clash with John's, I think this because John's had conversations on Strava with me about my sessions and recovery paces!
Brilliant sessions Dachs,Dean,Simon and Matt but I'd expect them with your pedigree!
what are people's tracks like generally. Are they quite well sealed, or fairly open?
The one we used to have was at the top of a steep hill, right next to a motorway, and even with some treecover was usually windy as anything.
I snuck on there right near the end when they'd started demolishing things, like the tree cover, and I remember struggling to even hit HM pace for a couple of laps!
Now i do shorter reps on pavements I'm suddenly hitting faster paces, and i'm sure it's mostly down to less wind!
bit of a shame, as it means you can't compare a previous time, but those airfields were barren. I remember being completely on my own for large spells on them, and found it quite easy to drift off pace wise.
it sort of worked with the lap nature of the airfields as you did them different directions, so two exact laps sounds less appealing. However, overall it's probably a good thing!
Has the old Wycombe track gone then, I did my last ever track meet there, winning the B shot somehow!
Bracknell is kind of sheltered depending on wind direction. The one I used in Liechtenstein is aligned with the Rhine, so there is always a decent breeze one way or t'other.
I've never run on the track at Reading but spend a vast amount of time standing on the track. That gets bloody cold and windy sometimes.
I have used the track in Aberdeen. It seemed pleasantly sheltered, but that may just have been by contrast with the seafront.
Palmer Park in Reading can get some strong winds, but it's on high ground or anything, so no doubt it could be worse.
Having raced at Watford, it seems beautifully sheltered by the topography of the ground around it.
Re SG's comments about me being a serious person in the flesh, I do hear that a lot, but I'm not really. I'm just quiet and quite dry.
Not a criticism Dachs, just makes me chuckle at times, like when you met Samir.
We all have our foibles, mine is an inexhaustable amount of post race chat. Probably a welcome relief last year that I barely did any!
Andy G - yes, alas wycombe track be no more.
Shame, was pretty convenient.
Although i don't miss going up there on a friday night for a tough solo session in weather so cold even wearing gloves it took 30mins to regain feeling.
Generally do fine without it now, it's just a bit more of a mission if i need to do mile reps, especially pre work where I'm realistically limited to a 2-3mile zone either side.
Iron - i've done one session on Bracknell's track thinking back with the club. It was summer, and a still day in fairness.
The 45mins or so it took to drive there showed me it wasn't going to be a regular occurrence.
I also remember getting lost round the mean dark streets of Bracknell, which didn't help anything. My own fault for posing pretending to be a proper runner doing a good cool down.
Yup - the track at Aberdeen is surprisingly sheltered given the proximity to the sea. I've been on a few times and there's often a bit of a breeze but nothing substantial.
I do normally use the track at Peterhead whenever I venture to a track though and it can be a complete nightmare. The last time I was there to do a pyramid session of 3k pace / 5k pace / 10k pace reps. I couldn't even hit 10k pace towards the end because it was like running into a brick wall on the home straight. Peterhead is one of the windiest places in the world and the track is pretty much on top of a hill with no cover / wind break etc.
That's one of the problems with choosing a site for a track I guess - needs to be on a big flat area, so usually in a wide valley or on top of a plateau. so catches the wind either way.
our track is always windy but the track at trafford seems to always have perfect conditions.
I almost forgot... I ran a lap of the track at the Olympic Stadium a couple of years ago. There was no wind that day, but it was the height of summer and was bloody hot. That was part of the Olympic Anniversary 5 mile race - I shared the track with Paula Radcliffe (who didn't beat me by that much...) and I beat Victoria Pendleton and Sporty Spice. I was quite chuffed with myself despite a mediocre time...
I did also side step a guy who collapsed right in front of me on the home straight and ran straight past him. I actually thought he was taking the piss at the time (some people were playing up to the cameras in the stadium etc. Crouching at the start of the 100m line for photos and that sort of stuff) - I mean, who collapses in a 5 mile race? I felt pretty bad when I realised afterwards that he had actually collapsed and had to be carried off by paramedics.
Stevie - Another one who get verbal Diahorrea when they run well - don't we all?
Luton's is quite high up, but in a bowl, so it's not too bad. Watford is pretty sheltered and Bedford has a good surface, but it's always windy.
My faves are Tooting Bec as thats where I started and Eltham as it's my lucky track - got my 1500 and 5000m PB's there. The Eltham BMC/open meets are great..not as busy or late as Watford and free water. Quite a few defectors seemed to be down last summer.
Last and not least the Olympic track is brilliant, the best one I have run on - sure CC82 will agree. I was sooo lucky getting to do a steeplechase in the warm up event on the first weds night on the Olympics, before the athletics had started! Never ever forget that afternoon/evening - getting your name on the big screen and all that, being at the warm up at track and seeing loads of stars. I'll stop there, could go on
Rob, thanks for that, matt also sent me great info via facebook too.
think i will give it a go as i am thinking i could do with shaking my training up and going old school on it...(as in a lot of the sessions are run faster than i currently do with the exception of intervals.)
cc- was that when Paula was preg?
I realise now i've barely run on many tracks. Wycombe, obviously a couple of races at Watford, agree with Simon that's quite boxed in.
Maidenhead 5k and Victory 5miler have small sections on tracks. Maidenhead's track is with all due respect a right crock of pony. Gravelly stuff.
Victory's is quality. Such a shame they've moved that race back to December! September was ideal.
in other news, erred on the slight side of caution, with a 6miler with 12x75m strides instead of proper speedwork reps.
Definitely the right decision, am quite close to full capacity, but still not quite there.
Hopefully by Monday can restart the full programme, and at some stage get into racing, we have 6 to beat in 2015!
I think Crawley is my favourite track. They used to do open meetings there in the summer (still do now I google it) and it is in a bowl with high earth banks so great for still evening racing.
My local track is carved out of the base of a large hill. In winter, the drop in temperature has to be believed.
I'm sure I'm not the first runner to notice ice forming on the inner lane as runners pass over head.
Another local track (neglected cinders) is being upgraded at a cost of £230,000. Since nothing is being spent on floodlights or any other gadgets. I assume this means it will end up as an 'all weather' job.
Could be handy. I've never seen anyone else using it.
🙂