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The Middle Ground
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I do now have, minus one weekend, full and unrestricted training right through and still the opportunity to get in 4 more 20 milers. A lot can happen in that time.
I was knackered during the week and should have taken it easy. The long run was pretty wintry and, shall we say, longer than I initially anticipated. I was very glad I took my waterproof. Still, it was pretty fun for the most part and is the furthest I've ever gone.
Time to get serious now, though. Going to run the Sheffield HM on April 9th - it's hilly, but I've got time to prepare and will aim for a good time.
I had a good week last week and whilst away managed 3 very good day with doubles 8 miles in the morning then another 4 later in the day I really enjoyed it.Sadly travelling back yesterday nothing and I now feel lousy with a cough and head cold:-( Not totted last weeks mileage but around 50.
I also don't have long to first race but can see it will just be a run and see sort of race and leave the target to later in the year.
Andrew: Moving is so draining good luck!
DT: but you have 10 weeks yesterday could have been one of those days with your 20 miler we all get them.
Myox: well done on long run and I am sure you have plenty of time before your half:-)
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
Andrew, yes moving house is a huge task, particularly with young children in the mix.
WP, sounds like yoyre getting some consistent training in.
12 miles for me last night at easy. This is the major change in making from last year's schedule where my 4th run was 5 mile recovery run. Whilst it's only 7 miles additional I am hoping the compounded effect of it being a reasonably long run will be disproportionately higher than what 7 extra miles suggest.
Thanks all. The actual moving day itself went pretty smoothly (despite my wife coming down with tonsillitis two days beforehand so feeling very poorly still on the day - she seems over the worst of it now though), but as I say it did leave me with very tight calves over the weekend. Think it must have been caused by lots of carrying, walking back and forwards, up and down stairs etc.
It is the unpacking, sorting and fixing issues with the new house (toilet that didn't flush, electric shower that only ran cold, tv aerials that were a nightmare to fathom out) that has been the really draining part. And our daughter decided to wake up at 11pm on Monday night and scream every time we tried to put her back in her cot until she finally gave in and went back to sleep at 2.45am, so that hasn't helped with the fatigue either!
So, running. None since Sunday's little tester run, but planning to get back on track tonight. Aim for the week is 20 miles including a parkrun outing on Saturday to see how things are shaping up.
DT - 12 mile easy runs sound like they should definitely have scope for increasing your aerobic fitness, so must have a pay off when it comes to the marathon?
WP - well done on the doubles. Hope you get over the cold swiftly.
Myox - Sheffield seems to be hilly all over - where is the HM?
Myox - never done Sheffield. That moors long run will do your stamina some good.
WP - good mileage. Get well soon.
Andrew - well done on surviving the move.
As requested, here is a refresh on the geeky stats etc that were wiped out during the forum migration.
25th Jan ... 12 min sub-max run to get estimates for how fast the treddie should be set for the VO2 max test. Then 9:04 for the VO2max test ... 8:04/m pace,1 min at 1%, 2%,3%.... up to 10%. Just after getting to 10%, I hit my limit. VO2max 54.2 ml/min/kg and 181 bpm maxHR. Then I did a 5K time trial in 22:39, wearing a face mask thingy.
The first of 4 experimental sessions took place on 10th Feb. I ran for 2 hours during a 2:15 period at 8:40/m (72% maxHR), stopping every 15 min to give blood and take an experimental drink. I covered 13.84 miles. Then I did a 5K time trial in 22:23 with the mask on.
I have 3 more sessions to do ... the same as the last but with a different drink each time. As I'm covering just about 17 miles and putting in the last 3.1 at about 45-50s/mile faster than my mara PB pace, it's a good session in itself. Next one is early on Monday morning, so no Sunday long run.
Meanwhile, last Tues was 10.7 miles with 8.3 at subLT ... 7:24 /m average pace at 80 % maxHR. Happy with the pace and lack of HR drift. yesterday was 2 x 5 miles ... same again today. Looks like I'm needed for taxi duties on Saturday, so no parkrun :-( .
Averaging 34 miles per week for 2017, with 31 mpw of cycling thrown in. May consider moving from 1 to 2 run commuting days and 4 to 3 bike commutes.
Thanks Guys I am still not running but feeling more human so tomorrow I am hoping to run.
DR Dan: Sounds like you are doing well especially as commuting running and extra day to fit it all in
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
DT: I don't actually think that your second weekly run is long enough!! Two-thirds to three quarters of your long run is suggested by many!
Working on progressive consistent consistency here: the last 6 weeks have had "long" runs of 64, 66, 70, 62 (cut back week), 75 and 80 minutes with a medium run of two-thirds to three-quarters of the above times. Not quite getting my weekly "speed" session in always due to slight illness: constant catarrh which does not interfere with running slowly, but would be unwise to push things. Have managed a few weeks though, which is better than none.
18:17 for me at the Parkrun this morning. That's a PB by 14 secs, but to be honest I was (churlishly) a little disappointed - would really like to be pushing through the 18 minute barrier. I think perhaps my sessions this week have been too hard to race.
Need to join a club! Finding it difficult to work out how to structure my running at the moment although the mileage is definitely up. Bit of friendly competition would probably help!
Andrew: Great job on pb everything is on the up:-)
MYOX: Great PB I think that is a fab time but I am sure joining a club with the speed you have will do you the world of good or hook up with a runner who is a little faster than you to push each other on.
I am happy to report a 4 miler was run this morning chest was on fire to start with but it felt good to be out again.
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
Myox - fantastic pb! Oh to be disappointed with an 18:17!! Sure you have plenty more potential to be unlocked and joining a club would really help you!
Good work wp.
20 miles today at MP plus 30. came out 7.38mm for 158 bpm. Identical run sunday was 7.57 for 156 so I'm clearly making ground in my recovery. I'm still 10 seconds a mile (or about 5 bpm) off where I was pre op for same run.
due to having run 20 on Sunday as well, my 7 day total is 62.5. Need a rest day tomorrow I think.
I've now got races of parkrun, 5 Mile , 10k ,half Mara, 20 miles and Mara lined up in next 8 weeks. Right now I don't feel capable of a pb in any of them.
A little more digging into my records show that I ran the exact same time (22.09) in a 5k race in June 2015, and by September 2015 I was running my pb of 20.42.
Not saying that progress will be this quick again, but at least it shows that it can be done if I can get some good training under my belt.
DT - I would have thought it reasonable to expect that anyone would find it hard to pb in shorter events whilst marathon training, partly due to the accumulated fatigue of the training meaning you are not fresh for the races and also because you are focussing your training on aerobic fitness rather than anaerobic at the moment? So, perhaps your best pb shots at these shorter distances will be the second half of the year?
Myox - great time!
Well done Andrew - good progress.
DT - decent long run!
I was under he weather on Saturday so skipped my planned 5 miles. Today was an early start to be a guinea pig on the treddie again. Same routine ... 2 hours at 8:40/m and then a 5K time trial. Just under 17 miles in total with the last 3.1 at 7:04/m. That last 5K was tough ... over cooked it in the first half as I felt remarkably fresh after the 2 hour stage.
So that's about 6 x 15 and 2 x 17 (with fast 5k) in the bag ... next Sunday will have to be the first 20, probably after a Saturday parkrun.
yep, its pretty wild out there for sure.
Aren't you going to be cramming the 20s Dr Dan? I've got 4 done now with 3 planned over March (inc Ashby 20).
Andrew- The weekend before London last year I got a parkrun pb and the weekend before that I missed my 10k pb by 10 seconds. But yes, the bigger gains came over summer and Autumn in those distances.
Having viewed the weather at the start of the week I shifted things around so I did 5 miles at mp yesterday and will be a 10-12 miler tonight. I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow morning for a rugby weekend then from Monday it is head down to London.
I have also started doing a lot of hamstring and glute strengthening. For some reason on long run these areas get really sore and tight, something that has only previously been an issue after 22 miles. It's kicking in now after around 13. My physio says they need strengthening so been doing lots of bridge type moves, some planks and press ups (just for the whole chain) and using the hamstring isolation weight machine at the gym. Hopefully a few weeks of focus will resolve the issue.
Enjoy the rugby DT.
In the end storm Doris wasn't as fiercesome around our way as predicted. So when I got home from work and it wasn't too blowy and the sun was still out I decided to get out for my scheduled run that I was struggling to rearrange before the end of the week. 5 miles incorporating some 2 minute tempo paced intervals and some 1 minute faster intervals. Not sure how the paces really stacked up seeing as some of the reps were into the wind and some with a tailwind, but the effort levels felt more or less ok.
Weekend survived, albeit my voice is severely damaged. 8 weeks until London so time to get my head on it.
Droitwich half marathon Sunday. It's a hilly non pb course but it is also the County half champs. I am hoping to pick something up, most likely a team position. I know two other guys from my club running will be quicker than me. I also know that as long as I come in third from the club (3 count), based on previous years we would likely pick up team gold. I think that has to be the objective over a pb. I just won't know until the day who else is there from my club.
DT - I have 4 x 17s with hard 5K planned (treddie) and 3 x 20/20+. That will have to be enough ... I only did 1 x 20 for Abingdon and managed a PB. I have done a stack of 20s in the past but it hasn't necessarily converted into a fast marathon.
20:55 parkrun and then 20 miles on Sunday (last 2 miles at MP) ... 63 miles for the week. Plan is to do the same combo this weekend ... may attempted 22 if it's going well as the weekly total should be more like 45-47 this time.
Sunday 4 miles
Monday 7+4
Tuesday 9+4
Wednesday 6.5+4
DR Dan that is some mileage you are doing!
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
Dan - that is indeed some great mileage. Sounds like it is all coming together pretty well! Does that represent a 'flat-out' parkrun time or not? Even if it is 'flat-out' it will still be slightly slower than if you were to fully taper for one and not do it as part of a 63 mile week, so plenty of scope to bring that time down once the marathon is out of the way!
DT - good luck in the HM. Should give you a good idea of targets for London I would have thought?
WP - good mileage from you too. Hope the boiler can be fixed as swiftly and inexpensively as possible!
So in the end I managed 14 miles last week as I only had time for 5 on Sunday rather than the planned 6. Family event commitments are less over the next few weeks, so hoping to have the time to string a few 20s together.
Started this week with 5 miles last night, comprising a warm up mile followed by 3 at tempo and then a warm down mile. For me this is a pretty tough session and I wouldn't want to try to string much more than 3 miles of tempo together at this stage. Target tempo pace is 7.33m/m according to the VDOT from recent parkrun. My overall pace over the 3 miles was about right, but there was definitely some variance in pace between the 3 miles (and within each mile) with the first being around 7.45, the second about on pace and the third probably closer to 7.15 pace (don't have my watch here so don't know the exact splits). All in all a good workout though, and I felt pretty good throughout.
OK, Dr Dan....i'll let you off!
Well done on the daily doubles, wp.
Andrew, what is that tempo pace meant to be as in threshold, hmp etc? You'll actually be surprised what you can pull out of the bag if you are mentally set for say 4 miles. Whatever distance I set out to do, I always feel at the end that another mile would be an impossibility.
Doing a 4 x 1200 session tonight. In view of the fact that since my op I have not dealt overly well with these sessions (perhaps just not quite recovered enough to hit vo2 sessions) and have a race sunday I will drop the rep pace down to 5k pace. Feeling fairly loose and not like I have any accumulated leg fatigue at moment and conditions sunday look reasonable. My wife has come down with an atrocious cold in last couple of days, needless to say I am going nowhere near her!