So, having been smiling pretty much like a Cheshire cat for the past week I have been thinking about how this whole build up went and what I should do next to try to continue to improve. Luckily I have a few ideas that will hopefully keep my pushing on to another level.
I started the York build up feeling very unfit after not doing too much after Edinburgh in May. Steady running wasn't that quick and easy wasn't that easy! The effort at getting up for and out for tempo runs in the early stages took a big effort to say the least. As the weeks of consistent mileage and marathon specific sessions progressed I gradually just got in better and better shape. This tells me that if I can get to the start of a marathon specific phase in already decent nick I have a reasonable expectation that I can be even fitter come race day.
My increase in fitness was coupled with some decent consistent weight loss. I managed my diet much better than in previous campaigns and was really pleased to get to the weight I did for race day. I still think I can get a bit lighter in the future without losing strength so will endeavour to do that as I get closer to London Marathon next year.
As much as the science may be flawed I really do feel I get a big boost from the carb deplete and load. Although you feel really rubbish for the three days without carbs it is good in that it means you are very unlikely to put on any additional weight in that last week which is a big risk and as your muscles are full of nice fresh glycogen (is there such a thing? Doubt it!) you really do arrive at race day feeling brilliant.The energy stores seem to really help as you get to the business end of the race too. In actual fact, despite only running 26.2 miles pre-race I still managed to lose 1lb in that last week.
The plan now is two Spring Marathons in London and Edinburgh in 2015. I really want to go back to London and run a good race there as it is just a phenomenal event and a quick course. I like the Edinburgh race, despite them initially refusing to publish race results this year as it is a quick course and I have run two strong marathons there. I'd also like to experiment a bit at doing marathons back to back to see if the first helps or hinders! I am then looking at Berlin Marathon next Autumn, possibly for a sub 2:20 attempt if it doesn't come before.
So in the meantime I have a few other races to keep me busy. I shall be doing a couple of XC races in the West Yorkshire League, The Ribble Valley 10k, The Brass Monkey Half Marathon, the Northern XC Champs, Dewsbury 10k, the National XC and the Wilmslow Half. unfortunately I am going to miss the Yorkshire XC Championships due to me attending a long standing mate's stage do. Having dabbled a bit with XC in the past I certainly don't see it as my forte but think if I can get OK at it it can only help with the strength aspects of my fitness.
I intend to start building in some weight training and a bit more focus on core work as these are things I have completely neglected in the past and could help me chip a bit more time off too. Realistically I need to start doing this sooner rather than later as it would be better to have it as a habitual part of my training for when I start doing the harder stuff!
So having had a week of pure gluttony (I have put on 7lbs - I'm not sure how that's actually possible but it's true!) I am now looking forward to getting stuck in again. This week will be easy/steady running to get me back in the swing of things while trying to regain control of my diet which went a bit bonkers last week. It was fun though!
Monday 20 October 2014
Sunday 12 October 2014
2014 Yorkshire Marathon Race Report
M Rest
T 6 miles (6:25mm)
W 8 miles, including 2miles @MP (6:13mm)
T 5miles (6:45mm)
F 4miles (6:41mm)
S 3miles (6:47mm)
S Yorkshire Marathon 2:22:49 (5:27mm)
Official splits
Pre-breakfast race day weight 139.0 Lbs
So race day arrived and I absolutely knew I was in the shape of my life. Never had I put such a consistent block together. My injuries of previous months had gradually faded to virtually nothing; no sciatica, no dodgy glutes, no nasty hamstrings. I felt great. Even the stars had aligned to give me prefect running weather with no wind whatsoever and a nice cool temperature. I had also managed to hit race day at the lightest I've been probably since I was 12!
I had a mini taper wobble midweek having worn my heart rate monitor on a couple of easy runs early in the week while I was carb depleting. HR was relatively sky high so I ditched it for the remaining runs of the week which certainly seemed to help the mental state a bit more. Now it was just about convincing myself that I was going to deliver. I only got a place in the race a about 11 weeks ago but thought it was worth one big effort to see where I could get to. I'm just a little too obsessive not to have a marathon to think about!
Carb loading went great and although I had an absolute tonne I stuck to an average of 11 g per kg of body weight which is what the experts say is about right but it still felt like I could have had more!
About Five O'clock on Saturday evening I had a dilemma about my race day shoes. I had been planning to run in Adios Boosts but they had really beaten up my feet in the half marathon a few weeks ago and when I told my wife Hania her face suggested I consider another pair! I thought the fact that they'd done so much damage to my feet was down to the fact that I'd worn a thinner sock and I hadn't quite tightened the laces enough but it was too much of a risk to take. So I spent about an hour trying them on and then putting on my Puma Faas 300s, swapping back then went to get my Adidas Bostons which had 450 miles on the clock but that I'd run Edinburgh in. I gradually decided that I wanted to race a marathon in a lighter weight shoe for a change but that it wouldn't be the Boosts it was to be the Faas 300s which is nice and lightweight but feel quite nice and spongy.
Bloody hell I haven't even started talking about the race yet! So race day morning. I woke up at 3:30am as I tend to. In fact I had only slept a total of 10 hours in the previous two nights. That seems to be normal for me now ahead of a big race so I didn't let it concern me too much but I would like to get to a race where I've had a good couple of nights sleep. Maybe one day. Cup of tea, shower, breakfast espresso and off! Got to the start nice and early and settled into the VIP/Elite area listening to some tunes and making sure all necessary body parts were well lubricated!
Little jog to warm up and then to the start. I wanted to try and keep it really easy for the first mile which I managed to do with quite a few folks streaming past me. I knew that I was going to be in for a lonely run given the quality of the field. There were a number of sub 2:20 calibre runners then me a 2:28 man so I was aware that it would be me on my own with my thoughts. Some say it's easier to run in a pack, I'm not too sure that's completely necessary in the marathon unless conditions are really bad. When Steve Jones won in Chicago in 1985 he went out from gun to tape with no intention of running with anyone, not that anyone could have stayed with him but it proves that you don't NEED someone to run with in a marathon. You just have to do what you have to do and run the race as optimally as you can. With others I genuinely believe you are unlikely to unless you get very lucky and happy to be running with someone who is exactly matched to your ability and fitness!
Anyway, back to the race. I felt really easy from the off which was a great sign. Got my head down for the first few miles and just concentrated on getting into a rhythm. I wore my HRM as I do like to keep an eye on it even in a marathon these days. I don't let it dictate my pace but it is a helpful guide and now after 12 marathons I have a pretty god idea of what is sustainable. Once I got to three miles I knew for sure if I kept a cool head I was going to obliterate my PB. All the signs were good. I felt relaxed, I was moving well, breathing was all very under control and I was focused.
I reached the first 10k split in 33:28 feeling good. As I went through the next couple of miles I could see Dave Webb who finished 15th at the World Championships in 2011 coming back to me. I couldn't quite believe it. That would be a scalp that I would be very proud of if I could reel him in! I caught up with him about 9 miles and we ran together for a mile or so before I gradually pulled away. I went through the 20k point in 66:56 so another 33:28 split. Then it was on to half way which I think they had placed the timing mat a bit too far on as the time was 71:23 and I think I got there a bit sooner than that.
The next part of the course was quite tricky in that there was a gradual down hill and then a long drag very slightly uphill from 14 for a couple of miles to 16 before dropping down again to 18. It was in this section that I started to feel that I was working and having to concentrate quite a bit more on my cadence and keeping the legs turning over. I saw my club mate Mike Burrett who was out supporting on the course (and doing his long run). He gave me some helpful info in terms of how I was looking and gave me some much needed encouragement. Then there was the turn back section to work back up the hill for a couple of miles before getting to the business end of the race. I went through 30k in 1:41:26 so about 34:30 for that 10k split which shows the slightly trickier nature of this part of the course. Then it was on to 20miles and the last 10k.
My legs were now really starting to scream at me, I could feel a bit of hard skin under my right foot which was causing me some bother but not enough to really cause too many issues. I just had to try and ignore it. At this point of the race it really was just about one foot in front of the other and concentrating so intently. I just focused on the next mile marker pushing and driving. I managed to pick off a couple of 'genuine' elites at this stage which was highly gratifying. I was flying past them. A mile seems quite along way when you're 23 miles in but although my pace was starting to drift a bit I was still keeping pretty strong. I had seen that there was a big hill in the last mile which I was conscious that I needed to save some energy for as there was no way I wanted to be walking up it! Either way it was going to take a monumental effort to get up it. As I reached the point I just got my head down and I could feel the strength of my very recently late Auntie Di help me drive up the hill. As I reached the top I went past the 26 mile marker and I knew with one last push I could come in under 2:23 which would be a whopping PB. and with that I absolutely emptied the barrel, I poured it on, there's no point in leaving anything out there and some how managed to cover the last 0.22 of a mile in 4:39 pace. The crowd were going mental and I lifted my hands above my head and actually felt like I'd won. It was just ace. I crossed the line at a full on sprint and as I came to a stop the emotion of the day got on top of me. I was a really wuss as I couldn't stop crying. It took me a few minutes to regain my composure but I did eventually. I then had a couple of television interviews which I will no doubt look like an absolute idiot in. It's really not an ideal time to be interviewed a couple of minutes after the monumental effort I'd just put in. It was incredibly pleasing not only to get the mahoosive PB and finish 5th overall but also to be the first Yorkshireman home was very special indeed.
Shortly after I took up running a few years ago I had a dream that I would go sub 2:20 one day and with today's performance I've taken a big stride towards that.
T 6 miles (6:25mm)
W 8 miles, including 2miles @MP (6:13mm)
T 5miles (6:45mm)
F 4miles (6:41mm)
S 3miles (6:47mm)
S Yorkshire Marathon 2:22:49 (5:27mm)
Official splits
Pre-breakfast race day weight 139.0 Lbs
So race day arrived and I absolutely knew I was in the shape of my life. Never had I put such a consistent block together. My injuries of previous months had gradually faded to virtually nothing; no sciatica, no dodgy glutes, no nasty hamstrings. I felt great. Even the stars had aligned to give me prefect running weather with no wind whatsoever and a nice cool temperature. I had also managed to hit race day at the lightest I've been probably since I was 12!
I had a mini taper wobble midweek having worn my heart rate monitor on a couple of easy runs early in the week while I was carb depleting. HR was relatively sky high so I ditched it for the remaining runs of the week which certainly seemed to help the mental state a bit more. Now it was just about convincing myself that I was going to deliver. I only got a place in the race a about 11 weeks ago but thought it was worth one big effort to see where I could get to. I'm just a little too obsessive not to have a marathon to think about!
Carb loading went great and although I had an absolute tonne I stuck to an average of 11 g per kg of body weight which is what the experts say is about right but it still felt like I could have had more!
About Five O'clock on Saturday evening I had a dilemma about my race day shoes. I had been planning to run in Adios Boosts but they had really beaten up my feet in the half marathon a few weeks ago and when I told my wife Hania her face suggested I consider another pair! I thought the fact that they'd done so much damage to my feet was down to the fact that I'd worn a thinner sock and I hadn't quite tightened the laces enough but it was too much of a risk to take. So I spent about an hour trying them on and then putting on my Puma Faas 300s, swapping back then went to get my Adidas Bostons which had 450 miles on the clock but that I'd run Edinburgh in. I gradually decided that I wanted to race a marathon in a lighter weight shoe for a change but that it wouldn't be the Boosts it was to be the Faas 300s which is nice and lightweight but feel quite nice and spongy.
Bloody hell I haven't even started talking about the race yet! So race day morning. I woke up at 3:30am as I tend to. In fact I had only slept a total of 10 hours in the previous two nights. That seems to be normal for me now ahead of a big race so I didn't let it concern me too much but I would like to get to a race where I've had a good couple of nights sleep. Maybe one day. Cup of tea, shower, breakfast espresso and off! Got to the start nice and early and settled into the VIP/Elite area listening to some tunes and making sure all necessary body parts were well lubricated!
Little jog to warm up and then to the start. I wanted to try and keep it really easy for the first mile which I managed to do with quite a few folks streaming past me. I knew that I was going to be in for a lonely run given the quality of the field. There were a number of sub 2:20 calibre runners then me a 2:28 man so I was aware that it would be me on my own with my thoughts. Some say it's easier to run in a pack, I'm not too sure that's completely necessary in the marathon unless conditions are really bad. When Steve Jones won in Chicago in 1985 he went out from gun to tape with no intention of running with anyone, not that anyone could have stayed with him but it proves that you don't NEED someone to run with in a marathon. You just have to do what you have to do and run the race as optimally as you can. With others I genuinely believe you are unlikely to unless you get very lucky and happy to be running with someone who is exactly matched to your ability and fitness!
Anyway, back to the race. I felt really easy from the off which was a great sign. Got my head down for the first few miles and just concentrated on getting into a rhythm. I wore my HRM as I do like to keep an eye on it even in a marathon these days. I don't let it dictate my pace but it is a helpful guide and now after 12 marathons I have a pretty god idea of what is sustainable. Once I got to three miles I knew for sure if I kept a cool head I was going to obliterate my PB. All the signs were good. I felt relaxed, I was moving well, breathing was all very under control and I was focused.
The next part of the course was quite tricky in that there was a gradual down hill and then a long drag very slightly uphill from 14 for a couple of miles to 16 before dropping down again to 18. It was in this section that I started to feel that I was working and having to concentrate quite a bit more on my cadence and keeping the legs turning over. I saw my club mate Mike Burrett who was out supporting on the course (and doing his long run). He gave me some helpful info in terms of how I was looking and gave me some much needed encouragement. Then there was the turn back section to work back up the hill for a couple of miles before getting to the business end of the race. I went through 30k in 1:41:26 so about 34:30 for that 10k split which shows the slightly trickier nature of this part of the course. Then it was on to 20miles and the last 10k.
My legs were now really starting to scream at me, I could feel a bit of hard skin under my right foot which was causing me some bother but not enough to really cause too many issues. I just had to try and ignore it. At this point of the race it really was just about one foot in front of the other and concentrating so intently. I just focused on the next mile marker pushing and driving. I managed to pick off a couple of 'genuine' elites at this stage which was highly gratifying. I was flying past them. A mile seems quite along way when you're 23 miles in but although my pace was starting to drift a bit I was still keeping pretty strong. I had seen that there was a big hill in the last mile which I was conscious that I needed to save some energy for as there was no way I wanted to be walking up it! Either way it was going to take a monumental effort to get up it. As I reached the point I just got my head down and I could feel the strength of my very recently late Auntie Di help me drive up the hill. As I reached the top I went past the 26 mile marker and I knew with one last push I could come in under 2:23 which would be a whopping PB. and with that I absolutely emptied the barrel, I poured it on, there's no point in leaving anything out there and some how managed to cover the last 0.22 of a mile in 4:39 pace. The crowd were going mental and I lifted my hands above my head and actually felt like I'd won. It was just ace. I crossed the line at a full on sprint and as I came to a stop the emotion of the day got on top of me. I was a really wuss as I couldn't stop crying. It took me a few minutes to regain my composure but I did eventually. I then had a couple of television interviews which I will no doubt look like an absolute idiot in. It's really not an ideal time to be interviewed a couple of minutes after the monumental effort I'd just put in. It was incredibly pleasing not only to get the mahoosive PB and finish 5th overall but also to be the first Yorkshireman home was very special indeed.
Shortly after I took up running a few years ago I had a dream that I would go sub 2:20 one day and with today's performance I've taken a big stride towards that.
Sunday 5 October 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 9: 29/9-5/10
M 10 miles (6:35mm), 5 miles (6:55mm)
T 10.5 miles, including 10 mins(3mins), 8X2mins(1min) (5:49mm), 5 miles (6:56mm)
W 6 mile (7:03mm), 5 miles (6:10mm)
T 10 miles, including 10k Tempo in 32:12 (5:43mm), 4 miles (7:04mm)
F 6 miles (7:00mm)
S 14 miles Steady (6:07mm)
S 10 miles (6:20mm)
Total - 87 miles (6:23mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 938 beats per mile average
Average Weight 140.06 Lbs
Average Resting HR 32
This week was the first week of taper then and it was hoped that this would start to see my legs freshen up. The week basically consisted of a couple of sessions, which were a bit more speed focused than in the past and then some decent aerobic mileage filling in for the rest of the week. All in all it went brilliantly.
My weight has dropped again very slightly to pretty much 10 stone dead! I suspect I shall be a little heavier on the start line next week but that's fine. I shall be carb depleting having had a decent experience of it pre-Edinburgh this year so I shall be extra grumpy for the first three days of this coming week, but it'll all be worth it I'm sure!
Anyway, to the runs of note, Tuesday's session of 10 mins, 8X2mins was another of Steve Way's specials and it went really well. The tempo bit was run at 5:10 pace feeling like I was driving with the handbrake on and then the 2 minute intervals averaged around 4:47 pace. To be fair I didn't even know I could sprint that fast so to do 8 reps of 2 minutes of that was very pleasing indeed. It was nice to get a decent chunk of minutes (26 in total) way quicker than marathon pace. Theory being that next week should make the pace feel easy. Thursday's run was a 10 miler with a 10k tempo in the middle. I had planned to keep this around half marathon effort so it feels like you're working really quite hard but by no means pushing into red line territory. It's nice to do this run when you are in very good shape as it can give you such a big confidence booster. I ran it in 32:12 which is only 7 seconds slower than my actual 10k PB. I was also getting quicker all the way through and finished feeling really strong. Looks like I need to get myself a new 10k PB at some point as with that sort of effort I should be able to go at around 60 secs quicker in a race.
I mentioned last week that I expected my aerobic efficiency to start ticking down (average HR going up for a given pace) as the mileage reduces. Although it did for the first few runs of the week it has ended up staying exactly the same as it averaged last week and with the legs starting to feel really fresh. Saturday's 14 miler came in as the most efficient of the whole campaign to date at 899 beats per mile. To be fair there has been a significant temperature drop the past couple of days so maybe that could also have had some impact.
So this time in a week it'll all be over. Whilst that may not sound like a long period of time, I know this week will drag beyond belief as I double check my calorie intake every 20 minutes and wear out the F5 button on my computer as I refresh the page for the weather forecast on the met office website.
T 10.5 miles, including 10 mins(3mins), 8X2mins(1min) (5:49mm), 5 miles (6:56mm)
W 6 mile (7:03mm), 5 miles (6:10mm)
T 10 miles, including 10k Tempo in 32:12 (5:43mm), 4 miles (7:04mm)
F 6 miles (7:00mm)
S 14 miles Steady (6:07mm)
S 10 miles (6:20mm)
Total - 87 miles (6:23mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 938 beats per mile average
Average Weight 140.06 Lbs
Average Resting HR 32
This week was the first week of taper then and it was hoped that this would start to see my legs freshen up. The week basically consisted of a couple of sessions, which were a bit more speed focused than in the past and then some decent aerobic mileage filling in for the rest of the week. All in all it went brilliantly.
My weight has dropped again very slightly to pretty much 10 stone dead! I suspect I shall be a little heavier on the start line next week but that's fine. I shall be carb depleting having had a decent experience of it pre-Edinburgh this year so I shall be extra grumpy for the first three days of this coming week, but it'll all be worth it I'm sure!
Anyway, to the runs of note, Tuesday's session of 10 mins, 8X2mins was another of Steve Way's specials and it went really well. The tempo bit was run at 5:10 pace feeling like I was driving with the handbrake on and then the 2 minute intervals averaged around 4:47 pace. To be fair I didn't even know I could sprint that fast so to do 8 reps of 2 minutes of that was very pleasing indeed. It was nice to get a decent chunk of minutes (26 in total) way quicker than marathon pace. Theory being that next week should make the pace feel easy. Thursday's run was a 10 miler with a 10k tempo in the middle. I had planned to keep this around half marathon effort so it feels like you're working really quite hard but by no means pushing into red line territory. It's nice to do this run when you are in very good shape as it can give you such a big confidence booster. I ran it in 32:12 which is only 7 seconds slower than my actual 10k PB. I was also getting quicker all the way through and finished feeling really strong. Looks like I need to get myself a new 10k PB at some point as with that sort of effort I should be able to go at around 60 secs quicker in a race.
I mentioned last week that I expected my aerobic efficiency to start ticking down (average HR going up for a given pace) as the mileage reduces. Although it did for the first few runs of the week it has ended up staying exactly the same as it averaged last week and with the legs starting to feel really fresh. Saturday's 14 miler came in as the most efficient of the whole campaign to date at 899 beats per mile. To be fair there has been a significant temperature drop the past couple of days so maybe that could also have had some impact.
So this time in a week it'll all be over. Whilst that may not sound like a long period of time, I know this week will drag beyond belief as I double check my calorie intake every 20 minutes and wear out the F5 button on my computer as I refresh the page for the weather forecast on the met office website.
Sunday 28 September 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 8: 22/9-28/9
M 12.5 miles (6:08mm), 6 miles (6:56mm)
T 11 miles (6:37mm), 5 miles (6:59mm)
W 20 miles including Marathon Session (30 mins, 4X5mins, 30 mins)(5:41mm), 6 miles (6:52mm)
T 11.5 miles (6:34mm), 6 miles (6:56mm)
F 7 miles (6:23mm)
S 22 miles Long Run (6:10mm)
S 12 miles (6:09mm)
Total - 120 miles (6:19mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 938 beats per mile average
Average Weight 140.2 Lbs
After last weekends 30 miler I thought Monday would get off to a slow start but I had one of those runs that just feels effortless despite going at a very decent clip. I just felt really strong aerobically and the legs felt like they were bouncing nicely along. It was to be Tuesday that I would have a decent chunk of DOMS and so the morning's run was a bit more of a plod than the previous day's running. My mind may also have had one eye on the Wednesday session,which was to be the biggest one of the campaign so perhaps I was holding something back to make sure I hit that in reasonable freshness.
Wednesday's session looked particularly daunting. It was to be 30 mins at marathon pace, 4X5mins at cThreshold, and then another 30 mins at marathon pace. I have basically followed a very similar structure to that of Steve Way in his marathon build ups(in fact all of the sessions I've done are exactly the same as his, but slower ;-) ) and what can I say it seems to be working rather nicely as Wednesday seemed to confirm again that I am getting into the shape of my life. Now the race is getting near I cant wait to get out there and try and deliver what I have believed for a while that I am capable of. Anyway the first 30 mins came in at 5:27 pace and then the 5 minute intervals were done at pleasing paces of 5:13, 5:09, 5:08 and 5:03. I decided that I would really push these to try and get the legs nicely tired before running the last 30 minute effort at marathon pace again. Although the last 30 minutes was hard work it was manageable and averaged 5:26 per mile. The whole 20 mile session averaged roughly my current marathon PB pace which is a really positive sign indeed, especially considering about five and a bit miles of it was warm-up, recovery or warm down! I do think I have a crack of going under 2:25 if all goes well on the day.
The rest of the week was OK if not spectacular. The long run was tough after a very long day on Friday. I was up at 4:45 for a run having had a poor night's sleep, then to London for the day and then a late night c2:00am on Saturday morning as my Brother in Law and his wife came to stay and arrived late Friday evening. This was then compounded with rubbish sleep with the baby not too settled. Anyway that's enough excuses, it was 22 miles in 6:10 pace which is pretty good but I just wanted to get it done and didn't enjoy it too much if I'm honest. No more long ones to do now though but I definitely have the endurance to run a good race.
Much to my surprise the aerobic efficiency took another big step forward this week with a drop of 18 beats per mile. I'm really not sure why this was but thinking about it it may be that my heart rate is now just becoming slightly supressed during runs because of the volume of the past couple of weeks. I expect as my legs get fresher over the next couple of weeks and the training reduces my aerobic efficiency may well get slightly less but this should be made up for by the extra freshness the legs have as I approach race day.
Weight has dropped again and I may be in 'danger' of dropping below 10 st for the first time in my adult life (I've had a couple of readings below 10st but am averaging my weight over the week). That said as the training reduces I have to be even more careful about what I'm consuming to make sure it's not too much. The last thing I want to be doing is carrying too much weight around 26.2 miles. The carb load of course will also result in a 3-4lb gain anyway but this will largely be water and glycogen stored in the muscles and liver which will help me run a strong race.
Monday 22 September 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 7: 15/9-21/9
M 12 miles (6:19mm)
T 11 miles (6:37mm), 6 miles (7:07mm)
W 18 miles including Marathon Session (4X18mins) (5:47mm), 5 miles (7:00mm)
T 10 miles (6:29mm)
F 11 miles (6:26mm), 6 miles (6:53mm)
S 30 miles (6:21mm)
S 12 miles (6:17mm)
Total - 122.3 miles (6:23mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 956 beats per mile average
Average Weight 140.9 Lbs
Average RHR 32 bpm
This week was again play it by ear given our little arrival last weekend but as it turned out I have pretty much stuck to plan thankfully which has resulted in me running more miles in a week than ever before! Antonia (we eventually settled on a name!) is pretty chilled out and she's been taking everything in her stride. Having a couple of weeks paternity leave means I can do all the stuff that my wife would normally do around the house, hopefully giving her enough time to rest up after the birth. She seems to be doing very well. Naturally sleep at night is a little intermittent given the little ones feeding requirements but so far it's all OK. Plus I cant really help too much with that bit!
I managed to get out for my first run after the birth on Monday evening and although I seemed to have a spring in my step pace wise, it still all felt a little lethargic, probably due to the emotional energy consumed over the previous 48 hours!
Wednesday was my first full session since last week's race and I felt a little trepidation after having to cut last week's short due to just being too tired. Would I be too tired this time for different reasons? No, not really. I think it went as well as it could as each of the 18 minute reps gradually got quicker and my heart rate was well behaved. The reps came in at 5:28, 5:27, 5:25, 5:25 pace so really really happy with that. I don't anticipate that to be marathon pace come the day but it shouldn't be too far away. I need under 5:40 per mile to be on for PB and providing nothing drastic happens then I feel I will have a good chance of obliterating that in a few weeks time.
Rest of the the week was just easy and steady running towards the Saturday Long run, the longest of the campaign and in fact my longest ever at 30 miles. I picked a route that essentially went down, flat, up, down, flat, up (you can probably see the elevation profile on the link above)! All was great until probably about 24 miles in when the last section of up was just about to start when it became very hard work. I kept plugging away and didn't have a doubt that I would get home OK but it's funny how your brain can try to stop you from doing such stupid things. The feeling in my legs on stopping was one of sheer bliss!
I was expecting my run on Sunday to be a bit of a sombre affair after the long run on Saturday but all went well and I even added a couple of miles on top of what I thought would be sensible as the legs felt so good considering!
Aerobic efficiency has improved again slightly this week but I think this is starting to plateau now meaning I am not likely to get any fitter ahead of race day now, which is three weeks away. Surprisingly, to me at least, my weight has still continued to drop with a roughly two and half pound drop from last week. I am being careful to not run at too much of a calorie deficit and ensuring I have sufficient carbs to fuel my training. Perhaps the extra x-training with the new baby has meant I'm burning yet more calories!
I would still like to get in another chunky week volume wise this week before starting to cut back fairly rapidly.
T 11 miles (6:37mm), 6 miles (7:07mm)
W 18 miles including Marathon Session (4X18mins) (5:47mm), 5 miles (7:00mm)
T 10 miles (6:29mm)
F 11 miles (6:26mm), 6 miles (6:53mm)
S 30 miles (6:21mm)
S 12 miles (6:17mm)
Total - 122.3 miles (6:23mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 956 beats per mile average
Average Weight 140.9 Lbs
Average RHR 32 bpm
This week was again play it by ear given our little arrival last weekend but as it turned out I have pretty much stuck to plan thankfully which has resulted in me running more miles in a week than ever before! Antonia (we eventually settled on a name!) is pretty chilled out and she's been taking everything in her stride. Having a couple of weeks paternity leave means I can do all the stuff that my wife would normally do around the house, hopefully giving her enough time to rest up after the birth. She seems to be doing very well. Naturally sleep at night is a little intermittent given the little ones feeding requirements but so far it's all OK. Plus I cant really help too much with that bit!
I managed to get out for my first run after the birth on Monday evening and although I seemed to have a spring in my step pace wise, it still all felt a little lethargic, probably due to the emotional energy consumed over the previous 48 hours!
Wednesday was my first full session since last week's race and I felt a little trepidation after having to cut last week's short due to just being too tired. Would I be too tired this time for different reasons? No, not really. I think it went as well as it could as each of the 18 minute reps gradually got quicker and my heart rate was well behaved. The reps came in at 5:28, 5:27, 5:25, 5:25 pace so really really happy with that. I don't anticipate that to be marathon pace come the day but it shouldn't be too far away. I need under 5:40 per mile to be on for PB and providing nothing drastic happens then I feel I will have a good chance of obliterating that in a few weeks time.
Rest of the the week was just easy and steady running towards the Saturday Long run, the longest of the campaign and in fact my longest ever at 30 miles. I picked a route that essentially went down, flat, up, down, flat, up (you can probably see the elevation profile on the link above)! All was great until probably about 24 miles in when the last section of up was just about to start when it became very hard work. I kept plugging away and didn't have a doubt that I would get home OK but it's funny how your brain can try to stop you from doing such stupid things. The feeling in my legs on stopping was one of sheer bliss!
I was expecting my run on Sunday to be a bit of a sombre affair after the long run on Saturday but all went well and I even added a couple of miles on top of what I thought would be sensible as the legs felt so good considering!
Aerobic efficiency has improved again slightly this week but I think this is starting to plateau now meaning I am not likely to get any fitter ahead of race day now, which is three weeks away. Surprisingly, to me at least, my weight has still continued to drop with a roughly two and half pound drop from last week. I am being careful to not run at too much of a calorie deficit and ensuring I have sufficient carbs to fuel my training. Perhaps the extra x-training with the new baby has meant I'm burning yet more calories!
I would still like to get in another chunky week volume wise this week before starting to cut back fairly rapidly.
Monday 15 September 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 6: 8/9-14/9 inlcuding a little surprise on Sunday morning
M 7 miles (7:03mm)
T 11 miles (6:26mm), 5 miles (7:00mm)
W 14 miles including aborted Marathon Session (6:14mm), 6 miles (7:06mm)
T 10 miles (6:25mm), 6miles (6:58)
F 10 miles (6:29mm)
S 27.7 miles Long Run (6:20mm)
S Rest (well, not really)
Total - 98 miles (6:32mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 963 beats per mile average
Average Weight 143.5 Lbs
Average RHR 33 bpm
Slightly later than planned blog this week as my wife Hania decided to go into labour with our second baby late on Saturday evening (just as I was about to shut my eyes to go to sleep - how selfish) meaning yesterday was a little busy with other things. In honesty it was a very quick labour with the baby being born around 4:40 on Sunday morning but running and blogging were far from my mind. Baby and Mum all doing great but it was a bit of a shock as the baby wasn't due for another three weeks. Here's the little Beaut.
Anyway to the running, after last week's half marathon I was really going to take the week as it came and still try to get in a decent marathon session on the Wednesday. As it turned out it was too soon after the race to be running hard. My legs felt tired from the off. The session was planned to be 25 mins, 4 X 4mins,25 mins but even during the first 25 minute effort I knew it was all feeling a bit too hard. I gave one of the 4 minutes a go but after just over two and a half minutes the legs were going to jelly so I just decided to can the session and run a few more miles easy. By Friday morning I was starting to feel like a cold might be coming on but by Sunday all signs of this had shifted.
The rest of the days went OK and despite picking up a really nasty blister last Sunday my legs had recovered by the time of the long run on Saturday morning. Saturday was supposed to be a 28 miler but due to me being a bit of a numpty I forgot to charge my Garmin so when it died 20.5 miles into the run I was guessing how far I'd have to run. As it turned out I was a little more optimistic than I should have been as when I mapped the remainder of the route it came out to be 27.7 miles. Oh well. It felt really good though and legs didn't feel particularly tired after. That said, I had quite a tight right calf muscle but other than that it was another solid over distance run in the bank at a pretty decent pace. One usually tries to take it easy after a long run to make sure you recover properly but Saturday and Sunday was destined to be pretty busy for me! Not only did we go on to having no sleep until Sunday evening but we had also spent a couple of hours marching round Ikea looking for extra baby furniture on Saturday little did we know just how imminent the arrival was!
Aerobic efficiency dropped again to another all time low to 963. Fingers crossed that keeps dropping as I do think it could be a key indicator. Also pleasing that the weight has now dropped to 143.5 Lbs which is really low for me. I saw that on the scales once a couple of years ago but doubt it would have averaged that over a week so know I am in good necessary skinny shape.
With the baby here now it remains to be seen whether I will have the time to get in the training I need to keep this level of fitness. But with a very supportive wife and me taking a flexible approach I am still optimistic I will get there!
T 11 miles (6:26mm), 5 miles (7:00mm)
W 14 miles including aborted Marathon Session (6:14mm), 6 miles (7:06mm)
T 10 miles (6:25mm), 6miles (6:58)
F 10 miles (6:29mm)
S 27.7 miles Long Run (6:20mm)
S Rest (well, not really)
Total - 98 miles (6:32mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 963 beats per mile average
Average Weight 143.5 Lbs
Average RHR 33 bpm
Slightly later than planned blog this week as my wife Hania decided to go into labour with our second baby late on Saturday evening (just as I was about to shut my eyes to go to sleep - how selfish) meaning yesterday was a little busy with other things. In honesty it was a very quick labour with the baby being born around 4:40 on Sunday morning but running and blogging were far from my mind. Baby and Mum all doing great but it was a bit of a shock as the baby wasn't due for another three weeks. Here's the little Beaut.
Anyway to the running, after last week's half marathon I was really going to take the week as it came and still try to get in a decent marathon session on the Wednesday. As it turned out it was too soon after the race to be running hard. My legs felt tired from the off. The session was planned to be 25 mins, 4 X 4mins,25 mins but even during the first 25 minute effort I knew it was all feeling a bit too hard. I gave one of the 4 minutes a go but after just over two and a half minutes the legs were going to jelly so I just decided to can the session and run a few more miles easy. By Friday morning I was starting to feel like a cold might be coming on but by Sunday all signs of this had shifted.
The rest of the days went OK and despite picking up a really nasty blister last Sunday my legs had recovered by the time of the long run on Saturday morning. Saturday was supposed to be a 28 miler but due to me being a bit of a numpty I forgot to charge my Garmin so when it died 20.5 miles into the run I was guessing how far I'd have to run. As it turned out I was a little more optimistic than I should have been as when I mapped the remainder of the route it came out to be 27.7 miles. Oh well. It felt really good though and legs didn't feel particularly tired after. That said, I had quite a tight right calf muscle but other than that it was another solid over distance run in the bank at a pretty decent pace. One usually tries to take it easy after a long run to make sure you recover properly but Saturday and Sunday was destined to be pretty busy for me! Not only did we go on to having no sleep until Sunday evening but we had also spent a couple of hours marching round Ikea looking for extra baby furniture on Saturday little did we know just how imminent the arrival was!
Aerobic efficiency dropped again to another all time low to 963. Fingers crossed that keeps dropping as I do think it could be a key indicator. Also pleasing that the weight has now dropped to 143.5 Lbs which is really low for me. I saw that on the scales once a couple of years ago but doubt it would have averaged that over a week so know I am in good necessary skinny shape.
With the baby here now it remains to be seen whether I will have the time to get in the training I need to keep this level of fitness. But with a very supportive wife and me taking a flexible approach I am still optimistic I will get there!
Sunday 7 September 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 5: 1/9-7/9 inlcuding Vale of York Half Marathon
M 6 miles (6:18mm), 5 miles (7:06mm)
T 6 miles (6:31mm), 5 miles (6:57mm)
W 17 miles including 24, 18, 12, 6, 3 mins (all off 3mins rec) (5:45mm), 4 miles (7:12mm)
T 8 miles (6:33mm)
F 7 miles (6:32mm)
S 5 miles (6:57mm)
S 17 miles (5:43mm) including Vale of York 1/2 Marathon
Total - 82 miles (6:19mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 972 beats per mile average
Average Weight 144.7 Lbs
Average RHR 33 bpm
As I mentioned last week the aim of this week was to cut back on the miles in a big way to let all the decent training of late soak in. I still wanted to get a big marathon session in on the Wednesday as well as the race today but other than that it was all shorter than normal runs to try and freshen up a bit.
The weight has stayed static this week which is pleasing as it's been hard having to cut my calorie intake a bit given the much lower mileage. I've still been trying to run at a slight calorie deficit so I feel like my body composition is probably very marginally better than last week even though the weight is the same. The reason why I think this is because as the runs have been a touch shorter this week pre-weigh-in I am likely to be very slightly more glycogen and water loaded which can make a bit of difference in weight terms. I guess we'll find out shortly when I return to the similar structure I was running the previous three weeks.
HR has continued to drop with all runs up until the race averaging below 1000 beats per mile(except warm up and cool down of the race - adrenaline?!?!). And the week coming in at 972 (drop of 15 beats per mile) which for a week with a still pretty decent volume is my best ever. One of the things I've been reading a bit about this week is running economy and how it can be the biggest determinant in how much quicker one can get. For me it appears that just running lots of miles with high consistency is the way that I get more economical.
So to Wednesday's session which I was really excited about as it looked on paper another challenging run. I planned to do the first 24 mins at 5:35 pace and get quicker by 10 seconds per mile for each interval, meaning I should theoretically finish at roughly 4:55 pace. As it turned out it ended up being quite a bit better than that with average aces of 5:30, 5:15, 5:09, 4:59, 4:50. This was an incredibly satisfying session as it didn't break me and I finished feeling tired but strong and not like I was absolutely hanging on. On reflection I think it is the best session I have ever done, pointing towards me being in the best shape of my life! This obviously left me very excited about Sunday as I thought I must be in with a very decent chance of a PB and decided that I would try to avereage about 5:16 per mile given that had been the average pace for the effort of the Wednesday session it wouldnt be too far away.
The two days leading up to the Vale of York Half I knew I was in fantastic shape given the Wednesday session but what this did was make me anxious and a bit stressed (it was probably excitement more than anything) about the run meaning I only slept a total of nine hours across Friday and Saturday night. I felt tired and nowhere near completely rested on the start line. Sod it, I still felt I was going to crack 70 and that I could beat my PB with a fair wind! As it turned out, I couldn't really have gone any better on the day and I am pleased to say that I lead from gun to tape with a guy from Otley AC sticking with me for the first three miles before dropping off. I kept the pace really even and felt in control for the vast majority of the race. In fact I probably felt too easy for the first six miles. My concentration lapsed a bit in the 10th, 12th and 13th miles which meant I drifted away from a sub 69 clocking. That said I am delighted with the 20 second PB of 69:26 from what was a pretty solo run feeling I hadn't completely gone to the well. I am sure my mind was telling me that I had a marathon in 5 weeks so I wasn't to completely empty the barrel. Of course it could just have been my inner chimp getting control of me as I still manage to muster a pretty decent sprint finish (for me anyway!).
It was lovely to see a few familiar faces at the start and at the finish and hear about others who had great runs. This was the inaugural running of the race and it was pretty much perfect. A brilliant course, great execution from the organisers and one of those where you go home thinking life is good! Also great to see was my mate Rich Horner run a PB of 96 minutes, which for a guy who only runs once or twice a week is not bad if you ask me! It was then back to ours with Rich, his wife Anna and little boy Benjamin for a lot of BBQ'ed Polish sausage and quite a bit of beer.
I'll take it easy for the next couple of days to make sure I'm OK to crack on but now need to get in three decent weeks before freshening up for Yorkshire Marathon. It is all looking good at this stage and I am pleased to say my injuries have turned into slight niggles. Onwards!
T 6 miles (6:31mm), 5 miles (6:57mm)
W 17 miles including 24, 18, 12, 6, 3 mins (all off 3mins rec) (5:45mm), 4 miles (7:12mm)
T 8 miles (6:33mm)
F 7 miles (6:32mm)
S 5 miles (6:57mm)
S 17 miles (5:43mm) including Vale of York 1/2 Marathon
Total - 82 miles (6:19mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 972 beats per mile average
Average Weight 144.7 Lbs
Average RHR 33 bpm
As I mentioned last week the aim of this week was to cut back on the miles in a big way to let all the decent training of late soak in. I still wanted to get a big marathon session in on the Wednesday as well as the race today but other than that it was all shorter than normal runs to try and freshen up a bit.
The weight has stayed static this week which is pleasing as it's been hard having to cut my calorie intake a bit given the much lower mileage. I've still been trying to run at a slight calorie deficit so I feel like my body composition is probably very marginally better than last week even though the weight is the same. The reason why I think this is because as the runs have been a touch shorter this week pre-weigh-in I am likely to be very slightly more glycogen and water loaded which can make a bit of difference in weight terms. I guess we'll find out shortly when I return to the similar structure I was running the previous three weeks.
HR has continued to drop with all runs up until the race averaging below 1000 beats per mile(except warm up and cool down of the race - adrenaline?!?!). And the week coming in at 972 (drop of 15 beats per mile) which for a week with a still pretty decent volume is my best ever. One of the things I've been reading a bit about this week is running economy and how it can be the biggest determinant in how much quicker one can get. For me it appears that just running lots of miles with high consistency is the way that I get more economical.
So to Wednesday's session which I was really excited about as it looked on paper another challenging run. I planned to do the first 24 mins at 5:35 pace and get quicker by 10 seconds per mile for each interval, meaning I should theoretically finish at roughly 4:55 pace. As it turned out it ended up being quite a bit better than that with average aces of 5:30, 5:15, 5:09, 4:59, 4:50. This was an incredibly satisfying session as it didn't break me and I finished feeling tired but strong and not like I was absolutely hanging on. On reflection I think it is the best session I have ever done, pointing towards me being in the best shape of my life! This obviously left me very excited about Sunday as I thought I must be in with a very decent chance of a PB and decided that I would try to avereage about 5:16 per mile given that had been the average pace for the effort of the Wednesday session it wouldnt be too far away.
The two days leading up to the Vale of York Half I knew I was in fantastic shape given the Wednesday session but what this did was make me anxious and a bit stressed (it was probably excitement more than anything) about the run meaning I only slept a total of nine hours across Friday and Saturday night. I felt tired and nowhere near completely rested on the start line. Sod it, I still felt I was going to crack 70 and that I could beat my PB with a fair wind! As it turned out, I couldn't really have gone any better on the day and I am pleased to say that I lead from gun to tape with a guy from Otley AC sticking with me for the first three miles before dropping off. I kept the pace really even and felt in control for the vast majority of the race. In fact I probably felt too easy for the first six miles. My concentration lapsed a bit in the 10th, 12th and 13th miles which meant I drifted away from a sub 69 clocking. That said I am delighted with the 20 second PB of 69:26 from what was a pretty solo run feeling I hadn't completely gone to the well. I am sure my mind was telling me that I had a marathon in 5 weeks so I wasn't to completely empty the barrel. Of course it could just have been my inner chimp getting control of me as I still manage to muster a pretty decent sprint finish (for me anyway!).
It was lovely to see a few familiar faces at the start and at the finish and hear about others who had great runs. This was the inaugural running of the race and it was pretty much perfect. A brilliant course, great execution from the organisers and one of those where you go home thinking life is good! Also great to see was my mate Rich Horner run a PB of 96 minutes, which for a guy who only runs once or twice a week is not bad if you ask me! It was then back to ours with Rich, his wife Anna and little boy Benjamin for a lot of BBQ'ed Polish sausage and quite a bit of beer.
I'll take it easy for the next couple of days to make sure I'm OK to crack on but now need to get in three decent weeks before freshening up for Yorkshire Marathon. It is all looking good at this stage and I am pleased to say my injuries have turned into slight niggles. Onwards!
Sunday 31 August 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 4: 25/8-31/8
M 11.5 miles (6:26mm), 5.5 miles (7:17mm)
T 10 miles (6:48mm), 5 miles (7:17mm)
W 16 miles including 4X15mins (5:55mm), 6 miles (7:15mm)
T 10 miles (6:35mm), 5 miles (7:08mm)
F 8.5 miles (6:39mm)
S 27 miles progressive long run (6:24mm)
S 10.5 miles (6:25mm)
Total - 115.9 miles (6:34mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 987 beats per mile average
Average Weight 144.7 Lbs
Average RHR 34 bpm
Pleased to have another big week in the bag. In fact this was my biggest week ever in terms of mileage and to be honest it's probably good that I'm to have a cut back this coming week as I have started to have that feeling of invincibility which comes with being very fit. The danger with that feeling is that sometimes you are tempted to push yet further and end up breaking so hopefully this week with reduced mileage will see a bit of consolidation before I ramp up again for three weeks. It also brings August to an end and I've managed to clock up 452 miles (another milelage PB!) with one rest day.
Really happy to have seen the weight continue to drop with just over 2lbs lost and I'm pretty sure I shall get to my lightest racing weight ever in time for the marathon. I have been counting calories most days using the myfitness pal app and seem to be managing a calorie deficit of about 5-600 calories per day (although it must actually be closer to c1000 calories per day given the weight I'm losing) without feeling too hungry and being fuelled enough for my sessions. I'm looking pretty skinny to be quite frank. Hopefully a member of my family shall tell me I am looking ill soon then I know I'm in good shape. ;-)
Aerobic efficiency has come down again another 16 beats per mile. In fact this week there were only three runs out of eleven that averaged over 1000 beats per mile.
So to the sessions Wednesday was a 4X15mins marathon specific session where the goal was to hit around MP or above. I achieved it and it was also nice to gradually get quicker with each fifteen minutes with paces of (5:37, 5:32, 5:29, 5:24). I will say I did do a bit of a boo-boo on the third rep and accidentally pressed lap on my garmin bringing a premature end to the 15 minutes (it was close enough at 14:38!) but I made it up by adding another 30 seconds on the end of the final 15! This was a real test for me but I do feel very strong and think I am getting to be where I want to be. Anything quicker than 5:40 is quicker than marathon PB pace. I would love to see that down towards 5:30s for race day, but we shall see.
Saturday and the long run I decided to do a full distance. It ended up being over distance in the end. I realised that I was going to finish at about 26.8 so Runner's OCD took over and I had to make up the additional 0.2 to get a nice round 27! It was a pretty decent run and although it was a similar pace to last weeks 25 my legs didn't really complain too much until right at the end with a big 2 miles uphill from 23-25. I did this run unfuelled as I feel it is good to try to get the body more efficient at burning fat as fuel in prep for the marathon. I made sure I had a good feed shortly after I got back though and the legs felt fine for this morning's 10 miler which wasn't too shabby pace wise either.
Next Sunday is the Vale of York half marathon which I'm really looking forward to given the shape I'm starting to feel I'm in and tempted to give the PB (69:46) a go if the conditions are good.
T 10 miles (6:48mm), 5 miles (7:17mm)
W 16 miles including 4X15mins (5:55mm), 6 miles (7:15mm)
T 10 miles (6:35mm), 5 miles (7:08mm)
F 8.5 miles (6:39mm)
S 27 miles progressive long run (6:24mm)
S 10.5 miles (6:25mm)
Total - 115.9 miles (6:34mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 987 beats per mile average
Average Weight 144.7 Lbs
Average RHR 34 bpm
Pleased to have another big week in the bag. In fact this was my biggest week ever in terms of mileage and to be honest it's probably good that I'm to have a cut back this coming week as I have started to have that feeling of invincibility which comes with being very fit. The danger with that feeling is that sometimes you are tempted to push yet further and end up breaking so hopefully this week with reduced mileage will see a bit of consolidation before I ramp up again for three weeks. It also brings August to an end and I've managed to clock up 452 miles (another milelage PB!) with one rest day.
Really happy to have seen the weight continue to drop with just over 2lbs lost and I'm pretty sure I shall get to my lightest racing weight ever in time for the marathon. I have been counting calories most days using the myfitness pal app and seem to be managing a calorie deficit of about 5-600 calories per day (although it must actually be closer to c1000 calories per day given the weight I'm losing) without feeling too hungry and being fuelled enough for my sessions. I'm looking pretty skinny to be quite frank. Hopefully a member of my family shall tell me I am looking ill soon then I know I'm in good shape. ;-)
Aerobic efficiency has come down again another 16 beats per mile. In fact this week there were only three runs out of eleven that averaged over 1000 beats per mile.
So to the sessions Wednesday was a 4X15mins marathon specific session where the goal was to hit around MP or above. I achieved it and it was also nice to gradually get quicker with each fifteen minutes with paces of (5:37, 5:32, 5:29, 5:24). I will say I did do a bit of a boo-boo on the third rep and accidentally pressed lap on my garmin bringing a premature end to the 15 minutes (it was close enough at 14:38!) but I made it up by adding another 30 seconds on the end of the final 15! This was a real test for me but I do feel very strong and think I am getting to be where I want to be. Anything quicker than 5:40 is quicker than marathon PB pace. I would love to see that down towards 5:30s for race day, but we shall see.
Saturday and the long run I decided to do a full distance. It ended up being over distance in the end. I realised that I was going to finish at about 26.8 so Runner's OCD took over and I had to make up the additional 0.2 to get a nice round 27! It was a pretty decent run and although it was a similar pace to last weeks 25 my legs didn't really complain too much until right at the end with a big 2 miles uphill from 23-25. I did this run unfuelled as I feel it is good to try to get the body more efficient at burning fat as fuel in prep for the marathon. I made sure I had a good feed shortly after I got back though and the legs felt fine for this morning's 10 miler which wasn't too shabby pace wise either.
Next Sunday is the Vale of York half marathon which I'm really looking forward to given the shape I'm starting to feel I'm in and tempted to give the PB (69:46) a go if the conditions are good.
Sunday 24 August 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 3: 18/8 - 24/8
M 11.5 miles (6:33mm), 5.5 miles (7:25mm)
T 10 miles (6:52mm), 5 miles (7:26mm)
W 14.5 miles including 20 mins, 4X3mins, 20 mins (5:56mm), 5 miles (7:30mm)
T 10.5 miles (6:43mm), 5 miles (7:24mm)
F 8.5 miles (6:46mm)
S 25 miles progressive long run (6:26mm)
S 9 miles (7:04mm)
Total - 110.2 miles (6:43mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 1003 beats per mile average
Average Weight 146.9 Lbs
Average RHR 34.6 bpm
This week has been really interesting (well, for me at least) as it has been the highest volume of running I've ever done in a week and I've also gone through everything one should feel when training for a marathon; shattered, strong, quick, slow, ruined legs, grumpy and happy.
There has been another improvement in my beats per mile average although the drop wasn't as much this week as in previous weeks which is understandable as it starts to level out as I get close to my fittest. I hope there will still be a gradual improvement over the coming weeks but I would be suprirsed if it drops more than another 30beats per mile over the remaining time I have before the race.
It was also pleasing to see my weight continue to drop a little after last weekend's BBQ excesses with me losing 1.5lbs. I kept forgetting to take my resting heart rate first thing in the morning but largely remembered to take a reading just before I went to sleep and that averaged 34.6beats per minute from the five readings I took.
And so to the week's training. Monday was fine and I was still feeling pretty sprightly but then on Tuesday I had an enormous amount of fatigue. Not necessarily in the legs but I just felt completely worn out so my 10 miler on Tuesday morning was taken at an easier intensity but to be honest I couldnt have put much more effort in if I'd tried! Wednesday was a marathon specific session of 20 minutes at marathon pace and the first bit came in at 5:40mm and then with 3 mins jog recovery it was on to 4X3mins hard with 2 mins recover (link above). Now, I had no idea how these would go seeing as the legs are never that quick anyway but especially now when I was in the throws of marathon training and generally feeling pretty shattered. I was very surprised to see those come in at under 5:00mm pace, with the quickest at 4:52mm. That's basically as quick as I can run so to hit 4 reps after a decent tempo stint was quite pleasing indeed. The session then finished with another 20 mins MP which came in at a ratther sprightly 5:31 pace. It is fair to say that that was probably faster than my current marathon pace but if it happes to be that on race day I would be very happy indeed as it would mean a sizeable PB! It was also nice to have a good 14.5 miles done in an over all decent average pace.
Truth be told, Thursday and Friday were a bit of a struggle as the legs were doing their best to recover from Wednesday and then even on Saturday going out for my long run they didn't seem too keen! The plan was for a step up from the 22 I did last week and move up to a 24 which I had diligently mapped out on the computer and uploaded to my Garmin. Unfortunately the mapping had thought there was a through route where there wasn't so I ended up running 25 miles instead.Never mind, I'll probably be thankful I've done a 25 considering I'm planning a full distance 26.2 next week. It was a pleasing average pace and I picked it up in the second half as my legs actually started to feel a bit less mangled. Also, as it was over a reasonably bumpy route it was a good one to have in the bag.
So, I've made it through this week and this coming week is planned to be another big one before I take a cut back week with a half marathon race in a couple of Sundays time to start to gauge what sort of shape I'm coning into and what I might be able to expect come marathon day.
T 10 miles (6:52mm), 5 miles (7:26mm)
W 14.5 miles including 20 mins, 4X3mins, 20 mins (5:56mm), 5 miles (7:30mm)
T 10.5 miles (6:43mm), 5 miles (7:24mm)
F 8.5 miles (6:46mm)
S 25 miles progressive long run (6:26mm)
S 9 miles (7:04mm)
Total - 110.2 miles (6:43mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 1003 beats per mile average
Average Weight 146.9 Lbs
Average RHR 34.6 bpm
This week has been really interesting (well, for me at least) as it has been the highest volume of running I've ever done in a week and I've also gone through everything one should feel when training for a marathon; shattered, strong, quick, slow, ruined legs, grumpy and happy.
There has been another improvement in my beats per mile average although the drop wasn't as much this week as in previous weeks which is understandable as it starts to level out as I get close to my fittest. I hope there will still be a gradual improvement over the coming weeks but I would be suprirsed if it drops more than another 30beats per mile over the remaining time I have before the race.
It was also pleasing to see my weight continue to drop a little after last weekend's BBQ excesses with me losing 1.5lbs. I kept forgetting to take my resting heart rate first thing in the morning but largely remembered to take a reading just before I went to sleep and that averaged 34.6beats per minute from the five readings I took.
And so to the week's training. Monday was fine and I was still feeling pretty sprightly but then on Tuesday I had an enormous amount of fatigue. Not necessarily in the legs but I just felt completely worn out so my 10 miler on Tuesday morning was taken at an easier intensity but to be honest I couldnt have put much more effort in if I'd tried! Wednesday was a marathon specific session of 20 minutes at marathon pace and the first bit came in at 5:40mm and then with 3 mins jog recovery it was on to 4X3mins hard with 2 mins recover (link above). Now, I had no idea how these would go seeing as the legs are never that quick anyway but especially now when I was in the throws of marathon training and generally feeling pretty shattered. I was very surprised to see those come in at under 5:00mm pace, with the quickest at 4:52mm. That's basically as quick as I can run so to hit 4 reps after a decent tempo stint was quite pleasing indeed. The session then finished with another 20 mins MP which came in at a ratther sprightly 5:31 pace. It is fair to say that that was probably faster than my current marathon pace but if it happes to be that on race day I would be very happy indeed as it would mean a sizeable PB! It was also nice to have a good 14.5 miles done in an over all decent average pace.
Truth be told, Thursday and Friday were a bit of a struggle as the legs were doing their best to recover from Wednesday and then even on Saturday going out for my long run they didn't seem too keen! The plan was for a step up from the 22 I did last week and move up to a 24 which I had diligently mapped out on the computer and uploaded to my Garmin. Unfortunately the mapping had thought there was a through route where there wasn't so I ended up running 25 miles instead.Never mind, I'll probably be thankful I've done a 25 considering I'm planning a full distance 26.2 next week. It was a pleasing average pace and I picked it up in the second half as my legs actually started to feel a bit less mangled. Also, as it was over a reasonably bumpy route it was a good one to have in the bag.
So, I've made it through this week and this coming week is planned to be another big one before I take a cut back week with a half marathon race in a couple of Sundays time to start to gauge what sort of shape I'm coning into and what I might be able to expect come marathon day.
Sunday 17 August 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 2: 11/8 - 17/8
M 10 miles (6:55mm), 5 miles (7:27mm)
T 10 miles (6:47mm), 5 miles (7:34mm)
W 14 miles including progressive 10 miles (6:05mm), 4 miles (7:26mm)
T 10.5 miles (6:44mm), 4 miles (7:27mm)
F 8 (6:48mm)
S 22 miles progressive long run (6:30mm)
S 10.5 miles (6:32mm)
Total - 104.3 miles (6:44mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 1020 beats per mile average
Average Weight 148.5 Lbs
Average RHR 37.5bpm
This week was about building the mileage a little both with the Wednesday session and the Saturday long run. All in all it went well and I can feel my fitness improving every run with all my easy general aerobic runs steadily getting quicker for the same heart rate which is a very positive sign and so there has been big strides made in terms of my aerobic efficiency.
The Wednesday morning run was really tough, especially towards the end. I had increased the length of the hard bit to 10 miles from 8 this week with the intention of increasing the pace a few second each mile. Although starting a bit slower this week by the time I was 8 miles in of high aerobic/lactate threshold running it's very difficult to keep increasing the pace which I think is what makes this a very good marathon specific session. Especially as probably half of it was slightly quicker than my current marathon pace would be. This session is all about trying to replicate how you're going to feel in miles 22-26.2 in the marathon. From experience I know that at that point it generally feels like you're sprinting, even though in some cases you're actually coming to a standstill! I just about managed it, which was rather satisfying and always nice to have the big session banked by 7:30am!
I've decided to monitor my weight and resting heart rate quite closely to see if I can see any gradual improvements over the weeks. My weigh in is every day at the same time, after run, after mini-breakfast and I shall be taking an average over the week such are the fluctuations day to day. Hopefully over the weeks I will see my weight gradually dropping to somewhere around 10 stone. I think my lowest racing weight before has been about 10 st 3lbs and it would be nice to get down to that if not a little lower. My resting heart rate is already quite low (I'm measuring it as soon as I wake up each day) so it says to me that there is an underlying level of fitness there still form the spring. I would be surprised if that got down much lower although I have seen readings as low as 33 bpm in the past.
The Long run on Saturday was really encouraging if a little early to start. We had our family 'summer' BBQ so I had to be back in good time to get stuff prepared. My HR started off really low and took ages to get going, I think this was partly because the first few miles were downhill on an out and back course. But I finished the run feeling very strong, the legs were a touch tired but it was a big improvement on last week in terms of pace and also the hart rate over the whole run. Sunday's run was another easy/steadyish run and although I felt quite sluggish probably due to the fact that I had eaten my weight in Polish sausage at the BBQ it was OK pace wise and in terms of HR was very efficient.
As I mentioned last week a good sign of my improving fitness is my aerobic efficiency which I measure using a HR beats per mile average. Once it gets below 1000beats per mile average then I am getting into pretty good shape. This week has seen an improvement from 1059 beats per mile down to 1020 so I'm definitely getting there. I can only really put it down to consistency of mileage over the past three weeks running. Consistency as any runner will know is their best friend.
T 10 miles (6:47mm), 5 miles (7:34mm)
W 14 miles including progressive 10 miles (6:05mm), 4 miles (7:26mm)
T 10.5 miles (6:44mm), 4 miles (7:27mm)
F 8 (6:48mm)
S 22 miles progressive long run (6:30mm)
S 10.5 miles (6:32mm)
Total - 104.3 miles (6:44mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 1020 beats per mile average
Average Weight 148.5 Lbs
Average RHR 37.5bpm
This week was about building the mileage a little both with the Wednesday session and the Saturday long run. All in all it went well and I can feel my fitness improving every run with all my easy general aerobic runs steadily getting quicker for the same heart rate which is a very positive sign and so there has been big strides made in terms of my aerobic efficiency.
The Wednesday morning run was really tough, especially towards the end. I had increased the length of the hard bit to 10 miles from 8 this week with the intention of increasing the pace a few second each mile. Although starting a bit slower this week by the time I was 8 miles in of high aerobic/lactate threshold running it's very difficult to keep increasing the pace which I think is what makes this a very good marathon specific session. Especially as probably half of it was slightly quicker than my current marathon pace would be. This session is all about trying to replicate how you're going to feel in miles 22-26.2 in the marathon. From experience I know that at that point it generally feels like you're sprinting, even though in some cases you're actually coming to a standstill! I just about managed it, which was rather satisfying and always nice to have the big session banked by 7:30am!
I've decided to monitor my weight and resting heart rate quite closely to see if I can see any gradual improvements over the weeks. My weigh in is every day at the same time, after run, after mini-breakfast and I shall be taking an average over the week such are the fluctuations day to day. Hopefully over the weeks I will see my weight gradually dropping to somewhere around 10 stone. I think my lowest racing weight before has been about 10 st 3lbs and it would be nice to get down to that if not a little lower. My resting heart rate is already quite low (I'm measuring it as soon as I wake up each day) so it says to me that there is an underlying level of fitness there still form the spring. I would be surprised if that got down much lower although I have seen readings as low as 33 bpm in the past.
The Long run on Saturday was really encouraging if a little early to start. We had our family 'summer' BBQ so I had to be back in good time to get stuff prepared. My HR started off really low and took ages to get going, I think this was partly because the first few miles were downhill on an out and back course. But I finished the run feeling very strong, the legs were a touch tired but it was a big improvement on last week in terms of pace and also the hart rate over the whole run. Sunday's run was another easy/steadyish run and although I felt quite sluggish probably due to the fact that I had eaten my weight in Polish sausage at the BBQ it was OK pace wise and in terms of HR was very efficient.
As I mentioned last week a good sign of my improving fitness is my aerobic efficiency which I measure using a HR beats per mile average. Once it gets below 1000beats per mile average then I am getting into pretty good shape. This week has seen an improvement from 1059 beats per mile down to 1020 so I'm definitely getting there. I can only really put it down to consistency of mileage over the past three weeks running. Consistency as any runner will know is their best friend.
Sunday 10 August 2014
Yorkshire Marathon - Week 1: 4/8/14
M 10.11 miles (7:11mm), 4.15 miles (8:00mm)
T 10.27 miles (6:59mm), 4.44 miles (7:57mm)
W 12.38 miles including Progressive 8 mile tempo (6:14mm), 4.07 miles (7:50mm)
T 10.09 miles (6:53mm)
F 8.43 miles (6:54mm)
S 20.22 miles progressive long run (6:38mm)
S 11.16 miles (6:46mm)
Total 95.3miles (6:55mm)
Aerobic Efficiency 1059 beats per mile average
So, it's been a while since I wrote a blog. I thought it might be worthwhile in starting it up again for a few weeks as I build towards the Yorkshire Marathon in October. There is a possibility that I may not end up running the race due to the fact that my wife, Hania is expecting our second baby just the week before the race. I was not planning on an Autumn marathon this year as I decided a couple of years ago that I really only fancied training for one per year, such is the commitment required and also the focus that one needs to have on it. I also came to this conclusion as I was keen to get quicker over the shorter distances but the reality is that the shorter distances just don't inspire me as much. I find training for them much harder mentally and I tend to have a catastrophic loss of mojo regarding 5ks and 10ks, etc. Having dabbled at a few over the summer, I just don't seem to run well in them when I'm not training for a marathon. I guess what the whole thing has taught me is that I AM A MARATHONER. I need to be comfortable with this and do my best to improve at this event as much as possible as that is where my relative strength lies, without a doubt.
I ran Edinburgh Marathon earlier this year and snuck a PB of 2:28:32 which I was really pleased with given the weather on the day. There was a massive headwind for the first 17.5 or so miles and I was also injured in the lead up to it with pelvis, glute and hamstring problems. I suspect on a stiller day that performance would have been a couple of minutes quicker. I ran this as a back up having been focused on Manchester but coming down with a quad injury just two days before the race which may or may not have been connected to the other issues I have been struggling with. Injury wise, I don't feel I am completely fixed, I get sciatic pain down the back of my left leg and my glutes are always causing me bother but I can run that is the main thing. After about 12 sessions of physio I am still not right so I am just focusing on what I can do which is trying all sorts of strengthening exercise in the hope that it'll get better eventually.
Anyway, the plan for this marathon is to really focus on getting decent length runs in most days with a couple of key sessions per week. The long run, where I will be building up to 30 miles and also a midweek marathon specific session which I have basically robbed off Steve Way, who is a bit of a Lege. The workouts look really testing but just the sort of thing that brings me on a lot. i.e. working around and slightly above marathon pace intensity but with a decent chunk of mileage in the sessions. It is likely they will be up to 18 miles in total.
So this first week of 10 having done a 65 mile week last week was just about plodding the miles out, getting my first 20 miler done and a decent progressive tempo run in. All went well and although the Wednesday session was tough ( I really had to concentrate on the last couple of miles to keep the pace increasing!) and the 20 miler on Saturday felt really hard towards the end (uphill and into a headwind) it was a successful week. In fact I did an 11 miler this morning which felt really comfortable and there wasn't much residual tiredness in my legs from the weeks training. I am even trying much more consciously to recover properly from my runs in terms of eating shortly after finishing a run, even having a milk shake in the hope that a dose of protein will help the legs feel better for the next session. Although it's only early days in this build up, I genuinely think I can feel the difference!
One thing that I have occasionally kept an eye on before is how many beats per mile my heart rate goes overt the course of a run. Having looked at my figures in the buildup to previous races I know that as I get down towards and below 1000 beats per mile I am starting to get in pretty good shape. In fact just before Manchester I was averaging about 970 beats per mile which tells me I was probably in brilliant shape had it not been for the annoying injury that came as quickly as it went! I am going to track it as an average as each week progresses in the hope that it'll show my fitness improving as I approach race day. Even this week I have seen a gradual improvement and about a 20 beat drop from last week alone.
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