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.

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