Scotiabank Toronto Marathon 2016 - Four weeks to go

M 10 miles (7:03mm), 6 miles HA (6:50mm)
T 12 miles (6:45mm), 6 miles (7:28mm)
W 9.5 miles HA (6:45mm), 6 miles including 6X15s hills (7:32mm)
T 12 mile with 15X2mins (60s) (6:07mm)
F 11 miles (6:21mm), 6 miles HA (7:14mm)
S 8 miles HA (7:10mm), 5 miles (7:30mm)
S 20.5 miles including 16 at 94.2%MP (5:44mm), 6 miles (7:29mm)

Total 119 miles (6:44mm)
Aerobic efficiency 927 beats per mile
Weight 140.9lbs Vs 139.2lbs last week
Body Fat 9.47% (13.34lbs) Vs (9.43% (13.13lbs) last week
Lean Body Mass 85.99% (121.16lbs) Vs 86.03% (119.76lbs)  last week
Water 66.63% (93.89lbs) Vs 66.4% (92.43lbs) last week


Mike & I were keen to ensure that I had recovered from the exploits of last week's half marathon before motoring on with any sessions. It was pleasing that recovery seemed to go better than expected. I did feel quite tired on Monday but the legs were fine and to be honest I didn't really notice any significant fatigue. It was almost as if it had just been a hard session. I guess the big miles of recent weeks has really toughened the legs up somewhat.


On Tuesday I took delivery of something quite exciting! See below. If you're really bored you may also want to watch the video, complete with David Brent style dancing, of me unwrapping the goodies!

And so to Thursday which was I guess a bit of a test of the legs and to get them turning over again with a lighter session of 15X2mins with 60 seconds recovery. Mike had instructed that I should do these a touch faster than Marathon Pace. They ended up a bit quicker than that(!) at 104% MP (5:12mm) but they felt comfortable and I ensured I wasn't straining at all through the workout. This was a good boost as it really confirmed that I had recovered well from the half. It did make me ponder whether I actually had been recovering from a low lying bug last week, leading into the race as this pace really did feel very comfortable and my heart rate didn't even reach marathon heart rate.


Following that it was a couple of easy days running before a consolidatory long run of 20 miles with 16 miles at 94%MP (c5:44mm). I didn't want to go too far this week and it was important that it wasn't too taxing as I know I'm in good shape and I have a very hard week planned coming. I did a similar run at the beginning of the specific phase and I think I noted at the time that it felt much closer to 100% of MP. Today it was very relaxed, in fact I would go to the extent that it almost felt easy! Last time my HR averaged 173 beats per minute for the 16 mile effort and today it was 155 beats per minute which is a hopping improvement in aerobic efficiency of 109 beats per mile!


Weight wise, I have put weight on despite being much more sensible with my food (I even made some ugali earlier in the week!). Thankfully the additional weight seems to be made up of in the main lean body mass and water rather than fat (which increased by only 3 oz!)!


Aerobic efficiency has actually been my best week ever at 927 beats per mile average, with Sunday's long run the most efficient of the week at a lowly 894 beats per mile. This further implies to me although doesn't confirm that I had something, albeit nothing too major, in the system last week.


I am looking to do what Renato Canova terms a 'special block' on Wednesday which is somewhat daunting. It's essentially two pretty tough sessions in one day! I haven't done this before but feel as I'm fit and recovering well I may as well give it a go to see what sort of effect it has on me. Hopefully it will be a positive one! Overall then, really chuffed to have got a big week of miles in with two solid but not massive sessions. This should help consolidate the fitness before the last two weeks of big effort coming up.