This week was tough. I just had to get my head down and grind it out.
Both Achilles tendons have been troublesome and as the week progressed I was getting worried. It seems to me that my Achilles kicks off in certain Nike shoes, but this might be a coincidence. The newer 'Lunar' design of Nike shoes seem to cause me issues on longer runs I think, so I splashed out on a pair of New Balance for my longer runs, and slipped my orthotics back into them to combat the problem. I'll keep my fingers' crossed and persevere with easy stretching and friction massage along both Achilles.
As well as this my legs were absolutely trashed at the beginning of the week, so I gave myself a break with an easy five on the Monday. This seemed to do the trick for Tuesday as both runs were fine, but I was totally smashed on Wednesday evening for a run of just over 12 miles.
Everything hurt on that run. Legs, stomach. My legs were just dead and my quads were really sore. I just wanted to stop as soon as I set off. It was a horrible run. One of my least satisfying ever. It rained hard and my sopping shorts rubbed the skin off the insides of my thighs. Really uncomfortable.
This lead to another day of a single five mile effort, jogging. I also postponed my session as I just couldn't contemplate it in this state. I had planned a marathon session with longer efforts and short recovery but this wasn't going to happen whilst my legs felt so terrible.
Backing off worked and I felt up for it on Friday morning. Very early I ran six of my Bedford Park reps, which are just short of 2km, in absolutely lashing rain. I was happy with the session given the way I'd felt all week.
This lead me into the weekend where my main aim was to get a 24 miler done, and I did this without any problems. I was just pleased to get the week out of the way with the session and the long run ticked off. My mileage was a bit lower than I had planned, but this was due to the two easier days that I just had to take to fix my legs.
I managed to catch up with Adrian Marriott during the week. Adrian is probably the only runner to have run the Toronto Marathon for the England team who managed to properly nail the race, and the 2:18:57 he ran in 2007 is his personal best.
Adrian gave me some advice on the conditions (possibly humid) and also how the manage with the time change (five hours). He was also able to tell me more than I knew about the route and parts of the course to look out for.
Having had this chat and watched some videos of the race I'm very, very up for the challenge. Seven weeks to go now and I'm looking forward to the race hugely.
I've got to be extra careful with the Achilles. The dilemma seven weeks out is that there is no scope for any real downtime to get it sorted, I've just got to manage the problem as best as possible and remain upbeat.
I'm racing on 11 September, I was planning to race the Bristol Half but have changed to the flat, fast and more local 'Grunty Fen' Half near Cambridge.
M - 5 miles easy
T - AM 8.3 miles with last few miles quicker ~5.40 pace, PM 6.1 miles at 6.19 pace getting quicker
W - 12.5 miles at 6.26 pace but legs, stomach hurt. Felt like shit.
T - 5 miles easy jogging to get my legs back
F - AM [5.5 miles warming up & down] 6 x Bedford Park reps off 60s (1.17 miles) first effort steady then got quicker, felt decent. Raining hard. 6.07, 5.57, 6.00, 5.57, 5.58, 6.01, PM 6.4 miles easy
S - AM 8.9 steady but Achilles was sore, PM 6.1 miles steady, feeling decent
S - 24 miles at 6.36 pace in 2:38
95.5 miles
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Sunday 28 August 2011
Sunday 21 August 2011
8 weeks to go...
Tough week this week, some really tiring runs and a really encouraging run.
I didn't run a session this week as such. After warming down from the previous week's disappointing 10,000m with Paul Martelletti (2:17 marathon and 29:43 10,000m), he said he did a lot of hard tempo efforts in his training ahead of a marathon rather than sessions, and having read his training laid out in his blogs on NZRUN and the resulting races, it's hard to disagree this approach comes with good results. Paul gets an awful lot out of himself when racing.
I nailed a very solid 14 mile tempo effort on Thursday of this week, after an initial mile to get into it I was more or less bang on 2:22 marathon pace and felt really good, despite the heavy rain.
It was one of those runs. I set off with no real idea of what I was going to do, I'd given myself a day off work and didn't do a morning run. I'd been feeling tired and scrapped a session in favour of a 14 mile run. I had no idea I'd be running marathon pace for most of it.
This was odd as I had been feeling the effort of a 100+ mile week more than normal after the previous weekend's 10,000m race/22 mile double. I headed into the week off the back of that and was always running with it in my legs and, with the exception of the tempo run, most of my week was steady or easy running. My calves and Achilles (both) are tight and sore, have been for three weeks really, I'll have to watch them.
All said and done, I've enjoyed the last few days training and am now focused only on the Toronto Marathon. There's eight weeks left and this is the real business end of the build up. I've already logged two 20 milers and two 22 mile runs. I'm very positive and looking to nail my next marathon, in what I have to consider my best distance.
M AM 5.1 miles easy, PM 6.4 miles moving well at a steady pace
T AM 6.4 miles feeling good, PM 7.4 miles before going to Arsenal game feeling tired - just under 7 min pace
W AM 6 miles easy and tired, PM 8.15 miles feeling pretty good
T 14.25 miles tempo run clipping off miles at marathon pace in heavy rain. Totally unexpected, feeling good - fastest mile 5:22
F AM 6.4 miles very fatigued at 7:14 pace, which is very rare for me, PM 6.4 miles at 7:00 pace
S AM 8.9 miles feeling good at 6:30 pace, PM 5.4 miles at 6.40 pace after watching Arsenal beaten by Liverpool at home for first time in 11 years
S 22.15 miles at 6:41 pace
103 miles
I didn't run a session this week as such. After warming down from the previous week's disappointing 10,000m with Paul Martelletti (2:17 marathon and 29:43 10,000m), he said he did a lot of hard tempo efforts in his training ahead of a marathon rather than sessions, and having read his training laid out in his blogs on NZRUN and the resulting races, it's hard to disagree this approach comes with good results. Paul gets an awful lot out of himself when racing.
I nailed a very solid 14 mile tempo effort on Thursday of this week, after an initial mile to get into it I was more or less bang on 2:22 marathon pace and felt really good, despite the heavy rain.
It was one of those runs. I set off with no real idea of what I was going to do, I'd given myself a day off work and didn't do a morning run. I'd been feeling tired and scrapped a session in favour of a 14 mile run. I had no idea I'd be running marathon pace for most of it.
This was odd as I had been feeling the effort of a 100+ mile week more than normal after the previous weekend's 10,000m race/22 mile double. I headed into the week off the back of that and was always running with it in my legs and, with the exception of the tempo run, most of my week was steady or easy running. My calves and Achilles (both) are tight and sore, have been for three weeks really, I'll have to watch them.
All said and done, I've enjoyed the last few days training and am now focused only on the Toronto Marathon. There's eight weeks left and this is the real business end of the build up. I've already logged two 20 milers and two 22 mile runs. I'm very positive and looking to nail my next marathon, in what I have to consider my best distance.
M AM 5.1 miles easy, PM 6.4 miles moving well at a steady pace
T AM 6.4 miles feeling good, PM 7.4 miles before going to Arsenal game feeling tired - just under 7 min pace
W AM 6 miles easy and tired, PM 8.15 miles feeling pretty good
T 14.25 miles tempo run clipping off miles at marathon pace in heavy rain. Totally unexpected, feeling good - fastest mile 5:22
F AM 6.4 miles very fatigued at 7:14 pace, which is very rare for me, PM 6.4 miles at 7:00 pace
S AM 8.9 miles feeling good at 6:30 pace, PM 5.4 miles at 6.40 pace after watching Arsenal beaten by Liverpool at home for first time in 11 years
S 22.15 miles at 6:41 pace
103 miles
Sunday 14 August 2011
Getting priorities in order
I had mentioned in my previous blog that my daughter was feeling ill - she started to feel worse and was then admitted to hospital after not eating for a whole week.
After a scan she was quickly whisked into theatre to have her appendix removed as it was in the process of bursting. She is only four, so you can imagine how worrying this was.
This obviously impacted on my training, but I have a quality wife who covers for me when I need to get the miles in. I therefore got through this tough period (made tougher by just starting self-employment) with minimal 'downtime'.
I kept at the planned volume, but suffered for some poor sleep (especially after spending some nights on the Childrens' Ward) and of course there was the stress, which I am sure effects you even when you feel you've got things under control. Watching my dehydrated and sick little girl losing weight quickly before being operated on and then pumped full of drugs counts as being stressful.
My training is listed below. I managed 102 miles in the week my daughter went into hospital, and 76 the week after, when she was finally home on the Friday. This had been a planned 'lighter' week of mileage anyway, as I wanted to race well over 10,000m in the BMC race at Birmingham Uni.
I had a dodgy session in the hot when I went to the track to complete a set of eight 1k reps off short recoveries. It was a hot and humid day and I had been struggling to sleep. I then started far too fast and suffered later. I pulled up and went home after four efforts. I was annoyed with myself for starting too fast and that, coupled with things at home, meant the session was only going one way (especially with the mercury at 31 degrees). I was (for want of a better word) 'shagged'.
I nailed a 20 miler and then a 22 miler over this past two weeks. The 20 miler came after a night spent in hospital and about 3 hours sleep in an armchair. The 22 miler came the morning after the BMC 10,000m race.
That 10,000m didn't go too well. I struggled to really focus on the race in the days leading up to it. My daughter was only let out of hospital the day before, which was a relief and meant life could get back to normal.
On the day of the race I felt relaxed and almost too casual for a proper outing over 25 laps. I felt like this during the race as well. I couldn't get near the 3:05 km splits I wanted and despite never really struggling I just couldn't find the effort in me. The end result was 31:36 after a 31:22 last month. I finished strong but couldn't go quicker. I'm not too fussed as I'm focusing on the Toronto Marathon in nine weeks and some fairly high mileage weeks to come. Moreover, I'm now convinced at 37 I'm getting too old (and slow) for 10k.
Other than this both my Achilles have been feeling tight and will need to be managed with some self massage and gentle stretches.
I'm in the marathon training bubble now after a summer of 'solid but unspectacular'.
M - AM 6.4 steady, PM 6.1 easy. Tired and hot.
T - AM 5 miles easy and v early as daughter kept me up, PM [5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1000m and 1 x 400m off 60s. Was supposed to be 8 x 1000m but I was struggling badly. Very hot. 2:52, 2:57, 2:57, 3:02, 70
W - 10.5 miles at 6.24 pace then straight to hospital. Very hot.
T - AM 6.4 miles easy. Cooler, PM 8.3 miles @ 6:16 pace after daughter's op
F - AM 8.3 miles easy 6:56 pace, PM 8.15 miles @ 6:27 pace
S - AM 8.9 miles inc 10 x 1min/1min fartlek after 3 hours sleep in hospital, PM 5.1 miles easy
S - 20 miles after bad night in hospital. Ran with Matt Janes - 6:45 pace
102 miles
M - 5.1 miles easy
T - AM [5.5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1.17 mile reps in Bedford Park off 90s 5:52, 5:47, 5:50, 5:49 - feeling good, PM 5.1 miles easy
W - 8.15 miles after night in hospital 6:52 pace
T - AM 5.1 very slow (7:19 pace!) PM 5.1 miles followed by 6 x 100 strides. Felt truly shite.
F - 4 miles really easy
S - [5 miles warming up & down] BMC 10,000m at Birmingham Uni. Disappointed with 31:36 (3.09, 3.06, 3.07, 3.09, 3.11, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.11, 3.07)
S - 22 miles at 6:32 pace - felt great after last night
76 miles
After a scan she was quickly whisked into theatre to have her appendix removed as it was in the process of bursting. She is only four, so you can imagine how worrying this was.
This obviously impacted on my training, but I have a quality wife who covers for me when I need to get the miles in. I therefore got through this tough period (made tougher by just starting self-employment) with minimal 'downtime'.
I kept at the planned volume, but suffered for some poor sleep (especially after spending some nights on the Childrens' Ward) and of course there was the stress, which I am sure effects you even when you feel you've got things under control. Watching my dehydrated and sick little girl losing weight quickly before being operated on and then pumped full of drugs counts as being stressful.
My training is listed below. I managed 102 miles in the week my daughter went into hospital, and 76 the week after, when she was finally home on the Friday. This had been a planned 'lighter' week of mileage anyway, as I wanted to race well over 10,000m in the BMC race at Birmingham Uni.
I had a dodgy session in the hot when I went to the track to complete a set of eight 1k reps off short recoveries. It was a hot and humid day and I had been struggling to sleep. I then started far too fast and suffered later. I pulled up and went home after four efforts. I was annoyed with myself for starting too fast and that, coupled with things at home, meant the session was only going one way (especially with the mercury at 31 degrees). I was (for want of a better word) 'shagged'.
I nailed a 20 miler and then a 22 miler over this past two weeks. The 20 miler came after a night spent in hospital and about 3 hours sleep in an armchair. The 22 miler came the morning after the BMC 10,000m race.
That 10,000m didn't go too well. I struggled to really focus on the race in the days leading up to it. My daughter was only let out of hospital the day before, which was a relief and meant life could get back to normal.
On the day of the race I felt relaxed and almost too casual for a proper outing over 25 laps. I felt like this during the race as well. I couldn't get near the 3:05 km splits I wanted and despite never really struggling I just couldn't find the effort in me. The end result was 31:36 after a 31:22 last month. I finished strong but couldn't go quicker. I'm not too fussed as I'm focusing on the Toronto Marathon in nine weeks and some fairly high mileage weeks to come. Moreover, I'm now convinced at 37 I'm getting too old (and slow) for 10k.
Other than this both my Achilles have been feeling tight and will need to be managed with some self massage and gentle stretches.
I'm in the marathon training bubble now after a summer of 'solid but unspectacular'.
M - AM 6.4 steady, PM 6.1 easy. Tired and hot.
T - AM 5 miles easy and v early as daughter kept me up, PM [5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1000m and 1 x 400m off 60s. Was supposed to be 8 x 1000m but I was struggling badly. Very hot. 2:52, 2:57, 2:57, 3:02, 70
W - 10.5 miles at 6.24 pace then straight to hospital. Very hot.
T - AM 6.4 miles easy. Cooler, PM 8.3 miles @ 6:16 pace after daughter's op
F - AM 8.3 miles easy 6:56 pace, PM 8.15 miles @ 6:27 pace
S - AM 8.9 miles inc 10 x 1min/1min fartlek after 3 hours sleep in hospital, PM 5.1 miles easy
S - 20 miles after bad night in hospital. Ran with Matt Janes - 6:45 pace
102 miles
M - 5.1 miles easy
T - AM [5.5 miles warming up & down] 4 x 1.17 mile reps in Bedford Park off 90s 5:52, 5:47, 5:50, 5:49 - feeling good, PM 5.1 miles easy
W - 8.15 miles after night in hospital 6:52 pace
T - AM 5.1 very slow (7:19 pace!) PM 5.1 miles followed by 6 x 100 strides. Felt truly shite.
F - 4 miles really easy
S - [5 miles warming up & down] BMC 10,000m at Birmingham Uni. Disappointed with 31:36 (3.09, 3.06, 3.07, 3.09, 3.11, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.11, 3.07)
S - 22 miles at 6:32 pace - felt great after last night
76 miles
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