This could be quite a long post but even so I'm bound to forget some of it.
The evening before the marathon we met up with 8 members of the extended LERC family for a pre-marathon pasta party, it was a lovely evening and good to get some last minute advice. We headed back to our hotel so I could get all my kit out ready for the morning, nerves were really starting to kick in-no backing out now. I'd been warned that I probably wouldn't sleep that well but actually I was so tired that I slept brilliantly.
I woke up at 6.30 on Sunday 28th April, also known as my 38th birthday and got into my running kit. The weather was perfect-overcast and cool, absolutely ideal. Breakfast was revolting-instant 'just add water' porridge but it's food. I left Pete in the room and went off to meet up with the rest of Team LERC on tour, we made our way to Old Trafford together and did the usual pre-race faffing. I was on a different start to the rest of them so we said our goodbyes and good lucks and I made my way to the start area. As I got to the start I was anxious to get going, it was really going to happen. Yikes. At 9am we started to move towards the starting mats and within about 5 minutes we were off. As I started I heard "Laura" and there was Pete waving me off, he often feels like a running widow so it was lovely to have him there.
I wanted to finish in under 5 hours, or maybe 4.45 if it all went my way but above all I wanted to enjoy it and do it right. I set myself a maximum pace of 10.15 a mile, any faster early on then I'd be bound to struggle later on and 26 miles is a long way to struggle! The atmosphere was great, plenty of people to talk to (obviously you can run faster if you don't talk but it's nice to chat) which really helped to settle me down. The first 4 miles were a sort of loop so Pete was at mile 4 with his camera again. I couldn't really tell you much about the actual route, there were some out and backs so I could spot my clubmates and give them a shout. The support from the locals was amazing and having my name on my vest meant that I got lots of shouts.
After a few miles warming up I just relaxed and enjoyed it, keeping an eye on my Garmin to make sure I wasn't going too fast. There were lots of water stations and I stuck to taking a gel every 4 miles as I had in training. I'm not going to talk too much about the mile by mile, the splits will do a better job than I can (10:17 10:19 10:18 10:24 10:12 10:14 10:17 10:28 10:15 10:25 10:20 10:47
10:37 11:00 10:28 10:56 10:34 10:22 11:01 10:23 10:41 11:07 10:35 11:16
10:36 10:09) the ones that start with 11 are where I had to walk for long enough to drink the isotonic drinks. I wanted a consistent pace and I'm pretty pleased with how that turned out.
The LERC on tour support crew were at about 9 miles, fab to see them. I went through halfway in about 2.16 so more than on target and feeling absolutely fine. After about 19 miles the route took us away from the towns and up a long, windy country lane with very few spectators. At 20/21 miles I rounded a corner and heard the unmistakeable sound of cow bells, Jane, Maz, Carrie & Adam with a supply of Jelly Babies and a massive 'happy birthday Laura' banner. Jane's rendition of happy birthday rounded it off perfectly. I felt sorry for the 7,990 who didn't have a LERC support crew, they are amazing and always seem to be at just the right place. So just a 10k or less to go, I was prepared for it to get a lot harder here and hoping to avoid the dreaded wall. It did get harder but not to the degree that I wanted to walk or wished I wasn't doing it. 22/23 miles I got a bit emotional thinking that I was going to do it and I still couldn't quite believe it. Mile 24 was the slowest of the whole race, I was feeling it by then but still felt pretty good considering. Miles 25 and there was Pete again so I knew I was near the end.
The approach to the finish was something I will never forget. All I could hear was people cheering and shouting my name, incredible. I crossed the line in a time of 4.35.53 which was far better than I'd ever hoped. I did it, I ran a marathon and I ran it well and I'll certainly do another one. As birthdays go it was certainly a memorable one and rounded off perfectly with a glass of fizz with my clubmates and very proud husband.
Tuesday 30 April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
Almost there
Where does the time go? My last long run was last Sunday, I did 8 miles with 3 clubmates and it was great. The pace was quick and the run was really enjoyable. Since then I've done a 2 mile and a 5 mile and that's it. No more running until Sunday morning when it's finally marathon day. 16 weeks and 400 miles of training and the day of reckoning is now just 36 hours away. I've almost packed and I don't even think I've forgotten anything-I've definitely packed my trainers anyway.
The standard advice is to take it easy and have a relaxing week with plenty of sleep in the week leading up to your marathon. Sadly that's not quite how real life pans out, I've had a busy and stressful week, nowhere near enough sleep and I am totally knackered. Today hasn't really been anything like ideal but it's nearly over. Hopefully I'll catch up on some sleep tonight and fingers crossed I won't get woken up at 5.20am again tomorrow morning (thanks son). I have a sore leg but that's shin splints/tendon ouchiness due to 4 months of road running, it just has to cope with a few more hours then it's back offroad where legs are happy.
I've had some lovely messages from my friends, including the most fantastic card from Anna (see the pic on facebook, it's amazing). You really are a lovely lot and your support has really kept me going, you need someone in your corner for a challenge like this. So although most of you won't be with me on Sunday, you all helped to get me there. It's up to me to get round and I hope I can do it. I'm nervous and I don't usually get pre-race nerves, maybe it's the fear of the unknown as I have never run more than 21 miles before. I'm so nervous I've even forgotten it's my birthday on Sunday, I was really surprised when my workmates came in to sing Happy Birthday!
I have 3 aims for this marathon. Bronze- to finish and still be alive at the end. Silver-to do it in less than 5 hours. Gold-to do it in 4.45. You can keep an eye on my progress on the Greater Manchester Marathon website, kick off is 9am Sunday morning. Fingers crossed I'll do it, I'll let you know.
The standard advice is to take it easy and have a relaxing week with plenty of sleep in the week leading up to your marathon. Sadly that's not quite how real life pans out, I've had a busy and stressful week, nowhere near enough sleep and I am totally knackered. Today hasn't really been anything like ideal but it's nearly over. Hopefully I'll catch up on some sleep tonight and fingers crossed I won't get woken up at 5.20am again tomorrow morning (thanks son). I have a sore leg but that's shin splints/tendon ouchiness due to 4 months of road running, it just has to cope with a few more hours then it's back offroad where legs are happy.
I've had some lovely messages from my friends, including the most fantastic card from Anna (see the pic on facebook, it's amazing). You really are a lovely lot and your support has really kept me going, you need someone in your corner for a challenge like this. So although most of you won't be with me on Sunday, you all helped to get me there. It's up to me to get round and I hope I can do it. I'm nervous and I don't usually get pre-race nerves, maybe it's the fear of the unknown as I have never run more than 21 miles before. I'm so nervous I've even forgotten it's my birthday on Sunday, I was really surprised when my workmates came in to sing Happy Birthday!
I have 3 aims for this marathon. Bronze- to finish and still be alive at the end. Silver-to do it in less than 5 hours. Gold-to do it in 4.45. You can keep an eye on my progress on the Greater Manchester Marathon website, kick off is 9am Sunday morning. Fingers crossed I'll do it, I'll let you know.
Thursday 18 April 2013
Put some fun in your run
Another very late blog! The 5 and 8 went well and it's lovely being able to run in the light evenings. This week's long run was 12 miles which is relatively short compared to the very long runs. I'd arranged to meet some clubmates to run with on Sunday morning so I knew it would be fun. I jogged the 2 miles from home to the Navi to meet everyone else, I think it was a record turnout as there were 12 of us. I really do belong to a very sociable club with some lovely people. We ran along the cycle path again to Elvaston castle and then did a nice big lap of the country park. Being the very serious athletes that we are we made sure we had time to stop on the playground for a quick climb of the climbing frame (and probably my favourite ever running photo). Then a nice run back with plenty of chat to a variety of people, we do cover some very diverse topics. I'm going to have to find somebody to talk at in Manchester :-)
Week 15 should be 3,5,8 although I'm sneaking in a 5k on Friday so Sam can do a fun run.
The taper is properly underway, I feel fat, sluggish and underprepared. Normal for tapering I believe. Hard to believe that in 10 days time it'll all be over (and I'll be 38!).
Week 15 should be 3,5,8 although I'm sneaking in a 5k on Friday so Sam can do a fun run.
The taper is properly underway, I feel fat, sluggish and underprepared. Normal for tapering I believe. Hard to believe that in 10 days time it'll all be over (and I'll be 38!).
Saturday 13 April 2013
The last long one
Once again I'm very late with this blog but week 13 is worth blogging about.The two 5 mile runs were both fine and not much trouble, it was the 20 mile run that I was worried about. Sunday morning was coolish but dry and sunny, perfect running conditions. I ran the 2 miles to the Navigation by myself and met up with four of my clubmates for a long Sunday run. We ran along a cycle path (route 6 for those of you in the know), along the canal and onto Elvaston castle country park. We did a lap of Elvaston and then Kev guided us through villages and eventually back to the river. The run was beautiful (being mostly offroad), the weather was perfect and we had some laughs and plenty of chat.The miles just notched up easily one after another until we got back to Breaston after 16 miles (for me, 14 for them). The 16 miles were really no trouble and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I went the long way home to take me up to 20 miles, the last 4 were a lot harder as I was on my own but looking at the pace they were consistent with the other 16 so I think that's just a mental thing.
So that's it, the final very long run done. I'm still unsure how I;m going to manage another 6.2 after the 20 but I've followed the plan so in theory I should be able to do it. It just doesn't always feel like it but the crowds and the occasion will really help. I'm not feeling fit but again I think this is normal, as is the feeling that I'm piling weight on. It's the early days of taper madness.
Week 14 (almost over already!) is 4 miles, 8 miles, 12 miles. The weather is set to get warmer which could cause me problems as I've trained through a very wintery winter and much prefer cool running.
So that's it, the final very long run done. I'm still unsure how I;m going to manage another 6.2 after the 20 but I've followed the plan so in theory I should be able to do it. It just doesn't always feel like it but the crowds and the occasion will really help. I'm not feeling fit but again I think this is normal, as is the feeling that I'm piling weight on. It's the early days of taper madness.
Week 14 (almost over already!) is 4 miles, 8 miles, 12 miles. The weather is set to get warmer which could cause me problems as I've trained through a very wintery winter and much prefer cool running.
Saturday 6 April 2013
A change of scenery
A very late blog but I've been away and then very busy since we got back, just time for a quick round up of week 12 before week 13 finishes tomorrow.
Week 12 was a good one, I did my 8 mile run all by myself and it was really very enjoyable (for a road run). The 7 mile coincided nicely with club night so that really took care of itself.
The main event was the long run. The plan said 8 miles so not that long a long run. As it was Easter we were on holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. The weather in the dales was really snowy, snow you measure in feet rather than inches. The roads were clear though so I could have done a nice 8 along the roads, I didn't though. In Reeth there is a brilliant shop called Swaledale Outdoors, they sell all sorts of fantastic running/walking/cycling gear and every Saturday they lead a run taking in the amazing local scenery. I showed up at 9.30 to find a group of very fit and experienced fell runners, as you often seem to find with runners they were all very lovely and welcoming. We covered the planned 8 miles, it was amongst the toughest runs I've ever done but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I fell over lots of times, sunk into snow over my knees too many times, kicked steps up a mountain and shared an Easter egg with my new friends. Without the snow it would have been a technically tricky fell run, with several feet of snow it was verging on the mental. But bloody brilliant.
I'd love to upload some photos but I can't make it work, there are a few on Facebook which are well worth a look.
Week 13 is two 5 miles (done) and 20 miles tomorrow morning. That's a long way and I think I'm a bit scared.
Week 12 was a good one, I did my 8 mile run all by myself and it was really very enjoyable (for a road run). The 7 mile coincided nicely with club night so that really took care of itself.
The main event was the long run. The plan said 8 miles so not that long a long run. As it was Easter we were on holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. The weather in the dales was really snowy, snow you measure in feet rather than inches. The roads were clear though so I could have done a nice 8 along the roads, I didn't though. In Reeth there is a brilliant shop called Swaledale Outdoors, they sell all sorts of fantastic running/walking/cycling gear and every Saturday they lead a run taking in the amazing local scenery. I showed up at 9.30 to find a group of very fit and experienced fell runners, as you often seem to find with runners they were all very lovely and welcoming. We covered the planned 8 miles, it was amongst the toughest runs I've ever done but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I fell over lots of times, sunk into snow over my knees too many times, kicked steps up a mountain and shared an Easter egg with my new friends. Without the snow it would have been a technically tricky fell run, with several feet of snow it was verging on the mental. But bloody brilliant.
I'd love to upload some photos but I can't make it work, there are a few on Facebook which are well worth a look.
Week 13 is two 5 miles (done) and 20 miles tomorrow morning. That's a long way and I think I'm a bit scared.
Sunday 24 March 2013
Write your goal in concrete and your plan in sand (or snow)
Here we are at the end of week 11, just 5 weeks to go. I'm a planner, I like to have a list and I like to tick things off my list and that's how I've approached my marathon training. If I do all the training and tick it off then hopefully the race should just follow on naturally.
I started the week feeling the effects of the Ashby 20 last Sunday, heavy legs and with various aches and pains. I did bootcamp on Tuesday which helped get me moving again. Wednesday's run went well, 6 miles at 9.32 pace although the first 3 miles were tough. Thursday was 7 miles so that was to be covered by a 6.8 mile club run, I wasn't expecting any problems with it. The weather was cold and I ran so badly and found it so difficult that I may as well have had a blue rinse and changed my name to Doris. It was like I'd never run in my life but had decided to borrow the legs of an octogenarian to give it a go. Undaunted I looked ahead to Sunday's 16 miles.
I'd like to say that Sunday dawned bright and sunny like a typical March day, but that would be a lie. Sunday dawned with a temperature of -2, 4 or 5 inches of snow and a wind direct from the North Pole. Despite the weather 11 of us met up for a nice relaxed long run of around 15 miles. It went wrong from the start, my Garmin had died, the weather was difficult and then there were snow drifts up to my knees. It was beautiful though and it's always fun to have a run and a chat with my clubmates, it was just the actual running that didn't seem to work. We all agreed that it was difficult and ended up calling it a day at 10.5 miles. It was the right thing to do as I couldn't have managed another hour out there running but it means I can't really tick my 16 mile run off with a clear conscience. In 'normal' conditions I could have done it without any problems but today just wasn't the day for it. It's the first week that I haven't done it properly and hopefully it'll be the last.
Next week holds a 7 and two 8s. I'm not going to predict how they'll go after this past week. Sunday's run will be happening in North Yorkshire, possibly up hills with some local runners which will be fun. I'll report back when I get home on Tuesday.
I think I need to address my diet now, I'm putting weight on which slows me down. I know what to eat but I eat too much of it and supplement it with far too many extras as I'm marathon training. All I need to do is be a little bit more sensible (or eat a bit less cake).
I started the week feeling the effects of the Ashby 20 last Sunday, heavy legs and with various aches and pains. I did bootcamp on Tuesday which helped get me moving again. Wednesday's run went well, 6 miles at 9.32 pace although the first 3 miles were tough. Thursday was 7 miles so that was to be covered by a 6.8 mile club run, I wasn't expecting any problems with it. The weather was cold and I ran so badly and found it so difficult that I may as well have had a blue rinse and changed my name to Doris. It was like I'd never run in my life but had decided to borrow the legs of an octogenarian to give it a go. Undaunted I looked ahead to Sunday's 16 miles.
I'd like to say that Sunday dawned bright and sunny like a typical March day, but that would be a lie. Sunday dawned with a temperature of -2, 4 or 5 inches of snow and a wind direct from the North Pole. Despite the weather 11 of us met up for a nice relaxed long run of around 15 miles. It went wrong from the start, my Garmin had died, the weather was difficult and then there were snow drifts up to my knees. It was beautiful though and it's always fun to have a run and a chat with my clubmates, it was just the actual running that didn't seem to work. We all agreed that it was difficult and ended up calling it a day at 10.5 miles. It was the right thing to do as I couldn't have managed another hour out there running but it means I can't really tick my 16 mile run off with a clear conscience. In 'normal' conditions I could have done it without any problems but today just wasn't the day for it. It's the first week that I haven't done it properly and hopefully it'll be the last.
Next week holds a 7 and two 8s. I'm not going to predict how they'll go after this past week. Sunday's run will be happening in North Yorkshire, possibly up hills with some local runners which will be fun. I'll report back when I get home on Tuesday.
I think I need to address my diet now, I'm putting weight on which slows me down. I know what to eat but I eat too much of it and supplement it with far too many extras as I'm marathon training. All I need to do is be a little bit more sensible (or eat a bit less cake).
Sunday 17 March 2013
Don't trust the weather forecast
Week 10 has been what you could describe as a peak week. An easy start to the week with a 3.5 run on Wednesday, this turned out to be pretty quick and so I've reclassified it as a speed session.
Thursday's plan was 8 miles so I got to club early and did 1.5 miles before the 6.5 mile club session. Bearing in mind that I'd done Grindleford the week before I'd say I'd recovered pretty quickly and both midweek runs were pretty good.
Today was the Ashby 20, which was to be my longest ever road run. The weather yesterday was appalling, Sam's football match (25 minutes each way) seemed to last a good 4 hours in the wind and rain. The prospect of 20 miles in those conditions really didn't appeal. Every weather forecast I could find was promising cool, dry conditions with a gentle breeze-perfect running conditions. It was great to get up and find that the forecast seemed to be right, when I and the rest of the mighty team LERC arrived in Ashby it looked like a great running day. The first mile or so was lovely and I was getting nicely into my 10.00 mins per mile planned pace. I was running just behind two runners from another club when all of a sudden the man's legs buckled, he collapsed and started to shake or maybe fit. His poor clubmate was shouting "somebody, help me". I have no first aid knowledge at all but thought I should stop but as I turned round I could see that the marshall and another runner was already there so I carried on. At that point I was thinking "bloody hell, poor man. What the hell am I doing even attempting this?". It did unsettle me.
After another mile or so I heard the welcome sound of the travelling LERC supporters club complete with flags and cowbells, I belong to the most supportive running club in the world. It was about then that the drizzle started, I can deal with drizzle. Then the rain started, and the wind so that the rain was blowing directly into your face. In case that wasn't making it difficult enough we had some snow next, then finally a full on blizzard. I was actually glad when it went back to 'just' raining. Running wise it went fairly well, first mile 9.45, average pace 10.15 and last mile 9.58 with most miles in between close to my planned pace. Could I do another 6 miles after that? No way. Just 6 weeks until I have to though. Today's run took 3.27 so a 4.45 marathon might be possible, if I can just do those last 6 miles.
Next week is easy by comparison, 6 miles, 7 miles, 16 miles. Hopefully no snow, hail or locusts.
Thursday's plan was 8 miles so I got to club early and did 1.5 miles before the 6.5 mile club session. Bearing in mind that I'd done Grindleford the week before I'd say I'd recovered pretty quickly and both midweek runs were pretty good.
Today was the Ashby 20, which was to be my longest ever road run. The weather yesterday was appalling, Sam's football match (25 minutes each way) seemed to last a good 4 hours in the wind and rain. The prospect of 20 miles in those conditions really didn't appeal. Every weather forecast I could find was promising cool, dry conditions with a gentle breeze-perfect running conditions. It was great to get up and find that the forecast seemed to be right, when I and the rest of the mighty team LERC arrived in Ashby it looked like a great running day. The first mile or so was lovely and I was getting nicely into my 10.00 mins per mile planned pace. I was running just behind two runners from another club when all of a sudden the man's legs buckled, he collapsed and started to shake or maybe fit. His poor clubmate was shouting "somebody, help me". I have no first aid knowledge at all but thought I should stop but as I turned round I could see that the marshall and another runner was already there so I carried on. At that point I was thinking "bloody hell, poor man. What the hell am I doing even attempting this?". It did unsettle me.
After another mile or so I heard the welcome sound of the travelling LERC supporters club complete with flags and cowbells, I belong to the most supportive running club in the world. It was about then that the drizzle started, I can deal with drizzle. Then the rain started, and the wind so that the rain was blowing directly into your face. In case that wasn't making it difficult enough we had some snow next, then finally a full on blizzard. I was actually glad when it went back to 'just' raining. Running wise it went fairly well, first mile 9.45, average pace 10.15 and last mile 9.58 with most miles in between close to my planned pace. Could I do another 6 miles after that? No way. Just 6 weeks until I have to though. Today's run took 3.27 so a 4.45 marathon might be possible, if I can just do those last 6 miles.
Next week is easy by comparison, 6 miles, 7 miles, 16 miles. Hopefully no snow, hail or locusts.
Monday 11 March 2013
Better late than never
Sorry for the delay in this week's round up, it's been a busy old week but better late than never.
The 4 mile and 7 mile runs last week were both a lot harder than I would have liked but with no real reason. The weather was really horrible on Thursday, very cold and very wet so that didn't help but still doesn't really explain why I found it such hard going. My hands were a bit painful and so were my feet so I was worried that I was about to have another flare up of whatever this weird illness/non-illness thing is but it didn't really come to anything.
The main event of the week was the Grindleford Gallop, a 21 mile offroad/fell race in the lovely Derbyshire Peak District. I had been viewing this as simply a pleasant long run with a bit of mud, it's main purpose was time on feet so useful training. With just over 24 hours to go the weather forecast was for blizzard conditions so the race organisers sensibly decided to insist on full FRA kit. Fine, except I didn't actually own many of the required items and actually that made the whole race a lot more scary. Friday was spent frantically borrowing and buying various items of equipment, I was very proud of myself for managing to get the whole lot to fit in a 2L bumbag- no rucksack for me. Saturday morning was drizzly and cold, perfect running conditions. Four of us had decided to run as a group, sticking together with the aim of enjoying the run rather than breaking any speed records. The run itself was beautiful, there were hills, mud, snow, laughs, cake, scenery, views, rain and more mud. We covered the 21 miles in an official time of 5.13, running time around 4.30. I was surprised how good I felt at the end, I still hadn't reached the point where I wasn't enjoying it. Looks like the training is really having an effect. That is now my longest run to date. I love this sort of run more than any other.
The week ahead holds a 2 mile (so actually 3.5 mile) run on Wednesday and an 8 mile run on Thursday, not sure how I'm going to do that one but it will get done. Sunday's long run will be as far removed from last weekend as you can get, it's the Ashby 20. The Ashby 20 is a 20 mile road race, on the plus side you get a hoody and a cheese cob when you finish it. You can fill in the minuses for yourself, the clue is in the title "20 mile road race".
Laters taters.
The 4 mile and 7 mile runs last week were both a lot harder than I would have liked but with no real reason. The weather was really horrible on Thursday, very cold and very wet so that didn't help but still doesn't really explain why I found it such hard going. My hands were a bit painful and so were my feet so I was worried that I was about to have another flare up of whatever this weird illness/non-illness thing is but it didn't really come to anything.
The main event of the week was the Grindleford Gallop, a 21 mile offroad/fell race in the lovely Derbyshire Peak District. I had been viewing this as simply a pleasant long run with a bit of mud, it's main purpose was time on feet so useful training. With just over 24 hours to go the weather forecast was for blizzard conditions so the race organisers sensibly decided to insist on full FRA kit. Fine, except I didn't actually own many of the required items and actually that made the whole race a lot more scary. Friday was spent frantically borrowing and buying various items of equipment, I was very proud of myself for managing to get the whole lot to fit in a 2L bumbag- no rucksack for me. Saturday morning was drizzly and cold, perfect running conditions. Four of us had decided to run as a group, sticking together with the aim of enjoying the run rather than breaking any speed records. The run itself was beautiful, there were hills, mud, snow, laughs, cake, scenery, views, rain and more mud. We covered the 21 miles in an official time of 5.13, running time around 4.30. I was surprised how good I felt at the end, I still hadn't reached the point where I wasn't enjoying it. Looks like the training is really having an effect. That is now my longest run to date. I love this sort of run more than any other.
The week ahead holds a 2 mile (so actually 3.5 mile) run on Wednesday and an 8 mile run on Thursday, not sure how I'm going to do that one but it will get done. Sunday's long run will be as far removed from last weekend as you can get, it's the Ashby 20. The Ashby 20 is a 20 mile road race, on the plus side you get a hoody and a cheese cob when you finish it. You can fill in the minuses for yourself, the clue is in the title "20 mile road race".
Laters taters.
Sunday 3 March 2013
Whooah, we're halfway there
8 weeks into a 16 week training plan, looks like I'm halfway there.
The plan for the week was three runs of 7 miles each. Wednesday was a pacy 7 miles with a friend, a faster friend so it was a quicker pace than I would have managed solo. Thursday's 7 miles was actually 6.25 as I was very pushed for time and tired. I've been single parenting this week as Pete's been working away, I somehow managed school, work, bootcamp (me), football training (Sam) and two runs as well as keeping the pair of us clean and fed.
Today's run was the highlight of my running week. I ran with 2 friends and we did 8 miles offroad, the weather was perfect, the views were brilliant and the company was great. In my opinion you've hit the right pace for a Sunday run if you can hold a detailed discussion on Emma Bridgwater crockery as you run. It's not something you often see in the marathon training manuals but it is a fact.
The plan for this week is 4, 7 and 16. In reality it's going to be 7, 4 and 21 as I've entered the Grindleford Gallop on Saturday. The Grindleford Gallop is 21 miles scenic off road running, it sounds tough and it's not quite the standard road run in the plan but it's time on feet and it's endurance training.
Eight weeks in and I am feeling fitter and stronger than I did a couple of months ago. If the next eight weeks go as well as the first eight then I should get to the start line feeling well prepared. Even if it all goes to plan 26.2 miles still sounds like an awfully long way to run.
The plan for the week was three runs of 7 miles each. Wednesday was a pacy 7 miles with a friend, a faster friend so it was a quicker pace than I would have managed solo. Thursday's 7 miles was actually 6.25 as I was very pushed for time and tired. I've been single parenting this week as Pete's been working away, I somehow managed school, work, bootcamp (me), football training (Sam) and two runs as well as keeping the pair of us clean and fed.
Today's run was the highlight of my running week. I ran with 2 friends and we did 8 miles offroad, the weather was perfect, the views were brilliant and the company was great. In my opinion you've hit the right pace for a Sunday run if you can hold a detailed discussion on Emma Bridgwater crockery as you run. It's not something you often see in the marathon training manuals but it is a fact.
The plan for this week is 4, 7 and 16. In reality it's going to be 7, 4 and 21 as I've entered the Grindleford Gallop on Saturday. The Grindleford Gallop is 21 miles scenic off road running, it sounds tough and it's not quite the standard road run in the plan but it's time on feet and it's endurance training.
Eight weeks in and I am feeling fitter and stronger than I did a couple of months ago. If the next eight weeks go as well as the first eight then I should get to the start line feeling well prepared. Even if it all goes to plan 26.2 miles still sounds like an awfully long way to run.
Sunday 24 February 2013
Week 7-running for the soul
This week was always going to be a tricky one after the knee injury last week, it didn't start well when my knee was too painful to manage press ups at bootcamp.
The first run was on Wednesday and I managed 3 miles but it was slow and I could feel the pain in my knee, I was starting to worry that it was going to be something serious. With that in mind I did what any sensible runner would do-went shopping and bought some Jelly babies, a knee support and a metric fucktonne of Ibuprofen. The Ibuprofen was a back up really as I've discovered my husband's secret stash of Naproxen, not that one should take drugs prescribed for another person etc etc.
Thursday's run was a bit of a surprise, still niggles from the knee but I did 6.6 miles with club captain Rach who has a knack of keeping me going and finding what speed I can. It made me feel a lot better about things as I'd done it and my knee held up.
The main event of the week was the Belvoir challenge, 15 miles of offroad running. It's hilly, it's muddy and they give you cake at the check points. My plan said 20 miles but sometimes you have to change things and do what you love. With a bad knee I would be crazy to do 20 miles of road running and anyway I love the running through the countryside, you can't beat getting to the top of a hill in a muddy field and stopping to take in the view. You can see for miles. And there's cake. It was a fantastic morning, I ran as a group with 3 other ladies from my club and we had a blast. We won't dwell on the bit where I slipped over and landed on my arse when we weren't actually moving, if that happens to you then don't grab a thorn bush to break your fall-I think I pulled the last thorn out this morning. But the long offroad runs, this is why I run.
Week 8 holds three runs of 7 miles each, nothing too daunting there.
When I complete this marathon I won't be celebrating with champagne as my GP has banned me from drinking for another 3 months, that'll make 5 in total and there's no guarantee that he'll lift the ban even then. I used to quite like him.
The first run was on Wednesday and I managed 3 miles but it was slow and I could feel the pain in my knee, I was starting to worry that it was going to be something serious. With that in mind I did what any sensible runner would do-went shopping and bought some Jelly babies, a knee support and a metric fucktonne of Ibuprofen. The Ibuprofen was a back up really as I've discovered my husband's secret stash of Naproxen, not that one should take drugs prescribed for another person etc etc.
Thursday's run was a bit of a surprise, still niggles from the knee but I did 6.6 miles with club captain Rach who has a knack of keeping me going and finding what speed I can. It made me feel a lot better about things as I'd done it and my knee held up.
The main event of the week was the Belvoir challenge, 15 miles of offroad running. It's hilly, it's muddy and they give you cake at the check points. My plan said 20 miles but sometimes you have to change things and do what you love. With a bad knee I would be crazy to do 20 miles of road running and anyway I love the running through the countryside, you can't beat getting to the top of a hill in a muddy field and stopping to take in the view. You can see for miles. And there's cake. It was a fantastic morning, I ran as a group with 3 other ladies from my club and we had a blast. We won't dwell on the bit where I slipped over and landed on my arse when we weren't actually moving, if that happens to you then don't grab a thorn bush to break your fall-I think I pulled the last thorn out this morning. But the long offroad runs, this is why I run.
Week 8 holds three runs of 7 miles each, nothing too daunting there.
When I complete this marathon I won't be celebrating with champagne as my GP has banned me from drinking for another 3 months, that'll make 5 in total and there's no guarantee that he'll lift the ban even then. I used to quite like him.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Week 6 and very nearly a DNF
Welcome to week 6 of my marathon training blog, it's been an interesting week. Wednesday's 2 miles became 3.5, it had snowed during the day so it was very slippy underfoot and as a result pace was 10.01 per mile.
By Thursday the snow had gone so the pace was much better, the plan said 7 miles but my route ended up being 6.5 at 9.44 pace. It was one of those runs where you feel like you can go on forever but it was Valentine's day and I wanted to get home for my steak.
The long run this week was 18 miles, it just so happened that today was the Stamford 30km race (18.6 miles in old money). I was expecting the final few miles to be difficult based on my previous long runs, in fact the last few miles weren't the problem. I've had a niggley knee for a couple of weeks but it's been fine when I run but hurt when driving or going downstairs. I was aiming to run at 10-11 min mile pace today, nice and steady it was about the mileage rather than the speed. I ran the first 4 miles with a friend which was lovely and helped the early miles go by quickly. I stopped for a gel at 4 miles and planned to catch her up. My knee was starting to bother me for the first few paces of any walk/run transition but then it was OK again. By 7 miles it was not OK, not OK at all. Every step hurt, like I was being stabbed in the knee. Walking didn't help, it just hurt more when I tried to run. I had a mini-tantrum and shed a couple of tears, I felt fit and was gutted that something like this was going to make me pull out. Runners were passing me as I walked down a hill and tried to encourage me but I couldn't run. Then, just before the 8 mile point came the race changing moment. A man ran past and asked if I was alright, I explained that my knee had gone and he said "join the club, I've got some naproxen if you want one?". I've always been taught not to accept drugs from strangers but he showed me the blister pack and it hurt so much I would have tried anything. My thinking was that if this could get me to 10 miles or so then I'd have done a long run and the day wouldn't be a total write off. It was like a miracle drug, within a few minutes I could run and shortly after I could run without pain.
From then then next 10 miles were fine, the scenery was lovely, the marshalls were brilliant and every water station had Jelly babies. I loved the run and I'm so glad that I was able to finish. My overall pace was 10.16, I finished in a time of 3.12 which is better than the 3.30 I was aiming for. I'm worried about my knee now though, I've never had knee trouble. I'm hoping that it's due to muscular tightness and will be fixed after my sports massage tomorrow. The other options are that I've injured it or that it's a Lyme disease thing. At the moment it feels fine but I'm worried that this could put a stop to my marathoning plans. Watch this space, cross your fingers and pray to whichever deity you choose.
By Thursday the snow had gone so the pace was much better, the plan said 7 miles but my route ended up being 6.5 at 9.44 pace. It was one of those runs where you feel like you can go on forever but it was Valentine's day and I wanted to get home for my steak.
The long run this week was 18 miles, it just so happened that today was the Stamford 30km race (18.6 miles in old money). I was expecting the final few miles to be difficult based on my previous long runs, in fact the last few miles weren't the problem. I've had a niggley knee for a couple of weeks but it's been fine when I run but hurt when driving or going downstairs. I was aiming to run at 10-11 min mile pace today, nice and steady it was about the mileage rather than the speed. I ran the first 4 miles with a friend which was lovely and helped the early miles go by quickly. I stopped for a gel at 4 miles and planned to catch her up. My knee was starting to bother me for the first few paces of any walk/run transition but then it was OK again. By 7 miles it was not OK, not OK at all. Every step hurt, like I was being stabbed in the knee. Walking didn't help, it just hurt more when I tried to run. I had a mini-tantrum and shed a couple of tears, I felt fit and was gutted that something like this was going to make me pull out. Runners were passing me as I walked down a hill and tried to encourage me but I couldn't run. Then, just before the 8 mile point came the race changing moment. A man ran past and asked if I was alright, I explained that my knee had gone and he said "join the club, I've got some naproxen if you want one?". I've always been taught not to accept drugs from strangers but he showed me the blister pack and it hurt so much I would have tried anything. My thinking was that if this could get me to 10 miles or so then I'd have done a long run and the day wouldn't be a total write off. It was like a miracle drug, within a few minutes I could run and shortly after I could run without pain.
From then then next 10 miles were fine, the scenery was lovely, the marshalls were brilliant and every water station had Jelly babies. I loved the run and I'm so glad that I was able to finish. My overall pace was 10.16, I finished in a time of 3.12 which is better than the 3.30 I was aiming for. I'm worried about my knee now though, I've never had knee trouble. I'm hoping that it's due to muscular tightness and will be fixed after my sports massage tomorrow. The other options are that I've injured it or that it's a Lyme disease thing. At the moment it feels fine but I'm worried that this could put a stop to my marathoning plans. Watch this space, cross your fingers and pray to whichever deity you choose.
Sunday 10 February 2013
Week 5 round up
Week 5 is now done, just 11 weeks to go until the big day.
My 2 mile run on Wednesday was actually 3.5 miles as that's how long my loop is.
My 6 mile run on Thursday was 5.85 miles as that is how long the club run was. The pace on both was fine and both runs were fairly unremarkable.
Today was the longest training run so far-16 miles. The weather was drizzly and windy and cold, not really very inspiring but if it's on the plan it has to be done. I did the first 12.5 with two friends, they are both much faster than me so they did some quick miles and then waited for me in between which worked pretty well although they must have been a bit cold and wet when they were waiting. The last 3.5 were all alone, it was still cold and windy. I found the 16 miles quite hard, the pace was fine (10.39 average) but by the last few miles it was hard to keep going. I think I need to take on a bit more fuel on these very long runs, I had two gels but I was starving and lacking in energy by the end.
A massive roast dinner and chocolate pudding has helped to replace the calories I burned but it's now 8.30 and I'm ready for sleeping!
Next week the plan says 1 run of 2 miles, 1 run of 7 miles then a long run of 18 miles. I think the 2 miles will become 3.5 and 7 might become 6, it's all about the flexibility. The 18 miles will be 30km as it's the Stamford St Valentines 30km race next Sunday. As today's run took me 2.50 I'm expecting the 30km to take me a good 3.30, that's a long time to be running. I'll do it won't I?
I'm pleased with my 25.4 mile this week. Next week it's up to about 28.
My 2 mile run on Wednesday was actually 3.5 miles as that's how long my loop is.
My 6 mile run on Thursday was 5.85 miles as that is how long the club run was. The pace on both was fine and both runs were fairly unremarkable.
Today was the longest training run so far-16 miles. The weather was drizzly and windy and cold, not really very inspiring but if it's on the plan it has to be done. I did the first 12.5 with two friends, they are both much faster than me so they did some quick miles and then waited for me in between which worked pretty well although they must have been a bit cold and wet when they were waiting. The last 3.5 were all alone, it was still cold and windy. I found the 16 miles quite hard, the pace was fine (10.39 average) but by the last few miles it was hard to keep going. I think I need to take on a bit more fuel on these very long runs, I had two gels but I was starving and lacking in energy by the end.
A massive roast dinner and chocolate pudding has helped to replace the calories I burned but it's now 8.30 and I'm ready for sleeping!
Next week the plan says 1 run of 2 miles, 1 run of 7 miles then a long run of 18 miles. I think the 2 miles will become 3.5 and 7 might become 6, it's all about the flexibility. The 18 miles will be 30km as it's the Stamford St Valentines 30km race next Sunday. As today's run took me 2.50 I'm expecting the 30km to take me a good 3.30, that's a long time to be running. I'll do it won't I?
I'm pleased with my 25.4 mile this week. Next week it's up to about 28.
Sunday 3 February 2013
666 and on to week 5
Evening all, it's Sunday again so another week's training to round up. The plan for this week sounded great, three easy runs of 6 miles each. It ended up being a week of three very different runs. Run one was on Wednesday, it was very very windy and rainy and that made the run hard. The 6 miles were covered in a pace of 10.06 which is long run pace, not 6 mile run pace but given that I felt like I wasn't moving when I ran into the wind it's fine.
Run two was at running club on Thursday, better weather conditions meant that I did the 6 miles at 9.20 pace which I was very pleased with. More importantly that brought my mileage for January up to 101 miles and the first time I've ever managed 100 miles in a month.
Run three was this morning. I had planned to go offroad across the fields, I'm missing the muddy runs but it was windy again this morning so it'd be even windier up on the fields so I wimped out and stuck to the roads and paths. It was a little harder than it should have been but pace was 9.55 so actually all fine. So that's week 4 done and dusted.
What does week 5 hold then? The plan says one easy run of 2 miles, one tempo run of 6 miles and one long run of 16 miles. I think the 2 miles will actually be 3 as my Wednesday route is circular and the minimum to get back to where I started is 3 miles. I'm not sure how to do the 16 miles, my sensible self is telling me to join my club mates on the weekly long run but my fun self is telling me to head off to the mud and hills for 10 miles or so and then make the mileage up with a trot along the canal. I'll see how the week pans out.
Some good news from the GP this week- I don't have hepatitis or any nasty autoimmune thing. Less good news is that my GGT is still 70 which means that I am still not allowed to drink, not because my liver is damaged (which it isn't) but because alcohol can raise GGT so until mine's normal they need to be sure that the raised level isn't due to anything as simple as a glass of lovely wine. More blood tests booked, they include the letter i somewhere (IgM? IgG? something like that) and might prove whether I had/have lyme disease. Apparently the nurse practitioner should have taken me seriously back in August and asked for these tests at the time. I'm now on first name terms with Jenny the phlebotomist.
I think that's it for now, see you all in 24 miles.
Run two was at running club on Thursday, better weather conditions meant that I did the 6 miles at 9.20 pace which I was very pleased with. More importantly that brought my mileage for January up to 101 miles and the first time I've ever managed 100 miles in a month.
Run three was this morning. I had planned to go offroad across the fields, I'm missing the muddy runs but it was windy again this morning so it'd be even windier up on the fields so I wimped out and stuck to the roads and paths. It was a little harder than it should have been but pace was 9.55 so actually all fine. So that's week 4 done and dusted.
What does week 5 hold then? The plan says one easy run of 2 miles, one tempo run of 6 miles and one long run of 16 miles. I think the 2 miles will actually be 3 as my Wednesday route is circular and the minimum to get back to where I started is 3 miles. I'm not sure how to do the 16 miles, my sensible self is telling me to join my club mates on the weekly long run but my fun self is telling me to head off to the mud and hills for 10 miles or so and then make the mileage up with a trot along the canal. I'll see how the week pans out.
Some good news from the GP this week- I don't have hepatitis or any nasty autoimmune thing. Less good news is that my GGT is still 70 which means that I am still not allowed to drink, not because my liver is damaged (which it isn't) but because alcohol can raise GGT so until mine's normal they need to be sure that the raised level isn't due to anything as simple as a glass of lovely wine. More blood tests booked, they include the letter i somewhere (IgM? IgG? something like that) and might prove whether I had/have lyme disease. Apparently the nurse practitioner should have taken me seriously back in August and asked for these tests at the time. I'm now on first name terms with Jenny the phlebotomist.
I think that's it for now, see you all in 24 miles.
Sunday 27 January 2013
Week 3
Here I am at the end of week 3, just 13 weeks to go. The weather has been cold, snowy, wet, sunny, windy and everything else in between.
The 5 mile and 4 mile runs this week were both absolutely fine and at 9.30ish pace. The focus of the week has been the long run, up to 14 miles now so my first peak week before an easy week. I know the importance of carb loading and adequate rest before a long run. Unfortunately yesterday was Sam's 9th birthday party which started at 3pm and finished at 11pm, those 9 year olds know how to party. My diet yesterday was mostly pizza and chocolate cake, I went to bed late and had a really disturbed night of sleeping/waking. I didn't feel too great this morning but I still managed to get up and out by 7.30 to run the 2.5 miles to the pub to meet some of my club mates for the legendary long run conga (where people meet up/drop off along the way to suit varying lengths of run/training plans/ability). At the peak today there were 13 of us so the miles passed quickly with a change of conversation partner every mile or so. I stayed with the group until 12 miles and then ran the 2 miles home by myself, those 2 miles were the toughest of the lot. Overall the pace was 10.09 which is almost bang on my long run target pace of 10.00.
On to week 4 now, it's a nice one with just three runs of 6 miles each. The calm before the storm of 16/18/20 mile weekend runs, that's where the real fun begins.
I'm feeling fairly fit and strong at the moment (thank you bootcamp) but the real challenges are yet to come. I'm still fairly exhausted a lot of the time but the latest liver function test is now twice normal rather than four times normal so that's progress. A few more test results still to come back but I'm sure they'll be fine.
Hopefully next week's blog will be more interesting although there's only so much you can say about 3 short runs.
The 5 mile and 4 mile runs this week were both absolutely fine and at 9.30ish pace. The focus of the week has been the long run, up to 14 miles now so my first peak week before an easy week. I know the importance of carb loading and adequate rest before a long run. Unfortunately yesterday was Sam's 9th birthday party which started at 3pm and finished at 11pm, those 9 year olds know how to party. My diet yesterday was mostly pizza and chocolate cake, I went to bed late and had a really disturbed night of sleeping/waking. I didn't feel too great this morning but I still managed to get up and out by 7.30 to run the 2.5 miles to the pub to meet some of my club mates for the legendary long run conga (where people meet up/drop off along the way to suit varying lengths of run/training plans/ability). At the peak today there were 13 of us so the miles passed quickly with a change of conversation partner every mile or so. I stayed with the group until 12 miles and then ran the 2 miles home by myself, those 2 miles were the toughest of the lot. Overall the pace was 10.09 which is almost bang on my long run target pace of 10.00.
On to week 4 now, it's a nice one with just three runs of 6 miles each. The calm before the storm of 16/18/20 mile weekend runs, that's where the real fun begins.
I'm feeling fairly fit and strong at the moment (thank you bootcamp) but the real challenges are yet to come. I'm still fairly exhausted a lot of the time but the latest liver function test is now twice normal rather than four times normal so that's progress. A few more test results still to come back but I'm sure they'll be fine.
Hopefully next week's blog will be more interesting although there's only so much you can say about 3 short runs.
Sunday 20 January 2013
Week 2-when the snow came
This week has been a lot harder than last week, not in terms of mileage more in terms of everything but mileage.
It's been very cold this week which makes it a lot harder work. The 5 miles tempo on Wednesday were more like 5 miles slow, I simply couldn't find any speed no matter how hard I tried. Thursday was 5 miles steady and I just about managed that although it was icy underfoot which never helps. I'm going to blame my trainers for these two I think, I wore a new pair that I can't really get on with for one of them and an old pair that are getting towards the end of their life for the other. Oh and the wrong socks too, it was all wrong. Or it might have something to do with the massive weights at bootcamp on Tuesday, why do we feel the need to prove ourselves when new people join the group? Just me then.
The snow really came down on Friday so bootcamp was cancelled on Saturday, I did my cross training through the medium of sledging instead. It was brilliant fun and I'm sure the runs back up the hill count as hill reps.
Today's long run was better than the rest of the week. It was pretty icy underfoot even though I'd opted for canal towpaths rather than roads or countryside. I'd say that the ice slowed us down by 30-45 seconds per mile. Even so we covered 12 miles at well quicker than 11 minute mile pace, without the snow and ice it would have been spot on 10 min miles again. I managed to miss the chance of a more interesting route and a run with friends by not keeping my eyes open this week, must plan more carefully next time. Fortunately I still had some company which makes a long run fun. I have no doubt that I could manage the distance solo and of course I will be solo on marathon day. I'm a social being though and I like the chance to have a chat and there's no better time than a Sunday long run to put the world to rights-beats the ipod for me anyday.
Oh and I had my liver scan this week, it went well (apart from the bit where I accidentally flashed my arse at the man doing the scan) and he said that it all looked fine from his point of view (presumably my liver rather than my arse). Next GGT blood test on Thursday and then results a week later, fingers crossed all is back to normal by then.
Next week's plan is an easy run of 4 miles, a tempo run of 5 miles and then a long run of 14 miles so a weekly total of 23 miles. Doesn't sound too daunting at all.
It's been very cold this week which makes it a lot harder work. The 5 miles tempo on Wednesday were more like 5 miles slow, I simply couldn't find any speed no matter how hard I tried. Thursday was 5 miles steady and I just about managed that although it was icy underfoot which never helps. I'm going to blame my trainers for these two I think, I wore a new pair that I can't really get on with for one of them and an old pair that are getting towards the end of their life for the other. Oh and the wrong socks too, it was all wrong. Or it might have something to do with the massive weights at bootcamp on Tuesday, why do we feel the need to prove ourselves when new people join the group? Just me then.
The snow really came down on Friday so bootcamp was cancelled on Saturday, I did my cross training through the medium of sledging instead. It was brilliant fun and I'm sure the runs back up the hill count as hill reps.
Today's long run was better than the rest of the week. It was pretty icy underfoot even though I'd opted for canal towpaths rather than roads or countryside. I'd say that the ice slowed us down by 30-45 seconds per mile. Even so we covered 12 miles at well quicker than 11 minute mile pace, without the snow and ice it would have been spot on 10 min miles again. I managed to miss the chance of a more interesting route and a run with friends by not keeping my eyes open this week, must plan more carefully next time. Fortunately I still had some company which makes a long run fun. I have no doubt that I could manage the distance solo and of course I will be solo on marathon day. I'm a social being though and I like the chance to have a chat and there's no better time than a Sunday long run to put the world to rights-beats the ipod for me anyday.
Oh and I had my liver scan this week, it went well (apart from the bit where I accidentally flashed my arse at the man doing the scan) and he said that it all looked fine from his point of view (presumably my liver rather than my arse). Next GGT blood test on Thursday and then results a week later, fingers crossed all is back to normal by then.
Next week's plan is an easy run of 4 miles, a tempo run of 5 miles and then a long run of 14 miles so a weekly total of 23 miles. Doesn't sound too daunting at all.
Sunday 13 January 2013
Week one done
Week one is done and dusted. Wednesday 5 miles at 9.21 pace, Thursday 5 miles at 9.27 pace and Sunday 10 miles at 9.57.
Total mileage for the week = 20. I've been lucky this week, all three runs went really well and felt great. If the next 15 weeks go this well then it's going to be great, if only.....
We've been eating well this week but today I have the post long run hunger, I've just had a huge dinner and I'm still starving! This tends to settle down after a few weeks of longer runs, it had better do or I'll be doing this marathon weighing 20 stone.
I'm still off the booze on doctors orders and I'm feeling really well, the best I've felt in ages. Surely this is just coincidence, drinking 3-5 units a week can't make my liver struggle that much can it? Liver scan on Thursday.
So next week's plan is...one easy 5 mile, one 5 mile incorporating speedwork and a long run of 12 miles. Two sessions of bootcamp, we're on week 2 of a 4 week block of strength training. It's good for me but ouch ouch ouch.
Total mileage for the week = 20. I've been lucky this week, all three runs went really well and felt great. If the next 15 weeks go this well then it's going to be great, if only.....
We've been eating well this week but today I have the post long run hunger, I've just had a huge dinner and I'm still starving! This tends to settle down after a few weeks of longer runs, it had better do or I'll be doing this marathon weighing 20 stone.
I'm still off the booze on doctors orders and I'm feeling really well, the best I've felt in ages. Surely this is just coincidence, drinking 3-5 units a week can't make my liver struggle that much can it? Liver scan on Thursday.
So next week's plan is...one easy 5 mile, one 5 mile incorporating speedwork and a long run of 12 miles. Two sessions of bootcamp, we're on week 2 of a 4 week block of strength training. It's good for me but ouch ouch ouch.
Friday 4 January 2013
Need a plan Stan
The marathon is 16 weeks and 2 days away so that means the 16 week training plan starts on Monday. I had planned to follow the programme in my book but having studied it in a bit more detail I've realised that the first 7 weeks would actually be less running than I'm doing at the moment. Now I'm naturally pretty lazy but even I know that that's not going to be ideal preparation.
I've printed off two plans from Smartcoach, one harder than the other. So I now have three plans which is probably worse than no plan at all.
I'm going to aim to follow a bit of a combination of all three. The long run is crucial so the progression of that one will be from one plan or the other. The other two runs will be a bit more fluid but will, as a minimum be what is recommended in the book. Sounds like a bit of a mishmash but as someone very wise (Karla!) once said "write your goal in cement, and your plan in sand".
So the plan for week 1 is a tempo run of around 5 miles, an easy run of 3-6 miles (told you it was fluid) and long run of 8-10 miles. Total mileage 16-21. My usual weekly mileage is around 20 so this week should be fine. Bootcamp starts again this week so there will be two sessions of strength and fitness training. Crucially there will also be 2 rest days.
Let's get on with it then.
I've printed off two plans from Smartcoach, one harder than the other. So I now have three plans which is probably worse than no plan at all.
I'm going to aim to follow a bit of a combination of all three. The long run is crucial so the progression of that one will be from one plan or the other. The other two runs will be a bit more fluid but will, as a minimum be what is recommended in the book. Sounds like a bit of a mishmash but as someone very wise (Karla!) once said "write your goal in cement, and your plan in sand".
So the plan for week 1 is a tempo run of around 5 miles, an easy run of 3-6 miles (told you it was fluid) and long run of 8-10 miles. Total mileage 16-21. My usual weekly mileage is around 20 so this week should be fine. Bootcamp starts again this week so there will be two sessions of strength and fitness training. Crucially there will also be 2 rest days.
Let's get on with it then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)