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.
Sunday 27 January 2013
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.
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