Marathon Training - Week 5

Only five days of running this week because the training schedule allowed for an extra rest day after last week's 10k race. Still managed to clock up 40 miles in total with a 15 mile long run this morning.

This week sees me jiggling with my training schedule to allow for my flying to the States on Friday. This means I am going to be doing my long run of 18 miles on the Friday morning. My next rest day will be next Sunday which means 8 days straight of running. Could be quite tough but at least I'm hoping it will make sure I fall asleep on the 11 hour flight to LA.

This week will also see me doing some hill training on Tuesday morning. It's probably the most boring of the training types but helps build strength and will be the biggest test of my calf muscles so far. It's held up well to all my training up to this point so I'm quietly confident, although this could be the very definition of hubris!

I've achieved my race weight of 78.3kg three months before the start of the race. I now need to reduce my body fat content by another 2%. Not sure how I'm going to do this without losing more weight. I may need to alter my diet further. To be honest though, travelling around the States for two weeks on holiday will probably see my weight go up more than down.

 

Here's my 15 mile long run from this morning. I ran a new route down the Grand Union Canal to Notting Hill and then ran back along the Uxbridge Road towards Ealing. I've looked at the breakdown of the stats and I managed to keep my heart rate under 140 bpm for the first 10 miles, then it moved significantly towards the 150 bpm range. I think this is due to not taking on any water or fuel. I'll take some running gels with me for my 18 mile run on Friday.

Marathon Training - Week 4, Richmond 10k

This week's training culminated in the Richmond 10k. My first race since the Cardiff half marathon last October and my first race since getting injured last November and missing four months training. The course started at the far end of Old Deer Park and ran up the road towards Kew Bridge. Then it veered onto the path alongside the Thames toward Richmond before doubling back on itself and finishing back where it started in Old Deer Park. I would guess there were about 500 entrants which meant that the pack had spread out nicely by the time everyone reached the Thames path where it was two abreast at most for much of the way. It was overcast and cool with a light breeze, perfect running conditions.

I managed to finish in an unofficial time of 44 minutes exactly which is under the 45 minutes I was aiming for so am well pleased. I thought I had a chance to beat my PB (43:06) and ran the first 5km exactly to plan but my lack of fitness told in the second half and I had to concentrate on just finishing within the 45.

Apart from that my running this week has gone well. I did my first session of track work on Tuesday with some 800 repeats and followed this up with an 8 miler on the Wednesday and a 3 mile threshold run on Thursday with a 1 mile warm up and cool down either side. Monday and Saturday were the usual 4 and 5 mile easy pace runs respectively.

I'm off to the States a week on Friday and have managed to re-arrange my training schedule so that I'm able to pretty much run all of the sessions I'm required to. The only sessions that will probably drop out are two hill training sessions. Only because it may be tricky finding hills to run them on depending on where I am. I may substitute those with six or seven mile steady pace runs, or just miss them out altogether since I am supposed to be on holiday after all! The one run I am really hoping to do is a twenty miler when I am in San Francisco. If I do no other running on holiday but this one then I'll be happy. My girlfriend is happy if I do the runs early in the morning before she gets out of bed so they shouldn't impinge on the holiday that much. I'm just a bit wary of the temperatures that it might reach when I'm in places like Las Vegas. I hope it's not too hot first thing in the morning.

Here's the Richmond 10k run from this morning. Note - no podcast. I'm trying to run races without listening to anything, it should help me understand how I feel during the race itself.

Marathon Training - Week 3

It's been a long while since I've run 40 miles in a week but this week I did just that. My calf has held up well to the demands I'm making of it although on Thursday I had to run 4 miles at a steady pace and could feel my right hamstring tightening all the time. It's always on my right side. Whether it's a foot injury, my calf, my knee or my hamstring it is always the right hand side that any pain or tweak is felt. Must be down to my biomechanics I suppose. I had a rest day on Friday, ran an easy run on Saturday and a 13 mile slow run this morning and have had no hamstring pain so I'm hoping it's just my legs getting used to the extended distance and time on my feet. On Tuesday I will be doing interval training so I'll find out then if there's any hidden issues!

When I was marathon training last year I ended up losing four toenails in the process. This isn't as bad or as painful as it might sound. With repeatedly pounding the pavement the flesh beneath the toenail hardens and desensitises. Eventually the toenail itself falls off. This year I am predicting at least four more will go. My little toes already appear to be on their way out. I'd give them both no more than a month. I will update as and when they eventually go.

This morning I went on a run down to Richmond via Kew Gardens and back up to Ealing via the Grand Union Canal. It's a route I've run quite a few times before but not since at least 8 months ago, so it was nice to run it again. I managed to take a quick photo on the way:

On the path next to Kew Gardens heading toward Richmond

Next week my mileage will be less as I will be running a 10k race on the Sunday. I've entered the Richmond 10k and was hoping to finish in around 45 minutes. This may be optimistic, but to be honest anything between 50 minutes and 45 minutes would be good. Under 45 minutes would be excellent considering that I'm coming back from injury. We'll see.

Here's my run from this morning. I'm pleased with my average heart rate of 75% although it didn't feel quite as easy as the statistics make it look!

Marathon Training - Week 2

38 miles this week culminating in a 11 mile long run this morning. The training week is starting to take shape. Monday is a short easy run, Tuesday interval or threshold training, Wednesday is a medium distance run, Thursday tempo run, Friday is a rest day, Saturday is a short easy run and Sunday is a slow long run. Each week the long runs get longer or are interspersed with races (10k or half marathons).
In two weeks I have to run a 10k race as my Sunday long run. I think I'll run the Richmond 10k as it's pretty close to my house and I've already run the route that it takes. It'll be the first race I've run since the Cardiff half in October and the first 10k race since the Swansea 10k in September. If I can get under 45 minutes or thereabouts I'll be pleased.

I bought myself some "proper" running shorts this week. I already have proper running shorts, i.e. they wick away sweat and are light and comfortable but they aren't "proper" running shorts. My "proper" running shorts are very short and have a split up the sides to allow the legs to move completely unhindered and allow the air to circulate properly to cool the thighs down (or something like that). What I do know is that they are very short and the first time I wore them outside I felt a little bit indecent. This feeling passed quite quickly which either says something about the shorts or a lot about me!

Went for a nice run down by the Thames this morning from Kew bridge towards Hammersmith and back along Chiswick. I took my new compact camera with me which I keep in the rear pocket of my running shorts (in a sandwich bag to protect it from sweat!). I managed to take a few shots of the river first thing in the morning:

Old Father Thames first thing in the mornng

Some swans enjoying the early light

Houses along the Thames path. How much must they be worth?

Chiswick House. I was running past and noticed the gate was open so popped in to take a photo. Nice place.

Here's my run from this morning, I managed to keep my average heart rate really low so was well pleased. Next week I will be talking about toenails and how many I think I will be losing!