The schedule calls for four seven milers followed by 18 on Sunday. We'll await Sunday to see how that goes. However got an eight under my belt tonight, albeit still at too elevated a heart rate - average 155 bpm for 8 min miling is way too high.
I often wondered why after an enforced lay off my legs feel tired and heavy despite not having run for a period. I think there's an element of stiffness and getting out of the groove, but it struck me this time around it's probably due to elevated heart rates as you recover. Assuming tiredness and lactic acid build up are affected by heart rate and effort so it presumably stands to reason that after an illness as the body recovers and the heart rate is high so even "easy" runs induce greater exertion than usual and have the same effect as running hard when well. Well, it's a theory...
I'll ease off doing efforts (or at least longer tempo runs) until the heart rate drops back to approaching normal. If I'm hitting the lower limits of tempo effort going uphill at an easy pace then any longer effort is likley to push me over the edge! Even two weeks' ago when I ran 30 at effort I had a bit of a funny turn after showering when the corridors seemed to slope away from me - blood sugar or just effort shock?
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Sunday, 13 January 2008
A struggling 13
As expected I couldn't manage the full 16 today. Infact I was struggling with very shallow breathing after a couple, rallied for a semi-decent miles 8 to 11 roughly and then headed for home for about 13 in 1:47 - not great and I needed stops to regain my bretah, but it's 13 more miles in the bank when at one stage I thought I'd be lucky to get in five. Thanks to my training partner for sticking with me and my slow pace to push me through.
I'm hoping that once this cold and chest goes my legs will be fresh from the enforced rest / reduced mileage and I'll be ready to crack on.
I'm hoping that once this cold and chest goes my legs will be fresh from the enforced rest / reduced mileage and I'll be ready to crack on.
Saturday, 12 January 2008
...it was definitely a cold
The good thing is I had a cold which laid me up for four days so my sluggish runs on Sunday were not necessarily down to poor fitness. The bad news is I had a cold which laid me up etc - so couldn't run until Friday. This week's mileage will look decidely dodgy, but there are still 13 weeks / three months to go before London, so let's not get woried too soon eh?
Friday night saw an easy 5-ish mileage with the usual post-cold tight chest and sluggish legs. However I felt I could have slipped in a an extra mile or so but didn't. Probably wise.
Saturday and I clocked up a slow-ish 7.5 in an hour. However it was a route I'd used over the last few weeks which has a shortcut to about 6.5. In previuous weeks I'd taken the easy option and headed for home at a T-junction roads to the shortcut. This time I felt reasonably OK and at the junction turned away from home for the full distance. There's also nothing quite cold puddles in a country lane to wake you up in the morning - you know the sort which stretch right across the road and the grass bank is actually a mud verge. Nothing for it but to wade right through and feel the cold water splash against the calves. Lovely day though - blue sky, slight cold breeze and bright wintery morning sun.
Now, let's see what Sunday's proposed long run brings. The schedule says 16. Not sure how I'll fare.
Friday night saw an easy 5-ish mileage with the usual post-cold tight chest and sluggish legs. However I felt I could have slipped in a an extra mile or so but didn't. Probably wise.
Saturday and I clocked up a slow-ish 7.5 in an hour. However it was a route I'd used over the last few weeks which has a shortcut to about 6.5. In previuous weeks I'd taken the easy option and headed for home at a T-junction roads to the shortcut. This time I felt reasonably OK and at the junction turned away from home for the full distance. There's also nothing quite cold puddles in a country lane to wake you up in the morning - you know the sort which stretch right across the road and the grass bank is actually a mud verge. Nothing for it but to wade right through and feel the cold water splash against the calves. Lovely day though - blue sky, slight cold breeze and bright wintery morning sun.
Now, let's see what Sunday's proposed long run brings. The schedule says 16. Not sure how I'll fare.
Monday, 7 January 2008
End of week 1...
Friday I struggled through 6.5 / 7 miles with my chest feeling tight before driving off to Leicester for family stuff. Consequently Saturday was a rest day, as scheduled, but without cross training. Sunday was one of those days I love running - clear, crisp and cool - a bit cool with frost on the roads, but I generally love running on those days. My schedule called for 14 miles. I had other engagements before driving back home so struggled through 11 with a higher than should be heart rate. However I'm sneezing well again on Monday so maybe that cold is still with me.
Overall I like this flexible schedule. I'm not happy that my long run was 3 or 4 miles ahorter than what I wanted. However ticking over at 38 mles and one decent effort session is better than some considerable time. I'm hoping that when I get fully well the reduced number of effort sessions should mean the quality sessions can be run hard and my legs don't feel wiped out. Here's hoping...
Overall I like this flexible schedule. I'm not happy that my long run was 3 or 4 miles ahorter than what I wanted. However ticking over at 38 mles and one decent effort session is better than some considerable time. I'm hoping that when I get fully well the reduced number of effort sessions should mean the quality sessions can be run hard and my legs don't feel wiped out. Here's hoping...
Thursday, 3 January 2008
...time for a rest
Rescheduled rest day - no time for a gym session so just a complete break. Just as well as not feeling too clever - nausea and slight giddiness - not sure if its tiredness or this vomitting bug that's going round. Off to Leicester for a few days so may have to switch sessions as and when and see how I feel. However really getting into this flexible training and have got some of my motivation back...bring on the long runs!
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Tempo Run
Well, the thing I like about this "new" schedule is its flexibility. I used to trap myself into a fairly rigid routine (tempo or long efforts Tuesday, track Thursday and long run Sunday). Maybe there is such a thing as over training after all...
This time with one scheduled effort plus the Sunday long run I can shift the efforts to fit work, weather etc and still build in another session if I want. So with meetings booked for Thursday lunchtime (plus apocalyptic weather predicted for the east of England...) it made sense to do my effort on Wednesday. The schedule called for 6 miles with 4 miles effort. So I went for a 7 1/2 mile route with 10 min warm up and 30 minutes at approximate half marathon pace / effort - for me that's about 165 to 175 bpm on the heart rate monitor.
After an easy warm up it took about 3 mins to get the heart rate up to 165 and for about 20 mins this was OK, even into a stiffish cold wind. But this was the longest sustained effort I've run for about 9 months and it told. I slowed at the end and the cool down at a slow pace didn't get my heart rate below 165 - active recovery wasn't an option. I still had a bit of a cough, but I think that cutting edge fitness has departed and needs sustained work to get back. But I have a benchmark to re-run over the coming weeks to see how I perform. However allowing for 10 min warm up and 15 cool down I'm fairly happy with 7.5 in 55:30.
On to the next run hopefully....
This time with one scheduled effort plus the Sunday long run I can shift the efforts to fit work, weather etc and still build in another session if I want. So with meetings booked for Thursday lunchtime (plus apocalyptic weather predicted for the east of England...) it made sense to do my effort on Wednesday. The schedule called for 6 miles with 4 miles effort. So I went for a 7 1/2 mile route with 10 min warm up and 30 minutes at approximate half marathon pace / effort - for me that's about 165 to 175 bpm on the heart rate monitor.
After an easy warm up it took about 3 mins to get the heart rate up to 165 and for about 20 mins this was OK, even into a stiffish cold wind. But this was the longest sustained effort I've run for about 9 months and it told. I slowed at the end and the cool down at a slow pace didn't get my heart rate below 165 - active recovery wasn't an option. I still had a bit of a cough, but I think that cutting edge fitness has departed and needs sustained work to get back. But I have a benchmark to re-run over the coming weeks to see how I perform. However allowing for 10 min warm up and 15 cool down I'm fairly happy with 7.5 in 55:30.
On to the next run hopefully....
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Off Road 6 1/2
Times were when New Year's Day was spend racing the rather excellent Wymondham AC 10K. This usually attracts a mix od the hung over, fancy dress, belated santas plus racers. Infact my 10K PB was set there in 2005 (40:03 and probably the closest I'll get now to that elusive sub-40 10K). Having not raced for a couple of years this is no longer my usual habit for 1st January anymore.
So instead I took myself off for an easy-ish 6.5 to 7 mainly off road around Blofield, Strumpshaw and Brundall. Chest was still tight from the cold and it was more of a struggle than it should have been at the easy pace, but it's great getting out in the open air, little traffic, birds scooting around and a soft top coating of slippy mud across footpaths (some of which had been ploughed over and consequently required a bit of picking your way through). However I'm lucky to be healthy enough to run and enjoy such things.
So instead I took myself off for an easy-ish 6.5 to 7 mainly off road around Blofield, Strumpshaw and Brundall. Chest was still tight from the cold and it was more of a struggle than it should have been at the easy pace, but it's great getting out in the open air, little traffic, birds scooting around and a soft top coating of slippy mud across footpaths (some of which had been ploughed over and consequently required a bit of picking your way through). However I'm lucky to be healthy enough to run and enjoy such things.
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