Sex-charged fop blew my junk TV quiz

[Konstantin]

Tuesday

10 x 1 min off a 1 in rest. 5:39/mile average.
2 x 1 mile with a 1:40 rest between them. 7:02/mile and 6:56/mile. Better than I was, but bearing in mind I did a HM last year at 6:54/mile, I need to get that speed back.

Saturday

Up early again for the long run and wanted to make it at least 19. Left just before 6 am and found it was fairly mild, v slightly wet, and fairly windy. I find it diffiult to find new routes because my town is bordered by a 3-lane road on one side and Dartmoor on the other, and has loads of hills, so I continued with familiar routes.

Felt good and kept going, came in at 21:05 miles, 3:21:33 which is 9:35/mile. Very satisfied. I live on a hill and managed to go the hard way up the hill home, and could conceive of doing the additional 5.2 miles I'll be doing soon. Bearing in mind that on that occasion I'll have tapered and won't be so short of sleep, I'm feeling optimistic again.

I didn't plan to think about the Pb/4:00 barrier, but am beginning to think about it now. It's at 9:13 ish per mile, which I'm below now, but long runs are generally early morning and hilly. Maybe I'll be fresher for the real thing.

Clap press ups: I'm ahead of schedule and Pb is up to 27.

Monday

Solo marathon, 1:53:34. A little peeved because if I'd done that in an event it would have been a certified world record, but still, not a bad run. Fairly hilly.

Tuesday
Clap press ups. Beat my Pb of 27, found I could just keep going. Got bored after an hour or so, 1833. Felt good.

Wednesday
Speedwork. 50 x 100m off a 20 second rest. Averages 13 seconds but pushed it towards the end and did the last 15 all in under 10 seconds. The last three were all sub 9 seconds.

[Konstantin]

Tuesday

6 x half mile. As my course is about 1.4 miles away I do 1 x 3 mins mile on the way and back as well, so that's 8 really. Averaged 6:32 mile. Did 2 x 1 mile off a 1:44 rest, 6:59 and 7:15. There's a bit of hill in there and I was tired, but still I was hoping for better times. Overall, good sesion.

Saturday

Ran in the woods because it hasn't got the serious hills I try to avoid locally. Still ended up with a fair amount of height gain, although I was fairly quick too. Finished on 21.16 miles at 9:18/mile. Seriously tired afterwards.

Sunday

My rare visit to the gym. Benched 140kg, Squatted 230kg, Deadlifted 350kg. I think this is more than last time, about 4 months ago.

[Konstantin]

Mon

Chicken rescue run. Exhausting day, 16 hours, mainly driving but some carrying and stuff as well.

Wed

10 x 1 min hillsprints, plus one on the way, 1 on the way back. Tired.

Fri

20.08 miles on a loop (5 laps). More hill than ideal, 9:32/mile pace. Now I'm ready to taper.

Sun

MMA match x 3. Three wins.

[Konstantin]

Tuesday
Ate far too much. Didn't do the speed training.

Wed
Did it at 75% volume (taper).
15 x 100 m (19.7s av) off 32 s rest
7 x 200 m (38.8 ) off 41 s rest.
It felt really fast, especially the 100s.

Sat
75% long run. Hail and heavy rain. 14.55 m @ 9.47/mile.

I've done this a bit wrong as my 75/50/25% taper schedule leaves me doing 25% long run the day before the run. I'll do about 8m next week, which will be one week out.

I've also got an entry for a HM 29th May. I've been thinking about speed training and want to do 2 different types of interval: short rest with target pace, longer rest at top speed.

Notes for me:

Target pace (6:40/m)

100m x 20, 20s, 30s rest
200m x 10, 40s, 40s rest
400m x 10, 1:40, 40s rest
800m x 6, 3:20, 1:10 rest
mile x 5, 6:50, 80s rest.

Fast

100m x 15, 50s rest
200m x 8, 1:40s rest
400m x 8, 2:00 rest
800m x 5, 2:20 rest
mile x 4, 3:40 rest.

[Konstantin]

Last week of taper.

The old abductor injury is making some noises. There's some feeling there but not a full blown injury. Rest will probably do it, but I thought a precautionary visit to the physio was in order. But he's moved!! I've found another.

Due to this I'm not doing my 25% speed session planned for this week, I'm walking and resting.

Carbo loading will start Thursday, but I'll not overdo it.

[Konstantin]

Sunday 13th, Duchy Marathon, Truro, Cornwall.

I was really nervous for this my second marathon, and unsure exactly how well I would perform. I’m fitter, lighter and faster than when I tried my previous one (2008, 4:01:31) but recently I’ve had some lay-offs from running and have trained for this on just two runs a week.

The long runs have felt relatively comfortable but I’m aware that overall mileage has been lower and that would have an effect.

It was a really well-organised event with directions to the start from the roads a long way out. The marathon starts alongside a 20 mile fun run and there was a great sense of support among other runners. This was my first race with VRUK as my first claim and as the miles unfolded I got into some interesting conversation with other curious runner. Two were vegetarians, other just wanted to know about the club and what I’d carbo loaded on.

It felt very hot, partly this was because it compared that way with the temperatures I trained in. As a result I soon had salt marks on my head and a previously unknown adversary – cramp. This hit the hamstrings and even a bicep, but was kept under control with a few stretches.

The course seemed flat to someone who’s trained in the South Devon hills, but a few brummies were not pleased with hills (or gentle slopes as I called them), and the miles rolled by at 8:30/mile very easily up to 15. Soon after I did slow down and found it hard to drink or eat, but passed 20 miles well inside my target of 3:00, meaning 4:00 was on.

The course ends with hills and of course the build-up of fatigue and cramp. I pushed on cursing out loud, watching the time and calculating that 10 minute miles would do it. The finish is on a fairly severe hill and I charged up past my long-awaiting wife and kids to cross with 30 seconds to spare.

A hard run, but I hit the target. The hills were a little worse than I thought from the online profile, and the weather was a factor. I felt unwell afterwards and was better after talking on electrolytes – the heat may have taken them out of me. Glad I did it, apart from anything as a lonely Devon Vegan Runner I had some interesting chats with other runners that tend to be impractical in a shorter, faster race, and promote the club.

Next stop is the Plymouth Half Marathon where I’ll attempt the last defence of my under 40 VRUK Male title.

[baldy]

Sub 4 hour marathon, that is brilliant.

[Konstantin]

Thanks Baldy, that's some serious carrottage there!

Hard race and I find the distance very difficult. On reflection and having discussed it, I think I was lacking electrolytes and was dehydrated, although not seriously.

I don't have long (end of May) before the HM, so it's a case of moving up to 3 runs a week: shorter long run (10-12m) on a tempo basis and two speed sessions. One will be long, the other short intervals, and one will be at full speed, the other at target speed.

Unsure whether I can get close to th 1:30 mark because on my recent lay-offs etc but I need to get stuck in.

Bring it on!

[xJimx]

Congrats from a fellow Devonian

[Mr. Cleetus]

I completely missed this somehow, Well done!!!

Make sure those tempo sessions are quality, and you'll get there. better be well recovered from the marathon first tho, eh?

[Konstantin]

Thanks xJimx and Mr Cleetus.

xJimx, are you from South or North of the moor? I'm South border.

Mr C, you're reading my mind! I was planning to change my long run to a 9-12 mile tempo run at the weekend and do two interval sessions during the week. I'm aiming for 1:30 HM, any tips on the tempo run?

Right, photos.

I was really nervous before the race, this is me turning up.


Nervous at the start.



This guy has a story, but suffice to say I beat him:


I think i'm at about 26 mile and 384 yards here. The hill does look a bit nasty, but it's actually worse than it looks.



They guy next to me is Danny fromt he 100 marathon club. At my first marathon I stopped and he was behind me. He gave a me a big kick up the arse and got me back up and running. Later I overtook him and was able to thank him afterwards. I still occasionally hear him when I'm training and start to slack off. Then he turns up here, and this time beats me.



And you get a medal.





1 8.55
2 7:57 16.52
3 7:42 24:34
4 8:08 32:42
5 8:17 40:59
6 8:38 49:37
7 8:23 57:59
8 8:16 1:06:15
9 8:38 1:14:54
10 9:30 1:24:24
11 8:48 1:33:12
12 9:01 1:42:13
13 9:15 1:51:27
14 8:13 1:59:40
15 9:00 2:08:40
16 9:25 2:18:05
17 9:25 2:27:30
18 9:44 2:37:15
19 9:46 2:47:00
20 10:17 2:57:17
21 9:34 3:06:51
22 11:00 3:17:50
23 9:42 3:27:33
24 10:12 3:37:45
25 10:18 3:48:03
26 11:25 3:59:29

[Mr. Cleetus]

Cool to see the pics. I hope the bear didnt make you work too hard!

I think there are two ways you can approach the tempo runs (and possibly do some of each). Keep the total distance/time at near race length or shorter, and either 1) do a long warm up/down and do the middle stretch at above 1/2 pace (10km pace), or 2) just gradually build into your race pace (or just slower) and maintain that with a shorter warm down at the end. Starting with the shorter option then gradually lengthening the amount of tempo over the weeks can be a good way to approach it.

If you are finding it mentally tough (or just want something different) you can also try breaking it into 10-20 minute sections where you switch between 10km pace, 1/2 pace and just a bit slower. This can be quite "enjoyable".

[Konstantin]

Cool to see the pics. I hope the bear didnt make you work too hard!

Ha ha, the bear was OK. My little boy had a good week at school so got chosen to take the class bear home for a week. They than take pictures of what he got up to, so this week he ran a marathon. If one of the girls wins him he usually has tea with a Barbie so he's probably annoyed that we got him.

That's helpful about the tempo runs because I haven't got a great ide of what I'm doing with them. My intervals are fairly well organised, but I do little Tempo running and haven't really got a firm idea. I think I've been doing something closer to the second option - going off with the Garmin running and mile alerts. As time goes on I try to bring the mile splits down towards 7:30. My target pace for HM is 6:52 overall, although there are some hills on the targetted event and last year my splits included two miles over 8min each, and lots of flat ones around 6:40.

I think I need to target the pace more strictly and over a shorter period, as those 7:30 runs were part of a 13 mile run and I tried to keep the pace from about 4 onwards. Maybe the next one should be a ten miler with a four mile stretch at 6:50/mile between 4 and 8.

Part of the issue is that my town is SO hilly that I cannot avoid some steep slow hills. On the other hand my long run will be shorter so I have extra time to drive to my relatively flat run

Back to training.
Wed
Pack of cards (Ace low)
Tried to ease off the legs:

Clap press up
Leg throw for the abs
Burpee
3 x hammer curls with 20kg

Thurs

Recovery run. About 3.6 miles at 12 min/mile. Very heavy and slow!!

Fri
Rest

[Konstantin]

Saturday
About 7 miles, pace around 9:45/mile. Ready to get back into it now.

Sunday
Hammer curls, 20kg to 34kg. Enjoyed it and now the weather is better, I can train in the back yard.

Monday
Evening speed session. 9 x 400m on road off a long rest. This is fast intervals, as opposed to target pace off a slower rest. There are no flat roads where I live, but there is little height gain on this interval, just some undulations. Rests averaged just under 2:30 and the intervals were done at an average 5:48/mile pace, sort of 1:27 time.

Next stage is to do a target pace interval session later in the week and a tempo run at the weekend - maybe 12 miles with a 4 mile stretch @6:45/mile. Thinking I should set garmin alerts at both 1/2 mile intervals and 3:23 intervals.

Tuesday
Rest day. But I walked to work and will do some clap press ups.

Wed
Speed session got cancelled due to....ah, don't ask. But I did some work on my guns - hammer curls 20kg - 30kg.

Thurs
Back to the above mentioned 400m interval road. This time I aimed to do it at target 6:40/mile pace off a rest that was 50% of running time. This works At 1:40 run, 50 second rest. Ten intervals. This is the first time I tried this and found it worthwhile. The plan going forwards will be to do one session like this at target pace, one at high intensity with a longer rest, each week. Then a longer run with a tempo section at the weekend.

[Konstantin]

Sat

Off to the relatively unhilly woods for a tempo run. Met a stranger and went off together then turned on the speed. I was planning 4 miles @ 6:52/mile but outwards is still uphill at about 25m/mile and it wasn't working I did 2 miles at 7:30 ish and decided to do some easy, then more tempo on the way down. Did 2.5 miles at target pace or slightly faster.

Kept going and found the 'easy' (non tempo) section was naturally fairly fast and I averaged faster than 8min/mile even including the easy and jog/talk section.

Mon

Measured a new 800m course, flat, around a pond, sorta 1.75 laps. Aimed to do 6 max speed off a long rest. Averaged 6:12/mile pace with a 2:50ish rest. That was a good session and I worked hard, ran fast.

I'm getting behind on my 10,000 clap press ups/year target so need to get some done.

Wed
Clap press ups.
Pack of cards (Ace low, 85)
30kg hammer curls x 2
Leg throws for abs
Hindu Squats
Press up on medicine ball

Thursday
Clap press ups. Got back on target, 2500 for the year at end of the 1st quarter.
10 x 1 min hill charges with 2 min jog back to start
Tabatas