4 weeks to go
All week's seem to be funny week's at the minute, I do not seem to be able to fit in my training plan as planned. I missed a couple of sessions this week, including a mid-week bike ride, although I had 2 good speed sessions and a half marathon on Sunday (today).
I started the week with an easy early morning recovery run at 10' mile pace covering 4.1 mikes in 41'05", even the HR data agreed for a change. The evening Pilate's session was good fun but I getting tired of the discussions about Spooks - I may need to watch it sometime to see what is so good about it!
Tuesday was a fast running session. I headed over to Swan Valley so I could run around the flattish .8mile loop and have no traffic and people getting in the way. It was a 1 mile warm up, followed by 4x1.5miles sets in an 11 minute target time with 3 minutes recovery. I was pleased that I was able to run within the times, just about. It was a tiring session but felt good afterwards. I was out for 1hour 15'29", covered 8.8 miles at an average pace of 8'35" per mile. The legs needed a rest the next day, which is good as I had a swim session with 10 minutes warm-up, 30 min continuous main set covered 1,120m and then 5 minutes cool-down. Total session time of 45'37" covering 1750m.
I had a core and flexibility session on Thursday lunchtime with lots of stretching followed by some core work, including trying to balance on a Swiss ball - I can just about sit, but whoever can do balance moves kneeling or free fall position has had a lot more practice. The WRR club session was a fast fartlek session based on 3 near 1 mile loops and recovery finishing off with a near half mile set. It was a longer club session than normal for 1hour 12'05" covering 7.12 miles.
I went for a recovery run on Friday morning covering 4.41miles in 46'21" giving a pace of 10'30" per mile with 85% of the effort in HR Z1. The club swim session on Friday had an emphasis on paddles, not my favourite swimming aid, on the first set I had to get out of the pool and re-fasten the rubber bands and continued to tighten them throughout the session. The session was 200m warm-up, 2x200m with and without paddles, then 6x100m with and without and same for 8x50m, so lots of lost time getting the paddles on and off. We finished with 4x50m with a pull buoy and then attempts at swimming underwater - I managed about 10m, Seam was the start of the night as he swam a full 25m underwater. The session was 58'19" covering 1800m.
A short bike ride on Saturday with the taper for Sunday race. I was out for 61'46" covering 16.53 miles at 16.1mph pace with the majority of the effort in Z2.
I was up early Sunday and off to Peterborough for the Great Eastern half-marathon. I have run it twice before, it is a fast course, flat on an out and back course around housing estates on closed roads. It is a popular event with over 3,000 entries. It was special as it was being held on 10/10/10 and starting at 10.10.10am. I met up with Paul Northern at the start, I could now put a name and face to a facebook friend from the club. The sun had come out with the cloud clearing on the drive over so it was going to be warm and we had no wind. The first couple of miles went well ad on target pace, then I began to slow, finding it difficult to maintain the pace, I was felling hot and uncomfortable as we headed out. By about 7 miles I was feeling stronger but still having to work hard. My pace improved and it felt like I was averaging better than 7'30" per mile but as the Garmin wasn't playing I had to keep working out my time. The run into the city centre was hard work but I know I was going to beat 1hr40mins so I was OK for New York qualifying time for next year if I wanted it but I know I was several minutes down on my target time. In the end my chip time was 1.39.03, with gun time of 1.39.26, in 541/3177 place. I was 12th in my age group with 8 even older age group runners faster, including a 70 year old who was 1'05" ahead of me - not sure what to say about that but Cath laughed out loud when I told her!
I am now moving into the last 4 weeks of my marathon training with my longest training run scheduled for next Sunday with 22 miles in the frame, after that I will begin my taper. Mind you I will have an easy day tomorrow, no running just an evening Pilate's session.
I started the week with an easy early morning recovery run at 10' mile pace covering 4.1 mikes in 41'05", even the HR data agreed for a change. The evening Pilate's session was good fun but I getting tired of the discussions about Spooks - I may need to watch it sometime to see what is so good about it!
Tuesday was a fast running session. I headed over to Swan Valley so I could run around the flattish .8mile loop and have no traffic and people getting in the way. It was a 1 mile warm up, followed by 4x1.5miles sets in an 11 minute target time with 3 minutes recovery. I was pleased that I was able to run within the times, just about. It was a tiring session but felt good afterwards. I was out for 1hour 15'29", covered 8.8 miles at an average pace of 8'35" per mile. The legs needed a rest the next day, which is good as I had a swim session with 10 minutes warm-up, 30 min continuous main set covered 1,120m and then 5 minutes cool-down. Total session time of 45'37" covering 1750m.
I had a core and flexibility session on Thursday lunchtime with lots of stretching followed by some core work, including trying to balance on a Swiss ball - I can just about sit, but whoever can do balance moves kneeling or free fall position has had a lot more practice. The WRR club session was a fast fartlek session based on 3 near 1 mile loops and recovery finishing off with a near half mile set. It was a longer club session than normal for 1hour 12'05" covering 7.12 miles.
I went for a recovery run on Friday morning covering 4.41miles in 46'21" giving a pace of 10'30" per mile with 85% of the effort in HR Z1. The club swim session on Friday had an emphasis on paddles, not my favourite swimming aid, on the first set I had to get out of the pool and re-fasten the rubber bands and continued to tighten them throughout the session. The session was 200m warm-up, 2x200m with and without paddles, then 6x100m with and without and same for 8x50m, so lots of lost time getting the paddles on and off. We finished with 4x50m with a pull buoy and then attempts at swimming underwater - I managed about 10m, Seam was the start of the night as he swam a full 25m underwater. The session was 58'19" covering 1800m.
A short bike ride on Saturday with the taper for Sunday race. I was out for 61'46" covering 16.53 miles at 16.1mph pace with the majority of the effort in Z2.
I was up early Sunday and off to Peterborough for the Great Eastern half-marathon. I have run it twice before, it is a fast course, flat on an out and back course around housing estates on closed roads. It is a popular event with over 3,000 entries. It was special as it was being held on 10/10/10 and starting at 10.10.10am. I met up with Paul Northern at the start, I could now put a name and face to a facebook friend from the club. The sun had come out with the cloud clearing on the drive over so it was going to be warm and we had no wind. The first couple of miles went well ad on target pace, then I began to slow, finding it difficult to maintain the pace, I was felling hot and uncomfortable as we headed out. By about 7 miles I was feeling stronger but still having to work hard. My pace improved and it felt like I was averaging better than 7'30" per mile but as the Garmin wasn't playing I had to keep working out my time. The run into the city centre was hard work but I know I was going to beat 1hr40mins so I was OK for New York qualifying time for next year if I wanted it but I know I was several minutes down on my target time. In the end my chip time was 1.39.03, with gun time of 1.39.26, in 541/3177 place. I was 12th in my age group with 8 even older age group runners faster, including a 70 year old who was 1'05" ahead of me - not sure what to say about that but Cath laughed out loud when I told her!
I am now moving into the last 4 weeks of my marathon training with my longest training run scheduled for next Sunday with 22 miles in the frame, after that I will begin my taper. Mind you I will have an easy day tomorrow, no running just an evening Pilate's session.
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