Week 19

The Heart Rate is the main factor to be keep to in each run. The pace I have stated is guesswork at the moment and it is not important. The pace should start to come down in a few weeks as the base starts to build.

20 Sunday : Maintain base
Planned : 30k @ HR 138 - 144 : Pace 5.15
Result : 30.6k @ HR 136 - 143 : Pace 5.47
Three loops each at 10.2km. The first was 5.19 pace with HR 137 - 143. The pace fell off on the next two loops but the HR remained in the range which meant the effort remained the same but the lack of training at a solid pace showed in the slowing the longer the run went.

19.6 Monday : Improve
Planned : 14k @ HR 144 - 155 : Pace 4.55

Result : 15k @ HR 146 - 155 : Pace 5.04

Yesterday was a tough training session as I have not run in training a 30k run for probably 6 months. I have run further in marathons but not training. If I was not training Lydiard I would have had a rest day but today was short and high intensity. In fact it is called an 'Improve' session because it is the session that is designed to improve fitness and not a recovery run or maintenance of fitness.

I felt fatigued yesterday and was hoping a goods night sleep would sort that out and the throbbing in both injuries. I could not get to sleep because of the throbbing and so took a pain killer for a restful nights sleep.

I felt okay in the warm up but really thought the left tendon issue would cause me grief in the session. Thankfully that did not happen. And now a few hours later it seems better than I expected.

19.5 Tuesday : Recovery
Planned : 24k @ HR 132 - 138 : Pace 5.30
Result: 21k @ HR 131 - 137: Pace 5.32
It started off at 5.15 which felt too easy and then in the second half the pace dropped to 5.45 and it was a stuggle. I must keep he recovery runs even paced!!

19.4 Wednesday : Improve
Planned:14k @ HR 144 - 155 : Pace 4.55
Result : 9k @ 5.02 HR 141 - 153 and 7k @ 5.07 HR 141 -147
I ran with JD and the Proff and so after the first lap a chat and I continued. HR was a bit down as was the pace. I need to push these just a bit harder but I expect in a few week sthis wil come without too much of an increase in effort.

19.3 Thursday : Maintain
Planned :28k @ HR 138 - 144 : Pace 5.15 but not run

Result : 24k @ HR 130 - 139 : Pace 5.37

Ran it as a Recovery run and so the HR 138 - 144 @ 5.30

Even as a Recovery run it did not work. Pace too slow and HR too slow.

19.2 Friday : Improve
Planned: 14k @ HR 144 - 155 : Pace 4.55

Result: 15k @ HR 145 - 153: Pace 5.09

A better session.

Afternoon 10k Recovery
So much for recovery!!! 47.50 for about 4.46 pace but it felt too easy although the HR was way up. A very pleasant run with Anth which was mostly spent in conversation and me huffing and puffing along.

19.1 Saturday : Recovery
Planned :14k @ HR 132 - 138 : Pace 5.30
Result : 12k @ HR 126 - 140 : Pace 6.05
I was suprised that I could get up at 5.00am and run after two hardish runs yesterday. It was only ever meant to be a slow recovery and while the HR was fine the pace was slow. Thats okay.

First week of the build up/endurance stage and I was suprised to easily reach 155k for the week. The pace is very much at the slow end but give it a few weeks and it will begin to improve. See if I can hold the k's next week.

Canberra Preparation starts !!!!

By my calculations tomorrow is 20 weeks to the Canberra Marathon - 140 days and I will do all that I can to train each day from now until then. No rest days like other programs but easy/recovery days instead. Active recovery.

Tomorrow Will be the first day of the preparation and so is 19 weeks 6 days from the start or day 19.6 and Monday will be 19.5 and so on counting down the weeks and days.

At the moment I will be building up my aerobic base by three (3) types of running - that is three speeds but all in the aerobic heart rate range. The hope is that in the next three weeks I will be able to build up to between 140 - 160 k per week and hold it for 6/7 weeks until I am ready to move into the next phase in February.

I also plan to set out the weeks training in advance and then see if I have meet the key elements of that session. It is all Lydiard and this is the first time I have carried out his theory totally and it shoul dbe intersting to see where it gets me in 20 weeks.

My only qualification is that I have a tendon issue in the left foot that causes an immense amount of discomfort while runing and after. This was caused during GNW and has not responded well to treatment mainily because I have kept running. Despite the punding I am giving it it seems to be recovering better after each run. Lest hope it lasts.

Post GNW & Canberra assult in 2009

I haven't posted because nothing much has happened.

I did finish GNW 100 miler for the 3rd year in a row which satisfying. The time was 35 hours 27 minutes which was not satisfying. I ran with Jane (Seris) and she run fantastically. I led to first section and took it too conservatively and we really never made up the time. I was going to do a detailed race report but I will have to do.

Canberra 2009. As usual this race always temps me to have an all out training program to give it my best shot for the year. This year will be no different than the last 9. Four months of planned training is just ideal. At not other time of the year do I get 4 weeks so I hope this year is a better preparation than last year.

Last year had me stop running for almost 2 months in late December to mid February with a SF. I then do about 4 weeks of 160k weeks, got the flu the week of the marathon, was ill the morning of the marathon and missed the start by about 5 minutes and still managed 3.16. That was not a chip time as I did not cross the start of the mat but jumped the barrier at the start.

I will use the FULL LYDIARD build up will be used.

The program is based on the Lydiard Training method. This method relies on specific stages of preparation for the goal race. It requires a significant endurance base of aerobic conditioning being established before any other type of running is added.

The usual program is based around mixed sessions that combine long distance with short speed work all being done on a weekly basis. This will result in this runner becoming faster more quickly than the Lydiard trained runner but unable to precisely control when he will peak. Whereas the Lydiard trained runner will be slower for longer but will be able to peak on the race day.

Basics
Once the endurance base has been established then other sessions are added to add speed. However essentially the final pace of the runner on race day will be determined by the fitness level obtained at the end of the base phase. Accordingly it is necessary to build the largest endurance base as possible.

The base building training or ‘marathon training’ builds up endurance by increasing the ability of the body to circulate blood and oxygen through the body by increasing the number and length of blood carrying capillaries in and around the muscles. The heart also become stronger and can pump more blood in each stroke. This is why when you become fitter your resting heart rate reduces.

The more you train at the right intensity then this improvement can continue indefinitely but at a reducing rate of improvement.

Improvement should be constant for about 8/10 weeks and then the rate of improvement will decline. This period is very much dependant on the fitness level before commencing the training.

Your fastest speed is limited by the mix of muscles you were born with. It will take 3/4 weeks of 2/3 speed sessions (anaerobic sessions) a week to reach near the maximum potential of the muscles. Anaerobic sessions are designed to train the body to carry out a workload that requires more oxygen than our body can assimilate with the net result lactic acid. Once lactic acid is built up it can take the body up to 48 hours to recover and further anaerobic sessions should only be carried out when all of the lactic acid has been removed from the body. That is why a slow recover run the next day is better than a rest day.

The ultimate maximum speed you can reach is the combination between the level of the endurance base and your natural speed as developed in the speed sessions. As speed has an in built maximum according the muscle combination then the greater the endurance base this is added to then the greater the pace that can be maintained.

Heart rate
The different training must be done at different paces and within certain ranges to have the maximum and desired affects. What is best used is not maximum heart rate but Heart Rate Reserve (HRR). This is calculated by deducting your resting HR (RHR) from your maximum HR (MHR).

The training intensities are calculated:
TI = HRR x % + resting HR

You aerobic threshold is no lower than 60% TI. You anaerobic threshold is about 85% TI. That is all training in the base building phase should be run with a TI of between 65% - 85%

With RHR of 58 and a MHR of 172 then HRR is114
Aerobic threshold = 114 X 65% + 58
= 132
AND Anaerobic Threshold would be155 heart beats per minute. Any running between these is aerobic running.

Program
If training commences on Sunday 30 November then there are 20 weeks to the marathon.

The program is divided as follows:

Session Weeks
1. Build to Target weekly ks 4
2. Marathon Base training and hold for 6
3. Hill training 2
4. Anaerobic 3
5. Anaerobic Coordination 2
6. Sharpening 1
7. Taper 2

1 & 2. Build to weekly Target & Marathon Base training (10 weeks)
The aim should be to build up to 130/140 k per week. All running in this phase must be aerobic. That is there must not be a build up of lactic acid.

In the Base phase there are three (3) purposes of the sessions. Each session has a different purpose and they are:

RECOVERY from the previous session;
IMPROVE endurance (key session);
MAINTAIN endurance

Each session could be described as follows:

RECOVERY
Run at about 60 – 90 seconds slower than proposed marathon pace (MP)
Pace: 5.15 – 5.45 per k (depending on conditions and stage of base)
Heart Rate: 65 – 70% of HRR being a HR of between 132 – 138

IMPROVE
Run at about 20 – 40 seconds slower than proposed marathon pace (MP)
Pace: 4.35 – 4.55 per k (depending on conditions and stage of base)
Heart Rate: 75 - 85% of HRR being a HR of between 144 -155

MAINTAIN
Run at about 30 - 60 seconds slower than proposed marathon pace (MP)
Pace: 4.45 – 5.15 per k (depending on conditions and stage of base)
Heart Rate: 70 - 75% of HRR being a HR of between 138 -144

It is more difficult to judge the speed by pace because as you get fitter the pace will get faster at the same hear rate. So if you continue to train at the same heart rate then you will continue to put in the same effort without reference to the pace. The failing of most runners is that run the all sessions too quickly and are not patient in waiting for the affects to come as the phase develops.

What we are trying to achieve here is endurance and stamina. Stamina is the ability to run long and fast with the least effort (a low heart rate). In this part of the program as you progress your heart rate should decrease for the same pace or you are able to increase the pace with no increase in your heart rate.

A higher heart rate can be maintained aerobically. What was previously and anaerobic pace is now aerobic.

Also during the base period a session of 60 – 80 meter sprints could be done. A 2/3 minute walk break should be between each as any lactic acid that may have been build up must be eliminated. These are just to work on some basic speed and not designed to build up a lactic acid tolerance. No more than 5/6 each week in one session. At the start of the base these could be at 10k pace working up to 400m pace at the end. Never run them flat out and concentrate on good form and high knee lift.