Week 15 to Canberra Marathon

16.6 Sunday 28 December: Fun and Quarry Road

I have not run the course and it was much more difficult that I thought. I had no time plans and just wanted to run as much of the hills as I could to test out the Achilles. I did run them well I tried not to walk them and the Achilles held up well. All up 26k in just under 3 hours.

16.5 Monday 29 December: Recovery (5.15 - 5.45 pace range)

Planned: As far as I could with the pace as fast as I could maintain

Result: 24k @ 5.22

It was 2 laps and I do this so that I can keep and eye on the pace and try to do the second lap faster than the first. That the way it happened with the first lap @5.24 and the second at 5.19.

I felt okay after yesterday on some testing hills. It was a good session for pace and the HR was mostly within the zone range. I just hope it was not too fast as recovery at this stage of the base building.

16.4 Tuesday 30 December: Improve (4.30 - 5.00 pace range)

Planned: 18.4k within the range

Result: 18.4k@ 4.47

Again 2 identical loops but with a minute slow down on the second. I was doing a similar run a few weeks ago and was not able to get below 5 pace so maybe things are moving in the right direction.

16.3 Wednesday 31 December: Improve (4.30 - 5.00 pace range)

Planned: 18.4k within the range

Result: 18.4k @4.43

Took my resting pulse before getting out of bed and it was at 50. A week or so ago it was 47/48. I will have to take it for the next few days as a rising resting HR is a sign of over training.

The run was the usual one with JD but this morning two full laps which is the same as I ran yesterday. I did not feel confident that I would be able to manage another hard session after yesterday and thought I would struggle to get below 5 per k.

JD started off at his usual metronome pace at well below 5 and I clung on desperately for a lap and a half. I then felt strong and JD gave permission for me to run to the end how I felt. I felt fatigued but strong and pushed hard to the end. Sometimes I find that when I am fatigued it is easier to pick the pace up and get some momentum and then use your endurance to maintain the pace. Sometimes at a slightly slower pace I find it a bit of a struggle to maintain form and usually find that I am fighting the running instead of gliding along at the quicker pace although it is hurting more.

JD mentioned a quote from our mate Vat who said you know you are running hard when it feels like acid is in your veins. It was not quite acid in the last part of the run but if it was another 5k I am sure it would have been.

Again a stronger second lap. The first lap was 4.46 pace and the second 4.40.

16.2 Thursday 1 January 2009 HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! Black Stump and fun
A 33k tough bush run at Berowra. Ran with Seris and finished in 4.12 or so. Pace etc of no concern on this course because it is so varied. was pleased to easily run up the 3k hill from the ferry and the other hills. I was fatigued at the end but managed to push the last 4k easily under 5.00 pace and could have kept going.

16.1 Friday 2 January: Recovery (5.15 - 5.45 pacing)
Was very stiff in the achilles when I woke up and the mind said don't run or if you do it will be an ugly hobble. I decided to do what I could and did a good easy warm up and then decided to do the 2 loops I did with JD on Wednesday but at recovery pace if I could manage it. Never believe what you mind sometimes tells you it wants the soft option but overide it and take the HTFU option.

Lap 1 in 5.38 pace and then lap 2 in 5.20 and it was getting easier as I warmed up. Total of 19k for 5.29 overall pace.

Twilight Series at the Bay in the afternoon. A pleasing 43.06 @ 4.18 pace. Just over 2 minutes faster than the last one run in mid December. It all indicates that the training is going well.

I am off Thredbo for 5/6 days and may not post during that time. My wife's mother is not well and I think I will be back next Friday. I am looking forward to running up Crackenback and then out and back to Kozi - it should be very cold and a welcome mid summer change.

Week 16 to Canberra Marathon

16.7 Sunday 21 December : SMC and Improve
Planned 21.1 k @ 4.30 - 5.00
Result 21.1k @ 4.36 (97.20)

The only runs that have gone faster are a couple of 10ks and so it was pleasing after a big week and a 10k on Saturday evening to manage this pace over the longer distance. However I still have a long way to go as I want to be down to 4.25 pace in February for SMC and then 4.20 in March.

16.6 Monday 22 December : Recovery

Planned 21k @ 5.30 (2 laps of the Bay)

Result : 21k @ 5.30

I was a bit fast on the first lap at 5.25 but then slowed it down a but too much on the second and increased the pace on the 3rd to fluke a pace that was as planned. I did need to keep slowing down on the first lap as the pace kept creeping up to 5.15 and that was first not going to last for 3 laps and was the wrong pace for recovery. Legs feel a little heavy and so I will have to think about what session I will do tomorrow.

16.5 Tuesday 23 December : Maintain/Improve ??

Planned: 22k @ 5.15

Result 24k @ 5.00

All yesterday I felt very fatigued and heavy in the legs. So When I woke up this morning feeling not much better I thought it would be an ugly and disappointing session. However it was planed to run steady at 5.15 which is the slow end fora maintenance run at the moment.

However after a few k's things felt much better and I just ran as I felt for a few k's before looking at my watch. I was stunned to see the pace was at 5.00 ks per minute. I was even more stunned when I managed to maintain that pace for the whole of the 24k

If I was running an improve run that would be the slowest pace. I am not sure if my fitness has in the last few days jumped a level. I do believe that sometimes your fitness does not improve in a steady line but sometimes makes jumps to a better level.


16.4 Wednesday 24 December : Improve
Planned 16k @ 4.45
Result : 19.25k @ 4.41

Yeah first day of my almost 3 week break !!!!

The regular Wednesday run with JD for dog loop lap of the Bay in 43.45 @ about 4.43 and then I did a 10k out and back along the challenge course for 46.36 @ 4.39. It was a tough session as I was at my limit after yesterday but it was pleasing to feel I was running strong eventhough I thought I woul dbe much much closer to 5 minute pace. It was pleasant overcast weather but it seemed like the humidity was up.

Finished off with 20 mintes of stretching that usually I do not have time for.

16.3 Thursday 25 December : Recovery
Merry Christmas. I decided to have some space and did not do the Christmas run around the Bay. Instead ran around the Bridges Run around Sydney Harbour. It is very hilly in the first half and I have not run it for 10 months or so. 26k @ 6.15 which is fine for this recovery run over the hills.

16.2 Friday 26 December : Improve
Planned 20k @ 4.30 - 5.00
Result: 18.25k @ 4.55
It was very late night last night so I was lucky to be out by 6.00am and feeling reasonably okay. It was 2 laps that around the Bay and the dog loop that were very even.

16.1 Saturday 27 December : Maintain
Planned 14k @ 5.00 - 5.15
Result: 12k @ 5.07
Up early and ran a solid session and the joined up with the 5k Challenge around the Bay. Ran that @ 5.04 that was too slow but I was pacing the 25 minute group.

Thoughts:
Another solid week with 160k run. No missed days and no 'junk ks' unless 26k over hills in 6.15 fits that. I seem to be able to run closer to 5 minute ks more often than not but when I push on the improve sessions they are not close enough to 4.30 often enough but I hope that will come with a few more weeks. I have now been on base training for 4 weeks with 6 more to go.

Total run in the 4 weeks (Sunday is the start of my week or another way Saturday is the last day of my week as Sunday is marathon day - so the last day of the taper is a Saturday) is 646 or 162 per week. I have not found that a physical strain but difficult to fit in with reagrd to life and time.

Week 17 to Canberra Marathon

18.7 Sunday 14 December : Recovery
Planned: 30k @ 5.40 HR 132 - 138
Result : 31 k @ 5.39 HR 129 - 169

Pacing was steady for the 3 loops with a faster finish than lap 2. HR was again all over the place with a huge spike in the last lap. I think my max is 170 - 172. Also tested mt resting HR that is now down to 48. I was getting very fatigued over the last loop but held on okay. The Achilles was better than expected. I was very fatigued during the day.


18.6 Monday 15 December : Improve
Planned: 21k @ 4.55 HR 144 - 155
Result : 21k @ 5.05 HR 135 - 148
My 21st straight day running. It was 3 laps of the Bay and I wanted to get a close to 5.00 minutes k's as possible. I hada good nights sleep and so felt fresh in the legs and no aches etc. Pleased with the even steady times of each lap.

18.5 Tuesday 16 December : Recovery

Planned : 20k @ 5.30

Result : 20k @ 5.27 per k

I have decided that the build up few weeks is coming to an end and so I do not have to be so concerned about HR now but can focus more on pace and occasionally I will go back and do a run and compare pace and HR to make sure the training is going in the right direction. But also the pace of the IMPROVE runs needs to be made a bit quicker over the next few weeks and I have to be guided by the pace and not the HR.

At the moment the pace I will be aiming for in each session is as follows:

Improve : 4.50

Maintain : 5.15

Recovery : 5.30

Today went well I was almost always needing to slow down to maintain the 5.30 pace but I know that the recovery run should not and must not be run too fast otherwise the other sessions suffer. Recovery is not training in the sense that it will directly improve your fitness what it does is recover you for the hard improve session the next day.

18.4 Wednesday 17 December : Improve
Planned 16k @ 4.50
Result 16 k @ 4.46
A morning again that is just so pleasant as the sun is rising with just a slight chill in the air that soon goes. The usual run with JD and joined by the Proff who kept the pace very steady and firm. The pace always seems to be a bit faster when you run with others who do the pacing and you just have to struggle to hang on but somehow you seem to manage to do it.

In the afternoon out to Homebush Bay for the second run of the Twilight Series. I wasn't sure how it would go. Ran beside MissZ to start with and we seemed to cruise the first k in 4.15 to my horrow and I spent the next few ks trying to ease it back a lot. Got it back to about 4.35 and thought I would try and see how long I could hold that. Managed a 45.20 for 4.32 pace for the 10k. It was very much full on at the moment with the max HR going to 171. I had always thought it was 172 which maybe about right. A good improvement in the time from 10 days ago. Progress is going well.

18.3 Thursday 18 December : Recovery

Planned 16k @ between 5.30 - 5.45

Result : 18k @ 5.37

After a tough day yesterday I knew it would be hard to get going this morning but I wanted to do a solid active recovery session. It was firm all the way and perhaps just a little too quick for the recovery that was needed. I will know tomorrow when I see how the maintenance session goes.

18.2 Friday 19 December : Maintenance

Planned: 21k @ 5.00 - 5.15

Result: 21k @ 5.09

It felt just right today. I was in much better control of the pace. That is I could have gone slower or quicker and was able to maintain it within the planned range. I have really no idea if the planned range is right. It is a guess by me and I think the real test of whether the programme is working is whether the races that I run hard start to show some improved speed without ever training at that pace like Wednesday evening.

18.1 Saturday 20 December : Maintance
Planned : 16k @ 5.00 - 5.15
Result : 16k @ 5.08

In the afternoon a 10k Improve ( 4.30 - 5.00 pace) ran in 45.53 @ 4.35

Thoughts for the week
All up a very good week. Near the end the pace was falling more often within the range that was planned. I will try to slightly improve the pace slowly over the next few weeks. However with a disrupted routine over the next 3 weeks it will be difficult to gauge how it is going with runs over different courses and being away. So the runs on Saturday will be a bit of a guide.

Total for the week a pleasing 173k which seemed to be managed without too much of a problem. I was never really fatigued and even after a hard session one day was able to do a solid recover the next day. Also the Achilles is getting better as I continue to do intensive exercises on a 3 times a day basis. I suppose I should be very pleased it is improving considering the k's it is being subjected to.

Week 18 to Canberra marathon

Sunday 7 December Central Coast Half
I really was unsure of how of how to run this one. Would it be a steady 1.45 or would I push it for a long improve run. I was tempted to push and go under 100. Even at the start I was undecided then we started and I thought I would push and see what happened. I managed to hold 4.35 pace until 15k which is a pace I have not got near in training and I was working very very hard. It slowed it the last 6k but I did ease off a bit to manage a 4.50 pace to the end and not one that got slower.

Very pleased to run 97.36 @ 4.39
Average HR 156 !! MaxHR 163 so I was working very hard all the way. I am not sure what my MaxHR is but about 170/172.

18.6 Monday 8 December : Recovery
Planned : 21K @ 5.30 HR 132 - 138

Result: 21k @ 5.37 HR 132 - 148

Just about right but it was difficult after yesterday.

18.5 Tuesday 9 December : Maintenance

Planned : 18k @ 4.45 - 5.15 HR 138 - 144

Result : 16k @ 5.11 HR 140 - 149

Just about right but still a lot of work to do before my pace will come down to the lower end of the range.

18.4 Wednesday 10 December : Maintenance

Planned:16k @ 5.15 HR 138 - 144

Result : 16k @5.03 HR 140- 150

Some laps of the Bay with JD - when I run with him we always seem to go faster that either of us thought or planned. Still it was a firm session.

18.3 Thursday11 December : Recovery

Planned 24k @ 5.30 HR 132 - 138

Result : 25k @ 5.38 HR 129 - 137

Solid distance at a firm pace but slower than anticipated. However the HR was within the range. Injuries still persist although when I warm up they are not much of an issue at this speed but I suffer greatly when they cool down after training and the limp persists all day. This has to improve before I start increasing the speed. I am doing the Achilles exercises but not enough of them and no rest for the injuries.

18.2 Friday 12 December : Maintenance
Planned : 21k @ 5.15 HR 138 - 144
Result : 21k @ 5.20 HR 133 - 138
Pace fine but HR down. It too early to start running at pace only.

18.1 Saturday 13 December : Recovery
Planned: 14k @ 5.45 HR 132 - 138
Result : 15k @ 6.03 HR 128 - 148
A bit slower than planned but on a recovery run that is fine. HR a bit over the place.

In the afternoon:
Improve TT : 10k @ 5.00
Result : 10k @ 4.43 HR 152 - 158 (47.20)
Very pleased with the last session of the week.

Total for the week 157k. Some of the esssions were not as planned - usually much slower and the HR was also usually all over the place. I hope in the next week or so the pace will be come more within the training range planned.

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