The last week of hills before starting on some very short faster work and building up to longer and not so fast but all faster than 4.15 per k pace. Yes you may say the speed work begins !!! but only for 4 weeks and then the taper. Yikes where has the time gone since the 20 week countdown began in December.
8.6 Sunday 22 February: SMC 25k 1.51.57 @ 4.28
An overcast and pleasant day for running or at least pleasant for Smithy in February. Was hoping to go under 1.55 in fact I could say I was expecting that. But started of just a tad too conservative (read slow) and then eased off about after about 8k. Then kept it steady until about 15k when I realised that I was cruising along and not pushing it.I then forced the paced and pick up sometime to the end with the last 2 x 5k's getting quicker.
Still it is pleasing to average 4.28 that is not far off the 4.16 needed for the 3 hour marathon. It is a pleasing time but I was not pleased as I ran too soft at the start. There was not much in it but I suspect I could have got down to 4.24 pace - not much you say and I would agree but enough to be very pleased with if I had of run that pace.
I can still see the 3 hour bus in the near distance and I am not sure if in the next 7 week I will speed up enough to get on it at the start and stay on it for the 42.2k trip. I am sure the 30k TT in a month will be a good indicator. Let me say now I believe it needs to be at 4.21 - 4.25 pace to make me confident that the final weeks of training are heading very much in the right direction.
8.5 Monday 23 February : A real recovery run
Felt okay but knew I was a bit fatigued from yesterday so I decided a slow slow recovery run was better than no run recovery. 19k @ 6.00. Yes I know SLOW but that is what a recovery run is about - about strictly recovery and not about pushing it to gain some fitness.
8.4 Tuesday 24 February : A firm recovery : 18k @ 5.03
I have some new shoe inserts to rectify a signifcant imbalance in my stride and this is the first time I have run in them. I have been walking in them for a few weeks. They felt a bit odd running and I felt some muscles that had not be used for a long time or ever. So it was firm steady. I will not use them tomorrow for the usual mid week 'cruise' with JD
8.3 Wednesday 25 February : Daughters 17th Birthday !!!
Yep my little girl is 17 today. A quiet family gathering is planned at an Austrian Resturant tonight. Why Austrian - well my wife is Australian by birth but Austrian by heritage.
Onto the run. As usual 6 at the Rowers to meet up with JD. Did the usual lap at of just over 9k @4.50 despite each of us saying at the start that Sundays run was not out of our legs and 5 minute pace would be difficult. After leaving JD I thought I would push the 7k to home and did just that at 4.20 per k !!!! and dare I say it felt easy. Just goes to show you can sometimes havea good session when at the start that seems unlikely.
All up 18k @ 4.39.
8.2 Thursday 26 February : Some very firm Bays
Just needed a couple a Bay loops at a very solid pace with the second one a bit faster. Managed that with laps of 31.57 @ 4.32 and 30.33 @ 4.22. Then smashed myself with the second last day of hills.
8.1 Friday 27 February : Some steady Bays
Just some steady 2 laps asa recovery from yesterday. 33.09 @ 4.45 and 33.11 @ 4.45. Just what I wanted as I need to get my steady runs no matter the distance down to 4.45 pace. Did a couple of 800's on very tired legs just to see where I am at as they start next week. Then absolutly smashed myself on the last serious hill session.
I have the last of the Twilight Series run to night at the Bay but decided I would go allout on training effort this morning and not worry about the time tonight just run to have a good time as I have run them all.
Twilight Series : 42.35 @ 4.15 : Pleased in the Series that I was able to get down to 3 hour marathon pace of 4.15 per k but not pleased during the series to be unable to get closer to 40.
This week was the 3rd week of hills and the end of them. I now move onto the next phase after tomorrows long run. All up 142k for the week. A total of 1815k since the start of December at 140k weekly average.
8.3 Wednesday 25 February : Daughters 17th Birthday !!!
Yep my little girl is 17 today. A quiet family gathering is planned at an Austrian Resturant tonight. Why Austrian - well my wife is Australian by birth but Austrian by heritage.
Onto the run. As usual 6 at the Rowers to meet up with JD. Did the usual lap at of just over 9k @4.50 despite each of us saying at the start that Sundays run was not out of our legs and 5 minute pace would be difficult. After leaving JD I thought I would push the 7k to home and did just that at 4.20 per k !!!! and dare I say it felt easy. Just goes to show you can sometimes havea good session when at the start that seems unlikely.
All up 18k @ 4.39.
8.2 Thursday 26 February : Some very firm Bays
Just needed a couple a Bay loops at a very solid pace with the second one a bit faster. Managed that with laps of 31.57 @ 4.32 and 30.33 @ 4.22. Then smashed myself with the second last day of hills.
8.1 Friday 27 February : Some steady Bays
Just some steady 2 laps asa recovery from yesterday. 33.09 @ 4.45 and 33.11 @ 4.45. Just what I wanted as I need to get my steady runs no matter the distance down to 4.45 pace. Did a couple of 800's on very tired legs just to see where I am at as they start next week. Then absolutly smashed myself on the last serious hill session.
I have the last of the Twilight Series run to night at the Bay but decided I would go allout on training effort this morning and not worry about the time tonight just run to have a good time as I have run them all.
Twilight Series : 42.35 @ 4.15 : Pleased in the Series that I was able to get down to 3 hour marathon pace of 4.15 per k but not pleased during the series to be unable to get closer to 40.
This week was the 3rd week of hills and the end of them. I now move onto the next phase after tomorrows long run. All up 142k for the week. A total of 1815k since the start of December at 140k weekly average.
3 comments:
Thanks for chatting to me yesterday and taking the interest in how I was.
Plu
Still a great pace Ray. Don't have to push too much harder to get down to sub 3hr pace.
The trend is good Ray. I agree if the 30k is in the low 4:20s you're on track for the back step of the bus.
Nice recovery run!
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