M: Bay @ 31 + 10 x 100 sprints
T : 1.5 hours easy at about 70% HRR or 4.50
W: 5kTT + 9k with JD
T: 2 hours easy at about 70% HRR or 4.50
F: Rest or Bay @ 31
S: 2 x 3k @ 4.10
Sun: 2.5 hours easy at about 70% HRR or 4.50
20 day to go Sunday: 29 March
It was suggested by JD that I might like to run the Striders Sunday Star as it started from close to home. I thought about it but decided I needed to be alone in what I was doing.
I decided to run the very hilly run around Sydney Harbour. Out of the house and over Iron Cove Bridge, Gladesville Bridge to Lane Cove and the Pacific Highway, over the Harbour Bridge, through Darling Harbour, past the Casino and over Anzac Bridge to home.
All up just over 26k in 2.09.57 @4.59. I was happy with that as the last time I ran it about 4 months ago the pace was just over 6.00 per k.
19 days to go: Monday 30 March
Lap of the Bay in 31.03 @ 4.26. It was firm and about as quick as I could go after yesterday. The 10 x 100 sprints all in about 19 seconds. Not slick but quick enough for me. It was quite an effort to complete them and to keep up the pace and form.
18 days to go: Tuesday 31 March:
Did just over 18k @ 4.59. Much slower than I planned and it was a struggle all the way when 4.50 should have felt easy. It was probably the 100's yesterday that took the freshness out of the legs. One of those days when you wonder why .... and then get down because with all the previous training you expect not to have a down day. Oh well .... lets hope tomorrow is more positive.
17 days to go: Wednesday 1 April
Just too wet to have a serious training session so I gave it a miss - wimphish. But I had Friday down as a possble rest day so I will just swap things around a bit.
16 days to go: Thursday 2 April: 5k TT 20.10 @4.02
I did a TT 3 weeks ago and could only manage 20.45 and that was on the absolute limit. Today was close to the limit but it was wet and dark and in sections I just had to be careful. I then had a short break and returned planning to maintain a 4.16 pace which is 3 hours. I managed that pace exactly because by this time it was light and I kept checking my watch. Not sure if I can do 8 of them back to back in 16 days time.
15 days to go: Friday 3 April : 5kTT 20.15 @ 4.03
I have changed the training around quite a lot this week and 2 short but quick session on successive days is not that wise but it did follow a rest day. I knew this was going to hurt again and it did but still managed almost the same time and did not end with an all out ugly uncoordinated sprint at the end just to make up a few seconds. Indeed I never looked at the watch the whole way but did manage about even splits. Managing almost the same on the second day was more than fine.
A rest with some stretching and back for the return 5k and it was to be a close to MP as possible so that I just get the feel for that pace. This time I did keep an eye on the pace and it was even all the way for a 21.10 @ 4.14.
It still felt like 8 of them back to back would not be happening.
14 days to go Saturday 4 April
Went to my daughters softball grand final. They were beaten by this team in the first game of the season. The other team had not lost a game all season and we lost just the one. The attitude at the start of the game was 'well we have got this far and to come second is fine'. The girls were not comfortable with that because they have won the last 2 seasons and they wanted so much to end their last year of school softball with a victory.
A long story short - they won 3 -1 and were so so happy.
In the afternoon I went out for the first run the WestMet winter series. A 7.6k run in 4.14 per k. Went out too fast and slowed near the end.
Summary
I week that I just was not satisfied with. The expected speed has not come and so I am rethinking my race plan. That is, what time do I expect to run the marathon and so do I run it conservatively and aim for 3.10/3.15 or do I ignore the absolute lack of speed but rely on endurance.
Since I started on 30 November I trained 2371ks at a weekly average of 132k. Last year (with nearly 9 weeks off with a SF) I had run just 1338ks at an average of 74k per week. And more than half was done in March. On that I still ran a 3.16 marathon after missing the start by 4/5 minutes. So one way of thinking is that as I get older a sub 20 for 5k might be more difficult but with the base I have done maybe 8 x 21.15 per 5 ks is possible. I don't think I will make up my mind before the race but I think I will see how the first 10/15k go and then make a slow down adjustment if necessary.
3 comments:
That sounds like a good solid week Ray. I think Sharpening week is an excellent description of your program. All the best. I hope it goes well and finds you feeling strong and confident at the end.
Looks good Ray. I hope the 10 x 100 doesn't leave you too sore.
Not long to go!
Funny how those mp practice runs seem difficult but often on the day it will just come together.Time to relax now...you have put in an awful lot of work.
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