Winter seemed to be back this morning. It was very cold as we set out for our 30 minute cross country run. I would rather it be like this on marathon day than the warm weather we had last time I did 26 miles!
Total mileage for last week was just under 45 miles.
For the next three weeks we start to reduce our mileage. This may seem strange but it allows you to recoup and you don't lose fitness in that time, so in theory we'll be fighting fit for the 17th of April.
I didn't enjoy taper last time. I had been looking forward to stepping off the gas a bit but found it frustrating not to be running as much. I was also worried about eating too much or too little, or the wrong kind of foods. The enormity of what you've actually taken on also starts to dawn on you (okay, I may be a bit slower than most!).
The schedule for week 14 of training is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15min ER, 30min TR, 15min ER
Wednesday - 45min steady
Thursday - 30min ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 2hrs with the first and final 15mins at marathon pace
Sunday - 30min ER
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Saturday, 26 March 2011
The Big 22 - Part Two
After the glorious sunshine of the last week, I'd put the suntan lotion out with the rest of my kit last night. This morning however was great running weather - if a bit on the chilly side to be wearing just a vest! It was overcast with a bit of a breeze and the temperature was much lower than it has been.
Sarah had planned another 22mile route so we wouldn't have to repeat the one we did a few weeks ago. Of course, we could have run the same route the otherway round, which does make quite a difference. Sarah's route avoided town, taking us through lovely villages on lanes with daffodils on the verges, so was much nicer.
We all started off together at a steady pace. Sarah and I found ourselves out at the front after about 3 miles but the others were within shouting distance at that point. Then at about mile 7, we realised we'd lost them. After a phone call, we found they'd taken a wrong turn but weren't too far off track luckily! Our intrepid back up team (Sarah's dad) found them and ensured they were on the correct route before coming to pick up Sarah at mile 10 (Sarah's marathon is one week before London).
At that point I was at least a mile in front of the others, which would have meant waiting for about 10 minutes to run with them. You got cold quite quickly when you stopped, so I decided to carry on by myself. It was good training for London as I'll have to pace myself then anyway. Sarah was by now driving the route to check we were all okay, so I could contact her if there were any problems. I tried to keep my pace steady until I got to 16 miles, when I upped it to marathon pace.
Well, I say I upped it to marathon pace (10m/m). My splits for the final six miles were: 9:33; 9:40; 9:54; 9:49; 9:57; 9:27. So I think I may be slightly improving on the pacing. If you ignore the last one as a mad dash for the finish line, then it only took me 2 miles to get into fairly near target. I'm taking that as an improvement anyway!
The total distance was 22.44 miles and it took me 3hours and 48minutes.
I took 3 gels this week - one at mile 6, mile 12 and mile 18. Not sure about the third one as my stomach has been churning all afternoon! My legs are okay (I have done the dog walk and bath routine). One toe on my right foot is tender but there are no blisters. The vest was fine and didn't rub, neither did my massive bum bag. I did forget to put the red laces (the British Heart Foundation receives a donation for each runner who crosses the line with red laces in their trainers) in but I can test those next week.
That's the last long run done and the hardest part of the physical training out of the way. Now comes the mental stuff!
Sarah had planned another 22mile route so we wouldn't have to repeat the one we did a few weeks ago. Of course, we could have run the same route the otherway round, which does make quite a difference. Sarah's route avoided town, taking us through lovely villages on lanes with daffodils on the verges, so was much nicer.
We all started off together at a steady pace. Sarah and I found ourselves out at the front after about 3 miles but the others were within shouting distance at that point. Then at about mile 7, we realised we'd lost them. After a phone call, we found they'd taken a wrong turn but weren't too far off track luckily! Our intrepid back up team (Sarah's dad) found them and ensured they were on the correct route before coming to pick up Sarah at mile 10 (Sarah's marathon is one week before London).
At that point I was at least a mile in front of the others, which would have meant waiting for about 10 minutes to run with them. You got cold quite quickly when you stopped, so I decided to carry on by myself. It was good training for London as I'll have to pace myself then anyway. Sarah was by now driving the route to check we were all okay, so I could contact her if there were any problems. I tried to keep my pace steady until I got to 16 miles, when I upped it to marathon pace.
Well, I say I upped it to marathon pace (10m/m). My splits for the final six miles were: 9:33; 9:40; 9:54; 9:49; 9:57; 9:27. So I think I may be slightly improving on the pacing. If you ignore the last one as a mad dash for the finish line, then it only took me 2 miles to get into fairly near target. I'm taking that as an improvement anyway!
The total distance was 22.44 miles and it took me 3hours and 48minutes.
I took 3 gels this week - one at mile 6, mile 12 and mile 18. Not sure about the third one as my stomach has been churning all afternoon! My legs are okay (I have done the dog walk and bath routine). One toe on my right foot is tender but there are no blisters. The vest was fine and didn't rub, neither did my massive bum bag. I did forget to put the red laces (the British Heart Foundation receives a donation for each runner who crosses the line with red laces in their trainers) in but I can test those next week.
That's the last long run done and the hardest part of the physical training out of the way. Now comes the mental stuff!
Friday, 25 March 2011
Bad Run :-(
There's a superstition in our group that everyone has one bad run in training, which means you've got it out of the way and that race day will be fine. All rubbish of course but mentally it can help you recover from a bad session. Well, today I had my bad run.
On paper the session didn't look too bad, especially after last week's tough one. After warm up, we had 8 repetitions of 4 minutes at interval pace with one minute recoveries. The problem started with the weather. It was a gorgeous day - the warmest we've had so far. Unfortunately the only time we could manage to get to the track was 11.30 in the morning. In other words we were running at the hottest time of day.
The first 2 repetitions were fine but on the third, it felt as if I was dragging myself round. When I slowed down for the recovery, I felt faint so took on some more water and slowed right down for the next repetition. I felt like giving up on that one but somehow kept myself going. Taking on the extra water just meant I could feel it swishing around in my stomach - yuck. I also had a stitch in my right side. Doing a couple of reps at a slowed down pace helped and by the 7th and 8th I was back up at a pace that felt reasonable (although not as fast as my first 2 reps).
Looking at my actual times when I'd finished, my slowest pace was on the 4th rep and was still 8:29 m/m. The 5th was also slower at 8:24m/m but the rest were between 7:17 m/m and 8:14 m/m. I had been aiming for 7:50m/m. So aside from the heat, the other problem was going off too quickly at the start - hmmm, that old pacing problem again.
We had taken recovery drinks with us but it was only later, after a text from Karen, that I realised we hadn't stretched after the session! Shows we weren't thinking straight afterwards.
The positives to take from it are that I finished it; the pace wasn't actually that slow; and if London is hot, we'll have had some warm weather training.
On paper the session didn't look too bad, especially after last week's tough one. After warm up, we had 8 repetitions of 4 minutes at interval pace with one minute recoveries. The problem started with the weather. It was a gorgeous day - the warmest we've had so far. Unfortunately the only time we could manage to get to the track was 11.30 in the morning. In other words we were running at the hottest time of day.
The first 2 repetitions were fine but on the third, it felt as if I was dragging myself round. When I slowed down for the recovery, I felt faint so took on some more water and slowed right down for the next repetition. I felt like giving up on that one but somehow kept myself going. Taking on the extra water just meant I could feel it swishing around in my stomach - yuck. I also had a stitch in my right side. Doing a couple of reps at a slowed down pace helped and by the 7th and 8th I was back up at a pace that felt reasonable (although not as fast as my first 2 reps).
Looking at my actual times when I'd finished, my slowest pace was on the 4th rep and was still 8:29 m/m. The 5th was also slower at 8:24m/m but the rest were between 7:17 m/m and 8:14 m/m. I had been aiming for 7:50m/m. So aside from the heat, the other problem was going off too quickly at the start - hmmm, that old pacing problem again.
We had taken recovery drinks with us but it was only later, after a text from Karen, that I realised we hadn't stretched after the session! Shows we weren't thinking straight afterwards.
The positives to take from it are that I finished it; the pace wasn't actually that slow; and if London is hot, we'll have had some warm weather training.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Feet!
I had a bit of a treat on Monday with a visit to the chiropodist. Ah, the exciting life I lead!
My feet, or more correctly my toes, are not good anyway and running 30-40miles a week doesn't help. Three toes on each foot curl over so I'm walking/running on the nail. This gets thick to protect my toes and eventually becomes painful. I've been quite lucky during this training as they were only just getting to the stage when I needed to get them sorted. Anyway, one session with the chiropodist and they'll do me another few months. I wear socks with a padded toe section which also helps protect them.
Its been glorious weather this week and our run last night was lovely. The daffodils were out, birds singing - we were 9 min/m up hills because we felt so positive!
The forecast for the weekend is for it to remain dry but become colder. I shall be wearing my MACS vest regardless as I need to test it on a decent long run, and this will be our last training one!
My feet, or more correctly my toes, are not good anyway and running 30-40miles a week doesn't help. Three toes on each foot curl over so I'm walking/running on the nail. This gets thick to protect my toes and eventually becomes painful. I've been quite lucky during this training as they were only just getting to the stage when I needed to get them sorted. Anyway, one session with the chiropodist and they'll do me another few months. I wear socks with a padded toe section which also helps protect them.
Its been glorious weather this week and our run last night was lovely. The daffodils were out, birds singing - we were 9 min/m up hills because we felt so positive!
The forecast for the weekend is for it to remain dry but become colder. I shall be wearing my MACS vest regardless as I need to test it on a decent long run, and this will be our last training one!
Sunday, 20 March 2011
4 Weeks to Go
Today was perfect running weather - overcast, not too warm but not cold and even a hint of drizzle early on. Please can we put in an order for weather like that on the 17th?
The run today was an easy 30 minutes so we went cross country. We were talking about how we haven't been that good at treating the easy runs as easy - we tend to go too quickly in them. We'll have plenty of easy runs during taper so we'll have to make sure we watch the speed during those. Going cross country helps but we came across a freshly ploughed field today. That panicked us a bit as the last thing we need at this stage is go over and hurt ourselves.
Total miles this week was 39.
Next week's plan is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 20mins threshold repeated 3 times with 1min recoveries, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 50mins ER
Thursday - 10mins ER, 4mins at interval pace with 1min recovery repeated 8 times (very similar to 8 Yassos), 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 22 miles with the final 60 minutes at marathon pace
Sunday - 30mins steady
The run today was an easy 30 minutes so we went cross country. We were talking about how we haven't been that good at treating the easy runs as easy - we tend to go too quickly in them. We'll have plenty of easy runs during taper so we'll have to make sure we watch the speed during those. Going cross country helps but we came across a freshly ploughed field today. That panicked us a bit as the last thing we need at this stage is go over and hurt ourselves.
Total miles this week was 39.
Next week's plan is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 20mins threshold repeated 3 times with 1min recoveries, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 50mins ER
Thursday - 10mins ER, 4mins at interval pace with 1min recovery repeated 8 times (very similar to 8 Yassos), 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 22 miles with the final 60 minutes at marathon pace
Sunday - 30mins steady
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Sunshine at last!
The plan was to run 5 miles at marathon pace, then 8 steady and the final 5 at marathon pace. I'm still rubbish at pacing myself, despite trying really hard this year. My plan was to try to keep to 10min/miles for the first 5 miles - I managed 10:05; 10:08, 10:00 then came a long downhill so I was up to 9:29, then 9:49. Not too bad but I want to try to keep it steadier. If you're changing the pace constantly it makes you use more energy, which isn't good. For my last 5 miles, I was aiming for 9:50min/miles and this section was even worse for uneven pace - 9:40; 9:45; 9:32; 9:34 and the final mile at 9:31. All of which were good speeds at the end of a long run but on the day I'll still have 8 more miles to go and need to be able to finish. We've got a few more marathon pace training sessions right into taper so hopefully I can work out what the right pace feels like by then.
The lovely Linda joined us again on her bike. This was extra useful today, not only to chat to us but she could also check everyone was okay, as we got a bit spread out.
I took a recovery drink at the end, although I'm not sure that they're helping how my muscles feel the next day. As long as they don't make me feel worse I'll take them. I plan to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon and tidy up the garden a bit!
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Hardest Session
This morning, we completed what I think was the hardest session of this training schedule. And I feel very glad that it's over! I wasn't looking forward to it at all. After the warm up we had four repetitions of 8 minutes at interval pace, with one minute recoveries. Speedwork sessions are always hard but doing over a mile (just!) at speed with very little recovery wasn't appealing at all. Give me long steady runs any day over speedwork. However, we did it and nothing beats the feeling of finishing a tough session like that.
We were reminded this week as to how varied and interesting this schedule has been, when Sarah joined us for Tuesday's threshold run. Sarah didn't like that session at all and would much prefer the Yasso's, whereas I'm the other way round. She was pleasantly surprised though when we told her we'd covered seven miles.
My replacement charity vest arrived this morning and is a much better fit. As the weather has been warming up, I'm hoping I'll be able to wear it for next week's 22-miler. I might even be okay in just a tshirt this weekend if the forecast is correct!
The other bit of "kit" which arrived was a lime green (think Orville the Duck) ostrich feather. Last time I ran London, I wore a red feather pinned to my hair to make it easier for my supporters to see me. I "featured" in the final minute of the BBC marathon coverage programme, with first my red feather appearing above the bobbing heads in front of Buckingham Palace, and then my red face appearing beneath! The feather was light and didn't both me whilst running, except when the wind caught it coming up the Embankment. So if you are watching the marathon on tv, watch out for a lime green feather (without a lime green face under it hopefully!).
We were reminded this week as to how varied and interesting this schedule has been, when Sarah joined us for Tuesday's threshold run. Sarah didn't like that session at all and would much prefer the Yasso's, whereas I'm the other way round. She was pleasantly surprised though when we told her we'd covered seven miles.
My replacement charity vest arrived this morning and is a much better fit. As the weather has been warming up, I'm hoping I'll be able to wear it for next week's 22-miler. I might even be okay in just a tshirt this weekend if the forecast is correct!
Monday, 14 March 2011
5 Weeks to go - Running Number!
There was much excitement this morning as the postman delivered my running number! Well, not the actual number but the bit of paper which allows me to collect my number (upon providing 2 pieces of i.d. and my signature).
I'm off the Red Start, as it's a charity place, which is also quite exciting as I started from the Blue last time. Now I just need to become a celebrity and I'll be able to start from the Green next time!
I feel good after yesterday's race. It was such a lovely sunny day I took the dog out for a walk as soon as I got home, then had a nice soak in the bath. No aches this morning so it's a shame I won't be able to replicate that after the marathon, as I won't have either the dog or a bath to hand.
We covered 34 miles last week.
The schedule for this week is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 15mins threshold with one min recovery repeated 3 times, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins steady run
Thursday - 10mins ER, 8mins interval run with one min recovery repeated 4 times, 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 18 miles, first 5 and last 5 at marathon pace, middle 8 slower
Sunday - 30mins ER
I feel good after yesterday's race. It was such a lovely sunny day I took the dog out for a walk as soon as I got home, then had a nice soak in the bath. No aches this morning so it's a shame I won't be able to replicate that after the marathon, as I won't have either the dog or a bath to hand.
We covered 34 miles last week.
The schedule for this week is:
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 10mins ER, 15mins threshold with one min recovery repeated 3 times, 10mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins steady run
Thursday - 10mins ER, 8mins interval run with one min recovery repeated 4 times, 10mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 18 miles, first 5 and last 5 at marathon pace, middle 8 slower
Sunday - 30mins ER
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Ashby 20 Mile Race
This was a perfect opportunity to test out everything before London. The race situation meant the nerves and butterflies were real, as well as not sleeping properly the night before (did I pack everything? will the alarm go off?).
We got to Ashby in good time, which allowed us the three loo visits we needed before the start. I ate an energy bar an hour before the off rather than my usual banana. It tasted foul but no ill effects and I didn't feel hungry all race, so I will use one for London.
It had been tipping it down with rain when we left home but by the start the rain was a mere drizzle. This compounded our wardrobe dilemmas but luckily we had support on the course to accept the jackets, sweatshirts etc which were thrown at them (thank you Rhys!). I wore everything I plan to wear for London except for my charity vest (still no news on that).
I tried hard to keep to my plan and kept the first 3 miles at over 10min/miles. The fourth mile was a long downhill, so I did speed up at that point and kept the pace at between 9:07 and 9:59 until mile 15. The big variation was down to the undulating course, where the hills appeared to have grown in the second lap too! I had a bit of a down moment at mile 14 when I felt shattered and thought I wouldn't be able to keep this pace up in London. But then, I don't have to and it will be a lot flatter. The support was very good, especially from our team of supporters, some of whom made the 30 mile round trip to Ashby by cycle-power.
At mile 15 the plan was to slow down. Part of me just wanted to keep going and finish, but another part of me could hear Sarah telling me to slow down, so I did. I did mile 16 in 10:10; 17 in 10:05 and 18 in 10:09. At that point, we turned back towards Ashby for the final stretch and my race instinct took over. Mile 19 took me 9:53 minutes and then we hit what in my view was the hardest hill of the race. I still managed to speed up and did the final mile in 9:15, finishing in 3:16:03 by my watch.
The kit all seemed to work with no rubbing or sore bits. Lets hope the charity vest arrives in time to try it on the next 22 miler.
What a fantastic goodie bag we received at the end too! None of the usual rubbish but it had a cheese and tomato cob, crisps, chocolate and a biscuit. Just what you need!
The whole Washlands team did really well - fab performance all round!
We got to Ashby in good time, which allowed us the three loo visits we needed before the start. I ate an energy bar an hour before the off rather than my usual banana. It tasted foul but no ill effects and I didn't feel hungry all race, so I will use one for London.
It had been tipping it down with rain when we left home but by the start the rain was a mere drizzle. This compounded our wardrobe dilemmas but luckily we had support on the course to accept the jackets, sweatshirts etc which were thrown at them (thank you Rhys!). I wore everything I plan to wear for London except for my charity vest (still no news on that).
I tried hard to keep to my plan and kept the first 3 miles at over 10min/miles. The fourth mile was a long downhill, so I did speed up at that point and kept the pace at between 9:07 and 9:59 until mile 15. The big variation was down to the undulating course, where the hills appeared to have grown in the second lap too! I had a bit of a down moment at mile 14 when I felt shattered and thought I wouldn't be able to keep this pace up in London. But then, I don't have to and it will be a lot flatter. The support was very good, especially from our team of supporters, some of whom made the 30 mile round trip to Ashby by cycle-power.
The kit all seemed to work with no rubbing or sore bits. Lets hope the charity vest arrives in time to try it on the next 22 miler.
What a fantastic goodie bag we received at the end too! None of the usual rubbish but it had a cheese and tomato cob, crisps, chocolate and a biscuit. Just what you need!
The whole Washlands team did really well - fab performance all round!
Thursday, 10 March 2011
What Not To Wear - Clothing Dilemma
Its been a consolidation week so time to enjoy taking it easier. I even had time to fit in a leg massage and get my knees checked out. All is well, thank goodness, and we think the soreness and stiffness I felt 2 weeks ago was down to doing the runs first thing. Usually I've been out for a dog walk or at least wandering about the house a bit, allowing my muscles to wake up.
Tuesday's track session was good and went quickly. Luckily for us we timed it just right and finished as the sun went down. The temperature plummeted at that point. It was also Shrove Tuesday so there was the added incentive of pancakes afterwards - yummy.
Although Wednesday night's run was supposed to be at an easy pace, none of us kept to that. At least Sylvia and I had the excuse that we were coaching the speed session but the others decided to make the end of their run into a sprint too!
This morning we went cross country for just over 30 minutes and enjoyed the sunshine. We're carefully studying the weather forecast to try to decide what to wear for the race on Sunday. As we entered as club runners, we'll be wearing our Washlands vests but its still a bit cold to just wear that. I was planning a long sleeved tshirt underneath but it was actually quite warm today, so now I'm not certain. It'll be one of those where I take a bag load of kit to the race and still won't be sure if I've chosen correctly as we set off.
The other clothing dilemma of the week came about when I received my MACS vest, which is the one I'll run in for London. It's HUGE! I received a training vest earlier on, which the accompanying letter acknowledged was a size larger than I'd asked for, but reassured me that the actual vest would be the correct size. I've been sent a Small but it's bigger than the training vest. I won't be able to wear it on the day as it will rub against my arms and be really sore. I've contacted them to see if they have an XS size (or even an XXS). If it comes to it, I'll run in the training vest on the day. Ideally if the weather allows, I'd like to wear what I'm planning to wear on the day for the 22mile run in two weeks, just to check where things rub. As I found out last week, everything can be absolutely fine at 18 miles but after 20 miles, kit can start to chafe.
Tuesday's track session was good and went quickly. Luckily for us we timed it just right and finished as the sun went down. The temperature plummeted at that point. It was also Shrove Tuesday so there was the added incentive of pancakes afterwards - yummy.
Although Wednesday night's run was supposed to be at an easy pace, none of us kept to that. At least Sylvia and I had the excuse that we were coaching the speed session but the others decided to make the end of their run into a sprint too!
This morning we went cross country for just over 30 minutes and enjoyed the sunshine. We're carefully studying the weather forecast to try to decide what to wear for the race on Sunday. As we entered as club runners, we'll be wearing our Washlands vests but its still a bit cold to just wear that. I was planning a long sleeved tshirt underneath but it was actually quite warm today, so now I'm not certain. It'll be one of those where I take a bag load of kit to the race and still won't be sure if I've chosen correctly as we set off.
 |
| Marathon Vest on left, Training Vest on right |
Sunday, 6 March 2011
6 Weeks to Go - Consolidation
We had a nice 4 miles cross country this morning and the muscles felt very good. The only problem I felt from yesterday was where some of my kit had rubbed slightly, so I'll apply vaseline next week. Hopefully that will sort it out.
The total mileage for last week was 46.
Next Sunday, we're running the Ashby 20 as our long run. It'll be a good opportunity to fully test our pre-race breakfast, kit, and preparation. I'm going to try to run 5 miles steady, 10 miles at marathon pace and the last 5 miles steady. The route is quite hilly so it'll be interesting to see how I get on. I'm not really sure about setting myself targets for it as, although it is a race, it's also just a training run. London is the ultimate target. Also my confidence is high after yesterdays run and I don't want that to take too much of a knock.
The schedule for this coming week is another consolidation week, so the mileage drops back down to the low 30s. This is quite handy to give us a bit of a taper before Ashby.
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15mins ER, 90seconds IR with 90seconds recovery repeated 10 times, 15mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins ER (but I'm coaching a speed session)
Thursday - 30mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 10mins ER
Sunday - 20 miles
The total mileage for last week was 46.
Next Sunday, we're running the Ashby 20 as our long run. It'll be a good opportunity to fully test our pre-race breakfast, kit, and preparation. I'm going to try to run 5 miles steady, 10 miles at marathon pace and the last 5 miles steady. The route is quite hilly so it'll be interesting to see how I get on. I'm not really sure about setting myself targets for it as, although it is a race, it's also just a training run. London is the ultimate target. Also my confidence is high after yesterdays run and I don't want that to take too much of a knock.
The schedule for this coming week is another consolidation week, so the mileage drops back down to the low 30s. This is quite handy to give us a bit of a taper before Ashby.
Monday - REST
Tuesday - 15mins ER, 90seconds IR with 90seconds recovery repeated 10 times, 15mins ER
Wednesday - 40mins ER (but I'm coaching a speed session)
Thursday - 30mins ER
Friday - REST
Saturday - 10mins ER
Sunday - 20 miles
Saturday, 5 March 2011
The Big 22 - Part One
In a variation from the published schedule, we pushed out this week for the first of two 22 mile runs.
There's something about those extra-long runs, apart from the fact that they are blinking long obviously. When they're finished, you start to think "yes, I can do this". Even though this isn't my first marathon, I'm still doubting whether this time I'll be able to finish, how much has changed since the last time, am I as fit? When the 22-milers are in the bag, you do start to feel more confident that its a possibility that you will cross that finish line!
This morning was very cold, with a ground frost. The schedule suggested trying to run in the kit you will use on the day so you're used to it. Great idea but there's no way I'm running in a vest when its this cold!
We set off at a steady pace, with Sarah by my side to keep me on target. I need a recording of Sarah asking what our speed is so I don't go off to quickly in London. I am getting better at recognising the pace - I think! We had bike support from Linda for the first half today and Sarah's Dad kindly provided a water stop too. Not only did he give up his Saturday morning to sit in a car and wait for us, but he also left a bottle of water for us further on, so we had a second water stop. What a star!
It was a slower pace than last week by about 1 minute per mile but I did speed up from mile 19 onwards. I wanted to test whether I could increase the pace at that point. Although I have been running faster than I thought I would during training runs, I'm still sticking to my original marathon pace plan. If I do feel okay after 20-odd miles, I can think about increasing the pace at that point. Last marathon, I unconsciously increased the pace for the last 3 miles anyway - I think I just wanted to get to the end! We finished in 3hours 53minutes, which averages out at 10:36min/mile pace. My splits for the last bit were:
Mile 19 -10:01
Mile 20 - 9:50
Mile 21 - 9:28
Mile 22 - 9:18
I've got less aches than last week, which is down to the pace we were doing, although hopefully a bit of training impact too. I skipped the cold bath this week but tried the recovery drink. It was actually okay so I might give that a go again. I did try to dish out some strawberry flan when we got home. Sarah and Sam were too good, unlike Karen and I who did scoff a slice each! Don't think its what they had in mind when advising you to eat within 20 minutes of finishing a run but still, very nice :-)
There's something about those extra-long runs, apart from the fact that they are blinking long obviously. When they're finished, you start to think "yes, I can do this". Even though this isn't my first marathon, I'm still doubting whether this time I'll be able to finish, how much has changed since the last time, am I as fit? When the 22-milers are in the bag, you do start to feel more confident that its a possibility that you will cross that finish line!
This morning was very cold, with a ground frost. The schedule suggested trying to run in the kit you will use on the day so you're used to it. Great idea but there's no way I'm running in a vest when its this cold!
It was a slower pace than last week by about 1 minute per mile but I did speed up from mile 19 onwards. I wanted to test whether I could increase the pace at that point. Although I have been running faster than I thought I would during training runs, I'm still sticking to my original marathon pace plan. If I do feel okay after 20-odd miles, I can think about increasing the pace at that point. Last marathon, I unconsciously increased the pace for the last 3 miles anyway - I think I just wanted to get to the end! We finished in 3hours 53minutes, which averages out at 10:36min/mile pace. My splits for the last bit were:
 |
| The Intrepid Back Up Team |
Mile 20 - 9:50
Mile 21 - 9:28
Mile 22 - 9:18
I've got less aches than last week, which is down to the pace we were doing, although hopefully a bit of training impact too. I skipped the cold bath this week but tried the recovery drink. It was actually okay so I might give that a go again. I did try to dish out some strawberry flan when we got home. Sarah and Sam were too good, unlike Karen and I who did scoff a slice each! Don't think its what they had in mind when advising you to eat within 20 minutes of finishing a run but still, very nice :-)
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Fueling the Miles
Someone commented that my blog has more pictures of food than of running at the moment, and not very healthy food at that. I promise I do eat things other than chocolate and Welsh cakes! I think my diet is generally healthy and varied. I do take extra iron supplements, as female runners supposedly suffer from lower iron levels. Your body won't store iron so taking it even if it's not needed shouldn't be a problem. Since I found out about my marathon place, I've also been taking glucosamine supplements for my joints. There are two articles about those in this month's Runners World - one recommending them and one saying they aren't proved to be of any use!
I did lose a bit of weight over the first half of this training programme, which doesn't usually happen when I'm training. I seem to eat more to compensate for the mileage. I was a bit stressed about non-running things so that may have affected my weight. I am in the "normal" range for my height though.
I have been looking up diets for marathon runners but the only ones I can find seem to have you eating every two hours. I'd never find time to run if I had to fit all that in too! Before my long run at the weekend I always have pasta for my evening meal. In the morning I have muesli, a banana, yogurt and fruit juice, as well as a glass of water and a mug of coffee. If I'm feeling hungry I may have some toast with honey too. I use my gels on the run and try to eat (usually a crumpet or toast with honey) soon after I get back. On Saturday I'm going to try taking a recovery drink when I get back, to see if that helps my muscles the next day.
This week's runs have been good. The temperature has dropped again so its been very cold out there, with a biting wind, which I hope will have dropped by Saturday. Luckily the speedwork has warmed us up. I'm hoping to get another nice relaxing swim in tomorrow.
I did lose a bit of weight over the first half of this training programme, which doesn't usually happen when I'm training. I seem to eat more to compensate for the mileage. I was a bit stressed about non-running things so that may have affected my weight. I am in the "normal" range for my height though.
I have been looking up diets for marathon runners but the only ones I can find seem to have you eating every two hours. I'd never find time to run if I had to fit all that in too! Before my long run at the weekend I always have pasta for my evening meal. In the morning I have muesli, a banana, yogurt and fruit juice, as well as a glass of water and a mug of coffee. If I'm feeling hungry I may have some toast with honey too. I use my gels on the run and try to eat (usually a crumpet or toast with honey) soon after I get back. On Saturday I'm going to try taking a recovery drink when I get back, to see if that helps my muscles the next day.
This week's runs have been good. The temperature has dropped again so its been very cold out there, with a biting wind, which I hope will have dropped by Saturday. Luckily the speedwork has warmed us up. I'm hoping to get another nice relaxing swim in tomorrow.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Happy St David's Day
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