A Slow Journey to Faster Times

yaboya1 · 02-11-2013 12:08am #1

So I finally decided on Seville for my Spring Marathon. The date & costs suit me well and the race seems to be pretty well reviewed by anyone who's previously run it.

This is my first attempt at a training log so please go easy on me!

I've run three previous marathons (3:39, 3:35, 3:34). The aim in Seville is to finally go below 3:30. I've had various things go wrong on me in all of the above, so I think my target is pretty achievable. I haven't done any running since Chicago last month, so I plan to ease back into it gradually for the next month by doing a couple of short/medium runs during the week with a long one at the weekend. Then from the beginning of December I've decided to follow the 12 week 'Up to 55 miles per week' marathon schedule from the Advanced Marathoning book by Pfitzinger & Douglas.

My biggest problem in the past has been going too quickly on my long runs. There are 7 different paces in this plan. I have estimated what pace I should be running them at as follows:

MP runs: 8 min/mile
Long runs: 9 min/mile
Med-long runs: 8:45-9 min/mile
General aerobic runs: 9:30 min/mile
LT runs: 7:35 min/mile
Recovery runs: 12 min/mile
VO2 max intervals: 7 min/mile

If anyone has any comments/observations, I'd be delighted to hear them. Otherwise I'll be back as soon as I get back out on the road.

menoscemo · 02-11-2013 12:24am

yaboya1 wrote: »

So I finally decided on Seville for my Spring Marathon. The date & costs suit me well and the race seems to be pretty well reviewed by anyone who's previously run it.

This is my first attempt at a training log so please go easy on me!

I've run three previous marathons (3:39, 3:35, 3:34). The aim in Seville is to finally go below 3:30. I've had various things go wrong on me in all of the above, so I think my target is pretty achievable. I haven't done any running since Chicago last month, so I plan to ease back into it gradually for the next month by doing a couple of short/medium runs during the week with a long one at the weekend. Then from the beginning of December I've decided to follow the 12 week 'Up to 55 miles per week' marathon schedule from the Advanced Marathoning book by Pfitzinger & Douglas.

My biggest problem in the past has been going too quickly on my long runs. There are 7 different paces in this plan. I have estimated what pace I should be running them at as follows:

MP runs: 8 min/mile
Long runs: 9 min/mile
Med-long runs: 8:45-9 min/mile
General aerobic runs: 9:30 min/mile
LT runs: 7:35 min/mile
Recovery runs: 12 min/mile
VO2 max intervals: 7 min/mile

If anyone has any comments/observations, I'd be delighted to hear them. Otherwise I'll be back as soon as I get back out on the road.

Long and ML runs should be about the same. 9 min/mile looks about right for 3:30 goal.
GA runs should possibly be a touch quicker; maybe 8:45/mile?
Recovery runs don't need to be that slow; 9:30-10 min/mile looks good, but just run as slow as possible. (not sure you could actually 'run' at 12 min/mile???)
LT should be a touch faster than your HMP; not sure what that is but when I was training for 3:30 I started off doing 7:25ish and by the end was doing closer to 7:10.

VO2 max looks good though you can probably go a bit quicker. Should be a touch faster than you 5k pace.

best of Luck. Will follow this log. Interested yo hear feedback about Seville. I love that part of the world!!

yaboya1 · 02-11-2013 12:32am

Cheers. I'll bear your comments in mind. Some of the paces are a bit guessy. I've never actually done a 5k race, so I've no idea what my pace is. I did a 5 mile race in 34:23 so I'm basing it off that. I think I could go sub 1:40 in a half with the right prep so that's where I got the LT from. Guess I'll just have to play some of it by ear.

menoscemo · 02-11-2013 12:53am

yaboya1 wrote: »

Cheers. I'll bear your comments in mind. Some of the paces are a bit guessy. I've never actually done a 5k race, so I've no idea what my pace is. I did a 5 mile race in 34:23 so I'm basing it off that. I think I could go sub 1:40 in a half with the right prep so that's where I got the LT from. Guess I'll just have to play some of it by ear.

Play by ear for sure; but off you 5mile time Mcmillan shows a 3k pace of 6:20/mile. VO2 max is approx you 3k pace....LT should be closer to your 10 mile pace than HM so a bit faster than HMP...
Best of luck with it anyway....

career_move · 02-11-2013 5:56pm

I ran 3:28 in Limerick in May. I would advise doing your MP runs at slightly faster than 8 min/mi. My average pace for the marathon was 7:56 and I did my MP miles at 7:50 ish

yaboya1 · 05-11-2013 7:57pm

Tuesday 5th November - 8 miles @ 8:12p/m average

First run of any description since the Chicago Marathon. Took it easy for the first four, then stepped up the pace a bit. Felt good but tired at the end. A nice way to blow away the cobwebs. Glad to see three weeks of binging on rubbish food & alcohol hasn't seen me completely lose my fitness.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 8:26
Mile 2 - 8:28
Mile 3 - 8:31
Mile 4 - 8:22
Mile 5 - 8:07
Mile 6 - 7:42
Mile 7 - 8:12
Mile 8 - 7:24

ThePiedPiper · 05-11-2013 10:08pm

Good to see you back up and at it.. The quick turnaround to Seville worked very well for me a couple years back, so if you can get yourself back into the swing of things quickly you'll do great.. Any shorter races planned?

yaboya1 · 05-11-2013 10:26pm

I'm thinking about doing the Clontarf half-marathon on the 23rd of this month. I'll see how fit I feel closer to then and make a decision, but there's a good chance I'll give it a go.

yaboya1 · 07-11-2013 11:21pm

Thursday 7th November - 5 miles @ 9:37p/m average

My first ever PROPER recovery run.
As I mentioned earlier, going too fast in my slower runs has been a problem for me in the past. Tonight I consciously went as slow as I possibly could and now I can see the benefit. I feel very refreshed and ready to put in a hard session in the next few days.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:33
Mile 2 - 9:28
Mile 3 - 9:20
Mile 4 - 9:38
Mile 5 - 9:47

yaboya1 · 09-11-2013 2:25am

Friday 8th November - 19 miles @ 8:52p/m average

Decided to try a long one tonight. Overall pace was ok but I was quicker/slower than I wanted to be at most stages. I'll just have to get used to it before I start the plan. Not bad to get a run of this distance under my belt though.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 8:15
Mile 2 - 9:22
Mile 3 - 9:05
Mile 4 - 9:35
Mile 5 - 9:24
Mile 6 - 8:43
Mile 7 - 9:02
Mile 8 - 9:09
Mile 9 - 9:30
Mile 10 - 9:26
Mile 11 - 8:56
Mile 12 - 8:22
Mile 13 - 7:59
Mile 14 - 8:51
Mile 15 - 8:37
Mile 16 - 8:26
Mile 17 - 8:34
Mile 18 - 8:54
Mile 19 - 8:26

ThePiedPiper · 09-11-2013 10:47am

Great to get a run of that length in at this stage Yaboya. I wouldn't worry too much about the variations in pace at this stage, miles under the belt probably the main thing, and the fact that you picked it up in the last few miles is very positive. In mid-December, you can start zoning in on the MP miles during the long run. After flirting with the idea of doing Seville again, I think I'll knock it on the head.

yaboya1 · 09-11-2013 11:48am

Cheers. I was delighted to get a run of that distance in and felt as if I could have gone a fair bit further if I'm honest. I'll probably stick to a similar plan next week with a long run on the Friday again.

yaboya1 · 10-11-2013 5:23pm

Sunday 10th November - 10 miles @ 9:24p/m average

I'm really starting to see the benefit of these recovery runs. I was still feeling a bit stiff & sore from Friday night's session and went out intending to run a slow 5/6 miles. However, I felt myself filling up with energy as each mile passed so I kept going. I eventually finished feeling loose, refreshed, invigorated and ready for whatever I throw at myself next week.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:26
Mile 2 - 9:21
Mile 3 - 9:05
Mile 4 - 9:34
Mile 5 - 9:47
Mile 6 - 9:11
Mile 7 - 9:36
Mile 8 - 9:14
Mile 9 - 9:31
Mile 10 - 9:01

yaboya1 · 12-11-2013 4:05pm

Tuesday 12th November - 10 miles @ 7:29p/m average

The plan for today was to gradually wind it up for the first five miles before finishing the final five at LT pace (approx 7:30p/m). I went a bit quicker than I wanted to early on because of a strong wind behind me, but it was comfortable enough. Upping the pace running back into the same wind was a little more difficult, especially miles 8 & 10 which were extremely tough. However, I made an extra effort to keep up the pace in those miles and they ended up being the fastest two I ran.
Delighted with that! :-)

Splits:

Mile 1 - 7:32
Mile 2 - 7:41
Mile 3 - 7:50
Mile 4 - 7:57
Mile 5 - 7:47
Mile 6 - 7:18
Mile 7 - 7:20
Mile 8 - 7:05
Mile 9 - 7:07
Mile 10 - 6:52

yaboya1 · 13-11-2013 9:41pm

Wednesday 13th November - 5 miles @ 9:28p/m average

Nice easy recovery run to get over yesterday's exertions. Rest day tomorrow before another long run on Friday.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:52
Mile 2 - 9:32
Mile 3 - 9:11
Mile 4 - 9:15
Mile 5 - 9:23

yaboya1 · 15-11-2013 7:33pm

Friday 15th November - 22 miles @ 8:44p/m average

I don't know what to say about this run. The intention was to run 22 nine minute miles. I started out what felt like pretty slowly, but the first two miles were both a bit too quick. I consciously slowed the pace over the next few miles (far too much as you'll see from the splits!), before gradually picking it up again to be about on pace by halfway. I felt like I was maintaining a similar speed after that, but I was accelerating without realising. Even when I tried to run a bit slower, my pace didn't drop much and my last two miles were actually my fastest. I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed with this workout. At least I've got the miles into my legs I suppose. And although I'm sore I haven't injured myself. I'll probably give myself a few days rest to recover.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 8:25
Mile 2 - 8:39
Mile 3 - 9:05
Mile 4 - 9:34
Mile 5 - 9:51
Mile 6 - 10:10
Mile 7 - 9:00
Mile 8 - 8:52
Mile 9 - 8:40
Mile 10 - 8:15
Mile 11 - 8:11
Mile 12 - 8:01
Mile 13 - 8:14
Mile 14 - 8:35
Mile 15 - 7:58
Mile 16 - 8:37
Mile 17 - 8:15
Mile 18 - 8:36
Mile 19 - 8:42
Mile 20 - 8:44
Mile 21 - 7:58
Mile 22 - 7:50

ThePiedPiper · 16-11-2013 12:27am

I know what to say about it, its a great run. Lots of strength and stamina being able to pick it up on the tail end, and overall, not a huge amount of fast miles, so it won't be overcooking you.

Things going well for you so far. Enjoy an easy day or two after that one.

yaboya1 · 16-11-2013 11:04am

I've just entered the Clontarf Half-Marathon next Saturday. I'm thinking of taking it easy midweek with a couple of slow recovery runs, then I'll have a go at a sub 1:40 in the Half. Hopefully it all goes to plan.

belcarra · 18-11-2013 12:52pm

Good man Peter, just saw this log today!

I'll be pacing the 1:40 group on Saturday so I'll see you then. You'll be capable of much faster though (I'd predict 1:35-1:37) but sure maybe delay tactics til the day because if it's windy it will have a big bearing.

Regarding your LSR I think there's an important lesson there, i.e. you appear to struggle with consistent pacing. You seem to be working hard to get a handle on that and as you improve that aspect you will get the marathon pacing on the day much better which will hopefully lead yo you going sub 3:30 and beyond.

Best of luck with the log!

yaboya1 · 18-11-2013 2:05pm

Hi John.

I'm going to stick with the group on Saturday until I feel confident I can push on faster in the second half of the race. I run along that stretch pretty regularly so I know how windy it can get (especially on the way back towards Clontarf!).

Yeah, as I was saying to you in Chicago the consistent pacing of the long runs has always been my biggest problem. I'm hoping to have got a better grip of it by the time I start my plan in early December. I am happy to have got two relatively long runs in already though, despite the pacing, as my inability to get many LSRS in before Chicago definitely cost me in the last 10k there.

yaboya1 · 19-11-2013 7:30pm

Tuesday 19th November - 5 miles @ 8:50p/m average

Just a slow recovery run this evening to keep me loose. GPS on my phone went funny so I don't have the splits. Felt nice and easy but it was a little quicker than I had planned. This is probably down to me running a bit faster to keep myself warm on this icy cold evening!

yaboya1 · 22-11-2013 3:21pm

Friday 22nd November - 6 miles @ 9:30p/m average

What a beautiful morning. Felt like I'd be wasting it if I didn't get out for a few miles. Ran the first five miles as slowly as I possibly could, before speeding up for the last just to prove to myself I was able as I'be been struggling with a bit of a cold/sore throat all week. Can't wait for tomorrow's race now.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:54
Mile 2 - 9:52
Mile 3 - 10:01
Mile 4 - 9:59
Mile 5 - 9:54
Mile 6 - 7:24

yaboya1 · 23-11-2013 7:20pm

Saturday 23rd November - 13.1 miles @ 7:33p/m average

Delighted with this. The plan was to go sub 1:40 and set myself a reasonable PB to beat in 2014. It was made pretty easy by following belcarra & Killerz who set the fractions. I followed both of them for 18k before kicking on a small bit towards the end. Conditions were perfect temperature wise for running, but an icy breeze into our face for the last 5-6k didn't make things easy. Got over the line in 1:39:12. Day off tomorrow then another week of lightish running before I get stuck into my 12 week marathon training plan ahead of Seville.

ThePiedPiper · 23-11-2013 7:30pm

Great going P.. Good confidence booster before launching into the marathon plan.. Enjoy the couple of days rest

yaboya1 · 27-11-2013 4:01pm

Wednesday 27th November - 7 miles @ 9:58p/m average

First time I've had the chance to get out for a few miles since the race on Saturday. Took it as easy as possible. Hope to get out for another long run on Friday before I get stuck into my plan next Monday.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:52
Mile 2 - 9:41
Mile 3 - 10:13
Mile 4 - 10:35
Mile 5 - 10:05
Mile 6 - 9:43
Mile 7 - 9:28

yaboya1 · 29-11-2013 6:02pm

Friday 29th November - 20 miles @ 9:12p/m average

I started out slowly & smoothly and hit the first mile bang on nine minutes, which was my intention. My GPS seemed to go crazy around this time and informed me soon afterwards that I was travelling at sub seven minute mile pace! :eek:. I knew that couldn't be true and decided to ignore it from then on. I concentrated on continuing at the pace I had begun at. This was difficult at times, as I spent around 75% of the workout running into what felt like a gale force headwind. This is probably what caused me to drop to the 9:12p/m average. In saying that I'm pretty happy with today and it's another 20 miles into the legs before I begin my plan. Looking forward to getting started now

.

belcarra · 29-11-2013 7:22pm

Good run today P, you will be well set for the start of the plan.
As for the plan - how many weeks will it be (Seville being in February and therefore not an awful long way away!)?

yaboya1 · 29-11-2013 7:27pm

belcarra wrote: »

Good run today P, you will be well set for the start of the plan.
As for the plan - how many weeks will it be (Seville being in February and therefore not an awful long way away!)?

12 week plan. Race is on the 23rd February. Seems a long way away now, but as soon as Christmas is over it will be here before I know it.

ThebitterLemon · 29-11-2013 9:49pm

I'm doing Seville as well, how are you getting there from Madrid?

Best of luck with your training.

TbL

yaboya1 · 30-11-2013 11:17am

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

I'm doing Seville as well, how are you getting there from Madrid?

Best of luck with your training.

TbL

There's a high speed train that takes around 2.5 hours. Return ticket is about €60-70. My hotel is beside the train station in Seville.

Thanks for the good wishes. Same to yourself ;-).

ThebitterLemon · 30-11-2013 4:20pm

Tnx,

I managed to get an Iberian internal flight, reasonably priced (for a change!)

no hotel organised yet

TbL

A Slow Journey to Faster Times

Comments