Timber!!

overpronator

As you may have guessed from the title this thread is going to be my training log!

Bad jokes out of the way I have found the training logs on here to be both extremely educational and motivational. Furthermore they brought home to me what required to properly improve and the work people put in to do that, I have great admiration for many posters on here and hopefully with chat and feedback through this thread I can improve bit by bit.

About me, I'm a 30 year old male with a pretty sedentary job. In the past I played GAA at a good, sometimes very good level but succumbed to injury and more accurately apathy and pints in my early to mid twenties. The most exercise I got over a 5 year period consisted of five a side a couple of times a week thinking that was keeping me fit, the usual nonsense.

I started running properly about 18 months ago when I "trained" for the Irish runner 5 miler in the park. That involved going up there once or twice a week for the 3 weeks before the race and tearing around the course as fast as I could:). That progressed to the remaining races in the race series where through the graduates 2012 thread I picked up some basics, got some long runs in and got myself around DCM12 just under the 4 hour mark at 3.54

Last year I got more structured and followed a Hal Higdon type plan for the Limerick marathon. I had a tough day finishing in 3.36 blowing up around 20 miles chasing 3.30. I did the race series again last summer and followed a Hybrid plan of P&D which I supplemented with Meno's midweek long MP sessions in place of VO2 max workouts for the last 5 weeks and got around in a comfortable 3.26.

My current PB's are

5k 19.48
10k 41.00
10 Mile 68.45
Half 1.34.03
Marathon 3.26.51

The goals for this year however ambitious, were (and still are) a sub 40 10k and a sub 1.30 half.
The little matter of the London Marathon 2014 has gotten in the way of specifically focusing on these goals. I hadn't intended on doing a Spring Marathon this year but myself and my GF got offered a spot so I couldn't turn it down really.
I'm currently following the 12 week P&D plan up to 55 miles and have been just doing slow base building for the month before the plan started. I will follow the structure of the plan quite closely but will add more mileage depending on how I feel but will again supplement some of the VO2 max workouts at the end with longer marathon specific efforts as I think it was these sessions from Meno's graduates plan last summer that made the difference for me in DCM 13.

From my PBs its clear that my endurance isn't really where it should be yet so hopefully another marathon cycle with more fast finish long runs, sessions Ive never really gotten to grips with will help with that.
Ill post again later with a summary of what ive been up to for the last 3 or so weeks, hopefully this log will keep me more active on here for feedback as im sporadic enough when it comes to posting but love to lurk!

Comments, feedback and general slagging welcome.

overpronator

So for the last 3 weeks its been

30th Dec - 5th Jan

40 miles for the week all easy running with MLRs of 11 and 13 miles paces between 8.30 and 8.50/mile. 5 runs

6th Jan - 12th Jan

45.5 miles for the week with 11 mile MLR, 4 mile tempo @6.51 pace for an 8 mile session with warmup and cool down and a 16M LSR. 5 runs

13th Jan - 19th Jan

49 miles for the week with a MLR of 13 easy miles. I had only intended on doing 18m for the LSR with 6 at a hard effort but I felt good and to get a proper cool down I tacked on another 2 miles to this for the 20. "Hard effort" miles from 12-18 were encouraging, 7.42, 7.23, 7.09, 6.57, 6.50, 6.51 but the last mile and a half was a net downhill. I took jelly beans on this run and I think they helped me as I don't usually take on carbs on long runs, its probably something ill continue to avoid too. I was happy with that 20 miler as I finished at basically my hopeful HMP but it was done on fresh legs and the last mile and a half was downhill, 5 runs for the week.

This week is a step back week mileage wise even though I feel good. I'll probably leave it at somewhere around the low 40 mark as I don't want to risk anything at this early stage and naturally enough that LR will take a bit of recovering from.

statss

good solid start so far. looking forward to seeing how you get on.

overpronator

statss wrote: »

good solid start so far. looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Cheers statss, its a bit of a strange one actually as I'm not overly fussed on how I get on in London, ill race it but its not a huge priority, its just the fact that its London more than anything and I might never get a better chance to do it.

I do have one eye on Bohermeen in March though as I think my HM PB is a couple of minutes soft and the LT sessions in P&D will allow me to train for that. I think it comes too early for a realistic sub 1:29.xx shot though, that will have to wait for the summer I reckon.

overpronator

Tempo run last night, 2 miles as a warmup and 4 miles at 6.45 average pace and 2 mile cool down. I struggled a bit with this session when I did it the week before last so I just left the HMP at 4 miles. It was alot more manageable this time out and I could have tacked on another mile fairly easily so happy with that. Just a slow recovery run ahead of a 14/16 LSR at the weekend now to bring the week to a close.

overpronator

Easy 16 mile long run around this morning on one of the most miserable days I've experienced in the Phoenix park yet, haven't checked the watch but I think it was around 8.30 ish average. It really is its own little micro climate up there at times, with wind and driving rain in my face no matter which way I turned, strangely enjoyable though (I think!).

Good luck to all doing Raheny tomorrow, I hope the wind is blowing the right way!

overpronator

Work has gotten in the way this week but got out for an easy 6 miles on Monday night, nothing too interesting, around 8.20 pace. Tuesday was a no run day, a late night at work, Arsenal getting a bit of a fright and a missed run made for a grumpy weak ankled overpronaror!
I managed a solid session tonight, 9 miles with 5 at hopeful hmp, around 6.43 pace. I'm starting to enjoy these sessions and my legs are dialing into the pace from week to week. The plan is for an 11 mile mlr run tomorrow but I'll make a call on that when I see how the legs feel tomorrow. I see that P&D has this kind of arrangement (tempo followed directly by a mlr) later in the plan so hopefully it's ok. All in all I feel decent so hopefully I can keep the consistency going.

BeepBeep67

It's about time S, we'll have you in a club next

overpronator

Easy 11mlr tonight and thankfully there were no after effects of last nights session. The first 6 were very gentle but I stretched out a bit for the last 5. I'll do a slow 4 mile recovery ahead of what looks like it's gonna be a monsoon like long run on Saturday.

overpronator

4 mile recovery brought Jan to a close for me in a solid month for me with 192 miles under the belt. Hoping that I can just keep ticking along consistently as I think that's were I'll get the gains from. Once more into the breach with a 20 miler tomorrow morning!

overpronator

20 miler this morning in the phoenix park and surrounding areas. Despite the conditions it went well, and the conditions were cruel. Running up the North road was laughable, the wind felt like a wall and the stinging rain just topped it off, I don't remember last Jan being anything like this! In saying that though the wind was at my back for portions of the run too so it was fair enough. I did 12 easy, around 8.20-8.30 pace and picked it up for miles 13-19 with the last mile as a cool down. Paces for the middle faster miles were (7.50, 7.20, 7.11, 7.10, 7.09, 7.05, 7.23). For these miles I was just looking to go hard and see what came out and I was happy enough, tiring on mile 19 though. I don't think 7.10 will be my marathon pace by any stretch of the imagination so I should probably focus a bit more on what I'm trying to get out of these "quality" long runs, especially as the miles in this portion starts to increase. All in all I'm happy with this session, I think Ill crack into some of the homemade IPA I brewed over Christmas as a recovery tonic as I'm pretty shattered.
Today was also the first time in months and months that I had music with me on a long run and it really helped particularly early on when the rain was manky, its amazing how a bit of Pink Floyd can ease you through the wind!:cool:

statss

ah yes, the North Road reduced me to a crawl as well this afternoon, disgusting conditions! Those are tasty enough 7:XX splits given the conditions, you are ticking over nicely.

overpronator

statss wrote: »

ah yes, the North Road reduced me to a crawl as well this afternoon, disgusting conditions! Those are tasty enough 7:XX splits given the conditions, you are ticking over nicely.

Yeah it was actually pretty funny, there was a guy running in the same direction as me but on the path on the opposite side, I looked across and we both just burst out laughing! I'm enjoying my running at the minute, keeping the easy days easy and the hard days hard is something that I probably didn't do before and it'd helped a lot.

kerrylad1

overpronator wrote: »

20 miler this morning in the phoenix park and surrounding areas. Despite the conditions it went well, and the conditions were cruel. Running up the North road was laughable, the wind felt like a wall and the stinging rain just topped it off, I don't remember last Jan being anything like this! In saying that though the wind was at my back for portions of the run too so it was fair enough. I did 12 easy, around 8.20-8.30 pace and picked it up for miles 13-19 with the last mile as a cool down. Paces for the middle faster miles were (7.50, 7.20, 7.11, 7.10, 7.09, 7.05, 7.23). For these miles I was just looking to go hard and see what came out and I was happy enough, tiring on mile 19 though. I don't think 7.10 will be my marathon pace by any stretch of the imagination so I should probably focus a bit more on what I'm trying to get out of these "quality" long runs, especially as the miles in this portion starts to increase. All in all I'm happy with this session, I think Ill crack into some of the homemade IPA I brewed over Christmas as a recovery tonic as I'm pretty shattered.
Today was also the first time in months and months that I had music with me on a long run and it really helped particularly early on when the rain was manky, its amazing how a bit of Pink Floyd can ease you through the wind!:cool:

great stuff OP,looks like your flying it.In to my 3rd week of training for limerick marathon.Did 13miles slow yesterday in those conditions,questioned my sanity a few times,but the feeling when its done cant be beaten,keep up your training and ur gona smash ur pb.

overpronator

kerrylad1 wrote: »

great stuff OP,looks like your flying it.In to my 3rd week of training for limerick marathon.Did 13miles slow yesterday in those conditions,questioned my sanity a few times,but the feeling when its done cant be beaten,keep up your training and ur gona smash ur pb.

Nice one Kerrylad, great to hear from you. This is your second spin around Limerick right? Any ideas of a goal yet and are you following a set plan? No ideas myself what the targets are, Ill probably only properly decide after Bohermeen, but an early target would be sub 3.20 if I can stay in one piece for the next couple of months!

kerrylad1

overpronator wrote: »

Nice one Kerrylad, great to hear from you. This is your second spin around Limerick right? Any ideas of a goal yet and are you following a set plan? No ideas myself what the targets are, Ill probably only properly decide after Bohermeen, but an early target would be sub 3.20 if I can stay in one piece for the next couple of months!

Ya its gona be my second limerick marathon.I kind of just copied the one we all followed for Dublin last oct,2012 graduates,think it was meno,s plan,Im gona just run the marathon pace runs in training a little faster then my planned pace,around 7:15 to 7:20 pace and hope along with all the other hard training I get in around 3:15.I have a feeling you could be changing your goals to a sub 3:15 going bye the looks of your training,great stuff,keep it up.

overpronator

The thought of a sub 3.15 had crossed my mind but I think for my ability level id need to be running more 50+ mile weeks consistently to get my endurance up to that level, its probably a bit soon to have a go at it in April! Bohermeen in a few weeks time will be a good indicator of what kind of shape I'm in.

overpronator

Monday
Just a very easy 6 miles, pace around 8.55 and I could definitely feel a bit of DOMS in the legs after Saturdays long run and taking a rest day rather than a slow recovery on Sunday.

I straight up wimped out on Tuesday night, sitting in traffic in the downpour on the way home from work sapped any small bit of will I had to get out there. It was probably a good thing though as I was feeling extremely tired even after a very easy run Tuesday.

Wednesday
Another easy run 8 miles around 8.20 but I felt alot better after this

Thursday
13 miles last night and I ran this as a steady effort, starting with an easy few miles and dialled it down a bit as I was feeling decent. Splits (8.12, 8.04, 7.54, 8.01, 8.05, 7.46, 7.45, 7.05, 7.11, 7.19, 7.20, 7.23, 7,17). 7.40 average for the 13 miles.
The splits were a bit all over the place as I ran it clockwise around the Phoenix park so there were some hills here and there and I was conscious of keeping my HR around 165 if possible. All in all a very enjoyable run and it was very comfortable so I'm happy with it. Also it was bright enough (at the start of the run anyway) to head into the park, summer must be on the way!

My legs feel pretty tired today, but not sore at all which is good. Ill do a recovery tonight and probably Saturday afternoon too as I'm heading out for a few pints tonight. Long run at the weekend will be 18 miles all easy on Sunday.

overpronator

Friday night was a very easy recovery run, 4 miles about 9.30 pace or so and as I was out Friday night I put my lsr off until Sunday. I toyed with the idea of a gentle few miles on Saturday but watching Arsenal getting their arses handed to them didn't encourage me to move off the couch, at least the egg chasers won afterwards though!

Today was a 20 miler, it was a little on the quicker side for me at 8.05 considering the were no Pmp miles thrown in but it felt nice and easy which is good. The initial plan was for 18 but I calculated my route wrong and as I was passing my door with 18.9 on the watch I couldn't in good conscience not do the 20 so I tacked another mile on! The run itself was about as routine as they get and I felt good all the way through with just some water and a salt pill to reaquint myself with them around 10 miles.

So another week down, 52 miles ran, so far so good. Hopefully another 2 weeks of solid training coming and a step back week falls well for Bohermeen then.

Gavlor

This one passed me by. raining is going well for you, keep it up.

However I don't agree with your cautious sensible approach to a 3.15 london marathon

overpronator

Gavlor wrote: »

This one passed me by. raining is going well for you, keep it up.

However I don't agree with your cautious sensible approach to a 3.15 london marathon

Ha, cheers Gavlor, I always enjoy your aggressive approach!
Training is going grand so far but I think judging by my HR across the various runs my base aerobic fitness levels leave alot to be desired. If you take the long run gone past as an example, whilst it felt very easy the average HR for the 20 miles was 156bpm, way too high for a LSR, if I brought that down to 7.25 (3.15 ish marathon pace) id say after 13 or so miles id be north of 170 and rising, not good!
I still think I've a long way to go before I'm fit enough to aggressively attack a marathon relative to my times over the shorter distances. I'd like to get my zones properly calculated in a test similar to what Statss did to be completely sure of where I'm at.

Gavlor

overpronator wrote: »

Ha, cheers Gavlor, I always enjoy your aggressive approach!
Training is going grand so far but I think judging by my HR across the various runs my base aerobic fitness levels leave alot to be desired. If you take the long run gone past as an example, whilst it felt very easy the average HR for the 20 miles was 156bpm, way too high for a LSR, if I brought that down to 7.25 (3.15 ish marathon pace) id say after 13 or so miles id be north of 170 and rising, not good!
I still think I've a long way to go before I'm fit enough to aggressively attack a marathon relative to my times over the shorter distances. I'd like to get my zones properly calculated in a test similar to what Statss did to be completely sure of where I'm at.

Fair point but don't forget you'll have another 8 weeks of marathon specific training behind you....

overpronator

Gavlor wrote: »

Fair point but don't forget you'll have another 8 weeks of marathon specific training behind you....

Yeah that's true actually, I reckon ill be very close to sub 3.20 so you never know how much improvement there is in there over the next few weeks.

How are you feeling about it so far, no question that the speed is there to go well under 3 if the hammer behaves?

statss

overpronator wrote: »

Ha, cheers Gavlor, I always enjoy your aggressive approach!
Training is going grand so far but I think judging by my HR across the various runs my base aerobic fitness levels leave alot to be desired. If you take the long run gone past as an example, whilst it felt very easy the average HR for the 20 miles was 156bpm, way too high for a LSR, if I brought that down to 7.25 (3.15 ish marathon pace) id say after 13 or so miles id be north of 170 and rising, not good!
I still think I've a long way to go before I'm fit enough to aggressively attack a marathon relative to my times over the shorter distances. I'd like to get my zones properly calculated in a test similar to what Statss did to be completely sure of where I'm at.

if you work out your HR max you'll be able to guesstimate your zones fairly accurately. P & D gives guidelines in the book as to what HR levels to aim for (the are fairly wide though). However I think it's well worth getting the test done, knowing exactly what your HR is when cross the Lactate Threshold is very handy in making sure you don't run harder than intended.

overpronator

Cheers Statss, how might you hit a real enough value for Max HR? A hill sprints session or a flat out 5k are ones I think I heard mentioned before?

Was it UCD or TCD that you had your testing done?

Gavlor

overpronator wrote: »

Yeah that's true actually, I reckon ill be very close to sub 3.20 so you never know how much improvement there is in there over the next few weeks.

How are you feeling about it so far, no question that the speed is there to go well under 3 if the hammer behaves?

All good so far. Treating it as I would had I ran Dublin 5 seconds faster! Plan will be for 2.55/6 all going well. It also leaves me with a bit of room for error should anything go wrong on the day.

statss

overpronator wrote: »

Cheers Statss, how might you hit a real enough value for Max HR? A hill sprints session or a flat out 5k are ones I think I heard mentioned before?

Was it UCD or TCD that you had your testing done?

yeah, a method HADD says to test it as like this :

1. Find fairly steep hill 200-300 meters long

2. Do normal warmup for pre-interval workouts or races, including some light stretching & some striders.

3. Do a series of 5 repeats up the hill, turning at the top and jogging down to recover. When you reach the bottom, you turn around and immediately start up on the next repeat. The key is to gradually increase your intensity on each one, so that you're starting each repeat at a higher heart rate than the last. The jog down is your only rest. It is important to check the heart rate at the top and keep watching the monitor at the top of each repeat. Your heart rate will usually keep going up for several seconds after you stop.

4. On the last repeat, keep increasing your intensity until you are sprinting at least the last 100 yards at your absolute maximum speed. You should finish this last repeat with that totally "blown out" feeling you get after sprinting the last 100 yards of a race, which leaves you gasping for breath and grabbing your knees for support. Just keep checking your monitor to catch the peak.

Note, you will probably reach your max on the last repeat, but some runners hit it on an earlier one and then get fatigued.

Trinity is where I got it done, the contact to book it is bdonneATtcd.ie

overpronator

Monday was a rest day after a 20 miler on Sunday. Tuesday an easy 6 at 8.22 pace. I had a tempo scheduled last night but the storm put paid to that and I ended up not running at all, it was just too bad out.

Tonight I did a 10 miler with 6 at HMP, which came in at 6.45 average for those miles. This was a tough session with the wind blowing a gale in my face for over half of it. I was probably a bit stubborn trying to hold pace rather than effort into the wind and I found it very tough going, I would say that 1.30 is a pretty long shot in Bohermeen and im undecided if I should shoot for it at all but the session will stand to me.

Gavlor

overpronator wrote: »

Monday was a rest day after a 20 miler on Sunday. Tuesday an easy 6 at 8.22 pace. I had a tempo scheduled last night but the storm put paid to that and I ended up not running at all, it was just too bad out.

Tonight I did a 10 miler with 6 at HMP, which came in at 6.45 average for those miles. This was a tough session with the wind blowing a gale in my face for over half of it. I was probably a bit stubborn trying to hold pace rather than effort into the wind and I found it very tough going, I would say that 1.30 is a pretty long shot in Bohermeen and im undecided if I should shoot for it at all but the session will stand to me.

Super session, it will definitely stand to you!

statss

if you did 6 @ 6.45 tonight I've no doubt you can do 13.1 one of them in the race!

overpronator

Thanks lads, I'm just wondering about next week and what I should do as my midweek session. Wednesday will be 10 or so days out from Bohermeen so a good time to get one last session in. Would it be better to do 7@hmp, 4x2 maybe or even some 800s at 5-10k pace to sharpen up? There is no midweek session prescribed in p&d d for next week bit I'd like to get one more in all the same as I'll probably run easy all of the following week.