Getting Back To My Best

Pisco Sour · 06-02-2012 12:46PM

Snow Joke? That was a bit punnecessary!

Brianderunner · 07-02-2012 11:19AM

Mon 6th Feb, 7 mls easy in 56'46 (8'07) on the slushy footpaths. Tried to pass as many tube stations/commuter routes as possible, knowing they would be cleared of the ice and slush. Camden Council did their best but a lot of the footpaths were dodgy. I had to slow down good few times to negotiate a few bad patches but overall it's clearing nicely.

The run itself was a bit of a grind. Fairly tired from staying up to watch the Superbowl till 3am Sunday night. Big week coming this week, gonna post it to keep me honest, better chance of following it if i do.

Mon, 7 mls easy
Tues, 7 mls easy
Weds, 2-3 mls w/u, then 3 x 3 mls at MP with 4 mins jog recovery, 2-3 mls easy (horror show of a session)
Thurs, 7 mls easy
Fri, 4-5 mls easy at lunchtime before flying to Dublin.
Sat, 20 mls LSR Phoenix Park
Sun, 4 mls recovery.

Mr Slow · 07-02-2012 02:21PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

Weds, 2-3 mls w/u, then 3 x 3 mls at MP with 4 mins jog recovery, 2-3 mls easy (horror show of a session)

Ouch!

Brianderunner · 07-02-2012 03:19PM

Mr Slow wrote: »

Ouch!

Indeed, I'll need to HTFU the next 10 weeks though if i'm gonna break 3 in London, instead of fading away tamely and without a fight like i did in Berlin.

Mr Slow · 07-02-2012 03:37PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

Indeed, I'll need to HTFU the next 10 weeks though if i'm gonna break 3 in London, instead of fading away tamely and without a fight like i did in Berlin.

No pain no gain, we hope!

menoscemo · 07-02-2012 03:39PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

[
Weds, 2-3 mls w/u, then 3 x 3 mls at MP with 4 mins jog recovery, 2-3 mls easy (horror show of a session)

Surely that's not too bad a session? Yeah 3 x 3miles at HMP would be a toughie but surely not 3 x 3miles @MP. You have regularly done 20 milers with 10 miles straight at MP, would that not be a hell of a lot tougher? Or is it just the fact that it's midweek?

Mr Slow · 07-02-2012 03:47PM

menoscemo wrote: »

Surely that's not too bad a session? Yeah 3 x 3miles at HMP would be a toughie but you have regularly done 20 milers with 10 miles straight at MP, would that not be a hell of a lot tougher? Or is it just the fact that it's midweek?

Midweek and on paper it's a toughie, it may not be so bad but complaining helps!

Brianderunner · 07-02-2012 04:17PM

menoscemo wrote: »

Surely that's not too bad a session? Yeah 3 x 3miles at HMP would be a toughie but surely not 3 x 3miles @MP. You have regularly done 20 milers with 10 miles straight at MP, would that not be a hell of a lot tougher? Or is it just the fact that it's midweek?

Mostly the fact that it's midweek yeah (and how i'll feel Thursday morning). It could be done on icy footpaths too which might be dodgy.

6'50 pace in training should be easy for me these days but it hasn't been the last few weeks tbh.

Mr Slow · 07-02-2012 04:33PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

Mostly the fact that it's midweek yeah (and how i'll feel Thursday morning). It could be done on icy footpaths too which might be dodgy.

6'50 pace in training should be easy for me these days but it hasn't been the last few weeks tbh.

You managed a few seconds over 6 last week for 10 miles!

menoscemo · 07-02-2012 04:34PM

Mr Slow wrote: »

You managed a few seconds over 6 last week for 10 miles!

Yes, a touch of HTFU is needed here methinks.

Mr Slow · 07-02-2012 04:47PM

menoscemo wrote: »

Yes, a touch of HTFU is needed here methinks.

More a touch of perspective IMO.

bart simpson · 07-02-2012 09:50PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

Mostly the fact that it's midweek yeah (and how i'll feel Thursday morning). It could be done on icy footpaths too which might be dodgy.

6'50 pace in training should be easy for me these days but it hasn't been the last few weeks tbh.

jaysus brian thats an easy run for you! 6:50 after what you done in dungarvan! the 4 minutes recovery will make it very easy! just go extra easy on tuesday

Brianderunner · 07-02-2012 10:37PM

bart simpson wrote: »

jaysus brian thats an easy run for you! 6:50 after what you done in dungarvan! the 4 minutes recovery will make it very easy! just go extra easy on tuesday

Ah i know yeah, it's not too bad at all really i know, i think i just associate MP running with pain.

Tues 7th Feb, 7 mls easy in 54'16 (7'45) down to Abbey Road studios and past Lords, different route for a change. Felt very good throughout. Sunny day here today so a lot of the snow melted thankfully but there were patches of ice here and there.

20 mins core afterwards and some IT band exercises.

BeepBeep67 · 07-02-2012 10:57PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

20 mins core afterwards and some IT band exercises.

Tell me about dem dar ITB exercises!

bart simpson · 07-02-2012 11:02PM

Brianderunner wrote: »

Ah i know yeah, it's not too bad at all really i know, i think i just associate MP running with pain.
.

keep telling yourself when your doing MP that you like it, that its just stretching the legs a bit, which is what it is, your body can do 60:30 for 10 it is well able to do that MP, enjoy running MP and you race it well

Brianderunner · 07-02-2012 11:28PM

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Tell me about dem dar ITB exercises!

Here you go, nice pics too

Standing ITB stretch

Place the leg you want to stretch behind the other one.
Keep the foot on the floor and push your hips out to the other side.
Hold for 30 seconds, repeat 5 times and do this at least three times a day.
Never bounce when stretching, always ease into it gently and try to relax.
If you need to, lean forwards on to a table to help with balance, or to increase the stretch (image 2)

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Image 1: Standing ITB stretch
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Image 2: Stretch leaning forwards

Outer hip stretch
To stretch the muscles that rotate the hip outwards.

Lie on your back and bend the knee of the leg to be stretched.
Use the opposite hand to pull the knee over to the side as shown opposite.
You should feel this in the hip and buttocks.
Hold stretch for 30 seconds, repeat 3-5 times and stretch 3 times a day.

?ui=2&ik=9e8a198804&view=att&th=13519f9c8b984b17&attid=0.3&disp=emb&zw

Outer hip stretch
Piriformis stretch

Lay on your back and bend both knees with the feet flat on the floor.
Place the outer foot of the leg you wish to stretch on the lower thigh/knee of the other leg.
Grip behind the thigh and pull this knee in towards your chest.
You should feel a stretch in the buttock.
Hold this position for 30 seconds, repeat 3-5 times and stretch 3 times a day.

?ui=2&ik=9e8a198804&view=att&th=13519f9c8b984b17&attid=0.4&disp=emb&zw

Piriformis stretch

GLUTE STRETCH

· Lay on your stomach and bend one leg up under your stomach
· Lean forwards to further rotate and flex the leg and increase the stretch
· Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

Groin stretch

Stand with your feet wide apart
Bend the leg you don't want to stretch out to the side.
Keep the other leg straight. You should feel a streth on the inner thigh.
Hold this position for 30 seconds, repeat 3-5 times and stretch 3 times a day.
For alternative bring arms down in font of you aiming to touch the ground. While leaving one hand touching the ground bring the other up towards the sky rotating body (couldn find a picture of this one but ask me if you need more explanation)

?ui=2&ik=9e8a198804&view=att&th=13519f9c8b984b17&attid=0.6&disp=emb&zw

Groin stretch

HAMSTRING STRETCH

· Stand with one leg just in front of the other
· Bend the back knee and rest your weight on the bent knee
· Tilt the hips forwards as if sticking your bum in the air!
· Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

SHIN STRETCH

Kneel with your shins flat on the ground
Place your hands on the floor next to your knees
Raise your knees of the floor, keep your heels and knees together and feet on the floor
Hold for between 10 and 30 seconds

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 07-02-2012 11:40PM

That 3x3 miler will be a piece of piss to you Brian but i hear you on associating pain to MP runs its something i have worked on and for the first time today heading out for a 55min tempo MP run at 6.50 well actually 6.40 pace went well and actually enjoyed it. 6.50 at this stage should feel easy for you its just about putting 26 of them together on the big day:).

Looking forward to that LSR in March, key session for sure.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 07-02-2012 11:41PM

bart simpson wrote: »

keep telling yourself when your doing MP that you like it, that its just stretching the legs a bit, which is what it is, your body can do 60:30 for 10 it is well able to do that MP, enjoy running MP and you race it well

+1 solid advice

Brianderunner · 09-02-2012 12:39AM

Weds 8th Feb, the horror show midweek session was the plan for tonight. 2 mls w/u, 3 x 3 mls at MP with 4 mins recovery jog, then 2 mls w/d. Did the 2 mls w/u down the the Regents outer circle then;

3.01 mls in 20'35 (6'51) which wasnt too bad after the first mile

4 mins jog recovery then;

3.02 mls in 20'44 (6'52) not as easy but felt ok, not working overly hard

4 mins jog recovery then;

3.08 mls in 21'11 (6'53) this wasnt pleasent at all and felt like tempo running, didnt help that i had to dodge some ice but still its a bit of a confidence knock for London. Disappointing.

2 mls w/d for 14 mls total.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148165652

bart simpson · 09-02-2012 01:37AM

Brianderunner wrote: »

its a bit of a confidence knock for London. Disappointing.

no that was a good session you done, and midweek aswel, anyway you should be drawing your confidence from your race results, they are great, i got just under 3 with 10 mile and half marathon times a good bit slower than yours, your training is geared to marathon not these distances so they would be even better if you were training specifcally for them.
you need to trust your race results. a LOT of the marathon is mental!

TheRoadRunner · 09-02-2012 08:05AM

bart simpson wrote: »

no that was a good session you done, and midweek aswel, anyway you should be drawing your confidence from your race results, they are great, i got just under 3 with 10 mile and half marathon times a good bit slower than yours, your training is geared to marathon not these distances so they would be even better if you were training specifcally for them.
you need to trust your race results. a LOT of the marathon is mental!

+1 especially the MENTAL aspect. In fact you are driving me mental

training is about getting the sessions done. You are getting them done and are racing well. What's the bleedin' problem?

dermCu · 09-02-2012 09:25AM

Brianderunner wrote: »

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148165652

The child in me couldn't help but giggle at the overlay drawing your run made on google maps. However I think I've got a better one:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147369963

I used to do that Regents Park loop loop a lot. Nice place to run.

On the topic of getting through tough workouts. The key for me is about trying to get to a relaxed place. It goes against everything that your lungs and legs are screaming at you but its the best way to get the most out of a session. Its not always about HTFU. If it was then the guy who can absorb the most pain would be the best marathon runner in the world and I personally don't think that's the case. The key is about being economical at your race pace. That's what what you are training to do. I'm not saying go easier on your workouts but you need to condition your brain to think that tempo/PMP pace is acceptable.

Brianderunner · 09-02-2012 09:27AM

Problem is the MP i'm training at doesnt feel sustainable for 26.2 and feels closer to tempo effort. I've blown up in enough marathons to know when the goose is cooked long before it happens. In Berlin i knew it wasn't sustainable after a mile and the MP runs felt just as hard in the months before it. Running at 3'10 pace is Barca was a cruise and it felt like i was jogging but sub 3 pace seems to be the tipping point. I had hoped that by now this pace would feel much easier, i should be p!ssing all over 6'50 per mile pace i know.

I'd be mad not to have another go at it in 9 weeks i know and i will give it 100% commitment until then. All this strength training will serve me well in the Dunshaughlin 10k anyway

TheRoadRunner · 09-02-2012 09:43AM

At this point sub 3 is more mental than physical for you!!! Simple as, you're already making excuses and lining up a back up race. Not a great mindset.

If it's any consolation I wasn't able to do a session similar to what you did yesterday in the lead up to Berlin. London is also 9 weeks away and you'll have a taper so lots of gains still to be made. Having said that, with a bit of PMA you could run close to sub 3 this weekend if you had to.

bart simpson · 09-02-2012 12:59PM

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

At this point sub 3 is more mental than physical for you!!! Simple as, you're already making excuses and lining up a back up race. Not a great mindset.

If it's any consolation I wasn't able to do a session similar to what you did yesterday in the lead up to Berlin. London is also 9 weeks away and you'll have a taper so lots of gains still to be made. Having said that, with a bit of PMA you could run close to sub 3 this weekend if you had to.

+1
5 weeks out from the marathon i tried to do a 15 MP run, i did 10 and had to give up and it felt like a race, a really tough race, i was very dissapointed and doubted that i could do a sub 3, but then after a while i kept thinking that i got a sub 85 half and was not even doing half training all my training was for the marathon so id be even better at marathon!, and that day didnt matter because i was not feeling that good!, you need to concentrate on the positives and forget any doubts, in a race over any distance we all get the race demons that tell us to quit or slow down or stop, in the marathon you just have to put up with them for longer and they can ware you down. you train to push back the wall, but i think you will need to work on the mental side to push back the point at which these marathon demons start in your ear! Keep biggin youself up throughout the race, i told myself i was a fcukin bull, or a machine every few minutes, i know it sounds corny now but it does help, and give yourself a pat on the back for every split thats on target.
gear yourself up for that final 10k in training, think about what your reaction is going to be when the pain begins to bite.
Make it a contest of effort not time, dont set any secondary goals, your only goal should be maximum effort.

Brianderunner · 09-02-2012 10:29PM

Thurs 9th Feb, 7 mls easy/recovery in 58'34 (8'22) in a heavy snowstorm. It started just as i left the house and it got heavier as the run progressed. It's not sticking on the footpaths like it did at the weekend thankfully but it's really coming down, thankfully i'm out of here for the weekend. If the flight goes ahead that is. Legs a bit heavy from last nights run but i've had worse.

35 mls for the week already and its only Thursday, looks like being a record week for me (59.5 mls is the highest i've done)

cwgatling · 10-02-2012 12:25AM

bart simpson wrote: »

+1
5 weeks out from the marathon i tried to do a 15 MP run, i did 10 and had to give up and it felt like a race, a really tough race, i was very dissapointed and doubted that i could do a sub 3, but then after a while i kept thinking that i got a sub 85 half and was not even doing half training all my training was for the marathon so id be even better at marathon!, and that day didnt matter because i was not feeling that good!, you need to concentrate on the positives and forget any doubts, in a race over any distance we all get the race demons that tell us to quit or slow down or stop, in the marathon you just have to put up with them for longer and they can ware you down. you train to push back the wall, but i think you will need to work on the mental side to push back the point at which these marathon demons start in your ear! Keep biggin youself up throughout the race, i told myself i was a fcukin bull, or a machine every few minutes, i know it sounds corny now but it does help, and give yourself a pat on the back for every split thats on target.
gear yourself up for that final 10k in training, think about what your reaction is going to be when the pain begins to bite.
Make it a contest of effort not time, dont set any secondary goals, your only goal should be maximum effort.

Great post!

I did 13 at MP and I was a wreck after it. I was almost crying for the last 3 miles. 4 weeks later I did 15 @ MP - 5 seconds and could have done more. You nailed the session, keep it going and you'll nail the race too. Loads of time left.

Brianderunner · 10-02-2012 03:36PM

Cheers guys, great advice as always.

Fri 10th Feb, 4 mls easy in the Heath at lunchtime in 33'08 (8'17). The park was covered in snow and quite spectacular. I had to slow down a good few times to get through the compacted stuff but other than that it was ok. Flying this evening and 20 miler tomorrow in Dublin.

Great run and helped me forget about the disappointment of not getting a place in the Great North Run Ballot today. I can still run for charity (only need to raise £250) but still, I would have liked to get in through the front door.

BeepBeep67 · 10-02-2012 04:39PM

Actually missed a few snowy runs this year - when is it due to clear?

Marthastew · 10-02-2012 04:47PM

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Actually missed a few snowy runs this year - when is it due to clear?

It is lovely running in the snow but after last year I never want it to snow here again. Don't you dare bring the snow home Brian:)

Getting Back To My Best

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