2012 4 Races for 4 PBs

Alright then week 18 is underway. An easy 3 miler after work. Been a while since I ran such a short distance. Calves did feel a bit stiff.

I'm not 100% sure about my schedule for this week. I'm happy enough to run two easy midweek three milers. I don't know if I should run a short PMP this week or not. And if I run it should I run it Wednesday (actually Thursday, won't be able to run tomorrow) or run it Saturday. Or should I just run a steady 8:20 4 miler on both days? I'll probably go with the latter, a PMP this week is probably pointless.

Don't know yet if I'm going to fit a run in Sunday or not.

Lots of pasta/rice/potatoes and lots of water this week.

M01 8:30
M02 8:24
M03 8:35

Total 3.01M @ 8:30

Week 18 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Easy 3M @ 8:35|3.01|8:30
Regular 4M @ 8:20 or PMP 4M @ 7:45?||
Easy 3M @ 8:35||
Regular 4M @ 8:20 or PMP 4M @ 7:45?||
Optional Easy 3M @ 8:35||

rainbow kirby wrote: »

So much taper madness in this post it's unreal. Don't worry about it - it's entirely normal.

Yeah I did read over the post again and thought there might be a bit of that taper madness in there alright. I thought I was immune to taper madness. Now i'm hoping it's taper madness. Is hoping it's taper madness a sign of taper madness!

It was pointed out to me that week 18 of Hal Higdon's plan has just three runs, a 3 miler, done, a 4 miler, done, and a 2 miler on the day before the race. I'll find time for the 2 miler on Sunday. Honestly I was happy not to run yesterday or today. My calves and heels feel far less tight. On the other hand I'm doing housework today and it feels like I've slightly slightly slightly strained my groin (housework, groin ). Anyway now I'm paranoid about making any sudden or rushed movements. Last night I was convinced I was developing a crick in my neck.

C'mon Monday!

Week 18 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Easy 3M @ 8:35|3.01|8:30
Regular 4M @ 8:20|4.23|8:15
Easy 2M @ 8:35||

Hit the wall, hard .

Pre-race stayed on the Eason side of Patrick Street, keeping warm in the sun. Felt relaxed and happy to be finally at the start line. Smell of deep heat. Was looking out for the balloons which didn’t pop-up until maybe about 5 minutes before 9:00. Two green 3:30 balloons appeared more or less immediately in front of where myself and three other 3:30 hopefuls had just met up. Sorry Menoscemo, but it was pretty packed then so I didn’t work my way back through the crowd to the 4:00 balloons.

And we’re off. I hit my Garmin right on the mat, and my final Garmin time would match my chip-time to the second. Conjested for the first mile round the block. Thought the balloons had set off pretty fast. Figured they were trying to get out of traffic as soon as possible, and also I guess they are trying to pace of gun-time so needed to make up 30 odd seconds or so.

No stiffness or tightness over the first few miles. The water stop just before mile 3 is on a corner before an s-bend and that caused a bit of chaos, I ended up stepping flush on a dropped full bottle of water. Several people complaining about the positioning of that water-stop when there was a long straight after the s-bends. Turn onto quays and I take sticking to the balloons very literally with one ballon bouncing off my head for 200 meters or so. Feeling grand now and the field starting to spread out a little.

M01 7:39
M02 8:02
M03 7:44
M04 7:45
M05 7:54

Total 39:04

As we pass the 5M clock it reads 40:00, so we’re bang on gun-time.

Tip along leisurely down Tivoli, past the 6 mile marker then up the slip road toward the Dunkettle Interchange. All the time running alongside the balloons. Down into the tunnel. Making sure now that I follow the racing-line. Have a chat with two of the guys I started out with, they’re comfortable and tipping along fine.

Lost reception as expected in tunnel, but regained it almost immediately on exiting the tunnel. Take first 3 jellies at mile 8. I’m carrying my own water, a 750ml bottle, so for now I don’t worry about water stops. The three of us are running around 20 or 30 yards ahead of the balloons in order to avoid the congestion immediately behind the balloons. We pass the 10M clock and its reading 1:20. Perfect.


M06 7:59
M07 8:04 (tunnel)
M08 8:01
M09 7:55
M10 7:58

Total 39:57

Turned onto the estuary walkway and this year you could actually see across to the other side!! We stay just a little bit ahead of the ballons, no more than 20 yards or so. My chip-time at half-way reads 1:45:19.

We start off down that long green gorge. Then on mile 14 something happens that has never happened to me before when running. I get a stitch on my right-hand side :eek:. The arrival of the stitch coincides exactly with the arrival of the balloons from behind. Not a good moment. How long do stiches last? Please don’t say I’ll have to run the rest of the race with this! What if it gets worse?

I fall in behind the slower of the two balloons and try to figure out what to do. Try to think over anything I’ve read about stitches, but as I never got one before I never paid too much attention. I think I read something about swinging your arms and taking deep breathes, but as soon as I tried to swing my right arm the stitch would get worse, so I abandoned that idea pretty promptly. I tried holding my arms down lower than I normally do. And this seemed to work. All the time I’m just focusing on the feet of the pacer in front of me. The stitch has more or less passed as I follow the pacer round the 15 mile mark. The two guys I started out with stayed with the further ahead ballon, I would catch an odd glimpse of them every so often over the next miles, but the next time I’d speak to them would be over a Guinness that night.

I don’t catch the 15M clock-time (not sure there was a clock) but I’m right behind a balloon.

M11 7:39
M12 8:05
M13 7:54
M14 8:01
M15 7:51

Total 39:30

Up until now it has not been difficult to stay alongside the pacers. But from mile 16 it starts to take a little bit more effort. More jellies. And for the first time I’m starting to think about how many miles are left. I like the idea of counting down 10 miles. There’s a nasty lip of tarmac running down the middle of the road before we start to rejoin the crowds of spectators, was lucky not to twist an ankle on it.

Mentally I’m bracing myself for that horrible short hill that brings you off the South Link Road. I make sure to follow the balloons along the racing line on the right-hand side of the road. Up the hill and yeah it hurts. This was my least favourite part of the course from last year. A never-ending series of nondescript residential streets, and every second one seems to be on an incline. The elevation on my Garmin shows this is not my imagination, with miles 17 to 22 being the hilliest section of the course. Pretty cruel that, I’d sooner the race ran the opposite direction.

After a few of these hills, around miles 18 or 19 I’m still with a balloon but I’m beginning to admit to myself that it’s unlikely I can stick with it for 8 more miles. I stay with the balloon until mile 20 and then it starts drifting slowly ahead.

Legs are sore now. This is the fastest I’ve ever run 20 miles.

M16 7:45
M17 7:42
M18 7:56
M19 8:00
M20 8:03

Total 39:26

Mile 21 is the beginning of the end. The balloon pulling away faster. Legs are getting more and more sore with every step. The balloon is gone around a corner in front of me, I see it maybe once more in the distance. And that’s it, it’s gone along with my sub 3:30. Breathing is ok and I’ve long forgotten about my stitch but I’m really alarmed at how quickly my legs are losing power.

Around half-way into mile 21 I crash smack bang into a huge huge wall.

I try some jellies and quickly spit them out cause I think I’m going to get sick. Another 5 miles of this!! I’m in trouble. Mile 21 was 8:14. But on mile 22 the Garmin is showing 9:00 min pace and it feels so so so much harder than the 8:00 miles I was doing only a little while ago. Manage a 9:02. I’m looking for any help I can get from the road-side. I grab an orange slice and that seems to work for a minute or so, tastes good and it’s nice just to chew on for a while. I should have grabbed more slices. The Garmin still shows 9:00 minute miles and the pace is dropping fast. This is incredible, it’s like somebody has just pulled a plug on me. I’m powerless to stop this collapse. If I get a cramp now that’s it, race over. Please don’t get a cramp.

Somehow I manage to get a 9:17 on mile 23. The rate of pace loss increases rapidly now. Other marathon runners are passing me. I’m seeing 10:00 pace on the Garmin. The head is screaming at the legs to move but they just cannot respond. At this rate I’m going to be ‘running’ at walking pace very shortly. Ok near the end of mile 23 I decide to walk to the 24 mile marker, I’m hoping this will give me some respite, halt the decline and allow me to get back to 9:00 minute pace. It gives me respite yes but that’s all. I would walk 3 more stretches during the last 2 miles. Every time I run the pace is at least 10 minute miles. Please let this end. Guzzle down more water. Mile 24 is 10:17. Mile 25 is 10:33.

M21 8:14
M22 9:02
M23 9:17
M24 10:17
M25 10:33
Total 47:23

Last mile and I know that even a 3:3X time is no longer possible. The only thing that keeps me ‘running’ now is the prospect of the 3:45 balloons arriving. I’ve hit the wall, there’s nothing I can do about that now. But if I can just keep ‘running’ I can make sure I don’t see those balloons. Pass the 26 mile marker, turn onto Patrick’s Street. Where’s that finish line. Eyes focused on the curve on the road, willing the finish line into sight. There it is. The anticipation of soon not having to run anymore is beautiful. No sprint finish today.

Cross the line, hit the stop-button. 3:41:30.

2 bananas, 2 mandarins, a Snickers duo, a bottle of regular coke.

Where did I go wrong? Didn’t spend enough time on the road on my LSRs? Set myself a goal that was a little too ambitious for now? Didn’t get my food right on the eve of the race? I had a big lunch but a very light snack in the evening. An extra bowl of pasta might have postponed the wall for a mile or two more. Didn’t employ any gels either in training or during race.

Mixed emotions. I missed my target by a little over 10 minutes. But I also PB’d by a little over 10 minutes. Finished 419 of 1379 finishers, which is the equivalent of finishing 30th in a race with 100 finishers, so not too shabby.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/90786697

The 3:30 is going to be a monkey on my back now. I’m likely to try again. Domestic logistics mean that at the earliest it will be Dublin next year. Whatever about time, if I line-up in Dublin 2012, one of my targets will be avoid hitting the wall.

No running for a least a full week now. Legs in fairness are not toooooo stiff today, and knees are grand. Calves are sore alright. And one toenail is hanging on by a fibre. Hope this latter won’t be a problem when starting Frank Duffy training.

Title of the log asks for 4PBs, that’s one down

slowsteady wrote: »

Great report. Sorry it didn't happen for you on Monday.

Looking back over your log it is hard to pick out anything you did wrong, ….
Preparation was A1 …. Still it must be hard to take with all the work you have put in.

Thanks man. I’m trying to be glass half full and focus on the 10min PB rather than missing my goal by 10mins. I’ve been thinking a fair bit about my plan alright. I changed the structure of the plan a few times before starting out on week one, and I changed it again after Week 10, but I thought by the end it was working well for me. I suppose it did get me a PB.

menoscemo wrote: »

Great report.
As Slowsteady says, very unlucky. I cannot see anything you did wrong in training.

I would look into practicing with Gels before your next marathon though.

Thanks Meno. I’ve been trying to figure out what I might have done wrong in training, though I don’t think plan was fully at fault. I think I might have underestimated the impact of my diet on Sunday, more of that below. I actually mentioned alright to one of the guys I was running with yesterday that I might try employing gels.

macinalli wrote: »

That's a great report, sorry it didn't work out on the day.

From following your log you were very disciplined with sticking to your training plan, but I did find it an unusual plan. I just went back a few weeks and picked out a random week (week 10) where your plan was:
· Easy 4M @ 8:35
· Tempo 9M with 4M @ 7:30
· Easy 4M @ 8:35
· PMP 9M @ 7:45
· LSR 19M @ 8:45
My impression of this is that it's all done at close to the same speed: 8 mins +/- 45 seconds. Do you think that you would have benefited more from a bigger range in these paces? For example, the list above says that your PMP is 7.45 but you have only 4 miles per week faster than that, and even they are only slightly faster (7.30).

Please don't take this as a criticism - I'm just curious as to why it didn't work on the day. As said above, the dedication was top notch but could the plan be improved?

Thanks Macinalli. No worries, taking your comments as good positive criticism and food for analysis.

I’ve been thinking a fair bit about what went wrong. I think there are two main items that tripped me up. But also I have to remember that there was never any guarantee, even with a great plan that I was going to get the 3:30. It was always going to be close, McMillan never had me under 3:30 (maybe once off a 4 mile time, but that doesn’t really count). Personally I was often optimistic but never confident that I’d get it. I always wondered if I was trying to improve too much too soon.

- Diet -
I think I made a big mistake on diet the day before . One of the guys I was running with made it home in 3:28. Now, he’s a better runner than me and can do 10 miles in 1:12, so I’m not surprised that he made it home with something to spare. He had a big bowl of pasta and garlic bread in the early evening before the race. Then he had cereal, toast and a banana around 2 hours before the race. I on the oher hand had eaten pasta most days during the week but on Sunday afternoon I had a big portion of chicken with a few small token potatoes. Sunday evening I ate really light, some fruit including 2 bananas, some biscuits and that’s about it. I had another banana before the race. I was paranoid about running feeling bloated, or having to make some emergency stops along the route. I think I scored an own goal there. If I had got another pasta dish into me and even a second banana on the morning, that could have postponed the wall. Even if it hit just two miles later, facing a wall on mile 24 sounds is a better proposition than on mile 22. My mate also ran with gels, I didn’t. They could have postponed the wall some more.

- Plan -
On my plan instead. Macinalli I know what you’re saying about broadening the range of paces. I modelled my plan on Higdon’s intermediate. He doesn’t have any sessions faster than PMP. I didn’t think this was a good idea, I felt I needed some sessions where the pace went the fast side of PMP. So instead of running actual PMP I ran my PMPs 15 seconds faster than 8 minute miles. I then also added the Wednesday tempos. These were initially 7:30 mile pace and that was pretty tough for me over the first few weeks. Actually I toned down the tempos after week 10 because I found I wasn’t recovering from them in time for the weekend’s running. After week 10 though I noticed my speed really improving, 7:30 felt like 7:45, I was running 7:15s and faster and enjoying it. Three consecutive 10M PBs without racing them. I think the speed side of my training was good.

I’m not so sure about the slow side of PMP instead. All my LSRs felt easy. Even when I ran them a little faster than target. I never felt really tired on these and was never out of my comfort zone. I wonder if I should have run my LSRs in such a way that they replicated the marathon scenario a little bit better. That might have meant running further so my would legs would experience running with some extra tiredness. Maybe 20 mile LSRs weren’t long enough for me and I should have pushed out further, even to full marathon distance. Or maybe every second week I should have tried those LSRs that throw in some PMP miles near the end.

I felt I was genuinely working with speed during my speed sessions, but I never felt I had to endure anything (other than some boredom at times) on my endurance sessions.

Like I said above, I never doubted it would be close, so diet, including gels, and maybe an incorrect LSR strategy, could together have made the difference. I also probably should have tried pace the mile markers against the time showing on my watch rather than gun-time. When it’s tight every minute counts.

Thanks again guys for the feedback.

A full week has passed since I last put on my runners. Getting itchy now especially with the gorgeous weather outside. Plan is to do a very easy 4M this evening after work (if I can get out on time, otherwise it'll be tomorrow morning). Legs feel 95% ok, I'm dropping 5% because of a slightly tight left calf/heel. I've also got one dodgy toenail on each foot.

Between now and Sunday I just plan on doing 2 or 3 light runs. Then next week I start training proper for Frank Duffy. I'm slowly cobbling together a training plan in my head. I'll have 9 weeks to get ready. The last week will be a taper and I know that weeks 3 and 4 will be interrupted because of work and travel. So really I have 6 weeks of training.

Haven't fixed a target-time yet but a training PB of 1:15:24 suggests I should at least be hoping for sub-75, although this is a Garmin 10M without a racing line to follow.

Brand new shiny training plan in place for Frank Duffy.

Less is more. I’m dropping down to 4 days a week. Each week will have a recovery run, a steady pace run, a speed session, and long slow-ish run. I’m going to train with a 7:30 as target race pace and hope to go sub 75 on race day.

Tuesdays for Recovery Runs
Every Tuesday a 5M recovery at 8:45 pace. Nice and easy to start the week.

Wednesdays for Steady Runs
Up the pace on Wednesdays and run 5M at 7:45 pace. Marathon training helped me establish 7:45 as a comfortable enough pace. I want to maintain that base. Then I’ll have 2 days to rest up before the weekend.

Saturdays for Speed Work
I’ll alternate intervals with time-trials on Saturdays. I’ll start with 6x400 and move up to 8x400, all at 6:20 pace. Haven’t run intervals in ages. The time-trials will be at race pace of 7:30 and will build from 6Ms up to 8Ms.

Sundays for Long Runs
What to ensure that my legs don’t forget what 10 miles feels like. These will be runs ranging from 8 to 12 miles all run at a handy 8:30 pace.

First run is in the morning and I can’t wait to get going

Back on the road .

Up and out before work. Overcast and damp but warm. trying out my Cork t-shirt for the first time, it's good, nice soft and light, I like it.

Pacing a bit random. The first mile the legs were definitely stiff and unresponsive. Already by mile 2 though they had woken up and the pace picked up. No aches or clicks or cracks or twinges. Toenails the only problem. I reckon you'd get 5/1 on the dodgy second toe on my left foot not making it to race-day. While you'd probably get 8/1 on the same toe on the right foot.

Need to get to bed now, 5 miles at 7:45 first thing in the morning. Good to be back following a plan.

M01 9:27
M02 8:19
M03 8:35
M04 8:34
M05 8:43

Total 5.11M @ 8:44

Week 1 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.11|8:44
Steady 5M @ 7:45||
Intervals 6x400M @ 6:20||
LSR 8M @ 8:30||

Up and out early again this morning. During marathon training I'd do a warm-up before running at 7:45 pace, I'm dropping that now. Warm-ups instead for speed work on Saturdays.

I'm definitely noticing that the legs feel heavy, dull and sluggish for the firts mile or so of my runs. There must still be some tiredness from Cork, or it's an effect of nearly 2 weeks without running. After mile 1 though the run was grand and I spent more time trying to slow down than trying to speed up.

Looking forward to intervals now on Saturday. On 4 days running a week I think I'm going to spend more time thinking about running than before. It seems a long way to wait for Saturday morning. I guess it keeps me hungry.

500.62 miles on my 'new' Nimbus. Need to go shopping this weekend I think.

M01 7:49
M02 7:40
M03 7:31
M04 7:34
M05 7:42

Total 5.03M @ 7:40

Week 1 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.11|8:44
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.03|7:40
Intervals 6x400M @ 6:20||
LSR 8M @ 8:30||

Ran too fast today. Out at 9:00. Mate from work joined me for the guts of this one. Aiming for 8:30 but the pace kept creeping up. Felt good for the whole run. That's one week down. I'm happy enough with this 4 day plan so far and enjoying the increase in session speeds. Definitely feel more up for each run.

M01 8:12
M02 8:26
M03 8:25
M04 8:20
M05 8:32
M06 8:36
M07 8:26
M08 8:06

Total 8:33M @ 8:23

Week 1 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.11|8:44
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.03|7:40
Intervals 6x400M @ 6:20|8.43M for the day|6:08 (recovery 8:19)
LSR 8M @ 8:30|8.33|8:23

ManFromAtlantis wrote: »

i love my kayanos. they just the business. im always on teh look out for good deals on them. think i saw arnotts €105 and elverys €107 if im not mistaken.

Now don't quote me on this but I think the kayanos were on sale for 80 something in JD. I've been mostly injury-free with nimbus so I'm reluctant to change model. If it ain't broken . . .

Long hours at work at the moment. Yesterday morning I was just too tired to get up and out. Ran my steady run this morning instead after a better night's sleep. Beautiful out these mornings.

Ran this run more like a tempo run than a steady run. Didn't feel as sluggish and unresponsive at the start as I have done on the last few runs. On mile three I checked watch and was stunned to see 7:05 pace, admittedly it was on a downhill section but still. Slow down.

Finished with a 7:40 pace average. Feeling good.

Walked to work then listening to Desiree Ficker interview from episode 45 of Marathon Talk. Very positive interview.

M01 7:46
M02 7:34
M03 7:28
M04 7:43
M05 7:46

Total 5:05M @ 7:40

Week 2 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.10|8:42
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.05|7:40
PRP 6M @ 7:30||
LSR 10M @ 8:30||

First run for my new Nimbus 13s today. I starting running before 9:00 this morning and it was already hot out. If I had sun-cream in the house I would have put some on. Shoes feel comfortable right from the start. No slap-slap-slap cadence today.

Pacing was all over the place, couldn't find the 8:30 sweet spot and the run was a series of over-compensations and under-compensations. Still managed to come home with an 8:29 average. Legs felt grand.

Ok that's week two done, now due to work/travel week three is going to be a bit like the middle week of the Six Nations, a large gap before and after. I won't be running again until next Saturday, I'll get week three done and then more travel means there'll be a 5 day gap before week 4 can start. I hope these breaks won't interrupt my momentum too much.


M01 8:40
M02 8:17
M03 8:22
M04 8:19
M05 8:45
M06 8:36
M07 8:16
M08 8:43
M09 8:32
M10 8:23

Total 10:15M @ 8:29

Week 2 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.10|8:42
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.05|7:40
PRP 6M @ 7:30|6.00|7:26
LSR 10M @ 8:30|10.15|8:29

Week 3 is a write-off.

Apart from a very well paced recovery run on Monday night. Tuesday morning the bed won. I was just too tired in the morning and I was going out Tuesday evening. Then tonight I was looking forward to an interval session but then didn't get home from work until nearly 10. I fly again tomorrow and I won't be running until next Tuesday. But at least I don't expect any more interruptions before race day. That gives me 5 full weeks of training (last week will be a taper). I need to rethink how best to run over these weeks.

M01 8:38
M02 8:46
M03 8:46
M04 8:43
M05 8:45

Total 5:16M @ 8:43

Week 3 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
LSR 10M @ 8:30|10.15|8:37
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.16|8:43
Steady 5M @ 7:45|Didn't run|
Intervals 6x400 @ 6:20|Didn't run|

Right there's 5 weeks to go before race day. I haven't decided yet how the 5th week will be but the plan for the other 4 is pretty simple.

Each week I'll have two 5mile weekday runs, one at 8:45 pace and one at 7:45 pace. Over the four weeks I'll have two interval sessions of 6x400 at 6:20 pace: and I'll have two PRP runs, one over 6 miles and one over 8 miles. I'll have 4 Sunday LSRs ranging from 8 to 12 miles. I have one eye on the Dublin Half Marathon in all this. Plan for the HM includes stepping the intervals up to 8x400.

Don't know if the above will be enough to break under 75mins or not. I feel as though the last two weeks I've lost momentum and some form. Might all be in my head.

Got out this morning for an easy 5 miles. Unhappy that I ran too fast missing my 8:45 target my a bit. But at the same time happy that it felt easy for the whole run.

M01 8:34
M02 8:22
M03 8:41
M04 8:27
M05 8:39

Total 5:13M @ 8:33

Week 4 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.13|8:33
Steady 5M @ 7:45||
Intervals 6x400 @ 6:20||
LSR 12M @ 8:30||

Gorgeous clear blue sky, not too hot at 9 when I head out. Great to start the weekend with a run in the park in these conditions. Legs feel heavy enough on my warm up over to the playing fields. Reset Garmin and I start off around the cycle path.

First interval is grand really. Rule of thumb target is 1:30 to 1:34. I hit 1:30 spot-on, I'm pretty good at getting this pace right. Second interval make point of holding head up high and try to keep neat posture, 1:28. Third interval is mostly up hill. I love dashing past other runners when on a fast 400. My recovery 400 between interval 3 and 4 is interrupted my a herd of deer taking their time to cross the path. Interval number 4 is my fastest at 1:25. This definitely thanks to the guy on roller-blades that I was determined to overtake. Interval 5 is another 1:30. And I finish interval 6 with a 1:29.

Overall a tough session, but not as tough as my previous interval session a few weeks back. I like intervals. Average interval 1:29 or 5:57 pace. Average recovery a bit slower than last time out (even allowing for the deer) at 8:37. Looking forward to next 6x400 already.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101060199

Warm-up 2.43M @ 9:02

Recovery Interval
2:04 (8:20) 1:30 (6:04)
2:08 (8:35) 1:28 (5:56)
2:07 (8:34) 1:30 (6:05)
2:15 (9:04) 1:25 (5:45) deer crossing on recovery
2:06 (8:29) 1:30 (6:05)
2:11 (8:50) 1:29 (6:02)
Averages
2:08 (8:37) 1:29 (5:57)

Warm-down 2.59M @ 8:53

Week 4 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.13|8:33
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.04|7:34
Intervals 6x400 @ 6:20|8.00M for the day|5:57
LSR 12M @ 8:30||

Legs never really woke up during this morning's run. They felt heavy and stiff on miles 1 to 3 and a little less heavy and stiff on miles 4 and 5. So now I'm a little concerned about tomorrow morning's planned 5 at 7:45 pace.

While walking home from work I started to listen to a very interesting interview with Prof Tim Noakes on episode 47 of Marathon Talk. Worth listening to, theory that the brain is the governing organ when we're out running.

M01 8:52
M02 8:37
M03 8:44
M04 8:39
M05 8:45

Total 5:09M @ 8:43

Week 5 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.09|8:43
Steady 5M @ 7:45||
PRP 6M @ 7:30||
LSR 10M @ 8:30||

:(:( Huge Fail :(:(

Had been looking forward to this run. Warm-up over to Phoenix. Legs felt a bit heavy and stiff but nothing out of the ordinary. Start into my session proper. Start a bit too fast and spend the first mile gradually slowing down. I log a 7:31. This is fine apart from the fact that both calves/shins feel very very tired. Footfall is very flat as well. Halfway into mile 2 and it's not getting any better, still tired and sore. I can tell this is not just usual start of run stiffness. Mile 2 logs at 7:56. Halfway into mile 3 I resign myself to a fail. I'm not enjoying this one bit, 8:01. Miles 4 and 5 I give up and just plod along uncomfortably. I try to pick the pace up on the last mile and manage a 7:50.

What happened? I think I know, from my last post talking about my Wednesday steady run:

outforarun wrote: »

I'm running these probably just a little too fast. ...... The run itself is grand I just don't want to jeopardize my key speed session on Saturdays. Want to arrive at Saturday feeling fresh.

I'm running too fast on Wednesday. I set Wednesday runs at 7:45 pace because while marathon training 7:45 became a very doable pace. However while marathon training I was only aiming for 7:45 once a week. This was the case when I set a series of 10 mile training PBs. Now instead I'm aiming to run 7:45 on Wednesdays (and actually running 7:3X), and then expecting to run further and faster on Saturday. Effectively I'm doing two fast sessions one after the other. I pretty sure that this is what's wrong.

Solution? Drop pace on Wednesday runs to no faster than 8:00, that's at least 30 seconds slower than race pace. I think also I might extend my target ranges but, speed sessions excepted, really really really insist on not going faster than the faster end of the range. I need to be more disciplined.

My four day week would then consist of:

Recovery at 8:45 to 9:00
Steady at 8:00 to 8:15
Speed PRP at 7:30 or Intervals at 6:20
Long at 8:30 to 8:45

Confidence took a blow today. I have to see it as a lesson learned and be grateful that I didn't learn this lesson on race day.

Warm-up 1.27M @ 9:10

M01 7:31
M02 7:56
M03 8:01
M04 8:39
M05 8:58
M06 7:50

Total 6:01M @ 8:09

Warm-down 1.20M @ 9:13

Week 5 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 8:45|5.09|8:43
Steady 5M @ 7:45|5.06|7:37
PRP 6M @ 7:30|6.01|8:09
LSR 10M @ 8:30||

Up and out just gone 7 this morning. My new pacing approach has a novelty factor that has me looking forward to this run; enjoy the challenge of staying within range. Recovery to be run between 9:00 and maximum 8:45. For the second session in a row I keep each mile within target. Calves were stiff enough for the first 2 miles before eventually loosening up. Legs feel good for the rest of the day. Curious to see how tomorrow's run goes.

M01 8:58
M02 8:53
M03 8:53
M04 8:49
M05 8:48

Total 5.09M @ 8:52

Week 5 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 9:00 to max 8:45|5.09|8:52
Steady 5M @ 8:15 to max 8:00||
Intervals 6x400 @ 6:20||
LSR 10M @ 8:45 to max 8:30||

Mixed feelings after today's interval session. But overall I'm happy because I didn't have another fail like last Saturday, that I guess was my main concern before today's session. I'm getting tired of running in overcast and warm conditions, I'd much prefer to be out in showery conditions.

Warm-up over to the playing fields. Running a little faster than I should maybe at 8:49 pace. Stop and switch Garmin to kilometers, 400m laps. Off I go. First interval feels grand and I hit 1:29. I know I'm aiming for 1:30 to 1:34 but Saturday is all about speed so if I run a little too fast I'm not worried about it. End of second interval, 1:25 and I'm happy to have 400ms recovery. Third interval is mostly uphill always feels tough but all the same I bank another 1:29. Not looking forward to the remaining intervals. Interval 4 is 1:28. Ok, I know me, I know I'll want to stay under 1:30 for each interval now. I'm enjoying the recovery 400ms more than I should. Interval 5 is another 1:28. Ok just one more, mostly uphill though. Last 100ms and lungs working overtime, burning I guess. Hit stop, drop bottle, hands on knees, 60" to catch my breath. Reset to miles and warm-down back home.

Load up run to Garmin, see that on interval 6 I completed a hat-trick of 1:28s. Mixed emotions: I kept under 1:30 on each interval for a 5:54 average, my fastest to date. that my recoveries were slower than the felt with a 8:54 average.

I like this session and I think rather than increase the intervals to 8x400 for the Dublin Half Marathon, I'll work on keeping the intervals under 1:30 and try get the recoveries down to under 2:00 average.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104382367

Warm-up 2.41M @ 8:49

Recovery Interval
2:04 (8:20) 1:29 (5:59)
2:08 (8:38) 1:25 (5:43)
2:09 (8:40) 1:29 (5:59)
2:19 (9:19) 1:28 (5:54)
2:16 (9:09) 1:28 (5:56)
2:20 (9:25) 1:28 (5:56)
Averages
2:13 (8:54) 1:28 (5:54)

Warm-down 2.63M @ 9:04

Week 5 Session Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 5M @ 9:00 to max 8:45|5.09|8:52
Steady 5M @ 8:15 to max 8:00|5.08|8:07
Intervals 6x400 @ 6:20|8.03M for the day|5:54
LSR 10M @ 8:45 to max 8:30||