Thursday 27 March 2008
The marathon shuffle
I think I have started to perfect my marathon shuffle. Just imagine...your legs are tired, your quads are tight and painful...what's the most economical way to run? Yes, you guessed it, the marathon shuffle!
Training week ending 16 and 23 March
Week ending 16 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 3 miles at the running club (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), 4 miles at the running club (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Oakley 20
Totals:
Training sessions: 3 running, 2 circuits
Total milage: 27
Week ending 23 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: cold
Thursday: Circuits (am)
Friday: cold
Saturday: cold
Sunday: 13 mile Cardiac Arrest Double Bypasss
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 13
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 3 miles at the running club (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), 4 miles at the running club (pm)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Oakley 20
Totals:
Training sessions: 3 running, 2 circuits
Total milage: 27
Week ending 23 March
Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: cold
Thursday: Circuits (am)
Friday: cold
Saturday: cold
Sunday: 13 mile Cardiac Arrest Double Bypasss
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 13
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Cardiac Arrest/Double Bypass
I'm blogging in bed again, it's started to become a really bad habit, either that or I just don't have enough hours in the day.
Since the Bury 20 I have run once due to illness (see my post about being bunged up to explain why!). And the only time I did run was pretty memorable!
For some reason I decided I liked the write up Jo did on the Cardiac Arrest so being adventurous I decided that it was a good idea for Gary and I to enter the 2 lap/16 mile version of this race on Easter Sunday. In my defence, I didn't know it was going to snow as well!
Everywhere was white when we woke up but we decided to go anyway. Jo S sensibly wimped out, I wonder why we didn't? By the time we got to the farm at Weston Underwood it wasn't as snowy but it was still pretty cold.
View Larger Map
We hung around in a draughty barn before the race started at 11am with less than 40 hardy souls. The 1 lap version was due to start half an hour later, but more of that in a sec.
We started round a field, through a muddy wood, down through a stream and back again (just for the sake of it!), it was cold, quiet and very definitely off road. In the first field I spotted Gary leading the race and I checked behind me, there were 5 people behind me!
The weather stayed cold and windy with snow on the ground (although the snow did disappear after while) and I plodded on. It was slippy underfoot, especially clambering up, over and round a railway bridge swiftly followed by a very deep stream crossing (I got wet pants, very unladylike!) with a very steep clamber out through some brambles, this was the first time I scratched my legs and had to tighten my shoe laces).
And so it continued, slippy, slidy, steep stream crossings, a longish tunnel (scary dark), more slipply slidy up and down hills in a wood and over a few hay bales. After 40 minutes the leaders of the Cardiac Arrest started to pass me, they must have started earlier than 11:30! Next was a scramble up and over piles of rocks in a quarry followed by some very claggy fields and then a long section where you crossed over and ran though and up a stream for quite some time. There was a great part just before a mini tunnel where the only way down the bank was by a control slide in the mud! Another part involved a steep bank that took me 3 attempts to scale. It's worth mentioning I was on my own for a good part of this race and there were very few marshalls. After having been in a race in the past where I fell and broke my arm, I am very glad I didn't do that in this race (although it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had) as I would have had to go quite some distance before seeing another person and it was cold!
Near the end of the first lap, the 2 lap people got to skirt 'The Dudleys', 2 large deep ponds which was good but gave you an insight into what was to come...
Something did go wrong somewhere as I managed to miss the first 3 miles of the second lap (I feel a bit cheated I only did 13 miles and not 16!). The second lap was very quiet and I had a number of bramble issues which meant I had some very impressive war wounds on my leg (loads of blood!). My trip into the Dudleys was cold, very cold...
Mmm, don't fancy this
Easy does it
Deeper
Bit cheesed off now
Phew, all over!
I managed to catch the guy in front of me (but not overtake sadly) just before the finish and then it was over, I was tired and very cold but pleased...even more so when I discovered Gary had won! Yippee! Just a shame I missed the presentation as I was still shuffling round in the snow!
Since the Bury 20 I have run once due to illness (see my post about being bunged up to explain why!). And the only time I did run was pretty memorable!
For some reason I decided I liked the write up Jo did on the Cardiac Arrest so being adventurous I decided that it was a good idea for Gary and I to enter the 2 lap/16 mile version of this race on Easter Sunday. In my defence, I didn't know it was going to snow as well!
Everywhere was white when we woke up but we decided to go anyway. Jo S sensibly wimped out, I wonder why we didn't? By the time we got to the farm at Weston Underwood it wasn't as snowy but it was still pretty cold.
View Larger Map
We hung around in a draughty barn before the race started at 11am with less than 40 hardy souls. The 1 lap version was due to start half an hour later, but more of that in a sec.
We started round a field, through a muddy wood, down through a stream and back again (just for the sake of it!), it was cold, quiet and very definitely off road. In the first field I spotted Gary leading the race and I checked behind me, there were 5 people behind me!
The weather stayed cold and windy with snow on the ground (although the snow did disappear after while) and I plodded on. It was slippy underfoot, especially clambering up, over and round a railway bridge swiftly followed by a very deep stream crossing (I got wet pants, very unladylike!) with a very steep clamber out through some brambles, this was the first time I scratched my legs and had to tighten my shoe laces).
And so it continued, slippy, slidy, steep stream crossings, a longish tunnel (scary dark), more slipply slidy up and down hills in a wood and over a few hay bales. After 40 minutes the leaders of the Cardiac Arrest started to pass me, they must have started earlier than 11:30! Next was a scramble up and over piles of rocks in a quarry followed by some very claggy fields and then a long section where you crossed over and ran though and up a stream for quite some time. There was a great part just before a mini tunnel where the only way down the bank was by a control slide in the mud! Another part involved a steep bank that took me 3 attempts to scale. It's worth mentioning I was on my own for a good part of this race and there were very few marshalls. After having been in a race in the past where I fell and broke my arm, I am very glad I didn't do that in this race (although it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had) as I would have had to go quite some distance before seeing another person and it was cold!
Near the end of the first lap, the 2 lap people got to skirt 'The Dudleys', 2 large deep ponds which was good but gave you an insight into what was to come...
Something did go wrong somewhere as I managed to miss the first 3 miles of the second lap (I feel a bit cheated I only did 13 miles and not 16!). The second lap was very quiet and I had a number of bramble issues which meant I had some very impressive war wounds on my leg (loads of blood!). My trip into the Dudleys was cold, very cold...
Mmm, don't fancy this
Easy does it
Deeper
Bit cheesed off now
Phew, all over!
I managed to catch the guy in front of me (but not overtake sadly) just before the finish and then it was over, I was tired and very cold but pleased...even more so when I discovered Gary had won! Yippee! Just a shame I missed the presentation as I was still shuffling round in the snow!
Friday 21 March 2008
All blocked up
I've got a horrible nasty cold. I blame it on working in London. Every morning the train is full of germy people coughing and sneezing. Once I get to work, I sit in an office full of germy people coughing and sneezing. And this week was even worse. We've got some space issues in our office, so much so we are moving offices in May to a swanky new office in Covent Garden. In the meantime we keep emplying people with nowhere for them to sit so most of us are sharing desks now. So I spent last week sat right next to a very germy person with another very germy person very close to me on the other side.
Actually, thinking about it the signs were there last weekend, I am a classic example of a runner who ignores the signs and just keeps on running anyway. Since the Oakley 20 I haven't run at all as first I was too tired and then I got a cold. But, I have discovered decongestant tablets, I'm not sure what is in them but they give me a real buzz!
Actually, thinking about it the signs were there last weekend, I am a classic example of a runner who ignores the signs and just keeps on running anyway. Since the Oakley 20 I haven't run at all as first I was too tired and then I got a cold. But, I have discovered decongestant tablets, I'm not sure what is in them but they give me a real buzz!
Sunday 16 March 2008
Oakley 20
Well, here I am again, tucked up in bed blogging. And it's only 10pm...I had to struggle to keep myself awake this long, running 20 miles is a very tiring business!
Two thoughts ran through my head when I was woken up by the alarm at 7am today. 1: it can't still be raining can it? Oh yes it can... 2: I still feel a bit rough, like I am coming down with a cold. Most of you who know me know that I never drop out of races (probably a very bad habit) so there was no question of me not doing the Oakley 20 today. Gary had sugegsted maybe he could come and watch on his bike but I didn't really expect him to be keen on the idea given the weather so I was very surpised when not long after I got up Gary was vertical and dressed in his cycling gear.
The weather wasn't the greatest to be honest, it was wet and windy but luckily not too cold. After having run The Grizzly in gale force winds and Folskworth 15 in a blizzard and in a huge storm I knew I could handle most weather conditions. I was more worried about the distance, my last 20 miler (Bury 20 last year) was not a great experience with me crawling over the finish line in 3:43 (ouch!).
So, we set off running directly into the wind (yay!) and it took 3 or 4 miles for me to get going, I think this was running into the wind added to a slightly uphill start and no warming up (as it was too wet to go outside!). Luckily the rain started to slacken and the roads got a bit more sheltered so I settled into it. After a while I heard some loud encouragement in the distance. The runners around me remarked on the volume levels of those shouting, I knew it had to be John F, Martyn, Gary and Jo H who were fearlessly cycling round the course. I didn't see them for a couple of minutes after I first heard them which shows how loud they were! They popped up all over the course in many different configurations, I was most impressed, it was nasty weather to be out on a bike!
As time went on I realised I had settled into a nice 10 min/mile pace and there I stayed, maybe slowing slightly but not in the way I usually do, no walking (apart from water stations) and I even started to catch some people up. I've not felt like this running for ages...Gary did remark at one point that I seemed to be going Ok but you couldn't exactly call it running, cheekly so and so.
So in the end I finished strongly in 3:25 which is slightly more than 10 min/mile pace and I still felt strong at the finish: I could walk (just), I didn't feel sick and I was completely compus mentus. And although I am in bed at 10pm I haven't felt too bad since I got home. All in all a good day in the office and if I feel that on marathon day I will be very chuffed indeed.
Oh, and no cold baths for me, I just can't do that. And I am sure the amount I have eaten since returning from the race is not healthy either...blame Nigella for making food too easy and quick to make!
Two thoughts ran through my head when I was woken up by the alarm at 7am today. 1: it can't still be raining can it? Oh yes it can... 2: I still feel a bit rough, like I am coming down with a cold. Most of you who know me know that I never drop out of races (probably a very bad habit) so there was no question of me not doing the Oakley 20 today. Gary had sugegsted maybe he could come and watch on his bike but I didn't really expect him to be keen on the idea given the weather so I was very surpised when not long after I got up Gary was vertical and dressed in his cycling gear.
The weather wasn't the greatest to be honest, it was wet and windy but luckily not too cold. After having run The Grizzly in gale force winds and Folskworth 15 in a blizzard and in a huge storm I knew I could handle most weather conditions. I was more worried about the distance, my last 20 miler (Bury 20 last year) was not a great experience with me crawling over the finish line in 3:43 (ouch!).
So, we set off running directly into the wind (yay!) and it took 3 or 4 miles for me to get going, I think this was running into the wind added to a slightly uphill start and no warming up (as it was too wet to go outside!). Luckily the rain started to slacken and the roads got a bit more sheltered so I settled into it. After a while I heard some loud encouragement in the distance. The runners around me remarked on the volume levels of those shouting, I knew it had to be John F, Martyn, Gary and Jo H who were fearlessly cycling round the course. I didn't see them for a couple of minutes after I first heard them which shows how loud they were! They popped up all over the course in many different configurations, I was most impressed, it was nasty weather to be out on a bike!
As time went on I realised I had settled into a nice 10 min/mile pace and there I stayed, maybe slowing slightly but not in the way I usually do, no walking (apart from water stations) and I even started to catch some people up. I've not felt like this running for ages...Gary did remark at one point that I seemed to be going Ok but you couldn't exactly call it running, cheekly so and so.
So in the end I finished strongly in 3:25 which is slightly more than 10 min/mile pace and I still felt strong at the finish: I could walk (just), I didn't feel sick and I was completely compus mentus. And although I am in bed at 10pm I haven't felt too bad since I got home. All in all a good day in the office and if I feel that on marathon day I will be very chuffed indeed.
Oh, and no cold baths for me, I just can't do that. And I am sure the amount I have eaten since returning from the race is not healthy either...blame Nigella for making food too easy and quick to make!
Saturday 15 March 2008
Not feeling the best
Woke up this morning feeling pretty rough. Now that could be due to my visit to Hitchin Beer Festival last night but I am not convinced that is the only reason, I think I might be coming down with a cold which is not the best timing as I am meant to be doing Oakley 20 tomorrow. I will look after myself today, cross my fingers and eat lots of oranges and hope I am feeling better in the morning.
Tuesday 11 March 2008
Grizzly growlings
As you probably already know, Gary, PB, Paula and I took part in The Grizzly on Sunday. We started running this around 4 years ago, I think a combination of Phil Avins and Chris Reed convinced me. Basically, the course is always different but somewhere in the region of 20 miles along the Jurassic Coast in South Devon. There are a couple of things which are always the same. You start on a shingle beach, you will have to walk up the hill to Beer after around a mile and a half, you will generally run along another stretch of beach on the way back to Seaton and there will be bogs. Rumour has it that the local fire engine tops up the bogs before the race to make them nice and muddy...
This year the weather was fairly kind, no driving rain and gales asin the past, just some pleasant sun to start off in. It had rained the night before so it was all a bit muddy but nothing too bad really. I really enjoyed it this year, there are some good things en route: running through the 'crowds' in Beer, running along the cliff top and looking at the sea, running through the big puddle on the beach at Branscome Mouth, the bog (so funny having to queue to get in it), climbing out of the bog (v slippy!), bagpipers, drummers and irish bands en route, booing the unseasoned runners who jumped the queues, the smell of wild garlic in the woods, fish and chips at the end, the site of Seaton when you are tired! There was some other stuff too: the hailstorm (OUCH!), some freaked out cows running fast through a field making scary noises, the never ending beach and stairway to heaven (so tiring), the huge hll coming out of the Fountainhead pub.
All in all it was good though, my time was 10 mins quicker than in September which given much slipper conditions I was pleased with and nearer the end I felt strong, especially on the beach section.
This is my kind of race...so I entered the Double Bypass, this is all so much more fun than training!
This year the weather was fairly kind, no driving rain and gales asin the past, just some pleasant sun to start off in. It had rained the night before so it was all a bit muddy but nothing too bad really. I really enjoyed it this year, there are some good things en route: running through the 'crowds' in Beer, running along the cliff top and looking at the sea, running through the big puddle on the beach at Branscome Mouth, the bog (so funny having to queue to get in it), climbing out of the bog (v slippy!), bagpipers, drummers and irish bands en route, booing the unseasoned runners who jumped the queues, the smell of wild garlic in the woods, fish and chips at the end, the site of Seaton when you are tired! There was some other stuff too: the hailstorm (OUCH!), some freaked out cows running fast through a field making scary noises, the never ending beach and stairway to heaven (so tiring), the huge hll coming out of the Fountainhead pub.
All in all it was good though, my time was 10 mins quicker than in September which given much slipper conditions I was pleased with and nearer the end I felt strong, especially on the beach section.
This is my kind of race...so I entered the Double Bypass, this is all so much more fun than training!
Marathoners aren't made overnight. Runners become marathoners with intelligent and consistent training
Due to the wonders of modern technology: wireless technology and a laptop I am currently lounging in bed listening to the wind outside and generally pondering life.
I noticed from CMJ's blog and Secret Squirrel's blog that my extract from Road Racing for Serious Runners (Pfitzinger/Douglas) seemed to cause some interest so I thought I'd dust it off and have another look to see what they say about marathon training.
I mentioned about 'stimulating the physiological adaptations that are crucial to marathon success', but what does that mean? According to my two new best friends (Pfitzinger/Douglas) marathon running requires lots of pure endurance (doh), the ability to store a large quantity of glycogen in your muscles and a high lactate threshold.
Endurance training gives you increased capillary density and increased ability to use fatty acids, i.e. to burn more fat than carbs at a given running speed. This means that glycogen (stored form of carbs in the muscle) is spared which means you can run further before depletinig your stores. Glycogen availability is a limiting factor in performance, basically, you need it!
Also, endurance training helps you to adapt to store more glycogen. Long runs deplete your glycogen stores which provides a stimulus for your muscles to store more glycogen so by increasing your long run distance and your weekly milege you increase the capacity of your muscles to store glycogen.
A high lactate threshold (lactate doesn't start accumulating in your muscles and blood until you reach a high % of your VO2 Max) can also be stimulated by the right training.
So there, it's interesting stuff...
I noticed from CMJ's blog and Secret Squirrel's blog that my extract from Road Racing for Serious Runners (Pfitzinger/Douglas) seemed to cause some interest so I thought I'd dust it off and have another look to see what they say about marathon training.
I mentioned about 'stimulating the physiological adaptations that are crucial to marathon success', but what does that mean? According to my two new best friends (Pfitzinger/Douglas) marathon running requires lots of pure endurance (doh), the ability to store a large quantity of glycogen in your muscles and a high lactate threshold.
Endurance training gives you increased capillary density and increased ability to use fatty acids, i.e. to burn more fat than carbs at a given running speed. This means that glycogen (stored form of carbs in the muscle) is spared which means you can run further before depletinig your stores. Glycogen availability is a limiting factor in performance, basically, you need it!
Also, endurance training helps you to adapt to store more glycogen. Long runs deplete your glycogen stores which provides a stimulus for your muscles to store more glycogen so by increasing your long run distance and your weekly milege you increase the capacity of your muscles to store glycogen.
A high lactate threshold (lactate doesn't start accumulating in your muscles and blood until you reach a high % of your VO2 Max) can also be stimulated by the right training.
So there, it's interesting stuff...
Training week ending 9 March
This is a short and sweet training update as there isn't much to write about really!
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), Watford V PNE (PM) :-)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: rest (circumstances were against me!)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 19 mile Grizzly
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 19
Well, I am not commenting on this, a rubbish week but the Grizzly went well. I might write about that later.
Also, I will delve into my book of knowledge to see what it says about long slow runs and physiological adaptations as I saw both CMJ and Secret Squirrel commented on their blogs (it was a test to see if anyone actually read this and they both passed!)
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), Watford V PNE (PM) :-)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: rest (circumstances were against me!)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 19 mile Grizzly
Totals:
Training sessions: 1 running, 1 circuits
Total milage: 19
Well, I am not commenting on this, a rubbish week but the Grizzly went well. I might write about that later.
Also, I will delve into my book of knowledge to see what it says about long slow runs and physiological adaptations as I saw both CMJ and Secret Squirrel commented on their blogs (it was a test to see if anyone actually read this and they both passed!)
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Mapmyrun
Does anyone use mapmyrun? It is a very cool site where you can measure, save and store running routes, dead simple.
Anyway, I have created a North Herts Road Runners group so we can share routes with each other, the URL is http://www.mapmyrun.com/community/groups/742848129 and if you have an account already you can join the group...so come and join me!
Anyway, I have created a North Herts Road Runners group so we can share routes with each other, the URL is http://www.mapmyrun.com/community/groups/742848129 and if you have an account already you can join the group...so come and join me!
Longest Run and Second Longest Run
I thought I'd share with you some useful thoughts from a book entitled Road Racing for Serious Runners (Pfitzinger/Douglas) kindly given to me by Karen (the title still makes me giggle,
I am not exactly serious).
Anyway, for some reason I was flicking through the marathon section and I spotted 2 things that I knew but it was nice to have reinforced:
1. Longest Run - Remember long runs aren't jogs. To stimulate the physiological adaptations that are crucial to marathon success (e.g. increased capillary density and increased glycogen storage), do your long runs 0.45 to 1:30 per mile slower than your marathon pace.
I think we are all guilty of running our long runs too quick and in fact running slowly is actually really hard, even for me...
2. Second Longest Run - The purpose of the 2LR is to reinforce the training adaptations of the long runs. They should increase in distance in a similar pattern to the long run and should be run at a similar pace to the long run.
And finally, if you miss an important session, don't try to make it up. If circumstances dictate that you end up beng behind schedule in a week, don't run several hard sessions in a row to make up for it. If you do, the workout quality will be reduced and you are more likely to get injured. Instead, focus on the most important sessions...what are those? Well, it's late now so I will share that information at a later date!
And yes, I know, I am often to be witnessed falling into the pitfalls above...do as I say and not as I do?
I am not exactly serious).
Anyway, for some reason I was flicking through the marathon section and I spotted 2 things that I knew but it was nice to have reinforced:
1. Longest Run - Remember long runs aren't jogs. To stimulate the physiological adaptations that are crucial to marathon success (e.g. increased capillary density and increased glycogen storage), do your long runs 0.45 to 1:30 per mile slower than your marathon pace.
I think we are all guilty of running our long runs too quick and in fact running slowly is actually really hard, even for me...
2. Second Longest Run - The purpose of the 2LR is to reinforce the training adaptations of the long runs. They should increase in distance in a similar pattern to the long run and should be run at a similar pace to the long run.
And finally, if you miss an important session, don't try to make it up. If circumstances dictate that you end up beng behind schedule in a week, don't run several hard sessions in a row to make up for it. If you do, the workout quality will be reduced and you are more likely to get injured. Instead, focus on the most important sessions...what are those? Well, it's late now so I will share that information at a later date!
And yes, I know, I am often to be witnessed falling into the pitfalls above...do as I say and not as I do?
Tuesday 4 March 2008
Long run thoughts
This week's long run was an interesting exercise to say the least. This week's training had gone a lot better (due to my new illuminous yellow socks of course) so I was feeling confident. However, I didn't make my life any easier as on Saturday I did a 6 mile run followed by a Bootcamp training session at the gym. What is bootcamp I hear you say? it's a tough old class at the gym which basically consists of loads of lunges, situps, press ups, boxing (I like punching Gary) and other silly stuff with lots of loud shouting and music! Anyway, predictably I always ache afterwards (usually for a number of days!) so doing this class isn't the most sensible thing I have ever done in my life.
Anyway, I set off on Sunday with an aim of running 18 miles or so but by the time I had got to Preston (4 miles) I realised that this was going to be a long old day. I changed my initial route to cut out some of the hills (good job I know the roads round this neck of the woods so well after all this training!) and I struggled on. It was a lovely day, lovely weather although the wind was a pain and after a while it started getting really chilly in the wind.
After Preston I went towards Great Offley, New Wellbury Farm, Pirton and a roundabout route back. It was so very hard, by the time I had done 10 miles I was pretty tired and I really struggled round the rest of my route. But mind over matter, I forced myself to get as far as 17 when I could have cut it short at so many other points (the downside to knowing the roads so well!) By the time I got home I was so incredibly tired and achey and had started to get a weird niggle in the back of my right leg (fingers and toes crossed on that one).
So, how do I feel about this run? 17 miles in 3:10 is pretty dire really and it wasn't as far as I wanted to go. On the plus side, I stuck in there and had loads of time on my feet. I guess we shall see...
Anyway, I set off on Sunday with an aim of running 18 miles or so but by the time I had got to Preston (4 miles) I realised that this was going to be a long old day. I changed my initial route to cut out some of the hills (good job I know the roads round this neck of the woods so well after all this training!) and I struggled on. It was a lovely day, lovely weather although the wind was a pain and after a while it started getting really chilly in the wind.
After Preston I went towards Great Offley, New Wellbury Farm, Pirton and a roundabout route back. It was so very hard, by the time I had done 10 miles I was pretty tired and I really struggled round the rest of my route. But mind over matter, I forced myself to get as far as 17 when I could have cut it short at so many other points (the downside to knowing the roads so well!) By the time I got home I was so incredibly tired and achey and had started to get a weird niggle in the back of my right leg (fingers and toes crossed on that one).
So, how do I feel about this run? 17 miles in 3:10 is pretty dire really and it wasn't as far as I wanted to go. On the plus side, I stuck in there and had loads of time on my feet. I guess we shall see...
Training week ending 2 March
This week's training:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 6 miles (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), Hitchin Hills (pm) (around 4 miles)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 6 miles (am), Bootcamp class at the gym (pm)
Sunday: 17 miles (but in 3:10, more to come about that!)
Totals:
Training sessions: 4 running, 2 circuits, 1 bootcamp
Total milage: 33
Verdict: definite improvement but still more improvement to be had!
Monday: rest
Tuesday: circuits (am), 6 miles (pm)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: circuits (am), Hitchin Hills (pm) (around 4 miles)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 6 miles (am), Bootcamp class at the gym (pm)
Sunday: 17 miles (but in 3:10, more to come about that!)
Totals:
Training sessions: 4 running, 2 circuits, 1 bootcamp
Total milage: 33
Verdict: definite improvement but still more improvement to be had!
Sunday 2 March 2008
Wasting time before going on a long run
It's Sunday morning and I am due to go out for a long run...amazingly this week's training has gone pretty well so I am not dreading it as much as I sometimes do but I haven't quite got round to getting out there yet! I've got a few stalling tactics: lounging in bed, putting some washing on and then needing to wait until it is finished (and yes Gary, I know I hardly ever do any of the washing!), watching Match of the Day, writing this blog, checking out facebook...anyway, I really should get going as it'll be a while before I get back!
As I said above, this week's training has gone pretty well. I was pleased with last week's long run and I've done 3 runs since then. This upturn in form has coincided with a new pair of trainers as the air in my last pair started to make a funny noise last week and my investment in some bright yellow socks so I am sure my slight form improvement is down to that! Also, I think writing this blog has shamed me into doing some training!
And finally, Secret Squirrel mentioned in her blog about how she finds rest days hard. I have to admit I don't! As long as I am over the guilt thing (which by now I really should be!) I am more than able to enjoy a rest day or 3 every week.
As I said above, this week's training has gone pretty well. I was pleased with last week's long run and I've done 3 runs since then. This upturn in form has coincided with a new pair of trainers as the air in my last pair started to make a funny noise last week and my investment in some bright yellow socks so I am sure my slight form improvement is down to that! Also, I think writing this blog has shamed me into doing some training!
And finally, Secret Squirrel mentioned in her blog about how she finds rest days hard. I have to admit I don't! As long as I am over the guilt thing (which by now I really should be!) I am more than able to enjoy a rest day or 3 every week.
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