After Thursday’s successful long run I was looking forward to 10 easy miles on Friday. My legs deserved some recovery effort and I kept the pace easy. Despite this, I ran a bit faster than it felt. Most of my recent easy runs were around 8:30 pace, but Thursday's was at 8:12. I think this was due to the reduced mileage of this week, an 80-week mile just feels so much easier when you’ve put in a few 100s and 90s. I wanted to cut back the mileage a few weeks ago, but it took a while to change my mindset, and I think I’ve finally cracked it. I expect the next few weeks to be all around 80 mpw, and then the taper will start.
What I wasn’t looking forward to was Saturday’s hill repeats. It was the last session of hill repeats of my hill phase, and after all my moaning and bitching about hills this couldn’t end soon enough. The original plan was to keep one hill session per week going all the way to the taper, but I got so fed up with those drills that I changed my mind. However, Saturday went really well. I think the main difference was the fact that I hadn’t done a hill session for 4 days. Monday was the 4th day of hills in 7 days, and, in retrospect, that was too much. My legs (and my mind) just didn’t recover in time for the next workout. But after 4 days of a different schedule they felt good again, and the hills didn’t tax me unduly. I guess I’ve just learned a lesson. I’ve now gone back to the original idea of keeping one day of hill repeats going for the next few weeks.
With the marathon 7 weeks away, I’m now starting my next phase. I don’t want to call it the anaerobic phase because there will be little anaerobic running. I could call it “speed phase” but that sounds a bit silly. I tried to do an “exchange workout” of 4x0.75 miles slow/fast/slow/fast. Originally I thought the fast sections should be 7:00 pace and the faster ones 6:30, but Mike has corrected me since. Apparently the slow sections should be marathon pace and the fast ones “as fast as you can while running controlled”, which could mean around 10k pace, I guess. After 5 easy miles I set off, and since I don’t have a track I did it on a 1.5 mile section of the road towards the school. I ran MP to where I thought the halfway point was, then accelerated for the second section, turned around for another bit of MP (which felt really slow after that faster part) to crank it up again after the supposed halfway point. That last section was tough, and towards the end there was no way I could describe the effort as “controlled”, it was simply as fast as I could run on my increasingly tired legs. I stopped afterwards and checked how quickly my heart rate would go down. It took 73 second to come down from 177 to 120, and another 22 to drop to 110. I haven’t got anything to compare them to yet, but will keep an eye on these numbers on future workouts. I was really pleased with myself immediately after the run, but when I checked the lap times on my stopwatch afterwards, I was in for a surprise. The times for the 4 sections were 5:30, 4:35, 4:51 and 4:56, and since there is no way that the third section was faster than the fourth it follows that the supposed halfway point was off by a significant margin, and I felt like a complete mug. I guess from a workout point it’s not such a big deal; I did the work and hopefully the body will take something from it. But next time I’ll probably run it back-and forwards 4 times on the Ard-na-Sidhe road. I have the option of running either 4x0.75 or 4x1 mile, and while the measurements aren’t exact, they should be reasonable accurate. It will mean turning around 3 times rather than once, but at least it will ensure that all segments are of equal distance.
I got a very disappointing email yesterday, the 10k race that was supposed to take place next Saturday in Killorglin was cancelled. Actually it was moved to 22 September, and since Niamh’s brother will get married on that day in Dublin I can’t possibly make it (strictly speaking I could, but Niamh would kill me. Really. She would. And I couldn’t even blame her. So I won’t.) I had hopes of another win, but even more so I was looking forward to the chance of lowering my PR, which will now not be happening. My next race, and the only one before the marathon, will be the half-marathon in Blarney on 9 September, 3 weeks from now. I’m very much looking forward to that, especially after that cancellation.
17 Aug: 10 miles, 1:22:08, 8:12 pace, avg. HR 139
18 Aug: 4 hill repeats, 1:41:55, ~11 miles, avg. HR 145
19 Aug: 9 miles, 1:10:25 7:49 pace, with 3 miles MP/fast/MP/fast in 19:52
Weekly mileage: 81
That is a bummer about the shifting of race date - they could lose a lot of people with that. I have to agree though, the wedding is way more important than the race, and you are a wise runner to realize that.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when the marathon was. The half-marathon will be a good test and indicator of where your fitness level is at. You certainly have been doing the work and I imagine a big payoff is due. Enjoy the "lower" mileage.
ReplyDeleteThat really blows about the change in 10k race date! So the marathon race must be in October? I'd say you're well on your way to a new PR.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the speed phase (or whatever you choose to call it), this should be fun after the hills.
ReplyDeleteThomas, looks like we'll be running the Blarney Marathon together - well at least until the gun goes off.
ReplyDeleteI have never run it before but it should be flatter than the Bantry course. PR's on the cards I'd say.
You're right about the out and back Thomas I thought about it after I wrote my blog I did it 3 days in a row. But unfortunately I was'nt thinking like that on Sunday and would you believe I would have finish way before the 11:00 check out of the hotel!!! I lose because I wasn't thinking!! I'll have a chance at it next Sunday.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the 10k and I think the half will be good at that point. Yes I agree Niamh would kill you if you tried to race on her brothers wedding day!!
Would you please send me some that mojo speed you have I could use it!!!
You are going to blow that BQ out of the water!!!
I find your training exhilarating and can't wait to see how it pans out with your upcoming races.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about 80 mile weeks feeling so much easier. I'm finding 60 miles hard after moving up from 45 or so. Maybe a period at 70 will make the 60s seem easier.
ReplyDeleteYou could always do your own 10k race - a serious 10k time trial run at race pace.
Still running fast, heh? Whenever I come visit, I am blown away with your focus on real work.
ReplyDeleteNobody still knows exactly what happened at Waldo, and in general things like that happen often in trail ultras. I think in this case it was a biggest bummer for money-running elites, but all survived:)