So, an easy week of running was ordered up to,
a) give me a much needed rest from hard week on week training, and
b) allow me to go into the Buttermere race a bit fresher than I otherwise would be.
Normal week This week
Monday Easy 6-8 miles with the Milly group Exactly the same - easy run good craic
Tuesday Track 4x1200m 5:15 pace 3x one mile 5:35 pace
Wednesday 90 mins+ easy offroad 60 mins VERY easy offroad
Thursday 75 mins fast run with Plucky Met Plucky mid run for 5 miles effort
Friday Nothing Nothing
Saturday XC Race or hard or long run Fellwalk/dogwalk
Sunday medium effort in Gelt Buttermere round 21 mile race
Friday, February 10, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Nice Sun good run
This last week has been incredibly cold. Each frosty day we have heard forecasts of snow coming. I hoped it wouldn't come, to the city at least, as a covering would create issues regarding my planned running.
I awoke early on Saturday and was mighty relieved to see everything was the same colour as normal, not white.
Before training I walked Scamp. I had noted a glorious sky full of reds and orange so took the camera along. As we waited on the higher ground in the park for the sun to rise I struggled to stay warm. Mere seconds without a gloved hand and fingers were numb and useless - hardly the best conditions for operating a camera but I was pleased to have persevered when rising from behind the Pennines, we caught glimpse of the very first tiny arc of that which keeps us alive.....
Back home I wondered what to wear for my run. It must have been at least 5 degC below freezing and there was a stiff breeze too. I opted for one compression top and a gilet, figuring when I got too hot I could zip the gilet down. I also wore gloves and a hat - not normally needed on faster paced runs, but I'm pleased I did as I was never too hot. I hadn't wore tights as they always rub uncomfortably and need pulled up often, so my skinny little legs turned three shades of pink before finally going red. I noted several people looking at me like I was simple being out in shorts in this weather, but I didn't feel cold in the least as my muscles were working hard throughout the run.
Because next weeks 21 mile Buttermere event will be my longest run, and also it being a race, I was happy to drop the mileage today from 14 of late to just 12. I also promised myself o stick to 6:30 pace. I did beat the pace target but only by 3 sec/mile. It can be hard to gauge how much to back off when the wind is on your back and 6:10 feels easy.
Earlier in the week I had remained feeling tired so by Thursday was tempted to bin off the training altogether. I gave myself a talking to and headed out to meet Plucky en route rather than run with him from his house. This meant I could choose my pace until we met and, more importantly, I could choose when to say bye bye and jog home. Just as well I did because John Hoare was along for the ride. John is a very good triathlete. He beat me (just) at the Langdale 10k before Christmas so he MUST be good!
Their time for the run was 2 mins quicker than I had done with Plucky one week earlier and Plucky was dropped about a mile after I'd left them. Too fast really. During the 5 miles I ran with them on Thursday I was under pressure from Johns lead pace, hanging off by a couple of metres at times. By my reckoning the Thursday run is probably more effort than my 12 miler today which means we are almost certainly well inside 6:30 pace. And for 75 minutes, this makes it a very tough midweek workday training session.
(Great Mell fell is quite small, but walking up it at dinner time to take photos of a snow capped Blencathra probably didn't help me much either)
Friday was my only rest day, though tomorrow (Sunday) I will be running for pure enjoyment. Mind you, if the most pleasure I can gain from a run is by hammering myself to drop Plucky then my day may not be as easy as I'm imagining it to be.
I awoke early on Saturday and was mighty relieved to see everything was the same colour as normal, not white.
Before training I walked Scamp. I had noted a glorious sky full of reds and orange so took the camera along. As we waited on the higher ground in the park for the sun to rise I struggled to stay warm. Mere seconds without a gloved hand and fingers were numb and useless - hardly the best conditions for operating a camera but I was pleased to have persevered when rising from behind the Pennines, we caught glimpse of the very first tiny arc of that which keeps us alive.....
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| Proof I was out and about before sunrise |
Back home I wondered what to wear for my run. It must have been at least 5 degC below freezing and there was a stiff breeze too. I opted for one compression top and a gilet, figuring when I got too hot I could zip the gilet down. I also wore gloves and a hat - not normally needed on faster paced runs, but I'm pleased I did as I was never too hot. I hadn't wore tights as they always rub uncomfortably and need pulled up often, so my skinny little legs turned three shades of pink before finally going red. I noted several people looking at me like I was simple being out in shorts in this weather, but I didn't feel cold in the least as my muscles were working hard throughout the run.
Because next weeks 21 mile Buttermere event will be my longest run, and also it being a race, I was happy to drop the mileage today from 14 of late to just 12. I also promised myself o stick to 6:30 pace. I did beat the pace target but only by 3 sec/mile. It can be hard to gauge how much to back off when the wind is on your back and 6:10 feels easy.
Earlier in the week I had remained feeling tired so by Thursday was tempted to bin off the training altogether. I gave myself a talking to and headed out to meet Plucky en route rather than run with him from his house. This meant I could choose my pace until we met and, more importantly, I could choose when to say bye bye and jog home. Just as well I did because John Hoare was along for the ride. John is a very good triathlete. He beat me (just) at the Langdale 10k before Christmas so he MUST be good!
Their time for the run was 2 mins quicker than I had done with Plucky one week earlier and Plucky was dropped about a mile after I'd left them. Too fast really. During the 5 miles I ran with them on Thursday I was under pressure from Johns lead pace, hanging off by a couple of metres at times. By my reckoning the Thursday run is probably more effort than my 12 miler today which means we are almost certainly well inside 6:30 pace. And for 75 minutes, this makes it a very tough midweek workday training session.
(Great Mell fell is quite small, but walking up it at dinner time to take photos of a snow capped Blencathra probably didn't help me much either)
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| Me and Scamp - busy at work |
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| Another shot - ten seconds later - Who would have thought the sun could move so quick eh? |
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Great Stuff
A quite superb run tonight with young Scamp. The weather was cold and bright all day long and I was anticipating a pleasant offroad few miles in the late afternoon sun. For a change I opted to run along the Caldew instead of the Eden, which, from work is merely a few hundred yards of road then 5 miles of fields, tracks and trails to the village of Dalston. No real effort was being put into forward motion so it took 45 minutes to get to bridgend in Dalston. The route had been very muddy, very twisty and very steep in places and I didnt really want to return the same way as it would be getting dark, especially in the wooded areas. Luckily there is a very flat route back along the opposite side of the water, it even has a tarmac footpath all the way back to Carlisle (though I avoided using that wherever possible in favour of the field or river edge path).
We got back to where we began after 85 minutes but still had the two miles from work to home to run. Including a brief stop at Scamps favourite drinking hole under Eden bridge we'd done a 103 minute run and it still wasnt dark - Great.
Track night wasnt so great! 4 by 1200metres again should have been no problem considering I should really be doing miles, but my legs felt quite tired and jaded from the start and by the last rep I felt I was straining so I quit after two laps. Definitely in need of an easier period of training.
Monday I felt mentally tired from the weekends exertions and opted to run/jog/walk for an hour at 4pm with Scamp instead of waiting until 6mp to run with the Milly group.
We got back to where we began after 85 minutes but still had the two miles from work to home to run. Including a brief stop at Scamps favourite drinking hole under Eden bridge we'd done a 103 minute run and it still wasnt dark - Great.
Track night wasnt so great! 4 by 1200metres again should have been no problem considering I should really be doing miles, but my legs felt quite tired and jaded from the start and by the last rep I felt I was straining so I quit after two laps. Definitely in need of an easier period of training.
Monday I felt mentally tired from the weekends exertions and opted to run/jog/walk for an hour at 4pm with Scamp instead of waiting until 6mp to run with the Milly group.
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| Some more grate stuff |
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The wabbit weturneth
Indeed it has been another gweat weekend of wunning with 27 miles wan, and 7 of those were wacing.
The wace, sorry race, was the Northern Cross Country championship, held this year in Ponefract, around the racecourse. The course was more or less flat, the only hill to speak of was a long sloping aspect to the top half of the course which was neither hard to run up nor fast coming back down. The ground was firm grass all the way around the 4 kilometre lap. In places it was such good going it was like running on the road and only a very short section was muddy.
Whilst I can see that a big championship event like this needs a suitable course, and the compact nature of the Hyndburn course two weeks ago would perhaps have been unsuitable, the extreme mud,twists, hills etc of that location was very much a 'proper' cross country course and Pontefract was anything but!
The weather was quite superb for the whole day - bright sun warming our faces as we sat around (in coats) outside of the club gazebo.
The race itself went not too bad. I made a cautious start for fear of struggling toward the end of what was a longer than normal XC. Once into my stride on lap two I realised that due to the lack of slower sections or tough mud and hills, I was able to press on quite hard (as if in a road race) and be rewarded with a decent speed and so catching and passing a lot of runners. The third and final lap I pretty much held station and was 204th finisher from about 650 in the field. Border Harriers were 9th team - one place better than 2011, I was the sixth and final counter.
My legs felt jaded for the race. The first time I have had such heavy legs since the Derwentwater event last November. I knew that tired legs during a Saturday afternoon race were very unlikely to have recovered much by the next morning...
As I set off on my 20 miler I actually felt quite OK. The target was 7 pace and at one mile the clock showed 7:04, good pacing. Todays weather was similar to yesterday in that it was calm and cold, but no sun at all today. After 8 miles I collected a gel and a drink of juice which I had given to friends who live on the course and who kindly placed in a wee hideyhole to save me having to drive out there prior to running.
Thanks Gareth/Ali.
After 10 miles I was almost back in the city and merely 4 miles from home, but of course was turning back on myself for the 10 mile return leg. Immediately after the turn I had a short hill to climb - this REALLY made itself known in my legs and I slowed my pace until I reached the top. The next wee hill was at 14 miles and I eased up again for it but then the last 6 miles to home I found it very easy to cruise along at 6:45 - 6:50 per mile resulting in 6:54 overall for the full distance.
Due to this tough weekend I am planning to reduce tomorrows easy 7 road miles with Milly and his cronies to an hour on grass with Scamp.
The wace, sorry race, was the Northern Cross Country championship, held this year in Ponefract, around the racecourse. The course was more or less flat, the only hill to speak of was a long sloping aspect to the top half of the course which was neither hard to run up nor fast coming back down. The ground was firm grass all the way around the 4 kilometre lap. In places it was such good going it was like running on the road and only a very short section was muddy.
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| 11 minutes after the official sunrise we see it in Carlisle - Pesky Pennines |
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| Milly and Kev - seldom parted |
The race itself went not too bad. I made a cautious start for fear of struggling toward the end of what was a longer than normal XC. Once into my stride on lap two I realised that due to the lack of slower sections or tough mud and hills, I was able to press on quite hard (as if in a road race) and be rewarded with a decent speed and so catching and passing a lot of runners. The third and final lap I pretty much held station and was 204th finisher from about 650 in the field. Border Harriers were 9th team - one place better than 2011, I was the sixth and final counter.
My legs felt jaded for the race. The first time I have had such heavy legs since the Derwentwater event last November. I knew that tired legs during a Saturday afternoon race were very unlikely to have recovered much by the next morning...
As I set off on my 20 miler I actually felt quite OK. The target was 7 pace and at one mile the clock showed 7:04, good pacing. Todays weather was similar to yesterday in that it was calm and cold, but no sun at all today. After 8 miles I collected a gel and a drink of juice which I had given to friends who live on the course and who kindly placed in a wee hideyhole to save me having to drive out there prior to running.
Thanks Gareth/Ali.
After 10 miles I was almost back in the city and merely 4 miles from home, but of course was turning back on myself for the 10 mile return leg. Immediately after the turn I had a short hill to climb - this REALLY made itself known in my legs and I slowed my pace until I reached the top. The next wee hill was at 14 miles and I eased up again for it but then the last 6 miles to home I found it very easy to cruise along at 6:45 - 6:50 per mile resulting in 6:54 overall for the full distance.
Due to this tough weekend I am planning to reduce tomorrows easy 7 road miles with Milly and his cronies to an hour on grass with Scamp.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What do people do at 530?
I changed into my running gear at work, put my clothes, wallet and phone etc into the van for someone else to take home for me, and set off for my midweek-long-run at 4:03. Even with 10 minutes added to last weeks run, and a couple of minutes on top of that due to not being quite all the way home after 70, I was in the house by 5:20 - training finished, Scamp walked.
On the one hand its great to be finished, but now I'm at a loss what to do for the next couple of hours. If it was light I could chop some firewood or tidy the garden. What do that vast majority of people-who-get-home-soon-after-5-oclock-but-dont-go-training do?
One day earlier it was track night again. I was a little disappointed to find the club coach had us doing 1200m efforts instead of the 1600m of the previous two weeks. Had I known I might have considered doing miles on my own an hour sooner, as its quite a wait for me and I cant really just walk Scamp for the whole time - after an hour walking and climbing fences, down river banks etc I feel ready for a brief rest before then training hard.
My time for the 4, three lap reps was (min/mile pace in brackets)
3:54 (5:12)
3:48 (5:04)
3:52 (5:11)
3:54 (5:12)
Apart from that second one, I wasnt quite as close to the Milly group as last week. I felt quite tired for these and was pleased to be running a mile less than last week. Next week will be 1200s again so I might stay away from the track and get out at 4pm and do 4x1mile then walk/jog with Scamp as a warm down
The day prior to that was an easy 45 mins with the lads and the day before that - Sunday- I had really enjoyable run round Gelt Woods with Plucky for 70 minutes.
Not recording how far I run (save from mentioning it here), I just added up the last couple of weeks in my head. 55-60 miles per week at present. Quite a lot for an old timer like me - I need to schedule an easy week soon, perhaps 5 days either side of the Buttermere race would be good, (though I know racing one of Britains toughest 20m+ events isn't exactly taking it easy).
On the one hand its great to be finished, but now I'm at a loss what to do for the next couple of hours. If it was light I could chop some firewood or tidy the garden. What do that vast majority of people-who-get-home-soon-after-5-oclock-but-dont-go-training do?
One day earlier it was track night again. I was a little disappointed to find the club coach had us doing 1200m efforts instead of the 1600m of the previous two weeks. Had I known I might have considered doing miles on my own an hour sooner, as its quite a wait for me and I cant really just walk Scamp for the whole time - after an hour walking and climbing fences, down river banks etc I feel ready for a brief rest before then training hard.
My time for the 4, three lap reps was (min/mile pace in brackets)
3:54 (5:12)
3:48 (5:04)
3:52 (5:11)
3:54 (5:12)
Apart from that second one, I wasnt quite as close to the Milly group as last week. I felt quite tired for these and was pleased to be running a mile less than last week. Next week will be 1200s again so I might stay away from the track and get out at 4pm and do 4x1mile then walk/jog with Scamp as a warm down
The day prior to that was an easy 45 mins with the lads and the day before that - Sunday- I had really enjoyable run round Gelt Woods with Plucky for 70 minutes.
Not recording how far I run (save from mentioning it here), I just added up the last couple of weeks in my head. 55-60 miles per week at present. Quite a lot for an old timer like me - I need to schedule an easy week soon, perhaps 5 days either side of the Buttermere race would be good, (though I know racing one of Britains toughest 20m+ events isn't exactly taking it easy).
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tough run
Well it didn't go as well as two weeks ago. 1hr 30mins 30secs for 14 miles is 6:28 per mile - four seconds per mile slower than last time!
The weather was similar, windy, but also some cold showers today too. Running with Darren from the start we ran a very metronomic 6:21 pace for those first 5 miles. In hindsight we should have been nearer 6:15 pace to gain a cushion against the headwind later on. Darren didn't turn with me at the 7 mile mark, he was only 3 miles from his house at that point and had always planned to leave me.
The first two miles of the return went well - 6:21 pace again. In fact, of the 7 miles return leg only about 2miles seemed a struggle against the wind. Unfortunately one of those was very exposed and into a really gusty direct headwind which dropped my pace to about 6:45!
Another half mile of that same headwind when I was on the cycle track that runs just inside a big open field again had me slowing. But then it was over and I could relax and jog the mile home. I know one minute slower is bugger all over 14 miles and I 'm not really disappointed, but when running well I kind of expect to get faster week upon week though I know that is not a realistic hope.
Looking back to 2010 and also last years entries for the Jan-March period revealed that I am currently running the mile reps significantly faster, the long slow runs a little faster, and the marathon pace runs a little slower.
My long runs are feeling very easy though, well inside 7 pace without having to press on at the end to any great degree. Mile rep times reveal speed/fitness/ability has increased which is obviously good, but counts for much less in a marathon than a 10k. and the marathon pace runs of 2 years ago, which were indeed fast at 6:20 pace, sometimes quicker, were only 6 - 8 miles in January, building up week on week.
Whilst I still haven't written up a schedule for what is now 13 weeks until the marathon, one thing I do need to do is write in my races and plan a couple of easy weeks within this three month spell of training - otherwise I will end up burnt out and too tired to train.
The weather was similar, windy, but also some cold showers today too. Running with Darren from the start we ran a very metronomic 6:21 pace for those first 5 miles. In hindsight we should have been nearer 6:15 pace to gain a cushion against the headwind later on. Darren didn't turn with me at the 7 mile mark, he was only 3 miles from his house at that point and had always planned to leave me.
The first two miles of the return went well - 6:21 pace again. In fact, of the 7 miles return leg only about 2miles seemed a struggle against the wind. Unfortunately one of those was very exposed and into a really gusty direct headwind which dropped my pace to about 6:45!
Another half mile of that same headwind when I was on the cycle track that runs just inside a big open field again had me slowing. But then it was over and I could relax and jog the mile home. I know one minute slower is bugger all over 14 miles and I 'm not really disappointed, but when running well I kind of expect to get faster week upon week though I know that is not a realistic hope.
Looking back to 2010 and also last years entries for the Jan-March period revealed that I am currently running the mile reps significantly faster, the long slow runs a little faster, and the marathon pace runs a little slower.
My long runs are feeling very easy though, well inside 7 pace without having to press on at the end to any great degree. Mile rep times reveal speed/fitness/ability has increased which is obviously good, but counts for much less in a marathon than a 10k. and the marathon pace runs of 2 years ago, which were indeed fast at 6:20 pace, sometimes quicker, were only 6 - 8 miles in January, building up week on week.
Whilst I still haven't written up a schedule for what is now 13 weeks until the marathon, one thing I do need to do is write in my races and plan a couple of easy weeks within this three month spell of training - otherwise I will end up burnt out and too tired to train.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Extra Extra read all about it
What an arduous run on Wednesday - NOT.
In time my midweek long run will be 90 minutes +, but I need to start somewhere and I figured 60 minutes would do. Offroad and in the dark means I am forced to take it much easier than if it were a road run but I am unconcerned about the pace and will be working on time only. Being able to do this run with Scamp I can get out by about 430pm and this means I am home and finished nice 'n early compared to most other training days. I might even start this run from work next week. It is still light at 4pm so I could do 75 minutes and be home by 515. Much as I love training I also love having finished training and lounging about snacking and napping.
Plucky is running three times per week and, with his biking a lot too, is keeping very fit. Despite being rather speedy myself these days, the run with him each Thursday is quite an effort. And the fact that he keeps upping the time (now at 70 minutes) makes it quite a decent spell of training.
Day off today. I need it with the 14mile tempo run coming up in the morning.
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| How fast could Scamp run a marathon? |
Plucky is running three times per week and, with his biking a lot too, is keeping very fit. Despite being rather speedy myself these days, the run with him each Thursday is quite an effort. And the fact that he keeps upping the time (now at 70 minutes) makes it quite a decent spell of training.
Day off today. I need it with the 14mile tempo run coming up in the morning.
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