Back from Cambridge this evening and off to Coventry on Thursday (via Aldi!!)
so what's been going on
Saturday
National XC Champs - Parliament Hill
Up at 6.00 to make sandwiches, get it all together and get teenbeanz organised
Off on the Club coach to London - a good bus full mostly teenagers and a few parents
Arrive in time for a good wander round before the first race
It's a glorious day, blue sky, scudding clouds and a cold northerly wind - not too bad if you are wrapped up well - a bit chilly when you are down to your vest and shorts to run!
I've never been here before and there are fantastic views across the London skyline.
Teenbeanz ran in the Under 17 race - 5 from the club first 4 to count. I saw them off at the start and then was walking over to cheer themon their first lap when one of them appeaed walking back to the club tent - a cold and asthma had got the better of him - so now teenbeanz would count! As he came in for the last ¼ mile there were runners behind him and I told him he was not counting - it gave him an extra impetus to keep going. And he finished well, with several behind; a definite improvement on last year - up an age group and further up the field :>)))
Down to the registration tent to look for the runners from my other club - Tigerrunner is snotty and hasn't come, so I go to meet the others and sort out numbers etc. They all turn up and we have a natter.
Now it's the men's race and I go down to the start to collect their warm gear and then we cheer them on - an awesome sight - over 1000 men charging up the hill!
At teh end of the races there is pub food before we go home - and very welcome after stanidn gup and walking all day. I had switched my garmin on in my rucksack at the start of the day and find I have walked a little over 6 miles during the day.
Sunday
Up early again to be in Cambridge for a 9.00 am meeting - a smooth journey wihtout incident i am in plenty of time.
The meeting goes on until after lunch and then I check in to the hotel. I plan to put my feet up for a while and then go for a plod - 3 hours later I wake up and its getting dark. And I don't plod :<( But I needed the sleep.
A good friend turns up for tomorrow's meeting so we go out for a drink and a bite to eat - so much better thanlast week's room serivce very night.
Monday
Up for a plod - hooray! It takes 20 minutes to start enjoying it but then I do and 3.2 miles done at 70-75% HR
Tuesday
Up early but decide to do the core strength stuff instead of plodding - and am surprised to discover that if I do it properly - strength and stretch it takes nearly 45 minutes.
Must do it more often.
and so home at last, if briefly
Tuesday, 28 February 2006
Friday, 24 February 2006
missing runs
mmm haven't blogged since Sunday
something to do with being feeble I think
anyway it went like this:
Sunday - ran early, meetings all day, work to do in the evening, late to bed
Monday - couldn't get up early to run, needed sleep; worked late into the evening
Tuesday - had to get up early to get early into the office to email work from Monday
Wednesday - at last the energy to get up and run - 2½ miles in 31:31 ok so not that far but it was 12:49 mm so quick for me
Thursday - snowing, so I was persuaded to go to the gym - so I could give the teenbeanzes a lift to school on the way - so cross-trainer and then tready 2½ miles done
Friday - and its long run day - more snow, cold wind but eventually I get myself out the door, snow has stopped and it is thawing slightly - though I cannot imgaine why, it is FREEZING
plod the first mile mostly downhill, but as soon as I reach an uphill bit my back aches - and this is the route that is best described as hilly - so with this back ache there is no way I am going to cope with all the hills an dI decide to turn back :<( and a pathetic 2 miles completed
back home I phone the phyzz who miraculously has had a cancellation and I have been down there for a prod - she agrees the back is tight and going into spasma and says that I need to do the core strength stuff more carefully and regularly
so that is me told
I MUST do it
tomorrow's another day
and its National XC Champs at Parliament Hills - is it a year since I met Ruth at the Brum races?
so teenbeanz is running and various other forumites - its looking to be a cold muddy day out
something to do with being feeble I think
anyway it went like this:
Sunday - ran early, meetings all day, work to do in the evening, late to bed
Monday - couldn't get up early to run, needed sleep; worked late into the evening
Tuesday - had to get up early to get early into the office to email work from Monday
Wednesday - at last the energy to get up and run - 2½ miles in 31:31 ok so not that far but it was 12:49 mm so quick for me
Thursday - snowing, so I was persuaded to go to the gym - so I could give the teenbeanzes a lift to school on the way - so cross-trainer and then tready 2½ miles done
Friday - and its long run day - more snow, cold wind but eventually I get myself out the door, snow has stopped and it is thawing slightly - though I cannot imgaine why, it is FREEZING
plod the first mile mostly downhill, but as soon as I reach an uphill bit my back aches - and this is the route that is best described as hilly - so with this back ache there is no way I am going to cope with all the hills an dI decide to turn back :<( and a pathetic 2 miles completed
back home I phone the phyzz who miraculously has had a cancellation and I have been down there for a prod - she agrees the back is tight and going into spasma and says that I need to do the core strength stuff more carefully and regularly
so that is me told
I MUST do it
tomorrow's another day
and its National XC Champs at Parliament Hills - is it a year since I met Ruth at the Brum races?
so teenbeanz is running and various other forumites - its looking to be a cold muddy day out
Sunday, 19 February 2006
Plodding on
Blogging by email this week so no fancy formatting or tables.
Saturday
After a lie-in and some work I made it out for a short plod in the park. Aimed for a steady run, not easy given some of the gradients. However I did keep going in the last half mile up the hill.
What: plod in the park
distance : 2.6 miles
Time:37:17
Pace: 14:34
AHR: 136
Sunday
In Cambridge and up in time to start the day with a plod. It's good to run on a level route again. It was time for a threshold run and I set the Garmin up :
5 mins @ 60% AHR
5 mins @ 70% AHR
2 mins @ 80%; 1 min @ 70%; x 5
5 mins @ 70% AHR
5 mins @ 60% AHR
It was hard work without TP Jackie to keep me going - but I managed at least 1.5 minutes of 80% in each rep. And as I wasn't back at the hotel by the end I plodded back at about 70%
Overall:
What: threshold run
distance : 3.2 miles
Time:40:40
Pace: 12:41
AHR: 139
MHR: 180
Fastest rep :10:15 mm for 2 minutes
Pretty pleased with the numbers.
Friday, 17 February 2006
struggling this week
plodded Tuesday
prodded Wednesday
travelled Thursday
worked Friday
now knackered with nothing to show for it
masseuse did a brilliant prod on Wednesday really hit the spots that made my shin sore - and, after some icing, it is sore no more :>))
however I should have done a long run with Ruth today, but didn't - coudln't make our diaries fit
and I have let the work pile up so didn't even go out on my own - at all
there's no wonder the teenbeanzes are struggling to finish all their coursework - I do nto set a good example and I am struggling too - too much time forumming, reading blogs and generally messing around
not enough work done each day to keep the deadlines at bay
so then I have to stay up late to finish things and am worn out next day
aagh!
still if I can get through the next 24 hours and get stuff done, it is off to Cambridge - stay in a hotel - plods before breakfast alternating threshold, base and recovery I think
and early nights
maybe I can recover some of my get up and go
and not get myself in this mess again
maybe
or maybe not ..................
prodded Wednesday
travelled Thursday
worked Friday
now knackered with nothing to show for it
masseuse did a brilliant prod on Wednesday really hit the spots that made my shin sore - and, after some icing, it is sore no more :>))
however I should have done a long run with Ruth today, but didn't - coudln't make our diaries fit
and I have let the work pile up so didn't even go out on my own - at all
there's no wonder the teenbeanzes are struggling to finish all their coursework - I do nto set a good example and I am struggling too - too much time forumming, reading blogs and generally messing around
not enough work done each day to keep the deadlines at bay
so then I have to stay up late to finish things and am worn out next day
aagh!
still if I can get through the next 24 hours and get stuff done, it is off to Cambridge - stay in a hotel - plods before breakfast alternating threshold, base and recovery I think
and early nights
maybe I can recover some of my get up and go
and not get myself in this mess again
maybe
or maybe not ..................
Tuesday, 14 February 2006
a plod in the park
what a great plod!
XB commented at the weekend how the Garmin liberates you to go off route and still have all the geeky (my word not his) numbers to look at afterwards
so off for a plod in the park - recovery run is the technical term
now it is not totally possible to keep your HR under control in my park but still I'll try
so a standard loop of the lake and field, listening to the birds thinking it's spring already
but still 20 minutes to do, so off across the golf course, just wandering in places I don't normally venture; some plodding, some walking up steep bits until eventually I get home
almost 44 minutes done, no tarmac and loads of fresh air
must do this more often!
and I realised that I could do my threshold runs around the lake where it is reasonably flat
the best bit?
seeing our retired GP walking her dog - she used to have two dodgy hips, but after two ops she is striding out across the golf course, like a woman half her age :>)
oh, numbers:
what: recovery run
where: the park
distance: 2.83 m
time: 44:42
pace: 15:47
AHR: 128
XB commented at the weekend how the Garmin liberates you to go off route and still have all the geeky (my word not his) numbers to look at afterwards
so off for a plod in the park - recovery run is the technical term
now it is not totally possible to keep your HR under control in my park but still I'll try
so a standard loop of the lake and field, listening to the birds thinking it's spring already
but still 20 minutes to do, so off across the golf course, just wandering in places I don't normally venture; some plodding, some walking up steep bits until eventually I get home
almost 44 minutes done, no tarmac and loads of fresh air
must do this more often!
and I realised that I could do my threshold runs around the lake where it is reasonably flat
the best bit?
seeing our retired GP walking her dog - she used to have two dodgy hips, but after two ops she is striding out across the golf course, like a woman half her age :>)
oh, numbers:
what: recovery run
where: the park
distance: 2.83 m
time: 44:42
pace: 15:47
AHR: 128
Monday, 13 February 2006
a new me?
Monday
later that day ...................
I have been doing the sugar free me challenge for 6 days now and enjoying the need to think before I eat only a few transgressions:
a glass of wine and a half of beer at TP (well the sugar has all been converted to alcohol hasn't it?)
and a home made bread roll left over from the weekend that was calling out to be toasted with some nice sharp fair trade marmalade
and has it had any effect?
no noticeable headaches, which some folk forecast - but then if not bingeing on sweet stuff which DID give me a headache I did not eat that much really
I HAVE been eating more fruit instead - so a good thing all round
and 1½lbs lost at WW this evening :>))
later that day ...................
I have been doing the sugar free me challenge for 6 days now and enjoying the need to think before I eat only a few transgressions:
a glass of wine and a half of beer at TP (well the sugar has all been converted to alcohol hasn't it?)
and a home made bread roll left over from the weekend that was calling out to be toasted with some nice sharp fair trade marmalade
and has it had any effect?
no noticeable headaches, which some folk forecast - but then if not bingeing on sweet stuff which DID give me a headache I did not eat that much really
I HAVE been eating more fruit instead - so a good thing all round
and 1½lbs lost at WW this evening :>))
Trailplus weekend
A great weekend again.
Lots of forumites - and, especially, lots of waisters, who really are the best friends you could ask for.
Friday
The drive down was enlivened by travelling with XB (driver), daffy and EF, and RB following and then meeting up with Pix at the services, so a convoy of three proceeded to the Forest of Dean.
It had been a hard week, so I passed on the evening run, knowing the legs would be doing plenty of work over the weekend.
The weekend consisted of a mixture of talks and practical sessions, with the aim of enabling you to put together a tranining programme to sut your needs. And as they work on time on feet, rather than distance run, the advice given can apply to everybody.
The people there were targeting everything from 2:30-2:45 times to 6 hours (me) - there were also people there who do not currently have a marathon on the horizon and some might never, but the advice was good for all runners, particularly endurance runners.
Saturday
So an early morning pre-breakfast 'recovery' run to get the metabolism going and theoretically raise your metabolism for the rest of the day - and help fat burning (sounds good to me)
A talk on the elements of an endurance programme:
Sunday: long run at 65-75% MRH
Monday: Rest or Recovery run (40 minutes @ 60-65%) or cross train 60 minutes
Tuesday: Kenyan Hills - steady up and down starting with 20s up and 10 reps and then increasing length and reps
Wednesday: Rest or Recovery or cross train
Thursday: Threshold run at 80-85%
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: Fartlek/marathon pace run/threshold run
have a step back week every fourth week, build up slowly, include plenty of stretching and core strength
every session starts with a warm up walk and jog for 10 minutes and warm down jog at the end
Then out to practice threshold running - splitting into groups our plodders group did 5 x 2 minutes at 80% HR - looks good on the garmin data!
shower and lunch
digest lunch whilst listening to a talk on nutrition - nothing new really, just reinforcing good habits
out to practice Kenyan Hills - which are not several reps of Mount Kilimanjaro but steady running up and down hills, rather than traditional eyeballs out stuff
the hill looked much like my killer hill that goes on for a mile! I cannot imagine doing reps up and down the A6 though
and back for a practical session on stretching
and a talk on personal training plans
and a good dinner - unless you were a garlic-hating vegetarian!
Sunday
no early run so breakfast then a talk about the long run - and a clearly stated belief that no one should be doing more than 3 hours running in training - more marathons are ruined by peaking with a long run that is not is done too hard and does not allow time for recovery
so on this theory I crashed at mile 18 because I ran 18 miles in 4 hours with Ruth three weeks out, not because I did not run 20 miles
so having ignored the advice last year to not run more than 3 hours, this year I am going to take it!
and then the long run - out for 1:38 , lots of pauses to regroup; some walking because our legs were feeling the effects of threshold and hills, we had a lovely damp morning in the forest
a final shower, lunch and then a talk about tapering and The Last Week - how to run perfect marathons!
and its time to go home
a great weekend - 13 miles plodded, some of it quickly!
and a new schedule sorted
Lots of forumites - and, especially, lots of waisters, who really are the best friends you could ask for.
Friday
The drive down was enlivened by travelling with XB (driver), daffy and EF, and RB following and then meeting up with Pix at the services, so a convoy of three proceeded to the Forest of Dean.
It had been a hard week, so I passed on the evening run, knowing the legs would be doing plenty of work over the weekend.
The weekend consisted of a mixture of talks and practical sessions, with the aim of enabling you to put together a tranining programme to sut your needs. And as they work on time on feet, rather than distance run, the advice given can apply to everybody.
The people there were targeting everything from 2:30-2:45 times to 6 hours (me) - there were also people there who do not currently have a marathon on the horizon and some might never, but the advice was good for all runners, particularly endurance runners.
Saturday
So an early morning pre-breakfast 'recovery' run to get the metabolism going and theoretically raise your metabolism for the rest of the day - and help fat burning (sounds good to me)
A talk on the elements of an endurance programme:
Sunday: long run at 65-75% MRH
Monday: Rest or Recovery run (40 minutes @ 60-65%) or cross train 60 minutes
Tuesday: Kenyan Hills - steady up and down starting with 20s up and 10 reps and then increasing length and reps
Wednesday: Rest or Recovery or cross train
Thursday: Threshold run at 80-85%
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: Fartlek/marathon pace run/threshold run
have a step back week every fourth week, build up slowly, include plenty of stretching and core strength
every session starts with a warm up walk and jog for 10 minutes and warm down jog at the end
Then out to practice threshold running - splitting into groups our plodders group did 5 x 2 minutes at 80% HR - looks good on the garmin data!
shower and lunch
digest lunch whilst listening to a talk on nutrition - nothing new really, just reinforcing good habits
out to practice Kenyan Hills - which are not several reps of Mount Kilimanjaro but steady running up and down hills, rather than traditional eyeballs out stuff
the hill looked much like my killer hill that goes on for a mile! I cannot imagine doing reps up and down the A6 though
and back for a practical session on stretching
and a talk on personal training plans
and a good dinner - unless you were a garlic-hating vegetarian!
Sunday
no early run so breakfast then a talk about the long run - and a clearly stated belief that no one should be doing more than 3 hours running in training - more marathons are ruined by peaking with a long run that is not is done too hard and does not allow time for recovery
so on this theory I crashed at mile 18 because I ran 18 miles in 4 hours with Ruth three weeks out, not because I did not run 20 miles
so having ignored the advice last year to not run more than 3 hours, this year I am going to take it!
and then the long run - out for 1:38 , lots of pauses to regroup; some walking because our legs were feeling the effects of threshold and hills, we had a lovely damp morning in the forest
a final shower, lunch and then a talk about tapering and The Last Week - how to run perfect marathons!
and its time to go home
a great weekend - 13 miles plodded, some of it quickly!
and a new schedule sorted
Thursday, 9 February 2006
Good Wednesday
A good day
- another pound gone missing at WW - some progress at last on that front
- a good run at the club - 3 miles, no walking and my best ever time for the route (by 3½ minutes) - including several roads to cross
what: 3.2 miles
pace: 12:50 mm
AHR: 148
- sugarfreeme - stuck with it all day and feel better for it
Monday, 6 February 2006
running longer
long run day and the traget is 14 miles at less than 14 mmm overall.
This will be the longest run since FLM05
After an early start, porage and seeing everyone off to school/work I had time to mark a few scripts before setting out.
I decided to pursue my water + glucose tablets regimne and see if it will be ok.
The weather is as it has been for days - grey - but at least not too cold and it is dry.
The route is my nearly9 mile route plus my nearly6 mile route, without actually coming right home. As the 6 miles is a sort of subset of the 9, this will involve most of killer hill twice, but that is difficult to avoid starting from home.
Usual tight calves for the first few miles, together with a slightly sore shin, but nothing to worry about once I was warmed up - about 3 miles!!
I'm getting to know the out route better now and there is enough traffic and other people about to feel safe but much better than all main road.
Passing a field of sheep I spotted the first lambs I've seen this year - it was quite cold so they were all snuggled up with their mums.
Coming up killer hill for the first time my back was really aching and there was a slight temptation to cut this short and come home, rather than start the second loop, but I gritted my teeth, thought of my waister pals and on I went.
This was a tough few miles - I struggled to run at all on some of the upwards bits and parts were miserable, but then I'd come to a level bit and find myself plodding along at 13:20 pace again!
When I arrived at Killer Hill the second time I remembered Highway Kind's advice from a year ago and just used the walk as a warm down and didn't even attempt to run it.
So its done!
This will be the longest run since FLM05
After an early start, porage and seeing everyone off to school/work I had time to mark a few scripts before setting out.
I decided to pursue my water + glucose tablets regimne and see if it will be ok.
The weather is as it has been for days - grey - but at least not too cold and it is dry.
The route is my nearly9 mile route plus my nearly6 mile route, without actually coming right home. As the 6 miles is a sort of subset of the 9, this will involve most of killer hill twice, but that is difficult to avoid starting from home.
Usual tight calves for the first few miles, together with a slightly sore shin, but nothing to worry about once I was warmed up - about 3 miles!!
I'm getting to know the out route better now and there is enough traffic and other people about to feel safe but much better than all main road.
Passing a field of sheep I spotted the first lambs I've seen this year - it was quite cold so they were all snuggled up with their mums.
Coming up killer hill for the first time my back was really aching and there was a slight temptation to cut this short and come home, rather than start the second loop, but I gritted my teeth, thought of my waister pals and on I went.
This was a tough few miles - I struggled to run at all on some of the upwards bits and parts were miserable, but then I'd come to a level bit and find myself plodding along at 13:20 pace again!
When I arrived at Killer Hill the second time I remembered Highway Kind's advice from a year ago and just used the walk as a warm down and didn't even attempt to run it.
So its done!
| Mile | Pace | AHR | |
| 1 | 12:41 | 131 | downhill |
| 2 | 13:23 | 133 | stretching |
| 3 | 14:14 | 133 | more stretching |
| 4 | 14:31 | 134 | uphill |
| 5 | 13:00 | 136 | feeling good |
| 6 | 13:09 | 135 | |
| 7 | 13:06 | 137 | stopped watch to buy water |
| 8 | 13:17 | 138 | killer hill first time |
| 9 | 14:04 | 134 | back on the second loop |
| 10 | 13:53 | 134 | not so quick this time! |
| 11 | 14:23 | 135 | back aching really struggling |
| 12 | 13:56 | 133 | |
| 13 | 14:17 | 134 | |
| 0.97 | 16:33 | 126 | walked most of killer hill |
| 13.97 | 13:53 | 134 | 3:14:01 |
Wednesday, 1 February 2006
a good day
Starting with WW and weigh in - lost 2 lbs this week - getting intot he groove at last.
Mrbeanz had the day off so after he had been to the phyzz with his sore calf (torn muscle) we went out for lunch - a very rare event as we never seem to be at home together on a weekday when the teenbeanzes are at school. So we went to the pub around the corner and had a pensioners' lunch - bargain week day lunches - the few other people in there were all much greyer haired than us! It had much improved since last time we went, must go again some time.
And then club run this evening - was cold probably around about 0C - has not crept much above that today.
Just a couple of miles as it was sooo cold, and we had our beginner with us; but they were good miles:
distance: 2.04 miles
time: 26:26 minutes
pace: 12:57 mm
AHR: 144
Rest day tomorrow - working away tomorrow.
Mrbeanz had the day off so after he had been to the phyzz with his sore calf (torn muscle) we went out for lunch - a very rare event as we never seem to be at home together on a weekday when the teenbeanzes are at school. So we went to the pub around the corner and had a pensioners' lunch - bargain week day lunches - the few other people in there were all much greyer haired than us! It had much improved since last time we went, must go again some time.
And then club run this evening - was cold probably around about 0C - has not crept much above that today.
Just a couple of miles as it was sooo cold, and we had our beginner with us; but they were good miles:
distance: 2.04 miles
time: 26:26 minutes
pace: 12:57 mm
AHR: 144
Rest day tomorrow - working away tomorrow.
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