Monday 28 February 2005

rest day

thansk for all the encouragment guys - it really helps

now have two teenbeanzes on holiday for 2 weeks - they operate a 5 term year so this holiday is out of step

so a swim this morning with the teenbeanzes, cut short because there was an aquarobics class going on - which was very noisy and made us all short tempered

then walked to WW and back this evening for an extra 20 minutes exercise

club night tomorrow and then back to Cambridge for Wednesday

Sunday 27 February 2005

its hard

it was hard today

aimed to go out for 3 hours - as the get you round schedule - and decided to run 12 minutes walk 1 as I hope to run a mile walk a minutes at FLM;

went out ok, though there was a cold wind into my face on the way out, at least the sun was shining

coming back was not too bad, though there were snow flurries for a few miles, but nothing settled

then cam ehte grind home and I just could not keep going. the last 1½ miles is all uphill and at the end of that run my legs did not want to run, so it was run 1 minute walk 2 by the end!

still I did it - longest time yet on my feet and would have been quicker on the flat, so sub 6 hours is on.


where: road
what: 13.7 miles
time: 3:04:34
pace: 13.5 mm
AHR: 135

tomorrow - swim with the teenbeanzes who are on holiday

24.75 miles this week
70.45 miles in February

Saturday 26 February 2005

home at last

arrived home this evening after a brief visit to my brother, and a rare chance to meet up with our sister who was on a flying visit.

great to see them both

managed my one hour run yesterday and looking forward (??) to a three hour run tomorrow!

Thursday 24 February 2005

Running flat

I cannot believe how much easier running is on the flat.

Out again this morning in Cambridge and it was so good to plod along at 70-75% without having to slow/walk for hills.

Still no proper snow here.

All those of us training in undulating country (or worse, Aim High?) should find London a pleasant change.

Where: on the road
What: 3.6 m
Time: 40:05
Pace: 11.3 mm
AHR 136

tomorrow : an hour on the road.

Tuesday 22 February 2005

running in Cambridge

The good thing about running in Cambridge is that it is flat!
The bad thing is that many of the pavements are very hard concrete or stone.

However I have found a route from the hotel that is boringly out and back but is a tarmac footpath.

So out early this morning, after snow last night which did not stick on the paths - a good plod.

Distance approximate, from map, but it did feel good.

Where: on the road on Cambridge
What: 3.4 miles
Time: 43:03
Pace: 12.5 mm
AHR : 136

Sunday 20 February 2005

back on the road

first long run on the road since BM in January and it felt hard in places

bright sunny, with cold wind from the North - in my face on the way out

some back ache on the uphill bits on the return journey - at least hills will not be a problem at FLM

ran it at 70-75% HR - which turned out to be about the projected marathon pace, so that is looking hopeful


where: road
what: 12 miles
time: 2:42:00
pace: 13.4 mm
AHR: 136
tomorrow: swim if time

Saturday 19 February 2005

Nationals!

What a greta day out - very cold at times but a fantastic event.

I am talkling about the National XC Champs at Cofton park.

Runningteenbeanz ran in the first race - and was not last, so mission accomplished.

Then we had lots of other club runners to cheer on.

In addition there was the bonus of forumties running too.

Met up with hippo, deliberately and then also met Tigger's friend Roo and we played hunt the forumite in teh men's race.

Spotted and cheered on Barnsley Runner, Fell Liker and Johnny J and met BR at the end too.

Great day - walked about 5 km and am now worn out!

Off to bed - need to run for 2:40 tomorrow - hope it does not snow.

Friday 18 February 2005

International athletes

No, not us!

Back from the NIA where we watched some great athletics - including Kelly Holmes of course.

Great Russian pole vaulters - remember them from Athens?

Kluft and Sotherton battling it out in long jump and hurdles - Kluft 2 Sotherton 0

And more.


Oh and me?

decided against threshold on the tready - had run 2 days on the trot and did not want to tempt fate.

So did 30 minutes on the X-trainer and then some resistance work.


where: gym
what: cross trainer + resistance
time: 70:00 total
pace: n/a
AHR: 120

Thursday 17 February 2005

back in the groove

Been working away from home for three days, but seem to be back in the groove of running - thanks to Trailplus.

Ran on Wednesday morning - first run since TP, just ran round and round Parker's Piece until my time as up.

Wednesday evening mrbeanz told me my pic was in the paper, but don't seem to have a way of showing it here.

This evening been to the club - lots of folk had seen the article and pic. managed a run around hte field - not so far as I planned as teenbeanz was waiting - he had a short session because he is running in the National XC on Saturday.


Wednesday
where: Cambridge
what: 2.6 miles
time: 38:00
pace: 14.5 mm
AHR: 134

Thursday
where: club field - very soggy!
what: 2.5 miles
time: 36:57
pace: 14.8 mm

Tomorrow: gym - threshold session
AHR: 134

Monday 14 February 2005

posing!

So today was a rest day - needed after the weekend.

But the local paper phoned for an interview for their feature on FLM 25. Tried to encourage them to contact the Club and the other members with places -but they wanted "real people"!!

And then they sent round the photographer - lucky my black kit was washed and dried! Photographer

He did lots of shots of beanz posing as a runner Running- we'll see whether he kept far enough away!

Since had a series of governors meetings and am now shattered.

Have to go to Cambridge tomorrow - 5.00 am train, so need to get my act together and get to bed.

Away until Thursday, so need to take kit too and try and fit in a run or two.





Sunday 13 February 2005

Trailplus

Great weekend! Happy
Friday evening was orientation - meeting the 40 peeps who came - including around 15 forumites Friendly

and some serious runners - one lady going for a place in the Commonwealth Games.
I also had a sports massage - excellent experience could do with a few more!
Shared a room with CdK, Red Haired Girl and JeckMac. Bunk beds, not much room to swing the cat, but cosy!

Saturday started with a 7.30 recovery run - followed by breakfast. Running Tree 2

Then a stretching session and the first talk by Keith Anderson on training for endurance.
(Close your ears base trainers) recommended sessions include tempo runs and Kenyan Hills.
Keith is training some of the group so he used them to talk about where they are in their training.

11.00 Threshold running - running out all togther and then splitting into groups - 3x10 minutes, 2x10 and 3x5 - no prizes for guessing which group I was in!

12.30 lunch - plenty of food - you should see what some of the serious athletes eat!!

13.30 Gear - and a retail opportunity from Adidas!

15.30 Kenyan Hill Training - Mountainagain all run out together and then decide how much you want to do. I just did the one to get a feel for it! It absolutely pelted down with rain during this session - and stopped as everyone made it back to base!!

17.00 Training plans followed by Nutrition.

19.30 Dinner

10.00 Bed!!

Sunday
8.00 Breakfast, so a lie in!

9.00 Talking about the long run - and snow clearly falling horizontally outside the window!

10.00 Long Run - 45 minutes out into the forest and then decide how far you want to go. Fortunately the snow had stopped.

13.00 lunch followed by talk about tapering and the day.

15.00 leave to come home - weary but with lots to think about.

The best things were the chance to talk running all weekend without boring anyone, the staff and other runners who valued all runners whatever their pace, and the fantastic countryside we had to run in.

As a result of discussions with Keith about my schedule going into FLM, I have decided to

  • follow the get you round schedule for time on feet but trying to run the sessions, not run-walk;
  • do the long slow runs from home, no more races;
  • aim for a finish time of 5:50 (2 x recent half marathon + 20 minutes) - but not do a half marathon to get a more accurate estimate - which means running the marathon at 13:30 pace;
  • keep smiling!
Runs done
5 km recovery run 45:06
3.9 km including 3 x 5 minutes @ threshold pace
2.5 km including 1 Kenyan Hills repeat

3.5 miles long run at 75% HR
3.5 miles brisk walk back





Thursday 10 February 2005

strength training

Sneaker 6

Great session with the PT at the gym.

She's given me a strength programme to do twice a week, plus another one if I can get in three times.

and is really positive about me making it.

Push Up Squats Fat Man 7

Trailplus here we come!

Running

where: gym
what: cross trainer (HR 70%) + strength legs, upper body, core
time: 1:10:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 97 (over whole session)

later the same day ...............
been to the AC and walked the field, slipped down a muddy slope in the dark - not injured, just dirty ......

now getting packed for the weekend ........................

printing materials for presentation and

.......panicking about work not done

but looking forward to lunch with a forum friend

and then meeting some more forum friends and lots of new forum peeps


pity the folk who're coming on the weekend without an alternative name - they'll wonder what has hit them!!

Like going on a coach holiday and discovering that half the bus has been booked by a school party!






Wednesday 9 February 2005

cross training

went to the gyn this morning and did 30 minutes on the cross trainer, nothing else just took my music and the time went by pretty quickly, could have done longer Fat Man 7

if it worked for Aim High! will it work for me? - patience is the name of the gameWaiting

also saw trainer and will meet up with her tomorrow to talk through the next 9 weeks.

the big worry is the long runs - have not done one since Brass Monkey, should be up to 16 miles in a couple of weeks but ....

and Ashby 20 - seems impossible at the moment and have not entered yet.

but everyone says the long runs are the most important ....................

hope TrailPlus moves me on, not sets me back


Couch Potato
where: gym
what: cross trainer
time: 30:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 131
tomorrow: session with PT at gym

Tuesday 8 February 2005

no plodding!

Well I managed to NOT plod ... an acheivement!


stuck to the desk all day, another job completed - just a few more before TrailPlus though .....



this evening runningteenbanz went to athletics, normally I would have plodded too,

but I managed to just walk round the club fields, really wanted to run when proper runners zoomed past, but managed to stick to walking.


where: club field
what: 2.6 miles
time: 37:00
pace: 14.1 m/m

tomorrow: gym - core and CV

Monday 7 February 2005

silly me

Will I never learn?

Right leg was wobbly oin Saturda- so what did I do yesterday - yes included the tready in my CV session at the gym

Not content with that I decided I fancied a plod this afternoon.

Trouble is I have a choice: tarmac and not too steep gradients OR off orad and softer but muddy, uneven and more undulating.

Decided on off road.

After a mile my right leg was feeling decidedly wobbly - not exactly painful, just like 'I'm not really up to this and might give way at any moment' kind of feeling.

So made my way back and stretched and iced.

Tomorrow I will NOT plod (but am I allowed to walk??)


where: park
what: 1.6 miles
time: 25:00
pace: 15.4 m/m
AHR: 125
tomorrow: no plodding

Sunday 6 February 2005

keeping going

made it to the gym this evening - mainly cos I said I would on the daily training thread!

feeling it more in right leg than left shin when on the treadmill

keep stretching and icing!

where: gym
what: 50 minutes CV including tready
time: 15:00 on tready
pace: 13.3 m/m
AHR: 130

tomorrow: 25 minutes jog off road

Saturday 5 February 2005

white shoes, new shoes, muddy brown new shoes!

feel better for that

a short plod in the park - ok soft but not even ground

so shin feels fine, other leg felt it though!

just a short plod, but hilly and muddy and great to be out

had to walk the last few minutes as ankle was feeling the strain

now stretched, iced, showered and about to get lunch organised


where: park
what: 1.9 miles
time: 25:45
pace: 13.3 m/m
AHR: 130
tomorrow: CV at gym

Friday 4 February 2005

back to the gym

Gym first thing - a good session of CV and core strength.

I really need to do more core strength at home, but just don't get round to it.

Forecast for tomorrow morning is good so will try and get running minibeanz to come out in the park and try out the new shoes and the legs!


where: gym
what: CV & core
time: 60:00
pace: n/a
AHR: 113
tomorrow: 30minutes run in the park

Thursday 3 February 2005

New shoes!

Collected my new shoes today - they feel great!

Had planned to go to the gym but family stuff got in the way.

But had a 25 minute brisk walk whilst runningteenbeanz was training this evening.

Tomorrow I will go to the gym!

Wednesday 2 February 2005

walking on concrete

A long day away today - down to London for a meeting which took place in a basement, so no daylight all day :<(

To worn out this evening for a swim, just some walking and lots of stairs in underground and station.

On a brighter note a message to say my shoes are in and ready for collection!

Tuesday 1 February 2005

gym again

Went to the gym first thing and did upper body strength stuff interspersed with bouts of CV PT likes to give variety to the session!

Then to Derby Runner for them to check out my shoes. Although I have 2 pairs, I tended to keep the clean pair fo the gym and the dirty pair for outside - so the older road pair are knackered - probably part of the shin splint problem, together with the increased miles.

So need another pair and to alternate properly and log mileages. They're going to get me some Asics 2100s. They also advised a wear a tubigrip bandage to support the muscle. So I have one in place now.

What: gym upper body and CV 50 minutes
AHR: 103

Tomorrow: London, so walking the concrete, maybe a swim in the evening.