129km this week.
Monday was 16km + 10 x 110m strides.
Tuesday 21km medium long run and Thursday 20km medium long run with double recovery runs on Wednesday and Friday.
Saturday 28.7km with 12km @ marathon pace (overall average pace 4:10/km). A bit quick out of the gate this morning, probably a combination of feeling pretty good and trying to warm up a bit.
Averaged around 4:24/km for the first 15km and then ran 12km @ MP. Managed to average 3:49/km for the marathon pace section which is 1 sec quicker than MP with some slightly quicker kms making up for a couple of slower ones which were mainly when having to make multiple turns.
1.5km jog home.
Surprised that I was able to make the 12km without completely smashing myself although I was certainly feeling it in my legs for the rest of the day so wore compression recovery socks. That was a hard workout on the back of 93km in the preceding 6 days.
Sunday was an early 8km recovery before heading off to Sammie's soccer in Kalamunda.
Felt pretty good this week and backed it up with a good tempo run this morning. I feel like I am building a good base which should set me up for a good half marathon in mid August and then a good block of really specific marathon pace running.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Training for Melbourne Marathon - Week 1
Last week was the first "formal" week of my training program for the Melbourne Marathon.
Total - 125km which was my biggest week since the end of last year when I started tapering for the Houston Marathon.
Monday's 16km with 8km tempo turned into 16km with 9km tempo. It was very much tempo effort rather than tempo pace. Was still a bit fatigued from a big Saturday (hard run then moving furniture from Nan's) combined with running part of this tempo straight into the storm as it blew through again this morning. As result there were two kms where I was running 4:00/km pace The last few were with the wind or when it was in a bit of a lull so I added one km as I was now feeling like I was in a bit of groove. Last km was 3:43.
21km medium long runs on Tuesday and Thursday with doubles of 9km/6km on Wednesday and 8km/6km on Friday before a 29km long run @ 4:29/km pace on Saturday. 8km recovery early on Sunday before watching the marathon.
This week will be pretty similar. Monday was 16km + 10 x 110m strides (with a boring walk back recovery but it is important to get full recovery on these). This morning's run was 21km @ 4:30/km.
I'll be keeping my "fundamental" longer runs all between 80-90% of marathon pace, which is in the range of 4:13-4:36/km. I expect to be at the slower end for the first few weeks and then be more around 4:22/km from then on.
This Saturday will be my first marathon pace/specific endurance long run 29km with 12km @ 3:50/km. Will be a bit of a test so I need to make sure I don't start out too quick. Forecast is for cold weather later this week so should be good conditions.
Total - 125km which was my biggest week since the end of last year when I started tapering for the Houston Marathon.
Monday's 16km with 8km tempo turned into 16km with 9km tempo. It was very much tempo effort rather than tempo pace. Was still a bit fatigued from a big Saturday (hard run then moving furniture from Nan's) combined with running part of this tempo straight into the storm as it blew through again this morning. As result there were two kms where I was running 4:00/km pace The last few were with the wind or when it was in a bit of a lull so I added one km as I was now feeling like I was in a bit of groove. Last km was 3:43.
21km medium long runs on Tuesday and Thursday with doubles of 9km/6km on Wednesday and 8km/6km on Friday before a 29km long run @ 4:29/km pace on Saturday. 8km recovery early on Sunday before watching the marathon.
This week will be pretty similar. Monday was 16km + 10 x 110m strides (with a boring walk back recovery but it is important to get full recovery on these). This morning's run was 21km @ 4:30/km.
I'll be keeping my "fundamental" longer runs all between 80-90% of marathon pace, which is in the range of 4:13-4:36/km. I expect to be at the slower end for the first few weeks and then be more around 4:22/km from then on.
This Saturday will be my first marathon pace/specific endurance long run 29km with 12km @ 3:50/km. Will be a bit of a test so I need to make sure I don't start out too quick. Forecast is for cold weather later this week so should be good conditions.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Perth Marathon photos
Went out and spectated the Perth Marathon this morning. Congratulations to Craig who ran high 2:50 for an over 7 minute PB. Bad luck to Rob whose niggles, and in particular a calf strain, put him out at 14km. Probably a very wise decision rather than risk missing some weeks of training as he starts to build for Berlin.
Didn't take as many photos as I intended as I struggled to combine spectating with picture taking. Conditions seemed to be pretty good for running this morning so it will be interesting to see what everyone says about the race.
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| Roberto Busi and Chris O'Neill leading at 8km |
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| 3rd-5th @ 8km |
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| Liam and Martin @ 8km |
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| Craig at 8km looking very comfortable. |
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| Pack including Big Kev, Jon and Rob @ 8km. |
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| Roberto leading @ 17km |
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| Gerry Hill in 2nd @ 17km |
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| Craig @ 17km |
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| Jon and Kev's pack @ 17km |
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| Craig coming back at the Raffles, close to 31km |
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| Craig at the Raffles |
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| Roberto in 1st place about 500m from the finish. |
Monday, June 11, 2012
Back to work (marathon training and blogging)
Neglected running blogs are depressing so sorry to anyone who has been checking in here lately.
Normal service will be resumed over the next few days as I am now underway with my "formal" 18 week schedule in preparation for the Melbourne Marathon on 14 October. The date has unfortunately been pushed back a week from the originally announced 7 October, which has interfered with our travel plans a bit so there is a bit of re-organising to do.
I had an ok run at the HBF Run for a Reason, not fantastic but not a disaster either. Probably went out a bit hard but I had decided that was going to run high 3:30s from the start and try to hold on. Had a bit of rough spot up along the Freeway near Parliament House before we headed down into the tunnel where I had a bit of soreness in my left shin but it didn't last long. Craig passed me in this stretch and opened up a gap which he maintained until the end. Jordan and Ben picked me up in the tunnel and I tried to hang on with them and the small group they had going. I was able to do this which was a benefit for pace and it also helped running into the slight headwind along the Graham Farmer Freeway.
The stretch through Burswood was pretty hard going and I was passed by a couple of guys who must have started back in the main pack but were running 3:20-3:30 pace. Was holding my spot amongst those around me but got passed by Lauren Shelley just before we got to the Causeway. Ben passed me on the Causeway but I managed to get back onto his shoulder as we came off the Causeway near the Police HQ and pushed on as hard as I could to finish, passing one guy in the final 100m on the WACA but Lauren was about 5-6 secs in front of me. Craig was about 30 secs in front of her Finished in 51:35 so although I was a minute slower than last year, I am reasonably happy with this run. Last year I was deep into marathon training and I always seem to run better over shorter distances in the last few weeks before a marathon.
Funnily enough I also felt about a year older than I did last year ...
Well done to Simon E who went sub 50, Craig who ran very strongly and evenly and thanks to Jordan and Ben for the pack running which really helped.
Since then I have put in a couple of solid weeks of 103km and 106km and have picked things up over the last 10 days. My last two Saturday long runs have both been 28km in around 2 hours with some quicker kms thrown in. The first one was with Rob and Craig and was a bit random but generally progressive and the second was solo with kms 1-22 @ 4:24/km and then the 5km from 22-27 @ 3:47/km which is a little bit quicker than I think my goal marathon pace will be but hopefully the adaptations will come.
Today was a shocking day weather wise but I stuck with the plan of doing 16km with 8km tempo but ended up doing 9km tempo instead. Was more tempo effort than tempo pace due to the conditions with a couple of kms being particularly hard going straight into the storm. Last few kms were right on though with the last being 3:43.
21km medium long run tomorrow but I'll be running somewhere new as I think the riverside is to be avoided. I'll post up a bit about the plan I have developed in the next few days.
Normal service will be resumed over the next few days as I am now underway with my "formal" 18 week schedule in preparation for the Melbourne Marathon on 14 October. The date has unfortunately been pushed back a week from the originally announced 7 October, which has interfered with our travel plans a bit so there is a bit of re-organising to do.
I had an ok run at the HBF Run for a Reason, not fantastic but not a disaster either. Probably went out a bit hard but I had decided that was going to run high 3:30s from the start and try to hold on. Had a bit of rough spot up along the Freeway near Parliament House before we headed down into the tunnel where I had a bit of soreness in my left shin but it didn't last long. Craig passed me in this stretch and opened up a gap which he maintained until the end. Jordan and Ben picked me up in the tunnel and I tried to hang on with them and the small group they had going. I was able to do this which was a benefit for pace and it also helped running into the slight headwind along the Graham Farmer Freeway.
The stretch through Burswood was pretty hard going and I was passed by a couple of guys who must have started back in the main pack but were running 3:20-3:30 pace. Was holding my spot amongst those around me but got passed by Lauren Shelley just before we got to the Causeway. Ben passed me on the Causeway but I managed to get back onto his shoulder as we came off the Causeway near the Police HQ and pushed on as hard as I could to finish, passing one guy in the final 100m on the WACA but Lauren was about 5-6 secs in front of me. Craig was about 30 secs in front of her Finished in 51:35 so although I was a minute slower than last year, I am reasonably happy with this run. Last year I was deep into marathon training and I always seem to run better over shorter distances in the last few weeks before a marathon.
Funnily enough I also felt about a year older than I did last year ...
Well done to Simon E who went sub 50, Craig who ran very strongly and evenly and thanks to Jordan and Ben for the pack running which really helped.
Since then I have put in a couple of solid weeks of 103km and 106km and have picked things up over the last 10 days. My last two Saturday long runs have both been 28km in around 2 hours with some quicker kms thrown in. The first one was with Rob and Craig and was a bit random but generally progressive and the second was solo with kms 1-22 @ 4:24/km and then the 5km from 22-27 @ 3:47/km which is a little bit quicker than I think my goal marathon pace will be but hopefully the adaptations will come.
Today was a shocking day weather wise but I stuck with the plan of doing 16km with 8km tempo but ended up doing 9km tempo instead. Was more tempo effort than tempo pace due to the conditions with a couple of kms being particularly hard going straight into the storm. Last few kms were right on though with the last being 3:43.
21km medium long run tomorrow but I'll be running somewhere new as I think the riverside is to be avoided. I'll post up a bit about the plan I have developed in the next few days.
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