156km last week. Main workouts were 3 x 3km interval session on Tuesday, 21km medium long runs on Wednesday and Friday and a 32km long run on Sunday.
Really happy and quite surprised with how well the intervals went.
I joined in with Simon Elliott’s BT RunClub interval session and we did 3 × 3km with 2 min walk/standing recoveries between.
Drizzly rain wasn’t an issue but it made the path very slippery especially as I was wearing Fastwitch5s which have quite a hard sole so I stuck to the concrete path where possible. There was a bit of a swirling wind which hit at us at times but again it wasn’t really much of an issue.
I did a 6km warm up before meeting up, then Simon and I did a couple of strides (not timed/measured).
We went 10:32; 10:37; 10:42 for the three reps and it was only really a 3:38 middle km on the third set that blew that time out otherwise we were very consistent. Makes a huge difference running this type of session with someone else as there were a couple of times when one of us was lagging and the other would drag them through. We finished within a metre or two of each other on each rep (although my Garmin seemed to measure slighty longer than Simon’s and also the measured km marks).
Pretty happy to have averaged between 3:30-3:34 for this session as I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to run it out. Fastest running I have done for quite a while.
2.7km cool down home.
Medium long runs were at 4:20/km pace and average pace for my long run was 4:25/km so I am maintaining a decent pace on these fundamental runs which should give me a good base as I increase the more specific work at marathon pace as I get closer to the race.
I am going to run the John Gilmour 10,000m on the track this Friday. I am basically training through this so don't expect a fantastic performance but I would like to have a good solid run and finish strongly. Furthest I have ever run in a track race is 3000m so this will be a totally new experience.
Here is a video of the last 10mins or so of the Frankfurt Marathon where Wilson Kipsang narrowly misses the new world record set at Berlin. Kipsang run 2:03:42 - 2nd fastest of all time.
I don't think we will see a challenge for the world record at the New York City Marathon this week but given the field it should be an excellent race.
It is being shown on the Eurosport channel on Foxtel from 10pm Perth time and is also being streamed live on Universalsports.com
My plan is to get a decent nap in the afternoon after a 35km long run in the morning so that I can stay up to see the end.
Here is a little form guide/cheat sheet on the main contenders in the men's field that I have put together:
New York City Marathon - Sunday November 6
Gebre Gebremariam (Ethiopia) PB = 2:04:53: Defending champion. His win last year was his debut marathon. Followed up with third place at the Boston Marathon in April in 2:04. DNF at the World Championship marathon in September. Has a great finishing kick and is a former World cross country champion.
Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya) PB = 2:03:02: Fastest marathoner ever winning Boston this year in 2:03:02 although it does not qualify for the World record. In April 2010 he ran 2:04 finishing second to Patrick Makau in Rotterdam. Won BAA 10k in Boston in June this year running 27:19 and followed that up in July with a win at the prestigious Giro di Castelbuono 10km road race in Italy where he beat Gebremariam convincingly.
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) PB = 2:04:40: Won London Marathon in April in a course record of 2:04:40 (after finishing second in London in 2010) and second in New York last year. Silver medallist at the 2009 World Champs in Berlin behind Abel Kirui. Has finished in the top 3 in his last 7 marathons.
Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) PB = 2:05:18: 2nd to Sammy Wanjiru at 2010 Chicago Marathon in one of the all time great marathon finishes. Has previously won both London and Fukuoka and was the bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics. Fifth in London this year. Was with the leaders to 30km but faded and ran 2:07:48, more than 3 mins behind Emmanuel Mutai.
Feyisa Lelisa (Ethiopia) PB = 2:05:23: Bronze medallist at the world championships marathon in Daegu this year. Has to be a question mark if he can back up only eight weeks later. PB set at Rotterdam 2010.
Jauoud Gharib (Morocco) PB = 2:05:27: Silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics and won 2003 and 2005 World Champs but is in the veteran class now at 39 years old. PB set at London in 2009 but only ran 2:08:26 this year finishing 6th.
Matthew Kisorio (Kenya) Debut marathon: 58:46 half marathon in September this year which is third fastest of all time. Was 4th at 2011 world cross county champs and third at Giro di Castelbuono.
Meb Keflezighi (USA) PB = 2:09:15: Won in 2009 and silver medallist in Athens in 2004. Hard to understand why he is running this marathon with US Olympic Marathon trials on January 14. Perhaps it is one last big payday which would be consistent with his recent move to running in Skechers shoes.
Viktor Röthlin (Switzerland) PB = 2:07:33: 2010 European Marathon champion; Swiss marathon record-holder; 2008 Tokyo Marathon champion and 2007 World Championships Marathon bronze medalist.
My prediction - Geoffrey Mutai followed by Emmanuel Mutai and Gebremariam.
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