Training Past Two Weeks

Training for the past two weeks has been slightly sporadic. Following the down week with the 1500 indoors I've had two really good quality training weeks. The racing has been less than spectacular but I think this may well be the long-term effect of being ill for so long this term that whilst my body is now able to take training again that extra few percent and lack of recovery has meant my racing has been (in my opinion at least) slightly poor.

Anyways!

Week Commencing 23/2/2009

Monday: AM 30 steady. Mile warm up then rest at 5:43 pace
PM 65 easy

Tuesday: PM 10 warm up, Hilary Term Cuppers 16:20 for 5.1k 4th place (managed to get Dane for revenge for the Sunday!) 37 w.d. inc. 4 x strides

Wednesday: Rest - did some haring for Tortoise relays but not enough to be log worthy.

Thursday: PM Track 15 wund, 2 sets of 2 x 1000 with 45 between reps and 120 between sets- went out fairly hard and ran 2:58, 3:00, 3:00, 3:04 with last one at roughly 3k PB pace and the first 3 quicker.

Friday: PM 61 easy- really really didn't want to do this run as felt sleepy and tired but managed to force myself out.

Saturday: AM 12 wund Hills 20 x 1 minute (90 second jog down to same place) , "hammer" reps on the 10th and 20th. Really pleased with this session as I was moving well and very comfortably - took it fairly easy as my first serious hills session in a long while and definitely a case of slightly slowing it down leading to a better aerobic effort.
PM 31 recovery run with Anupam, did some S+C work in evening

Sunday: AM 74:18 - short long-run this weke but week already looking reasonable and quads sore from hills/S+C

TOTAL: 459 minutes / 61.2 miles

Week Commencing 2/3/2009

Monday: AM 31:01/4.75 miles- enjoying this run at the moment, after mile warm up 6:08,6:01,5:31 then last bit at 5 pace again as finishing through town.
PM 61 recovery

Tuesday: AM 8 wu, 2 sets of 1,2,3,2,1 [60, 4 minutes] short sharp session. Ran first set with Oz and then as he was moaning that I was forcing him to run too fast moved up to the quicker group with Blackledge, Bruce and Kimpton for second set. Moving well on most of them. 39 wd
PM 25 recovery - don't usually do runs this short but just felt like it!

Wednesday: 66 inc. 4 x strides. Club run up the river and then went around uni parks and did some strides with Anupam. Really trying to include strides as often as possible.

Thursday: PM 15 wu 4 sets of 1000, 100 jog, 400 harder with 2 minutes recovery. With intercounties started off very slowly whilst McGurk bombed it off. Just sat in with Johnson and Ledger for first two then me and Sean started the work. Very pleased with how I was moving on the 400s with comfortable 68s through-out. Ks were 3:13,08,06,03 23 wd and then some light work on steeplechase barrier (trying to work out how to push off one and land without shattering my back!)

Friday: 28 recovery.

Saturday: 15 wu, Intercounties 173rd 42:53 (see race report), 10 wd

Sunday: 1:30:39/14.78 miles/ 6:08 pace. Was too hungover/sleepy to make morning run so instead went out on my own in the evening along the canals. Unfortunately towards the end got pretty dark and couldn't really see my footing. Mile splits... 6:39, 5:44, 6:13, 6:18, 6:06, 6:13, 6:19, 5:44, 6:07, 5:47, 6:18, 6:19, 6:24, 6:23, and then the last 0.78 miles were at 5:08 pace.

WEEK TOTAL: 509 minutes / 68 miles

Two very good weeks of training. Got some very nice kms in the previous week as that's the first time I've run sub 3 since last summer. Hilary Cuppers was a very reasonable performance and the hills session I was especially pleased with as hills are definitely my nemesis. Second week I've just been absolutely loving my running and really struggling not to go out for lots of extra runs (kept it down to only an extra 8 miles!). Also to run fairly comfortable 68s off short recovery from the kms was pleasant. Nicer weather and losing the cold (finally!!!) has just generally massively improved my mood. Plus after a dip in race performances some sort of stability is a bit more positive. Trying to do lots of strides at the moment and hamstring stretching to be in reasonable nick for fast running in the summer.

First intercounties- 173rd a reasonable if not great run. In a couple of years I think I can make the top 100 and to be honest I was one of the younger runners in the field. I think I can move a "minute" up the field for next year at least and looking at the runners in that sort of bracket (Paul Adams and Pete Tucker sorts) my possible debut marathon target could well be achievable.

Full winter review up shortly.