Into the second week of marathon training and I have been feeling quite good after week 1. The training follows the same structure each week with the distances varying. This week I was to tackle 4 x 1200m intervals on Monday, an 8km run on Wednesday and a 19km run on Saturday.
Mondays session was fine although intervals are surely the work of the Devil. Oddly, I find the shorter intervals more taxing than the longer ones. The 4 x 1200m sprints were supposed to take 6mins and 6 seconds each and I completed them in 5.49, 5.49, 5.58 and 6.10 respectively. Tough, but not uncomfortably so.
Wednesday’s 8km was planned to be 45.12 and was completed in 44.04… again I have come in slightly quicker but am not too worried. It is tricky to gauge your speed over the distance of a run – even with a Garmin and split times marker-penned onto my hand, it is tough to attempt as even a slight variation in effort can yield quite drastic variations in pace over a long-ish distance.
Sunday is normally “long-run day” but owing to a packed weekend, I shunted my long run to early on Saturday morning completing 19k in 1.53.36… not a speed that is going to set the running community alight but still almost 6 minutes faster than was planned.
This weeks schedule is being “modified” owing to myself and Hauling My Carcass riding the Dunwich Dynamo on Saturday night. For the uninitiated it is a 200km overnight cycle ride from Hackney to Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast. Last year, with quite a lot of training and almost perfect overnight cycling weather, we arrived in Suffolk just before 7am. This year I have done so little training that it is practically non-existent so think it may hurt. And if that’s not a good reason to forego a 21km “long run” on Sunday of week 3, then I don’t know what is.
Soundtrack to this post: The Putney – Butch Cassidy Sound System
Archive for June, 2012
There is no avoiding it. Marathon Training time is here. The schedule is stuck to the fridge door and, like some Excel generated paper Dalek, it MUST BE OBEYED. It is a 13 week training schedule based on your time over a specified distance (either 10k or Half Marathon) and assumes that you can already run 16kms (10 miles) comfortably. Fortunately, as I have had this schedule lurking on my desktop for some while (whilst I was still in denial about the whole “Marathon thing”) I’ve been covering between 16 and 21km each time I have run. The schedule broadly consists of 3 days of training each week, each training session is different – an interval session, a short tempo run and a slow(ish) long run.
The first week called for a Monday Interval session (8 x 400m at 1:57 each), a short tempo run on Wednesday (5k at 27.30) and a long slow run for Saturday (16k at 1:40:32).
None of which looked particularly troublesome but Monday’s intervals in the pouring rain with a Garmin that had no room left in it’s memory (I’d forgotten to clear it after a 144km cycle ride) soon showed me who was boss. The first few intervals seemed OK, if a little quick, but the subsequent ones became progressively slower until the Garmin refused to play on the penultimate interval so I’ve no idea on timings for the last two intervals. Which is probably just as well… I was panting and bent over, hands on knees after the last one.
Wednesday’s 5k was OK – I completed it in 26:55 – 35 seconds quicker than planned which I didn’t think was too bad.
Saturday’s 16km was due to be completed in 1:40:32 and I came in 7 minutes quicker at a shade over 1:33:00… again, I assume that this isn’t a problem. I imagine that the slower speed for the longer runs will even themselves out as the distance increases…
However, I do find it difficult to remember the overall times and paces that I have to aim for once I am out and running. To help me in this I have taken to writing, like that berk from Coldplay, on my hand in thick black permanent marker the targets for the session.
So, first week done and it still feels a little weird to think that in 13 weeks time I will be able to run 26 miles – especially as the training is only 3 times a week which feels very infrequent. Still, I suppose that it is the combination of speed and distance work that makes the difference. At least I hope so… otherwise all I’ll have to show for it will be the traces of permanent-markered scribblings like the weasley singer from a popular but very dull stadium rock band.
Soundtrack to this post – Iron Knowledge – Showstopper
With my first marathon looming large on the horizon, I have spent more time than usual searching through websites for cheap running shoes and clothes feverishly looking for any bits of kit or advice that will help me get through 26.2 miles. The Up & Running website has been a great find… I had visited their store in Watford before and spent a long time chatting with the staff – umming and aahing over a particular piece of kit… so I was impressed to see that the website extends this personal, friendly approach online. Obviously there is a large running shoe section and in addition to the standard “shop by brand” option, there are easy to navigate drop down menus that allows you to choose your gender and then specify the type of shoe by either type of running (trail, road, fell etc.) or by characteristics of shoe (motion control, neutral etc.). Both of these allow you to get straight to the type of shoe you need very quickly. As well as running shoes, there are sections for clothing and accessories including hydration systems and nutrition… pretty much everything a runner could need. All easy to use and intuitive. What sets the site apart from many others is that it is clear that the stores and the website are staffed by knowledgeable individuals who are actually runners themselves. The site not only contains all the usual functions you’d expect from a running retailers website, it also has a couple of sections aimed at advising and helping the customer. Firstly, there is a blog section where store staff have written about their experiences whilst training and racing. It not only gives a good insight into the kind of running the staff do themselves but also allows the customer to interact, ask advice and get tailored replies. The Advice section is also a very useful addition – it attempts to answer queries on a number of specific subjects: What to do if injured, what Essential Kit a runner needs, advice on stretching. Each subject is explained by a member of the Up & Running staff and offers clear guidance and in some cases recommendations on specific pieces of kit. If your particular query is not answered in any of the existing categories, the site allows you to get in touch with one of the Up & Running employees who will aim to help you with your specific request. There are even downloadable guides and training schedules.
There are over 30 Up & Running stores across the UK and what makes them so successful is that they combine the best of both worlds – the accessibility of a chain of shops with local specialist knowledge and attention to the customer that you would find in an independent. The website is an extension of this – like having a local running shop with experienced staff at your fingertips.
RunningAmok 