Just a short one

6M recovery run at 6.35min/M

Just a short one today around Port Meadow. Nothing too strenuous. Felt a bit achy in that right thigh again, but nothing that slowed me once I was going. And no other niggles. Speed session tomorrow.

My weekly mileages since October

Click on the picture to zoom in.

The big dip in January is when I stupidly twisted my ankle and was on crutches.
The little dip 3 weeks before the marathon was ill in bed for 4 days over Easter.
The red arrow with Flora above it is the marathon.

Summary of week ending 30/05/10

Mon 24/5 - 12M; double recovery with pack; 2x6M at 6.40
Tue 25/5 - 13M; double; speed & recovery; 7M speed incl 8x200, 6x400
Wed 26/5 - 9M; double recovery with pack; 6M at 6.55; 3M at 6.40
Thu 27/5 - 7M; incl 10K race at 00:35:49 (5.49)
Fri 28/5 - 12M; double recovery with pack; 2x6M at 6.55
Sat 29/5 - 14M; double general aerobic with pack; 8M & 6M at 6.30
Sun 30/5 - 13M; longish; 13M at 6.20
TOTAL - 80M

13 miles around Port Meadow

13M - longish
13M at 6.20min/M

A longish steady-paced run today around Port Meadow. Two and a bit laps. Gorgeous and sunny and cool. My favourite route.

I didn't want to give it to much, or run too far, with the half marathon I have planned next Sunday in Malvern. I'd like to take a chunk off my half marathon best there... though it is advertised as 'undulating', which is what Thursday's 10K race claimed to be. I hate to think what 'hilly' means.

I ran in the afternoon today and had belly ache a bit as I went. Probably a bit soon after a good lunch (3hrs). It would be good to work out what to do to avoid belly ache in an important race.

No niggles and my thigh was absolutely fine. I'll take it light tomorrow.

A couple of general aerobic workouts

14M - double; general aerobic x2
8M am at ~6.30min/M with pack
6M pm at ~6.30min/M with pack

A general aerobic day at moderate pace with my pack. I just used my runs to get around town, avoiding the need for public transport. It was great. But only possible thanks to the logistical support of key members of Team Scott in their low altitude facility in Queens Park.

I'm finding it hard to know how fast (or slow) I'm going, so I think I'll switch back to GPS timing for a bit.

No niggles. Just that ache in my upper right thigh. A bit of foam rollering helped after my second run. Perhaps a nice bath later. Longer run tomorrow, though with the Malvern Half Marathon next Sunday, I'm a bit unsure about how far I should go. It would be nice to get in a bit of a taper this next week so I can perform on the day, but I'm also enjoying hitting some decent mileages.

Recovery runs

12M - double; recovery runs x2
6M am at ~6.55min/M with pack
6M pm at ~6.55min/M with pack

Another to and from work recovery double day today. I've been running without my watch on these days. Not sure if it's good. I could be going totally the wrong speed and probably have the tendency to push a bit hard.

No tightness from yesterday's race. Just that familiar right thigh ache until I was warm. I gave myself a bit of a massage with the foam roller I bought at Jamie's suggestion. Painful. But therapeutic. I'm going to finish the day off with some tennis now!

I won!

7M - 10K race - South London Harriers' Near as dammit 10K
6.2M (hilly!) at 5.49min/M - 00:35:49; 1st position
0.8M warm up and warm down

I won my first EVER distance race! OK, so it wasn't that big a field, but it was so fun. I won a fair bit over 800m and 1500m when I was at school, but never won at cross-country and had previously managed a best of 2nd (three times) since my running renaissance.

I nearly missed the race too. I had decided on the race just to make myself run hard on my scheduled 'tempo' run - where I'm supposed to run at or just above my aerobic (so called 'lactate') threshold for about 5 miles. I finished work at 6 and had to get down to Coulsdon near Croydon by 7.30. I got to Coulsdon at 7.15, ran to the race headquarters, paid my entry fee, picked up my number and then ran the half mile to the start. I arrived with 10 seconds to spare...

It was a hilly and not very frequently marked course. Luckily one of the local guys was running with me and he very sportingly would warn me where we needed to turn. It was a bit hard to judge the pace because of the hilliness and the fact I had no clue where we were going next. But that all added to the fun and I just paced it according to the feel of my legs. I was on my own from about 4 miles and pushed on a bit. Legs were fine on the jog back to race headquarters. Shouldn't be too stiff tomorrow. I'm so glad I decided to go. It was really friendly race.

Recovery runs

9M - double; recovery runs x2
6M am at ~6.55min/M with pack
3M pm at ~6.40min/M

A couple of gentle ones today in readiness for a harder day tomorrow (my 10K race) and to let me recover from yesterday's speed session.

I felt pretty good this morning, though as usual had that slight tightness/ache in my right quad. It eased pretty quickly along my usual 6M spin along the river to work.

I went to see Gavin the osteopath straight after work. He is a keen runner (and has treated Paula Radcliffe on a number of occasions). We spend the whole time talking running while he clicks and manipulates me. Quite diverting. I'm much better than after the marathon now, so I'll next see him in a month or so. Until then, I'll try and be good and do plenty of stretches on my tight (right) side.

My second run was after the osteopathy. I felt less bruised than last time.

Speed and recovery double

13M - double; speed & recovery

7M am speed session
8x200m at 27-29s with walk back recovery
6x400m at 66-69s with jog back recovery
2M warm up and warm down

6M pm recovery run at ~6.45min/M with pack

I usually only find time to do my 'quality' sessions in the evenings, but I found this morning that there was plenty of time for a really good speed session. A good option to have up my sleeve as it leaves me much freer to get on with things in the evening.

It's supposed to be cooler today, but I can't say I noticed it. The speed session was hot despite being into a bit of a headwind. My 200s were tough going today. Not sure why. By the time I got to my 400s, I was full of lactic acid and my arms were even feeling heavy. My first 400 was my slowest and I seemed to wash away the lactic acid pretty quickly. I was going well by the end. Still, I was spent by the end.

I felt good the rest of the day and wasn't too tired by the time I ran home. No niggles other than that tightness in my right thigh. My main irritation at the moment is the fact I seem to get London Plane pollen-or-whatever-that-fluffy-stuff-that-rains-down-from-them in my eyes the whole time running along the river.

Recovery runs

12M - double; recovery runs x2
6M am at ~6.40min/M
6M pm at ~6.40min/M

Just a couple of recovery runs today, squeezed in at either end of a busy day. Battersea in the morning and the usual loops along the river in the evening. Lovely and cool both times.

I ran without a watch to let myself relax, so not quite sure how fast I was. But I felt good, especially this evening. I was a little achy at the top of my quads and in my lower calf muscles in the morning. But by the evening I felt really free and full of energy. No niggles.

Summary of week ending 23/05/10

Mon 17/5 - 12M; double recovery with pack; 2x6M at 6.45
Tue 18/5 - 10M; general aerobic at 6.25 with pack
Wed 19/5 - Rest
Thu 20/5 - 8M; VO2 max (7x800m at 5.00min/M)
Fri 21/5 - 10M; general aerobic at 6.20
Sat 22/5 - 9M speed (8x200m at 27-28 + 6x40m at 66-70s)
Sun 23/5 - 15M; longish; 4M at 6.15; 11M at 5.55
TOTAL - 64M

A longish cruise from Canary W

15M - longish
4M at 6.15min/M
11M at 5.55min/M

I got the DLR out to Westferry listening to my pre-race music to get me in the mood then did a relatively gentle 4 mile circuit of the Isle of Dogs and back to Canary Wharf. I felt a little achy after yesterday's sprints, but warmed up nicely and then let myself pick up the pace. I was sooo excited to be back on the marathon route - pathetic really.

The route back through Wapping, over Tower Bridge and along the South Bank was surprisingly shaded and the breeze kept me cool. From mile 11 I could feel it in my legs as I went up inclines and dodged the crowds, but overall I was pretty pleased with how I felt. No niggles, not even from my thigh. Looking forward to my midweek 10K this Thursday evening. Malvern Half Marathon in 2 weeks.

Speed session

9M - speed
8x200m at 27-28s with 200m walk recovery
6x400m at 66-70s with 400m jog recovery
4M warm up and warm down
Peak pulse 210

An earlyish morning sprint session today. Up and down the riverfront in Battersea Park. Pretty quiet and not too sticky.

I am enjoying these sessions and my VO2 max sessions more and more now. When I started them in the build up to the marathon I felt they were endless and I was forever unsure I'd survive to the end. Now, their familiarity and my confidence lets me focus on each rep and get the most out of it. I misjudged one of my 400s, but the rest were 66-68s and I wasn't slowing. My 200s were really tight in terms of timing. I could feel the pain and the need for more power from my quads without my legs slowly turning to jelly as they used to.

I had the usual slight tightness in my right thigh as I set out, but it was gone as soon as I started my proper running.

A cheeky pre-breakfast 10

10M - general aerobic
10M at 6.20min/M

This was meant to be a recovery run, but I got carried away. A few laps of the Sanger centre and then a tootle along some country roads. Pretty hot in the sun, even at 7am - I'm glad I've bought all that extra running kit to get me through the sweaty summer.

Felt good. Plenty of spring in my step, despite my hard session last night. Had the same slight tightness in my right leg. I'm going to try a few stretches on it now - one for my ITB/TFL, one for my peroneus longus and perhaps a bit on my hamstring.

VO2 max session on the road

8M - VO2 max
7x800m at 5.00min/M with jog recovery
1M warm up and warm down

It felt great to be back running after what seems to be an age in my current world - 46hrs by my calcultations. I've had a busy week and it makes me realise how much time and energy the running requires. I've been getting up early some mornings to squeeze the run in and then often going to bed late partly as a result of a lateish evening run. I think I've been getting less than 6hrs sleep on average. That's probably fine for me normally, but the running really takes it out of me. I've also been feeling REALLY hungry. My plan: more sleep and more food. Sounds good.

I'm at a conference near Cambridge today and tomorrow. I managed to squeeze my session by skipping a boring session on consent. Hopefully I'll have cooled down in time for dinner.

It was a good session along the surrounding country roads. A little bit undulating. But only Cambridgeshire-style. I felt fresh and speedy after the day off and was speeding up as I went. And though I didn't have time to fit in the usual 10 reps, I feel really pleased to with it.

Slight tightness in my right ilio-tibial band / hamstring - not an infrequent complaint for me, but nothing major and different from my proper ilio-tibial problem.

A day off

An unplanned day off... I was aiming to do my sprint session this evening and in retrospect should have run to work, but finished work late and felt too tired to manage it. Not great. But an early night and back to it tomorrow.

An early morning 10

10M - general aerobic
10M at 6.25min/M with pack

Up early this morning to squeeze in a steady 10 round Battersea Park and along the river to work before an 8.30 meeting. So much more pleasant than a tube journey. I still haven't worked out my morning routine and have now just forked out a tenner on breakfast in Pret.

Felt pretty good leg-wise this morning. I could just feel the pace in my quads. No niggles. Speed tomorrow.

Recovery runs

12M - double; recovery run x2
6M am at 6.45min/M with pack
6M pm at 6.45min/M with pack

Just a recovery day today. No stiffness this morning after the race... I clearly didn't push hard enough. And only a little tightness in my right calf this evening. I didn't both with my watch today and just went gently along the river. My stomach is better, though still felt a bit odd at the beginning of my morning run.

One minor revelation: my evening run came after two bottles of Becks. No ill effects and meant that I managed to squeeze in both runs while maintaining my ability to be (slightly) sociable.

Summary of week ending 16/05/10

Mon 10/5 - 8M speed (8x200m at 29-31s + 6x400m at 68-71s)
Tue 11/5 - 12M; double with pack; 6M recovery at 7.00; 8M gen aerobic at 6.35
Wed 12/5 - 12M; VO2 max (10x800m at 4.46-4.56min/M)
Thu 13/5 - 12M; double with pack; 6M recovery at 6.45; 6M recovery at 6.45
Fri 14/5 - 16M; double; 6M recovery at 6.40 with pack; 10M gen aerobic at 6.10
Sat 15/5 - 6M recovery at 6.45
Sun 16/5 - 14M; Half marathon race in 01:14:22 (5.41) + warm up
TOTAL - 80M (my most ever!)

Richmond Half Marathon

14M - incl half marathon race - Ranelagh Harriers' Richmond Half Marathon
13.1M at 5.41min/M - 01:14:22; 4th position
1M warm up

I was disappointed with my performance - outside my previous best by 30secs. I'm in much better shape generally than previous half marathon races and I even went through half way in the marathon faster than this and feeling considerably better.

Having said all that, I only signed up for this one last Saturday after I felt my legs were coming back to me post-marathon, I've had one of my heaviest weeks mileage-wise and I didn't taper. I also had belly ache from about mile 3 or 4 which has only just got better several hours after the race. Not sure quite why, but I was a little anxious at one stage I might have to do a Paula...

I went off at 5.20 (which is about 01:10:00 pace) but after one mile could tell it was a bit ambitious. After 3 miles at 5.30 I was already hurting and was getting anxious. What with my belly ache, I was not at all sure how things were going to pan out. Normally I have to batten down the hatches and forget the pain from about 9 miles in a half marathon, so this was all a bit ahead of schedule. But I kept it together and managed to get myself in OK shape to 9 miles and then gave it a bit more. By the end, I was catching numbers 3 and 4 and got 4th with a sprint. I got him with a bit to spare so didn't need to dive over the line, though I was quite close to vomiting with the effort.

I didn't have any muscular niggles or aches and feel good now a few hours down the line.

While I say I'm disappointed, it was great training (mental as well as physical) and it's the challenge of getting through these patches and days that makes me love long distance running. I'd soon get bored of it if it was easy. My next race is 3 weeks away and is my real target for taking a chunk off my half marathon best. I'll tailor my training and taper properly for that one.

Pre-race recovery run

4M - recovery
4M at 6.45min/M

Just a gentle spin along the river to Westminster and back today. Felt a bit sluggish as I got up this morning after the week's exertions - my right hip and hamstring felt a bit achy. But the run was refreshing and past experience suggests that I'll feel nothing once I get racing tomorrow - really looking forward to it.

General aerobic

16M - double; recovery & general aerobic
6M am at 6.40min/M (recovery)
10M pm at 6.10min/M (general aerobic)

I think I got my pacing right today, and I was good at sticking closer to my planned speeds. My recovery runs are just to get me ticking over whereas my 'general aerobic'/ steady runs are to give me a bit of a cardiovascular workout in the gaps between the three or so hard sessions a week.

Part of my difficulty in judging how fast I should run these easier sessions is that I'm in flux. I'm still getting faster and, added to that, almost all my sessions in Wimbledon contained a hilly section at the beginning and end so my timings were haywire.

6.10 pace felt relaxed today and I'm now completely free of any niggles or tightness. My sore throat is better too. Light run tomorrow morning ready for Sunday's half marathon race in Richmond. Not sure what time to target, but I might have a go at 1:10 pace and see how it pans out. It'll be interesting even if not successful.

Recovery runs

12M - double; recovery run x2
6M am at 6.45min/M with pack
6M pm at 6.45min/M with pack

A recovery day today. Just to get some blood flowing in the legs. Two gentle 6 milers along the river with a loop round Westminster to and from work. Beautiful running weather - clear and fresh. Remembered to take a towel with me for my morning shower this time. Breakfast at Pret.

I need to work on my best paces for recovery/easy and general aerobic/steady runs. I was aiming to run slower today (maybe 6.55 pace), but felt good and couldn't slow myself. I also have a thing about always staying ahead of the watch. I'll run properly slowly on Saturday's recovery session given it's pre-race.

I didn't feel any ill effects from the VO2 max session yesterday, just a small amount of residual tightness from Monday's speed session. My hip feels 100% better.

VO2 max session

12M - VO2 max
10x800m at 4.46-4.56min/M with jog back and 45s recovery
2M warm up and warm down
Peak pulse 234; trough pulse 120

This is the killer session of the week. But also the one that gains me the most I think. I was a bit unsure if I should be going for it today as I have a sore throat and snotty nose, but I am systemically fine. We'll know I made the wrong call when the myocarditis kicks in at the weekend. And not sure if my peak pulse of 234bpm is safe without a defib around even at the best of times.

I was getting better and better at this one before the marathon, gaining 10s per rep each week. I usually do it up hill, but had to do it on the flat today so can't compare speeds. I'll search out a good hill near Pimlico for next week hopefully.

The first two really hurt (and were fast: 4.46 and 4.46) before I hit my rhythm. From then it was fairly even at 4.50-4.56. The last few hurt and just like always in this session I had to coax myself early on, just focusing on each one of the first six without counting down. From then, I felt confident I'd survive to the end... though my last was my slowest, so maybe I overcooked it early on.

I'm still a little tight from the speed session on Monday, but it didn't restrict me. I also felt a bit bruised from having my right hip and sacro-iliac joint crunched by Gavin the osteopath this afternoon. But I was niggle free during the reps.

Lighter days the next three, getting ready for the half marathon race I have planned in Richmond on Sunday.

Doing doubles

14M - double; recovery & general aerobic
6M am at 7.00 min/M with pack (recovery)
8M pm at 6.35 min/M with pack (general aerobic)

I'm going to start running twice a day a few days a week to up my mileage. Initially, I'll do this on easy days and build from there. I think it's called 'doing doubles'. The key is having located a shower at work, so I can run in in the morning without it disrupting my timing. Pret for breakfast.

Doubling up seemed alright today. Both runs felt good. In fact, I had to make myself slow down on both. I'm still full of beans after the post-marathon lull in training. I'm not very sore after yesterday's speed session. My hamstrings and upper quads were a little tight by the afternoon, but nothing dramatic.

No niggles. Other than a general sense of political unease. It all seemed quite exciting when I managed to fit in a tour of Westminster, Buckingham Palace and Whitehall to my evening run. But then reality struck.

My first good session back

8M - speed
8x200m at 29-31s with walk-back recovery
6x400m at 68-71s with jog recovery
3.5M warm up and warm down

It's 2 weeks since the marathon, and today felt like my first real session back.

My calves are better (my soleuses have been aching a fair bit) and my achy right buttock even seems to be less painful (going back to Gavin the osteopath again on Wednesday to get myself straightened out).

Today was a speed session along the riverfront in Battersea Park. It felt good. I felt weak rather than in pain at the end of each one. Different from sometimes.

I need to remember to push off straight with my right foot (still a bit painful after my sprained ankle on that side in January) and to have confidence it'll be alright. I think that might be the source of my buttock ache! I also need to remember the feeling of speed I get when I push off long.

Summary of week ending 09/05/10

Mon 3/5 - 11M at 7min; recovery
Tue 4/5 - 10M (double; 6 and 4) at 7.30; recovery
Weds 5/5 - rest
Thurs 6/5 - 6M incl 6x200m sprint
Fri 7/5 - rest
Sat 8/5 - 15M at 5.55; medium-long
Sun 9/5 - 10M (double; 6 and 4) at 7.00; recovery
TOTAL - 52M