Summary of week ending 31/08/2014

TOTAL = 82M

Three laps of the Heath cross-country course - hard

14M am medium-long tempo cross-country

I ran three of the big laps of the National / Southern cross-country course on the Heath this morning. They weren't timed, but it was a good workout. Not a bad end to what turned out to be a passable week session (if not mileage)-wise

Easy

7M pm recovery run

I ran a gentle one around the Heath just before lunch today. Nice and slow. Perfect weather for it. My legs were fine, surprisingly fine after yesterday.

A killer double day - mile reps and a long run!

27M double; mile reps & long run
9M am incl 6x1M off 90s jog
18M pm steady

I was a bit overenthusiastic today perhaps. I didn't totally plan to run so hard, but was chomping at the bit to get back on track, so it just turned out the way it did by accident.

I was in clinic in Romford, so ran my usual mile rep session to Stratford in the morning. It was the usual slog with my heavy pack, so they weren't the fastest. But they were fairly good effort-wise.

I wanted to do a decent length run in the evening and half planned to run all the way home (18 miles), but wasn't sure it was the best idea after a hard session in the morning, wearing my pack and after my illness. After a decent first hour, I felt about as bad as I can remember feeling while running by the time I got to Mile End (11 miles). I think I must have been getting hypoglycaemic, because a Lucozade and an East Naturals bar sorted me out. By Angel (15 miles) I was pretty tired again and my legs didn't feel that steady. But I figured running was probably the fastest way home. And it's good to teach my body how to dip into its inner reserves, so I slogged on. If anything, I was getting stronger by the end.

I should think it was such a struggle mainly because I didn't have my usual glycogen reserves after last weekend's illness.

Still not a session

15M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
8M pm recovery run

I am still not quite back to full energy, but should be tomorrow I think.

A bit longer

13M double; recovery runs x2
6M am recovery run
7M pm recovery run

Two more decent-length runs today, but both easy still.

Back running after being ill

6M double; recovery runs x2
3M am recovery run
3M pm recovery run

I've been ill with a dodgy stomach the last three days, but I seem to be back on track now. I took it pretty easy though.

Thirteen around a hill

13M am steady run

I ran around one of the nearby hills (Garn Fadryn) today, following my cousin James on his bike. Plenty of ups and downs made it pretty steady going, but my legs were ok.

Mile reps via a graveyard

Grandparents (and great grandparents)

Great great grandparents

12M am incl 10x5.30 off 90s jog

I ran a mile rep session to and from my grandparents' grave this morning. A bit odd maybe, but it's good to combine one's targets for the day. It's a nice spot. Though not quite as nice as the one my great great grandparents managed. Fringe (afterlife) benefit of a life on a mill in Snowdonia.

My legs were a bit sluggish, but there were ten reps them, so I shan't complain.

Steady, towards Abersoch

12M am steady

I ran twelve fairly steady miles towards Abersoch via Llanbedrog before everyone woke up this morning.

I'm running once a day this week, but fairly long. I might try to squeeze in an extra session given my reduced mileage.

Mile reps

12M incl 5.30 off 90s jog

I ran ten, hard mile reps before lunch but after too much snacking. I survived them and my legs felt like I ran hard enough. The reps were along an undulating course near our cottage (somewhere not far from Rhyd-y-Clafdy).

Rest

Planned rest

Summary of week ending 17/07/2014

TOTAL = 119M

Three hours on the Llyn Peninsula

3 hours including last 35mins hard

I ran from our holiday cottage to the beach at Llanbedrog and then 45 minutes along beaches to Pwllheli and back. It was three hours and probably equivalent to a marathon. I ran the last 35 minutes hard and felt surprisingly good - zero tightness.

I refuelled at a very family barbecue.

Ten

10M am recovery run

I was cream crackered this morning. It was a real struggle around the Heath.

Recovery miles

12M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
5M pm recovery run

I took it easy today, though my legs felt ok, and just ran to and from work gently.

15 miles, 12 of them hard

20M double; medium-long tempo & recovery run
15M am incl miles 3-14 at 6.10-5.45-5.30-5.20
5M pm recovery run

This session has become my regular second session of the week. It was the one that gave that bit extra last year ahead of the Great North Run. This was my second timed one of this block of training. It wasn't my best. I took ages to get going properly. My legs were so heavy I really wanted to ditch out of it from before I got up. And they felt just the same through the early miles.

It was only after about 8 miles that I could cruise at under 5.40 pace. The last 4 miles were good, at 5.30 and then 5.20 (the final K, this week into the wind).

It's always a bit of a mental battle, but the rest of the day seems like a breeze once it's done. And I'm a big fan of a porridge-Bircher muesli-energy shake breakfast.

My evening run felt like crap until I was distracted by the torrential downpour that engulfed me from Regent's Park to Gordon House Road.

Recovery

15M double; recovery runs x2
5M am recovery run
10M pm recovery run

I was shattered today, morning and evening.

Evening mile reps

22M double; steady run & mile reps session
10M am steady run
12M pm incl 6x1M off 90s jog

I managed two decent length runs today, including a good mile rep session. I did the session this evening, which is a refreshing change from my usual daily routine. My legs felt much better for it. I managed a much better cadence, even in my first few reps. It was around the grass loop near the Hub in Regent's Park.

My morning run was seven miles around the Heath and then to work through Kentish Town.

Recovery

14M double; recovery runs x2
8.5M am recovery run
5.5M pm recovery run

Two easy runs today, both of them avoiding the rain. My legs are totally fine after yesterday, which is  surprising - I was expecting them to be pretty tight. I'll see if they are up to a session tomorrow morning.

Summary of week ending 10/07/2014

TOTAL = 119M

28 on a ginger biscuit

28M am long run incl miles 11-17 hard

I got up ridiculously early this morning to fit in my long run before the Sky Ride thing got in my way (and to avoid losing the morning to my run). I set off at 5am, foolishly assuming I would be able to buy a drink en route. It turned out that, sensibly, all of the shopkeepers in London stay in bed until there's more than just one idiot out and about in the city. So I had to survive my 28 miles on the one (rather nice, chocolate coated) ginger biscuit I ate before leaving. It turned out alright luckily.

This time, I ran a hard segment in the middle of my run - seven hard miles from mile 11 to mile 17, along the river. Psychologically, it was good to have the hard running out of the way. And it reduced the risk of injury, running hard beyond marathon distance. Having said that, I didn't feel that I got too tight later on and had a good spring in my stride still as I finished.

I think I've run 28 once before, maybe twice, but never at anything other than a steady pace. This was a good confidence booster.

Recovery

14M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
7M pm recovery run

Two near identical seven milers around the Heath today. I felt good on my evening run.

Hard, fairly long tempo

25M double; medium-long tempo & steady run
15M am incl miles 2-14 hard/crescendo at 6.00-5.40-5.30-5.17
10M pm stead run

After two day's gentle running, I had a pretty good 'medium-long' run this morning. I ran it with my Garmin, so knew how fast I was going. It was the usual story of taking ages to be able to get comfortable at a decent speed, but my legs slowly woke up and I was moving well in the last couple of miles in particular. The last K was at 5.17 pace - my record for this run is 5.07.

My legs hadn't yet got tired by the time I ran ten miles home, so I kept up a fairly steady pace.

Easy again

8M double; recovery runs x2
5M am recovery run
3M pm recovery run

I was busy today, so managed a meager 8. All of them were slow.

Recovery

14M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
7M pm recovery run

I ran gently to and from work today. My legs were pretty close to empty on the way in, and only half way decent on the way home.

K reps

20M double; K rep session& recovery run
13M am incl 11x1K off  90s jog
7M pm recovery run

I managed to hit my session pleasingly hard this morning. It was another Regent's Park K rep session on the grass near the Hub. My legs aren't always awake enough to really fly in the mornings on these. The fact it was a longer session might have helped. The last five were good. I had to lie down in the dewy grass at the end for a bit.

My legs were ok for the evening easy run, but feeling pretty sorry for themselves.

Easy

12M double; recovery runs x2
7M am recovery run
5M pm recovery run

I kept it easy today. To and from work via different routes through Regent's Park and Primrose Hill. My legs were feeling surprisingly good by the evening. Really light.

Summary of week ending 03/08/2014

TOTAL = 115M

22 miles crescendo

22M at 6.45-6.00-5.45min/M

I ran my first longer crescendo run since the marathon today. It was good if not great. The middle part felt easy. The last part (into the wind) was harder than it probably should have been. Still: a good start to crescendo runs in this marathon build-up.

Easy

12M double; recovery runs x2
6M am recovery run
6M pm recovery run

Slow today. Very slow.

Recovery and 3 hard miles

17M double; recovery run & steady/hard run
7M am recovery run
10M pm steady plus 3M hard (miles 5-8)

I got through a decent number of miles again today. My evening run was a struggle to get going , bit I turned it around and ran three miles of it hard (up Haverstock Hill and out and back along Hampstead Lane. Good to get the legs moving.