MARCH 2011 TRAINING

28th - Monday: 10mins w/up; 25mins fartlek; 5mins c/down + 5 strides


1st - Tuesday: one hour then full body weights (25;20;15 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


2nd - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 8x 400m, 400m jog rec; 5mins c/down + 5 easy strides


3rd - Thursday: (am) one hour then + 5 easy strides. (pm) TABATA weights


4th - Friday: Rest Day


5th - Saturday: 5k @ 19:34


6th - Sunday: 55mins + 6 easy strides


Off work all week, so most of the weekday runs were started around 11am.

Felt some improvement with Monday's fartlek - the bursts of speed felt faster/more comfortable. Still kept the distances fairly shot, around 100m.

On Tuesday the weights were tough, probably due to doing them straight after my run, which I am not used to. Will try not to do that again.

Times for Wednesday: 1:29 (1:55) 1:28 (2:04) 1:27 (2:04) 1:24 (2:00) 1:22 (2:06) 1:20 (2:03) 1:18 (2:10) 1:20. Ave 1:23.5 (2:02.75).

Thursday's run started at about 6am - woke at just after 4am and could not get back to sleep so decided to get up and run. Had an hour and half sleep after. Weights was around 5pm.

Saturday's 5k was at a different parkrun - there were hills, but no grass sections. Am pleased it was quicker than last week, though time is still some way off. That said, I did feel like my legs had more bounce in them (though that could be because I used my Nike Lunar Racers for the first time in a long time) and I could have gone slightly quicker...I thought I had another lap to go, so conserved some energy on the last hill, when I could have just gone for it, and did not wind it up, though I felt good enough to do so.

Sunday was a run only (no weights) as the start of an easy week. Should have been 65 mins but had to make a toilet stop at 55mins - decided not to run the final tens minutes after having a ten minute break.

EASY WEEK


7th - Monday: 40mins + 10x 100m strides


8th - Tuesday: 40mins then leg exercises


9th - Wednesday: 40mins + 6x strides


10th - Thursday: 40mins + 6x 150m strides


11th - Friday: Rest Day


12th - Saturday: 40 mins over XC terrain + 6x strides


13th - Sunday: full body weights (1x8; 3x3 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high) then 70mins on treadmill (15k) (ave. 7:30mm; start at 8.5kph then work up the speeds - last five minutes 15kph => 17kph (min. each))

Monday to Thursday fairly straight forward. Legs felt sluggish and hamstring feeling tight around Thursday onwards. Monday and Thursday introduced some shorter, faster running - though run comfortably, not all out.

Saturday was meant to do XC Relays (approx 2.5m for a leg) but turned up at the wrong park (I went to the one where they held it last time I did it (two years ago) however it appears they changed the venue) so instead I did a 40 minute run over hilly/undulating grass and forest trails at a half decent pace (but nothing like race pace). Was quite enjoyable, due to change of scenery/terrain. I will try and vary my routes from next week.

14th - Monday: 10mins w/up; pyramid: 1min (30s) 2min (1min) 3min (90s) 4min (2min) 5min (2:30min) 4min (2min) 3min (90s) 2min (1min) 1min; 5 mins walk cool down + 6 easy strides


15th - Tuesday: (lunch) one hour @ ave. 7mm. (pm - 1850) full body weights (25;15;10 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


16th - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 10x400 with 400 jog rec. on old cinder track


17th - Thursday: (am - just - 1130) one hour forest run. (pm - 1730) TABATAS weights


18th - Friday: Rest Day


19th - Saturday: 15 mins; 5k (18:40); 15 mins


20th - Sunday: full body weights (1x8; 3x3 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high, slight increases in weight with each) then 70mins on treadmill (random setting, level 6 - start at 8.5kph then work up the speeds to 12.5kph- last five minutes 12.5kph => 18kph)

Was, posthumously, pleased with Tuesday's run - I wore the Garmin for the first time in a while and was surprised to see I had run in at ave. 7mm. Was strong in the middle but tailed off in the end (last mile 7:11).

Wednesday's session I did not time, other than for the last rep (just to get an idea) which was 76s. Felt hard and was knackered at the end of it.

Thursday's run was fun - darting around the forest, ducking low-hanging branches, sinking in mud, undulations and tight turns. Was knackered after 20mins. The last twenty minutes were a real struggle. Probably exerted myself more than I should have done for a 'steady/easy' day. Still, was enjoyable.

Not sure what to think about Saturday's 5k; a decent improvement and glad to get the time time starting with an '18' (in fact, I am not sure I have ever been so glad to have recorded an 18:xx before) but I can not help thinking the time is wrong. I clocked 18:57. Now, I notoriously never stop my watch as I cross the line (I am literally, like, a local legend - all the kids whisper my story...in awe) and generally remember some seconds, sometimes minutes, later (normally after I have recovered from a hard sprint finish) but I am sure I was on point today and stopped it on time. Still, whatever! 18:40 or 18:57, it is progress - and a decent amount. I shall just have to make sure my next 5k I run sub 18:30 to continue the progression.

21st - Monday: 10mins w/up; 12x 1min with 1min jog rec. then 20mins easy running + 5 easy strides


22nd - Tuesday: (am) one hour running, (pm) full body weights (25;15;10 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


23rd - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 3x 800;1x 1200; 3x 800; 1x1200; with 400 jog rec. between each rep, on old cinder track


24th - Thursday: (am) one hour forest run. (pm) TABATAS weights


25th - Friday: Rest Day


26th - Saturday: full body weights (1x8; 4x5 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high, slight increases in weight with each) then 70mins running on treadmill on Level 4 random


27th - Sunday: Southern Road Relays; short leg - 5.5k: 19:31

Monday - 303m (195m) 268m (201m) 286m (195m) 306m (182m) 272m (195m) 305m (204m) 309m (195m) 271m (190m) 280m (196m) 301m (215m) 282m (178m) 303m. Total: 3486m; Ave: 290.5m (Total: 2146m; Ave: 178m)

Wednesday was supposed to be 8x 800 but messed up the lap counting on the fourth one - accidentally did an extra lap (who would have thought it was so difficult to count to two!) - so changed session to that stated.

Sunday's run was better than expected (17:43 5k pace). I had intended to do the long leg, as I have done a fair bit of 5k pace work so far but changes to the team meant I had to do the short leg. Up until this point all my sessions and 'races' have been done wearing: two t-shirts; a jumper, track top or light sports coat; leggings; compressions socks and tracksuit bottoms. Today was the first time I ran in shorts and vest (but kept on the compression socks!). That was probably the difference. Normally in a race I get very hot and sweaty however today barely shed a globule of sweat.

28th - Monday: (am) one hour running, (pm) full body weights (25;15;25;15 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


29th - Tuesday: 10mins w/up; 7x 3mins hill reps (continual, slight, incline, on grass) with jog down recoveries then 5x strides


30th - Wednesday: (am) one hour running


31st - Thursday: NOTHING!

April 1st - Friday: 20 mins aquajogging then 330m swimming (breaststroke)

2nd - Saturday: 10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then

10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then 

10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then 

10 mins airwalking (40 mins airwalking; 150 squats)

3rd - Sunday: 30 mins x-trainer

Monday's run was pretty hilly - no choice, I was in a hilly area.

Tuesday's run was my sister, a reluctant runner doing the marathon (off seven weeks training - I tried to warn her, I really did (though she does not have any delusions of grandeur, she just wants to survive it)). I am sure she was well impressed with being able to glimpse, firsthand, how fast I run - in between gulps of air.


Distances were: 784m; 750m; 748m; 769m; 743m; 773m; 777m

Wednesday, tried to stick to the flat as much as possible with just a hint of hills (one down, and one up).

Thursday - my first day of not running on a scheduled day. Yippee! I guess I have lasted nearly eleven weeks before getting here, sigh! The soleus on my right leg (the problem leg) is sore and has a painful spot, almost like a lump. This coming week is an Easy Week, so timing not too bad - will just have to make the Easy Week easier than planned.

Friday - normally a day off, but aquajogged instead (the swimming pool is free on Friday). I would have done 30mins but swimming lessons (by seemingly five schools at the same time) meant that only one lane was left and it seemed a bit unfair to be crawling along aquajogging...so I crawled along swimming, instead.

Saturday - could not be bothered to leave the house so, instead, used the airwalker, which has been gathering dust. It really is a shit piece of equipment - it has no resistance so is just so piss easy to operate. My heartrate does not get above 100. Added in some squats to make it a little bit more challenging.

Sunday - yawn! Had intended to do an hour but cut it down to half hour as I felt my calf/foot muscles getting sore from having to grip the footplate, to stay on.