On Target

This weeks entry comes from the lovely city of Seattle.

Important for me to note that fact this year, so I can review it next year.

The weather was kind this week, and a got a good solid week of training in. 

After the previous Sundays run, Monday was 6 miles easy effort on a hilly loop. Tuesday I had a slightly later start to work, so I made it tempo Tuesday. I did one mile warmup, and planned to do 7 miles at 6:50. This turned out to be a bit easy so I pushed on for 8 miles, at an average 6:44, with one mile cool down. I was very pleased with this session. It was the first time I had pushed a bit over a solid distance. 

The medium term target is the Bohermeen half marathon on March 13th. While I don't anticipate a 1:25 as per last year, if I can hit somewhere around 1:28 I would be satisfied with that. Note 'satisfied', not pleased or happy. I am coming from a pretty slow base at the moment, although I am hoping that the body will remember that it used to be able to put in a decent effort over that distance, and respond accordingly!

Wednesday was a slow (7:45) six miles over the holy loop again, and Thursday I did my speed session of sorts. Again this was two miles warmup, with 3x1 mile repeats, 6:10 pace, with 90 seconds recovery. Two miles to cool down on the way home. I really need to start adding in mile 4 and 5 to the repeats, ideally to reach 3x2 over the next 4 weeks, but again, pleased with the session.

On Friday I went out for Nine mile recovery, but the legs were a bit slow from Thursdays session. What doesn't help is that on Thursday, due to family time, my run is always after 8pm, and Fridays run was at 12pm, so the recovery time is only 15 hours. Personally, I find I suffer a bit if I don't get a 24 hour recovery. As a result, this only ended in 8 miles.

I had to do my long run Saturday as I was travelling on Sunday. 14 miles at 7:55 average. Again, as I build up the distance on the long runs, I will need to start putting a little more effort into the pace also. However, this is the first time in a very long time, that I have run seven days straight. The mileage for the week was 50, which was bang on target, but over the seven days was 63.

I am encouraged by the weeks running. As I write this, it is 5am, and I am about to hit the hotel gym treadmill. Previously, I might have just written off the day. 

I also looked back at the mileage for this time last year when training for London, and the miles were actually less on the plan for the week.

Here's hoping I can build on this good week going forward.

Coming up short

So last week I had hoped for 45 miles this week, but I only managed 40.

The four 'w's are the biggest impediment to any runners training plans.

Work, Weather, Willpower, and Wife!

Work is just very busy, and always is. I can't run early in the mornings, as I often fly quite late, and it would be irresponsible of me getting up at 6 am and then trying to land an aircraft in bad weather 17 or 18 hours later.
The weather lately has been mixed, but joining the gym has mitigated against that somewhat as I should be able to do even six miles on the treadmill if it gets particularly bad out doors.
Willpower has been lacking slightly, but after this week I feel that I am getting back into it. It is a self perpetuating cycle, if you are running well, you are motivated and will be encouraged. When you are not running so well, you tend to get a bit disheartened. I find about three weeks of good quality training breaks the cycle.
As any runner will probably testify, an understanding wife is vital when training for multiple marathons. But balance is important, and there are times when I have to accept that family comes first, running is just a hobby (I have to say that).
My theory holds that the more control you have over the four 'w's, the better you will get.

This week, Monday was six easy, Tuesday the same. Wednesday was the day I had planned but had to skip due to one of the 'w's.
Thursday was a speed session, although shorter than I would have liked due to the late hour. One warmup, 3x1 mile at 6:10, with one cool down.
Friday was always to be my rest day, 13 easy miles Sarurday, with 10 easy today.
So 40 miles as opposed to 45, but feeling positive this week. Trying to push towards 50 miles this week will be hard, the next report will be written from the USA as I head off on Sunday.
On the plus side, after next week, I have plenty of time off due holidays, so I should be able to ramp up the miles at that point.

Pause

This week started out well, Monday was 6 easy miles before work at an easy pace.
Tuesday didn't go to plan, I didn't get to get out at all due to short notice work commitments.
Wednesday was the same, but I consoled myself by figuring that the days served as pre-emptive rest days. Also, I reviewed my London (3:05) marathon plan from last year. I had started building the mileage gradually at this point, with plenty of rest days. However, I was at around 45 miles at this point.
Thursday evening I went out quite late. 2 miles warm up at easy pace on the way to the track. It was a chilly but beautiful evening. The track session was 2x1 mile at 6:10, with 90 seconds between.
The third mile was jog the bends, sprint the straights. That was a tough mile, and another two miles to cool down on the way home, and I felt it was a good session.
Friday I headed out in the afternoon, which was 18 hours after the previous session. The plan was was 13 miles easy. As soon as I broke into a run I knew something was not right. My left knee was very sore, which was strange as it was fine when I was walking on it.
I pushed on regardless, albeit at a slow pace, hoping that it would warm itself out after a few miles. No such luck, and the run was very difficult. I had to cut it short due to the pain in my knee, and ended up only doing 6 miles.
On Saturday, I was forced to take the day off to rest the knee, and today, Sunday the same.
I figure if I went out on it the way it is, I risk doing more damage and screwing up weeks of training instead of a few days. The knee is feeling better today, but I wouldn't risk it.
Booked my flights and accommodation for Boston this week. I'm going on my own, no family or friends. I do know some other Irish going doing it so I hope to meet up with them while I'm there.
So, hopefully next week I will have at least 45 quality miles to report.

Early New Year

Having a week off over Christmas was a bit of a shock to the system.
At home, no plans, except to enjoy my time off.
One thing I did plan, was to try and get back into some regular training, which has more or less been achieved.
I ran my usual Christmas Day run at 10 am, and got thoroughly soaked! But as always, I really enjoyed the run, it kind of makes me feel less guilty about the food intake for the rest of the day, which to be fair, was not all that much more than any other day. My one (well almost one) weakness is cake, Christmas cake in particular.
Stephens day was the goal mile, and myself and my super speedy 5 year old daughter ran it together.
On Sunday I went out for 13 miles at a comfortable easy pace. I have done at least one of these every week, sometimes twice, and I think the benefits are starting to show. I think of it as a kind of Maff training, easy build up.
Monday was again an easy 10k loop, and Tuesday I hit the gym. I did a 42minute 10k on the treadmill, with 12 k total, and some weights after.
Wednesday was the gym again, an hour of easier pace on the treadmill, and again some weights, with some focus on the core.
Thursday, two mile warmup, and 3x1 mile on the track, at 6:03, 6:10, 6:12, 90 second recovery, two mile cool down. This was a good session, and while the mile paces were still half decent for not having done any fast running in quite a while, the effort was tough to push them out.
While I have gotten some good sessions in this week, for the first time in over 3 years I hit 11:00 stones on the scales yesterday. Besides cake, another weakness this week is a glass or two of wine each evening in front of the TV, and maybe the odd quality street or two as an accompaniment.
But I am on holidays, and while the training schedule will stay, when I go back to work, evenings with glasses of wine will not.
Boston training in earnest will begin on Monday. I had quite a few holidays left to avail of before 1st April 2016, so I have spread them out to give me 3 days off together as often as possible between now and then to optimise the training.
And now that we are past 21st December, sure the evenings will be getting brighter.
It just a pity we can't do anything about these storms, but that is where the gym will come in.