Running

Yeah, that's what I figured. Skipping my long run tomorrow in favour of a ride. Gonna spend this evening with the roller and see what I can do.

On the subject of climbing/cross training; I've just pimped up the pain cave with the addition of some new holds above the board. First impressions are that it's pretty hard work to get up to the top. The fact my hallway is really narrow doesn't help as I tend to swing out and clout my knees into the wall...

Dammit, do you still have those trail running shoes? I will take them, if yes.

Yes and yes.

Just did week five of C25K with Mrs Sparky, which came to about two miles, then carried on alone for another 4.5 to make a slow 10km. No big complaints from any of the crash injuries so I think it's time to get stuck into this marathon training. I'm a little behind, oops.

Went out all angry, as you do, for the first time in ages. After a couple of months of base miles, did more or less nine miles in more or less and hour. Was happy. Now in horrific pain.

I've been enjoying angry runs recently.

Still no where near that speed.

Caught the train to Chingford and did 12k with the missus around the forest. Think 2014 is going to be a running year, as I've done around 60km since Christmas Day, mostly off-road. We are thinking of doing the three peaks in early summer (not the actual race, but our own timed effort).

Ankle feels nearly normal today, still gonna lay off til tuesday at the earliest. Dug out a yoga dvd we had knocking around, will give it a whirl for an hour or so tomorrow methinks..

had a bit of a weird one, was out for a 4 miler and around the 3 mile mark look over my shoulder to check traffic behind me as I dodge a puddle and it makes me dizzy enough I stagger about a foot in the opposite direction, the remaining mile home I just felt a bit spaced out and while I was still holding just over 9 min/mile felt like I was dragging lead weights.

had a high 5 sports energy bar an hour before going out at 3.30pm (had no probs with these before) and some torq energy drink (new brand I'm trying so not sure if this was a cause) and some orange juice. but hadn't eaten anything since dinner at 8pm last night as I slept in.

will still go out tomorrow for my long(ish) run of 8 miles but will loop it so I'm close to home and carry a spare gel and enough money for some water in case it happens again.

Maybe I am not as hardcore as you but if I hadn't eaten anything all day and then went for a run at half 3 I'd be astonished if that didn't happen to me.

^ that.

Not worth messing around with your nutrition (by skipping two meals) when training for a Marathon. Even a hungry short run like today may have knock on tomorrow etc. Not even energy wise, your form likely to be all over the place when tired today, can lead to silly niggles.

If you've not covered your food debt today you might as well bin the long run tomorrow in favour of a good feed instead.

Ciq, are you trying to diet and train up at the same time? Very tricky to balance that, whatever sport you're engaged in, and a good way to hurt yourself. Better to go for the fitness, which makes it easier to lose weight in the long term.

I did get up just before 2pm (got to bed at 3.30am) so I'd only been up for a bit and not active all day and I took on a couple of hundred calories before the run which should be more than enough for 4 miles so I'm just a little surprised as I wasn't running hard at all.

last night I ate a recovery bar and a glass of chocolate milk as soon as I got back from my run, then had steak, 2 baked sweet potatoes and sweetcorn, today I had a recovery bar, choc milk, ready meal and banana within an hour of getting back and tacos for dinner, so I'm not exactly starving myself. certainly no different to before christmas at least.

I did get up just before 2pm (got to bed at 3.30am) so I'd only been up for a bit and not active all day and I took on a couple of hundred calories before the run which should be more than enough for 4 miles so I'm just a little surprised as I wasn't running hard at all.

How did today's long run go? Apart from being cold.

Is anyone doing the Manchester marathon in April?

My first ever 10k race today at the Cliveden 10k xc, 45.23 minutes on what is a brutally tough course, then ran the 4 miles home.

Based on last years results I'll be in the top 50 in what was a brilliantly run, well attended event in beautiful scenery - it helps the weather was very good, but a tshirt, a mars bar and a bottle of water at the end was well received, I guess some of the slower finishers might have appreciated a water stop somewhere but I think I heard them apologising at the beginning that the weather had made this difficult.

Edit actual time and came in provisional 46th place!

Dug out a yoga dvd we had knocking around, will give it a whirl for an hour or so tomorrow methinks..

Managed about 30mins before being bored to tears by the moaning hippy nonsense...

I suck at stretching and avoid it at all costs but beginning to realise it is going to help my ankle and everything else in general as my weekly milage increases.

Well aware it's all there on the internet for nothing but I won't do it. I am however, capable of following exercise dvds(did Insanity all the way thru last year). Has anyone come across a dvd of pilates/stetching/whatever that isn't too long so I can do it when I get in from a run but covers everything?

How did today's long run go? Apart from being cold.

Went fine, felt knackered by the end of the 8-miles but I've done 27 miles since thursday so not surprising really.

Had a lovely run yesterday. Recently I'd been finding it all a bit difficult, certainly harder than I used to, cardio-wise. Realised I was on my toes way too much (due to some knee pain a couple of months ago, which i was trying to prevent coming back) so really tried to ensure I had a good consistent mid-foot strike instead. After the first awkward 2km it just felt so easy, faster too.

TL:DR - Have a think about your foot strike every once in a while.

BTW Jason, haven't had a stitch since you recommended 4 steps in/ 3 steps out. Actually that's a lie - I got one when trying to keep up with you through the Meyrick park woods

Good. Use that for boosting oxygen
If you wanna increase lung capacity 4/4

Ran to (my new place of) work today, took an hour and ten minutes, then ran on to LMNH, grabbed a coffee, had a pee, and ran to London Bridge.

Two hours, 14 miles, felt good.

Good. Use that for boosting oxygen
If you wanna increase lung capacity 4/4

Yeah I used to be on 4/4 for ages, but tended to get a stitch on one side on faster runs. Sometimes I now go up to 5/4 on LSD :)

Yeah I used to be on 4/4 for ages, but tended to get a stitch on one side on faster runs. Sometimes I now go up to 5/4 on LSD :)

come down and do this mental event tomoz? give you an intro/ beer/ cake/ food part of the night
http://wessex-oc.org/Final%20Details/FD_060114.pdf

Had a great run yesterday.

My plan for this year is simple. As I dont have the time to train more, and training harder isnt always better. I'm going to train smarter.

To this end I set out with the intention of replacing my usual 'endurance zone' pootle. With a mixture of upper threshold, and active recovery stuff. Over timing was pretty the same as usual. But it was more fun in a way, and I certainly felt more battered afterwards.

Based somewhat around the route to my in-laws for practical reasons, and strava segments for motivation. his will now be my Sunday 12km run.

3.5km - warm-up (flat)
800m - VO2 max (climb).
800m - activ recovery (desent).
3.5km - threshold (undulating).
800m - active recovery.
1km - VO2 max (climb, 200m assent).
800m - active recovery.
1km - warm down.

http://www.strava.com/activities/104284464

as I'm meant to be training solely in the endurance zone until my speedwork phase starts next week I've been thinking about the impact of adding in some faster bits towards the end of the run and how that might alter the way your body adapts to the overall session as the changes happen in the recovery period after the run I believe.

so if you push yourself out of the zone you wanted to get the gains in does your body still adapt the changes at the lower intensity for the training you have done or does it just improve the systems that kicked in when you went to the harder stuff?

e.g. would you still reap the low-end benefits of running at endurance pace for 4 miles if you ran at tempo pace for a further 3 miles or would your body just adapt itself at the tempo pace instead as it recovers? or would it diminish the returns somewhat?

as I'm meant to be training solely in the endurance zone until my speedwork phase starts next week I've been thinking about the impact of adding in some faster bits towards the end of the run and how that might alter the way your body adapts to the overall session as the changes happen in the recovery period after the run I believe.

so if you push yourself out of the zone you wanted to get the gains in does your body still adapt the changes at the lower intensity for the training you have done or does it just improve the systems that kicked in when you went to the harder stuff?

e.g. would you still reap the low-end benefits of running at endurance pace for 4 miles if you ran at tempo pace for a further 3 miles or would your body just adapt itself at the tempo pace instead as it recovers? or would it diminish the returns somewhat?

As I understand it. You'd still get the benefit of the endurance session. The question is whether the tempo section would offer positive benefit. If you training plan asks for no work over endurance level. Will the tempo running not just stress your legs/CV-system beyond what the training plan calls for?

I read this book over Xmas,
Training and Racing with a Power Meter: Hunter Allen, Andrew Coggan PhD: 9781934030554: Amazon.com: Books

...and the basic points I've transfered to my running (replacing power data with HR) are:

1) Accuratly determine your zones.
2) Accuratly determine your strengths and weaknesses (eg. my ability to maintain threshold sucks ass).
3) Train accurately using this info (ie. dont push yourself out of the zone you're training in).

On that Strava run I get a CR on a 800m climb, yet I'm one of the slowest on the big slow climb. Exactly like my cycing. I can produce decent efforts. But I die quickly.