XC Runner

cfitz · 07-03-2009 10:44pm

Week 20, Day 5:

Rest
Sports Massage

Week 20, Day 6:

40 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 40+50+60)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)
Some core exercises

cfitz · 09-03-2009 11:07am

Week 20, Day 7:

Short warm-up jog
Strides
4.8km (approx.) RACE cross-country
20 min warm-down jog
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 40+60+50)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

Small local race, conditions were tough - 0 degrees, wet underfoot, and a little bit hilly. Went to the shoulder of the leader after 600m, stayed there til 1200m, then he started to open a gap up a hill and continued to extend that gap gradually for the rest of the race. I think he ran a good steady race while I faded. In top form, I would be hoping to beat him. I was caught by the next runner with 600m to go but I picked it up to the finish and was able to maintain a gap and finish 2nd. He was a fellow club member that is in good form but would not threaten me normally in cross-country. Overall I'm happy enough and looking forward to the next few weeks.

Rough schedule for the week:

Mon: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Tue: 35 min run, circuits (3x8)
Wed: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Thu: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Fri: REST
Sat: 45 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions, light core
Sun: 40 min run, 4 x 100m sprints, push ups & sit ups & back extensions

cfitz · 09-03-2009 10:30pm

Week 21, Day 1:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 50+40+60)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

cfitz · 10-03-2009 11:10pm

Week 21, Day 2:

35 min easy run
Stretching
Circuit - 3 sets of 8 exercises (30 sec on, 30 sec off, 90 sec between sets)

Switched out one of my circuit exercises and put in a plank exercise to focus on my core a bit more.

cfitz · 11-03-2009 10:22pm

Week 21, Day 3:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 50+40+60)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

cfitz · 13-03-2009 12:10am

Week 21, Day 4:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 50+60+40)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

Well ready for my rest day now! I usually do some special stretches for my calf muscles every morning and night because of my biomechanics, but I've decided to switch them to a different stretch for the moment to see how it works out. The new stretch stretches my calf muscles much lower down (might actually be my soleus, I'm not good with muscle names etc.).

another world · 13-03-2009 3:09am

Hey cfitz. Just wondering about your training regime as it seems fairly different to most others. Is it different because you focus on the shorter distances? What sort of pace would you be going at in your jogs for example?

I´m currently injured so looking to change around my routine a bit.

cfitz · 13-03-2009 10:26am

another world wrote: »

Hey cfitz. Just wondering about your training regime as it seems fairly different to most others. Is it different because you focus on the shorter distances? What sort of pace would you be going at in your jogs for example?

I´m currently injured so looking to change around my routine a bit.

I think some of the reason it looks a lot different to others is because I'm coming back from a break so I'm keeping the length of my easy runs fairly short for a while until I get strong again. It's basically a six day week with 3 supplementary morning jogs. This time 2 years ago I would just have been doing a six day week. Then over the space of a year and a half I added in the morning jogs one at a time.

The structure I use would normally be something like this: A few weeks of just runs plus one long run. Then add in 2 sessions per week - tempo/hill reps/long reps/short reps depending on the phase of training. I usually do about 3 weeks building up the reps and the long run each week, then take an easier week. I change the sessions every few weeks.

The idea of the jogs is just to recover the legs so I try not to worry about the pace, hopefully when I'm fit this might allow me to go a bit faster on the evening runs. Last year I was doing the morning jogs at 5km in 25min and it seemed to work out fairly well but I think this year I'll just go with an 'easy as I like' strategy.

My long runs are a maximum of 1:45 but I think there are some people who train for middle-distance/cross-country that do a bit more than this. For me 70 minutes and upwards is a long run.

What was your previous routine? And how did you get injured?

another world · 13-03-2009 4:19pm

I got injured on the threadmill. I went to far too soon, I guess. Got my LSR up to 17km (on mud paths) and I was feeling great, but after doing a interval hill session on the threadmill I messed up my knee. Out for two weeks now, probably one more to go before I get back to training again. But I´ll need to change my training around a lot and not rush it. Maybe two or three months, slowly and patiently building up distance and pace and strenght. (oh, and getting the right runners!).

Patience seems to be key from what I´m seeing in the logs.

cfitz · 13-03-2009 5:20pm

another world wrote: »

I got injured on the threadmill. I went to far too soon, I guess. Got my LSR up to 17km (on mud paths) and I was feeling great, but after doing a interval hill session on the threadmill I messed up my knee. Out for two weeks now, probably one more to go before I get back to training again. But I´ll need to change my training around a lot and not rush it. Maybe two or three months, slowly and patiently building up distance and pace and strenght. (oh, and getting the right runners!).

Patience seems to be key from what I´m seeing in the logs.

Are you still living at altitude? Surely you don't need to do your hill reps on a treadmill?

Oh and I hope it wasn't my training advise a few weeks ago that got you injured!

I'd say training for a marathon is tough if you're not already doing a lot of running - those really long runs where you're fatigued would leave you a little bit vulnerable along with the big increases in weekly mileage.

Are you still confined to the 3 day week? I think that running regularly is very important and if you could just do any little bit on most of the other days it would help.

Patience is important, coz injuries that put you out for a few weeks are an awful hindrance.

MCOS · 13-03-2009 5:25pm

Jaysus all this core, you must be developing a nice washboard...!

another world · 13-03-2009 6:11pm

cfitz wrote: »

Are you still living at altitude? Surely you don't need to do your hill reps on a treadmill? Oh and I hope it wasn't my training advise a few weeks ago that got you injured!

I'd say training for a marathon is tough if you're not already doing a lot of running - those really long runs where you're fatigued would leave you a little bit vulnerable along with the big increases in weekly mileage.

Are you still confined to the 3 day week? I think that running regularly is very important and if you could just do any little bit on most of the other days it would help.

Patience is important, coz injuries that put you out for a few weeks are an awful hindrance.

Cheers for the advice.

Still at altitude but the treadmill is sometimes the most convenient. Your training plan was going good untill I decided to do those hills (not part of the training plan :rolleyes:). I´ll be able to go for 5 to 6 days training when I get back into it but at a lower intensity. Hoping this will keep the injuries under control.

cfitz · 15-03-2009 12:52am

MCOS wrote: »

Jaysus all this core, you must be developing a nice washboard...!

Far from it at the moment anyway!

cfitz · 15-03-2009 12:53am

Week 21, Day 6:

45 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 60+40+50)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)
Some core exercises

Felt nice and fresh after my rest day and was moving nicely today, faster than usual.

Krusty_Clown · 15-03-2009 10:43am

Hey cfitz, great dedication and well done in your race. When do you think you'll be back to full form? Is there a season of races that you are targeting to challenge in?

cfitz · 16-03-2009 10:39pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hey cfitz, great dedication and well done in your race. When do you think you'll be back to full form? Is there a season of races that you are targeting to challenge in?

Thanks, the aim is to hit peak form in July but I'd expect to be running quite well in about four weeks just I might not have many fast sessions done at that stage. The current plan is to focus on the 3000m this summer and hopefully I'll do plenty of racing.

cfitz · 16-03-2009 10:46pm

Week 21, Day 7:

40 min easy run
4 x 100m sprints
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 60+50+40)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

I think I'll do something similar again this week and maybe take a slightly easier wekk after that, leaving me set up to start into a proper program for April-July. I have a 5k road race on Tuesday aswell. Here's a rough schedule:

Mon: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Tue: 5km Road Race
Wed: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Thu: REST
Fri: AM 25 min jog, PM 35 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions
Sat: 40 min run, 4 x 100m sprints, circuits (3x9)
Sun: 55 min run, push ups & sit ups & back extensions, light core

cfitz · 16-03-2009 10:48pm

Week 22, Day 1:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 40+50+60)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

TheRoadRunner · 17-03-2009 12:55am

cfitz wrote: »

Week 21, Day 7:
Tue: 5km Road Race

Where's the race ? Portlaosie ? Best of luck anyway

thirstywork · 18-03-2009 1:11am

how did the race go?
what times do you hope to run for the 3k in the Summer?

cfitz · 18-03-2009 11:00am

Yeah race was in Portlaoise, didn't go well at all but not really that worried about this one, hadn't planned on racing this week but was helping the club team. My best for 3000m is 9:19 so any progress on that would be good but I'd like to think I can knock a decent bit off it.

cfitz · 18-03-2009 11:22am

Week 22, Day 2:

13 min jog
Strides
5km RACE (road, finishing time 17:34)
20 min jog
Stretching
20 Press-ups
150 Sit-ups (3 variations 40+60+50)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

I wasn't sure how this race would go. I didn't really run it by choice so I decided to just train through it, did my double day on Monday as normal. The plan was to run very conservatively early on and be going nice and fast for the last 2k and pick off a few places. My hamstrings were feeling kind of heavy but other than that I was fine. It was a warm day and the pace started out fairly handy (3:21 apparently for the leaders at 1k), I must have started very easy coz I was well back. Things were going ok though and I steadily made my way up to 8th place by 2k. 5th, 6th and 7th were running together about 50 metres ahead but I figured at least one of them would start to struggle.

By 3k the group ahead had broken up a bit and myself and my clubmate in 9th were making ground. But that's when it kind of went wrong. It was here that I was meant to up things but it didn't happen. My hamstrings were heavy and when I tried to pick it up I just felt like I had no real life in me. I was passed out by teammate even though he seemed to be struggling a lot more than me. From there I just really kept going until the finish, held my place easily for 9th. My teammate almost caught the next man. The guy I outsprinted last week finished 6th in this race.

I wasn't too happy when I heard my finishing time. Looking at a bad race in hindsight it's easy to write off the plan you chose. Maybe if I'd started harder I would have kicked into race mode and would have at least run a faster time. But it wasn't a big race for me and it worked out like a tempo run during a build up week, so onwards and upwards. With the amount of vets in the race and the way the prizes were structured I managed to get 70 EUR for my performance!

cfitz · 19-03-2009 10:08am

Week 22, Day 3:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
90 Sit-ups (2 variations 50+40)
Moving plank exercise (3 reps)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

My left hip has been quite tight recently so I've brought in a plank exercise instead of the 'bicycle crunch' sit-up that I had been doing. I'm going to my osteopath today so maybe he'll be able to advise further.

cfitz · 20-03-2009 11:32am

Week 22, Day 4:

Rest day
Visit to Osteopath

I have a very important decision to make today so I'm seeking your advice. I have a sort of Liam Gallagher hair style at the moment, but I've to get it cut today. Normally I just get it shaved at the back and sides and blended in to a short cut at the top. But I've never had my hair this long before so I need to consider my options before I get it cut! So any suggestions?!

TheRoadRunner · 20-03-2009 11:47am

don't get it cut. It could have Samson like qualities and your running could suffer if you shear your flowing locks

cfitz · 20-03-2009 12:40pm

Past experiences suggest that my hair does not have Samson-like qualities. Maybe I could dye it...

TheRoadRunner · 20-03-2009 12:51pm

cfitz wrote: »

Past experiences suggest that my hair does not have Samson-like qualities. Maybe I could dye it...

If you are going to dye it go peroxide blond with a red stripe down the middle. Surely go faster stripes will help your running

cfitz · 20-03-2009 1:12pm

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

If you are going to dye it go peroxide blond with a red stripe down the middle. Surely go faster stripes will help your running

That sounds pretty cool alright, maybe two thin red stripes down the middle! Don't know about going into work like that though...

cfitz · 21-03-2009 3:51pm

Week 22, Day 5:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
110 Sit-ups (2 variations 50+60)
Moving plank exercise (3 reps)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

Things are about to change in my training program, I have to do some very tough track sessions in May, so I'm attaching a rough schedule of how I plan to prepare for that over the coming weeks. The first week of the attached schedule ends today.

Running Bing · 21-03-2009 3:59pm

cfitz wrote: »

Week 22, Day 5:

AM: 25 min jog

PM: 35 min easy run
Stretching
20 Press-ups
110 Sit-ups (2 variations 50+60)
Moving plank exercise (3 reps)
60 Back Extensions (2 variations 30+30)

Things are about to change in my training program, I have to do some very tough track sessions in May, so I'm attaching a rough schedule of how I plan to prepare for that over the coming weeks. The first week of the attached schedule ends today.

Ill be following this with great interest cfitz:D

Good luck with it:cool:

Why the very specific distances for recovery jogs (e.g. 375m, 225m)...is it just to do with the time it takes to do them?

XC Runner

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