Berlin Marathon

T runner

23rd-30 May

Sun 22k easy.

Mon 10k brisk

Tue 5k very easy

Wed hilly 13k brisk

Thurs 5k easy

Friday no running

Saturday 14k easy

2h 50 mins easy hillrun. Plenty of uphill walking here over heather. Last minute cramming for Corran Tuathail.

T runner

OK. Have had difficulty getting out running since the Paris marathon. The mental side of recovery was very slow. Solution should have been to run easy till I felt better.

Anyway back running more regularly now. Going to work on my strenght and speed before getting into full blown marathon training. Have a longer build up to this than Paris (just under 17 weeks now) so hope to take full advantage.

Diet, strenght, flexibilty and weight, neglected in my last buidup, will be addressed this time.

Weight 10st 13 lbs now. Ideal racing weight will be around 10 st.

In Paris I managed a straight 33k at 3.49 km pace. Had a very slow start and faded at the end. Keeping that pace up would have got me 2.42 on the day. I lacked some strenght for the end, so I think a target of sub 2.37 may be realistic for Berlin if I get my stamina and strenght right. If I have to settle for a target of sub 2.40 closer to race time so be it. This would give me an average of sub 6 min miles which makes it an attractive target.

After my strenght and speed phase. (4 weeks) Ill setlle into the marathon training. This will involve sessions with the club (eg 7 by 2k), (53min pace runs) mixed with LSRs, LFRs (within a minute of Race Pace) MFRs.
A couple of weeks might be:

Tue 7 by 2k
Thursday 15 mile MLR (within 1 min of race pace)
Sunday LFR (within 1 min of race pace for most of it)

Tues

8 by 2k
Sat 53 min pace run
Sun LSR 2h40

Thats roughly the plan.

May start to monitor HR readings also.

The main intermediary target is the Warriors run in Sligo.

Sub 57 mins is the target here.

Todays session will be 7k recovery pace inc 8 by 100 metres.

Distance so far this year 1850 Kilometers Approx.

T runner

Mon 31st May.

5.3 k inc 6 by 100 metres strides. Felt good.

T runner

Tuesday: 2-06-2010

Lunch: Core and weights in gym (monday too)

Weights

Intervals:

3 by 600 with 1 min
3 by 400 with 1 min
3 by 300 with 1 min
3 by 200 with 1 min

2 min between each.

Struggled but completed the session.

Little warmup and no warm down

5.5k

Wednesday: 3-06-2010

IMRA-Scarr

Died and made the worst of it!

Still, you have to take your punishment to get fit.

11k


Total for year 1872

Krusty_Clown

Looks like the intervals may have made life hard for you on Wednesday. What pace do you run them at? Do they get faster as the length of the interval drops?

Is it a good session? Ta!

T runner

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Looks like the intervals may have made life hard for you on Wednesday. What pace do you run them at? Do they get faster as the length of the interval drops?

Is it a good session? Ta!

Hi Krusty. Supposed to get faster I guess as the distance reduces. Didnt happen though. Its a session for the track I guess. I have done very little running since Paris and am using sessions/races to help get my runners on and get running.

I will be using these sessions to get my speed up before marathon training proper.

Wasnt fit enough to judge how good it was, if you know what i mean. Probably had more of the characteristics of a long interval session for me.

Wednesday was affected a bit but not too much to be honest. I actually felt OK at the start .... was in top 12 or so after a k. Dont have any climbing endurance or much endurance of any description so dying was on the cards. I am actually shockingly unfit for hill races. I died on the way up. Tried to run hard down and died again!

seanynova

T runner wrote: »

OK. Have had difficulty getting out running since the Paris marathon. The mental side of recovery was very slow. Solution should have been to run easy till I felt better.

Hey T Runer,

If you were not running much since Paris, how much fitness, lactate threshold etc do you think you have lost since then?

Im going to be launching into another marathon training programme soon but prob no running in the 3weeks before the start of the schedule. Am a little concerned about dropping lactate threshold and general fitness since the previous marathon which will be 5weeks previous(to the start of the next programme)

T runner

seanynova wrote: »

Hey T Runer,

If you were not running much since Paris, how much fitness, lactate threshold etc do you think you have lost since then?

Im going to be launching into another marathon training programme soon but prob no running in the 3weeks before the start of the schedule. Am a little concerned about dropping lactate threshold and general fitness since the previous marathon which will be 5weeks previous(to the start of the next programme)

Hi Seany,

I started from very little running 13 weeks before teh Paris marathon. A lot of my training was based on high mileage for teh 1000 mile challenge.

I probably only got into my schedule properly 7-8 weeks before.

The high mileage approach did work though and id recommens it. Even if the miles are slow get out and do them. That will improve your leg strenght a s well as your endurance. Run everyday if you can, even if its a 20 minute jog.


You may have to bite the bullet and shorten the schedule though or atleast modify the earlier part to make it easier. The proportion of aerobic stuff needs to be large anyway particularly at the start.
Trying to get your sessions from a standing start may mean you dont get an aerobic base.

The caveat here is that ive only done one marathon and may not have a clue what im on about!


I am very worried about my fitness but i am keen again so hopfully things will fall into place. Hoping to start a 12 week schedule in 4 weeks with a considerable head start on my equivalent fitness for Paris.

Let me know how its going.

Do you have a log here?

T runner

Thursday 3-6-10

Lunch: Easy Swim 450m

Evening: 10k easy inc 6 by 100 metres strides

seanynova

T runner wrote: »

Hi Seany,
Do you have a log here?

no log yet, ill start one in july, have a look out for it, the amsterdam marathon is the goal race...

cheers for the info, ill get in a few weeks aerobic before starting the hard stuff...

T runner

seanynova wrote: »

no log yet, ill start one in july, have a look out for it, the amsterdam marathon is the goal race...

cheers for the info, ill get in a few weeks aerobic before starting the hard stuff...

Yep, I did strides: 6-8 by 100 metres at 3/4 speed after every 2nd or 3rd aerobic run to keep the leg speed up at the start.

This will increase your average speed and make the transition to the harder stuff a bit easier.

Will look out for your blog. You have plenty of time.

heffsarmy

Good luck T runner with your goals, sub 2.37 is well within you. I think in your last marathon program you done plenty of miles, but just lacked some fast MP or tempo pace miles at the end of your long runs, these will be the difference between sub 2.40 or sub 2.37. I will be watching with interest.

T runner

Friday 4-6-2010

10k 45 mins brisk. Splash in the sea 100m.

Saturday: Rest

Sunday 6-6-2010

14k 2h 20 approx

Carrauntoohil mountain race. Climbed well until Caher. Got tired and eased back after the summit. After a couple of half twists on my ankles i slowed to a slow jog and a bit of sight seeing. Should get a good training benefit.

Total for week 56k

T runner

Monday 7-6-2010

Rest

Tuesday 7-6-2010

17.5 k easy inc 9 by 100 strides.

Happy with this run. Ran at a comfortable pace and was relaxed at all times including strides.

T runner

Wednesday 9-6-2010

8k easy on hills. Curtlestown to Crone and back.

Nice run. There was two campsites I passed beside the Glencree river and both had left big plastic sacs of cans and garbage. Animals had picked at them: there was rubbish everywhere.
Disgraceful. They obviously thought the bin man would collect them once they left the garbage in sacs.

T runner

Thursday 10-6-2010

10k easy and circuits with club.

Friday Rest 10-6-2010

Sat 11-6-2010

Wiclow way Relay: leg 2

31k (inc race)

Our runner got injured in the first leg and worked hard to get in at all. Starting from last position in Leg 2 though!

Decided to run within myself during the road and descent to Glencree. Just wanted to concentrate on keeping the cadence good. Went well, but the descent to the Dragle was not as good as heat and some tiredness were setting in. jumped into the dargle to cool down and drink my fill. Ran well enough for the rest. Finished in about 75, which is over a minute a kilometer slower than the record (as a guide) but i was happy.

Quick change into dry gear, bite to eat and drink and ran easily back the route to my car stopping at every river. 105 mins back giving total of 31k.

T runner

Sun 12-6-2010


AM walk in Crone with GF. Jogged back 4k.


Lap of Bull Island 11k. Easy run. Wanted to run first half on trail so had to splash through a very wet interior to get close to where i wanted. Used a trail beside 1st golf course which wasnt great. Got soaked but didnt mind. returned along beach and did about 9 by 100m strides. The strides got all of the descending pain out of my quads from WWR on saturday exept the very top of the quads. Maybe try them on a slight uphill next time.

11k total.

Total for week 82.5k

Total for year 1988.5k

T runner

Mon 12-6-2010

7k recovery pace.

Legs still a little tired but not sore.

T runner

Tue 13-6-2010

14k easy. 59 mins

Cycled to work ran home. First time in this training cycle so a milestone of sorts. Beautiful evening, ran along Sanymount Strand for a while. Feeling pretty good. Will probably do Powerscourt mainly Uphill tommorrow. Not fit enough for an all out effort in this race yet. Will try to build slowly and see what happens. Handy that most of the route was on my leg of the WWR from the weekend.

tisnotover

Hiya,

I must have missed your last log there for Paris, had a quick read there of it earlier, wow, some going, sub 2:45 for your first marathon (and I thought I was doing v.well going for my first! :rolleyes: )

Best of luck with the training, will be watching this log as it unfolds, see how the faster guys do it

T runner

Wednesday:

10 min on turbo bike for cycle to work week.

PM Powerscourt Race.

Plan was same as many others: pace it and try and come through later in the climb. Started at the front steadyly. Bazman headed off followed by a large herd. I didnt mind letting them go it was a long way to the top. Noticed a very relaxed looking Gerry Lawlor earlier. Gerry is a classy racer and always paces races excellently. I left him but wondered if i might see him again before i reached the top of Djouce.

I saw Zoran start hard enough, and gohard too. I was slowly working through the field when it flattened out near the ride i was about 15th. I passed a couple more lads then gohard who i assumed was suffering from a too fast start. There was a group of 4-5 led by Zoran not too distant and i thought if i could get into these Id be in the top 10. Pushed a bit to pass one more chap in red beofre we had to leap that big rock that blocked the track. Wanted a clear path ahead to close gap to the group.
Onto the open mountain and descended like a bloody giraffe, braking unnecessarily.
Red top went flying by. Started the climb back up but couldnt muster much more than a slow jog. When i hillran before, steep climbs were my strenght, now doing more road running they are a weakness. I heard steps behind and was surprised to see a rejuvinated Gohard climbing well past me. My legs were too heavy and leaden to respond so i planned to catch him on the flatter climb to the shoulder of Djouce. A quick look behind saw a flash of yellow not too far back (slogger) and someone in white followed by loads of runners. The flatter part didnt supply any relief just a continuing plod on heavyb legs. To make matters worse Gohard was looking back like an owl and measuring and maintaining the gap!
Ill get him on the steep bit i thought without much conviction. A noise behind and the relaxed stride of Gerry Lawlor eased past. He quickly closed the gap on gohard. When GH heard the footfalls approach he upped it again desperately trying to keep ahead of Gerry. When Gerry drew level Gohard recognised him with surprise, let him go about his business and resumed his owl like monitoring of my progress. I would have laughed if I wasnt crying!
Meanwhile I was in danger of being passed by Slogger's competitive group behind but mercifully the summit arrived just in time. Not a bad run at all for slogger a man who had given his all to help Boards on the cruel leg 5!

16k

GoHardOrGoHome

T runner wrote: »

...and resumed his owl like monitoring of my progress...

Love it! I know people say don't look behind you in a race but staying ahead of you was the only motivation I had left!

Gerry was incredibly smooth as he passed me.

T runner

GoHardOrGoHome wrote: »

Love it! I know people say don't look behind you in a race but staying ahead of you was the only motivation I had left!

Gerry was incredibly smooth as he passed me.

No, you were right. I would have preferred to have been the one looking down the hill!

Yeah, I cant believe how much time Gerry made on me on that climb. A full minute I think. He does a lot of cycling whcih helpd for that route Im sure. Same for Aaron in 4th.

T runner

Thurs 17-6-2010

Circuits with club. 6 laps and then 10 by 150 metres (100 relaxed accelarating last 50, jog back). Felt good, lovely evening for it.

4k approx.

Thurs 18-6-2010

AM 14k easy run into work.

T runner

Friday 18-6-2010

Easy run to work 14k.

Cycle home 14k

Saturday 19-6-2010

AM 3k easy around glencree inc a few hills.

PM 10k fartlek inc 8 by 200-300m

T runner

Sunday 19-6-2010

Fraughen Rock Glen

11k

Was intending a 2 hour hill run but decided to combine with race.

Arrived quite late and didnt do warm up. Decided to start slow and try and run as much as i could.
Didnt expect the whole field to leave me at the start and felt very unfit indeed!
Started catching a few runners on the fireroad. Its a spectacular route on such a fine day taking in 3 valleys. You follow a river out of the glen beside a waterfall. route starts zig-zagging here. I would normally try to run as far as possible for training reasons but do a run walk here. Out of this glen, and a meadowy looking open area in front. I see a runner right and higher, Alan ayling I think. Ground should be firmer up there. I also spot another runner who has cut across the meadow straight ahead. I think the runner is Dermot Murphy (it wasnt) who I know had done a Recce of teh course on Thursday.
Straight ahead it is. and pretty soon Im finding it hard to even jog in the meadow. Doooh! The 4 or 5 runners just behind me follow me in.

Anyway it costs a couple of minutes and a deal of extra effort before we join up with the people who took the right hand side route. We climb up a ramp and steeply out of this area down the far side and a wall leading up to lug is in view.

Now its a slog, all 4's to get up here. Its exactly like Knockdu this section.
Up and onto the billiard table that is the plateau at the top of Lug. I push it up to the summit and on the return. Descending reasonably and making ground. I turn right into the second valley too quickly and get stuck in steep crags. Get back to teh top of the waterfall just as a group of 3 runners arrive. For the second time i lead a group of runners into a pile of sh--te this time in the form of an area strewn with branches on the ground. Make it back to the fireroad and let the lads go.

Im building up for a marathon and this is base training. Im trying but its base training. Catch one or two of them who have missed the last turn for teh finish. Decide against bringing the run up to two hours as the heat and effort has taken its toll.

Total for year 2064.5k

This week 76k

Slogger Jogger

Nice report. I was suffering from the heat myself I think yesterday despite being well hydrated and wearing a cap. Struggled to keep it going once I hit the fireroad even though it was mostly downhill. Reasonably happy with performance apart from that though. What a day. What a route. A bit of a monster but a super challenge.

T runner

Monday 21-6-2010

AM easy run 19k

PM Cycle 32k. Ballybough over Howth and back. Lovely evening for it.

Have to start marathon training soon.
Should probably do club training tommorrow but tempted by a final hill race on Wednesday. Will probably do the Dunshaughlin 10k as a timetrial on saturday as a marker for the start of marathon training.

Am in better shape than 13 weeks before Paris thats for sure.
Weight is finally starting to shift (slowly).

T runner

Tuesday 22-6-2010

10k recovery



Work to Killiney Obelisk and back. Proper recovery run. Felt weak before it felt strong after.

The IMRA race doesnt suit tommorrow unfortunately. I need to do a speed session to get more benefit out of the 10k on saturday. I want to do an even race with a good cadence. This will mean I start my 12 week program for Berlin next week with strenght from the few hill races and some leg speed.
This will be a good head start on the same position before Paris.

I will run Lug the following week to finish the Irish Champs. This will keep my hill running in tune for warriors run.

T runner

Wednesday 23-6-2010

13k easy.

Intended to do a few 400's in irishtown on the way home. Turns out the graded meet was on. My legs were just too leaden and tired to do a race. Watched the 200's and then ran home and watched the football.

dermCu

Wow T - that sounds like a hell of a base phase. Strength certainly shouldn't be an issue for you over the next 12 weeks. Will be interesting to see how you transition to the faster stuff on the road and how much of a difference you notice from the hills. Good stuff.