It's About Time.

Foxx92

Decided I'd do a log after doing two pretty bad times this year. Did times of 33:10 and 41:30 in an 8k and a 10k this month. Both of these times are at least a minute off the same races last year. Not the end of the world, but showing a lack of progress over the last 12 months. I'm going to try to keep a log to keep focus on running and on setting a few PB's this year.

Im an 18 y/o male. 6'3" and 12 stone (give or take a couple of pounds, I haven't weighed myself in over a month). I had to take a break off running for most of Feb and March last year because of ITB problems. Doing stretches and strenghtening exercises to help that now.

For the following year my aims are

• go sub 40 mins in all my 10k races after March.
• go sub 38 mins by December.
• go sub 32 mins in all my 8k races after March.
• go sub 30 mins by December.

in addition I hope to do a couple of ten milers (Although I'm not going to set a goal time for my first race) and do the 5k series in Galway this year.

My training would consist of
Monday & Thursday: Tempo/Reps on track.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 5k
Friday: Rest
Saturday: LSR
Sunday: 8k (Will be a rest day for the first few weeks)

This is by no means set in stone and is just a template. I would greatly appreciate any input from posters on helping me build a plan.

I hope by the end of the year I can say I did my best and look back with no regrets. Hopefully a few of the posters here can give some much needed advice to carry me along the way!:)

Foxx92

8.5k done today at easy enough pace (6:05) in 51:40. Took a rest day yesterday due to a race on Sunday.


2011 total: 58.4km

Foxx92

Bit of a long week so no oppertunity to post until now.

Thursday: Had reps on the track. 2.5km warm up, 10 x 400m (with 200m inbetween at slow pace), 1.5km warm down. I had no watch with me so I took the times off someone else. Times were 85 for the first, low 80's for the reps 2-8 and 76 for the final two. The times were a bit all over the place because it was my first time doing reps of 400. Felt quite comfortable doing them.

Sunday: Had astroturf football on Friday night and was still aching from it on Saturday. Did a 12km LSR on Sunday in 61 mins (5min/km pace). Hoping to build my LSR by 2km next week.


2011 Total: 80.4km (49.95mi)

Foxx92

Monday: Had another set of 400m reps. Legs were a bit tired from Sunday so the splits started off quite slow.

2km warm up
8 x 400m (200m in between of recovery)
1km warm down

1. 86
2. 82
3. 81
4. 78
5. 79
6. 78
7. 79
8. 75

Still finding it difficult to keep any consistancy in the reps, but I suppose that will come in time.


2011 Total: 88.2km (54.8 mi)

Foxx92

Easy 8k done on trail/grass today.


2011 Total: 96.2km (59.77 mi )

ecoli

Hey Foxx

Came across you log and given your training i would say you have a bit of talent and with some work you could go under your targets easy enough. Just a few comments regarding your training (constructive criticisms im not having a go)

1. Intervals

Your intervals account for nearly 25% of your overall weekly mileage. This is a major injury risk. Though this is a general generic session for the mileage you are doing it is too much my advice would be either up the mileage (slowly) or drop the number of reps.
Also the pace which is average of say 80s. This is 5.20 miling compare that to the 6.26 miling needed to run a sub 40. Your times should be roughly 5k pace Though it is called "speed work" this is a common misconception as what you are actually doing is increasing your your ability to maintain high end work rather than running faster.

2. Mileage

My advice regarding this is your speed is there without a doubt. You were doing intervals at paces I was hitting only tonight and i am aiming for 28 in five mile this weekend and sub 34 this year in 10k. The thing that you seem to lack is strength and the best way to do this is to slowly build your miles. you will not run your best at a 10k running less than 20 miles a week.

My advice would be for the next four to six weeks knock the intervals on the head and work on building your mileage slowly. Try adding 3-4 kms a week and six weeks time you will have doubled your mileage nearly after this you will be getting near mileage to carry out the intervals. Your running does not have to be all slow in the mean time i would replace that interval session with tempo runs (about 6.40 ish pace) The tempo part should be 3-5k.

If you want to do track sessions however i recommend cruise intervals like the following:

4-6 x 800m with 90 second recoveries (target times no quicker than 3.20)
3 x 1 k with 2 min recovery (target times no quicker than 4.10)
2 x 1 mile with 2-3 min recovery (no quicker than 6.40)

Mileage is the single greatest training technique which has produced more World records and Olympic medals than any other method in the history of running from distances from 800m to marathon. Just do it slowly and build week by week

Hope this helps steer you in the right direction

Foxx92

ecoli wrote: »

Hey Foxx

Came across you log and given your training i would say you have a bit of talent and with some work you could go under your targets easy enough. Just a few comments regarding your training (constructive criticisms im not having a go)

1. Intervals

Your intervals account for nearly 25% of your overall weekly mileage. This is a major injury risk. Though this is a general generic session for the mileage you are doing it is too much my advice would be either up the mileage (slowly) or drop the number of reps.
Also the pace which is average of say 80s. This is 5.20 miling compare that to the 6.26 miling needed to run a sub 40. Your times should be roughly 5k pace Though it is called "speed work" this is a common misconception as what you are actually doing is increasing your your ability to maintain high end work rather than running faster.

2. Mileage

My advice regarding this is your speed is there without a doubt. You were doing intervals at paces I was hitting only tonight and i am aiming for 28 in five mile this weekend and sub 34 this year in 10k. The thing that you seem to lack is strength and the best way to do this is to slowly build your miles. you will not run your best at a 10k running less than 20 miles a week.

My advice would be for the next four to six weeks knock the intervals on the head and work on building your mileage slowly. Try adding 3-4 kms a week and six weeks time you will have doubled your mileage nearly after this you will be getting near mileage to carry out the intervals. Your running does not have to be all slow in the mean time i would replace that interval session with tempo runs (about 6.40 ish pace) The tempo part should be 3-5k.

If you want to do track sessions however i recommend cruise intervals like the following:

4-6 x 800m with 90 second recoveries (target times no quicker than 3.20)
3 x 1 k with 2 min recovery (target times no quicker than 4.10)
2 x 1 mile with 2-3 min recovery (no quicker than 6.40)

Mileage is the single greatest training technique which has produced more World records and Olympic medals than any other method in the history of running from distances from 800m to marathon. Just do it slowly and build week by week

Hope this helps steer you in the right direction

Thanks very much for the advice ecoli. I agree with pretty much everything you have written above. As you said my mileage isn't up to scratch at the moment. This has been one of my biggest flaws over the last while, just not putting in the effort to get a run in 5 days a week. I'll take up your advice on the intervals and go less frequently until I get my mileage up or take them slower until then.

I'm in the process of writing up a plan up until March so I just wanted to get your views on this as a plan:
Week 1: 3 easy-moderate runs totaling 20k, 1 track session (as in your post) and a LSR (14k) Total of about 40k
Week 2: 3 easy-moderate runs totaling 22k, 1 track session and a LSR (15k) Total of about 43k

and gradually increasing the mileage from that.
Again, thanks for the advice, its greatly appreciated.

Foxx92

Saturday 29th: 6k in roughly 5:30 min/km pace.

Monday 31st: 8k easy and untimed, right calf was feeling quite tight for the first couple of km's but loosened out for the remainder.

Tuesday 1st: 14k, again untimed, the right calf took about 4 or 5 km to loosen but was grand after that.



With a very busy week last week a bit of juggling was needed. Couldn't get out on Sunday for my long run and couldn't get enough time on Monday to go for longer than an hour.


2011 Total: 124.2km (77.7 mi)

Foxx92

Leave the log for a few days and your on page six :eek:.

Absolutely no activity since last Tuesday due to sickness. That's what you get when everyone in your house is sick and you are guarenteed to pick it up! On the upside I did get to pick up some spikes for cross country (they're clean for now) for the first time.

Foxx92

Foxx92 wrote: »

Absolutely no activity since last Tuesday due to sickness.

That illness was to be an absolute thorn in my side. A niggling cough that wouldnt go away. Went to the doctors after about 3 weeks. After a couple of visits and several doses of antibiotics later its cleared up by about 90%. Can still feel it a bit, but not enough to make me stop running for two months, again!

This meant that I've only had about 3 weeks of training for the 5k series which started last tuesday. Only up to about 30km a week at the moment but building on it every week.

Did the Newcastle, Athenry leg of the Galway 5k series in 19:45. Was quite happy with it considering I've done almost no speed work since Febuary. Main aim was to finish sub-20 and thats job done for now. Did the first km in 3:45. The second km was uphill and against a wind so that put me above 4min as did the third km. The fourth was an improvment and the last was entirely downhill, making that about a 3:40 km.

All in all delighted with the start of the series, even if it is over two mins off my pb. Hoping to make the final leg of the series a pb(17:30).

Foxx92

My first 5k series has come and gone. Generally happy with the times, even if they are quite a bit off my PB.

Newcastle: 19.45
Tuam: 19.40
Craughwell: 19.10
Claregalway: (unable to make it)
Dangan:18.59
Loughrea:19.21

All was going to plan up until the last week, which was a bit of an off week for me. Was ill after Dangan and only got one run in the week. Added to that I arrived late and was place around 200th at the starting line, so i spent ages over the first km trying to work my way up the field. Also there were some huge hill that didn't help.

My mileage is improving week on week, and last week was my highest mileage since January. Have the Annaghdown 10k (my local race) tomorrow afternoon and I'm hoping to break 40 for that seeing as it's very flat.