Zooming swiftly on from the Dublin Half 2012..

zooming

Thanks RayCun who suggested I open up a training log on here now the thread for the Dublin Half will be winding down, what a great idea!
Firstly I better give you a brief history of my running & reasons for starting.
April 2010 was a wake up month. In exactly 6 months time I was going to be 40.
Crap.
I was 39 and a half and 17 and a half stone.
Double crap.
I realised that I was heading for a heart attack/stroke/diabetes etc etc so decided to do something about it, around then there was an upswing in people out running and I thought to myself 'you dont see too many fat runners' so I printed off a beginners beginners running plan and headed off.
Week 1 started off by walking 9 mins, running 1 min (x3) four days a week. Week 2 was walk 8 mins run 2 mins (x3) again four times that week and so it built up. By the third week when I was asked to run 3 mins non stop I thought I was going to DIE :eek: but i kept on. At the end of the 12 week period I was running (SLOWLY) for 30 mins constantly.
The next point I have to make is I live on the top of a mountain in County Armagh, well not a mountain perhaps but its VERY hilly, and hence very tough for a fatty in lycra. As I was trying to get the weight down and didnt really want anyone to see me I went out at 5am to avoid traffic and people! I continued my jogging and entered the Race For Life in 2011, it was a 5k and I raised a few quid for Cancer Research, bawled round Stormont thinking of my mother who died of lung Cancer back in 1996 and was overcome by the volume of Cancer sufferers and survivors who took part. An amazing experience! After a year running I had lost 5 stone and felt great, so I made my next running goal the Flora Womens Mini Marathon in May 2012, which I was delighted to complete in 71 minutes and I ran the whole way. Obviously my next goal was going to be the next distance up which was a...GULP Half Marathon, and anyone who was over in the Dublin Half Marathon 2012 thread will know the trials and tribulations of getting to the start line.... so here we are, half done in 2 hours 34 and looking for the next goal. Will it be a full Marathon? I told myself if I did the half in 2hrs 30 (or near about) and felt good physically after the race I would think about a full distance in 2013.

All hints, tips, advice, comments, encouragement or warnings all gratefully received, this has been a great journey as the Americans say and I hope to keep up this thread to encourage ANY wannabe runner out there.

zooming

I forgot to mention i am in the Ballot for London 2013, I will find out in October if Im in :eek:

madon

Good luck with the log zooming, well done on the half and the weight loss- with what you have achieved so far any future plans will be no bother to you:)

zooming

Thanks! Im up for any winter training advice?

average_runner

Look for a club, it will bring u on loads

Pacing Mule

Welcome to the logs Zooming.

zooming

Pageant Messiah wrote: »

Welcome to the logs Zooming.

You are an inspiration at the training logs PM! How's your post half running?

career_move

Nice title Well done in the half. You definitely have to do a full one now...no bother to you:D

Mr Slow

Looking forward to great things from you Zooming.;)

zooming

You guys a awesome!
Tomorrow morning has me back out on the road again after Saturdays half. I'm actually looking forward to it.....?

RedRunner

Good luck with the running from here on Zooming.

zooming

Well I'm just back in from a wee run, first since the half the the legs feel good! Amazing!
My better half purchased for me a HEADLAMP last year for running in the dark and this morning it got its maiden voyage... Surprisingly effective and not too cumbersome to wear. The cattle were giving me some very strange looks, but by now you would think they'd be used to me sweating, grunting, puffing, muttering to myself and the occasional bad word here and there so a headlamp would really just make me even crazier looking than normal!
A definite plus for early morning running!

Emer911

Well done on the Half and the weight loss. Amazing! I'm thinking this could be a good log to watch


re winter training... don't let the weather get in your way :rolleyes:
And a high viz vest / jacket is a must

outforarun

Welcome to the logs zooming. Loved your enthusiasm on the Half Marathon thread. Best of luck.

zooming

I'm thinking tough winter training runs will stand me in good stead for a possible marathon! It's 5.34am and I'm kitted out ready to GO! It's also blowing a gale and raining but hey... Bring it on! The dogs have headed away back to bed, as usual they think I'm a crazy nut, they could be right you know..
So, anyone else thinking of the full distance in 2013? If so which one? I'm still undecided, I think I would like an April/May marathon, but am going to wait and see if I get in via the ballot for London. It's unlikely however but you never know.

ecoli

Love the enthusiasm and motivation even after two years you still appear to love it which is half the battle.

I Agree with Mr Slow definitely a log to watch over the next while.

I must take a leaf out of your book regarding early morning runs. Started a new job recently and as a result it has taken a bit of adjusting and still havent got back into morning running.

Regarding training for the next while my advice would be as follows

1 - consistency. This is the key to improvement. Running any distance its not the just the plan you are following that makes the difference its the miles you have accumulated over the last few years they all stand in good stead for distances over 5k

2 - have fun with your running. Dont be afraid to mix it up a little. A few spurts in middle of one of your weekly runs or steady paced run 1 day a week compared to your normal easy pace

3- Concentrate on progression over the winter months. You will get faster and be able to handle more running on a weekly basis as you progress but dont aim to do this too fast. Aside from Londons application I say dont worry about choosing a marathon until after christmas and just focus on overall fitness and make a call from there.

4- Short term targets. A/R events and runireland.com are great sources for finding races in your area. Look for the odd 5k-10k race say once a month just to keep you motivated and have something to focus on

5 - Running plans. My first thought here would be to join a club. I know that you work long hours and would not really be able to make it during the week however it could help for company on your weekend runs and in turn be able to answer any questions you have regarding training etc (not that there will be too many that the posters here on boards can't answer:p). If this is not an option for what ever reason though there are many plans which can help

http://www.halhigdon.com/
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/138.shtml
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056440724
(custom designed one for people after last years marathon but many have not been running as long as you so might be an option to start from the start of the thread)

Best of luck with things and hope to see you whizzing round the Road Racing scene in no time

Younganne

Congrats on the running, weightloss, Half marathon and all your enthusiasm. Its great that you still have the buz and your running will go from strength to strength!!

Keep enjoying the running and it looks like it will be a great log to follow!!

zooming

You guys are brilliant!
I have been thinking about doing just that Ecoli, working in some interval training one day a week, do you think I could do this on a treadmill? I know its not the same as the road, but I was kind of hoping i might be able to do ONE day per week inside..over the winter? I follow Hal Higdon, and his 18 wee marathon plan will have me start the programme on Christmas Eve..no bother there, but I was a bit up in the air as to what to do between now and then?
I was thinking of the following, all opinions very gratefully recieved!
Mondays gym, mainly upper body weights and a little cardio
Tuesday run, maybe 3 - 4 miles
Wednesday undecided!
Thursday Run, intervals for maybe an hour (including a 15 min warm up)
Friday Rest
Saturday Gym
Sunday Long run, increasing gradually over the autumn/winter

This is just a basic outline, what do you think? Then I could start the 18 week full plan in December

zooming

Its a beautiful Saturday, this time last week I was at mile 11!
I don't know about any of you but I am loving my running these days, I ordered myself a new pair of running tights, top and a beanie for the winter!
I definitely think the half gave me a boost, to know I could achieve something with hard work.
Im up for a nice run tomorrow, wish my new beanie was here though...

career_move

Zooming, I was thinking of you when I was out doing my lsr at half 5 this morning. A bird flew out of a tree when I was passing and nearly frightened the life out of me :eek: It was freezing as well. I was sorry I didn't have a pair of gloves with me. I thought I deserved a treat so I've ordered a Garmin 10, a headlamp and The Stick (this is not a treat by all accounts)

zooming

This is going to be a GREAT winter for training. I'm going to do a wee 10k tomorrow and enjoy it. Certainly the weather for the long sleeves now, I got a real bargain a fortnight ago, a BROOKS gilet, reduced to £25 from £55...KA CHING! I love a bargain.
Did the bird cope seeing you out running??

RedRunner

zooming wrote: »

I'm thinking tough winter training runs will stand me in good stead for a possible marathon! It's 5.34am and I'm kitted out ready to GO! It's also blowing a gale and raining but hey... Bring it on! The dogs have headed away back to bed, as usual they think I'm a crazy nut, they could be right you know..
So, anyone else thinking of the full distance in 2013? If so which one? I'm still undecided, I think I would like an April/May marathon, but am going to wait and see if I get in via the ballot for London. It's unlikely however but you never know.

Admire your discipline zooming in getting up that early for a run. I'm rubbish at doing that.

I'm definitely thinking of a marathon for 2013 just undecided which. Probably too late for a foreign marathon , must have a look and see what options there are available that are easy enough to get entry into to. Think I might try London in 2014.

career_move

zooming wrote: »

This is going to be a GREAT winter for training. I'm going to do a wee 10k tomorrow and enjoy it. Certainly the weather for the long sleeves now, I got a real bargain a fortnight ago, a BROOKS gilet, reduced to £25 from £55...KA CHING! I love a bargain.
Did the bird cope seeing you out running??

Haha....ya they're used to funny things round these parts:) I didn't mind as long as it wasn't a person jumping out from behind a tree at me!

zooming

In my mind I am better to attempt to get into a BIG field marathon, such as London or even Manchester, as opposed to a smaller event like Belfast where I'm sure to be coming home with the street cleaners!! I'm waiting till I hear one way or another about my London ballot and then I will decide...

ecoli

zooming wrote: »

You guys are brilliant!
I have been thinking about doing just that Ecoli, working in some interval training one day a week, do you think I could do this on a treadmill? I know its not the same as the road, but I was kind of hoping i might be able to do ONE day per week inside..over the winter? I follow Hal Higdon, and his 18 wee marathon plan will have me start the programme on Christmas Eve..no bother there, but I was a bit up in the air as to what to do between now and then?
I was thinking of the following, all opinions very gratefully recieved!
Mondays gym, mainly upper body weights and a little cardio
Tuesday run, maybe 3 - 4 miles
Wednesday undecided!
Thursday Run, intervals for maybe an hour (including a 15 min warm up)
Friday Rest
Saturday Gym
Sunday Long run, increasing gradually over the autumn/winter

This is just a basic outline, what do you think? Then I could start the 18 week full plan in December

I would say its not ideal but doing them on treadmill is better than not doing them at all so you will see benefit for sure. An hour is probably a bit over kill but have a plan to work on progression.

Some people like to be able to quantify their training improvement which can be done in three ways - increase pace or lower recovery or increase volume so my advice would be as follows

Increase pace - Week by week do same number of intervals ( say 8x1 min hard with 2-3 min easy in between)

Lower recovery - Week by week lower the recovery while aiming to keep the same pace on the hard intervals (week 1 3 min rec's, week 2 2.30 recovery, week 3 2 min rec etc)

Increase volume week one start with 1 min hard reps, week 2 move to 4x2 min week 3 3x3 min etc

You could also alternate the intervals to only do them once every second week and have a steady short run (harder than easy but slower than Marathon pace) these will help for strength and you will allow your body to adapt and progress to point where body can handle the additional stresses of improvement got from the interval sessions

zooming

ecoli wrote: »

zooming wrote: »

You guys are brilliant!
I have been thinking about doing just that Ecoli, working in some interval training one day a week, do you think I could do this on a treadmill? I know its not the same as the road, but I was kind of hoping i might be able to do ONE day per week inside..over the winter? I follow Hal Higdon, and his 18 wee marathon plan will have me start the programme on Christmas Eve..no bother there, but I was a bit up in the air as to what to do between now and then?
I was thinking of the following, all opinions very gratefully recieved!
Mondays gym, mainly upper body weights and a little cardio
Tuesday run, maybe 3 - 4 miles
Wednesday undecided!
Thursday Run, intervals for maybe an hour (including a 15 min warm up)
Friday Rest
Saturday Gym
Sunday Long run, increasing gradually over the autumn/winter

This is just a basic outline, what do you think? Then I could start the 18 week full plan in December

I would say its not ideal but doing them on treadmill is better than not doing them at all so you will see benefit for sure. An hour is probably a bit over kill but have a plan to work on progression.

Some people like to be able to quantify their training improvement which can be done in three ways - increase pace or lower recovery or increase volume so my advice would be as follows

Increase pace - Week by week do same number of intervals ( say 8x1 min hard with 2-3 min easy in between)

Lower recovery - Week by week lower the recovery while aiming to keep the same pace on the hard intervals (week 1 3 min rec's, week 2 2.30 recovery, week 3 2 min rec etc)

Increase volume week one start with 1 min hard reps, week 2 move to 4x2 min week 3 3x3 min etc

You could also alternate the intervals to only do them once every second week and have a steady short run (harder than easy but slower than Marathon pace) these will help for strength and you will allow your body to adapt and progress to point where body can handle the additional stresses of improvement got from the interval sessions

Wow it's very technical!
Getting a bid scared..... Lol
I guess it's all about education too, no point just heading out running and not getting the best benefit out of it. Thanks so much for your advice, I REALLY appreciate it all. How many times a week training is best? Running wise I mean..

ecoli

zooming wrote: »

Wow it's very technical!
Getting a bid scared..... Lol
I guess it's all about education too, no point just heading out running and not getting the best benefit out of it. Thanks so much for your advice, I REALLY appreciate it all. How many times a week training is best? Running wise I mean..

I would say the more often you can the better though this is a bit like walking a tight wire. You have to build slow enough to let your body adapt enough to be able to handle it. There is a general rule of increasing mileage no more than 10% per week however this is slightly over cautious. I would say 20-30% increase over a few weeks is fine but just be sure to cut back every 4-5 weeks to allow you body to recover and adapt.

Also dont increase intensity and volume at the same time general rule is one or the other so if you are throwing in a hard interval day dont increase your mileage for a few weeks until the body starts to get used to it before ramping up mileage.

It might seem daunting at first but as you go along you will learn what works for you. Alot of the stuff you learn is stuff you do without realising it for the most part you just become able to understand why you are doing it.

zooming

Just in from my run, it wasn't the best run I've ever had as I have a slight head cold. I was awake at 2am drinking ginger tea, it DEFINITLY helped but running with a snotty nose (sorry) isn't fun! I went out with the intention of taking it easy and not killing myself. Therefore I home disappointed by a slow time! Why are we so fixated on that clock...
I'm glad I went out though, in my opinion a head cold isn't like lassa fever and you don't need to be confined to the bed with disinfected sheets covering the windows, so get out in the fresh air and blow away the germs! Of course if it's MAN FLU then that is an entirely different scenario indeed...

banner_phoenix

Best of luck with the logs and goals zooming - you will great advice from the guys & gals here to set you on your way to the next goal.

zooming

Wednesday update, I have not been zooming around quite so fast this week.. Sick!
Boo! I had an EXTREMELY bust work day on Friday, and felt the rumblings of a cold on Saturday, doped myself up and did a 10k Sunday felt not too bad but the cold hit hard on Monday and Tuesday.. Boy did I feel CAT!
I felt a bit guilty about missing yesterday's run but I really didn't feel up to it at all. I'm much better today and will attempt some interval training tomorrow all going to plan. Thanks ECOLI for your advice!
Isn't it awful we feel so bad about missing a training run?
The weather is AWFUL but that does not bother me, still waiting on my beanie delivery...
How are you all getting on with training?

zooming

Well I'm standing in my kitchen with the gravy pouring off me... Only one word INTERVALS!!
Oh my god, phew!!!
I decided to opt for the treadmill this morning as weather is baaaaaad out there today and I still have not fully gotten over this cold. Anyway I did 10 mins warm up at 8k then hiked her up to 12 for barely a min then back down for 3 and repeated several times. All done at a 2% incline. Man it was TOUGH! I know I should have repeated 8 times but I could only manage 5 but I will do better next time.
Going to try 7 miles on Sunday with no pressure. It's all great!!