The Running Master

Stazza

I’ve decided to have another crack at keeping a log. As I’ve publicly announced that I’m going after the Irish M45 5k record of 15:22, I thought it only fair that I document my training and hold myself to account – publicly; at my age I should know better, especially given the current state of my fitness. Oh well.

So, I was out for about 4 weeks during December – small problem with my achilles, peroneals, soleus, and a bit of P.F. to boot. Although it’s all pretty much sorted, there is some residual discomfort. So I need to be careful.

Rather than just log the boring running stuff, I’m hoping to drop in a few accounts of some of my interesting life experiences. I’ve worked in the UK and Kenya as a physical therapist/business owner looking after many household names. I’ve also worked as a journalist, sub editor and editor on a national tabloid in Southern Africa – some great stuff from those days; I spent a day with Nelson Mandela. I went on to own a rather unsuccessful national tabloid in Cyprus – some great stories from my time there, especially concerning The Cypriot Mafia.

To keep things from getting stale, I’ll drop in some anecdotes. Starting next week with, Linford Christie, Doping, The Banana, and Me - Nuff Respect!

The running this week:
Sunday – 8 miles; last 3 miles picked up the pace.
Monday – 6 miles easy with 8x100m pick-ups
Tuesday – 6 miles easy
Wednesday - a.m. 6 miles easy p.m. 6 miles, incl 4 @ LT
Thursday – 6 miles easy with Paddy the Kenyan – PtK’s training for the Tralee Marathon;)
Friday – a.m. 6 miles easy + p.m. 6 miles moderate progression – picked it up from 2.5 miles to 5 miles. Felt laboured.

barryoneill50

Stazza wrote: »

I’ve decided to have another crack at keeping a log. As I’ve publicly announced that I’m going after the Irish M45 5k record of 15:22, I thought it only fair that I document my training and hold myself to account – publicly; at my age I should know better, especially given the current state of my fitness. Oh well.

So, I was out for about 4 weeks during December – small problem with my achilles, peroneals, soleus, and a bit of P.F. to boot. Although it’s all pretty much sorted, there is some residual discomfort. So I need to be careful.

Rather than just log the boring running stuff, I’m hoping to drop in a few accounts of some of my interesting life experiences. I’ve worked in the UK and Kenya as a physical therapist/business owner looking after many household names. I’ve also worked as a journalist, sub editor and editor on a national tabloid in Southern Africa – some great stuff from those days; I spent a day with Nelson Mandela. I went on to own a rather unsuccessful national tabloid in Cyprus – some great stories from my time there, especially concerning The Cypriot Mafia.

To keep things from getting stale, I’ll drop in some anecdotes. Starting next week with, Linford Christie, Doping, The Banana, and Me - Nuff Respect!

The running this week:
Sunday – 8 miles; last 3 miles picked up the pace.
Monday – 6 miles easy with 8x100m pick-ups
Tuesday – 6 miles easy
Wednesday - a.m. 6 miles easy p.m. 6 miles, incl 4 @ LT
Thursday – 6 miles easy with Paddy the Kenyan – PtK’s training for the Tralee Marathon;)
Friday – a.m. 6 miles easy + p.m. 6 miles moderate progression – picked it up from 2.5 miles to 5 miles. Felt laboured.

Excellent, looking forward to following your log, good luck with that goal...respect....

AuldManKing

Definitely a log to keep an eye on.

(And a person to get drunk to hear the real stories )

In all seriousness, that's a bold goal to throw out there.
How far off the goal are you? What paces would the above runs be done at?

Stazza

Thanks AMK.

If I were to even smell a pint I'd have no chance with that lofty goal of 15:22. Been off the drink for over 2 years. On the last final warning from the wife.

In November I'd say I was in and around 16 shape: I did a local 10k and went the wrong way twice and twanged my leg. But the lad who won the 5k (16:34) ran the first two miles with us before we turned off. That's what makes me think I was in about 16 shape.

I'm a good few pounds overweight and need to get them off sharpish. But I don't think it'll take long to get back in half decent base shape. Probably in about 17:30 shape at the moment.

I have a Forerunner 110 but I only use it to measure runs. The watch is kept for workouts. I run by feel. But I'd say the easy runs range between 7:15-7:45 pace. The LT run was probably 6 pace - normally 5:20-5:30. Tonight's progression probably got down to 5:40 pace but not for long: I didn't want to cross over the threshold.

So, give me a few weeks and I'll have some interesting session (runs that is) to post.

You've got me gasping for a pint...

Stazza

Slight hangover from imaginary pints.

Saturday 11th Jan.

Beautiful morning for an easy 6 miles out and back along the canal towpath. Sun shining, the rowers out on the canal, the snap and swoosh of oars, lovely ladies out walking and jogging (all of them, including the really old uns, giving me cheeky little looks that suggest desire: what can I say? Still got it). Legs were a bit tired but nothing serious.

AIS and some dynamic stuff before the run.
Myrtles and a few extras, V.R. Foam rolling, and AIS, after the run.

Summary.
56 miles for the week – 9 runs
Two moderate progressions
One LT
Two double days
One session of 8x100m strides in an easy run

Plan for next week
Add on two extra doubles
Increase the long run from 8-10 miles
Keep the two progression runs, the LT run, and the strides
More structured approach to the strength stuff
Mileage: about 70 – 11 runs

RayCun

AIS? Myrtles?

Stazza

RayCun wrote: »

AIS? Myrtles?

AIS - Assisted/Active isolated stretching - check out Ger Hartmann's 'Hope On A Rope' And Wharton on AIS - change your life.:)

Myrtle and other good stuff, check out Jay Johnson's site.

Gotta learn how to do links:mad:

RayCun

To create a link, go to the site you want to link to, and copy the address from the navigation bar. Then come back to your post and paste the address in
http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/us/v2/en_US/pdf/myrtl.pdf

the fancier version is to have a word in your post, myrtl, highlight it, and then click the little icon over your post that shows a little world and a link. Then paste the address into the dialog box and click OK.

then you can progress to linking videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLrKr54yA0

Stazza

Great stuff, Ray. Thanks very much. I'm gonna be linking away like a good-un. Can't wait to show the kids that their old fella isn't a balatron/luddite. You've made my day.

Stazza

Here's a link to Jake Krong's blog: He's a 1:05 half and 2:20:41 marathon guy. I liaise with him and help out with some suggestions for workouts. His blog's great, with loads of good stuff. You should really take a read.

There are quite a few guys on The Fast Running Blog that I help. Many of them have gone from 3:30/4hrs down to 2:30/2:40/2:50 in pretty quick time. But I'll post their details another time - just want to ask if they mind.

Many of the people on The Fast Running Blog are from Utah and many are Mormons. They are decent people and don't shove their beliefs on you. It's a good site to have a look around.

Stazza

Jakers, it worked. Have it. Who's the daddy?

AuldManKing

Stazza wrote: »

Jakers, it worked. Have it. Who's the daddy?

Ray?

Stazza

Sunday 12th Jan

10 miles relaxed. Let the wife go out for her little pootle first – had nothing to do with the rain. How gallant.

Nice run apart from trying to avoid the puddles and flooded roads. Felt a bit more like I was running rather than recovering from injury. My right leg feels much improved and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to cope with the harder stuff that I’ll be introducing in February.

AIS and a few dynamic thingamajigs before the run.
AIS and some clams, reverse clams and other flummery.

Stazza

Monday 13th Jan
a.m. 7 miles easy with Paddy the Kenyan. PtK needed a recovery run and a bit of Stazza’s wit, charm, and modesty. I told him the Linford story, which I will post later in the week – made him chuckle. Good company and a great run.

p.m. 6 miles with strides. Did the first three miles at a fair pace and then dropped out some old man drills before doing 6x100m strides – shouldn’t have bothered. Left TFL complained, so I had to keep the pace easy but was able to focus on form.

AIS and a few dynamic drills before both runs.
AIS after both runs. Planned to do some functional strength work after the evening run but opted to release TFL, gracilis, and sartorius. Feel much better now.

ThebitterLemon

"but opted to release TFL, gracilis, and sartorius. Feel much better now."


Jesus is this a running log or have stumbled into some weird medical blog by mistake

TbL

Stazza

I was going to be clever and respond with something about Kripke's possible worlds but I confused myself. Needless to say, I thought your post was very funny.

ThebitterLemon

And I was going to originally post that I though I had wandered into some weird S&M blog but I thought it a tad impolite on my first post in your blog

Good luck with your training

TbL

Stazza

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

And I was going to originally post that I though I had wandered into some weird S&M blog but I thought it a tad impolite on my first post in your blog

Good luck with your training

TbL

I've just been over your place and left a few appropriately placed thanks:P
Watch that 'tibia'. You seem to be going well...

ecoli

ThebitterLemon wrote: »

Jesus is this a running log or have stumbled into some weird medical blog by mistake

TbL

Probably the truest quote I every heard was "As a runner you must master three things; 1) your fitness, 2)your ability to push through mental and physical blocks holding you back and 3) how to cope with injuries because each one is going to crop up

Stazza

Tuesday 14th Jan
a.m. 6.5 miles nice and ez in the rain. One of the joys of dropping out the first run of the day at 9:40 in the morning stems from the knowledge that most of the population is thinking about the mundanity of their existence and dealing with the stress of that old Toad, work; while I, on other hand, am able to pootle around the streets and experience the beauty and joy of living a life less ordinary.

p.m. Blinking miserable 6.5 miles in the dark and rain. Left the old lady and kids eating a roast beef dinner that I prepared for them. I, on the other hand, didn’t sit down to my rocket, baby leaf spinach, and watercress salad with salmon and sweet potatoes (mashed with a handy sprinkling of cinnamon) until whatever o clock. Oh why does this life have to be such a slog?

13 miles. AIS before and after both runs. Strength work after morning run.

Gavlor

This thread is like the twilight zone!

ThebitterLemon

You must have had the full Irish before the morning run

TbL

Stazza

Wednesday 15th Jan

Wanted to do an 8 mile progression run today, but I’m not ready for that, yet. Ended up doing the 8 but it was more like a good old fashioned steady run. The legs are struggling to cope with the doubles, the slight increase in mileage, and the strength work. Started out nice and slow and could feel that the legs were heavy etc. got to 2.5 miles and increased the pace. I knew the progression run wasn’t happening. So, I just kept the pace honest up until the 6 mile mark and then eased off the throttle.

AIS and some dynamic stuff before the run
AIS after the run.

Been thinking a bit about goals for this year and next and I think I’m coming around to the idea of banging out a marathon next year. I’m sticking to this year’s goal of trying to break the Irish M45-49 5k record – although that is going to be a tough one. But I know if I can stay healthy I should be in and around that shape at some point later in the year. This would mean that I'd be attacking something in the 2:25-2:30 range.

I’d like to fuse the 5k training into an overall marathon plan for next year. This is doable and would fit with the Stazza System. So, I need to pick a marathon for 2015, when I’ll be 50!

An idea that I had today when I was out running was to see if anybody would be interested in having a crack at a marathon using the Stazza System, which I will post soon enough. I’m thinking about opening it up to a fixed number of places (no charge or any of that Sh!te) and having a group of different abilities. It’s a 12(ish) month package and would mean a spring/early summer marathon.

Here’s an early idea for the package: an overall plan, specific weekly schedules, nutritional support, supplementary strength and injury prevention, motivational stuff, input from several elites and sub elites, and a very special ‘treat’.

Part of the plan involves only wearing Garmins and watches for certain elements of the training – so there would be no places for the tick-tock boffins. Also, it would be for runners who are serious about making substantial improvement! This doesn't mean that you need to run 100 mpw.

I’m still stewing on the idea – it’s come from the discussion on T Runner’s thread.

menoscemo

Interested to hear about the 'Stazza System', particularly as you recommend another marathon 10 weeks out of the goal race. I am training for London in April (sub 3 goal, PB 3:04) and am planning a 'steady' marathon (3:20-3:24 or there abouts) 11 weeks out and then a 50k at the same pace as the Marathon 8 weeks out (i.e. sub 4 hrs).

Would you see this as ok considering I have done a good few marthons and ultras before? Do you reckon it would be more beneficial to run the Marathon a bit quicker; (i.e. 3:10ish), I read on T-runners log about you recommending a Marathon at 103% about 10 weeks out...

pconn062

If I ran marathons I'd take your arm off for that offer! You don't fancy editing the Stazza system to suit say a 1500m by any chance?!

RayCun

Sounds interesting, but I'm committed to my two marathons this year. Could do a 12 month build-up for a 2016 marathon, so I'd be curious to see how you approach it...

statss

Stazza,

Sounds interesting, I'm currently planning on doing solely HADD type training for 2014 with a view to my next marathon in spring 2015....but I'd be very interested in a system from someone like yourself for sure!

ThebitterLemon

Stazza wrote: »

Wednesday 15th Jan

Wanted to do an 8 mile progression run today, but I’m not ready for that, yet. Ended up doing the 8 but it was more like a good old fashioned steady run. The legs are struggling to cope with the doubles, the slight increase in mileage, and the strength work. Started out nice and slow and could feel that the legs were heavy etc. got to 2.5 miles and increased the pace. I knew the progression run wasn’t happening. So, I just kept the pace honest up until the 6 mile mark and then eased off the throttle.

AIS and some dynamic stuff before the run
AIS after the run.

Been thinking a bit about goals for this year and next and I think I’m coming around to the idea of banging out a marathon next year. I’m sticking to this year’s goal of trying to break the Irish M45-49 5k record – although that is going to be a tough one. But I know if I can stay healthy I should be in and around that shape at some point later in the year. This would mean that I'd be attacking something in the 2:25-2:30 range.

I’d like to fuse the 5k training into an overall marathon plan for next year. This is doable and would fit with the Stazza System. So, I need to pick a marathon for 2015, when I’ll be 50!

An idea that I had today when I was out running was to see if anybody would be interested in having a crack at a marathon using the Stazza System, which I will post soon enough. I’m thinking about opening it up to a fixed number of places (no charge or any of that Sh!te) and having a group of different abilities. It’s a 12(ish) month package and would mean a spring/early summer marathon.

Here’s an early idea for the package: an overall plan, specific weekly schedules, nutritional support, supplementary strength and injury prevention, motivational stuff, input from several elites and sub elites, and a very special ‘treat’.

Part of the plan involves only wearing Garmins and watches for certain elements of the training – so there would be no places for the tick-tock boffins. Also, it would be for runners who are serious about making substantial improvement! This doesn't mean that you need to run 100 mpw.

I’m still stewing on the idea – it’s come from the discussion on T Runner’s thread.

Is this the "naturist" part of you plan

Being serious, thats a fantastic challenge/ambition you have set yourself, and I really hope you nail it.

I'll be reading this log with avid interest.

Best of luck.

TbL

Stazza

menoscemo wrote: »

Interested to hear about the 'Stazza System', particularly as you recommend another marathon 10 weeks out of the goal race. I am training for London in April (sub 3 goal, PB 3:04) and am planning a 'steady' marathon (3:20-3:24 or there abouts) 11 weeks out and then a 50k at the same pace as the Marathon 8 weeks out (i.e. sub 4 hrs).

Would you see this as ok considering I have done a good few marthons and ultras before? Do you reckon it would be more beneficial to run the Marathon a bit quicker; (i.e. 3:10ish), I read on T-runners log about you recommending a Marathon at 103% about 10 weeks out...

I'd need to have a good read of your training before giving any specific advice.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend a marathon at 3% slower than marathon pace 10 weeks out. Jake has a huge aerobic base with many years of banging out 110-130 mpw and that's with some serious quality work thrown into the mixer too. I'd be more inclined for somebody looking to go sub 3 to be looking at doing a 24 miler with 18-22 miles at 3% slower than pmp 6 weeks out. This would allow for adequate recovery time and give a super boost to the aerobic system. But this is not for everybody.

The idea of doing a 50k would also give a super boost to the aerobic system. Again, this would depend on the runner. To do both a marathon and a 50k might lead to staleness/injury. It's difficult to say. I'll have a good look at your log and give you my 2 cents worth. Hope this helps/gets you thinking.:)

Stazza

pconn062 wrote: »

If I ran marathons I'd take your arm off for that offer! You don't fancy editing the Stazza system to suit say a 1500m by any chance?!

Ah, I've been watching you closely and can see how keen you are to improve. When I was a teenager I went from 4:30 - 4:00 (1500) over a 12 week training spell with a very limited base. I'd been running 2 years, but mainly pretending.

If you get stuck into MD training with any amount of seriousness you can make big gains quickly - if you have the right make-up and I don't mean lipstick. Once you get in and around 4 mins for 1500m the training has to be much more consistent and tailored to make good gains. I'll have a look and happily help where I can.

menoscemo

Stazza wrote: »

I'd need to have a good read of your training before giving any specific advice.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend a marathon at 3% slower than marathon pace 10 weeks out. Jake has a huge aerobic base with many years of banging out 110-130 mpw and that's with some serious quality work thrown into the mixer too. I'd be more inclined for somebody looking to go sub 3 to be looking at doing a 24 miler with 18-22 miles at 3% slower than pmp 6 weeks out. This would allow for adequate recovery time and give a super boost to the aerobic system. But this is not for everybody.

The idea of doing a 50k would also give a super boost to the aerobic system. Again, this would depend on the runner. To do both a marathon and a 50k might lead to staleness/injury. It's difficult to say. I'll have a good look at your log and give you my 2 cents worth. Hope this helps/gets you thinking.:)

I don't really keep a training log anymore . Yeah i think a fastish marathon and a steady 50k would be too much so I'll just keep to plan of running both at 7:40/mile (ish). I have done this kind of thing a few times before, in fact of my previous 3 Marathon PB's I set 2 of them the week after a 30+ mile run (the first of which was a pretty hard 50k)....ok the marathons weren't my goal race (conn Ultra was) at the time but still....

I have a Half planned for 4 week out that would be run at PMP (as part of a 20-22 miler) but I am committing the cardinal error of racing another half 7 weeks out .


Thanks for your advice all the same!!