The Four Year Plan

Firedance

Congratulations!! Super news

spaceylou

Thanks y'all and yeah Chickey my plan is to run a marathon during the phd - just in case I didn't have enough stuff going on - haha! Figure one for the brain and one for the body!

laura_ac3

Congrats on the half improvements and on the PhD. Great news. Anna correct on tempo pace being roughly what you could hold for an hour.

spaceylou

Monday 29

Finished yesterday off with cycle home and Jame Dunne 30 Day Challenge - Day 1 and some foam rolling followed by far too much ben and jerrys

Tuesday 30

No running today - walk to work and pilates class at lunch time. The usual instructor is on holidays so we had someone else - slightly different approach but keeps it interesting - my abs are not going to love me tomorrow.

JD is gonna have to wait until tomorrow cause I am off to the pub after work and I don't think my balance and/or form will be great after a few glasses of wine!

A question about my plan
This week the plan is more about recovery and easy running after my half exploits last weekend. Then the next 11 weeks build to the Dublin Half taking in the Fingal 10k and the Race Series 10m with generally speaking three easy/recovery runs; 1 LSR and 1 speedy session every week with auxiliary stuff like pilates etc thrown in.

I really want to take another few minutes off my half time but the PP is a lot hillier than Waterford so I need to get practicing on hills. Would I be better:

• Finding hilly routes for my LSR
• Finding hilly routes for some of my easy runs
  or
• Swap every second speedy session for a hilly session (currently they are alternating between tempo runs and interval sessions)

Or does it really matter which I do so long as my legs get to grips with some hills?

thanks you guys

laura_ac3

Others who know what they're talking about will hopefully jump in with the proper advice on structure or whether you should do intervals etc - but in the meantime I would suggest incorporating hills which reflect the profile of the course into some of your runs.

I did that a lot last summer where I'd do long runs in the park to practice the hills and at roughly the same latter stage of my runs. Doesn't have to be the exact course route, or after the exact same miles or even every week. But just to get the body used to doing that kind of profile on less than fresh legs. You could mix it up and do it in your short run one week instead of the long run. It'll all stand to you on the day and you'll be well prepared compared to others.

Firedance

Plus one to what Laura said but I'd also do the odd hilly speed session too, AFAIK they are really only supposed to work on form but personally I found the hill sprints AND including hills in my longer runs has made a big difference to me. You might consider keeping the hilly sections to the end of your longer runs too so you're running them on tired legs. Someone might correct me here but I don't think replacing one, maybe two max of the speed sessions with hill sprints would do you any harm(?).

spaceylou

laura_ac3 wrote: »

Others who know what they're talking about will hopefully jump in with the proper advice on structure or whether you should do intervals etc - but in the meantime I would suggest incorporating hills which reflect the profile of the course into some of your runs.

I did that a lot last summer where I'd do long runs in the park to practice the hills and at roughly the same latter stage of my runs. Doesn't have to be the exact course route, or after the exact same miles or even every week. But just to get the body used to doing that kind of profile on less than fresh legs. You could mix it up and do it in your short run one week instead of the long run. It'll all stand to you on the day and you'll be well prepared compared to others.

Firedance wrote: »

Plus one to what Laura said but I'd also do the odd hilly speed session too, AFAIK they are really only supposed to work on form but personally I found the hill sprints AND including hills in my longer runs has made a big difference to me. You might consider keeping the hilly sections to the end of your longer runs too so you're running them on tired legs. Someone might correct me here but I don't think replacing one, maybe two max of the speed sessions with hill sprints would do you any harm(?).

Thanks for all that - sometimes I feel like I live in the flattest part of Dublin so am going to have to make a real effort to find some hills to run on. Will def incorporate parts of the PP route in a few long runs at the very least.

spaceylou

Really pleased with how June progressed given that at the start of May my back was so bad I couldn't run or even walk very far. It was clearly the kick up the backside I needed to not neglect core, stretching and exercises from physio.

During the month I attended 5 pilates classes and swam 1250m. Running is in the table below and I knocked 8 per cent off my previous PB for half marathon. Not a bad month really. July should bring more running, a 10k race, more pilates classes and more swimming.

Running 2015 |KM|Comment
April|71.77 |
May|27.41 |The Lost Month
June|123.1 |Including 1/2 Marathon

Photos from the weekend just got emailed to me - my running face is not a pleasant face.

Bungy Girl

spaceylou wrote: »

Really pleased with how June progressed given that at the start of May my back was so bad I couldn't run or even walk very far. It was clearly the kick up the backside I needed to not neglect core, stretching and exercises from physio.

During the month I attended 5 pilates classes and swam 1250m. Running is in the table below and I knocked 8 per cent off my previous PB for half marathon. Not a bad month really. July should bring more running, a 10k race, more pilates classes and more swimming.

Running 2015 |KM|Comment
April|71.77 |
May|27.41 |The Lost Month
June|123.1 |Including 1/2 Marathon

Photos from the weekend just got emailed to me - my running face is not a pleasant face.

That's a great comeback, Spaceylou! Good on you. Pilates is my saviour too, I miss a class at my peril :eek:.

And don't worry about your running face. If you look good in your running photos it just means you're not making the effort .

spaceylou

Bungy Girl wrote: »

That's a great comeback, Spaceylou! Good on you. Pilates is my saviour too, I miss a class at my peril :eek:.
.

I know, and at the moment I have a few to choose from so I fit in at least one a week - come September, I am not sure that I will have that same flexibility.

spaceylou

Wednesday 1 July

AM: Half arsed stretching after waking late followed by cycle to work

Lunch: Swimming - 350m all backstroke

PM: Cycle home, out for 5k recovery run. Garmin was being very odd so not 100 per cent confident of splits. Overall did 5.4 k in 34 min - avg pace 6:18/min followed by some stretching and JD Day 2

spaceylou

Thursday 2 July

Up, lots of stretching, run 4.6 k @ 6:21, more stretching. Cycle to conference, sit around all day for conference, cycle to class, cycle home.

I hope to do JD Day 3 but need to pack first.

Tomorrow - rest and travel; Saturday & Sunday - some easy tourist running miles in London, along with many tourist walking miles

spaceylou

I have lost my mojo - if found please return!!

Don't know what is wrong with me this week, am exhausted and have next to no motivation...going to take a few days rest and see how I feel by Friday. In the meantime, I shall continue reading the mentored novice DCM thread - its got everything from cooking advice to fashion tips - very entertaining, even for those of us not doing the marathon!

Firedance

spaceylou wrote: »

I have lost my mojo - if found please return!!

Don't know what is wrong with me this week, am exhausted and have next to no motivation...going to take a few days rest and see how I feel by Friday. In the meantime, I shall continue reading the mentored novice DCM thread - its got everything from cooking advice to fashion tips - very entertaining, even for those of us not doing the marathon!

it's lovely out there today, why not put on your running gear and see how you feel, then just step outside the door and see how you feel... and sure while you're out there you could just run round the block... but sure you're out now, just go a bit further... that tactic has worked for me in the past, try it and see?

annapr

Firedance wrote: »

it's lovely out there today, why not put on your running gear and see how you feel, then just step outside the door and see how you feel... and sure while you're out there you could just run round the block... but sure you're out now, just go a bit further... that tactic has worked for me in the past, try it and see?

agree completely, I have never come back from a run saying, "ugh, i wish I hadn't done that...' (maybe ugh, the hills/wind/rain/heat/whatever but never regret going out the door).

spaceylou

Firedance wrote: »

it's lovely out there today, why not put on your running gear and see how you feel, then just step outside the door and see how you feel... and sure while you're out there you could just run round the block... but sure you're out now, just go a bit further... that tactic has worked for me in the past, try it and see?

annapr wrote: »

agree completely, I have never come back from a run saying, "ugh, i wish I hadn't done that...' (maybe ugh, the hills/wind/rain/heat/whatever but never regret going out the door).

Thanks you guys...I totally didn't take your advice though - was more than running mojo was missing, just didn't feel right in my body, utterly exhausted , tummy bit odd and lots of creaky niggles - did my best to keep up stretching and basic physio exercises for the week though and am going to pilates at lunch time. Over the weekend I will run at least once, maybe twice but keep it slow and easy.

Few things have come up that clash with races in the race series so I think I am going to put off my next assault on a HM until December in Waterford and in the meantime do some base building and some more preventative stuff as I feel I have too many niggles that could become problems at a moments notice. That is a few months away though so hope to get in a few 5k and 10k - race some parkruns at least.

annapr

well, as they say around here... you have to listen to your body!!! you know what's best for you.

spaceylou

Friday 10 Jul

Pilates class at lunch. Was only okay. Different teacher to normal and while the moves/exercises were not particularly difficult and I wouldn't normally have a difficulty, I found it really hard to follow her as she spoke REALLY fast and moved from one move to the next rapidly so half my time was spent trying to figure out what I was meant to be doing rather than doing exercise.

Evening stretches, JD Day 1 (thought it best to go back to start) and foam rolling.

Saturday 11 Jul

Really stiff in the morning so pottered about the house, did the boring groceries and laundry etc before heading out for a run in the late afternoon. Plan was 30 min - did 5k loop close to home, took 30 min + couple of seconds. Felt okay at the start but last k bit of niggle in left ankle and foot and an almost niggle in left knee - suspect they are all related and annoyingly/worryingly they were getting worse as I continued - wouldn't have liked to be running any further.

Evening did JD Day 2 and more foam rolling as well as tennis ball for the foot.

Sunday

Running rest although did walk quite a bit.

Week totals

A fairly pathetic 5.1k and 1 pilates class

spaceylou

This week I am going to start sorting out my darn body!

Monday 13

AM: Stretches and cycle to work
Lunch: Swim - slow backstroke, 350 m - not much of a workout but really loosens out my shoulders/upper back

Plan to cycle home this evening, head out for easy 5k (close to home in case niggle rears its ugly head) and tackle day 3 of JD - tomorrow evening I have an appointment in Walkinstown - wish me luck.

In other news this silly Eircode system makes no sense, no sense at all....and this nonsense of limiting how many searches you can do in a day - more silliness.

spaceylou

Monday cont

cycled home, and headed out for my run - 5k in 31:30 - around Km 3 had a bit of a niggle in my right foot (not the same as other days) which went away. But once again the last km left foot started to niggle - right in the arch. I wonder if it is because the final km is slightly uphill?

Stretching, foam rolling and JD Day 3, dinner and an early night.

Tuesday 14 Jul

4k easy run this morning followed by stretches - decided to go to park around the corner so that most of it could be on grass. A dull niggle in ankle for most of run. It didn't get worse but didn't go away either and ankle feels 'achy and puffy' even now sitting at desk.

Cycle to work. Will be cycling to walkinstown later and then home again.

Bungy Girl

Good luck in Walkinstown. Hope you get sorted!

spaceylou

Happily it would seem that I don't have any injuries just stupidly tight muscles and am lob-sided strength-wise. Plan is avoid planks and crunches for the next week or two while concentrating on finding building gluts (the muscles not just their extra padding) and back muscles accompanied with some new stretches and oddles of foam rolling to ease out my tightly wound quads...and calves and hip flexors...

After all that decided against JD last night and had already done this morning's run yesterday morning in case of tenderness so today has come an active rest day with lots of stretching the strengthening this morning and more to follow this evening, along with the usual cycle commute.

Am really intrigued by the notion of a paced mile in the PP at the weekend. Will probably wait until Friday afternoon before committing to anything but if there are going to be a few over the coming weeks as suggested on the thread over on the main forum, I will definitely do one of them.

spaceylou

Ah much neglected training log - I am sorry! Last couple of weeks have been a mish mash of slow sporadic runs (longest probably about 8k) and some short trips away - nothing to get excited about but enough to throw a routine! Have been more or less keeping up with my S&C work though. In any event drawing a line under this inconsistency and starting afresh this week

_________________________________________

^^^the line :P

This evening plan is cycle home from work and head out for 6k easy followed by stretching etc of course.

Goals for August are:

1. Be Consistent
2. Build Millage back up to near pre-HM levels...
3. ...but without ending up feeling like I have more niggles than muscles
4. Start running 5 days a week (up from 4)
5. Finish darn JD 30 day challenge
6. Cap it all off with a 5k timed run to give myself an idea of what my 5k time is with a view to improving it after...
7. ...a week in France

Bungy Girl

Welcome back!

spaceylou

Monday 27

Plan was 6k easy @ 6:15 - 6:30/km

Did 6.45k @ 6:16 avg pace but to be honest, most of the time I was below this, twas the two km into the wind and up hill that slowed down the average. In saying that, I passed the conversation test anytime I tried it and felt comfortable.

Followed by stretching, foam rolling and some strengthening exercises.

spaceylou

Tuesday 28

Running Rest but...

Lunchtime swim: 450m (backstroke); getting better at this - can do further with less breaks

Evening stretching and strengthening while looking at the hailstones out the window - was very happy I hadn't planned a run. Whatever about rain, hailstones hurt!

Cycle to and from work

spaceylou

Wednesday 29

5.5k @ avg 6:12/km

Plan called for 5k easy. Headed out to sorta do the reverse of a loop that I do fairly frequently but amended slightly heading from Harold's Cross across to Rathmines, towards Ranelagh but before Beechwood, turn towards canal, turn back towards Harold's Cross bridge and up Harold's Cross road home. Have never realised before that the route I normally do is slightly uphill most of the time - meant this was mostly downhill which is what I am blaming pace on Once more I went too fast (easy pace is supposed to be 6:15 - 6:30 or slower).

Usual cycle in and out to work; stretching and strengthening routine and JD Day 1

spaceylou

Thursday 30

Accidental rest day - life got in the way. Cycle in and out to work; stretching.

Friday 31

Should have been a rest day so instead did yesterday's run. 5k easy was called for - did 5 @ avg pace 6:12/km - need to slow down! Stretching etc.

Saturday 1

Away for the weekend, fully intended going out today but didn't manage it.

Sunday 2

Did yesterday's run today - 10k easy @ avg 6:29/km - at last as slow as planned. Didn't have much energy at the start of this, possibly due to fairy unhealthy food yesterday.

Total for week: 27.19k

spaceylou

July Round-Up

Not a great month by all accounts. I think after the half marathon at the end of June I was feeling great in the immediate days after it so didn't give myself a chance to recover and then lost my mojo. Back on track this last 10 days I hope.

Running 2015|KM|COMMENT
April|71.77|
May|27.41|The Lost Month - injury
June|123.1|Including 1/2 Marathon
July|52.35|Mojo AWOL

spaceylou

Monday 3

5k @ avg 6:06/km
Still in Waterford for this and once again went out a bit too fast on this, felt comfortable the whole time though so maybe easy is faster than I think. Slowed down a fair bit last two km due to the wind but think I more or less kept the effort the same. Even though I was on the flat, it was like trying to run up a very steep hill the wind was so strong!

Followed by stretching; a 60 min(ish) cliff walk in the afternoon and drive back to the Big Smoke

Tuesday 4

Knee hurts

Left knee slightly niggly after run yesterday but didn't think anything of it, until went for the cliff walk and knee really didn't like all the up and down - still sore today. Oddly it is disliking sitting at my desk which I would have thought was fairly restful...

Obviously if it doesn't get better will seek professional advice but if a joint is sore/achy and has only a tiny amount of visible swelling, and I really mean tiny - am I better off with ice pack or hot water bottle today to aid recovery?

This morning was hoping it would be okay enough to do few laps of local park on the grass after work but starting to think a rest day might be more in order. Luckily cycling to work didn't seem to bother it - will take it fairly easy going home - more up hill than the morning route.