Week 3: Keeping Faith

It can always be hard when starting a new training programme, especially when following a month off.

I have certainly found this over the last three weeks since I started training for the Loch Ness Marathon. Although I have managed to cope well with the high mileage my speed work has not been where I would like it to be and I have to admit that it has started to get me down slightly. It is definitely demoralising to complete mile reps or kilometre reps 20-30secs slower than when you were doing them earlier in the year, as I have been doing this last couple of weeks and this week especially.

It’s also difficult to see all my training mates running and racing superbly. I don't resent their pace or success at all, in fact I am proud of the gang! I just wish I was up there with them, as I was before London. I am trying to use them as motivation now. Today Dan and Colin ran the Arran Half Marathon in sub 73mins- which on an undulating course like that is outstanding!

The good thing for me is Garry (coach) has been good at making me see sense. He has made it quite clear that after a month off and returning to high mileage so quickly I was always bound to be tired and less fresh for each speed session, and so slower. I am also doing three speed sessions a week at the moment, which is more than I was doing in the build up to London. It makes sense that I am tired and my reps are slower, but it is just hard for the mind to take!

I need to keep faith with my plan and that as my body adapts to the high training levels the speed will return too.

The fact that my body is quite happy running high mileage is a massive plus and physically I feel great. I don't have any niggles (although, as I type this I have had a tight hamstring for most of the day!) or sore spots. This week I hit 92miles, which is a huge week in terms of mileage. I've got two more of these high mileage weeks before a slightly easier one, which ends with the 10k in Musselburgh, where hopefully I will start to see some speed.



Training: 23rd - 29th June

Saturday 23^rd – Felt tired again today, but managed an easy 10 in 69mins. Not bad as it was very windy down at Cramond. 10 Miles

Sunday 24^th – 2mile Easy, 2x2mile Tempo 2min rest, 1hour E, 3mile Tempo, 2mile E  (5.59;6.03/ 5.57;6.07/ 6.03;6.17;6.15 - was really pleased with the 2x2mile tempo reps - a lot quicker than I was expecting and a lot quicker than the same miles as last week. Did feel pretty tired afterwards and the last 3mile tempo effort was a little bit disappointing, as I was hoping to get all three of them under 6mins. Still a good session and glad to have finished it. 20 Miles

Monday 25^th – 5m AM - easy running; 8M PM- ran to Abs class, did another tough Abs class and then ran home. Felt pretty good. 13 Miles

Tuesday 26^th – 4m AM - very easy running, but felt quite tired today. Track PM: 7*1mile with 60-70secs recovery: 5.29; 5.28; 5.25; 5.27; 5.31; 5.33; 5.27 - was a little bit frustrated after the session as I was hoping to be 5-10secs per rep quicker. I felt okay from an endurance side of things, but just didn't seem to have much speed. Obviously the recent high mileage and return to running is having an effect. I am also 4.5kg heavy than I was before holiday and so I MUST lose that weight. Garry seems pleased, so I am not too disappointed. 17 Miles

Wednesday 27^th – 5m - AM - easy running - felt a bit stiff and sore in places after yesterday's hard session 5m PM - easy run home, but did start to feel pretty good for the last 3miles, so happy with that. 10 Miles

Thursday 28^th – 2mile E, 8x1k Interval pace 2min E rec. 2mile E- Reps- 3.28; 3.29; 3.28; 3.24; 3.29; 3.28; 3,29; 3.31 - was a very warm and breezy evening. I felt okay when I started, but I just had no pace whatsoever. I felt pretty fed up after the first rep and it was a mental battle just to start the second one. I was really pleased that I finished the session and that I remained consistent throughout. If nothing else it means I have endurance if not speed at the moment. 12 Miles

Friday 29^th – 10mile run in the morning in 69mins. Felt okay, easy run. 10 Miles

Weekly Total: 92  Miles

Week 2: Feeling like a runner again

My second week completed! I am beginning to feel like a runner again! Towards the end of the week the annoying niggles and stiffness in my legs had started to iron themselves out and following my big Thursday session I am now full of confidence as I move into three very big weeks of training.

There are quite a few things I love about running (blatantly obvious statement, I know!). One of them is the psychology.  Psychology is everywhere in running and has a massive influence on every runner.

Thursday was a great example of how the psychology of running can effect me.

It had rained hard all day and the wind had rattled my office windows all afternoon. It was utterly miserable. It was the kind of weather that makes you think, even for a few seconds, that the treadmill might be the best option.

I was pretty fed-up on Thursday as the thought of doing 2miles easy followed by 8miles at tempo pace and 2 cool down miles in the Meadows loomed. I genuinely thought about doing something else.

Thankfully, Colin, had said he was up for running the session with me, as he wanted to get home and watch Portugal in the football. Having someone else to do a session with makes it so much easier, and also helps brings out the best in you. It also makes it more difficult to duck out of or find something else to do.

I am certain if I had tempted the session on my own then my mile splits would have been so much slower. I may have not even finished the session, as sometimes all it can take is a few poor reps to convince you to give in on the rest, and 8 miles at tempo pace without stopping is a long way.

Colin and I have done these sessions quite a lot this year, and we usually take it in turns to lead a mile. This has the added effect of making you want to run well, because you don't want to let the other person down, as their session is dependent on you too.

Thursday was no exception and both us pushed hard on each rep we led. I was always convinced that my reps were a lot slower than his and so I told myself I had to work even harder when it was my turn otherwise he wouldn't be getting as good a session as if he'd done it on his own. The reality was that we were both running very similar times for each rep we led. Still the thought of not letting my training partner down kept me running at my limit.

Psychology, negative and positive, is crucial in sport and training. I am convinced that how you control and use that psychology can determine where you get to in your sport, at all levels. It can lead you to push that little bit harder, go quicker or convince you to go slower or even give in - all of this has happened to me at one time or another.

Clearly on Thursday my psychology was all over the place from being down and negative about the weather to the use of almost reverse psychology to get me to run the miles I led faster, as well as drawing from the psychological strength of having a training partner.

The feeling of finishing a seriously tough session, especially when you've had doubts about even starting it, is great. I love it! I know this even when I have the doubts beforehand, as I did on Thursday. I think that's why in so many ways the first step of any run or session is always the hardest, and rarely, if ever, do you feel mentally worse after a run than before it.

I gain a lot of confidence in doing sessions like this and it is not just my running that benefits. It also effects the rest of my life too. It reassures me that I can achieve, if I put my mind to it, that adversity doesn't have to mean no or no chance. It builds my self belief and improves my sense of well being- well at least until the next session looms...


Weekly Training 16th -22nd June

Saturday 16th - Decided to have a rest day, as I woke up utterly shattered and feeling on the edge of being unwell. Didn't want to risk a return of the virus I had before holiday. Definitely a good decision, as I felt a lot better by tea time. 0 miles

Sunday 17th - 2mile E, 8mile M, 1mile E, 4mile M, 1mile E, 2mileM, 2mile E - completed the session on the usual hilly 16mile Balerno hill route, plus 4 on the canal. Pretty happy with my splits. Legs were utterly knackered afterwards. No sign of illness and sore foot felt a lot better too. Good day!! Rep times were 8M-6.04;6.18;6.13;6.15;6.49 (Bhill);6.53 (Bhill);6.13;6.24 4M- 6.15;5.58;6.02;6.17 2M -6.08;6.22. 20 miles

Monday 18th - 5miles AM - felt pretty stiff after yesterday, but loosened off after a few miles 8miles PM, plus abs class- abs class was brutal. Not been for a month, so really felt it. Was very stiff and sore from yesterday, so instead of doing 10 miles in the evening, I did a couple less. 13 miles

Tuesday 19th - 5miles AM - nice, easy paced run. Felt a little bit better than yesterday, but calves are still pretty sore. Also still feel my right foot is a little bruised. Hoping Track tonight doesn't flare it up again. Track 8miles - including 3*1mile reps with 4mins recovery (5.21; 5,23;5.28) Felt pretty tough and tired throughout. No real pace, but not terrible Either. Sunday's session still in my legs and still getting used to the mileage. This was followed by 3*1k off 2min recovery (3.25;3.28;3.28) Much the same as the mile reps. Felt incredibly tough. Finished off with 4*200m with 200m recovery. Did these as strides, as I didn't want to push tired legs and risk injury. Did 5mile run home. Was a few more miles in total than I planned too and felt very tired at the end. Not sure how I can make this work better as don't really want to do more than 15 in a day. 18 miles

Wednesday 20th - 5miles AM- really easy run to work, but felt pretty fresh especially after the heavy session yesterday. My calves also felt pretty good and not as tight as they have been for the last few days. Maybe my body is getting used to training again. 5Miles PM - felt a little tired tonight. Called in the gym for a light upper body weights session. 10 miles

Thursday 21st - 2mile E, 8mile T, 2mile E 8M= 5.45; 5.41; 5.51; 5.53; 5.43; 5.44; 5.52; 5.50. Woke up today feeling pretty tired, but legs felt good. No tiredness or tightness in my legs. Did the session with Colin in the Meadows. It was pretty windy and raining heavily, so far from ideal conditions. Overall delighted with the rep times, as all faster than marathon pace, if not quite tempo pace. Legs felt good and strong throughout and definitely could have gone faster and for longer - it was my lungs and cv system that was struggling to keep up. Not bad, as I just need to get used to running fast again. Best session since started training for LN. 12 miles

Friday 22nd - 5miles AM - easy running, legs felt tired, but mainly fine after yesterday's session. 5miles PM - run home. 10 miles

Weekly Total: 83 miles

Getting back to it!

Okay so its been a while, but I thought it was about time to start writing my blog again. There are many reasons why, but none more than I enjoyed writing it and have missed it.

I plan to make it a weekly blog with the aim of posting something every Sunday, which will include my weekly training and latest thoughts etc. I'll try incredibly hard not to bore you all and make it interesting for non-runners too, but no promises!

My main aim over the next 16 weeks, and what this blog will focus on, is to get in the best shape possible for the Loch Ness Marathon on 30 September. I ran the London Marathon in April in 2.37.30 and immediately set my mind on doing an autumn marathon. Loch Ness is a marathon I have never done before and the course profile looks pretty good for a Scottish marathon - so definitely PB potential.

I am also trying out a brand new training programme, which has been designed by my coach, Garry. It's not radically different from programmes I have followed in the past and incorporates elements of a number of proven programmes by Daniels and Lydiard, however, many of the sessions are different to what I have tried before and the level of intensity and mileage is slightly higher than I have done previously, so hopefully will lead to me becoming a stronger and faster runner. My plan is to follow-up with another London next year, so Garry sees this (if all goes well) as a stepping stone towards that too.



Beer O'clock on the boat!
Photo taken by Woozle



So, I am getting back to it. Not just blogging, but also training. I have just returned from two weeks sailing in Greece, where I did less and less running as the holiday went on. This was no bad thing, as before I went away I was suffering with a virus and really needed a good rest.

In fact so relaxed was I on holiday I added a cool 4.5kg to my girth! I weighed about 78.0kg when I ran London, I put on a bit after and went on holiday at close to 79kg. At the start of this week, when I could actually brave the scales, I hit 83.5kg!! Well I guess an ice cream a day policy will eventually start to show. And Beer O'clock got earlier and earlier - 11.30am on the last day!

Returning to a heavy week's training was always going to be very, very difficult - and indeed it proved to be. I have highlighted details of my week's training at the end of the blog for you to see, but 60 miles in 5 days is a lot (well for me it is)!

For most of this week every stride has been pretty tiring, stiff and sore on the legs, not to mention burning in the lungs. It was almost as if I was starting from scratch. I also jumped in at the deep end running twice a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I figured there were no short cuts this week and I just had to get out there and get running.

Amazingly I managed to complete a whole track session on Tuesday in a reasonable pace. The session was a mile rep as fast  as we could followed by 12*400m. It can be a bit demoralising to see your team mates, who you were running beside or just in front of in the week's before your holiday, disappear in front of you and so I had prepared myself mentally to deal with this on Tuesday, but in the end I actually found it quite motivating. With each rep of the track I focused on the guys (and girl) in front and just kept telling myself that hard work will get me back there in no time. What was really encouraging was that during the 400m reps I started off close to 8-9 seconds behind them on each rep, but by the last 3 or 4 reps I had closed the gap to 6 seconds. The only down side was my right foot felt a bit bruised afterwards. The track at Saughton is a hard one and pretty unforgiving and after 4 weeks away my foot certainly noticed it.

Everyone on track on Tuesday was putting in an awesome effort and everyone was running really well. I am not surprised though, they always do.

I was meant to do a session on Thursday, but as I set out for my run I was totally and utterly exhausted, and my legs felt tight and sore, so I decided to ditch the session and run an easy 10 miles along the waterfront at Granton. It was definitely the right decision, as I was completely shattered after that and was in my bed before 10pm. I've got a big session, as part of my long run on Sunday and I want to be fresh and faster for that, so an easy few days will help. It will hopefully give my foot a chance to heal too, as it is still a tiny bit sore.

Getting back into training has been tough. Getting back into a training routine after a break is always difficult and there is even the slight chance that the motivation and desire to do it isn't there. I was slightly worried about that, but as soon as my legs started to burn with lactic acid one mile into my first run on Monday morning I knew the desire for a 2.35 marathon is definitely there!!

Training: 9-15th June 2012

Saturday 9th - Hols


Sunday 10th - Hols

Monday 11th - 5miles AM; 9miles PM - legs felt pretty tired and heavy, but slightly better than expected. 14miles

Tuesday 12th - 5miles AM; Track PM; plus run home- 1m - 5.28 12*400m 72-75 (started off at 74/75 over the first 6 and picked up to 72/73 by the last 6 reps). Really pleased with the session. Right foot felt a bit bruised after the track - it has been a while. 15 miles

Wednesday 13th - 5miles AM; 10miles PM- very easy. 15 miles

Thursday 14th - Didn't do the session planned. Started running and felt exhausted, stiff and sore, so decided to do 10 easy miles. Was completely shattered at the end of it. Good decision not to do the session. Hopefully will recover for Sunday. 10 miles

Intended session: 2mile E, 4mile M 4minE, 3mile M 3minE, 2milesM 2minE, 1mile T, 2mile E

Friday 15th - 6 easy miles - felt so much better today, a lot fresher, still stiff and tired legs, but much better than yesterday. Foot still a little bit sore. 6 miles

Total 60miles