New Goals, Modified Training.

So Ive ticked off a pretty big goal with my debut marathon in Vienna. Now its time to look around and select some new ones. In a month ill be celebrating my First Anniversary of Racing, Its seems like a good opportunity to re-run that same 5k race again, I havent run any 5k's since then so im guaranteed a new PB, but what id really like to do is run a sub 20 min 5k. Ive also just today registered for my next Marathon, Münster on Sept 11. Its a nice flat, fast course, and my goal is to race it the whole way, I dont know if ill have a London Good For Age (GFA) in me, but that seems like a good target for the moment. So two new goals, that i need to tie into my training.

First off this week is the first week of training after Vienna, Its a light recovery week, so no high intensity runnign at all, everything is either at Aerobic pace or slower, and nothing too long.

Next week ill introduce my morning jogs again, Im going to start running those barefoot, so the distance will be pretty short in the begining. Ive checked out a nice route from my appartment that has plenty of grass and packed dirt and only short stretches of stones or hard surface. Up untill the 5k ill be including two speed workouts. One will be sprints, trying to work on leg speed and form. the other will be intervals, probably 1000m repeats, since thats what im used too. Ill continue to use the group nights as gentle or easy runs. Weekends i think ill keep as they are, a mid distance steady state run followed by a good old fashioned LSR on sundays.

So a weekly training plan will look something like this (excluding my morning recovery jogs)

Monday, Easy:  14-17k at recovery pace.
Tuesday, Sprint: Technique drills, 100m/200m repeats.
Wednesday, Easy: 14-17k at recovery pace.
Thursday, Speed: 1000m intervals.
Friday, Easy: 14-17k at recovery pace.
Saturday, Pace: 20k at Current Marathon Pace.
Sunday, LSR: 30-35k at Aerobic pace (HR 140bpm)

Once the 5k is out of the way ill turn my attention to Münster, Ill swap the two speed workouts for longer runs at Aerobic pace, Ill start tacking on a little extra distance/time at aerobic pace onto the group night runs. My saturday run ill switch to tempo intervals, bassically doing 3k stretches at 10k pace with a 1km recovery in between. When my LSR's are solo ill add a fast finish at MP alternating these with a classic LSR.

Then my weekly training plan (excluding the morning jogs again) will be.

Monday, Easy: 60min @ easy pace, 30 min @ Aerobic pace.
Tuesday, Hard: 120-130 min @ Aerobic pace.
Wednesday, Easy: 60min @ easy pace, 30 min @ Aerobic pace.
Thursday, Hard: 120-130 min @ Aerobic pace.
Friday, Easy:  60min @ easy pace, 30 min @ Aerobic pace.
Saturday, Stamina: 20k Tempo interval, 4*3k@10k pace.
Sunday, Long: 2:45-3hr at Aerobic pace, optionally Last 10k at MP.

Looking at the second plan youll notice that Im not really using distance to measure my training, rather time, I think if you run bassed on fixed distance and pace then your performance inprovement begins to stagnate. by using fixed time and effort the distance and pace are able to increase as your performance does, you maintain a consistent training presure on your current performance.

Ofcourse i wont be able to follow this exactly, real life gets in the way, I have weekends with my kids and I spend evenings at their place. My LSR's with the running group will sometimes be below my normal Aerobic pace, and they wont be keen on fast finishes. At the end of the day Im also not really one to stick to a plan religiously. But they will serve as a guide.

What i do need to do is find a couple of races leading up to Münster that i can use to help set my race pace, a Half Marathon would be best, about 6 weeks before...which could be difficult since that will put it pretty much still in the summer. But thats what the more experienced guys in a running group are there fore... someone will know of something.