Week 9 of My Boston Buildup was dominated by recovering and seeing off a cold that id been dealing with for a few weeks. Followed up with the long run being replaced by the first of my evaluation runs.
Because of the Illness i kept my long runs short, I didnt go over 17km at all that week. However I did still do all of my runs. Which had the added benifit of helping me to see off the two niggles that had been plagueing me for a while, the right hip, and my left knee.
The Evaluation race i did didnt turn out as good as id hopped, Still a PB but way off what id hopped to achieve. I think it reflects the lack of speed work ive done so far. Ill be assessing the evaluation runs in more detail when the series is complete. No point getting concerned about a single result just yet.
So its good that ive started to introduce a Fartlek run in week 9 & 10 to help me transition into the speed work proper that i want to do starting week 11. I really enjoyed my fartlek runs.
Week 10 was a much better week for me, I clocked up another 100+ mile week. 163km. It hasnt been easy running as weve been dealing with a major cold snap here in europe, with temperatures getting down to -13°c mid week and -15°c saturday morning where i ended up with ice encrusted eyebrows and eyelashes. But perhapes the adversity has fired me up a bit more to get out there and get it done.
I also got my cross training in with a swim session thursday evening.
On Sundays long run i went out a bit to fast as i got caught up running with a faster group of runners. I also suffered some strange cramping/pain in my left foot that will need to be watched.
Looking ahead Week 11 is when i introduce some speed development work, Im looking foward to getting some intervals done on a track. And hopefully equalising out some of my running development.
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Monday, 6 February 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Boston Build Up - Week 8
This week Ive been plagued with a Cold. Its not really been bad enough to stop me from running, but i decided fairly early on in the week to keep my volume down a little so that i didnt put too much stress on my immune system.
I had intended to run another 160km week but instead it turned out to be 116km. I also didnt do a long run as on sunday morning when i had it scheduled I woke up feeling a little bit worse for wear, I still got out and started the run but we started off by heading straight into the wind, which had me feeling pretty sorry for myself, so i cut it short at 19k.
My legs however really seemed to have enjoyed this cutback week, The tightness in my left leg has subsided, and the niggle in my right hip is now a thing of the past. This encouraged me to run both of my steady paced runs at a pretty good clip. It was really nice to see my pace heading down close to 4:30/k at an effort level that i felt like i could sustain for a good length of time.
We now have 12 full weeks till Boston, thats just 10 weeks more of training time before the need to Taper. This coming week I start to prepare for the next major phase of training, focused on speed development by introducing a fartlek run into my training. I also have the first of my tune-up and assesment races at the end of the week.
I had intended to run another 160km week but instead it turned out to be 116km. I also didnt do a long run as on sunday morning when i had it scheduled I woke up feeling a little bit worse for wear, I still got out and started the run but we started off by heading straight into the wind, which had me feeling pretty sorry for myself, so i cut it short at 19k.
My legs however really seemed to have enjoyed this cutback week, The tightness in my left leg has subsided, and the niggle in my right hip is now a thing of the past. This encouraged me to run both of my steady paced runs at a pretty good clip. It was really nice to see my pace heading down close to 4:30/k at an effort level that i felt like i could sustain for a good length of time.
We now have 12 full weeks till Boston, thats just 10 weeks more of training time before the need to Taper. This coming week I start to prepare for the next major phase of training, focused on speed development by introducing a fartlek run into my training. I also have the first of my tune-up and assesment races at the end of the week.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Boston Build Up - Week 7
This was a much better week in terms of running conditions. This allowed me to increase the intensity a little on my mid week runs, I was quite surprised how hard i was feeling like i was pushing myself to have to maintain the target HR's id set myself for these runs. But I was able to run them for close too two hours before feeling the effects of Glykogen depletion.
The second semi-long run i used as a field test for my Boston Shoes, the Brooks Green Silence. They worked pretty well, i did start to feel my right achilles at the end, so i think i should repeat a run at that distance before extending to use them on a LSR. I will also be including my other flat shoes more often in my weekly routine.
As the week went on and the volume of running continued to grow I started to feel it in my legs, and the niggle in my right hip started to come back. Then I spent sunday morning in a cold sports hall watching my youngests indoor soccer tournament, they won, but i just couldnt get warm, and decided to skip my planned run and spend the afternoon wrapped up on the couch and indulge in a bit of comfort food.
I dont feel guilty about this rest day, It was the wise choice in my books, it had been two weeks since my last full day off, and Im feeling much better today. Looking foward to this weeks training. The plan is to continue on the same as the past week with the main goal the continued building of my base Aerobic condition.
I would also like to perform a fitness test this week. either a Hadd test or a Mafetone style 10k at AT... I havent done either in the past, but i think it will be good for my running to start to do something like this regularly, once per month or so.
Total running this week was 6 training runs, 3 recovery runs and a total of 161km.
The second semi-long run i used as a field test for my Boston Shoes, the Brooks Green Silence. They worked pretty well, i did start to feel my right achilles at the end, so i think i should repeat a run at that distance before extending to use them on a LSR. I will also be including my other flat shoes more often in my weekly routine.
As the week went on and the volume of running continued to grow I started to feel it in my legs, and the niggle in my right hip started to come back. Then I spent sunday morning in a cold sports hall watching my youngests indoor soccer tournament, they won, but i just couldnt get warm, and decided to skip my planned run and spend the afternoon wrapped up on the couch and indulge in a bit of comfort food.
I dont feel guilty about this rest day, It was the wise choice in my books, it had been two weeks since my last full day off, and Im feeling much better today. Looking foward to this weeks training. The plan is to continue on the same as the past week with the main goal the continued building of my base Aerobic condition.
I would also like to perform a fitness test this week. either a Hadd test or a Mafetone style 10k at AT... I havent done either in the past, but i think it will be good for my running to start to do something like this regularly, once per month or so.
Total running this week was 6 training runs, 3 recovery runs and a total of 161km.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Boston Build Up - Week 6
Cant really Believe im writing the 6th week allready, the time seems to be really flying. Still this week felt like ive finally got into the meat and potatoes of my Boston training. I did all of the planned workouts and ran all of the planned recovery runs as well.
MarathonTalks Jantastic Challenge played no small part in motivating me to get out there and do all the runs id planned. The idea is a honesty bassed challenge where listeners provide a goal number of weekly runs and then record the actual number completed. Without the Challenge im sure the two winter storms that passed through this week would have convinced me to cull perhapes a few of the runs.
Instead i was out there running in gale force winds, storm warnings, through thunder and lightening, torrential rain, and even hail, and on thursday morning all of them at the sametime.
Im also really pleased with my weekend, the first proper long run, 34km around a nice hilly route with plenty of long downhills that will do wonders to hill toughen me for Boston. I followed that up with another 27km on sunday, mixing in a little bit of Ultra style Back-to-Back running. Legs really felt it, which sort of shows that it is needed, if not for boston then for my plans for what comes after.
All this means that i clocked up a pretty big week, over 179km spread over 10 runs. Ill be looking to maintain this sort of resolve, next week, and throughout the whole of January. In particular the introduction of proper long runs.
MarathonTalks Jantastic Challenge played no small part in motivating me to get out there and do all the runs id planned. The idea is a honesty bassed challenge where listeners provide a goal number of weekly runs and then record the actual number completed. Without the Challenge im sure the two winter storms that passed through this week would have convinced me to cull perhapes a few of the runs.
Instead i was out there running in gale force winds, storm warnings, through thunder and lightening, torrential rain, and even hail, and on thursday morning all of them at the sametime.
Im also really pleased with my weekend, the first proper long run, 34km around a nice hilly route with plenty of long downhills that will do wonders to hill toughen me for Boston. I followed that up with another 27km on sunday, mixing in a little bit of Ultra style Back-to-Back running. Legs really felt it, which sort of shows that it is needed, if not for boston then for my plans for what comes after.
All this means that i clocked up a pretty big week, over 179km spread over 10 runs. Ill be looking to maintain this sort of resolve, next week, and throughout the whole of January. In particular the introduction of proper long runs.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Boston Build Up - Week 5
Another week cramed in between christmas and New Years, but i still managed to get most of the running done that id planned. It was also a race week so i rearranged my runs a little, moving my mid week longer runs foward a day, to give me two easy days before the race.
And although i had planned to go running on the 1st. I think i can forgive myself that i decided to take it as a recovery day. I wasnt sore after saturdays race no DOMS and no injuries, but one day off is ok.
I did manage to get 9h30 of training done, with no extra recovery paced runs. I also spent a fair bit of time looking at what adjustments i need to make to my trainign plan heading going foward.
For the rest of January i will continue to focus on Aerobic base building, In Febuary i will introduce a little bit of Anaerobic Speed work, before introducing some more race specific workouts in March.
The Race went really well, a new PB, but more importantly the VDOT value was 51.2 which puts it almost inline with the VDOT value from the Münster marathon. I think it sets me up nicely for the next 3 months training. I was worried when i first came back that it would take me longer to return to form after my training break in November.
Next week, Id like to get considerably closer to the full training volume laid out in my plan, That shouldnt really be a problem if i dont skip the long run.
And although i had planned to go running on the 1st. I think i can forgive myself that i decided to take it as a recovery day. I wasnt sore after saturdays race no DOMS and no injuries, but one day off is ok.
I did manage to get 9h30 of training done, with no extra recovery paced runs. I also spent a fair bit of time looking at what adjustments i need to make to my trainign plan heading going foward.
For the rest of January i will continue to focus on Aerobic base building, In Febuary i will introduce a little bit of Anaerobic Speed work, before introducing some more race specific workouts in March.
The Race went really well, a new PB, but more importantly the VDOT value was 51.2 which puts it almost inline with the VDOT value from the Münster marathon. I think it sets me up nicely for the next 3 months training. I was worried when i first came back that it would take me longer to return to form after my training break in November.
Next week, Id like to get considerably closer to the full training volume laid out in my plan, That shouldnt really be a problem if i dont skip the long run.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Boston Build Up - Week 4
With this week leading into christmas it was allways going to be a struggle to get all of my training in. But I managed to do it. The goal after a recovery week was to match my time spent at training pace from week 2. That meant a total of 9h45 I managed to hit that almost exactly. My total millage this week was 126km. However because of the Holiday Season madness, and the need to get those last minute presents or supplies for Xmas dinner I only managed one additional run this week. Although in one run I did combine running and picking up a present.
I was also able to start bringing back in some of the higher intensity running in the second half of the week that id dropped during the recovery week to help stave off the niggles id picked up. Whats more my feeling during the runs was much improved, the recovery week certainly did its job.
The next week is not going to be run according to plan. I have a 15k race scheduled for saturday, new years eve. It means ill pull foward my mid week longer runs to give me an extra day to recover. and just do an easy run on the friday. Sunday will probably not have a long run... better a light medium distance recovery run.
My bathroom scales seemed to have given up the ghost, so im floundering in the dark when it comes to figuring out the effect of Xmas on my race weight goals... still plenty of time, but im going to have to start paying closer attention, and perhapes invest in some new scales.
Monday, 19 December 2011
Boston Build Up - Week 3
At the end of last week id planned to continue to increase my volume, and aim to reach 11hrs at a training pace. However by Wednesday it was pretty clear to me that I was pushing too hard, and needed some rest. So i decided to swap thursdays planned 2hr stead Aerobic run for a 30min easy jog. I also took Sunday as a full rest day, partly because of the need for rest, partly because i decided to spend the time with my kids instead.
Its important to listen to your body when its getting tired. Ignoring it and pushing on adhering strictly to the plan for the sake of the plan is a fools game, and eventually leads to disaster through either injury or overtraining. On Wednesday I looked at the feeling notes id given my runs, with the exception of mondays 'nightlife run' Id not really been enjoying things since Sunday. My legs were feeling heavy, and id picked up a little niggle in on my right backside/hip. I decide it was wiser to pull back a little.
I guess its not really surprising. My first week was a substantial increase in volume compared to the weeks before that when i was taking a training break, and then last week I increased the volume again.
My weight hasnt changed radically... partly through my own fault as i subcombed to the seductions of another Marzipan stollen. However the festive season with its butter cookies, mulled wine, and abundance of chocolate surely bears the lions share of the blame.... surely.
Ive been tossing around shoe choices for boston, Id like to decide early so that i can also do plenty of training in the raceday shoe.
Next week I think i should try and repeat the volume from week 2 perhapes with a slightly longer long run on the weekend, although Im not sure that christmas will allow that.
Its important to listen to your body when its getting tired. Ignoring it and pushing on adhering strictly to the plan for the sake of the plan is a fools game, and eventually leads to disaster through either injury or overtraining. On Wednesday I looked at the feeling notes id given my runs, with the exception of mondays 'nightlife run' Id not really been enjoying things since Sunday. My legs were feeling heavy, and id picked up a little niggle in on my right backside/hip. I decide it was wiser to pull back a little.
I guess its not really surprising. My first week was a substantial increase in volume compared to the weeks before that when i was taking a training break, and then last week I increased the volume again.
My weight hasnt changed radically... partly through my own fault as i subcombed to the seductions of another Marzipan stollen. However the festive season with its butter cookies, mulled wine, and abundance of chocolate surely bears the lions share of the blame.... surely.
Ive been tossing around shoe choices for boston, Id like to decide early so that i can also do plenty of training in the raceday shoe.
Next week I think i should try and repeat the volume from week 2 perhapes with a slightly longer long run on the weekend, although Im not sure that christmas will allow that.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Boston Build Up - Week 2
So ive just finished the second week of my Buildup for Boston. Im still in a rampup phase where im building millage. I was much happier with this week, Last week i was a little depressed at the pace i was running at at my various HR training Zones. Last week i felt like i had to keep reducing the effort to get my HR to the right level. This week there were several runs where i found myself having to push harder to get it up to the right level.
The Weather hasnt been all that conducive to running, lots of wind, which when its behind you is great, but it does make for some tough running going the otherway.
The Standout run for me this week was saturday. It was targeted as 90 mins at HR 140, An Easy Aerobic effort. I recorded 1:31 at Avg Hr 139 and i had an average pace of 4:54/km. However I ran this in my Green Silences, and i think hey were responsible for my legs feeling very tired for Sundays Run.
This week Ryan posted a comparision of the elevation profile from Boston and some of the more famous trail Ultra's on his blog... it kind of brings things back into perspective a little, But i still want to sit down and actually compare what hills i have here to train on here against those on the boston course.
This week i managed a 9h45 of running at training pace with two additional recovery runs and a total distance of 142km. Next week i want to extend the longer runs during the week to add another 1h15 to my training time.
The Weather hasnt been all that conducive to running, lots of wind, which when its behind you is great, but it does make for some tough running going the otherway.
The Standout run for me this week was saturday. It was targeted as 90 mins at HR 140, An Easy Aerobic effort. I recorded 1:31 at Avg Hr 139 and i had an average pace of 4:54/km. However I ran this in my Green Silences, and i think hey were responsible for my legs feeling very tired for Sundays Run.
This week Ryan posted a comparision of the elevation profile from Boston and some of the more famous trail Ultra's on his blog... it kind of brings things back into perspective a little, But i still want to sit down and actually compare what hills i have here to train on here against those on the boston course.
This week i managed a 9h45 of running at training pace with two additional recovery runs and a total distance of 142km. Next week i want to extend the longer runs during the week to add another 1h15 to my training time.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Boston Build Up - Week 1
Well week one is done and dusted. I was itching to get started, and then when i did i found it harder than expected, In no doubt partly because of some loss of fitness as a result of the past 4 weeks where i didnt run much at all, And also almost certainly because of the extra weight im carrying with me. (I blame the early arrival of christmas cookies, cakes and chocolates in the stores )
Still both of those things should come right pretty quickly.
Ive just recently had my HR monitor replaced, so have been able to train using my HR again. I did a Max HR test at the start of the week and came up with 178 although i suspect i could squeeze 1 or 2 more beats out of my ticker. My HR(rest) was 47 on Monday and 45 on friday. It allowed me to calculate my target HR bassed on HRR for the first time... more on that in another post to follow shortly
This week saw me manage 8h30 of running at training effort. My cunning plan sets a weekly target of 12h15. So i need to build up the volume a little. I intend to do this over the next 3 weeks by adding 1h15 to each week, before a step back week between Xmas and NewYears, which will also double as a semi-taper for the New years race ive entered.
It feels good to be back training properly again. My legs handled the return to training pretty well although my calves have been just a little tighter than usual, but i guess that is also to be expected.
Still both of those things should come right pretty quickly.
Ive just recently had my HR monitor replaced, so have been able to train using my HR again. I did a Max HR test at the start of the week and came up with 178 although i suspect i could squeeze 1 or 2 more beats out of my ticker. My HR(rest) was 47 on Monday and 45 on friday. It allowed me to calculate my target HR bassed on HRR for the first time... more on that in another post to follow shortly
This week saw me manage 8h30 of running at training effort. My cunning plan sets a weekly target of 12h15. So i need to build up the volume a little. I intend to do this over the next 3 weeks by adding 1h15 to each week, before a step back week between Xmas and NewYears, which will also double as a semi-taper for the New years race ive entered.
It feels good to be back training properly again. My legs handled the return to training pretty well although my calves have been just a little tighter than usual, but i guess that is also to be expected.
Friday, 30 September 2011
Boston
I have a confession to make! I applied to Boston 2012 and didnt tell anyone. Not sure why i kept it too myself, I guess incase I got rejected so I could slink off quietly.
In Munster I ran a BQ-5 qualifying time, Whilst Boston had allways been at the back of my head, I didnt realise that Münster could also be used as a qualifying race until Henning a friend from DM mentioned that he was using it to run a BQ time. Id originally planned to try and BQ in Spring 2012 at the Düsseldorf Marathon.
Ive also been planning to fly home to New Zealand sometime soon, so with a little prod from Ryan i investigated the possibility of combining the two... The plane ticket to come back via the US isnt significantly more expensive than returning over Asia... so on the spur of the moment i submitted my application.
Dear Paul:
Please make note of your Submission ID #: 2011960.
Thank you for submitting an entry to the 116th B.A.A. Boston Marathon. It is important to note that your Submission ID does NOT constitute entry into the race, but confirms that your entry has been received by the B.A.A.
With a BQ-5 I was able to apply on the 16th. On the 19th i was happy to hear Henning had also submitted his application.
Then its a game of wait and see. I was under the impression that the last block the normal BQ times was still a first come first served system like the previous year. Unfortunately I heard via DailyMile that it wasnt, that this year the set a cutoff time of 1:14 faster than the base BQ time in each age class. Which means that Henning recieved a rejection email.... I was also sad to hear another great runner friend from DM Javier also recieved a rejection email, he missed the cutoff by 1 second. That really has to hurt.
I received a conditional acceptance, The BAA registration office needed a copy of my race certificate from Münster, with a translation of the details on it so that they could verify the qualifying details id submitted.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for submitting your application for entry into the 2012 Boston Marathon.
Upon verification of the qualifying time you submitted from an international race your application will be approved for acceptance.
So I emailed them the pdf certificate you can download from the Münster Marathon web site and my translation of what was on there. I still wasnt sure i was in, would they accept the Münster Marathon as a valid qualifying race? This morning my doubts have been laid to rest.
Dear Paul A. Henry,
This is to notify you that your entry into the 116th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2012 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.
A Confirmation of Acceptance card will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail in October.
So it appear that i need to start organising my travel and accomodation plans.
I have to admit that i do feel really bad for the guys I know that applied and got rejected, It would have been really great to have caught up with them either prior or post race to chew the fat and tell tall stories about our running deeds. But i know that both Javier and Henning easily have BQ-10's in them and that if they want it they will be able to qualify in the coming years, tighter qualifying times or not.
In Munster I ran a BQ-5 qualifying time, Whilst Boston had allways been at the back of my head, I didnt realise that Münster could also be used as a qualifying race until Henning a friend from DM mentioned that he was using it to run a BQ time. Id originally planned to try and BQ in Spring 2012 at the Düsseldorf Marathon.
Ive also been planning to fly home to New Zealand sometime soon, so with a little prod from Ryan i investigated the possibility of combining the two... The plane ticket to come back via the US isnt significantly more expensive than returning over Asia... so on the spur of the moment i submitted my application.
Dear Paul:
Please make note of your Submission ID #: 2011960.
Thank you for submitting an entry to the 116th B.A.A. Boston Marathon. It is important to note that your Submission ID does NOT constitute entry into the race, but confirms that your entry has been received by the B.A.A.
September 16th
With a BQ-5 I was able to apply on the 16th. On the 19th i was happy to hear Henning had also submitted his application.
Then its a game of wait and see. I was under the impression that the last block the normal BQ times was still a first come first served system like the previous year. Unfortunately I heard via DailyMile that it wasnt, that this year the set a cutoff time of 1:14 faster than the base BQ time in each age class. Which means that Henning recieved a rejection email.... I was also sad to hear another great runner friend from DM Javier also recieved a rejection email, he missed the cutoff by 1 second. That really has to hurt.
I received a conditional acceptance, The BAA registration office needed a copy of my race certificate from Münster, with a translation of the details on it so that they could verify the qualifying details id submitted.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for submitting your application for entry into the 2012 Boston Marathon.
Upon verification of the qualifying time you submitted from an international race your application will be approved for acceptance.
September 23rd
So I emailed them the pdf certificate you can download from the Münster Marathon web site and my translation of what was on there. I still wasnt sure i was in, would they accept the Münster Marathon as a valid qualifying race? This morning my doubts have been laid to rest.
Dear Paul A. Henry,
This is to notify you that your entry into the 116th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2012 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.
A Confirmation of Acceptance card will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail in October.
September 30th
So it appear that i need to start organising my travel and accomodation plans.
I have to admit that i do feel really bad for the guys I know that applied and got rejected, It would have been really great to have caught up with them either prior or post race to chew the fat and tell tall stories about our running deeds. But i know that both Javier and Henning easily have BQ-10's in them and that if they want it they will be able to qualify in the coming years, tighter qualifying times or not.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Whats Münster taught me?
So its a post marathon recovery week for me, which means that im not running much and have lots of spare time on my hands that i would normally have been training in. So its a perfect time to stop and review my buildup and exectuion, to see what lessons can be learnt, what worked, and what didnt. First off a look at Raceday.
First off and foremost, Race day adrenaline if kept under control at the start can give you a welcome surprise in the end.
The pacing tactic to slowly ramp up into race pace worked a treat, not only did it help to conserve karbohydrate levels it also creates a strategy thats bassed on a negative split which is contrary to most other runners and means you will be passing people towards the end of the race.
Comparing the Marathon to my HM Attempts i run better when i am able to pass people. rather than have them pass me.
In Vieena i drank water on raceday, only stopping 2hrs before the race, and took water at each station. For Münster i didnt, have any excess drink at all pre-race, and only took a minimal sip at the water stations, (excluding fluids consumed with gels) In Vienna i ran with a full bladder, in Münster i didnt, and wasnt dehydrated at the end either.
During the race i used water from the drink stations to wet my clothes and skin, this helped to keep me cool, a half cup of water poored over my chest was absorbed by the clothing and didnt result in water logged shoes.
At the drink stations take at least two cups.
Having the 5k times written down on a pace chart worked really well, especially as a garmin runs out of sync with the official race distance as you run off blue line.
You can still pull back a good few minutes over the last 10k if your feeling good. So stay in control and run to plan for your goal upto there, especially if the weather is uncertain.
My pre race fueling worked really well, a good breakfast 4hrs before the race, protein bar 2hrs out, and 1st gel with 200ml of water 15 mins prior to the start is a good combination for me.
In race fueling at 5, 15, 25, & 35 Km also worked well for me.
Ah yes, and last but not least believe in yourself and trust in your training.
First off and foremost, Race day adrenaline if kept under control at the start can give you a welcome surprise in the end.
The pacing tactic to slowly ramp up into race pace worked a treat, not only did it help to conserve karbohydrate levels it also creates a strategy thats bassed on a negative split which is contrary to most other runners and means you will be passing people towards the end of the race.
Comparing the Marathon to my HM Attempts i run better when i am able to pass people. rather than have them pass me.
In Vieena i drank water on raceday, only stopping 2hrs before the race, and took water at each station. For Münster i didnt, have any excess drink at all pre-race, and only took a minimal sip at the water stations, (excluding fluids consumed with gels) In Vienna i ran with a full bladder, in Münster i didnt, and wasnt dehydrated at the end either.
During the race i used water from the drink stations to wet my clothes and skin, this helped to keep me cool, a half cup of water poored over my chest was absorbed by the clothing and didnt result in water logged shoes.
At the drink stations take at least two cups.
Having the 5k times written down on a pace chart worked really well, especially as a garmin runs out of sync with the official race distance as you run off blue line.
You can still pull back a good few minutes over the last 10k if your feeling good. So stay in control and run to plan for your goal upto there, especially if the weather is uncertain.
My pre race fueling worked really well, a good breakfast 4hrs before the race, protein bar 2hrs out, and 1st gel with 200ml of water 15 mins prior to the start is a good combination for me.
In race fueling at 5, 15, 25, & 35 Km also worked well for me.
Ah yes, and last but not least believe in yourself and trust in your training.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Escaping Taper Madness
So all the big training is done. And with just under a week to go Im well and truely into my taper, which can mean only one thing. Taper Madness!!!
Anyone thats tapered for a marathon or other big race will know what im talking about. the First symptoms for me was the discomfort during a run, Not quite an injury, but feeling like something is just off. Then come the phantom pains, the heavy tired legs. But i was sort of expecting all that as i went through pretty much the same thing leading up to Vienna. This time however i also was struck down by the phantom cold. Last Sunday afternoon instead of going for a long run i spent the afternoon wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping on the couch. Who knows perhapes it wasnt a phantom cold at all and my rapid response managed to kick it before it really set in... because by tuesday i was feeling right as rain again.
Im pretty pround of myself this time and during tapering havent (yet) given in to the urge to devour large quantities of anything sweet or carb packed.... although there were some mishaps in the weeks leading up to the start of the taper. Ill be starting to take on more carbs 4-5 days out, till then im maintaining my diet, which has me down to 79kg a BMI of 21 the lightest ive been since highschool. But perhapes still a little off an ideal race weight.
Last night i was tempted to run further than planned by staying with the group, but ignored the cajoling when i told them i was cutting the run short and heading home. It can be too easy to try and do too much in the last few weeks and end up arriving at the start line fatigued. Ill be doing a 10k tonight runnign through my start sequence again, an easy run on wednesday and then a short 5k at MP on friday. That should see me arrive at the starting line on sunday all rearing to go.
I have been struggling a little with some self doubt, Im really not sure wether ill be able to meet the goal i set myself on the day, But i know that it is at least achievable, Could i have done more preparation, perhapes, but then you can allways say you could have done more. but if your able to is another thing. and im pretty happy with what ive done. Regardless of whether i hit my goal ill still be doing my best on the day.
To help keep the Taper madness under control ive done a little bit of self examination, Ive looked over my runnign folder with my certificates and results in it, ive re-read my posts here. Ive though about my longer term goals. When i havent been doing that ive kept myself busy, catching up on the housework that was sort of neglected a little lately. Preparing my kit for race day, and yep even shoping for my post race treats.
So actually on the whole, I think I can say that ive escaped the worst of the Taper Madness this time. But ill stay on high alert through the rest of the week, just incase.
Anyone thats tapered for a marathon or other big race will know what im talking about. the First symptoms for me was the discomfort during a run, Not quite an injury, but feeling like something is just off. Then come the phantom pains, the heavy tired legs. But i was sort of expecting all that as i went through pretty much the same thing leading up to Vienna. This time however i also was struck down by the phantom cold. Last Sunday afternoon instead of going for a long run i spent the afternoon wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping on the couch. Who knows perhapes it wasnt a phantom cold at all and my rapid response managed to kick it before it really set in... because by tuesday i was feeling right as rain again.
Im pretty pround of myself this time and during tapering havent (yet) given in to the urge to devour large quantities of anything sweet or carb packed.... although there were some mishaps in the weeks leading up to the start of the taper. Ill be starting to take on more carbs 4-5 days out, till then im maintaining my diet, which has me down to 79kg a BMI of 21 the lightest ive been since highschool. But perhapes still a little off an ideal race weight.
Last night i was tempted to run further than planned by staying with the group, but ignored the cajoling when i told them i was cutting the run short and heading home. It can be too easy to try and do too much in the last few weeks and end up arriving at the start line fatigued. Ill be doing a 10k tonight runnign through my start sequence again, an easy run on wednesday and then a short 5k at MP on friday. That should see me arrive at the starting line on sunday all rearing to go.
I have been struggling a little with some self doubt, Im really not sure wether ill be able to meet the goal i set myself on the day, But i know that it is at least achievable, Could i have done more preparation, perhapes, but then you can allways say you could have done more. but if your able to is another thing. and im pretty happy with what ive done. Regardless of whether i hit my goal ill still be doing my best on the day.
To help keep the Taper madness under control ive done a little bit of self examination, Ive looked over my runnign folder with my certificates and results in it, ive re-read my posts here. Ive though about my longer term goals. When i havent been doing that ive kept myself busy, catching up on the housework that was sort of neglected a little lately. Preparing my kit for race day, and yep even shoping for my post race treats.
So actually on the whole, I think I can say that ive escaped the worst of the Taper Madness this time. But ill stay on high alert through the rest of the week, just incase.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Predicting my Marathon Perfomance.
So its now just 4 weeks away from the Münster Marathon and i need to figure out what pace ill be running it at. The 'A' goal is to run sub 3:10 which means an average pace of 4:30/km, however just because thats the goal doesnt necessarily mean its realistic. Which is why I scheduled a couple of Half Marathons into my training program so that i could gauge my training progress and get an idea of what pace i should ultimately target.
The latest was the Nordkirchen Half Marathon where i set a new HM PB and ran a 1:34:02 in 21°c. The Münster Marathon is one of the earliest in the Autumn Season, So its hard to predict what the conditions on the day will be like, It could be cold and rather wintery, or it could be very warm. So I am using the calculator at Runworks, which is based on the Daniels running formula to adjust times for various temperatures. Using my performance in Nordkirchen the calculator predicts the following
I have also just run a semi trail race over 20km it was run in 17°c during the morning, This one had a bit of up and down and being on trail doesnt allways allow for a full open stride, but i pulled out a 1:26:11 plugging that into the calculators gives the following
These two race efforts were only 1 week appart, The first left me shattered the second still feeling good and able to train properly. The biggest difference between the two for me was less about the race and conditions on the day and more about the pre-race preperation. For the first id been sick the week before, and then had a large lunch that hadnt digested properly before the race... in the second it was a morning race, with a good meal the night before and a light breakfast.
What this tells me is that my goal of sub 3:10 is dependent on a couple of factors, geting my race preparation in the days leading up to the race right, which is something i can control, but also on the race day temperature and weather conditions. If its too warm then its unlikely that ill be able to hold the target pace required, and a better solution is to dial it back a little to try and avoid a major crash in the final stages of the race.
But the good news is that the target of 3:10 does make for a realistic goal. It will be hard, of that there can be no doubt, and there is no guarantee of reaching it, but that is what racing marathons is all about. stepping into the unkown and seeing if you measure up to the challenge you set yourself. In Vienna i ran a marathon, in Münster im going to race one.
The latest was the Nordkirchen Half Marathon where i set a new HM PB and ran a 1:34:02 in 21°c. The Münster Marathon is one of the earliest in the Autumn Season, So its hard to predict what the conditions on the day will be like, It could be cold and rather wintery, or it could be very warm. So I am using the calculator at Runworks, which is based on the Daniels running formula to adjust times for various temperatures. Using my performance in Nordkirchen the calculator predicts the following
| Temp | HM | Marathon | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16°c (or below) | 1:32:48 | 3:13:13 | 4:34/km |
| 21°c | 1:34:02 | 3:15:43 | 4:38/km |
| 24°c | 1:34:46 | 3:17:12 | 4:40/km |
| 29°c | 1:36:23 | 3:20:28 | 4:45/km |
I have also just run a semi trail race over 20km it was run in 17°c during the morning, This one had a bit of up and down and being on trail doesnt allways allow for a full open stride, but i pulled out a 1:26:11 plugging that into the calculators gives the following
| Temp | 20.2 | Marathon | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16°c (or below) | 1:25:54 | 3:07:32 | 4:26/km |
| 21°c | 1:27:03 | 3:09:58 | 4:30/km |
| 24°c | 1:27:43 | 3:11:23 | 4:32/km |
| 29°c | 1:29:13 | 3:14:34 | 4:36/km |
These two race efforts were only 1 week appart, The first left me shattered the second still feeling good and able to train properly. The biggest difference between the two for me was less about the race and conditions on the day and more about the pre-race preperation. For the first id been sick the week before, and then had a large lunch that hadnt digested properly before the race... in the second it was a morning race, with a good meal the night before and a light breakfast.
What this tells me is that my goal of sub 3:10 is dependent on a couple of factors, geting my race preparation in the days leading up to the race right, which is something i can control, but also on the race day temperature and weather conditions. If its too warm then its unlikely that ill be able to hold the target pace required, and a better solution is to dial it back a little to try and avoid a major crash in the final stages of the race.
But the good news is that the target of 3:10 does make for a realistic goal. It will be hard, of that there can be no doubt, and there is no guarantee of reaching it, but that is what racing marathons is all about. stepping into the unkown and seeing if you measure up to the challenge you set yourself. In Vienna i ran a marathon, in Münster im going to race one.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Run in a Group or go it Alone?
Several months after I started running I joined a Running Group. The group I joined is not a club, we have no fee's, no coach, its just a group of people the get together regularly to go for a run.
There are a lot of advantages to joining a running group. Not least that you get to meet like minded people that dont think your a bit weird for wanting to go for a run when its just started raining. A good running group will provide support and encouragement. There is a good oportunity to learn from experienced runners. They will also have an idea about local events and races that might be suitable for you if you want to enter one.
There are lots of tangible benifits to joining a group, but there are also some less tangible ones as well. Once youve got a set time to run at you are much more likely to actually make that run. Even more so with a group because there is that subtle pressure to turn up for the run, sometimes that is enough to actually get you out the door.
Then during the runs a group can help you maintain a steady pace, even as you start to tire. Runs completted in a group allways seem to go by faster for me as well. Having someone to chat to can take your mind off the miles as they tick by. Its also a lot safer to have someone else around, as they say there is safty in numbers. For the guys this is primarily in case you injure yourself, but plenty of female runners find it more comfortable to have at least one companion.
But its not all good running in a group, just like in most things there are positives and there are negatives. One of the biggest is to do with pace, if your lucky then the group pace will be spot on your own personal target pace, but more likely than not it will be either to fast or too slow... either way it means your likely to either be running at a 'no mans land' pace. And wont be getting the full effect from that training run, the alternative is if the group run hits one of your other training paces then you can see that run as a run at that pace...For instance the group i run withs average pace is at my recovery run pace, so my group runs are recovery / very easy runs that i do on my rest days.
Another downside can be that the route or the distance may not actually suit your current goal. not so bad if its on the short side, but if too long it could lead to overtraining or injury. Primarily for us guys a group can create a competitive environment that were easily sucked into, we can end up competting amoungst ourselves, which leads to racing in your training.
Training in a group can however also rob you of the opportunity to develope the mental toughness required to run hard on your own, or to keep on going when the legs start to hurt, or your getting fatigued in a longer run. During a race its likely youll have to overcome those on your own and a group doesnt provide you with the opportunity to learn that.
So should you join a group, for me the answer is clear, if there is one available then absolutely, but you should also still do some of your running on your own... get the best of both worlds.
There are a lot of advantages to joining a running group. Not least that you get to meet like minded people that dont think your a bit weird for wanting to go for a run when its just started raining. A good running group will provide support and encouragement. There is a good oportunity to learn from experienced runners. They will also have an idea about local events and races that might be suitable for you if you want to enter one.
There are lots of tangible benifits to joining a group, but there are also some less tangible ones as well. Once youve got a set time to run at you are much more likely to actually make that run. Even more so with a group because there is that subtle pressure to turn up for the run, sometimes that is enough to actually get you out the door.
Then during the runs a group can help you maintain a steady pace, even as you start to tire. Runs completted in a group allways seem to go by faster for me as well. Having someone to chat to can take your mind off the miles as they tick by. Its also a lot safer to have someone else around, as they say there is safty in numbers. For the guys this is primarily in case you injure yourself, but plenty of female runners find it more comfortable to have at least one companion.
But its not all good running in a group, just like in most things there are positives and there are negatives. One of the biggest is to do with pace, if your lucky then the group pace will be spot on your own personal target pace, but more likely than not it will be either to fast or too slow... either way it means your likely to either be running at a 'no mans land' pace. And wont be getting the full effect from that training run, the alternative is if the group run hits one of your other training paces then you can see that run as a run at that pace...For instance the group i run withs average pace is at my recovery run pace, so my group runs are recovery / very easy runs that i do on my rest days.
Another downside can be that the route or the distance may not actually suit your current goal. not so bad if its on the short side, but if too long it could lead to overtraining or injury. Primarily for us guys a group can create a competitive environment that were easily sucked into, we can end up competting amoungst ourselves, which leads to racing in your training.
Training in a group can however also rob you of the opportunity to develope the mental toughness required to run hard on your own, or to keep on going when the legs start to hurt, or your getting fatigued in a longer run. During a race its likely youll have to overcome those on your own and a group doesnt provide you with the opportunity to learn that.
So should you join a group, for me the answer is clear, if there is one available then absolutely, but you should also still do some of your running on your own... get the best of both worlds.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
New Shoes: Track spikes
Ive been tossing around the idea of getting myself a pair of track spikes for a few months now, but i could never justify the cost considering i havent really done too much on the track in the past. But last weekend i was at an outlet store for runners point looking for a new pair of road trainers when i saw on the wall a selection of track spikes all heavily reduced. there were two variety of sprint spikes, and some allrounders.... and as fate would have it a pair in my size.... so one thing lead to another and im now the proud owner of a pair of track spikes.
My spikes are asics speedstar's they are an allround spike, style wise they are very subdued, nothing racy like the saucony sprint shoes that my son thought were better looking....Id probably agree, but i hardly need sprint shoes. 
Its really to early to provide any sort of feed back on them, Inserting the spikes was a piece of cake with the tool provided. Ive only taken them out once so far and that was only for a couple of quick 400m repeats with 400m recoveries in between. My initial impression so far is positive, they are a little narrower in the toe box than any of my road shoes, but no serious pinching cramping, or hotspots showed up on the first outing.
I was listening to the latest episode (75) of MarathonTalk with an interview of Matt Dixon, the guy that helped Ryan Hall to his outstanding recent results, he recomended an interesting Marathon specific workout that will match my situation and my new spikes really well. After a regular run head to the track and do 15,20,25, or even 30 x 400m repeats just under your marathon pace with 30s recoveries between them... This would work in really well with my group runs as they are probably not really providing enough training presure for me anymore. Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Easing Back into Things.
So a while back i injured myself playing silly buggers with the kids. It saw me sit out close to two weeks of training, and i was certain i was going to miss a goal race. But it managed to come right in time to get a little training in and then as if by magic i managed to pull a monster result out of the hat. I think my conservative approach to the recovery is what has helped me achieve what i did and has also helped me avoid any relapse.
Aside from two 5k races I took it pretty easy for the first 3 weeks back running, only doing short runs, mixing up the intensity a little to see how it felt, but not pushing the distance at all. I had a couple of runs where i did feel the heel starting to ache a little but nothing that lingered. The week before last i started training a bit more regularly and ramped up 75km. Last week I increased again and broke the 100km mark for the first time in 6 weeks. This week ill increase the distance again, Im re-introducing my semi regular morning recovery jog, Its been something ive really been missing even if i have been enjoying my mornign sleep ins.
It will probably still take me another 3-4 weeks to work up to my planned full marathon training program, and Ill need to do a step down week soon to make sure Im getting enough rest and recovery.
I have chosen the interim races that ill be using during my training to judge progress and make pace decisions on, two half marathons, both will likely be a little hotter than actual race day, they are both kind of small, but thats ok, if im lucky who knows i may even have a chance of a good age class placing.
I have a couple of Plan B marathons in October that i can fall back on if the weather is not conducive to running a fast time for Munster. Early september can still be very warm, on the day if it looks too hot ill run it as a long trainign run and hope for beter conditions in October.
I got a new pair of race day shoes all ready to break in in preparation for Munster, and have put my Vienna shoes into my regualar rotation and dropped the very first pair of shoes i had out... it was about time, they had close to 1400km on them, and wernt really comfortable anymore.
It will probably still take me another 3-4 weeks to work up to my planned full marathon training program, and Ill need to do a step down week soon to make sure Im getting enough rest and recovery.
I have chosen the interim races that ill be using during my training to judge progress and make pace decisions on, two half marathons, both will likely be a little hotter than actual race day, they are both kind of small, but thats ok, if im lucky who knows i may even have a chance of a good age class placing.
I have a couple of Plan B marathons in October that i can fall back on if the weather is not conducive to running a fast time for Munster. Early september can still be very warm, on the day if it looks too hot ill run it as a long trainign run and hope for beter conditions in October.
I got a new pair of race day shoes all ready to break in in preparation for Munster, and have put my Vienna shoes into my regualar rotation and dropped the very first pair of shoes i had out... it was about time, they had close to 1400km on them, and wernt really comfortable anymore.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Im Recovering from an Injury
Well it seems that if your a runner then you will also be recovering from an injury at some point. The last 2 weeks have shown me that im no exception to this rule.
So whats up with me?
I have an inflammed Achilles Tendon... seems my achilles heel is my achilles (sorry couldnt resist).
2 weeks ago i did a barefoot run for the first time partly on non natural surfaces, as a result i had some blistering on my toes, but other than that my feet felt fine, no soreness, no tightness, just the blisters. So that night i decided to skip my normal run and do some drills with My kids, then talk them through some speed workouts. I dont know what did it, but i think perhapes i was sitting my foot down differently because of the blisters, but within an hour and a half of finishing the session with the kids, my heel was feeling a little bit sore.
The next day i woke up to a heel that was so sore that i was forced to limp, and be carefull not to flex my foot at the ankle at all. I realised it was a lot more serious than i had imagined the night before.
I immediately started a recovery program, icing several times each day, I stayed off it as much as possible, and kept the foot elevated as much as a desk job allows. At the time i was hoping a couple of days would see me right and id be able to run again pretty soon.
However 2 days later i was still hobbling along, there was no ache just pain when i flexed at the ankle... stretching the achilles. So then i started taking Ibuprofen, and kept on icing... Over the next few days things slowly started getting better, my walk improved from a hobble to a limp. But there was still soreness when i flexed too far.
After about 8 days i felt like it was probably good enough to consider running on, but following some excellent advice I decided to give it an extra day or two after i felt it was ok to run on again. My first run was a slow 6k, 11 days after getting the injury. The run was ok, the heel felt tight, and ached a little after the run. And of course the legs were a bit stiff after almost 2 weeks siting out. I decided to rest a couple more days, then join my runninng buddies for a slow group run. The heel held up good that time, and there was no soreness afterwards.
So this week im easing back into my training. Its quite challenging for me personally not to go out too far or too fast.
the injury has put an end to my goal of attempting a sub 20 min 5k, I havent been able to do any of the tempo work that id been planing for, and rather than risk agravating the injury further ill just keep things easy for the next few weeks, and then start looking at ramping up into my fall Marathon training.
So whats up with me?
I have an inflammed Achilles Tendon... seems my achilles heel is my achilles (sorry couldnt resist).
2 weeks ago i did a barefoot run for the first time partly on non natural surfaces, as a result i had some blistering on my toes, but other than that my feet felt fine, no soreness, no tightness, just the blisters. So that night i decided to skip my normal run and do some drills with My kids, then talk them through some speed workouts. I dont know what did it, but i think perhapes i was sitting my foot down differently because of the blisters, but within an hour and a half of finishing the session with the kids, my heel was feeling a little bit sore.
The next day i woke up to a heel that was so sore that i was forced to limp, and be carefull not to flex my foot at the ankle at all. I realised it was a lot more serious than i had imagined the night before.
I immediately started a recovery program, icing several times each day, I stayed off it as much as possible, and kept the foot elevated as much as a desk job allows. At the time i was hoping a couple of days would see me right and id be able to run again pretty soon.
However 2 days later i was still hobbling along, there was no ache just pain when i flexed at the ankle... stretching the achilles. So then i started taking Ibuprofen, and kept on icing... Over the next few days things slowly started getting better, my walk improved from a hobble to a limp. But there was still soreness when i flexed too far.
After about 8 days i felt like it was probably good enough to consider running on, but following some excellent advice I decided to give it an extra day or two after i felt it was ok to run on again. My first run was a slow 6k, 11 days after getting the injury. The run was ok, the heel felt tight, and ached a little after the run. And of course the legs were a bit stiff after almost 2 weeks siting out. I decided to rest a couple more days, then join my runninng buddies for a slow group run. The heel held up good that time, and there was no soreness afterwards.
So this week im easing back into my training. Its quite challenging for me personally not to go out too far or too fast.
the injury has put an end to my goal of attempting a sub 20 min 5k, I havent been able to do any of the tempo work that id been planing for, and rather than risk agravating the injury further ill just keep things easy for the next few weeks, and then start looking at ramping up into my fall Marathon training.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Shoe Rotation, What? Why?, and How?
Shoe Rotation means having 2 or more pairs of running shoes that you switch or rotate between for your training.
So why do we do it? well first off not all shoes are created equal. There are shoes that are primarily designed for running fast or short races in, others that have more cushioning for longer runs, there are trail shoes and track shoes, bassically theres a shoe for every occasion. So unsurprisingly our shoe rack slowly fills with a variety of different shoes.
But there are still plenty of us that have multiple pairs of the same sort of shoe, whats up with that?
The most commonly cited reason is shoe life expectancy. The theory goes that the foam that makes up the mid sole of your shoes slowly degrades or gets compressed over time as the shoe gathers miles. However if you can give the shoe a longer break between usage then the midsole has a chance to relaxe or decompress a little, thus reducing the wear and extending its life. For someone that might run in excess of a shoes recomended life expectancy in a period of 2 months the thought of getting a little extra out of a pair of shoes is quite enticing. There are however dissenters that say that rotation doesnt improve midsole life expectancy, that a shoe wont decompress if you give it some extra time between usage.
There is a second commonly cited theory, that rotating between different pairs of shoes from different manufacturers/lines can help to strengthen your feet because each shoe sits just a little differently and works the muscle group a little differently, that it can reduce your risk of repetitive motion injuries. As with the decompression theory above this also has dissenters, saying that this may infact increase your risk of injury.
Even if you dont believe that, there are still other advantages, if your shoes get wet, dirty or just need to dry out from sweaty feet then having a second pair means you have a nice dry pair ready to put on the next time you want to run, and the wet pair can be left to dry naturally. The drying out properly also helps in avoiding the bacterial bloom that a constantly damp pair of shoes can expect.
Having a newer pair and an older pair allows you to switch between a shoe that is near end of life and one that has most of its life before it. you can recover from the older one in the newer, and the older one will help harden you up a little.
Another great point about having shoes from multiple manufactureres or lines, is that you dont become to strongly attached to a specific shoe, because you can bet the house on the fact that at some point the manufacturer will be making a change to it that you'll not like.
Finally lets also not forget the aesthetic element, what better way to impress those otherwise hard to impress running partners but with a whole plethora of different shoes... perhapes colour co-ordinated with your running clothes...
OK, maybe with that last one im starting to skate on thin ice, but for me at least the evidence seems to point in favour of rotating through several pairs of shoes.
So If your going to start rotating shoes here are some tips to keep in mind.
Im have a low millage pair of Nike Skylon 11's that are for races upto 10k and for sprint or interval training.
I have a low millage pair of Brooks Ghost 2's that are for longer races.
I have a two pairs of brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's, one with mid miles and one high millage that i only use on my short morning recovery runs now...they are almost ready for retirement now.
I have another pair of GTS 9's that are mid millage that i use in rotation with the mid millage GTS 10's during my regular weekly training.
So its currentl 5 pairs, and Im not really following the guidlines above as im still pretty heavily invested in the brooks GTS line... a carry over from back when i didnt know about shoe rotation.
So what will i be introducing next? probably something lighter and with a lower heel drop. Maybe something from the Saucony line.
BTW, Heres a small selection of online resources i stummbled across while putting this together.
rotating your shoes @ run to win.com
Rotating running shoes @ hillrunner.com
sneaker rotation @ soletheory
shoe rotation @ Ironman 101
two-fers by the shoeguy @ running times
multiple forum threads at runners world.
So why do we do it? well first off not all shoes are created equal. There are shoes that are primarily designed for running fast or short races in, others that have more cushioning for longer runs, there are trail shoes and track shoes, bassically theres a shoe for every occasion. So unsurprisingly our shoe rack slowly fills with a variety of different shoes.
But there are still plenty of us that have multiple pairs of the same sort of shoe, whats up with that?
The most commonly cited reason is shoe life expectancy. The theory goes that the foam that makes up the mid sole of your shoes slowly degrades or gets compressed over time as the shoe gathers miles. However if you can give the shoe a longer break between usage then the midsole has a chance to relaxe or decompress a little, thus reducing the wear and extending its life. For someone that might run in excess of a shoes recomended life expectancy in a period of 2 months the thought of getting a little extra out of a pair of shoes is quite enticing. There are however dissenters that say that rotation doesnt improve midsole life expectancy, that a shoe wont decompress if you give it some extra time between usage.
There is a second commonly cited theory, that rotating between different pairs of shoes from different manufacturers/lines can help to strengthen your feet because each shoe sits just a little differently and works the muscle group a little differently, that it can reduce your risk of repetitive motion injuries. As with the decompression theory above this also has dissenters, saying that this may infact increase your risk of injury.
Even if you dont believe that, there are still other advantages, if your shoes get wet, dirty or just need to dry out from sweaty feet then having a second pair means you have a nice dry pair ready to put on the next time you want to run, and the wet pair can be left to dry naturally. The drying out properly also helps in avoiding the bacterial bloom that a constantly damp pair of shoes can expect.
Having a newer pair and an older pair allows you to switch between a shoe that is near end of life and one that has most of its life before it. you can recover from the older one in the newer, and the older one will help harden you up a little.
Another great point about having shoes from multiple manufactureres or lines, is that you dont become to strongly attached to a specific shoe, because you can bet the house on the fact that at some point the manufacturer will be making a change to it that you'll not like.
Finally lets also not forget the aesthetic element, what better way to impress those otherwise hard to impress running partners but with a whole plethora of different shoes... perhapes colour co-ordinated with your running clothes...
OK, maybe with that last one im starting to skate on thin ice, but for me at least the evidence seems to point in favour of rotating through several pairs of shoes.
So If your going to start rotating shoes here are some tips to keep in mind.
- Rotate through shoes that have differnt milage on them, stager the shoes and introduce a new pair as the highest millage pair wears out.
- Use the lower millage pair for races and longer runs if appropriate.
- If you find multiple brands that sit well then consider introducing them into your rotation.
- Track the millage on your shoes so you know how long theyve got left, and which shoe you wore for which run.
- Consider purchasing shoes in multiple colours (not only does this increase your fashion quotient, it also makes it easier to track which shoe is which)
Im have a low millage pair of Nike Skylon 11's that are for races upto 10k and for sprint or interval training.
I have a low millage pair of Brooks Ghost 2's that are for longer races.
I have a two pairs of brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's, one with mid miles and one high millage that i only use on my short morning recovery runs now...they are almost ready for retirement now.
I have another pair of GTS 9's that are mid millage that i use in rotation with the mid millage GTS 10's during my regular weekly training.
So its currentl 5 pairs, and Im not really following the guidlines above as im still pretty heavily invested in the brooks GTS line... a carry over from back when i didnt know about shoe rotation.
So what will i be introducing next? probably something lighter and with a lower heel drop. Maybe something from the Saucony line.
BTW, Heres a small selection of online resources i stummbled across while putting this together.
rotating your shoes @ run to win.com
Rotating running shoes @ hillrunner.com
sneaker rotation @ soletheory
shoe rotation @ Ironman 101
two-fers by the shoeguy @ running times
multiple forum threads at runners world.
Friday, 29 April 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Tapering for Vienna
My first Marathon in Vienna is now just under 2 weeks away, which means Im already over a week into my taper, and luckily taper madness hasnt as yet set in.
My weekly millage over the last few weeks has been
5 weeks to race = 145Km/wk (+ 35Km recovery jogging)
4 weeks to race = 120Km/wk (+ 23Km recovery jogging)
3 weeks to race = 81Km/wk
So As you can see in the first week of taper ive really dialed back the millage, reducing back to about 65% of my previous weeks training volume. I dont consider the recovery jogs as part of my training volume. I have cut them out completely, partly to reduce the extra millage and partly because the change to summer time has meant that id have to start them in the dark at the moment anyway.
I am particular proud that i resisted the urge to enter a handy half marathon race that was available in the next village last weekend. I realise that i could have used it as a catered medium-long run, but I wasnt entirely certain that id be able to keep myself in check and really hold back on the pace and avoid 'racing' it.
Ive been finding it quite difficult not to push my training runs too hard now as well, I attribute this to being better rested, than during regular training. I also feel as though my Aerobic condition has also continued to improve from where it was mid march, which means that a lot of my Marathon pace running now see's me running with a heart rate that has been my regular training zone over the last few months.
Ive also noticed in my last run that my legs felt quite sore for the first 5-6 km, Ive also been getting 'phantom pains' during the day, my research tells me that this is all normal, and to be expected during a taper, its a sign that my body is repairing the damage inflicted from the long strenuos period of training that ive got behind me.
My Weight at the start of my taper hit 81Kg, which incedentally was the weight id sort of picked as a desired race weight back in February. I doubt that ill be able to hold that during the taper, especially as from what ive read that as the glycogen reservours fill up your body also starts to store the additional water that will be required during the burning of it.
I do have to admit that Ive also given in to the odd craving, and over indulged a few times. last night it was plum crumble, i had seconds...and then thirds. But otherwise i have been eating fairly regularly, I did increase my protein intake a little and have reduced the overall number of carbs im eating on a daily basis. Im also eating lots of fruit and veg to ensure that im covering my nutrient needs, In the final week the plan is to scale that back as I increase the % of calories from carbs.
My weekly millage over the last few weeks has been
5 weeks to race = 145Km/wk (+ 35Km recovery jogging)
4 weeks to race = 120Km/wk (+ 23Km recovery jogging)
3 weeks to race = 81Km/wk
So As you can see in the first week of taper ive really dialed back the millage, reducing back to about 65% of my previous weeks training volume. I dont consider the recovery jogs as part of my training volume. I have cut them out completely, partly to reduce the extra millage and partly because the change to summer time has meant that id have to start them in the dark at the moment anyway.
I am particular proud that i resisted the urge to enter a handy half marathon race that was available in the next village last weekend. I realise that i could have used it as a catered medium-long run, but I wasnt entirely certain that id be able to keep myself in check and really hold back on the pace and avoid 'racing' it.
Ive been finding it quite difficult not to push my training runs too hard now as well, I attribute this to being better rested, than during regular training. I also feel as though my Aerobic condition has also continued to improve from where it was mid march, which means that a lot of my Marathon pace running now see's me running with a heart rate that has been my regular training zone over the last few months.
Ive also noticed in my last run that my legs felt quite sore for the first 5-6 km, Ive also been getting 'phantom pains' during the day, my research tells me that this is all normal, and to be expected during a taper, its a sign that my body is repairing the damage inflicted from the long strenuos period of training that ive got behind me.
My Weight at the start of my taper hit 81Kg, which incedentally was the weight id sort of picked as a desired race weight back in February. I doubt that ill be able to hold that during the taper, especially as from what ive read that as the glycogen reservours fill up your body also starts to store the additional water that will be required during the burning of it.
I do have to admit that Ive also given in to the odd craving, and over indulged a few times. last night it was plum crumble, i had seconds...and then thirds. But otherwise i have been eating fairly regularly, I did increase my protein intake a little and have reduced the overall number of carbs im eating on a daily basis. Im also eating lots of fruit and veg to ensure that im covering my nutrient needs, In the final week the plan is to scale that back as I increase the % of calories from carbs.
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