The week gone has been a good week for mileage - plenty of steady running and a few long ones to prepare me for the Marathon on May 6th. One element of the training I have been lacking in is the tempo type effort at race pace.
I decided tonight to put that right and despite having yesterdays 18 miler in the legs still I decided that I needed a boost and put on my racers for a bit of a boost ! It worked a treat as I was able to smash out nearly six miles at a shade under my marathon pace of 6 minutes and 6 seconds. A great boost to the training as I build mileage but so far have not been close to marathon pace on my long runs which have been more like marathon pace plus 10%.
My original aim for the marathon on May 6th was to look towards a sub 2-40 time. After my ankle injury I revised my thinking to a sub 2-45 which would be a pb by over three minutes....that run tonight got me thinking though.............
Well done to Lewis Moses of New Marske Harriers who today picked up a National Title at the UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield and now stands a good chance of going to the World Championships in Istanbul.
I am looking forward to my training week this week and hope to get close to 75 miles in the bag.
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Crash Crash Crash!
Thankfully not me this time but two of the worlds greatest athletes of the moment have crashed this week.
Mo Farah crashed in a mile race in an indoor mile race in Boston but unfazed he went onto record a personal indoor best of 3.57.92 finishing fourth in the race which I am sure he expected to win...however a personal best is a personal best and I am sure he will pick himself up (literally!) and go onto bigger and better things in 2012!
http://www.nbindoorgrandprix.com/news/98/60/Action-was-fast-high-and-dramatic-at-2012-New-Balance-Indoor-Grand-Prix/
The second big "crasher" of the week was Mark Cavendish who crashed out in the Tour of Qatar cycle race. I loved his matter of factness in the interview - his helmet had disintegrated, he had scraped his head along the tarmac resulting in a bit of a bad neck which might need some treatment oh and not forgetting half of his skin from his elbow and shoulder left on the tarmac...usual cycle injury stuff he said with a smile! Wow that guy is one tough cookie!
Check it out here... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/feb/10/mark-cavendish-crash-tour-qatar
I would like to think I have found some toughness this week with a decent week of 73 miles which included long runs of 11 miles, 14 miles and today an 18 miler.
My run today was a pre 7am start and the first mile easy jog soon turned into a decent effort where I ran the 18 miles at an average of 6 mins 44 per mile. Very happy with that but once again happy with the negative split with the first 9 miles covered in 62.04 minutes and the second 9 miles covered in 59.11. Those who train with me regularly know I bang on a bit about negative splitting but it is important to finish a long run positively - I am sure there were a few miles left in the legs this morning as I felt strong but with 12 weeks until marathon day there is plenty of time to go!
Next race I think for me will be Thirsk 10 on the 25th March hopefully in my new "New Marske Harriers" vest as long as UKA are lenient in my "ban" for changing clubs.
A great performance from New Marske Harriers Andy Wiles in Armagh this week clocking a cracking 14.11 for 5km which is a New Marske Harriers club record....testament to the hard work that he puts in I am sure. Check out the results and a link to a pre race interview he blogged.
http://new-marske-harriers.co.uk/index.php/en/
Onwards and Upwards !
Mo Farah crashed in a mile race in an indoor mile race in Boston but unfazed he went onto record a personal indoor best of 3.57.92 finishing fourth in the race which I am sure he expected to win...however a personal best is a personal best and I am sure he will pick himself up (literally!) and go onto bigger and better things in 2012!
http://www.nbindoorgrandprix.com/news/98/60/Action-was-fast-high-and-dramatic-at-2012-New-Balance-Indoor-Grand-Prix/
The second big "crasher" of the week was Mark Cavendish who crashed out in the Tour of Qatar cycle race. I loved his matter of factness in the interview - his helmet had disintegrated, he had scraped his head along the tarmac resulting in a bit of a bad neck which might need some treatment oh and not forgetting half of his skin from his elbow and shoulder left on the tarmac...usual cycle injury stuff he said with a smile! Wow that guy is one tough cookie!
Check it out here... http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/feb/10/mark-cavendish-crash-tour-qatar
 |
| Ouch! |
I would like to think I have found some toughness this week with a decent week of 73 miles which included long runs of 11 miles, 14 miles and today an 18 miler.
My run today was a pre 7am start and the first mile easy jog soon turned into a decent effort where I ran the 18 miles at an average of 6 mins 44 per mile. Very happy with that but once again happy with the negative split with the first 9 miles covered in 62.04 minutes and the second 9 miles covered in 59.11. Those who train with me regularly know I bang on a bit about negative splitting but it is important to finish a long run positively - I am sure there were a few miles left in the legs this morning as I felt strong but with 12 weeks until marathon day there is plenty of time to go!
Next race I think for me will be Thirsk 10 on the 25th March hopefully in my new "New Marske Harriers" vest as long as UKA are lenient in my "ban" for changing clubs.
A great performance from New Marske Harriers Andy Wiles in Armagh this week clocking a cracking 14.11 for 5km which is a New Marske Harriers club record....testament to the hard work that he puts in I am sure. Check out the results and a link to a pre race interview he blogged.
http://new-marske-harriers.co.uk/index.php/en/
Onwards and Upwards !
Monday, 6 February 2012
Guess what race I'm doing!
Aa went to Blaydon Races,
'Twas on the ninth of June,
Eighteen hundred and sixty two
on a summer's afternoon,
Aa tyuk the bus fra Balm-bra's and she was heavy laden,
Away we went along Collingwood Street
that's on the road to Blaydon.
CHORUS:-
Oh! me lads, ye shud a'seen us gannin,
Passin the folks upon the road
Just as they were stannin.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there
All wi smiling faces Gannin' along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Armstrong's factory
And up to Robin Adair
Just gannin' doon to the railway bridge
The bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines
And the veils that hid their faces.
I got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin' to Blaydon Races.
CHORUS
When we got the wheel put on
Away we went again,
But them that had their noses broke
They went back home again.
Some went to the dispensary
And some to Doctor Gibbs'
And some to the Infirmary
To mend their broken ribs.
CHORUS
Noo when we got to Paradise
There was a bonny game begun There was four and twenty on the bus
Man, how they danced and sung.
They called on me to sing a song
I sung them Paddy Fagan,
I danced a jig and swung me twig
The day we went to Blaydon.
CHORUS
We flew across the Chain Bridge
Reet into Blaydon toon.
The bellman he was caaling there,
They caal him Jacky Broon.
I saw him talking to some chaps
And them he was persuading
To see George Ridley's concert at
the Mechanics Hall at Blaydon.
CHORUS
The rain it poured all day
And made the ground quite muddy
Coffy John had a white hat on
They were shootin "Who stole the cuddy"
There were spice stalls and monkey
shows,
And the old wives selling ciders,
And a chap wi a Happenny Roondaboot
Shootin "Noo me lads for riders".
CHORUS
'Twas on the ninth of June,
Eighteen hundred and sixty two
on a summer's afternoon,
Aa tyuk the bus fra Balm-bra's and she was heavy laden,
Away we went along Collingwood Street
that's on the road to Blaydon.
CHORUS:-
Oh! me lads, ye shud a'seen us gannin,
Passin the folks upon the road
Just as they were stannin.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there
All wi smiling faces Gannin' along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Armstrong's factory
And up to Robin Adair
Just gannin' doon to the railway bridge
The bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines
And the veils that hid their faces.
I got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin' to Blaydon Races.
CHORUS
When we got the wheel put on
Away we went again,
But them that had their noses broke
They went back home again.
Some went to the dispensary
And some to Doctor Gibbs'
And some to the Infirmary
To mend their broken ribs.
CHORUS
Noo when we got to Paradise
There was a bonny game begun There was four and twenty on the bus
Man, how they danced and sung.
They called on me to sing a song
I sung them Paddy Fagan,
I danced a jig and swung me twig
The day we went to Blaydon.
CHORUS
We flew across the Chain Bridge
Reet into Blaydon toon.
The bellman he was caaling there,
They caal him Jacky Broon.
I saw him talking to some chaps
And them he was persuading
To see George Ridley's concert at
the Mechanics Hall at Blaydon.
CHORUS
The rain it poured all day
And made the ground quite muddy
Coffy John had a white hat on
They were shootin "Who stole the cuddy"
There were spice stalls and monkey
shows,
And the old wives selling ciders,
And a chap wi a Happenny Roondaboot
Shootin "Noo me lads for riders".
CHORUS
Sunday, 5 February 2012
A perfect week?
After my christmas mishap and weeks of rehab this past week has almost been the pefect week! 63 miles, some decent long runs of 11 miles, 10 miles and 17 miles plus a great track session of 10 x 800m off a short recovery! I say almost perfect because there is still that little niggly feeling of the ankle not being quite 100% - it may be a confidence thing or just that little bit of stiffness around the ankle as I start a run. My session of 800's this week on a freezing cold night on the track was a massive step forward for me with an average of 2-41 for the set. This set was a good indicator for me for my forthcoming marathon and although not quite a Yasso's 800 it was close enough for me to get some confidence from it given that I "negative split" the set with a faster second half. For it to be true Yasso 800 set I would have done a 1:1 jog recovery between 800's but I opted for 90 second rest recovery instead. Read up on Yasso here...
http://www.bartyasso.com/800s
I was particularly pleased with the set of 10 as it would have been easy to "ease off" but as the ankle felt good I pushed on to the full set and was left with that "job done" feeling!
Today was my longest run for some time with 17.25 miles completed in just over 2 hours. Now I feel like my marathon training has started. It is 13 weeks tomorrow to the Marathon of the North so plenty of time to up the miles on my long run and get a bit closer to marathon pace. Given that it is snowing outside at the moment which could make a long run a bit more tricky I was pleased with my choice of long run today.
There are still a few aches and pains associated with the ankle and I have got hold of a hi tech device that is easing a bit of plantar fasciitis that I am putting down to my left calf being slightly tight still following the ankle strain. The relief that this thing gives is out of this world and I would recommend it to anyone suffering from PF! For a bit more info on PF see Gary Dunns excellent blog...
The Plantar Fasciitis Relief implement of choice!
http://www.bartyasso.com/800s
I was particularly pleased with the set of 10 as it would have been easy to "ease off" but as the ankle felt good I pushed on to the full set and was left with that "job done" feeling!
Today was my longest run for some time with 17.25 miles completed in just over 2 hours. Now I feel like my marathon training has started. It is 13 weeks tomorrow to the Marathon of the North so plenty of time to up the miles on my long run and get a bit closer to marathon pace. Given that it is snowing outside at the moment which could make a long run a bit more tricky I was pleased with my choice of long run today.
There are still a few aches and pains associated with the ankle and I have got hold of a hi tech device that is easing a bit of plantar fasciitis that I am putting down to my left calf being slightly tight still following the ankle strain. The relief that this thing gives is out of this world and I would recommend it to anyone suffering from PF! For a bit more info on PF see Gary Dunns excellent blog...
The Plantar Fasciitis Relief implement of choice! Saturday, 28 January 2012
A run with the greatest!
Today was the end of a great week as far as my comeback goes. 50 miles in the bag thanks to a 14 miler today which officially kick starts my marathon training in 2012. 1 hour 38 minutes and an average of just over 7 minute miling. It all started last Sunday with my successful easy run around the woods which confirmed my ankle sprain is almost recovered. I also completed an hours run on Wednesday night on the road and a 10 x 400m session on the track on Thursday which was the first bit of speed of the year. Times were not spectacular with most hovering about 80 seconds but it was a good start.
Todays long run was made easier by listening to the fantastic Marathon Talk podcast which I have followed weekly since the first episode. In 2011 there were some fab interviews including the great Steve Jones (2.07 Marathon runner), Paula Radcliffe, Liz Yelling and Scott Overall. This week was a real coup for the guys as they interviewed probably the greatest runner of all time Haile Gebrselassie. He talks about his rivalry with the kenyans, tells people to respect the marathon distance and how he cannot run from his house in the daytime as he gets mobbed by fans! Fantastic stuff - a training run with the greatest chatting away to me - that makes the miles tick along easier! For my next long run I am going to listen to the Steve Jones interview again - a true hardman of marathon running! If you have never checked out marathon talk then you should!
http://www.marathontalk.com/
Todays long run was made easier by listening to the fantastic Marathon Talk podcast which I have followed weekly since the first episode. In 2011 there were some fab interviews including the great Steve Jones (2.07 Marathon runner), Paula Radcliffe, Liz Yelling and Scott Overall. This week was a real coup for the guys as they interviewed probably the greatest runner of all time Haile Gebrselassie. He talks about his rivalry with the kenyans, tells people to respect the marathon distance and how he cannot run from his house in the daytime as he gets mobbed by fans! Fantastic stuff - a training run with the greatest chatting away to me - that makes the miles tick along easier! For my next long run I am going to listen to the Steve Jones interview again - a true hardman of marathon running! If you have never checked out marathon talk then you should!
http://www.marathontalk.com/
 |
| Thanks for keeping me company Haile! |
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