Week 3 – Building up the mileage

Week 3 – Building up the mileage.

Sunday - Long Run 36.2km.  2 hours 35 minutes.  Avg 4:17 min km.  Avg 168 BPM.

Monday – Hills 22.2km.  1 hour 45 minutes.  8 x hill reps avg 4:15 laps.  Avg 163 BPM for entire run.

Tuesday – Warm up + Intervals 19km 1 hour 23 minutes. 8 x 3 minutes Avg 3:44 min km pace. Avg 165 for entire run

Wednesday – Long run 27.69km. 2hrs 2 minutes.  Avg 4:25 min km.  Avg 167 BPM

Thursday – Warm up + Intervals 23km 1hr 40 minutes. 6 x 4 minutes avg 3:50 min km pace.  Avg 164 BPM for entire run

Friday – Hills 21.3. 1 hour 48 minutes. 8 x hill reps avg 4:30 laps. Avg 158 BPM.

Total weekly mileage: 148km – 92.5 miles.

Wasn’t sure if I should get out for a long run on Sunday after a relatively heavy previous week, but decided I should in the end.  Perfect conditions for me outside, a perfectly clear day albeit icy morning.   Started the run at sunrise.  I had to walk down a steep hill as it had sheet ice which proved very slippery.  The route was my standard out to the animal park and back, with a tag on at the end.   I was really pleased with the run as it was near sub 3 hour marathon pace after a heavy weeks training and I completed it without any gels or water.  I had 4 wine gums to keep me going for the entire run. I’m looking to keep the long runs going throughout the training plan, hoping my legs get used to running long at speed by the time of London Marathon.

Monday – Standard hill sessions.  Felt fine after the previous long run and set a good time overall for the session and the hill intervals.  Felt strong on the return run back to base.

Tuesday – Standard 8 by 3 minutes.  Warm up went ok and did well relative to the other runners at the interval session.  

Wednesday – Long run.  Same route out and back to the animal park.  Felt ok in the first half but a bit tired in the second half.  Ended up slightly slower in the second half but overall a good time.

Thursday – Standard 6 by 4 minutes.  This was done alone, a miscalculated route meant that my warm up was too long by a few km.  The intervals were done on the Garmin along a single track road, strong wind pushing you along one way which meant a strong wind in your face on the next one back.  Really hard to keep up the pace into the wind with no one to tag on to.    Was an ok session overall, but confirmed to me the reasons why group interval sessions work best.

Friday – Standard hill sessions. Went along with a fellow runner for this session.  Its good to chit chat on the way out and back, it does slow the pace down a bit but it is well worth it for a bit of variety in your running.  Got chased by a small dog in the park which didn’t have a lead on.  Garmin went nuts because its lap database was full and wouldn’t stop beeping at me.  I’m reminded how bad an uphill runner I am by getting dropped 20 to 30 metres on each uphill part, which I make up on the descent.  On the way back we both commented how much better we felt than when we did it last week.

Overall a very good weeks training at the top range of the mileage expectations.   The long run was the highlight delivering a good paced run at a not very high heart rate (for me).