Week 6 - Peaking too soon ?

Sunday  - Long Run  39.23km 2:47:23. Avg 4:16 km pace. Avg 170BPM
Monday – Hills 22km. 22.00km. 1:45:00  Avg 4:30 Hill Laps. Avg 157BPM
Tuesday – Medium Run 27.62km. 1:58:33. Avg 4:18 km pace. Avg 167BPM
Wed – Tempo Run. 21.20km. 1:27:33. Avg 4:08 km pace. Avg 169 BPM
Thursday – Warm up + Pyramid Intervals.20.7km. 1:34:00.  Intervals avg 3:40 km pace. NO HRM
Friday – Hills 21.94KM. 1:43:09. Avg 4:27 Hill Laps. No HRM

Overall mileage (including warm-ups etc) = 154.21KM, 95.8 miles.

Sunday – A Good long run at Marathon Pace.  This takes in my usual route out to the animal park and then back to the village.  I tagged on a bit more than the previous long run and had to tag on a killer hill in the last KM.  Overall pace was consistent throughout the run.  If I can maintain this type of hilly long run throughout the training then I think I will be in good shape for London.

Monday – Hills.  Went out with my fellow runner and we have a good chit chat out and back.  I blast the last hill rep in 3:42 which is a record for me.  Chatting on the way out and back brings the heart rate down and balances out the run.

Tuesday – Medium run.  This is my usual route out to animal park and back.  I believe this is the fastest I have ever done this route in, but still slower than the long run at the weekend.  This was quite a comfortable run with the fatigue from the last few days preventing a faster time and a negative split.

Wednesday – Tempo run.  Its generally accepted that in a race you can go faster than in training, due to a combination of taper, competitiveness, pacing, course with no bends traffic etc.  My personal best for a half marathon is 1:21.  Doing a half marathon in training its really hard work to get under 1:30, I don’t think the problem is unique to me.  I was speaking about this to a fellow runner of comparable ability and we decided to mimick a half marathon with the two of us.  So we set out to run a half marathon sub 1:30 with the intention of taking turns at the front.  The first half of the run we average about 4:10 km and take turns at pacing.  Its very strange running that fast, because without doubt I am capable of running a sub 1:30 half marathon but doing it in training doesn’t feel right.  The second half we turn back into the wind, I have to dig in to hold the pace at 4:10km along the twists and turns and traffic.  Overall the slightly longer than half Marathon was averaged at 4:08, which isn’t that much faster than the long run.  However it was windy with Tired legs, so overall a very good session.

Thursday – Intervals.  The warmup went well and felt I was pushing the pace at low intensity.  Arrive at the beginning of the intervals feeling a little jaded.  The pyramid session is:

4 minutes on – 2 minutes rest
3 minutes on – 1:30 rest
2 minutes on – 1 rest
1 minute on – 0:30 rest
1 minute on – 0:30 rest
2 minutes on – 1 rest
3 minutes on – 1:30 rest
4 minutes on – 2 minutes rest.
I stay in the group on the first interval to let my legs get up to speed, then lead out the next few. After the first 2 minute session it gets intense.  In the next 5 minutes you do 4 minutes of running, most of it at very fast pace.  A beginners error is to nail the 1 minute interval, if you do that you will suffer all the way back.   We turn after the 1st minute into the wind and head back.  The group splits in two with the me and another runner in marathon training pull away.  This is where the strength and endurance comes in.  We do a fast 3 minute interval and then I push the pace on the last 4 minute one.  We are both back to the start first.  I like pyramid sessions because although its hard work its rewarding.    The group forms back up again and we have a good chit chat on the way back to the meeting point.

Friday – Hills.  On my own today so the overall session is a bit faster than Monday due to pacing a bit faster on the way out and back.  Wind is terrible today, luckily I have it on my back on the way back.  Started to feel like my legs had done 90 miles this week on the way back.   I realise on the way back that this session is going to be about 8 minutes slower than the same session a week before.  I understand that this is due to fatigue and the wind, also rationalise it by saying that this time last year it would have been a pb for me.  You can’t be on fire at every session, but its still important to be out every session.

Overall a very good weeks training.  I’m in great shape at the moment and could probably match any one of my personal bests.  The downside is that the big race is two months away and I need to maintain that fitness for that period.  Something has also come up at home which means that I won’t be able to run as much as I have been in the last few weeks, so extra focus will be required and flexibility needed (maybe even runs in the dark – hope not though).

I also get the feeling that I have plateued and that if I continue doing this I won’t get any better.  Which led me to seriously think about the contents of this blog:  Tempo Run .  I believe that Ben is the fastest UK Marathon Blogger, so I’m keen to see the secrets of his success.   Following that blog I have concluded that my tempo runs are not fast enough, my half Marathon pace is 3:50 which would indicate that I should be tempoing at 3:50 – 4:00 minute pace.  I’m about 10 seconds off that at the moment.  So its my intention for the rest of the training period to do at least once a week a tempo run at an average of sub 4 minute pace of between 4 and 12 miles. 

Also it feels like a good time to review what I said at the outset of the training and how I have performed against them.

Be a little more structured in my planning.  Rather than seeing what session can be achieved in the time remaining in the day, plan the day around the training.

Partially met – At the beginning of the week I have an idea what I need to do and try to slot the sessions in as time permits.  Needs further improvement in the flexibility of when I can run.

Focus on longer faster tempo runs, the second half must be faster than the second. Before reading Bens blog I would say that I have done well on this one.  However now I think I need to do more. 

Have a purpose for each run and be realistic about what is achievable.  I start each run with the intention of feeling like I could run a PB during it, even after a hard run the previous day.

Met this objective – I’ve moved away from focussing on mileage to quality of sessions. 

Long run must be prepared for.  Saturday night kit must be laid out, garmin charged, hydration and nutrition sorted.  Long run must start at sunrise or sooner.

Met this objective 

Make use of the Saturday morning park runs as a benchmark for speed. 
Failed miserably – MUST TRY HARDER 

Running with no water and nutrition should be the default for the early weeks of training. 
Met this objective and been really pleased about it.  My body (and probably everyone’s) is capable of running a marathon without gels and water (when its cold)

Don't get injured 
One trip to accident and emergency aside, I’ve been ok.

Would joining the club be a positive or negative thing ? 
Running clubs are good for runners no doubt.  However for me at the moment, my home life and my training plans they are not suitable.

Should I use the free gels provided on course or bring my own ? 
Bring my own – probably 4 attached to my arm for miles 14, 19, 23, 25?.  Use the free ones for emergencies

How much advanced training planning is beneficial ?
I think training plans are great for some people.  I don’t think they are great for me.   I think the closest I could get is hiring a coach to do training, but I am not that committed or good enough for that.

What is the right Marathon weight  ? 
For me 68kg.   That’s my target for race day.

Am I suited to flat Marathons ? 
I hope so, the training done so far seems to indicate that I’m a bad up hill runner.  I’m a bit heavier than competitors too, so I think a flat marathon would play to my strengths.

New Questions:

What should be my race pace / tactics ?

--> This needs to be decided based on the rest of the training and the few races I am planning.

How to be prepared for a potential hot race ?

What will the taper be?