...but running 120+ km weeks certainly seems to do a pretty good job of it.
With the leg tiredness & threatening thigh injury I was talking about last week utmost in my mind, I backed off the intensity on the Friday and Saturday runs. I went into Sunday's long run with a little trepidation about the hot spot in my leg, but otherwise being slightly fresher than the previous two weeks. I also had a piece of toast & golden syrup before starting and a bottle of Pocari Sweat (sports drink) at 25 k. As a result I ended up finishing much stronger and was able to extend the run to three hours, 34.7 km. That brought up 125 km for the week.
I went to an extremely enjoyable BBQ party on Sunday evening, at which I somehow assumed grill duties and spent most of the time tending to briquettes, grilling chicken, lamb chops, blackened fish, lamb fillets and vegetables. And drinking some nice craft beers. In other words, I had a ball! Got to watch some of the Australia vs Fiji WC rugby on Dominic's high-definition telly before leaving too. The clarity of the picture was just unbelievable.
So with a touch of a hangover yesterday and another public holiday on the agenda I refrained from a run in the morning. By 4 pm though I was about to climb the walls, so I talked my two sons into accompanying me on their bicycles and we went for a nice slow and easy recovery run of about 9.5 km in 55 minutes, exploring the roads over to Musashi-koyama, Osaki, and back via Gotanda along the Meguro River (drain).
My run this morning again felt like the limiting factor was leg fatigue. I could still some tenderness in the quads from Sunday and other little yips and yaps, especially in the hamstring region of both legs. So again I didn't try to force the pace and just let it unfold at what felt a firm but manageable pace. Again, this meant that while the pace was quite satisfactory at 4:35/km average for the run, the heart rate was very low at 134 for the run and 148 max (hill-related and very little time was spent above 140-142). So, all this by way of prelude brings me to another extremely timely "ask Mystery Coach" post concerning the Lydiard 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 running efforts. The take-away message from this for me, and what I had been more-or-less gravitating to anyway, was that I do not need to push the pace and chase the 150-155HR. Certainly not on these morning runs when my body just seems to be operating at a lower HR. I also think that I'll make a more concerted effort to back off the distance this week, maybe bite the bullet and take a rest day...maybe...then come back for a couple more seeks of harder conditioning before starting the sharpening phase. I really need to sit down and plan it out.
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7 comments:
You know the old cliche - if you are failing to plan, then you are planning to fail...
And whilst I'm a 2P - I like the 6P rule :-)
Do you think there will be enough time for race specific training if you keep the conditioning going for much longer?
It's a little scary once you've run such long weeks/months it will be hard to come back to low milage. You'll end up like Eagle, at close to 60, running a marathon every other month and costantly running obscene distances with seemly no ill effect. Could be worse.
It's amazing how on many occasions the body adapts, nay, thrives on the punishment one gives it
I'd say these long weeks suit you as much as being behind the grill.
You're really cooking Steve, full steam ahead!
These public holidays are great aren't they, so many of the bloody things. The Japanese really don't fully deserve their reputation for being workaholics, I reckon.
That was a bit wordy from Scott - he must have been excited by the image of blackened fish.
I will not condemn you for having a rest day (cough, splutter). The mention of golden syrup reminds me of Mum's Anzac biscuits.
Sounds like getting the mileage bedded down with 1/4 and 1/2 efforts first is preferable. How long until the marathon?
Yes, Mum's Anzac biscuits are good tucker. I have everything I need to make them here bar some dessicated coconut, which I can probably track down if I try.
Ewen, the marathon is Friday November 23rd. So I'm thinking freshening up this week (though what shape that should take I'm not sure ... easier to just keep running 1/4 & half efforts every day -- failing to plan 2P...I know, I know), two weeks of conditioning with some solid upper aerobic runs. Then speed work for two weeks, then co-ordination + taper for the final three weeks...I'm sure I can improve on this as it is the final phase that I seem to have been getting wrong.
congratulations for another great week! will be hard to follow you in ohtawara...
hm, 8 weeks to go for me, too. final 2 weeks is tapering, but how to spend the rest? you'll definitely make the optimal plan for these. i'll ask you about that ;-)
Still a while to go, although I was starting to think you were aiming to put in 8 weeks of 120/week.
I'm wondering a bit about the final five weeks... the possibility of losing aerobic conditioning with the extended period of lower mileage. Could you leave the 'speedwork' for the first part (10 days) of the final three weeks? A question for Mystery Coach perhaps.
By the way, my Mum's are the best!
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