You'd think that with less running I'd have more time to put together a blog post but sadly that's not been the case! I started easing down at the start of the September and my last 2 weeks have been 84 and 75 miles. This week is super easy and I'm on a diet of low singles until Sunday so the week will come out about 30 miles with the race on top.
A couple of Sundays ago I ran a half marathon where the aim was to run it at marathon HR. The first 10 miles were pretty solid and I went through in about 51:35. The last 5km is a bit harder as there's a long drag uphill and a few small hills (and a little bit of wind) so I had to up the effort a little as I wanted to stay under 68 minutes. End result was a pretty comfortable 67:48 and my HR was hovering right around what I wanted. I also broke my course record from last year by over a minute so a nice little £50 bonus there.
As my final blast before Berlin, I ran the Richmond Parkrun 5km. It's a multi terrain course with about a third on each of pavement/grass/trail and it's not exactly flat. This weekly run has been going for nearly 4 years and only 1 person has gone under 16 minutes with a 15:49. I've only ever done this once before where I managed 16:15 but this time around I wanted to see if I could break 15. Turns out I could as I ran 14:58!
All things point towards me being in the best shape of my life so I'm really looking forward to getting out there on Sunday and giving it everything. The race is being quite widely televised, no doubt something to do with the 2 World Record holders lining up in the same race! I'll do my best to secure some start line "coverage" by getting close to Haile. Just look out for the guy bouncing up and down (part of my warm up, nothing to do with getting on TV) in a bright Orange Mizuno vest with a white cap on backwards.
I've also got my VO2 max test results back and my maximal oxygen consumption came out at 75 ml.kg.min. Interesting that an online race calculator translates a VO2 max of 75 into a marathon time of 2:14:59! There's other factors to consider like running economy but I'll try to make sense of the information I've got before giving away too much detail, besides, I need something else to write about Sunday!
Week beginning Mon 05-Sep-2011 (3 weeks until Berlin Marathon)
Mon am: 52:19=7.76mi@6:45/mi(133 bpm/897 bpmi). 2 outer laps of regents Park
Mon pm: 35:18=5.11mi@6:55/mi(125 bpm/864 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Tue am: 33:18=5.02mi@6:38/mi(134 bpm/889 bpmi). 1 outer lap of regents Park
Tue pm: 38:00=6.32mi@6:01/mi. Vo2 max test on treadmill. 75ml.kg.min. Now I just have to use that capacity!
Wed am: 29:27=4.08mi@7:13/mi(123 bpm/887 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Wed pm: 53:51=7.76mi@6:56/mi(125 bpm/867 bpmi). 2 outer laps of regents Park
Thu pm: 1:14:31=14.1mi@5:17/mi(166 bpm/877 bpmi). 4 outer laps of regents Park (+ extra to make 13.5M) @ ~MP (assuming around 5:10-5:15) starting at 0.5M and finish Euston so 13.62M @ 5:13. First 10M in 52:36 so 5:15 avg (165.72bpm) then last 3.62 in 18:36 so 5:08 avg(170.15bpm - slightly skewed by 2 decent uphill stretches)
Fri am: 38:18=5.11mi@7:30/mi(125 bpm/937 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Fri pm: 36:10=5.02mi@7:12/mi(124 bpm/893 bpmi). 1 outer lap of regents Park
Sat am: 1:13:30=11.14mi@6:36/mi(135 bpm/891 bpmi). Stopped on the way to Tewkesbury so I could get a run done today. Witney to Cassington and back. Basically alongside A40, exciting stuff!
Sun am: 1:07=.15mi@7:27/mi. Chippenham half warmup very short jog
Sun am: 1:07:48=13.11mi@5:10/mi(173 bpm/895 bpmi). Chippenham Half. Knocked 76 seconds off my course record from last year. 5M 25:49 10M 51:36 (according to mile markers). First 10M knocking out 5:10s basically. Last 5km 16:12 was a bit harder as long gradual incline and some little hills but a good finish with a 4:56 mile. Pretty windy day but didn't really notice too much of on effect, guess that's what happens when running at MP. Had to up the effort a little to stick to pace in last 5km but first 10M at 172/3 bpm so looking good
Total Mileage: 84.68mi@06:18/mi
Week beginning Mon 12-Sep-2011 (2 weeks until Berlin Marathon)
Mon am: 53:09=7.04mi@7:33/mi(135 bpm/1019 bpmi). Commute to work
Mon pm: 51:42=7mi@7:23/mi(128 bpm/945 bpmi). Commute from work
Tue am: 50:03=7.04mi@7:07/mi(136 bpm/967 bpmi). Commute to work
Tue pm: 50:53=7.04mi@7:14/mi(131 bpm/947 bpmi). Commute from work
Wed pm: 18:51=2.72mi@6:56/mi. hyde park tempo. warmup and warmdown joggery
Wed pm: 49:08=9.32mi@5:16/mi(168 bpm/885 bpmi). hyde park tempo 15km in 49:08 so 5:16 average for 168bpm.. Route a bit tougher than ideal but all adds to the training, not that I'm training anymore:)
Thu am: 51:23=7.04mi@7:18/mi(131 bpm/956 bpmi). Commute to work
Thu pm: 50:58=7mi@7:17/mi(126 bpm/917 bpmi). Commute from work
Fri pm: 34:42=5.02mi@6:55/mi(132 bpm/912 bpmi). 1 outer lap of Regents Park
Sat am: 14:58=3.11mi@4:49/mi(177 bpm/852 bpmi). richmond parkrun
Sat am: 41:44=5.49mi@7:36/mi(135 bpm/1026 bpmi). richmond parkrun wu/wd back to Dave's
Sun pm: 49:25=7.43mi@6:39/mi(135 bpm/898 bpmi). Run up to VP and back.
Total Mileage: 75.25mi@06:52/mi
A couple of Sundays ago I ran a half marathon where the aim was to run it at marathon HR. The first 10 miles were pretty solid and I went through in about 51:35. The last 5km is a bit harder as there's a long drag uphill and a few small hills (and a little bit of wind) so I had to up the effort a little as I wanted to stay under 68 minutes. End result was a pretty comfortable 67:48 and my HR was hovering right around what I wanted. I also broke my course record from last year by over a minute so a nice little £50 bonus there.
As my final blast before Berlin, I ran the Richmond Parkrun 5km. It's a multi terrain course with about a third on each of pavement/grass/trail and it's not exactly flat. This weekly run has been going for nearly 4 years and only 1 person has gone under 16 minutes with a 15:49. I've only ever done this once before where I managed 16:15 but this time around I wanted to see if I could break 15. Turns out I could as I ran 14:58!
All things point towards me being in the best shape of my life so I'm really looking forward to getting out there on Sunday and giving it everything. The race is being quite widely televised, no doubt something to do with the 2 World Record holders lining up in the same race! I'll do my best to secure some start line "coverage" by getting close to Haile. Just look out for the guy bouncing up and down (part of my warm up, nothing to do with getting on TV) in a bright Orange Mizuno vest with a white cap on backwards.
I've also got my VO2 max test results back and my maximal oxygen consumption came out at 75 ml.kg.min. Interesting that an online race calculator translates a VO2 max of 75 into a marathon time of 2:14:59! There's other factors to consider like running economy but I'll try to make sense of the information I've got before giving away too much detail, besides, I need something else to write about Sunday!
Week beginning Mon 05-Sep-2011 (3 weeks until Berlin Marathon)
Mon am: 52:19=7.76mi@6:45/mi(133 bpm/897 bpmi). 2 outer laps of regents Park
Mon pm: 35:18=5.11mi@6:55/mi(125 bpm/864 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Tue am: 33:18=5.02mi@6:38/mi(134 bpm/889 bpmi). 1 outer lap of regents Park
Tue pm: 38:00=6.32mi@6:01/mi. Vo2 max test on treadmill. 75ml.kg.min. Now I just have to use that capacity!
Wed am: 29:27=4.08mi@7:13/mi(123 bpm/887 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Wed pm: 53:51=7.76mi@6:56/mi(125 bpm/867 bpmi). 2 outer laps of regents Park
Thu pm: 1:14:31=14.1mi@5:17/mi(166 bpm/877 bpmi). 4 outer laps of regents Park (+ extra to make 13.5M) @ ~MP (assuming around 5:10-5:15) starting at 0.5M and finish Euston so 13.62M @ 5:13. First 10M in 52:36 so 5:15 avg (165.72bpm) then last 3.62 in 18:36 so 5:08 avg(170.15bpm - slightly skewed by 2 decent uphill stretches)
Fri am: 38:18=5.11mi@7:30/mi(125 bpm/937 bpmi). Easy laps around Mudchute park
Fri pm: 36:10=5.02mi@7:12/mi(124 bpm/893 bpmi). 1 outer lap of regents Park
Sat am: 1:13:30=11.14mi@6:36/mi(135 bpm/891 bpmi). Stopped on the way to Tewkesbury so I could get a run done today. Witney to Cassington and back. Basically alongside A40, exciting stuff!
Sun am: 1:07=.15mi@7:27/mi. Chippenham half warmup very short jog
Sun am: 1:07:48=13.11mi@5:10/mi(173 bpm/895 bpmi). Chippenham Half. Knocked 76 seconds off my course record from last year. 5M 25:49 10M 51:36 (according to mile markers). First 10M knocking out 5:10s basically. Last 5km 16:12 was a bit harder as long gradual incline and some little hills but a good finish with a 4:56 mile. Pretty windy day but didn't really notice too much of on effect, guess that's what happens when running at MP. Had to up the effort a little to stick to pace in last 5km but first 10M at 172/3 bpm so looking good
Total Mileage: 84.68mi@06:18/mi
Week beginning Mon 12-Sep-2011 (2 weeks until Berlin Marathon)
Mon am: 53:09=7.04mi@7:33/mi(135 bpm/1019 bpmi). Commute to work
Mon pm: 51:42=7mi@7:23/mi(128 bpm/945 bpmi). Commute from work
Tue am: 50:03=7.04mi@7:07/mi(136 bpm/967 bpmi). Commute to work
Tue pm: 50:53=7.04mi@7:14/mi(131 bpm/947 bpmi). Commute from work
Wed pm: 18:51=2.72mi@6:56/mi. hyde park tempo. warmup and warmdown joggery
Wed pm: 49:08=9.32mi@5:16/mi(168 bpm/885 bpmi). hyde park tempo 15km in 49:08 so 5:16 average for 168bpm.. Route a bit tougher than ideal but all adds to the training, not that I'm training anymore:)
Thu am: 51:23=7.04mi@7:18/mi(131 bpm/956 bpmi). Commute to work
Thu pm: 50:58=7mi@7:17/mi(126 bpm/917 bpmi). Commute from work
Fri pm: 34:42=5.02mi@6:55/mi(132 bpm/912 bpmi). 1 outer lap of Regents Park
Sat am: 14:58=3.11mi@4:49/mi(177 bpm/852 bpmi). richmond parkrun
Sat am: 41:44=5.49mi@7:36/mi(135 bpm/1026 bpmi). richmond parkrun wu/wd back to Dave's
Sun pm: 49:25=7.43mi@6:39/mi(135 bpm/898 bpmi). Run up to VP and back.
Total Mileage: 75.25mi@06:52/mi
Great result Marders!! Congratulations!!