Friday 11 December 2009

Short week

This has turned out to be a short running week with relatives in town and a bit of a rush at work to get ready for the upcoming holiday.

Wednesday: 6 miles at 7.20 per mile. This was a very quick run designed to get to 7.10 per mile (ie a PB for 10k) but the pace in the first 2 to 3 miles was below 7.00 per mile and then I blew up in the second half. Idiot!

Thursday: 11 miles home from work from Mitcham. A bit hilly, using the iPod and not really putting in much of an effort save for trying to run smoothly and enjoy myself. 8.26 per mile for 1 hour 29 mins. Felt good

Friday: a dull 40 minutes on the treadmill to do 6.5 miles.

Now it's the holiday. I am off to Cuba on Sunday and have no idea how much exercise I will do until Boxing Day. Probably nutthin but swimmin.

Friday 4 December 2009

Up and down

Thursday: 8 miles at 7.30 per mile around Hyde Park. Felt pretty good. Certainly not at full tilt.

Friday: 6 miles around Hyde Park with no intent, no timing and listening to the iPod. Felt TERRIBLE. I have no idea how to explain that, other than to blame it on the vaccinations I had yesterday. Can a sore arm put you off your stride?

Monday 30 November 2009

More running!

Friday: 9.6 miles in a reasonably sedate 8.25 per mile. This was a deliberately slow run with no goal except stretching the legs and getting a few miles on the clock. Sadly, I had not anticipated shocking weather on Sunday and so missed out on the weekly hard session.

Monday: a PB for 10k on the treadmill of 44.10. Felt absolutely at full stretch and will need to put in some more serious work to get down below 44 minutes on the road (which is my goal).

Friday 27 November 2009

Wednesday

Tuesday: weights session

Wednesday: a brief six miles around Hyde Park. Nothing strenuous. 7.44 per mile. Surprising how suddenly 7.44 per mile is not much of an effort. Probably asking for trouble.

Monday 23 November 2009

Progress

Went for the full half marathon yesterday - 13.1 miles - and was delighted to complete it in 1 hour 41 minutes along the cycle path from Leatherhead to Dorking. This is a reasonably flat run with just some gentle undulations for interest. The run started out fairly badly, with seemingly no power in my legs for the first couple of miles and I have to confess that I took my foot off the gas a little as soon as I realised that this was not going to be a PB sort of day. However, I think I may have been the victim of glancing at the Garmin when the mph was low but I was actually moving reasonably well (how you feel and how you are running do not always coincide). I must have picked up some momentum somewhere however as I began to feel better the longer things went on and there was no single mile which was over 8 minutes. The last mile was amongst the quickest (7.37) and I really picked up the pace as I sensed that a decent time was in reach.

Recovered fairly well and ate loads.

Friday 20 November 2009

Intervals, schmintervals

Thursday: 8 miles around Hyde Park. No timer to hand but the watch says 1 hour, which would be a healty 7.30 per mile. Funny how difficult it is to judge pace without the Garmin.

Friday: a really exhausting 40 minutes of interval training on the treadmill. Alternating between 11 kph and 15 kph. Probably my hardest go at this yet, but do need to pluck up the courage to get to intervals outdoors.

VERY rainy weekend on the cards so another week without a really long run it seems.

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Summary

Friday, did 10 miles at exactly 7.30 per mile pace on the treadmill. It was not too bad except for the last mile. Bones ached for two days afterwards. Then managed to miss out on a run over the weekend due to terrible weather.

Monday: weights session.

Tuesday: a gentle run at 8.25 per mile for 7 miles. Just jogging really. I have become conscious that I am possibly doing too much too soon and will be burnt out by April.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Hammer Time

After weight session yesterday, I thought it was time to do a short run with the hammer firmly down. So, 6 miles around Hyde Park in 43.46, which was very pleasing and equates to a sub 45 min 10k (which seems somewhat miraculous considering where I had got to in the summer - failing to even finish a 10k on the treadmill twice) and close to my treadmill PB of 44.44.

Monday 9 November 2009

Weekend

Friday: slowinsh 8 miles around Hyde Park just to get the legs unwound. Why do I run slower with an iPod on?

Sunday: 10 miles up to Cheam and back. First real day of cold runing this year and wore gloves the whole run (the first time that has ever happened). Only averaged exactly 8 mins per mile byt felt a reasonably quickish run and attacked the dreaded hills which had seen me off last Sunday.

Thursday 5 November 2009

Good news and bad

Bad news: I am not running in the Norwich Half Marathon. Decided that it was best not to push the point and give Will the chance to go to his friend's birthday party.

Good news: a 10k on the treadmill in 44.44. A PB.

Monday 2 November 2009

Half way there

A terrible week, involving postponement of several runs due to sore legs (Wednesday), a funeral and a party (Thursday) and weather (Friday). It's surprising how low you can feel if a few days go by without activity.

On Saturday I went out for a brief easy run of 6.02 miles in 46.35 or 7.44 mins per mile. I did not feel at my best and was really quite tired afterwards and feeling generally out of form.

On Sunday, I decided to bite the bullet and go for a full 13 miles at race pace. This went quite well, although I had to go along a hilly course (Ashtead to Cheam and back) due to weather in the early part of the day leaving the flatter course unavailable. Things went well for the first ten miles and I was at or around the target pace of 7.30 per mile for quite a while until the uphill section started. I suspect could easily have managed 1hr 40 mins for the full run under these conditions. However, the last few miles were a real hell and times plummeted to over 8.30 per mile. The final time was 1hr 43.03 at 7.56 per mile.

Thursday 29 October 2009

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Monday

Failed to get out for a long run on Sunday owing to the pressures of a family weekend and general tiredness. I decided to make up for this by going out on Monday evening. In the end, I ran 10.8 miles but have no time for the run as the Garmin ram out of gas after the first two miles. The route took me from Ashtead back to Cheam over the usual route. It was very surprising how easy the running seemed without a coat and a backpack and for the first time this year I was floating along at what seemed to be quite a decent pace, despite the hills. The new Ron Hill tights were worn for the first time and were very comfortable indeed. The weather was just about cool enough as I did not run until 6 pm. The gloves had to come off after a couple of miles. All in all, the most enjoyable run of the year.

Friday

Decided to go for a short and slowish run just to have some fun and keep the body moving in preparation for a long run on Sunday night. Did 6 miles at 7.59 per mile around Hyde Park in the sun. No pressure to run fast, in fact I rather enjoyed taking it deliberately slowly and seeing how easy it felt to be running at this pace compared to 8 minute miles some weeks ago.

Thursday 22 October 2009

Massive News

Hello and welcome to my new friends. I expect most of you are here because you are followers of @marleyterrier on Twitter. Marley has kindly allowed me to step out into the spotlight for a few brief moments to give you some good news and to ask for your help in a little bit of fundraising for his doggie chums.

I have been accepted as part of the Dogs Trust team for the 2010 London Marathon on 25th April. Hurray. The last few days have been a very nervous wait for the big news - I was worrying that all these last few weeks of early training were going to be for nothing after they seemed to be telling me that I was in good shape.

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and last year they cared for over 16,000 stray and abandoned dogs through their nationwide network of 17 Rehoming Centres. Dogs Trust is working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life free from the threat of unnecessary destruction. They believe no healthy dog should ever be destroyed and that every dog should have a chance to lead a happy and healthy life in a loving home. For further information about Dogs Trust please go to their website at www.dogstrust.org.uk.

My aim in running the marathon is to raise £2,000 for Dogs Trust. I would be delighted if you could help me towards this goal by agreeing to sponsor me. The easiest way to do that will be through my justgiving page here.

You can follow my running exploits here or on twitter as @lonmarathon

Thanks for helping out.

Matthew

Monday night

7 miles in what felt like a quick time....but the Garmin malfunctioned and so I have no idea what time I did. The route was Sutton to Ashtead over the hills and I was mainly interetsed in keeping up a good quick pace and concentrating through the few steep hills. It seemed to work but without the hard evidence its difficult to tell.

One firm conclusion from the run was that my Ron Hill waterproof jacket is really useless excpet on the coldest days. Its simply far too sweaty for comfort.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

So far this week

Monday - one hour weights session

Tuesday - interval training on the treadmill. 40 minutes of alternating patters on 11kph and 14.5kph. Quite tough and sweating like an overworked mule by the end.

Monday 19 October 2009

Last week

So, Wednesday night...arrive back from Belgium by train and go straight to the gym for 12k at a leisurely pace in one hour. Not much to say about that.

Saturday, 12 miles at 7.56 per mile along the bike path from Leatherhead to Dorking. A reasonably satisfactory run over a rolling course with not too many steep hills and no need for traffic stops. Felt good and could probably have pushed the pace but wanted just to do the distance and not try anything heroic. Reasonable recovery on Sunday allowing for an hour of golf and two hours of tennis.

Monday 12 October 2009

Long Run

10.61 miles on Friday night in pouring rain. Course was from Mitcham Junction railway station back to home on the same course as most long runs. Time was 1.31 and average pace was 8.39 per mile, which is a little slow. The run seemed to be quite disrupted due to underfoot conditions and also traffic at junctions and other stops for various adjustments to kit. Pace range was 8.06 for mile 7 and 9.02 for miles 1 and 10.

Tired after the run but recovered fairly well on Saturday.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Personal Best

10km on the treadmill in 45.15. That's a personal best for 10k and was not by any means as fast as it could have been . Training is obviously working. Bring it on.

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Last night

7 miles back home in a slight drizzle, hampered by hills and a rucksack. The Garmin ran out of power about 200 yards into the run so I have no idea how quick or slow it was, but it felt quick and a few of the hills were attacked with gusto (for which I paid in the last mile or two). Felt very tired all evening so I must have done something right. Contemplating a day of rest on Wednesday.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Weights

Friday: 30 mins weights then 30 mins of interval training - 1 min at 11kph and then 1 min at 16kph. Really tiring. Heart rate did not seem to get above 158, which is odd as it is regulalry at 165 on a long run which seems easier than interval training on a treadmill.

Monday: 60 minutes of weights. Made all the difference last time I ran a marathon, but seems like cheating when you aren't running.

Filled in my application for a place through the Dogs Trust. Fingers crossed.

Thursday 1 October 2009

That's better

Back to something like normal. 10.02 miles round Hyde Park in 1.19.24 at average pace of 7.56 per mile (much quicker than the previous long run at 8.27 per mile). Pace was a bit variable. Slower laps were the steepest.

Mile 1: 7.27
Mile 2: 7.45
Mile 3: 7.38
Mile 4: 7.59
Mile 5: 7.43
Mile 6: 7.58
Mile 7: 8.01
Mile 8: 8.00
Mile 9: 8.10
Mile 10: 8.38

Average hear rate; 154 bpm. Slightly worried by a sore knee for a few minutes after running, but it's now gone away.

All in all, quite encouraging for this stage.

Oh, hell

This is how not to prepare for a training run: don't run for 5 days, go on a boozy business trip to the Netherlands, don't drink enough during the day, select a hilly run, carry a rucksack and run at night on poorly lit roads.

The result of all this is 5.84 miles at 8.05 per mile.



Yes, its true, this is not awaful bearing in mind the hills and the rucksack. However, it was supposed to be a 7.30 per mile run but tempo and concentration were destroyed by three sharp hills. No excuses. Must be prepared to try harder and put the foot down after hills have been climbed.

Monday 28 September 2009

Long Run

Friday night was the first of the "long runs" leading up to the Norwich Half Marathon on 28 November. The route was from the railway station at Hackbridge in Surrey back to Ashtead and was a total of 9.45 miles over reasonably hilly territory. At this stage, the run is designed to be below eventual race pace as a feeler towards longer distances.

In fact, I ran at Marathon pace (roughly) and covered the course in 1.19.59 at 8.27 minutes per mile. In new money this is 15.22 km at 5.15 per km.

Friday 25 September 2009

It's all his fault

The inspiration.....

The Start

It's now official: I am entering the 2010 London Marathon. This will be my fourth London Marathon: 1992, 1998 and 2004 being the previous three. PB of 3.45 in 2004.

Limited training so far. List excludes treadmill runs:

9 September: 8.51 miles in 1.14.31 (ave pace 8.43 per mile) a delibereately slow exploratory training "jog" from Carshalton to Ashtead.

14 September: 6 miles in 45.24 (ave pace 7.34) a hard pace run round Hyde Park

21 September: 8.12 miles in 1.04.12 (ave pace 7.54 per mile) a pace run round Hyde Park

24 September: 6 miles in 45.07 (ave pace 7.31 per mile) a hard pace run round Hyde Park