A gentle week, and learning about running!

In training terms, last week was reasonably quiet.
37 miles and plenty of very small runs and rest.
In the front of my mind was an intensive weekend of learning and teaching to come.

I am always looking at the way that I run, and looking for ways to improve it. And over the years I've been running, I've made various changes to the way that I run, or the way that I train, in the hope of improving the whole experience for the better.

For the last year or so, I have had contact with Mark - a runner and General Practitioner with a specific interest and training in Sports Injuries (and their treatment and prevention), and through my contact with him, developed a significantly greater understanding of the issues and causes of the majority of running injuries.
And the statistics are amazing, with a greater percentage of runners suffering injury now than ever before.
Not a greater number, a greater percentage!!

With all this in mind, and knowing that both my running style and beliefs about it, and the fact that I want to teach Running Skills as part of my business, in conjunction with Mark, I arranged a Running Skills and Coaching Certification Clinic.
We invited Dr Nicholas Romanov, the creator of the Pose Method® of running over to Birmingham to run the weekend, and he arrived with Mark on Thursday evening.

The first day was aimed at those of us training for the first level of coaching in Pose Method®. Dr Romanov presented the theory of movement, and gave us some insight into the the depth and nature of the research that has been done to show just how robust that the things that he teaches are.
It was mind-blowing. There was some very complicated science, but also it passed the 'Common Sense' test at every turn. And it is breath-taking the amount and quality of the work that not only HAS been done, but that is CURRENTLY being done.
This is not a hair-brained scheme plucked out of some mystical space as a business proposition, but the result of decades of high quality work, a life's work indeed!
It was a long day - but one that I genuinely didn't want to end. Luckily Dr Romanov called time when we got hungry, because once I went to bed, it was clear that my brain was completely frazzled.
In a Good Way, but frazzled all the same!!

Saturday was the day of the Running Clinic.
15 people had booked onto the Clinic for the day for an introduction to the Method, and a load of practical work to put it into practice.
There were a number of folk who'd come along to help out, and a couple of us who were doing our coaching training.

Lesson number 1.
When you get yourself a coffee just before a day begins, DON'T pour it straight onto your leg when you sit down.
Skin doesn't like very hot liquid.
And scalds hurt!

We were booked into the room from 9-5, and the plan was for a break at 11, lunch at 1, a break at 3 - and finish at 5.
We alternated between theoretical input and practical work outside (which was a little bracing in the morning!) - and everyone was videoed running at various points during the day.

After lunch the time just flew, and we didn't actually leave the venue until almost 8pm. And once again I think most would have happily carried on until they dropped!

Some of the improvements that could be seen were amazing!

Back home with all our guests - 11 ended up around the table :o) - for more chat and a few beers.

Sunday was more theory for the coaches.
Once again - incredibly intensive, absolutely fascinating - and completely knackering!
Even Dr R was showing signs of tiredness. But considering just how hard he'd worked and for how long, it was amazing that he was keeping going!
I hope *I* have his energy when I'm ........... older than I am now!!

It has been an amazing experience, this weekend. I have a far greater insight into the intricacies of how we move in an environment governed by gravity, and how we can use that knowledge to our advantage.
I also got to talk about the 10-in-10 in some depth with Dr Romanov once all our guests had departed as well. And that was really interesting and gave me much food for thought.

And now..... we have a marathon to prepare for in April, and 10 marathons to be ready for in May.

Back to the training...........

A weekend Test

The concept of training for the 10-in-10 has been a real jump into the unknown.
I have increased my training mileage really quite significantly, and have tried to be as smart about it as I can.

Generally the intensity has been low.

I didn't get the optimal speed and distance work in that I'd hoped for for Draycote, but still was able to pull out a very pleasing result there.

I have had the occasional niggle, including one this week, but by tweaking things and being careful, they have got better on their own, without me having to stop training.

I have discovered a ridiculously simple 'tweak' that has made a BIG difference to my form, and has reduced the extraneous work and tensions that I was experiencing in my lower legs.

I have been running virtually ALL my runs with my Lorna..... literally..... at her side. Not flying off and doing my own thing, or doing the loop-back thing. And my endurance and aerobic capacity and speed have ALL improved hugely.

I'm loving running strongly and smoothly and being able to run reasonable daily mileage and not feel like I'm getting tired from the volume.
It is also fabulous to see Lorna running more strongly and quickly for less effort, especially over the last week or so!!

We are clearly doing something right.

I had a worrying tweak to my Left Achilles early in the week, but by making some careful adjustments, have been able to train through it with it getting better day on day.

The MOST pleasing thing has been the simplicity of the training.
It really has been very very simple.
Easy paced miles - mostly a couple of times a day - sometimes more - the occasional harder session (the Progressive Run is AWESOME, btw!!) or harder run race.

And that is it!

Had I not been pacing the Silverstone Half last weekend, I was going to have a pop at my 5K PB, and I'm certain it would have gone. That *would* have been 4 PB's on 4 consecutive weekends - from 5K to Marathon - all on simple training!

This weekend is going to be a test.

We have purposely run 70 miles already this week, to see how we cope with two back-to-back 20 milers at Rhayader - a race I've wanted to do for YEARS as I was brought up just a few miles from there - and then at Ashby on Sunday, at the pace we intend to start out at the 10-in-10.

We'll also get to spend a little time with my Dad after Rhayader, which is a big added bonus :o)

But so far things appear to be going reasonably well

Thank you, good people :o)

We've had another little flurry of donations, and each one of them is greatly appreciated. Every penny will be used to support the good work of Brathay Hall Trust with groups of disadvantaged young people - and, incidentally, when we popped into Brathay Hall a few weeks ago and looked at the displays in the entrance foyer, we were impressed by just how much the organisation gets involved with the real challenges facing young people in urban areas.

Leon and I had another good training week last week, with the highlight being our unexpected trip to the Adidas Silverstone Half-Marathon on Sunday for our first forays into official pacing. We both had a good run. Leon paced to perfection, and I didn't perform too badly. I am so pleased with my "Runner's World Pacer" shirt that I shall probably wear it for one of the ten marathons :o)

Last week's numbers:

Total mileage: 80.76 miles. A relatively light week, then!
Profile: 79.6% general training runs, average 9.26mm.
16.6% Silverstone Half-Marathon, average pace 8.43mm.
3.8% running with Catriona, average 10.24mm.
Longest run: 13.54 miles at 9.01mm.
Longest day: Sunday. We did another 8 miles in the evening after the race.
Cross-training: None.
Niggles: None.
Sofa-spud days: Saturday.

We expect to have a heavier week this week. We hope to run Rhayader on Saturday and Ashby on Sunday at our planned 10 Marathons in 10 Days pace on unrested legs.

From next week, we'll need to be slightly more organised about training as I've taken on another two mornings' work a week. Working half-time is all very nice, but it can't go on forever.

A Rest Day :o)

Leon and I had planned to train through this weekend and not have a rest day until just before next weekend's back-to-back 20-milers, but the late insertion of Silverstone into our race schedules changed all that. On paper, a half-marathon at 7mm should be no more than mildly challenging for Leon, and 9mm should be very straightforward for me, but we don't want to risk letting anyone down. So today is for resting. And, of course, eating.

(Whoever piped up that you don't need to carbo-load for a half-marathon can shut up right now!)

We're also preparing for a houseful of guests in two weeks' time for the POSE course, so we've taken the opportunity to get some of the bedrooms in order, which has kept our minds off tomorrow's event. I now have a mound of ironing ... and some job applications, because working part-time is great but it can't last forever.

And a press-release and a report for the Centurion Running Club magazine to write ...

Stand by for Take Three ...

It's my birthday on Saturday, and I had a notion of doing the Dent Brewery Dentdale Run as my first-ever race as a FV45. Being an unconventional distance, at least it would guarantee me a celebratory PB, and after spending Christmas near Sedbergh we promised ourselves that we'd get to know that corner of the country a little better.

But we decided that the travel would be impractical, and opted for the Bramhall Park Run on Saturday morning instead. Only half as far to travel, and Leon could chase a PB while I ambled round with my two youngest daughters. Sorted.

Then this afternoon, a call went out on Fetch for a 7-minute-mile pacer for a little race called the ... let me get this right ... Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon. A race which, I have to confess, we would never have considered entering of our own accord. But we're helpful souls, and a half-marathon at 7mm pace will give Leon a good workout while being well within his capacity, so I suggested that he should offer his services and ask if I could have a place in the (already full) race too.

So at midday on Sunday, Leon will be setting off to exercise his metronomic pacing skills at 7mm pace ... and I shall be cutting my pacing teeth on the 9mm group.

No PBs for us this weekend, then. But we're looking forward to developing a new skill :o)

Doing well on MY training ...

... Leon, that is. In case you've missed it, on three consecutive weekends he's trounced his PBs at three significant race distances - the marathon, then 5 miles, then the half-marathon. And I think he has his eye on taking a pop at his 5k PB this coming weekend.

And that's all on 70-90mpw at 9mm-10mm pace with me. I'm delighted to see Leon being rewarded with PBs for valiantly plodding out those slow miles. He deserves them. It will be very interesting to see what he can do after recovering from the Ten Marathons in Ten Days Challenge and adding some pace-based sessions to his training.

In context, this is the first time Leon has managed to train consistently at such high mileage without breaking down, and, with a shorter running history than I have, he only now has the running-specific adaptations to allow him to do so much.

I had all the easy gains that are to be had from consistent high mileage in 2006-2007, so I'm not expecting great things during my build-up to 8th May. While Leon ran a new PB and came in 5th at the Friends of Mick'n'Phil Half-Marathon, I had to be content with 94th place (and 10th woman) and a time of 1:46:08, well adrift of my PB. I am, however, happy with my performance. I threw myself at my target pace of just under 8mm and sustained it for almost 7 miles. Conditions were difficult, with a brutal wind. When I realised that I was going to have to drop my pace, I resisted the temptation to drop right back to 9mm or slower and kept working hard (though not hard enough - Leon and I went out and did another run in the evening). More importantly, the children were excellent water-station and finish-line marshalls, and every scrap of my banana cake and bread pudding got eaten :o)

Last week's numbers:

Total distance: 90.32 miles. Yes, we did deliberaely run just far enough on Sunday evening to bring both Leon and me over 90 miles.
Profile: 82.04% general running, average pace 9.21mm.
3.4% running with my daughter at 10.43mm.
14.56% racing at 8.04mm.
Longest run: 15.35 miles at 9.26mm.
Cross-training: None.
Niggles: Slightly sore flexor tendon on my left foot persists, but isn't really a problem.
Sofa-spud days: Saturday.

AND ... at last I have some new Inov-8 F-lite 230s, and I have both the classy black ones and the screaming electric blue ones. I am well pleased!

The Benefits of Training for the 10-in-10

As Lorna and I were out running this evening, I was reflecting a little on the benefits that training for the 10-in10 has given us.

We were running our second run of the day - a modest 5 miles to bring the total for the day to an also modest 13miles.
And I thought about how that statement could sound slightly ridiculous.

Or is it?

As human beings were are designed to be active. We adapt to it very well. The fact that running 13 miles seems, to most people to be excessive is more to do with the fact that we have become so much more sedentary in the last 50 years than we ever have been.

And I wonder whether this is going to benefit us overall.

Lorna and I discussed the fact that running would have to become something that was something we DID, rather than something we Trained For, to make ourselves robust enough to cope with the demands of the 10-in-10.
To make it part of our everyday lives.

And so we did!

We do a great deal of our running together, and THIS has been a truly excellent by-product of integrating running into our everyday routines. We get to spend significant amounts of time participating in an activity that we really enjoy doing together.

We have reached a point - by running twice a day most days, and sometimes three times - where we can run for a couple of hours - and we feel strong doing it.
Where we can do a 5 mile, or 6 mile, or 8 mile loop without really having to think about the distance, and just get on and do it.
We can decide to run the marathon distance on a whim - and know that we are in good enough condition to do it...... whilst respecting the distance, which remains a Very Long Way!!!!!!

From a personal point of view, the benefits have gone further than that.
The sheer volume of training that we've done has made a difference to my speed endurance over all distances.
With recent Personal Bests at 5miles, Half Marathon, and the Marathon.

Simply getting out there and running has done that.
No fancy schedules - no whizzy 'nutrition' - no Latest Gizmology - just running!

And being sensible with, and listening to our bodies.


So although the main reason for doing the challenge is to support the work that Brathay Hall Trust do with young people and children... a cause that we whole-heartedly support, and for which we were more than happy to part with the significant entry fee for that privilege...

It was also an opportunity to set ourselves a significant goal, and a journey to it.
And it has been an amazing journey thus far!!!

We are quite a long way down on our fund-raising goal at the moment, something we are going to have to address over the next few weeks. Because ultimately, the running is only a small part of the challenge!

A GOOD week

This past week has been a very good week of training.
As planned, Lorna and I significantly loaded the front end of the week, with the aim of another mini-taper to have a hard run race at the Friends of Mick 'n' Phil Half Marathon at Draycote Water on Sunday.

On Friday we just turned our legs over with 5 miles and didn't run at all on Saturday.

We had friends arriving on Saturday too :o)

Stuart has been training really well and is running fantastically, and he was looking to obliterate his PB. Teasing his plan out of him showed that his early race plan was going to be a little quick for my blood in the context of running this race hard enough for it to be tough, and with enough in reserve to ensure that I could be training again the next day.
So going WITH him wasn't an option!

Beth - who has the tools to run FAR quicker IMO - was looking to run as much as she could and finish in one piece :o)

Lorna created a sumptuous feast for us and the children to dine on - It really was magnificent :o)
And I prepared my "I'll be up early and pacing about all nervous in the morning" cauldron of porridge.

Unusually, we were going to be taking 5 of our children to the race, and they had been allocated water station and Goody Bag Giving Out duties, to keep them out of mischief. So the was no time to get nervous in the morning!!
By all accounts - and from what I saw myself once I'd finished - they did a great job in really quite 'challenging' conditions!

The race itself - organised by a group of like-minded folk who'd not organised a race before - was SLICK!
A huge amount of hard work had gone into making it happen, and the folk (all of whom we know) had really pulled out all of the stops to make it a quality event.
There were enthusiastic Marshalls EVERYWHERE (it seemed) and given that it was windy and cold - and about 1:50 in, the venue was hit by a brutal squall, they were magnificent.
Running was definitely the easier option......

Hmmm.... more of that in a moment.

The sailing forecast had suggested winds of 16-21 knot (of around Force 4-5)
That's windy!

The Wind direction meant that there wasn't going to be much shelter from it on the 'harder' far side, which also had the 'undulations'

When we set off - I found myself in a very unfamiliar position - with only about 10 people in front of me.
"That can't be right" I thought.

But I aimed for my target pace (6:24 - 6:30) and in that first mile hit it reasonably easily. Stuart shot off, and I didn't even try and go with him - too hot a pace for me at the moment.

When we rounded the bend that took us into the wind, I was hoping that the trees would shelter us. They didn't!
There was 2½ mile stretch that was into the wind here - and it slowed me, and most others it turned out, by about 20 seconds per mile. It was tough!

The near side of the lake was flatter - and had a tail wind - and served as almost a rest at a higher pace for the fight to come.

In the second lap I passed two fella that I'd been exchanging places with for about 6-7 miles, and set my sights on the hooped vest ahead of me.
I couldn't really close the gap, but I did notice that he was catching the runner ahead of him - and in the tail-wind section I was gaining on both of them.

The head wind for the 3rd lap had increased - and the wind direction had changed slightly, meaning that it was even MORE in our faces for the run in to the finish.

I didn't quite catch the guys ahead of me - but still finished in a very respectable 1:25:32, which is a 1 minute PB
I placed me 5th overall
And second Vet Male (by 24 seconds)

A very good days work!

Lorna and I popped out for another 6 miles in the late evening, which took both our mileages over 90 for the week.

The kids, especially our youngest girls were brilliant. Handing out goody bags with a smile and a "congratulations" to every runner as they finished - even when the heavy squall came through and nearly dissolved them and blew them off their feet.
Very Proud Mummy and Daddy

:o)

Front - Loading the week

Lorna and I planned to front-load this week, and get the bulk of our mileage in early on.

There is method in that particular madness, because Friday is necessarily short on opportunities for running, with Lorna working, and me travelling to Wales to collect my children for the weekend, and Saturday is the only full day with my kids.

And we are racing again on Sunday.

For me - having posted a marathon best a couple of weeks ago at the end of a fairly high-mileage week, and posting a 5 mile best last week, it seemed like a good plan to have a decent crack at a Half Marathon after a short taper.

But with the MAIN goal being 9 weeks away, decent training mileage couldn't really be compromised

So on Monday, we clocked up 11 miles;
Tuesday 19 miles in a 13 and a 6
Wednesday Lorna and I ran in the morning and the evening together (5 & 6 miles) and in the afternoon I did 8 miles at 70%WHR just to find out what kind of pace I was running for that effort.
And I was very pleased with an average of 7:37min/mile
And today we did a 15 mile loop that I've run a few times, it was the first time Lorna had done it.
And THAT was a cracking run. Under 9:30's and Lorna is running really strongly :o)
We topped it off with a gentle 3 miles this evening with Lorna's eldest daughter, who has the makings of a very fine runner herself.

So I've racked up just over 68 miles, and now I'm going to have a short taper before the Half on Sunday.

It's at Draycote Water.
It's a pretty enough place, but I'm not that keen on running laps of the same reservoir where you can pretty much see the whole of the 4.71mile loop, and it magnifies the distance.

I think it's unlikely that I'll post another PB - but if I do - the FIRST thing I'm going to have to do after the 10-in-10, is target some nice courses for those best times :)

I had quite a good 5-miler too :o)

Unlike Leon, I didn't run a PB at the Centurion Grand Prix 5-mile race yesterday. But I DID run a PB for the current series, break 40 minutes for the first time in over a year, and persuade my head to let me run sustainedly at lactate threshold.

38.45, with reasonably even splits. The 7.45mm average pace is slower than my current half-marathon PB pace, so I don't expect to pull any rabbits out of hats when we go back to Draycote Water for the Mick'n'Phil Half-Marathon next weekend. I do, however, intend to front-load this week's training, have a micro-taper, and give it my best shot :o)

I'm very pleased at how smoothly I recovered from the Draycote Water Marathon. My legs were slightly leaden on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I had no other ill effects and certainly no longer get any of the metabolic disruption that's commonly associated with marathon-running.

Last week's training:

Total Mileage: 73.05 miles
Profile: 6.84% racing at an average pace of 7.45mm, 93.16% easy running at an average pace of 9.53mm.
Longest run: 14.12 miles at 9.47mm pace, on Thursday.
Niggles: Still got a slight twinge under my left 4th metatarsal head, though it has improved over the week. And I took a tumble 11.5 miles into Thursday's run which took the skin back off my newly-healed left knee and left me with scuffed palms and sore upper arms.
Sofa-spud days: Saturday.

A Good Week (well, 8 days!!)

I have done another 62 mile week this week - the same as last week - and I'm really pleased with that.
For most of the week, I have been feeling the effects of the Draycote Marathon, and the effort that I put in there, and so I have again been keeping the intensity down - and getting the miles in.

I raced the Centurion Grand Prix 5 mile today.
This is my running club, and the series is a fantastic one to participate in. There were a couple of folk that I wanted to have a decent chat with - which I managed to do - and I was going to warm up by running around the 2K fun run with my younger son.

Legs were feeling a bit tired, to be honest. But my calves, which had been a little tender since last Sunday, appeared to be behaving themselves.
So I thought that I'd give the race a decent shot - and have a crack at my pb - which stood at 31:05.

There was a larger-than-normal field of fast whippety blokes today (and some VERY speedy girls!!) so I settled in just behind that group at the start.
Legs felt strong - if a little lethargic - and the first mile was a 5:58.
I felt OK at that pace, actually, and was quite surprised to be sub 6

On to the second (longer) lap, and I went past a club mate who tends to set off a little fast and then slow up a little after 2 miles. Ahead were three runners, including Thomas, another fellow club member, that I set about targeting to see if I could catch.

Mile 2 was 6:07. Pretty pleased with that too

Mile 3 was mostly into the wind - and it was at about this point that I started to really feel the fatigue. I was running strongly, my legs were simply a bit tired, and although they weren't 'weakening', I simply couldn't make them turn over any faster.
6:20 showed this!!!!

For all of Mile 4 I could see that I was getting closer to Thomas, and I overtook him pretty much as Mr Garmin chirped for the Mile.
6:17 - so holding the pace reasonably well.

I tried to kick on when we came to the one small uphill there is on the course - I could hear Thomas trying to pull me back on it - but I can DO hills.... and by powering up it, and knowing that there was less than a mile to the finish - that seemed to give me more impetus.

There is a very tight turn with about 500m to go, and I glanced back to see that I had a reasonable cushion. And 100m later I tripped on an virtually invisible stone, and fell.
I was up very quickly, and hadn't lost much time, but felt like my running rhythm had been completely disrupted.

I did what I could to run in strongly to the finish, and was VERY pleased to see that I was under 31 minutes, and the last mile was 6:09, including the fall.

It rounded off a very nice 8 days, and shows that the volume and intensity of the training I've been doing has made me stronger and slightly faster overall

Short recovery run this evening was delightful.