I just took 4 days off after my first 21k outing. Two weeks ago, after my first 19k, took 5 days off. I don't know if this augers very well for my preparation.
My first run after the 21k was today and it was painful and slow getting started but I was able to get up to a 12kmh pace for half an hour without the discomfort getting worse. When I finished I stretched and drank lots of water, ate a big plate of pasta and drank a glass of wine. I intend to get a good nights sleep and hope for the best. Tomorrow will be a day off. The next day I intend to put in 10k at a very decent pace and the next 3 days I will be in Paris without my running shoes. The evening I get back I hope to put in a quality little run which will be my last hard run before doing 23k a few days after that.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Monday, 21 June 2010
weeks 14 and 15
week 14
6k run (27 min)
Week 15
7k run (35 min)
4.5k run (25 min) 5k bike (10 min)
21 k run (1h59min)
Drinking:
Over the two weeks I must have had about 30 glasses of red including two types of Pic Saint Loup, some Bordeaux (specific training), and some Baume de Venise.
I also had a little Rosé and some late harvest from Gard. Muscat. A San Miguel beer and a Cognac.
After my first 19km run at the end of week 13 my legs went on strike. I did not have any serious problems but the level of muscle fatigue seemed to stay the same for 5 days after the run. So I did what I do best and I took it easy for a while.
My last outing was a 21k run. I used the 10 to 1 run to walk formula consistently after the first 12k. I did the last half of the run at a stadium so that I could check the accuracy of my pedometer and it was pretty good, just a tad stingy. I figure that should balance out given that the pedometer continued to tick over while I walked. I was able to keep up a pace of 10kmh during the running segments which I am happy enough with for now.
I need to find a way to reduce my recovery time so that I don't need 5 days rest after every long run. One of the more obvious things I can do is bring more water for my long runs. I only drank 500ml during my 2 hour/ 21k outing. I drank lots more after but it probably would have been wise to have drunken more during. The following day I sat on my but and ate lots of lamb and downed wine and beer and rosé and cognac from noon till midnight.
This is 3 days after and I don't feel up to running today but I may go for a swim and try a light jog tomorrow.
6k run (27 min)
Week 15
7k run (35 min)
4.5k run (25 min) 5k bike (10 min)
21 k run (1h59min)
Drinking:
Over the two weeks I must have had about 30 glasses of red including two types of Pic Saint Loup, some Bordeaux (specific training), and some Baume de Venise.
I also had a little Rosé and some late harvest from Gard. Muscat. A San Miguel beer and a Cognac.
After my first 19km run at the end of week 13 my legs went on strike. I did not have any serious problems but the level of muscle fatigue seemed to stay the same for 5 days after the run. So I did what I do best and I took it easy for a while.
My last outing was a 21k run. I used the 10 to 1 run to walk formula consistently after the first 12k. I did the last half of the run at a stadium so that I could check the accuracy of my pedometer and it was pretty good, just a tad stingy. I figure that should balance out given that the pedometer continued to tick over while I walked. I was able to keep up a pace of 10kmh during the running segments which I am happy enough with for now.
I need to find a way to reduce my recovery time so that I don't need 5 days rest after every long run. One of the more obvious things I can do is bring more water for my long runs. I only drank 500ml during my 2 hour/ 21k outing. I drank lots more after but it probably would have been wise to have drunken more during. The following day I sat on my but and ate lots of lamb and downed wine and beer and rosé and cognac from noon till midnight.
This is 3 days after and I don't feel up to running today but I may go for a swim and try a light jog tomorrow.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Running from the law, Week 13
Exercise:
8km (45 min, inc 6 times 4min fast)
5km (35 min), 400m swim (10 min Sea)
19km (1hr 50min)
Drinks:
cross training: Kronenberg,Killian Irish red ale, Isle of Jura single malt whiskey.
Specific training: L'Allée du Roy, Médoc, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, 2008. This was exceptional. I was not expecting such finesse from an inexpensive 2008 Bordeaux. If I see any more of this stuff I am going to grab up some more bottles and drink them right away.
Other wine: St. Daumary, Voila la Printemps, Pic St. Loup. This is an old faithfull of mine. It's too bad that I took it out to a social occasion and barely got a glass of it before it was drained by others.
My long run this week was done under 32 degree heat. I hugged the shade wherever I could and drank 1/2 a liter of water as I went. Nineteen km is the longest distance I have ever run and I discovered a problem doubtless known to many long distance runners. Where to run? I am lucky to have a 5 km path near my place but it is not so interesting as to merit going up and back more than once. I was obliged to do a bit of exploring. I found a park which is used for outdoor theatre and music festivals. Currently this park is doing something called "les nuits Tsiganes" which means there were quite a few caravans and circus tents but apart from the scattered security guard and several faux Greek sculptures in the woods there was no one around. When they closed their gates I had to find somewhere else to accumulate the rest of my kilometres. The next place I discovered was an abandoned, half overgrown, high school track. Certainly this was private property but it was a good find for me in spite of its lack of shade. In France it is illegal to have your shirt off, (with the exception of beaches). So, in defiance of at least two local laws I finished the remainder of my kms.
I don't know if it was the heat, my faster runs in the week or a slight lack of sleep but I was far more tired after just 5km than I was, at that stage, last week when I did a 14km long run.
I drank some organic, fair trade chocolate milk after my run and it tasted great without all that after taste of exploitation.
8km (45 min, inc 6 times 4min fast)
5km (35 min), 400m swim (10 min Sea)
19km (1hr 50min)
Drinks:
cross training: Kronenberg,Killian Irish red ale, Isle of Jura single malt whiskey.
Specific training: L'Allée du Roy, Médoc, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, 2008. This was exceptional. I was not expecting such finesse from an inexpensive 2008 Bordeaux. If I see any more of this stuff I am going to grab up some more bottles and drink them right away.
Other wine: St. Daumary, Voila la Printemps, Pic St. Loup. This is an old faithfull of mine. It's too bad that I took it out to a social occasion and barely got a glass of it before it was drained by others.
My long run this week was done under 32 degree heat. I hugged the shade wherever I could and drank 1/2 a liter of water as I went. Nineteen km is the longest distance I have ever run and I discovered a problem doubtless known to many long distance runners. Where to run? I am lucky to have a 5 km path near my place but it is not so interesting as to merit going up and back more than once. I was obliged to do a bit of exploring. I found a park which is used for outdoor theatre and music festivals. Currently this park is doing something called "les nuits Tsiganes" which means there were quite a few caravans and circus tents but apart from the scattered security guard and several faux Greek sculptures in the woods there was no one around. When they closed their gates I had to find somewhere else to accumulate the rest of my kilometres. The next place I discovered was an abandoned, half overgrown, high school track. Certainly this was private property but it was a good find for me in spite of its lack of shade. In France it is illegal to have your shirt off, (with the exception of beaches). So, in defiance of at least two local laws I finished the remainder of my kms.
I don't know if it was the heat, my faster runs in the week or a slight lack of sleep but I was far more tired after just 5km than I was, at that stage, last week when I did a 14km long run.
I drank some organic, fair trade chocolate milk after my run and it tasted great without all that after taste of exploitation.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Running debates
www.sport-fitness-advisor.com
If you go to this site and look up the beginer's marathon training schedule you will see the plan that I am roughly trying to follow.
Its basic and has many of the same elements as you will see laid out in other plans such as increasing weekly long runs and a fartlek two out of three weeks. It also has a bit of cross training to mix it up.
In contrast to this plan here are some interesting articles that dispute the precepts underlying the kind of guide I am using.
www.active.com
go to - running
then - Articles
then - Eleven_major_marathon_mistakes
and - 27 Ways to run better every day
The points of contention are:
-walking with running
-weekly long runs
-water and energy drinks
-stretching or not stretching
Walking with running:
One side says it helps prevent injuries, helps people finish marathons and in some cases even imroves people's times.
On the other side they say this notion is absurd, how can you get to A to B faster by doing part of it slower.
I think that both are right. The first aproach is probably the better one for most of us beginners or relative beginners. If you walk for part of the distance you reduce the repetetive strain and doing it segments gives the runner breaks in which they recover a little force, all the while advancing towards there objectives (improved health and the finish line). It possibly even helps certain people that might have run the whole distance but finished with a longer time because their running was hampered by more pains and strains than they would have had with walking breaks and a faster rythm during the running segments which acount for the majority of the time( most are 10 min running for every 1 walking).
Weekly long runs:
The vast majority of marathon preparation plans include 1 increasingly long run each week followed by a tapering off period just before the marathon. The argument raised against this type of preparation is that it does not give the runner sufficient recuperation time to be effective during their other training runs where they should be running harder and faster over a shorter period of time/distance. They argue that there should be fewer long runs to favour higher quality short intensive runs.
I can't say that I have much of an opinion on this. I try to do a little of both. If that helps me finish a marathon great and if not it should probably be good for my health and make me a better all around runner anyways. At least this is my present reasoning.
Water and Energy Drinks
There is one camp which thinks energy drinks should be drunk to the exclusion of water because water dillutes their effectiveness and absorbtion and many people take to mutch water and over hydrate.
I am yet to take an energy drink while running and I am hesitant to start because I don't like sugar, I easily develop cavities and at heart I am a bit of a naturalist. I can more easily imagine myself in the no gels or energy drinks camp than in the opposite -drink energy products to the exclusion of all else.
My biggest marathon fear is having digestive problems mid route, the wine, cheese and raw oysters in the Medoc marathon will already be big enough challenges for this.
To stretch or not to stretch?
Personally I warm up and cool down by walking and I do a bit of stretching before I hit the shower. I have heard people with equally impressive credentials argue vehemenently on both sides of this debate and I don't know what to make of it.
I would be interested in hearing other views on this.
If you go to this site and look up the beginer's marathon training schedule you will see the plan that I am roughly trying to follow.
Its basic and has many of the same elements as you will see laid out in other plans such as increasing weekly long runs and a fartlek two out of three weeks. It also has a bit of cross training to mix it up.
In contrast to this plan here are some interesting articles that dispute the precepts underlying the kind of guide I am using.
www.active.com
go to - running
then - Articles
then - Eleven_major_marathon_mistakes
and - 27 Ways to run better every day
The points of contention are:
-walking with running
-weekly long runs
-water and energy drinks
-stretching or not stretching
Walking with running:
One side says it helps prevent injuries, helps people finish marathons and in some cases even imroves people's times.
On the other side they say this notion is absurd, how can you get to A to B faster by doing part of it slower.
I think that both are right. The first aproach is probably the better one for most of us beginners or relative beginners. If you walk for part of the distance you reduce the repetetive strain and doing it segments gives the runner breaks in which they recover a little force, all the while advancing towards there objectives (improved health and the finish line). It possibly even helps certain people that might have run the whole distance but finished with a longer time because their running was hampered by more pains and strains than they would have had with walking breaks and a faster rythm during the running segments which acount for the majority of the time( most are 10 min running for every 1 walking).
Weekly long runs:
The vast majority of marathon preparation plans include 1 increasingly long run each week followed by a tapering off period just before the marathon. The argument raised against this type of preparation is that it does not give the runner sufficient recuperation time to be effective during their other training runs where they should be running harder and faster over a shorter period of time/distance. They argue that there should be fewer long runs to favour higher quality short intensive runs.
I can't say that I have much of an opinion on this. I try to do a little of both. If that helps me finish a marathon great and if not it should probably be good for my health and make me a better all around runner anyways. At least this is my present reasoning.
Water and Energy Drinks
There is one camp which thinks energy drinks should be drunk to the exclusion of water because water dillutes their effectiveness and absorbtion and many people take to mutch water and over hydrate.
I am yet to take an energy drink while running and I am hesitant to start because I don't like sugar, I easily develop cavities and at heart I am a bit of a naturalist. I can more easily imagine myself in the no gels or energy drinks camp than in the opposite -drink energy products to the exclusion of all else.
My biggest marathon fear is having digestive problems mid route, the wine, cheese and raw oysters in the Medoc marathon will already be big enough challenges for this.
To stretch or not to stretch?
Personally I warm up and cool down by walking and I do a bit of stretching before I hit the shower. I have heard people with equally impressive credentials argue vehemenently on both sides of this debate and I don't know what to make of it.
I would be interested in hearing other views on this.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Fartlek
Today's goal was 6 times 4 minutes fast with one minute walking and watering breaks in-between. My first 4 minutes were definitely faster than the rest. I soon realized that there was no way I would be able to hold on to that pace so the subsequent 4 minute segments were decidedly slower. In all, I did somewhere around 6k in 30 minutes. In the first 4 minutes I did around 1.2k but my legs told me that that wasn't gonna happen again. In the next "fast segment" I did about 800 meters and I stayed at around that pace for the others. The last one was actually 5 minutes and I did over 1k because I was feeling the exhilaration of nearly being finished what felt, at times, a bit like torture.
I find these "fartleks" hard to get started and even tougher to finish. However, I have read that these are very important for developing a runner's capacities and varying ones routine so I am going to keep at it.
I prefer to do these in the gym on the treadmill so that I know that my speed is constant for each and during each speed segment. Today I did it at the stadium and I was not always in the same lane so all my measurements of speed and distance are merely estimates.
I have no idea if I am doing these "fartleks" (hate that name) correctly. When I have attempted them in the past at the gym I usually do 13kmh for the "fast" parts and 8kmh for each recuperation minute. This time I walked during the recuperation.
If anyone would like to share their wisdom on the best ratios and duration I am keen to receive their knowledge.
I finished the day with a glass of organic chardonay to go with delicious ginger, garlic, sesame chicken and a glass of Minervoise red to go with some Basque Etorki cheese and black cherry fruit spread.
I find these "fartleks" hard to get started and even tougher to finish. However, I have read that these are very important for developing a runner's capacities and varying ones routine so I am going to keep at it.
I prefer to do these in the gym on the treadmill so that I know that my speed is constant for each and during each speed segment. Today I did it at the stadium and I was not always in the same lane so all my measurements of speed and distance are merely estimates.
I have no idea if I am doing these "fartleks" (hate that name) correctly. When I have attempted them in the past at the gym I usually do 13kmh for the "fast" parts and 8kmh for each recuperation minute. This time I walked during the recuperation.
If anyone would like to share their wisdom on the best ratios and duration I am keen to receive their knowledge.
I finished the day with a glass of organic chardonay to go with delicious ginger, garlic, sesame chicken and a glass of Minervoise red to go with some Basque Etorki cheese and black cherry fruit spread.
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