I had a bit more time yesterday morning as I had a later start in the City. So I thought I'd make an effort to try some hill reps.
I identified a long hill which increases in gradient closer to the top. It turned out it was about 250m. My results were: 1km warm-up in 6:14, then 6 reps of 1:22 uphill with 2:00 walk downhill, and then 2.04km in 11:28 to finish. Total of 5.74 km in 37:45.
I can certainly feel some sore muscles today, which I don't normally experience - so that must be good, right?
I need to do a few more of these sessions in the next 2 weeks to prepare as much as I can for City to Surf.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Running in the Rain...
It wasn't too cold this morning, but shortly after I set out - it started to rain. Not too heavy, but it still took some effort not to turn back and head home. So an achievement that I did finish the intended run.
Which was : 7.25km in 40:32 at 5:35/km pace.
I still find it difficult to stick to the 6:00/km pace as prescribed by my training plan for an Easy run. Surely it should be as easy as... just slow down, but it feels bio-mechanically odd to run so slow.
Maybe with a bit of consistent training over the spring months I can improve my fitness and speed so that an Easy run pace will be 5:30/km. That'd put my Half Marathon target time back to what I did in 1994 - sub 1:40!
Anyway, what I was also pleased about was that I kept the pace up on the final stretch up a long hill. Not quite Heartbreak Hill proportions, but every bit of training helps.
My number came through for City to Surf today... 19023.
Which was : 7.25km in 40:32 at 5:35/km pace.
I still find it difficult to stick to the 6:00/km pace as prescribed by my training plan for an Easy run. Surely it should be as easy as... just slow down, but it feels bio-mechanically odd to run so slow.
Maybe with a bit of consistent training over the spring months I can improve my fitness and speed so that an Easy run pace will be 5:30/km. That'd put my Half Marathon target time back to what I did in 1994 - sub 1:40!
Anyway, what I was also pleased about was that I kept the pace up on the final stretch up a long hill. Not quite Heartbreak Hill proportions, but every bit of training helps.
My number came through for City to Surf today... 19023.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
1 Year On...
I just checked my Blog from 19th July 2005.
Coincidentally, I ran the same route this morning as I did on that day a year ago.
Last year I used Google Earth to estimate 7.32km in 38:00 so that's 5:11/km pace. This year my Imaginary Friend reported 7.10km in 37:03 at 5:13/km pace.
So the only significant difference that the year has made is that now I have my Imaginary Friend!
I'd planned to run this years' City to Surf with two friends from Singapore. So rather than enter into Group A based on my sub 100 minute finish last year, I entered into Group B so that we could run together.
I should have known better. They just advised me that work commitments will prevent them coming over. So I've given up my Group A opportunity for nothing!
It probably won't make too much difference. Starting from Group B last year gave me a good chance to run from the gun at my own pace. It was just at drink stations that it got a bit congested. Perhaps an advanced start may have eased that situation slightly.
Oh well, I should be able to beat 100 minutes again this year (despite my disrupted training) so I'll look forward to joining Group A next year.
Coincidentally, I ran the same route this morning as I did on that day a year ago.
Last year I used Google Earth to estimate 7.32km in 38:00 so that's 5:11/km pace. This year my Imaginary Friend reported 7.10km in 37:03 at 5:13/km pace.
So the only significant difference that the year has made is that now I have my Imaginary Friend!
I'd planned to run this years' City to Surf with two friends from Singapore. So rather than enter into Group A based on my sub 100 minute finish last year, I entered into Group B so that we could run together.
I should have known better. They just advised me that work commitments will prevent them coming over. So I've given up my Group A opportunity for nothing!
It probably won't make too much difference. Starting from Group B last year gave me a good chance to run from the gun at my own pace. It was just at drink stations that it got a bit congested. Perhaps an advanced start may have eased that situation slightly.
Oh well, I should be able to beat 100 minutes again this year (despite my disrupted training) so I'll look forward to joining Group A next year.
Monday, July 17, 2006
4 Weeks to Go...
I've got a couple more runs in since I last blogged.
On Friday I did an Easy paced 6.36km in 35:54 at 5:38/km. That's even a bit faster than my prescribed pace of 6:00/km. But it felt easy enough!
Then I went for a longer run on Sunday, finishing 10.42km in 1 hour at 5:45/km pace. Again, it's a bit faster than I need to go but I just kept to a comfortable pace.
The weather has been a bit warmer in the mornings - probably due to the overnight cloud cover. Thankfully it hasn't been too wet as a result either.
It's about time I got a few of those different sessions in (hills / speed etc) to make the most of these last few weeks.
I keep seeing the entry form at home for the Half Marathon. I should probably give that a go again this year. But I just don't think I've got enough training in to improve on my time from last year. Maybe I'm missing the point...?
On Friday I did an Easy paced 6.36km in 35:54 at 5:38/km. That's even a bit faster than my prescribed pace of 6:00/km. But it felt easy enough!
Then I went for a longer run on Sunday, finishing 10.42km in 1 hour at 5:45/km pace. Again, it's a bit faster than I need to go but I just kept to a comfortable pace.
The weather has been a bit warmer in the mornings - probably due to the overnight cloud cover. Thankfully it hasn't been too wet as a result either.
It's about time I got a few of those different sessions in (hills / speed etc) to make the most of these last few weeks.
I keep seeing the entry form at home for the Half Marathon. I should probably give that a go again this year. But I just don't think I've got enough training in to improve on my time from last year. Maybe I'm missing the point...?
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
One Week On...
Now that the World Cup is completely over, I can get my life back to normal and start running consistently again.
It was a week since my last run - so plenty of time for my body to rest, ha ha! I set out on my usual 6+km route with no particular strategy in mind - apart from just to get round. Thankfully I was successful at that and managed a fairly quick time (for me) - although I was completely knackered afterwards. 6.28km in 33:02 at 5:15/km pace.
I need to continue for the next 4 weeks and 5 days, for that is all that's left until City to Surf (gulp)! Perhaps some good quality hill sessions as well as some long weekend runs would be in order.
I think given the disruption this year to my training, I should be happy with a time under 80 minutes.
It was a week since my last run - so plenty of time for my body to rest, ha ha! I set out on my usual 6+km route with no particular strategy in mind - apart from just to get round. Thankfully I was successful at that and managed a fairly quick time (for me) - although I was completely knackered afterwards. 6.28km in 33:02 at 5:15/km pace.
I need to continue for the next 4 weeks and 5 days, for that is all that's left until City to Surf (gulp)! Perhaps some good quality hill sessions as well as some long weekend runs would be in order.
I think given the disruption this year to my training, I should be happy with a time under 80 minutes.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Back to Reality...
The fantasy was obviously thinking that England had any chance of winning the World Cup!
What a disappointment. Even the matches they won / drew weren't exactly high class opposition.
So now that's all over, I can get back to running.
I got out this morning with no great ambition, bearing in mind it was almost 3 weeks since I'd last run.
I thought 6km would be OK. But what I didn't anticipate was how quickly last nights dinner would have worked its way through my system... at the most inconvenient location... public toilets were locked, so I had to make use of another council facility - an isolated spot in the council offices car park. That'll teach them!
So I only made about 5km. And now I'm aching a bit. It could be the shock to the unused muscles or it could be more seriously due to the drizzly rain giving me a chill. Nothing too serious I hope!
It's less than 6 weeks to go until City to Surf, so I better make a final push and get in some quality sessions if I have any chance of a successful finish.
What a disappointment. Even the matches they won / drew weren't exactly high class opposition.
So now that's all over, I can get back to running.
I got out this morning with no great ambition, bearing in mind it was almost 3 weeks since I'd last run.
I thought 6km would be OK. But what I didn't anticipate was how quickly last nights dinner would have worked its way through my system... at the most inconvenient location... public toilets were locked, so I had to make use of another council facility - an isolated spot in the council offices car park. That'll teach them!
So I only made about 5km. And now I'm aching a bit. It could be the shock to the unused muscles or it could be more seriously due to the drizzly rain giving me a chill. Nothing too serious I hope!
It's less than 6 weeks to go until City to Surf, so I better make a final push and get in some quality sessions if I have any chance of a successful finish.
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