This week was all about getting back running again. Managed 48 miles in the end, all laboured, trundling easy running, but running (jogging perhaps) all the same.
My main thought on training for this week is that drinking until the early hours followed by a 20 mile run a few hours later on a hot day don't make for a relaxing Sunday.
Having struggled out of bed after not enough sleep, and still having wine in the system I thought it would be good to have some company on my long run so I headed to join some Chasers (http://www.chaser.me.uk/) on an amble around Hampstead Heath and Highgate Woods. As much as it was good to have the company the run reminded me of the joys of running long runs by myself. Getting up at 6am and running by myself is one of the only times it's possible to find solitude in London, a chance to see that it is possible to find peace here...if it is sometimes punctuated by drunken fashionistas rolling out of too cool to imagine Dalston parties.
Derwentwater Trail Race is coming up in a couple of weeks. Had planned to have a go at a top 10 finish after 8th at Hawkshead earlier this year, I think this is out now as my pace is well down, but should still be a beautiful run. I have also been given my stage for the Round Norfolk Relay (http://www.roundnorfolkrelay.com/) - stage 12 - the longest at 19.67 miles and in the middle of the night....I need to get training!
Monday 24 August 2009
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Getting Reflective
I have set up this blog to write down my thoughts on my running; how it links to my life, my creativity, family and try to find a way of releasing some of the thoughts that so often disappear before I can reflect on them.
Although this will largely be about running I am beginning to see running, or even just movement or travel, being nomadic as something that links together all parts of my otherwise wandering life.
I have been off injured for 2 weeks...this has made me a bit reflective about my running. I have decided that now I am back running again I need to start getting a bit more focused on my training in order to achieve my ultimate ambition of achieving a sub 2.40 marathon. Below is some background I posted on http://www.fetcheveryone.com/ (running website)...this is where I am at;
'Having spent the last 11 days out with a calf injury I thought it was a good time to get a bit reflective about my running to try to remind myself that I have improved, what I need to do to get where I want and why I have got so frustrated not running over the last couple of weeks.
On a whim I entered the 2007 Bath Half Marathon. Didn't really do that much training, about 10-15 miles a week in the gym, and was pretty in active at the time. Was surprised on race day that I managed to get 1hr 40 minutes something as I was hoping to break 2 hours.
Summer came and went and running slipped a bit after moving to London from Oxford. Decided later in the year to have a stab at the Barns Green Half off a massively increased training programme of 15 miles a week. I was disappointed to just miss out by a few seconds on breaking 1.35.
Yet again running slipped and during Christmas 2008 Dad was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. I made a commitment to myself then that I was going to try to mentally get some control over this uncontrollable situation by entering the 2008 Berlin Marathon and doing a few other cycling and running races during the year to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK....January came and went...February came and went...
2008 Bath Half Marathon was looming large and I committed to doing 20mpw for 3-4 weeks with a bit of cycling. I broke 1.30 and for one of the only times in my running career crossed the line pleased with how I'd done. From here, I naively told myself, if I could run 1.29 for a half, I could run sub 3 hours for a full marathon (6 minutes 52 seconds a mile pace).
Running then took a back seat a little as I raced (slowly) a couple of long distance cycle races before picking up running again in April doing Hawkshead Trail race before really start regular training in May. I thought training for Berlin went well. I had not joined a running club and I was doing about 30 miles per week (mpw), sometimes 35 - all pretty hard - generally marathon pace or 'tempo' - although I'd not heard of the term at the time. I ran Belper Rugby Rover in August and was surprised and delighted to come 18th, especially after getting lost.
Pressed through August on about 35mpw and managed to break 40 minutes for the first time in a 10k at the Nike Human Race in early September. 3 weeks before Berlin and I joined local running club Mornington Chasers, meeting my regular training buddy Simon who was also running Berlin aiming to break 3 hours. I managed a couple of 45 mile weeks just before the marathon which was more than I ever thought I'd manage. Race day came...I got the start line believing in myself that I could break 3 hours...even though I had only gone under 1.30 for a half twice (once at Bath and once in training) and hammered my body to a sub 40 10km only a few weeks previously....perhaps again naivety. Still there I stood in the sub 3 pen and luckily bumped into Simon from the club. We ran together and I remember thinking ‘this is all so easy’ – we were just flowing along…I went through half in 1.25 taking nearly 5 minutes of my half pb in the process. At 18 I was beginning to feel it and Simon pulled away. By 22 I was clinging on to dear life to 7.30s and by the finish I was knackered. I crossed the line in 3 hours and 1 minute and I was gutted, really gutted. Simon managed a fantastic 2.51. Looking back this is how I know I was naive. I should have been so happy with 3.01 off an average of less than 35 miles a week with no structure or plan…still when you believe with you heart you can do something then don’t achieve it it hurts.
It was not long after this that I heard I had my ballot place for 2009 London Marathon and this gave me a focus…now having some support of Alex and Simon at Mornington Chasers I began to realise how limited my training for Berlin had been. I got my mileage up to a regular 40mpw through until Christmas doing lots of hills and managing 01.01.27 at the Cabbage Patch 10 – which was the first time I had run a race which suggested I could break 3.
Mileage built through the early part of 2009, I thought I was doing a lot but looking back my average mileage for the run up to London did not go above about 46mpw…even though I managed a 70 and an 80 mile week. Speedwork never really kicked in and although I was supported and more consistent I never had much of a plan or real structure. 2009 Bath Half came up and I was really sure I could break 1.20. I finished in 01.20.11 and was again gutted having started off way too fast at 5.45 miling. Not stopping to think for one minute that this had taken nearly 10 minutes of my time from the previous year and that that might be a good thing!
However I felt fit, and I was sure I could target 2.49 especially after I ran Asics breakfast 16 miler averaging 6.14 a mile and getting progressively faster. I felt even more confident after finishing 8th at Hawkshead Trail race (taking 15 minutes off my time from the previous year) beating quite a few top runners including the woman who finished 10th in the Commonwealth Games Marathon. London came and although it was hot I am small and felt confident I’d be ok. For once I did not think I had started off too fast. I went through half way at 1.24.59 – bang on target and felt so good. Yet I began to get more and more dehydrated and I could not take on enough water and gels to stay energised without feeling very sick. Began to wilt and cross the line in 2.54.55…instead of having elation at breaking 3 for the first time I was disappointed I’d not achieved my target. Again I had not stopped to think that given the conditions I’d be better to adjust my targets…2.49 was the very best I could have achieved and on the day if I had aimed for 2.52 instead I reckon I could have done it.
Post London I had planned to start again, working on speedwork, intervals, tempo and get my 10k and half marathon times down before aiming for a ‘good’ time at Berlin 2010. A few weeks of this was going OK and I won my first race, a hilly off road 11k which reinforced my feeling that off road racing suited me best. However I did not feel I was really improving much, and my legs were killing.
Taking stock with a bit of advice from people here I changed my plan to forget all out speed work concentrate on PMP, general race paced running, tempo/threshold and more miles…
Then I strained my calf and here I am.
Sorry that was a ramble and not really for public consumption just for me to look back. This time last year I had not run more than 35 miles in a week, I had only recently broken 1.30 for a half and had not year managed a sub 40 10k. A year later I have a 2.54 marathon, a 1.20.11 half and a 37.07 10k….all of which I felt totally dissatisfied with when I achieved them. I think really it has been a good year, I have even won my first race, but I needed to take the time to reflect to understand this.
Going forward I think it helps to have a long term goal. I think, genuinely think that I can at some point run a sub 2.40 marathon before I start to slow down. This is my aim. I don’t feel that I have even begun to train properly yet. I have not looked at the efficiency (or lack of it) of my technique, I have not regularly run anywhere near the mileage required (for me anyway) to make dramatic improvements and I have only run about 5 tempo/threshold runs this year.
So here I am making a commitment to look at my technique and improve the efficiency of my running, to increase the quantity and quality of my mileage (my 46 mpw average for 2009 really needs to be closer to 80) and to do so in a structured way. I am committing to looking after my body more – to stretch, to spend the money on massage or coaching where needed. But above all I am committing to trying to be pleased with some of the improvements I do make going forward. I will always be hard on myself, it’s just the way I am…but I don’t want to stop running having spent 90% on my races being disappointed. Partly this is down to being over ambitious, a little, although I genuinely believe I can achieve what I want to, partly it is down to still being early in my running life and wanting to make big improvements all the time, but mainly I think it’s down to me needing to be more structured and committed in the way I train.'
Tom
Although this will largely be about running I am beginning to see running, or even just movement or travel, being nomadic as something that links together all parts of my otherwise wandering life.
I have been off injured for 2 weeks...this has made me a bit reflective about my running. I have decided that now I am back running again I need to start getting a bit more focused on my training in order to achieve my ultimate ambition of achieving a sub 2.40 marathon. Below is some background I posted on http://www.fetcheveryone.com/ (running website)...this is where I am at;
'Having spent the last 11 days out with a calf injury I thought it was a good time to get a bit reflective about my running to try to remind myself that I have improved, what I need to do to get where I want and why I have got so frustrated not running over the last couple of weeks.
On a whim I entered the 2007 Bath Half Marathon. Didn't really do that much training, about 10-15 miles a week in the gym, and was pretty in active at the time. Was surprised on race day that I managed to get 1hr 40 minutes something as I was hoping to break 2 hours.
Summer came and went and running slipped a bit after moving to London from Oxford. Decided later in the year to have a stab at the Barns Green Half off a massively increased training programme of 15 miles a week. I was disappointed to just miss out by a few seconds on breaking 1.35.
Yet again running slipped and during Christmas 2008 Dad was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. I made a commitment to myself then that I was going to try to mentally get some control over this uncontrollable situation by entering the 2008 Berlin Marathon and doing a few other cycling and running races during the year to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK....January came and went...February came and went...
2008 Bath Half Marathon was looming large and I committed to doing 20mpw for 3-4 weeks with a bit of cycling. I broke 1.30 and for one of the only times in my running career crossed the line pleased with how I'd done. From here, I naively told myself, if I could run 1.29 for a half, I could run sub 3 hours for a full marathon (6 minutes 52 seconds a mile pace).
Running then took a back seat a little as I raced (slowly) a couple of long distance cycle races before picking up running again in April doing Hawkshead Trail race before really start regular training in May. I thought training for Berlin went well. I had not joined a running club and I was doing about 30 miles per week (mpw), sometimes 35 - all pretty hard - generally marathon pace or 'tempo' - although I'd not heard of the term at the time. I ran Belper Rugby Rover in August and was surprised and delighted to come 18th, especially after getting lost.
Pressed through August on about 35mpw and managed to break 40 minutes for the first time in a 10k at the Nike Human Race in early September. 3 weeks before Berlin and I joined local running club Mornington Chasers, meeting my regular training buddy Simon who was also running Berlin aiming to break 3 hours. I managed a couple of 45 mile weeks just before the marathon which was more than I ever thought I'd manage. Race day came...I got the start line believing in myself that I could break 3 hours...even though I had only gone under 1.30 for a half twice (once at Bath and once in training) and hammered my body to a sub 40 10km only a few weeks previously....perhaps again naivety. Still there I stood in the sub 3 pen and luckily bumped into Simon from the club. We ran together and I remember thinking ‘this is all so easy’ – we were just flowing along…I went through half in 1.25 taking nearly 5 minutes of my half pb in the process. At 18 I was beginning to feel it and Simon pulled away. By 22 I was clinging on to dear life to 7.30s and by the finish I was knackered. I crossed the line in 3 hours and 1 minute and I was gutted, really gutted. Simon managed a fantastic 2.51. Looking back this is how I know I was naive. I should have been so happy with 3.01 off an average of less than 35 miles a week with no structure or plan…still when you believe with you heart you can do something then don’t achieve it it hurts.
It was not long after this that I heard I had my ballot place for 2009 London Marathon and this gave me a focus…now having some support of Alex and Simon at Mornington Chasers I began to realise how limited my training for Berlin had been. I got my mileage up to a regular 40mpw through until Christmas doing lots of hills and managing 01.01.27 at the Cabbage Patch 10 – which was the first time I had run a race which suggested I could break 3.
Mileage built through the early part of 2009, I thought I was doing a lot but looking back my average mileage for the run up to London did not go above about 46mpw…even though I managed a 70 and an 80 mile week. Speedwork never really kicked in and although I was supported and more consistent I never had much of a plan or real structure. 2009 Bath Half came up and I was really sure I could break 1.20. I finished in 01.20.11 and was again gutted having started off way too fast at 5.45 miling. Not stopping to think for one minute that this had taken nearly 10 minutes of my time from the previous year and that that might be a good thing!
However I felt fit, and I was sure I could target 2.49 especially after I ran Asics breakfast 16 miler averaging 6.14 a mile and getting progressively faster. I felt even more confident after finishing 8th at Hawkshead Trail race (taking 15 minutes off my time from the previous year) beating quite a few top runners including the woman who finished 10th in the Commonwealth Games Marathon. London came and although it was hot I am small and felt confident I’d be ok. For once I did not think I had started off too fast. I went through half way at 1.24.59 – bang on target and felt so good. Yet I began to get more and more dehydrated and I could not take on enough water and gels to stay energised without feeling very sick. Began to wilt and cross the line in 2.54.55…instead of having elation at breaking 3 for the first time I was disappointed I’d not achieved my target. Again I had not stopped to think that given the conditions I’d be better to adjust my targets…2.49 was the very best I could have achieved and on the day if I had aimed for 2.52 instead I reckon I could have done it.
Post London I had planned to start again, working on speedwork, intervals, tempo and get my 10k and half marathon times down before aiming for a ‘good’ time at Berlin 2010. A few weeks of this was going OK and I won my first race, a hilly off road 11k which reinforced my feeling that off road racing suited me best. However I did not feel I was really improving much, and my legs were killing.
Taking stock with a bit of advice from people here I changed my plan to forget all out speed work concentrate on PMP, general race paced running, tempo/threshold and more miles…
Then I strained my calf and here I am.
Sorry that was a ramble and not really for public consumption just for me to look back. This time last year I had not run more than 35 miles in a week, I had only recently broken 1.30 for a half and had not year managed a sub 40 10k. A year later I have a 2.54 marathon, a 1.20.11 half and a 37.07 10k….all of which I felt totally dissatisfied with when I achieved them. I think really it has been a good year, I have even won my first race, but I needed to take the time to reflect to understand this.
Going forward I think it helps to have a long term goal. I think, genuinely think that I can at some point run a sub 2.40 marathon before I start to slow down. This is my aim. I don’t feel that I have even begun to train properly yet. I have not looked at the efficiency (or lack of it) of my technique, I have not regularly run anywhere near the mileage required (for me anyway) to make dramatic improvements and I have only run about 5 tempo/threshold runs this year.
So here I am making a commitment to look at my technique and improve the efficiency of my running, to increase the quantity and quality of my mileage (my 46 mpw average for 2009 really needs to be closer to 80) and to do so in a structured way. I am committing to looking after my body more – to stretch, to spend the money on massage or coaching where needed. But above all I am committing to trying to be pleased with some of the improvements I do make going forward. I will always be hard on myself, it’s just the way I am…but I don’t want to stop running having spent 90% on my races being disappointed. Partly this is down to being over ambitious, a little, although I genuinely believe I can achieve what I want to, partly it is down to still being early in my running life and wanting to make big improvements all the time, but mainly I think it’s down to me needing to be more structured and committed in the way I train.'
Tom
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