This week real life, and work, get in the way. A work excursion to Milton Keynes meant two runless days (why didn't I take my kit?) and the resulting catch-up did for the Wednesday run.
I punished myself at the club session with a full 7 reps of the Memorial Park in Bridge of Allan on the Thursday and set myself for the 15 mile stretch that the weekend was supposed to cover.
Sunday was the Sport Relief mile, and I completed this (3 miles in all, on Glasgow Green) with my son and daughter. Good fun, but not the scheduled slog I was supposed to be doing. Knocking out 10 miles that evening didn't really do the necessary, but it did keep the mileometer ticking over, albeit 10 miles short of the weekly mileage required. I'm a slave to the programme.
The other interesting thing this week (is any of this interesting?) is the offer of £3 a mile sponsorship - a princely £78 if I finish the marathon - from a colleague, provided I help him get a PB in the Dumyat Hill race. I'm no coach, I can demotivate myself very easily, but this is a tempting offer. I didn't intend running this race, it is too close to marathon day, but I'm quite happy to shout abuse at him from half-way up the hill.
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Week 7 - Steady as she goes.
A good steady week, with nice runs round the town on Tuesday and Wednesday and a good club session on the Thursday, fartleking around Riverside.
Fartlek is where you run at pace for sections of your run, between agreed points. It can be a nice way of speeding up the run and making the whole thing a bit more enjoyable, despite the comedy name. It is a Swedish word meaning "speed play". But you knew that, you can use wikipedia just as easy as I can.
The aforementioned session was interrupted by a drunken ned who took it upon himself to try and create a bit of bother. Too fast for him, I'm afraid, but it must have been quite a spectacle, librarian being chased over the Old Brig in Stirling by Buckfast-boy.
The week ended with another 13 and a half miles over North Third. Nice as this run is, it is time to look for a new route as the longer runs now enter unknown territory - 15 miles and more.....
Fartlek is where you run at pace for sections of your run, between agreed points. It can be a nice way of speeding up the run and making the whole thing a bit more enjoyable, despite the comedy name. It is a Swedish word meaning "speed play". But you knew that, you can use wikipedia just as easy as I can.
The aforementioned session was interrupted by a drunken ned who took it upon himself to try and create a bit of bother. Too fast for him, I'm afraid, but it must have been quite a spectacle, librarian being chased over the Old Brig in Stirling by Buckfast-boy.
The week ended with another 13 and a half miles over North Third. Nice as this run is, it is time to look for a new route as the longer runs now enter unknown territory - 15 miles and more.....
Week 6 - Run, Fat Boy, Run.
Like some creeping addiction it gets hold of you, the need to run. Despite creaking knees and demands to spend time more productively in other ways, the week starts with 5 straight days of running. Over 8 miles on Monday around Riverside and the castle in Stirling, a quick 3 mile loop around the new Forthside development (see how the fantastic new bridge is coming along) and the same Wednesday 6 and a half miles as last week.
Missed the club session and settled for a few miles on the treadmill, just to remind myself how very dull that sort of running is and that I don't like doing it.
The week ended on a high with participation in the Lasswade (http://www.lasswade-ac.org.uk/) 10 mile road race on Sunday morning. I have factored in a couple of races as part of the training (also doing Alloa Half Marathon in a couple of weeks) to keep the speed work going and to add some spice to the longer runs. The course is pretty hilly, with a nasty climb at 3 miles and a long slog at mile 5-6, but enjoyable nonetheless and followed by a very nice buffet including cream scones, lovely. Happy enough with a finish time of 1 hour and 15 mins.
Missed the club session and settled for a few miles on the treadmill, just to remind myself how very dull that sort of running is and that I don't like doing it.
The week ended on a high with participation in the Lasswade (http://www.lasswade-ac.org.uk/) 10 mile road race on Sunday morning. I have factored in a couple of races as part of the training (also doing Alloa Half Marathon in a couple of weeks) to keep the speed work going and to add some spice to the longer runs. The course is pretty hilly, with a nasty climb at 3 miles and a long slog at mile 5-6, but enjoyable nonetheless and followed by a very nice buffet including cream scones, lovely. Happy enough with a finish time of 1 hour and 15 mins.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Week 5 - 30 miles!
The week started with the odd knee twinge on an otherwise fine run over the dam at Pendreich behind Bridge of Allan. It was nice to be "off-road" for a spell and the views were great. I do take the point that in preparing for a road race most training should be done on the road, but it was nice to get a break on some softer ground.
The midweek runs are getting longer than work lunchhour permits, this week's 6 and half miles through Cambuskenneth and Cornton was borderline. Next week will move the Wednesday run to the evening, which will impact at home, hopefully not too seriously. I'll just have to get a move on.
A good club session was followed at the weekend with almost 13 miles on Sunday morning over North Third. There are few things sweeter that gliding along in the morning sun, birds a-twittering and the reservoir glittering. Well, I'm sure there are sweeter things, tablet for example, but it was pretty good anyway.
The midweek runs are getting longer than work lunchhour permits, this week's 6 and half miles through Cambuskenneth and Cornton was borderline. Next week will move the Wednesday run to the evening, which will impact at home, hopefully not too seriously. I'll just have to get a move on.
A good club session was followed at the weekend with almost 13 miles on Sunday morning over North Third. There are few things sweeter that gliding along in the morning sun, birds a-twittering and the reservoir glittering. Well, I'm sure there are sweeter things, tablet for example, but it was pretty good anyway.
Week 4 - Up the hill backwards.
For some 5 miles is a long run, it certainly is for me on some days, but in preparing for a marathon I'm given to understand that the weekend long runs (getting longer by the week) are the key to success.
Hal's model suggests progressively longer runs, with a step back evey third week - so 8, then 9 then back to 6, then 11, 12 and back to 9 and so on. This week's long run was 12 miles and we ended up doing 13 over the back road round North Third and down through Bannockburn. In a fit of enthusiasm, I elected to go the tough way round this well worn course - anti-clockwise where the hills are steeper. They were steeper than I recalled, but the run was done without too much of a problem on the day, but the old knees are beginning to show wear and tear and I'll need to be a bit more careful about taking rest days. Still, halfway there.
Other than that, the week's runs went fine, I did 3 miles as a figure of eight round the campus loch at Stirling University on the Friday which I haven't done for years, too short a distance for us finely tuned athletes, don't you know.
Hal's model suggests progressively longer runs, with a step back evey third week - so 8, then 9 then back to 6, then 11, 12 and back to 9 and so on. This week's long run was 12 miles and we ended up doing 13 over the back road round North Third and down through Bannockburn. In a fit of enthusiasm, I elected to go the tough way round this well worn course - anti-clockwise where the hills are steeper. They were steeper than I recalled, but the run was done without too much of a problem on the day, but the old knees are beginning to show wear and tear and I'll need to be a bit more careful about taking rest days. Still, halfway there.
Other than that, the week's runs went fine, I did 3 miles as a figure of eight round the campus loch at Stirling University on the Friday which I haven't done for years, too short a distance for us finely tuned athletes, don't you know.
Week 3 - Getting tougher.
An unnecessary long run on Monday (7 miles) meant that this week's rest day was on the Tuesday, not part of the schedule but changing the running schedule is about as rock-an-roll as I get. Straightforward enough 6 mile run round Bridge of Allan on the Wednesday and and easy 3 miles at the club (Central AC) session on the Thursday.
The interesting part of this week was the weekend away in Weardale, Frosterley to be precise. Saturday morning saw 7 and half miles in glorious sunshine on the back road from Frosterley to Stanhope and we knocked off 4 and half miles on the Weardale way in the direction of Wolsingham on the Sunday. Again lovely, and set me up nicely for the hefty breakfast of Michael Moore's square sausage with haggis. To die for (or is that to die from?).
I say we. Many runs are done alone, but I have also done a good number with friend, neighbour and Central AC compatriot Liam, who has been instrumental in dragging me on runs that I might otherwise have talked myself out of doing. I owe him a debt of gratitude. I think.
The interesting part of this week was the weekend away in Weardale, Frosterley to be precise. Saturday morning saw 7 and half miles in glorious sunshine on the back road from Frosterley to Stanhope and we knocked off 4 and half miles on the Weardale way in the direction of Wolsingham on the Sunday. Again lovely, and set me up nicely for the hefty breakfast of Michael Moore's square sausage with haggis. To die for (or is that to die from?).
I say we. Many runs are done alone, but I have also done a good number with friend, neighbour and Central AC compatriot Liam, who has been instrumental in dragging me on runs that I might otherwise have talked myself out of doing. I owe him a debt of gratitude. I think.
Friday, 1 February 2008
Week 2 - The Road to Aberdeen
So far, so good. Currently just slightly ahead of Hal's less-than-punishing schedule. 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday and another 5 (made up of hill reps) on Thursday.
The weekend's long run was special as I was be in Aberdeen and I mapped out a 9 mile route up the Old Deeside Line. If you are ever in the city, this is highly recommended. The path starts at the Duthie Park and runs out of the city as far as Peterculter, some 10 miles out. The original stations and platforms are all still there, but you should resist the temptation to make choo-choo noises as you pass through the stations, it attracts attention. It's a fine run, and much less windswept than the beach, where most Granite City runners seem to go.
This is my first marathon and many have said that it is folly to take on such a challenge at my age (42 by race-day), but given that I'm not taking this up from a standing start (so to speak) I should be OK. It seems to be the thing to do if you run at all, even at my rather lowly level. Also, if I don't do it soon, I'll sink into alcohol-soft middle-age and never get it done.
The weekend's long run was special as I was be in Aberdeen and I mapped out a 9 mile route up the Old Deeside Line. If you are ever in the city, this is highly recommended. The path starts at the Duthie Park and runs out of the city as far as Peterculter, some 10 miles out. The original stations and platforms are all still there, but you should resist the temptation to make choo-choo noises as you pass through the stations, it attracts attention. It's a fine run, and much less windswept than the beach, where most Granite City runners seem to go.
This is my first marathon and many have said that it is folly to take on such a challenge at my age (42 by race-day), but given that I'm not taking this up from a standing start (so to speak) I should be OK. It seems to be the thing to do if you run at all, even at my rather lowly level. Also, if I don't do it soon, I'll sink into alcohol-soft middle-age and never get it done.
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