Rain brings a run alive

So went out on my normal route (25'21) so a bit off my pb but there was traffic. I think I can go much faster, need to dig in.

Anyway, it was warm, humid and then the rain came. I can't get myself out for a run if its already raining. Just can't do it. But if I'm running and the rain comes down (especially in the summer) it just feels great. It revitalises you, makes you feel like you're living and achieving. The senses quicken, touch on your skin as rain mixes with sweat, cooling you, muddying you, refreshing you.

Loved it.

Training Comparison *updated*

In October 2008 I found out I had a place in the 2009 London Marathon. My training progression over the next 7 months went a bit like this, on my longest runs:

02/10/08 - 2.2 miles in 00:21 minutes
05/10/08 - 6.3 miles in 01:09:11
20/11/08 - 6.98 miles in about 1 hr
30/12/08 - 12 miles. No idea of time
10/01/09 - 9.82 miles in 01:29:18
21/02/09 - 13.44 miles in 02:45 (this one should have been my clue!)
30/03/09 - 19.22 miles in 03:25:00 (5.6mph @ 10:40 minute miles)
26/04/09 - 26.2 miles in 04:47:04

December 29th 2009 and I found out I had a place in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon.

01/01/10 - 9.46 miles in 01:18:23
04/01/10 - 9.63 miles in 01:23:17
17/01/10 - 11.47 miles in 01:41:39
15/02/10 - 13.36 miles in 01:56:4
27/02/10 - 16.19 miles in 02:21:51
13/03/10 - 19.22 miles in 02:59:49 (6.4mph @ 9:24 minute miles)
20/03/10 - 20 miles in 03:13:04 (6.22mph @ 9.39 minute miles)
28/03/10 - 18.14 miles in 03:15:52 (5.6 mph @ 10.48 minute miles)
05/04/10 - 16.5 miles in 02:24:40 (6.8mph @ 8.48 minute miles) 

I'll update this as I do longer runs. Hopefully see some progress and improvement on last time!

16 miler and stiff knees

I ran this today



It's quite similar to this run except stayed on road for the last part which made it half a mile longer. It was tough going in strong winds today and I felt like I was running well, but ended up with the same pacing as before. Right now I'm stiffer than something that can hardly move.

The facts are: 16.5 miles, 02:24:40 6.8mph @8.48 minute miles. Not sure I can keep that up for another ten miles though

Long run improvement

So not quite a year ago I did this 19.22 mile route, a mix of off-road by the river and road, it took me 3:25:52 at 10:40 minute miles and 5.6mph. And that was my only run close to 20 miles before doing the London marathon and dying around mile 21.

This time around I'm determined to get more of these long runs in so I'm much better prepared come marathon day in about 6 weeks time. So I repeated the route so I've got a direct comparison of progress from last year. However going into it I was still concerned about my right foot and the pain in the mid-sole and I felt it all the way around. I had various points where I could cut my run short if I needed to. I was able to get all the way around, but after ten days of enforced rest and not being brilliantly prepared this morning with food or hydration, I was a bit worried.

I shouldn't have been though with a time of 02:59:49 at 9:24 minute miles and 6.4mph, I was (and still am) really pleased. That's a massive improvement and gives me hope for around 4hours and not the 4:47 of last year.

Here's the route again:

 

Pleased with my latest long run

After nearly two weeks since my last long run (enforced by a dodgy stomach), I was pleased with today's effort. 16.19 miles in 2:21:51. That works out at 08:48 minute miles and 6.9 miles per hour. Plus miles 11-12 include a long uphill and between 13-14 miles it was really muddy and hard to be quick and upright! I was really pleased that I finished the second half strongly again and at the same pace as the first half. That shows some improvement.

By comparison my last long run of 13.36 miles was also run at 08.41 minute miles and 6.9mph so nearly three miles further at the same pace. So at that pace I'm looking at a 03:50 marathon, which would be an improvement by an hour! Only have to keep that pace up for another 8 miles though!

Here's the route:

New Long Run

I did this run today. 13.36 miles in 1 hr 56' 45. 8.41 minute miles or 6.9 mph. Felt ok.

Long run (16/01/2010)

I ran this today, took it steady and wanted to spend about 1hr30 on my feet, in the end it was 1'41, so probably a bit too steady!

11.47 miles in 1'41'39. 8'54 minute miles and 6.8 miles per hour

Another 9 miles

Managed to get another decent run in today. It was a slight deviation of this route because of the explosion in Shrewsbury at the weekend.

Friday's run was 9.46 miles covered in 1:18:23 at 8.18 minute miles at 7.2 mph
Monday's was 9.63 miles covered in 1:23:17 at 8.34 minute miles at 6.9 mph

In my defence, today was busier traffic wise, slightly longer as I did a detour, colder, and was my third 10 mile run in a week (I ran with the club on the 29th over the highest peak in Shropshire). So take all that into account and I'm pretty pleased.

First run of the decade

So I'm in the London Marathon for 2010. Good news. Got to start picking up the miles though. So my first run of the new decade was this one: 9.46 miles in 1hr 18'23 doing 8.18 minute miles and around 7.2 miles per hour. Be nice if I could keep that up for 26.2 miles. But I can't. At least not now.

Some more progress

For the last few weeks I've only been running once and if I'm lucky twice a week. I last blogged about the upcoming handicap run.

I ran 26'59 against a best of 25'47 last year. Went for a run today and clocked 25'29 and had plenty in the tank (or so I think), so quite pleased with that. 1'30 improvement on last time and quicker than last year by '16, so I've got to be looking sub 25 minutes. I'll try and do that this week and see how I feel at the end.

Progress

Just under a year ago I ran the route below for the first time(clocked 29'42), ran it a few days later (29'36) and then in a time trial with the club (25'47). I know the run is coming up again soon so I thought I'd give it a go. Didn't push it as we have a time trial on Wednesday and just to gauge where I was at...clocked 26'59. I'll run it later in the week and pick it up again. So if I measure it against a year ago, I'm almost 3 minutes quicker. If I can be 3 minutes quicker on the time trial itself I'll be really happy.

New personal best

I regularly run a 3.43 mile (5.52km) route from my house, it fits my routine. But for a while I've been stuck at just over 26 minutes. 26'09 to be precise. Even allowing for waiting for traffic on one of the 4 road crossings I was still slower than I thought I should be on this run.

Today was good though - 8am Saturday morning. Virtually no traffic so I hardly had to cut my pace to cross the roads at all. I made an effort to get the pace up early and dig in to keep it up if I could. Got home in 24'48. Really pleased. 1'21 off my previous best and even allowing for the lack of traffic that was a big improvement. But it's still over 7minute miles and I think I can do better than that.

If I turned that into a 5km race it would be over a minute slower than my PB. Time to raise my sights a bit

Getting quicker

This run has become my stock run at the moment. It takes me half an hour on a slow day, so is manageable with work and family. But it also offers a nice opportunity to run by the river, and put in some quick times if I want. I'm trying to push myself on this run at least once a week - yesterday I managed 26' 08. Those 8seconds were a bit disappointing, because it would be nice to get to a 25min, but a sub 25min for 3.43miles is what I'm aiming for.

Getting back into the groove

So it's a while since the marathon now (about 6 weeks) and I'm just beginning to get back into the running groove. I've done a couple of club runs but mostly I've been jogging this 3.43 mile route.
I've felt various aches and pains but I've managed these times:

1. 29' 36
2. 30' 17
3. 30' 31

Which is OK but I need to push myself a bit more and pick the speed up. Tonight I ran in a 5k race at Park Hall, Oswestry and finished in a time of 22' 24. I'm reasonably pleased as I twice had to do up my laces and finished with plenty in the tank. Good to be back on the road

Last club run

So last night we had an alternative out at Ironbridge. I'd map it but I've no idea where we went. What I do know is that the steps were an absolute killer but several miles of steep hills and trail runs were a good last run before the marathon. I feel in decent shape and I'm hoping if I can be disciplined with the hydration I'm on course for a reasonable time.

Sweat, contacts and on time

Not many more training runs left now, not much more time to make any adjustments. I did this run today



9.82 miles in 1 hour 28 minutes 39 seconds which is exactly my target 9minute mile pace. I just need to keep that up for another two and a half hours!! Today is a warm day (18 degrees) and if its anything like that in London the key will be hydration. I didn't take enough with me today and so I slowed in the second half, so these ten miles weren't evenly paced which is my aim on the day. A bit disappointingly I was only 40 seconds quicker than in January, although if I count in the contact lens stop (see below) that would probably be nearer 2-3 minutes but I think if I get my hydration right and maintain a steadier pace I should be ok.

Secondly, sweat. I had one small stop as sweat ran into my eyes and dislodged a contact lens which both stung like anything, was tricky to put back in and slowed me up for at least two minutes.

The knee is OK but I felt it a bit in the last mile.

Testing the knee

So no runs 4 whole days and 3.43 miles today. I've been worried, the knee has felt pretty sore and I've not wanted to run on it. But today was a glorious day and too nice not to run. So started pretty gentle and kept to roads and flat track. I ran this route which 6 months ago took me 33m 40sec. Today on a recovery run I completed in 28m 47 sec, nearly a 5 minute improvement on a test run for a dodgy knee. So I have to be pleased with that. The average pace was 8.5 minute mile although that wasn't even, I guess I was 9minute miles for the first half and 8 minute for the return. It's quicker than I need to be on the day to get 4 hours and running in a group should help.

7 miles in new shoes

After a couple of frustrating runs - too much mud, too much kit, too aching limbs - it was good to get out and run a decent time over a decent distance. 7 miles just under an hour. 8.30 minute miles. Nice to run in some new kit too.

Run in the rain

Had a really busy week and just didn't run at all - that's not no exercise but it is no running and the marathon is way too close for comfort for that to happen again. So out I went today and club run tomorrow. So today was a loosener for tomorrow which will be a loosener for a long run on Saturday (I hope about 15-16 miles). It was pretty wet but I quite enjoyed that but getting the right amount of gear to avoid getting either too cold or too hot is quite tricky. Anway 4.58 miles in 38 minutes, 7 miles an hour and if I kept that up I'd run a marathon in 3 hours 40 something. Possible? Hmmm.

Run 1

A combination of poor weather, a weeks holiday and some general idleness have slowed me up a bit which is not good when there's only 68 days to go to the marathon. I'm running tomorrow night with the club so I went out for a loosener and ran run1 and ran a reasonable 19.56 and it was a loosener. I might try a quick one on that next week but I need to get a long run in this weekend. I think it needs to be 13 miles this week. I'll allow myself 2 hours.