Thursday 4 September 2014

Now it really has been a while!

As the title says, it's been ages since I last posted!
That doesn't mean to say I haven't done anything - I've done plenty, just not intense 6 days a week.
And to be honest, I've missed the aches and the pains, so time to get back in the proverbial saddle!

I really miss those 15+ long runs at a weekend! I don't know many people who can do those sort of miles, so back to it!

The plan (ish)

Monday night - run, fells while the light good minimum 6 miles
Tuesday night - badminton, I'll use this as a tempo speed session
Wednesday - run, same as Monday
Thursday - badminton, I'll use this as a tempo speed session
Friday - run - road / trail session
Saturday / Sunday a long run on the fells and if time another run too!

Running alongside these sessions I will incorporate body weight exercises, core sessions, heavy punch bag work, stepper etc.

I do like body weight sessions. Last year I was doing 1000 squats in a session, 10 x 100

I've recently discovered the  map my run app so will be experimenting with that compared to my garmin watch.

Anyway all this will kick off this weekend.
I plan on getting up to 50+ miles a week by October 1/2 term.

As with most plans I do think you need a goal to aim for - I'll be putting a few hours thinking time into that one.
After running the Coniston Marathon last year I do fancy something similar or maybe longer to aim for, Haworth Hobbles 33 miles? Who knows ... Yet!

So there we have it - time to put some serious running sessions in again!

Monday 16 April 2012

It's been a while!

It's been a while since I last posted.
So ... here we go.
Since February, I've missed less than 10 days training of some form or other!
Times, I've doubled up and completed 2 sessions in a day.
now, you would think at this point that I felt great?
Not quite great, but pretty good moving towards being tired!
My conundrum now is, do I keep pushing, or rest up more?
I'm thinking of backing off mid week and increasing my weekend long run.
Long runs at the moment are 13 - 15 miles, so I'm thinking of increasing to 18 - 20 miles at weekends.
My worry is, I'll increase weekend runs and still be training with the same intensity mid week too.

Last week did a steady 13+ miles out to Peel tower and back - felt weary coming back, not sure of most of that ended up in my head though!? That's what happens occasionally on longer runs.

Typical training at the moment consists of -

Monday - 5 mile hilly run or cross training (turbo) for the same time it would take me to run a steady 5 - 6 miles, increasing intensity as I train.
Tuesday - Badminton 70 mins fast session.
Wednesday - Run 7+ miles
Thursday - Badminton 70 mins fast session
Friday - Turbo as above up to an hour
Saturday - rest or up to 5 mile run
Sunday - Long run 15 hilly miles

= 30 - 35 miles running a week + 2 hard badminton sessions, + up to 2 hours turbo

Trying to up the running to 40+ miles a week, my problem as is most peoples is time!!

13 weeks until the marathon.
26.2 miles and 3,200 ft of climbing!!
Can't wait!!

Saturday 11 February 2012

Where we're up to

OK, I know it's been a while since I last posted.
Work has been very busy, but I have managed to keep training.
My routine has been increased (slowly) which is good and I feel pretty fit at the moment.
I'm managing to get some sort of exercise in every day, or almost every day of the week and have been able to do so for the last month!
Training usually consists of 2 to 3 runs a week, a longer / ish run at the weekend. Another run at the weekend and a run midweek, this tends to be a hill session.
In between There is the trusty bike session. This is turbo and tough that I've increased to an hour a session, this I normally do 3 to 4 times a week.
Badminton 2 times a week - fast and furious, great for anticipating and quick feet.
On top of all this, plenty of walking and specifically for leg strength, body weight squats! I've been doing these in a variety of sets, depending upon how I feel, what exercise I've done prior etc. However I tend to complete 8 sets of 50 - 400 squats a day. The plan is to up this to 10 sets of 50 or more to equate to 500 squats a day.

Half term this week, so the running will be increased significantly, plus the mileage. The trick with this is to not over do the running. The recommended rule of thumb is to increase by 10%, no more. I reckon, I'll increase by much more, maybe 50%. I've done this in the past and been fine, touching as much wood as possible.
Time will tell.
I'll try to get a number of long runs in over the week, 15+ miles at a time and also have a recce over Pendle.

Saturday 24 December 2011

30+ miles this week

Compared to the last few weeks the amount of running has been upped.
Sunday was 12 miles, 1800 ft, Tuesday was 8 miles 1300 ft and Thursday was 8 miles and 1500 ft plus 2 lots of badminton and a turbo session.
Anyway, the hardest run so far for me was Thursdays run.
We, that's me, Nick and Dave set off along the Great Hameldon race route. We've run this literally hundreds of times. The race is 6 miles and 1100ft, doesn't sound too difficult and to be honest, the first half wasn't.
The initial climb up through the coppice was ok, the run out towards the 'Golf Ball' was fine. After that, the ground was completely saturated and what were paths had turned into streams. What was damp moorland was now thigh deep bogs!
So, the first climb to the top of Great Hameldon, now not on the race route was tough going. Every step was taken with care to make sure you didn't disappear up to your waist.
After the climb to the trig, we ran off Hameldon, (great fun a fast decent!)
We followed Nick, always a mistake who took us off track for a while until he managed upon the right path again.
This time we ran up through the stream, that used to be a path before returning to the bottom of Hameldon again. The climb to the top was tough!
Finally at the trig, while Dave and I were having a quick drink, Nick saw his opportunity and started on the descend. Sneaky or what. The run off Hameldon is great, but quite technical following the race route. There are plenty of rocks and boulders sticking out of the moorland. It also has the potential to be pretty quick.
We caught up with Nick, had a quick chat and moved on. This section for the next couple of miles is either downhill or flat so you can up the pace here to race pace - good fun, but hard.
The last climb is only about 300ft, but drags. After climbing this it's an easy run home.

A good run out, but one I found pretty tough!
The trig on Hameldon Hill - very wet - and if it's wet on top it's really wet lower down!

Friday 23 December 2011

Last weeks training

Before I forget to update, this was the summary of last weeks training.
I've added Nick's first, as he keeps pestering me!

4 week of training    11th December  Weight 14stone 7lbs 2 ozs
Back on the diet  and aim for 20+ 
SUNDAY
Mytholmroyd
7
ND
Mytholmroyd  fell race 1350feet hard race wet
MONDAY


ND
1 Circuit gym
TUESDAY
Liver Hill
4
D
600feet
WEDNESDAY



Rest
THURSDAY
Hambleden hill
6
D
Ran with Dave  1000 feet
FRIDAY




SATURDAY

11

1800 feet training  run with Mark. Felt great
 11th- 17th



Rest
Total running 28 miles  all hard running due to weather


My training for last week is ...
Weight 11 stone 5lbs
Try for 30+ miles next week.

SUNDAY
Run – 6 miles, hilly run
Good
A hilly loop session around Musberry Heights etc.
MONDAY
Rest
TUESDAY
Badminton
Good
Badminton 1hr – fast and furious
WEDNESDAY
Rest
THURSDAY
Bike - Turbo
Good
40 minutes, tension at 30, after 20 minutes revs above 100.
FRIDAY
Hill session
Good
4 miles of hill work in 40 minutes. Up hill 100m, down 50m repeat
SATURDAY
Good
11 mile run with Nick, 1800 ft of climbing, good stuff!
27th – 3rd
Bike – Turbo
Squats 4x50
Situps 4x50
Good
55 minutes, tension at 30, after 20 minutes revs above 100. Felt great


Overall a good ish week. It was really busy at work, so struggled to get decent time on feet running in. Something that will change with the holidays looming!

Monday 19 December 2011

First snowy run in ages!

On Saturday morning, Nick and I set off at 8.30am for the first snow run we've had probably since this time last year. Over the last few months we've had lots and lots of rain. Because of this, the water table level is really  really high at the moment and the ground is completely saturated. Hence the run was wet, boggy and tough to run on, at times through!!
Anyway, steady. The run was one of those that I had been thinking of doing for some time. The run included road, trail and fell with plenty of climbing. The first 40 minutes were totally up hill.
I do enjoy runs that I haven't run before.
I'd checked the run out on the OS map and worked it out to be about 10 miles.
10 miles really isn't too difficult to get round, but 10 miles through snow and bog definitely took its toll.
On returning home the watch showed we hand run 12 miles and climbed around 1,800 ft.
A great run, felt pretty good, but a lot tougher than I imagined.


Fantastic views, but tough to get through - I suspect there will be a few more of these runs.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Nick's training

As I was having an enforced rest week through injury, Nick was still up and at them, managing three runs for the week, including a local fell race, whilst also visiting the local gym!
Me thinks he's too much time on his hands and needs to get some proper work done.

Nick's training schedule is below


3 week of training    4th December  Weight 14stone 7lbs 2 ozs   Target to run 25 miles. Do a best time on Liver hill so I can do a PB 30th March
SUNDAY
Bolton by Bowland
8 x 800
ND
Bolton by Bowland 2010 result 68min 14sec  / 2009 -  75min 56sec poor weather. – G diet
MONDAY

2.5
ND
Gym  1 circuit – G diet
TUESDAY
Liver Hill
5 x 800
D
Run with Dave
WEDNESDAY



Day off
THURSDAY



Day off
FRIDAY

4
ND
Road run with Mark
SATURDAY


D
Party night
4th – 10th




Total run 19.5 miles dropped of training for a couple of days
4 week of training    11th December  Weight 14stone 7lbs 2 ozs