Week 10 – Solid progress 8/10 week
Getting closer now, last long workout in the bank and time to taper. So volume gradually dropping whilst maintaining intensity to avoid any feeling of flatness
Monday 13/11: 30 mins of Yin Yoga, slow and easy stretching out of body followed by cyclic hyper-ventilation day. 4 rounds of 40 connected breaths, followed by progressive holds.
Tues 14/11 (A) Running easy, nasal – right calf still tight from Sunday’s long run. A combination of long distance and really poor sleep over the last couple of nights, reducing my body’s capability to repair itself. Heavy rain and wind – cutting right across fields on way out and arrowing into my left eye. New ArcTeryx rain coat so much better than previous version. Globes wringing wet. Way back a lot more pleasant as driving wind / rain behind me. 14k / 1h 11m
Weds 15/11: (A) SHARPENING SPEED – felt good. Easy, nasal run to Reculver Towers from Herne Bay, then 3 x (4 x 45s on / 90s recovery) off 2.5 mins easy. Good to get some faster work in as missing this over the last 4 weeks, making it hard to get speed down. Averaging around 3’19 over the lot. Ended up running 23 extra reps as messed around with watch.
Thurs 16/11: (P) All nasal recovery run. Really blustery wind, dark with some rain in the air. Into the wind on the way back so settled in for the ride. Right calf still a little tight. 14.km / 1h 13m
Fri 10/11: (A) Moved long run due to wind / weather and time. Weather was amazing. Train to Whitstable to run back and dial in / test out paces to run at Valencia. Ran away from home up to Rose & Crown pub on Joy Lane to start, then 7 x 3k cut downs, each time running a pace that may want to run around the same manner on the day. Going through the gears:
1. 13’04 / 4’21/km
2. 12’58 / 4’19/km
3. 12’42 / 4’13/km
4. 12’38 / 4’12/km
5. 12’30 / 4’10/km (down the muddy field)
6. 12’18 / 4’06/km
7 11’55 / 3’58/km
Intended to stay relaxed – too fast on everything from 3 onwards, better to be holding around 4’15/km until 5, and then 6 & 7 like 5 & 6. 4’20 comfortable, 4’15 down harder (probably 4’10) but again good progress as ran a half in 1’28:05. Looking like around 3h 3m to 3h for the marathon. 28k / 2h 5m
Sat 18/11: (A) Ran walked Park Run with Jen. I ended up like a clothes horse carrying all the wet weather gear. 5k 38m
Sun 19/11: (A) Easy, nasal. Tried a new route, through Birchington, down a long private road parallel to the sea wall which took me to a livery yard that was then all blocked off, so unable to go any further and so headed back across to the sea wall. Continued along here into the brisk wind. So much easier running home with the wind. Right calf still tight, occasionally right hip twinged.
Positives – Long run on the Sunday definite move forwards
To learn – Drop volume, maintain intenisty
Time for week: 8h 25m
Distance: 92km
Split Over / under pace of 4:22/km 76%/24%
Long run = 30% of distance
Total stress points – (which for me is rate of perceived effort X time as a simplistic metric to look at) 1601.
