My 21k Training

[Ciaran]

Hi Ed,

July was a very mixed batch with so much travel and work but I still managed to get in a few runs per week, even if they were only 30 minutes. This week I managed to get in some intervals (my favourites from the 3 week schedule ) and 2x60minutes.

I'm doing the Tough Mudder next week so I'll just get in a few more 30 minutes and perhaps one longer run tomorrow (probably a 90 mins easy) just to have some sort of cardio going for that. I'm not too pushed on that since we're doing it as a team and 2 of the guys will be walking most of it.

The following week I would like to get back into the full training program as I'm doing a 16.5km trail run in November. I'll be doing it with a work colleague and we're on about the same pace (my pace has dropped considerably over the last 8 weeks but I'm not too worried about getting it back) and so we'll do a time trial next Monday or Tuesday to see where we stand.

Also, great news from the doc last week. My left knee can be sorted with physiotherapy. He said that the patella is not central and that I need to do some exercises for that alongside the physio treatment. He still okayed my training too. I start my phyio on Monday for that.

[TheEd]

nice Ciaran .. as for the knee .. light quadricep strength sessions should work for the patella

look forward to your 4k feedback

TheEd

[Ciaran]

Hi Ed,

So another month passes and so did much of my training. Very little done to be fair.

My work colleague wasn't able to train with me yet but I did my own 4km TT about two weeks ago and it was at 5.35 avg. Seems I lost a lot of fitness!!

I crazily decided to join another friend in a half marathon on the 14th September. I did a 90minute session last Friday and I only managed 15.5km and to be fair, I felt it.

Any tips for what I can do over the course of 10 days to help as much as possible. At this rate anything under the 2 hour mark for the half would be fine since it was very last minute and I'll be doing this more for the heck of it.

[Ciaran]

Oh, and my new physio is really putting me through my paces. She's brilliant. I'm starting a weekly course with them that does a light 15 min warm up run and then half an hour of focused stretches and the like and then another 15 min warm down. Looking forward to that.

[TheEd]

its incredible what runners do when they know it is wrong

hope physio sets you out on the straight and narrow

TheEd

[Ciaran]

Hi Ed.

Just to let you know about the half marathon yesterday. I clocked a 1.54 dead. I was very surprised given the really bad preparation that I did. Feeling a bit sore today if truth be told but nothing too much more than I did the after my first few big runs. I'll rest up for another day or two and then it's back out at it properly for the 16.5km in November

Feeling good that I only dropped 4 and a half minutes since May and I really didn't do a whole lot of training.

[TheEd]

training is very much about allowing the natural ability to come to the fore

train allow for adaptation and from every little bit, there will no doubt be an improvement

well done

take it easy this week and enjoy

TheEd

[Ciaran]

Hi Ed,

The November run feel through so I've just been trying to get out and do some running as normal but lacking motivation.

I've signed up for 2 halves and another Tough Mudder all one week after the other for next May. So I started back out this week with the normal schedule. Phew it's been tough already so I'm glad I started earlier than I did for the half I did this May (that's my local one so it's also the one I try to use as my benchmark).

I'll keep you posted as to how the training is going.

I also have a question from a friend. She is also doing one of the runs with me in May and, whilst she's not a terrible runner, her new job means that she can only really run on the weekends and perhaps 1 or 2 days during the week. Any tips or training plans for this kind of a schedule?

Thanks.

[Ciaran]

Hi Ed,

Training is goin pretty well. Clocked 18.5km on my last big run and I'm getting about half a kilometre faster with each cycle. The intervals have been easy enough so I'm thinking of adding another rep into each set. What so you think? This weeks time trial will be interesting as I hit a 5km in 25mins flat last week whilst aiming for 26minutes. I'll keep you posted about the time trial and hopefully be able to work out the times properly as I think (hope) they'll be the first under 5 minutes.

[TheEd]

ciaran, how about a 4k time-trial, so we can move you up accordingly

over to you

TheEd