Sub 40min training advice please

[Determinator]

Hello Ed Things have been going well again since my last 10mile road race. What hasn't been going quite so well is my computer has a virus so I am presently at my friends using his computer. Last night we completed Day 12 which should have been Day 11 rest. Other than missing one day of easy 30 mins we have done each session again as prescribed. The speed sessions have yielded the following results:

Day 3 5x2k Av 8mins 3secs average per 2k from memory.
Day 8 6x1k Av 3mins 51secs per 1k from memory
Day 12 5k. Total 19mins 49secs which is a PB and the first ever time that I have ran 5k under 20mins!!
1st km 3mins 49secs Av hr? 161max
2nd km 3mins 54secs Av hr161, 162max
3rd km 3mins 58secs Av hr163, 165max
4th km 4mins 4secs Av hr167, 167max
5th km 4mins 4secs Av 168, 169max

As you can see I am well pleased with the 5k and am sure that the 2k, 1k times would have been better than last time if it hadn't have been so windy. They were exactly the same times as last time we did them!

Our next race is on Monday 31st August and is a 10k partly road and partly trail race. I'll do 30mins easy today. What day should we start with tomorrow and what do we do each day up until the race?

All the best
D

[TheEd]

nice going D and congrats on the 5k

you can start with Day1 on Tuesday and we can reshuffle things around over the last few days before the race

unless you have other suggestions?

What day have you been doing the 2000's and 1000's on?

Cheers

TheEd

[Determinator]

Hi Ed Thanks for the congrats. What you have suggested is what I had in mind. I have been doing the 2k's on a Thursday and the 1k's on a Tuesday the following week as per the schedule. It was only this week that we had to bring the 5k forward due to other arrangements.
I'll drop you a line after next Tuesday to let you know how the 2k's and 1k's went.
Thanks again for your help.
D

[Determinator]

Hello Ed Here's some feedback since last post having ran the 19mins 49secs 5k pb on Sat' 8th August.
Sun 9th Day 13 56mins easy off road
Mon 10th Day 14 Rest as very tired
Tue 11th Day 1 67mins 29secs easy on a flat road
Wed 12th Day 2 Rest as very late back from work
Thur 13th Day 3 Rest as very late back from work
Frid 14th Day 4 This should have been Day 3. 5x2k as follows:
7mins 47secs
8mins 3secs
8mins 14secs
8mins 27secs
8mins 48secs
Average 8mins 16secs per 2k which was 13secs down on av on last 5x2k session. However, it was extremely windy, humid, I was doing it without my training partner.

Sat 15th Day 5 84mins time on feet easy run. Off road and road.
Sun 16th Day 6 30mins easy
Mon 17th Day 7 66mins easy. Distance was well over 10k. Did too much as got lost and it was hilly.
Tue 18th Day 8 6x1k as follows:
3mins 54secs
3mins 50secs
3mins 54secs
3mins 53secs
4mins
3mins 58secs
Av 3mins 55secs per 1k which is 4secs per k slower than last time. However, much more windy and humid.
Wed 19th Day 9 Rest as very tired
Thu 20th Day 10 Approx' 50mins easy run
Fri 21st Day 11 Rest
Sat 22nd Day 12 5k paced run. 20mins 35secs. Splits as follows:
3mins 57secs
4mins 11secs
4mins 3secs
4mins 13secs
4mins 11secs
Went to bed at 0045 after a few drinks. Very windy and humid again. Ran without training partner.

So all in all Ed not a good set of results since last post and all of the pb's. I have noticed that every day has been a lot more windy and even easy runs feel harder. I have been much more tired and I think that this is because of increased work pressures, decorating at home, stronger winds and humidity outside. When I came back yesterday from the 5k I did nothing but sneeze and felt drained. I have felt like this once before after a 10k race.

I will do Day 13 today and try to reduce my easy running pace in the wind. Bearing in mind I have a 10k road/off road 10k race on Monday 31st Aug' how shouuld I structure my training until then?Thanks
D

[TheEd]

consider taking a day or 2 off and drink as much water as possible

have you got a normal pulse for when you wake in the morning?

If so give comparison feedback and also let me know if you your legs feel heavy or ache when walking up or downstairs, please?

A little feedback and then we can plan from the 31 st backwards

Cheers

TheEd

[Determinator]

Hello Ed Thanks for your concern. However, ran 1 hour easy yesterday for Day 13 and 30mins easy tonight for Day 14 and feel much fresher. My legs do not feel heavy or ache going upstairs although they have felt heavy during the last couple of weeks. I think that I have had a virus in my system but do feel ready to do speedwork again. My running partner said tonight that he has been feeling tired in the last couple of weeks. We certainly feel that the weather has contributed to this. My heart rate monitor plays up repeatedly but was averaging 130 tonight on the easy run so thats a good indicator of better fitness. I do not know what my ideal resting hr is so I will look at doing that in the future in case of anymore problems.

Q1. What do you think about us doing a 6x1k and a 10x400m session Tuesday and Thursday this week seems the 10k race is not until Monday 31st? If you are ok with that what do we do on Wednesday and Friday or Saturday?

Q2. We are both concerned about how much running in to the wind and side wind affects our running times. As we live on the flat we have to run in the wind quite often. How can we train for this?
Thanks
D

[TheEd]

OK ... this is reasonably good news

the 1000's are OK but increase the Rest to 2 minutes and maintain the same speed no faster

you will benefit from the session without placing yourself under too much stress hopefully

and no to the 400's Thursday

we will have something else after you report back regarding the 1000's

cheers

TheEd

[Determinator]

Hello Ed Had a very good session tonight doing the 6x1k's with my training partner. Running conditions were perfect i.e cooler with a slight breeze following heavy showers. Times as follows. Sorry that we did not take the full 2mins rest that you prescribed. We felt good so we went for it.
3mins 51secs with 1mins 29secs rest
3mins 47secs with 1mins 32secs rest
3mins 46secs with 1mins 30secs rest
3mins 48secs with 1mins 29secs rest
3mins 46secs with 1mins 31secs rest
3mins 53secs
Average time was 3mins 49secs per 1k

Please advise on sessions for the remainder of the time leading up until our race on Monday 31st August and on future sessions to help us achieve better times in to the wind. Regarding training to run better in the wind
I can remember reading a book by Joe Freil when I trained for a Sprint Triathlon which said that it is almost like training to run hills.
Thanks
D

[TheEd]

Hi D .. as you work through the cycles everything will become better and strength will be looked in to

for now u will need to make the most of the 2000m sessions

once you come off these schedules you get to work towards the build up phase and that sets the foundation for bigger things

and now towards the 31st

Wed 26th - easy 30 minutes

Thurs 27th - do a medium to tempo 20 minutes paced ..

Fri 28th - easy day of 40min running

Sat 29th - 30min easy 6x1min fast with 1min slow - 1min @ Race Pace

Sun 30th - Rest

Mon 31st - Race

Enjoy

TheEd

[Determinator]

Thanks Ed and I will let you know how the race went. Cheers for now.
D