I'd just realised that my 32k run marked the exact half way point of my whole training program. Anyway, this week has been a bit up and down. I have been fighting the cold for quite a few weeks now, and had been quite successful in holding it off. However, my body was clearly weakened by the 32k run as my body finally succumbed to the full fury of the flu right after my speed session on Friday.
Bearing in mind that I only completed my 20 miler (32k run) 10 days ago. I was expecting my body to take a lot longer to recover, but it didn't. By Monday, I felt good to start running again even though I was starting to feel the onset of a cold getting worse. Mistake #1 - Ignoring the flu and thinking I was invincible. So I stuck to my training schedule last week. Mistake #2 - Not listening to my body. By Friday, I was feeling so good during my 10k tempo that I picked up the intensity a notch and in the process, set a 10k PB of 45"55. This was despite my body clearing telling me that I was coming down with a bad flu. Right after that run, my body had it. I felt so fatigued but tried to go for recovery run on Sat. Not surprisingly, I lasted 5k and really struggled even at 5"20k pace. Mistake #3 - Trying to run when my body is not ready. After not running since last Saturday, I decided to go for a run on Tuesday morning even though I kind of knew my body was still a bit weak. It was 5 degrees and freezing, and trying to climb the hills round the tan when I am still recovering from the flu is arguably the most stupid mistake of them all. Breathing in the freezing cold air simply irritated my throat and lungs, and running with a runny nose and phlegmy throat is just not condusive to good, comfortable running.
I must also admit that as the month of May drew to a close, the fact that I had such a great month meant that I really wanted to finish off in style, but hitting the 200km mark for the month. I was only 55km away at the start of last week. So I ran as many times as possible despite knowing my body was still recovering from the long run as well as fighting the cold. As Adrian said to me so correctly, it is good to track mileage as it shows improvement in fitness as well as endurance. However, it is important to not become a slave to it. I don't think I was, or am, that obsessed with mileage. I'd just wanted to finish May off with a bang, but in trying to do so, I'd ended in with a whimper instead. Lesson learnt, or am I just saying that?
For all you runners out there, I'm sure most of you would agree that we are our worst enemy in that we set an expected goal/s within ourselves, and we often try to push the boundaries/limitations of our body to achieve that goal. The temptation to push that little further is always there, but it's truly a fine line between pushing it and over-pushing it. As a runner, we are always one stride away from a season-ending injury, such as a torn Achilles tendon. It's especially so for unseasoned runner like myself who doesn't have sufficient experience to know when to pull back. I'm still learning. I think I will take it easy this week to ensure my body is fit and rejuvenated by the start of next week. Most importantly, I need to make sure I am primed to take on the Warburton Rail Trail on Saturday week. It is a 40km trail that runs from Lilydale to Warburton, through some of the most scenic terrains along the Yarra Valley. However, since I am only planning to run 34km, with the goal to finish at Warburton to have lunch there with my boss - Matthew O'Donohue - and to hopefully cross path with him on the trail even though he's riding to Warburton from a different starting point. So we decided on a suitable route, which is for me to start running from Woori Yallock to Seville (5 mile/8km, climb of 45m), turning around at Seville and head to Warburton (16 mile/26km, drop of 45m followed by climb of 75m). Not-overly hilly, but distance will test as I go past 20 mile that often marks "the wall" for first time marathoners.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
My first 20 miler
Having learnt about the importance of hydration and nutrition from previous long runs, I made sure I drank plenty of water throughout the whole day on Friday, and ate a healthy serve of pasta (mushroom/pumpkin risotto for lunch and spag carbonara for dinner). I went to bed early wanting to get a good night's sleep to help with the cold I am suffering from at present, but Lachlan, my 2 year old son, woke up twice that night. To make matters worse, I had a nightmare about the run itself whereby I was at the 31k mark and the road just kept going and going, with the 32k mark out of sight no matter how far I ran. No doubt I will suffer similar anxiety when the actual race day arrives. In all, I slept a total of 4.5hrs, and with my nose blocked and a bad cold brewing, it was hardly the ideal preparation for one's first attempt at a 20 miler. Still I pressed on.
Having prepared everything the night before, I woke up at 6am and ate a banana, a glass full of chia seed gel, and about 300ml of powerade drink. I then stretched gently for 15 minutes before heading out the door. It was just before 7 when I arrived at the Brighton beach. After strapping on the hydration pack, the HR monitor and putting a credit card, emergency 10 dollar note and my driver's licence into the zipped pocket of my shorts, I started my run at precisely 7:07am. Knowing the purpose is to run for 3 hours regardless of the distance, I made sure my pace was appropriate (about 30-40s slower than my actual target race pace), which is about 5"20-5"30. My goal for the day was to run the whole way and try to maintain a consistent pace throughout. Having done a 21k run the weekend before on a hilly course (the tan), and then followed it up with a 10k tempo run on the Thursday at the same course, I knew my legs probably aren't as fresh as they ought to be. Throw in the cold/sinus congestion and the lack of proper sleep, I was expecting the worst, but it didn't end up as bad a I'd anticipated. Running through the first 10k at 5"20k pace was a real struggle - something I didn't expect at the start of a run and given the slow pace. It was a real dogfight as I had no rhythm and HR was sitting around 85-90% even though I was running so slowly. However, as the run went on, I started to get into a better rhythm and the HR started to drop towards the 78-80% level.
The run itself can be divided into two halves. The first half (Brighton -> Port Melbourne -> Brighton loop) is relatively flat while the second half (Brighton -> Black Rock -> Brighton loop) is relatively hilly with three fairly decent climbs. I had deliberately chosen to run the hilly section last when my legs would be most tired simply to simulate the race course, which has the climb up Lightwood Avenue at the 37k mark. After the Port Melbourne loop (18k), I was tired but relaxed. I took my first and only food for the run - a chia seed gel made from 2 teaspoon full of chia seed and water. I knew my resolve would be tested as I hit the first of three major climbs at 19k.
I coped with the first climb ok, only just. As I struggled up the second climb at the 21k mark, I did a quick check of the time - 1h54. Not quick by any means, but fairly respectable for a long training run for me. By the third climb at the 24k mark, I was still breathing ok, but legs were starting to feel heavy. They felt even heavier as I commenced the descend towards the turnaround point even though it wasn't too steep. So after turning around, I was faced with another climb straight away. At this point, I was just focused on putting one feet in front of another when climbing, and trying to slow down the pace to save the legs for the flat sections. After scaling the second climb, I knew I was one long, gradual climb from finishing my first 20 miler as the run to the finish was all downhill from there.
With about 5k to go, the mental mind games that was previously simmering was now raging. My legs, though still running, were severely fatigued and screaming for mercy. Part of my mind was telling me I'd done enough for the day and I should preserve my legs for another day. My heart was telling me to stop being a whimp and just finish it. I had previously run a km up this hill at around 4"50, so it's not a killer hill by any means. However, after 28.5k on the road, it felt like I was scaling Mt Everest. I focused hard on maintaining my running form, but with every muscle in my legs hurting, and my lower back starting to ache, the legs were only partially responding to the command center in my head to keep the running form. I had to keep reminding myself of how many 5k I had run previously, and this was just another 5k run to the finish line. The closer I edged towards the crest of the last hill, the worse the mind game had become. I was now looking at the Garmin so regularly that the distance had hardly increased more than 200m. It was at that point when I decided to stop looking at it. The pace was irrelevant, and I knew exactly how much distance was left to traverse based on where I was. Once I crested the last climb, the feeling of relief was overwhelming, but my legs reminded me of the battle ahead as every step I took down that last descend caused me just as much pain - even if they required much less effort. At the 31.7k mark, Garmin lost its signal. How eery, given the nightmare I had the previous night. Anyway, I got there.
I had the biggest smile on my face over that last 500m even though I was in a world of pain. I had accomplished something that seemed so distant only a few months back. Best part of all, I was well on track for a sub-4h marathon run in a training run, and I didn't get injured. I had a very sore left knee (which had started clicking with every step I took over the last km) and the ball on my right foot almost felt bruised (which has happened every time I ran with the Kayanos). Attached below are my splits...
When I tried to do my stretch after the run, I was like a giraffe on a gymnastic beam. Both my legs had seized up the moment I stopped running, which I knew based on the 28k run I did. This was another reason why I forced myself to run the whole way. As I drove home, it was so painful to shift gears that I basically jumped from 1st to 3rd, and stayed there for the 15min drive home. Thank God for the enormous gearing ratio in my car :) Anyway, over the course of the next two days, I suffered three bouts of sugar crash where my body temperature would crash, and I'd be scrambling for the nearest sugar-packed items within sight to consume. I also took a freezing cold shower for my legs only right after the run, and iced it for 2hrs three nights running. I also ended up getting a bacterial infection, but was up and running 2 days after my 20 miler - which is a great sign as it meant I had some adequate lead-up training. To make triple sure that I am as fully prepared as possible for race day, I am planning on doing another 2 runs of 32k and 2 runs of 34k, with the first of the 34k coming up in 3 weeks time.
Having prepared everything the night before, I woke up at 6am and ate a banana, a glass full of chia seed gel, and about 300ml of powerade drink. I then stretched gently for 15 minutes before heading out the door. It was just before 7 when I arrived at the Brighton beach. After strapping on the hydration pack, the HR monitor and putting a credit card, emergency 10 dollar note and my driver's licence into the zipped pocket of my shorts, I started my run at precisely 7:07am. Knowing the purpose is to run for 3 hours regardless of the distance, I made sure my pace was appropriate (about 30-40s slower than my actual target race pace), which is about 5"20-5"30. My goal for the day was to run the whole way and try to maintain a consistent pace throughout. Having done a 21k run the weekend before on a hilly course (the tan), and then followed it up with a 10k tempo run on the Thursday at the same course, I knew my legs probably aren't as fresh as they ought to be. Throw in the cold/sinus congestion and the lack of proper sleep, I was expecting the worst, but it didn't end up as bad a I'd anticipated. Running through the first 10k at 5"20k pace was a real struggle - something I didn't expect at the start of a run and given the slow pace. It was a real dogfight as I had no rhythm and HR was sitting around 85-90% even though I was running so slowly. However, as the run went on, I started to get into a better rhythm and the HR started to drop towards the 78-80% level.
The run itself can be divided into two halves. The first half (Brighton -> Port Melbourne -> Brighton loop) is relatively flat while the second half (Brighton -> Black Rock -> Brighton loop) is relatively hilly with three fairly decent climbs. I had deliberately chosen to run the hilly section last when my legs would be most tired simply to simulate the race course, which has the climb up Lightwood Avenue at the 37k mark. After the Port Melbourne loop (18k), I was tired but relaxed. I took my first and only food for the run - a chia seed gel made from 2 teaspoon full of chia seed and water. I knew my resolve would be tested as I hit the first of three major climbs at 19k.
I coped with the first climb ok, only just. As I struggled up the second climb at the 21k mark, I did a quick check of the time - 1h54. Not quick by any means, but fairly respectable for a long training run for me. By the third climb at the 24k mark, I was still breathing ok, but legs were starting to feel heavy. They felt even heavier as I commenced the descend towards the turnaround point even though it wasn't too steep. So after turning around, I was faced with another climb straight away. At this point, I was just focused on putting one feet in front of another when climbing, and trying to slow down the pace to save the legs for the flat sections. After scaling the second climb, I knew I was one long, gradual climb from finishing my first 20 miler as the run to the finish was all downhill from there.
With about 5k to go, the mental mind games that was previously simmering was now raging. My legs, though still running, were severely fatigued and screaming for mercy. Part of my mind was telling me I'd done enough for the day and I should preserve my legs for another day. My heart was telling me to stop being a whimp and just finish it. I had previously run a km up this hill at around 4"50, so it's not a killer hill by any means. However, after 28.5k on the road, it felt like I was scaling Mt Everest. I focused hard on maintaining my running form, but with every muscle in my legs hurting, and my lower back starting to ache, the legs were only partially responding to the command center in my head to keep the running form. I had to keep reminding myself of how many 5k I had run previously, and this was just another 5k run to the finish line. The closer I edged towards the crest of the last hill, the worse the mind game had become. I was now looking at the Garmin so regularly that the distance had hardly increased more than 200m. It was at that point when I decided to stop looking at it. The pace was irrelevant, and I knew exactly how much distance was left to traverse based on where I was. Once I crested the last climb, the feeling of relief was overwhelming, but my legs reminded me of the battle ahead as every step I took down that last descend caused me just as much pain - even if they required much less effort. At the 31.7k mark, Garmin lost its signal. How eery, given the nightmare I had the previous night. Anyway, I got there.
I had the biggest smile on my face over that last 500m even though I was in a world of pain. I had accomplished something that seemed so distant only a few months back. Best part of all, I was well on track for a sub-4h marathon run in a training run, and I didn't get injured. I had a very sore left knee (which had started clicking with every step I took over the last km) and the ball on my right foot almost felt bruised (which has happened every time I ran with the Kayanos). Attached below are my splits...
When I tried to do my stretch after the run, I was like a giraffe on a gymnastic beam. Both my legs had seized up the moment I stopped running, which I knew based on the 28k run I did. This was another reason why I forced myself to run the whole way. As I drove home, it was so painful to shift gears that I basically jumped from 1st to 3rd, and stayed there for the 15min drive home. Thank God for the enormous gearing ratio in my car :) Anyway, over the course of the next two days, I suffered three bouts of sugar crash where my body temperature would crash, and I'd be scrambling for the nearest sugar-packed items within sight to consume. I also took a freezing cold shower for my legs only right after the run, and iced it for 2hrs three nights running. I also ended up getting a bacterial infection, but was up and running 2 days after my 20 miler - which is a great sign as it meant I had some adequate lead-up training. To make triple sure that I am as fully prepared as possible for race day, I am planning on doing another 2 runs of 32k and 2 runs of 34k, with the first of the 34k coming up in 3 weeks time.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
The beginning of my marathon journey, including product reviews, good info sources, training programmes, etc
What a great event to start off my blog. I've been meaning to blog more about my journey, but with so much time devoted to training, stretching, icing.... the family, work and everything else, blogging is a luxury that I can't afford most of the time.
Anyway, a little bit of history. I hadn't run for about 10 years prior to the start of the year. When I saw the pain and anguish on the faces of the Queensland flood victims in January, I was so moved by the sheer size of the disaster that I decided to run a marathon to help raise money for the victims. To date, I am pleased to have raised $850 using MyCause custom made donation page.
That was the easy part. Then came the hard part - finding out what I had to do to prepare for the marathon run itself. Two weeks of intensive search on the net found several good training programme. I eventually adopted a mix programme between the ones offered by Runners World and Cool Running.
Having been on my high school cross country team back in the UK, I was fairly comfortable that I could regain my endurance aerobically. However, looking at the intense training programme, my biggest concern was whether my 40-year-old body could withstand the pounding. Without knowing much else about marathon running, I was lucky that one of Mei's uni friend - Adrian Lazar - happens to be an experienced marathoner who has just completed his second ultra-marathon, the Comrades 87km run in a time of 8h23m. He's also within a whisker of qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Numerous lengthy discussions between Adrian and I have resulted in me learning about hydration, shoes, nutrition, etc. When it comes to nutrition and hydration needs, the Nutrition Handbook from Hammer Nutrition is one of the best there is. I eventually settled for a Camelbak Hydration Pack similar to this one for all my runs longer than 2 hours.
For shoes, I have three pairs. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS11 has been my main training shoes up until recently, when I purchased the ASICS GEL Kayano 17 at the recommendation of several running friends. However, my legs and feet have taken quite an instant dislike to it, so I may discontinue using it. My third and favourite pair of shoes is the Nike Free TR. It is lightweight, flexible and durable. Most of all, it offers bare minimum support, thus stimulating the feet to build more strength by striking the ground properly. As our feet are built with hundreds of sensors, it has the unique ability to work out how it should land properly in order to avoid injury. So it's little surprise that I suffer minimal or no pain whenever I run in the Nike Free. Due to the lack of support, I have been sceptical to date to use it for my long runs. Instead, I have only been using it for my 10k tempo runs. However, as my confidence grows by the day in my ability to run longer distance in them, I will be looking to run a half marathon tempo in them soon. For socks, I used the x-socks run performance socks.
For running gear, I have discovered that saving money to buy a cheaper alternative will backfire. So the majority of my running gear are Nike Dri-fit. I have two pairs of 2XU Elite Compression Tights, and thinking of buying a few more. I did have a pair of the Nike Pro Core Compression Tights, but found the compression to be very minimal. The 2XUs are the best in providing support and vital blood circulations to prevent injuries and promote recovery.
At this point, I can't emphasise enough the importance of having a supportive husband or wife. In my case, my wife Mei did a lot of product review research to help me find the best available products, as well as finding the extra time required to look after kids, cook, etc, while I am running. I do try and do the bulk of my running outside of normal family hours, even if it means getting up at 6am on a freezing, wintry morning. Nonetheless, she has probably done 90% of the product research for me, so a special thanks to you!
I had previously used the RunKeeper application on my iphone to help track distance and pace on training runs. However, I found the iPhone 3GS kept dropping signals, causing my run data to be completely unreliable. As a relatively new runner training for my marathon with a target goal of sub-4 hours, I felt it was important for me to gauge my progress and to train appropriately based on my form. So I went out and purchased a Garmin Forerunner 305. It was a close call between that and the Forerunner 405. In the end, this great article swayed me towards the 305. My main reason was mainly because of the larger display. I felt that I would have found the data readings on the 405 too small to read while I am running. The biggest drawback of the 305 is, without a doubt, the time it takes for the device to lock in a GPS signal and the size of the watch itself, but I love it. The chest-strapped HR monitor take a bit of getting used to, but it's fine after a while.
Back to running, my training programme basically consists of 5 key types of sessions:
It was during that time where my pace increased significantly to the point where my 5k training runs dropped to sub-25". After several medium runs of around 15k, I attempted my third half marathon, and completed it with no issue at all (beside being exhausted at the end of it) in a time of 1h57. In the meantime, I was working extending my tempo runs from 5k to 10k. This eventually led to my 10k PB dropping from 60" to my current PB of 46"22. I have not attempted a flat out 10k since, but feel I am now able to run in the 45" and maybe 44" if I taper. It was at that point where I felt I was ready to attempt a 21k tempo run. This was mostly accomplished with a sustained 5"k pace for 18k before muscle fatigue set in, slowing me to 5"30-5"40 pace. Still, I completed the half marathon in 1h47, which remains my PB. As this put me in a good place to finish well within my sub-4h marathon goal, I shifted my focus to extending my long runs once again while maintaining my 10k tempos twice a week.
Once every 3 weeks, I would step up my longest run by 15 minutes - what I refer to as my "step-up" week. All of my step-up runs followed a similar pattern. I'd complete my previous longest distance without any major issue, then hit a wall - whether it was psychological or physical, or a bit of both, remains unknown. But what I did notice, though, was my rate of recovery becoming so much faster. I was up and running again just 2 days after my 28k run - which was 4 weeks ago. This led to my first attempt at the 20 miler last weekend, which I will write as a seperate blog entry as it is an achievement that is often understated due to the fact that it is (1) just a training run (2) it is done at a relatively slow pace and (3) it is still 6.2 miles (or 10.2k) short of the full marathon distance. Nonetheless, as anyone who has run a marathon will tell you, finishing that first 20 mile is an enormous achievement as it virtually implies that one has the physical and mental capacity to complete the full marathon.
Anyway, a little bit of history. I hadn't run for about 10 years prior to the start of the year. When I saw the pain and anguish on the faces of the Queensland flood victims in January, I was so moved by the sheer size of the disaster that I decided to run a marathon to help raise money for the victims. To date, I am pleased to have raised $850 using MyCause custom made donation page.
That was the easy part. Then came the hard part - finding out what I had to do to prepare for the marathon run itself. Two weeks of intensive search on the net found several good training programme. I eventually adopted a mix programme between the ones offered by Runners World and Cool Running.
Having been on my high school cross country team back in the UK, I was fairly comfortable that I could regain my endurance aerobically. However, looking at the intense training programme, my biggest concern was whether my 40-year-old body could withstand the pounding. Without knowing much else about marathon running, I was lucky that one of Mei's uni friend - Adrian Lazar - happens to be an experienced marathoner who has just completed his second ultra-marathon, the Comrades 87km run in a time of 8h23m. He's also within a whisker of qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Numerous lengthy discussions between Adrian and I have resulted in me learning about hydration, shoes, nutrition, etc. When it comes to nutrition and hydration needs, the Nutrition Handbook from Hammer Nutrition is one of the best there is. I eventually settled for a Camelbak Hydration Pack similar to this one for all my runs longer than 2 hours.
For shoes, I have three pairs. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS11 has been my main training shoes up until recently, when I purchased the ASICS GEL Kayano 17 at the recommendation of several running friends. However, my legs and feet have taken quite an instant dislike to it, so I may discontinue using it. My third and favourite pair of shoes is the Nike Free TR. It is lightweight, flexible and durable. Most of all, it offers bare minimum support, thus stimulating the feet to build more strength by striking the ground properly. As our feet are built with hundreds of sensors, it has the unique ability to work out how it should land properly in order to avoid injury. So it's little surprise that I suffer minimal or no pain whenever I run in the Nike Free. Due to the lack of support, I have been sceptical to date to use it for my long runs. Instead, I have only been using it for my 10k tempo runs. However, as my confidence grows by the day in my ability to run longer distance in them, I will be looking to run a half marathon tempo in them soon. For socks, I used the x-socks run performance socks.
For running gear, I have discovered that saving money to buy a cheaper alternative will backfire. So the majority of my running gear are Nike Dri-fit. I have two pairs of 2XU Elite Compression Tights, and thinking of buying a few more. I did have a pair of the Nike Pro Core Compression Tights, but found the compression to be very minimal. The 2XUs are the best in providing support and vital blood circulations to prevent injuries and promote recovery.
At this point, I can't emphasise enough the importance of having a supportive husband or wife. In my case, my wife Mei did a lot of product review research to help me find the best available products, as well as finding the extra time required to look after kids, cook, etc, while I am running. I do try and do the bulk of my running outside of normal family hours, even if it means getting up at 6am on a freezing, wintry morning. Nonetheless, she has probably done 90% of the product research for me, so a special thanks to you!
I had previously used the RunKeeper application on my iphone to help track distance and pace on training runs. However, I found the iPhone 3GS kept dropping signals, causing my run data to be completely unreliable. As a relatively new runner training for my marathon with a target goal of sub-4 hours, I felt it was important for me to gauge my progress and to train appropriately based on my form. So I went out and purchased a Garmin Forerunner 305. It was a close call between that and the Forerunner 405. In the end, this great article swayed me towards the 305. My main reason was mainly because of the larger display. I felt that I would have found the data readings on the 405 too small to read while I am running. The biggest drawback of the 305 is, without a doubt, the time it takes for the device to lock in a GPS signal and the size of the watch itself, but I love it. The chest-strapped HR monitor take a bit of getting used to, but it's fine after a while.
Back to running, my training programme basically consists of 5 key types of sessions:
- Interval Training - I started doing 4x400m (four cycles of 400m fast followed by 400m slow). Then increased it to 6x400m. I have no doubt that this is the fastest method to increase speed. However, I had to stop this training method altogether after 2 months as the constant sharp change in speed wrecked havoc with my highly suspect left knee. I had replaced this with tempo runs for a while, but am now doing hills training for this session instead.
- Hills Training - There is an old adage that hills training are speed training in disguise. It's high intensity training simply because of extra strength required to climb, which usually results in a significant increase in heart rate during the climb. I hadn't done much hills training during the first few months of my training. However, after seeing the cousre map for both the Run Melbourne Half Marathon, as well as the Bank Of Melbourne Melbourne Marathon - both of which involves climbs up Lightwood Avenue round the tan, I decided to replace one of my two weekly tempo runs with a hills session round the tan. This usually involves a 10-12km session (elevation of 130-150m) with varying intensity from week to week. Typically, I'd run it at 80-85% HRmax, but I do throw in the occasional session when I combine the hills and tempo into one, but running at around 90-95% HRmax.
- Tempo Runs - There is a wide range of conflicting views about the pace at which a tempo session should be run at, as well as the duration of the session. Prior to getting my Garmin, which came with the HRM, and the discovery of the VDOT calculator, it was pretty much trial and error for me. I started conservatively, and then pushed faster and faster till the point where I can just make the 25min duration. That was my tempo pace. I'd then increase the pace when I feel comfortable running at the previous pace. Upon getting my Garmin, I realised that I was actually running at 95% HRmax as opposed to the 88-92% recommended. However, since I am able to cope with the level of distress running at 95% HRmax, I have maintained that level of intensity for my tempo runs, rightly or wrongly. As my speed increased faster than my endurance, I started to extend my tempo runs to 10k - which used to be around 54", but is about 46" at my current fitness level. I have also done one 21k tempo run at my then tempo pace of 5"k. I like the talk test to gauge your pace. If you can't say a word, you're going too fast. If you can say more than 2-3 words, you're going to slow. Most importantly, it is critical to start all tempo session with a 10min warm up, and 10min cool down - though I have not done the cool down part as often as I should. Instead, I tend to focus on stretching.
- Long Runs - This is crucial to any successful marathon preparation. I've struggled each time I extend beyond my previous longest distance, but it definitely gets easier. Even though most long runs are done at a relatively relaxed pace, the aerobic, muscle and psychological benefit of long runs cannot be under-estimated. One of my past mistakes was to focus too much on the distance, instead of the time spent running. This is because as one get quicker, one can cover longer distance in a shorter period of time, hence I wasn't really increasing the total running time. The purpose is to get your legs used to running for a specific period of time. These runs are typically performed at about 80% of HRmax. Another good tip I read is to preferably do the long run around the same time as one's actual race time. This will enable a routine to be set for drinking, eating, etc. As both my races are 7am start, I have started most of my long runs around the same time. Typically, I'd eat two serve of pasta the day before (lunch and dinner), and drink lots of water to ensure I am fully hydrated. I'd also consume some chia seeds gel before I go to bed. I'd wake up at 6am and immediately eat a small breakfast (peanut butter muffin or banana, and another glass of chia seeds gel). I'd also drink about 300ml of Powerade sports drink to load up on essential electrolytes. I'd then go and stretch and warm up for about 25mins before heading out on the run. Whilst on the run, I consume about 500ml-700ml of Powerade per hour (depending on the temperature and humidity), and one bag of chia seeds gel (2 teaspoons in a cup of water) every 10k. It is important to practice consuming liquids and nutrition (whether it be gel, shakes, energy bar, etc). The art of drinking/eating while running takes a bit of getting used to. As per the Hammer Nutrition handbook (link provided above), remember you can only replenish some of what you expend. Do not try to replace what you've expended or you'll risk bloating, cramps and water-intoxication (some of which I had experienced in my earlier long runs).
- Recovery Runs - I do this the day after my long runs, and it's entirely optional. There are times when I am simply to sore to run. If I have the urge to loosen up, it's a good idea to jump on the cross trainer or exercise bike.
It was during that time where my pace increased significantly to the point where my 5k training runs dropped to sub-25". After several medium runs of around 15k, I attempted my third half marathon, and completed it with no issue at all (beside being exhausted at the end of it) in a time of 1h57. In the meantime, I was working extending my tempo runs from 5k to 10k. This eventually led to my 10k PB dropping from 60" to my current PB of 46"22. I have not attempted a flat out 10k since, but feel I am now able to run in the 45" and maybe 44" if I taper. It was at that point where I felt I was ready to attempt a 21k tempo run. This was mostly accomplished with a sustained 5"k pace for 18k before muscle fatigue set in, slowing me to 5"30-5"40 pace. Still, I completed the half marathon in 1h47, which remains my PB. As this put me in a good place to finish well within my sub-4h marathon goal, I shifted my focus to extending my long runs once again while maintaining my 10k tempos twice a week.
Once every 3 weeks, I would step up my longest run by 15 minutes - what I refer to as my "step-up" week. All of my step-up runs followed a similar pattern. I'd complete my previous longest distance without any major issue, then hit a wall - whether it was psychological or physical, or a bit of both, remains unknown. But what I did notice, though, was my rate of recovery becoming so much faster. I was up and running again just 2 days after my 28k run - which was 4 weeks ago. This led to my first attempt at the 20 miler last weekend, which I will write as a seperate blog entry as it is an achievement that is often understated due to the fact that it is (1) just a training run (2) it is done at a relatively slow pace and (3) it is still 6.2 miles (or 10.2k) short of the full marathon distance. Nonetheless, as anyone who has run a marathon will tell you, finishing that first 20 mile is an enormous achievement as it virtually implies that one has the physical and mental capacity to complete the full marathon.
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