Go Hard

Not much blogging, but plenty of running. I've been pretty happy with the training so far. I've been more consistent through the last two months than anytime over the previous year. There have been a few sessions that didn't go to plan. I've had to take an extra day easy every now and then. A little bit of mild illness cut down some kilometres. Yet it is all coming together. The volume is creeping up, and I hope the 100km+ weeks become more of the norm. Also I am seeing some very distinct progress, both in the fast runs and the long runs. The fast repetitions for the 5000m are feeling more and more natural and I'm able to the hold the desired paces for longer. For the long run, while my paces aren't up where I really want them, there have been big improvements from run to run. The endurance threshold, or decoupling point is being pushed further with each run. If the improvement continues, even at a slower rate, I could just be where I want to be come the ma...

There are plenty of times when the plan on paper just doesn't become a reality. This week I was hoping to continue the trend from the previous week and hit over 100km. My end result was only 46km. Monday I had to drop my run due to a combination of a lack of sleep, due to a night repeatedly being woken by one of the kids, plus I felt like I fighting some form of illness off. I hoped that maybe I could play catch up with some of the kilometres later on. One day down, a regeneration run highlighted my legs were still trashed from the 10km race on Sunday. Then I hit the track for a few 400m repeats, ending with a 200m near sprint. I was happy to put down some extra repeats, all at a faster a pace and feeling easier than the equivalent session a couple of weeks ago. An easy follow up run and I then a sinus infection took hold. While I was able to get through the rest of activities in my life, a fever and a splitting headache meant I chose to skip two days of running to try and get ...

Originally I had this race marked for the following week in my calendar. So in the last few days I did a little reshuffle of my training and managed to fit it at almost the last minute. I really wanted to run a proper 10km to help guide my marathon preparation. After last weeks, somewhat even pacing at the 12km, I wanted to test myself a bit more. So the plan was to go out fast and see if I could hang on. Not usually my strong point, but every now and then I find I can actually run faster than I thought. The course is a 5km loop on the Yarra Boulevard. A reasonably smooth bitumen road that is gently undulating the whole way. Nothing in that you could call a hill, but basically a series of false flats that takes 10-20 seconds off your kilometre splits if you're not careful. I chose the 10km option breaking with my usual style of choosing the longer event on offer. That meant two laps for me, mixing it with the 5 and 15km runners as we all started together. A moment's sile...

Time to be my fitness to test. Have I improved? Is there any speed in the legs yet? Am I stuck still back in ultra marathon paces? Is there hope for my marathon goals? In an attempt to answer these questions I picked a 12km race down in Yarra Bend. It is suggested that is a cross country or off road course, but that now has different meaning than it used to. It has been many years, since I last did this event, and as it turns out, hills now also have a different meaning. The race is organised by the Victorian Road Runners , who put on the type of events I like. Straight forward, small fields, accurate courses and a feel good nature that encourages some great racing. They don't go for the big fanfare, show bags, or any of the extras. Just old school running. I love it. The race had either a 6 or 12km options. I chose the longer, meaning I had two laps to complete of a course that was a mixture of concrete and bitumen bike paths, gravel, stone & dirt paths with a few hills thro...

Three weeks of training have been covered. A couple of points from my original plan have turned out not to be working for me. First is that I have some significant gaps in my long run. Mainly that it falls apart when I attempt to up the pace beyond anything down at the slow ultra end of the spectrum. No where near the marathon range. Second point is I was trying to cram too many key runs close together. Trying to squeeze in fast 400s, hill reps, a half marathon pace run and a long trail run into one week meant I wasn't performing well in key sessions. Plus it combined to cause some knee trouble requiring a couple of days off running and reducing a weeks volume down to 45km. That won't help if it gets repeated. The solution can be characterised by doing a little bit less a whole lot better .  For the long run I will focus on bringing up the average pace weekly, rather than pushing out extra kilometres beyond 30km. I know I can run further slowly, but I really need to bring up th...

Trail, road, track, marathoner, ultra runner, cross country, barefoot, heavy shoe... blah, blah, blah. Why can't I just be a runner? Why do people feel the need to classify and fit everything into a specific box? Personally I think it has a lot to do with the commercialisation of everything we do. Fitness is now sold as package and has to be structured otherwise there is the perception it isn't optimal. There is nothing wrong with specialising, but why let that define and limit you? How about just running? Check out a bit of history and be impressed with the terrain and results. There is a lot be learned from the following video, not mention some fashion we could bring back.

I'll keep this one fairly dry. With the first lot of training already under way, I've noticed I've got some significant gaps to address. Having run a 100km last September and covering a 56km race earlier this month just do not translate anywhere near to the level I wanted. Time for some honest training. I'm aiming to the Traralgon Marathon in mid-June. On the way I'll have a good crack at the Australasian Police & Emergency Services Games in April where I'll race the 5000m, 10km cross country and half marathon in quick succession. I'll throw in a handful of other races along the way. My training will be geared towards developing the speed endurance required to perform well at the Games  with the background of developing marathon specific endurance alongside this preparation. Beyond the games will then become completely directed at the marathon, depending on my strengths and weaknesses as they develop. So the following guidelines will take me into Ap...