Marathon Training | Week 8

Sunday

Rest
Still recovering from the 18 miler (sorry still feeling like a champion)


Monday

Boxercise
1 hour
Burpee's, core work, pad work, sprints etc.

Tuesday

3.24 miles
10:30 pace
Please tell me I'm not the only one to completely slow down during marathon training. Niggle in hip as I think I need new trainers so didn't want to push it.

Wednesday

Rest


Thursday

4.21 miles
10:30 pace

Friday

Badminton
1 hour

Saturday 

Rest

Marathon Training | Who do you listen to?

I'm getting closer and closer to being half way through my official training schedule, mine being slightly longer than most due to choosing to run Edinburgh, thus giving myself 6 extra weeks. I naively entered Edinburgh before I had even ran my first half marathon, it's a good job I didn't hate it and give up on running all together.

Over the first 7 weeks of my marathon training, I have felt every emotion known to man, ranging from I can bloody do this - to if I get run over I have a legitimate excuse to not run, the latter being a bit dramatic. I'm in two minds as to whether I am loving the training or hating it. I am so tired and hungry all the time. How is a girl meant to loose weight and train for a marathon - it's near on impossible. But at the same time I am loving ticking the sessions off my training plan and making it to further distances.

One thing I am struggling with is who do you listen to? Especially as a member of a running club, everyone has ran a marathon and all have different tips and approaches to training. It can get really overwhelming and you start to compare yourselves to others, which is something I have been trying to avoid. So far I have stuck with a group of 3 and it has been working out very well. However none of them are using any races as training and I'm stuck between what to do!

Do you race during your training?

Marathon Training | Week 7

Sunday

Another rest day
As I mentioned in my previous post last weekend was a complete write off with so much to cram into such a small space of time it just wasn't going happen.  I vowed to make up for it this week though.

Monday

Boxercise
1 hour

Yoga for runners
20 minutes
This is the first time I have done yoga and oh my! My legs are so much tighter than I imagined. I'm now going to try and work this into my plan by including 3 sessions a week. I did this before bed and it really helped switch me off for the day.


Tuesday

5.1 miles
10:30 pace

1 mile -  warm up
3 miles - Indian file (run in a line, person at the back sprints to the front)
1 mile - cool down

We have done this session once before and both times I have really enjoyed it. It is the only speed work sessions I really like.


Wednesday

Yoga for runners
20 minutes


Thursday

3.1 miles
10:40 pace
Slow one ready for the epic 18 miles I will undertake at the weekend


Friday

18.41 miles!!!
Longest run to date
11:40ish pace.
Slower than my marathon pace - Hoping this was because it was after work and I was tired. Hopefully next weekend will be a little quicker. But if I have to drop my marathon pace then so be it. 



Saturday 

Rest

Marathon Training | Week 6

Sunday

Rest - Oh the perks of doing your long run on a Saturday. A very long lie in was needed.

Monday

Boxercise
1 hour

Tuesday

4.5 miles
pace 10:30
Including 3 x hill repeats

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday

Rest


Friday

3.75 miles
pace 10:10
Including 2 x hill repeats


Saturday

Rest

This week has been a complete write off due to work related problems and life just getting in the way. I haven't done a long run this week and it was supposed to be my first 18 miler. I'm now feeling really guilty about it. I know it won't be too detrimental as I've still got quite a few weeks (15? to Edinburgh). Please someone tell me this isn't the end of the world?!?!

Race Report | Brass Monkey 10k

Last weekend, on my low mileage week I went out and took part in the Brass Monkey 10k held at Rockingham Raceway, Corby.

It rained one hell of a lot, and was one of those moments when I really wondered what the hell I was doing.

The course can be described as fairly boring and is 4 loops round the raceway, but it makes a great flat and fast course which is exactly what I wanted.

The good:

• I got a PB - I finished in 59minutes & 33 seconds. 
• Great atmosphere from everyone despite the weather
• One aid station (that you passed 4 times) with water and fruit available
• Medal (albeit small) 
• Cheap entry fee (£10)

The bad:

•  The bag drop was a random van outside so everyone left their bags in the pit garages
• Not a lot of marshals on course, one actually sat in his car for the whole race
• We were advised to follow the white race line and this was actually over 10k, due to lack of marshals you could actually short cut round the corners
• This race isn't organised by a club and I think that shows, however if they worked with a local club this race could be brilliant.

The ugly:

• I have never been so wet and cold in all my life!! 

Marathon Training | Week 5

Sunday

Brass Monkey 10K
9: 35 pace!!!!

I finally got under 60 minutes for a 10k, and I ran at a 9:35 pace for 6 freaking miles!

Monday

Boxercise
45 minutes

Tuesday

5.26 miles
10:23 pace
Speed session

We started the session with a mile and half warm up. Split into groups to preform running drills, this one was called an 'Indian run' (this may be the wrong term), this is where you run in single file and the runner at the back has to sprint to the front. I really enjoyed this session, I went with the 'slower' group as it was smaller but we ended up running the same pace as the middle group and we merged to make one big group, that was really hard by the end of it. Followed by a mile and a half warm down. It felt really good to use some speed again. 

Wednesday

Legs & core circuit

Front squats - 20kg - 2 sets x 25 reps
Russian twists - 6kg - 25 reps
Back squats - 20kg - 2 sets x 25 reps
Russian twists - 6kg - 25 reps
Lunge squats - 20kg - 2 sets x 25 reps
Crunches with medicine ball - 4kg - 25 reps
Split squats -  20kg - 2 sets x 25 reps
Crunches with medicine ball - 4kg - 25 reps
Deadlifts - 15kg - 2 sets x 10 reps
Crunches - 6kg - 25 reps
Bear complex - 15kg - 2 sets x 5 reps
Crunches - 6kg - 25 reps

Pilates
One hour
Taster class for runners.

I also took my mother out for her first run. I estimated we covered just under a mile and she only stopped to walk briefly. I will make a runner out of her yet.


Thursday

4.26 miles
10:45 pace

A very slow and hard 4 miles. Think I have over done it a bit this week as my legs felt like concrete. Hope they recover before Saturday's long run. This week I have been exhausted and cannot wait for a rest and lay in on Sunday.


Friday

Rest - much needed.


Saturday

15.5 miles
11:04 pace

Another long run ticked off the training plan, I can't actually believe I can now run 15 miles fairly easily. Unfortunately now it's time to keep adding on the miles. I had first set out to do all my long runs at 11:30 m/m, at the moment they all seem to be around the 11 m/m pace, hopefully I will be able to keep this pace up as the mileage increases or I will finally drop down to 11:30's. As this is my first marathon I'm not going for time just to finish as comfortably as I can.

Here's to another week of training. Only 16 left to go!