Monday 29 April 2013

Geting fitter, faster and stronger

I've not updated my blog for a wee while now.  Last weeks training included two smallish runs of 5 miles and 6 miles followed by my long slow day run of 15 miles in 2 hrs 57 mins.

6 weeks ago i would have perished at mile 6 now I'm up to doing 14-15 miles wtf!  This weeks training comprises hill sprints tomorrow.  Slow 6 mile jog the day after and 4 miles fartlek the day after that. rest day friday and long slow run sunday. Drymen to Balmaha and back. woo hoo.  Not done anything over weekend but will start again tomorrow.

Saturday 6 April 2013

Sweet Home Alabama

Woke up at 530 this morning and had a look out window.  Car frosted over.......boy did it look cold!!!!!! What was I thinking.  I looked at two training plans and plan 1 was too advanced for me so I decided to go with plan 2.  So today was an easy long slow day of 10 miles.  The furthest Ive ever ran is 9.  Baptism of Fire I think.

I had some porridge and honey, filled my bum bag with 2 energy bars, yoghurt flavoured raisins.  Two bottles of blackcurrant juice mixed with dioralyte.  Dioralyte helps replenish nutrients that you lose through vomitting and the squirts. so I have always used dioralyte when exercising as it helps replenish salts lost through sweating.

My thermometer was reading -5 C. Oh shit so i jumped into Tescos and bought a hat scarf and gloves.What a peach of a morning.  I set off from milngavie train station at 730.  Started my running app on my phone.  That is some app and free by the way, Its called endomondo. 3 weeks ago I could hardly run four miles without being red in the face and panting.  I climbed my first hill, No sorry I ran my first hill and felt warm yes.  Fucked No!  On through the trail I went I kept telling myself its a nice slow day take your time I'm not racing anyone..........yet.  Before I know it ive done 3.5 miles in 45 mins.  So what I'm slow it was my long slow day anyways but I will get faster of that Im guaranteed.

On route to Carbeth I heard a voice from behind say "Hello" well I nearly shit myself.  It was a guy called richard who was doing the fling in 3 weeks.  We chatted for a mile and half then I was going to turn back.  But wait my endomondo trainer hadnt chimed in.  I was only at 4.18 miles.  Another .82 miles then I can turn back.  My running compadre was off in the distance and there was no chance i was catching this guy.  So onwards I went to my 5 mile point then turned back.  While running back I recognised these two guys from my hellish attempt at the kirkpatrick fell race who were coming twards and boy were they going some clip.  I entered the woods back in Mugdoch Park and still I could run. Mile 7 1:32:40.  Tortoise springs to mind.  The amount of walkers and dogs i met I must have said hello 50 times.

I arrived back in car park milngavie 10 miles in 2:08.26.  If I'm honest I would have liked to be faster and I have never ran 10 miles before so 2:08 im happy with, I think!!!!  Tomorrow I'm running for 1 hour and monday is my rest day.

My times and splits are

                          LAP            Split
Mile 1                12.27           12.27
mile 2                 14.05           26.32
mile3                  14.21           40.53
mile 4                 11.12           52.05
mile 5                 13.42           1.05:47
mile 6                 14.16           120.03
mile7                  12.37           132.40
mile8                  12.40           1.45
mile 9                 11.14           1.56.34
mile 10               11.52           2.08.26

Looking at my slow laps are the ones with hills so my average was 4.1 mls/hr to 5.4 mls/hr.  According to my app I burnt 1644 kcals.  My true average was 4.66 mls/hr and my average pace was 12.53 min/mile.  When I look at the stats and actually think of the terrain I am very happy.  If I did ten mile on  the road I hope it would be a lot shorter but they always say running off road is much more harder than running roads.

After my run I devoured scrambled eggs and salmon and black olives.  Amazing!




















Friday 5 April 2013

I have found two ample training packages


Below is the training schedule that the UltraLadies have used when training for a 50K event. This schedule is designed with the "newbie" in mind and reflects the bare minimum training to “finish” your first 50K endurance run.
The 50K training builds upon a 20-week marathon program so ideally you will have completed a recent marathon followed by a 4-6 week recovery period, before starting the 50K training.
All distances are in miles.

WeekHard/EasyMTuWThFSaSuTotal
1H--464--16636
2E--444--6422
3H--464--18840
4E--444--8424
5H--464--20844
6E--464--10428
7H--464--22844
8E--464--10630
9H--464--221046
10E--484--10632
11H--484--241050
12E--484--10632
13H--4104--241052
14E--4104--10836
15H--4124--261056
16E--4104--10836
17H--4124--261056
18Taper--4104--10836
19Taper--4--6--10--20
20Race432----31--40

The 50K schedule alternates between hard weeks and easy weeks to allow recovery and help prevent overuse injuries that may occur from ramping up mileage too quickly. Rest is essential. A hard week followed by a recovery week will allow the next hard week to reach more optimal performance. I also recommend not running at all on Mondays/Fridays.
You will begin running "back-to-back" long runs on the weekend. Each weekend you will do one long run followed by one semi-long run. You will also begin building a semi-long mid-week run, preferably on Wednesday. Obviously you will have higher weekly mileage as a result. You may vary your schedule as necessary but nothing substitutes for the weekend long runs. Your long runs should simulate the conditions of the race course as to running surface, degree of hills, etc. As much as possible, try to train under conditions that will best prepare you for the race you've chosen.
Do not get caught up in over-training. Take every easy week as scheduled. Although it is an effort to train for a 50K, you should gradually begin to notice that you feel stronger and recover faster than before. If you develop any recurring pains, ongoing fatigue or illness, you should consider dropping one of the mid-week runs for a while. It is entirely possible to run the 50K without the mid-week semi-long run, so it also may be dropped for a time, to allow problems to resolve. When toeing the 50K starting line, it is always better to be a little more under-trained than over-injured!

and the second one is at this link
http://running.competitor.com/files/2012/11/46_nat_r1.pdf

So today a rest day and tomorrow 16 miles drymen to balamaha and back..yeha

Thursday 4 April 2013

It isnt over til the fat man sings!

Today is 4th April 2013

Before my today my training has been in a word.....................................pish! Easter weekend of chocolate easter eggs, fry-iups and a nasty infection in my hand has resulted in me starting to resemble my dreaded pre fatman years diet consisiting of burgers, chocolate and any crap I could pile down my throat.

I have always been told that when training it is definitely quality over quantity.  So today' session involved me doing ten hill reps ( that would be ten hill reps in my head).  I started off at milngavie train station and went the first mile to the semi large hill to take you into the woods. It has taken me a wee while to realise if you slack off for a week and youve just started out your journey your fitness will be seriously diminished. 

I did 5 hill rep consisting of 2 1/2 mins to top and 1 min back down in total 17 1/2 minutes of hills.  Not good by profesional standards but good by this fatmans standards.  In total 40 min workout.

What I learnt today. It took me 12 mins to run 1 mile at the start of my run. At the end  when I was supposed to be wrecked I did 1 mile in 9 mins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have been reading a lot and I mean lots of literature about hill training, and I'm starting to become a believer.  Running hills increases speed on the flat and increases endurance.

I have joined a gym to incorporate swimming, spin, body pump, core exercises and Yoga (yes you heard right!) yoga to cross train  I have also downloaded a 16 week 50k training plan and following to the letter. I am determined to see my dream of whw race 2015 a reality.  But im goging to have a blast training along the way and looking forward to meeting lots of good people along the way.

My new saying "My Race, My Pace"