A slightly belated post since I didn't run over the weekend. Did a final long run this morning (Monday).
Just couldn't believe it's ONLY 13 days to go. I felt that I just started my marathon training a couple of weeks ago !
The strange thing is that I don't feel like racing, but I want to keep on training forever because the training is much more enjoyable than what I ever had in previous years. I think I only missed 2-3 runs over the last couple of months.
Also, I am more consistent with mileage ranging from 84-100k, while in the past my mileage tended to swing wildly from one week to another due to tiredness/overtraining. Actually, if that 84k week (due to overseas trip) is taken out, my mileage has an even narrower range at 94-100k. It is believed that Deek & Mona did almost the same training/mileage week in and week out during their careers, so I guess consistency is what Aussie training system is all about.
Whilst on the topic of Aussie system, the taper is again different to what I have done in the past. Previously, I followed the modern taper where no fast work (intervals, races) is done during taper. The belief is that you will be teaching your body to burn carbs faster when doing fast stuff. But if you do marathon-paced work close to the race, your body will be more familiar with the marathon fuel metabolism and you will never touch 5k-10 pace during the race itself anyway.
My taper this week will include 3 x 10-15 minutes intervals and another 8k time trial. The belief behind the Aussie system is to prepare the body/mind for race-like situations and to make the marathon pace feel easy.
Anyway, training ths week
Mon (easy):
7k easy (av pace 5:16)
Tue (time trial):
4k warm up to F1 track
8k solo time trial in 30:50
Splits: 3:47, 3:49, 3;49, 3:49, 3:51, 3:55, 3:54, 3:56 (last k into headwind)
4k cool down
Total 16k
Not happy with last 3k (lost 15secs), legs seemed to run out of steam (32k long run 3 days before)
McMillan calculator equates this effort to 38:50 10k and 3h:02m marathon.
Wed (long):
20k in 100mins (av pace 5:00).
Legs like lead, took it easy as I probably need some fat-burning fix anyway.
XT: planks, bridges, abs crunches
Thu (easy):
34mins recovery on treadmill (av pace 5:43)
XT: light weights, squats, lunges
Fri (fartlek):
75mins aerobic fartlek (av pace 4:35)
Total 16k
Too hot & hazy outside, so ran indoors. SW plan is short fartlek @ 5k pace, but difficult to do on treadmill. Decided to do more longish fartlek between 4:40-4:00 pace.
Sat (off):
No run
Sun (off):
No run
Mon (long):
28.6k long run in 135mins (av pace 4:45)
10k @ 5:00, 6k @ 4:45, 10k @ 4:16, 2k+ cool down
Running at sub-3 pace even for only 10k was damn hard, even after 2 days off
Don't think it is a sustainable pace for me
Total 94k for the week (6 running days + 2 off days). Last 7 weeks average 95k
5 comments:
Great time trial and fast finish long run Sling.
Good luck with the taper!
Enjoy the taper Widi. Good finish to your long run, things are looking good.
sounds good to me. Hope you taper well, and hopefully on the day when you are rested it will all come good. My experience has been that on the day, if the right stuff has been done, you will surprise yourself in how fast you can sustain things, just keep doing what you are doing and it should go well. well done on the consistent mileage, and having the intestinal fortitude to follow a different system than in the past.
if you run the TT equivalent to 3h02' in Singapore, than in Seoul will be a "stroll" to go near sub-3...
you always forget the effect of heat/humidity...
I give you a clear example:
- last week in HK was the typical tropical weather: 26C, humid.. I felt already miserable to run @4'30" pace.. I had a Polar running index of 66 for my usual easy run
- this week a cold snap from North China brought the temperature down to 10 degrees..(crazy). Same route, some effort, but the Polar Index was 73 and the average pace 4'10"..
so the temperature will do marvels and you better carry your HRM and base the race on it
by7
I wouldn't decide what's sustainable and what's not. Cool less humid weather will take 10 secs per k off your pace.
Glad the prep has gone well. I agree about the consistency being important. Also agree about having some intensity during the taper - I recall Deek racing a 3k on the track before a marathon. The increased intensity keeps your aerobic condition high too. It's possible to lose condition in a 3-week taper that just has easy and M-pace runs.
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