11 September 2011

Fighting against the jinx

Mon (5 Sep):
8k recovery run (av 5.35) @ Keppel Island

Tue (6 Sep):
12k easy run (av 5.16) @ Labrador
included 5* 15secs hill sprints

Wed (7 Sep)
15mins warm up, strides
Threshold workout @ The Canal
4km in 16:02 (av 4.01), 4mins rec
3km in 12:02 (av 4.01), 3mins rec
2km in 7:56 (av 3.58), 2mins rec
1km in 3:50 (av 3.50)
Total fast running, 10k in 39:50
15mins cool down
Total 16k

PM: 6k recovery (5.45), treadmill

Legs felt better and springier this morning compared to last Sunday's crap race. Took a more cautious approach (since I've been overestimating my fitness !) by doinbg longer and easier recoveries. This made the session much easier and I still had plenty left in the tank at the end. HRs were between 170-180 for the fast segments.

Thu (8 Sep)
18k easy (av 5.05) @ Padang
24 laps of Padang grass field, must be the most number of laps I have run! Things that I need to do to preserve my legs.

Fri (9 Sep)
7k recovery (av 5.40) @ Keppel Island, with drills

Sat (10 Sep)
14k easy (av 5.05) @ District 9

Had to abort the long run. Felt underfueled and sluggish.

Sun (11 Sep)
33k long run (av 5.10) @ District 9

Forgot to turn off my Garmin yesterday, so the battery was dead this morning! Arrghh !! Decided to to run anyway and would calculate the distance by google earth when I got home. I was planning to run for about 3 hours or 35k and made this as my last long run longer than 30k. My only feedback on the duration and pace was basically asking the current time to passer-by every now and then. Unfortunately, the last person had her watch 10mins faster and I ended up running 2h50m. Mapmyrun calculated the distance at 33k, so my average pace came to around 5.10 min/km. However, the total time includes drink stops and trafic lights, so presumably I was moving slightly quicker than that.

Total 114k for the week

An okay week, dominated by lots of easy aerobic mileage. Only did one workout, a threshold session on Wednesday. I decided to play safe this week because I think I am still traumatized by 18 months of bad luck and injury jinx. During the last 2 marathon cycles, I injured my post-tib about 4-5 weeks out before the marathon and ended up not doing both races.

Four weeks left to Melbourne, meaning there are only 3 more training weeks plus 1 week of taper. I know that I won't be in tip top shape, but if I can get through the remaining 4 weeks without injury and run the marathon (in whatever time it will be), that will good for my morale. I will be running the race not for the time, but to re-build my confidence that has been trashed by the spell of bad luck in the last 18 months.

2 comments:

Ewen said...

Good that you're coming round a bit with that week.

Not exactly sure how relevant it is, but came across an elite blog 2:17 marathoner, who runs steady mileage with only tempo runs (and some races) for 'hard' sessions. http://www.nzrun.com/blog/38386-Berlin-Marathon-training-4-weeks-out It strikes a chord with me as (although I'm running low mileage) I think the tempo runs have been good for my aerobic condition and leg springiness.

by7 said...

Sling...
once the marathon is done, I think you should sit down with calm and consider to stay away for the marathon for at least a year to rebuilt your muscular strength and neural capabilities.
Slogging miles in the heat is killing your neuro-muscolar fitness and probably some injuries also comes from that...
so maybe is worthy to focus on 5k/10k races, work also on basic speed and hill sprints and you will get toned up soon..
just a loud voice thought...