25 April 2011

Week 5 of 13 Marathon Training

Monday:
11.5k easy in 60 (5.16) with 6 strides, Keppel Marina 1k loop

Tuesday:
AM: 15k easy-moderate in 73 (4.52), home-Dempsey Loop-home
PM: calf strain, 30mins TENS machine

Wednesday:
AM: 7.5k easy treadmill in 41+ (5.32), foam roller
PM: calf strain, 30mins TENS machine

Thursday:
1.8k up, JP Morgan Corp Challenge 5.6k race in 21:14 (av 3.48) - ranked 19; splits 3.39, 3.46, 3.47, 3.45, 3.53 (crawford st hill), 2.20 (last 600m+) - good race, 6secs PB compared to last year, 2.6k down. Total 10k

Friday:
27k long run in 2h15m (5:00) - woke up late and only left home around 6.30am. Melted under the strong sun, rested 5mins every 30mins for drink stops; drank 2 litres but still dehydrated. Legs like lead, only 12 hours rest since last evening race; in other words about 37k in a day
 
Saturday:
off, core exercises
 
Sunday:
3k up, 1k worth of drills/strides,  2 x (4 x 6mins Tempo, 2mins float). Effort wise, tempo at 105% MP while float at 95% MP. First set paces: 4.05 (4.28 float), 4.05 (4.29), 4.04 (4.32), 4.04, 3mins rest then second set: 4.04 (4.30), 4.04 (4.27), 4.08 (4.48), 3.58 - total 14.5k worth of work in 60mins (av 4.09 pace) - 0.5k cool down. Total 19k
 
Total 90k for the week

Week in Summary:
A decent week with 1 good race, 1 solid session, but a so-so long run. Ran the race controlled, and only let it rip in the last 300m. Very humid conditions, but the organization was top notch (full road closure, deep field) resulting in great racing atmoshpere. My colleague, Chris ran about 30scs faster than last year to win the race in 17.56 with a sprint finish. He was virtually toast at the end and was unable to socialize for a while. I wondered why I am never able to give 100% effort in races, for some reason my brain always told me to refrain myself everytime I am touching the red line.

Again, I am struggling during a long run this week. Took too many stoppages in order to complete the run. Probably doing a LSD 12 hours after a hard race didn't help either. Sunday session was good and the first marathon specific session in this cycle. Accumulated about 1 hour running at faster than goal MP.

Experienced some calf strain issues, so I've been using home remedy tools in order to fight it (tens machine, foam roller, the stick, compression sleeves). Learn the lesson last year, where I continued training hard and the strained calf caused me to alter my running strides, resulting in a prolonged ankle and tendon injury.

With 8 weeks to go, (most likely Perth) it's time to get the ball rolling. I plan to work more on marathon specific workouts, by doing 2 big sessions a week. These big sessions include long threshold session midweek (25-30k)  and a weekend long run sprinkled with goal pace running (30-35k). Rest of the week will be short runs in order to keep myself recovered to tackle the two big sessions.

Congrats to Rob for a big PB in Boston running 2.48 (that's 4.00 pace for 42.2k !!). Also, well done to Epi (muscle cramps after running 2.50 pace for first 30k) and Ronnie.

18 April 2011

Week 4 of 13/15 Marathon Training

Monday:
AM -- 2.5k up, drills + 1k worth of strides/jog; Combo fartlek 2x5mins + 10mins of 15-90 secs hard + 10mins tempo; woke up too late at 6am, decided to do unstructured fartlek because I was tight on time - 1k down. Total 13k
splits:
- 2 x 5mins @ 3.45-3.49 min/km with 2mins jog in-between on grass (Padang)
- 1/2 Mona - 1x90, 2x60, 2x30, 2x15 with equal jog recovery (not float), also on grass, 2mins jog
- 10mins tempo @ 4.01 min/km, running along Singapore River concrete path back home
Total fartlek 8.5k in 36mins (av 4.14) including recovery jogs

PM -- 5k recovery treadmill (5.46), 10mins gym work

Tuesday:
10k easy in 54 (5.23), Keppel Marina 1k loop

Wednesday:
18k long run in 91 (5.04) - first 12k around 5.10 pace undulating route (Nassem Hill, Dalvey Estate, Nassem Rd), last 6k moderate at 4.48

Thursday:
AM -- 10k easy in 53+ (5.21), treadmill
PM -- core session

Friday:
8.5k fartlek in 40 (4.45) including 4*3mins ON, 90secs OFF, Keppel Marina

Saturday
6.5k easy in 34 (5.15), Singapore River

Sunday
3k warm up, Run350 10K race in 40.21 (10.15k by Garmin, passed 10k in 39.56) - ranked 24, 4k cool down. Total 17k

Total 88k for the week

Week in Summary:

A so-so week, ended with another shitty race performance. Was in two minds as to taper for the race or just trained through it. At the end, I decided to do normal training and only tapered in last couple of days by virtue of skipping Saturday's long run. Was hoping to run somewhere between 38-39mins but I was really woeful today. The morning was super duper warm with 80% humidity. There was also no cloud cover (UV index of 12), hence I was melting under the sun. I usually train before sunrise (5 or 6am) and reach home by 7.30. Today the race started at 7.30 - which is way too warm for my liking.

The route information was a bit misleading. On paper, it looked like a fast course but unfortunately, the race organizer didn't close the road/traffic, so we all ended up running mostly on pedestrian walk. For strange reasons, the F1 track was not even used by the race organizer, and the route included a loop around the F1 car park, an underground carpark tunnel, and also a staircase in KM2 climbing into the Helix Bridge.

My splits for the first 5k were 3.51, 3.56 (staircase), 3.58, 3.56 (tunnel), 3.57 = 19.37, so at this point, I knew the race was gone. I was sweating intensely - my eyes were red due to the sweat and my shoes made annoying squeaking sound. When I saw the Kallang river, I felt like jumping into it in order to cool myself. I felt I had enough and I then decided to 'tempo' the remaining 5k, so that I could recover quickly and continue normal training next week. The next 5k splits were 4.07, 4.08, 4.03, 4.06, 3.54 = 39.56 by Garmin + 27secs for the extra 150m. Therefore, a positive split of 19.37 (hard effort) + 20.19 (tempo effort)

Av HR was 171 or around 88% Max, which is my normal tempo HR. Only reached a peak of 184 bpm during the race (vs 195 bpm Max)

Despite the crappy performance, I have to continue thinking positively. I always suck at racing and always rely more on the quality of my workouts. My training has been good over the last 4 months - mileages were 92, 88, 98, and 88 so about 90+ kmpw on average, so pretty consistent. For what it's worth, I ran a 41+ min 10k in Passion Run 2009 and a couple of months later ran 3.04 in Gold Coast.

I just saw the 'once in a lifetime' weather forecast for Boston marathon. With a 30 km/h tail wind all the way from start to finish, I am waiting to see the results - 2.4x for Rob and Craig and 2.5x for Ronnie :)

10 April 2011

Week 3 of 13/15 Marathon Training

Monday:
12k easy in 63 (5.15) including 6 barefoot strides, Keppel Marina 1k loop

Tuesday:
AM -- 2.5k up, drills + 1k worth of strides/jog; 12 x 400m with 40secs jog in Padang cricket field, 3mins rest, then into 3.2k tempo, felt good on this one- 2k+ cool down back home. Total 15k

Splits:
86.6, 87.2, 88.0, 87.4, 88.7, 86.3
88.8, 87.8, 87.7, 90.4, 89.3, 82.6
= 17.30 for a total 4.8k worth of work (average 3.40 pace), 3mins rest
3.2k tempo in 12.48 (4.00 pace, 171 bpm)

PM -- 5k recovery treadmill (5.46), 10mins core work

Wednesday:
10+k recovery in 55 (5.27) including 4 barefoot strides, Keppel Marina 1k loop

Thursday:
3k up, drills + 1k worth of strides/jog; 3 x 3k varied pace Tempo with 3min jog rec at the Canal loop; tried to hit multiple threshold paces at somewhere between MP and HMP, HMP, and between 10k-HMP; overall a comfortably hard effort - 2k down including 3 strides. Total 16k

splits
12.06 (4.08, 4.01, 3.57), av HR 162 (154, 159, 164)
12.01 (4.06, 4.00, 3.55), av HR 169 (165, 170, 173)
11.59 (4.08, 4.01, 3.50), av HR 174 (169, 174, 178)
total 9k worth of work in 36.11 (av 4.01 min/km)

Friday:
AM -- 7.7k recovery treadmill in 43 (5.36)
PM -- 10mins gym work

Saturday
22k + 10k, total 32k in 2:40 (5.00) - a tale of two halves - cruised the first 22k in 1.45 (4.45 pace) but then ran into stomach problem (gel ??). Couldn't find a bush to poo (Holland Rd) and had to run, stop, run, stop every couple of mins to settle the stomach and prevent the shit from coming out. Finally found a loo after 6k in Botanic Garden then jogged 4k home. So not really one long continuous run.

Sunday
OFF, core exercises

Total 98k for the week

Week in Summary:

A mixed week, with two good workouts but a SHITTY long run (literally). The good thing is that my body seems to have adapted to the recent increase in mileage and I felt I've shaken off the fatique. Mornings were much cooler (around 26-27c) nowadays and finally we got SOME WIND, which aided body cooling. This 'change in weather' helped greatly in my workouts. In fact, I found the efforts for both the interval and the tempo runs were less taxing compared to previous sessions.

This week I did my interval session on grass field (Padang cricket field) and my legs seem to enjoy the cushiony surface. From now on, I will try to do my intervals in order to save my legs from pounding, since the rest of my runs are either on asphalt or concrete. One issue is whether I am running the 'correct' distance/pace as one loop of the cricket field is only 500m as measured by Garmin (GPS is infamous for overestimating lap distance on athletic tracks). But I hope since the field is rectangular, the GPS still gives reasonable measurement as the turns are less sharp. For my session, I lapped my 400m at about 405-408m (so about 1-2% extra) to compensate for the possible error. For longer, slower reps, I can extend the loop by 300m extra by running in the rough, un-manicured grass block next to the cricket field.

Next Sunday, I will be doing my first race in 2011, a road 10k, and four days later on Easter Thursday, a 5.6k mile race. Both races are paid by my company, so I save a few bucks in entry fees and didn't have to queue to collect race packs !! Race entries in SG are so expensive nowadays and $50 is a norm even for short distance. My racing plan for this year is just to participate in those that are paid by company, which thankfully include some of the big races domestically. I only plan to pay for addtional races once I hit 40 in six months time. It's just not fair for a 39.5 years old guy to compete against guys in their 20s anymore ;)
All the best to Rob, Craig, and Ronnie who are running Boston next week. Hope you all got your PBs !

03 April 2011

Week 2 of 13/15 Marathon Training

Monday:
AM -- 3.5k up, drills + 1k worth of strides/jog; 6 x 800m + 6 x 200m Intervals at the Canal loop - splits: 800s 2.58, 3.01, 2.59, 3.00, 3.01, 3.00 off 90secs walk; 200s 41, 41, 41, 42, 41, 40off 40secs walk; HAD AN OFF DAY - super duper humid and damp, was sweating intensely even during warm up and drills. Tired legs from 30k long run a couple of days ago; had to walk between intervals - 2.5k down. Total 13k

PM -- Travel to Jakarta

Tuesday:
AM -- 10k recovery in 55 (5.30), hotel treadmill - started at 6 min/km, ended at 5 min/km
PM -- Travel to SG, flight delayed by 4 hours, arrived home at 2am in the morning !!!!!

Wednesday:
AM -- 10+k easy in 53 (5.10) including 6 strides, Keppel Marina 1k loop
PM -- 10mins core work

Thursday:
AM -- 3k up, drills + 1k worth of strides/jog; 10k continuous tempo in 42.00 (4.12 pace) at the Canal loop; rest then 5 x 20secs hill - Another sub-par session - had planned for 15k at 4.10-4.15 but got very dehydrated and was a bit in discomfort due to sore hips - 3k down. Total 18k

Friday:
AM -- 6+k recovery in 35+ (5.42)
PM -- 10mins gym work

Saturday
AM -- 30k long run in 2.27 (4.55), home- 3 x 7k outer botanic garden loop (naseem, dalvey, cluny, holland) - back home, did 1-3mins pick-ups every 5mins, sore hips and inner tibia

Sunday
OFF, deep tissue massage

Total 88k for the week

Week in Summary:

It seems the recent increase in training and milage has taken its toll on me. In fact, March mileage at 340k was the highest in 6 months and my miles from last October to February were 90, 230, 260, 210, 160. Therefore, my km-age in March increased by around 120% compared to the previous month LOL. Legs were tight and heavy throughtout the week. I also began to feel some discomfort around the glutes and inner tibia in the left leg. Finger cross that this is just a function of tiredness, instead of something more serious.

Had two sub-par sessions this week. On Monday, I had planned to do 8x800, but only finished 6 reps. 3.45 pace felt damn hard and I had to walk for recovery instead of active rests. In the past, I was able to nail these Yasso sessions comfortably even with 200m jog in about 90secs. Conditions certainly didin't help as weather was insanely hot and humid these days. On Thursday, I also cut short the distance of my tempo run due to tiredness in the leg and soreness in the glute. The long run was not too bad, although it was slower than last week. Anyways, at least, I got another 30k in the bag.

My son is starting his playgroup school and the class starts early. This means that I have to re-adjust my sleeping cycle so that I can wake up around 5am in order to train. Plan for next week is to do a similar mileage, and hopefully I can get rid of the glute and leg issues !