Training Log Archive: AC

In Malvern visiting Lisa's relatives. Long run along, but not over, the Malvern Hills. Had a good first hour, really enjoying cruising along country lanes with great views of rolling Herefordshire countryside. Mixture of quiet country roads, forest tracks and walking path. Up and over an Iron Age fortification - British Camp - and plunging in to some woods before emerging at Eastnor Castle. Started to struggle a bit after 1 1/2 hours and legs started to sieze up, esp the right groin muscle. Quite a painful last few km with a couple of stops to stretch out the legs. Very glad to stop in the end! Very good run though - hilly and secluded and gorgeous tranquil scenery.

Attempt at a bit of quality running early on a damp morning. But felt pretty atrocious and blobbed along. The outside of my left foot was also hurting quite a lot - a building callous has finally started pressing on nerves and every step is quite painful. Will have to let the missus loose with the razor blade this evening to carve the dead skin away - she will enjoy that :-). Still had a go at 6 x 30 sec hill sprints with a jog down in between, but it really wasn't happening so pulled the plug and started jogging home. Got disgusted with myself and finished up with 4 x 1 min H / 1 min E, trying to run as fast as possible. Foot was sore, but still managed some decent pace (4.22, 4.09, 3.57 !, 4.08). Finished up with 35 step-ups on each leg at the end.

Work getting in the way of training. It is supposed to be quiet during the August holiday period! No such luck this year ...

Tough tempo run on a warm day. I have had the feeling that I have no stamina when running at pace for more than a km or two. So, as part of the marathon programme, have built in a weekly tempo run. Not planning to have a very fast pace - just around 4.30-4.35/km as not much faster needed for marathon training as the goal pace will be around 5/km - but hope to build up the speed endurance a bit as well as push the anaerobic threshold. Anyway, started off on this occasion with a 3.5km warm up followed by 4km at pace then a short warm down. The tempo part was tough. First km (4.28) was okay but then hit a few short rises in the second and started to hurt (4.34). The third km was also quite tough with a long grinding uphill and a nuisance road crossing (4.38) and then finished up by gutting out a 4.35 final km. Not great pace, but certainly put the effort in - knackered afterwards. Will have a look at the schedule and try and do one of these every week or two, gradually increasing the distance. Will mix it up with intervals.

Have also been doing step-ups at the end of every run for the last couple of weeks. Using a park bench nearby the apartment or work, started out with 20 step-ups on each leg, building up to 30 today. Good thing for leg strength and will keep on doing these and building up each time over the next few months.

C • tempo 2

Steady spin on the indoor trainer to turn the legs over.