Or, 4 and a bit weeks and counting...
Cutting the training week at this point, as Sunday is the Great Scottish Run half marathon in Glasgow, which I'm running as pure race preparation. First 10 miles at target marathon pace (8:30 miles), then last 3 at as fast as I can manage.
The training this week included a first. Harking back to my old Saturday afternoon hobby of refereeing, I was asked to ref a Charity match between SAIC (ex-employers) and Accenture (to whom most people I worked with transferred after the loss of our major contract). Suffice to say that after a few seasons exclusively running the line, it's something like 4 years since I refereed. A fact those unlucky enough to be taking part must have recognised pretty quickly. I did manage to have an excuse to wear my luminous yellow kit, though. As a training exercise though, it was very interesting. Stuck the Garmin on to see what sort of effort I put in - the result is here. Basically just over 6.5 miles of running at a constant sprint / stop. Completely different from a normal run - different muscle groups, intensities, etc.
Fun though it was, the legs were tired and sore in some odd new places for a couple of days afterwards, resulting in Sunday's planned 20 miler being cut short at 13, especially with a slight tweak in the calf.
A decent recovery on Tuesday, done at a slightly higher pace as I'm aware that I haven't really been stretching myself. Today was supposed to be a Tempo session at Scotstoun, but with the race imminent on Sunday and the weather scorching, I decided that something a little lighter was in order and took myself off round the loop at the bottom of Glen Fruin. It's been an absolutely stunning day here, about 24 degrees and despite my aversion to heat, combined with the hilly nature of the route, this was a great, great run. Not awesomely (or even slightly) fast, but just a wonderful day to be outdoors in unbelievable scenery doing something I'm gradually learning to love again. One of the best runs since London.
In such circumstances, the only possible music choice is my favourite running song. There's something about the way the music (carp pun, sorry) swoops and soars and crescendos that makes it perfect, and on days like today, the "Yeaaahhhh's" get serious laldy. Life affirming. Used it before, but make no apology for using it again.
There may be a short race report on Sunday...
Week's summary: 4 runs, 33 miles: Long run 13 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 214
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
OK, I think I get it now
Or 6(ish) weeks and counting
I think this might be the week (and a bit) that I finally got my head about the next marathon. I've realised that I was thinking too much about London, the training, what I was doing then and measuring myself against that. On Thursday's session at Scotstoun, I did a 5-mile tempo run at 7:20 min miles. Despite the frequent Scotstoun impediment of a headwind down the back straight and the shelter of the stand meaning no tailwind in the home straight, I felt it was crap "was going much faster than that when I was training for London", blah... Then I looked at the last tempo run I did before London, which had similar wind conditions, and it was 7:02 min miles. So perhaps it hadn't been that bad after all.
This has been an extended running week because a jaunt to Edinburgh for some culture, drinks and fun over the weekend knocked the long run back to Tuesday. In the gap over the weekend, I did some reappraising and realised that this isn't about London any more, it's about Le Mans. Rather than looking back and comparing everything I do unfavourably, I should be concentrating on getting the best, most sensible preparation in for Le Mans, at whatever pace I can manage. If I do that, he race will look after itself.
With this newly positive frame of mind, I headed out on the delayed long run on Tuesday, picking up an extension of last week's run to loop through Garelochead and bring it up to just over 18 miles. As the morning's rain stopped 10 minutes before I went out, the sun broke through and the temperature was pleasantly cool, it felt like things were coming together and it was the first run I could really enjoy for ages. I sailed up Glen Fruin and the hill at then end, then away towards Coulport. Only on the steep downhill into Garelochead did I start to feel the legs, and I gradually slowed along the lochside before the usual struggle up the hills to home. But I determined I wasn't going to let the pace worry me and I knew that this was the last long run with hills, as the rest will now be on the nice flat cycle path and canal towpath to Dalmuir.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to be repetitions with the lift from the playlist this week, because I used to Boss last week and I think I've also used this song way back in the London prep somewhere. But I gives me the chance to drag out some footage from the excellent London Calling DVD which, let us not forget, was recorded the night after this 60 year old man played his usual 3 hour set at Glastonbury. Think about the energy involved in THAT. Mainly, though, it's one of the all-time great concert openers, a good start to each run and features what's just about my favourite lyric...
"For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
Love it
Week's summary: 4 runs, 37 miles: Long run 18.3 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 181
I think this might be the week (and a bit) that I finally got my head about the next marathon. I've realised that I was thinking too much about London, the training, what I was doing then and measuring myself against that. On Thursday's session at Scotstoun, I did a 5-mile tempo run at 7:20 min miles. Despite the frequent Scotstoun impediment of a headwind down the back straight and the shelter of the stand meaning no tailwind in the home straight, I felt it was crap "was going much faster than that when I was training for London", blah... Then I looked at the last tempo run I did before London, which had similar wind conditions, and it was 7:02 min miles. So perhaps it hadn't been that bad after all.
This has been an extended running week because a jaunt to Edinburgh for some culture, drinks and fun over the weekend knocked the long run back to Tuesday. In the gap over the weekend, I did some reappraising and realised that this isn't about London any more, it's about Le Mans. Rather than looking back and comparing everything I do unfavourably, I should be concentrating on getting the best, most sensible preparation in for Le Mans, at whatever pace I can manage. If I do that, he race will look after itself.
With this newly positive frame of mind, I headed out on the delayed long run on Tuesday, picking up an extension of last week's run to loop through Garelochead and bring it up to just over 18 miles. As the morning's rain stopped 10 minutes before I went out, the sun broke through and the temperature was pleasantly cool, it felt like things were coming together and it was the first run I could really enjoy for ages. I sailed up Glen Fruin and the hill at then end, then away towards Coulport. Only on the steep downhill into Garelochead did I start to feel the legs, and I gradually slowed along the lochside before the usual struggle up the hills to home. But I determined I wasn't going to let the pace worry me and I knew that this was the last long run with hills, as the rest will now be on the nice flat cycle path and canal towpath to Dalmuir.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to be repetitions with the lift from the playlist this week, because I used to Boss last week and I think I've also used this song way back in the London prep somewhere. But I gives me the chance to drag out some footage from the excellent London Calling DVD which, let us not forget, was recorded the night after this 60 year old man played his usual 3 hour set at Glastonbury. Think about the energy involved in THAT. Mainly, though, it's one of the all-time great concert openers, a good start to each run and features what's just about my favourite lyric...
"For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
Love it
Week's summary: 4 runs, 37 miles: Long run 18.3 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 181
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Getting there. Well, getting somewhere
Or, 7 weeks and counting
One last week of gently-gently build up is out of the way. Pain free (well, pain free in the areas that have been the problem) and a big step up in the longer run, so I've now committed to a proper programme for Le Mans. 7 weeks, in reality, is only going to be 5 of serious training to allow for some form of taper at the end - and even that's cut down from the usual 3 weeks.
So I sat down and charted a schedule - 4 days of running a week with a spin, a gym and a rest day. One run will be Tempo or speedwork, one recovery and one at target pace. Which means I need to decide a target pace - something that I haven't allowed myself the luxury of doing so far. Forget 8 minute miles for 3:30. 8:30 would be just under 3:45, 9:00 just under 4:00.
I'm feeling fairly comfortable running around 8:30 pace on short to medium runs, so we'll take that as the starting point. Worth remembering that this is over 30 secs a mile slower that I was running 4-5 months ago, but it's all so different this time. First thing, it's simply a matter of all the miles I've missed. At this stage for London I'd done over 260 miles - this time around 140. I just don't have the miles in my legs, and I'm not going to go mad by doing silly miles-a-week. Secondly, as I've mentioned before, I simply don't like the heat when I'm running and I reckon warm conditions leave me 15-20 secs a mile slower.
So, I'm being realistic. Conservative, perhaps, but at the moment it's about getting to the start and getting round in a reasonable time. 8:30 miles would actually give me a PB after my late-race issues in London, so at least there's a small carrot there.
The week was quite straight forward. Back to Scotstoun on Thursday for some speedwork - just two miles at 6:27 and 6:34, but also chucked in a 1:30 400m and a 34 sec 200m. Today was a big step up on the long run - something that is going to characterise the remainder of the programme - 20% a week increases with no real chance to repeat. Chose a 15.5 mile loop round Glen Fruin, breaking off at the hill at the top of the Glen and looping round to the naval base at Faslane, before coming home along the side of Gare Loch and almost coming to a stop on the 2 mile slog uphill to the house.
It was an absolutely stunning day - completely cloud-free, sunny and very, very warm. Despite the discomfort, it was difficult not to enjoy being out on such a day. So I enjoyed it as much as I could, drank in the views, but spent some time cursing the hills that feature throughout the route. Legs were pretty much shot by the time I got home, but that's to be expected at this stage. 2:24 was about 8 minutes off the pace I'd done the route before, which wasn't bad considering the conditions (weather AND me!).
Musically, it's Boss Time. Been listening to a lot of Springsteen recently, so I'm going back to the playlist for one of the songs that's guaranteed to put a spring in the step and get a bit of air-drumming going.
So, there you go. Definitely doing this thing now, so better get serious about the training and preparation. Pass me another Sauvignon Blanc...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 26 miles: Long run 15.5 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 143
One last week of gently-gently build up is out of the way. Pain free (well, pain free in the areas that have been the problem) and a big step up in the longer run, so I've now committed to a proper programme for Le Mans. 7 weeks, in reality, is only going to be 5 of serious training to allow for some form of taper at the end - and even that's cut down from the usual 3 weeks.
So I sat down and charted a schedule - 4 days of running a week with a spin, a gym and a rest day. One run will be Tempo or speedwork, one recovery and one at target pace. Which means I need to decide a target pace - something that I haven't allowed myself the luxury of doing so far. Forget 8 minute miles for 3:30. 8:30 would be just under 3:45, 9:00 just under 4:00.
I'm feeling fairly comfortable running around 8:30 pace on short to medium runs, so we'll take that as the starting point. Worth remembering that this is over 30 secs a mile slower that I was running 4-5 months ago, but it's all so different this time. First thing, it's simply a matter of all the miles I've missed. At this stage for London I'd done over 260 miles - this time around 140. I just don't have the miles in my legs, and I'm not going to go mad by doing silly miles-a-week. Secondly, as I've mentioned before, I simply don't like the heat when I'm running and I reckon warm conditions leave me 15-20 secs a mile slower.
So, I'm being realistic. Conservative, perhaps, but at the moment it's about getting to the start and getting round in a reasonable time. 8:30 miles would actually give me a PB after my late-race issues in London, so at least there's a small carrot there.
The week was quite straight forward. Back to Scotstoun on Thursday for some speedwork - just two miles at 6:27 and 6:34, but also chucked in a 1:30 400m and a 34 sec 200m. Today was a big step up on the long run - something that is going to characterise the remainder of the programme - 20% a week increases with no real chance to repeat. Chose a 15.5 mile loop round Glen Fruin, breaking off at the hill at the top of the Glen and looping round to the naval base at Faslane, before coming home along the side of Gare Loch and almost coming to a stop on the 2 mile slog uphill to the house.
It was an absolutely stunning day - completely cloud-free, sunny and very, very warm. Despite the discomfort, it was difficult not to enjoy being out on such a day. So I enjoyed it as much as I could, drank in the views, but spent some time cursing the hills that feature throughout the route. Legs were pretty much shot by the time I got home, but that's to be expected at this stage. 2:24 was about 8 minutes off the pace I'd done the route before, which wasn't bad considering the conditions (weather AND me!).
Musically, it's Boss Time. Been listening to a lot of Springsteen recently, so I'm going back to the playlist for one of the songs that's guaranteed to put a spring in the step and get a bit of air-drumming going.
So, there you go. Definitely doing this thing now, so better get serious about the training and preparation. Pass me another Sauvignon Blanc...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 26 miles: Long run 15.5 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 143
Sunday, 8 August 2010
OK, let's try this one more time
Or, 8 weeks and counting...
This is getting close. Really close. When I left you last, I was under the physio (steady...) and trying to rest sufficiently before having one last bash at getting some training together. Well, I waited a further week and restarted the training at the start of this week.
Gingerly. Very gingerly. Having decided it's all about survival now, I did a very gentle 4 miles on Tuesday and was please to have no adverse reaction. Thursday saw a slightly more ambitious 8 miles on my loop round the bottom of Glen Fruin, but done in the opposite direction to usual to shorten (but steepen) the hills - uphill being the time the calf has been least happy.
Another thing I've been thinking about is my running posture. Something the physio said in passing, about leaning forward and "chasing the head" made me realise that's exactly how I've run. In reality, it's not something I've ever thought about - I just went out and ran - but given the strains running puts on the body and the inflexibility my joints and muscles have shown, I realised I need to actually concentrate on this. Hence I've been trying to be more upright - hips and shoulders back and try to keep the centre of gravity over the feet. No idea if it makes any difference, but at least the calf behaved.
Time for a further step-up today, then. Decided on the 13 miles over to Loch Lomond, down the Leven to Dumbarton and get the train home. Beautiful warm day with plenty of nice sun and humidity. Lovely if you like that sort of thing. Not, if you don't. I don't when I'm running. But it was a nice steady plod at 8:50 pace, feeling comfortable with the general fitness, but the legs were quite heavy.
Think the general fitness has been helped by my new hobby, spinning. To the uninitiated this involves riding a static exercise bike until a state of exhaustion is achieved, using a combination of sprints, climbs and squats, accompanied by high-tempo music and a hectoring instructor. Oh, and a slick of sweat that put's BP's effort in the Gulf of Mexico to shame. It's messy. But fun.
Other than the general lack of running, I don't think the legs were helped by yesterday's day out, when Mrs T announced "why don't we do this (hands over guidebook...)walk up Ben Ledi". A brief glance at the salient points of the route description - 2883 ft, "strenuous", "steep", "exerting" - did make me wonder whether she'd actually read it, but anyway, off we went. It was a lovely walk, not particularly strenuous, steep or exerting. I thought. Others differed. If you Google "Ben Ledi slowest ever ascent" I think you'll find us. But as always with hills, "down" puts a lot more strain on the legs and they were fairly tired by the time we got back to the car. Not too tired for a swift pint in Callander, mind.
Anyway, the run got done, there were no adverse side effects, and I just about seem to be in a position where I can try and put together an abbreviated programme for Le Mans. Which is about all I could have hoped for if I'm honest. Going to take a pragmatic approach and build the long runs up by 2-3 miles a time, get some tempo and speedwork done and a couple of other runs each week. I'm NOT going to go mad and try to cram in all the miles I've missed in the last 8 weeks. I'd just get injured again, and that would be the end of it. So more miles, sensibly done, this week and we'll see what happens.
Music. Hmm. Getting quite excited about the imminent appearance of the new Manics album, which is getting great advance copy. The last three have surpassed each other and if this first single is anything to go by "Postcards from a Young Man" is going to be even better.
Oh and, of course, the opening night of the supporting tour at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. I'll be there...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 25 miles: Long run 12.9 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 118
This is getting close. Really close. When I left you last, I was under the physio (steady...) and trying to rest sufficiently before having one last bash at getting some training together. Well, I waited a further week and restarted the training at the start of this week.
Gingerly. Very gingerly. Having decided it's all about survival now, I did a very gentle 4 miles on Tuesday and was please to have no adverse reaction. Thursday saw a slightly more ambitious 8 miles on my loop round the bottom of Glen Fruin, but done in the opposite direction to usual to shorten (but steepen) the hills - uphill being the time the calf has been least happy.
Another thing I've been thinking about is my running posture. Something the physio said in passing, about leaning forward and "chasing the head" made me realise that's exactly how I've run. In reality, it's not something I've ever thought about - I just went out and ran - but given the strains running puts on the body and the inflexibility my joints and muscles have shown, I realised I need to actually concentrate on this. Hence I've been trying to be more upright - hips and shoulders back and try to keep the centre of gravity over the feet. No idea if it makes any difference, but at least the calf behaved.
Time for a further step-up today, then. Decided on the 13 miles over to Loch Lomond, down the Leven to Dumbarton and get the train home. Beautiful warm day with plenty of nice sun and humidity. Lovely if you like that sort of thing. Not, if you don't. I don't when I'm running. But it was a nice steady plod at 8:50 pace, feeling comfortable with the general fitness, but the legs were quite heavy.
Think the general fitness has been helped by my new hobby, spinning. To the uninitiated this involves riding a static exercise bike until a state of exhaustion is achieved, using a combination of sprints, climbs and squats, accompanied by high-tempo music and a hectoring instructor. Oh, and a slick of sweat that put's BP's effort in the Gulf of Mexico to shame. It's messy. But fun.
Other than the general lack of running, I don't think the legs were helped by yesterday's day out, when Mrs T announced "why don't we do this (hands over guidebook...)
Anyway, the run got done, there were no adverse side effects, and I just about seem to be in a position where I can try and put together an abbreviated programme for Le Mans. Which is about all I could have hoped for if I'm honest. Going to take a pragmatic approach and build the long runs up by 2-3 miles a time, get some tempo and speedwork done and a couple of other runs each week. I'm NOT going to go mad and try to cram in all the miles I've missed in the last 8 weeks. I'd just get injured again, and that would be the end of it. So more miles, sensibly done, this week and we'll see what happens.
Music. Hmm. Getting quite excited about the imminent appearance of the new Manics album, which is getting great advance copy. The last three have surpassed each other and if this first single is anything to go by "Postcards from a Young Man" is going to be even better.
Oh and, of course, the opening night of the supporting tour at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. I'll be there...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 25 miles: Long run 12.9 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 118
Monday, 26 July 2010
Thank You
It's now three months since London, so my JustGiving page has expired. Thanks to the generosity of all my donors, I raised £1190.62 which, with Gift Aid, became £1502.46. I, and Marie Curie, would like to thank everyone who donated. It makes a huge difference, and I'm very grateful.
In other news this week, having barely been able to walk on Monday owing to the sore left calf after Sunday's run I did nothing until a gentle jog on Thursday. Unfortunately a mile in the calf did the "two spasm and tighten" routine so I had to mooch home in a state of some annoyance.
By now, completely fed up by the whole thing, I decided to pick up the card for a local sports physio that a GP had give me and give her a call. Toddled off on Friday morning for the first consultation and it was quite a revelation. As the last few problems haven't been tears, she felt that it was almost certainly issues in the whole bio-mechanical system, and the complex interrelationships between the various parts of the body, that were simply manifesting themselves in the calves.
After a brief examination, it was decreed that I had a huge degree of stiffness and inflexibility (stop sniggering at the back...) in my - neck, shoulders, back, hamstrings, calves. Which amounts to pretty well everywhere, actually. Thus, a pleasant hour was spent with various limbs being contorted at angles they were really rather unhappy about and a set of long, slow stretches for me to try at home was handed out.
The theory is that the more flexibility and less tension there is in the body when running, the more the muscles can cope with the strain of having to handle X-times bodyweight being transmitted through them on every stride. So, we'll do the exercises, have a couple more consultations and see what transpires.
No more running this week as I try and allow a bit more recovery time, but it's now 10 weeks to Le Mans. If it starts to get much closer without being able to pick up the mileage, a serious decision about whether I can do it is going to be needed.
In other news this week, having barely been able to walk on Monday owing to the sore left calf after Sunday's run I did nothing until a gentle jog on Thursday. Unfortunately a mile in the calf did the "two spasm and tighten" routine so I had to mooch home in a state of some annoyance.
By now, completely fed up by the whole thing, I decided to pick up the card for a local sports physio that a GP had give me and give her a call. Toddled off on Friday morning for the first consultation and it was quite a revelation. As the last few problems haven't been tears, she felt that it was almost certainly issues in the whole bio-mechanical system, and the complex interrelationships between the various parts of the body, that were simply manifesting themselves in the calves.
After a brief examination, it was decreed that I had a huge degree of stiffness and inflexibility (stop sniggering at the back...) in my - neck, shoulders, back, hamstrings, calves. Which amounts to pretty well everywhere, actually. Thus, a pleasant hour was spent with various limbs being contorted at angles they were really rather unhappy about and a set of long, slow stretches for me to try at home was handed out.
The theory is that the more flexibility and less tension there is in the body when running, the more the muscles can cope with the strain of having to handle X-times bodyweight being transmitted through them on every stride. So, we'll do the exercises, have a couple more consultations and see what transpires.
No more running this week as I try and allow a bit more recovery time, but it's now 10 weeks to Le Mans. If it starts to get much closer without being able to pick up the mileage, a serious decision about whether I can do it is going to be needed.
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Abnormal service has been resumed
Or, 11 weeks and counting...
Just as it's proven that 76.3% of all statistics are invented on the spot, so 84% of all blog entries have been shown to begin "Sorry, but I haven't been updating this as often as I should...". Guilty as charged. The main reason being that I haven't done much running for a couple of weeks.
Had a really bad session at Scotstoun in the heat and humidity two and a half weeks ago, which led to much "why can't I run any more" and "don't know if I can do this again" soul-searching. Being far behind where I was at the same stage training for London, I was acutely aware that my concerns about knowing and fearing what was in store were coming to fruition. A wise man advised me to take a complete break for a while, recharge and come back to it. This wasn't too difficult, as last week was my annual spell marshalling at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club - spending 5 days standing on the grandstand at the 18th green pretty much precludes any running anyway. As does spending hours in front of the telly watching the Tour de France - I love the ebb and flow of the long stage races, and although Le Tour isn't quite as brutal as this year's Giro, it's been a thriller.
So, after the rest & recharge, time to get going again. Acutely aware that I'm well behind the curve from London, I'm determined not to make the classic mistake of overtraining or jumping back in to a too-ambitious point in the 16-week schedule and getting injured again. Thus I'm going to build up slowly and see where I get to. The week started with a very slow 5 miler just to get used to running again, followed by a trip to my nemesis at Scotstoun for was supposed to be a 5 mile Tempo at 7:06. Something I would have hoovered up without thinking about 4 or 5 months ago and slower than the spring 10k's. But, again it was humid and with the back-straight headwind, so I struggled round 4 miles in 7:30. Painfully slow - that used to be my "just go out for a run" pace - but a good indicator of just how far I have to go.
Hence all thoughts of times and PB's have been put to one side and my objective now is to get into shape to do a reasonable run and try to enjoy the experience. At this stage, I'm holding the thoughts that my injuries came later in the London preparation and that the last few weeks were rather disrupted. If I can stay injury free and just keep building, I won't be too far away from where I was, say, 2 or 3 weeks before London, when I was probably at my best.
In the spirit of getting back into it, the "long run" restarted today, with a 12-miler - again, less than the programme for this week, but necessary as a reintroduction to being out that long. A reasonably pleasant day for a trip over the hills to Loch Lomond and down the Leven to Dumbarton, but for the heat-averse it was both sunny and humid - in fact the only sunny weather of the day was the 2 hours or so I was out!. With the new hydration "strategy" in place (500ml bottle with me and extra energy gels), it wasn't too bad, considering it's my first time above 8 miles since London. However, my left calf was really tight all the way, so it was little more than a shuffle - I was pleased to subscribe to the "slow" bit of the long/slow. Just under 9 minute miles is about 20-30 seconds off the pace I was doing the long runs before, but as a reintroduction in conditions that don't really suit me, it just about got the job done.
Mucking about with the long run playlist too - decided to increase the variety of artists beyond the original 4. Catching up with a lot of this mob's back catalogue at the moment, and loving this song - Muse: Starlight
One of those lyrics that, if I could write lyrics, I could have easily written. If you follow...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 23 miles: Long run 12.25 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 93
Just as it's proven that 76.3% of all statistics are invented on the spot, so 84% of all blog entries have been shown to begin "Sorry, but I haven't been updating this as often as I should...". Guilty as charged. The main reason being that I haven't done much running for a couple of weeks.
Had a really bad session at Scotstoun in the heat and humidity two and a half weeks ago, which led to much "why can't I run any more" and "don't know if I can do this again" soul-searching. Being far behind where I was at the same stage training for London, I was acutely aware that my concerns about knowing and fearing what was in store were coming to fruition. A wise man advised me to take a complete break for a while, recharge and come back to it. This wasn't too difficult, as last week was my annual spell marshalling at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club - spending 5 days standing on the grandstand at the 18th green pretty much precludes any running anyway. As does spending hours in front of the telly watching the Tour de France - I love the ebb and flow of the long stage races, and although Le Tour isn't quite as brutal as this year's Giro, it's been a thriller.
So, after the rest & recharge, time to get going again. Acutely aware that I'm well behind the curve from London, I'm determined not to make the classic mistake of overtraining or jumping back in to a too-ambitious point in the 16-week schedule and getting injured again. Thus I'm going to build up slowly and see where I get to. The week started with a very slow 5 miler just to get used to running again, followed by a trip to my nemesis at Scotstoun for was supposed to be a 5 mile Tempo at 7:06. Something I would have hoovered up without thinking about 4 or 5 months ago and slower than the spring 10k's. But, again it was humid and with the back-straight headwind, so I struggled round 4 miles in 7:30. Painfully slow - that used to be my "just go out for a run" pace - but a good indicator of just how far I have to go.
Hence all thoughts of times and PB's have been put to one side and my objective now is to get into shape to do a reasonable run and try to enjoy the experience. At this stage, I'm holding the thoughts that my injuries came later in the London preparation and that the last few weeks were rather disrupted. If I can stay injury free and just keep building, I won't be too far away from where I was, say, 2 or 3 weeks before London, when I was probably at my best.
In the spirit of getting back into it, the "long run" restarted today, with a 12-miler - again, less than the programme for this week, but necessary as a reintroduction to being out that long. A reasonably pleasant day for a trip over the hills to Loch Lomond and down the Leven to Dumbarton, but for the heat-averse it was both sunny and humid - in fact the only sunny weather of the day was the 2 hours or so I was out!. With the new hydration "strategy" in place (500ml bottle with me and extra energy gels), it wasn't too bad, considering it's my first time above 8 miles since London. However, my left calf was really tight all the way, so it was little more than a shuffle - I was pleased to subscribe to the "slow" bit of the long/slow. Just under 9 minute miles is about 20-30 seconds off the pace I was doing the long runs before, but as a reintroduction in conditions that don't really suit me, it just about got the job done.
Mucking about with the long run playlist too - decided to increase the variety of artists beyond the original 4. Catching up with a lot of this mob's back catalogue at the moment, and loving this song - Muse: Starlight
One of those lyrics that, if I could write lyrics, I could have easily written. If you follow...
Week's summary: 3 runs, 23 miles: Long run 12.25 miles
Miles since entering Le Mans: 93
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