Category Archives: LSR

LSR, Running

2011 running / week 3

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Best week yet in distance terms, worst in time. 5k yesterday (respectable for me, in around 30 mins, around my old London 5k circuit), and today’s LSR (and I meant it to be a LSR, if not quite so S), was around 11k in 1h17m. Which is about 11 minutes slower than my peak. But then, stress levels, training, eating, stretching have all been left off… hopefully with this aspect of things picking up I’ll get closer to my former state and start making respectable times soon.

Also need to get shoes sorted, and gauge the temperature better. Today’s 11.5 degrees really didn’t require the running jacket…

LSR, Training

Training update – two weeks till half marathon

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So, this week saw two speedy five k runs (including  a new, sub-28 minute PB), a day spent lifting the material contents of my life in and out of a van, and today – a mammoth 18.5k LSR – pace of 6.27 / km – completing the circuit in under 2hrs. This bodes well for a 21k time of sub 2h20 (extra 2.6 or so km in 20 mins should be manageable!), and doubly so as it was on a real countryside route rather than my standard London canal runs – so involving inclines, variety, a view etc.

I am knackered – but thrilled with new home, building in anticipation for the arrival of Hippo (and for race day! have you sponsored me yet?), and pleased that I’ve more or less kept to my “5 week” half-marathon training regimen. Although the diet has slipped a little of the last few days, the weight loss seems to continue too – sub 78kg for the first time since forever ago this morning on the (lying) scales, but still indicative that I’m moving in the right direction.

LSR, Running, Training

Three weeks to go: training update

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It’s been a mixed week of training. Monday’s 38ish minute 6k, Wednesday’s 35ish minute 6k (awesome!), Friday’s < 60 minute 10k (hurrah, on a roll)… all injury free and going well. So, to the Long Slow Run – commenced today, after breakfast (never a good thing for me at the moment)… and I powered through 15k in a not terribly impressive 100 minutes.

It was a little disheartening the extent to which my long-distance endurance has withered over the course of the injury… but I’m glad I pushed myself. On the original post-injury training plan I was only meant to be on 13k today, so have exceeded myself in both my recent LSRs.

That said, I need a rest day tomorrow and a lot of stretching before I start next week’s running training (which will also be interspersed with much carrying of boxes as I become a houseowner and move to the countryside all in one week!).

At least I’m once again reaching the point where I think of a 10k as an average distance run, which is a pretty invigorating feeling. I think I’ll be able to finish the half without a pause for walking – I hope so! – and with a little, little bit of luck it’ll be in under 2h30. Any hopes I had for a quicker speed are slightly dampened after today, but we will see!

Have you sponsored me yet, btw? Please, please do so here!

LSR, Running

LSR: back to business

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First post-physio semi-substantial run – 10k this morning, in about 64 minutes with a 2 minute rest in the middle. Runkeeper tells me that my pace was pretty consistent, my body (so far) tells me that I haven’t exacerbated any injuries. Rolling etc., was pretty standard afterwards, although with the diet going simultaneously I feel a bit drained!

My hamstrings are pretty tight, which I knew, but that’s the one bit that pulls when I run. Need to keep stretching them out until I have something resembling a normal person’s stride!

Must make sure I take it gently now – tomorrow I’m off running and I might do a gentle 5-6k on Monday, and then build to another longer run next Sunday – maybe jump to 12-13k as I bypassed my first initial target for myself of 7k this weekend.

Juneathon, LSR, Running

Why do long slow runs?

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Joe writes a great post on this. Key takeaways:

Running long provides a lot of great benefits:
# Strengthens the heart – larger stroke volume.
# Strengthens the leg muscles – endurance is developed.
# Mind Work – mental toughness and coping skills are developed.
# Develops fat burning capacity
# Increases number and size of mitochondria
# Increases capillary growth into muscle fibers.
# Increases aerobic efficiency.
# Increase in Maximum VO2.

I can’t wait to get my knee sorted and get back to these. I’d add:

  • The LSR helps you develop an enjoyment for running. The LSR is more leisurely, so you can watch the world go by.
  • If you do it on a Sunday, you sleep well and are better braced for the week ahead…
  • It shifts your frame of reference for distance running. I don’t think of a 10k as a particularly long run anymore, which is pretty amazing given that 3 months ago I’d never run more than 5…

Do you do/enjoy a weekend LSR? Why?

Oh: Juneathon day 28 – 5.5k cycles x2 (35mins), 100 sit-ups.

Juneathon, LSR

Today’s Long Slow Run ended up being a short slow run

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Knee not quite recovered. Think I need to see a physio (as per Sensei Paul’s and others’ advice), and after three late nights in a row and lots of bad hay fever (not to mention 28 degree heat) I wasn’t on great form today. Managed 6k in about 45 minutes, which is pretty lame by my standards. Hoping that I’ll improve soon and to do a run or two when I’m on vacation next weekend on the Isle of Wight…

Juneathon, LSR, Running, Training

Long Slow Run: Juneathon day 12

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Well, it wasn’t that long (10 miles), but long for someone training for a half-marathon I guess, and it wasn’t that slow by my standards – must have crossed the 10 mile mark around 1h44, which for me is pretty good – although still a way to go before I make my sub-2-hour-marathon-goal (would need to be hitting 1h30ish for the 10 milers – yikes!). Still, the first long run since my return from India (for me long = more than 10k) and it feels good to have it under the belt. Was patient with the stretching so hopefully won’t be too stiff and be able to manage a mid-length run tomorow too.

It does mean that my second week of Juneathon has seen me do another weekathon – and then some – topping out at 32.9 miles run this week (plus 20.2 miles cycled). Will be hard to sustain this pace, but am well on track to top out my 85 miles run in May…

Run log here, for the curious. Didn’t quite manage negative splits, but my best miles were 8 and 9, so am on the right sort of track, maybe, in terms of pacing myself. Just need to go faster the whole way through…

LSR, Running, Training

Weekendathon-not-quite-attempt

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Inspired by the thought of doing “Juneathon,” I thought I’d end May  by doing a “Weekendathon” – running 26 miles across the bank holiday weekend. However, this didn’t happen for a number of reasons:

1) I’m fresh back into running after a week of irritating and moderately debilitating hayfever, and whilst the antihistamine levels have now come level with my O2 sats, I’m still a bit enfeebled.
2) I’m not completely recovered from the India bug I had, and my stomach is still going a bit mental

So instead of doing 26 miles in 3 days I managed a measly 15.7 miles (a 5k and two 10ks) – and not in any particularly good time either (30 mins, 68 mins, 75 mins respectively – although was feeling properly ill for the last one).

Still, any running is better than none, and I take some satisfacation from the fact that I now consider a 10k a “short” run – that’s a reference frame I couldn’t have imagined having a few months ago. The Runkeeper stats for these runs, I’m afraid, are a bit unreliable – I thought the iPhone was playing up but as I had to have it replaced due to a faulty microphone (27 days from the expiry of my warranty, phew!) – it now seems that the satellites are to blame. Goddamn satellites, the cause of all the problems.

In other news / dramas, Rach has an injury and may not run the New Forest half-marathon with me in September! Oh noes! Sensei Paul’ll still run it “with me”, but given that he’s likely to complete it in about 1h20mins (and I’m not likely to finish in less than 2h20, despite the lofty goal of a sub-2-hour half)… well, anyone else care to join?

LSR, Running, Training

Half marathon distance training run no 2

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Ouch. I keep forgetting how far 21km is. It’s far.

This morning, ahead of a trip to India for a family wedding I ran the ridiculous distance again – hoping to improve on my previous 20k+ effort. And I think I did – maintaining a split of 6m30 per for the duration of the 2h19 minutes I was running (that’s a LOT of running). The run data is on Runkeeper here.

It was tough going though – the first 10.5k were OK but the return trip got fairly gruelling. I’d foolishly opted for no vaseline as my new running shirts had arrived (needed to apply it mid-run when I hit the 12k mark) and my endurance began to flag then too – having maintained a target beating split of 6m16 per km on the way out, the return trip saw me lose a second or two per kilometer until I finished with the final average split. The voice prompts in Runkeeper continue to be an excellent motivating force.

I crossed the 13.1m barrier (21.1k) after 2h17 minutes or thereabouts – which means that the road to the sub-2-hour half marathon is pretty steep – need to shave a minute off my splits, give or take. But I’ve got time, and am planning on dialling some interval training into Runkeeper to help with my speed training.

Any tips from anyone out there? I’m continuing to subscribe to Sensei Paul’s school of thinking that any miles under my belt will help, even if the training is slightly haphazard, so pleased that I managed to achieve the distance again.