Tag Archives: long slow run

Running

Welcome, The Long Slow Run readers

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…both of you.

For the best part of a year, I’ve run a second blog, the Long Slow Run – initially in collaboration with a colleague, then solo, charting my newfound passion for running – which I took up last March and has seen me run two races (so far) and subject myself to hundreds of miles run and at least three pairs of trainers in the last 12 months.

Keeping up two separate blogs – when most people who seem to follow my antics do so via Facebook rather than RSS – seemed increasingly pointless, and a brief poll on LSR confirmed that people weren’t too bothered.

So – all my posts from LSR have been imported to division6, and a separate page (up in the nav, or here for those of you keeping up via RSS/Facebook) will now capture all my running related posting. I hope you either enjoy it, or will forgive the further profligacy on here. I can promise that my blogging volume is likely to drop to relatively normal levels once the sabbatical ends in a few weeks…

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!

Running, Training

5 week LSR training for the half marathon

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Right, here we go.

Having peaked early by running the full half marathon distance earlier in the year (twice!), injuring myself and been off running for the best part of the last couple of months, I need a running programme leading up to the New Forest Half in September. I made it out this morning for a more or less 30 minute 5k with no knee pain so think I can start to gradually build things up. Of course, I only have 5 weeks, and I’ll be moving over the course of that so I need to map out each weekend’s LSR. Here are my targets:

w/e 28 Aug – 7k (I’m still building up strength post-injury so think I need to restrain myself. May exceed if I feel able)
w/e 4 Sept – 10k
w/e 11 Sept – 13k
w/e 18 Sept – 15k

And I’ll taper off that last week ahead of the half marathon on the 26th. Mid week will involve runs of 5k to begin with, possibly upping to 10k is the strength builds (and I may struggle once the commute lengthens in mid September).

Sound like a plan? Wish me luck! Better yet, sponsor me here! I have a vague hope of making it to £1310 (£100 per mile and all that) but have a feeling my busy-ness will constrain fundraising.

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

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.

LSR, Training

Long Slow Run in the countryside – 16 May

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The weekend’s training was a bit of a mix – first a relatively gentle 10k on Saturday (although my quickest since I started recording runs with Runkeeper) – and then, whilst staying with Amanda’s family, a 10 mile country ramble on Sunday.

The 10-miler was challenging and entertaining for a number of reasons.

First; hills. My leisurely London route doesn’t really have any. My Hampshire ramble? Did. Very much so. Yowza.

Second; jogging with JKB, my brother-in-law, for the first 35 minutes, was good – but meant I wasn’t listening to the audio prompts from my new £6 purchase of Runkeeper Pro – resulting in my early pace being relatively slow (about 6m50 per km). I also need to warm up better – if not stretch – as it took about 35 minutes to work out the tightness in my shins.

Third; Runkeeper paid edition gave me audio prompts for the remainder of the run, pushing me to hit a target pace of 6m30 per km – great motivation, and will be invaluable in training. Looking like £6 well spent. I made it up to 6m33 by the end of the run – with some decent splits for me for a 10-miler. Overall, though, it was a slow run – 1h50 for the 17k (10.5miles) that I ran. I will need to up the pace significantly to beat the 2 hour target for the half marathon (either that, or get to a point where I can run the final 4k in 9 minutes!).

Fourth; I overlapped with the Hook Fun Run for about 5 miles of the run, which meant a lot of confused marshalls when I first ran the wrong way, and then ducked off on a “wrong turning” around mile 6. Accidentally ran two races last week, ish! Still, running as part of a “race” (even though I wasn’t racing) helped with the motivation and the pace.

I survived the run happily (fitness improving!) and only slightly stiff the day after (although a headcold/hayfever has held me up for a day or so). Hoping to get back into training tomorrow but the rest of this week’s training will likely be minimal as heading off for a cousin’s wedding this weekend (in India!). See if I can find an air-conditioned gym for a treadmill-based run whilst I’m out there…