Really solid week for me this week getting in 6 days training and feeling a bit more back to normal with each run feeling a bit more comfortable. Although the week wasn’t without any setbacks which I’ll touch on in a moment:
RECAP OF LAST WEEK:
Monday: 8.1 miles – 61.13 7.33avg
Tuesday: 2.5 mile WU 3 miles TEMPO in 16.59 5.39avg 2.5 mile CD
Wednesday: 8.06 miles easy recovery run – 59.01 7.19avg
Thursday: 7 miles with 10 x 20 secs strides with 40 secs jog back – 52.50 7.33avg
Friday: 8.01 miles – 62.03 7.45avg
Saturday: REST DAY
Sunday: 10.7 miles - 70.18 6.34avg
Tempo session on Tuesday felt really comfortable for the first 2 miles then I started to tire a bit in the last miles but hit almost identical splits for the 3 miles which is a good sign! Included some 20 secs strides on my run on Thursday which is something I’ve done regularly in the past and something that I want to do on a more consistent basis. The way I approach these is not to sprint flat out but to be in full control through the 20 secs focusing on; technique, form and essentially being as in sync as possible. These shouldn’t take much out of you at all but are a good way of touching on speed without having to do specific speed sessions!
As I mentioned above this week wasn’t all plain sailing ☹ Had actually planned 12 miles for yesterdays run and actually felt really smooth and comfortable but just as I left the gates of Phoenix park on the chapelizod road side felt a twinge in my calf which was very similar to what happened a couple of weeks ago this time on the opposite calf! Kind of knew initially that might be best not to keep running and ploughed on for another half a mile before stopping and ringing my girlfriend to come and collect me. To be fair I don’t think its too serious and I am just being very over cautious really. Luckily Dara in DC Fitness Physio has as per usual has fitted me in at late notice this evening to assess it! Again don’t think its too serious however the last time I tweaked my calf I kept running on it for a few days and made the situation worse. Sometimes you need to have the maturity to hold back and know that taking a day off is the right call instead of pushing on through potential pain. I think the thing I admire most about elite sportspeople is their decision making ability under pressure and their skills at making the right call when it matters. Think we all could get better at making the right decisions when we need to!
Something I wanted to touch on really quickly this week is in relation to a quote I saw from Sara Hall over the weekend. Sara is a US marathon runner who came 2nd in the London Marathon last year and has a marathon personal best of 2.20! Obviously, there is not many marathons happening at the moment and she’s missing them as much as everyone else, but she stated:
“I miss marathon training. I would marathon grind all year long if I could but doing that makes you slow”
Thought this was a really crucial bit of insight. Essentially, she’s concentrating on improving her speed over short distances at the moment even though she might not enjoy it as much and it might not be her bread and butter but she sees that this won’t have a detrimental effect on her marathon ability and potential but actually have a really positive affect. Think too many of us try to stay in our own comfort zone and doing what we actually like doing as opposed to doing sometimes what we need to do and looking at the bigger picture. For any marathon runners reading this, right now is a great time to work on any weaknesses and improving your baseline speed over shorter distance. I’m not saying you neglect your endurance but just compliment it with some 5k 10k type work which I promise you will have a positive impact on your marathon potential and ability and will eventually make marathon pace feel easier!
Thanks for reading folks. Have a great week, keep being consistent but also don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone 😊
Noel
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