Sunday 11th September 2011
Took much longer than expected to get last Sunday’s race out of my legs. 6 very frustrating days, but Sunday’s run made up for it. Three weeks to Brussels.
Monday: 12 easy. (12)
Tuesday: 12 easy. Legs heavy. (12)
Wednesday: 8 easy. Legs still not feeling right. (8)
Thursday: 800-600-3×300 in 2:20/1:41/46/47/47, didn’t do full track session (8)
Friday: AM 4 easy PM 10 easy (14)
Saturday: 4 warm up, 1200-5000-1000 on track in 3:43/17:29/3:17, ran home. Another disappointing session (11)
Sunday: 10 hard out / 5 hard + 5 easy back. 57:30/28:30/33:50. Headwind out. Tailwind back. Best run for weeks. (20)
Week total: 85 miles
2011 total: 2482 miles
Wednesday 24th August 2011
My attempt to cram a week’s worth of training into 3 days.
Monday: 12 in ~75 mins (12)
Tuesday: AM 4 easy in 30 mins, PM 6 x 5 mins grass reps with 90 recovery at Metchley, ran there and back (16)
Wednesday: Pope loop from front door in 2:45 (24)
Thursday – Sunday: Away (0)
Week total: 52 miles
2011 total: 2321 miles
Taken from my training log.
Wednesday 17th August 2011
It’s good to be put in your place as a runner.
The track we train at on a Tuesday evening is full of quality athletes. National champions, world championships contenders, top cross country athletes, the lot. And how they show us up. It is not uncommon for someone doing exactly the same rep as you to start well after you and finish before you. Stepping subserviently out in to lane two is common practice. Lane three even feels the pounding of my feet when they train in big groups. Just when you think you’re working hard you will get passed by someone who seems to be bouncing effortlessly from left foot to right, making a mockery of your lousy 70 second laps. Occasionally you try to latch on to a group, then regret having deemed yourself worthy of the group’s company as you fall dejectedly off the back of it.
And yet this humiliation to which we regularly subject ourselves does us some good. It is helpful to be reminded that there are people who are much better than you. In my case, this spurs me on and makes me strive for improvement. I know what a good athlete is, and just as importantly I know that I am not one. The moment you start thinking you’re good is the moment you lose the urge to get better.
But how many of the athletes flying effortlessly past me on a Tuesday are thinking exactly the same thing? I suspect quite a few. Of course, they are comparing themselves to a different class of athlete, but probably still need the sense of inadequacy to motivate themselves. A 14 minute 5000m runner will always show me a clean pair of heels on the track, but will no doubt remind himself that there are men in the world who can lap him. A friend of mine always says that a good athlete should be embarrassed by his PBs, that you should feel uncomfortable when someone asks you what you do for 10k. Perhaps my internal dialogue should follow along these lines: Over 15 minutes for 5k? Why do you bother? More than 70 minutes for a half? A good athlete has showered and had breakfast by the time 70 minutes comes around. A 2:44 marathon, and you still show your face in public?
So runners of the world, without so much as a smirk on my face I tell you this: You should be ashamed of your times, you are not as good as you think you are, there are many people better than you and the only way you can change this is to work harder.
Something tells me I won’t be getting hired as a motivational speaker any time soon.
Monday 15th August 2011
A frustrating week. Felt overtrained and lethargic so I took 3 days off. A few easy weeks should do me some good.
Monday: 8 easy. Felt good. (8)
Tuesday: Rest. (0)
Wednesday: AM 5 easy – trails, PM 8 easy – summer route (13)
Thursday: Rowheath 5k, 1st in 16:12. Felt terrible the whole way round and on the way home (12)
Friday: Off. Completely worn out. (0)
Saturday: Still felt rough. Another day off. (0)
Sunday: AM 3 easy PM Midland League 3000m. 1st in 9:12. (11)
Week total: 44 miles
2011 total: 2234 miles
Taken from my training log.
Sunday 7th August 2011
Possibly my hardest week ever.
Monday: 12 miles. Felt sore. (12)
Tuesday: AM 4 miles easy. PM 3x3k all just under 10 mins off 200 recoveries plus 6×200 at 3k pace. (16)
Wednesday: AM 6 easy. PM 8 easy with quick finish (14)
Thursday: 4x6x60m hill sprints with 4 mins jogging between sets, ran to track, 4x(500/300) with 300/100 recoveries in 84/48/80/48/82/47/81/48, ran home. (13)
Friday: AM 6 easy PM 6 easy. Tired. (12)
Saturday: Cannon Hill Parkrun 16:10. Not all out effort, started slow. Long warm down (12)
Sunday: Pope loop – 1:59. Hard. (21)
Week total: 100 miles
2011 total: 2190 miles
Taken from my training log.