Sunday 23rd December 2012
I don’t normally make resolutions, but I find that with running, having some clear goals really helps me stay focused.
Here’s what I want to have achieved by the time 2014 comes along:
8:45 for 3000m (1.50% improvement)
My current best is 8:53, set in June this year. A one second per lap improvement will see me achieve this one. Given where I was at the start of 2012 and where I am now I think this is possible. After my spring half marathon I will dedicate time to improving my speed, and do sessions of long reps at target pace (70 per lap) and hopefully this one should fall in June or July.
15:15 for 5000m/5km (1.72%)
I ran 15:32 twice this year, which is one second slower than my best time for the distance. If I beat this it is more likely to happen on the road, as I only get about 2 opportunities for a 5k track race every year. Last summer a friend set us a programme which involved running a high-volume session every week at 3k or 5k target pace, which seemed to really work for me. I plan to do the same sessions again but quicker. It all sounds so simple!
31:59 for 10km (1.18%)
Last week I set a PB of 32:22 after a good block of training. Now I want to run quicker. I can definitely manage this, if not in the spring then in the Autumn. I have a couple of races in mind where I will have a go.
69:59 for half marathon (1.13%)
This one’s more likely to happen later in the year when I hope to run a half on a flat course. Of all the ones listed here it is the one I want the most, mainly because it starts with a different number and therefore automatically sounds more impressive. It’s 5:20 per mile or 3:19 per km. I managed 9 miles at that pace in September; now let’s see if I can do it for the full distance. My current PB is 70:47.
Note: I calculated the percentages after writing the post. It is interesting to see the difference between what I feel is more difficult and what the numbers actually say.
Penultimate week of logging in imperial. Mainly easy-paced running this week except for a flat out mile in terrible conditions on Saturday.
Monday: 10 easy (10)
Tuesday: 17 easy (17)
Wednesday: 4 easy (4)
Thursday: 12 easy (12)
Friday: 10 easy (10)
Saturday: Christmas Mile 4:39. Cold, wet, windy. (8)
Sunday: 20 easy/steady (20)
Week total: 81 miles
2012 total: 3354 miles
Sunday 16th December 2012
Regular readers of this blog will know that I record my mileage on this very site, and usually post a weekly training summary too. Most of the time I don’t write much about my runs, unless something significant happens that I would like to be able to recall in years to come. But mine isn’t the only way of doing it. This post examines some of the other ways that my training partners record their training.
#1: The old school book.
In case you don’t know whether that’s old-school book or old school-book, don’t worry; I don’t know either but they amount to the same thing. Last year I witnessed the training logs of my friend Rob who was a very good middle distance runner in his day. There was something very charming about the hand written scribbles that denoted the runs he had done. This way of recording your training allows the athlete to record splits, distances and comments in whatever way he or she likes, and adds an air of authenticity to the training log. You can use any type of book you like, but the purist will always go for a blank notebook.
#2: In various places
This is another well known method of recording your training. My friend Mark has his training written down in books, word documents and spreadsheets and he informs me that he is currently in the process of standardising over a decade’s worth of logs to the same format. I look forward to seeing them.
#3: The ridiculously complicated spreadsheet
Another of the guys I train with does this. Tim sent me the latest version of his spreadsheet recently and it really is a thing of beauty. It contains details of every run he has ever done, every race he has ever completed as well as every run that he plans to do for the next year. The training plans are the best bit, colour coded according to the type of training to be done – blue for lactate threshold, orange for long runs, yellow for intervals, dark green for weights and conditioning… That’s about half of them. It also has a PBs page, where as well as times for standard distances you can also see how fast Tim ran for less common events. This is useful if you ever forget how fast you ran for 4.2 miles back in 2007, or if you’re struggling to remember what your beer mile PB is. I also like the mileage graphs which tell you what proportion of each week was spent doing different types of running. The ridiculously complicated spreadsheet is a sight to behold. I hope he has it backed up.
#4: Not recording your training at all
Another good friend of mine does this. I can see how it might be liberating but there’s no way I’m trying it.
part 2 to follow – metric vs imperial…
Sunday 9th December 2012
Three unplanned rest days due to some pain in my left plantar fascia. I should have listened to my body and the conditions before running on an icy track on tired legs. Managed two very easy runs at the weekend. Fingers crossed.
Monday: 10 easy (10)
Tuesday: 10×200 off 200 jog (50-60s), all in 31/32, 2000-1600-1200-800 off 400 jog at target 10k pace: 6:32,5:14,3:54,2:34. Sore legs and icy track. (13)
Wednesday: Rest. Foot pain.
Thursday: Rest. Foot pain.
Friday: Rest. Foot pain.
Saturday: 3 miles very easy (3)
Sunday: 8 easy (8)
Week total: 34 miles
2012 total: 3239 miles
Monday 3rd December 2012
A more controlled track session than last week. Didn’t try and race the session, but it was still tough. The club are doing well in the league – 5th position overall.
Monday: 4x20s strides, 4x20s sprints, 8 easy (10)
Tuesday: 5×2000 off 200 jog (55-60s) in 6:29,27,25,25,25 (11)
Wednesday: 9 easy (9)
Thursday: Rest (0)
Friday: 8 easy (8)
Saturday: Birmingham League D1, Cofton Park, 32nd in 34:16. 10k approx (12)
Sunday: 20 easy (20)
Week total: 70 miles
2012 total: 3205