Speed Build: Week 5
Monday May 27th.
This Thursday, May 30th, marks the one year anniversary of my foray into road running and specifically, the goal of breaking three hours in the marathon. On April 14th 2024, eleven months later, I managed to hit 2:59:19 at Manchester Marathon; a 36 minute pb in just under a year. As of May 30th 2024, at 44 years of age, the goal posts have been moved, and a sub 2:50 marathon has become the target at Amsterdam Marathon on October 20th of this year.
My last marathon appears to have provided me with a huge bump in fitness. My heart rate is dropping lower and lower as my speed is continuing to improve.
After hitting a new 10k pb last Sunday, our Monday morning run was a super easy 6 miler at 5:45 per k with an average HR of 114. It was excruciatingly painful. The weird tendon issue around my pelvis has been manageable but after racing the day prior, it felt horrible for this ‘recovery’ run. Tuesday felt much better for an easy 7 miler.
Wednesday was a session day…
For the first time ever, Alan set us a session which required Holly and me to train at the exact same pace.. A 48 minute continuous run consisting of 3 minutes at 3:55 per k and 3 minutes at 4:20 per k. My HR averaged out at 153bpm. Not bad. The paces felt doable and the pelvis didn’t cause any problems. I definitely feel a little more fatigued, even though I’m only clocking 50 or so miles per week. Intensity is a harsh mistress, as they (who’s they?) say. And as much as I’m thoroughly enjoying the progress, I miss the 2 or 3 weeks post-marathon where I got to experience the feeling of having energy. Boo hoo.
Thursday was an 8 mile easy run at 5:25 per k with an avg HR of 124. This is one of the biggest benefits of having a larger engine. I can now run at a truly easy heart rate that feels like I’m still moving at a respectable clip. A few months back, I would have had to almost walk to keep my HR in the 120’s.
Friday was pretty much off (bar a 3k easy plod with a client). I’ve actually stopped tracking or thinking about mileage until the end of each week. My focus is on getting faster, and moving to higher mileage around August will be, in a way, a new stimulus to adapt to. I’d rather hit marathon training in a fresh and fast state, rather than arrive as I did last time. Knackered.
Saturday: Testing out a new Park Run close to us. I always get nervous. Not because I think of it as a race (which it isn’t) but simply because I get nervous before every session I’m set. Today I was especially nervous as our coach, Alan, and his wife Nicky were coming to watch. No hills on this course and no excuses for not doing my fitness justice. We had our usual breakfast of toast with butter and jam or honey and peanut butter. A pint of electrolytes, some L-Carnitine and coffee. The Radstock 5 Arches Park Run is a 20 minute drive from where we live and has 25m of elevation. Nearly half that of Frome. I was determined to PB again, hoping for around 18:10 but always thinking about sub 18.
We warmed up on the course, noting how narrow the path is. I could see how things might become problematic if members of the public were out for a dog or push-chair walk. The course is set on a cycle path that runs under railway arches 5 times and is lined with bushes or fences each side. It didn’t look like it would be easy to pass others, so we decided to try to start at the very front. There was a slight gradient on the way out and then a slight downhill on the way back but were barely noticeable. My goal was to run 3:40 for the first k and then pick up.
As always, my pacing was a complete disaster.
We started in the sub 20 group with the usual suspects; the guys who haven’t run since they were kids, dressed in the most inappropriate gear you could imagine; ten year old lifestyle shoes, cut off jeans, trail packs and an overtly serious looking man (perhaps a boxer) in jogging bottoms and a hoodie on what had to have been the hottest day we’ve had this year. And me, an elitist sounding twat. One particularly hyped up guy who started out at the front of the pack was offering words of encouragement to everyone around him in the 3:20-3:30 per k group for the entirety of the first kilometre - I offered him a couple of encouraging words of my own as I passed during the second k, although I’m not sure he heard me as his efforts at this point seemed to be largely concentrated on trying to suck air through his bum hole.
The first 2km was an out and back, followed by a slightly longer out and back for the next 3k. Not running with Holly left me to focus on my own pacing strategy, which entailed not looking at my watch at all. I found this to be quite effective. I had expected a nearly flat course to feel so much easier than our hilly home PR but Holly and I both agreed at the end that it actually felt slightly tougher. The second out and back felt physically and psychologically, much harder. I had moved into second position but first place was so far ahead of me it would have been insane to attempt to play catch up. I did, however, have company from a guy pushing a buggy who was sat on me throughout. It didn’t bother me. If anything I felt like I was holding him up as it was tough to pass another person due to the narrowness of the path (Holly overtook a woman who was out jogging with her dog and was subsequently yelled at for getting too close, which makes me wonder how long this particular PR will remain open - apparently there have been a few complaints from the locals).
The man and his offspring (I’m assuming it was a kid, it may have been a kilo of heroin, a Chihuahua or a freaky looking doll with human hair) were apparently just going for an easy jog as he conversed with spectators he clearly knew (Mornin’ Dave!) whilst I did my best not to vomit all over my shoes. As we headed into the final 400m, the guy and the sprog took off, leaving me in the dirt. I put my foot down in a futile effort to give chase, screeching over the finish line and, luckily, remembering stopping my watch.
I wandered over to Alan and Nicky..
“What time did you get?” Alan asked.
I scrolled back on my Coros to see a 17:59 time appear, but the distance was marked as 4.96km. Both Hollys watch and my own had struggled to hold GPS for the first k of the race (perhaps due to the bridges and trees?) but the marshal assured me that the course was correctly marked and the man who had come in ahead of me showed me his data and told me he had no gps issues - he had hit 5:01km exactly.
The Park Run results later confirmed a 17:59. I’ll take it! We returned to Frome to sit outside Moo & Two, celebrating with lattes and pain au raisins, people watching and petting each and every dog that passed.
Sunday was supposed to be an easy 12 miles and, as far as pace, it was. I just felt tired. It took 6 whole miles to warm up and honestly, even though it was a glorious day, I was working to stay focussed. We headed to the Frome Market post-run for coffee and the most insane peach & cream doughnut. I think it weighed about three quarters of a pound. Unquestionably the best doughnut I have ever tasted. And for £3.50 it bloody well should be.
Another week of speed training ticked off over the course of 53 miles and tbh, I might just take the next three days off because I feel like I need it…