Training Log Archive: ArnoldIn the 31 days ending Oct 31, 2020:
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Tuesday Oct 27, 2020 #
4 PM
Running 39:58 [3] 8.34 km (4:48 / km) +112m 4:29 / km
ahr:143 max:189
I love winter training generally because of the temperature, but the whole 'getting dark at 5pm' thing is a pain.
Saturday Oct 24, 2020 #
10 AM
Cycling 31:56 [3] 9.49 km (3:22 / km) +41m 3:18 / km
ahr:100 max:135
Home to Ewell West station, partly along the Hogsmill. Windy.
Running 1:00:19 [3] 12.77 km (4:43 / km) +36m 4:40 / km
ahr:156 max:179
Ewell West Street-O.
I was knackered and the headwind was strong, which made the first half a real struggle. Both better in the second half, although overall still a bit slow.
Almost perfect route again, but was late by 19 seconds. The guy who came second last time had the same number of points as me, but was 10 seconds inside the hour - never mind, and to be fair he'd run an extra 1.5km compared to me.
Still good fun and overall an excellent day's exercise.
I was knackered and the headwind was strong, which made the first half a real struggle. Both better in the second half, although overall still a bit slow.
Almost perfect route again, but was late by 19 seconds. The guy who came second last time had the same number of points as me, but was 10 seconds inside the hour - never mind, and to be fair he'd run an extra 1.5km compared to me.
Still good fun and overall an excellent day's exercise.
Cycling 31:00 [3] 9.73 km (3:11 / km) +15m 3:10 / km
ahr:152 max:177
Return trip. Surprisingly sprightly, but the tailwind helped.
Thursday Oct 22, 2020 #
5 PM
Running 30:56 [3] 6.55 km (4:43 / km) +7m 4:42 / km
ahr:138 max:166
Home to Malden Manor to pick up Tobi from basketball.
It was getting dark so I took a mini Petzl which was summarily useless on the gloomy, slippery woodland path.
Still a bit tired but trying hard to keep good form.
It was getting dark so I took a mini Petzl which was summarily useless on the gloomy, slippery woodland path.
Still a bit tired but trying hard to keep good form.
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020 #
Note
Finished the book on form and there was one more genius insight about arm movement - focus on moving them back not forwards. Genius because there is only one way you can do this, and there's a natural end. Whereas if you focused on moving them forwards there's a million ways of doing that, many of which are rubbish.
So for me the form thing is definitely working and I can already feel my calves easing up a bit, as the focus moves to quads, hams and glutes. Sadly these are a bit underdeveloped so some work to do - but will hopefully unlock more speed.
So for me the form thing is definitely working and I can already feel my calves easing up a bit, as the focus moves to quads, hams and glutes. Sadly these are a bit underdeveloped so some work to do - but will hopefully unlock more speed.
Tuesday Oct 20, 2020 #
5 PM
Running 1:04:25 [3] 12.79 km (5:02 / km) +166m 4:44 / km
ahr:159 max:188
Bit borderline this one, as (i) tired from Sunday; (ii) bit stressed out from work; (iii) hungry, which hasn't happened on a run for a while
So had to take a couple of cheeky breathers, but made it round somehow. Lovely evening for it.
So had to take a couple of cheeky breathers, but made it round somehow. Lovely evening for it.
Monday Oct 19, 2020 #
Yoga 10:00 [3]
Sunday Oct 18, 2020 #
Note
As running is going OK, I had this idea of doing another marathon next spring, but ideally without doing 5-6 days per week of training. I got talking to one of the other football dads who swore blind that he ran a 3.10 marathon last year aged 50 off 2 days of running per week plus regular cycling, but doing all his runs fast - at marathon pace or faster.
This makes a lot of logical sense to me - if I already know how to run a 4:30 pace for 10k, then I just need to keep increasing the run length at that pace until I eventually hit 42k.
So I'll give that a go and see how I do. The only major flaw I can see is the 30k+ runs, which could be so knackering that I need more than a week's rest in between, or bugger up my legs for good.
The key question is what the base speed should be, but I think I'll go for 4.30, which equates to around 3.08 for the marathon. Or should I go faster...?
This makes a lot of logical sense to me - if I already know how to run a 4:30 pace for 10k, then I just need to keep increasing the run length at that pace until I eventually hit 42k.
So I'll give that a go and see how I do. The only major flaw I can see is the 30k+ runs, which could be so knackering that I need more than a week's rest in between, or bugger up my legs for good.
The key question is what the base speed should be, but I think I'll go for 4.30, which equates to around 3.08 for the marathon. Or should I go faster...?
11 AM
Running 1:08:00 [3] 15.01 km (4:32 / km) +17m 4:30 / km
ahr:143 max:180
First one of the 'marathon pace runs'. First 10k in 4:35 then last 5k in 4:25. OK-ish but fairly tiring, so there's some way to go. Scary to think that this pace only gets me to a 3:10 marathon...
Thursday Oct 15, 2020 #
5 PM
Running 41:33 [3] 8.4 km (4:57 / km) +100m 4:40 / km
ahr:161 max:176
One of those runs that felt faster than it was. I blame it on the minor sniffliness / end-of-term tiredness / miasma in general circulation.
Tuesday Oct 13, 2020 #
12 PM
Running 58:03 [4] 12.62 km (4:36 / km) +125m 4:23 / km
ahr:146 max:174
Running form getting better.
Speed continues to increase, bit by bit.
Various twinges still twinging.
Speed continues to increase, bit by bit.
Various twinges still twinging.
Sunday Oct 11, 2020 #
10 AM
Orienteering 1:15:41 [3] 10.22 km (7:24 / km) +160m 6:52 / km
ahr:140 max:164
Pre-running the Mytchett Mil League Brown course
Technically 7.9/190 but lots of circuitous routes making it a fair bit longer, as the forest went from ok to really grotty. That plus onset of tiredness & hunting for little orange tapes in undergrowth made the second half type 2 fun.
Decided to shadow Abi, which was fun although I struggled to keep up when she put her foot down.
Technically 7.9/190 but lots of circuitous routes making it a fair bit longer, as the forest went from ok to really grotty. That plus onset of tiredness & hunting for little orange tapes in undergrowth made the second half type 2 fun.
Decided to shadow Abi, which was fun although I struggled to keep up when she put her foot down.
Saturday Oct 10, 2020 #
Yoga 10:00 [3]
Strength 15:00 [3]
Wednesday Oct 7, 2020 #
Note
The second online Torus Cup (Temp-O) started yesterday, if you have nothing better to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays in October.
They now have a Beginner version and an Advanced one - the former being pretty easy (but good if you haven't done much before) and the latter being stupidly hard.
They now have a Beginner version and an Advanced one - the former being pretty easy (but good if you haven't done much before) and the latter being stupidly hard.
4 PM
Running 1:02:59 [3] 12.76 km (4:56 / km) +166m 4:38 / km
ahr:144 max:162
Same again, but with Abi this time and in much better weather - perfect in fact at 13C, dry and a gentle breeze. Managed to knock off another minute or so without too much effort, which is cool.
Top tip from last night's chapter on posture is 'look to the horizon' (rather than looking down), which ties in neatly with the rest of the stuff on being tall and bouncy (I do feel like Tigger a bit now.) My first reaction of course was, I can't look to the horizon when orienteering / terrain running as I'd fall over, but the author acknowledges this head-on and recommends looking up as the default and down when you need to, rather than the other way around. Simple but effective.
Top tip from last night's chapter on posture is 'look to the horizon' (rather than looking down), which ties in neatly with the rest of the stuff on being tall and bouncy (I do feel like Tigger a bit now.) My first reaction of course was, I can't look to the horizon when orienteering / terrain running as I'd fall over, but the author acknowledges this head-on and recommends looking up as the default and down when you need to, rather than the other way around. Simple but effective.
Tuesday Oct 6, 2020 #
Yoga 10:00 [3]
Sunday Oct 4, 2020 #
5 PM
Running 1:03:47 [3] 12.74 km (5:00 / km) +166m 4:42 / km
ahr:134 max:139
We haven’t had this gloomy a weekend in a long time - nonstop rain since Friday morning and pretty freezing for early October. Not to mention Man Utd’s performance this afternoon.
So, a perfect time to go for a run. Still working on form, and I learnt yesterday that a cadence of 180 (90 doubles) is ideal when I’m currently at 79-80, but I’m a bit loth to mess with that too much for risk of injury. For now, just focusing on ‘tall and bouncy stride’ plus ‘driving arms’ seems enough although there’s more book to read.
Anyway it all worked very well, fastest time for this loop and it didn’t feel too hard. Calves a bit borderline, if I can keep them under control then it could be a great winter.
So, a perfect time to go for a run. Still working on form, and I learnt yesterday that a cadence of 180 (90 doubles) is ideal when I’m currently at 79-80, but I’m a bit loth to mess with that too much for risk of injury. For now, just focusing on ‘tall and bouncy stride’ plus ‘driving arms’ seems enough although there’s more book to read.
Anyway it all worked very well, fastest time for this loop and it didn’t feel too hard. Calves a bit borderline, if I can keep them under control then it could be a great winter.
Saturday Oct 3, 2020 #
Yoga 10:00 [3]
Friday Oct 2, 2020 #
5 PM
Running 58:47 [3] 12.62 km (4:39 / km) +113m 4:27 / km
ahr:142 max:171
So I've made it to page 120 of my running form book and it is rather frustrating. While it's readable enough, it doesn't offer much practical advice so you're left hanging a bit.
Having said that, it did mention 'tripod foot landing' (i.e., full foot, not heel or ball) and aiming for 'tall and bouncy', so I tried that out on a park loop in the gloomy evening drizzle.
Overall it worked rather well, mostly because it made me focus on my form more generally - I noticed (and tried to correct) my shoulders droop and my arms flail about in the second half when I got tired. I need to do more shoulder strength work as it was tough keeping the arms working throughout.
As a bonus, focusing on form passes the time more quickly. So a step in the right direction and the right trade-off between speed and endurance.
Having said that, it did mention 'tripod foot landing' (i.e., full foot, not heel or ball) and aiming for 'tall and bouncy', so I tried that out on a park loop in the gloomy evening drizzle.
Overall it worked rather well, mostly because it made me focus on my form more generally - I noticed (and tried to correct) my shoulders droop and my arms flail about in the second half when I got tired. I need to do more shoulder strength work as it was tough keeping the arms working throughout.
As a bonus, focusing on form passes the time more quickly. So a step in the right direction and the right trade-off between speed and endurance.