Training Log Archive: MikeS

Felt like I was ready, and I was feeling restless, and I wanted to take the new shoes out for a spin. A bit of stiffness in the quads on downhills, and chest a bit tight, but nothing hurt too much. Shoes felt pretty strange, it's going to take a while to get used to them and I need to build up very gradually.

C • Nike Free are great 3

Nearly ready for a little jog.

Everything feeling a little better today. I've even cheered up a bit.

Legs seem to have regressed. Developing a head cold.

After a couple of days of reflection, I thought I would write down what happened on Sunday. Hopefully it will prove useful in the future, and I can learn from mistakes I made and come back stronger for Chicago.

Pre-race

Got up at 6.30 and met Rob for breakfast. I’m sure the restaurant isn’t usually that busy that early on a Sunday morning. Had a bowl of muesli, the same as last year. Don’t like to eat too much as I end up feeling a bit bloated.

We left the hotel at 7.15, took the underground to Charing Cross station and got a seat on the 8.00 train to Blackheath. Arrived at the race arena just after 8.30 after a routine, stress free journey.

After the toilet saga of last year, there was a plethora of portaloos for our use, which meant no queues. And we were able to shelter from the heavy downpour in the changing tents. I did a little bit of jogging and a few leg swings to warm up, but the plan was to use the first couple of miles to really warm up.

Start – 10k: 37.41

The race plan was to run the first mile in between 6.05 and 6.10 and then use the downhill section on mile three to catch up back to an average pace of around 6.02 / 6.03. Got it absolutely spot on, and went through 10k right on target.

10k – 20k: 38.05

The section around Cutty Sark is really noisy, that gave me a nice lift at the start of this section, and there were a lot of spectators lining the road through Deptford. I knew that Emma, Mum & Dad were going to be somewhere around 9 miles so was looking forward to seeing them. Just caught site of Dad, and then took on my first gel. It didn’t seem to do any good.

It was on the approach to Tower Bridge that things started to feel like they weren’t quite right. Just a nagging in my head telling me that this was feeling harder than it should have been. But still on target at 20k.

20k – 30k: 39.06

Over Tower Bridge and through the half in 79.55. Still on for 2.40, but I would need to have a strong second half. Even if I slipped a bit, I was still well on for a pb. But I wasn’t feeling good. I was feeling the way I should be feeling at 20 miles, and I was still a long way short of that. Breathing was short, chest was tight, and I felt like I kept needing to clear my throat.

Got another lift seeing the cheer squad as I came out of the tunnel at 15, and then got myself in a good pack through the first part of Canary Wharf. I managed to maintain a pretty decent pace, although I could feel myself starting to slip back. Took my second gel, again it seemed to have no impact.

30k – 40k: 43.54

Went through 20 miles in just under 2.04, which was a pb and a minute faster than last year, but it was all starting to come apart. As the miles slowly ticked by, my pace just dropped and dropped. I wanted to stop and curl up by the side of the road. I’ve never had that feeling before, and I hope I never have it again.

I don’t think I handled it that well mentally either. Probably could have tried harder to push on, but at the time it was all I could do to keep going.

40k – 42.2k: 10:17

Saw my parents at 25 miles, and just shook my head. Dragged myself down Birdcage Walk, and finally crossed the line.

Really emotional when I finished, but the complete opposite of last year. Instead of extreme elation at what I had achieved, it was extreme disappointment. The marathon is a cruel event. You put all your work and effort into one race, and I was unlucky enough to have a bad one.

But then when I found out what time Rob had done that was just amazing, he had put in so much hard work and dedication and fully deserved it. A top 40 placing is awesome.

Post-race

I guess it seems an easy excuse to say I had some sort of bug or infection kicking around in my system, but in hindsight judging by how I felt on the easy runs last week, and how I feel now, I’m convinced that I wasn’t 100%. Training had gone to plan, and I felt in better shape than I did last year. I also stuck to my race plan and didn’t go out at a stupid pace.

So now I’m thinking about how I best use my fitness levels to run a good 10k and half time before I start to build up for Chicago. Hopefully if I can maintain a good base level, then I’ll already be ahead of the game for that.

But for the next couple of weeks it’s time to kick back and enjoy myself. I believe I may also have a relay run for Sunday! That’s right, an orienteering race…

And finally, and most importantly, a massive thank you to everyone for their support before, during and after the race. Especially to Emma, who somehow puts up with me.

C • Awesome 2

Throat sore, struggling to speak and breathe fully, and when I do I start coughing. And my jaw hurts. But my legs feel surpringly good, although the London Underground steps were still tough going.

C • no surprise there 1

Event: London Marathon
 

What a horrible horrible race. I'm so disappointed. And at the moment I just don't know what happened. Right from the start it didn't feel right, and even though I was on target for 2.40 at half it had been harder work than it should have been. Then the wheels fell off big style at 20.

Maybe my target was too adventurous. Maybe I am coming down with something. Maybe I didn't get my taper right. But I really don't believe I'm nearly 5 minutes less fit than I was last year.

On the plus side, I am so so pleased for Rob who smashed out a 2.26. That's such an amazing time.

GPS track added, Garmin measured slightly long, but it didn't look too bad at 20.

C • 2:49 ain't bad! 4

Pre-breakfast but not early little run with Rob. Out towards Hyde Park, with a detour down a road full of amazing massive houses and embassies, past Kensington Palace, then a few strides in Hyde Park and then back. Chest a little tight, but everything else ok.

Travelling down to London and registering for the marathon.

C • Good Luck! 4

Dragged myself out of my illness related paranoia spiral of despair and went out for a run. Ran with Rich on his warm up for spirals, then ran the first two on the shallow hills with him. Then home.

1 mile warm up, 1 mile @ marathon pace (except I completely misjudged it and ran 5.23 but it felt easy), 800m jog, 4 * 400m in 75 secs with 100m walk between, 1 mile warm down.

C • marathon pace 8

1 mile cruise, 1 mile marathon pace, 1 mile cruise, 1 mile marathon pace, 1 mile cruise. Not feeling great, in illness paranoia mode big style, so going to have an early night.

Another rest day. I like these.

Leg 10 for the Hallamshire team at the National 12 stage road relays. Cracking day out in the sun, and a really good team performance to finish 19th, a one place improvement on last year. Pleased with my run, felt strong all the way to the end. Great run from Rob to smash his time from last year, and from the women who came 4th.

The Hallamshire WI had also been very busy, and there was a plethora of cakes to choose from after running. Yum yum.

A lap of the loop to warm up, and a lap to warm down.

Out to Wharncliffe Side and back on a lovely evening. From thermal, hat & gloves to shorts & t-shirt in less then 24 hours. Feeling spritely tonight, and having to hold myself back at times.

Nice cruisy run through Attercliffe, Arena, Brightside. Running some stiffness out from last night's massage.

Full on rest day followed by a massage.

2 * 1 mile @ just under marathon pace at the track with PaulF. Felt nice and easy.

Loop of Rivelin with Rich before drills, and then back home afterwards.

Multi-location drills session. Started off on the football pitch at the WMC behind Rob & Clare's before we politely got asked to leave, and then finished off at Myers Grove.

Last long run before the marathon, and one of the best. From Fairholmes with Rob. Went back along the road to the A57 then round both reservoirs. There was a bit of speed creep when we hit the tarmac at Kings Tree, Rob sped off at his marathon pace at 13, but I tried to keep him in my sights and managed a 5.57 for mile 15.

Good day, good chat, good pace, good route, and good food at Ladybower Inn after.

2 * 3 miles at marathon pace, with a 5 minute cruise in between. Plus warm up and warm down. Legs feeling pretty good today, hopefully I'm starting to get the benefit of the taper. Cracking morning for it.

IW. Lovely morning.

Track session at Woodbourne Road. 5 * 800m with quite a long recovery. Nice just to get the legs turning over. Had a sports massage from Dave A last night and he ruined my calves, but they didn't feel too bad during the session.

Easy run with Rich before work.

Lunch loop with 2 miles at marathon pace in the middle.

Cruise round the short Rivelin loop with Rich. Den Bank activated my glutes.

Easy loop from Emma's.

So it's all over. Time to relax and concentrate on tapering and not getting ill or injured. Went for an acceleration run today, but planned my route very badly and ended up with the wind behind me on the slower miles, and in my face on the faster ones!

4 miles @ 7.20 (meant to be 7.30 but I just couldn't run that slow), 4 miles @ 6.59, 4 miles @ 6.25 (meant to be 6.30), 3 miles @ 6.03 (meant to be 6.00 but the strong headwind put paid to that).

C • 110 miles?! Nice work Mike ... 4

Cruisy recovery run looping around from Emma's. Made the error of going along the canal at the start, it was muddy and I didn't want to get my shoes dirty so did a bit of pansying around. Feeling tired today (not overly surprised by that!) and my left quad was a bit sore.

The last one, and the big one. All downhill from here. Followed in the footsteps of Paul and Rob and decided to go for the full distance. And it went well, the first two hours flew by, and then it got a bit harder for the last 6 miles. Mile 24 from Malin Bridge to the cafe by the paddling pool was the hardest (and slowest at 7.21) mile, but then managed to finish strongly.

From home, Attercliffe - work - Brinsworth - Meadowhall - Brightside - Newhall * 2, then along Penistone Road past the football stadium, through Hillsbro, Malin Bridge, cafe and back home. And at 108 miles, that's my biggest ever seven days.

C • That's a lot of miles 1

Shorter lunch loop. Windy.

Hid from the rain again and did the session on the indoor track at the EIS. Ran 6 * 1k off 90 seconds. Tried to focus on being nice and smooth. Ran them all in around 3.16. I'm now in illness paranoia mode.