It wasn’t my intention to write these updates every week, but I had a lot of nice messages from some of you, and (more selfishly) I’m finding writing down how training has gone really useful.
When I coach my runners, setting the training is only part of the job. The other is listening to their feedback about how the runs went, then helping them understand why things went well and other things less well. Because if you can learn something from a rubbish run, then it wasn’t that rubbish after all.
This week I had a really rubbish run. I’d set off to do a tempo run on Thursday of 7 miles with 5 miles at half marathon pace (7:30/mile ish). I’d been worried about doing it because it sounded hard.
When I see a pace that starts with anything lower than a 9 minute mile, I think it sounds hard. My brain hasn’t caught up with my legs. I still remember being a new runner, doing my first half marathon and fighting to run a sub-2 hour half. So it’s sometimes difficult to get my head round the paces I’m running now.
SO, although I ran a 10k a few weeks ago at 7:35/mile without too much difficulty, and although I ran a marathon at 8:00/mile and although my 5k pace is 6:57/mile, the thought of doing my tempo run this week was really freaking me out. And in the way that these things work, thinking it was going to be awful became a self-fulfilling prophesy.
I set out up the parklands trail. Yes, a trail. Not the easiest surface to do nice evenly paced miles. The first half it uphill, the second half is downhill (“It’s ok, I’ll go slower the first half and average 7:30”). But I didn’t, I set off too fast and then had a battle with myself for two uphill miles.
I cut the tempo section short at 4 miles and cooled down for a mile home to sulk.
Writing about it has helped. I know what I did wrong (picked a silly route, went off too fast and didn’t bring the right attitude). And I can see what went right (turns out those tempo miles averaged 7:37/mile so not a world away). So thanks for indulging me.
This week I’m doing the London Frontrunners Pride 10K at the weekend so hopefully that will go better and I’ll prove to myself I can hold a decent pace without having a tantrum.
Week 3 running
Melting on Sunday
8x800m reps on the treadmill – went really well
6 miles with 4 at a tempo pace – urgh, see above
3 mile recovery run
12 hot sticky miles – stopped at a pub for water, melting
+ running group mileage
31 miles total
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
The girl did well xx
Although I’m aware that some people find weekly training update blogs self-indulgent, I love reading them. Please keep sharing them! I don’t think enough runners talk about their training mistakes and not quite so perfect training runs.
Thanks Emma. Mine are definitely not all Instagram brag worthy runs.
I think more people need to blog about this sort of thing- sometimes seeing speedier runners always doing 8 or 7 min miles makes them seem worlds apart, but actually finding out that there is still a struggle, and still good runs and bad runs is really helpful.
Thanks Maria. I think we all struggle some days not matter what our speed.
I managed 29 miles last week, quite proud of myself! Yesterday I tried running my long run in the correct heart rate zone, that was hard. My watch kept beeping at me to slow down. But I’m learning so much from this process.
I friend did the Regent’s Park 10k yesterday and did so badly she won’t even share her time. This morning she got out and ran 10k about 10 minutes faster. Yesterday just was not the day for some people to be running!
Can I request a post on strength training? I know I need to do more of it to avoid more injuries (oh guess what – I can add Morton’s Neuroma to the list now though that’s not something strength training will help with))
Good running Sarah. I’ve just got back to the gym where I find it really hard not to interrupt people and correct their form. So yes, will talk about my strength training.
I’m doing the pride 10k sat too.. See you there!
I’m totally with you: seeing paces below 9 min miles I freak out too! Once I get into it, it usually isn’t too bad… and I’m really trying to work on reducing fear and anxiety around workouts. One step (or run) at a time!