Endurance

The pain training of my 5k road race on wednesday appears to have paid off during my 4.5 mile tempo run on friday. While I still didn't manage to get anywhere near 10k pace I did improve on last weeks run - down from 06:40 pace to 06:33 pace over the same course and more importantly, while the effort may have been similar (158 avg HR versus 159 HR last week) it did not feel as tough and I felt more comfortable throughout. This showed during my recovery miles, both of which were faster than last weeks, without any perceived higher effort. I completed the 8.6 mile run over 2 minutes quicker than last week.

A few pints of Guinness on Friday night prevented me from getting up early enough to run on Saturday morning so I switched my day off with Sunday. While the programme called for 18 miles at base pace I decided that, as I had enough speedwork over the last week, I wanted to get some serious endurance in my legs. Traning programmes for all other distances call for long runs that are longer than race distance and so I decided to apply the same principle to my marathon training. While base pace (07:20 - 08:10) would take too much out of me, requiring a longer recovery, I decided to ease back to about 08:30 pace and see how I got on. I had no plan heading out other than to exceed marathon distance (30 miles crossed my mind as did 4 hours). Either way I was going to run farther (>26.22 miles) and/or for longer (>3hrs 47 minutes - first marathon) than I had even done before (assuming my body held out). I loaded up with a 750 ml bottle of sports drink, MP3, phone and a €20 note and set out on one of my usual long run routes into Cork along the straight road, down and north quays and out the Blackrock Road to Blackrock (11 miles or so). I can't say my legs felt fresh over the early miles and as I hadn't fully committed to a finishing time or distance I wasn't too worried. I headed back into town along the Marina and clocked 13.11 miles in 01:50. "ok that doubles as a 03:40 marathon - not bad for a training run if I pull it off" Out to Turners Cross and along part of the Cork Marathon Route as far as Dennehys Cross (18.5 Miles). My legs had felt a bit fatigued for a while but were felling better as I ran on to Victoria Cross (18.9 miles) and stopped in a shop to replenish my empty drink bottle. My hydration strategy of taking a drink every 2.5 miles had been working quite well as it split my run into bite size chunks. I continued on my way, pace now below 08:30 and feeling fine. Across Wellington Bridge and out the Lee Road. Mile 20 (nice big drink - thirstier now). Along the route of the UCC 10k as far as the Angler's Rest (22.2 Miles) so far so good. I continued along the north side of the River Lee for another 2.5 Miles as far as the turnoff for Ballincollig, past the 25 mile mark. Turn right along the Wood Road checked the time at 26.22 miles - 03:38. "ok I'll head for the Killumney Road and back towards home - should be close to 27.5 miles and see what time is on the clock". I begin to get a little fatigued as I approach home. 03:48 on the clock. I few small out and backs to get the time up to 4 hours and stop at that - 28.87 Miles. Glad to be over but my legs felt reasonably good. Tomorrows recovery run will tell. Fri 8th Aug 8.58 Miles in 01:02:08 (07:14 pace @ 147 HR) with 4.5 miles in 29:27 (06:33 Pace @ 158 HR) Sleep: 7 hrs 7/10 Legs: 8/10 Sun 10th Aug 28:87 Miles in 04:00:04 (08:19 pace @ 133 HR) HR rising from 115 for 1st Mile to 158 for last mile. Pace varied from 08:44 (Mile 10 - messing with MP3) to 08:01 (Miles 28) Sleep: 7 hrs 7/10 Legs: 7/10 Marathon Training Week 6/16 - 66.15 Miles