Alice's Adventures in Running Land
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

London Marathon Training: Week 5

2/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Another week has passed, and I will be honest, it has flown by! It has been a very busy week for me work wise and I knew I would need to make conscious effort not just to get my running in, but also to make sure I looked after myself. It is something very easy to let slip in the whirlwind that is life - let alone when you throw in running 40 odd miles a week into the mix!

MONDAY: Body Pump class

TUESDAY: rather than a form of interval run, this week my plan specified 7 miles of fartlek aka 'speed play' (I learnt this way back in GCSE PE!) On runs like these I tend to plan a hillier route which naturally demands my body to work harder on different gradients/run at different speeds. I quite enjoyed the change, and I personally find it much more effective way of approaching fartlek training than just running and trying to make myself go faster on certain streets etc. 

WEDNESDAY: Tuesday had a been a long day work-wise; I got to work for 8:30am and arrived home just before 9pm. When my alarm went of this morning to run I just did not feel refreshed, physically I probably could have ran, but mentally I was tired. I was not due to be working in the evening, so decided to try an evening run. Post work it was then a different story, mentally I felt much more recharged to take on 8 miles, but physically I was weary from a busy day. My 8 miles were supposed to be slow/recovery, and it was just as well, as I could not have upped my pace from a steady plod even if I wanted to!

THURSDAY: it was track night at Run Cub tonight, so I was pleased to allow my body the extra recovery and to be able run in the evening again. I am much more of a morning runner, but with club it is different as the inspiration and motivation of others pushes me. Having said this, after another full on day at work, as I sat in my car at the track I felt I had no energy, a weary mind and it was also flipping freezing! I did not feel 'up' for the session, and even less so when the pyramid set we were running was outlined to me; it was tough. This is when the magic of running kicked in though; as soon as I started to run everything was forgotten and suddenly I became focused on just me and my strides. I slotted in with a few other club mates and  we tackled a 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m descending pyramid, with 400m recovery in between each distance. Together we kept a strong pace throughout and I was really pleased with my splits. I left the track feeling energised and strong, very different to how I arrived. 

FRIDAY: Rest Day
Picture
SATURDAY: my original plan for this week was to, as usual, run my long run on a Sunday. I was already dreading this a little though as I was due at work for 10am, which would mean needing to be out the house for 6am and getting up at 4am to eat... slightly crazy I know. I was then alerted to the predicted arrival of Storm Ciara on Sunday with a threat of 'danger to life' winds. It was all sounding a little dire! Thankfully I was saved by the offer of a long run on Saturday; and it turned out to be a really good alternative in many ways. Some of you may have read in past blogs that my workplace, Lincoln City Foundation (who I love working for even though sometimes I am very busy!), have partnered with Curly's Athletes to hold the Lincoln City Half Marathon in September 2020 (more info here: www.lincolncityhalfmarathon.co.uk) On Friday, one of the guys at Curly's said they were coming to Lincoln to try the parkrun and did I fancy doing a recce of the half marathon route after wards. It may as well have been a rhetorical question! So that is what I did; I ran my Lincoln parkrun (in a conservative 24 minutes, which was actually really enjoyable) and then headed out for 13 more miles testing out the event route - which will all be revealed in the forthcoming weeks! I loved running with someone and the distance flew by, and it was also exciting to imagine thousands of people running these steps in a few months time. I ran quicker than my normal long run pace of late, around the 8:20 min/mile marker but felt really strong. I loved the route too - but maybe I am slightly bias!

SUNDAY: with 3 miles left to run this week I had the intention of getting these logged before going to work. However, Storm Ciara sounded scarily violent outside my window and I decided to wait until later in the day and review the conditions. When I got home later on it was still very windy, however I was mentally a bit worn out from a sixth day at work and I really just needed some form of release and I guess some 'me time'. I laced up for 3 easy miles, with my pace very much dictated by the wind direction! It was what I needed and a nice way to end a busy but rewarding week. ​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Alice's Adventures In Running Land

    Read about my adventures in running land...


    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Ashby 20 2019
    Bassingham Bash 2015
    Bassingham Bash 2016
    Bassingham Bash 2017
    Bassingham Bash 2020
    Berlin Marathon 2016
    Berlin Marathon 2017
    Boston Marathon 2017
    Brighton 10k 2015
    Brighton Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2018
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2020
    Chicago Marathon 2019
    Clumber Park Half Marathon
    Doncaster 10k 2017
    Doncaster 10k 2018
    Doncaster 10k 2019
    Finsbury Park 10k 2015
    General Running
    Great Newham Run 10k 2016
    Great North Run 2015
    Harewood House Half Marathon 2017
    Hedgehog Half Marathon 2018
    I Am Team GB
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2018
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2015
    Lincoln 10k 2016
    Lincoln 10k 2017
    Lincoln 10k 2018
    Lincoln 10k 2019
    Lincoln Colour Dash 2015
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2016
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2015
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2016
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon 2018
    Lockdown 2021
    London Marathon 2015
    London Marathon 2016
    London Marathon 2017
    London Marathon 2018
    London Marathon 2020
    Manchester Marathon 2016
    Milton Keynes 20 Mile Race 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2017
    Newark Half Marathon 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2019
    Newton's Fraction Half Marathon 2019
    Normanby 10k 2020
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2018
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2019
    Nottingham 10k 2016
    Oxford Half Marathon 2015
    Parkrun
    Park Run
    Robin Hood Trail 10k
    Round Sheffield Run 2016
    Round Sheffield Run 2017
    Round Sheffield Run 2018
    Round Sheffield Run 2019
    Royal Parks Half 2016
    Santa Run 2014
    Santa Run 2015
    Santa Run 2018
    Santa Run 2019
    Sleaford 10k 2019
    Stamford 30k
    Sydney Marathon 2018
    The 401 Challenge
    The Royal Parks Half Marathon 2016
    Thoresby Half Marathon
    Winter Run 10k Liverpool
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2018
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2019
    X Runner 2015

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from marksteelenz