Asics training starts now...!!

Implish, I only joined the party a week ago

Hi Ruth....thank you for your input!!.....I would probably like to loose a bit of weight...I'm 5"7 weigh 10.2/3 and according to my scales 22.5% body fat. So out go the coconut macaroons and mars-bar krispies....!! the curly kale crisps in my defence are only home made dehydrated kale with soya sauce and cashew nuts...!!

Yesterdays diet concisted of:

Porridge made with coconut milk raisins and apricots

2xtea and 2x coffee throughout the day

raisin toast

1X apple

Homemade vegetable and lentil soup with a whole grain roll with brie and cranberry

2 xwholegrain rice cakes with almond butter

nectarine

Home made chicken Thai green curry, spinach, baby corn, courgettes, green beans, pac choi, peppers, onion, wholegrain rice

Loads of water thoughtout the day

5 mile hilly run

Wow looking at that lot Im not suprised I was full by the end of the day!!!!....I don't really eat any processed food,and I really try to make every thing homemade, once you get into the swing of it its quick and easy.....

I will post todays diet later tonight or tomorrow.....might be slightly different as I am out for lunch!!!.....

Thank you so much for any input!!!!!

Hi Sam......

Thank you for letting me play on Sunday!!!!!..........

Ha ha! You're welcome. Good luck tomorrow! let me know how it goes...

Hello all

Mel - good luck hope it goes well! The home made soup sounds lovely

Graham - when I was in Uni my friends used to call me Madwelshwoman...all true and justified! Well done on enetering another Mara!

I haven't run much this week because of a stiff neck! Only did 4 miles Monday on the treadmill but did get out this morning and did 12 miles...very slowly

Evening Mel!!

Hope you enjoyed your first parkrun and I've got my fingers crossed for a PB for you!!

Park run......It was wet, soggy, windy and raining really hard!!!!....spent most of the 5k dodging BIG puddles and trying not to slip on wet chalk underfoot!!!.....every one was very friendly though...... I didnt know where the finish was which always helps!!....I had no one in front of me so had to slow down so I could follow the nice lady behind me!!.....I might try another one on a less wet day!!....however 26.56, dont know if its a pb or not....I wouldnt have thought so in those conditions!!!.....but lots of smiles!!!!....

Week 4 gone already –

Monday – rest

Tuesday –3 mile jog (11:15 -12:15) A happy little mooch through the woods and round the local village. Shiny new trainers, not so shiny and new by the time we finished (‘We’ as in me and the dog!!) …Asics trainers held up well for their maiden voyage…big thank you to Michael and James at Asics in London for sending them down….3rd time lucky and we have a winner!!!!!.......

Pace a bit fast according to guidelines….!!!

 Mileage 3.04    Pace 9.55    Tme 30.09

Wednesday – Sped session – 1 Mile comfortable (10:15 – 11:15) followed by 6 x 2 minute at 7.20 – 7.35 . 2.5 min recovery jogs (11:15 – 12:15) I mile comfortable

Warm up 1 mile@ 10:14 min/mile

Lap 1 - 0:02:00 Dist 0.2mi Pace 8:00 min/mile

 Lap 2- 0:02:00 Dist 0.3mi Pace 7:42 min/mile

 Lap 3 -0:02:00 Dist 0.3mi Pace 7:42 min/mile

Lap 4- 0:02:00 Dist 0.3mi Pace 7:42 min/mile 

Lap 5-0:02:00 Dist 0.3mi Pace 7:24 min/mile

Lap 6 -0:02:00 Dist 0.3mi Pace 7:24 min/mile

Cool down - 1 mile @ 9:27 min/mile

Worked hard on this session, really enjoyed it…!!!

Thursday – 4 mile comfortable (10:15 – 11:15)

This was an early morning session and my legs felt like lead when I started after the previous nights speed session. However, a lovely run up into the downs with my sister and very good friend Wendy…! It does put you to shame though when you are outrun by a 65 year old woman!!!....Every time she whips my ar*e on the hills!!!!.....

Mileage 5.06     Pace 9.47     Time 49.28

Friday – As I had been rumbled and Sam told me off for resting on my rest days…(not that anyone can really rest when bringing up 3 teenage girls, working and have a mad spaniel) I did take my bike to the shops instead of drive!!!.... So off I toddled to the supermarket with my basket and my wheel bags…and I managed to not only save on my shopping…(because I couldn’t fit a lot in…) but get 40 mins of hard cyclying in too!!!!......and 3 very unhappy daughters as we have no food in the house!!!!.....  

Saturday – Park run

Wow I lay there listening to the wind and the rain all night….well from when I finally finished being Bertie bus driver at 1am to 2 teenagers who have a better social life than me.  At 630am did I really want to get out of my warm bed and venture out into the cold darkness, which was blowing a Hooley???…An hours drive to run around a soggy park for 5ks…if it wasn’t for the commitment I had made, I think this was one session I would have missed!!!!!......

As expected…. it was soggy and wet and miserable!!!.... We all huddled under a tree getting even colder and wetter, extending the warm up because it was so blinking miserable…. and then off we went…skidding and sliding through the puddles and mud…chalky hills up, and even worse chalky hills down!!!.... A few tumbles from others on the way…(unusually not me!!!) Thank goodness I prefer trail running or I would have been really scuppered.  Figured pretty early on this was not going to be particularly competitive for timings and just to enjoy it…Unfortunatly though, as much as I was enjoying it…I wish I knew where the finish line was…There was no one in front of me as I took them on the last hill…. ( competitive??…me???…no!!!) See my hill training did come in handy…..!!.... But blow me….I had no one to follow though the discreetly placed finish cones…So I had to slow down and let the lady I over took on the hill…Pass me so I could follow her to the finish….!!!!!! Wahhhhh what’s that all about!!!!..... So I graciously accept my placing as number 26 and apologies for over taking the nice lady on the last hill!!!...... 

Mileage 3.05       Pace 8.59       Time 26.56

 Sunday 7 mile jog – (11:15 – 12:15)

After duress Sam decided to let me have a few extra miles today, as I should have been running only 3miles. However all my lovely running club friends were playing with a 12mile run, so I toddled off for a flat 7 along the sea front. I figured a flat non muddy run would be good as I have done quite a few off road runs and hills so figured I would be a good girl today….and more to the point I wanted a rest from cleaning and drying trainers for one day!!!

Enjoyable mooch just watching the world go round!!!.....

Mileage 7.3    Pace 9.18     Time 1.08

Another week over…..time is flying by!!.....A great week, a tad frustrating as it was a recovery week and lower mileage, but I’m sure will be grateful for that soon enough!!....Onto week 5!!!!.....

The plan for the week ahead.......

Monday - 4 mile comfortable ( 10:15 - 11:15)

Tuesday - Rest

Wednesday - 4 miles fast ( 1 mile easy(10:15 - 11:15), 2.5 miles fast (8.45 - 9), 1 mile easy)

Thursday - rest

 Friday - 4 mile build up - (10:15 - 9:15) 

Saturday 3 mile jog ( 11:15 - 12:15)

Sunday - 12 mile comfortable ( 10:15 - 11:15) 

I might have a sneaky ask to Sam if I can increase the pace rates!!

Morning Mel - that sounds a bit like Ady's parkrun - not really PB conditions - although according to the PB I have down for you for 5km, IT IS ONE! (PB was 27.10).

I've adjusted the paces, as promised post first month, for the next 4 week block. I've left the faster end bracket paces as they are, as they seem to be about right. I've also adjusted your potential finish time to 4.22 from 4.27 to fit in with what you've been running pace-wise this first 4 weeks, which changes projected marathon pace to about 10.02 .

So here are the new paces, and to follow that, weeks 5-8 of training.

Week 5 w/c 14th January
Monday 4 MILE COMFORTABLE
Tuesday REST OR LOW IMPACT CROSS TRAINING
Wednesday 4.5 miles FAST (Suggest structuring this as 1 mile easy, 2.5 miles FAST, 1 mile easy)
Thursday: 3 MILE RECOVERY JOG
Friday 4 miles BUILD-UP (9.40-9.10) PLUS W-UP/C-DOWN (5)
Saturday REST OR LOW IMPACT CROSS TRAINING
Sunday LONG RUN 13 MILE COMFORTABLE (OFF ROAD FINE)
MILEAGE 29.5

Week 6 w/c 21st January
Monday 3 MILE RECOVERY JOG
Tuesday 4 MILE STEADY
Wednesday REST OR LOW IMPACT CROSS TRAINING
Thursday 1 MILE COMFORTABLE then 3 x acceleration strides then 6 x 2 MINS at 7.20-7.35 MIN pace with 2.5 min jogs in between each. 1 MILE COMFORTABLE (4.5 MILES)
Friday REST
Saturday TRAINING DAY – MILE WINDERS (APPROX 7 TOTAL)
Sunday LONG RUN 14 MILES - IDEALLY ON FLAT FIRM TERRAIN. FIRST HALF APPROX 10.50 PACE – SPEEDING UP IN SECOND HALF TO APPROX 10.20  
MILEAGE  32.5

Week 7 w/c 28th January
Monday REST
Tuesday 6 MILE COMFORTABLE
Wednesday 5 MILES BUILD UP (9.40-9)
Thursday REST
Friday 5 MILES STEADY (CAN JOIN YOUR HILL GROUP BUT TAKE IT EASY!)
Saturday 3 MILE JOG PLUS 3 X ACCELERATION STRIDES
Sunday CHICHESTER 10KM PLUS W-UP/C-DOWN
MILEAGE 27

Week 8 w/c 4th February
Monday REST
Tuesday 4 MILE JOG
Wednesday 5 miles FAST (Suggest structuring this as 1 mile easy, 3 miles FAST, 1 mile easy)
Thursday: Rest or low impact cross training
Friday 5 MILE STEADY TO INCLUDE 6 X 1 MIN FAST HILL CLIMBS WITH WALK/JOG RECOVERY BACK DOWN HILL BETWEEN REPS. NOT TOO STEEP A HILL. FOCUS ON GOOD FORM
Saturday REST
Sunday 15 MILES VERY COMFORTABLE
MILEAGE 29

Going great guns Mel. A 5 minute improvement in projected time after just 4 weeks of training - brilliant!

Mel - thanks for the welcome.  That sounds like a great week of running.  I have been taking it easy as I hurt my knee over the christmas break - thought I'd recovered and ventured out on Saturday only to run less than half a mile before it was too painful to continue.  So, back to stretching and rolling, a bit of cross training and the dreaded rest.  Us runners don't like times of less running, do we?!  Anyway, I'm going to vicariously enjoy your sessions and hope my knee plays ball so that I can get some training in before my next race.....Impish

Hi Sam...interesting that you have chnaged the target times already although I can't see that Mel has done a run over 12 miles yet,...........and mileage is still low

I'm new to watching first timers run...is it really possible to start to work out target times until the miles start ramping up and you see how the body copes with 16, 18 miles or more and how they recover.........

Glad to see your running well Mel.........hope that the weather in your area is kind.but if not at least you love offroad..always means there is an option 

melaniejayne wrote (see)

Hi Ruth....thank you for your input!!.....I would probably like to loose a bit of weight...I'm 5"7 weigh 10.2/3 and according to my scales 22.5% body fat. So out go the coconut macaroons and mars-bar krispies....!! the curly kale crisps in my defence are only home made dehydrated kale with soya sauce and cashew nuts...!!

Yesterdays diet concisted of:

Porridge made with coconut milk raisins and apricots

2xtea and 2x coffee throughout the day

raisin toast

1X apple

Homemade vegetable and lentil soup with a whole grain roll with brie and cranberry

2 xwholegrain rice cakes with almond butter

nectarine

Home made chicken Thai green curry, spinach, baby corn, courgettes, green beans, pac choi, peppers, onion, wholegrain rice

Loads of water thoughtout the day

5 mile hilly run

Wow looking at that lot Im not suprised I was full by the end of the day!!!!....I don't really eat any processed food,and I really try to make every thing homemade, once you get into the swing of it its quick and easy.....

I will post todays diet later tonight or tomorrow.....might be slightly different as I am out for lunch!!!.....

Thank you so much for any input!!!!!

 

Hi Sam......

Thank you for letting me play on Sunday!!!!!..........

 

Hi Mel

If you stick to this sort of eating, without the extra treats too often you will do really well. This is super but keeping posting one or two days a week.

I think it would be good to start focusing on pre -race eating. Between now and 7th April for any races you do including parkruns etc you could practice your pre-race breakfast  as well as any further small snacks you may eat between breakfast and race start at 8.45am! & type of fluid  you think you will be having on morning of race. What do you do on race morning for shorter races at the moment. as we will just work from  this?

Keep up the hard work, doing great.

Ruth

Hey Mel. Sorry you had a difficult Parkrun on Saturday. Your run does sound very similar to mine. Glad you were able to get back out on Sunday for a good distance. I can't believe we will be meeting up in Birmingham again in just 2 weeks time!

Good luck in week 5! 

seren nos wrote (see)

Hi Sam...interesting that you have chnaged the target times already although I can't see that Mel has done a run over 12 miles yet,...........and mileage is still low

I'm new to watching first timers run...is it really possible to start to work out target times until the miles start ramping up and you see how the body copes with 16, 18 miles or more and how they recover.........

 

Glad to see your running well Mel.........hope that the weather in your area is kind.but if not at least you love offroad..always means there is an option 

Hi Seren, my initial projection for Mel (as stated at the outset of the programme) was 4.15 to 4.27. I started by erring on the side of caution but Mel has been more than comfortable (too comfortable!) with the associated paces, so I have now adjusted them a little, so that she is getting sufficiently challenged.

I think this raises a wider, very interesting point about projected finish times. The only reason we actually use projections is to give a guideline as to what paces to run various sessions at. It's absolutely no guarantee that the person will run the specific time. It's never an exact science.  So changing someone's goal time (and associated paces) by a few minutes, in response to how they've progressed or otehrwise in their training isn't really a big deal (unless it was by a huge amount!).

As an example, although Steve, my other first timer, appears to have the potential to run something like 3.30 from his 5k time, I have not changed his paces to reflect this great a change as we simply don't know, as you say, how well he'll cope with the increased mileage and long runs. As a first timer, I want to make sure he minimises risk of injury, and maximises chances of enjoying the race and finishing - just because his paces are based on say, 3.50, it doesn't mean he won't run quicker on the day. But there's no point holding him back, pace wise, on the shorter runs in training, where his strength lies. Hope that makes sense! 

Thanks Sam.....

i do think first timers are the hardest group.......as you have no idea how they will cope from long runs and how they will recover.........and i think the understanding/ perception of how easy the pace felt is harder for them to judge..............they have to try and do in a few weeks what takes people years........

peoples first marathon times so often bare no resemblence to their half marathon times......

 will be interesting this year as there are two first timers......

I totally agree Seren. Don't know if you were following the project last year, but Craig, my first timer, made amazing progress over the weeks of training, and lots of people were posting that he should be going for 3.45, based on his half mara and 10k times. I originally had him down for 4.30, which I adjusted to 4.15. He ran 4.09 in the end....

A great debut, but just highlights your point really. The marathon is an unknown beast