Talkback: ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Rosie

The training plan looks very good 

I attend a session of circuit training on a Friday evening, could this be the same as strength training?

Yey! Training plan! I am quite ridiculously excited about this.

 How was everyone's christmas running? Mine went a bit wrong, and the 24th and 25th, rather than being a blow out of all my bad running habits in preparation for a bit of self control the next few months saw me spending it in A&E. Not quite the LSR xmas day I'd hoped for but did give me two days practice of this No Running Day business.

 So, to yesterday. Still feeling slightly fragile I pootled out for the scheduled 6 miler. It was lovely, but after my hospital escapades did bring a whole new meaning to the *slow* part of Long Slow Run. Was crazy wind we had going on here yesterday too, a sort of wind-tunnel effect. Having started calmly, at about mile 4 it did all go a bit Animal Rescue for a while as blocking my route was a group of people who'd found an injured pigeon, who, much to their surprise, none of the animal or bird charities were interested in coming out to rescue on boxing day (the list of people they'd rung was nothing if not inventive). Cut to obtaining a box and taking it to the nearest vet for a humane passage to bird heaven, as I couldn't take the collective panic, and felt very sorry for the little thing.

So the last two miles had to be completed after the short bird-related interlude. By this point I was feeling all enthusiastic so I used them to run to the gym to attempt to have a go at some strength training as per plan. Again though enthusiastic my unusual Christmas left me feeling a bit fragile and I was rather unimpressive. I don't have much (hardly any) experience of strength training, and in the end did a bunch of planks, squats, and that bridge thing we did at training day. That's not really strength training is it? I did feel loads better after though. What do you guys advise for running-specific strength training? My upper body strength is shockingly bad so it needs to start easy!

Is anyone else following the schedule? Would love to hear how it's going..

Xmas is cancelled in Spoons's house wrote (see)

Looks sensible. I wonder if Rosie will get bored on her days off......

Possibly the first time 'sensible' and my running have made it into the same post. Woo! I am going to need a new hobby for those days I think! Is other sport ok or do No Running Days mean actual resting?

mcs wrote (see)

I have booked a house near holyrood park for the Edinburgh marathon for may, is that where you are Rosie? All the best for the training schedule come Monday. Running with my brother in the am 40 mins tempo and then seven or eight Sunday slow. Have a good weekend.

Yes that's my running spot of choice. Hence the terrain for most of my runs being a bit hilly. Have you done Edinburgh before? I'm in for this year (it was my first marathon back in 2008 and have done it every year since). Which side of the park are you staying on? Great choice for the marathon, can walk to the start pretty easily from most places around the park and if you get the train back from the finish (loads quicker than the shuttle bus, most of the locals seem to do it but never many visitors - am happy to give details if anyone wants) it's an easy walk back from Waverley station too.

oscarr wrote (see)

Rosie - hope you enjoy your first run of the schedule today.

Simon Santa Claus wrote (see)

Rosie - A chrimbo morning run sounds good before all the relatives come round to open prezzies later on. I've been listening to marathon talk, and I've just signed up to jantastic, which starts in Jan, as a bit of extra motivation. Minni has set up 'team minni' on the site, so I'm in her team, the more the merrier. I Hope you and Dug have a great Christmas if I don't hear from you before. The collar looks great btw.

Thanks for jangtastic tip - I'm off to have a look..

Hope you had a great Christmas

Rosie, sounds like you had a very interesting  run yesterday!

I'm also looking for a 3.30 finish time in London so will be one week behind you. I'm following the P&D plan at the moment, this week it has me running 36miles! I like your plan of 29miles so may change I would like to see the next few weeks on your training plan before I decide.

I am a member of a gym and I attend a circuit session on a Friday evening which I hope I can continue with, I hope this will be classed as strength training.

Hope you enjoyed your rest day today!

Evening Rosie,

Has anything been said about mixing in gym based class such as Body Attack and Body Pump. I reckon both are relevant to runners but would be interested in a "professsional" viewpoint.

Looking at a half marathon training race between now and London ...Alloa would suit in terms of geography but I will be somewhere in the Alps on a ski mountaineering tour !

Cheers
Graham K

Hey Rosie, Sounds like it's been an eventful first week. I have no trips to A&E to report but have been in bed with a horrible tummy bug last couple of days. Feeling fragile How has the first work been? Let me know how it's going. And if you're happy with the strength exercises and how to do them?

So what do 'No Running Days' really mean? Well, the programme schedules two rest days but only one is headed Compuslory No Running Day, so the other one is kinda open, should you feel that you want an EASY run that day. As far as other sports are concerned, well, I'd prefer you to stick to something low impact if you feel compelled to do something (ie. horse riding or swimming or cycling rather than circuit training or er, roller derby!

Gazelle: You asked about circuit training being an alternative to strength training. Absolutely! It's a great way to get some strength training in with an aerobic challenge too. However, it's a bit more demanding than the 4-move workout I've given Rosie, so make sure it doesn't leave you too knackered for a decent run the day after or schedule it before a rest day.

Xmas is cancelled: You asked whether all Rosie's running will be easy for first four weeks. The first week is a bit of an ease-in, but after that, there are two 'quality' sessions most weeks - a brisk/tempo or race pace run as well as an intervals session.

Here is Rosie's next week of  training: