Target 26.2 - First Timer Steve's Journey to Paris

Well done on posting the strength workout so professionally Steve! That gets you off slapped wrist for running a minute/mile too quick for recovery run

It's not all 'core work' as such - as you'll all see - but have explained why I use each exercise in a running context so hope that's helpful.

Santa loves bacon wrote (see)

The best advice she could give?  As always, it was: listen to your body.

Every time I do that, the wife tells me off! 

Thanks for the circuit pdf Steve.  Worth it for the pics of the hot babe .

re: the easy run pacing..  I found out today why it's necessary to run the easy runs at a very easy pace.  Today's 13m run was 5m easy and 8m at MP.  It felt harder than a steady 12m at MP I did a fortnight ago, due to the accumulated effect of the training (this is only week two!! ).  Pleased to say, though, that I hit my pace (9:08 average) during the last 8 miles in spite of some diabolical weather.

I actually enjoyed running is the rain/wind today.  Soaked to the bone and loving it.... lunatic 

Good advice Ten! He's right Steve, as the volume of training increases you'll be all too glad of those easy runs 

btw, first time I've been called a hot babe in a while. 

Evening Steve!  - Sounds like the training is going well!

jinglebellsjen wrote (see)

champagne is my favourite drink! apparently delays onset of dementia.
downloaded strength circuit... I'm on it! thanks

And obviously I only drank it for the health benefits

Would be a very expensive evening out though, at £250 a bottle! Maybe one for the Christmas list...

seren nos yn canu wrote (see)

right so I now discover you are an essex boy and that you prefer smoked to unsmoked......................3 rd strike and you are out

Haha - being from Essex, I clearly have no class

Bit nervous about what you're going to ask me next!

SC is Coming to Town wrote (see)

Steve, thanks for sharing the strength curcuits, I'll be adding those to my program, I just tend to do high knees, heel flicks side to sides, squats and lunges etc as a warm up anything else you could recomend.  Sounds like a very happy client, I hope you enjoyed the glass or two of bubbly 

No worries

Re the warm-up, at bootcamp Sam showed us a range of active stretching/warm-up exercises - you've got most of them there already.

The only extra thing we did was running with very little strides and your feet turning over really quickly - think of running on the spot, but moving forward at a jogging pace if that makes sense (!) (perhaps Sam could explain it better??)...

Before, I only ever used to do those standard three stetches that everyone knows and we were all shown in PE at school and then just went for a gentle jog (I didn't even bother with that a lot of the time)... So the warm-up exercises have been great for me and, as I said, really get me in the mood for a run

SamMurphyRuns wrote (see)

Well done on posting the strength workout so professionally Steve! That gets you off slapped wrist for running a minute/mile too quick for recovery run

It's not all 'core work' as such - as you'll all see - but have explained why I use each exercise in a running context so hope that's helpful.

 

Thanks for the routine, Sam - looks like everyone is going to find it really useful

So sorry about the pacing... not quite sure what I did there!! Glad I have managed to escape your wrath though...

Tenjiso wrote (see)

Santa loves bacon wrote (see)

The best advice she could give?  As always, it was: listen to your body.

Every time I do that, the wife tells me off! 

Thanks for the circuit pdf Steve.  Worth it for the pics of the hot babe .

re: the easy run pacing..  I found out today why it's necessary to run the easy runs at a very easy pace.  Today's 13m run was 5m easy and 8m at MP.  It felt harder than a steady 12m at MP I did a fortnight ago, due to the accumulated effect of the training (this is only week two!! ).  Pleased to say, though, that I hit my pace (9:08 average) during the last 8 miles in spite of some diabolical weather.

I actually enjoyed running is the rain/wind today.  Soaked to the bone and loving it.... lunatic 

Yes, I can totally believe that I'm going to be in serious need of slower paces and recovery runs as the weeks progress!  Assuming I don't go out and run them at comfortable pace by mistake, of course... 

It's all jokes and smiling at the moment... Let's do a comparison and see how full of beans I am come February/March!

Well done on the pacing, sounds like you really earned that run! Haha, lunatic indeed - I love seeing the looks on people's faces when you're out running in what is technically a monsoon and they drive past all nice and warm in their cars. You can tell they think you are absolutely certifiable...!

RunnyRunRun wrote (see)

Evening Steve!  - Sounds like the training is going well!

It's been great fun so far - loving every minute How about you??

I'm also loving the amazing new Asics kit! I'm looking so good in it that there is actually a six month waiting list for birds to suddenly appear every time I am near

On the subject of car drivers... a big thumbs up to all those who passed me yesterday!  They were all very curteous, gave me space and never gave in to the temptation of "accidentally" giving me a soaking.  I guess they thought I was going through enough already.

I've looked ahead at my Feb/Mar schedule.  With what I have learned so far, it now officially terrifies me!

Bit daunting, isn't it?! But as long as we stick to our plans and build up slowly, I reckon we'll be alright. Plus we should have worked off any excess mince pies/turkey by then so we should be in good shape...

In other news, I see your pic has finally appeared!!

The problem with the RW forum pic is that I was submitting with Chrome.  RW hates Chrome.  It appeared almost straight away when I used IE.

Bacon Sarnie  - you should feel confident cos you have youth on your side and plenty of scope to drastically improve your half time which will give you even more confidence that you can meet your marathon target and by following Sam's schedule your fitness will certainly improve.  Abingdon is in October.

Ten - yeah, I use Chrome as well. Took ages for mine to upload too... didn't realise it was the browser that was the problem!!

oscarr - thanks, I am feeling pretty positive right now - first week of training is done and it was all within my capabilities so it's just a case of applying myself between now and April and buidling up...  It is such an amazing opportunity to work with somebody of Sam's calibre - I'm dead chuffed

Good luck with Abingdon!

Just bought my sis a copy of Sam's lady-running-book for Christmas - trust us - if anyone can help you be your best it's Sam...

So... will you be having a bird for Christmas dinner or just a table laden with bacon? 

Happy Christmas one and all - eat, smile, enjoy and be grateful for whatever good things you may have in your life right now and for the memories of good things that you have been lucky enough to have had before

Training - Week 1

8 MILE COMFORTABLE (9:10 - 10.15)

1hr 13mins 45 secs - 9:13 pace

I've just back from my 8 mile run to finish off week one of training...! I have to say, the week has absolutely flown past and I feel like I'm going to be in Paris and all done and dusted before too long... Let's hope I'm still thinking that at mile 25!

The run today went pretty well - certainly a lot better than I was expecting.  I'm not going to lie, I really, really didn't want to go out the door to begin with and was slumped on the sofa struggling to stay awake but by time I had warmed up and got going, I was feeling pretty good.

I was out celebrating my degree result (and winning this!!) with a mate last night and had spent the whole day prior to that moving furniture in and out of storage and doing a massive trip to the rubbish dump. I then spent the first part of today navigating the hell on earth that was Lakeside Shopping Centre two days before Christmas so I was a little worried that I was going to find today's run pretty tough-going after my exertions...

But the run started out really well and I felt pretty strong.  Since bootcamp, I have been really concentrating on my form when I run as that day had made me realise how much I lose form when I start to tire.  It is amazing how much it improves your running just to concentrate on and be more aware of it - it makes you so much more efficient and you use loads less energy to cover the same distance as when your shoulders are starting to sag and you're not lifting your knees up.  Sam said at bootcamp that your legs should move in a nice circular motion and I was focusing on that too - I was imagining pedals on a bike going round!

Between five and five and a half miles, I did start to feel tired and I did start to fear the worst (i.e. that my hangover had finally caught up with me!) but that soon passed and I concentrated on keeping my form and keeping my pace nice and steady.

The rest of the run flew by and I felt really, really good in miles seven and eight, to the point that I was a little disappointed to have to stop! I kept my form really well right to the end of the run, shoulders back and hips high so I'm feeling pretty good about myself at the end of week one.

Bring on week two! Sam, because she is so lovely, has scheduled a 5 mile run for me on Christmas day... It must have been something I said at bootcamp

Thanks SB, that's really lovely - hope you and everyone on here has a wonderful Christmas and all the very best for 2013 (and, yes, oscarr, that includes sub-4 marathons all round).

I shall be having turkey, thank you very much, and peeling the bacon off the pigs-in-blankets and throwing it away. Honest guv

Sam - it went well thanks, finished with a smile on my face so you can't ask for much more than that

The route did get a little interesting at times...