Moraghan Training - Stevie G

Do you think it was due to the race being a marathon that reduced your motivation a bit? I've heard it can be a bit what now?, after one of those, which is why I stick to the half marathon as my maximum!

 Ah Henley 10k...was that in 2008? The ridiculous year when they set the half marathon off about 5mins before the 10k, so we had to plow through 1000s of runners for half the route, only to find out they weren't properly timing the 10k! You won and I came 2nd but I didn't see you all race, then watched you get a massive trophy and £50 while I didn't get even a certificate. No I don't remember it

I know what you mean about the track work. Some of the sessions I look at and think...this will be a challenge, burn it, and then come home happy!

Harry Johnston wrote (see)

Just curious as to why SG shouldn't be doing all the 5ks etc. I understand he can't expect optimal performance using this approach but in term's of preparing for races later is this still a bad thing?

 I ask because I am looking at races a fair few mid-week races in prep for a race later in the year, but just look to absorb them in my general training cycles?

Hi Harry

To steal your own phrase - because he can't expect optimal performance.

From an optimal training viewpoint there are three genuine reasons to race (because you enjoy them is important, but for me not strictly a reason on its own):

1)  To give objective feedback on current fitness. 

2)  To bring you along towards a peak race / provide specific race practice.

3)  To hit a PB in a peak race as part of a longer plan.

So, for each race I ask what is the reason for the race.  When there are many in a row there ceases to be a reason for them and it becomes simply because they are there.  Good training stresses recovery, progressive intensity and consistent training.  A race run properly should kick the shit out of you mentally and physically (otherwise why do it?) and impairs genuine training recovery, sticks out in the middle of any attempted progression in workouts and is often a second rate substitute to the training that should have taken place.

Go to the well too many times and it'll start running dry.  This is demonstrated by people who continually hammer away at a distance week after week - initially rapid progress will soon plateau and typically you'll eventually get slower. 

Session tonight didn't go exactly to plan. Half my fault and half the heat and humidity's fault!

Aim was to do 3 x 1.5m at 10k pace, 5:47 to 5:52 per mile pace.(8:40 per rep)

Did the first one a bit too quick,  8:21 (5:33 1st mile, 2:48 0.5m)

2nd was going  a little downhill pace wise, but my stomach was fit to burst, so I hung on for 1mile in 5:59.

To salvage the session the 3rd  1.5m was in 5:52 pace, on target.

All in all, tough work, humidity and doing the first one too hard were what screwed it a little.

But best to try these things out now then in a  race.

Best place to learn!  Ideally ease into the first rep of any session and if anything do it a little slower than average.  It's a good habit to get into as the second rep is usually the easiest of the whole lot. 

Next week is going to be a bit of a bastard but you're up to it - and it is followed by a cutback week of 47 miles and just one race with no other quality workouts.  You'll probably need it by then.

M:  4m easy; 6m easy

T:  4m easy; p.m. 9m {3m wup || 4 * 100m strides || 5 * 800m @ 3k pace w / 2:30 recovery || cd.  (Take less recovery if poss.)

W:  4m recovery

T:  4m easy; 6m easy

F:  4m easy;  p.m. 10m {2.5m wup || 5:00 > 5:00 alternating @ MP > tempo pace for 40:00 || cd. 

S:  15m easy

S:  OFF

M:  5m easy w / strides

T:  4m easy; p.m. Burnham 5k (usual warm up etc)

W:  4m recovery

T:  OFF

F:  4m easy;  p.m. 7m w / 10 * 100m fast (progressively quicker) w / slow jog back recovery.

S:  14m easy

S:  OFF

Looks a good week to get stuck into. It best be a bit cooler this week, as the 6miler yesterday was reasonably hot, and todays 14miler was hot enough even at 7am.  Even took a water bottle for once.

A decent 1hr 45 for the 14 though, which is the pace I usually do this easy pace sesh at. Wasn't that bad to be fair

This week ended at 63 rather than 66mile as I had Tuesday as a 7 rather than a 9?

 ( 2.5m warm up 1/2mile strides, 3.1mile race, 1mile warm down...presume it shouldn't have been 3m warm down?) Looking at the 47 breakdown for the week after next the 5k day comes out as a 7.

Also Friday ended a mile lower, as it didn't go 100% to plan as previously stated.

However, confident this week will be the full 66!

Yes, 7 is fine - don't worry, I'm sure no one feels cheated about friday!

Very hot day today obviously...but a 4 at lunch and a 6.5 this evening (slightly under calculated how far 6mile route would be) nicely easy paced out.

Hopefully won't be this blazing tomorrow evening as the track 5x800 at 3k pace promises to be tasty!

Today was a tough sesh, 5x800 in 3k pace.  3K pace for the 400 repeats the other week was 78seconds...but if 3k pace is 5:20 a mile  (320seconds), that would make it 2:40 (160seconds) per 800?

Reps of 2:40, 2:40, 2:37, 2:40, 2:38

So if 2:40 was the target pace pretty much hit it or beat it. If 2:36 was the target pace (78x2) then slightly out. A couple of 2:20 recoveries, but 2:30 for the last 3.

Slight hazards on the track including the club "helpfully" putting hurdles in the fast lane, and numerous kids almost getting in the way didn't help. in fact 10 kids on one of my 2:40s were within 2metres of getting mown down,,so overall pleased with the session.

I think sessions like this make me wish I was stacked with a bit more muscle!

At least if it's late you won't have a bunch of punk kids on the track!

What is your 5k pb then? Mine's down to 17:22 but not on a flat course...if you're doing k reps at 3:25  5x  would come out as 17:15 for 5k....but I'd imagine you must be under 17 if you're a mid 34 10k man?

What do you think is a good calculation for 5k up to 10k? At the moment mine is exactly x2 +2mins.. (17:22 to 36:44).which looks a bit fat.

That would be a sharp 5k!  And yes think the 10k will definitely have a large chunk knocked off next time out on the right tailor made course!

I'm getting cynical with my course choices now! They all have to be ultra flat and completely road!

You can pace me around to sub 36 glory! That'd be a sure way of me not laundering my breeks in the first 5k and recording a monster positive split!

What recoveries did you do in between those splits?

And Dorney sounds good, 2 of my club mates recorded stonking times of a 37:40ish and a 38:20 ish, when previously they were people who I didn't think had broken say 39 and 40!

Schedule is stacked with a few 5ks for the next couple of months, unavoidable due to my club championship schedule being more focused on attendance than tiems recorded, but it makes sense to dig out a target 10k in the next few months.

I'll have a look when the next Dorney ones are. The last one was a day before the Marlow 5 which  ruled that one out, butlike you say they havea  fair few...often with other distances or triathlon type events mixed in.

Well good luck with that!  Lunchtimes and evenings work better for me than mornings I find, but if circumstances ever change I'd be open to changing it.

 2 races in 2 days! Mr M would cain you for that!

Harry - don't encourage SG to enter even more races!  But if you're providing personal pacing services it would be churlish to turn down the offer. 

SG - 2:40's were fine for this session.  That's a good session completed there - harder when having to dodge people.  It's not that often you will rep at longer than 800m for 3k pace work. 

Looks to be decent solution....

 There is a 10k at Dorney Lake on 26th Sep. That would allow me to get the hectic summer schedule done and dusted, and then have a 2month completely unbroken training period.

By September, the risk of being hot weather shouldn't be an issue, and on a famously flat course should give a good crack at a good time.

to update...wed 4miler, thursday, 4m and 6m, and friday 4miler, all easy paced and cruiseworthy...

tonight.. a 10miler including 40mins varying between 5mins at 6:23 a mile (MP) and 5mins at  5:53 to 5:57 (Tempo) pace.

Basically 8 reps of 5mins, 4 reps each at the 2 paces with no break in between. No splits as such, thought the Maths involved  was more than it was was worth, so just worked off constant checks of the watch to monitor pace.

Upto half way through rep 6, which was Tempo rep 3 I was bang on pace.

Then that feeling of knowing I was working harder than what was in my stomach would allow! I'll change my diet for these hard effort sessions which involve longer reps. Think I've just about sorted it for the track work, but extended efforts within a long run still unsettle me a bit.

A 30second pit stop, and back into the game, and the rest of rep 6 went fine, as did the following MP rep. Half of the 8th one went well, but the pace was snaking away from me a little on the second half, creeping into the 610/615s when I should have been under 5:57.

 However, worked pretty hard, and whereas at the start 6:23 felt sharp, near the end the 6:23s were almost the feeling you get after a hard rep when you get the delight of the recovery!

Therefore, good workout, and should be fine for the 15miler tomorrow.