I did 10k on Tuesday. My legs felt surprisingly good after Sundays 45k. It's strange how my training has changed. Although only a training run 45k is already some sort of ultra marathon. But since I kept the pace slow it did not really harm me. Tuesday's run however turned out to be slow. It felt faster, but it wasn't. It was very slow.
I had another rest day on Wednesday and did a 10 miler today in 1:15. Slow again but I guess I have to get used to it. The good news it I can run now a marathon a week and still recover from it. It's still some time until the actual West Highland Way Race so I can do some more experiments without risking too much. I am currently running 50 miles a week which is a lot already but it does not feel like much work. That's good news again.
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Another long run
Could hardly run during the week so I planned another long run for Sunday. This time slower but longer than last weekend. And more hills. I run up to the Cornalees Bridge visitor center and from there further up. Same route as last week. From there downhill towards Greenock. Then back up again and down to the Spango Valley and back up again. Then back home to Gourock.
It went fine until 20k when I started to feel my legs. Not much different from a "normal" fast Marathon. But the deterioration was slower than in a race. There was no wall. It just was getting harder and harder gradually.
Distance 45k (28 Miles), Duration 4:12, Avg HeartRate 137
It went fine until 20k when I started to feel my legs. Not much different from a "normal" fast Marathon. But the deterioration was slower than in a race. There was no wall. It just was getting harder and harder gradually.
Distance 45k (28 Miles), Duration 4:12, Avg HeartRate 137
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Sunday training run
After last weeks long run I planned another long run for this Sunday. The training run included the highest hill behind Greenock at approx 275m. On the way up after approx. 9k I decided to go for a heart rate max since I have not measured that for a while now to see how far I could push that up. I managed 181 bpm as it is visible in the graph. Since the run was long I took it easy again after that stress test. A problem was again hydration and carbohydrates. Although I refilled my bottle twice (with Loch Thom water) that was probably not enough so the heart rate went up at the end although I was not running faster.
Distance 39k, average heart rate 144. Duration 3:20.
I am going to repeat that route once in a while and will compare it with this one. Those runs and comparisons will hopefully help to determine hydration and speed taktics for the actual race.
Distance 39k, average heart rate 144. Duration 3:20.
I am going to repeat that route once in a while and will compare it with this one. Those runs and comparisons will hopefully help to determine hydration and speed taktics for the actual race.
Friday, 16 November 2007
A new watch
...or running tool. As an early christmas present wy wife got me a new Heart Rate Monitor. I do have a few ones already but they do not perform well as the recorded rate at the beginning of each run is far too high. Also my Timex Ironman Running Watch does not perform well either since the lap button is a pain and does not work smoothly.
So I got a Polar RS800.
A quick review: The heart rate starts without much waiting (quicker than the old Polar or Garmin ones). This is probably due to the new strap which is also more comfortable. The heart rate measured appears to be much more accurate. Also the lap time button is larger and responds better (compared to the Timex one). It comes with a good looking software to present the training results (it also measures altitude). It has quite a few advanced training features to monitor heart rate zone training and I am trying to use those features as soon as I understand how it all works. And the watch is good looking too. Optional is a Foot POD and a GPS module. But since I have a Garmin 305 I thought that would not be necessary. So why do I not use the Garmin? Answer is a) the low battery life and b) the heart rate is not working anymore for some reason.
Below a screenshot of my Wednesday Training run (ok, I did
not run underwater...I have to calibrate the altitude)
So I got a Polar RS800.
A quick review: The heart rate starts without much waiting (quicker than the old Polar or Garmin ones). This is probably due to the new strap which is also more comfortable. The heart rate measured appears to be much more accurate. Also the lap time button is larger and responds better (compared to the Timex one). It comes with a good looking software to present the training results (it also measures altitude). It has quite a few advanced training features to monitor heart rate zone training and I am trying to use those features as soon as I understand how it all works. And the watch is good looking too. Optional is a Foot POD and a GPS module. But since I have a Garmin 305 I thought that would not be necessary. So why do I not use the Garmin? Answer is a) the low battery life and b) the heart rate is not working anymore for some reason.
Below a screenshot of my Wednesday Training run (ok, I did
not run underwater...I have to calibrate the altitude)
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
10/11 training run tale
That training run was a bit more than running the Gourock promenade up and down so it deserves a "race tale" (attempt): It had a bit of everything. It featured family and virgins. It featured a stop (sort of supported) at half way where everyone had something to eat (although there was at least one who had a trifle too much ;-)...and some changed socks or shirts etc. Also some people took slight detours and some got even lost like it apparently happens in the real race. Thankfully everyone finally showed up undamaged as far as I know.
I was not sure if I was actually fit enough for such a distance on that hilly course, but it turned out I was.
Getting up was not easy at 6 AM on a Saturday. The weather forecast was not the best either. It seemed my wife wanted me to do that run and kicked me out of the bed. I have to thank her for that kick and am glad I showed up at the Drovers at 8:30 since it turned out to be quite an interesting day and almost an "epic" run.
We were actually a bit early and I thought no way that there was anyone there yet since the start was set to 9:00 but I was wrong. In fact by 9:00 all runners (as seen on the group photo) were there and those late comers (by 2 minutes) were punished by not being on that group photo. Only kidding, but sort of. I did not know any of the runners so I started introducing myself. Then there was this car arriving and this guy stepping out of it and he looked so familiar almost like a film star. It took a while until I remembered that this was the famous Mark H. I have seen the WHW movie telling his story of "two breaks" and read his racetales so that's why. OK, now who was Drama Queen then? Trust me I had a good laugh when I found out that Mark and DQ were in fact one and the same person... Maybe I expected (a) Drama Queen to be a cross dressing hypochondriac. But be assured that's not how DQ looks like.
I am not good with names so please forgive me when I confuse them. Start was as planned at 9:00, maybe a few minutes after that. As planned we were wet at 9:03. As I pointed out to quite a few runners the pace was surprisingly high. The field stretched early. Not by much though because no one wanted to loose contact I think. I was at the back of the field from the start and am not sure who actually set the pace but it must have been someone from the DQ group. Since most of the runners were virgins no one could actually tell me if we were running at "race pace", that is WHWRace pace and how that pace we were going would translate into finishing times. Later while having lunch in the Green Welly DQ suggested if we kept that pace going the whole WHW we would finish in 17 hours. Back to the run: Before we reached Derrydarroch I chatted to Alan (?), a virgin from Stirling. Later to Jon, a RAF ATC from Inverness (another virgin) who told me that originally he planned the Marathon de Sables but decided to go the WHWRace instead. He tried to stay in contact with the leading pack although I believe the pace was a bit too high for his taste.
At Derrydarroch the leading group was waiting for the rest to catch up, but because everyone was wet and it was cold waiting was not a good idea because the body temperature dropped rapidly as we stopped. Reaching the forest above Crianlarich was muddy, then the path was undulating and steep in places but covered with soft needles fallen from coniferous trees and I enjoyed running the downhills in quite a fast pace. Not sure if that is advisable in the actual race though since I once almost fell hitting a rock with my new Solomon trailers and another one shortly afterwards (which badly damaged one of my toenails). Later I talked to Aileen (family) who did the race last year in (good!) 24something but could have done better if she had not been injured during the last stages (more luck to her next year, fingers crossed). A cold shower came down again and I was getting quite cold and decided to speed up to get warmer and close the gap to the leading pack (who by then were out of sight) before Tyndrum. I managed to get to the second group with DQ, Mike, Tim and Davie B. Another few runners were even further ahead in kind of "race mode": Marco, Tommy and Graeme I believe. My wife was already awaiting me in Tyndrum (kind of rehearsing a support stop) and I changed socks and shirt because they were dripping wet by then. Most of the runners had a small and light meal in the Welly and we had a chat about different things. Jon and Aileen were missing, but they eventually showed up having gone a few miles further north. They had missed a signpost which resulted in a small detour.
On the way back I decided to stick with the front runners to see how that goes. Although my legs were stiff after the break they quickly felt good and fresh again. Tim dropped back slightly because he had a too much food in the Welly (the trifle?).
I chatted with DQ and a few other runners and when we reached the A82 there was DQ, Mike, Tommy, Graeme, Marco, Davie(?).
I was not sure if anyone else appreciated a quicker pace but when I started steaming down one of the steeper drops and keeping a higher pace this tall guy passed me on the climb and kept going. That was Marco who started running longer distances just a couple of years ago and actually finished 4th in the DOTH last year. Not bad for a “beginner”.
There was Tommy following us and we kept our fartleks going until the end. The final couple of miles got really quick and although I felt good Marco pulled away and I could not follow his long stride so he reached the car park first I think just before 2 PM. I know this was not a race but technically he won. Sort of. That does not mean that everyone else did not win. This was a training run after all. We waited for other runners to arrive and I thanked DQ again for organising this unusual event.
Looking forward to the next one although my schedule will not allow me to join John Kynaston's December run. I am about to loose one toe nail and have a blood filled blister next to a few water filled ones spread over my feet. Well one should not run a Marathon with brand new shoes. But I enjoyed every minute of it.
I was not sure if I was actually fit enough for such a distance on that hilly course, but it turned out I was.
Getting up was not easy at 6 AM on a Saturday. The weather forecast was not the best either. It seemed my wife wanted me to do that run and kicked me out of the bed. I have to thank her for that kick and am glad I showed up at the Drovers at 8:30 since it turned out to be quite an interesting day and almost an "epic" run.
We were actually a bit early and I thought no way that there was anyone there yet since the start was set to 9:00 but I was wrong. In fact by 9:00 all runners (as seen on the group photo) were there and those late comers (by 2 minutes) were punished by not being on that group photo. Only kidding, but sort of. I did not know any of the runners so I started introducing myself. Then there was this car arriving and this guy stepping out of it and he looked so familiar almost like a film star. It took a while until I remembered that this was the famous Mark H. I have seen the WHW movie telling his story of "two breaks" and read his racetales so that's why. OK, now who was Drama Queen then? Trust me I had a good laugh when I found out that Mark and DQ were in fact one and the same person... Maybe I expected (a) Drama Queen to be a cross dressing hypochondriac. But be assured that's not how DQ looks like.
I am not good with names so please forgive me when I confuse them. Start was as planned at 9:00, maybe a few minutes after that. As planned we were wet at 9:03. As I pointed out to quite a few runners the pace was surprisingly high. The field stretched early. Not by much though because no one wanted to loose contact I think. I was at the back of the field from the start and am not sure who actually set the pace but it must have been someone from the DQ group. Since most of the runners were virgins no one could actually tell me if we were running at "race pace", that is WHWRace pace and how that pace we were going would translate into finishing times. Later while having lunch in the Green Welly DQ suggested if we kept that pace going the whole WHW we would finish in 17 hours. Back to the run: Before we reached Derrydarroch I chatted to Alan (?), a virgin from Stirling. Later to Jon, a RAF ATC from Inverness (another virgin) who told me that originally he planned the Marathon de Sables but decided to go the WHWRace instead. He tried to stay in contact with the leading pack although I believe the pace was a bit too high for his taste.
At Derrydarroch the leading group was waiting for the rest to catch up, but because everyone was wet and it was cold waiting was not a good idea because the body temperature dropped rapidly as we stopped. Reaching the forest above Crianlarich was muddy, then the path was undulating and steep in places but covered with soft needles fallen from coniferous trees and I enjoyed running the downhills in quite a fast pace. Not sure if that is advisable in the actual race though since I once almost fell hitting a rock with my new Solomon trailers and another one shortly afterwards (which badly damaged one of my toenails). Later I talked to Aileen (family) who did the race last year in (good!) 24something but could have done better if she had not been injured during the last stages (more luck to her next year, fingers crossed). A cold shower came down again and I was getting quite cold and decided to speed up to get warmer and close the gap to the leading pack (who by then were out of sight) before Tyndrum. I managed to get to the second group with DQ, Mike, Tim and Davie B. Another few runners were even further ahead in kind of "race mode": Marco, Tommy and Graeme I believe. My wife was already awaiting me in Tyndrum (kind of rehearsing a support stop) and I changed socks and shirt because they were dripping wet by then. Most of the runners had a small and light meal in the Welly and we had a chat about different things. Jon and Aileen were missing, but they eventually showed up having gone a few miles further north. They had missed a signpost which resulted in a small detour.
On the way back I decided to stick with the front runners to see how that goes. Although my legs were stiff after the break they quickly felt good and fresh again. Tim dropped back slightly because he had a too much food in the Welly (the trifle?).
I chatted with DQ and a few other runners and when we reached the A82 there was DQ, Mike, Tommy, Graeme, Marco, Davie(?).
I was not sure if anyone else appreciated a quicker pace but when I started steaming down one of the steeper drops and keeping a higher pace this tall guy passed me on the climb and kept going. That was Marco who started running longer distances just a couple of years ago and actually finished 4th in the DOTH last year. Not bad for a “beginner”.
There was Tommy following us and we kept our fartleks going until the end. The final couple of miles got really quick and although I felt good Marco pulled away and I could not follow his long stride so he reached the car park first I think just before 2 PM. I know this was not a race but technically he won. Sort of. That does not mean that everyone else did not win. This was a training run after all. We waited for other runners to arrive and I thanked DQ again for organising this unusual event.
Looking forward to the next one although my schedule will not allow me to join John Kynaston's December run. I am about to loose one toe nail and have a blood filled blister next to a few water filled ones spread over my feet. Well one should not run a Marathon with brand new shoes. But I enjoyed every minute of it.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
More Pictures from early Training Run 10th November
Here are the pictures. Unfortunatley the battery and also the spare battery went flat so the selection is rather small.
On the way back it was dry though...
Saturday, 10 November 2007
November10 training run
Quite a few runners showed up in the early morning hours on 10/11.
We went from the Drovers Inn to the Green Welly Stop (Tyndrum) and back: 25 Miles.
Here is the group photo from just
before we went off at 9:00 on November the 10th. There is family and there are virgins.
FYI: since you cannot see him the guy hidden behind Mark is Marco...
We went from the Drovers Inn to the Green Welly Stop (Tyndrum) and back: 25 Miles.
Here is the group photo from just
before we went off at 9:00 on November the 10th. There is family and there are virgins.
FYI: since you cannot see him the guy hidden behind Mark is Marco...
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