are necessary but Jeez don't they write the rest of the day off?
I squeezed out 15.02 miles on Sunday morning. I could also tell you the average altitude if I felt like it but I don't.
There's something remotely satisfying about these long runs. No matter how far they are, provided I push myself just that little bit too far, the last mile or two always seems to be a throwback to how I felt in the latter stages of the marathons I've done - a veteran of 2!
Is it just me who feels spent for the rest of the day after this sort of distance? I certainly hope not.
The New York Marathon is on Sunday November 7th, and it's looming fast. I have yet to make a decision about a taper, but it's looking likely that it will only be only two weeks. That would mean I really only have 5 long runs left, so perhaps don't have the comfort of a step-back week.
If in the remaining time I can do 16, 18, 18, 18 and 20 before tapering, well.......that's my goal, even though I'll have to work around a long weekend in Rome next month that I have to suffer.
Perhaps these plans, coupled with my midweek assaults on The Monster, will be enough. When I started this schedule my goal was to run (albeit slowly) the whole way around in relative comfort; in reality I don't think I'll have done enough to achieve that.
Good luck with the training, aren't hills fun? You shouldn't look at step-back weeks as comforts or luxuries, they are necesary to assimulate the training you are doing, so stick to them. Probably more important than doing that last long one.
Thought you might like to see my local lung-buster. This actually inspired me (along with a whole bunch of other things) to take up running, because it was while walking down this track that I was flummoxed by the sight of a woman in her 40s running UP it... until that moment I had held the firm opinion that the uptrack was totally impossible to run.
From the "x" in the photo (where there is road access) to the top is a lazy 1200 metres in length for a climb in altitude of 220 metres. You can see the track snaking its way up the ridge line. Formidable!
I still seriously can't see myself ever being able to run it (walking it is a serious enough undertaking), but I know it's possible, and it's local proximity (10 minute drive from my house) means that it will forever haunt me until I at least try it.
In fact I'll go further. Why are you hijacking my serious training thread just because you managed to stagger up a bit of a slope - in a skirt - with a stick!!
MLCM's Rolling Hill and The Mountain are on our doorsteps. They are always there, resplendent in all their hypnotic majesty, tempting us whenever we run. Sucking us in, until we can resist no longer and climb - upwards and onwards we climb, temples pulsating from the supreme effort.
Until at last we reach the peak, and turn to measure our achievement. The land below basking in the late afternoon sun.
Yes that is hill training. That is what will see us through those painful miles in our respective races. It is the reason we run!
MLCM and I are in complete agreement on this......errr, probably.
Everyone seems to have fantastic hills near them, I'm beginning to feel left out!! Everything is so flat and boring round here. I've always hated running up hills but now I want one of my own!!
Good luck with the training, aren't hills fun? You shouldn't look at step-back weeks as comforts or luxuries, they are necesary to assimulate the training you are doing, so stick to them. Probably more important than doing that last long one.
Interesting point Brian, and one that I completely missed. I'd always assumed that step-back weeks are built in just to stop you getting progressively more knackered.
Can I ask what you (or anyone else for that matter) would suggest in terms of long runs between now and the race on 7 Nov, given that I am doing 15 at the moment in relative comfort?
I thought 16, 18,18,18, 20 then taper was pretty good. Thoughts?
Hi Andy,
I'd say that Nigel's got it about right for the long runs. Also on the hills. I'd go further and think about leaving hillwork and think about fartlek sessions instead, changes of rhythm here and there on some of your midweek runs.
but I don't.
