Five Weeks to Toral de los Vados (2005)

[Riazor Blue]

It's getting close now.

And last week wasn't a good week training wise due to family issues. Never mind though, I managed to fit in the two fast sessions and a ten miler before the race on Sunday.

This week and the next should be the hardest tro weeks of the plan, next week having a 40km run. This week though has had a ten miler on monday and 5 miles today.

Tomorrow will be 5 X 1600m and Frday will be 9km at marathon pace. Thursady should be 8 kilometers easy whist Saturday will be a rest day before my all out half marathon effort on Sunday.

I had to reschedule things a little as half marathons do not come around too often in Galicia, therefore it's a week earlier than the schedule recommends, thus, this weekend is the half and next weekend is the ultra long one.

In reply to Sampedro, I know that Rodrigo Gavela does not beleive in running huge distances in marathon training, about 1 3/4 hours is the longest that he recommends I think. I originally agreed with him, but last year I really found the last ten kilometers hard, which I put down to lack of endurance. I have the impression from what I've read, that Rodrigo's plans work well for runners who already have that base and are comfortable running 30 kilometers or so, but who have concentrated too much on distance and not enough on speed. Personally, I'm quite comfortable between 10 km and half mara distances, but due to lack of trails or towpaths, as nearly all distance training is on asphalt I hardly ever go over 20 kilometers.

Probably Rodrigo would say that 20 kilometers are too many but I would like to cover all angles, bearing in mind that I blew up last year. With a good taper I should be OK.

Sampedro by the way, has been accepted for New York this year, good luck with the training, what plan will you be following?

Regarding last weekend, 12 undulating kilometers in 37'38" which I'm pleased with. The race itself was, in my opinion, fairly well organized, although reading the Galician forum one would not think so. Last year I ran Arteixo after a bit of a layoff and was surprised how well I ran considering the course. This year it was 3 kilometers longer, and people had told me it would be tough, so I was well pleased to dip under 4 minutes per kilometer.

For those who can read Spanish, take a look at the FORO on http://www.correrengalicia.org to see some of the complaints about this race (which again, the shop was a sponser). There were problems, there wasn't enough water for the back markers at the water station, and the results were out on the times. Having said that, one guy in particular organized this event and it would seem that all he has received is criticism, whilst the course was virtually traffic free (the odd car whilst we were out in the countryside, but traffic free in the villiage), there were drinks, a free tee shirt etc etc, but people still complain.

When all the race organizers give up under the criticism and there are no more carreras populares in Galicia, what will these people say then? In the shop people ask me if I can organize a race for La Coruña, but when people complain so much, I have to ask myself if it's worth all the hassle.... probably not.

[sampedro]

Hi Brian, i see your a doing really well considering your performance in Arteixo.
Concerning the long distance run I would never do more than 30 Km and of course never 40Km, that's like running another marathon. But that depends on what you think makes you feel more confidente when facing your final target, that is the marathon day. I tell you this because the first tiem i went in for a marathon, that was in 2003 San Sebastian, i also did several long runs of 30 to 35 Km and i think that was a mistake because i was too tired anbd overtrained by the day of the marathon. The same thing happened to me last year in Madrid. For 2005 i concentrated on "quality" trainnin more than "qunatity" and i felt much more confortable on the race and performed much better.. But as usually that depends on how you feel as your plan is evolving.

Talking about NY marathon i am still considering it. I have to check with the family and plan it carefully. If i finally go for it i will folow one of the Rodrigo Gavela's plan that i already used for Madrid. I'll keep you updated anyway.
Good luck in Betanzos and let us know....

[Bierzo Baggie]

12 undulating kms in 37'38" !!!!
Wow!...That's what I call getting relegation out of your system.....
Just to reiterate that I'll be there for Toral but still don't know if I'll be doing the full whack.
Saludos.

[Sweder]

Albeit at an entirely different level to you, BB, I found this year pre-London my last two extreme 20 milers (heavy offroad running with serious hills) 4 and 3 weeks before the race respectively helped my endurance on the day no end. For the first time in three attempts I maintained a constant pace and, other than at 22 miles (when the fuel runs out) was not in trouble.

I think so long as you're getting the long 'uns in early enough (or, to put it a better way, not too close to the race itself) it's a good thing.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Right..that's my next 2 Sunday mornings sorted then...how far's 20 miles in kms?

[Bierzo Baggie]

Last year in Toral I suffered the same symptoms as you Brian. I don’t normally run more than 20kms in training and so not surprisingly I found 25k to 40k extremely hard going. Then, funnily enough, I felt fine for the last 2k and finished quite strongly. I guess much of this is psychological.

The most bizarre thing about last year was that without knowing each other and being perhaps the only 2 Brits running marathons in the north-west of Spain, me and RB finished the race within a minute of each other!

[Sweder]

20 miles is about 32 Kms.
Apparently hilly offroad is 'equivalent' to 20% extra distance on the flat/ road. I've never particularly bought that idea, but if it makes my 20 milers 24 miles, hey, I'm not complaining . . .

[Riazor Blue]

*Cough*
Did I say 37 minutes... slip of the old 'dedo'. That should have been 47 minutes, it would have been some improvement though.

Still, 47'38 wasn't bad.

Well done Liverpool, I'll past later as the pizza's here

[Sweder]

Football . . . bloody hell.
No need for a hard run this week - heart-rate off the scale tonight.
Astonishing.

[Riazor Blue]

I think that I need one really long run, 40 kilometers does sound VERY long to me, but that is what the plan recommends. I actually think it will turn out less on the day as I'll give up after about 35. Still, I think that I need something to get me used to the fatigue. The plan I'm following doesn't rack up too many kilometers, it's just these three long runs, (two of which I've missed, the 34 km was eventually 27 km and last weekend's 37 km was a 12 km race) so something is called for. I wish I had the South Downs to run on though, or even the trails around Ponferrada or in Almería, around here it's all on the road if you want to cover distances. There is however an old pathway north of here which goes between two monestries, they say that it's mainly on dirt tracks, but it's a bit bedraggled and not marked too well. It's an option, but if I get lost, I'm in the middle of nowhere.

I only managed to catch the last half hour of the footie, plus extra time and penalties. Of course everyone in the bar was cheering for Liverpool. Some great saves from the Liverpool 'keeper. I always had alot of respect for Liverpool, except when Souness was their manager, when he called Palace a dirty team with no talent.

[Sweder]

Really? Souness said that?
Hmm, he knows more than I thought . . .

Sadly having the South Downs virtually on my doorstep has proved insufficient to get me out this week. Lethargy + football + rotten cold = expanded waistline and 0 miles

[El Gordo]

Agree about the long trails, RB. Round here, the long trail is the canal - which is actually very peaceful and occasionally beautiful, but a) totally flat, of course and b) it's an out-and-back run which is never quite the same as a circular.

I've just bought some computerised OS maps to help me find the hidden trails I know must exist.

Glad to hear the locals were 'Pool fans last night. What a game. Life-affirming. I'll have to write something about it. I don't seem to have any running to write about either, Sweder. I fear Nigel will be very disappointed with us next week.