February 2012 - Base Camp

[Sweder]

I know what you mean about rest days v run days. I have a very specific target date in mind - 15th April - and there's a part of me that wakes up screaming 'you're not doing enough!'. Perhaps I should stop reading this particular training diary But seriously ... it's curious how we can think that piling on mileage on a daily basis could ever be a good thing. Gradual build-up is the way forward as is shown right here. With your long runs at +30k I hope you find an event to whet your appetite before too long. Whatever it is you're going to nail it.

[El Gordo]

I don't want to tempt fate, but I'll say what I'm sure most of us are surely thinking -- that it looks like the long-awaited marathon is within realistic reach.

And not just a get-round-regardless-of-time exercise like I've done, but a proper, grown-up marathon effort like these other guys put in. At least a 4:30 and very possibly quite a bit better.

The every-other-day routine is clearly working well, and I'd say good discipline for anyone over the half century. As you and others have hinted, the best intentions tend to disintegrate into strains and injuries (not to mention mental exhaustion) once the lure of ever-increasing mileage becomes irresistible. It's a rock most of us have foundered on at some point. From what I can see you've already recognised that and are playing it by the book. As long as you maintain this mindset and self-discipline, I can only see things continuing to improve.

Fantastisch!

[marathondan]

Strewth, this is getting technical! Zone 3 running? 250kJ biscuits?

I reckon he's got a marathon up his (technical) sleeve already, and he's only going to tell us the day before. I mean look, he's nearly finished a 10 week plan, and he's never mentioned that before.

[El Gordo]

Strewth, this is getting technical! Zone 3 running? 250kJ biscuits?

I reckon he's got a marathon up his (technical) sleeve already, and he's only going to tell us the day before. I mean look, he's nearly finished a 10 week plan, and he's never mentioned that before.

Agree. Rather scary to wonder what goes through a fellow's head in the last hour of a 3.5 hour treadmill run.

[Sweder]

Rather scary to wonder what goes through a fellow's head in the last hour of a 3.5 hour treadmill run.

Absolutely nothing I'd imagine ...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks for the comments, guys... even if they were in the third person.

So after Saturday's long 'un, this morning's 10km plod was a sore and sorry affair. For the first half a kilometre it was actually painful, but after that I settled into a methodical one-foot-after-another kind of jog and got the job done.

We'd had fierce storms overnight, so everything was very wet, including the trees which line the path I run along. Of course, being wet and heavy the branches were now at head height rather than just above. It felt like I was running a gauntlet of jeering school boys all hitting me about the face with wet boughs. Not entirely pleasant.

But as I say, I got the job done, and given the circumstances I'm not unhappy with the time - finishing under the hour was a pleasing bonus.

Saw only three other pedestrians this morning but they all said hello - a rare clean sweep.

10km, 59:20, achey and creaky.

YTD: 346.1km

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Strewth, this is getting technical! Zone 3 running? 250kJ biscuits?

Technical but simple. I kept my heart rate in that 60% - 70% of maximum heart rate range and aimed to eat+drink 1/3rd of my total output (ie 1,000kJ of approx 3,000kJ/hr) which seems to be about the standard "allows you to keep going" thinking. Hey, it seemed to work OK to 32km. Next time I'll see if I feel the same pushing on a little further.

I reckon he's got a marathon up his (technical) sleeve already, and he's only going to tell us the day before. I mean look, he's nearly finished a 10 week plan, and he's never mentioned that before.

Haven't I? Sorry. As far as the marathon goes, like I said before, I want to be ready to race one at relatively short notice, as I'll likely only know a few weeks ahead that I can enter. Not ideal, but there you go.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A busy week means I'm having to cram my weekend long run into two longish mid-week runs, and even that might not happen, though I'll give it a red hot go.

Too tired to face the hilly streets this morning so I took to my treadmill again and squeezed in a solid 23km whilst giving BBC's "The Shadow Line" anotehr go. This far through the series I figured it was worth persisting. Still finding it hard to recommend, though crime/drama lovers should find it appealing. Great acting/writing/direction is to be commended, but it just drags on a bit for my taste.

Anyway, another longish run under my belt - which is being increasingly tightened as the kilos start to shift. Not unhappy about that, either. Journey on!

23km, 2:30:15

YTD: 369.1km (23 runs averaging 16.0km)

   

[glaconman]

Flawed but worth watching nonetheless would be my appraisal of TSL. If you think that drags on what would you make of Series 1 of a certain Danish drama I wonder? Although, again, still great telly.

Sorry, which marathon did you say you were running MLCM? I think we should be told.

[marathondan]

Sorry, 2:30 is only a "longish"? This is getting out of hand. Great work though.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

If you think that drags on what would you make of Series 1 of a certain Danish drama I wonder?

Sorry I don't know which series you're referring to. Apart from sport, I watch very little TV and have lost touch with what is what. Even on the treadmill I generally watch sport, but TSL was given such a good rap by a work colleague that I thought I'd give it a go. Just got the last episode to go now.

Sorry, which marathon did you say you were running MLCM? I think we should be told.

I wish I knew. There's only a very slight chance of making the Canberra marathon in April. After that there are virtually no marathons until the season starts in winter.

Honestly, nothing's locked in.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Sorry, 2:30 is only a "longish"? This is getting out of hand. Great work though.

Sorry, I guess that does sound a little weird. In trying to cram 50km into a busy week though (the weekend is already written off) I was left with little choice but to run something greater than 20km yesterday (Wednesday) morning, as I'll only be able to squeeze in maybe 16 tomorrow morning at best before I have to rush off to the airport, after which there is no further possibility of a run until Monday.

What's impressed me about this ten-week base building phase I'm on (which is the cornerstone of Arthur Lydiard's coaching methods) is just how simple a 20km run seems now. In fact that 23km was so easy I hardly even thought about. When running gets this simple you know you're doing something right.

Lydiard was a genius who was ahead of his time, coaching several Olympic medallists through the 60s and 70s, but he always started with this ten-week base building before tailoring a more detailed plan for each athlete. I hasten to add that his base building however was 100 miles per week, not a mere 50km.

I had read about Lydiard's base-building long ago, but it was only recently when I started looking into training methods that I found a lot of current-day trainers have adopted the same idea. So I thought I'd try it. I'd been running about that distance leading up to the Point 2 Pinnacle, so I knew I could do it, and I also knew that I needed to consistently run longer distances. Given that my physio demanded I run only every second day, this seemed like a logical challenge.

Thus far, it's made an amazing difference to my running. Only a few months ago I would have disagreed with every one of these statements:

- Running out the door for a quick 10km at 4 a.m. on a work day would set me up for a great day at work, and allow me to get home at 8 p.m. still feeling great.

- A 15km run is a trifling distance.

- A half marathon? I can run that any time. I'm ready!

- I can train 50km per week every week without getting any serious pain or injury.

But those are now all true. (Touch wood) I see no reason why it can't continue that way. I'm now also finally getting serious about my core and upper body strength training. I've been messing around with core strengthening since late last year, but to be honest I've found it both tedious and difficult. However I've now found a better approach and have a twice-weekly workout which for the moment is principally upper-body strength training with some basic core exercises thrown in. I'll start shifting the focus more toward the core as I can (i.e. as my core does in fact begin to strengthen). It's all rather exciting, to be honest. Like anything, if you persist with something, eventually you find a way to do it enjoyably and successfully.

I've still a long way to go, but yes, I'm already at that point where 23km is merely "longish", and I'm damned proud about it too.

Honestly, I've never felt better.

Ever!

[marathondan]

Sorry, I guess that does sound a little weird.

Not at all. I've been in the situation where you need to get a certain mileage into a week and there just aren't enough free hours. So you have to get creative.

Your performance goes from strength to strength. Goodness know what it will be like when you actually start the proper training!

[glaconman]

Your performance goes from strength to strength. Goodness know what it will be like when you actually start the proper training!

Agreed. The wider the base, the higher the pyramid.

[Sweder]

I can only agree with the above comments. Your application is admirable, all the more so for the lack of looming big race pressure. I've always wanted to go into a race campaign with steady weekly mileage under my belt but, 2007 aside, I've yet to manage it. All power to you.

[El Gordo]

I've always wanted to go into a race campaign with steady weekly mileage under my belt but, 2007 aside, I've yet to manage it. All power to you.

God, yeah, agreed. Apart from habitual drunkenness and chronic binge eating, the great weakness in my marathon campaigns were always beginning an 18 week training plan out of condition, and having to devote the first month or so building up to a semi-fit state -- or just fit enough to take on the lengthening weekend runs. To start those 18 weeks at a fighting weight, and feeling really up for it, must make a huge difference. The major fear for MLCM I guess is peaking too soon. But if that can be managed, and over-training and injury avoided, it looks like there's a stormer on the cards.

Was that a mixed metaphor? My evening is ruined.

[marathondan]

But if that can be managed, and over-training and injury avoided, it looks like there's a stormer on the cards.

Was that a mixed metaphor? My evening is ruined.

No, it's OK. Stormer, from barnstormer. In the 1930s, Waddingtons produced a special adventure version of Happy Families, which included Mr Loop the Stunt Pilot.

Therefore it's quite feasible to have a stormer on the cards.

It goes without saying that those sets are very valuable to collectors these days, if you have to have one around.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A quick early run to save my wekly total from ruination, which went well, but now I must dash to the airport. See you all next week - I now get three rest days! Yee-har!

16.45km 1:39:00

YTD: 385.5km

[El Gordo]

But if that can be managed, and over-training and injury avoided, it looks like there's a stormer on the cards.

Was that a mixed metaphor? My evening is ruined.

No, it's OK. Stormer, from barnstormer. In the 1930s, Waddingtons produced a special adventure version of Happy Families, which included Mr Loop the Stunt Pilot.

Therefore it's quite feasible to have a stormer on the cards.

It goes without saying that those sets are very valuable to collectors these days, if you have to have one around.

What a relief.

But wait. So I omitted the apostrophe in 'stormer?



What the Lord giveth....

Sorry MLCM - hijack over.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Am sitting in Adelaide airport with my thinks-it's-smart phone plugged into the wall charger and using the surprisingly free wifi access (20 metres away you can pay $5 /hr to use the same company's wired 'net access, duh) after a stonkingly debauched weekend of great food, great wine and beer and nearly too much indoor sport (no, not *that* kind of indoor sport, Hortense) but no running. A fab couple of days off, sadly now at an end - well, once I get back home late tonight that is.

I've also been given a ripper challenge. I've been promised that if when next in Adelaide (about 4 weeks hence) I pull out a 35km run I will be given not one, but two full 750ml bottles of Chimay Blue, one of my favourite (tho deadly powerful) Belgian beers.

So, what's a poor beer-addict like me to do? Train, MLCM, train!

Oh, and if you think such a run should be pretty simple for me, given my decent long runs of late, there is just one hitch - the daily temperatures here the last three days have been 37, 39 and 37 degrees Celcius. This will require some careful consideration and not a small amount of extra insanity to even attempt, as well as the use of a very large Camelbak.

The things I do for a decent beer.