Continuing the build

Monday - AM 10 miles @ 7:19 min miles PM 10 miles @ 7:17 min miles

Tuesday - AM 9 miles @ 7:25 min miles PM Dunbartonshire track 5k 17:24

Wednesday - 16 miles off road 9:15 min miles 2,300 ft elevation

Thursday AM 6.6 miles @ 8:02 min miles PM club 5 mile tempo 5:49 min miles

Friday 10 miles 7:11 min miles

Saturday 14 miles @ 7:32 min miles

Sunday 8 miles @ 7:23 min miles

Weekly total 100 miles elevation 5,300 ft

13 hours total.

I don't remember what age I was but I was pretty wee. I remember on a Saturday morning I was playing in the garden when my dad came back from playing golf and he was putting his clubs away in the garage. He had a massive red and black Dunlop bag and I asked him when I got bigger if I could have his bag and his clubs, and he said I'd need better ones because I'd be better than he was. I thought he was the best golfer ever (he played off of 21)  I'd played with him and he hit it for miles, much further than a wee me could hit. He also taught me how to play and act on the golf course. Plus he had also had 2 holes in 1. Ive still never managed to get one and I play in single figures. This is the first memory I have of him being my sporting hero.

He also ran when I was wee. As I grew up I don't ever remember him running much, but he had ran a marathon and one time done a race which involved kicking an orange down a hill which we went to watch. One of the things I remember is when he told me he had once ran 100 miles in a week. I thought that was amazing and I didn't know how far it was but I was proud he had done it and I remember telling my friends about it.

When I took up running again a few years ago I still remembered this. About a year ago I decided to do it one week to see how I got on. I ran my last run on a Sunday on my way home from work, and met my dad for the last few miles or so. I finished my first 100 mile week with him, after all its all down to him that I run. I really enjoyed that moment.

Today when I was running I finished another 100 mile week. I think I'll always think of him and how he has inspired me when I reach the 100 mile mark. I hope so anyway. 

Now I'm hitting 100 miles a week fairly regular, and my legs feel great for it. I'm running better,  stronger and faster than before. A few months hard work coming up when I'll be pushing towards the 150 mile a week mark and I'm looking forward to seeing how I cope with that.

This week's training was fairly simple, no long runs and mostly double runs to get the miles in. A 5k track race on Tuesday night I was hoping for about 16 minutes, but on pushing off I knew it wasn't going to happen and finished in 17:24.

Thursdays tempo was on tired legs but I managed to average 5:49 min miles a faster time than I've managed on this course.

Happy with the progress I've made in recent weeks and I'll see how I feel on this week's long runs.

Ticking over

Monday - rest day

Tuesday - AM 3 miles @ 7:31 min miles PM club session 6 x 800m @ 5:30 min miles

Wednesday - AM 3.8 miles @ 7:36 min miles PM 10 miles @ 7:08 min miles

Thursday - AM 2.6 miles @ 8:04 min miles PM - 5 miles tempo @ 5:53 min miles

Friday - recovery 5 @ 7:54 min miles

Saturday - 11 easy miles @ 8:30 min miles

Sunday - 11 miles @ 7:30

Weekly total 62 miles elevation 2,700

Not much to cheer about this week! 18 miles short of my target but a surprise weekend off with the good lady led to less running. Happy wife happy life. The 2 club sessions were good, the 800s were not at full pelt. HR average was 154 bpm and max 168 bpm, shows I was holding back a bit as I had planned this week.

The tempo was good aswell. This was on tired legs but again happy with my pacing, average HR 159 so I can defo push it much harder. Ontonthis week, 2 back to back ling runs and the first 100 mile week of the year. Happy days

Autumn leaves

Monday -  No running!

Tuesday - club tempo session 3.7 miles @ 5:56 min miles

Wednesday - AM 7.4 mile commute @ 7:23 min miles, PM 7.4 mile commute @ 7:39 min miles

Thursday - AM commute 7.4 miles @ 7:34 min miles, PM commute intervals 15 mins warm up, (6 mins on 2 rec, 2 mins on 1 rec) x 3

Friday - No running!

Saturday - intervals - inverted pyramid,10,8,6,4,2,4,6,8,10 strava link here - https://www.strava.com/activities/432398983

Sunday- steady run 16 miles @ 7:14 min miles

I was out at the previous weekend running, noticing the wet leaves under my feet. I was running on the cycle path surrounded by trees. All before me and above me I noticed all the leaves falling from the trees. What once were bright and colourful and full of life, then this time of year, it gets colder, the weather gets rubbish, things dry up, wither away and die. This happens not only in nature but in peoples lives. It gets cold and its harder for them to get out the door and running. The fitness they have built over the spring and summer dries up, withers away and dies. People out on weight, eat and drink more, and they have to work so much harder when the spring and good weather comes to get their fitness and well being back.

Im not doing that this year. I'll continue to work hard and consistent over the winter, when spring comes I'll be fitter and faster than I was during the summer. I'm sticking to 3 speed sessions a week, 2 shorter and one longer. I know its the way to get faster and with view to that I've made a few sessions up that I'll share as I do. Saturday was the first, reverse pyramids with 10 minutes on, 2 rest, 8 mins on etc. On the way back up I had only 1:30 rest, I done this purely because I k ew it woukd be more  painful, than a kick in the baws when I was starting to tire, and this had the desired effect. I had aimed to keep my intervals under 6 min miles and I failed on the last 10 mins. A further breakdown below.

Those who have started to follow will notice I ended my runstreak at about 33 days or so.  I did intend to keep it going longer but a hefty week and work and getting held on until the wee small hours meant I opted out. Not the best option but I felt my legs needed it. I may do a long runstreak at some point, but its not for everyone and I feel the benefit of taking a day off now and again. 70 miles in 5 running days this week shows I dont need to run every day to get my desired miles in too.

Anyway I'm rambling, and an easy recovery week for me this week to rehydrate with some beer in germany with my good lady, 4 days off running and then back down to nusiness on my return. Have a good week and run hard, don't forget - speedwork hurts and is hard but nothing that's easy  is worth doing,  is it?

More miles = better legs

Monday - AM commute 7.3 miles (7:10 min miles) PM  commute easy paced 7.4 miles (7:55 min miles)

Tuesday - warm up the  8 x 300m, cool down

Wednesday -20 miles easy paced (you tube video link here https://youtu.be/l0EEY3Kl6j0 )

Thursday - solo intervals 4 x 1 mile (5:46 6:00,5:58,6:04)

Friday - recovery 6.1 miles (8:08 min miles)

Saturday - solo intervals 6 x 800m ( https://www.strava.com/activities/423687696 ) PM - commute 7.4 miles (7:39 min miles)

Sunday - AM commute home 6.5 miles (8:10 min miles) PM - easy 4.7 miles (7:55 min miles)

Weekly total - 79 miles elevation 2,379 feet

This week was all about increasing the miles but also keeping in with my 3 promised speed sessions a week. A good start to the week with an easy commute each way, the focus on my commute is usually only getting the miles in unless I am using is as a speed session. The good thing about Monday morning was that I finally managed a more decent pace, I'm usually death marching from the start. Onto Tuesdays club session. Of all the sessions they do this is my least favorite. It's just too short and I feel like I dont benefit from it, I just can't get my heart rate to a decent level, with a maximum of 173. Next time I'll stay on and batter out 12 reps and see if this makes things any better.

Wednesdays 20 miler with Willy was a cracker, easy paced and we took in the 4 football stadiums in Glasgow. I had the camera so we messed about with that (youtube link above) and the easy pace reflected in my average heart rate of 136 bpm. My legs felt good after this and I felt little fatigue - until I attempted mile reps on Thursday! I always find it hard doing higher intensity alone but imagining footsteps behind chasing you is a good way to keep it going, but my legs weren't playing so that led to an easy Friday.

Saturdays 800s were also solo, I didn't note the times of each rep but averaged about 5:25 ish pace per mile. I should be doing my mile reps quicker than that but I'll take that this week, the track I used is really slippy and not maintained at all, I'll stick to the road from now on.

A commute in at night and then home in the morning, followed by an easy run in the afternoon finished the week nicely, leaving my legs fresh to attack the speedwork this coming week, I've one homemade session to try. Jelly legs here I come!

Rewarded by a nice sky on my commute home after nightshift

Accountability

Monday - 4 miles easy off road (7:13 min/miles)

Tuesday - solo 6 x 800 m https://www.strava.com/activities/416685773

Wednesday - 6.4 miles steady (7:04 min miles)

Thursday - club session 4 x 1200m https://www.strava.com/activities/418185143

Friday - steady 7.6 (7:53 min miles)

Saturday - morning commute 7.5 miles at 7:58 min miles

Sunday - AM commute 7.5 miles (7:29 min miles) PM - commute 7.5 (7:02 min miles) including 3 mins hard, 1 min recovery x 9 (I think)

Weekly miles 59 elevation 2310 ft

Well that's another week in the bag. I said last week I was going to cut down the milage and do 3 speed sessions. Tuesdays speed session was done aoone and I always struggle to put in a full effort when there is no one to be chased, or indeed chasing me but it was better than another steady run, which I've been doing a lot off recently. My legs were really tired the following day so another steady run anyway. The club session was good on Thursday, my legs were still tired and I didn't go as fast as I liked but I still managed a decent effort.

I'm getting back to feeling good with increased speed, I just need to stick to the plan and good things will come. I managed a cheeky wee lunchtime beer on friday and managed to out a not too bad effort in after that, with a decent small climb involved I felt better tnan on any hills I have for a while, maybe I need to drink more beer before runs!

A run to work on Saturday morning was met with a horrific headwind blowing the rain into my face the entire journey, but these are the good runs and the ones that matter come the sunshine and warm days. I can still barely move in the mornings and it's a bit of a shuffle but it's better than an extra hour in bed. Same on Sunday, albeit with better weather.

I had promised 3 speed sessions and I couldn't bear the thought of working hard on the way home from work, but I knew if I went for the easy option Willy Robertson would give me a hard time. It was his idea to have an accountability partner and if it wasn't for that this would have been another steady run. So onwards I went fuelled by knowing I wouldn't be getting a cheeky text from him. Willy has some great ideas and this is worth while trying out. You don't need to train with them, just tell them your weekly plan and they will make sure you stick to it. We are all accountable for our own actions but it helps to surround yourself with positive people who will make you stick to the plan, even when its 5am and you don't really feel like running. And if it's too cold, put on an extra layer - problem solved.

Oh and probably the best bit of the week, a new garmin arrived!

Right now where's my phone to give Willy a few cheeky texts about his week...😂😂😂