Training 24-30 November

I have been going over my training log to see what worked for me when I reached my peak level of fitness prior to July's marathon and August's ultra. Doesn't appear to be any real secrets in there. Moderate consistent weekly volume, a couple of medium distance runs greater than 100 minutes in length and at least two to three good marathon specific long workouts per week for nine weeks.

But after the event is over and you've been training hard for a few months leading up to it. How do regain your motivation to increase the volume and intensity of training? This is the question that I have been asking myself on a daily basis and I have been falling short of an answer. Well that has now changed and I have finally found what I was looking for. An epic bush run of almost mammoth proportions. Lots of vertical gain and trackless Australian bush. The cloud of apathy has been blown away.....time to get training!

Monday:
PM: Easy run - 12k (0:50)
Easy run around work.

Tuesday:
AM: Easy run - 10k (0:44)
Easy run to work carrying a full load of work clothes and food. The running felt smoother than it has in months.

PM: Easy run - 19.3k (1:30)
To make up for my lack of endurance at the moment I decided to add a few kilometres to my run home. I felt great for the first 7-8km. My legs felt loose and the effort felt very easy. I checked my heartrate and was happy that I was running below MAF heartrate and the pace was around 4:30 pace - a good sign that my fitness is improving.

I started to feel the effort at about the 10k mark when the ground started pointing in an upwards direction and just settled into it trying to keep the HR below threshold. While the effort was there and I was tiring I managed to feel strong throughout the run which encouraged me to deviate the run onto some nice singletrack and stairs in the Knapsack gully.

A couple of days like this and a big run on the weekend and my fitness will quickly improve.

Wednesday:
Easy run - 14km (1:04)
Went out for an easy run around work. Felt good considering what my legs felt like after last night's run. Threw in a couple of fast surges near the end to loosen up the legs.

Thursday:
AM: Easy run (to work) - 13.6k (1:03) w/ 3k MP (heartrate) in 4:02, 4:05, 4:06
Met up with Sean this morning for a nice easy run down Mitchell's Pass before departing on our separate ways. Me to work and Sean back up the hill. I had the easier option. Felt good throughout the run and was happy with the MP effort as I seemed to running up a gentle incline following the river. Recovery between runs is improving but the energy is still a little lacking.

PM: Easy run (to home) - 13.22k (1:10)
Tough run home. Trying to get in as many hills as possible I decided to run up on the trails through to Lapstone Station, back down Lapstone Hill on the highway and up Mitchell's Pass. By the time I reached the top of MP I was trashed. Grabbed the hose and doused my legs for about 10 minutes. Felt good.

Friday:
AM: Easy run (to work) - 10k (0:47)

With my bag packed full of work clothes, food and books it was feeling rather heavy (about 5kg) which made the run a little tougher than usual. Still feeling good and pleased with myself that I managed to only drive the car to work twice this week. Trying to do my bit for planet earth and save a little money.

Saturday:
PM: Moderate run - 5k (0:20)
Thought I had better get out and log a run. After an easy warmup tried to run sub 4min pace for 3k. Threw in a few surges to finish up.

Sunday:
AM: Easy run - 18k (1:25)
My excuse for a long run. I was hoping to run for longer than this but when I woke up I wasn't too excited to lace up the shoes and head out the door. My wife convinced me to head out and she would pick me up on the way. Took about 75 minutes before I started feeling OK.

Week total:
Logged about 130km of running. Still lacking a long run. Next week's goal!

Training 17-23 November

Still trying to build my fitness back up. Starting to see some improvements there but still have a long way to go. Need to start getting into some long runs. Well that's the plan next week when my wife returns from her girl's long weekend away.

Monday:
Easy run - 13.4k (1:00)
Got out at lunch for two loops of the Nepean River Two Bridges route.

Tuesday:
Tempo run - 16.2k (1:11)
Went out after work. Ran a 2km warmup before running what was planned to be a long threshold session but after 6km, averaging about 4min pace I got bored and decided to throw in some faster running. Ran 2400m at ~3:45 pace as 1x1000m, 800m, 600m with a 200m jog. Finished up with a few 150m long strides to complete the session. Felt good immediately after stopping.

Wednesday:
Easy run - 10.1k (46:05)

Thursday:
Easy run w/ short speed - 10.35k (54:00)
Ran down to Glenbrook Oval and squeezed in 6x400m before the oval was in use. Planned on running around 80sec/400m but after the first I decided that I would try and make them progressively faster in 79, 78, 76, 74, 72, 71. Slower than when I ran them about 2 months ago when I averaged about 71 seconds for the session. On the way back home also threw in 5 x 100m hill sprints which completely wiped me out.

Friday:
Easy run - 15k (1:12)
Easy run out to the Whitewater stadium through the new development areas. Had a few stomach issues which have plagued me since eating some leftover Chinese.

Saturday:
Hilly run - 12.2k (56:40) - Mt Portal
With about an hour of opportunity available for a run I thought this would be a good one to test the hill legs. Boy was I right. I have plenty of work to do.

Sunday:
Rest day. Was planning on heading out for another run in the National Park this morning. Felt tired when I was woken up by my young fella and after seeing the gale force winds outside the window blowing the trees around I decided that running just wasn't going to happen. Save myself for tomorrow!

Training 10-16 November

While away in Thailand for two weeks I took an opportunity to take a break from running. It may have been a mistake as I am finding it very hard to get back into it.

Monday:
AM: Easy run around home - 8.86km, 43:16, 4:53 pace

PM: Easy run to Riverloop plus Leonay - 11.53km, 54:39, 4:44 pace

Tuesday:
PM: Easy run - 13.14km, 1:01:56, 4:43 pace.
Tough run later in the day up to Warrimoo via the trails behind the tip. The hills seemed much steeper than I remember which really highlighted my lost fitness.

Wednesday:
AM: Easy run - 10.01km, 46:10, 4:37 pace
Ran to work with the pack full of work clothes and food. Felt OK.

PM: Easy run - 12.82km, 1:12:28, 5:39 pace
The run home was brutal. The heat had already topped out at 30degC when I stepped out the door. As I hit the first climb up to Lapstone Station I was beat. Fell into a regular walk/run pattern but by the time I hit the Glenbrook Caltex I was toast and running on fumes. Grabbed a gatorade, downed immediately and proceeded to run home. Took about an hour to cool down.

Thursday:
PM: Fartlek (unstructured) - 8km, :36
Parked the car at the lagoon and planned on running down to glenbrook oval to run intervals but when I got there it was being used. Thought about running around the trails around Knapsack and headed that way but ended up at the soccer ovals there and decided to just run some fast laps of the perimeter. Was hoping to take it out easy but mistakingly went out too hard. Ran 4 long laps and 2 shorter laps before deciding to head back to the car and call it quits.

Splits:
500m, 1:35, 3:12 pace
460m, 1:32, 3:21
471m, 1:32, 3:16
466m, 1:34, 3:22
243m, 0:43, 2:58
253m, 0:43, 2:50

Friday:
AM: Easy run - 0:55
Parked the car at work and ran to the nearest oval. Decided to thrown in a few faster laps around the 400m track - 800m in 2:51, 400m in 1:26, on road - 800m in 2:53, 650m in 2:19. Wore the HR monitor and found my max HR dropped after each repeat at similar effort. Didn't push hard and aimed to run no quicker than 84 seconds/400m to keep the effort in check. Finished up with a nice easy jog along the river.

Saturday:
AM: Easy run - 6.4km, 27:59 (4:22 pace)
PM: Easy run with wife and dog - 5.5km, 33:21

Sunday:
AM: Hill session - 14km, 1:19
Drove down to the river to meet Mister G for our first run together in ages. While waiting I managed to put in a nice easy 2km warmup along the trail that follows the river. After another 4-5 kms of easy running we arrived at The Sanctuary Drive to start our hill session. I worked hard but took it relatively easy until the last. During the cooldown back to the car we put in 1km of 100m fast, 100m walk to help loosen up the legs. Felt good. Will aim for 8-10 repeats next time out building to about 15-20 over the next few months.

Hill reps:
260m, 1:22
264m, 1:25
267m, 1:28
269m, 1:30
265m, 1:27
261m, 1:13

Week total: about 80km