Long Run - Magill Style ~~~

I'm liking the change to 'time on feet' with this program as against distance with F.I.R.S.T.

60-120 minutes @ 9:08-10:15m/k ..... (still basing pace on a 35 min 5km time)
Post Run Routine ... stretching.


90 minutes
10km
School to Diamond Fields Road and back 
Avg. pace 9:06 m/k 
Avg. Cadence 157 spm.

I didn't find this run easy!  The course is a tough one with more than its fair share of hills.  I felt OK, but a little tired!  Took a couple of walk breaks.  I need a new battery for my HRM strap; that's why I'm missing HR and TE in results ... according to Google!

That's the first week of Pete Magill's 6 week 5km training done!  I've kept to the very minimum of the times for each session for this week just to be on the safe side after having time off.  In the coming week, I'll take it up a little and see how I handle the extra time.

For this week : 30km 

Distance Run ~~~~~

30 to 70 minutes @ 8:30-9:30m/k (pace based on a 35 min. 5km)

I felt very tired this morning. Ran very slowly through Renwick, taking several walk breaks.  It was the best I could manage!  After the designated time, I walked another 2km back to where I'd parked the car. 

60 minutes with walk breaks
7km
Avg. Pace 9:10m/k!!
Avg. cadence 158 spm.
2km walk to car.

That was the best I could do today! 

 

Track ~~~~

Some months since I've been at Chev. College track And that's where I was this morning for the first of  Pete Magill's track sessions for 5km racing.  Good to be back there again and my little 200m track had recently been mowed.  Actually, it's a bit more than 200m so I measured the distance before starting so that I don't run any further than I have to!!  I haven't looked properly yet, but I can't see any warm-up or cool-down directions for track so I did what my old program suggested; also haven't seen suggested recovery intervals.

15 min warm-up incl. few strides
12 - 16 x 200m in 1:16 - 1:22 (paces based on chart for 35min 5k time)
 200m RI.
Stretching.

To be on the safe side with this new program which means some running every day, I chose the minimum number of repeats (12).   

1:16;  1:16;  1:13;  1:20;  1:21;  1:16;  1:17;  1:18;  1:16;  1:17;  1:16;  1:14

Felt quite OK with 12 repeats and the paces also!  That's 4 days on new program and all good!

Backing Up ~~~~~

On Pete Magill's 5km plan I had what is called a ....

DISTANCE RUN:  more effort that yesterday's "Easy Distance Run", but still conversational, except I didn't have anyone to converse with!

50 to 75 minutes at 8:30 to 9:30m/k pace

I took the easier option!

50 minutes
Avg. Pace 8:37m/k
Distance 5.8km
Cadence 163 spm.
No Heart Rate or Training Effect (TE) showed up in results ... disappointing!  

  

I stayed with the shortest time (50min) because I'm not used to running every day and I don't want to risk injury!  Started at school, ran through Renwick and back to the school where I did a couple of strides on the soccer field and finished with stretches. I think this Magill program is pretty intense and involves far more running than I've been doing.  However, I'm very keen to see if it suits me and looking forward to tomorrow's track session..  so far so good but that's only after 2 days!

"Easy Distance Run" ~~~~

That's what it's called in Pete Magill's book! 

40 - 70 minutes + One of several choices of Post-run Routines.  I did what's called 'Dynamic Stretching' and it wasn't that easy either!  I hope to improve!

What puzzles me is how slow the pace range is for today's session, based on my 35min 5km time..... 9:33-10:56m/k!  Seems awfully slow and when I tried to set VP on my Garmin 620 to this range, I was unable to set anything slower than 8:55m/k and after that it returns to zero!  I don't think I'm doing anything wrong with the Garmin; maybe it thinks anyone wanting a pace slower than 8:55 should be home dribbling into their porridge!  So, 8:55m/k is where I set it.  I started at the Highlands School in light rain but later became sunny, and then out and back on Diamond Fields Road to the school.  A tough, hilly course at any pace!

75 minutes
8.5km
Avg. pace 8:36m/k
AHR 71%;  MHR 96%
Avg. Cadence 162 spm.
TE  3.5  =  IMPROVING! 

 
A bit concerned when I looked at tomorrow's session called "DISTANCE RUN".  Even though today's was called "Easy Distance Run" I've never, that I can recall, backed up for 2 consecutive days, usually having a day off between sessions.  Perhaps that's why the pace for today's 'easy' run was supposed to be so slow, but I wasn't able to set it on my Garmin. I also made an error, I think, in running for more than the max. 70 minutes, even though it was only 5 minutes extra instead of leaning towards the lower time of 40 minutes or something in between.  Just my thoughts, on looking at tomorrow's session and then looking back on what I did today.  If it's a mistake, I'll know tomorrow and learn from it!



 
 

"Building My Running Body" ~`~~~~

That's the title of Pete Magill's recent book!!  I'm reading the Kindle version and find it quite interesting mainly because it has some new suggestions and information I'd not read about or forgotten. I think it's a good thing to read different authors and keep abreast of what's new as well as what's already well known to runners.  Besides that, I find I'm often in need of change; renews my motivation ..... almost as much as buying new runners, but not quite!  Anyhow, I set off this morning with more enthusiasm than I've felt for a long time and, for me, that's THE important ingredient in keeping running!

I also like his training plans for various distances; they still contain what just about all good plans say we should do (e.g.Tempo, Track, Long Distance), but he includes a few other sessions that I like the sound of on the days I usually didn't run and was supposed to cross-train but, more often than not, didn't!  So for the time being, I'm saying a fond farewell to my F.I.R.S.T. program and today commenced the Monday session from Pete Magill's 5km training.  As with F.I.R.S.T., he bases the pace (and I like to know what paces I should run) for all sessions on the most RECENT (not the BEST!) 5km time, which is 35 minutes right now, whereas my best at Bowral Parkrun is 33 minutes.  All the charts are clear and easy to follow no matter how fast or slow the runner may be...a good thing in my case!

From page 130. Magill's 5km Plan: Week 1(BTW it's a 6 week program)
MONDAY
2 x 10 minutes @ 7:15m/k (based on my 35min 5km)
3 min RI jog or rest between

1st 10 minutes (from school, downhill Old South Road)
Avg. pace 7:06m/k (1.44km)
AHR 70%; MHR 79%
Avg. Cadence 173spm.
TE 2.3 = Maintaining!

3min Walk

2nd 10 minutes (from Old South Road uphill(!) to school)
Avg. Pace 7:43m/k (1.27km)
AHR 80%; MHR 86%
Avg. Cadence 172spm.
TE 2.7 = Maintaining!!

Finished off with walk and 2 strides as I got back to the school (not on the program but I always finish a session with a couple of strides and then the usual static stretches).

That's a total of 2.71km; didn't take up much time at all; being something different, I enjoyed it ... and the light rain that accompanied it!
 

Running Longer ~~~~ At Last!!

Lovely, overcast and cool morning and set off to see what sort of distance I could comfortably run after 3 weeks of doing nothing, as result of big fat fluid knee and hammie/glute pain.  Happy to say neither bothered me at all ... fluid knee just bounces along and no niggles anywhere!  WooooHooo!  A good start to my 5km program beginning tomorrow!

Start from Highlands School (after letting the chooks out!) and ran all around and through Renwick estate where I haven't been for months.  Interesting to see the changes and the many new homes that have been built since I was last there.  I so very much enjoyed my run and so happy to get through 10km when I'd expected that 5k would probably have been enough!

10km in 1hr 20min.....Slow, I know, but I'm OK with 'slow' for now!
Avg. pace 8:25m/k
AHR 77%
TE 3.6 = IMPROVING!  Whoopee! 
Avg. Cadence 167 spm. 

Can't wait to get out tomorrow!!

Mixing it up ~~~~~

This morning, very very hot!  Until I resume my program next week (I hope!), I changed from easy running to a session of Magill drills today, using the soccer field at the Highlands School where one side was shaded by a row of tall pine trees.  The session went like this .....


10 min warm-up
Each Drill alternated with a stride ...... distance for both about 35m
Skipping, High skipping, Flat foot marching, High knees, Bounding, Foot shuffles, Butt Kicks, Carioca, Skip kicks.
15 min jog around soccer field...hot!


I've always enjoyed this drills session and did so again today!

Another Easy Day ~~~~~

This morning from the school to Diamond Fields Road; a few walk breaks on the hills. Very hot; knee/hammie seem OK.  Finished with 3 strides and usual stretches.


Today : 6km

Easing Back !!!!!

I made a decision last night, rightly or wrongly, to get out today and see what an easy jog/walk would be like considering the couple of injuries I have at present.  I'm so fed up with doing nothing and just not prepared to take more time off!  Happy to say all went well, no pain in either hammie or knee, slow jog, took a few walk breaks.


Drove across to our park run course, a favourite of mine and did the 5km course.  Beautiful morning: very warm but a cool breeze.  So glad I did it and will get out again tomorrow on another closer to home course.


Today : an easy 5km jog/walk

Starting Back ~~~~ 2016!

Not the best weather this morning but I wanted to check out our Bowral Parkrun course after a week of heavy rain, fearing a return to our watery winter conditions.  To this end, I jogged/walked (mostly jogged!) the course and added the new pathway that has recently opened just befor our turnaround, making 6km all up.


Rain to start with, blustery wind to finish, but hamstring OK; slight niggle but some physio next week should fix that.  So good to get out again!


Today 6km easy.