Week 5, Session 1 - 5 x 5 mins Threshold Intervals (7.25 miles)
Today was the first run that I had to re-schedule from my usual routine since starting my marathon training program. I usually like to do my mid-week run's during my lunch break at work so that I don't disrupt things at home too much, but today I was out of the office for most of the day so I was going to need to run either before work or late in the evening.
I decided to take the less appealing option of an early morning run because I'm out most nights this week and need to get stuff done at home in the evening. So when my youngest son Kieran woke me up just before 6am, I got up, got ready and went out the door fueled with just a handful of Haribo Star Mix . . . I love Haribo, but at that time of the morning they just don't taste right !!
Today's run was a 5 x 0.75 mile threshold interval session with 90 second recovery jogs between each interval. After an easy paced 1.5 mile warm up I got into my first interval. Straight away I could feel that this was going to be a tough session as I was feeling far too tired and I was finding it difficult to maintain a consistent tempo pace. I think the previous evenings core and strength workout out was taking it's toll as well. Somehow, I managed to get close to my target pace, but because it wasn't run at an even pace it didn't feel good and I was desperate for the recovery section. Typically the first recovery involved jogging up a bit of a hill, so it didn't feel much like a rest.
I'm happy to say that as the run went on, I started to feel much better (probably due to waking up) and I started to hit my target tempo pace quite easily. I really enjoyed the run in the end and was glad that I made the effort to get up and do it early. A real plus point for me was that I noticed how quickly my heart rate dropped during each of my recovery sessions showing how much my fitness is improving. It dropped from a threshold level (85% working HR) to a zone 2 level (60-70% working HR) in under 30 seconds.
My training program has me scheduled to race a Half Marathon at the end of week 8 and I have finally managed to get entered into one. Ideally I wanted to enter the Bath Half as it is local to me, but because of the injury I was suffering from at the end of last year I didn't enter it just in case I wasn't going to be ready in time so I missed the entry cutoff date. I also missed the entry deadline for the Silverstone HM that is on the same day, so my options were now limited. I've managed to enter the Shakespeare Raceway HM near Stratford upon Avon, which is over 80 miles away and the weekend before I am supposed to race a half, but as my options are limited I can't be fussy about that, so i'll just have to jiggle my training program about a bit. I running the marathon in fancy dress, so this will give me the oportunity to test it out in race conditions and I should find out if I can handle running in a hot wig!!
A day off tomorrow, before yet another Kenyan Hills workout on Thursday lunchtime.
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