Session 5 - Long Run (21 Miles)
This weekend was a story of firsts and lasts. On Saturday I had to run the first Fartlek session of the training program and on Sunday I ran the last really long run before marathon day.
After a morning with the kids at football training I took them to my Auntie Gills’s for “one sleep”. This would enable me to do my long run first thing on Sunday morning while Teresa was at work. After having lunch with my Auntie I returned home so that I could go out for a Fartlek run. I found it quite strange that I was being asked to run such a hard session the day before my final long run, but I have to trust my training program. I had to run 7 miles with 3 x 3, 2, 1 minute fast intervals continuously with 90 second recoveries after each quick section. My legs felt quite heavy early on, but I put that down to all the carbs I’d had the previous day to ensure I had enough energy for Sunday’s run. I didn’t run the quick sections quite as quick as I normally would because I wanted to make sure I was in a good state for the long run. By the end I was really enjoying the run and felt quite fresh, and the fact that I was listening to commentary of Manchester City dropping points in the Premier League was improving my mood no end.
Saturday night was spent drinking lots of water and getting more valuable carbs in me ready for the long run which was forecast to be a hot one.
On Sunday morning I got up at 6:30am for breakfast so that I would be ready to drive out to the Yatton, where I would be starting my run at 9:45am. After doing a few chores about the house and a quick phone call to the kids I got on the road. It was a glorious morning and I was really looking forward to my final long run of the training program. I had decided to run an out and back route along a disused railway line called The Strawberry Line from Yatton to Cheddar which I’d never done before. It’s a very popular route for runners and families out for a day of cycling and I bumped into a fair few other VLM runners out on their final long run. It’s a very scenic route out through the countryside venturing through orchards of several cider farms, restored railway stations and villages. I kept asking myself why I hadn’t I run this route before. After about 7 miles I had to run through a particularly long and dark tunnel. I couldn’t see a thing except for a few silhouettes of people in the distance. I was a tad concerned about turning my ankle over as I couldn’t see what the ground was like, but luckily I emerged safe and sound and I continued on my way to the Cheddar reservoir. After running for an hour and a half I turned around. Before I set out I estimated that I would cover 20 miles in the 3 hours I had to run, but at the half way point it was clear that I was going to be running 21 miles because my pace had been slightly quicker. I arrived back at Yatton Station in much better shape than I was in after last week’s 3 hour run although my hips and knees were still aching a bit. I completed the 21 miles in 2 hours 58 minutes. After doing a few stretches and glugging down a recovery shake whilst basking in the mid day sunshine I got back in car and headed home. When I got back I celebrated with a COLD bath . . . well maybe celebrated is the wrong word!!
So that’s it for the long runs. Although I enjoy them, I must say I’m glad they’re over for a while and that I’ll get my Sunday’s back. Tuesday will be the start of the 3 week taper to race day. I’ll still be covering over 30 miles a week, but the length and intensity of each run will certainly be dropping.
After a morning with the kids at football training I took them to my Auntie Gills’s for “one sleep”. This would enable me to do my long run first thing on Sunday morning while Teresa was at work. After having lunch with my Auntie I returned home so that I could go out for a Fartlek run. I found it quite strange that I was being asked to run such a hard session the day before my final long run, but I have to trust my training program. I had to run 7 miles with 3 x 3, 2, 1 minute fast intervals continuously with 90 second recoveries after each quick section. My legs felt quite heavy early on, but I put that down to all the carbs I’d had the previous day to ensure I had enough energy for Sunday’s run. I didn’t run the quick sections quite as quick as I normally would because I wanted to make sure I was in a good state for the long run. By the end I was really enjoying the run and felt quite fresh, and the fact that I was listening to commentary of Manchester City dropping points in the Premier League was improving my mood no end.
Saturday night was spent drinking lots of water and getting more valuable carbs in me ready for the long run which was forecast to be a hot one.
On Sunday morning I got up at 6:30am for breakfast so that I would be ready to drive out to the Yatton, where I would be starting my run at 9:45am. After doing a few chores about the house and a quick phone call to the kids I got on the road. It was a glorious morning and I was really looking forward to my final long run of the training program. I had decided to run an out and back route along a disused railway line called The Strawberry Line from Yatton to Cheddar which I’d never done before. It’s a very popular route for runners and families out for a day of cycling and I bumped into a fair few other VLM runners out on their final long run. It’s a very scenic route out through the countryside venturing through orchards of several cider farms, restored railway stations and villages. I kept asking myself why I hadn’t I run this route before. After about 7 miles I had to run through a particularly long and dark tunnel. I couldn’t see a thing except for a few silhouettes of people in the distance. I was a tad concerned about turning my ankle over as I couldn’t see what the ground was like, but luckily I emerged safe and sound and I continued on my way to the Cheddar reservoir. After running for an hour and a half I turned around. Before I set out I estimated that I would cover 20 miles in the 3 hours I had to run, but at the half way point it was clear that I was going to be running 21 miles because my pace had been slightly quicker. I arrived back at Yatton Station in much better shape than I was in after last week’s 3 hour run although my hips and knees were still aching a bit. I completed the 21 miles in 2 hours 58 minutes. After doing a few stretches and glugging down a recovery shake whilst basking in the mid day sunshine I got back in car and headed home. When I got back I celebrated with a COLD bath . . . well maybe celebrated is the wrong word!!
So that’s it for the long runs. Although I enjoy them, I must say I’m glad they’re over for a while and that I’ll get my Sunday’s back. Tuesday will be the start of the 3 week taper to race day. I’ll still be covering over 30 miles a week, but the length and intensity of each run will certainly be dropping.
Week 11 Summary - 44.5 miles : 6 hrs 12 mins
Session 1 - Recovery Run - 3.5 Miles
Session 2 - Recovery Run - 5 Miles
Session 3 - 3 x 10 Mins Threshold Intervals - 8 Miles
Session 4 - 3 x 3,2,1 mins Fartlek - 7 Miles
Session 5 - Long Run - 21 Miles
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