Training Log Archive: UltraJaney

Specific Endurance Run

Gary - your plan said 1 hour 30 mins. I did 2 hours but here is the reason:

I was asked to make up a relay team for the Newcastle Way Trail Marathon. A bit last minute as in the day before but I was given the 2nd leg - 9 miles long which I thought I would run at my endurance (ultra) pace.

It took longer due to walking up a couple of the hills and a group of us trying to find out way through a section of the course (we missed a waymarker!).

But I took it steady and treated it as an ultra. It should have been 9 miles according to the race organiser but my Garmin shows 9.5.

It was mostly off-road - trails, grass (fields), mud, woodlands and footpaths with some road sections. Lovely place for a run - I fancy doing the full marathon next year.

Pilates/Yoga

Good mix of stretching, core, power and strength work. Lots of lunges, squats, press ups and mountain climbers along with balance work and mobility.

Regeneration Run

Another nice and easy paced run around country lanes and footpaths.

5.08 miles.

Warrior Pad Blast (new name for Boxing/MMA Fit)

A mixture of gloves and focus pads (boxing rounds but non-contact) followed by circuits.

Battle ropes, ball slams, 'ground and pound' on the MMA dummy (you'd like that one!).

Strength & Conditioning

Usual weights followed by running-specific bodyweight exercises. Did some ankle/hip flexor/lower back mobility work.

Regeneration Run

Took it very steady after yesterday's intervals etc.

5 miles on a mixture of road, lanes and footpaths.

Nordic Walking

1 hour of walking at a speedy pace in Bishopswood. Chose an undulating/hilly route to add a bit of challenge.

4 miles in total.

Intervals (speedwork) with NTC (my triathlon club).

I arrived at bit late due to work so only managed a few of the drills to begin with. The session was 10 x 400 reps with 90-second recoveries.

Now, I felt stronger than last week. Each rep was under 2 minutes - the slowest was 1:56 and the fastest was 1:50. My last rep was my fastest - 1:50.

If I include the drills, strides and cool down laps I ran 4 miles (approx) in total.

Gary as this was a shorter session than I normally do, I was thinking about doing your fartlek session on another day this week. What I was going to ask was if you would prefer me to do your fartlek sessions instead of my speedwork with the triathlon club, to alternate these or to do both.

Unless that's a bit mad!

I enjoy the NTC sessions but if you want me to do your fartlek instead I could ask our triathlon coach if I could do these at the track and still do her form drills and the warm up/cool down.

Let me know what you would prefer :)

Strength & Conditioning session

Weight training followed by running-specific bodyweight exercises. Working the core, flexibility and mobility. Included plyo step ups, bear crawls, side lunges with a resistance band, mountain climbers etc.

Steady run with my club around Apedale Country Park in Newcastle under Lyme.

Two to three hills early on in which I was the first runner to the top so pleased with that.

Apedale is a mixture of hard trails, sandy tracks and grass/fields to a good mixture of terrain.

The run was followed by a cool down walk then stretching.

I did 5.5 miles in total. Fastest pace was 8.55 min/miling at one point. Was averaging around 9.15 to 9.30.

My club goes off-road in the summer so I was thinking of continuing this run with them.

I had planned on doing a 1 hour 20 minutes Endurance Run but was helping out at my club's annual 10K and between that and other things, didn't get time.

So, took it as a rest day.