Friday, July 6, 2012

2012 Training Day 135: 21K in 1:43:28 - Getting it Right

Even though I have got some things right in the last one month, I have also got several things wrong. This needs redress.
Overall, I am fitter and stronger and my weight is great at 88Kgs as at yesterday. I have had two weeks of low mileage and next week I am jacking it the ef up. Up to 120K thereabouts. So help me God.

Yesterday I did a 21K in 1:43:28. And it was easy. Yet on Tuesday I did a 15K in 1:12:01 and it was hard! And two weeks ago, I bombed in a 21K (1:46) race after doing a fast 16K and a 10K with intervals.
And yet, from my runs last week, I have become faster that I have ever been. A sub 1:40 should be a walk in the park yet it remains elusive. What is going on here?

Because I couldn't run on wednesday, I decided to wrap this up as a relatively fast week so I decided to shoot for a fast 21K. But not all out. So I decided to keep it at around 160Bpm. I decided to use my heart rate and ran at an average HR of 158Bpm. That is what gave me 1:43.
In May 22nd, I did the same distance in the same time at an average HR of
165Bpm. So in May, to get the same results, I had to work harder. Thats proof right there that I am fitter.

So I saw the benefits of heart rate monitoring yesterday and I also learnt about the importance of keeping away from intervals when tapering three weeks ago when I bobmed at a race.
So I looked further into training as per the heart rate zones. And it looks great. I will definitely try it. I want to adjust my training accordingly.
Here, see:


I don't know how slow 125-127Bpm is but I will definitely be keeping my slow runs at 125-127Bpm. The major change here is that I will eliminate junk miles and focus on 30% of my runs between 4:35-5:00min/Km. Then I will ensure I recover fully and sandwich each marathon effort with a recovery run. What I am thinking (for next week):
Sat: 21K Recovery
Sun: 22K Marathon Pace
Mon: 14-15K recovery
Tuesday: 15K Tempo
Wednesday: 14-15K recovery
Thursday: 18K recovery
Friday 13K Tempo

PROGRESS SO FAR:
Jan_____wk1 N/A
________wk2 20+18+20 = 58Kms
________wk3 16+16+18+20 = 70Kms ..................(lower ankle pains)
________wk4 20(1:50)+20(1:53)+20(1:50) = 60Kms ...(fighting each Km - legs screaming)
________wk5 20(1:53)+10+10 = 40Kms......(Revert to moderate 21K @ Sato - no more fighting)
Feb_____wk1 21(2:05)+11+10(47:56:52)+6+10 = 58Kms (tight hamstrings)
________wk2 21(2:06)+14+12+7+10 = 64Kms...........(first sub 4 mins 1K!)
________wk3 21(2:01)+15+12+12+12 = 72Kms (Malaba, crazy intervals)
________wk4 21(2:19)+16+14+10+10=71Kms (recovering from intervals)
March___wk1 21(1:57:51)+18+11+11+11+11=83Kms (Kampala)
________wk2 21(1:56:39)+15+10+10 = 56Kms (PF threatens-recovering from 83K week)
________wk3 21(1:53:39)+19+17+12+11=80K (bad cold, health scare - tight PF)
________wk4 0Kms rest - with a flu
________wk 5 21(2:14)+15+13+16+13+12=90Kms (Mombasa - recovering and coming back)
April____wk1 21(1:56)+10+16(in 1:18)+10 = 57Kms
________wk2 21(1:47:25)+7K+16K (in 1:16:56) = 42Kms (ITBL injury)
________wk3 14+10+10 = 34 Kms (feeling great but pressed for time)
________wk4 21+7+16(1:14:43)+10=54Kms (ITBL flare, rain interruptions)
May_____wk1 22+17+15+14+16+12=96Kms (Arusha-nursing PF and ITBL)
________wk2 21+13+10+13=57Kms (ITBL almost healed, tight PF and some shin pains)
________wk3 22+18+10+14=64Kms (rain messed me up. nursing ITBL & PF - break into new shoes)
________wk4 21(1:53)+21(1:43:49)+8+10=60Kms (stomach cramps) ITBL finally gone. PF persists.
________wk5 23+20+18+21+15=97Kms (PF getting better - corner bistro training)
June____wk1 24+20(a K in 3:58)+16+19+19+13(a K in 3:57) = 111Kms (Kigali Kayciru - PF getting better)
________wk2 24+16+15 (a K in 3:50) +13=68Kms (PF getting better)
________wk3 12+16(1:13:43)+9=37Kms
________wk4 21(1:46)+14+12 (a K in 3:48)+13(a K in 3:46) = 60Kms (PF is healed)
July____wk1 21(2:08)+15(1:12)+21(1:43:28) = 57Kms

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