Week 5 - Copenhagen Marathon

Week 5

Week Ending 16th February

Miles at marathon pace (sub-2:15), effort, or quicker: 7 (maybe)
Marathon plan: Copenhagen

Race plan - Irish indoor 3k? maybe

Miles - I dread to count tbh.. in fact I’m refusing to count, it will upset me

Steady miles - 8

Training Week

The only positives I can take from this week in terms of ‘training’ is that “if you think about it” and really think about it lol, on Thursday night I was in 14.13 5km shape, and there’s no way in the last 3 days I can lose that fitness, haha, and so I must be starting next week also in 14.13 shape. In all seriousness it’s difficult to make progress when you’re racing, and the training volume often drops, and look at how few miles I did at marathon pace. I wrote maybe because Tuesday was on the treadmill, and tbh, I don’t actually rate treadmill training that much. I think you have to go way faster, for the same effect, because the treadmill assists you, (my woodway is also broken, no incline, or that would help a lot 1.5% etc.. incline can help).

Training Breakdown

Mon – AM: 7 miles steady, and didn’t feel great, but got the week off to a flyer.
PM: I really hope I did a treadmill run last monday night, and didn’t log it ,otherwise the weekly volume really is sad, but I’m 90% sure I did 4-5 miles on the treadmill.

Tue – Double threshold

Double threshold would be an overstatement, it was 2 x very small sessions,

am - 4 * 3 mins 19, 19.5, 20, 20.5 kmh w 45 secs rest - Woodway to avoid rolling an ankle or something silly with 48 hours to go before the race (LIKE last time, two dogs on the road path.)

Then 5 * 45 secs @ 20.5-21kmh - with 30 secs rest

PM - 3 * 3 mins 19, 19.5, 20kmh - 3 * 45 secs @ 21 kmh.. - Why did I do a double threshold, I have absolutely no idea.. but I didn’t feel great in the morning, and thought in the evening I’d feel a bit better.

Truth is ever since the Saturday session last week I’ve been pretty sore / tired.

Wed – 5 miles & pre race routine - full video on YouTube now -

Progressive from 7.20 I’d say to 6.00 per mile - did some drills, strides etc.. (Didn’t feel super, but did feel fast in the strides, and loved the adios pro 4.)

Thurs – V easy 2 miles in the morning on the treadmill.

Pm - race 14.13 5km. Splits super even, tried to push on the 4th KM, and run 14.05 etc.. but didn’t have the legs. At least we know 14.13 - 14.20 is 5k shape right now.

Fri – Rest day.

I woke up feeling awful, and it’s late night Burger and chicken wrap, from a takeaway, full of salt, crap etc.. and so I slept awful, but decided to park training for today, and work was the focus. We had A LOT of half tights delivered.. welcome to buy some haha, so I didn’t order too many. So many orders needed half tights, and there was 4 day delay on parcel force getting them to me, and so my focus naturally switched to work. I did 0 work on Thursday, and it felt right. Irrelevant to work I think I often push a bit too soon after a race because of ‘full time athlete’ vibes, and it’s tough to let the body rest.

Sat – Grass reps - 5 * 7 mins.

Still quads sore from the race, and I felt that during the warm up.

I could maybe include the final 3 reps as close enough to marathon effort, but not pace. Grass wasn’t in a great place, and although I didn’t wear a watch at all, the Stryd footpod said roughly 3.15 per km, and so tbf I’m gonna now edit the Miles at race pace.

Miles at marathon - 10 miles

That feels a little bit better, a few on Tuesday, 3 for sure on Thursday night, and I’ll say 3 on Saturday.

Like I said, I feel quaddy if that’s a phrase and it means my two quads are battered from the harder race effort.

PM – Rest.

Sun – Easy run with the group – 11.5 miles.
Nice easy one, and gets the legs recovered, if I achieved anything this week it was clearly a 5km PB, and I’d hope a full recovery from that, which helps me go into next week, with a Steady run on the cards for tomorrow am, and I should be feeling solid.

I need to do gym, because after a race muscle strength can go down etc..

Very very important.

Reflection

We didn’t move forward this week, BUT we did learn about the training fitness, and where I’m at with a 5k in mind anyway. I’d really like to race 3k next week, BUT I am naturally thinking you can’t miss another full week of training, and so the deal is likely because the race is Sunday, then Tues, and Thursday of next week must be “full” and I can taper down from Friday. That means week 3-4 of my marathon plan follow the sessions, and do a long run, 16 miles I’d say zone 2. Then use the 3km, instead of the 6 x 3 mins etc.. or hard hills reps.

What’s missing - ‘yes I know, still missing’

Bit more recovery focus, stretching, yoga etc.

Gym 2 x per week

Volume - add 20-30 miles and it’s good

Steady days - Add an extra steady day or 2

Well at least I really enjoy racing, and learnt about fitness, but too many emails like the above and Copenhagen wouldn’t go fantastic.

That’s an important note, and review your own training, yes racing is good, and an important stimulus, but we can’t taper for them all, or we’d simply never train. Marathon especially is usually a game of how did the long runs shape up? How many miles at marathon pace per week etc..

Score: 3.5/10 training

5km PB - 10 out of f*cking 10… yehaa..

Scully

See you next week.