12th - 18th Dec 2011

So for this week my aim at the start was to get some big millage in but also decide in the week if a 10mile race was worth it at the end or just go with the training. Having made a decision on the Monday to go and join in the session at the athletics track my BIG millage week was nearly there. After Wednesday session at the track as well, I would not usually do 2 track sessions in a week this time of year I don’t think it has much benefit for cross country, the few days after were just easy running and two runs on the Friday and Saturday went down to one.

Here is the week;

Mon AM – 40 Min easy (6)
PM – 3 lots of 6 x 1 with 60secs recovery + 40min WU/CD (9)

Tue AM – 1hr 33Mins finishing strong (13)

Wed AM – 57Min Easy (8)
PM - 12 X 2min off 60 secs recovery + 1 mile pacing Vince to 5.20 (10)

Thurs AM - 47min easy (7)
PM - 46min slightly faster (7)

Fri AM 1hr 30Mins (13)

Sat – PM 65mins Progressive Run (9)

Sunday – 2Hrs – 90mins with Andy Taylor around Ikcworth Park. (16)

Total for the week – 98miles

As you can see decided against the 10mile race, so the plan for the next two weeks, keep the millage high then ease off slightly for the Waterside 5mile race on New Years eve, then a good taper into the County Champs.

5th - 11th Dec 2011

Another week, not allot happened this week very similar to last week. Next week undecided weather to go and do a 10mile race or just train for a few weeks.

So here it is;

Mon - AM 1hr (9) Steady pace

Tue - AM 1hr 30min over a hilly route, I have to repeat the same 2 hills about 8 times (13)

Wed - AM 45min easy (6)
PM 65min with 40min @ tempo pace (10)

Thurs - AM 47min (7)
PM 1hr Including 12 X 1min off 30 secs recovery (8)

Fri - AM 55min easy (8)
PM 60min Steady pace (9)

Sat - AM 70min total Including 5 x-country efforts over some of the trails in Thetford forest (10)

Sun - AM 2hrs 6 min Stead, mixture of road and country (18)

98Miles for the week.

As mentioned I don't tend to count millage, just give a rough guess when writing it down. Getting back up to good millage now, Christmas will see a small increase and also need to start adding some harder runs in there.

Whats your key training session?

We all have a training session we love or hate, a session that lets us know that we are in good shape or just a session that makes you feel like you have trained well.

We want to hear from you, tell us you key session and we will post one every week for people to have a go at. It can be running based indoor or outside or maybe a different session possible swimming or cycling.

For this week then, here is a session that is important for anyone doing a half or full marathon. The aim is to teach you about judging your pace.
The session is 2 x 4 min / 2 x 3 min / 2 x 2 min / 1 x 1 min

The aim is to run for 4 minutes then stop recovery is 1 minute and then run back the way you have just come from. The aim is to get back to you original start position, this will let you
know if you went too hard or too easy. It is best done outside possible around a park.

Have a go and let us know how you get on.

Weekend Results 4/12/11

Sutton village hall was the venue for this weeks Suffolk cross country fixture hosted by Woodbridge Shufflers.

A chilly start awaited both myself and Steve at the Sutton course. After a 20 minute warm up around a short section of the course both of us opted to wear Inov 8 shoes. The ground there is sandy with some deep areas but is mainly farm tracks and some small sections of concrete road.

A strip down to the racing essentials and the cold began to really be felt before the race off. Both myself and Steve lined up at the front of the field. Steve looking for a first place finish to increase his lead in the Suffolk senior men's league. The early pace was lead by Steve at the front of the field as the first half mile had a gradual rise before heading back down into the sandiest part of the course, after a couple of undulations the course then  became a relatively level firm running surface for the next mile and a half before rejoining the initial entry point to the course for a second lap. As the race progressed Steve was able to pull away from the field to finish comfortably in first. I eventually found myself running on my own holding onto 7th place about 3 minutes behind Steve's trailblazing at the front of the field, finishing 10 seconds ahead of my time from the previous years effort on the 5.4 mile course.

Overall finishing positions Steve 1st ,Vincent 7th

Next Race Steve Turkey Trot, Vincent Suffolk Cross Country Champs.

Week 28th - 4th Dec

So for this week, it has gone back to normal winter millage, still building a base level of fitness, the next 4 weeks are going to be very similar, 2 main sessions a week and alot of base miles getting ready now for the Suffolk County champs early January.

Mon - AM 57 min (9)

PM 41 (6)

Tue - AM 1hr 30 Min (13)

Wed - AM 55 Min (8)

PM 1hr this included 40mins of Fartlek work over varied times/distances (9)

Thurs - AM 70min (11)

Fri - AM 1 Hr 57 Min (18)

Sat - AM 50 Min including 4 X 3 min effort over mixed terrain fixed route ( 8)

Sun - AM Suffolk Cross country League 1st Place (6)

PM 32 Min very easy running (4)

Total weekly millage 92 Miles

WEEKEND RESULTS!!

A busy weekend of running took place;
 

Vincent the store owner was taking part in the Herewood relays, a 4 leg relay between Peterborough and Ely. Vincent was completing the 10.5 mile second leg across the Fens He covered the distance in a time of 1 hour 5 minutes and 23 seconds for 5th place overall. 

Steve was taking part in the Eastern Athletics Cross Country Championships at Royal Hospital Ipswich. Steve covered the 1200meter course in a winning time of 37minutes 2 seconds, comfortably ahead of the second place runner.

Well done to all who completed the Norwich half marathon this weekend.

Saucony Kinvara 2 Review

As mentioned in my previous blog, here is a small review of Saucony new Kinvara running shoe. If you don’t already know the Kinvara is part of Saucony’s minimalist range. Having done some research into barefoot running and the benefits pitfalls this was my first minimalist shoe, but to be honest it was exactly the same weight and feel as a normal race shoe. If you are looking to try barefoot running the Kinvara is a great starting point, it was an extremely comfortable shoe. The ride felt very good and it had enough cushioning to not zap the legs too quickly.

I walked around in the shoe on the Saturday and felt great wearing it on the Sunday for the race. The weather was damp but I felt that the shoe gave me enough grip on the wettest sections of the course. I will use the shoe now as my main race show and for the odd session where I want the feel of something lighter and a bit quicker. For your information the shoe weight is 218g.

The colours you see in the picture are not available in the UK I was lucky enough to get this pair as a freebie. If you want more advice regarding barefoot running or heading in that direction just pop into the store and we will be happy to guide you to make the right choice.

www.runability-runningshoes.co.uk

St Neots Half Marathon race review

I was lucky enough to be given an entry into this race from a friend who decided not to do it, if you have ever thought about doing this event you need to get your entry in very quickly as it fills up within a few days. Riverside runners put on a fantastic event, plenty of marshals on the course, and finally a decent long sleeve technical t-shirt at the finish.

So to the race, my aim was to run under 70mins and look to try and dip under the 69minuite mark, I was not sure who else might be there to hopefully have a bit of company while running.
After the gun had gone and a few hundred meters into the race it was clear that it was going to a solo effort. It was very foggy no to cold, can't say the fog does much other than not offering a lot to look at.

The first mile was up hill and pretty sure it was measured wrong as a 4.45min mile was clocked I would be very happy with that in just a mile race especially up hill. The next couple of miles were uneventful heading through 3miles there is a small gradient up to the first water stop at 3.5miles. You would probably call the first 10 miles undulating I looked at the watch at 5miles 25mins 55 seconds time to put some work in and get moving. Felt pretty good for the next 3/4 miles and they felt quick as well, did not look at the watch even going through 10. If you do this
race you have to get to 10miles as fast as you can the last 3 are all down hill so time to hang on to the finish. The last 3 did not feel to go, my left hamstring was getting tight sometimes a lot of downhill running is not always great and my hamstring was not happy. With the finish in sight I had a quick look at the watch to see it tick past 70mins slight air of disappointment but on they other hand very happy to have come first.

It was 5 minutes before the next runner came in and they a good group followed in quick succession. I short easy jog followed which my hamstring let me know that a few days of no
running will have to be taken. Thank you to Al Turnbull who gave me the entry, 1st price was a Darlington Crystal tankard, probably the best prize I have won.

I wore the Saucony Kinvara 2 for the first time and will write a review soon.

Steve Robinson Training Diary 7th - 13th Nov 2011

Current Training Shoe - Brooks Glycerine 9
Race Shoe - Saucony Kinvara 2

My current aims are to build a cardio Vascular base which at the moment is just doing plenty of running, not to many sessions and the odd race thrown in for a hard work out. My aim is to be fit for the County champs and the End of Jan through to end of Feb for all the cross country races.

I do not count millage but for this purpose I will total up a rough estimate of the week.

Mon - AM 55mins (8) Steady run
PM 55mins (9) Progressive run - Start of slow and speed up through the run finishing fast

Tue - AM 6 X 2K 6.28, 6.25, 6.30, 6.30, 6.30, 6.30, - Was hoping to go a bit faster (WU/CD - 12mile)

Wed - PM 90mins (13)

Thursday - AM 45min (6) Legs still blowing from Tuesday)
PM 50min (7) Finishing fast

Friday - AM 70Min (10)

Sat - AM 41mins (6) Nice and easy
PM Chiltern League Cross country Race, Watford Finished 8th Suffered on the hills. Aim was to have a hard run on tired legs, achieved. (10 - wu/cd)

Sun AM - 1HR 50min (17)

Rough Total For the Week, 98 Miles

This week comes at the end of a block of 4 weeks roughly the same, easy week now and St Neots Half next Sunday. Please leave an comments, feedback I am always happy to chat about sessions or take adivce from all regarding running and training.

Run from West Row to Bury St Edmunds along the river Lark-Vincent

Starting off in West Row joining the river by the Judes Ferry pub the footpath winds its way along next to the river. The ground is wet and uneven although the vegetation is relatively low it is difficult to maintain a constant speed but its flat and the sun is shinning.

After Approximately 3 miles the footpath reaches Mildenhall where after crossing the high street you rejoin the river, there is a small section of gravel before reaching a maintained path which continues up and over the river into Barton Mills.

A quick picture of the path next to the river lark taken from the stretch between Barton Mills and Icklingham!


The next stretch of run involves crossing the A11 at the edge of Barton Mills Before rejoining the footpath alongside the river. This section of footpath is less used and in places is slightly overgrown but it's quiet and peaceful all the way until you take a detour away from the river to enter Icklingham.

At Icklingham I ran along the main street before reaching a bridleway that takes you away from the road and along the edges of fields, although not undulating this had a small climb before dropping back down to Lackford.

At this point I managed to get lost and took the wrong route which carried me out to the road from Lackford to Flempton and then onto Hengrave. The route I should have taken would have kept me off road rejoining the river lark into Bury.

Before Hengrave I met a friend running the opposite way who helped me out to re find the correct route by dropping back to the river at the end of Hengrave.

From Hengrave to Fornham was the most twisty and least maintained piece of footpath I had been on and with tiring legs was only enjoyable by the views of the river and adjacent fields.

On entering Fornham I ran along the path taking me into Bury St Edmunds, passing the train station before entering St John's Street and the short climb up towards the shop which concluded my long run of the week with the highest point over the 16.8 miles.