Week 3 ACP Training. Cutback week.

I had originally penciled in next week for a cutback week but my legs were pretty goosed after the Borders marathon at the weekend so I decided to bring it forward to this week- listen to your body and don't be a slave to the schedule and all that.  So just short run commutes at an easy pace monday tuesday. On wednesday we were down in Cumbria seeing E's mum and dad and I was still feeling a bit overtired so just had an undulating 10miler round the farm. Legs finally started to come back to me by the end of the week and so squeezed in a couple of sessions, 10 Gardner St hill reps, and some sustained tempo hills on friday. Main key session was on Saturday where I decided to have another go at sustaining target ACP pace over around marathon distance. I did this on the canal running from Falkirk back home to Glasgow. It is a bit soul destroying running on the canal, but it's a good place for trying to maintain a consistent pace. Average pace was about 4.27/km going through marathon distance in about 3:07 so a wee bit faster than last week at Borders marathon, not really surprising given the lack of wind. Effort wise it felt a bit easier this week although mentally it is a bit harder doing this on your own rather than in a race.  Sunday the plan was to do 20 ish at an easy pace on tired legs. However I felt a wee IT band twinge about 15km in, and then to top it off a bird shat on my head. I decided things were heading in a bad direction and decided to cut the run short and get the legs recovered and hopefully nip any IT Band issues in the bud.  Massage booked for tomorrow and will be doing the ITB rehab routine religiously.

 ITB REHAB ROUTINE

Week 2 ACP training

Mon
Recovery 2 x run commute
17.7km
Tue
Run commute/catch up with Andy Murray + 8 x Gardner St Hill reps
26.4km
Wed
Run commute + bella session 10 x 2mins @ 10k pace,
28.7km
Thur
Gym: Bodypump plus easy pace run commute
14.7km
Fri
Easy pace run commute
16.3km
Sat
Kilpatricks hills, 2 x crags loop, duncolm & slacks. Epic rain and wind.
26km 1166m ascent
Sun
Borders Marathon, ACP Race prep session 42km @ 4.28/km pace

Total 173.9km

Another fairly solid week. Main session this week was on Sunday at the Borders Marathon. The aim was to do this on tired legs and have a go at target 100km pace to see how this felt. The day before I did a good session in the Kilpatrick hills in some pretty grim weather and legs were feeling like they had had a hard week when I woke up on Sunday morning.  There was no danger of doing anything stupid and racing it hard if the legs were feeling like that. Borders marathon is run on laps around the safety track of Kelso racecourse so would be good prep for the Anglo Celtic Plate which is laps of a similar length. It was a pretty windy day so it was difficult to do an easy pace/effort but managed to keep a fairly steady effort to come in at around 3hrs 8mins which is 4 28 per km pace.  Legs felt ok at the end but whether another 60km at this pace is possible remains to be seen.  Was good to meet ACP teammate Keziah who had a strong run for a comfortable marathon pb.

Week 1 ACP training

An invitation to run at the Anglo Celtic Plate for the Scotland means a wee change in racing plans for the year.  Originally the plan was to run the Highland Fling in April as I built towards the West Highland Way race in June.  I nearly bit Adrian's hand off when he offered me a place in the Scotland team despite the unpleasant prospect of having to run 100km on the road.  So Highland Fling is out (3rd consecutive DNS!) and Anglo Celtic Plate is in. I'm not really sure it will make for an ideal WHW race build up but as Adrian Stott sagely pointed out to me it didn't seem to do Paul G any harm last year.

In a bid to make my training a bit more focused I think I'll try and blog my training each week Steve Way stylee over the next 10 weeks. 10 weeks! not very long to try and get some road speed in the legs, but here goes...

Mon
am:
Spin 45mins inc 2x11 min climbs with microsurges
Run commute
pm:
bella session inc 10xhill loops bella park tempo effort
31.6km

Tue
Recovery, run commute 16.2km

Wed
Run commute plus Glasgow Green tempo session 6laps 14.5km @ 4min/km pace
Total 35.6km

Thur
Recovery 2 x run commute 15.5km

Fri
Recovery
Run commute x3 16.1km (actually some more in there but watch went on the wonk, lets not quibble over a couple of km)

Sat
40km at ACP Pace including Pollok parkrun
40km 4.27/km

Sun
Time on feet bonk run (off road/hills)
Milngavie-Killearn and over Dumgoyne
33km/800m climbing about 3 1/2 hours in a wibbly glycogen depleted state. Fun.

Total for week
189.2km
Biggest mileage week for some time, amazing the rocket up the arse a Scotland vest will give you. Lets see if I can maintain it....