Training Week 8 (Sunday 27th February)

Monday: 5 mile run; ½ hr weights
Tuesday: 3 mile run; ½ hr weights
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 1 hr cycle; 1 hr cross-trainer; 1 hr hill-climber; ½ hr swim; ½ hr weights
Friday: 6 mile run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday Rest

Although I didn’t get in as much training this week as I had hoped, at least I’m back on my feet running. The ankle has greatly improved, although there is still a slight pain running downhill. I had planned to do a 10 mile run on the Sunday, but the pain seems to be shifting on to my Achilles tendons, so to be on the safe side I decided to let my legs rest for another few days, to allow the torn ligaments to heel that little bit more. I have drawn up a new training schedule for the next three weeks, which include a 10 mile run during the coming week, and a 15 mile run at the weekend; followed by a 22 mile run the following Sunday. I’ll have to settle for that been my longest slow-run before the Ultra marathon, to insure my leg is given plenty of time to heal. I’ll still get in three 4 hr training sessions in the gym before the marathon, so I should be at least fit enough to run the event. I’m probably two months behind training at this stage, as I can’t do any speed training for quiet a while. I’ll still aim to do a sub 3 hr marathon sometime in June, and will focus on plenty of speed-work over the summer months then to train for the sub 2.30 in October. It will be an extra difficult challenge now, but one I eagerly look forward too.

Training Week 7 (Sunday 20th February)

Monday: 1 hr leg exercise; ½ weights
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 2 mile jog; 1 hr weights & exercise
Friday: 1 hr weights
Saturday: 1 hr cycle
Sunday: rest

My ankle seems to have improved greatly. I took Tues and Wed off training so I could try a short jog Thurs, and while there was a great deal of internal pain, there is also improvement. All going well I’ll be back doing short jogs properly this coming week; and will slowly increase the length and speed of the jogs, as the muscle tissue builds back up. The cycle on Saturday went very well, and there was no increased pain around the Achilles tendon, so hopefully, I will be able to add around 4 hours cycling to my weekly training program for the next month. That should give me some bit of a decent cardio workout. I also hope to get at least one 3 hr session in the gym each week over the next month (1 hr cross-trainer; 1 hr cycle; ½ rowing machine; ½ hill climber), to make up for missing out on the long-slow-runs. That should be a good substitute workout for building up endurance for the Ultra. I also hope to get in two strolls up the mountains for a few hours in the next month, just to build up the leg muscles a little; and while it wouldn’t really reflect the exertion of energy needed for running up a mountain, it will certainly be helpful for testing the ankle. I still remain optimistic that I will be able to do the Ultra, and with a little luck I’ll only be a month behind in terms of race preparation for the Dublin Marathon.

Training Week 6 (Sunday 13th February)

Monday 10 mile trail run
Tuesday injured
Wednesday injured
Thursday injured
Friday 1 hr leg exercise
Saturday 1 hr leg exercise
Sunday 1 hr walk

The ankle injury I received at the end of Monday’s run has unsettled my training program a great deal. Between the restraint of been unable to put pressure on the ankle for any lengthy period, had led to a general lack of motivation to do any alternative training. Maybe it’s a good thing, and might encourage me to rest the ankle a bit more, for a more successful recovery. I had done a great deal of research on a variety of leg exercises, both in strengthening the ankle and in maintaining leg strength using a stretch band. It’s likely that in the first few weeks when I’m able to go back running, I will evenly mix the amount of time spent jogging, with an equal time spent on leg exercises.

Ankle injury - a slight hiccup

Well picked up a serious enough injury Monday at the end of a 10 mile run. I went down on the side of my ankle inflicting a bad sprain. Got it x-rayed and lukily no broken bones, but its likely there is some damage to the ligaments. Uncertain how much this will set back my training, as it will take anywhere from a week to six weeks to heal, and then I’ll have to regain strength in it. I have it in my mind that I still aim to run the Wicklow Way Ultra on the 26th of March, so if I could get in a single long run of 22/24 miles before then, my body should be able for the endurance. That all depends now on the ankle healing! I will still push ahead with my training program and now concentrate on core-training and weights for the next two weeks, and then review things. I will look also at what leg exercises I can do that don’t involve pressure on the ankle, and will do plenty of stretches. There is a few sharp shooting pains and stabbing sensations in the ankle, but the fact I can walk on it looks promising. While an injury is never good, at least it is at the start of the training program. I won’t let this hiccup stand in the way of my goal, and still aim to push ahead to achieve a sub 2.30 in the Dublin marathon. Even if I lose 3 months of proper training because of this injury, it would still leave me only 10 minutes short of the intended goal (all going well). I’ll find a way to make up that ten minutes some way or another. The main thing is to remain positive and believe I can achieve it.

Training Week 5 (Sunday 6th February)

Monday 6 mile trail run; 1 hr weights and exercise
Tuesday 3 miles (hill-drill); ½ hr exercise
Wednesday 7 mile trail run
Thursday 9 mile trail jog
Friday Rest
Saturday 4 miles rough terrain, 6 miles hill-run
Sunday 10 mile road run

Last week was a good week for running. I knocked down 45 miles, which is very good progress. Wednesday and Sunday were great for pushing my pace upwards a little. I didn’t get too much of an opportunity to do weights, but will start concentrating on core-training in the coming week. There is a half-marathon between Kenmare and Killarney over the mountains in two weeks, so I’ll push myself hard in that race ahead of the Wicklow Way Ultra. Time caught me to do a long run on the Sunday, but at least I got in 20 miles on the Saturday and Sunday.

Wicklow Way Ultra

I have decided to run the ‘Wicklow Way Ultra’ marathon on Saturday 26th of March. This will be my first competitive marathon of the New Year, and will be very challenging. The Wicklow Way Ultra is about 32 miles long (51km), and runs across the Wicklow mountains. Much of it is on dirt-tracks and rough terrain, which include some very steep climbs; a few miles of it is run on railway sleepers. That will be the real test of balance trying to maintain cognitive skills after the steep climbs when exhaustion sets in. The extra six miles, on top of the climbs will really test my endurance. I have six weeks of full training to prepare for the run, and a further week of rest to let my body regenerate its energy levels and build core muscle strength.

My goal is to get five long runs completed in the next five weeks in preparation for it - 20, 22, 24, 26 and 30 mile, with an additional 10, 12, 14, 16 and 12 mile run’s on the following days, to work every muscle in the legs; especially ‘fast twitch’ muscles. These runs should help regulate lactate levels in the later stages of the ultra-marathon (in theory at least). Hopefully I’ll be able to do at least two of these long runs on mountainous terrain and will certainly include hills in all the primary long-runs. The benefits of been able to complete this ultra-marathon over rough mountainous terrain should really stand to me in the months afterwards as I begin to focus on speed-drills and building core-strength.. This should be a very rewarding marathon.

http://www.imra.ie/events/view/id/823/

Training Week 4 (Sunday 30th January)

Monday 1½ hr exercise and weights
Tuesday 6 mile jog; ½ hr exercise
Wednesday 5 mile jog
Thursday 10 mile jog; 1 hr weights
Friday rest
Saturday 3½ mile jog; ½ hr cycle
Sunday 18 mile jog

I increased my mileage to 42½ miles, which is a great progression. My legs felt a lot stronger especially after Thursday’s run, with only a few slight pains. I included a few hills in Sunday’s long run and it was only in the last two miles that my legs began to really tire. Generally speaking it was a good training week and I’m very happy with my progress. Now that January is over and my legs are stretched I can begin my proper training program to reduce my marathon time. My aim is that by the end of February I’ll have regained last years naturally fitness and reduced my current marathon time to around 3.35. My goal will be to increase my mileage to around 50 miles a week for the next two months, while at the start of March I'll introduce speed-drills.

Training Week 3 (Sunday 23rd January)

Monday 5½ mile jog
Tuesday 7½ mile jog and ½ hr weights
Wednesday 1½ hr weights and exercise
Thursday 7 mile jog
Friday rest
Saturday 1 hr cycling
Sunday 5½ mile jog and 1 hr weights

I was a little conscious of my Achilles tendon after the hill run on Thursday, so I did no long run at the weekend. It seems to have cleared up but will put off any hill runs for at least another week to let my muscles re-strengthen. At the same time I increased my collective mileage from 18 miles (week 2) up to 25.5 miles, which is a step in the right direction. In total I did about 8 hr’s training (albeit at a very relaxed pace); but by the end of March I’ll have increased this to about 14 hrs training (weekly), and will concentrate on improving the intensity, tempo and pace from there onwards.

A few Running Tips.

My Achilles tendon gave me a slight bit of trouble at the start of yesterdays’ hill run, which will likely prohibit any intensive training this weekend; though hopefully it is a sign of the regeneration of tissue fibre, rather than any significant tear in the muscle fibres around the ankle. I increased my mileage slightly over the 10% compared to last week, so this allows me the opportunity to delay any long run till Wednesday or Thursday if I sense any weakness at the back of the ankle at the start of Sunday’s run.

On another note I picked up a number of running tips over the past week, as I researched ways to improve my physical fitness, recovery-stress, and ways to deal with common running injuries. Two of interest to others runners are:

The body is made up of 66% of water, while muscles are made up of 75% water. A loss of 3% of water from muscles during exercise will result in the 10% depletion of strength and 8% loss of speed. Carbohydrates store water and for each unit of carbohydrate stored, the body converts it to ‘glycogen’, which is bound by nine units of water. When the body begins to burn glycogen (released by the muscles), it also releases water, helping to maintain body temperature and athletic performance.

The nutrient ‘Creatine’, which helps the body during extensive anaerobic exercises is made up of three amino acids ‘arginine, methionine and glycine’. Top sports athletes take creatine as a supplement because it promotes muscle regeneration, recovery after exercise, and improves energy management during intensive workouts (creatine can be found naturally in meats). Creatine helps reload ‘cell’s’ with energy after a sprint, helps muscle growth, while also increasing muscle size (as it increases water concentration within the muscle). Some nutritionists recommend that in the days leading up to long endurance races, creatine should be taken as a supplement to help prevent dehydration. This is also achieved by drinking water with a pinch of salt added, to prevent it been flushed through the system to quickly, especially just before a race.

Estimated Monthly Gains

A few people have asked how I’ll reduce 90 mins (41%) off my marathon time over the nine month period. And in what way have I factored in time reduction, taking into consideration ‘diminishing return’s’.
I’ve put together the following estimates of how my times will improve each month, with the plan to regain my natural fitness by the end of February. It is necessary for me to make the most significant gains in the first three months, as it will be extremely difficult to take even a minute off my times once I hit a sub 3 hr marathon. Each month after a sub 3 will be extremely challenging, especially trying to avoid burnout or severe injury.

February - 24 minutes (3.36 marathon)
March - 18 minutes (3/18 marathon)
April - 12 minutes (3.06 marathon)
May - 10 minutes (2.56 marathon)
June - 9 minutes (2.47 marathon)
July - 7 minutes (2.40 marathon)
August - 5 minutes (2.35 marathon)
September - 3 minutes (2.32 marathon)
October - 2 minutes (2.30 marathon)

7 key aspects of training.

The keys aspects of my training program can be broken down into seven categories.
1. Intellectual. This will involve equipping myself with the knowledge of successful training programs, techniques and understanding the mental concentration needed to successfully complete a sub 2.30 marathon.
2. Core-training, principally centred on balancing the body and increasing core-strength. While there are certain exercise programs dedicated to core-training in which I will go into in detail at a later stage, running barefoot at least once a week will be central to this. Cushioned shoes throw off the body’s centre of balance, where it relies on the air-injection of the foam to absorb the shock of the body, instead of the natural compression in your joints; resulting in the body becoming less responsive. Running barefoot helps re-centre the heels of the foot, where the body regains its innate ‘gyroscopic-agility’, so when you step on a pebble, the legs instinctively twist and bend to realign the body back into perfect balance. Swimming will also be part of core-training as it helps give the body a complete workout in a single exercise.
3. Diet. This is absolutely crucial to running a successful marathon. Firstly I’m probably a stone overweight, so being a stone lighter will probably knock 5 minutes alone off my marathon times. Diet is crucial for boosting the metabolism of the body, strengthening muscles, helping the body recover from training, and utilizing energy and fat reserves during races.
4. Upper-body. This will be achieved mostly through weights and a huge variety of exercises. Weights have been confirmed to improve performance when jogging, as over long distances the body begins to crunch up due to the continuous impact on hard surfaces. The body can compress itself by as much as a centimetre over an hour’s training and for longer runs it slowly compresses joints limiting their agility and performance. Having a strong upper body ensures that the frame of the body won’t become couched or sluggish during races. The arms also help propel the dynamics of the body in the same context a locomotive train would propel its wheels.
5. Legs. Alongside stretches, exercise and certain weights, the key to strengthening the legs is improving flexibility for overall agility. This will be achieved through running on rough surfaces, mountainous/stony terrain, river beds, marshy bogs, and up hills/steps. It will also include long-stride running and a variety of jumps. Cycling at least once a week also helps to improve running performance, and allows the legs an opportunity to rest, preventing over-impacting on hard surfaces.
6. Comprehensive training schedule. This is absolutely crucial in reducing marathon times. The body needs to be physically tough enough for the endurance of long runs at fast paces. This can only be best achieved by running at least 50 miles a week over a prolonged period. Consistency and commitment are the major aspects of fulfilling an advanced marathon training program.
7. Speed-work. Once the body reaches a certain level of fitness, times will only be improved by continually pushing the cardiovascular system of the body. This is best achieved through a variety of sprints, ranging from 100 m to 1,000 meters; and maintaining fast paces during long-runs. Each time the body is pushed to its limits, the bodies intelligent-cells realign themselves to allow for continued exertion till maximum capacity is achieved. Including two speed sessions a week into a marathon training program will allow the body to strengthen the muscles, fibres and cardiovascular system of the body for improved performance.
Working with these 7 principles I hope to rapidly improve my times to a sub 3 hr marathon. Races will help provide the competitive edge, while endurance runs will improve my overall stamina and will power. I will elaborate on each of the 7 key aspects of my training program over the coming months, and will provide tips and a closer insight into how helpful I find each one in helping me to reduce race times.

Training Week 2 (Sunday 16th January)

My second week of training is complete. A bit more relaxed that the first week. On Monday I did 1 hr weights, Tuesday rest, Wednesday 6 mile jog cross-country, Thursday 1½ exercise and weights, Friday rest, Saturday 3 hr walk, and Sunday 12 mile jog and ½ hr weights. It’s my first long-run of the new year. The pace was slow (9 min miles). By the end of the month I should be set to do an 18 mile jog, and after that I’ll slowly pick up the pace for each long-run. In the week ahead I hope to increase my mileage by another few miles, and at the start of February I’ll begin my speed work.

Training Week 1 (Sunday 9th January).

Well first week of training is over, which is a great start to the New Year - Monday 4 mile jog, Tuesday 2 hr hike up the Paps of Anu in Kerry, Wednesday 5½ mile jog, Thursday 1 hr weights, Friday 2½ hr hike up Guagán Barra, Saturday 5½ mile jog and ½ hr weights, while on Sunday I did a 3 hr hike up Mangerton mountain in Kerry. The legs are fairly well stretched-out from the strolls up the mountains, so hopefully by the end of the month I will be set to do my first long run. I am working on a training program which will begin at the start of February and which will run in three stages till October the 31st. I estimate my marathon time at present would be close to 4 hrs, so with the right training program I hope to be able to knock 10 minutes off my times each month, to achieve a sub 2.30 in Dublin. The first 30 minutes should be the easiest to shave off, and with a steady training campaign I should come close to a sub 3 hr within 5 or 6 months. The last 30 mins will be down to sheer determination and focusing on speed work, which really begs the question, can an average runner become elite in such a short period. For those who are new to marathons or athletics in general, a 3.30 marathon would put me in the top 20% of marathon runners, a 3.00 marathon the top 2 % and a 2.30 marathon into the top .05%. At least my enthusiasm is high, whether my commitment to training can match that, and see if I can achieve my goal.

Sub 2.30 Marathon

I have set a new challenge for myself to run a sub 2.30 marathon this coming October in Dublin. Is it achievable? Yes. At present my personal best is 3 hrs 35 minutes, my slowest 4 hrs 27 minutes. I have run a total of 7 marathons since last June. The first was in Cork where I ran a 3.39. In July I ran four marathons each eight days apart: Longford 3.46, Killarney 3.54, Mayo 4.08 and Armagh 4.27. I attribute the slow time at Armagh principally down to dehydration. At the end of August I ran a 3.35 in Galway and a 3.40 in Dublin in October. My training never exceeded 20 miles a week (normally at a pace of around 8 min miles), but I hope to increase this to about 50 miles a week in the coming months. My fastest 5 mile race last year was 35 mins (7 min miles), though I hope to have this down to 6 min miles within the next three months. My diet is at present non existent, while I have been out of training for about 7 weeks due to lack of motivation. All this is about to change as I set this new challenge for myself – a sub 2.30 marathon in Dublin on the 31st of October 2011. Lets the games begin.