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.