"The Gas Chamber"

The words "I survived" probably best describe this past week of training. In addition to the continued emphasis on leg and core strength, I upped the ante with the hard long runs. I decided to do all of my medium long run in the altitude chamber and part of the long run in there. I'm enjoying the new challenge of running in the chamber, but I must say it is bloody sweaty hard work. I'm not sure if its the gas they pump in there to simulate 3200 metres above sea level or if its just bloody hot in there. What I can say is that every time I'm done in there I'm literally drenched. I unashamedly ditched the singlet because it was just soaked so bad it felt like I was swimming with clothes on. Even my shoes get soaked right through like I've been running through puddles. Leaving the chamber literally feels like leaving the Sahara in summer and immediately walking into the Arctic Circle. 

During the week, I haven't been able to do my runs until after 8:30 pm. So this has meant that I was forced to do 5 days straight of treadmill running. Pretty mind numbing I must say, but it beats running in the dark late at night. It felt great to finally run on a stationary surface over the weekend. 

A summary of the week that was is as follows:

Monday - 18 km's - 75 mins. Initial 12 km's progressive paced, starting slowly (6:00's) picking up to 3:45's. The ensuing 6 km's I maintained 3:40's with 8 x 30 seconds over progressively increasing inclines (1-8%) and then 2 x 60 seconds at 4%.

NB: Did 30 mins of heavy leg weights at lunch.

Tuesday - 16.4 km's - 75:15. Progressive paced finishing at around 3:55's.

Wednesday - 20 km's - 97:32. Ran in the "gas chamber". Included 6x30 seconds, 4 x 1000 off 400 recovery (3:59 / 3:58 / 3:57 / 3:56). I was pretty spent after those intervals. The effort felt like sub 3:20's. Easy running after that with 3 x 20 seconds to finish up.

Thursday - 20 mins solid then 3000 T/T

Had nothing. 5.1 km's. 5 min walk recovery then 10:11 for the TT

Friday - 9 km's - 43:49 - Easy hills finishing with 5 x 30 seconds

Saturday - 38 km's - 2:57:35

5 km's on treadmill outside, then 13 km's in the "gas chamber" (61 mins) then 5 more km's again on the treadmill outside the chamber. Continued outside on the road with 15 km's over hills. Felt depleted afterwards. My longest long run since May I think.

Sunday - Hills 

Included 1 x 2 mins, jog back then 4 sets of 60/40/20 seconds off 30 seconds with a jog back to the bottom of the hill. Very solid session after 2 hours of heavy leg weights and core work.

All up, 122.1 km's / 9:22:41 running time.

Weeks 32 & 33

Week 32

Monday - 20.0 km's - 1:40:05 (included 10 x diagonals)

Tuesday - 4 x 1500 (500) - Splits 5:11, 4:58, 4:58, 5:15. 15 km's all up in 67:41

Wednesday - 22.0 km's - 90:00. Included 15 x 1 min (1 min float)

Thursday - Saturday - 20 min jogs

Sunday - C2S - PB 49:27 (94th overall). Pleasing off minimal taper. Steady uphill, attacked downhills harder than previous years. Nice to see all the leg weights and hill reps paid off. 79th for heartbreak hill split. As always, not so great on the downhill, but an improvement so no complaints.

88.4 km's - Weekly Total - 6:39:41



Week 33

Monday - 14 km's - 68 mins.

Tuesday - 32 km's - 2:23:50, finishing with 8 x 1 min (1 min)

Wednesday
- Lunchtime - 4.2 km's
- Evening - Speed + LT

8 x 60 seconds off 30 second marathon paced float. 12 mins - 3.5 km's.

5 min walk recovery then:

4 km's - 14:26

Thursday - Leg weights plus hills. 5 km's solid uphill running on treadmill after 40 mins of leg weights.

Friday - Altitude Chamber - 35 mins bike. 68 mins running - progressive paced finishing with 8 x 30 seconds (1 min). 14 km's running in chamber.

Saturday - 10 km jog

Sunday - Carnova Special - 5 x 5000 (1 km jog recovery). Splits: 18:39 / 18:19 / 18:13 / 17:57 / 17:38. All up 32 km's - 2:03:58. Ave HR 153 (max 165). Tough work but pleasing.

Weekly km's - 125.3 - 9:24:29

Week 31

Signed up this week to use the altitude chamber at Valley Fitness at St.Marys. Dd the baseline assessment on Thursday and need to do 4 x 30 mins supervised before I can do sessions above steady state. 

Summary for the week as follows:

Monday - 19.5 km's easy over hills. Included 4 x diagonals early on and 10 x diagonals to finish off.

Tuesday - 18 km's hills fartlek in 74:11. Followed by 1 km jog warm down.

Wednesday - 28 km's solid in 2:00:45 

Thursday - 5 km's including chamber assessment session. Increasing pace and incline in the chamber up to 12% / 12 km/h.

Friday - 15 km's including 12 in the altitude chamber (12 km's progressive effort in the chamber up to 15.5 km's per hour). Tough work in the chamber. Never sweated so much. Enjoyed it. 15.5 km/h feels like 17 or more I estimate.

Saturday - 35 km's easy - 2:36:11 over undulating hills mainly on grass. Last 2 miles in just under 12 mins (marathon paced effort).

Sunday - 10 km's tempo. 15 all up including warm up and warm down. Tempo 36:39. Initial 8 km's at marathon intensity (H/R < 153  - low 3:40's), followed by 2 km's threshold (H/R peaking at 161 - 3:31's). Average H/R - 149

136.5km's for the week.

Week 30

Another solid week of training, but an uncomfortable one at times due to lower back pain. Summary as follows:

Monday: 14 km's - 1:07:46 - Felt very flat

Tuesday: 25 km's - 1:39:30 - City to Surf simulator plus marathon paced training.

1 km easy, 5 km's solid (4:00 pace), 1 km @ 8.5% incline (4.25), 1.5 km's solid (4:00 pace), 500 m @ 8.5% incline @ 4:15 pace, 3 x 200 @ 6.5% over 2 km's, 3 km's slight decline in 9:55, 3 km's approx 4:15's, then solid sub 4's down to M pace with 1 km down to 1/2 marathon pace.

Wednesday: 16 km's - 1:13:52

Thursday: 20 km's - 1:32:03 - 4 x 30 secs (Diagonals) / 6 x 1000 hill circuit (200) / 8 x 30 secs (Diagonals) / 1 x 1000

Solid session. Hill Circuit splits: 3:39 / 3:29 / 3:36 / 3:35 / 3:34 / 3:26. Diagonals ran 90%. 1000 flat - 3:21

Friday: 9.3 km's - Recovery

Saturday: 30 km's - 2:01:21 - Long Run including intervals

3 km's easy. 10 x 1500 (500 recovery jog recovery). 3:42 pace splits. Followed by 5000 (18:33). Solid session. Average H/R 147 (Max 164)

Sunday: 

AM - 12.3 km's - Very flat

PM - 10.4 km's - Very flat

TOTAL - 136.8 km's

Week 29

Nothing flash, just a solid week of base style training:

Monday - 15.5 km's easy

Tuesday - Fartlek - 16 km's all up

- 2 sets of 5 x 1 min (1 min) / 5 x 40 seconds (40 seconds) / 10 x 20 seconds (20 seconds)

Wednesday - 24 km's easy (1 hr 44 mins)

Thursday - Hills / LT - 17 km's all up

- 20 mins hills (4 - 6.5%)  followed by 3 km's progressive paced threshold (3:45/3:30/3:20). Hard work.

Friday - 16 km's easy

Saturday - 10 km undulating XC tempo

- 5 km's warm-up in 20:42

- 10 km's in 38:00

- 3.5 km's jog recovery

Sunday - Easy 2 hrs 15 mins - 29.2 km's

Recent races

6 July - Gold Coast 1/2 Marathon - 76:20

As luck would have it history repeated itself and I was sick for the few days leading up to this race. Same story as last year, but at least I finished this year. No complaints though, happy with the time in the circumstances.

13 July - Sydney Harbour 10 - 35:13

Not a great result, but gave my best. Very heavy legs after moving house during the week. Got boxed in for the first km and off to an extremely slow start (3:39 split). Roughly 3:30's thereafter with a solid finish. Pleased to hold my pace throughout despite running on extremely fatigued legs.

Will now knuckle down and put in some solid training mileage. Initially will concentrate on hills and long runs. Might not do C2S despite having already entered. Will make up my mind in early August. I'm keen to give the body a break after a lot of racing recently.

To be frank, I've raced poorly since my marathon PB in Tokyo. No point maintaining the hectic racing schedule. The body and mind need a break and I simply need to get fresh, stronger and hopefully fitter / faster.

2013 - Week 26

2013 seems to be flying by. It's certainly hardly to believe that we are about to enter the 2nd half of the year. This past week has been all about rain management and trying to stay dry in order to ensure that I don't cop another flu like I did this time last year, which resulted in me not being able to complete the Gold Coast Marathon. Whilst I'm only doing the 1/2 marathon this year I am keen to get there in good health, even if I am a little underdone training wise.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag this past week. A summary of training is as follows:

Monday - 8 km's jogging.

Tuesday - 

Midday - Mona Fartlek - 5.7 km's. It didn't quite go to plan. Whilst I held 3:20 or quicker pace for the reps, I couldn't hold marathon pace (3:45's) for the final few floats (slowed to low 4's). All up 16.9 km's including 10.2 km warm-up & 1 km warm-down.

PM - 5 km's slow jogging

Wednesday - 20.3 km's easy

Thursday - Decreasing intervals - 4.5 km's (5 mins jog recovery) / 3 km's  (3 mins) / 1500 (2 mins) / 1000 (1:40 mins) / 600 (1 min) / 300 (30 secs) / 150. All up 13.5 km's in 50 min's, plus 2 km's warm-up & 1 km warm-down. Very happy with this session. Held 3:20 pace or slightly quicker for each interval.

Friday - 8.5 km's slow jogging

Saturday - 3000 - (1000 recovery) / 2000 (500) / 3 x 1000 (200) / 6 x 30 seconds uphill (90 seconds) - Not a great session. Felt very flat. 3000 - 10:15 / 2000 - 7:00 / 1000's - 3:32/3:36/3:32 / 30 second uphill reps around 3:20-3:30 pace.

Sunday - 21 km's very easy - a little sluggish but relaxed running.

1 week to go now until Gold Coast 1/2 marathon. I've decided to do the exact sessions next week as I did before my 2010 1/2 marathon PB of 75:04. Check the diary earlier and it looks like I'll be doing 4 x 1600 on Tuesday & 3 x 800 on Thursday. Might do 3 light 30 second strides on Saturday as well.