Two posts in a week, I bet you think that's pretty clever, don't you boy?

[PaulS83]

10 points for getting the music reference in the title.

This is a bonus post. Like that second bout of chicken pox you’re assured you’ll never get. You’d think after batting out 25,000 words already this week, I’d have ran out of things to say, right? Ha! Wrong.

As I mentioned in my last outpouring, after a couple of warm-up weeks I’m going to start training again in earnest from Monday. Well, Monday’s a rest day, so actually, Tuesday. This means adding structure and purpose to runs, and all those delicious trimmings that come with them.

Running has grown to be a huge part of my life. Like a third child. Sometimes second, depending on how much my son has wound me up, but either way, it’s more important than my wife 😜.

Training for these events it a huge life commitment and it ends up taking over everything, like a conquestual superpower. Sleep is the first thing to go. I find though that the process and ensuing deprivation of time actually makes me more efficient at life; I’m not completely sure how, but I manage to fit it all in without too much sacrifice. I think it all comes down to motivation; if you’re suitably motivated, you’ll tame unnavigable rivers to get where you want to be. Then throw self-belief into that mix, and you can do it riding a novelty Lilo shaped like a slice of watermelon in a pair of flamboyant sunglasses, supping a cocktail through a straw.

I’m not a mantra person, but there are a couple of universal truths that everyone needs to hear every now and then to unlock that mental door:

1) You are much better than you give yourself credit for.

2) You are capable of profoundly more than you believe you are.

3) It is normal. It just looks a little weird. Try not to scratch it though.

I don’t know how I drifted there, but pulling this thing back towards the middle.

I started writing these blogs again with the purpose of journaling my training, to share the journey with all its lumps and bumps and outlet this pent-up, bizarre, kaleidoscopic perspective. To do this, I need to be open and candid about what I’m doing, but am mindful that comparison is the thief of joy.

That’s not my term by the way. I nicked it.

Unless you’re an elite runner that gets to start a race with your big toe touching the start line (rather than us lot back there, partying if third class), running and races and events and goals and growth and disappointment and success and achievement all of that is an exclusive, one-on-one competition that’s You vs. You.

It may be “Last Year You” vs. “This Year You”, or “A You That You Want To Be” vs. “The You That You Are Now”, but it’s always You vs. You. And Me vs. Me.

The strongest people in life aren’t those who achieve things without fear or obstacle, they’re the people that had to strive to overcome, and the people who went from A to B via a respectable scrabble score. Those obstacles are often ourselves, or inherent aspects of our lives that formulate this unique match-up. You vs. You can never be replicated.

You overcoming You, Me overcoming Me, and That-Person-Over-There overcoming That-Same-Person-Over-There are all incomparable and incompatible.

I remember how proud I was to run my first ever 5K. I remember sitting on Google Maps, trying to figure out a 10K route and concluding that one doesn’t exist. The world just isn’t physically big enough to fit in on. I still actually refer to 10K as “the impossible distance”, and say to myself in marathons at 32km, “just the impossible distance left”. I remember having to Google how to attach a race number.

Basically, what I’m saying is that any stats, distances, efforts or training loads that I write about or discuss is relative to the goals I’ve set myself, and not to show off or lay some kind of gauntlet. I cobble my own training plans together and make decisions that seem to work for me. If I handed them to a sports scientist, they’d probably coo over them like crayon drawings and put them on the fridge until the next recycling-bin day. I’m sure a lot of my experience is transferrable. I’ve certainly got a few “don’ts” that are invariably applicable that involve curry houses the night before hard efforts.

So now that the rules of engagement are set, I basically structure my weeks as:

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – Morning: Session run (intervals, repetitions or hill repeats) / Evening: Recovery (exercise bike) and strength session (focus on build).

Wednesday – Morning: Easy run / Evening: Recovery (exercise bike) and foam rolling

Thursday – Morning: Steady run (sandwiched between warm-up and cool-down periods at easy pace) / Evening: Recovery (exercise bike)

Friday – Strength Session (focus on movement) / Recovery (exercise bike)

Saturday – Easy run / Recovery (exercise bike)

Sunday – Long Run / Rest

I’m pretty religious with the runs, but the rest of it tends to be a battle of discipline. I’m hoping the added transparency will help hold me to account.

And my training paces are loosely based on a 4-hour marathon time. The paces tend to correspond well with my body and heartrate zones. I tend to monitor my training on a high-level by keeping a weathered eye on HR zones, but control my runs on a working level through pace and perceived effort. I do about 20mins of stretching after every run.

My target training pace breakdowns are:

Intervals – 4:30min/km

Reps – 4:00min/km

HM pace (threshold) – 5:00/km

M pace (steady) – 5:30/km

Easy pace – 6:15 - 6:30/km

Next week (Week 1), my main focus will be feeling my way into higher efforts and getting an understanding of current fitness. Injury potential is quite high for the next couple of week, so I’ll listening out for any creaks and moans.

Again, please utterly and unconditionally forgive the appalling mash-up of units.

Tuesday:

6.62km Interval Session consisting of:

1mi (1.61km) warm-up at easy pace

3x 1km at HM pace with 0.2km recoveries at easy pace

1mi (1.61km) cool-down at easy pace

Wednesday:

2mi (3.22km) at easy pace

Thursday:

4mi (6.44km) consisting of:

1mi (1.61km) at easy pace

2mi (3.22km) at run-to-feel pace (will be somewhere between steady and easy)

1mi (1.61km) at easy pace

Saturday:

2mi (3.22km) at easy pace

Sunday:

5mi (8km) at run-to-feel pace

I'd like to promote a bit of discussion in these posts as well. If you're interested in any of it, or something doesn't make sense, or wonder why I think some of this could ever be construed as a good idea, let me know.

I’m this guy on Strava strava.com/athletes/37954945 if you’re on there and / or in the slightest bit interested. Please add me as I’m looking forward to building the social aspect of running.

Anyway, let’s go!

[ktsok]

Whatever works for you, right?!

I have never been a fan of the “smashing it” phrase, or any similar expression that implies having beaten something. Getting to the top of a hard/tricksy climb can be an euphorically triumphant moment, or thrilling, or quietly satisfying, affirming, a relief! lots of things. But I never feel I have beaten/outwitted/subdued the rock.

There are some internal demons in climbing - it’s hard not to be able to climb to the level you were - but I have never experienced so many as in this running journey. The ‘you vs you’ resonates, not so much in the way of beating times, but the self-belief. The parts that say I can’t do it, I can’t catch my breath, c’mon, pack it in, walk, go home and put your feet up, stay home.

In counselling, we try to recognise the defences and honour them. They helped us survive, after all. So I’ll have a chat with the demons, see what they are worried about, what they think they are protecting me from - then get them to tolerate another couple of minutes.

I’m not on Strava. My son has stolen my account. But I shall watch from here as you discuss training regimes. As a non-coach, it sounds very impressive. I think my running needs to be a bit like my diet - eat, fast. Except slow. But uncomplicated. Hopefully it will work for 5K anyway. 10K IS the impossible distance.

Bon chance, mon amie!

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to ktsok]

Whenever describing runs like this, they sound ridiculously complicated. The "doing" is pretty straightforward. Like describing how to draw a stickman.

Huh. I never looked at the defences like that before. That's a really interesting perspective. If I pencil them in for an appointment, it's going to be a long chat, that's for sure!

Can I sense somewhere, hovering in the ether, 10K being something of a goal...?

[John_W Marathon]

One of our favourite songs to sing in the Liverpool Indie Choir - Look us up on Facebook and Instagram 😎

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to John_W]

I’ll have a search tonight.

10pts for recognising it. 30pts for being able to sing it. 1000pts if you can hit the falsetto!

[John_W Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

1040 pts for me then.

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to John_W]

I listen to a couple of LIC songs on YouTube, is that the same thing? Very good 👍🏻.

[John_W Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

Yup, that's us.

[Runnin-g Half Marathon]

Loving your posts, good luck, shall watch with interest. I’m the one who barely runs once a week at the moment, has never run a marathon but for some bizarre reason, aspires to run an ultra one day; no idea what that’s all about 🤣

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to Runnin-g]

Go for it! My current goal is to do a 100-miler next year, probably one of the Centurion events. I had this goal before I even ran a HM. I think long term goals are supposed to feel a bit ridiculous. But you nibble away at them and all of a sudden they’re somewhere on the horizon.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

That sounds like a gruelling regime. But I guess that's the point - 100 miles might be a tad gruelling too. Good on you!I have to agree, run discipline is easy compared to the rest of it. But I'm in awe of the 20 minutes stretching. I straighten my halo if I manage 2 minutes 😎

It's always me vs me, a never ending chatter and boy does it get noisy at times 🙄

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

😆 it seems like I’ve got multiple me’s and im often trying to break-up arguments in my head between two of the other me’s.

Hope Farnborough went well today. At least it wasn’t the -5degC that spontaneously came to stay last week.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

Ah yes .. the voice that says this should e low HR, the voice that says but you need to up your pace or you'll never reach your target vs you might as well give up you're exhausted already vs ....Farnborough was warmish/er, and a disaster! Injury strikes. I should've kept my mouth shut about the marathon 🤬

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Nightmare. Sorry to hear it. 😟

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

🤬🤬🤬

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

That all sounds like a plan! If you can, I think it would be worthwhile to build a monthly sports massage in there too. I try to have one a month and they work wonders for helping to keep the niggles at bay.

I imagine one of the hardest things about this level of training is life stuff getting in the way, “no, sorry I can’t meet up then, I have a long run to do that day”, “that day doesn't work for me as I have a date with the foam roller planned”. I’m sure you’ll manage it well 🙂

All the best of luck with it and I look forward to reading all about it in the weeks to come 🍀🍿

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Yes! But no 😞. I love a good massage, and need a good massage most of the time too, but there’s nooooooooo massage money for at least 6 months. We’ve stretched ourselves tighter than my left hamstring buying a house, and I’m not even sure the budget is going to stretch to beans on toast! I need to be regimental with the foam roller, and also have an impact gun, but what genuinely works best on the calves and quads is a £1.50 wooden rolling pin from the supermarket.

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

Good tip! I use a golf ball and tennis ball for various areas and they work well too.

[PaulS83 Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

I'm thinking about buying a job-lot, painting them, and stencilling them with some kind of jumped up name like "recoverpro - Recover Like a Pro!", and selling them for £40 a pop.

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to PaulS83]

Good idea 😂