Oh well, that is the two marathons done and out of the way, it`s cycling all the way now.
This weekend just gone, was the virgin London marathon, my second marathon in two weeks, and on a humid day with absolutely packed roads, I managed to run well again finishing in 3:46:22, just outside the 3:45 I wanted but on the day, and with the crowds as big as they were, I am well pleased with the time.
It felt as though I must have overtaken about 10,000 slower runners who had started to fast or who had got into the wrong pen at the start, or more likely, overestimated there finishing times?
But never mind, London is always a special race and we had a fantastic weekend with 7runners from our club taking part and I even got to chat to Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson at kings cross train station!
So now it is full steam ahead for the Etape and only 1 or two runs a week just to vary my training and give the muscle groups a change. hopefully the time that I have missed off the bike during the last few months, has not been wasted, because i feel that I have built up a solid base endurance level, which now should carry over to the bike, and I won`t feel stale after months and months of single discipline training?
Today is a recovery day off work, and I will soon go outside to fit my new 13-29 rear cassette, which I felt was needed to give me the best chance along with the triple chain set, recently fitted, to get up the cols come etape day.
A club ride out this weekend hopefully. then it is off to derby shire next weekend to start the proper hill climbing training, doing routes which pick out all the famous climbs, I do feel nervous about tackling them as we have nothing hilly where I live and have been basically doing my hill climbing on the turbo! but I need to up my game now and start doing it for real.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Sunday 18 April 2010
Paris marathon done, and in the bag.
Last weekend I was in Paris and running down the champs-Elysee in the Paris marathon,
although not a lot of running mileage in the bank due to injuries, I managed to run fairly well and got to the finish line in 3:44:33 which was pretty close to the goal time of sub-3:45 that I had set myself.
A full week off running, and trying to recover before this weekends attempt at the London marathon, resulted in a recovery week of only cycling. yippee!
A 20mile ride out with a friend ended up a bit quicker than ideal, so still feeling tired meant another rest day was essential.
A good hill climbing session done on the turbo went well on Friday, and this was followed by a ride out with the local cycling club, again a bit quick, but a solid 54miles was a nice ride out and I felt quite strong within the group.
Another recovery week concentrating on rest and running and hopefully a good run at London, then that`s it, running out of the way and then I can concentrate only on the Etape and the challenge that it will pose.
although not a lot of running mileage in the bank due to injuries, I managed to run fairly well and got to the finish line in 3:44:33 which was pretty close to the goal time of sub-3:45 that I had set myself.
A full week off running, and trying to recover before this weekends attempt at the London marathon, resulted in a recovery week of only cycling. yippee!
A 20mile ride out with a friend ended up a bit quicker than ideal, so still feeling tired meant another rest day was essential.
A good hill climbing session done on the turbo went well on Friday, and this was followed by a ride out with the local cycling club, again a bit quick, but a solid 54miles was a nice ride out and I felt quite strong within the group.
Another recovery week concentrating on rest and running and hopefully a good run at London, then that`s it, running out of the way and then I can concentrate only on the Etape and the challenge that it will pose.
Monday 5 April 2010
Things are starting to come together more now.
At last with the injury subsiding, I have been able to up my training, and things are starting to come together more now.
The running has gone well, doing two 20mile road races, on consecutive weekends and yesterday, I completed a 83 mile sportive which was done on a windy and undulating course with nearly 4000ft of climbing!
It all went OK, and although only done at a steady 15mph pace, it felt comfortable throughout and today I feel fairly good and nothing feels damaged or too tight.
It was also the first time that I have rode out on my new triple chain set which was purchased in preparation for the Etape, It was a big improvement over my old standard 39/53 set up and I found it more comfortable spinning up 13% climbs at 90rpm but still think a big rear cassette will be needed for the Etape, maybe a 13/29? Because a short UK climb of a hundred metres or so, will be a lot different from the Tourmalet after 90 miles in the legs and then a 25 kilometre climb to contend with! That is without factoring in the possibility of the summer heat?
This weekend I have got the Paris marathon to run and I need to be sensible and run that as a long slow training run, that is providing, I can recover well enough this week, and look after myself and steer clear of sickly people!
The running has gone well, doing two 20mile road races, on consecutive weekends and yesterday, I completed a 83 mile sportive which was done on a windy and undulating course with nearly 4000ft of climbing!
It all went OK, and although only done at a steady 15mph pace, it felt comfortable throughout and today I feel fairly good and nothing feels damaged or too tight.
It was also the first time that I have rode out on my new triple chain set which was purchased in preparation for the Etape, It was a big improvement over my old standard 39/53 set up and I found it more comfortable spinning up 13% climbs at 90rpm but still think a big rear cassette will be needed for the Etape, maybe a 13/29? Because a short UK climb of a hundred metres or so, will be a lot different from the Tourmalet after 90 miles in the legs and then a 25 kilometre climb to contend with! That is without factoring in the possibility of the summer heat?
This weekend I have got the Paris marathon to run and I need to be sensible and run that as a long slow training run, that is providing, I can recover well enough this week, and look after myself and steer clear of sickly people!
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