1) Cycling
I am now a cycling fiend and I bring my purple baby with me everywhere I go! I do a minimum of 2.5 miles a day and the most I've hit has been an 18.4 mile day! I know that isn't that much for people who cycling like maniacs but it's a start. It also means I am adding extra cardio every day to my usual routine! I am also saving money which is nice and feeling great. My fashion style has slipped though...I learnt I can't cycle with a skirt and that my hair will forever be frizzy and not very pretty. But heck my running has totally improved from it! My legs seem to be much stronger then any other training schedule before. Plus you feel like a 10 year old kid again! Yay cycling! :)
2) Altered intervals
So the training schedule I've decided to try and emulate this time has a varied type of intervals that I'm used to. Normal intervals; warming up and then going hard, going slow every two minutes and increasing the speed until I reach about 8 mph and lasts about 45 minutes. New intervals; 1 mile warm up (6/6.5 mph), 3 miles at half marathon pace (7 mph) , 2 minutes slow and then 4 x 2 minutes at 5 km pace (8 mph) with 2 minutes slow downs in between, then cool down mile. These intervals had you running a longer distance and also were getting you to actually do the hard part once you'd already ran a good distance meaning it was when you weren't as fresh faced. I liked this idea and seems to be working really well!
3) Slow down...you move to fast....
The motto of this song has made me move better too. Now I know most of you will say but everyone knows to run slow. But I'm guessing there are a lot of runners like me out there who want t have fast training times or want to get home quicker because you set out late or need to get in work quicker then you thought. This time though I am ignoring all that and slowing myself down. I am actually doing steady state runs at a slower pace and am actually running my long run at a comfortable slow(ish) pace. I will get the pace up I'm sure when it comes to race day but at the moment I am getting my long runs done with no pain and no tiredness. I am completing them with enough energy to keep going, which I love!
I'm sure there are lots of bad things that I am still doing that won't help my training but so far this session is injury free (touch wood) and going superb! I am doing my long runs on a Friday to leave my weekends free as I am super booked up these days! But slow and stead is leaving me able for work, though does mean early mornings....
Roll on the second half of the training schedule which involves an extra running day every second week and longer runs! Come at me 10 miles! :) Let's hope the running stays the same and I am still enjoying it!
Races currently training for:
29th September 2013 Paris to Versailles 10 mile
6th October 2013 Royal Parks Half Marathon
30th March 2014 Berlin Half Marathon
26th May 2014 BUPA 10,000
