Training review: Two weeks to 22 March

Getting close to my 10k races now - 3 weeks to Holmestrand, 5 weeks to Sentrumsløpet.  In the last two weeks:

• I was travelling for a week so did no running.  I also ate and drank far too much.  I'm afraid I score 0/20 for that week.
• This week I was a good boy: 43km vs 45km planned, drank less than usual.  I'll give myself 19/20 overall, only losing 1 point because I wasn't particularly restrained when it came to eating.

Running at race pace continues to be very tough, but I managed 3km at 12.2kph (4:55 per km) on slightly hilly ground at 179bpm.  In the race I need to sustain 12.9kph (4:39 per km) at 181bpm, so while I'm not there yet, I'm not a million miles away.  I also had a decent interval session with 7 400m intervals at 14kph, although arguably I should be capable of 15kph if I was race-fit.  In a tempo run I did badly, hitting 180bpm at only 11.5kph, and feeling unable to push it any further.

How I'll do in the races remains a mystery - I feel like my fitness is improving pretty well, but I could definitely benefit from a longer build-up.  But there's no harm in doing a couple of races now, resetting the training and then building up to a new target - if I keep putting in the miles then PBs will be sure to follow.  I have a 3rd chance at a 10k in July and then a half marathon in September.

2-8 March

Nice week of running - culminating in a very nice 14km run on Sunday 8th March.  First outside run of the year without spikes, and although I had to improvise a route to avoid a massive puddle, and ended up running up a down a series of steep hills, I felt really good.  This was backed up by my fitness score for the run - 13.2, the highest since August last year.


A total of 39.3km for the week, vs a plan of 40.  I stuck to the plan reasonably well, although I couldn't sustain 3km at race pace on Saturday - I managed a pace of 5:05 instead of 4:40.  That was on slushy ice/snow, wearing spikes and included some hills, so I'm not too dispirited.


The only negative factor is my weight loss, which has continued to stall.  I'm not really trying, and just hoping that all the running will fix it, and it doesn't seem to be working.  And things will continue to get worse next week when I'll be travelling for 6 days.


I'll award myself 17 out of 20 for the week, losing 3 points for my weight loss going nowhere.

23 Feb - 1 March

Pretty good week - 37km vs my plan of 38km.  Stuck to the schedule pretty well - most runs easy, but had 6x400m intervals at 13-14kph, which is starting to get reasonably tough.  I'm not planning to go any faster than 14kph.  5/5 for putting in the miles and peaking for the race.

Legs ached a bit after my long outdoor run on the 22nd, so I took it very easy on the 24th - only 6km instead of the planned 7, and a very easy pace.  Right now everything feels pretty good.  5/5 for making it to the start line.

Now for the fly in the ointment - I'm not making great progress at losing weight.  Still hovering at just under 72.5kg.  Wasn't super-greedy, but wasn't exactly abstemious either.  A mere 2/5 for weight loss.

So a total for the week of 17/20.

Managed a 16km run on the treadmill on Sunday.  Could have been fairly soul-destroying, but I watched Back to the Future (for perhaps the 100th time) and quite enjoyed myself!