Tom Roper's Running Training

Eighteen miles

What a difference the weather can make. Today's long run was hard, but much more agreeable, in sunshine and strong wind.
I went along the South Downs Way, west to Beddingham, taking in Firle Beacon and the ponies† and east to Alfriston, and a short detour to Bishopstone on the way back to reach the distance target. I met lambs and cyclists. I must start taking water with me on the long runs.
Time: 3:20:39
Distance: 18.6
Pace: 10.47 (best 6.47)

Total mileage this week: 35.43
Six weeks till the Neolithic Marathon.

†Viva Lewes, its reporters having taken time off from pub-boycotting and Papist-burning, have discovered the Exmoors.

Friday: 5 miles

I rose early for five miles on Friday morning, up to Forg Firle and back on the Alfriston Road. This was in lieu of the slow eight miles I should have run on Thursday, but didn't.
Generally, I've stuck to the prescribed runs closely, so I think one lapse can be forgiven.
Time: 53:32
Distance: 5.09
Pace: 10.31 (9.05)

Stanmer Park and beyond

I ran, with Carrie, Claire, Jana and Joanna, round Stanmer Park in bright sunshine, and  on for a little way through Falmer village and round the back of the university. I wore a new pair of shoes, which caused me to fall over at one point, but without doing myself an injury.
Time: 43:05
Distance: 4.49
Pace: 9.33 (best 7.44)

Sleet and rain on Seaford front

I'm worried that my fast runs are anything but. This morning I did three 1.5 mile fast runs along Seaford front, with 400m recoveries and a mile warm-up and cool-down. As you will see below, I was not fast. In my defence, I  still felt the after effects of Sunday's long run , and for much of the second and third section I was running into a strong wind. It started cold but dry, but rain and sleet fell for the latter stages of the run.
Time: 1:15:32
Distance: 7.25
Pace: 10.26 (best 7.45)

Time and pace for the three 1.5 miles sessions:
First 1.5 miles: 14.15/9.30
Second 1.5 miles: 15.36/10.24
Third 1.5 miles: 16.10/10.47

Seventeen miles

As the distance of my Sunday long runs increases, I find them harder and harder, today particularly so, as I ran seventeen miles first to Bostall Hill, Firle Beacon, down into the Ouse valley and back by way of Piddinghoe, Newhaven, out to the East Pier and back along the front: in sum, it combined the best of the downs and the seaside. It was very windy, threatening snow.
Time: 3:05:58
Distance: 17.01
Pace: 11.00(best 7.04)

Total mileage this week: 36.27

Seven weeks till the Neolithic Marathon.

Hastings Half Photos

My statistics tell me I'm getting a lot of hits from people looking for photographs of last Sunday's Hastings Half Marathon.
They may be found at the ASI site. I shan't be buying the two they took of me: in one I'm stationary, in the other I'm only on the edge of the picture.

Foggy eight miles

I ran eight miles this morning. At sea level there was dense fog, but after running along Seaford front, I climbed Seaford Head into bright sunshine.
I have now abandoned using the heart rate monitor. The chest strap is uncomfortable and I don't use the information it gives me.
Time: 1:26:25
Distance: 8.02
Pace: 10.47 (best 7.30)

Dawn Run

I ran at dawn, and now it is light earlier, I no loonger need to confine my running to roads. So I set off on what was supposed to be a seven mile slow run to the tumulus on the top of Bostal Hill. The Forerunner ran out of juice early on, so I have no detailed data, but based on what I know of the distances from other runs, I would say it was around and the kitchen clock suggested  I ran it in around 1:20
I saw a fox, and later by High and Over some small lambs.

Twelve fast 200m runs along Seaford front

Early this morning, and how different the mornings are now to when I started training in January, I ran along Seaford front, for twelve 200m fast runs with 100m recoveries and a mile warm-up and cool-down.
Time: 41:20
Distance: 4.24
Pace: 9.46 (best 6.04)
Average heart rate: 165

The twelve 200m sessions went thus:
First 200m: 00.58/7.50
Second 200m: 1:03/8.32
Third 200m: 1:01/8.12
Fourth 200m: 1:02/8.20
Fifth 200m: 1:02/8.20
Sixth 200m: 1:02/8.20
Seventh 200m: 1:01/8.11
Eighth 200m: 1:02/8.24
Ninth 200m: 1:05/8.44
Tenth 200m: 1:06/8.55
Eleventh 200m: 1:25/11.28 (includes waiting to cross the A259)
Twelfth 200m: 1:05/8.47

Hastings Half Marathon

It was a gorgeous day for the Hastings Half Marathon, though I ran it without much panache. I started well, but slowed down on the long hill, and, though I managed to be quite fast on some of the downhills, remembering that gravity is my friend, it wasn't enough to catch up, or meet my target of bettering last year's time. However, this point of this training is to run the Neolithic Marathon in under four hours, so I shall see this in that context.
As before, the support from bystanders was quite astonishing.
Time: 1:52:08
Distance: 13.25 (so the Forerunner says)
Pace: 8.28 (best 5.35)

Total distance this week: 32.67

Eight weeks till the Neolithic Marathon: I am exactly half way through my training.