Speed Swim Splits - Tuesday October 31st

100 m warm up

then 9 x 100 m swims with 30 secs (approx) rest betweeen. Times below:

1.54/1.56/1.55/1.57/1.56/1.56/1.57/1.59/1.56

200 m warm down

Training Oct 21st - 29th 2006

Spent five days after Amsterdam Marathon recovering, then back into the saddle:

Sat 21st - 45 mins swim, 10k run
Sun 22nd - 80 mins bike
Mon 23rd - 45 mins swim
Tues 24th - Nothing
Weds 25th - Nothing
Thurs 26th - 60 mins swim, 80 mins run
Fri 27th - BACK2BACK 45 mins swim, 15 mins run, 45 mins bike
Sat 28th - 75 mins bike
Sun 29th - 120 mins run

Seems like I'd never rested...

Swim Times for Mark K

From swim training 26/10/06

First 100m - 1'46"
First 150m - 3'00"
First 200m - 4'08"

Second 100m - 1' 56"
Second 150m - 3' 01"
Second 200m - 4' 12"

Third 100m - 1'55"
Third 150m - 3' 09"
Third 200m - 4' 16"

Fourth 100m - 1' 58"
Fourth 150m - 3' 11"
Fourth 200m - 4' 20"

Amsterdam Memories

2006 ING Amsterdam Marathon

I ran Amsterdam last year in what was then my second marathon. Finishing in PB of 3:32 I set my sights on London and going under the magical 3:30 barrier. My body had other ideas however and injury prevented a return to the battlefield. Over the summer I discovered triathlon and foolishly signed up for the Austrian IronMan race in July 2007. Commencing training in late August, I embarked on a radically different regime from that which had seen me prepare for Amsterdam the previous year – much less running but more cycling and swimming – two totally new disciplines for me.

So I was interested to see how I would perform in Amsterdam with barely any marathon specific training.

For those of you who haven’t tried it, I can recommend the event. Amsterdam as a city speaks for itself, with its history, its charm, the museums and the... well, let’s say the ‘other distractions’. The marathon sits with its smaller siblings, the half marathon, the 10k and the 5k in an afternoon of running covered by the main television station in Holland and widely supported by the Amsterdam public.

The 6000 marathon runners begin in the Olympic Stadium with a well organised start seeing the time-penned athletes stream onto the streets and able to reach a reasonable speed pretty quickly after the gun.

There are no mile markers to be seen on the course and so I’d converted my time requirements to kilometers, knowing that 5 minute kilometers roughly equalled 8 minute miles which would bring me under the 3:30 time.

I felt good from the off and much of the first half marathon was spent containing my effort and trying to remember that every ounce of energy (if you can measure energy in ounces!) saved would be required over the last 10k. The route took us out through Amsterdam’s Vondelpark, back for a circuit of the stadium and out towards the River Amstel, where a long stretch out past the exclusive homes of the monied Amsterdamians eventually turned and came back on itself on the other bank of the river, back towards the city. I made the half marathon point in 1:39 and resolved to keep the pace steady, even though I felt strong.

The course takes us through a fairly uninspiring industrial estate before once again following Amsterdam’s main river, though this time within the city limits, back towards the Vondelpark and, eventually, the Olympic Stadium.

The kilometer markers were a welcome change from miles as they (not surprisingly) arrived and went on a more regular basis – and we all know towards the end of a marathon, when you can barely remember your own name, that anything that propels you towards the finish line is extremely welcome.

Sure enough, at 32k (or 20 miles), my energy levels were drooping but I found a spurt for the last 2k and came in at 3 hours 22 minutes and 54 seconds.

Which, as all marathon runners know, rounds down nicely to 3 hours 22 minutes !

Amsterdam Marathon

Had a good day in Amsterdam on Sunday 15th October. Ran a PB of 3 hours 22 minutes. Felt strong and in control and was particularly pleased with my balanced splits. Info below

Overall place
1255 / 5828
Category place
262 / 1014
Net time
3:22:54
Net split times (difference)
5 Kilometer
23:34 (23:34)
10 Kilometer
46:56 (23:22)
15 Kilometer
1:10:14 (23:18)
20 Kilometer
1:33:44 (23:30)
Half marathon
1:39:10
25 Kilometer
1:57:58 (24:14)
30 Kilometer
2:22:27 (24:29)
35 Kilometer
2:46:34 (24:07)
40 Kilometer
3:12:15 (25:41

Great Tips from IronM8 Mark

Thanks to Mark K... his tips for Sunday's Amsterdam Marathon have been focussed and apposite.
I'm looking forward to the race.
Links to Mark's page are on this blog page.

Working Hard on Knee Strength

Following a mild bollocking from Will, my sports injury guru, I've been working hard on strengthening the muscles around my knee.

80 one legged squats per day
40 one legged calf pushes per day
30 secs on body blade balanced on right knee per day (if I overbalance then I have to start again until I complete 30 secs)

Am feeling the benefits and determined to keep it up.

Keep on nagging me, Will.

J.

It's Been a While But I'm Still Here - Training up to and Including Saturday October 14th

Ola one and all. Been mad busy since the last post, shooting commercials around the UK so have had to adapt my training schedule quite dramatically. Swimming access has been difficult and I've been using my old mountain bike when away which I've loaded into the back of the car. Still... am feeling fit and keeping going...

Monday 25th Sept - Nothing following Roade Tri
Tuesday 26th Sept - 45 minute run
Weds 27th Sept - 60 minute run with Tring Running Club
Thurs 28th Sept - 90 minutes bike
Friday 29th Sept - Rest day
Saturday 30th Sept - 30 mins swim, 30 mins bike, 30 mins run
Sunday 1st October - 3 hours long run

Monday 2nd October - 45 minutes bike, 45 minutes run
Tuesday 3rd Oct - 45 minutes bike, 45 minutes run
Weds 4th Oct - 45 minutes bike
Thurs 5th Oct - Rest Day
Fri 6th Oct - 30 minute bike, 15 minute run (Back2Back)
Saturday 7th Oct - 2000metre swim (42 Mins, 80 laps of pool), 40 mins 10k run
Sunday 8th Oct - 1hr 40 mins bike ride

TAPER WEEK FOR AMSTERDAM MARATHON

Mon 9th Oct - 15 mins run
Tues 10th Oct - 15 mins run
Weds 11th Oct - rest day
Thurs 12th Oct - 20 mins run
Fri 13th Oct - 15 mins run
Sat 14th Oct - rest day prior to Marathon