Threw in a Sunday longer run last night

We were working through our budget on Sunday afternoon, it was stressful, and we both argued about it for several hours. I felt the need to get out and run so I did.

My plan has been to do 3 runs a week:

- Tuesday 5km easy, plus 5x300 reps increasing to say 10 over a few weekas
- Thursday 5km easy with one or 2 km's sub 4mins at the end.
- Saturday 5km race

I did the Saturday race, my best for the year of 21:50. I did the first 1km too fast for the condition I am in, pulled back for the 2nd one but it was all stacked up. So I struggled for the rest of it, as slow as 4:40min/km . I tried hard to finish fast but I did not have the wind for it.

Its clear to me that my legs are good and strong. My training until now is cultivating comfortable speed and good strength. But I don't have aerobic capacity to carry the speed over decent distances. This is pretty much the same issue I have had for years. Plenty of speed but not enough lungs. So I certainly need more mileage to improve that aspect.

Following on from the Saturday run I did 9km last night Sunday, and ended up doing it at average 4:55min/km pace. This is the longest run I have done for this year and the pace is also the fastest for all my longer runs this year. It was great to get out and go reasonably briskly and long. The weather was absolutely perfect, not at all cold but not muggy. A slight headwind on the way out that was nice and cool, and it assisted me on the way back. It did the trick I felt much better - but am a little sore today after it.

For this year, last nights 9km run counts for 8% or so of my total mileage. I have to use self discipline to NOT run too much as I feel the three days a week has been allowing everything to remain good and injury free. I am definitely needing more mileage to improve, but I HAVE to go easy and rehabilitate completely. 

Been even slacker, no update since December 21 2012. - What have I been up to?

Took another couple of months off at the beginning of this year to allow my heels to get completely better. I think its worked, although I have not been doing anything near the mileage I had been doing.

I pulled some reports out of my Garmin connect account of all my runs recorded on my watch.

2010 - the year I did my first marathon, I swung over to full mara training after a reasonably successful year building to a couple of half marathons in 2009. From 1 Jan 2010 to 26 April:

82 activities
Distance 594.58km
Average speed 12.1km/hr


2011 - The first year in which I was suffering from heel problems, but I did not have the sense to bloody well stop running:

46 activities
Distance 259.5km
Average speed 10.1km/hr

2012 - After getting treatment 2011, in October, I took several months off, I came back to some running again, ended up having a reasonable year where I achieved PB's in 3,5,and matched my best 10km race:

55 Activities
Distance 168.53km
Average speed 7.5km/hr

2013 - THIS YEAR. My heels are the best since 2009, ie hardly any issues at all.:
19 activities
76.6km
11.5km/hr


Wow what a difference!!  I am absolutely determined to keep the mileage down until I am sure I can handle it WITHOUT my heels injury regressing to where I was at the end of 2011.

It is just horrifying to look at how much timemy heel injuries  have taken from me. If I ever get to do another Marathon, I will be at least 2 years older than when I did my last one, 2011, and 3 years older than my first ( 2010 the best so far but by no means a good one).

Anyway, I have returned to fairly consistent training, typically I have been running up to 5kms on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and every so often I have done some speed sessions afterwards. 5x300's generally. I have also been doing the Saturday morning Park RUn in Wynnum at the foreshore.

I feel like I am making gains - even though its only 3 runs a week and I have been running only for a couple of months. I am in approximately 22min for 5km shape right now I think, maybe faster. I am going to see how fast I can get doing this simple training program:

Tuesday - 5km easy, at about 5:30 pace    plus 5x300, building to 10x300, pace about 3:40min/km
Thursday - 5km easy, with the last 1km sub 4min/km, building to 2 or 3km
Saturday - 5km race Park run - Hope to match or beat my PB of 19:59 I did last year.

Its still incredibly frustrating not being able to do the distance I want - I REALLY want to do half and full marathons, but I have to be patient. Wow what an ordeal this has been, but yet again I have some hope again that I am on my way back to fitness again, and may do the distances again.