Progress so far
As we come out of the end of phase 1 and begin working towards phase 2 everything is going well.
Had some great results in the last few weeks. Firstly I am over 3kg down which is really beginning to show on the running. I feel fitter and lighter when I run and even on my slow runs, am able to hold a lower heart rate at a faster pace.
I ran a 12km time trial last weekend along a pretty hilly route (the worst part was a 1km uphill section which was pretty brutal.) Despite all this I still managed to hold a decent pace. Looking forward to retesting this is a month or two.
As the focus turns to building some speed I was pleased to equal a previous PB on a 6 minute speed test. I use this test to work out training splits. Considering I haven’t really trained any speed over the 8 months + so that was a great result and puts me in a strong position moving forwards into phase 2.
The plan for phase 2
Next week will be a testing week. I will use some markers from the start of my training to compare against and add a few more run specific ones in. I will outline full details in a future blog.
From here I will work into a 2 month phase which will mainly be focussed on building speed. I will continue to increase run length at weekends. This will then switch into a final distance building stint in phase 3 culminating in the MK running festival 20 miler 5 weeks out from the marathon. I will then taper down from here.
Runs
3 x runs weekly for the first month:
1 x speed session working 3 mins + per effort
1 x naked run 5-10 km
1 x long run at the weekend (aiming to hit a steady consistent pace throughout.) Starting at 10 miles and building to 15 miles.
Possibility of adding another aerobic base building session in further on down the line alongside a strength session. This could be a run or a bike session but will be very dependant on how I feel.
Strength
I have built a base of strength and now aim to focus on more single leg strength. Aim is to mitigate risk of injury while improving lower limb strength and power. Upper body work is maintain strength and ability to hold a strong running position for a long period of time.
Sessions will comprise of:
Mobility
Plyometrics
Single leg strength
Calf strength
Upper body/core circuits
Wheras the majority of the strength work I have been doing up to this point has been very general, I now plan to make things much more specific.
I guess time will tell how it all works out.
If you have any questions about the above then feel free to drop me a message. Likewise if you are interested in looking at changing your own training don’t hesitate to get in touch.