14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 11, Session 2: Yasso 800m

Thirty-second Session: Week 11 Session 2: Yasso 800m x 8
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

Managed to go out for a 15km recovery run on Monday (a day after the 18km MP run). The legs actually felt better after the run, so something I may start to incorporate more of, but a shorter version. I'm also walking more with the kids as a form of recovery and enjoying the glimpses of sunshine in a very wet period; managed to take a funny picture with my daughter whilst she was on my shoulders (and showing off her guns).

Main Set: 800m in 3:00mins with active recovery for 400m in 3:00mins  x 8
Another wet track, although not as wet as last week, but enough to have the socks and shoes drenched and squishy by the end of the session. During warm up, the calves did not feel good. But I kept at it and employed a range of dynamic stretches, short strides, and a warm up jog (1.6km). I was still sitting on the fence whether or not to do the session, but after seeing all the other athletes and team mates on the track, I decided to give it a go. I led out the first 800m cautiously, and the calves seemed to hold up during the 3:00mins interval. As the sets rolled on, my confidence grew and by the time the last lap came around I was over the moon (even spitting out some trash talking to my training partner's delight). All of us managed to hit pace targets consistently and lap times were very close this week (+/- 2 seconds of 3:00mins).

During the 8 x 800m set:

Average Heart Rate: 149 bpm (includes recovery)

Max Heart Rate: 172 bpm
Recovery Heart Rate (1min after finishing 800m): 1: 125bpm, 2: 137bpm, 3: 136bpm,  4: 138bpm, 5: 138bpm, 6: 138bpm, 7: 140bpm, 8: 137bpm
Cadence: 179 (but includes 1.6km of warm up)

Session Analysis / Review:
(26/42 sessions completed): 62%,  (2/42 sessions failed): 5%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (32/42): 77%

Heart rate recovery was better this week compared to last week, dropping faster after 1min of rest. This is good news considering how muggy it was. The cadence and heart rate zone data is misleading (this week) as it includes the 1.6km warm up (I forget to reset the watch before the start of the Yasso 800m). Note: I managed to crop the file to obtain the HR average, but after cropping the file in Strava and importing back to Garmin, I lost the cadence and HR zone data. Legs feel good, no limping or tightness to report. Time to fuel up for tomorrow's long easy run. I'm going to make a few slight modifications to the next few training sessions to better prep my legs for the upcoming marathon.

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 11, Session 1: MP Run

Thirty-first session: Week 11, Session 1: Marathon Pace (MP) Set: 16.1 km
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

The training plan calls for a 16.1km run at goal marathon pace (4:09min/km) for this session. However, as I failed last week's session I wanted to redeem myself this week with a longer run. As my first marathon is 4 weeks away, I wanted to do a long marathon paced run today; 25km at 4:15min/km (Singapore marathon pace). I decided to use the Sentosa loop again and start at sunrise, 7:00am.

Main Set: 16.1kms in 1:06:40hrs (pace constant at 4:09 min/km)

I was on my own for this session, as all my training partners are travelling this weekend. I used the bike ride to Sentosa as warm up, followed by a 5min dynamic stretch sequence and a 500m warm up jog. I was hitting 4:20min/km (+/- a few seconds) every kilometre, and by the time I'd completed my first loop, I was fairly comfortable. Breathing, running form, and legs were all fine. Second loop (6-12km) felt longer, but I was still hitting the 4:20min/km (+/- a few seconds). This lap, the legs started to feel heavier. The calves definitely made their presence felt with a dull ache on both legs on the second loop. The third lap (12-18km) was a tough slog. It's approximately 8:00am, it's warming up, and I'm about to take my second gel, but my calves are now complaining a lot more. It takes focus to drive my legs forward and take the pressure off the calves, and losing that focus (by thinking about breakfast) only caused me to slowed down. So it was a constant effort to stay focused and keep driving forward and keep the calves from stopping my run altogether. At the 17km mark, my calves were screaming at me. I decided to make one last push and finish off the 3rd loop and hit 18km. My watch showed the average pace to be 4:20min/km, so pacing was spot on (including the drinks stops to grab a new bottle of water for each lap). I wanted to run 25km, but my legs (calves) had other ideas.

During the 18.3km run
Average Heart Rate: 162bpm
Max Heart Rate: 173bpm
Average Cadence: 187

Session Analysis / Review:

Legs: The good news is that during and after the run, the quads, and hamstrings were fine. I've had issues with these muscles on previous runs, but not for this session. The bad news, the calves refuse to give me a break. I decided to schedule a massage in the evening after the run to try and drive out the knots and tightness.
Pace: Although the pace was spot on, I wanted to run faster and hit 4:15min/km pace in some parts of the run (as I was feeling good). However, once I was moving and set at 4:20min/km it was hard to accelerate faster than this pace without exponentially increasing the effort. This was very interesting. I've been training at 4:09min/km pace, so I knew I had the speed, but once I mentally focused on a pace, shifting up a gear was very hard. I will try again next week, as I like the idea of having negative splits during my runs and races.
Heart rate: Reasonable. Comparing this data set to the 16.1km MP run (on the 5th Feb, before my hospitalisation), my average heart rate for that run was 160bpm. This session was 162bpm and 2km longer. I think I'm back to my previous fitness levels, just not with the legs just yet.
In summary, this run doesn't feel hard breathing wise. I just need to figure out a solution for the calves so that I can cover more distance at my goal pace.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(25/42 sessions completed): 60%,  (2/42 sessions failed): 5%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (31/42): 75%

1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes, at the start of the session I had targeted to run 4:20min/km pace.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: Yes, and 47% of the time is spent in Zone 3 or less.
3. How well am I recovering: Quads, hamstrings are great. Calves not so good. Will be spending some time to work on the calves (stretching, and strength work).

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 10, Session 3: Long Run + MP (Session MODIFIED)

Thirtieth session: Week 10, Session 3: Easy Run 1:50hrs + 9.6 km @ Marathon Pace (MP) - SESSION MODIFIED
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

Update on my stolen shoes: I found this notice in my lift lobby of my apartment block in the evening. I'm glad to know it's a "community" thief, rather than a stalker who has a thing for my stinky feet. Anyways I bought a new pair of replacement shoes for my long runs as I believe the flatter (lower drop) shoes that I used last week (which are normally used for track) could also be another cause of my calf pain. The difference in drop between the two shoes is probably only 2 - 3mm, but enough to change running form.

Long Easy Run

The training plan required an easy run for 1:50hrs, plus an additional 40mins at Marathon Pace. But I decided to modify the training plan slightly for this session. This session's total duration is 2:30hrs, so I decided to run long and easy for that duration (and exclude the 9.6km MP portion). The reason: To make up for the failed 19.3km MP run last Sunday, I will try for a longer MP run (25km) at 4:20min/km pace this Sunday (in preparation for the Sundown Marathon in 4 weeks). So by excluding the MP run this session, I'm saving my legs for a big MP run next session. [Note: Although the target is to go under 3 hours for the Melbourne Marathon in October, I don't think a 4:09min/km pace is achievable just yet in Singapore (with the heat and humidity), hence the revised target pace of 4:20min/km].
My training partner and I started the run together, but unfortunately he had to stop about 40mins into the run due to a pain in his right leg (he suspects it's the tendon between the knee and quads). I continued on, and after 2:25hrs, this run ended up being the the longest run I've ever done on my own. It's incredibly boring to do a long run on your own, but even harder with no music. At least that's locked away in the mental (I can do it) bank; covering 25kms, and averaging 5:45min/km pace. No gels used, and hydration was 500ml of water and 500ml of 100 plus.

During the 25.0km run:
Average Heart Rate: 121bpm
Max Heart Rate: 143bpm
Cadence: 178

Session Analysis / Review:

Session was very comfortable, just boring. Legs started to tighten up on the return home from the Singapore Flyer, approx 1:30hrs into the run. At least it was something to think about and manage during the run. Interestingly, where the legs started to ache, that's where my heart rate also picked up. Looking at the HR zones, the time spent in Zone 1 and 2 doesn't add up to 100%. Garmin provided a note to say that this is due to my heart rate being below Zone 1 for some of the run. Maybe they should consider a Zone 0 for completeness. In summary, it was great to go out for a really long easy run, nice to be able to test out the shoes and even better that I had no limp after the run.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:

(24/42 sessions completed): 57%,  (2/42 sessions failed): 5%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (30/42): 72%
1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes, kept it under Zone 2 which is perfect for a long run and base building.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: Not applicable for this session as there was no MP portion.
3. How well am I recovering: The long run was a good test for the new shoes, and they passed. No pain coming from the leg muscles, which is great as a lead up to Sunday's MP run. Some fatigue in the legs, but that's expected after a long run. 

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 10, Session 2: Yasso 800m

Twenty-ninth Session: Week 10 Session 2: Yasso 800m x 10
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

I decided to cycle out to the Kallang track as a warm up for this speed session. My legs were on the mend after the failed Sunday session, so was looking forward to a good session. Five minutes into my ride, it started to rain very heavily. The 45min ride was a stop, find shelter, resume and repeat journey as the rain was short and heavy in parts. My training partner had sent me a picture (see below) of the track during my ride, and I should have brought along my flippers instead. After a frustratingly and careful ride, I arrived at the track, and to my surprise the track had drained the water really well. Amost all dry with only a few puddles remaining. The rain won't stop us from training!

Main Set: 800m in 3:00mins with active recovery for 400m in 3:00mins  x 10
The last track session I completed was the Yasso 800m with 7 repeats, almost a month ago (Jan 24th). We jogged two laps around the track as warm up and set off after a quick drink. We used the same game plan to alleviate boredom by rotating lead pacers on each 800m repeat. The training plan calls for 3:00mins active recovery, but we were managing around 2:35mins for first 3 sets, and 2:45mins for the remaining sets. We viewed this as a positive change as we were able to have our legs and body recover faster before each 800m. Each 800m was spot on or close to 3:00mins duration, with the largest difference coming from the first set, recording 2:56mins in duration.

During the 10 x 800m set:

Average Heart Rate: 151 bpm (includes recovery)

Max Heart Rate: 174 bpm
Recovery Heart Rate (1min after finishing 800m): 1: 125bpm, 2: 134bpm, 3: 126bpm,  4: 139bpm, 5: 143bpm, 6: 144bpm, 7: 143bpm, 8: 150bpm, 9: 138bpm, 10: 143bpm
Cadence: 182

Session Analysis / Review:
(24/42 sessions completed): 57%,  (1/42 sessions failed): 2%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (29/42): 69%

Session was comfortable. Legs were starting to tighten up (hamstrings mainly, and I'm guessing due to the increase in stride length to accommodate the increase in speed), but nothing serious. Breathing felt a little harder than what I remembered from the last track session, and the HR data also supports that with values higher. I attribute this to the lack of track (speed) fitness, and I should start to see an improvement as I regain consistency back in the plan. The ride home also helped to warm down the legs, by flushing out the lactic acid. No limping or tightness whilst enjoying my dinner at home.

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 10, Session 1: MP Run - FAILED

Twenty-eighth session: Week 10, Session 1: Marathon Pace (MP) Set: 19.3 km (Session FAILED)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

This session is the peak of the Marathon Pace runs at 19.3km. At the beginning of this 14week plan, I was sceptical I would be able to complete this session. But after 9 weeks, and hitting all the previous MP sessions, I was feeling pretty confident and looking forward to this session. Confident enough that I mentally prepared myself for a 21.1km run and record my fastest half marathon.

Palawan Beacg Sentosa

Main Set: 19.3kms in 1:20hrs (pace constant at 4:09 min/km)

We rode to Sentosa before sunrise with the plan to start just after sunrise and enjoy the run in the "cooler" Singapore morning. Each loop of the route is 6km long, so we needed 3.5 loops of the route from Siloso Beach to Tanjong Beach if we wanted the half marathon distance. After setting up our drinks station at the Beach Station carpark (approximately halfway), we started. We clocked 4:16min/km for the first km, but that slowed to 4:25min/km and stayed that way for the next 6km. We knew we were slower than the intended target pace, but both of us didn't have the strength to push faster. Our legs just wouldn't turn over like we wanted them too. And immediately after the 7km mark, I ended up stopping. What started off as a dull pain in my right calf (during the warm up), intensified, until I couldn't deal with it anymore. I like to think I can "eat" a lot of pain or push through pain, but this was too much. Disappointed, I limped back to the Beach Station carpark and spend the rest of the morning stretching and handing drinks to my training buddy during his run. He managed to complete the session, and ran a half marathon at just over 4:30min/km pace. With this as his last run for the week, he ended up with a 90km running week. For me, this was a 55km week after this run, and from zero the week before. I'm betting the increase in volume from our previous week is why we didn't hit the 4:09min/km pace target.

During the 7.0km run
Average Heart Rate: 150bpm
Max Heart Rate: 160bpm
Average Cadence: 188

Session Analysis / Review:

First session I've failed. Legs didn't fully recover from the last session on Thursday night. I had tried my best to use recovery compression, stretch and foam roll, but it wasn't enough. It was hard to get them started, hard to move them to the desired pace, and the legs couldn't complete the distance. This is probably the biggest learning from this plan for me. My legs do not have the muscular endurance to handle the volume. Yes, I was out for all of last week, but I need to be able to cope with those unplanned "breaks". Before the next training block (early July)  for the Melbourne Marathon in October, I'll be including lots of long slow runs and strength training to build the endurance and strength in the legs.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(23/42 sessions completed): 55%,  (1/42 sessions failed): 2%, (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, 
Total Plan (28/42): 67%

1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: No. I didn't have the power in the legs to reach the pace (and speed) that I needed to.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: Yes, but I didn't complete the session. Only managed approx 30% of the planned distance, and also at a slower pace (4:25min/km). But it looks like this pace is more comfortable (under my heart rate threshold) as it sits nicely below Zone 3.
3. How well am I recovering: Not as well as I hoped. Will keep up the rest, compression, stretching and foam rolling. 

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 9, Session 3: Long Run + MP Run

Twenty-seventh session: Week 9, Session 3: Easy Run 2:00hrs + 9.6 km @ Marathon Pace (MP)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

My luck keeps improving. As I was about to head out the door for this run, I was shocked to find my running shoes had been nicked. My 500km old, off white, smelly running shoes. But the funny thing is, I was going to replace them anyways, but just a week too early, Mr. Robber of dirty things. I hope you find speed and comfort with them, just like I had for the past 5 months.

Long Easy Run for 2:00hrs

My legs were still sore after 3 full days of rest and recovery! And my training buddy had a few choice words for my complaining, and simply said, "don't be a princess" (changed from another word I can't bring myself to type). So with that injection of verbal abuse (or motivation), we headed along the same route used during week 7's long easy run, as it is a perfect 2 hours jog from Tiong Bahru to the Kallang Stadium and back. In 2 hours, we covered 20.1km, averaging just over 6:00min/km pace. I took one gel around the 1:20hr mark, and we had one short break at the Barrage to refill our drink bottles. By the time we finished the long easy portion, my legs were definitely complaining, but I decided to suffer quietly.

Marathon Pace Portion: 9.6km at 4:09 min/km (Target Time: 40:00mins)  

The treadmill is starting to become an all too familiar sight, but has become one of my favourite tools, especially for runs I'm not sure I can complete (as I can hit the stop button, or decrease the speed at anytime) and it's ease of managing hydration. The overall soreness in my legs was weighing on my mind and confidence, so I just wanted to get this over and done with. Quickly setting the machine to 14.5km/hr and 1% incline, the first 10 minutes was bearable. But after that, it was a mental war. I decided to take a gel to try and perk myself up a little, but it was just about hanging on. We knew the treadmills would stop at 30mins, and we were glad they did as we had something to aim for and earn that little break before making a final push for the last 10mins. The final 10mins was just about being in the moment, feeling and eating the pain (dull muscle aches in the hamstring, quads and calves), treating it like a mental and physical dress rehearsal for the latter part of a marathon race. To hit the stop button after 40mins was pure delight. This was the last time we would run a total of 2:40hrs in a single session for this training plan (as next week reduces to 2:30hrs, and continues to reduce until race day).

During the 9.6km run:
Average Heart Rate: 166bpm
Max Heart Rate: 177bpm
Cadence: 188

Session Analysis / Review:

Tough session and I'm glad I pulled it off. My heart rate recorded the highest average HR (for the 9.6km) of this training plan (average of 166bpm), so it seems my body is still not back to where it was before the bout of food poisoning. The other factor that could be influencing this is the sudden ramping up of mileage from zero last week to 46kms this week (and counting). On the flip side, my training partner stops his treadmill and says, "that wasn't too bad", and who is also on track to hit 80-90km this week in run mileage.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(23/42 sessions completed): 55%,  (4/42 sessions missed): 10%,  Total Plan (27/42): 65%

1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes for the MP portion.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: No, and my heart rate is again heading north instead of south. Hitting a new average high of 166bpm. Hopefully it will decline and stabilise in the next few weeks as I stay on track with the plan.
3. How well am I recovering: Legs are absolutely shattered. Limped home from the gym (treadmill) and around the house. The longest MP run is on Sunday, so I have lots of rest and recovery to do.

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 9, Session 2: Yasso 800m - SESSION SKIPPED

Twenty-sixth Session: Week 9 Session 2: Yasso 800m x 10 (Skipped due to soreness in both legs)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

I decided against a speed session (with a total distance of 12km) after just completing a 17.7km run just 24 hours earlier. My legs were extremely sore (calves, and quads on both legs), so I thought it was best to give them a rest and recover for the long session on Thursday.

Progress Stats:
(22/42 sessions completed): 52%,  (4/42 sessions missed): 10%, Total Plan (26/42): 62%

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 9 Session 1: MP Run

Twenty-fifth session: Week 9, Session 1: Marathon Pace (MP) Set: 17.7 km
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

After missing the last two sessions from the training plan due to illness, I decided to try this 17.7km Marathon Pace run on the treadmill (as I would have hydration on hand for the entire run). I was a little worried as I wasn't sure how I would perform after missing back to back sessions, but wanted to give it a crack. I had nothing to lose, and wanted to see where my fitness and legs were at.

Main Set: 17.7kms in 1:13:40hrs (pace constant at 4:09 min/km)

My training buddy was away for the weekend, so moving this session to Monday worked well for both of us. After a short warm up, and a quick recap of our nutrition plan (one gel every 25mins), we started; the treadmill was set to 14.5km/hr and at a gradient of 1%. The first 30mins was comfortable. The legs felt great after a week off, and my breathing was normal. Unfortunately, the treadmills were pre-programmed to stop every 30mins, so we used the breaks to taken on more water before restarting the machines. The second 30mins block was exponentially harder; 40mins after starting, my legs started to feel heavy, and I was started to breathe a lot harder. I made an effort to keep my high cadence but a slight pain in my right knee and calf had started. For the remaining 33mins, I just sucked it up and pushed on. After a hard fought mental battle, I managed to finish the 73mins session, and so did my training buddy. One more difficult session checked off, and hopefully back on track with the rest of the training plan.

During the 17.7km run:
Average Heart Rate: 164bpm
Max Heart Rate: 179bpm
Average Cadence: 188

Session Analysis / Review:

Going into this session, I was treating the week off like a "taper", to give myself positive reinforcement that my body had a good rest leading into this long hard session. That was true for the first 30mins where I felt like gold, but that feeling rapidly faded and possibly be due to the dehydration element of the week's rest. This is also congruent with the heart rate data. This session recorded the highest Average and Maximum heart rate so far of this training plan. Maybe due to a loss in fitness, or maybe due to the illness, but whatever it was, my heart was working overtime to get this session done. Mentally and physically tough session. Will be keen to see how next week session compares.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(22/42 sessions completed): 52%,  (3/42 sessions missed): 7%, Total Plan (25/42): 59%
1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes, at 14.5km/hr and 1% gradient on the treadmill. However, the treadmill stops every 30minutes, so a mandatory break is required to restart the machine and reset to the desired speed. This would mimic walking through the drinks stations.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: No, but after a week off with illness, the average is higher so definitely lost some fitness over that period. Still managed to get 35% in Zone 3 or less.
3. How well am I recovering: The week off was good for my muscles, although the dehydration aspect probably negated that. And writing this post a few days after the session, my legs (quads and calves on both legs) are very sore. Lots of foam rolling required before Thursday's long run.
4. On restarting the plan: My advice for anyone attempting this plan and missing out sessions due to injury or illness would be to take a few days to ramp back into the training plan. That is, perform a few easy short runs to get the legs moving again. Increase the distance of the short easy runs over the few days. Note, I would recommend this only for short bouts of illness or injuries. Missing more than 2 weeks in this plan would require re-planning. 

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 8, Session 3: Long Run + MP - SESSION SKIPPED

Twenty-fourth Session: Week 8 Session 3: Easy Run 2:00hrs + 9.6 km @ Marathon Pace (MP)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

On the mend, but still too weak to consider a 2:40hrs session. Decided to continue hydration, sleep, and small meals.

Progress Stats:

(21/42 sessions completed): 50%,  (3/42 sessions missed): 7%, Total Plan (24/42): 57%

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 8, Session 2: Yasso 800m - SESSION SKIPPED

Twenty-third Session: Week 8 Session 2: Yasso 800m x 9 (Skipped due to illness)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

I had a steamboat dinner on Sunday (5th Feb 2017) night with friends, and that left me with a pretty bad stomach ache all night. In the morning, the pain continued to intensify and by noon the result was rather dramatic. I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after fainting and falling to the floor; unconscicous for approx less than a minute. I was told I was dehydrated as a result of food poisoning (dodgy fish balls), but everything else was okay (blood work and x-rays). After a few hours on an IV drip, I was sent home to rest, but still rather weak. The next few days would be spent trying to flush the toxins from my body (vomit and diarrhoea), and sleep.

Preparation for IV drip

Progress Stats:

(21/42 sessions completed): 50%,  (2/42 sessions missed): 5%, Total Plan (23/42): 55%

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 8, Session 1: MP Run

Twenty-second session: Week 8 Marathon Pace (MP) Set: 16.1 km
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

Morning beach outing at Sentosa

The rest of my family are now in Singapore, after a whirlwind trip from Melbourne to Johor Bahru within a matter of days. We decided to combine my Saturday morning run workout with a family trip to the beach, so everyone woke up nice and early and headed to Sentosa. Whilst my family hit the sand to relax, I met up with my two running partners and we began our warm up run (approx 1km). Immediately, I could feel tightness in my hamstring and my calves. The reason was quite obvious; not enough recovery time between runs, as the last workout was a monster 2:40hrs session and that ended on Thursday evening (34hrs since that last run). Nonetheless, I decided to continue and see what I could pull out. After the warm up, my legs felt better, so we reset our watches and off we went. Unfortunately, less than 2mins into the run, I grimaced in pain as I felt a sharp cramping sensation in my left thigh (quadriceps). I immediately slowed down for a minute or so, and tried to jog it off. I was shocked to have a cramp in my thighs considering I felt soreness only in the hamstring and calves. However, using the slow jog to think about it, I believe the reason was because of overcompensation. I was worried about straining my hamstrings, so I must have been overcompensating with the quads to try and alleviate the hamstring muscles. I continued to take it easy and jog for another 20mins to loosen up the muscles and rethink about how I'll complete this session. Although my left quad left better, instead of taking another shot on the same day, I decided to give myself another day of rest and attack the session tomorrow morning. I headed towards the beach to find the kids and spent the rest of the morning getting wet and sandy (and licking my wounds).

Failed attempt at Marathon Pace for 16.1kms at Sentosa

Main Set: 16.1kms in 01:06:40hrs (pace constant at 4:09 min/km)

Sunday morning, second attempt; I decided to use the Tiong Bahru Park Loop (used on my first 4.8km MP run) as it's nearby, and quieter on the weekend mornings. This meant just over 12 loops of the park. With a very short warm up (a few hundred metres), I decided to just get on with it. The first few kms are always the toughest as the body warms up (I was clocking 4:15 and 4:11min/km pace in the first 2 kms respectively) and was behind the intended goal pace. I didn't panic, just slowly worked into a rhythm and over the next 10kms, was averaging 4:06min/km pace. It was a great confidence booster to see the watch click over every km and displaying my pace under 4:09min/km. For this session, I made a conscious effort not to look at the watch until the km markers to assess the average pace, which worked out really well. The remaining 4kms were ran at around 4:09min/km pace, but in total for the 16.1km session, the final run time was 1:06:18hrs, averaging a pace of 4:07min/km. I was ecstatic. A tick in the box after a failed attempt the day before.

During the 16.1km run:
Average Heart Rate: 160bpm
Max Heart Rate: 169bpm
Average Cadence: 190

Session Analysis / Review:

I'm very happy with this result. I wasn't sure where the legs were at, and the course is not ideal for a long run (12 mind numbing loops with corners), but the key difference, and the one thing I would attribute this sessions success to, was my mental strength. I was able to constantly talk to myself, and reminding myself why I'm doing this, and in doing so, continue to "eat the pain" during the run. I'm hoping I can rely on it for 42kms. I'm also noticing that my cadence is still increasing week on week for marathon pace runs; in the first half of this run, it looks like it stays above 190, before it starts to drop to sitting above 185, presumably due to fatigue. Hydration wise, I used one small bottle of Pocari Sweat and no gels (unintentionally left it at home), which was not enough as I finished the bottle with about 3.5kms remaining.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(21/42 sessions completed): 50%,  (1/42 sessions missed): 2%,  Total Plan (22/42): 52%
1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes, and a two seconds quicker on the overall average pace. I'm also happy I managed to hold the pace on this route as it's a "slower" route due to the corners and slightly higher total elevation compared to the other routes I use.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: Seeing more green! 34% in the green Zone 3.
3. How well am I recovering: Definitely sore after the session, and after a shower, the recovery compression pants went on and legs were elevated.

14week Marathon Training Plan: Week 7, Session 3: Long Run + MP

Twenty-first Session: Week 7 Session 3: Easy Run 2:00hrs + 9.6 km @ Marathon Pace (MP)
Goal: First Marathon (Sundown Singapore 25 March 2017)

Unfortunately I had to attend to a family emergency in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Wednesday. I stayed overnight and returned just before dinner time on Thursday. Just in time to put on my run gear, and head out the door to meet my training buddy.  

Long Easy Run for 2:00hrs
Given the hamstring soreness, the last minute travel and stress of the family emergency I wasn't sure what to expect for this run. I told my training buddy that I would prefer to use the treadmill for the MP portion just in case I couldn't complete the hard part of this session. The long easy run took us from Tiong Bahru along the river to the Kallang Stadium, then around the back towards Gardens by The Bay East, passing the Flower Domes, crossing over the Helix bridge and back to Tiong Bahru. The route was a perfect 2 hours, covering 20.3km, averaging just over 6:00min/km pace. I was surprised my legs survived the 2hours without any tightness or complaints. I also made sure to take on nutrition, one gel at the 1hour mark so that I'm practising my nutrition strategy.

Marathon Pace Portion: 9.6km at 4:09 min/km (Target Time: 40:00mins)  

Straight onto the treadmill from the 2hr run, we set the speed on 14.5km/hr (4:09min/km pace) and 1% grade. I was not confident in finishing this portion, but wanted to give it a good go. My training buddy had found last week's treadmill session easier than mine, so he was happy to swap treadmills with me for luck. The first few kms started without any issues. Both of us were talking, taking our gels at the 1mile mark, and drinking regularly (the luxuries of being on a treadmill). At the 4mile mark (6.4km) my training buddy decided to call it quits to save his legs. Earlier in the week, he had run an extra 20km in addition to the training plan, and we believe the fatigue was still in his legs. Or it could have been the treadmill, as I was on a roll. I managed to finish the MP portion on 40:00mins with only one small stop due to the treadmill automatically shutting down at the 30min mark (which you can see in the HR data, a sudden drop in my HR). My legs were tired, but definitely not as tight as last week after completing the set.

During the 9.6km run:
Average Heart Rate: 160bpm
Max Heart Rate: 167bpm
Cadence: 189

Session Analysis / Review:

Was very surprised I managed to pull of this session given everything leading up to it. Skipping the Tuesday Yasso 800m session had definitely helped the recovery process, and also having a running partner definitely helps make this 2:40hr monster session pass so much faster. Nutrition and hydration was on point, and I think that helped with the positive outcome.

Success Criteria Checkpoints:
(20/42 sessions completed): 47%,  (1/42 sessions missed): 2%,  Total Plan (21/42): 50%

1. Did I hold the pace over the prescribed distance: Yes for the MP portion.
2. Did my heart rate stay in Zone 3: No, but my Zone data shows that I'm operating 61% in Zone 3 which is great news.
3. How well am I recovering: Skipping the previous Yasso 800m session paid off with no issues on this run. Will need to work recovering well as the next session is on Saturday morning.