Interval Training is Going to Kill Me!

This morning I decided to do some interval training. I wasn't sure what but just something.

Once I was out of the door I changed my mind and thought I'd try and beat my 5k time! I ran the first 2k with a pace of 4:50 which is way faster than the 5:10 I started out with last time. I simply couldn't keep running at that speed and had to stop and walk.

After walking around 400 metres, I then ran the next 1k with a pace of 4:40. It was so hard that I decided to do some of the good old 10-20-30 interval training to get home but instead of running the 30 seconds very slow I walked them. Then I ran the 20 seconds with a pace of around 5:30 and then sprinted the last 10 seconds. I did this pattern for around 2k and was very nearly dead by the time I got home!

I suppose if I keep doing something like this every week I'll get used to it in the end and will be faster for Berlin but it's SO hard right now!

Long Runs, Short Runs!

As Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon is getting closer and closer I figured I better get in some more long runs and 10-20-30 training :-)

On Wednesday I ran another half marathon! I did a route that I had run while training for Copenhagen Marathon 2011. I ran all the way up to Langelinie which is where the cruise ships dock. I went all the way to the end, round the little red lighthouse thing and then home again.

I ran slower this time and even though it was still a hard run (well it was only 9 days since my last half marathon) it was easier than the last one! I ran it in around 2 hours and 15 minutes so was 8 minutes slower.

Today it has been so sunny! Spring is on the way :-)
I was going to do so 10-20-30 training this evening but really wanted to get out into the sun.

So I decided to do my training on the way to pick up my youngest from nursery.

It went well and it was great to run in the sun again :-)

Great 5k in My New Nimbus 12's!

I've just got back from a great 5k run in my new trainers :-)

I wrote a little while back that I would run a 5k as fast as possible, then do the 10-20-30 training twice a week for one month and then run the same 5k again to see if the 10-20-30 training does indeed better your time.

I ran this 5k in 27 minutes and 15 seconds which is only 40 seconds off my personal best. That isn't bad considering it was an EXTREMELY windy day today and the first 2k I ran was into the wind.

I look forward to see how much (if at all) my 5k time will improve in a month. I will run at the same time of day as today and with as close to the weather conditions as I can get to try and get a fair test!

Training and T-Shirts!

On Monday it was again really cold outside and I didn't much fancy having a run out there!

Instead me and a friend went over to my hill training multi-storey carpark. It has apartments on top of it and so has lots of stairs that run in a straight line to the top. These are kind of inside and sheltered from the wind. We run up and down about 5 or 6 times. It worked out to be about 1.5k of stair training that we did.

Afterwards we went to the top of the carpark which is still inside and did some 10-20-30 training 3 times with a 1 minute break inbetween. Now that was a lot of fun :-)

Between the stairs and the 10-20-30 training we had a great workout and didn't get cold!! I admit my calves were hurting loads the next day.

On another note I have bought myself a new marathon t-shirt :-) See the photo above. It is very fitted and feminine! I'm hoping to get a slogan printed on it: 'Rock 'n' Run'

10-20-30 Training!

I have been reading a lot lately about the 10-20-30 training system and have decided to give it a go.

It's interval training where you walk or jog slow for 30 seconds, run at a normal speed for 20 seconds and then sprint for 10 seconds. This is done for five minutes, between two and five times in each session with two minutes rest between each five minute bout.

I'm still going to keep my hill training (for Madrid anyway) and my long run but will swop my short runs for the 10-20-30 system.
Test studies have shown an improvement of one minute for a 5k run using this system. I don't have anything to lose by trying it. In fact it should make my training a little more interesting :-)

By the time I start training for Berlin I will be able to see if I am improving my 5k and 10k times and can then decide to continue training this way or not.

Before I start I will run a test 5k as I am now and then run the same 5k every four weeks thereafter so we can see if I really am improving or not.

Of course, I will keep my blog up-to-date about the training.

To read more about this see 10-20-30 training

Wish me luck!!