Weekends running, fast

So I tried my first fast from Thursday 7:30 pm to Friday 6:30 pm. I didn't feel hungry or any different. It made me realise that most of the time I eat because I'm fed up at work. I also drank a lot of coffee and herbal tea so I didn't loose any weight.  I might do it again next Friday.

The purpose of this, for me, was to help my body to recover from the week’s mini-injuries and joint pain caused by inflammation. Also it gives the digestive systems a rest.
Anyone else tried fasting recently?

I had a good weekend running. A classic five mile Tempo on Saturday on a grass field and then 15miles on Sunday.

Recovery week, NSNG, podcast fame!

This week I've been recovering from the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km. I've done about 40 miles. And 40 on the bike.

My legs are OK to run gently but no speed work, tempo runs or racing; a race would kill me at the moment. Luckily I've got no longer term injuries that can easily be picked up after an Ultra.

This week I got an email from British Athletics with the selection process for the World 100km Championships.  Since they sent it to me and I was 2 mins under the qualifying time I thought it would be rude not to apply. So I've sent them my CV. At least I might get onto the reserve list.

As some of you, as if anyone reads this, might know that in February I decided to cut grains out of my diet. I'd already cut out sugar, apart from whole fruits. It's called the No Sugar No Grain way of eating. I thought I'd give it a go for 10 days but I'm still doing it as I feel better. There are quite a few people in the world eating this way. I think it's just eating more vegetables and healthy foods that works. For me the NSNG gives me focus to eat more vegetables and fruit. For me, at the moment, it works so please don't judge me or call me a hypocrit if I decide to go back to eating grains. I doubt though that I'll ever eat foods with more than 10 percent sugar.

I listen to a few podcasts when running, one of them called Ru El s Running. He's also a NSNG runner and after doing the 100km Anglo Celtic Plate he congratulated me on Facebook so I said I'd go on his show to talk about it. So I did! He chatted / interviewed me Friday night (morning in his time zone). It'll be released soon.

That's all fokes.

Race report, Anglo Celtic Plate 100km

Well I've been building up to this race for a whilst and now here's the obligatory blog. It was an Ultra Race but I'll try to keep the blog Ultra Short as we are now living in a Twitter world (140 characters). 

First thanks to the Welsh Team Manager, Mike Robbins, he doesn't get paid and put's in a lot of work looking after everyone, on the day this mean handing out food and drink each lap for all the Welsh Team (32 laps). 

The race was 62.1 miles (Garmin recorded it longer but that's always the way). It was hard to think of the whole distance so I used as much distraction techniques as possible, the main one being counting the telegraph poles on the course (I think 57). The technique on focussing on something external is great for getting through hard times so keep it in mind the next time it's only 11:30 in work and you're working until 6!

50k to 80k was difficult because I didn't want to focus on pace, distance or anything as it was just too overwhelming. As a result I slowed my pace, if I had someone to run with they could have done the pacing but I didn't' have that luxury. Then at about 85k I started to think about the pace and stopped being reserved. I went for it and picked up the pace. I realised a sub 7:20 was on the cards and so went for it. I got 7h16m and came 5th overall. That's 7mins dead average per mile.

That's all folks, 

Told you it wouldn't be an Ultra blog. I'm happy.

Keep running.

Week commencing 20th April, <2 weeks to ACP100KM

Week commencing 20^th April: 12 days to 100km Ultra: Anglo Celtic Plate including British Championships

Monday

Commute back and to keeping pace to target pace at Ultra (6m45s) to drum it into my legs.

Tuesday,

AM Cycle 10m

PM Easy 10 mile run

Wednesday

RACE DAY I did the final race of the Borders League Road Race series.  I came first in the race and secured my first position overall.
4.05 miles in 21:05, it felt like I was sprinting all the way. I had to because 2nd placer, Lee Jones, wasn't giving in. Not even in the last half mile. I had to dig deep but I like that.

Thursday
An easy job into work, 10.5 miles.
Cycled home.

Friday
A rare day off from running, Cycled to and from work.

Saturday
I had fun watching a local race whilst pushing baby Theo in his baby jogger. 10 miles.

Sunday
5 mile Tempo. 5:45 pace, undulating. With warm up and cool down.
 

Daniel

Week commencing 13th April

Mon: 
Two X 10.5 miles commute to work, kept at my 100km target pace. 6:40. 
Tuesday
Cycle in to work, 
Run home with 10 X 50sec sprints
Wednesday
Run into work, 6:35m pace 
Cycle home.
Thursday
Cycle in.
8 X 800 intervals. Managed to get the audio feedback to work on Strava and ran my segments I’d set up for this session. Cool tech.
Friday, 
Run in, cycle home
Saturday
Had fun with the family. Whilst wife and daughter in the café I did Delamere Parkrun with Theo in the running buggy, 18m46 secs, 3rd place!
Sunday
Out with the running buggy again. 1h30 mins. He slept most of the way.

Week commencing 6th April

Monday

10.5 miles 6:48 pace

Tuesday
Two buggy runs today with Theo. Had the day off work. I covered about 14 miles and did 9 x 45 sec hill repeats.

Wednesday
9 miles on grass to save the knees, 6:40 pace. Busy day travelling with work but still managed.

Thursday
Am,  cycling in to work. Back to normal routine.
4 miles worth of intervals,  800 x 8,  5:18 pace,  tries to get Strava to give me live audio feedback on the segments but couldn't get it to work.
6.5 miles warm up / down.  Had a hard session today. Hopefully I'll recover ok for Sunday's race.

Friday

Recovery run into work: 6:45 pace 10.5 miles

Cycle Home. 

Saturday

Another run pushing Theo in the Buggy, about 4.5 miles. 

Sunday's Borders League Race. 

I think I've secured 1st place. 

We'll see.  10k in 33m29s, I think. I didn't have my watch on.  It was really windy so there was no point in having a watch on anyway. 

Four miles warm up / down. 

Last week's training

Monday
Family away so did two runs. 25 miles, 6:45 pace

Tuesday
Two runs again, 10.5 miles each at 6:45 pace. Communting to work.

Wednesday
Tempo run, 14 miles. It was hard to judge the pace on this run due to the wind. I think it was about 6:40 to begin with going down to 6:20. There was a head wind most of the time because I was running in one direction, from work to home.
I like running as a way to travel. It's more certain than motor vehicles as there are no traffic jams.
I put a 90 mile run on Strava and fooled a couple of people since it was April Fool's day. It's now been removed do it doesn't scew my training log.

Thursday
Run in to work and cycled home.

Friday
Good Friday so had the day off.
8 miles with two friends then 2.5 with Theo in the baby jogger.

Saturday
5 miles tempo at 5m50 pace. Felt fine. Went a bit slower than a normal tempo as wanted to do a long run Sunday

Sunday
26.2 2h49m Wasn't sure how far I'd go when I started but ended up feeling OK and did a full marathon.
Started with Darren doing 6:25s for 15 miles. Then I was on my own for the rest. I also practiced eating about 200 calories an hour as I think that's what I'll do in the 100k.
I noticed a Garmin 310xt sold on eBay for £49. I was the highest bidder until last minute. Bargain. I didn't need a new one but for that price, with a HRM, which I do need, I had to have a go. Got to love eBay hey.