My training
varies according to what stage I am in the year, my working commitments
and the approaching event. My mileage is far less now than it ever
used to me, nowadays (2011) it is more likely around the 60-80 miles;
with much more cross training, either aqua-jogging, cycling, rowing
or elliptical training. I tend to do two sessions most weekdays,
but only one session of running. At weekends I still race whenever
I can.
- Mon: am 7
miles easy, pm cycling or rowing
- Tues: am
6-7 miles with hill reps, pm weights
- Wed: am
aqua-jogging, pm 10 miles steady
- Thurs: am
agua-jogging, pm 8-10 miles with speedwork
- Fri: am
5 miles race walking, pm weights
- Sat: parkrun
5km
- Sun: Race
- 25 miles (or whatever I can find mainly local)
Mid -week speedwork
sessions are often replaced by short races as sustained runs during
the summer months. Also I do at least 20 minutes of pilates most
days for core stability.
How do you
train for 24 hours?
That's a hard
one - I
have tried all types of mileages and strategies and what works for
me is a written program with good structure. I work around periodisation
of building up for three weeks followed by and easy week. I had
a 16 week program leading to the British 100km 2002 from a poor
background (two years of failure and poor mileage). The weekly miles
were 60/70/80 then down to 55 for recovery then 70/80/90 then down
to 65 for recover, then 80/90/100 and back down to 75 for recovery,
then 85/95/60 then recovery week of 30 for 100km on Sunday.
Within each
week of mileage it was arranged around races (this gets the best
performance out of myself but does not work for everyone). A typical
week structure would have long run of at least 25 miles at weekend
or LDWA event, during the week would be speedwork/hillwork or a
race. I would have two fast sessions - usually Tues and Thurs. If
there was a short race of 5km/10km or fell race I would use this
as sustained run to replace a session. Speedwork can consist of
4 x 1 miles or pyramid 4 x 400, 3 x 800, 2 x 1600, 3 x 800, 4 x
400, with half of distance jog for recovery. hill work is a 40 second
hill that I sprint up and jog down building up to 20 times.
During the weeks
when my mileage is very high (got up a lot higher than this during
summer months with weekly long runs always in excess of 30 miles),
what I find is a key element to my training that may not necessarily
work for every one is three consecutive 20 miles+ runs in mid-week
on Tues, Weds, Thurs (which also includes faster work as above).
The principal of hard easy days doesn't necessarily get the best
out of myself whereas a long run with speedwork, followed by a long
run, followed by another long run with fast work does.
Always be flexible
and not rigid to the program by working around commitments and how
the body feels. I was lucky building up to 100k I did not miss a
single session (although they were juggled a little bit)
A glimpse at
my races during July and August will give you an indication of weekend
distances.
There was a spell of five weeks of consecutive marathons with midweek
races for speedwork.
Date |
Race |
Miles |
Position
|
Sunday
23rd June |
Blackpool
Marathon |
26
|
6th |
Weds
26th June |
New
Marske |
10km |
|
Sunday
30th June |
Durham
Dales |
28 |
trail
(1st) |
Weds
3rd June |
Darlington |
10km |
|
Sat
6th July |
Round
the Howes |
30+ |
trail
(2nd) |
Tues
9th July |
New
Marske |
5km |
|
Thurs
11th July |
Whorlton
chase |
7
miles fell race |
|
Sat
13th July |
Lyke
Wake Race |
42
miles |
trail
(1st) |
Weds
17th July |
Croft
circuit |
10km |
|
Sunday
21st July |
Nidd
Vale |
25
|
trail
(1st) |
|