The Running Thread Vol 2

[MarkRSi]

Apparently my candence is too low, bit less than 160 so I'm putting too much stress on my knees.

Any recommended methods to help increase it? I've heard the MapMyRun app does this, but the feature is behind a paywall and requires a sensor fitted to the shoe (Nike+?).

At the simplest I'd imagine plugging some earphones into something running at 170odd BPM would do the trick (or not?)

[smn159]

Speed sessions / intervals a couple of times a week seem to help with mine as my cadence naturally increases with my speed, which then gets me used to running at a higher cadence

[RizzoTheRat]

MarkRSi said:

At the simplest I'd imagine plugging some earphones into something running at 170odd BPM would do the trick (or not?)

That's what I do. iTunes analysis of BPM isn't that great, but there's things like jog.fm and spotify running that will generate playlists at a given BPM, and other free tools you can run on your music library to calculate it. The problem comes when tracks change speed part way through, I really need to remove Rockafeller Skank from my running mp3 player as the slow bit really screws me up

A friend if mine goes a bit over the top with this and builds playlists specific to race distances, with some quicker tracks at the end for a faster finish

[Stylus]

I had knee problems and after getting a cadence meter figured it could be caused by my low cadence/over reaching.

I am in the progress of adopting my running style based on the meter which shows the cadence on my Garmin.

Last night I went out to aim for a plus 160 cadence and coincidently did my second fastest 10km, with a low (for me anyway) HR and most importantly no knee pain.

Thing is, the running style makes me look like I've filled my pants.... can't have everything.

[Mothersruin]

I had the same - plodded along.

I can set a BPM on my Garmin which would beep & vibrate. I started with 175bpm which felt really fast to start with but now, a month or so on, I'm now happily ticking along with an average of over 180bpm.

I could feel it working my calves a bit more as the foot fall was far more 'flat' than a hard heel strike, but they've become used to it and you can tell it's a lot kinder on the knees.

It just makes sense from a logical point of view - I try and think that I'm never 'climbing' over my knee now and always pushing the ground behind me. Really helps on hills both up and down.

Practice running on the spot at the cadence you want and then start to move forward - it will feel really odd and super fast to start with, but you get used to it really quickly.

Edited by Mothersruin on Tuesday 10th January 12:25

[MarkRSi]

Stylus said:

Thing is, the running style makes me look like I've filled my pants.... can't have everything.

Aye, think I looked like that while trying 170 on a treadmill see a few others running like that on parkruns etc. so I'd be in good company at least.

Some good suggestion - cheers guys - I'll look into jog.fm (which leads me to my next question - any recommend earphones? Not bothered if they don't sound like Sennheisers as long as they are comfy and don't fall out).

Also which "Garmin" gear are you using the measure the cadence?

[AndStilliRise]

onedsla said:

AndStilliRise said:

I have ran ~50 marathons. I usually start the year with a Sub3 dream and 2017 is no exception! The idea is, that training should be comfortable and easy and then racing should be hard, however i generally finding running marathons easier than training on my j's for 21miles.

A few suggestions:
Drive somewhere new and get out for a run.
Have somebody drop you off 21 miles from home (I find it's psychologically easier when running point to point, especially if wind is behind you the whole way!)
Find a local half marathon (or similar). Run 5 miles as a warm up, aiming to join the start line just before the gun fires. Treat race as training run (don't get carried away - the 5M warmup should help with that). At the end run another 3 miles.
Find a local marathon. As long as you are ~20minutes slower than your honest 'shape', it should not hurt. (This is for well trained runners only)


PS - I've not posted here in a while due to a repeat stress fractures in my left foot, but have recently started 'training' (rather than just jogging) again, so taking more interest. I'm in the PH Strava group as Dave A. My last marathon was 2:28.

2:28, Wow!!

Did 14m commute this morning. This is the first Jan i have been this fit (Dec Pompy in 3:35). I really do struggle with speed. I have done track sessions, 400m, 800m, 1200s but nothing seems to give me anything. Really annoying.

2:28, needs to be written again!

[RizzoTheRat]

MarkRSi said:

any recommend earphones?

Fairly cheap ones so you won't mind when they get soaking wet and pack up
Personally I prefer ones that hook over the ear, at not sound isolating ones, so I can still hear what's going on around me. I really don't understand how people run in sound isolating headphones.
These work for me https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHS3200-10-Secure...
but I know a few people who really like the bluetooth Aftershokz bone conducting ones, expensive and they leave your ears free, apparently they're now ok to use in races where you're not allowed headphones too.

[MarkRSi]

RizzoTheRat said:

Fairly cheap ones so you won't mind when they get soaking wet and pack up
Personally I prefer ones that hook over the ear, at not sound isolating ones, so I can still hear what's going on around me. I really don't understand how people run in sound isolating headphones.
These work for me https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHS3200-10-Secure...

Was just looking at something like that this morning, I'll pick some up later on
Agree about running with noise isolating - I might have some 'Sport' in-ear Sennheisers (not hook-over-ear ones) but would much rather have the music in the background (just for the BPM really) and still hear traffic etc.

[Cybertronian]

MarkRSi said:

Also which "Garmin" gear are you using the measure the cadence?

There are three ways to measure cadence with Garmin:

- Footpod
- Heart rate monitor with run metrics
- Garmin watch itself

The footpod is the oldest method, but works with practically any Garmin as far as I understand. Costs about £35 to £40, clips to your shoe and the data is displayed in Garmin Connect (and Strava). You can also have it displayed in real time on the Garmin itself.

The heart rate monitor option also tracks a couple of other metrics (vertical movement, time spent on left/right leg etc). Also, this must be one of the newer ones that specifically measures run metrics. This option may be a non-starter if you find the chest strap uncomfortable/distracting.

Many but the most basic Garmins of the last couple of years should measure cadence from the watch. Possibly not the most accurate method, for example when running on a treadmill and grabbing a bottle of water.

Edited by Cybertronian on Tuesday 10th January 14:20

[Smitters]

MarkRSi said:

Apparently my candence is too low, bit less than 160 so I'm putting too much stress on my knees.

Any recommended methods to help increase it? I've heard the MapMyRun app does this, but the feature is behind a paywall and requires a sensor fitted to the shoe (Nike+?).

At the simplest I'd imagine plugging some earphones into something running at 170odd BPM would do the trick (or not?)

TLDR: Yes - use beeps or Garmin. It takes a while, so go incrementally and mind out for injury.

I had this issue too. A word of (polite) warning - it took me years to change my running style to accommodate a higher cadence. I'm still adapting and when really fatigued and not paying attention, can slip back to a slower stride rate. You can change, but it's not a quick one to ingrain. sorry if that sounds tedious, but hey ho. Look out for niggles too - you'll be using the little muscles differently and may need to cut back on mileage, and/or intensity for a while.

Starting in 2012 I did several relatively complimentary things that I think really helped.

I read up on the notion of a mid to forefoot strike and the attendant posture adjustments and requirements. I actually spent a morning with a guy called Shane Benzie who filmed me and gave me some great advice, but this was a Christmas or birthday present IIRC and was a few quid. Some adjustments come naturally as you raise the cadence, others require some thought.

I used a plain old metronome beep in my ear instead of music. This was OK, but pretty annoying. I was coming from a cadence of about 165 and aiming for 180, so I started at 172 bpm and raised the beep rate by 2 every couple of weeks. If I did it again, I'd halve the beeps (i.e. instead of 180, I'd have 90 and time just one foot).

I have a Garmin, so bought a foot pod. You can clip it to most shoes. From then on I made sure I had cadence displayed and got into the habit of checking every so often and resetting my posture and cadence to where it need to be.

Now my typical cadence is 178-182 on a long slow run and lifts from there as the pace lifts. I've gone from a hardcore heel-striker to a midfoot strike and I run much more "over" my feet. I'm not a born again barefooter, but I have run good mileage (for me) for a few years, following a long period of repeat injury, so anecdotally, I subscribe to the idea that heel strike bad, mid/forefoot strike good.

[onedsla]

AndStilliRise said:

I really do struggle with speed. I have done track sessions, 400m, 800m, 1200s but nothing seems to give me anything. Really annoying.

Assuming by 'speed' you're not talking about dipping under 10s for 100m, it's a byproduct of endurance. You may find that a session like 3 or 4 x 2000m, keeping strictly to 10km pace is more effective than shorter reps on the track. Any idea what you can run for an all-out 400m?

[UpTheIron]

AndStilliRise said:

I have ran ~50 marathons. I usually start the year with a Sub3 dream and 2017 is no exception! The idea is, that training should be comfortable and easy and then racing should be hard, however i generally finding running marathons easier than training on my j's for 21miles.

I often find long training runs difficult, especially if I'm trying to push the pace a little. In addition to others suggestions, things that work for me are:

- As suggested, run point to point but I actually prefer running out and then getting a train home. Not sure where you are but for me that usually results in my running from Hertfordshire into London so works well for me.

- I wouldn't be able to do a half marathon as a training run, I'd end up racing. I do however recommend doing some low key marathons as training runs. Take a look at 100marathonclub.org.uk. I try and do 1-2 a month and if a fast/flat course I'd be aiming for 3:10-ish (compared to 2:55 PB)... but I wouldn't worry if I was slower, it isn't about the speed. Aid stations mean you don't need to carry much/anything.

- Ultra's - I did 10 or so Ultra's of 30-40 miles in the run up to London 2015. Without a doubt I over did it a little but what it did help with was when my legs were aching at mile 16 I knew it was "just" another 10 miles. YMMV but it helped me.

- Speedwork - don't overdo the long runs and leave yourself too tired to do the speedwork. That is my downfall and I'm much slower than I should be as a result.

- Join a local running club... there will most likely be a group of likeminded and similar paced runners for you to grind out the miles with

[AndStilliRise]

onedsla said:

AndStilliRise said:

I really do struggle with speed. I have done track sessions, 400m, 800m, 1200s but nothing seems to give me anything. Really annoying.

Assuming by 'speed' you're not talking about dipping under 10s for 100m, it's a byproduct of endurance. You may find that a session like 3 or 4 x 2000m, keeping strictly to 10km pace is more effective than shorter reps on the track. Any idea what you can run for an all-out 400m?

All - out, 70s. When i do sprints i normally do them in ~90s and then 800m in 180s. Which sounds ok, right? But then my race pace is nowhere near were it should be. I was going for Sub40 10k in Oct time, had a (paid) coach, did the work (400s, 800s, 1200s) and nothing popped.

As i said i did pompy in 3:35 without any long runs previously, so was pleased with that and then this year, wanting to build on that i thought i would switch to marathon training again. Focusing on high mileage instead. I know people who have done Sub3s on 100mpw, without much speed training.

Such a frustrating sport!

[onedsla]

AndStilliRise said:

Focusing on high mileage instead. I know people who have done Sub3s on 100mpw, without much speed training.

Such a frustrating sport!

But you tend to get out what you put in, subject to talent (there's always somebody more talented).

If you are training for a marathon, focus should be on fat metabolism at target pace. Assuming your target is realistic, this is best achieved by running at target pace, supplemented by general aerobic running without getting too tired (pace not too important). Also, as training is about providing a new stimulus to evoke a particular improvement in your body, doing the same thing week in week out is not usually a great approach. Also remember that improvement doesn't come from a single run or session; it's the cumulative affect of all activities over the last few years, months, weeks.

These are my final few weeks for my last marathon buildup. It was not an ideal buildup - would have preferred an extra long run or two and a better half marathon race - but it does show the principal of specificity, 'mixing up' the long run, and progression towards target. There are only 2 track sessions listed (and one was after a 10M warmup as a 'different' long run). If I was training for a 5000m (as I was up until the week before this), training looks quite different.

M: 10 with 1.5M tempo and 5.4 easy
T: 7 easy and 8.8 track (2km 6:54, 2km 6:12, 1km 3:04, 800 2:24, 3 x 400 70, 68, 71) Felt tired!
W: 5.75 and 7.5
T: 10.1 with some 'easy tempo' offroad 5:53 (153), 5:48 (161), 5:49 (165), 5:45 (167), 5:49 (169), 5:49 (171), 5:45 (173)
F: 9.9 and 4.2
S: 10.25
S: 22.2 slow (big step up in distance, but never felt too tired - picked up a little towards the end (6:30s) to show willing)

M: 7.4 and 3.8
T: 10.5 with middle 10km in 34:37 (165bpm average)
W: 5.35
T: 4 and 9.6 with middle 5M in 27:24 (progression run)
F: 5.7
S: 4
S: 17.5 including Chippenham HM - disaster - sick at 4M and again at around 9M. Made it home but reduced to easy pace by the end - 76:28. Ouch. Not good.

M: 7.7 recovery
T: 17.2 with track session towards the end (was going well for 400s but 1200s slow and hard)
W: 6.4 / 4.3 General recovery day.
T: 9.4 with 30mins @ 5:56 pace (163bpm) avoiding tourists around Green Park (so all slight inclines, on and off road, nothing flat)
F: 10.1 with 5 @ 5:50 pace (163bpm) offroad, mostly flat around Wimbledon Common
S: 9 with '5M' Club champs XC. Turned out 4.8M. First 4.5 felt like jogging, then increased effort to pull away and win by a good 10s (achieved in last 300m). Steep in parts and pretty overgrown - logs to jump over, brambles, nettles, a water jump etc. Averaged 5:50 pace (169bpm)
S: 22.3 with fartlek - 4 busts between 1 and 1.5M in 5:20 - 6:00 pace range

M: 7.5 and 6.3
T: 10.2 inc 8.2 averaging 5:52 pace offroad (161bpm) and 3.7
W: 7.2 (7:28) and 4.4 (7:22)
T: 4.2 (7:27) and 9.2 including 7M tempo (5:32, 5:33, 5:33, 5:34, 5:33, 5:28, 5:15) 168bpm
F: 6 (7:24) and 4 (7:51)
S: 6 (7:18)
S: Southern 6 stage: 2.4 warm up, 6km leg in 19:25 (5:09) 6 down. A little tired and caught myself napping in 2nd lap - really should have been 30s faster.

M: 7.8 (6:35 - alternating 1M normal and 1M easy tempo) and 4.1 (7:45)
T: 13.04 with 10M easy tempo offroad - 5:49, 5:41, 5:49, 5:47, 5:51, 5:50, 5:57, 5:44, 5:55, 5:57. Grass section was very wet which didn't help - hard towards the end with HR ending up 170+ (though avg more like mid 160s) and 4 (8:05)
W: 6.5 (7:11) - tired
T: 7.1 (6:57) and 9.8 including 30mins tempo (5:36, 5:36, 5:33, 5:34, 5:28 + half at 5:18 pace. Pushing towards the end but HR in the 160s for most.
F: 7.28 (7:18)
S: 7 (7:07)
S: 21 inc 20M 'easy tempo' - 1:58:45 - won 'Spitfire 20' in pretty crap (windy, wet) conditions. Average HR 166, but backed off in last 3 miles as feeling a little tired (only 2 weeks before M-day, so keen not to push on tired legs - a lot of people tend to get this wrong and work far too hard in the 20M build up 'race')

M: 5.3 (7:16) - tired
T: 7.5 (6:29 - threw in 2 x 1M offroad efforts at marathon pace) - wanted a bit more speed but still tired.
W: 7.7 (6:57) - feeling better
T: 12.3 with 8M MP with slightly faster section in middle 5:37, 5:34, 5:39, 5:34, 5:30, 5:31, 5:33, 5:34. 169bpm. Hard, but feeling good.
F: 4.9 (7:24)
S: 6.2 (7:39) including 3 x under 10s hill sprints
S: 12.9 (6:56) - felt great

M: 6 (6:58)
T: 7.2 (6:48)
W: 5.6 with 2 ~6min reps trying and failing to run as slowly as MP (5:29 and 5:23 pace)
T: 4 (6:43)
F: 2.1 (7:31) - travel to Amsterdam. Try to register - get lucky and find our contact, but he seems a little laid back 'come back tomorrow at 5pm' so not quite sure. Eat with the Kenyans / Ethiopians - lots of competition!
S: 2 (7:20) - cold! Go to the technical briefing at 5pm. Number still not there, but I'm not alone. Get sorted out with an unassigned number - 99 - about 14 hours before the race start. Phew. Meet a couple of Dutch runners looking for similar time - and learn of 3:30/km pace maker set to go until 30km.
S: very early - 0.9M slow. Trying to wake up the body for 9:45 (8:45 UK time) race start. Have a light breakfast and coffee. Head on bus to stadium and have a room to relax in for an hour or so. 0.5M light warm up with 35mins to go. Out to the start at 9:30. A light warm up with some MP stides at the start. 26.2M race in 2:28:57.

[tenohfive]

I've no idea if there is a minimalist crowd on here but if so, here's a question for you:

I want to incorporate some barefoot running (gradually) as part of a wider leg strengthening routine. Injury prevention being the long term aim - I'm not rushing out to buy 4mm drop trail shoes or Five Fingers, this is just about resilience.

I already walk around barefoot a lot (something several guides recommend to start with) and want to start doing short jogs on grass barefoot, steadily increasing distance until I'm up to a couple of km or so - over a several month period. Is that a) sensible, and b) should I just do said runs, or should I incorporate them at the beginning/end of a normal, appropriately clad run?

[anonymous-user]

tenohfive said:

I've no idea if there is a minimalist crowd on here but if so, here's a question for you:

I want to incorporate some barefoot running (gradually) as part of a wider leg strengthening routine. Injury prevention being the long term aim - I'm not rushing out to buy 4mm drop trail shoes or Five Fingers, this is just about resilience.

I already walk around barefoot a lot (something several guides recommend to start with) and want to start doing short jogs on grass barefoot, steadily increasing distance until I'm up to a couple of km or so - over a several month period. Is that a) sensible, and b) should I just do said runs, or should I incorporate them at the beginning/end of a normal, appropriately clad run?

I've not got much experience of barefoot but my advice from what I've seen with others would be to take it very slowly. It does depend to a certain extent on what your running style is like at the moment but it can cause a lot of issues with the lower leg and foot.

If you think about it on a heel strike with trainers you are using the cushioning of the trainers (good to a certain extent) and the rest of the impact tends to travel through your knee (bad). When you go barefoot the impact is dissipated through the lower leg. This happens through the toes spreading a bit and the calf muscle contracting eccentrically with the load transmitted via the achilles tendon (and a bit still goes through the knee). (Just to be clear I AM NOT A PHYSIO-this is dredged from A-level P.E)

If you suddenly dive in it puts a lot of stress on the metatarsals, achilles tendon (and where it inserts) and the calf muscle. In order of seriousness you can get calf muscle issues, achilles tendon problems and stress fractures in the foot.

Now I've been all scary, that's not to say barefoot running is bad. Ultimately a mid/forefoot strike (you don't really want to be heel striking barefoot) should be more efficient and less injury-prone but you have to give your body time to adapt.

I'd say some short sprints/jogs barefoot on grass after a normal run would be the way to go, and steadily build distance barefoot. I used to run in the Brooks Pureflow shoes and found them to be quite good if you're after a decent 'barefoot' shoe (but you can mid-forefoot strike in anything), although I have a natural mid/forefoot strike (lots of time spent racing in spikes as a youngster).

[KTF]

There is a guy at our local parkrun who runs barefoot - well in flip flop style things as the route is gravel - but he is a big advocate of it so may be receptive if you were to send him an email with a few questions:

http://www.pinnaclept.co.uk/andy-mcghee/

[Flibble]

I run in fivefingers exclusively. A few things I noticed when starting that might be of help.

Proper barefoot is tough on the soles. Mine aren't too dainty, but any distance on gravel/trail/tarmac would destroy them in less than 1k. Grass should be fine.
Keep an awareness of niggles in your feet. I had some Achilles tendon issues and issues with the extensor tendons (top of foot pain). You need to get on top of these quickly as they can be a right pain if you try to run through them.
Your calves will get sore. That's generally muscle pain and will ease pretty quickly with practice.

I'm not sure if mixed runs or separate barefoot and shod runs are better, but at least initially I'd suggest barefoot at the start of a run when you're fresh so you can concentrate on keeping correct form. If you get lazy and start to heel strike, you will pay for it later.

[AndStilliRise]

onedsla said:

AndStilliRise said:

Focusing on high mileage instead. I know people who have done Sub3s on 100mpw, without much speed training.

Such a frustrating sport!

But you tend to get out what you put in, subject to talent (there's always somebody more talented).

If you are training for a marathon, focus should be on fat metabolism at target pace. Assuming your target is realistic, this is best achieved by running at target pace, supplemented by general aerobic running without getting too tired (pace not too important). Also, as training is about providing a new stimulus to evoke a particular improvement in your body, doing the same thing week in week out is not usually a great approach. Also remember that improvement doesn't come from a single run or session; it's the cumulative affect of all activities over the last few years, months, weeks.

These are my final few weeks for my last marathon buildup. It was not an ideal buildup - would have preferred an extra long run or two and a better half marathon race - but it does show the principal of specificity, 'mixing up' the long run, and progression towards target. There are only 2 track sessions listed (and one was after a 10M warmup as a 'different' long run). If I was training for a 5000m (as I was up until the week before this), training looks quite different.

M: 10 with 1.5M tempo and 5.4 easy
T: 7 easy and 8.8 track (2km 6:54, 2km 6:12, 1km 3:04, 800 2:24, 3 x 400 70, 68, 71) Felt tired!
W: 5.75 and 7.5
T: 10.1 with some 'easy tempo' offroad 5:53 (153), 5:48 (161), 5:49 (165), 5:45 (167), 5:49 (169), 5:49 (171), 5:45 (173)
F: 9.9 and 4.2
S: 10.25
S: 22.2 slow (big step up in distance, but never felt too tired - picked up a little towards the end (6:30s) to show willing)

M: 7.4 and 3.8
T: 10.5 with middle 10km in 34:37 (165bpm average)
W: 5.35
T: 4 and 9.6 with middle 5M in 27:24 (progression run)
F: 5.7
S: 4
S: 17.5 including Chippenham HM - disaster - sick at 4M and again at around 9M. Made it home but reduced to easy pace by the end - 76:28. Ouch. Not good.

M: 7.7 recovery
T: 17.2 with track session towards the end (was going well for 400s but 1200s slow and hard)
W: 6.4 / 4.3 General recovery day.
T: 9.4 with 30mins @ 5:56 pace (163bpm) avoiding tourists around Green Park (so all slight inclines, on and off road, nothing flat)
F: 10.1 with 5 @ 5:50 pace (163bpm) offroad, mostly flat around Wimbledon Common
S: 9 with '5M' Club champs XC. Turned out 4.8M. First 4.5 felt like jogging, then increased effort to pull away and win by a good 10s (achieved in last 300m). Steep in parts and pretty overgrown - logs to jump over, brambles, nettles, a water jump etc. Averaged 5:50 pace (169bpm)
S: 22.3 with fartlek - 4 busts between 1 and 1.5M in 5:20 - 6:00 pace range

M: 7.5 and 6.3
T: 10.2 inc 8.2 averaging 5:52 pace offroad (161bpm) and 3.7
W: 7.2 (7:28) and 4.4 (7:22)
T: 4.2 (7:27) and 9.2 including 7M tempo (5:32, 5:33, 5:33, 5:34, 5:33, 5:28, 5:15) 168bpm
F: 6 (7:24) and 4 (7:51)
S: 6 (7:18)
S: Southern 6 stage: 2.4 warm up, 6km leg in 19:25 (5:09) 6 down. A little tired and caught myself napping in 2nd lap - really should have been 30s faster.

M: 7.8 (6:35 - alternating 1M normal and 1M easy tempo) and 4.1 (7:45)
T: 13.04 with 10M easy tempo offroad - 5:49, 5:41, 5:49, 5:47, 5:51, 5:50, 5:57, 5:44, 5:55, 5:57. Grass section was very wet which didn't help - hard towards the end with HR ending up 170+ (though avg more like mid 160s) and 4 (8:05)
W: 6.5 (7:11) - tired
T: 7.1 (6:57) and 9.8 including 30mins tempo (5:36, 5:36, 5:33, 5:34, 5:28 + half at 5:18 pace. Pushing towards the end but HR in the 160s for most.
F: 7.28 (7:18)
S: 7 (7:07)
S: 21 inc 20M 'easy tempo' - 1:58:45 - won 'Spitfire 20' in pretty crap (windy, wet) conditions. Average HR 166, but backed off in last 3 miles as feeling a little tired (only 2 weeks before M-day, so keen not to push on tired legs - a lot of people tend to get this wrong and work far too hard in the 20M build up 'race')

M: 5.3 (7:16) - tired
T: 7.5 (6:29 - threw in 2 x 1M offroad efforts at marathon pace) - wanted a bit more speed but still tired.
W: 7.7 (6:57) - feeling better
T: 12.3 with 8M MP with slightly faster section in middle 5:37, 5:34, 5:39, 5:34, 5:30, 5:31, 5:33, 5:34. 169bpm. Hard, but feeling good.
F: 4.9 (7:24)
S: 6.2 (7:39) including 3 x under 10s hill sprints
S: 12.9 (6:56) - felt great

M: 6 (6:58)
T: 7.2 (6:48)
W: 5.6 with 2 ~6min reps trying and failing to run as slowly as MP (5:29 and 5:23 pace)
T: 4 (6:43)
F: 2.1 (7:31) - travel to Amsterdam. Try to register - get lucky and find our contact, but he seems a little laid back 'come back tomorrow at 5pm' so not quite sure. Eat with the Kenyans / Ethiopians - lots of competition!
S: 2 (7:20) - cold! Go to the technical briefing at 5pm. Number still not there, but I'm not alone. Get sorted out with an unassigned number - 99 - about 14 hours before the race start. Phew. Meet a couple of Dutch runners looking for similar time - and learn of 3:30/km pace maker set to go until 30km.
S: very early - 0.9M slow. Trying to wake up the body for 9:45 (8:45 UK time) race start. Have a light breakfast and coffee. Head on bus to stadium and have a room to relax in for an hour or so. 0.5M light warm up with 35mins to go. Out to the start at 9:30. A light warm up with some MP stides at the start. 26.2M race in 2:28:57.

Thanks man, incredible times. Can i ask what age you were when you were doing those sorts of times? I am 40 this year and feeling it! Sub3 just seems sooo difficult!