Running, hillwork, todays workout

Being my recovery week I've had just three sessions before todays workout. It seems to have paid off since I feel rested and fit for some serious sessions in the weeks to come. That means I'm back on normal workload again after 4 days of recovery.
Tonight I was encountering my favourite hill again. Being more patient this time, reducing my speed initially, trying to keep my heart rate down, I managed to get by with just one stop and three short walking periods in order to reduce the heart rate. Weather was lousy, but it's a good opportunity to get use to rough conditions. On later sessions I will have three working targets: keep the speed at 8 min/km at all times, keep the heart rate below anaerobic treshold and run up the hill without having to stop to lower the heart rate. I bought a pair of new shoes today-Puma Concinnity. They seem to be pretty solid, no to heavy and good to run with. I intend to use them on my hill runs and the long runs.

Swimming, workout of the day

Working on my speed skills today. Front crawl is still my main area. I'm getting the grip of my feet, have some improvement to do when it comes to the way I use my arms and I'm not able to breathe thoroughly yet. Progress is slow, but I can sense that there is progress. Anyhow, I've been scheduling one session a week for four months now. I think it's time to add one more session. Additionally, I've been scheduling my session on nights. I prefer to keep it that way until I manage to swim by using front crawl at least 200 m without pausing. Today I'm able to cover 15 m. That's not much but the key is the technique-my speed skills. Next week I'm adding one more session.

Running-todays workout

Back on running again. I didn't feel any pain in my left knee during this workout. I did some tough, short intervalls to improve on my speed.
I managed to keep a steady pace throughout all the intervalls. Maximum heart rate was just above treshold heart rate. That's good as it means I've been pushing hard enough.
This was a morning session. It's been a while since last time. In future I'm scheduling both running and swimming as morning sessions. It's pretty chilly outside in the morning and I'm not as fit as in the afternoon, but it's good to start the day with a challenging workout. Being a bit tired, facing a lousy weather or any other obscure reason for not carrying out a morning workout simply is not on. None of these are nothing ells than my attachments to concrete facts. None of these has nothing to do with my running. The weather or my feelings are just what they are. It can't be anything more than that.
It running is on my training programme that morning, then that's what's going to be.

Strenght-todays workout

Being in the building period I've reduced the number of sessions of strenght-training to once a week. In addition I've reduced the number of sets to two sets pr exercise.
Maximium workload is 80 % 1RM-thats the last set. The first set is 60 % 1RM.
They're both always started with a warm-up set. Number of reps is 6 on all sets.
Besides that I'm keeping the training programme from the Basic-period intact.
The purpose with reducing the the number of sets and the workload is to allow sport-spesific muscles to build.
Up till now it works pretty good. I'm doing my strength training in a gym. The facilities are overall good, but it tends to get crowded in the afternoon and the night. I'm rescheduling till morning again.
After using the same training programme for 9 months I'm pretty certain that it had paid off. My running now is a lot more steady. I'm able to keep the pace over a long period of time without experiencing a drop in quality when it comes to my technique.
My results from Rome marathon and Sentrumsløpet-Oslo, both representing good improvements, clearly shows that.
Anyway, I have to continue my work. My week spots when it comes to strenght is the core. I have improved since last year, but I need to work more with that area. I can feel that in perticular when I do the squat. There is enough power in the legs, but the core isn't strong enough. I'm not able to do more than 86 % of my body weight.
Further on I need to work more with my back-both the upper and the lower area.
Well, just making notes for now. Main purpose now is maintenance.

Running-todays workout

A long run again today at marathon pace. Important to me was to consentrate on executing as good technique as possible, keep the heart rate between 150-160 and keep a steady pace just below 6m pr km(9,6m pr mile).
It all went according to plan. I covered 31 km(19,4 miles) in 3h 1m 47s.
Average heart rate was 154 and average speed was 5,86m pr km(9,4 m pr mile).
One other point of interest to me was to lower my speed during ascends in order to prevent the heart rate from rising above 170. I managed that also as maximum heart rate was 170.
My course was on a road with asphalt pavement as it has been since I started my training after Easter vacation in the weeks 12 and 13. Since then I have runned almost the same amount as the whole period between New Years Eve and Easter. This week I had 6 workouts-five of them were running workouts.
I noticed some minor pain in my right kne at the end of the workout today. The main cause for that is the amount of running the last three weeks and the surface I've been running on.
In order to prevent injuries short term I'm cross-training for the next two days, strenght and cycling. Long term I'm scheduling my long runs on the trail-starting next week.
Additionally I registered that the pair of running shoes I was wearing are somewhat small. I have known that for a while, but it did't make any difference during the winter. Now when the temperature is on the rise my feet starts to swell and there is obviously a mismatch between fot and shoe. I need a new pair of shoes for my long runs and hill runs.
Finally I don't feel worn out after the long run today. There is minor stiffness in my thighs and I'm pretty fit mentally. I wouldn't have any problem carry on a few hours more.
Anyhow, next week is scheduled for recovery. That means the same amount of workouts, but shorter lenghts. I'm cutting back some 40 %.

Race of today, Sentrumsløpet-Oslo

I'm very pleased with the result from this race.I finished at personal best. The finish time was 49m 54s. That's an improvement of 5m 8s from last years race. In relative terms that equals to 10,3 % improvement since last year. Clearly my hours and km on the road has paid off.
Some key data: average speed is 4m 59s/km(12,03 km pr h/7,52 miles pr h). Average heart rate was 175, maximum heart rate was 187. Time after 5k was 24m 49s. Overall placement: 2132 of 6500, gender placement: 384 of 2119, age: 41 of 307.
Preperation: I arrived 45 m before the start and did some light running lasting about 5-7 m. Further on I carried out 3 short intervals at high speed. After that I did some light running again, 3-4 m. Finally I did some stretching(5 m). The start area was packed but I managed to leave at planned speed(5m).The course ascends the first 3 k but I kept my speed. Working my way through Frognerparken I passed the 4k mark right on schedule(20 minutes). Encountering the last big ascend in Bygdøy Alle I lost some speed but not much. Although I experienced some pain I still felt strong and capable of finishing within my target. Arriving in the city center again I passed 8 and 9k with a few seconds behind schedule. One last, short and step ascend and I had a short km to go. Feeling that I could succeed if I pushed all I could manage I got the energy I needed to do so. Entering the last stretch I put in my last effort and finished at 49m 54s. My main approach was to keep the target speed at all ascends, try to run steady at target speed during the descends in order to lower my heart rate, run at target speed during the flats and try to spare some strenght to the last 1 k. My strategy was successfull. I finished at personal best.

Running: Testrun before tomorrows race-Sentrumsløpet-Oslo

Main purpose with tonights workout was to prepare the body for the 10k run tomorrow. In order to do that I needed  speed, to be just below anaerob treshold and run about half the distance to see if it works out alright.
Well then,
I had an average heart rate of 165(5 below treshold), an average speed of 5m 8s pr. km and covered 5,5 km (3,4 miles). My test course is pretty flat, but it was windy from time to time this evening. I can operate between 5min and 5,5 min without difficulty in the race tomorrow. That suits me fine. I'll start with 5,5 min and increase the pace every 2,5 km with 0,25 min. The main target though is my heart rate. I need to be just below treshold, 165-170. I have a good feeling about tomorrow, but it's going to be a tough race. My main competitor is myself and what's in my mind. I don't care about the other participants in the race. I'm running at a speed of 5 m pr km, heart rate is between 165-170 and I consentrate on executing excellent technique all the time and targeting the next km. Split times is 5m, 10m, 15m and so on until 50min.
Preperation for tomorrow:
 a good nights sleep, an easy first half of the day, light meal, arriving the start area no later that 45 min before start, carry out a good warm-up, check on my gear, get a god starting spot, repeat my tasks during the race mentally several times, visualise the race several times, visualise myself breaking the finish line within my time target.

Recovery day

Having experienced a test with a negative outcome on Monday this week it's important for me to perform well in the race scheduled on Saturday 24th of April. I participated last year and have put a great deal of effort into my training since then. I have logged 250 hours of training since then of which 102 hours is running time. Distance covered while running is 953,4 km(596 miles). To make all this effort worth while I ought to perform better this year than last year. It's a short distance-only 10 km(6,25 miles). Last year my finish time was 55m 2s. To me a performance that's minimum 5 % better than last year would be satisfactory. That means I'd have to finish within 52m 25s. I had a workout recently-16th of April- consisting of a short, long run at a heart rate of 166-just below my anaerob treshold(170).The distance covered was 10,4 km(6,5 miles) and the time used vas 55m 39s. That eqals a speed of 5 min 21s per km. That would result in a finish time of 53m 30s.Last years race I had an average heart rate of 171. That means I can put some more effort in my race this year-looking at my results from the recently short, long run. I should say that the finish time should be under 53 min. I'm heading for below 50 min. Feeeling a bit stiff in my ties today I've decided to take a day off to allow my body and mind to recover. Tommorrow I'm going to run a very short, fast run in order to prepare my body for the speed to come on Saturday's race.All this means that I'm treating this race as a priority B race. There'll be no training on Saturday-just preperation for the race-more on that later on-tommorrow.

Running, strength, tonights workout

I'm fortunate enough to live just a mile from an excellent hill run. Stretching 4,5 km(3 miles) with a diffence in height of 270 m it is my favourite hill to build spesific running strength. Todays workout was the third in line after I started training again after Easter vacation. My aim with this is ofcourse to build strength. During the workout I aim to be patient. Consentrate on lovering the speed to keep my heart rate down below my anaerob treshold. Encountering a hill demands patience and I have to train more to establish more of that. Right now I truly feel that I need more patience. I have to lover my speed right at the bottom of the hill, keep the pace low and try to stabilize my heart rate below my anaerob treshold during the entire ascend. Right now I have to take four short stops of about 1 minutes each in order to lower my heart rate. I strive to ascend the hill in one intervall. Entering my period of taping and racing in June, I'm excluding this workout from my training programme. It's tough but I'm shure it will pay off in June.

Swimming, speed skill workout tonight

Gradually I'm improving my swimming technique in front-crawl. It takes lots of drills, persisting consentration and patience. I've managed to let my feet work without having to consentrate on their contribution. Later on I adjusted my heads position in the water in order to maximise my drift in the water. Beyond that I've been working on the way I use my arms. The last step is to incorporate breath. At the end of the session tonight I managed to accomplish 15 m of crawling without taking a break. I'm very satisfied. Additionally I'm able to relax more and more in the water and that's some of the secret to succeed.

Testing-lactate treshold

This evening I carried out a test once again to check out my progress conserning my speed at my lactate treshold level. I have carried out similar tests before. The first in January 2009 and the second in December 2009. They both established my lactate treshold at a heartrate around 170. The first test resulted in a lactate treshold speed of 10,4 km/h and the second in a lactate speed of 11,5 km/h.Tonight I was told that my lactate treshold had lowered to 157 in heartrate and the speed to 10,8 km/h. I was very surprised as all other results-including race results indicated otherwise. For instance I carried out Rome Marathon a few weeks ago with an average heart rate of 165. I ought to be dead if tonights results should be of any substance. Yesterday I ran a long run of 28 km, lasting 2h 42m, with an average heart rate of 158.
What I learned from the test today was that there is no sence in testing more than once a year. Additionally it is important to test at the same time every year. Further on it is vital to have somebody competent to carry out the test. Finally, the only test that counts is the race. The race that is done at the same time every year.

Workout for the day-Running in Oslo

Two weeks of training after Easter is accomplished. I've been running half the amount in length as I did in the first three months of the year. Clearly I've been rearranging my priorities. Well, then. A long run to day, easy, on the road. My aim is to keep the speed on marathon-level. For now this is 6 min/km(9,6 min/mile). In doing this I keep my heart rate between 150-160. I've finished three marathons by doing this.I felt strong most of the time, but I felt the fatigue when approaching the ascend from the harbour in Oslo towards the suburb Helsfyr. I did some test on a new energydrink called Yt. It consists of different kinds of fruit juice-lemon and raspberry. It served me well during the exercise. I had 0,3 l of it during the length of the exercise of 2h 42 m. Most important to me during an endurance-workout is to consentrate on executing as good running technique as possible while maintaining speed and heart rate within limits.I have to keep on increasing the lengths of my long run. This one ended on 28 km(17,5 miles). Additionally I have to move my workouts to the trails. I'm starting my running on gravel roads and gradually moving out in the terrain. Anyhow, my long runs will be on roads paved with asphalt the next two weeks. By the end of May all my long runs will be on trail in the terrain.Regarding length of the workout I have to work my way up to 5-6 hours. I should be able then to cover about a marathon in an endurance-workout.Up to know my body is responding well to the training. I hope it stays that way.

Strenght training: Maintaining strenght in building period

Having recently passed Easter I've entered my building period when it comes to periodization. One of the consequenses from that is that I have to move my attention from general strenght training to sport spesific training. Running hills, intervalls and steady state runs will build on what I've gained in the Basic-period from January to March. Anyhow, I have to maintan my basic level, and in order to do so I schedule one session a week. I use the same program but with two sets instead of four-in addition to the warm-up set. If I feel that any of the exercises connected with my legs generate stiffness in them, I eliminate the exercise. One week area for me is the abdomen-area. That one I have to schedule unchanged through the year, except tap- and raceperiods. In tap-and raceperiods I don't do any strenght training at all. This spring that basically means in June.

Swimming-progress

Since the beginning of this year I've been participating in svimming courses. One was held before the Easter and I've just started on another one right after Easter. In total I'll attend about 18 times-9 sessions on each course. I've consentrated on crawling and some backstroke(back crawling) as well. These two tend to work well together. I must say though that I have in my eagerness been spending the most time om front crawling. The more I exercise the more relaxed I feel in the water. Front crawling has three different levels. First I have to master to float and get my feet working properly. Secondly I have to use my arms in the right manner in order to get maximum progress forward. Thirdly I have to breath regularly. So connected with back crawling there are three different tasks to attend to while swimming. The first two I'm quite comfortable with. The third I got to work some with. The main approach to develop swimming skills is patience. I have to establish a set of drills, carry them out in planned order and relax when fatigue occurs. Most important is to consentrate on correct performance. Speed and distance will automatically fall in to place later on. I'm confident that I'll develop sufficient swimming skills in order to train regularly and compete in a triathlon if I feel like it. During this period I've been swimming once a week in connection with attending the swimming course. In order to develop further I think it's time to extend the weekly swimming program with one more swimming session. I have to fit that in my training program starting no later than the beginning of May. Swimming is a fantastic alternativ to running, cycling and strenght training. I feel completely relaxed and recovered after a session. It's a good thought to make use of that experience in scheduling a weekly traning program. If scheduling swimming on Thuesday and Thursday morning I have three windows to train other sports.

Running

After careful consideration I've decided to make running my number one priority this year. For the last three years I've been dividing my trainingtime on 3-4 different sports. In short that means 2 sessions a week for every sport. I have improved in all of the categories, but this year I feel like diving into running. There are several reasons for this. First of all it's my favourite sport-I love running. Second, I think that's the sport I'm able to perform best in. Long distances that is-ultra running. In order to develop there I need to log a lot of running. That requires time-time to train, time to recover and time to race. Something has to go. In this case that is the other sports. I will still train regularly in other sports-they will be part of my training-program, but then just as an alternative to running. The other sports are cycling and svimming. In addition I'm doing strength training as I always have. That is essential to improve further as a runner-especially as an ultra-runner.
Well then, this year I'm attending 14 races. There are 3 ultras, 10 marathons and a short race(10 k).
 My first Ultra is Kristins Runde in Oslo-Norway. A race in June with a distance of 50 miles and 2300 hm. It's a trailrun. The cut-off is 16 h. My aim is to finish within 12 h-an average speed of 8 min 51 s/km. After that the next ultra is in Thuringen-Germany. The distance is 100 km and the cut off is 18 h. That is also a trailrun. My aim is to finish within 15 h.
My last ultrarun is in Norway-UltraBirken. A trailrun of 73 km in mid September. My aim is to finish within 11 h.
In between I'm attending 10 marathons. There are several reasons for that. First I need to train the body to run far. Second I love to run marathons. They are plentiful and are arranged in many different places. It's a great oppurtunity to combine the event with exploring. Running is also pure pleasure. Overall my aim with this decision is to take a sport I love highly to a new level of performance. I'm confident that I will achieve.

Races 2009

In 2009 I participated and finished in the following running races:

1. Sentrumsløpet-Oslo,         3.5.09  :      55 min 2 s, 10 km
2. Stavanger Marathon,       27.8.09  : 4h 37min 27s,  1. marathon
3. Oslo Marathon,               27.9.09  : 4h 31min 10s,  2. marathon

Sicily-recovery after Rome Marathon 21th of March

I've been in Sicily since 30th of March. The day after my arrival I put on my running shoes again and went for it! My aim was to run a short run at a speed of 1/2-marathon pace and check out if I'd had a good recovery.

Weather was fine. Light breeze, 20 degrees celsius and sunny. The body feels fine and relaxed. I could feel the presence of energy to put on some more speed. It seems that I'm ready to start some serious training after my return for Italy early next week.