The magic 800m - Lactate Threshold Running Velocity

One of the major predictors of running performance is your lactate threshold:

This indicates the maximum pace at which you can sustain, without a rapid deterioration of speed. This being a direct result of rapid increases in the blood lactate concentration levels.

The 800m is the perfect distance to put such a system to the test, since VO2Max and running economy are not major influences in the 800m.

To illustrate:

My 800m PB - 2mins 07 seconds
My current 800m - 3mins 17 seconds
Ratio: 1.5
My 10K PB - 38mins
My current 10K - 54mins
Ratio: 1.4

This is why even amongst distance runners, the fastest distance runner will also likely be faster over 800m when compared to his or her rivals!

From my own training, I know that at a HR of 170-175bpm. I can sustain my running for 10K without a major build up of lactic acid. At 180-185bpm I will have fatigued rapidly withing 5-10mins.

It is also worth noting that I didn't really write down my times, or have a record of all my PB's. This is generally because when i got them i always assumed that i would be faster next time!

So even although I am looking towards the half-marathon, the track sessions will still be an important part of my training.

Men's Health 10K 2008 (mhfs) Race Report

The "Men's Health 10K 2008"

race went without incident, my hamstring held up fine. I ran steady 8:50min/miles and completed the course in 54:09, well within my 56mins target!

The course isn't a fast course, and has a few small hills and narrow passages. Many people refused to run the hills, which further slowed me down! I had one incident where i ripped my number and had to stop and reattach it. But to be honest I wasn't that bothered about a second or two or ten.

Legs are a bit still a bit stiff, so i'm taking a day off before my hill sessions on Arthur's seat tomorrow.

So my next race is the St Andrew's Hospice 10K Road Race, on Sat 23 Aug 2008, held in Strathclyde Park. This is a FAST FAST course and is perfectly flat! So I am aiming for sub 48mins for the next one!

My weight is sitting at 14st 3lbs and i aim to break the 14st barrier by this coming Sunday!

1.5 Mile Run

Well my Hamstring still ain't, right!

So I decided to go a "fast" 1.5 mile run yesterday to see how likely it is to hold up for the 10K. In the end I went round the 1.5miles in 11 mins, which works out at 7:30min/mile pace. Though I found even the slightest incline difficult! Looks like Monday's hill session is still in my legs!

I'm not too dissapointed with that, and will aim to keep my pace for Sunday's 10K at the 9min/mile average. After 8K i'll take it from there!

Tonight's plan is to take young nephew to the track, jog round one 10min/mile, then do a fast mile on my own. Then that's me 'till Sunday.

BTW.... My weight is currently 14st 5lbs so i doubt it will be any different by Sunday!

Persistent Medial Hamstring Pain!

No running yesterday, only the Gym sesion. Was at the gym this morning too. I'm gonna try one easy mile tonight.

Medial hamstring pain is driving me mad, it even hurts when I sit! Not long 'till sunday!

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Enforced 10K Taper

I managed 7 hill reps on Arthur's seat on Monday, and finished it off with a two mile run/walk up and down the summit. In hindsight Monday's session might have been a step too far!
I only managed 1 ten minute mile yesterday, with young nephew. My hamstring is so tight and has a knot so big, a ship's anchor would be proud! It's one small movement away from pinging!

So I managed 9 days in a row, until yesterday.

I am now in an enforced taper! Was at the gym today just doing upper body, and 2K cycling. I am in a bad way! I "plan" to go out a 5K tomorrow and a wee track session on Friday, just to keep me ticking over!

Still these things happen!

Weekend Run LSD + Speed

Saturday's 10K Training Run (LSD)
Me, my wife and older nephew all went on a 10K training run on Saturday morning at 9 am. Nephew was hung over from night before, but still he gave us a 3 mins head start to our run! He had caught up with us by the second mile, and asked if he could power on ahead. He went round the 10K in 53mins with my wife and I jogging around in 1hr 4mins. I'm just trying to get more used to the 10K distance, with one more planned before "the race" next Sunday. Good to see that at least one 18 Year old doesn't know the meaning of LSD!

Sunday's Track Session
Me, my wife and young nephew all went on a track session Sunday morning at 9 am. This was my wife's first track session and she was pleased to run a mile in 7:15. The session was quite brief:

1 mile - (with little nephew)
1 mile
800 m - (with little nephew)
800 m
400 m

After the session I had lunch at my inlaws, where I was pleased to hear a few people say that they could see I have lost weight. I tipped the scales at 14stone 5lbs

Today's Plans
Well I'm just back from a 4omin gym session, and rued the fact i went at lunchtime as opposed to before work, when it is much quieter. At 4pm the plan is then to head to Arthur's seat for another repeat of our hill sessions.

To be totally honest I'm looking forward to tapering from Thursday onwards! My plan is to rest Wednesday, run Thursday, then rest Friday and Saturday. With the view of being 100% fresh for the race on Sunday. I would put my chances of reaching my 56mins goal at about 50/50.

Today's Gym + 2mile Run - Yesterday's 5K Roundup

Lets start off with yesterday's 5K:

I had planned to take it easy, but my wife had other ideas. She wanted to have a try out of my HR/GPS Garmin Forerunner 305. So she wanted to push it! We were running at just under 9min/mile pace for the duration and I felt pretty good! I'm fairly confident that I could have maintained that speed for 10K.

And Gym session this morning(35mins):

I was feeling some staleness in my legs, but still felt pretty good..If you are interested, here is a typical gym session for me..

45 Situps (using ab machine)

1K rowing (2:10/500m level 8)

2K cycling (5 mins 100-120rpm level4)

Dumbbells (15X10Kg, 15X10Kg)

Chest Expander(15X20Kg, 15X20Kg)

Vertical Chest Press(20X25Kg, 20X25Kg)

Shoulder Press (15X20Kg, 10X20Kg)

Dumbbells (10X12Kg, 8X12Kg)

Tonight's Run

Later I'll be taking my young nephew out a 1 mile run, and on the way back i'll aim to do two miles at 8min/mile pace, with the view to improving my leg speed.

My Weight?

I don't know whats going on with it. It seems to be sticking at circa 14st 7lbs, I am hopeful that this is related to my muscle development and water uptake in the muscles. I'm am not worried and suspect it will start to drop over the next few days.