Adarq.org

03-05-26

Run -- 13.88k, 1:20:47

Notes

Legs felt heavy last night and this AM walking around at home, but basically felt fine on this run, which is nice.

90.5k on the week, 7h58m running, if I'd realised that I'd've extended this run by another 2 mins obviously. Both obviously big 'PRs'. In fact, the only times that run further than the ~76.5k I accumulated up to yesterday were 3 of the last 4 weeks of training. So, yeah, good little block here! Let's hope I recover well and make the best of it. Looks like sirpoc advises  hitting around ~+5 form on race day, the infimum of the fresh zone on intervals. Think that's very attainable with next week being a normal 2xSubT + Saturday Parkrun week, then toning things back in the final week.

 

02-05-26

Run
- w/u
- 5 x (3k @ HM, 1k float) [4:10 for reps, 4:50 avg float]
- c/d

22.70k, 1:43:32

Notes

Last set maybe not required -- was consistently averaging 4:08 for first 4 sets, then 4:14 or so for that last block of 3k, and it felt pretty grindy. Cumulative (as in from training, as much/moreso than within this session) leg tiredness felt the limiter as much as anything, so feel like I'm in a good place. 15 days out so plenty of time to recover and absorb these last 2.5 weeks of bigger than usual training.

Took in 100g carbs during this session (2 gels + in my water) and tried out FlyCarb's bicarb as well (having given a dose a trial run while working from home earlier in the week and finding that, thankfully, my stomach can handle it) -- no GI issues despite that combo. The science is somewhat out on bicarb it for longer things, but it's cheap enough to be worth a try, and Megan+David Roche seem pretty high on it for ultras (and all the guys at London are using it, tour cyclists, etc). Looking more closely at what FlyCarb is, I am not sure I need to buy it, since it's literally just plain bicarb mixed into a gel whose ingredients are almost identical to those of the SiS gels I use (which are already a ripoff, but are convenient and I only use them on the weekend's longer runs/sessions anyway -- mostly stick to cheap carbs in water otherwise). So may trial 'just mixing some bicarb into a gel and eating that' when I run out, just out of curiosity.

eta: all time high fatigue (69) and fitness (54) today. have unsurprisingly dipped into the green zone (sorry sirpoc), but i guess i've been treating this block as more of a 'special block' than just a continuation of normal training, somewhat experimentally.

people do seem to love indianapolis as a race, but as a place to visit, nah. i'd much rather go to the finger lakes. one of the track group guys did wineglass a couple years ago and loved it. something to think about...

lol fair, I have a soft spot for random bits of the midwest, but given I cannot drive that's probably not the best move for a trip like this. Haven't visited the finger lakes before but they do look nice.

Twin Cities or Portland looks like other reasonable alternatives that balance 'good marathon' with 'place i'd like to go (and haven't yet been)'. Would very much be down to coordinate on this down the line.

people do seem to love indianapolis as a race, but as a place to visit, nah. i'd much rather go to the finger lakes. one of the track group guys did wineglass a couple years ago and loved it. something to think about...

should poke around to see what looks interesting in late winter/early spring 2027, i guess

or you could come across the pond and do one over here. the only US marathons worth traveling that far for in the spring are boston, obviously, and maybe eugene just because of the running history there. actually, if i don't qualify for boston this year then eugene 2027 might be in the cards. but in the fall there's a bunch of great ones: the other US majors but also marine corps, wineglass, philadelphia, richmond, indianapolis monumental, CIM (if you can get in).

some great sub-marathon spring races as well. i also kind of want to do cherry blossom ten miler next year, it's pretty iconic. some of my running buddies are doing brooklyn half in a couple of weeks, which seems cool and can qualify you for the new york marathon.

OTOH, i also kind of want to come over and do some of the big european races at some points, so maybe what i'm really doing is talking myself into traveling the other way, lol.