PM - 10k easy in 51+ (5.10), office-Labrador-office. Busy all day, ran at 5pm, short recovery time before tomorrow's AM workout.
Humid morning and heavy legs. Did the 8k tempo on Margaret Drive out and back twice plus a bit. After the tempo, went to my usual Canal loop and did the fartlek for quicker-than-MP stuff on tired legs. Did the 3mins ONs at approx 4.05-4.10 pace, 2mins at 3.55-4.00 and 1mins at 3.45-3.50 pace. Very tired at the end! Coupled with a 10k about 12 hours before and 5k warm up, the workout felt really like a second half of a marathon!
Talking about HR, my HR during the 8k tempo was av 165bpm. Actually it rose from 161 bpm at the end of KM1 to 175 bpm at the end of KM8, so that's from 83% to 91% Max HR within a space of 30 minutes and I was running at constant pace !!!!!! Pretty sure this was attributed to the humid weather, increased body's core temperature and intense sweating. 91% Max HR is way too high in terms of MP effort. I guess I am of those guys whose running deteriorates exponentially in the heat compared to other local runners.
Tired legs. Planned to do 6 x 2k, but struggled to finish 4 reps. Had to work super hard in order to keep the 2k reps under 4.10 pace (aim was around 4.00). Aerobically I was ok, but my legs were damn heavy. Decided to shut shop after the 4th rep, and jogged easily home. Both hammies and butts were very tight, had to stop and stretch a few times during the run. Looking at my log, I only realized that I had run 113km in the last 7 days (Sunday-Saturday), that's probably the highest mileage since Gold Coast 2009.
A so-so week. The intent was to do 2 big sessions - which I accomplished, but quality wise, I probably rated them 6 out of 10. Woke up late on Wednesday, hence only had time to run 21k for the session. The 8k MP tempo was more difficult than anticipated as indicated by the high HR and I had to work hard to complete the subsequent fartlek. I found the Sunday session to be harder than expected as well - rolling 4.10 pace felt like a sprinting effort !! Legs were like lead for the remainder of the long run.
6 weeks gone and now there are only 7 weeks left to the race. I think I am doing okay mileage wise given life constraints; 92, 88, 98, 88, 90, 94 = average 92k (thinking about it, my weekly mileages were probably too constant, that is no recovery week). During that period, I probably had half-a-dozen solid workouts, so that's about one workout per week right there, which is not too shabby in the grand scheme of things. However, I am still strugling in terms of long runs - only did a couple of 30ks that were pretty continuous effort. The rest involved too many breaks for drinks stops, stretching etc due to warm weather and aching legs.
I am about 80% decided to do the Perth marathon now. Journey times are shorter and fares are cheaper compared to Gold Coast. I am not sure I have improved enough to do a sub-3, so I don't think the extra couple of weeks for Gold Coast will make a huge difference.
There are many tools that can enhance your core workout. The Exercise Ball, Reebok Core Board, and the Bosu Ball are all great tools that can challenge your coordination and balance. When you exercise on less stable surfaces, your core muscles work even harder to stabilize your body.
Agree re the difference in time from Perth to GC. It's hard to say exactly how you're going unless you have a few sessions exactly the same as previous preps with similar weather. The heat/humidity is obviously taking a toll.
On the HR for that tempo - yes, does seem high and a big increase. I've noticed the same this summer as it was particularly humid for Canberra (and I' a big sweater).
In Singapore's heat, it is unavoidable to stop, drink, etc..
- you are keeping a good mileage and that is the most important.
- Since you are looking bulky in the pics, you should put some commitment to go down in weight. That could make a huge difference !!