Diary of an Old Pair of Legs February 2016

Running - 227 km this month [428 km. total for the year] Ascent 1663 mtrs. [3264 mtrs]

Cycling- 34 km this month [67 km]

My Event Calendar [March] Event: Venue: Target time:

KubUltra 20k Trail Kuala Kubu Bahru None

Bukit Jugra 14k Trail Jugra, Banting None

Possible Run 10k Padang Merbuk, KL 0:47:00

Inov8 15k Trail Paya Indah Wetlands None

You may remember that I finished last month’s diary with the following statement “Giving back! I’ll stick to volunteering, see you at some water table some place!” Well it would seem that even giving back isn’t that easy and has its own draw backs, like when the recipients of your efforts can’t even be bothered to advise where you should be and when, oh well, despite the setbacks, I will find my way to help others in our great sport!

Over the hill but only on my trail runs.

Unusually, February was very much lacking in the events department, just the one [EventBiz FRIM trail run] at the very end. Chinese New Year created a lack of events, at least that were of interest to me, at the beginning of the month, my volunteering week-end and then family visitors curtailed any hope of competing during the middle of the month.

So some serious training was very much on the agenda but as I progressed into the month I found myself becoming quite fatigued. I began to worry a little, was I over-training, was I coming down with an illness or worse still was old age catching up with me. Was Old Father Time sharpening his scythe?

This month had seen me move from half marathon training onto my full marathon training, a three month build up towards my first full marathon, the Borneo Marathon, of the year. That did mean an increase in mileage but that was accompanied by a slight drop in intensity, and it was nothing more than I had done previously during transition.

Weeks one to three saw quite swift increases in mileage at lower than usual intensity but from then on the more normal ten, or so, percent weekly increase will follow, along with a gradual increase in speed and intensity.

But it was not the longer runs that was causing the trouble. Long runs, building to twenty-four kilometres, were effortlessly achieved running at around a 4:40:00 marathon pace.

Nor was it the speed-work, speed sets of four, six and nine hundred meters were run at ninety-six percent of target time at the very worst.

No it was the intermediate distance, fifteen to twenty kilometre, ‘easy’ runs that I was struggling with. Five to eight kilometres into an easy pace run, around a 4:25:00 marathon pace, I was feeling heavy legged, tired and losing concentration.

I began by going back over the last two years of my training stats to see what I had changed in my training schedules and running events. I was now also running trails, both in my training and in competative events, but the change in surface and amount of ascent could surely not acount for the fatigue, besides this has been a gradule change over almost a year. So, apart from a slight increase in my paces for this point in my training cycle, this because I am training towards a new marathon PB by the year end, nothing had changed dramatically, total mileage slightly down, speed-work distances a little longer and faster, but overall the training structure was almost identical to that of two years ago, last year being entirely devoted to half marathons and trail running.

It could not be nutrition as I am eating better now than ever and as I was not struck down by some mysterious illness that only left Old Father Time.

What to do?

First point of call was of course the internet, the God that is Google. In a nutshell the suggested training structure for those at an advanced age, that's me, is: As our bodies begin to slow down, we should run a little less but add in more time to exercise.

Exercise, yes exercise that is the answer. I had added into my normal training routine two one-hour strength and flexibility sessions with coach Martyn of Martyn Glover Fitness and he has been killing me.

Old Father Time take your place at the back of the queue, right at the back and keep waiting as this old bird is still flying.

Lessons learnt:

Any changes you make to your normal training pattern should be done slowly, gradually build up new routines or exercises as, if they are worth doing, they will have an impact on your overall training effort.

You may be a runner but it is not just your running you need to study, be aware of all forms of exercise and, just as importantly, ensure you get sufficient rest and at the correct times.