3in3marathonchallenge training update #5

An update on Week 1 and most of Week 2 (as this report has been sitting as draft for 4 days!) of Phase 2 marathon training for my #3in3marathonchallenge. With Warsaw Marathon on 30 September Phase 2 is 5 months (same as phase 1 incidentally). 

In this phase I will continue with my low volume high quality approach focusing in May and June on building speed over shorter distances before slowly building up the distance. My goal race this month is the London 10000 on Bank Holiday Monday and my target there is a sub 37. I have also registered for the St Albans half marathon on 10 June.

So far I've done a few speed sessions on the track (pyramid reps sessions and longer mile efforts), and the longer Wednesday club run. Last Monday I went to the track and after a warm up had a go at just 1 hard mile in a attempt to run sub 5 for the first time. And I managed it!! Whoop whoop. I ran a 4.52 mile. So my speed is increasing and I will now focus on cracking sub 18 at 5K (outside) and then work to bring this time down further which will hopefully bode well for London 10000. 

Keeping with the speed sessions on Wednesday I had a shot at our club Stag Trophy route which is 3 laps and 2.5 miles. I've been running this route for 10 years and I've never broken 14 minutes. That is until Wednesday when I managed a 13.56. So the short distance faster stuff is definitely paying off.

Tomorrow (Saturday 12 June) I will be running the Sheringham Parkrun. I'm here with family on a weekend break to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday. 

The trainers got packed of course! :-) The Sheringham course looks fantastic! A one lap foot trail around the National Trust Sheringham Park Estate. Bring it on. Photos to follow perhaps if I can convince the family to get up and joy me there. 

Cross Training on the ElliptiGO:

I will also be increasing the use of my ElliptiGO Stand Up Bike for cross training in this second phase of training now that the weather is improving and the days are getting longer. I even bagged an absolute bargain and added a third ElliptiGO to my collection :-) She's in mint condition with less than 400 miles ridden. Love the orange which was one of the main reasons for buying it. 

You also can not buy this colour model anymore so I'm well chuffed with it. My plans are to modify this one slightly as well as restore my original ElliptiGO to its former glory with a full strip down and respray. Haven't decided colour for it yet. 

Footnote: 

I am still fundraising for my 3in3marathonchallenge. You can sponsor me at www.sponsorstuart.me. I've now raised over £1,400 (inc Gift Aid) for our local church project to support youth provision in the estate through a unique Bus Mission project. As we get the project going (it's very early days at the moment) I will stay accountable and keep everyone updated with progress.