Caine Warburton – The Last Minute Marathon
Well it’s been a strange few weeks for my training. All this year I have struggled to get any decent running in due to my niggles and with the last few weeks of January at 30km,35km and 56km things weren’t looking promising for my upcoming races. I regretfully ditched MT Buller and with the training threshold reached for Tarawera 100k I decided it wasn’t worth the “trip over the ditch” to run a sub par performance against some of the world’s elite. Canning these races also gave me the time needed to continue to rehab my niggles without forcing the training in.
I worked a lot on specific strengthening throughout January with Andy Dubious (Mile 27 Training) and started to see some benefit from this in February with the niggles settling somewhat and training picked up. I logged a couple of 100km weeks and then made a last minute decision to race the Wangaratta Marathon while away on family holiday.
I entered on the Thursday before and thought it would be a good long training run…nothing serious as I had done 10k of track reps and a 20k run already that week. However, for whatever reason…maybe a lack of pressure? I have a habit of doing well at races I enter last minute. As it turns out I surprised myself, my coach and my wife by taking the win and setting a new marathon PB while running a negative split. It’s performances like this that make me wonder what I could do if I had a proper lead up!
Monday 3rd Feb
Bike: 2:10/67km/500m
Easy paced group ride for 75min followed by 4x 4min out of the saddle hill reps, feeling pretty good even on the bike today!
Tuesday 4th Feb
Run: 60min/0m/11km – Track work
4x 1600m reps with 90sec static recovery. First 800m @ Marathon pace (3:40min/km) then second 800m @ 5k pace (3:10min/km). Felt okay but struggling a little with the change of pace, feels easier just to run fast the whole time. Injuries holding up well through this which is positive.
Strength: 40min of running specific body weight exercises. -620 total repetitions
Wednesday 5th Feb
Run: 1:26/209m/20km – 4:20min/km
Easy 90min road run with consistent undulations. Did this with Moe, felt pretty good with a good rhythm, no major issues from the legs today – Put some compression gear on straight away afterwards.
Thursday 6th Feb
Hike: 70min/900m/7.7km – 9:36min/km
Felt great today so decided to jog two of the less steep but longer climbs which went well. Still have to walk down hill though. Hiked the steep climbs hard and found a good rhythm I hope will help during buffalo.
Strength: 40min of running specific exercises – 620 individual repetitions
Friday 7th Feb
Run: 59min/170m/13km – 4:32min/km
Recovery run with KSR Team mate Dave Coombs.
Saturday 8th Feb
Run: 2:16hr/582m/31km – 4.24min/km
Longest run in about 2 months. Run was over some decent road hills, still can’t really run down hills so pretty happy with the pace considering. Started to feel the lack of KMs towards the end.
Sunday 9th Feb
Run: 1:36/m/18km- 5:18min/km
First real trail run in while, all on sweet flowing single track with no real big hills as its been the biggest week in while.
Strength: 45min of running specific strength exercises.
Weekly Totals
8:27/1864m/100.7km
Monday 10th Feb
Strength: 45min of running specific strength exercises.
Tuesday 11th Feb
Run: 60min/0m/11km
Track session, 2km warm up / 3x2000m @ 10kp, 2x1000m @ 5kp/ 1km cool down
Decent session that really works the change of pace.
Strength: 45min of running specific exercises.
Wednesday 12th Feb
Run: 1:23/527m/16.5km -5:05min/km
Back in Nerang forest but ran some bigger hills this time with Moritz. Felt a rubbish on the first 5k but then I came good and brought it home strong.
Run: 27:10/0m/5km – 5:25min/km
Recovery road run with wife pushing our new Thule Chariot CX1 running pram.
Thursday 13th Feb
Run:1:11/822m/10.7km – 6:40min/km
Hill session with 2x 17min climbs and descents which I was able to run for the first time in 2 months! The runs up where okay not fast but not slow and found the steepness was OK. The descents where still slow but I ran every step in contrast to last week where I couldn’t run down at all.
Strength: 45min of running specific strength excises.
Run: 46:31/0m/9.3km -5:07min/km
Recovery road run with wife and pushing pram.
Friday 14th Feb
Rest
Saturday 15th Feb
Run: 2:21/554m/30km 4:42min/km
Long road run that didn’t really go to plan. Started off dehydrated and in 30 degree heat. Body was cooked by 10km mark but pushed on in survival mode to finish it off.
Sunday 16th Feb
Run: 45min/0m/10km – 4.30min/km
Easy treadmill run to shake the legs out after last night’s disaster run.
Run: 1:08/100m/16km – 4:15
Afternoon run in much cooler temps. Felt much better and back to normal with the pace flowing out easy and the kms ticking over!
Weekly Totals
9.02hrs/2003m/108.5km
Monday 17th Feb
Bike: 1:13/357m/40.5km
Was meant to be a recovery ride but the group I went with put the hammer down. Good training none the less.
Tuesday 18th Feb
Run: 60min/0m/13km – Track session
2km warm then 10km track set as 2400, 1600, 800. Repeat with a 400m at the end of second set. Pace was between 10k and 21k race pace (3:20-25min/km). 1km cool down.
Run: 33min/50m/7km
Recovery Run with Dave.
Wednesday 19th Feb
Run:1:23/250m/20km – 4:10min-km
Easy run over undulating hills. Felt great, pace was solid but the effort was super easy even over the hills.
Thursday 20th Feb
Run/hike: 2hr/800m/12km
Was meant to be 30k long run but knee played up at 5k had to stop and hike it out. Bit of a worry as I thought the knee was coming good? Hmmm……
Friday 21st Feb
Rest
Saturday 22nd Feb
Run: 25min/0m/5km
Easy run with pram and wife.
Sunday 23rd Feb
Run: 2:38/250m/42.2km
Wangaratta Marathon, comfortable effort with a 1min negative split. Hammy was sore from 36km but the knee was good? Happy with the result big unexpected PB so hell Ill take it off minimal training.