Yesterday’s workout, 18k in 1h35min, ending in a comfortable way. Recovery have not been too much of a issue, but I better watch out fatigue signs in the beginning of each week (or should I say weak?).

Despite all things went well, my intention is to run these long workouts on Saturdays mornings. I can then do a decompressing workout in Sundays, avoiding starting a working week with the need to recover from the 20k or so runs.

The workout scheme for the next two weeks will be to do two or three 7 – 8 km workouts during the working week and the long Saturday workout adding 3km each week. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be here posting my thoughts on my 24km long run. Cross training in one of those days will be a must do, also. Weight lifting and a bit of pilates exercises will suffice.

Food-wise, the need for salads, vegetables, fish and carbohydrates will have to be fulfilled.

As I was doing my 10k workout today, I realized that that this blog is now two years old.

My first race with the ipod/nike system took place in 25/09/2007, and since then, 232 more races where uploaded to the nike site, making it over than a hundred per year.

As for competitions, my main goal in 2007 was just to participate in short length races, but as time and kilometers passed, I realized that I do have a good potential for long distance running. Work related fatigue kept me away from a consistent training discipline, and that’s my main challenge for the forthcoming two months. Reason? I’m going to give it a try at Lisbon Marathon in December 2009. The course is easy, it’s in my hometown and I have a full pair of months to be prepared.

After packing miles for the last month, my main concerns now will be to focus on long runs, nutrition and mental training. Weekends (preferably mornings), will be reserved for those 20 miler workouts and week days for faster workouts, aiming to increase lactate threshold and speed training. I’m not going to stick to specific running schedule, but will try to fit my workouts whenever I have free time.

New event added: Corrida da Linha 2009. A 10k race in the Tejo river shoreline – 20^th September 2009.

I have some further competitions in mind, but the big challenge this year will be to run a marathon in December. I have three months to prepare myself (physically, mentally and nutritionally).

Due to work constrains, only from 15^th September onwards I’ll start my marathon training.

Keep and eye on this blog and Pernas de Gafanhoto if you’re keen on following my feedback on this challenge.

As you can see in the right sidebar, I have tow more races under my belt: Corrida 1º de Maio and Meia Maratona dos Palácios, both with new PB.

My 15k PB is now 1:13:37 and the Half-marathon PB 1:49:33.

Improvements lately are the race starts, in a more brisk pace and the fact that I’m getting more tolerant to general discomfort during races.

As always, you can follow Pernas de Gafanhoto‘s racing team blog

OK, we’re here, the final week before the half-marathon.

I must confess I’m having mixed feelings about this. On one side, I’m focused on not overtraining and my working schedule led me to be unable to run as much as I wanted (or as I wished). There’s a drawback: I’m not sure if I packed enough miles for a 21 k race. For a 10k, for sure. For a 21k… maybe.

Enough of doubting… what’s granted for now is:

• I’ve developed a nice smooth endurance pace, something I was not achieving since last October.
• I’ve got more careful about food and drink. Drinking much more water and fulling with carbs, veggies and cereal bars. Without doing a revolutionary diet this week, the key elements will be pasta, rice, poultry, fish and, as they say, “one apple a day…”.
• Last half-marathon was a bit painful from the 15th kilometre onwards for two reasons: climbs and lack of fuelling at the start. To minimize that, I’ll pack a cereal bar one hour before starting and a gel before race start, as well as some sports drink.
• For this week, a slow 10k tomorrow, muscular exercises here and there, another race (around 6k Wednesday) and a 5k Thursday. Two days of rest will suffice.

So it’s done. I’ve trained all of what I felt to be needed to train for the next race.

With some 10k workouts and a 15k (race length) training, I’m fully satisfied with my performance. Taking in account that my goal here is just to finish the race, a 1h15min seems to be a good goal.

Mentally, I find this 15k distance not at all different from the 10k, besides the fact that I do run in a more “zen” state, really relaxed from the very beginning and only pushing up after feeling that I have enough energy. Last workouts have made me feel that I am more a long distance runner and not a 5k or less racer. Psychology playing a role here, definitely.

Race post after it! Wish me luck.

As the weather is starting to heat a bit, I start recalling how it was to run long distances two years ago, when I stated seriously in running. The amount of water drunk is so much more, at least for me, regardless my how fit I am. Today, in my regular 10 k workout, I had to park and refuel at 4k, 6k and 8k… and ended the training session thirsty. Lets see if things get more controlled tomorrow…

One resolution I’ve made was not to do a workout shorter the 10k as a reparation for the 15k race in the 12^th April. Furthermore, I will do my first 15k this weekend and another Tuesday or so…

Mentally speaking, as my goal will be just to finish the 15k race, I will adopt the “zen state” mood as described in a previous post… control was the key for that long race, and certainly will be for the 15k race.

Unlike expected when I left home for running, today… I ended up making a long distance workout: 12,73 km in one hour.

For future reference:

• I started really relaxed and controlling my pace
• Mentally, I opted for a kind of a zen state of mind
• I have no pains whatsoever
• Only drank water at 7,5 km
• Did not need to do effort management
• The last kilometre (12^th) was done faster
• I ended the workout less tired than I expected

With this mark, I will make a good race in the Golden Marathon 15k, for sure, something around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I will start doing more workouts like these, but taking special care not to enter in a fatigue state… prior to Easter hollidays a few 7k runs and that’s it.

Made my post-valentine race today. I must say that I’m really in shape now.

Running 7,2km workouts made me see my progress:

19/01/2008 – 38’51” (5’22” pace)
08/02/2008 – 37’39” (5’13” pace)
12/02/2008 – 37’19” (5’10” pace)
15/02/2008 – 37’33” (5’12” pace)

The time is always near my goal, and since the mini-marathon is fairly easy, I’ll start doing speed workouts and muscular training in the forthcoming weeks.

Music wise, I’ve discovered that using techno music (Bob Sinclar) helps… used it today and even with a not so light pain in my spleen, it really helped to keep the pace in the last two kilometres

So, after checking the half-marathon’s website, the distance for the Vodafone Mini-Marathon is not 8k as previously indicated, but 7.2km. Approximately, so they say.

Obviously, my target-time must change. I’ve done a 7,2k race in 38:51, but that’s too much as a real goal. So, 37:30 will be my target for the next month. If possible, I’ll lower it for the race.

Recent workouts have been promising, reducing my pace to around 5:14. I seem to be returning to my best fit, after a sore throat and a really strong cold in December.