Long Run with Ben And More Improvements!

I got a text from Ben this morning, "Are you going for a Run today, looking for an easy run round the sand dunes?"
Well YES, you'd have to tie me down with a steel cable to stop me running right now, my enthusiasm is that high!
Me and Tess jogged down to the local leisure centre in the early afternoon sunshine to meet with Ben.
It turned out Ben had just recovered from a slight injury so was happy to run at my less than elite pace!
The time soon passed as we chatted and ran up and down the sand dune trails.
It's amazing the difference running with someone else makes, I did not feel tired or fatigued in any way!
But poor Tess after pacing me well on my Marathon Effort run yesterday started to suffer in the closing miles!
Well at almost 70 she's doing well!
= 2 Hours 19 Mins
Tue
Marathon Effort Run 80% MHR
Ran the usual out and back sandhill route with Tess chasing my heels on the way out.
At the turn around point she took the lead and bounded off in front, checking behind from time to time to see If I was still hanging on!
Finished about 25 sec faster than last time which gives me a total improvement of about 2 mins [at the same effort] in just over 3 weeks of doing this MP session!

Reading an old book On Greg Lemond's winter training [around 1986] he states that one of the best sessions for improving his fitness is a Sub-threshold one hour motorbike paced ride at 80% MHR.
Well I haven't got a motorbike to pace me but Tess does just as well!
Looking at the rest of his winter training it looks very Lydiard in many ways and Greg went on to win the Tour De France in impressive style that year!

RicksRunning Gets 4,516 Hits in the last 30 Days [New record]!

Runners High!

Arthur Lydiard marathon Training Week 3
Big Improvement!
Marathon Pace Sub-Threshold Run
The wind was howling outside, not a good day for my long marathon paced run my subconscious mind kept nagging me!
This was the 3rd time I've run this session and I was sure the wind would slow me by a minute or more.
Heading out into the wind with Tess sheltering behind me I kept to marathon effort [not pace], I kept my breathing steady, the effort felt good and relaxed!
Reaching the tops of some of the bigger sand dunes the wind almost blew me over on more than one occasion.
After turning around at the half way point [Busters Lagoon] Tess took the lead and bounded off in front of me.
It was good to have someone to follow, we got into a groove and rode the trails back home.
With the wind on my shoulder progress was good.
With the final 3/4 of a mile on the road our pace quickened to 6-6.10 pace.
Tess paced me well and in shocking conditions we ran over a minute faster than last week with the same effort!
This Lydiard training is magic!
MP Session
Week one = 55.49
Week two = 55.29
Week three = 54.20
Sub-threshold Runs [MP pace]
Keith Livingstone told me Lydiards boys would do this session over 10 miles on the road, starting at about 62 mins and being able with the same effort after 8 weeks base training to drop their times down to 55 mins !
These sessions are the safest way to push up your aerobic threshold, faster tempo runs [10K-15K pace] should be saved for the final four weeks of your marathon
training to bring you to a peak!