29 September 2009

Frank Mahony

G'Day Frank!

Frank left me this comment which I shall reply to below.


F Mahony has left a new comment on your post "3000m or 5000m?":

3000m or 5000m?

Answer: According to the McMillan Running Calculator: 3000m

3000m in 8.57 should result in 5000m in 15.36 so your recent 3000m best time is better than your 5000m

Of your runs when you were younger, your 5000m is the best performance.

I am impressed with your masters results!

You might be able to help me.

I am a runner with somewhat similar performances ( 7 seconds slower over 5000m) from my younger days.
Also returning after 17 years rest.
Born: 1961.
PB: 1500m 4:00.98 Age 29
PB: 3000m 8:39.96 Age 29
PB: 5000m 14:38.20 Age 29
PB: 10000m Track 31:07 Age 28
PB: 20km Road 64:30 Age 25
PB: 21.1km Road 68:31 Age 28
PB: 42.2km Road 2:36:44 Age 24

Retired at 30 due to pronation causing pain on outside lower legs.

Returned to exercise: swimming 2 years ago.
Returned to running 1 year ago.
Height: 185cm
Original running weight: 60-65kg
Current weight: 70kg (Down from 85kg 2 years ago)
Current performances:
Asgrove Flying 4km: 14:31
BRRC 5km road: 17:58
BRRC 7km road: 25:23

Current training: Swim 2km each morning - various sessions. Includes 1 hour Tri session each Thursday.
Evening: Cycle or run.
In younger days:
Run 120 km per week.
Currently per week:
Swim 14km
Cycle 100km
Run 30km

Mon night: 7.5km jog
Wed night: 4 x 800m track
Thur morning: 4 or 5km Tri run
Frid night: 4km medium or hard
Sat: 4km jog
Sun: Race: 5km or 3-5km run as part of Tri race.

Slowly trying to increase km, need to add a 15km run in there each week.

The question:

Can you share with us what trainng you have been doing to get the results you have achieved, including managing an aging body?

What would you see as an ideal weekly training schedule to achieve the results, assumming of course that someone has roughly similar ability?

I do note that your 5000m PB of 14:31.4 was at age 17, compared to mine at age 29. I suspect you might have a lot more natural talent than me, which is a compliment and an explanation of why you have been able to get down under 9min for 3000m.

Regards Frank Mahony

When I restarted serious running in 2004 I weighed 82kg! I ran a few 10K road races then decided it would be fun to to run the Glasshouse Mountains 50K's. The 50'Ks were not fun at all, I felt like death, my thighs cramped up and at one point I was on hands and knees literally crawling! Roger Gard who is about 60/65 came shuffling past (No offence meant) but I realised that my very limited training had been no where near what is required for Ultras. I raced two 50'ks and then stepped down to a 30k but I never really had the time to put in the hours of training that would be required so I returned to the track and went along to Queensland Masters. As I was 44 y.o. I thought I'd have one non serious season before giving it a real crack when I turned 45 - youngest in age group. So during that first season I improved from my debut 10m01 to 9m35 purely on the training benefit from competition together with daily steady runs 6k to 8k.
In 2006 I gave myself the goal of running Sub 9m (to break the Masters Record), I made a determined effort to increase my mileage and importantly started to run intervals twice a week. Typically I might run 5/6 X 1000m on a measured road course with up to 3mins recovery running close to 3min ave. When I was really picking things up I cut the recovery down to a minute and still managed close to 3mins ave. On the track I would try to do speed endurance sessions , 20 X 300m 100m jog recovery (Min) Ave 51s, or 20 X 200m 30secs recovery, but my staple diet was 400's and I built up to doing 20 X 400m 1min recovery Ave 72s. I got down to 62kg and last year ran a few months of twice a day sessions in order to have a real crack at 70mins for a Half. Alas the regime was too much for me and I have suffered over a year of injury! Knees, Achilles,Pelvic stress fracture, knee again! I'm perhaps not the best person to advise on managing the masters body! But I would say the key ingredients are to increase your mileage to a balanced maximum, do a long run, and do interval sessions, now I would add core exercise (Weights) and combine it with a daily stretching regime.
I am interested in what results you get from your cross training? .
I tried a (static) rowing machine and cycling during my current rehabilitation but it is just not the same!
Rowing is a great exercise but so boring on a machine.
On the bike I could never really raise my heart rate sufficiently to feel training benefit . Long distance on a road bike might be a future for me!

This is my weeks training leading up to 8m56.

19th Jan 2008 Raced an Open QA St.Lucia 3000m 2nd in 9m09.13
20th Jan 2008 20 X 400m 60sec rest Ave 72s (finished with a 66s)
21st Jan 2008 5.00am 11km Roo+Lake (local course) 44m30
22nd Jan 2008 5.00am 11km Roo+Lake 43m59
23rd Jan 2008 5.00am 11km Roo+Lake 44m24
24th Jan 2008 5.00pm 11kn Roo+Lake 40m23 (!)
25th Jan 2008 8.15pm 3000m Raced Open QA St.Lucia 3rd in 8m56.46

13th Feb 2007 6pm 3KM time trial on switchback road KM 9m21
14th Feb 2007 5.00am 11km Roo+Lake 45m17
15th Feb 2007 5.00am 11km Roo+Lake 45m30
16th Feb 2007 3KM Pat Carroll Challenge 4th didn't record time! Undulating course!
17th Feb 2007 20 X 200m 30sec rest
18th Feb 2007 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 41m31 ! (63kg after run)
19th Feb 2007 5.00am 11KM Roo+Lake 44m59
20th Feb 2007 Rest!!
21st Feb 2007 Race Qld Open State 5000m Champs St.Lucia 8th 15m29.6

I would often double up on the days I did my KM intervals or my track sessions. I rarely rested or eased down. If I felt good in training I'd go with it, it meant I was in good form and good results in training drove home the confidence in races.
Good Luck in your return to racing, I'd love to know your goals and I shall keep an eye out for your progress.

1 comment:

F Mahony said...

David

Thanks for the info.

You commented: "I am interested in what results you get from your cross training?"

Some background info:

In my younger days, this was my training schedule.

Mon: AM: Swim easy, 1500m
PM: Run 8-10km easy
Tue: AM Swim sprints
PM: Run Track, 3 x 1600 hard
Wed: AM Swim hard, 2000m
PM: Run 16km hard
Thus: AM: Swim sprints
PM: Run 16km easy
Frid: AM: Swim hard, 2500m
PM: Run 8-10km easy
Sat: Run Race or 10km easy
Sun: Run 20-30km long or Run Race

Aim was for quality km rather than quantity - so as to manage my pronation issue.

Swimming was great for allowing additional hard training, without any of the stresses that running would bring. Recovery was very quick, i.e. 30 minutes after a hard session, it was like you hadn't done it, compared to hard or long runs that can beat up the body, especially the legs.

It also provided a massage to the legs, helping to recover from the week-end race.

There was also no injuries from the swimming.

I don't think it can replace basic running training, however it allowed me to develop a good engine, and compete with guys who were doing 150-200km per week.

It's one potential downside was I wondered if my engine was more than my wheels, i.e legs could cope with.

Overall, I thought the swimming was a great help, and the swimming was only undertaken to assist with the running, i.e. apart from the Mon to Frid swim sessions, I did not swim in any races or Triathlons etc

More recently, I wouldn't consider that I do cross training. I started swimming to lose weight and get fit, and swim to continue on this basis as well as to improve my swimming.
I cycle to keep fit and improve my cycling.
And I run to improve my running.
I will go in a number of Triathlons over the summer so I need to train in all three.

I do believe that my training combination of swimming, cycling and running provides me with a far more sustainable fitness program than just 100km of running per week. I say that for myself, as my legs couldn't cope with 100+ km per week.

With swimming, some find following the black line of a pool boring, for me, I find it somewhat relaxing as you can tune out. 5 of my 7 swim sessions are with others so it is not too bad.

I also discovered that keeping my sessions to 45 min to 1 hour meant that they are long enough to be beneficial, but not so long that mentally they freak you out or physically wear you out or take up too much time each day.

The training in swimming, cycling and running opens up other opportunities, for example adventure racing, aquathons etc. I recently went in a relay team of 5 that swam 18km from the Fiji main island to Beachcomber Island. And also a Aquathon at Redcliffe.

One great training session we do each week is a Tri session of 1km swim, 10km ride and 5km run. It is approx 20 minutes of each and gives you a good work-out, with the run quite tough after the bike.

You should get into Tri's, as I have discovered a lot of them can't run. So imagine what you could do.

Cheers Frank