Daz Does Tri

Lunch time run today, 4 miles very, very easy. After going slightly further than planned yesterday, and with a long run pencilled in for tomorrow, today was only ever going to be 4/5 recovery anyways. Racing Sunday in the Frostbite Friendly league at Priory Park St Neots. Last couple of years have gone 34th and 11th there - both pretty good runs at the time, and I hope this year is another good one. The plan was to use this race as a sharpener for a decent crack at a time for Peterborough half. Am in a pretty dark place with training at the minute, where almost every run is a struggle and even recovery runs are taking their toll. It's a neccessary evil of base building - getting the legs toughened up, getting the head strong up and getting used to running through and pushing on. This week has been a particular struggle. Today was really tough for the first 3 miles but actually felt ok towards the end. Will stretch and roll tonight and hopefully the legs will be fine tom

I do a standard Heart Rate test regularly just to see how my speed at easier paces is looking. I run it as 1 mile @ 140 bpm (recovery pace), straight into 1 mile @ 150 bpm (easy pace), 1 mile @ 155 bpm (steady) and 1 mile @ 160 bpm (marathon pace). Finish with mile or so as close to 150 as possible. At my very fittest I ran sub 7/mm at 140 bpm and sub 6/mm at 160 bpm but that was very fit and well rested. Generally, I do this test as the only run of the day as running in the afternoon afects paces. Have not done this for a while but last time out was in May just before a 36.30 10k and was as follows ... 1.00 139bpm 7:44 1.00 152bpm 6:50 1.00 156bpm 6:58 1.00 162bpm 6:30 1.15 146bpm 7:46 Last night, worked out as... 1.00 133bpm 7:51 1.00 152bpm 7:04 1.00 156bpm 6:39 1.00 165bpm 6:27 1.51 152bpm 7:30 Nice comparison especially afeer a tiring weekend and a tired afternoon run. Am sure I am close to similar shape for 10k but I do feel like I am getting fitter by

Today I was marshal director for the Bourn to Run 10k. After weeks of meetings, ringing round for volunteers and chasing up favours from friends race day was upone me and I was up at 5.25am. We set out placing marshal station numbers, arrows, tape, spraying arrows in the ground, basically getting a maze of a course set up so runners can't get lost! Once the course was set, met the marshals at race HQ and handed out bibs, job sheets & walkie talkies. Briefed each marshal and made sure they knew exactly what they were doing and knew where they were going. We were lucky to have 20 cadets turn up and help so they ran the car parks nicely and some of the more sparse points on the course. Most of the locals have done the race for the last 2 years so they knew the route inside out. Nightmare before the start as the highways company didn't come to do the road closures until about 5 minutes before the off. Then it was just dealing with arsey locals trying to get through th

Good day today, 5 easy this morning (8:05/mm for 138 bpm 1107 beats per mile) and 5.1 this evening (7:24/mm feeling pretty easy). Plan obviously at the minute is to keep the 10 miles per day up, get a long run in and have a rest day. Legs were a bit tired this morning but really eased into the run feeling fresh as a daisy. Bit of a long day today, work, kids at school, swimming lesson, organising Bourn to Run 10k (head marshal this Sunday) so tonights run was feeling a bit jaded. Felt a little quicker than 7:24 pace but didn't really push it and felt fine. Little issue with my sciatica at 4 miles for a bit but really nothing to worry about. Got a roll in tonight on the foam as well to ease the legs off. Getting to the stage I'm going to need to get a rub down, certainly before my next race. Track tomorrow so will try and get an easy 5 in the morning and a decent session in. Hopefully wont take too much out of the legs. Plan for this week is affected by Sunday and

At the minute, I see myself in maybe 1.22/3 shape for a half. Really want to get to the end of the year in sub 1.15 shape. Looking at where I started (general fitness, my base over the year (injury free), progress & historical data) this should be reasonable. I know what it took to get me in 1.15 shape previously and if I can get there I think I'll be in good shape to have a crack at a proper marathon plan from January. Got my first long run of the campaign tomorrow morning. 15 steady with a group of lads. I like doing my long runs at MP + 60-90 secs, don't feel I need to run hard on long runs at all unless I'm racing. Anything around 7.30s I will be over the moon tomorrow. Whatever happens, getting a 14+ at least weekly and at least a 20 every 3 weeks is a must. So the racing plan and targets... OCTOBER 2nd Frostbite League St Neots 9th Peterborough Half NOVEMBER 6th Frostbite League Bushfield (flat out 5 miles) 20th St Neots Half (run to marathon

12 miles today, pretty slow (7.49/mm pace) for 148 bpm. That gives around 1147 beats per mile. Absolutely awful stats in every department except distance. I'm not downbeat, far from it. I am at a stage of my training where I am trying to max my body out, get as many miles in as possible until I am close to breakdown, then rest up and recover and come back stronger. After my holiday, I started back this month with the aim of getting pretty fit pretty quick. For me that means getting the miles in. I said previously, for me, if I get the miles in consistently then the pace will follow. So the master plan is to get 60 mpw avge from now until Peterborough Half. The aim there is to go as close 6/mm as possible (1.18.30ish), with the dream taregt of a sub 1.15 if all goes well. Once I am at that fitness level I will push on. But for now, the routine is to cram as many miles in as possible. The reason for my HR being so high today is simple, my legs were shattered. The mi

So the base mileage continues. The aim for this phase of training is to bang out lots of long slow miles and I don't seem to dissapoint! Monday was first double day of the campaign. 6 + 4 miles easy. Tuesday was another double 7 + 3. Wednesday 10 steady then today 7 easy. Legs are very tired today, am supposed to be going to the track tonight but just don't think I will be recovered. 7 miles was tough after doing 10 straight last night. Last nights run was pretty good, started slow then picked up to around 35.30 for the last 5 miles feeling pretty comfortable. Tuesday daytime was at my old coaches funeral. Was a sombre affair at the church but the wake was more lively. Was great to catch up with loads of old running pals. Some great old stories that I had long forgotten. Amazing to see how people have changed in the 15 years since my best running years. We were fortunate to be part of probably the best middle distance group in the country at the time but my god

Wow, what a weekend! My daughters christening was supposed to be Sunday and got a phone call at just before 9am to say my father in law had a heart attack. Christening cancelled, old boy rushed to hospital and luckily had 2 stents fitted successfuly. He's a battle axe and will probably outlive us all. He seems good as gold now so touch wood he'll be fine. Got out for a quick beer that night with DC, AC & my old man. Was a welcome relief from indoors and nice to talk shit about old running stories and stuff! Training wise, last few days since last blog have just been getting the miles in. Have been aiming to get all runs more around 8 miles average but since Wednesday there have been a few under. First double day today. 6 this morning with the wind @ 7/mm but pretty quick at the end. Then a very easy 4 tonight, felt very good but legs are aching, think the Adidas Oregons are on the way out. Funeral tomorrow for my old coach Ken Leader. Will be nice to see so

7th September today and for the past 7 days that I have been back into marathon training I have covered 57.44 miles @ an average pace of 8.01/mm. No rest days & no double days. Longest run 12 miles and shortest 5. Absolutely spot on for first proper week of training. Nothing crazy, nothing fast just good honest getting the legs used to feeling tired again! Missed my track session this week but to be fair it's been tough on the legs but I do feel I am coming through it. On holiday I had plenty of time to reflect on what has been missing over the past 18 months and it's pure and simple. Bad planning has led to inconsistency which has left me running 80 miles one week, 40 the next. In fact I have not run over 50 miles for more than 3 consecutive weeks this year. I have in fact run over 50 miles just once in the past 23 weeks! For me mileage is critical, even more important than pace in training. I know if I get a good 8-10 week stint of good mileage in the bank then

Since I got back from holiday I have run 8, 8, 5 and today 10 miles. Not setting the world alight but nice consistent running all at around 7.30 pace. It's a good start. Legs are feeling tired, really feel like I am in marathon training. The aim will be to string as many days together on the trot to keep the miles high and then rest before a long run. Really need to get something in the 14-15 mile rang in this week to kick start the comeback. Todays run was a couple more than I have done so far. Started with an 8 around Milton Country Park and then nice and steady. Felt ok to be fair but just a little lethargic. Actually felt better in the last couple of miles than the middle which is promising. Will try to get a very easy 8 in tomorrow before track on Tuesday. Going to be a busy week at work too so not sure how afternoon runs will pan out. Setting down to watch Mo in the 5k now. Have a sneaky £50 on Murga to win at 10/1 so hopefully see Mo take a string silver in

After a pretty dissapointing end to the track season I was glad to get away with the family for some well deserved r&r. I took a pretty easy week before I went away just doing a very easy 10 mile run with Wenny on the Monday night followed by my longest ever bike ride of 26.4 miles in 1.23 (19.08 mph). Was really pleased with the ride, felt comfortable and it was really lumpy for the last 8 or 9 miles. Legs seemed fine, think getting a few better rides in is paying off at last. Will be nice to get that average speed up to 20 mph at some stage. So, set off to France on the Friday driving the Mrs 4x4 all the way to Paris and having 3 days in Euro Disney. Kids were happy enough but after going to Florida last year it was pretty dissapointing. Did my first run in a week on the last day in Paris. I planned to run every other day and do 5kish and run pretty hard to keep in touch with some speed. I loose fitness pretty fast when I do nothing and coming back is always a strug