Daz Does Tri

Today's plan - 8-10 miles @ 9/mm (ish) Hit some new trails to explore - out past the golf course and into old Hardwick, on to Toft, up to the drift and back via Hardwick. Not an awful lot to gain from that route if I am honest, it felt a lot longer than 8.5 miles but that may just be the pace.  Certainly felt the longest run of my many 8.5 mile route I see to have found! Pace was very easy and it eased the legs off so it did the trick in that department. Finished up after lunch with a 1.5 mile treadmill to get the daily total in.  Felt easy enough doing it this way. Padded out the outside of shoes to ease off the foot and seems to be helping. Tomorrow I'll stretch the legs a little bit on a shorter outdoor run and then go slightly longer on the treadmill to see how that feels. Interesting running at this pace, I used to do 15 - 20 miles a week at +9/mm back in the day - I think there a lot to be said if you ave the time.  I know Turner used to knock out some 8:45/

Week 2 of miles with Daz and it starts with 8.5 @ 7:39/mm. Firstly, why is every route I plan in my head almost exactly 8.5 miles ?? Secondly, feels much better to shift along 20 secs mile faster than last few days.  This was same effort as the other runs and it was bloody windy out there! Running miles Interesting (for me looking back at my online log) I've always considered myself - back in the day - a marathon runner who puts in plenty of miles. I have put in 20 months in 10 years & 6 months that I have logged training.  That's 20 out of 126 possible months.  Mental, I've actually logged many more sub 100 months. To be fair I did triathlon but less than 50 miles per week seems low for running marathons. Only managed 8 months over 250 miles too - or 56 miles per week.  Bonkers ! Anyways, the run streak of miles is underway.   How's it going Mentally I am good.  I'm happy to get out and run easy and free.  I am at that stage where I think I

First week of lockdown bagged. 60.1 miles @ 7:50/mm avge Ended up running pretty much 8.5 miles every day.  One double, the rest singles.  Pretty much all miles have been easy running at around 8/mm As I said yesterday I have enjoyed just running for the sake of miles again.  It's very reminiscent of the old days - come back from injury with a marathon in mind - except this time am I fuck doing a marathon ! Handled the miles pretty well, the biggest knock backs have been because I have had DOMS from strength and conditioning work !  8/mm feels like walking pace some times which is a great sign.  It feels a very natural 'easy' pace and I can focus on form and not worry about pushing. Few tired patches later into runs but that's to be expected off no real recent mileage. This is the first time I've been over 60 since 2012 (March 2012 off a 27.10 for 5 miles). Thinking on today's run, there is a MINIMUM of 12 weeks before absolutely any chance of racing

The world is so full of selfish cunts.  If a virus came out that targets selfish, dickhead cunts instead of the elderly (lots fall into both categories) and the vulnerable I don't think many people would bat an eyelid. Every run I do, I see people flouting the rules, talking, socialising with others.  Even my Dad refuses to take himself away from the world for the benefit of the many.  He smoked 60 a day for years and is 75.  He thinks he's invincible.  What a tit. Anyways, rant over - we will all be on lockdown 24/7 soon because people cannot obey simple rules designed to protect people's lives.  Fucking spastic cunts. To be clear, I leave the house once per day to run and keep up social distancing at all possible times!  This house is doing nothing to hep spread this awful virus. RUNNING! So, I've decided to try and run as many base miles as I can.  I waffled on about this the other day.  It's been a struggle.  8/mm feels like a battle to just keep wad

So I've decided to go for it and just run miles - old skool marathon fitness building.  I've missed a chunk of winter and there's nothing on the horizon.  The thought process is, make myself bullet proof by building a HUGE amount of conditioning.  It's an opportunity to make up for lost time. Today was the first day I've felt the lack of conditioning bite.  Today's 8.5 miles at a shade under 8/mm felt like hard work! It's amazing when you get into a comfortable range consistently that the pace can stay high.  At 25-30 miles per week I reckon I could average 6:40/mm for the week.  Last 4 days I've run about 34 miles and it's taking it's toll. I'll come out the other side - something has to give - but the desperation to sack it off for a day is unreal!  A couple of weeks of decent (for me) miles will really help in the long run. It makes it harder now the sun is out.  Back off to 30 miles a week with some tempo work and speed work wou

Tough one today, went to Parkrun course with the boys at lunchtime. Aim was to tempo the course and set some pace guides.  Warmed up but was clear my legs and foot were neither having any of it. The 4% really didn't help the foot, and the lunges yesterday really didn't help the legs. It's almost beautiful that we are not racing, removing the pressure removes the haze around decisions. I'm week 4 of a 4 week plan, very little has gone to plan.  I just don't have the conditioning to do what I want to do. I could simply drop the miles & s&c and knock out stuff that looks great on Strava.  But that's not me. I really need to focus on conditioning work.  Lots of miles, tempo when I fancy it & LOTS of S&C. The S&C is clearly what I am lacking.  My quads and hammys are fucked after yesterdays session.  It's what will make the biggest difference though. Run wise I am pretty fit at the minute.  Low to mid 7s is very comfortable and I

The current situation, lets face it, is utter dog shit. Not just from a running perspective.  The economy, peoples lives, the shape of everyone's future is going to change once we come out of this current situation. But you have to take things as they are.  Jake & Sawyer are heading top of their age group this track season and the likelihood is they will have a VERY limited race schedule. It's a particularly bitter situation for Jake as he heads towards English Schools track which is more likely than not to be cancelled.  He's ambitious, has been patiently building for track and it's likely to be taken away from him in the main part. In the big scheme of things, this is nothing.  The kids have their health. But fuck it, this is about running !  I'll leave the social justice blog's to intelligent, but slow people, like Nic P ;) The current situation presents people, me included, an opportunity.  To catch up on what has been missed in winter.  Jake

Yesterdays 10 was decent but foot was really not right.  Dr Google advised that it may in fact be cuboid syndrome and not plantar fascitis so I did some You Tube rehab on that. Outcome was as follows - Wear sliders around the house Buff up left slider with insole (even shorter left leg) K Tape achillies (that was a bit sore) Cuboid release - ouch Arch support Calf stretching and rolling Ankle release - roller Does it really seem worth the effort for an 18.17 5km runner I don't know !!! Outcome was as follows - Today's run, practically zero issue.  I'd say 95% niggle free on the foot which is pretty amazing. Annoyingly I wore the infinity reacts which now means I can't really return them. I'll have to swallow the fact they are £139 mileage munchers.  Whatever, regardless of the cash outlay, to be able to run pain free I could not pay enough money at the minute. Well, I could pay for an Op but you get the point. Strangely I think wearing sliders ar

Another week training done and another week that feels wasted. To be fair, I've not been feeling 100% - pretty sure it's not the c-bomb ... yet - and my foot has been playing up. The basic structure of the week was there - pretty much plan was to run sub 7's steady for everything with some tempo thrown in. Almost managed that. 5 days training.  2 steady runs well under 7's feeling good.  Long run at 7.02/mm will take that in the rain.  Tempo was poor - 5k at 6:04/mm feeling like a slug in treacle.  On top of that a very slow lethargic 3 mile plod on the way to watch the boy run in Liverpool.  Really just missed one session - sacked off and a few miles on a couple of runs so not a million miles off plan. The big issue is the plantar issue on my right foot.  It's lingered for months really and only really went away with the hip injury.  It's annoying at best but painful at worst.  Not 100% sure how to deal with it.  I've iced, stretched, rolled etc. to

It's official, the word is no longer cunt but C$%^*virus !! Feeling a little under the weather this week, and always panic stations creep in.  Obviously showing no symptoms of the c-word, just general training fatigue. The plantar issue has caused havoc this week, foot is not nearly 100% right.  Ice pack last night actually caused some weird ice burn which is painful with shoes.  That and the plantar just sacked off today's run (under weather + foot + weather = steady - easy run and not threshold). Got to say, it's got top the stage of winter now where I'm really getting down about going out and running in it.  I am desperate for the sun to start shining and shorts and tee shirt weather to come back and the constant rain & wind to fuck right off. Number one problem right now is the plantar, not sure how to approach it. Stretching & weight loading seems the obvious plan, nothing else specific is really helping - although the ice may actually work, just ne

After a recent run of fairly legible and half interesting quality blog posts I seem to have gone back to waffling absolute bollocks this week! So, and just to help me, I'm going to clarify my strategy. Training Plan volume 4,972 - Build a routine of 2 weeks endurance, 1 week tempo specific quality, 1 week track speed specific quality. Endurance week Focus - build mileage, double days, longer runs, trail runs. Aim - to build economy, conditioning, bouncebackability Tempo specific quality 2 x tempo sessions (1 shorter tempo, 1 longer threshold) Longer run done at 'pace' Average pace in the steady range, rest over recovery runs where possible.  Only one run per day, with focus on rehab Track specific quality 2 x track sessions (1 longer at 3k pace, 1 flat out with near full recoveries) 1 threshold session (because, you know!) Runs between quality done very easily to HR to aid recovery The final week is the key week.  This is the area the previous weeks a

Last week I was agonisingly close to 50 miles.  Not close enough that I could be bothered to get off my arse and jog to the 500m to the ford and back - but close enough to call it a wrap. This week, I started with a rest day - planned because we were out to a charity dinner / drink up - and followed than with a pathetic hungover 2.8 miles @ 9/mm. Followed up Wednesday feeling tired but getting a decent 4.5 & 5 double in with the 5 HR test actually being a pretty good session finishing with a 5.38 mile under control.  Thursday was again, really tired but plodded 7 miles and today, another 4.5 / 5 double.  The above is a bit of drivel.  Reading back I am actually boring the shit out of myself.  The point is I have been really *really* tired this week, BUT I have managed to get out and when I have dragged my tired arse out, it's generally been OK. I'm currently at about 40 CTL.  When I feel good, I pretty much feel really good.  The tiredness I'm believing is comin

There is a lot I could say about this topic.  Boozing has given me some of the funniest nights of my life.  It's also given me pretty much all of the most toe curling-ly embarrassing moments you could imagine. Yes Monday night was fun, but it was up there with the Darren is a pissed up shouty dick head ones.  The big problem with boozing is the after effects.  Tuesday was an almost total write off.  I managed to shuffle less than 3 miles at 8.59/mm feeling like I was about to die.  Today even, still have that 'hazy, 30 seconds behind what's going on' look about me. So I am going to take a decent (very decent) break from booze.  I'll have to make up all sorts of excuses to avoid the issue on social situations but it has to be done. So the alcohol free journey to steeplechase begins.  I've got a fair amount of work to put in over the next few weeks so every little helps right?!

This week I have mostly been ... doing miles. So first 8 weeks of the year I slowly (and consistently) built from 20 to around 30 miles.  Kept some Q in there with track and tempo and the paces were pretty good.  The main issue for me was the rate of progress was getting too slow.  Don't get me wrong, I was (am) in pretty good shape but I needed to change things up. So this week decided to go bigger (for me anyways!) 7 days run (11 runs) 49.4 miles 7:35/mm avge pace Doubled up the start of the week to bulk the miles, by Friday though I was pretty battered and today I was napping before I even ran! Decent start, have to admit I wanted to hit 60 but the Q sessions take too much out of me.  Will continue next week and try to get used to running this volume but off mainly single sessions. Longest run was a mere 7.3 miles so work to be done there but nce the weather picks up this will be a hundred times easier. Quad aches from the 200s and the plantar issue is still ther