Transitioning

Nope, not that way ... summer to autumn training !!

I've decided to blow off the mile race on Saturday. Mainly just to give Jake a better shot at a decent 800m. He's going to have a bucket load of waiting around if not (probs 2 hours + travel time) plus it's going to be wet and miserable! So it gives me just the (unlikely to happen) 3,000m next weekend to close out my track season.

What it does mean is that I can kinda start to progress towards Autumn training slightly earlier. More threshold and less speed work! I can also get some good quality in before the 3k.

I have entered the Bedford 5k on the 18th October though - unfinished business after Milton Keynes and should be a great indicator if things are progressing, remaining static or regressing!

Coming from a late track season it's a lot less rest required - I've hardly had a tiring series of stressful races - so a gentle transition is all that's really needed.

The plan is to move from current ~36 miles per week to ~50 miles per week by the end of October. I'm not sure how but I'll try and progress that up to ~60 miles per week by mid December. Once silly season kicks in it'll be a job to get through Christmas and New Year with much focus on anything other than eating and drinking before indoor season starts and we incorporate a return to speed!

The sessions I am planning are aimed at building that true threshold (half marathon pace - 162 bpm) 5k pace (168 bpm) and easy pace (150 bpm). These are the focus areas.  In reality that's quite some band!

I'd say right now these paces on a good day are (easy, TT, 5k) 7/mm, 5:50/mm, 5:29/mm.

I'll track these throughout and see how they develop.  The primary target is to bring threshold down to where my 5k is now. Off of that I would hope my 5k pace would be closer to 5.10/mm

I will do a specific 5k effort session once a week. I think I was found wanting at Milton Keynes here. I've been working at way below pace (70 per 400m) and slightly over (5:45 tempo). There is a big hole that low 5:20 effort will fill. I definitely missed that specific area and assumed (wrongly) my speed would make that pace feel relaxed.  I'll have a chance to get 3 of those sessions in between now and Bedford which will be really helpful to start relaxing at that pace. If all goes well that will stay a staple of the Autumn plan.

I'm also a big fan of my treadmill session and I think I'll keep that but test moving that a bit so that it'll be closer to 3k pace (avg 18.9 kmph) and expanding to 12 x 60/30 - and then move that over time to 75/30. I'll alternate that with some over / under work which I really enjoy.

The longer run is a must. Even I know that so I'll start work on building that. I'm not sure I can get to 14 miles but I'll probably try and work to time! I hate long runs !!

I've also decided to be very specific with my pre/rehab work. Weighted calf raises for my lower legs, weighted drives (for steeplechase season) and hip openers which has been a bit of a revelation. Longevity is the name of the game, I can't progress if I can't run !!