Show me your friends, I'll show you your future

I think I am pretty safely over hip watch now. 100% it's not quite right but it's not likely to develop into anything serious (touch wood). 

Still need to make a concerted effort over the Christmas period to strengthen and get more flexible - glutes, core, hips, ankles are the main focus but I do feel like I am out of the woods (not patting myself on the back just yet!)

Since Saturday's disappointment I got a very solid long run in on Sunday (6.18/mm avge) a rest day on Monday and a steady 5 (6:28/mm) and shakeout 3 yesterday.

I honestly feel like I have something in my system (would be the most convenient explanation for Saturday's inability to push on). I'm nowhere near feeling great when running. Possibly just pushing a little hard BUT the strangest thing of all at the minute is how slow some of the quicker paces feel. 6.20 pace feels really slow (not easy - don't confuse the two words). Generally when I am fit 6:20 pace feels like race pace, I'm wondering where 50 secs per mile will come from but right now it feels like 7:20/mm.

It's certainly not easy, and it's probably closer to threshold effort than steady after the weekend but with a race in the legs plus possible something in my system I will take that for now.

There is no doubt pace wise I have been pushing things, especially if you look back to the old Preston pace days !!

Since early November the majority of my runs have been sub 6.30 pace (Just the steady ones, not even including sessions). I am trying to condition myself so that 6/mm and around is very comfortable. I think if I want to run sub 16 for 5k then that has to be the case. In fairness I don't think I am a long way off that if everything was stacked for a quick time (no wind, warm day, flowing course, no hills, long straights). 

As I ease into Christmas period I'm pretty set on my training plan. Lots of steady runs, easy (very easy) days, some rest around the big booze days and a couple of longer runs.  I think it's important to keep some decent pace steady runs in and I will use power to judge effort more. Still no sessions yet but I'll do some strides after the steady runs.

I'll run the 10k on New Years Eve all being well as a solid tempo and hopefully bring that in somewhere around 35.00 - 35.30 feeling good. I'd like to find an early year 5k if there's anything about as it would be nice to TT - not flat out but a controlled effort. If not maybe worth heading to Gt Denham and having a blast.

Tested running a very easy shakeout double yesterday. Just 3 miles but think that helped give the legs a little bit of a loosen out. Pace was very slow (as it should be) but hoping if this works it'll add a bit of conditioning in. Calf muscles have been a bit tight since the weekend.

Looking forward to January when strength work will kick in properly and start to build some speed. Have some nice sessions lined up and looking forward to pushing onwards.