Taper Time

This week it's all about the taper. After 10 weeks of solid training with 8 including sessions the legs really need a target race to ease down to. 

Bedford 5k on Sunday is the perfect chance to really see where I am at. Park Runs have gone well enough now that I can start to get that focus and look to get a solid time in the bank.

I've built continually in the last 3 months without really cutting back so I am hoping if my legs come in they will really adapt well and I'll fly on Sunday (touch wood) !!

Monday - rest. Ached like fuck, from a decent weeks training with a long run on tired legs plus the Ninja Warrior antics with the fam on Saturday. Spent a bit of time stretching and rolling.

Tuesday - session. This will be my anchor session. 10 x 75 / 45 on the treadmill. This week at 19.1 kmph. Warmed up, few minor aches in hips but overall felt pretty decent.

Only did 2 x strides as it was feeling a bit like effort!

From the off these felt hard - at that point where you think you can get through the session but always on that edge of calling for extra rest. Managed to get through but it was tough - I am not gonna lie! Felt closer to mile effort than 3k effort.

After 10 I switched out my trainers to do 1 rep in the Alpha Fly. Obviously I was tired to start but it felt so much easier in the Apha fly than the Takumi Sen.

Data wise - around 364w for 3.09 km pace so very accurate on the treadmill. The alpha fly - 361w for 3.10 per km but felt much easier and I was getting much more air time.

Decent session, I will continue running in the Takumi Sen on the treddy and racing in Alpha Fly - hopefully harder sessions will pay off on race day. I think in Alpha Fly that session would be too easy on the legs.

Cool down outside in Pegasus 39 - they actually feel like they could be a go to easy run shoe.

Wednesday - shakeout. 5 & strides with Mr T. Felty a bit tired today but just starting to ease that TSB back. Fairly happy with the Peggys for easy running, wasn't too bad on the strides.

Thursday - session. Speed work today and the plan is to keep it really relaxed with nice recovery. Everything is about getting my legs to adapt and move forwards from the recent long training block. No point having the same legs that ran 9.50 5 weeks ago!

Felt a bit bleugh beforehand, had to psych myself up to even start. Decided on treadmill, I'll keep the sessions on the treddy until I get close to 16 flat and then I'll move on to more track and grass work. 

Plan was 3 x 90 / 60 / 30 secs off 2 mins, 2 mins and 90 secs. With a 3 min set recovery and all at 20 kmph (1500m race pace).

First 90 was awful, felt like forever but once I got down to the first 30 rep it all felt much easier. Last set I reduced recovery to 90 and 30 just to pump up some lactic.

Felt pretty relaxed in the OG Metaspeed. It would have been harsh in the TS but I didn't fancy battering my legs too much.

Looking at Stryd power is around 373w for all the efforts (treddy and Stryd pickup cause havoc on short sessions). With recent weight loss that adds up to a fairly confused power target - I'm probably looking at last seasons power of around 340w being 16.30 pace.

Fairly confident for Sunday, weather looks OK. Don't think there will be many people there so likely to be a lonely run but I'm happy just to get out later for a change. If it doesn't go quite to plan I always have Storys or Ipswich the following weekend as a back up.

Only spanner in the works is friends staying over Friday night so I have to be reasonably well behaved !!!

Session ideas ...

So this week it's been an adaption into what sort of training I will look at. Going forwards I really like the idea of multi paced sessions but using much quicker speed work.

I'll also introduce shakeouts to double days and get the legs moving to get rid of the aches and pains that will no doubt follow.

I have a bit of a break in Barcelona for 4 days coming up so I'll use that to break down the first half of the season. Off the back of that I'll be looking at more short races and specifically targetting a Watford 3k.

Monday - rest. This will stay as-is as it's a good day for me and at my age I can't run streak without issues.

Tuesday - strength work plus shakeout. Right now I'll continue to build to 12 x 75/45 until those are up around 20 kmph feeling comfortable (it's a relative word). I am at 12 at 19.3 next week. def nowhere near comfortable!

Wednesday - slightly longer easy plus strides will be around 6.5. Add in some strength work pm.

Thursday - speed. If it's treadmill I'll continue with today's session of 90/60/30 but reduce the recovery to 60 and 30. Once I am happy with that I'll start to increase the pace through the session (say 20, 20.5, 21). If I am on track I'll do sets of 200s or occasionally 400s off longer recovery. Aim here is simple - get bloody quick! Shakeout double again will be needed

Friday - short recovery plus strides

Saturday - race or session with longer intervals. E.g park run LT tempo plus 60 sec efforts at AT.

Sunday - hills or long run. Pretty simple! 

In my head this sounded like a lot more thought provoking but basically working multiple paces through the week. I know I am adapting properly when my recovery runs turn into easy runs!

Friday - rest !! 2nd rest and good news is that this one brings my TSB into positive territory. Bad news is that Lola has Covid so need to see how I am before racing Sunday !

Saturday - wake up feeling bleugh. Lola has Covid. Not good. Will try a shakeout later and see how everything is but it's looking likely that I may miss tomorrow now. Fuck sake !!!

OK, got out and ran. No idea how legs or breathing would be. HR goes fairly high at the start - it's uphill and into a pretty good breeze so no panic but little bit dubious.

Usual 5 loop plus strides. Strides go OK - Garmin says 4.15 - 4.20 ish pace which is cool. Feel relaxed. Back is still strained, not sure what I have done but overall I'm relaxed.

Run home comfortable at easy HR - 147 bpm. About 7.10 pace for 2 miles which in the standard Peggys is pretty good.

Hit the exact numbers I had set myself so now I am exactly where I wanted to be fitness and freshness wise for tomorrow.

BUT - will I wake up tomorrow feeling rough. Race time clashes with Jr Parkrun and we have a sickly kid. It's still 50:50 on whether I even make the start.

Plan B - you always need a back up. If I cant race then I need to get out and do something productive. I'll try and smash out Park Run next weekend. Not ideal but it is what it is.

No point worrying about what might be and what was not. Keep taking the hits and keep moving forwards.

Sunday - up aned actually feel good. It's tight hammys causing all the probs. I should be able to iron those out this week.

I'm racing! Head to Bedford Autodome and after sat nav directed me and half the field the wrong way I eventually get parked up and collect number.

I cannot stress enough how little wind there was in every part of the country except Bedford Autodome. 6 mph felt crazy blowy it's that exposed.

Strong warm up (2k at 6.20/mm to wake the legs up). Feel pretty good.

Fart around pre race and then line up. Claxon goes and we're at the races. Settle in to 2nd on the first turn. Bit of a wind and a big group around me. Make the turn (literally 400m in to the race) and physically feel myself dissapear up the road. 

I'm feeling pretty good and get breathing under control. Through km in 3.14 on my watch and about 5 secs clear. Through mile in 5.15 and I'm about 10 secs up. Feel good.

From here on it's intp what wind there is and boy it feels much more than 6 mph.

I'm working, the odd glance shows 345 ish watts but from here on it's just tryiong to dig in all the way.

By half way I am 20 secs clear. Don't get any more splits but on the uphill slog to the finish turn I know it's not quick. 

Make an awkward last tight turn and finish isn't far. Cross the line to take the overall win !! Unbeknown to me, 2nd place runs a crazy last 2k (5.11 for the mile & 4.22 pace according to Strava !!) and is only 5 secs back.

Pretty happy to win but tough day running that solo.

Comparing Stryd data just for DC to Storys Field last week -

BA - 16.58, 5.03 km, 342w, 3:22/km, 167 bpm

SF -  16.46, 4.99 km, 350w, 3:22/km, 167 bpm

Splits 

BA - 3.09 / 3.20 / 3.30 / 3.29 / 3.24

SF - 3.16 / 3.21 / 3.21 / 3.25 / 3.23

HR Max 173 today, 174 last week

Alpha Fly today, Meta Speed last week.

Long story short - pretty similar efforts. I think I would have run faster on todays legs at Storys Field just because it was hard to stay focussed out solo with such long drags. A consistent effort though in comparisson and not much between the two.  I def found today harder but in different ways to last week.

If I keep knocking at the door I think I'll be down towards 16.30 soon enough. Just need the right legs on the right day.