Quest for a 15 - Week 2

Thorney 10k race week. A good chance to stretch the legs out and see how the strength work is really paying off.

Couple of good weeks banked. Actually they have been fantastic apart from a couple of sessions here and there.

Aim this week is to hit a really strong volume session as confidence for the race and then deliver on the 10k. 

I actually have no real idea on what I can do. In my head I feel like I should start out at 5.30 pace and see how it goes. On my longer reps that's not too much of an issue an I figure I'll certainly get to 4 before I die.

10k has always been a disappointing distance for me. 5 miles I have always done week but for some reason 10k just doesn't work out.

Nonetheless the plan this week is to get a solid one in the bank before next weeks 'race prep week'. Rough outline for the week is ...

* Get clear of whatever is in my system causing fatigue

* Nail a strong volume session

* Recover well

* Don't get too pissed Wednesday night

* Stay healthy and recovered and ready to rock and roll Sunday

Monday - up and feel really good. Rest day today so lots of stretching and eat well.

Tuesday - up and feel great. Meet DC for session. It's proper windy out there today. 4 x 2km - 6.44, 6.50, 6.55, 6.55. That was a huge struggle, the windy parts just ripped me a new one. Easily on pace today on a flat day but in that wind (20+ mph) I just couldn't get on top of pace. Decent session for that effort tho. 9 miles @ 6.32/mm

Frustrating to not be hitting paces I would like but even I know it was a good session in that wind. Just such a horrible time of year for running quick. Compared to last time I did this session it's very slightly slower BUT much worse conditions and I had slightly more rest last time. Plus we really should have used the long loop today. 

Actually looking at it there was so much against it today that it was just layering another bad session on that is moving things in the right direction!

Wednesday - ate well last night. Back and body aches from arm weights on Monday. Loosen off and get an easy run done today. Out tomorrow night. Must Not Go Mad !!!! This will be key as I could do with a confidence booster Thursday for Sunday.

If I run well Sunday then Tuesday's session will be long forgotten but it's such a fragile moment when you have a knock in training like that. In my brain I know it was just the wind but there's a bit of you that's always going to nag away. My mantra is - just layer on shit disappointing session after shit disappointing session and you'll end up being disappointed with fast times lol.

Stretched off and ran 7 easy over the trails. Moving OK but just very very tired. Yesterday took a LOT more out of me than it needed to for that pace. Out later tonight. Not sure why I'm not recovering well. I'm eating pretty clean, just need to bare with it and hope things pick up I guess. Just such a shitty time of year to try and run well.

Thursday - well, went mad and was knackered and hanging lol. Drove tpo Cotswolds to sort airbnb out. Ended up dragging my arse around 5 easy miles in the rain. Absolute minimum effort feeling sorry for myself. Reset tomorrow.

Friday - had an absolute world class sleep. Time to get this train back on the tracks. Out for a steady 7 on same loop as 2 weeks ago. Start off and feel very, very, very bleugh but pace is OK. Actually 6.09 ish first mile or so. Still feeling pretty hungover - I am too old for that shit !! Into wind it's bloody heavy going but for first 3 miles it's not too bad. Pace down to about 6.30/6.04 overall which is nice and I'm feeling controlled. Big block headwind up to 4 miles and I have to stop and turn around. HR going well into threshold. Turn back and loop around the village. Wind behind and I'm running very easy 6 flat ish pace but wind is crazy strong so any headwind it's getting silly on the HR. All the while feeling shocking from drinking on weds still. 7 miles @ 6.06/mm for 154 bpm. Confidence for Sunday from that as it never felt over steady (155 ish bpm mainly). Threshold was only into headwind at 20+ mph again with big gusts. Just pushed it harder than I wanted to in those bits but overall still in decent shape.

Key now is to continue recovering so that I wake up Sunday ready to rock and roll.

Saturday - another good sleep and feeling slightly improved. Shame clocks jump forward tonight as i'd be more confident tomorrow! 

Shakeout 4 plus strides all done. Felt a bit bleugh but it's still incredibly windy. This is just going to be character building until the better weather comes in. Just have to get through it now.

Sunday - clocks go forward and we loose an hours kip !! Wake up 7am and actually feel OK. Rice pudding, water and vits and all good. Pick up Dan and arrive at Thorney hour befpre race start. Warm up and feel shite. 

The race starts and feel OK- ish first bit. Start working with Rob as everyone is sticking in. Get to 2 miles and start dropping back. Lap sp[lits were 5.28 and 5.41 so I am in the ball park for my target of around 5.35/mm (5.3x) for the race.

The dog leg bit from 1.5 to 4.5 miles is a killer. Side wind that never really felt helpful. I get stuck solo pretty much the whole of this part and it's disheartening.

Splits for 3 & 4 are 5.45 and 6.03 - ouchy

Coming back is worse than going out. Once I hit the turn coming back I immediately lift the pace. I'd sold myself on that when I was floundering. Actually finish at an OK pace with splits of 5.45 (half mile with big wind) and 5.32 feeling decent and 5.11 for the last bit.

Feel really tired afterwards. Scoff a burger and milkshake and flake out.

16th place in 35.22 is shit - BUT it's actually my 2nd fastest 10k (I've not done one for years). Lots of excuses today, left a fair bit on the course.

Breaking the race down by sections -

Start to turn - 1.5 miles 5.34/mm - 161 bpm

Turn to hairpin - 1.46 miles 5.43/mm - 162 bpm

Hairpin to turn (the back leg) - 1.47 miles 6.01/mm - 161 bpm

Turn to home - 1.67 miles 5.30/mm - 163 bpm

First up the excuses... I have been feeling shit all week. Weds evening didn't help. Feel like I have something in my system as I am not recovering properly. I got glutened yesterday - bit dehydrating. The wind fucked me over, I struggle into it and got demoralised especially on the way back. Lack of focus cost me in the middle of the race. Didn't really get up for it.

The good parts - split 5k in 17.25 and actually considering how it went on the start of the return I came back strong in the last 3k. I think without the wind I would have kept the pace well in the 5.3x range. My HR was bullet proof threshold, even feeling as bad as I did. 

So it wasn't great but wasn't a total disaster. Couple of people ran shittier than me.

What do I need to do now?

1 - recover. I need to get sleep and hydrate. Start again Tuesday.

2 - drop session volume slightly and work on speed. I'm laying on shitty sessions on top of shitty sessions and shitty pace is getting faster. It's working, I just need to get the right day now. 

3 - stay out of the wind. We're at the point I am not getting retuirn and I need confidence. I won't train or race in 12 mph + winds now as it's just ripping too much out of me and I am in danger of spiralling here. I can't remember outside of indoors lining up when it's been a flat day.

4 - drop B12 supps. See if that helps fatigue. Drop iron afterwards. I'm getting very tired after training. Maybe start tracking again. Scratch that, start tracking food again!