Going Naked ... Again

So I bought myself a Timex Ironman and decided to drop the Garmin.

I go 'naked' on tech fairly regularly just to get a reset but this time feels a little different. I had a moment on a tram in Gothenburg where I realised that my watch is really starting to tell me how I am feeling.

I had a great block of training Mon - Weds, rested Thurs and Fri and Sat my 2 runs in G'burg were horrible. It is very, VERY hilly and I ran early (plus -1 hour time diff) but I started to feel groggy, kept checking my watch and rather than just run and enjoy the hills and trails I was thinking about pace constantly.

Hand up, if I were going long then power meter, hrm, Garmin, all the tools and it's like colour by numbers. BUT for shorter stuff sometimes you just have to have a feel for pace. All my better sessions and runs are pretty much done without checking my watch anyway (just for lap splits on track). 

I think binning the Garmin, at least for a bit will help me get back to my old (old) self - and have a more cavalier attitude towards running. It's not really working right now. I'm closer to where I was than I am to making a break through so it's got to be worth a change. I'm still going to be doing a lot of the same stuff it's just it'll be on feel rather than constantly getting feedback on how I am running.

I'm also getting to the end of my Strava career. It's feeling like it's more hassle than it's worth. People annoy the fuck out of me at the best of times and Strava has a way of bringing the absolute biggest shithousery out in people (me included). My close pals - I speak and run with them anyway so I'm not missing anything important! So from now, my training will only be on here! It's quite the trail of websites to follow my training back to 2008 lol (it does all exist !!)

It was weird in Sweden tho, I had DOMS on glutes and hammys before I'd run a step. Also, I did 2 runs of 6 and 8 miles and they felt like forever. I really wasn't engaged in them like I am over here.

Monday - So today, traveled back (was up at 3am UK time) and set out in horrible wind for an easy - to feel - run. On my 5 route, just ran and came out at 32.30 for the 5 miles. No way that felt like 6.30 pace. Doing a Josh Lunn here lol.

Either way, it felt easy. Confidence restored and now planning for the rest of the week.

Mon - easy (5)

Tue - intervals (8)

Wed - S&C + CC (8)

Thu - intervals (7)

Fri - easy (7)

Sat - long (15)

Sun - hills & easy (8)

Full week planned. Intervals will be 8 x 800 (5k pace) and 10 x 400 (3k pace).  Hills will be pretty relaxed. Not sure on which days which session right now. Weather is shite. May both be treadmill at this rate!

Tuesday - decided to do 8 x 800 today, on the road and just get through it. Headed to P&R and warmed up standard. Plan was 8 x 2.30 on the Parkrun route. Off 90 recovery. Remember, no Garmin, I am on the Timex so run to watch 2.30 then just use the same markers coming back. 

Really wanted this session to feel just bellow 5k effort and each rep felt pretty bleugh but got through the session in a business like manner. Worked out mainly tail wind, mainly head wind for the out and back reps and recovery was 1.40 and 1.20. Reps between 2.25 and 2.35. Works out probably 5.10 - 5.20 pace range somewhere which is ideal.

Usual cool down back round Stories way for 8 miles ish nice and steady.

Mentally feel much better after this. Was a bit worried at the weekend, not enough racing to be confident right now. I'm also down on my races compared to training. Need a good result at some stage !!

Wednesday - coke club with Rich. Nice and easy and felt good. Decided not to + it today and give the legs a chance to ease up a bit for tomorrow. 8 miles in 1.02 so around 7.45 pace. Good chat and a good laugh as ever. Bit windy.

Thursday - Track !! Relaxed speed today, time to ease back towards some mile pace work and get the legs ticking over again. After 4 laps warm up did 3 sets of 6 x 200m @ mile effort into 200m recovery. Then 400m walk. Very windy today as would have done the basic 10 x 400 but session worked out well and actually felt stronger as it went on. It's basically 3 x 1.5 miles and works out at around 6/mm pace for each block.

Running to feel, I probably started at mile pace and went towards 1k or 800m pace by the end. Recoveries felt super slow but it was just a business like session today. Never in trouble but equally never felt that hard pushed.

Finished up and did some hurdles testing spikes. Hurdles set 1 notch below steeplechase height as it's first session of the year (and way too late !!). Adidas - felt very shit, calfs sore after 6 hurdles (3 x 2). Asics felt better but again very flat. Dragonfly felt good, relaxed and you could feel the foam between hurdles but you def did not get a boost over the hurdle. Also dug toe in after 2nd hurdle and did a camo roll like a tit and scuffed my knee, hand and elbow - twat lol.  Would def test these out in a race. Zoomx Victory - suprised me how good these felt over hurdles, a definate pop and made hurdle feel lower. Will buy new ones and test these out for first race. This was what I was looking for. May need some heel stacking tho as not as much cushioning in these between barriers. Nike TJ elite - ok, a curve ball. My thinking was test these out as these are specific jump shoes. They were shit and uncomfortable lol - will be sending these straight back.

I do need some serious calf work but steeplechase is not a lost cause. I'll try first race in the Victories as they did give me what I am looking for. If that isn't a total disaster I'll try the dragonfly as I know lots of people use them.

All in, decent and productive morning. 8 miles ish of combination of speed and easy. Will do ply and calfs tonight. Steeplechase wise, will start to throw in some barrier work once per week to get comfortable with the heights. First chase could be May 20th at SAL - ahhh just checked a day later and first chase will be June SAL. More time I guess !! 

Friday - forgot to Normatec legs last night and have a bit of track ache. Easy run today with some strides.

Starting to draw up a rough guide for track races. Plan is to get through a few to get the legs used to it and then hit one of each distance hard.

SAL - May 20 (3000m), Jun 18 (2k s/c), Jul 9 (3000m)

Vets - May 22 (1500m), Jun 26 (800m), Jul 17 (1500m)

Open - Apr 25 Corby (1k), Jun 14 (mile)

Club Champs - Apr 16 (400m), May 7 (1500m), Jul 2 (800m)

400 x 1, 800 x 2, 1000 x 1, 1500 x 3, mile x 1, 3000 x 2

Need to find a 5000m somewhere there but the outline looks good. 

Will most likely do the 400m on Sunday just to see where flat speed is at. Aim for this year is to crack 60 which would be really nice. I think from there I can push a decent 800m out. 400 speed is the missing link right now, if I can develop that without having to do squats and short hills (hernia) and just via efforts like yesterday I will have a great season.

Managed to avoid the rain storms whilst doing 5 & strides. Very easy shakeout run. 42 mins, strides were fairly relaxed. Right calf very tight today so some work tonight to loosen that up. 200s & hurdles are an old man leg killer !!

Saturday - calf was very sore this morning. Loads of mobility and stretching plus K-Taping it up and it held together. 15 miles with Dan, Gemma & Matt around the Northstowe route. Felt pretty relaxed @ 7.30s Not real issues with calf afterwards but it is NOT happy ! Will stretch and roll. Most likely I'll either go easy tomorrow or rest and then run Monday. Pretty sure 400m tomorrow will be unwise !!

49 for the week so far. 

Really need the legs to start feeling good now for race block in 6 days !!

Sunday - calf and legs generally battered. Gave up on it today and just carded a rest. I'll run tomorrow at some stage. Plan now is to get the legs back to me. Progressive overload + rest = fitness. Hoping I can stay on top of diet now and ease the legs back next week and hit out on Friday. Definitely feeling like I am on the border of fitness now. Just need that super strong feeling back in my legs.

I'll run easy tomorrow and do something fairly light on Tuesday then it's easy & rest up until the race. We'll see what's what when I line up !!

Monday - working trip to Lower Mill. Tried to run the lake route (my absolute fav) but back field was flooded so looped around trails and then Somerford Keynes. Easy 5 ish.

Tuesday - bit on so ran late (for me). Windy AF so did the first km of Parkrun in Reverse x 4. Walking back recoveries and then 4 x 60 off 60 on. With steady warm up and cool down (6.30 and 6.50 pace) was probs 8 miles with just over 5k of effort.

The loop ended up being fairly horrible with the wind. Just over half way head wind and the last half a big tail wind.

Reps were to feel and plan was 3.10 - 3.20 just feeling relaxed.

First rep 3.15. Felt easy enough. Second rep 3.11. Ran harder into the wind. Was way harder than 5k for the first half but relaxed the finish. Third rep 3.10. Surprised as didn't feel as quick. More aggressive racing line lol. Wind is very tiresome. No way this is 5k effort but it's a really hard start to get on pace. Fourth rep 3.08. Didn't really push any harder and actually felt alright. Again, wind just making this session tougher than it needed to be.

Then walked up to the end loop and did minute jogging, minute at 5k effort x 4 to finish the session.

Pretty happy with that tbf. Wasn't 100% on what I would do but in that wind that's a solid session. I'll see how that shapes up for Friday and maybe keep these going through this 5k block as the one weekly actual session.

Bit of a sore throat feeling so I'll dose up. Would be ideal if I am ill and I shake it for Friday lol

Wednesday - legs starting to come good. Feel much looser this morning. Slight concern on the sore throat but it seems to be under control. Good stretch and light strength work today and then coke club + tonight with Rich and Wayne. Will rest tomorrow. Almost feels like a taper!

Yesterdays session feels like is really in the right ball park for the next few weeks. Those Tuesday reps of 800m - 1km at around 3k - 5k effort are on the nose. If it goes well then just keeping those reps there is a great confidence boost each week and it's a manageable session. That's 3 weeks in a row now. Ideally getting those to sub 5/mm will really reap benefits.

Experimenting with slightly less volume on reps and slightly more recovery and hoping that it pays off with better pace and not digging too deep a hole.

I'll just run through to Friday and start addressing next week then. I do have a 1km race on Tuesday evening so that will require a bit of management. In theory Friday is a B race and Mid Chesh an A race but we shall just see how it plays out!

Coke Club tonight (not +) as Rich arrived well early. Not a bad shout, 8 easy (1.02.21) felt very comfortable. Bit of bounce coming back into legs, starting to come together. 

Still unsure how Friday will go but feel like I am going to arrive very well rested. This week I have done less than I think I should which is the opposite to last few times when I've felt tired so hopefully it'll pay off!

Thursday - rest day. Not a big fan of rest day before a race but needs must! Hoping this is the day my legs really come good. Plan today is good food, lots of water. Tomorrow I'll shake out and race. Then a solid weekend training in prep for next week! Today though good chance to catch up on chores and get some stretching in.

Friday - Race Day ! OK, so this may become it's own post depending on how things go. Wake up normal and feel good. Easy + rest coupled with easing down over the last week or so and the legs do feel good. No real aches and pains.

Yesterday - tracked food and hit nutrition goals on the nose. 

Breakfast - GF toast, jam, peanut butter. Some mobility. Got out for an easy 2.5 miles (Cambourne and back). Shakeout run, just to loosen the legs. Legs felt good, head a bit bleugh but that's just mentally.

Lunch - egg fried rice (home made).

So leading in to this race I have taken things a little more seriously. That's just because I haven't raced for a while. Thorney I was kinda mentally not in the right place when I knew it was going to be blowing a gale.

So this one I've probably gone overboard getting my body in a good place. Still consider next week to be the big one BUT if I'm on a good pace with 2km to go tonight ...

Have dialled things RIGHT back for a week or so. I can't remember going into a race healthy where I have eased back so much. Great to compare against normal week where I would have done a bit more for confidence.

Weather tonight looks incredible. 9 degrees and literally no wind. I could not ask for better !!

Come off phone and socials after lunch (12.30). No checking now, just time to get myself to the start line in the best possible shape.

Race - I'll blog separately. 16.11 - over the moon with that. Took a punt at halfway and paid off. Worked REALLY hard for that. Only 7th out of 10 in my AG and top 20 in UK so very good field. More to come, need to get used to running at this pace.

9 for the day. 30 so far this week, should hit 50.

Saturday - bleugh, had a few beers last night and a bit of evening race buzz going on so up at 7.45 and a lazy warm up. Banana and coffee fueled ! 

Did standard 2km warm up then into Parkrun. Settled in to about 6/mm and just ran that effort. Quick chat with Shaun and Tom O at the finish then the Maddingley loop back to car. 68.24 so just under 10 miles. Call it 9.5 for the day!

Legs pretty tired and heavy today but good miles in the bag. Plan now is same again tomorrow, rest Monday and then look towards Friday and another fast 5k opportunity.

Sunday - Marafun day. Met Dan at the busway and did 13.1 easy at bang on 7/mm. Felt heavy legged but also relaxed. Coming in to shape. Finished with a pub brekky and watched the marathon boys finish up. Some happy, some will not be!

Week total - 53 miles. Decent 5k PB and feeling good. 

Plan for this week is to head in to Mid Chesh Friday night feeling same as last weekend and have a crack.