Quest for a 15 - Week 3

OK ... new week, new me !!

Pretty annoyed with how last week panned out BUT having a chance to review the positives it's not all doom and gloom.

I still split 17.25 and 28.30 for 5k and 5 miles. I managed a session of 5 miles volume in 5.28/mm avge. I ran 7 miles comfortably at 6.05/mm. IT.IS.NOT.ALL.BAD

OK so fair point I haven't progressed in a while but my start point is strong. Still think I could crack out a quick 5k in good conditions.

I have 3 weeks to prepare for Battersea and a week to ease in. Then it is 3 really good 5k chances in a row on quick courses. I have to think one of those days will be flat wind and warm(ish) !!!

I have got back into some bad habbits so the plan this week is to address the simple stuff and get myself healthy again and in a good mental place. No races this week so 7 days of focus.

Plan is to start tracking food again and get my diet under control. It had slowly started to go back to how it used to be. I'm not overly concerned with weight in general BUT I do need to focus on my nutrients - protein, carbs, fibre and my hydration - water, coffee and green tea this week. I actually think the diet is what is making my recovery a struggle.

I'm also going to get my s&c back in order. Glutes and back are aching so get on top of mobility and stay on top of that strength.

Those are probably the 2 key areas to address as they give biggest return. I'm likely not ill just not living healthy.

Training wise, I'll start with rest on Monday as per to give me a reset. My volume sessions I am going to bring down the duration and increase rest in this block. 4 miles volume is plenty but the plan is to start at 10k and go down to mile effort by the end of sessions. I'm also going to restart speed work BUT I'll use treadmill while it's windy and give myself some Mid Chesh focus doing some effort uphill to fire up those muscles that I am not utilising.

Need some confidence. Not sure when I will race again before Battersea. Friday is booked in but it's 40 mph winds. Similar story at weekend. Possibly Gothernerg Parkrun while I am away and there is an option next Tuesday BUT I'd need to see really good turnaround on the weather.

Monday - rest. S&C, stretching and diet are focus today. Be ready to roll on tomorrows session.

Tuesday - food bang on yesterday, hit all the nutrition numbers. Slept well too. Feel good this morning but weather is absolutely pony. Plan is to do the cut back session - 2k, 1 mile, 1200, 800, 4 x 60/60

Increase pace throughout. 2k rep around 5.30 pace and slowly work down to 5k and 3k pace as they get quicker. Off generous recovery. Aim is for session volume to average sub 5.20 pace. I'll double tonight to get the volume in.

So turned up for the session. Solo this week. Cold, windy and pissing with rain - fuck sake !!

Warmed up Nice and easy at 6.34/mm feeling good.

Into the session. First rep settled in early at around 6.25/mm and felt pretty tired from the off. Pace didn't feel pushed or quick but was all just about getting it done. 6.52 for 2km (just over actually) - 3.25 per km just outside recent 5k pace. HR 157 bpm with a max of 165.

2 mins recovery and then descending. 1 mile in 5.25 @ 161 bpm maxing at 168 (higher than weekend). Felt pretty tired on that. GPS aroudn the school turn has me at about 5.45 pace so think these may all be slightly off lol. 

1200 in 4.08 @ 5.29/mm for 158 bpm with 166 max

First 3 miles of reps were just under 5.30/mm all feeling very very bleugh and was pretty clear today I was not recovered so keeping it close to threshold without going too high was just about right effort today.

800m in 2.37 avge 5.16/mm 155 bpm 168 max. Started to feel better as session went on obviously the reduction in distance helping me get my head around it.

Then on to 4 x 60 on 60 off in around 5.08/mm avge

Cool down 1.9 miles at 6.41/mm

Decent enough session. Was very very tired once I got going. I think nutrition is helping. These were pretty much all right in threshold so didn't go too deep today. Frustrating that paces are not where I would like but this cold, wet & windy spell really isn't suiting me. Sometimes staying static is improving.

Ran 8 miles on tired legs at a decent pace so actually better than it looked on paper. 4.3 miles at 5.21/mm for the main session. Lots of recovery in that obvs but not far off what I would expect 5k pace to be and on very tired legs today.

Think I may actually do some shorter reps next week. 8 x 1k or 8 x 800 maybe? Fancy getting some pace going.

Added 3 mile shakeout and although felt horrific and slow first mile it actually felt alright by the end. 11 miles for the day.

Wednesday - wake up feeling better. Weight 10 st 4.7 down a couple of pounds since I started tracking. Think better diet starting to aid recovery. Plan today is just easy / recovery miles. I'll do cc+ if Wayne is out or just hit the trails here if not. Another good day of eating and sleeping on the cards. Need to break out this plateau I have hit.

Coke club with Wayne. Did 1.8 ish on my own at 6.53 pace feeling silly easy (had to check Garmin wasn't playing up). Then into 8 @ 8.13 pace with Wayne. Nice run, good miles and low effort, enjoyed that.

Topped up food in the evening. Had bowl of cornflakes before bed to get my carbs in. Good day of food, probs nearly 3k calories but hit protein, carbs & fibre targets. 10 miles of running so that should be fine maintenance and recovery, lets see how tomorrow goes.

Food tracking - I started because I was exhausted after even moderate efforts. To the point I need a couple of hours on the sofa snoozing. I have noticed that by being more careful and getting my nutritional targets I am feeling that less. Early days but so far positive signs.

Thursday - Up and feel good. Too-ing and fro-ing on the session. Decide to just do the 8 x 400 on the treadmill. Will do off 2 jog recovery. I see Chris is doing this regularly and I think this could be a nice session.  I'm still cautious as to whether I am over doing things and just leaving myself too tired. Make or break style.

I think this session is a nice balance as it's 2 miles of mile pace but the recovery is plenty. I do think keeping recovery feeling like it's too much is a good plan right now. I will do this session as 2 reps flat, 4 reps at 2% incline and 2 reps at 1% decline JUST because I want to get the legs ready for Mid Cheshire and that down - up - down feeling and just give all the correct muscles a chance to feel some pace.

Feel good today. Happy with the diet. Left glute bit tight as are both hammys. Will do a solid strength session tomorrow. Plan is to easy double later today.

Did consider racing tomorrow but weather is shitty still. Gusty wind and rain all day. On my doorstep I think I'd be ok but don't fancy a long morning travelling for that.

I'll hit Gothenburg Parkrun as a solid hit out.

So ... warmed up as usual for the session then in. 

75 secs on @ 20 kmph followed by 2 mins off. Basically 8 x 400m on with 400m jog. The first 2 were at 20 kmph then 1 at 19 but with 2% incline and then 2 at 18 at 2% folllowed by 1 more at 19. The next 2 the plan was 20 kmph at 1% decine but found the treddy maxes out at 14.5 kmph so was back to flat.

Warmed down at 14 kmph for a mile.

Decent session, was happy with that. 20 felt waaayyy harder than mile effort and more like 800m effort. The 19s uphill were also mega tough so I backed to 18 for the middle 2 just to try and keep pace relevant. those felt maintainable. Last 2 again were just so quick but speed is exactl;y what I am needing !

2 miles of solid effort and 2 miles of solid pace for overall a very nice workout.

I probably need to keep these types of sessions with the jog recovery going through this 5k block as they do add a decent amount of strength.

I'll build on this session over the next 3 weeks as the incline bit will really help with Mid Cheshire at the end of April.

Doubled up with a shakeout. Felt much easier than Tuesday. Plan now is very very easy run tomorrow and then something long on Saturday around Parkrun.

Also, glutes are really achy so I'll do some rolling tonight and maybe some activation.

Friday - up and at them. Feel good. Nutrition is making a huge difference to how I am feeling. I'm boring as fuck but I am running well lol.

Few bots to sort out today and then I'll run later just an easy 6 - 7 miles.

Ended up heading out for a very gentle 5 with 4 x strides over the trails. Was about 8.20s progressively but trails were pretty shit and HR was a little high. Easy flush out, aim to eat very well today and I'll massage and roll everything before strength.

Back is tight and I think it's causing glute / hip issues along with the general fatigue. Will likely dial things back next week and let the body catch up. Fitness is good but the form is low due to fatigue. It's not make or break just yet !!

Saturday - agghhh fuck sake Sawyer has mates oiver last night so it's not much sleep !! End upo getting up but binning off the longer run and just driving to Park and Ride then doing short warm up, Park Run and Long cool down.

Mile at 7.20 pace then into PR. Settle in at 6/mm feeling crazy easy first mile at around 150 bpm avge. Well over layered in long sleeve AND a jacket but feel very easy. Move up in 2nd mile to catch and sit on Tappers. Notice Gruff up ahead so think it'll be quite funny to try and catch him. 2nd mile in 5.42 then keep that going to progressively run 5.40 for mile 3. Finish up with 18.00 for the Parkrun as a pretty easy although over layered effort.

'Cool down' with Griff who is on a mission to get home. My watch has us at 6.28 pace but his at about 6.15 lol. From there a slightly longer loop back to the car for 10.5 miles @ 6.33/mm. Pretty relaxed BUT very, very tired from only having about 4 hours sleep last night. Never.Fucking.Again !!

As today is adjusted will probs do around 10 tomorrow again for 55 for the week as a nice bit of conditioning.

Felt easy at 18 flat pace, that wasn't a huge effort running off pretty much zero. Last 2 were more effort but never felt like hard work. HR increase mainly due to extra layers and lack of sleep / overall fatigue.

Annoying as could have been really good today.

Sunday - out out last night but amazingly kept a lid on it and felt good this morning. For reference 4 G&T's and a bottle of red is my drinking limit! Met Dan at Goddy and ran nice and easy at 7.15/mm for 13 miles. Bit tired but a solid week banked with some lost sleep and a night out.

Finished the week with 58 miles @ 7.20/mm avge. Decent volume session, some speed work and a good relaxed tempo Parkrun all bagged. Not bad progress.

Plan from here is to pretty much put a lid on the strength part of the plan and look for some 5k specificity so will do my volume work at 5k target pace (I know, too quick).

I'll do my speed work mainly at 3k target pace off short recoveries.

Right now raw speed is a limiting factor on improvement so I'll address that in the next block of training. Basically the plan is to move straight down to 1500m training and see how everything pans out from there. I really want to crack 4.20 this year as one of my main aims and to do that I need to be much faster over the flat.