Quest for a 4.19 - Week 1

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Last week finished on a sour note with the 3000m at St Ives. Lesson learned and an instant chance to rebound on Monday this week. This week will start with a race and possibly a solid hit out at Parkrun so opportunity is knocking at the door if I am prepared to lay some balls on the line.

Need to get back into the swing of training. Possibly a bit flagrant going so big on the taper last week for a 9.38.

Monday - Easy 2.5 shakeout first thing. Pre-race standard shuffle. Right ankle a little sore - possibly tight calf. Racing this evening BUT I NEED to get back on the regular S&C all the way up to the Cambs mile which is the next A race.

Feel good today, little bleugh as always on race days but legs are all fine tbf. Bit windy, just hoping no stress travelling down and someone is prepared to go hard tonight.

Arrive at Lea Valley early and do 2k ish warm up very easy. Collect numbers and faff about. Half hour before race do a mile harder warm up. Drills and strides and ready to rock.

Massive turnout for old farts 1500s. In the first race, my long awaited return for the mighty Enfield Harriers. Set off and cat and mouse whose going to take the wind.

Back straight has a BIG wind. 15+ mph with gusts. It's a fucking hooly.

Muggins ends up biting and I sit on the front. Feel happy on the front of races, I can control my stride. Through 300m in 52 then 70 at the lap. Feel good, but it's windy on the straight and I revert to my old indoor technique of easing half a lap (into wind) and pushing the other half (tail). Through 800m in 2.22 ish. I know it's slow but it's Monday night and I'm in front. 

Aware I have a couple of lads with me. Push fairly steady through 1000m in just outside 3 mins. This could go slow from here.

Hit the bell in about 3.19/3.20 and relax around the bend. I've done all the work and I know I'm not going to lead it gun to tape. Guy passes me at about 250 to go and I go straight behind him. I knew it was coming. Follow around the bend and onto the home straight. He looks like he is jogging ! I'm 99% sure as soon as I kick he will lay down the hammer and destroy me. 50 or so to go and I move up level. Pretty shocked I pull past him and clear. Stop the clock at 4.28.96 for the win. What a return to my old club!

Time wise, that was right at the very top of where I would say is acceptable. However, it was FUCKING windy and I did 99.% of the work. Really pleased my kick was there. Sub 70 last lap. Would say definitely a 4.19 in there on the right day in the right conditions following feet.

100% if I hadn't been pushed on the last lap it would have been 4.32-4.33 so feels like I rescued it a bit there. Plus it's an outright win.

Short cool down. Wagamamas for scran and home for a couple of beers. Happy days.

Big confidence boost after Saturday. Time wise, not a lot in it but the way I faded on Sat I really needed a strong performance and I'm happy with the way I ran that one tonight. Was similar to indoors which was same time BUT zero wind (obvs) and I would say easy 5 secs just for wind tonight so net-net a best run this season.

Now the plan is to get back on the strength and condition plan (run and s&c) this week. I need to be patient and get the right runs on the right days. Next big test is Cambs Mile and I really want to go sub 4.40 there. I feel like I am 99% fit enough for that I just need things to fall into place for me.

I'll knock out a couple of Parkruns as sessions in the next couple of weeks but stay on top of the mile work.

Need to have a think. This week I could go easy, 6 x km, easy, easy, PR OR I could stick to the current plan and hit a mile pace session on Thursday (probably 300s) - easy, cc double, session, shakeout, PR. My strength was so much better tonight that I'm thinking stick to what I have been doing. Hmm, food for thought there.

OK, so a good 20 mins in and yeah. It's about the 1500m / mile right now. I'll stick to easy 5 tomorrow, a double with cc on Weds. 8 x 400 off 200 walk on Thurs morning. Shakeout Fri and then hit it hard at PR on Sat. Got to commit to a 16.2x target so I'll probs take Garmin and try to stick to 5.15 - 5.20/mm.

I'll go back to 3/5k pace training once I nail a fast mile AND a sub 4.20 and NOT before.

Tuesday - flying visit to Lower Mill. Did my absolute fav route around the lake. Just over 5 miles relaxed just under 37 mins. Nicely done. Back on the S&C plan tonight, cannot let that slip.

Tomorrow I'll double 3 & CC as end up going short otherwise. All easy on the legs until Thursday. Just need to choose between 10 x 300m or 8 x 400m. Will chuck in some barrier work too.

Wednesday - easy shakeout 3 felt pretty good. Legs are seeming to adapt at the minute, lets hope we are pushing on ! Loads of chores today so will do the S&C after CC.

CC - met Rich and nice easy 1:01.42 for about 7.44/mm. Felt very easy. Tired today but moving well. Nice strength work. Work the legs over tonight with the Normatecs.

Runbritain ranking down to -0.1 lowest ever I think after Saturdays 3000m. Was tough but missed a chance to get a lot lower there.

Legs starting to adapt nicely, not feeling blown out at all just some fatigue. Solid block up until Tuesday and then I'll rest Wednesday and probably Friday while I am away.

Thursday - feel OK in the morning, just fatigued. Good sign as legs are in pretty decent shape. Hit track slightly later and decide to see how rep 1 goes. Sub 70 and it's 8 x 400 off 200 walk @ mile effort. 70+ and I'll do 10 x 400 off 100 walk @ 3k effort.

Plan was always to feel 'relaxed' quick. 

First rep 73. OK, 10 x it is lol. Session went 73,72,71,72,72,72,71,72,72,72 which is roughly target 3k pace. Felt relaxed enough, bit of wind on back straight was worth at least 1 sec per rep and I think having people to run with maybe another so 72 but worth 70 under better conditions. Felt like I could do more. 

On way out district schools started to arrive so timed that right !!

Aim at the minute is to add some strength for the run up to the mile so legs feel tired more than battered so things are where they need to be. 

Will run very, VERY easy tomorrow and hopefully have a strong but under control Parkrun on Saturday at 5.1x high pace which is the plan.

Thinking I may do Easy Anglian lge next Sunday, 800 & 400 just for some speed work going into the last block pre-Cambs mile. Will see today how I feel about that.

Back is pretty tight today, lots of work stretching out and rehabbing that. Need to ease it off before anything else. Will drop the S&C until Saturday night and hopefully be back feeling a bit fresher by then. Plan is to start easing everything right off and feel good.

Friday - ran early as meeting Macanory late morning. Just an easy lake loop and 4 x 15 sec strides. Felt very slightly leggy and heavy but better than last week. Feel pretty relaxed, back is tight so some mobility and ibro before tomorrow!

Plan is a solid hit out tomorrow BUT it has to be under control - relaxed fast again I don't need to be flat out. Strength this week and speed from next week all the way until Cambs mile.

Saturday - walk up and feel great this morning. Legs no issues and minimal aches and pains. Head to Stories and do 2km warm up pretty solid effort, breathing a little laboured but likely just getting going.

Chill with Dan & co pre-start. Up to the line and good to go.

Straight off the bat I settle behind a guy in purple shirt and Holly Archer. Feels relaxed but figure she's not going to mess about. They slightly gap me for maybe 10m as pace feels slightly above hard tempo. Through first km in around 3.20 so slower end of where I wanted. Bridge the gap fairly comfortably and settle in. 

Pace feels easy through first mile (5.21ish) and by about 2km decide to just go on the front. Not pushing on, just keeping pace as-is. Effort is absolutely spot on.

Feel that I'm bringing only 1 person on past the boot camp and happy just to keep rolling at the pace I am at. Thought Holly was being paced and assumed it was a 16.40 schedule so think I'm up on that. She wasn't and I wasn't lol

Feel pretty comfortable, no issues at all rolling along. Forgot to get a split at 2 miles as lots of traffic there but roll through. Guy behind I sense is on one and know he's going to kick on and race at some stage. No need for me to get involved, hard tempo is bang on today. I feel really good and just keep it going. 

Eventually he passes just before boot camp and pushes on. Let him go, I really don't need to go deep here for another 5 secs. I'll save that ammo for another day. Down the bottom on the drag I lift pace slightly towards the finish but still under control. Quick check shows I'm going to be very high 16.30s low 16.40s.

Finish up with 16.40 on the nose for a 2 sec Parkrun pb but importantly that was very much under control today. 

Wanted to go 16.2x today but happy with how good that felt. Had another gear at all times and off mile training that felt so relaxed at that pace. Through 1km in 3.20 and averaged exactly that so I'd guess pace was bang on consistent throughout.

Nice 7.33 mile cd at 7.40's with Dan on the Maddingly loop so a solid 11 miles or so at a decent clip. May actually jog tonight to get some in but we shall see.

Nope, hip aggy and calfs tight! Will call it a win and not double. Light S&C later and back tomorrow for more. Zero risks need to be taken !! Pretty easy now up until hard work begins for Cambs Mile attempt but very happy with current form.

Sunday - bleugh, kebab, beers & sweets last night. Let my hair down and feel a bit ropey this morning !! Right piriformis  / glute very VERY tight so will manage that first thing. Not had a niggle for a while and this one feels like it may be a proper one. Will do some rehab work this morning and see how it goes. Best to take a day now that a week later. Whole right side back - hip - hammy chain is tight and knotty to be fair so I'll address it today.

Runbritain ranking down to -0.4 after the 1500m which aledgedly is my best performance! Should drop to -0.5 after Parkrun hopefully. Top 150 V45 in the UK, all 5 performances are my most recent too so plenty of time to work that down as well!

Headed out for a very gentle trail run. 1hr 5mins nice and relaxed. Glutes very slightly niggly but much improved. Slight right knee pain - weird but nothing since stopped. S&C tonight will be plyo and heavy glute focus. The key is to hammer what's weak rather than stretch it.

Pretty solid week, things much better this week than they finished up last week! Monday feels like weeks ago, much better race and in bad conditions led from the start and re-took the lead I lost with 220 to go. Beat some really good guys tbf and didn't realise at the time who they were. It's going to be a good summer of vets racing if they turn up to each one!

The plan this week has been to build strength rather than push so track session was controlled 400s in 72 off shorter recovery to build that relaxation into my running. Parkrun went really well, first mile felt like jogging at 5.20 pace and just kept that going consistently without ever going deep. Really pleased with how it felt although I'd like to be running that about 20 secs faster without killing it.

7 days of running this week and around 50, maybe slightly more miles. Only a couple of doubles and off the back of a short block with 3 races and a track session recovery is key.

Plan next week is to back right off and feel really good going into a hard weekend (Parkrun tempo and 2 short track races) then it's full steam ahead to the mile and 1500m and hopefully nail those targets.