Quest for a 15 Pt2 - It's back on

That's it, back in to 5k mode. July is all about nailling the three 5s - 5k, 5000m and Parkrun. Starting point is better than ever. I just need to recover from the last block and add some additional strength work in without giving up too much speed.

Plan this week is to get a couple of solid sessions in all under control. Race at the end of the week is just for fun. 400 hurdles (lets check how realistic steeplechase is this year) and 400 flat (let's try and get that 59 bagged).

Monday - rest. Time to ease up and let the mind and body reset for the new challenge ahead. Tough week this week as Sawyer has early starts for his work experience.  Also got quite a lot on.  

Tuesday - up early again, drop Sawyer at Gym for work experience, back home, get car wheels sorted, grab Sawyer and back home. Out to Eddington. Fair to say I really didn't fancy today. Felt really tired pre-session.

Usual warm up. Felt OK but still not amazing. Cracked on with the session. 8 x 800m No timing this one, just ran to what felt like 5k effort. Went bit hard on rep 3 as some dude wanted to race couple of hundred metres after I passed him. Worked through it, felt OK to be fair. Last one was 2.25 (I know this is slightly short of 800m. Start of Parkrun to the bins by the boot camp centre). Faster than last time I ran this session so a solid start to this block.

Jogged the usual cool down for a pretty good workout. Not an easy session but business like. Going to be tired most days as up early to take Sawyer on his work experience next couple of weeks.

Wednesday - wow, slept really well last night. No WE for Sawyer so a lay in until 7.45. Feel really good now I am up and about. Finally starting to feel a little fresher after the faster block. Really need to stay on top of eating for a couple of weeks I reckon but on the whole starting to feel ready for a new challenge and moving up a level.

No real niggles to speak of at the minute. Glutes are a little fatigued but really need to stay on top of S&C. I'll do some today this morning and plan is to + the cc tonight so need to leave slightly earlier.

S&C done. Run - coke club as normal but no plus as Rich was already there well early. Felt pretty bleugh running tonight. No real pop and right IT band pretty tight. Hit the normatecs later and some band work, may have been aggrivated by band session in which case no snags.

Bit annoyed I was shite but if the sessions go OK then who cares lol.

Will hit track tomorrow for 200/200 session and some hurdles prep for Sunday.

Thursday - up and awake and right lower quad very sore. Long story short after a good couple of hours of icing, rolling, smashing & stretching.... I think it's stinging nettle rash lol

Obviously that would be best case scenario. Either way I'll stay off running today as a precaution.

Not ideal BUT I can rescue this week if this is the case but if it's not I could royally screw myself up !!

I'll probably do some light s&c with plyos later to confirm it's OK but we'll see. Bit frazzled today, just some residual fatigue from recent block kicking in so 5 day training week may actually be better for me.

Friday - woke up feeling much better. Body def needed that extra days rest. Right chain still little tight, calf and hammy so will pound that later. Plan for today is a long run so see how the rest of the week pans out after that. Hoping to get this train back on track for a real push towards next 5k now.

Going to bite the bullet on a pair of VF3 I think later today. I'll run in the 2s anbd see if they help. Possibly the meta speeds are causing some issues.

Jesus this weeks blog is fucking boring !!

Bit the bullet and ordered some VF3, I'll see how they roll next week. Ideally I need a replacement race shoe for the AF1 at some stage so lets see how these go.

Headed to Goddy for the hilly 12 route with Dan. First 3 miles straight up hill into headwind. Bloody hell, needed a pit stop at the top, that was pretty brutal today. Relaxed down the hill and into Buckden but wind behind meant no air, was hard work breathing. Back up the A1 then through Brampton and H town, rolled along at very low 7s. Felt OK for bits then absolutely horrific. Tough run. Finished in the White Heart for 2 pints of Coke.

Good news is that zero leg issues. No injury whatsoever but felt really tough today. 

Plan tomorrow is tempo Parkrun in 18 ish then bar code sorting and I'll finish up doing 6 x 60/60 around the field and a good cool down.

Need to rescue this week to get it back on track. Feels very un-productive right now BUT I am not injured and I just need to get back on top.

Saturday - weird night interrupted sleep (bed at 9.30, up at 12 to pick up J from station then back at 1) felt OK getting up but warm up was a slog.

Aim was 17.30 ish tempo effort but suckered in to the first mile with 2 guys at 5.20 pace. Felt OK. Dropped one then ran with the guy who won who looked like he was walking round. About 3k in really started to feel the conditions and backed off. 5.30 ish mile 2. Last mile was an absolute slog. Massively unpleasant just really struggled to breath out there. Just about held it together. 17.11 at the finish. Probs 5.40 last mile and slowing. Really tired at the finish. Pretty sure almost entire field was well down on their pbs. Won in 16.48 from a 15.48 guy.

Token sorted at finish and needed a shit so binned off the planned 6 x 60/60. It's just too humid out there today.

Need to up my water intake. Now I'll start water / coffee / water / coffee.

Bleugh. Similar to the 17.04 but conditions today were a massive struggle.

Sunday - felt pretty good in the morning. Conditions a lot less oppressive at St Albans. 400 hurdles - first time in 30 years !! Wasn't 100% how it would go but absolutely flew miles over hurdle 1 so eased back on that as I was clearly getting enough height. Caught a couple of people early and at 200 I had clipped a couple but was getting over fine with stride pattern. Hit a really bad one at 7 then 8 and 9 were both poor and cost me a lot of time. Last one was OK and pushed to the line in 70.9 for 2nd. 100% I'll go well under 70 next time.

Next up the 400 flat. Had hopes of going sub 60 but finished up with a marginal sb and OAPB of 61.3. Seems a way off yet.

Straight after did 6/7 min jog and then into 6 x 60 on 60 off just to get some tempo work in.

Easy run tonight to test out VF3 probs just 2 miles or so and finish the week off. Got that done and felt OK. VF3 feel too big so may need size down but I'll test them on a sesh Tuesday.

Bit of a messy week. Needed an extra rest day and felt pretty tired all week. Not overly impressed but a 17.11 Parkrun in brutal conditions and a couple of short OAPBs so slowly chipping away still. Next week I'd like to feel a lot fresher so need to time my sessions better with regards to heat and wind. I'll most likely do 6 x km and 10 x 400 as really good basic comparison sessions to get an idea of where realistic fitness is. If I can get a solid long run in too on Saturday I think I can ease into a 5k race with a bit of confidence.

100% I need to eat like a monk. I've been far too loose on nutrition last couple of weeks so if I nail that I am in with a shot. Food and water need to be nailled for the next 10 days.

Def need to steeplechase this year. Pinged those hurdles with no issues so I'll give both a crack at some stage. First up, want to feel strong and recovered.