Battersea T-3, T-2

Finished my cut back week by bashing my head on the garage door and near knocking myself out. Massive gash in head so Ange took me to A&E. After 4 1/2 hours waiting in small injuries clinic with just 2 people left was told it was now shutting and return to main A&E. The NHS folks, not fit for purpose. Couldn't see last 2 people (I only needed glue stitches) and couldn't tell us much earlier the situation (they sent 2 under 16s back there at minnight). Not one for bashing the NHS but FFS really, is this the best we can do. One poor guy had been in a car accident and was there lot longer than us. Told them he was sick, overheard nurse saying he should have been in trauma rather than here but nobody wanted to do anything about it. Useless.

Anyways...

Back on the harder training now, 2 weeks solid them taper for Battersea test event. Key for this week is just to roll through everything and stay on top of the good habbits.

Monday - am) gym. Up to 45 kg chest, leg extension, hamstrings. 60 kg booty builder. 45/30 kg hipp abb/add. 100 kg calf raises. 24 kg (2 x 12) box step. 8kg declined crunch. Think this is about 20 gym sessions now and big increases from the start. Keen to see how this translates in body composition.

The good habbits - full hip mobility. Drink enough water. Eat fruit and yoghurt. Legs in Normatecs. Bed by 10.30

pm) 3 miles easy on the treadmill. Every day next couple of weeks! 

Tuesday - Did toe taps am. Tired today. Hit Eddington for volume session.

2 / 4 / 6 / 3 / 6 / 4 / 2 - all off 90 walk. 6s were at tempo (5.28/mm) and rest were 3k - 5k. 4.40 - 4.50/mm for the 2s, 4.53/mm for the 3 and 5.04/mm for the 4s. Managed to get exactly 1 lap and very slightly less than 1 lap on the 4s which is the standard around there (top 100 on Strava lol)

Really, really good session. These keep getting better. Felt so much more relaxed tonight. The 3s and 4s def felt 3k comfortable. The 2s were around mile pace. Happy with where I am at right now. Just need to keep on. The work is happening just need to focus on the good habbits to stay on top of this now.

That's 8 weeks in a row at Eddington. 2 months down, 4 to go. Name of the game is to keep these paces relaxing. I need that 3k pace to be 5k pace.

Wednesday - coke club + but solo. 9.46 miles @ 7.39/mm. Nice and easy actually felt good and light but pretty fatigued.

Thursday - Woke up with a really stiff neck. All day it got worse. Spent literally hours trying to address it. Ended up getting some release into it but at least it took my mind off my grumbly hips!

pm) track. Wow !! An absolute monster of a session. 2 miles warm up. Then continuously 4 x 200 [400] 6 x 800 [400] 4 x 200 [200]. 2 miles cool down.

11 miles @ 7.15/mm avge. Main set was 7 miles @ 6.33 with half of it well north of 8s lol.

The 200s were 36,35,34,34 then 35,34,32,33. 800s in 2.40 avg. 

2.40s felt harder than 5k pace if I am honest for the last few but that was just fatigue (I had run nearly 6 miles by then not including 2 warm up !!)

No neck issues so happy days. Pleased with the volume and although I didn't feel I was moving particularly well the paces were all where they need to be (the plan is to not push too hard on Thursdays).

Not sure Takumi Sen 8 are quick for me on track. Maybe lack of carbon plate. I feel much more comfy on the road in Alphaflys. Will keep it going in these though as a leveller it balances out well for training.

Really would like to see how I am in spikes as I do feel I could run easily 1 sec per 200 faster.

32.6 for the week so far!

Friday - Jogged up to Johns and then headed in to Cambourne for an out and back. Quick cuppa then home. 9.4 miles @ 7.56/mm nice and relaxed.

Have to say, my legs feel really good. The conditioning is strong right now and I'm recovering quickly from some pretty monster sessions.

Strength wise it's up there with how I have ever been. Speed is lacking although I've only really tested it at the end of some long sessions. I'm not that far behind. Race legs - yep, zero exposure so that's is the only thing that may let me down.

42 for the week so far. Not sure I'll manage to get out at all tomorrow but 16 incoming on Sunday.

Saturday - out with Lola to watch Les Mis in London. Carded a zero for the day, was too late when i got back.

Sunday - 16 with Dan over at Cambourne to Cambridge loop. 7.32/mm avge feeling crazy easy. Then boom. Just after lunch start to develop a sore throat. Fuck sake typical. Almost exactly a year to the day I got same again and stopped me in my tracks before Battersea.

57.9 miles for the week. Moving better than ever HOWEVER start of a sore throat so god knows how this will play out.

May as well roll this into one blog as the sore throat is a continuation.

Monday - OK so I know today is a rest. Resting HR is 42 so no effect. Ache slightly (did do a 16 yesterday) and throat feels razor blady. Hit supermarket. Bought some Peroxyl mouthwash. I'll see if that helps. Also got first defense and Lemsip. I'll try and eat crazy clean for next few days and drink plenty of water and green tea and see if this all helps shift this thing. If it's similar to Stockholm then I didn't really need much time off. If it's same as last year I'm fucked as I was wiped for 10 days and took nearly a month of training afterwards to run a 17.04.

Peroxyl mouthwash - works a treat. Def clears up the sore throat. Lemsip - takes the edge off. Nurofen - takes swelling and aches down. First Defense - not sure but recommended. Vitamin C - loads of it. Fresh oranges and effervescent. Rest - nothing on day 1.

Tuesday - wake up feeling much better but not quite 100%. Will swerve Eddington to be safe but I'll hot the gym and sweat some out. Hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to run at CC and then back to normal from there. The plan above worked pretty well. Just hoping that nothing develops from here. No medication yet today and feeling OK enough. I could def do a session BUT unsure how it would go. Plus there is just the honorable thing of not giving everyone a cold just because you want to train !!

Plan this week (from here) is CC+ on Weds. Thurs I'll hit track and maybe a small double. Friday easy and gym. Sat do Parkrun as tempo and few miles later on and 15 on Sunday to wrap it up. It's not ideal but I don';t want to give back too much of the fitness I have built up.

Gym) went on a 3 x 8 mission to pump up some weight. Chest Press (45kg) Box Stand (16 kg) Booty Builder (70 kg) Abductors (50 kg) Adductors (30 kg) Leg Extension (60 kg, 2 x 50 kg) Hamstring Curls (50 kg) Calf Raises (100 kg) and 8% backwards walk on tread mill for 5 mins.

Feel better as the day has gone on. Run rest day again is correct descision. If I am clear to run by tomorrow I theoretically will gain momentum but even if I lost I would still be right where I need to be.

Wednesday - wake and improved again. Not counting my chickens but 100% I will run tonight. Plan is to get out there and just check HR against benchmark. Feel OK to be fair, slight cold but nothing to worry about at this stage. It'll be nice if this is it.

New VF2 arrived this morning. Plan is to compare them on track against TS8 and see if the TS are just slow. 

I'll keep up the good habits today and then all being well I'll be back on schedule tomorrow with no harm done. Such a sketchy time of year trying to avoid illness.

Travel for Battersea...

Leave 7.44 arrive at train 8.45

8.45 train arrives 9.19 at Westminster

Arrive Sloan Sq and jog to Battersea Pk for just before 10am.

Race 11am so plenty of time. Train strikes causing mayhem with travel plans. Alternative is just to drive.

Coke club - couple easy before meeting Rich then easy 8s. 9.68 @ 8.03/mm @ 127 bpm.

Felt absolutely fine. Changed to VF2 so will test them on track tomorrow to compare against TS8. Great news that no coughing and HR was good. 

Really pleased that I seem to have avoided a bullet there. Plan now to finish this week off as per the plan and stay strong and healthy!

Will assess weight tomorrow and see what may need to be done.

Taking an extra day has definitely cleared a few things up though. Better safe than sorry and all that. Things are much more positive than they were a few days ago.

Thursday - track! Warm up as normal, very quiet tonight just me, John & Matt doing main set. 4 x (4 x 400) off 45 and 400 jog. First set 79,78,79,78 Second set 78,77,75,77 Third set 76,76,75,75 Fourth set 76,75,74,70. Average of 76 per rep for the 16. Then usual cool down.

Felt strong again tonight, last couple did bite BUT was strong at 75/76 for roughly 3k pace. Looks good for next weekend just gotta stay on top of things now and don't let the little things slip.

Very windy tonight and led all but 2 reps into the wind. VF2 were not huge diff on the TS8 but clearly a better shoe choice. 70 on the last rep was not all out at least and last set was under control. Next weekend will be interesting, good shot at a decent hit out at the very least.

Friday - travel to Lower Mill to top up guest supplies and ran there. 5 miles @ 7.46/mm nice and easy.Feel a bit bleugh, cold is there in system and still not quite 100%.

Saturday - met some old friends at Parkrun. Jogged it and had a great catch up over breakfast. 4.2 miles. Was going to run again in the evening with some hill strides but started to feel a bit jaded. Pulled the plug on it to try and recover.

Sunday - finally got a lay in. Met Dan at 2.30 and did the Alconbury hilly loop. 14.3 miles @ 7.37/mm for 132 bpm. Felt very easy and moving well. Still not clear of this cold and very cold conditions meant lungs and throat got it a bit. Still a pretty good long run and good HR stats.

Finished the week on 42.5 miles. Not amazing but considering Monday and Tuesday were a write off and Saturday was low it turned out OK.

Big nervous now about next week as I need to get rid of this cold completely. It's not stopping me totally (yet) but it is annoying. First thing is to get healthy. If I can get clear of this I think I am in good shape to run well.

Easing up was the correct decision and Thursday went well enough to show me I am in great shape. However, need to come back to life in this taper. Train clever from now, eat clean, drink plenty of water and stay away from people is the plan !!

Next training update will include a proper race, the first one for 18 weeks !!