Battersea - Race Week

OK, definitely feels like I am pumping this up a bit now !!

Still coming in to this week off a cold and not quite 100% BUT feel OK enough. Little achey and less return thatn I wanted from last week but doesn't change the fact it's all progress and in the name of a bigger picture later this winter.

Key now is to get healthy and on the start line in decent shape ready to fdo the best I can on the day. Still going to be VERY dissapointed if I don't go under 16.30 and pretty dissapointed if I don't run in the years range (16.00-16.22) Still feel par would be 16.1x. Big range I know but I am in good shape and I can't always be a pussy.

Monday - up and busy. Legs feel OK after yesterday but just a little fatigue from this cold. BJJ tonight and I'll probably run something low volume with some strides in there to kick the legs into action.

Slept awkwardly and back is tight ... again. Fucksake. Upper back and neck solid. Get this every few weeks now. No running. Went BJJ to try and loosen it off. Bit better but I'll try swapping pillow tonight. Annoying as fuck.

Not worst time to take some time off but really starting to add up now. Have to make the runs I do count and keep the weight off.

Tuesday - woke up at 4am back absolutely savaged. Ended up dousing in ralgex and putting a tee shirt on (think it may be cold causing spasm). This is a worry now. Binned pillow totally and slept head to mattress. Actually seemed to help. Up at 6.30 and spent 3 hours doing various stretches rolls, massage gun and hopeing to loosen this off.

At the stage now I have no idea even if it's worth bothering on Sunday. Feel battered like I have over trained when I haven't done enough !!

OK, a bit melodramatic but feel like I haven't had much luck last 2 weeks.

Few ideas to get on top of this still. Plan is to run a shakeout around Cambourne this morning and then do taper session with Group at Eddington tonight and I'll asses how it is after that. 

Feeling better as morning has worn on. Stay off phone, focus on posture, eat clean. Control what I can control basically.

Mentally all over the place at the minute. Feels like it's stacked against me. Categorised Sunday as  C race but with a taper. Actually enforced taper the way things are going. Need some luck. Feel healthy at least, def over this cold. Just need to start feeling good. Most frustrating thing is that I feel battered with this back and constant ache makes it so stressfull. Hoping that it just eases out today and I feel super strong when I run. Head game is being lost.

Head to Cambourne to run a steady 3. Aim is to run 7s and assess how it feels - does it loosen off and how are legs responding. Felt very bleugh but aware I'm also coming off quite a lot of recovery & rest.

Straight out at around 6.45s and ease in. Start to feel great and back although I can feel it's tight is not really an issue. I can't turn my head right back but it's not really giving me any issues. 3.09 miles @ 6.32/mm @ 143 bpm (max was only 151 bpm). Really, REALLY good numbers and more importantly feel good and although I can feel the back is a little tight it's not going to stop me in my tracks.

Still annoying AF tho! Did 4 x 10-15 sec strides to finish and home. Will hit Eddy later and see what taper sesh coach has in store for me.

I'm not 100% what I am capable of BUT it really feels like sub 16.30 is there. Not sure quite how deep I can go but it feels like I've missed the boat on sub 16 with recent issues. I will get there but it feels this time is going to be about putting a solid marker down. I'll see what's what next week but the plan will definitely be to relax things over the festive period and focus on nailing sessions rather than an overall package.

pm) Hit Eddy. Andy called 8 x 400m taper session for me so that's what I did. Listen and learn. Previously I would have done the main set with the group but did these with Matt. All off just uinder 2 min jog recovery. Went 72,73,72,71,70,71,70,68 feeling pretty good (but cold). Was obviously quicker than 3k pace but felt like I was moving well and no issues with back. With a short cool down was just under 7 miles.

Wednesday - wake up and back is still cooked. Fuck sake. Stretched it out but it's causing me stress that I don't need. Why wont it fucking relax !!!

Headed to coke club and man it was a cold one. Back not A1 but no issues running again. 8 @ 8.25 ish (forgot Garmin) just running to Wayne's marathon pace. Nice and easy, ground slippery tho. Will hit track tomorrow. Would like to go gym but not really keen to do anything to agrivate back. If it eases off I'll be golden but it's still tight. Can imagine another day of rolling and stretching.

Thursday - up and back little tight but improving. Slightly less snotty, def don't feel any illness anymore. Feels like everything is heading in the right direction BUT annoying that I ache so much. Have to sleep straight on my back otherwise neck & back aches. Weather has turned baltic. Brutally cold and slippery out. No idea how this will shake out on Sunday but I need to work out logistics there!

Feels like I've probably missed a race in the build but as it's still not a priority race that's fine. Definitely got the flavor back for racing. Not raced in anger since end of July. Obviously need to be better at targeting races next year but I will keep up racing a lot as I enjoy it. Just need to taper those efforts to 8/10

Lots of mobility and starting to feel looser. Laughable how I am falling apart this last 2 weeks. When I'm running I'm feeling better than ever but when I'm not I really feel like I am in bits!

Eying up build up from here and I do think I need a concerted effort to move to 60-70 mpw building up to Torun. Not sure how that looks right now. I'll def have to taper effort on sessions just to give myself a chance to recover and I 100% need 2 x s&c per week. I'll likely incorporate a VERY easy run on rest day. I'll delete this shit later but I think it'll look something like -

Mon - 5 slow (9+/mm)

Tue - Eddington (10)

Wed - gym + CC+ (10)

Thu - 3 shakeout & track (12)

Fri - easy 8 & gym (8)

Sat - long (15)

Sun - 8-10 easy with hill sprints (join Wayne for some)

That's 68-70 with flexibility and everything there that I need

Track closed tonight so a taper session on treddy incoming. 

pm) session. 14 mins @ 14 kmph. 8 x 30/30 @ 14 kmph / 19-20 kmph. 8 mins @ 12 kmph (4.4 miles in 30 mins)

Felt a bit bleugh but moving OK. Think I'm just uneasy doing these taper sessions as it's much more relaxed than I would normally go. Got to trust in the process. Back still tight but improving slowly. Definitely felt 'treddy legs' as havn't been on it for ages. HR low but pace feels insane first few sessions.

Moving well enough though so can't complain. Not sure to run tomorrow and rest Sat or switcharoo. I'll see how weather is before I decide.

Happy with fitness, hay is in the barn and it will be what it will be !!

Friday - am) GYM - first time this week but bash out a session. Mainly 40 kg just to get some activation. Pretty much straight after out and run. Wanted a stready 5 feeling like I was moving well. 5 @ 6.40/mm @ 148 bpm. HR a little high but straight after gym and cold & slippery out so good enough.

That's it until Sunday now!

Saturday - fucking dreadful back again. Big knot between shoulders is killing me. Will spend all day tackling this as tomorrow will be pointless if I don't.

I'll sleep downstairs tonight on spare bed, if that helps then probably need a new mattress because I'm being shredded here. Good thing is it's my only concern, no time to worry about the race or getting ill I just want to not be in agony. Everything has tightened up. Need to release this knot and loosen up my body.

Worst thing is that I will have to be up crazy early tomorrow because I may need to do an hour or so rehab before I do anything else and it's an early start anyway FFS !!

Sunday - British Masters 5k Champs Battersea. 

Up at 5.30am - stretch off back and do mobility. Freezing cold. Don't feel amazing but get into it. Leave at 7.30am. Drive to Stanmore Tube (train strike today) then underground to Sloan Square. Grab a coffee from the worlds fanciest cafe and have a shit.

Jog down to the band stand at 9.50 and feel pretty good. Grab number, relax around and chill warming up.

Onto the race. Start way too far back chatting with Ade (about row 5) and off we go. Pass a few on the first straight but no snags. Round the bandstand feel OK and through the first km feel pretty settled. On the marker in 3.07 and in a group of V45. Through 2km feel OK and pass in 3.27 (3.20) this one is always long! No panic ... yet.

About half way do the math and I'm bang on 16 flat pace. In a good group with a bunch of V45 including Ade. Coming to the end of the straight I start to feel not so amazing and through 3km in 9.46 (3.18).

Wheels come off fast. Just working through this km now. Passes in 3.19 which is surprising. About 13.08 on the race clock.

Last km is a dig in survival fest. Finish on 16.33 so a 3.25 km there.

16.33 for 5.19/mm or 3.18/km. First thought is VERY dissapointed. Race legs were not there today. Just felt rusty. Good to bust it off but really coiuld have done with a harder effort at some stage.

My AG was only won in 16.12 and 16.18-16.20 split the other 4 positions in front of me.

Nothing to panic about. Will need to get some races in here and there. Obviously a bit of a messed up 2 weeks leading in and not 100% comfortable just doing 8 x 400 on Tuesday pre-race for a Sunday race. Could have done a whole session there. Conditions in the race were perfect but obviously the early start and travel are not ideal.

Best place I have ever been in December and I'm clearly worth better than that right now.

No need to panic. Just get back into the groove and it'll happen.

2 mile warm up and 1.5 cool down for 6.6 miles.

33.9 miles for the week.