Into The Christmas Bleugh

It's that time of year where running becomes a bit of a blur and merges into a heavy Christmas filled booze / food / film / cheese state.

No real race plans now. Bunty 10 on 30th is likely and I'll probably hammer a Parkrun on the 23rd as I'll have aged a year. The plan is to get through the Crimbo minefield with some decent base training banked and not ill or injured.

Battersea Debrief

So the dust has settled. 16.33 is a bit outside where I wanted to be however it was probably the worst I could have raced so that said it's not actually horrible. My legs just didn't have any zip in them, lack of race conditioning was crucial. I'd say that better pacing would have gotten a low 16.20 range so it's not a million miles off. Better conditions would have helped and all of a sudden now we are talking.

Nothing critical to fix I just need to keep doing what I am doing. It's all positive in the big scheme of things. No need to panic, just some patience required.

I'll want to do a hard Parkrun for sure, I think finishing the year with a confidence booster there will solidify a decent 2023. I could look at LFOTM 5k like I did last year but It's not really necessary. 

The Road Ahead

Up to Torun it's looking a bit sparse. Not sure the BMAF indoors is going ahead so it's likely to be ...

23rd Dec - Parkrun

30 Dec - Bunty 10 miles

1 Jan - 400m indoors (maybe double with the 800m)

8 Feb - Mile indoors

11 Feb - EMAC 3000m indoors

17 Mar - Euro Indoors

The PUL 5k in Feb is ideal but it's closing on 15.45 atm so until that raises to 16.00 I am up shit street.

Monday - am) 4.1 miles recovery over the trails. Felt pretty good. Nice and easy and the aim is oging to be get a big week in if I can.

pm) BJJ - went well tonight starting to get it a little more

Tuesday - mobility am. 

pm) Eddington. Warm up as usual. 2.6 miles @ 7.50/mm. Onto the session. Bloody freezing tonight. 6/3/5/2/4/1 mins off 2 mins jog (not too slow) at 10k pace for longer efforts and 5k pace below for shorter efforts (it mixuing between the two). Start with Ian and he's pushing quite well on first rep. Second rep were way too quick but feels good and from there on it's all good to the finish. Holding closer to 5.30 pace on the longer reps feels really good tonight.

Paces - 6.00 (5.25/mm) 3.00 (5.07/mm) 5.00 (5.25/mm) 2.00 (4.59/mm) 4.00 (5.10/mm) 1.00 (4.25/mm)

The jogs between were average of 7/mm so not hanging about to much, bit of faffing about doing circles and stuff but non stop 5k in 17.38 (last 5k) and 5 miles in 28.53 so moving really well.

Main set was 5.4 miles @ 5.45/mm for 155 bpm (max was 168 but in an 800m pace minute effort!)

Pleased with this one, again Eddy delivers. Was moving really well tonight so no complaints. Felt much smoother than Sunday. 

9.36 miles is shortest Tuesday session I have done !!

Wednesday - Will do gym and cc+ tonight.

Interesting position to be in. I am really fit and need a good race BUT the lack of solid racing opportunities - i.e evening not too cold - is making that impossible. I MUST not get frustated. Just keep ticking weeks off and it'll happen. I will do a couple of Parkrun efforts which I think will help but there is not proper racing until Feb now. I can let it all go to shit or just keep my head down and continue to plough forward. I know I am in great shape but I am not going to get a chance to prove it in a race for a bit!

Gym this morning. Need to get a good maintenance session in without damaging anything. Back is still tight but improving slowly. Another one to be patient with.

Few social landmines coming up. Friday I am out twice but I need to enjoy myself without going crazy and I'll be fine.

pm) Coke club with Rich & Wayne. Bit bleugh tonight, probs tired from weights. 9.7 miles @ 8.11 avge but couldn't find HRM. 

Thursday - slept heavy. No double today, now I have a block of pretty intense training and social days to navigate. Fatigue pretty high atm so aim to eat and recovery well today. Big block to get through till Saturday afternoon. Next week will be much easier to handle.

pm) absolutely shitting down. Track. Usual warm up then continuous 200s. Started a bit firmer and was definately heavier on the floats. Just like Sunday it bit really hard at about 8-10 reps. Last couple I was shattered and just about able to get through the floats. Good work though as it shows muscular endurance is where I am lacking right at the top end. 

Need to focus on pacing !!

Ons - 35,37,37,36,36,34,36,37,37,37,37,37 (36.5 avge)

Offs - 48,47,47,46,47,47,48,50,50,52,52,54 (49 avge)

Last 5 the floats slowed and last 3 were closer to 7/mm.

Did this session just over a month ago and basically starting fresher averaged the same on the floats but 1 sec slower on the reps. Definitely tougher conditions yesterday and started a lot harder but fuck about and find out. I am going to keep pushing it this winter just need to get training around sessions correct.

Should have done double S&C Monday with no run and then got through the week. Also considering double Wednesday as a pose to CC+.

So pretty dissapointed today. Not going to achieve what I wanted this week but have to be patient. Have to allow for recovery at my age rather than just hitting numbers. Will switch things up slightly from next week to allow more. Something like Mon - Gym & BJJ (no running day) Tue - Eddy - Wed - easy double 3&8 Thu - Track - Fri - Easy trails - Sat - Long - Sun - Easy 

Friday - silly season is here. Fucked from track so binned off run with John. Out early to meet Bob & Disco for lunch. Bottle of wine, 3 beers. Into Cambridge and beer before meeting group. Couple of G&Ts. Home by 12, pretty knackered.

Saturday - up early to run with Dan & Gem. Absolutely howling weather. 14 miles in wind and rain. Bleugh. Straight back, straight out to head to Maldon for Sawyer's Power lifting comp.

Sunday - Power lifting comp all day then Wimpole Lights in the evening. 60 min run window so head to Cambourne and do 10 hill reps over and back on the flyover bridge. Wanted around 2k of tempo effort. Wasn't amazing but better than nothing.

48.6 miles for the week. Hit everything - 2 x sessions, 1 x long, 1 x hills, CC+ and a recovery. PLUS a BJJ session and a Weights session.

Due to weather and social commitments it was the bare bones. Everything stripped back.

Due to poor layout of the week it wasn't great. I was tired when I needed to be strong and I couldn't see it through. Next week will be better, this is probably the worst non race week of the festive period BUT lets remember I enjoy this shit, it's a hobby not a job. I def need a day off from running (Monday) and I can do weights and BJJ. Big mistake running as it made recovery from Tuesday non-existent. Wearing Vomeros Weds made that hard and I pushed too hard Thursday.

Next week I will learn from these mistakes.

Tuesday was a beast of a session. 17.38 for 5k in a 5.4 mile run. Off a 5k race on Sunday I have to take that. Long run was actually OK, weather was appalling. Track Thursday was ropey but to be expected. 

Had a weekend taking advantage of food and booze so now a good solid week starting with recovery and strength!

Thinking that a weekly session involving hills is a very good plan. Either that or muddy xc running for at least 30 mins just to get the steeplechase strength in. To incorporate this I need to really break down Tues / Thurs into correct pacing. Right now I have to drop ego sessions and nail correct paces for sessions and recover correctly. Long term bigger benefits.