Daz Does Tri

After feeling a bit sore after Sunday I X-trained Monday & Tuesday and stretched like a bastard. Finally got a run in today. 8 miles @ 7.10/mm. HR was a bit high, in fact I didn't really believe the readings as it felt really easy. No sore legs afterwards so happy with that. Met up with DC, Ian, Ed & Wayne tonight to discuss our VO2 max test readings. What really hit home was that the results are only going to help you if you are getting specific for your event. For me, I am targetting a marathon and need to adapt the training to a marathon schedule. Plan for now though is to get fit for Bedford Half, which I guess will follow roughly the same plan. T - Road Reps F - 8 Mid Endurance S - 5 w/3 tempo S - 20 Endurance M - 6 & 5 Low Endurance T - 12 LT W - 10 Mid Endurance T - Road reps F - 8 Low Endurance S - Rest S - Race Basically the plan is to run hard/easy up till Thursday before the race and then back off. No idea what pace to start at yet, k...

After Thursdays road session, Fridays long run attempt was a struggling 8 miles @ 7.59/mm over the hilly trails. Felt so tired! Good thing was it was done and dusted by 10am. Rested up Saturday and Sunday went out for a long run with DC. Aim was to push it to just above LT effort. Started nice and steady and reeled off the miles. After 8 miles DC called it on to go for 15! I thought we would be doing 10 and at that stage the pace was dropping to 6:06/mm ! Splits were (approx Garmin took ages to pick up signal so some from DCs) 6.37, 6.27, 6.24, 6.22, 6.20, 6.10, 6.11, 6.09, 6.22, 6.27, 6.20, 6.21, 6.15, 6.18, 6.24 For 1:34.52 @ 160 bpm. Half marathon in 1:23 feeling good. Was only wind in face last 2 1/2 miles that pushed HR up to half marathon effort. Felt really good the whole run, running with DC always feels easier for the pace! Big improvement on previous long runs and a good start at an attack on Beford Half next weekend. Unfortunately woke up this morning w...

When I came back from my family holiday in France, I decided that I was going to have one last crack at running some half decent times again. 2011 has been horrible, my races thus far have gone - Feb 26 5k Parkrun 18.45 2nd. Ouch, got lost and ran like a proper bum. Mar 6 5.4 Frostbite 6.16/mm 17th place. Weakest Frostbite field ever and I had a real shocker. I actually barely managed to overtake someone walking up hill with a mile and a half to go. Mar 27 10k Thorney 36.30 Pretty good considering but could not run any faster than 5.50 pace May 30 10k Hatfield Broad Oak 36.30 Same again, was hoping to pb and got into pretty good shape after losing fitness through illness Jun 4 5k Leeds Parkrun 18.03 5th Ran quicker that evening on a steady run. Legs did not want to work Jun 22 Eye 5k 17.11 Pretty good after everything I had been through and an improvement on the years performances Jul 6 Peterborough 5k 16.49 Good run, fast course & erfect conditions but cr...

VO2 Max testing today. DC arranged for myself, Ed & Iand to go and have a test at University of Hertfordshire. Really looking forward to seeing where I really am as I have always used 145 bpm 160bpm 170bpm as a guide for Easy, Steady & Tempo runs. Started off with testing out weight (10st 6lbs), height & body fat. Have to wait for the last 2! Warmed up 10 mins on the treadmill @ 10.5 kmph and eventually got hooked up to the gas mask. After warm up did 20 mins lactate test starting at 14kmph (6:40/mm) on 1% incline for 4 mins then incremented every 4 mins or so by 0.5 kmph. Got to 16 kmph or 6/mm before the test ended as lactate soared. Felt pretty tough and HR got to around 170 bpm at this pace so no surprises after Sundat that LT is probably between 6:05 - 6:10/mm 5 mins recovery and it was time to get Max HR for the VO2 max test. Ran starting at 15 kmph increasing incline to 3% and pace to 17.5 kmph before I bailled out at around 9 mins for 185 bpm. Ver...

Bedford Half in 3 weeks. Time to start planning, got to think big if I am going to run a decent time. 'A' target is obviously 75 mins. Maybe a bit ambitious but it's out there and I've been close before. Probably a bit far-fetched but considering I am shit at hills, I held back and I have been under the weather maybe with a good run I could go close? Aim for the starts and all that! 'B' target has to be sub 6/mm. 1:18.30 I think that would be. Good stepping stone going into London preperation and more than realistic based on the issues above! 'C' target would be running same as today but much more comfortable. Good hard honest training run. If it doesn't go well in the lead up then it would be a good back up for today. So, got to get back on it. First step is to recover from today. Legs are pretty hammered and I am tired. I will try and run easy Monday - Wednesday this week just banking some good easy miles. Thursday hard road in...

After a topsy turvey week of training going from Monday & Tuesdays awesome tempo work to Thursday and Fridays lazy & tired runs I was hoping for a decent performance today. Saturday I rested all day and recovered nicely. Spent the day doing family things with the kids (football training, bike riding & cinema) and generally taking my mind off of racing - which has gone BADLY all year. Woke up today feeling good. Slept all right and legs felt happy. Resting HR though was 49/50 bpm - still way too high. Little girl has had high temperature for a few days and I've felt a little chesty so guess it's still in the system. Decided to just throw it down and have a crack. Foggy as hell this morning and bloody cold. Got to St Neots rec and jogged a bit after getting my number and felt nice and warm. Kept myself to myself at the start only catching up with Ian & DC on the way to the start line. Decided to switch GPS off and run to feel. Would lap the Garmin ...

Meetings overran today so my breakfast protein power shake that should last me for my 20 miles was well out of my system by the time I set out (1.45pm instead of 11.30 am) ! Started and felt OK but HR through the roof - 157 bpm for 7.30/mm. Got to 4.5 miles and just thoght best to turn around. Dropped the HR to sub 150 bpm for the second half. 9 miles in 1.08 ish for 7.38/mm. HR far too high for that pace. Bit pissed as was hanging around and HR was just up because of lack of food. Never mind, binned it but to be fair 9 miles didn;t even feel like I had touched the sides! Will probably do 10 tomorrow at decent HR then it's all about the rest up for Sunday. Not overly confident racing at the minute but training is going well so signs are there that it should be OK. Fingers crossed about time a race went to plan !!