Daz Does Tri

Day 0 Just coming up to 6 weeks of problems behind me and it finally feels like I can reset this journey back on the right path. Parkrun on Saturday showed me that I am a decent bit away from conditioning (the last mile was pretty much a struggle fest) but the good news was tat my hips and my calf held together at the pace point they have struggled at. After that I had a stag doo to attend so I sit here typing this with a pretty good (although not terminal) hangover. There is no time to waste now. I have to align everything to even get back where I was previously. The data looks like this - 3.12mi - 18:42(5:59/mi) 158/169bpm [946b/mi]. Splits were pretty consistent. Maybe slight fade in the last mile but was actually paced well. 158 bpm for 6/mm is actually in the right place BUT the 168 max is very, very high showing that the last mile was almost at full race effort. No warm up, in Megablast and off no training so it's to be expected. Compare to pre-injuries and data was 3.1mi - 1...

Not even sure where I was at with this but that's done now, the calf has called time on the season. Frustrating to say the least. Selected for England Masters and coming off a good training block the calf just had enough. Tightens up any time I put any intensity in. The only saving grace is that it seems to respond to easy -> steady running once it has settled back down. Not as good as it sounds because it takes training and racing out of the equation BUT at least I think I should be able to keep up some base work while I figure it out. Not called it as I type but the email will be going in today to pull out of the squad. Not heartbreaking getting selected was the aim) but INCREDIBLY frustrating. Plan from here, let it settle and start easy running. I'll just sit at some mileage for a while until it's figured out. I'll call time on track and road races for the forseable. No sessions either. I can do rehab - I'll go back to gym - but the focus will be on stability...

Monday 8th June - Sunday 15th June Monday Right tib is much better after sleep but still aggy. Messaged Ray to bin the race ff and plan today is rest and rehab. Most likely thing is to see how it is and tomorrow night just roll out a threshold session on the road. Track may aggravate it so I just need to be defensive and see how it responds to less aggressive training. Possibly just not doing enough rehab whilst on holiday or  just tight calfs but either way I'm not taking chances from here. Checking po10 today and I am still 8th in UK v50 5k so on the edge of getting that England masters spot. Felt pretty tred last week and I know there are several things I need to address this week so my check list coming in to 2.5 weeks out from race day is this - Nutrition - drink water NOT fizzy drinks. Better GF snacks than sweets and chocolate - eat more calories. This will leave me feeling healthier and less depressed !! This is my research today - I need to nail this side of training beca...

Week 1 back home. The start of summer. Mile road race is canned so aside from a vets lge 800m (which is just a glorified roll out) my next race is Battersea 5k on the 24th - 3 weeks away. Monday Arrived home at 5am and got out of bed 8.50am like a zombie. Chores to do so glad of a rest day. Few aches and pains but nothing a good night sleep won't fix. Tuesday Up feeling much better. Seriously aware of the addiction junk food has on me. More on that later. Planning stage today. Need to look at what I will do in this block. Viewing a new build that we hope to be moving to so no easy shakeout today it'll be straight into session tonight. Food needs improving so I am going to (try to) eat cleaner. I'll look at reducing my processed food, lay off the sugar snacks, lay off the booze and generally just eat better quality foods. I am feeling good about my training and fitness. Everything is trending in the right direction I just need to really nail a race feeling completely 100% an...

Photo Credit - Mick Hall Mid Cheshire Block ! Post Podium to Battersea it's now time to get the hard yards in for a sub 16 attempt. Plan for this week is to get 1 really good session in on Tuesday - ideally with the group. I'll try and get as many miles in as I can BUT I'll do everything steadier - as I am expecting to be away (depending on Anges mum) - for the end of the week in Tenerife. I'll unlikely get anything over 10 miles in but I'll see and I'll unlikely get a threshold session in - but I'll see. Mainly though the plan is top load the week Mon - Weds and then just do whatever I can! I'll also re-introduce weights this week as that's been sorely missing. Edit - Anges mum passed away on the day of the Tenerife trip so I stayed back. Monday 27th April New week new me. I am off to Lower Mill today, off to Tenerife for a boys holiday on Thursday. This week is all about doing what I can. I'll aim to get a VO2 session in but apart from that I w...

Back to basics! Back in to standard training and a build towards Battersea 5k next. Base work is done so the plan is more 5k / 3k work, up the miles to 60 per week and keep up the threshold stuff. Upping the miles now as I have hit the 16.30 target I set for that. Easy to add another 5 I just need to keep the recovery pace well north of 8s. *** NOTE I ended up getting a niggle for the first Battersea race and trained through to CTS Battersea a couple of weeks later. This blog is going to be a long 6 weeks from Podium to next race *** Monday 16th March 2026 Rest day. Starting the week from zero and letting the legs come good. Improve the diet from Saturday and keep up mobility / rehab. Tuesday Run 1 - 3 shakeout in the morning. Wake the legs up. 3 miles @ 9.04/mm nice and easy. This is the new shakeout route now weather is better and trails are holding up. Session - Eddington. 2.82 warm up, 1.51 cool down. Session was 3 x mile, 3 x 600 @ 8k and 1500 pace. All off 2 mins. The miles fe...