Daz Does Tri

So the reason I blog is clearly to dump all the shit from my tiny brain down for future reference. What works to get me fit, how did I overcome injuries etc. etc... Injuries Plantar Fasciitis Starts with ache around foot, moves all around the heel, sometimes wide right and sometimes left under knobbly bit. Dealing with it since pre hip injury in November and never really recovered. Taping, rolling calfs, ice in sock under heel all work. Running fast and running in 4% / Next% seems to aggrivate it. Can run easy on trails in Reacts without problems and Peggy Turbos seem to be best option for faster runs. Hip / Glutes Have had on-off issues since 2010, mainly when run focussed (no issues when I was doing Tri).  Rolling glutes & hip openers seems to  help.  Fatigue from training, most likely running form causes issues. Probably need to experiment more with treadmill running. Summer is fine as trails seem better.  Spending lots of time rolling and...

Feel better today, little tired but to be expected. Seem to have found a plan with a decent balance last couple of weeks.  TP shows all the numbers are heading in the right direction, CTL raising but ATL and TSB staying in good range. All of that is bollocks if your race results are like Monkey Dans though !!  This week should start showing some decent returns to be fair as I'm feeling pretty strong.   Foot feels much better today, I'll most likely wrap it pre-run and not take any ibro.  Glutes are OK, nothing a good roll won't sort out.  Bit of fatigue in there but 2 steady days to go and then full rest so shouldn't be a problem unless it becomes a problem! Plan today - steady 6.  I'll go on the tempo route up and down the hill. Aim is to keep the HR max around 159 bpm or threshold. I'm pretty sure I use threshold in the wrong way.  Tempo for me is harder - 5 to 10k effort but threshold is more likely closer to marathon effort - without...

OK, lets clear that up.  5 weeks have been training properly, forget the intervals based week it's all been merged lol  Decent week bagged with a longest run for some time today.  Jake wanted a half marathon so we did it today.  Bless him, it was about 12.1 mile too far haha At 6.5 he was struggling.  To be fair I didn't run over 10 until I was about 19 so fair play to him for getting it done, it was a real death march. For me, a very easy relaxed run.  13.1 miles @ 8:36/mm - was 8's for the first half so finished up in the old Turner long run pace group so works out nice and ideal time on feet. Week was spot on. Monday, a solid steady -> threshold @ 6:31/mm.  Tuesday rested, Wednesday 8  easy over the trails at 7.12/mm, Thursday 7.5 easy around Cambourne at 7/mm, Friday very easy lake loops felt like I was walking just under 8/mm, Saturday a really good hard session of kms on the gravel and long run today. Definite progress, f...

Woke up today, feeling much better.  Foot and hips / glutes not feeling bad at all.  Must have been the 5 bottles of beer last night lol  No excuse for not getting the session done today, just getting my head ready for it now. Been a strange week.  Missed the 2 planned sessions as foot wasn't right.  Just hoping that things will ease out.  If the foot doesn't feel better tomorrow it does look like staying off the pace will be the only way forward.  I 'can' run easy without any issues in the Turner work boots.  Running harder in faster shoes seems to cause problems but today's session will be a good indicator of that.  Still running well though, not in bad shape at all considering. To the session ... Jogged to the bridge past the golf course. Phew, didn't feel amazing but pace had dropped to 7.31/mm avge by time I got there.  Cross the road, couple of strides and off. First rep - 3.31 - 5.57/mm up the hill.  Felt pretty goo...

Body aches today. Hips, glutes, lower back are tight.  I've had some pretty severe hip issues in the past so it's important to stay on top of these. Plan is to bust through some rehab this morning and run later if it holds up.  If not, it's back in the pool #aquajogging! Frustrating times - but need to be sensible.  Sooo... Yep, lots of hip mobility, glute rolling, back stretching and the main ingredient - coffee ! Finished up running outdoors. Kept J company for his session.  Ended up a very easy recovery run ~7 miles at just under 8s but HR very low.  Good sign fitness is improving.  Couple of short efforts at around 1 min to give the boy something to chase at the end but apart from that all very easy stuff. Hips / glutes absolutely no issues. Foot ached pretty much every step.  Really hard to guage it.  Kinda feels like the shin did last year wheni just pretty much ignored it and ran through.  No issues just annoying feeli...

...again !!!  Not sure what week and what plan I am on as the condition of my body continually changes! Foot today not right enough to do intervals, in fact hips & glutes in general were very tired. Ended up running steady-ish.  Mainly progressive but at the start it felt very leggy.  Stopped a few times to stretch and open out hip flexors which helped. 7.7 miles @ 7:02/mm progressive.  Pretty grey run really but happy enough as the main thing at the minute is to be able to continue. It looks like intervals (the quicker ones)  will be knocked on the head until things are better as I think faster running is aggrivating everything.  that said I'm pretty confident the km reps should be OK on Saturday.  Quite enjoyed that session, def noticing the benefit of the hill this week as I am much stronger. Run today in the Infinity Reacts a.k.a Turners work boots.  Not even sure a tempo would be possible in them but they get the job done. Foc...

Foot sore today.  The rest day did nothing ! Not sure why it's so bad, possibly running Monday in the Next%s, possibly running a little quicker. Either way, annoyed and feel like I've wasted a day off. Back on the plan today.  Last weeks rest day, today's run was a steady 8. Pretty comfortable, stayed on the trails and best pace I've managed on them this year. 7.12/mm avge, HR a bit high at 153 bpm but still feels like it's not reading right as I can't see it was that effort level. Wore the infinity reacts, my go-to shoe for keeping running.  Foot wasn't million % but could run without too much hinderance. It's a bit like a nagging tooth ache but in my foot! Feel easy today.  Finished off by the pool with some S&C and hurdle specific drills.  Lots of them!  Bought a cheap adjustable hurdle, so far up to 30" with the drills, plenty of height to go and will need more run up but it's a start.  Getting the old feelings back.  Drive w...

Fuck it, lets call it week 2.  It'll get confusing later I'm sure but who cares. It's only my boy DC reading this and I'll read back when I get injured again looking for inspiration to go back from 19 min 5ks to 18 min 5ks haha !! Feeling good today, session is 8 x 400m with 400 jog back - same as last week. Not sure why but have an overwhelming desire to go back to just doing steady miles.   Really enjoyed yesterday's run, it's probably just that.  Always feels good when you can bank 6:30 pace feeling pretty relaxed.  BUT the plan is 8 x 400m and I need to do that because that's what worked last week.   STOP...BEING...A...PUSSY - push through and get the job done! So Monday runs are about feeling relaxed at a decent pace.  Last week 7:05/mm this week 6:33/mm.  Def worked, think HR was pretty high both times but the feeling was good.  Fitness will take a bit of time to adapt.  The run aim is to handle a decent pace.  Mi...

Day 1.  No shakeout this morning, foot wasn't 100% and zero point taking any risks at the minute. Wanted to open the legs a little and push on.  I love tourist miles like Sunday runs but sometimes they leave you wondering if that's all you can do! So laced up the next% for their first run.  Out of the gate, foot wasn't overly happy.  Same route as last week.  About 6:57 for the first mile.  Hit by the headwind as soon as I turn at the lake.  Bloody hell!  Cuts me in half. HR rises.  Stop in usual place.  Fancy a piss but too many people around so I carry on.  Stop at the very high point on the way out and tighten the shoes.  Foot is grumbling.  Wind behind and all on road to lower now and the pace is good, around 6:15/mm for this.  HR high but feel very relaxed and comfortable. Down to lower, stop at the bench and loosen shoes.  Need to drop HR too as it's the drag uphill and no point hitting 5k HR lol ...

Or is it week 1 ?? So, banked all 3 sessions and the foot never fell off.  2 long-ish easy runs, a shake out and a steady. 43.7 miles 388 TSS Decent session Tuesday, pretty good session Thursday - form was a bit ropey, Saturday was hard work.  Will keep that one in there, def the toughest session of the week. 2 runs of 10+ miles - very slow Z1 & Z2 but hopefully pace will improve with fitness. Let's see what happens next week.  Plan is to repeat as-is.  It's fairly enjoyable, just hope the foot keeps playing ball! Target is to get fit and healthy enough to have a crack at a 5k TT at some stage.  17.36 last time out, will choose a better route next time !!  Probably a couple of weeks away from that but we shall see.  Would be nice to target a few Strava segments here and there as well just for dicking about !!

Morning DC !! So today, the plan is to do 4 x 1,000m off short recovery to work 5k pace.  Woke up (admittedly a little hungover) with sore legs.  Probably got a bit carried away running too long yesterday.  Foot is OK (seems OK) small ache but certainly an improvement. Legs are very heavy though, considering either total rest to let things clear up or go very easy to get something banked and keep the active recovery on foot. Couple of coffees have kicked in by now so motivation is up a bit!  I'll actually probably just go and do the session, just dial back the paces so they're not even tempo efforts but harder than steady.  That way I feel like I've ticked the session boxes for the week and kept on the plan. Really starting to feel fitter lately.  Not sure if the speed work has blown away the cobwebs or the previous big miles are paying off. The foot is definitely better than it was.  Intervals were a huge risk but resting Wednesday...

Long, slow & easy does it today. Scouted this route for a week or so, bit longer than usual run - actually longest run of 2020.  Plan was to go nice and easy after intervals yesterday, just run to feel and try and manage the foot through it. Bit achey at first but the Infinity Reacts did their job and by the end was all good. Run was probably a couple of miles too long as everything else started aching but looking at the whole hard / easy style of training this isn't a bad thing. Could do with getting used to these type of longer runs between intervals, should really help everything.  Pace should come down as the body adapts but no need to go too hard or fast just yet. Trails for me are always pretty slow, I just don't get the push off I do on road so always 30 secs - minute a mile slower than a flat road route which I'll take. Mentally quite an easy route today on the head, very quiet trails and pretty scenic. Couple of bits were twisty under foot but all i...

Not sure what week or day it is, everything is a blur! Speed work today.  The session - 2 x (4 x 200m) off walk back recoveries and 5 mins set rest. Did it with the boys, the aim was Sawyer to run flat out and Jacob to coast it. Rest day yesterday, foot wasn't 100% so wanted to give it a chance to heal (pardon the pun).  Still waiting on the new Infinity reacts (arrived today) Jogged up to the quiet trail and marked out the course, just over 0.12m First rep - just before the end the big cunt wolf dog appeared with the old man and jumped at Jacob.  Then it nicked our cone (fucking dog).  Old dude is not strong enough to hold the fucking thing back. Walk back, session is quiet from then on. Finish session as - 32, 31, 31, 31, 31, 32, 32, 31 First 4 in Peggy Turbos and scond set in Streak LT spikes. The spikes felt better on but foot wasn't as great. Hammys very tight after. Jogged back home for a short 3.5 mile session but with a mile in around 4:15...

Wow, this is tough.  The foot isn't right today, re-wrapped and just stretching & rolling.  Hammys feel very tight and some calf tenderness. Sacked off the morning shakeout and I'll just try and get once a day while this isn't ok. I'll continue to roll heavily and loosen off back too. Feels like I am basically either on the edge of bannishing this to an annoying ache - like the shin last year - or about to become properly injured. I'd like to say the adrenaline off the knife edge balance is exciting me but I'm feeling beat up if I'm honest. Fitness wise I am there or there abouts.  Day of rehab and I'll attempt session tonight.  the sessions are where it's at, we'll see how the foot responds but this morning it's not playing ball for sure. So, the session. Jogged up to the quiet trail - this is the best one around and perfect for intervals.  Slight drop from one end to the other and about 0.4 mile in total. Felt a bit pont...

OK, not really, it's just same old training! Great sleep last night - finally.  Woke up and set the new plan in action.  Coffee, stretch, coffee, run treadmill shakeout, ice bucket foot challenge, breakfast. So the shakeout run was just to get the body awake and moving.  2 miles @ 10 kmph.  Very (very) easy and slow but I used the time to tryout foot wear and running tecckers. First up, the new Next%.  They felt shit on the foot #fucksake so 5 mins in I ditched them.  Pulled the old Peggy 35 Turbo from the 'shoeseum' and they felt amazing on.  These really are possibly the best shoes I've ever worn.  You can run miles and race 5k in them.  Felt OK, not 100% but much better that the Nexts. 5 mins in them then slipped the Peggy Turno 2s on. These seemed to feel the best.  Probably because they are fresher but either way much better. I focussed on form too.  The biggest winner was keeping my head and eye line much higher. Thi...

Went thusly - Monday - rest Tuesday 5k tempo. Break foot Wednesday - Saturday - pool running for hours like an idiot Sunday - 5 miles easy test.  Passed OK I think 16 run miles 3 hrs 4:45 aqua jogging Or 46 miles if you count the aqua jog time as 7:30/mm! Which I am by the way !!  429 TSS for the week, CTL at 52 #nice And on to old school training next week. I have a plan, I will stick to it.  I really need to get off Strava because it gives me fucked up ideas about how to improve by running more miles.  I've run 14.56 FFs why am I tracking 17.30 runners lol I do need to focus on getting some activation and core work in pre-run and doing some pilates & strength post-run. That bits not going to go away. I'll also bring in paces at a crazy slow level. I doubt the efforts will be much under 6/mm.  Focus on getting strong, building slowly and not loosing form. I'm 17.15 - 17.30 shape right now, it's not a huge difference to get where I n...

Aqua Jogging - bit weird but seems to do the trick.  Another hour today, actually feeling a bit crackered afterwards.  It's mentally a hell of a lot easier that a treadmill I have to say. Tried a very short treaddy run later on today - 0.5 miles - and foot seemed to hold up.   It's 100% not quite right, but enough to make me think an proper run test can be done.  Latest thought is that it's a heel bruise - it has the right symptoms and also it's not incurable so if that's it it's probably the best case scenario. Wrapped the heel and ran, trying to relax the feet.  Will need to do a lot of prep tomorrow. Set on the fact I will have to adjust my run technique to continue.  To many problems to keep ploughing on without making any changes.  Fundamentally something keeps breaking down so it's back to basics when I can. Also considering looking at changing the way I train.  Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger so need to do somet...

Rome wasn't built in a day !! Step 1 - DRILLS before every run.  Has to be done, no excuses. Encourages correct form via muscle memory. Step 2 - Heels - focus on lifting heel - number 1 to start the correct form Step 3 - Land midfoot NOT forefoot - step 2 - this one I need to look into, do some treadmill videos Step 3 - HIPS - step 3 - run tall, push hips upwards. Possibly 'sitting in the saddle' Step 4 - activate glutes while running - big one to focus on strength. Glute activation pre-run then drills to activate drills then focus on run Lets see how we get on with these once I start running again !!

You have to ask yourself that daily at this age. Is the effort I put in worth the reward at the other end. I can't turn off the old competitor feelings.  I still think I can be one of the best in the country, or the world, even if the results and training don't reflect it.  Even writing that down looks absolutely laughable. I feel that way because I've overcome the odds in the past and done it.  A distant past clearly!  But I've always said to be really good at something so demanding you have to be a bit broken inside! My foot is in a bad way.  I can't get to the physio anytime soon.  The pain is under the heel, near where the achillies inserts the heel.  Possibly just plantar faschia, could be a stress fracture, could be cubiod.  Could be any small number of things.  It's painful to walk though which is a bad sign, 3 days on from last run. The aqua jogging is a god send.  30 mins and 60 mins last 2 days, at least I can do somethin...

Feeling annoyed today.  Currently icing fuck out of my foot after stretching and rolling. Jesus, I'd be on 150 miles a week if I ran as much as I rehabbed.  Why the fuck won't my cunting body just stay healthy for fuck sake !!! Genuinely debating sending the Vomero back and ordering some more infinity reacts.  They were shit (like proper shit) but I *could* run on them with Plantar. Next % are turning up today, not really thinking it's wise to test them straight off the bat so I'll aim to run in the Vomeros and make a call on what to do after that. Cut back day, ease the miles in at a recovery pace to hopefully be able to push on.  Def need to stop the harder miles on road until this issue is resolved though so easy trail miles for the foreseable it is. Fuck shit wank bollocks

OK, so 3 seconds after subbmitting last post I remembered I had an aqua belt and a pool #firstworldprobs So 30 mins aqua jog.  Yep, it's not the most exciting but it's a work out.  It's taken a huge load off knowing that I can do this to hold off the injuries and not take any risks. Not 100% it'll be as effective as running (even slow) but it 100% won't add any stress to the body. I'll swap out runs with aqua sessions as and when needed now that I can. Obvs I'll still aim to run outside but it's an option.  I'll bank the miles on fetch and TP but not strava as that would be properly wank. 30 mins easy aqua jog - feels similar to 30 mins easy / steady - 7.30-8/mm but without any leg deadening (just a light buzz). Not sure what sessions would be like but will see what happens.

Shit,  woke up this morning and foot is totally fucked.  If I could go to the physio I would be making the call. Instead Dr Google it is. After lots of prodding and searching I've set on Peroneal tendonitis as the most likely issue. Stretching the muscle outside the shin and doing shit that I found on you tube definitely helped. Got to the stage where I went from properly hobbling about to kitting up for a run. Laced up the shoes and jogged a few steps on the spot but made the call to sack it off as it just wasn't right and certainly wasn't going to help any. Not ideal but need to be sensible.  Was only going to get a recovery 5 miles in anyhow. Strangely back is pretty shredded today - not sure if all connected.  Most likely issue was running the 5k in 4% yesterday and aggravating the fuck out of it. Having just got myself to the point of respectability with yesterdays run I'll keep focus and hopefully get back on it tomorrow.  M...

Rested yesterday to freshen up for this.  Number look pretty good to be fair. Jogged up to the flyover at the top of the Broadway. Just under 2 miles feeling easy at 7/mm.  Only slight concern was HR was very high, even for the hill and pace. Stretched and ready to go.  Slightly nervous if I am honest - have not done anything at sub 6 pace for a long long time! Start at the top of the flyover, route is just to go back and forth on the old A428, 3 dead turns before the road goes up. Head down the hill and onto the flat, aim to settle down and feel ok.  Just start ticking it off trying not to think about effort or distance.  First dead turn is at about 0.8 mile in.  Shit, thought I would get further.   Pace not really affected and pass first mile in 5:26 with HR up to around 175 bpm. Decide to try and back off 2nd mile and not explode.  HR has been higher recently so just aim to keep it at 175 bpm.  Pace is not really slowing t...

Plan for this week which I set last week (changed a bit). Mon - REST Tue - 7 inc 5k Virtual relays attempt Wed - 12 lsr Thu - 8 easy Fri  - 5 threshold Sat - 10 easy Sun - 9 steady 51 miles  So today is a rest day.  I am buzzing to run if I'm honest which is a good sign that things are coming to fruition.  2 rest days in short succession off a solid build should lead to a decent run for tomorrows 5k attempt.  Well, I'll be ready for it - not sure it'll exactly be a fast time. Right now I'd be very happy to go under 18 mins if I can get some effort in.  I've never been one for training races but I'll have a go and see what happens. Wednesday I will finally get a proper long run in. I need to get a longer than 10 in every week to take things seriously.  I'm keen to get the 2 bigger sessions in early after a build to get the CTL back on track. The rest of the week will be pretty easy but I will go and do a threshold 5 on Friday.  Th...

51 miles in the bag.  A much needed rest day on Friday skewered the back to back 60s and foot not holding up skewered the dream target of 70. 70 a week seems absolutely insane at the minute lol  2 biggest weeks for some time.  Pace at the start of the week was horrific and the Wednesday threshold was beyond horrible. After a rest on Fri the Saturday steady was pretty decent 6.22/mm and felt comfortable.  Sunday was a long(ish) easy 9 @ 7:22/mm nice and progressive.  The foot wasn't 100% at the start but settled down, think the pavement on Sat run pushed it a bit. Next week I will stick to the steady plan - drop the miles (actually it's still around 50) and lift the pace. Now the weather is picking up this should be a little easier. Monday is scheduled rest. I wouldn't normally take it after having Friday off but it does mean the foot has longer to heal (pardon the pun) and I can have a crack at the virtual relay 5k on fresher legs on Tuesday. The r...

So I took the rest day yesterday. It was needed but I really wanted to get 2 weeks in before I did. Funny enough my numbers were plateauing a bit on TP which gave the indication it made no sense to trudge on but at least give y legs a chance to come back. Ate like a cunt yesterday.  Jesus knows how many calories I ate and not many were in the healthy side of the table. Decent kip and woke up today feeling much better.  I knew a steady run would give a decent result. Set out on the faster route (Cambourne trail, up to Bears, straight through the middle of the hood then back over the hill and home the same way I came in). I'd planned to stop as usual, just a mental break as that's what I always do. Start felt comfortable, pace wasn't crazy - 6:50 ish but settled down quickly down to 6:30s.  On the road section pace dropped all the way down to low 6:20s and then coming home it stayed there. 6:22/mm avge for 6.3 miles. HR was pretty high - above threshold for th...

OK, so today's going to be a rest! I'm pretty toast if I'm honest. I could run but I'm just feeling dog tired.  Eat well, rest well, go easy (as planned tomorrow) and hit it harder Sunday (maybe) I knew a rest day was on the cards, the fatigue is pretty high and it's still too early to take any panic measures.  I 'could' run, for sure, but it'll be another slog. So fingers crossed a day off and a day easy = fresh legs.  It's hard to believe average pace was well under 7/mm when mileage was 20-30 a week not so long ago. Next weeks plan looks solid. Basically getting more threshold work in and bringing paces down on shorter mileage.  We're still 10 weeks - probably 20 from anything resembling race day so DON'T PANIC !! Must admit last night was first time my head started going a bit looking at everyone's Strava paces and then looking at my deteriorating pace chart! However fitness is up from 39 - 50 during lockdown - where it ne...