Daz Does Tri

Feeling very much 'bleugh' at the start of this week.  Finished much stronger for the last 3 days. Interesting watching Strava, especially now I'm down to the bare bones.  It's so easy to get lost in other peoples training and start to second guess your own plan.  One thing is for sure, watching paces - mainly genuine easy/steady paces of good runners against average runners is the biggest thing I notice.  The sessions vary massively.  Some good runners put down some bang average sessions but their overall training is what sets them apart.  The funniest I find is average runners who put crazy paces down as easy.  I always remember Ed Spread saying he just couldn't run slower than 6.50 pace.  He never said that at mile 17 of his marathon when he was down to 8s and heading for 9s !! Stick to the plan, don't get caught up in other peoples. Tuesday -  session was decent but on rested legs.  Hitting the right numbers and can def go quicker on...

Not having to worry about who to fuck off from Strava this week is a massive weight lifted haha it actually felt good to have a clear out.   Back to worrying about when the Alphafly are going to drop now. 100% going to need a rest day tomorrow.  Quality has absolutely battered my legs. So to the plan...  the balance seems right for my aims and fitness.  I feel like I am slowly getting fitter and faster. Don't see any reason not to continue with the Tuesday & Thursday main sessions. Tuesday I'll increase pace slightly.  Probs start at 18.8 and build to 19.7. See how that goes.  I have plenty of time to get that faster before that session changes any.  Once I can get to running 10 x 60 secs off 20 kmph I'll probably settle it there and build the time up.  Lactate buffering at sub 5 pace is plenty and then it'll be making the session feel easy before i push on.  We are a LONG way from that !! Thursday again 8 x 30 secs @ 22 kmph.  ...

...and the week continues. Friday - nice easy / steady socially distanced run with the champ himself DC around Fenstanton nature park.  First mile or so little bleugh but from 2nd mile to 6th felt really easy just ticking along at 6:50 - 7/mm.  Last couple into the wind and picked up the pace.  Felt a bit heavy and moved very much into the harder side of steady by the finish but decent run bagged.  Ideally we'll keep this one going and bring it down.  With no wind today that would have been 6.3x pace through the card. Top of legs / hips feeling tired from intervals at the start of the week.  Those 2 sessions are tough and take a lot out but the right things are being broken down and built.   Plan to hammer the rehab tonight and hope the legs feel good for 1k TT tomorrow but very likely to start it on heavy legs. Last time was pretty bad, just couldn't get going so hopefully tomorrow get out of the blocks faster. Saturday - up and at 'em.  Wak...

.. Michael Jordon to Bill Wennington on his comeback.  I want to use this one on DC ;) Not sure why, but the Last Dance documentary has fired me up.  It's the first time I have ran angry for a long while.  Maybe it's my Dad, not sure but I haven't felt like this since the old (old) days.  I've known even 2010 - 2012 when I ran well, I was missing that ability to really go deep and bury myself.  It's coming back to me.  I'm enjoying the really hard stuff, it's not been like that for many years.  As the anger intensifies so does the ambition. Monday - k ept the rest day on Monday.  Not ideal but good to feel fresher for the main sessions of the week and see if we can increase.  Also feels like I am playing catch up on everyone else for the rest of the week ;) Tuesday - am was Dad's funeral.  Tough day, nuff said. PM I did the same set as last week.  I know not many people would fancy training after their Dad's funeral but I needed to ...

So another decent week in the bag.   This week I feel was a much better balance and the sessions are starting to feel like they are paying off.  Paces are a step closer to where they need to be anyways. Monday - rest. Tired from last weeks TT efforts. Tuesday - treadmill 60 on / 30 off x 10.  Really good session. Lactate buffering. Wednesday - solid 7 miles @ 7/mm Thursday - short and sweet. 8 x 30 secs treadmill @ 22 kmph. Increasing leg turnover Friday - recovery 8. Good pace, 7:49/mm feeling very loose Saturday - 2 x 3m. 3 sub thresh. 3 at thresh. Good session, felt pretty relaxed. Sunday - (short) long easy with the boy. Tired 7:30s. Nailed 3 sessions.  The 2 treadmill ones are pretty much key at this stage as it's building leg speed and lactate buffering (relaxing at speed).  The treadmill helps with the legs and pacing. See previous blog! Saturday was a tester.  3 miles up hill feeling very easy and keeping HR below 159 bpm for 6:09/mm.  Ope...

Zwift is a game changer for the dreadmill.  Not exactly sure why but it definately makes things go easier. In the current climate - lockdown, hot out, boring as fuck - doing sessions on a treadmill seems insane. However, the benefits (for me) are -  No pounding on feet.  It's softer so I don't feel my legs are battered immediately after, no hobbling about after my legs lock up. Have to hold a quick, sustained pace and concentrate on fooooorrrmmm.  I'm lacking leg speed, this is a short cut to getting faster leg turnover. No travelling to find quick ground.  Lets face it, I'd have to go to the track really to get the same benefit.  For a short sharp and solo session that seems like overkill. Today's session was 8 mins warm up @ 14 kmph.  Then 10 x (60 secs fast, 30 secs recovery).  The fast started at 18 kmph and rose by .1 (.2 last one) until it was 19 kmph on number 10.  The recovery was done at 10 kmph. That was followed by 7 mins cool down...

Yep, no getting around it this was a strange week dealing with everything for Dad and 2 'virtual' races. Monday I ended up resting. Wanted to run but with so much going on it didn't happen and probably for the best. Lovely to catch up with DC who dropped a card round.  Socially distanced catch up was very much appreciated.  Looking forward to cracking out some sessions again soon bud. Tuesday went for the Virtual Bannister mile the BMC organised.  Chose the route from the top of the broadway back towards Bourn.  It's net downhill but most of the elevation you loose coming off the ramp at the start and it has 2 uphill (incline, they're about 0.5% FFS) drags including the 200m to the finish. Blogged it anyway so don't know why I am banging on here. 4.55 for the mile, hard work solo and finished knowing I could go quicker in a race. Easy run Wednesday as the boy wanted to do same route (I won by 0.7 secs hahahaha) and extended the run to about 8.5 miles. ...

Today we did the 'virtual Corby' 1km time trial.  It was a race (myself, Jacob & Sawyer all started together) but as we were so split up from the off it was a TT in the end! After beating J over the mile I had hopes to run him close!  I was nowhere near !! Scores on the doors 2.52 for J (2.45 last time) 3.05 for me and 3.15 for Sawyer (3.32 last time) Struggled today, legs just couldn't go any faster. With this and the mile this week, it's definitely a lack of leg speed that is the limiting factor. Plan is 2 weeks of speed focus to increase leg turnover - 200s and 400s off long recoveries will be the main sessions (Tue & Thurs) and I'll keep the km hills in for strength.  Increase the longer runs and that should pay off. I'll do one or two weeks and re-test.  Maybe an 800m TT or back to the mile and extend. All good fun and takes my mind off things. Feeling pretty good, running pretty well and strength is getting there.  Increase leg...

Well first off the bat, bit of a shitter last week.  After getting off the treadmill after an interval session on Thursday I got the news that Dad had passed away. Running wise just 'got a couple of bits done' to clear my head over the weekend.  Yesterday again couldn't get out the door as we we're doing stuff and I wanted to watch a film with the kids later on. A few extra rest days here and then don't mean a lot at the minute. Today was my chance to get a time in for the Virtual mile.  I needed something to focus on and get my head away from other stuff. Decent warm up indoors.  Foot not 100% but hoped it would settle on the run.  Wore the next% as the 4% butchered my foot on the Virtual 5k a few weeks back. Jog up the hill, pace not amazing on the warm up but it did feel very easy. The plan was to start at the top of the flyover on the Broadway.  Use the big downhill start to get some pace in the bag and then just run hard to the finish on the ...