Daz Does Tri

Last run of the year in the books and a couple of beers deep. 2022 is a wrap. I'd love to be posting about what an amazing year it was but seriously - it was one big meh !! 24 races in total. Best result was 16.49 for Parkrun. Won a 5k outright in 17.00. Track races were all pony. Actually looking back it's been a really disappointing year. Even rankings it's hard to see anything that is worth boasting about. Runbritain ranking handicap is at 1.6.  The best thing was probably consistency. Least injuries of any year. Just the cold bug early December holding me back on the race front and 3 weeks in California at the end of July. Did burnout a little in June and didn't go well until November. In spite of all that had 7 x 5ks between 16.49 and 17.07. Only 4 that I ran properly were slower and 17.29 was my slowest of those. WAVA wise at age 47 I had 7 of my top 20 ever performances but that's a pretty weak way to look at it. In terms of points only 1 in the top 20. Train...

So after I had to can Battersea at the start of the month I snuck an entry in for this as a backup. Decent course and decent field generally and a day out in LDN, sounded like a pretty good idea and kept things interesting when I was a bit down. Battersea was 3 1/2 weeks ago and timed with my restart after 2 weeks of illness. Since then I have done 3 weeks of 44, 43 & 44 miles (on for very similar this week). Obviously Xmas, Birthday & Cold / Snow have hampered the big miles but I have had some fairly solid sessions. It's really hard to predict what I will run - especially as there is a big wind and rain forecast tomorrow BUT I do actually feel OK. Big issue has been conditioning - aches and pains - and they have been feeling better as the days / weeks go on. The good days are really good but the bad days are very laboured. Just hoping tomorrow I wake up with good legs. Going forward the plan for January is going to be a big and boring month. Just get all the horrible stren...

Really struggling not to consume anything and everything at the minute. Clearly not tracking calories and haven't dared weigh in for weeks BUT actually feel like I am in OK shape. Booze has been a staple this week and I feel extra sluggish during the day. TP shows that since I shed 10 CTL points while I was ill I've pretty much been and stayed fresh for the last 2 weeks. Obviously with the shit snow and ice I got some quality done but volume was down. This week (started with my birthday) I have felt best I have for a while. Decent session bagged on Thursday - it'll be the only real quality of the week but plan was 4 x 2km of 2 mins followed by 4 x 60/60. Target was 10k effort / power and actually nailled that pretty well. Ended up doing session as 4 x 7 mins as was easier to keep track and paces was almost perfect 2km. Paces were - Warm up - 6.38/mm 276w 143 bpm (152 max) 1.25m - 7 mins -  5.36/mm -   310w - 156 bpm (165) 1.25m - 7 mins -  5.39/mm -   308w - 160 bpm ...

This cold and snow can really do one now !! Bloody hell this is horrible, hopefully another day or two fo sub zero temps but it's been a struggle to get much volume in this ! Really feeling like the illness is behind me now. Feel a little stronger and fitter but it's still not right. Main thing is mentally I'm on holiday so just trying to get stuff done and hope that the motivation returns. Hernia was confirmed so have to look at ways of doing strength work without causing bigger problems there.  This week bagged a couple of easier sessions. Plan to run every day to build miles up and get conditioning back and then hopefully next weekend all being well look to Parkrun just to get something in the bag as a yard stick for fitness. Sessions this week followed existing theme but plan is to do them very controlled. 5 x 5 mins @ 10k -> 5k (16.8 kmph x 3 - 17 - 17.6) nice and relaxed off 2 mins on Tuesday. Thursday was 5 mins thresh (16.9) 8 x 60 / 30 (18.1) 5 mins thresh (16.9...

The race that was not !! Up at 6.30, slight hangover. Get ready, out the door with Dan at 7.30. Defrost car, back door gets stuck and won't shut. Shit. Drive off anyway hoping it'll thaw. It doesn't. Come back. Switch cars. Drive north. Hit terrible icy and slushy roads. -8 degrees local, gets warmer as we head up. Hit a blizzard outside Birmingham. Road conditions shocking, can't even tell were on a motorway. Make the call outside Telford - turn back. If it stays like this we'll end up stuck on motorway all night. Hit traffic from an accident. 3 hour drive home.  Absolute shocker, but in fairness not really feeling racing in this weather with a slight cough anyway. Decision was right. Ended up doing progressive 5s session on  the treadmill. Week done, first week back of any decent level for 3 weeks after 20.9 and 11.8 miles. 44.5 miles, 384 TSS, 2 sessions, 4 x 8 mile runs. Overall, happy enough to bank something. Weight is hovering around where it needs to be but ...

Very tired today, felt a bit ill again and still coughing. Todays 'long' run was a pitiful effort - 8 miles on the trails. HR slightly elevated for pace (even off road) and a few coughing fits from the cold air. Think I've pushed a little too hard this week. Aiming to get some fitness I do need to cut some corners but def feel the need for a rest day tomorrow. Hopefully with a solid nights sleep I'll come good. Sunday I am heading to Telford for the 10k. If anything it'll be a good course reccy but it'll be under control and a hard tempo effort. Don't get me wrong, if I'm going well and feel good I'll push on but I'm just hoping for a solid hit out at around 5.50 pace. That's definitely somewhere I can push on from. Not sure how good I'll feel in that weather but I'll lace them up and see what happens. Long way off the expected 5.30 pace from 3 weeks ago but hey, that was 3 weeks ago !! Lots going on at home and the mojo is lower than...

Back to reality. Still not right, cough is still there and throat is annoyingly just not quite right. It's just taking longer to completely heal and it's frustrating. I'm definitely healthy it's just a slight tickle in the very bottom of my thraot. Frustratingly I seem to have coughed myself into an inguinal hernia. No issues with it, feels a little strange but I do have a Drs Appt next week to check it out. Tuesday I decided to crack out a steady to tempo run up and down the hill. Wore the Alphaflys and off a 7.03/mm first mile up the hill I slowly increased the pace. Finished up with a 6.23/mm avge and last 2 miles very low 6s back down the hill. HR good, never got to 10k effort. Cold in my lungs though and legs ached quite a bit afterwards. Nice to blow off some cobwebs. Coke club Wednesday with Rich. 8 miles @ 8.03/mm. HR slightly higher for pace than previous but to be expected I guess once restarting. Today I wanted to do a session. Coughing a little more than nor...

Big improvement today, feel much healthier. Still some shit on my chest but the war definitely feels like it's moving towards the closing stages. Managed 10 yesterday - 2.4 with Jake and then 8 with Dan in the evening. Felt OK, was moving pretty well but just getting those aches and pains still from lack of conditioning. Feels like I haven't completely lost fitness but without a real test it's hard to know. Weight down to 10st 4.8lbs this morning which is a good sign. Only 3 lbs off where it needs to be. Progress from here is strange. There is no real plan, it's just playing by ear. Really feels like I need to just 'run' and see what shakes out but I'll probably need to do some kind of effort. Thinking today I may actually get some floating 200s in to tick the legs over and see how they respond. It's likely better to do some kind of effort as a pose to easy / steady constantly. Reckon it may be a day or two before I am 100% healthy as the cold weather ju...

This morning I'm feeling better again, but still not 100%. In terms of healthy I'd say I'm now about 93%. Still got some shit on my chest / throat but it's minimal issues - just a bit of coughing to clear and slight tickle. The real issue with it is that cold air or dry air causes me to cough and it's bloody freezing out. Back to back running days for the first time in a long time which is a nice sign. I'll also need to re start S&C as I am already aching and sore and I only did 4 miles yesterday. Feels like a long way back from here but once I can start putting in some sessions I get the impression things will progress quickly. Plan for today is to try and get used to 'being a runner' again. Hate this restart stage, where it's shit and achy but touch wood it won't last too long. Might try and jog with J this morning and I'll run the 8 cc route with Dan later tonight so at least some miles banked. I'll do some light S&C today just...

OK, so managed a run this morning. Just a lake loop but it's the first time I've actually felt human before and after. Shit on my chest still but the good news is that it's not a constant hacking cough. Wow, I've really been arse kicked here. Weight this morning at 10st 7lbs (up 4-5 lbs). CTL at 48 (from a high of 61).  BUT - it's a positive and a step towards getting back. Just hope now there is no relapse or things get worse. I actually feel like I could have a beer tonight which always to me feels like when I know I am coming out the other side. Today was obviously my A race target for the year - BMAF 5k champs at Battersea. Very frustrating to be on the sidelines but it is what it is. Body aches a bit after that. 3.8 miles at 7.37/mm. HR 135 bmp avge (there was a few stops in there) which is actually not so bad.  Key now is to start preparing to get back into shape and not rush things. Everything is still up in the air. Just need to play it by ear but the main i...

I have to say I didn't think the last 10 days of my life would turn out like this. From pinging fitness and everything seemingly ok enough things have taken a turn. Health wise I had a shocker yesterday. Felt really rough, had slight chills in bed last night and throat very tight. Feel better as today has gone on but in all honesty no end in sight of this bug. Chest is rattling when I breath, throat still tight and slight dull aches in my body. I am at the stage now where I've just abandoned hope of getting fitness back at any stage, I just want to feel better. I've not had a beer for 2 weeks, I couldn't imagine having one at this stage, coffee ditto it's been warm tea, ibro, lemsip and throat lozenges. It feels like that stage of an injury where you just abandon hope and accept the long haul. I'm literally at the stage I can't remember feeling anything other than shit and I can't imagine a day I wake up feeling good. Dramatic, yes but I really have had ...

Yesterday's run was absolutely fine. HR good, pace slow, felt relaxed. Today though the cough is really starting to take hold. Just coughing up crap from my lungs. Throat is very slightly sore - really not much there but feels like it's constricted still. It's a big raking cough to clear my lungs that's the issue. Can't run with this so it's a zero today.  At the minute I'm just taking each day as it comes but the novelty has well and truely worn off. I feel shit, I'm loosing hard earned fitness and I can't see the end of the raindow from here.