Week 2 - routine

Hard top say where I am at. It's all been a blur since early June when I picked up the knock.

I'm really just trying to get back into a good routine and feel quicker again. I don't think the last however many weeks (I did a 70 mile week recently) are worthless. I'm feeling that under the surface there is some fitness and pace that just needs some tlc !!

I have races in the diary! This is positive and I actually feel good about them. Watford on the 4th September over 3000m and this should see me back to seasons best territory. From there I'll make the hop to 5k at Battersea and hopefully back into sub 16.30 land and then a 10k blast at Cambridge Town & Gown. It's a nice progression in distance!

I'll keep the weekly Parkrun / session in there too as that's beneficial if anything to getting me used to lining up and running uncomfortably tempo for longer.

Once that is out of the way it's basic winter training with an eye on improving strength & plyometrics as I head on my hollybobs for my 50th.

Monday

Gym. Standard session and low weight increase. Probably best to stay here until I am on top of these weights. 

Plyometrics. Back to Week 3 - Day 1. I need to focus on getting these in as they are paying off.

Tuesday

Track. Really nice session as was with Jake (and also Ian!). I did 12 x 400 off 200 jog. Recovery was average 70 secs so on the short side. Reps in 80,79,78,78,77,77,79,79,76,77,77,74 for 77.5 avge.

Jake did 10 sat on and then 2 x quick 400s in spikes in 59 & 61.

Wednesday

am) Plyometrics

pm) Coke club with Dan & Rich. Legs battered and very tired today. 8 @ 8.37/mm average feeling knackered.

Thursday

Track. Long day at Woburn. Started feeling a scratchy feeling in throat which would make sense why I am so bloody tired this week.

1200 tempo [2] 4x200, 3x300, 2x400, 1x500 [60]

Andy told me to dial back to 72/73 and I did. In fairness that was about all I could muster. Ran with Tom and was bit breezy. Tempo in 4.16 then into (36,36,36,37) (55,54,54) (72,73) (1.32)

Rolling at 72/73 per 400m which is about right for mile right now. Worth little better less fatigue and no wind with some lead outs I would say.

Actually in better shape than I thought. I would say 78 per lap for 3000m (9.45) and 73 for 1500 (4.33). If I am carrying something then once I recover I will get a kick in form. Definitely feels like from here I can push onward fairly swiftly but need to balance out that recovery. 1 sec per week will put me in good shape when I restart racing.

Friday

Legs don't feel horrific as I expected so that's a good sign. Run rest day. Need to decide if I do the weights or plyos or just take a total rest and ease up for tomorrow. Possibly better to do that as not 100% healthy and this would get me over the line.

Plan to do the same Parkrun sesh tomorrow and go slightly quicker (5.40s) and slightly longer (400s) so may be worth just taking a recovery.

Yep, think total rest is definately the best option. I can get paces down to 69 / 74 off 5 days per week so just focus on developing this before I go harder. Recovery is king, stay active and I can improve.

Saturday

Up for Parkrun. Tight calfs this morning, on the jog to warm up they felt pretty bad. Into Parkrun and chased Matt Slater down the first mile keeping him 4-8 secs up on me. Felt ok-ish. HR much better than last week but couldn't push on as legs felt as hard as they would like to go. Just a heavy legged day, could not have pushed much harder in a race but 18.02 for the parkrun (5.44/mm) @ 161 bpm so threshold is bang on. HR only went 167-168 for about 40 secs towards the end so nicely under control. Indicated much better fitness but legs were definately the limiting factor today. Followed up with 4 x 75/75 @ around 5/mm pace (3k effort) and decent session bagged.

Calfs horiffically tight afterwards. Loads of stretching, gunning and icing Saturday night.

Sunday

Tight calf again. Stretched off and eased enough to run slow. Solo today. Did the Eltisley loop and just plodded around. 13.22 miles @ 8:08/mm.

HR 133 bpm, finally starting to see some conditioning.

Happy enough with that but I need these calf muscles to really ease up so I can start to loom at doing some work in spikes.

43.9 miles for the week. That's 2 consistent weeks now and there is improvement.

I would say off that that I am roughly in 17 flat shape for 5k on a good day on a good course. I am looking next week to chop another second off those paces per lap (72/77/80) and try to finish Parkrun at sub 5.40/mm. Have had a feeling that something has been in my system so with a clean bill of health and some recovery then hopefully I start top move a little better.