Winter 2024 - Week 7

Moving week !! I'm calling this one as the time I finally feel like a runner again !! Motivation pretty high, just need to capitalise on some good training. Nothing and noone on the horizon this week so focus is good just need some execution.

Monday

FFS - headed to Lower Mill to fix a broken door handle. Guests are bloody annoying at times. & hour round trip for 10 mins of work but got it done. Rest day anyway but not how I planned on resting!

Tuesday

Session day. Bag lots of mobility in the morning.

Track tonight as Eddy has works on the path. Warm up & cd standard.

Session was swapped so faster stuff tonight and longer on Thurs. 4 x 1km at 3k-5k pace off 90 jog and then 4 mins and 4 x 400 at 1500 pace off 2 mins.

Initially the kms were at 3k pace and off experience I knew that wasn't happening haha

Set off for rep 1 and immediately effort feels high for pace. 3.14 and I am off the back. Hold another 3.14 on rep 2 off a faster start (75) then feeling the pinch on rep 3 in 3.15. Last rep is tough and finish in 3.16. Boys ran 3.06s (Jake & Max) and 3.10s (Andy and Matt but Matt blew up last rep).

Ran in Alphafly as trying to relax at pace but that didn't happen. Legs felt very much like Saturday, just hollow with no power and low energy. CBA to change into Tak Sen for the 400s so stayed in the Alpha. Expecting 72s to be a struggle.

First 400 in 70. Glad to see that, still getting breath back. 2 mins is a generous recovery and felt better start of 2nd rep. Through 200 in 33 feeling good and ran a 68 which was nice and felt slightly more relaxed.

Third rep starts solid again and tried to relax last 200. 69 - very nice but breathing all over the place. Lactic fairy is paying a visit.

Last rep start solid. Try to ease back through 200 and it's hard work. Use my arms more and pays off as I have a min really - i.e I don't explode - and finish with a 68. Really pleased to see that. J - 60, Max - 62, Andy 64 on that rep so I am well off the back but considering how I felt in the kms and my current speed I am really pleased.

Pretty average session but at least it's completed and bagged. Disappointing to feel so flat in the kms but actually got them done at maybe slightly quicker than current 5k pace and the 400s were quicker than 1500 pace for sure. Actually was 4.16/4.35 pace for 1500m/mile so bang on target pace which is nice. 

Had a feeling that working my arms lately is paying off big style with the speed work so will keep working on that. Pumping more helped keep the speed up.

Actually on a positive note my whole session started faster than target but didn't completely fold over the last 200m on any rep.

Wednesday

Shakeout 5k in the morning pre-stretching. Left ankle sore from the Aphafly. Left hip flexor needs work and glutes are tight (as expected)

Will run again and do some s&c later - functional plus arms.

Ran early afternoon before meeting Ian Day. Very tired run, just over 5 miles @ 8.30/mm. Was tired but moving ok. New plan to stay easy easy on these days and break things up.

Did some weights (upper and core) when I got home and chilled.

8+ for the day

Thursday

Amazing how I wake up on session days feeling like I am surviving but back in the game. Still not quite there with conditioning but improving. It's a fine line.

Not sure of the session tonight but apparently lots of moving miles. Will make sure I do lots of stretching today on my hips and calfs. Back in the Alphafly so need to do some activations pre-running too.

Left this update until following Tuesday - lol

Track! Session was 1600 / 800 / 1000 / 1200 / 1000 / 800 / 1600 all off 90 with tempo for the miles, 3k for the 800s and 3k - 5k for the ks and 1200s.

Just me and Andy tonight.

5.38 - 2.36 - 3.17 - 3.58 - 3.17 - 2.32 - 5.32

Went REALLY well - like the best session probably since pre Euro Indoors. Ran through it, just holding the first half but coming into the second half of the session I was moving really well. Held back on last mile too. Really happy with that. Lots of volume but felt great.

Friday

Rest

Saturday 

At Lower Mill, headed out for a session of sorts but weird ankle issue playing up so cut it and decided not to risk anything as finally getting back to some kind of fitness.

Sunday

Wanted a repeat of last weekend and off an extra rest day felt 100% better. Watch fucked about for first half mile saying 8.08 pace when it was sub 7s but from then was golden. 10 miles at 6.19/mm (9.8 miles @ 6.16/mm @ 152 bpm)

HR - pace was unreal. One of best returns ever for that. HR max was 157 bpm. Threshold is 162 bpm so way below. Was moving really well. Felt like I was running fast but relaxed. A sub 60 min 10 mile training run is still in there!

Really enjoying these runs. Giving me big confidence that strength is there.

I'll do next weekends on the busway so should be quicker again. Plan will be to try for 6.0x pace for similar HR.

Strange week. Only 36 miles but it's actually way better on the quality side and ahead of target. Tuesday's 400s were great. Thursday session was one of best this year and one of the best steady long(ish) runs ever on Sunday.

Volume was down due to the fact that I missed Saturday and also 2 track sessions but I have to be happy with this.

The ankle issue is a small worry. I'll manage this. I think Alphafly on track causes it so I'll stay off that for a while and get back into the S&C which I have neglected.

5 days in 7 running clearly agrees with me at the minute. I'm able to recover and get fitter through the week.

I feel like 16.2x range is now there if I raced Battersea tapered. I think it's time to adjust paces very slightly off the results this week.

Tempo - 5.3x (83) - 10k - 5.25 (81) - 5k (78) - 3k (75) - 1500 (69)

Lets see how this rolls. Big couple of weeks incoming.