Winter 2024 - Week 8

Blimey, where has the time gone ??!! Nearly 2 months into winter already.

Time to recap and take stock where I am and where I need to be ... 

Fitness and conditioning are bubbling along nicely. I feel like I could run 16.20 (ish) freshly tapered. Body feels good. Right calf still tight and needs attention - one to watch.

I'm hitting session targets on pace and it's time to slightly lift them now towards targets - 69s for 1500m - 3.05 per km for 3k and 3.12 per km for 5k. 

The 5k feels a stretch to be honest but it's not a million miles off (a) what I have been doing and (b) where I should be.

I need to keep up the S&C work. At least 1 x per week functional and 3 x upper body / core. I'll not worry about plyos specifically right now but I will use it dynamically in warm ups and s&c.

Speed work feels closest to target. I feel pretty confident running sub 70s for reps and have been pretty consistent with that for a couple of weeks.

Threshold is on point. My longer sub-thresh runs are absolutely nailled on. I'm running 6.10-6.20 very relaxed. These are coming down too and not getting near threshold HR even by the finish.

3k - 5k pace is too hard. These are the paces I need to relax at . Right now 80s feel very relaxed but 76-78 feels too hard and I can switch off.

Looking back to 2023 when I had my best race block (16.11 & 16.00) not an awful lot different tbf. It was just consistency which paid off and listening to body on rest. Tendency is to over think but basically just keep working, rest when needed and taper fully and everything will be good!

Monday

Run rest day but S&C at the gym. Did my full functional workout on legs - this is what i need to do to stay in the game. It's not building it's just maintenance.

Slant squat - 4 x 8 (0kg, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg)

Box step - with hop at top. 3 x 8 at 11 steps

Split squats - 4 x 8 (0kg, 5kg, 10kg, 15kg)

Calf raises - 100kg - 3 x 15 standard, 3 x 15 soleus, 3 x 15 soleus side-side

RDLs - 3 x 8 (12kg dumbells)

Hungry so went home and finished whilst lunch was on the go!

Core - 4 x 30 (8kg) with pedal pushes

Arm complex - 10 x curl, 10 x triceps, 10, overhead, 10 x shrugs, 10 x fly (3kg) repeat for 3kg, 5kg, 7.5kg. 6 x Curls & 6 triceps (10kg)

I'll do this full set once per week and arms / core an extra 2 x on Weds and Fri.

Feels good today. Could run but will sit out to execute properly tomorrow.

Tuesday

The big one! Longest session, last year was 12 miles, this year I got it to 12.12 !!

Warm up from the car to hub and then usual warm up. Session was 3 sets of 5 mins, 3 mins, 2 mins at 10k, 5k, 3k off 2 mins and 1 min float then 2 min walk back between sets. 39 mins of running in 43 mins for around 7 miles.

First set went really well. Paces were 5.27 [6.27] 5.06 [7.04] 4.59

Second set felt great on the first few mins of the 5 and then tied up and really struggled BADLY. Paces were 5.26 [6.58] 5.26 [walk] 5.14

Finaly set got more into a rythm but was mainly walking between sets as HR was lunar. Paces were 5.29 [9.53] 5.22 [13.09] 5.07

Long cool down to get the miles in. well and truely knackered by the finish !!

Still struggling on Tuesday sessions after total rest. Strange one, think I may try experimenting with a shakeout on Mondays to see if it suits the legs better. I really struggled from halfway but saying that paces were not terrible.

5 mins were at 5.28/mm avg. 3 mins were at 5.18/mm avg and 2 mins were at 5.06/mm avge so pretty much the correct paces and considering how I felt much better than to be expected. 

Last time averages were 5.23, 5.12, 5.18 but I did hold the floats together.

In fairness it's easy to be disappointed with this but i just din't have the legs today. It's the toughest session we do all winter so still happy I managed to get it done without drama.

Ran in old Vaporfly which I'd say are def slightly slower than the alphas so more in the tank in those shoes. Hopefully return next week once I've rehabbed the calf.

Will sleep well tonight.

Wednesday

Up double early - 5.30am and drive 4 hours to Lower Mill to replace dishwasher. 5 mile easy trail run at around 8s. Legs still DOMSy but felt better than expected.

HR was high for pace but just still bloody tired. Actually suprised I managed 5 tbf!

Long drive and absolutely shredded back, hip flexors and DOMS. No weights when I got back, just sleep. Ate loads of junk to get me through the day.

God bless America !!

Thursday

Wake up feeling achy. Big morning of stretching and rolling. DOMS still there, need to stay on top of S&C or I'll never get over this shit !!

Feel a little lower, need a good and relaxed session tonight. Undecided whether to do a shakeout this morning but decide against it as feeling fatigued.

Track tonight and it's shorter work. Legs feel OK on warm up and into the Takumi Sen which seem to benefit lower legs.

1km threshold - 3.25

7 x 300m (off 60) - 54, 53, 52, 52, 52, 52, 51

3 x 300 (off 120) - 49, 50, 50

1km threshold - 3.27

Felt very relaxed on the threshold stuff where HR was low. The first 4 or 5 300s felt relaxed, comfortably moving well but the last 2 of the first set and the 3 faster ones bit hard! Lactic was crazy but paces were decent enough.

The last km felt like I was hardly moving so pace for that was spot on.

Legs felt tired and didn't feel responsive so considering that the paces were absolutely perfect. Roughly 10k pace for the kms and then 1500 pace for the first set of 300s and slightly quicker for the last 3. Last 3 were good but would have helped having company plus the lactic was so high as I havn't done much pace work.

Good session off how I felt.

Friday

Wake up and legs feel good. Feel like I have a head cold though and some weird nasal issue with pressure inside my nose. FML lol

Plan to do uppers and core but very little else today.

Yep - upper workout (usual one) plus some rdls

Felt pretty rough all day and napped. Melotonin before bed.

Saturday

Up early, Jakes 19th borthday! Hit Parkrun with Lola as she's doing volunteering for her DOE.

Feel like I have a head cold. Spoiler alert - I do!

Warm up at 7.30/mm and feel bleugh. It's a cold one today.

Hold the start and relax in at 5.38(ish)/mm for the first part. Kind of hold the effort, few dips in pace to overtake and move around people but feel like I am moving OK BUT legs feel heavy, and I definately don't have another gear today. Hold that to the finish in 17.30 on the nose. 

Forgot I'd reset Garmin when I got it back off J and unexplicably forgot my phone today and physical barcode so no official time or place - doh!

HR was high but considering I clearly have a cold it's not too bad. Don't think I'd last another 5k today at that pace but was a solid enough workout. Just need to recover now and get healthy.

Last few weeks have been very weird as I've gone from feeling like yesterday where I feel ill, to today where I'm under the weather but can run, to feeling absolutely fine and back with no rhyme or reason. Very bizzare but hopefully I am healthy when it matters!

7 miles bagged. Not really up for any additional and I'll reset for tomorrow where I'll hopefully bag a solid 10 miles at 6.0x pace on the busway.

Point to note today, was a seasons best and it was in non-carbon shoes!

Went out for a shakeout in the evening - 3 miles easy to top up the miles. Also added in some weights (upper and core plus some RDLs)

Sunday

Again, wake up feeling not quite 100%. Headed out to do the steady 10 again.

Tested the Bi(Carrb) today - just wanted to see if I could stomach it! Good news is no issue at all. Bad news is the texture and taste are horrific and I'm not sure unless I can mix it in with something to make it palatable I'll be able to keep it down.

Hit P&R in St Ives. Busway is quickest route around locally so best place to get a nice roll on pace.

From the start, Garmin says it's slower but starts coming down. Annoying pre-satellite signal! About km in it's down to 6.40/mm pace but my calf is very tight. Stop to stretch and it seems better. Did think I would can it there and then. Need to get on top of this issue.

Start rolling but feel pretty shit today, definately under the weather still and it's affected the weekend training. Early to bed and lots of sleep again last night. Whatever has been lurking in my system is still there. Surely can't be much longer.

Run feels relaxed, moving well enough just don't have any extra gears today. HR is really low - 147 bpm or do for first 5 miles at 6.38/mm which is really good.

Stop again after turning back at 5 and roll back. 10 miles @ 6.38/mm for 148 bpm.

Decide to head straight out for a shakeout - 2.3 miles @ 7.45/mm nice and slow to bag the weeks miles.

Hit some weights in the afternoon at home. Get all the leg muscles done and some uppers. Plan is total rest on Monday and hope that my body can recover and come back stronger for Tuesdays session.

48 miles for the week. Missed a few miles here and there with not feeling great so that's pretty good. Bagged everything I needed to. 2 sessions, a steady Parkrun and a steady long run. Paces were just a little down due to the head cold and also my tight calf. If I can get on top of those 2 issues I really think I will pick up some form.

Also got plenty of weights in this week so hopefully see some fruits from that.

Looking at the runs, I think at the very least I've bagged some consistency. Next week, if I can get into the Alphas on Tuesday then bank 2 solid races at the weekend I think I'll be ready to move upwards towards goals in December.

I can't be ill forever surely lol !!