Winter 2024 - Week 10 - Race Week

Winter training - that's a wrap (ish). Race week this week so taper in to Battersea. Bang out a week before the 800 and then it's 5k Wednesday and then just existing until I go on holiday. Come back and indoors !

Really not feeling it right now. I'm in OK shape but I am still not healthy and I can't shake this. Feels like I have had it from pre-Town and Gown. I do feel like there is some good fitness there and my HR is good on steady runs but when I am feeling shit I just cannot get the effort out. PE feels waaay higher than actual effort.

The plan this week is to try and stay relaxed and prey that it just goes. I'll taper correctly and arrive at the race ready to rock and roll but right now I am expecting breaking 17 mins to be a challenge.

Shame as it's been a target race but it is what it is. One of life's curve balls.

Average of 43.6 miles for the last 9 weeks. It's not terrible but not amazing. Long runs have been lower but quality has been good. Just don't feel like I have pushed on, I've been constrained. Just hoping that getting healthy + doing a race block = springboard for indoor season.

My hope beyond hope is that all the cut back stuff I have needed to do really pays off once my health kicks in and my form skyrockets.

Monday

Rest. Tired today after last week. Stretch out the legs and get some chores done. Time to bring the legs in and see what's what.

Tuesday

Still not 100%. Not quite sure now, it's definately not right but not horrifically bad. Maybe long covid? Shouldn't have taken the piss lol. OK so my head now is around this.

I am not quite right. I don't think I am going to magically be right. It's long term.

I can run, I can run pretty well some days and on other days I am useless. 

I need to just go through the motions. Accept I am not right and do the best I can.

That's it. I know the next 3 races in the next 3 weeks are going to be pretty unimpressive but that is that. Try and enjoy it.

Once I do recover I will be starting from a really good place. I'm actually oging in to the next race with zero expectations. It won't be quick and I'll just get as much out as I can.

Simple really. It is not happening right now so don't try and force it. Try and enjoy the running I do and dial things back. I do have a taper week which will help.

Eddington tonight - lets just see what happens.

Warmed up - cold one tonight. Felt better. Taper sesh with Andy. Mile - 6 x 400 - Mile. 

Paces were 5.33 & 5.37 for the miles. 78,78,78,77,77,75 for the 400s. kept moving throughout.

Felt MUCH better tonight. Not popping champagne just yet but was moving well.

The 2nd mile was 156bpm avge and only climbed to 162 at the end. Very good stuff.

Much more confident about the weekend. Maybe a seasons best all going well but still not expecting a huge run.

Wednesday

7 hr round trip to lower mill. Dinner and haircut then out at 8.10pm. Bloody cold one. Managed 5 miles - not sure how I stuck it out tbh. 7.29 avge so moving well enough. Felt OK, little tired and achy (to be expected) and HR a little high.

Thursday

Decide against a shakeout. Just let the legs come good and don't do anything to stress the cardio system. Feel better again but still snotty and the odd cough. Shit in my throat. Just glad I feel more healthy. Not 100% but on the way back. Feels like it may have been covid as taste is not 100% on salt and vinegar crisps.

Taper sesh tonight. Will rest tomorrow and shakey on Saturday.

Freezing cold as I left the house. Florida can't come round quick enough!

Usual warm up. Then Andy & I did a miles easy and 5 x strides on the west (track was too sketchy). Jog back and done. 5.3 miles nice and relaxed. As per standard taper my legs felt horrific and unresponsive.

Friday

Rest! Mobility & upper weights.

Saturday

Hit Parkrun with Lola. No 76 for me. Easy jog and feel very bleugh. Have woken up feeling a bit shit again. Fucksake. Not a good sign.

Into the run and start of steady and pick up. Very similar time as last week (19.32) and HR the same. Splits the other way around though, picked up. 

Worryingly HR was as high as last week on a much much better day and much much better course for a similar time.

Cool down with Matt Slater. 5 and bits for the day. Spend the day relaxing, afternoon sleep and took melatonin and in bed by 9 to try and sleep it off.

Sunday

Race day. Train down from Whittlesford. Neck a can of Monster at Sloan Sq then meet Andy. Warm up goes OK. Forgot my watch so just ran today by feel.

First up - I was not mentally in the right place to race. Not dialled in at all. At the stage I don't know if I am ill or just shit but I do not feel right and I am not on the ball either.

Race - settle in about 5 secs down on Andy. No idea of pace but guessing the big group in front is a 17 min train. In all honesty I just did not push. I felt like I was moving quick but I pretty much rolled through. I've put far mopre effort into Tuesday nights up Eddy recently. Not sure if it's being ill. The house shit. Whatever, I just am not in a good polace in my head for running right now.

Push quite hard last 300 or so and cross the line in 17.09 official.

Cool down and it starts pissing down. Get back to the station like a drowned rat.

Something like 31 for the week. Dissapointed is obvious but more than anything just frustrated I cannot shake off whatever is going on. Decided to bin the Garmin, it'sd not helping. Will use on holiday but apart from that it's not coming out the drawer.

2024 has been a washout. Couple of sparks but generally just a very shite year. I'm always ill and struggle in November / December but this winter has been particualrly bad. Cannot get moving properly.

Frustrating but it is what it is. I'll soldier on. Not going to race if I feel like I did this weekend. Just preying one day I wake up and don't feel shit and that stays that way for more than a day