Spring 25/26 - Podium Race Week

And just like that - race week is here. Status report - legs are battered and tired! In a good way, lots of volume, feel training fatigue and in the last 3 weeks I have pretty much hit everything I have aimed at.

Parkrun last Saturday shows that on fresh legs, on a better course I should be capable of running well. 

The negative - my left upper quad / hip flexor is sore and has been for a couple of weeks. My back is also very tight. Possibly related, either way I'll try and debug both myself.

This week, the plan is a full taper. After 19 weeks of building from zero, BASE is done and I need to freshen up. 100% clean eating, massage on Thursday, physio on Wednesday, ease off everything (as per Batteresea) and give the body a 100% chance to feel absolutely pinging for Saturday.

Monday

Up, feel very tired but as previous a good training fatigue that shows training is working. Quad is sore, back is tight. Today the plan is to work through all the good stretches and rolling to try to release both and see how it feels tomorrow.

Training analysis

On everything I have done, I have hit the correct mileage - 50 over 19 weeks. I have only missed targets where I have either had a niggle or I have been ill. The hay is in the barn. For my level and coming from zero 50 miles per week is absolutely fine.  Have hit the last 3 weeks at 55 with consistency. Training paces are improving with an emphasis on threshold / 10k efforts at LT1 and LT2. The potential improvements are huge from here. I have very little race fitness which is biggest upside and will get me moving better in training. I am holding back on pure speed work (800 - mile) and specific speed work (3k - 5k) until the body is ready. I am overthinking all this !!! I have some issues to work on BUT I am right where I need to be in order to race well over summer. 

As day goes on the quad is mega sore. My psoas is also super tight and hip flexor is aching. Left hip area in general is in a shit state.

Tuesday

Wake up after a good sleep. My left chain from back down to quad through the hip is in a shit state. Flossing the femoral nerve and then icing the psoas / hip flexor area seems to help some. I think mainly being active is more beneficial.

Will walk this morning and warm the area up. Full mobility and don't panic.

Booked in with Tom for tomorrow.

Looking back over the blog, I didn't really moan about quad until after the session last Tuesday in Rebels. The last 2 bigger threshold sessions have battered the legs and I think off 3 weeks hard mileage I just really need a massage!

The Megablast I can't be 100% but they may not be friendly at the minute. Possibly just doing to much in them? Seriously need to consider some other shoes right now whilst I get on top of this.

Saturday was fine. I am thinking that carrying the flag on Sunday with an already tight back maybe caused issues in the psoas / hip flexor area. OK, so don't panic. This isn't a long term thing!

First - the Pro 4 seem to be fine on sessions so I will run in those tonight. Switch up the warm up shoes, not sure but I'll maybe dig out the vapes.

Back is still sore, I'll dig around on that today and hopefully hold myself together for Saturday. There is always something ffs !!

Session - Taper at Eddy. Quiet one tonight. 2km threshold into 4 x 400 @ 5k into 2 x 200 @ 3k into 1250 threshold.

Worried at the start but felt fine on warm up. Felt really good tonight. 

2km in 7.02 and perfectly paced (km mark in 3.35). 400s went 76, 78, 80, 78 and felt easy off 90 recovery. Quad slightly tight last 2. 200s in 35 & 36 little quick and more like 1500 pace. Last threshold was bang on again in 5.43/mm. Added a bonus mile pacing Sophie in 7.04. 

Felt really good and rolled well. For a taper that's up there with how it's felt. Now just need to hope the quad doesn't flare up and get myself top the start line in 1 piece. Fizz tomorrow to debug the quad and massage Thursday. Just a coupe of easy runs with strides to get through.

If I can stay injury free, from here the sky is the limit.

Wore Vomero to warm up and cool down and DNE3 for the session.

Wednesday

Physio - Tom is an absolute genius. Identified locked hip flexor and showed me how to unlock it by basically fatiguing it until it just releases and then stretch it out. Much more ROM and strength (he measured it with a force pad).

Run - easy shakeout plus 4 x strides. Felt heavy after fizz as expected and a long morning doing shit around garden in prep for sale.

Confident after seeing Tom that I can push onwards from here. This 2 week race block will be all about getting some times on the board and pretty much executing C targets for the year. From here it's a long push to get fast but it's a good start point. 20 weeks avg 50 miles pretty much to get myself into a position where I can start to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Crazy but what can I do! Definitely need to add in strides on easy days going forwards.

Rest day tomorrow with massage, legs should feel really good on Friday all being well and then Saturday is rock up and execute.

Thursday

Rest day. Anxious today. Perfect storm of selling the house plus race week.

Legs are not quite settled, hoping that massage will get them where they need to be. If I can get on top of them I think it'll be about right on Saturday.

Breaking 17 is the A plan. Get that ticked off for the year. In my head 16.50 will be about Par, a really good start point. Anything over 17 will be disappointing but after a 17.35 controlled Parkrun at Buggys I can't see it being too far off (if it is).

Been a strange few weeks since getting ready for the indoor mile. Def feels like I am waiting to get fit and controlling paces with the threshold work. Pace wise everything has been A1 it's just been holding my body together that's been the issue.

At the very worst now at least I am heading towards warmer race days soon.

Friday

Easy 6 with John to cafe and back. Relaxed, legs starting to feel better.

Saturday

Podium 5k. The rematch. 

Cut the shit, straight to the race. Settled in early, pace felt hot and pack was busy. Lots of jostling early doors. Snuck a glance at about 500m and 5.15/mm so knew we were shifting. Heavy tail wind up to the back of the course and then headwind on the home straight. Knew we were moving well but just focused on sticking to groups and following into the wind. From 2 laps started to feel the effort and told myself I would back off next lap. Having to keep the work rate up to get tucked in meant that it didn't ease off. Into the last lap was hard work but was surprised that I was moving well. Saw 15.00 coming into the last bend and was confident it was well under 16 but not by how far. Last year from the last bend I just faded into oblivion but this year I ran strong and held it together.

16.28. happy days, much better than expected. I wanted a 16.59 to be honest and thought possibly a low 16.40 but sub 16.30 was way way up there. Off threshold work and just trying to roll some good miles in base training I have managed to pull off a blinder. 

Geeky numbers - 

Pacing was A1 - on Strava 5.12, 5.22, 5.13 (5.13 pace last bit) with the lap segments of 3.12, 3.13, 3.13, 3.14, 3.08 (just under a km). Race pace was 3.17 per km or 5.18 per mile. HR was 163 avg with a 171 max. 

The crazy part is that it felt tough but was just overall a feeling of being race rusty. It wasn't the hardest race I have ever done. Focus was needed 99% to stay dialled in but off of the I really feel like I can push on now.

First race in a long while that has surprised me, not just being good for form but an actual real performance that I will take. Since March 2024 that's probably only 2nd time. 4th outright vets fastest 5k and only beaten by 2023 races.

Lots of positives to take from that. The door is now open, now it's time to regroup and work out what I am going to do. I said I would lift it to 60 mpw at sub 16.30 so time to think. Thorney yes/no and Battersea in 3 weeks - do I focus on that one?

Lots to decide on. Easy long(ish) tomorrow and rest Monday and then back on the hampster wheel.

Sunday

10 around MK whilst Dan ran the 5k. Recovery work, no efforts but legs are feeling tired. Nice to run slow and relaxed.

Thoughts now as to whether I run Thorney OR bin it and do a 3 week block to Battersea. Not sure which one but the reality is it makes sense from this position to only focus on one of them. If wind is still fairly blustery I will bin off Thorney and bank a solid block for Battersea which is a better chance and a realistic shot at 16.15. 

Need to do rehab today including the hip flexor reset. Rest day tomorrow and it's race decision time. I am likely to be fast enough to qualify for the masters 5k from here so not overly fussed on the 10k at this stage. I can also do the Bourton mile if I fuck off the masters 10k. And that will be a big, big opportunity.