Daz Does Tri

Last run of the year in the books and a couple of beers deep. 2022 is a wrap. I'd love to be posting about what an amazing year it was but seriously - it was one big meh !! 24 races in total. Best result was 16.49 for Parkrun. Won a 5k outright in 17.00. Track races were all pony. Actually looking back it's been a really disappointing year. Even rankings it's hard to see anything that is worth boasting about. Runbritain ranking handicap is at 1.6.  The best thing was probably consistency. Least injuries of any year. Just the cold bug early December holding me back on the race front and 3 weeks in California at the end of July. Did burnout a little in June and didn't go well until November. In spite of all that had 7 x 5ks between 16.49 and 17.07. Only 4 that I ran properly were slower and 17.29 was my slowest of those. WAVA wise at age 47 I had 7 of my top 20 ever performances but that's a pretty weak way to look at it. In terms of points only 1 in the top 20. Train...

So after I had to can Battersea at the start of the month I snuck an entry in for this as a backup. Decent course and decent field generally and a day out in LDN, sounded like a pretty good idea and kept things interesting when I was a bit down. Battersea was 3 1/2 weeks ago and timed with my restart after 2 weeks of illness. Since then I have done 3 weeks of 44, 43 & 44 miles (on for very similar this week). Obviously Xmas, Birthday & Cold / Snow have hampered the big miles but I have had some fairly solid sessions. It's really hard to predict what I will run - especially as there is a big wind and rain forecast tomorrow BUT I do actually feel OK. Big issue has been conditioning - aches and pains - and they have been feeling better as the days / weeks go on. The good days are really good but the bad days are very laboured. Just hoping tomorrow I wake up with good legs. Going forward the plan for January is going to be a big and boring month. Just get all the horrible stren...

Really struggling not to consume anything and everything at the minute. Clearly not tracking calories and haven't dared weigh in for weeks BUT actually feel like I am in OK shape. Booze has been a staple this week and I feel extra sluggish during the day. TP shows that since I shed 10 CTL points while I was ill I've pretty much been and stayed fresh for the last 2 weeks. Obviously with the shit snow and ice I got some quality done but volume was down. This week (started with my birthday) I have felt best I have for a while. Decent session bagged on Thursday - it'll be the only real quality of the week but plan was 4 x 2km of 2 mins followed by 4 x 60/60. Target was 10k effort / power and actually nailled that pretty well. Ended up doing session as 4 x 7 mins as was easier to keep track and paces was almost perfect 2km. Paces were - Warm up - 6.38/mm 276w 143 bpm (152 max) 1.25m - 7 mins -  5.36/mm -   310w - 156 bpm (165) 1.25m - 7 mins -  5.39/mm -   308w - 160 bpm ...

This cold and snow can really do one now !! Bloody hell this is horrible, hopefully another day or two fo sub zero temps but it's been a struggle to get much volume in this ! Really feeling like the illness is behind me now. Feel a little stronger and fitter but it's still not right. Main thing is mentally I'm on holiday so just trying to get stuff done and hope that the motivation returns. Hernia was confirmed so have to look at ways of doing strength work without causing bigger problems there.  This week bagged a couple of easier sessions. Plan to run every day to build miles up and get conditioning back and then hopefully next weekend all being well look to Parkrun just to get something in the bag as a yard stick for fitness. Sessions this week followed existing theme but plan is to do them very controlled. 5 x 5 mins @ 10k -> 5k (16.8 kmph x 3 - 17 - 17.6) nice and relaxed off 2 mins on Tuesday. Thursday was 5 mins thresh (16.9) 8 x 60 / 30 (18.1) 5 mins thresh (16.9...

The race that was not !! Up at 6.30, slight hangover. Get ready, out the door with Dan at 7.30. Defrost car, back door gets stuck and won't shut. Shit. Drive off anyway hoping it'll thaw. It doesn't. Come back. Switch cars. Drive north. Hit terrible icy and slushy roads. -8 degrees local, gets warmer as we head up. Hit a blizzard outside Birmingham. Road conditions shocking, can't even tell were on a motorway. Make the call outside Telford - turn back. If it stays like this we'll end up stuck on motorway all night. Hit traffic from an accident. 3 hour drive home.  Absolute shocker, but in fairness not really feeling racing in this weather with a slight cough anyway. Decision was right. Ended up doing progressive 5s session on  the treadmill. Week done, first week back of any decent level for 3 weeks after 20.9 and 11.8 miles. 44.5 miles, 384 TSS, 2 sessions, 4 x 8 mile runs. Overall, happy enough to bank something. Weight is hovering around where it needs to be but ...

Very tired today, felt a bit ill again and still coughing. Todays 'long' run was a pitiful effort - 8 miles on the trails. HR slightly elevated for pace (even off road) and a few coughing fits from the cold air. Think I've pushed a little too hard this week. Aiming to get some fitness I do need to cut some corners but def feel the need for a rest day tomorrow. Hopefully with a solid nights sleep I'll come good. Sunday I am heading to Telford for the 10k. If anything it'll be a good course reccy but it'll be under control and a hard tempo effort. Don't get me wrong, if I'm going well and feel good I'll push on but I'm just hoping for a solid hit out at around 5.50 pace. That's definitely somewhere I can push on from. Not sure how good I'll feel in that weather but I'll lace them up and see what happens. Long way off the expected 5.30 pace from 3 weeks ago but hey, that was 3 weeks ago !! Lots going on at home and the mojo is lower than...

Back to reality. Still not right, cough is still there and throat is annoyingly just not quite right. It's just taking longer to completely heal and it's frustrating. I'm definitely healthy it's just a slight tickle in the very bottom of my thraot. Frustratingly I seem to have coughed myself into an inguinal hernia. No issues with it, feels a little strange but I do have a Drs Appt next week to check it out. Tuesday I decided to crack out a steady to tempo run up and down the hill. Wore the Alphaflys and off a 7.03/mm first mile up the hill I slowly increased the pace. Finished up with a 6.23/mm avge and last 2 miles very low 6s back down the hill. HR good, never got to 10k effort. Cold in my lungs though and legs ached quite a bit afterwards. Nice to blow off some cobwebs. Coke club Wednesday with Rich. 8 miles @ 8.03/mm. HR slightly higher for pace than previous but to be expected I guess once restarting. Today I wanted to do a session. Coughing a little more than nor...