To race is but a dream...

[shadydaz]

Good Morning.

Things are going a lot better thank you.

I Have already started the cycle leading into the race on Sunday 22nd. I will go through the cycle and run the race, day 6 is today and I have got through the first week well, I trimmed the 2km back down to 4 reps on Friday and even they were tough but got through ok.

05-11-15
Easy Run
Time: 41:26
Pace: 5:23min/km
Dist: 5.23 km
Ave HR: 165
Max HR: 187
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

06-11-15
4 x 2km Intervals
Time: 1:00:09
Pace: 5:18min/km
Dist: 11.3 km
Ave HR: 161
Max HR: 184
Ave Cadence: 145spm
Ave. Stride: 1.30m

Run the intervals quicker than I thought initially. I did the session with no preconceived plan or targets. Purely run by feel and only checked the watch during Rest to see how much time I had left to catch breath! Was a pleasing session without the pressure of running to targets. I knew 5 reps would be tough and the pace time on the last rep suggests I was right to only do 4.


08-11-15
Long Easy Run
Time: 1:26:54
Pace: 5:11min/km
Dist: 16.77 km
Ave HR: 154
Max HR: 189
Ave Cadence: 159spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

Left leg a little tight this morning, bar that, I feel good. Major DOMS through last week but none this morning bar tightness which is slight. Will be shopping for a foam Roller this week to help with legs. Any thoughts on this TheEd?

Hope you are keeping well.

Darren.

[TheEd]

everything holding up fine?

onwards

TheEd

[shadydaz]

Good Morning!

Has it been a whole week since my last update? Wow. time flies when you are training hard!

09-11-15
Easy Run
Time: 32:13
Pace: 6:26min/km
Dist: 5.01 km
Ave HR: 142
Max HR: 187
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

10-11-15
Easy 10KM
Time: 54:07
Pace: 5:25min/km
Dist: 10.00 km
Ave HR: 143
Max HR: 166
Ave Cadence: 156spm
Ave. Stride: 1.18m

11-11-15
6 x 1km intervals
Time: 47:18
Pace: 4:44min/km
Dist: 10.00 km
Ave HR: 150
Max HR: 211
Ave Cadence: 162spm
Ave. Stride: 1.29m



Had to do a bit of Dog Hurdling on the last two intervals which affected my rhythm. (An over friendly dog getting themselves in the way twice haha!) Don't know why I ran the fourth leg so fast either!!. Still, got it done and jogged the 1 min rests rather than stopping/stretching like I still do on the 2km Ints so small progress in one respect at least.

12-11-15
Easy Run
Time: 39:20
Pace: 5:10min/km
Dist: 7.63 km
Ave HR: 157
Max HR: 173
Ave Cadence: 154spm
Ave. Stride: 1.26m
Started off a bit too quick and had to slow myself down, hence the high ave heart rate.

13-11-15
60 min Easy Run
Time: 1:01:29
Pace: 5:12min/km
Dist: 11.80 km
Ave HR: 148
Max HR: 171
Ave Cadence: 159spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

Really enjoyed this one even with this elevation map:

Sorry it's so big, this image is off my phone.

I don't live in a flat area any more so it is hilly runs for all the easy running. I have managed to seek out some flat spots for the intervals (a nice exact 1KM loop in a small park near home or the local park run venue is a mile away for the tempo runs)

15-11-15
5KM Time trial
Time: 36:23
Pace: 4:33min/km
Dist: 8.00 km
Ave HR: 150
Max HR: 185
Ave Cadence: 165spm
Ave. Stride: 1.32m

A 2km Warm Up and a 1km warm down jog home. The time trial by Km:

1. 4:07
2. 4:11
3. 4:10
4. 4:09
5. 4:18

Total time 20:55. It went better than I initially thought, as again I was trying to run by feel rather than watch watching! Disappointed with the last leg but the head wind was a killer on this route and destroyed me in last km. I know I am still trying to get some fitness back and have to be patient as the stamina and strength build up through another few cycles.

Still putting weight on despite having run nearly the same distance to date this month so far as I ran the whole of October. My legs seem to be getting a bit chunkier, maybe it's the hilly running that is doing that! Left calf/glutes are fine now. Left Hamstring a little tender still but managing it with plenty of stretching. Still need to procure a foam Roller from somewhere.

Vital stats are as follows:

37 years old
height 180cm
weight 69.2KG as of yesterday morning
BMI 21.4
Resting Heart Rate: 45bpm

Yes I have put a lot of weight on over last few months but it's hard to tell where except for legs! Just past 7 months smoke free on the 12th November. Still seeing the effects of having smoked/been ill, particulary last night when on the tempo 5km, coughing and spluttering is not ideal when you are trying to gulp down as much oxygen as possible!!

This cycle is build up for a 10km Race this Sunday 22nd Nov in Milton Keynes. Target is 42:30 - 4@15 per km average pace.

Darren.

[TheEd]

nice feedback Darren

ready for the race this weekend?



onwards

TheEd

[shadydaz]

16-11-15
60 min Easy Run
Time: 1:00:20
Pace: 5:07min/km
Dist: 11.78 km
Ave HR: 136
Max HR: 162
Ave Cadence: 159spm
Ave. Stride: 1.23m

17-11-15
30 min Easy Run
Time: 30:15
Pace: 5:14min/km
Dist: 5.77 km
Ave HR: 156
Max HR: 181
Ave Cadence: 157spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m
Very Windy Run - high heart rate down to the fact that running into the wind was very hard work!

18-11-15
400m session

First time doing this session. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it went quick! Average pace for the 10 sprints was 3:45min/km spot on target

19-11-15
30 min Easy Run
Time: 29:22
Pace: 5:13min/km
Dist: 5.64 km
Ave HR: 142
Max HR: 163
Ave Cadence: 152spm
Ave. Stride: 1.26m

Just the fartlek session which I will do ASAP after work and rest up as much as I can before race. I am taking a bit of a chance by going down to see if I can get on the day entry but they are doing a 5km and a 10 km so hoping to get into one and two races increases my chances of getting in! Target on 10 km still 42:30, 5km sub 21min will do.

Have a good weekend all!

Darren.

[TheEd]

Darren, how did your calf muscles feel after the 400m session?

have a good one

TheEd

[shadydaz]

Good Morning!

I felt surprising fresh the day after the session. Immediately after the session my legs were feeling it a bit. Didn't notice any specific calf tightness or lactic build up the morning after. Thursday's run though was a bit achy so kept it to the minimum and Friday's fartleks felt easy. My legs were already twitching with energy by lunch time Saturday but Sunday, although targets were achieved, not by following plan as a lot happened!!

20-11-15
Fartleks:
Time: 41:33
Pace: 4:47min/km
Dist: 8.70 km
Ave HR: 126
Max HR: 166
Ave Cadence: 162spm
Ave. Stride: 1.26m


22-11-15
Race!!
Time: 42.21
Pace: 4:14min/km
Dist: 10.00 km
Ave HR: 123
Max HR: 169
Ave Cadence: 167spm
Ave. Stride: 1.42m



Pretty pleased with that. Will expand further on raceday a bit later.

Darren.

[TheEd]

nice going Darren

have you got further feedback about the race for us

psst .. here is an article of interest as you mentioned lactic acid

Post Run Stiffness

http://www.time-to-run.com/theabc/postrun.htm

cheers

TheEd
ps.. been a bit slow to reply because of other distractions

[shadydaz]

Not to Worry TheEd, we are all busy. I have been keeping busy myself and haven't had the opportunity to update until today...

Race-day was a bit chaotic. I got to the venue in plenty of time and registered for the 10km race. The weather was cold so I went back to the car until 20 mins before the gun. I went stood in queue for pre run toilet visit I noticed that my car key had fallen out of my pocket, I left the queue and spent every second up until the gun searching frantically for my key but to no avail. I contemplated withdrawing from the race but I opted to run anyway as where ever the key lay, it wasn't going anywhere and there was in fact a chance that someone may fin it and hand it into the organisers during the race.
So as the gun went, I set off amidst the giant crowd, I was unable to get near the start line, hence the slow first couple of KM. I was also stone cold, no warm up whatsoever, no stretching and to compound the misery and an stress of contemplting my plan of action after the race, I was also bursting for the loo! :rofl:

The course was laid out as two 5km loops. I quite simply had to stop my Garmin at the halfway point and go to the toilet otherwise there may have been a rather serious and embarrassing clean up operation required! straight out of the port-a-loo, Garmin started and into the second half of the race, again picking my way through the field re-overtaking the now visibly confused co-competitors as I overtook a lot of them for a second time!

Despite everything, I ran with discipline, the varying splits are a reflection of the undulations throughout the course (which included a zigzag uphill section that was tough going with slow, sharp turns). I did as well as I could have done. Yes, the toilet 2/3 minute break helped me recover enough to run a negative split in the second have but the measured approach running to a set time frame and not going off too quick was the biggest contributor! With it being the end result of a first full Sub 40 cycle (training pace times aside) I am very pleased with the result and outcome will use this with confidence during the next cycle.

Since the Race I have run a fair few KM's trying to build my aerobic and physical strength a bit more before the next cycle starts on Wednesday. Post to follow with training completed since race day.

[shadydaz]

23-11-15
Recovery run
Time: 39:01
Pace: 5:43min/km
Dist: 6.83 km
Ave HR: 139
Max HR: 160
Ave Cadence: 153spm
Ave. Stride: 1.19m

24-11-15
Easy run
Time: 48:35
Pace: 5:24min/km
Dist: 9.00 km
Ave HR: 148
Max HR: 170
Ave Cadence: 153spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

25-11-15
Hill Sprints
Time: 1:09:48
Pace: 4:48min/km
Dist: 14.53 km
Ave HR: 156
Max HR: 209
Ave Cadence: 154spm
Ave. Stride: 1.35m

First time doing Hill Sprints. Enjoyed it, plenty of recovery in between the hills, hence distance run! I think we did 8 or 9 hills total en route.

26-11-15
Easy run
Time: 49:55
Pace: 5:22min/km
Dist: 9.30 km
Ave HR: 145
Max HR: 176
Ave Cadence: 152spm
Ave. Stride: 1.23m

27-11-15
Short Easy run
Time: 30:01
Pace: 5:20min/km
Dist: 5.64 km
Ave HR: 140
Max HR: 158
Ave Cadence: 155spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

29-11-15
Long Easy Easy run
Time: 1:53:47
Pace: 5:10min/km
Dist: 22.01 km
Ave HR: 153
Max HR: 175
Ave Cadence: 161spm
Ave. Stride: 1.20m

New cycle starts on Wednesday, so a couple of easy runs tonight and tomorrow.

Darren.