To race is but a dream...

[TheEd]

you certainly moving onto a new level darren, exciting stuff

onwards

TheEd

[shadydaz]

I feel that I lost a lot of fitness in the back end of the summer with two periods of illness and injury. The first full Sub 40 cycle was tough, I knew it would be but wanted to follow mainly to get the extra training in to build up my aerobic fitness as quickly as possibly without over doing it. I followed the cycle to the letter apart from my paced work times being relative to what I felt was realistically achievable in terms of race times. (Ie; not sub 40 target times, more like 42.5 times)

The last few days I have some good runs in the legs and start the new cycle feeling stronger than ever, not faster, just stronger! The speed will come back. This cycle will be shaving a few seconds off the HIIT Sessions.

5 x 2km @ 4:10
6 x 1km @ 4:00
10 x 400m @ 3:45

small steps...

Last few runs:

30-11-15
Easy run
Time: 41:22
Pace: 5:10min/km
Dist: 8.00 km
Ave HR: 148
Max HR: 176
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.21m

01-12-15
Easy run
Time: 56:55
Pace: 5:10min/km
Dist: 11.00 km
Ave HR: 149
Max HR: 176
Ave Cadence: 161spm
Ave. Stride: 1.20m

02-12-15
long Easy run
Time: 1:11:26
Pace: 5:06min/km
Dist: 14.00 km
Ave HR: 144
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.23m


Oh, for for those interested, my car key was handed in after the race and as I approached the announcer to ask her to request volunteers to help me find it, she announced a key had been handed to her... you can guess the rest haha!


Darren.

[TheEd]

lol about key Darren

you doing everything right, however you must plan to have a down time so that you don't become stale

often when you train consistently it can also lead to staleness, so a 1 week period of easy followed by a 2 to 3 week build-up, often allows the athlete to go the next level. The first cycle the interval sessions may be tough however the jump after that can be significant

for example, your current 4.10 per k could easily become 3.55 to 4 minutes per k, with more or less the same effort put in

have you thought about future events?

TheEd
ps.. from your feedback you look to be getting into a good space

[shadydaz]

This cycle leads into a croas country race on the 20th. After that shall probably into base and build up over Christmas. I haven't looked at the 2016 calender yet but rather than try to run as many as possible, I will be more selective and look to do 1 serious race per month, I kust need to find the races that fit into the training calender. I feel a cycle beginning every four weeks (with a base week in between) will give me the best opportunity to improve. That's the conclusion I have drawn so far from 2015. It might change but with how my life is structured around my children, the training cycle slots in perfectly around them and I have got a bit of recovery time in between the intensity of the cycles too! If I don't feel I am progressing then we will have to re-evaluate. I would appreciate your thoughts on this approach?

Have a good weekend!!

Darren.

[TheEd]

your approach is very good, and leaves opportunity to re-evaluate, discuss and improve on

enjoy, and may the results follow

TheEd

[shadydaz]

03-12-15
Easy run
Time: 50:57
Pace: 5:05min/km
Dist: 10.01 km
Ave HR: 146
Max HR: 174
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.23m

04-12-15
5 x 2km intervals

Ok, so not as fast as I wanted but non-the-less I was very pleased with this session. I felt it was one of my best 5 x 2km session to date! Why so? The pace time over the 5 reps was very consistant and i actually got a bit quicket through to the end! the average pace over the course of the 5 reps calculates at 04:14 so not too far off target anyway. This is the first set where I have jogged the 2 minute rest periods also, I thought it helped as the legs were not like jelly for the first few hundreds metres of the last reps!

06-12-15
Long Easy run
Time: 2:01:49
Pace: 5:25min/km
Dist: 22.5 km
Ave HR: 147
Max HR: 174
Ave Cadence: 162spm
Ave. Stride: 1.14m
218m total elevation. Lots of long uphills and shorter downhills. Tough run.

Legs are feeling it, they were destroyed after the Friday Interval sesh, and agains last night. not too bad this morning, hopefully they recover quick for Wednesday's 6 x 1km session.

Darren.

[TheEd]

you are getting stronger Daz, your recovery is also quicker

look after yourself, the progress is good

TheEd

[shadydaz]

07-12-15
Easy run
Time: 32:28
Pace: 5:14min/km
Dist: 6.21 km
Ave HR: 140
Max HR: 173
Ave Cadence: 163spm
Ave. Stride: 1.17m

08-12-15
10KM Easy
Time: 54:04
Pace: 5:08min/km
Dist: 10.53 km
Ave HR: 141
Max HR: 168
Ave Cadence: 162spm
Ave. Stride: 1.20m
Had to keep slowing myself down. Too much energy, probably down to keeping run to a minimum previous day?

09-12-15
6 x 1km intervals

Average Rep pace was 4:05min/km
Not quite as fast as I targeted again but felt a lot more consistent. Again, jogged through the 60 second rest periods. I was DONE after this session! Legs needed plenty of stretching yesterday evening after this! They are ok again this morning so recovering quicker.

Despite the two speed work session so far working out about 5 seconds slower than intended, I am very happy with the key phase of the cycle. I may have lost a lb or two as well through this cycle and the base week before hand.

I have also started back doing some core and upper body strength building excercises. The hand still hurts to do press ups but knuckle ones are ok!

[TheEd]

looking good, your pace @ 140 bpm for the easy runs look very promising

how are you finding your long runs?

a drop in weight will also assist when it comes to racing faster

on we go

TheEd

[shadydaz]

10-12-15
Easy run
Time: 57:48
Pace: 5:20min/km
Dist: 10.85 km
Ave HR: 145
Max HR: 163
Ave Cadence: 153spm
Ave. Stride: 1.23m

11-12-15
60 min easy
Time: 1:00:03
Pace: 5:22min/km
Dist: 11.20 km
Ave HR: 141
Max HR: 162
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.17m

13-12-15
5km Paced
Time: 48:55
Pace: 4:51min/km
Dist: 10.10 km
Ave HR: 150
Max HR: 181
Ave Cadence: 165spm
Ave. Stride: 1.25m

3km warm up
2.1km warm down

paced splits:

1. 04:07.6
2. 04:10.9
3. 04:09.3
4. 04:05.6
5. 03:58.5

AVE PACE 04:06
AVE HR 167
MAX HR 181
AVE CAD 177
STRIDE 1.38

felt ok during the session, not at maximum effort so there was more to give.

I had hurt my knee o the Friday taking off my shoes after the run so was a bit wary but during the session it was fine. It think i popped a ligament slightly. it was only when I stopped after the run that it began to hurt again.

14-12-15
Easy Run
Time: 57:19
Pace: 5:21min/km
Dist: 10.70 km
Ave HR: 134
Max HR: 157
Ave Cadence: 160spm
Ave. Stride: 1.17m

Knee went completely, had to walk some and managed to slowly jog last mile home.

Not run since the 14th leading into race on Sunday Morning. Plenty of rest. Knee was ok, had not felt anything for three days so felt like I could go and give it a blast.

20-12-15
XC Race
Time: 43:13
Pace: 5:01min/km
Dist: 18.62 km
Ave HR: 168
Max HR: 187
Ave Cadence: 154spm
Ave. Stride: 1.29m


Ignore the stats above. I was going well until a long hill at 3.5km. No cobwebs etc from not running but by the time I had got to the brow of the slope, My knee was screaming at me. The second half of the race was a comination of walking and jogging through to the finish, depending on surface and gradient.

My knee has been very sore since race. I felt nothing during pre race stretches and warm up. We are now on Tuesday and it still hurts.

It seems to be the Medial collateral ligamentor somewhere around that area. it only hruts when going up or down stairs or running. I have not run since Sunday. I am extremely frustrated and dissappointed as felt like I was really making progress in training and after the 1km session was full of confidence because it had gone so well along with the 5km paced.

I don't know what to do with the injury, obviously I can't run. I haven't been to a doctor or a physio to confirm my diagnosis. I have looked up strength excercises but it'd too early days to start them as there is mild pain even when I am not using leg.

I would really like to get back out on road ASAP but do not want to do any more damage to the problem.

Darren.