XC Runner

Seres

cfitz wrote: »

winning is pretty cool too. BeepBeep I think my running style sometimes gives off an illusion of being relaxed, but thanks!

good for unnerving your compeditors , especially if they are already feeling under pressure .

shels4ever

Yep you looked very smooth. One thing I can say is that I didnt at all.

cfitz

Week 43, Day 4:

45 minute run
Stretching


Went out this morning for my last run before my break. Nearly got wiped out by an SUV, possibly the closest I've ever come to dying!

Running Bing

Congrats on the win Cfitz.


Ive only done one BHAA event and again it was a bit messy....wouldnt mind that too much accept they really take the piss with the price.:rolleyes:

cfitz

Seen as my track season is over now, I thought it might be a good idea to put up a little review.

My aim for the season was to bring down my 3000m PB. My PBs coming into the season were 9:19 for 3000m and 4:21.10 for 1500m. I finished this season with 9:10.07 for 3000m and 4:18.56 for 1500m.

Here is my race progression:
31 Mar 3000m 9:33.hh 1st Santry
19 Apr 3000m 9:33.hh 11th Mardyke Leevale Open Sports
22 Apr 1200m 3:52.hh 1st Club race as part of training
24 Apr 4.5mile NT Road Race as part of training
01 May 1000m 2:54.hh TT Tullamore
17 May 1500m 4:30.29 14th Athlone AAI Games
24 May 3000m 9:24.3h 2nd Santry Clonliffe Champs.
24 Jun 3000m 9:16.32 27th Irishtown IMC
01 Jul 3000m 9:26.89 12th Irishtown Development
09 Jul 1500m 4:26.4h 1st Tullamore Offaly Champs.
15 Jul 3000m 9:13.27 19th Santry Development
25 Jul 1500m 4:18.56 11th Irishtown IMC B
05 Aug 3000m 9:10.07 2nd Irishtown Grade A
12 Aug 3000m 9:19.6h 1st Irishtown BHAA


I was out with an injury from September to November 2008 and picked up a persistent cough in early 2009. So my training for this season started in mid-February. The first few weeks were spent just getting back to running on a regular basis. The next few weeks were spent getting ready for phase 1 of the track programme that was laid out for me, so I was doing easier versions of the sessions that were lined up.

Phase 1 of the track schedule included 1 hard run, 1 set of long reps at 3k pace, and 1 set of short reps at 3k pace each week. Phase 2 included 1 hard run, 1 set of reps at 3k pace (alternate long/short reps weekly), and 1 hill run. Phase 3 was similar to the previous phase except that the 3k pace session was replaced with a faster session.

Notes:
Due to injuries, the phase 2 consisted of some rest and easy running.
After these injuries my training was usually on a flat grass lap rather than the more hilly grass loop that I had been using. Also only small hills were used for hill runs from then on.
From phase 2 onwards, my friend was back from college for the summer so I had a good training partner a lot of the time.
Got a sports massage every 2 weeks.
Got osteopath treatment approximately every 2 months.
Only ate junk food about once every 3 weeks.
For the second half of the season I was having baths instead of showers after nearly all my runs (our shower was broken).
For the last 3 weeks of the season, my body felt quite tender especially around my hamstrings and glutes.


Thanks to everyone for the help and kind words.

Seres

great improvement in the 3000m times and the 1500m also especially considering all the obstacles you had to over come , from reading your log you showed great commitment which i definitely think paid off especially towards the end of the season when you had some good pbs and a nice win to finished off , always good to finish on a good note , you mentioned that you will be going traveling soon , do you think you will keep up the log ?

cfitz

Meant to add another note to the review above but it's too late to edit it now so I'll just put it here:

A normal week's mileage this year was probably around 45 whereas I would have been doing around 60 miles per week in 2008 and 50 or more in 2007. I think this allowed me to come into my runs a little bit fresher and so probably train faster and maybe with better form/economy.

cfitz

Seres wrote: »

you mentioned that you will be going traveling soon , do you think you will keep up the log ?

I'd like to keep it updated, but I'll be in places like Africa and India so it might not be as regular or as detailed as before.

cfitz

Tuesday:

Visit to osteopath
35 minute run
Stretching


First run back, took just over 2 weeks off. Plan is to come back really gradually: run two days this week, three days next week and so on until I'm back up to a six-day week. Run went better than expected but I've really been feeling it today.

cfitz

Friday:

40 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching


Set my watch to beep every 5 minutes so that I would forget to work on my form while I was running. Took the last two days off and not scheduled to run again until maybe as late as Tuesday. Felt it in the legs but was moving nicely.

cfitz

Monday

45 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching

shels4ever

In regards to your form, do you feel you need to make much of a change after 5 mins, or what is your main focus. From see you race you seem to have fairly good form as it stands is there any area that your working on?

cfitz

shels4ever wrote: »

In regards to your form, do you feel you need to make much of a change after 5 mins, or what is your main focus. From see you race you seem to have fairly good form as it stands is there any area that your working on?

Well if you watch someone like Bekele on tv, you'll see that his whole person is tilted forward slightly, and that his feet kick right back up to waist height, and his elbows flick well back. I, on the otherhand, am very straight up (possibly even leaning back a little), and I think this may be affecting my performance.

The watch beeping is just so that I'll check my form every few minutes rather than doing everything right at the start and then forgetting about it for the rest of the run.

cfitz

Wednesday:

50 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching


Running 3 days this week so next run is on Friday, but planning on doing a double day.

cfitz

Friday:

AM
20 minute jog (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)

PM
35 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching


(Previous post should say Week 2)

cfitz

Sunday:

AM
25 minute jog (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)

PM
40 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching
10 press-ups
Plank (10 breaths)
20 back extensions (2 variations 10+10)


Scorcher of a day, nice to get some summer! Plan is to run 4 days this week.

cfitz

Tuesday:

60 minute run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching
2x8 Circuit (30 seconds on 30 seconds off. 1:30 between sets.)

cfitz

Thursday:

AM
25 min jog (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)

PM
35 min run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching
10 press-ups
Plank (10 breaths)
20 back extensions (2 variations 10+10)


Friday:

55 min run (watch beep every 5 minutes to concentrate on form)
Stretching
10 press-ups
Plank (10 breaths)
20 back extensions (2 variations 10+10)
Some core exercises

cfitz

I'm away travelling at the moment so I haven't got round to updating my log recently. I ran a race today so I decided but up something now and hopefully I'll update my log properly soon.

I did about 5 weeks of very gradual and was up to about 55-60 miles of easy running when I picked up a cough on my troubles. I've been doing next to nothing for the past few weeks in an effort to get rid of it and it seems to be nearly gone now.

I'd entered the 15km race that's run as part of the Istanbul Marathon before I left Ireland and when I got to Istanbul yesterday I couldn't resist the urge to go collect my number even though I wasn't really in racing shape.

There were meant to be free buses to the expo from Sultanahmet, but all I found was haphazard advice and a gangster trying to sell me carpets or something and the odd person trying to be helpful until eventually a fellow runner from Thailand went out of his way to show me how to get public transport out there - a tram followed by a bus. Got up at 7am this morning for the race and this time the buses were there. Didn't bother with a warm-up as I reckoned a gradual build-up would suit me given my shape.

Got a good position behind the elites for the gun and was happy with my early pace. Even in the morning with the roads closed I could taste the pollution. The course was quite hilly and I was happy to hit half way at 27:39 but I was starting to struggle when I was hoping to pick it up. Faded in the second half and finished in 57:57. Threw up a few times after I crossed the line, that's never happened to me before.

Wasn't a great performance but it was nice to experience a big city race. I thought the organisatisation could have been a bit better but it was better on race day.

Krusty_Clown

Superb time for someone running out of their distance, and being a stranger in a strange land and just doing it for kicks.

Seres

solid preformance especially for someone not really prepared , well done , sorry to hear bout puking at finish line can cause a bit of

cfitz

Back in Ireland now. Might try put up a summary of what I've done while I was away. But basically I'm just trying to get back in shape now. Ran six days last week and this week has been like this so far:

Sunday: 70 minutes easy, stretching
Monday: 60 minutes easy, 4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out), stretching
Tuesday: AM 25 minutes jog, PM 40 minutes easy, stretching
Wednesday: 40 minutes steady, stretching

Plan for the rest of the week is something like this:

Thursday: Rest, sports massage
Friday: 35 minutes hard
Saturday: AM 25 minutes jog, PM 35 minutes easy, strides

kennyb3

good to have you back, hope you enjoyed the travels

cfitz

Thursday 31 December 2009:

Sports massage
Rest


Friday 1 January 2010:

35 minutes hard
Stretching

cfitz

Saturday 2 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
35 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching


Sunday 3 January 2010:
70 minutes easy
Stretching


I seem to have a bit of a niggle in my left foot very similar to the injury that kept me out for a few months in 2008 (except this time it's my left foot). I'm trying to keep myself in good order this time, so I had to skip the county cross-country championships on Sunday. It was a shame to miss it but I haven't that much work done yet so a 10k race might not have been a lot of fun anyway.

cfitz

Monday 4 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
35 minutes easy
Stretching

cfitz

Tuesday 5 January 2010:

40 minutes steady
Stretching

Seres

hey cfitz , good to see you back fighting fit , best of luck for 2010

cfitz

Seres wrote: »

hey cfitz , good to see you back fighting fit , best of luck for 2010

Cheers Seres. This icy weather means no real wind or rain so it's nice to be out training. Looking forward to racing again. How about you, what's the current plan?

cfitz

Wednesday 6 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching


It's cold on the ears these days when you've only got a peaked cap!

Seres

cfitz wrote: »

Cheers Seres. This icy weather means no real wind or rain so it's nice to be out training. Looking forward to racing again. How about you, what's the current plan?

no plan for 2010 , things a bit up in the air at the moment , just getting out when i can , look forward to keeping up with your log again

cfitz

Thursday 7 January 2010:

Rest


Friday 8 January 2010:

35 minutes hard
Stretching

cfitz

Saturday 9 January 2010:

45 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching

PM
25 minute jog


Switched my jog to the evening in case the weather got worse as the day went on. Prefer doing it the other way though coz the jog loosens my legs out for the proper run.

cfitz

Sunday 10 January 2010:

70 minutes easy
Stretching


Had an Indian take-away a few hours before this run and I was tasting it quite a bit on the way round. Not much fun at all. And the snow was too deep to run comfortably on it.

cfitz

Monday 11 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
45 minutes easy
Stretching


Was running with friends tonight so the time flew.

cfitz

Tuesday 12 January 2010:

35 minutes hard
Stretching


Awful conditions for training here today. Hail stones in the eyes on numerous occasions, not fun.

cfitz

Wednesday 13 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching

cfitz

Thursday 14 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes steady
Stretching

Running with a friend again so very enjoyable. Does anyone else find that they seem to run way quicker with no extra effort when they're not running alone?

shels4ever

cfitz wrote: »

Thursday 14 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes steady
Stretching

Running with a friend again so very enjoyable. Does anyone else find that they seem to run way quicker with no extra effort when their not running alone?

It's so so much easier to run with someone then alone,

cfitz

Friday 15 January 2010:

Rest day
Sports massage


Saturday 16 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
35 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching


Thought my sore foot was on the mend, but for the past few days I've been getting occasional stinging darts on the inside of my arch. Not really sure what to do...

dna_leri

cfitz wrote: »

Thought my sore foot was on the mend, but for the past few days I've been getting occasional stinging darts on the inside of my arch. Not really sure what to do...

Have you got good arch support in your runners? If not you might find this will help.

Worked for me but still get soreness when i wear spikes with less support.

cfitz

dna_leri wrote: »

Have you got good arch support in your runners? If not you might find this will help.

Worked for me but still get soreness when i wear spikes with less support.

All the runners I've been wearing are well worn out, and my orthotics are due to be re-cast. But I've an appointment for my re-cast this Thursday and also I went out and bought a pair of New Balance 1061 (50 EUR in Elverys) today before my run so hopefully that'll help.

cfitz

Sunday 17 January 2010:

70 minutes easy
Stretching


Current plan for the coming week is something like this:

Sun: 70 minutes easy
Mon: AM 25 minute jog, PM 40 minutes easy, 4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Tue: AM 25 minute jog, PM 35 minutes steady
Wed: AM 25 minute jog, PM 35 minutes hard
Thu: AM 25 minute jog, PM 40 minutes steady, 4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Fri: Rest
Sat: 6 x 3 minutes with 2 minute recovery

cfitz

Monday 18 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes easy
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching

cfitz

Tuesday 19 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
35 minutes hard
Stretching
Visit to Osteopath


Osteopath fairly got in at my foot, reminded me of that dentist in Little Shop Of Horrors that loves inflicting pain!

kennyb3

cfitz wrote: »

Osteopath fairly got in at my foot, reminded me of that dentist in Little Shop Of Horrors that loves inflicting pain!

how do you find the osteopath compared to the physio? had a peroneal tendon injury during the summer which left my foot sore for about 4 weeks and wasnt too impressed with the physio i went to, prob just the one i went to. never considered going to an osteopath but might in future if need be (hopefully not)

cfitz

kennyb3 wrote: »

how do you find the osteopath compared to the physio? had a peroneal tendon injury during the summer which left my foot sore for about 4 weeks and wasnt too impressed with the physio i went to, prob just the one i went to. never considered going to an osteopath but might in future if need be (hopefully not)

It's hard to compare. Also, I think that the quality of the individual may be a bigger factor than which discipline they happen to follow.

For specific problems, I'd usually go to my Sports Massage person first coz she was a world class athlete herself so she seems to be good at picking out the likely causes of injury and also at advising on what running I should do when recovering.

My osteopath doesn't have a running background but the adjustments he makes seem to keep me in good working order most of the time.

cfitz

Wednesday 20 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
35 minutes steady
Stretching


Running with my mate who's pretty quick so went well.

cfitz

Thursday 21 January 2010:

AM
25 minute jog

PM
40 minutes steady
4 x 100m (30m roll-in, 40m sprint, 30m roll-out)
Stretching


Got re-cast for my orthotics but will have to wait for 5 or 6 weeks until I get the new ones. She told me I should allow my plantar/arch to recover by cycling or swimming for the next 10 days to 3 weeks. Didn't really fit in with my plans...


Friday 22 January 2010:

Rest day


Saturday 23 January 2010:

20 minute warm-up jog
Strides
9km RACE cross-country (51st, 34:47)
20 minute warm-down jog
Stretching


Wanted to get an idea of where I was at before I was consigned to the bicycle. I was going to Antrim anyway, so I decided to run. Bit of a tough level for my first race in months but I enjoyed it and I wasn't left running on my own or anything. A good section of the course was like a quagmire and it was a struggle to get a good rhythm. Not really sure how I did, didn't take any scalps or anything but the competition was pretty decent and I haven't done any sessions yet.


Sunday 24 January 2010:

75 minutes cycling over the course of the day


Did a few short cycles during the day before I got some sort of puncture (a pinched tube or something, I know nothing about cycling), then did over an hour in the fog with my brother in the evening. I don't think Bradley Wiggins would be too worried if he spotted me careering nervously down the bicycle lanes!

cfitz

Monday 25 January 2010:

Rest


Tuesday 26 January 2010:

65 minute cycle.