I have no idea what I'm du-ing

pointer28

Tuesday 30/9/14

Run - 5.1k + 10 strides

Legs stiff as a board starting off after another cross country drive, but 10 strides soon loosened them up. HR was nice and low for the WU and dropped nicely for the CD as well so no nasty after effects from yesterday.

I think I may actually be getting fitter :-)

pointer28

Wednesday 1/10/14

Bike - 32k - AHR 122

This is a recovery week, so kept it really easy. Lovely day for a spin and a bit cooler today, I'll have to dig out the arm warmers in future.

pointer28

Thursday 2/10/14

Run - 12.8k with 4 x 1k @ I Pace -

Avg I Pace - 3:55 mins/km AHR 173

I've been away from home the last few weeks and only got home at lunchtime. Really wasn't in the form to do anything but forced myself out the door thinking that a run would probably do me the world of good and make everything right in the world. It didn't.

Got the session done, numbers were good but had no interest whatsoever in being there. There have been plenty of days in the last 8 weeks where I may have felt tired or had a niggle or whatever but today was the first day I just couldn't care less. The cause has nothing to do with the actual running, but it's the first time a decent run hasn't improved matters.

pointer28

Saturday 4/10/14

Run - 5k @ T Pace + 4 x 45 secs @ R Pace

T Pace - 4:20 mins/km AHR 168, R Pace - 3:24 mins/km

This was meant to be done on Friday as I'm now into six weeks of back to back hard sessions but the weather was just too bad. Either way I got it done on Saturday even if it wasn't on tired legs as intended. A short WU and CD for a total of 11.8 kms.

The 5k @ T pace led straight into the first of the 45 secs intervals with no rest and this was really hard as were the three after it but got them all done and as hard and slow as they may have felt the numbers were better than expected.


Sunday 5/10/14

Run - 5.5k @ 5:20 mins/km AHR 145

Just a short one to meet my mileage for the week, cool and blustery out but the run itself was fine.

pointer28

Monday 6/10/14

Run 17.7k @ 5:28 mins/km AHR 149

First chilly day of the autumn, could have done with long sleeves but I'll know the next time.


Bike - Trainer Road - Parklife - 45 mins - TSS 45 - IF .77

My favourite TR workout for tired legs, almost as good as a massage. The plan for the future is to do a recovery turbo session like this in hard run days and then do my tougher turbo sessions on easy run days.

pointer28

Tuesday 7/10/14

Run - 6k + 10 strides

Out the door at 6.30 for this and it was really cold, could have done with a gilet and gloves and I'll be damn sure to have them the next time. First time in months I've ran early in the morning and my legs were still asleep for the first 3k, doesn't matter anyway, only a recovery run and felt easy, HR was low and no pains or niggles.


Bike - TR 8 Minute Test - TSS 75 - IF .87

I'm quite sure there's a special place in hell for the person that came up with these tests but they have their place and I suffered through it for another small increase in FTP. So, over the past 12 months I've gone from really sh1te on the bike to slightly less sh1te on the bike, but it's an improvement so I'll take it.

pointer28

Wednesday 8/10/14


Run - 9k + 8 strides


Bike - Trainer Road - Gayley - TSS 79 IF .89

Description

4x8-minute intervals right at Functional Threshold Power (100% FTP) with 4-minute recoveries between intervals..

Goals

Time at threshold is all about increasing your muscular endurance, i.e. pushing the pedals hard for reasonably long periods of time, and learning to tolerate both the physical and psychological distress that comes with working at this intensity.

As your body becomes accustomed to processing excess lactate and working through high levels of acidic accumulation, i.e. your aerobic fitness improves, your mind becomes familiar with this inherent discomfort in ways that allow you to work harder for longer, i.e. your pain tolerance increases.

pointer28

Thursday 9/10/14

Run - 14k with 6 x 800m @ I Pace

Avg I Pace - 3:56 mins/km 171 bpm


Bike - Trainer Road - Around The Block - TSS 44 IF .77

Just a short recovery effort on the turbo, I find these work great to spin out any stiffness from the legs and certainly leaves them feeling fresher.

pointer28

Friday 10/10/14

Run -16k with 5 x 1.6k @ T Pace + 6 strides

Due to the bad weather I missed doing my back-to-back hard sessions last week, I still got them done I just missed the training benefits of doing the second session on fatigued legs.

I was adamant not to let the same happen again this week and luckily the weather was glorious on both days, slightly chilly if you're standing around but absolutely lovely for running in.

The numbers came handy enough and the legs felt surprisingly good, just a little tired but nothing to worry about. All in all a great workout.

pointer28

Saturday 11/10/14

Run - 5.1k @ 5:23 mins/km AHR 144

pointer28

Monday 13/10/14

Run - 21k with 2 x 8k @ M Pace

1st 8k - 5:35 mins/km AHR 164
2nd 8k - 5:35 mins/km - AHR 162

Short WU and CD plus 2k @ E pace between intervals to bring it to a total of 21k. My HM PB is only 1:36:30 and now I'm able to run 21k in 1:40 and feel good doing it! Yay me!


Bike - Trainer Road Parklife TSS 42 IF .75

Another recovery spin just to aid recovery.

pointer28

Tuesday 14/10/14

Run - 6k + 10 strides

Out the door early for this one as had to head to Wexford again today.

Bike - Trainer Road - Ericsson - TSS 66 IF .82

One hour with 4 x 8 mins @ Sweet Spot, 4 mins RBI


Wednesday 15/10/14

Run - 8.6k + 8 strides

I swear this changeable weather is going to be the death of me. No matter what clothing I wear it always seems to be wrong. Put on a rain jacket, rains stops after 2 minutes, don't wear one it pisses rain. Real weather for catching a dose.

Bike - Trainer Road - Monitor - TSS 68 IF .82

One hour with 6 x 6 mins @ Sweet Spot, 2 mins RBI

pointer28

Thursday 16/10/14

Run - 16k with 4 x 1.2k @ I Pace

Avg I Pace - 3:58 mins/km AHR 171

Tough day for it, nice and cool but a horrible headwind in places really sucked the energy out of me. Didn't feel great throughout, no pains or elevated HR or anything, just felt fatigued and flat. Afterwards I felt like I might have a chill coming on so being the sensible chap that I am, I ditched my planned recovery ride, took some meds and took it handy for the afternoon with the fire lit.


Friday 17/10/14

Run - 14.8k with 1.6k @ T, 3.2k @ T, 1.6k @ T, 4 x 45 sec @ R

Avg T Pace - 4:18 mins/km AHR 167

Conditions tough again today but I think I did the right thing yesterday by making a pre-emptive strike against any nasties that were thinking of taking hold. I felt great when I got up this morning and I'm glad I listened to my body as 45 mins. on the turbo yesterday could have been just enough to push me over the edge into a dose, and I managed to get it done today anyway.

The 3rd T interval went straight into the first 45 sec R interval with no rest between and this first burst of speed is always a killer but according to the plan it's to acclimatise the body to surges in a race and sprint finishes so I understand the point of it, regardless of how cruel it is.

Jack Daniel's does say in the book that Phase 3, which Ii'm in the 4th week of now, is the hardest part of the plan but has the greatest effect on the body. The back-to-back sessions are hard but I'm managing to get them all done and I'm confident that they'll pay off in the end.

pointer28

Friday 17/10/14

Bike - Trainer Road - Around The Block TSS 39 IF .73

Easy recovery ride after this morning's run session.


Saturday 18/10/14

Run - 5.7k @ 5:21 mins/km AHR 145


Monday 20/10/14

Run - 20k @ 5:30 mins/km AHR 139

Horribly windy today and at times felt like there was someone pushing me backwards so I just eased off on the pace and kept the effort as easy as I could resulting in the lowest AHR I've ever had for a long run. I'm paying more attention now on the easy runs to what feels easy rather than what the watch is telling me. If I'm going far too fast then I'll back off but if I'm a couple of seconds slower than planned I'm not worrying about it.


Tuesday 21/10/14

Run - 8.2k + 10 strides

Up at 5:30 this morning, 400 km round trip in the car and then I had to head out in the lashing rain and the tail end of a hurricane to get this done. There's a lot to be said for a treadmill on days like this.


Wednesday 22/10/14

Run - 10.2k @ 5:22 mins/km AHR 145

This week is getting towards the highest mileage for this block of training so I won't get away with a quick 5k jog on my easy days any more. Wore my Wave Ultima's today and I'm really starting to hate them more and more every time I wear them. When I started running I always wore big, heavy cushioned shoes and they suited me at the time, probably because that's what my body needed. Now, as I'm a lot more experienced, fitter and with plenty of miles in my legs, they're just starting to feel like cement blocks tied to my feet. I'm finding that the more medium weight shoes like my Wave Rider's are suiting me an awful lot better for long runs and longer intervals, so I think that's what I'll go for the next time, the other options being recommended to me is the Brooks Ghost or Asics Gel DS Trainer which seem to be very similar so I'll shop around and see what's available. There's an Asics outlet in Kildare but I don't know if there's anywhere to get a bargain on Brooks.

Bike - 29k - AHR 133

For the last 2 weeks I've been combining 2/3 hard run sessions with 2/3 hard turbo sessions and it just ain't working out. My priority at the moment is to set a decent (relatively) 5k PB. So, with that in mind what I should be doing at the moment is training a single sport (running) with some cycling thrown in as cross training and to keep the bike legs ticking over, then when I shift my focus in spring I'll start training as a multi sport athlete and train appropriately. I just felt that the last few weeks while HR, Blood Pressure etc was fine, my legs were sore all the time and couldn't do what the engine was capable of. So what I intend to do is keep up the frequency and mileage on the bike and back off on the intensity for a while, which I also find is a great recovery session for tired legs. As I'm sitting here typing this, an hour after my 29k bike ride, my legs feel like brand new and all the the heaviness and fatigue is flushed out of them.

On the plus side, I'm happy that I've learned enough to listen to my body and know when to back off, sometimes less is more.

In terms of strength and conditioning, I've gotten into the habit of doing some push ups and sit ups every night while watching TV, nothing much, just 20 Sit Ups and 10 Push Ups every day for the last fortnight and 30 Sit Ups and 15 Push Ups every night starting this week. A body builder I ain't but I definitely feel a bit better for it and they're getting easier to do so I must be doing some good.

Dory Dory

I'm an Asics Nimbus gal, myself. Tried other shoes, but for any sort of distance, my feet and legs just feel better in the Nimbus. And if your priority right now is running related, a wise man once told me that there is no substitute for specificity. And...it's amazing how a little bit of something each night in front of the TV set adds up. Well done.

pointer28

Thursday 23/10/14

Run - 13.7k with 5 x 1k @ I Pace

Avg I Pace - 3:53 mins/km AHR 169

Nice to see my Avg I Pace dropping again, they had stagnated a bit the last few weeks with the hard turbo sessions leaving my legs feeling dead.

Bike - 32k - AHR 131

Horrendous headwind on the way out but some fun and fast times on the way back for surprisingly little effort.


Friday 24/10/14

Run - 17k with 5k @ T, 4 x 45 secs @ R, 6 strides

Avg T Pace - 4:18 mins/km AHR 166
Avg R Pace - 3:27 mins/km

Even though Mr Jack Daniel's claims to be a mild mannered US high school running coach, I have him figured out!

I'm convinced that if you dig deep enough that he has a background in interrogation or torture, maybe a senior figure in Hitler's SS or he could have even invented waterboarding, but that's probably a little soft for him.

Obviously I jest, in fact as much as I hate in sessions while I'm in the middle of doing them, I always feel great afterwards with a huge sense of accomplishment. He seems to get them just right, they push you right to your limits but not over the top. Only one week left of this tough Phase III, then 3 more weeks of high mileage but less intensity, then reducing mileage for 3 weeks with a goal race at the end.

joey100

Some really good running going on in here pointer. What race is this all leading up to?

Bought the jack daniels book too but after a few skims through it it just confuses me, I's, R's and T's all over the place! How you finding having a good plan to stick to??

Meant to say I'm a Saucony man myself, Kinvara's and triumphs for training and A4's for racing. The Kinvara is a really really nice shoe. I'd highly recommend it.

pointer28

Hi Joey,

I love having a good plan to stick to, it suits me down to the ground. Autumn 2013 I used a JD plan and beat my HM goal by over two mins, early 2014 I didn't bother with a plan, made it up as I went along and nearly every race I did was a flop. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Yep, lots of I, R and T running not to mention the M and E. I like running at different paces, it keeps me fresh and I suppose provides a different training stimulus. As well as that being able to knock out a long 14 or 16k interval at M pace fairly comfortably does wonders for your confidence.

I got a very good spreadsheet somewhere based on JD's vDot principal, enter your details and it spits out all your training paces plus lots of other stats like how much faster you could run for the same effort at a lower weight. Not so much a problem for you, but something for me to think about. If you want a copy, PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

I haven't really got a particular race in mind for this block, I just want to set a nice PB for myself at 5k. The original plan was sub 20 but at this stage I think I'll be disappointed if it wasn't closer to 19 mins.

I have a pair of Kinvaras and I love them for all my fast work and for races but I can't stand them for easy running at all, the lower drop just feels completely off at slower paces and tends to leave my calves shot afterwards. I had a pair of Triumph's in the past too, but I found them and the Kinvara's too, to be tight around the toes. Not so much a fault of the shoe but rather my busted and crooked toes. To cut a long story short, I find the Saucony's lovely underfoot and I wish I could get on better with them but I think their just not for me.

pointer28

Friday 24/10/14

Bike - 32k AHR 133

Legs felt dead for this after the mornings run session, which is to be expected I suppose, but they felt better by the end and it's another few km's logged, another few calories burnt.


Saturday 25/10/14

Run - 8.2k @ 5:21 mins/km AHR 144

A little bit longer than planned but I was exploring a new route so just followed my nose.


Monday 27/10/14

Run - 20k with 16k @ M Pace + 6 strides

For the day that's in it (DCM), some M pace work. I'm starting to like these, they usually start off feeling tough but get better as they go along and at the 12/13 km point I felt I was running really strongly. It hard to believe that I can now knock out a 1:36 20k effort relatively comfortably when my HM PB this time last year was slightly over 1:38.

As hard as I've been training lately, my weight has remained settled around the 72kg mark, whereas I'd dearly love it to be more like 66/67 kgs. I was playing about on the internet last night, found a good food diary website and started to make a note of all I'm eating. It's shocking how easy it is to go way overboard on the calories without thinking, a biscuit here, bar of chocolate there and suddenly you're hitting 3,000 calories for the day. I've downloaded the app onto my phone, tablet and computer so I have no excuse for failing to keep it up.

Today was the first day eating with a total number of calories in mind, and while my breakfast was a little smaller than usual, it was also enough to sate my appetite proving that you don't need to make a pig of yourself just to go for a run.

pointer28

Forgot to add:

M Pace averaged 4:36 mins/km AHR 163

Very happy with the AHR, lowest km split was 161 and highest was 165 so very stable.

pointer28

Tuesday 28/10/14

Run - 5k + 8 strides

Usually the day after a long run combined with a long drive leaves my legs in a hoop and good for nothing. Today however, was different, I just floated along like I was running on clouds and it felt effortless, yay!


Wednesday 29/10/14

Bike - 51k AHR 128

Windy out but I stuck to my plan and kept it easy spinning all the way, regardless of how embarrassing my gear was.

I have made some changes the past few weeks and they really seem to be paying off big time. I've given up on the tough turbo sessions for now and am concentrating on just doing frequent spins, keeping the effort easy, with the emphasis being on refreshing my legs and weight loss.

The other major change has been keeping a food diary the past few days and making meal plans for the week ahead. I found a very good website and it just makes me think before I eat. It turns out that my main meals were never too bad, just sometimes the portions may have been a little large, but the biggest culprit was too much bread and potatoes and too many biscuits between meals. It's shocking how easily you can add 1,000 calories to your day and barely even notice. I'm not living like a martyr by any means but I can have a biscuit once a day in the evening with a cup of tea, rather than 2 biscuits with every cup of tea which could be half a packet a day. When I want a snack, there's a large fruit bowl in the kitchen.

I've also started looking at labels now which I never did before, for example a picked up a tub of Reduced Fat Hummous the other day which had about 3% less fat than regular Hummous but 8 times as much salt, shocking stuff.

Either way, I'm still eating enough to keep me happy, I don't feel hungry, my weight is dropping and I feel better in myself.

mossym

pointer28 wrote: »

Either way, I'm still eating enough to keep me happy, I don't feel hungry, my weight is dropping and I feel better in myself.

i think the eating well but not being hungry is the key. any changes have to be sustainable. always being hungry isn't. if it's too much of a struggle you'll only endure it so long before falling back into old ways. well done though

pointer28

Thanks Mossy, I was getting really frustrated with myself as when I started exercising regularly I was eating like a horse and the weight was falling off me. Now I suppose my body has just gotten far more efficient and is burning less calories than it was at the start.

I was looking at a training table based on Jack Daniel's methods and according to the data, if I can drop my weight from 72kg to 66kg without increasing my vDot, the weight loss alone would be worth nearly 3 minutes in a 10k race. Now, not everything you read on the internet is true but the weight loss will definitely help and I'm working hard to increase my vDot as well so hopefully sub 40 here I come.

Thursday 30/10/14

Run - 11.2k with 6 x 800m @ I Pace

Avg I Pace - 3:55 mins/km AHR 171

These followed the usual pattern, first one was horrible, 2nd and 3rd too fast, 4th and 5th nice and sensible and dig deep for the last one. Nice to see that the average pace for the reps was dropping again, although I always keep an eye to my watch, I'm trying to run all my intervals more by feel and it seems to be working well for me.

Another change in training paces is due, but this week is a recovery week so I'll wait until next week.


Bike - 25k - AHR 135

Another easy hour on the bike, I plan to make a real habit of this over the winter and then when the time comes to up the intensity I should have a decent base under me. While I love my running and am happy to run 6 days a week and sometimes 7, I'm dreadful at keeping any consistency on the bike, I'll go mad cycling for 3 weeks, then leave it in the shed for a fortnight and quickly lose any gains that I've made. If all the stars align and I manage to get to my dream race either 2015 or 2016, I'll have no choice but to put in plenty of miles every week.

The biggest issue is the hassle of swapping the back wheel and setting up the turbo, and then undoing everything again when I want to ride outside. Madness, happy to run for 2 hours but too lazy to spend 5 minutes setting up the bike. Ideally, and again, if work and other factors allow, I'll buy a shiny new bike and that will make life so much easier and give me one less excuse to not ride my bike.

joey100

The biggest issue is the hassle of swapping the back wheel and setting up the turbo, and then undoing everything again when I want to ride outside

I find it easiest to swap it once I finish my turbo session, I'm out in the shed anyway and Means I have no excuse not to get out on the bike. Do it the other way too, if I get back from a cycle and know the next session will be on the turbo I'll set it up straight away so it's one less thing to stop me getting on it. But don't let any of that be an excuse for you not to buy a new bike! A new bike is always the answer!

pointer28

Friday 31/10/14

Run - 15.2k with 5 x 1.6k @ T Pace

Avg T Pace - 4:19 mins/km AHR 164


Saturday 1/11/14

Bike - 25k AHR 119


Sunday 2/11/14

Run - 5.6k @ 5:25 mins/km AHR 146

Up and out the door early for this one as heading across the country for a few days for a family christening. Felt harder than it should have, just not used to running in the morning's anymore without my breakfast or coffee.


Monday 3/11/14

Run - 18.3k @ 5:23 mins/km AHR 145

Sweet Jesus this had it all, gale force winds, lashing rain, bloody cold and hills upon hills. Did this away from home and just went exploring with only a rough idea of distance in my head, it just happened to perfectly hit the 18k on my plan for the day.


Tuesday 4/11/14

Run - 8k @ 5:15 mins/km AHR 142

Home after another long drive and out the door for a short one, I never run well after a long drive and just felt awkward and uncomfortable.


Wednesday 5/11/14

Run - 16k with 3 x 1.6k @ T Pace, 2 mins RBI

Avg T Pace - 4:15 mins/km AHR 164

Only a short set of tempo intervals today as I have a race planned for Saturday, if it wasn't a race week it would have been 5 x 1.6k with 1 min RBI. These felt a whole lot easier than the previous 6 weeks as I've always had my T sessions the day after another hard session so the legs were loaded. Even so, I still had to keep an eye on pace as I was going too hard, my new T pace is 4:19, and I averaged 4:15 but could have done better only I don't want to affect Saturday's race.

Bike - 32k AHR 137

Lovely day out but cold, I was bordering on overdressed the last couple of weeks but needed every bit of it today. Enjoyable spin and could have kept going but sticking to a plan (of sorts).

pointer28

Thursday 6/11/14

Run - 14.8k @ 5:21 mins/km AHR 148

Horribly day today, started raining just as I headed out the door and never let up since, soaked through but wasn't too bad once I kept moving. Legs felt good, effort felt very easy but HR was a little higher than expected. Only a couple of beats but I'll keep an eye on it. A bit fluey and sinuses driving me mad the last few days so might be related.

joey100

What's the race on Sat pointer? Any idea's on what time your going for?

pointer28

Hi Joey,

Just a Parkrun, haven't even decided which one yet.

Hopefully sub 20 and after that see what I can do to set a benchmark for the future.

joey100

From the amount of running your doing I'd say you are well on for a sub 20, best of luck anyway!

MojoMaker

I'd say the same. I was close to a sub 20 in the autumn with only a fraction of the mileage and intensity you are currently doing - you might surprise yourself dude. Injured myself at the moment and zero running for a month, envious of the miles you're logging here and the momentum you're building up.