The reboot!!!

token56

Reboots are rarely as good as the original but I'm going to do my best to buck that trend.

A bit of background I'm a 32 year old male who used to do quite a lot of running of my younger days, I have two older training logs here somewhere too. Unfortunately for the past 6ish years I've led a very unhealthy and inactive lifestyle and my weight shot up to 17ish stone (I'm 5'11 for context), no one but myself to blame for this. Thankfully I got my sh*t together over the past 6 months and I've shed 4.5 stone while also getting back into a bit of running.

At the moment I'm running okish but far from my peak of 15 years ago. I'm not sure I will ever get back to that level but no harm giving it a go.

Right now my goal for the year is simple a sub 20:00 5k. This is pretty ambitious and I'm quite a bit off this at the moment but I think I can still make some relatively big gains quickly enough with some consistent running and more targeted training. I'm going to do my first park run on Saturday to give myself a bench mark.

For the past few months I've just been running to get my base level of fitness to a somewhat decent level but I'm going to try follow a bit more of a plan with some proper training sessions going forward.

I've recorded my last couple of runs so they are the following:

01/12/19
5.25 miles - 43:00

03/12/19
2.15 miles - 15:25

07/12/19
5 miles (hills) - 42:20

10/12/19
5.38 miles - 42:00

14/12/19
5.25 miles - 42:17

16/12/19
2.15 miles - 15:13

19/12/19
3.22 miles - 23:42

21/12/19
5.25 miles - 41:59

23/12/19
2 miles - 14:42

26/12/19
4 miles - 31:03

28/12/19
5 miles (hills) - 41:25

31/12/19
6 miles - 47:59

04/01/19
2.15 miles - 15:13

05/01/19
5.25 miles - 43:00

I didn't feel all that great on my last two runs but it has been a bit of messy period over the festive period with diet/sleep. All back to normal today so hopefully will feel a bit more like normal during the week.

token56

07/01/2019
4.3 miles - 33:51

Windy day but treated this as a bit of an relaxed run and focused on keeping pace at 8 min/mile which I did, so happy enough.

09/01/2019
4.3 miles - 32:35

I intended for this to be another relaxed run and started out with an 8:00 mile but felt strong and picked up the pace each mile and finished with about a 7:20 mile and felt pretty good at the end of it.

Next up I am going to do a park run on Saturday in Father Collins Park. This will be my first official "race" in about 9 years. Hopefully I feel strong for it as I want to try push hard. My target is under 23:00 which I certainly feel I have in me, but lets see what happens.

OOnegative

Your running all your runs way to quick, your paces are the lower end of 8 mins or below for most of your runs. You’ll end up getting nowhere doing that. Plus runs of just over 2 miles are of no use.

Slow down, like to 8.45/9 minute pace, it’ll serve you better in the long run. If you wanted to throw in some strides into your runs for something faster do ,but slow down after them!!

shotgunmcos

+1 Welcome to logs!
Have to agree with the feedback. I once fell into the trap of running everything at 8min miles. Short story... I learned the hard way. Definitely keep 1 or 2 runs at steady 8min pace but dial 2 back to 9min and maybe 1 with some faster intervals. Basically, mix it up!

token56

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'm coming from a place of 6 months ago not even being able to run 2 miles straight so I've just been used to pushing myself on most my runs since then and seeing good gains but I know this is not sustainable.

Those short runs, i.e. less than 4 miles, are just laziness and I will be cutting them out.

I still don't have great strength in my legs so will have to gradually increase my distance but you are right I need to start managing my runs better if I am going to do this.

token56

11/01/2020

Parkrun 5k - 22:40

Overall I'm pretty happy with this, I hit my target of under 23 mins and I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. I didn't actually feel that great on this, I never felt strong so to speak. It was quite a windy morning and that definitely sapped the energy from my legs a bit. But still a good benchmark that I am taking as my PB.

It was my first parkrun and I really enjoyed the bit of atmosphere at it. I will definitely be back to do some more throughout the year.

My next target is the Streets of Portlaoise 5k on St Patricks day. I would like to be getting well into the 21:xx's for this. In between now and then I'm going to try increase the miles and quality of my runs. Onwards and upwards!

token56

12/01/2019

7.43 miles - 1:07:37 (9:06 pace)

Taking on board the advice given here. Slowed my pace down and added an extra 2 miles to this run. This felt very relaxed and I'm sure I could have added on a few miles more but I will do this gradually over the next few weeks.

token56

14/01/2020
6.45 miles - 53:48 (8:20 pace)

I had intended this as a medium effort run targeting 8:30 pace but was a bit quicker. Felt pretty good.

16/01/2020
4.3 miles - 31:22 (7:18 pace)

I wanted to get out for a run yesterday which I planned to be a hard run but was a bit under the weather and decided to do a hard run today. Somehow this is the same pace that I ran the 5k at the weekend but I really didn't think I was going as fast. This is the strongest I have felt on a run so far.

I probably won't be getting out tomorrow so plan for the weekend is two easy to medium longish runs.

token56

18/01/2020
7.5 miles - 01:04:22 (8:35 pace)

19/01/2020
7.5 miles - 01:05:13 (8:42 pace)

Lovely crisp morning runs, I love these conditions!

This was the same route both days but it was a new route so wasn't quite sure of markings for distance so didn't really pay attention to time and just went with how I was feeling and tried to keep it pretty relaxed. Felt good on both so happy.

Total miles for the week is 25.75, not bad but I would like to get this above 30.

I would also like to start doing a speed session. When I was younger we would do sessions of 300's, 400's, 600's but I'm really not sure what the best approach is for me based on where I currently am.

token56

21/01/2020
6.45 miles - 53:55 (8:22 pace)

Relaxed run at easy to medium effort. Not much to report on this one.

22/01/2020
3.22 miles - 22:55 (7:07 pace)

I had planned on a longer run but something unexpected came up which meant I didn't have as much time as I would have liked. So decided to just do 3 laps of my usual route and push the legs. I didn't actually feel that strong on this but the pace was good, a bit surprised to be honest.

23/01/2020
5.38 miles - 40:20 (7:30 pace)

Found this a bit more difficult than I think I should, I might have been feeling the previous days run more than I realized. Regardless I'm happy with it. It was a good pace.

Next up, take a break tomorrow and then some easier longs runs at the weekend. My last few runs over 7 miles have still been around 8:30 to 8:40 pace. I will try slow this down a fraction more this weekend. I also want to extend one of the days out to 8+ miles.

token56

25/01/2020
10.5 miles - 01:32:01 (8:46 pace)

I decided to push the distance today and in fact this is furthest I have ever ran, in my life. I know its not a huge distance really but if you had told me 6 months ago I would weigh 60+ pounds less and be running 10+ miles right now I wouldn't have believed it. So even though it's a bit silly I feel a small bit proud of myself for getting to where I am today.

As for the run itself, this was 2 of my usual laps in the phoenix park. The 2 laps were almost identical in time and I felt my pace was very consistent. The muscles are a bit sore afterwards but I expected that. I don't think I'm going to go much further than 10 miles on any individual run before the 5k in March. Getting in one of these plus a couple of 7/6 mile runs a week is good right now I feel.

token56

26/01/2020
5.25 miles - 43:50 (8:21 pace)

I had intended on running 7.5 miles but I was feeling yesterdays run in my legs and just didn't have the energy in my legs. I'm still on a calorie deficit diet the past couple of weeks in an effort to loose weight but I think maybe too much. Going to increase my daily calorie intake on days when I run a bit more.

Total weekly miles - 30.8

Happy with this. However I am going snowboarding next weekend for a week and I don't think I'm going to get much running done that week unless I can find a treadmill. I will try to add a few more miles during the coming week but won't get much done over the next two weekends unfortunately.

token56

28/01/2020
6.45 miles - 49:20 (7:38 pace)

This was a nice tempo run. Felt strong on it even with the bit of a breeze swirling around.

30/01/2020
6.45 miles - 52:50 (8:11 pace)

This was supposed to be an easy run and it felt pretty easy although the pace was a bit fast for a classic easy run.

I had certainly wanted to get out for another run or two before I head off on holidays for a week but work restricted the time I had available.

If I can find a treadmill while I am away I will try do something but I am not going to stress over it. Once I get back I will have a few weeks to put in some hard miles before the race in March.

token56

10/02/20
3.22 miles - 23:10 (7:11 pace)

12/02/20
5.38 miles - 41:48 (7:46 pace)


Back from the holidays last week and bar a very minor concussion which I've recovered from I'm injury free thankfully. On the holidays I did have access to a treadmill and I did a small bit on it one day but the body was pretty tired from the snowboarding and after the minor concussion I didn't do anything more on it. I took the weekend to recover too and back into training mode now.

First run this week I just wanted to try get a measure of where I was after not running for 10 days so pushed out just over 5K. A very windy night and the legs were pretty dead but still maintained a decent pace.

For the second run I was planning a 6.45 mile run but could feel my right hip getting quite strained after 4.5 miles so stopped a lap short. I can still feel a bit of pain now when resting so I think this was the right decision to stop. I picked up a new pair of runners during the week and this is my first night wearing them so maybe this why I was getting the pain. They are a pair of Adidas Solar Glide's so a bit more stability than I had before and felt pretty comfortable on the run. I did feel like I was bouncing a bit more in my stride and my knees were a bit higher so maybe my hips are just not used to that.

The plan is to go for an easier 6.45 mile run tomorrow providing my hip feels good and I'll try the new runners again. If I'm still feeling pain in the hip I will switch back to my old runners at the weekend and see if there is any difference.

token56

13/02/2020

6.45 miles - 53:31 (8:17 pace)

Wore my new runners again, thankfully my hip was pain free while running. It was still a bit sore throughout the day and now again after but so are a couple of other muscles. I think my body is just getting used to it all again after the bit of a break.

Overall felt very comfortable and easy on this run so pretty happy and I can feel a bit of energy/strength returning to the legs.

The plan for this weekend is two longish runs but I may only get out for one depending on some personal stuff.

Also just to add I have officially signed up for the 5K on the 17th of March so no backing out of this now. At the moment I am setting my target as mid to low 21's. I think this should certainly be possible if I run well.

I've also signed up for the Simon Home Run 5 mile on the 7th of March. This is just as my work is trying to get a crowd out to run it. I won't necessarily race it at 100% as my main focus is the 5K but I will try do it at a decent enough pace and target sub 38 min.

token56

15/02/2020
7.5 mile - 01:02:54 (8:23 pace)

16/02/2020
5.25 mile - 44:29 (8:28)

Saturday was probably the worst conditions I've ever ran in. Particularly just after 6.5 miles the mother of all showers hit me and I was just drenched to the bone. I had planned to add on another 2.5 miles but I just couldn't move I was that cold and wet and had to finish.

Today's run I didn't feel great on to be honest and my legs just didn't have much in them even though this was an easy pace. Still its miles in the legs.

Total weeks mileage 27.8. Overall pretty happy with the week after 10 days of little to no running. Next week I will try to up the mileage a small bit again. I'm also plan to throw in a hard session, probably on Wednesday. I'm thinking 4x1 mile with 2 min recovery and 1 mile warm up and warm down. Doing this at 5K race pace and practice a bit of speed endurance.

On to another week.

token56

18/02/2020
5.38 miles - 37:54 (7:03 pace)

I wanted to do a tempo run here but the pace was probably a bit quicker than what I should be doing for a temp run. Once I noticed the pace I was at I just put the head down and said I would stick with it and I'm quite happy I was able to maintain the pace for the distance. This is quicker than I have run over any of the shorter distances thus far so not bad going.

With trying to run more miles but a bit slower in general I was unsure whether I was actually making any improvements but this would tell me I am. I know I have to be patient and the times will keep dropping.

19/02/2020
6.45 miles - 55:00 (8:31 pace)

Easy pace recovery run. Not much to report on this one. My legs felt a bit heavy after yesterday but no problems.

token56

22/02/2020
11.58 miles - 01:41:33 (8:46 pace)

I had been planning on getting out for the interval session on Thursday but my hip was quite sore that day so decided to take a 2 day break and focus on getting a long run in at the weekend. I didn't realize the Operation Transformation 5K was on in the park Saturday so had to alter my route a bit making this about a mile longer than planned.

A lot of running into a strong headwind but that's what I need to get some more strength in my legs.

Bang on 90 minutes into this my calf decided to cramp so had to stop twice to stretch it out but overall happy with run. A good one to get in to the legs and good decision to skip the session I think.

23/02/2020
7.44 miles - 59:53 (8:03 pace)

I was expecting my legs to feel a bit heavy after yesterdays run but felt pretty good. Again some varying winds and ran along the route I will be doing for the 5 mile race in two weeks time. There is a nice little drag for the last kilometer or so. Good to know in advance. I'm feeling my hip now a bit after this but should be fine.

Total weekly miles - 30.85

Not a bad week off 4 days of running. More of the same next week but I really want to get that interval session in so I will probably do that first on Tuesday all going to plan.

token56

24/02/2020
1.5 mile warm up

4 x 1 mile with 2 mins jogging interval
Mile 1 - 6:44
Mile 2 - 6:47
Mile 3 - 6:49
Mile 4 - 6:51

1.5 warm down

Total Distance 7 Miles

I didn't feel good on this at all, no strength or power and I am pretty disappointed with it to be honest, especially with each interval getting slower. I was aiming for 6:40 per mile but I guess I'm just not as quick as I thought I was.

I really do feel like I'm lacking strength/power in my legs. I think my cadence is high enough, just not propelling myself very far forward. Time for some hill sprints I think. I also really should have started these interval sessions a couple of weeks back but I can't change that now. Going forward I will definitely do my best to have one interval session a week. Next week I will shorten to 800's and see what I can do.

25/02/2020
6.45 miles - 46:56 (7:16 pace)

Over the past few runs I've been feeling pain/discomfort in my left hip and in particular in the inside of my left knee. Not really muscular pain in my knee, more like the bones are being stressed. I've a feeling its the new runners so for this run I put back on my old pair as a test and I definitely felt a lot less pressure on the inside of my knee and was relatively comfortable from a pain point of view on it. I don't feel as quick in the old pair but better to be able to run slower than not run at all so I'm going to switch back for the next few weeks until after my races anyway.

In the mean time I will look into seeing a good physio to try and get an idea of what is going exactly. In fact if anyone is reading this and could recommend a good physio in Dublin, or around the midlands let me know. It would be much appreciated.

As for the run itself this was a good tempo run, happy enough with it as the legs were a bit heavy after yesterdays session. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to get out again until Saturday. I will try sneak something in Friday but its unlikely.

Treviso

What was the thinking behind running a speed session followed by a tempo the next day, no wonder you're feeling a discomfort? You need an easy or rest day in between

As a relatively new runner myself, I can only preach what has been preached to me before. You need to slow down your easy miles and train to current fitness. Your tempo training pace indicates you can run a sub 20 5k

token56

There wasn't any particular logic behind running these two sessions back to back and in terms of discomfort I was a lot better today than my easy runs at the weekend. Ideally I would have run an easy session this evening and the tempo session tomorrow. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to get out over the next two days due to work related reasons and just did the tempo run. Maybe this wasn't the right choice.

On my pace I would definitely agree my tempo run last week was too fast but I thought my pace this evening was more in line with what I should be doing. I am pushing for a sub 21:30 5K in a few weeks and I'm using the following calculator as a rough guide for my paces in training.

https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/

My easy run pace, yeah it is probably still a bit too fast. I find it very difficult running slower than 9:00 mile pace for any sort of distance but I guess I just need to do it sometimes.

Thank you for the advice.

Treviso

Wow never realised the jack daniels calculator was so aggressive. Using this calculator gives a lot less aggressive paces - https://runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php

I suppose easy pace is different for everyone. If I was following JD paces, my easy miles would be between 7.50 and 8.30 - I'm doing mine at around 9min miles. If you keep your easy days really easy, as in being embarrassed to be seen running that slowly, you'll be able to push those sessions more

token56

Yeah a big difference between the two, I like the look of your one better . The pace of my tempo runs are closer to CV runs (a new phrase to me) in that calculator.

The logic on the easy runs makes absolute sense. I guess I just need to fight the instinct to run that bit faster on the easy runs.

token56

29/02/2020
5 miles - 38:40 (7:44 pace)
5 miles - 48:00 (9:36 pace)

Total 10 miles

This was done on a 2.5 mile hill run loop that I used to every week when I was younger but don't get the opportunity to do much any more. Since I'm not getting much opportunity for serious hills at the moment I wanted to make the most of it so pushed a bit for 2 laps and then 2 very easy laps. The 2 laps I pushed felt good but I certainly have a long way to go before I feel strong on hills.

The body felt pretty ok on all of this. A few little twinges but nothing I couldn't handle.

01/03/2020
7.5 miles - 01:06:55 (8:55 pace)

An easy recovery run. I did think I was running a bit slower than but it was a bit of an unfamiliar route so wasn't quite sure of my pacing. The legs were a bit heavy from the day before but again overall everything felt relatively ok.

Total Weekly Miles : 31.45 miles.

The week ended a bit better than it started. I'm not 100% sure on my plan for this week. I plan to do an interval session Tuesday, maybe 6 or 8 x 800. The rest of the week I'm not sure. I have the Simon Home run 5 mile on Saturday. The closer it gets the more I feel like I wouldn't mind racing a bit harder than I had initially planned. I'll reassess after Tuesday's session.

token56

03/03/2020
1.5 mile warm up

6 x 800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 - 03:00
#2 - 03:01
#3 - 03:04
#4 - 03:06
#5 - 03:07
#6 - 03:06

1.5 mile warm down

Total distance 6 miles

As I change distance on the interval sessions it is difficult to gauge what pace I should be running at and what that actually feels like as it has been so long since I did it. In my head I thought that somewhere around 3:10 pace for these would be right.

Again while I obviously started too fast I was able to hold the pace a bit better over the last couple. At least I have an idea now of what pace I should be doing for this session.

Question for anyone is 90s interval to much for this type of session or ok?

04/03/2020
8.83 miles - 01:14:37 (8:27 pace)

As it was a nice evening and had my gear with me I decided to run home from work. There is a shorter route I could take but the route today brings me all along the coast by Clontarf, Dollymount etc which was quite nice.

The pace was a bit fast but I didn't account for the extra weight of my bag pack when thinking about doing this and I probably ran a bit harder than necessary to make up for carrying the extra weight. But I felt quite good on the run and the legs are feeling ok now.


I am still feeling my left knee a bit of the last two runs, nothing major but just a bit strained. I have been thinking about it and it has only just occurred to me that this is the knee in which I had my ACL reconstruction done over 6 years ago. While I did a serious 6 months rehab after the surgery and I have not had any problems with it since, I have lived a very sedentary live for 5 of the last 6 years. The last 6 months is by far and away the most exercise I have done since the surgery all that time ago. I'm thinking maybe it is all related but I'm not concerned at the moment. As the evenings get longer I will hopefully be able to run on a lot more grass which should lighten the load on the joints.

Regarding the race on Saturday I've decided I'm going to give it a proper go and see what I can do. I will have 10 days to the 5K which is plenty of time to recover. With that in mind I will take it easy tomorrow, maybe an easy 4 miles or something and then rest until Saturday.

One very last thing to say is that my weight has finally dipped under 12 stone which makes it over 5 stone lost in total. It is probably 10 years since I've been at this weight so I am quite happy with that and its at least one number going in the right direction, now I just need my running to do the same

token56

05/03/2020
4 miles - No time

I started this is off easy and built up to a quickish pace and held this for a mile then back down easy. I felt awful on this. The long run the previous day had taken a lot more out of my legs than I realized. I was just hoping I would recover for Saturday.

07/03/2020

Simon Home Run 5 Mile with 1 mile warm up/1 mile warm down

Race Report:

Before starting I wasn't really sure how fast I could go, my legs still felt quite tired from my midweek long run. I won't be making that mistake again leading up to a race. Last week in the back of my mind I was thinking I should be capable of a sub 35 or at least close even with the few hills on the course but being realistic I set myself a goal of sub 36 on the warm up.

Mile 1 : My plan was to try hold 7 min miles for the first 3 miles as this was pretty flat and I knew after this the hills would come into play and I would be a bit slower, especially given how my legs were feeling. We had the wind in our back starting which has quite nice. I was running at what I thought was a decent pace, just trying to stay in with a group who were picking off some people that sprinted off at the start and were beginning to slow. Came to the mile 1 marker on the course and the watch said 7:30. Ok, I didn't think I was this slow but I wasn't feeling great so maybe it was accurate, head down a keep working.

Mile 2 : During this mile we start turning back into the wind. I'm catching a couple of more people and some others are passing by me but I feel like I'm holding my pace. The legs don't feel great but just keep pushing. I see a guy from work in front of me struggling a bit so I work to try catch him which gives me a bit of extra motivation. I couldn't see the mile 2 marker on the course so I wasn't sure of pace for this mile.

Mile 3 : At the start of this mile I was beginning to get a bit isolated. There was a couple of people in front who were pulling away and a bit of a gap to anyone behind me. A bit of a cross wind but a nice down hill section which gave me the chance to speed up a bit and try catch the people in front. I was able to just get up to the last person in this group but couldn't stay with them for long. The mile 3 marker came and my watch said 20:55. I wasn't sure what to think at this point other than the markers may not be too accurate.

Mile 4 : This is where the hills start. A long drag before there is a bit of undulation. My pace definitely slowed a bit but I could see someone in a white singlet in front who was slowing more and I just worked hard to try catch him. Just before the end of the mile I manage to overtake him however a quick look behind and I could see there were people catching me too... not good. Passed by the mile 4 marker at roughly 28:20. My legs feel awful at this stage and I definitely don't have any strength to try go faster, just focus on holding pace and not getting slower.

Mile 5 : This starts with a quarter mile down hill. I tried to speed up as much as possible but the legs were dead. White singlet guy from before flies by me, I'm not quite sure what he's doing but I don't try to go with him. At the end of the down hill its a turn for home all up a nice gradual incline. I'm struggling on the incline but I see white singlet guy is struggling even more so my goal is just to catch him and I manage to do this quick enough. Unfortunately two other people pass me by. I do my best to do with them but I can't. Almost there and it flattens out just before the finish line. A quick look behind me a there is someone pushing a buggy catching me...a buggy . Fair play to him but it made me feel pretty crap and he was definitely not passing me. I gave everything I had left and crossed the line.

Finished
Gross Time : 36:03
Net Time : 35:57
Position 65

My net time was under 36 so technically I hit my target but I am left feeling a bit deflated after it all especially with how I struggled at the end and seeing the guy pushing a buggy catching me.

I know I've run faster in training but where I run for most of my training is all too flat. Plus training doesn't matter a dam if you can't replicated it on race day. The long run during the week didn't help me either and I was a bit naive really doing that. I need to check my ego a bit because I am running in training like I am fitter than I actually am.

On the positive side of things this wasn't a race I had specifically targeted and I know there is big room for improvement in the future. My time up to 3 miles if accurate also puts me in relative good standing for the 5K on St Patrick's day. Anyway today gives me a target to come back and try smash next year. For now I'll get an easy run in tomorrow and then just going to focus on the week ahead.

token56

08/03/2020
5.25 miles - 46:18 (8:49 pace)
6 x 30 sec strides

Easy/Recovery run after yesterdays race. I was struggling to find the motivation for this but glad I did get out. Legs still feeling tired but that's to be expected, apart from that the body felt fine. I also did a couple of strides after the run.

Total weekly miles - 31

For next week I think it should still be ok to get out for an interval session on Tuesday once I take the rest of the week relatively easy. I will try replicated this weeks session of 6 x 800, maybe a touch easier pace. Apart from this I'm thinking one tempo run and then just some easy runs until the race on St Patrick's day.

token56

10/03/2020
1.5 mile warm up

6 x 800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 - 03:01
#2 - 03:04
#3 - 03:05
#4 - 03:07
#5 - 03:03
#6 - 03:03

1.5 mile warm down

Total distance 6 miles

Same session as last week. Still struggling to get my pace correct on the 1st one, I was aiming for around 3:04-3:05. But I'm pretty please with it all apart from number 4, this was just a mental slip up more than anything. Towards the end and coming around a bend which is up a bit of an incline I switched off mentally and my paced drop a small bit and I dropped the couple of seconds. Overall though more consistent than last time and finished stronger too.

Tomorrow will be an easy run, ~5 miles and followed by something a bit quicker on Thursday, not quite tempo pace but something close. Then just easy running at the weekend but nothing too long.

Treviso

Nice session there - it seems that speed isn't your issue if you can bang those 800m out at those times. You might be similar to me in that you need to work on endurance to improve your performance. I would focus more on longer tempo or progression type runs over speed sessions for the moment. And if possible increase the easy weekly mileage. Keep the consistency up and you'll see plenty of improvement

token56

Thanks Treviso. Yeah I'm happy there is still some sign of speed in the legs. I think you are right, even though I did a lot running when I was younger all I ever did was hard running back then so I'm learning a lot at the moment. I've only just been reading about progressive long runs and I think these will certainly help. I've also been looking at some of your tempo sessions, they are fairly serious but I might try replicate a few over the next couple of weeks (in distance obviously, not time ).

As for the last two days

11/03/2020
5.38 miles - 47:20 (8:48 pace)

Easy/recovery run, at this stage I still had the race in mind so was keeping the distance low enough.

12/03/2020
4.3 miles - 29:53 (6:57 pace)

So obviously today all races were cancelled which is disappointing but really nothing in the grand scheme of what is going in the world at the moment. Regardless I was feeling a bit depressed this evening, at the cancellation, the weather was miserable and just everything going on and I was so close to not going out. But I convinced myself to get out and ended up doing this run in anger really.

I went at a decent pace from the start but didn't feel like I was racing it. I felt really good through out it, legs felt much stronger, no real niggles and the pace was consistent through out. This is obviously harder than tempo pace which I knew going around but I wanted a bit of a blow out. However I was far from all out and had more in the tank.

Obviously I'm very happy with the pace, this is the first run over a decent distance that I have averaged under 7 min pace which is very nice to see. I'm fairly confident I would have been close to breaking 21 mins had the race gone ahead on Tuesday but that's just hypothetical now.


I'm sure everyone is in the same boat right now not knowing when things will return to normal which makes it difficult to plan anything. But I feel like I'm turning a bit of a corner at the moment so I don't want to ease up. I think over the weekend I'm going to try put together a solid 10 week training plan imagining there is a 5k at the end of it and the goal of getting as close to 20 mins as possible. If there is a 5k I can do then great, if not, the training certainly won't have been wasted.

token56

14/05/2020
12.1 miles - 01:46:44 (8:49 pace)

This was an easy/recovery run. Felt a few muscles get a bit tight along the way but nothing serious. A good run and I tried to stick to the easy pace as best I could.

15/05/2020
8.1 miles - 01:06:50 (8:15 pace)

I tried to do this as a progressive run of 5 times a ~2 mile loop and had intended to do 10 miles but my right hamstring was getting quite tight so I stopped short after 4 laps. I started out at 9 min pace reducing by 30 secs every 2 miles. This would have had me finish with the last 2 miles at 7 min pace which I think would have been good although I think I would have struggled with that today. But still I'm still happy with the run and my pace was pretty spot on the whole way.

I have a fitbit charge and tried to use this with my phone to measure the distance/pace etc but I definitely think it is a bit off. This had a lap at about 2.15 miles but I'm quite sure it is closer to 2 miles. My fitbit had my pace about 20-25 secs faster per mile which I really don't think I was. So I'm taking my own more conservative measurement for the moment. I'm considering getting a nice Garmin but will wait for the whole virus thing to hopefully blow over first.

I can definitely see this type of run helping when I get the full 10 miles in. I'm not sure it is something you would wanted to do every week or maybe every 2 weeks. Maybe someone could advise?

Still working on my 10 (maybe 12) week training plan. I'm also working from home for the foreseeable future so presuming we can all still get outside and run for the next weeks I will have plenty of time. I'm also planning to try factor in some decent strength and conditioning on a regular basis, something I'm not doing at all right now.

Total weekly miles : 35.88

token56

17/03/2020
1.5 mile warm up

6 x 800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 - 03:01
#2 - 03:13
#3 - 03:01
#4 - 03:17
#5 - 03:04
#6 - 03:12

1.5 mile warm down

Total distance 6 miles

These type of sessions are tough on your own! Every second one of these was into a guesting head wind which is the reason for such a difference in the times. It really picked up on #4 but I just did the best I could. My legs didn't feel the strongest on this but I'm happy enough.

18/03/2020
6.36 miles - 57:31 (9:03 pace)

Easy recovery run. Boring enough run with not much to report unfortunately.

I am having an odd issue however, with working from home for the foreseeable future I have started to go for an hours walk in the morning before I start and another half hour at lunch. My left hip is getting quite painful when walking but its absolutely fine when running, I don't feel it at all. I've never really had this before so not sure what it is. Fortunately working from home also means I can sneak in a lot stretching and strengthening exercises so hopefully that might help.

I could just change my morning walks into morning jogs but I'm conscious of increasing the miles I'm doing too quickly or running twice a day which could lead to other issues. Anyway I'm monitor it over the next few days and see how it goes.

In other news I have what I think is a reasonable enough training plan done out for the next few weeks. I'll try get it an a suitable format and stick it up here in the next few days. It is roughly similar to what I am doing at the moment, 5 days a week, an interval session on a Tuesday and what I'm calling Treviso tempo runs on a Thursday starting with a 2 x 3 mile tomorrow to ease into it. I'm also going to try add in some cross training on one of the rest days even if it is just my bike on the turbo trainer. I might adjust as the weeks go on but we'll see how it goes.

token56

19/03/2020

~1 mile warm up

3.22 miles - 22:12 (6:53 pace)

~1 mile recovery - 8:30 pace

3.22 mile - 22:23 (6:56 pace)

Walk recovery

Total distance - 8.6 miles

A good session but I know way too fast and I'm suffering the consequences. On the last mile of the second set my right calf felt like it was going to pop and I couldn't even do the warm down, just had to walk sheepishly home. It's quite sore now but lots of stretching and rolling will hopefully help. I know I keep making the same mistake of pushing too hard on these types of runs but I really felt quite strong and just went with it. But lesson learned, this is what happens.

In saying all this I still think it was a good session, my pace was quite consistent throughout each 3 mile set and the strength and speed in my legs is slowly coming back. I definitely feel like I've taken a step forward in recent weeks. I just need to be sensible.

Hopefully the calf is ok after a days rest tomorrow and I will get in 2 long easy runs at the weekend.

Treviso

Glad to see it's not just me that suffers on those sessions! Nice paces but you may be pushing it a bit too hard as you said yourself - if you get injured then all the recent hard work will be for nothing. No races for a few months so you have plenty of time to improve if you train sensibly. That sub 20 5k will be there at the end of this quarantine.

token56

Thanks Treviso, solid advice as always. It is certainly a time to be sensible.

21/03/2020
10.5 miles - 01:30:52 (8:39 pace)

Easy/recovery run.

My calf is definitely still not 100% but I managed to get through this just about. It was touch and go on the last mile. I was feeling a small bit better this morning and I was considering getting out again, more for something to do than anything else. But I've done a reasonable amount of miles this week already and I do need to be sensible so I think getting the extras day rest is called for and I'll go back at it on Tuesday. In the meantime lots of stretching, rolling and a few strengthening exercises.

Total weekly mileage - 31.46

token56

24/03/2020

1.5 mile warm up

5 x ~1K
#1 - 03:46
#2 - 03:56
#3 - 03:51
#4 - 03:58
#5 - 03:51

2.5 mile warm down

Total distance - 7.25 miles

This was supposed to be 5 x 1K but the distance must have been a bit short based on the times above. At the moment I am measuring it out using maps online, this is the best I can do right now. I ran a bit over what the map said was 1K but it still felt a bit short. I'm not sure how much short it was but probably not a whole lot.

I basically just tried to hold my 800m pace for the extra distance. #2 and #4 were into the wind a bit so the pace was a bit slower. It was tough but I felt relatively ok on it. The calf was feeling good after the extras day rest and treatment and held up well too which was a bonus.

25/03/2020

7.43 miles - 01:04:39 (8:42 pace)

Easy/recovery run. Not much to report on this one. I started off too quick (8 min pace), falling into old habits of running too fast on my recovery runs but I was able to notice it after less than a mile and slowed the pace down.

After this I did a couple of strides up a small bit of a hill just to get the legs moving but nothing too taxing.

26/03/2020

1.5 mile warm up

2.15 miles - 14:29 (6:44 pace)

~1 mile recovery

2.15 miles - 14:35 (6:47 pace)

1.5 mile warm down

Total distance - 8.38 miles

This was supposed to be a 3 x 2 mile session however on the second recovery mile, or what ended up being the warm down, I could feel my calf start to tighten exactly like last week. Normally I would have just pushed through but with being sensible in mind I decided against that and just called the session short. A bit disappointing because I was feeling good apart from that and I think I would have been able to keep pace on the third set. Still I'm happy with the pace of the first two. I know it is fast but I am feeling stronger at the moment and this is the sort of pace I should be doing these sessions in if I want to run sub 20.

token56

So... I'm struggling a bit mentally at the moment with everything that is going on in the world, the new restrictions, the isolation, which I know many other people are too. Today in particular was quite a bad day for me but I did manage to get out for a walk this evening which was something.

Anyway while I enjoy writing up my logs here, as silly it sounds I put this weird pressure on myself to do it which I know is all in my own head, but it's something I would rather do without right now. So for the moment I'm going to take a small break in updating here, hopefully just for a few weeks when things might get back to a bit of normality. I'm going to continue training to the best of my ability but I probably won't be able to stick to my training plan. I'm just going to get out for what I am comfortable and keep things ticking over.

To anyone who is following me, speak to you soon!

token56

It's been 2 weeks and I feel like giving a bit of an update. I’ve switched all my running to the early mornings as there are just too many people out in the evenings. I have been on a bit of a running streak since the last update, running for 14 days in a row which I’m happy with but I’m trying to be careful not to overdo it. I’m also adding some consistent strength and conditioning workouts a couple of times a week.

I’ve started using the strava app on some of my runs which seems to be indicating that I have been overestimating my distance by about 1 – 2 %. I do think it is cutting corners on some routes but I will take it as being correct. A bit disappointing because I am not running quite as quick as I thought but good to know. On a positive note I have treated myself and ordered a Garmin forerunner 245 to allow me to be consistent across all my training in terms of measuring distances/pace etc. I’m really looking forward to testing it out and setting up some nice workouts.

With all that out of the way here is my runs the past two weeks

29/03/2020 – Tempo run
5.28 miles – 38:43 (7:20 pace)

30/03/2020 – Easy run
5.28 miles – 46:16 (8:46 pace)

31/03/2020 – Interval run
6 x ~800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 – 03:02
#2 – 03:04
#3 – 03:03
#4 – 03:06
#5 – 03:02
#6 – 03:06

1.5 mile warm up and warm down
Total distance 6 miles

01/04/2020 – Easy run
4 miles – 36:00 (9:00 pace)

02/04/2020 – Tempo run
4.22 miles – 29:58 (7:06 pace)

03/04/2020 – Easy run
4.74 miles – 40:29 (8:32 pace)

04/04/2020 – Long tempo
10.11 miles – 1:16:04 (7:31 pace)

I was quite happy with this run. I was trying to run around what I think my half marathon pace would be if I were to do one. I had to work a bit towards the end of it but felt pretty good.

05/04/2020 – Easy run
AM - 6.2 miles – 55:49 (9:00 pace)
PM – 1 hour turbo trainer

06/04/2020 – Easy run
4.2 miles – 37:31 (8:56 pace)

07/04/2020 – Interval run
6 x ~800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 – 03:02
#2 – 03:05
#3 – 03:05
#4 – 03:09
#5 – 03:07
#6 – 03:10
1.5 mile warm up and warm down

I don’t know what I was so much slower on this. Conditions were good but I just felt very tired. Trying to do intervals early in the morning is difficult as it take me a while to get going.

08/04/2020 – Easy run
4.74 miles – 42:07 (8:53 pace)

09/04/2020 2 x 2 mile 5K race pace
8.06 miles – 1:03:01 (7:49 pace)

Including 2 x 2.11 miles at 5K race pace
#1 – 14:15 (6:45 pace)
#2 – 14:10 (6:42 pace)

Even with it being early in the morning I felt good on this. I worked hard to keep the splits as even as I could on the 2 mile intervals which I managed to do quite well. Another good run.

10/04/2020 – Easy run
4.74 miles – 41:25 (8:44 pace)

11/04/2020 – Long tempo run
7.09 miles – 53:28 (7:32 pace)

I had intended to do 10 miles here like last week but I was having some stomach issues so had to finish early. To be honest I felt pretty terrible on this though. I was struggling to keep the pace compared to the same run the week before. Not as good a run.

Plan for the immediate future is to keep the running streak going and just try keep the consistency up until the A/R 5K TT. Based on my session earlier in the week I think I can hold low 6:40 pace which would have me under the 21 mins which I will be happy with.

token56

12/04/2020 - Easy/Recovery Run
AM - 6.2 miles - 52:59 (8:33 pace)
PM - 1 hour turbo trainer (easy/moderate effort)

13/04/2020 - Easy Run
4.72 miles - 41:25 (8:46 pace)

14/04/2020 - Interval run
6 x ~800m with 90 secs jogging interval
#1 – 03:01
#2 – 03:03
#3 – 03:03
#4 – 03:00
#5 – 03:04
#6 – 03:06
1.5 mile warm up and warm down

A better session than the previous weeks. It was still tough but I just felt like I had that bit more strength. Also I'm quite sure now that what I've been running for this session is a bit under 800m, I'm not sure how much but I will find out.

15/04/2020 - Easy Run
4.69 miles - 40:39 (8:40 pace)

My Garmin FR245 came and this was my first run with it. Good times

16/04/2020 - 2 x 2 mile 5K pace 1 mile recovery

2.06 miles - 14:22 (6:58 pace)
2.06 miles - 14:26 (7:00 pace)

Total distance 7.94 miles - 1:02:16 (7:51 pace)

I was really looking forward to doing this session with the new watch to get an accurate measurement of my pace. However looking at the GPS results it definitely feels a bit off in my opinion. I did the same session last week with the Strava app on my phone and there looks to be a sizable enough variance in my opinion. I will take what the watch says though and test some different GPS settings.

As for the run itself I didn't feel great, definitely not the same strength as last week which is clear from the times. I'm finding now that I'm running in the early morning the quality of the nights sleep before a run makes a bigger difference than evening running. Still a good session to get in the legs.

17/04/2020 - Easy run
4.71 miles - 39:29 (8:22 pace)

This was a bit quicker than my normal easy pace but I felt fine and the heart rate was pretty consistent with my other slow runs.

18/04/2020 - Long tempo run
10.01 miles - 1:13:06 (7:18 pace)

Miles: 7:25, 11, 25, 17, 21, 26, 10, 21, 18, 09

I'm very happy with this run, I felt so much better on it than last week. I would have been happy with 7:30 pace again but after the first mile I was at 7:25 pace and felt comfortable and just tried to keep it going. I was working towards the end of it but it didn't feel like racing, comfortably hard I think the phrase is. I guess this is what working on aerobic strength is supposed to feel like. But yeah... a good run I think.


My running streak is up to 21 days in a row now. I want to keep it going but I'm tempted to take the day off before the 5K TT next weekend. I'll see how the week goes.

token56

19/04/2020 - Easy/recovery run
8.54 miles - 1:16:15 (8:56 pace)

An easier long run after the previous days 10 miles. I discovered a different park within my 2km limit that has various pitches so spend a good few miles of this on grass going around them. It was a nice change from all the concrete/tarmac.

20/04/2020 - Easy run
4.71 miles - 39:48 (8:28 pace)

21/04/2020 - Easy run
6.3 miles - 52:14 (8:18 pace)

Two easy runs, I would normally have done an interval session on the Tuesday but with the TT at the weekend I have changed things around slightly.

22/04/2020 - Hard Tempo run
1.6 miles warm up (8:33 pace)

4 miles - 27:16 (6:48 pace)

1.6 miles warm down (8:48 pace)

I planned this as my only hard session for the week and I was doing it on the route I plan to use at the weekend. I felt like it would give me a pretty good indication of where I am.

Going by the laps on garmin my pace was very consistent and I did the first 5K of this in 21:08. I do feel again that the gps might not have been the most accurate here and was in fact working in my favour on this one. It's hard to know though and I will take it at face value.

Overall I felt pretty good on it but definitely a bit more to give for Saturday.

23/04/2020 Easy run
6.27 miles - 53:26 (8:32 pace)

Another easy run. The legs felt a bit tired on this one and I was feeling a small strain in my groin after the previous days run. I did lots of stretching and massaging in the evening to try and help.

24/04/2020 - Easy/recovery run
4.7 miles - 41:17 (8:47 pace)

I wasn't sure whether or not to do this but I just said would start it and if I felt my groin at all or the legs were too tired I would stop. I tried to keep the pace slow and thankfully everything felt ok though.

Now it's just the TT tomorrow. I'm really going to try push it. I feel like if the legs are good and conditions are right I can get close to 20:00 but I'm not sure I can break it just yet. I'll give it everything I have though.

token56

25/04/2020 - 5K TT Race Report

5K - 20:28 (6:35 pace)

Started with an easy warm up and a bit of stretching. I felt pretty good and conditions could not have been more perfect.

The route was roughly 3 and half laps of Father Collins park which is quite nice and fast. No hills of any sort just some very mild undulation. It can get a bit busy with walkers and cyclists but I was out early enough for this not to be a problem.

Lap 1:
I was pretty sure I'm wasn't in sub 20 shape yet but you never know if you don't try so why not go for it. I felt pretty strong starting off and settled into a good rhythm. The end of the laps is the most difficult section with a very mild incline. I powered through it but didn't feel as strong as I would have liked and I was already beginning to doubt a sub 20.

Lap 2:
A small bit into lap and mile 1 ticks off at 6:24 which is pretty perfect pace wise. However, I was already beginning to struggle a bit to keep the pace up but held it for the next few hundred meters and I reckon I was still at sub 20 pace passing by 2K. I knew I was slowing down a bit though and I just tried to hold it all together as best as I could. At the end of this lap I knew I was running too slow but I just couldn't get the legs moving quick enough.

Lap 3:
After slowing down on the drag at the end of lap 2 I tried to pick my pace up as best I could but it was so hard. Mile 2 clocked in at 6:47, I didn't think I had lost this much time but I knew that was the end of any sub 20 hopes and my focus switched to finishing sub 20:30 which was the initial goal anyway. I calculated that meant running the next mile somewhere under 6:40 mile so I just put the head down and suffered through the rest of the lap.

Last 1/2 lap:
I finished lap 3 and was really struggling but this was it, less than half a mile to go, this would be either the making or breaking of the run. I found whatever was at the bottom of the tank and just pumped the legs as best I could. The watch beeped for Mile 3 but I didn't look, it just meant I was close to the end, and I was only focused on keeping the legs moving (Mile 3 ended up being 6:38). It felt like forever but the watch eventually started to beep to tell my 5K was coming up and and it clocked in at 20:28.

I didn't realize you still have to stop the watch after a workout on the Garmin so the time ran on a small bit as a I lay in a heap on the ground before noticing but 20:28 was the 5K time.

Reflecting on it a few hours later and I'm pretty happy. I thought I might be a bit closer to 20:00 but I think it's a good effort for where I am and over 2 minutes of an improvement since my parkrun in January. I still have a lot of hard work to put in to get to sub 20 but I'm progressing and that is good enough right now.


Warm down
6.28 miles - 53:17 (8:28 pace)

After a few minutes walking I started this and just kept going. It was probably too long right after the 5K but I felt ok on it and I will take it relatively easy tomorrow.

token56

26/04/2020
10 miles - 1:12:51 (7:17 pace)

I had planned for a easier day but I was late to learning about the DoItForDan fundraising that was going on back home and my old club were doing a fundraiser and asking people to run on this day for the cause. I could have just jogged it but that wouldn't have been much of a challenge.

I was actually feeling very good for the first 5 miles and going along nicely but the previous day kicked in then and I struggled for the second half. I must say I was pretty wrecked after it but happy to have done it.

This run had me just shy of a 50 mile week, the most I have done so far. I will try stay around this for a few weeks rather than increasing much more. I'm not sure the body could take it.

27/04/2020
5.39 miles - 45:52 (8:30 pace)

An easy but sore run. The muscles were definitely aching after the weekend but I just wanted to get something done to help loosen the body up. This also marked 30 days straight of running.


My body is definitely feeling the effects of the last couple of weeks and the hard running at the weekend so I'm listening to it and I'm taking a rest day today although I might do a bit of easy cycling on the turbo trainer. It does mean I break my running streak but there was never any real goal around that. No point in doing something just for the sake of it.

I think the rest of the week will just be more easy miles, maybe one tempo session later in the week. Back to a bit more structure then next week.

token56

28/04/2020
1 hour turbo trainer

A break from running as planned. A moderate effort on the bike, nothing too taxing.

29/04/2020
8.12 miles - 1:03:58 (7:53 pace)

This was supposed to be an easy run but turned into a bit more of a moderate progression run. I felt very pretty good after the day off so as the run went on I upped the pace and effort gradually. It still very relatively easy overall.

30/04/2020
7.33 miles - 1:02:15 (8:30 pace)

This was an actual easy run. I am probably still running it a bit fast for a true recovery run but the overall effort felt very low.

01/05/2020
9.57 miles - 1:17:52 (8:08 pace)

Another easy...ish run. Not quite true easy pace but nothing too taxing either. Felt pretty strong.

02/05/2020
10.03 miles - 1:12:39 (7:15 pace)

A hard 10 miles. I had set off with 7:15 as my target pace so I'm quite happy I was able to match it. I'm certainly still not all out of these runs but I have to remember I'm doing all of this running on pretty flat ground. Actual races will likely have hills and while I'm feeling a lot stronger recently I'm definitely missing hills from my training.

03/05/2020
13:41 miles - 1:51:34 (8:19 pace)

My first time over the half marathon distance. My focus was just on spending longer on the feet. I think before this my longest run was about 90 mins so a nice increase. Also a new route within the 2km which was quite nice, I'll certainly be making use of it a bit more in the future. The pace was fine if not a bit fast after the previous days session, the legs felt pretty good though.

Total weekly miles - 53.8

All in all things are going pretty well at the moment, I'm feeling a few little niggles while out but nothing major. I'm still doing strength and conditioning focused on my core 3 - 4 times a week and it is definitely helping. I would like to introduce a strength session focused just on my legs once a week but it is difficult to fit everything in without feeling like I'm going to push my body over the edge.

Next week I want to get back to a bit more structure and some faster running. I'm in two minds between focusing on shorter intervals like 400's or longer 1K's. I'll have a bit more of a think tomorrow and come up with a plan.

token56

04/05/2020 - Easy/Recovery
9.25 miles - 1:21:52 (8:51 pace)

A proper slow/recovery run. It was definitely needed after the weekend. The legs were a bit sore on it but loosened up as the run went on. My heart rate also stayed nice a low which was good.

05/05/2020 - 5 x 1K with 90 secs jog recovery
Total distance 7.49 miles - 58:55 (7:52 pace)

Warm up - 1.62 miles

5 x 1K
#1 - 3:59
#2 - 3:56
#3 - 3:56
#4 - 4:01
#5 - 4:04

Warm down - 2 miles

This was a tough session. My target was 4:00 per km pace so I'm pretty pleased with it and I felt strong enough. I'm feeling closer to the sub 20 but not quite there yet I think.

06/05/2020 - Easy
9.24 miles - 1:16:02 (8:14 pace)

This was supposed to an easy run but I lost a bit of self control in the middle and quickened up the pace when passing a few people by. A silly habit I need to get out of. I just need to keep reminding myself, easy runs easy.

07/05/2020 - 3 x 2 mile off ~1.1K recovery
Total distance - 10.11 miles - 1:17:00 (7:37 pace)

Warm up - 1.61 miles

3 x 2 mile (recovery @ 8:30 pace)
#1 - 13:46 (6:53, 6:52)
#2 - 13:37 (6:47, 6:49)
#3 - 13:26 (6:43, 6:42)

Warm down - 1 mile

I am very happy with this session, the strongest I have felt on any run so far. A decent pace for me and I was able to get faster rather than slow down on each interval.

I think the longer miles and consistency is starting to pay dividends.

token56

08/05/2020 - Easy/Recovery
5.41 miles - 47:46 (8:50 pace)

As easy recovery run after the previous days hard session. I must say the legs were pretty stiff on this even at this pace. I did a few strides afterwards to get a bit of life into them.

09/05/2020 - Hard 10 miles
10.34 miles - 1:16:16 (7:23 pace)

Starting off on this and I felt relatively ok. I was tipping along at a nice pace but after 4 miles the legs just got heavier and heavier. I really struggled then for the mile or two before a brief second wind but finished struggling again. Taking this run in isolation I would normally be a bit disappointed but I've had a good week with two other strong workouts not to mention keeping up the increased mileage.


My total mileage for the week is already over 50 miles, my third week around this level. I would normally feel like getting out for an easy long run on a Sunday but I think its best not to push things too far. A 60+ mile week would be a big increase in a short amount of time and I don't want to risk injury when I don't need to. Plus after today I definitely feel like the legs could do with a rest so I think I'll take tomorrow off running, maybe a bit of cycling, then go again next week.

token56

10/05/2020 - Rest Day

Rest day as planned, no cycling either, just a long walk. I felt the legs could do with the day off.

11/05/2020 - Easy

9.6 miles - 1:20:02 (8:20 pace)

An easy run to kick the week off. The legs felt pretty good after the days rest. However after the run I was feeling a slight niggle in my right hip.

12/05/2020 - 12 x 400m off 60 secs

Total distance - 9.14 miles - 1:18:15 (8:34 pace)

Warm up - 1.23 miles - 11:47 (9:33 pace)

12 x 400 off 60s walk recovery

#1 - 1:25 #7 - 1:29
#2 - 1:29 #8 - 1:31
#3 - 1:29 #9 - 1:30
#4 - 1:28 #10 - 1:31
#5 - 1:30 #11 - 1:31
#6 - 1:31 #12 - 1:30

Warm down - 4.38 miles - 35:20 (8:04)

This was an interesting session. I could feel my hip a bit still this morning but I felt ok warming up and continued as planned. To be honest I was hoping to be a bit faster on 400s but I was doing them on grass which was a bit wet this morning and I definitely think it slowed me down a bit. I was relatively happy though that I was able to keep the pace pretty consistent but it was tough. After number 8 I was already thinking of calling it a day but can't be doing that. I knew I would be very p*ssed off with myself if I didn't see the whole session through.

After the 400's were finished I still had a bit of time before I needed to be home to get ready for work so decided I would do a longish "warm" down. It was probably a bit quicker than it needed to be but I think my legs were just full of adrenaline from moving at the quicker pace.

Unfortunately after I finished and the adrenaline wore off my hip was pretty sore and still is. I think it's just a bit strained, I guess from the increase in mileage over the past while. I don't actually feel any pain when I run, just when I do certain movements. I know I could run on it pain free tomorrow but that would be a bit fool hardy and I'm sure will aggravate it afterwards. Time to be sensible again and rest it for a day, maybe two. Disappointing but I've had a good injury free stint for a while now and these things will happen. Hopefully it will recover quick enough.

token56

13/05/2020 - Rest Day
--

14/05/2020 - Rest Day
--

15/05/2020 - Easy/Steady
5.38 miles - 43:57 (8:10 pace)

The hip was feeling much better after the two days of rest. They were definitely needed. It felt absolutely fine on the run and I was able to tip away nicely, the pace was a bit quicker than my normal easy runs but the effort was very low. The hip is a small bit tender after the run but overall feeling pretty good.


Recently with the increase in mileage I've been feeling like I need a bit of advice on getting the most out it. So I've reached out to my old coach back home who is going help me out. They have asked that I do a 2 mile TT and a 1 mile TT over the next week to give them a baseline of where I'm at. We will work out some paces based on these and go from there. I'm going to try get the 2 mile TT done tomorrow if my hip feels ok in the morning then probably the 1 mile TT in the middle of next week. I would like to do a longish run at the weekend too but won't go too crazy over on the mileage next week as I would like to give these TT's a proper go.

I'm really not sure what to expect time wise on them, I don't know if I'm being unrealistic at aiming for 12:30 for the 2 mile and I would like to be going under 6 for the miles. I guess I'll find out over the next few days.

token56

16/05/2020 - 2 mile TT

Warm Up
1.44 miles - 12:27 (8:40 pace)

2 mile TT - 12:38 (6:19 pace)

Cool down
6.49 miles - 53:12 (8:12 pace)

As planned this session was about the 2 mile TT. I wasn't feeling the absolute best on the warm up but just tried to get my legs/body loose. Started off on the 2 mile at a decent pace aiming for 6:15 for the first mile. Went through at 6:16 and was feeling relatively good. But after another half a mile I was struggling particularly as I turned a corner into a bit of a headwind my legs were just sapped of energy. I tried to power home as best I could but lost 6 seconds on the second mile.

Not a bad attempt. I think I could go slightly faster in better conditions, but not much more. I was actually looking back at my very first training log on boards 12 years ago and this is about the same that I could manage back then. I wouldn't have believed that was possible this time last year so I'll certainly take the positives from this.

On a negative note while my hip was fine running afterwards it was feeling a bit worse, not terrible but not great.

17/05/2020 - Half marathon

13.12 miles - 1:38:11 (7:29 pace)

My hip was feeling ok in the morning and I wanted to get out for a decent run. Started out with an easy warm up mile and then picked the pace up a small bit. After 2 miles I picked it up again and put in a decent 7 miles averaging 7:14 pace. I dropped the pace a small bit for mile 10 before trying to finish strong enough for the last 3 miles.

A decent outing and not a bad overall pace. If I could do the same again at this pace I would be very happy but I'm not quite there yet .


Unfortunately my hip is far from good after this run. Again if felt fine on the run but I am obviously aggravating it by running, I'm just not exactly sure what is wrong. As much as I really don't want to, I think I'm going to have to take a bit of a longer break from running to let it rest otherwise I just see this pattern repeating, I'm hoping 5-7 days but who knows. I'll just hope I don't loose too much fitness. I will focus on stretching and see if there are any exercises that help. I'll test out a bit of cycling too, I might be able to do that without aggravating it.

I really wish physios were open right now, maybe I should see about an online session.

OOnegative

From reading your log and following you on Strava, you do far to many of your runs to fast!! Were you on the limit today for the half, honestly?

Regarding the hip issue, I tried running through the same issue 5/6 years ago, ended up tearing the labrum in my left hip(still torn). Ended up not running for 4/5 months and only got back on the road after some fairly intense rehab. If it hurts give it a few weeks rest, your training for nothing at the minute. It’ll stand to you down the road.

token56

I can't really argue with that when I'm getting injured. Yeah I was close enough to the limit today with the way I ran it. I'm confident running at a more even pace I could go a few minutes faster but I get your point.

For sure I will rest it as long as is necessary. I had been wanting to do some leg strengthening exercises for a while so I guess now could be a good time to start if I'm not running. Maybe some daily yoga/pilates to make sure everything is as strong as possible for when I can get back running.

OOnegative

I found a resistance band great help for strengthening the hip back up, still use it today for maintenance to keep the strength up.