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Sunrise Running
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BP 10K Plan Week 5 - Build
The running will come, the hurt will come. But first another snack
Granola bars are a hit in this house too. I make a batch every week. I used to bake them but they would be too crumbly. Easy to know that the kids have snuck one out in the morning with the trail of crumbs but too much wasted.
Then I came across no bake granola bars. Super easy, super delicious.
Again 2 variations but the favourite is a no brainer.
The base is the same no matter what variety- A handful of pitted dates blended into a paste
- A heaped tablespoon of peanut butter (Meridian crunchy is best)
- A half cup of honey
- Mix it all in a bowl to make your glue. It soften up as you mix
- Toast 2 cups of jumbo oats in a pan until they smell toasted. Dont brown or burn! Let them cool before adding to your glue mix
Add in a tablespoon of chia seeds
Option 1 is any variety of dried fruit. Dried pineapple, mango, cranberries for example. Mix it in with oats and glue. Sprinkle desiccated coconut on top after you have flattened it.
Option 2 pictured below. Make sure oats are cool or the choc chips will melt. A cup of banana chips roughly broken up, cup of choc chips or 100g, 2 tablespoons of toasted hazelnuts. Mix it all together.
Important. Line a bake tray or a large shallow square box with baking paper. Its not going in the over so doesn't matter. Pour all mixture into tray onto paper and flatten out into a rectangle. Use edges of paper to fold over each side of rectangle to press down firmly. Work it into a about 1 cm thick rectangle or square. Pop it into the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Then cut in half with a big knife, then into strips as thick as you like. Amazing with a cup of tea! Enjoy
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Thanks AGYR Don't mind the honey though.
Ok once more today so
Breakfast fuel smoothie.. 400kcals. Great for on the go.
If you have a nutribullet or blender this is a quickie. Also I always have bananas broken in 1/3s in a tub in the freezer as its a quick way to cool smoothies.
50g Carbs
15g Fat
20g Protein
2-3 cups raw baby spinach, or normal spinach with stalks off.
Handful of broccoli shoots if you have them
16g peanut butter
1 tbsp of ground flaxseed
1 scoop of High 5 chocolate recovery. Any chocolate/vanilla recovery powder will do
1/3 medium banana (frozen better)
A granny smith apple (minus core) or handful of frozen berries
160ml whole or almond milk
Blend it up... NOM
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PB 10K Plan Week 5 - Build
First workout of this phase. Weather was awesome for it
Mon 12 Apr
Yoga 24 mins | Yoga with Adrienne "Breath" Day 15
Pilates 34 mins | Everything sooo sloow and burning!
12.2k @4:46 | HRR 62-70%
A steasy late evening uncomfortable start to the week. My tummy was repeating on me. Meatballs too soon before this run. The evening started lovely and cooled quickly. At least the darkness got rid of the midges. The legs felt fine, just energy/digestion systems battling it out. It was 6 laps of the local South Circular Road. Loads out walking. Dog leads, kids, couples, cars, darkening dusk. Overall just never found a rhythm
Tue 13 Apr
16.29k @4:25 inc fartlek | HRR 71-88%
Smashing day for it. Practically calm and the little bit of cool breeze was welcome. Pretty straightforward fartlek intervals. Since it was a minute on, I just went on feel for 180 strides when the watch beeped. The range in paces was well outside target range but I banked 14 minute LT. Happy with that. Overall about half the reps were on target. The ones missed were more on the fast than slow side. Not sure what happened on the 14th rep, I just lost concentration. I pushed the last rep hard. I guess I'm so used to battling wind in the Industrial Estate that it was a breeze to run in calm conditions. The Saucony Speeds after 160km still feel responsive, comfy and springy.
A bit of a niggle on the left kneecap that is persistent. Taking an ice/ibuprofen approach but if it get worse, I'll take a day of two off.
15x 60s on/off
Target range 3:31-3:37
dist|time|pace|in range
0.29k|1:00|3:27|No
0.28k|1:00|3:35|Yes
0.28k|1:00|3:32|Yes
0.29k|1:00|3:27|No
0.28k|1:00|3:33|Yes
0.30k|1:00|3:19|No
0.28k|1:00|3:35|Yes
0.29k|1:00|3:30|No
0.28k|1:00|3:32|Yes
0.29k|1:00|3:29|No
0.29k|1:00|3:24|No
0.28k|1:00|3:32|Yes
0.28k|1:00|3:31|Yes
0.26k|1:00|3:47|No
0.33k|1:00|3:03|No
2021
847/2,600 miles (1,364/4,200 km)
2,388/10k press ups | 530/2k pull ups
100/102 days active | 95 Run | 9 Row | 21 S&C | 22 Yoga/Pilates0 -
Sub38 10k Plan Week 5
New paces, workouts more frequent.. all too risky? Is this plan too much?
Wed 14 Apr
Yoga 25 mins
Easy 10.03k @5:04 with 4x 20s strides | HRR 61-86%
Form and effort felt good. Easy sunny evening meander around suburbia. Gave the strides a good 95% effort on the toes, chest up, head straight, relaxed. I was hitting 15s per 100m and recovering quickly.
Thu 15 Apr
Easy 12.22k @5:16 | HRR 55%
Another easy one in fading evening sunshine. Out the countryside headbutting flies :rolleyes: I could probably pick flatter routes for easy runs but I like to get a few miles out of town. A little unnerving when a driver come speeding down the road towards you. Most drivers slow or at least move out after indicating. Others don't give a monkies.
Fri 16 Apr
Workout 16.65k @4:21 with 4x5min LT | HRR 84-89%
The numbers show this was executed within range, at the right heart rate etc. It actually felt rough. The headwind was an ominous sign heading up to the Industrial Estate loop for the work. I dealt with it for the first 2 reps. For some reason I thought 5 minutes in my mind was grand but they felt looonnnng :rolleyes: The 3rd rep was predominantly into a headwind and it sucked. Not enjoyable at all. "Enjoyable" as in it can be fun to push into the hurt zone. Not today, constantly reminding myself to run tall, pump the arms. I also mistook the km beep for the end of the rep. Pulled up only to see a minute left. Sudden sprint to get back onto it. Paces truly all over the place. The final rep thankfully was mostly with the wind but even at that it felt laboured.
18 LT minutes felt like harder work than usual. Definite sore spot under my left kneecap too. The plan has workouts every couple of days now. I knew I'd have to take recovery seriously. Maybe its just that its 5-10k focused stuff that I'm not used to
Whatever it is, I've decided its time for some help.
4x5mins off 2min - Target range: 3:37-3:44
dist|time|pace|in range
1.37k|5:00|3:38|Yes
1.39k|5:00|3:37|Yes
1.35k|5:00|3:43|Yes
1.37k|5:00|3:39|Yes
2021
872/2,600 miles (1,403/4,200 km)
2,598/10k press ups | 550/2k pull ups
104/106 days active | 99 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 21 Yoga/Pilates0 -
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Sub38 10k Plan Week 5 - Build
3 workouts complete this week. Some fatigue settling in. 1 day recovery probably not enough so will be running workouts off RPE this week rather than chasing pace.
Sat 17 Apr
Recovery 6.1k @5:44
The plan called for a day off. The recovery was needed with just a day between workouts. I'm not into streaks but 56 days running was something. So, 3 very slow laps of the block, dodging couples, families, walking 4 abreast, dog leads stretched across the path and hopping up and down the curb. Bit of chore plodding so slowly but finished feeling better than I started.
Sun 18 Apr
LR 21.12k @4:14 inc 5k Tempo | HRR 74-88%
First run in the New Balance Fuelcell TCs. Out of the box, awesome. Super comfortable, great bounce, easy on the calves and landing midfoot at steady pace felt wonderful. First 2k in 4:17 and 4:09, I barely noticed. I had to reign it back a little to make sure I was not on my forefoot. A little less stable on forefoot but assuredly steady and responsive slight further back.
The LR was 8k easy, 5k tempo and 8k easy. The effort was not easy but more comfortable than MP on a long gradual incline past the golf course. Felt really good and the cushioning was forgiving on my dodgy left knee. Once the watch beeped to start the work, I settled quickly after an initial acceleration. It was noticeable at that initial fast pace that the shoes lost the sweet spot. Once settled at tempo RPE it was good again. I had a slight tailwind for 2k back towards suburbia.
I really tried to feel this tempo out by RPE but knew I was a few percent above at LT at times. Over the week from some chats and analysis I know I've been overreaching my LT workouts. Not by much, but it is consistently not by much that progresses to overreaching. Best case is I've caught it but the next 2 weeks are stuffed with work. I turned into the Industrial Estate for the final km tempo and it was suddenly headwind for the rest. 3:47-48 average turned into 3:55-4:00 for more effort. Tempo should have been around 79-83% HRR but the last km was 87-89%, much too hard.
Back out of the state and down the country road to suburbia for the 8k home, I found a good steady rhythm again. However, the shoes felt a bit hot and stuffy around 10m and I was developing a blister under my big toe. My knee was complaining during the tempo but eased a little. I finished bang on a half marathon and realized 1:29:33 was the fastest I've run over that distance since 2019. No wonder:rolleyes:
The knee was fine for an hour+ of basketball later but I iced it and rubbed some stuff in to help recovery.
Overall total 95.4km for the week in 7hr22 plus 1hr23 of yoga/pilates.
2021
889/2,600 miles (1,431/4,200 km)
2,658/10k press ups | 560/2k pull ups
106/108 days active | 101 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 21 Yoga/Pilates0 -
Sub38 10k Plan - Week 6 - Tune
3 workouts again this week but all tougher than last week. Last week on the plan as is though, I'm transitioning over to a Coach
Mon 19 Apr
Day Off. It was a planned 12k easy but I had a brutal long day at work. Hungry and moody and the miserable weather in a dark evening completely uninviting. Bailed Made chocolate hazelnut granola bars and some brown bread instead for kitchen therapy. Rubbed stuff on the knee and iced it again. Figured a day of rest would do no harm. Then sat down with the baked snacks to watch a few episodes of Cobra Kai on Netflix. Better than I thought it would be with some good writing and proper laughs.
Tue 20 Apr
Workout 19.2k @4:22 inc 10x 2min on/off | HRR 73-94%
Another long day with not enough windows between meetings to get this done. Figured I'd be in a similar mental space again later so up early for a change. Got a coffee, kids breakfast sorted and out the door after bathroom necessity. Pretty dull, grey, wet morning. However I felt fresh and strong. My goal was to ignore paces and start focusing on RPE and form. Basically tune into my body and how its feeling, how my foot is striking etc.
Started the first km slowly as I intend to always do from now on. Surprisingly alert. Wore the Speeds and they felt amazing after 150m vs other shoes I have at 150m. Into the session after 20 mins and I floated along for the first 3-4 reps. Bouncing off the road. I was almost fully recovered on the 2 minute jogs. I knew the pace was fast but RPE was good. This is the VO2 session of the week. Grey morning in a grey Industrial Estate but no wind Rep 5 pinched a little and by rep 6 I was working. I started counting strides and that picked up my cadence. I had to get stuck in at the start of each rep to drag my heart rate back up. The last rep was a little wheezy but it was an awesome workout, really enjoyed it Quick breakfast and shower and into the first meeting of a long day..
10x 2min on/off
dist|time|pace|RPE
0.59k|2:00|3:23|7
0.60k|2:00|3:21|7
0.58k|2:00|3:25|7
0.59k|2:00|3:24|7
0.58k|2:00|3:28|7.5
0.59k|2:00|3:22|7.5
0.60k|2:00|3:20|8
0.60k|2:00|3:21|8
0.60k|2:00|3:21|8
0.59k|2:00|3:23|8.5
2021
901/2,600 miles (1,450/4,200 km)
2,658/10k press ups | 560/2k pull ups
107/110 days active | 102 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 21 Yoga/Pilates0 -
Sub38 10k Plan - Week 6
2nd workout of the week and 5th in 12 days. Body is recovering between but feeling it. Later nights too means less sleep and on top of heavy work days, its likely the recovery is not enough. Coach is tracking me this week though and the plan will changeover from next week. Looking forward to handing over control.
Wed 21 Apr
Easy 8.11k @5:33 | HRR 58%
Reluctant late few laps of the block in a fading chilly evening light.
Thu 22 Apr
Easy 13.77k @4:58 inc 4x20s strides | HRR 64%
Relaxed enough run in the sun. The strides were sprinty. Adidas SL20 up for the task. My nutrition, in conjunction with the late nights and work stress, has taken a dive. Not freefall, just snacking and out of the discipline I had pre Easter. I'm focused and invested on becoming a better runner now (at 43 years old
:() so I have to pay attention to the small stuff. My calves and feet were cramping a bit during the day. I had taken out both the foot roller and TriggerPoint roller. Forgot to use both... more Netflix Cobra Kai :rolleyes:
Fri 23 Apr
17.04k @4:29 inc 6x1k LT | HRR 83-88%
Pilates 30 minutes
Shorts, singlet and Saucony Speeds again for this workout. I felt a bit ropey and achy on the warm up. Joints creaking a bit after the sprinty strides yesterday. Also likely just feeling the volume of intensity lately. Again I aimed to ignore pace and go on RPE. The first rep was entirely headwind and it felt as though the session would be an unnecessary sufferfest. Rep 2 was mostly tailwind though and more comfortable. With RPE I was trying to settle my rhythm and cadence, feel my form and foot strike and just go with it. The middle 2 reps needed sudden pauses to let trucks turn which was annoying but I was running around a busy Industrial Estate at lunchtime and avoiding concrete footpaths. Lunchtime seemed to end for the last 2 reps which were quieter and good. Overall a solid workout. The knee complained a bit and the hips still creaked a little but happy to bank the work.
I reset my zones to base off Lactate Threshold instead of HRR. Mainly because I've been executing these LT workouts a gear too heavy. Its fine to just go "hard" for the short stuff but on longer LT/tempo type workouts I need to find what my sweet spot RPE feels like and get used to it. It will keep me on the right side of the fine line between progression and overreaching.
6x 1k off 2'
dist|time|pace|RPE
1.00k|3:42|3:42|7.5
1.00k|3:38|3:38|7
1.00k|3:39|3:39|7
1.00k|3:39|3:39|7
1.00k|3:39|3:39|7.5
1.00k|3:37|3:37|8
2021
925/2,600 miles (1,488/4,200 km)
2,748/10k press ups | 585/2k pull ups
110/113 days active | 105 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 22 Yoga/Pilates0 -
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Sub38 10k Plan - Week 6
What a smashing way to end the week. A beautiful sunrise run and a huge PR on the Boards Anniversary 5K TT
Sat 24 Apr
Recovery 7.11k @5:33 | HRR 49%
Sometimes a picture says it all. Perhaps not the best crisp shot but this was the moment the sun popped over the horizon yesterday. The log is called Sunrise Running and it has been a while since I posted one
Sun 25 Apr: Board AC Anniversary 5k TT
Long Run 18.02k @4:16 inc 5k TT | HRR 89-94%
Another belter of a morning. Alas pancakes had to happen first. It would be warmer by the time I got out but well fueled at least. 4x american fluffy pancakes with fresh strawberries, chopped blueberries and banana between the 3 layers. Greek yogurt and more chopped strawberry on top with honey drizzled over the lot.
Finally, after messing with the tongue for too long on the VP Next%, I set off. Coach had said to keep on the conservative side of the pace range. Last day on the BP plan and it was 16k LR with 3k tempo and 5k goal pace. I figured I'd roll the work together for the TT. Longer warm up than usual up to the Industrial Estate and got going.
Km 1: 3:35
Knew I'd be giddy running a TT in the shoes so accounted for this. I wanted to keep at or under LTHR (167) for as much of the first 3k as possible. Felt good, floating along at 167hr. Need to settle though.
Km 2: 3:36
Rounded a corner into the headwind side of the Estate after about 5 minutes. I tried to settle the HR back from 167 to no avail. I was running on feel with only HR on the watch face. The wind wouldn't allow it. I maintained the cadence, the effort and form. Over LTHR and firmly in the red zone, there would be no "settle". Surprised with the split.
Km 3: 3:33
Working now, lungs heaving, a slow fire burning. I went off too hard, I had to reign it back a bit. The legs kept turning over and a voice in my head told me I can do it. I've trained at these paces, its nothing new. Again surprised by the split. Some quick math. 18:30 was the goal, easily gone. 18:15 was my lifetime PR and I was ahead. No turning back now!
Km 4: 3:44
Back into a gusty headwind at the start of this and it knocked me. Form went first and a felt my cadence drop. I started to fade Mentally struggled, I bit too much off :rolleyes: The engine was running though and I made a deal with myself to get this split done! It was ugly running. Mentally at war, I'm toast vs there is more. The grim. My mouth dry. The split came 50m before I turned out of the wind and I registered a 10 second loss, fading.
Km 5: 3:27
The turn was a relief. I could settle now and still end with an improvement on my last 5k. A fleeting though, quickly banished. To hell with it, I had an opportunity here. Against the will of my burning lungs I sucked 2 large breaths through my nose and nearly coughed them out. All on RPE now, I'm at a 9 and fighting. I counted out 50 strides and straightened myself for the last turn. It brought a blessed tail wind. I thought I could surf it in but surely I was fading again. I changed the screen as I wanted to count down the strides on my last 400m. To my horror, I still had 600m to go. It meant I had one more turn and the last 200m was into the same wind that started to blow me off course on the last lap. I let out a roar and dug in. Hit the corner and leaned into the wind for a final sprint. Holy sh!t, was NOT expecting that last split! It was super close, had I pulled it back?
Since it was a split in the middle of a long run, I didn't know. I gulped air on my knees for a moment and set off at a gentle trot. I was pretty sure I dragged that 18:15 PR back in but in my exhaustion, my brain was fuzzy. Some 30 minutes later I arrived home, breathing a little better but gasping. Hit stop and the watch beeped with 17:55 :eek: Sub18, YESSSS Another lifetime PRs bites the dust and this was the oldest one. Huge confidence boost too. Delighted with the new territory, I feel very good about the upcoming 10k TT now and running in general. Heading out to get some Peroni to go with a bacon and pea risotto
Looking forward to catching up with the rest of the stories and kudos to all who completed the Boards Anniversary 5k TT 0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »Sub38 10k Plan - Week 6
What a smashing way to end the week. A beautiful sunrise run and a huge PR on the Boards Anniversary 5K TT
Sat 24 Apr
Recovery 7.11k @5:33 | HRR 49%
Sometimes a picture says it all. Perhaps not the best crisp shot but this was the moment the sun popped over the horizon yesterday. The log is called Sunrise Running and it has been a while since I posted one
Sun 25 Apr: Board AC Anniversary 5k TT
Long Run 17.02k @4:16 inc 5k TT | HRR 89-94%
Another belter of a morning. Alas pancakes had to happen first. It would be warmer by the time I got out but well fueled at least. 4x american fluffy pancakes with fresh strawberries, chopped blueberries and banana between the 3 layers. Greek yogurt and more chopped strawberry on top with honey drizzled over the lot.
Finally, after messing with the tongue for too long on the VP Next%, I set off. Coach had said to keep on the conservative side of the pace range. Last day on the BP plan and it was 16k LR with 3k tempo and 5k goal pace. I figured I'd roll the work together for the TT. Longer warm up than usual up to the Industrial Estate and got going.
Km 1: 3:35
Knew I'd be giddy running a TT in the shoes so accounted for this. I wanted to keep at or under LTHR (167) for as much of the first 3k as possible. Felt good, floating along at 167hr. Need to settle though.
Km 2: 3:36
Rounded a corner into the headwind side of the Estate after about 5 minutes. I tried to settle the HR back from 167 to no avail. I was running on feel with only HR on the watch face. The wind wouldn't allow it. I maintained the cadence, the effort and form. Over LTHR and firmly in the red zone, there would be no "settle". Surprised with the split.
Km 3: 3:33
Working now, lungs heaving, a slow fire burning. I went off too hard, I had to reign it back a bit. The legs kept turning over and a voice in my head told me I can do it. I've trained at these paces, its nothing new. Again surprised by the split. Some quick math. 18:30 was the goal, easily gone. 18:15 was my lifetime PR and I was ahead. No turning back now!
Km 4: 3:44
Back into a gusty headwind at the start of this and it knocked me. Form went first and a felt my cadence drop. I started to fade Mentally struggled, I bit too much off :rolleyes: The engine was running though and I made a deal with myself to get this split done! It was ugly running. Mentally at war, I'm toast vs there is more. The grim. My mouth dry. The split came 50m before I turned out of the wind and I registered a 10 second loss, fading.
Km 5: 3:27
The turn was a relief. I could settle now and still end with an improvement on my last 5k. A fleeting though, quickly banished. To hell with it, I had an opportunity here. Against the will of my burning lungs I sucked 2 large breaths through my nose and nearly coughed them out. All on RPE now, I'm at a 9 and fighting. I counted out 50 strides and straightened myself for the last turn. It brought a blessed tail wind. I thought I could surf it in but surely I was fading again. I changed the screen as I wanted to count down the strides on my last 400m. To my horror, I still had 600m to go. It meant I had one more turn and the last 200m was into the same wind that started to blow me off course on the last lap. I let out a roar and dug in. Hit the corner and leaned into the wind for a final sprint. Holy sh!t, was NOT expecting that last split! It was super close, had I pulled it back?
Since it was a split in the middle of a long run, I didn't know. I gulped air on my knees for a moment and set off at a gentle trot. I was pretty sure I dragged that 18:15 PR back in but in my exhaustion, my brain was fuzzy. Some 30 minutes later I arrived home, breathing a little better but gasping. Hit stop and the watch beeped with 17:55 :eek: Sub18, YESSSS Another lifetime PRs bites the dust and this was the oldest one. Huge confidence boost too. Delighted with the new territory, I feel very good about the upcoming 10k TT now and running in general. Heading out to get some Peroni to go with a bacon and pea risotto
Looking forward to catching up with the rest of the stories and kudos to all who completed the Boards Anniversary 5k TT
If you really waited till you got home to check your time you’re a better man than me...
Great running, well done
TbL0 -
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Sub38 10k Plan Week 7 - Taper
Objective: Recover the body from the 5k and execute last big workout
Back to miles this week as I'll transition through 10k plan onto marathon perspective. Also as I'm focusing on RPE its less time between beeps that distract me.
Mon 26 Apr
Recovery 5.89m @8:30 | HRR 57%
Lovely sunny recovery run around the busy bridges in town
Tue 27 Apr
Easy 7.72m @7:49 | HRR 61%
Running on feel getting used to miles again. Last run in the Beacon 3s. I got 500km out of them. Need to suss out a new easy/daily shoe. Eyeing up Reebok Floatride Energy 3 but can't find them anywhere in my size :rolleyes:
Wed 28 Apr
Yoga 35mins. A day off for the legs
Thu 29 Apr
Easy 8.3m @7:36 inc some strides | HRR 66-88%
Felt great after the day off. Ran nice and relaxed, focusing on form. Adidas Boston 7s are nearing retirement too but plenty of steady type shoes capable of holding up to strides. Still, the upcoming Boston 10 looks gorgeous.
Fri 30 Apr
Workout 13.11m @6:40 inc strides, tempo and 3x2k | HRR 71-91%
Next% on for this as it would be my last big workout ahead of the 10k TT next week. Felt good bouncing along 20 minutes of country road. Its practically impossible to run "easy" in the next%. Did 3x 20s strides and got stuck into the work. First up, 10 minutes tempo to fatigue the legs a but before the intervals. Kept a lid on the effort here and stayed close to my target pace. 6:19 for the 10 minutes and under no pressure.
I had 3 minutes easy running before the 2k reps. Aimed to hold just under 6min miles. I found it tough but more mentally than physically at least for the first 2 reps. The legs were up for it, my cadence or form was not fading. I just had to back myself I could hold it. The reps were a full loop of the inner Industrial Estate so no hiding from the wind. 2'30 recovery was about 33% of the rep. Just about enough to calm breathing before setting off for the final one. I was working now, thinking this is what the 8-9th km of the TT would feel like. Finished into the wind but satisfied with the work done.
Lost in thought running home until 6:44 popped up for the fist "cool down" mile. Oops! I backed off but it was quite a breeze in my face. I had a blister developing on my big toe too, same place as usual. These super shoes sure are snug fit. Close to home I noticed I was on 12.5m and well under 90 minutes. I decided to run the last half mile steady to finish bang on a half marathon in 1:27:24. Not bad A big bloody blister and bit salty and thirsty for the trouble but super work banked. 21 LT and 16 VO2 minutes :eek: Solid.
10' Tempo, 3x2k off 2'30
dist|time|pace|RPE
1.58m|10:00|6:19|6.5
1.24m|7:21|5:55|7.5
1.24m|7:21|5:55|7.5
1.24m|7:21|5:55|8
2021
976/2,600 miles (1,570/4,200 km)
2,958/10k press ups | 585/2k pull ups
117/120 days active | 111 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 23 Yoga/Pilates0 -
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Sub38 10k Plan - Week 7/8
Completing the week with a bit more work. Its more or less done now.
Sat 1 May
Recovery 6.3m @8:25 | HRR 56%
Fatigue catching up with me. Felt it physically and mentally.
Sun 2 May
LR 12.29m @7:04 inc some progression | HRR 71-91%
Warm day and wore the Fuelcell TCs for this. I had to tape up a blister on a blister on a blister on my big toe first. Plenty of energy for the first 3 miles easy. I had to reign it back in fact. Fuelcells felt lively, bouncy and comfortable. Mile 4 was a 7:41 and I squeezed the pace down over some rolling country miles to the work. Mile 5 & 6 were 7:37 and 7:29.
Into the back of the Industrial Estate I had a steady mile in 6:49 that included a long hill. I exited the Estate through that mile to push on to a tempo mile out the countryside again. I was working now for a 6:17 split on a drag. Perhaps should have stayed in the Estate as I stopped twice on the next CV mile. The first half of it was up a long slight incline into a breeze and I just lost a hold of my breathing. Stopped, took a deep breath and took off straight away. The next pause was at a tight blind corner, where a Van had pulled into the hedge to let a car pass :rolleyes: I had nowhere to go but to wait for the van to pull out. 5:54 for that mile but a clear road for the last hard one. I found a good rhythm again and worked for a 5:51 Another 20 LT/V02 minutes in the bank. Thankfully the blisters didn't get any worse over the cool down miles.
Solid run but the faster miles were tough. The 10k TT is in 5 days so full focus being a fresh and sharp as I can for it.
Total for the week: 53.6 miles & 1 yoga session.
2021
994/2,600 miles (1,600/4,200 km)
3,001/10k press ups | 585/2k pull ups
119/122 days active | 113 Run | 9 Row | 24 S&C | 23 Yoga/Pilates0 -
Sub38 10k Plan - Week 8/8
Last tune up session and get the body right for the TT
Right now I feel rubbish. Quads heavy, calves cramping, bloated (ate too much crap during a stressful work week last week), knee sore, mentally fatigued and doubting myself My youngest has chickenpox and last couple of broken nights sleep are likely playing a role.
Mon 3 May
Recovery 4.89m @8:44 | HRR 55%
Very enjoyable jog around town with my sub3 buddy Niall. Its been over a year since we ran together. He sent me a message to toast our sub3 anniversary (2 years ago already :eek:) and we decided to catch up. Chatted excitedly the whole way. Turns out he is entered for DCM too so happy days. A training and marathon partner, woop! DCM coming out with an update by end of June if it will go ahead. Race series are virtual. Tempted by the half marathon but will get the 10k out of the way before I look at anything else. Knee a bit sore but hardly noticed with such good company
Tue 4 May
Workout 10.62m @7:11 inc pyramid | HRR 71-89%
2x45s @5:20, 5:32 off 45s
3x90s @5:32, 5:21, 5:28 off 90s
2x3' @6:00, 5:58 off 90s
3x90s @5:33, 5:35, 5:29 off 90s
2x45s @5:24, 5:27 off 45s
3x30s @5:17, 4:45, 5:19 off 30s
Ran 20 mins warm up in sunshine only to see a massive black cloud looming over the estate. Did 3x strides and the first 45s rep before the heavens open. Sudden gale, biblical hailstones and my arms, legs and face froze in an instant. I somehow, stubbornly managed to hold target pace into the head of that gale. Those first 3 90s reps were in anger but despite freezing, I roasted myself. Breathing was all over the place. I could barely feel the vibration of the watch notification to start or end the rep, and the Endorphin Speeds were sliding all over the place, jarring my sore knee:rolleyes:
It wasn't going well. Thankfully the crazy shower was over in 5 minutes and the sky cleared as rapidly as it had darkened. It still left a strong gusty wind. I backed off what was supposed to be 3k pace to do the 3 min reps closer to 10k effort. It felt better but by now I was splashing through puddles, evading the outbound evening traffic and feeling every body ache I've had since Christmas!
After the 3 min reps my heart rate sort of mellowed but not for long. Back to 3k pace for the remainder of the short intervals. Each of them a reluctant effort. 3k pace was a misnomer, I just ran hard and ended up doing 13+ minutes of work faster than my mile PB pace As much as I love the Speeds they are really not cut out for wet conditions or flash flooding. Bloody awful workout. Ran home dejected despite hitting all target paces.
Wed 5 May
20min Row
33min Yoga
An active rest day. Generally feel heavy and achy. Hopefully a good sleep tonight and a few strides tomorrow will liven me up for the TT on Friday. I haven't felt this nervous about an event since the sub3 2 years ago :cool: I feel I'm in shape to PR but will I recover in time? Will I feel ready to execute it? Will the legs be up for it? Will my mind stop doubting? The 5k was a genuine surprise, especially to finish strong but I haven't run a 10k since 2012, when I set my PR, 38:09. Its my Spring A goal.0 -
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Sub38 10k Plan - Week 8/8 - D Day
Time to execute the target of the plan - a lifetime 10k PB
Thu 6 May: 3.71m @8:17 inc strides
Fri 7 May: 10.99m inc 10k TT
Sat 8 May: 5.52m @8:34
35.7 miles total for the week (tomorrow is a rest day), bookended by chatty recovery runs with my run buddy. I also passed 1,000 miles for the year and executed a huge PB All in all a great week of running, despite that horrible Tuesday workout.
10k TT Report
I beat my 30 year old self for the 2nd time in 3 weeks! What a satisfying way to end a training block This was an A goal set out in my new year diary. I wrote down 17:59 for 5k and 37:59 for 10k with reasons why they meant something. Basically, I felt I was a better runner than my existing PBs. This 8 week Ben Parkes plan (Coach took over from week 7) gave me the workouts.
Not unlike a marathon taper, I became a stressed out hypochondriac this week Every niggle, every yawn and every run dragged my excitement under water and poked the confidence. The confidence was that I had every workout of the plan in the bag. The work was done. A 5k PB was a good indicator that I was fit enough to have a go. It was more about being fresh enough. Thankfully after and up and down midweek, I felt ready to go Friday and the sun was shining
I mulled over the plan on the way up to the Industrial Estate. So many intense laps done this year. Simple, run 6x 6 minute miles and count 100 strides every mile. I should be in shape for mid to low 37 but I had fantasized about 36:59, if all when as well as it possibly could. A small breeze meant half the lap was tailwind and the other half headwind. The Next% felt great as usual on the warm up strides.
Mile 1 - 5:54
The stress rolled off my shoulders as I took off with good energy. The breeze behind me to start the first lap meant I needed to settle quickly. I had distance/estimated time/avg pace on my watch. After the first 100 strides I took a deep breath and allowed the average pace creep back to 5:58. I felt relaxed and strong. The legs turned over fluidly and I bounced along on the Next%. Thankfully the Estate was both dry and reasonably quiet.
Mile 2 - 5:49
With the early adrenalin, I barely noticed the breeze in my face on back of the Estate. As planned at the start of the mile, I counted out 100 strides on my right foot strike, so 200 actual strides. I didn't intend to push these as I would normal strides but just use them to straighten up, relax the shoulders and run with good form. It lasted a minute but this first set of strides was probably a bit quick. I settled again into a good steady pace but the mile was too quick. The first warning.
Mile 3 - 5:56
At the start of the mile I did the 100 strides again but cooled the jets. As soon as I completed them this time I felt the headwind. A breeze compared to the gale I did the last workout but still, enough to ensure you felt the effort. I felt aware half way through the mile that I was working but not burning, as I had been at this point in the 5k. Towards the end of the lap, I saw a truck pull up at a junction ahead. I figured he saw me and would let me pass but nope, pulled out in front of me :mad: I swore loudly (I rarely swear) and had to sidestep onto the path, slow for a second to ensure no car pulling in behind the truck and accelerate again. I felt I lost 2 or 3 seconds but I was raging for a good minute. I passed 5k in a shade under 18:20 or so in good shape.
Mile 4 - 5:51
Due to the rage I actually forgot to start the mile with strides. I turned the next corner into the breeze and counted them out. In doing so I covered half the headwind side of the Estate. My lungs were starting to burn and with 2.7 miles left to go, it started to feel like a long haul. Had I gone to hard on that first 3 miles? Was I going to pay for it? This was the unknown. The next half mile was into a breeze that seemed to be stronger every lap. I was beginning to lean into it and with mid 36 estimated time still showing on the watch, began to worry the fade was coming.
Mile 5 - 5:53
No trucks or traffic at the end of the last lap as I entered the business end of this TT. Everytime I felt my stride fall back towards my heels or my head dropped I gave out to myself. I was warm now too. The lungs burned. I waited until I turned into the wind for the 5th time to do the strides. It took a quite some concentration and I lost count a couple of times. I probably ended up counting strides for 90 seconds but I needed the distraction. I felt like I was fading just a little. The estimated finish creeped up toward 37 and I almost, almost settled for it :cool: I figured I could hold off the pain and still come home sub38 but feic that! I felt worse than this on more than a few training workouts. I had a chance here to become that better runner!
Mile 6 - 5:56
The next time I glanced at the watch it was 0.96mi to go. I plugged in for 100 more strides but I was struggling now. I felt as though I clawed my way through them. I found the last headwind really tough, but it was the last one!
When I turned out of it the hairs stood on the back of my neck. It dawned on me that if I could just hold on I would get a sub 37 :eek: My lungs were on fire but strangely the engine purred. The legs continued to turn over stubbornly and despite the fatigue, I felt strong! I didn't have another gear, I knew that, but I had some fight left, there was no fade. I felt a rush with the final corner in sight. I counted a final 100 strides and to my joy, the 6th sub 6 mile beeped!
0.2mi - 5:50
Turning the final corner it was all gravy. Everything hurt but sheer happiness enveloped the pain. I had no sprint. Perhaps if the estimated time was 37:00 I would have found something. Better yet there were 2 traffic signs either side of the road perfectly positioned to serve as a finish line. On this day as the distance to go became 0.00 the watch beeped and flashed a finish Cup and a time of 36:36 :eek::D I panted on my knees for a moment then lay on the grass. Holy smokes, did I really just do that!! I was so surprised that I barely noticed the watch still rolling. I stopped it after a minute sitting on the grass and it still hadn't reached 38 minutes It felt a little odd to execute that performance and be sitting on the grass alone...
The satisfaction with that 10k TT result is up there with the sub3. Albeit lacking the crowds on the bridge in Limerick and crossing the line with my buddy. My average pace was 5:54 per mile or 3:40 per km. It was the faster end of the paces I trained at but what I really focused on during the 8 week plan was recovering between the workouts. A 5 and 10k PB was as much as I could have expected out of the plan and I'm delighted to check off both
I had originally planned to use the time between now and the marathon block to do another 10k block for a sub 37 but that done now Coach has a recovery week in front of me and I'll find out after that what is in store to bridge to the half marathon/marathon block. For once, I'll not look forward just yet. Just absorb this performance and allow the body recover. I'm really excited to be in new territory and can't wait to start marathon training with this base. 0 -
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