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Steady As She Goes
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31-01-2021 5:17pm#1I think the time is finally right to get back logging. This is my 4th log (#1, #2, #3) with two from a time long ago and my most recent covering the last year of running. Last year was very much walking (and running) into the unknown for me. I was coming from a number of years of being very unhealthy, overweight and unfit and I was unsure about what standard of running I could get back to. While there were a lot of mistakes along the way due to overtraining, and injuries to go along with that I think it was quite a successful year where I rejoined and competed for my old club and capped if off with an unexpected sub 19 min 5K TT at the end of November. Unfortunately for the past few months I have been suffering with a bout of plantar fasciitis, something I would not wish upon anyone. It is a painfully slow recovery process and while it is not 100% recovered it is progressing in the right direction and with guidance from my physio I've had a successful 6 weeks of low and gradually increasing mileage but consistent running.
This year and for this log that is really what I am looking for, consistency. This means training smart to minimize the potential for any more injuries. I have goals for specific distances and times which I will talk about but they are not my main priority right now and will hopefully come as a by product of consistent training. My high level plan for the year is for 4 training blocks.
1. 8 week base building up to 55K - 60K
2. 12 week 5K specific
3. 8 week base building up to 75K
4. 12 week 10K specific
This could of course change a bit with potential injuries, or if racing comes back in some form later in the year. Focusing on the first 2 blocks, the goal for block 1 is to simply build my mileage back up safely and continue to manage the PF in doing so. The last 4 weeks I have been between 31K - 37K a week off 4 days a week feeling pretty good. I think adding 20K to this and getting back to 5 days a week over an 8 week period is pretty reasonable. The weekly training for this period will look something like 1 long run (13K building to 16K), 1 - 2 general aerobic, 1 easy/recovery and 1 general aerobic with either a 16 - 22 min tempo or 6 - 8 x 100 m strides.
Looking towards Block 2 I did a 5K TT this week to get a measure of where I am given the lack of real quality training for the past few months. I did it in 19:10 in poor conditions which is much better than I expected to be honest. After the Block 1 training I will do another so that I can work out the paces I should be training off in this block but I can imagine it will be much the same if not a bit slower. Ultimately I want to get below 18 mins and further if I can for the 5K this year. I might not do it in this training block but that is what I will try to push for, sensibly of course. I'll be following a 5K plan with peak mileage of approximately 60K.
Along with all this I will be adding in some strength and conditioning. Mostly through yoga and a bit of body weight/plyometrics exercises. I also have another goal around my weight. While last year I lost a substantial amount I put on around 4 -5 kg since this latest injury. I want to loose this and a bit more if I can. So current weight is 74.5 kg, goal weight of 66.5 kg. For this I've gone back to a 16:8 diet and with some simple changes to my eating I should start making progress on this soon hopefully.
Not that all this talking is done, it's time to get working.16
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Training Block 1 - Base Building
Run #|Date|Distance|Time| Pace
1|02/02/2020|13.01km|1:06:45|5:08/km
2|04/02/2020|8.39km|43:53|5:14/km
3|06/02/2020|11.1km|52:30|4:44/km
4|07/02/2020|7.82km|1:06:45|4:54/km
Run 1 - Close to my longest run for a while. It was absolutely miserable conditions with wind and rain. I had to fight the instinct to increase the pace to get the run over quicker. I probably could have been a bit slower still but effort wise it felt easy.
Run 2 - Some more easy miles, windy conditions again but no rain thankfully. Pace was pretty ideal and effort wise felt good.
Run 3 - This was 3K easy, 4K tempo, 4K easy. The easy km's averaged @ ~5:07/km so a tad bit fast. 4K tempo averaged @ ~4:05/km. The first 3 km were a bit quicker but there was a drag on the 4th which killed the legs a bit and slowed the pace. Disappointed that I'm not feeling the strength to be able push over the hills at pace but that will come back.
Run 4 - This was not quite according to the plan but I was a bit sick of the usual routes and the hard ground so went to a woods I knew was within my 5K. I'd never been there before so didn't quite know my way around and did a bit of exploring. There is a short 1.4K loop with a nice hill and I explored some other paths which were dead ends. The pace overall felt very relaxed and the heart rate was in agreement with this. I did open the legs over the last 1.5K which felt really good. This was my most enjoyable run in quite a while.
Week #|Total Distance|Total Time| % Easy| % Hard|Weight|PF Pain
1|40.34km|3h 21m|87%|13%|74.4kg|2/10
A good week with a small increase in mileage. I'm still seeing small improvements in my foot. Previously after a run the discomfort would increase for a few hours but that hasn't been the case this past week, and overall the pain is reducing. My weight is unchanged but I was expecting this, no excuses just not being strict enough with what I'm eating. As my foot is coming right I'm definitely feeling the urge to do more, run further and faster but sticking to the plan.1 -
Training Block 1 - Base Building - Week 2
Run #|Date|Distance|Time|Pace|Avg HR
1|09/02/2020|13.22km|1:08:35|5:11/km|141
2|11/02/2020|8.4km|43:16|5:09/km|140
3|13/02/2020|11.52km|53:13|4:37/km|154
4|14/02/2020|8.4km|43:20|5:10/km|141
Run 1 - More or less the same run as last week but a fraction slower. I've stopped looking at my watch during these runs to keep an eye on my pace. I feel pretty comfortable now knowing what this pace feels like and being able to maintain it without quickening into a more steady pace which is what I used to do.
Run 2 - The weather for this was particularly chilly. Just wrapped up well and plodded along. One or two people passed me by during the course of it and my old self would have let my ego take hold and quicken up to stop this.
Run 3 - This week I did 3K easy, 5K tempo, 3.5K easy. Getting up before this I really wasn't looking forward to it with the cold howling wind outside. Took a bit of extra time getting fully stretched out before it. Luckily the wind was mostly blowing across me with just a small amount of running head on into it. The 5K tempo was done in 20:08, probably 20 or so seconds too quick but I was much happier with it than last week. The pace was more controlled and I was able to power over the few inclines where last week I wasn't and also adding in the extra km. Maybe signs of some improvement.
Run 4 - Wild, wild weather for this. There is nothing like a 50km/h headwind and driving rain to wake you up. But in that twisted way that I think is unique to runners I quite enjoyed this one. This should be my recovery run but again I wasn't checking my watch for pace. I really thought I was running much slower, I was taking it easy over any inclines and into the wind so the effort felt good but still need to slow it down. I need to look at the watch for these runs if I really want them to be recovery. Lesson learned.
Week #|Total Distance|Total Time| % Easy| % Hard|Weight|PF Pain
1|40.34km|3h 21m|87%|13%|74.4kg|2/10
2|41.55km|3h 28m|90%|10%|74.3kg|3/10
Another decent week of running. In addition to the above I did some yoga and two s&c sessions, one legs, one core. My legs were definitely feeling the first session for a couple of days after but I need to keep them going. The only negative this week is that if I'm being honest with myself there has been a very small increase in the discomfort in my foot. It doesn't feel like much but it is noticeable so worth noting. Next week I was planning to increase the overall mileage by 3km or so but I will monitor carefully and pull back if I need to.0 -
Training Block 1 - Base Building - Week 3
Run #|Date|Distance|Time|Pace|Avg HR
1|09/02/2020|14.37km|1:14:47|5:12/km|138
2|11/02/2020|10.23km|51:16|5:01/km|141
3|13/02/2020|11.61km|54:16|4:40/km|152
4|14/02/2020|9.17km|46:46|5:06/km|144
Run 1 - A small increase in distance on the previous week. Effort wise it felt good and the heart rate on these runs is trending downwards for roughly the same pace.
Run 2 - Two parts to this run, the first was an easy 8.5K at 5:11/km and following this 6 x 30 secs strides. I felt very comfortable for the first 8.5K however the strides were only ok, I was trying to focus more on form and not kill the pace but I just felt like I couldn't really get the legs to turn over at any sort of decent cadence.
Run 3 - Same run as last week, 3K easy, 5K tempo, 3.5K easy, however it was somehow even windier and I struggled with this a bit. I just didn't feel great, the legs were heavy and I couldn't get the cadence up. The wind was definitely sapping the energy over the tempo section. The 5K tempo was done in 20:20 this week but not as even a pace.
Run 4 - Probably the nicest morning weather wise for quite a while. I headed out to run on a bit of grass for a change. It was a bit soft under foot but I quite enjoy running over ground like that. Reminds me of cross country which is my favorite type of race. I pushed out the last couple of hundred meters, not sure why but I just did and it brought the average pace down, it was closer to 5:11/km for most of the run.
Week #|Total Distance|Total Time| % Easy| % Hard|Weight|PF Pain
1|40.34km|3h 21m|87%|13%|74.4kg|2/10
2|41.55km|3h 28m|90%|10%|74.3kg|3/10
3|45.40km|3h 47m|88%|12%|73.9kg|3.5/10
Same as last week I sprinkled in a bit of strength and conditioning. No doms this week from it thankfully. Not mentioned in any of the above is the condition of my foot and the PF which is simply not improving and going in the opposite direction to be honest. It is very annoying because 2 weeks ago it really did feel like I was improving. Looking back I think it was the hill run, run 4 week 1 of this log that has started this most recent regression and its just continued from there. I'm obviously also doing all the usual treatment of the area itself with cold treatment, massaging the area. This does help but it's not enough at the moment.
I've an appointment with the physio tomorrow for a bit of treatment and I'm sure the instructions will be to rest for a while and then step back the training again. I've got to say, I've had some pretty bad injuries before including a herniated disk and a ruptured ACL and this is by far and away the most frustrating out of any of them. I've been struggling in general this week anyway and this is not helping but you have to keep positive. Focus on what I can do. If it comes to it I have the bike and turbo trainer. I can add more strength and conditioning and I can focus more on my diet.
The base building plan is more than likely going to be halted for a few weeks I imagine but I'll see what the physio says tomorrow. Even if it turns into a bit more of a recovery log in the short term I'll keep this going, it helps with the motivation.0 -
Quick update after a trip to the physio. He was overall pretty positive to my surprise. Examining it the plantar fascia is a small bit inflamed but the tissue is still much more healthier than it was when I saw him last. I will step things back this week with a cycle tomorrow and try one or two easy 5K later in the week. Next week he thinks I should be able to go back as I was if it reacts positively to to rest. He has advised increasing the mileage even slower than I am, basically after an increase stay at that for an extra week, then increase again. This is fine, it means increasing the length of my base building but I'll do whatever it takes.0
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Another bit of an update. I followed the physio's orders and took the few days rest followed by some easy running. The PF did calm down a bit and this week I was back to following my planned program. Mostly just easy/steady running with a very short bit of tempo work. Overall mileage for the week was 43K. For most of the week it reacted ok to the running however there is a bit more pain this evening back to around a 3/10. I think at the moment 2 days in a row seems to be the trigger.
In a bit of a coincidence I was talking to my Aunt this evening who is always great for a bit of advice particularly around injuries etc. At the end of the day I've been going like this for probably 3+ months now and while there is sometimes progress this approach is obviously not working. I already knew this but didn't want to accept it. She suggested just take everything in 2 week blocks. Rest for 2 week and reassess with a short run afterwards, repeat again for as long as is needed. The goal is to get to no pain rather than manageable pain and I'm going to rest for as long as that takes. I'll continue to do the turbo trainer/cycle in the mean time along with as much core/yoga/strengthening work as I can.
I know I'll loose fitness but I've managed it once, I can get it back again. I'll continue to log a bit here in the meantime, hopefully it's not too long until it's something a bit more meaningful.0 -
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Another bit of an update. I followed the physio's orders and took the few days rest followed by some easy running. The PF did calm down a bit and this week I was back to following my planned program. Mostly just easy/steady running with a very short bit of tempo work. Overall mileage for the week was 43K. For most of the week it reacted ok to the running however there is a bit more pain this evening back to around a 3/10. I think at the moment 2 days in a row seems to be the trigger.
In a bit of a coincidence I was talking to my Aunt this evening who is always great for a bit of advice particularly around injuries etc. At the end of the day I've been going like this for probably 3+ months now and while there is sometimes progress this approach is obviously not working. I already knew this but didn't want to accept it. She suggested just take everything in 2 week blocks. Rest for 2 week and reassess with a short run afterwards, repeat again for as long as is needed. The goal is to get to no pain rather than manageable pain and I'm going to rest for as long as that takes. I'll continue to do the turbo trainer/cycle in the mean time along with as much core/yoga/strengthening work as I can.
I know I'll loose fitness but I've managed it once, I can get it back again. I'll continue to log a bit here in the meantime, hopefully it's not too long until it's something a bit more meaningful.
PF = Piriformis? How is your running form?0 -
Quick question about the weight. You targeted 66kg from 74. That's a massive 10%+ overall loss! Have you been 66kg before?
On the 16:8, I think I read about this on Zico10's log a while back too. So eat all kcals in a 8 hour window, fast for the rest? How did it actually work for you? Is it short term 1 week think?
Thanks0 -
PF = Piriformis? How is your running form?
Ah sorry, PF is plantar fasciitis so my running form is probably a factor with this too. I would be a mid foot striker and wouldn't really pound the pavement so to speak. My hips do tend to collapse a bit when running which is probably my biggest issue although I'm working quite hard to build core/glute/hip flexor strength to try and improve this.0 -
shotgunmcos wrote: »Quick question about the weight. You targeted 66kg from 74. That's a massive 10%+ overall loss! Have you been 66kg before?
On the 16:8, I think I read about this on Zico10's log a while back too. So eat all kcals in a 8 hour window, fast for the rest? How did it actually work for you? Is it short term 1 week think?
Thanks
It has been quite a while since I was 66kg I will admit but I had got down to 70kg during the middle of last year and I don't think another 4kg would have been unrealistic for me to loose. I'm still carrying a good bit of fat around my mid section from when I was very overweight so really it's just loosing the last of that.
On the 16:8, that's about it, you just eat during an 8 hour window and fast the rest. I used it quite strictly when I lost over 30kg a year ago and I was using it for probably 6 months. There are all sorts of theories about why it is good for weight loss but to be honest I just used it as a mental tool to restrict my calories knowing the poor eating habits that I had. I set my 8 hours as 11:00 to 19:00 specifically because I have a massive sweet tooth and late evening/night time was when I would do most damage. By giving myself that mental rule and being strict those poor habits changed.
For me weight loss is simply about calories in, calories out and things like 16:8 and most diets with the exception of the keto diet are just tools that can help you achieve a calorie deficit.0 -
Ah sorry, PF is plantar fasciitis so my running form is probably a factor with this too. I would be a mid foot striker and wouldn't really pound the pavement so to speak. My hips do tend to collapse a bit when running which is probably my biggest issue although I'm working quite hard to build core/glute/hip flexor strength to try and improve this.
I have a book called 'running rewired' by Jay Dicharry. One of his precision movement circuits is called 'hip runs'. It's banded exercises targetting hip dominant running patterns broken up by short bursts of running. It's literally changed how I run and quite quickly.
I often carry the band on easy runs now and stick in the odd exercise to reinforce the glute/hip dominance.
I had thought would be worth a try for piriformis but plantar different. Worth a look for form correction anyway if needed0 -
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It has been quite a while since I was 66kg I will admit but I had got down to 70kg during the middle of last year and I don't think another 4kg would have been unrealistic for me to loose. I'm still carrying a good bit of fat around my mid section from when I was very overweight so really it's just loosing the last of that.
On the 16:8, that's about it, you just eat during an 8 hour window and fast the rest. I used it quite strictly when I lost over 30kg a year ago and I was using it for probably 6 months. There are all sorts of theories about why it is good for weight loss but to be honest I just used it as a mental tool to restrict my calories knowing the poor eating habits that I had. I set my 8 hours as 11:00 to 19:00 specifically because I have a massive sweet tooth and late evening/night time was when I would do most damage. By giving myself that mental rule and being strict those poor habits changed.
For me weight loss is simply about calories in, calories out and things like 16:8 and most diets with the exception of the keto diet are just tools that can help you achieve a calorie deficit.
I did something like that but 17:7 (11-6).
Only water outside those times, not even coffee.
I cut out sugar also.
Plan was to do mild fat burning exercise before the 11am breakfast, to induce fat burning and do a slightly more intense exercise bout before my final meal.
I only lasted a couple of months but it got the weight moving in right direction.
I lost 13kgs as a result. Weight loss has slowed now so might take it up again.
Well done on losing 30kg. Great discipline but made easier i guess from the positive feedback through the weight loss.0 -
I have a book called 'running rewired' by Jay Dicharry. One of his precision movement circuits is called 'hip runs'. It's banded exercises targetting hip dominant running patterns broken up by short bursts of running. It's literally changed how I run and quite quickly.
I often carry the band on easy runs now and stick in the odd exercise to reinforce the glute/hip dominance.
I had thought would be worth a try for piriformis but plantar different. Worth a look for form correction anyway if needed
Thanks for that I will certainly take a look at the book, sounds very interesting.I did something like that but 17:7 (11-6).
Only water outside those times, not even coffee.
I cut out sugar also.
Plan was to do mild fat burning exercise before the 11am breakfast, to induce fat burning and do a slightly more intense exercise bout before my final meal.
I only lasted a couple of months but it got the weight moving in right direction.
I lost 13kgs as a result. Weight loss has slowed now so might take it up again.
Well done on losing 30kg. Great discipline but made easier i guess from the positive feedback through the weight loss.
Positive feedback definitely helps, once you start seeing progress it gives you great motivation to stick with it.0 -
Another thing in common, I've used the 16:8 to get slimmer and similar to demfad, removed sugar and probably overall was eating a lower carb, not no carbs.
Phenomenal weight loss, 60kg, kudos and for the discipline/management of niggles.0 -
Thanks Wottle.
Demfad I bought that book afterwards, some good reading and a lot of nice exercises in it. I'm certainly going to try add a few into my S&C work going forward. Thanks for the advice.
I've been sticking to the plan for the past week. 3.5 hours of cycling on turbo trainer in total and a nice amount of stretching and S&C. I would like to be doing even more cycling but at the moment sitting on saddle for so long is just too sore
. On the actual road at least you can sit up and rest that area for a small bit. Cycling doesn't quite get the heart rate going like running does for me but it's something to give me that cardio fix.
The pain in foot has been at a very low level all week. Normal day to day activities, just a bit of walking around there is a bit of stiffness but mostly no pain, sometimes a small bit if I push of it in a certain direction. Still if I try any running movements I feel it and know it is there. I've found a good litmus test is trying to jump on a single leg. A couple of jumps on my bad foot and the tension/pain shows very quickly. It will at least be a good way to try and measure success. It's slow progress but knew that was going to be the case.0 -
Struggling to get to sleep so time for another bit of an update.
A lot of cycling on the turbo trainer which is getting pretty boring at this stage but it is at least keeping the cardio ticking over. Hopefully after Easter I will be able to get out onto the actual roads as I would have to be going beyond my 5K at the moment to get a decent cycle in. The fresh air and different scenery would really be nice. In addition a lot of good strength and conditioning work. So so many squats, lunges and mountain climbers. I'm mixing in a few new exercises each workout to try and focus on specific weakness.
The pain from the plantar fascia day to day is now pretty much gone which is great and today after my workout I tested the waters with a short 2.5K run. All good during the run, a small bit of tightness but no pain. After the run was over and the adrenaline wore off there was a bit localized pain. Throughout the evening it has eased and no real pain at the moment but clearly still not 100%.
There is progress and I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel but still too early for regularly running. I'm going with another two weeks no running and test again.0 -
I’m sure you’re pretty fed up of hearing this from me, but what is the thought process in running at the pace you did yesterday evening while nursing an injury?
I know you’ve stated previously you are doing low enough mileage to allow it but surely not when you’ve been nursing PF for the period of time you have. It’s not a critical observation more a one of not wanting to see a man suffer anymore.0 -
To be honest there wasn't really a great amount of thought about the pace, I was just running to see how the foot felt. I guess with doing a workout just before it the adrenaline was still pumping and I just ran without thinking about it.
A good point though it was unnecessarily risky.0 -
Another recovery update. Almost 6 weeks off now from running but feels like a hell of a lot longer. I've been building up the cycling volume nicely, I'm somewhere between 170 - 190km per week the past few weeks. Most of it on the turbo trainer but getting back onto the road now too. Judging by Strava segments as recreational cyclist go I'm probably just about average at the moment in speed and power but seeing improvements.
I feel like I'm starting to plateau in the recovery of my foot/plantar fasciitis and since my last update here it feels mostly the same. Most of the time there is no pain but still a general stiffness and some slight tenderness. I feel like I could go out and run pain free right now but just not sure if the recovery is enough. So I visited a new physio last week for a second set of eyes on things as I had already moved away from how my previous physio had been treating me by taking a complete break. The new physio also seems to have a few more treatments options available like shockwave therapy. From my first assessment he reckons I am about 80% of the way there with the rest I've given it. My calf is still shockingly tight so focusing heavily on stretching and rolling it. In my next session we are going to assess my movement while running and try find the the source of what caused it in the first place. He is thinking that from here I can get back into some very light running while addressing whatever issues we find with my form. Hopefully some brighter days ahead soon.0 -
Another recovery update. Almost 6 weeks off now from running but feels like a hell of a lot longer. I've been building up the cycling volume nicely, I'm somewhere between 170 - 190km per week the past few weeks. Most of it on the turbo trainer but getting back onto the road now too. Judging by Strava segments as recreational cyclist go I'm probably just about average at the moment in speed and power but seeing improvements.
I feel like I'm starting to plateau in the recovery of my foot/plantar fasciitis and since my last update here it feels mostly the same. Most of the time there is no pain but still a general stiffness and some slight tenderness. I feel like I could go out and run pain free right now but just not sure if the recovery is enough. So I visited a new physio last week for a second set of eyes on things as I had already moved away from how my previous physio had been treating me by taking a complete break. The new physio also seems to have a few more treatments options available like shockwave therapy. From my first assessment he reckons I am about 80% of the way there with the rest I've given it. My calf is still shockingly tight so focusing heavily on stretching and rolling it. In my next session we are going to assess my movement while running and try find the the source of what caused it in the first place. He is thinking that from here I can get back into some very light running while addressing whatever issues we find with my form. Hopefully some brighter days ahead soon.
Just in regards to the calf, I find this stretch very helpful. You may already have tried this.
https://youtu.be/72p58Iy6u7M0 -
Thanks Lambay I'll give that a try and add it into my routine.
Had another session with the new physio yesterday and my first round of shockwave therapy. A very odd sensation and painful at times but interesting results today. That stiffness that was hanging around has definitely loosened, not completely but a marked improvement.
We did the planned assessment of my running form and he believes it being caused by me being a forefoot striker. The theory makes sense, essentially when my foot hits the ground the calf is already pre engaged and rigid causing extra stress down the achilles and plantar. The plan is to try and adopt a bit more of a mid foot strike. I've been prescribed two shortish runs next week keeping this in mind and we will see how it all reacts.0 -
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Thanks Lambay I'll give that a try and add it into my routine.
Had another session with the new physio yesterday and my first round of shockwave therapy. A very odd sensation and painful at times but interesting results today. That stiffness that was hanging around has definitely loosened, not completely but a marked improvement.
We did the planned assessment of my running form and he believes it being caused by me being a forefoot striker. The theory makes sense, essentially when my foot hits the ground the calf is already pre engaged and rigid causing extra stress down the achilles and plantar. The plan is to try and adopt a bit more of a mid foot strike. I've been prescribed two shortish runs next week keeping this in mind and we will see how it all reacts.
Good luck. I'm also a forefoot striker, even when I walk. I'm at a similar stage with a slight change in running technique. It's not easy and I end up reverting back to type most runs after a few minutes.
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Progress is finally being made. 3 runs this week.
19/04/21
3.54K - 17:40 (4:59/km)
This felt pretty comfortable effort wise for my first run back. Breathing was controlled and I was just trying to focus on my biomechanics, higher knee lift and landing on the mid foot.
23/04/21
3.56K - 15:52 (4:27/km)
Started this out the same as the previous run but opened the legs a bit on the second half of it. I just wanted to see how much fitness I really have lost. There is still speed in the legs but no endurance to hold it, to be expected.
25/04/21
7K - 34:35 (4:56/km)
I had company on this with my training partner. We weren't really looking at watches for pace or anything just chatting away. The heart rate is definitely a bit higher than it would normally be for this pace but my breathing feels the same.
My foot has held up pretty well too after the above runs. It is a bit tender for a few hours afterwards but no lasting damage the day after. It is all still baby steps but progress I think.
Also some nice cycling during the week including my longest to date of 67km. My legs feel pretty shattered though from the past 6 or 7 weeks or cycling and the power I am able to sustain says the same so I'm going to take a down week this week on that front, just one or two easy turbo trainer sessions probably.
I've had another round of shockwave therapy with the physio and while I was bit skeptical about it at first I do think it is having an impact. The physio did say it would be a cumulative effective and I can see that now.
This week of running I'm going to aim for 2 x 5K and 1 x 8K. I'll step the pace back on all of them and try keep them in the 5:15-5:30 range.0 -
27/04/21
5.24K - 26:59 (5:09/km)
29/04/21
6.3K - 30:55 (4:55/km)
01/05/21
Cycle - 60K - 2:13:27 (27kph)
02/05/21
1.65K - 6:35 (4:00/km)
7K - 33:32 (4:46/km)
04/05/21
6.2K - 30:41 (4:57/km)
06/05/21
8K - 39:43 (4:57/km)
07/05/21
8.15K - 39:50 (4:53/km)
08/05/21
Easy cycle, keeping training partner company on his long run - 25K
09/05/21
12K - 1:04:51 (5:24/km)
Happy to report another two decent weeks of running. I've been keeping it mostly easy apart from pacing a training partner for a mile TT they were doing. I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how I felt on it from an injury and fitness perspective. Thankfully good on both ends. The foot was fine afterwards and even though it is just a mile the pace felt very comfortable so I'm quite happy with that.
This last week I got in just over 34km of running and this morning my foot is feeling as good as it has for quite a while now which is really positive. I had my last round of shockwave therapy with the physio Saturday and we will give it a two week break before I see him again and see how I handle it. A couple of days before I see him next he wants me to try a harder run to see how the foot reacts. I'm thinking 5K should be ideal, not sure what sort pace I will be able to hold but I will target sub 20.0 -
11/05/21
8.46K - 40:57 (4:50/km)
Mostly an easy run with a few minutes in the middle and at the end of some quicker pace.
13/05/21
9.55K - 47:04 (4:56/km)
8.5K of this at around 5:05/km followed by 4 x strides. I wanted to introduced the strides just to push the foot a small bit more to see how it reacted. Thankfully all good, the strides themselves felt ok, my form was good but lacking power in the legs pushing off.
14/05/21
10.23K - 51:09 (5:00/km)
Standard easy run, building up the mileage again. Another positive is that my average heart rate was on the lower end of where I would expect it to be for this pace.
16/05/21
13K - 1:09:43 (5:21/km)
An easy/recovery run with a training partner, same one accompanied me last week the longer run. Planned pace for him was 5:25/km so tried to keep it around there. Unfortunately he started to struggle a bit with some back tightness around 5K so we slowed the pace and turned around. Got him home and stayed going for a couple of extra kms myself. Picked the pace up just a small bit while I was on my own.
Everything is still trending positive and just over 40K this week so very happy at the moment. My foot is behaving itself pretty well during and after running, however I am also back playing a bit of golf at the moment and after a round of that it is probably at it's worst. I think this is mostly down to my footwear while walking around so I'm going to look to address that.
Next physio session is on Saturday and as planned I'm going to try to open the legs over a 5K on Thursday before it. I'll hopefully have someone running with me to help drag me along. I'm still really not sure what sort of pace I'll be able to hold over it but I'm looking forward to finding out.0 -
18/05/2021
8.6K - 42:54 (5:00/km)
20/05/2021 - 5K TT
5K - 18:13 (3:38/km)
(Splits - 3:37, 3:38, 3:39, 3:41, 3:34)
I wanted to get this one logged as I'm in a bit of shock to be honest, a 40 sec improvement, somehow!!!
The weather today was obviously terrible so with that alone I wasn't expecting much at all. I had company as planned and there is no way I would have done this without it. I was feeling comfortable enough for the first 2km but started to struggle on the third. After the fourth I was really suffering and feeling like I was going to get sick. If I was on my own I probably have stopped at this stage and been happy enough but thankfully I was pulled along to see it out.
Obviously the elephant in the room is that in the past few months I have had 6 weeks no running, just cycling and a few weeks of mostly easy to steady running. I have been feeling very comfortable running lately but even still it doesn't make any sense really. The cycling must been more beneficial than I could ever imagine.
The other big factor here that I can't ignore is the footwear. I wore the Endorphin Speeds on this and I have been loving running in them. There is no doubt they were a factor today but how much is hard to say.
Thankfully my foot is reacting reasonable well. It is a small bit sore I won't lie but still very minor. I'll take tomorrow off before the visit to the physio and see where we go from here. I'm really feel like if I can start to get in some consistent training I still have some big gains to make. There is a provisional date for our county novice road race in less than a months time, subject to restrictions being lifted of course. This is a bit soon but if the foot continues to hold up over the next few weeks it will be tempting to run it.0 -
21/05/2021
9.23K - 46:32 (5:02/km)
This wasn't planned but my foot was feeling good after the 5K the previous day and I just wanted to get the legs moving as they were feeling pretty heavy. They felt tired on the run but happy to get the miles in.
23/05/2021
16.4K - 1:22:06 (5:00/km)
Had physio the previous day and the foot was a bit tender from it but the legs were feeling well recovered. It was a horrible morning weather wise but this is why I love running over cycling, just get out and do it. If I had been planning a cycle I would have ended up on the turbo. The first 15K were at 5:06/km pace, feeling very comfortable and I picked it up the last 1K and a bit to 4:00/km. I just wanted to see how the legs would react to trying to pick up the pace after this length of run.
Just shy of 40km for the week, a 5K PB and my longest run since November so a pretty good week all considered. The physio is happy with how I am progressing given the increase in load and intensity but I will still be fairly conservative over the next few weeks. Chatting to my aunt/coach we both think it would be good to race in a few weeks time if the foot continues to hold up. However I will wait for a couple more weeks before getting back into any interval or very high intensity type work. I wouldn't really get huge benefit from this close to a potential race anyway.
In the mean time mostly easy running with some strides and one or two threshold sessions. A couple of friends who got into running over the lockdown are planning a 5K TT this weekend with the goal of breaking 20 so I might pace them for this and use it as a nice workout.0 -
25/05/21
8.47K - 42:15 (4:59/km)
This is a couple of days ago now but I remember the legs being a bit tired on this one. Probably to be expected after the hard 5K and the 10 mile long run.
27/05/21
11.06K - 56:04 (5:04/km)
Slowed this one down a bit, the legs were feeling a bit better and thought about adding a few more kilometers but decided against it. Probably the right call.
29/05/21
5.1K - 19:55 (3:56/km)
Acting as pacer for a group of friends but a nice tempo workout for me. Started out at an ideal pace with just under 4 mins for the first km. However pretty quickly 2 of the 3 had already dropped off a bit and knew it wasn't their day. We decided I would push on with the one who was feeing good. Tried to keep it as evenly paced as I could but there was a small dip in the 4th km as he struggled a bit. We got over that though and picked up a small bit bringing him home in just under the 20 mins which was fantastic and he was really delighted. It was nice to be able to do with him and felt very comfortable myself on it.
30/05/21
11.1K - 55:20 (4:59/km)
I had intended to go for something a bit longer but was a bit rushed getting this in so just did what I could. No tiredness in the legs from the previous days run.
01/06/21
16.2K - 1:08:40 (4:14/km)
I've been wanting to do a harder long run for a while, with a potential race in just two weeks and the great weather that was in it this felt like a good time for it. Again I'm a bit unsure about paces at the moment but just set out at something that felt relatively comfortable. This ended up averaging at 4:10/km pace and for the first 9 km this felt very manageable. Unfortunately on the 10th km I got a massive stitch which slowed me right down. I was going to just take it easy for the remainder but it faded away relatively quickly. I got moving again but couldn't quite get back to the same pace and ended up closer to 4:20/km. Being honest the legs had also started to tire. The goal now was to just break the 70 mins for 10 mile which would be a new best.
A great run despite the stitch and very happy to break the 70 mins relatively comfortably but I was wearing the Endorphin Speeds for this again and I'm wondering just how big an impact they are having. I think the next time I try something like this or a tempo I will wear something else to see the difference.
After the run yesterday I also had a sports massage. My calfs in particular are still knotted up hugely. I will try to step up the foaming rolling further but it is difficult to replicate a good massage. Our Novice Road Race is scheduled for the 13th and it will be 6K. I would like to run it if I can. No massive expectations I just want to perform close to what I have been showing in training the past few weeks.0 -
03/06/21
11.1K - 57:10 (5:08/km)
An easy run after the 10 mile. The legs felt heavy and the heart rate was a bit elevated but got through it without any problems.
04/06/21
9.5K - 47:28 (5:00/km)
8.5K of this easy @ approx 5:06/km pace then 4 x 100m strides. With each interval I increased the cadence a tad. Again my legs felt a bit heavy but pleased to do them all the same.
06/06/21
10K - 42:05 (4:12/km)
I headed out with a training partner for this and we had initially planned a bit of an easier run but as tends to be the way when we run together the pace gradually increased throughout it. This was also at midday so was a good bit warmer than what I have been running in and suffered a bit with the heat. Sleeping also hasn't been great lately and it just felt harder than it should. In addition I ran this in the Endorphin Shifts and compared to the Speeds there is definitely a big difference at this type of effort. This 10K felt much harder than the first 10K for the 10 mile earlier in the week.
Even though not as planned I'm glad I did it and this will be the last hard run before the race this weekend. Should be plenty of time for the legs to recover.
08/06/21
6.75K - 35:23 (5:15/km)
I just wanted a nice run somewhere around easy to recovery and this hit the spot perfectly. Kept the effort nice and easy the whole way which meant slowing more than normal over the hills and the pace being a bit uneven. The legs felt good too after the 10K on Sunday, a very pleasing run.
Last week was my highest mileage so far since getting back at 47K and probably a couple of harder efforts than I had initially planned. It is not exactly what you would do if were trying to peak but this race was never about being in ideal condition as that wasn't possible with the limited training I've had over the past few months, but get out, run hard and hopefully feature for the team. Really I'm just enjoying getting out at and the foot not regressing.
Anyway the rest of the week will be easy, Thursday an easy run with a couple of strides to keep the legs ticking over. Friday another run similar to today and then race on Sunday.0 -
10/06/21
9.54K - 45:35 (4:47/km)
11/06/21
4K - 20:54 (5:12/km)
13/06/21 - County Novice 6K Road Race
6K - 23:20 (3:53/km)
Not much to say apart from it was a very disappointing run. I really thought I could put in a better showing but it was just badly paced and I'm not strong enough to hold any sort of speed over the hills. It was a tough day, warm and a hard course with a long 2.5K drag of a hill but that was the same for everyone so no excuses. Positives were that a team mate got bronze individual and we somehow got 2nd team despite my performance.
Talked with my coach afterwards and she said just take the positives. Enjoy the fact I was able to run at all and given what I have been able to do over the past 6 months don't be too hard on myself. It is still tough to not feel a bit deflated but I'm just going to try turn it into motivation. My foot was a bit tender afterwards but today it is reasonably ok. I'm still going to need to be cautious but I will try to slowly ramp up the training now in mileage and intensity.0 -
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15/06/21
11.1K - 53:40 (4:50/km)
This was a bit of an aimless run, still in a bit of a mood after the race to be honest but it did help clear the head a bit.
16/06/21
7.3K - 37:05 (5:05/km)
Dialed the pace back a bit on this. The goal for this week was primarily to try get 5 days running in but kept this short enough as I didn't want an overall big increase in the mileage too.
17/06/21
16.16K - 1:15:02 (4:39/km)
This run just sort of evolved as I was doing it. Started at a steady pace but the legs naturally got a bit quicker without feeling like the effort was increasing massively so went with it and it turned into a progression run for the first 10K. I wasn't going to be able to keep up the level of progression for the whole run without really pushing hard so dialled it back to a steady pace for 5K and then opened the legs for the last 1K with a 3:32 K.
19/06/21
7.82K - 35:01 (4:29/km)
Back out to the woods to start getting in some hill work. The last time I did this was in October last year due to a mix of restrictions and injury. I was about 2 mins slower than how I was running it back then but I expected as much after the race. I was mostly interested in how my foot reacted afterwards as hard running on hills has not been kind with this injury. Thankfully all was relatively good, certainly a bit tender but a lot better than I hoped. This is about as strenuous a work out as I've given it in quite a while so great to have it hold up.
20/06/21
10.5K - 55:39 (5:19/km)
A nice easy recovery run to round out the 5 days of running this week. Just over half of this on grass for a nice change.
A bit of an aimless week and running a bit too hard overall. I feel like I'm definitely lacking direction or a clear goal at the moment. While the foot is holding up it is still not quite 100% so I don't think I could go into a full training block. I guess I'm still not quite out of the recovery phase. We have our senior county road race in 5 weeks time and while I'd prefer not to do it from a fitness perspective I'm sure I will be encouraged to.
I think I will focus on keeping the 5 days a week going and keep gradually building the weekly mileage to 60ishK. I'll dial back 3 of the runs to an easy pace with some strides at the end of one, and keep the hard runs for the woods and during the long run with either some tempo or fartlek type running but limit it to 20 -25 mins.0 -
22/05/21
13.04K - 1:04:37 (4:57/km)
A pretty easy early morning run. The pace was pretty consistent and just added on a few extra km from last to build up the weekly distance.
23/05/21
9.84K - 49:53 (5:04/km)
This was 8.5K closer to 5:10/km pace followed by 5 sets of ~100m strides. The main run again felt very comfortable. My average heart rate is starting to come down even further on these types of runs. Now trending towards the mid to low 130's compared to mid to low 140's just a month ago.
24/05/21
16.29K - 1:13:35 (4:31/km)
I had an idea for this in my head during the week and I'm not sure about its designed or effectiveness but I executed what I planned pretty well and it felt like I was getting in a good workout.
There is a 2 mile loop that I use quite often with a bit of undulation on it so the idea was 5 laps, 1 warm up, 1 threshold, 1 easy/steady, 1 threshold, 1 cool down. The goal was an average pace for the threshold of somewhere around 3:50/km and to try to keep them as even as I could.
1st 2 mile threshold - 12:14 (3:49/km)
2nd 2 mile threshold - 12:28 (3:53/km)
The pacing wasn't perfect but pretty good. Most of the time was lost on the last km of the lap which has all the climbing but I was still pretty happy with it. Doing some fast running on the flat is good but it is running over these type of inclines that got me in the last race so I just need to get stronger over them.
26/05/21
7.8K - 33:13 (4:17/km)
This is the perfect session for getting stronger over hills, back out to the woods for another slog. This is somewhere between 150m - 180m of climbing, never sure whether to go with Garmin or Strava for this. Warming up the legs just felt a bit fresher than last week and this was a much better run. Almost 2 mins faster than last week and pretty much back to where I was when I was out here regularly last October. I have an old PB out here from when I was much younger that I'm starting to get close to again so that will be a target in the next few weeks hopefully.
27/05/21
10.2K - 52:28 (5:11/km)
A nice simple recovery run. Had to fight the urge to speed up as a couple of people ran past me while I was doing this but stuck to the plan.
Another positive week of running with a total of 57km and the foot continues to hold up pretty well. A couple of other little niggles and muscle tightness that I just need to be mindful off so a lot of yoga, stretching and foam rolling at the moment too.
As I was looking around for things coming up I noticed that there is an Imra race next weekend in the same woods I'm back running in. I've always wanted to try one of these races and this seems like one of the tamer ones in terms of elevation so a pretty good opportunity to give one a try. The route looks like it will be a bit more off track than what I usually do but a similar distance. It will be something a bit different and hopefully a bit of fun.
Apart from moving the long run to Wednesday I don't plan to change much else in the week and just use the race as a work out.0 -
My planned foray into mountain running has come to an abrupt end. I was eager to see exactly what the course was going to be so download a gpx of it and went out yesterday evening to walk around it. It was a lot more off the track than I expected and a lot of very uneven ground. Of course at the worst possible point half way in and the lowest point I rolled my ankle. It felt pretty dam sore but was able to put weight on it and continue walking thankfully. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't.
I struggled home after the 4K walk uphill back to the car, no swelling or bruising thankfully. This morning it is quite stiff and still some pain but I'm able to walk relatively normally so it looks like just a minor sprain. Definitely not as bad as it could have been but certainly no race this weekend and probably no running for a day or two. I guess ankle strength is now something to add to the list of things to work on.
I'll count myself lucky and stick to what I know for a while longer.0 -
30/06/21
11.1K - 52:22 (4:42/km)
Took a days rest after the ankle sprain but turned out to be pretty mild and thankfully felt comfortable enough to be running on it after just the days rest. Still a bit ropey if turning sharply to the right so just avoided that.
01/07/21
11.3K - 49:24 (4:23/km)
Nice steady running. I had planned on this being the long run for the week and closer to 16K but some personal stuff meant I was a lot later heading out for this than I intended and I had not eaten for a couple of hours. Started to cramp quite badly as a result so cut it short rather put the body under too much stress.
03/07/21
23.2K - 2:02:16 (5:16/km)
After not quite getting in the distance that I would have liked during the week I wanted to do something a bit longer. I have been keeping an eye on a group that I ran with once last year in Dublin and they were doing a long run in the phoenix park at an advertised pace of 5:10/km which was perfect. Up nice and early Saturday morning and when I got there I was told the pace was actually likely to be a bit slower but that suited me. The first 16/17K was closer to 5:20/km but the group split up when some stopped for water and a quick break. I kept going with the break away and they picked up the pace a bit for the last few km. I didn't really want to be the one pushing it myself but just kept with whoever took to the lead.
Very nice to be running with a group for this sort of distance and the most enjoyable run I've had in a while. Other than my foot being a bit sore which I expected the legs felt fresh afterwards.
04/07/2021
11.1K - 56:40 (5:07/km)
Another nice easy run to round out the week. No ill effects from the extra mileage the previous day.
Just under 57km for the week. I'll try do around 60K next week and then hold at that for a while if the body allows it. I think it's time to start trying some interval type soon, maybe a 5 x 1K session or something similar to begin with.0 -
Update time...
06/07/2021
11.16K - 56:19 (5:03/km)
Standard easy run getting the mileage in. Heart rate is staying pretty consistent on these runs.
07/07/2021 -
14.17K - 1:05:01 (4:33/km)
5 x 1K intervals. This is my first interval session in over 8 months which I couldn't believe when I looked back to check. It just shows how poor my training really has been for quite a while now, but not to dwell on that any more, we are back at it!
3.8K warm up
5 x 1K with 2 min jog recovery - 3:33, 3:30, 3:30, 3:31, 3:30
3.57K cool down
A tough first interval session back but very pleased with it. This was one continuous run, no stopping between the warm up and intervals which made it a bit difficult to judge the pace for the first 1K but then settled in nicely. I wasn't exactly sure what pace I would be able to manage so tried to run the first couple by feel and then hang on for the last two. Had to work hard on the last two but managed to hold the pace.
The fact that this is my first session like this for a while and I was able to run those paces gives me confidence that there is plenty more to come if I get a consistent bank of training in.
08/07/2021
16.24K - 1:20:39 (4:58/km)
A nice steady long run after the interval session the previous day. The pace was very comfortable and thankfully didn't really feel the previous days run in the legs. This could have been a tad slower but effort wise it felt about right.
10/07/2021
8.4K - 43:16 (5:09/km)
A shorter easier run to help the legs recover. Probably could have been even slower.
11/07/2021
10K - 39:27 (3:56/km)
I had been wanting to do this for a while and organized earlier in the week with a training partner to attempt to the break the 40 mins for 10K as I'd never actually done this in training or a race before, even when younger and I thought it would be a good measure of where I am at the moment. So this wasn't a TT per say I just wanted to break the 40 mins which I should be able to do relatively comfortably based on recently training. I did however want to choose a route that wasn't just a flat loop like I've done for previous 5Ks but something with a bit of undulating and inclines to make it a fair test.
The weather had been pretty ok for the week up to this but this was an absolute miserable morning with constant heavy rain. Any thoughts of pulling out though were very quickly put to bed by my partner who insisted we go out and give it a go regardless of the rain.
We set off in the driving rain and got poured on for the first 5K, thankfully it did dry up a bit after that. The running itself was very good. We went through the first 2K's in 3:59 each, perfect pace but did pick up it slightly then. We went through the first 5K in 19:45 but at this stage were in the middle of toughest part of the route with a few long drags. It would be like this for a few km's so I just wanted to stay strong and keep the pace as consistent as possible. Thankfully the legs felt good and we keep it ticking along nicely, send 5K in 19:42 to finish up in 39:27.
Again very happy with this for a couple of reason - it wasn't an all out effort. There was certainly a bit left in the tank and with the weather conditions too I'm sure a sub 39 would be achievable in a race at the moment. Also the fact it was a fair route and I didn't slow up much over any inclines compared to my last race a few weeks ago. I do need to get more comfortable at this sort of pace though so I'll try to do similar efforts to this between 6 to 10K more often.
A solid weeks training of 60K
13/07/2021
15K - 1:15:47 (5:03/km)
Easy run to start this weeks training. I was getting my first dose of the vaccine later this day so made this a bit longer in case I wasn't going to be able to do as much the following few days.
14/07/2021
14.9K - 1:10:40 (4:45/km)
Apart from a bit of a sore arm I wasn't feeling any ill effects from the vaccine so time for another interval session, well it was probably more of a fartlek run really. It is another one I had been thinking about for a while, there is a section of road close be with a nice incline in two directions, one about 800m in length and the other about 400m. The plan was therefore the following, 800m at interval type pace, 400m jog downhill, 400m back uphill at interval type pace, 800m jog downhill, repeat by 4. In total this would 4.8K at an incline at a decent pace. The incline was about 2% on average so nothing drastic but enough to make a difference.
I tried to keep the pace as even as possible but I'll be honest I was definitely struggling towards the end of this and the pace did slip as a result. The 800m intervals were between 3:40 - 3:50/km pace and the 400m between 3:30 - 3:40 pace.
On the cool down my legs were fairly shattered but a good session.
15/07/2021
8.4K - 45:13 (5:23/km)
A well needed recovery run. I ran this one just keeping an eye on my heart rate and not caring about the pace.
All in all things are going pretty well at the moment. The body seems to be handling the 60K a week volume and while I want to be doing even more I will keep at this for a few months if it means I can get some consistent training in. Along with some friends I've signed up for a 5K race in less than a week and half. The Fighting Cocks 5K which I ran last year. This wasn't planned but I'll take whatever racing opportunities I can at the moment. If it is the same as last year then this is a very generous course with a big net downhill to finish so not PB eligible unfortunately but I still want to attempt to break the 18 mins if I can.
2 -
17/07/2021
6K - 25:00 (4:10/km)
The plan for this was a 8K tempo session at about 4:00/km pace. The first 3K was pretty much bang on but the it was feeling a lot tougher than it should have. As I came over a couple of inclines on the 4th K my legs were just empty. I could have tried to push on hard and finish out the session but I wasn't to keen to empty the tank more than it already obviously was so pulled back and just cut the run short. The interval session earlier in the week had obviously taken more out or me than I thought it would.
18/07/2021
13K - 1:06:08 (5:05/km)
Out nice and early for this before it got too warm. Taking it pretty easy and just getting some K's in round of the week. The legs didn't feel as tired thankfully.
Weekly total came to 57km which is a bit lower than planned but that is because of abandoning Saturdays run.
20/07/2021
8.22K - 41:07 (5:00/km)
I had intended this to be a shorter tune up session before the race on Saturday, 4 to 6 x 400m at 5K race pace. I jogged the 4K warm up to the flat loop I use these type of intervals and kicked off the first 400m. All going to plan, probably a couple of secs slower than planned race pace but it was very warm so didn't mind that. Just as I finished the first 400 I could feel a slight pull in my hamstring just above the back of the knee. I stopped and walked for a minute and it seemed ok, set off to start the second interval but could feel to same pull straight away so stopped immediately. Walked for a while but was able to jog home at an easy pace without feeling it.
I've had bad hamstring injuries before and this is definitely just a very minor pull, no significant tear or anything like that. It seems ok jogging but at pace you feel the pull which is obviously not great news for a planned race at the weekend. Chatted with my coach afterwards and she said give it the RICE treatment and we will just have to see how it is for the weekend. If I feel it at all on Saturday I won't run.
Obviously no running then for a few days at least but with the progress I've been able to make after the PF it is certainly a time for caution rather than taking risks. Not being able to do one 5K race is far from the end of the world.
4 -
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Been a while since my last post. The migration and new design is a large part of it to be honest, I really don't like it but I do want to keep this log going.
In terms of running I won't give details of individual runs but the highlights:
I ended up doing the 5K mentioned in my last post with the hamstring heavily strapped up finishing it in a disappointing 18:29. The hamstring was definitely in my head and I was a bit weak mentally. I wasn't willing to really suffer for fear of doing damage. The hamstring did feel ok directly after the race but on an easy run the day after I had to pull up again.
Since this I've been easing my way back into things and back up to 50K last week plus a cycle. The hamstring hasn't been quite at 100% but I've had a trip to the physio and he confirmed there is no tear or damage, it is just very tight at the moment. I'm doing various S&C routines to help and the running is pretty comfortable at the moment but all pretty easy pace with just a few tempo K's.
The past two weeks I've also been out for a cycle and I am going to try add 2 to 3 in a month if I can. It's amazing how much my performance on the cycling has reduced since I was doing it for my rehab earlier in the year. I do think it will help but I just need to be careful not to push hard and use it for what it is, so either recovery or easy aerobic training.
Over the past while though my routine in general has just been off between the injury and busier than normal in work so I need to make an effort to get this back. I also want to join a gym to help with the S&C work I plan to do so between running, the odd cycle and this I need to make an actual plan for the rest of the year. It will probably involve running and S&C sessions on the same day so will need to be careful to ramp this up slowly and not overload.
Back to regular updates soon.
3 -
14/08/21
15K - 1:10:04 (4:40/km)
A long session over the hills, keeping a good bit in reserve but still a strenuous enough run. Strava says 360m elevation gain while Garmin says 310m. Pretty big difference but either way some climbing.
17/08/21
11.1K - 54:35 (4:55/km)
18/08/21
16.34K - 1:20:09 (4:54/km)
19/08/21
8.43K - 42:35 (5:03/km)
21/08/21
7.65K - 33:32 (4:23/km)
The usual hill tempo session that I like to do. Felt very good on the first lap but just died going climbing on the second lap. I would still be happy enough, it is close enough to what I was doing before the lockdown late last year which is when I was doing it with a bit more consistency.
22/08/21
Cycle - 61.35K - 2:32:55 - 558m Elevation Gain
I know I said I didn't want to go crazy on the cycling but someone had asked me to do this with them and I couldn't really turn down the opportunity. First time doing a route with a proper incline. It was actually very enjoyable.
24/08/21
11.1K - 55:45 (5:01/km)
25/08/21
16.24 - 1:09:05 (4:15/km)
In the absence of any speed work I decided to get in a decent effort over a longer distance. The first 1km was just warming up really and went through in 4:40 and gradually picked up the pace. After 3km settled into a nice steady effort at 4:10 to 4:20 per km. Second 8K was over 1 min quicker than the first. For the last km I picked the pace up a bit just to see if I could and put in a 3:55 km. The legs were a bit tired finishing up but it was a comfortable enough effort overall. The average pace is around 1:30 pace for a half marathon and I'm pretty confident based this that I can do that. Providing the body holds up I wouldn't mind trying that before the end of the year but wouldn't put myself under any pressure to commit to it. If it happens it would be nice.
The body is holding up reasonably ok. My hamstring is still a bit tight on some runs so I'm still not comfortable really pushing the pace. It is improving just need to continue with the S&C work. Plan is to join the gym next week to help with this. On a negative note I've had a small reoccurrence of pain in the plantar fascia. It is nothing like it was but something I am going to be very careful about. I will try to get another 3 runs in this week all easy effort and then take a rest week. So just 3 easy pace runs for the week with maybe 2 cycles. The physio did suggest doing this a bit more often, around every 4 weeks, so I'm going to listen and hopefully it will help with the injury side of things.
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26/08/21
8.42K - 41:36 (4:57/km)
28/08/21
11.67 - 53:43 (4:36/km)
This was mostly an easy to steady effort but through in approx 3K of tempo pace (4:00/km) work just to test out the hamstring. I could feel it a small bit towards the end but was running on a bit of a gravelly surface which also wouldn't have been ideal.
29/08/21
10.33K - 50:22 (4:52/km)
31/08/21
11.1K - 56:56 (5:08/km)
Start of the lower mileage week. Slowest run I have had for quite a while and really need to do more of these.
02/09/21
16.2K - 1:20:02 (4:56/km)
Put on the endorphin speeds for this and just set into a nice relaxed pace for this. I had the watch recording but changed the face to just show the actual time rather than pace etc and just run by feel. Hamstring felt good up until about 15K then a small bit of tightness. This is still much better than it had been.
05/06/21
8.38K - 40:12 (4:48/km)
Pace was a bit quicker than the other days but it was a short enough run and very comfortable.
Just over 35K running last week which was exactly what I had in mind. I had intended on getting out for a cycle or two also but work and life got in the way a bit. The legs are feeling quite fresh and this week I will try to kick off 4 weeks of some higher intensity work before another down week. Doing this every 4 weeks is resting more than I would like and quite conservative but if it keeps the injuries at bay for a while I won't mind. In a few months I can see about getting more adventurous but I would just like to make it to the end of the year without any more major injuries. Hopefully try for a couple of time trials for a few distances or races. My plan for this 4 weeks interval is roughly:
Week 1 - Mileage @ 55 - 60K, 5K tempo during a run, 6 x strides after an easy run, 1 long run - 16K easy pace, remaining mileage easy/recovery.
Week 2 - Mileage @ 60K, 6K tempo during a run, a second session on the hills, 6 x strides after two easy runs, 1 long run 17K easy pace, remaining mileage easy/recovery.
Week 3 - Mileage @ 60K, 6K tempo during a run, attempt an interval session (4-5 x 1K), 6 x strides after two easy runs, 1 long run 18K easy pace, remaining mileage easy/recovery
Week 4 - Mileage @60K, 16K long run HM pace, remaining mileage easy/recovery.
All depending on the body holding up obviously. Thankfully the hamstring has come on. I was thinking back on this and my hamstring trouble coincided not too long after I started using New Balance 1080v11s for my easy mileage. For the past few runs I have switched back to the Endorphin Shifts and while they are not as comfortable on the feet there is a difference on the hamstring. After a couple in the Shifts I went back to the New Balance for one run and could definitely feel the difference and the hamstring pull in them. It is very strange because they are such a comfortable shoe around the feet. But regrettably I will avoid them for now.
In good news the reoccurrence of plantar pain has also eased. Still not 100% but very manageable and improving considerably this last week in particular.
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It's been a while since giving any update. Continuing to struggle with some niggles which has been hurting the motivation a bit and haven't been enjoying it all as much lately which is probably the biggest reason for the lack of updates.
The plantar fasciitis has been making a more prominent reoccurrence which is very frustrating and the hamstring is still not quite 100%. My 4 week plan therefore didn't quite work out as I had intended. For 3 weeks I ran off 4 days rather 5 days and the kept the mileage to 50K. Last week I did managed 5 days and 57K.
07/09/21 - 11K - 55:47 (5:02/km)
08/09/21 - 14.3K - 1:03:19 (4:26/km) - with 6K tempo @ 3:55/km
09/09/21 - 8.4K - 43:44 (5:12/km)
12/09/21 - 16.4K - 1:20:12 (4:53/km)
14/09/21 - 8.4K - 42:37 (5:04/km)
15/09/21 - 12.4K - 54:40 (4:25/km) - with 7K tempo @ 4:05/km
16/09/21 - 14.55K - 1:11:06 (4:53/km)
18/09/21 - 8.4K - 35:16 (4:12/km) - with 5K tempo @ 3:58/km
21/09/21 - 9.5K - 47:05 (4:57/km)
22/09/21 - 13K - 56:17 (4:19/km) - with 5K HP @ 4:16/km & 5K tempo @ 4:04/km
25/09/21 - 11.1K - 55:34 (5:00/km)
26/09/21 - 16.5K - 1:18:20 (4:45/km)
28/09/21 - 8.4K - 43:12 (5:08/km)
29/09/21 - 12.4K - 53.01 (4:17/km) with 8K tempo @ 3:59/km
30/09/21 - 8.4K - 43:19 (5:09/km)
02/10/21 - 21.6K - 1:39:54 (4:38/km) with last 5.5K HP @ 4:16/km
03/10/21 - 6.8K - 35:21 (5:11/km)
The above is a quick summary of what I have managed over the past few weeks. I didn't do any interval sessions or real hill work as based on last time both can really aggravate the pf. I have managed some reasonable mileage at tempo to half marathon effort and feeling increasingly comfortable around these paces. I would like to increase the distance at these paces but conscious of not doing too much hard off too little mileage.
Unfortunately I have now missed two county championship races over the past few weeks including the novice cross country which I would really liked to have done. I just really didn't feel like the hamstring would have held up to a true 5K pace effort over the past few weeks. In saying that our intermediate cross country is on this weekend and I am considering that. The body is feeling a bit better with some extra S&C I've been doing. During the week I might try something like 4 x 400m/600m at something close to what race pace should be. If that goes well I will consider it otherwise I will continue to hold off.
To help get to the root cause of the persistent injuries I've been getting a bit more physio/treatment but also had a bio metric assessment done to help identify any specific imbalances of which there are a few. It has shown pretty clearly that my right side is around 10-15% functionally weaker than my left at present which is quite odd seeing as though I am right footed. So I will be getting a S&C program on Friday to address this which is great and I will try to be as strict as I can in doing it.
It is difficult to set plans or targets at the moment so I'm just going to continue to try and maintain the fitness I have and get stuck into the S&C program. Hopefully in a couple of more weeks I'll be in a better position to finally push on.
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Been a while again since giving an update. To be honest there isn't much to report, it's hard at the moment to keep motivated. Since my last update I have scaled back further on the mileage as the plantar fasciitis just wasn't improving again and I've had a nice head cold/chest infection the past week which was 7 days of no running. The only silver lining here is that the plantar fasciitis has calmed right down as a result.
Prior to the last week my running has been mostly just steady type of efforts with a couple of 8K tempo runs between 4:00-4:05/km pace. Unfortunately I'm just in maintenance mode with running at the moment until I can get a better grip on the injuries. I have been working on the S&C program and seeing progress but I think it is going to be a while longer before I see the real benefit in my running.
I did sign up for the Jingle Bells 5K in December as I was hoping in the back of my mind I would be able to get a bit of quality training in between now and then and give sub 18 a proper go but this just isn't going to happen. I'll still do it of course and just enjoy the atmosphere. I'm going to keep the mileage relatively low for the short term and add in some easy cycling on the turbo trainer to keep the aerobic base. Obviously in parallel continue and try to step up the S&C work and hopefully that will pay off over the next couple of weeks and I'll be in a position in the new year to get back into some higher mileage training.
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Time for what is now becoming monthly updates at this stage but I will try to do better here. Following on from the illness I had last month I have kept the mileage pretty low as planned, getting out 3 times a week for between 25km - 35km. This has kept the plantar fasciitis from flaring up but I can still feel it after the harder runs so it is still an issue. I'm going to try get it looked at again in the new year but happy to be doing what I can right now.
Despite the low mileage I have had a few nice highlights this month to finish out the year.
The week after getting back from illness I was feeling fresh and did a 10 mile effort @ 4:10/km pace in 67 mins. It was pretty ideally paced and the fastest I've managed a 10 mile effort. Still a bit in the tank too but would give me confidence about a sub 1:30 half marathon attempt later next year.
Two weeks ago I dusted off the parkrun barcode and ran The Father Collins parkrun which up until I moved back home is where I had been doing all my training during lockdown. It was nice to run there again and I somehow managed a parkrun victory in 18:37. It obviously wasn't the strongest field that day but it was nice to win something, albeit a parkrun 😅.
Saturday - 04/12 I took on the Jingle Bells 5K as planned. After the park run two weeks earlier I wasn't sure how much faster I could run but it seemed like a nice course to try a fast effort with the downhill finish so pushed as hard as I could. I was probably 10 rows or so of people deep starting which was a bit further back than I would have liked but it did keep me from going out too hard. Clocked the first 1K in 3:36 making my way through a bit of the traffic and feeling pretty nice. Turned then heading down Chesterfield Ave into the wind for the 2nd K in 3:44. I definitely slowed a bit here with the wind but kept the head down and continued to pass a few more people who were struggling a bit more than I was. As I went through the 3rd and 4th kms I wasn't really paying attention to the watch for time just working hard to keep the effort up as I knew the last km was more or less all down hill. I wasn't necessarily going to be easier but mentally I had made it a target. 3rd K came in at 3:39 and 4th at 3:36. Starting the 5th km I was beside a runner who I had been battling with the whole way and I tried to open the legs as much as I could going downhill. I eventually managed to shake him off and was starting to catch a women a couple of meters ahead until the downhill flattened out. There was maybe 150 - 200m left at this stage and I emptied the legs as best I could arms pumping hard. I couldn't quite catch her and someone else managed to pip me coming to the line but I had stopped the watch at 17:59 with a 3:21 last K and couldn't quite believe it. I just had to wait for the official chip time but thankfully confirmed it. Sub 18 albeit by the smallest of margins.
Absolutely delighted with the effort and I really didn't have any more to give. With how this year has panned out I'm very happy to be where I am and if I can get the body in a good spot next year I know there are still big gains to make.
This month in another spur of the moment decision I signed up for the Grange Fermoy AC 10K on New Years Eve. I did want to race a 10K this year to get a time in and this looked like an attractive race. Timewise I would be delighted to go sub 38min here but not sure I have the speed endurance for that, regardless I'll give it a go.
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06/12/2021 - 16.5K - 1:16:04 (4:37/km) - General aerobic 10 Mile
08/12/2021 - 8.4K - 42:26 (5:03/km) - Easy run
09/12/2021 - 12.2K - 59:22 (4:51/km) - 11K easy + 4 x 30 sec strides
11/12/2021 - 3.9K - 16:52 (4:17/km) - Short hill tempo
14/12/2021 - 11.1K - 52:54 (4:46/km) - General Aerobic
16/12/2021 - 5.1K - 23:59 (4:40/km) - General Aerobic
19/12/2021 - 9.7K - 39:51 (4:06/km) - County Senior Cross Country Championship
An decent week of running after the Jingle Bells 5K. The hill tempo session didn't quite go to plan. Should have been twice this distance but the legs were a bit tired so decided to not push it too much. Then shortly after the message was put out that numbers were short for the club team for our senior cross country championships. This definitely wasn't in plan before the end of the year and I reluctantly signed up so we would at least have a team (6 to score) but had zero expectations over this distance on cross country.
It really was a killer and while I've been able to run well over flatter ground my lack of strength really showed here. I set out a reasonable pace which I know I could sustain on road surface but over the grass and the frequent inclines my legs just couldn't do it and the pace just dropped as it went on. I am a bit disappointed with my individual performance and was the 5th finisher for the team but some great performances by the rest meant we managed to get second team by the smallest of margins. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams all had the same points at the end and we got it on best 6th place finisher.
But I'm actually happy to have raced this because it has really highlighted a key weakness. Our road championships won't actually be long coming around (depending on Covid of course) so I'm going to do my best to work on building strength as best I can while working within the limitations of the injuries. Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to be able to increase the mileage too significantly without risking injury which means focusing on the quality of the runs I can do and significantly more cross training in cycling and S&C work.
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Nice run at Jingle Bells - Keep on loggiong!
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Thanks AMK, I appreciate it!
20/12/21 - 6.4K - 31:21 (4:54/km)
22/12/21 - 8.4K - 38:00 (4:31/km)
23/12/21 - 7.8K - 35:53 (4:33/km)
26/12/21 - 6.1K - 37:54 (6:08/km) - Charity Run
27/12/21 - 13K - 59:46 (4:36/km)
28/12/21 - 7.4K - 37:36 (5:04/km)
31/12/21 - 10K - 39:17 (3:55/km) - Grange Fermoy AC 10K
A couple of mostly steady type runs in the run up to the 10K today. First of all just to say the race today was excellently organized and a great one to do. A challenging course but enjoyable, plenty of snacks at the end and just a good atmosphere. Well done Grange Fermoy AC.
I won't lie I went into today with a target that I thought should have been achievable (sub 38). But the course was a lot tougher than I expected and it was really a race of two halves. The first 5K was mostly downhill and downwind and the second 5K obviously the opposite. I was pretty much on target after the first 5K in 18:47 but I just didn't have the strength in the second 5K to keep the pace up.
But I'm not disappointed, today is still a PB as it's my first 10K race since getting back running (discounting the cross country). I am simply lacking the speed endurance to be able to translate my 5K time into a decent 10K time and beyond which is not surprising with averaging in and around 30-35K a week for the past 10 weeks and my last proper interval session was in July. This was always the plan tough, the main goal of this period was to get my injuries under control while keeping a decent level of fitness and I've been able to do that. The races have been a nice bonus. Thankfully the plantar fasciitis is as good as it has been in the last year. It is not 100% cleared up but day to day I've no pain and after a run it is rare that I feel much at all.
A nice way to end the year and I'll have a think about the goals for next year and how to achieve them. The biggest challenge will be to find the balance that will allow me to push while keeping the injuries to a minimum.
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Second page of the training logs, great to see so many back logging!
01/01/2022 - 10.3K - 50:57 (4:57/km) - General Aerobic
05/01/2022 - 7.8K - 34:37 (4:26/km) - Steady Hill Run
My old training partner is getting back after a few months out so did this with him. This is the 2 laps of local woods I've done in the past and is great for hills. We did the same run two weeks before over a minute slower which a big positive split. This time we had a nice negative split, lap 1 - 17:20, lap 2 - 17:17.
06/01/2022 - 13K - 1:01:39 (4:44/km) - General Aerobic
08/01/2022 - 6.56K - 26:10 (3:59/km) - 4 mile Tempo
I had planned to get out the previous day for an easy long run but we had quite a bit of snow and conditions weren't great under foot. I was going away for the weekend so didn't I would get out but woke early from a poor nights sleep so snuck this in early in the morning.
10/01/2022 - 16.5K - 1:22:25 (4:59/km) - Long Run
12/01/2022 - 6.2K - 22:51 (3:41/km) - 5 x 1K with 90 sec jog recovery, 3:21, 3:22, 3:22, 3:22, 3:22
My first session like this in quite a while. I wasn't really sure what type of pace to aim for, I was expecting something around 3:30 - 3:35 but I just pushed out the first one without looking at the watch and was pretty shocked seeing a 3:21. I didn't really think I would hold this for all 5 but thought why not dig in a see what I can do. It was certainly hard work but very happy to keep it so consistent off a 90 sec recovery. This is sub 17 pace if I could do it for an actual 5K but I know how different doing a session like this is from a race. Still it is nice to know that the pace for this type of time is in the legs somewhere.
The past two weeks while unstructured have been good and I haven't feel this comfortable running from an injury perspective in quite a while. I'm mostly away again for the rest of this week so it won't have much structure again. However next week I should be back into a normal schedule.
I've been thinking a lot about targets etc for this year but I'm not going to look to far ahead. I've signed up for the Streets of Portlaoise 5K, 17th March, as this is my local race and I would like to put in a decent performance. I am thinking a sub 17:30 here might be possible but will need to see how the next few weeks goes before being confident about this. Even though this is 5K I am going to try to build up towards 10K specific training. The two biggest areas I would like to work on right now is general speed endurance and strength over hills and I think 10K training can help towards both.
So the plan is as follows, two "sessions" per week, a tempo type effort on the hills and an interval session building up towards 10K type sessions, i.e. 8 x 1K, 4/5 x 1 mile, 3 x 2 mile etc. But I will take my time working up towards these. Apart from this, one long run each week and some easy/recovery efforts. I need to work equally as much on these sessions and reduce the pace further, closer to 5:10/km is where I need to be for these.
As I said above my old training partner is also on his way back and it won't be long before he is where I am and faster so this is a bit of added motivation. But I am feeling positive about my running again for the first time in a long time.
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As expected not a lot running since the last updated but I should have a pretty clear run now to get a bit of structure to my running.
17/01/2022 - 16.5K - 1:20:05 (4:51/km)
19/01/2022 -
2.2K - Warm Up
7.6K - 28:44 (3:46/km) - 4 x 1 mile with 2 min recovery (5:32, 5:35, 5:44, 5:48)
2.2K - Cool Down
This was a tough session and the pacing was pretty poor compared to last week. I naively thought a couple of secs slower per km than last week would work for this but after the first 2 miles I really struggled. I was very close to leaving at just 3 but I'm glad I did the last one even if it was the slowest, good for the mental strength which I need to work on too. With the km repeats it is not that I find them easy but holding a decent pace for that distance is relatively comfortable but the extra distance on the mile makes things a lot less comfortable. Even with the positive splits I'm not disappointed with the session, it was a good workout and good learning too about how to approach the longer interval workouts going forward.
I'll get out for an easy/recovery pace run tomorrow and then the hill tempo session on Saturday most likely. I feel like I could add in another run on Sunday but conscious about not adding too much distance too quickly. My plan is to hopefully continue with this type of week of 4 runs of the same variety for another 2 weeks, followed by an easy/recovery week and then move up to 5 runs. Another 4 weeks of hard work after this should then bring me up nicely to the race on the 17th March.
I do have one small issue, I forgot I also signed up for the Simon Home Run 5 mile on the 12th March. While 5 days might be enough to recovery I will just run it but not race it. My main goal is the 5K and I'm not going to put that as risk.
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20/01/2022 - 10K - 51:16 (5:07/km)
A nice easy run on grass. I find it easier to run slower on grass and it is nicer on the legs too. I'll admit they were a bit tight after the previous days session and it took a few miles before I was feeling comfortable. Gave them a good roll and a going over with the massage gun later in the evening.
22/01/2022 - 7.89K - 32:37 (4:08/km)
A hilly tempo run as planned, somewhere between 150m - 180m of elevation. When I last did this two weeks ago I was holding back with the company I had but this was a solo effort so I pushed the pace closer to the edge. I was unsure exactly what time I could do but would have been happy with a low 33 min run so I'm really pleased with how this went. This is 10 seconds away from a 17 year old PB I have here which mentally would be a big milestone for me to break. I'm confident it will come soon.
An ideal week of running, just over 47K in total. This is the most I've done in a good few weeks so not going to increase a huge amount more for a few more weeks. Next week is more of the same, I just need to decide what I want to do for the Wednesday session. I have a couple of ideas in my head, I could try 5 x 1 mile and slow the pace a small bit, 6 x 1.2K at a slightly quicker pace, or maybe 2 x 2 mile + 1 mile. The main goal is to build up the overall volume of running I'm doing at my goal 5/10K pace until I get up to the larger 10K sessions. I think any of these would do.
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24/01/2022 - 18.15K - 1:30:31 (4:59/km)
I know I said no changes from last week but did increase the distance here slightly. Maybe a bit of a mistake after reflecting on today's session.
26/01/2022 - 2 x 2 mile with 5 min recovery + 1 x 1 mile
2.1K Warm Up
9.96K - 40:42 (4:06/km) - 2 x 2 mile - 12:02 (3:44/km), 12:26 (3:52/km), 1 x 1 mile - 6:10 (3:50/km)
2.1K Cool Down
Another tough session. I moved away from the flat loop I had been using to a loop with a nice bit of undulation. Pace wise I was targeting 3:45/km for the 2 mile and hit this for the first rep but struggled on the second rep. My legs did feel a bit tired going into this and the few climbs that were on the loop impacted me more than I thought they would but this is what I wanted to test and find out. A bit disappointed to struggle as much as I did with paces that I think should have been a bit easier to sustain. But it is all good learning and working on the weaknesses that I know are there (hills & speed endurance). That 5 x 1K session a few weeks ago had given a bit of false confidence in where I actually am so it's important to not get ahead of myself. There are still a few weeks left until race day so just keep pushing sensibly and hopefully the rewards will come.
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27/01/2022 - 10K - 51:51 (5:11/km)
Same as last week, easy recovery on the grass. A bit more muck and the legs a bit more tired too but a good pace for this of run.
29/01/2022 - 7. 69K - 32:47 (4:16/km)
Also the same two laps as last week but the trees do play havoc with the GPS so the distance measured varies between runs. I didn't feel nearly as good on this compared to last week so didn't push quite as hard, even still only 10 secs slower so I'm pretty happy with that.
Overall another good weeks training in at just shy of 50K. To be honest the legs are feeling tired and I'm tempted to bring forward the easy week but going to stick to the plan. This was really only my 3rd week of getting back to this intensity of training so the legs are naturally going to feel like this and will adapt over time. If I can get a few months training consistently like this, even at the 50K - 60k range I know I can make some big improvements.
In a bit of unexpected news the race I had signed up for on the 12th March, The Simon Home Run, has been moved back to the 1st October for what appears to be Covid related reasons. It seems a bit odd but it obviously suits my schedule better so I'm not going to complain.
Also in other news I'm going to be moving location in a few weeks, back to Dublin, north side. I might try to see if there are any groups or clubs at a similar level that I could get out with for a few runs. I'm not sure how realistic that is but it would be nice if possible.
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31/01/2020 - 18.17K - 1:32:02 (5:04/km) - Easy Run
Standard easy run. I kept the distance the same as last but tried to slow the pace a bit more. Could do with slowing it even further.
02/01/2020 - 16.4K - 1:10:52 (4:19/km) - Fartlek Session
2K W/U
20 min Tempo @ 3:58/km
5 min Recovery
10 x 1 min on/1 min off @ 3:20/km avg for 1 min on
3K+ C/D
Took a bit of inspiration for this one from some logs here and from a clubmate of mine. I didn't push the tempo very hard but it was still tough to keep the pace up for all 10 of these and the legs really felt like jelly towards the end of this. I enjoyed it though, I can see this type of session becoming a bit more of a regular occurrence.
That's over 180K of running for the month of January, the most since October and the body is holding up pretty well. By and large the plantar fasciitis is no longer an issue. The only small issue at the moment is a bit of tenderness in my right Achilles tendon, the same side as the plantar fasciitis. It is nothing major right now but something I am monitoring to make sure it doesn't become an issue.
I had been planning on the usual hilly tempo session this weekend but I think I am going to change this up and do a parkrun as a mid block tester. I'm expecting the legs will be tired but I'll see what I can manage and it should give me a decent idea of where I am at. Undecided on which parkrun to do but I wouldn't mind trying a new location.
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