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My Last Run
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I ventured out for my first post-ultra run today - groin's been niggling but it's generally OK for a run. I didn't feel much soreness, just overall fatigue (it was very humid though, which won't have helped).
The hot weather's meant that, as well as recovering from the ultra, I've also had inadequate sleep for the past couple of weeks, so I'm mindful of not pushing it too much. I do want to do parkrun though (as I missed Saturday's for obvious reasons) but haven't decided where or how fast. Probably not fast at all, if today is any indication.
Tough run yesterday for me - 8.1 mi in total with four of those at tempo pace. Pleased to get back to this distance (P&D starts you off at this at the outset of marathon training (which I'm not at the moment)), could be a few seconds faster per mile yet but it was pretty warm yesterday evening. Pace was constant at least and I likely dropped a couple of seconds on 3 180 degree turnarounds. I also cycled some 14 miles to and from the run - the to bit is easy as it is almost all downhill, but what goes down must come back up. I did take the longer route home though (hence the distance) so less steep. Was a lovely evening actually - the combines were happily munching their way through the grain. Meant a post 9pm evening meal but I had a decent lunch and wasn't actually that hungry.
Wonder how JB is getting on?
Jealous of your thunder Hazel. I've been threatened with storms for weeks and I've not seen one ! Drizzly day today but no sign
Had a few repeat sessions this week which have felt much better than previous weeks, finally starting to feel benefits of proper training again...
No Parkrun for me tomorrow need to get my long run in as it's a mates birthday in the afternoon. I won't want to do it Sunday !
Hope John is good...
Hope everyone's weekends are going swimmingly
Hope you survived the birthday party DH. Nice long run.
I got drenched again on Friday - we had a visitor drop in for Friday/Saturday and couldn't postpone my run any longer on Friday afternoon. Wasn't quite as bad as Thursday though. We took our visitor on a cycle trip around the area on Saturday so no running then. MLR on Sunday with progression from recovery pace to around my old MP pace until around 11.x miles and a couple of miles cool-down to complete a first HM distance in July. I had intended to do a full progressive HM with 3k fast at the end but didn't manage it. Was a bit tired from cycling the day before.
12x (300m@ 10k/MP/5k) with 90 second recoveries
Damn hard run that and opened up the blister again even though long run at the weekend it was fine and feeling good. I may have to sacrifice a few runs to really allow it to heal...
DH, always tricky with blisters - I take you had a plaster or tape on it?
I felt pretty much OK after my Sunday run so decided to go ahead and enter the last race in the Wimbledon Trail Series, which was tonight. The first two races are 5 miles but the last is 8, though there was a one lap (4.4 option) as well.
Trouble was, I felt rough as hell Monday and Tuesday...scratchy soft palate again, catarrh and fatigue. I was even wiped out enough to have an afternoon sleep on Monday and a bit of a nap yesterday too. Fortunately I felt a bit better this morning so popped out for a slow 2 mile tester jog.
I decided to go to the race and I didn't feel too bad, though I had some acid reflux from lunch and afternoon snack. When it came to the point where I could either finish the shorter race or go around for a second lap, I decided discretion was the better part of valour and to leave it there. I am also in for the Asics 10K on Sunday so there was little to be gained from pushing on to 8 miles on a tricky undulating trail course. I ran around 10 minute pace for the 4.4 miles which is alright considering the ups and downs and tricky surfaces. Hopefully I can do a bit better than that on the roads on Sunday.
Sorry to hear you have been off the last couple of days Cal. Sounds like you ran that race sensibly. Take it easy the next couple of days and hopefully you will be ok for Sunday.
I started this week with a ploddy recovery of 6.6 miles on Monday.
I wasn't able to do my standard run on Tuesday evening and had a planned powercut in the afternoon meaning I couldn't work so I had the great idea to do some speedwork at lunchtime. We are facing a 30 degree + heatwave as of the weekend and I wanted to get some of that over and done with. It wasn't overly hot at lunch with a light breeze but I underestimated the impact of the sun - I overheated badly and hit the brakes after 2 decent enough 800m reps. Some switch clicked and both legs and the rest said No!. Couldn't even summon up the energy for a warm-down jog and walked (briskly) back. Wasn't great timing really - I also forgot the suncream on my shoulders..
I had another go at the same session yesterday evening - 5 x 800m (2:30 recoveries) and got it done with no issues this time. Ok it was hard work but it is supposed to be. Air temps were similar but the sun was not as strong. Pleased to have ticked the box. With a decent warm-up and warm-down 9.7 miles.
Wearing extreme compeed blister patches with kinesiology tape holding it in place. It helps and a day off or an easy run not pounding it for a few days its feels good but never heals fully. Big run and I'm back to square one... 😭
Feeling tired is to still be expected I would think Cal. Take it easy. Agree discretion at this point is the best bet. I like doing events just because, rather than expecting times from them all. I have a few races planned and entered but only race I'm gunning for is Cardiff.
It's not shoes, socks etc just something that happened during the Rack Raid and never healed. Although I've found best neutral, flat shoes I have are the speed 3s.
I've been on those hot runs and overheating is a serious problem. Take it easy and drink loads. I've started laps so I can have a bottle of water with me...
Got up early today for my CV run to beat the heat. Sets of pace. Comparing to my previous 3 other sessions I can see real progress which I'm happy with
The park itself is very nice, but I was a bit too tired and hot to do it justice. I was just under 29 minutes and then went straight home as I've the Asics 10K tomorrow and want to be as rested as possible.
Course was decent but basically a series of out and backs with tight turns at the end of each one - it did go past plenty of notable landmarks, though. Nice medal and shirt. I don't think it's an EA race, though, but whatever - not like I ran a PB.
Long run for me yesterday, taking it slow and easy to get this blister healing which seems to be working but I have a quicker session tomorrow so fingers crossed
Hope the foot goes ok today DH.
We are into hot weather at the moment here which isn't great but I am fitting in a bit of training around it even if it does mean getting up earlier than I normally do.
I did a hill fartlek of nearly 9 miles on Friday meaning cruising the flats (not that there was much of that) and the downhills and working a bit harder on the ups, pace depending on the length and gradient of the current slope. Went well enough and was mostly shady.
Day off for some cycling on Saturday and a 13 miler on Sunday - I have a goal of running around the ridge I live up the top off and needed to scope out part of the route. Was out for more than 2 hours but with navigational stops and running out of beans on the last couple of miles not surprising. Need to tweak one bit so I am not on the (quiet) road.
Recovery run yesterday of 7 miles before work - already warm and humid leaving me soaked in sweat at even recovery pace.
Hoping for some thunderstorms this evening/tonight so I can get back to some speedier stuff.
6 miles today - 5 miles progression (not silly speeds - last mile came in at 9:11) and a mile cooling down. I've got mile relays on the 25th so want to get my cadence back to what it was.
Only problem is I've got a tight right calf (has been a bit tight since the ultra and the Wimbledon race and 10K hasn't helped) and my left hip feels a bit janky (it's the right one where I have the groin issue). I've been quite conservative in my mileage since the ultra plus I've been doing my hip programme but I'm still stiff and sore in places. I don't think taking a full rest is going to help either, as I'm not convinced my issue isn't caused by sitting!
Trying to fit all my sessions in I done 6 in a row, admittedly easy runs some of that. My previous speed session I managed 3 out of 4 reps, I was done. HR high, legs tired, breathing like I'd sprinted a marathon so canned the last one. Rest day today thankfully with 6x 2k/1k to do tomorrow...
Not much running this weekend as I'm helping out my boys Scout camping group
With 6 runs in a row you needed some easy sessions DH. Enjoy the rest day today. Hope the weather improves for the Scout camp (or the tents are waterproof!).
My return to speedier stuff didn't go too well yesterday - temps were down at least but the humidity was very hight again. My aim was to do 10k at a decent effort - decent being around HM effort rather than tempo which is faster and I didn't feel up to. I had to can it after 7k - my breathing was ridiculous, more like 10k or intervals level. Starting to get frustrated - I could do with a decent period of training and I am again not going to get it. Likely then more crap races will result from it. I don't see myself ever getting back to 2018/2019 standards but the fall off the cliff in performance since is just ridiculous.
I have also thought about looking around for a coach but have shied away from the expense so far and thoughts that I am just a "normal" runner. It might help me get out of this rut though. Some sort of reflection of what I have done and am doing in the last few years would be a start - I should try to do that myself first.
DH: I think you are getting coached? Any thoughts?
Anyway - I was out again yesterday evening - still warm but much less humid. I should have swopped my workouts around I guess. Bad planning. Flat 8.8 miles done in 1:14 and felt much better. River route - the water was pretty brown and the current faster than normal from the recent thunderstorms/rain - I was surprised how many people were in the water.
People were swimming in dirty brown water? Yeuch!
4 miles today - I was considering a second rest day to let my calf and hip settle down but in the end I went out just before lunch for a slow four with some not too fast strides in the last mile. I want to be able to go to parkrun and not worry about whether something will break and it seems it won't - my body is just being extra grumpy at the moment. I guess I sustained quite a bit of muscle damage during the ultra even though I was being very conservative with pacing and taking walk breaks, due to me being on my feet three hours longer than my slowest ever marathon.
Probably overdid it as my right glute/ham tendon is quite cross with me now, despite having done half an hour of hip mobs before I went out. Ugh.
Visit to the PIL at the weekend in southern Germany - the only way I was going to run on Saturday was to get up early and get it done before breakfast. Back to one of my standards for the region a lake, with 7km loops of which I did 2. Due to the large body of water it was very humid again but fortunately not yet too warm (it got up to 30+ later). I should have run in the other direction as there is a two mile straight stretch which always does my head in (I race there on occasion), the weir never gets closer!
Back home for Sunday's run - out later this time, I was lucky that the sun mostly stayed behind the clouds. Classic MLR with a comfy start and a comfy hard second half for a HM in just over 1:49. Pleased with how that went. Stuck on another 1.5 miles cool-down for my longest run since mid-May. HM distance is no problem, just need to get some speed back.
Hazel getting a coach to do my plans was by far the best decision I've made when it comes to progress. It is a bespoke plan to me and what I dictate is my next goal. I wouldn't have come close to the intensity and mileage asked of me because I didn't think I was capable. He understands the build and body adaption over time where I don't have a clue... Certainly would have done Manchester anywhere near as quick ! After my HM target in October I'm looking forward to the next full marathon block now strangely.
If you search online for coaches some charge exuberant amounts because they are 'YouTube' stars and people don't know better. I don't pay anywhere near that level of cash and I truly believe I get a better plan/service from it as he wants to coach rather than thinking they can having done zero education on it...
Completed my long run on Friday in real biblical rain. Battle of attrition to get it done but it was oddly enjoyable but I was soaked head to toe. Went camping as a volunteer for Scouts with my boy this weekend, wet, bad night sleep etc but he enjoyed it and for some reason my speed session 14x300m late yesterday afterwards was great and I did feel better for it afterwards... Go figure
Lighter efforts this week with a 10k trail on Sunday. Very hard course and didn't managed under an hour last year so that's the aim ! Cracking medals though
7.7 miles yesterday evening - added in a set of short hill efforts and another of strides. Pretty warm and muggy as usual and I had pretty heavy legs on setting off. They did improve a bit during the run fortunately so that I got the efforts done ok. Worked a bit on my arm technique so that I wasn't doing the chicken flapping as much (I hope).