The Middle Ground

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  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    Well, since last posting I managed 4 on Thursday which felt ok, 5 on Friday which felt better and then 7 today which felt like normal and came in with an 8.40 average pace which I was pleased with. 

    Will try a couple of miles at target race pace within my run on Wednesday and then just run easy at the end of the week before Sunday’s race.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    That sounds promising, Andrew. It is definitely worth you racing.

    22 on Saturday went well, though the sunny weather caught me out as I went out at 10am empty handed. By midday it was pretty warm in the sun and I was quite thirsty.

    Rest day yesterday for first time since 10th March. 2 big weeks then taper. Managed to get a place in the club team for the National rd relays on Saturday, which I wasn't expecting as I missed the Midlands. Will be great to watch and compete with some of the countries best runners.

    Easy 6 tonight.

  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    22 - great stuff DT. You sound bang on track for where you would want to be this close to the marathon. Good luck at the nationals too!

    Forecast looks perfect for this Sunday - 11c, cloudy and a light breeze. I just want to get to the start line now and hope that, notwithstanding a pretty disrupted March, I can do myself justice.

  • alehousealehouse ✭✭✭
    Nice easy week, AD!

    DT: I know that you have done the Midlands relay at Sutton Park before; have you done the Nationals? My favourite road race although it isn't quite what it was in the 70s and 80s. Great atmosphere...and usually decent weather. Short or long leg? 
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Alehouse, first time at Nationals. looking forward to it. Im on a short leg which i understand is pretty much bang on 5k. When i did Midlands in September the short leg was just over 3.6m. Im assuming the route will be largely similar but will divert towards finish area sooner than my previous leg. 
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    5 miles at lunch - legs feel like trash. Tight hamstrings on my right and both calves feel lifeless weak.  Don't seem to be recovering from runs very well.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    It will come JGav - I imagine you’re still struggling with sleep so you won’t be having real recovery time at the moment. Keep on going though!

    Had my last run before the race this afternoon, just 4 easy paced miles. I’ve done 11 miles this week, all easy paced. Felt sluggish in places still, so I’m not at all confident about Sunday but hopefully race day adrenaline will help!

    Enjoy the Nationals DT!
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Good luck tomorrow, Andrew!

    Road relays went reasonably well. i was a bit disappointed at end as my average pace was about 4 seconds a mile slower than when i ran them in September. However looking back then it was 3.65m and 164ft of gain. Today was 3.15m and 217ft so 50ft more squeezed into half a mile less. So i think 19.22 today was a reasonable return. 
  • alehousealehouse ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Yes, go well tomorrow AD!

    DT: I assume that you went straight on at the pool rather than turn left, then right at the end of the pool. We always used to do the latter and not sure why it has been changed. Great event, isn't it?
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Alehouse, we went downhill as usual then just as you continue with the hill we went off left and did a loop then rejoined the hill then in the usual pkace the long leg went left and short leg right. I finished with Andy Vernon, albeit he was finishing leg 7 to our leg 6. 
  • alehousealehouse ✭✭✭
    Yes, have done that course as well, DT. May have been the National vets but can't remember! That's another great event!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    Well I went and surprised myself with a 23 second pb this morning - 43.02!

    Slightly disappointed to miss out on sub 43 which had been my target for the training year to this spring (remember that due to cricket over the summer I put running on a back seat over summer and instead structure my year from Sept to April) but only 3 seconds short so not too bad considering how disrupted the last month’s training has been.
  • alehousealehouse ✭✭✭
    Well done, AD! Need to now work out a plan to keep running going alongside the cricket! 
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    Thanks Alehouse. I definitely intend to keep training hard through April and maybe early May to target a 5k pb as well before getting into base training for the summer.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Andrew, great result and well deserved. Something now to build from. 

    Easy 10 today to round week off. One big week then 2 week taper. Seeing all the stories from manchester has really given me an appetite for race day. 

    On that front im well chuffed to be on fgfa start with it's own zone and a pen ahead of pen 1 on red start. Means i shoukd get a solid start as red doesnt merge with others until 5k. 
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Good to see some chat in here over the weekend.  No running for me but did a Zwift race (i.e. absolutely brutal tempo session on the bike).  Legs absolutely empty at the end and had hit a new 20 min power best for this year.  Still down a bit on my best from last spring.

    Well done on the PB AndrewD - can you go again soon?  I'd bet you could get the sub 43 on second bite.

    Congrats on running with Andy Vernon DT19.  Looking forward to taper madness?
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    There is a possible 10k on 28th April, but nothing else locally in April and then from May I have cricket on Saturday's which leaves me knackered on a Sunday so it would be pointless racing.

    I am planning parkruns on 20 April and possibly also at the end of May too. My long-standing pb of 20.42 (which I equalled to the second last November) is next in the firing line!

    Easy recovery runs planned in the early part of the week, then I might do a bit of a session on Friday to keep the legs used to running at pace.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I'd try do that 10k if I were you.  No pressure but just see what happens.

    4 miles at lunch and legs not as terrible as last week. Still tight glutes.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Yep, I'd be in that 10k also!

    Do you do much glute work, JGav? I have issues with mine and then spend a week or two smashing basic glute and core exercises and it works a treat for me.

    Only doing a 2 week taper, there isn't quite so much issue with taper madness. However everytime I sneeze I persuade myself that I am feeling tired and unwell etc, particularly in the last week when there isn't much recovery time left.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    I keep being told my right side glute is weak (had several proper physio assessments).  I'm supposed to do a variety of exercises but normally forget.  Should probably work on core, glute and calf strength, I suspect it will do as much for my running as actual running will.  I guess I just expect bike work to strengthen the chain but it's not specific enough.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Jgav, yes, life as it is, I only tend to find time for all this stuff when I see a problem forming!

    However, the one thing I will say is the basic glute work I do isn't so much to strengthen them it is simply to activate. Physios always tell me that runners have inactive glutes and that we are losing a really big muscle. Now I have been working on mine on and off for 6 months I can feel the difference. On long runs or races my hamstrings and lower back would fatigue reasonably early and when you have been running 2.5 hours it can really slow you down or make it uncomfortable. Then my thighs will seize up as they become dominant as the back of me is at capacity. I've not cruised through 20 milers before like I have now and when I get a sports massage, he won't do my hamstrings as they are supposed to have a degree of tension in them anyway and he says they are undamaged by the training.

    My glute routine takes about 3-4 minutes each day.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Do share your routine...
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    There's nothing hugely sophisticated about it. I do some supermans for my lower back and a bit of stretching. Then I do some basic glute kick backs on my hands and knees with say my right arm across my chest kicking back with my left leg. Then some basic bridge work, one leg glute raises and then to work a slightly different part of my glutes I do glute raises with my knees pointing outwards each side so I am sort of in a half open clam shell position. I just do those maybe 4 times a week 15 reps.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    I should really do more strengthening exercises too.

    I'm going to investigate the 10k further - I don't fancy slogging round it unless it has pb potential, so if it's hilly or too off road then I'll give it a miss. There is another local road 10k which will be fairly flat at the end of May (bank holiday Monday) but it doesn't start until 11am so it could be roasting at that time of year!

    I've had two rest days since the race, but looking to get back out there this evening, probably for 4 or 5 miles at an easy pace, just to ease back into it as my legs are still a little heavy after Sunday.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    it could also be cloudy and 13c, Andrew. Anyway, if it is hot, 10k is just about short enough that you can still have a good stab at it.

    I smashed a decent session yesterday of 6,5,4,3,2,2,3,4,5,6 mins at hmp of 90s at mp. Average pace for run was 6.26 for 8.3m and hr was pretty low at 162. Easy 5 this evening. No more sessions this week but a high mileage week planned.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Beautiful day out.  Went for my lunch 5 round St James' and Green Park and it was lovely and sunny.  Shame it also brings out the dawdling tourists to dodge round.

    Edit: The other good news is that baby slept 11pm to 6am and so we are starting to get some regular sleep again.  It's been a long 3 months!
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Consecutive days running and my legs haven't fallen apart.  7 miles round from Blackfriars round the Serpentine.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    sounds positive, jgav.

    Easy 12 last night in the sunshine. 5 today then a 22 tomorrow for my final long run.

  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    Yep, well done JGav!

    Results from Sunday's race have my chip time at 43.00 exactly! Oh for 1 second!

    3.5 last night, felt even worse than the night before. Surely the race will be out of my legs soon?!

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Yes missing targets by 1 or 2 seconds is something I've got experience of!

    Rounded matters off with 22 yesterday and 67 for week. Time to taper aggressively. 
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