The Middle Ground

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  • Sounds good, AD! Did you feel reasonably comfortable?

    7k easy off road today. Intended to do longer but legs were tired, probably still from Tuesday's hills, or another 5 hours standing at work. Must remember to sit down now and again!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Nice work both. Tempo also today. It was the first time since back doing these ive had perfect conditions to really give me an idea of fitness. Fancied myself for sub 40 10k pace whilst maintaining the effort and decided if at 4m it was on I'd extend the Tempo from 6m to 10k.

    Went very well with splits of 6.34, 6.21, 6.24, going through 5k at 20.03. Next 3 were 6.23, 6.18 and 6.24 with 6.24 cruise in for the last part giving me 39.48 for just over my usual 160 bpm average hr and a nice little negative split. 
  • Well done, DT! You could do with a race!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Well done DT, if that was truly tempo effort then that’s very encouraging! Definitely get a race booked in.

    Speaking of which, I’ve found a local 5k advertised for beginning of November on a ‘pancake flat’ airfield. They also say it has trees around the airfield so not too susceptible to strong winds. Think I’m going to give it a go. Think I’d currently do mid 21s, so nearly a minute off PB shape.

    The intervals today felt very comfortable thanks Alehouse, whether all 3 miles in one continuous run would feel so comfortable I’m not sure!

    Off road 7k sounds good - one perk of where we’ve moved to is that it is closer to miles of open fields and public footpaths so plenty of options for off road on my doorstep too.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2020
    Heart rate doesn't tend to get it wrong. There was no desire to stop at end and no hands to knee recovery at finish and I restrained myself last 1.2m to keep hr in right zone. It was all pretty controlled. 

    I think those closed circuit type races are more likely to survive whatever our great leaders come up with next! 

    I'll get holiday done as I think a week complete downtime will set me up well gor the next phase, then look again for a December race I think. 
  • AD: I bought my house nearly 4 decades ago not expecting to stay more than a few years. Haven't moved due to the location: riverbank at the end of the road so I can go about six miles in one direction and 16 in the other, with two water parks next to the river and lots of other trails, golf courses, sports pitches also; and it is only half a km to my local pub (choice of about a dozen actually...wonder how many survive the present economic situation).

    So, 80 minutes this morning, grey and cool but escaped the drizzle that started just after I finished. Over 10k of the run was off road, and the average pace was exactly 6 mins per km, which if memory serves me right is about 9:40 per mile. Felt nice and comfortable: legs have felt unco-operative since Tuesday's hill session so it made a nice change today. 
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • So unfortunately the proposed race is actually on a Saturday morning (I assumed it would be a Sunday, before checking) and I can’t currently do that due to having the kids while my wife’s at work, so sadly that race is off the cards. Still hoping to find an alternative though.

    7.5 mile easy run this afternoon, to bring the week to 23.5. Pace was 9:02 avr, so a bit slower than recently, but HR down at 142 which is lower than previous long runs.

    Good long run Alehouse.
  • Ps having a decent pub on the doorstep sounds great!
  • Shame about the race, AD. Just over 50 minutes here off road to bring up 53 for the week. Kilometres unfortunately.
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Flu jab this morning, so although I'm sure it shouldn't affect me much I'm going to keep the effort level pretty low on this evening's run.
  • I had my flu jab two and a half weeks ago...and have had a cold ever since. May be a coincidence of course and it may be connected with working in a school, although last year the same happened. The previous ten or so time saw no reaction!

    This was an interesting and, I think, useful article: 
    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/oct/19/physiotherapists-on-the-functional-exercises-everyone-should-do-from-home-and-they-do-themselves

    Yesterday's easy run was harder than the watch said, but felt better today whilst doing what was effectively a fartlek: measuring and devising a course for the Uni cross country team to set times on at any time, subject to their approval when we meet up on Thursday. About 8k to come up with a 1.5k off road loop that is ideal for doing laps of!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Sounds like an interesting project! 

    Thanks for the link to the article - I have done some heel lifts in the past, as I read that they were good for calf strength and stability, but the others are interesting ones to keep in mind.

    I'm planning another time trial on Thursday (3k again, on the same route), as it has been 8 weeks since the last one and I'd like to see what progress I've made in that time. I certainly feel much fitter than 8 weeks ago, but how that translates into the 3k I don't know. Did 12.21 last time, and my pb over that distance is 11.52, so I'm hoping to be able to go somewhere in the 12;0x's this time.

    Got my eye on a 5 mile race at the end of November too, as I can't seem to find a suitable local 5k.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    I've never had a flu jab, on basis I've only had flu once when I was 14. 

    Good luck on the tt,  Andrew. 

    A little short on time as work busy as well as getting ready for hols. Easy 15m Sunday came out lowest hr I can recall on a long run for 7.57mm. It was literally effortless.

    Standard start to week with a session yesterday of 3 x 2m off 1min. First session in a long time I couldn't hit paces. Was aiming for sub 6.20s but I did 3m out straight into a headwind and I think I beat myself up chasing numbers then. I was though pleased with consistency of reps as at 0.5m I didn't think I'd finish the session as I was feel listless and out of energy. Came out 6.33/6.32, 6.32/6.26, 6.27/6.26. 

    I am on antibiotics and pain killers for a nasty ear infection tight now do that may have had a say.

    Day off work today to get sorted for hols so 10m easy this morning, went very similar to Sunday's 15. 
  • DT - I have asthma so get offered the flu jab by the NHS. Hope the ear infection clears up soon. Have a good holiday!
  • Time trial completed - same route as previously. 12:06 compared to 12:21 last time out. 

    Actually did km splits this time - 4:02; 4:09 (more uphill in this km) and 3:55.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Nice going, Andrew. Always a good sign when you can finish faster than you start. 

    Spin this morning first thing then a pleasant 7m trot in the lanes in the Autumn sunshine. 
  • Nice 6 miles for me today - slightly shorter than recent Sundays as part of a cutback week. Lovely sunny weather, much better than yesterday when it rained all afternoon and evening!
  • Decent time trial, AD! Due a race!
    And a cutback week here too! Just 38k. 
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Yes, I’ve just booked a race for 29 November - Hatfield 5 mile.
  • Did a little intervals session this evening - 4(800m off 400m jog). All 4 reps were within a second or two either side of 6:30 pace.
  • Where did you do the session, AD?

    Will be quite a cutback week for me. Had a biopsy into my hip bone yesterday so feeling a little bruised! Also this was the reason for cutting back last week as didn't want to compromise the immune system. Had to have a Covid test last Friday: they are so busy they only tell you if you are positive...so presumably I wasn't! Biopsy results in two to three weeks so won't comment until then!

    Hope that you are not getting too hungover/sunburnt DT!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Just on the roads locally. There’s a block nearby which is about 750m to get around and is relatively flat, so is quite good for reps. Obviously each one started and finished in different places on the loop, but it’s near enough for my level of training.

    Good luck with the biopsy results when they come.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Good luck with the biopsy results,  Alehouse.  

    I hadvto have a covid test entering Greece, which I assume was also negative as heard no further.  

    I've managed my 3 runs for the week, a 4m and 2 x 5m. I dont do sunburn, f30 all day long. As for hangovers we've avoided those largely as you tend to drink leisurely from lunchtime by the pool and the latest night we've had was 11 30 last night so getting a good 8-9 hours sleep.  

    Last day today and back to the nonsense!
  • Sounds good DT - wish we were away. Been cold, rainy and windy here all week! 

    4 easy miles this afternoon 
  • Did a threshold session this afternoon - 4 x 1 mile off 60 secs rest. Plan now says 7:09 for threshold pace, but I always think cruise intervals like this should be done a smidgen faster as you’re getting the little rests.

    Anyway, 7:10, 7:07, 7:02, 7:04.

    5 miles all in including very short warm up and down.
  • Sounds decent, AD! How long is your long run now? I would like to see you working towards 90 minutes!

    Short run this morning: wet and windy. Brought up 183 km for the month; although down on the last few months I am quite happy with that due to cutting back before my biopsy and cutting back even more this week.
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Going to be 8 miles tomorrow Alehouse, so about 70-75 mins depending on how fresh I feel! Looking to stretch to 10 miles by end of year.

    Got 3 miles scheduled later, to take me to 89 miles for the month. Will be 4th in a row above 80 and best month since Jan 2019.

    Good training month for you all things considered.
  • 8 miles in 73.30. Getting there! Could have gone further too.

    Race on 29 November will now be off, sadly, so I’m thinking of alternative options.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Nice long run and session, Andrew. 

    I'd suggest looking to March now for a race. This lockdown is in for the winter. 

    I did 175m in October which is my highest ever October. Not bad given I had a weeks holiday. 

    6m easy yesterday and 10m today. Strange what a week off does. The day before I went away I did the same 10m route at around same pace and it didn't touch the sides. Today, whilst hr was same, my body feels a bit battered. 
  • Conversely DT, on Sunday night I felt a bit wrecked after a tough week but after a rest day yesterday my body feels ready to go again (aside from a niggle on the outside of my left hip, which has been there’s few days and is no doubt connected to my lower back issues in some way!). 

    Got a follow up physio appointment on Thursday morning to check up on my back and also get my hip and the pain at the very top of my tibia looked at.
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