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The Middle Ground
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Nice and relaxed - 10 minute miling at an average HR of 142bpm.
Next week looks like it might be a bit of a write off with snow and ice.
I also shifted my run from tomorrow to today. With snow tomorrow which will turn to ice on Monday I’m not sure when the next run might be though!
4 miles at 8.42 pace.
46km for the week, with 543m of climbing.
Did you guys get hit by snow? Some good progress both.
57m for the week with two sessions involving sub 40 , 10ks then18m today which frankly barely touched the sides at 7.39mm. Big week this week with step ups on various runs.
Good week there DT - hopefully you're planned monster week won't be too affected by the weather.
Plenty of the white stuff on the ground round here now, with temperatures in minus figures until Thursday so it won't melt any time soon and will probably just turn into ice. So this week's running might have to be crammed into Thursday - Sunday!
Even if there's similar snow tonight, I suspect the stuff that's already down will get compressed and will thaw/refreeze, forming a very slippy layer under any new snow. It's now looking like it may not even start to warm up until Sunday.
That's a nice little covering, Muss. It is lovely to run on like that, it's when it starts disappearing it becomes a problem.
Alehouse, sorry to hear the meds are affecting you also. Hopefully they can adjust those at least?
No issues here so far with snow so yesterdays 10 x 1k off 1m went off as planned. First couple came in low 3.40s then the remainder 3.35-3.40. Had a look back through data and that's the best set of paces I've hit on that session for the least effort also. Out for a 12m MLR over lunch. Will need to wrap up warm, given I was quite cold yesterday and I was running at effort, today will just be skipping along.
How are you feeling Alehouse? I hope better.
11km in the ice today. I left it till afternoon to maximize thaw time, but it was still a trudgy and slow affair, not enjoyable at all. I ended up on my arse twice - luckily they were on soft mud so only my pride was hurt.
I'll definitely be taking that cut back - I was planning on it happening next week, but pointless trudging on through unenjoyable and treacherous conditions and then not making the most of the better conditions next week...
Muss, it's difficult to know as races do strange things to what you can manage. I know that 8 weeks ago 6.10mm was hmp and I am fitter now. I also know that my 10k pb pace from January 2020 is 6mm, so i'd like to think that session was between 10k and HMP, which could also be called threshold I suppose. In terms of effort level, It was only really the last 3 where I was hands to knees and that's because 2 of them were straight into a headwind which involved much harder work than the tailwind option.
I'm amazed I've not fallen yet in the last month or so.
I went out over lunch for a 12m MLR.
Struggling here. Procedure went to plan but then had reaction to antibiotics. Then terrible pain in one kidney so The Christie sent an ambulance out. Paramedics happy with everything. GP saw the results and wasn't happy and sent me to A&E, who also found nothing, despite me being in obvious pain. Consultant phoned and is going to organise a scan, but no idea when this will be. Would be nice to go for a run!
DT - does that mean that you've had bad news about your marathon?
45 mins very easy on the bike today. The roads were fine, but I also took a cycle path along a stream which had some hairy moments.
Muss, no not yet, I understand that they are waiting on the Government road map announcement w/c 22/02 before making decisions.
It's just I would usually do a 10k or half about 5 weeks out to gauge where I was and for the fitness boost of a race effort. I am not going out to do a hm timetrial on my own so 10k it is.
Brave going out cycling in this weather!
Alehouse, I think Lewis and I know that I won't discover my full potential within the timetrial as you can't dig deep enough in that scenario, but it provides a good idea of things. It helps then with working out other pace etc as my long runs have started coming out around 7.45 pace these days which is within the bottom end of McMillian paces for me but it's still a stretch from never run easy faster than 8mm.
Sorry to here you are struggling. Hopefully things will l pick up asap and you can get that scan done.
Was readmitted to Christie yesterday pm. Generally feel awful! Can't get over to them that my resting HR is usually about 45. Last night the low was 63 and they said that was fine. Not to me! Blood pressure low and feel dizzy plus pain around kidney area still. Still awaiting scan. Hope to have better news next time I post!
Regarding RHR, all sorts of things could be causing it to be high - I find when I'm stressed out by work that my RHR can be as much as 10/15 BPM higher, so imagine what being in hospital, having poor sleep etc. will do to you. Also, could any of the drugs they've got you on be causing it to be high?
DT - Yep, not sure why I thought cycling would be the safer and more enjoyable option!
Is there anyone you can run with that could give you some support? Even someone who could join you for 5k? Or pace you on a bike?
Things are improving here, as many of the pavements have thawed, but there is still quite a lot of ice about, much of it is on pavements with a camber/rolling paths in parks, so not ideal. I'll go for a walk today, and hopefully that will allow me to assess if I'll get out for a run tomorrow. Sunday should be fine.
Firstly, Alehouse - I echo what the other guys have said. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
DT - good luck in the TT. Any target time in mind?
Muss - cut back weeks are always a blessing in disguise I think! They frustrate you at the time, but end up giving your body a much needed break.
Which is convenient, as I seem to be having a lower mileage week as well (even lower mileage week, perhaps that should say!). I woke on Saturday morning with sharp pain in my right ankle, and real stiffness meaning I couldn't really flex or rotate it without pain. This eased by Sunday and I managed to get out for a run on both Sunday and Monday, but by Tuesday I was back to square one with the pain so have knocked running on the head since then. Today is the first day that it feels pretty much as normal, so I may see how it reacts to a very short run this evening. if it feels ok tomorrow then I'll run again on Sunday, but if it causes the pain to flare up again then I'll take another couple of days off.
Alehouse, yes you'll be quite an anomoly to them in that regard! Hoping things improve for you over the weekend.
Muss, not a bad idea. I think getting someone who could run even 5k with me would take a bit more planning than would be feasible, however getting someone to cycle just ahead of me might work and help.
AD- I shall be gunning for 5.59mm which would be a nominal pb. If I can do that in such a run hen I am on for something decent in an actual race. I'd be happy if I could do 37.59.
That's a shame re the ankle Andrew. What might have caused that?
Today was 12.5m with 10m at tempo. I was bitterly cold in my warm up running straight into the wind. I soon warmed up once the tempo started however. In that regard it was a glorious tempo with usual application heading for an average bpm of 160 and a small negative split. Both were achieved with a 6.19mm average pace and bizarrely a 2s, 10m pb. Not bad given there was a pretty strong wind about and I was making the route up as I went.
Just a 20 to contend with now on sunday, for which it looks set to be warmer!
Good luck Alehouse - hope you feel better over the weekend.
AD - I've had my fair share of ankle injuries from twists/sprains from my football days. I think if the pain that you're experiencing was from rolling it, then you'd have no doubt as to the incident. They tend to swell up and bruise very quickly, and I've only had sharp pain when I could barely put weight on the foot in question. For me those injuries tend to feel more along the lines of dull aches, even if they are very high on the pain scale. But who knows, these descriptive words for pain are so subjective!
In the mean time, I've found doing plenty of ankle circles/drawing the alphabet with your foot really helps those injuries clear up very quickly.
Went out for a gentle walk earlier. It was very bitter out - BBC weather is saying it feels like -8°C. Some of the paths seem very icy, others completely clear. I'll try out a run tomorrow morning - plenty of people seemed to be managing pretty well, and if the worst comes to the worse, I can just stick to running back and forth on one clear road!
On the plus side, my knee is feeling quite good this week. I think the exercises are definitely starting to make a difference in the leg strength.
Only 2 miles tonight to take it easy on the ankle. HR only 135 so I obviously took it very easy 😂
6.5km nice and relaxed. Perceived effort was very low, in fact I think it was the most relaxed I've felt in a long time. But looking back at the data, HR was higher than I would have liked to see for the effort, at 153bpm average. It was around 140bpm for the first half, and then suddenly leapt up to 160bpm without any obvious reason. It still felt very comfortable, so I held on at that effort. Cold, concentrating on my footing and my weights session yesterday could all be reasons for it being high.
Looking forward to warmer temperatures next week!
Well, after a successful very short run on Friday night, and then feeling good on Saturday (even to the point that pressing around the area yielded no pain), I stupidly managed to bang my knee into the corner of a table on Sunday right on the exact spot where I get the tenderness and pain. Two days on, my knee still feels all stiff and the tenderness is still there.
Very annoying.
Not even thinking about running: last run was two weeks ago today. Have felt rough for the last couple of days, just when things should be getting better. Have been going very light headed and as if to prove the point I went for 15 minutes very slow walk yesterday and had to hold onto a wall a couple of times. Obviously something wrong and saw GP this morning who has diagnosed vertigo and put me on meds for that. February is not turning out to be the best of months, fitness wise!
alehouse, that's a shame re the vertigo, though in the overall scheme of things, it could have been a worse and more problematic outcome.
AD, shame about the knee. I find that however. Whenever I feel a bit ore in my left hip, I find myself having various nearly incidents that involve straining that area.
Muss, there are various reasons why HR can spike upwards that way. I find I can do it to myself quite easily, particularly when on an easy run, just by visualising myself racing. It's like a surge of adrenaline kicks in.
Decent first 20m of the campaign on sunday, came in at 7.38mm with a mild pace pick up throughout 2nd half.
Decent session today of 6 x 1m off 1 min. Average rep pace was 5.49mm which I was pleased with, particularly as I started off controlled with a 6.02 rep.
12m MLR tomorrow which i'll keep pretty easy. Funny after so many weeks of really wrapping up, to suddenly be out in shorts and t'shirt.
Will you be backing off a few days before your 10k TT?
Yes, I will be tapering back as if it were a 'B' race whilst remembering the A race is still pending.
So a much lighter session Tuesday of 10 x 2 mins off 1 min at around 10k pace so almost a load of strides, then Wednesdays MLR will just be 9m at recovery effort. Monday and Thursday will just be 4m each at recovery also.
Yes it could have for sure. As my back consultant said to me when he told me I had a stress fracture, in the scheme of what could have been causing my symptoms I had lucked in with that diagnosis as it was fully recoverable by doing nothing more than waiting.
DT - flying through your sessions again!
No running for me yet this week. Hoping the knee will have eased enough to allow a short one tomorrow. Ankle still a bit stiff too. Lots to chat to the physio about at my follow up appointment next week.