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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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SQ - What sort of rehab are you doing for the hammy?
I am now seeing a sports therapist every two weeks to try and keep on top of my ailments. Classic weak glute diagnosis.
Well done again on the races SC, you're plowing a lone furrow for the thread at the moment. SG better get back in the game to fill out the race report situation.
I am hoping to get some spring racing in, assuming I am fit and able by then. Bit of a cold at the moment so probably looking at my first complete rest day today for about a month.
Just a couple of runs last week, the latter being a slightly quicker affair but I did feel a bit of a hammy pull, nothing serious though and it's my good one :-).
It's normally the time after Christmas to New Year people lose track of what day it is, not now.
Surprised you've got a weak ass Reggie. I always assumed you'd have quite a sturdy one. Not that I've imagined it much.
Actually I'll stop there before this gets worse.
Need a few scaffolding poles SG?
To keep up the sides of that hole you're digging for yourself....
I've always been a bit unstable when seeing the physio and doing the single leg test. Explains why my hamstrings tend to be over-active and prone to injury. Also why I am pathetic at squats and lunges.
Bit of a disrupted week this week with a cold. Gives me a chance to focus more on rehab exercises and activating my lazy arse,
Jools - I hope you make some progress soon, you put a lot into your running, so need it to work properly. I feel your m50 pain of staying healthy though.
SG - windy weather for reps !
Reg - any one legged movements are wobbly for me, esp as you get older. Try standing on one leg with your eyes closed. I'm pushing the squats and deadlifts but know about it when i add some lunges.
Getting over a lingering cold/lurgy, first session in a while yday with 10x3mins, absolutely ruined by a howling wind.
Off about 45 secs, kept wavering between 48-50 depending on wind!!
Finished work until Jan, so had today off.
Considered developing last week's 4x1miler with a 5th mile, but upon reaching Marlow the swirling wind didn't half raise a bit of a doubt.
I tried 2 different stretches, same deal.
So basically ended up with 4x1mile off 90secs, but then threw in 5x1min off 60secs and 5x30secs off 30secs. Obvs each shorter set quicker in pace.
The mile reps came out quicker than last week on Wycombe's road.
5.47, 5.55, 5.50, 5.54
No prizes for seeing the even reps were the windier ones.
(Last week was 5.58, 5.55, 5.54, 5.58)
Last week was still conditions, today was arguably a faster route, but windy. So probably equal out.
So 5 secs a rep quicker this week.
Then the 1mins and 30secs. Didn't get too into the average paces on these as we've said before, the limits of the garmin round ups mean a 0.01m of difference gives a significantly faster average, when really there probably wasn't the stated difference between reps etc.
But the mins were quicker pace than the miles, and 30secs quicker than 1mins, all that mattered.
So decent sesh, still feel a bit of a hamstringy/glute sort of not quite a "limit", but not something I'd want to try a flat out sprint through. Luckily we don't really get involved in those too often at our distances and age
I'm happy with how mine went in the end, but feared a bit of a damp squib when I arrived, but got it done well. The difference is pretty clear between the still and windy odds and evens for me.
That Chichester 10k of 2 years ago was hilarious. I remember doing a 6.30 paced mile, within a 10k on a flat track for goodness sake in good form. Then when the windy bit ended I actually celebrated out loud on the track!
This year's version looks an interesting slight change of set up. Bit more outside the track which probably helps in every way.
Was it always a 9.30 start though? I drove on the day last time without much time worry (just weather!) and don't remember it being that early. 10am before?
Good ad-libbing during the session, SG. You seem to cope well pace wise with some less than ideal surfaces, weather etc. Don’t be soft on a change of start time for Chichester though. I’ve travelled on the morning from Cheltenham 😊.
Good work on the session, TR. Hope the lurgy doesn’t prevent the expected Christmas frothies.
Reg - rehab wise I was in a routine of doing fairly standard gym stuff at work/school. Sweats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings etc. But this all stops once term ends. So lots of core, single leg squats and straight leg deadlifts (body weight) and banded side planks. A greater emphasis on a little bit of static stretching as directed by the sports therapist. She reckoned a tight left quad was causing the tight right hamstring. But also both hamstrings were absurdly short. I believe there is some benefit to runners having relatively short hamstrings (enabling more of a rebound effect), but this was limiting in the extreme! How many hours aerobic XC are you currently doing vs running?
Did the curry remain sensible, SC? I kind of hope not!
Making progress: in a pattern of two days running, one day (indoor) biking. Highlights include a lovely and hilly trail run with a mate early on Wednesday (9:20 pace) and then parkrun this morning. Ran there, short break during the briefing, parkrun, then cool down. 9M at 8:06 average and enjoyed running a few sub 8m/m for a 24:17. Crazy really, but this felt a little aerobically challenging! 7:35 pace was as much as I felt I could mechanically push things, with both hamstrings ludicrously tight.
Ability to handle duration is gradually increasing, but I feel way off doing anything faster. Most importantly, back running a reasonable amount!
Undecided whether to do the annual 7Sins race towards the end of next week. The usual sub 60 is a good challenge, with maybe only 10-15 making it. I’ve never failed, but 100% I wouldn’t make it this time. So a question of whether I fancy a lovely run in the forest with company without smashing myself, albeit for some ££.
And then XC on Saturday 6 Jan. Have already paid for the series so will definitely be there. Probably a nice time to return to some kind of tempo effort. Spikes could be a bit of a risk though.
Merry Christmas everyone, looking forward to some annual reviews in due course. Hoping to get Christmas morning parkrun with the family, coincidentally coinciding with my 200th.
That’s a decent session SG
Nicely done timing the 200 to coincide with Crimbo SQ.
Decent progress on the endurance at least even if it is slow.
I’m feeling the same: ridiculously hard work for what should be little more than easy pace.
23:17 at parkrun today. The leg was driving through rather than swinging so definitely improved since a month ago. Even risked a K warm-up beforehand making this my biggest week since the injury.
SQ - good progress, steady as she goes. Are you Newport or Manchester in the spring?
Jools - no backwards steps has to be the aim, but hopefully you can make some forward progress too..........I can feel some general knee wear and tear at times. When it's warmer (which makes cycling easier) I might have to bike commute more, and drop some of the 5m return commute runs. When it's icy cold is rather run than cycle, my hands dont deal with real cold cycling nowadays.
TR - not keen on Manchester for a third year in a row (fourth in total). So the toss up is Newport vs Boston (Lincs). My mate, Ben, lives in the countryside near Peterborough and so the latter is more convenient for him, Newport for me. Both extremely flat and seem good races. Possibly slightly more of a buzz at Newport, but I am easy going. A 16 week plan for them both would start 8 Jan. The really question is if I am able to ramp things up by then. I hear you on the cross-training front. Doing a bit of indoor biking in the last couple of months hasn’t been as bad as I feared.
Hope everyone is having a good break. I note SG’s session at the most leisurely of start times today 😊.
Christmas Day parkrun was very sociable, but unbelievably busy! A record turnout with just shy of 800 runners. I believe the tokens ran out at 700, so the emergency raffle tickets came into operation. The craziest aspect were the queues. I finished in 26 minutes and had probably 15s wait to actually cross the finish line (as in the timekeepers rather than then end of the funnel where the tokens are distributed). By the time I’d scanned, the queue was scores long and must have been at least a couple of minutes. Not the day to run a PB. But the atmosphere still seemed jolly, thank goodness. I think the hold up was down to two things - a massive number of people all running 26 - 30 minutes and the speed of the token distributer. 8m/m were a bit of a push for me on the morning and the hamstring grumbled. Should have just stuck with something slower.
5M recovery yesterday (Boxing Day) before fancying something meatier this morn. The classic Three Hills of Cleeve. Worryingly, the first descent was probably at the same speed at the first ascent with the hammy seemingly on the verge of snapping if I tried to further extend my step to speed up. Weirdly, by the time of the third descent, things were a bit looser and even managed a spot of 8m/m on the flat back home. Slowest ever time on the segment (51 mins vs 41 mins), but good at least to get an aerobic burn for the ups. Felt like a solid three blocks of tempo effort. 9.5M with 1550 ft ascent, average pace 9:10m/m.
Day off for me Christmas day, a session inc some rare shorter reps yday (4 × 4min and 8 x 1min) and 12m today. I'd like to get as low 37mim as possible at Chichester.
Wed sesh, 6x0.5mile, 5x1min, 5x30secs off 90,60,30secs was decent enough. Bit overcast, midday, bleak with wind, so first half mile was around 6 dead, but rest around 5.48-50. Quicker for the next 2 areas.
Have been aware the glute/hamstring on the left hasn't felt fully free for about 2months now, but sessions have been ok. Originally thought it was one of those areas being tight, but I suspect it's more piriformis now. Especially as can feel it a bit the other side too.
I may have overstretched a bit as my back went a bit tight too. Fine once running, but it's probably now time to get a proper physio onto this. If it was just the back I'd be confident that'd go in a day or 2, but it's the mid term nag in the left glute/hamstring areas I now need an expert on I think.
Have the Bupa physio so would be foolarse not to get onto it.
This all said, 6.5 & 3 and 8.5 today have been fairly comfy in the 740s sort of territory for the longer runs and an 8xx in the dark, sopping wet 3.
Will put some stretches in today and tomorrow's rest day, then hopefully Sunday's long is ok. Then get onto this next week.
Will keep the sections loose and people can yabber on as much or as little as they like.
Any lurkers welcome too. With other social media outlets and people's tendency being to short attention span stuff, we don't know how many more years this sort of forum will last, or how long any of us have to carry on, so erm...make it a goodun
Nice and brief this year
SQ - good to see you getting back to it. Hopefully those hammies ease soon.
TR - as consistently consistent at getting it done as always.
SG - likewise. If you've got physio access make use of it and get yourself sorted.
SC - nicely done at LFOTM.
Jooligan - good news from parkrun/biggest week/better leg drive. Fingers crossed you keep improving.
Reg - hopefully you're over your cold now.
Not much to report from me. Several very low key weeks - covid, flu, Christmas, dog landing on my big toe claws first with 30kg+ of weight behind it (my own fault as I was barefoot, winding him up/playing with him, and know he is a clutz). I done a light double on Wednesday, and then didn't run again until this morning. Hoping to get into it from now really. Supposed to be doing xc tomorrow week, and then the following Saturday, but I'll gauge them both on how I'm feeling as I've still got some joint stiffness hanging around (thought it had all gone, but unfortunately not).
7 - 2 x marathons, 1 x HM, 1 x 10m, 2 x 10km, 1 x 3km.
Unsure. Didn't really pay attention to much racing wise this year.
Being beaten by Jr for the first time.
Running on the track for the first time in about 30 years.
Starting to have occasional urges over the last few weeks to get back to things properly for the first time in years - let's hope that one holds.
Being beaten by Jr for the first time.
Sciatica being so bad before the track 3km that I couldn't even walk up the steps into the stadium. I've run solo quicker in training.
Get fit and find my racing mojo again.
All in all it was a bit of a rubbish year. I didn't race since before my Dad passed in August last year up until Reading HM at the start of April. Both Reading and Maidenhead (10m) were run as controlled training runs to give me the best chance of a positive outcome at London (which I was running 'for' my Dad), and up until my last long run when my shin went, it looked like I might pull something respectable out of the bag.
In the end I made the start line after very little running in the last two weeks, only for my shin to go 2km in, which resulted in 40km of increasingly painful running (still have the chipped tooth as a reminder - I must get that fixed). That race really knocked me - the high emotions of why I persevered to get to the finish line, combined with the stupidly high amounts of pain I had to endure to get there just took the wind out of my sails. The only positive was that I have a new bar for how much pain I can endure in a marathon and keep going, so that will be useful in the future.
Having said that, Reading, Maidenhead, and London, despite being controlled, or way below expectations, still come in over the 80% Age Grading, so it feels a bit childish to be complaining about a crap year when I know many would snap my hand off for those.
Seeing Jr improve so much gave me the kick/confidence I needed to start coaching, which I'm slowly getting into. I handed his training over to a coach at his new club when he moved (principles exactly the same), and he is continuing to develop at an alarmingly quick rate. It is bittersweet as my Dad would have gotten a huge kick out of seeing him running, and out of us going head to head, but que sera sera.
I've only got 16 weeks until London, which from my starting point is nowhere near enough, but at the same time it's enough time to start to put down good training habits and get things moving in the right direction, plus still enough time to do something decent - in 2022 I went from fat and unfit to a 2:35 in 13 weeks, so that gives me a target for 16 weeks' time.
"Interesting" start to 2024 for me.
Wasn't sure how today's run would go after seizing up a little late on in yesterday's 13.
Wycombe having a game at 3 was an incentive to start moving the wake up times a little forward in prep for back to work Wed, but only had to do a 6-7ish sort of single.
On the flattest, smoothest bit of road, about 4miles in, I managed to trip over a bit of undergrowth and take a decent spill.
Not as severe as that rib smash slip within a tempo, but like all trips after ages without one, a bit of an eyeopener.
Did my standard, crouch, style it out, undo and redo my laces, buying a bit of time.
Then ok to carry on, 7.5miles all in.
Usual knees, arms cuts and grazes, random blood blister on the thumb of all places!
You always tend to cut your knee over the joint, so every movement feels more achy than say the arm does.
However, booked an online physio for morning tomorrow, try and get the "actual" niggle looked at
2023 Race total (feel free to break down by disto/type of race)
17
1 x 50K
1 x 20M
1 x HM
3 x 10K (2 x MT)
1 x 4M
5 x 5K (2 x MT)
1 x 7M
4 x relays
2023 Pots (Outright podium, team or Vet)
2023 Highlights
2023 Lowlights
2024 Aims & targets
Miscellaneous
SG - Good effort on the mile reps but tripping on a flat pavement takes some doing!
TT - Hope you're recovered from the canine impact. Enjoyed the review and hope you go well up to London now.
SQ - That's a lot of park runners on Christmas day! This country just goes mad for all this stuff. Sounds like you're slowly building momentum. I am probably doing about 50% in the gym and 50% cardio at the moment. It's all been a bit disrupted over the Christmas period though so hopefully Jan will see more structure.
TR - Hope you're over the cold, sounds like you're going pretty well though.
Jools - Well done on the parkrun, hope you're still progressing.
I've been pretty busy visiting family over Christmas so training has been a bit sporadic. A few days down in Wales allowed for some running so got 30 miles in Christmas week, included some hill reps, 8 x 1 minute. That's the first session done really. Main part of the hill is about 15% so it was a fun session. Also did a steady parkun yesterday at Dinton. It was a bit of a last minute decision so not much warm up but even at just a steady effort I found myself in third early on before slowly moving into first and finishing about 20 seconds clear in 19:34. A nice way to burn off a few drinks from the night before. I now have Saturdays free after my youngest moved gymnastics to Tuesdays so I may do a few more parkruns. That was my 25th and it's taken about 13 years! Maybe I can get to 50 a bit quicker.
So SQ yes curry was sensible...TR - Yes saw the 10k was a championship race, but not going for it.
Did Watford parkrun on way to Poole, came back 1st in 16.53, good battle in last k, plus lots of negotiating the other runners. Quite a fast course tho. Sadly a really decent runner from 80's holds the V50 record in the 16.40's.
Few runs down at the parents, then back home for the LFOTM on the 29th. Steady ish out on 1st K, then max racing effort, ended up with 16.24. Pretty windy and the Nov winner was 15 secs down on his time then, so i'll take that.
Did Houghton Hall Parkrun Dunstable 30/12, came back first 17.30 odd, then went to Bedford to train with Ollie's mates - 3 x 1.5 miles off 2 mins
Did another parkrun New Years Day, 19.40 odd, bit of a back twinge, so steady out and a bit harder back.
Not training tonight, bit of a sniffle, back still not 100% right.
3 but only one was raced and that was London Marathon. Others were two HMs. I also did two parkruns and a middle distance triathlon, plus a time trial on the bike.
2023 Pots
I was third in the triathlon but would have won if it wasn't for bike mechanicals. Second in the time trial.
2023 Highlights
A PB in the time trial of 20:49 with almost no cycle training and just standard wheels was a pleasant surprise. Also and a bit of a weird one but the 100 mile week I did culminating in running Reading half in 76 minutes at a pretty steady effort made me feel like a proper runner for a while :-). 2:38 marathon wasn't what I wanted due to all the injuries but I am pleased to have got through the training cycle amassing a reasonable mileage, especially as most of those miles hurt in some way!
2023 Lowlights
Niggles flaring up in the marathon taper was annoying and the hamstring tears, in particular during Bracknell half which just killed all the running momentum and changed the course of my training.
2024 Aims & targets
Get strong, balanced and injury free in time for the Hyrox race in May. I don't really have any goals for the race itself as it's my first, other than to be able to push that 200kg sled without any issues! I reckon I need to add 5kg of muscle though and I am not confident about that!
Future goals may come off the back of that event but I'll likely follow with a block aiming for a Sub 16 minutes for 5k as I think I'll probably be a bit heavy to excel at longer distances.
Online physio suggested one of 2 things - some back related referred thing, or what's gone down on the summary - possible proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Anyone had anything like that?
Ideally it'll be some referred thing due to being tight elsewhere, but if it is a rest job etc will no doubt do whatever is advised.
Can feel it a bit when running, but not pain or anything, just a light sort of glitchy feel on the left and a bit on the right. Can go a bit tighter in the hip flexors too.
Over to the expert I suppose. Will do what needs be to recover, as you'd expect from me
In one way it's a relief to finally get something done here, as could tell it wasn't right when monstering sessions and feeling approaching top speed wasn't quite right - albeit you don't often hit anywhere near top speed for our distances do you!
In fact the spring campaign of 2022 that saw my PBs tumble was accompanied by that exact ailment. I don't think it's a complete rest job, more a case of strengthening and sorting any mobility issues whilst potentially modifying training volume and intensity whilst you cure the root cause. I was given an expected 3 months or so to slowly resolve it which was probably about right from memory.