Week 7 of 13 (11th - 17th Feb)

WEEK 7
Mon - Conditioning work
Tue - Track session (15 x 1000 off 1 min c. 3m38 per rep, 5:50 mpm)
Wed - 8.5m XC (8:25 mpm)
Thu AM - 7.5m (7:55 mpm)
Thu PM -"To failure" Track Session (5 x 800m off 3minutes, 2:24, 2:24, 2:28, 2:34, 2:38)
Fri - 3.1m (7:30 mpm)
Sat - 7.5m (8:00 mpm)
Sun - Rest
TOTAL MILEAGE - 39.5

So time is ticking away and I seem to be struggling to string together two good weeks of training on the bounce. On paper this week looks quite disappointing with yet again low mileage. I've been a little unfortunate that the tight calf I was struggling a few weeks ago seems to have come back. Friday's run was uncharacteristically short for this reason. I guess this little niggle can be of no suprise. After what must've been a depressing read on last week's blog I had a number of e-mails and messages from friends basically saying "chin-up lad". Low morale, fatigue, injury risk, all these things are related.

So on the positive side, the two key sessions I did do this week were pretty good. 15 x 1km on the track is tough going but I managed this pretty comfortably. Cardiovascually I was in the best shape I've felt for a while doing that kind of session. Thursday night's track session was a "to failure" session. The aim of the session was to run the 800m reps in 2:23. I would continue trying to run 2:23 until my average rep was above 2:32. The idea is that the 2:23 are very very hard, the session pushes me beyond my current limits and then my rep times fall off the clif. The result a lot of lactic acid. Unfortunately my average didn't go above 2:32 so I probably should've done a few more reps, but I tried to run the 6th rep and had to step off the track after 300m. The lactic acid was absolutley brutal. Not something us ultrarunners usually have to deal with. We are hoping that by the summer the 2:23 per 800m will be extrapolated up to 3000m. Something to look forward to after the ACP.

This week I'm feeling quite relaxed about the missed training. I'm not injured as such, as I ran for an hour on Saurday hassle free. A lot of hard work has been done (but not as much I as would like has been evidenced on the blog) and this could easily be undone by just plodding on with the training and pretending it's all okay. So I have to try and be mature and manage this in a way to maximise my training. Which is why I decided that rest was the course of action for the day. The only shame is that I am due to be running the Barry 40 next week and this kind of preparation is not as ideal. I have a couple of options for Barry but I guess it is all dependent on how I can deal with the calf this week. If the calf recovers quickly I just treat this week as a bonus taper week that I wasn't expecting. If the calf takes a little longer, I will still head down to Barry and run this as training event. I would like to run long next weekend anyway since I haven't done so in the past two weekend. So it's just a case of whether or not it will be easy or it will be hard. Let's hope for the latter! As my wife said "let's not do any that will jepodise Perth". For a non-runner she obviously gets it more than I sometimes credit her.

Plan to get me in best shape for Barry is a second trip to the Osteopath (seen already on Friday evening), sports massage on Wednesday, easy week of running, early nights and the next. I've not had any rehab treatment was almost a year now, but with this niggle raising its head twice in the period of a month it's time to take some more serious action. As I said I want to be at Barry regardless if I am to race or to plod. I missed the race last year and just want to experience what is one of the classic events on the UK circuit. Maybe it's just a cursed event for me and my body's way of avoiding running 161 laps of the track!

On the England team front, I received some more official confirmation this week. The kit order has already gone in. All exciting stuff. I've been scouring the internet for news on the other teams but am yet to see any information. I'm sure you will all let us know when you find out.

Mileage so far: 39, 73, 102, 31, 29, 76, 40

Week 6 of 13 (4th Feb - 10th Feb)

WEEK 6
Mon AM - Conditioning work
Mon PM - 11m (8:00 mpm)
Tue - 1.6km w/u. Interval Session 6km @ 5:43 mpm, 3km @ 5:41 mpm, 2km @ 5:35 mpm, 1.6km @ 5:36 mpm, 1.2km @ 5:35 mpm, 0.9km @ 5:33 mpm, 0.6km @ 5:26 mpm, 0.4km @ 5:18 mpm
Wed Lunch - Weights - Cleans, overhead squat, deadlifts
Wed PM - 8m (8:00 mpm)
Thu -2.25m w/u, 31 x 400m (c. 1:40 per 400, 20 secs rest), 2.75m w/d
Fri - Rest / Yoga
Sat - 12 x 1.3m + w/d (alternating 8:00 mpm and 6:30 mpm) - Total 18m
Sun - 16m (8:00 mpm)
TOTAL MILEAGE - 76.5

Tired this week. I am quite suprised I actually got round to doing the blog as for the first time I really didn't want to. I thought I should be re-energised after holiday. Oh well I guess that's what a week back at work does to you. All in all a positive week, the only session that didn't go to plan was today's planned 30 miler. Physically I felt okay, but a busy weekend socialising left me feeling a little fried. I also had a few personal things to sort out that were playing on my mind. Training isn't always physical and I decided cutting the long run short and using the extra time to sort a few things out and relax would pay dividends. More time to relax and let the mind repair. Besides an 18m / 16m back to back run isn't too bad going.

I have been finding recently I've been getting more and more stressed about running and training and fitting it all in. Partly this is due to an increase in training over the past 6 months, but also I've had a bit of a change in mindset. I used to be positive, adaptable and quite a good problem solver when it comes to fitting all the training in. However it seems I now just get in a strop when it doesn't go my way and I have to juggle things round. I'm pleased I've come to this realisation and I'm trying to make active steps to manage the training load more positively.

On the training front, I was particularly pleased with Tuesday's session. Long rests on these reps, between 4-6 minutes but this was a big accumulation of sub 6 minute pace running. I just wish it was summer again. These sessions at the track were much more enjoyable in short shorts and a vest. Thursday's track session was an interesting one. On paper 31 x 400m doesn't seem that appealing. I was running them off of 2 minutes. The quicker I ran them the more rest I got. I used this session as a opportunity to try and dial into "Barry pace". If I can manage 1m40 a lap at Barry I will be very happy.

Saturday I had an easy 18 miles planned, but with a 30 miler scheduled the following day I couldn't really face the prospect of plodding around. So I went against coach's recommendations and changed the session into some kind of fartlek session of a closed 1.3m loop. It was a good session alternating one fast loop with one slow loop. However, maybe it was part of the reason I jacked in today's big one. All a learning experience.

Next week will be a tough week and I really need to make sure I get the whole week done. This is because the following week will be a taper down for the Barry 40 miler. Whilst I want Barry to have limited impact on training I am realistic. Running 40 miles on the track will damage me. Sessions of note next week are a "to failure" session which I will provide more details on next week and a 37.5 mile super plod.

Last but not least, I got the call this week that I have been selected to represent England in the Anglo Celtic Plate. I am still awaiting details for the rest of the team but this is fantastic news.

Mileage so far: 39, 73, 102, 31, 29, 76

Week 5 of 13 (28th Jan - 3rd Feb)

WEEK 5
Mon - Rest / Holiday
Tue - Rest / Holiday
Wed - Rest / Holiday
Thu -Rest / Holiday
Fri - Rest / Holiday
Sat - Rest / Holiday
Sun - 29m (7:56 mpm)
TOTAL MILEAGE - 29

So not much of a suprise here, a week away skiing and a week away from running. I had planned to do at least some training whilst away but ended up just relaxing instead. My wife and I had a couple of hard days skiing and so that counted for something. We were also staying at 1950m altitude and my lungs feel bigger already! It all counts. The rest from running has given my tight calf some time to loosen off and today's 29 miler gave me no troubles in this respect. However the first day back out on the roads did batter the legs a little, to be expected after 10 days off running. 10 days wow, not pleasant to write when you are in the build up to 100km.

I guess part of the reason I didn't train whilst away is the great similarity between the challenges of running and the challenges of skiing. Skiing satisfies a number of those things running does. I'm not an expert skier so the challenge of working my way down a tricky black run without falling on my arse is akin to completing your first marathon without walking breaks (I think this took me 3 or 4 goes). Similarly going for an easy jog along the river Thames is similar to taking an easy blue run through the forests. I guess skiing gives me the same joy that running does, so whilst I was away the prospect of going outside for some skiing would always win against staying inside and running on the treadmill.

The travel time to the French Alps gave me some thinking time, I've started to pull together my full race / event calendar for the year but I will save the details for another post. I also looked into the prospect of joining the 100 Marathon Club and counted up the number of events I have to count towards membership. I'm currently on 20 eligible events. I need 50 for associate member and 100 for the full member. Think I still have a few years to go on that little project.

In my last post I mentioned that the England team would be announced shortly. I now understand that the team selection has been put forward to England Athletics and we can expect to find out tomorrow at the very earliest. We found this out on Thursday on our holiday, the previous days I had been absolutely glued to my blackberry to the great annoyance of my wife. Tomorrow I will be firmly attached to the blackberry yet again. I know I'm not the only one who this is affecting. However all this waiting will teach us a little a patience, something we will definitely need for all those laps of North Inch Park.

Training starts again serious tomorrow, Barry is not too far on the horizon.

Mileage so far: 39, 73, 102, 31, 29