Why a 17.10 5k loves me but I don’t love it…

Past the 4k marker. The sub 17 5k is on. The scene Newcastle Town Moor – Newcastle parkrun #305 on 9th January.

This is where my running journey began in February 2012 and it would be nice to do it here.

I always said the goal was to do the sub 17 before my 35th birthday. That’s rapidly approaching on 10th March.

Went through 2 miles in 10.50 with equal splits of 5.25. Just need to hold on.

I’m experienced enough to know now that equal splits don’t mean equal effort. I need to increase effort now to maintain 5.25 pace.

But the 3rd mile bites as it always does.

I look down to see 5.50 average on 3rd mile so far, maybe a quarter in. Dig in.

I couldn’t really ask for more.

Conditions were good with no wind to speak of and any mud or gravel sections had been negotiated.

I’d been passed just before 4K by a young lad and we were running together.

Even he was helping me – “well done, keep going”. I returned the compliment but didn’t sound as controlled in the voice.

Still, I was grateful, you don’t often get support from other runners in the heat of the moment, even in parkrun (until it’s all done and dusted at the end).

I had the Angel on my shoulder telling me I’d done this many times before, just finish it off.

And the Devil on the other saying “I just want this to end, stop now”.

Before I knew it the young lad had gotten away. In the space of 400m since the 4K marker he had probably made up over 5-10s on me.

Nothing. I’d improved to 5.42/mile.

Come on keep pushing.

The young lad was pulling further away.

He’d go on to run 16.57…

Turning the corner and probably 400-600m to go.

Turning last corner... More than straining to get back on pace

One paced… Didn’t really think anything.

Was doing my best. I felt like the effort was there but nothing was happening.

Cross the line in 4th place. Click the watch.

17.10…

Why does 17.10 love me but I don’t love it? No less than 4 times since April 2015 I’ve ran exactly 17.10.

On the plus side I ran well. Did everything right.

It’ll come and I’ll smash through into 16.– soon.

It’s all about stamina and a bit of belief. A few more weeks solid training and I’ll be there… I’m sure of it.

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XC 2015/16 | Training Diary | Week 9

Key aim for the week –

Following my fourth Lactate Threshold test last week I’m feeling good and raring to go. Not only was it a chance to see where I’m at but also have a good chat with my coach about what we are trying to do and where we are going.

I’ve always been keen to perform over the Cross Country to the best of my ability and my key focus remains the North East Cross Country championships in December. But I also want to keep one eye on the roads, get the sub 17 5k done and also target some other races over the next couple of months as well.

In terms of my overall conditioning I’ll also be paying special attention to getting my iron levels up so I’ll be keeping an eye on that.

General mental state –

9 – feeling very positive after my Lactate Test results and very hopeful of getting some good training in before my next Cross Country race on 21st November. That said, back on my travels with work Monday/Tuesday and also having a few nights away later in the week so need to manage my time to fit my runs in. This isn’t something I’m always very good at so looking to improve.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being exhausted need a break and 10 being 100% motivated and raring to go

Monday
Plan – Recovery run, 30mins

Had an early couple of flights to Marseilles for a work meeting and managed to get out after 5ish for a run. I was pleased that I still had plenty of daylight as I went for a run from my hotel in Martigues looking for some suitable running paths. As it happened I was staying very close to a river which had a nice stretch of pavement and I found a section that I could run up and down about 8-10 minutes each way. Really enjoyed it and felt very strong. After my Lactate Test last week I have started supplementing iron to try to get my Haemoglobin levels up and I felt better already – breathing much stronger and generally felt great. 5.2 miles in 36 minutes. Average HR 155bpm.

Tuesday
Plan – Recovery run, 40mins

Got up before breakfast and jogged down to the same route. I’d slept well but decided to make this run easier than yesterday. Again felt good and 5.2 miles in ~38 minutes. Average HR only 150bpm.

Wednesday
Plan – Threshold run, 50mins

This was my first chance to implement the slightly different training methods we will be looking to employ following my latest test last week. We will be looking to implement more interval style threshold sessions to ask my body different questions in terms of how it deals with lactate build up. So the plan was to do 8-10 5 minute intervals with 1 minute rest.

I got out on my usual route around Kenton and Town Moor in Newcastle. With the British summer time now over in the UK it was pitch black and winter training is now underway despite the extremely mild temperatures. I used my Garmin 610 to help manage the intervals and rests.

Overall I quite enjoyed the session versus a standard threshold run. It felt more interesting and a welcome change. That was until I got to the 6th interval! It really starting getting tough both mentally and physically. Obviously a standard threshold run gets difficult around that stage (30+ minutes) but this felt different. I can only say that the cumulative lactic acid build up is more pronounced. I was not looking forward to the remaining reps.

That said I toughed it out and completed 8 intervals of 5 minutes each with all averaging sub 6 minute miling except one. Very pleased with the session and can see that this setup allows me to push a bit harder and get used to some faster running.

Thursday
Plan – Threshold run, 30mins

Packed my running gear with the plan of completing the run on my lunch break. Got out as planned and completed 6x 5 minute intervals with 1 minute rest jog. I was still feeling some fatigue from last nights session so took the decision to run these reps more relaxed. The reps averaged between 6-6.10 minute miling and pleasingly the last was the fastest averaging 5.57/mile.

Friday
Plan – Rest

Nice stay in Stamford Bridge near York. Enjoyed a day off running.

Saturday
Plan – Threshold run, 30mins

Was able to fit my run in following a drive up from York back to Newcastle.

The plan was 2x 15 minutes. The first 15 at the top of my threshold zone and the second into tempo (>181bpm) following a 5 minute jog rest.

Given that I’d been away for a couple of nights and felt a little tired I wasn’t sure how it would go. After a short warm up I got into it quite nicely. I settled around 5.50 miling and felt quite good – in control and breathing well. My heart rate was 175-178bpm which felt right. I started working a bit harder towards the end and finished the 15 averaging 5.52/mile.

On my 5 minute jog I decided I’d aim to negative split around 5.45 miling and see where the heart rate went. Got stuck in and was looking at 5.20-5.25 miling for the first 5 to 8 minutes. Again my heart rate was sitting at 178-179bpm and not quite getting into Tempo. The last 7 minutes got tough and I really had to push as my average pace slipped to 5.30 then 5.35 and finally finished 5.39 fighting not to slip to 5.40!

Still a great session and very pleased to effectively run 5.2 miles in 30 minutes which is probably bang on 10k PB pace at Threshold.

Sunday
Plan – Long run, 80mins

Was out for Halloween celebrations on Saturday night and a little late to bed so a little late out for my run. The weather was glorious and felt more like a nice summers morning than 1st November.

I decided to leave my heart rate monitor at home and just worked off the Garmin. As a result I ran harder than normal and completed 12 miles in over 1hr 22. Felt tough towards the end but pleased with it and didn’t feel overly fatigued later so a good sign.

Weekly totals and Summary

Duration – 5h 10m
Mileage – 45.2 miles

Overall really pleased with this week more in terms of how I have been able to keep things going despite a busy week outside of my running. In terms of my key threshold runs I’m feeling strong and the variation on how I complete the runs I think will really benefit my overall fitness. I was especially happy with the 2x 15 minute threshold on Saturday – I felt confident and in control and my overall pace is heading in the right direction. Exciting times.

This week I have been listening to –

I listened to some Hot Chip on my Long Run this week. They are a fairly well known and successful band but still underrated in my view and great to run to as well.

This week I have been thinking a lot about –

Getting in shape for my next Cross Country races at the back end of November and making sure I’m mentally ready to give my all in two back to back races which will take us to half way in the season. The next race is at Aykley Heads in Durham and I’m looking forward to giving the course another go. Its a proper test with some tough hills at the very end of each lap.

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XC 2015/16 | Training Diary | Week 7

Key aim for the week –

So last week was one of those weeks you want to put to one side. But it ended on a positive note on Sunday – I ditched the heart rate monitor and just got out and ran for an hour or so. Sometimes that’s all you need to blow away the cobwebs both mentally and physically. And so I felt much better at the end of the week versus the start.

OK I missed a race that I would have liked to have competed in but sometimes you have to change plans and think about the longer term. It was the correct decision and it opens up a good few weeks of training window before the next North East Harrier League fixture in November.

Time to get back on track. That said, no need to do anything silly this week and it will be predominantly easy running, keeping total duration overall around the same at 4-5hrs.

Weight on Monday morning –

???kgs

I think this section of the blog will be getting deleted!

General mental state –

8.5 – feel like I’ve gotten through a rough patch and ready to get back on the uptick. With feeling under the weather last week I decided to get my ithlete HRV tracking back on to ensure that I am paying closer attention to my morning resting heart rate and making sure I don’t train hard on days where my heart rate is elevated or HRV has dipped. Given my day job my stress levels are quite high. So high at the moment that it is very very difficult to ever get a “rest day”. So I will record on here my morning heart rate and HRV readings for those that are interested.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being exhausted need a break and 10 being 100% motivated and raring to go

Monday
Plan – Easy run, 45mins

HR = 52bpm | HRV = 107

Was pleased with the morning heart and HRV data and it confirmed how I was feeling, i.e. over the head cold. The advice from coach was to keep it easy all week. If I felt fully recovered I could maybe get 1 beat into threshold zone later in the week.

Got out and felt really good. I got the Garmin foot pod out. Actually I wore it on yesterdays Long Run as I just felt like I was letting things get lazy on the cadence front. That was confirmed when I let myself get into my natural rhythm of the last few months without the guidance of the foot pod. Its an excellent correctional tool and straight away I could see I’d let myself slip to the low 160s. That’s where I used to be prior to earlier this year where I put a load of effort into improving. I knew it had really helped my running. I know from experience that a quicker cadence helps you glide over the ground more efficiently, keeping your heart rate down and ultimately allowing you to run faster at a lower heart rate.

Anyway, the upshot is I will be wearing the foot pod a lot more to get back on track. On this run I was able to push my cadence up to 170 steps per minute and it paid off in terms of pace. I ran about 6.6 miles in 46 minutes at an average HR of 155bpm. Maybe the heart rate still a little elevated but felt good overall.

Tuesday
Plan – Threshold run, 40mins

HR = 56bpm | HRV = 98

The key thing with measuring HRV is establishing a baseline. Ideally you would do that on a week off but I am trying to do it whilst still getting my runs in. Day two proper and my heart rate has elevated 4bpm and HRV dropped to 98. Still no reason to change anything. But definitely no return to Threshold running yet.

I decided to run the same route as yesterday but throw in 1 mile at Threshold between miles 3 and 4. Again set off and everything felt great. So great in fact that I ticked off the first 3 miles in 6.55, 6.45 and 6.39 – heart rate around 150-155bpm!

Coming to the Threshold mile I increased the effort and felt good. Towards the end of the mile my Heart Rate got to a max of 180bpm and I was pleased to see a 5.43 mile. A good sign.

Padded in quite nicely for home and overall completed 6.6 miles in just over 44 minutes.

Wednesday
Plan – Recovery run, 50mins

HR = 64bpm | HRV = 81

A little bit worrying to see the Heart Rate another 8bpm higher than yesterday and HRV dropping to 81. Need to take heed. Not sleeping great. Plan was to run nice and easy later. That said when I got out it didn’t feel any different and, again, 6.6 miles were completed in ~47 minutes.

Thursday
Plan – Threshold run, 45mins

HR = 62bpm | HRV = 89

Slight recovery in HR and HRV this morning. Still feeling like I’m not getting a full nights sleep. But feeling better. The plan tonight was to keep it really easy for a shorter duration and then add 5x20s strides with jog recovery to finish up. I decided not to wear the heart rate monitor and just ran really easy. Was probably running 7.30-8.00 minute mile pace. The strides at the end felt strong. No worries.

Friday
Plan – Rest

HR = 58bpm | HRV = 100

Good to see further improvement with HR coming down and HRV increasing back to 3 figures. With a rest day today I’m hoping to see further signs of the rest doing me good on Saturday morning and if so I might visit a parkrun for a Threshold and then add further duration afterwards. We will see in the morning.

Saturday
Plan – Threshold run, 45mins

HR = 54bpm | HRV = 102

I didn’t feel amazing on waking around 8am but that’s the great thing about HRV – all looked in order so I decided to have a look down Newcastle parkrun as the weather looked decent. Had a short jog down and got on the start line.

I had thought a little bit about what I wanted to do. I had thought maybe do 1 mile at HM pace (6ish), 1 mile at 10k pace (5.44ish) and 1 mile at 5k target pace (<5.30ish). But that wasn’t really cemented in my mind as I stood on the start line. I felt very calm and content so I just thought give it a go.

As we set off a couple of exuberant young lads set off with a couple of others. I felt like I started strongly so they stole a few yards. About half a mile in I’d got past the two really young lads and I had two about 5 metres in front. By about 3/4 of a mile I was into second. The lad in front had a Jarrow & Hebburn running vest on. I’d say he was about 5-10 metres ahead and I just worked to see what would happen.

I think around then I glanced down at 5.22 a mile on the Garmin. I have 5.28/mile planted on the brain as I know that’s sub 17 minute 5k pace so I just thought “come on then lets have a go”.

Passing through 1 mile nothing had really changed. The path at this point is very slightly downhill which is great, the only problem is its pretty uneven and you have to focus on your footing. It was around here that I felt like I was starting to lose anyone who may have been chasing me. Coming up to a mile it felt like there was a big group hunting me down but that seemed to subside.

Often coming through the gate just before 2k and back onto the Moor sees a head wind appear but not today. I thought to myself – this is perfect. The guy in front wasn’t getting away and at times I felt like I was getting closer. I was hoping to keep it that way.

My second mile was very strong – later I would see that it was completed in 5.21. The first mile was 5.31 so I was sitting on sub 17 pace.

Putting in a strong 2nd mile at Newcastle parkrun

Mile 3 is always difficult though and today the first quarter was the only point where it felt into a head wind. But I was really pleased with my attitude. There was no real negativity and in fact I did everything right. Consciously tried to quicken the cadence and dig in. Some positive self talk came through and I was able to really tough it out and get back onto better footing and out of the head wind.

At this point I saw one of the young lads walking back – he’d obviously dropped out early. Went off far too hard I imagine.

Although I was pleased with my effort, unfortunately I’d let the guy infront increase his lead. I gritted my teeth and tried to pick up some speed.

I really enjoyed the last 3/4 of a mile. I felt like I was running strong. I completed the 3rd mile in 5.40 which was an obvious dip from miles 1 and 2 but still faster than 10k PB pace and looking at the final push for home I averaged 4.50 miling on the Garmin and so a nice strong finish.

Crossing the line the Garmin read 17.10 which equaled my 5k parkrun PB from the Riverside in April and knocked 21 seconds off my Newcastle parkrun PB! So very pleasing. Personally I regard Newcastle a tougher course than the Riverside so plenty to be pleased about.

I later realised this was my 50th parkrun and so great to get a PB on that landmark!

Actually looking forward to a Long Run tomorrow!

Sunday
Plan – Long run, 80mins

HR = 58bpm | HRV = 89

Enjoyed a nice steak and a fair few glasses of red last night. Got to bed a bit late and as a result the HRV reading wasn’t great and so the run proved quite tough. I ran my usual route and after about 30 minutes I knew I was working harder than normal. It wasn’t that windy but it felt it. I got through it but was glad when it was over. Not my best long run outing. I do find these runs the hardest of the week and I hope one day I can get stronger on these. I completed 11.2 miles in 1hr 22m at an average HR of 157bpm.

Weekly totals and Summary

Duration – 5h 13m

Mileage – 44.3 miles

Overall a pleasing week, mainly focusing on just getting back into it. But felt good come Saturday and was really pleased to put a strong 5k on the board which is a confidence booster more than anything.

Looking ahead now to my 4th Lactate Threshold test on Friday and hoping to get some results that underline the progress I have made since March. The key for me will be to understand where we go from here and I am really keen to put in a sub 17 minute 5k somewhere between now and the end of 2015 so that I can move on to goals new.

This week I have been listening to –

I have to admit its still Sleaford Mods. As my mate Glen said – the most important band in the UK today. I saw them on Jools Holland this week and it was definitely the best performance I’ve seen on there for some time. Great stuff.

This week I have been thinking a lot about –

Sleep – I have to admit I’m not sleeping great at the moment. I think its more to do with my general stress levels because I’ve got a hell of a lot going on at the moment. Its fine as the extra stress is due to me trying to better myself and start an online business that I am passionate about but, as a result, my head is spinning when I go to bed… Just need to manage it a bit better.

Contact me

Follow my training on Strava –
Kev Richardson Strava profile

For free running advice (and loads of other stuff!) check out –
RUN 5k FASTER

XC 2015/16 | Training Diary | Week 5

Key aim for the week –

I was pleased with my run on Saturday last week so I come into Week 5 with renewed vigour. Feel like I’m building momentum and I know weeks 5-8 of any plan can see big fitness improvements and gains. I do feel like I’ll start turning something of a corner if I keep this going. All going to plan and feeling good and strong. Lets get stuck into week 5!

In terms of the plan its very similar to Week 4 with Saturdays race replaced by a threshold run.

Weight on Monday morning –

???kgs

Didn’t check again.

General mental state –

9.5 – feeling a boost after the XC race on Saturday and looking to keep the motivation high. I am very keen to get the sub 17 minute 5k put to bed over the coming weeks as well although it will no doubt have to be a parkrun due to the lack of 5k races around.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being exhausted need a break and 10 being 100% motivated and raring to go

Monday
Plan – Easy run, 45mins

Got out, the weather was good and everything fell into place. 6.6 miles in 45 minutes at an average HR of 153bpm. Afterwards I completed 5 times 20 seconds strides just to get a little bit of 5k race pace in the legs.

All in all feeling strong and interested to see if the improved easy zone pace translates into some improvement at threshold intensity. If I can start to see my threshold pace threatening 6 minutes per mile at the right intensity for 40 minutes then I know I am shape to break 17 minutes for 5k!

Tuesday
Plan – Threshold run, 40mins

The weather was great again so I decided on a change of run route. I have the Newcastle Town Moor on my doorstep and there is a nice loop probably over a mile round. I have completed a threshold run around there before so after a warm up I got stuck in.

I was hoping to threaten 6 minutes per mile and the weather was so good I pretty much did so. I was enjoying the run and giving it some effort.

I only started hurting a little in the last 5-10 minutes and I had to battle a little but I was still ticking off miles in 5.56 on the Garmin.

All in all a great workout. Strava reported that I’d completed 10K in ~37.30 and overall 6.6 miles in 40mins at an average HR of 170bpm. Pleasing.

Wednesday
Plan – Recovery run, 45mins

I felt like I might suffer a bit for yesterday’s effort but instead I put in my strongest “easy” run to date!

It just felt like I could push the pace and the heart rate felt controlled and never threatened to spill into a true threshold.

I take this as a positive sign that my strength and fitness is improving.

6.6 miles were ticked off in the 45mins at an average HR of only 150bpm.

Thursday
Plan – Threshold run, 40mins

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – Thursday workouts are tough! I’ve always got one eye on the Friday rest day to be honest but actually this was a pleasing run. That said I had to work for at and in many regards it felt like it might never end.

Again my heart rate was generally staying lower than I am used to despite the perceived threshold effort. I was aiming for 6.08s on the Garmin but, after getting into my stride the first two miles, I got miles 4 and 5 slotted in sub 6 minute miling fairly comfortably. As a result I was sitting on 6.02/3s and feeling good for it.

Slowed a little coming home but that is normal and I ended up with 7.3 miles in 45mins and an average HR of only 163bpm which strictly speaking isn’t even threshold! That said it was tough and I felt it. Rest day tomorrow feels well deserved!

Friday
Plan – Rest

Saturday
Plan – Threshold run, 45mins

I would usually run on a Saturday morning but I had some errands to run and also an article to write for my other website RUN 5k FASTER so it was afternoon before I got out.

If honest I wasn’t fully up for another effort like Thursday so I had a half plan of building into it the first half and then pushing on the second half.

The first mile was a lot slower than normal but then I threw in a few efforts and it was becoming more of a fartlek than anything.

First 5k was done sub 20mins comfortably and had a little go pushing on a bit. Wasn’t feeling amazing and maybe huffed and puffed for it a little towards the end.

I wasn’t desperate to run all 45 minutes and ended up clicking the watch just under 42 with 6.6 miles completed at an average HR of 163bpm again. Fair dos.

Sunday
Plan – Long run, 80mins

Got to bed a bit late so didn’t get out in the morning. Watched Callum Hawkins absolutely bossing the Half Marathon in Glasgow. Impressive stuff.

Didn’t get out until the afternoon after a family meal. What an awful run first half.

Was fighting a sickly feeling and dialed everything right back. Was one of those runs where you dreaded being 6 miles from home! Luckily things settled down and I improved on the way home.

Overall wondered whether I was coming down with something but heart rate was under control. Did about 72 minutes which is slightly down on previous weeks and slower average pace of 7.30/mile.

Got it done and hopefully no adverse reactions as was touch and go whether it was sensible to run. That said got a work trip early next week which will put a spanner in the works so was keen to get it done.

Weekly totals and Summary

Duration – 5h 4m

Mileage – 45.2 miles

A strong week ended with a slightly subdued weekend. Attention turns to next week and preparing for the Sherman Cup race at the weekend. Its not an A race as such so I’ll see how this week goes training wise with the work trip. If I need to change race plans I will do.

This week I have been listening to –

Kurt Viles new album “b’lieve I’m going down…”

Some lovely tunes on there and certainly a lot more chilled out than Sleaford Mods but I expect to get back on the agro stuff as my next race is next week!

This week I have been thinking a lot about –

Getting RUN 5k FASTER gaining some traction. Like running the key to succeeding with any blog is consistency. I am trying hard to post a regular weekly article that I believe delivers value and good info to runners who want to improve. I’m keen to give this a good go and also to help others.

I’m working with a couple of runners at the moment and really enjoying it. I’m genuinely interested in this sport and am enthusiastic about keeping involved for the long term. I do hope I can make my plans come to fruition. Check out www.run5kfaster.com and let me know what you think!

Contact me

Follow my training on Strava –
Kev Richardson Strava profile

For free running advice (and loads of other stuff!) check out –
RUN 5k FASTER

Update – thoughts on running, training and new club!

It’s been a while since I wrote the Blaydon race report.

I had some great news a few weeks after the race in that I won a prize for second placed unattached male. I honestly didn’t plan to go for a prize as a non club runner.

Indeed the decision to leave Jesmond Joggers was quite a rushed one, kind of spur of the moment. And the fact that over two months had passed without finding a new club since I left Jesmond at the end of April was more due to how busy I’d been at work than anything else.

To be fair my training hasn’t suffered though and I’ve been quietly chipping away at it. I have had a slight niggle since Blaydon that both doesn’t go away and doesn’t worsen either.

I aggravated it during Whitley Bay parkrun on 20th June. Despite the niggle I ran quite strongly and completed the course in 17.24, finishing second. I was a little annoyed to not take first having laid down the gauntlet quite bravely on a course I’d never ran before around the mile marker. I stole a march on a couple of lads but then proceeded to doubt the way to go (and ultimately my own stamina) before finally throwing the towel in with about 600m to go.

Since then I’ve got stuck into training a bit more and focussed on completing the training plan set by Dave Tune in Doncaster. The training mainly consists of high aerobic recovery running and a decent dose of lactate threshold running which for me means running in a heart rate zone of 165-183bpm.

I’ve been doing about 38-45 miles per week and I’ve been consistently getting an 80 minute long run in on a Sunday which I believe is a key to my future improvement. The fact that I’ve never ran further than a half marathon I think holds me back a bit stamina wise.

If I want to really push on next cross country season I probably need to step up to 50+ miles a week and a long run of a half mara. Take the VO2 max improvements and work on lactate threshold.

Anyway, the fact of the matter is I still haven’t nailed the sub 17 and, bringing things up to date, my entry into the Sunderland 5k on Wednesday 15th July has been lampooned by a last minute work trip to Cyprus! I felt 100% confident of breaking 17mins for 5k at that race but now I need a rethink.

Also hot off the press is that I have finally decided on my new club. I’m excited to be joining Elswick Harriers and the membership form has gone in following a training session with the club last week.

I had a baptism of fire with the 23 minute Walbottle Bank loop but I loved every minute. I was made to feel very welcome by Frank Watson and also really enjoyed the structure of the session with Colin (the coach) shouting out times as we completed laps of the loop. I was pleased with my effort, completing 8 laps in just over 24mins. I was shown a clean pair of heels by Lee Bennett but that was good as I want to train with better runners and I know Elswick has a lot of them.

I’m excited to put the vest on. The club has a great history and I hope to continue to improve whilst there.

In all honesty this sub 17 blog has gone on long enough! I have already started thinking beyond sub 17 and the “what next”.

Having proved to myself that I can (almost) achieve what seemed like a big stretch target a few years ago, I am now excited to start blogging about my next running goal but I won’t be doing that until the sub 17 is finally on the Power of 10 (even if it is only a parkrun). I want the blog to be both written and video based. It will have a theme and I’ll be tracking my progress towards it. It’ll hopefully start later this year.

Looking at the diary over July and August I will be spending about 3-4 weeks outside of the UK so I don’t expect to be racing or competing for Elswick in that time. I’ll just be focussing on continuing the training. I might sneak a parkrun effort in there somewhere but other than that I’m already thinking about the cross country season and being in shape for that Sept/Oct.

Sub 17 5k – Week 28 training diary

This was going to be a very short blog to say I was taking a break from blogging! Its been a pretty negative few weeks for me running wise. I have a tendency to view the glass as half empty and these last few weeks have been particularly bad for me and my running.

Its not anything like an injury. I’ve just not enjoyed it. I feel mentally exhausted. Its strange that I’ve posted two weeks of my highest ever mileage leading into this one and yet I feel like I’ve plateaued and indeed started to lose it somewhat…

Moving into this week I had another week long work trip away in Naples and in the end training was very difficult to get in. I ended up getting two 35 minute treadmill runs in which felt poor. Sleep, diet and nutrition suffered and I just felt crap. The SOS message was sent to Coach Dave Tune. We had a chat on Friday evening which helped a lot.

The truth is I’ve felt like packing running in over the last two weeks. I’ve gone from riding high after the Blyth 10k to not quite nailing the sub 17 which I wrongly took badly… The goal of running the sub 17 5k by the end of April 2015 passed me by. Since then giving up has been a common thought, especially on the harder training runs. But I won’t be quitting and I just need to focus on the mental side of things.

Last night I started reading The New Psycho-cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. Its a pretty old self help book, originally written in the 1960s and used by athletes and sports people since. I am a fan of self help books. I doubt I’d be writing this blog if I had never read self help books. I doubt I’d have ran 5k in 17.10 if I hadn’t read self help books.

So its back to self help books I turn in my quest to get back on track with my running. I’m hoping for a quick turnaround as I don’t want to miss the Blaydon Race but I’ll see how the next few weeks go.

Weekly totals

Running ~4hrs

Sub 17 5k – Week 27 training diary

So this week my Blaydon Race pack came through the post reminding me that it isn’t long until the 9th of June…

Not long til I gan doon the Scotswood Road!

I finally made my debut in this iconic race in the North East running calendar in 2013. I was delighted with a finishing spot around 150th at the time.

Last year I entered the race again but illness forced me to drop out.

I’ve been looking at my training from 2013 versus what I am doing now and it is quite amazing how far I’ve come.

Back in 2013 I was probably training about 12-20 miles per week. My 5k PB was 18.23 and I managed to complete Blaydon in 35m 16s which was just over 6 minute miling for the 5.8 mile course.

Fast forward to 2015 and I am now training 30-45 miles per week. My 5k PB is 17.10 and I’ve debuted over 10k with a time of 35.37 (5.40-5.45 miling).

If I can at least translate my current form into a performance at Blaydon I’d be looking at a predicted finish time of somewhere around 33 minutes (Authors Note – it sounds like there is a course change this year so just a guide).

Looking at the race results from 2013 and 2014 I would finish as follows –

2013 74th
2014 80th

So my target of a Top 100 looks realistic and if I can get back mentally strong I think I could surprise myself further. I need to get in the frame of mind to try like I’ve never tried in a race before in this one…

And with that I look to train well over the remaining weeks to Blaydon…

Training Diary

Monday
Plan – 45min recovery

Went quite hard and ended up with 10k in 40mins averaging 160bpm which is getting close to the top end of my “recovery” zone of 152-163bpm. All well and good but might lead to tiredness for tomorrows threshold run.

Tuesday
Plan – 45min threshold

Made a note on Strava that conditions were very windy. As a result I ran slower than yesterdays “recovery” run. My threshold heart rate zone is 163-181bpm and managed to average 166bpm here. The wind always makes it a challenge. For some reason my Garmin lost GPS signal around 6 miles so the run data is off. Got at least 29 minutes in my threshold so ok.

Wednesday
Plan – 45min threshold

Change of plans due to work commitments so down as a rest day. Did get to watch Barcelona annihilate Bayern Munich though.

Thursday
Plan – 50min recovery

After missing yesterdays threshold decided on a steady run with a 1 mile hard effort in the middle. Ticked off the first 3 miles in 6.45, 6.26 and 6.49 and felt bloody good about it. Felt the 4th mile was as good as any for the mile effort and went off like a bullet.

I had my Garmin displaying lap pace and could see after about a minute I was averaging 5.05. Heart rate was only up to ~178bpm. Felt comfy. Hit the bridge to get over onto the Town Moor and obviously pace affected and started working harder. Got onto the moor and pace had dropped to ~5.20-5.25. Set about getting the pace back on on the nice flat pavements of the Town Moor. Was working nicely and HR was into tempo at 184bpm.

Was getting ready for the mile to click and so it did with a 5.15. Got back into a jog and finished off with a 7.07, 6.54 and 0.8 miles at 6.54 average.

Total for the run was 45mins with 6.8 miles completed. Enjoyed the slight variation in the middle.

Friday
Plan – rest

Got out for the easy 50mins from yesterday. 7 miles averaging 7.06/mile and HR of only 147bpm. Very easy ready for tomorrows harder effort.

Saturday
Plan – 2 x 10mins tempo

Was looking forward to some faster running but my chosen location of Town Moor soon turned the excitement to trepidation based on the wind, rain and mud…

I decided to do 4*5mins hard with 2m 30s rest. I was aiming for a pace of 5.30/mile for each 5 minute effort. The first rep was completed on plan. Then turned into the wind which made the rest a decent effort! The 2nd rep was about 3/4 ok then the rest through mud and into the wind. As a result I averaged 5.40/mile and felt like I was blowing out of my arse at the end. Two more reps to go… I decided to lengthen the recovery to get back to the start to make the last two reps as per the 2nd. Averaged 5.41/mile for the 3rd rep. Was relieved I was onto my last rep which was done in 5.42/mile.

An ok session and glad it was done but just a bit annoyed that the weather still hampers these faster sessions where I just want to get used to running at pace without fighting against the wind…

All that said when I got back and looked at the stats I’d only got my HR up to a max of 179bpm which isn’t even low end Tempo! I feel like I’m really giving it everything but heart rate says I’m not. Its something I’ve noticed over the last 6 months…

Sunday
Plan – 80mins recovery

Didn’t look after the diet and nutrition on Saturday night and woke up not feeling up for a long run. Met Michael and went on a different route. In all honesty the legs were hurting after 3 miles. Was quite chuffed to stick in.

Managed to complete 13.4 miles in 1hr 32mins. I’d worked a lot harder for it than last week but the route had more elevation gain so overall wasn’t bad and good to tough it out.

Weekly Totals

Running >45 miles

Another weekly mileage total record. Decent weeks training despite some disruption to the plan. Now I’m back on the road travelling with work and the challenge of keeping things going whilst away… Naples here I come…

Sub 17 5k – Week 26 training diary

Since I ran 35.37 for 10k and 17.10 at parkrun I’ve been going through a bit of a mental and physical malaise. I’ve probably just lost my running mojo a little bit.

For me personally it’s probably more mental than physical. Just mental tiredness.

Its easy to forget the improvements you’ve made with your running over the last 12mths or whatever. But with that it’s easy to start getting unappreciative of what you’ve got and what you’ve achieved. They say you should celebrate your achievements. I think I’m guilty of not doing so. Because I feel I’m capable of so much more it’s sometimes difficult to take a step back and celebrate the successes along the journey.

But for whatever the reasons I’ve not been enjoying the runs and with that comes a bit of a slip in terms of discipline. Things like nutrition, hydration and other areas get sloppy and confidence starts to fade a little.

So this week I wanted to try to re-focus and not let things slip…

Training Diary

Monday
Plan – 45 min recovery

Ran a quite hard recovery with 6.9 miles in 45mins averaging 159bpm. Quite pacy and hoping it wouldn’t adversely impact the two nights of harder threshold running I had in the plan this week.

Tuesday
Plan – 45 min threshold

This was a gym treadmill session and to be fair it was very strong. From 30 minutes to 45 were tough as always but logged 7.8 miles with an average HR of 169bpm. Tough but good.

Wednesday
Plan – 45 min threshold

Busy at work with meetings and was out on the evening for a meal with colleagues so had to cut this down to a 5 minute warm up and warm down with a 20 minute threshold sandwiched in the middle.

Struggled pretty much from the off. I was using a 800m loop and it was pretty windy against on a ~200m incline on each lap. Stuck in but each mile got slower and ended with 3.4miles and an average HR of 169bpm.

On finishing I felt exhausted. Was disappointed but on reflection I’m running much faster (10-20s/mile) at a much lower HR (>10bpm lower) than June/July 2014.

Thursday
Plan – 50 min recovery

One of those weird runs where you feel like you are hitting the wall after about 20mins but then you realise your heart rate is very low (for me ~150-155bpm) and you are ticking off miles pretty sharply. And then after halfway all of a sudden I felt strong again. Overall ran 6.7 miles in 45mins at an average HR of only 151bpm.

Friday
Plan – rest

Rested up and tried to get in some sort of mood for a decent parkrun but in all honesty knew I wasn’t in the mood for a sub 17 attempt.

Saturday
Plan – Parkrun tempo

Got up and had a glass of beetroot juice. Decided not to have the recently customary shot of coffee.

Picked up Michael and made our way over to Riverside parkrun. Was glad to see it wasn’t as busy as last time. Overall was planning a different strategy. I was going to work with the Garmin with the plan to go through the first mile in 5.25-5.28 and then switch to heart rate and try to push to 185-190bpm to the end.

Got underway and deliberately didn’t go as hard as last time. As a result was hemmed in coming to the first corner. Got into 3rd place and checked the watch. I was around 5.30-5.35 miling. So I was aware I wasn’t quite on pace. The first mile was done in 5.34.

First mile...had a plan but not the motivation to carry it out...today

Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling it and ditched the plan to even look at my HR. Despite not feeling it I had 2nd place in sight so focussed on him and probably had him about 5 yards ahead coming along the river the second time. But the resurgence was short lived. I’d actually slow 10s/mile in the second mile and let him go third mile.

It was hurting. I tried to deal with that by deliberately smiling. It does help but didn’t help me speed up.

Clearly it was hurting today

Coming to the last half a mile I sensed 4th place was gaining on me. It was enough to help me hold on for an ok finish. The 3rd mile was done in 5.46 and managed a little spurt to finish in 17.24.

I was a little miffed with the run but then again it was a little lacklustre but still sub 17.30…

I just need a kick up the arse for the final push.

Sunday
Plan – Recovery Run 1hr 20

Woke up quite early. Could hear the wind and then the rain started against the window.

Strangely, rather than put me off I felt really up for it. Sent Michael a quick message and arranged to meet in 10-15 minutes.

Got suitably attired and headed down Kenton Lane. Michael said he had a good route for around 1hr 20mins and off we went. We chatted about the parkrun a day earlier. Michael had won in 16.35 and me 3rd in 17.24.

The miles were being ticked off easily. Some sections were particularly windy and rainy but I was loving every step.

We ended up running around the grounds of Newcastle racecourse which turns out to be a great place as the traffic is minimal.

We bumped into Ross Floyd of Morpeth who was doing a quick 30mins and was good to catch up.

Coming back for home I wasn’t sure how far we had ran. I said goodbye to Michael and had about a mile and a half for home… The 12th mile ticked off and I realised I was on for my longest ever run and also had the half marathon distance on so decided to do that.

I felt really strong and my last two miles were 6.20, 6.21 and heart rate was around 158-160bpm which is below top end of my recovery zone.

Ended up with 13.8 miles in 1hr 35. The HM was done in about 1hr 30. Felt like minimal effort and the kick up the arse I needed.

Time to get the finger out…

Weekly Totals

Running – 45 miles

Sub 17 5k – Week 25 training diary

So the plan was to sneak in the sub 17 5k last weekend at parkrun but I came up 11 seconds short.

With the trip to Dubai this week I felt doubtful of running the Terry O’Gara 5k on 26th April but decided to keep options open and not rule it out completely. That said was aware that a couple of long haul flights and trying to adjust to time zone wouldn’t help.

A maintenance week seemed like the best plan and to not get too stressed about a reduced week. Focus is really turning to Blaydon now and perhaps moving the sneaky sub 17 5k to an appropriate Saturday in May! I remain convinced that a better pacing job will see me do it.

Training Diary

Monday
Plan – 40min threshold

Flight wasn’t until 13.45 so got a run done early in the morning. I hate running in the morning. Just never feel right – tired and usually stomach issues.

Got 42mins done and didn’t enjoy it. 5.7 miles. Didn’t wear HRM for a change.

Tuesday
Plan – ?

Arrived in Dubai at midnight and was going to work at 10am (7am UK time). To get a run in would mean getting up too early and what I needed was sleep so decided to call it a rest day.

Wednesday
Plan – ?

Not sure how I did it but got in the hotel gym for 7.15am and did 35mins in my recovery heart rate zone on the treadmill. The sun was blasting through the window and there didn’t seem to be any air con on. Sweated it out but overall felt fine and pace was strong.

5.3 miles completed in 35mins at an average HR of 152bpm.

Thursday
Plan – ?

Again couldn’t face a morning run after a few beers and a dodgy curry at the world famous Ravi’s.

After work I felt a bit ill but decided that a run would make me feel better. And so it did.

Again 35mins with 5.2 miles completed with an average HR of 153bpm.

Friday
Plan – rest

I was hoping to get another 35min easy run in at some point in the afternoon.

The flight back home was 7.35am local time which meant getting up at 1am UK time. The flight was fine but when I got back home it hit me and a few hours kip in the afternoon didn’t do the trick so I decided to take a rest day from running.

Saturday
Plan – 30min recovery

Had a good nights sleep so felt ready for a run in the morning.

Decided to do an easy hour. All was fine until I got onto the town moor and it started lashing down with freezing rain. Battled through it and finished up with 8.4 miles and an average HR of 156bpm. Not bad overall.

Sunday
Plan – Terry O’Gara 5k???

Got up to watch the London Marathon. Always scary watching the elite men ticking off 4.42s.

Felt inspired to get out and run a more threshold type run. Ended up with 50mins averaging 6.19/mile. Heart rate was getting into the low 170s.

Probably lost a bit of fitness overall I feel like but nothing major.

Weekly Totals

Running ~33 miles

One of those weeks where running had to take a back seat. It means that the plan to run a sub 17 5k before the end of April 2015 has been missed but the key thing with goals is to never give up and I’ll be looking to get back in over the coming weeks.

Sub 17 5k – Week 24 training diary

Week 24 has a nice ring to it and because of that it’s going to be the one where I get the sub 17 5k!

Following the Blyth 10k race last week I feel in the best possible shape to do it.

Therefore I won’t wait until the Terry O’Gara on the 26th of April and the plan now is to do the sub 17 at Riverside parkrun this Saturday. Doing this would be the culmination of 3 years of training towards it.

Obviously if I achieve the goal it will bring to a natural end this blog. However, I have plans on the “what next” so watch this space!

Training Diary

Monday
Plan – 45min recovery run

It’s great having a strong race and feeling extremely motivated to get straight back into training. It’s a great sign.

And this recovery run felt very strong and I completed 6.8 miles in the 45 minutes averaging 155bpm.

Tuesday
Plan – 45min threshold

Back to the gym for another threshold and was a good, hard, sweaty run (as usual).

Took a while to get the heart rate in the threshold zone. Ran 7.7 miles in 45 mins averaging 163bpm which is a little low. In reality I spent about 31 mins in my threshold zone.

Wednesday
Plan – 50min recovery

Travelled to Barcelona for work in the morning and as it transpired couldn’t get a run in and wasn’t sensible to do so. Decided a re-jig of the plan was the best option.

Thursday
Plan – 40min recovery

Luckily this time the hotel had a treadmill so got in early around 6am. Had to get reception to open the gym up.

I think the treadmill was as old as me but finally got it too life. It was hot in the gym but felt like my heart rate was really controlled and low despite the heat. A little annoyingly the treadmill automatically stopped after 20mins. Got it re-started for another 20 and ended with 6 miles in the 40mins. Average heart rate only 148bpm! Weird!

Friday
Plan – rest

The plan was for rest but I wanted to make up for the missed run on Wednesday. Had one eye on the sub 17 parkrun tomorrow so kept it easy. Not much to report – about 5.5 miles in 38mins and average HR of 152bpm.

Saturday
Plan – Riverside parkrun – sub 17 5k!

I felt very very confident of the sub 17 on waking. The sun was out but it wasn’t hot. No wind and perfect conditions.

I got up about 7.30. Had a few grapes and a glass of water. Espresso about 8am.

Left the house picked up Michael Hedley and drove over to the Riverside. We were both confident of strong runs following Blyth last week.

Getting to the course the car park was packed. Later found out Durham parkrun had been cancelled leading to extra runners heading over to Chester le Street instead. As a result it was a record turnout of well over 300 runners.

My coach had recommended I run 3 minutes hard 5 or 10 minutes before the start to get the lactate going and prepare the body properly. I’ll be honest this is not something I’ve done before. I didn’t find it very pleasant for obvious reasons but I know it’s something I need to make part of my regular routine.

I knew Michael would be running ~16.30 pace so the loose plan was to hold onto him for as long as possible and see from there. Again, I deliberately had all Garmin settings off and no HRM so as to avoid distractions.

We got underway and I was quickly into second behind Michael and it felt like a decent lick. Coming to the river for the first time I already was into my breathing. By about 3/4 of a mile I was dropped into 3rd with eventual first place Michael Openshaw (ex GB international runner) passing easily and him and Michael getting away. I later found out I’d go through the first mile in 5.11. This was too exuberant and not what the doctor ordered.

Already under pressure in the 1st mile

Unfortunately it was overcooked and I then felt a slow down in the second mile that I was wondering how to prevent. Not long after I was convincingly dropped into 4th by Sam Beckett who I recognised had beaten me last week. He would go onto get well under 17 mins but he pulled away quite rapidly.

It’s easy to get negative at this stage. “A lonely run for home” etc. I was disappointed to not try to fight for 3rd but this was a symptom of the overcooked first mile.

What then followed was a battle to keep the legs turning and to negotiate the lapped runners. That was no easy task given the record turnout.

Working hard to keep legs turning over

I felt like I picked it up a little coming to the final push along the river. I had to shout “excuse me” / “thanks” a few times and a few river flies were swallowed! I had no idea what I was on for at this stage. There were still quite a few people to get past. Coming to the last bend before the final straight I looked to muster a sprint finish…

Attempted sprint finish...not quite

Crossing the line I looked down to 17.10 and disappointment…

As I said I felt the sub 17 was a dead cert but it wasn’t to be. Michael had held pace well for a 16.18.

On reflection I’m probably being hard on myself for the following reasons –

1. I ran a 2 mile pb (10.37ish)
2. I ran an 8s 5k pb (17.10)
3. I gave it a go and didn’t give up

I also do well to remember that this time last year I was anaemic and struggling big style. This time last year I was pretty much out of action from April to July (missing the Blaydon Race in the process).

This was a big learning experience and I certainly expect to grow a lot from it.

The sub 17 remains a target…

Sunday
Plan – 60min recovery

Having had chance to sleep on yesterday’s parkrun I remain convinced it was an underperformance. I strongly believe the 35.37 at Blyth in difficult conditions represented a sub 17 5k effort and, given the perfect conditions at the Riverside yesterday, I simply didn’t do it on the day unfortunately. No excuses, I just didn’t perform in that 3rd mile.

So a reflective 60 minute recovery today and chance to further think through how much I want this. I feel I need a competitve 5k to deliver the performance and commitment required to break this little barrier before moving on to challenges new.

8.9 miles were completed in 60 minutes at an average HR of 158bpm.

Weekly Totals

Running ~40 miles

Time to move on. Next week I’ll be in Dubai all week with work and that’ll present a challenge to keep this run of good training going. A “maintenance” week could be a good thing but I’ll have the decision about whether to enter the Terry O’Gara 5k or whether to wait for a more appropriate opportunity…