A little tester

1M jog

I went for a tiny little jog this morning with Mike. No good unfortunately - pain fairly soon, do I stopped. I had a session with Jamie who feels it's a bunch of muscles (perhaps mainly perineum longus) around the top of my fibula. I think it'll take a bit of work and time.

I've decided to try to make a virtue of all thus and use the time off as my annual break. But to be honest, I'm climbing the walls that I'm not racing tomorrow.

Rest

Still resting...

Getting tedious

This is getting tedious... but I am proud of myself for not pushing my luck. I should think I'll need at least another couple of days. If I'm lucky, I'll be ready to race the Bupa London 10,000 on Sunday.

More rest

Improved but not pain free... even on walking. More rest.

Rest

Rest

I'll see if I can find a pool round here to do some swimming.

Some speed. Some pain.

5M am speed session incl 8x400m-8x200m-6x400m off 40s-30s-40s

I headed to the track early this morning to try out my well rested (and now pain free) legs with a speed session. I was a bit sluggish initially - my first set of 400s came in at a measely 71-75s; my 200s were at 32-33s. My second set of 400s were a bit better - 70-73s - and were going well until I felt THAT pain in my calf again on number 6. I pulled out after 100 or so metres of number 7 and walked home. Very annoying. But much better than if it had happened prior to the marathon. And I've not missed any training through injuries for ages, so I shouldn't grumble. I'll have to talk to Ron about a good plan to deal with it...

Rest again

More rest for the calf. Plus busy at a lovely wedding.

Some gentle running - with a little discomfort

8M am recovery run

I did some gentle running this morning. I felt ok to begin with, but could feel my dratted calf by the end and again during the day as I walked around. Not as bad as Tuesday, but there nonetheless. More rest needed.

Another rest day for my calf

A bit better today, but I can still feel it when I walk down stairs and on the flat. Might try a gentle one in the morning.

Rest - for a sore leg

Rest

My left calf is sore after yesterday's track session. I felt it a little bit before on my way up to the track, didn't feel it at all during the session and then could feel it full-on during my warm down. I had been a bit tight on my left side since the marathon on and off, but hadn't felt this pain before. It's a bit burning-ish. I think it might be inflammation of a calf tendon inserting into the top of my tibia. I'm going to be post-marathon sensible and rest it...

Track

13M double; recovery run & track session

5M am recovery run at ~6.45min/M

8M pm incl 100-800-600-400-200-200-400-600-800-1000

This evening's track session felt hard. I don't think I'm quite back to where I was pre-marathon yet. My calves still feel a bit battered and that spring I had isn't there. Still, I've had a really solid last 20 days of running, with plenty of speed, so I should think the zip will come back with a bit of rest/taper.

And this evening's session was pretty solid Despite the weather. K reps at either end of it in 3.03 and 3.07. Can't remember all the other splits, but the 2nd half was faster than he first (other than the last K).

Seven slow, seven steady

14M double; recovery run & steady run

7M am recovery run at ~6.45min/M

7M pm steady run at ~5.45min/M

Nothing too arduous today. Gentle in the morning, steady in the afternoon. To and from work.

Fifteen nice and gently

15M am at 7.00-6.30min/M

A nice cruise around a 15 miler this morning. The Heath, Primrose Hill, Regent's Park, Hyde Park and back. Really nice and relaxing.

A good little run out - and a National Gold!

10M incl 3M National Masters Road Relay leg in 15m32s (5.10min/M)

Yet another great Highgate day out! And we won it - the National Masters Road Relay championships.

I really enjoyed my leg. I think I took over in 15th or so and finished in 5th. There was always someone in my sights. And I felt pretty good despite a fairly hard week.

7, easy

7M am recovery run at 8.45-7.00min/M

Just a nice gentle one this morning. Initially around the Heath with Yasmin. And then down the short route to work.

National Vets Road Relay tomorrow. Yes, vets. Life begins at 40, bet you become a vet at 35 it seems.

Steadyish

17M double; recovery run & steady-crescendo run
7M am recovery run at ~7.15min/M
10M pm steady crescendo run at 6.30-6.00-5.30min/M

Today was the last of four fairly solid days in a row. I kept it dead slow in the morning ahead of a kind of crescendo run in the evening. It wasn't a full-on crescendo effort. I finished at about 5.30min/M.

Six at a bit slower than tempo

14M double; recovery run & sub-tempo

7M am recovery run at 8.30-6.45min/M

7M pm at 6.45-5.30-5.30-5.10-5.10-5.30-5.30min/M

This is a fairly solid week I'm on. I'm feeling good.

Today was some sustained running at a bit slower than tempo pace. Enough to make me breath fairly hard. But not enough to sap me too much. All along the river as usual. Then back to work for a bit before dinner out with au and my sis (both of whom are working too hard).

The morning run was a gentle pootle around the Heath a feud before I headed off down the three miles to work. Surprisingly nice in the rain.

Good mile reps (on the North Bank again)

15M double; recovery run & mile rep session
5M am recovery run at ~6.30min/M
10M pm including 5x1M hard off 90s jog

My legs are passable after yesterday's race. No niggles. So I ran a rep session this evening - I'm racing again on Saturday, so it'd be nice to get in two good sessions ahead of that.

I didn't make it to the track, but instead ran it up and down my familiar route along the North side of the Embankment between Blackfriars and Westminster. It felt hard - a good lactate headache. Just to be careful, I've been wearing my calf guards a fair bit since the marathon on my hard sessions.

40s faster than last year (and another barrel of beer)

10M am incl 5M race in 26.14 Weston 5 mile race

I seem to be back into my faster than last year groove. Pitty it didn't turn up on marathon day. But at least it's genuine...

I ran today's race two weeks after the marathon last year as well and was dead chuffed to win and take away a barrel of beer as first prize.

This year, I was about 40 seconds faster. That's 8 seconds a mile faster than last year... exactly what I tried at the marathon.

To add to my pleasure at my time, I also apparently broke the course record by 20 or so seconds. Not bad. And worth a bottle of champagne to add to my barrel of beer.

Summary of week ending 06/05/2012

Mon 30/4 - 12M double; 5M & 7M recovery runs
Tue 01/5 - 12M double; 5M & 7M recovery runs
Wed 02/5 - 15M double; 5M recov & 10M incl 3x2M at ~5.05min/M off 90s
Thu 03/5 - 15M double; 5M recov & 10M steady run
Fri 04/5 - 13M double; 5M recov & 8M incl 12x800m hard off 60s
Sat 05/5 - 6M recovery run
Sun 06/5 - 15M steady medium-long run
TOTAL - 88M

Fifteen around town

15M am medium long run at ~6.30min/M

A nice steady fifteen miler today. A loop around Hyde Park via Parliament Hill, Primrose Hill and Regent's Park. I made sure I didn't go to fast. It was nice.

Just 6

6M am recovery run at ~8.30min/M

Just a gentle one around the perimeter of the Heath this morning.

Another solid session on the Embankment

13M double; recovery run & speed session
5M am recovery run at ~8.00-7.00min/M
8M pm incl 12x800m hard off 60s

I fitted in another good session this evening between work and a fine feed at The Providores.

I didn't have a watch, let alone a GPS one, so it's a bit hard to judge my speed. But I felt good. And I was properly tired by the end.

No probs after yesterday's session. And a steady day.

15M double; recovery run & steady run

5M recovery run at ~6.30min/M

10M pm steady run at 6.30-5.30min/M

My legs are fine after yesterday's 2 mile reps. No niggles. In fact I think they enjoyed it - they were full of energy today.

My evening run took me along the river from work, up through Belgravia and Hyde Park, via Ladbroke Grove to Queens Park. Had a good little speed-up through Hyde Park.

A SESSION!

15M double; recovery run & long rep session

5M am recovery run at ~6.30 min/M

10M pm incl 3x2M at ~5.05min/M off 90s jog

My first session since the marathon. It felt good. My legs were feeling pretty close to normal on my morning run, so I thought I'd give a proper evening session a bash.

I picked some long reps to minimise the impact on my fragile legs. It felt good. Up and down the Embankment between Blackfriars and Westminster. It's nice to be back to it properly.

Nearly ready to run properly

12M double; recovery runs x2
5M am recovery run at ~7.00min/M
7M pm recovery run at ~6.45min/M

I'm nearly ready to run properly. My left hamstring and calf can just about still feel the after effects of the marathon, so I delayed my return to proper action until tomorrow. All being well, I'll run a couple of sessions this week. No hurry to get stuck in too early.