Training Diary 03rd - 10th December.

Monday Dec 03rd. HRV=70 White.

Higher than it should be after a race and goes to show I didn’t give it my all.  Not for the want of trying but it just seems like my fast twitch muscle fibres have switched off and I suppose that’s to be expected with all the longer slower runs that make up the bulk of my training.  Evening run of 75 mins with 40 mins @ 75-85 percent of Heart Rate max to make the most of my post race high score.

Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session of Squats and Deadlift followed by a lunchtime run of 40 mins.

Tuesday Dec 04th. HRV=71 White.

Early morning strength session consisting of 5 sets of 3 (1 ¼)Squats with 55Kg and 3 sets of 3 Deadlift with 97.5Kg.  A good strong session and it felt easier than previous sessions with lighter weights.  Lifting heavier every week and not noticing the increase with the progressive overload.  Lunchtime 10K in 40.50 mins keeping my heart rate less than 85 percent of max.  Started off easy and pushed on a bit as I felt it was there.  Interesting to see that it’s less than a minute slower than my 10K XC race last Sunday with a lower HR avg.  Should mention that this was flat and less effort than running in XC conditions.

Plan for tomorrow is a lunchtime run similar to today and I’ll adjust the intensity depending on how I feel and if my HRV is higher than today I might do a set of 400s.

Wednesday Dec 05th. HRV=70 White.

A good result and was secretly hoping it would be lower as I woke with the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).  Didn’t have a lot of time today and missed my lunchtime opportunity.  Only managed to fit in a run of less than 1 hr while my son was at football training which of course is better than nothing.  The footpaths were icy so I ran on the track again which also got a bit icy and forced a slower pace.  10K in 43 minutes and frozen fingers.

Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session of mostly Power Clean and a lunchtime recovery run of 40 mins max.

Thursday Dec 06th. HRV=84 Green.

A great start to the day and changes my plan slightly and I’ll try make the most of the high score.  Early morning strength session of 5*3 Power Clean with 47Kg and 3*3 Strict Press with 35Kg.  This was my best Power Clean session and it looks like I’ve nailed the technique but next week will tell if it was a fluke.  Dropped the weight on the Strict Press as I struggled with proper form last week.  Afternoon run in the wind & rain of 12K with HR avg of 150 bpm (85 percent of max), stopped only because I was stuck for time.  Finished off the day by joining in with a club session of 400M*2 with 1 minute rest in between repeated 3 times with a 5 minute rest between sets.  A great day and I’m hoping I’ve done enough to go Amber tomorrow.  Stress / Rest / Adapt.

Plan for tomorrow is a Recovery run during lunchtime.

Friday Dec 07th. HRV=79 White.

Much higher than expected and I’m guessing it’s because of the effort I put into my recovery.  Today’s plan has changed and the pace  / intensity will depend on feel.  Lunchtime run of slightly faster than recovery pace but still Aerobic at less than 80 percent of heart rate max.  That’s all for today as I’m busy later.

Plan for tomorrow is up in the air at the moment and I’ve a few options with first being a 5K race as part of the Park Run series.  If I wake on time I’ll go but won’t be setting the alarm clock because sleep is when the recovery happens and I haven’t woken naturally in a while.

Saturday Dec 08th. HRV=81 White.

Excellent result and I’ve woken early enough to opt for the 5K race.  Drove to the venue leaving plenty of time for a long warm up and just as well because it was freezing out.  The pre race briefing warned of icy spots and to apply caution at turns but that was all forgotten about when the starter signal went. I got caught in a group just behind the lead group and by 2K I was sitting comfortably in a fighting position for 3rd position.  Held my place until the last 300M but was then left behind in the sprint for the finish line and finished with 6th place in 18:13.

Almost 1 minute off my PB but a good result considering the week I’ve had.  Parkrun Results.

Plan for tomorrow is a 3hr run at 140-155bpm.

Sunday Dec 09th. HRV=50 Amber.

Totally unexpected and this turns today into a rest day.  Went back to bed and spent the rest of the day trying to convince myself not to run.  Legs say go but heart says no and it’s obeying these warning signs that helps prevent overtraining.  Stress / Rest / Adapt.

Weekly Summary.

Blue line is still showing a slightly upward trend and I’ll try keep it that way until Christmas week.

Limited time with good planning and the guidance of ithlete meant 3 quality sessions and continuous improvement.  Missed out on my long run but I’d rather miss one session to aid my recovery rather than spend days recovering from a session that might have been that little bit too much.  Train Hard but Train Smart.

I plan on doing a separate blog post or posts sometime soon to explain my strength sessions and nutritional plan in a bit more detail. 

Plan for next week is a to include a group training session with the Siberian Black Ice Race Team.