Monday September 09th. HRV= 80 White.
Another good result after a tough session which has me wondering if I need to start increasing the intensity. Not sure what to do today but got an offer of some company for a lunchtime run and just let it happen. Started at a comfortable pace but could certainly feel it as the run progressed and know I would have slowed down if I was on my own, finished with 11.2K (7 Miles) in 46 minutes. Didn’t have a run opportunity after work as I got late notice of a ‘Code of Ethics’ course at the Athletics Club and I’m feeling better about the lunchtime session. Do what you can when you can.
Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session.
Tuesday September 10th. HRV= 75 White.
Early Gym session of mostly mobility work and a slight increase in lifted weight with the Back Squat and improvements is always good, 5 sets of 5 @ 45kg (+5kg). The discomfort I was feeling behind my knees last week has gone and only realised it when asked by my Trainer. Unsure what to do later and trying to decide on either a hilly continuous run or a session of Hill Repeats. Change of plan and went for a shorter than usual lunchtime run as I was told it would also be shorter than usual.
Plan for tomorrow is an evening Steady Track Session with even pace and maybe an earlier Recovery Run.
Wednesday September 11th. HRV=61 Amber.
Woke during the night with very bad pains in lower stomach area it kept me awake for over an hour. Fell back asleep eventually and then woke feeling very tired with the alarm. Not surprised with result but putting it down to lack of sleep and feel ok to continue with training as normal while keeping myself under observation. Also feeling the DOMS from yesterday’s strength session and this could help with keeping the training controlled. Skipped the opportunity to run at lunchtime to benefit from the extra rest ahead of the usual Wednesday night group session. A slight change of pace and plan for this evening to accommodate those recovering from recent races and preparing for upcoming races. Session consisted of a steady 10K at a Pace no quicker than 4:15 per K and no slower than 4:30 per K. This meant a conscious effort to stay slow and we finished the 10K with an avg of 4:15 followed by a few faster laps to loosen out the legs. Finished the evening with a coaching session and much neglected stretch.
Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session, lunchtime recovery run, coaching after work and then a repeat of last week’s 3*1K interval session.
Thursday September 12th. HRV=67 Red.
A late night and early morning might be the reason for this but I’ll be taking it easy just in case. Early Gym session with a slight increase on last week including a set of 3*3 Deadlifts @ 95Kg (+5Kg), 3*3 Strict Press @ 35Kg (very tough) plus 3 sets of 4 Pull Ups. Skipping the Lunchtime run and will reduce the volume / intensity of this evenings session. On two minds whether to run or not but settled for a few easy laps with 4* 400M at a faster pace included. Total distance of 5K and then it was home for an early night.
Plan for tomorrow is a short recovery paced lunchtime run or rest. Busy after work.
Friday September 13th. HRV= 70 White.
A good night’s sleep and feeling good but a little creaky in the legs department but you’re supposed to feel that way during times of heavy training. Decided against a lunchtime run but knowing it was my only option I changed my mind and went out for an easy 8K in the hope of loosening out my legs and aid recovery. Took a few minutes before it started to feel easy and at that point I was wishing that I’d stayed closer to work. Finished with 8.5K in just under 40 minutes and not looking forward to standing on the sideline of a football pitch this evening.
Plan for tomorrow is a return to the Parkrun for a time trial and a short but fast Trail Run.
Saturday September 14th. HRV= 64 Amber.
Almost a lie in as most of my weekend mornings have had early starts over the last while. Still woke early but went back to bed after checking my HRV and used the opportunity to take a Beet it shot. Not too concerned about the Amber as today is low volume but high intensity and that seems to stress the body a little bit less and recovery is quicker than when it’s a longer steady paced run. The plan for today’s Parkrun is to run with my training partners from the Wednesday night session (Aidan & Martin) with Martin setting the pace. From the start we were at the pointy end of the field along with one other runner that I got talking to and knowing he was of a similar ability told him we’d be working together for an even paced run. The first lap went well and we held the group together but shortly after half way Aidan started to fall back and was struggling to keep contact. I took the easy option and tried to bring him on rather than staying with the other 2 and then on the final straight I pushed on knowing that Aidan would be the next finisher behind me. Finished in 3rd place with a Season’s best of 17:54 and we got a 1st, 3rd & 4th for the club. Went home for breakfast and then dropped my daughter to her training session before heading to the hills for a short but intense hill run starting with a relentless 5K uphill and then turning to retrace my steps for a fast quad hammering descent.
Plan for tomorrow is a Long Trail / Hill run concentrating on climbing.
Sunday September 15th. HRV= 76 White.
A great result but my legs are feeling the effects of yesterday and the weather seems a bit rough so I do a double take knowing it might not be a day for the hills. I go back to bed thinking I need to go but thinking back to last Friday when I had a close call due to leg fatigue I think it’s the right choice. When I finally get up I get caught up watching the Great North Run and the weather gets even worse and I almost miss my Long Run opportunity. Eventually I notice a break in the weather and take my chance for a long run and just run without any plan on where to go and make it up as I go along to arrive home 30K later. It felt a bit tougher than it should have and that makes me think I needed it more than I realised.
Plan for tomorrow will depend on recovery but hope to do a steady state run at lunchtime as I’m bust with an online Q&A in the evening.
Weekly Summary:
Again it’s another good week but would have preferred more time in the hills and not happy to have missed the long run opportunity on Sunday. Fitness is definitely improving and my Parkrun time trial resulted in a Season’s best without a lot of effort and without a Taper.
Expected after almost 20hrs of running, 37 waking hours and very little sleep. Early start for the long journey home and I’m feeling fine but will only do what I need to do and try to rest as much as possible while travelling and that means sitting in coffee shops rather than walking around shops. For the journey I’m wearing Under Armour Recharge recovery tights and on my feet I’m wearing Salomon RX Recovery Shoes. The recovery tights minimise muscle vibration while walking and support fatigued muscles while moving and this in turn aids recovery. The shoes are very light, cushioned and don’t restrict movement while allowing for any swelling. Putting the effort into recovering can ensure you benefit from the Training Effect of the race by not needing so much time off that you begin to de-train.
Today I’m in Recovery mode and my way of switching off is to wear a normal watch rather than a sports one. Good result and if I hadn’t planned a trip to a Contrast Therapy Pool there might be a temptation to run! Spent close to 1hr alternating between a cold and hot bath which was only half enjoyable (the hot half) and felt great when it finished.
Recovering well and met with some club mates for an easy run of just over 7K with two options to cut it short if required. When making a comeback it’s advisable to ease back in and don’t test yourself to breaking point. Set a maximum distance to run but not a minimum and this is when a treadmill run can be an advantage as you can always just step off without worrying about getting back to the start.
A sure sign that I’m recovering very quickly and I’m assuming the Amber reading is caused by the rapid rise in HRV. I won’t get carried away as I’m sure my muscles are still in a state of repair. Easy lunchtime run of 8K keeping my HR below 130bpm and paying attention to how I’m feeling
Much lower than expected and confirms my decision to rest today.
Not much of an improvement and with a busy day ahead I decide to rest again.
Not a good start to the day and doesn’t help with my motivation. Found it hard getting my mind in gear and think I’m still suffering from mental fatigue. Decided to feed the hunger by going to watch a local race and spectate rather than participate and before the race had even started I was wanting to run. Got to witness some great performances from my club mates and although they might not know it their actions caused my reaction and I finished the day with a 16K run that started easy but finished a little bit faster.
First day of Taper. Resisted the temptation to run during lunch and spent the evening coaching a group of beginners as part of the club’s Couch to 5k programme. This was ideal as it forced an easy pace and meant I had to stretch while demonstrating. Finished the evening with 2 glasses of wine thinking I deserved it and then realised I hadn’t eaten a dinner but snacked instead.
Lower than expected but could be down to my lazy attitude yesterday. Revisited a Deadlift PB of 117.5Kg for a 1 Rep Max and only stopped there because my PT noticed I was losing form and called an end to the exercise. The weight isn’t anything special but it’s all relative to the sport and it’s enough to bring on a training induced response with enough time to recover in time for the race. Lifted close to 1300 Kg for this session. Lunchtime easy run and my plan was to run by feel expecting my legs to feel lethargic and stiff. Surprised at how easy I was moving and went through the first 1k in 4:10 and without any extra effort I dropped under 4 mins. Decided to stay as I was and finished the session with 10k in 39:40. Finished the day with a big dinner, dessert and 2 glasses of wine.
Much lower than expected but then again yesterday was an intense day with an overindulge rather than recover. Today is now a rest day and although it’s not what I wanted it could be what I need as forced rest can be guilt free.
Almost stayed in bed after looking out the window and seeing the rain but knowing that you train your mental strength on the days you don’t want to helped with the decision. Early running commute to work in the rain keeping the pace nice and easy with a low heart rate.
Feeling good today and I’m guessing it’s partly because I didn’t have a gym session yesterday. Lunchtime recovery run of 8K at my planned 24-hr pace. Finished the day with an Interval session to loosen my legs out and decided on 5*1K without any pressure to hit a specific pace. Session went better than expected and my splits were 3:19, 3:18, 3:20, 3:20 & 3:17. Haven’t ran this fast in a while and may feel it tomorrow. 
Much better than expected, woke without an alarm, the sun is shining and my legs feel fine so it’s back to the Track. I haven’t really got a plan in mind and decide to just run steady and test my mental strength. Started with 2K at an easy pace and then increased it to a working pace just outside my comfort zone and held it for 16K before finishing with a 2K recovery. Total for session was 20K in 1:20.31 with a middle 10K split of 38:30 or thereabouts. Finished the day with a walk in the woods. 
Reduced volume with high intensity as planned but I’d prefer if my base line was climbing a bit more. I’m back on the Cherry Juice (
