Monday 14th Jan. HRV=69 White
An easy day with 2 short recovery runs. Caught for time as I’m packing and thinking about Norway.
Plan for tomorrow is an early gym session followed by a blood test and hopefully I’ll manage to fit in a run.
Tuesday 15th Jan. HRV=83 White.
Early morning Gym session with a new Squat and Deadlift PB. Blood test and back into town to meet and collect kit from sponsors. Didn’t find time to run but will try make up for it tomorrow before heading to the airport to fly out to Norway in preparation for the Siberian Black Ice Race.
Plan for tomorrow is a pre flight Tempo run. Running hard as it will be my last run for a week.
Wednesday 16th Jan. HRV=66 Amber.
Unexpected low result and probably the result of my heavy gym session and blood test with some added pre travel stress. Decided to down grade my run from a Tempo to MAF session and went a little bit longer than last time with 16K. Similar result so all is good. Home for a quick shower and then off to the airport for a 4-5hr flight including a stopover.
Arrived into our hotel after midnight and had one drink before calling it a night. Tomorrow we have a 4-6hr drive which includes a slight detour to collect Mark’s bike and I’m hoping we arrive at our destination in daylight as we’ve to set up camp after finding a suitable site.
Thursday 17th Jan. HRV=54 Red.
Not surprised at result after yesteday’s flight but was hoping for higher.
Arrived at Skinnerbu in the Hardangervidda Plateau just as it was starting to get dark and the temperature was a less than pleasant -15C. It was quite an effort to do the simple task of fixing the wheels to Mark’s bike and erecting the tent was a reminder of how harsh an environment we were in. I was constantly trying to defrost my fingers and was almost happy to get into my cold sleeping bag. Melted snow & ice for a dehydrated meal which and filled my water bottle.
Friday 18th Jan. HRV=69 White.
A restless night and I was constantly woken by the pain in my frozen toes and an old injury to my right knee was playing up with the cold. The day was spent working on an economical means of moving with the bike and a system of communication that was simple but effective. We trialled our methods and ideas over marked trails in surrounding forests and discussed potential problems and hazards while trying to come up with solutions.
An exhausting day with the temperature dropping to -20. Made camp just as the sun was going down and finished the day with a dehydrated meal.
Saturday 19th Jan. HRV=71 White.
A similar day to yesterday with the temperature dipping even lower to a very cold -23.
Had a close call and narrowly escaped getting frostbite on my nose having caught it just in time. I could feel my face and nose being very cold and then the pain was gone which made me forget about it rather than realise it had gone numb. One of my team mates noticed that my nose was starting to turn a waxy white and I immediately started to work on getting the circulation going again. Another reminder of how a momentary lapse of concentration can lead to a dangerous situation.
Sunday 20th Jan. HRV=54 Amber.
Early start and following breakfast we broke camp and packed the van before hitting the trails again for our last session to perfect the system we think works best. Spent a few hours going back and forth with a changing pace and worked really hard to make the most of our last few hours. Finished off with a 5hr drive back to Oslo including a stop off for a proper meal.
Early start tomorrow and a long day of travelling.
Expected higher after an easy day yesterday. I’ll proceed with caution as this could be an advance warning of an illness brewing. Today will be an easy day. Easy lunchtime run of 40 mins followed by an evening run to a meeting with Athletics Ireland.
Only a slight improvement but my HR is slightly higher than yesterday and just as I expected from yesterday’s result I’m coming down with something. Slightly congested and there’s a pain in my sinuses when I blow my nose. Today will be another easy day. Early strength session and surprised myself with a strong session even though I can still feel the DOMS since Saturday. 5 sets of 3 (1 ¼)Squats with 60Kg (New PB) and 3 sets of 3 Deadlift with 95Kg (small decrease).
A great result and I’m feeling a lot better which shows I dodged the bullet by heeding the advance warning. Legs still not recovered from the recent hill run and that’s partly because my training has continued and not forgetting the squat session yesterday. Decided against the Temp run and instead I did a variation on my MAF test by running 13K instead of my usual 10K. Took a few minutes to loosen up and get into the zone and when I finished the results were surprising.
Same as yesterday but my HR is slightly less and I managed a good session last night so the signs are good. Took a step back with the Power Clean with reduced weight but higher volume as I hadn’t done them since before Christmas. Session consisted of 3 * 5 instead of my usual 5*3 with 40Kg (-7.5Kg) and 3*3 Strict Press with 30Kg (-5Kg) alternated with 3”3 max chins and finished with 2* 1min plank. Lunchtime recovery run with the DOMS keeping my HR nice and low. Finished the day with a Team meeting and some good news regarding a kit sponsor.
Showing signs of good recovery but I still have the DOMS. Lunchtime run taking it nice and easy to aid recovery rather than trying for a training effect
An early start for an easy run over one of the most scenic routes in Ireland called the
Alarm went off at 6:00am and didn’t feel like getting up. Took the interrupted lie in and almost missed the chance to run but luckily I found time just before it got dark and decided on a MAF test to make the best use of my available time. Session went well and noticed a 1 sec improvement per K since Wednesday using same venue and same conditions.
Taking it easy today with a running commute to and from work at an easy pace. Legs feeling heavy and fatigued or maybe I’m just feeling lazy from the recent festivities. Looking forward to getting back into a ‘normal’ routine.
No expected as I behaved myself last night but did stay up very late. Abandoned my plan and went back to bed. Felt restless all day and eventually cracked which meant putting on the head torch for a short slow trail run. For some reason I thought I’d feel better by starting the year as I meant it to continue.
Lunchtime recovery run as planned, legs still feeling heavy. Evening Tempo session felt a bitter harder than it should have and I know my legs are tired as I struggled to get into the zone. Cut the run short by reducing the Tempo section but did the usual warm up & cool down. I’m not overly concerned about the tiredness in my legs as that’s easy to rectify and once my engine isn’t showing any signs of excess stress I’m happy enough.
A good result and shows I didn’t get the training effect from last night’s run. Took a step back with the strength session and was happy enough with having to only drop the squat weight by 2.5kg to 55kg. A good start to the New Year. Finished the day with a short recovery run.
A good result but I have the DOMS from yesterday’s strength session and decided to rest rather than run today in preparation for tomorrow.
An expected result and my legs are stiff and sore from yesterday’s run. Did an easy hour avoiding hills and keeping my heart rate and pace low and comfortable.
Looks like today is a rest day but I don’t mind. Spent the day out and about with a lot of walking and some last minute Christmas shopping. Retested again late afternoon to check my recovery and got a result of 91 which must be my highest ever. Decided to take a chance and went for a short run but threw in 6* 1 minute fast and felt all the better for it.
Today is a rest day and I’ll be trying not to overdo it with the food and drink without appearing obvious. There’s a local 4.2 mile race on tomorrow and if that fits in with the home itinerary I’ll take it. Tomorrow’s possible race won’t be mentioned or used as an excuse not to over indulge but I will try to pace myself. Think for yourself but sometimes you need to behave like others.
A good result even though I’m feeling slightly bloated and sluggish but waking without the alarm and in good time to drive to the race means the decision is made. I’ve never regretted running but have often regretted not running! Arrived at the race venue with little time to spare and yet again missed my warm up. This was an unplanned race and to make it worthwhile I decided to run at slightly faster than my Tempo pace with my HR at 90% of HR max. Got trapped at the start and for the first Km I was trying to find an opening that would allow a break from the pack. By the time this happened the field was well spread out and I was too far back to make any impression on the results. I ignored what was going on around me and got into my own rhythm quite quickly and ran it steady all the way. My pace changed with the lie of the land but my HR stayed constant at 158-160bpm. Finished in 25:09 and I’m quite happy with that as my recent training has all been about strength & endurance rather than speed and I’m running on tired legs that are far from race ready.
An expected low result after all of yesterday and don’t think I’ll have time to run today as I’ve a 4hr car journey that might take a little bit longer. Having a low result makes the decision to rest easier as I know it’s of more benefit than training.
A good result and helped banish the second thoughts I was having about running to work. Shortly after leaving my house I was wondering if I should have saved myself for a faster session later on but although my score is showing good signs of recovery I can feel a heaviness in my legs and that’s the result of a few days away from a normal diet. Ran home again at a slightly faster pace. Over the next few days I’ll make the effort to recover and refuel.
A good result after yesterday’s split session but on waking with the alarm I wanted to just switch it off and stay in bed. Not feeling great and my legs are stiff and heavy. Went to the race with no expectations but did start up front and planned on staying with the lead runners for as long as possible. My start was slow and I got caught behind a group of approx 20 on a 3 person wide footpath. The race starts with a slight climb and then a sharp turn right before a slight but short downhill and it was here that I made a break to catch the lead runners. It felt more of an effort than last week but I stuck with the plan and held my ground even though the temptation to slow down was always there. Finished in 6th Place with a time of 18:35 and although a lot slower than last week it’s my 3rd race in a less than ideal week and not forgetting I ran close to 40K yesterday.
Woke early and felt slightly congested before testing and wasn’t expecting such a high result. I was planning on running before the tyre hauling session but decided to forget about the run and just concentrate on the more important Team session. Went back to bed for an extra 2 hours and drove to the training venue. The objective of this workout is to train the event specific movement rather than just the muscles and today we spent 3-hrs at a consistent pace hauling a weight of over 30Kg.
Plan for next week is to include a blood test as I want to start using 
A great result after a tough session yesterday and I put it down to the extra effort I put into my recovery. Yet again I did the same session as I’ve done for the last 2 Monday’s with similar results. Session was 16K with the middle 9K @ just under 4mins per K on the Track.
Woke before the alarm and HRV slightly lower than expected but then again last night was a hard run after a hard run. Early morning strength session consisting of 5 sets of 3 (1 ¼)Squats with 57.5Kg (+2.5Kg) and 3 sets of 3 Deadlift with 102.5Kg (+2.5kg). Yet again I found this session mentally tough and felt slightly nervous with the weight as I seemed to be thinking about what I’d already done rather than what I was supposed to be doing. I was wondering if last night’s session would mean my legs were too tired for what I’m about to do and that’s something I’ll bear in mind before I consider increasing the intensity or duration of my Monday night session. Similar run to this time last week but shortened it yet again because all I’m looking for is a training induced response rather than a workout that will slow my recovery and adaption.
A bit lower than expected but probably a good thing as I can feel the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) in my legs. Feeling a bit lazy about my lunchtime run but because I don’t have a window of opportunity later, I’ll do what I can when I can. Easy run of 8K in just under 40 minutes, the DOMS are still there but the guilt is gone. Didn’t win the award but happy to say my Team mate Mark Pollock did and because he wasn’t there I was asked to collect it in his place. Honoured to be nominated and honoured to accept the award for Mark. Had a great night and had a chance to mingle with like minded people and meet with some old friends.
Feeling a bit tender this morning after a late night and early morning, had a few pints but avoided the takeaway and drank a bottle of coconut water before going to bed. Have a sore head and the DOMS. . HRV higher than I was expecting but resting heart rate is also higher but could be a lot worse. Early morning strength session of 5*3 Power Clean with 45Kg (-3) and 3*3 Strict Press with 35Kg (-2). Dropped the weight slightly as my concentration levels were low and when doing an exercise like Power Clean you need to be switched on. Don’t feel like doing a lunchtime run.
A good result but might not get the chance to make the most of it as it’s a busy day but I’ll be ready to run if the window of opportunity presents itself! Lunchtime meeting with ‘Team Mark Pollock’ regarding logistics for the Siberian Black Ice Race. As expected the run didn’t happen.
Lower than expected. Decided to do the Parkrun again as a short fast run is sometimes more beneficial than a slower longer run and it’ll wake me up ahead of a long drive. Barely made it to the venue on time and my warm up was nothing more than a short jog to the start line. Took off with the lead runners and the pace felt very comfortable which had me wondering if I should push on to force a faster pace but I took the easy option and just stayed with the pack. The course itself was almost cross country as a result of recent heavy rain and there were many muddy puddles to run through and in parts it was quite slippy. At 4K we were running as a group of 5 and then it opened up and just like before I couldn’t follow the sprint. Finished in 4th place with 18.10 and 3 seconds improvement on last time. Next time I won’t be as cautious. Followed the race with a 5hr drive that should have only taking 3hrs and missed my dinner. Not happy but that’s life.
Wasn’t expecting this but then again yesterday was far from ideal. Decided not to run but re-tested a few hours later to see how my recovery was coming along and to my surprise got a result of 91. Went for a run but felt heavy in the legs so it might not have been a good idea. On the plus side it helps keep the weight in check and that’s important over the Christmas period.
This week I also accepted the award for Mark Pollock at the Outsider ‘People of the Year’ awards.