Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Training Diary 11th – 17th Feb 2013



Monday Feb 11th . HRV= 66 White.

Mon 11th HRVA slight improvement on yesterday and the slower pace or lack of climbing strength probably worked to my advantage.  Unplanned day off work as my daughter is sick, took the opportunity to do a short run and felt good so ran the middle 20 minutes of a 40 minute run at a faster pace.  I’m thinking about the 50K race on Saturday so my plan will be reduced volume but increased intensity for the next few days.  I’m cutting out chocolate and as much junk as I can from today.  Body Weight: 72Kg
Plan for tomorrow is lunchtime MAF session of 40-45 minutes.

Tuesday Feb 12th . HRV= 73 White.

Tues 12th HRVMoving in the right direction.  Lunchtime MAF session as planned but my usual 10K loop took a little bit longer than I expected.  Leaving the office after work I could feel my left calf tighten up so my priority now is to get that sorted as running related injuries don’t just happen and by the time something starts to surface it could mean that the damage is done.  Did some foam rolling and made a few phone calls trying to book a massage.  Nothing sorted by bed time, not happy.
Plan for tomorrow is a sports massage.

Wednesday Feb 13th . HRV= 75 White.

Weds 13th HRVA great result but today is looking like a rest day as I’m not going to chance running when I know that something is amiss.  Leg felt ok as the day went on and managed to book an evening appointment for a massage so I took a chance and did a short easy run in the rain.  Feeling slightly sluggish during the run and that could be diet related.  Massage was relatively pain free and the signs are good for Saturday. There goes my excuse!
Bedtime Bodyweight: 71.7Kg.
Plan for tomorrow is an easy 10K
Thursday Feb 14th . HRV=78 White.
Thurs 14th HRVHRV moving in the right direction ahead of my race and the easy day yesterday seems to have helped.  Started the day with a bowl of porridge with raisins, honey, chia seeds & coconut oil to start fuelling up for the 50K.  For a race of longer than 100K I wouldn’t worry too much about my carb intake in the days beforehand but for the shorter Ultras that will be run at a slightly higher intensity I think it’s important to have the muscles loaded.  Shortened my planned run to 5K and ran most of it at under 120bpm.
This day 2005 I was taking part in the Yukon Arctic Ultra.
Plan for tomorrow will be an easy run of less than 30 minutes with a few strides just to keep the legs moving.

Friday Feb 15th . HRV=73 White.

Fri 15th HRVSame breakfast as yesterday.  Happy with HRV and ran as planned but changed the strides to 6*1 minute with 1 minute recovery for a total of 5K in 30 minutes.  Will rest up this evening and hopefully have an early night.  All going well I’ll be in bed early enough to wake before the alarm.
Plan for tomorrow is a 50K Trail Race.  The race starts at 10am so my plan is a 7am breakfast of the same as previous 2 days.

Saturday Feb 16th . HRV=76 White.

Sat 16th HRV598395_10151310773224366_2076649971_nA good result for race day.  Up at 6:30am for a 10:00am start and had my usual breakfast of porridge made with pinhead oats and added coconut oil, chia seeds, honey and raisins.  Might sound a lot but it’s less than half a cup of oats and made with water.  Arrived at the race start in good time and went over the feeding plan with my daughter Aisling.  I expected to complete each 5K loop in just under 20 minutes and from the second loop I’d alternate my fuelling with a gel or small bottle of water.  All seemed ok until the 3rd lap when my legs just wouldn’t respond to the pace. My heart rate was dipping so I knew the power just wasn’t there.  My lap times slowed from here to the finish and there were times when the voices in my head were saying why didn’t you just take the day off but for an Ultra Runner these are the days when you get to test and train your mental strength.  Stopping when it gets tough is taking the easy way out unless of course you risk injuring yourself.  I finished in 3hr57 which was 27 minutes slower than my time from last year but that doesn’t bother me as I’d rather have a bad run than take the easier option of a DNF (Did Not Finish) which can appear more respectable to some than the slower time.
It’s all about the recovery now and first thing I did after the race was drink a bottle of coconut water to speed my rehydration and on the drive home I had a serving of cherry juice.  Spent the rest of the day wearing Under Armour Recovery tights and then had the best recovery aid of them all, ‘an early night’.
Plan for tomorrow is a recovery run with duration dependent on HRV and muscle soreness.

Sunday Feb 17th. HRV=59 Amber.

Sun 17th HRVDidn’t have a great nights sleep as I’m slightly congested but the early night meant I probably got enough sleep to wake without an alarm and just in time to meet up for a club run.  Legs are feeling surprisingly good and thats further proof that I didn’t run as I should have yesterday.  Could probably continue as normal today but my HRV means I won’t get carried away and I’ll keep it sensible.  Glad I felt able to run as it would have been a waste of a beautiful morning and the company made an easy run easier as the chat kept the pace very sensible and before I knew it I’d covered 16K and decided to call it a day.

Weekly HRV Summary


Week HRVThis will now end my endurance / base building phase as I aim to build on the training I was doing for the Siberian Black Ice Race. From next week I’ll start to add in some hill repeats and hill runs to improve on my running specific leg strength and if time allows I’ll try end the week with a run of 40-60K.  I need a few runs of this duration to help get back to race weight as every gram counts during a 24-hr race.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Training Diary 4th – 10th Feb 2013


Monday Feb 04th . HRV= 72 White.

Mon 4th HRVShort Trail run of 11K with the same 6K climb as last Saturday’s run. The purpose of this session was leg strength and to get the most from it I checked my kilometre splits from Saturday and aimed to run each of them harder. All my splits were faster except for the. 6th K up the steepest section when I paid the price for the earlier pace. Recovered on a 1K downhill and then pushed it all the way to the end. I was half tempted to do a second loop but decided it best to leave it and was happy knowing I could keep going. Rehydrated with coconut water and after getting home I had a glass of cherry juice concentrate (Cherrygood) before dinner. Rested for a while and then it was time for part 2 which included 7K steady state on the track as part of a 14K run.  Felt tired during this run and the headwind on one side of the track didn’t help.
Body Weight: 73Kg
Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session.

Tuesday Feb 05th . HRV= 67 White.

Tue 5th HRVEarly strength session of some basic core exercises,  2 sets of walking lunges with dumbbells (24 per set) 3*5 reps of Box Squats (Deep) with 47.5Kg and 3*3 Deadlift with 100Kg. Tough work and felt strong when it finished.
Recovery run at lunchtime of 7.5K keeping my HR under 125bpm.
Plan for tomorrow will depend on HRV but I’m hoping to be on form for a Tempo run.

Wednesday Feb 06th . HRV= 78 Green.

Wed 6th HRVA great result but I’ve a mild case of the DOMS so I may not be on form to make the most of it.  Recovery run at lunchtime to try loosen my legs out for a Tempo or Interval Session later.  Feeling much better as the day went on and did a quick turnaround after getting home from work, got changed and drank a serving of Cherry Juice (Cherrygood) and was on my way to the track within 30 minutes.  Extended my warm up as it was quite cold and then did a session of 5*1K with 2 mins rest between for a total of 14K.  The session was very manageable and my heart rate never reached into my 5K race zone.
Plan for tomorrow is a runmute (running commute) to work.

Thursday Feb 07th . HRV= 64 Amber.

Thus 7th HRVAlarm went off at 6am and took a quick look out the window to check the weather, cars covered in ice and footpaths look slippy so it’s back to bed.  After checking my HRV I don’t feel so bad about missing an early run and will settle for a recovery run today.  Lunchtime recovery run in the rain and no problem keeping the heart rate low at a comfortable pace.  That’ll be all for today as I’m coaching this evening and dropping / collecting my son from soccer training.
Plan for tomorrow will depend on HRV and how I feel but I’m thinking it’ll be either a Medium distance MAF session or a shorter interval session with longer warm up.

Friday Feb 08th . HRV= 73 White.

Fri 8th HRVA good result and I’m now thinking that I’ll run hard today.  Lunchtime run didn’t happen as I ended up meeting a friend of lunch and something else after work meant today became a rest day.
Plan for tomorrow is an early run over an undulating route or an interval session.

Saturday Feb 09th . HRV=  56 Amber.

Sat 9th HRVUnexpected so I’ll keep it easy today.  Had a 45 minute window of opportunity while my son was warming up for a soccer match so I hit the track which just happens to be decide the track.  Ran a few easy laps and then tested the engine by running a little bit faster.  Got carried away after my unplanned rest day yesterday and did 5*1k intervals without stressing myself.
Plan for tomorrow is a Trail Run along the Wicklow Way with some friends preparing for the Wicklow Way Ultra.

Sunday Feb 10th . HRV= 62 Red.

Sun 10th HRVNot what I wanted and looks like I’m paying the price for yesterday.  My problem now is that plans have been made and I’ve friends making a 3hr journey from Belfast so the run will happen.  Started the morning with a Beet it shot and an early breakfast of a small bowl of porridge with raisins and coconut oil plus a cup of coffee.  As a self preservation compromise I decided to try keep my heart rate as low as possible.  The run was tough but enjoyable with a lot of wind and rain making the underfoot conditions difficult and there were times that we were running on trails that had become rivers.  Ran strong for most of it but fell behind on the last 2 climbs as I just didn’t have the leg strength to maintain the pace.  In hindsight that might have worked to my advantage as the slower pace on the climbs kept my HR at the lower end of my aerobic zone.  Finished the run with a serving of Cherry Juice which and had the same when I got home as it’s all about the recovery now.
I’m expecting a forced rest day tomorrow but if the signs are good I’ll run.

Weekly Summary

Week HRV 4-10.2.13A good week and if I feel good early next week I’ll be running a 50K trail race on Saturday.  With the race in mind I’ll leave out the gym sessions to avoid having the DOMS.

Monday, February 11, 2013

A change of direction.



Since last October I’ve been training with the Siberian Black Ice Race as my early goal for 2013 and made changes to my training to become event specific.  Upper body strength increased and with that my body mass went from 69Kg to a peak of 73Kg which I’m sure is mostly muscle as I’ve had recent comments about how thin I’m looking.  To prepare for the race conditions in Siberia I reduced my long runs replacing some of them with tyre hauling walks and started to run my regular runs slower.  This change from the norm was evident in my recent race results which started to drop because although I was getting stronger I seemed to just have the one gear and was always out kicked towards the end of a race regardless of position.
Now that the Race in Siberia is cancelled I’ve drawn a line in the sand Ice and have now started to get back to where I should be.  For starters I’ll work on getting back down to race weight by training and racing it off rather than starving it off. 
My short term goal (s) will be a reduction in my 5K & 10K race times and my next race will hopefully be the 24-hr World & European Championships in May.  The Team is yet to be announced but rather than waste any time I’ll train as if I’m going and build on the leg strength I’ve acquired while training for the Black Ice Race.
At the end of this week I'll run the Donadea 50K even though I feel less than prepared but that feeling could be nothing more than laziness and it won't be just a training run.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Training Diary 29th Jan – 3rd Feb 2013.


Monday 28th  Jan. HRV= 73 White.

Mon HRVA good start to the week and all going well I should be back on track by the weekend.  Easy lunchtime run made harder because of the weather and a gale force wind.  Almost forced to turn back after 3K thinking it might be dangerous to continue but then I found shelter and it was manageable for the most part.  Pace was slow but maintained the planned HR for 10K.  Finished the day with a 9k recovery run over an undulating local route.
Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session followed by a lunchtime recovery run and a second evening run while my son is training.

Tuesday 29th Jan. HRV= 73 White.

Tues HRVA good result after what seemed like a tough day yesterday and my HR is 4 beats lower.  Early morning strength session of squats with a step back in lifted weight (-15Kg) but an increase in depth similar to last week and -15Kg step back for my Deadlift.  This change of plan is based on my personal trainer knowing what I’ve been doing and the effects a week off can have.  It’s called taking a step back before going forward because you lift with your muscles and not your ego.  Similar lunchtime run to yesterday in similar conditions except the wind wasn’t as strong.  Football training cancelled due to bad weather and that means my run is also cancelled and I’m now glad I made the effort to run earlier.
Plan for tomorrow is a lunchtime and after work MAF 10K and then a Team meeting before heading home for a coaching session.


Wednesday 30th  Jan. HRV=63  White.

Weds HRVUnexpected low result and maybe the strength session was a bit more stressful than I thought.  I’ll pay a bit more attention to my recovery today.  Lunchtime MAF 10K on yet another blustery day with almost similar results.
Team meeting after work and got some bad news regarding the Black Ice Race with recent rumours being confirmed as true and the race is cancelled.  Wasn’t in form for coaching so I went home.
Circumstances change but the training continues.
Provisional plan for tomorrow is a lunchtime MAF 10K but will rest if my HRV is lower than today.  Coaching in the evening and doing pick up from soccer.


Thursday 31st  Jan. HRV=73 White.

Thurs HRVA big improvement on yesterday.  Lunchtime run went wrong and couldn’t really concentrate on what I was doing as my mind was in overdrive trying to decide what to do next with regards my training.  There’s a 50K race on in just over 2 weeks time and I was provisionally on the start list but hadn’t committed to running it but now I think I will even though I feel less than prepared.  Soccer training was cancelled due to bad weather so I used the opportunity to fit in a second easy run of 12K after Athletics.  Recovery less than ideal which included 2 bottles of beer.  Expecting low score tomorrow but it’ll be partly drink related.
Plan for tomorrow is an early strength session followed by a lunchtime recovery run and if I have time for a second run I’ll take it.

 Friday 01st Feb. HRV=63 White.

Fri HRVAs expected but secretly hoping for higher.  Easy session in the gym of all upper body work finishing with a 1k time trial on the rower.  Lunchtime 10K MAF session and felt good even though the time to complete as slow.
Plan for tomorrow is an early 20K Trail Run and I’m out tomorrow night.

Saturday 02nd Feb. HRV=76 Green.

Sat HRVA great result and means I can push hard today.  Very cold start and took a while to warm up.  The run started with a 6K uphill and I felt like my legs were lacking the climbing strength needed to get the most from today.  Recovered quickly on the descents and finished wishing I’d ran harder.  Maybe I need a race?
Out tonight and won’t make any plans for tomorrow just yet as it might be best to wake without the alarm.



Sunday 03rd Feb. HRV= 76 White.

sun HRVLate night that included a takeaway so I thought it best not to upset myself by waking early with an alarm to see a low score and maybe end up back in bed. Woke feeling ok and the resulting score shows I probably made a wise decision.  Too late for a decent run so I made the most of a short window of opportunity and did a 5K recovery run.  Went out again later with the intention of doing a 50 minute Steady State Run of 145-155 bpm on the track after a warm up running to the track and maybe extend the cool down by taking a longer route home.  Took a bit of effort getting into the zone as my legs were tired from yesterday but then it started to feel ok and thats probably because my HR was staying elevated from fatigue rather than pace.  Thinking on my feet I thought I’d push hard for the last 10 minutes and try staying at the upper end of the zone and instead of hitting the light button I hit lap and that messed up my programmed session 15 minutes early.  Wasn’t switched mentally to just keep running so I started my cool down early.
Plan for tomorrow will depend on HRV but I’m hoping to do 2 sessions.

Weekly HRV Summary

Weeks HRV
A mixed week of mostly aerobic running with a hill and steady state session.  Getting the bad news about the Black Ice Race being cancelled means my plans need to change and I’ve now to decide and prioritise on what to do over the coming months.

"Watch out for the temptation of lingering too long in a warm tent when your schedule is tight and the weather may change"