Relevant training

It's been a fabulous week for training.  My easy week.  Having put in some tough weeks I was given a week where it started with 2 days off.  This allowed me to get my calf/foot sortred and taped by my amazing sports therapist Pamela Loch.  It might have been an hour of discomfort, and bloody sore, but with the heavy schedule the previous two weeks it was necessary as my plantar faciatis was starting to play up.  This really flares up when I first get out of bed and am limping for 10 minutes before it settles down. Therefore having a easier week with only 5 runs and 44 kms felt effortless.
Having said effortless, my first run was with my much younger neighbour who bounces along like Tigger and full of beans.  It was a 9k run (122m gain) and ended up my fastest this year with an average speed of 5:05 mins per km.Whilst I enjoyed it, on reflection it wasn't what I was meant to have done and it made me realise I need to stick with the plan, which is still all about getting my heart rate down.
On Friday I ran with my nephew and my pace was 5:43 min per km but my average heart rate was 153 with a max of 171 bpm.  There was 172m of gain and some was on trail but this HR was much higher than my target of 135-145.
Today was a short 6 km run with a 94m gain, 5:26 min per km and my heart rate averaged 122 (max 141).  That's more like it and it felt effortless.
My total stats for February was 269km of running with 4,363m of ascent.
The lesson I am taking away from my analysis is that I need to focus on what I need and while I enjoy running with partners, I need to be selfish about controlling the pace and not getting carried away.  Yes I can run faster but that's not doing me any good based on my goal - 6 marathons in 7 days in the Romanian mountains.  My coach keeps telling me to slow down and it's not easy easpecially on the down hills.  But she's right so I am going to have to be more disciplined and ignore how I look running at "granny pace".
Train at the pace/distance/terrain/ascent that is relevant for the goals you have set.  It may be different from your pals and as we're in lockdown, maybe now is the time to get the relevant training done.  My journey continues and I'm looking forward to the early morning runs now it's brighter and reducing the number of layers I'm wearing.  Get out there whether you're walking, running or cycling - enjoy.

Trust the data

In last weeks blog I wrote about training tired and did something I don't normally do, I told you about my next couple of sessions - rookie error!  Tempting fate.  On Sunday night my coach said she'd been looking at my numbers and there were a couple that were too near the limit she doesn't like me going over to avoid injury or too much fatigue.  As a result, Monday became a day off and my body appreciated the break as I was back on it on Tuesday and ran six days in a row.
This consistency of running helps me build the foundation as the distances get longer.  On Saturday I ran 16km (was actually 17 as my watch turned off after 1k) at a decent pace, for this stage in my season, followed by 24km on Sunday.  The 24k didn't turn into the 31k of last weekend but could have as we were caught out with a road closure,  even runners weren't allowed through and fortunately I consulted my phone and didn't go on instinct or it could have been much longer!
My diet seems to have gone ultra healthy in the last week and this is my body adapting to the fuel I need with the increased miles - burned 1,454 calories on that run today.  Maybe it's because spring starts tomorrow, I've no idea as it's not a deliberate shift but it happens every year.
Measuring your data, or having a coach monitor it, is important.  You should listen to your body but sometimes the data is shouting louder.  Avoiding injuries is key to having a good season and I don't want any time spent recouperating because I've over trained.  Remember rest is a training session and as soon as I've signed off, I'll be snoozing with my feet raised - one of my favourite training sessions!  Have a great week and stay safe.

Training tired

It's been another busy week at work and with training.  Normally I am a very early morning runner.  But with the dark mornings, no street lights where I live and the extremely cold weather meaning the roads were covered in snow and ice, I've been running during the day.  Last week the snow was washed away by the rain and the strong winds have made it painful when the rain hits my face.  However this weekend the mornings have become lighter and the sun has made a welcome appearance.
The miles have been building and I'm running six days a week.  I have three gym sessions a week and do extra core strength exercises as well. 
The previous week my long run was 19km and yesterday it was meant to be 24km.  I ran with my pal and decided that I should take a back pack and a drink as I'd be over 2 hours.  I didn't have any gels but took some money in case I needed something during the run.  The forecast was that rain might arrive 2hrs in so I decided not to wear a waterproof as my two layers should be enough.  I hadn't ran the route I'd planned before but thought it was about 24km.  It probably was but less than half way through the run I decided to changed the route.  Big mistake.  Shortly afterwards I stopped for some coke which for me is like rocket fuel and just as well I did.  The slight detour I'd taken meant the distance was now 31 km - oops.  It also meant we caught the rain but by that time I was past caring, we just had to finish.  The good news was I was to complete the run with a heart rate of below 147 - it maxed at 148 with an average of 136 so I was really pleased with that result.  The extra long run had taken it's toll and I skipped my planned gym session and replaced it with eating as much food as I could get in me. The remainder of the day was spent lying down and resting.
This morning the sun was shining and it was a planned 9km and fortunately I knew the route, with no diversions!  My legs were heavy and heart rate higher due to the fatigue.  But I managed the run with no issues and when I came home I had some food and a short sleep.  Training tired is a deliberate strategy to help get my mind and body ready for the long distances I have planned over the summer.  You can't run 6 marathons in the mountains in 7 days without putting in serious back to back runs where you are pushing your body beyond what is normal, or comfortable.  Training tired has helped me achieve all my long distance races so I'll stick with the proven strategy.
And as  always happens when I start to up the distance, my diet unconsciously changes.  I've eaten healthier this weekend than any time I can remember in months.  It's driven by my body "craving" quality nutrients with no conscious effort from me.
Tomorrow is a 12 km run with a double gym session.  A recovery run on Tuesday before a day off Wednesday.  With the lighter mornings I am looking forward to getting back into my routing so my training is over before I start the day.  

Battling the elements

What a week its been.  Busy in all fronts.  It's been a tough week training in these wintery conditions.  Tough staying upright on the roads and trails and a few tricky moments along the way.  The wind has been bitterly cold and on Saturday I headed out for a 19km run with my pal Stu.  It was -4 but a strong wind meant that after a few Kms I couldn't feel my face and could hardly speak as my lips were numb.  It was tough run but it was good to get a decent distance at a reasonable pace.  I didn't feel tired after the run but on Sunday it was a diffent matter.  Perhaps the bottle of wine on Saturday night didn't help. 
Sunday was a real struggle and when my coach saw the stats, she told me to rest for the balance of the day- happy to follow those orders as my next day off training isn't till Wednesday and I have a 1 hour run tomorrow and double gym session.
The highlight of my week was taking part in a live webcast with Maggie's Cancer Centre in Lanakshire where we were celbrating the success of all the participants in the Maggie's 50 mile run challenge in January.  They raised just over £180,000 and I followed the progress during January of the runners and walkers.  They were inspirational and in one case the runner was undergoing chemo - WOW, just WOW.  It certainly inspired me to get out in the shit weather and get on with my training.  A lot of those taking part would never have considered running or walking 50 miles so their achievement is just incredible.
The weather forecast for next week is much warmer so hopefully that will be the end of the snow and ice.  I've got a day off on Wednesday from training and I'm really looking forward to it.  My body needs a rest.  I've said it before, preparing for 6 marathons in 7 days in the Romanian mountains is similar to tenderising a piece of meat.  Batter it, rest, batter it, rest and repeat.  This peace of meat is going to sleep tonight!

Battling groundhog day

11 months ago when we went into lockdown, nobody could have imagined we'd still be there.  We had plans, all sort of plans.  Holidays, business and of course a season of races lined up which we were training for.  And then lockdown.  Since then there have been false dawns where we had some freedom, but that's all disappeared.  I  was thinking about this when I was out running this week.  About how I struggle to remember what day it is as they all seem to merge into each other and before you know it we're into February, still in lockdown.  What I dislike, amonst other things, is the lack of control and the lack of certainty e.g. having a training plan linked to a race and being certain (bar inury) that I'll be there.
One mantra in life I have lived by is "worry about what you can control, not what you can't".  I don't worry about what I can control so I've changed my mindset this week to avoid thinking that it's groundhog day again.
My method that's changed my mindset is my training plan.  Whether or not races take place this year, and I really hope they do, I am enoying the benefits of my increased fitness.  I feel good inside myself and my core strength workouts are paying dividends.  Since moving house I haven't been able to set up my gym, it's still in storage, so my coach put together workouts based on using my own body weight.  I don't need any more room than a yoga mat and a resistance band.  They are bloody tough exercises and I've build up the number of reps.  Not only can I see a change in my physical shape, which I like as I'm shaped like a pencil, I'm not getting the niggly inuries I can suffer from as I am getting stronger. So whether or not my races take place, I am benefitting from my training and look forward to every session as I can see and feel the benefits even although there is no race in sight.  Our triathlon club has also started a competition based around running, cycling and press ups which is motivating us to do more.
While we are in lockdown I encourage you to design a plan, if you don't already have one, to work on areas of weakness so that you come back stronger.  Having something to look forward to on a daily basis breaks the groundhog feeling and improving how you feel about yourself will encourage you to do more.  
Take some encouragement from the news today about 70 year old Frank Rothwell from Oldham who became the oldest person to row 3,000 miles unassisted across the Atlantic.  The name of his boat is "Never Too Old" - says everything.  Congratulations Frank.

Re-calibration - at last!

Another week of snow, ice, rain and strong winds but the elements have a way of reminding you that you're alive.  I made the mistake of going out for an early run just before sun rise and it only lasted 2km - if I had any sense it would have lasted 200m. I couldn't stand up on the hill outside my house and was pulling myself up holding onto the grass verge and undergrowth!  I thought it would improve but after 100m I turned for home and went out later when it was safe.
You'll be getting tired of my stories about my heart rate and how I've been trying to run slowly and keep my heart rate down between 126-132.  On Friday I ran at 3.15 in the afternoon after a busy day at work.  As I left the house my heart rate was at 100 and by the time I'd walked to my neighbours, who was accompanying me, it was 136!  Needless to say the run was not done in the target HR.  I've said before it would take a month and as my mileage increases that would help.  Yesterday I ran for 19 km and felt good although this is the longest I've run in a long time.  I was happy how I felt.  But today, wait for it, I headed out with my pal Stu for a slow run of 9km to once again see if I could get my HR in the target zone.  We chose a flattish route but it was bitterly cold.  Despite the temperature my heart rate peaked at 133 and averaged 121 - at last!  Hopefully this is the start of the re-calibration of my HR in my runs and as we build the mileage it will settle down.  I've been measuring my resting HR when I wake in the morning and it's now averaging around 47 so I'm happy.
During January two fantastic events have been taking place and I've watched friends all over the world push themselves to achieve their goals.  Maggie's Cancer Centres (the charity I raise funds for) 50 mile run (walk) challenge had many people who wouldn't dream of walking 50 miles in a month go out and raise funds.  I was blown away by some of the people who reached the 50 miles never mind the ones that kept going as they enjoyed how they felt pushing themselves.  Congratulations to you all and keep it going!
Ultra Race Romania had another virtual 250km challenge but I wasn't able to commit to it.  It hasn't stopped me watching the URR community all supporting each other and pushing each other on.  My pal Michael Martin smashed the 250 km in 9 days and decided to keep going.  Yesterday he ran a marathon to bring his total for the month to 550km!  That's crazy and he wasn't hanging about either - his pace was very impressive.  He's definitely got the bug and I don't know what he'll do in February but a "switch" has obviously gone off in his head and anything is possible - go Michael!
We can now say good by to January and hello to February.  With some of these amazing achievements happening so early in the year, what could we accomplish by the year end.  As the days get longer get yourself outdoors and active - your body will thank you for it....once it's over the shock!

Slow January

Did you miss me last weekend?  I was so busy unpacking boxes I forgot to write my blog.  I remembered on Tuesday but decided that seen as I had an exciting event on Wednesday I'd leave my blog till today so I could tell you about it.
But back to slow January.  In one way it was fast in that we're almost at the end of January.  I am glad to see the back of January and the same goes for February.  There are plenty of important miles to put in on these months as well as core strength sessions because building your base can make or break your season.  Go out too hard without the proper training and you'll end up with an early season injury which could put you out for a few months.  And running on snow and ice increases the odds of such an injury.
Fortunately I have avoided and slips, falls or injuries although there have been some close calls.  We've had a lot of cold crisp sunny days which has led to some fabulous view over Glasgow to the mountains from my new running routes.
My reference to slow January is the speed I am meant to be running at to get my heart rate down - I have the same battle every January.  The cold obviously affects my heart rate making it beat faster to pump the blood round my body to keep me warm, but it's still too high.  I'm struggling to run slow enough to keep the rate down and on a negative split run my heart rate was high when I was going slower and bang on target (for a slow run) when I was running faster!  Even today's 1 hour run had my heart rate perfect until we came to a down hill, and I was trying to run slow, and the heart rate increased - I averaged 5:45 mins per KM but looks like I need to get to 6:10's to hit my HR target.  I know there will be a turning point, there is every year, but it's frustrating.
On Wednesday I was asked to take part in a webcast for a marketing company in the financial services sector.  A 45 minute live interview about my business background, my ultra running and how I've used this to help my business and certainly my mental health during lockdown.  I applied the 7Ps principle (piss poor preparation precipitates piss poor performance) and started going through my big races and what I'd learned along the way.  It's amazing what you forget, even the important details.  Fortunately I have my blog to go back over all the small points that I may have written about in the past but forgotten about.  My blog was always intended to be my journal of my adventures and the feedback from the UK wide audience was very positive.  May have inspired a few to get off the couch, out of the fridge, out of their mental fog and onto the pavements for a couch to 5km!
Today my coach sent me some races to look at in May / June - 2 were 50 mile ultras and the other a 58 km ultra.  I read their COVID -19 policies and they look well set up with staggered starts, fast ones off first to avoid overtaking the slower ones, 3 lanes coming into check points with masks being required to be worn as you go through.  I really hope that these events take place and it gets me motivated just thinking about having a date in the diary to aim for an event to help prepare me for URR in August.
If you haven't got an event in the diary then create your own one.  I'm looking at running the West Highland Way possibly end of June, beginning of July.  The only thing that would stop me is if there were travel restrictions.  Having something to aim for makes all the difference to your approach so start searching for a race or make up your own challenge.  January is almost over and before we know it so with February.  The good news is we're closer to our vaccinations but in the meantime stay safe.