Training – Page 2 – The Vintage Runner

November 3, 2020November 7, 2020

Bringing Down the Curtain

Well for the next few weeks at least. This is the last session at the track before the lockdown kicks in. Hopefully just the 4 weeks but nobody really expects it to be that short.

I forget to take any pictures until we are leaving, then get distracted so it turns out like a very arty shot.

However, back to the plot. We start with some agility runs – mini hurdles in a square to leap in and out of.

Then it’s onto fartlek – 9x200m with 150m in between. Marcus and I set off but he soon loses me as he jogs his 150s. I manage walk 75 jog 75 for 3 of the runs then revert to walking. My calf feels a little tight but nothing that really impedes me. I decide to see what happens and keep going as nothing changes neither better nor worse.

I manage to keep a good pace both walking and running. I’ve recently returned to the ASICs fold – I used to love them for volleyball. I’m now using my Sortie Japan Seiha 2 racing shoes. I’m loving them. Really light and flat to help feel the running form. I found other trainers a bit to chunky, particularly around the heel, for speed work.

I end up lapping all bar three of the other runners and feel completely dead at the end so hopefully got that about right.

Finish off with various medicine ball drills, the usual sanitising rituals of hands, balls and mats sets us up for the warm down jog and stretch. Finally a brief from coach Deb about keeping fit over the lockdown period. Life made easy for Marcus and I to work in a pair.

October 29, 2020November 21, 2020

Hurdles, Sandpit, and Sleds

I start to remember what this winter work is all about……..

Start with hurdle jumps – 2-legged and zig-zags. Quite a few clattered over while we find our rythm.

Then off to the sand pit to play. Single leg hops, and bunny hops. 3 sets of each.

Then it’s onto the sleds. 4x40m at 25kg for me. I should possibly be working with a bit more weight at this stage but in a group we can’t easily change and I am a bigger unit than anybody else. It’s then just adapting to the weight. It’s actually quite good over that distance to mix the acceleration mechanics with a bit more speed at the end.

Then we wrap up with some continuous relays around the, somewhat muddy, inner field. 4x60m probably. I do my usual thing of fretting endlessly about optimising baton change though that’s really not part of the drill.

A good session, not as gut-wrenchingly exhausting as Tuesday but it will take a bigger toll on the muscles in the coming days!

October 29, 2020November 29, 2020

Hurdles, Sandpit, and Sleds

I start to remember what this winter work is all about……..

Start with hurdle jumps – 2-legged and zig-zags. Quite a few clattered over while we find our rythm.

Then off to the sand pit to play. Single leg hops, and bunny hops. 3 sets of each.

A good session, not as gut-wrenchingly exhausting as Tuesday but it will take a bigger toll on the muscles in the coming days!

October 27, 2020November 29, 2020

Fartlek is Back

Back to the track, in theory it’s being renovated, in reality it’s all a bit of a mix up. Some patching has been carried out and it’s been cleaned. The new bits feel (and look) a bit odd but it’s hard to gauge. The long/triple jump runways have been replaced and feel slippery in trainers but the jumpers are happy, it feels fast and springy in spikes apparently.

However we were just working on the main track:

A bit of agility work to start – 3 sets of 20m run to mini-hurdles followed by 20 jumps and a backwards run to partner.

Then onto the serious stuff – 5 sets of run 150 – walk 100 – run 200 – walk 100. We seem to be striking lucky with the rain and once again it’s quite dry. I start running with James but he started with a niggle and decided, sensibly, to stop. So I pair up with Katy and we work well together pushing ourselves along.

I get to the end – well heading home and realise I’ve falied to take any pictures – ho-hum. Must get better at that. I’ll just use another for now.

October 25, 2020November 29, 2020

Water, Water, Everywhere

Marcus’s Coronavirus test came back negative so we were free to train, but he was still feeling under the weather (his temperature had been over 40 so couldn’t say he was swinging the lead) so I headed down to training alone. With my mind on such things I forgot about all the sounds of heavy rain overnight. Well on arrival, as you can tell from the photo – this is the field where we warm up and then start our long run. Neither of those we going to happen……

So we worked out a new course, a few recces disguised as warm-up jogs did the trick. We found a new route that worked out at 2.32 km – only about 100m longer than our regular route, surprisingly close when you’re not measuring and looking for suitable trees as markers.

My run wasn’t great, I could blame the slippery conditions but I think it was more of an average day. The park is quite hilly, I’ve decided I need to improve my running uphill, that’s been a real weakness. I focused on keeping tall and getting some knee drive, not just plodding up. That part went well but I couldn’t get my time much below 5 mins pr km throughout. Crossing the final bridge I met two large groups of people heading in opposite directions – I ended up just walking across, too late to make anything up really. 11:25 was the time in the end. I’d like to forget it but I’ve committed to recording it here 🙂

Then it was onto the hills – 2 sets of 4x120m. That bit felt better, Yet again I’d forgotten to put my longer spikes in. Katy and James for company up the hills. A good session in the end,

October 24, 2020November 29, 2020

Workout in the Park

The track is closed for refurbishment (still!!) so we are down in the park. Well that means we get to run in the daylight. Makes it tricky for a few of the squad but works for most. We would normally be doing some perimeter runs at the track so coach has recreated a slightly longer (to reflect the lack of a mini-hill in the middle). So it’s about 600m on soft ground. Now this is why I must write these up at the time – I’ve already forgotten my splits.

October 22, 2020November 7, 2020

Evening Run – Stopping to Chat

Feeling bullish after a reasonable outing earlier in the week. Time to rerun the course from a few days before. Marcus was unwell so it would have to be a solo effort. I’m usually much better when being pulled along, but just have to see how it goes.

The first section goes well and I manage to run the whole of the steep hill and with a bit more pace. I started out old style then picked it up only dipping towards the end. If I can keep it all below 7 mins / km next time I’ll be happy.

However I then spot someone i haven’t seen for ages walking up the hill to football on the brand new 5G pitch at the school. So I stop for a distance 2.5 min chat. Great for recovery bad to comparisons. I wonder what the net effect is, this was just at the beginning of a nice downhill stretch. The rest of the run goes well with a bit of cheering on as I pass a pub on the last 100m.

So overall 5:08 / km for 3.84km (moving time courtesy of Strava so my chat eliminate I assume). Not going to complain, not sure what effect the chat had.

October 19, 2020October 27, 2020

Evening Run – not a Ride

Credit to Marcus for dragging me out. He wanted to run, I thought I might take the bike, but I discovered my headlight had given up, so there was nothing for it but to run. All on road and a bit difficult in some patches where the lighting not good and my balance being what it is. I did turn my ankle round about this time last year on a hole in the pavement that I never noticed.

Nothing eventful, apart from the long hill. I had to walk a patch in the middle. Need to sort up my uphills, I’m really slow. I noticed this on a park runs,

Apart from that it went okay. 3.91km in 21:46 according to my good friend Strava. 5:34/km, so a baseline set for the winter.