Sunday 12th August 2018
Yesterday I didn’t break 15 minutes for 5000m.
Why, one might ask, is this a noteworthy or remarkable occurence? After all, I have not broken 15 minutes countless times. I am an expert at not breaking 15 minutes. I am reliable and dependable and if you ever need someone to not break 15 minutes, I’m your man. My failures at breaking the barrier outweigh, by some margin, the number of times (one) that I have.
Yet despite my impressive aptitude for failing to get round twelve-and-a-half laps in under a quarter of an hour, I was very pleased with yesterday’s run. In fact, my near miss was almost as satisfying as the time I actually did it. It confirmed my belief that I have taken another step forward this season. Backing up a PB with another time in the same ballpark is reassuring and shows that you are on a new level; it shows that the performance was no fluke.
I also feel that yesterday’s run was intrinsically better than my 14:59. It rained constantly throughout my race and the track was soaked. I went for it, stringing together a succession of 70-second laps in the middle of the race in the knowledge I had nothing to lose, and paid for it later on when I got dropped from the lead group I had fought hard to get on to. Despite this, I had decent strength and didn’t completely blow up having gone off at 14:45 pace. I learned that I am not yet in that kind of shape but also learned that I’m really not too far away. With even pacing I would have run a personal best but wouldn’t have learned anything about where my limit is.
Last night’s race has made me excited and hungry for next season, and in the shorter term, motivated for the cross country races that winter brings. But first a break…
My Week
Monday: 10km easy (10)
Tuesday: AM 8km easy / PM 13km moderate, weights (21)
Wednesday: 10km easy (10)
Thursday: AM 10km easy / PM 12*100 on grass (20)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 6km easy / PM BMC Gold Standard B race – Milton Keynes, 6th in 15:00.71 (17)
Sunday: rest (0)
Sunday 22nd July 2018
I feel like I’m getting fitter. These days any increases in fitness are small and incremental, but are very satisfying all the same.
On Tuesday I ran a 4:30 mile with a cold. Whilst this is ill-advised and not something I want to try again, the fact that I can run that time with terrible legs and a temperature shows that my basic level of fitness must be high. I shouldn’t have raced given how I felt earlier in the day but still managed a time I’d have been pleased with on a good day a couple of years ago.
Saturday’s track session was pleasing; I managed to run all the 300s in between 45 and 47 seconds with only a minute between efforts. Speed has never been a strength of mine so I know if I can keep up with faster runners on the short track sessions I am doing well.
I just hope I can translate this into a couple more good results before the end of the season, starting with a 3000 at Stretford on Tuesday night.
My Week
Monday: 8km easy (8)
Tuesday: BMC Mile, Tipton – 5th in 4:30.54 (8)
Wednesday: rest (0)
Thursday: 16km easy (16)
Friday: AM 9km easy / PM 10km easy (19)
Saturday: track session 8*300 off 60s – 46,47,46,46,46,46,47,46 / PM 9km easy (19)
Sunday : 15km easy (15)
Sunday 9th July 2017
I ran a PB for 5000m and am now only 5.7 seconds away from breaking 15.
Monday: 12km easy (12)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM track session – 10*500 off 75, 84.5 average (24)
Wednesday: 10km easy (10)
Thursday: AM 8km easy / PM 8km easy (16)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM BMC Grand Prix 5000, Loughborough – 10th in 15:05.6 – PB (19)
Sunday: 16km easy (16)
Taken from my training log.
Sunday 6th September 2015
PB for 10000m. End of track season. Time for a much needed break.
Monday: 15km easy (15)
Tuesday: AM 9km easy / PM grass session – 2 laps tempo, 5×300 off 100, 1 lap tempo, 5×300 off 100, 2 laps tempo (27)
Wednesday: rest (0)
Thursday: 11km easy, strides (11)
Friday: 8km easy (8)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM BMC Stretford 10000, A race – 11th in 31:44.68 (PB): 3:12, 12, 11, 11, 09, 10, 07, 08, 13, 06 (23)
Sunday: rest (0)
Week total: 84km
Taken from my training log.
Monday 24th August 2015
Just a few 10ths outside my PB at Solihull. Frustrating, but I can’t really complain with the season I’ve had – this year I ran my 3 fastest 5ks ever. Next year is sub-15 year.
Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 14km easy (24)
Tuesday: AM 12km easy / PM grass session: lap tempo, 4×400 off 60, lap tempo, 8×200 off 30, lap tempo, 4×400 off 60 (30)
Wednesday: 10km easy (10)
Thursday: 10km easy (10)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: AM 8km easy / PM Solihull BMC Grand Prix – C race, 3rd in 15:09.88 (19)
Sunday: 23km easy (23)
Week total: 116km
Taken from my training log.