Sunday 1st April 2018
I haven’t broken 15 minutes for 5k yet.
This troubles me greatly; I regularly think about the fact that I have not yet ticked this off my list despite years of trying. (As an aside, this is not even a joke. I literally do have a ‘to do’ list by the front door with a series of tasks crossed off, with a sad, lonely ’14:59′ uncrossed at the bottom of it. It has been sitting there since last July.)
Not realising that I possess ample amounts of intrinsic motivation already, my wife has decided that doubt and provocation are now the best ways to ensure I achieve my goal. Where carrot has failed, stick is its substitute. It started again yesterday:
“I don’t think you’re ever going to break 15 minutes.”
“Yes I am”
“How do you know?”
“Look, I’m going to alright, I just haven’t done it yet”
“I don’t believe you”
And so on.
As it turns out, I need neither carrot nor stick right now. I give myself plenty of stick already. I know I’m going to do it. Those 5.6 remaining seconds are going to be sliced off my PB and one day I will wonder what all the fuss was about. I just hope that day is soon.
My Week
Monday: 15km easy (15)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM hurdle drills + track session – 4*1000,4*600,4*400 off 200 jog – 3:03,00,58,58 1:47,45,46,44 70,68,68,67 (27)
Wednesday: rest (0)
Thursday: AM 10km easy / PM 15km easy, weights (25)
Friday: AM 12km easy / PM 13km easy (25)
Saturday: road session on 12 stage course – 1,2,3,2,1,2,3,2,1,2,3,2,1 minutes, strides (18)
Sunday: AM 16km easy / PM 12km easy (28)
Sunday 4th February 2018
I like cross country season. I enjoy the challenge of racing man-to-man over difficult terrain and being unconcerned by the time on the clock. Cross country is endurance racing at its purest and the thing I look forward to most when winter is on its way. But on reflection, it is actually the only thing I look forward to about winter. Now February is here I have well and truly had enough of winter and am looking ahead to track season. I am looking forward to packing the gloves, hats, long sleeved tops, tights and jackets away and not having to dress for an Arctic expedition every time I lace up my trainers. I am looking forward to daylight runs before and after work, to training on grass without having to wear spikes, to lung-busting track sessions that leave me gasping for air, to open meets on warm evenings when everyone is there to run fast, to striding down the canal topwath in a vest and shorts with the sun on my back, to steeplechase, to live athletics on TV, to long days and short nights and to looking forward to every run.
I’ve had enough of winter and can’t wait for summer.
My Week
Monday: 17km easy (17)
Tuesday: AM 10km easy / PM 16km tempo run 56:23, weights (27)
Wednesday: 16km easy, drills and hurdles (16)
Thursday: AM 8km easy / PM hill session – 10*2:30 (29)
Friday: rest (0)
Saturday: 30 min fartlek – 60s on/off, 5*15s hill sprints (17)
Sunday: 26km moderate (26)
Sunday 26th February 2017
Two good sessions and a couple of long runs. I feel like I’m getting fitter.
Monday: 8km easy (8)
Tuesday: road session – 30 mins fartlek: 60s on / 60s off – 8.5km total (18)
Wednesday: 21km easy (21)
Thursday: AM 10km easy / PM 8km easy (18)
Friday: AM 11km easy / PM 10km tempo 33:10 – 16:45,16:25 (29)
Saturday: rest (0)
Sunday: 28km easy (28)
Taken from my training log.
Sunday 10th July 2016
A good solo effort at Leamington on Wednesday and a very good session on Friday.
Monday: AM 12km easy / PM 11km easy (23)
Tuesday: 14km (14)
Wednesday: AM 10km easy / PM Leamington Open 3000, 1st in 8:57.17 – 3:02, 2:57, 2:58, 2km tempo 6:38 straight after (21)
Thursday: rest (0)
Friday: AM 11km easy / PM grass session – 15 x 60s/60s (28)
Saturday: 16km easy (16)
Sunday: AM 16km progression run, 5 mins easy / PM 8km easy (25)
Taken from my training log.
Sunday 24th April 2016
Two very good sessions this week. I really benefitted from going shorter and easier on my easy days.
Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 10km easy (20)
Tuesday: fartlek on grass 10x(2:00/1:00) (17)
Wednesday: 10km easy (10)
Thursday: 10km easy (10)
Friday: AM 10km easy / PM track session 4k,3k,2k,1k off 2:00 jog – 13:25,9:45,6:20,3:03 (25)
Saturday: rest (0)
Sunday: 16km (16)
Taken from my training log.