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Going to the Well – Week Beginning 08 January

Sunday 14th January 2018

This week, whilst idly waiting for the clock to tell me to leave for my latest cross country race I listened to Steve Magness’ latest podcast. This episode, entitled ‘Everything You Need to Know About the 5k’ was a fascinating conversation about preparing athletes to race 12.5 laps of the track. One of the most interesting comments made was to do with athletes’ tendency to want to have a great session a few days before a race as a confidence booster. However more often than not, they argue, the confidence boosting effect is negated by the damage, both physical and mental, that such sessions can do. The two coaches discussed some of their athletes’ best races and how the training that immediately preceded them was often unimpressive on paper. The real work came not days but weeks and months before the target race. The ‘going to the well’ sessions designed to create large adaptations were planned to take place at least 10 days before the race, with everything between then and race day a matter of maintaining fitness rather than trying to increase it.

I found this interesting as it echoes my own experience as an athlete, albeit one at a lower level than those described in the podcast. Maybe I need to stop looking for clues that I am going to race well in the days leading up to a race and trust that all the work done prior to that will pay dividends.

Yesterday I finished 13th in a Birmingham League race, my highest ever finishing position. It feels like the training I did a few weeks ago is starting to take effect!

My Week

Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 12km easy, hurdle drills (22)

Tuesday: AM 9km easy / PM road session – 6 sets of 90s/2:00, strides (25)

Wednesday: 13km easy (13)

Thursday: AM 8km easy / PM 10km with 2 miles hard (18)

Friday: rest (0)

Saturday: Birmingham League XC, Warley Woods – 13th (16)

Sunday: 24km easy (24)

Training – Week Beginning 14 August

Sunday 20th August 2017

​I ran my third steeplechase PB of the year to cap my best ever track season. Now for a break…

Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 10km easy (20)

Tuesday: AM 8km easy / PM grass session – 6 sets of 60s,45s,30s off 45s, 5:00 tempo 3:05 pace (23)

Wednesday: 13km easy (13)

Thursday: track session 8*200 with barriers, 6 ‘water jumps’ into sand, 4*200 accelerating (10)

Friday: 8km easy (8)

Saturday: rest (0)

Sunday: AM 7km easy / PM BAL Premier League steeplechase – 1st B in 9:34.44 (15)

Taken from my training log.

Six out of Seven

Friday 28th July 2017

I have surprised myself this summer.

This time last year I felt I had reached a plateau with running and that any further performance gains were unlikely. Whilst I wasn’t seriously considering quitting, I was starting to think, with my 30s approaching and 10 years on the running clock, that it had been fun while it lasted. Pretending to be an athlete was a laugh. Not going to get better but it doesn’t matter. At least I’m not fat. And then I made some changes.

In February I started training with a group from Birchfield and a few months later I moved club. Here are the races I have done since (yes, I am annoyed about the 5000 that broke the streak):

23rd May – 4:07.4 1500m (PB)

4th June – 9:46.09 3000mSC (PB)

20th June – 15:23.4 5000m

8th July – 15:05.6 5000m (PB)

15th July – 9:38.57 3000mSC (PB)

18th July – 4:27.3 Mile (PB)

25th July – 8:47.4 3000m (PB)

It would be foolish to attribute this improvement exclusively to a change of vest, and whilst I am under no illusions that this is just a honeymoon period, there are a few important changes that I feel have contributed.

For a start I am no longer doing my sessions on my own. I have never lacked motivation and have always been fortunate enough to have the mental toughness just to get out there, lace up the trainers and get it done. Shut up, don’t ask questions. Start the watch. As I have discovered, this stubbornness will get you a long way in running, but not always where you want to be. With a group to train with, most of whom are fitter than me, I am pushing myself harder than before in training. I am accountable to more than just myself. It is easy to convince yourself you are doing well because you are doing the training and logging the miles. What matters more though, is the quality of the training, not simply that it is happening.

Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, I have experienced a change in mentality. Surrounded by good athletes, your aspirations rise. When people you train with are running times that you would once have considered to be beyond you, you adjust your mindset. Why not break 4 minutes for 1500? Why not get under 15 minutes for 5k? Everyone else can. I realise now that the people who run fast times are just normal people like me, not genetic freaks who I have no chance of beating. They just happen to be a bit better than me at the moment. The other facet of this change in mentality relates to competing at a higher level. Aiming to be a decent steeplechaser at Midland level and to pick up a few points for the club is not enough any more. Winning the British League is a minimum requirement; the goals of my clubmates are far loftier than mine once were.

So with this in mind I hope to keep the streak going for as long as I can manage. I will continue to have troughs as well as peaks, but a reminder that I can keep improving and hold my own at a much higher level has been welcome.

Training – Week Beginning 17 July

Sunday 23rd July 2017

Happy with a new mile PB. Hopefully I can carry this form through to next week and run a fast 3000.

Monday: rest (0)

Tuesday: AM 8km easy / PM Tipton BMC mile – 8th in 4:27.3 (15)

Wednesday: 16km easy (16)

Thursday: AM 10km easy / PM 10km easy – abandoned session due to tight hamstring (20)

Friday: 12km easy (12)

Saturday: grass session 10 sets of 60s/60s (14)

Sunday: 14km easy (14)

Taken from my training log.

Training – Week Beginning 10 July

Sunday 16th July 2017

Four PBs in five races this season. Long may it last!

Monday: AM 10km easy / PM 12km easy (22)

Tuesday: 10km easy (10)

Wednesday: rest (0)

Thursday: 10km, strides and barriers (10)

Friday: 7km easy (7)

Saturday: BAL Premiership 3000m steeplechase, 1st in B race in 9:38.57 – PB (9)

Sunday: 8km easy (8)

Taken from my training log.