HADD training plan

After 7 days off I put in runs of 7 and 8 miles Sun/Mon. All systems go. Time off seems to have fixed the tendonitis...was good for the Brain too Brian.

Rest day today...long run tomorrow.

VT - good that you are back running. How long off? Any upcoming races?

Im still putting the slow miles in.   Not wearing the HR much as im doing a lot of hills.   As soon as the canal paths are clear I am going to see what my pace is like but I did 10 miles @8:23 other night so

Good to see the familiar names sticking with it

Welcome Lee

I'm 10 wks into an 18wk P&D plan and i think i'll have to re-train the brain once this is over to get back to 70% running. Really looking forward to Sunday am bimbles along the coastline in the summer and a few months of HADD.

Hi mace, how you coping with P&D? I am guessing it's tough with a bit more tempo than you are used to?

I'm benched at the mo. Dodgy calf from racing last Sunday

Brian - so did you run race too close to a hard session (or too close to too much beer on Saturday?)

Seriously - you it looked like your training was going so well beforehand.

Ah, BeDe, according to my PT lady, when we are most fit we are about 1 wk away from major injury. What a buzzkill to think about...but it seems to be the rule with me. When I turn the corner I usually run straight into that truck I didn't know was sitting in my path. Hopefully Brian has a minor tweak!

I've only missed a week, but the past 6-7 weeks I've only been getting mid30s to mid40s type miles per week. I was hoping to be in the mid40s to uppper 50s but this is probably a good thing (might actually see the truck coming). No races planned until the fall (marathon) so it's all good. Besides, my work schedule is crushing me at the moment.

Good luck finishing out the plan Mace. And nice 10 miler Spen!

Brian, sorry to hear about the calf. Hope it clears soon.

VT, interesting theory about the 1 wk away from inury thing and also a bit depressing.  I am struggling with a groin injury which started showing shortly after I had recorded how well I was running, and looking back on last year's diary had calf problems just after some of my best weeks of training.

Am just trying to get mileage in at sub 75% until I've confidence to push on a bit.  I will never again tell myself I am in really good shape.

BeDe, Combination of too much beer on the saturday (not something I normally do but it was a birthday do for MrsB), only 6mins warm-up, the hilly nature of the course and the cold weather. I was actually pleased with the run itself (maybe lost 45secs over the last 3miles).

VT, I do believe the 1 week from injury thing and have tried to periodise my training over the last 2 years. As roadrunners, we don't tend to have a season as such, and therefore the tendancy is to train/race throughout the year. I got injured in 2011, and looking back on my log realised I hadn't had a proper break in 3 years! Now I try not to target more than 2 races per year, and following the target races have a week off and an easy month.

mace, the race went really well considering. Having looked at the entry list to stalk my age group rivals, I concluded there were 3 others I knew were up there. A guy I know would win it (he's normally 2-3mins infront of me), a guy who would be 2nd (also quality runner) and then me and a Dewsbury runner contending 3rd. The Dewsbury runner normally beats me but I knew his race times were slightly off and I think he's coming back from injury. At the start of the race I spotted the Dewsbury guy and passed him early on (didn't see him the rest of the race). After about 7M I spotted the 2nd guy (Abbey) and was a bit surprised as I don't normally see him after the early stages. I got a little giddy when I realised he was coming back to me, and staying calm I passed him up the big hill at 9M. At the top of that hill and close to the 10M point I felt my calf. Not a stabbing pain, just a cramp-like pain coming on very gradually. It got steadily worse but I maintained my age cat position of 2nd and limped over the line. So 2nd dodger and beat a guy I am fairly sure have never beaten before! The time was 86:33, fairly happy with that as I had targetted 85:xx. Liversedge is a hilly course and probably worth +3mins.

Bliddy massage was cancelled last night cos of the weather!

Great stuff Brian and congrats on the 2nd dodger  

Your pace was somewhere around my 5k pace, fair play to you.

mace, Cheers! I'm not gonna let the voucher change my life.

I am guessing that you are a few years behind me in respect of aerobic development. It will come.

Well tonight I worse my heart monitor and run a flatish course.

1       9.51     119

2       9.41     133

3       9.34     132

4       9.38     137

5       9.31     135

6       9.33     138

7       9.44     138

8       10.10   138

Mile 1 is downhill and the end of mile 7 and mile 8 is uphill.    Its quite an improvement from Christmas when i was at about 10.10 for the same bpm.

Will try a true flat course on the canal as soon as they are drier.

Spen, nice numbers. That is a really nice bump in a short time.

Today I reaped the benefits of a decent night's sleep (6 hrs as opposed to the 4 or 5 hrs I normally get lately) and my time off. I set out running comfortable (could tell it was a little brisk but it felt very easy). I just got more comfortable and stronger as the run went on. Ended up with 11.5 miles @ 7:48 m/m at an ave HR of 77% (154). I was really cooking the last two miles (HR jumped to 80% for 7:24 and 7:13 paced miles to finish). Legs were strong/dynamic throughout and I could have easily kept going for several more miles. I love days like this; i'm never more alive than when I'm feeling super fit.

Hope everyone has an nice weekend (can you tell I have endorphins surging through me right now?)

Spen nice pace going on there, HR smooth.

Ran a 12.4 mile 81% session this week and it worked out if I had carried on for another .7 of a mile would have been only 90 second off my half mara pb.

So I will enter the Worcester half in mid April, and see where I am in my training.

Brian, hope your calf  is getting better,drink lots of tonic water, full of quinine that relaxes the muscles,well it works for me anyway.

P.S. no gin tho!!

Brian - have a look at muscle activation therapy.  I had a problem with my calf and went to a MAT physio.  Turns out my right hip flexor was the problem and the imbalance caused my calf problem.  Also do you think you are packing in hard days without some easy day relief in-between?  Looking at your earlier comments it looks like youre stacking them [hard sessions] one after another.

All - my parker HR training is going well.  Well until I came down with a vomiting virus last night.  Not pretty but already starting to feel better, though wont be running until Wednesday now.  Really frustrating as I was really enjoying the running here in Cornwall - on hols, kids half term.  I did 5 miles on the Camel Trail yesterday at first light - it was one of those glad to be alive moments - absolutely beautiful!

Lee, Thanks for the heads up. I have seen a physio who treated the area only, and then seen a masseur who I normally go to and he has treated all around the area and the other calf. As I thought, the other calf was very tight (and I knew this), and it looks like the right calf problem is probably compensatory.

Re: hard sessions back-to-back. There are lots of positives from training with a group. But this one is a negative. We all have our own "schedules", ideas and rotas. And most days of the week someone will want to do a harder session. I tend to join in with these if they fit the bill, and if they don't I will water down the session so as not to compromise my training. So you may've seen 2 (or even 3) "hard" sessions back-to-back, but at least 1 of them would've been off-the-pace.

Anyways, went out for a very easy 45mins yesterday, got a little carried away (again, running out to meet a mate) and ended up doing 60mins easy. Calf tightened a little after 45mins but after stretching it felt fine. I am aware of it now and will take it easy all this week.