Run Down

There are lots of rules to running and getting fit in general but there is one that should never ever EVER be broken. Whether you are starting to run for the first time, returning after a long injury or transitioning from a heel strike to forefoot running style, my advice is to always ALWAYS build gradually. Unless of course you are me and you suddenly have more time to train, have a pain free Achilles for the first time in 18 months and can see the cross country season fast approaching. Under those circumstances you may overrule the golden rule, so long as you can live the consequences.

Manflu struck Thursday morning, two days before the second Essex League Cross Country fixture at Colchester's Hilly Fields. I don't want sympathy so I will finish here and cut straight to the training diary.

Monday: AM: S&C.  PM: 30' easy

Tuesday: AM: Indoor cycle 25' easy.  PM: Intervals on grass - Up the Clock*

Wednesday: AM: No S&C - work trip to Peterborough.  PM: work late, 25' easy

Thursday: S&C: PM: Ill :(

Friday: Ill and need to get better quickly for Cross Country tomorrow.

Saturday: Essex League Cross Country, 8.5km. 32' 45''. Position 26th. PM: Single Malt.

Sunday AM: Fed the ducks.         PM: 50' at a very easy pace. More Single Malt.

S&C sessions:

Monday: There was the traditional Monday morning queue for the squat rack so...

Dead lift, 3 x 5, 85kg. 
Single heel drops (machine), 3 x 5, 107kg. 
Pull Up, 3 x 5, body weight minus 9kg. 
Barbell roll out, 2 x 6

Thursday:

Back Squat, 3 x 5, 75.5kg. 
 Straight leg dead lift, 3 x 5, 89kg. 
Then as for Monday (excluding Dead lifts).

* 'Up the Clock' is a normally a track session consisting of the following 5 reps: 400m - rest - 800m - rest - 1200m - rest - 1600m - 5' rest - 2000m. The distances I ran on Tuesday were approximate (but not far off).

Pending better health next week, weight will again be added to the S&C program and mileage increased, albeit  more gradually now. The week after will be a bit of a wind down ahead of the Chelmsford 10k. It will be interesting to see what I can do over 10km compared to two years ago. Going by the recent Essex League and Met' League cross country performances, I think I am about a minute slower than the 33'50'' I ran in at Hatfield BroadOak in 2010. I would like to one day run a minute quicker than that!