Training Log Archive: Leon

Had massage again yesterday so time to see if I can back on the horse properly this time

Headingley station to Hawksworth start, no pain, good.

Hawksworth Woods WEI - 8th/28, 31:25

The good news, I think, is I didn't have any knee pain, though I think I need to be careful still, a couple of twinges post race, but some ghost pain too I feel. Certainly about 20% of the original agony when I went on the foam roller when I got home, and the right leg, the one with no pain was several times tighter.
My simple analysis would suggest therefore if the knee pain comes back, I've done something more serious than ITB strain, as that is no longer tight as such. Hopefully won't come to that mind.

Bad news is I was running like a 60 year old, seemed very unfit.
I'm now concerned it will be my fitness rather than map reading that will let me down at Kendal on Monday.

Having said that, further bad news is my map reading wasn't great tonight, first 6 were spot on, good, then really couldn't align the map with what I was seeing in the boulder fields/rocky ground next to the path, there didn't seem to be a clear section in between the two boulder slopes.
Inexplicable error in coming back to the path 10 to 11, no idea why I did that. Climbed too soon to 14, and also didn't spot the road route choice through this section (!!!)
Still happy to be running hardish again, even it is was a bit disconcerting how hard I found that.

Just hope to stay pain free, will run Thu/Sat/Mon, and am getting bike fixed Fri, so will be cross training, or merely bike training, to get fit again...

LCA to Beckton park. Cutting it fine, and slightly circuitous route

Beckton parkrun - 1st, 19:09
In London so thought might as well give a parkrun a go and see how the knee holds up. Never planned to run flat out so when a youngster sped off, I let him go and settled into the pack.
Felt decidedly unfit to be honest, but that could be a bit of rustiness.
Anyway settled down and ran pretty much bang on 6's for the whole thing which meant I reeled in the kid and finished first by a minute, despite the results having me down as 10th!
Nice flat 2 lapper and friendly to boot, helps that it was a small parkrun, 29 finishers.
As for the knee? Well it hurt for a bit around a mile in, but the second half didn't really feel it except a slight dull ache. But then pain when walking at lunchtime out of nowhere.
So not out of the woods yet. More treatment this week.

Wrose Brow WEI - 13th / 31

The missing story is I rested up until last Friday, then attempted to start the 10k, got 400m and knee hurt a lot so stopped.
Boozy weekend, haven't run since.
Planned to just walk round tonight, but did a 5 min test jog with no pain, so walked the downhills and jogged slowly the rest of it.
Very easy to naviagate at this speed.
New area, bit grotty but made a nice change, sadly the mapped urban bits weren't used.
Following steep downhill 9-10 started to feel knee, not painful as such but if I pushed it I think it would have done, so backed off even more.
Missed the rain.
Only mistake was to #6 where I tried to go round the holly bush one way but the steam stopped that so had to go 270 degrees round the other way.

C • Holly bush 2

C • Too many fast sessions recently? 1

Resting til Friday now

Up to the Chevin, partly with Matt and Pete after last nights drinking antics. Not too hungover so but some practice for IOM at least.
Very strong westerly wind.
Knee felt better before I went, better for 5 mins then started hurting again. Was fine uphill but bad downhill, which is standard.
Beginning to think this is a bit more terminal than I first thought.
More rest/roller action required...

Had massage this morning, all sorts of pain and tightness but feels a lot better for it. Might have a jog tomorrow morning. Might now. We'll see.

I.T Band (left)

One one hand a bit annoying as has come out of nowhere
On the other hand less annoying as I think should be easily fixed.

In London - King's Cross to Stratford with Mick
In agony with knee first two miles (I.T. Band) which eased but could feel it throughout.
Could hardly walk at times later in the evening.
Guess this means a day off tomorrow and massage Friday to attempt to fix. Hopefully fixed with some painful massage, race next Weds is the key thing.

Ran the Millenium Bridge route, thought it would be a good idea.
Too many people in the park though.

Session, at Becketts Pk seeing as everyone is in Portugal.
Me, Oz, and for parts, Chris Smith and Dan Whittle joined in.

1 mile (3) 4 x 800m (2) 4 x 400 (75s) then (2) 1k

Simply brutal

Had worked out the mile based on 10k pace of 32:50 800 at 5k pace of 15:50 and 400 at 3k pace of 8:55 would be 5:15/2:32/71s

In the event I did
5:10, 2:33,2:30,2:31,2:30, 71,71,71,71, 3:12

So very pleased despite windy conditions
Couldn't bear to think about the 1k on the 400s but didn't die as expected

Only issue is IT band was playing up quite badly for first 100m of each rep, so may have to be careful tomorrow.

Must be fit right now to do this.

C • Ripper session! 1

Steady run Burley > Otley, took a while to get going but miles 3-7 were solid 6:20s. Not very enjoyable though, cold.

Late Sunday run. Not feeling 100% so decided to just do 90mins, headed down Hollins Hill and Buck Lane, then along canal to Esholt, thru Sewage works and up the hill to the Princess, the down Yeadon branch line.
Approaching 65mins/9miles, bumped into Leon R coming the other way, so I turned around and joined him in running up to the Chevin!
Pace dropped a bit but we were more off road and I was glad for the company. So turned into a bit of an epic, was dark by the end. Lovely sunset though.
A lot of flies about, you forget the down sides of warmer weather...

Warrington parkrun - 1st, 16:25
Wet
Funny course, beginning, a spell in the middle, and the end, far from fast, interpersed with almost a mile each way down a disused canal (makes a change from railway) which was flat and fast
That, combined with the rain, makes me quite pleased with the time, a parkrun PB.
Helps I was pushed all the way, just managing to open a gap in the last k.

6 x 90s on / off following 4 mins rec after parkrun
Didn't feel great but got it done, and garmin analysis shows it was pretty decent <5min/mile pace on average

York hospital loop.
Felt quite good so kept pace honest.

Over the fields to Ilkley for my tea.
Enjoyable to be out in evening daylight but quite tired.

Longer lunchtime run as busy tonight.
Headed 3mi down the river, through Fulford village, west edge of uni and then loop line.
8 x 15s strides off 45s at end.
Felt light headed half way round but overall OK.

Nice warm up down the Old Leeds Northern Starbeck to Bilton, worth a revisit for sure

Bilton Street O - 1st, 29/30 controls
Started off steady with a nice plan to head southwards, planning ahead as legs got going, had a lot of debate about route through centre section, 5,6,7, began to realise it may be possible to get them all and so started to crank up the pace
Hills in the north and NW of map slowed me a bit and decided couldn't afford to drop down to 17 and get back in time, main pressure now was to get all the rest which I just about managed with an absolute sprint down the home straight!

Post race analysis suggests I should have taken a different route in the centre section which would have avoided my proposed second climb, but never mind, if I had set off faster would have got them all anyway.

A fine pint in the Gardeners Arms afterwards...

Knavesmire and river south. Easy but thought pace felt quicker than it actually was.

Down to South Leeds, but decided against session and did a steady run round Middleton woods and GC with Oz and Simon, climb up to stop left me thinking session would be easier. But rest was fine.