Training Log Archive: markg

Woke up feeling crap and so decided to bail on the half.

Bit hungover from ACT Sports Awards ... entered for Deep Space Half tomorrow so resting today.

To gym and back. After the gym I did some running technique repeats on South Oval, practising going in and out of the latest cue and getting used to the feel of the modified gait at different paces. Upon one switch to my old gait I had another of those 'why would I run this way?' moments Lex talks about.

Squat 3 x 5 @ 40kg, 50kg, 55kg (+0 forgot to do extra)
Deadlift 3 x 5 @ 40kg, 50kg, 55kg (+3)
Seated calf raise 3 x 8 @ 15kg
Straight-leg calf raise 3 x 8 @ 60kg (leg press machine)

Will start this progression properly next week if the back allows.

Easy around the increasingly-usual morning loop. It's a nice loop but has more of a climb to start than I would prefer for a morning run. Tally of aches and pains: nerve pain low grade but still present, low back good until afterwards then it got stiff and achy on lumbar flexion, start of soreness in right hip flexor (sartorius?) on later hills, achilles improved first-thing.

Practised new running cue: stabilising left side of rib cage as right foot comes back and drawing foot back to land closer under the body. It feels fast; seems to activate glutes more and can notice the more forward propulsion.

Easy session today. Back felt horrible and achey for a lot of yesterday; it was better today but I certainly didn't want to risk a heavy session. So I dropped the weight down, practised my form and started my first round of a 5, 3, 1 -ish program for the heavy lifts. The first week is 3 sets of 5 with progressing-weight and for the last set you do as many reps as you can.

Low row 3 x 8 @ 33kg
Push-ups 3 x 10
Squat 3 x 5 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg (+7)
Chin-ups ~10 singles
Deadlift 3 x 5 @ 40kg, 45kg, 50kg (+5)
Calf isometrics 4 x 45s @ 60kg (leg press machine)

6 x 10s, 30s break, 4 x 10s, 30s break, 2 x 10s for McGill crunches, side-plank and bird-dogs.

New shoe run! Unfortunately still have old body. Started slow but had weird random left medial quad thing happening so walk-jogged the first 8min or so and after that it was okay. A bit of nerve pain from right low back and through the glute later on.

3 x 6 hops each side

Read my new back book again last night. It's really targeted at people with really horrible backs but there are a few good insights in there like how to stand properly: I'm not kidding, 39 years in and I still hadn't learnt how to stand. Also reinforces the need for good back form all day every day, something I'm pretty crap at.

Achilles morning pain again for a couple of minutes after rising. Not terrible, just a 2 on the pain scale.