Today's Training

[Travs]

The first club night of the winter/XC season.... only about 10 of us last night... next week will see an influx of new runners as the universities get back into full swing.

We are still on the grass for a couple of weeks, until it gets too dark... last night was a 1km XC loop, running 800mtrs at effort, followed by 200mtrs or so recovery jog.

The reps weren't being timed nor counted, as it was simply a session to get everyone some decent miles in their legs.... some did 3 or 4, myself who is in the middle of hard training did 7, trying desperately to fend off our fastest guy who was trying to lap me on his 8th rep.... if i could've stayed in front until the downhill section i might have held him off, but he caught and passed me across the top and i couldn't pull it back.

9 miles, on top of 6 miles AM.... a solid start to the week with 26 miles so far.

[Travs]

In addition to bringing in a lot more rowing when i go the the gym, i've now started using the cross-country skier...

A proper Concept XC Skier, i don't mean a cross-trainer/elliptical.

Surprisingly picked up the technique for double-poling quite quickly.... the cardio side is obviously not an issue, but the demands it puts on your core are massively noticeable, even on a short 5mins.

Feeling great having replaced most of my weight work with rowing, so looking forward to seeing what benefits adding in a bit of XC Skiing brings...

https://mirafit.co.uk/concept2-skier...20All#465=6538

[Travs]

Grass session last night... our penultimate grass session of the year, as by this time next week it'll be too dark to get a full session in.

8 x 1 minute efforts, with 30 second jog recoveries..... this doesn't sound much but obviously the effort pace is quick, and the recoveries just about allow time to get pulse/breathing under control (by the last few reps i was taking around 20secs to regain composure, leaving 10 secs to prepare for the next one).

I was being tailed by a couple of guys for the first few.... however i'm a few weeks into some solid training at the moment, and with most of the group having had a couple of weeks of easy running, i knew they wouldn't hold onto me, and by about the 6th rep i'd dropped them.... unfortunately this left me in a no-mans-land as i was a long way behind the fastest guys, so the last coupe were a bit of a solo battle.

8 miles, on top of 4 fairly brisk miles AM.

We've got our full training programme up to the end of November..... every 3rd week or so we'll be doing a three-session week.... with the 3rd session being a parkrun followed immediately by hill sprints.

[Travs]

A very gentle 14 miles today. Ran out to go and spectate a local 10km race, but unbeknown to me it had been cancelled many weeks/months ago, so there was nothing to spectate.

Another good week, 80.5 miles, three sessions if including yesterday's parkrun.

Next week is mile reps on the grass on tuesday. Thursday night is hill reps but i'll probably only do half a session, as its the Midlands 6-Stage next saturday, which i think is just under 6km..... my pb there is 22:43 and is 5 years old so probably needs lowering.

[Travs]

Final grass session of the year last night. Due to sorting out the road relays this coming weekend, it was a later start, and we just about squeezed in 3 x 1 mile cross-country reps in before it got dark.

Although the reps weren't timed i ran them hard and enjoyed the session.... my change of strength/conditioning work (coupled with eating loads of protein) seems to be doing wonders for my powers of recovery at the moment, and i felt fresh despite 3 tough sessions last week.

8.5 miles for the session, 3 miles AM.

Running the 4th leg in our 2nd team in the Midlands 6 Stage Relay on saturday.... as it stands we have quite a strong 2nd team, where i'm the weakest runner.... we may have a chance of getting both our teams into the top 25 and therefore qualification into the National.

[Marco]

Although the reps weren't timed i ran them hard and enjoyed the session.... my change of strength/conditioning work (coupled with eating loads of protein) seems to be doing wonders for my powers of recovery at the moment, and i felt fresh despite 3 tough sessions last week.

That's very interesting, did you change your strength/conditioning work at the same time as increase your protein consumption? I ask, as it would be interesting to hear which one you think had the most significant improvement in your recovery from hard training.

[Travs]

That's very interesting, did you change your strength/conditioning work at the same time as increase your protein consumption? I ask, as it would be interesting to hear which one you think had the most significant improvement in your recovery from hard training.

I think the change in strength/conditioning has made the biggest difference. I've been eating lots of protein for a while... but you know what its like, when you're seeing positive results you tighten everything up and its spurred me on to be strict with everything.... s&c, diet, stretching....

I'm just feeling a lot more able to recover between sessions without trying to throw weights in the mix as well.... and i think that all the rowing has probably strengthened my hamstrings, which are where i often suffer after a really hard rep session.

And obviously the rowing/ski-erg is adding an extra 25-30mins cardio 4-5 times a week, so possibly just an increase in fitness.

Haven't necessarily seen times improve yet, but i'm hoping if i get a good few months of being able to train consistently hard like this is going to really benefit me in the medium/long term.

[Travs]

Hill reps last night, approx 300mtrs long, alongside the A45 in the south of Coventry.

Up to 8 reps, i elected for "5 or 6"..... the coach stopped me after 5 and told me i'd completed my 6.... i'm sure he mis-counted and i only did 5.... but it was just a case of getting some sharp work in before the road relays tomorrow.

I haven't ran the 6-stage since 2018, and my records show that my best time is currently 22:43 for just under 6km on a hilly circuit.

Hopefully tomorrow i'll be able to knock a bit of time off that.

[Marco]

I think the change in strength/conditioning has made the biggest difference. I've been eating lots of protein for a while... but you know what its like, when you're seeing positive results you tighten everything up and its spurred me on to be strict with everything.... s&c, diet, stretching....

Thanks. In an ideal world you only change one variable at a time, but of course it never works like that with training/racing and I was never able to do it.

And obviously the rowing/ski-erg is adding an extra 25-30mins cardio 4-5 times a week, so possibly just an increase in fitness.

Haven't necessarily seen times improve yet, but i'm hoping if i get a good few months of being able to train consistently hard like this is going to really benefit me in the medium/long term.

At one stage, several decades ago, 'cross-training' was the big thing - and the solution to your injury problems and the route to the top alledgedly. It's true that most sports over-work some parts of the body and under-use others (cycling is particularly bad for this), so there is some place for it if only to give some extra, injury-free, aerobic training.

Haven't necessarily seen times improve yet, but i'm hoping if i get a good few months of being able to train consistently hard like this is going to really benefit me in the medium/long term.

Improvement never follows a straight-line graph, but over the long-term I think you're right. It's the balance of consistent hard training that is not too hard. It's fine a balance, but I have every confidence you'll find it as you haven't fallen into the common trap of greater and greater weekly mileage.

[Marco]

Up to 8 reps, i elected for "5 or 6"..... the coach stopped me after 5 and told me i'd completed my 6.... i'm sure he mis-counted and i only did 5.... but it was just a case of getting some sharp work in before the road relays tomorrow.

I haven't ran the 6-stage since 2018, and my records show that my best time is currently 22:43 for just under 6km on a hilly circuit.

Hopefully tomorrow i'll be able to knock a bit of time off that.

Could have been a ploy to keep you sharp for a race less than 48 hours away, or more likely a mis-count on his part.

Haven't looked at the weather yet, but I'm confident you'll knock something off that. If the weather is favourable, I might-possibly-maybe come over and watch. Long time since I last ran it, 2001 I think, but it's a tricky course that is so easy to run too hard over the first 800m.