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Comp – Week 9
28 February
Full Race Warm Up
It was 9.30am so I didn’t feel that energetic, maybe a lesson about what time is best for sprint sessions. I will aim for ~11am tomorrow to run the flat out 60m, with the option of then running a second one the following Thursday.
My indoor seasons seem a bit anticlimactic, I train and train, then taper, and I don’t have any real enthusiasm about running great times.
On the plus side it’s warmer weather next week and spring tomorrow.
1 March
Full Race Warm Up
Blocks – 2×10, 30m in 2.08, 1.97, 4.49 secs Freelap
Flying 20m in 2.34 secs
Blocks – 60m in 7.98 secs (20/30/40m in 3.30/4.49/5.65)Wet track, 8 degrees, -6 m/s wind. F**king British weather. I was really pleased with the second 10m block start, and it’s at least reassuring that both my 30m from blocks and first 30m of my 60m run were identical times. The last 20m of my 60m from blocks was also 2.34 seconds.
Adjusting for the wind it becomes 4.43 secs to 30m and 1.14 secs at top speed, meaning 60m in 7.83 secs. Adding on reaction time then brings it back up to 8.03 secs, which is not what I’d hoped for.
I plan to do one final 60m timed run on Thursday, and then the indoor season is over. I am taking it as a learning experience, and next winter I will probably look to bring the volume down by 15-20% and see what that does to my training times.
2 March
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 7 x 100m in 16.8 secsSuper-chilled. I’ve not had a difficult conditioning session in a while now and I’m starting to feel like I’ve gone beyond tapering into the end of indoor season deconditioning.
3 March
Full Race Warm Up
Lovely conditions today, shame I wasn’t doing the time trial now. Calves are a bit unresponsive so I’ll use the massage gun on them this evening, thighs felt really powerful though.
4 March
Rest
5 March
Full Race Warm Up
30m in 4.44 secs (first 3m in 0.96 secs)
Flying 20m in 2.23 secs
60m 3 pt in 7.83 secs (3/30/40m in 0.93, 4.39, 5.52 secs)
60m 3 pt in 7.70 secs (3/30/40m in 0.81, 4.25, 5.39 secs)Dry track, 16 degrees, -4 m/s wind. Forgot my blocks which is a little frustrating for my final session. I didn’t trust the comparison to 30m from 3 point so I set a cone up at 3 metres to see how I did in the first few strides. The final run (0.81 secs) is really suspicious and possibly a case of the release button sticking to my thumb and giving the impression of a quick start. I was most pleased about the flying 20m in 2.23 secs, despite a relaxed first 30m (4.47 secs) that ended up being 7.83 secs across 60m – identical to my first max effort run. I wasn’t pleased with my top speed in the first flat out effort (2.31 secs for 20m fly) so I rested 15-18 minutes and had a second run, which was near enough identical if you ignore the first 3 metres.
I need to work on my taper because this was a bit of a lame finish to the indoor season and I’m glad I didn’t do any open meets. I massaged my calves on Tuesday and had an office day on Wednesday which I think impairs me on the Thursday session (it’s about 90 mins of brisk walking for the round trip).
I’ll start my outdoor season in 9 days time, and next week I’ll just do some basic maintenance work and try to rest up.
Comp – Week 8
21 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 5 x 100m in 16.2, 16.5 secs
Pull ups, handstand – 2 setsSome fast times unintentionally, opened with a 15.4 and ran a few more 15.* during the session.
22 February
Warm Up 1
Trek (skip height, skip distance, SL scissor, bent leg scissor, alt bound) – 3 x 20m
Blocks – 30, 40, 50m in 4.40, 5.52, 6.67 secs
60, 70, 80m in 7.86, 9.06, 10.17 secs (30/40/60m in 4.40, 5.55, 7.86 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 2 x 125kg
Bench Press – 2 x 2 x 50kgDamp track, 11 degrees, -4 m/s wind. I felt so flat today, I did a 7km hike with my daughters yesterday which may or may not have contributed. The times weren’t too bad considering, and I will take it for what it is and keep going with my final taper.
23 February
Abs – 3 mins
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 6 x 100m in 17.6, 16.7 secs
Pull ups, rope climb, handstand – 2 setsDid abs while I was waiting to leave. A slower paced session but I accepted it would be the case as I was running and didn’t choose to adjust my intensity. Getting some tightness in my left calf during the day but it didn’t impede my workout.
24 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 20,30,40m in 3.20, 4.36, 5.48 secs Freelap
70m (95%) in 9.34 secs (30/40m in 4.52, 6.64 secs)
Bench Press – 2 x 2 x 50kgDamp track, 13 degrees, -4 m/s wind. The first few block starts were mediocre and then I caught a nice one for the 40m run. Something to bear in mind when I have a race that I need a few starts to find my rhythm. My body feels like it could sleep 11 hours but I always end up waking after 6-6.5 hours which is frustrating.
25 February
Rest
26 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 10,20,30,40m in 2.04,3.26,4.48,5.66 secs FreelapDry track, 11 degrees, -6 m/s wind. Flat, flat, flat. My calves are giving me a nice bounce but in terms of producing power I wasn’t there today. I managed some 1.94’s to 10m while warming up but the wind was really gusting and holding me back. I also opted for shorts today and my legs were a lot colder than usual, which may impact times.
Usually three days before a race I feel incredible and I’m desperate to do more in that session, but I’ve also learned that I could drop a tenth over a few days from being well rested and tapered, so hard to read too much into today.
27 February
Rest
I had an office day which meant it was slightly less restful than usual.
Overall a very forgettable week, but it’s all about what happens on Sunday.
Comp – Week 7
14 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,21312,111 in 17.3, 35.7, 54.1 secs
Pull ups, handstand – 2 setsVery cold this morning, 1 or 2 degrees. Incredibly consistent with the runs, nearly all within 0.3 secs of the target time. I couldn’t do the rope climb as my hands were too cold.
15 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 20,30,40,50m in 3.34,4.68,5.96, 7.00 secs Freelap
70, 80m in 9.43, 10.93 secs
Hex DL – 2 x 2 x 130kg
Bench Press – 2 x 2 x 50kgWet track, 4 degrees, -6 m/s wind. I know what you’re thinking, those conditions just scream “personal best”. That’s not even including potentially the biggest hindrance – wearing baggy waterproof trousers and a jacket. I took the trousers off for the final block start and kept them off for the longer runs. I was chatting to someone rather than keeping warm which is why the 80m was such a step down in speed. The weird thing is I felt really crisp out the blocks and relatively powerful in all my runs, with a noticeable sluggishness at top speed.
I still consider it a worthwhile session and my body feels like it’s done maximal intensity sprints today.
16 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 6 x 100m in 17.2 secs
Pull ups, handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 minsNo trouble, very relaxed.
17 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Accels – 3 x 30m in 4.22 secs Freelap
4 x 80m (95%) in ~10.4 secs
Hex DL – 2 x 2 x 130kg
Bench Press – 2 x 2 x 50kg
Abs – 3 minsDamp track, 8 degrees, +4 m/s wind. I felt sensational today, the wind helped but I was floating down the track and would have loved the chance to run flat out at top speed. I cut the rest to 6 minutes but I’ll go back to 7 mins in future as I felt a hint of fatigue building after each rep. There’s a real difference in demand when deadlifting 130kg vs 140kg as it barely troubles me at the lower weight.
18 February
Rest
19 February
Warm Up 1
Trek (skip height, skip distance, SL scissor, bent leg scissor, alt bound) – 3 x 20m
Blocks – 30, 40, 50m in 4.35, 5.50, 6.62 secs
60, 70, 80m in 7.61, 8.71, 9.88 secs (30/40/60m in 4.35, 5.45, 7.65 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 2 x 130kg
Bench Press – 2 x 2 x 50kgDamp track, 8 degrees, +6 m/s wind. Honestly, can’t it just be calm weather for one day. Again I felt really sharp and given the tailwind I thought the times really didn’t reflect that.
20 February
Rest
Looking back on the 2024-25 winter season my Freelap times correlated really well with what I ran indoors, and from performances this week I would be looking at a ~7.85 second 60m. If that’s true I don’t want to sign up for a meet and prove that, instead I want to be down in 7.70 territory before I do any meetings. I got up from bed the other day and could feel an underlying fatigue in my thighs, so I am still of the belief that I am not fully rested.
My final deadlifts are on Sun 22nd and the same for flat out longer sprints, then a taper until the next 60m time trial on 1st March. Beyond that I thought of doing a second time trial on the 5th/6th, as I typically see a performance boost in the days following a race.
Comp – Week 6
7 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 8 x 100m w stretching in ~17.5 secsAn ultra-relaxed session, I’d written down 10 x 100m but two laps seemed sufficient given my recent illness. I’m still not 100% but I’m well enough for a short session.
8 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Accels – 3 x 30m in 4.32 secs Freelap
3 x 80m (95%) in 10.3 to 10.8 secs
Abs – 3 minsDamp track, 10 degrees, -2 m/s wind. Pleasant conditions today, a little warmer than the last few months have been. I felt fantastic during the accelerations and was pleased that the times reflected that. I thought I’d run 10.7 again if I did a relaxed 80m and the first rep ended up being 10.30! I eased back more for the next reps which were 10.6 and 10.9. I also noted my flying 10m runs were 1.16 secs which is pretty solid given how little I was trying.
I’m still symptomatic, blowing my nose every 10 minutes and coughing up stuff every now and again. Expect to be better in the next 72 hours.
9 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 8 x 100m w stretching in ~17.5 secsSame again, could have potentially rested but I feel like an active recovery is better for me.
10 February
Full Race Warm Up
This felt good, I had a fever overnight and needed to take the day off work but it was nice to come and do half an hour at the track in preparation for Thursday. I definitely had some zip in the runs I did (only a few 10m from prone position) and my morning reaction time test scores are coming down, indicating CNS has recovered.
11 February
Rest
Very light day, no commute as I’m still symptomatic so aside from a brief morning walk I was at my desk all day.
12 February
Full Race Warm Up
60m – 7.68 secs Freelap (20/30/40m in 3.13/4.31/5.44)Wet track, 9 degrees, no wind. I ran a 4.36 secs 30m from blocks then a flying 20m with 40m build up in 2.25 secs. I knew the 30m wasn’t the smoothest start and that I could improve on it in the 60m run, which I did. Really pleased with this given I’m still dealing with aches & pains and a stuffy nose.
I probably won’t sign up for an indoor meet and instead I’ll just do another Freelap timed 60m in 2-3 weeks time to finish the season.
13 February
Rest
It’s been so nice to give my body a break this week and clear there’s so much cumulative fatigue that another two weeks of reduced volume will be good for me.
Comp – Week 5
31 January
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 111,21312,111 in 16.2, 34.1, 52.6 secs.
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 minsI ended up going too hard in these runs, I felt really fresh so it was hard to gauge my natural pace. The final 100m was 14.6! I knew I was pushing it in the 300m run but the others were just naturally quicker.
1 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Blocks – 10,20,30,40,50m in ?, 3.22, 4.42, 5.57, 6.75 secs Freelap
70,80,90m in 9.07, 10.15, 11.25 secs (30/40/60m in 4.40, 5.55, 7.85 secs)
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 145kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
DB Rows – 2 x 6 x 42.5kg
Standing Plate Twist – 2 x 20 x 15kgDamp track, 8 degrees, -2 m/s wind. More unpleasant conditions, wore my waterproofs for the blocks then stripped down for the longer runs. I used the cue to go aggressively down and back with the arms at top speed and that helped with my 20m splits, moving them from ~2.36 to ~2.28 secs. I’ve been reflecting on a conversation with an older masters athlete who said three speed sessions a week is too much. I figured I could train myself into a condition where my body can handle the volume but realistically I will probably benefit from backing off in the summer.
2 February
Warm Up 2
Drills D – 2 x 20m w runout
Tempo – 2 x 6 x 100m in 17.7 secs, 17.2 secs
Pull Ups, Rope Climb, Handstand – 2 sets
Abs – 3 minsYesterday evening I pulled my reaction time data that I’ve been collecting every morning and it shows a trend of CNS fatigue throughout January, which backs up how I’ve been feeling. I’ve basically overdone it with the intensity and volume so I need to back off more in each session, starting with this one. I was more leisurely in my tempo runs, though once my legs were fully warmed up I naturally ran the second set of six reps faster.
I don’t want to make too many modifications to my training plan as in some ways I want to see what the result is if I didn’t change course. Unless I run some spectacular times I will probably keep more of an eye on total training load and dial it back 15-20% next winter, as well as considering volume for the outdoor season.
3 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
MB Throws (Chest, hop Chest) – 3 reps
Accels – 3 x 30m in 4.42 secs Freelap
4 x 80m (95%) in ~10.75
Hex DL – 2 x 3 x 130kg
Bench Press – 2 x 3 x 50kg
Abs – 3 minsWet track, 4 degrees, no wind. I was scheduled to run 5 reps but reviewing my program and fatigue levels I dropped a rep here. I also moved the deadlifts down to 85% 3RM in a bid to freshen up my legs. I was really pleased with the execution of the 80m runs, I was aiming to run as relaxed as possible while fast and it happened to be consistently around 10.75 secs.
4 February
Rest
I had a sore throat for the second half of yesterday and that carried through to today. Will either skip tomorrow’s workout or do a bike session instead.
5 February
Warm Up 1
CMJ (no dip), hop CMJ – 3 reps
Pogo Jumps – 2 x 20
Bike Accels – 3 x 12 secs (lvl 15) @ 640W
Bike Speed – 20 secs (lvl 12) @ 470WNice to do something, though I really didn’t feel like it. Jumps were great and I held the intensity in all the bike work. The pogo jumps weren’t full intensity, I only wanted to introduce some ankle stiffness work given the lack of impact from the bike.
6 February
Rest
My cold worsened and I had a sauna session and a short afternoon walk but otherwise stayed in my room trying to recover.
I don’t mind this illness at all, it’s come at a good time as I was easing up the intensity anyway. Still planning to run one or two timed 60 metre sprints from blocks on the 12th.
