“I hate Illinois Nazis”

Jake Blues, The Blues Brothers

WEEK 2: JAN 20TH – 26TH

This should be a much more structured and typical week of training. No ‘extra’ work or life stuff to get in the way. More importantly though, I’ll get proper rest in between sessions, something I didn’t have the luxury of during week 1.

On Monday my legs are a little stiff and tired, but nothing to write home about. I’m glad of the rest, and in the evening get in my Yoga and Weights sessions. I feel that Weights session on the legs a bit, but again, nowt major. Although my evening is somewhat spoilt by the news that we have a potential weather warning for the coming weekend. Oh fucking goody.

Tuesday is Speed session at the club. My 4 mile warm up is proper ploddy. Leggy and lethargic. We’re doing Up and Downs for the club tonight – fast with recovery jogs. I’m not feeling it when I arrive, but as soon as I start, I feel good. All the tiredness disappears, and I complete the reps with no problem at all. I do over 10 miles in all and mentally, it’s been a good night.

When I get up Wednesday morning, I’m feeling a little stiff, especially in my right Achilles. For a few years, I had lots of problems with it. I used to call it my ‘grumbling Achilles’. Early last year though, it suddenly cleared up. This is the first time I’ve ‘felt’ it in quite a while.

By the time I pop out for my easy 5 miler in the evening, it’s settled down. Something to certainly keep an eye on. The weather warning has been upgraded to Amber, all day Friday, gale force winds. Thoughts and prayers for my roof.

It’s Intervals time again on Thursday. For this, I’m heading to an estate quite near me, one of those nice middle class estates where cars and people only go if they actually live there. Quiet and safe, it’s a perfect spot.

Looking back at week 1, I realised that I ballsed up my first go at Intervals in Glasgow. I went far too fast, and epically failed to stay in threshold pace for most of it. Which kind of defeated the point of them.

My threshold should be between 142-159bpm. Last week I went over that for the majority of the intervals. Tonight, I’m keeping an eye on it. Look at the below. Magnificent, isn’t it. Starting to get the hang of this slowing down malarkey.

With warm up, intervals, and cools down, it’s another 9.5 miles. I don’t feel tired at all though. It’s another morale boosting training session in the locker. I’m sure in 3 or 4 weeks time, I’ll be saying the complete opposite.

Friday is clusterfuck weather day. The wind is going to be nuts all day, but at 7am is less nuts. So the plan on Thursday night when I go to bed is to get up, assess it, then decide whether I can get out for my 4 mile easy run.

The wind gives me proper PTSD. In 2021, a storm took part of my roof off. Since then, every weather warning involving wind gives me a twitch.

When I get up it doesn’t seem that bad, so I risk it, heading south into it. There’s a hill halfway through, so I get my 10×10 second reps in, then hit 2 miles and turn. The wind suddenly starts to pick up, but I’m heading North now with it on my tail. Clever shite me. The storm eventually pisses off later that day, but leaving me 2 tiles short on my roof. Bastard.

Saturday’s choice, I can rest or run a short threshold paced run. It’s my mother’s birthday, she lives 2 miles away, so I decide to have a gentle plod up there and back to see her.

Whilst Storm Whatdoyoucallit has buggered off, it’s still a bit windy, and the head wind heading to her house is constant and awful. However, I again feel like I’m starting to teach myself to stay in Threshold instead of pushing too hard.

I also feel really good when I get back. I thought there might be more tiredness setting in by this stage, but I’m feeling in a good place to attack a slow 12 miler tomorrow. However, that’s not for another 24 hours, so means diddly shit at this point.

Sunday morning comes around and, whilst it’s only 2c outside, at least it’s not really, cold, icy, or windy out there. I need a break from the shit weather on my long runs, I’m bored of it.

There is a bit of a frost, granted, but not the black ice arm breaker we’ve had the last two weekends. Again, the first 6 miles are a bit of a slog. I’m running slow, but I just can’t stay in aerobic, instead drifting into very low threshold. I feel good though.

I take a gel at 6 mile as planned, and suddenly the run changes. I speed up a tiny bit, but my heart rate stays low. Miles 6 to 12 are quite enjoyable. I’m in a rhythm, keeping it high aerobic/low threshold, and my pace of 9:30 is where I want to be.

I complete the last two miles on the sea front, and remember one of the reasons that in usual times I don’t run on a Sunday. It’s full of fucking runners. They’re everywhere. Solos. Doubles. Trios. Big groups of the fuckers. EVERYWHERE. It’s like runners rush hour.

I finish my run down there, 12.2 miles, in a nice time of 1:55. It’s about 50/50 between aerobic and low threshold, so I’ll take it. My Garmin likes it a lot, knocking another 5 mins off my Marathon race predictor.

Week 2 down, another 45 miles in the locker. I feel pretty good, not just physically, but also mentally. It’s hard work, but I’m following the plan and ‘coping’.

Next week will be more of a test. My long run is a 16 miler, but I feel confident approaching it. The next few weeks will be the start of the body creaking and the mind doubting. Strap in.

Mood: Needs bottling