First of all an apology. To all my race organiser friends, I know I've been pestering you for a couple of weeks now about when your races are likely to be held next year.
I hope you all understand that it's only because I'm feeling fit, healthy and ready to go after a lengthy absence. All the more so now that we have some good weather.
Next up ... there may be a few guest posts in the future. Not too many but if anyone reading this is interested let me know. But please be aware that I will still retain full editorial control.
Training. Week one finished and the introduction of my usual two longer runs (the first one as a fartlek session) has been successful. Next week I'll be introducing tempo runs and I'm looking forward to that on Friday.
Finally it appears that my morning heart rate is now, on average, 47.1 which is the lowest since 19 September last year. And my weight has now fallen to 60.3 kg which is the lowest it's been since 15 November last year (until 17 June this year my weight had been over 61.5 kg for at least six months).
Things are looking good ... if I can find a few races.
Showing posts with label heart rate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart rate. Show all posts
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Saturday, 8 June 2013
summer cold, etc
Just when things couldn't get much better they took a turn for the worse. Over the past few days I've developed a rather bad cold. Over the past five or six days I've noticed my morning pulse getting progressively higher and higher and that's usually a sign of illness.
It hasn't been high enough to reduce my training in any way (until today) but yesterday afternoon the cold began in earnest. Streaming nose, tiredness, lethargy, etc. I immediately began taking lots of vitamin C as advocated by Frank Horwill and others. Not as much as he suggested but I realise now that I should have started the 'medicine' a couple of days ago.
One thing I have noticed over the past six months or so is that I seem to have forgotten stuff like that. I'm sure it will all come back once I get properly into training mode again - only another four weeks to go.
As mentioned above my morning pulse was exceptionally high - over 20 % higher than normal. So, I've decided to ease back on the cycling and strength training for a few days. The running, such that it is, is only at a very low level anyway at the moment.
One thing I have noticed ... England Athletics have put on their website details of an English 24 hr Championship - this year held in conjunction with the Tooting Bec race in London. There appears to be some confusion though because there are slightly different details on the two pages it is mentioned - here and here - and no mention on the race website (or on the entry form).
If this is the beginning of an annual English Championship then that can only be a good thing as athletes in all other disciplines have a national championship to aim for. For me it's just a shame I won't be fit enough to take part but hopefully it will be something the powers that be continue with - and maybe (hopefully) us it as a selection event for a home nations 24 hr championships. Or is that a step too far ...
At this point I should mention that I suggested a championship to England Athletics back in 2009 when I also pointed out that the list of English records did not include ultra distance events. Within a week or two some ultra records were included but, even now, the men's 100k is missing and the women's 24 hour (road) has not been updated to include Lizzy Hawker.
It hasn't been high enough to reduce my training in any way (until today) but yesterday afternoon the cold began in earnest. Streaming nose, tiredness, lethargy, etc. I immediately began taking lots of vitamin C as advocated by Frank Horwill and others. Not as much as he suggested but I realise now that I should have started the 'medicine' a couple of days ago.
One thing I have noticed over the past six months or so is that I seem to have forgotten stuff like that. I'm sure it will all come back once I get properly into training mode again - only another four weeks to go.
As mentioned above my morning pulse was exceptionally high - over 20 % higher than normal. So, I've decided to ease back on the cycling and strength training for a few days. The running, such that it is, is only at a very low level anyway at the moment.
One thing I have noticed ... England Athletics have put on their website details of an English 24 hr Championship - this year held in conjunction with the Tooting Bec race in London. There appears to be some confusion though because there are slightly different details on the two pages it is mentioned - here and here - and no mention on the race website (or on the entry form).
If this is the beginning of an annual English Championship then that can only be a good thing as athletes in all other disciplines have a national championship to aim for. For me it's just a shame I won't be fit enough to take part but hopefully it will be something the powers that be continue with - and maybe (hopefully) us it as a selection event for a home nations 24 hr championships. Or is that a step too far ...
At this point I should mention that I suggested a championship to England Athletics back in 2009 when I also pointed out that the list of English records did not include ultra distance events. Within a week or two some ultra records were included but, even now, the men's 100k is missing and the women's 24 hour (road) has not been updated to include Lizzy Hawker.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
fitness improves
The week just gone was the one in which I began running on three consecutive days and resting on the fourth. So far all has gone well and there are no problems at all, it's still very early stages yet though.
Cycling and strength training is also progressing exceptionally well at the moment and my aerobic fitness seems to be getting better almost daily. One measure of this increase is heart rate when waking in the morning. This year, on a week by week basis, that has been:
[figures are the mean of the previous 28 mornings]
6 January ..... 51.6
13 January ..... 50.5
20 January ..... 49.4
27 January ..... 49.1
3 February ..... 49.2
10 February ..... 49.9
17 February ..... 50.1
24 February ..... 49.6
3 March ..... 49.4
10 March ..... 49.4
17 March ..... 49.4
24 March ..... 49.5
31 March ..... 49.3
7 April ..... 49.0
14 April ..... 49.1
21 April ..... 48.6
28 April ..... 47.9
Shame about my weight though. That remains about 3.5 kg above racing level.
Congratulations to Sue Harrison on her third place finish in the European 100k championships yesterday with a time of 7h 48:12. The other runner from UK finished in thirteenth with 8h 29:03. But where were all the other good British 100k road runners ?
Cycling and strength training is also progressing exceptionally well at the moment and my aerobic fitness seems to be getting better almost daily. One measure of this increase is heart rate when waking in the morning. This year, on a week by week basis, that has been:
[figures are the mean of the previous 28 mornings]
6 January ..... 51.6
13 January ..... 50.5
20 January ..... 49.4
27 January ..... 49.1
3 February ..... 49.2
10 February ..... 49.9
17 February ..... 50.1
24 February ..... 49.6
3 March ..... 49.4
10 March ..... 49.4
17 March ..... 49.4
24 March ..... 49.5
31 March ..... 49.3
7 April ..... 49.0
14 April ..... 49.1
21 April ..... 48.6
28 April ..... 47.9
Shame about my weight though. That remains about 3.5 kg above racing level.
Congratulations to Sue Harrison on her third place finish in the European 100k championships yesterday with a time of 7h 48:12. The other runner from UK finished in thirteenth with 8h 29:03. But where were all the other good British 100k road runners ?
Saturday, 8 December 2012
ready to go ...
Right, now that that's out of the way and the pain and discomfort has subsided (and the sprained ankle is better too) I now feel able to run ... tomorrow.
Two weeks of ibuprofen seems to have done the trick although for the next year or more I'll be having regular tests to assess the level of uric acid in my system. This is normally excreted by the kidneys but for gout sufferers it isn't.
So the long term aim is to reduce uric acid levels by dietary changes which, in my case, will mean consuming less of the following: turkey, mackeral, sardines, herrings, marmite and beer.
That really comes down to no poultry, oily fish, yeast extract or beer. Which means I'll also have to be careful about where I get my B vitamins. I'm sure I'll soon learn to manage all this but if not there are drugs available to help.
But tomorrow morning I'll be out running and I feel confident that it will be a pain free experience. That's the first time I've been able to say that since early September. I'll only be out for ten minutes or so but it's a good start and if all goes well (which I expect it will) I'll be able to begin training properly by mid to late January. And racing next summer.
Over the past few months I have been doing an increasing amount of cycling and strength work. The cycling appears to have paid off in terms of my aerobic fitness. During August my average waking heart rate was 44, by mid November that had risen to 53 but over the last couple of weeks it is noticeably falling again.
One last thing ... I'm going to post all my training on this blog and you'll be able to find out what I do by clicking on the 'training' tab at the top of the page. It won't be in great detail though [I wouldn't want to give away all my secrets :) ].
Two weeks of ibuprofen seems to have done the trick although for the next year or more I'll be having regular tests to assess the level of uric acid in my system. This is normally excreted by the kidneys but for gout sufferers it isn't.
So the long term aim is to reduce uric acid levels by dietary changes which, in my case, will mean consuming less of the following: turkey, mackeral, sardines, herrings, marmite and beer.
That really comes down to no poultry, oily fish, yeast extract or beer. Which means I'll also have to be careful about where I get my B vitamins. I'm sure I'll soon learn to manage all this but if not there are drugs available to help.
But tomorrow morning I'll be out running and I feel confident that it will be a pain free experience. That's the first time I've been able to say that since early September. I'll only be out for ten minutes or so but it's a good start and if all goes well (which I expect it will) I'll be able to begin training properly by mid to late January. And racing next summer.
Over the past few months I have been doing an increasing amount of cycling and strength work. The cycling appears to have paid off in terms of my aerobic fitness. During August my average waking heart rate was 44, by mid November that had risen to 53 but over the last couple of weeks it is noticeably falling again.
One last thing ... I'm going to post all my training on this blog and you'll be able to find out what I do by clicking on the 'training' tab at the top of the page. It won't be in great detail though [I wouldn't want to give away all my secrets :) ].
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