Base work

For the past month or so I've undertaken some base training for my running (short intro to it here). Essentially it's designed to build up my endurance and at some point - once unleashed from the slow and low heart rate running - I'll be able to run for longer with greater ease. What my week consists of is six runs - three pre-breakfast road runs to build economy and fat burning, two short hill sessions and one long hill run at the weekend. In addition I've done a turbo session and two strength and conditioning training sessions in the gym. Each week builds up duration for each session.

By the end of week 4 I'd built up my mileage (or kilometerage if that's a word) to 66km (42miles) with relative ease. Just getting out six times consistently has been great. On the down side I've tweaked my right knee. It's a weird one - my quads feel like they're not working properly and my knee sporadically gives way - usually when I'm pushing off on that foot so my whole body weight is on it. I won't dwell on that, I'm rehabbing it by having lots of soft tissue therapy and dry needling, plus the foam roller is getting a good bashing too. I've skipped a couple of runs this week too in favour of resting it, even though the run training is scheduled as a recovery week so intensity is less - it's just not wise to train through an injury. The last thing I want is to cause further damage to my knee and end up being unable to run at all.

I'm finding the structured training really good. Up to now my running has just been as and when I've fancied it. I've vaguely tried to get out three times a week, but it hasn't always worked. So when I was faced with six runs in a week I was a bit anxious that I'd be able to do it. There's even one day where I run twice! That was a shock to my system, if only mentally!! What I have learnt is that if someone tells me to get out there and do X on such-and-such a day I'll get out there and do it. Some of my runs have been in horrendous weather, but how good did I feel afterwards!

This is the end of week 5, tomorrow is another rest day (though I'll be renewing my first aid certificate so no laying about on the sofa). I'm then into the build phase of training which includes tempo runs and turbo spin-ups. Now those should be fun.

I'm a little impatient to see if my pace will have increased by a decent margin, or if the changes to my running are a lot more subtle. I've deliberately been ignoring the FRA race calendar - racing is out of the question for now which is fine. One slight disruption to the continuity of my training is that I'll be in London for a couple of weeks and have no idea how my shifts at the Olympics (I'm working as a Sports Massage Practitioner which is very exciting) will leave me feeling. I've got runs planned, but I'm just going to see how it is when I'm down there.

An exciting month ahead - the Olympics is going to fly by and it will be mid August before I know it. Time to review goals and my 2012 Aspirations before then to ensure I'm on track!