One fifth the way through Big Vert Plan II and on track!

I have just completed the first four weeks of my second run through the Big Vert plan: three weeks loading + one week recovery.

So far, all good.

As the table below shows, I’ve been able to do much more work than the first time through.

* Week 4 is the recovery week; ME = muscular endurance workout; HS = hill sprints

Volume

I’m just about where I wanted be. I planned to do a much longer long run in week 3, which would have pushed the totals up for that week, but I couldn’t because of other commitments.

ME and hill sprints feeling good

I’ve been able to do three of each of these workouts (the prescribed amount), and now I have hardly any, if any, noticeable fatigue the next day.

The hill sprints feel really good. I’ve found a very steep hill to do them on and have learnt to bound up it at full effort.

Two flat Z2 workouts

I decided to add in some flat Z2 workouts in this run though of the plan to hopefully maintain and build flat running economy. So far I’ve managed two in the second week.

These are also great aerobic workouts as it’s easier to maintain the intensity running on the flat.

Only one slight niggle

A nigglish peroneal tendon, coming in the third week. But I was able to work around it and could still do the ME and sprint workouts that followed.

Now that I’m more comfortable with these more intense workouts, I find I can handle them even with slight niggles.

Doing the prescribed rest days

I’m still not sure having planned rest days each week from running is best for me and my tendency for tendon niggles and injuries (the above niggle came after a rest day), but I am giving it a shot, and surely these rest days are keeping me fresh, especially the two I had in the recovery week.

So, on target and ready for the second block!