Monday 26th January
This has turned out to be a week of ups and downs and it started with a massive down. MAN held a staff update meeting this morning and whereas there are normally two sessions, there was only one today and attendance was mandatory for all staff. This only happens when there is important news, and no one expected it to be good.
The news was, in short, that while we had our best year ever in 2008 our business has been hit hard by the credit crisis in the last few months and the cost-cutting measures put in place have not been enough to withstand it. Not surprisingly, there will be no pay increase this year and more importantly, 44 posts in the UK will be made redundant in the next few weeks and months.
When you consider this is less than 5 per cent of the total number of staff, it could have been considerably worse. Fortunately no one in my department has been affected, but I know a few of the people who have been. Being in the parts business, I can expect to be fairly sanguine about the future - if companies aren't replacing their vehicles, logic suggests they will need to buy more parts for their older ones and so the parts business should be one of the few areas of the business to prosper in the recession.
Anyway, back to training. A positive was that Ali texted me today to ask if I wanted a PT session at 6.10 tonight. Excellent news - it was long overdue, and after yesterday I really didn't feel like running.
As always, it was a very, very tough session. Quick warm-up on the rower, then an hour of core exercises. We seemed to fit an awful lot into the hour, and the list looks a lot more challenging on paper than the previous routines. There are some interesting exercises in there, such as push-ups combined with a dumbbell row. Hmm.
All good stuff though and I need to make sure I do these exercises regularly to build a nice strong core which will hold me in good stead come April 26th. And if I can lose a few excess pounds, maybe I'll have a six-pack for the summer, who knows?
Another massive positive for me today was to find out that I am now officially one of the most prolific raters on the Runners' World website. Hopefully this will augur well for my chances of getting some articles printed by the magazine now that my name is known to people there.
Tuesday 27th January
Speed session, 1.6k warm up followed by 10 * 2 minutes. Did the first two at 14kph, then increased this to 14.5kph on the next seven, cranking it up to 15kph on the last one. 1.6k cool down and I was dripping with sweat by the time I came off the treadmill.
Was very tired when I got home but had noticed on imdb.com that The Wrestler got an average vote of 8.6/10 and was rated the 49th best film in the top 250. With that kind of rating, I really couldn't pass up the chance to see what all the fuss was about and took myself off to the cinema.
Boy, am I glad I did. There are some films that are so good that you want to tell all your friends about it, but for some reason you can't quite put your finger on exactly why it was so good. For me, this film falls into that category. Maybe it was the excellent performances from Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. I remember the latter especially for her performance in the very emotional Thirteen.
I guess what made this film stand out for me, apart from the acting, was that it was essentially a heart-rending tale of someone who just can't let go of the past and his passion, a man with a lot of love who somehow just doesn't know how or who to give it to. I'm pretty sure this will be an addition to my DVD collection later this year and it was £3.95 very well spent.
Wednesday 28th January
Half a mile on the treadmill to warm up, then body pump. Was expecting to go out with Pete in Bath tomorrow night so wanted a good session, and did another 4.5 miles on the treadmill afterwards.
Another up of the week was taking not one, but two calls from prospective lodgers while leaving the gym. Both sounded promising, in particular one chap who just wants somewhere to hang his hat to save having to commute from Wokingham.
Pete phoned me while I was in Sainsburys to ask if we can postpone our night out until next Friday so I will be training tomorrow. No drama, and to be honest I'd rather go out on a non-school night anyway as I hate having a hangover at work. Despite all the stress at work I am cutting back on the booze and my tolerance level is quite low at the moment.
Thursday 29th January
Finished work a bit later tonight and had kind of promised to go out with the running club tonight if I wasn't going to Bath. As it turned out, it was just myself and Terry, which I was more than happy with. I hadn't seen much of him since before Christmas as he has been busy with work, so it was a good chance for us to just catch up. I always enjoy running with him as we run at a reasonable conversation pace and have a good chat.
Tonight was no exception and we covered 8 miles (Asda walmart route) at roughly 9-minute miles. After a good session last night, this was about perfect.
Friday 30th January
Complete rest. It was my intention to go to the gym and practise my core routine but I had to go home after work and show the house to a prospective lodger. Not heard back from her, but she spent a good 45 minutes viewing the place and liked the small room so I can take heart from that.
Another big, big positive today was that Anthony phoned me for a chat and asked if I wanted to run the Bath half marathon on 15th March as he knows someone who has a race number but can't run. I said that I would love to do it, but hadn't entered as I refuse on principal to pay £32 for a half marathon. But I would be more than happy to pay £15 or £20 to run. No problem it turned out and the chap in question (one of the old managers of the gym and someone I know!) is happy with that.
I'm really excited to be running the Bath half as I obviously love the city (growing up in Melksham it was kind of my second home), I can reasonably expect to get a PB and I fully intend to continue the post-race ritual of a Schwarz burger and beer! Plus I found out that there is a twenty20 international between England and the West Indies that evening so it should be a top day!
Saturday 31st January
My original intention this morning was to go and do body pump and then run afterwards. But as I was having breakfast (eggs and bacon but I grilled the bacon and had it as a kind of omelette - yummy!) I got a text from Mumfy saying she was doing both classes (RPM and pump). So I thought what the hell, got a shift on, and made it to the gym with time for a coffee before RPM. Enjoyed both classes, got a good sweat on in RPM and after pump Ali spent some time with me perfecting my technique on the shoulders track. It is a huge compliment to me that he does this as he knows I want to get the most out of the class and we are extremely lucky to have him.
Went for a run afterwards, just a gentle plod up the railway path, down Vic Hill and through town back to the gym. About an hour on my feet, but I felt surprisingly strong at the end of it. My thinking was, as I'm out tonight (Mr Sas' birthday) I'll struggle to do a meaningful long run tomorrow (but I'm sure I'll try) so a three hour training session should shift a few calories and get me closer to the shape I want to be in come April 26th (and March 15th come to mention it). Time will tell.
Saturday 31 January 2009
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Slaughterford
Thursday 22nd January
2k on the treadmill followed by approximately 6 miles outside (or 55 minutes on my feet). My whole body felt tired so not up for a fast run tonight.
Friday 23rd January
Complete rest. Did a big shop at Sainsburys after work and was absolutely shattered after that. Was looking forward to Jonathan Ross' comeback but was so tired after a week at work I fell asleep at the beginning of the show.
Saturday 24th January
Body pump in the morning but missed out squats and lunges to keep my legs fresh. Nice to see Louise from work in the gym for the first time, having just joined Fitness First.
Went through my core exercises after the class. Didn't find them all that strenuous so must get Ali to give me a new routine.
Sunday 25th January
Competed (if that's the right word) in the Sluaghterford 9 mile race. I was looking forward to this for a number of reasons. For a start, I had heard good things about it. Scott Garrett in my department raves about it, having done it a couple of times, and Tamara Howard described it as "a good training run." Indeed, that was all I was hoping to get out of it. This was a tough, off-road race and not a PB course by any means.
I was also looking forward to it because the start is very close to the house I grew up in in Corsham (we lived there until I was about seven when we moved to Melksham) so I was looking forward to seeing the area. But I think more than anything I was looking forward to it because it was one of the few races I have never done before. With so many of them, the novelty really is starting to wear off. But this would be a complete change of scenery.
I was lucky enough not to have to travel to the race alone. Scott decided to pull out of the event and talked Steph into taking his race number for a fiver. Then Steph was very nearly talked out of it by Tamara, who told her "not to do it if you haven't trained for it." Thanks mate, rob me of some company for the day why don't you.
Luckily Scott managed to talk her round, but I'm not sure his comment "it's easier than Sodbury" was entirely honest.
We had a bit of a scare the morning of the race when we found that the motorway was closed and we would have to follow a diversion, which saw us stuck behind a slow lorry most of the way there. We arrived later than planned, but still in good time for the mass jog to the start.
I started running with Steph but soon realised this was very much an off-road race and I would do best to make up time wherever I could as I would inevitably be slower through the very muddy and downhill stretches. We did, however run, or rather, walk the first major hill together -and wished we'd had a camera to take a photo at the top to show everyone how steep it was.
I was generally quite quick on the uphill sections and even found myself getting faster on some of the downhill parts. The nine miles seemed to pass quickly and before I knew it I was at the monster hill at the end I had been warned about - only to discover it wasn't, the one after that was the real killer.
I couldn't do any more than trudge up that one and then managed a slow jog up the last hill (where we started) to the finish line. Considering this was a very tough course (I found it harder than the Rough n' Tumble this year, probably due to it being one of the muddier years as I later discovered) I was pretty pleased with a time of 1:35:55. Had I known just how hard it was I'd have thought 1:40 - 1:45 more realistic.
Very impressed with the t-shirt and cereal bar considering the race was so cheap (£7) but was a touch disappointed with the reaction of one of the ladies handing them out. When I asked if she thought I should go for an XL she said "You can only tone." Not what I wanted to hear after 9 miles of mud sweat and tears.
Back to Swindon as we were too muddy to visit my sister as originally planned. Had a stretch, shower and steam at the gym and then home to enjoy a few beers and a good afternoon's TV - there were Girls Aloud and Rihanna concerts on the music channels. Perfect for an afternoon of well-earned relaxation.
2k on the treadmill followed by approximately 6 miles outside (or 55 minutes on my feet). My whole body felt tired so not up for a fast run tonight.
Friday 23rd January
Complete rest. Did a big shop at Sainsburys after work and was absolutely shattered after that. Was looking forward to Jonathan Ross' comeback but was so tired after a week at work I fell asleep at the beginning of the show.
Saturday 24th January
Body pump in the morning but missed out squats and lunges to keep my legs fresh. Nice to see Louise from work in the gym for the first time, having just joined Fitness First.
Went through my core exercises after the class. Didn't find them all that strenuous so must get Ali to give me a new routine.
Sunday 25th January
Competed (if that's the right word) in the Sluaghterford 9 mile race. I was looking forward to this for a number of reasons. For a start, I had heard good things about it. Scott Garrett in my department raves about it, having done it a couple of times, and Tamara Howard described it as "a good training run." Indeed, that was all I was hoping to get out of it. This was a tough, off-road race and not a PB course by any means.
I was also looking forward to it because the start is very close to the house I grew up in in Corsham (we lived there until I was about seven when we moved to Melksham) so I was looking forward to seeing the area. But I think more than anything I was looking forward to it because it was one of the few races I have never done before. With so many of them, the novelty really is starting to wear off. But this would be a complete change of scenery.
I was lucky enough not to have to travel to the race alone. Scott decided to pull out of the event and talked Steph into taking his race number for a fiver. Then Steph was very nearly talked out of it by Tamara, who told her "not to do it if you haven't trained for it." Thanks mate, rob me of some company for the day why don't you.
Luckily Scott managed to talk her round, but I'm not sure his comment "it's easier than Sodbury" was entirely honest.
We had a bit of a scare the morning of the race when we found that the motorway was closed and we would have to follow a diversion, which saw us stuck behind a slow lorry most of the way there. We arrived later than planned, but still in good time for the mass jog to the start.
I started running with Steph but soon realised this was very much an off-road race and I would do best to make up time wherever I could as I would inevitably be slower through the very muddy and downhill stretches. We did, however run, or rather, walk the first major hill together -and wished we'd had a camera to take a photo at the top to show everyone how steep it was.
I was generally quite quick on the uphill sections and even found myself getting faster on some of the downhill parts. The nine miles seemed to pass quickly and before I knew it I was at the monster hill at the end I had been warned about - only to discover it wasn't, the one after that was the real killer.
I couldn't do any more than trudge up that one and then managed a slow jog up the last hill (where we started) to the finish line. Considering this was a very tough course (I found it harder than the Rough n' Tumble this year, probably due to it being one of the muddier years as I later discovered) I was pretty pleased with a time of 1:35:55. Had I known just how hard it was I'd have thought 1:40 - 1:45 more realistic.
Very impressed with the t-shirt and cereal bar considering the race was so cheap (£7) but was a touch disappointed with the reaction of one of the ladies handing them out. When I asked if she thought I should go for an XL she said "You can only tone." Not what I wanted to hear after 9 miles of mud sweat and tears.
Back to Swindon as we were too muddy to visit my sister as originally planned. Had a stretch, shower and steam at the gym and then home to enjoy a few beers and a good afternoon's TV - there were Girls Aloud and Rihanna concerts on the music channels. Perfect for an afternoon of well-earned relaxation.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
Highworth Half Marathon
Sunday 18th January
You won't find the Highworth Half Marathon advertised on Runners' World, because it isn't open to the general public - which in some ways is a bit of a shame.
The event is only open to club runners and is usually invitation only. As I like to say to people, I invited myself. This was my second time at the event, running in the Swindon Harriers' team. Strangely, they're always glad to have me - Ashley Fox seems to struggle to get the requisite twelve runners and tells me he's more interested in having people who are reliable than good times.
Highworth is obviously very close to Swindon and it didn't start until 11am so plenty of time for a lie-in. Always a bonus.
And so to the race. It's a very tough, undulating course which I would rate as harder than Swindon or Downton, or probably even the Bourton Hilly Half - but not as extreme as the Hogweed Hilly Half (one of my favourite training runs). It's a very scenic course however, and serves as a nice reminder that there is some lovely countryside and pretty villages on my doorstep. Which is one of the reasons I think it's a shame it isn't open to the public because so many runners miss out.
Also, being a club event and there being generally a fast field, it can be a lonely race for someone like me as I was some way behind the fast boys and girls and some way in front of the much slower runners. So for long periods I was out there on my own with barely a soul in sight.
I didn't find it as hard going as last year, but I did find my legs were very sore and heavy during the race. I don't know if that was from a tough week's training, the massage, or maybe I should have gone for a walk the day before to get the blood moving. In any case, I was pleased by how much faster I was on the hills, and never gave up and walked, not even on the monster hill in the last mile.
I wasn't overly concerned with my time but as I approached the finish line I realised I was going to finish in just over 1 hour 50 minutes - 1:50:17 was the time given to me as I crossed the line. I would have been ecstatic to get under 1:50 on that course, but it was still a respectable time given the conditions (cold and windy) and a good five minutes faster than last year. Nice.
I waited a few minutes to see my mate Kieran finish, then got off home, but not before getting a couple of bottles of wine from the Co-Op (well, I felt obliged to spend some money in there as I'd used their car park).
Stopped at the gym for a stretch and a shower before heading home for a new tradition - a post-race fry-up! This is another ploy to keep myself motivated and while anything fried is not great, there are plenty of nutrients in the meat, eggs and vegetables. Plus it lines my stomach for the celebration beers...
Monday 19th January
8k on the treadmill, nice and steady. Legs were a bit stiff at first but warmed up when I got going. Upped the pace quite nicely, anything under 11kph is really too slow for me now for any period of time. Must be getting used to running faster.
Tuesday 20th January
Speedwork on the treadmill. 2k warm-up, then 10 * 2 minutes with 1 minute recoveries. Did the first two reps at 14kph, but that felt too easy so upped the pace to 14.5 for the next seven and did the last one at 15kph. Glad to find I was able to up the speed again as the last time I did this I struggled at 14.5kph. 2k cool down so 10k in total. Perfect.
Very tired by the time I got home but went to the cinema nonetheless. I've cancelled my unlimited card now as I need to be more disciplined with my training and writing so the plan is to go to the cinema on Tuesdays (when it's cheap) and have that as my "night off". Saw a teen comedy called Sex Drive which wasn't quite in the same league as the American Pie trilogy, but very similar to Road Trip, and certainly very enjoyable. I'm glad I went to see it.
Wednesday 21st January
Just body pump tonight, no RPM or other cardio. Decided to give my legs a rest and in any case, the class on it's own is hard enough when done properly. And as Steph said to me on the way home, with my training being as intense as it is, there's no shame in having a rest day every now and then. Especially with another race (Slaughterford 9) coming up on Sunday...
You won't find the Highworth Half Marathon advertised on Runners' World, because it isn't open to the general public - which in some ways is a bit of a shame.
The event is only open to club runners and is usually invitation only. As I like to say to people, I invited myself. This was my second time at the event, running in the Swindon Harriers' team. Strangely, they're always glad to have me - Ashley Fox seems to struggle to get the requisite twelve runners and tells me he's more interested in having people who are reliable than good times.
Highworth is obviously very close to Swindon and it didn't start until 11am so plenty of time for a lie-in. Always a bonus.
And so to the race. It's a very tough, undulating course which I would rate as harder than Swindon or Downton, or probably even the Bourton Hilly Half - but not as extreme as the Hogweed Hilly Half (one of my favourite training runs). It's a very scenic course however, and serves as a nice reminder that there is some lovely countryside and pretty villages on my doorstep. Which is one of the reasons I think it's a shame it isn't open to the public because so many runners miss out.
Also, being a club event and there being generally a fast field, it can be a lonely race for someone like me as I was some way behind the fast boys and girls and some way in front of the much slower runners. So for long periods I was out there on my own with barely a soul in sight.
I didn't find it as hard going as last year, but I did find my legs were very sore and heavy during the race. I don't know if that was from a tough week's training, the massage, or maybe I should have gone for a walk the day before to get the blood moving. In any case, I was pleased by how much faster I was on the hills, and never gave up and walked, not even on the monster hill in the last mile.
I wasn't overly concerned with my time but as I approached the finish line I realised I was going to finish in just over 1 hour 50 minutes - 1:50:17 was the time given to me as I crossed the line. I would have been ecstatic to get under 1:50 on that course, but it was still a respectable time given the conditions (cold and windy) and a good five minutes faster than last year. Nice.
I waited a few minutes to see my mate Kieran finish, then got off home, but not before getting a couple of bottles of wine from the Co-Op (well, I felt obliged to spend some money in there as I'd used their car park).
Stopped at the gym for a stretch and a shower before heading home for a new tradition - a post-race fry-up! This is another ploy to keep myself motivated and while anything fried is not great, there are plenty of nutrients in the meat, eggs and vegetables. Plus it lines my stomach for the celebration beers...
Monday 19th January
8k on the treadmill, nice and steady. Legs were a bit stiff at first but warmed up when I got going. Upped the pace quite nicely, anything under 11kph is really too slow for me now for any period of time. Must be getting used to running faster.
Tuesday 20th January
Speedwork on the treadmill. 2k warm-up, then 10 * 2 minutes with 1 minute recoveries. Did the first two reps at 14kph, but that felt too easy so upped the pace to 14.5 for the next seven and did the last one at 15kph. Glad to find I was able to up the speed again as the last time I did this I struggled at 14.5kph. 2k cool down so 10k in total. Perfect.
Very tired by the time I got home but went to the cinema nonetheless. I've cancelled my unlimited card now as I need to be more disciplined with my training and writing so the plan is to go to the cinema on Tuesdays (when it's cheap) and have that as my "night off". Saw a teen comedy called Sex Drive which wasn't quite in the same league as the American Pie trilogy, but very similar to Road Trip, and certainly very enjoyable. I'm glad I went to see it.
Wednesday 21st January
Just body pump tonight, no RPM or other cardio. Decided to give my legs a rest and in any case, the class on it's own is hard enough when done properly. And as Steph said to me on the way home, with my training being as intense as it is, there's no shame in having a rest day every now and then. Especially with another race (Slaughterford 9) coming up on Sunday...
Thursday 15 January 2009
Not an easy week
Tuesday 13th January
2 miles (3.2k) on the treadmill, then 6-7 outside (Cheney route) with Steph and Becky. Guess it was closer to 7 as we were out for a good hour.
I really should get a garming to give myself a better idea. Oh well, 8-9 miles in total tonight. And I know I'm training for a marathon because I'm bloody starving the whole time!!
Wednesday 14th January
Body pump and RPM. Body pump was very good as always, no problems with the sound system tonight. Managed to increase my weights slightly on the squats and chest track.
RPM also very good, but for some reason couldn't put my heart and soul into it. Maybe because I was toying with the idea of going to the cinema with Steph and Andy to see Role Models. Decided not to in the end, and had a very constructive evening trying to sort out my finances. It's a start.
Thursday 15th January
Speed session tonight; 2k warm up, then 8 * 3 minutes @ 14kph, followed by 2k warm down, so 10.4k in total. Good session - managed to do the reps without any more than the statutory minute break. Found it really knackering though - might well be carrying a few pounds from Christmas...
Anyway, two days' rest now as I have the Highworth half marathon on Sunday (an invitation race for club runners - I invite myself). Not that tomorrow is really a rest day as I have a full body massage with Ali.
I can remember the times when I used to have a really easy week before a half marathon - don't think this was one of those.
2 miles (3.2k) on the treadmill, then 6-7 outside (Cheney route) with Steph and Becky. Guess it was closer to 7 as we were out for a good hour.
I really should get a garming to give myself a better idea. Oh well, 8-9 miles in total tonight. And I know I'm training for a marathon because I'm bloody starving the whole time!!
Wednesday 14th January
Body pump and RPM. Body pump was very good as always, no problems with the sound system tonight. Managed to increase my weights slightly on the squats and chest track.
RPM also very good, but for some reason couldn't put my heart and soul into it. Maybe because I was toying with the idea of going to the cinema with Steph and Andy to see Role Models. Decided not to in the end, and had a very constructive evening trying to sort out my finances. It's a start.
Thursday 15th January
Speed session tonight; 2k warm up, then 8 * 3 minutes @ 14kph, followed by 2k warm down, so 10.4k in total. Good session - managed to do the reps without any more than the statutory minute break. Found it really knackering though - might well be carrying a few pounds from Christmas...
Anyway, two days' rest now as I have the Highworth half marathon on Sunday (an invitation race for club runners - I invite myself). Not that tomorrow is really a rest day as I have a full body massage with Ali.
I can remember the times when I used to have a really easy week before a half marathon - don't think this was one of those.
Sunday 11 January 2009
Rough n' Tumble 10
Thursday 8th January
Speed session tonight, with shorter intervals. 2k warm up, then 10 x 2 mins @14kph. Yes I know they used to be at 14.5kph but I'm struggling to get back into these sessions. The speed work constituted 5.8k so did a 2.2k cool down to make it 10k in total.
Met Andy later for a birthday beer - he turned thirty on Tuesday bless him.
Very good news today, had some very positive feedback from my sister reference my novel. Quite a bit to work on still, but it reads well by all accounts, and I have succeeded in doing what I set out to do - a lad-lit romance with a cricketing backdrop, and I have created well-drawn and likeable characters.
The inital feedback was always going to be make or break - the big question was always, can I write a novel that people will enjoy reading? The answer seems to be a resounding "Yes".
Friday 9th January
Complete rest. Wanted to give my legs a chance to recover before Sunday.
Saturday 10th January
Body pump in the morning. Bit of a disaster in as much as Ali was having real problems with the CD player and had to abandon certain tracks, such as the warm-up. I didn't mind as I wanted a light work-out and missed the lunges out in any case.
When I was catching up on some reading he asked me if I didn't have a home to go to. I replied that I did, but Saturday mornings at the gym have been about not only going to pump but also seeing friends and catching up on some reading. With the events in the English cricket set-up over the last week, I have had a fair bit of reading and analysis to catch up on.
My gut feeling on the latter is that it should all be for the best. I wanted Andrew Strauss to captain the England team a couple of years ago on the ill-fated tour to Australia, and it seems poetic justice that he finally gets the chance to prove his mettle. Moores simply didn't pass muster and as hard as it may be to fill the shoes left by Duncan Fletcher, the team need someone better if they are to move forward.
Sunday 11th January
Woke up to find that while it was still cold outside, it was by no means as frosty as it has been in the week and a lot of the frost was already clearing up. So I decided to go for it and make my way to Milton Lilbourne.
The Rough n' Tumble has become a de rigueur training run for me being immediately after Christmas and kicked off my training for London in 2007. I wanted it to do the same this year, but at the same time knew I probably wouldn't be able to run it flat out due to the icy conditions. The weather on the day itself was fine - cold but not enough for me to wear a hat, and if anything, the sun was quite bright.
Started off along the road at a steady jog, preparing myself for the huge hill in the first mile. Most of us were reduced to a walk which is nothing to be ashamed of. In the next few miles, I noticed that one path was completely frozen over, and a stretch that was muddy last year was relatively dry this time round.
The parts where I really lost time were the downhill stretches at about 4 and 6 miles. It was just so slippy I couldn't get any sort of grip, and so took it very steady, walking large parts and even sliding down on my backside.
What I did notice was that a lot of the uphill parts weren't as bad as I remember them. The hill at mile 6 still required use of all four limbs to get up, but I seemed to get up there a lot quicker than I managed in the past.
I managed to fall over twice, the second time being through the woods in the last mile. This could have been nasty as I lost my footing and fell over sideways. Luckily I landed on soft ground and was only slightly grazed. I was helped to my feet by two of my fellow competitors and it was palpable how relaxed and friendly everyone was at this event.
I distinctly remember being absolutely knackered at the end of this run last year and the year before but this time I just felt like I had done a fairly run of the mill training run, even though my time, whilst not great, was an improvement. I don't know if that is down to there being less mud on the course, but it could also be down to my being lighter and having better core stability.
In any case it was a good way to kick off my build up to London in (and I say this with a fair amount of trepidation) three and a half month's time.
Unable to have quite as many post-race beers as I would have liked due to showing prospective lodgers round the house. I've done a deal with myself to cut out alcohol wherever possible, but a few drinks after a race is perfectly fine - PB or not they will all be hard runs and I need some treats to keep me motivated. I can't be on a diet all the time.
Monday 12th January
8k (5 miles) on the treadmill at a very steady pace, followed by a nice stretch. Legs not feeling all that tight, but bad enough not to do a hard run or interval session. Plan for the rest of the week is 6-7 with Becky and Steph tomorrow, classes Weds, speed session Thursday, massage Friday, rest Saturday and then the Highworth half marathon Sunday. I think I'm on the right track.
Speed session tonight, with shorter intervals. 2k warm up, then 10 x 2 mins @14kph. Yes I know they used to be at 14.5kph but I'm struggling to get back into these sessions. The speed work constituted 5.8k so did a 2.2k cool down to make it 10k in total.
Met Andy later for a birthday beer - he turned thirty on Tuesday bless him.
Very good news today, had some very positive feedback from my sister reference my novel. Quite a bit to work on still, but it reads well by all accounts, and I have succeeded in doing what I set out to do - a lad-lit romance with a cricketing backdrop, and I have created well-drawn and likeable characters.
The inital feedback was always going to be make or break - the big question was always, can I write a novel that people will enjoy reading? The answer seems to be a resounding "Yes".
Friday 9th January
Complete rest. Wanted to give my legs a chance to recover before Sunday.
Saturday 10th January
Body pump in the morning. Bit of a disaster in as much as Ali was having real problems with the CD player and had to abandon certain tracks, such as the warm-up. I didn't mind as I wanted a light work-out and missed the lunges out in any case.
When I was catching up on some reading he asked me if I didn't have a home to go to. I replied that I did, but Saturday mornings at the gym have been about not only going to pump but also seeing friends and catching up on some reading. With the events in the English cricket set-up over the last week, I have had a fair bit of reading and analysis to catch up on.
My gut feeling on the latter is that it should all be for the best. I wanted Andrew Strauss to captain the England team a couple of years ago on the ill-fated tour to Australia, and it seems poetic justice that he finally gets the chance to prove his mettle. Moores simply didn't pass muster and as hard as it may be to fill the shoes left by Duncan Fletcher, the team need someone better if they are to move forward.
Sunday 11th January
Woke up to find that while it was still cold outside, it was by no means as frosty as it has been in the week and a lot of the frost was already clearing up. So I decided to go for it and make my way to Milton Lilbourne.
The Rough n' Tumble has become a de rigueur training run for me being immediately after Christmas and kicked off my training for London in 2007. I wanted it to do the same this year, but at the same time knew I probably wouldn't be able to run it flat out due to the icy conditions. The weather on the day itself was fine - cold but not enough for me to wear a hat, and if anything, the sun was quite bright.
Started off along the road at a steady jog, preparing myself for the huge hill in the first mile. Most of us were reduced to a walk which is nothing to be ashamed of. In the next few miles, I noticed that one path was completely frozen over, and a stretch that was muddy last year was relatively dry this time round.
The parts where I really lost time were the downhill stretches at about 4 and 6 miles. It was just so slippy I couldn't get any sort of grip, and so took it very steady, walking large parts and even sliding down on my backside.
What I did notice was that a lot of the uphill parts weren't as bad as I remember them. The hill at mile 6 still required use of all four limbs to get up, but I seemed to get up there a lot quicker than I managed in the past.
I managed to fall over twice, the second time being through the woods in the last mile. This could have been nasty as I lost my footing and fell over sideways. Luckily I landed on soft ground and was only slightly grazed. I was helped to my feet by two of my fellow competitors and it was palpable how relaxed and friendly everyone was at this event.
I distinctly remember being absolutely knackered at the end of this run last year and the year before but this time I just felt like I had done a fairly run of the mill training run, even though my time, whilst not great, was an improvement. I don't know if that is down to there being less mud on the course, but it could also be down to my being lighter and having better core stability.
In any case it was a good way to kick off my build up to London in (and I say this with a fair amount of trepidation) three and a half month's time.
Unable to have quite as many post-race beers as I would have liked due to showing prospective lodgers round the house. I've done a deal with myself to cut out alcohol wherever possible, but a few drinks after a race is perfectly fine - PB or not they will all be hard runs and I need some treats to keep me motivated. I can't be on a diet all the time.
Monday 12th January
8k (5 miles) on the treadmill at a very steady pace, followed by a nice stretch. Legs not feeling all that tight, but bad enough not to do a hard run or interval session. Plan for the rest of the week is 6-7 with Becky and Steph tomorrow, classes Weds, speed session Thursday, massage Friday, rest Saturday and then the Highworth half marathon Sunday. I think I'm on the right track.
Wednesday 7 January 2009
Speed session and new body pump release
Tuesday 6th January
Decided, almost inevitably, that it was too cold and icy to go to the track. But a speed session was definitely called for, having not done one since before Christmas.
2k to warm up, then 8 * 3 minutes @ 14kph. 1.6k to cool down, so about 10k in total.
I have to admit, it was a real struggle, especially on the first few reps. As it turned out, I needed to take a quick toilet break after four reps and after that it felt a little easier, but I was hoping to up the speed on 3 minute intervals to 14.5kph. I couldn't have done that tonight.
One thing about these sessions is they make me sweat like crazy, and I wonder if Ali O'Hara, who was giving a PT session when I came off the treadmill, wondered how I can sweat so much and still be overweight. It's not something I'm proud of. Watch this space.
Wednesday 7th January
New body pump release tonight, Ali said on Saturday that it's "a good one" and as this will be the one I will be using in the build up to London I was intrigued as to how I would find it. Overall, I have to say, I was very impressed.
Squats - Good, tough track. Will do well to increase my weights much on this one. Odd music.
Chest - Good, not overly challenging. Went easy tonight but should be able to use a good heavy weight on this one, maybe the same as Ali.
Back - Not bad - quite a few breathers in it though. Maybe I can increase my weights.
Triceps - Interesting! Quite a few new moves in this, but I felt it afterwards so they must be effective.
Biceps - Tough. I tend to go easy on biceps anyway as I trapped a nerve once by jerking backwards doing it.
Lunges - odd, with squats at the end, balancing a barbell across the chest? Maybe it will grow on me.
Shoulders - not bad, no push-ups which means there are only tricep push-ups in the release. Need to think about upping my weight.
Abs - A good one. Not as hard as the abs track Ali was teaching recently plus the music is one of my favourite songs of 2008, Chris Brown's Forever. In any case, I need to do a lot more core work in the next few months.
Did RPM with James afterward which was good as always. Probably a good combination, doing these two on a Wednesday as I burn a heck of a lot of calories but still give my legs a rest from running. I wouldn't be able to do any more than a steady run, 5 miles maximum, after pump anyway so RPM seems a good idea - as long as I'm not feeling too tired.
Bit of bad news when I got home, even though I posted the form well before Christmas I didn't get a place in the Bourton 10k - it must have sold out in days as opposed to weeks. So I will struggle to run a fast 10k in the build up to London as hoped. The only other option is the Devizes 10k but that is the same day as the Gloucester 20 mile race, which isn't one I can afford to miss.
Oh well. I'll have to make a 10k PB a goal for the summer. In any case, I can run the Tough Ten at Weston on 22nd Feb, another of my favourites, with Kev, Terry and Gerry for company instead. I'm looking forward to it already.
Decided, almost inevitably, that it was too cold and icy to go to the track. But a speed session was definitely called for, having not done one since before Christmas.
2k to warm up, then 8 * 3 minutes @ 14kph. 1.6k to cool down, so about 10k in total.
I have to admit, it was a real struggle, especially on the first few reps. As it turned out, I needed to take a quick toilet break after four reps and after that it felt a little easier, but I was hoping to up the speed on 3 minute intervals to 14.5kph. I couldn't have done that tonight.
One thing about these sessions is they make me sweat like crazy, and I wonder if Ali O'Hara, who was giving a PT session when I came off the treadmill, wondered how I can sweat so much and still be overweight. It's not something I'm proud of. Watch this space.
Wednesday 7th January
New body pump release tonight, Ali said on Saturday that it's "a good one" and as this will be the one I will be using in the build up to London I was intrigued as to how I would find it. Overall, I have to say, I was very impressed.
Squats - Good, tough track. Will do well to increase my weights much on this one. Odd music.
Chest - Good, not overly challenging. Went easy tonight but should be able to use a good heavy weight on this one, maybe the same as Ali.
Back - Not bad - quite a few breathers in it though. Maybe I can increase my weights.
Triceps - Interesting! Quite a few new moves in this, but I felt it afterwards so they must be effective.
Biceps - Tough. I tend to go easy on biceps anyway as I trapped a nerve once by jerking backwards doing it.
Lunges - odd, with squats at the end, balancing a barbell across the chest? Maybe it will grow on me.
Shoulders - not bad, no push-ups which means there are only tricep push-ups in the release. Need to think about upping my weight.
Abs - A good one. Not as hard as the abs track Ali was teaching recently plus the music is one of my favourite songs of 2008, Chris Brown's Forever. In any case, I need to do a lot more core work in the next few months.
Did RPM with James afterward which was good as always. Probably a good combination, doing these two on a Wednesday as I burn a heck of a lot of calories but still give my legs a rest from running. I wouldn't be able to do any more than a steady run, 5 miles maximum, after pump anyway so RPM seems a good idea - as long as I'm not feeling too tired.
Bit of bad news when I got home, even though I posted the form well before Christmas I didn't get a place in the Bourton 10k - it must have sold out in days as opposed to weeks. So I will struggle to run a fast 10k in the build up to London as hoped. The only other option is the Devizes 10k but that is the same day as the Gloucester 20 mile race, which isn't one I can afford to miss.
Oh well. I'll have to make a 10k PB a goal for the summer. In any case, I can run the Tough Ten at Weston on 22nd Feb, another of my favourites, with Kev, Terry and Gerry for company instead. I'm looking forward to it already.
Monday 5 January 2009
And so it begins...
Sunday 4th January
Did my first long run of the new year, which was basically the Swindon half marathon route but starting from my house. I don't own a garmin, but it must be roughly 15 miles.
It was very cold today, but sunny and quite crisp - no snow or ice fortunately. I actually quite enjoyed the run and it wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it might be. It took about 2 hours 20 minutes which seemed about right. I did need defrosting when I got back home though...
Monday 5th January
Back at work today, later than expected due to a flat battery. A bit tired after yesterday and it is horrendously icy out there, so no point even trying to run outdoors. Just did 8k (5 miles) on the treadmill, nice and steady.
Was thinking about heading to the track tomorrow, but if it is still as bad I won't bother as running on that surface in just ordinary trainers could prove very dicey indeed.
Did my first long run of the new year, which was basically the Swindon half marathon route but starting from my house. I don't own a garmin, but it must be roughly 15 miles.
It was very cold today, but sunny and quite crisp - no snow or ice fortunately. I actually quite enjoyed the run and it wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it might be. It took about 2 hours 20 minutes which seemed about right. I did need defrosting when I got back home though...
Monday 5th January
Back at work today, later than expected due to a flat battery. A bit tired after yesterday and it is horrendously icy out there, so no point even trying to run outdoors. Just did 8k (5 miles) on the treadmill, nice and steady.
Was thinking about heading to the track tomorrow, but if it is still as bad I won't bother as running on that surface in just ordinary trainers could prove very dicey indeed.
Saturday 3 January 2009
2009!
Thursday 1st January
Normally I like to train on New Year's Day, but not this time. Opted instead to spend the day exactly how I intend not to carry on, namely just relaxing. As far as I'm concerned, the really hard work can start next week when I go back to work. Happy New Year.
Friday 2nd January
Body pump at Ali's normal time, 12.15. As most people there weren't going back to work he did the full hour, which suited me. All my training over the past week has been a damage limitation exercise to burn off some of the excess calories consumed. As somebody said, better to jut put on a few pounds than half a stone.
Saturday 3rd January
Body pump again today, ran in and back but made a conscious decision not to do any more cardio or classes as I want to do a decent run tomorrow and get back into it. Nice to see the class busy again and people like Kathryn returning.
Normally I like to train on New Year's Day, but not this time. Opted instead to spend the day exactly how I intend not to carry on, namely just relaxing. As far as I'm concerned, the really hard work can start next week when I go back to work. Happy New Year.
Friday 2nd January
Body pump at Ali's normal time, 12.15. As most people there weren't going back to work he did the full hour, which suited me. All my training over the past week has been a damage limitation exercise to burn off some of the excess calories consumed. As somebody said, better to jut put on a few pounds than half a stone.
Saturday 3rd January
Body pump again today, ran in and back but made a conscious decision not to do any more cardio or classes as I want to do a decent run tomorrow and get back into it. Nice to see the class busy again and people like Kathryn returning.
Christmas Training
Christmas Eve
Got let out of the office at about 1pm. Not much else to do apart from a bit of food shopping so headed to the gym and went for a run outside. It wasn't much fun, given that I had spent much of the morning eating and drinking, so the food was still swilling around in my stomach. Decided to do the Lethbridge route to see what has happened to the bridge that goes across the motorway and found out that said bridge n'existe plus. Yes, they knocked the whole thing down.
This is a bit of a blow to my training plans for 2009 as it means I won't be able to do this route and will need to revise my versions of the Wroughton and Elcombe routes (assuming they haven't knocked the other bridge down as well).
Four miles on the treadmill followed fifty minutes outside and time to go home and put my feet up.
Christmas Day
It honestly was my intention to go out for a run before heading over to Melksham for a family Christmas but I was generally lazy and disorganised and slept in instead. Still, there are worse times to have a day off.
Enjoyed the day enormously, all the family met for lunch (so with my great nephew Taylor at the table there were four generations) and spent the afternoon with my sister before spending the evening with Dad. Had to stop myself laughing when he urged me not to mix beer with wine, God knows what he'd think if he saw my post-race "routine".
Boxing Day
Did manage to go out for a run today, albeit a very brief one. Just did a three mile route from Dad's house, about three miles - one I used to do many moons ago, when I just did a bit of running to keep fit for Karate. Funny, I remember it feeling incredibly hard then. Just goes to show.
Sadly Dad was ill today so had to call off the get-together at his house and I just headed back to Swindon and got on with the eating and drinking.
Saturday 27th December
Ran to the gym and did both classes, RPM and body pump. Bit disappointed with the former, it was an instructor I hadn't met before and he had some quite unusual ideas, such as using no resistance on the sprints. Didn't feel like I got anything out of it.
Definitely plan to run to the gym this week, will save a lot of petrol and burn off a few extra calories in the process.
Sunday 28th December
Ran to work and back so I could print off some articles. About 6-7 miles I guess. Hardly a normal Sunday long run, but hey, I'm on holiday.
Monday 29th December
Strange time for a class, but body pump was on at one today. Ran in and did it. Ran back.
Tuesday 30th December
RPM at 6pm today with James. Ran in as usual. Quality class, one hour long and made me sweat buckets. I don't know what it is about James, but he just motivates me to work a lot harder than any of the other RPM instructors (but Shaun from Eldene is also good).
But bloody hell was it cold running home.
Wednesday 31st December
Morning classes, body pump with Ali followed by RPM with James. Had to hurry back as was meeting my nephew, Paul, for a "liquid lunch" in Swindon - only the second time I'd met him believe it or not.
Didn't do anything exciting in the evening, just went to my neighbour Anthony's house for wine and food. Only just managed to stay up to midnight as I was tired by then.
Got let out of the office at about 1pm. Not much else to do apart from a bit of food shopping so headed to the gym and went for a run outside. It wasn't much fun, given that I had spent much of the morning eating and drinking, so the food was still swilling around in my stomach. Decided to do the Lethbridge route to see what has happened to the bridge that goes across the motorway and found out that said bridge n'existe plus. Yes, they knocked the whole thing down.
This is a bit of a blow to my training plans for 2009 as it means I won't be able to do this route and will need to revise my versions of the Wroughton and Elcombe routes (assuming they haven't knocked the other bridge down as well).
Four miles on the treadmill followed fifty minutes outside and time to go home and put my feet up.
Christmas Day
It honestly was my intention to go out for a run before heading over to Melksham for a family Christmas but I was generally lazy and disorganised and slept in instead. Still, there are worse times to have a day off.
Enjoyed the day enormously, all the family met for lunch (so with my great nephew Taylor at the table there were four generations) and spent the afternoon with my sister before spending the evening with Dad. Had to stop myself laughing when he urged me not to mix beer with wine, God knows what he'd think if he saw my post-race "routine".
Boxing Day
Did manage to go out for a run today, albeit a very brief one. Just did a three mile route from Dad's house, about three miles - one I used to do many moons ago, when I just did a bit of running to keep fit for Karate. Funny, I remember it feeling incredibly hard then. Just goes to show.
Sadly Dad was ill today so had to call off the get-together at his house and I just headed back to Swindon and got on with the eating and drinking.
Saturday 27th December
Ran to the gym and did both classes, RPM and body pump. Bit disappointed with the former, it was an instructor I hadn't met before and he had some quite unusual ideas, such as using no resistance on the sprints. Didn't feel like I got anything out of it.
Definitely plan to run to the gym this week, will save a lot of petrol and burn off a few extra calories in the process.
Sunday 28th December
Ran to work and back so I could print off some articles. About 6-7 miles I guess. Hardly a normal Sunday long run, but hey, I'm on holiday.
Monday 29th December
Strange time for a class, but body pump was on at one today. Ran in and did it. Ran back.
Tuesday 30th December
RPM at 6pm today with James. Ran in as usual. Quality class, one hour long and made me sweat buckets. I don't know what it is about James, but he just motivates me to work a lot harder than any of the other RPM instructors (but Shaun from Eldene is also good).
But bloody hell was it cold running home.
Wednesday 31st December
Morning classes, body pump with Ali followed by RPM with James. Had to hurry back as was meeting my nephew, Paul, for a "liquid lunch" in Swindon - only the second time I'd met him believe it or not.
Didn't do anything exciting in the evening, just went to my neighbour Anthony's house for wine and food. Only just managed to stay up to midnight as I was tired by then.
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