January Week 2...

I've decided to up my blogging to weekly as the training becomes more intense! Just going over the week just gone! As you can see from ealier blogs the first week in January was a big week andwas good, however consistency has always been my downfall, due to injury or illness - changes to my diet and ensuring I get  8 hours sleep per night is the first steps to trying to keep any trouble at bay...two weeks in and its going well!

Monday : - This was supposed to be a double run day, one at lunch and one in the evening, the lunch run started well but my stomach was churning after 3 miles quite nastily so I eased off a bit and cruised in on the 4.2 mile loop I do from work. My stomach was still churning and bit off in the evening so I missed that run too.

Tuesday ; - back in the pool and I did one of my favourite sessions 500, 5*50, 400, 4*50, 300, 3*50, 200, 2*50, 100, 1*50 and then a 250 cool down to round things off - felt pretty good, though the 50's weren't too fast! My stomach was still a bit churny and I had a few loo stops during the day. Evening I hopped on the turbo for an hour, mostly spinning with one 9*2 minute blast - stomach was not enjoying being cramped on the bike!

Wednesday : - woke up and back to normal having shed about 2kgs in two days, I think I had ingested some of the hand gel I use at work or it was all the christmas gunk finally getting out of my system but that explained the dodgy stomach anyway! In the evening there was an SAQ (speed, agility and quickness) session organised at the Rugby club, so I decided to get involved in this to help strengthen the legs and keep the fast twitch fibres alive - I'll do this every week instead of an interval session.

I started with a 3 mile run to ensure I was warm before the session kicked off and then got involved with lots of sprinting, bounding, rope ladders, hurdles and circuits! All good fun and got a proper work out going!

Thursday: - in the pool in the morning for 200,300,400,500 then 3*200 mostly steady and with the pull buoy - my upper body and legs felt pretty beasted from the SAQ session.

In the evening it was back on the turbo for a 70 minute session with two 2*9 min blasts. legs were pretty shattered but it felt good to really blast them out.

Friday: - In the pool again in the morning for 10*200 keeping steady and focus on good technique, in the evening it was back to the pool again for a SwimSmooth coached session which I was invited too which was really good, loads of technique based stuff and some great pointers to help out! We were also video'd - the coach followed along this side with a camera on the end of a stick - hopefully get to see it again in a couple of weeks for review!

Saturday: -

Scheduled two hours on the bike finshed as only 1.5 and about 22 miles on an out and back course - nothing strenuous and with big side wind gusts it was a bit shady at times and not particularly inviting so didn't push it too hard and stayed dry!

Sunday: - Race day!! The rough and tumble 10 : - http://www.grassrootsevents.co.uk/

No great motivation when I woke up but dragged myself up there and took my place on the start line with a right proper grumpy face on! From the start it was downhill on tarmac through the village before a path led up through a field to the bottom of one of the biiiig, steeep hills - after one mile almost everyone was walking, in fact it was quicker for me to march up the hill than to run it! It was then down a rain filled muddy gully, running through deep puddles which were turning into a stream, various hills, puddles and mud later and we got to the real killer - big steep hill that required all fours just to drag yourself up - more climbing than running! Then back down just trying to stay on two feet! A few hills and mud filled shoe stealing puddles later and I was over the finish! After 4.5 miles I had decided to suck it up and enjoy it, I really gave it a lot and although not my fastest (no surprise there) to finish in 1.32.57 was pretty good and I was pleased afterwards - 147 out of 497 was good enough for me!

I am now into a rest day which is fully deserved in my opinion! 25.2 hours in two weeks with 11 this week!
Another 11 scheduled for the week ahead though no racing so fingers crossed the plan will continue....