Monday, February 29, 2016

Week Eleven Begins

Well it was a good weekend of training. A good run Saturday and even better - and unexpected - row Sunday. I am getting fitter and feeling better for it. I can no longer pinch (more than) an inch on the waist line and the six pack is getting there. There is still work to do. I still need to lose a bit more fat but as the routine forms and the momentum builds, I will get there. I know, I know, I'm so vain - damn you Carly Simon - but there it is.

I really feel like I still have a sub 20 minute 5k in me. Come to that, I reckon I've a fair shout at a sub 40 minute 10k. I know I'm a man of the mountain an' all that but dammit, I started out a road runner and I'm not over the hill yet. I know I don't have the genetics of a world champion, the VO2max of Haile Gebrselassie but I know if I train wise I can get there. The clock continues to be turned back....

Oh, almost forgot. Rest day today so just forty five minutes on the bike and some core work.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Following Yesterday's Good Run...

I nailed a 2000m row PB. Knocked a 'whopping' 1.8s off to take it down to 7:38 dead. I didn't set out to pb. I was really just after a solid one after yesterday's hard effort and in the first five hundred I could feel my legs lacking but somehow I was still managing 1:55/56 pace. So I thought what the heck and focused on consistent 1:55s through half distance. I was pulling really hard with the body, shoulders and arms to compensate for the distinct lack of leg power.

With five hundred to go I wasn't sure whether to cruise in for a good time or put the hammer down and go for something better. It wasn't long until I had my answer as I very quickly found myself picking it up. With four hundred to go I was finding it hard. Three hundred remaining and I thought I was going to fall off the perch. With two hundred to go I had absolutely had it - but then it was only two hundred to go. I summoned the power from within. Only forty five seconds more remained - but oh what a heart thumping forty five. Really pleased with 7:38. Only 13s from my ten year old all time best...

I finished with a bike session to bring down the curtain on week ten. I'm treating myself to an experimental sourdough pesto pizza - the experiment is incorporating the pesto - homemade but not kale based - into the dough instead of as a topping. So it might turn out to be a bit of an un-treat!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

So How Close To 47 Did I Get?

So, as planned, I ran the Flaxley loop to gauge how things are going and lay down a marker by which to monitor my improvement - if there is any... I went at it pretty hard and stayed focused on the job in hand. I worked hard on the ups and didn't ease off on the flat, eeking back some of the time lost to the climbs. My heart rate average was up at 160 so I know I didn't bottle it.

In the end I finished 3 minutes divergent from the hoped for 47 minute marker. I'm not too unhappy with that - seeing as it was 3 minutes divergent to the good. Yeah baby, 43:56. Much better than I was expecting at this early stage of the comeback. I finished off with 45 minutes on the bike. The training regime, it would seem, as week ten draws towards a close, is working....

Friday, February 26, 2016

Low Key Training

My quads were a bit tight so I decided to take it a bit easier with only an hour on the bike and the core workout. Going to run the Flaxley loop tomorrow to lay down a benchmark. 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Yesterday's Reps Today....


Yes, feeling much less tired, I completed another solid set of 10 one minute reps @1:50 pace tonight. I felt good and no rep slipped out beyond 1:50 this time. Forty five on the bike to finish.

I'm eyeing up the Flaxley loop for tomorrow or Saturday to gauge my real world progress....

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

It Was A Toss Up...

Row intervals or rest day? My chest and shoulders are aching and my calves tight so in the end the rest day won out. Nothing worse than a demoralising session so it's row intervals tomorrow when I'll be fully rested and ready for action.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Nice Bit of 6 by 3...

Six three minute reps on the treadmill at 3:45min/km pace off 90s recovery. I was just about on the limit as my heart rate hit 170 and then struggled to get back down to 120 during the recovery, only just getting back inside 130 before the final couple of reps. It was one more rep than last time and I didn't get quite as ragged. Finished with half an hour on the bike and the core workout - which is currently 4x30 ab-crunches, 2x8 pull-ups and 2x26 push-ups. I think I have very nearly refound my mojo....

Oh, and on other matters, it's my sourdough starters second birthday.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Into Week Ten

Can't believe I've already completed nine reasonably decent weeks of training. An easy start to this one though with an hour on the gym bike. My legs feel much better than the did after last weeks Sunday run. Should be fit and able for a hard session tomorrow.Things are starting to come together. Going to run my Flaxley Wood loop soon to gauge in real terms how it's all going. To see how near to 47 minutes I can get...

Sunday, February 21, 2016

A Bit Of O Practice

With some longer "reps" thrown in. I tried to push myself on the reps and overall it was decent training, The orienteering was a bit hit and miss as the Flaxley map has changed quite a bit in just a couple of years. There was much more bramble and some areas shown as runnable really weren't due to a combination of new bramble growth and felling. Still, it was good to focus on picking out the map features as I struggled slowly through. I finished with half an hour on the bike.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

What A Miserable Day...

Drizzle, drizzle and ... more drizzle. Anyway, I've planned up a route for tomorrow in - wait for it, wait for it - my local Flaxley Wood. I forgot I had the O-map for it. It has some good solid tracks for what I like to call actual running - albeit still relatively slowly. Then there are the off piste bits for the orienteering training. Should be good.

Had a good row and bike session this afternoon with a solid core workout. The abs are coming along nicely - under the lard.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Day Off...

From training not work. Work was, as normal, an ever present part my day - during the week at least. Feel tired and I don't want to train on empty. Tomorrow's forecast of rain is a little annoying. Grrrh

Thursday, February 18, 2016

That Was Hard Work...

Only five reps tonight but at the same pace as Monday's set, namely 3:45min/km, but, crucially, 3 minute reps instead of 2 with the same 90s recovery. Unsurprisingly the last thirty seconds was wobbly head ragged but I completed the session. Six reps next time.... Just the bike to finish as I was beginning to feel weak.


Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Best Row Intervals So Far

I managed ten 1 minute intervals at 1:50 pace or better. I managed a few down on 1:48. Felt good. Bike and abs to finish.

Looking towards the weekend, now I've agreed to orienteer the Compass Sport qualifier, I think I might need a little practice session. I'm thinking of finding an area well away from the race area - uh, didn't mean to say race. It's definitely not a race or else I wouldn't be able to do it - self imposed exile an' all... Somewhere with some good solid tracks where I can run some longer reps in amongst the orienteering practice.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Week 9 Begins With 9...

...Reps on the treadmill. Nine 2 minute reps at 3:45min/km pace with a 90s recovery. The recovery was better this time and I was able to bring my pulse back down to around 120bpm before starting each rep. It felt a bit higher quality tonight and I got less ragged by the last while still taking my heart rate just shy of 170bpm on each rep. A short bike session and some ab-crunches to finish. I feel I'm past last week's 'blip'. Still a good deal more work is required though...

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Chilling Down As The Weekend Draws To A Close...

Didn't feel too energised today. I had to wait in for a delivery which arrived later than I had hoped. By the time the goods arrived I wasn't feeling it any more but rallied for 90 minutes on the bike. Treadmill speed session tomorrow...

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Three, Two, One And Back In The Room...

After the disaster that was Thursday, I wasn't sure how I would go today. I was tempted to take an extra day off but I can't afford to let the momentum slip or this comeback will go the way of every other one of my comebacks - down the pan. I'm determined not to let that happen time.

I decided I needed a re-match against the rowing machine - and this time it was personal. I needed to gauge things and a run wouldn't really let me see if Thursday was a blip due to fatigue or something else. Happily I can report things are back to normal. It's true it wasn't my fastest 2000 metres but it was a good solid performance. 7:44.8. I finished with the bike and core.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Total And Utter Rest Day

Nice lie in this morning. Twas well beyond daybreak before I awoke. Did a few household chores - but not too many. Watched a film on my AmazonFire TV. Even had time for a little nap in the afternoon. Hopefully the batteries have been recharged. Guess I'll find out tomorrow...

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Tank Empty...

What an awful training session. I started with a paced 2000m row - except I couldn't maintain any sort of pace. It was all I could do to stay inside eight minutes, finishing in a truly terrible 7:56. I was aiming for a steady 7:45-50 but from the start I was nowhere near it. I had no response to what was unfolding before my eyes.

I cancelled my planned steady treadmill session and finished with 45 minutes on the bike instead - and even then I forgot to start the bloody watch so I failed to record the first twenty minutes or so. I probably shouldn't have done the bike but I can't let the routine slip. Think I might need a day off though and it's okay if it's scheduled in...

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Still A Bit Sore...

The ol' quads are still sore so I took it relatively easy on tonight's treadmill session. Eight 2 minute intervals off a 1 minute recovery. It was decent enough. The recovery just about right to get get the heart rate back down. I finished off with 45 minutes on the bike.

Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Still Not Great...

To be fair my quads are still pretty wrecked. That said, I wasn't prepared to miss two straight days of training. So tonight I put in 8 one minute intervals on the rower. The pace was a bit variable with a few reps up at 1:50 while others were off the pace at 1:55 and several others somewhere in between but I got my heart rate pumping. I finished with 45 minutes on the bike and some core work. I think my legs feel better for it...

On other matters I'm being asked to take part in the Compass Sport qualifier in mid March. I don't really want to race at all before my official relaunch, Mad Runner 2.0, in June but I think I can reconcile things so long as I consider orienteering to be a) not a race and b) not really running - well at least it isn't the way I do it! Time to cogitate...

Monday, February 08, 2016

Recovering From My Dalliance With The Real World....

My legs are gert killin' today. So bad I've decided to pull a rest day. I guess it wasn't that unexpected really. My comeback, as I head into week 8, is still on track though - so don't panic. My fitness level is still headed in the right direction and body fat remains on the decline as the conversion to lean, mean running machine continues...

Sunday, February 07, 2016

I Ventured Into The Real World....

and I have witnesses to prove it! After yesterday's failure I needed no excuses today as I plodded over to May Hill to catch a bit of the May Hill Massacre. I timed it just about right and reached the long forest track (about half way in the race) as the first runner came through. They were finding it far easier than me - mainly on account I was struggling up and they were flying down.

In all I covered 11.6 km, 375 metres ascent in a slow 64 minutes. Finished the days training with forty five on the bike - safely back indoors, away from the scary real world...








Saturday, February 06, 2016

Time To Get The Excuses In...

Firstly, no training yesterday on account of a family evening out - and there was absolutely no way I was hitting the gym when I got home at a few minutes to midnight.

Secondly, no, I didn't get out for a real run today - hello did you see the weather out there? And me a southern softy... Besides - excuse number three alert - when the rain is pouring that heavily I like to be home just in case I need to roll out the emergency sand bags - thankfully I didn't. The forecast looks better tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed.

Right, with the excuses out of the way, I turned my pent up energy to a full gym session. The highlight of which was a 2000m row PB - and boy did I ever go for it from the get go. I chose my pace and just went for it, maintaining 1:55/500m through the first 1000m but then I began to wobble as the pace slipped to 1:56 with a few strokes at 1:57. As I went through 1500m I put in my final effort and gave it everything I had left, taking the pace up to 1:52/53. I just managed to hold it together for 7 minutes and 39.8s.

It is a bloody good feeling to get back into the seven thirty's - even if only by the smallest of margins! The seconds begins with a 3 so that's good enough for me. I'm now within fifteen seconds of my PB of ten years ago and closing in...

I finished with an hour on the bike and then 25 minutes on the treadmill, gradually upping the pace throughout before finishing with a solid core workout. The spare tyre continues to deflate and I think the love handles are finally starting shrink although that's a bit subjective.

Thursday, February 04, 2016

Elevating Things A Little

I ran the elevation session on the treadmill tonight. Steady 5:00min/km pace through two sets of four 90s reps at 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% elevation with equal recovery. Got it about the right with the 10% rep being tough but without getting too ragged. I finished with the bike and some ab-crunches.

Forty six days in and I'm now about 3 bags of sugar lighter than when I started the crusade - that's around 7 pounds in real terms or about 3kg for those have gone through the change - to metric. I don't need to lose too much more now, just need to continue converting the lard to lean....

Wednesday, February 03, 2016

Time For A Rest Day

My resting heart was slightly raised so I decided on a rest day. I did my ab-crunches, pull-ups and push-ups because I figure that doesn't affect cardio recovery. Should be back on it tomorrow.

For the weekend, something a little different... I'm aiming to take a run in the heart of the Forest. Probably somewhere around the Speech House area.

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

This Speed Lark Is Hard Work...

Four 3 minute reps at 3:45 pace off a one minute recovery. I think I'll knock the pace back a few seconds, add a few seconds more recovery next time so I can manage six and build from there. It's early days and it's going to take me a few more session to find my level. Calf muscles are tight again but they'll be okay tomorrow. Finished with an easy recovery bike session.

So to the big question of the day, did the UK get a good deal from Europe today? - Heck, that's not the big question. The BIG question is can someone who's let themselves go to self induced rack and ruin over the years qualify for the Harriers most improved runner of the year when they finally decide to pick themselves up, take their mat and run?

Monday, February 01, 2016

Another Solid Row

Intervals tonight. Strongest session to date. 10 one minute intervals on 1:50/51s pace. It proves my fitness levels are continuing to improve. I followed up with a solid interval-ish bike session, with the aim of keeping my heart rate up. Finished with some ab-crunches.