Wednesday Training (Plumstead Runners session)

I was back out with the Plums tonight.

It was a nice steady run.  Longest we've had for a while on a Wednesday night but nice and steady.  The pace is never quick on a Wednesday night but I still love going out with them as they're such a great bunch.

I should point out that I still have an issue with my back. Thankfully I appear to be able to run still but I will be staying away from the Gym until it settles down now otherwise I may do myself some long lasting damage.

It's not the chest...its actually the back...

I told you yesterday that the discomfort in my chest had transferred into a pain between the shoulder blades.

As yesterday afternoon went on, the pain got progressively worse and I was really uncomfortable on the train going home last night, so much so that I decided to take a rest night.  Those of you that know me well and have followed the story know that I dont do unscheduled rest.

The doctor in the hospital suggested it was either a muscle pull somewhere in my chest wall or a trapped nerve issue.  The doctor's diagnosis seems pretty much spot on right now.  As I breathe in and my chest expands front and back, I'm in pain.  Its pretty much smack bang in between my shoulder blades.

Can I put any ibuprofen gel or Voltarol on it?  Not a bloody hope.  One of the small disadvantages of being single.  I would have done anything for someone just to rub a small amount on me last night.  My Mum offered but that would have meant a two bus trip to Bexleyheath, so I opted for a scalding hot bath and some Nurofen Plus tablets in the end.  I felt a lot better as I went to bed and slept pretty well but its really sore again this morning.

I will see how I feel later but as it stands, I dont know whether I will run with the Plums tonight or even hit the Gym.  I'll just have to play it by ear.

 

Given the all clear

After typing that last post, I thought it would be easier to just pop over to A&E in my lunch hour and get looked at.

I can now relax as I've been given the all clear.

The Triage Doctor done a few key checks, blood pressure was good, blood oxygen levels were very good at 98%, heart and lungs sounded fine but he decided to get an ECG done to be on the safe side.

Despite the ECG alarms going mental when it registered my resting HR at 45bpm, the ECG was all clear too, so very good news.

The discomfort in my chest is likely caused my some kind of muscle pull somewhere in my chest wall.  They done some poking and prodding but couldnt locate anything in particular but that is what they've put it down too.

Relieved isnt the word.  Ok, I probably was being over cautious going over there but hey, its put my mind at rest.

Chest "discomfort"

Now I have to be honest here.

For those of you that know me, I hate hospitals, I hate the thought of blood tests and when I see any sort of blood, my body just shuts down and I feint, sort of like going into shock.  It has to be seen to be believed.

I'm able to cope with injuries ok but the thought of having to take a blood test or even worse, god forbid have an operation of any kind, I'm a complete mess.

So let me bring you up to speed...

A couple of weeks ago, when I was running between home and the Gym, I had to stop half way because of a sharp pain in my chest.  I stopped straight away but I was fine after about 30 seconds.  I occasionally get some discomfort but nothing like that before.  Within a minute, I was running again and I was fine.  I put it down to indigestion because I'd only eaten an hour beforehand and it gets me like that sometimes.

Since last week, I've had a bit of discomfort in my chest.  Not painful, got something nagging and just doesnt feel quite right.  Its hard to explain.  It isnt painful at all.  I've had a bit of a stiff neck and some tenderness in my right shoulder, which led me to think I was getting a revival of the nerve problem I had in my shoulder at the start of the year but it seems to have cleared up.

As of last night, I still had the minor discomfort in my chest.  Really nothing major but something has started to nag away at me, thinking I really should get this checked out.  This morning, I've got a pain between my shoulder blades.

I spoke to my work colleague about it and we put it down to a muscular ache and all would be well again soon but it seems to be getting worse.  I can feel it when I turn my neck from side to side, I feel it when I pull my shoulders back but I've still got the discomfort in my chest.

Like an idiot, I made the customary mistake to self diagnose via Google.  Pain between the shoulder blades relates to a pain in the chest.  Now, what could it be?  Angina.  Coronary Heart Disease.  Lung Cancer.  Wind.

As soon as I see them first three, I panic.  I used to smoke 40-a-day for a decade.  Could that major fcuk up in my life be coming back to haunt me?  I was a selfish git back in them days.  I never thought further down the line, that I would have Izzy to look out for.  If I knew Izzy was going to be in my life, I would never have smoked.  Never in a million years.  I'm an idiot but there's nothing I can do about it now.

I need to MTFU and make a doctor's appointment to really put my mind at rest now.

I'm fairly sure I'm fine as I'm still running well and am feeling particularly strong but you can never be to careful.  Some may see it as an overreaction but until I get checked out, I'm only going to worry.  Here's hoping it is nothing serious.

Monday Training (Sub 50:00 10k Speed work Session 1)

With storm St Jude blown out, it was back into the training tonight.  I'd done a little bit of research today with regards to finding a plan to bring me up to running sub 50:00 for a 10k.

So tonight, I put that plan into action...

Using the workout function on Garmin Connect, I sent the following workout to my Forerunner 405...

So the plan was to run a relatively sedate warm up between 8:30-9:00 min/mile pace then 5 lots of 4 min intervals at just above Sub 50 10k pace, ie. 7:45-8:00 min/mile pace then with a 2 min recovery between 8:30-8:45 min/mile pace between each effort.

Off I went...

Take a quick look at the splits...

As you'll see, I managed to stick to plan for interval 1-3 but it went a bit off on interval 4-5 but hey, it was the first time I'd ever attempted intervals over a distance like this so I was very much outside of my comfort zone.

Having said that, I coped ok.

At no point did I feel like I was going to collapse through exhaustion so I did have some left in reserve.  And to come in at 52:14, only 20 seconds outside of my PB which I run back in May 2013 before I started suffering from knee tendonitis, I'm absolutely delighted.

Bearing in mind I started with a relatively sedate 15 min warm up, I know I can go quicker.  I know I can go quicker on the intervals, I know I can go quicker on the recovery...its just a matter of putting it all together.  Practice will make perfect.

The session has given me a lot of food for thought and has really given me a spring in my step.  I really dont think it will be that long before I'm running a sub 50:00 10k.  Fingers crossed.

The Storm of St Jude

Well, what a let down the big storm was!

Apart from my rubbish bins being blown down the shared driveway and my next door neighbours fence panel blowing over, it appeared that not much damage had been done.

Clare text me this picture of Izzy the Storm Assessor this morning, outside her Mum's house in Gravesend...

Because South Eastern had said trains were not likely to be running before 9am this morning, I made the decision to take the 89 bus to Lewisham and then do the rest of the commute on the DLR, getting off at Shadwell for the 10 minute walk into the office.

Getting the 89 to Lewisham was a breeze (see what I did there?!)  Shame about the DLR.  The usual confusion, the usual 500% increase is passenger numbers, the usual Bank service advertised on Platform 6 but pulling in on Platform 5 causing further chaos, cue the electricity being turned off just outside of Lewisham station and us not moving for almost 30 minutes.

2hrs later, I'd made it into the office.  Surprise surprise, it was empty.  I'm not saying any more.

Having looked on the web, it appears SE London and Kent got hit quite bad last night.  Loads of trees down, collapsed scaffolding in Welling High Street, a tree blocking the A2 between Dartford Heath and the Black Prince Interchange.

Same old same old for SE London really.

Here's hoping the weather quickly improves as I'd like to go out on an unassisted by wind run tonight if possible :)

Thursday Training (Gym - TRX Session 8)

I had the day off today, so made the most of it by having a lay in until 9.30am (I must have really needed it), hit Tescos (well it was pay day and the cupboards were bare) and hit the Gym...

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (5:16; 8:27 min/mile)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

Legs

Leg Press (6sets x 6reps x 110kg)

Cool down

4km Treadmill (20:40; 8:20 min/mile) - average HR 147bpm.

It was a really good session although the legs really didnt feel 100% but I really wasnt expecting them to be after the 10k handicap last night.

My right hamstring feels a little tight but I'm hoping that now I'm resting the next three days, the tightness will disappear.

Am saving the best part of the day until last though.  Clare (the ex-wife) is dropping Izzy here about 7.30 tonight and I've got her with me until Sunday evening. Cant wait to have my little lady back in my life.  I know it has only been 12 days since I last saw her but even so, 12 days can seem like a bloody lifetime when you're a separated/divorced parent.

Oh...and Spurs kick off at 6pm :)

Wednesday Race (Plumstead Runners 10k Handicap)

If I'm honest, my legs felt heavy all day yesterday, heavier than they have for some time.  It retrospect, it had been some time since I'd done a brick session.  30 mins on the turbo in excess at 90rpm is a concerted effort...and thats not even including the 5km run piggy backed on the end of it.

Tuesday was very much as rest day.  The plan was to go home, put the feet up and watch Ars*nal v Dortmund but as it turns out, my office buddy Reuben suggested a quick beer after work as it has been a while since we'd had a catch up.

Three pints later, I was falling asleep on the train home and I crawled in just before kick off via the Golden Chopstick.  Bad move.  Hey, its been 9 months or so since my last Chinese takeaway.  Singapore Noodles with Chilli Beef and Salt & Chilli King Prawns. It doesnt get better than that (especially after 3 pints).

As in the old days, I decided to eat half and then take the other half with me to work for my lunch.  Probably not the best pre-race fueling but surely the Noodles counts as carbs ;)

So I bounced out of the office at 4.30, jumped on the London Overground at Whitechapel and headed to New Cross before picking up the first train to Lewisham and then changing onto a Bexleyheath line train to get home.  Walked through the door at 5.31, so almost an hour door-to-door.  Quickly packed my bag, downed a 500ml bottle of High 5 4:1 and got changed.  Jumped on the bus and I was at the club by 6.10.

Jim A and Ray were just outside, looking at the times.  I was off at 6:38:15, 15 seconds behind marathon queen Gina and 15 seconds ahead of Ian.  The first runner was off at 6:25 so I was going to have to go some to catch him.  Popped into the changing rooms to say hello to everyone.  Cross country skipper JIm W asked me how I felt after the cross country on Sunday.  Ruined pretty much described it pretty well.

The changing room filled up and one by one everyone made there way to the start line.  I'd preset my Garmin to 08:30 min/mile pace as a guide.  If I could stick to that I'd be coming in around 52:42ish.  I hadnt run a sub 53:00 10k for ages so it was a good target to aim at.

Jim A let Gina off the start line and I followed 15 seconds later...

Now I'd already had a look at the start times and I tried to pick a few names ahead of me who I could possibly aim at overtaking. I knew I had the quicker guys behind me (and yes, they're bloody quick) so I knew I'd have my work cut out getting anywhere them so it was about concentrating on my time and my race. Pretty much like I would a time trial on the bike.

I'd passed Gina before we'd even got to Crook Log.  Next man to pick off was Geoff.  I didnt even see him until the descent down Watling Street to Crayford and didnt actually pass him until just after the Mazda garage in Bourne Road.  I felt I was going great guns.  As I came over the A2 flyover, I could hear someone behind me.  It was Keith.  He was absolutely flying.  At that point, I felt all the energy I had just drain from my legs.  I put it down to lack of experience in race conditions.  I tried to up the pace but I was hanging on for dear life by that point.  As I passed Robin (who was marshalling in Bexley Village), he said I was only 4 minutes behind the leader at that point.  The only problem was that from Bexley Village, to say the road is undulating is an understatement.  Up then down then up again.  I managed to get up the first hill without reducing pace too much, passing Guy in the process but then in the space of say a hundred metres, Jake, Paul, Richard, Graham, Russell and Francis had all flown past.  I caught and passed Warren but that was it for the overtaking until the last stretch.

I came into Blendon, straight across the A2 roundabout and I mean literally straight across, straight into the traffic flow, arms out stretched with a scowl on my face and the traffic literally parted like the red sea did in the bible.  I think Russell was grateful as he'd actually stopped for a gap in the traffic.  As I came through the A2 underpass to Danson Park, I could see first man Lee at the top of the climb.  Knowing there was one more drag to come, I upped the tempo for one last night to try and catch him and I passed him just before the drag and I knew I was almost home and dry.

Turning into the club's driveway was a great feeling but also depressing all at the same time as it was amazing how many people seemed to be there already.

Official placing was 10th out of 18 with a time of 53:36.

Got to be pleased with that.  Looking at the Garmin dump, 53:36 was for 6.28 miles rather than 6.2.  I'd run the last 0.28 at 2:17, so a quick conversion of 2:17/0.28*0.20 = 1:38, so a 39 second saving reducing the time to 52:57.

Now if you apply the 39 second saving to the Garmin's moving time of 52:06, that gives me an adjusted time of 51:27 (equating to 8:18 min/mile pace), which when compared to my 10k PB of 51:54, that gives me a new unofficial 10k PB by 27 seconds.

Sadly, it remains unofficial, cant claim it and wont claim it.  However, there are definitely grounds for optimism.

I so need to break the 50 mins barrier for 10k.  Can I train for a marathon over the winter AND train to break the 50 min barrier?  I've got no idea but I'm going to give it a damn good go.

I'll link up the official handicap results when they're posted on the Plums website.

Off to bed now and cant wait to see Isabelle tomorrow evening.  It feels like an eternity since when I last saw her.

EDIT:  Here's the official results...

 

Have the legs recovered?

Its the Plums regular 10k handicap race tonight.

Have my legs recovered from the cross country?  Have my legs recovered from the Monday brick training session?

As I type, I'm eating Singapore Noodles with Chilli Beef.  Not ideal pre-race fueling but its food.

All will be revealed tonight...

Kasami's goal for Fulham against Crystal Palace

Wow.  This strike from Kasami is going to take some beating for goal of the season!

 

Take a bow, son!

The legs are dead...

As I type at 1pm on Tuesday, my legs feel like lead.

Tomorrow night is the Plumstead Runners 10k handicap race (yes, I can hear you lot sniggering that I'm definitely handicapped) so tonight will be a rest night for the legs.

If I'm honest, I dont think I can ever remember my legs feeling as heavy as this.  What with the cross country on Sunday, the brick session last night, its little wonder really, is it?

Monday Training (Brick Session - 10 mile turbo followed by 5km run)

If Sunday's exploits were not enough, I had a mad desire to do a brick session on Monday evening.

What's a brick session I hear you ask?  A brick session is where you practice two elements of a triathlon back to back, as if you were doing an actual tri.  Obviously, my two elements are cycling and running, so I put two sessions back to back.

A 10 mile turbo session followed by a 5km run.

Two targets of the turbo was to achieve an average speed in excess of 20mph and an average cadence on 90rpm...

Target achieved.  Average cadence of 95rpm and an average speed of 20.5mph but its clear to me that both my cadence and speed was all over the shop tonight which is a huge sign that I've hardly cycled in the last three months.

Transition from Bike to Run of 2:36 (which mainly consisted of changing shoes, unclipping the bike from the turbo and putting it indoors and locking the house up, setting the alarm)...then straight into the run... 

No target to achieve on the run.  Just to finish it in one piece being the objective...

Followed by a gentle slower cool down... 

So yes, I'm officially bonkers and as I type at 9:23pm, I'm pretty much shattered.

With my lack of mileage on the bike in the last three months, the turbo session was tougher than I imagined it would be although the legs didnt fill up with lactic although they felt shattered before I hit the road on the run.

The run was ok. The first mile up Welling Way was hard, the second mile and a half was quicker but as soon as I hit Welling Corner, I literally felt the legs drain and my pace dropped significantly. With practice and getting the legs turning over more often on the bike again, this wont be a problem and the brick sessions will become an important part of my training armoury. 

Great session.

Sunday Race Day: KFL Cross Country - Knowle Park

The alarm rudely went off at 7.15am.  On a Sunday.  God damn it.  It could easily have been night time still but the brain quickly computed I had 1hr 30mins to get to Bexleyheath Sports Club to pick up my lift to Knowle Park.

In a desperate attempt to wake up, I boiled the kettle to make a cup of tea and stuck my porridge in the microwave while I got changed.  After some faffing about, I was ready.  MOTD on the tv, sitting on the sofa holding my bowl of porridge in one hand and trying to force feed myself with the other.  I'm not a great lover of breakfast and its taken me some years to get into the habit of eating it but it was a necessity today.

Got my sh*t together and headed out the door.  Quickly checking my iPhone shortcut to the TFL website, I suddenly remembered how infrequently the buses ran on Sunday mornings.  Ouch.  It was a 15 minute wait for the next one.  Why the hell didnt I check that before I left, the bus stop is only 20 yards from my front door, I could have stayed inside in the dry.

Yes, the dry.  It was hammering down.  I was soaked despite the North Face waterproof jacket.  I guess that was the perfect pre-requisite for a cross country.  It was going to be wet and muddy.

The bus arrived and it slowly made its way down Welling High Street to the club.  I made it just in time.  As I got there, everyone was already to go.  Dumped my bag in the back of Jim's car and off we went.

M20, M25, A21.  Simples.  The heavy rain cleared and the grey sky turned blue for a while.  Got there nice and early and met up with the rest of the Plums.  We seemed to be there really early but hey, better early than late (well in most cases ;)

Got another cup of tea into me and off we headed into Knowle Park.  Julie told me all about her Grim Blackout adventure the night before, telling me I would have loved it.  What?  Replace my sofa and X Factor and MOTD for running in the pitch black through puddles of water about 4ft deep with no other help than from a head torch?  Ha.  Come to think of it, it sounds awesome.  Definitely would be up for trying something like that in the future.

At the start, it looked pretty well organised.  Some clubs were more organised than others, what with their own club gazebos.  For goodness sake, there's nothing like getting back to nature, changing your footware underneath a big tree, standing on an opened out bin liner, is there?

After standing around for a bit as we located ourselves under the said "tree", the obligatory team photograph was taken...

...what a fine specimen of Plums, eh?

We all trooped over to the start.  Due to the car park congestion, the start had been delayed by 15 minutes (oooh, just like a Premier League fixture!).  We were all pretty chilly by then so we were all willing for the gun to start.  Was it a gun?  Did somone shout go?  I seriously cant remember now!  Anyhow, everyone as a mass just started running.  As you can see from the first pic, the start/finish straight was along a valley floor, so all 467 starting runners were all trying to get on the flat but avoiding the moving mass.

So as I started running, I found it hard to get going.  You have no sense of what pace you're running and you sort of follow the crowd.  I remember glancing down at my Garmin and seeing I was running 9 min/mile pace and I know from previous off-road club runs with the Plums that my off-road comfortable pace is about 9:15-9:20 min/mile pace so I know I didnt go off too fast but after that first 400-500 yards, the track kicks off left and up a sharp climb.  I just tried to keep the same pace, keep my breathing in a regular rhythmn but it was really off putting to see people already walking ahead of me.  Was it that steep?  Had they gone off too fast?  Had I gone off too slow?  All these things were flying through my head when really all I should have been doing was settling into a regular pace and forgetting about everything else.

So at the top of the climb, the route kicks right and ahead a drag of monstrous proportions, well it felt like it!  The HR was already up around mid 160bpm by then and seeing the drag in front brought one thought to the forefront of my mind..."Why the f*ck was I killing myself on a Sunday morning?!"  I guess I'm an adrenaline junky like that but with fear lol.

The drag was brutal.  I kept my head down, not looking too far ahead so blank the hill out (as I do when I'm cycling!) and kept pumping the legs.  The blood rush around my body, the heart was clearly pumping by then too.  HR up to 173-174, so close to going into the red.  Got to the top of the drag which took us up to the top of the Valley and then the course drops down hill and then kicks up again before dropping back down to the finish.

Now what with the heavy rain earlier that morning, the mud by now was a major hazard.  Not so much for being sticky but for being slippery.  Have you ever tried running down a hill whereby the gradient and gravity pulls you down the hill and you try to keep your legs turning over to stop you falling over?  Yeah?  It was pretty much like that.  Not so much an issue on the first lap but by the second lap, the quads and calves were working overtime to overcome the lactic acid brought on my the second time up the drag.

The drag on the second lap was agony.  There is no other word that comes close.  Maybe torture would do.  The HR was around 170 at the bottom and was well into the red by the top.

[One thing that sticks in the mind when writing this up is the sheer number of people that were stopping to catch their breaths on the second trawl up the drag.  It really was brutal.  However, I can hold my head high and say that I kept on going and didnt walk at any point, although my climb up the drag that second time round wouldnt have been that far off from walking pace!]

Coming down the final hill, you can see the finish straight and it dawns on you that its actually another drag.  As I came down the hill, I could see there were two guys close behind and they were both closing on me so I rather than take the outside route where it was less muddly, I came down on a central line so if they were going to pass me, I wasnt going to make it easy for them.

On the final straight both had closed within 10 yards of me but I did manage to find a sprint finish that Mo Farah would have been proud of.  I came over the line in 344th place with a time of 50:25 for the 5.6 mile course and in all honesty, I could have been sick on the spot.  The course was brutal but in a peverse way, I loved every minute of the pain.

Here's my Garmin dump...just check out the average HR!

   

The Plums done great, as you can see:

All positions need to be adjusted by 1 place upwards as the 2nd place runner forgot to take his placing number!

For my Plums cross country debut, I'm happy with that.  I didnt really know what to expect but I certainly do now.

Having looked at all the off-road runs I've done with the Plums over the summer, the KFL race was the quickest I've managed to run off-road as you can see from this table extracted from Garmin Connect...

Off road runs over 5 miles...Click to Expand

So all in all, it was a great day.  Roll on the next one at Swanley Park in November.  It appears I have Izzy that weekend so maybe some baby-sitting jiggery-pokery will be required unless I can bring her with me :)

Me at the top of the first climb...blowing out of my backside lol

More on the Kent Fitness League...

Tbh, I dont know any more than what I've read at the KFL website here

Have I read all of it?

Oh come on, the first thing I looked for was some pictures...

Saturday Training (TRX Session 7...but taking it easy)

As I type, its just gone 11.30pm on Saturday evening.  Off to bed in a mo, excited but terrified that I'm running in my first ever competitive race since the Bexley Grammar senior cross country competition (back in 1994) for the Plums at Knowle Park in the Kent Fitness League.  

God help me.  Should be fine though.  Alarm is set for 7am so give me an hour to sort myself out before I have to head down to Bexleyheath Sports Club to pick up a lift.

Anyhow, in preparation, I took the sensible option to take it relatively easy this week.  I've done no weights on my legs and I've cut back the distance this week in an attempt to be sort of fresh tomorrow morning.

I did vow to go to the Gym today though.  The plan was to work the upper body and abs/core but go very easy on the legs.

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (5:22; 8:42 min/mile) (slowest warm up ever, average HR = 135bpm!)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

 

No leg weights.

 

Cool down

 

1km Treadmill (5:37; 9:07 min/mile) - again slow, average HR = 139bpm!

 

Was lucky to see Chandra on his first shift of eight consecutive days today, the poor sod, but had a good catch up with him despite seeing him on my last trip to the Gym on Wednesday.

 

The rest of the day, I've taken really easy.  Watched some football, studied Rachel Riley's curves on Strictly and listened intently to the love night on X Factor.  Quick question, did they miscount the votes?  How on earth did the west country girl get through the flash vote?  Stop it JB, you're a man, you shouldnt even be talking X Factor.

 

Some other good news.  My 6/6 "Heinz" and 2/3 of my Trixie came in, so happy times.

 

Right, off to bed.  Bring on the cross country!

 

 

 

Wednesday Traning (4.5 mile road run, 1km treadmill warm up, TRX session 6)

As most of you will know by now, I normally run with my favourite Plums on a Wednesday evening.  Not tonight however, thanks to the usually very reliable London Overground.  Signal failure at New Cross Gate meant no trains beyond New Cross Gate to West Croydon...

Yes, I hear you say, that doesnt effect you, does it?  Well no, it shouldnt have done as I normally go to New Cross instead but to left standing on the platform for one New Cross train to suddenly disappear from the platform board then to be replaced by a fully running West Croydon train, it really wouldnt surprise any of us that the Whitechapel station staff got their information wrong and deciphered New Cross for New Cross Gate.  Anyhow...  So off to Cannon Street and a train home (and the priviledge of having to pay to go into and out of zone 1 just to get home because of TfLs incompetence)...another 20 minutes on the journey home...and absolutely no chance of making the Plums on time.

So, finally home and decide for a quick change and out to the Gym.  Again, making the most of the time, running there and back for warm up and cool down and hitting the TRX again.

 

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (4:41; 7:30 min/mile) (without checking, think that is fastest ever!)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps)
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps)
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps)
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps)
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

No leg weights tonight as trying to take it easy this week, what with the KFL Cross Country on Sunday.

Then a slow plod home...

Another really good session. I have to say the slow plod home was the slowest plod I can remember for sometime. Not sure whether its down to lack of energy, whether it was relatively mild or just because I was running with the rucksack on but it felt like it took forever to get home. All good though.

Tuesday Training (Slow 7 mile road run)

Just a basic 7 mile road run tonight.

I think I was intending to go a bit quicker but I completely lost concentration running alongside the lake in Danson Park and by the time I was cross the hump bridge in Brampton Road, I knew my pace had slipped off over 9:00 min/mile pace but it was too late by then.

Its not a disaster but would have nice to have gone out a bit quicker.  In the end, the run turned into a gentle plod as can be seen by the average HR.  Tut tut JB, must work harder next time out!

Monday Training (Gym - TRX Session 5 & Treadmill)

 After two days off and a great weekend with Izzy, it was time to get back on it tonight.

To combine running and the Gym, I now tend to run to and from the Gym (2 miles in each direction) either side of my Gym session.  If I want to increase the mileage, I'll do some work on the treadmill too before heading back home.  Tonight was a little different though, as I needed to take my new Asics gel-fuji attack 2 trail shoes with me, to test them out before deciding to use them in this weekend's first cross-country race of the season.  So it was a case of filling the rucksack and running 2 miles with the rucksack.

Now, 2 miles is nothing for me. I can run that in my sleep. However, I dont quite know what happened but dead on halfway, just as I was crossing Danson Lane, I felt my HR shoot right up, a pain in my left side and I felt sick. Like a stitch sort of pain what I used to get years ago. Thought best to stop for a minute to get my breath back and to let my HR settle down again and was fine but did make me wonder if I've got something wrong going on.

Anyhow, onwards.  Got to the Gym in one piece, no further issues on the way in.  Went straight upstairs and hit the TRX

TRX:

Crucifix (3x10)

Shoulder Press (3x10)

Press ups (5x10)

Bicep Curl (3x10)

Tricep Curl (3x10)

Abs:

10 x (10 SB Sit-ups & 10 SB Sit-twists)

Legs:

Leg Extension (6 x 6 x 55kg)

(Leg press machine was out of action).

Then it was on to the treadmill to try out the new trail shoes...

Not bad lookers are they?  Absolute bargain price at sportshoes.com too.  £48.  50% off RRP.  Ok, may not be this years model but quite frankly, for running cross-country in thick mud, am I really that bothered?  Not in the slightest.

So anyway, on to that treadmill...

Now this is the first time I've ran in trail shoes. I'm used to running in road running shoes, with a fair amount of cushioning. The first thing I noticed was the lack of cushioning but the shoes felt really responsive and springy. They felt great to run in. The shoes turned up on Friday and was the first time I'd got to try them out. When I quickly tried them on over the weekend, they felt ever so tight around the instep (I have quite broad feet) but on testing them, they actually felt the right size, so thankfully I'll definitely be keeping these now. 

As it turns out, the 5km was my quickest ever on the treadmill. By quite some margin too. I ran comfortably as 12km/h pace for the first 4km then upped it to 12.5km/h at 4.5km and 13km/h at some point after for the final burst and I cracked 5km in 25:02. Got to be pleased with that. Having said that, my HR was significantly higher than I can ever remember in any recent treadmill session but I felt pretty good. The last 0.5km made me feel like I wanted to be sick from the pit of my stomach but then thats a good thing as if I didnt feel like that, I certainly wouldnt be working hard enough.

It was a great session. Annoyingly, my Garmin battery died on me just as I tried to switch the GPS back on so I could run the final 2 miles home. As a complete geek when it comes to recording data, I decided to get the bus home. I wouldnt have been able to live with myself for running without recording data ;) (Thankfully, this should be a thing of the past when I finally upgrade to the Forerunner 620 when it eventually comes out!)

Friday Training (the lunchtime 7 miler)

Because of a full weekend with Isabelle this week, the plan was to run on Friday lunchtime.  Having drunk far too many beers on Thursday evening after work, catching up with my old work colleagues Joanna and Jody, I was suffering from the hangover from hell on Friday morning.

I woke up at 5am with a thud, face down on the living room floor.  I had fallen asleep on the sofa and hadnt come around enough to take myself off to bed.  So having only had 90 minutes in bed before the alarm went off, I really wasnt in the best of shape when I got to work.

I did force myself to take my running kit with me and despite the heavy rain at lunchtime, I still made it around my usual 7 mile loop of Whitechapel, Victoria Park at Hackney, back through Bethnel Green to Whitechapel.  Its a nice run, relatively flat as it follows some of the local canals.

It was definitely a slow one.  Bearing in mind how I felt before I left, I'm just glad I survived.  I'm glad to report my hangover was left somewhere on the anti-clockwise loop of Vicky Park.

 

Wednesday Training (Plumstead Runners)

Wednesday night is Plums night.

1.3 mile run from home to Bexleyheath Sports Club.  A quick jog around the cricket pitch to keep warm in the wind then just over 7 miles with the Plums on the road.  Legs felt fairly heavy today after 3 consecutive days of training but felt pretty good generally.

Another good session with the Plums. Looking forward to a well earned rest day on Thursday :)

10 Questions Answered

 My response to Sarah's Dreaming of Footpaths blog, answering 10 questions...

 

What is your absolute favourite meal?

Hmm, tough choice.  

• The ex-wife's Spaghetti Bolognese was pretty special. 
• My Mum's Roast Lamb always hits the spot. 
• A Bacon Sarnie.
• Have only recently discovered humous which seems to be replacing my need for chocolate in the office.

Where is your favourite place to run/work out?

• The North Downs on the bike.  Head out towards Westerham and there's a whole host of biggish hills to ride up and down all day long.  I love my 50 mile Welling to Gravesend & Higham training loop.  Just the right amount of climbing and can do it in 3hrs or there abouts.
• If I'm running, anywhere on the road.  Have to say I'm not a big lover of off-road running.

If you could work in any job, what would it be?

• Something fitness-related.  Always dreamt of being a professional footballer but was never good enough.

What’s been the most satisfying moment in your life so far?

• Seeing my daughter grow up and having a brilliant relationship with her despite the pain of not seeing her on a daily basis.
•  Recovering from my divorce and getting back on my own two feet.
• Losing 5st in coming up 3 yrs and being in the shape of my life at 37.

What is your ultimate fitness goal?

• To run a marathon.  (178 days to go until the Paris Marathon.)
• To be competitive in a triathlon or duathon.
• The ulimate dream is to be an ironman.

If you had an extra two hours a day, every day, what would you fill that time with?

• My daughter.  If I could swap everything to see my daughter every day, I would.  Simple as that. 

What is the nicest thing you have ever done for anybody?

• Have I ever done anything nice for anyone?  Ha.  There's a few things I've done.  Then there's a whole heap of things I shouldnt have done lol.

Everybody has a little OCD about something (I always cross my fingers when I walk under a street sign!) – What’s your ‘thing’?

• I absolutely hate the fact that we've got 6 electric blinds in our office and they are all left at different heights.  I go out of my way to make sure they are always level and in line with each other.  
  

If you could repeat any part of your life again, which part would you choose?

• All of it.  No regrets.

What do you wish you could go back and tell your 15 year old self?

• Always go with what your head tells you, not your heart.
• Dont take up smoking in 6th form and end up smoking for the best part of 10 years.
• Dont put up with any sh*t from anyone.
• Know who your friends are.  The good friends are ones that will stick with you through thick and thin.  Those that f*ck off into the distance not to be seen for dust when you really need them arent worth your time and effort.

 
 

Tuesday Training (30 mile road ride)

Today was my first ride on Hayley, my road bike, since 22/07/2013.

For those that dont know, I was suffering from Patella Tendonitis earlier in the summer, initially caused from misaligned cleats on my Sidi road shoes.  Being the stubborn sod that I am, I thought I could cycle it off.  I couldnt.  I made it worse and it was agony.  Thankfully I was still able to run but cycling was so uncomfortable, almost unbearable, so I stayed off the bike.  Until today.

 


Had to pop into Lloyds Bank on my way out, about half a mile down the road but then I was able to open the legs up a bit after that. Down to Danson Park, through Blendon down to Bexley Village, out on the North Cray Road, up Maidstone Road, down through Swanley Village to Green Street Green before heading back home via Dartford, Belvedere and Abbey Wood

The plan was to take it relatively easy, keep my cadence above 80rpm and to try to ignore my average speed but as most cyclists will know, thats one of the first stats to look at when analysing a ride. I was touching 18mph at Bexley Village on the way out and I was averaging 17.9mph by the time I got back to Abbey Wood but I decided to take my feet off the gas and reel it back in otherwise I would have been seriously blowing in the last mile.

30 miles at an average speed of 17.6mph for a first ride in almost three months is good. I'm pleased with that. I'll need to start increasing my mileage again once I'm happy with the position of my cleats and I'll start increasing the amount of climbing I do as well. The ride was relatively flat today considering the usual climbing I would do on a ride but this was a gentle reintroduction. I'm very pleased to just get out on the bike again and not feel the previous knee niggle. Happy days.

Monday Training (2 x 5km and TRX Session 4)

Monday was probably as bitchy as it gets for me.

I love and hate my job.  The good days are great and the bad days, well...the bad days are a bitch.  Simple as that. 

In the old days, I would have come home and gone straight out on the bike.  Not tonight.  Decided to fuel up on Fish & Chips (the fast food of champions...ahem) then hit the sofa for 30 minutes while trying to decide what to do.  I was intending on a Gym session yesterday afternoon but it never materialised so I thought I ought to hit the Gym tonight instead and what better way to warm up than run there and cool down afterwards by running back.  That would be another 10km in the legs and I'd be on target with my Gym work.  So off I went.

Then it was onto my 4th session of being beasted by the TRX...

TRX:

Cruicifix (3x10)

Shoulder Press (3x10)

Press ups (5x10)

Bicep Curl (3x10)

Tricep Curl (3x10)

Abs:

10 x (10 SB Sit-ups & 10 SB Sit-twists)

(and let me tell you...after the Fish & Chips, I felt every single sit up of the 200!)

Legs:

Leg Press (6 x 6 x 110kg)

Leg Extension (6 x 6 x 55kg)

Then run back home at a slower pace for my cool down...

Not bad for a Monday night. Just about burnt the Fish & Chips off.

Sunday Training (Breakfast run)

I've had Friday and Saturday as rest days this week as I had Izzy staying with me overnigh on Friday evening, so this morning was my first chance to train.

Started from my house, up through Welling and Bexleyheath and down into Crayford, along Bourne Road to Hall Place, Bexley Village, through Blendon to Danson Park and then back to Welling.

8.5 miles on the nose.  Nice and sunny, not overly warm, probably ideal running conditions.  Bumped into fellow Plum Guy in Danson Park running with a blonde (such a smoothie for an oldie!), said a quick hello in passing and ran on.  Really enjoyable run this morning.

 

Thursday Training (TRX Suspension Session 3)

Warm Up

1km Treadmill (4:47; 7:42 min/mile)

TRX

Crucifix (3sets x 10reps) 
Shoulder Press (3sets x 10reps) 
One Armed Press Ups (5sets x 10reps) 
Bicep Curl (3sets x 10reps) 
Tricep Curl (3sets x 10reps)

Abs

10 sets (10 SB Sit Ups + 10 SB Sit Twists)

Legs

Leg Extension (6 sets x 6 reps 50kg)

Cool Down 

4km Treadmill (19:50; 8:00 min/mile)

Got to the Gym a little later than usual tonight, having watched the Spurs game and then spoke to Izzy on the phone just before bedtime.  The Gym was really quiet tonight, strange for a Thursday night.  When I say quiet, I mean a visible lack of people...but with Chandra not about, I swear Kisstory is played a couple of decibels higher ;)

Anyway, was a really good session tonight.  I ran the 1km warm up quicker than usual and I made sure I put in a good effort on the final 4km tonight.  Having checked back through my Garmin records, tonight's 4km was my quickest ever at the end of a session by 21 seconds.  Very pleasing indeed.  It finally feels I'm getting the little speed I did have back again.

Dont know what made me but I jumped on the scales when I got back tonight.  12st 11lbs.  Considering a few weeks ago, I'd slipped the wrong side of 13st (it wasnt a problem as Chandra did warn me this would happen during the muscle building work), this put a smile on my face.  Bearing in mind I only usually weight myself first thing in the morning, I'm intrigued as what I will weight first thing tomorrow. Am particularly interested in what the scales say my body fat composition is, so will study with interest.

Wednesday Training (10k)

Wednesday night is normally Plums night.  Not this week though.  Well not fully anyway.  Another email from the Plums, saying that Bexleyheath Sports Club had been in touch and said there was currently no hot water in the showers due to a technical fault.  So cold showers all round!  Therefore made the decision early on that afternoon that I was going to run from home.  Made more sense really.  I could run 10k, have some dinner and a shower and then jump on the bus down to the club for the monthly meeting.  How's that for a man with limited brains, eh?

So, 10k it was.  Fairly similar route to my Monday run but cut out the loop over at Eltham Park.  Up Welling Way, straight down the A2 to Blackfen, past Bexley Grammar and into Danson Park, pretty much follow the Park Run 5k course around the park but then cut off the last 500m and head back up Danson Cresent to Welling Corner and home.

Was a good run. Felt reasonably good to be honest. I always find it hard to psych myself up to go for a run as soon as I get in the front door after work but it pays dividends sometimes. Comparing the performance to Monday's run, I was a fraction slower but hey, I'd had two days of rest before Monday's effort and I hadnt been at work all day. Little things like that make a difference.

Anyhow, I'm just pleased I seem to be getting some speed back in my legs after the last three months when the knee niggle was restricting everything I was doing. Not any longer and long may this freedom continue.