It's true. As you get older it takes longer to recover from a few (bottles!) too many! It was a long day yesterday followed by a Burns Supper. Knackered I headed out in my dinner suit - there was no way I was getting in my kilt. Too much faffing about. A night on water did me the world of good, pleasant company and a risky comedian made the night pass. I cut lose before the raffle and headed home for bed as I really needed a good nights sleep.
I was wakened by the sky falling onto my house. Where is all the water coming from these days? So off to the stables with my daughter but I certainly wasn't going to run in the torrential rain. I'll go on the turbo I thought. But then I fell asleep on the couch and after giving an impromptu yoga lesson in the golf pro shop to the assistant pro (he had some tight muscles) I went for coffee and cake with my wife.
On the way home snow started to fall! That was my que to call a pal and go out for a shorter, faster run. We did a 6 km cross country run. Water and mud up to our ankles and some tasty hills - too slippy for my off road shoes as I found out! Ironically the rain didn't fall while running but I was wet enough anyway. Good workout and it has prepared me nicely for a long one tomorrow. That should be fun as the weather is meant to be worse!
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Friday, 24 January 2014
Bad boy!
It was all going so well. On Thursday morning I did a yoga session before some hill reps. Following my pathetic end to my 19 mile run on Sunday where I was going backwards on the hills, I decided I needed to work harder on the hills. So far so good but then I went out with my best friend for a couple of pints and a pizza. Fatal. Without boring you with all the details of the various establishments (food and drink!) we visited it's fair to say that when I got up for yoga at 5.50am I wasn't fit to walk, never mind drive, never mind survive an hours intensive yoga in a hot room. So back to bed I went and public transport was the order of the day!
As a serious endurance athlete you will understand that going through the pain barrier is important as it allows you to draw on this experience when it gets tough. My first meeting today was on a complicated subject, in a small room where the thermostat was at 26.5 degrees when I walked in. It was as though someone had tipped them off! The heat and the dehydration reminded me of the desert! The endurance theme continues because I am at a black tie Burns supper tonight with a client. It's always a good evening but I can assure you this "bad boy" will be sticking to the non-alcoholic drinks tonight so I will be in a fit state to train all weekend. Lesson learned, again!
As a serious endurance athlete you will understand that going through the pain barrier is important as it allows you to draw on this experience when it gets tough. My first meeting today was on a complicated subject, in a small room where the thermostat was at 26.5 degrees when I walked in. It was as though someone had tipped them off! The heat and the dehydration reminded me of the desert! The endurance theme continues because I am at a black tie Burns supper tonight with a client. It's always a good evening but I can assure you this "bad boy" will be sticking to the non-alcoholic drinks tonight so I will be in a fit state to train all weekend. Lesson learned, again!
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Back to back swimming
As you know, swimming is probably my worst discipline in triathlon although I have worked hard at it for 5 years. In fairness my first effort was 40 metres before I needed rescued by a life guard and since then I have completed two Ironman competitions (2.4 mile swim). However as soon as you stop regular swimming you go backwards, rapidly. So last night I attended the weekly coached swim session which was tough, although I felt good.
This morning at 7am I entered the pool for a back to back swim session. After a 300m warm up we did 10 x 100m timed laps - it gets tougher as it goes on. This was followed by 2x 200m and then a warm down. Other than the strain on the 100's which builds your speed, I felt great. So I think I am now getting to grips with my swimming. Just as well as in September I have a 10km river swim! Tomorrow morning I will go out for a run, 1:1 yoga session on Friday and running Saturday and Sunday. For the more observant of you, you will notice a lack of cycling. This will start seriously by February. I will use it as recovery for my legs from the running and build it up as in June I have a 70.3 ironman. Isn't it good to have a plan!
This morning at 7am I entered the pool for a back to back swim session. After a 300m warm up we did 10 x 100m timed laps - it gets tougher as it goes on. This was followed by 2x 200m and then a warm down. Other than the strain on the 100's which builds your speed, I felt great. So I think I am now getting to grips with my swimming. Just as well as in September I have a 10km river swim! Tomorrow morning I will go out for a run, 1:1 yoga session on Friday and running Saturday and Sunday. For the more observant of you, you will notice a lack of cycling. This will start seriously by February. I will use it as recovery for my legs from the running and build it up as in June I have a 70.3 ironman. Isn't it good to have a plan!
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Green light
After Sunday's tough run I woke on Monday feeling surprisingly good. The compression gear I had worn for 12 hours had served it's purpose and promoted a faster recover - it really works. But what about my Heart Rate Variance (HRV) reading. Following my red light (no training) on Saturday and a hard run on Sunday I didn't know what the result would be. Surprisingly it was green but a low I.e. Borderline number.
Monday is a rest day so again I was anxious to see the results this morning - green and a significant increase in the score meaning my recovery was complete. Happy boy because this meant I could go to swimming training tonight.
My day was a disaster with a few problems at the office followed by someone crashing into my car which was parked outside the office. I had left my swimming gear at home so I headed off to buy some new gear and the goggles were hopeless - someone lent me another pair otherwise I would have been as well without them. However it was a good session which required me to get my mind in the right place and stop thinking about the whole session as I was going up and down the lane. I kept repeating, just the next 100m, just the next 100m. Before I knew it the session was over and I felt great. Just as well because I will be back in the pool at 7am tomorrow. This will be my new weekly routine.
Monday is a rest day so again I was anxious to see the results this morning - green and a significant increase in the score meaning my recovery was complete. Happy boy because this meant I could go to swimming training tonight.
My day was a disaster with a few problems at the office followed by someone crashing into my car which was parked outside the office. I had left my swimming gear at home so I headed off to buy some new gear and the goggles were hopeless - someone lent me another pair otherwise I would have been as well without them. However it was a good session which required me to get my mind in the right place and stop thinking about the whole session as I was going up and down the lane. I kept repeating, just the next 100m, just the next 100m. Before I knew it the session was over and I felt great. Just as well because I will be back in the pool at 7am tomorrow. This will be my new weekly routine.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Keeping bad company
It's been an interesting weekend. I was looking forward to long runs on Saturday & Sunday but when I tested my Heart Rate Variance (HRV) on Saturday it was a red light meaning rest, no training. I was really disappointed however I ignored it once before and ended up unable to train for a week so this time I rested. I did feel tired during the day but don't know if this was because of the red reading playing on my mind but I was hoping that the rest would allow me to run on Sunday.
This morning I got a green light so met up with the ultra runners. The group has people doing different mileage with people finishing at 13 miles and others going on. The problem that causes is the pace for the first 13 miles is higher than it would be for the 19.2 that three of us ended up doing. I ran the last with gritted teeth as I struggled to keep up with the experienced ultra runners Rosie Bell and Craig Hamilton but whenever it came to a hill it was like cutting a piece of string and I was going backwards. It was ugly running, any form I had was gone and this was all about getting the chimp in my head to shut the f@@k up. Runs like this hurt but running 53 miles isn't going to be without pain so you need runs where you have to dig deep. Today was one of those.
So I jumped in a hot bath when I got home, had I been a real man it would have been an ice bath. I pulled on my compression clothes to help speed up my recovery, got a recovery drink and started stuffing my face with protein. I'm feeling better already but tomorrow will definitely be a rest day. I wonder what my HRV will be? Green, Amber or Red. Time will tell but the bad company I am keeping is certainly pushing my boundaries! As someone once said, if it was easy everybody would do it!
This morning I got a green light so met up with the ultra runners. The group has people doing different mileage with people finishing at 13 miles and others going on. The problem that causes is the pace for the first 13 miles is higher than it would be for the 19.2 that three of us ended up doing. I ran the last with gritted teeth as I struggled to keep up with the experienced ultra runners Rosie Bell and Craig Hamilton but whenever it came to a hill it was like cutting a piece of string and I was going backwards. It was ugly running, any form I had was gone and this was all about getting the chimp in my head to shut the f@@k up. Runs like this hurt but running 53 miles isn't going to be without pain so you need runs where you have to dig deep. Today was one of those.
So I jumped in a hot bath when I got home, had I been a real man it would have been an ice bath. I pulled on my compression clothes to help speed up my recovery, got a recovery drink and started stuffing my face with protein. I'm feeling better already but tomorrow will definitely be a rest day. I wonder what my HRV will be? Green, Amber or Red. Time will tell but the bad company I am keeping is certainly pushing my boundaries! As someone once said, if it was easy everybody would do it!
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Moonlighting
Last night I saw a favourable weather forecast and thought, how can I take advantage of the conditions as most of my training is done in the rain these days? So I hatched a plan. Get up at 6am for a wee yoga session to warm me up for the run. Eat my porridge, pack my clothes for the office and put them in my wifes car so she could drop them off (handy working in the same office, sometimes!). At 7.30am take off into the darkness with two head torches. White at the front and red at the back.
It was a still morning with the sky changing from a mid-night blue as the full moon went down. I headed out onto a two lane A road (one lane for each direction) where the cars are doing 50/60 miles an hour and not expecting to see a runner in the dark. For 5km there is no pavement so I knew I was taking a risk - actually the pavements were covered in ice so it was debateable which was most risky!
I was lit up like a Xmas tree with my hiviz and lights but one "white van man" did manage to win the game of "chicken" and sent me diving for the verge. Another one over took a car so he was approaching me from behind - 1st I knew of it his wing mirror had narrowly missed my elbow!
The first half of the 20k run is hilly and mainly uphill so that was tough. I missed not having my running mates as this would have passed the time although would have made the risk on the 5k section unacceptable. The second half is downhill for a few miles before turning flat.
I arrived safely at the office in 1hr 43 mins so was pleased with my time. Showered and suited I spent the rest of the morning trying to cool down while apologising for the smell from my running kit! This run will be easier as the light mornings come in and it's a decent training distance as I try and get my weekly mileage up.
When I get home tonight I will need to stretch out as tomorrow at 6.30am I will be getting put through my paces by my yoga teacher and this definately is the hardest workout of the week.
It was a still morning with the sky changing from a mid-night blue as the full moon went down. I headed out onto a two lane A road (one lane for each direction) where the cars are doing 50/60 miles an hour and not expecting to see a runner in the dark. For 5km there is no pavement so I knew I was taking a risk - actually the pavements were covered in ice so it was debateable which was most risky!
I was lit up like a Xmas tree with my hiviz and lights but one "white van man" did manage to win the game of "chicken" and sent me diving for the verge. Another one over took a car so he was approaching me from behind - 1st I knew of it his wing mirror had narrowly missed my elbow!
The first half of the 20k run is hilly and mainly uphill so that was tough. I missed not having my running mates as this would have passed the time although would have made the risk on the 5k section unacceptable. The second half is downhill for a few miles before turning flat.
I arrived safely at the office in 1hr 43 mins so was pleased with my time. Showered and suited I spent the rest of the morning trying to cool down while apologising for the smell from my running kit! This run will be easier as the light mornings come in and it's a decent training distance as I try and get my weekly mileage up.
When I get home tonight I will need to stretch out as tomorrow at 6.30am I will be getting put through my paces by my yoga teacher and this definately is the hardest workout of the week.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Never give up, never
Tonight's training was a swimming session with the Tri club. The pool was busy so it was a bit like swimming in a washing machine at times with a few punches been thrown - not deliberately. 20 minutes in I was breathing out my backside and wanted to give up. I knew what was to follow but thinking about that made me doubt I could get through the session.
So I had to have a good "talk with myself". Take it one length at a time, don't think about the total session and ease off the pace slightly. It was tough, very tough. But I got through it. It wasn't pretty but my objective was to get through the session no matter how hard. It is sessions like these that toughen you up. It doesn't make you a better swimmer but mentally it makes you a more determined and tougher athlete. The more sessions like this improves your mental toughness and in the end that is what will get me through my scheduled events this year. Bring it on.
So I had to have a good "talk with myself". Take it one length at a time, don't think about the total session and ease off the pace slightly. It was tough, very tough. But I got through it. It wasn't pretty but my objective was to get through the session no matter how hard. It is sessions like these that toughen you up. It doesn't make you a better swimmer but mentally it makes you a more determined and tougher athlete. The more sessions like this improves your mental toughness and in the end that is what will get me through my scheduled events this year. Bring it on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
