APRIL 2011 TRAINING

EASY WEEK

4th - Monday: 30mins

5th - Tuesday: 30mins jog

6th - Wednesday: 30 mins (easy)

7th - Thursday: 30 mins (easy)

8th - Friday: Rest Day

9th - Saturday: 5k

10th - Sunday: 40 mins (7am) then later on ran with sister for parts of Brighton Marathon (total around nine miles)

Monday - calf still sore. Was meant to jog but ended up running

Tuesday - made sure I jogged. Was hard to keep to a shuffle. Makes me think that, although I am not quick, I rarely do easy runs in, probably, the true sense. Was interesting that the times passed by fairly quickly, too. I may have to try it more often...especially as Sunday runs get longer

Wednesday/Thursday - much the same, calf still sore.

Saturday - after over a week of taking it easy I decided to do a parkrun to see how the leg would respond. The plan was to take it easy but ran a little harder than that, though not all out. Did not get timed but was around 19:00/15. Calf did not feel good after.

Sunday - did 40 mins run. Again, as in Brighton, was fairly hilly, though tried to limit the amount of hills. The marathon started at 9am and I ran bits with my sister, whilst totally inappropriately dressed - I got chaffing on my inner thighs from the jeans!!!

11th - Monday: 30mins

12th - Tuesday: NOTHING

13th - Wednesday: NOTHING

14th - Thursday: NOTHING

15th - Friday: NOTHING

16th - Saturday: 30 mins easy

17th - Sunday: NOTHING

Tuesday - have niece for a couple of days and her demand for constant attention (I just got a hit for that - she is standing behind me as I type!) meant that I did not get out to run. I did , however, go see the physio who said I have inflamation and to RICE and stretch. Reckons it is a two to four week jobbie. Yippee! Should still be able to do some jogs, as long as I ice afterwards.

Wednesday - ditto above (bar the physio bit!)

Thursday - can not be bothered...what is the point? Ahem! I mean, I need to rest my calf...do not want to re-aggravate now, do I!?!

Friday - zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Saturday - got bored of doing nothing so went out for a run with Mrs McNude (the one good thing about being (supposedly) recovering from injury is that we become the same pace and therefore can run together)

18th - Monday: 40mins easy (with steady in the middle)

19th - Tuesday: NOTHING

20th - Wednesday: 45 mins easy

21st - Thursday: NOTHING (except stab myself in the right foot (the one with enough problems of it's own already) with a big rusty old nail)

22nd - Friday: NOTHING

23rd - Saturday: NOTHING

24th - Sunday: NOTHING

Monday and Wednesday - thought I would see if I could get away with running a little longer than 30 minutes. Monday was too bad but Wednesday I was tired, and very slow. I felt so bad after I could be bothered to stop and stretch - I had to get home and eat something (went out before breakfast, as I usually do).

Thursday - O, Thursday! What a spectacular day! I am currently dabbling in a bit of DIY and decorating the spare bedroom. Part of this involved ripping out the old skirting boards, which will be replaced with new ones. I did this a while back (as in months!) and just left the boards in the room. BIG MISTAKE.

Whilst painting the ceiling I stepped off the step ladder I had been using and plunged my right foot down.....straight onto an upturned nail sticking out of one of the skirting boards. The nail went through the sole of my trainers, through my (admittedly not very thick) socks and speared into the sole of my foot. Now, I do not know if you know the length of a skirting board nail (why not rip one of your skirting boards off the wall to check?) but they are pretty long. Luckily the pain registered in time for me to stop putting my foot down so that it did not continue through to the top side of my foot.

So, started swearing...blah blah blah...carried on painting as needed to get it finished before picking something up by 1pm...picked the thing up...drove to the tip and disposed of the offending skirting board and his mates...and thought I would go to the hospital to get it checked out...an hour later, I am told that it does not seem that I have broken any bones (I had not even thought that I might have (and I am pretty sure I would have known if I had); got tetanus jab (just on case - my doctors was shut until next Tuesday so no way of knowing if I needed to 'update' mine); got the wound cleaned up and bandaged; got a pair of crutches to get round with.

So that is where I am now (well, actually I am sitting on my arse in front of a computer). The nurse practitioner (I think that is what she called herself) of the injury clinic reckons it will take something like five days to heal. So I have five days of working my upper body so I can walk (it is pretty swollen and I can not put pressure on the foot without wincing/squealing/crying). I will have guns of steel by the end of it - O, and a complete muscular imbalance (even worse than it is now) from putting all my weight on the left foot.

O well, at least I can let my calf try and heal itself further without aggravating it with any running. And at least I did not break any bones. Got to look on the positive side. Yeh!

25th - Monday: NOTHING

26th - Tuesday: NOTHING

27th - Wednesday: NOTHING

28th - Thursday: NOTHING

29th - Friday: NOTHING

30th - Saturday: NOTHING

May 1st - Sunday: NOTHING

Can not walk unaided.  By Sunday I get so fed up I just start doing so, but with my Nike Lunar Racers on, which are mega soft underfoot so the pain is not too bad.

Walking, let alone running, seems a long way off.

MARCH 2011 TRAINING

28th - Monday: 10mins w/up; 25mins fartlek; 5mins c/down + 5 strides


1st - Tuesday: one hour then full body weights (25;20;15 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


2nd - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 8x 400m, 400m jog rec; 5mins c/down + 5 easy strides


3rd - Thursday: (am) one hour then + 5 easy strides. (pm) TABATA weights


4th - Friday: Rest Day


5th - Saturday: 5k @ 19:34


6th - Sunday: 55mins + 6 easy strides


Off work all week, so most of the weekday runs were started around 11am.

Felt some improvement with Monday's fartlek - the bursts of speed felt faster/more comfortable. Still kept the distances fairly shot, around 100m.

On Tuesday the weights were tough, probably due to doing them straight after my run, which I am not used to. Will try not to do that again.

Times for Wednesday: 1:29 (1:55) 1:28 (2:04) 1:27 (2:04) 1:24 (2:00) 1:22 (2:06) 1:20 (2:03) 1:18 (2:10) 1:20. Ave 1:23.5 (2:02.75).

Thursday's run started at about 6am - woke at just after 4am and could not get back to sleep so decided to get up and run. Had an hour and half sleep after. Weights was around 5pm.

Saturday's 5k was at a different parkrun - there were hills, but no grass sections. Am pleased it was quicker than last week, though time is still some way off. That said, I did feel like my legs had more bounce in them (though that could be because I used my Nike Lunar Racers for the first time in a long time) and I could have gone slightly quicker...I thought I had another lap to go, so conserved some energy on the last hill, when I could have just gone for it, and did not wind it up, though I felt good enough to do so.

Sunday was a run only (no weights) as the start of an easy week. Should have been 65 mins but had to make a toilet stop at 55mins - decided not to run the final tens minutes after having a ten minute break.

EASY WEEK


7th - Monday: 40mins + 10x 100m strides


8th - Tuesday: 40mins then leg exercises


9th - Wednesday: 40mins + 6x strides


10th - Thursday: 40mins + 6x 150m strides


11th - Friday: Rest Day


12th - Saturday: 40 mins over XC terrain + 6x strides


13th - Sunday: full body weights (1x8; 3x3 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high) then 70mins on treadmill (15k) (ave. 7:30mm; start at 8.5kph then work up the speeds - last five minutes 15kph => 17kph (min. each))

Monday to Thursday fairly straight forward. Legs felt sluggish and hamstring feeling tight around Thursday onwards. Monday and Thursday introduced some shorter, faster running - though run comfortably, not all out.

Saturday was meant to do XC Relays (approx 2.5m for a leg) but turned up at the wrong park (I went to the one where they held it last time I did it (two years ago) however it appears they changed the venue) so instead I did a 40 minute run over hilly/undulating grass and forest trails at a half decent pace (but nothing like race pace). Was quite enjoyable, due to change of scenery/terrain. I will try and vary my routes from next week.

14th - Monday: 10mins w/up; pyramid: 1min (30s) 2min (1min) 3min (90s) 4min (2min) 5min (2:30min) 4min (2min) 3min (90s) 2min (1min) 1min; 5 mins walk cool down + 6 easy strides


15th - Tuesday: (lunch) one hour @ ave. 7mm. (pm - 1850) full body weights (25;15;10 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


16th - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 10x400 with 400 jog rec. on old cinder track


17th - Thursday: (am - just - 1130) one hour forest run. (pm - 1730) TABATAS weights


18th - Friday: Rest Day


19th - Saturday: 15 mins; 5k (18:40); 15 mins


20th - Sunday: full body weights (1x8; 3x3 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high, slight increases in weight with each) then 70mins on treadmill (random setting, level 6 - start at 8.5kph then work up the speeds to 12.5kph- last five minutes 12.5kph => 18kph)

Was, posthumously, pleased with Tuesday's run - I wore the Garmin for the first time in a while and was surprised to see I had run in at ave. 7mm. Was strong in the middle but tailed off in the end (last mile 7:11).

Wednesday's session I did not time, other than for the last rep (just to get an idea) which was 76s. Felt hard and was knackered at the end of it.

Thursday's run was fun - darting around the forest, ducking low-hanging branches, sinking in mud, undulations and tight turns. Was knackered after 20mins. The last twenty minutes were a real struggle. Probably exerted myself more than I should have done for a 'steady/easy' day. Still, was enjoyable.

Not sure what to think about Saturday's 5k; a decent improvement and glad to get the time time starting with an '18' (in fact, I am not sure I have ever been so glad to have recorded an 18:xx before) but I can not help thinking the time is wrong. I clocked 18:57. Now, I notoriously never stop my watch as I cross the line (I am literally, like, a local legend - all the kids whisper my story...in awe) and generally remember some seconds, sometimes minutes, later (normally after I have recovered from a hard sprint finish) but I am sure I was on point today and stopped it on time. Still, whatever! 18:40 or 18:57, it is progress - and a decent amount. I shall just have to make sure my next 5k I run sub 18:30 to continue the progression.

21st - Monday: 10mins w/up; 12x 1min with 1min jog rec. then 20mins easy running + 5 easy strides


22nd - Tuesday: (am) one hour running, (pm) full body weights (25;15;10 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


23rd - Wednesday: 10mins w/up; 3x 800;1x 1200; 3x 800; 1x1200; with 400 jog rec. between each rep, on old cinder track


24th - Thursday: (am) one hour forest run. (pm) TABATAS weights


25th - Friday: Rest Day


26th - Saturday: full body weights (1x8; 4x5 - the set of 8 at medium intensity; the sets of 3: high, slight increases in weight with each) then 70mins running on treadmill on Level 4 random


27th - Sunday: Southern Road Relays; short leg - 5.5k: 19:31

Monday - 303m (195m) 268m (201m) 286m (195m) 306m (182m) 272m (195m) 305m (204m) 309m (195m) 271m (190m) 280m (196m) 301m (215m) 282m (178m) 303m. Total: 3486m; Ave: 290.5m (Total: 2146m; Ave: 178m)

Wednesday was supposed to be 8x 800 but messed up the lap counting on the fourth one - accidentally did an extra lap (who would have thought it was so difficult to count to two!) - so changed session to that stated.

Sunday's run was better than expected (17:43 5k pace). I had intended to do the long leg, as I have done a fair bit of 5k pace work so far but changes to the team meant I had to do the short leg. Up until this point all my sessions and 'races' have been done wearing: two t-shirts; a jumper, track top or light sports coat; leggings; compressions socks and tracksuit bottoms. Today was the first time I ran in shorts and vest (but kept on the compression socks!). That was probably the difference. Normally in a race I get very hot and sweaty however today barely shed a globule of sweat.

28th - Monday: (am) one hour running, (pm) full body weights (25;15;25;15 on resistance machines - single leg, where possible)


29th - Tuesday: 10mins w/up; 7x 3mins hill reps (continual, slight, incline, on grass) with jog down recoveries then 5x strides


30th - Wednesday: (am) one hour running


31st - Thursday: NOTHING!

April 1st - Friday: 20 mins aquajogging then 330m swimming (breaststroke)

2nd - Saturday: 10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then

10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then 

10 mins airwalking then 50 squats then 

10 mins airwalking (40 mins airwalking; 150 squats)

3rd - Sunday: 30 mins x-trainer

Monday's run was pretty hilly - no choice, I was in a hilly area.

Tuesday's run was my sister, a reluctant runner doing the marathon (off seven weeks training - I tried to warn her, I really did (though she does not have any delusions of grandeur, she just wants to survive it)). I am sure she was well impressed with being able to glimpse, firsthand, how fast I run - in between gulps of air.


Distances were: 784m; 750m; 748m; 769m; 743m; 773m; 777m

Wednesday, tried to stick to the flat as much as possible with just a hint of hills (one down, and one up).

Thursday - my first day of not running on a scheduled day. Yippee! I guess I have lasted nearly eleven weeks before getting here, sigh! The soleus on my right leg (the problem leg) is sore and has a painful spot, almost like a lump. This coming week is an Easy Week, so timing not too bad - will just have to make the Easy Week easier than planned.

Friday - normally a day off, but aquajogged instead (the swimming pool is free on Friday). I would have done 30mins but swimming lessons (by seemingly five schools at the same time) meant that only one lane was left and it seemed a bit unfair to be crawling along aquajogging...so I crawled along swimming, instead.

Saturday - could not be bothered to leave the house so, instead, used the airwalker, which has been gathering dust. It really is a shit piece of equipment - it has no resistance so is just so piss easy to operate. My heartrate does not get above 100. Added in some squats to make it a little bit more challenging.

Sunday - yawn! Had intended to do an hour but cut it down to half hour as I felt my calf/foot muscles getting sore from having to grip the footplate, to stay on.

New York Half Marathon 2011

The New York Half Marathon was held the Sunday just (yes, they hold other running events there apart from the marathon!) and competing for the first time over the distance were Great British hope Mo Farah and his new training partner Galen Rupp.

Mo had switched coaches from Alan Storey (of Britain) and transported himself, and his family, across the pond to join Alberto Salazar's rather elite group of athletes which included - in addition to Rupp - Alan Webb; Dathan Ritzenhein and Kara Goucher.  Alberto Salazar works for the Nike's Oregon Project and speculation was rife as to whether Mo, an Adidas sponsored athlete, would make the switch (back) to Nike.  This race was the first in which we saw Mo adorned with the Nike Oregon Project kit.

But the real story, was not Mo's defection, but as to what Galen Rupp was wearing on his face during most of the race.  Though shorn of it through the later stages of the race, once he had left Central Park (which in itself probably gives a good indication as to what it's purpose was), for the first eight miles he sported a rather fetching face mask.  Rather akin to something a ninja would wear, or a character off Mortal Kombat.  The whole black outfit, with black arm warmers, gloves and hat, certainly helped support the image.

Personally, whilst I do like the ninja look (as my video collection will attest to) I think he should have gone one step further and run dressed as a member of Altern 8.

(He is even rocking the Mo Farah race win celebration pose.)

But will the look catch on?  Will we all, up and down the land, take to wearing the Rupp Mask, in a desperate bid to improve performance, much like compression socks or BreatheEasy strips?  The jury is still out but watch this space...you never know, you may yet see a bunch of ninjas running along in a park near you!

People talking shit

Ah, yes!  People talking shit (not, me, you understand...as if I would!).  More specifically people talking shit about running.

I was in the gym the other day and overheard a conversation taking place between two blokes in the changing room.  The first chap had just told the other that he was going to do a run (on the treadmill) as his workout for the day.  The second chap then started going on about how running is BAD for you: buggers up your joints; you have problems when you are older; blah blah blah.  He used himself as an example and, as another example, used ex-runners that he had spoken to...runners who had been running for years and had completed thirty+ marathons.

Firstly, you have to picture the size of this bloke - he was big.  Very big.  I would have guessed at about seventeen to eighteen stone.  He had the build of someone who went to the gym big and fat, and then proceeded to do a load of upper body weights to make himself look even bigger and fatter.  That he had had problems with running would not surprise me, considering the about of weight he was carrying around.  Of course, it probably would have escaped his attention to go at it slowly, build up the distance, then speed, over time.  No, I am sure, like many newbies, he got on that treadmill and ran as fast as he could for as long as he could, and staggered off, ten minutes later, a quivering, sweating mess.  Probably emitted a few noisy grunts and exhalation of air whilst he was at it.

And as for his ex-runners...thirty marathons!?!  Well quelle suprise!  The body was not built to run thirty marathons - it is not a surprise, the impact on the body, when you consider just how many miles must have gone into not just running those marathons, but training for them also.

But this chap was not going to run thirty marathons, and he probably weighed at most twelve stone.  He was going for a run on the treadmill, probably for twenty/thirty minutes, to keep fit.  Probably not worth the doomsaying he got.

But the point is, people do talk a lot of shit about running, and it's effects - in particular, people who do not run.  Running is like anything else; do it in moderation and you will be fine.

Thought of the Day

I have been on Facebook now for a couple of years and what on there really makes me chuckle (HoHo!) is when someone gets fraped (which I assume stands for Facebook raped).  Reading the various different frapes, in itself, highlights the differences in the sexes.

If a girlfriend/wife/whatever frapes their partner, she will say something sweet along on the lines of "I love my girlfriend/wife/whatever very much".  The most risque thing that is written is proclaiming their partners love of washing up or baking cakes.  However, if the boyfriend/husband/yawn frapes his partner then he will put something like, "I like it up the bum".  All very amusing (assuming it is not true...and if it is, why not upload the video!) of course, but the one that got me thinking today was, if a bloke gets fraped by a mate of his then nine times out of ten the mate will write something along the lines of "I just wanted everyone to know I am gay.  O, it is so liberating coming out the closest".  Chortle, chortle!

But what I want to know is what if you actually are gay, and openly so...how do your fiends frape you then?  Do they say something like "I just wanted everyone to know I was only joking all this time, I really am straight"?

Not exactly running related, mind...but at least I know have proof that I do, despite the accusations, think about other things other than running.  I must go and tell Mrs McNude...she will never believe me.