This blog here once was about me and my training for the Devises to Westminster race but I hijacked it with all of the other sports I took up while preparing for the DW, so I have decided to re-invent the blog with a less specific name and a broader goal.
I am still planning on taking part in the DW but I am training for so many other things as well. From now on, I’ll be over here. http://just-another-race.blogspot.com/
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Tuesday 9 February 2010
I have a 24 kilometre race in five weeks time and I haven’t been running for ages. I would need to check this blog to see when I was last out on the road. I have terrible shin splint pain again, though not in the same place as last time. I should rest but instead I am playing squash three times a week. This is not the way to prepare for a race and I got quite cross with myself last night.
With my cardiovascular exercise down I should cut back on my carbohydrates however I didn’t, so I have also gained a stone since the last time I weighed myself (admittedly that was before Christmas). This is also part of the reason I was annoyed.
I can’t run at the moment, I should be resting the shin. It is too dark and cold to be out on the bike after work at the moment, so instead I will be digging the exercise bike out from its current role as clothes hanger and will be putting some hours on the virtual saddle.
Five weeks to get race fit and loose a stone.
With my cardiovascular exercise down I should cut back on my carbohydrates however I didn’t, so I have also gained a stone since the last time I weighed myself (admittedly that was before Christmas). This is also part of the reason I was annoyed.
I can’t run at the moment, I should be resting the shin. It is too dark and cold to be out on the bike after work at the moment, so instead I will be digging the exercise bike out from its current role as clothes hanger and will be putting some hours on the virtual saddle.
Five weeks to get race fit and loose a stone.
Thursday 28 January 2010
I’m slow updating the blog this week, busy times… So going back to last Friday…
Back playing squash with my Dad again following the Christmas shutdown. First game I nearly won but after that I was soundly beaten. Two weeks off and the muscles were not expecting 40 minutes of dashing around and I was quite achy on Saturday morning.
Saturday I decided to shake out the squash aches with a run. This was the worst run I have ever had. I was out for a little over an hour and covered seven and a half miles but I didn’t enjoy it. My legs fatigued so it was laborious to move them, just underneath my toes started to ache, my shins were sore, and I found myself having to walk for stretches of the distance. Not happy about that really, I have less than seven weeks to go before the killerthon and I’m running like I did 12 months ago. To compound matters all of the above aches are with me five days later which has meant that I haven’t really been out there rebuilding my stamina.
Yesterday I played squash, this time with a mate from work. This is secret extra court time so that I get good enough to give my dad a run for his money, and certainly playing someone of my own ability I was able to win a couple of games, but it is a good all round work out too. Nearly a thousand calories are burned during a game of squash which seems to be more than pretty much any other activity.
I’ll have a rest day today and then another game of squash on Friday with a run on the weekend… I do get the feeling that I don’t know how to train for an race though. When I was training for the DW kayak race (which is still on my mind btw. I just need a plan of action) I was running and swimming. When I was training for a swimming event I was out on my bike and now that I am training for a distance run I am playing squash.
I do need to research into my sore feet problem though as it is quite a painful issue at the moment and quite demoralising knowing that after a run I am going to be hobbling around for a few days. The internet will find a solution for me.
Back playing squash with my Dad again following the Christmas shutdown. First game I nearly won but after that I was soundly beaten. Two weeks off and the muscles were not expecting 40 minutes of dashing around and I was quite achy on Saturday morning.
Saturday I decided to shake out the squash aches with a run. This was the worst run I have ever had. I was out for a little over an hour and covered seven and a half miles but I didn’t enjoy it. My legs fatigued so it was laborious to move them, just underneath my toes started to ache, my shins were sore, and I found myself having to walk for stretches of the distance. Not happy about that really, I have less than seven weeks to go before the killerthon and I’m running like I did 12 months ago. To compound matters all of the above aches are with me five days later which has meant that I haven’t really been out there rebuilding my stamina.
Yesterday I played squash, this time with a mate from work. This is secret extra court time so that I get good enough to give my dad a run for his money, and certainly playing someone of my own ability I was able to win a couple of games, but it is a good all round work out too. Nearly a thousand calories are burned during a game of squash which seems to be more than pretty much any other activity.
I’ll have a rest day today and then another game of squash on Friday with a run on the weekend… I do get the feeling that I don’t know how to train for an race though. When I was training for the DW kayak race (which is still on my mind btw. I just need a plan of action) I was running and swimming. When I was training for a swimming event I was out on my bike and now that I am training for a distance run I am playing squash.
I do need to research into my sore feet problem though as it is quite a painful issue at the moment and quite demoralising knowing that after a run I am going to be hobbling around for a few days. The internet will find a solution for me.
Monday 18 January 2010
Last weeks training was a complete fail. The snow and ice was too much and in the end I didn’t head out at all fearing broken ankles. Saturday swimming was also a non event due to other plans, Sunday however was a nice day and I went out for my first run since the end of December. It was a five mile steady run with a burst of VO2 Max at the end because a thumping tune came on my iPod.
I have been suffering with wicked blisters, absolute killers. I had read on the web that blisters might be caused by too tight trainers so I tied my shoes less tightly and I didn’t suffer so badly. Next run out and I will tie them less so again and hopefully I will be able to get rid of them completely.
This week I am back into gear though. Honest. I have convinced a mate at work to start playing squash and now that the weather is back to pleasant I am sure I will be out running now…
I have been suffering with wicked blisters, absolute killers. I had read on the web that blisters might be caused by too tight trainers so I tied my shoes less tightly and I didn’t suffer so badly. Next run out and I will tie them less so again and hopefully I will be able to get rid of them completely.
This week I am back into gear though. Honest. I have convinced a mate at work to start playing squash and now that the weather is back to pleasant I am sure I will be out running now…
Monday 11 January 2010
I’ve got nine weeks to go now before the killerthon and I have really got to get my training into gear. I have been using the Christmas period and the wintery weather as an excuse for doing little in the way of training for this race but I can do this no longer.
Sunday I got myself moving again with an arctic trip up Snowdon, deep snow, avalanche warnings, crampons and ice axe. It was actually one of the best mountain trips I have had for years. All the additional kit added to the weight hauled, and the deep snow and technical nature of the climbing meant that we were moving more slowly that we would have otherwise. Six hours on the mountain and about 6 miles covered. Absolutely knackered today though.
The people at the killerthon are sending out weekly training emails which are pretty comprehensive and very similar to my own drafted training plan, so I will adopt theirs as it gets emailed to me once a week and reminds me that I should be doing something. I will be following the intermediate schedule.
So this week I will be doing.
Monday Rest.
Tuesday – 30 minute easy run.
Wednesday - 4x 750m, 3x 500m, 3x 300m with 90sec recoveries
Thursday - 50 min relaxed or steady run
Friday – rest (actually will be playing squash)
Saturday – Cross train. (swimming)
Sunday - 1 hour 20 min long run
Monday rest, no problem with that. My PS3 is calling my name for that session.
Tuesday 30 minute easy run. Perfect, I have a nice 3 miles route just for runs like this, just need to wrap up warm and hope it doesn’t snow too hard.
Wednesday… Not sure about this one. I will need to work out some sort of plan with a running track or something. Not sure will have to research how to do this one.
Thursday 50 minute relaxed run. Again, no issues other than the cold weather.
Friday I will be playing squash instead of resting, but I don’t think that should cause too many problems. Different muscles get worked out on the squash court so I should still be resting the running ones.
Saturday cross training fits nicely with my Saturday swimming sessions that we were doing before Christmas.
Sunday big run. Again, not real issues with that, though I might substitute that with another expedition up a mountain while we have snow to enjoy.
Sunday I got myself moving again with an arctic trip up Snowdon, deep snow, avalanche warnings, crampons and ice axe. It was actually one of the best mountain trips I have had for years. All the additional kit added to the weight hauled, and the deep snow and technical nature of the climbing meant that we were moving more slowly that we would have otherwise. Six hours on the mountain and about 6 miles covered. Absolutely knackered today though.
The people at the killerthon are sending out weekly training emails which are pretty comprehensive and very similar to my own drafted training plan, so I will adopt theirs as it gets emailed to me once a week and reminds me that I should be doing something. I will be following the intermediate schedule.
So this week I will be doing.
Monday Rest.
Tuesday – 30 minute easy run.
Wednesday - 4x 750m, 3x 500m, 3x 300m with 90sec recoveries
Thursday - 50 min relaxed or steady run
Friday – rest (actually will be playing squash)
Saturday – Cross train. (swimming)
Sunday - 1 hour 20 min long run
Monday rest, no problem with that. My PS3 is calling my name for that session.
Tuesday 30 minute easy run. Perfect, I have a nice 3 miles route just for runs like this, just need to wrap up warm and hope it doesn’t snow too hard.
Wednesday… Not sure about this one. I will need to work out some sort of plan with a running track or something. Not sure will have to research how to do this one.
Thursday 50 minute relaxed run. Again, no issues other than the cold weather.
Friday I will be playing squash instead of resting, but I don’t think that should cause too many problems. Different muscles get worked out on the squash court so I should still be resting the running ones.
Saturday cross training fits nicely with my Saturday swimming sessions that we were doing before Christmas.
Sunday big run. Again, not real issues with that, though I might substitute that with another expedition up a mountain while we have snow to enjoy.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Well the Christmas went pretty much to plan. Too much food, too much drink, pretty much zero exercise and here I am with ten weeks to go before a 24km race not exactly in race trim.
I did have a guilt fuelled run on the Saturday after new year, a jolly five miler but that was all.
The start of the new year has now seen snow of epic proportions and although I have had every intention of going out for a run, I actually haven’t dared to venture out into the cold.
I’m going to have to do something though, I am feeling a tad unfit and have added some additional insulation to my midriff which will need to be shifted.
I did have a guilt fuelled run on the Saturday after new year, a jolly five miler but that was all.
The start of the new year has now seen snow of epic proportions and although I have had every intention of going out for a run, I actually haven’t dared to venture out into the cold.
I’m going to have to do something though, I am feeling a tad unfit and have added some additional insulation to my midriff which will need to be shifted.
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Probably the last post of '09
Due to Christmas my 14 week training program has gone a bit awry with things getting cancelled so I can go out and be merry. Last week was all to cock with just a big run on Saturday to add to the road miles.
Problems are occurring though. Firstly I am getting hideous horrendous blisters in the arch of my foot. Really gory messy things which made running difficult and putting shoes on afterwards agony. One blister was just shredded skin by the time I had completed the 7.4 mile run and although sore, wasn’t as bad as the blister on my left foot which was still intact, it was about the size of my thumb and for some reason I couldn’t lance it, it resisted the needle as though made of rubber, so every time I put pressure on my foot, the fluid felt like it was about to explode out through the skin. Not nice. To make matters worse I had tried to protect the area with strips of tape, which were supposed to take away any friction that was causing the damage. The blisters formed anyway.
Then the other thing which is a new pain is my toes. My three middle toes hurt like hell, still do actually. The internet tells me that it is because I am landing too hard on my feet. I’m intrigued how I can land less hard on my feet, unless I learn rudimentary flight I can’t think how to go about it.
So here I am at Tuesday in Christmas week and I have zero plans now to add any more miles onto my tally, I also have quite extensive plans to eat and drink to excess. I think week 4 of the 14 week plan will see me having taken a back step from where I was two weeks ago. I might blog again before Christmas but don’t count on it, as there is slim chance I will have done anything meaningful to blog about.
Will continue in the new year.
Problems are occurring though. Firstly I am getting hideous horrendous blisters in the arch of my foot. Really gory messy things which made running difficult and putting shoes on afterwards agony. One blister was just shredded skin by the time I had completed the 7.4 mile run and although sore, wasn’t as bad as the blister on my left foot which was still intact, it was about the size of my thumb and for some reason I couldn’t lance it, it resisted the needle as though made of rubber, so every time I put pressure on my foot, the fluid felt like it was about to explode out through the skin. Not nice. To make matters worse I had tried to protect the area with strips of tape, which were supposed to take away any friction that was causing the damage. The blisters formed anyway.
Then the other thing which is a new pain is my toes. My three middle toes hurt like hell, still do actually. The internet tells me that it is because I am landing too hard on my feet. I’m intrigued how I can land less hard on my feet, unless I learn rudimentary flight I can’t think how to go about it.
So here I am at Tuesday in Christmas week and I have zero plans now to add any more miles onto my tally, I also have quite extensive plans to eat and drink to excess. I think week 4 of the 14 week plan will see me having taken a back step from where I was two weeks ago. I might blog again before Christmas but don’t count on it, as there is slim chance I will have done anything meaningful to blog about.
Will continue in the new year.
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