Last week's training and this week

A good week last week...

Swim - 5,200m - 2hrs
Bike - 68 miles - 4hrs50
Run - 20 miles - 3hrs52
Gym/Core - 2hrs45
Total - 13hrs27

My swimming is stable to quick. I need to speed up my bike ride and improve my endurance. The run is coming along steadily. I really enjoy the morning core work and gym sessions. The core work sets me up nicely for the day. I can feel the improvements in the gym and I can feel the benefits in the other disciplines.

This week may be a little less successful as real life is happening but the plan is...

Swim - 4,500m - 2hrs
Bike - 37 miles - 2hrs45
Run - 24 miles - 4hrs20 ( Including Heaven and Hell Half Marathon!)
Gym/Core - 4hrs25
Total - 13hrs30

Let's see what happens!

Now that is what I call running!

Today I went for my first run since the Buchlyvie Half Marathon six weeks ago. Where did the time go?

I'm pleased to say that it was great! Andy and I went for a jaunt in Holyrood park to do a few hills. I have only just started considering myself a runner so the concept of running every hill in the park was a bit daunting. Andy only does hills! I managed five of them!

Here is my route...

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/edinburgh/768422748293

The first, Salisbury Craigs, and second, Arthur's Seat, were the hardest but then the three remaining hills were tiny in comparison.

The weather was wild and windy, in true Scottish fashion, but at least it stayed dry until the last 100m when the heavens opened. The views from the top were as stunning as ever. The ever changing light of the swatches of rain blowing past. The white tops of the waves on the Forth visible even from this distance... Sigh

I got back to my office, Venture Scotland, hot, sweaty and totally buzzing.

When can I go again?

Oh My God...

I've done it...

I have entered Antwerp 70.3, 2nd August 2009

.

To be continued...

Buchlyvie Half Marathon, 16th November 2008

The morning of Buchlyvie half marathon was stunning. The weather could not be more perfect. It was a crisp, cool morning with no clouds in the sky and no wind.

I started the race from the back, keen not to fall in to the trap of running too quickly at the start.

I still ran an 8.30 split for the first mile. The second mile was worse at 8 min! I gave myself a talking to, I had to slow down or I wouldn't finish. For the next 6 or so miles I ran 9 minute miles. This was still quick for me but I felt comfortable.

I should have been stronger and slowed myself down to nine and half minute miles because by mile 9 I was hitting the wall. My splits got longer and longer. I probably could have walked quicker than I was running by the end!

I turned the corner on to the homeward straight only to be faced with 2 laps of a muddy playing field!




I started walking. The muddy field was too much for me. I walked round the final corner and started running again, sprinting to the finish line.

2:05.46 by my watch.

Whilst I was disappointed that I had not run under 2 hours, I was philosophical. I had only been training for 11 weeks and that had been mixed. I had enjoyed the experience. It had reaffirmed that I can keep going, even if I'm struggling.

Praying to the recovery god!

Half marathon training

Training has been a mixed bag. After I sprained my ankle I didn't run for several weeks, but rode my bike to and from jobs, cranking up quite a few miles.


Training started in ernest in September. I ran a short run on Mondays and Wednesdays with the occasional Tuesday. I then did a long run on a Saturday that built up over the weeks. My mileage varied from 6 miles a week to 21 miles a week.

Although I followed the programme from the Internet, I didn't worry about missing a Tuesday run. I continued to commute to work on my bike so it seemed daft to run if I didn't feel like it. Indeed, my fastest 5K time was after a rest day in which I was supposed to run.

I also had a series of trips away that made training hard. It started with a weekend in Glencoe where I spent 7 hours climbing Bideon Nam Bar on the Saturday. On the Sunday, Kate and I ran along the West Highland Way from Glencoe to Kinlochleven which was spectacular. I had five days in Glen Etive with work. No running could be done as the bothy is surrounded by bog! I came home with the worst cold that I have had for a long while. It eventually lasted about three weeks!

I followed Glen Etive with a trip to Frankfurt for five days to visit a friend. Although I was still recovering from the cold, I managed a 2 hour game of touch rugby that left me stiff for 4 days and a 5K run around the centre of Frankfurt. The run round the city was great!

Finally I went to visit my brother, sister-in-law and niece in High Wycombe for 4 days. This photo is from my 8 mile run along the Thames. A stunning day!

In the ten weeks of training, I certainly learnt that the normal runs in town could be very boring. I contrast, however, I learnt how wonderful running can be to see new and different areas.

Programmes, ankles and races

I searched the net for a half marathon training programme and I found one that would have me ready for a half marathon by mid October. I then looked for a race. Jedburgh half would do. Nice and close to home.

So I go south to visit the family, do a couple of short runs, visit the niece, go for a run in the woods and... sprain my ankle. Bugger...

Maybe I wont run Jedburgh half, maybe I'll do Eddie's half in Fort William in early November.

During the second week of working on the Tattoo fireworks I went over on my ankle again. Bugger... bugger...

During the Bank of Scotland fireworks I caught my ankle again! Bugger, bugger ... BUGGER!

Maybe I wont run Eddie's half, maybe I'll do Buchlyvie half, 16th November 2008.