Up and Running!

Sunday 10 January 2010

Welcome to my first official training and racing blog!

For those of you who don't know, my sports of choice are Running, Duathlon and Triathlon (and in that order I might add!). Swimming for me is damage limitation in races. I have a great bike with even better wheels (which helps immensely when you have runners legs!) which masks the fact that I am no uhber-cyclist. But it's on two feet that I can hold my own and there's is a lot of improving to do there as well.

I am well and truly into my winter training programme, which, although is a training programme, has and will include some races I'm sure.

Having learned that those more experienced and/or better than me know best, I am becoming like a sponge and taking on board as much information, advice and knowledge as I can in an effort to shave off seconds, which will become minutes (I hope) in forthcoming races.

My training programme is evolving shall we say, but is finally beginning to look like something near what it ought to be. "Time on the legs" is what I hear people say, and so that is what I am trying to do more of without injuring myself (I'm convinced last season my DNA was balsa-wood or glass). I do compensate on this a bit by doing cycle sessions which whilst hard are easier on the joints and are not too dis-similar to long runs.

This week should be as follows:

Yesterday - Long run (for me!) - 11 miles @ 6 minute mile pace.
Sunday - 70 minutes on bike - not too tough on the gearing.
Monday - Rest (well - probably 80 press ups and maybe some weights!)
Tuesday - Easy run (30 mins) or cross trainer (30 mins).
Wednesday - Tough interval session. 7 x 800m fast (5m 15s pace) and 7 x 800m slow (6m 15s pace).
Thursday - Rest (well maybe 81 press ups!)
Friday - 70 mins on bike - moderate toughness on gearing.

Having a treadmill and turbo trainer mean the weather is irrelevant but also means I have no excuses!

No race next weekend. Family duties overtake the 2 races I had my eye on. Don't think it harms me not to race at the moment too much. Building up strength, speed and keeping injury free are key. There's plenty of races when the better weather comes.

Well, off to build some Christmas toys together now for my children (Rowan and Thea) - that will prove tougher than an interval session no doubt!