Slow slow slow

Back in the pool, just about able to fit in a 40 min session before teaching.

400m warm up
6 x 200m with ~1 min rest. Quickest was 4:03, slowest was 4:21 or so - feeling tired and sluggish for most of it. I used to be able to hit 30s/length consistently :(
100m cool down

Stir crazy

Getting bored of the gym already. Bargain Hunt and Loose Women are not really motivational TV. I kind of miss being outside really, the nearest I get is using the rowing machines that face out of the window!

Today: warm up/cool down on the bike, 10 mins stepper intervals, 10 mins rowing (2351m), 10 mins stepper intervals, lunges, tricep extensions and bicep curls with 4kg weights, squats lifting 2kg weights. Should have done some abs but time was marching on.

Swim pyramids

Thought it was time to go back to something more interesting than just swimming, so did 400m warm up and 3 x 400m pyramids (1-2-3-4-3-2-1 lengths). Set it up as 37 secs per length, building up the unused time on each length to use as my rest when it came. After the first one I felt 37 was a bit easy, and so took it down to 35 for the next two. Swam consistently at 30-32 secs per length, tiring towards the end, although on a couple of the single lengths I did sprint, for the hell of it. 100m cool down and I was out of there.

Arms ache a bit from the 20 min row last night, but nothing too bad. If being injured means I swim more, this may not be a bad thing!

No running for me

Instead of running tonight, it was down the gym for 20 mins rowing (4600m exactly, equal split for each 10 mins) and 2 10-min interval profiles on the stepper (200 and 240m climbed). I felt like the intensity probably matched running, but with no impact. Warm up and cool down I did on the bike, and then a good old stretch.

Only thing is, off peak gym is £2.70 and peak is £4.20. But with seminars on Thursday lunch, I guess I have to deal with it... ouch.

Time wounds all heels

Well, maybe not all of them, but I can't pass up a good pun :)

My heel was improved, but not 100%, on Sunday. Not bad, considering it was pretty painful on Saturday afternoon. I tried the rolling-a-golf-ball-under-my-foot suggestion that was made on a few pages, and it eased it quite considerably, but there is still a niggle. So I've booked in to the doctor's - but no appointment available until next Monday :(

I will give the runs a miss this week - maybe see if Lizzie wants bike company on Saturday, but I don't want to risk it until I've got this checked out. I can do the rower, stepper, bike and weights at the gym, and swim too, so all is not lost. But, dammit, I was really enjoying running. Bah.

Spring has sprung

Gorgeous day today, lots of flowers poking through, shame we had to take the Hethersett road as the travellers are still on Cantley Lane (it would probably be fine but I don't want to take the chance on loose dogs). Just went up and around Hethersett and back again, simple route. 10 min miling average, since it's bang on 11 miles and it took me 1:50 exactly. Good start to the weekend.

Except... got an annoying niggle in my left heel, it feels tight and sore - not so much when running, but afterwards.Web searching suggests it could be plantar fasciitis - hope not :( Might try going back to my old shoes next week to see if that helps.

Having a cow, man

I've done it. Entered the Cowman, Milton Keynes; own half-Ironman. 1.9km, 92km, 21km, 28th June - 18 weeks on Sunday. Also ordered a tri training bible as recommended by Trish, so as soon as that arrives I'll get stuck into a plan. I don't even have a time in mind at the moment, although I put 6:30 on the entry form - I'll have to consider that a bit! I can't decide if I feel more excited or more nervous at the moment. Hopefully excited will win :)

I'm also aiming to raise at least £500 for Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. I'm the chairman of the WYCCT Friends group, and we've set ourselves the massive target of raising £100,000 this year, so I thought I'd go right ahead and lead by example. I did my first half marathon for them, but this is a bigger challenge. If we don't get the money this year then we can't do the essential work on the base (boatsheds, workshops, etc.) to allow us to carry on restoring the boats, so a lot rests on how we get on. I'm determined to do my bit and see our three beautiful boats all sailing together again in a few years.

Just in case people really are reading this and I'm not just talking to myself: sponsor me!

Flying

Well, after a sluggish recovery run on Monday, tonight was quite something! The usual efforts route; the main session was 2-4-6-6-4-2 minutes with 2 minutes rest each time, and our group at the back did 2-4-6-4-4 and then a longish cool-down via Fiveways. Fran and I were keeping each other going, not quite racing but really keeping the pace up. She was wearing a Garmin and came up with an average of about 8:30/mile for the efforts, and one in particular that was down at 7:57! Excellent stuff - hard work AND good fun. Nice one!

Flowing

Decided to rest yesterday, partly due to being tired from the running and partly having something on at lunch time. Wondered about doing efforts today but was just having such a good swim I stayed with it and did 40 minutes continuous (not counting). A pleasure to be in the water today! Efforts next week I think.

Monday recovery

Needed a leg stretch, although to be honest they weren't feeling too bad considering. Ran with Granville for a bit, until he stopped and told me to go on, then caught up with Fran and Linda who drew me along quite fast until Christchurch/Jessop at which point I said they should go ahead! They said they'd wait but when the need for the loo kicked in along Earlham I had to start walking. Still made it home with an average of just over 9:30/mile for the bit I ran, so really it was a bit quick for a recovery.

Great East Run

Not so great this year, but I haven't trained up to the distance really. I struggled, and was pleased to finish. Thank goodness for Lizzie, I am sure she could have gone off ahead but she stuck with me and really kept me going! The last 5k was a killer, although the final hill in the estate was perhaps not as bad as I remembered. Our time was 2:03, not as bad as mine last year post-food-poisoning (2:06) but a good 7 minutes off my best. Took 2 gels on the way round but I am unsure whether they really helped - need to work on that more. I should really target this one next year, from December, and get some serious training in.

Results on the website.

Next up - Broadland half.

Friday night leg stretch

Half an hour tonight, saving those legs for Sunday and trying out the Garmin 205 I borrowed from work. It seemed to be fine, tracking me at 10 min miles on a loop up to the ring road and back. Quite enjoyable run, although knowing how slowly you are going can be quite depressing. Was definitely going better after 20-25 minutes.

Wimp

It was snowy this morning so I brought gym instead of running kit as lunchtime was my only possibility today. Needless to say, the snow was all gone by then!

So, it was the usual gym session: 5 mins warm up/cool down on the bike, 10 mins stepper on an interval program, 10 mind moderate/hard row, another 10 mins stepper intervals. Dull, but functional.

Continuous swim

Figured I would just try swimming for the 40 mins and see how far I got. Did 40:51 and 9 sets of 8 (no rest between, but that's the only way I can keep track!), so 72 lengths/1800m at 34 secs/length. That would be 34 mins for 1500m, a bit slower than last year but I haven't exactly been training like a demon!

Next week I'll start doing some efforts.

Recovery - lunchtime 5

Around the block at lunchtime, most of the way with Natalia and then an extra bit around Fiveways and even down around Elizabeth Fry to make it 50 mins! Nice and steady 10 min miling.

The magic 10

Such a psychological barrier... 10.3 miles for me today, and under 10 min miles too. Went out to Ketteringham and then across to Hethersett and home - spot on 1h40! I took one gel at 50 minutes, and we stopped briefly once or twice. Found the frozen rutty mud a bit hard going, but on the roads was fine. Bodes reasonably well for the Great East Run next weekend. I won't be breaking any records, but it's such a lovely race (apart from that damn hill at the end). And you get beer.

Step - creaky!

Okay, the hills from last night were still in my calves I think! Step was hard work right through, but a good workout even so. Not sure if I can make it the next few weeks as I am teaching at 1:30 (class ends 1:05) - maybe if I missed the last 5 minutes and showered very fast (which I didn't today as the showers were cooooold, brrrrrr).

Porked out - back to hills

After 5 days of either travelling to/from or attending a workshop in Warsaw (where there was no time for running, even if I knew where to go!) I am feeling porky - literally. I think I have eaten most parts of the pig over my stay.

So, tonight there was no chance of wimping out of efforts, and it was over to Guardian Road. Many of the group did 4 reps of each, I did 3 and that was enough. Pushed it a little bit on the middle set and struggled slightly on the last one, then took a very slow jog home. Felt very good, though - just pleased to be out doing something!