Back to school

Back to the high school pool for the first time in a month, armed with an energy drink. No cramp! But also not a very tough session - lots of drill, focusing on catching the water and pulling yourself forward. Towards the end I could feel that I probably would cramp if I kept going. So maybe not solved yet.

400m warm up
2 x (25m fists, 25m full stroke)
2 x (25m "OK sign", 25m full stroke)
2 x (25m one-finger, 25m full stroke) [why does this seem harder than fists?!]
then some more things that I have forgotten including kick, side-kick and possibly pull
200m front crawl
100m own choice (slow front crawl :)

I did notice on the full-stroke lengths mixed in with the drills that I could get down to 22-23 SPL. An improvement on 27-28, my usual rate when going fast.

No exercise yesterday as I was wherry viewing/crewing all day.

Another steady hour

Just a bit further this time! 6.3 miles, time approx an hour but I forgot my watch... lovely day though!

Steady hour

Nice social run with Lizzie, round the block via Keswick Hall, which I made up to an hour by tagging on the bridlepath and Ipswich Rd. 6 miles in an hour - perfect. After the rain, too, so it was a bit cooler but still quite humid.

Same old

Same old lake swim, a bit slower than usual but I think the buoy was quite a distance out today. 18 mins either way. Water was very clear, not too cold, and even though I know it can't be true I would swear there was a current against us on the way out!

Gym bunny II

Same as Wednesday but without the abs, and doing the biceps with individual weights. No time to think, so took the easy option!

Fartlek

A bit of short, sharp fun out with Lorraine and Anita at lunchtime, taking it in turns to nominate efforts. 4.8 miles in 44 minutes (including efforts and recoveries), so 9:16/mile average but including some real full-on sprints as well as walk breaks.

Warm up to Eaton Park, then:
NE corner past speedway track to first crossroads
SW corner to exit by yacht pond
alley between Buckingham Rd and Unthank Rd (short hard sprint)
along Sunningdale from Wentworth Green to bollards (sustained effort)
along Greenways from Atmere Close to Cranleigh rise (short hard sprint)
up Ebbisham Drive from Greenways to first corner and down again (Kenyan hill)
Waitrose car park entrance to far end of Eaton bridge
Newmarket Rd from Newmarket Close to Colney Lane (hill)
Colney Lane from Cringleford Chase to Newfound Drive (sustained) then to next telephone pole (sprint)
Then cool down via the woods, metal bridge and across the field to Chemistry arch.
Full route.

Really good fun - exhausting, and we've all got wobbly legs now, but definitely good fun!

Gym bunny

A bit dull, but it serves its purpose.

5 mins bike - warm up
10 mins stepper
10 mins rower (ow, forearms)
10 mins stepper
tricep pulldowns, 3 x 12 @ 10kg
bicep curls, 3 x 12 @ 10kg (bar)
abs, 50 straight & 25 each side

Getting better at this

Another good run, over an hour, average closer to 9:30/mile. Things are looking up.

Went to work via the city on the bus this morning, so decided to run home. Went out with Rosie (on a recovery after a 16 miler, I can't usually keep up with her) , did the Bowthorpe marshes loop and then continued up the Avenues and round the ring road, totalling 7.5 miles. I did have a couple of stops (loo stop back at the Sportspark, and buying spinach (!) at Waitrose), but running time was 1:10. Lots of bits where I felt really strong and comfortable, and just flying along. I know that it would have looked different to outside observers (substitute bimbling for flying) but to me it was good!

Intwood double loop

7am - not a cloud in the sky. Breakfasted and on the road by 8am, out on the Intwood loop... what the hell, figured I would do it twice. Wind was blowing homewards, making the Ketteringham straight a bit of a drag, but on the second loop I was just shy of 20mph average (5.75 miles in 17:24). A bit tough into the wind but I just kept pushing, and really enjoyed the ride. But I felt justified in a nice easy cycle home! Back for 9:15, clouds just beginning to build. Ah, bank holidays.

Early run

Well, ish :) Was going to bike to Trish's but with the weather not so good and the start put back to 10am I thought I should do an early run and free up the rest of the day for doing stuff with Marks' mum who was visiting.

So, 10.6k in 1:02 (great - 9:25/mile and the start was slow), a bit damp but nothing too bad, and then a shower and... sitting watching the Olympics closing ceremony until after 3pm when we finally went out. Oh well.

Lake swim

Another great lake swim, just under 30 mins for the round trip (excluding break), swimming with Trish and Chrissie and Penny, and managing not to cause carnage. Especially on the return leg, I just felt like I really got into the flow, and could have gone on much longer. Not so many fishies to put me off this week either!

"Steady" run

"I'd like to do an hour steady" I said, thinking 10 min miles. "OK" Lorraine said. Not sure what we were up to, it was steady in the sense of a more or less consistent pace, but averaging out at 9 minute miles with a bit of a walk break (when I went over on my ankle running up the golf course hill) is not exactly what I planned. Not bad though :) Near as dammit 10k, in 54 minutes.

Counting strokes

Having already done a longer swim, I went back to counting strokes today. When I really think about it, I can get as low as 19. When I try and swim fast, it's back up to 25 or so. The key seems to be the long push all the way back to hip level. I think I am getting the catch to be a bit more automatic now, though.

I also put in four indivdual sprint lengths, just for fun. Hard to time on your own of course, but seemed to be consistently 22 seconds. Raaaa.

Wroxham race 3

Nice evening for a race... I was feeling ready for it, not too nervous, up for a PB. Just missed out on that, still had a good race, but got left behind by old speedy legs, this time at 2.75k instead of 4.9k! Splits: 4:55, 4:44, 5:23(!), 5:00, 4:53, total 24:55 (PB 24:33). Official time 25:06 - I saw the clock tick over as I rounded the corner. Disappointed that I couldn't squeeze a few more seconds on that last k, but maybe that meant I had given it everything earlier on. Mark's time 24:18. Think what he could do if he trained...