Get Those Run Legs Moving!

Bouyed by my recent success in completing 5km using my jog/walk strategy and, with one eye on my first target of the season (Inter Services duathlon in April), I thought it would be useful to see just how fast I could run 5km. The idea was to get my legs turning over faster than they have done for a very long time, and to see what the effect was.

I have a very low boredom threshold so setting the treadmill at a constant pace and just running until I reached 5km was not an option. I warmed up by doing 30 mins on the gym bike at a respectable 32kmh (HR settled mid to high 140s), and then leapt off and hit the treadmill. I broke it down in to 5 minute chunks of 2 mins at 13.5kmh, 2 mins at 14kmh and 1 min recovery at 10kmh. 5km time was 23 mins 10 seconds. Very happy with the time but even happier that my cardio system coped really well; I was certainly breathing hard but always felt in control. My legs weren't so happy! They haven't been made to go that fast for an awfully long time but I think, mentally at least, I have made a break through. I will never be a 'runner', but I have taken a small step to 'running'.

Another small building block in place

Not a great week but a little more than last week so that's a small step in the right direction. I'm still struggling to get out to the turbo in the evening but hopefully the evenings will now be a little warmer making this a more likely occurrence. I did make it out to the turbo on Saturday for a short session; small steps indeed.

Loads of walking though, which I hope will help my marathon effort come July.

First Run Benchmark Set

As you all know, I'm not a great runner. Or even a good runner. In fact, I barely consider myself a runner at all. So today was the day that I would set my benchmark 5km time that would set me out as a runner. Or at least a future runner. Or runner to be. Or whatever; I think you'll understand.

So, 5km in 30.27 is the benchmark I set myself. Yes, you read that right. 5km (that's 5km, not 10!) in 30 minutes and 27 seconds. To give you the whole picture, I was using my jog/walk strategy at my marathon distance pace but using 4 min jog/1 min walk. At least I know I can knock a few minutes off this without too much difficulty. I want to do the Inter-Services duathlon in April so need to develop some run speed before then, if only to ensure I don't finish the first run dead last!

Train smart folks.

Quick Update

Last week I clocked up 4.5 hours of training, so a big improvement on the 50 minutes of the week before! This week has started well and I should clock up another improvement this week. The weight loss seems to be going well, in that I no longer feel like a bloated puffer fish and there appears to be less around the middle. But the scales are all over the place, providing encouragement one morning and a kick in the ***** the next. What's that all about?

My back is feeling better but rather than rush back and risk a relapse I will not start swimming and weights until next Monday. I have re-introduced the jogging into this weeks routine with no ill effects so hopefully the back injury is now behind me (geddit? LOL!).

My Planet X wheels departed last night. We had some good times together and some painful ones, but at the end it was time to go our separate ways rather than leave them lonely and unloved on the garage wall. They had already been replaced by the younger, more svelte and (dare I say it?) more lovely Hed Ardennes so there was really no option but to allow them to leave. With their shallow rims the Heds will also look fantastic on a classic style steel frame ... (hold that idea for a while!).

On the domestic front, our eldest son has expressed an interest in joining the Royal Marines. There are mixed feelings in the household about this; on one hand we feel this would be an excellent opprtunity for him, would develop him as an individual and give him skills and experiences that would benefit him for the rest of his life. On the other hand, it can be bloody dangerous and as parents that concerns us. He is, though, 17 now and bright enough to think it all through for himself and make the appropriate decision.

Max Heart Rate Test

One of the joys of starting training again is that there are a couple of tests I do to set the benchmarks. One of these is the max heart rate test. Of course, I could simply use the painless method of 220 - my age, that would give me a MHR of 173 (yes, I'm 47!), but as we all know this is total twaddle.

So today I did it properly, a good warm up and then hill reps on the gym bike, steadily increasing the effort level, until about the 5th rep when I really give it max, I then recover then build again through the next increasing series of hills before the last rep, and this usually produces a result a few beats higher than the first effort.

And the result? 185bpm. This is 2 beats down on my result last year so entirely in line with being one year older. I now have my first bnchmark. The next test will be in 10 days time when I do my first FTP test of the year.

Train smart folks.

Week 1 - Not a Good Start

Well let's have a look at the facts. A review of my training diary reveals that in Week 1 the only entry is for one 50 minute easy session on the gym bike, with training seriously compromised by my back not being completely better, having to take the kids back to school and heading off to look at a potential new car (we didn't buy it). Oh dear. On the positive side, I did manage between 8 and 9 hours of brisk walking that no doubt helped me lose 2.2 pounds so it's not all bad.

Week 2 has started off better, with 90 minutes of walking and an hour on the gym bike.

2011 Weigh In

Need to draw a line in the sand so it was my official 2011 weigh in this morning. A quick review of previous years show that usually I am around the 12 stone 6 pound (79kg) mark at this time of year although am about a stone (6.3kg) lighter come my A race (although in 2010 I got down to 10 stone 12 pounds (69kg) for Challenge Barcelona in October).

So, after my morning walk, I showered, shaved (got to lose every possible gram!) and leapt on the scales. And the result was (drum roll please):

11 stone 8.6 pounds (73.9kg)

So, some 11.5 pounds lighter than I usually am at this time of year but a whopping 10.6 pounds heavier than when I raced at Barcelona in October, and believe me when I say I can see where all of that 10.6 pounds is sitting! The plan is to have a very disciplined Primal month whilst going through the first half of my first phase of training and see where I am in 4 weeks time. Must away now to clear the garage out and uncover the turbo bike, as I plan to use it this afternoon.

All the best.

Training Starts Today

A bit of an unusual first day of training for 2011. No 'proper' training to report as such in that there was no swimming, cycling or running, but there was a lot of moving about slowly including walking the dog, taking the Christmas decorations down, clearing some space in the loft including a number of athletic trips up and down (there is no proper loft ladder) so although there is nothing in the training diary I feel that I have had a good day. To be honest, the turbo is now buried under cardboard, polystyrene and plastic so there will be a few trips to the tip tomorrow to clear out the garage and uncover the turbo bike ready for the year ahead.