Looking Back

The last couple of days I have been increasing my traiing as the wife and I are off to sunny Tauranga this weekend for a wedding and so I know that my training will be interrupted so trying to cram a bit more in this week. the Orewa Half is only 10 days away so need to continue to get some good quality sesisons in prior to tapering a little next week.

Yesterday morning got up and was at ther gym at 6am. Hit the bike first for some sprints as a warm up ( I had forgotten what a great way to get your heart rate up this is) then followed it up with leg press (150kg), Bench Press (70kg), Chest cross overs, dumbbell fly's and some bicep curls. A good all round work out to start the week.

Then last night after work I went out for a solid 10km run. Got round in 53 minutes but there was a strong headwind so the run didn't feel good (probably why the time was so slow). Loved the endorphins afterwards thouugh and it was thinking of these that kept me going rather than stopping.

This morning was up and at the gym again. Did a 5 minute blast on the rower then straiht into a core, bicep and tricep work out for 40 minutes. Got home, had an apple and a shower then off to work.

Because I have been feeling flat lately I took stock of how far I have come. It gave me a mental boost to think that this time last year I was fat, unhappy, unfit and now I have lost 16kgs, run a half marathon, booked for 2 more and am committed to getting fitter, faster and stronger. the pics below also gave me a before and after boost as well...

Before After

2 weeks till next race

It is now two weeks till my next half marathon and I am feeling particularly under prepared. My weekly running has been seriously reduced in the last two weeks so will need to use this week to try and get back on top of things again.

Because of everything else going on in my world at the moment my diet has also been suffering (read that as I have been really lazy with what I have been eating) and as a result I have put weight back on and feel generally sluggish.

So as of this morning I am back into my old eating regime which is modelled pretty closely on the paleo diet. Lots of fresh fruit and veges and avoiding grains/legumes and processed sugars wherever possible. This is much harder to follow when I am short on time as I am still a huge fan of peanut butter sandwiches (must be a throw back to my chldhood).. these , of course, do nothing but load me up with carbs which I can do without.

I do notice that I have a heap more energy when I am eating properly and so need to try and reverse out the last couple of weeks with back to good habits again. I will be pushing more on the training front as well now that kids are better. I am still lacking motivation as the weather cools but have found that just getting my running gear on is ofetn enough to get me out the door. I love it once I am out there but just find it difficult getting started....particularly when it is cold and dark out.

some runs just suck

Been a bit of an interrupted week this week. Miss 4months went down with a particularly nasty dose of the flu and ended up dehydrated so was hospitalised on Monday night and Tuesday so they could get some fluid into her. Because of her flu she had gone off eating and was going downhill. One tube down the nose later and she has made a great recovery.

However it meant that I was unable to get out on the roads since Sunday/. Finally got out last night (thursday) for a 10km run right on dusk. Was a bit cooler so wore a tech singlet and a T Shirt as well as my hi vis reflector vest I wear when running on roads. It was a sluggish 10km and didn't feel flowing at all, I also found I was so hot by the 5 km mark I wish I had left one of the layers at home.





Got round in a bit under the hour ( didn't time it as just wanted to get the kms in) and felt brilliant afterwards.





have been feeling really flat the last week and with minimal sleep in hospital on Monday and tuesday I have found my motivation flagging. Really pleased that I got out there and did the run last night and it is amazing how just one slow run has helped lift my mental state back up again...guess I really am getting addicted to running...eeeek

New 5km PB

What a great end to the weekend. After being up most of Saturday night with sick kids then driving to take Mr 6 home after the weekend, I decided to go out and blast the cobwebs away with a quick 5km TT. Started off fast and felt weak setting out which wasn't good. Hips, quads and feet all sore from yesterdays sprint session so wasn't expecting a lot from the run but decided to try push through it anyway. It was still quite warm and there was only mild breeze around so for once I wasn't running into the wind.

Got to the half way point and felt better having turned for home and so picked up the pace a little and lengthened stride. Slowed slightly just before the final Km for a small rise then blasted down the last leg. Stopped the clock at 22 minutes 40 seconds. So stoked...my previous best was 23.16 so took 35 seconds off my time. Starting to think that with some more training that elusive 20 minute mark might nearly be achievable. Love getting new PB's...makes the pain worthwhile

now into the last leg of training for the Orewa Half Marathon...only 3 weeks to go...woohoo

Saturday Sprints

Today was spent doing the family thing, was nice to spend time with wifey and the kids and was a beautiful autumn day (see the view from my lounge window at 10am...awesome). Went out and got a few things we needed for a wedding coming up soon. As I had a rest day on running yesterday I was feeling pretty fresh so Mr 6 and I went to the local track to see if I could better my 400mtr sprint times from February...and ...the track was closed.

So we decided to head to the local school instead where I did sprints on the rugby field. Did 10 x high knee sprints the length of the field only resting to walk back. Followed this with 2 sets of 25 x box jumps and 5 x pull ups. Was a nice quick 20 minute work out and was enough time for Mr 6 to tell me (after the first sprint), that he thought he might be a bit tired for running today so would go play instead...kids huh?

Was nice to do something different than 10+ km runs although my hip flexors are feeling it now. Will be back into the long run tomorrow and will have to remember to keep doing some sprint and plyometric work to mix things up a bit

Plateau

I seem to have ht a plateau with some of my 10kms runs. The weather is changing at the moment and summer is giving way to Autumn. As a result I find that it is windier when I am out running but have also noticed that my 10kms are taking about 3 minutes longer this last week. Last 3 x 10km runs have been 51 minutes, 56 minutes and last night 52 minutes. I have been away with work for the past couple of days so also did an 8km wind down run In Rotorua on Wednesday night. Felt good to shake off the dust of the day round the lakefront.

However I am worried about my slowing times for the 10km and it is particularly frustrating when running into the wind. Am hoping that the wind is the only cause but I feel "flat" when heading out for the runs. Wondering if this is just a stage and hoping that I will be able to get through it. To break things up I am going to do some speed work/sprints and plyometric work over the weekend and I will try a longer run on Sunday (time permitting). My thought is that with taking a bit of a break and changing the training I may be able to get through this flat spot and get my times back to under 50 minutes.

Rest day

Treated yesterday as a rest day. was intending to go out for a 12km run last night but when I got home from work it had started raining and the cricket was on so ended up making a belated decision to treat the day as a rest day. My calves were still sore from the earlier work out and 10km pace run so rubbed some deep heat on them and ate some ice cream (am sure it has some medicinal properties..lol).

We lost the cricket by the way.

So today I will be making up for lost time. Not all was lost from yesterday as I went out and mapped a new 10km track through town using the odometer in the car. Miss 4 came with me and told me where I should be running next so have had some expert opinion on my route.

Off to the parents tomorrow for the annual St Paddy's day celebrations which should be good fun. Will be a chance to catch up with some people and to drink and eat and talk a whole lot of rubbish. Will post photos when I get back.

Breaking new ground

I have been reading a lot of blogs on the net over the last couple of days and have been inspired by so many people out there doing amazing things with their journeys in running. It has also made me realise that I have so far to go. I feel great having completed the first of my goals ( the half marathon) but this has merely opened my eyes to the relaity that I am likely to have caught a lifelong bug for running. I now want to push on to the marathon. triathlon and eventually ironman.



My times are still slow, my technique is probably poor but I am genuinely excited about how much I have to learn. Also how far I have come. This time last year I struggled to run 1km and now I have run a half marathon. And I know that in time, and with a bit of coaching and encouragement I will see the times come down and my form improve. I know that I will become a marathoner and that my legs will carry me through an ironman...and the great thing is that the journey to those destinations is the fun part filled with long peaceful runs, pushing my body to new places and enjoying the new found health I now have.

New PB for 10km

Went back to the Gym last night for a quick work out. Was a little pressed for time so decided to work on the legs in lieu of a run and to build up some strength. The good news is that I was able to leg press twice my body weight 160kg and then moved on to the hamstring curls. As soon as I started these my calves started cramping up..random...so i gave it a rest for a couple of minutes then tried again but the calves still cramped every time I put weight on. So I gave up on the hamstring curls and moved to the calf raises. ...must be a glutton for punishment right??

Smashed out a quick 3 set on the calf raises then moved to squats. Dud a pyramid from 45kg ending up with 105kg then back down. Struggled at 105 but still pulled out one solid set.

Today was intending to run early but sleep won this morning so ended up doing 10km when i got home in a new PB of 49.14. Stoked to be under the 5min/km mark across that distance and finding that as I get fitter I am able to push harder.

Tomorrow will probably run later again and look for a 12 km burst to ramp up the kilometres. This weekend marks 7 weeks to the t42. Amped and have found an awesome set of hills to play with once i get some clear time on a weekend. Lucky I have an understanding and supportive wife as I think I may be spending some time on the roads in the next little while

Loving my running at the moment

Training resumes

Day 1 and 2 are underway fo my 7 week plan to get ready for the t42 trail run. Ran to the gym last night and did a core work out as all the machines were busy and the counties rugby team had all the weights.

did 4 rounds of

10 crunches holding 10kg plate behind head
10 crunches holding 5kg plate behind head
20 bicycle crunches
10 crunches
20 icycle crunches
then 30 second side plank each side

tall the above done with no break between exercises. rest one minute then repeat. Was doubled over by the end of the 4th set. need to improve my core strength.

Then ran home.

Up this morning nice and early at 5am to run 5km to Shellton's place, did 3km with him then ran home. Was a nice way to start the morning but niticed its startingto get a bit chilly out there so won't be long and will be into the long sleeves...sigh...end of summer is near.

Training

I resumed training yesterday afternoon after giving myself a week off training after the half marathon. I didn't think I really needed a week but am glad I did although it made the first run a bit tough yesterday afternoon. Did 8kms on a very hot Sunday afternoon and found myself dehydrated at the end. Will have to focus on improving my hydration pre run to ensure my return to training goes a bit smoother. Did a 2 km burst to finish with so felt good that I was back out on the roads. And loving the Asics at the moment too. (Time for 2 kms was 9 min 25 secs )

so the next challenge is going to be the t42 trail run. You can check out the details for this run here at www.t42.co.nz

will be a great trail run and my first attempt at going off road. I have roped my sister into running with me so at least have a training buddy (even though we live in different cities).

This week I commence the 7 week countdown to that race so am back into the regular training so will be back to blogging regularly. I will be also posting updates on diet as well and will be commencing a program to cut down abdominal fat as well. lots coming up...woohoo...bring on the pain.