am: 1200, 10 mins, 10x25 sec hills(WBR), 15 mins, 800 – 3.25, ave 150m, 2.05
pm: 45 mins easy on trails
16.5mi
I slept by far the best I have since arriving. I got up at just before 0800 and had a good bowl of porridge and an orange juice plus a strong cup of coffee just before heading out. We got a bit of telling off at reception for having a fire the other night but I don't think we'll do it again! I jogged nice and easy to the track and then rounded it up on the flat grass. It was windy and humid this morning which wasn't ideal as it made me feel slightly light-headed. I did all my stretched, drills and strides and felt ready to go. This session took training at altitude to a whole different level. I had to run every stride of the 1200 on my own with Lisa Dobriskey breathing down my neck for most of it! I found it really tough for the first couple of laps and then on the 3rd my body felt numb and tingly and although I ran a 69 I felt much, much better. On the hills I felt strong up until the last 20m of each rep where the lactic kicked in; particularly after 8 reps or so. The 3.40 1500 guys really stole a march on me which is to be expected but this type of elastic power is something I think I need to improve. I dropped my cross spikes on for the 800 and thought I’d gone off controlled but went through 800 in 59 and paid for it in the last 200! I spewed 5 times post-session as I was just over-run with lactate. A few minutes later I felt absolutely fine. I really enjoyed this session as it was a bit different and I found it easy to get my head round it. If I’d had guys to run with on the track reps then I know I’d have gone quicker. I had a banana and yoghurt within sight of the Dr so I should stay in his good books for a while longer (he gave me a pat on the back having seen my painful final 100m). I warmed down 3mi with Lewis then had a hot shower and went out to grab a fresh pizza. I gambled on a 'Western' which was covered in onion & minced beef and not only was it a dream, it totally filled me up. I checked on the live results of BUCS, browsed the web and then got a text update from Wilko saying the 15 boys were safely through. I stuck some shorts on and headed out for a massage. This massage was painful! My legs felt fine apart from one specific point in my calf which was pure agony and to be quite honest it didn't ease off. It seemed like a lot of pain for nothing as I had no discomfort running. I got back to the apartment and had a bowl of cereal before a frustrating 0-0 on Pro against Rick. By this time it was 1700 so I went down to reception for an easy run with the group. Since the session there had been rain and hail all day and by the time of this run it was still pissing it down. I quite enjoyed running in the rain and on a bit of mud at the lake for a change, especially when I felt as fresh as a daisy. The other guys were out when I got back so I cracked on with making chilli con carne which went down well as a good athlete meal. I went on Skype to my Mum & Dad for almost an hour to talk training, the election and general gossip. I hit the sack early so I will be ok to get up and watch the 10k at Stanford tomorrow morning; fingers crossed Thommo, Vernon and most important for me, Cragg run well.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Friday, 30 April 2010
Recovery Day
am: 50 mins easy on trails
pm: Circuits
7mi
I woke up just before 10 feeling fresh. I started cleaning up after the BBQ last night and then had some porridge, orange juice and a coffee. I did a little stretching and lazed around for a bit before finally booking train tickets to see my Grandparents on the weekend of the Loughborough International. It was good to finally get round to it as I’ve been putting it off for days! I set off with McLeod and Lucy O’Gorman and after slow opening mile (it was uphill) of outside 9 mins I decided to go on my own. I thought it was pointless running that slowly at this point of the trip as my HR was barely above 120. I just ran around trails and grass at the track to keep it on the flat and I felt really smooth and relaxed. I think I am pretty much acclimatised now as I was running a similar pace and heart rate as I would do at home. My legs felt fine; a good indicator that I didn’t run too hard last night. I was going to do strides but decided against it with circuits to come later on today. I had an egg sandwich, jam on toast, yoghurt and some fruit before a hot shower and a trip to the supermarket. I felt really sleepy walking around and just wanted to get back to the apartment and laze about. Today seemed to go really quickly and having chilled out for a bit and had a bowl of cereal it was suddenly 1830. I decided that if I didn't get my core session done now I'd end up sacking it off. I did a short, sharp session with Lewis and felt pretty decent although my back was a little stiff towards the end. We had turkey stir fry for dinner which should be good fuel for a big session at the track come tomorrow morning! I feel really sleepy typing and it is only 2100 but I reckon I'll be in bed within the hour.
pm: Circuits
7mi
I woke up just before 10 feeling fresh. I started cleaning up after the BBQ last night and then had some porridge, orange juice and a coffee. I did a little stretching and lazed around for a bit before finally booking train tickets to see my Grandparents on the weekend of the Loughborough International. It was good to finally get round to it as I’ve been putting it off for days! I set off with McLeod and Lucy O’Gorman and after slow opening mile (it was uphill) of outside 9 mins I decided to go on my own. I thought it was pointless running that slowly at this point of the trip as my HR was barely above 120. I just ran around trails and grass at the track to keep it on the flat and I felt really smooth and relaxed. I think I am pretty much acclimatised now as I was running a similar pace and heart rate as I would do at home. My legs felt fine; a good indicator that I didn’t run too hard last night. I was going to do strides but decided against it with circuits to come later on today. I had an egg sandwich, jam on toast, yoghurt and some fruit before a hot shower and a trip to the supermarket. I felt really sleepy walking around and just wanted to get back to the apartment and laze about. Today seemed to go really quickly and having chilled out for a bit and had a bowl of cereal it was suddenly 1830. I decided that if I didn't get my core session done now I'd end up sacking it off. I did a short, sharp session with Lewis and felt pretty decent although my back was a little stiff towards the end. We had turkey stir fry for dinner which should be good fuel for a big session at the track come tomorrow morning! I feel really sleepy typing and it is only 2100 but I reckon I'll be in bed within the hour.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Swings & Roundabouts
am: Easy 40mins
pm: Accelerating Lap of the Lake [5.56mi] (6.38, 5.56, 5.55, 6.00, 5.32, 3.10)
13.5mi
I slept ok last night and was wide awake at 0800. After yesterday's possible depletion I had a bowl of cornflakes and a strong cup of coffee to kick me off. We went to Pyrenees 2000 and tried a different route. This was a weird run. I felt a little tired but nothing major; this was only for the first 10 mins. We then started running through a boggy trail that was awkward underfoot. Bizarrely, beams of light were coming through the trees and making me feel dizzy. It was really frustrating me up that I kept stumbling and having hit my knee on a log I stopped and just walked to the car park for a few minutes, cursing the ground. I then decided just to run up and down the flat road and trail. I was ok, still not 100% more towards normal. Back at the car the lads were concerned that there may be something wrong, considering my nose bleed and previous dizzy spells. I genuinely wasn’t too worried – I’d discussed things in depth with Phil last night - although I’d be lying if I said this reaction to beams of light wasn’t unsettling as it isn't something I've suffered from before. Reluctantly, I booked in to see the GP as soon as I got back. I had a big bowl of porridge, an orange juice and a cup of tea ad felt fine. The Doc did all his checks and asked me plenty of questions. I told him about dizziness, nose bleed etc. He came to the conclusion that really there is not a lot wrong with me! He thinks that the combination of early dinner, no breakfast and food being locked in Jonny’s car has depleted my glycogen stores – this was what I had said to my Dad last night. He just said to smash the carbohydrates today, especially in the 30 mins post-exercise. He doesn’t see a problem with running this evening but said to make sure I run easy if I don’t feel great. In short, it is fantastic to have a Doctor on site, especially one that gives you a license to eat! I read Charlie's book for a bit then popped down to Super-U to buy stuff for Vince's leaving BBQ this evening. I finally remembered to buy a big mug as the cups in the apartment are tiny! I dropped on a huge tuna-mayo baguette (Dr's orders) and washed it down with yoghurt, fruit and a Jonny Mellor-made cup of tea. The latter took a good while to polish off as my new mug is more like a soup bowl. I quickly got changed and headed to the decking for a flush-out massage. My legs felt really good except for my quads - I think I can put that down to yesterday's gym session. Duncan commented that my legs seemed in much better shape than Tuesday so that has got to be good news. I was much sprightlier this afternoon after hitting the carbs hard and headed into the evening run spirits lifted. For the past 2 weeks I have been drinking coffee for the caffeine and hating it. To get my fix this afternoon I gambled on adding sugar and suddenly I enjoyed it! At reception I was almost took the cautious approach which was drills with George at the track, including a little warm up and warm down - boy am I glad I decided to go to the lake. The human body is an amazing thing. From the first strike of my forefoot this afternoon I felt like a different person. My legs were fresh; I was happy and most important for me there was some bounce to my stride. We started off the quickest we have on any run this trip and it felt encouragingly easy. I decided to just run with the boys but make sure I stayed below anaerobic threshold; especially up the hills in the 4th mile. The pace picked up gradually and quite unbelievably I had gone from feeling the worst I have done on the trip to the best in only a matter of hours. I felt like I could run all day but didn't want to overcook it so just did 1 lap, an easy 2.5mi and some strides. I found myself thinking, how much of this change is psychological and how much is physical? Did the fact Dr Rogers told me I was fine somehow kick me out of a slump or was it all that bread and porridge I ate? All I know is that I felt great. I had a jam sandwich during the drive back in the Dr's car and thanked him for his input. I grilled him a little for a bit of info and as a brief summary: vitamin C is a waste of time and can actually be harmful, vitamin D is not, 'Go' & 'ReGo' are worthwhile, use common sense. I got back and cracked on with preparation for the big BBQ. It took an age and we ended up going to bed at close to 1am but it was a great evening. I had a lot to eat to make sure I kept the glycogen stores topped up but stayed away from the death. Everyone mixed well and there was a very competitive food fight to end the night on a high. At midnight I was really tired and looking forward to the first lie in of the camp.
pm: Accelerating Lap of the Lake [5.56mi] (6.38, 5.56, 5.55, 6.00, 5.32, 3.10)
13.5mi
I slept ok last night and was wide awake at 0800. After yesterday's possible depletion I had a bowl of cornflakes and a strong cup of coffee to kick me off. We went to Pyrenees 2000 and tried a different route. This was a weird run. I felt a little tired but nothing major; this was only for the first 10 mins. We then started running through a boggy trail that was awkward underfoot. Bizarrely, beams of light were coming through the trees and making me feel dizzy. It was really frustrating me up that I kept stumbling and having hit my knee on a log I stopped and just walked to the car park for a few minutes, cursing the ground. I then decided just to run up and down the flat road and trail. I was ok, still not 100% more towards normal. Back at the car the lads were concerned that there may be something wrong, considering my nose bleed and previous dizzy spells. I genuinely wasn’t too worried – I’d discussed things in depth with Phil last night - although I’d be lying if I said this reaction to beams of light wasn’t unsettling as it isn't something I've suffered from before. Reluctantly, I booked in to see the GP as soon as I got back. I had a big bowl of porridge, an orange juice and a cup of tea ad felt fine. The Doc did all his checks and asked me plenty of questions. I told him about dizziness, nose bleed etc. He came to the conclusion that really there is not a lot wrong with me! He thinks that the combination of early dinner, no breakfast and food being locked in Jonny’s car has depleted my glycogen stores – this was what I had said to my Dad last night. He just said to smash the carbohydrates today, especially in the 30 mins post-exercise. He doesn’t see a problem with running this evening but said to make sure I run easy if I don’t feel great. In short, it is fantastic to have a Doctor on site, especially one that gives you a license to eat! I read Charlie's book for a bit then popped down to Super-U to buy stuff for Vince's leaving BBQ this evening. I finally remembered to buy a big mug as the cups in the apartment are tiny! I dropped on a huge tuna-mayo baguette (Dr's orders) and washed it down with yoghurt, fruit and a Jonny Mellor-made cup of tea. The latter took a good while to polish off as my new mug is more like a soup bowl. I quickly got changed and headed to the decking for a flush-out massage. My legs felt really good except for my quads - I think I can put that down to yesterday's gym session. Duncan commented that my legs seemed in much better shape than Tuesday so that has got to be good news. I was much sprightlier this afternoon after hitting the carbs hard and headed into the evening run spirits lifted. For the past 2 weeks I have been drinking coffee for the caffeine and hating it. To get my fix this afternoon I gambled on adding sugar and suddenly I enjoyed it! At reception I was almost took the cautious approach which was drills with George at the track, including a little warm up and warm down - boy am I glad I decided to go to the lake. The human body is an amazing thing. From the first strike of my forefoot this afternoon I felt like a different person. My legs were fresh; I was happy and most important for me there was some bounce to my stride. We started off the quickest we have on any run this trip and it felt encouragingly easy. I decided to just run with the boys but make sure I stayed below anaerobic threshold; especially up the hills in the 4th mile. The pace picked up gradually and quite unbelievably I had gone from feeling the worst I have done on the trip to the best in only a matter of hours. I felt like I could run all day but didn't want to overcook it so just did 1 lap, an easy 2.5mi and some strides. I found myself thinking, how much of this change is psychological and how much is physical? Did the fact Dr Rogers told me I was fine somehow kick me out of a slump or was it all that bread and porridge I ate? All I know is that I felt great. I had a jam sandwich during the drive back in the Dr's car and thanked him for his input. I grilled him a little for a bit of info and as a brief summary: vitamin C is a waste of time and can actually be harmful, vitamin D is not, 'Go' & 'ReGo' are worthwhile, use common sense. I got back and cracked on with preparation for the big BBQ. It took an age and we ended up going to bed at close to 1am but it was a great evening. I had a lot to eat to make sure I kept the glycogen stores topped up but stayed away from the death. Everyone mixed well and there was a very competitive food fight to end the night on a high. At midnight I was really tired and looking forward to the first lie in of the camp.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Wednesday Training
am: 70mins easy on trails
pm: Strength & Conditioning
11mi
I overslept this morning which I think will be a good thing in the long run. I slept through really well last night - a total contrast to the previous night. I quickly grabbed a strong cup of coffee and headed to meet the group. As has happened a few times already, Ryan's car wouldn't start so it had to be hooked up to Thewlis' before firing off ok. I wasn't sure where we were running today and when we pulled up in the Pyrenees 2000 bottom car park my heart sank. I did not want to negotiate these hills today. I felt quite tired and my hamstrings were still a little sore. I ran stubbornly slowly at a pace I was relatively comfortable at – anything quicker was markedly harder. The hills were a struggle today but I just had try and keep them as relaxed as possible as I like to keep Wednesday as a pure recovery run. I had bad belly ache running today which didn't help and I eventually made a pit stop in the woods and was much better for it! I skipped strides due to the tired legs and went to get my snack from only to hear Ross Toole shout 'you won't have much luck there.' It turned out Bruce Raeside had locked the car key in Jonny's boot - classic school boy error. I hitched a lift back with Ross whilst Vince got a coat hanger and easily broke his way in. A bowl of porridge, some fruit & yoghurt later I decided to start on Charlie Spedding's book in the sunshine. After a bit of tan time we nipped to the supermarket for a few things - bog roll most importantly - and Ricky wanted to get some protein shake to get massive. I had egg and beans on toast plus some fruit when we got back and then chilled on the laptop until it was time for S&C. I had a cup of tea and then did my jog to the gym. I felt absolutely horrific jogging. When I started my weights I felt dizzy and weak and after squats & my shoulder exercises I called it a day. After I’d sat down for 10 mins feeling sorry for myself I felt much better. I was mainly just flat and worn down with my sore neck, coupled with not feeling 100%. I decided I should just get it done and ended up smashing out the whole session in double-quick time feeling fine! I didn’t jog afterwards as a precaution but my legs felt looser for the walk back to the apartment. I nipped in to George's room for a quick chat about training over the next few days and Saturday's session looks great! I'm considering taking tomorrow a little easier and not running at threshold in the evening; I'll speak to Phil tonight to go over things. I had a couple of cereal bars before cracking on with dinner, helping Lewis make huge amounts of steak, mash and lots of vegetables. We then drove around in vain (probably for the best) looking for an open supermarket to get some dessert. I enjoyed seeing Jose and his team cling on against Barca as I really am a big fan. Afterwards I had a long Skype session with my Dad to go through training and just catch up in general before speaking to my Grandparents and Mum. I realise how lucky I am to be here when speaking to them about what we've been doing these last 10 days - to think I am only halfway through my trip! Dropping economics is the best thing I have ever done.
pm: Strength & Conditioning
11mi
I overslept this morning which I think will be a good thing in the long run. I slept through really well last night - a total contrast to the previous night. I quickly grabbed a strong cup of coffee and headed to meet the group. As has happened a few times already, Ryan's car wouldn't start so it had to be hooked up to Thewlis' before firing off ok. I wasn't sure where we were running today and when we pulled up in the Pyrenees 2000 bottom car park my heart sank. I did not want to negotiate these hills today. I felt quite tired and my hamstrings were still a little sore. I ran stubbornly slowly at a pace I was relatively comfortable at – anything quicker was markedly harder. The hills were a struggle today but I just had try and keep them as relaxed as possible as I like to keep Wednesday as a pure recovery run. I had bad belly ache running today which didn't help and I eventually made a pit stop in the woods and was much better for it! I skipped strides due to the tired legs and went to get my snack from only to hear Ross Toole shout 'you won't have much luck there.' It turned out Bruce Raeside had locked the car key in Jonny's boot - classic school boy error. I hitched a lift back with Ross whilst Vince got a coat hanger and easily broke his way in. A bowl of porridge, some fruit & yoghurt later I decided to start on Charlie Spedding's book in the sunshine. After a bit of tan time we nipped to the supermarket for a few things - bog roll most importantly - and Ricky wanted to get some protein shake to get massive. I had egg and beans on toast plus some fruit when we got back and then chilled on the laptop until it was time for S&C. I had a cup of tea and then did my jog to the gym. I felt absolutely horrific jogging. When I started my weights I felt dizzy and weak and after squats & my shoulder exercises I called it a day. After I’d sat down for 10 mins feeling sorry for myself I felt much better. I was mainly just flat and worn down with my sore neck, coupled with not feeling 100%. I decided I should just get it done and ended up smashing out the whole session in double-quick time feeling fine! I didn’t jog afterwards as a precaution but my legs felt looser for the walk back to the apartment. I nipped in to George's room for a quick chat about training over the next few days and Saturday's session looks great! I'm considering taking tomorrow a little easier and not running at threshold in the evening; I'll speak to Phil tonight to go over things. I had a couple of cereal bars before cracking on with dinner, helping Lewis make huge amounts of steak, mash and lots of vegetables. We then drove around in vain (probably for the best) looking for an open supermarket to get some dessert. I enjoyed seeing Jose and his team cling on against Barca as I really am a big fan. Afterwards I had a long Skype session with my Dad to go through training and just catch up in general before speaking to my Grandparents and Mum. I realise how lucky I am to be here when speaking to them about what we've been doing these last 10 days - to think I am only halfway through my trip! Dropping economics is the best thing I have ever done.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
First Track Session (at 6000 feet!)
am: 3x1k, 2x800 (8min cycle inc. 400jog) + 1mi stride straights/jog bends: 2.53, 2.54, 2.54, 2.21 & 2.18 + strides in 15s
pm: 35 mins easy on trails
15mi
I struggled to get to sleep last night so I listened to a bit of Alisha Keys – it didn’t do the trick! It is probably the worst night’s sleep since arriving 8 days ago but that is altitude. I was wide awake at 0700 so did some stretching (I was struggling to kill time as Bowser swiped my laptop for late night poker) before having a bowl of porridge and an orange juice. I must have slept awkwardly as the right side of my neck was very stiff – like I’d taken a Viagra and it got stuck halfway down! I had a strong cup of coffee and we headed to reception to meet the others. George explained the session and we jogged a couple of miles to the track and I did all my drills and strides. My hamstrings were sore but once the session got started I forgot about them. It was a bit windy but the sun was out and it was glorious for training. I felt terrible on the first rep and just had to get it done. On the 2nd and 3rd I felt very easy for the first half but then ended up in a hole and tensed up a little. I dropped down to 800s to maintain the same pace rather than going to pieces. I’m bound to have days feeling rubbish at altitude; the session is in the bank and that’s all that matters. It was such an odd feeling running quicker at altitude and I definitely needed the 5 mins recovery. I had air stuck in my right ear all session and no amount of nose blowing or head shaking did the trick. I felt great on my strides which was encouraging – I put my cross spikes on for them and felt like I was bouncing along effortlessly. The group worked together brilliantly and you can really see why Ian Stewart and George Gandy are trying to encourage more National Squad days. I did some stretching and had a banana and a yoghurt before Vince was 0.3 seconds from achieving 1.26 for 600m. It was very entertaining and a great effort but like a man, he handed the agreed €20 stake to McLeod. We jogged home and blood started trickling out of my nostril very similar to when I completed my first session in St Moritz. It quickly settled and we had fish finger sandwiches and cups of tea for lunch. I jumped in the shower and then got into bed to catch up on Heroes and have a well earned rest. I got a massage at 1500 on my tight neck & hamstrings and it seemed to loosen them off a little. I then just chatted to the guys out on the patio and suddenly it was time to get ready to run again. A group of us headed to the far side of the lake at just gone 1700. I felt really good this evening, my legs weren’t tired from this morning’s session and although my hamstrings were a little tight they were much better than pre-massage. We started with an 8 minute mile and then clipped along at 7s on a new route through the woods, all on grass. It was ideal – pan flat except for one short incline. I toyed with the idea of doing more because I felt good but stuck to coach's orders. I was starving towards the end of this run and my cereal bar did little to satisfy this hunger! Luckily for me and Ryan, when we got back to the ranch Lewis had almost finished making a huge spaghetti bolognese. I wolfed mine down in record time and then had seconds - you've got to refuel right? A cup of tea and Pro-Evo set up a standard evening in Room 120. We went out with the intention of meeting a group that had gone out for dinner but it never came off. We had to settle for a few games of pool in Font Romeu's scabby bar, heading back for bed at 2300.
pm: 35 mins easy on trails
15mi
I struggled to get to sleep last night so I listened to a bit of Alisha Keys – it didn’t do the trick! It is probably the worst night’s sleep since arriving 8 days ago but that is altitude. I was wide awake at 0700 so did some stretching (I was struggling to kill time as Bowser swiped my laptop for late night poker) before having a bowl of porridge and an orange juice. I must have slept awkwardly as the right side of my neck was very stiff – like I’d taken a Viagra and it got stuck halfway down! I had a strong cup of coffee and we headed to reception to meet the others. George explained the session and we jogged a couple of miles to the track and I did all my drills and strides. My hamstrings were sore but once the session got started I forgot about them. It was a bit windy but the sun was out and it was glorious for training. I felt terrible on the first rep and just had to get it done. On the 2nd and 3rd I felt very easy for the first half but then ended up in a hole and tensed up a little. I dropped down to 800s to maintain the same pace rather than going to pieces. I’m bound to have days feeling rubbish at altitude; the session is in the bank and that’s all that matters. It was such an odd feeling running quicker at altitude and I definitely needed the 5 mins recovery. I had air stuck in my right ear all session and no amount of nose blowing or head shaking did the trick. I felt great on my strides which was encouraging – I put my cross spikes on for them and felt like I was bouncing along effortlessly. The group worked together brilliantly and you can really see why Ian Stewart and George Gandy are trying to encourage more National Squad days. I did some stretching and had a banana and a yoghurt before Vince was 0.3 seconds from achieving 1.26 for 600m. It was very entertaining and a great effort but like a man, he handed the agreed €20 stake to McLeod. We jogged home and blood started trickling out of my nostril very similar to when I completed my first session in St Moritz. It quickly settled and we had fish finger sandwiches and cups of tea for lunch. I jumped in the shower and then got into bed to catch up on Heroes and have a well earned rest. I got a massage at 1500 on my tight neck & hamstrings and it seemed to loosen them off a little. I then just chatted to the guys out on the patio and suddenly it was time to get ready to run again. A group of us headed to the far side of the lake at just gone 1700. I felt really good this evening, my legs weren’t tired from this morning’s session and although my hamstrings were a little tight they were much better than pre-massage. We started with an 8 minute mile and then clipped along at 7s on a new route through the woods, all on grass. It was ideal – pan flat except for one short incline. I toyed with the idea of doing more because I felt good but stuck to coach's orders. I was starving towards the end of this run and my cereal bar did little to satisfy this hunger! Luckily for me and Ryan, when we got back to the ranch Lewis had almost finished making a huge spaghetti bolognese. I wolfed mine down in record time and then had seconds - you've got to refuel right? A cup of tea and Pro-Evo set up a standard evening in Room 120. We went out with the intention of meeting a group that had gone out for dinner but it never came off. We had to settle for a few games of pool in Font Romeu's scabby bar, heading back for bed at 2300.
Monday, 26 April 2010
First Blog
am: Drills
pm: Easy/Steady 45 mins on trails + strides
12mi
I slept through well last night but went to bed a little late as I was struggling to feel tired so I probably only got 8 hour or so. I was out of bed at 0800 to have a cup of tea and a banana before heading to reception. I jogged to the track on my own and managed to get lost (it was my first visit) and ended up running the hilliest, toughest way possible! It was a couple of miles in the end and after a bit of stretching I did George’s drills session. I found these drills incredibly good and I think they’re exactly what I need. It was all about your foot pushing off the ground quickly and not wasting time on the ground – something Phil noticed on the long run in Portugal and said I need to work on – and good posture from the hips to stop yourself leaning back, combined with good knee lift. I definitely want to do these at least once a week now. It was also aerobically challenging and my legs were a bit tired come the end of it too. I jogged back with Matt Clowes and Shaun Moralee taking a much better path! By now I was really hungry and had four slices of toast with jam and some orange juice. I stretched a little before taking a hot shower and having a shave – the first one since before the 12 stage and I was starting to look like a caveman! I lazed around for a while before having some porridge that made me sufficiently sleepy to have nap. I woke myself up at 1645 and had a coffee and an orange before throwing my kit on and getting out of the door as I was running a bit late. I almost missed the car to the lake as having walked in on Vince Wilson having a slash he then locked me in the toilet for a few minutes - standard prank. It was really windy at the lake but the sky was glorious! The former did me in on the run as I set off aiming to run steady but after 3 miles I hit a hill and huge headwind and just could not get my heart rate back down. I know this is often the case at altitude - once your heart rate is out of your zone it is nigh on impossible to control! I made the decision to loop back and take it easy so I ran with Lewis Moses and Matt Clowes at about 6.30 pace for the rest. We found a beautiful new trail through the woods and othet than slightly tight hamstrings from this morning’s drills I was pleased with how I felt. I did some strides afterwards and felt great with the wind behind before having a little stretch and a banana and yoghurt. I’m now really looking forward to hitting the track tomorrow. Driving back McLeod had to take a few different turns to shake off some local chavs determined to cause trouble! We had fajitas for dinner and then realised we'd run out of hot water so I had to nip into the coaches' room to get a wash! I did a proper stretch routine this evening as I felt a bit stiff after running this evening. I got into my bed in the living room at 2100 to hopefully watch the Palace relegate Wednesday on Sky Player.
pm: Easy/Steady 45 mins on trails + strides
12mi
I slept through well last night but went to bed a little late as I was struggling to feel tired so I probably only got 8 hour or so. I was out of bed at 0800 to have a cup of tea and a banana before heading to reception. I jogged to the track on my own and managed to get lost (it was my first visit) and ended up running the hilliest, toughest way possible! It was a couple of miles in the end and after a bit of stretching I did George’s drills session. I found these drills incredibly good and I think they’re exactly what I need. It was all about your foot pushing off the ground quickly and not wasting time on the ground – something Phil noticed on the long run in Portugal and said I need to work on – and good posture from the hips to stop yourself leaning back, combined with good knee lift. I definitely want to do these at least once a week now. It was also aerobically challenging and my legs were a bit tired come the end of it too. I jogged back with Matt Clowes and Shaun Moralee taking a much better path! By now I was really hungry and had four slices of toast with jam and some orange juice. I stretched a little before taking a hot shower and having a shave – the first one since before the 12 stage and I was starting to look like a caveman! I lazed around for a while before having some porridge that made me sufficiently sleepy to have nap. I woke myself up at 1645 and had a coffee and an orange before throwing my kit on and getting out of the door as I was running a bit late. I almost missed the car to the lake as having walked in on Vince Wilson having a slash he then locked me in the toilet for a few minutes - standard prank. It was really windy at the lake but the sky was glorious! The former did me in on the run as I set off aiming to run steady but after 3 miles I hit a hill and huge headwind and just could not get my heart rate back down. I know this is often the case at altitude - once your heart rate is out of your zone it is nigh on impossible to control! I made the decision to loop back and take it easy so I ran with Lewis Moses and Matt Clowes at about 6.30 pace for the rest. We found a beautiful new trail through the woods and othet than slightly tight hamstrings from this morning’s drills I was pleased with how I felt. I did some strides afterwards and felt great with the wind behind before having a little stretch and a banana and yoghurt. I’m now really looking forward to hitting the track tomorrow. Driving back McLeod had to take a few different turns to shake off some local chavs determined to cause trouble! We had fajitas for dinner and then realised we'd run out of hot water so I had to nip into the coaches' room to get a wash! I did a proper stretch routine this evening as I felt a bit stiff after running this evening. I got into my bed in the living room at 2100 to hopefully watch the Palace relegate Wednesday on Sky Player.
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