Everybody else is doing it, so why not me?

pointer28

Hi all,

Relevant stats first. Male, 34, 173cm, 78kgs.

I have never been fit, never played any physical sports or was on any teams, even as a child. I was always more into hunting, fishing etc. I have always been overweight, and am actually at the lower end of my weight now. Ten years ago I would have been over 90kgs, but that was extreme. Usually around 80 - 85kgs.

Why am I doing this?

Basically, I am tired of looking in the mirror and being ashamed of myself. I have spent my whole life making excuses for my weight, I'm big boned, It's my metabolism, I haven't time for exercise etc. etc. I'm sure you've heard them all and even some more. Bullsh*t, every one of them.

Secondly, although I'm not married, or even engaged, I am in a long term serious relationship and would like to have kids some day. I don't want to be the Dad that's not able to play with his kids. I want my kids to be proud of me and to follow my good example. I want them to grow up thinking that exercise is fun and something that's part of everyday life.

Lastly, I now have more time on my hands than is ideal. Last year was very quiet work wise and I spent a lot of time moping around the house and getting depressed. IMO this is every bit as unhealthy as being overweight and something that needs to be addressed.

What am I hoping to achieve?

My absolute dream, realistic or not would be to complete an Ironman distance sometime. Not this year or next, and probably not even 2014, but maybe 2015. I'm not going to set goals that are unattainable. BTW the other small issue is that I can't swim, so I would have to start that from scratch.

My short term goals for this year are as follows:

10k Road Race - 22nd April
140k Tour de Conemara - 27th May
160k Sean Kelly Tour - 12th August
National Lottery Half Marathon - 17th Sept

I hope to build up a good fitness base and start swimming lessons in the autumn. Then I'll start doing some Tri's in 2013 and hopefully have completed all the individual component parts of an Ironman by 2014. Hopefully the 180k bike by the end of this year and the Marathon by the end of 2013.

How am I going to do this?

Before Christmas I completed the C25K running plan, and loved it. Don't get me wrong, I found it hard and struggled at times, but I hate quitting and I swore I wasn't going to give up. Now, the weather in general was quite good for the period, but I still had to face heavy showers and ice for some workouts. Over the Christmas period I just continued with the 30 min runs 3/4 times a week with no increase in time just to acclimatise my body to running non stop on a regular basis.

I did a lot of research on the net and have devised my own training plan for the years. The basics are to start from a base level of 30 mins running and 2 hours cycling and increase my weekly volume by 10% each week for three weeks and then have a rest week of slightly over 50% of week 3. Week 5 will then restart at week 3 volumes and so forth. I will be working off time rather than kms. This will be made up of three bike sessions and three run sessions. The bike will probably be 2 x turbo and 1 x long ride at the weekend. For the running, I hope to run once a week on the roads to harden up my legs, once a week on the trails to work different muscles and once a week on a perfecly flat canal path which is great for pushing myself and has a very forgiving surface.

I have the bare basics in terms of equipment. I have a Felt Z100 roadbike and a turbo trainer. I also have basic running gear and a Garmin FR60 HRM, plus the Garmin Fit App for measuring distances. Just this week, I had my gait analysis done and bought a proper pair of running shoes, Mizuno Wave Enigmas. While I would love lots of shiny new GPS watches and nice new wheels it just isn't going to happen any time soon.

So, there we go. I'm sure it's all very dull to some of you, but I get great motivation from reading the logs on here, especially the IM stuff and, who knows, maybe someone in similar shoes to mine will get motivation from this.

pointer28

Week 1

Monday 2nd Jan

33 Min Run, 5.6km, Pace 5.54 m/km, AHR 151, MHR 173
Nice, steady run around the town early in the morning.

Tuesday

Rest Day

Wednesday

Turbo session - Simple Inverted Pyramid 60 mins, AHR 140, MHR 168
Intervals of 5,4,3,2,1 then 1,2,3,4,5 with 2 min rest periods.

Thursday

30 Min Run, 5.1km, Pace 5.53 m/km, AHR 152, MHR 169
Horrible morning, very windy and hard to get out of bed early, but I forced myself to get out of bed and did my session.

Friday

30 Min Run, 5.5km, Pace 5.27 m/km, AHR 161, MHR 175
Ran on the canal path this afternoon, tired and hungry but really pushed myself and enjoyed it in the end,

Saturday

61 Min Bike, 21.1km, Av. Speed 19.9 kmh, AHR 138, MHR 178
Went for a spin on my hybrid rather than set up the turbo, uneventful but nice to get out in the fresh air. I'm sure there's plenty of bad weather to come when I won't have the luxury of a choice. Legs sore after running yesterday, but nice easy spin helped to loosen them a lot.

Sunday

131 Min Bike, 48.2km, Av. Speed 21.5 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 169
First proper spin of the year, lots of layers. Horrible headwind for last 8km, hungry but not a bad workout. Must eat beforehand in future.

Totals for Week 1

Run 93 mins
Bike 252 mins

pointer28

Week 2

Monday 9th Jan

33 Min Run, 5.75km, Pace 5.44 m/km, AHR 154, MHR 168
I took my run in the woods this morning with the dog. Nice for a change, lots of changes of direction, differing surfaces and up and down a lot but no major hills.

Tuesday

Rest Day

Wednesday

Turbo session - Simple Inverted Pyramid 60 mins, AHR 141, MHR 169
Intervals of 5,4,3,2,1 then 1,2,3,4,5 with 2 min rest periods.

Thursday

33 Min Run, 5.1km, Pace 6.28 m/km, AHR 145, MHR 157
Around town again this morning. First time out with new shows - Mizuno Wave Enigma - so took it real easy. The shoes felt really different to the previous shoes which I just picked up somewhere cheap with no thought. These feel like the real deal and none of the aches and pains that I was getting previously.

I have been having a few aches and pains recently around my hip area and research suggests that weak abs and glutes may be the cause. Found some exercises that should help and plan to do these twice a week.

Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 5 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10

Friday

Turbo session - Hill Reps 60 mins, AHR 141, MHR 165
No set plan for this, just stuck the resistance up to max and grinded until knackered, then rested until HR came down and stuck the resistance up again. Did this 3 or 4 times.

Saturday

33 Min Run, 5.65km, Pace 5.50 m/km, AHR 151, MHR 170
Along the canal again today. Took it very easy for the first half and then picked it up on the way back. Fantastic workout, felt like a million dollars. I love these new shoes, I really felt like I was running for the second half rather than just jogging.

Sunday

151 Min Bike, 59.5km, Av. Speed 23.6 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 174
Started out really well, felt superb and really burst myself for the first hour. Stupid mistake, got very cold, and into headwind so suffered for the next hour but recovered a bit for the remainder. Slow and steady in future.

Totals for Week 2

Run 99 mins
Bike 271 mins

pointer28

Week 3

Monday 16th Jan

36 Min Run, 6.36km, Pace 5.40 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 174
This is my longest ever run to date in both distance and time. I didn't feel that great after my idiocy yesterday but just kept plodding along and felt good by the end. Pace and distance were both better than expected, and even though I'm starting to sound like a Mizuno Sales rep. I really think the gait analysis and proper shoes have made a massive difference.

Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 5 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10

The side lying leg lifts are far more difficult on the left leg which is where I have been having the hip issues so I think that this confirms my research that there is a weakness in the abs/glutes on that side. Of course, I'm not a medical professional and I know not to believe everything I read on the internet but I'll keep a close eye on it and if it doesn't improve then I'll seek proper physio help.

thehookster

Best of luck Pointer, you are flying it so far. Keep up the good work

Younganne

good luck with the logs and the goals pointer28...you have a great set of realistic goals there so good luck and keep up the good work!!

If you have any questions you are guaranteed to get a response on here..there is always someone who knows the answer!!!

pointer28

Thanks Hookster and Younganne,

That's my intention anyway, having to update the log might shame me into getting up when I'm having a bad day.

I also keep all my stats on a spreadsheet as I'm a statistician at heart (some people say nerd but they're just jealous), and it freaks me out if my actual volums isn't greater than or equal to my goal volume for the week. :rolleyes:

pointer28

Tuesday

74 Min Bike, 28.5km, Av. Speed 23.1 kmh, AHR 129, MHR 163
Today should have been a rest day but I had no work, so decided to go for a quick spin on the bike. This way I can get my workout done and not have to get up at 6.30 for my turbo session tomorrow. As well as that, I need to get used to going out on the bike in all weathers and not always taking the easy option. Who says it's not going to rain for some of my goal attempts. As it turned out, it didn't rain at all and it was very mild, few gusts but nothing too exciting.

The only downside is that the HR figures are very low, whereas if I was on the turbo I would have pushed it a lot more and got a better workout. I still don't fully trust the slick and skinny tyres on the road and tend to hold back instead of upping the workrate. I guess I'll just have to work on this.

I really need to get more value out of the shorter sessions. I'll keep the longer weekend spins slow and steady but I need to up the heartrate for the shorter ones.

pointer28

Wednesday

Rest Day
Home again today and bored stupid sitting around the house. Felt like heading out a few times, but forced myself to have a rest day as I'm afraid that my body will implode if I overdo it. I'm already gone from 0 to 6 days a week in 3 months so I think it's sensible to be cautious.

Thursday

36 Min Run, 6.20km, Pace 5.48 m/km, AHR 160, MHR 172
Headed out early this morning around the town for a run. Was itching to get out after a rest yesterday and it felt good. Still a small niggle in my left hip, but it's getting less and less each time and doesn't continue after I stop running so I'm just going to keep doing my ab/glute exercises and hope that cures it.

I'm not mad about running around the town but it's handy as I just walk out the front door and away I go. If I go to the canal or the trails it involves taking the car and adds half an hour to the workout. As well as that I can do a 10k loop on footpaths and under street lights so it's as safe as you could hope for.

pointer28

Friday

Turbo session - Steady spinning 60 mins, AHR 125, MHR 150
Really hadn't any interest or motivation in doing this, but just bit my tongue and got on with it. Nothing to report, just rode nice and steady for an hour. If I'm going out on the bike and I'm in bad form, I usually pick up after a few minutes and end up enjoying it. Not so with the turbo, it's just a necessary evil that has to be done. I'll have to work on this and concentrate on getting more quality into my short bike sessions.

Saturday

36 Min Run, 6.28km, Pace 5.44 m/km, AHR 160, MHR 172
Along the canal again today. Nice run, bit blustery but enjoyed it all the same. Very happy that I'm keeping my pace pretty regular and really getting into the rhythm of running. It no longer scares me and I'm looking forward to upping the distances and doing a half marathon towards the end of the year.

Sunday

189 Min Bike, 69.5km, Av. Speed 22 kmh, AHR, MHR
What a day, the wind was unreal and a bit scary, especially when side on. I thought I was going to end up in the ditch a couple of times. Other that than, kept it nice and handy and concentrated on just getting used to spending the time on the bike. I really need to structure my bike workouts better, short bike needs more intensity, and long bike needs to be slow and steady.

HRM started acting up on me. For the first hour I was tipping along nicely in the 125 - 130 bpm range, then it suddenly jumped to about 230 and never went under 200 for the next 2 hours. Serious workout . The GF is a nurse and assures me that it's a mistake as I'd either be Superman or dead by now.

So, that concludes the first 3 week building session of my plan. Feeling a bit fatigued to be honest, but met every target I set (even if some of the bike sessions were a bit lazy). Looking forward to a recovery week now, where I'll do one less session and cut the total volume to about 60%

Totals for Week 3

Run 108 mins
Bike 323 mins

pointer28

Monday

20 Min Run, 3.6km, Pace 5.33 m/km, AHR 156, MHR 177

Short run this morning. Really feeling the fatigue from the last 3 weeks and the wind yesterday really knocked the stuffing out of me more so than the distance involved. Conditions were perfect, nice bright day, no wind and not cold either. While I could have happily sat on the couch all day, I felt it was important to loosen up the muscles after a tough day yesterday. This is a recovery week so keeping my volumes way down.

Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10
Push Ups x 20

pointer28

Tuesday

Rest Day

Wednesday

36 Min Run, 6.1km, Pace 5.54 m/km, AHR 152, MHR 168

pointer28

Thursday

20 Min Run, 3.3km, Pace 6.03 m/km, AHR 149, MHR 166

Wasn't sure what to do this evening. It was raining and cold when I got home from work so I thought I was stuck on the Turbo for the evening, which didn't fill me with excitement TBH. After I had a small dinner the rain had stopped but it was still cold, so I decided to just chance it and wrap up warm for a short run. I must say it was one of the nicest and most enjoyable runs I've ever done. It just felt effortless with no aches, pains or niggles anywhere on my body.

Now I'm starting to see the point of these regular recovery weeks, I really do feel stronger and fitter and can't wait to get back to the build weeks on Monday. I'll just have to work on my motivation for the turbo.


Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10
Push Ups x 20

pointer28

Friday

Had a turbo session planned for this afternoon but wasn't feeling great and decided I'd leave it until Saturday instead. As it's a recovery week, I had two rest days planned and figured I'd do an hour on the Turbo Saturday and my long bike on Sunday.

Saturday

Still sick and girlfriend's father came over to help do a few DIY jobs so I spent the afternoon outside getting cold and wet, which didn't make matters any better.

Sunday

Sick again, so no turbo on Saturday and no long bike on Sunday either. Gives me a weekly total of zilch on the bike for this week. Not good, and it means that I failed to meet my weekly goal for the first time since October and as it's the end of the month I also missed my monthly goal. :mad:

Totals for Week 3

Run 76 mins
Bike 0 mins

Monday

36 Min Run, 6.24km, Pace 5.46 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

This was just suffering for 36 minutes and TBH my girlfriend (nurse) warned me not to go out as she knew I wasn't well. Being a good boyfriend, I put on my gear as soon as she walked out the door and I went for a run.

Bad idea, I felt like death warmed up and reallllllly suffered. For the first time since I started running, I had to stop in the middle and walk for 2 minutes to recover, but I managed to regroup after that and finished the workout.

Honestly, it was pure thickness that made me go out. I was really disappointed in myself for failing to complete my first 4 week block, and adamant that it wasn't going to happen again. Surprisingly, I don't feel to bad now as I type this, so maybe a good dose of MTFU cured me.

Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10
Push Ups x 20

I have been doing this block of exercises twice a week. I picked them up from magazines / internet etc as I was having some weakness issues involving my abs and glutes and they really seem to be helping. Starting this week, I'm going to increase to 3 times a week, and then I might increase the number of reps.

pointer28

Tuesday

Rest day

Wednesday

Got home late from work in bad form and really didn't feel like doing a turbo session. Decided to get up early Thursday morning to go for a run and then do my missed turbo session on Thursday evening.

Thursday

36 Min Run, 6.16km, Pace 5.51 m/km, AHR 149, MHR 167

Bloody cold out there at 7am but a gorgeous morning once I got moving. A really nice run after such a demoralising time on Monday. Just kept it nice and easy and the HR low, finished feeling really good. I started off really slow and built up from there. That seems to be my main issue, I start too fast, my HR shoots up and then I can't get it down.

Maybe somebody would like to suggest that I really, really need a fancy new Garmin with pace function, and I can show it to my girlfriend. (Birthday's not far off, and it's for my health you know.):rolleyes:

Side Lying Leg Lift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Plank - 10 sec x 5
Single Leg Deadlift - 10 sec x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 sec x 10
Push Ups x 20

pointer28

Saturday

195 Min Bike, 72.1km, Av. Speed 22.1 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 174

A full two weeks since I've been on the bike but felt good all the same. No wind this time, but rain instead. I didn't melt though, so that's always good.

As I've missed all my bike sessions for the past two weeks, I felt it today.

pointer28

Sunday

36 Min Run, 6.0km, Pace 6.00 m/km, AHR 149, MHR 167

Had to work at 8am this morning so up at 6am for my run. Took it a bit too cautiously so a bit disappointed in my pace but I can't do anything about that now.

Totals for Week 4

Run 108 mins
Bike 195 mins

YTD Totals

Run 524 mins
Bike 1041 mins

pointer28

Monday

40 Min Run, 7.04 km, Pace 5.41 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

Warm but drizzly, so actually quite nice for running in. Went along the canal today, started off real easy and made sure to pick it up a bit after 5 minutes. I feel I was a bit too conservative on a few of my runs lately and finished with a bit too much left in the tank. So, I'm happy with my pace today.

When I finish this 16 week base building block, I plan to change over to 2 x interval sessions, 1 x tempo session and 1 x long slow run and would like to keep to 5.45 as my easy training pace.

pointer28

Tuesday

Scheduled rest day

Wednesday

Unscheduled rest day AKA too lazy to do a turbo session. Got home late from work again and couldn't face the thought of the turbo.

My hybrid is out on loan at the moment but when I get it back I think I might just do laps of the town in the early mornings (yes I have lights) or the canal towpath rather than the turbo. Skipping sessions is just going to catch up on me in the long run. On my last 3 hour spin, I really felt like my legs had lost the habit of going around in circles, as I hadn't been on the bike in 2 weeks.

Thursday

40 Min Run, 7.02 km, Pace 5.42 m/km, AHR 150, MHR 170

Wet again and surprisingly warm for 6.30 in the morning. Uneventful other than that, started easy and picked up the pace after a few minutes. This really seems to be the way to go. When I start off too hard my heart rate shoots up and I can't get it back down again.

Side Lying Leg Lift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Plank 10 secs x 5
Single Leg Deadlift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 secs x 15
Push Ups x 20
Squats x 20

pointer28

Friday

Had to work Friday night so no turbo session.

Saturday

40 Min Run, 7.14km, Pace 5.36 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

Lovely evening, cool but not too cold. Perfect running weather. Did my usual lap around the town but added a bit at the end to bring me to 40 mins. Made an effort to up the pace also.

Sunday

Work again today so that's another week with no bike sessions at all. :mad:

Totals for Week 5

Run 120 mins
Bike 0 mins

YTD Totals

Run 604 mins
Bike 1041 mins

pointer28

Monday

205 Min Bike, 72.1 km, Av Spd 21.1 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 174

More torture, I can feel my legs getting weaker every time I go out on the bike and I think it's all down to the missed short sessions during the week. It's almost as if they have lost the habit of going around in circles. My heart rate is fine due to the running but my legs are like two lumps of lead.

Right, time for a complete change of plan as I'm just not getting the bike sessions done. There are a couple of main reasons for this.

Work. I work very changeable hours and it's quite physical too so I'm often tired and in a bad mood in the evenings so in no form the the turbo which I hate at the best of times. I can't do early morning turbo sessions as the house is small and my girlfriend is still in bed.

Home life. I work 40+ weeekends of the year so herself doesn't like it when we both have a Saturday or Sunday off and I'm away on my bike. TBH she's dead right and it really isn't fair. She doesn't mind me running as it's quick and I can do it early in the morning before we go anywhere. Bike sessions seem to take up the whole day though.

I try if at all possible to never work Mondays as I often do 12 hours on a Sunday and it's all on my feet. So, the idea from now on is to do my long easy spins on Mondays, take Saturdays off to spend with herself and fit in the running and short bike sessions on the other days.

The best laid plans...........

pointer28

Tuesday

44 Min Run, 7.92km, Pace 5.33 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

Nice early morning run around the town. Felt like I kept it quite easy, but pace was faster than usual.

Wednesday

44 Min Run, 8.00km, Pace 5.30 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

Was away today at a seminar and got home at a reasonable hour so decided to do tomorrow's early morning run this evening rather than have to get up at 6am. The early mornings don't actually bother me but it means the girlfriend is also woken up before she needs to be.

I took a different canal route today which goes right through the middle of town and I couldn't get over the amount of people out running. I counted about 10 in the hour that I was out. Obviously a lot of them are still on their New Year's resolutions because if I passed them, they must be novices.

Again, it felt nice and handy but surprised myself with the pace. In one way I'm delighted to see my pace improving but I'm also conscious of overdoing it and don't want to cause myself and injury and undo all my good work. Still, if it feels good and I'm not sore, then that can't be too bad.

pointer28

Thursday

75 Min Bike, 28.4 km, Av Spd 22.7 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 160

Nice spin in the rain. The more I do I do it the more I realise it's not that bad once you wrap up well and wear the right gear. I just need to get myself a pair of overshoes and a back mudguard asap.

Must be lots of farmers spreading slurry because there's plenty of it on the roads at the moment. I haven't a problem with that and I'm all for natural fertilisers but it's not so great when it's all over a wet road.

I was feeling a little tender today after yesterday's run, nothing serious, no sharp pains, just a little achey and I think today's short spin did me the world of good and really loosened up my legs. Feel 100% better after it.

pointer28

Friday

45 Min Run, 7.95km, Pace 5.40 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

pointer28

Saturday

Was meant to be a bike day but had to go away for the day.

Sunday

Work so no bike again. But, on the plus side I did manage to get two bike days this week which is way better than I've managed for the past month.

Totals for Week 6

Run 133 mins
Bike 280 mins

YTD Totals

Run 737 mins
Bike 1321 mins

pointer28

Monday

46.5 Min Run, 7.95km, Pace 5.51 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

My usual 8km run along the canals and any hollow on the path was full of water. I was forever dodging around them and jumping over them to keep my feet dry so this interrupted my rhythm and consequently my pace.

Even though it was wet and miserable when I started, I was overheating by halfway and was quite uncomfortable. I was wearing tights, a long sleeve technical top and a windproof vest so I don't think I can wear much less. I could drop the windproof vest but I always thought it was most important to keep your chest area warm and dry.

Tuesday

Side Lying Leg Lift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Plank 10 secs x 5
Single Leg Deadlift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 secs x 15
Push Ups x 20
Squats x 20
Bicep Curls x 15 each arm
Overhead Press x 20

couerdelion

Have you thought about entering one of duathlons?

Your running is grand and it might give you more of an incentive to do the turbo sessions if you know you have a race coming up?

pointer28

Hi Couerdelion,

Thanks for the input.

I'd love to enter a duathlon and the local club are even running their own super sprint series starting this weekend but I work nearly every weekend so whenever I enter anything it means I lose a day's work which is already scarce enough. I can't even get out for club spins at the weekend and have to do all my long rides on my own, usually on weekdays. As well as that, it's another membership to pay and I'm already poorer than a church mouse.

I do agree with you though, and I think having a race to train for would help to motivate me. I was actually near Punchestown on Saturday and saw all the race signage up for the Naas Series and I would have loved to have been there even as a spectator.

However, there is a 5km race series starting locally in May on Wednesday evenings and I hope to do all of them as I intend to incorporate some speed work into my training once the initial 16 weeks are complete.

pointer28

Wednesday

44.5 Min Run, 7.69km, Pace 5.47 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 170

I usually don't mind running in drizzle or light rain but I got a proper soaking this morning. Luckily it was warm as I don't think I could handle a soaking if it was cold.

pointer28

Friday

44 Min Run, 7.95km, Pace 5.32 m/km, AHR 162, MHR 172

Absolute sufferfest, and not in any good way either. I never wanted to quit so much since the day I started running. I just wanted to keel over into the ditch but kept going until the end. I was way overheating, but was only wearing shorts and a long sleeve tee shirt. No gloves, hat, baselayer or windproof vest. I just felt like I had no energy whatsoever.

I had to work that evening and felt a tickle in my throat for a few hours. By the time I got home that night, it was getting quite sore and by Saturday morning I had a really sore throat. I was laying fibreglass insulation during the week and despite face masks and all the rest I think this sh*t has cut the throat out of me and the exercise just inflamed it and infected it.

At least I have some sort of explanation for feeling so bad. On a plus note, I'm really starting to build up my suffering threshold. :rolleyes:

thehookster

Havent had a look at your log in a while but had a look today, your doing really well, fair play. Im hoping to get back on the bike soon, been running,swimming and football lately so didnt go out on the bike at all but reading your log has me mad to get out now :-)

pointer28

Week 8 Update

Well, that's that then. Sick as a small hospital from last Friday for 5 full days. Really badly infected and sore throat and a fever. I even had Monday off, perfect day for a long spin and stayed indoors all day trying to shake it off.

I'm hardly ever sick and when I am, a day in bed usually sorts it, can't remember the last time it took 2 days, let alone 5. Anyway nearly all better now and hoping to do a few easy sessions to end this week and then back into full flow next week.

Totals for Week 8

Run 135 mins
Bike 0 mins

YTD Totals

Run 872 mins
Bike 1321 mins

pointer28

Thursday

73 Min Bike, 28.4 km, Av Spd 23.4 kmh, AHR 131, MHR 169

First day back and went for a nice easy spin in the afternoon. Got some very good news this morning relating to work so in a great mood and just had the most enjoyable spin in a long time. The sun was shining, the birds were singing etc. etc.

I thought about continuing on and turning it into a longer spin, but put on my sensible cap and turned for home as I still have a small dose on me and don't want a relapse.

Feeling really good about the whole thing now and can't wait to get stuck back into it next week. My fitness levels feel really good and whenever I got my HR up while attacking a hill or whatever it seems to be dropping back really quickly while I presume means my heart is getting fitter. However, my legs just don't have it in them at the moment, I really think it's the short weekday spins that make all the difference to my bike legs and when I miss them I haven't got the legs for the long spins.

pointer28

Sick for most of this week so only just got back for an easy spin on Thursday (post above). Between working at 5am and still feeling a bit tender, I got no run in at all, which is the first time since October that I haven't ran at least 3 times every week.

Still, I'm going to stay positive and look at it as a rest / recovery week and get back into it properly next week.

Totals for Week 9

Run 0 mins
Bike 73 mins

YTD Totals

Run 872 mins
Bike 1394 mins

pointer28

Monday 5/3/2012

71 Min Bike, 28.4 km, Av Spd 24.4 kmh, AHR 145, MHR 183

First day back proper training and went for a quick spin on the bike. Before I got sick I was getting the feeling that both my running and cycling were getting very one paced, so I decided to mix it up a bit today and get the heart pumping.

There are no climbs as such around here but a few short, sharp hills that I usually just wimp out and spin up in the easy gears. Today, I really attacked all these small hills without changing down and I also did a couple of hard intervals in the big gears when on the flat. Nothing too impressive compared to some of the guys on here, but I felt really good afterwards and might have actually accomplished something rather than just wasted miles.

Feels really good to be back at it.

pointer28

Tuesday 6/3/2010

48 Min Run, 9.30km, Pace 5.10 m/km, AHR 164, MHR 181

My first run in ten days and as this is meant to be a build week I decided to split it into 4 intervals of 12 mins run, 90 secs rest to make sure I completed it.

Holy Moly! 5.10 m/km

That's the fastest pace I have ever managed and it felt easy, no niggles, aches or pains afterwards. And yes, I did subtract 0.5km from the distance ran to allow for the 270 secs of walking I did. I think from now on that I'll make some intervals a regular part of my training.

Side Lying Leg Lift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Plank 10 secs x 5
Single Leg Deadlift 10 secs x 10 each leg
Bridge 10 secs x 15
Push Ups x 20
Squats x 20
Bicep Curls x 15 each arm
Overhead Press x 20
Honestly, I'm starting to think that my body just needed a good rest and that's why I got sick. I've never been a fit person, so all of this activity has come as a huge shock to my system. Luckily, after reading so much here and elsewhere, I knew better than to try and run through the illness and took it easy for the week.

Rotten day out though. Only a light rain, but that along with a bitter cold wind made it quite uncomfortable. This was the first time in ages that I didn't meet a single other runner on the route.

pointer28

Wednesday 7/3/2012

72 Min Bike, 29.3 km, Av Spd 24.4 kmh, AHR 135, MHR 176

Moderate breeze my b*llocks !! :rolleyes:

Never went as slow down a hill in my life but on the other hand never went as fast up one either. Very, very windy and quite sketchy at times. Kept both hands firmly on the bars at all times as it would have been very easy to end up in the ditch.

Took a different route today with a nice little climb which felt surprisingly easy considering I haven't seen any kind of a hill in months. I would have liked to push it a bit harder but the wind really was a bit scary at times. I still managed to keep my AHR higher than I usually would for my long rides and that's my intention with these short spins.

Still, a nice workout and happy I got out.

pointer28

Thursday 8/3/2012

197 Min Bike,72.1 km, Av Spd 21.9 kmh, AHR 129, MHR 166

Straight into a headwind for the first 90 mins. Pure torture. Lovely spin after that though and was tipping along at a nice easy pace and keeping my HR nice and low.

I know that the calorie readings on HR watches are meant to be very inaccurate but I use as a kind of fitness gauge and over this same exact route my average speed has increased, my average HR has decreased and my calories consumed has decreased so I presume this means I'm fitter than I used to be. :cool:

I'd love to have a nice still and sunny day to test this route and see what the figures are like.

pointer28

Friday 9/3/2012

50 Min Run, 9.60km, Pace 5.13 m/km, AHR 165, MHR 182

5 Intervals of 10 mins with 1 min rest. Super session but by christ did it hurt. I was hardly able to get out up off the couch that evening. Legs feel OK today though, a bit tired but no pain so I'm happy.

pointer28

Sunday 10/3/2012

56 Min Run, 9.34km, Pace 6.00 m/km, AHR 146, MHR 176

Because I've basically been doing nothing but tempo runs for the last 3 months, I decided to change this week and mix it up a bit. My first two runs were tempo intervals at a decent pace (for me):rolleyes: and today's run was the first time I've ever done a proper LRS (even if it was more SR than L).

I concentrated on my HR and tried to keep it as close as I could to 145 and firmly in Zone 2. I had only done intervals so far this week and no running at all last week so basically no non-stop running over 12 minutes for the last fortnight. I was really delighted with myself after this workout, it felt so easy and I felt like I could have kept going for ages.

So, I think I'm going to continue mixing it up for the next few weeks. My first 10k goal race is 4 weeks away now and I'm happy that I can manage the distance which was always my main worry. Now I'm just going to concentrate on trying to improve my pace a bit. My initial goal was just to finish the race, but now I think I should set my self a goal time of 55 minutes to work towards. This is a pace of 5.30 m/km and while it might seem laughable compared to some of the times I read on these boards, I'll be more than chuffed if I make it.

Totals for Week 10

Run 154 mins
Bike 339 mins

YTD Totals

Run 1026 mins
Bike 1733 mins

pointer28

Monday 12/3/2012

92 Min Bike, 38.72 km, Av Spd 25.5 kmh, AHR 137, MHR 173

Short bike again and made an effort to put in some intervals in the big ring and attacking some small hills. I also made an effort to ride a hill that I drove up yesterday that looked like a good climb and while it wasn't a walk in the park, I expected it to be harder so happy with that. I'll keep it in mind for a few hill repeats in the future. I'm surprised my AHR was so low, I expected it to be higher as I thought I really pushed it a few times.

Nice day out, bit of a breeze but not a patch on last week. Quite warm too, no leg warmers, skull cap or long fingered gloves for the first time in a long time.

pointer28

Tuesday 13/3/2012

68 Min Run, 10.44km, Pace 6.30 m/km, AHR 144, MHR 158

Well, that's the first 10k in the bag!

I know it wasn't my goal race yet and it was as slow as slow could be but that's exactly what I was aiming for. I had a niggle in my right knee and glute and I wanted to take it easy without missing a session. I think I actually ran off the aches that I had as I feel a lot better sitting here writing this.

pointer28

Thursday 15/3/2012

213 Min Bike, 82.75 km, Av Spd 23.3 kmh, AHR 129, MHR 170

Felt really good on this one. I even went back down the biggest hill on the route and tackled it a second time

I had a day off yesterday and I knew it today. Still up at 5am, seven days a week with lambing so massive fatigue at the moment and would love a day off. I fell like if I switched off my alarm and went to bed I mightn't wake up for a week.

pointer28

Friday 16/3/2012

40 Min Run, 8.16km, Pace 4.54 m/km, AHR 166, MHR 182

4 x 10 min Intervals with 2 min rests

Oh sweet jeebus that hurt. My proper running tops were all in the wash and all I could find was a light fleece top. Bad idea. I may as well have been running in the sauna. Horrendous. On the plus side I weighed myself before the run at 75.3 kgs and after the run at 73.6 kgs. That's 1.7 kgs of a drop in the space of an hour. Maybe I've happened onto something here.

Anyway, as much as it hurt I think it was good pain and I feel better now for it.

pointer28

Sunday 18/3/2012

52 Min Run, 8.85km, Pace 5.53 m/km, AHR 156, MHR 167

I made a real effort to keep this at a very steady HR for the entire session and I think I managed it quite well as my max HR was only 11 bpm higher than my average. Run felt good and not too fatigued at all after it. So that's one LSR, one steady session and one interval session for the week.

One bike session missed again this week but I'm so fatigued with work I really just wasn't able for it, rather than avoiding it which was the problem with the turbo sessions.

This week coming is an easy week so I'll try and slip in an extra easy bike ride to make up my figures for the month. I know this isn't recommended but I have missed a lot of sessions this month and my body is feeling good and I'm enjoying the bike.

Totals for Week 11

Run 160 mins
Bike 305 mins

YTD Totals

Run 1186 mins
Bike 2038 mins

pointer28

Monday 19/3/2012

97 Min Bike, 37.59 km, Av Spd 23.25 kmh, AHR 137, MHR 174

Very windy so average speed quite slow for the HR figures. Did some really good intervals and a great workout overall. Really enjoying the bike lately.

pointer28

Tuesday 20/3/2012

40 Min Run, 7.42km, Pace 5.23 m/km, AHR 159, MHR 176

The plan for this session was to do 8 mins easy at under 145 bpm and then step it up and do a steady 24 mins at over 160 bpm, and another 8 mins under 145 bpm at the end.

In reality, this is how it worked out

7.57 @ 143 avg bpm
24.00 @ 165 avg bpm
8.03 @ 156 avg bpm

The warm up was fine and within the limits that I set. The core session in the middle was tough but worthwhile and felt good. I found it really hard to bring my pace back down and kept speeding back up whenever I took my eyes off the watch. Anyway, it could be worse.

pointer28

Wednesday 21/3/2012

220 Min Bike, 85.8 km, Av Spd 23.4 kmh, AHR 129, MHR 176

Bit breezy but very cold. Didn't feel great, no major problems just wasn't into it. Still, more miles in the legs and avg. speed getting better.

pointer28

Thursday 22/3/2012

69 Min Run, 10.2km, Pace 6.46 m/km, AHR 145, MHR 168

These LSR's seem to be getting slower but my main problem is keeping the speed down as I find it so incredibly dull and boring. I find it easier to push myself hard for the interval sessions than to hold myself back for the easy ones.

Sunday 25/3/2012

155 Min Bike, 57.87 km, Av Spd 22.4 kmh, AHR 133, MHR 169

A rare occasion where I had a free day on a Sunday and got to go for a lovely spin with a friend. I bought my bike this time last year and this is only the second time that I've cycled with company in over 2,500 kms.

It turns out there are a few hills in Westmeath, you just have to know where to find them. No real killers but better than nothing. Really beautiful and scenic route, a little testing but one that I'll be using a lot from now on.

I took a drive with the GF this afternoon and had a bit of lunch and then went for a recon lap of the Slieve Blooms in the car. First up was the Cut followed by a lovely, twisting descent and then the Wolftrap :eek:

On second thoughts, I think I might quit the cycling and take up snooker.

Totals for Week 12

Run 109 mins
Bike 472 mins

YTD Totals

Run 1295 mins
Bike 2510 mins

couerdelion

pointer28 wrote: »

These LSR's seem to be getting slower but my main problem is keeping the speed down as I find it so incredibly dull and boring. I find it easier to push myself hard for the interval sessions than to hold myself back for the easy ones.

Training looks like it's going well for you.

Yep, LSR's are pretty boring. Have you tried listening to podcasts or audio books? I find it passes the time and makes it easier to go slow listening to the spoken word rather than having dance music encouraging me to go faster.

pointer28

Thanks Couerdelion,

Yeah, really happy with the training. Just back from a run now and feel a million dollars after it, weather helps too.

Thanks for the tip, I never thought of that. The faster music does tend to encourage to pick it up a bit too much. Any recommendations for something to listen to?