Sleep on Cross Training

The good thing about owning a bike and a pair of speedos is that when your ham string decides to blow it self up, and you still want to train, then you can no problems.

Following the decision to ignore a mild dose of DOMS on Mon, Tue and Wed, the body decided to make its own decision to take a rest via imposing a small hamstring strain (niggle), no big deal in the grander scheme of things, but a lesson I should know by now.

Public Note to Self: Dont be an idiot and abuse your body when trying to train.
(now I feel better)

So some running was replaced with 14ks of swimming and 3 bikes rides totalling 140ks last week in order to rest left hammy. Its good to have arms tired as opposed to just legs. I must admit I really enjoyed being a triathlete again this week.

Notable runs: 6 x 6min efforts on Wed out faulco-point(where left hammy goes out on strike in protest)
Swims: Saturday, 4.5k swim @ HR, main set: 15x200s on 3mins, ave b/w 2m40s- 2m27s/per 200m (use to be able to hold this set on 2mins40secs)
Ride: Saturday in rain to richmond, turf farms, penrith, lappo, home: 80k
weight 70k, run 70k, total time training 15+ hours

Sleep quoting Self Pity poems

While you may be entirely happy with a race (given what you know intellectually about your body, its recovery, your training, conditioning, race prep, timing, periodisation, carb-loading, the F.I.T.T principle, the possum that woke you up etc) we all have Egos that rarely accord with any logic or reason.

Take for example Saturdays Willy to Billie run. I was extremely happy with the run and the time given ceteris-paribus (Latin for 'all other things remaining equal’). But, another part of you hates being beaten (your ego), regardless of some 16th century proverb by a Latin economist.

Or maybe it’s just that I had run much harder than I was planning on Saturday just to keep up with the Greyhound Alex (due to my ego), and my legs are severely suffering now as a result.

Well, the only thing I have to say about ego-centred self pity is better quoted by my favourite poem (it may even be a haiku) titled: SELF PITY that you may recognise from a scene in the movie 'G.I Jane' featuring Demi Moore.

SELF PITY
by DH Lawrence

I never saw a wild thing,
feel sorry for it self,
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough,
without ever having felt sorry for it self.


Week:
Mon: swim 2.2k, run 13k
Tues: run 10k, run 16k (4x6mins effort to max, hilly trails)
Wed: swim 2k
Thur: run 10 hilly, run 17k (4.5x 6mins effort to max, hilly trails)
Fri: swim 2.5k, run 5k
Sat: 35k hard hills (Willie to Billie, 2h14m)
Sun: ride 40k, swim 1.5k

Totals: swim: 8.2k, run: 105k, bike: 40k
Magpie attacks: 1
BMMC Pizza nights at club house: 1
Blogpost: 1
Weight: 71k
Weeks to race: 7
Days in the week: 7

OK I will stop counting random things now

First week back: easy

A good routine building first week back, with all but one session completed (Sunday’s easy swim or run missed due to BMMC commitments).

First tempo run back was a very ugly experience on Thursday arvo, with a 20min effort on the trail almost killing me, as I blew off some cob webs.
Saturday morning was a pleasant run in Nat Park out to Nepean L.O with Rod the Hornet and Sailaway, as pre-arranged by Scam and Dr Phil (who both disappeared after 30mins).

Sunday was another glorious Blue Mtns late Winter morning run from Glen to Wood with the Gargermiester. Strangely enough including what has to be a top 3 run time: 37 mins to Oaks, 62 to Helipad, for an accumulated 1hr52mins 9 seconds to Woodford.
Weekly totals: 103k run, 4.5k swim, 45mins bike (RPM class)

Looking fwd to an easy run over the Willie to Billie this weekend, and to Mr G’s show down with the Sleep trains better half, actually better three quarters.

Note: if you are an affiliate BMMC member, actual BMMC member, run in the W2Bille, or just interested in talking running this Sunday night, then you must attend the W2Billie post race Pizza Night at Victorias Restaurant, Warrimoo. Pizza starts 6:30pm. - $15 per head. (Sunday not Saturday night). See you there

Next Race: LDMRC - October

After the Swine Flu aftermath of the M7 Marathon, including 2 weeks recovery from this cruel cruel disease, it’s time to get back into training for Race 3 of 2009 – the World Long Distance Mtn Running Champions in Austria on October 10.

Now only 8 weeks away, it’s funny to be focussing on a race I didn’t even know existed until January this year when Angela B told me about it on our Australia Day run over 6 foot track. I guess Austria will be as nice a place to go as any!

So next week it is back onto the holy trails and hills of God’s Country (the Blue Mtns) for my beloved hills, none of this running around in a 400m circle anymore, just lung busting vertical-ness.

Anyway, may attempt a photo diary next week for the kids at home.

PS thanks for all the entertainment while I was sick with “Sleep Train the Next Deek” thread on Cool Running – its kept me very entertained.

Why someone would be so interested in starting a thread about me every time I race I’m not sure – but it’s good to have groupies out there and it’s a form of flattery I guess.