What no motivation

I have to admit my motivation is struggling a bit at the moment, it could be that I haven’t got any races planned, it could be that Xmas is just around the corner, it could be that our second child’s arrival is imminent, well what ever it is, it isn’t helping with my training.

Following, my efforts last Thursday, I have to admit I didn’t really feel like running on Friday, not that I had much time to anyway, Saturday was much the same.

Sunday, I made sure by telling Emma that I was going to run (giving no option but to), Sundays are my weekly long steady sessions (70 mins at 6:00 to 6:30 minute miling). We arranged to visit my in-laws, who live in Wickwar, so I planned my route there, basically a loop around Thornbury, up Thornbury Hill to Alveston, follow the A38 down to the Tytherington turnn off, through Tytherington and on to Wickwar, I have to admit I struggled a bit, and got to Wickwar in 1 hr 12 just under 11 miles. A bit below my target pace, I wish I went out on either Friday or Saturday, to ease my legs.

Monday, Again I didn’t really want to go out, but I didn’t have anything better to do during  my lunch break so I went round my usual loop from work that gives me a good 45 minute run, again at a steady pace. I thought I was running well, but my Garmin told me differently, alright I was under my target pace but not as quick as I hoped (I am trying to bring my target pace down bit by bit).

Tuesday, I normally meet up with the B&W squad for my efforts session on a Tuesday pm, but with that out of my plans I had to complete my efforts on my own this concern me a bit as it is quite difficult to push yourself to the limit because I normally react to the runners beside me to ensure I don’t slack. I had to keep myself motivated, I chose to use the cycle path behind Abbey Wood for my planned 5 x 1 mile efforts with 2 min recovery. I completed them averaging 5 min 25 per mile. Not bad considering I run 5 min 20 around the track.

So to today, my 9 mile recovery run, I let my head rule my heart and went out I went for a run through the Blaise estate and back to Filton, misjudged the distance and had to loop round the BAWA field to make up the mileage.

Actually, now that I have written my training exploits down, I have to think my lack of motivation was not as bad as I thought but I did have to keep on telling myself that I have to go through both mental and physical ups and downs to improve.

Its time for rest

Well after a disastrous training week last week, thankfully not through illness or injury, just other priorities and recovery from the physio session on Thursday, I finally got a training run in on Monday evening, I decided on my normal four mile loop around Thornbury, just to get my legs back into the swing of things as it were.

I followed that run by joining up with the usual Tuesday night training session, Mike and Keith changed their ideas on the session and decided to run 8 x 2min 30 efforts, I wasn’t much looking forward to this not because of the efforts just the very quick corners, in speaking to Jon Wills (who finished 5th on the previous Sundays Brighton 10k) he said that he would prefer to do a few loops on the road, so I joined up with him, and we did 2 x 4k loops averaging 6:30 min/mile in the first loop and 6:05 in the second, quick but steady enough.

Wednesday was a 6 mile lunchtime effort nothing too spectacular nice steady pace that got me round in just over 40 mins.

Today, was a easy 5 mile, with some sporadic efforts to stretch my legs ready for the weekends racing.

Now its time to rest ready for a busy Sunday. Starting with the Castle Coombe 10k in the morning followed by the the Mike Sully Trophy Mob Match on the Downs in the afternoon, then I will probably just sleep!!!

The return to training

You may have noticed but I have been doing one or two races of late, or should I say one or two too many races of late. Yes my body has do very well not to pick an injury, all bar my left ankle that is. After Sundays race I have been feeling pretty good up until I went to play basketball that is, well the playing was good so was the two mile run there  and in fact the two mile run back, I must thank Beth Evans for sorting this all out and wish her luck at Uni, but it is all her fault, my back is killing today, being 6ft 6 back pain is the worst thing ever.

So to today, I went to B&W training for the first time in a long while, I had two options, one to join in with the elite guys (and totally wreck my body) or join in with the ladies training session (less impact on the body). So that is what I did, so after a short conversation with one of the girls (Rebecca)  I acted as the pace man. The session was 8 sets of 600m with 200m recovery, Keith wanted the pace at 120 secs per 600m, so that is what I did, 8 sets later my back feeling better, the step back into training revitalising my lust for running, all in all a good day.

I have also scrapped my plans for Thursday PM, and I am planning on two longer runs, this is the kick off for my half marathon training, I plan to run home form work tomorrow afternoon, and then run back in on thursday morning, all in all an 18 mile round trip, this will then be the basis of my training, with speed sessions/races and one long effort a week, whihch will comprise of three to four mile run, followed 6 x 800m efforts, followed by another 3 - 4 mile run, and as the weeks progress, so do the number of efforts.

Yes its going to be hard, but I really want to prove to myself that I can race properly over this distance. I still have numerous races to fit in as well, with the Bridge Inn next week, Bitton 5k the week after, Avon League on the 9th Aug and Castle Coombe 10k on 16th Aug. Then there is a small break until I take a work team to the AXA 5 road race.