Aching Legs

Roadrunners has turned a bit brutal in the last couple of weeks... As we move into autumn the distance we are doing is going up, as apparently races over the winter months tend to be longer. We've been handed into the care of a new trainer, who apparently does over 100 miles running a week! At the moment I'm impressed if I clock up over 20 by comparison...

We have 6 weeks of his routines, followed by another 6 weeks of cross-country training. Last nights session was vicious;

1. Do a 2 mile run at a good pace (6.40min miles for me)
   
2. Do 3-4 sets of 8 laps of track (2 miles), and 3 minute rest at 10k pace (about 1.36min laps)
   
3. Die

I managed 3 and a half of the reps...I could have probably finished the fourth one, however I would have been the only guy left at the track. It's a bad sign when your track session is longer than your long run, and it's a big eye-opener that I need to start upping my mileage. I'm currently doing about 7-8 miles on a Monday, and about 5 on Friday. I think I need to start adding to both of these, with a final aim of 14-15 on Monday and 7-8 on Friday...at least! Add that to the equivalent of 9-10 at Roadrunner, and I'll be over 30 miles a week at least...still short of the 40 that most people recommend, but far better than currently.

The big issue is that the Friday run is probably going to have to be before work, and I'm not exactly the best morning person in the world. I'm trying to get into the habit of doing a 1 hour workout on Friday morning before work, however I'm moving buildings next week, and won't have a gym in the office anymore, which means getting my arse to Rivers, and working out there instead. On the plus side the changing rooms are better there!

If I can manage to fit in Fridays morning session it gives me the potential to add in other morning sessions, and hopefully start breaking me out of my early-doors lethargy...

Horse-based Hilarity

OK, the modern Paentathlon is possibly the most inspired event at the olympics!.

Lets take a bunch of people who have probably never even seen a horse before, pair them up randomly with a feisty equine, and then make them showjump. the end result...?

Carnage!

Times Change...

Someone has just forwarded me an email conversation from 2006, just before I started going to the gym...

The gym thing is actually a plan to give me more time, as I've sort of hit a critical threshold of un-healthiness where I feel tired all the time.

Look on the bright side...tomorrow I'll be doing my first formal exercise in about 20 years...I'll probably start bleeding from the eyes or something...

You wouldn't believe how much that sort of thing scares me...I was shown round the place on Monday, and half the equipment looks like torture equipment. The treadmills seemed to be going way too quickly for my liking.

I've picked a gym out of town and everything just to make sure I don't bump into anyone I know...

My (tentative) plan is to go straight after work 2 nights a week, then once at the weekend. I imagine each visit will last 5-10 minutes before I collapse, and get a free trip in an ambulance...

By comparison, I've trained for the last 5 days straight, with plans to train tonight and tomorrow as well. I now feel bad if I don't train for more than a couple of days!

Obscure Sports Quarterly...

I love the Olympics. You'll never see archery televised anywhere else, outside of films about men in green tights. I also love the BBC, who'se iPlayer allows me to watch it live on a laptop right now, at work. As I type this, serious men in big sunglasses are showing that target who's boss (It's Korea vs China).

I can't wait for London 2012... realistically I'll never get another chance to see the olympics, and to have it on my doorstep, and give me the chance to pick and choose what I want to go and see is amazing. I'll get to wave a union jack and cheer like a loon for a few weeks!

Ooh...its getting tense, China are coming back on Korea! There's also some (rather mainstream) rowing on, however I think that the UK teams are already through on that one, so may have to hold with the Team Archery!

Finishing touches

The rest of the bonus was spent this weekend pretty much. On Saturday we went round the various garden centres in and about Reading, and managed to hunt down some decent garden furniture. I've ended up with a large wooden table, 4 armchairs and a large blue parasol. Alongside that there is a blue charcoal barbecue (gas is cheating!), and covers for winter/bad weather. We also picked up a lawnmower, some lighting for the parasol, and a couple of nick-knacks (including the biggest drill bit you've ever seen, so that I could put some drainage holes in). We had the added bonus that the DIY centres scanner didn't seem to work properly, so some items were not picked up...ooh!

Saturday evening we had friends round for dinner, so I spent a couple of hours constructing everything, before doing a Nigella chicken (bacon and brandy, though I don't really think the brandy added much). The weather held off, so we were able to enjoy "drinks on the deck" before eating inside, and subjecting them to Carcassonne :-D Gill whipped up a dessert of yogurts, fruit and crunchie which went down a treat as well!

Sunday was a trip to Ikea...the weather on the way was miserable (I was on the bike, as we'd worked out that once we'd bought the bookcases Gill wanted there would be no space left for me in the car). Once there a short recharge on Swedish meatballs (which are delicious!), and then a wander round the show floor. I had only planned on getting a whiteboard, and maybe something for the bathroom, but also ended up getting some draws for my shelves, a counter-top lighting system for the kitchen, as well as some new cups, a couple of bins, and lots of ideas for another visit...oh dear.

Sunday evening was installing the lighting system. It's almost done, just need to drill a hole in a wall to put the power cable through, and its done. Looks great when its on, well chuffed with it!