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You get out what you put in.
- Unknown.
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Weekly Training Blog (Apr - Jun 2011):
Sunday 25 June 2011 - Sorry folks for not posting my blog last week. Well.. Um.. 'Life' has a habit of being shaken and thrown about at times, and my life in the last couple of weeks would definitely fit this category. Therefore this blog covers both weeks, the week leading into the Brisbane 24 hour event and the week after it.
Firstly I would like to thank the race organizers, and all Sri Chinmoy members for hosting yet another wonderfully efficient and well run event. Your efforts and teamwork makes for such an enjoyable event.
Secondly I want to congratulate everyone who participated in the event and hope that they achieved the results they were hoping for. For those who did face difficulties - sometimes things just don't work right on the day. Get back to training when you can and target the next event. I look forward to running with you next time.
Congratulations to Trevor in cracking 200k again and well done to Mike who looked so methodical and strong in the final hours of the event. Well done on another great effort by John P in the 12hr, with Geoff and Bernie also running over 100k. In the 6hr event - congrats to Kerrie for another solid female performance along with and Greg and David and to 24 hour teammate Susannah who was backing up from another ultra-event just a few days earlier. Well done everyone.
Secondly I want to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who encouraged me through the event last weekend.
For a large portion of the event I was struggling and your encouragement is appreciated. Not just the spectators, crew members and Sri Chinmoy team, but also fellow runners who encouraged me every step of the way. I cherish and thank you all dearly.
The week coming into the 24hr event was full of personal and physical stresses. Stepping onto the line at Brisbane I had very little self confidence and I felt I had to approach the entire event with a 'wait and see' attitude. My intention was to set out at a pace that could conceivably attain the 100k track record, 'feel out' the legs and body system and decide whether to pursue this hard 100k or not.
The first 40k was okay, my HR and breathing pushed (utilising a 2 steps per breath strategy right from the start), but not too uncomfortable on my hips and hamstrings. Then my gluteus and hamstring niggles started to come to the fore and I was forced to shorten my gait. This mild discomfort resulting in me being a little slower than I would have liked and quickly letting us realize that today wasn't the day for that record. By 50k I found myself already tending to 'count down' the laps to 100k - Mentally not a good place to be.
I slowed considerably by about the 60k mark and with guidance from Justin on required laps time, decided to chase the 12 hour record. It was obvious to me that I was not going to be able to maintain pace required for my initial goal, so I determined the pace where both my legs and HR were working most effectively and just plugged away. This happened to be inside the pace required for the 12 hour record. I was initially determined to maintain my '2 step per breath' strategy throughout the entire event, though by 80k into the event I was hit with a tightening chest and breathing became labored. I struggled to get anywhere near my intended HR. In the end I managed a respectable 8:45:56 for my 100k which was still a PB by about 30 minutes.
I told myself that although this was not the day for a record 100k result, I knew I should be able to achieve the 12hr record set by Mary Morgan in 1994. Any record result would make me feel that I had achieved 'enough' to warrant the previous weeks stresses I had placed on my family and friends by attending this event. I drew strength and determination from this mission and plowed on. Although my body and lungs complained, I forced myself to churn out the required pace to achieve my target.
Fully expecting to stop after 12hrs, I reduced my fluid consumption to reduce the number of toilet stops and did not change into my night clothes, despite feeling cool hands and chest. Once I had dropped the 12hr measurement block I immediately slowed to a wobbly walk and continued to the start/finish line. Justin was waiting for me. He had calculated that I only needed 3:14 laps to attain the 100mile record (currently held by Margaret Smith since 1984), which considering I had been running at 2:20 - 2:30 laps seemed very slow and a reasonable suggestion. I struggled immensely over the next 30mins to keep going - at any pace. I had 'stopped' the race both mentally and physically. I was cold, sore and had started coughing. I took me 6 'very slow laps' to draw myself out of this state. I reconciled in my mind that overcoming this feeling was character building. Being able to get back to the job proves to myself (and others to a lesser degree) that I was mentally strong and could overcome adversity.
I dragged, bullied and forced my body to continue at the required pace to attain the record. Every lap my coughing seemed to get worse and my throat became sore and inflamed. Each time I passed the 100mile sign (402 laps + 134.4m), I was closer to stopping. Every lap a milestone. Finally the 100mile elapsed and I did stop.
Well that kind of officially ends the previous week, as I stopped shortly before 1am Sunday morning. I was stoked to have been able to achieve the second record - one that has been around since 1984, so wow... I am humbled and proud of this result. In the process I also broke Helen Stanger's 150km track record. I am humbled by having beaten open female track records from probably the best ever 3 long-ultra runners our country has produced.
When I stopped, my coughing fits were discolored by blood, and this alone indicated that it was definitely time to retire from the event.
Justin and I then tried to rest/sleep for 5 - 6 hrs to enable us to drive towards home later in the day. Every time I tried to lie down though, I started to cough, so after about 1hr trying to rest I got up (snuggly wrapped in my sleeping bag) socialized with all the lovely people involved in the event. Justin was amazing. After crewing for me all through the event, he then after just a few hours rest, packed up all our camp so we could make a good start on our return journey to NE Victoria. After the presentations Justin drove all the way to Gilgandra (about 9hrs). During this time I needed to stay as immobile as possible to ensure that I didn't start coughing again. My breathing was very shallow, though I seemed not to have got any worse for several hours. Although it felt like I was only utilising about 1/8th of my lung capacity i remained in control and there was no real pain. A couple of times (when I did cough) I started to feel panicky about getting enough oxygen to service my body, but as soon as I settled, I was okay. We had to make a hard choice - do we stop and seek medical assistance 1000km from home, or carefully keep going toward home. We chose home. Due to the continued breathing difficulties, Justin delivered me to our local hospital before going home on Monday 1pm. The Wangaratta hospital took good care of me. An x-ray and CT scan confirmed clogged lungs and they then wanted to find out if this was blood or infection based.
In total I spent 3 nights in hospital. They performed a bronchoscopy which confirmed that I had experience an EIPL Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage with no sign of infection and aside from the Vitamin K injection, no other direct intervention was required. The blood buildup reduced markedly and will be reabsorbed into my system. My respiratory function testing has also improved and I can now take a deep breath - Yay!
On Thursday afternoon I returned home. It was nice to be home.
Unfortunately however the saga continues - As soon as I started to walk around at home, I felt an increasing pressure/pain in the right knee cap. After an uncomfortable Thursday night and an increasingly uncomfortable Friday I found myself back in ER to determine if my right knee (yes - the other side than has been giving me trouble) had a blood clot. I'm on daily warfarin for a blood problem that I have and for the bronchoscopy to take place the doctors had to shift me to heparin. In the process of coming back onto warfarin I have to transition through three days of clexane injections and so it is during this phase that my blood can thicken and thus cause clots if not everything goes to plan. Hence the trip to the ER to be certain there wasn't a clot. Anyway, the pain was becoming excruciating. Further x-rays of the knee show a possible tear in the quad and knee, we are still yet to determine how serious this injury is. I have been sent home in a cast to stop any movement and will be visiting my GP on Monday to determine the best way to recovery from this point.
Ho Hum. Not a great report. So, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to wish me a speedy recovery. I am humbled and very appreciative of your support and warm wishes. Despite the difficulties, I remain optimistic and dedicated to stepping on the line in Wales in September in top condition.
Sunday 11 June 2011 - My energy levels have increased dramatically since starting to consume high levels of iron. Energy wise I feel much more positive that I will be able to complete 24hrs next week in Brisbane. The original target of a fast 100km might be in jeopardy though due to niggling injuries that have prevented my proper sharpening.
Unfortunately my left hamstring still continues to pull and enflame the glutes each time I run hard. Jogging at slow pace does not seem to pull…, but as soon as I try to extend the leg the irritation/inflammation and pressure in my gluteus slowly increases. I am taking a few days off running to see if I can totally settle the enflamed area and will have to make a tough decision about race strategy early next week. Cycling is comfortable on my hamstring and gluteus, so I am maintaining base fitness by cycling fairly gently. The worst part of the injury dilemma is that I am missing out on the 'sharpening' required to bring my top condition and allow an attack on a fast 100km run. So right now I'm not sure if I should target the fast 100km or concentrate on a good 24hr - assuming I can get through without injury stopping me.
I'm a bit angry and frustrated at myself for not successfully fixing this injury incidentally. It has now been about 5 weeks since I started feeling discomfort in the glutes, and really I should have been able to fix it in that timeframe.
So, although my fitness is good and I feel much better energy wise, my injury concerns are not good and I'm not psychologically prepared well for next weeks event. It reduces my confidence a bit.
Sunday 5 June 2011 - It is such a relief to have answers to my problems.
As I have mentioned in my blogs over the past few weeks I have been very tired and complaining of lethargy in my legs. I felt that the symptoms I was experiencing and lack of energy didn't correspond to my energy intake or exercise volume, so I went to my local GP and requested a heap of blood tests to identify why I was feeling so poorly. My blood results showed my red blood cell (HB), white blood count and iron levels were out of the acceptable range. My iron status: ferritin, iron, transferrin saturation were all significantly out of the normal range. Fix this and the rest of the inconsistencies should sort themselves out. Interestingly my iron levels have been low in the past (May 2010) and I managed to increase my iron status from 5 to 39 in 2 months. So this tells me that my body is capable of absorbing iron which is good. So out comes the mega doses of iron and I should be stabilising the iron soon.
I am optimistic that my general well being will improve quickly and I will be able to still compete in Bris 24hr in a couple of weeks as planned. Perhaps this setback does not bode well for a 'fast 100k' but I am not ruling anything out at this stage. This 'forced rest' is possibly the best taper for me anyway.
I still managed to cycle about 235km this week and run 76km, but I did have an extra rest day.
With the onset of feeling awful, I have nearly stopped all strength sessions (using dumbbell weights). I will still concentrate on increasing pace and lactate threshold by doing short fast high intensity training if my energy levels increase in the next few days.
Justin is feeling exhausted too, so he may well be experiencing the low iron levels too. We generally eat the same types of foods and have a similar training regime, so I would not be shocked to find that he too is currently low in iron. Like me, he has has been very low in the past according to his test results and takes a daily supplement which may not be enough.
Hoping for a good week - SHAZ
Sunday 29 May 2011 - This week started with a 70km run on the rather flat 'Rail Trail' near Wangaratta. After my long run I found that both my general energy levels coupled with the continued niggles/pain resulted in me becoming depressed, aggressive and exhausted during the week. Each run I felt as though I never got through that awful warm-up stage that we are well accustomed to as runners. As a result I had a couple of rest days on Friday and Saturday and feel much more energised and enthusiastic for the coming week. For the next couple of weeks my km's are low, but mostly higher HR sessions designed to increase my lactate threshold and increase my 'comfortable pace' prior to Brisbane 24hr. Again I am hoping to be able to run a fast 100k at Brisbane, then if I am in good enough condition, to continue on for the 12 & 24hr.
Bring on the taper – Waiting for the carb load too.
Sunday 22 May 2011 - When I look back over the distance I ran this week I think to myself "Is that all the running I did?" But then when I consider the 4 x 45min strength sessions (weights/squats/lunges etc.), 5 x 20min AB blast sessions, 3 x 5km walks (with 100m run, 50m knee high and 50m bum kicks each 1km) and over 250km of cycling I did, plus the fact that I have now been standing at my computer (instead of sitting) for the past 2 weeks, it is no wonder that my muscles are tired and fatigued. This increased emphasis on strength activities have been taking its toll on my body. I am tight and sore, which affects my ability to do good quality interval training sessions which increase my lactate threshhold - so I found out today especially! Now, with only 3 weeks to go before Brisbane 24hr where I want to try to run a strong 100k, it is time to back off the strength work, get fresh and more comfortable at running faster. I'm now back to sitting at my computer and the number of strength sessions falls to 2 this week and then no more. My final long run is tomorrow, while my pace & HR will start increasing rapidly. Well that is the plan once tomorrow's 70km long run has been completed.
Sunday 15 May 2011 - Sunday's long run (50k) from Mansfield to Mt Buller on Mother's Day was great. My recovering ankle performed well and although I needed to run very carefully avoiding any camber and I chose to have the ankle taped, I was able to 'run' basically the entire course. Last time I ran M2B (in Jan 2010) my HR average was about 5bpm higher than this time and I managed about the same pace. This was because I could run the up hills, where previously I had to walk some of them. I am getting stronger and this is a positive sign especially when needed in the latter parts of a 24 hour race. The rest of Mother's Day was great too – a great family day. Jasmine and Justin crewed for me for part of the run, and then cycled down from the top of Mt Buller leaving the car at the finish area of the M2B course. I met them at the Mansfield Bakery after I had finished. We later went out to an Indian restaurant for dinner – Talk about the perfect recovery cuisine – Yum.
Unfortunately the week took a dive from that point. I caught the cold/flu and struggled through my training. Due to exhaustion, sore gluteus and hips and general muscle fatigue I was forced to reduce the amount of cycling that was scheduled, skipped 1 x strength session and didn't even manage my full quota of running (bailed out on my 2nd x 20km session on Friday and only did 12km of it). I spent the larger part of Friday in bed after that. Thankfully I did sleep well Friday night and Saturday I got up very late for me (nearly 8am! OMG). My run felt awful and I have been a grumpy Mum. Jasmine and Justin spent Saturday afternoon together (keeping away from me) by heading off on the bikes into town for shopping, park time and general family time. I did not do my scheduled 20km cycle. Instead I spent the afternoon trying to sort out my head (AKA moodiness) by meandering around doing household chores – which was both satisfying and rather relaxing. Going to bed tonight I am a bit concerned about tomorrow's run. For the first time in a while I am not sure I will be able to manage the 50k, even though it is flat and close to home (3 x 17km loops). I'm still suffering from the flu and am a bit sore, but as always I will set off with a positive attitude and see what happens.
Week total was 151km running and 175km cycling, 3 strength sessions, 5 Abs sessions, 15km of walking (3 x 5km sessions) and 20 minutes or more of stretching every day.
Sunday 8 May 2011 - On paper it looks like I've had an easy week, but in actual fact it was pretty taxing at times. And because last weeks long run was on the Saturday and next weeks is on the Sunday (tomorrow) it means I missed out on a long run this training week. I only ran 66km, this also in part due to a sprained ankle from the Razorback run (grr to those hills) but managed 231km on the bike and a few solid strength and Abs sessions. I've also just started to incorporate slightly faster work into my training too - in preparation for Brisbane 24 hour. My plan, as it was last year, is to do a fast 100km time and then only go on if I'm feeling OK.
Tomorrow I'm planning to run up Mount Buller as that was really the start of my training when I managed near enough to 72km at Coburg in the 6 hour in 2010. After the less than ideal Launceston and Auckland 100km times recently we have decided to essentially follow that same pre-race plan from 2010 and see what happens when we get to Brisbane. With my ankle still a bit tender though and having had it taped the last couple of days I'm cautious, but also keen, ahead of that 50k up-hill run tomorrow.
Sunday 1 May 2011 - Yesterday I ran the 68km Razorback run (Wilson's Promontory replacement due to storm damage). I was 2nd place overall and first placed female with a time of 9:42:42. Dan Beard came in about 45 minutes ahead of me and Lachlan Fraser in thrid within about 5 minutes of my finish time. In previous mountainous trail runs I had struggled with the pressure and numbness in my legs that resulted in several falls that ended in injuries that forced me to DNF. The only successful trail run I had done was at Walhalla two years previous. Since then, my trail runs have been a disaster.
To make my pre-race apprehensions worse, at the end of last week my muscles were tight and sore due to the strength work I'd been doing. To combat this I did not do any strength sessions this week and even skipped a couple of the run sessions in order to relax my muscles and refocus my head prior to the event. Knowing my physical preparation was very limited I felt rather under trained for such a mountainous run.
Yes - I knew the course (covering the entire course for training), my gear was all set, I focussed my energy to be more positive, I ensured I was well rested and carb loaded and so I was as ready as I could be.
I am happy to report that I was able to finish strongly. My average HR was 150bpm and I was able to maintain this intensity and come home strongly. As a result of not enough hills training unfortunately I walked up most of the hills. The first 10k from Harrietville to the summit of Feathertop was an unrelenting climb of about 15% reaching an elevation of 1960metres. The pressure built quickly in my calf muscles and I did not want to risk moving at an intensity that would stop me running in the later stages. Once on the Razorback I was able to run and negotiated the rough terrain reasonably well. I reached the summit of Hotham in 4 hrs and eventually finished the race with an average pace of 8:31mins/km.
I did stumble on numerous occasions and actually fell 4 or 5 times. Mostly no rocks, just a bit of acrobatics and jarred ankles and/or wrists etc, but the last fall was coming down (about 5:30pace) the rocky steep single track from Feathertop in the final 6km of the event. I tripped and fell hard on my knees and right hip. OUCH!!!!. I picked myself up, wiped the blood on my cycling gloves and proceeded. The pain was awful and so I was hobbling along, cursing and spluttering in a near state of panic. I had to regain control of my fear emotions quickly, so I walked for the remainder of the km - 800m. Once I had settled down a bit so too did the pain. At the start of the next km I managed to start running again. Initially I was scared of an injury. Obviously the last thing any runner needs and being injured now would jeopardise my training for Comm Champs. Funnily enough I had been descending beautifully until this point. Each time I stumbled or even fell I forced myself not to slow down in fear of tripping again. Mentally this was my challenge. The worse the fall or stumble the harder it is to make yourself still maintain intensity when you get going again. Also, just after the Feathertop intersection (where the hut is) I had overtaken Lachlan Fraser, so when I fell over shortly after passing him I knew I needed to get going again as soon as possible to hold that second place overall. The fact that I then made a wrong turn in the last 2km and found myself at Tavare Park didn't help either. Give me a 400m track any day!
Once I had finished I soaked myself in the cold creek and later headed home for a ridiculous meal of fish & chips and pizza. REALLY BAD recovery food! For the week I ran 127km and cycled 163km. It's back to the base grind for a few weeks now and a continued focus on strength works - mainly core and upper legs / hips / glutes / adductors / quads areas.
Sunday 24 April 2011 - Tough week both physically and mentally.
After no sleep Saturday night crewing for Justin at Coburg 24hr (Yay – he covered over 200km – Go JP) and only minimal sleep Sunday night, I set out for 40k in the local mountain ranges Monday morning. Just couldn't get into that run. The spider web collisions annoyed me, I was tired and my legs felt heavy. The week did not improve until perhaps Saturday. Tuesday & Wednesday were back to back 6 - 7 training sessions each day (6 – 8hrs training including running, cycling, strength, Abs, stretching, walking), so by Thursday I felt totally drained. I could only coax my body to do ½ my scheduled hill session and felt positively wrecked with my self confidence for hill running seriously rocked. So Friday I did not do my strength session at all setting up for a good Saturday run. All week my HR versus pace splits were terrible and my calves, quads, gluteus and right leg adductors were tight and aching at times.
By 9am Saturday morning and with a fair level of trepidation, Justin, Jasmine and I made the journey back to Mt Hotham. My headspace had improved a little overnight because I decided that the Razorback Run 72k is not a 'serious event' for me, though it is a 'hard hit out' that I should enjoy as a challenge. I started to relax a bit and feel more optimistic about this training run. Thankfully the weather was perfect. Cool and sunny. Much more pleasant.
Our plan was for me to run the section of the Razorback 72k course that I didn't do due to the horrendous conditions two weeks before in the snow, while Justin and Jasmine rode the mountain bikes down Hotham and on to Bright. Jasmine is 8yrs old, so this expedition was enormous for her. Mum was a bit concerned as they set off, but not only was she able to cycle up the few steep sections of road from the Mt Loch Car Park (according to Dad) she descended effectively and they made it all the way to Bright. Woo Hoo – Go Jazzi!
My run was a lot more positive too. Being only 7 days out from the event with my muscular system not settled I took it easy most of the time. The course was Diamantina Hut to Mt Loch Car park (via Summit), Mt Loch Car park to Dibbins Hut (via Swindlers Spur), Dibbins Hut to Red Robin Mine, then Red Robin Mine to Mt Loch Car Park (via Machinery Spur) ~23k. Rather pleasant in the clear crisp conditions and by the start of Machinery Spur I felt a lot more positive out in that environment. My ankles were a little sore, gluteus, calf muscles and adductors tight and uncomfortable, but the run was enjoyable. Oh, and I'm glad we're descending Swindlers Spur next weekend, as the thought of climbing it doesn't impress me.
I am still finalising my gear selection for the event too. As with all events, Justin and I try to 'control' as many aspects as possible through our preparation. We trial options during training as well as work on targeted physical fitness to achieve the best result possible result.
With the increase in strength work, I have also increased my consumption of protein. I have done this by ensuring I have daily protein powder shakes, and continue to have iron and magnesium supplements. Thanks to Michelle and Tim, my local Sponsor at The Olive Health Foods – Wangaratta for supplying me with these products.
138km running, 202km cycling this week.
Sunday 17 April 2011 - As mentioned in my last entry I put my neck out of place about 10 days ago and made an urgent appointment to see my sports massage therapist sponsor Rick Harnwell of Australian Mind and Body. He sorted my neck out and thankfully I was able to continue to train over the weekend as I had a wreckie of the Razorback course to do! Rick has also been working on ensuring that my muscle complaints are ironed out as they occur. At times I have had hip/gluteus woes, foot arch problems and general muscle strain niggles that he has been terrific with over the last 12 months. Thanks Rick.
So far as the training goes, it was a tough week again but in a totally different way to the diet phase I'm thankfully finished with. This week I did 5 consecutive days of solid strength sessions that made my entire body feel like jelly, and then of course made running particularly uncomfortable. Quads, calf muscles, shoulders, back and hips are tight. At no stage did I try to do these strength sessions to a level that will hurt too much for the next day as I build into this phase of my training. To strengthen muscles you need to 'fatigue' the muscle, causing the muscle to change and strengthen. I know if I go too hard, I'm likely to break or injure something, thus forcing me to stop training in order to repair. Too painful, wastes time and is frustrating. We all know injuries suck. Even if I can't do all the exercises properly, I still make myself do the planned session. A half arse session is better than no session in my book. Keep in mind that if you can't do all the exercises it is probably because the 'strength' is not there and needs to be developed. Do more and do it harder as your body is able!
Although my running and cycling km's were reduced this week (both as a result of increasing strength work and Justin's Coburg 24hr - which also why this entry is late), I am happy with my training progression.
Justin did a great job at Coburg 24hr incidentally by cracking the 200km. In his previous attempts he has struggled and stopped because he couldn't digest and keep his calories going in. We all know if the calories are not going in for very long races (more than 12hrs), then you will 'hit the wall' and ultimately stop. This time however he had no upset stomach using vastly different types of food types, a revised nutrition strategy and some medical intervention over the last year. Justin's shoe/sock choice was overwhelmingly positive too which is great as blisters have been a major issue for him in the past. His Drymax socks and Reebok combo resulted in basically no blistering. Go Drymax and Reebok. Each time either Justin or I do these events we learn and refine our technique for next time. Also in training we concentrate on the areas that need developing and from this outing it seems that we are moving in the right direction.
In 2 weeks I will be participating in the Razorback 72k run that has replaced Wilson Prom run due to the washout. Last Sunday our family headed for Harrietville for a training run and course wreckie. I followed the race path from Harrietville to the Feathertop summit, then on to Diamantina Hut along the Razorback and finally out the path from Mt Loch car park to the intersection with Swindlers Spur – in the sleety snow conditions. Bloody awful experience and I was wet and frozen within the first 5km's. This experience further proves to me that I can and will tough it out come race time though. And I am also confident of the course and look forward to the challenge in two weeks hopefully in much better conditions.
Running = 106km, Cycling = 162km this week.
Sunday 10 April 2011- After 5 x 200km running weeks it was time to take a step back this week. My weight has been 50.x kg every day for the last week and so I'm very happy that I'm starting to settle into a good training place. Right now, apart from a slightly sore neck, I'm feeling pretty good. I know I'm not as strong as I could be and so we are moving my training into a phase where I will be doing some strength or Abs work (or both) on a daily basis in conjunction with reduced running volume.
A good test will come tomorrow when I'm planning to do a solid run in the Alps over some of the Razorback course. I'll be doing the 72km race there in a few weeks instead of Wilson's Prom 100km which has been cancelled for 2011 due to a land slide over the main access road.
So for the week I finished with 105km of running, 250km of cycling and 20km of solid walking (4 x 5km sessions). Incidentally Justin and I are starting to alter our walks a bit by running the first 100m of each kilometer and then at the 500m mark of each kilometer we are "sprinting" knee lifts and bum kicks each for 50m. It makes a big difference and compliments our stretching and strength works well.
Sunday 3 April 2011- Yipee!!!!! Diet is over. Saturday morning I reached my low minimum weight goal – You know the one we all set for ourselves! "If I reach "X" kg once, then the diet is over" target. I made this about 1kg lighter than the 'general weight' I want to maintain as an athlete - for now at least. Each week during the diet phase (and previously each month) we have been tracking my body fat% using two pinch test formula, each utilising different skin fold sites. According to both of these formulas I am under 11.5% body-fat. I am now happy to slowly settle in around 12% and review this later down the track. So back to normal eating habits – still very healthy and calorie conscious, but not trying to be in deficit to lose weight. Over the past 5 weeks I have run over 1000km and cycled over 1000km. At times it's been very tough, but hopefully the rewards will come later in the year.
Justin and Jasmine have been very supportive and I thank them for their understanding and encouragement in the tougher times. Just a note though: each time I go through a diet phase it is becoming easier to tolerate and do what is necessary to maintain discipline.
But now the real "training" begins, back to the mantra of
• Fitter
• Faster
• Stronger
• Leaner
Obviously I have been working on the Leaner and Fitter one over the last 5 weeks, and so now the balance changes to strengthening whilst maintaining my fitness and remaining Lean. Strength sessions, hill reps and tempo sessions will increase, as will stretching, walk training and cycling. All of this is focused in the longer term toward the 24 hour Commonwealth Champs in September in Wales. |
