Week 2 Training, 1/2 term

I work in a school so the holidays are a great excuse to get some quality training in every 6 weeks or so. Last weeks training went really well so I had high hopes for this week, what with not having to rush about as much. The week started well, TRI247 ran an article on Meet the Outlaws, featuring me.

Ok here's how the training went;


MONDAY
PLAN Endurance Swim- 55 lengths
Went to the pool for 9 am, but it was adult Learners so I went to do my shopping first.I bought chocs and a card for valentines for my hubby who was about to leave for work (he works away most of the week)I thought I'd put them in the car for a surprise and it was. I set the car alarm off.
At 10am I went for my swim, when I did my plan I had forgotten that odd numbered lengths would leave me at the far end of the pool so I changed to 56 lengths. I was the only one in the pool for about 10 mins, it was wonderful. I crawled through the water for about 20 mins then I checked my Poolmate, 44 lengths it said so I started to count the last few. When I count I count there and back as 1 then double up later. By now there were a few other distractions in the pool and I managed to lose count, and therefore ended up swimming 58 lengths.
PLAN Interval bike 40 min inc 8x 20sec sprint
To save time I went on the turbo so that I could get to the hospital to visit mum.
This sounds such an easy session but it is really hard, or I find it hard. Covered the equivalent of 13.72 miles so happy about that.

TUESDAY
PLAN Easy run 5 miles
Tuesday is Running club day, which means I can rest a bit until 18:30. I spent the day on 36 bus to and from Leeds and visiting mum This is a 6 hour round trip.
I got home from Leeds and took Jed our Border Terrier out for his walk before heading out to running club. There were not as many as usual at club so my group was just 2 others and myself, we had a really nice chilled and chatty run of 6.54 miles.

WEDNESDAY
PLAN Rest
I had booked a meal out with hubby for Saturday night so I thought I'd re jig the plan a bit. As mum was transferred through to Harrogate last night I could cycle through to see her then run on Saturday and have Sunday off.
Plan* Endurance bike 50 miles
I packed a rucksack and wrapped up warm to face the elements for an hour or a few. It was dry but windy so I decided to leave my road bike at home and ride this one

Hubby bought me this bike many years ago, before I had taken up running. It was a cheap bike from motor world and it is really heavy, but it does the job for getting me about in winter.
You forget how good it is to be out and about when you've been stuck inside on the turbo. It was a lovely sunny day and I saw field of reindeer, 3 red kites and some squirrels, the bad bit was the wind, it was blowing a gale making cycling very tiring.

The road was closed between Burton Leonard and Staveley so I went by Skelton on Ure to Boroughbridge and then to Knaresborough to get to Harrogate 16.8 miles in total.
After visiting Mum I set off back and detoured through a few villages on the way home to bring my daily total up to 41,1 miles, a bit short of target but it was getting tough and I needed to be at the Red Triangle Drama group.

THURSDAY
PLAN Running Club Training
I had a sports massage booked in Harrogate at 11:00, I really needed this as my hips and shoulders are giving me a bit of grief.
Libby spent most of the hour on my left shoulder which has been bothering me ever since started swimming and cycling late 2010.
I then visited Mum at the hospital she is improving from the brain haemorrhage slowly, but its still improvement.
Because Libby had spent so long on my upper body I felt it was ok to push myself a bit at training.
Ian our coach led us all around the houses, literally on an interval session that covered 5.1 miles.


FRIDAY
PLAN Easy bike 45 mins
Decided to get this done before I went for my swim, and to do the missing 9 miles from Wednesdays bike. Quite a good session, done on the turbo totalling 24.23 miles.

PLAN Endurance swim 169 lengths 2.4 miles
I planned to swim the equivalent of the Outlaw swim distance, just so that in my head I know that I can cover the distance and This was a good day to try it as I had the time and the pool was open 09:00-16:00. I got to the pool and realised that I'd left my Poolmate at home so would have to count the 168 lengths.
I was also trying a new nose clip to try and avoid the days of sinus congestion and pain that normally follows a swim in the pool. The clip was uncomfortable and made me feel as if my head would explode, still I got on with the swim. counting each time I got to the shallow end, I got to 21 and thought 1/4 of the way and started counting again, at 21 the 2nd time I needed a wee and it was becoming a distraction so I counted another 8 shallow ends, that made 100 lengths so it was a good time to nip out to the loo it was a blessing to remove the nose clip for a few moments. I got back in and thought to myself I will go for 1 mile (36) there and backs as I had lost count a couple of times earlier, as I approached the mile I thought I would keep going to 40 there and backs to make double sure that I'd covered enough distance. 180 lengths of a 25 yd pool equals 2.5 miles. Job done, furthest I've ever swum and in 1 hr 45 min it was quick enough for outlaw. Oh boy my shoulder was sore.

SATURDAY
PLAN 18 mile long slow run
Shoulder was sore and quads tired, but at least my sinuses were ok. Day 10 without a rest and it was showing.
I set off and within 2 miles knew it was not good, I just did not feel comfortable and the wind was strong blowing me around and I was getting soaked, just not nice, I thought "if I can manage 6 miles it will mean I've trained 100 this week, so I focused on 6 and headed of road for a change of scenery. At 7 I promised myself that I would have a little walk, but by then I was on the route of the Ripon tri run and was reliving last July, I couldnt walk now. Again as I approached 10 I thought If I can make 10 then I'll head home, but as I cot to 10 I figured I may as well do a half marathon, and headed up to the back of the golf course because this gave me alot of route options, once 13 was done I decided to head out to Little Harries lane, where I met some Ripon Runners, I said how I was struggling, the conditions were awful, wet, windy and slippery mud. When i left them it must have given me a boost because as I got to the end of the lane it was 16 miles and I thought I've come this far I may as well do the last 2, and they were the best miles of the whole run.
Its not the first time i've had to talk myself through a run and I'm sure that I'll have to do it at Outlaw . When a run is hard like that the tricks I use are; Lie to myself, promising a walk then not doing it and breaking the run down into smaller distances like, just another 3 mile or just to that bridge etc rather than I am going out to run 18 miles which is daunting,. I also try and make myself laugh or smile when negative thoughts enter my head but one of the best tools is to imagine I am in a race where I have felt good and strong and it gets the run done.

SUNDAY
PLAN Rest
Ahh! at last

This weeks totals are
112 miles over 14 hours and 9 workouts, burning 11156 calories