Tuesday 13 August 2013

Nothing like a deadline...

Since the realization it's six weeks to Richmond, my exercise regime has moved up several gears. And last night, that meant track training at Paddington Recreation Ground.

As I'm told frequently by my physio friend, plodding is not going to get me anywhere fast. To increase fitness or speed, you need strength work (hence the Power Pump class on Sunday) and high intensity training (which I was hoping Paddington would provide).

Listening to the pre-session talk gave me the proper fear. In a nutshell, be aware of faster runners or end up track roadkill. However, once up and running (pun intended) it was fantastic. The session went like this:

6 x 500-metres (at 80% capacity) interspersed with 100-metre walk recovery

4 x 200-metre sprints with 200-metre jog/walk recovery

Warm-up and warm-downs.

I got a bit overexcited during the 200-metres and nearly popped a calf muscle. In fact, they were both like rocks when I got home. A bit of massage seems to have helped and I'll have a go on the foam roller later.

It's easy to see how doing this a couple of times a week could increase your fitness, but the main point being it's just really fun to run really fast - even if the latter is relative.

(Stats: 500 metres - 225 seconds; 200 metres - 45 seconds: Bolt need not fear just yet.)

(Pic: Muscles need protein. Hooray for the English summer.)

Sunday 11 August 2013

Book club

If you're looking for a great book to read on holiday (or on the tube), this one is brilliant:

Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn

(Stats: read it in about four days - couldn't put it down.)

6 weeks today...

In spite of running only three times in the past month, I am confident of achieving a personal best at the imminent Richmond half. Call it denial (or dementia) but I think if I spend the next six weeks immersed in fitness, I can beat my previous PB - and maybe even come in under two hours. Bulls horns were grasped yesterday when I not only did the parkrun 5k, but also booked in for a power pump exercise class. I need to get very strong, very quickly and a few tricep dips while the kettle boils is no longer enough. I'd hoped a recent trip to Crete would kick start the regime, but all it kick started was an all-inclusive binge-fest. On the plus side, I am carbo-loaded up for the next year.

(Stats: 3.1 miles; 29.09; 9.24 minute/mile - which would translate into a half-marathon time of approximately 122 minutes (which would be a PB?! Perhaps I've done my sums wrong.))

(Pic: Not running in Agia Pelagia.)