The hills

Oryx

Monday:
Circuit class. The usual stuff, were on the 2nd week of the hard/harder/hardest wave. Am teachers pet as I get my own heavier weights on each station. Worked pretty hard, but the stations were well balanced, and I didnt get pooped like I do sometimes.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Half hour on the treadmill, 5.39k. Didnt even try to go hard, I hate the thing. Then kb swings & dls, pushups (with handles) chins, get ups with 12kg (woeful) crunches, lying pullups.

Wednesday:
Got physio on my calves. One got needles inserted to make the muscles spasm. Its supposed to release the tightness, but feels now like I got beaten with a bat.

Oryx

Thursday:
Out for an easy run, to see how my stiff legs are. Did maybe 3.5 miles, not sure, half an hour. Legs were stiff at first, but eased out quickly. Was mostly on grass, which was fine, the footpaths I felt in my calves more.

More physio- bloody needles - today. Yum.

Oryx

Jeez. I havent updated this all week.

Sunday:
LSR. Did 9.9 miles, in an hour and twenty, but that doesnt include stopping to cadge some water from a mate and of course, having to be polite and chat. Was nice, but by the end my legs were tired.
10mins spinning on bike afterwards.

Monday:
Circuits. Hard bloody class. For the first time, in the middle I thought 'I wanna go home'. But got through it and felt grand afterwards. Bit stiff on Tues tho.

Tuesday:
3 mile tready run. Easy. 27 mins. Then get ups, push ups, few weights, but nothing too strenous, as I was already stiff.

Wednesday:
No training yet. Physio. Painful but felt much better -looser- afterwards.

Oryx

Thursday:
Up early for a run. 7.8k, 40 mins approx. Felt rotten going out, all the bits I had battered yesterday hurt like hell. But after about 10-15 mins I got into it and got to that hypnotic stage where you forget you're running.
Did stretches including ones Ive been given for the sacral(?) joint after. God but I'm stiff.

Oryx

Friday:
Weight night while watching reruns of Mock the Week.
Pushups using handles x10, lunges x16, lying pullups x8, squats x10, deadlifts x10, kb swings x10, getups x3 each side, windmills x3 each side, crunches mixed x60. 3 sets of all that, then one 5 minute attack at chinups. Not good, am losing strength with them.

Saturday:
Short run, 6.2k or so (usual short route), 31mins. Faster than normal but felt good. LSR tomorrow pg so saving distance for that.

Oryx

Sunday:
LSR. 9.9 miles, 85 minutes. Went ok. Was tired at the end though, more than normal.

Monday:
Circuit class. Not so intense as last week, but challenging enough. I get heavier weights than the rest now, cos Im teachers pet.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Was meant to be girlie weight night, but I couldnt train. Did ten minutes on the bike and five on the rower, but realised I had nothing to give. Im pooped. Im just logging this here as a record so I know when to pull back and rest next time.

Wednesday:
Physio session. Went well, its getting less painful and more like therapy than torture.

Thursday:
One short run to loosen up my legs. Still have feck all energy. This does not bode well for tg at the weekend, but from now till then Im doing nothing, and I can only hope that whatever is up with me I will have had time to recover from.

Oryx

Just completed Tough Guy Mark 2 in Wolverhampton on Sunday. The better, longer, harder, faster, but warmer, summer version.

Very physically tough, as its longer, but no real cold to deal with. Got through it fine, was much stronger than the first one, and finished with a smile on my face in 3 hours 1 minute. Laughed all the way through execept for the slalom which was hell.

Now what shall I do next???????

Oryx

God it felt strange taking a few days rest. Im exhausted, but twitchy at the same time.

Saturday:
Nice easy run to see how my legs are. 6.2k, 33mins. Still feeling residual tiredness, or it could be I only hit the bed at half one and was up again at seven.

Oryx

Had mild flu on Sunday. So no long run.

Monday:
Did 30mins on treadmill and 30mins on bike. Was afraid to venture out cos weather was lousy and wasnt sure Id be ok after bein sick yesterday. But was alright. Will have lazy day otherwise, and try and get stuck in proper later in the week.

And I signed up for winter tough guy again. Even tho all the way around the summer one i swore never again.. I must have somethin wrong with my brain

Oryx

Tuesday:
Easy going weights session with 5 mins on rower and 10 mins on tready. Not on form, so didnt do much.

Wednesday:
Out for my middling run, 5 miles. 44 mins. Not fast, but felt nice.

Thursday:
Rest. Trying to be sensible about this.

Friday:
Out for same run as Weds, 42 mins. Felt hard!! I presume Ill be a while getting speed back again, but at least Im doing it, and fingers xd, injury free.

celestial

Oryx wrote: »

Just completed Tough Guy Mark 2 in Wolverhampton on Sunday. The better, longer, harder, faster, but warmer, summer version.

Very physically tough, as its longer, but no real cold to deal with. Got through it fine, was much stronger than the first one, and finished with a smile on my face in 3 hours 1 minute. Laughed all the way through execept for the slalom which was hell.

Now what shall I do next???????

Hey Oryx,

I hear a bit about these Tough Guy type events now and then, but they all seem to be in the UK. Are there any Irish equivalents?

Oryx

celestial wrote: »

Hey Oryx,

I hear a bit about these Tough Guy type events now and then, but they all seem to be in the UK. Are there any Irish equivalents?

Theres only one Tough Guy, held in Wolverhampton. There are other events in the UK such as the Grim, Ballbuster, but I havent done any others. Not sure if we do such extreme events as tg here, its an insurers nightmare (my travel insurance co lolled down the phone when I asked was I covered) but Gaelforcewest is one I'm looking at for next year, as its another one of those 'big challenge' things, though with regular cycling and running rather than mud and hypothermia. There are other events Ive heard vague rumblings about, extreme hillclimbs etc, but havent looked into. This is my first year training.

Oryx

Friday (again):
Physio session. God it hurt. Apparently my body is still carrying a lot of damage and stress from tg. Particularly my quads. Thatll be the hill climbs then.

Saturday:
Going easy on the legs running wise today cos hope to do a lsr tomorrow. So 30 mins moderate on the static bike. 10km resist 4.

Oryx

Sunday:
9 mile lsr. Had hoped to do more but it aint in the tank yet. 1hr 10 mins.

Tuesday:
4 mile run. Felt ok, nice and sunny, no problems 33 mins.

Oryx

Tuesday pm:
Girlie night. Kept it easy. Just ten mins on xtrainer and an a variety of sit ups kb swings, pushups. Not killing it cos am trying to focus more on the running right now.

Oryx

Wednesday:
Got out in the evening for a 3.5 mile run. Just a toddle around.

Saturday:
Frank Duffy 10 mile run. 1.18 mins. Kinda happy with the time, woulda like to go a bit harder, but was making it an enjoyable run, have done enough pain these days.

Sunday:
30 mins on static bike. Legs are a bit stiff.

Monday:
4 mile run, 33 mins. My usual short route. Felt lovely after the first few mins warm up were over with.

Legs are still a bit stiff in the calves today though.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Very easygoing girlie weight night. Did about an hour of mixed bits and bobs.

Did intend going out this morning but it was pelting down, and I couldnt face getting that wet today . So hopefully will get out later.

Oryx

Been away on my hols, nahnahnanahnah....:D so havent updated here in ages. This is what I can remember I did.

Wednesday 19th Aug:
Short run, maybe 3.5 miles. Under 30 mins

Friday 21st Aug:
4 mile run, 30 something minutes. Early morning...

Sunday 23th Aug:
Hot early morning run in Tenerife.:D No idea of distance, half an hour or so.

Tuesday 25th Aug:
Another hot run, half hour, sweaty.

Saturday 29th
Back to wet ol Ireland. 10k race in Kilmore. 46.30 minutes. Had a dicky tummy in the morning, so happy with that pace.

Monday 31st
Early run, 7.8k, 38/39 minutes, a pb for that route, I think.

Also swam everyday for a week while I was away, my shoulders still ache.

Oryx

Tuesday:
Girls night. Did rower, then various weights, kb swings, lunges, pushups. Am horrifically out of practice. Today, Thursday, my legs still ache from this.

Thursday:
Out for a run, somewhere between 12 and 13k, steady pace, with a few strides sections. Very hilly coming back with the wind in my face, horrible. Just shy of 65 minutes. Took an ice bath afterwards, as its supposed to help my legs stop seizing up. Holy sh!t. Not just cold but actually painful. Have to say though, felt brill when I got out.

Oryx

Friday:
Just over an hour of weights and such. Lunges, kb swings, deadlifts, bench press, pushups, crunches and a few auld stretches.

Saturday:
6K approx run. (Usual short route). 32 mins. Found it hard going, but ho hum. Tis done.

Hopefully lsr tomorrow. Watch this space.

Oryx

Sunday:
2 hour run, checked the mileage today, 13.25. Not long enough by half. Pretty consistent 9 minute miles though. Plan a longer one next week, try and rack up the mileage a bit.

Monday:
Circuit class, 45mins hard going, but I love it.
Followed by.... Half hour kettle bell class. I expect to ache for the rest of the week.

Oryx

Little or no aching, after all. I dont know whether thats good or bad.

Tuesday:
Girlie night. Bike, xtrainer, kettlebell, the usual. I tend not to go mad on Tuesdays anymore, because Im tired from the previous days workout.

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday:
I cannot believe I got up at half six so I could get in an hours run before work. If anyone hadve told me last year this is what Id be at, Idve laughed at them.
6.65miles, 53/4 mins. Enjoyable, plodding, no stress run.

Oryx

Friday:
Up early again. Out at ten past seven, did a short run today, four miles, 33 mins. Nice fresh morning, I prefer this cooler weather to the heat of summer, its much nicer to run.

Oryx

Saturday:
Another early one. Out with a friend this time. She runs just marginally slower than me (for now) which made for a really pleasant jog for me. But shes gaining fast, at the rate she is improving in a few weeks she'll be dragging me around after her. 8k, 45 mins, finishing up with a long hard sprint for me.

Oryx

Sunday:
I took a rest today, didnt run. I think Ive only done that twice in the last year. Felt odd. Will have to do my lsr in the week.

Monday:
Circuits and kb class. Hour and a half total, but very high intensity in short sharp bursts. I love it, and felt great after. Wonder if Im supposed to feel tired??

Oryx

I finally quit fanny-assing about and entered Dublin Marathon. Im not aiming for a time, Im just going to plod along and see if I finish it. With all Ive been doing this year, I couldnt keep to the training plan over in A/R/T, and it put too much pressure on me and wrecked my head.

So, I thought about it, and a) I want to make use of all the training Ive done, and b) It was my initial aim when I set up this blog. I just got too wrapped up in times.

I havent done enough lsrs. I can only hope Ive enough in my legs anyway.

Oryx

Tuesday: (late)
Treadmill run. 7k.

Wednesday: (early)
Outdoorsy run, 6.2k. 34mins. Started grumpy and tired, but ended happy at a sprint.

Oryx

Thursday:
Very short run. 20 mins, not sure of distance, 2.5+ miles. Cos the evenings are cooler, and have that hint of autumn, my asthma is kicking off so had to come in early. No inhaler. Im a plank.