It's called interval training. Sneaky things, intervals. They look manageable enough. Enticing, even. But! Gadzooks, I never realised different parts of the same muscle group could form a guerilla corp and mount surprise attacks with such savagery.
Still, I achieved what I set out to do, at least the "minimum" target for the day, and feel bloody good about it now.
And as soon as I'm out of traction I'll go for a slow easy...
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:Now I understand torture...
It's called interval training. Sneaky things, intervals. They look manageable enough. Enticing, even. But! Gadzooks, I never realised different parts of the same muscle group could form a guerilla corp and mount surprise attacks with such savagery.
Still, I achieved what I set out to do, at least the "minimum" target for the day, and feel bloody good about it now.
And as soon as I'm out of traction I'll go for a slow easy...
Yeah, but feelin' good
MLC Man is back from the wilderness!
Good man. I'm in a very similar position. To be honest though, I think this period is relatively easy and enjoyable because we're feeling so enthusiastic and excited. It's the bit that follows this phase that's the real challenge. I was going to talk about this in today's entry (to come after my first 'long run' of the campaign), so I won't say much more at this stage.
But anyway, yes, intervals. Not something I've ever done much of, though I always say I will, and always feel I should. I need to learn how to run up hills, which is by definition a form of interval training. They are knackering, it's true, but I guess that's the whole point.
One question -- what is your training based on? Are you following a schedule, or just making it up as you go along? (I don't mean that to sound dismissive. It may well be that you need to make it up simply because you have an unusual goal and there probably isn't a specific plan out there that is perfect for your circumstances).
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
andy Wrote:Good man. I'm in a very similar position. To be honest though, I think this period is relatively easy and enjoyable because we're feeling so enthusiastic and excited.
Undoubtedly there is an element of that, although I am not really holding back. What I am finding immensely enjoyable is getting in a fair swag of hard training without the usual knee and shin problems. Race walking is darn hard work, but much less stressful on the body. So far anyway
andy Wrote:One question -- what is your training based on? Are you following a schedule, or just making it up as you go along?
A fair question. Because it's an unusual race, being all uphill, I am having to feel my way somewhat, but essentially I'm doing six sessions a week - 4 x 60 minute hill slogs, 1 less hilly interval session and one long slow gentle hill session.
The race is only a few weeks away (Nov 26th) and the main thing for me is to slowly ramp up the speed over the coming weeks. I'll increase the speed of the hill slogs by up to 5% each week, increase the number of intervals each session and lengthen the long slowy also. Not exactly rocket science but should do the trick. Realistically, increasing my speed by 5% every week may be asking too much, but there's enough time to increase my newbie speed significantly I think, without risking injury, to something vaguely satisfactory . I've been pretty good about putting in a helluva lot of walking even during my running injuries over the last couple of years, so thus far I'm not having any problems. It's mostly a case of building strength and developing technique - the speed should then look after itself. The distance I already know I can cover, even uphill.
Of course I may yet have to eat my own words as I've done before, but if I never lay it out on the table, I'll always have a cop out, so there you are. Thus far it's immensely enjoyable and I'll give it a fair crack.
[INDENT]I was going to talk about this in today's entry (to come after my first 'long run' of the campaign), so I won't say much more at this stage.[/INDENT]
The run today was terrible. So bad that I had to drink some beer for the first time in 3 weeks.
My extended sulk may not allow me to write anything about it today.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
In contrast to our highly steamed leader, I had a good long 'un today - two hours of steady hill climb safely banked. I learned a lot from this one. Er, for instance, that I need to carry more isotonic stuff with me than I thought; that the treadmill does an auto-shut down after 100 minutes (grrr); and that after two hours of hill climb, there is a tendancy to fall flat on one's face when disembarking from the treadmilll onto level ground...:o
It may be wishful thinking, but I'm pretty sure that the flab is beginning to melt away from my tum. I think this dedicated hill climbing may be the best thing I've done this year. I'll keep you posted.
Here's something from my fridge that'll get you to the top of Mount Wellington.
On the left, Urquell...top Czech beer and on the right Cusqueña, a Peruvian collector's item. And the big man in the middle doesn't really need introducing.....
Bierzo Baggie Wrote:Here's something from my fridge that'll get you to the top of Mount Wellington.
On the left, Urquell...top Czech beer and on the right Cusqueña, a Peruvian collector's item. And the big man in the middle doesn't really need introducing.....
Good man BB! The Judas is definitely a beer for post-race celebrations rather than pre-race training. Do share your thoughts about the Cusqueña. Is this one of those beers you drink with lime (or lemon if you come from the funny areas)? I've never seen it here.
Motivation also came today in the form of two co-workers who both told me I was "mad" for attempting the Point to Pinnacle. Which made this evening's training session all the sweeter. I must be mad, because I'm actually relishing these masochistic torture trials - I figure the more it hurts now, the less difficult it must be when I actually get on the mountain.
And one of the other great things about race walking is that I don't need a rest day between training. Not so far, anyhow.
And then there's all that beer to look forward to. In fact I'm keeping a Judas aside for post-race. And probably "one or two" others as well.
This is really heart-warming stuff my upside-down amigo.
What's even better than your return to competition is the fact we get an alternative training blog to follow.
These run-walk chappies are hardy fellows - I encountered one at the Henfield Half last month, and he was motoring I can tell you. Looked like a large duck on amphetamines, but then I'm hardly one to point out eccentric styles . . . (lopes off in an ungainly, leaning-tower-of-pizza gait).
Back from the wilds of China at last.
Reports and pics to follow . . . after I've wallowed in the Ryder Cup highlights for a few hours
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Training continues to go well. My first week yielded 38km of hill climbing with no niggles or soreness to speak of. In fact I am beginning to wonder if the hill work is actually doing my feet and knees a favour. Hill climb race walking is bloody tough on the toes especially, and these little blighters were giving me the heebies prior to commencing this training, but are thus far trouble-free.
Both my parents suffered from osteo-arthritis and swore that activity "lubricated" the affected joints and kept them going, so I guess it could well be doing me more good than harm also. And the knees certainly seem happy enough - no jarring from running, and the hill climbing does wonders for muscle tone, thus further reducing stress.
Only into my second week but have hit my first "plateau", with my 60 minute sessions being too bloody tough to consider ramping them up quite yet. But no matter, I can feeling it doing me wonders.
Today I drove the race route to suss out the tricky bits. It's basically a race of two halves, with the first 10 kms very manageable, but thereafter you're on the mountain proper and it gets very arduous indeed at times. Kilometres 16 - 20 are utter bastards, at gradients of 9 - 10%, and only a slight levelling off for the final 1.4 km. So I'm under no illusions that this will be incredibly hard to accomplish in a good time (whatever that may be).
The race is also infamous for being extremely windy on the upper slopes. Some years it is so strong they abandon the climb altogether and turn it into an out and back course, which rather defeats the purpose really. Today on the summit I was greeted with 70kmh winds, gusting much higher, which would be virtually impossible to race in I would think. Hopefully race day will be less dramatic.
Ironically, someone gave me a copy of Anthony Hopkin's "The Fastest Indian" (great flick). Very inspiring, but I was exceedingly jealous of those dead flat salt plains.
Well I say that, but really I love hills. No really I do. Hey stop that.... no I don't want to go in the van again..............
Far from the torture session of last week, this week's interval session was brilliant! I'm totally stoked in upping the count from 4 last week, to 10 x 3 minute sprint sessions today, and I did it very comfortably. If I was in a pub I'd shout the bar I'm that chuffed!
After a night of broken sleep (does anybody else wake up in the middle of the night thinking about immigration policy or is it just me?), and an unbelievably frantic day at work, I arrived home dog tired, dehydrated, under-nourished and looking forward to a 60 minute treadmill session about as much as a colonoscopy. In fact the colonoscopy looked preferable to be honest.
But I did it anyway (the treadly session, not the colonoscopy). And did it bloody fantastically too - another ripper inverse law day.
Err . . . would that be a choice between pre-natal crisis and post-mortem crisis? The former is bound to feature in the Daily Scaremonger - sorry, Mail, and as for the latter . . . well, you wouldn't really care, would you?
As for what's happeing to our Upside-down comrade, I think he's discovering the bizarre laws that afflict most of us mortal wannabe athletes; lack of sleep combined with over-indulgence equals PB performance.
QED!
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
I was more thinking that, as this diary has suddenly become a beacon of startling optimism (and long may your success continue, MLCM), maybe it should be renamed something like Mid Life Renaissance Man.
marathondan Wrote:...this diary has suddenly become a beacon of startling optimism...
Wow, I've never been called a beacon of startling optimism before! However it must be true, because I had yet another bitch of a session yesterday and again got through in flying colours woo hoo
Indeed I'd have to say this is the best period of training I've ever had... only two weeks on, but already I've covered a heap of territory, encompassing lots of hard hilly kms and even interval sessions, and not as much as a cramp to slow me down. I think it's working because I've finally found something my body can physically cope with, and got myself a major, but achieveable goal to aim for. And it's working a treat. I've increased my speed, strength and endurance all significantly since starting, and making slight adjustments to my training schedule as I go, so that it should be just right for getting me up that mountain in good time eight weeks from now.
Just got one long slowie to do tonight and then I take two compulsory rest days (gotta fly to Sydney for a family wedding). I've only had one rest day in two weeks, so these will be good for me.
I've become not so much a "the glass is half-full" kind of guy, as a "it don't matter coz there's plenty more in the fridge" kind of person.
Well I'm still working off some of that bacon, but tonight's two and a half hour long 'un should help a bit. That completes week two of serious training... the week yielding a further 45 kms (100% uphill!). And I'm feeling pretty damn good. Tonight's session was quite comfortably done, although I'm feeling pretty weary now (although that might be the Hoegaarden Grand Cru I rewarded myself with).
I reckon Andy's right - I've found the right level for me and am thoroughly enjoying making the most of it. Which isn't to say I don't harbour ambitions of upping the tempo to full blown running again. But I'll get through this race first and then see about including some running in the training schedule after that.
For the moment however, I'm as happy as a man living between a brewery and a bacon factory
Off for two days R&R (actually a wedding) in Sydney ... catch you all when I get back.
Ta ra then.
[SIZE="1"]P.S. Stillwaddler, I'm also belatedly toasting your FLM success with the Hoegaarden GC ... hopefully one day we can share a couple![/SIZE]
September...
