Training Log Archive: Jon X

Morning stretching, this was more like it, fashionably late.

Morning run, set off with Rosco and we agreed that we would be taking it easier than the day before.

Then in the first kilometre a succession of annoying kids with headphones came past at high speed.......then they didn't really pull away.......then when we caught the first of them up again he speeded up and wouldn't let us past...........so we speeded up a bit, passed them all by the 2km mark. and disappeared off ahead for the rest of the run. Very mature of us I thought.

Somehow this run was slower than the day before for me but quicker for Rosco, a tactical error by me on the timing somewhere I feel....

9am straight after morning run, well ready for brekkie by the end of it.

Last year's dream team were reunited with the same diplomatastic end result. We could have been threatened by the last starters from "do you d'liver" but as it turned out, we were infinitely better than them......

C • Egg throwing 1

High stress high expectations high intensity high heart rate high blood pressure bolas tournament, again with Elle after we lost to the Germans in the semi-final last year, never a good way for an Englishman to lose.

Round robin tournament not a knockout this year. Just as well. We lost our first match. We were 3-0 down in our second match. Then we came up with some dastardly tactics to save the day and never looked back, a glorious triumph at last - high time!

Stretch and relax class, the perfect build up to the next activity.....

...the Club La Santa 2km Rowing Challenge!

Only five entrants - me, Rosco, Lard, Elle and James. The inevitable ridiculous starting speed saw Lard fall in and drown after just 200m. I was the early leader but was about to lose my lead when I came off the seat anyway. Janine and then Andy Mitchell took over from Lard. Rosco was leading but being chased by James. Then I thought I would catch James. Then he put on a spurt at the end so I didn't. But Rosco had it covered and took the win. And Andy came from nowhere to beat both James and me, dammit!

Tough work rowing that hard with technique that bad, sore afterwards!

Watched Gerard's Amazing Magic in the square in the evening. It was amazing. We liked it.

Morning stretching, made it again!

Morning run again, after gentle first kilometre Rosco semed pretty keen to stride out and I was feeling pretty good too so joined him, felt in a much better rhythym running today.

Generally better at this than last year, did have a little trouble in the middle during the pairs exercices, Penny and Elspeth were leading the way with the synchronised giggling and it was every so slightly infectious....

Stayed out after fitball and did the yoga class that followed, got quite into it and liked the guy's sense of humour, almost fell asleep good and proper in the relaxation at the end.

Went out for a "gentle" MTB session with Lard, Skyhigh, Rosco and Elle. I really am rubbish at this when it gets too narrow or too bumpy and Lard certainly found some stuff like that to take us over. Luckily Rosco is not much better at it than me and so I didn't get left behind.

Got more competent at it as we went on and enjoyed the ride, some great views and scenery at the coast and some nice sandy tracks to descend in amongst all the rocky stuff. As well as getting out more on my road bike, maybe I should buy a mountain bike....

Found some of this hard work, there was one exercise in there which was a total killer for the ITBs, plus I am a pathetic puny weakling so struggled with the tricky exercises which involve holding a bar up or outwards for any length of time - I am much better at propping one up!

Last year I stayed in bed until the very last moment before the morning run each day - this year a combination of i) ankle and achilles ailments needing to be warmed up and ii) nagging from Toni O'D meant that I paid an inaugural visit to the poolside stretching at 8am.

Even the simple co-ordination required for some of the stretching was a little beyond me but at least I could see James W struggling with it too!

Morning run with the 5k group, might have gone a little slower but there was some keen 50ish Danish woman doing it and my ego was obviously too fragile to allow her to finish ahead of me....

Out on the road bikes with Skyhigh, Rosco, Andy S and Dave C. Really enjoyed this, some great fun speedy descents (scary stray dogs apart) and couldn't restrain myself from pushing the pace a bit on the climb from Yaiza to Timanfaya, felt good.

A few stops to read the map and decide route etc but mostly going at a good pace. To borrow a phrase I use every year on my return, I really must get out on my road bike at home more often......

6 holes of mini-golf with MC, Dave C and Lard. Manage to salvage the situation on the sixth and final hole to avoid a disastrous defeat....

Class started at 5pm and there was a chilly old wind, it was freezing by the end, MC was virtually blue with cold!

D-Day....or rather CLS-Day.....at last.

Always important to start a holiday well rested so finished packing around 3am and started the posse-gathering drive at 6am. Remembered to pack lots of ibuprofen as my ankle was looking rather larger than it should.

Got to La Santa in good time to settle in with a lovely ridge run. Except I couldn't do it of course. Went to a spinning class instead, have never been to one before. Found it a bit dull to be honest although apparently the classes later in the week were a bit more vibrant, should give it another chance sometime.

Great to be back at CLS though, and great to see the sun!!

This time tomorrow I will be in a cramped seat on an almost bust (i hope still only almost!) charter airline with an over-priced under-flavoured meal watching a trashy film that did badly at the box office.

Can't wait!

Abandoned tasks undone at work and dashed up to night race, Rosco was similarly late and so we legged it to the start together, got in sight just as the posse all set off....

......so started behind the rest and set off briskly up the hill in pursuit. Spotted there was some gaffling. Spotted the first few people running off from the area of #1. Failed to spot that Jack and Abi and Hazel and some others had all headed to #5 not #1 so went there too.

Back to #1 and then back past #5 even though it was nowhere near the route to #2. Nice running across the golf course to #2 although shouldn't have been approaching from that direction. #3 was on a fence corner so managed to find it. Approached #4 and saw Abi leaving, couldn't see the flag so went to second crag, came back to find and somehow to catch Rosco up at the same time.

Headed off towards #5 (again!) contouring across the slope. Turned my ankle, stumbled, turned it much worse. Eventually jogged on for 20secs but it was getting worse not better, prefer it when those two are the other way round.

Walked back a bit sorry for myself, annoyed not to be running the rest as the forest was in great condition for racing, and pretty concerned about La Santa prospects (hubris/nemesis perhaps, I am sure my friends Miranda and Nicola would say so). Ice and ibuprofen later it seems possible, although not yet probable, that it will be okay on even surfaces at least, fingers crossed it is not too swollen in the morning!

FFS.

C • Ankle 3

FVO intervals, 6 x 4mins with 1 min recovery.

Wasn't too sure about doing these with the state of my achilles/calves (well in fact physio suggested not doing at all.....). Took the first one steady, and did every second one a bit harder, plus a bonus fast lap at the end of rep three....
1st one (926m) with Abii
2nd one (1070m) with Pete Buchanan from Ochils
3rd one (882m) one lap with Abii, stopped to talk to Dixie about his injury, one lap with Rosco (quite a speedy lap!)
4th one (1130m) between Rosco and Bradc
5th one (881m) with Janine
6th one (1090m) with Pete B and Ron

Warm up and down plus drills plus comedy sprints although didn't do all of the sprints.

Then off to see Dave C's photos of his epic Greenland expedition, amazing scenery and a pretty full on trip by the looks of it!

Not long until the rather different scenery of Lanzarote now!

Fewer and fewer days remain......less than three days to go....

FVO Pilates plus circuits warmup/down

FVO circuits. Took it steady this week and missed out the back curls, tried to stretch out ITB instead. Achilles and calf still troublesome but just about coping with hopping and step-ups etc.