Sunday 26 February 2017

168 hours

Four training sessions completed this week as I fight my way back to fitness.  The turbo sessions were uneventful, just a sweat fest!  The runs on the other hand were on muddy trails with puddles and sometimes pools of water to wade through - that was the fun part.
Chatelherault on Saturday saw me dropped by the group as they shot off at a pace I wasn't capable of staying with.  But fortunately I was accompanied by Matt who is training from some extreme ultras this season and this was his easy slow week.  I struggled most of the way round and eventually told him to run ahead as I wanted to walk more to get my breath back and heart rate down.  Over coffee afterwards everyone was complaining that they felt they weren't at full fitness but these were the same people who dropped me at the beginning.  Action was required.
Today I headed out with my coach Genevieve for a 10k trail run at a different and difficult trail with plenty of sharp inclines.  It wasn't fast but my breathing eventually got more under control and we agreed now was the time to implement the structured training plan because my training has been haphazard at best.  So tomorrow I will be back on  the Training Peaks app where she will set the sessions and monitor them online - just the kick up the arse I needed.
There are 168 hours in a week and if I work 60 hours (which I don't know) and sleep 56 then I have 52 spare hours in the week.  Even at the max training I was doing for Ironman last year that was 14 hours a week so I will be able to fit this in.  Built up properly I will come out of "hibernation" and feel the benefit of regular structured training.  It's good to have a plan and to be held accountable.  Normal business is being restored!