Training 1st - 22nd January 2012

1st Jan: 72 mins in pouring rain - 9 miles
2nd Jan: Rest Day - had planned on attending Altrincham session but hip was sore after yesterday's run
3rd Jan: Tempo session, very windy & hilly route: 2miles (14.38), 2min jog, 2miles (15.08), 2min jog, 1mile (~7.30, stopwatch on the blink) - 8 miles total
4th Jan: am 38min run round Hale Barns - 5miles, pm Spinning session
5th Jan: am 39min run round Hale Barns - 5miles, pm S&C session at Altrincham inc. 8x100m strides - 4miles
6th Jan: Rest
7th Jan: Shropshire County XC Champs, 8th - 8 miles
8th Jan: Long easy run from Shifnal with Nellie & Johnny - 10.5 miles
(week = 40.5 miles)

9th Jan: 1 mile swim
10th Jan: Altrincham grass session: 1x2km, 1x1500m, 2x1km, 2x500m - super hard session! 6miles
11th Jan: am 38min run round Hale Barns - 5miles, pm Spinning session - worked really hard
12th Jan: 12x300m off 1min recovery, great session 58-61 seconds, finishing in 55. 5miles
13th Jan: 55min run from work, legs tired 8miles
14th Jan: Rest Day
15th Jan: Manchester XC League, Stockport - running well in 14th feeling good when had to stop with stomach cramps
(week = 32 miles)

16th Jan: 1 mile swim - felt much better than last week, more comfortable in the water
17th Jan: Aborted Altrincham session, struggled with stomach ache again and jogged for ages - 6miles
18th Jan: Spinning - worked hard to make up for last night, coughing during the day but no ill effects on bike
19th Jan: am 3mile run - attempted 5mile run failed when stomach ache kicked in again
20th Jan: Rest due to cough - lost my voice
21st Jan: Rest due to cough - lost my voice
22nd Jan: Easy 45min run to test legs out and not push heart rate high. Followed up with 150 sit ups and 50 press ups - 5miles.
(week = 14 miles)

2 excellent weeks of solid training before stomach cramps / cough curtailed week 3 of 2012.

Depsite the illness, the new training regime seems to be working well - I was surprised to manage such an excellent session on 12th Jan, feeling really strong and legs moving well despite struggling to walk up the stairs that morning. I was feeling really fit for the Manchester XC League and was absolutely gutted to have to stop - I was walking for a while hoping it would ease off, but no luck! Ah well, plenty more races this year and hopefully having taken a couple of days off with a cough I've recovered enough to attack the next week of training and race well at the Midlands XC Champs next Saturday.