Charging Ahead

It's easy to tell I'm getting back towards full training without even looking at my training diary - in our house you can tell just by looking at the washing basket. Weekly washes are a thing of the past once more as the never ending pile of muddy running kit demands regular attention! Back in July I was looking at all my running kit thinking I had too much, that it was taking up too much space, that there was no way I could ever need all this...and then this week reminded me just how many sports bras, shorts, t-shirts, long sleeve tops, rain jackets, 3/4 length tights, long tights, thermal layers, compression layers, winter jackets it is possible to need as a runner in one week!

Oh how happy I am to get back training just as the weather turns.

Seriously though, I am very happy to be back training on a more normal schedule! I would say I'm being sensible, but I'm really charging ahead and trying to do everything I can without overdoing it. And I did have to have a serious word with myself when I was planning to go to the gym on Saturday as a "rest day" and then remembered that this doesn't really count as a rest day when I'm intending to use the cross-trainer, rowing machine and swim!

Monday - Gym: cross-trainer, rowing machine and a lovely long swim. First swim since injury that's been pain-free so I made the most of it!

Tuesday - 5.5 mile run including 4 x 30sec strides. My first attempt at getting the legs going faster...they managed it, but it was a slow run home after.

Wednesday am - 21 min bike. I'm currently watching my DVD of 2012 Tour de France so the length of my bike rides are affected by waiting to the end of a stage!

Wednesday pm - 4.5 mile run. A little tired towards the end.

Thursday - My first session! 4 x 1km off 2min recovery. I honestly don't know what I was thinking...ok, I was thinking I really want to be able to do this and a few months ago this would have been really easy. I clocked vaguely respectable 3.40's for my reps but pretty much crawled home afterwards and spent a romantic evening in with the foam roller

Friday am - 30 min bike. This was going to be a 25 min bike, but I was enjoying Wiggo's final time trial too much!

Friday pm - Easy 30 min run

Saturday - REST.

Sunday - 8.5 mile long run. After last week's 6+ mile run had been quite a struggle I was really surprised to find myself a mile from home and already over 7 miles, without too much difficulty. Progress!

Total - 27.5 miles

This week looks a lot like a respectable week of training. Certainly not as many miles or hard sessions as I hope to be doing in a month or so, but I managed some strides, an actual km interval session and a decent length long run. And to treat myself for the good week's training I ordered some new XC spikes from Sportsshoes.com - the Nike Zoom Waffle XC 10. Last season's spikes were completely destroyed during the National XC up in Sunderland. I actually took the time to wash the snow and mud off, instead of chucking them in the bin, only to discover they were seriously ripped and falling apart. I blame the race, not the spikes though so I've ordered another pair for this season. These promise "optimal water shedding benefits" - which will definitely be needed if the weather of the last week is any indication of the sort of Winter we're in for!

So new spikes on their way and just under 2 weeks now till my first XC race of the season - North Staffs XC at Winsford. I'm hoping this won't be too much for my recovering injury as it's only 5km and I have it on good authority that it's a flat firm course round some playing fields. It's going to be tough, but I've got to start somewhere and after so long off it feels really good to be planning races again!