Bring On The Carb. Loading....
First clip this week is a weird one but clever, you will see what I mean, I guess we all know how the "guy" feels!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CQ5AKaEi3U
Hope you can see the association! My song of the week goes to;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4ditCW2TiA If anyone has an idea for the next song just e-mail it in, I am running out of ideas here..............!
This week saw training go well again. Out the other side no apparent injuries and now starting to get excited and nervous. My training was up on last week as I took a couple of days off for good behaviour from my Peel jolly, although up on last week, still down from my peak of 62 miles the week before. Total at the moment stands at 30.20 miles with another 5 to 10 total to do before Sunday. So without speeds or times my week went something like this,
Monday 5.15 miles, Tuesday 10.52 miles, Wed. 14.51 miles, Thur. day off, Today will do a steady 5 miles at Parish pace, Saturday will be NSC and a swim with the kids so no walking and Sun. will be my last speed session and I am thinking a timed 10k with an odd hill or 2 ,not around Saddlestone!
As you can see still some miles in there but nothing like what I have been doing. I am almost feeling guilty about the decrease in training in terms of workload etc. Don't get me wrong, I am not totally insane but I do feel like I am almost under training... which I hasten to point out is one of the principals to tapering at this stage, whether it is a walking or running programme. At this stage in anyones training it is too late to get any real gains in terms of strength, speed, stamina or endurance. In fact, more harm than good can come from trying to cram in things at the last moment. What's done is done, it doesn't matter now. If you feel anything is missing from your training don't just wish it there, make a note of it somewhere and then, when you come to train for the next race whatever it may be, work on that particular point first. As I wrote many posts ago, learn from your mistakes, you can still gain positives from negatives- I hope this makes sense?!
On a personal note I would like to say that I am now approaching my 8th week with not even a single glass of wine to my account, I don't think I have ever gone through a TT without touching a drop, but at this stage I am really pleased that I have managed to keep to the strategy and I now have an even bigger incentive to get to that finish line. One of the main reasons I have stopped all alcohol from 10 weeks prior to the race was weight. I am 6 foot 3 give or take. I have spent most of my days doing weight training in some form or another. When I entered the Parish last year I had lost about 6 lbs in weight from the walking I had done prior to the race. I entered the race a t appx. 14 stone 10lbs that was a healthy weight considering my bodyfat was 11 %. Most of my training has been with people who are around 10 to 12 stone and are quick. I knew that if I wanted to make a real go at improving then I had to try and drop a few more pounds. My goal was to drop a stone and go into the race at appx. 13 stone 10lb, well I have managed it and a bit more- weight now 13 stone 6 with bodyfat at 9%. Anyone reading this amateur or professional will know how hard it is to have the discipline to do something like this especially as those who know me know that I have a relatively clean diet anyway. Some may be reading this and wonder why I am being so open and personal. Simple, I set out to do this blog as honestly and openly as I could to give anyone reading it an idea of what sort of things are involved with the type of preperations etc with an event like this. I now only hope that all this hard work to this point has been worth it.
Next week is going to be simple. A gym session, and 3x 1 hour walks with an easy 10 to 15 mile cycle. Nothing else. I am continuing to wipe the feet with surgical spirit and just putting the final bits and pieces together for my expedition!!! So for now not much else, key thoughts still have to be avoiding anyone with germs and trying to stay injury free. As for the race itself, I know that I have done as much as I can and I just hope it has been enough. que sera, sera!
