The Hangover

Normally I’d have one of those after St Patrick’s day, a wonderful excuse to drink much Guinness in an attempt to win more Guinness themed tat. It’s also a good time to try and make it on to the Guinness’ marketing list. Now normally this would be something to avoid but Guiness really do send out the coolest stuff. I’ve previously received personalised beermats, an ‘ickle Christmas tree to grow and inflatable beer trays. Tat perhaps, but cool tat.

Anyway, I  didn’t go out, I went to class then finished an essay, then got up early this morning and did yet more crunches and arms.  I’m going to try and fit a run in tomorrow, which is very much dependent on what Sean is planning, which is difficult to divine when he doesn’t answer text messages.

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Second verse, same as the first

..and tomorrow is a rest day, hu-f’cking-rah!

I’ll still be up at daft o’clock but for an early meeting with someone other than Davina.

So today was a repeat of yesterday, many crunches and core work, then arms, then a blast into work – a whole 6 seconds fast than yesterday and then less than a blast back. Obviously my decision to take a day off has angered the gods and in particular the gods of traffic lights. I think I hit every single red it was possible to have on my chosen route. Guess it counts as interval work.

Still no word from Sean, or indeed Fi. I cam only assume that they are working their respective socks off and are too busy to update this week.

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Spring hath sprung

Finally it seems to be a bit warmer and lighter, which made it a bit, though not much, easier to get up and do yet more abs and arm work this morning before jumping on the bike and pedalling to work.

The newly pumped up tyres went like a dream, either that or a mere two weeks of exercise has made a hell of a difference. I knocked about six minutes off my previous ride time in to the office and this was despite the top of Holland Park avenue being snarled. Normally this wouldn’t matter too much but the sunshine has brought out all the fair weather bikers who haven’t got the bottle to cycle in-between stationary traffic, nor the wherewithal to get out of the bloody way of those that do. Bike computer reckons I did 5.53 miles in 27 mins and 17 seconds. iMapMyFitness thinks I did less about 5.38 in around 34 minutes. This is not surprising, the bike computer only works when I’ve moving, the iPhone app just keeps going until I hit stop. It also seems to think I took pretty much the most direct route in, regardless of any buildings or railway lines that might have prevented such a feat. The one good thing is that it showed the elevation and I now know for certain that I lovely long steady climb to look forward to on the way home.

I hope the sunny weather is shining on Sean as he messes about on the river and that he doesn’t have to call out the rescue boat as he did when we went for a pootle round Falmouth Harbour many years ago.

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Kerry – 12th March

Another Friday, well the second Friday, and another early morning with my mate Davina. I’ve also had the realisation that while my current routine is adequate for getting my inital fitness levels up, I’m really going to have to up the ante in another two to four weeks.

Prob lis I’m not quite sure how to do this. There is a local running club but they meet on Wednesdays, which are school nights until July. I am half tempted to give Brit Mil Fit another go, even though they helped break my medial ligament last year, that would involve even earlier mornings  but would help increase fitness levels dramatically – nothing like a hairy-arse ex-bootneck shouting at you to make you work that bit harder.

If anyone has any other suggestions, then feel free to chip in.

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Sean – 11th March

Saucony flash C2 trainers now come with the official Sean Gaffney seal of approval. Yes, I managed to narrowly dodge failure for another year on my fitness test. The test appears to be getting harder year on year and although this year my lungs weren’t fit to burst when I pulled out, I had definately run out of speed, maybe I should try and reduce my weight from 19.5 stone, to something alittle more suited to doing 20 metre shuttle runs to an constantly increasing tempo.

Suitable impressed with the ease (ish) with which I passed the test, I jumped on my bike and cycled back to work for a well earned coffee and to while away an hour, until it was time to go back to the gym for ccts.

Oh what a mistake that was, the cct was a simple 3 stance cct. stance 1, Squats
stance 2, mixed press ups and abs, stance 3, 20 metre shuttle run with sand bags (Winner!!!!)

20 seconds per stance, 3 times through. Very heavy on the legs today, luckily there was no need to cycle home.

Now tomorrow is a 2 hours spinning session..Do I cycle in? or use the luxury that is Mrs Gs Toy car?

Sean – 9th March

Huzzah! First day on the new bike and my beautiful wife’s expenditure instantly paid dividends. The ride time into work (The short route as I couldn’t be arsed getting up on time) was reduced by 7 minutes (including some rather splendid tracking down and over taking of other cyclists, never been able to do that on Halford’s finest collapsed star mountain bike). The much feared Mudford Hill, on the cycle home, no-longer fills me with dread and the fervent wish that I had a much larger lung capacity. So with new bike firmly clasped between thighs, I adopted the arse up head down stance that Sunday cyclists are so keen of and I managed to knock a very healthy 10 minutes off the ride home.

Now that my cycle time is reduced, does this mean that I am not getting the benefit of the journey I once was? My exercise time has now effectively been reduced by 20 minutes per day, assuming that (a) I get up in time to cycle the full 8’5 miles to work and don’t take the short route and (b) that I knock the same 10 minutes off on the run into work as i did on the cycle home.

Should I train hard in order to fight easy? Work harder on the cycle home on the old bike so I can reap the rewards later on? (Like feck!  The Cannondale F6 officially rocks.  The old bike is now demoted to being the camp tramp and will only be used for running me to and from the gym whilst I am at work.

Unfortunately I can’t give a report on the performance of the Saucony Flash C2 as cct training today was a boxing style cct,.devoid of any running. Obviously if there had have been any running I would have been the fastest as I had the newest trainers (yes that’s how it works) The only thing I will say is that the gym need to invest in some new skipping ropes as the one I used didn’t work….Pahh!

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Kerry – 9th March

Strangely having one day off made it harder to get out of bed this morning. However haul ass I did and spent another enjoyable hour of crunches, reverse crunches.press ups, planks, bicep curls, lat raises and various other weight-type things.

I’ve got tomorrow off to finish* an essay but I’m planning to fit in a run first thing.

I’ve also just been told that there was a six week tough guy by three-time winner Vito Graffagnino. It’s not available online but some very kind soul has transcribed it.

So this is what we need to be doing as of 15th June.

Week 1

Mon Core Stability for 20 minutes
Tues Off Road running at level 4 for 30-60 minutes
Wed Indoor bike intervals: 1km at level 4 followed by 1km at level 8. Do this three times
Thurs  Upper-body training for 30 minutes
Fri Rest
Sat  Hill intervals in the threadmill. Run on an incline at level 8 for 750m, then at level 2 for 750m. Do this four times.
Sun  Swim at level 4 for 30 minutes

Week 2

Mon  Lower-body training for 30 minutes
Tues Off Road hill run at level 6 for 30-60 minutes
Wed Cycle at level 4 for 40 minutes
Thurs Core Stability for 20 minutes
Fri Rest
Sat Hill intervals in the threadmill. Run on an incline at level 8 for 750m, then at level 2 for 750m. Do this four times.
Sun  Off Road run at level 6 for 60 minutes

Week 3

Mon  Upper-body training for 30 minutes
Tues  Off-road run including hills at level 7 for 60 minutes
Wed  Indoor bike intervals: 1km at level 4 followed by 1km at level 8. Do this four times
Thurs  Rest
Fri  Gym Circuit training. Alternate between upper and lower-body moves and use high reps.
Sat  Swim (front crawl) at level 5 for 20 minutes. Run at level 6 for 40 minutes.Rest and have a light meal between these sessions.
Sun  Hill intervals in the threadmill. Run on an incline at level 8 for 750m, then at level 2 for 750m. Do this five times.

Week 4

Mon
Tues Indoor bike intervals: 1km at level 4 followed by 1km at level 8. Do this five times. Core stability for 20 minutes.
Wed Run at level 6 for 40 minutes.
Thurs Recovery rowing machine at level 4 for 25 minutes
Fri Off road running at level 7 for 60-90 minutes. If possible choose a woodland route with rocky paths.
Sat  Rest
Sun  Off road hill reps: run up a hill, then jog back down to recover before running up again. Do this 10 times.

Week 5

Mon  Upper-body training for 30 minutes
Tues Off road run including hills at level 6 for 60 minutes
Wed Indoor bike intervals: 1km at level 4 followed by 1km at level 8. Do this five times.
Thurs Swim front crawl at level 5 for 20 minutes
Fri  Rest
Sat  Hill intervals on the threadmill. Run on an incline at level 8 for 750m, then at level 2 for 750m. Do this six times.
Sun Off road run including hills at level 7 for 75 minutes. If possible choose a woodland route with rocky paths.

Week 6

Mon  Rest
Tues  Hill intervals on the threadmill. Run on an incline at level 8 for 750m, then at level 2 for 750m. Do this six times.
Wed  Rest
Thurs Cycle at level 4 for 45 minutes
Fri  Core Stability for 20 minutes
Sat  Off Road run at level 4 for 20 minutes
Sun  Race Day

Effort Level
1-3 Easy to a gentle pace
4-5 Able to have a conversation
6-7 Getting out of breath
8-9 Can’t talk, uncomfortable
10 Flat-out sprint
Upper-body training – For the strength to pull yourself out of muddy holes, do pull-ups, dips and press-ups
Lower-body training – Get hill-running leg strength with squats, calf raises, lunges and dead-lifts
Core stability – Do lower back extensions, planks and crunches

*Well start and complete if I’m totally honest. Anyone with any strong views of community cohesion, anomie and deviance, please drop me a comment – all help desperately needed

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Kerry – 7th March

Totally in smug mode, for not only did I get up and go out for a very slow three miler, with some more hills thrown in. I also managed to do a little bit more ab work.

This is not why I am smug, nor is the fact that I managed to have three of my five a day before I went for trot, thank you very much Innocent. No, the reason I am smug is because I’ve just demolished a lush egg and bacon butty and I’ve got the rest of the day to work on my sociology essay.

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Kerry – 4th March

Another early morning but not quite fancying the outdoors, I elected to do an arms and abdominal circuit with the aid of my good friend, Davina. An hour of criunchs and lat raises and I’m struck by just how unfit and weak I am and just how far I have to go. Daily update from my spinning addicted brother are not helping.

I’m typing this on the tube so in about 20 minutes I’ll add another 123 steps, this time in 4 inch heels. You’ll know I’m feeling I’m doing an adequate amount of phys when I stop including the Queensway stairs as part of the weekly routine.

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