Training over Christmas
30/12/2013 16:26Usually fitting training around family and work is a challenge. Over Christmas, with all the drinking, eating and merriment it is even more so!
I have an excellent, structured training program for the Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya from Ben and Jon at Journey Fitness which works in cycles. My weekly volume (time) of training in the program varies like this:
As you can see, last week (green) was, thankfully, supposed to be a lighter week. It was meant to go something like this:
|
Monday |
Day off |
|
Tuesday |
Bike 45 min Run 30 min |
|
Wednesday (Christmas day) |
Swim 20 min |
|
Thursday (Boxing day) |
Run 50 min |
|
Friday |
Day off |
|
Saturday |
Bike 1 h 55 min Run 25 min |
|
Sunday |
Run 45 min Swim 60 min |
What actually happened was a little different…
|
Monday |
Left work right on time for a Lactate test at Journey Fitness – 25 minutes running in 30 minutes. |
|
Tuesday |
Bike 45 min – incorporated into my cycle to work! Took a detour to a steep bridge and cycled up and down it four times with my laptop, a pair of shoes and my lunch in my backpack, then continued on the longer route to work.
|
|
Wednesday (Christmas day) |
Nothing today… Christmas presents and excited children in the morning, then too much champagne for this to be possible! |
|
Thursday (Boxing day) |
After I had bathed the boys and put them to bed I swam 20 min in the evening then straight out for a run… Run 50 min along the beach. |
|
Friday |
Day off |
|
Saturday |
Run |
|
Sunday |
Bike 1 h 46 min – 53.6 km average of 30.3 kmph on my TT bike, on my own, including a few hills. Run 12 min – started out on my run after the cycle, but then met the family already coming back from the beach, so cut short my run and ran home alongside the kids on their bikes! Swim |
So I ended up doing about 5½ hours of training instead of 6½ last week, and even though I had far more sleep than usually I was still really tired by the end of the week. I’ll put it down to too much alcohol, too much rich food, too much sugar and not enough green veggies and water. I’m pretty sure Ben and Jon would agree with me!
I’m a firm believer that diet plays a massive role in the performance of my body and as with nearly all processes, if you put cr*p in you get cr*p out. Obviously with bodily functions the simplistic explanation of the process is literal, but you’d expect to get something else out of your food other than poo and/ or a hangover if you eat well.. the opposite being illustrated by my lacklustre end to a lighter training week on a less than ideal diet.
It was fun though, and I don’t regret letting go a bit this week at all. I spent lots of time with my children, hubby and friends, made some lovely memories and I am pretty sure I won’t really notice the difference in my fitness come race day! I do enjoy running, biking and swimming, but I also love my kids, champagne, wine, beer, cake, cheese, mince pies and having a life!
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