Training Log Archive: lyds101

East of Scotland orienteering champs for my run today. Was feeling tired and not particularly keen but had to do it given that my pa was up and he needed full immersion into the wonderfully new-found world of orienteering.

Nice to run with him & do all the “map to north!!!!” together.

Had fun setting up and then running ofc.

Feeling a lot more positive about the weekend at Liverpool.

Wupppppp

Again HR not accurate haha.

I took it pretty chilled. Me and dad taking Blackford and the Hermitage. Was nice to show him where I spend lots of my time up here in Edinburgh. And definitely nice to have my dad back by my side on a run. Needed some love I think from home just to get my head back into a good way in terms of running. Chatting away with Dad about my academic choices for the next year or so, as we flew up round the back of Blackford Hill & the view of Edinburgh coming into spectacular view.

We’ve planned my Erasmus application - I’m going to Grenoble to hone my mountain goat - esque running ability (shout out to Tim... come and visit). It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity. For now the focus is on that. Getting ready to go. How wonderful the choice has been to come to Edinburgh and how, despite being a huge decision in itself, that is also is merely the stepping stone onto bigger choices. Exciting.

We came back up through Marchmont and I’m now chatting about Liverpool next weekend. I am fit, healthy and able to run. That’s why I’m racing next weekend - the fact that I can. Im not too proud, I mean I know I won’t be up there. I hopefully won’t come last, but I will do it with a smile on my face and be there to support my best friends and people that have impacted my life over the last year or so in such a dramatic and amazing way.

This week now is CHILL. SO CHILL. Lots of gym and swim. A couple of track sessions - 30 mins on Mon, 45 on Weds and that’s me. Maybe not that, see how I feel right.

Rest day

Took to the pub with totton Will and Alex - featuring my dad too. What a bunch of legends.

The gym gods were calling my name this morning. Getting stronger with every session so feeling good about that! Nicer to go at about 9am anyway - perks of being a humanities student am I right.

Here's what I did:

3 x 10 squats (bar - woah big n strong)
3 x 15 calf raises
3 x 10 dead lift (bar)
4 x 10 shoulder press 6kg
3 x 10 super set shoulder flys 4kg, 3kg
3 x 10 bench press 6kg
3 x 5 pecs fly 6kg
3 x 5 tricep press -> 3 x 8 tricep dips (love a good super set)
3 x 10 hammer curl (7kg - moving up)
3 x 10 bicep curl (7kg)
4 x 15 plate lift 5kg

Abs circuit and stretching to finish.

Warm up solo in the coldddddddd

Coach said 400s again, I said nah mate. 200s for me pls. Compromise reached. I did 10 x 200s with 2 mins jog back recovery. Nice.

Although that back straight at Meadowbank is what nightmares are made of (strongest headwind in Scotland), managed to push through well & bam out 10.

Hitting 36s and 37s which is decent given the wind (haha excuses nah not at all). But to be honest I couldn’t have even run 40 a few weeks ago with a tailwind. All moving forward.

Exciting times ahead - watch this space.

Cool down with Naomi and Pippa. Decent chat.

Feeling alright today - a bit tired perhaps but okay. Fancied a little bit of hills for my recovery run, getting ready for another track session tomorrow and all.

Also didn't allow myself to look at the watch at all. Only a bit to keep an eye on the time I had been running for.

Found a new monster hill down the back of George Watsons. Pretty through the hermitage as per. 50 mins was sufficient.

Super relaxing 32 lengths at Warrender.

Nice way to chill and get my head into submitting my essays today!
Very much looking forward to them being over.

Warm up with Alex and Paul at the track - nice to go down in the car.

Managed to jump back on in with the gals tonight properly. As in, keep with them, better than before.

The session was meant to be 12 x 400m with 400 jog recovery. Long, distance wise - also not ideal if I want to be trying to run the reps faster. After 3, I decided to alter my session to 3 x (3 x 400m). Better.

It was interesting - I had way more desire to run tonight, more fight in me in terms of wanting to hang on to the rest of the group. Within my 9 reps, the times varied from 77 to 85, however the fact that the majority were around the 80 second mark, where previously regardless of what rep it was, I was struggling to get them under 90 is a positive improvement. It means that, as Alex said to me last night, I have merely learned to taper and rest, my times last night proving such.

I felt stronger. The jog recovery was tough as I wasn't really getting my breath back and my HR was still soaring by the time I got round again but I powered on through and gave it my absolute all! The concept of 400 reps a few weeks ago I would dread... tonight again, things have changed. They were painful, but a good painful.

Cool down and good chat with Laura Stark

Okay so firstly I think my heart rate monitor was struggling on this one... maybe doesn't work quite so accurately when it's so bloody baltic outside. Not sure an average HR of 131 accurately reflects the "blowing out my arse" style of run which this was, but still!!! Managed some decent and again faster kms. Boom.

Despite the canal being boring af and windy, it is good for me at the moment to actually get shifting and put in a decent stint of faster pace again - and more crucially, sustain it.
I will move back to the hills soon, once these runs become a bit easier. I'll keep flying up Blackford for example, not be utterly merked by it.

5 and a bit miles for my lunch break - no bad at all.
Gym l8er. Good Monday all round.

Chillin n killin it in the gym. Dun kno.

4 x 10 dumbbell shoulder press 6kg
3 s 10 super set shoulder fly (4kg, 2kg)
4 x 10 bench press 6kg dumbbell
4 x 5 chest fly 6kg
3 x 10 squats (bar - oooooh dayum)
3 x 16 calf raises
4 x 10 bicep curls (6kg)
4 x 10 hammer curls
4 x 16 5kg plate lifts

Finished with core circuit.

Totton is cooking my tea - exciting times.