Tuesday, April 26, 2011

And so the running begins!!


After sitting down with Andrew (Triathlon & Multisport Coaching) last Thursday and getting my new program, the running has just began.

Yes, sure I have had reasonably sized run weeks before, however this is a continual block of running which really started 2 weeks ago. This means that the riding really backs off, which is no concern to me as I have not done any significant k's on the bike all year. The most that I have done since resuming training is just under 300k's with the average being under 200k's currently. The swimming is still there, and they will stay a constant for now as we have discussed a new training schedule for the swimming which already seems to be paying off at this early stage with distance being consistent and times reducing.

Back to the running, by the end of this program, I would have pounded the pavement for approx 500k (predicting future distance is hard) in the 6 weeks at an average of 80+k's per week. This I know is not a lot for some people, however for a 90kgs guy who weighed 125+kgs couldn't run around a football oval 4 years ago, this is big. Throw in a few days of double runs and a 1/2 marathon or 2 and I will be really happy to see the back of this program. The only thing once this program is done, the new one begins and the k's rise again!! But I am really enjoying it, from the easy sessions to the more challenging ones.

This Sunday I am running in the Geelong 1/2 Marathon, a race that I did in 2008 and ran a 1.29.50 which at the time I was really happy with. Looking back at the race and the condition that I was in, I probably ran outside my ability at that time. This Sunday will be a different story, my running started 12 months ago when I joined TMC and have not looked back. I would still be happy to run outside my ability and produce a time which will surprise me. We have discussed a race plan, one which raised my eyes, however with the trust that I have in Andrew I am sure that if I run the race correctly I will achieve the goal.

The goal of running 10min faster than previously. Yes, this means breaking 80mins for the 1/2. A time that if someone would have asked me 6months ago, or even 3 months ago, I would have told them that they were dreaming. At this stage, I still have to do run that time, however with times that I am doing in training and sticking to the plan, it is well and truly within my grasp. This means running at an average of 3min 47sec per k. WOW, when you put it like that, going to be a tough ask. But I love the challenges in this sport and am always out to get over the bar, no matter how high it is raised. Who would have thought that I would have gone 9hr 6min at Ironman? The answer: Not many.

It is the same with this situation.

At the end of the day, the result is only a guide as my main goal is Kona in October. In saying that, every race that I do, no matter the discipline or distance, I am there to compete at my best and go as fast as I can at the time.

So with that I will finish with a quote that continually runs through my head when the training becomes more challenging:

"To get where you have never been, you have to do what you never have"

For now...

X-Man

* A side note to congratulate a friend of mine who got a Kona Lottery spot, Pete Coulson, well done and I look forward to the next few months with you!!

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