Cycling, Fish and Ritz Crackers

So in just less than a month it’ll be a new term and more than likely for me it’ll be the start of my final year at Durham. With that in mind I thought I’d try and write a blog over the year. In the past I’ve put up a weekly training diary but that can get a bit monotonous and unless there is a race the weeks tend to follow a very similar pattern so aren’t always that interesting. I’ll try and put one up after races and then just other random times.

So we’re a week into September and running wise that’s normally my favourite month of the year. Summer season is over, rest is over and it’s time to start the planning and base work for the winter and summer ahead. I’ve pretty much always preferred just going on a run to doing a session so I love getting out just on runs at training, onto the golf courses etc as a big group trying to get as much in off road before the light totally fades. That’s all we tend to do on normal club session nights during September, building volume as each week goes and I always think I can feel myself getting fitter and less fat. I reckon with less need to focus those runs allow even more time for taking the piss out of each other than sessions do too and I’m definitely on that.

Unfortunately for me I had to deal with the other side of running this summer and spend some time in the ‘chair thanks to a stress fracture to a metatarsal. Its part and parcel (sound like a clichéd commentator…) of the sport and everyone goes through it, for me I’d struggled at times with illness but not injury before. Anyway that binned off my summer season and counting the weeks also quickly followed suit but in the end it was 9 to 10 without running. I haven’t gone more than 2 weeks without a run at all since I started going to the local running club as a 7 year old kid (I think) so was probably due a break (very bad pun intended). Took 3 weeks off totally while getting it diagnosed and given there was no rush as the summer was gone, give it the best start possible, then got back to what seems to be pretty much standard injured runner 2*1 hour (most of the time…) cross training. So in a few sweeping statements:
• There is only so many times my imagination can create a TT stage in the Tour before I get bored
• Even if the swimming pool is full of whales you’re still the biggest schmuck in there by having an aqua jogging belt.
• On the basis aqua jogging and cross trainers aren’t actually sports, swimming is the worlds worst endurance sport.
• Endless Sky Sports News, Hollyoaks, Heartbeat, Coronation Street, Deal or No Deal and much more are EXACTLY NONE of the programmes I would like to be on in the gym when on’t cross trainer. It’s my fault - I go at the wrong times.

Being honest I love cycling and the bike but without going on the turbo it’s hard to get benefit without going out for a very long time, while the turbo is just boring. Hardly win-win. Anyway Phil planned me out a returning to running schedule that goes until the end of this month. Painfully slow (both me and it) to begin with, started about 3 weeks ago and am up to running 30/35 min and starting to put two days in a row (it started day on, day off, then goes to two, three, four consecutive days etc until back to normal). So I did 35 min yesterday and am going to training tonight to join them for the first 30 minutes, which I am massively looking forward to, it’ll be much better than the crack of them setting off and me rolling into the pool or gym. Ran 25 min with Nick last week at what he assures me was his normal run pace so hopefully there will be no problem keeping up. It gave me enough confidence to fill in my “Performance Summary” and give it back to Phil so we’ll probably sit down and plan the winter in the next couple of weeks but so far it looks like October is going to be my September. Right now I’ve 30minutes plod + belittlement to go to and I’ve already written about less stuff but more words than I expected to (a habit that annoys me) so I’ll put more about planning etc next time.

AD

PS. I still went to watch loads of races and it was great to see so many people I know running well be they club members (L.C and DUAXC) or just mates. And despite not running it’s been a fun summer.

PPS. If you’re about to be a fresher. And you’re interested in being part of the club/getting out on some runs freshers week. AND you had so little going on that you actually read this far, don’t hesitate to contact one of the captain’s, or the exec in general.