Fartlek = FAST Legs

After my session on Saturday with Lutons running GURU Richard Powell he insisted that I mix up my sessions by adding in Fartlek.

What is 'FARTLEK' I hear you cry, its not as sinister as it sounds trust me its much much worse and at 0600 on a cold Tuesday morning they're even more savage than i expected.

In a nutshell the 'Fartlek' (which translates to SPEED PLAY in swedish) is basically about mixing up your runs and chucking in some intervals along the way. These intervals could be as simple as sprinting between lamposts and jogging between the next two and repeating for a certain number of repetitions.

Richard gave me some very specific sessions which basically add interval / recovery / repeat onto my existing runs. There are many well known and proven variations to the Fartlek but the basic principle is intended to work the aerobic and anaerobic systems and and the benefits for a runner are tenfold over standard 'long easy runs'.

Some of the key benefits are:

• Easily adjustable sessions
• Race day prep
• Fat burning
• Strengthening
• Variability

Obviously the Fartlek should be a solid work out and we should be working up to 80% of our maximum heart rate but the sessions can be tailored to suit the event or simply how fatigued your feeling from one day to the next. Remember arguably the most critical part of ANY session if the warm up & warm down in our never ending quest to stay injury free.

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/training/training-advice/fartlek-training/

Cold, rain and a session with a running guru!

For one reason or another this week has been a good few days of training. As we all know every week of training brings its very own hurdles, be that family, friends, work, weather or just plain old fatigue that can get in the way and disrupt even the best laid plans.

We are all busy and unique individuals and we must remain positive and take every week as it comes, for me though this week/end was one of the better ones.

THURSDAY
My family day / rest day which ended in a 1250 metre easy swim as Flitwick leisure centre with the brother in law at the cracking new facilities there. The easy swim with zero impact is just perfect in my opinion for a rest day to ease into those tired muscles

FRIDAY
A totally different ballgame altogether, I left the house in the pouring rain for what was intending to be an easy two hour ride (35-40 miles) BUT sadly it didnt end that way. The rain never relented for the duration of the ride and i ended up puncturing three miles from home and almost catching neaumonia whilst changing said puncture.

Whilst out on the route i talked myself out of it being a brick session but then talked myslef back into it on the grounds of 'not being a pussy' and convincing myself that champions never wimped out of a bit of water. After all? Whos ever felt HOT or DEHYDRATED whilst riding in the rain? Sadly the puncture and spending 10 minutes standing still in the rain ruined me and as a result I couldnt finish the brick session.

An all round bonza week of training

before / during & after 2 hours of solid rain

SATURDAY

For a while i have struggled with my running, what should i do? How far should i run? How hard should I run? Should i warm down? WELL on Saturday I met up with all round running guru Richard Powell, the face of Luton running and all round gentleman. What Richard doesnt know about running isnt worth knowing.  

We took in a fairly steady (by richards pace) 6 mile out and back route from Barnfield College to Streatly and back and talked through a few techniques for how i should prep and sharpen up. I really cant thank him for his time and words.

Richard Powell - The guru of running

SUNDAY

Whilst this mornings ride may have been slow by my normal standard, started at a ridiculous hour and be chuffing freezing it really did have it all in other areas. A blissful ride around the north chilterns starting and ending in Berkhamsted with a bundle of stunning hills. Most importantly I got to spend some rare QT with my brother Simon. Priceless to say the least ! 

Little coffee en route this morning

R&R = REST & RECOVER (Not ride and repeat)

It's taken me a long time to understand that sometimes in order to go faster you need to go slower. At 40 years old sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow that you can't train seven days a week relentlessly and see the gains you expect.

As part of my prep I have been taking that vital rest day and also 'enjoying' an essential deep tissue massage each week as part of that process. A gentle 1250 Metre swim in the evening after a day of rest is just what the doctor ordered. The toughest thing of all was whilst I was in the pool there was a tri swim school and I had to resist the temptation not to race, as they say "train to race not race to train"

Paving the #roadtoaviles one brick at a time

Last night i started laying the 'bricks' down to pave the way to the World Championships in the form of a Bike / Run brick session.

What is a brick session I hear you ask? Brick sessions are the essential building blocks for a multi sport athlete where we replicate the transition from one element to the next such as bike-run or swim-bike or run-bike. Obviously the bike-run brick is way easier to replicate (unless you have your own swimming pool or access to one).

The countdown has begun

As the countdown has begun with only 43 days to go literally every session counts. Last night was a fast flattish bike loop with the @lovellocinellirt (Lovelo Cinellli Race Team) of approximately 25 miles then straight off the bike into a relatively easy paced run of 5.3 miles.

I would like to say a HUGE thankyou to two people Paul & John from tiropartners and SB Digital media for their generosity and therefore helping to make this dream come true. 

http://tiropartners.com/

http://www.sbdigitalmedia.com/

If you would like to follow my training activity on strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/2705408

last nights brick session

Race to train OR Train to race

A lot of people wonder why their training plateaus or they simply just 'dont get any quicker' and as i was saying to one of the other Dacorum & Tring road runners las night 'this is the only way to get faster'.

I have been a member of http://www.dacorumandtringac.org.uk/road-runners/ for a little over a year now and have noticed a vast improvement in my pace, stamina and all round approach to running. 

The only way to get fast is to train fast and its a fact that training in a group will not just help psychologically but physically too, we all know how much extra stamina or power macho pride can provide its the ancient alternative to EPO.

Yesterday was a good training day starting off at 0545 with a fasted run before work followed by the D&T session in the evening. Due to the beautiful weather myself and another D&T member rode to and from training. I think the word is BLISS!

The session was 2 sets of 4 x 90 seconds (at 5k pace) with 30 seconds jogging recovery in between each rep. Trust me its a lot tougher than it sounds. the only saving grace for my ageing body was it was on grass.

https://www.strava.com/activities/550558743

Sign up to your local running club today and 'train to race' or 'race to train'

It's what you do in the dark that puts you in the light.

They say the early bird catches the worm! I wasn't catching a lot on this mornings run at 0545 but it has to be done slow, steady fasted run first thing in the morning gets the day kick started and a head start on the training.

All the boxers and fighters I know have always done their early runs to get a headstart both physically and psychologically. the thought that you are training whilst everyone else is sleeping makes it all the more satisfying, no matter what the pace.

Its been steady year so Far but things are really starting to ramp up now. Follow my training progress and data here:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/2705408

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEXrKCqIkfp/?taken-by=lutonbod&hl=en

The road to Aviles

So.......

This Sunday i took part in my first Triathlon after discovering I had qualified for the GB Age group squad. The event was the www.berkhamstedtriathlon.com a tough sprint distance event here in my very home town and on the site of my workplace so what more could you ask for?

Well, I was extremely happy to finish in 4th place overall, 2nd in my age group (40-44) and 1st local male (a prize created to encourage locals to participate) BUT I have just had a call to say they made a mistake with the chip for the guy that came in 3rd and in fact i was in third place. Total result as i was annoyed at being pipped by only 21 seconds.

A decent start on the #roadtoaviles

split times

no better feeling than having the family on the line

First post = BIG news

Well.........

Today this happened! Some could say a dream came true, at 40 years old I never imagined that i would be donning a Team GB kit not to mention going to the World Championships to compete.

I'm not one for regret or resent as i believe things are in the past for a reason BUT turning 40 is where they say "LIFE BEGINS" and in reflection they couldn't be any more spot on but it is human nature to look back and reflect on your achievements in life, especially reaching such a poignant age.

I was coerced into cycling almost three years ago by a lifelong friend Kletos Pantazi and have loved every turn of the pedals ever since then. A short while later I discovered Triathlon and have always loved the personal battle and challenges that a Triathlete faces. After 6 or 7 events over a two year period I took place in the Bedford Duathlon where I qualified to represent my age groups at the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Aviles (Spain) on June 5th 2016.

Within this blog i aim to catch my preparation and #roadtoaviles All i can say is watch this space and thanks for your support and encouragement

https://www.instagram.com/lutonbod/