Project Good For Age Week 18 of 30
Goal : Automatic Entry Into the London Marathon
How? : Run a 3:15 Mara @ Manchester Mara in April (Current PB 4:45)
First Step : Run a 45 Minute 10k @ Windmill 10k race on 12th November (achieved) (10k time at start of project : 58 mins) www.fyldecoastrunners.com/uploads/5/2/4/9/52490083/w10k3_overallresults_classic.pdf
Next Stop : Blackpool half mara in Feb – Target 1:37 (Current PB 1:58)
So I started a new job at the turn of the year.
You will be delighted to hear this means I aint got time to waffle shit.
Nor have I got the time to edit this post, but something tells me you aint reading my blogs for their grammatical excellence are you?….
Two points and then we will crack straight into it.
First, I remember reading once that when the Sun newspaper tells you to start buying a particular stock, then its time to sell.
Point being, take to the internet with the question ‘when the hell am I meant to exercise when I have got such a busy job?’ and I guarantee you will get the response…
“Set your alarm earlier and do your training before work’
It would appear that’s what ‘everybody’ does.
But I tried that and it aint for me…
So what do I do?
The exact opposite.
I do my training at the end of the day, I go straight to the gym from the office and do my workout before I eat me tea.
I eat light during the day and I find by the time I get the gym my body is like a coiled spring and is itching to go which is the polar opposite of how I felt when I did it at ridiculous o’clock when my body was still in ‘sleep mode.’
Try it.
Second Point
My weight is down to 13/5 and 23.4% fat from a start of 14 stone and 25% fat.
Ive been having porridge with honey, nut butter and sultanas for breakfast, as much fruit as I want during the day, either chicken/tuna/turkey salad for lunch and then one from chicken fajitas, spag bol, salmon and rice, jacket with cold meats or birds eye cod in batter with rice and veg for tea.
I’ve cut out pretty much all bread and any nautie stuff completely (apart from the odd slip now and again). (ps as for alcohol and smokes – u can forget it)
Its exactly 4 weeks until race day.
The magical weight beginning with the number 12 is on.
Lets do this…
Here is how my training went this week…
Monday 5k on the mill – 0-1 @ speed 15 then 1-5 @ Speed 14
0-1 Fine
1-2 OK
2-3 Starting to feel it
3-4 Found this the toughest of the lot
4-5 Focused and grinded it out
Soaking wet after the session but pleased that HR stayed in check, that said, cant see me increasing the speed any time soon!
Wednesday
Exactly as above, 5k on the mill, first km @ speed setting 15 and the remaining 4 @ speed 14.
The first kilometre was OK, 2-3 I got through, 3-4 are always the toughest of the lot and by the time I get to 4 there is only one to do so I grind it out.
Friday
5k on the mill, same again.
The second kilometre was somewhat challenging for some reason, as I keep saying, 3-4 are always tough but this time, in 4-5 I hit ‘the zone’ and was feeling strong.
Maybe up the speed next week?
Sunday 16k on the mill at target race pace (Speed setting 13)
If I have been a good little boy the night before, I always wake up on a Sunday itching to get onto the mill.
I have to say though, once you start going over 10k, boredom starts to creep in a little bit.
I have found that listening to something like an inspirational podcast for the first 10k helps to relieve such boredom and this I very much recommend.
I have got into a nice little routine of ‘inspirational podcast’ for the first hour (normally consisting of some bloke giving a speech about a subject that lights my fire) closely followed by extremely loud, pumping dance music for the final few kilometres.
The first 5k of this were a walk in the park but 5-10 are always somewhat more challenging.
Once I make it to 10km something kicks in and I seem to get stronger as time goes on which confuses me as you would think it would be the other way round. The dance music definaltely helps with this.
At 13k (1 hour) the treadmill automatically stopped….
I have had this before, its almost as if treamills are built on the basis that no-one will be running on them for more than an hour at a time so they ‘auto stop’ after 60 minutes.
This pisses me off.
I demand they start making more hardcore treamills….
Ironman ones….
Anyhow 10-13k were ok and by the time I fired it back up again for the final 3k, I sailed home feeling stronger than ever.
Make no mistake, i’m working (see pic taken straight after set) – but its an ‘enjoyable’ working…
Today, the mill not being hardcore enough for my needs agitated me….
Then again, maybe there is something in this….
Maybe someone is trying to tell me something…..
That said, I am absolutely itching to see what is going to happen when I line up alongside the legend that is Decca Dave for the Blackpool half mara just 4 short weeks from now having trained exclusively on the mill throughout (he’s very kindly agreed to pace me)….
Time will tell…
Next update : 28/01/18
To your amazing journey!
By the way, I have written a book, it’s all about how I went from zero fitness to completing an Ironman triathlon, it’s only just come out but it has got some fantastic reviews already!- you can check them out here: (also available on Amazon in the US but please read the UK reviews first!)
