Project Good For Age Week 9 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)
Rest Week.
Following my ‘victory’ at the Windmill 10k last Sunday where I brought my 10k time down from an hour to 45 minutes in just 8 weeks, I took an entire week off training this week to celebrate and ‘rest’.
Two observations:
First:
What became clear to me very quickly is just how crap I am at ‘resting’.
Nothing demonstrates this point more beautifully than what happened on Tuesday.
I had the day off work and dropped my little girl at Nursery as usual.
Now normally, once the little one is out of the way, I would be absolutely itching to get stuck into whatever training the day had in store.
But there was no training to be done this week.
I had the morning to myself.
I could do whatever I wanted.
As I’m sat in the car it suddenly hits me…..
What the hell am I meant to do now?
The worrying thing is, ‘life without training’ simply doesn’t cut it for me anymore.
Everything just seems so ‘mundane’.
Be afraid Rookie.
Be very afraid.
Second point:
After living like an absolute saint for the last 8 weeks I met up with my Ironman mate Paul and some other ace people from Wigan following Sundays race and we shared a well earned pint.
Paul had two pints then went home to spend the rest of the day with his family and was up early on Monday to load another run onto Strava.
Iron Rookie didn’t do that.
Iron Rookie ended up on the piss.
And of course, the dreaded smokes made their appearance. (been with me ever since)
On Monday I woke ruff as a bears arse so I treated myself to a full English with all the trimmings when I would normally only eat porridge.
Can you imagine how good that full English tasted?
What about the morning ciggie with the Coffee after?
Sublime.
Once a week I take my little girl for ice cream at the local parlour.
That ice cream parlour also sells beer.
For the last 8 weeks, Rookie would resist, ordering only a coffee.
This week I treated myself to a pint.
It tasted wonderful, so I ordered another.
And another.
Last night I fancied fish and chips.
So I went and got myself fish and chips.
Not only that but I called for a pint at the boozer next door and smoked a fag whilst they ‘cooked it’.
Have you any idea how good it feels to be able to do such ‘nautie things?’
Later today we are off for a walk then a pub lunch, like we do every week.
For the last 8 weeks I would have done the ‘walk’ then sat there ‘sulking’ as I munched salad and skipped beer whilst the masses take full advantage of all delights that are on offer..
Not this time.
This week Rookie gets to ‘join in’ too….
Tomorrow I am off to a party.
‘Apple juice Rookie?’ (raucous laughter from the host)
“No! pour me a pint with the rest of em my friend!”
Do you know how liberating it feels in order to be able to do ‘all of the above’ when you have lived like an absolute saint for the last 8 weeks?
Living like ‘a good little boy’ all the time is all well and good, but the truth is, after a while, it starts to get a bit boring and you begin to feel that you are somehow ‘missing out’
My point?….
The average person with fitness goals isn’t a ‘professional athlete’ they are just normal people like you and me, but the fact is, there is temptation everywhere you go.
Everywhere.
Especially in England, where socialising means ‘beer’ along with everything else that goes with it – simple as that.
But one thing is now crystal clear to me.
Having the power to resist this temptation is critical to your success.
Critical.
Imagine a pie chart split straight down the middle into two segments.
One segment is how you live your everyday life and the second segment is the actual training that you do in order to achieve your goal.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that having the power to live your life in a certain way (no drinking, no smoking, staying away from temptation/fun, avoiding all the bad foods, eating right, controlling your weight, sticking to your training plan like glue) is as important to your ‘time trialing’ success as the actual training itself.
I would put it as high as a 50/50 split.
Possibly higher in favour of the ‘how you live your life day to day’ segment.
Do you think that the 3:15 mara boys call for a pint in the boozer next door to their local chippy then smoke a fag whilst they wait for their fish and chips to be cooked of a Friday night, 9 weeks into a 30 week training block?
I don’t think so.
Its all about living like the person you want to become, day in, day out.
But lets have it right.
Its tough.
In fact for many of us, doing so is often the biggest battle of the lot…
Next update: 26/11/17 – Back on track Rookie?
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!)
