Back Again

Six days between blog entries. Standards are slipping post-marathon!

That probably leaves a good deal that I could cover off so I'll try to keep each bit brief and give some semblance of order. Main theme is that I'm getting some sort of post marathon plan in place.

Diet
Let's get this one out of the way first. Started off extremely well last week but then all bets were off for the Easter weekend. Two barbecues, a meal out, chocolate, hot cross buns (as someone who sits between atheism and being agnostic perhaps I should just have had tea cakes?)etc. Doubtless that will have undone much of the good work but it will go pretty quickly too.

Plan is to lose weight for early/mid June and then (hopefully) weight will stay steady but body composition might alter.

Running
I've still only been doing recovery paced runs but I've enjoyed what I've done. Ran again on Wednesday evening, doing 5 miles round the reservoir, then 7.5 on Friday, 12.5 on Sunday and 1.5 yesterday (to the gym and back). That left me on about 30 miles for the week, which is pretty good for the second week post marathon. Some of these runs were a bit warm though - especially the Sunday 12.5 which was done at 3pm when it was a little over 20c and relentlessly sunny; plus it was done on a very hilly route.

Plan running wise is to increase the mileage to 45 miles a week over the next 3 weeks, in part by adding in a 5th day of running a week. Much will still be at recovery pace but I'm doing one session with 8 x 100m strides included per week. after that I'll throw in a couple of 10k pace tempo runs to tune me up for a 10k race on the 4th June.

Heart Rate
I got a HR monitor with my 405 but haven't previously used it. As I was a devil for not doing recovery runs at recovery pace I've now been using it to keep me in check. I'm fairly confused by it though, in particular as the old 220 - age seems to be very prone to inaccuracy for individuals and I'm not sure how to factor in the effects of heat and hills. I have a guru working on these quandaries for me but anyone else have any experience?

Walking
Took advantage of the good weather and did two walks over the weekend. Went up Whernside on Saturday - Yorkshire's highest peak, though right on the Cumbrian border. From the top the views are spectacular except on Saturday just as we got within a mile off the top the cloud came down and we couldn't see more than 30m! Then, yesterday, we did a walk in upper Nidderdale that had everything: sheep, goats, horses, cows, pigs, hens, rabbits, becks, old lead mines, heather clad moorland, lots of hills and sunshine.

Walks will continue next weekend as we're off camping.

Gym
I left starting the weights at the gym until yesterday when I did what will largely be my routine session 2-3 times a week (though not sure quite which days yet). Session comprised 3 elements: the core and lower body resistance training I was doing pre-marathon, the stretches I was doing pre-marathon and some very basic upper body weights.

I quite enjoyed it though I could tell I hadn't been doing the exercises for over 3 weeks. In particular the exercises for my glute mede had that particular muscle screaming with fatigue very early on - despite my doing the exercises a few weeks ago and not even feeling I was doing anything. Upper body weights were rudimentary dumbell/barbell based: chest press, shoulder press, bent over row, bicep curl, tricep dip, and I can feel their effects in pecs and triceps today despite the modest weights used. That'll pass though.


I think that brings everything up to date?