Project Good For Age Week 17 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)
Once again, I noticed yet another article this week saying ‘you can’t get quicker using the treadmill.’
Now, If you are anything like me, when someone tells you that you can’t do something, it only makes you want to do it even more.
That said, on the back of that article, I was tempted to ditch the mill and go for a ‘real’ run instead on Sunday.
Here is what I reckon would have happened if I would have done so…..
I would have failed to hit my target race pace for the majority of the 15k.
There is no doubt about that.
So then what would have happened?
I would have beat myself up about it, doubted my ability to continue, questioned all my training and felt all pissed off with the world.
Instead what did I do?
I went and smashed 15k on the mill at target race pace.
Now how am I feeling?
On top of the fukin world….
You see it’s this psycological aspect, this self belief, that I believe is so crucial to this project.
The fact is, the mill is giving me that…
Yes, a part of me wanted to go out today to see what would happen in ‘real life’ but this excitement/intrigue only gets more and more intense as time goes on….
By the time race day comes, I will be like a caged lion….
But way more important than that, I’m loving the romance of it all….
It’s got a certain charm to it, don’t you think?
The guy trying to do it all his own way using only the mill….
What will happen?….
Only, time will tell…
Here is how training went this week…
Monday 5k Speed Set on the Mill
So before the debauchery of xmas, I had built my 5k speed sessions to look like this….
0-1k @ Speed 15
1-2 @ Speed 14
2-3 @ Speed 15
3-4 @ Speed 14
4-5 @ Speed 15
I gets on the mill Monday and the first kilometre at speed 15 was ok but after that you can forget it cock.
I somehow managed to hold on for the remaining 4k at speed 14, how, I don’t know, but I did.
Not feelin the 6:30am sessions either – my body is like ‘I am meant to be asleep and here you are pushing me to the max? what the fuk??’
In hindsight, that was the first speed set for about 2 weeks, which makes me feel somewhat better about it, but lets be clear, this is what happens when you drop your training over xmas in favour of the sauce….don’t do it kids….
Wednesday 5k Speed set on the mill
Opted for an evening drill which I much preferred but again, the first kilometre was at speed 15 with the remaining 4 at speed 14 and lets have it right, I was maxed.
Also, you know that big piece of gym equipment where you climb onto it, push your back firmly against the pad, hold the hand grips then kick your legs out?
Well at around 3k some dude gets onto that and starts eyeballing me for about ten minutes.
As you know, when I am pushing it (struggling) this sends me over the edge…
I want to scream ‘Mate What the fuk are you staring at?????’
I don’t do that because, knowing my luck, he would probably turn round and say ‘Are you the Iron Rookie? It’s just I have bought your book and wanted to say hi…. but after that little outburst…. you can go fuk yourself….’
Then again, maybe he was a gay?
Either way, I hate being stared at when I am on the mill…
Hate it…
It proper unnerves me, messes with my ‘zen’, especially when I am close to the red line….
Now I know what all the hot chicks at the gym must feel like….
Friday 5k Speed set on the mill
Exactly as above, first 1km @ 15 then the remaining 4 @speed 14 – Have to say – it’s starting to feel that little bit easier…..halle fukin lujah
Sunday 15k on the Mill @ Target Race Pace (Speed setting 13) www.strava.com/activities/1357666908
Before xmas I had built up to 15k at target race pace.
Last week, after giving myself xmas off, I managed only 12.5 and nearly died.
This week, I went all the way.
I forgot my trusty tri suit so I ended up doing this session in the cheapest pair of shorts they had in the gym shop (tennis shorts) and a hi-viz vest that I found in the car.
As you can see, I looked a right plank, but I didn’t give a shit, I needed my fix.
The first 5k were fine, the pace feeling much easier which is precisely my objective,
At 6km the mill cut out again which proper pissed me off.
Fires it back up and the first 3km (to 9k) were ok.
kilometres 9-10 were a slight struggle.
Once I got to ten i’m saying to myself ‘just get to 12.5’
At 12.5km I thought ‘one more kilometre and that will do.’
At 14km this tune dropped at max volume and that wonderful, magical ‘euphoric high’ kicked in.
Boy have I missed that feeling, it’s like crack cocaine, once you experience it, you want it again and again…
I was literally buzzing my tits off, high as a kite, feeling strong as an ox as I smashed out that final kilometre bouncing along to the tunage……
Rookie is back….
Way more importantly, so is the ‘high’…
Diet
My weight is 13/8 and fat is 24%
Ok, only a couple of pound gain despite the indulgences of xmas.
But this excess weight is completely unacceptable.
I find that whilst my diet is fine during the day, I totally lose the plot in the evenings.
This is also completely unacceptable.
I swear I am mentally retarded, I keep saying the same things over and over, I know exactly what I need to do on the diet front, but sticking to it is probably the hardest challenge of the lot.
One positive, I managed to stay off the alcohol and the smokes all week, although I didn’t half fancy a nice cold guinness on Saturday but again with this, I find having the power to resist such temptations harder than the actual training itself…
But the biggest thing I have learnt throughout this process?….
Doing so will be critical to my success….
Critical.
Next update : 20/01/18
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!)
