The capitalisation of the title indicates quite how excited I was to be able to run in shorts and t-shirt yesterday, for the first time in 2012 and indeed the first time since about September 2011.
A summary of things from this week...
Monday - 60 minutes of swimming. Some drills, some backstroke, some breaststroke and some front crawl, all executed at a steady pace following Sunday's race.
Tuesday - ran on the North York Moors straight from work to try and get a bit of a run in daylight post-work for the first time since winter kicked in. I set off round the base of Rosebery Topping at 17:32 so managed until about 18:10 in daylight before I finally had to succumb to the torch. I jogged up Rosebery Topping and then went east, warmed up for about 30 minutes and then did 6 x 90s on a flattish bit and then a hillyish bit. Not super-intense - legs were still a bit tired after the race - but a nice stretch out. And then warmed down and jogged back to the car. I can't describe how pleasant it was to have done the first bit in the light. Treatarama.
Wednesday - 90 minutes of swimming. 20 x 100m off 2 minutes with 5 fast, 1 easy, 4 fast, 1 easy, 3 fast, 1 easy, 2 fast, 1 easy, 1 fast, 1 easy. One of my favourite sessions. Took a while to get into - first few were 1:34, which was a bit sluggish, then got slightly quicker. Last one was 1:27. Not bad but they should really all be 1:30 for such a session. Then some fast 50s and some hard 50s kick.
Thursday - parents' evening so couldn't train. Plus, developed a sore throat throughout the day. Somebody should have shot the carrier prior to the situation in which I caught the germs.
Friday - intention had been to do a rep session but with the aforementioned sore throat and associated cold it seemed prudent to rest. Made a very tasty creamy caramelly maltesery ginger nutty dessert instead. Mmm.
Saturday - woke up with a cold but it appeared to be fairly mild and I didn't feel chesty or particularly fuzzy, so I went swimming. Brad set a session but I swam very steadily for just over an hour, but was going so slowly it seemed sensible to get out instead of dragging it out for 90 minutes. Went home and the day was so beautifully springlike and pleasant that I went up to Hamsterley - in SHORTS AND T-SHIRT - to run. Ran up to Doctors Gate as part of my warm-up, although I had to take a slightly altered route due to heather burning. I didn't fancy my chances on a moor full of flames. I did a 5.5 mile warm up then found a 0.95 mile loop that had a steady hill, a flat bit, a steep bit of downhill and then a flattish bit. Brilliant fast loop. First loop 5:44, second 5:34, third 5:38. Hadn't planned to do a third but couldn't resist. 3 miles warm down meant it was 11.5 miles in total. Lovely running. Good to be doing something fast after two days off. I'm missing depth of quality at the moment so it was nice to have a lung buster.
Sunday - planned a 40ish mile hilly steady cycle up to Woodland, Stanhope, Wolsingham, Hamsterley and home. Breezy but not horrendously windy. Warm and mild with brilliant visibility. I was enjoying cycling at a gentle pace when I was caught by a man shortly after Woodland. He then said he would cycle the loop with me so despite him being a cyclist of significantly higher pedigree, he waited for me on the climbs and we went over the moors together. Despite him saying we could just go at my pace I didn't want to look like too much of a slow coach so exerted myself more than planned to keep up. I was also too embarrassed to ask for a food stop so did the 3 hours fasting. By the time he left me at Morley, after spending about 2 hours cycling with him - just 15 minutes from home - I could barely cycle. I was absolutely shattered and starving. Still, a pint of milk blended with a banana and some coffee essence worked a treat, with a slice of toast and a pint of Ribena and a pot of herbal tea. I'm hoping it doesn't linger in my legs but although I'm still - excuse the phrase - snotty, I don't feel like the cold is too much of a problem.
All in all a fair week: shame to have missed Thursday and Friday due to parents' evening/cold, but que sera sera.
Delighted spring has arrived and today it was an absolute marvel to cycle today without shoe covers, wearing just one pair of socks, no coat and FINGERLESS GLOVES. Whoop whoop.
Next weekend is Lad's Leap: I don't feel in amazing condition - I felt fitter for running in October - but I think I'm getting back on track and with a few weeks of quality training I should be more race ready. As such I'll see how next weekend goes: I shall try my hardest and see what happens.
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