Training, other training and a race plan

So, a few weeks ago, I set out some rough guidelines for a training plan, something like 1 x weights or yoga per week, 1 x speed work, 1 x long steady and two other floating sessions (not literally), and by and large I’ve stuck to it.  The major change I’ve made is to include a cut back week every fourth week, shortening the weekend long session back to an hour or so. 

There’ve been a few weeks where I’ve struggled to hit the targets just with sheer pressure of work – working till midnight and then waking at 5:30 does not make for a quality training regime. I’ve also been trying to get a bit more time in on the bike where I can, which has been quite difficult with being away a lot over the past few weeks, and won’t be letting up before Christmas, in fact there’s more work than I can shake a stick at, at the moment. 

That said though, I’ve always done the yoga and the speed work, and I think the speed work is paying dividends.  With a target for the new year’s eve 10k of 42mins, I was quite surprised on a tempo training run of 2k-6k at target race pace – 2k, to break my current PB, coming in at [INSERT TIME HERE].  The 6x 800s are going well as well, with the last time I din them, coming in on the last one at 3:53 pace for the 800, with a target of 4:00-4:10 – I always try and do 5 at target pace and then the last one as fast as I can; so far so good.

The long steady stuff is going well as well, with the last Sunday club ride coming in at around 85km, with good control throughout and only one minor mishap when I sprinted ahead to test and lost contact with the pack until the café stop. 

The old adage of not having enough time to post is probably going to get even worse from now on.  I’ve been enrolled on a new one-year training pan at work, for those with the potential to eventually go on an make partner level in the business.  When you look at it, we are trying to double the size of the business in 5 years, with our current model of so-many staff per partner, and a limit to what any single individual can do in terms of work, that implies plenty of new partners needed and plenty of opportunities. The only drawback is a three-day introductory training session and at least 2-3 days per month of additional effort for the next year. That might not sound like much, but when I’m lucky to have a week per month at home at the moment, I can foresee a bloody busy period ahead.  Still, if it helps get me where I want to be, it’s all part of the circus balancing act isn’t it?

One thing I have found though, doing this training is that although I knew morning speed sessions are essentially evil, they are truly sent from Satan when combined with a windy, rainy Oxford morning following a night out with a load of colleagues from all over Europe and Africa, but that’s no more than we deserve for that kind of behaviour, and if we can complete the session, then it’s even more useful.

So amongst all of this, how has the diabetes management been going? To be honest I really can’t complain too much at all.  I’ve had far more good days than bad overall, but I have had a few erratic readings and days starting to creep in.  The one thing that continues to help me maintain a degree of predictability and consistent sensitivity to both carbs and isulin is exercise.  I’ve had very few exercise related issues, and really seem to have generally got the hang of that bit.  Where, I’m still struggling though is with a few key foods that I just can’t seem to either assess the carb content of, or assess the effect of those on me.  Number one is boiled white rice, number two is white bread.  They just seem to shoot my blood sugar way up with no predictability and the last three high readings I’ve had have all been due to those two foods.  By contrast, the last few lows I’ve had have all been down to low GI foods like porridge oats or sour dough rye bread, which take a while to digest and spike the blood sugar.

One thing I’ve been genuinely surprised at amongst colleagues and clients is the general lack of squeamishness of my testing and injecting, with most people having very little knowledge of the condition, but interested to learn.

That’s enough of that, now down to the real business, the year’s races.  This year I’m going for quality over quantity, with a purpose.  Next year I’ll be 40, so it seems a good opportunity to do something useful and raise a bit of money for a couple of charities; JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund – type 1 diabetes research) and Highfields Special School fund for a new minibus.  I’ve got a few key races in mind, all of which I could PB at, so the plan is to open a couple of just giving pages, raise a shedload of money and contribute myself to the tune of £100 per PB.

The races are

1) 31/12/13 – New Year’s Eve 10k – last year, 108^th overall, 21^st MV35 - Entry in
2) Sunday 1^st June - The Yomp Mountain Challenge – a 23 mile Fell race – last year I did this in 4 hr 25 three days before my diabetes diagnosis. Run from my parents’ town and hopefully my cousin will come and join me again. Last year’s position, 35^th, 32^nd male. - Entry in
3) 1^st August – 40 mile Ultra at Grimsthorpe – 40 at 40, third time lucky I hope
4) September – Road half Marathon, another local one and flat.  Should be good for a fast time.
5) New Year’s Eve 10k – back to the speedwork again, may be stretching it to get another PB here

With them nicely spread out like that, it should give me enough room to tailor the interim training for each, and hopefully get a good cycling TT season in amongst that.

Watch this space – the page will be announced in all good time.

Watch this space as well, for another shoe review – my new Inov-8 FLite 195s