Half Time

Its a well earned rest day today and after a hard weeks running I needed it. Today also marks the half way point in my little 8 week experiment so its time to look back over my blog and evaluate my training so far. A big thanks to my 3 readers for following me over the last month, I think I know who you all are!!! Feel free to comment any time. It was never about numbers reading it, it was a journal for me really but its great to know a few of you are interested. Thanks!

Training:


Chasing the pack in the last mile.

I don't think I could have done any more or worked any harder without overtraining. Ive pushed myself to my limits, rested well and recovered superbly. Im really happy with the adaptations and improvements, especially with my outstanding 5k time this week. Its blown my vision of what I think I can achieve, totally apart. A friend posted some pictures from the 5k: Its good to look at them as it shows how my running form is. Its good to see I've got high knee lift, arm swing and forefoot striking at a fast, hard pace.

Me in the middle of "proper runners"!

I believe anything is possible if you work hard enough, dedicate yourself to it and give 100% every time you train. Ive nailed every single training session and they have never felt like a chore or been boring. Each one has been planned and executed really well and Im extremely happy with my overall training plan.
Im also quite excited about the direction my running is taking me and very seriously considering joining a proper, competing running club after my ultra is over.


Food and Diet:
Considering my lifestyle and the stress Im under every day, I think my diet over the last 4 weeks has been really good. Its been full of the rich nutrients, carbohydrates and proteins my body has needed during the hard training and the super foods (Blueberries, chia seeds, spinach, kale etc) , I think, have helped me to recover quickly and fight off any soreness or illness. Im going to continue to consume pretty much the same again for the next 4 weeks but Im going to cut down on the gluten content. I had toasted wholegrain bread with beans for lunch today and Ive felt bloated, rotten and had some stomach acid all afternoon since. I recently read a piece on athletes cutting down gluten and seeing a performance improvement so I think I will give it a whirl.

Physical:
Im not going to weigh myself and do a body fat analysis until this journey is over so I don't know exactly how Im doing. However I feel so much better, healthier and leaner since I started. My body shape had definitely changed and my love handles are finally disappearing (no sign of a six pack though, so no calendars shoots for me just yet haha). I took a before picture as a comparison and I will post it with the ending picture in 4 weeks time. One example is that I trimmed my toenails the other night and noticed how healthy and clear they looked from all the nutrients Im taking in.
My strength sessions are going well and my core has definitely solidified since I started. This includes the muscles and tendons in my back, that fire up and stabilize me, they feel super strong and flexible. Im stretching every day - sometimes twice and my overall flexibility is getting much better (my legs are always going to be tight with the mileage Im doing). So far so good!

Mental:
My home life is always going to be stressful to some degree. Being a carer, its easy to forget about your health and mental wellbeing, but the last month has been particularly "cleansing" for me. Its been a difficult month with Joanne being so ill and Oliver off school for the summer but Ive managed to keep calm through running. Its relieved any tension, stress, frustration and anger Ive been experiencing and helped me to cope and Ive been able to help Joanne and Oliver much more. Ive also had an influence on their diets as they've been eating most of what Ive had (I do all the cooking anyway). Ive used any negative thoughts and feelings as fuel on harder runs, literally burning them up to power me forward, its been very enlightening. My confidence in my ability is steadily growing and Im relishing the coming challenges of my race. I feel like I could run it tomorrow Im that excited. Bring it on!

Todays exercise:

A brisk walk to work and back. 1 hours stretching, foam rolling and lacrosse ball massage.

OOh AAh Cantona!! Foam rolling knotty calf's
 

Todays food diary:

Breakfast
Oatso Simple porridge with chia seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and honey.

Lunch:
Tin of baked beans with wholemeal toast (I hadn't been shopping)

Dinner
Grilled, Lean Gammon steak with pineapple, seasoned sweet potato wedges and sautéed mushrooms, onion, peppers and spinach

Gammon, pineapple, sweet potato wedges and sautéed veg

Snacks:
2x apples, flapjack bar, small bar of dark chocolate, nuts and seeds

Drinks
A few coffees, loads of bottled water, light chocolate ovaltine.