Owen's blog - now remastered in glorious technicolour (I've included photos!)

Tuesday

Went for a recovery swim in the uni pool after the weekends efforts and did 3 x 500s on 9:30 each. With the warm-up and cool-down total distance was 1.8km. While the times aren't fantastic, they are better than two weeks ago which is very good news. I'm back at a stage now where I can incorporate some drills and some more complex sets rather than just doing 1500m freestyle every time I get in the pool!

Of course the more important thing that happened on Tuesday was that I got new shoes!

I went to InTraining and the guy there was really good. We started out with neutral size nines and just kept trying different pairs until the fit was right and the support was sufficient. It was really good because he let me go for a run outside in each pair to test them while he watched how my feet were landing in them. When we'd narrowed it down to two I tried one on each foot and the decision was: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6 a mid stability shoe in size 10.5. :

Technically they're the "ladies" version but they fit me better because I have narrow feet so I'm just going to go with it. :P

Tuesday also saw the official arrival of my bike computer which I spent the first half of Wednesday fitting!

It's very cool (if a little bulky) and has speed, distance, average speed, max speed, riding time, temperature and a couple of other random funtions as well. Apart from having to mount it on the front wheel instead of the rear (the wireless connection doesn't reach more than a metre and my lanky frame means the distance from my handlebars to the rear is just outside that!), meaning I can't use it on the mag trainer which is on its way, it seems to be working fine and they way I see it, for the ridiculously cheap eBay-price I paid for it, even if it only lasts a couple of months it was a good deal so I'm happy!

Wednesday

Rest day, fitted computer and did core stab/strength sesh again.

In answer to Jen's query, this session is just a mix of some upper body stuff and some of the excersises we did in the high school cross country team. It's not set in stone but an example is:

1. 15-20 push-ups

2. 10-15 sit-ups

3. bridge hold for one minute

4. 10-15 sit-ups on right side

5. 10-15 sit-ups on left side

The next three are done with dumbells, I don't know the real names of the excersises but basically it's five reps of each exercise:

6. Stand with arms at side, dumbells in hand, raise arms straight out to horizontal on a count of 10, and hold at horizontal for five seconds. Lower back down on another count of ten.

7. The next is starting with the weights on the front of your legs and raising up till your arms point straight out in front of you at shoulder height, hands on top of the weights. (works triceps) Hold for the same counts as number 6.

8. The last one is the same as seven but with hands under the weights instead of on top. (works biceps)

I do all 8 three times. The focus is on really slow and steady movements, the slower the better. A lot of them are probably pretty superficial but they work for me so... whatever. I mix it up by holding weights when I do the sit-ups or doing them on a swiss ball, just to keep it interesting...

If you've got a training partner you can do some cool stuff with a medicine ball as well. Try facing each other, doing sit ups alternately and throwing the medicine ball when you're at the top of the sit-up to your partner at the bottow of theirs...

Thursday

First ride with the computer and run in the new shoes and it went very well. I rode 25km and ran 5km. Ride was very cold but I managed to stay in the saddle for most of the hills and it seems to be getting more natural than a couple of months ago. The shoes were realllllly good support-wise but need some running in/softening up.

Finally, in answer to Wobbly's question about the bike tyre convertor... Bascially it's just an adaptor you fit to your bike tube that converts it to the same valve as the one on a car tyre so you can use the pumps at service stations (provided they're not bl**dy solar powered!).

(I tried to get a picture up but it's not working atm, will try again next time!)

Tomorrow will be 1km intervals in new shoes, really keen to see if I can get under 4 mins... ciao!