Shine On You Crazy Diamond

I have drunk not a drop of beer or any alcohol whatsoever since New Year's Eve. Nor do I intend to do so for the whole of January, which means that there's only a week to go.

This is an idea inspired by Jev who has refrained from the juice every January for years. I thought I would give it a go this year in an attempt to a) see if I had the willpower, b) see how it affects my training and c) see how it affects my work (I need all the concentration I can during January which is by far my busiest month of the year - see my business blog here). And I can happily report that so far the answers are a) yes, I do, b) very positively and c) very positively. All in all, a very useful period of self-imposed cold turkey.

Training this month has gone off the scale, ably assisted by having a clear head and not suffering from hangovers on Saturday mornings. It has gone from virtually nothing in December to 12'ish hours each week since 1st Jan. And none of it has been easy stuff with every session being planned and nurtured so as to achieve maximum benefit.

My running, in particular, has been coming on leaps and bounds (pun completely intended) by following the tri247 plan devised by Mike Trees. Cycling continues to benefit from the MTB interval sessions and now with the addition of spinning sessions at the gym. I have even been continuing my regime of daily press-ups!

A new find as a spin-off from all this has been running late at night. I know it sounds crazy, but this week - armed with head-torch and flourescent clothing - I braved the dark streets of Buckinghamshire at midnight and set off for a refreshing and totally invigorating 60 minute interval run. It wasn't without it's incidences, though. En route there are a couple of farms where dogs are tied up outside over night, and when you're happily running in your own little world it comes as a great shock to see these dogs pelting towards you at 1000 mph ready to lunge, just to be pulled back at the last second like a yoyo when the leads around their necks finally (and thankfully) run out. Phew - alive to see another day.

Then there's the fallout from the local pub, although I think the alcohol-fuelled drinkers spilling out onto the street were more shocked than I was to see a bright shining light running towards them at sub-6 minute p/mile speeds (I wish!).

Here's what my training looked like last week:-

Monday – rest
Tuesday – run - 75m sprints, 43 press-ups
Wednesday – bike - gym spin (fixed wheel), run - treadmill at constant 180 strides/min, 44 press-ups
Thursday – run - 69 minutes hard Ashridge run with Alex, 45 press-ups
Friday - run - easy pace, incorporating 3000m at 4:30 m/km pace, 46 press-ups
Saturday – rest
Sunday – 47 press-ups

Next week is my 'easy' week (easy weeks are every fourth week), and I shall be testing how the new run plan is doing by running a 5K time-trial around the village. My best time is currently a tad below 22 minutes and I'll keep you posted on how I do.

A professional UK triathlete who some might think is a bit crazy is a guy called Hywel Davies. For the uninitiated, Hywel is UK Double Ironman champion (yes, that's a 7.6km swim (in a pool!), 360km bike (laps!) and 84km run (laps!) - non-stop), and a thoroughly nice guy to boot (not literally). Hywel is a regular contributor to the Tritalk forum and this week posted up a message to advertise for sale some spinning bikes which he is selling. I arranged to go up to buy one, and whilst I was there Hywel was briefly telling me about his training exploits for the Double and also how he is currently trying for the Welsh (believe it or not, he is Welsh) Ironman record at Roth this year (he is currently second behind Richard Jones at about 8:45hours). Very inspiring guy, even in just the few minutes we spoke.

I remember reading Hywel's report of the Double - from training to race day and after - and that he had 'found' night-time training and how invigorating it was. I wonder whether he came across the same problems as I did. I am sure he would have simply growled back and the dogs would have cowered back to their kennells. Alas, I am not so brave but it's a damn good way of making me run faster!

Cheers for now.

C