Training Review - Weeks 15 & 16

Germany was fantastic. Between that and the time off for redundancy, I have an increased understanding of why people gamble on winning the lottery. We spent a bit too much, but it was worth every penny for a fantastic trip away. We did a decent amount of touristing and enjoying the weather, and the scenery, and the cafes, and the shopping. In training terms, I did some short runs (not far enough and not enough of them) but nothing else. I also tried on some of the super-fancy Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4’s. They weren’t in my size, or an appropriate colour, but I have convinced myself that when my redundancy money, my tax refund and my new paycheque all come in at the end of the month, my spending plans should involve getting a pair of them.

So, starting my new job means my training schedule is going to take a major revamp. My targets don’t change, but there is no option to drive to the office*, so how I am going to collect them up is going to be radically different. Commuting gets me 7 miles each way, which is a long run or a short bike. I will probably do some sort of mix and match between the train, the bike, and running, but it is going to take time to settle in to a plan that works.

 

Normally I build my plans around swimming first, due to pool availability, and work backwards to fit the rest. Now there is no obviously accessible pool so I am going to have to do something awkward there. It looks like that is probably going to be a commuting detour via the stupidly expensive ASV pool, but I am not sure yet where to fit that in to my week. Fitting a swim session on the way in to work in the morning means horrendously early starts (pre 6am), and diverting on the way home means that it is probably in the middle of another run, or cycle  commuting session and I don't eat till late. Those aren’t necessarily impossible, but the amount of clothing and equipment I need to carry certainly makes them something along the lines of impractical. My commuting is going to be with a backpack, often with a laptop and a full set of lunch and clothes, adding an additional set of sports gear is going to start making that unachievable. I have put a test for cycling to the pool after work for this coming weekend to see how it goes.

 

On the bonus side of the new job, there is a gym here that I should get access to from the start of May and that should give me some flexibility to train differently again. I haven’t had my induction yet so I don’t know how I am going to incorporate it into my plans. Or whether it is even a practical fit. 

 

My new job does have some flexibility around start and finish times and even an option to hybrid work Thu-Fri which might make things possible but that could lead to an erratic work schedule that I am not keen on. Certainly, if Bucksburn pool re-opens (current forecast is Q4 2025 but that date has already slipped multiple times) a wider range of options comes available.

 

While I failed to even reach my reduced holiday targets, I did finish off the fortnight with a 3k race at Peterhead. The time wasn't brilliant, but it was a step forward from the last couple of years and feels like significant progress. 


Tomorrow I go in for my next set of hip injections, so I am planning to start the week quietly and build up whilst attempting to test my new work schedule with at least one detour to the pool.  


* I could theoretically drive to Union Square and park there but that is even more expensive than the pool membership and the local Council’s anti-driver diversions for the bus gates mean it is not only slower than the train, but is slower than the bus, or the bike, and barely beats taking the train one way and running home.

 

Actuals, (Target) - 

Swim 1.2 miles / 3,000 m. (2.9 miles).

Bike 20.5 miles. (49.0 miles). MTB 0.0 miles. (14.7 miles).

Run 43.0 miles. (46.2 miles). 

1 short core, 1 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 12 mins of yoga. 

Cumulative Actual, (Cumulative Target), [Cumulative Stretch] -

S 36.5, (38.6), [41.4],
B 506.9, (600.0), [630.0],  MTB 116.7, (180.0), [189.0],
R 346.2, (363.0), [381.2].

Core         - 7, (14), [16], 
Weights    - 4, (14), [16],
Stretching - 6, (14), [16],
Yoga         - 23, (16), [34]. 

Fast run sessions - 17, (16).

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