Training for International Duty

 

My 2010/11 winter season started in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae on 12th September 2010 (above)...

 

 

...and ended in Antrim, Northern Ireland on 27th March 2011 (above) with numerous stops in between. Thank you to Mark Pollard for taking this photo of me in my Scotland tracksuit before the race.

So my international debut has come and gone. I feel that I fared okay, finishing 10th, and 2nd Scot, out of 28 finishers in the Home Countries Cross Country International in Antrim. I had fears of being in a race involving the four Home Nations comprising 15 good athletes plus me. I'm pleased to say it didn't turn out that way. The race also included teams from North of England, Midlands, Irish Universities and Combined Services. Out of the internationalists, I finished well and kept some good runners, including the whole Welsh team, behind me.

For those whom it interests, here is how I prepared, starting with the Monday evening 2 days after the UK Inter Counties Cross Country.

Week Commencing Monday 7th March

Monday: Track, 2 sets of 7 x 300m, 100m slow jog between reps, 800m slow jog between sets, times- all 50-53 seconds, 7.5-8 miles including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Rest- at Clyde v Queen's Park match.

Wednesday: 6 miles easy (37:23)

Thursday: 10 miles easy (1:02:46)

Friday: 3 miles easy (29:53)

Saturday: 10 miles easy (1:05:29)

Sunday: 14-14.5 miles easy (1:34:22), Whitelee Windfarm

Mileage- 51

Having received the Scotland call up, I knew I had to keep training. However, I was so tired after Birmingham, I needed an entire week of easy running to feel fresh enough to tackle the sessions I wanted to do before Antrim. Monday's track session was not done at full tilt and the rest of the week was devoted to running how I felt. Friday saw my first run with Kirsty, who is recovering from a serious illness, for two months. This was the early stages of her recovery, hence, the pace. I was going to do a little extra alone but it was Friday night, I wanted my dinner and, to be perfectly blunt, I couldn't be bothered. I ended the week fresher than I started.

Week Commencing Monday 14th March

Monday: Track, 2 sets of 12 x 200m, 100m slow jog between reps, short recovery between sets, times- 32-34 seconds, 8-8.5 miles including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, Hampden run, 8 miles brisk (47:03).

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 10 reps, running hard off the top of the hill, 7.5-8 miles including warm up and warm down.

Friday: 6.5-7 miles easy (52:17)

Saturday: Showground, East Kilbride, 10 x 3 minutes, 90 second recoveries, 8.5-9 miles including warm up and warm down.

Sunday: Longer run, Whitelee Windfarm, 25 mins easy then intervals of 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 5 mins jog recoveries between reps in the first 2 sets of 3 and 3 mins jog recoveries between reps in the third set of 3, total- 14 miles (1:27:49)

Mileage- 53

This was a great week. Monday and Tuesday went to plan. Wednesday was a night off because I had a seminar to go to after work. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday's sessions convinced me I was in the best shape I could be for the following week. To average around 6:15 per mile for 14 miles in a training run was amazing. I only shortened the recoveries because I was nearly home and running out of ground to complete the reps. 3.5 miles of Friday's run was done with Kirsty at 8:40 per mile pace, an incredible improvement from one week previously and her fastest pace since resuming post-illness. Her running has continued to come on leaps and bounds since. She's not quite where she was before yet but, bit by bit, she will be.

Week Commencing Monday 26th March

Confident in what I had done, I pulled the training right back.

Monday: Track, 600m, 500m, 400m, 600m, 500m, 400m, 600m, 500m, 400m, times- 1:46, 1:27, 69, 1:46, 1:27, 70, 1:44, 1:26, 68, 5.5-6 miles including warm up and warm down.

Tuesday: Club, Hampden run in reverse, 8 miles easy (49:23)

Wednesday: Hill reps, High Point, 4 reps, running hard off the top of the hill, 3.25 miles total including warm up and warm down.

Thursday: 5 miles comprising mile hard, mile easy, mile hard, remainder easy, fast miles in 5:25 and 5:21, 29:50 overall for the 5 miles.

Friday: Rest- working in the morning then flew to Belfast in the afternoon.

Saturday: Race- Home Countries Cross Country International, Antrim, Northern Ireland- 10.8km, 10th in 35:36.

Sunday: 1 hour easy (9.3 miles)

Mileage- 40

 

Above right: competing in Scotland colours in Antrim (It was too warm for the long sleeved polo neck incase anyone wondered). My finishing position matched my race number (10).Thank you to Mark Pollard for taking the photo.