That dreaded first training run

Weight: 77kg
Backpack Weight: 2.2kg
Weather: 18C
Route: Trail, 5 miles, hilly

Although I have run every night this week, this was the first one that I considered to be part of a schedule. The symbolism of this changes the feel of the run completely. I started this long journey with a gentle 5 mile run up the hill behind my house. Despite being in reasonably good shape over the summer, I am feeling very tired after cycling from Newcastle to Edinburgh with some friends (see pic below). My legs were not very pleased with me at all. Huffed and puffed up the hill and felt generally horrid, then got into a good rhythm on the flat and the downhill. This is supposed to be the 'assessment phase' and one thing for sure is that I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.

I am a good bit heavier than my fighting weight of around 70kg due to the delicious food in Croatia and the amazing pies in Melrose on the way to Edinburgh (yum!) but that will come off once this schedule kicks in (I hope).

Overall a bit daunted, but glad to have run. Seem a shame that tomorrow's a rest day, but I have vowed to make Friday's the most sacred of all the days!

Training Outlook

I sat up until 2am this morning devising a training programme for the coming months, sorting out races I can enter to use as training runs etc. I think I've got it sorted.

My training is loosely broken up into four 'phases':

Phase 1 - assessment and foundation phase: This will last from now until mid December and will be a period of seeing where I am and working on building a good solid foundation for when the training demands increase.

Phase 2 - increasing mileage: This is the period when I begin to boost the mileage.

Phase 3 - high mileage: This is the peak of the training programme.

Phase 4 - taper: This is when the mileage eases off to prepare for the race.

My weekly schedule will look something like this:

Mon Cross Training (either swimming or cycling)
Tue Club run of 6+ miles
Wed Tempo run or Hill reps
Thu Club run of 6+ miles
Fri REST :)
Sat 8 miles+ (early on) and long run (later phase)
Sun Long Run of up to 30 miles with one training run 'race' of 53 miles

I will try to be as flexibile as possible with this routine, but this is what I am aiming for. Besides this I will do three weekly sessions of upper body strength training (as I'm a bit weedy in that department) and a couple of hill walks a week.

The First Post

I have decided to keep this blog to record my training in the build up to The West Highland Way Race 2008. I have read that lots of people have found that a blog helped them in their training and I certainly need all the help I can get!

So over the next few months, I will be posting information about how the training's going as well as any races that I enter. It will be extremely boring reading for anyone else I'm sure, but it might just provide me with the extra bit of motivation I need to complete this race.

Thanks for dropping by!

Phil