Puffed!

WEEK 24.5K
MONTH 120.4K
YTD 198.4K


It's been almost a week since I have posted. I didn't realise that it had been that long. It is also the first week this year that I haven't run with any of my regular run groups, a combination of the rain and feeling wrecked after work has been the reason for this.

On Monday at work we done some sprint type training which I was a bit sceptical about. The fact that most people who run these sessions have never ran on a regular basis in there life, makes me feel this way. However to my suprise the session was actually quite good, the only downside was that alot of the activities required everyone to partner up with someone. Not blowing my own trumpet here, but most people at work are not very fit and are not runners so the level of intensity was a little tame.

Wednesday is usually the night of the run group from the Run Inn, however after riding to work and taking some fella's through a small interval training session, I didn't really feel like running later that night. Instead I went for a nice casual 7k run at 5min/k pace to round the day out with 9.5k of running and 26k of riding.

Yesterday, I had organised a work mate to conduct my 6 monthly fitness assessment. I had organised it so that I could do the test and then begin my normal workday. I was due early next month and is my first one since my operation. Early in my career I used to be concerned about what I achieved, however over the years this has changed somewhat. There is a minimum standard and two incentive levels to aim for however if the incentive levels are achieved there is no reward, no recognition of your result. After the test is complete your results are not recorded just a P for pass which is placed on file. In saying this I do have personal pride and always aim higher than the minimum standard, on occassions I go all out to see what I can still do and compare the results to my younger days.

6.30 the test began and I was one of about ten people doing the test. I however was the only person getting it recorded the others where doing remedial training as they had failed the test a month prior. Pushups are first exercise and I have to achieve 35 in 2 mins to pass, I haven't been doing much upper body lately and I usually like to achieve 50 or more, I did reach 50 but that was all I was capable of doing. The next component is situps, feet held to a cadence of 1 every 3 secs. This is a very easy component as most people with no Ab strength can use their hip flexors alot to assist, this can somtimes be a problem as the next component is a run. I reached the max of 100 reps. The run leg is 2.4k and is a generic distance for alot of government jobs that have fitness tests, such as the police force and all three defence services. Due to my age I have 11.48 to pass, yesterday morning I decide I was going to do 2 laps of this track, the first lap time being recorded for my test the second to just do for some training. It was pouring down when we started and actually very nice, my aim was to just be comfortable and run the 2 laps consecutive in under 10 mins per lap. I ended up finishing the first in 9.14 and turned around and completed the second lap in 9.43, so just over 20 mins for 5 k if I had run another 200m. After the test I got changed to start the work day with another hour of exercise.

Today I didn't get up for the monthly time trail, which was run out at Shorncliff, I wanted a sleep in which felt good. Tonight I have been invited to a mates house for a few drinks for his B'day, which will be an early night fingers crossed as I hope to make it to BRRC for the 20K.