unironedman

The programme for Connemara 100 starts next week, officially. I think I may be in denial about the whole adventure. They say if you’re not frightened by your plan, your plan is not challenging enough. Or some such bollocks. They say a lot of stuff, whoever they are. By Week 8 of the plan, I will be running a marathon pretty regularly every Sunday, on top of a long run the previous day, not to mention all the other runs during the week.

To prepare my body for such torture, I have been hitting the gym. Okay, hitting the gym is so damn ‘right on’, it’s painful. I have been going to the gym, then. How’s that? But of course, life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. Last week, having successfully completed Day One of the gym workout, the following session was cut short with a fire call. And then this week, I missed two more, with hospital visits and more fire calls. Such is the way with this job. I have been trying to get the gym work done in the morning before the day kicks off, so it’s up at 7.30 for a 45 minute workout, consisting of various things, including a few targeted exercises for the legs and core: leg raises, clamshells, hip raises, planks, sit-ups, etc. with some bench, clean and clears, triceps dips and a few other bits and bobs.

It’s not a particularly scientific workout, but it should help with the overall condition of the body, which is handy when you are planning on pounding the pavements for a full day. When the core starts to collapse, the diaphragm doesn’t operate to capacity. Breathing suffers, and then everything fundamentally goes to shit very quickly.

So a strong core is a must, and indeed, it’s something quite a lot of decent runners ignore at their peril. So get those gym sessions in. I know they bore the pants off me, but they are worth it.

Apart from that, there have been a few runs this week too. Nothing outrageous. ‘Bones of 35k in the last 4 days. Although I should really get used to those runs in miles.

After all, miles are the new kilometres!

(Holly has officially given up on me this time…)