Big Show's Outlaw Training Log

[Big_Show]

There's always the Members only Shit List?

I think raking over it all again will just put me up a height again, and I'm in a much better mood today so I don't want to risk it!


Saturday 12th May

What a difference a day makes!

Felt so much better about everything when I woke up this morning. Got out on the bike nice and early - the only slight downer of this morning's ride was when I overestimated how long it would take to warm up. Went for 3/4-tights, t-shirt & club jacket when I could finally have got away with bib shorts, long-sleeved shirt & gillet. Hopefully next week instead!

I tried a different nutrition strategy this week - basically double the nutrition on the bike. Ate a bar every hour and it seemed to work, as I had plenty of energy when I got to the run and didn't feel hungry either. Didn't drink enough before I went out though, I need more water on the bike than I thought.

Nice and sunny day - absolutely loved this ride, it may me fall back in love with cycling again. Pretty windy too - I know I say that every week, but a 20 minute negative split doesn't lie!

Out: 46.0M in 2:57:38 @ 15.5mph av.
Back: 46.0M in 2:36:55 @ 17.6mph av.
Total: 92.0M in 5:34:33 @ 16.5mph av.

The run afterwards went fine; I concentrated on running at a slow, comfortable pace throughout rather than trying to bomb out from the start and at the end I felt like I could have kept going for ages. Very reassuring, don't know if it was due to that extra day off during the week but I frankly don't care.

6.35M in 51:53 @ 8:10/mile

So pleased today's training went well after the mood I've been in this week. It's left me actually looking forward to tomorrow's short bike/long run brick rather than dreading it!

[Big_Show]

Sunday 13th May

Another early start. Not sure what I'm going to make of it in a couple of months when I get to stay in bed until a reasonable hour on a Saturday and Sunday.

Battled the wind on the bike for an hour first - glad I did the long one yesterday, it would have been nails today! 16.1M in 1:01:01 @ 15.85mph av.

Then out on the run. Ran up to the club, met the Sunday Morning Crew, ran down to the Quayside and back over the Tyne bridge then back up to the club. Added an extra ten minute loop on there then ran home to bring me back just over the 2:30 mark.

A very reassuring run; admittely I only had one pace (until I got to a hill, at which I had less pace ) but I realised that although I might want to stop, at no point did I feel like I had to stop. Quite a nice thought. 17.25M in 2:30:28 @ 8:43/mile av.

So that's two weeks out of the six week peak done. Next week I'm going to hit all three swim sessions and then completely demolish the weekend's long miles.

[Big_Show]

Just realised I forgot to mention anything about Operation Big Unit for the weekend.

I haven't bothered calculating the DQS for the last couple of days - I decided to let myself indulge in some of the less healthy foods over weekends while just keeping an eye on the calorie total instead. Hence treating myself to a couple of bottles of nice cider yesterday (I'm working my way through the shelf in Sainsbury's - I can now heartily recommend Thatcher's rose Katy cider and the various Rekordling flavours) and tonight I'm having a couple of glasses of wine. There was also bacon, mushroom & red onion bagels for lunch as a reward for going the distance on today's long run.

That said, I've still got a calorie deficit of approximately 5500 calories for the weekend, so hopefully that'll balance out the appalling diet and lack of exercise over Thursday & Friday.

Meals all planned out for the week ahead so Operation Big Unit is all go; hopefully Wednesday's weigh-in will bring good news.

[Big_Show]

Monday 14th May

All that fun that was happening at work last week seems to have finally come to a head and been dealy with now, so it shouldn't affect things any more. That said, after work I took the assistant manager to the pub as we both needed a pint. So that's the last nail in the coffin of this week's attempts at weight loss, but hopefully I should still have broken even.


Tuesday 15th May

Got to the pool this morning before work. I've planned myself a week's remedial swim sessions rather than just diving straight back in to the full whack and risking injury, so this morning was a 2k swim with plenty of drills, concentrating on getting my form back. Good progress made, next session's a 3k one on Thursday.

My swimming was definitely at its best in March so I've got to get back to that within the next seven weeks. I wasn't worried about the swim before which I think is one of the reasons I let it slide so much, but it's really been hammered home how much I can't afford to do that any more. Got to make sure I don't knacker myself out in the first hour of the race!

[Big_Show]

Running club tonight - the Killingworth Pursuit session. Good hard work, absolutely loved it. Nice to know I still have more than one speed. Overall 9.15M in 1:08:53 @ 7:32/mile pace average.

Eaten well today - left my food diary at work so I can't work out the DQS but there's a definite calorie deficit and I've made good choices today.

[Big_Show]

Checked out my food diary for yesterday now - approx. deficit of 1500 calories and a DQS of 17. So I was right, it was a good day.

Wednesday 16th May

I've got a running club committee meeting this evening so I had to get my training out of the way before work. My legs were complaining after the tough club session last night but i did a spin class followed by jumping on the treadmill for 15mins to turn it into a brick session.

I really, really hate treadmills. Why would anyone ever run on them if there's the smallest chance they could go outside?

Operation Big Unit: Definitely slid backwards last week - put on half a pound. You can do as much training as you want, but if four out of seven days you pay no attention to what you're eating it'll come back to bit you on the ass.

So all that junk food last week while stressed and the impromptu drinking session on Monday nicely countered the sixteen hours of training I did with respect to weight loss.

Back to being really careful again - I don't like it when the scales go the wrong way, not least because I've then got to admit it on here and work out where I went wrong!

[Big_Show]

Thursday 17th May

Great day's training!

Swim before work - BIF #6. Main set:
4x200m + 20s rec. (think I counted the last couple at 3:25)
6x100m + 15s rec. (2 at 1:40, 4 at 1:35)
3000m total in 1 hour

Spin after work: 38.7k in 1:30:47 - knackered now!

Operation Big Unit: Good day's work. Approx burn 4800, approx. deficit 1500, DQS of 16. Probably need to eat more for breakfast as I've felt hungry all day - think it was due to getting a good swim in before work. If the same thing happens after tomorrow morning's I'll up the breakfast calories accordingly.

[Big_Show]

Friday 18th May

3rd swim of the week this morning! First time I've managed that in months...

Shoulders were a bit sore from yesterday so I opted for a straight 2k swim to get them used to swimming two days in a row again. It went well; 2k in 36mins.

After work I went out for my run. Didn't feel as reluctant to get out there tonight as I have been for the last few weeks, although after getting halfway through there was plenty of reluctance there... Overall 11.7M in 1:33:36 @ 8:00/mile

Had more food than usual during the day and also ate a nice big hearty tea ahead of tomorrow's big ride + added run day, but still got a calorie deficit of ~ 1100. That means I should have cancelled out last week's weight gain by now and just need to carry on with it for the rest of the week now. DQS of 10 (mainly thanks to my weekly lunch with a mate) so better keep a closer eye on that.

[Big_Show]

Saturday 19th May

Really chuffed with today's training.

Out early doors for the bike ride, same route as last week. Couple of thoughts on the ride:
- first outing for the bib-shorts. Thought I might regret it at first but was completely fine - long-sleeved top and gillet over the top and felt completely fine. Still had winter gloves though as I couldn't find my other pairs!
- made it up the hill at Hartburn in the saddle without having to stand up like usual. Didn't manage that the other way, but it's 17% on the way back...
- definitely going better with twice as much food and eating hourly. LBS was sold out of rideshots but I plan to use them as well.
- quick stop at Capheaton halfway through to refill water bottles, grabbed a quick coffee and some "ergogenic aid! while I was there #mmmcake
- on the way back into the city past the airport there was a group of young lads sat at the end of the runway watching the planes taking off. I was all prepared for random abuse from a load of charvers but when they saw me coming they stood up, clapped and cheered me on! Always nice to be pleasantly surprised. I was properly pelting it at that point mind you!

Total ride 91.90M in 5:20:21 @ 17.2mph! Frankly amazed with that average.

Quick change then out for my run. Quads felt a bit more battered than usual (probably from the faster bike) but I settled into my standard plod pace and just cracked on with it - 7.2M in 1:00:46 @ 8:26/mile.

Now off to Sainsbury's to carefully not by everything in the shop. Think I'll treat myself to an ice cream though

[Kevy427]

on the way back into the city past the airport there was a group of young lads sat at the end of the runway watching the planes taking off. I was all prepared for random abuse from a load of charvers but when they saw me coming they stood up, clapped and cheered me on! Always nice to be pleasantly surprised. I was properly pelting it at that point mind you!

Spurs you on to go a little bit faster

Think I'll treat myself to an ice cream though

Be rude no to!