Talkback: ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Craig

Nope - certainly not boring me!

Still chuckling about the fact that you felt the need to tell us that you peeled your banana - LOL! Now I'm stuck with images of trying to eat one with the skin on!

I too - give myself extra brownie points for going out when it's minging outside but you can't beat the feeling of coming back to a warm house/office! Not sure how cold it is here today - cold enough that Rascal doesn't want to go for her walk!

Interval session in the gym for me today right after I finish my smoothie! (Today's = pineapple, lemon, apple, ginger and banana)

Hope all goes well today.....

SB - now i've got images of you sitting in a tree surrounded by a load of monkeys teaching you the correct way to eat bananas !!  Tee Hee....

BoD  - that's a good interval session and those 800 split times are impressively fast - an average pace of 7:24 which is 3:40 for 800m - if you were doing a lot more of these, say a session of 6 or more 800's, you would be targeting around  4:20 for each 800 so last nights were quick.  Can see Sam taking a slashing pen to your targets!!

Like the Sunday treat you have with your evening meal - a couple of beers and some wine on a Sunday evening is sommething I look forward to during the training in the week - for me, you have to keep your sanity as well as your fitness!!

Just a quick check-in before head out for a quick coffee and then to board the train home. I've got your programme with me Craig, so I'll have a look at your times and goals and let you know what I come up with.

Oscarr is right about your 800s, but rather than using those times to knock a massive chunk off your marathon goal, I will look at them within the context of the 5 mile result, overall mileage etc. Often we think that if the goal pace is x but we can go faster, we should go faster but it's very often not the case. No need to go faster than you have to , if you see what I mean (as fatigue increases and so does injury risk). But I suspect we'll be making them a bit quicker, anyway!

Tenjiso - so sorry to hear about your mishap. I would use ice on it for about 8 minutes every 2-3 hours if you can (or even twice a day). Don't put ice directly on skin - a damp tea towel is a good barrier. Have you got full range of motion in the area or too painful? Gentle movement/v gentle stretching can help the healing process. Avoid activities that irritate it. Hopefully Sarah C will chip in soon with some expert physio advice!

Great work Craig!  And definitely not boring.  In fact I had a similar thought this morning re feeling smug as I ran 6 miles of my 10 mile journey to work in the very cold dark morning...but was gloriously sunny when I got to work and the gasps from my colleagues as I walked into the office in my gear was SO worth it .

SB: love the banana opening tip - think I might try that right now.

oscarr - that's why you never see me at the start of a xc - I'm still climbing down LOL!

Get well soon Tenjiso.

Louisa - it works eh!  Think it might have to do with peeling with, as opposed to against, the grain of the skin.

I've just done my first intervals - not very many (7) or very far (1 minute) but my fastest since about oooooh 2005 and still didn't quite get to my target HR though felt very comfortable.  Best plan to hit that + button some more next week!  Happy, happy! I think I'm going to enjoy following Stu Mittelman's training plan (from his book called Slow Burn)

BoD - we have a flying suit here you can try on if you like! The only thing Ben's flying these days is a desk! LOL! Can't believe you'd steal fruit from a baby - crikey goodness!

Back to the psychology - came across MCBT the other day - have you heard about that?  Probably in your job - but I found it really intriguing... For those who don't know it stands for mindful cognitive behavioural therapy and basically the gist of it is that when your mind starts telling you negative things you focus on something that roots you to the here and now as most negative things are based on the future (e.g. I can't keep going at this pace - how do you know you haven't tried yet? / it's too far - again you'll never know unless you try). So you concentrate on for example your breathing - you don't judge it or try to count or anything - just be aware of it and thereby divert your brain from worrying about something that hasn't happened (yet) and/or maybe never will. Once you stop wibbling you can probably motivate yourself better. Well that's roughly what I understood anyway...

G&T / A sherry cask whisky for me thanks - so who's getting the drinks in?

SamMurphyRuns wrote (see)

Oscarr is right about your 800s, but rather than using those times to knock a massive chunk off your marathon goal, I will look at them within the context of the 5 mile result, overall mileage etc. Often we think that if the goal pace is x but we can go faster, we should go faster but it's very often not the case. No need to go faster than you have to , if you see what I mean (as fatigue increases and so does injury risk). But I suspect we'll be making them a bit quicker, anyway!

Hi Sam - that's a great point - it's one i am convinced has been a contributor to poor race performance in the past, running too fast in training intervals simply because I can - I like doing yasso 800's and build up from 6 to 10 over the weeks but have done them all at 3:20 to 3:30 pace when I should be doing 3:50 to 4:00.  Think this does risk fatigue over a long period.

SB - will try "bottom opening" next time am up a tree - amazing how things catch on!!

Tenjiso - you could always use your wife's tea towel ?

Brilliant 4mile undulating run in crisp clear skies - good to be alive!!

Got a banana on my desk and am tempted to squeeze it from the bottom.

Just have and it works! Good tip Sleepy, will show my yougest lad (5) how to do that as he normally struggles.

Nice 800 reps BoD, showing a good bit of speed!

Always peel my bananas that way!!! Just about to peel an orange any tips Sleepy??

Flip freezing here............no central heating in the office here relying on  an old blower heater. Another four miler tonight with some speedy miles in there as I did a three to work quickish this morning. Wooly hat and gloves. Good speed there Craig keep at it. I gave up alcohol between Oct 1 and January but have had a couple of ciders since then but come Feb 6th going back on the no alcohol thing, I find my legs are heavy after red wine, not sure if its real or a negative mental thing......but I keep my weight around 11.12 if I stay off alcohol.

Jacket spud for lunch again to warm me up. Thank goodness for a microwave in work. 

Good to be alive as Oscar says.

Oranges - yeah - leave as much white pith on as possible - that's where loads of the goodness is!

Sorry it's cold up your way!  I'm snuggled in my study - think the 270 pages my printer is churning off is generating a heat all of its own!

I agree - alcohol definitely does have an effect on your training.  I'm usually fine if I just have the one on a weekend evening though! Two or three and I'm not quite my sprightly self!

Good to be alive - couldn't agree more - was thinking the same thing when I was just out walking Rascal! Gorgeous day here!

Right back to it - have a good afternoon all!

Tried the "bottom" banana thing and ended up with a very squashed piece of fruit !! will give it one more go and if no joy then i will go back to being a homo sapien (wife now questioning that condition in the first place!!)

SB: Decided not to steal the banana from my baby, would have been too difficult... I keep thinking about the RAF police... I know, it's a bit wrong really. With regards to CBT, that's the basic principle, all about self-talk and negating the negative thinking (and emotions) that can dampen motivation. It's really useful for short term improvements, including one off things (sessions), short term planning (get to the end of the week) or slightly longer term (tour month race training). Some research suggests that the change can be short lived, however and there is a need to reinforce the learning to the point that is can be automatic. G/T is is then, with lime and not lemon though... And only the odd one.

oscarr: it is indeed good to be alive! Running through the Fen yesterday to a burnt orange sunrise over a huge horizon... Nice. 

mcs: it is so much easter to keep the fat off if you say away from booze. You seen the calories in a pint??? 200+ So depressing. Think I'm gonna go for spud and beans for lunch too today. And porridge for breakfast. And the Kayarnos are great looking shoes are they not. I'm really liking the Evos now, got a wider fitting than I'm used to, but settled in them and are a great pair of high mileage shoes. Still swapping them with old pair though, just to ensure they both last longer...

Tenjiso:  I know what you mean about appetite when not training, got a rest day today and going to have to watch myself... Good luck with the strain

Going to try the banana trick in a second, but yesterdays food. I was in hospital with my kid and bang on daily target with the exercise...

Raw - Banana, 1 Medium    105
Oat So Simple - Golden Syrup Sachet With 180ml Semi Skimmed Milk, 36 g sachet    216 
 
Lunch
Generic - Ham Sandwich With Mustard, 1 sandwich    240   
Walkers - Salt & Vinegar Crisps (34.5g), 1 packet    181   
Sausage Roll, 1 Sausage Roll    360
 
Dinner
Chicken Shish With Salad, Pitta and Chilli Sauce, 1 Large    476
Deep Fried Chips, 1 serving    312
Mushrooms Breaded, 5 mushrooms    100

Snacks
Tracker - Roasted Nut Bar, 26 g    126

The shocking thing is that the Shish kebab is quite healthy with grilled chicken and loads of salad...

Off to work to see if I've got a job interview tomorrow...