dumbells

Bow Brickhill

Gym and thoughts

Another picture of the gym.... I know, I'm boring in these pictures... but, despite they are now some months I'm attending the David Llyod gym, I'm still excited about it.... it is modern, very hi-tech, always clean, and huge....

I'm officially in the program. the IM program. I've started with the beginning of January. At the moment, I'm around 6-8h/week of exercise, with the prospect of raising it towards 10-12 and 16, at the peack week (jsut for one week...). I'm looking forward to it! it is becoming difficult to manage a full time work, training, business course and thesis writing. Each week has 168h, and sleeping is not an option. Moday is rest day, but it is thesis writing. Tuesday exercise in the morning (run and swim, with the swimming outdoor in the heated pool. It is wired, as outside is nearby the freezing poing, and the heated water generates a lot of mist....). Wednesday is bike followed by run. Thursday is usually bike. Friday is quite a long run, and theoretically swim. Saturday the long bike ride. Sunday the long run. Saturday is also thesis writing, as Sunday. Business course at lunchtime. Food shopping around 22.00/23.00, after the gym, in week days, but not weekends. This is my week, at the moment. When the course will be over (April), I'll have more time for training (closer to the summer, the peack season). Everything is performace and goal oriented. Work, training, writing, course. I'm quite happy I don't have a family right now. I could not manage it. There are some concerns there, but at the moment are at the back of my mind.... when I'll be able to put something apart and form a family on my own? When will I give my life the right priorities? When will I stop thinking about my social life? When will I become normal again, with a normal behaviour? When will I stop eating 650g of cottage cheese as lunch? All these concerns are there, but I try to keep them at the back of the mind. I don't want to think about them now, now is time to perform. And I'm already thinking at the 2010 races. What, when, where. Just in case I don't manage to finish the IM, I need to think about a "second chance", the following year. I need to do it. I need to. Even if it is the last thing I do in my life. I need to finish an ironman race.

2.5k of proteins!!

training results

I'm off season till January. 

In January I'll enter the 36 weeks IM plan. With the IM70.3UK in June as a preparatory race.

These days I'm training. A bit randomly. Some weeks I'm into running, and running is soooo nice. I've completed 26 miles on the treadmill two weeks ago. After that, I needed some recovery from running. And I entered in the swimming phase. Swimming is sooo nice. and I've concentrated my efforts in these two weeks on swimming. And yesterday I completed 4k in the pool. 160 laps in 1h and 20 min. no stops, no recoveries, no drinking water. I was very satisfied. I'm very satisfied. There is no much point in doing training in this way, I know, and from January I'll enter the structured plan. I need to "fix" the bike leg now, I know. I'll go for a very long ride (century ride) one weekend in the spring-summer. And I wish to find another lake for some open water swims in the summer. 

The only problem is the PhD. Dam. I'm finding really hard to juggle work, the business course I have to attend for work (outside working hours, 300 hours till April), training and PhD writing.  Training is fine, writing is not. I just wish.... but it is pointless to wish. On top of this, the PC I was writing the dam thing crashed. I hate Windows and I love Mac. It could be clearer than that. Now I'm trying to recover the data from the HD.

Two weeks ago I've taken another body mass measurement. It is in the gym, with an current-based system. It is not accurate as the DEXA (based on X-rays) I did last year at Bham uni. So, scientifically speaking, I should not compare the two results, as they come from two different machines which use two different methods, and they have two different errors. But. there is a but. The result (attached) showed that I've got 10.8% of body fat. I was pretty impressed, and happy with the result!!!!!!

I've entered in the IM70.3UK (Wimbleball lake) in June!! I'm in now!! the hotel is already booked!

2009

2009.

two races.

14th June 2009, Half ironman uk, Wimbleball lake. I've already booked the race and the hotel.

13th September 2009, Ironman Wisconsin. I've booked the race, but the flight, the box, the car and the hotel are missing.... and the training is missing as well...

I'm worried I not to have time for a proper IM training, with the new job, the business course and the thesis writing (I'm very very disappointed with Mike, and I'm feeling anger inside, which doesn't help at all..). But I'm totally glad to be out of the Watson lab, and of the lab in general!

From January I'll need a more structured training plan.

Last weekend I've run 42k (26miles) on the treadmill. the first 13 miles were more than fine, the second half of the run was not so great. but I've covered the distance. so I was happy and satisfied. 

I've also joined since I've moved David Llyods. A fancy gym, with an heated outdoor pool and spa. And it is soo nice to swim outside, despite it is winter!

eventually I'll get there, with everything... including the life-destroying PhD.

David Lloyd gym