Review of the week w/c 11th February 2019

THERE ARE some people who work Monday to Friday with weekends off,  but that would be far too simple!   My week is 10 days instead of the customary seven.   I work six days and then have four off!   This means that I have to plan my running out in advance fitting it between the gaps of my shifts but still ensuring I am capable of going to work!

Monday

The week kicked off with Hybrid Boxing at The Dolphin Leisure Centre.   This isn't a "get in the ring and batter the hell out of each other" session.  It's more about pad work with a partner.    The session was amazing as five people turned up (its usually just me and the instructor) and it was one of the best aerobic sessions I have had in a long time.

I previously tried Box Fit but it wasn't quite what I was looking for.   I then discovered that one of the personal trainers had just got his licence to train Hatton Boxing.   I decided that as long as I got the same aerobic exercise as Box Fit I was going to switch.   Really pleased that I did beause it has improved my upper body strength and core.   All of which is really positive for running.

Tuesday

The weekly training session with the Haywards Heath Harriers started at Cuckfield with a run towards The Heath town centre.   Once there we started 30 minutes of hill reps.   This wasn't easy because there is a very long and steep hill involved.  To me it was like Everest!   Once completed there was the long run back to Cuckfield completing 9.4K by the end of it.

There are real benefits to including hill reps in your training.   The effects on your running are really positive and the same applies to running in a group (see the blog on "Group Running").

Wednesday

OK, so my great plan was to go for a run on Wednesday, which fits in with my shifts.   After the Monday and Tuesday sessions things were a little tense in the muscle department and I needed to rest up.   So I made the decision to postpone the run for a few days.

This led to the question of when you should run and when should you knock it on the head for a day?    Rest is just as important as running, allowing your muscles time to recover and get ready for the next training session (see the blog on "Should I go for a run?").

Friday

The decision was made and I signed up for Run Gatwick's half marathon.    Luckily it falls on a day off this year so I don't need to book any leave.   Last year was Run Gatwick's inaugural year and at the last minute I decided to give it a go.    I actually got involved in a part of the planning for the event and got a bit carried away!

Run Gatwick was an amazing day, really well organised with a run that went from the middle of Crawley, up to Lowfield Heath and along LGW's Perimeter Road that runs along the length of the runway, into Charlwood before coming back to Crawley again.   This holds special memories for me as it was my very first half marathon!   Looking forward to running it again this year.

Saturday

My muscles are feeling good and so I was up fo a short run.   Due to shifts I couldn't do my regular Park Run this morning, yep didn't finish work until 02:00.   So I did a short run about the same length as Park Run 5K, but did a quick stop half way round and threw in some hill reps.   This also gave me the opportunity to create my last video for the "Choose your Route" page.