Doesn’t it look colourful and fun when the overall plan of my life for the next 30 weeks is laid out in an excel spreadsheet 🙂 Eeeeeekkkkkk only 30 weeeeks to go.

Behind each week coach Neil has planned a detailed day by day training plan to get me to the finish line of my first full ironman distance. Building miles, endurance, fitness and hopefully some weight loss.

Along the way the plan accommodates monthly Sportives from 45 miles to a couple of century rides. In January there are off road runs and races where I’ll be covered head to toe in mud & muck whilst climbing the hills of Wiltshire. March I will hopefully be running a fast half marathon with an eye on a PB, this is at Silverstone race circuit, so as an F1 fan I know the corners and should be able to follow the racing line to shave those few pesky minutes that are keeping my over the 2 hour mark. Then there is the Forest of Dean trail half marathon for more mud, tree roots and challenging terain, this will not be a PB run !

The Stay Healthy note is when I’m cross training at altitude – or better referred to as snowboarding in Canada for a couple of weeks with hubby.

I’m still on the lookout for some Olympic triathlons to hone my race craft, transitions and race preparation including practising nutrient and testing kit. But I have entered ironman 70.3 Exmoor, UK in June to get to know how the ironman circus works – which coloured bag used when and placed where, the registration format and what goodies I get !

Week 1 / 30
So far so good ! Well I’ve eased quite gently into 2014 training as I’m actually on holiday in Scotland, staying with friends. And yes I’ve eaten and drunk far too much for a sensible ironman athlete in training.
To be fair the plan did say – Holiday – Rest & recovery, or do what you can.

In fact I’ve taken advantage of the seasonally good weather we are experiencing in the micro climate of Moray. While the rest of the UK is being battered with storms and submerged under flood water or tidal waves we have experienced temps in double figures, OK just made 10c but we have had sunshine, a couple of showers but mainly dry and mild. This has allowed me to get out and run.

I was well chuffed with the first run I did up here as it was same route, same shoes, same GPS tracking and same weather as exactly a year ago but I completed the 4.5mile loop four minutes quicker – that’s progress I’m happy with.

Then the forest was calling me with its abundance of fresh air, crunchy carpet of leaves and twigs, undulating terrain woven with tree roots to avoid, undulations and bridges over the glacial like, streams under a canopy over 30 meters above my head which broke up the big blue skies.

I rediscovered my love of trail running in the forest, I was like a child running free. I used trees or streams as markers for fartlek intervals and powered up hills, side slide down the banks of the stream jumping over them at the last moment so I didn’t freeze my feet off from an icy dip.

As Hogmonay lasts two days for twice the fun & drinking in Scotland we went for a walk on the 2nd back to the pub where we saw in the New Year with a free dram of local Aberlour Whisky, Wakers shortbread, a fantastic fireworks display over the River Spey and a lovely Scottish dinner.

To finish my training week off it was back to the forest for fast 5k blast through the trees. Again I was very pleased with my pace clocking sub 9 minute miles in the forest.

Week 1 – well & truly in holiday mode.
Runs x3 approx 11 miles
Food & drink far too much
Nights out x3
Walk x1 4.5 miles