Week 6 Summary Report - New Format

It's the end of week 6 and it has been a very tiring one for me. Having left the Week 5 with a sense of disappointment about my weight loss aspirations, I have decided to stop blogging on Nutrition as for those of you who have followed my blog thus far, I think it is understood and I am aiming to consume between 1700 and 2100 calories per day, and had made a concerted effort to each sensibly without crash dieting and still allowing myself the odd blowout in when I have a family party or engagement with friends.

Making the realisation that weight loss is not a good measure for performance with runners means that there is effectively no point in performing a calories consumed/burned analysis but I will continue to track my weight and the calories burned as I find these things an interesting aspect to this experience.

 

So, to get us started this week, we should look at the activities.

 

 

Saturday was an away day to Pitlochry for some white water rafting. This was one of the most exciting things that I have done ever and when I plugged in the time doing it to Map My Run, got a calorie burn of 915! Jackpot.

Sunday, I was completely shattered from the day's activities before and given that I had an active week before hand, spent the day having a good rest. The advise on the Great Scottish Run website states firmly to listen to your body and rest when called for. Mine was yelling "Enough Already!!" so for the first time in ages, I took an afternoon nap, which turned into a 3 hour knockout but here is an interesting fact - Calories Counter .net website advise me via thier calculator that I burn 90 calories for every hour sleeping. So this wee effort works out at 270 calorie workout (not that I'm counting it in!).

 

Monday, I normally do a swim on a Monday but was still feeling quite tired. I was also aware that I was going to the Running Track at Bellahouston Park on Tuesday to push my limits so decided on another rest day.

Tuesday, I went to Bellahouston Park for a track run. Managed a lifetime achievement of 8k and I did it in 47:06 which is well within the 6 min/km target that I have set myself. I was really pleased with this result as it is a solid indication of where my fitness is and I just feel like the 10k is so within my grasp.

Wednesday, Scheduled rest day. After pushing on the track I am a bit sore so need a good rest.

Thursday, Back to my normal training run in Alexandra Park except that I need to push the distance again, so 7k is the target with a push to 8 if I have enough in the tank. I had to give it a good warm up at the gates and was pleased to look up to see that I had an audience. Not sure if their expression was one of appreciation or disbelief but they cheered me up and posed for a photo before I set off. 

It was another great run out, but doing 8k on the track and 8 over a hill every 2 kilometres is an entirely different thing so I completed the usual 6k and was really quite spent at that but kept pushing on to the 7k.  Odd Kilometres are quite flat so I managed it ok but I am just not ready yet for the hill a fourth time, so ended it at 7k - really tired but pleased with the milestone.

Friday, This would normally be a swim but my 2 hard push runs have taken it out of me, so I decide to conclude the week there.  Less activities but more of a push, so another good week!

 

 

Kilometre times are definitely tumbling. The Track run on the 03rd was a real indication of my current fitness and I managed the 8k well within my 6 min/km target. Still some work to do on the hill runs but I am confident that I can do this. 3 weeks of training left and I feel that I am so close.

 

Weight loss was an unsurprising 100g loss.  I have reached what runners.com calls the "Runners Plateau" where I am burning fat but building muscle. It makes sense that while I am in a mode a pushing myself, I am getting stronger. I will, however, keep a track of my weight just for curiosity.  I am refusing to diet as I know that in order to train healthily, I need the calorie intake. 

I know that I am getting slimmer - got into an old pair of jeans at the weekend, a size less than when I started. That is result enough for me to know that I doing something right!

 

I have now started the fund raising for the Ceridian Payback Foundation by setting up a Just Giving Page.  This Charity is run by Volunteers so all of the funds raised for this event will go to making the disadvantaged children and their families a bit easier by approving grants of equipment that they would not normally get access to via the NHS.

 

Please folks, if you enjoy reading my blog and are feeling a bit charitable, then please sponsor my efforts, and those of my colleagues who are raising money for this worthy cause by either clicking the link to donate or you can use the text number below.

 

 
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