Sunday 10 May 2009

The joys of rest :)

I usually hate tapers. They make me feel lazy and un-athletic. Crazy isn't it considering what we put our bodies through for months at a time day after day! This taper is different. I've even looked forward to it. I guess it means that I've trained as hard as I could right up to the last minute. So last week was and the next two weeks are all about the recovery, which I feel we've really earned. I took the above picture in Hyde Park in Leeds yesterday where we marshall at Parkrun. I could have just climbed into one of those seats and covered myself with one of those blankets, snoozing away in the morning sunshine...what bliss!! However, the hardest thing about getting a taper right is the balance between not completely switching off and doing bugger all and making sure you don't do too much. Tom and I have a rough outline of which sessions and how short, long or intense they should be and I use them as the basis from which to judge my levels of fatigue. I've been uber tired this week. I think it was an accumulation of general fatigue from that last session and the many squillions prior to it and also because the end of last Sunday's mega-brick was also the end of anything remotely hard or ridiculously long and so I could switch off my brain. So this week I have really enjoyed the lack of challenge, physical or mental and it's been great. The week we're about to go into is crazy busy. We fly on Saturday which basically means we're in race mode....eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!! I have a million bazillion things to tie up with work, our race bikes need cleaning within an inch of their lives and we've got a few little tasty sessions to fit in before the week is done...I'm not sure this week will be restful. There will however be no 5am alarm call (banned) and if that was the only time to fit the session in the session gets canned and I will be in bed every night this week at silly o'clock. On Thursday we were tucked up in bed at 7.30pm. I used to go to bed later than that when I was 12! Did I have trouble sleeping, ermmmm, NO. But getting at least 8hrs kip kip this whole training block has made huge differences to my energy, recovery and general health I'm sure. I'm not giving it up just because I'm not training so hard. Sleep and rest is the new black for the Williams' this next fortnight.

Writing the blog next week will be from the volcanic ashes of Lanzarote which scares me slightly as there is so much to do here before hand. What a journey the last 5months have been. It's just been incredible and whatever the outcome, the gains I have made on the physical and mental journey far outweigh the numbers on a clock or the position in a field. And I also have to say a HUGE thankyou to everyone that still reads our ramblings every week. For those that comment, I take every bit of what you all say with me on my life journey and you really make a difference, and for those who don't comment but I know you still read, your support is always appreciated :)

My week in pictures has only one iphone shot in it this week which means I've been out and about looking for things to snap...dads and their kids appear to have caught my eye this week, enjoy...

Time to sign off, those 8hrs of kip are calling and the clock is ticking.

Just to say a MASSIVE WELL DONE to all of the runners who did the Leeds Half Marathon today. Great turn out for Virgin, supporters as well as runners. Even bigger thumbs up to Vikki who ran 9miles first before running the half so she could get her 22 miler in before the countdown to Edinburgh Marathon starts, great stuff Vikki :) you looked so strong. Kaye, Harp, Nikki, Mabe who all did theirs yesterday, huge achievements all round. Janet, Paul & Mike you all looked great. Lisa P who hasn't been able to run long through illness and injury did brilliantly today, we'll be there for you in Edinburgh :) Khara who did the first triathlon of her season and knocked a whole 10mins off, you'll be flying come Bala girl!! I take inspiration from all of you. x

H. x

3 comments:

Jevon said...

lookin' good, girl, lookin' good.
Jx

Khara Mills said...

Hi H

Great to hear you're enjoying your taper time and that your head is clearly in exactly the right place for this, I'm sooooo excited for you.

Thanks for the congrats, I'm on a high from yesterday's race and looking forward to the next as it finally feels like my season has started.

Don't know if you'll manage to post hear before the big day and hopefully we can follow you on twitter, but I just wanted to say...

Hope you have a fantastic race day and that you get everything out of it that you hope for. With so much hard work, progress, understanding and damn fine training in the bank, you've done everything you can and have inspired a load of people along the way, again, thank you.

Looking forward to hearing all about it, have a great race! :-)
Khara x

Rob Bane said...

Great blogs again, both. Good luck in Lanza, can't wait to hear how it goes. Someone once told me that if you want extra motivation, name each mile of a race after someone who supports and wants you to do well. So at mile...11 of a half mara you might think "Oh, this is Daniel's mile - I can't slow down now". Well, even though your race is over 140 miles, I reckon you'd have to sub-divide into 100 yard sections to name-check everyone who'll be willing you on to your best. Godspeed.