Back on the Mill...

Pic: I really didn't have an applicable picture to add to this post so I thought I would introduce you to 2 special people in my life. 1) The guy in the jean cut off shorts is my Brother. He wears those any chance he gets! Make's me puke in my mouth a little bit but I laugh every time. He is cradling my cousin Martin. He is currently living and training on the National Beach Volleyball team in Toronto. He is aiming fort he 2010 Olympic games. Crossing my fingers!

This morning, I completed my 2nd Treadmill workout in a week! That really isn't all that exciting but because I really dislike the treadmill so much I was quite pleased with myself. North Vancouver's roads/trails are really hilly and with all the interruptions from traffic, speed workouts on the road prove to be quite difficult.

Ever since I signed up for Elk Beaver 'flat as hell' 100km, I thought I better throw in some speed training. Two weeks ago, you wouldn't have caught me step foot on a treadmill but now for some reason it's a piece of cake. I say this now, hopefully I won't be biting my tongue next week. Last Friday I did a 10km run on the mill. I wanted to see how fast I could do a 10km keeping my heart rate 20 beats below my balance point. It was around 47 minutes but my HR crept up towards the end so it probably would have taken me around 48 min. Wendy Montgomery has the Elk Beaver course record at 8:37 (I beleive) and her first 10km split was 48 min. Considering my effort was minimal at this pace, hopefully I can come close.

Today, Tuesday, I trained clients from 5am-7am at the local recenter and it's pretty convenient to just get on the T-Mill right afterwords. There is something nice about setting the speed and just running. Yes, we all know treadmills are boring, but when it comes to speed work I find there is enough stimulation (change of pace) to keep me interested. I find the track just as painful to run around so it's a close comparison for me. At least this way I get to stay dry on rainy days. There are also usually people running on the treadmill's around me and I can pretend like we are all in it together! Today I did 4 x 400, 4 x 800, and finished it off with 2 more 400's. I wasn't trying to do too much because I haven't done many speed workouts yet this year. I don't even know how much is a little or a lot...anyone???

I am off to Vernon this Thursday-Saturday with Jen Segger to get some personal testing done. We both are certified lactate tester's through F.a.C.T Canada and we are going to their headquarters to get ourselves tested this time. I am hoping to learn a lot about where I am at physically and what areas need improvement. Getting tested it great because you get tangible results regarding your fitness. You get to set a benchmark. I will have results that I can compare the next time I decide to test. It's always nice having proof that your training is working for you.

Alright, time to stretch, eat, foam roll, and then run again!

See you in the trails!