From Fernando to Fartlek

I am getting my mojo back.

After a period of injuries and not getting any faster, a 14 mile run on Saturday gave me hope that I won’t be hobbling around the cliffs of Beachy Head after all.

I woke up with a dead leg and asked the wife whether she was responsible (she denied any wrongdoing – I have sent it to the Court of Appeal).

My mind started having a conversation with itself, shall I do 4 miles today and 14 tomorrow, maybe I should just rest, etc.

It turns out that the best remedy for a dead leg is a 14 mile run.
I whipped around the perimeter of Wimbledon Park 14 times, did a half-marathon time of 1:37:26 and finished the whole lot in 1 hour 44 which is a pace of 7m25s per mile.

I was struggling a little at the end but that was just leg strength which is what I am building up.
As soon as I got home I showered and got changed and went up to London and must have walked another 4 miles at least.

Sunday was going to be a rest day but the wife dragged me kicking and screaming to a food festival at the Southbank where she forced me to eat some delicious, creamy, home-made ice-cream (all this following a lazy brunch in Wimbledon Village of Eggs Benedict).

Sitting on the couch in the afternoon I felt a pound of weight attach itself to my stomach so I leapt in the air, donned the shorts and running top and went back to the Park.

It was going to be a gentle jog, and it started out as one but then I decided to go Fartlekking!

This is a Swedish invention whereby you run with Abba on your iPod. Only joking.
No, this is where you run and pick an object like a lamppost in the distance and sprint there as fast as you can then slow right down for a minute or so and then pick another object and hurtle towards it.

It was fab!!

I loved it. Having run at pretty much the same pace for the last year it was great to open up and run as fast as I can.

Usain Bolt could still have caught me if he was asleep but it felt bloody quick.
And the best thing about this type of interval training? It burns fat very efficiently.
In fact it’s one of the best exercises for losing weight. Running, rowing, cycling, cross training. As long as you go all out then rest and repeat, you can’t fail.
I will get rid of that half stone and be 13 stone before you can say “32 inch jeans.”

Today is supposed to be a rest of sorts but I think I will go out anyway for 5 miles.

Like I say, I feel great and it seems to be inertia which causes the injuries.

That and the wife of course.