Weeks seven to nine - warm weather (not much) training

By Jon Tunney on Apr 30, 09 08:10 PM

ALAN Sillitoe famously wrote of the Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
But I want to pen you a paean to the glorious solitude of running; to the joyous sensation of being alone in the world, when the only thing that matters is putting one foot in the front of the other over and over and over again until you are almost hypnotised by the rythym.
When the pounding of your feet is matched only by the pounding of your heart; and the only sound you can hear is the thump in your ears as blood courses through your veins, feeding your muscles with delicious oxygen.
When you feel as though you could run and run forever and never stop.

These are the glorious times when the adrenaline and endorphins charging through your brain make running a thing of majestic beauty. But they are fleeting and must be grasped when they come along.
Sillitoe's Colin Smith found some redemption in running - away from the bleak reality of his life. And the hypnotic mindset it put him in is familiar to anyone who has savoured its unique mix of pleasure and pain, exhiliration and exhaustion.

The running route I took while on holiday in Sydney would inspire anyone to greater efforts than they thought possible.
The thrilling cliff-top path between Bronte and Bondi is all the motivation anyone would need to pound out the miles. Perched precariously about the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the tarmac dips, twists and rises amid the spectacular scenery for which Sydney has become famous.

The spray of the sea in your face and the feel of the wind in your hair complement the views - it truly is a magical place.
I was under orders from my physio not to push my injured calf beyond 10 minutes of running, but how was I supposed to stop while everything in me screamed to keep going?
And, touch wood, I'm glad I did - 10 minutes quickly turned into 20, with no apparent ill-effects. That was then doubled again to a much more respectable 40 minute-trek. I even allowed myself to stretch into near full-pace, just to teach the Aussies running alongside who was boss.

The swimming wasn't bad either. The famous Bondi Icebergs boasts an open-air 50m pool of purest Pacific water, with the occasional bonus of a breaker crashing over the ocean wall and into your lane.
With Australian autumn rapidly turning to winter, however, you can't guarantee the weather won't duck below a still-balmy 20C. And when the rains come, you have to turn inside.
But with Australia the swimming capital of the world, there is no shortage of fabulous facilities. Sydney with its 4m inhabitants boasts more than twice as many 50m pools as there are in the whole of Britain.
Just don't try and take the Aussies on in the fast lane. There was only one winner there - and it wasn't the plucky Brit.

WEEK SEVEN
Monday - 2,000m swim - 33mins
Tuesday - 2,000m swim - 35mins
Wednesday - 2,000 swim - 34mins
Thursday - Sunday - no training

WEEK EIGHT
Monday - No training
Tuesday - 3.81km run - 21.16mins
Wednesday - 1,500m swim - no clocks at outdoor pools
Thursday - No training
Friday - 7.1km run - 38.03mins
Saturday + Sunday - no training

WEEK NINE
Monday - no training
Tuesday - 2,000m swim - 34mins
Wednesday - no training
Thursday - 7.16km run - 38.56mins
Friday - Sunday - no training

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