Training Plan - Week 52 - Dec 25 to 31

Last week of the year, and as always it is going to be lots of running with Dexter and some trips to the pool when it is open.

I also need to get out on the bike or at least set it up on the turbo trainer for an hour purely to make my target numbers of the year. 


Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 

1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

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I am going for surgery on Wednesday. Hopefully just for an exploratory assessment of the ankle and then back into a cast. Alternately they may have to put two screws in it. The major downside of that is that 6 weeks later they have to go back in again and remove them. That would basically double my recovery time and could mean I am still waiting to even get back in the pool until into March and not running until in to April. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Training Review - Week 51 - Dec 18 to 24

Monday swim session turned out to be a bit of a non-event. I got a lane to myself and no plan so I decided just to do a steady swim.

Tuesday I had my first trip to Kirkhill with Dexter for this holiday. We did a bit of sliding and a bit of jogging and he was generally pretty well behaved. From there I went to the pool with a plan to do a set of 100m reps on 2 minute starts. I managed 7 in 1:34-1:36 before running out of gas. Fairly similar to this time last year. 

Wednesday Dec and I went out to Kirkhill again. We went for a bit of adventuring off the main tracks to try and avoid the ice, and made some new friends (a vizla called Lucas who kept following us and escaped his owner twice in the process). Towards the end of the run I decided to take the route down through the box park since the rest of the biking tracks had all been clear of ice. And about 20 meters later I was lying in a heap on the ground and I had to straighten my leg out. After I stopped screaming, I managed to fish my phone out of my bag and call an ambulance and for at least the next 6 to 13 weeks my blog now takes a massive segue. 


First up I am going to have a bit of a rant about the ambulance 999 central call room. I had to spend 7 minutes trying to explain to them where Kirkhill Forest was and then because it still wasn't in their computer. I eventually resorted to telling them "That is fine, I will just lie here and die because you can't use fucking google!" at which point he resorted to getting his supervisor, who was as equally fuckwitted. They eventually settled on Kinellar which is about 4 miles away, and the other side of Blackburn (which doesn't exist according to the ambulance control room). But they agreed to give my version of the directions as a note to the local driver. 

I then phoned Mrs M to update her as calmly as I could.

Dexter meanwhile kept poking me and wondering why I was lying around on the trail being lazy while he wanted to get on home for his lunch. 

The NHS then changed gear as the ambulance arrived at the Kirkhill car park. They were very fortunate to bump in to a couple of mountain bikers in the car park and asked them if they had seen me. They had not, but they both voluntarily set off back up the hill in search of me and luckily one of them found me within a few minutes. 

I am hugely grateful to them as their help meant the ambulance crew were able to find me within about half an hour of my call rather than waiting for the mountain rescue crew to arrive and search the entire hillside for me. If anyone reading this knows a mountain biker with a pink Orange 5 that was out on Kirkhill on December 20th, buy him a drink for me, or give me his details and I will send him something nice for Christmas.

They were also able to bring Mrs M up from the car park so she could get Dexter and my car keys.

The ambulance crew then called in their special access team and their very cool little 6-wheeler off-road truck to come and get me while I went through an entire canister of gas and air and their entire supply of morphine. 

Fraser, Grant, Chris and John, from the ambulance service you are heroes and I can't thank you enough for getting me safely and relatively comfortably off the hill. For all that the central control room were crap, the local ambulance team were absolute stars. 

On arrival at the hospital the NHS went back to a more sedate gear. After getting x-rays took about an hour, I was then put in a cast, and eventually the Registrar rocked up. I explained to him that it was definitely broken, I even pointed to where I thought the breaks were. He dismissed me as if I might know nothing of what was going on and went in search of the X-rays, only to return 5 minutes later and tell me I definitely had broken both tibia and fibula and that those breaks were exactly where I told him. He then told me he was off to talk to the Consultant about the way forward and then returned to tell me I was going to surgery the next day so they could investigate my ankle and probably put some screws in it. 

So I got shipped to the Orthopaedic ward and tucked away in a single room, where I was interrogated for about the 7th time about my birthdate, age, address, allergies, etc. (Dear NHS, sort this out and you can cut your waiting times in half!). Then the Consultant showed up early evening to say actually I wasn't going to get my surgery for a week, and I could go home. Only for the nurse to point out that they had all spent so long asking me questions that the physiotherapist and pharmacist had left for the day and I wouldn't be able to get crutches, instructions, or drugs to take home with me. So I was staying overnight until they could sort all that in the morning. 

At least by this time I was back to getting some good drugs, and I didn't really mind that I was going to be overnight. Up until that point I had expected to be in overnight so that they could operate in the morning anyway. 

Mrs M arrived back with a change of clothes and some food which got me back to feeling a bit more human. 

So my 2017 End of Year Review blog can be written a fortnight early. That will give me something to do this week. And my 2018 Plan will need ripping up and starting again. 



Target totals -  Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Monday - Swim with TPT 2,800m in 53 mins.

Tuesday - Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 3.5 miles in 51 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 900m in 20 mins.
Stretching session.

Wednesday - Run at Kirkhill with Dexter 4.6 miles 68 minutes.

Thursday - Fucked!

Friday - 

Saturday - 

Sunday - 


Actuals - Swim 2.3 miles (3,700 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.1 miles. 
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 1 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.

Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 134.0 (123.0) [141.5], 
B 2,301.8 (2,276.0) [2,731.2], 
R 810.1 (795.0) [898.4].

Training Plan - Week 51 - Dec 18 to 24

Dexter arrives today for his Xmas holidays. That is the only excuse I need to go out and run more this week. 

I only have two days at work this week. I might manage to run in on Thursday, if the weather holds, but then it is the works Xmas night out so Friday is likely to be a hungover commute on the train rather than getting some bike miles. 

I do need to get on the bike some time this week. If I don't manage a commute then it will have to be the turbo. 


Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 

1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Training Review - Week 50 - 11 to 17 Dec

Monday I did an easy jog around Inverness in the morning. Mostly just jogging between shops as I did last minute shopping for Mrs M's birthday card, present and cake. That took me through 800 miles for the year. I would need to do another 43 miles between now and year end for this to be my longest running year ever. Since I have had to give up on my swimming stretch target after missing so much last week, this is really the only numerical target I still have to aim for by year end. It will still be dependent on my groin injury and Dexter's grumpiness but it is possible. 

Tuesday was a travel day back from our holiday. I considered going for a jog once we were home but my groin problem is still not completely cleared up and the pavement surfaces in Dyce were appalling and not worth the risk.

Wednesday was back to work. I didn't fancy the road or pavement conditions at all so I decided to stick with the train. My groin problems are improving slowly, but not enough to risk sliding about on the ice.

Thursday was back to the doctor again. I got the all clear from my infection and was told I could go back to proper training. That was enough of an excuse to go back to the pool in the evening. The next couple of weeks are likely to be horrible as I try to build back from a fortnight off. 

Friday I started another stretch of holiday with a run at Kirkhill. I say run but there was a lot more walking and sliding involved than actual running. 

Saturday I did some stretching in the morning and then went for an easy jog around Dyce. 

Sunday I went for a steady swim at bucksburn just to have done something.

No huge surprise but my first week back was a bit rubbish. The icy conditions haven't helped but a chunk of this was just getting back in to it. 


Target totals -  Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Monday - Inverness jog 2.1 miles in 34 mins.

Tuesday - Travel day.

Wednesday - Sick day.

Thursday - Swim at bucksburn 1,000m in 24 mins.

Friday - Run(?) at Kirkhill 3.3 miles in 50 mins. 

Saturday - Stretching session.
Run Dyce 2.8 miles in 29 mins. 

Sunday - Swim at bucksburn 1,050m in 20 mins.
Stretching session.


Actuals - Swim 1.2 miles (2,050 m). Bike 0 miles. Run 8.2 miles. 
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 2 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.

Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 131.7 (121.0) [139.2], 
B 2,301.8 (2,220.0) [2,664.0], 
R 806.6 (781.0) [882.5].

Training Plan - Week 50 - Dec 11 to 17

Xmas holidays are really arriving now. Monday and Tuesday we are in Inverness, I will do a bit of a jog on Monday and maybe squeeze something in when we get back to Aberdeen. I have a Wednesday commute and a drive to work on Thursday before another long weekend from Friday. 

Dexter is coming to visit next week and I have more holidays to use up so I should get some more running in then.  


Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 

1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Training Review - Week 49 - Dec 4 to 10

I wasn't sure how I would get to work on Monday after my groin issues on Sunday. I decided to take the bike but that was dumb. I got a lift home so that I could go to the doctor and collect a week of antibiotics to fight whatever lymphatic infection I have picked up. They came with instructions not to run, and definitely don't sit on a bike. I am allowed to swim but I was running such a temperature that I decided to stay at home instead. 

Only 30 minutes exercise in 5 days messed up my body chemistry, hormone levels and the like. Even more so than the side-effects of the antibiotics and painkillers. The combined effect has also upset my mental health. By Tuesday evening my depression was becoming problematic. 

Thursday I was given a change of antibiotics and I felt a bit better. In the evening I dragged myself to the pool and did half a swim set. 

Friday we spent the morning on the train to Inverness for our long weekend holiday. Turns out the new antibiotics and the infection combined to completely wipe me out. I had to stop in the afternoon for a nap. 

Saturday morning I felt a bit better, but not enough to go to the Parkrun that I had planned. We went in to town for a bit of shopping but mostly I had a rest day. 

Sunday I dragged myself out for a jog and some Pokemon in the morning. Trudging through the snow did nothing to improve my groin issues, but it did at least make me feel better about doing something this week. 

In a normal week I do a bout 8-10 hours of training. This week I totalled out at 94 minutes. I have replaced that, and more, with sleep. Fitbit reckons I have slept an extra 13 hours this week. I think Fitbit has missed several naps.

Getting sick this late in the year has put an impossibly large dent in my chances of making my stretch swim target. I am going to try and be sensible, accept the losses, and just do my same planned sessions for the remaining weeks, rather than try and pile on the miles for the 3 weeks to try and catch up.


Target totals -  Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Monday - Commute ride to office 7.1 miles in 32 mins.

Tuesday - Sick day.

Wednesday - Sick day.

Thursday - Sick day.
'Swim' at bucksburn 850m in 24 mins. 

Friday - Travel day. Sick day.

Saturday - Rest day.

Sunday - Jog in Inverness 2.8 miles in 36 mins.


Actuals - Swim 0.5 miles (850 m). Bike 7.1 miles. Run 2.8 miles. 
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.

Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 130.5 (119.0) [136.9], 
B 2,301.8 (2,164.0) [2,596.8], 
R 798.4 (767.0) [866.7].

Training Plan - Week 49 - December 4 to 10

We are going away for a long weekend in Inverness from Friday. I am going to take in my first Parkrun while we are there. 

Apart from that it is commuting all week and swimming when I can. 


Target totals - Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 

1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Training Review - Week 48 - Nov 27 to Dec 3

A messy week of commutes. I missed Wednesday for a business breakfast that I had to drive to. Then Saturday was lost to a hangover and Sunday I woke up with a lump in my groin that made any attempt at running or cycling impossible. Those resulted in weekend full of heavy doses of painkillers and lazy days.

I ran and swam plenty this week despite 3 off days.


Target totals -  Swim 2.0 miles. Bike 56.0 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 
1 short core, 1 short light weights and 1 short stretching sessions. 30 mins of yoga. 

Monday - Commute ride mtb to office 7.1 miles in 28 mins.
Commute ride mtb from office 7.1 miles in 42 mins.
Swim with TPT 1,850m in 46 mins. 

Tuesday - Commute run 7.2 miles in 71 mins.

Wednesday - Rest Day.

Thursday - Commute run 6.8 miles in 64 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 2,400m in 57 mins. 

Friday - Commute ride mtb to office 7.1 miles in 35 mins.
Ride to bucksburn mtb 5.2 miles in 34 mins.
Swim at bucksburn 1,100, in 21 mins.
Ride from bucksburn mtb 2.4 miles in 14 mins.

Saturday - Hangover.

Sunday - Groin injury.


Actuals - Swim 3.3 miles (5,350 m). Bike 28.9 miles. Run 14.0 miles. 
0 short core, 0 short light weights and 0 stretching / rollering session. 0 mins of yoga.

Cumulative (Cumulative target) [Cumulative Stretch target]
S 130.0 (117.0) [134.6], 
B 2,294.7 (2,108.0) [2,529.6], 
R 795.6 (753.0) [850.9].