Interval Training….

 …..and sleep training.

My session today was one which I usually look forward to with a mixture of anticipation and dread – 6 x 1 kilometre (at 10k pace) with 90 seconds recovery. I usually do these sessions on a disused railway / trail but, after my encounter with an unfriendly dog 2 days ago, I looked for an alternative. The good thing about the old railway line is that it is relatively flat, in stark contrast to everywhere else around here! So, when my husband suggested “Gibsons Lane” I  thought “no way”!! He was talking about a loop that is exactly 1km – perfect, except for the fact that it involves a fairly significant ascent and descent. I couldn’t think of anything better, however, so I set off on my warm up with a slightly sick feeling in my gut. I felt ok on my warm up actually, even though it was pretty much uphill all the way, so the sick feeling subsided. I started at ‘the triangle’ and decided to run clockwise which meant I would finish each loop uphill (actually, it would’ve been the same  anticlockwise!!). I finished my first kilometre comfortably  in 3.54 which pleased me as I would have been aiming for 4 minutes on the flat. I was strict with my recoveries and completed all my subsequent  intervals comfortably under 4 minutes.

I didn’t find the session as hard as I was expecting to, but what made the difference? Body or mind? I think the crucial thing was that I was running a loop with a clear start and finish. Instead of looking at my garmin to see when my kilometre was up, I could see the finish ahead of me each time. My first interval was also a pleasant surprise, so I was feeling encouraged and motivated by my improved fitness. It’s great to see results from hard training! I was also unhindered by dogs and didn’t expect to see any, so perhaps I was anticipating a better session today anyway.

The day ended with a bigger challenge – getting our 9 month old to bed! He doesn’t like to say good-bye to the daytime and seems to have more staying power than anyone else in the household. He certainly has more control over what happens at bedtime than I do…