GCM22 Training: Week 1/12

Gold Coast sunsets are often spectacular

Planned: 85.6K | Actual: 86.7K | Rest Day: 0 | Long run: 20K

I kicked off the GCM22 training carrying 3 days of bad gut issues (wind-heartburn combo), not the most auspicious manner but it finally sorted itself out late Tuesday after 2 days of meds. Monday and Tuesday were easy 15K and 12K days respectively, which I kept my HR between 120 to low-130s.

Wednesday marked the first SOS workout, and I was really eager for it. 5x1600m @ GMP with 400m recovery jogs meant it won’t be overly strenuous. I opted for the Rebel v2 and after a 2K warm up, I promptly got to work. The first rep was typically a wake-up call for the body. Rarely operating at this pace during the 16-week base phase, it was a a bit of a push to get going. Second rep was easier and I was able to establish a rhythm. Overall a nice workout – 1.6K Avg Pace: 4:43 > 4:47 > 4:43 > 4:47 > 4:44. After a 1.6K cool down, 10 minutes were spent on a mix of plyos and bodyweight exercises like squats, forward and side lunges, squat-hops, and single-leg hops.

Thursday was a planned rest day but I thought it would be good to keep the body moving, and so a recovery-paced 4K was completed ensuring Friday’s distance was at a shorter 11K. I approached Saturday’s 20.4K long run as an SOS, and therefore kept an honest 5:16/km average. The chat on Gold Coast preps and the travel plans went on with Cheong most of the way and I was surprised that I kept pace with Cheong and covered 5:10/km quite comfortably a couple of clicks approaching the halfway point, before we dialled it back down. It’s possible that the time spent on that 16 weeks of base contributed to that but I do need to keep working on the form drills more.

I was back on recovery mode the next day, a 10K, to end a good first week. Week 2 calls for similar mileage before a slide nudge upward on Week 3, so I’m just going to keep relishing the process.