Training – The Ups, Downs and Rituals

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We all know what the rigours of training can do to you. You have your ups, downs, highs, lows and everything in-between. Obviously we would all like to have perfect workouts all the time, but that just isn’t the way the cookie crumbles! In this blog piece we enlist the help of EtchRock challenger Ben Pollard among others to give us their views of how they handle the ups and downs of training. Here are their words:

Everybody has their own of training working out or a schedule that they are following, I also know that everybody has their ups & downs when it comes to training. Take me for example, I run my own business that operates between the hours of 7.30am and 6.30pm. These aren’t the greatest working hours in the world but it’s what I have to deal with, so my training is either done early in the morning or later on in the evenings. It is what it is!

I thought that I would ask some of my fellow runners, Tough Mudders and all round training enthusiast as to what they consider their training ‘Ups & Downs’.

My good friend Henry Thompson, a Marathon enthusiast and all round top bloke considers his Ups, Downs and Rituals as:

‘Preparation is key. At the start of every week, I write out exactly what I’m going to do fitness-wise on a to-do list. Keeping it to just one week it keeps the goal focused and there’s a strange sense of satisfaction when you can cross off one of your items. It also stops you from getting ahead of your self, ensuring you think about the next run or the next gym session, rather than whatever you want to do in say 4 weeks time. Prior to any run, I always try and have something to eat and drink although this isn’t always easy, especially when training after work or early morning – so it can hamper my regime/ability to train well. But other than that, I try not to think of too many things that could get in the way, because that’s when excuses start forming.”

I MAY NOT BE THE STRONGEST.I MAY NOT BE

I agree that preparation is key, you must prepare yourself for any training or running that you are doing. Not only do the excuses start to creep in but if your not prepared or in the right frame of mind then you can injure yourself. For example, I went out for a six-mile run on Sunday morning and didn’t quite lube up enough! With it being warm, I have now got the worst chaffing that I’ve ever had and its prevented me from training for the last 4 days and I’m still not 100% confident about going for a run for fear of irritating it. I know it’s not an injury as such but it is something that has stopped me from running because I wasn’t prepared beforehand and rushed into getting ready for that run. In other words, I paid the price for lack of prior planning and it led to problems with future training sessions!

From my previous blogs and if you have seen my story on EtchRock, I am taking on all my challenges this year with my Dad, Nick Pollard AKA Stumpy.  He has been a running enthusiast from the get go really and has competed in Ironman’s, triathlons, marathons and more recently obstacle races. He is someone who I look up to and is a real inspiration when it comes to training so I though I’d ask him for his perspective on training.

‘I have specific kit that I wear to run in, kit that I cycle in and I find that the things that effect me are the weather, I am a keen cyclist and the weather can play a massive part in how I train and when I can. One of the key points of training is that as much as you are pushing yourself and trying to reach a goal you have to remember to enjoy it otherwise you loose sight of what you set out to achieve. As someone who is very competitive I try not to look at my Garmin too much because I find that I start to race the watch or get to fixated on my time and pace which again can have a negative effect. There are many ups and downs when training its inevitable but stay focused and you’ll get to where you want to be.”

Lewis Wingrove, best friend, rugby teammate, and fellow Mudder had this to say:

‘I’ve been thinking about what you asked me and to be honest mate there aren’t many downs to the training. All the sessions we have been doing over the last few years on our journey to Obstacle Course racing success, I’ve loved every bloody minute of it! The only things that I can think of that are a down is if you have a few cheeky beers the night before and you’re not feeling your best! Sometimes your belly plays up and half way through a run and nature calls!”

Ben and his friends all have very different and varying routines for their training which is a snapshot of the entire fitness population, what works for some doesn’t work for others. For me, the word ‘routine’ is the biggest problem for my training. I like to get my workouts done straight after I leave the office, get in, get out, and go home, as I like to say! If I can’t go at that time then it throws my whole system out of whack! I can’t seem to get in the zone properly as I would have had I stuck to my routine. I know that I am limiting myself from a mental perspective, but I guess that would be my ‘down’ side training. When I’m in my routine, there is only one speed, full speed. It’s just getting there that is my issue!

Ben explains that writing this blog for EtchRock has opened my eyes as to how training really is different for everyone and that everyone has their way of doing things. Everybody will have their own ups, their own downs and most definitely have their own rituals. The best way to enjoy your training is to stay focused. To get the most from it, you have to understand that things will happen that will cause you to have ups and downs but its how you deal with them that will determine the outcome.

Amen to that brother!

We would love to hear about your ups and downs of your training and how you manage your routine. Leave a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook is you need some friendly help or advice!

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