Mr Hyde...and Merry Christmas....

I should really let Sarah write this opening paragraph, but I am not going to, so instead I have been warned that my presents will be returned if I don't explain why for 4 days last week I became Mr Hyde from 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'.

I didn't assume all of Mr Hyde's characteristics, just his sudden change in personality, his long arms dragging his knuckles and his feeling sorry for himself. After a fabulous weekend spent with Sarah, the bubble exploded on Monday morning, when Sarah woke up with the sickness/poo bug that is doing the rounds. This lasted 36hrs, then she replaced it with the flu/cold/ cough for the rest of the week. What I failed miserably to do was behave like a caring husband, instead I became Mr Hyde and felt really sorry for myself. I was fed up that my first week of holiday and a chance to spend some quality time with Sarah had been stopped in its tracks. I had promised that during my holiday I'd stay up late, we'd watch some movies and generally spend more time together, instead Sarah was in bed by 8pm (if she even surfaced) I was eating alone and as a result I was feeling pretty fed up. I know, I know Sarah had all the rights to being fed up, not me, but I was. I guess I don't deal with illness very well, I also (very selfishly) absolutely did not want to get the illness. So sorry darling, I should have been there for you last week not moping around, auditioning for the part of Mr Hyde xxxxxxxxx

Mr Hyde did however manage to get some decent training in...

Monday: (am) Run 8 mile (1 hour), (pm) Weights upper body superset (45 mins)

Tuesday: Bike 52 miles (3 hour)

Wednesday: (pm) Run 3 mile TT 19.59 min, (pm) Weights upperbody superset (30 mins)

Thursday: (am) Bike 52 miles (3 hour) incl 5 x 1 mile hill reps overgeared seated, (pm) Run 5 mile technical (45 mins)

Friday/ Saturday: Rest Days

Sunday: Run 6.5 mile Steady pace 8 min/mile

Run Off road Interval Session 6 x 900m (2 min recovery) HARD pace, 6.42 to 6.49 min/mile

Total: Bike 100 miles (6 hrs), Run 29 miles (4 hrs) Weights (1 3/4 hrs) = 11 1/4 hrs.

'Ellie Helping build the fire'

We travelled down to see my Mum and Dad on Friday and were joined by Max and Rachael for the weekend. My brother has really bucked his training ideas up after a lean couple of years and he is now on track to regaining his fitness and performance. He completed for GB in 2000 in Calais in the World Duathlon Championships, and should be aiming to hit that sort of level in 2009/10. I really enjoyed Sunday's session with Max and my Dad. Dad helps coach all the sport at Swanbourne House School, and has recently developed a 900m cross country course traversing the hill side on one of the lower fields at the school. It is a challenging course where you run down the hill then across the bottom, you then begin traversing the slope making your way back up to the start. He has a PB of 3.45 and the course PB is 3.26. Dad didn't join us for the interval session but ran 7 steady laps, great stuff, (hope to race alongside you at some of the 09 Duathlons)

'Evie helping to stock up the bird feeders'

Max hit the first interval hard and put 10 seconds into me!! Nothing like some sibling rivalry to motivate you. Whilst strictly speaking we weren't racing.......................but I won the next 5 intervals! time for each interval was 3.49, 3.48, 3.48, 3.48, 3.49, 3.47, 3.44, all around 6.40min/mile pace. We made each other work hard and after a 6.5 mile warm up it was the sort of session where you really push through, both running effort and training boundaries. It was good to run hard and not have a performance drop off. On the way home in the car we agreed that you wouldn't normally do a 6.5 mile steady run before a 4.5 mile hard interval session, however it is possible and it pushes ones perceived training boundaries, it also helps build physical and mental strength. (I remember reading on Gordo's Blog how he finished a 100 mile + bike day then did tyre pull sprints, awesome)

Sunday was like Christmas Day (without the presents) after the run I ate like a King, and crashed out by the fire whilst Ellie and Evie raced around making everybody dizzy and worn out just watching them.

'Ellie in her Nursery Christmas Show costume'

We had a great weekend with Mum, Dad, Max and Rachael, and Ellie and Evie were delightful. Ellie is so excited about Christmas, its gonna be fun. Evie is really changing from a baby into a little girl, she loves her sister and runs after her copying everything she does. She is really starting to understand so much more and in her own way communicate back, yet she still needs a Daddy cuddle.

Christmas is just a few days away, have a great one, enjoy yourselves, Merry Christmas folks.