Fantastic training week

Sorry didn't post a blog on Friday, was having a sports massage, so didn't get to go into town.

Have had a fantastic week, though am today enjoying a much needed rest/recovery day. Looking forward to watching the football later, it amazing to see just how huge the English Premier League is.

Training this week has included hill work on Tuesday, a track session on Wednesday, easy training day Thursday, physical exercises Friday (a strenght/endurance/tiring session) and a 15km run on Saturday which had a net climb of over 400m, was uphill almost all the way including two brutal climbs in the middle, and ended up at over 2500m altitude. Has been tiring but fantastic and feel in great shape, both mentally and physically, and am very excited about the upcoming indoor season.

For the training sessions I have been teamed up with two top quality 800m specialists, one of whom I mentioned in a previous blog. For the hill session I stayed with them for the whole session. However as with all sessions, the Kenyans start of gradually and build up and up. Unfortunately I hadn't fully realised this so went off faster than was wanted at the start and got told to slow down! Good job I did because was hanging by the end. Had learnt for the track session the next day though. We did 2x800m (90sec recovery), 3x600m (200m jog recovery), 4x400m (60sec recovery). With these sessions you run in a line, taking it in turns to lead each repetition. The pace started off steadily, doing the 800m in 2.35, then 2.31. The pace started to build for the 600m, doing 1.52, 1.51, 1.41 and then increased again for the 400m, where we did 65, 62, 63, 60. At the end of the session I felt tired but had felt in control the whole way and never felt like I was hanging or going to drop off, which really increased my confidence. Then the athletes and coaches started telling me after the session that I was becoming Kenyan, and that I could definitely break 3.40 at sea level for 1500m. I was delighted and took it as a massive compliment to be told I was becoming Kenyan.

I also greatly enjoyed the long run at Kapsaget. The secenery was stunning, staring off in woods and then moving into beautiful rooling agricultural land. At one point during the run I saw somthing moving in the trees and was told it was a monkey. However I was very pleased at the end of the run that we got driven back the way we had run, because it allowed me to appreciate the stunning scenery, which towards the end of the run I had been noticing less and less as I was having to focus more just on the running.

It been a fantastic week, and to be honest the centre and Eldoret feel like home. I will wait to see how the indoor season goes, but if it goes as I believe it should, then I definitely want to return regualrly to Eldoret for training.

Hope everyone doing great, and see you soon.