Jeremy Hopwood

Jeremy Hopwood

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

LAF

Acronym is pretty self explanatory.

Good to see Ben Cousins got a gig in Tigerland. Hopefully he can keep himself together and play some awesome footy. Might even become a tigers fan as my second team.

Blog got a view from Wallington in the UK. Don't even know who is down in those parts at the moment but thanks for checking it out. Have sussed out my camera to take riding and running is an olympus which is shock, water and dust proof.

Back to the acroynm took a snow day on Sunday and have been working on the tri club website tonight. Is a week of Christmas events but still managed to get a upper body weights and core workout in today. Will see what the week hold, could be a bit of a gong show.

Not high aims for this week. Get to the pool 3 times by Friday, hit the gym 4 days and go for a couple runs. Will try and jump on the trainer between that before putting a couple big days in on the weekend and trying to destroy myself mentally and physically with a huge day on the trianer on sunday. Thinking 2 hour ride, 1 hour run, 2 hour ride 30 min run.

Boring Numbers to Add to a Boring Post
1 hour core workout

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Vancovuer Stereotype

Did a run out of forerunners today. Pretty cruisy group workout from Forerunners but with temperatures hanging around the zero celsius mark takes a little bit of warming up and you start to realize that the 26 bones in your feet do have feeling.

Anyway as you run down the foreshore near Jericho beach and see the snow covered mountains across the bay ahead of the opening of the local mountains today and see people running and walking out int he morning air you reliase life ain't to bad. If the day turns out anything thing like last Sunday and there will be people running, skiing, biking, kitesurfing, golfing all within 30 minutes of the downtown core. May have to start running biking with a camera ot get shots of days like this

So with my new motto of NFE dragged myself out of bed into the cold for the run. Got home and watched the NBC Ironman Hawaii special in which Chrissie Wellington and Crowie (Craig Alexander) won the big show. Cool to see the other stories like Ricky James (paraplegic who did the swim in 1:18 and the whole race in under 13 hours).

Anyway off to stock the fridge for the week then some time on the Trainer watching the soprano's or office space and then off to the pool tonight. Some web design work to be set into that mix.

The Boring Numbers

Run
Around Spanish Banks and UBC
13.15km 1:07 (5:05 per km)

Swim (Van Aqua)
1700m

Friday, December 12, 2008

Friday Night Lights and NFE

First snow in Vancouver today but turned to heavy rain. Luckily I have had my snow tires on for a while and are part of the great snow tire shortage of 08. Anyway tired to do my tempo run in the pooring rain at point grey track (still in love with the blue). Details below but awesome having track to myself and the lughts from the soccer training going on in the infield.

New slogan for 2008 and the start of 2009 is NFE (No Freakin Excuses - or something like that). Started that mantra by draggin my sorry butt to the pool for a workout.. Worst and best workout for the week. Worst because I can't swim for my life but best because I forced myself to leave the house and hit the pool. Aim is pool 5 days a week minimum from now on.

The Boring numbers

Track Workout
2 Mile Warm Up with strides
5km Tempo Run 18:37 (3:43km)
1 Mile Warm Down

Swim Workout
4 x 500m Freestyle

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Need for Speed

Pacing a lap seemed to be our Eleanor tonight when NC and I hit the track at Point Grey. Lessons Learned;
  • Need to learn to hit target pace
  • Shutting it down like Usain Bolt is only cool when you are winning the olympic gold not when trying to hit a split
  • Point Grey Track rocks
  • Off season after training food (Flying Wedge Pizza) is fun but most probaly not part of the long term plan
  • Love my Newtons - have road run, trail run, cross country run and track run on this week and they rocked although a little bit slippery in the cross country.
The Boring Numbers

3 Mile Warm Up with Strides


6 x 200m/200m (0:37/0:33) [Total for 400m - 1:10]
1 Min Rest between sets

Set 1 - 1:13; Set 2 - 1:12; Set 3 - 1:10; Set 4 - 1:12; Set 5 - 1:12; Set 6 - 1:16

8 x 400m (1:20) 2 x 400m (1:15)
1:30 Rest between sets

Set 1 - 1:16; Set 2 - 1:16; Set 3 - 1:19; Set 4 - 1:20; Set 5 - 1:19; Set 6 - 1:22; Set 7 - 1:22; set 8 - 1:20; Set 9 - 1:12; Set 10 - 1:14

3 Mile Warm Down and Stretching

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Slip n Slide @ Gunner Shaw

Gunner Shaw 10km Cross Country
Jericho Beach, Vancouver
39:36
29/172 Overall 5/16 (M 25 -29)

Not sure if I want to re create the pre race prep around this one but it was a fun day out.

Pre race Night
Met with the boys on Friday Night for their post hockey beers. Rock up to the bar and after ordering my first Guinness find out they are selling Coopers Pale Ale. So instead of a couple quiet beers turned out to be a hald dozen or so on top of the two I had for dinner.

Race Morning
After a few hours sleep dragged myself of the floor grabbed a clif bar and headed down to forerunners for the Saturday morning clinic run. My plan is to use this a sa recovery/easy run but this week they were doing some interval work but the groups pace was still relatively manageable.

Race Planning
3km into the previously mentioned run saw them setting up for a cross country in Jericho. Asked around with the group and they was a cross country on for that day. Finished the workout but as I had wanted to do a cross country race in 2008 decided would tack this onto the day. Grabbed my wallet from the store and headed back down to register for the 25th Gunner Shaw put on by Lions Gate Road Runners

13 Year Flashback
Trail Running is like cross country hey..well not really. Anyway hadn't run a cross country since high school at that was in Oz were rain is something that doesn't happen often. The big downpour over had moistened up the course pretty well and i was wearing my Newton Gravity shoes which are aweosme for road, track and easy trail running but don't offer much grip in sand, grass, mud, slush etc. Once the new Motion AW model comes out might pick up a pair for the Vancouver conditions like this. In the mean time may pick up a pair of cross country spikes if i do any more races.

Gun Goes
So the race goes, unlike a road race where you generally know where you are going this was an adventure for me. left right (making sure to slide on the grass whenever possible), over sand up a muddy hill, down a muddy hill into a bog, up and down again and through a mini lake and all to do it one more time. After the first lap pretty much worked out I would lose time on the technical sections (lack of experience and and grip) so pushed hard on the flats. Lost footing on one corner (at least ground was soft) and face planted into a puddle on another.

Had heaps of fun and got a good core and running workout. Can't complain with the 39:30 considering it is a new adventure for me, had a 11km warm up, was slightly hungover and lacked a little bit of grip. Cool race and will definitely try and do next year although may be in oz for IronmanWA

Recovery

Still did my long run as planned with NC through Vancouver and Pacific Spirit Park and back along seawall to the Cambie area. 32km of recovery and only felt hard work on the uphills .

Lessons Learned
  • Planning is overrated and spontaneity can be fun
  • Cross country spikes may be a good investment
  • Getting muddy can be a lot of fun