Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

Housework is not high on the list of my priorities because there always seems to be something even more important to do. The most obvious is training but there are other things, such as spending time with an interesting book (just finished Running on Empty) or listening to music. And I mean listening, not just hearing it. Until not long ago, music was something to have in the background, while the mind is focussed on some other activity. However, since buying Anoushka Shankar’s CD, Traveller, I have discovered the pleasure of sitting down on the sofa and actually concentrating on the music. So this too has become a time-consuming activity.

However, there is a chore I look forward to and that’s the laundry, maybe because the only work involved is shoving the clothes into the machine, turning a couple of dials, pressing a switch and voila….time to pull the clothes out and hang them. Or even because I love the smell of cleansing detergent as I hang the clothes out to dry. I wonder whether the neighbours have ever caught me sniffing at the clothing as I pegged them to the line and what they thought when they saw my nose stuck into the crotch of a pair of shorts or undies. Anyway, last Friday was laundry day and in the evening I had the 4 lines which are stretched out on my back terrace heavy with wet clothing. It was then that I realized – three of those lines were completely taken up by sportswear! Where did I say my priorities lie?

*****     *****     *****

My long run, usually on a Sunday, was 2 hours during which I covered 20k and succeeded  in keeping an average heart rate of 135. Clearly though, my body still needs to adapt to these longer runs because I was not comfortable with myself; whilst happy to have covered 20k, I am less happy with the sensations I had throughout.

Road Mgarr 11-12-2011

Training hours: 9 / Weight: 71.4kgs / Body fat: 12.5% / Muscle mass: 69.6% / Water: 57.7% / Bone mass: 3.0 / Resting heart rate: 50

It’s easy to fall into a routine of monopaced running – an effortless session where the heart is hardly ever taxed, the lungs work at idling capacity and leg turnover is at a canter. It’s easy because the minimum parameters for maintaining basic fitness are met while another training day can be ticked off the calendar.

However, a marathon up the Etna is not easy so it’s time to shift out of first gear. This inceptive week for speed saw the introduction of a (tame) hill fartlek session but I will be transferring to the track for faster paced work once-a-week. The long run is now up to 1h45m although I am displeased with the pain in both knees that I became aware of after.

The highlight of the past seven days was a night trail run, ably led by Ruben. A route which by day makes for an excellent trek with some challenging sections takes on a completely different dimension in the light of head torches moving along at speed (whenever possible) under a starry sky.

Photo: Ruben Degiorgio

GPX file of route: here

Training hours: 9 / Weight: 71.0kgs / Body fat: 12.4% / Muscle mass: 69.6% / Water: 57.8% / Bone mass: 3.0 / Resting heart rate: 50

It’s certainly good to be back, even if it means struggling at the back of the pack. Saturday was the first trail run and the longest from the time or distance aspect since September’s injury. Back then, my shoes scrunched on the baked soil and my calves and ankles got coated in a mix of sweat and dusty earth. This time, as Ruben led our small group around and through the Burmarrad plain, shoes sloshed over muddy pathways while feet splashed in milky brown puddles. In my absence, a fashion-conscious countryside discarded its burnt brown outfit to slip on a verdant coat.

Trail Burmarrad 12-11-2011

For the GPX file of this trail run, click: here

As I work towards re-establishing a regular exercise regimen, I have started setting my daily alarm for 0500hrs. I was going to write “five in the morning” but the absence of natural light makes that time of day seem and feel more like night. It’s hard sometimes to roll out of bed so early when I know that I could comfortably spend another two hours of slumber. In recompense though, I get to complete a training session thereby leaving the rest of the post-work day free for many of my other hobbies. Or, if necessity dictates, I’d have had enough time to recover for a second, evening workout.

Training hours: 6 / Weight: 71.1kgs / Body fat: 12.3% / Muscle mass: 69.6% / Water: 57.8% / Bone mass: 3.0 / Resting heart rate: 51