Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

Ten hours worth of training this week, which included days with two training sessions each, makes for a week of solid work. Positive feedback also comes from the aerobic threshold session I did on Friday at 5.30 in the morning;  certainly not the ideal time for speed work and neither is the location. Not being much of  a track fan, I prefer to jog down to the Pwales road (leading from Xemxija to Ghajn Tuffieha), which conveniently serves as a warm up, and then do the session along the flattest stretch. This has a slight, but none too compromising, incline on the way out. Also, if a wind’s blowing then it’s almost guaranteed to meet me head on during the “up”section.  Nonetheless, last Friday’s 3 x 20′ at 150-153bpm were done 20 seconds per kilometre faster than 3 weeks ago.

The week of solid work

Training hours: 10 / Weight: 70.7kgs / Body fat: 12.2% / Muscle mass: 69.6% / Water: 57.8% / Bone mass: 3.0 / Resting heart rate: 47

That’s one-third of the 34 weeks over and finally the signs of progress are making an appearance. The first, and most important, is that I can run. When I targeted the Super Maratona dell’ Etna, I was undergoing therapy for a partial tear of the left calf muscle. My training then consisted of short, gentle jogs on alternate days. Now, thankfully, I run most days. The sessions have become longer and the designated long runs even longer – Sunday’s run saw me set out when the sun was still slumbering and return home 150 minutes later. Another progress marker is that resting heart rate is going under 50bpm more regularly. Concomitantly, my pace is becoming faster without pushing up the heart rate. A third thumbs up is for the sensations I’m having while tackling hills. The strength is returning, as is the confidence; I’m seeking out hills of any length and any gradient. I tackled three new ones during Sunday’s long run:

1. Palma – 1.3k, an elevation change of +103m and sections with gradients of 16%
2. Bingemma/Nadur tower – 2.6k, an elevation change of +159m and gradient peaking at 14%
3. Tas-salib church (Fiddien) – 1k, an elevation change of +71m and top gradient of 11%

Here’s the course profile:

Training hours: 9 / Weight: 71kgs / Body fat: 12.4% / Muscle mass: 69.5% / Water: 57.7% / Bone mass: 3.0 / Resting heart rate: 48