I didn’t write down my plans for my training for the autumn / winter months … but this last week I started back being more consistent with my training.

After a long training block all year you to mid September, I took a good few weeks off regular training. I trained pretty much consistently up to the end of August, then when I fainted in early September, I took my foot off the gas a bit and focussed on recovery and rest.

My training had all been focussed on getting ready for the three Go Swim events… Loch Tay 3km, Loch Lomond 4.5km and Loch Morlich 3km.

I started the year running once a week and strength the same… but I’d been having most of my training focussed on swimming, usually 3 times a week including pool and outdoor swims and it went well.

Then after Loch Morlich on 17 September we went on holiday. Not focus on training, but some sea swims and plenty walking for about 10 days.

Then even up to last week – wc 3 October, I eased myself in… 1 strength session on Monday, plenty more rest and a couple of runs.

This was my idea of my weekly training plan through autumn into winter… 2 strength sessions, 2 swims and 2 runs, ideally.

Mon: Coach / Strength 30 mins
Tue: Swim or Rest
Wed: Run Intervals or social (work)
Thu: Swim
Fri: Strength 40-50 mins
Sat: Long Run wi FG
Sun: Swim or Rest

Monday will be a brief 30 minute Apple strength workout after my coaching eagerly. Then Tuesday will either be a rest day or an early Bella swim.

Wednesday will be a 30 min easy run… probably with Fit Girl very early and before I go into the office. Then Thursday will be a swim day (or I might swap it to a Friday).

Friday will be my own strength workout, 40-50 mins, working on other muscles compared to whatever I do on Monday.

Saturday morning, will be an early morning run… longish… from 4-8 miles, with Fit Girl again. And Sunday will be a swim day, either at Tollcross or outdoor in my thermal wetsuit… but maybe not if it’s too cold.

Here’s the plan for each week:

3/10 – Ease in – str / run 4M
10/10 – Lower / Upper / 5M
17/10 – Row / 6M / 750m
24/10 – Sq / 4M (travel)

31/10 – DL / 5M
7/11 – Row / 6M / 1km
14/11 – Sq / 7M (travel)
21/11 – DL / 5M / 750m

28/11 – Row / 6M / 1M (travel)
5/12 – Sq / 7M
12/12 – DL / 6M / 1km
19/12 – Row / 5M

I plan to schedule in my swims into Garmin so that they’re there on my Garmin training plan and watch.

I know what it means…

Strength / run long distance / swim time trial

This week went better than last week in regards to training. I’ve been struggling to get motivation to get up to train, but it seemed to work ok this week, and it was better than last week:

Wk41 – wc 10 October
Mon: coach / 30 min strength
Tue: rest / study
Wed: 30 min easy run
Thu: 2,300m GTC swim
Fri: 40 min strength
Sat: 5M run
Sun: 3,000m swim

I have some studying for work to do, with a deadline at the end of October, so I’ll need to spend some weekend and evening time doing that.

But if I can balance the study and work with the kind / amount of training I got done this week it should be good.

My legs were a bit sore from strength, but hopefully that will improve as time goes on and I get used to it.

Roll on the next few months until Christmas. Hopefully I’ll be back at training and feeling good. Although the break from training was good too.