Surprizingly, this gives me twice the motivation for tomorrow and now. 
Thank you.
Thursday, Dec. 9th, 2010
This morning was running around trying to find a printer that worked and had ink in it, in order to print my three-finger-length-thick research accomplished during 2010, along with my three publications I love how I love my topic.
I also love Nicola Piovani’s music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpxaTslABDY
What I don’t love, are people at the Politecnico. They all need lives.
Anyway, job done, including
- 15+15+15+15min bike rides to and from the university.
Then normal training with a light heart and a heavy heavy heavyyy wind. I had planned this to be plyo-day:
- medium-long warm up
- 5min dynamic stretching
(everything on grass)
-
5 x 20min uphill A skips
-
5 x 20min uphill running A skips
-
5 x 20min uphill B skips
(stretching) -
3 x 80m strides
-
6 x R-R-L-L for 32 ground contacts each set - I went further and further until I reached a certain tree that was 65m away)
(stretching) -
5 x 10m uphill depth jumps (with short stops after each contact)
(stretching) -
5 x 25m uphill accelerations
-
7 x double stairs for 18 contacts each set
-
3 x 6 imaginary hurdle hops
-
pull ups/chin ups at the monkey bars
I want steak.
Friday, Dec. 10th, 2010
- 40min easy run with friend. I felt very tired due to lack of partial sleep the two previous days. (I only do these because I have good chatting company during them. If I had no company, I would have just gone to sleep and done nothing physical)
Saturday, Dec. 11th, 2010
-
20min bike
-
30min warm up
-
11 x 100m hills with slow walk back recoveries. These felt fine and technically smooth, almost ‘enlightening’. Pleased, is the word
-
20min bike back
Bought new pads for my EMS, finally. I think tomorrow I will have a good session with it. (along with tempo). Well, that’s the plan.
Today was dinner with fellow residents and friends, and wine made me tipsy, as always, and it was a good time
It’s cold out.
Oh… My ‘new’ club’s request for my transfer got REJECTED by the greek track federation (LOL) because there was supposedly no proof of my change of residency (paper issues) in Athens, which is really not true, because we did all the paperwork meticulously… Now the club must pay 1000 euros for an objection ( I guess it’s one way to make money, from the federation’s side…) , and that’s surely not happening :rolleyes:. So I’m with my old club again, it seems, whatever that means… I’m not in a state to analyze it, I had a lot of wine. 
Hahaha!!! WhatEVA!
Nick, indeed !!
Sunday, Dec. 12th, 2010
(on grass)
- 35-40min chat-run with my friend. These are very calming overal; my friend is an excellent man.
(then alone)
-
long tempo
100+100+100+
100+200++100+100+
100+200++200++100+
100+200++100+100+
100+100+100++++++ -
rubber band sideway walks (ouch)
EMS: (new pads 
)
- 40min stregnth on glutes (201mA)
- 20min explosive strength on hamstrings (150mA)
- 25min active recovery on hamstrings
- 25min active recovery on calves
- 40min strength on quads (80mA)
Monday, Dec. 13th, 2010.
I’ve been so anxious all dayyyyy longgggg… Because I want Friday to be here already, and it’s only Monday, and I must submit 2 papers this week, that are not challenging me right now, because they are pretty much already written (so nothing to take my head away from how many days are left to go HOME).
Training didn’t go so well today, as the very low part of my shin was bothering me again and I decided to be very careful, and I also nearly pulled a calf doing drills… It wasn’t so cold today (10 degrees), but it was so gusty that it felt like nearly zero to me.
This is how it went:
morning: sideway rubber band walks (3 sets)
afternoon:
- 15min warm up and 5min dynamic stretching
- 4 x 35m A skips
- 4 x 35m B skips
- 2 x 40m scissor kicks (here it started to get more uncomfortable, so I decided to stop any bounding) > today was plyo/grass sprinting/hill day
(over at the monkey bars:) - 3 x 12 dips
2 x 12 chin ups
2 x 12 pull ups
sit ups
currently EMSing, but I ran out of battery… ughhh… (anxiety… :o )
edit for EMS update:
- 20min bodybuilding program on glutes
- 20min active recovery on glutes (this is probably inappropriate to mention, but EMS’ing glutes is a “problem” to me) =S do guys even have similar issues ?
- 20min active recovery on hamstrings
- 20min active recovery on calves
Tomorrow I am finally going to see the Last Supper … at 8am :rolleyes:
Tuesday, Dec. 14th, 2010
Last Supper was nice. I expected it more mind blowing, but I suppose that’s what age does to beautiful things, despite all the restoration. Not everything ages like wine 
(only me, haaaaaahahahah)
Anyway
0-1 degree yesterday; I think it’s the combination of cold and anxiety of last days before going home (to my oldest sister getting married :eek: ) that adds up to all these niggles of this day and the day before, including: sore left quad (I think this is due to EMS, but why just the left…? I intensified them equally. Anyway, this is more rhetorical, it’s no so important, and it’s almost gone by now), low right shin pain, and sudden slight cramps on right calf (with overstretch potential, but I seem to catch it on time each time, either by relaxing, or become aware of technique more - It is my word of wisdon the past 2 years that niggles are blessings; they guide you towards what to do better technique-wise :o)
-
15-20min biking to park
-
20min warm up
-
10min dynamic stretching
-
8 x 100m hills w/slow walk back recoveries
-
3 x 70m uphill running A’s (ouch)
-
15-20min biking back
Today I might not have time to anything due to all-day-long university happenings (yearly review day). We’ll see… All I know is that it’s -4 out now, and I’d rather sleeeeeeeeeeep.
Wednesday, Dec. 17th, 2010.
As predicted, too busy to do anything training-wise, other than sleep for 2hrs in the middle of the day :o
Little by little, people I’ve become close to are departing from the residence for Christmas vacation, some ‘forever’ and it’s a strange feeling, as most of us have been anxious to go home, but now there’s a bitter-sweet sensation. All are such nice people, but I’m sure we’ll cross paths again at some point
Speaking of which, year 2 of phd is officially passed and over
Now really looking forward to my sister’s bachelorette party this weekend - we’re going to a nice hotel at a far away beach and doing spa during the day and night dancing, while all meals will be buffets =))
Today:
- 15min + 15min biking
Now predicting that my mom will tell me that I lost weight and then she’ll try to over-feed me, as always, but I feel strong nevertheless, and I like the six pack I’ve developed despite all the chocolate that I’m eating lately (for my mom’s sake… :o)
On the other hand, I should perhaps increase my salt intake; I have symptoms of low blood pressure, and sometimes I’m this close to fainting (if I take longer than normal to eat something).
Now it’s 2am and I must finish reading 100 pages of a book on the formation of modern urban architectural forms… hmmm
Or maybe I will skip the task and worry about it in a week when I will be in Greece with no book, and a 100euro price to buy it on amazon…
The problems of life :rolleyes:
Thursday, Dec. 16th, 2010
-
10-15min warm up
-
short tempo circuit
100+100+100+
100+200++100+
100+100+100 +++
(soooooo tired… haven’t been sleeping much the past 2 nights)
monkey bars:
- 3 x 12 dips
- 2 x 12 chin ups
- 1 x 12 pull ups
- abs
(really short training day…)
My taxi picks me up at 4.30am tomorrow morning :eek: (travel day) Time for bed…
Friday, Dec. 17th, 2010
Travel day and much more
Saturday, Dec. 18th, 2010
- 20min warm up
- 5 x 100 stairs (doubles, so 50 contacts each )
- 1 x 150m hill
Travel to hotel/spa resort for my sister’s bachelorette party
-
jaucuzzi
-
sauna
-
hamam
-
heating chairs
-
party
Sunday, Dec. 19th, 2010
(travel back in the afternoon)
- 25min easy run with sister
Monday, Dec.20th, 2010
- 30min hard run on grass with fellow 400m athletes
drills
4 x 30m A skips
4 x 30m B skips
4 x 20m running As into 20m stride
tempo:
-
10 x field diagonals, w/ 60m rest
-
3 x 12 leg curls
-
plenty of abs/push ups
note: felt weak during the tempo diagonals, but tomorrow will be a better day!
I like my Thessaoniki-group a whole lot…
Compared to what other group?
Perhaps that 30 min hard run had something to do with how you felt during the diagonals?
and the drills, why the drills after a hard 30 min run, that will help with good form :rolleyes:
Drills felt excellent John !!!
I’m actually almost about to get sick, hence the weak-feeling… some kind of virus… I’m trying to avoid it by drinking vitamins and fluids, and blah blah blah…
Today I’m doing 150s, I think, depending on the rest of the group I’ll make them few and hard, regardless, to start getting into special prep stuff. =) And the weather is so great. I wish this virus went away.
Nick, haha you’re right; I guess compared to whatever group I find in Athens, or whatever random company I get in Milan :o But nothing beats training with these guys… (so far).
Thursday morning I will film the plyos and drills; I just arranged a date with my sister 
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010
Nice 15degree weather
(all on track)
-
15min warm up
-
stretching (dynamic and static)
-
3 x 60m strides w/trainers
-
2 x 60m strides w/ spikes (first time in 2 months in spikes, on the track)
-
150m (30"rest/50m walk) + 150m (30" rest/50m walk) + 150m (6-7’ rest)
-
250m (30"rest) + 150m
These things are only possible with fellow athletes running along… Good stuff. 150s started in 21", perhaps the slowest was 23". (I am estimating these from the guy’s times, who were in front of me (theirs were 19-19-20).They also did a 300m in the end (after 10’ rest).
p.s. pretty lactated in the end. I had missed the feeling.
Does your training group follow CF principles.
No they don’t, but it works well because I use their ‘low’ days (which are long run and weights) to do my tempo, and the other days of speed and special endurance coincide with what I should be doing (or I adjust their plan to my needs/abilities whenever I have to.
But anyway, I train with them only whenever I’m in Thessaloniki, and my year is also divided in Athens and Milan, so…
p.s. I know there are 100 comments one can make on the way I treat my training, which ‘supposedly’ follows the CF plan, but being all over the place, and needing a group sometimes, etc, I try to work it out my ‘own’ way sometimes.
Great song Nick
Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010
(doubles are not happening, apparently… My sister is getting married on Sunday, and it seems like the whole world revolves around her these days - and the past 10 months :o :rolleyes: > much to help with, but it’s mostly enjoyable!)
They are doing ‘maintenance’ at the grass these days, so today’s tempo had to be on the track, which did not feel so lovely (minor shin splints and bunion pain) but oh well.
- 20min easy run with the group
- static stretching
Long circuit
100++100++100++
100++++(bathroom break) 200++100+100+
100+200++200++100+
100+200++100+100+
100+100+100++++
(the pluses are accurate actually, where +=walk 50m. I just did the first 4 with the guys, hence the longer breaks).
- 2 x 6 chin ups
- 4 x 12 leg curls
- 4 x 12 dips
- plenty of abs and back exercises
- 1 x 8 SLDL’s
- 1 x 12 bench press
- 1 x 12 lateral pull downs
Still slightly sick. (weak, and tingly throat) but I think it won’t get worse.