Nick, indeed !!
Sunday, Dec. 12th, 2010
(on grass)
(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 
)
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:
currently EMSing, but I ran out of battery… ughhh… (anxiety… :o )
edit for EMS update:
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:
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:
(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
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)
Monday, Dec.20th, 2010
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.
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).
Still slightly sick. (weak, and tingly throat) but I think it won’t get worse.
The coach is not MY coach. She used to be, back in 2004, but now I just train with them when I’m here, and they’re happy to have me around - because they like me :o and I like them.
I really appreciate this group (the coach and her major guy - this year for the first time they also have a younger one who looks VERY promising), because they help me so much when I’m here (if you think that I’m the only person on earth who is allowed to train with them, the coach times me when I want, etc). I’ve known them for nearly 8 years, and they almost feel like family.
Training in Thessaloniki becomes a pleasure with family around, and knowing that these people will always be on (and off) the track to help me.
On the other hand, I’m free to do whatever I want, because she (coach) doesn’t have responsibility over me, and we’ve discussed this in the past. (how could she? I’m mostly not here)
I suppose the situation does not become ‘simple’ until I find myself based somewhere year-around.
And since I’m announcing my appreciations; whatever I say about Nik and his help over the years is not enough
I was chatting with an old friend in the weight room today, and I mentioned to her that although my training is not ‘serious’ like the rest (perhaps this seems so because I’m on my own, and whatever I do will never be serious, training-wise; I strongly believe that serious training needs serious supervision, in whatever sense, at least for me, as the stimuli immediately multiply just by one watching/caring presence alone… anyway) this sentence got way out of hand…
…“although my training is not ‘serious’ like the rest”… I do it religiously enough to allow me to train at a level where I feel that I’m not wasting time with just doing something for the sole sake of pure fitness. (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it just does not fit my character - at this point of my life, at least).
p.s. John, that was a horrible video :rolleyes:
hahaha its a classic and the last 20 seconds legendary!
You made my day with that video…
I didn’t have the courage to watch till the end :p:p:p
I have video footage on some drills/plyo/stride here: (Charlie’s low skips included; p.s. I don’t know if this is an ‘official’ drill, but he showed it to me to help me with dorsiflexion!!)
http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=23027
