Stefanie's

Yes yes I read Nick. But on another note… we’re having second thoughts about getting ready for indoors… It’s TOOOOO cold now. And perhaps it’s better to just train through the winter. If I enter, my coach here wants me to do well rather than just ‘train through rounds’.
I’ll discuss it more tomorrow with him.

Maybe I can ‘run through’ the 8km x-country race in the beginning of March =PPPPP (for “fun”).

Friday, Jan. 13th, 2012

aahhh… I don’t remember… It was an easy run day again I think.

Saturday, Jan. 14th, 2012

(15min biking)

  • 40min easy run

Nice night out… although freezing.

(15min biking)

Sunday, Jan. 15th, 2012

  • 20min run + 10min hard run

Yikeess… too many long runs… Today, if anything, I’m doing an extensive drill day on grass. (Tomorrow track)

It looks like you’ve fully EMBRACED italian style training…quite a long way from the once was Tzekos’ group,apparently,at least.

hahahha seriously… yes.

Only until this summer, at the most.
I’ve had a great experience using this system nevertheless (since September), with 0 injuries (which is huge for me)… and it all comes down (from my point of view) to having a great time in training, respecting and loving your coach and teammates, and having people around who truly believe in you and want you to do well. (This was/is so hard to find in Greece).

With all that being said, I’m considering staying an extra month (mid May, versus mid April), just to train more with them until closer to outdoor competitions in Greece. We’ll see …

Monday, Jan. 16th

  • 15min warm up, stretching (dynamic)
  • 40min drill session (on grass)

abdominals
hip exercises (also with rubber band)
(slight low-low back pain is back these days, but the above exercises take it away)

Latest painting inspired by latest relationship conditions:
(art is great… no words needed whatsoever)

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Tuesday, Jan. 17

((note: the first indoor race that I had planned to race on Feb.12th has been cancelled… with only Feb. 4th and then nationals remaining, I became more sure about not running indoors and just training training training through =) )))

5th night of nightmares and interrupted sleep… (I’ve been suggested to have some alcohol before going to bed tonight, in hope of relaxing my mind a bit… Goodness…). I woke up at 2am, also with an aching lower back, so I started doing sideway shuffles with rubber band resistance in my room to feel better (I did).
I went back to sleep at 4.30am, and woke up at 8.30. This sucks really …

(15min biking)

(training in -3degrees today !!!)

  • 35min warm up, stretch, drill, stride (+spikes)

interval training:
(all continuous for total of 2km:)
200m (200m jog rest), 100m (200m jog rest), 200m (200m jog rest), 100m (200m jog rest), 200m (200m jog rest), 100m (200m jog rest), 200m (200m jog rest).

(200s from 33.2 to 34.09, 100s all in the 15s, 200m jog rests from 1:20 to 1:27)

(15min biking)

(10min biking)

(10min biking)

Wednesday, Jan. 18th

Largeeeee-gym member =))))) For 4 months. Yes, I am officially extending my Italian stay till mid May. Finish up last pieces of phd, train train train, come up with something great to draw (series of paintings), work on my E.U. part time project, and I decided to try out an architectural competition with money-prizes. =)
Now I just need to inform my parents about my delayed return … oh boy.

(10min biking)

(10min biking)

(10min biking)

So today… Sicilian training at the gym :

  • 40min gym work (arms)

  • 40min treadmill (progressive) (up to 14km/hr). Thank goodness, because it was soooo cold outside.

  • 40min stretching, abs and lumbar.

(10min biking)

Thursday, Jan. 19th

(15min biking)

(colddd again, around 1 or 2 degrees, brrrrrrr…)

  • 15min warm up, stretch

plyometric session (on stairs)

  • 3 x (5 x ~20 double leg hops up the stairs) , walk down recoveries between reps, 3-4’ between sets

6min break

  • 1 x 400m pretty relaxed at low 66"

(15min biking)

(15min biking)

(20min biking)

(20min biking) I know I know… too muchhh biking. … (I hate public transportation and I do love my bike!!! )

  • some shopping therapy

Friday, Jan. 20th, 2012

(15min biking)

(10min biking)

Sicilian gym training:

  • 10min bike warm up (as if I’m not biking enough… :stuck_out_tongue: )

  • 40min gym work (leg curls, leg presses, squat jumps and pull ups)

  • 30min treadmill progressive (up to 13.3 km/hr, with one interval of 40"@18km/hr in the end)

(new shoes… new blisters…)

stretching

(10min biking)

I expect your sleep issues and theme of your picture are intertwined :frowning:

Hi John. Yes, but I’m finally getting good sleep now, at least … =)

Saturday, Jan. 21st, 2012

(15min biking)

((training in 6degrees, much better ))

  • 15min warm up, stretch, drill , stride

  • 5 x 80m on track, walk back recoveries (not all-out, but fast)
    4min break

  • 5 x 60m, walk back recoveries, as above
    5min break

  • 1 x 300m @45.08 (very even, 15" each 100m, thanks to my Sicilian pacer =) )

(15min biking)

p.s. quote for the day, by my dear godfather:
“Experience makes you stronger and develops your character. and never let your knowledge sadden you either. I am sure you understand what I mean.”

Brilliant.

Sunday, Jan. 22nd

(15min biking)

(15min biking)

(10min biking)

1.5 hour active swimming recovery and spa (sauna, Turkish bath and hydro-massage) > fantasticcccc… (I have these amenities for the next 4 months =) )
(p.s. my Sicilian teammate is an insanely intense swimmer… goodness)

(10min biking)

I feel great now.

Monday, Jan. 23rd

morning:

  • 15min easy run
  • 25min drill session
  • 5min cool down

(15min biking)
(15min biking)
(10min biking)

evening gym:

  • 30min progressive run (up to 4’/km)
  • abs, lumbar and stretching

(10min biking)

I have a new picture:

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and p.s… Being a girl is very difficult…In an emotional kind of way… =/

Tuesday, Jan. 24th, 2012

(15min biking)

  • 15min warm up, stretch

plyometrics on stairs - double leg hops upwards

  • 3 sets of 6 flights (walk back recoveries/flight, 4min/set). So much easier now =) . I feel the improved elasticity. Especially when I remember last year’s burn… I’m quite pleased!

5min rest

  • 1 x 670m on uneven surface (exterior course of track), @ 2:11 pretty relaxed and not tired in the end.

Gym just for 3 sets of bench.

(15min biking).

A better day today, so far.

Wednesday, Jan. 25th, 2012

morning:

  • 15min warm up
  • 25min drill session/strides
  • 5min cool down

evening:
(10min biking)

at the gym:

  • 30min upper body weights
  • 30min progressive treadmill run (up to 15km/hr) and 2 x 1min fast strides (@18km/hr)
  • 20min abs, lumbar and stretching

(10min biking)

(anddd… I just counted today was the 18th training day in a row, with no complete rest. But I feel NOT tired and GOOD). =)

Thursday, Jan. 26th, 2012

(15min biking)

Track: (cold today)

  • 20min warm up, stretch, drill, stride, spikes

  • 150, 200, 150, 200, 150, 200, 150 (recoveries walk 100m-150m), 150s at 21-22" (except last one which was at 23.9…), 200s at 32", 31", 31"

short cool down

(15min biking)

p.s. 19th training day in a row…

Very well done. :smiley:

… And no injuries. :cool:

Thank you thank you =)) And no niggles whatsoever. I’m in the zone …

Friday, Jan. 27th, 2012

(10min biking)

  • Gym 40min progressive treadmill run (from 12 up to 13.5km/hr), and 1 x 1’ fast stride @18km/hr
  • Stretch and go home. Besides, it’s bad to do too much when one is highly irritated with life. (yes, today).

(10min biking)

I’m tired now, but only because I had another bad night =(((((

And we had a very nice earthquake just an hour ago, that we all felt. Everything blends together very well during my day today.

p.s. 20th training day in a row … (tomorrow one more, and Sunday spaaaaaaaaaa and rest)

Saturday, Jan. 28th, 2012

pissed off today. (again)
Rainy day and cold

(15min biking)

  • 20min warm up, stretch, drill, stride

  • 5 x 80m walk back recoveries

  • 4 x 60m walk back recoveries.

Rather fast, as annoying outsiders were keeping times in their pockets… (lone training today, as my teammate has to do a medium run at a park).
I don’t like training alone. But it does build character.

(15min biking)

p.s. 21st training day in a row…

Sunday, Jan. 29th

(10min biking)

  • 30min swimming (so in fact this was not an off-day after all)

  • 1 hr spa (sauna-hydromassage-hamam-sauna) with in-between cold showers

(10min biking)

p.s. 22nd training day in a row…

Monday, Jan. 30th

(10min biking)

moreeeee pissed off, for Italian bureaucratic reasons this time… In fact I almost cried.
I was waiting at a doctor’s hall for 2 full hours (I don’t know if people here know about my inability to sit still for more than 7minutes at a time), and when it was my turn, he told me that he could not provide me with a medical certificate to attend the gym, because I was not his formal patient and he could not take responsibility. ONLY in Italy have I ever gone such a response. According to this logic, I must have one doctor during my life who keeps track of all my medical history.
In my case, I should hold a consulting gathering with the doctors I have seen during my long-term stays in New York, Thessaloniki, Athens and Enfield Connecticut. They should assemble all of the information of my history, and then hand over a verdict. So we can then come to the conclusion of whether or not I could safely, for me and the others, use the weights and run on the treadmill inside gym-grounds.

This whole story is annoying because this has been the third try to get this freakin-medical check up for freakin gym attendance… ^&$#$^$)(()&*^&%^

Then my bike-break broke.

(10min biking with one break and another loose one - but I was going reallyyyyyyy slowly)

What an a-nnoy-ing dayyyyyy…

And now I’m just eating more cookies than I should… .

p.s. But this is my OFF day !!! (finally…)

On a good note, I finished this yesterday: :slight_smile:

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Unbelievable. Totally ridiculous… in fact, it is so, that it sounds like a bad comedy script, the kind that exaggerates, way too much, situations taken from real life in order to try to make them funny. :stuck_out_tongue:

Yes indeed…

Tuesday, Jan. 31st, 2012

(15min biking)

Training at -1 C … BRRRRRRRRRRRR (feeling like -5, due to wind)

  • 20min warm up, stretch

  • 3 sets of 7x26 double-leg hops upstairs, walk back recoveries, and 4min/set (wonderful)

  • 1 x 670m ‘cross-country’ @ (2:12) versus 2:11 last week, but now freezing… (I suppose it’s hard to describe this rep as ‘nice and relaxed’, as it really felt uncomfortable in this kind of temperature and wind).

(15min biking)

Gym cancelled because my teammate is very stressed with tomorrow’s exam of his, and I’m not motivated to bike to the gym for a lone training, in -5 C now and snowing…

So more work and green tea for me =)