Count down to Sundays Half Marathon at Osmotherly in the Hardmoors Series.  Can't wait to get out on the moors again, love the terrain and scenery.  The running is hard, extremely tough in areas but makes me feel even better once finished as I know I haven't just completed a half marathon, I have completed a Hardmoors Extreme Half Marathon!

My training took a slight down turn yesterday whilst out on 'The Costa Run' with Darren, we actually detoured this time to another well known coffee house for our bizarre ritual of 'Double expresso with an ice cube twice please, to go!' and more baffled looks for the two girls working on that particular morning.  My legs are beginning to feel the relentless training, they are beginning to have to acclimatize to runinng on them when tired and aching.  I wouldn't recommend this to people who are in training for anything normal but since my legs need get used to this it was something I mentally needed to overcome.  I felt pleased once back at the gym, apart from resting my pain stricken legs, mainly because I'd completed the run through the tough patch.

My training isn't just running based, I am doing strength and conditioning work with a top endurance coach (Chris at EPOC Coaching).  He puts me through a rigorous schedule involving a lot of squats, single leg squats, lunges and more lunges etc, etc and upper body strength work using some quite unimaginable pieces of equipment that are unbelievably difficult to co-ordinate and yet highly amusing to anyone who gets to watch.  The session tends to work along the lines of me talking as much as I can about things related to my goal until its hurting so much that I can't or that I'm gasping for air like a fish coming up to the surface for food or air!  I go through the exercise thats been explained and demonstrated to me then set on my way.  At this point I am usually mid-story or explaining about something I've recently been reading then quickly getting a reminder to actually get on with it ha ha!  Really starting to see the results from the sessions measuring the results on what I could only manage to attempt originally to being relatively comfortable with now and Chris pushing for more and more!

This was taken last year whilst training with another trainer who also amused himself with strapping me into all kinds of contraptions challenging me yet getting the results I wanted.  It didn't help getting caught by another member who took this photo and posted it on social media ha ha, thanks! I think these sessions are priceless to anyone looking at taking on any kind of physical challenge that is pushing them beyond there limits.  I want more from my body so I have to equip it with the tools it needs for the demanding programme and physical exertion its put through!

What training do you do that supports and compliments your main focus?