112 Days

Thats right 112 days ago I set off on my first run. Fast forward to today and nothing has changed apart from the miles and intensity of each session. Over the last week I have been out to see my family in Italy. Whilst there I could not resist the chance to go out and explore the Island of Sardinia!

I have been ranting on about "Operation Spartan" for some time now without really explaining what an average week will be for me in terms of my training. I dont just wake up and run.Its much more complicated then that.

A 12 mile run to most people seems very simple. You simply put your shoes on and move your feet forward until your pedometer bleeps. However most people do not train as much as I do, and most people do not run 12 miles twice a day carrying 30 pounds of weight on them!

During my training I have incorporated many forms of exercises to improve my performance during my runs. For example I dedicate two hours per week working on my upper body muscles. Why? So my body can cope with the extra 30 pounds of weight on my back. I am also an avid circuit trainer. Circuit training is a form of conditioning combining resistance training and high-intensity aerobics. These twice weekly sessions are designed to improve my aerobic and anerobic thresholds. These elements are usefull for the run to help decrease my overall 12 mile time and develop the explosivness needed to tackle periods of incline (such as a 100 mile, 3000 meter ascent over the Alps!). I also Stair climb which is a mixture of both Anerobic and Aerobic excercise which helps bridge the gap between the two.

It is a fact that there is a positive correlation between performance and diet. Therfore I have put hours of research into having a diet which keeps my body fueled throughout my training. It is not very complex, I do not believe in "Diet Fads" and strict regimes designed by people to make money. So stick to the basics truths. High Carbs, High Protein and Eat your Greens! I eat around 5 times a day and prepare fresh meals and avoid anything processed like the plague. I recover with one shake formulated by Multipower to resupply my body with the electrolytes I sweated out during training. I have to consume over 3000 calories per day to maintain my weight and prevent my body from going into a Catabolic state (it starts to eat my Muscles!).



I have also started stretching much more and force myself into a ten minute period of leg and upper body stretches. This is something I have only started doing recently and I have allready noticed an improvement on my recovery time which is the name of the game.

I need to be able to run 25 miles in any weather condition, carrying my life on my back. And then recover to to it all again the next day. For 8 weeks. I have reached the point where I am doing this. Nothing, nothing can replace hard work and dedication. There is no short cut to getting into shape and becoming fit. It has taken me 112 days of sacrifice to get into the condition I am in now and I still have another 30 days of hard training to go. Then I will complete this run in the time I said I would do it in. And then, and only then will I rest until the next challenge. There will always be more challenges. Its what makes me tick.

You can find out more infomation about our training on our website.

Train Hard.