Shock 'Shock Week'

So on Thursday I started the first of three Shock Weeks I have planned to prepare for my CWU. Today sees the end of Day 4 (of 8). A few lessons learnt for sure already.
1) Remember to take your hat.
2) My Garmin wrist watch is requiring more power to charge than what I have available. It may need to stay at home.
3) My Galaxy S5 smartphone only needs about 30 to 45 minutes to recharge. But I have to use it in flight mode to try and conserve battery life. What to do about photos?
4) My ALTRA Lone peak 3.5s are great. Spent nearly 9 hours on the trails today on very rocky terrain, including various boulder hopping stints. Shoes were perfect.
5) Tailwind Nutrition is fantastic. Keeps you going all day. I included some dried apricots and a few mini Snicker bars today for a bit of variety.
6) Be organised. Have clothes ready, bag packed, and change of clothes ready for when you finish each day. I didn't have any of that today and only got on the trails at 9am. A list will be handy. As per #1 lesson. I had my beenie on so forgot my hat!

Lorraine's Squad Training Guide

A friend, Marin Knox, has reviewed one of my books. Here is his review:

LORRAINE’S SQUAD TRAINING GUIDE


As a newcomer to endurance running, I was fortunate to meet Lorraine and read her book.


The book is a handbook for novice endurance runners. They can use it to anticipate conditions and plan their participation.


The ethos of Lawson’s book is that successful performance has to be achieved by relevant preparation, by a carefully graded and monitored training programme and by giving the attention necessary to aspects such as diet, injuries, footwear and the race course.


Endurance running pits willpower and cognitive skills as well as physiques, against a task distinguished by it’s continuance anywhere between 2 hours and several weeks. It is a severe test of resolve and Lawson solicits runners’ commitment to long hours not just for the event but for the entire training programme leading up to it. She prescribes minimum times and distance commitments for marathon, half-marathon and ultramarathon.


The book asks runners to make time commitments, that the author has found necessary in her experience from a decade of working with runners.


She proposes different exercises and nutrition schedules for the half-marathon, marathon and ultra marathon. There is no element of mantra or fashion in her recommendations, which have scientific currency and are justified by sports science findings. For example, she demystifies the curiously named Fartlek exercises.


By her own example, Lawson elevates the reader’s attention place their body processes on a pedestal where they can be observed, monitored and fine-tuned. She supplies detailed information about injuries which can be of crucial importance.


Readers will have various needs met by this book. Those who would be consoled by working through a detailed preparation list may adopt this document as a verbatim creed to set against the fear of coming pain. There is even a section on pre-race anxiety, another on stress management and another on mental toughness and support.
Other runners will be more selective and use the book as a reference work to research the things their programme should consider.


The value of Lorraine’s Squad Training Guide is as a programme which has been developed over many years in the cauldron of novices experiences. Lorraine’s experience at endurance events shines through in putting into perspective the concerns of beginners.


The Handbook is essential reading and I recommend purchasing it. You will turn to it often.

I bought the book from Cairns Dynamic Running on the Dynamic Running website http://dynamicrunning.com.au at a cost paid in AUD $10.00
Email: info@dynamicrunning.com.au

Reviewed by: Martin Knox,
Ferney Voltaire,
Ain,
France
December 31st 2017