Well it’s time for another update I suppose. Lot’s to report, but at the same time not a lot if that makes sense?
I have been away from home for 4 months now and the end really can’t come quick enough. I have around 5 weeks of tough training conditions left and then will be home and dry. And when I mean tough I mean near on [dare I say the word?] impossible.
For those of you who don’t know, I am based on a warship in and around the Gulf. Conditions outside are far different from when I was here 8 years ago under different circumstances. The predicted calm waters of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea have been atrocious. We had a mere 2 weeks of calm after transiting the Suez way back in March before hitting the monsoon season, the heat and the swell. The slightest movement outside makes for an unstable training platform and a side on swell makes things a living nightmare. Chuck in a few tropical storms one after the other and you have got yourself ridiculous training [and living] conditions to say the least.
We are now in calmer waters but the heat is truly insane. It has been hot for months, but today for example outside we were well into the late 40’s. Inside in the “gym” we routinely have 45 degrees. Last week the air temperature was so hot it heated up the bars to such an extent that we needed to wrap towels around to be able to hold them. That is what I have been mainly trying to focus my training on – weight training, with the goal of building some lean muscle and strength. Other than that it has been the odd circuit, kettle bell training and just a mere 12 sessions on the erg this year, the last one coming just last night with a 6 minute tabata session in 42 degrees. I have not missed that horrible pain deep inside the muscles, flooding each fibre with lactic and refusing to shift. It was a good training session though. My partner wasn’t convinced when I said we were going to do just 6 minutes work – he nearly stopped with 3 minutes to go, I wouldn’t let him stop.
Nutrition has been extremely limited and certainly not my choice of eating with no way of counting macros and missing so many vital components. I have however gained around 1kg of lean body weight in around 3 months which is serious hard gainer stuff. With a more controlled environment I am convinced I can make better progress and gains, along with performance gains in strength too. I have just started a new strength programme, but it is very hit and miss due to the instability and unpredictability of what I can and can’t do day in day out. On top of that, I tend to chuck in extra circuits here and there where I can in fear of not being able to train the next day and through time on my hands to train, otherwise known as boredom. On average most days I am training 2-3 times in some shape or form and the other day was 4 times. Utter madness and complete over training, restricting any strength/hypertrophy gains and certainly not supported through optimum nutrition, but like I said I just do it because it’s there to do.
I do want to put a cap on it for the next month and try and grab some strength gains, plus the heat is nearly finishing me off me – literally, today I nearly went down with heat exhaustion and feel I caught myself just in time and found the coolest compartment to lie down in with an ice pack on my head to recover.
To wrap it up, the finish line is in sight now and I have a clear goal of what training I want to follow up on when I return. Also some time off work and then a new job to throw myself into the future looks exciting. Expect to see me at 1 or 2 events this season, but more than likely not in the conventional racing that I have been used to in the past.
As always thanks for reading.
Did someone say it was hot in the UK at the moment ……
