Training in Portugal

Happy new year everyone. I'm here in Monte Gordo on a 2 week warm weather camp. It's been a ritual of mine to get away in early January every year as it helps get refocussed and set up for the season ahead, not to mention a break from the bad weather at home.

Christmas for me followed pretty much the same pattern as the last few years. It was good to spend a few days at home and catch up with family and friends as well as doing my few customary charity duties with the Christmas Day Swim and GOAL Tabel Quiz on Stephens Day. Having completed a heavy 3 week training block right up to Christmas Eve, I had allowed myself a few days to relax and ease back on the training as I would in a normal recovery week. So for 4 days, I just trained once day at whatever time of day I felt like averaging between 10-20km a day, and so I had a break from my usual regimented twice a day training routine.

I did have a small disruption to my training, as I had a small skin lesion removed from my lower right leg. I had noticed something unusual there since early November and it was not a usual spot and was not going away. I had been quite busy for the few weeks before Christmas with training and other work and didn't get time to see a doctor, so I decided I would see my family GP at home in Ballinamore over the Christmas holidays. It didn't appear to be anything serious but with the amount of sun exposure I would get throughout the year, I though it would be best not to take any chances. I got it removed on the Friday morning before New Years Eve. As it was just 2 stictches I had put in, I was able to train away the next day as normal, but just had to be careful not to get the area infected. Today I got the biopsy report back and all was clear, thankfully!

Myself and Clare had a wedding of a good friend of hers in Donegal on the Thursday of that week and then we spent new years weekend in Belfast where Clare is based, something I've also done routinely for the past 2 years. By that stage I was back in full training. On new years eve we went out for dinner and a couple of drinks and then the next morning the reality of 2012 and all that comes with it set in! It's been a year I've been excited about since 2005 when it was announced that London would host the 2012 Olympic Games. But first I have to qualify, and the next 10 weeks are focussed on achieving that.

I travelled out to Monte Gordo on the 3rd. Also here training with me are Brendan Boyce and Laura Reynolds. For the first week there were plenty of other Irish athletes here including Thomas Chamney and Rorry Chesser, a group from Letterkenny AC and DCU and we would meet each other quite a bit for dinner or to go for a coffee. The main focus of my training here has been on endurance work, getting in some good aerobic endurance base with some some strong steady-sate work. I've also been doing a lot of technical work but as we have no coach with us, it has not been easy to get feedback so I would get Laura to video some of my sessions when she would be finsihed her's before me. Training in good weather with extra tiime to recover makes a big difference.  I like the training environment here in Monte Gordo with some good road courses flat and hilly as well as the track and gym. I've still been busy here completing my Setanta College course work and assignments as well as a busy start to the year for The Altitude Centre Ireland.

I'm home on the 18th when I'm back in Limerick and look forward to moving into a new house and a new office for my Altitude Centre Ireland work. Will hopefully have more to report on when I get home.

Doing a hill session just outside Monte Gordo

Recovering in a very cold swimming pool after a strong 35km session