Pre-season Training

After my first full week of training there's not much more I can say except that I'm relieved that it's over! I'm glad I came here in pretty good shape, however, there was nothing I could have done before I left the US to get me ready for this training. This may be boring to some, but let me try to explain how the running has been for those who are interested.

Previously, my training was based on time of running, over a certain distance and a specified rest period (i.e. run 100m in 20sec and rest 20sec, x 12...3 sets). This type of workout was for everyone, so the fit and the not-so-fit were all trying for the same time over the same distance (obviously much more difficult for the not-so-fit, but at the same time, not pushing the fit hard enough).

Here however, the running is in 4 groups, red, yellow, green, and blue based on how each individual did on the fitness test (blue's the fittest group). For each group, the time to run and the time to rest is the same but the distance is longer/shorter for the groups. There's about a 5m difference over 100m per group. So the top group is running 108m and the last group is running around 92m in 20 sec, with 20 sec rest.

Below is an example of our workout yesterday:


1. 20 sec running, 20 sec rest for 12 minutes...rest 3 min
2. 15 sec running, 15 sec rest for 12 minutes...rest 3 min
3. 20 sec running, 20 sec rest for 4 min, 15 sec/15 sec for 4 min...rest 3 min
4. 20/20 and 15/15 randomly for 6 min

We did this conditioning in the morning 3 times with weights in the afternoon. The other days we do rugby training, which I can't participate in yet because of my healing broken hand. This morning was a massive speed and agility training to end the week. It's coming close to the start of preseason games so trainings will be all rugby oriented soon. We have one more week here in Agen, and the week after is "camp," where we travel 6 hours by bus to a remote place and do double days of rugby. Our first preseason match is on the 24th of July.

It's a short and very intense preseason, which isn't bad. As one teammate who played in Australia said, "it's better this way, hard and quick, rather than at home where we have a 13 week preseason before a 14 week season." Here in France it's about a 5 week preseason, for a 30+ week season. Two weeks down, 35 to go!