WG CDR DAVE COLE - DEPLOYMENT DIARY

Introduction

I thought I would write a periodic diary for the RAFAA website so that interested athletes and Friends of Association can see how I coping with the 6 month deployment, from a fitness perspective.

Firstly, for those of you who are not familiar with my training, I am not your normal athlete. I do not run very much as a result of finding in the late Eighties that I am prone to shin splints. I therefore, initially cycled around 12,000 miles per year and ran outside as fast as I could 3 times a week over about 6 miles. However, from around 2002 I adopted a regime of still cycling on a turbo trainer (static) in my shed every morning for an hour, followed by a gym session of 20 minutes cross trainer, 20 minutes treadmill (a gradual increase in pace that ends at 20k), followed by 20 minutes rowing.

This training has it benefits and also limitations, but broadly it has allowed me to maintain a high standard of distance running within the RAF, Services and at County level.

Week 1

A long flight, including stop over, before eventually arriving in temporary 10 man tent accommodation. I did have my training shoes with me and it would have been possible to go running or even to the gym on the 1st day. However, on arrival I had been a bit weary and travel sick and elected to rest for the day.

Point of note. Bastion/Leatherneck is 2808 feet above sea level.

Food and RSOI for these first few days is really good and I could have also trained on day 2, but again elected to rest.

On day 3 despite a very physical day of RSOI, I elected to go to the US gym. Nice building and lots of Life Fitness treadmills (around 20), all calibrated in miles so running for me at set K's is hard without a cross reference K card. The gym also has 8 cross trainers, but only 2 bikes which are clapped out. So not a bad gym, but no good for cycling and rowing. The running was my first shock, I struggled to get up to 18k per hour and gave up pretty quickly. On RSOI they had told us about the heat, dust and altitude, plus the change in job and how it might affect you. But for someone like me who never gives up (no comments from tardy performances I may have put in before in races please) I struggled to accept this.

Day 4-9 were a very slow run in the morning for about 30-40 mins on the dusty roads, heat is not a factor first thing, it is actually cool and not one drop of sweat. I then continued to go to the US gym where cross trainer was fine, but running on the treadmill very difficult.

Recent days I have been running to Bastion gym at 0545, this takes 5 minutes jogging, then on the bike for 30mins (level 12, 110 cadence), then rowing for 20 mins at resistance level 8 and 2.10 mins for 500M. Then for my 2nd session of the day around 1100 I run back to Bastion gym, cross trainer 20 minutes, treadmill 20 mins where I have been able to sustain 18k for 5 mns, followed by rowing again for 20 minutes.

I am now a bit more confident about my running and think that I will eventually get used to the environment and be able to get back up to 20k per hour on the treadmill.

Other Factors

Accommodation is currently a 10-man tent of mixed rank and is actually quite good for spirit. Around 1030 it goes quiet and that is it until 0530 when I get up and go off to the gym. I move shortly to a 2 man room with another wg cdr shortly and although he is a great guy, I will miss what we had in the 10 man tent.

Food is very good considering how many personnel use the DFAC.

Breakfast is normally porridge (I do not cook it) and sultanas with milk - I read about this in Cycling Weekly as Bradley Wiggins ate it (it is home mad muesli). Lunch is normally sandwhich with meat or cheese and salad, followed by fruit. If I get peckish in the afternoon I eat fruit or one of the many energy bars that are around. Dinner is rice, vegetable, salad and some meat followed by more fruit. I have given in on 2 occasions and had ice cream. Lots of the diners are eating for England and not training at all, many claiming that it will all change next day!

That's it for now. Keep training, but most of all enjoy the company of your family and friends and make the most of every opportunity.