I love High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Well, I love it when I’m not in the process of actually doing it! It is a fantastic way of improving sports performance in short periods of time.

I tried out a new protocol today, cribbed from ‘Referee Specific Training’, a presentation by Bryn Markham-Jones. You can find it on pages 17 and 18.

Here is my own summary, and I have put the timings differently to make it easier to follow when actually doing it.

WARNING: HIIT is, by definition, INTENSIVE! Be absolutely sure you are fit to do this. Check with your GP if required. It is also expected that you are fully warmed up before commencing this, as it STARTS with running fast.

Set treadmill inclination to suit your fitness.

00:00 – 18.5 km/h
00:30 – Jogging
01:30 – 16.5 – 17.5 km/h
02:30 – Jogging
03:30 – 16 – 17 km/h
05:00 – Jogging
06:00 – 15 – 16 km/h
08:00 – Jogging
09:00 – 16 – 17 km/h
10:30 – Jogging
11:30 – 16.5 – 17.5 km/h
12:30 – Jogging
13:30 – 18.5 km/h
14:00 – Jogging
15:00 – STOP.

REST 5 minutes. This is ONE SET. Repeat, to make a total exercise duration of 35 minutes.

Fun, huh? I made it through, although I went for a 0% incline and the ‘Jogging’ elements ended up mostly being ‘Walking recovery’ in all honesty. Need to step that up!

My own personal guideline for HIIT: “Do I feel like I might collapse if I do any more? Do I have a sense of euphoria for finishing?” Job done then!

Do you have any favourite interval training routines?

Keep on running...

I’ve been intending to take the Surrey FA fitness test for a while. It is not strictly required for the Enhanced Promotion scheme that I am on, but I love a good challenge and also to demonstrate that I am serious about all this.

The core component is the Cooper Test. Very simple: Run as far as you can in twelve minutes without stopping. The required distance to pass is 2500 metres. I had done a few test-runs, mostly on inclined treadmills, and had a good solid pace to hit 2700 metres without keeling over. Oh, and the right music choice to pace myself with!

I’ve been running regularly, both for fitness and when refereeing, so felt confident I would do okay. Especially with the extra adrenaline boost on the day.

On the day there were five candidates. It was a good atmosphere as the test was being held on a proper athletics track, which was being used by some other people too. With just five candidates, there was no real ‘pack’ to run with, so I was glad I had worked on pacing! In the end, I nailed 2700 metres so my ‘game plan’ worked successfully. I could have edged that up a bit but wanted to ensure I saved energy for the sprinting test…

The sprinting test is also simple: Run 50 metres in 7.5 seconds or less, walk back, and do it again. I’ve always been quite proud of my sprinting speed so this presented no issues. No record was kept of my exact time, which is a shame, but really the important thing is that I passed and that no injuries were sustained.

Now to keep working on my fitness and, of course, the healthy eating! I’ve set a benchmark to beat next time round…

I am really looking forward to the start of the football season. In terms of my own refereeing, this will be September. I have high hopes this time around, partly spurred on by the fact that I am on the Enhanced Promotion Scheme and there is a lot to get done!

When setting goals, it is really important to make sure that they are broken down into an achievable journey. After all, while ‘Get promoted’ is a goal there are steps that need to be taken as part of that! Success doesn’t happen by itself.

What are my goals?

PRE-SEASON (August)

• MATCH FITNESS: Get safely back to full match fitness with a controlled approach. Target level by the end of pre-season is several games over a weekend without being a wreck afterwards. Avoid injury.
• SUPPLEMENTARY FITNESS: Keep up the training as appropriate during the week. Be ready to comfortably pass the county fitness test in September.
• DIET AND NUTRITION: Get fully back on the wagon. As a result of the healthy eating and exercise, drop around 10 kilograms (This will carry forward into the season). The fat has to go!
• GET BACK INTO THE GROOVE: Referee a selection of games in the run-up to the season. Should be the same level as the games I will be assessed on. Some Assistant Referee work is allowed but I must ensure that my focus is being the Referee.

THE ACTUAL SEASON

• FITNESS AND NUTRITION: Maintain the standards as set in pre-season. Mid-week games will make an appearance so the physical and mental demands will be increased. Lose the rest of the 10 kilograms, certainly!
• BE STUNNING: I need to shine in the games. I will be assessed on some of them, after all, although I want the same standard throughout.
• BE DISCIPLINED WITH REST: I must be at full capacity for assessed games so need to ensure I am not overdoing things. Also, the schedule is tight for the enhanced promotion process and being out injured is not going to help at all!
• INCREASE KNOWLEDGE & NETWORKING: Attend seminars, local referee societies and watch other referees in action when I get the opportunity. There are so many sources to learn from!
• GET PROMOTED: Level 6 in October, Level 5 in March. I’m not doing this to fail!
• GET SOME GREAT APPOINTMENTS: As a result of all the above, I want to be getting some great appointments. County Cup Final? Who knows? I’m already on the FA competition nominated list which is exciting. I need to give a performance during the season which makes me worthy of getting these matches!
• BE A ROLE MODEL: I want to be setting a high standard for myself and others. I’m undergoing Mentor Training in September as part of this.

I’m already making great progress with the pre-season elements. I’m eating and exercising well. The games I have had so far have been very positive. There is a long journey ahead and I know I am going to enjoy it!

How are you getting on with your own goal planning?

Mmmm...

When I looked more athletic it also promoted a good image when refereeing. A good first impression is very important. You want to LOOK like you are able to keep up with the players before you even have to demonstrate it!

I started my new regime yesterday and it was pretty simple: Just avoid eating too much! I will refine my diet to be better balanced over time.

A lot of this is avoiding temptation as there is a lot of it out there when it comes to food. I remember watching a TV programme about a body builder who used to buy chocolate all the time…. but then just put it in a kitchen cupboard as proof of his discipline. I’m not going that far but it is interesting to consciously note the foods I am avoiding.

For example, yesterday I know I avoided:

• A bread roll at lunchtime.
• A chocolate cheesecake pot (went for the apple instead!)
• A chocolate bar during the afternoon.
• ‘Fatty’ crisps (I had some low-calorie ones to go with a sandwich instead).
• Eating when I got back from my evening activities when I really did not need to.

All of those would certainly add up! I was not starving myself either so it became very clear to me how I have managed to put on weight recently. I was just being excessive.

This also helps in thinking ahead. For example, I know tonight I will be offered hospitality after a match I am officiating. Plenty of sandwiches which I would normally just chomp down because they are there. Perhaps with ‘full fat’ cola? By thinking about it NOW I am priming myself to be sensible.

What foods have you successfully managed to avoid recently? Do you have any weaknesses that you have succumbed to? What are your tips?

I’ve put on some weight over recent times. Over the past few years I’ve been pretty good at exercising regularly but I lack discipline when it comes to a proper diet. I’m not liking recent photographs of me at all.

A few years back, I went through a great phase when I dropped 10 kilograms and I did this in the right way: I kept up the exercise (combination of cardio and weight training) and really monitored my nutrition. With the help of the great site Daily Burn I kept the carb/protein/fat levels in check and shed the weight over a controlled period of time.

It was a real eye opener when getting those levels in balance. I quickly realised just how I was ODing on carbs (bread!) and how hard it is to take in the recommended amount of protein. I definitely started eating my fair share in chicken breast!

Now I get to do it again. I know I will feel a lot better for it by eating properly and none of this is about starving myself.

The Ground Rules to start off with:

1. NO CHOCOLATE: Sorry, my dear Boost bars and Yorkies. You have to go.
2. NO EXCESS CARBS: Typically bread. I can really gobble up bread like there is no tomorrow. It tends to be my biggest weakness.
3. NO DESSERT: Mmm, cheesecake… Let’s stick to lovely fruit.
4. NO ‘FULL FAT’ SOFT DRINKS: I can work with Pepsi Max. Not exactly nutritious, I know, but not loaded with sugar either.
5. TARGET THE HEALTHIER OPTIONS: If I have a burger craving, chicken is going to be better than a fatty bit of beef, isn’t it?

Now all I need to do is get a working set of bathroom scales!

There is more to this than how I feel in myself: I don’t want to be carrying extra weight with all the running that I will be doing when refereeing. It puts all my joints under a lot more stress! Plus I have a fitness test to excel in…

Are you trying to eat more healthily at the moment, for whatever reason? Do you have any tips that you would like to share?

It really does not feel like that long ago I was piling in the games at the end of the 2010/2011 season. The snow and other bad weather meant there was a backlog so quite a few midweek evening games were available. This was great for me as it means I have already hit my required quota of 20 games since March in order to hit one of the promotion criteria.

Now, here we are in pre-season mode! I’ve been keeping up my running and have been involved in a couple of games but now the ‘real stuff’ begins. I have a pre-season schedule coming together with a mixture of referee and assistant positions at various levels. Referees need a pre-season just like players do! It is a chance for us to get the fitness in line (both physical and mental stamina), perhaps try a few new things and ensure we are confident when the season truly begins.

I had my first game this week as Assistant Referee. This was a valuable learning experience as the other two officials are both active supply league referees. In addition, the game was frenetic due to lots of triallists wanting to prove their worth!

The teams themselves are at a higher level than I am currently permitted to referee. Some notes on that:

1. FITNESS AND SKILL: A lot higher than ‘parks’ football! I was able to keep up just fine and it was a great test of my sprinting ability. The ball would be kept in play for a lot longer as well which made it a more interesting game overall.
2. MORE PHYSICAL PLAY: The challenges and general play were a LOT more physical. However, there were no complaints as most of the time it was controlled and the players were just getting on with it. This took adjusting to. At ‘my’ level, I would be giving fouls for that sort of contact and the players would be expecting that to happen as well.
3. ADJUST ASSUMPTIONS: A couple of times I flagged for offside way too early. I was in ‘parks’ mode where I would assume (correctly) that the offside applied because no other player could be involved. I needed to wait to absolutely sure in this game because another player could EASILY zip through, or the advantage could shift IMMEDIATELY and should be considered. A great learning experience.

A summary of the game is that my fitness was easily up to the task but that it took me longer to get my mental sharpness in line, especially with not flagging for offsides too soon. As the players are faster at this level your assumptions have to be a bit different. Things flowed a lot better during the second half. My concentration had also been a hit a little bit due to a ‘flag malfunction’ in the first half….

Lots more games to come. It is going to be a busy and productive season and I am really looking forward to it!

p.s. I’ve also been nominated by Surrey FA for consideration to FA Competitions for this season which is really exciting!

Shiny!

I was therefore a little surprised to be given a second Final…. in July! This is normally the ‘closed season’ where everyone is relaxing and eating too many biscuits. Or is that just me? The Final had even already been played. However, it had been later revealed that the winner had fielded an ineligible player and as a result were removed from the competition. A losing semi-finalist was pulled into the final to replace them. All seemingly very political but the rules on the eligibility of players are very clear.

Thankfully, I’ve been keeping up my fitness and as it was to be an Under 11s game it was never going to be too stressful. It was a good gauge of where I am though, both in terms of physical and mental stamina, both of which are vital to a referee. I am happy to report the game went very well with good conduct from all involved.

This is essentially the beginning of my run-up to the next season. I have a schedule of adult games from this point forward, with a combination of ‘running the line’ or being in charge. It will allow me to build up my fitness and concentration, so that when September comes, I will be completely in the zone. This is very important as my remaining two assessments both need to be done that month. There will be no room for excuses!

Are you doing anything to work on your own physical and mental sharpness at the moment?

Run from the zombie... run run run!

I courageously / foolishly took part in the Hard As Snails 10k this year. I did no hill training whatsoever for this event which was an interesting strategy as the race description overtly stated “Features hills”.

Leading up to this, I had been neglecting my running training and was not hitting the roads as much as I should have been. All part of the closed season lull!

It was exciting, draining and fun. Perhaps a strategic mistake was that I was too happy ‘ghosting’ other runners rather than taking the initiative of setting my own pace. The downhill elements were very interesting as well as I could not slow myself down and I was thinking, “Don’t fall over, don’t fall over, don’t fall over…”. Thankfully, I didn’t as the First Aid crew were all the way back at the start!

I hit a time of 58:31 which is okay but I was ultimately disappointed: It put me squarely in the bottom half of competitors in my category and I REALLY suffered with the hills. To be expected considering my ‘preparation’ but it has helped me give myself a huge kick to get the fitness sorted.

I’m now determined to get my fitness back to my peak levels and beyond! I attended a fantastic speed training session hosted by Farnham Runners (5 x 800m) and the welcome, support and kind words have given me a huge boost. I was straight out today on a 6k lunchtime run, will be doing a speed test run tomorrow and have two games scheduled for the weekend.

I am looking forward to feeling the improvement (the weight loss will be handy too as I have gained recently) and a good benchmark will be the Alice Holt 10k next month.

Bring it on!

Far...Too...Early...

On Fathers’ Day I cycled 54 miles from London to Brighton. This was in aid of the British Heart Foundation. This was fitting: My Father was diagnosed with Angina several years ago and, thankfully, the resulting surgery was successful.

I was part of the Jobsite team and my thanks go to the company for their support (which included paying our entry fees and sorting out the minibus travel). They were just as supportive several years ago when I last did this ride.

I did no training this time around. I rode my bike around the car park a few times to check everything still worked but that was it. In fact, the last time my bike had been used for anything more than a couple of miles was the last London to Brighton that I did! I am active in other ways, mostly running, so was confident that I had the cardiovascular fitness required to do well… but what about my poor thighs?

I got up at 3am in order to meet the rest of the Jobsite team at our offices in Havant. We were then taken up to Clapham Common ready for our 7am start. It was a little cold so I was thankful I had remembered to bring something warm. I munched on an oat bar and enjoyed the entertainment: Various performers were mingling with the crowd, typically of a Victorian bent, although I was particularly impressed by the girl cycling around backwards… including being able to stop motionless for photographs and conversation.

Before the starting gates...

At 7am we were off! It’s fun cycling through the London streets… mainly because they are closed to traffic for this event. The buzz of the event was fantastic and I quickly forgot that about the fact I had to climb out of bed at 3am.

The ride was a little stop/start at times due to accidents on the hill descents. I was probably stopped for about 40 minutes total as a result of these. There was a sadder event though, which occurred after I had finished: A man suffered a heart attack on the final hill climb and died later in hospital. (BBC News link)

I was doing great to begin with, really sparkling as I rode, but hit a wall at around 25 miles. This was where my thighs really began to suffer. It wasn’t helped by the grouped hills at this point. My head was down and I was watching my cycle computer more in slight disarray: My average speed dropping, my distance travelled not increasing as fast as I would like! I had slipped out of the zone.

When out of the zone you concentrate on the negatives. Pain is a good one. Thighs burning. The early stages of cramp catching on. That leads to further negative thoughts: Have I taken in enough fluids? Have I eaten the right things? I’ve not even quite half-way yet!

You don’t get back into the zone by magic. Positive steps were needed. I turned off the cycle computer display as it was no longer encouraging me. I brought my head up. I took on a stronger posture on the bike. I was going to complete this ride in under five hours, arriving in Brighton at mid-day.

I wasn’t in this alone though: So many volunteers make this event a success. I am so thankful to them. There was constant support from them and the spectators along the way. Not to mention the villages that make a real occasion of the ride: Churches are giving out free water and cakes, brass bands are playing, pubs have the BBQ going… I smiled at a sign saying ‘Nearly there! There’s time for a pint!’.

Terrible photo. Awesome brass band on the green!

To keep myself focused, when I stopped (for a jam tart or a slice of carrot cake as opposed to a pint) I kept it short. Probably five minutes at the most. Cycling 54 miles starts to get a little…uncomfortable in certain areas and I didn’t want that to set in too much as stopping really makes it worse!

There were nearly 30,000 people on this ride. I was riding along when someone comes up alongside me and says, “Are you Tristan?”. Yes, I am. It turns out this is a guy that has been following my updates on Twitter and he recognised the Jobsite-branded cycle top that I was wearing. What are the chances? That provided a pick-up all of its own!

I’ve explained how this event can be a little gruelling. It probably isn’t the best time to be giving declarations of love. Someone tried. A husband trying to win back his wife had put together some very impressive looking banners throughout the course: “Unite us and our family so we may love, laugh and grow together. Why take advantage of us, let’s take advantage of life. I love you Zoe! I always have and always will x.” It was like cycling through a Hallmark card. This last one was on the final hill ascent which the ride is famous for: “Come on Chicken. Flap those wings and shake that tail feather.” At this point, I wanted to divorce him! (Daily Mail coverage)

The final straight. SERIOUS MODE.

The final part of the ride is all downhill so it is an amazing feeling. Especially the finishing straight along Brighton’s Madeira Drive. 54 miles in five hours… and ten minutes, I never did hit my five hour target. Ultimately it doesn’t matter. I made it and earned that sponsorship money for the British Heart Foundation.

You can still sponsor me!

Man in Pompey shirt lifting FA cup. Last week.

I was helping out at the Jobsite World Cup. This was a great little 5-a-side football tournament hosted by Jobsite at Fratton Park. It is really interesting to be at a premiership championship stadium on a non-match day and explore all the facilities! Not even the changing rooms were safe…

Although I was originally present as an assistant and to take some wonderful photographs I did get roped in to play for the Jobsite ‘B’ team. This mostly consisted of people that don’t really play football in any seriousness. Hey, I like to think I am a pretty hot referee but my first (and second…third…) touch is shocking. Predictably we got thrashed but I did set up the most amazing goal… honest, I really did.

Well in there!

There was some great skill (and importantly, sportsmanship!) on display. Matchtech won through in the end representing Cameroon so many congratulations to them!

Now to continue to work towards my own footballing goal: To be refereeing at stadiums like this in high profile games in the future! It’s certainly not going to be an easy journey but then what fun would it be if not challenging?

The season is now over so my main focus at the moment is preserving fitness (including sprinting speed and agility to avoid evil Achilles problems). There may well be a shift in focus from football to judo for a bit as a result of this training…