Eddie Jones

Told myself to man up and get involved in a proper session so blocked my diary, stocked up on electrolytes and headed to the gym (opted for the 4th treadmill in the middle isle). 

This time I brought fluids as have been overheating of late. The plan was to get though 10k keeping my HR in check and then knuckle down to 20kms. At 5k the HR was 146 and then at 10k only 1 notch higher at 147. Between 10 and 15k still no meaningful hike which got me to 150 by the 15th. I then threw caution to the wind and wound down to 3.45s for the final 5. At 17.5k the HR was up to 158 and then 161 for the final km. 

This run was a revelation. I even felt some fluidity coming back and really only the last km was I having to work hard. In comparison to this time last year my HR was over 160 at 10k and had to call it a day there.

I cannot put my finger on why but the fluids definitely helped plus I ran in my own gear as oppose to the crappy gym stuff.

Elated I then signed up for the Brighton half on 28 Feb and will also do Hastings (March 20) and then Fulham 3 weeks later again on April 10.

The only snag is we have now booked our 2 weeks skiing in Austria over Easter (first two weeks in April). It's either going to be ideal high altitude training or last minute injury disappointment. I am hoping for the former nevertheless the boys are pumped.

This evening I attended a great session with Eddie Jones, the new head coach of England Rugby. He was introduced as the former Australian. He quipped that he 'was a former Australian coach' and that he was still very much Aussie!

He spoke about the Woodward team when they were 'humming with a packed Twickenham - nothing better in world rugby' and referred to his 3 pillars of success:

Preparation

Attitude

Effort

All equally important.

He spoke at length about the South Africa game and how the moment changed Japan rugby. Interestingly Japan did not have one player taller than 6 foot 6 whereas SA had plenty. Japan ended up being the #2 ranked line-out side in the entire rugby WC (see #1 Preparation above).

He spoke very highly about Ben Teo at Leinster. One to look out for (he played with Sammy Burgess at the Rabitohs). On that note he thought it was rediculous that Sammy was asked to play 2 union positions, 'any full time union player would have struggled'.  If he had had 15 games under his belt he 'could have been the difference'.

On overseas players being allowed back in i.e. Steffon Armitage: 'I would not feed him' he said as in the Media have hyped him too much.

England's achilles heel is 'the fact that players are too pleased to have the shirt as oppose to winning'. We shall see.

One thing for sure is that it is going to be entertaining with him at the helm.