Back into the saddle….and the lake…and the running shoes

Mondays are usually my recovery day but since I did very little yesterday and it’s a bank holiday I thought I would get stuck in. The lake was open and so I started the day with a swim, under the hour (50 mins) but a good steady 2.75k. The week is set to be a bit odd with a couple of days holiday so I thought it would be a good idea to juggle the training and do the brick session this evening. The ride was great legs feeling good and a good pace, quick change into running shoes then a 30 minute run. My ankle is still a bit achy but nothing too dramatic. A thought struck me as I was running. Saturday was the first time ever in my life that I carried out any form of exercise continuously for 6 hours. For that I feel very proud……

Recovering and some lessons from yesterday

I am feeling pretty ok after yesterday. The only minor issue is a slightly achy left ankle and a tight right hamstring and glute. A great deal of stretching today and the hamstring is easing up. I was in two minds about training today, it definitely wasn’t appropriate to run so I decided to rest apart from a spin on the bike on the rollers for half an hour for 30 mins. Today has given me the opportunity to reflect on my learning from yesterday:

– If it is wet take a spare pair of shoes to set up in
– Buy a shallow plastic box for transition to put cycle and running shoes etc so that they stay dry.
– Put a spare pair of socks in the box
– On the threat of cold/wet day, have a short sleeved cycle top and arm warmers handy
– Don’t carry loads of water if there are regular drink stations unless its hot
– Limit solid food on the run (check out gels etc)
– Always wear the Garmin (GPS) for the run, you cant trust there will be mile markers
– If staying away the night before, take my own pre race evening meal and breakfast
– Check out gas cartridges for pumping up tyres.
– Practice changing inner tubes
– Create a checklist on laminated card for the final check.

I am sure there are loads more and I will definately add to the list as I gain experience

Race day……wind and rain…perfect

I arrived at the venue in good time to see a friend Austin and his family before he set off for his Olympic distance race. The weather was wet and cold. And the long run from the lake to the first transition area looked to me like a pain rather than a difficulty.

I was joined by Mark and after registration we set about kitting up and getting the bikes and gear into the transition area. After a brief briefing we climbed into wetsuits and made our way to the swim start. The swim went off in waves and being older I set off in the last wave.

The Swim

It was carnage. The lake was full of silt and within the first few yards my goggles had been dislodged by another competitor and were filling with foul water. It took at least 20 minutes for the filed to arrange themselves into some kind of order and even then the turns ware a real bun fight. The depth of the lake was another issue, in places it is hardly 2 feet deep and so keeping a decent stroke was a real challenge. At every turn the water was churned up to the point where the water went black. Finally after swallowing several mouthfuls I was helped out and made my way up the hill to the transition area. My time was just over 35 mins.

The bike

The weather was still wet with waves of heavier then light rain. In light of this I decided to wear a waterproof top. I cannot stand cycling in the cold. The bike section had been reduced to 50 miles and consisted of 4 loops of the same circuit I wanted to crack this in 3 hours which suggested 45 mins per loop. The circuit was fairly straightforward and comprised of three sections: undulating for the first third but not too bad, a down hill with a head on wind which meant you needed to peddle hard to get anywhere followed by a real bugger of a climb. The remaining section was mostly down hill with some great fast elements a completed in just over the 3 hour mark. I was amazed at how fast some people were going, they seemed to be passing me at 10 mph faster. I have some real work to do in this section.

The run

Oh dear. The run was published at 12 miles but made up of three circuits in and around the gardens of Beaver castle, (however there are various Garmin reports of 13-14 miles). This is where it al went a bit Pete Tong. I wasn’t wearing my Garmin so it is difficult to be clear about my pace but I think that on the final circuit I lost a great deal of energy and speed. The course was fairly hilly and this was draining. According to the results it took me 2:15 which is pretty slow. My total time was just over six hours and I have no idea how long the transitions took.

I finished knackered but proud that I had finished without absolutely crashhing. Mark kindly stayed to see me finish and for that I was very grateful. Plenty of lessons to reflect upon and tomorrow I will make a list of my learning.

Rest day.......a schedule I can stick to

So it is the Beaver tomorrow and after work I made the 3 hour drive to the hotel which is 6 miles from the venue. Comfortable room and a few other obvious tirathletes milling around the place. All look fitter and leaner than me.

Strange Week

This is turning out to be a strange kind of week. With the Beaver on Saturday I am struggling to think beyond that. It is a strange mix of excitement and anxiety. I made the mistake of looking at the times for last year and to be honest the vast majority seem much faster than me. My overall goal is to come in the top half of the field but judging by my times to date I am not confident that will happen. I keep imagining coming last and having people closing the course behind me. I know that this type of thinking doesn’t help and I am fighting it by:

• Contextualizing it as a just another step on the way to ironman, a right of passage

• Remembering that on race day my times are likely to be quicker,
• That the distances and not quite 50% of the ironman distance and so I am not comparing like with like.
• I will learn masses about myself as a result of participating in this event
• It will be a great achievement to finish, something I wouldn’t have countenanced a year ago
• These mind games are part of it and coping or even thriving on them will help me in future races
• The race is so long that small mistakes will not dramatically affect the result
• Fear is a good thing and part of being alive
• I have done the mileage now I just have to do the last little bit

As read these I feel better, having this chat has helped, thanks for listening

So as far as today’s training is concerned a 30 minute swim this morning and then I should have run this evening. But I didn’t. Deep down I felt I needed the rest and listening to my body felt more important than sticking to a schedule

Easy does it

It should have been a 45/30 brick session today but logistics interrupted and so it was a 45 min bike ride, dinner then later a 30 minute run. I am appreciating the easy week in preparation for the weekend.

OK… I confess……I skipped a session

This week is a tapering week hence the reduction in hours. This morning into the lake at 6am for a good hour covering 3k as usual. This evening was due to be a 60 minute run but work ran into the evening and by 10pm I just didn’t want to run. So there it is… I confess….I missed a session.

Reflections on 20 weeks training

So I have reached 2/3 through the training plan and today I celebrated with a visit to Janice the sports therapist for a massage. The next 10 weeks the training ramps up to peak at 20 hours per week from the current 16.  Up until now the mid week sessions have been pretty straightforward but as you start to add in 90 minute sessions, then getting those in during a busy schedule becomes more of a challenge. Getting up at 5:30 rather that 6:00 makes quite a difference. Thank goodness the weather is good and the mornings are light, reaching this level of training mid winter would be a real challenge.

Something to prove

I cycled for 40 minutes from home to meet up with Jamie near his home for a bike ride.  His preference is to get into the hills and so we compromised between the Surrey hills and some longer stretches on flatter terrain east of Guildford. We passed by Newlands Corner a couple of times and saw hoards of cyclists on th way, a big contrast to a couple of weeks ago in the wet, when we hardly saw anyone. Although we weren’t aiming for speed I was pleased that we covered 62 miles in the 4 hours. Getting back home and after another slow transition I set out for and intended 45 minute run. In my heart I knew that I would go for longer. I was behind in my schedule after only riding for 40 instead of 75 minutes yesterday and this as an opportunity to make up the shortfall. As usual the first 30 minutes were the worse as my legs struggled to get into the running after cycling. It was also hot, (73degress) and the sun was strong. As I plodded along I came to a crossroads where I had to make the decision, go long or go short. I went long and added an extra loop resulting in a 100 minute run. Deep somewhere in my psyche I think this was to exorcise the bad running experience from yesterday. My times were better today and as I hit the 100 minute 8.5mile mark I knew that I should be able to make the Beaver next Saturday. After all, the bike is shorter than today, I will have tapered and the adrenaline from being part of the event will help. Walking or driving after the event may however, be an isue.

Good start......bad finish

A little bit of catching up today, so I was in the lake just after 6 for a 3k swim. Things are definitely improving, the temperature was 15 degrees and the sun was shining making the whole a great deal more pleasurable. I hit the 3k in around 58 minutes and so feel like I am getting back into the right times. This afternoon and very short bike on the way to a family birthday party (40 mins). Today’s biggest challenge was the 2hr run this evening. The weather was much warmer (70+) and for some reason the whole thing felt like very hard work and my times showed it. It didn’t help that I hadn’t fueled properly and had eaten (very poorly, chocolate cake and biscuits etc) an hour or so before running so I started out with a stitch type pain. I am ashamed to say that in the 2 hours I only covered 12.18 miles which isn’t great.

Early bike...first time warm

It was great to get out today into the early sunshine for a 90 minute bike ride, and for the first time since the wearing fingerless gloves my fingers were not freezing. Things are looking up. There is something special about being out in the countryside at 5:30 am and tucking away a good training session before getting to work. I averaged about 16.3 mph which I am happy with considering the road junctions and hills etc. Route today was out from Camberley, through Frimley, Tongham, Seale, Puttenham then back the way I came. What a pleasure!! The only issue today is not being able to swim owing to a family commitment this evening, but I am sure I will be able to fit that in at sometime over the weekend.

Not warm but better

I have been a little concerned that my swim training has been a little lacking over the past few weeks. Especially last week in a tidily pool in Hong Kong. This morning I hit the lake at 6 and did a full 3k. They have mapped out a new circuit which claims to be 1k and so 3 times round should do the trick. However my times are out so either the course is long or I am slowing down. Even in a pool I can usually manage 3k in 61/62 minutes however today I was a fair way off that. The positive is that the water was marginally warmer; 13 degrees meant that I was able to walk after swimming which is a bonus. At lunch time I sneaked an extra 15 minutes to do the full 75 minutes. It was a good run and I actually managed to complete all of the intervals which speeded up the run to make around 8>2 miles in the 75 minutes. Not fast but well enough.

Its the simple things in life.........

A brick session again today. 45 mins bike on the rollers on the deck followed by a 30 minute run.this evening Beauttiful day, felt good. Balance on the bike is improving and the run felt far better than yesterday evening.

Warm weather please.....

I went to the lake this morning at 6am and it is still very cold, only about 12 degrees. This is fine as a training session but my concern is that I find it very difficult to walk when leaving the water. My joints and feet are so numb, they don’t work properly and so in the actual event my performance is going be really hampered. Also when getting on the bike "Will I ever warm up?” I am convinced that the cold water uses up more energy and so my endurance will possibly be affected.

This evening was a simple 60 minute run. I am not sure why but I really struggled. The first 30 minutes felt like a slog and I seem to remember that other Tuesdays have been similar. Once I was into my stride things improved but I think I can feel more tired after a day’s recovery than when I am in the thick of the training week.

And I am feeling good.........

A very welcome recovery day and I am feeling pretty good. No particular aches or pains. Under 2 weeks to go till Beavor half ironman and I getting pretty excited. I intend to get an early night tonight and get to the lake bright an early for a 3k.  

A good solid finish to the week

I have just finished today’s session. 4 hours on the bike followed by a 1hr run (writing this sitting in my “skins leggings” looking like a washed up ballet dancer). The run was slightly over the programme but I wanted to push myself. I have been getting a little anxious about the Beaver half in a few weeks time. I set out just after 6am and made the same mistake as last week. Cold hands for the first hour, I should have taken a fingered gloves and windproof, my shoulders were really cold. The first hour felt like hard work but things started to come together when I arrived in Windsor to ride the Windsor Triathlon course. Up to that point I had been averaging 16.8mph but by the time I had completed the 40k the average had crept up to 17. I retraced my steps back towards home clocking the 56 mile point at 3hrs 21mins. I was very happy with this and ended up finally at 4 hours covering just over 65 miles, so a slow final hour. Transition was a joke (as usual) and I took 6 minutes by the time I had taken my bike indoors, changed, taken a pee etc. (For next week I am going to set up a bike stand in the drive so that I can dump the bike and go. So it will have to be a tri-suit, which is fine for the bike but gives the neighbours a giggle when I run). The start of the run itself really challenged my belief about my ability to complete the Beaver, I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other. It was then that I decided that I had to complete the full hour. Aching legs was the issue, my fuelling strategy seemed to have worked (bottle of Gatorade, 12 min flapjacks, a Snickers on the bike then another Gatorade at the start of the run). Things improved after 15 minutes and by the time I had finished the run my confidence had lifted. The Beaver is 9 miles shorter that the bike I did today and if you take into account: tapering, the fact that this week I had flown back from Hong Kong and hadn’t slept too well all week it should be ok.

A great day

I have switched this weekends training so today was a 1hr bike then a separate 90 minute run. Tomorrow will be the long bike. I want to keep the discipline of using the rollers in my weekly training so at lunchtime I set them up on the deck and went for it. I really enjoyed the session despite a minor split in the rear tyre that created a lump resulting in a bit of bumpy ride. Despite this I managed to maintain a pretty good speed and for the first time ever I was able to pick up the water bottle, take a drink and actually replace it in the cage!! I also managed to hit 36mph a couple of times. (This afternoon I changed the rear tyre).

It was a beautiful summer evening and a pleasure to be running. As usual heart rate all over the place for the first 20 minutes and then it settled down. A really great run, although achy feet which suggests I need to be stretching my calves more.

A bit of a slog

I am flying home this afternoon and can’t wait. I had one meeting this morning but because of the logistics needed to be out of the hotel by 9am. So early again and straight onto the uncomfortable indoor bike. The only helpful factor was that “Total wipeout” was on the TV, so 75 minutes went by reasonably quickly. Going straight to the pool was another issue. The monotony of the short pool made me quit after 30 minutes. I guess also at the back of my mind was the fact that I was cutting it fine to make it out of the hotel on time and that I might get a swim in this weekend to make up the lost time. All in all a bit of a slog.

Humid and tiring

Thursday This week I have averaging only 5-6 hours sleep per night which I believe is catching up on me. I had originally intended to rise early and get an hours swim in this morning before coaching a client over breakfast. However a combination of extra work last night and being very tired this morning I left both to this evening which is a dangerous strategy. I did manage the swim which is an effort in such a small pool, I then headed out into the humidity for the intended 75 minute run, once again up the steep slope to Bowen Road where there where quite a few other runners. A combination of me getting slightly lost and wishing to explore a little resulted in me going for 90 minutes. Feeling tired and probably de-hydrated.

Gym time training......with petty behaviour

On of the main disadvantages of being away on business is the lack of access to a decent bike. The ones in the gym have unwieldy saddles and you have to be very stealthy to nab the piece of gym equipment you need. The sessions today was a bike (only one in the gym so great anxiety as I headed to "floor P" and relief when I arrived and there was no-one occupying it. Then 40 minutes of stress as I watched all of the running machines being occupied and vacated. I was due to do 45 minutes on the bike but there was only one running machine left and a chap walked in on his way to the changing rooms who looked like a runner, so I cut the bike short by 5 minutes to guarantee the machine. I did an extra 5 minutes running to make up for it. When I write this down it sounds a bit petty really. Never mind, I did the session, another brick in the wall.

What a run.....high above Hong Kong

I had an early start today with a 60 minute swim in the hotel pool. I was expecting the morning to be warm but at 6am it was quite cold and the pool wasnt heated. It took several laps to warm up but was a good swim. This evening I headed out of the hotel to Bowen Rd which is quite well known to runners. It is a road than runs high above the city and gives you fantastic views. Climbing up to the road is quite something, probably the steepest hill that I have ever run up but definately worth it. (Total today 60m swim & 75m run).  

Recovering in HK

Nothing much to report. A recovery day in HK working with a client. Simples

My own little triathlon in HK

I arrived in Hong Kong this evening and immediately went to the pool, with some many hours missed this week I was determined to have a good finish to the week. I completed an hour in the rather small pool, (about 15 metres) then into the gym for just under the hour on the bike then onto the treadmill for 60 minutes, the gym then closed so I completed the scheduled 75 minute run outside in the humid air of HK. So you could argue my own little triathlon in and around the hotel, and a good way to finish the week.

The lake at 11 degrees……cold all day

I went down to the lake this morning, not scheduled for a swim but I figured that it would be good to try to catch up some of the lost sessions. It was very cold indeed. I managed 3k but came out barely able to walk, my feet were so cold. This afternoon I went out on the bike but was ill prepared for the weather. Overcast, with a cold wind and intermittent rain. The ride itself was fine 3hrs 30mins followed by a 30 minute run. I experimented with fuelling using M&S mini flapjacks. One every 20 minutes, a snickers after 2.5 hours a bottle of Lucozade and some water.

A late swim….

Back down to Lyme today then home again so 5 hours in the car, not great for training. However, late tonight I managed to get to the pool for an hour. Not a great swim but enough for the maintenance.

Identifying the must do sessions….

Back at home today for a board meeting, However, at 10pm I hit the road to a 75 minute run. Once again before I left I was tired and wondering how on earth I was going to make the run. It never ceases to amaze me that once over the initial inertia we are able to click into a rhythm that seems to allow one to keep going almost in a trance like state. Although down on hours this week I am pleased to be able to be getting in the training I am. I guess I am beginning to realise that to maintain the volume of training I am is probably un-reasonable. Today a friend at work said to me that I should identify 3 training sessions a week that are the “must do sessions”. This will maintain the current level of fitness, the other sessions will build. These seems a reasonable thought and that if I hold onto this then it is quite possible can manage my anxiety about missing sessions.

Squeezing in a run

Once again a very busy day and so little opportunity to train. However, this evening I managed to get out on a run. 60 minutes around Lyme was a real pleasure. It really re-set my compass and reminded me how effective exercise is in helping me to feel good not only about myself but in gaining a better perspective on life

An un-planned recovery day

With a week off work down in Lyme overseeing the building work in the flat I really thought that it would be a great opportunity to get some serious training in. Unfortunately I underestimated how involved I would have to be in the work and so no training today.

A break from the training

No training today, fun with the family. We went clay pigeon shooting and had a great laugh. Nothing to report, just good to have a day off!!

I do like to be beside the seaside

I am at the flat in Lyme doing renovations for a week and so have bought the bike with me. This morning I ventured into new territory. Lyme is all hills so after getting the bike from the car it was either down the hill or up. Since down would have lead me to the sea very quickly I went up the very steep hill (on the road on the road to Exeter), this was the pattern for the next 60 minutes. Very steep climbs followed by sharp descents. It was a cool, windy and sometimes rainy morning, but what a ride!!! Nearing the half way mark I descended down a hill that seemed to go on forever, not knowing the twisting turning road I was braking most of the way down, thinking to myself “I am going to have to come back up this in a minute”. The climb back up though tiring was great, on the smallest ring on the front biggest on the back out of the saddle I ground my way up feeling more and more confident. I felt very alive despite my thighs shouting at me. Back to the flat dead on the hour feeling great.

This evening it was a 75 minute run. In the past when running around Lyme I have simply headed out of town and stuck to the roads, but today I decide to hit the coastal path. My goodness it was more like an assault course. The path climbs and drops, and is a matrix of tree roots polished by the boots of hundreds of ramblers that threaten to trip you up or twist your ankle. In some places there are steep steps made up of logs and in others the path deteriorates into a boggy mess. All in all it was great fun but a little alarming since a wrong foot would have bought to an end training for a few crucial weeks. Once the ground became too threatening I turned back and headed towards Lyme and out onto the Cobb (the harbour wall) and back, then back into the town following the river Lyme upstream. This was a beautiful part of the run, along a valley floor climbing gradually alongside the river. It passes hidden cottages that look like they could have come from the Shires in The Lord of the Rings. Eventually the path comes out into Uplyme and I was able to drop back down the main road to the flat. Achy legs and tired but delighted to have managed to complete a solid weeks training having hit every session.

A weird kind of day

Out with Jamie again today. A 3:30 bike ride followed by a 30 minute run. I was feeling much better this morning after a vast meal and a good long nights sleep. We set off at a good pace heading for the Surrey hills and all was going well until I started to get the tell tale signs of a migraine. “I need a pharmacy” I yelled to Jamie and we diverted into Guildford. I thought that the bike ride was over and that I would have to head home to ride out the nausea and headache. By the time we reached some shops the flashing lights had subsided so I took some painkillers and we carried on towards home. As we rode I noticed that the expected nausea and headache didn’t arrive. We agreed that we would noodle around some of the lanes close to my house to that I could make a dash to home should things get too bad. To my amazement the phase 2 of the migraine didn’t materialise and we were able to finish the full 3:30. I was even able to complete the session by heading out for the 30 minute run. So all in al a good training day and a big thanks to Jamie for the massive support.