A restful prep day……NOT

I woke easily this morning after a reasonable short sleep and headed down the car to take the bike out for as 20 minute spin. As I set of I noticed the front tyre was a little flat so gave it some air from the super duper tyre inflator. After the ride I changed the inner tube, not wishing to have the problem re-occur tomorrow. Then out for a 15 minute run. The hotel I am staying in is in the centre of Bolton and very close to the finish line. When I passed it on my run it was quite a moment. Seeing the gate with the Ironman logo made me stop to look. Tomorrow evening I hope to make it through that gate as a finale to this massive journey.
Then back to the hotel to pack up my gear and then into the car (again). First stop was registration which was a 20 minute drive away; there was a whole collection of bits to collect, then all my cycling gear into a blue bag. This had to be walked along with my bike to transition one which was a fifteen minute walk away. As I was walking I noticed a nasty lump in my front tyre. Fortunately, I was passing the bike tech guys who kindly pointed out that I had pinched the inner tube and quickly corrected it for me. What a relief, it would have been a nasty surprise tomorrow and would have no doubt meant a delay. After dropping the bike and blue bag, I headed for Transition two (in the car again) for another 25 minutes dropping the red bag that has all my running gear in it. Then, back in the car for another 20 minutes to the hotel. What a palaver. I finally managed to get some breakfast in Starbucks at 1, followed very rapidly by lunch bought from M&S. Then back to the hotel for so R&R and a doze. After a couple of hours in the car again to head to the Reebok Stadium for the pre-race briefing, 45 minutes surrounded by some very fit and experienced looking people hearing about the day tomorrow. It was time well spent. After heading back to the hotel, parking up and collecting the rest of my gear from the boot of the car and dumping it in my room I headed out for a bite to eat. and reflected on how I am feeling? Sort of clam and a bit worried! Calm because all of the mucking about is over and now all I have to do is be on time tomorrow and do my best. I am worried about trying to keep a reasonable pace up for 112 miles on the bike. The longest I have cycled is around 85 miles So who knows? Ultimately, finishing is the first goal, doing it at a reasonable time is a nice to have

The adventure begins

Up and out for a 40 minute gentle run first thing this morning, it was a beautiful day. As I crossed the railway bridge at the top of my road the sun was rising precisely between the trees that flank the railway track. Wonderful. Legs felt good. Then off to see Janis (sports therapist) who proceeded to attack the knots in my legs, my calves were the worst especially my left leg, it was agony but hopefully worth it. Then off to work. My friends at work are so supportive, their good wishes and friendship has been so important over the past few months. I count myself as a very lucky person to have them so close. Messages have come from all over and I find it very touching.
After getting home I packed the car with everything I could think of, said my goodbyes to Aimee, Ollie and Jennie set out on the 4 hour car journey to Bolton. As I left Ollie reminded me of something that have said to both of them before the took exams:
“You have done the hard work now it is time to collect your reward”
It was good to hear my own words being played back to me
Once I hit the road all was going well until I hit the M6 motorway. Oh dear, we didn’t move for an hour, my legs started complaining, when we finally did get moving it was at a crawl on a massive diversion that resulted in the 4 hr journey taking 6. I hit the hay at 2:15 pm and struggled to sleep. Not the best preparation, but at least tomorrow should be an easy day.

Some good news.......some bad news

Into the lake this morning for a 30 minute swim, a nice steady 1500m. Still feeling a bit nasal. Then sitting at work still worried about the bike, my nerve broke. I rang Ollie and asked him to walk the bike to our local cycle shop. Within an hour they called and reported a worn chain which meant replacing it and the cassette on the back wheel. Relief, I don't think I could have stood the creaking for 112 miles.
I collected the bike this afternoon and all is well. However, this afternoon I have a slightly sore throat and definitely a blocked up nose. It is amazing for the last 7 months I have had one cold which didn't affect my training, then 4 days before the event bosh, great timing.  I am hoping this is a 24 hr thing where by the morning I will be fine. This evening I cycled for just under an hour and felt good. The bike behaved itself and my legs were fine.

Chilly out of the lake

Bit of a school boy error tonight. Cycled over to the lake for a 60 minute swim but left later than anticipated and so didnt start swimming until 7:30pm. As I entered the water I did notice a bit of a blocked nose, I hope I dont have a cold coming. By the time I had finished it was 8:30 and the wind had picked up. This lead to a slightly chiily ride home but nothing terrible, needed the lights though. 
However, more worrying is the noise that the bike is making. It is creaking like crazy and I am worried that half way through the race it is all going to fall apart and I will be left with a pair of wheels, a saddle and a pair of tribars. On a possitive note legs are feeling ok today.

Time for the little red ones... I think the bike needs some help too

So the thigh and ankle are not better and so it is onto the Dicloflex (strong anti inflamatorys). For that reason I have abandoned the idea of running today. I feel nervous about this but considering the amount of training I have done over the past 7 months I am sure it wont have that much of an effect. I will definitely do the brick session tomorrow and attempt to get the swim in as well late in evening, maybe hit the lake and knock both out in one go.  My other concern is that the bike is creaking badly. Tomorrow I am going to call the bike shop to get it checked out. Its all getting a bit tense!!!!!!!

A very welcome recovery day

Today's recovery day is very welcome a my legs, especially my right thigh is feeling achy. My left ankle is also giving me some grief. If it is still the same tomorrow I will hit the anti inflammatories. This week is also a bit of a challenge regarding work and I am going to spending far too long in the car which doesn't help. At the moment the weekend seems to be hurtling towards me at far too greater speed. I am going  to sit down and plan the rest of the week tomorrow to ensure that I take greater control and relax the nerves a bit.

Reckless running.......

Its 11:50pm on Sunday night and I have just come home from a 90 minute run. I had intended 60 minutes but it was a fantastic night and I couldn't resist carrying on. Warm and still with hardly any cars on the road. The only issue was that one road that I include in a longish run has absolutely no streetlights at all. I had only run this during the day and so was completely unaware until it was too late. As I turned into the road I was accompanied by a long stream of cars who generously provided enough light to see my way. However, after a few minutes the cars dried up and I honestly couldn't see a thing. I had to slow my pace to a shuffle. It was quite disconcerting to be risking all of this training by tripping over a hole in the pavement. When I turned into a lit street I was very relieved.

Earlier in the evening I had managed a 70 minute bike ride. Heading over to a hero of mine, Jamie who has recently come back from a rather impressive section of the Tour de France. I took a few minutes out to hear tales of  the mountains that made me feel very humble and my venture sound a little tame. 

Its a beautiful day

I have a busy family ahead and so in order for my training opportunity not to evaporate I headed out early for a couple of hours on the bike. The legs took a little time to get going then it was great, a beautiful morning, not many people around and the sound of my wheels spinning. This is what it is all about. Arrived home then a quick change for a 30 minute run. Tidy.  

Oh its 6 am.. Im going back to sleep and some bad news

Woke at 6 as ususal this morning and should have climbed out of bed and headed for the pool, instead I rolled over and went back to sleep. This is very rare, and had I been in the midst of a heavy week then no doubt I would have behaved myself but today I though I needed the sleeep more than the swim. I will make it up at the weekend.
I heard last night that Mark, a friend of mine from wortk has an injury and wont be competing in Bolotn. I am gutted for him, all of that work, I cant imagine going through all that training and then being injured. It would have been great to have shared the experiece with him. 
This evening I headed out for a 60 minute run. All ok, legs feel good.

A solid day and a little more confident

With the Ironman on 10 days away, I am determined to complete all of the necessary training sessions. I woke just before 6 this morning and headed for the lake. Last night whilst swimming I had some concerns over my ability to swim the 3.8km so it was important for me to come away feeling comfortable and confident. The first lap was a struggle but as usual as time moved on I hit my rhythm and found the 2nd lap to be better. The final lap went quickly and before I knew it I was out of the water getting changed, total time 57minutes 45 seconds. Confidence back in tact I feel happy that although the swim will make me tired it shouldn’t push me to hard. My hope is that “on the bike” the fuelling etc will put me in good shape for the marathon.

This evening I headed out into the half light for a 60 minute bike ride and for the first time in a few weeks I was a little cold as the evening air temperature had dropped. It made me think that it is quite possible that on the 1st August it could be quite cold, I wonder if I need to pack an extra layer as I have experienced how draining being cold on a bike can be. After 20 minutes I had warmed up and the wheels started to spin freely, it felt good and solid. Enough there to be able to complete 112 miles provided that I don’t push too hard on the hills and drain my energy reserves.

In the wake of the waterskiers

Today was meant to be a brick session, 45 minute on the bike and a 15 minute run.  However it ended up this evening with me cycling to the lake (45 minutes), doing a 45 swim and then 20 minute cycle home. It was great to get my legs working . The swim was quite an experience because we were in one corner of the lake, but the rest of it was being used by the waterskiers which created quite a wake. Nice. 

A day of rest

Over the past few days my legs have felt like lead, so I decided to take a rest day today. A very busy work day meant that training would have been a real challenge anyway. I am pretty confident that it wont affect my performance on the 1st August. As we get closer (11 days to go) the emails from the IMUK are getting more frequent and the butterflies are beginning to make an appearance more frequently.  The thought "Have I done enough?" keeps coming back. Over the next few days I am going to read back through the blog entries and remind myself of the long hours etc, build a belief wall that I can refer back to during the event.

Monday catch up

Last week despite my best efforts I was a few hours behind and specifically missing a swim and a 2 hr run. Would it make any difference at this late stage to miss them? Who knows, however I felt compelled to finish the week close to the target and so this morning hit the pool at 6am for an hour. Then this evening I took my work shoes off and put my running shoes on and headed out for a couple of hours run. One of the more difficult decisions. I would have loved to have stayed in, had a meal and put my feet up and rested. The run was OK but as I sit here now my legs ache and I am glad that the long runs are over this side of the Ironman itself. As I look forward over the next 10 days or so I have one more 1hr run and a 2hr bike ride, apart from the swims the rest are all sub 1 hr. Hurrah

Going longish on the bike.... shortish on the run

Toady's session was a shorter long bike ride. 4 hours with a 30 minute run to follow. I was expecting this to be easier (goodness knows why) because it was 2 hours shorter than last weeks I guess. However, I have come to realise that it doesn't work like that. It still felt tough and my right knee is definitely complaining, the little red anti-inflammatories might be making an appearance. So I have one more session to do to complete the week, tomorrow will be a 2 hr run and if I am able a 60 minute swim.

Home from holls

A long car journey home today meant that training was always going to be tricky. I was hoping that I might get a session in before leaving but it want to be. So after spending most of the day in the car, I finally managed a 60 minute bike ride this evening. With the early morning long ride tomorrow this was just about all I could do.

Coastal training at its best

Out again along the coast road for a a 60 minute bike ride. The road out of St Ives is a real climb, however it rewards you with a fantastic view of  the sea and hills. I can imagine that the local triathletes  are a really hardy bunch what with the sea swims and the undulating cycle rides and runs. When I returned and after a short rest on the beach, I hit the waves for swim. It was fantastic. At the start of the swim it was brilliant sunshine, followed by heavy rain, then sunshine again as I finished. I could get used to this type of training.

A busy birthday.... day

Both my son and my wife share a birthday today and so training was looking very unlikely.  We had a great day full day of family celebrations. However, a lull in the days activities signaled an opportunity early evening for a  45 minute run.  Nothing remarkable, simply an opportunity to stretch my legs. As I begin this whole tapering process I do wonder what use the short runs are. I must remember to look it up!!  

Finding balance

Today I decided to get the training out of the way fairly early. It was a brick, a  60 minute bike followed quickly by a 30 minute run. All OK with nothing to report. I am finding training whilst on holiday even more tricky than whilst at work. When at work the discipline of the days work lends itself to training. However, when on holiday there is whole new range of challenges. Not wishing to disturb the family first thing in the morning, trying to be involved with family activity whilst maintaining the training, all goes to make it a bit of a balancing act. Last week being away in Singapore compounds it. Being absent through work then  choosing to be absent through choice, IE training is a tough call. 

This water tastes salty

The order of the day was a swim and run. After yesterdays long run I thought it best to leave todays run and just swim. These hills are really testing my calf muscles and I am very conscious that my legs are aching more and more. So it was a 60 minute swim back and forwards along the beach at Porthminster. This was my first time this year swimming distance in the sea and the waves made for an interesting ride.  

And now for some tapering

Following on from the long bike yesterday my knees were pretty achy and so today I decided to miss the 90 minute bike ride. I think the gnarly hills here on the north coast of Cornwall and my adventures in the Surrey Hills has taken its toll on my knees, especially my right one. Over the next three weeks I think I am going to have to be extra kind to my them. However, that doesn't mean doing nothing so this afternoon I hit the road for a 3 hour run. I had been dreading this run for some reason but once I had completed the first half hour I felt very comfortable and stayed that way right through the run. It marks the beginning of the tapering and so next weeks sessions will be a little easier.

Last of the long rides

I woke this morning suffering from a stomach ache and so postponed my training thinking at some stage I might have to miss it all together. By 8:30 am I was feeling a little better and so headed out for the 6 hour ride. I set out from St Ives and headed down the coast road towards  Lands End. The climbs were steep and the descents very dangerous. The road surface was loose and the numerous sharp bends made them very difficult to negotiate safely. Going past Lands End I headed to Penzance then on to St Michale's Mount. This clocked the 3 hours so I turned around and started of home. Not a speedy ride because of the hills but I would calculate 75 miles. When arriving back at the house I set off for a 60 minute run. I was half expecting to suffer the "20 minute wall" that I have experienced over the past 2 weeks. I am delighted to say that it didn't arrive. A good session especially considering how I felt first thing this morning.

A tactical rest day

I arrived back in the UK at 5:30am and by 7:00 I was on the road again for a break in Cornwall, 5 hours in the car and feeling pretty travel weary so I decided to take today as a rest. I will substitute today for Monday and train straight through. I think becasue I am on holiday this week the rest I get by dozing on the beech will give me the rest I need.

Sleepy in Singapore

I had a reasonable nights sleep last night and so headed out into the warm morning air of Singapore at 5:30. It was very warm and humid and for most of the time the thunder and occasional lightning made it very atmospheric but uncomfortable. It was tough going, perhaps because of the accumulated tiredness or maybe the heat. Singapore is an amazing city, it is preparing for the Youth Olympics in the summer and they are making a great job of it you can now almost run a full circuit around the harbour in sight of the water.

I managed the full 90 but I would guess was very slow. On occasions I felt like I was "sleep running". I guess training like this is OK because it gives an indication of what it will be like running on empty when running the marathon. This evening my flight is just after 11pm and so I had some time between the end of the work day, work calls and leaving for the airport so I headed for the pool. A full hour but only covering 3k, which is a bit slow (again), however another one in the bank. So far this week I have just about managed to hit my programme, however tomorrow will be a different matter as I have a great deal of travelling to do. I think this is the most tired I have been since starting the full on training, sitting at the airport waiting for the call, I am worried that if I doze off I will miss the call and  fight. I will be so pleased to hit my seat and disappear into another world for 13 hours.

Tired and full of chinese food

Its been a long day with clients today made more tiring by only 3 hours sleep last night. I haven't adjusted to the 7 hours time difference which makes things a little tricky. One we had finished the day, there was a dinner that would have been rude not to attend, so at 9pm I headed for the gym and sat on a stationary bike for 90 minutes while my Chinese meal went down. Not very high performance but necessary. The ride itself was fine, a combination of emails and a film helped things along.  Hope I sleep tonight. I am not sure if I will make the 90 minute run scheduled for the morning if I don't!

Bike, run, swim....and some very encouraging words from a friend

The programme today was a brick session. 60 minutes on the bike then a 30 minute run. Since the only bike I have access to here in Singapore are the ones in the gym, so the gym it was with the added benefit of being able to watch the second half of "Cop-land" a Sly Stallone film where he didn't show his muscles!! Another advantage of indoor biking is the ability to read emails.Whilst on the bike I received an email response from a friend in Hong Kong. David's  kind words had an amazing effect on my spirits and I smiled throughout the remainder of the bike session (despite a worrying pain in my left knee). This elated feeling continued as I stepped the 5 metres to the running machine, then 30 minutes and I was done. Then into the pool for an unscheduled swim. 60 minutes and 3k later I was finished and ahead of the game. A couple of things I have learned over the past few weeks are: If you have the opportunity to get ahead, take it, with the unpredictability of the week I have found it to be the best policy and that people are the best resource in the long weeks of training, their kindness and encouragement will see you through.  

Running tired

I managaed to swim before dinner with the client this evening and then having spent a couple of hours working in my room ventured outside for a 60 minute run at 11pm. The air was still very warm as I picked my way around the harbour and into the business district back to the hotel. One of the great things about running here is being able to find my way via some of the remarkable buildings that are visible from most parts of the city. I was able to noodle around tunring wherever the mood took me. Simply by looking up I could see one of the landmark buildings near to my hotel to find my way back. It was a tough run because I am still tired for the lack of sleep over the last couple of days. Only about 3.5 hours last night. However, I figure this is good training, especially from a psycholocial perspective, after all I am going to be running for 26 miles very tired so I may as well get used to it.  I have noticed that my legs are still aching from the ride on Saturday, I wonder if I pushed to hard or will the hill training hold me in good stead for the event.

Monday Monday

Another recovery day. I booked my place on the shuttle bus that takes us from the Ironman parking to the race start today. 4:15am. I am going to be knackered before the day even starts! Felling real now. Less than a month to go. I must keep up the training and resist the temptation to taper too early, feeling like I have done all the hard work, hang on in there for another month, dig deep. I also sent out an email today to let people know about the link to the TLC website and sponsorship etc. I was a little concerned about emailing people about this. There are so many good causes out there I was worried that people might feel that I am taking advantage, however I have had a great response and the messages of encouragement have been very touching. It gave me a real spring in my step when I read them. It makes me really appreciate the support that I have had over the past few months. I don't think I could have reached this far without it.

Singapore Slung

I arrived in Singapore this evening at 5pm after a uneventful flight. I thought that after the long bike ride and run I would sleep well but alas I didnt so I am starting off the week in deficit. When arriving at the hotel I had a couple of hours before meeting with the client and so straight to the pool. What a laugh, it was a nice 25m pool outside and I told fed by mineral water. However, at the shallow end it tapers to .8m and so changing direction requires a manouver involving spinning on your bottom. No worries though I am just pleased to have a pool to train in with pleanty of space. Out of the pool and straight to the gym to the treadmil. For the rest of the week I will run outside but for this evening under time pressure I did a 50 minute run at a steady pace. I really find it difficult to include the recomended intervals especially when I am so tired.  

Another long day in the saddle....

Today was a big day. I set out at 6am to meet up with Jamie and we headed of into the Surrey hills. Newlands corner was the first big climb only to be outdone by Leith hill. It is the highest point in SE England and boy does it feel it. From my Garmin it suggested a climb or around 800 feet in just over half a mile. By the time we had finished (5hrs 50 minutes for me) I was absolutely exhausted. My belief about the 1 hour run I was supposed to be following it up with was very low. So I changed into my running gear, kitted myself out with £1:50 and headed out the door. Just like last week the first 2.5 miles was fine then it all went wrong again and I bonked. This time however, I stopped, bought a sports drink (hence the £1:50)and walked for 300 yards whilst I knocked the drink back. I then set of with the intent of completing the whole thing in one go which I did. In the end the short walk hadn't lost me that much time, I ended up with 6 miles in the hour which although slow in a 10k or half marathon I think is quite acceptable for this upcoming event. Needless to say I was wasted for the rest of the day, but since part of that involved a flight to Singapore it was no great waste.  

Going for the big one before work

With my travel plans this weekend I had to get the long run in before my flight to Singapore on Saturday. So I was up very early for the mammoth 2hrs 45 mins. Its amazing how a half hour run can drag but a long run doesn't. I was happy with the distance 17 miles, which predicts 6 mph which I believe is all that I can expect after the long bike.   

The joys of Windsor Great Park

Into the usual lake this morning for 60 minutes then after a pretty challenging day at work I jumped on the bike for a 90 minute session. I wanted to do something different and so headed for Windsor Great Park. What a joy, no cars, getting towards dusk, nice little hills and dales with nothing too challenging. Perfect for my mood.