Since my last blog I've raced at the Inter Services Standard distance and just recently, the Beverley Sprint.
The Inter Services at Belvoir Castle back in July was not a good day at the office for me, hence the long time its taken for me to face my demons and blog about it! Also, I've had a better race since then and it's a lot easier to write about the good ones!
I went into the Belvoir Castle race having not ran for 2 weeks due to my 'glass' calf playing up (again!) and so was not really in the right frame of mind to embrace the race pain, especially as I was about 2 kg over the weight I would normally be (injuries = depression....depression = comfort eating!).
The swim was a right old fight! I didn't get any clear water until half way round the first lap and did not enjoy swimming through the gritty, silty, muddy puddle!
Once out the water I was hit with nasty cramps in my hamstrings which stopped me dead and took what seemed like an age to calm down.
The bike was a bit of a slog too. I just couldn't find my bike legs at all.
Once on the run I just concentrated on looking after my calf as much as I could. Surprisingly, I completed the race but at the expense of a strain on my other calf! Overcompensating I guess.
I did manage to come away with a bit of glassware thanks to Sags and Matt who both raced really well and finished 1st and 2nd vets, with me bringing up the rear as 7th vet overall and 3rd RAF vet, which bagged us the vet team title.
I enjoyed the course, I just wish I could have done it justice!
After a wee bit more rehab on the calf, I was keen to put that race to bed by performing better at my next race.
Thankfully the Beverley sprint was a considerably better outcome!
My 400m pool swim was pretty standard for me at just over 6 mins out the water (6:22 over the timing mat).
The 20km bike was pretty flat with only a few lumps but it was big ring all the way despite the tasty winds. I had a bit of a ding dong battle with another vet all the way round the bike which helps to keep the hammer down and entered T2 about 10 secs ahead of him.
I felt good on the run and managed to put a minute on the other vet bloke behind me and so was hopeful of a vet podium.
I actually ended up 2nd overall and 1st vet! Came away with some nice prizes (wine x 2, Udo Choice Oil x 2, vouchers and a cheque!).
It's always great to win stuff but what was really pleasing was that my run time was still decent and no calf issues! Pure relief.
With only one more race before I head out to Spain for the World Du Champs, I feel good again and much more focused. I just need to maintain run fitness i.e. NOT GET INJURED, and go wild on 2 wheels.
Train well.
Monday 8 August 2011
Sunday 10 July 2011
Good Day At RAF Sprint Champs
Last Wednesday was the Sprint Champs at Cranwell and I had a pretty good day!
The rain stayed away but there was a stiff breeze to contend with and to be honest, I was a little worried that my 80mm front wheel was going to be a bit tricky to keep in a straight line on any fast descents with the crosswinds, thankfully this wasn't to be the case.
After a mediocre swim (climbing out of the pool on 6 min 09 sec) I had a decent T1 and hit the new Cranwell cycle route with the wind slightly behind. The new route is an improvement on last year and allows you to get down on the bars early and stay there for the vast majority of the 25k. There were a few slight inclines, some of them into the wind, which made it testing! I knew I had to push hard on the bike to have any chance of squeezing the vet race win and I was pretty much in pain the whole way round! However, there was one part of the route where the wind was right on your back for about a mile or two and it felt great to get into top gear and still be spinning at about 95 RPM!
Out of T2 on to the run I felt pretty tired and had a sore gut, so it took a wee while to get into my run rhythm. Once in the groove I started to push on..., that was until we popped out of the shelter of the woods and onto the open fields where the wind smacked you in the face! It was a bit of a slog from then on and I was more than happy to run under the finish 'bouncy castle'! Once we had all finished, the usual 'competitor time checks' commenced! I realised it was going to be close for the vet title after Matt and I had compared our own watches and there was just a second in it! It wasn't until we checked the official timings that I realised I had beaten Matt by a mere 6 secs! How close was that?!
It was a good day at the office for me, taking the vet race, (albeit by the smallest of margins) and I even took 2nd overall behind 'Fast Daz' which was an unexpected bonus too!
I took 2 days off after the race as I had a bit of a dodgy tummy and felt really tired and weak. Thankfully by Saturday I felt a lot better and did a long swim in the morning and an 'hour of power' on the turbo in the evening.
Today was a 2 hour tempo ride (got very wet!) followed by a 9 mile run. This was hard! I am now writing this wrapped up in as much compression gear as I can get on...no pain no gain!
Train smart.
The rain stayed away but there was a stiff breeze to contend with and to be honest, I was a little worried that my 80mm front wheel was going to be a bit tricky to keep in a straight line on any fast descents with the crosswinds, thankfully this wasn't to be the case.
After a mediocre swim (climbing out of the pool on 6 min 09 sec) I had a decent T1 and hit the new Cranwell cycle route with the wind slightly behind. The new route is an improvement on last year and allows you to get down on the bars early and stay there for the vast majority of the 25k. There were a few slight inclines, some of them into the wind, which made it testing! I knew I had to push hard on the bike to have any chance of squeezing the vet race win and I was pretty much in pain the whole way round! However, there was one part of the route where the wind was right on your back for about a mile or two and it felt great to get into top gear and still be spinning at about 95 RPM!
Out of T2 on to the run I felt pretty tired and had a sore gut, so it took a wee while to get into my run rhythm. Once in the groove I started to push on..., that was until we popped out of the shelter of the woods and onto the open fields where the wind smacked you in the face! It was a bit of a slog from then on and I was more than happy to run under the finish 'bouncy castle'! Once we had all finished, the usual 'competitor time checks' commenced! I realised it was going to be close for the vet title after Matt and I had compared our own watches and there was just a second in it! It wasn't until we checked the official timings that I realised I had beaten Matt by a mere 6 secs! How close was that?!
It was a good day at the office for me, taking the vet race, (albeit by the smallest of margins) and I even took 2nd overall behind 'Fast Daz' which was an unexpected bonus too!
I took 2 days off after the race as I had a bit of a dodgy tummy and felt really tired and weak. Thankfully by Saturday I felt a lot better and did a long swim in the morning and an 'hour of power' on the turbo in the evening.
Today was a 2 hour tempo ride (got very wet!) followed by a 9 mile run. This was hard! I am now writing this wrapped up in as much compression gear as I can get on...no pain no gain!
Train smart.
Saturday 25 June 2011
Blogging Catch Up...
Since my last blog I've done a few races so I'd better bring things up to date I guess!
Odiham sprint was a couple of weeks ago and this was my first dig at this race. It was surprisingly hilly, both on the bike and the run and then throw in a bit of wind and rain and this was a fairly tough race as far as Sprints go! Timings wise, my swim was good, bike was ok and run was fine...nothing flash, just a solid race for me. 'Super Sags' beat me by nearly 20 seconds to take the Vet race. That was 2 -1 to Sags!
Shortly after Odiham was the Dambuster standard distance. I'm not a massive fan of this race, mainly due to not having had a decent bike leg on this course, it always seems to hurt so much and for seemingly little gain, and this year was no different! However, despite not being my fastest bike split at Dambuster, I managed an overall PB this time around, by about 2 mins! Happy days.
I didn't quite break my long term Dambuster goal of 1 hr 10 mins, but this was the closest I've been to it by just 17 seconds. Hey ho, always next year, again! At least I managed to level the score with Sags... 2 -2.
My third race since I last blogged was today, a local 10k road race. It was a fast start and after 2 miles I was out front with one other runner. I shadowed him for anther couple of miles until finally he started to ease up (thankfully!) and I pulled away and came home to win in 35:21. OK, it's fair to say this was not an extremely high caliber event, what with no Saggers there, and I don't even recall seeing Mo Farah there, but hey, it was good training and a wins a win!
I was also joined today by Max, my 16 year old son, who had a crack at the 5k race. He did really well and clocked a time of just over 20 mins, bagging 10th place!
Odiham sprint was a couple of weeks ago and this was my first dig at this race. It was surprisingly hilly, both on the bike and the run and then throw in a bit of wind and rain and this was a fairly tough race as far as Sprints go! Timings wise, my swim was good, bike was ok and run was fine...nothing flash, just a solid race for me. 'Super Sags' beat me by nearly 20 seconds to take the Vet race. That was 2 -1 to Sags!
Shortly after Odiham was the Dambuster standard distance. I'm not a massive fan of this race, mainly due to not having had a decent bike leg on this course, it always seems to hurt so much and for seemingly little gain, and this year was no different! However, despite not being my fastest bike split at Dambuster, I managed an overall PB this time around, by about 2 mins! Happy days.
I didn't quite break my long term Dambuster goal of 1 hr 10 mins, but this was the closest I've been to it by just 17 seconds. Hey ho, always next year, again! At least I managed to level the score with Sags... 2 -2.
My third race since I last blogged was today, a local 10k road race. It was a fast start and after 2 miles I was out front with one other runner. I shadowed him for anther couple of miles until finally he started to ease up (thankfully!) and I pulled away and came home to win in 35:21. OK, it's fair to say this was not an extremely high caliber event, what with no Saggers there, and I don't even recall seeing Mo Farah there, but hey, it was good training and a wins a win!
I was also joined today by Max, my 16 year old son, who had a crack at the 5k race. He did really well and clocked a time of just over 20 mins, bagging 10th place!
Go on son! 
Looking forward to a 3k wetsuit swim and an 80 mile bike in the sun tomorrow. Summer is here!
Train smart.
Sunday 5 June 2011
Next Race Looming, Time To Get Some Excuses In!
Odiham this Wednesday will be my first race since Brize and to be honest, the elusive holy grail of training, namely consistency, has eluded me a little bit. Swimming and biking have been ok, but my dodgy calfs have threatened to hamper my progress yet again! A week after Brize I felt my left lower calf sting a bit towards the end of a 10 x 400m session. I finished the session as planned (yes I know I should have stopped as soon as I felt the twinge!) and jogged 10 min to home as my cool down and although it didn't feel right I felt as though it was nothing major. I popped some anti inflammatory pills, iced it and compressed it. I then took the decision to not run for a week. I hate not running but I thought it was a better idea to 'nurse it' rather than 'push it', especially at this stage of the season. It was a worry at first but I seemed to have got away with it and it was a timely reminder to not get carried away with the running...consistency, consistency, consistency!
Anyway, it seems to have settled down and I have completed a solid run week since my mini running layoff and all seems well. It's such a relief, as I really hate not being able to run and I am a total pain to live with when my running isn't going to plan! Just ask my long suffering wife!
Another aspect of my training I'm trying to address is wetsuit/open water swimming, or the lack of it. I usually open water swim at Ripon racecourse but since a competitor sadly died during the swim of the Ripon Tri last year, strict rules and regs have been introduced and you have to have an induction before being allowed to swim and I haven't been able to get to one yet. So, in the absence of any open water, I thought I'd do a wetsuit swim in the pool instead. I totally boiled! I managed about 2km before the unbearable heat made my skin feel as though it was melting!
However, my times were much faster in neoprene so it was a confidence boost if nothing else!
I'm looking forward to Odiham on Weds but as it's close to Dambuster I will be 'training through' in favour of trying to put in a decent performance at Dambuster (for a change!). So my taper for Odiham starts and ends on Tuesday!
I think I've got enough pre-race excuses in there!
Train well.
Sunday 15 May 2011
A Good Blast at Brize!
Last Weds I raced at the Brize Sprint and dragged a couple of newbie triathletes down there with me.
It was a pretty long day as we decided to travel down on the day, setting off about 6am and returning to North Yorks straight after our swim bike run escapades.
It was a really well organised race (as always...this is the RAF we're talking about here!) and although the weather threatened to be a tad nasty, it actually held fair and it was a great day out!
The 2 novices I travelled down with seemed to enjoy the race. They were understandably nervous to begin with but once I'd 'cohersed' them through the registration process there was no turning back! The whole experience hasn't put them off and they are keen to sample the delights of the Odiham and Cranwell sprints later in the year.
As far as my race went I was very happy! 2nd overall and 1st Vet was more than I was expecting!
I started in the same swim wave as Saggers and JC who are both vets, so if I was to get anywhere near the top of the pile in the vets race I knew I had to hang on to these two!
I came out of the swim with JC, with Sags just a few precious seconds behind us.
Out on the bike, I had JC just behind me and Saggers catching us all the time. I kept telling myself that when Sags comes past me, I must at least try and keep him in sight. I found out later that unfortunately Sags had an 'altercation' with a car, and by all accounts was very lucky to not get seriously hurt.
Out of T2 I knew JC was right behind me but couldn't work out where Sags was, but having seen the pic of me leaving T2 (right) I can see that Sags was was right there too!
The run was all about embracing the pain and pushing on and hoping that I was running fast enough to keep ahead of them!
Thankfully my run went ok, and with about a km to go I realised that I'd managed to pull away slightly from JC and that Sags hadn't managed to claw back the time he lost from his near miss on the bike.
Although I was chuffed to have finished where I did, and that everything went well with my race, the shine was obviously taken off it knowing that a fellow competitor was impeded, especially as that competitor was Sags! This result could have been a lot different but I'm sure Sags will be out for a bit of sporting revenge at our next race (aka battle!) at Odiham! See ya there mate!
(I promise I won't get my missus to pull out on you next time!!)
Train smart.
Sunday 1 May 2011
A Nice Long Windy Training Weekend!
The Inter Services Duathlon last Weds was a great gathering of RAF Tri members. Alas, this still wasn't enough to topple the Army who filled the top 3 slots. We are getting close to them though, with 8 RAF blokes in the top 18. One day!
On a personal level, I enjoyed the racing, although I'm not a fan of totally flat bike courses as I find them too painful with no respite, especially in the wind!
My splits...5k run 17:20
20k bike 30:21
2.5k run 8:37
The second run was a good old tussle with Jase, Matt, Saggers and myself with the evergreen Sags coming out on top! I just had nothing left when Sags pushed for home in the last 100m!
Since the race, I've tried to squeeze a lot of training in and make the most of the nice long weekend.
The day after was an easy 45 min spin followed by a beasting on the foam roller!
Friday was a hilly 2 hour bike at tempo pace. In the wind!
Saturday was an early swim: alternating 500m paddles/500m without x 2, then 4 x 200. In the evening I ran what was supposed to be a steady 7.5 miles however, my good lady accompanied me on her bike and I found myself running harder than I'd planned! Ended up with a time of 46:12! Damn the male ego!
Today started with another swim. Drills for 20 mins then 10 x 100m on 2 mins then 5 x 50m hard/50m easy. This afternoon was a battle in the wind (again!) with a 70 mile ride...first half was great with the wind behind me, second half was a killer! But at least it was sunny!
Tomorrow I'm off into the hills for some tough running, Sutton Bank and White Horse to be exact, for several hill efforts in the woods, over about an hour or so, then into the cafe up there for a huge slice of carrot cake! It's all about the rewards!
Sprint race at Brize in just over a week...hope the wind has died down by then!
Train well.
On a personal level, I enjoyed the racing, although I'm not a fan of totally flat bike courses as I find them too painful with no respite, especially in the wind!
My splits...5k run 17:20
20k bike 30:21
2.5k run 8:37
The second run was a good old tussle with Jase, Matt, Saggers and myself with the evergreen Sags coming out on top! I just had nothing left when Sags pushed for home in the last 100m!
Since the race, I've tried to squeeze a lot of training in and make the most of the nice long weekend.
The day after was an easy 45 min spin followed by a beasting on the foam roller!
Friday was a hilly 2 hour bike at tempo pace. In the wind!
Saturday was an early swim: alternating 500m paddles/500m without x 2, then 4 x 200. In the evening I ran what was supposed to be a steady 7.5 miles however, my good lady accompanied me on her bike and I found myself running harder than I'd planned! Ended up with a time of 46:12! Damn the male ego!
Today started with another swim. Drills for 20 mins then 10 x 100m on 2 mins then 5 x 50m hard/50m easy. This afternoon was a battle in the wind (again!) with a 70 mile ride...first half was great with the wind behind me, second half was a killer! But at least it was sunny!
Tomorrow I'm off into the hills for some tough running, Sutton Bank and White Horse to be exact, for several hill efforts in the woods, over about an hour or so, then into the cafe up there for a huge slice of carrot cake! It's all about the rewards!
Sprint race at Brize in just over a week...hope the wind has died down by then!
Train well.
Monday 18 April 2011
First Tri Of The Year In The Bag...
What a difference a month makes! About 4 weeks ago I was freezing my digits off at the Clumber Du and yesterday was a cracking day for my first tri of the year at sunny Skipton and about 20 degrees hotter!
My 400m swim was a fairly decent 6:17. It was nice to have a clear swim too. Quite often at these large sprint races (over 600 in this one) the swim lanes can be congested to say the least. There were 4 per lane, with a 5 sec staggered start between the 4 of us. I was second away in my lane and caught the guy in front within 2 lengths and after that I had a clear swim and nobody came past either which has never happened before! It was a long jog along a sharp footpath then onto the grassed area of T1. Then it was another long jog with my bike to the mount line at the top end of the park! I was breathing pretty heavy as I got on my bike!
The one lap 20km bike loop was a 'game of 2 half's'. First half came the climbs, nothing drastic but still pretty lumpy with the second half a lot flatter. But what was annoying though was the group of 5 or 6 riders who were taking advantage of the lack of 'draft buster refs' and were taking turns on the front of their mini peleton. GRRRRR! I held back from this group thinking that I didn't want to get caught up with them and suffer a penalty or DQ when the ref on a motorbike comes past...but he never came. I pushed past them and a couple of them tagged on to my wheel then! I made my feelings known (complete with imaginative expletives!) and that seemed to spur me on with a surge of anger fuelled adrenalin and I opened up a gap on them before entering T2. Bike split: 36:52 (17th fastest which is better than my usual efforts on 2 wheels!)
The 5km run was a 2 lap affair over a reasonably hilly route. It was tough going, not made any easier with a stitch (too many gels on the bike me thinks!). I found the second runs at my recent duathlons easier than this one! Run split: 18:04
I finished 8th overall and 2nd 40-50. A nice sunny day at the office!
Well done to 'I'm not that fit honest' Saggers, and Roy at the Cambridge Du!
Train well and make the most of the sun this week!
My 400m swim was a fairly decent 6:17. It was nice to have a clear swim too. Quite often at these large sprint races (over 600 in this one) the swim lanes can be congested to say the least. There were 4 per lane, with a 5 sec staggered start between the 4 of us. I was second away in my lane and caught the guy in front within 2 lengths and after that I had a clear swim and nobody came past either which has never happened before! It was a long jog along a sharp footpath then onto the grassed area of T1. Then it was another long jog with my bike to the mount line at the top end of the park! I was breathing pretty heavy as I got on my bike!
The one lap 20km bike loop was a 'game of 2 half's'. First half came the climbs, nothing drastic but still pretty lumpy with the second half a lot flatter. But what was annoying though was the group of 5 or 6 riders who were taking advantage of the lack of 'draft buster refs' and were taking turns on the front of their mini peleton. GRRRRR! I held back from this group thinking that I didn't want to get caught up with them and suffer a penalty or DQ when the ref on a motorbike comes past...but he never came. I pushed past them and a couple of them tagged on to my wheel then! I made my feelings known (complete with imaginative expletives!) and that seemed to spur me on with a surge of anger fuelled adrenalin and I opened up a gap on them before entering T2. Bike split: 36:52 (17th fastest which is better than my usual efforts on 2 wheels!)
The 5km run was a 2 lap affair over a reasonably hilly route. It was tough going, not made any easier with a stitch (too many gels on the bike me thinks!). I found the second runs at my recent duathlons easier than this one! Run split: 18:04
I finished 8th overall and 2nd 40-50. A nice sunny day at the office!
Well done to 'I'm not that fit honest' Saggers, and Roy at the Cambridge Du!
Train well and make the most of the sun this week!
Monday 4 April 2011
Race 2 Done And Still No Swimming!
Yesterday was my second race of the season and it was another duathlon. So my swimming has been taking a wee bit of a back seat lately as I have been enjoying the duathlon season a little too much! 
Oulton Park was yesterdays race and it was my first venture to this venue. It was a bit windy but at least it was dry right up until half way round my second run. I was expecting the track to be flatter than it was but there are a couple of short sharp bumps on this race circuit which sap your bike legs, especially after about 5 or 6 laps, and I really had to concentrate on counting my bike laps, all 9 of them! My splits: 8.6km run - 31:15 38.8km bike - 1:03:58 4.3km run - 14:55 Total 1:52:09 I finished 12th overall and was 2nd in age group, behind Greg Macdonald (9th overall), so it was a RAF 1, 2 in our AG! Jase Walkley did well in the sprint race too, taking 2nd overall...bring on the Inter Services Du!! So although I'd already qualified for the Worlds at Clumber, it was nice to 'back it up' with a good race at Oulton. Overall, I'm very happy with my running at the moment (negative splits and 4th fastest second run!) but I feel as though my bike is not where I want it to be although I think I've improved a little on last season. Maybe it's just those common pre season doubts that everyone has...time will tell. My next race is the Skipton Tri in 2 weeks where I'll have to swim in that one!!? Back to the pool it is then... Train well.
Oulton Park was yesterdays race and it was my first venture to this venue. It was a bit windy but at least it was dry right up until half way round my second run. I was expecting the track to be flatter than it was but there are a couple of short sharp bumps on this race circuit which sap your bike legs, especially after about 5 or 6 laps, and I really had to concentrate on counting my bike laps, all 9 of them! My splits: 8.6km run - 31:15 38.8km bike - 1:03:58 4.3km run - 14:55 Total 1:52:09 I finished 12th overall and was 2nd in age group, behind Greg Macdonald (9th overall), so it was a RAF 1, 2 in our AG! Jase Walkley did well in the sprint race too, taking 2nd overall...bring on the Inter Services Du!! So although I'd already qualified for the Worlds at Clumber, it was nice to 'back it up' with a good race at Oulton. Overall, I'm very happy with my running at the moment (negative splits and 4th fastest second run!) but I feel as though my bike is not where I want it to be although I think I've improved a little on last season. Maybe it's just those common pre season doubts that everyone has...time will tell. My next race is the Skipton Tri in 2 weeks where I'll have to swim in that one!!? Back to the pool it is then... Train well.
Monday 14 March 2011
Age Group Qualification Naivety!
It turns out that I was too hasty in saying that I hadn't qualified for GB at Clumber! This is the first time I've registered my intent to qualify for the GB Age Group stuff and what I failed to realise was that the blokes who finished ahead of me at Clumber, 3 of them had already qualified by virtue of their performances last season. So I did actually qualify for the European Duathlon Champs in Limerick and if I've worked it out correctly, I reckon I should have a slot at the Worlds too! However, nothing has been finalised for the Worlds yet so I will be racing at Oulton Park in the hope that I can make it 'definite' by finishing top 3 in the 'old duffers' age group aka 40-45. Chasing GB age group slots makes it slightly easier to get up at 5 am!
Train safe.
Train safe.
Sunday 6 March 2011
Freezing First Race of the Season!
Did the Clumber Du yesterday and it was a mighty cold and wet affair! Mist, fog, drizzle, rain and a temperature of about 1 or 2 degrees made this race a slog, especially on the bike.
My hands were so numb I couldn't get my helmet off in T2! It felt like ages before I finally managed to squeeze that pesky little clasp, but in reality it was prob only about 30 secs, but that's 25 secs too long!
Anyway, it was a good and tough opener to the season. My splits were...10km run 36:16, 40km bike 1:03:59, 5km run 17:49 with an overall of 2:00:11.
I finished 28th overall and 5th in AG which means I didn't quite manage to qualify for Limerick, so now I think I will re-jig my race plan a wee bit and have a crack at Oulton Park next month to try and grab a slot for Gijon in September...nothing ventured and all that!
So although I only just missed out on a GB slot, on reflection I've got to be happy with my times, esp on both runs, which hopefully will stand me in good stead for the coming season...maybe.
Train well.
Monday 7 February 2011
Race Plan Finally Sorted...For Now!
The start of the season is only a few weeks away which for me is the Clumber Duathlon. I'm feeling more focused and positive these days about the up coming season, probably because I'm running a lot better and my calfs are behaving...for now!
I've cobbled together a provisional race plan which, as ever, is subject to change! I was hoping to do the Cleveland Steelman in July again this year but like many races these days, it is already full! Shame, because I really like this race.
Anyway, I'm a happy chappy at the moment because my running is getting stronger and I'm ticking off some good interval sessions now, which feels good! I never feel 'right' unless my running is going well. Although I haven't yet pushed properly to 'test' my run fitness, I reckon I'm better off just carrying on as I am, making weekly improvements and focusing on staying injury free. I'd rather have a season of completed races under my belt than a handful of DNF's!
So training is going ok, in fact did a nice 2 hour brick session this morning...40 min run (increasing speed every 10 mins), 1 hour on the turbo (intervals of 5 min hard at 90-95 rpm, 3 ez) then back on to the treadmill for 20 min (increasing speed every 5 min). Felt good with no niggles, so happy days!
Train Well.
I've cobbled together a provisional race plan which, as ever, is subject to change! I was hoping to do the Cleveland Steelman in July again this year but like many races these days, it is already full! Shame, because I really like this race.
Anyway, I'm a happy chappy at the moment because my running is getting stronger and I'm ticking off some good interval sessions now, which feels good! I never feel 'right' unless my running is going well. Although I haven't yet pushed properly to 'test' my run fitness, I reckon I'm better off just carrying on as I am, making weekly improvements and focusing on staying injury free. I'd rather have a season of completed races under my belt than a handful of DNF's!
So training is going ok, in fact did a nice 2 hour brick session this morning...40 min run (increasing speed every 10 mins), 1 hour on the turbo (intervals of 5 min hard at 90-95 rpm, 3 ez) then back on to the treadmill for 20 min (increasing speed every 5 min). Felt good with no niggles, so happy days!
Train Well.
Friday 28 January 2011
Loads Of Biking!
A good week of training this week! It's probably the first good 'all round' training week I've had for about 2 months.
I've had a week off work and with the weather being pretty good, I've managed to get plenty of bike miles in and ramped up the running a wee bit too.
Overall, I've clocked just over 10 hours on 2 wheels so far this week and will probably get in a run/bike brick tomorrow morning and hopefully a 3 hour ride on Sunday...that is a pretty 'bike heavy' week! My legs are feeling heavy, but I expected them to be! Next week it will be nice and easy on the bike!
I've restricted my running to laps of the footy pitches on camp. Over the week I've done 3 sessions of 1 hour fartleks on the flat, soft grass. Running on grass helps prevent my calfs from exploding in these Omni 9 shoes! (Saucony have changed the Omni so much from the 8's to the 9's and the 'upgrade' hasn't suited me at all...if it ain't broke...) I've tried wearing them in but to no avail, so until my new shoes arrive I'll continue with the grass running.
I'm still swimming with paddles quite a bit and I reckon it's improving my technique as well as boosting strength, as I found out today! I wasn't planning to do a time trial, but I had to cut my session short and could only squeeze a 40 min workout in. After a few lengths of drills, I intended to do a muscular endurance swim, alternating 10 mins with paddles on, and 10 mins without, until time ran out. But after 30 mins, I decided to do a 400m 'time trial' just to see how I would get on. I pushed it fairly hard but it was fair to say I didn't go 'eyeballs out', so I was pleasantly surprised to clock a time of 6 min 21, especially as it was at the end of a session. Putting my faith in paddles seems to have worked...why didn't I use these before?!!
As my running is progressing ok (i.e. calfs are still in one piece!...touch wood!) I have entered the Clumber. It's not that far away, so my running won't be up to speed, but it will be a good early test of my bike legs if nothing else!
Train well.
I've had a week off work and with the weather being pretty good, I've managed to get plenty of bike miles in and ramped up the running a wee bit too.
Overall, I've clocked just over 10 hours on 2 wheels so far this week and will probably get in a run/bike brick tomorrow morning and hopefully a 3 hour ride on Sunday...that is a pretty 'bike heavy' week! My legs are feeling heavy, but I expected them to be! Next week it will be nice and easy on the bike!
I've restricted my running to laps of the footy pitches on camp. Over the week I've done 3 sessions of 1 hour fartleks on the flat, soft grass. Running on grass helps prevent my calfs from exploding in these Omni 9 shoes! (Saucony have changed the Omni so much from the 8's to the 9's and the 'upgrade' hasn't suited me at all...if it ain't broke...) I've tried wearing them in but to no avail, so until my new shoes arrive I'll continue with the grass running.
I'm still swimming with paddles quite a bit and I reckon it's improving my technique as well as boosting strength, as I found out today! I wasn't planning to do a time trial, but I had to cut my session short and could only squeeze a 40 min workout in. After a few lengths of drills, I intended to do a muscular endurance swim, alternating 10 mins with paddles on, and 10 mins without, until time ran out. But after 30 mins, I decided to do a 400m 'time trial' just to see how I would get on. I pushed it fairly hard but it was fair to say I didn't go 'eyeballs out', so I was pleasantly surprised to clock a time of 6 min 21, especially as it was at the end of a session. Putting my faith in paddles seems to have worked...why didn't I use these before?!!
As my running is progressing ok (i.e. calfs are still in one piece!...touch wood!) I have entered the Clumber. It's not that far away, so my running won't be up to speed, but it will be a good early test of my bike legs if nothing else!
Train well.
Sunday 16 January 2011
Back From Blogging Wilderness!!
It's been a wee while since I last blogged so here is a quick overview of my last month...
Picked up a slight calf strain just before xmas so running has been sporadic to say the least! I'm on the mend though...currently up to 45 mins easy running, twice a week. I'm blaming my new Omni 9 shoes for the increase strain on my 'glass' calfs as they seemed to force my foot to 'snap' inward very quickly with a 'slap' on the ground. So I'm going back to the Omni 8's which were great for me all last year. I'm also looking at the height of my bike saddle...I raised it a smidge in an attempt to try and squeeze more power out of my legs(?) but I think its affected my foot position too much, forcing my foot to point down, putting more pressure on my calf. I would rather trade off a bit of bike power if it meant being injury free so the saddle may be coming down again!
I must have been on the 'nice list' for xmas coz Santa was very kind to me! I was surprised with a new workhorse in the form of a Boardman Comp. My 'training' Trek needed a lot of work doing to it so it made more sense to get a new machine for training on and the Boardman does the job well. Since the snow has gone I've been out on it quite a bit and its a nice ride.
Swimming has been going ok although I'm not pushing the swimming too hard at the moment. What swimming I have done this winter has included lots of paddle work, which is a new departure for me. Its hard work but feels as though its helping to build a bit of strength...time will tell!
As far as my race plan for 2011 goes, its still a work in progress. I have dropped out of the York half marathon, which is next weekend. I could probably of got round, but I don't want, or need to risk it, and would rather give my calf time to heal properly so I can try and get close to last seasons run fitness.
However, I hope to race at Clumber in March and if I do well enough, try and grab a slot for the European Du Champs, Limerick in April. However, if my calf doesn't allow me to get back to full 'injury free' fitness before end of Jan, then I'll ditch it in favour of the tri season.
So, not the most ideal start to the training year! But patience is the key! I just wish I had some!!
Train smart.
Picked up a slight calf strain just before xmas so running has been sporadic to say the least! I'm on the mend though...currently up to 45 mins easy running, twice a week. I'm blaming my new Omni 9 shoes for the increase strain on my 'glass' calfs as they seemed to force my foot to 'snap' inward very quickly with a 'slap' on the ground. So I'm going back to the Omni 8's which were great for me all last year. I'm also looking at the height of my bike saddle...I raised it a smidge in an attempt to try and squeeze more power out of my legs(?) but I think its affected my foot position too much, forcing my foot to point down, putting more pressure on my calf. I would rather trade off a bit of bike power if it meant being injury free so the saddle may be coming down again!
I must have been on the 'nice list' for xmas coz Santa was very kind to me! I was surprised with a new workhorse in the form of a Boardman Comp. My 'training' Trek needed a lot of work doing to it so it made more sense to get a new machine for training on and the Boardman does the job well. Since the snow has gone I've been out on it quite a bit and its a nice ride.
Swimming has been going ok although I'm not pushing the swimming too hard at the moment. What swimming I have done this winter has included lots of paddle work, which is a new departure for me. Its hard work but feels as though its helping to build a bit of strength...time will tell!
As far as my race plan for 2011 goes, its still a work in progress. I have dropped out of the York half marathon, which is next weekend. I could probably of got round, but I don't want, or need to risk it, and would rather give my calf time to heal properly so I can try and get close to last seasons run fitness.
However, I hope to race at Clumber in March and if I do well enough, try and grab a slot for the European Du Champs, Limerick in April. However, if my calf doesn't allow me to get back to full 'injury free' fitness before end of Jan, then I'll ditch it in favour of the tri season.
So, not the most ideal start to the training year! But patience is the key! I just wish I had some!!
Train smart.
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