It's All About the Snow, Ice and Chocolate!

Belated Merry Christmas to you all, hope Santa was kind!

Since my last post my training levels, in all 3 disciplines, have increased steadily. I'm now training without any hindrance or repercussions from my operation, which is encouraging to say the least. I'm now just conscious of pushing too hard, too soon and picking up any 'over use' niggles and tweaks.

I've still not settled in to any kind of set training plan yet, I'm just training by how I feel and trying to edge up the mileage to the levels I can realistically call 'base miles'! This has not been easy on the bike with all this flipping snow and ice around. All this time off work and the weather conditions are keeping me off the roads...typical! I find it hard work putting in long rides on the turbo. My turbo is set up in the garage and while it's still freezing, it's the boredom factor that is my worst enemy! But watching a DVD helps, and I've found that '300' is the best for a long ride! I've also been doing my 'strength workout' cycling DVD which was a present from Santa and it's a real quad buster! I've also managed to get a bit of weight training and core strength work in at the gym.

Running wise, I'm up to runs of over an hour around the frozen fields and lanes, and a bit of long intervals on the treadmill from time to time, and now that my local pool has reopened after an unreasonably long festive break (how very dare they!) I can now crack on with more drills work in the wet stuff.

After this week I'll start a more regimented training plan for the remainder of the winter which will be centered around building more bike strength ready for a summer of lovely weather and enjoyable racing...well that's the plan anyway.

Until then I need to find some will power from somewhere to stop me from eating my own weight in chocolate every day!!

Train smart. Enjoy the rest of the year!

Leaps and Bounds!

My recovery seems to have turned a corner and I'm coming along in leaps and bounds!! Since my last post I have not only managed a 2 hour bike ride - actually on the roads...not only have I been swimming...but more miraculous than all that is the fact that, last night, in the gym, I actually ran for 20 minutes! Hallelujah!!!

My 'run' started as a brisk walk at about 6kph. I increased the pace to a very slow jog after about 5 mins, and by 15 minutes I was up to a mind blowing 10 kph! Yes it was slow but it felt fantastic to be running again. I felt as though I could have gone on for longer, or even ran a bit faster but I was remarkably sensible and decided to quit while I was ahead! (for once!)

Today, I am feeling a little sore but in a good way, if that makes sense?! One or two of my scars feel a little 'tight' but other than that it's mainly a bit of DOMS really, which is just natures way of letting you know you are working hard enough!!

So now that I have managed to get back to all 3 disciplines, it's just a matter of increasing the mileages steadily. The biking should be fine, as should the swimming, but I know I need to be hyper careful with the running. So I haven't set any running goals - I've just got to listen to my legs and rest properly after each momentous run!

Things are definitely looking up! Enjoy your base miles!

Progress at Last!

Well, its been almost 4 weeks since my op and my legs are recovering quite well really. So much so, that I can now manage 30 mins of easy spinning on the turbo...and it feels great to be exercising again; waking my heart from its 'rehab slumber' and being able to feel sweat dripping off my nose!

I don't really have much pain now. My upper legs are a shade of 'greeny yellow' and my lower legs are more of a pale yellow colour. The scars in my groin don't restrict my movement anymore and only hurt if I press on them quite hard and thankfully, they are in such a place that they don't hurt at all when I'm perched on my bike saddle. There is still some stiffness around the scars and bruises on my inner thighs, but again, this doesn't restrict my leg movement much. In fact, the only real pain I have is down the front of my shins and around my ankles which I can only describe as being like having constant 'ice cold pins and needles'. This pain itself is not too restrictive, just quite uncomfortable. I hope to be back in the pool quite soon but I will need to wait until my legs return to a more natural colour, rather than looking like an anaemic rainbow!

As far as running goes, I don't expect to be doing any kind of jogging this side of Christmas. But I'll be discussing this at a hospital appointment mid December with the surgeon who 'sliced me up'!


It has felt like a lifetime since I was training properly but I feel as though progress is being made. I just have to take things steady and I'll be back out on 4 hour rides before I know it! Maybe...

Train well.

And They're Off!...The Bandages That Is.

Exactly one week after my op, I finally got to take the restrictive, sticky and ever so slightly smelly bandages off.
I had strict instructions not to get the bandages wet until the day of removal, where I was to soak in a warm bath and slowly peel them away from the steri-strips covering the small cuts underneath. The bath felt great but I was really nervous about peeling back the bandages..would it hurt?...would I open up the wounds underneath?...would I pass out with the pain?! Thankfully, none of the above! In fact, the worst thing about the whole experience was the nasty colour of the bath water once I'd finished!

These pics were taken just after the removal of the bandages. Every one of those steri-strips hides a cut! I was shocked at how many there were! I was only expecting to see half a dozen cuts, but at least the bruising wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've still got quite a lot of pain in both groins which means when I walk, I can barely take a stride of about a foot length!

The nerve endings in the skin on my shins is still a bit haywire too. They feel like I have been stung by stinging nettles...weird!

I hope these pics aren't too 'gory', but I think it will help me when I look back at them and hopefully see the progress I'm making. (Check me out - the amateur psychologist!!)

Train well.

Walking is Tough!

It's been 4 days since my legs were operated on and things seem to be moving slowly...literally! Thankfully I was only in hospital for the day, getting home about 10pm on the day of the operation, which was last Wednesday. The next day was spent laid up in bed with both legs elevated on a couple of pillows. Since then I have gradually been getting more mobile as the days pass, and today I reached the dizzy heights of a 15 min walk/shuffle with the dog, sensibly supervised by my wife, Tracie.

I have been bound tightly from toe to groin in sticky elastoplast type bandages which, at the moment are pretty restrictive. But the main problems with my walking stem from the two rather large cuts in my groin. These cuts feel like they pull on my lower abs so as you can imagine, any movement has to be slow and deliberate so as not to dislodge the stitches. I think these cuts are going to be my biggest obstacle to getting back to training, rather than the other smaller cuts and bruises which are currently hidden beneath the bandages.

Each day I try to 'move' a little bit more and this should become a bit easier once I've taken the bandages off. My 'big reveal' will be on Thursday when I have to soak the bandages off in the bath. I am kind of looking forward to removing them but at the same time I'm a little apprehensive as to what my legs are going to look like! I just hope that the sticky bandages peel away easily and don't tug at the strips underneath which apparently cover all the smaller cuts on my lower legs. Oh the joy!

All this rehab, otherwise known as 'sitting around a lot', is driving me crazy! However, while sitting in my chair, I've managed to find one exercise I can do...tricep dips! And for variation I alter my hand position! Well I have to do something!

Enjoy your training...(I'm sooooo jealous!)

A Hilly 10km Race, Then Off to Hospital!

Did the Richmond 10k in North Yorkshire last Sunday. If you like hilly runs then this would be right up your street! This was the first 'run only' race I'd done in ages and it felt weird not having a machine and a bag full of kit to prep!

It was a very 'pretty' route which started on the cobbles of the Market Square and finished in the grounds of Richmond Castle. Right from the hooter, the first kilometre was a steep and twisting descent which was quite tricky with 500 runners all vying for position before being funneled in to a path which followed the river. I found myself just off the back of the leading pack of about a dozen runners and when I checked my watch at the first km marker, I realised I'd probably gone off too quick. I'd read that this was a hilly course but the next couple of k's were still a bit of a shock as the route climbed and climbed. Thankfully after that, the next few k's were quite flat before the roads started to resemble the Big Dipper again with more fast descent's and more steep climbs! By now my quads were feeling a tad battered from the downhill sections and my calfs were burning from the climbs. The final km seemed to go on forever, as we climbed up across more cobbles and into the grounds of the castle. As I slowly climbed towards the elusive finish line, one guy came past me. It's fair to say that I was suffering but was determined not to let him get away, and with about 20 metres to go I managed to retake him and thankfully he didn't kick again, otherwise I would have just let him go!

I finished in a time of 38:40 and came 19th overall with a cheeky 2nd prize in age group- gotta be happy with that!

After the race my legs felt like they'd been hit by a sledge hammer but I enjoyed the run out.

As for the next few weeks, there will be no training for me. I go into hospital tomorrow to get my varicose veins removed from my legs. Nice. It will involve some cuts at the top of my groin, around my knees and down my shins and the veins are then pulled out. Nice. Post op, I get my legs bandaged from ankle to groin, which stay on for about a week, and I have to keep my legs elevated as much as poss while popping pain killers like M+M's!

Hopefully, I should be able to resume some light exercise after about 3 weeks...time will tell.

Once I've recovered, my shins should no longer look like a map of the M1 and the doc said it may help reduce my susceptibility to lower calf injuries...time will tell once again!

My time in 'rehab' will give me plenty of time to plan my winter training regime which will give me something to focus on until my legs are released from the mummification!

Train smart.

They Think It's All Over...It Is Now!

Sadly, the 2009 tri season is now over for me.

My last race of the year was the Humber Sprint last Sunday. It was a good race in a decent setting and not too far away from home. It was also good to meet up with Daz Sharpe who seems to be finishing his season strongly.

The day before the race it was mighty windy and very wet and I wasn't looking forward to ending the season in dodgy conditions. Thankfully, race morning weather was clear skies and light winds; although it was very cold at first but once the sun came out it warmed up enough so that my fingers and toes wouldn't freeze on the bike.My swim was ok, although the lanes were quite narrow with up to 4 swimmers per lane fighting for space. I got out the water in about 6 and half mins (400m), and was clocked through T1 in 7:10 after the long run from the pool.

After a faff with my timing chip coming off and nearly a minute in transition, I hit the bike for the single lap of 20km. The route was 'undulating' and a little technical but not overly hilly. My legs felt a tad heavy at first but once I got my second wind I felt good and worked hard on the second half but only managed to post a rather disappointing time of 35min 41sec.

T2 was a slicker affair and I went through it quite quick compared to T1! The 5km run route was a 2 lap jaunt along footpaths and over a footbridge a few times, which added a little variation to what would have been a totally flat and windy route. My time of 19min 36sec was pretty good considering my lack of speedwork this season.

All-in-all, it was a satisfying race to finish on. I finished with a time of 1:03:50 which meant 8th overall and 4th in age group (annoyingly only 24 secs from 2nd in age group...that flipping timing chip!!!). Daz did well taking second overall...well done mate!

What this race has highlighted is that I have a lack of bike power at the moment. So my winter is going to be all about the bike. In particular, I will be hitting the weights and I will learn to love squats!!

Before then I'll have a crack at a couple of local 10km road races, just for fun, before the serious winter base stuff starts.

Train smart.

One Race To Go...

After last weeks race I took 2 full days off as my legs were feeling a tad sore. After that, I got stuck in to some high intensity interval work in all three disciplines in the lead up to my last race of the season, which was going to be the Warwick Tri but as I didn't sign up in time, I'm now doing a sprint race near Hull.

One thing I have recently discovered is that using training DVDs whilst on the turbo really makes me work hard! I've never used them before but I'm hooked on them now. I've got a really good 'power' workout DVD which is great for some seriously 'intense' intervals! They make the time pass a lot quicker than just listening to thumping music.

My run sessions have been going fairly well with intervals varying between 2 and 5 minutes with similar rest periods. My calf is still behaving but I've got a couple of other niggles which I'm sure will clear up once I give them a chance after the race in 2 weeks.

Swim workouts have followed in a similar vain to my running and biking...hard intervals of between 50 and 200m with decent rest intervals.

All these workouts are intended to 'sharpen' me up a bit, ready for the sprint race...well that's the plan!

My long(ish) ride last Saturday was a 2 and a half hour ride in the late summer sunshine, which would have been a cracking ride if it wasn't for the flipping wasp sting I got in my thigh! There have been so many wasps around this year, I reckon I've been lucky to have lasted this long without being jabbed by those useless stripey beasts!

This week should be more intervals, probably of shorter duration, with longer rests, before easing off for an easier week prior to my last race of 2009, then it will be a well deserved rest and review of the season.

Train smart and enjoy any races you may have left!

Fine Weather, Fine Racing, Dodgy Water!

It felt good to get racing again! Yesterday I did my first race since Ironman UK, which was the Bala Standard Tri.

Since my Ironman journey ended I've struggled with an annoying knee injury. Its nothing major, its just the side of my knee hurts after about 15-20 mins of running, then the pain subsides after about 30 mins and I'm ok for the rest of my session, only for the pain to reappear once my session is over. It continues to give me a little grief for the best part of the next day but after that it clears up until my next run session..weird!?

The physio reckons it is a patella tracking problem which, up until my race on Sunday, I had no reason to doubt. However, since racing on it, the pain seems to be on the bony bits just above the round bony 'sticky outy bit'. I guess I just need to take a couple of weeks off running and see how it goes. The good news though is that my calfs have felt great lately. Maybe it's due to my new Saucony Omni 8's which felt great straight out of the box and I haven't had that all too familiar calf tightness I usually get after wearing previous shoes. So happy days there!

Anyway, about the Bala race.... This was my first time in Wales, let alone doing a Bala event, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was the stunning scenery, the warm sunshine, the light winds or the fact that I managed a standard distance PB...whatever it was, it was a really enjoyable event!

At first, I thought it was going to be a different story though. As I drove to the venue the lake was covered in a thick layer of fog and the air temp in the car read 2 degrees! Now that's chilly, even for Wales! On top of that I soon discovered that we had to sign a disclaimer to say that we were happy to swim in a lake which had recently been declared as having "dangerously high levels of poisonous green algae"; I'd never heard of this stuff before and wasn't sure how harmful it was but I hadn't travelled all that way to to let a bit of poison stop me from racing!

Because of the fog and the fact that we couldn't even see the first buoy, the race was delayed for about 40 mins. Once the fog lifted the temperature shot up and the sun shone in a clear blue sky and the glass smooth (poisoned) lake was unveiled!

The lake was pretty flipping cold but I had a decent swim, stayed out of trouble and came out with a time of 25 mins 33 secs, and wasn't suffering from any mutations from the poison algae! I think........

The bike route was a straight forward 'out and back' on a pretty flat closed road. It was good to see plenty of race referees on motorbikes keeping the drafting cheats at bay but they did get in the way sometimes. The route was a fast one and the winds weren't too bad with just the occasional front wheel wobble coming from my Sram 80 front wheel when a cheeky gusty crosswind gave me a slap! I clocked a time of 1 hr and 49 secs which I was pretty happy with.

Once again the run was an 'out and back'. By now the weather was gloriously warm. The first couple of miles were a bit painful as I struggled to find my run legs but once in my groove I settled in to my running. After the turn round point I felt great (relatively speaking!) and picked up the pace a tad and I seemed to enjoy the pain and posted a faster second half! My run split was 39 mins 12 secs, which meant an overall time of 2 hrs 7 mins 41 secs, giving me 73rd overall out of a field of about 850 and 7th in age group.

So, quite happy with my race overall. It felt good to feel the pain of high intensity racing again after my long course efforts!

As for the rest of the season, I may try and squeeze another sprint race in before I rest my knee....but don't tell the wife!

Train smart.

"Mal Rose, You Are an IRONMAN!!!"

Well, that's it, I did it...I completed my first ever Ironman and it feels pretty good actually! Even though I'm not happy with my time, it was a decent effort on a pretty tough course and it was a steep learning curve!

It's fair to say that I didn't have the best build up to my first Ironman. Aside from my calf injury, sustained back in May, that refused to heal properly, the last few days before the race could have gone better too!


On the Friday before the race, me and my loyal clan of supporters (aka 'the family'), loaded up two cars and a trailer, and travelled to a campsite near Bolton. As soon as we got there, the good ol' British weather was doing its best to make life difficult. As my son and I tried to put our tent up, the wind picked up quite nicely and our 'pop up' tent was doing a great impression of a kite! But plenty of tent pegs and some super strong guy ropes made for a reasonably sturdy structure in the end. With the tent up and car unpacked, I left the family to it and drove to the Tri UK 'village' at Rivington to register, pick up my plethora of numbers, my transition bags and browse the Tri UK Expo. The car park at Rivington was an absolute quagmire and I needed a push out to escape the mud.

That night in the tent was possibly the worst night ever! Apart from our air bed slowly deflating, the wind blew and the rain lashed down remorselessly! The tent doors kept blowing open and the guy ropes needed re-pegging through the night! Needless to say we had no sleep whatsoever!


Saturday, it rained all morning....I went to the race venue to have a dip in the reservoir in the morning and got stuck in the car park...again! By the time I went back to the venue in the afternoon to rack my bike, the transition area was now looking dreadful. Racking our bikes in a muddy, sloppy field was just not funny and I was starting to have doubts and bad feelings about the whole race. Later that day the sun did manage to peek out from behind the clouds for a short while and with the family out for the afternoon, I was able to grab a 30 min power nap. That night the weather was a lot calmer but I still couldn't sleep.







Race day. Having laid awake all night, when 0230 finally rolled around, I got up to have my race brekky; porridge, peanut butter bagel and a croissant all washed down with 500ml of water with a Nuun tablet.



My Dad and my youngest son travelled with me to the start. We left at about 4am only to find the only official car park had been closed and we were expected to park at the Reebok stadium and get bussed back to the start! We had no time for that, so we looked for a suitable place to abandon the car for the day. We were very lucky to grab the very last space in a nearby pub car park!

After loading up my bike with drinks and food I made my way to the swim start. I was in the water for ages as we waited for everyone to get in. After some 'oggy, oggy oggies' we got under way about 10 mins late at 0610. I was in a bad spot for the start and had to barge and weave my way through some slower swimmers but once I got around the first turn I settled into a decent rhythm.


Out of the water, and there were plenty of spectators lining the long path up to T1 and they were making plenty of noise. I carried my bike out of T1 to avoid getting too much mud stuck to it and it was good to get a glimpse of my Dad and son before I set off on my bike.



The bike course was varied and interesting to say the least. Apart from the odd section of rough road, I enjoyed the route and it seemed to have a bit of everything; steep climbs, fast descents, twisty country lanes and roads which took us through housing estates with people on their front lawns clapping like crazy! It wasn't a particularly fast course, especially as the first few miles of each lap was a pretty energy sapping climb, but once that was out of the way the climbs after that weren't too bad. My first lap of the three was all about fuelling and I was feeling pretty good once I was warmed up and shook off the chill of the lake. At the end of each lap the spectators were awesome! It gave me a real buzz each time I passed through the mass of spectators who also lined the route all the way up the hill. At the start of lap 2 I had a bit of a nightmare. As I was climbing the 'big hill' I felt a familiar sharp pain in my calf. The only way I could ease the pain was to pedal with a 'flat foot', trying to keep my heel lower than my toes! Thankfully the pain didn't get any worse but I had to take it very steady up the hills on the last lap.

I had stuck to my fuelling plan throughout the bike leg but as it was quite cold, the amount of fluid I took on board must have been too much coz I had to stop at least a dozen times for a pee! Lesson learnt there!


I was more than happy to see T2 and hand my bike to the race crew to rack for me.
After wading through transition (following another toilet stop) It felt good to get in to my running shoes and out on the road as some nice Lancashire sunshine made an appearance. My calf was sore but not sore enough to really bother me. I got into a pace that felt slow but comfortable and when I hit the first feeding station I had a banquet...banana, pretzels and water. Most of the run felt ok. However, I think I ate too much early in the run and paid the price later on as I had to dive in to the porta loos (and a hedge!) a few times with some minor stomach issues! Another lesson learnt there!


With about 5 miles to go, my quads were feeling a tad stiff but I was generally feeling ok, even my calf was hanging in there! As a little 'test' I decided to push the pace a bit and this actually helped a lot as I felt a lot better. Once inside the last mile I could hear the 'finish line party' with the race commentator shouting competitors names out as they finished and the crowd going wild! That gave me a massive boost! I was grinning from ear to ear as I practically sprinted the last 800m through the city centre and down the finish chute passed they cheering crowds. In fact I was going so fast I didn't spot my family who had bagged front row seats and were waiting for me to milk my 'moment' and to 'high five' me! Ooops! Yet another lesson learnt!



I picked up my medal and T-shirt and was shepherded into the Town Hall to collect my bag of kit. I devoured 2 For Goodness Shakes and an Eat Natural Bar and stood in line for my tray of sarnies and chocolate muffins!


I now have a greater respect for the IM. Would I do another one? You betcha! But my next one will be somewhere warmer and flatter and I will definitely NOT be camping before a race again!!

My supporters were absolutely brilliant and really helped me push on when I was flagging and as you can see from the pic, its a long day for them too....!

Train and recover well.

I Love Tapering Me....

This tapering lark is a bit of alright really! I have more spare time, feel fitter and stronger and have no aches and pains! In fact, I'm finding the hardest part is stopping myself pushing too hard or going too long on the bike. I don't have such worries on the running front as I'm still protecting my calf and will not run more than 45 mins, and even that is at Ironman pace i.e. sloooowwwly....

I have been getting a fair amount of open water swimming done ,which has been great, apart from one day last week when a nasty thunderstorm descended on the lake complete with flashing stuff and very loud bangs! I don't know if anyone else has ever been caught in a storm while open water swimming, but I'm not ashamed to say I was more than a little spooked! I kept thinking, "if this water takes a hit will I get frazzled!?" Once those thoughts started creeping in I couldn't get out quick enough! Thankfully I made it out of one body of wet stuff only to be confronted with another...a flooded field to try and drive out of! That was some storm!

I did my last 'hard' session last Sunday which was a 3km pool swim, home for a bit of 'race' brekky then on the turbo for 2 and a half hours followed by a 45 min very steady run. This was all done in race kit (apart from the wetsuit) and on race food and it all served to build confidence really, especially in the calf department. I know my IM run is going to be slow, but I'm happy with that really, as it kinda takes the pressure off trying to push for any kind of time, and I can just try and enjoy the day!

When my new wheels arrive (hopefully in the next couple of days) that will be all my kit and nutrition all in place and ready to go. I'm really looking forward to my first IM but I'm already thinking about where my next one is going to be coz I want to try and turn up at one fully fit!

Train well.

It's a Miracle!

Hallelujah! My calf held together for my first ever middle distance event, the Cleveland Steelman! That's 12 miles of running after not being able to scrape together no more than 20 mins jogging at a time since the Brize sprint!

I had decided to just run for about 20 to 30 mins at the Steelman but, as I was literally plodding along and enjoying the views, I found a pace that didn't aggravate the calf at all. It felt fantastic to be able to finish the race and I really enjoyed it! It also gave me a chance to rehearse my Ironman plans during the race, including kit and food. It's a good course with 2 laps of each discipline, the bike was not too hilly and the run was more cross country than road. My plan was to take each first lap steady then push the second to attain negative splits, and I actually stuck to this plan and it worked a treat for me. Although my times were relatively slow (bar the swim) I felt good and surprised myself by finishing the run too! As far as IM plans go, it threw up some minor points I need to change for the big one, so it proved useful in that respect too.

I finished 5th in age group and 19th overall and was only a couple of mins down from the 2nd age group spot which gives me something to aim for next year!

The timings....

2km swim - 30 min

90km bike - 2hr: 38

12 mile run -1hr: 28 min (dodgy stomach early on forcing 2 toilet stops!!)

With less than 4 weeks to go to IM, and although my expectations timings wise will have to be adjusted, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about actually being able to run most of the marathon! It's now time to taper the bike and swim but I need to keep upping the 'very steady' run miles for another week or so to get my creaking joints used to the miles again!

Bring on Bolton!

Train well!

Loads of Biking, Tiny Bit of Running.

Another week of 'going to town 'on the bike and in the wet stuff!
I've clocked up over 300 miles this week, which culminated in a 110 miler today! Its been a deliberately hard week, especially on 2 wheels and I thought I'd be totally ruined after todays long ride, but I actually don't feel too bad really! Alright, my quads wobble uncontrollably when I walk down the stairs, but apart from that....! I even chucked on my trainers for a mammoth 10 minute run, once I'd peeled myself off the bike...and had no calf issues. I only intend to build up the running mighty slowly, 10 mins at a time, and if I can eventually build up to 90 mins or so without any twinges before my IM, then I will be more than happy with that.

Ive also managed just over 10km of swimming, which included a 3.5km open water swim yesterday morning in the lake at Ripon racecourse. Nice lake, but the weeds are getting high in places which seem to make a grab for you as you cruise over them and there seems to be more moody swans patrolling around the islands! My other swims during the week were sandwiched between biking to and from the pool, which was generally a steady ride there and a hard ride back home, post swim. However, I did manage to fall off my bike last Thursday. Totally my fault, I was being a biff. I changed gear and simultaneously stood hard on the peddles before the chain had time to settle in to gear, the chain jumped off, my feet spun out of the peddles, and I hit the deck! Luckily I was going pretty slow and only came out with a grazed/bruised knee and a twisted little finger! Oh and a nice dent to the old pride! Good job it was my training bike!

This week will be a little easier, but coz I'm not doing much of the run at the Steelman this weekend, I intend to 'train through' it. I think I will do a wee bit of the run leg, maybe 20 mins, but I will stop before any twinges or tightening starts, that way I can continue to strengthen my calf steadily.

Train smart. Enjoy the up coming heat wave!

The Walk of Shame...

Dambuster was a bit of a 'Yin and Yang' experience for me!

I'm not sure about the rest of the RAF guys, but I thought it was a success having a RAF only wave, even though we were first off at 0640! It was good to be able to see where you are in relation to the rest of the red white and blue, especially once we hit the dam on the run.

It wasn't all good for me though. It started well...I was pleased with my swim. I was good minute faster than last year and I reckon it must have been my new Foor Synflex suit! (honest!) These suits are so comfortable and they are really easy to get off, and they zip up the right way!! That one's for you Silver Fox!!!!

The bike wasn't too bad for me either. Despite a fair breeze blowing, the weather was kind this year..no rain! I even managed to chase a few folk down on the bike and was pleased to get out of T2 with Mat and Jase not too far ahead.

But now we come to the run. This was always going to be a case of 'take it easy and see how the calf feels'. Once I'd got my racing shoes on I forced myself to take it steady. I was feeling good as I got to the dam and collected my first wristband. I felt I had plenty left in the tank but I was still paying very close attention to how my calf was feeling. I was telling myself, 'if my calf is ok once I've left the dam then I'll push it home'. Its amazing how quickly all your plans can change!!! As I turned to start the second loop of the dam I felt my calf start to feel a little tight. That was it. STOP. I could have probably carried on to the finish, and if I wasn't doing my IM in 6 weeks I would have just pushed on and suffered the consequnces later! However, for once I was very sensible and grown up and decided to stop straight away.

Its surprising how long it is back to transition from the dam! That walk of shame seemed to take forever! My calf felt ok during the long walk back so I knew I hadn't done any more damage; maybe I was a little over cautious, but I can't risk it.

When I finally got back I went to see the nice man in the St Johns Ambulance tent and got an ice pack strapped to it as a precaution.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day at the office really, even though my 'dam' calf (see what I did there!) is still not properly healed, the run I did manage to do felt fine and I'm happy that I don't seem to have lost much fitness since having my run snags.

More patience needed now to allow this calf to fix, hence I have already decided that my Cleveland Steelman Middle distance in 2 weeks will be a swim and a bike and then a stop!

Train well.

Still Not Running!!!

Although I'm lucky not to be in Saggers' shoes regarding troublesome running injuries, (good luck at Headley mate!)it's still been a month since I've ran properly and with only 7 weeks to IM I'm preparing myself for a fair bit of walking on Aug 2nd.
However, I have been doing a bit of hopping, high knee lifts, calf raises, etc, and then massage followed by lots of icing...I just haven't risked any 'proper' running...I'm too scared to! I really can't risk another breakdown of my dodgy calf, so on Saturday at Dambuster I will be going veeeerrryyyy steady on the run, treating it as a bit of a tester, and if I get a twinge I will drop out. I feel as though it's almost mended but I'm happy to sacrifice run fitness now, so that I can run as much of the IM as possible, even if it's at a snails pace!

So, last week was 'bike-tastic' again!
Lots of muscular endurance work during the week and then Friday was a hilly 95 miler, after which I felt pretty good really, just a bit of a sore neck.
Saturday am was an open water swim at Ripon race course. Water was clear as a bell, which has its downside for me as I get a bit spooked when I can see all the fish and weeds just beneath me!
Did an easy spin Sat pm and on Sunday I did a 50 mile ride incorporating an hour of hard tempo, crunching a high gear. Felt a bit shattered after that ride so didn't train Sunday pm and today was just a bit of calf rehab.

I'm feeling apprehensive about how my calf will cope at Dambuster, but also looking forward to testing it out, in the hope that it will be ok!

For those partaking in a little Dambuster action on Saturday, see ya there. Early indications are that the weather could be ok too, but don't say that out loud!!!

Train well.

Pothole Magnet!

With my ankle pretty much mended, I've been ticking over nicely this week , biking and swimming wise, with a mammoth 35 min run yesterday!

The week started with a 1 hour lake swim and the water was as warm as a bath (ish) and bathed in sunshine! One thing that I have realised though, is that I need to change my goggles from clear lenses to dark...I was swimming blind for long stretches of the lake!

Tuesday was a 2 hour hard ride including 30 mins of reps on an 18% hill chucked in for good measure.

Wednesday was an early turbo session and an evening swim which consisted of drills and a main set of 4 x 500m followed by 1L hard, 1L easy for 20 mins.

I hit the turbo again on Thursday for 6 x 5 min hard / 3 min easy.

Friday was not a good day bike wise! 20 minutes into a planned 45 miler I was 'down in the tuck' and moving fairly well amongst a fair bit of traffic. I took my eye off the road, briefly, and looked down just in time to see a pothole the size of Wembley Stadium open up before me! I had no option but to hang on, grit my teeth and hope I wouldn't get thrown off! There was a mighty 'crack', I wobbled, did a bit of 'off roading' but managed to stay upright!



Once I'd brought my steed under control I realised my front wheel was so buckled that it was catching on both brake blocks and my bars had slipped down and wouldn't move back up. I cycled back home to inspect it further. Thankfully no real damage done; the bars were easily remedied (and a bit of fiddling with the headset was needed) and the next day, the local bike shop did a good job of straightening my wheel.

While the wheel was in the shop on Saturday morning, I went for a 4km swim. I pushed it hard, due in no small part to the bloke who sat on my feet the whole way! When I realised he was there I tried to shake him off but he matched my every move! Once I'd finished he said, "Thanks for that, we kept a good pace there". What do you mean 'we'!!? I was worn out! However, he did agree to take to take his turn at the front next time!

Later that afternoon I got my bike back on the road for a 60 mile ride.

Sunday morning I got out on the bike again for another 60 miler and then went for my first run in nearly 3 weeks by running off the bike for 35 mins. The ankle felt great but my lower calf was a bit tight and although it didn't get any worse as I ran, with only 8 weeks to IM UK it is something I can't ignore, or it will be a long walk around Bolton......more ice please!


Train well

'It's All About The Bike' (For Now...)

The foot is well on the mend, thankfully! I only feel pain now when it's stretched and pulled, but don't feel it when walking, swimming and cycling. I'm also managing to do calf raises and very slow jogging (just fast walking really) so I'm feeling pretty positive that this injury shouldn't keep me down for too long....I, like many other triathletes, have learnt the hard way that patience is paramount!
However, one thing is slightly concerning me. Although my ankle seems relatively ok, my lower calf feels a little tight and I'm starting to wonder if I injured that a little too!? I have been massaging, icing and stretching it just in case and will get a better idea when I start running a bit more.
So, with no running, I have beasted the bike this week with 5 bike workouts in 6 days and survived to tell the tale!

Bank Holiday Monday I went for a 4 hour ride which put my new Fizik Arione Tri 2 saddle through its paces....verdict...very nice saddle, which will be spot on for my Ironman ride. This ride was deliberately flat as my ankle felt sore if I applied too much pressure on the peddles.

The next day I hit the turbo for some tempo intervals, 4 x 10 min hard efforts off 2 min rest.

Wednesday was my first venture into the water with my oversized ankle. Surprisingly though, It felt quite sore so I had to concentrate on not kicking at all. This had quite an adverse effect on my split times and I felt quite grumpy afterwards! The worst thing about this session was the cramps I got in my foot. Trying to stop my foot pointing down was pretty tricky and when the cramp kicked in I couldn't stretch it out coz of the pain in my ankle!

On Thursday I did my first time trial for over 2 years! I tagged along with Clifton Cycle Club from York on a hilly 10.5 mile TT. Tough course, but a good session and I will hopefully get to some more of these through the summer. Still not sure where I finished coz I had to leave straight after, but I clocked myself at 30 mins 02 sec....something to aim for in a fortnight.

Friday was a tempo ride for 1 hr 15 mins.

By Saturday I was feeling pretty tired but managed to get in an early morning 3.5km swim (no ankle pain this time) and in the afternoon I cycled back from watching my lads' 'old boys' cricket match against his old school. It was about 55 miles home with some testing hills. It was quite a warm day and I got through nearly 2 litres of Gatorade and as soon as I got home I downed a berry FGS and made very light work of 2 Eat Natural bars (cranberry and dark chocolate......nice)

And on the seventh day I rested!
I was worn out! It was a good bike week though, and I didn't pick up any riding 'niggles'.
It was a cracking hot and sunny day on Sunday...did a bit of sun bathing and had a BBQ with the family. A great end to the week.


Train well.

A Bit of Bling for a Fat Ankle!

I know its been a while since my last post but I was waiting to get the Brize sprint race out of the way so I could comment on that, but it didn't quite go to plan and I've been struggling to come to terms with the 'outcome'!

Well, it was a good race...decent weather....friendly faces...even bagged a good result...but....I've picked up a rather worrying injury...NOOOOOO!

I came 3rd overall and actually won the Vets race, happy days!

I had a good swim too, managing to do a 5min 30sec 400m swim which is a PB by a quite a bit! The 20km (ish) bike was done in 29min 30sec and the 5km run took just under 20 mins however... the run kind of ended in disaster really...with about 400m to go I rounded a tight corner and tried to step up on to a curb but misjudged it and went right over on my ankle....and I mean right over!

I hobbled to the finish line, took of my shoe and then watched in amazement as my left ankle grew and grew! It was really painful, not just on the outside of the foot but also all around the heel and arch and I could hardly move my toes which worried me a lot!

I knew I had to ice it up and thankfully a good Samaritan, namely Dan Tudge (novice winner), popped up with an ice pack from the med centre, cheers Dan!

With my foot getting bigger all the time I squeezed my shoe on, while I still could, and psyched myself up for the 3 and a half hour drive home!

The next day I went of to the hospital for a x-ray and was very happy to find that it was not broken...phew! However, I have suffered some degree of ligament damage, the extent of which is yet to be determined. I've been R.I.C.E 'ing it for a few days and the swelling has almost completely gone and have a lot more movement and a lot less pain. I certainly won't be running for a wee while but I reckon I will be certainly swimming, and probably cycling by the end of the week.

I will be back to the doc on Wednesday to assess it again...but as an optimist, I think the ligaments are more strained than torn and as long as I don't try and rush back too soon, I think I will be ready for the RAF Champs at Dambuster....time will tell.

So, mainly swimming and biking for me for a while, with some sadistic physio treatment thrown in for good measure!

Sport hurts!

Train well.

Night Shifts...Don't Ya Just Love 'em!

I've managed to get some solid long distance training in recently. Whilst I was on a week of night shifts I topped 16 hours!
I started the week with a turbo session of 10 mins tempo (90-100rpm)/3 mins easy, repeated 4 times. This was a bit of a toughie.
The next day was a 10 mile run in 1:08. Apart from being attacked by a pair of kamikaze lapwings which dive bombed me repeatedly trying to c**p on me, it was a pretty comfortable run and I had plenty left in the tank for an evening core session.

Wednesday I did a steady bike to the pool where my main set was 5 x 400m on 7 mins, and then pushed hard on the bike home, with the whole session taking about 2 and a half hours. Later that evening I got my race bike out for 1 hour hard tempo in very windy conditions!
My run session on Thursday was a killer! After a 10 min warm up jog, I did 7 min hard tempo/3 min easy, repeated 7 times. This did hurt...a lot.
On Friday I picked up my boys from school and on the way home they wanted to check out a skate park. Fine by me...there is a pool right next to it! While they practiced their 'ollies' (no, I don't know what they are either), I hit the wet stuff and did 10 min easy, 10 min moderate, 10 min hard, 10 min easy and finished with some sprint work.
Saturday was my BIG RIDE. It was a 90 miler, where I tried a new scientific nutrition strategy of 'eat as much as I can and see what happens'. My food list was: cheese bagel sandwhich, a banana, 2 Power Bars, a litre of Gatorade and 2 litres of water. Apart from a slightly sore neck, having spent the whole ride in the tuck, I felt good enough to go for a 10k run when I got home. It was a good confidence booster in my build up to Bolton.
I backed up my 'big ride' with a 'big run' the next day. I'm not sure how far it was coz it was a new route, but it took 2 hours 15 mins. This was hard work... due in no small part to the leaving do/40th birthday bash my good lady and I attended the night before! Not ideal!

Monday I was feeling a bit battered and bruised from a tough weekend so I plucked up the courage to go for my first open water swim of the year. OMG, it was FREEZING! I lasted about 40 mins before the headache, earache and numb throbbing hands and feet forced me into a hot shower!

Anyway, a good week of 'quantity' with no injuries apart from the usual aches and pains associated with being only a matter of weeks away from turning 40!
Stay fit y'all!

Race Done...Time To Get Some Miles In.

Thats another race done. The Interservices duathlon last Weds was a sunny and breezy affair, on a flat and open course. It was a long old drive too...4 and a half hours to be exact! It was my first time at this venue and although it was nice to run on a flat course, I'm not a fan of flat bike courses...my legs don't want to keep working constantly, without any downhill free wheeling to break it up a bit! Still, I was pretty happy with my run splits....the first run was 5km in 17:33, 20km bike in 26:41 and my 2.5km run in 9:03. But, despite our best efforts, the Army just managed to sneak the win....for a change! We will have our day eventually!

Since the race on Weds I've trained quite well really. Thursday was just a very steady 1 hour turbo ride but on Friday I got up early for an 8 mile run before work, with a 4km pool swim in the evening.
On Saturday I went for a 60 mile ride around a fairly hilly route, then it was on with the trainers for a 10km run. I felt really good, which was probably due to the 'fuel' I managed to get down my neck on the bike. I had a SIS energy bar and a banana, no energy drink this time, just water but a lot more than I would normally have and it worked very well, no cramps (legs or stomach) and no 'stitches'....although I need to eat more whilst on the bike, I finally seem to be getting closer to getting this nutrition lark sorted!

Today, Sunday, was a long run of 14 miles. I did this on 2 Go Gels and again, felt good. This has been the first time in ages that I have managed to run, in some shape or form, for 3 days on the trot with no niggles or tweaks...things are looking up!

Looking forward to this week... I'm on nights at work so as long as the weather isn't too dreadful I should be able to get plenty of miles on the bike, with a couple of long bricks to boot!

Train well...

Quality not Quantity

During last week I only managed to train once a day (apart from Sunday) as I was on a course which started early; too early for me to squeeze in a morning sesh, which was probably not a bad thing as I will be racing at the Inter Services Duathlon Champs on Weds 29th, and the week long course prevented me from pushing things too hard!

Monday, (day after last weeks race at Skipton) I felt pretty good, no soreness, so I went out on my bike for about 90 mins, pushing hard for the last 30 mins.

Tuesday was a 10 mile 'negative split' run, backed up with some core stability stuff.

Wednesday was a long swim and on Thursday I did a 'quadruple brick'. I wanted to do this quad brick session since Roy B gave me the idea whilst at the TriUK team launch. It didn't involve any massive distances but I worked hard and enjoyed the pain! After a warm up, I biked hard (turbo) for 15 mins, then straight into running shoes and ran hard for 10 mins, then repeated it 3 more times, without any real rest, apart from the time it took my legs to get up to speed on the bike! By the last one I was shattered!

Friday I was in the pool where my main set was 10 x 200m on 3:30mins.

Saturday was an hour of running incorporating short efforts of 1 min hard / 1 min easy.

The weather was fantastic on Sunday morning so I went out for a 40 mile bike, mixing some 'race efforts' in, and ran for about 20 mins off the bike. Went to the pool in the evening and was pleasantly surprised to find it pretty empty. I'd never been on a Sunday night before, but I think it will be a regular slot from now on as I had a lane to myself...that just doesn't happen in York!

So, not much 'quantity' this week, but at least there was a decent amount of 'quality'.

Once this Duathlon is out of the way on Weds, I have about 4 weeks until my next race (Brize Sprint) so I will be able to ramp up the 'Ironman' mileage again. Hopefully, by the end of the next 3 weeks, I should have a 100 mile ride in the bag and my 'long run' should be a 20 miler....fingers and toes crossed!

.........

Overall I'm pleased with the progress I'm making with my IM training, and the support I'm getting from all over the world really helps....no it really does....just take a look at this photo which turned up in my inbox...this is my Dad, at his home in Florida...and he thought I wouldn't put this photo on my blog!

Looking good there Dad, but I'd loose the bell if I were you, it'll only slow you down!!

...

Stay in shape (yes, round is a shape!)

Training in Fog, Racing in Sunshine!

This last week has been pretty hectic really.

I had Easter week off work and spent most of it with the family, in the chilly fog, on the east coast near Scarborough whilst the rest of northern England was basking in sunshine! I managed to get quite bit of training in though, especially long running and long swimming. I had a particularly interesting 10 miler whilst on our mini break. The fog was the thickest I've ever seen..I could barely see my hand in front of my face but I had been looking forward to running up into the coastal hills and decided to press on regardless. I thought, as long as I run out and back along the same route, I wouldn't get lost...oh really...I was lost after about 20 minutes! It is scarily easy to get disorientated in a real 'pea souper'! In fact, I only realised I had gone over the top of the hills when running started to feel easier! So I turned round and headed for home, but, because I was running quite fast downhill, I missed my turn off. I was running for quite a while and was starting to think I needed to retrace my steps, when I almost ran into a sign post which read "DANGER CLIFF EDGE"! No fence line, just a 4 ft high post! I now had to decide whether to follow the cliffs to my left or right in an attempt to find my family! I could hear the crashing waves but could not see a flipping thing! Spooky. Suffice to say I chose correctly and was relieved when I eventually started to see civilisation slowly appear from the gloom!

The next day I managed to squeeze in an early morning swim at a local pool, which was simply a 3km steady plod followed by 10 x 25m fast/25m easy.

On returning home on Friday I went out for my last training sesh before my race on Sunday...a 90min steady ride with several short sharp efforts.

Saturday I was up at the 'crack of sparrows' to travel down to TriUK in Dorset for the team media launch. I was on the road at 0415 and got to the shop in Yeovil at about quarter to 9 (after seeing more of Bristol town centre than I should have...I really could do with a satnav!) I spent the day with TriUK 'stalwart' Roy Brunning and the rest of the team, in the TriUK shop being photographed, briefed and clothed and had the opportunity to wander around the largest tri shop in the world...I have never seen so much triathlon gear under one roof...awesome!

I got home to York at about 9pm, totally shattered, got my race kit together for the next morning and crawled into bed!

Sunday..race day..Skipton.

First tri of the year and it was a great race to kick off the season; well organised, a good route and a chance to give my new kit an airing, including my Craft trisuit, Oakley Radar glasses, Met Inferno helmet all of which performed extremely well! My race start was 1200 so no early starts and by this time the sun was shining and there were loads of enthusiastic spectators around the transition area, which was in the middle of a huge park. I wasn't expecting a fast race due to my build up to it (training through and driving nearly 600 miles the day before!) so I hadn't put myself under any pressure really. I ended up having a pretty good'un in the end. I finished 12th overall and 2nd in my age group!

Timings wise, there was a slight faff though. The results had me down at 5:16 for a 400m swim! Very nice of them to knock a minute off, but unfortunately my watch was probably more correct at 6:16! However, they stuck a minute on to my bike split, so it was a case of give and take! My 5km run was 18:17 which I was pleased with. I stopped my watch at the same time as the organisers had for me, which is always a bonus!

So, an eventful week really. Looking forward to the Interservices Duathlon next week...come on the RAF!

Train well.

Does Chocolate Count Towards My '5 a Day'?

I had to work hard this week as I knew, at the end of it, I would be stuffing chocolate down my face like my life depended on it!

After Mondays 14 mile run my quads and lower calves felt a tad sore, probably due to wearing a brand new pair of trainers, so Tuesday was just a swim sesh: 250m warm up and drills, then 10 x 250m with 30 secs rest, 250m cool down. As this was my only workout today I pushed quite hard.

Weds morn was an early turbo ride of about 45 mins. It was supposed to be longer but I slept in a bit...the alarm went off at 5am...I blinked, and it was 5:45! Doh!

That night I went to the pool for lots of drills and a bit of speed stuff; 10 x 25m at max effort/25m easy.

My legs finally felt less 'bruised' by Thursday. The old legs seem to be taking longer to heal these days but they are hanging in there, just!

Having been on earlies at work, I finished at half one so I opted for a bike/run brick. I hit the turbo for a 'up and down' sesh. This self titled workout simply involves keeping the same rpm for as long as poss whilst shifting up the gears every 10 mins. At the point of total leg and lung failure, I start shifting down again. This took an hour, then I slipped into my run shoes for an interval session of 7 x 3 min tempo/2 min easy. The whole workout lasted about 2 hours.

No work on Good Friday so it was an early 4 km swim and a tough turbo in the evening. I was hoping to get some hill efforts in but the weather was shocking so the turbo got another bashing. It was another interval sesh but I tried to simulate hills by raising the front wheel up quite high and pushing a hard gear for 2 mins with 3 min easy spin in in the lower cogs. In the hard gear I was just managing to make 60 rpm, so it was a flipping good leg burner!


Saturday was a long 'breakthrough' run. For the first time in a LOT of years I ran for over 2 hours, albeit only just! I've yet to check the distance but I reckon it was about 17 miles which I did in 2hr o4 mins. I'm chuffed with that time as I'm aiming for an Ironman marathon time of 3hr 30mins, so I'm on course for somewhere near that! Nutrition worked ok too; felt great on 2 Go gels...no nasty tummy problems!


3 hour ride on my race bike today...in the sunshine...no wind...bliss. Nutrition on the bike was an Eat Natural bar washed down with 750ml of Gatorade. I think I'm getting to grips with what food works for me too, so all in all, a pretty good week really!


Looking forward to the TriUK 'media launch' on Sat followed by my first tri of the season on Sunday at Skipton. I will be 'training through' this race though so not expecting any fast times!

Time for more chocolate! Train smart..Happy Easter...mmm chocolate...

Puddings and Topsoil!

Since my boys have been home from school for the last couple of weeks, they have taken over ownership of the computer so I've not been able to get near my blog...until today!

I seemed to recover fairly quickly after the Stokeskey duathlon so I managed to get some decent long sessions in, including a bike/swim/bike brick (2hr 30mins) on the Friday of that week and a 12 mile run on Saturday. I finished that week with a long ride on Sunday of just under 60 miles on my race bike. I totalled 12 hours that week and felt good, due in no small part to getting plenty of early nights and a good 8 hours sleep almost every night!

This week was a planned hard week. It all started well but I had to have a little re-jig at the weekend due to a wee hangover!

Monday- a hard run session of 10 min warm up, 7 min hard tempo with 3 min easy - repeated 6 times, 10 min cool down/stretch

Tuesday- am: a 5am turbo workout. Starting on an easy gear at approx 105 rpm, then move up a gear every 10 mins until I couldn't maintain a min of 95 rpm, then back down the gears, picking up the revs again.

Tues pm: Swim. 8 x 250m on 5 mins

Weds- Swim. Drills and speed work. Working early so just one session today.

Thurs- am: Long brick. 2 hr ride on a pretty windy day backed up with an 8 mile run.
pm: Core work and stretching.

Friday was a rest day and an evening of fun and frolics at a leaving do for a couple of good blokes who are leaving the mob. Although I admit I did eat and drink a little too much, it's just a vicious rumour that I finished off 3 puddings!

Sat- this was supposed to be a long swim at 7 am followed by a long bike. However due to the fact that I was feeling slightly dodgy (that last pudding must have been off!), after the swim I had a large brekky and collapsed on the sofa! To help ease my guilt at not getting on the bike, my better half had me shifting a ton and a half of topsoil from the front of the house to the back...a wheelbarrow full at a time! How I regretted not escaping on my bike!

Sunday- Made up for Sat by going on a 4hr 30min ride on my race bike. Stayed in the tuck for as much poss but finished with a sore neck. I tried to run off the bike but my left knee felt quite sore too so decided not to push my luck and left the run until Monday.

Today, Monday was a 14 mile run. Felt fine energy wise, just my legs feel a bit tender. Thankfully my knee feels fine, with no repercussions from Sundays long ride.

Another hard week planned for this week....hopefully!

Train well, eat better!

First Race Done!

The Stokesley Duathlon last Sunday was a great start to the season. It was 5km/30km/5km in very windy conditions and with about 270 entrants. I had a pretty good race, finishing 16th overall but managed to bag 2nd Vet! The dissapointment of officially becoming an 'old git' was somewhat offset by receiving a prize of a £25 gift voucher! Hoorah!
I also managed to get through the race with both calves fully intact! Not even a twinge! However, I did start to get quite a bit of cramp in both quads at the end of the second run and they still feel a little sore today.
Since Sunday its just been a 45 min recovery ride on Monday, and this morning I did a 45 min treadmill run followed by 20 mins of core work.
Now its back to business...up that mileage!

Best Laid Plans...

Well, last weeks fourth week of 'hard' training in a row before an easy week, didn't happen quite as planned! My body just wouldn't work!

I normally don't lie in at all and struggle to stay in bed past 0730, but last weekend I didn't get out of bed until 11 o'clock!! If ever I needed a sign that I was pushing things a bit, then that was it! So I realised that I had to change my plans and just take it easier for the first half of the week.

Monday was just a swim of 6 x 400m at a moderate effort followed on Tuesday by an early morning turbo session of pyramid intervals. Tuesday evening was a 30 min treadmill run with some core and lots of stretching.

I was still feeling really tired by Wednesday so I dropped my morning session and just did 4 x 500m in the pool after work.

I started to feel a little better on Thursday so pushed hard on the turbo with 4 x 15 min tempo efforts on 5 min rest. This was done on my race bike and although my glutes were a bit tender the next morning, the new saddle height set up feels good.

Friday was an early (0530!) 1 hour of fartlek running on the treadmill. During the run I felt fine but later that day I began to feel my right lower calf tighten up. I gave it several impromtu massages throughout the day and a few stretches on the stairs at work (for which I had to take a fair amount of banter!), which seemed to help. That evening, during a 3km swim, it felt a little sore on the first few push offs so I just pushed with my left leg to try and protect it. When I got home I massaged, stretched and iced it up.

I decided to rest on Saturday and kept working on trying to fend off any possible worsening of my calf 'tweak'.

Sunday's long'ish' ride of 3 hours was done on my race bike, over a fairly flat course, where I managed to stay on the aero bars for most of it without any discomfort. It feels great to get out on my race bike and put the hammer down after a long winter on my old and heavy 'work horse'!

This week I've been working nights and as I have a race this coming Sunday (Stokesley Du) I've just been training once a day, mainly brick sessions.

To give my calf an extra day of rest, on Monday I ditched my run and just did 16 x 100m in the pool.

As the weather has been awesome this week I've had the race bike out..a lot!

Tuesday was 90 mins bike followed by a brisk 30 min run. The calf felt great on the run, but again, it stiffens up later on(?). I keep icing it, up to 3 times a day and it seems to be hanging in there!

Wednesday I biked to the pool for some drills and speed work. I was petrified at leaving my race bike outside the pool in York! I had 2 locks on it and begged the pool dude to keep an eye on it. All was well when I returned, but I'll not be taking my race bike to the pool again. I spent the whole swim session worrying about the flipping thing!

Today I did some short, sharp brick work...3 min hard on the bike with a 2 min run then 5 min rest. Repeated this 4 times.

Thankfully the calf seems fine but just to be sure I'll not run now until the race on Sunday.

I've never competed at Stokesley before but it looks a fairly flat and fast course. Hope this lovely weather holds until then!

Train smart,race well.

Another Hard Week In The Bank...

This was my 3rd hard week of a '4 hard/1 easy' cycle. I admit, I did take a bit of a risk this week by upping my run mileage and intensity in the same week, and with no recovery runs I realise I was risking picking up an injury. But I've survived....2 long runs, a hard interval sesh of 2 min hard/1 min easy (x 10), and my favourite of the week was a session I picked up from Hussler's blog...bike/run/bike hill workout!

These hill repeats were done on Friday afternoon after I'd finished work at 2pm. Hills within running distance are non existent around Linton-on-Ouse so I chucked my running shoes in a backpack and hopped on my bike to seek out a suitable hill to tame! I stopped at a particularly evil hill about 30 mins ride away and hid my backpack in the hedge while I spent the next 30 mins doing seated climbs. Then I hid my bike in the hedge and spent a further 40 mins running up and down the same hill. It took about 90 secs to run up and I ran down at a fast, controlled pace before taking a minute rest at the bottom. This was followed by a very steady ride home.

On Saturday, the day after my 'hill brick', I did an early morning 3km swim followed by a 50 mile bike. Needless to say, on Sunday, my second long run of the week (14 miles) in gale force winds, was a tad tough!!

During my longer sessions this week, with Ironman nutrition in mind, I've tried to make a conscious effort to get more energy drink/bars/gels down me, trying to get my body used to simply eating on the move! Things on this front are going ok and I'm gradually increasing the amount I can consume without the need to dive behind a bush mid ride or run!!

All in all, I squeezed in 4 runs, 4 bikes and 3 swims this week. Result!

This coming week is another hard week, before an easy one leading up to my first race of the season on Mar 22nd. I'm a great believer in 'listening to my body'...if I feel good I train hard and when I'm tired, I rest! I know it sounds a bit basic for a lot of you 'wattage crazy' dudes but it works for me and at the moment I'm feeling good, but I'm REALLY looking forward to my easy week!

Train well.

15 Hours...and Still Smiling!

As I was working nights last week (well, more like 'late evenings' really!) it left me plenty of time to get some quality training in. In fact, despite taking Monday off, I still managed to clock up 15 hours!

Tuesday's am session was max effort in the fitness test (beep test). I was quite pleased to have improved on last time with level 14:6 on the run, 74 press ups and 63 sit ups (for those not in the 'know' you get 1 min for each of the press-ups and sit-ups). Straight after the test I jumped on the treadmill for 30 mins, starting slow for 10 mins and then striding out for 20 mins, before easing off for the last 10 mins. Later that day my bike workout (on my race bike, hoorah!) was intervals of 5 mins hard/3mins easy, repeated 10 times.

Wednesday was a bike/swim/bike. As my nearest pool is just under 15 miles way and 'i/c home' has the car, if I want to swim during the day then I have to bike it. I decided to cycle hard on the way to the pool and took a longer route, which ended up at about 20 miles. I managed to resist treating the pool entrance like a transition area, sprinting through the doors of the pool, throwing off my bike gear as I go!! However, I did try to get changed and in to the water as soon as I could without looking like a madman! The swim was 30 mins of drills followed by 15 x 100m on 20 secs rest. The ride back was a much more sedate affair and was the most direct route home! Altogether, it was a good 3 hour workout.

Thursday morning was run intervals of 5 min hard/3 min easy repeated 6 times. I found this session pretty hard but it was a nice kind of 'lung busting' pain! In the evening I had to resort to the turbo (booo!) for a spinning session, as I had ran out of daylight before I got the chance to get out on the bike. I started on an easy ring at 105 rpm and moved up a gear every 10 mins until I couldn't keep above 95 rpm. Again, it was another 'blast' session but I knew I would only be swimming the next day so I went for it!

Friday was just a 3km pool swim in the evening, in just under 50 mins, which wasn't too bad considering the amount of bodies that got in my way! It was carnage!

I was working on Saturday so I did an early morning turbo ride in the garage before work...a 10 min spin up, 3 x 20 min tempo efforts with 5 min easy spinning between. After work I went for a steady 8 mile run in the evening calm...lovely!

Sunday was long ride day. I've been experimenting with my nutrition in the last few weeks and I am still tweaking. I am trying to find the right balance of food and drink that I can run on after a long bike without cramping up in the first 5 mins of the run! Drink wise, I have found that Gatorade works fine as long as I manage to get enough down me, but I am still trying out different energy bars. This Sunday's ride was 80 miles. For those who are familiar with North Yorkshire, the route I took was from Linton to Ripon (via Boroughbridge), through Masham, up to Leyburn, across to Bedale, Northallerton and back down to Linton. The ride up to Leyburn is pretty hilly but once down into Bedale its pretty flat. It was the last 25 miles or so of flat, in to wind riding which really started to hurt! I was low on energy and had eaten my Go Bar but still had just about enough Gatorade to last till the end. Once off the bike I threw on the racing shoes and ran 5km, and for the first time my quads didn't cramp up! Result! So I know what drink seems to work but I know I need to eat more on the bike....one Go Bar just isn't enough!
Today my long run was pretty slow in comparison to previous weeks. Not surprising really! 13 miles in 1hr 38. My legs were tired but I still managed to finish quite strongly with the wind behind me for the last couple of miles! I had an 'ice' bath afterwards and stuck my recovery tights on but I'm still sore tonight!

A good week in the bag. Happy days!

Train well.

Early Bird Catches Some Speedwork

Last week was a solid week of fairly hard and fast training, which was nice!

Early shifts at work last week meant more very early starts than I would have liked! Whacking that alarm clock at 5am and crawling out from beneath a cosy duvet just to sit on my turbo in a cold and drafty garage, or to hit the treadmill in a lonely gym is bad enough once a week, let alone 3 days out of 4! Hey ho, needs must.

Although I'm primarily training with Ironman UK in mind (base, base, base!) I have my first race of the year coming up next month (Stokesley Duathlon) so this week I thought I'd better introduce a bit of speed work into my regime.

Its been a while since I've done any out and out speed work on the turbo but it made a nice change. Mondays early sesh was simply 1 min fast (minimum 95 rpm) 1 min easy, repeated 10 times. I did 3 sets with 5 min easy spinning between. This was a pretty tough workout so the evening session was a bit of core and a LOT of stretching! All my weekday bike sessions last week were on the turbo (yawn...) but the days are getting longer so hopefully it won't be too long before I get the chance to ride on tarmac before and after work.

My 'break through' swim this week was 7 x 300m on 5 mins. This was a good old lung buster! This was done on Wednesday; I don't normally feel too sore after swimming but my shoulders and triceps were still smarting on Friday night during my long swim of 3.4km (well, it's long for me!)

Running wise, during the week I kept to my 'speed theme' with some 'sharp' intervals and even managed my first hills session in nearly a year! I'd kept away from dedicated hill workouts since I struggled to shake off a couple of annoying calf injuries last year so it felt great to feel the pain that only hill reps can dish out! With the weather on Saturday being almost tropical, well double figures, I managed a 12 mile run in a short sleeve top! Felt good on the run and felt I was taking it fairly easy so was surprised to clock 1hr20.

My Sunday ride was a brisk 2 hr 30, on my race bike, followed by a 20 min run. It felt good to unleash my carbon steed for the first time in ages!

Monday this week is a rest day, which will be my first total rest day in 2 weeks. I feel as though I need it too, my legs are a tad sore.

It's fitness test time on Tuesday so I will see if I've improved on my last test back in September. (14:4 to beat on the run, 70 press-ups and 52 sit-ups). As far as the rest of the week goes, I'm on nights for most of it so hopefully it'll be, 'wot, no turbo?'

Stay fit.

Blog's Away!!

Well, this is it..my very first post on my very first blog!

I thought I'd give this blog lark a shot, mainly to force me into taking a more organised approach to my training. Time will tell if it works!!

I suppose I should put in a few details about myself to start with.

I'm 39 years young and will hit the big four 'oh' in July this year. I have a lovely and very (ish) understanding tri widow wife and 2 great boys (13 and 15) and live near York in North Yorkshire.

My sporting background is in running, which I started at around 11 years old and sort of dipped in and out of until my mid 20's. I was never a superstar but did compete at county level until leaving college and reached my 'peak' with a 2 min 800m in my early 20's. From then on I dabbled with football and hockey until I saw the light and found triathlon whilst serving in Cyprus in 2005.

When you start a new sport like tri, (especially in the warm weather of the Med) if you get hooked you can make quite quick gains which only serves to get you even more hooked!

Those early super sprint races, for me, were all about surviving the 300m sea swim, then I would spend most of the bike (mountain variety) thanking my lucky stars that I had actually made it out of the water in one piece! As most of you know, the buzz you get from completing your first tri is awesome and was enough for me to realise that I wanted to be more competitive.

In Cyprus I was fortunate enough to have some great facilities right on my doorstep and a club with some very experienced athletes who were happy to pass on tons of tips and advice.

By the time I left Cyprus at the end of 2007, I had managed to get my standard distance time down to 2 hr 10 mins, due to a fair bit of hard training and a bling bike!

Returning from Cyprus I picked up a couple of persistent calf injuries and kinda 'limped' through 2008, only competing in a few races.

So, bring on 2009! So far things are going pretty well and my base training has been going according to plan i.e. NO INJURIES!

I have been fortunate to pick up a place in the TriUK Team for 2009 and am looking forward to racing for them. Also, because I am currently a member of the RAF Elite Team, I get a supply of For Goodness Shakes which are an excellent way to refuel my poor old muscles after a session. I will also be stuffing my face with Eat Natural Bars at every opportunity!

Although I am 'going long' this year, attempting IM UK in Aug (somewhere in Bolton!) I am still planning to have a pretty fun packed race calendar as long as my limbs can take it!

I reckon I've waffled enough for my first post, so that's it for now, stay fit.