tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29344541310557500352024-03-14T01:41:43.452-07:00runtilyoudropTrivial tribulations of a triathleteruntilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-36722149428222031472018-03-03T07:48:00.003-08:002018-03-03T07:48:26.122-08:00what I learnt last yearSo the blog that does not want to die!<br />
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Training again after last years reboot. I learnt that running is hard on your body (again) and that Ironman gets tougher as you get older. I leant that you can enjoy Ironman when your walking on the run and when you stop chasing a goal! I learnt that there is a lot of fun to be had cycling with a bunch of friends through some mountains. I learnt that if you do lots of rehab and free weights you can get Achilles tendonitis better. I learnt that the Stratford Olympic Pool is beautiful to swim in when they shut the lido. I learnt again that when you stop training it is hard to get going again and age seems to be a key factor in this. I learnt that wine meat and chocolate have lots of calories. I learnt I can no longer go with the ‘fast’ group. I learnt that no matter what your training your ego can still plan a race your body can’t deliver. I learnt that the journey is the point and the outcome is irrelevant. I learnt that the desire for an outcome creates the journey. I learnt that all that training can be time consuming and selfish. I learnt that sometimes it’s ok to be a bit selfish if it’s keeps your world in balance.<br />
<a name='more'></a>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-62790456004367611862017-01-17T10:02:00.000-08:002017-01-17T10:02:18.695-08:00Back to the future- Ironman and NHSI have signed up to do another Ironman after a 3 year gap. A lot has happened in this time. I have become ever more engaged with the NHS and have become committed to trying to sustain and maintain the principles of this national institution. I have learnt more about leadership as a member of The Nye Bevan Leadership Programme and I have reflected widely on why I do the things I do. I put on weight, and everyone said how well I looked! I have watched my children developing into adults and amaze me with their knowledge skills and abilities. I have tried to convince myself I am comfortable with who and what I am. However even at 47 I still feel the need to challenge myself to be better than I am and to achieve "goals" that may or may not be valid.<br />
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So back to training which definitely gets harder to do as the years go by, or perhaps more accurately harder to recover from. Hard sessions leave me immobile and need 48 hrs recovery. All running seems to carry the risk of injury. But I have a few tricks and tools to help.<br />
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Firstly a dog as a running partner! Sometimes good company sometimes he runs of, mostly he ensures I get plenty of breaks on my runs with him. Secondly ten plus years of training helps me get a good idea of what has worked for me in the past. Next is a desire to look more carefully at my diet to see what potential benefits it can have on my general wellbeing by focussing on "better" diet. Above all is now a recognition that I do these things because I enjoy them, and want to do them.... although that can be hard to remember when you climb out of bed in the cold and dark for an early morning bike ride.<br />
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Alongside my training I want to develop knowledge about what needs to be done to sustain the NHS. We all need to understand what a great thing it is and how limited and limiting the alternatives we'd be. So to quote Nye Bevan<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "sans serif"; font-size: 28px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "sans serif"; font-size: 28px;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: 'linux libertine', georgia, times, serif; font-size: 18px;">" The collective principle asserts that... no society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means. "</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "sans serif"; font-size: 28px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #252525; font-family: 'linux libertine', georgia, times, serif; font-size: 18px;">—Aneurin Bevan, </span><cite style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252525; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-image: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Place of Fear</i></cite></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , "sans serif"; font-size: 28px;"><cite style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252525; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-image: none; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></i></cite></span>
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The quality of our society will be much greatly diminished if we fail to sustain this principle and allowed the NHS to fall into an irreversible decline.</div>
runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-82640817577524984142014-05-07T12:25:00.002-07:002014-05-07T23:07:54.666-07:00280K bike and 36x100 m off 1:45Liege Bastogne Liege is the doyenne of the spring classics for the pro cyclists. In other words it is very hard work. Last weekend I successfully completed the ride along with the LFTC crew and my old mate Jevon. I clocked 295km by the time I had ridden to the start and back and taken a minor detour. In order to avoid the race scenario of most sportives they had 4 timed climbs in the last 60 km or so which I studiously ignored as I focused on getting finished. I think it would really helped my race if on the Sunday I had not tried to drink a beer for every 10 km of the race.<br />
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I learnt as ever that there is always the odd thousand people faster, but that I am feeling generally pretty strong. Going into IM Lanzarote I am confident that I should be under the 6 hrs but feel I have not yet developed the top end power that comes from a few short course races and a few more turbo sessions.<br />
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Te swimming feels good. Today's key set was 36 x 100m pushing off the wall every 1:45. The goal was to hit 1:30 or under for every 100m rep. Apart from a slightly tough patch around 25-28 reps I managed this. The last 6 reps were not technically the finest but I got them done. I am now confident that my swim will be good enough and should see me around the hour.<br />
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Which brings me to the run. I have managed to find some form but I am under run. I know I do not have the volume to hold it together at the pace I would like to go. I hope that. By using a run walk strategy, I plan to walk 80 steps every mile, I will be able to hold of the fatigue for longer but doubt I will do much better than a 3:45.<br />
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Which means if I run to plan for the first time I should get under 11 hours at Lanzarote. Well you gotta have a goal!runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-38205286839009672512014-04-21T14:53:00.000-07:002014-04-21T14:53:31.444-07:00Running- and no ATSo finally running is coming on but boy is it a hard grind. The physical effects of a long run seem to me now to be my key limiter. Following the 10 % rule of run progression ( don't increase run volume by greater than 10 % in any week) I can now get 17 miles without stopping or any Achilles tendinitis.<br />
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Oh joy to not have the deep pain of AT, that ache in the morning, the discomfort at the start of the run that often eases after a few miles only to come back as your run progresses and then that bite again the following morning. What do I attribute to this success so far.... because I fear it can come back at a drop of a hat! Well I think it was lots of free weights especially deep squats and springing up at the end as well as swinging some kettle bells done during the autumn. This dynamic loading of my Achilles has presumably built up the strength there and made them stronger!<br />
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With under 4 weeks to Lanzarote I need to balance the recovery from the long runs with the need for more endurance and a desire to get the run more progressed for IMUK. I plan to try and get two more in with my last long run being 12 days out from IM Lanza. Will it work will the taper be long enough? Who knows but it will be interesting to see.<br />
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Before Lanzarote there is the small matter of Liege Bastogne Liege 270-280 km of Belgium hills with 4500 m of climbing. It seemed such a good idea back in October. I am hoping it will push my biking to breaking point but not beyond allowing a bounce back in time for the IM. At least the bike leg will seem like a breeze after this.<br />
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Finally planning to do the london triathlon two weeks after Lanzarote which is going to be interesting. Speed work 2 weeks after an Ironman usually hurts! Another interesting idea. I must stop having them.<br />
<br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-21118166001386129202014-04-18T10:19:00.002-07:002014-04-21T14:53:56.211-07:00Progress<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At 46 years I don't feel old.... But I no longer feel young either. Ironman training is good simulation for the ageing progress. You tend to feel tired a lot of the time, it sometimes hurts to get up in the morning but you know your not going to stop you doing what you need to do. You also get a bit wiser with experience knowing perhaps when to back off and when there is still a bit more to be gained. More attention to recovery is required and I find more and more that the short intensity stuff leaves me fatigued and eats into the next session of training.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This year has seen some highly motivated LFTCers doing regular long weekend rides; This, along with a focus on a small little sportive, Liege Bastogne Liege, has seen my out riding regularly each weekend and boy has it helped. The team ethic of getting out early and getting it done has enabled us to put in some big miles and climbs. Watching others getting stronger and more confident has been great and I am looking forward to some really strong bike rides from a few club members at Ironman France.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With Ironman Lanzarote I am pretty confident I am in a good place for my swimming and cycling. The running has progressed with 5 weeks of injury free running but I am short on volume. As result I am planning to try a minimal taper for Lanzarote and hopefully a smooth transition into a block of run training for IMUK. You never know, with the right balance, I should be there or thereabouts come Bolton.</span>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-72116852042405848152014-03-11T04:35:00.001-07:002014-03-11T04:36:52.835-07:00Riding longerFor those with an interest I authored a blog on LFTC club blog on my insights into the bike leg of an ironman race. <a href="http://lftri.co.uk/blog/2014/feb/its-all-about-bike">Its-all-about-bike</a><br />
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Continuing the theme I though I would report back on my first ever audax or randonneur event that I participated in with John from LFTC.<br />
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What is an <a href="http://www.aukweb.net/home/">Audax</a> and why bother? Audax is long distance cycling. A bit like a low rent sportive you are given a list of directions to follow a route, and more recently a gpx file for your garmin. Along the route will be various checkpoints some manned and others asking you to identify some unique information (like who's name is on the bench at the crossroads in the middle of wherever it is you are meant to be going). Some of the checkpoints have got a cafe or e.g. At the town hall on our first stop they were doing tea and bacon butties.<br />
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Another term for these events are reliability rides. It is more amiable than a sportive and yet still suitably challenging. Kind of like a large club ride but with people you don't know. Inevitably you form groups and after about 60 km I spent the remaining 150 km with pretty much the same group.<br />
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The advantage of the route is you use someone else's knowledge to guide you on a long ride via some interesting scenery. It was fun. Occasionally we would miss the route but a combination of garmins and paper quickly out us back on track.<br />
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The ride itself was fun if a bit on the flat side and with a last 20 km into Southall and out again! Not sure why this was felt to be a good idea and coined a new term the urban audax. Apparently this is not the goal.<br />
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Finished with 208 km 7 hrs 30 mins or so of riding and a bit of sunburn. I felt particularly good in the run iand did some strong pulls on the front.<br />
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Next stop is Liege Bastard Liege in april 25th which is 270 km with a lot of hills. Should be fun.<br />
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... the less said about running the better.<br />
<br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-22521262010575217472013-09-21T06:45:00.000-07:002013-09-21T06:45:38.396-07:00Pushing Iron?Its official the IM Lanzarote entry is done. So base training is officially started.<br />
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The goals this side of Xmas is to get some miles back in the saddle with some regular 4 hr rides and to build some muscle. The adviec from many aged triathlon (Friel, Allen, Gordo) gurus is that the older you get the more important the weights become. So I have embarked on a 12 week conditioning programme to put on a bit of bulk which should see me a bit stronger as I start to push things come Spring time.<br />
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The aim is to prevent training injuries and increase overall muscular endurance. Meanwhile swimming is improving but running seems like a forgotten art. Hopefully it is something I can relearn as running has always been my key limiter in races. To really succeed in placing well in an ironman the marathon needs to be at least a 3:30 in my AG to get up towards the sharp end and ideally a bit faster still. With one run at 3:24 I know this achievable but also know it needs a consistent steady approach.<br />
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So back to th weights.... And the isolation of underused muscle groups. They can sure ache a few days later but I hope soon this will become less as I get used to the training stress. Kettle bells seem to feature as a particular source of agony and it is official I bench press like a girl!runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-71699515541121325762013-08-14T05:41:00.000-07:002013-08-14T05:41:06.315-07:00Back in TrainingIt's been a while since I posted. A whole year in fact. Last year life overtook any aspirations in training which culminated in standing on the banks of lake Zurich disillusioned with the whole ironman thing. A year away a few running injuries and some unmet goals see me looking forward to returning to Ironman in 2014. While training has not been zero it has not been great. Demoted a lane at the Tri club and dropped regularly when circling Regents Park I know there is a lot to be done.<br />
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Luckily as ever I have a plan....<br />
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Some of the plan is to fully address my key limiters to performance e.g. The run. Some of the plan is getting the life work balance back. Some of the plan is to use the knowledge from 9 previous ironmans to set a new performance best.<br />
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<br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-82566943509379771542012-07-21T01:32:00.000-07:002012-07-21T01:32:34.369-07:00Reality Bites IM Switzerland Race Report<a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/559321_10151919733690459_2034308073_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/559321_10151919733690459_2034308073_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>This was my third time of entering IMCH and my second time of racing after pulling out in 2010. My <a href="http://runtilyoudrop.blogspot.co.uk/2009_07_01_archive.html">first race here was pretty good.</a> I thought this was a course suited to my strengths with a fast bike course with some steady hills and then an "interesting" run which was protected from the sun and to my mind provided enough variation to keep from getting overwhelmed by the distance.<br />
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Preparation had been patchy this year as the shere volume of work has left me unable or unwilling to meet the previous years training volumes. The endless rain had not helped, seeing me fail to get out for several weekends when I could not face getting drenched, but with a confidence built from experience and my previous race here I was quietly confident of a good performance around 10 hours and talking my self up even thought a 9:45 was possible.<br />
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Build up was OK and travel arrangements all went smoothly.<br />
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Race day arrived with mixed weather assumed and soon we were at the swim start. In 2009 we started in the water this year we started on the bank. As I stood waiting I chatted with a German who was calm and mentioned how he was a bit underwhelmed being at the start of another ironman (I guess he had done a few). The swim started and the next 10 minutes were some of the toughest swimming I have ever had. People could not swim straight and kept going over my legs pushing me down. I was maxxed out until we reached the first buoy. Having trained to recover in the swim I was able to get it under control but it was a tough start. The rest of the swim went smoothly, with no repeat of getting lost as I managed in 2009. In fact having bothered to work out the sighting from the second buoy I swam a much straighter line than most from the second buoy since I swam to the bridge and not to the island. Out onto the island you then run across and jump back in for a second lap. All felt well and I was swimming what felt a good time.<br />
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Out of the water and got some cheers from LFTRI club supporters, a first for me coming out of the swim! In T1 I decided on a gilet and arm warmers and was soon out zipping with the lake to my side. I felt I was not pushing too hard but was at a level I thought I could sustain. My heart rate was around 150 which was probably too high!! the first 40 km were nailed in 1:04 (a lot of flat and a small hill). The draft fest of previous years was not so obvious and the busters were out there doing their work with plenty of whistling, words and a few yellow cards. The first inkling of trouble to come came at the beast, a climb a bit like boxhill only longer. I was one paced up the hill and had no zip, OK I thought my legs are misbehaving they will come back. I pushed on and went through the first lap in 2:31 a repeat of 2009. Back alongside the Lake and I was still going well and until we turned inland and up the hill. First one went fine, then there was some descent and then another small hill, <br />
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Suddenly it felt like it was all over! I started to bonk, lost all power and had to really concentrate to stay upright. Slowing I concentrated on eating and drinking. I realised I had not been fuelling properly and my lack of recent cycling became apparent. The next 50 km were tough. There is a long drag up past the tram line which seemed to last forever. Rain, hail, sun whatever the weather made little practical difference to me as I battled with my body to keep going. Back into Zurich and I rallied a bit only to blow again in the last 10km. It is a funny thing to look down at your legs and wonder why they just wont work. I was struggling to get 20 mph on a flat road with the wind behind me. Finally I entered T2 my race plan blown and the realisation that I still had a marathon to do from the worst position I could think of.<br />
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T2 was slow. I broke my watch and thought long and hard about whether I really wanted to struggle through a marathon. The thoughts of all my team mates and supporters was enough to get me out on the run but it felt tough and the idea of completing seemed unlikely. However 8 previous ironman races has some advantages. I knew I just had to keep going if I was to finish. I knew I needed to concentrate on feeding and beating the fatigue and not worry how fast I was going. I knew that their would be some better patches at some point when I might be able to pick up time. I knew to not think about the whole but to focus on short goals, the next feed station the next distance marker the next lap. I also knew to find energy from supporters helpers other athletes, each interaction however small breaks up the mental battle with yourself, a smile, a little shout of support a brief shared moment all help to break the mental challenge or persuading your body to do something it does not want to. It was not pretty but it was done. In fact the fastest split of the day was my last 3 km (running at a pace that last year I sustained for the whole of the marathon).<br />
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So it was done.<br />
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Some more reflections are needed but the reality is that my race represents my training fairly. The challenges of work this year have left me with less time and energy to commit to my training. 10 hrs 30 minutes is respectable but not where I want to race at this time so a review of my goals is needed. Perhaps it is time to take the pressure out of my hobby and race for fun rather than for performance.<br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-64411066879224622162012-06-19T00:08:00.002-07:002012-06-19T00:08:38.034-07:00Not getting slower (much)Back to Wimbleball for another go. After last year I had a plan to come back ready to attack the hills and make a deal of the run. In the next 364 days things did not seem to go to plan and I came back to the same hills and had the same thoughts like "why do I do this?" and "Can I stop now?"<br />
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Race stats<br />
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Swim 28:49<br />
T1 5:33 (armageddon*)<br />
Bike 2:59:16<br />
T2 01:44 (tent to myself)<br />
Run <span style="font-size: x-small;">01:46:47</span><br />
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This roughly equates to what I did last year with bike and swim a bit faster and the run a bit slower.Swim was confident and steady. The T1 experience was hell. At most events I am not in the thick of it coming out of the swim. Because of being in the second wave it was packed and the tent was way to small. This was in keeping with the entire logistics for the event which were frankly appalling and do not bode well for the new WTC led Ironman UK franchise. Still I stayed calm put my kit on got my bike ran to the start line and then....<br />
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More Chaos. About 50 bikes with cyclists variably attached trying to mount on a sharp hill.Some pushing bikes some trying to get their feet into shoes some falling into the bushes and me shouting encouragement ;-). Too many bikes not enough thought! still I then put the hammer down for the first lap pulling along a varied contingent of others. My objective being to get out of the midfield pack deter any wannabees and find some riders on about the right pace. seemed to work. Probably went to hard the first lap and had to rein it in a bit for the second lap but still result was OK.<br />
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Back into to a lovely quiet T2 and out on the run. Soon new what it was going to be and decided to take it steady. Ticked off the laps and came home in a slow time.<br />
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Nice to meet with various trilondoners LFTri folk and other racers and in a better post race environment would have stayed longer. However the whole fiasco of queueing to get in and out meant that I was keen to be out as soon as possible. The recovery tent was mean too. You got a bottle of water some gatorade filth and a hog roast bap. Ur that's is folks. No buffet of nibbles sugary salty stuff tea or coffee. Very poor!<br />
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So what did I learn. That my bike and swim are OK. My running is poor and that the more WTC takes out of a race the less the overall experience. will have to wait for another breakthrough some time else...runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-459366097365502712012-06-08T04:06:00.000-07:002012-06-08T04:06:16.430-07:00Ironman training and the NHS. Alike and not alike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Uk8rrU8YU4X8d1ahYUDhiFkvPsu1-ERbQGdsFdlrGLNiviktSiDsoN-G_eGG8U-wTDuE54lXepdhwVbdd-KL3cZ3YYTz_Zk5Vo60jIzy_gaym3aojP4ckRb18PxOvtQ7rzdsVtByAuPb/s1600/TOW+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Uk8rrU8YU4X8d1ahYUDhiFkvPsu1-ERbQGdsFdlrGLNiviktSiDsoN-G_eGG8U-wTDuE54lXepdhwVbdd-KL3cZ3YYTz_Zk5Vo60jIzy_gaym3aojP4ckRb18PxOvtQ7rzdsVtByAuPb/s320/TOW+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Having a well earned rest with a few days off after doing two days of the Tour of Wessex which is quite simply one of the most enjoyable events I know. The photo above shows myself, Lance and Kris who had agreed at the start of the first day we would take it easy for the first thirty km or so until it we got to Cheddar Gorge. So a full thirty seconds later I fly off down the road with Kris chasing. A group of 4 formed and we were soon hammering it. It was exhilarating as we flew past everybody and all thougths of control were left in the vapour trail as we tore across the flatlands towards Glastonbury Tor. The rest of the 2 days and 220 odd miles were not quite so fast but were just as enjoyable inspite of our tear up at the start.<br />
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Training appears to be catching up and the familiar tiredness that challenges your resolve to start a session hovers around but the commitment to my goal at IM Switzerland remains. In some ways I am perhaps a bit fresher than last year at the same point but not quite so quick (yet!) so long as I dont think about running.<br />
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My plan this year is slowly overcoming the obstacles of illness and work and with under 6 weeks to go I am confident of a performance of sorts but perhaps not the next level I would hope for. <br />
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So how is Ironman like the NHS. Well if I look simply at the process of getting fit for an IM and trying to manage services in the NHS there are clear similarities. I know what my goals are in both. I know what sort of time, resources and commitments are required to get the <em>expected </em>results. For those training for an IM should recognise the effort in part of the equation coupled with some specific IM knowledge should get you near the outcome you hope for. Coupled with this is the endless ironman logic that you need to keep going, making adjustments improving you capacity and keeping site of the final goal. Like wise you would expect that if I plan for a certain level of NHS activity, develop the services ability to deliver and improve on their existing quality indicators then again we should be somewhere in the ballpark. Howver this is where the outcomes can vary dramatically. In the IM there will be a race, it will most likely involve the swim run and bike bit and will come in at around 140 miles in total. If you have trained hard and dont have a major catastrophe I find the results will reflect the training. <br />
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In the NHS the rules change, constantly. One moment you expect to be paid per case the next you are looking at a block contract. One moment you think that you will not be held responsible if you only undertake the work commissioned the next moment you are told you will be responsibile for targets to achieve all the work regardless of whether you are to be paid for it. It is often a strange mix of "third way" internal markets and what I can only describe as neostalinism where we are expected to deliver no matter what the funding or staffing available. So not really like ironman except perhaps for the constanht challenge and the need to persevere through each and every barrier to success.<br />
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Back to training it's a lot simplerruntilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-65047178013494900462012-05-14T13:27:00.000-07:002012-05-14T13:27:42.806-07:00Old lessons750 m swim 50 mile bike 14 mile run<br />
4:22:30 42nd overall<br />
Swim and T1 14:37<br />
Bike and T2 2:19:12<br />
Run 1:48:41<br />
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Had a great days racing yesterday at the <a href="http://www.racenewforest.co.uk/00_Swashbuckler.html">Swashbuckler Triathlon</a>. A beautifully set and thoughtfully organised event it was a pleasure to participate but also a lesson in how sometimes we forget what we already know and sometimes we know what we cannot forget.<br />
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The race was in the Bucklers hard tidal estuary. An early start and cold water meant it was going to be a reduced swim. The race briefing on Saturday and my experience that morning of just how cold it was at 7 a.m. when I went for my club swim had made it clear to me that keeping warm would be a priority on race day.<br />
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Still Saturday was spent 1. Buying a pair of goggles as I had forgotten mine. 2. Buying some water bottles (see1) 3. Buying some energy drink (see 1). 4. Getting my TT bike working since I took it out of storage on friday evening and had not ridden it since IMUK last year!!<br />
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4. Was a bit of an error, I had meant to get the TT bike out sooner but the endless rain had put me off. I had also lost the tape that marked my correct saddle height. Cue much fiddling about in the street behind my brothers house in southampton as I tried to best guess the saddle height.<br />
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Race day started early (04:00hrs) with a 30 min drive I was a bit leisurely and got to the race with 30 mins to go til I was supposed to be in the water. Cue much rushing around. I had decided to wear my woollen baselayer under my wet suit, and planned to put gloves on as well as my neoprene booties and a water/windproof top in T1. Told to hurry to get down to the start and realise my racenumber is in my bag back in my car and I had no socks (I always wear socks and when the air temp is 2 degrees C I definitely wear socks). I run back to the car grab race number, run back to transition and leave my stripey cotton socks and rush down to the slipway to get in the water. The run down across 200m wet cold grass left my feet numb and the 11.6 degrees C water felt warm by comparison.<br />
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I had enough time to get into the water find myself at the front, admire the sunrise and we are OFF! Flat out not sure where I am headed. Use people left and right to guide me. Works well, water not too cold settle in and decide to draft someone as they slowly pass me on my right side. the open water sessions with LFTri are working as let him drag me all the way back at what seems a good pace. Swim was something like 700 m but have no idea if I was fast or slow. Out the water and up the hill and into transition. Takes ages for me to put on booties, top, gloves etc. Watch people going out onto their bike in trisuits, still wet and into a very cold air at 20 mph. Think either they are insane or I am a bit of a southern softie. <br />
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Finally off on the bike. Feels Ok and I am not cold!! A beautiful course, sun, horses and ponies and cows, back ache, arm ache, sore undercarriage, look for a distraction. Some guy comes past with the second placed woman. Rather she comes past with him attached like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remora">remora fish</a> so I start giving him some verbals! Helps me forget my back pain no end. I keep hopping past the girl and her escort . Eventually the remora gets cross and starts threatening me with violence but shows no sign of getting out of the draft! Finally I decide to press on and drop the pair! Second lap was a bit better and finally start catching a few riders. This was nothing like last year when it was rare for any bike to come past me! In the first lap I as taken over by a good 10 bikes. Still I knew I am behind on training so just confirms what I thought.<br />
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The run was perfect (conditions) but again my lack of volume left me one paced (slow) still the journey of two laps was great and in spite of dropping about 10 places in the last 2 miles I was happy to get the job done. And a first for a long time.. my family and my brother's were there to see me finish.<br />
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So I need to bike more run more and get my race prep sorted! 5 weeks to HIMUK, better get the run volume sorted or IMCH is going to be another long day!runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-81461359920078899102012-02-05T07:45:00.000-08:002012-02-05T07:45:44.991-08:00Illness RecoveryLast thursday was the first training I had done for 3 weeks and brought 20 zero days of training to an end. The frustrations to someone who relies on repetition to achieve their goals was not really felt until I was starting to recover from a variety of cold like symptoms. For at least 10 days the idea of any training was ridiculous, but once the rib rattling cough had subsided, the tonsils no longer felt like a flame grilled barbecue and the blocked ears no longer hurt the temptation to start back in was acute. Thankfully a combination of work, family and self reflection meant that I did not rush back into training.<br />
Several things were learnt.<br />
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Being ill was a great way to reflect upon how busy I am when combining all the roles of work, family and training. As I recovered there was just more time in the day. Trying to sometimes fit in the training can lead to stress when the time conflicts arise and I cannot manage the session I had planned, not having to do this meant I was more relaxed. This was balanced by my desire to be fit and to achieve my personal goals and to not lose the fitness gains I had banked through november and december. Further the acceptance of a new role at work means that the time pressures are ging to be even greater and this fed into my general review of the trainning plans for the year.<br />
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As I started to focus on returning to training I had to reconsider my goals and objectives. Clearly an ultramarathon of 32 miles was not going to be a good reintro to my training. A knock on means that training for the Jurassic Coastal Challenge was also off. Plans to improve running through a super base are gone. Since it is the current mantra of the NHS I thought I should practice what I preach which is "More with Less". So the challenge for the year has changed. It is no longer about setting all time best performance but is about finding out if I can do as well with less time.<br />
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Back in the pool and the saddle things felt OK although generally a bit weak. Running was rubbish! To get where I want to be the focus on training will be to look at maximising every sesson done ( a common mantra) but reducing the total number of sessions/hours done.<br />
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So the first goal is to regain my fitness level of 3 weeks ago and then hope to start building. It should be fun!<br />
<br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-30384433029096431482011-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:002011-12-27T10:43:14.634-08:0050 runs in 50 days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Xmas day I completed my 50th run of 50 minutes in 50 days (give or take). This saw me run just under 500kms in the same time period with a weekly average running time of 6hrs and 20 minutes. This is the most running I have sustained, the only other times I have run 6 hrs or more have been in the peak weeks of ironman training or in the build up to a marathon.</div>
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Then I got to thinking. 6 hrs a week is probably not much for a club runner, but I found it tough. I guess to train like a runner is every bit as hard as a triathlete and I am not sure I could cope without the variety. I was still cross training with a couple of swims a week and an average of 4-5 hrs of bike a week but that still equates to quite a doable weekly training volume of 12 hrs or so a week. Yet after a couple of weeks I was tired all the time. I found that whenever I did some sustained efforts whether running swimming or cycling the next few days of running were really tough. No big surprise but this did highlight the effects of intensity when doing constant training. Towards the last week I was focused mostly on just completing the task and found motivation to do anything else almost completely absent.</div>
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So the big question is whether this has done me any good? My cycling and swimming have been held back and with still more focus to come with running until the end of March I dont know. The next part is to work out how to train to run 3 marathons in 3 days while also building my bike volume. I have a few events planned bu worry that 12 weeks is not long enough to build the long distance endurance. We shall see.runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-32463377411253361752011-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:002011-12-11T11:51:15.577-08:00The athlete's heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001243/bin/18141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" mda="true" src="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001243/bin/18141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As I lay in bed the other night I was more aware of my heart beat than normal. All athletes should at some point start learning to listen to their body as it talks to us in many ways. Muscle soreness tells us we have done a harder session or used muscles in ways we are not use to. Muscle pains warn us of impending, or if ignored announce, new injuries. Tiredness tells us we need rest and fever suggests we have some form of infective illness. Part of the monitoring process should include checking your resting pulse from time to time, ideally when you awake as this can warn you about whether your cold is more significant or whether your tiredness is perhaps starting to overreach your fitness.</div>
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What about if you are lying there and you become aware that your pulse is skipping beats or has become irregular? Should we be worried? What should we do? Well as I lay there I could feel a strong beat every third or fourth beat and then when I felt my pulse it was occasionally irregular. So I woke my wife up, she happens to be a doctor, and got her to check it and sure enough it was irregular. Half an hour later I had decided either I had some fatal heart arrhythmia or I had <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1767992/"><span style="color: yellow;">athlete's heart syndrome</span></a>.</div>
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So what is "athlete's heart syndrome" (AHS) and what should you do about it? T<br />
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The most important distinction of AHS is that it is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning you have to exclude more significant causes of heart problems, and that it is essentially benign, meaning that it is not associated with ill health or indeed sudden death which is pretty reassuring.<br />
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<strong><em>So what are the symptoms of athlete's heart syndrome? </em></strong><br />
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Often there are no symptoms but features would include a slow heart rate (the bradycardia of fitness which most endurance athletes are aware of) such as exhibited by TdF cyclist Miguel Indurain who had a resting heart rate of 29 (which is definitely pathological in a non athlete). Other features might include occasional ectopic heart beats, leading to a slightly irregular pulse, but otherwise there is little else.<br />
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Where the problem comes is when you have either an ECG (electronic tracing of your heart rhythm, or an echocardiogram of you heart- an ultrasound scan of your heart which can look at how your heart functions).<br />
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<strong><em>What should you do if you have an irregular heart beat or other "unusual symptoms"?</em></strong><br />
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<strong>1. See your doctor and get some tests</strong><br />
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Firstly you should see you doctor and explain your symptoms: they should arrange some blood tests and a ECG. The blood tests are to exclude biochemical abnormalities such as a low a plasma potassium level, and other things that can cause problems such as an overactive thyroid which can cause arrythmias. They should also enquire about risks factors for arrythmias such as excess caffeine, alcohol, recreational drugs and fatigue all of which can induce abnormal heart rhythms. If you have had arrythmias then you should also have a 24 hr ECG and an echocardiogram.<br />
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<strong>2. The ECG, 24hr ECG and Echocardiogram</strong><br />
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The ECG should be able to identify if you have a pathological heart rhythm, but here it gets difficult. Just like Miguel's heart rate being too slow for the untrained, fit people may have findings on their ECG that would be abnormal in an untrained person. So there is a grey area, and what if you only get the arrhythmia occasionally? If there is still concern then you can have a 24 hr ECG which essentially means having your heart monitored for 24 hrs and an echocardiogram to assess your heart function. The 24 hr ECG should identify if you have a significant risk of heart arrythmias but again should be interpreted with caution since some arrythmias are normal in the fit hea</div>
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rt!<br />
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<strong>3. What is a fit heart, why does it cause problems interpreting tests and who should I see?</strong><br />
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As we train (say more than an hour a day) our heart gets fitter, which means amongst other things the muscle of our heart gets bigger. This occurs especially in the bit that does the most work, the left ventricle or LV for short. When the heart muscle gets bigger it becomes more efficient at pumping blood and is one of the reasons why at rest our heart rate becomes slower, as with each heart beat we can pump more blood around our body. Enlargement of our LV can be pathological and his is one of the key causes of sudden death and is therefore a cause for concern when it is seen on an ECHO study of you heart. It is very unlikely that an athlete who has been training for more than a year at a high level will have a pathological cause of LV enlargement. Where concern arises there are some subtle differences in the pattern of the echo changes between the fit heart and the abnormal heart, and perhaps the ultimate test is to detrain for a period of 1-3 months in which case if it is an athletic heart the LV enlargement should reverse. Where this does not occur it may be pathological (the condition is called <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001243/"><span style="color: yellow;">HOCM</span></a>) and would need further tests.<br />
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<strong>4. Should I be worried?</strong></div>
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Sudden death in training athletes is very rare. Pathological findings are most common in those with less than a year of athletic training under their belt. In the older mid life crisis athlete (typically late thirties early forties with a history of little previous exercise and general poor lifestyle e.g. smoker etc) it is usually due to coronary artery disease resulting in a "heart attack". If you are this person and get chest discomfort on exercise you need to get a check up. In the younger athlete new to regular training<br />
it is nearly always HOCM or occasionally a pathological heart rhythm. A family history may exist in which case you should have a screening test but unfortunately in some the first they know of it can be too late.</div>
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Happily for me my heart studies were completely normal, for an athletes heart, so I can continue training.runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-74053584729423303202011-11-27T06:52:00.001-08:002011-11-27T07:24:28.069-08:00Belligerence<strong>bel·lig·er·ence</strong> /bəˈlɪdʒərəns/ [<em>buh-lij-er-uhns</em>] <br />
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noun <br />
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1. a warlike or aggressively hostile nature, condition, or attitude. <br />
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2. an act of carrying on war; warfare. <br />
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So I started running everyday on <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArBRmYlvSOgzdFpPN0o0dWNIeXRmWUQtZHZzWlliMlE#gid=0">Nov 1st</a>. The goal is to run everyday for an average run of 50 minutes and to try and get to 50 days (Xmas more or less). The rationale behind it is that it will make me a better runner by building the resilience and strength to then carry me through a more challenging programme of some form of ultra training in the build up to the Jurassic coastal challenge. <br />
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Now I am a strong believer in repetition and have had read about and spoken with several who have done this sort of thing in the past. When you think of what <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00m3z1f">Eddie Izzard</a> achieved in running 43 marathons in 51 days this should be a doodle for a multi ironman finisher right! Well firstly I had been recovering from a slight calf niggle, then there was a significant event which curtailed running for a day so 2 days lost in the first week. Not good and even with the unplanned rests I was finding the backing up of day to day runs pretty tough. Alongside this was a slightly reduced training schedule but still 3 bike sessions and 2 swims a week. I started "Zombie" running. This is how I would describe the running when you are tired and really feel like anything other than running but know you are committed to trying to reach your goal. Shoes slapping the pavement (no barefoot runner me!) listening to podcasts of IM talk and Radio 4 I get the run done. <br />
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The problem is days where I only have a single slot to get some training done (such as Thursday when I usually ride) and so the running takes primacy. Long days of work mean that recently I have had to run at 0530 which is really tough- my body does not like it and takes ages to wake up and start functioning. Stiff joints suggest I am ageing and at some point you start to really question the why! A few days in New York was a good break in the routine and a new arena to run in. Jet lag meant I was awake good and early and found myself running round central park with an amazingly large number of fellow runners, who I had to race obviously. <br />
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Which leads to the point of this which is managing the fatigue. With the constant stress of a daily running each additional session is reflected in the following days run. The hardest days are those after a long bike session, or when you push a bit hard (such as beating the American joggers in Central Park) the day before.At 35-40 miles a week this is almost as much running a week as I ever do but somehow feels harder than when I have longer runs but with days off. I am now running against myself, the belligerence to complete the task fights with my more cerebral voice that says there are probably better ways to get the same training effect, but now I don't care. I will be the runner that does the task, I will run at any time day or night to get the job done and I will be tired! <br />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-26613957091241541302011-10-29T09:12:00.000-07:002011-10-31T14:29:48.202-07:00Hard work<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/jpg/1durd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" ida="true" src="http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/jpg/1durd.jpg" width="400" /></a>Went for a gentle 4 hr ride today. It was hard work. As someone who feels I should be able to ride for 4 hrs without much fuss it came as a surprise as I started to find in the last hour that I had become one paced (slow) and tired. I recognised that I had done some reasonable training in the week and some fatigue had developed: I know I have not done many long rides in the last 6 weeks with one thing and another: and yet still I expected to be able to ride better than I did.</div>
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This self image reminds me that it is hard work that enables me to be the person I imagine. It is not some divine innate genetic makeup, it is not anymore the youth, and it is not a consequence of opportunity to train. This hard work AKA training is achieved by doing the sessions in spite of myself. Trying not to lie in on a Thursday morning because it sounds like it is raining outside and the ride will be wet and cold and dark! Not expecting myself to be able to just swim faster because I should do by now, I have had enough practice, but to remember it is the consecutive sessions that make me faster, not the single session.</div>
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Running is where I believe I have most to gain in my drive to become a more complete Ironman. With my goal to qualify for Kona next year I felt that I really need a strong focus to put down some big base running numbers. I attribute this years IM mara PB to a number of things including a greater amount of running!! I dont think this game is rocket science. With this in mind I plan to take on the <a href="http://www.votwo.co.uk/_webapp_1205242/Jurassic_Coast_Challenge_2012">Jurassic Coastal Challenge</a> which is 3 hilly marathons in 3 days running along the coastline of my youth between Poole And Weymouth and beyond. The challenge will be to try and complete this within myself so to speak.. probably a big ask but without this strategy I might well blow a large hole in any IM training planned through April and May.</div>
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The plan is to try some everyday running (just as soon as my calf injury clears up). I plan to try and string together a minimum 6 runs a week through November and December. 30 mins will be enough to qualify as a run but an overall average to exceed 40 minutes a day (which at 4 hrs a week is close to what I can sustain based on previous years). The idea is to build in straightforward resilience to injury (although this could be a good way into injury!) so it looks like my alarm clock is going to be a bit earlier and I think i could do with a new headlamp.</div>
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We will see how strong my appetite for this hard work is, I still plan to ride and swim so will need to be conservative in my efforts across the week. I hope that by the end of December I will be running strong and ready then to move into some more extensive run training to get me ready for a 3 day ultradistance endurance challenge.<br />
<img height="66" src="http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/jpg/1durd.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 482px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 60px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-83324143336399842172011-09-18T09:33:00.000-07:002011-09-18T09:33:10.697-07:00Detraining, weight gains, life gains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KvuXwY-MZVs-URCMxv12X5Cx-r1kWIH9mbYBrLi6wCkPrFQ7JdlzN9yPrd0zfV_IARIHKzBtd0CZLtqHI9Xq_4OqZqGWVoC3qmbMCS5I6xpTrvYOjydZ55sA_TaUAymo36GQN8rkNXyz/s1600/sept+11+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KvuXwY-MZVs-URCMxv12X5Cx-r1kWIH9mbYBrLi6wCkPrFQ7JdlzN9yPrd0zfV_IARIHKzBtd0CZLtqHI9Xq_4OqZqGWVoC3qmbMCS5I6xpTrvYOjydZ55sA_TaUAymo36GQN8rkNXyz/s320/sept+11+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
6 months of focussed training towards my season goals and I had reached a point where I needed rest. My year is split in two. I allow six months where Ironman takes shall we say a <em>higher</em> precedence in my scheduling and then six months where I push it further back and focus on the rest of my life. Summer holidays are my time to focus on my family and as a consequence training is allowed to be completely random and non focussed. This meant I ran about 3 times a week across the month of August in a variety of scenic and invariably hilly locations, such as the bay in Brittany pictured above. Cycling was almost largely limited to slow pootling about at the pace of a fit 9 year old and swimming was mostly surfing and bodyboarding. <br />
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At the end of IMUK I weighed 76kg. This increased to 78 kg when I rehydrated. By the end of August after some serious quality barbecues supplemented by red wine I had boosted my weight to 83.6 kg. Healthwise this is probably my ideal weight. I know when I train the weight will move again but feel that below 80 kg I become susceptible to colds and general illness. The month off was clearly necessary to put my body back together after a punishing schedule of races and working but the payback when I went round Regents Park with the Rouleurs was to be spat out the back afer 4 laps of tempo riding and swimming felt more like controlled drowning. <br />
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Experience however is a wonderful thing. With the return of school and work schedules comes the more regular training slots and sessions with <a href="http://lftriathlon.blogspot.com/">London Fields Tri</a>. I know that slowly the muscles will get acclimatised again and the specific fitness will recover. That said I am in no rush to do anything other than keep ticking over. I have started back doing weights to build a bit of muscle mass as a buffer against age and injury, and after much decision have decided this autumn I will mostly be doing cyclcross (of which more later!).<br />
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Next years goal is simple. I plan to try and qualify for Kona. runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-31082765558434076402011-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:002011-08-01T23:16:47.280-07:00IRONMAN UK 2011<a href="http://images.scribblelive.com/2011/7/31/82ad7b23-4dfd-4009-ba35-d486c52524ea.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 399px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 600px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.scribblelive.com/2011/7/31/82ad7b23-4dfd-4009-ba35-d486c52524ea.jpg" /></a><br />Short report 10:15;19 12th 40-44AG<br /><br />I will start this by saying how much I enjoyed the UK Ironman race and how much I rate the course which was a big surprise to me! My previous experience of <span style="font-size:78%;">TRIUK</span> the old organisers was abysmal. Their approach to everything seemed wrong and their finished product was often poor. That said there is a lot the new race organisers need to improve on but the swim bike and run courses were all great. Most credit must go to the people of Bolton who really seemed to take the race to their hearts as the support out on the run course was fantastic and their encouragement seemed so genuine. I think the race should stay in Bolton but they need to work on the athlete experience pre and post race.<br /><br />So to race day. I was feeling a bit rough still with the tail end of a viral infection and was wondering how it was going to go. I got out into the lake early as I was worried about there being a crowd at the start line. I need not have been, there was plenty of room and compared to the start of the HIMUK it was positively gentile. The water was nice and warm, and off we went. I took the first 200m a lot easier than at Austria, which was possible as there was much less crowding. At the first turn at about 700m I found the feet of someone who could swim straight and just a bit faster than me. Perfect, I then drafted him for the next lap. He pulled me past several groups although I finally lost his feet at a turn and could not get back. No worries I felt strong and cruised the last 800m in without a clue what time I had done.<br /><br />SWIM 56;41 (so it the swim distance was short!!!) 15th AG 91 overall<br /><br />Out onto the bike. As per plan I started quite steadily. This still saw me flying past any number of good swimmers (that is anyone faster then me in the water). To begin with it was all reasonably flat, although road surfaces were poor so I rode the white line with some effect. The route takes you north up towards the 34 mile circuit that you repeat 3 times to make the bulk of the course. Soon I started going up, past a feed station a quick decent and thanks to <a href="http://www.energypics.co.uk/">WIGANERS</a> guide to the route new I must be about to start the sheep house lane climb. It was not so bad and easily done first time round in the saddle with a 39x26 gear. The next part of the loop was downhillish and flatish. This saw me catch up with <a href="http://velojoc.blogspot.com/">Jo</a> 4th female before I pushed hard on another flattish section which saw me catch the third female pro. I was then surprised by a lot more steady rises where I soon lost the 3rd pro. None were really too hilly but nothing was too flat either. This and quite a lot of twists and turns made for hard work on the bike. Still as I finished the first lap and repeated the climb of sheep house lane I was feeling strong. Unlike Austria there were no big bunches and I spent most of the time riding on my own.<br /><br />The second lap followed the same pattern as the first: fast on the flat section after sheep hill and then surprised, you would think I would learn, at the long drag in the second half. I was however hot and conscious that my nutrition was not as good as it could be and I had backache. This is usually because I have not spent enough time in the saddle or my blood sugar is low. The truth is I think I was going a bit too hard so my HR was too high and hence my gut was not tolerating the food as well as I would hope. The third time up sheep hill I was out of the saddle and no longer had a choice over my cadence. I was not able to push quite so hard on the next flat section and was caught by a line of 3 others. I kept with them but started to feel tired, my legs were dull and would not respond to my commands for more power without a large amount of effort. At the end of the third lap I had 112 miles on the clock and expected a quick arrival at T2. Sadly for me there were still a few more miles which hurt more then they should. Finally of the bike, a quick change and I was out onto the run.<br /><br />BIKE 5:40;57 (114 miles?) 6th AG 48th overall<br /><br />Another quick change and Iwas out on the run. I had driven this bit in a car the day before and new the first 3 miles were essentially downhill. My legs felt dreadful. At Austria I had run the first mile in under 7 minutes and then settled into a 7.45 min miles for the next 16 miles or so. This time the first mile was only just under 8 mins and that was downhill. Usually it takes me 3 or so miles before I know how the IM marathon is going to be. This is because that is how long roughly it takes to forget I have just cycled 112 miles and focus on how far exactly I have to run! 3 miles in and I still felt rubbish. Every 2-3 minutes I would here the flop flop of trainers as another good runner (anyone faster than me!) slowly gained and then passed me. I had been passed by over ten in the first 5 miles.<br /><br />Well ironman is not meant to be easy. So I knuckled down, banished the demons and put my race face on. The run route into Bolton town centre was great. The crowd support was huge and the run was hilly. Did I mention that? After a run from T2 down to Bolton town centre we then did 3 x 6 mile loops (only they were a bit shorter than that). Half the loop was positively up hill and half was down hill. My uphill miles took about 40 secs longer than my downhill ones!!<br /><br />Great support from some trilondoners Lotte and Andy in particular helped me through some of the darker patches. Using all the tricks to keep the mind focused on short term goals, positive thinking and the desire to just get the thing done I was soon running down the hill for the last time. My maths had me a bit suspicious for the finish time since I reckoned to be running just under 9 min/mile but the finish seemed to come at least 15 mins early! My run had let me down.<br /><br />RUN 3:32;51 12th AG 71 overall<br /><br />TOTAL 10:15;19<br />I needed to run 10 mins quicker to get a slot for Kona. Coulda woulda shoulda.<br /><br />There is always next time.runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-11456960154556860332011-07-27T12:23:00.000-07:002011-07-27T13:25:17.489-07:00The best laid plans and of mice and men..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok_UsnrsJY1jvMzMXQkPwhTAyuY27bqq4XMP3Ni6wQYRHU3BuR9OIuzurM9iz9R_Vu-5T-DYOxK6pw8RiULLiJ1kYPRxA75B5Ofu0SJlPMfPI5UsM4oAe0W9gKLg1Xwc5C-pSgW-W99fi/s1600/web-IKBA2524.jpeg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634130365343597586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok_UsnrsJY1jvMzMXQkPwhTAyuY27bqq4XMP3Ni6wQYRHU3BuR9OIuzurM9iz9R_Vu-5T-DYOxK6pw8RiULLiJ1kYPRxA75B5Ofu0SJlPMfPI5UsM4oAe0W9gKLg1Xwc5C-pSgW-W99fi/s320/web-IKBA2524.jpeg" /></a><br /><br /><div>.. Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain.</div><br /><br /><div>Just about sums up where I am heading into Ironman UK. A cold took hold last weds and by Saturday I was under its spell. I forced myself out for a 40 min run and then retired hurt for the next 2 days to the sofa. Plans to keep the training rolling were shelved. Out of 7 days I drew 4 blanks and those day I did train were pretty useless. The last two days have seen a recovery and I have done a few simple sessions to try and kickstart my body.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>So what for the race. With the virus clearing I think I might run into some form but I am not certain of this. I think degree of conservatism in this race is called for. Unlike IMA I am not chasing any PBs (besides it is not the race for this). I also think I cannot afford to throw myself into the race and hang on, At probably an hour longer I need to think more about racing and nutrition. With this in mind I will start out conservatively on the bike and look to build into the laps. Riding without having seen the course before I will aim to be smooth rather than hurried on the first lap. I will wait til the third lap to see if I can push and hope to finish having completed my nutrition goals and with enough in the tank to run a solid 3:30 marathon.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Times here look slow, IM lanza slow which means I should expect to add at least an hour to my IMA time so my goal is to go 10:30, anything more will be a bonus. </div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-58799227654510997082011-07-13T13:35:00.000-07:002011-07-13T14:02:29.796-07:00Halfway?<a href="http://summer.visitmanchester.com/media/uploads/2011/06/30/ironman_jpg_225x225_crop_upscale_q85.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 225px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://summer.visitmanchester.com/media/uploads/2011/06/30/ironman_jpg_225x225_crop_upscale_q85.jpg" /></a> So I am roughly halfway between IM Austria and IM Bolton. After exceeding all my expectations at Klagenfurt I have found the motivation to go on towards Bolton with a bit of confidence in my step. I have managed to gently ease my way back into training post Klagenfurt with some gentle swims and bike rides and now 2 runs. The fatigue seems to be easing and my legs are coming back. <br /><div></div><br /><div>Having read around doing Ironmans only 4 weeks apart and having done ironman races 6 weeks apart on two occasions I have clear ideas around how I want to approach this period. Given that I am a the subject of my own training trial I thought I should go with my hunches which is as follows.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Week 1 saw me do 4 and a half hours of exercise capped at a HR of 130 (in fact anything that felt like exertion). This week I have started to build my workload and plan some specific sets including hill sessions on the bike and some speed work on the runs (since I figure I can bank on the endurance from the ironman marathon just done). Next week should see me hit a build week of around 18 hrs (from Sunday to Friday) and then I will be into a short one week taper.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Will it work? I dont know but I feel confident for having a plan, I will listen to my body and the fatigue that is inevitably there and we will see what happens. The balance between fitness and fatigue will be different for the next race and I will be trading a bit more fatigue against a bit more fitness. If I get it right then I think this could be my best performance if I get it wrong then I will learn from this and try something different next time. Lets go Bolton.</div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-85851908198426113852011-07-03T19:31:00.000-07:002011-07-27T13:27:32.849-07:00Sleepless in Klagenfurt- a race report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0o9vCEmG9duVyNqKrSLGLPBHR11y366Q_3o6s1_FAKfUVIGXlrYCRjRDBSAg4-O43FZoxzwZBAGS1G-WPbOHHznnrOEzGL4kaV5VjYhb9CYHbmfWmTma_m18L3pRMHDHEreOL-YKvzJr/s1600/web-IKEA0182.jpeg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634131301551215650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0o9vCEmG9duVyNqKrSLGLPBHR11y366Q_3o6s1_FAKfUVIGXlrYCRjRDBSAg4-O43FZoxzwZBAGS1G-WPbOHHznnrOEzGL4kaV5VjYhb9CYHbmfWmTma_m18L3pRMHDHEreOL-YKvzJr/s320/web-IKEA0182.jpeg" /></a><br /><br /><div>It is 3.30 in the morning Monday about 13 hrs after finishing IM Austria here in Klagenfurt. My legs are extremely sore and I have got sunburn in some interesting places in spite of using my reliable (sic?) P20 sun protection. Unable to sleep I have plenty of time to share my race experience from yesterday.<br /><br />The build up to the race has been pretty solid. A bike crash about 5 weeks ago was a slight hiatus which saw a few weeks where training was uncomfortable due to a cracked rib or two but otherwise the buld has been good. Two weeks back I did UK 70.3 which is a tough course and saw me worried about recovering in time for this race... but by the beginning of last week with a short taper I started to feel good.<br /><br />Race day had all the usual shennanigans including the never ending queues for a toilet in the hour before race start. Into the water went 2800 racers and as ever there was no way they could hold the athletes back and with a boom of the cannon (well maybe cause i could not here it) we were off.<br /><br />I had decided to go in the middle and fight for my space and try and get pulled along in the melee. I guess it worked. at the first turn (after about1.2 km) thee was a massive squeeze as we all converged on a buoy and I was literall lifted out the water!! Better up then down I thought. You then swim across and then back up a canal. Sighting was tricky and I guess I veered all over the place. The last km is up a canal which is always fun and finally I was sprinting for the swim exit.<br /><br />SWIM 59.54 a new pb.<br /><br />Transition this year was a 400m run away. Smoothly through transition and I was off. I settled into a groove and rode within myself. I know this course well it being my third time here and new to save my efforts for the second half. plenty of bikes whizzing past but I was happy with my pace. There was an additonal 400m stretch with a dead turn to account for the new sited transition. The first time round this I managed to overcook it and ended up in the soft verge and then the ditch. No harm done but for some dented pride and a valuable 30 seconds or so. I laughed and a fellow Brit said it looked really funny but promised to keep it to himself.<br /><br />the only other experience form the first lap of note was having an improptu shower from Mario some <a href="mailto:t@sser">t@sser</a> who thought it woud be Ok to empty his bladder on a downhill with me only about 20 metres behind. I shared a few anglosaxon words with him!<br /><br />Second lap and I was ready to work. With a headwind and it being quite flat there was quite a bit of bunching. that said I worked farily in a paceline and more often than not was pushing past at the front. There was some blatant drafting going on and unlike others I saw a number of racers get time penalties given. The second lap I managed to get round the corner without mishap. I had this pleasant period where on mostt of the steady up hill sections (as opposed to the sharper climbs) I was picking of riders constantly. This was a new experience for me in Iroman (and one I like!) although the bunches would then come back to you on the gentle downhills that followed.<br /><br />I faded a bit in the last 20 km but concentrated on tapping out a steady rhythm and was soon back into T2. I had no idea what my bike split was as my computer had failed.. which probably helped as I had no real conception of how fast I had gone!<br /><br />BIKE 4.53.22<br /><br />and out onto the run. My first mile split was a sub 7! I also had a massive stitch which lasted about 3 miles and I think is related to my bike crash as it was on the same side. For the first 30 mins theere were a number of runners who went steaming past, which is normal for me, but after a while they stopped. I was now doing some solid 7.40 splits which felt good and my body was telling me to go faster. My brain said you have never sustained this sort of pace and if you think you can go faster then wait til mile 20! So I settled in and tried to keep it consistent. At about mile ten I saw <a href="http://www.everydaytraining.org.uk/">Steven</a> coming in the opposite direction. Now Steven is much faster than me and I assumed he must have had a mechanical on his bike or something as I had never been this close (and still had no idea how fast I was going). At this point I though a sub 9.50 was about wher I was at!<br /><br />By halfway I was catching and passing plenty including some who had gone off to fast. This a new experience for me in an ironman! The pain was starting to turn up a notch but I focused on getting the gels down and drinking. Mile 17 and bang my righ hamstring cramped like I had been shot. No reason why, it just did. I spent about a minute stretching and trying to run. I could not, I stretched again and watched as all the racers I had overtaken went past. I started walking, then stretched then walked. A gentle jog broke out. The niggle was there but I was able to keep going. I paced myself of a slower runner for about half a mile, then he felt too slow. I started to push again, no more hamster niggles. My legs started to feel stiff and tired but I only had a quarter of the run left to do.<br /><br />At the last trunaround I had the pleasure of passing the incontinent Mario, which I enjoyed greatly. By the last 2km I was done, the wheels came off and even though it was only 2km I had nothing left. This was a new experience as nearly always in the past I have always been able to dig out a bit of a grandstand finish! I think I was passed by about 10 others in the last 2K!!<br /><br />I ran along the front before the turn into the finishers chute. My name was called out. Then I saw the time. The only thing I could think was it was wrong!!<br /><br />RUN 3.24.05<br /><br />RACETIME 9.24.55<br /><br />Unreal. I had done PBs for every stage. My bike was 10 mins faster than ever before and my run a full 15 minute PB!<br /><br />Any other year that would see me at Kona. This year you will need to be around 9 hrs dead to get a slot. The 40-44 was also as fast as the 35-39s. Why does my generation race so fast?</div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-39916803402887930302011-06-12T10:41:00.000-07:002011-06-12T11:28:47.940-07:00Known Knowns<a href="http://www.pmmspremium.com/PMMSassistUWA/johari-window1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 450px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 450px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.pmmspremium.com/PMMSassistUWA/johari-window1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>So pretty much my training is done. A few more sessions and a race next week and then taper and it will be showtime.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This year I have learnt some more things about myself and my training. I know that it would be hard to get any more training done in my current lifestyle. The tolerance of my family and friends is matched by my stubborn persistence to do the training, but I have found my limit to time and reserves for IM training. I have learnt that probably early season weight training and a big winter running base seem to reduce my propensity to injury. I have learnt that less intensity earlier in the year allows me to manage more later. I have learnt that I can win a race but that this does not motivate me (well maybe a little),</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I have enjoyed the company of others in training which helps reduce my "blind" areas but perhaps this is the area for greatest potential. Do we ever take enough notice of what others say. Is this rectified by having a coach? I am starting to see the value of letting others see more of me, the so called hidden areas. Doing IM is not always comprehensible to others and trying to explain the perceived benefits to others makes one evaluate the benefits that you get yourself. Finally remains the unknown unknowns. And I don't know what they are.</div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-20839550718940407392011-06-06T12:26:00.000-07:002011-06-06T13:00:36.833-07:00Twist or stick?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yCU08wKpco-Pa4nPTW1sPS3UeQrWTXuGa1zqaY_SrWJ5KhbT5D9PLxFoHsQYRathO6h9XKdzc-U5cpwvkzECNl_JZEDJv4ehosRgS6bLck2QasvM_UDqv_U9LbkG5tGd1FDBV1lxs0We/s1600/gabriel+tow+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 213px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615190794928280786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yCU08wKpco-Pa4nPTW1sPS3UeQrWTXuGa1zqaY_SrWJ5KhbT5D9PLxFoHsQYRathO6h9XKdzc-U5cpwvkzECNl_JZEDJv4ehosRgS6bLck2QasvM_UDqv_U9LbkG5tGd1FDBV1lxs0We/s320/gabriel+tow+1.jpg" /></a> Time comes as we get to the pointy part of the season, as the ironman race looms large, where we have to start deciding how much more fitness we can get out of the remaining time, and how much risk of injury and illness that final push may carry. <br /><div></div><br /><div>Put simply, and to plagiarise as ever, you've trained to train, your now trained to race an you wonder whether you might just be able to get that bit extra in the last few weeks to train to win (whatever your win might be!)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I know my body pretty well and have no doubts that the weeks 6-3 prerace are where I can make some real differences, but some for good and some for bad. Put simply my goals are to max my running volume, see my bike load climb and sustain or increase my swimming. Much like everyone else then... but with the increased training load comes stress, both the physical from the training itself but also from maintaining the rest of my life as a partner, parent and worker. So after two great days at the <a href="http://www.pendragon-sports.com/pendragonEvent.aspx?id=21">Tour of Wessex</a> I bailed on the final day. This was probably necessary as it allowed a faster recovery to get back to the rest of my training programme, and enabled me to be back with my family a day early which was a real pleasure. That said I was still carrying the aches and pains of my bikecrash and was not sure I was on track to meet my goals. Nearly 16 hrs of training in the next 6 days saw me overcome the painful ribs and log some solid running. By Sunday night I was tired, had a sore calf and a bit of a sore throat. Today is a rest day.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So now I have to decide how hard to push this week. The plan says more of the same but the body feels tired and a bit worn. But that's how it is meant to be isn't it? Surely the peak block of training should see you close to your limit but not beyond, so that you can gather up all your fitness gains, shed a bit of fatigue in your taper and go out and smash it. I have done enough IM to know now that so long as I dont crack I should be able to make those goals, but run a risk of getting overcooked!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Twist or stick... I still have enough time to push the envelope a bit more, but will look for signs of real deterioration. If I have two sessions in a row where I feel I cant hit my own goals I will rest 48 hrs and then try again. If the sore throat develops then the same rules apply. If however I can hold it together then I have 12 more days before <a href="http://www.ironmanuk.com/uk-ironman-703/home">HIMUK</a> to put those finishing touches towards a PB at IMA.... Oh yeah it is also about this stage in training when we start getting unrealistic ideas about how fast we are gonna go come raceday.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934454131055750035.post-52887926443018234782011-05-26T12:22:00.000-07:002011-05-26T13:48:59.786-07:00Ouch!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_zk1qt30xqgmUyDTUNYdcpDNL8tukKY5o8wH2Us8y7zOky-jZUY5J3QMZ6y9CBNbr9-hmPdPdrqvyeimGJzsYnnl2Y4YCXmwyeQ9y-N7edBLQBA1MpgzkQd1HR823dKdUTIBdKTEq2Hu/s1600/ipod+pics+May11+010.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 239px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611122329404134546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_zk1qt30xqgmUyDTUNYdcpDNL8tukKY5o8wH2Us8y7zOky-jZUY5J3QMZ6y9CBNbr9-hmPdPdrqvyeimGJzsYnnl2Y4YCXmwyeQ9y-N7edBLQBA1MpgzkQd1HR823dKdUTIBdKTEq2Hu/s320/ipod+pics+May11+010.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>This is where you end up after a long ride and a sudden change of plan! Cycling is <a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/weylandt-dies-in-giro-ditalia-crash">inherently dangerous</a>!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This accident resulted in a broken collarbone and a some pain, an enforced rest from raining and no little annoyance. But it could have been worse.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I have also suffered this week after a freak accident whch saw me hit a 2 inch block of wood in the road that punctured both tires and through me to the ground at about 20 mph. It hurt and I have the road rash and bruised ribs to show for it. I also get to share in the frustration of not being able to complete my training goals, cycling seems OK but swimming and running are out... good job I am dong a <a href="http://www.pendragon-sports.com/pendragonEvent.aspx?id=21">350 mile cyclosportive</a> over the weekend so I hope to be back running and swimming by next week.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So what are the risks in cycling and what can we do about it. It starts with setting out with the correct equipment. Make sure you bike works, the brakes are in good condition and you tires or OK. Make sure you have the appropriate clothing, especially cycling gloves and a helmet. Your hands will save the rest of you from significant injury but dont grind out the palms of your hands, cycling gloves have padding where they do for a reason (and it is not really to make your griip easier- its to cushion your hands in a fall onto your outstretched palm). As my hands are my livelihood I try to wear gloves even in a race.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The evidence for helmets is overwhelming if you view it correctly, There is a population study from australia that suggested that the wearing of helmets discouraged people from cycling and as a consequence there was a net reduction in total health benefit from cycling. It did not show as is frequently quoted that wearing of helmets themselves does anything other than reduce risk of serious head injury. Helmets save lives so you would be a fool not to use one.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The remaining risks are down to how you cycle and how you interact with other road users. As a lifelong rider in a busy city I can be pretty assertive in the way I ride which ensures visibility (good) but can lead to conflict (bad) but most city road users develop some degree of acceptance (probably related to the frequency of traffic lights) of each other. Country side road users seem to regard cyclists as more of a nuisance and often seem to be in more of a hurry. Any feedback to them of their inconsiderate driving is limited by the lack of aforementioned traffic lights. So we you need to learn where the roads are safe, how to avoid hotspots and how to reduce conflict. After 42 years I am slowly getting more mellow (OK hard to believe) but I do now try to smile and adopt a positive attitude in my response to other road users. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Finally speed increases risk. Take care especially on fast descents when you are tired... which brings us neatly back to the start of this post</div>runtilyoudrophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10320557501874389677noreply@blogger.com1