The Galloping Gilli

Still Alive... but race season down the swanny!

2010-07-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

I know it`s been a long while, thought I`d better get a post out just to prove to you (and me for all that matter) that I`m still alive and kicking. Been a rough 6 month or so with injuries, which really has put paid to my plans for 2010. Back problems and shin splints the main two which have put paid to my bike training and running respectively for much of the year.
Although my Spring marathon and half and full Ironman have been cancelled, I have entered some races later in the year culminating with the Leicester marathon in October.
The year hasn`t been a total loss on the racing side managed to fit a 10km trail race in, a couple of weeks ago which was great fun. I`ll leave the race report till next post, hopefully bit sooner than 6 months!! :-) bye for now hope your training is going well...

I`m back!...(hmm must have been writers block.:-)) )

2010-01-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

It`s been a while but thought I`d better get something down, not sure if it`s possible to have writers block when it comes to a boring training blog but that`s my excuse!..:-))
Since I`ve been back from Spain training has gone pretty well. Especially the weekend just gone. Friday managed 2400m freestyle in the pool no sets just straight off, probably about double the distance I`ve ever managed swimming front crawl.... okay still not fast but at just over an hour I won`t get disqualified for going to slow. The cut off time when you have to be out of the water is 2 hours at the Outlaw so at that sort of pace I should be safe. Anyway it was a great confidence booster but now I really have to work on getting faster by improving my technique.

On the Saturday the weather was good for mid January dry overcast not too cold and little wind, so took advantage, and did my longest ride this year and managed 70 miles, the last 20 felt pretty tough, took me about 4 hours 13min.

On the Sunday finished the weekend off with a 16.5 mile run average pace 7.28 min mile the middle 5 miles really pushed it and compared to my running in the last 3 months which has been all slow, this was definitely out of my comfort zone. But it was just one of those days where I felt great and just couldn't`t help myself.
On the downside my over exuberance has resulted in a recurrence of my shin splints, but I`m setting my goals higher for my marathon in April and going to try for qualification to London in 2011.
This week work has been pretty tiring, working 5 days this week instead of the normal 4 and four of these will be 12 hour shifts so training has been and is still proving to be a bit of a trial. day off tomorrow so really need to get down the pool and may cycle after although how far depends largely on the weather.... Happy training, The Galloping Gilli :-)

2010-01-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Thirty minutes and it´s to the airport and back to the UK, lovely day today with highs of 21ºc.

Amazing run this morning along a track in the National park, although because it was out and back, basically ran 3.5 miles uphill then 3.5 miles back down again. Think I´ve tweeked a muscle in my calf but finished the run strong after having stop half way up to stretch it out.

The photo´s show a flavour of the run taken this morning at the same time by my dad as he was walking the dogs

Sad to leave

2010-01-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

Back to the UK tomorrow, and it´s sad to leave Spain. I don´t see my mum and dad often enough so it´s always great to have the opportunity to visit. Also the weather here is glorious now and I know I´ll be going back to cold wet and windy weather. Lastly back to work on Tues and in for a couple of tough weeks at work having to make up my hours before the end of year.
On a positive note though had a great time in Spain probably drank too much wine and ate too much cake and too many biscuits but hey it takes a stronger man than me to resist my mums fruit cake!! Managed to fit my training in pretty well even with sore shins doesn´t take too much inspiration to get out running around here.
Next visit going to try and get my old slightly worn out mountain bike over here so I have access to a bike.
Yesterday took a rest day although in the evening did my press ups and crunches, today hit the gym with a vengeance doing a very hard hot and dull 1 hour session on the spinning bike then 30min weight training followed by a relaxed 20 min on the elliptical trainer.
I know i go on a bit about the state of my shins, and they are definitely quite sore today but determined tomorrow to get out and do an hours run up in the national park, walked up there a couple of days with my Dad and the dogs and it looks great running country a well maintained road/track nestled between the mountains, a definite must.

running inspired!

2010-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

Absolutely fabulous run today, 9.88 miles of beautiful Spanish countryside, sun shining and temperatures of about 16/17ºc, ah it felt great to be out running again after a couple of weeks off, shins felt okayish and I just felt priviliged just to be able to get out and run. Actually went a bit further than anticipated and the last couple of miles felt it a bit.
The route was very hilly and steep in parts so proved a real challenge..guess I´m not used to the hilly stuff yet.
The good news is that The Outlaw looks like its going to be a pretty flat course, not that i really mind hills, but for my first IronMan I guess a flat course is ideal. My other Triathlon planned in 2010 is the Bala middle distance Tri in North Wales which is far from flat, so I´ll still have to get the hill work in.
At the moment my race calender for 2010 is looking something like this:

21st March Ashby 20 miler (preperation for marathon)
25th April Rotary Shakespeare Stratford on Avon Marathon
13th June Bala Middle Distance triathlon ( 2km swim 78.5 bike 20km run)
8th August Outlaw Triathlon Nottingham
probably rugby sprint distance tri organised by my local tri club sometime in Sept , may just help marshal it.
3rd October Loch ness Marathon

So 2010 is definitely my slow long year! looking further ahead, if I´m still in one piece then 2011 will be an attempt to qualify for london marathon 2012.

Anyway didn´t make it to the gym for my 2nd workout but thats okay I ran for nearly 1 hour 20 min so thats quite enough, still plan to get some core work stuff in before bed so guess I`d better sign out and crack on with it..... good luck with your training,... toodledoo

Training back on track (ish)

2010-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Still relaxing in sunny Spain, well to be honest it´s no that sunny but highs today of about 16c (61f) is truly balmy compared to the UK at the moment, has rained a bit here but hey you can´t have it all your own way in January.
The theme of the week is definitely one of unstructured training and really just trying to get some hours in, if I can get 8 hours training done by the end of the week I´ll be well chuffed.
Yesterday had a really good aerobic session down the gym, I may have pushed it harder than usual but not sure as I´ve left my heart rate monitor strap in England. Workout consisted of
20 min Spinning bike
30 min (6km) Treadmill
20 min Elliptical trainer
20 min Spinnning bike
20min (4km) Treadmill
Finished the workout with a run back home about a mile but all uphill and steep in parts.

Today managed to find the pool in Velez Malaga (about 20min drive from my Mum and Dad`s Villa). Lovely pool all laned off so easy to get the metres in. It was however pretty busy so had to be patient one or two people had absolutely no pool etiquette and one guy in particular who was even slower than me(which is saying something!!) just wouldn´t let me pass. Still nice to get back into the pool and swam for an hour.
Hopefully fit some core stuff in tonight, and tomorrow morning going to venture outdoors for my first run outside for about two weeks. All being well get to the gym tomorrow afternoon and get back on the spinning bike and may even do some strength training while I´m there. Hope every ones training is going well ... toodledoo , GG

A Lazy Weekend!

2010-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

Decided it´s time to end my week long end of silence and and post, not quite sure where to go with this, the last week has been a bit barren on the training front. The really really cold weather combined with traveling to Spain to visit my Mum and Dad, have combined to put one very large spanner in the the works. On top of these maybe lame excuses my shins have been giving me problems on the run, and despite resting them for a week my one and only run this week (a 4km run on the treadmill) proved painful!

On a positive note did managed too fit 2 swims in last week some core work and a little bit of rowing on the concept2.

My travel plans to Spains were thrown into chaos on Friday, my train taking me to Birmingham International airport was a victim to points failure so basically just drove straight through the station on the wrong line as the would be passengers stared on in bewilderment! Anyway to cut a long story short the next train to arrive at the airport was just abit too close to my plane departure for comfort so my only real alternative was a Taxi. The taxi fare in the end cost me about the same as my return air ticket to Malaga and back! At least the plane departed on time and the flight was great.

I guess I should have expected it (knowing Spain a bit better now) but the pool I was going to use is closed for the winter and the gym which is about a mile away was shut just about all weekend. So this weekend as been one of decadence, wine nice food and feet up relaxing.

My training week start in earnest tomorrow with a long session in the gym it looks like they have at least a spinning bike and eliptical trainer at the gym, and hopfully sometime in the week I can get down to the pool (another one) and maybe even trust my shins enough to get out running.

It´s a pity I´m not fit enough to get out running at the moment as there are some stunning routes to take although all very hilly!

Monday afternoon now, bit of a delay getting this post. Well as promised found myself down the gym this morning only had an hour to workout before it closed for the afternoon siesta so just did 30min on the spinning bike and 15min on the eliptical trainer, finished the session up with a march back to the villa which is far from easy, uphill for about a mile.

I do feel a bit better for getting a workout in finally, and feel confident by wednesday of getting a run in.

Its been pretty cold here even snowed here yesterday which is very rare for this part of the world but today is a lot warmer with highs of 14c (57f).

A much needed day of rest!...well I almost managed it!

2010-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Ahh a day off training, a day off work, caught up on a few odd jobs round the house, still managed to fit a core work out in the evening.
Warmed up with 10 min on the rowing machine, then managed 5 sets of press ups 5 sets crunchies and 5 sets squats, not very imaginative I know but feel pleased I fit it in the day.
Next week going to start doing a more comprehensive core workout.
May even try a bit of yoga sometime in the new year. They do a class at my gym so may go a long just to get some idea.
Planning on a 45min run in the morning, and a swim session in the evening, but after last weeks big week just going to ease off a little this week.
Really hope my shins are a bit better tomorrow, if they are still sore, resort to plan B, and head back home and do a session on the rower.

End of a great week!

2010-01-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

What a week it`s been!! 6 days working and over 13 hours training, my plan actually wanted me to do 11, but with the 100km commute took it well over.
On top of the 13 hours also managed to fit in quite a bit of core/ strength training. Using some really nice apps on my new phone which help you build up to be able to do 200 crunchies 200 squats and 100 pushups, the programmes really don`t take much time out of the day and hopefully I`ll notice a difference in my workouts.
Today headed to the gym and swam 2km felt pretty tough today and split it into 200m sets with 2 min breaks, probably end of week fatigue!. After a very very long transition :-)) managed 10880metres on the concept2 rower 45min keeping my heartrate in zone 2. Longest row I`ve done for at least 7 or 8 months so the last 15 min were tough have a feeling my glutes will suffer tomorrow..:-)). Finished the workout off with 45min on the eliptical trainer, quite a mental battle to keep going, but good practice on "toughing it out" kept my HR mainly in lower Z2 mainly because i was just two knackered to get it much higher.
Pity I couldn`t get my long run in today but I think it`s probably wise to let the shins heal.
On the whole though the body is holding up well and feel strong and positive going into the New Year.
Have to mention the positive effect twitter has had on my training since i signed up a week or so a go, listening to the triumphs and struggles of fellow athletes is really inspiring and motivating, and somehow I do feel more accountable, this blog also makes me feel accountable too, so I`d like to thank the people who do follow in helping me achieve my goals in the coming year.

Oh dug the trailer out today for a super healthy weekly shop...New year=healthier diet so feeling very pleased with myself lol

New Years Day ( a memorable start to the year)

2010-01-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

2.35am OMG what the hell am I doing a wake at this time of the morning, I banked on my 7.5 mile run the day before guaranteeing me a good nights sleep, this was the commute to end all commutes 100km to work in temperatures around -2c, but despite the lack of sleep and tired legs from the previous days run I wasn`t going to back down on this, after all promised Kelownagurl a voicemail during the ride and told most my friends of my plans. I still reckon I had the best deal from the 100km trainer challenge, I mean how tough is 4 hours on the trainer!!!!

5.45am Finally set off, too late to be honest hoping for a 5.30 start, had to be at work by 9.45am so knew 100km was going to be tough. The weather outside was pretty much what i expected and the sky's were clear the winds were lighter than expected. I set off with a route planned , but soon realised that the best bet was not to attempt a 100km round route to work, but keep close to Rugby so I knew where i was, didn`t need the stress of getting lost, time was already a bit tight, so in the end I just took roads as and when i pleased.

6.45 One of the high points of the ride.At this point I`d managed to get the blood circulating enough to get myself pretty warm, partly due to the fact I was stuck on the big chainring. A couple of days before the bike shop had supposedly fixed my gears..hmm. With a full moon up and the peace of a New years morning the ride had a surreal quality to iy..fantastic,felt strong and even my gears were starting to behave themselves.

7.25am reached the half way point averaging about 27kph.. after climbing a few testing hills and needing a much needed pee break :-)) decided to take a five minute break,munch on a muesli bar and take a gel. At this point I decided it was a good time to send the voice mail. The break was nice and gave me a bit of a boost when i got going again, however the cold was starting to really get to my hands, during the break took my gloves off, and although they cold cold, i was not overly bothered, expected with some hard cycling they`d soon warm up a bit. My gloves though had got very damp inside, and putting cold hands into cold wet gloves well needless to say my hands suffered for the next 10k or so. If anything it had got colder, although that was probably jsustt my perception.
On the plus side, the sunrise was gorgeous and my legs still felt okay so I pressed on.

9.00am
Found myself passing my house. On the way to work now on one of my longer commuting routes about 12 miles a way, I was familiar with this route so somehow despite the constant headwind felt great and could see the end in sight, at this point I knew I didn`t have the time for the full 100km, but I knew with the commute home at 7pm it would just about hit the 100 mark!

9.40am woohoo made it!!....despite a few hardships this was definitely one of my favourite rides for a long long time, and although work was.. mm how shall i put it, challenging would be a polite way of putting it, at the end of the day had no regrets at all about doing the ride, lol although have no plans to repeat it in a hurry!! Total km 92.2..and the ride home 8.2..totally 100.4km....AWESOME, maybe save the next 100km commute till next new year

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL ...All the best for 2010

work, train, work, train

2009-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

What a week! Definitely bad timing, 6 days working coinciding with my biggest week of training since i started IM training is not ideal.
However so far so good, feel really energized and the last two days I've managed a brick workout, comprising of a 2000m swim with 45 min bike(stationary) and a 20 min run, to be honest this wasn't really planned but the swimming pool is closed so much this time of the year, I've really got to squeeze the swim sessions in as and when i can. Felt pretty strong but I`m not sure wether it`s swallowing too much pool water bu always have a mild stomach upset after the swim especially when I have to workout afterwards as well.
My freestyle is coming on pretty well managed to swim the last 1400m of the 2000m completely front crawl technique still ropey but getting faster gradually i think.
Today finished work early, so afterwards went straight out to get my run in while the light held, great run but shins are still sore especially my left one, may do a long session on the eliptical trainer on Sunday and include some rowing just to give them a rest.
December has been a great month for training, my 2nd biggest of the year after august with about 40 hours training.
Well that`ll do for this post need to get to bed, work again tomorrow and the big 100km commute ooer I must be mad hopefully the snow will hold off tonight!
Her`s hoping you all have a fantastic new year and good health and prosperity in 2010 (oh and lot`s of Pb`s for the athletes ;-)) )

A Mixed bag

2009-12-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

Dragged myself out of bed at 3.45am for an hour long early morning run..sounds a nightmare?. Not at all! I`m finding I`m starting to really enjoy my pre work runs . This one was especially nice, managed about 7 miles ok no records broken there, but had a great feeling throughout the run, definitely got into the "zone" where running seems effortless and thoughts wander. Only minor concern was my left shin which is definitely getting sore, good news is that the calf feels fine now and all the other aches and pains I`ve been suffering with felt fine also.
So the plan was to head to the pool after work to swim with my triathlon club, however after a very wet ride back from work found out the swim session had been canceled ..so plan B was to head down to my gym and do a swim there. Well after 400m attendent came and told they were closing early because of the holiday period!! grrr I guess it just wasn`t to be. Well to top it off went out after a quick change into my bike gear and the rain had turned into a full scale blizzard, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I was pleased to get home!
Tomorrow is definitely a swim day now, no work so plenty of time also really have to get a bike /transition/run in. So another early night is on the cards...OMG I haven`t had so many early nights since primary school!

2009-12-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Pretty uneventful last couple of days training wise, had to work Sunday which was okay really as I`d done my long run and bike ride over Christmas day and boxing day. So just the commute to work and back. Total for the week was 8.5 hours training which is just about where i wanted to be.
However missed another swim session, come the New year it`s definitely one of my goals is to be far more consistent with my swimming, after all my swimming is not great.
This week biggest week so far on my training schedule 11 hours supposedly may have to juggle my swimming around a bit, I think the pool is closed over new year.
Sooo New years day planning a long ride to work , it`s worked out really well since it`s only a 10am-7pm shift so should get at least half of the ride done in daylight. I`ve actually entered Kelownagurls challenge 100km trainer ride so I feel its a bit of a cop out to be honest, I know how tough cycling is on the trainer. Was thinking of splitting the ride , but decided to just go the all out and do the lot before work, then with the ride back may total nearer to 110km.
I`m a little nervous of the weather forecast, snow is on the way just hope I can get out and do it.

Boxing day run..Ouch

2009-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Another fine sunny cold day inspired me to get out for my planned long run, think I should have eaten more a couple of hours before I headed out, after 5 miles felt a bit weak but after a gel and a drink soon felt better. On the hour mark decided to turn round and head back was taking it really easy so estimated 13 miles would be a comfortable enough distance to cover in two hours. Suddenly felt a pain in my right calf, at first thought it was cramp so stopped for a minute and tried stretching it out. Well I did manage to run back and in fact did a negative split covering 14.25 miles in 2 hours and 1 minute. The calf continued to bother me on the way home but could run on it.
Stretched it well when I got home, but now feels pretty sore hopefully it will clear up quickly.
Couldn't get the right chain for my bike today so looks like it will have to wait till weds(next day off work) hopefully the weather will stay good and the roads clear, really don`t fancy negotiating icy roads on my road bike.

Christmas Morning gone wrong!

2009-12-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

The 100km bike ride didn't quite happen today, after another cold night decided I didn't trust the roads 100%, so I`d use my touring/commuting bike. The chunky 26 inch wheels and fat tyres I decided would cope better with any ice that may be about. However I've had a couple of issues with the chain on it in the last couple of weeks and decided that I`d try and take a link out after the chain hopped off last week, well after much fiddling about with it this morning decided that I really needed a new chain so I put it back together.
Set off about 9.30am it was cloudy at first but soon the sun came out and I started to warm up ..ahh what a ride this was going to be! Then 11km from home....CLUNK!!...looked down and the chain was wrapped around the back sprocket..:-((. My attempt at home mechanics had horribly back fired on me, the chain was useless after 20 min of attempted roadside repairs gave up and decided I`d have to try and get home by hook or by crook. In retrospect I should be grateful the chain decided to die on me on km 11 and not km 50, even so with look style cleats and cycle shoes with absolutely no flex in them jogging back or even walking briskly back was not an option. In the end got back home with a combination of walking up the hills and freewheeling down, and on the flat sort of scootering along, pushing myself along with one leg!
Well finally arrive back home at 1pm, but hey wasn`t about to give up just yet, after phoning family to exchange Xmas greeting and crying over the phone about my misfortune..:-))) I headed back out on my road bike, the main roads were clear and the day was just too nice to waste all day indoors. The predicted 100k was no longer feasible, but after a fortunately uneventful 2nd outing ended up totalling 50k for the day.
Really glad I didn`t give up after my first attempt now, after all if I`m going to have any chance of completing my first Ironman then I`ve gotta learn to deal with a bit adversity. Hope you all had a great Christmas Day ..till later

Better be Good!

2009-12-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well on the premise that Santa Claus only visits if you`ve been good, I decided yesterday it was time to try and salvage my weeks training and head down the pool. Up till then hadn`t done a fat lot tbh. Further redemption today with an 8 mile run in the frozen wastelands of Warwickshire! Nice run shins a bit sore but eased off towards mile 5/6 .
Now here goes big plans for the next couple of days celebrating xmas day with 100k bike ride , may have to leave the road bike at home and take my tourer so it may take a while to complete..... big fat tyres and steel frame and sturdy steel rack it`s practically bombproof, the downside is it`s a little slow, but hey it`s all miles on the bike.
Boxing day(26th) aiming for a half marathon distance training run, hopefully somewhere in between have time to fit in a mince pie Xmas pudd and a glass of vino!!
Anyway folks .hope you have a great Christmas day Best wishes Dave

Snow has arrived, the UK comes to a standstill as usual..but not my training!

2009-12-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Mixed feelings about this weeks training, on the one hand I`ve missed a couple of sessions including my long bike ride and a swim, on the other hand I`ve actually managed over 10 hours training although a couple of those were easy efforts commuting to work. The weather has played a factor, winter has most definitely arrived in the UK snow and ice and sub zero temperatures have been the order of the week, it`s definitely helped sap my enthusiasm for long bike rides, although to be honest the country roads are treacherous. On the plus side my running mileage has topped 33 miles this week. Managed to run to work and back on thurs although nearly came a cropper on the ice once or twice! Did have very sore shins in the evening not sure why may have been the combination of a lot of pavement running and the extra weight of the rucksack I had to carry.
Fantastic long run this afternoon along the canal near where I live. It was very cold but the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky, the path was a bit snowy but the mud had pretty much frozen so nice and dry underfoot. took it nice and steady running 9 min walking 1 min for a total of 1 hour 40 min covering nearly 12 miles. Shins felt pretty sore for the first 5 or 6 miles but seemed to get better the longer I ran. Felt pretty fresh even towards the end, the walk breaks definitely help keep the fatigue out of the legs.
Next week need to crack on with the swimming aiming for 3 sessions if I can, although may be difficult xmas eve xmas day and boxing day the gym is shut so if I`m going to fit them in need to cram them in at the beginning of the week.

2009-12-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Very quick post tonight, getting late and if I`ve got any chance of fitting in my run tomorrow need some sleep.
Very productive day off work today, managed to get my training inbetween shopping a very short haircut, and a bit of gardening. The weather has been really miserable wet, cold and gloomy! so didn`t bother taking the bike out. Instead headed down the gym and swam 2200m in sets of 200m with 1 min rests, mainly freestyle then changed and headed up to the gym where I did 45 min on the stationary bike (so boring!!) and then 15min on the treadmill kept the heart rate in Z2 ( moderate aerobic effort).
Somehow need to fit my core work into my routine as I`m slacking on it very badly.
Tempted to run to work tomorrow (4.75 mile each way) an easyish way of fitting in the training but we`ll see what the weather is like in the morning . Good night folks

2009-12-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

Failed miserably to fit my swim in, too much time was the problem! Finished work unexpectedly early today. So got home about 3pm, 4 hours b4 swim training started at my Tri club. Too much time to relax and eat and get lazy.
Ah well to late to worry about it now , so onwards and upwards tomorrow. Off work so have a busy day planned gardening, haircut shopping as well as my missed swim from tonight and 1 hour bike quick transition and 15 min run. Whew I`m just tired thinking about it. So early night (8.30pm) tonight so I can take advantage of a full day as opposed to dragging myself out of bed after 9am which is the norm on a day off.....over and out ... Dave

Some rest day!

2009-12-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Well according to my training schedule today should have been a rest day, hmm well not quite. Took advantage of an early finish at work and a valuable slice of daylight and got my long run of the week in. Great run 10.4 miles in the afternoon gloom and drizzle! Seriously though felt great averaging just over 8 min mile pace.
Actually arranged the run with a friend ( who I also happen to work with) last week, so the time flew by on the run, running with company makes the time go so much faster.
Took a bit of a suicidal route back along a main road which was far to busy to be safe, so armed with head torches and hi viz vests we ran the gauntlet, anyway the fact I`m writing this prove i survived the ordeal, but next time I think a bit more care is needed plotting out a route.
Absolutely bushed now, that nice sleepy relaxed contented feeling only a long run can produce so don`t envisage a problem sleeping tonight. Toodle doo all

2009-12-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Well finished the week off with bike ride, 1 hour 50 min in total, I had planned a 2 hour bike but my out and back route didn`t quite end up being out and back, and on the way back somehow I inadvertently took a short cut home. Still not to worry totaled 10.5 hours training this week so really good week . A lovely morning chilly but the sun shining again, although it has clouded over now a bit (3pm).
The legs took a bit of warming up felt really sluggish for the first 5 or 6 miles, not sure if the run yesterday was responsible but after a while things got a little easier. Ah well better crack on with a few jobs a gotta do round the house and if I`m not going to eat junk at work tomorrow need to get down to supermarket before it closes.
May try to keep up the regular blogging, not sure if it`s a coincidence but this week been a lot more consistent with my training, after I commited to log my training each night on my blog.

2009-12-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Took advantage of a gorgeous winters afternoon and went for my run, wish I would have taken a camera, enjoyed my run managing 9.25 miles in my 1 hour 15 min run averaging just over 8 min mile pace...kept my heart rate in Zone 2 (between 140 and 160 bpm). My calves were a bit sore towards the end of the run but otherwise fairly pain free, I`ve had a minor strain in my right quadricep over the last few weeks still not quite right but I think it`s gradually getting better, and at the very least is getting no worse.
Really hoping for a nice day again tomorrow, so I can get on the bike for a two hour ride. Not sure I mentioned it in a previous post but a month or two a go, went to get properly fitted for my bike and get some aerobars fitted, although I`ve been on the trainer a few times with the new set up only been out once outdoors, so looking forward to getting some more miles in on my road bike. I seem to spend more time on my touring bike at the moment cause of the weather and the fact I can`t get a front light on my road bike now the tri bars are on. A decent helmet mounted light would be cool but funds are tight so that will have to wait.

2009-12-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

Let myself down a bit last night, didn`t make it to the pool, I guess after finishing work just wanted to put my feet up and relax..hmm a bit lame I know.
Anyway on a positive note... today I`m back in the groove! 3K swim followed by 20 min row and 10 min stationary bike finishing off with 10 min elliptical trainer. Altogether about 2 hours.
Really pleased with my swim, split the 3k up in 400m with fins 400m with pull buoy... 800m freestyle. and then mixed up the rest between breaststroke and freestyle. 800m freestyle is double my best previous distance for front crawl so very happy.
Tomorrow have 1 hour 15min run planned, should be a nice day although forecast pretty cold.
The weather is definitely turning more wintry forecast highs of about 6 degrees C tomorrow.

2009-12-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hi there folks, Last day at work today woohoo!! (well until next week anyway) I work weird shifts and the last 9 days I`ve had to work 8 of them. So my life in the last 9 days seem to have just revolved around sleeping eating training and work. For my sins I work in a freezer warehouse helping Tescos make there billions selling frozen turkeys (as well lots of other junk!) to the world. Not sure how the -26c temperatures 11 hours a day affects my training but my best race times have come while I`ve worked here, but I think that`s more of a case of increased training and getting more "serious" about training , than about the job itself.
As mentioned in last post long swim planned tonight, decided to try and use my pull buoy tonight at least for half of the swim. My swim coach at the Tri club told me it mimics the feel of a wetsuit so thought I`d give it a go (plus my kick really sucks!! so good excuse not to use my legs..:-) )
Exciting times! ;-) the Outlaw triathlon (my A race next year) has just released some promotional gear for the race ie... hoodies hats t shirts etc. Couldn`t resist so have ordered a beanie hat with the outlaw logo on the front. wearing it everyday at work may just remind me not to slack on my training!
Ah well 6am suppose I`d better get my bike ready and head to work....Xmas dinner at work today so expect I`ll come home half a stone heavier than when set off..:-))

2009-12-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well another productive day on the training front, 45 min bike HR zone 2 followed by 15 min run also zone 2 heart rate, took the long route home from work for the bike ride, felt really tough to be honest trying to keep my heart rate high enough my legs felt very tired, stopped about half way back just to take on a gel, which more by luck than judgement I`d stuck in my bike jacket pocket. Considering I was riding my heavy steel touring bike was pleased with my time covering the 11.7 miles in 44 min. I know it doesn`t seem so quick but with big chunky 26 inch wheels and fat tires with two bike panniers on the back it`s pretty slow going.
Next week though going to have to make sure I take a drink with me for this session especially if I try and fit it in straight after work again.
Ah well tomorrow back down to the pool...OH JOY!!

2009-12-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

Good day ....managed an hours run this morning before work, it mean`t an unearthly wake up call at 3.50a.m but once I got out had a really good run, managed about 7.5 miles all in all so didn`t set any records but pleased just to get out. I thought I`d suffer for it at work but felt pretty good all day despite the fact today I had a heavy day at work , lifting all day.
Tonight managed a swim at my Tri club, mainly drills probably about 1200 metres.
pretty bushed now so off to bed need some sleep!!

Good start to the week

2009-12-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Pleased with myself today, started the week off with 50 min commute bike ride, and more importantly a SWIM! I gotta admit if I miss sessions during the week it`s likely to be the swim, which is not great cause really that`s the one thing I can ill afford not to do.
So after a long hard day at work cycled to the gym and managed about 1800m, split into varying lengths of sets. In the pool just under 1 hour in the end. Front crawl coming on a bit better although still long way to go, technique still poor and still have to stick the odd breaststroke length in to get my breath back, but compared to where I was with it in the summer it`s showing vast improvement.

Finally back online..after a month in no mans land!..:-)

2009-12-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Woohoo.....finally I have my internet connection back!! I don`t no where to start so much been going on in the past month. Firstly my training is going ..hmm how do I put it?? a little hit and miss to be honest. My motivation seems to go from being sky high to rock bottom. I`m putting it down to the onset of the British winter long dark cold wet days. Roll on the spring!
Going to commit to writing a bit of something on my blog every day this week might encourage me not to slack and miss any sessions.
Just come back from a 1 hour run, managed 7.4 miles mainly in the dark along a canal towpath, made for an interesting run avoiding the puddles and trying not to experience open water swimming early than I anticipated! This week my training bumps up another hour 10 hours is the goal.
Really looking forward to catching up with the podcasts I listen too, hopefully they can give me a little inspiration.

Juggling Act

2009-11-05T03:27:00.000-08:00

This last week has been total chaos to be honest, moving house combined with training and work has been a real struggle. Although I`m really pleased I`ve managed to get my training in more or less, although I have had to be quite flexible.
Missed my long ride on Saturday due to the move, but managed an hour on the bike on Monday which was supposed to be a rest day, even managed a 45 min run on Sunday after recovering from a bad hangover in the morning!! Went out with a few mates from work after the move on Saturday great night but I am SO not used to drinking and after only 3 or 4 drinks felt a little worse for wear !
Tues repeated last weeks session 30min bike followed by 15 min run.
Today I`m cycling to a bike fitting shop get some aerobars fitted and they`re going to check my posture on the bike etc. Since it`s about 30 mile round trip I`m going to make it my weeks long ride. Probably a good thing since my Mum and Dad are coming for a visit for a week or so tomorrow so st least I won`t be disappearing off for a long ride at the weekend.
Not sure if I`ll be posting much in the next week or two, my internet goes down tomorrow, until aol can connect me to my new address I`ll be connectionless.:-((.

Keep on moving

2009-10-30T18:18:00.001-07:00

On the move again!....not so much referring to my training , but the fact I`m moving house this weekend, totally disorganised to be honest. I completed on the house today and moving tomorrow ( well actually today now!!) umm and I`ve done zero packing. Actually that`s not strictly true now, since I finished work I`ve been hard at it and managed to get the bulk of it done, it`s 1.20am now and nearly ready to call it a day.
i`m supposed to be getting a 1 hour bike ride in tomorrow, but may have to give it a miss :-(.
Couple of mates helping me to move tomorrow, and then planning to hit the town although I`m planning to stay sober. Sunday morning = long run! and I really don`t want to do it with a hangover. It`s not likely to be really that much of a long run maybe 8 miles tops.
Don`t think I mentioned it in my last post but I`ve entered a middle distance triathlon next year about 2 months away from the Outlaw triathlon, I think the timing is pretty good and should allow me to experience a longer event and practice nutrition strategies etc. I believe It`s pretty tough, set near Bala in Wales it involve a 2k swim 78k bike ride(very hilly apparently) and 13 mile run which is described as "undulating"...yes that dreaded word undulating which covers a wide range of runs ranging from nearly flat to lung bursting killer hills!
Well better sign off and try and do a bit more packing before I run out of energy.... toodledoo till next time

Iron man program in progess, and early mornings!!

2009-10-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

So this week has heralded the official start of my Iron man training, and on the whole I`ve managed to follow it although have had to be a little flexible, although I guess that's par for the course
Mon- 1600m swim(split into sets of 50 -200m)
Tues- 30m Run (easy)
Weds 45min bike (done as part of commute to work)....transition then 15 min run

On top of this I`ve done my usual 10mile round trip cycle ride to work, at the moment the training is fairly low volume so a little more base training I don`t see as being a problem, as the program gets harder though may have to reassess how I fit my commute into my training.
Also I`m a little worried the actual nature of my job will push me over the edge to a state of overtrain. I work in a freezer warehouse with temperatures down as low as -25to-30C and involves quite a bit of lifting. Nice thing about the job (yes there is one!) is that I get 3 days off a week so plenty of time to get the long training sessions in.
Anyway I guess these aren`t really major problems just small hurdles to overcome, so onwards and upwards. Fairly easy day planned today just an easy spin to work and back and swim tonight(although that is never easy!!), even managed a lie in this morning 4.20am!. I`ve decided that any runs or bike rides less than hour long will be done b4 work, I`m not convinced my willpower is always strong enough to go after a day of work.
The swim sessions I`m having to cater to my ability at the moment but hopefully with regular trips down the pool I`ll see some improvement

What a bike ride!!

2009-10-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

With the sun shining, on a beautiful autumnal day in Warwickshire decided to head out and get out on the bike for a couple of hours, didn`t really plan a route just headed out onto the minor roads, despite the fact there are far to many cars on UK roads we are blessed with a great network of small country roads to explore which are relatively traffic free. The photos I posted just didn`t do the day credit... the trees are all turning now and the colour was just simply stunning in places, would have liked to stop more to take more piccys but in the end I was supposed to be training!! Seems like I was`nt the only one with the idea to get out and about, walkers runners horse riders and cyclists were out in force. The camaraderie between cyclists never ceases to amaze me out on the road, without exception you always get a wave and a hi from everyone you pass going the oppposite direction.

Anyway felt great on the ride pretty tough in places it was really windy and although no really big hills the terrain was constantly rolling, I find it quite hard to get any sort of rhythm to my pedalling when it`s like that. I was a bit peeved when i realised I`d cycled at least 3 miles and hadn`t realised my gps was switched off on my garmin duhhh..:-(. So although I ended up recording 36.3 miles over 2 hours and 12 min the ride was probably closer to 40 miles over mayb 2.25. Still can`t get too obsessive over the stats, in the overall scheme of things it doesn`t really matter. Tried to keep my HR down in zones 1 and 2 was a bit tricky at times with the hills, but more or less succeeded. Ah well time to put my feet up I think and relax with a cup of tea and a couple of Custard tarts!!...I`m sure i heard they were good recovery food!!..:-)))

Run/walk theory

2009-10-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Last night ended up going out pretty late for a run, about 9pm decided on a 45min easy run, and decided to trial the walk /run method, there has been some theories suggesting that this is the way forward for longer distance runs for example Ironman distance and marathons. I think I first heard about it on IM talk, a coach(I forget who) claimed even 3 hour marathoners can set new PB`s adopting a run/walk strategy, the idea is that by walking maybe 1 min every 8-10 min you can continue strong throughout the marathon whereas most people tail off in the last 10-15k this is especially true in an Ironman. Also by adopting it in training you recover quicker and are less injury prone, well that's the theory anyway. Of course you do have to practice it in training and the walk has to resemble a power walk..not a stroll in the park the idea is, is to keep ur cadence pretty much the same speed when you walk. Well it went ok and will persevere with the method a while longer ended up doing about 5.6 miles averaging 8min mile mainly in heart rate zone 2. I`m still yet to be convinced and starting to run again after a short walk felt a little weird, but I think I have to train my legs to adapt.

Exciting times!

2009-10-24T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well its been a while since my last post, so a quick update on what`s been happening. In the last couple of weeks I`ve been doing a lot of thinking about where my training is going to go with regards to 2010. I think I`ve mentioned in an earlier post my ambitions to do a long distance tri in the future, well August the 8th 2010 is pencilled in for my first Ironman distance triathlon!!
The race opens for entries on November 1st, so I`m counting the days down, also around about this date I`m moving house so it`s all change!! The race is in Nottingham UK and its the the first running of the event so should be fun, also it coincides with the Nottingham festival that weekend so should be a great atmosphere. Its aptly called the Outlaw Triathlon and apparently on completion you become one of Robin hoods outlaws... lol. I`m toying with the idea of doing it for charity, I`ve never raced before for a charity but this is such a big challenge it would be nice to feel like I`m achieving some good through it, and may even help keep me going through the long grim winter days of training I`ll have to endure.
The training starts next week, I`m following a 30week training schedule in Don Finks book "be ironfit".... great book and can highly recommend it although I will be playing around with the schedule a bit. Firstly it`s actually 40 weeks till the race so I`ll be doubling up on the base period so effectively the base period will now be 20 weeks but I reckon that`s a good thing considering my lack of experience. also I`ll probably put more emphasis on the swimming during the base since swimming is most definitely my weakest discipline. Don Fink gives you a choice of three schedules to follow a just finish schedule and intermediate one and a competitive one. I`ve decide to opt for the competitive program not because I have any real ambitious plans regarding finishing times , but I can commit to more weekly hours training so I feel this may give me the best chance of having a really positive experience in the race.
As well as the outlaw Tri, I plan to do at least two other tris earlier in the year 1 Olympic distance and one half IM distance if I can find one at the right time.
The other big news I haven`t mentioned yet is I`ve entered the Shakespeare marathon in stratford upon Avon in April , I did the event in 2005 so really looking forward to going back. I`m not to sure about my goals for the race, before my decision to enter the Nottingham Tri was going to attempt my dream of a sub 3.00hour ot at least try to qualify for London in 2011 with a sum 3.15, but now may use it as a practice for marathon I`ll need to do after the bike and swim and adopt a walk run strategy and aim for 4 to 4.30 finishing time, tbh this would probably be a more sensible idea.
On the injury front everything is great, my achilles seems to have settled down and one or two other slight niggles I had after the Kenilworth half have gone, hopefully the large quantity of long slow stuff I`ll be doing in the next few months will help strengthen the body up a bit and I can stay injury free (ok probably wishful thinking!!)

My poor legs! Race preview "The Kenilworth Half Marathon"

2009-10-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Well it`s been a pretty busy week since my physio visit, work has been very busy having to work 12 hour shifts all last week, and my heel continues to be a little sore , although it has improved a bit I think despite my irresponsible behaviour at the weekend!! Yes despite the promises I`ve been making to myself not to run the half marathon in Kenilworth on Sunday, I just couldn`t help myself the promise of yet another t shirt and medal was just to much to resist!

Went along with a m8 from work (John) and apart from a few Garmin issues (not mine) we lined up on the start line at 10am on a glorious sunny early October morning. I think there were about 500 runners all in all so there was a nice race atmosphere. Just before the start I bumped into my running coach of my local running club, so that fired up my competitive nature a bit we run at similar speeds so beating Tim was going to be a challenge! Despite the fact I`d hardly run since the Nottingham half marathon i was hoping that I had maintained much of my fitness I`d taken into that race.

So the race started and it started at quite a pace the first 2 or 3 miles were either down hill or flat so had a really nice start averaging about 6.15 pace, after about 5 or 6 miles the course got pretty hilly and the three weeks off from running started to show, my legs didn`t feel great but on a positive side my heel injury was absolutely fine so ran on as hard as I could. 3/4 of an hour in I took my one and only gel I`d brought, at this point I started to feel like I was a bit carb depleted and and wished Id brought a second one, still on the whole still felt fairly strong and by mile 10 knew I could hang on, my final time another PB of 1.24.3 seconds!
My legs after though felt totally done in though and took till weds to feel anything like normal again. Still a fab race well organised, nice weather and good atmosphere with some nice support on the way round...what better way to spend a Sunday morning.
So needless to say the training has been almost non existent this week a very short run in the middle of the week and 3 day commuting to work on my bike has been about it. Need to replenish the batteries though next week going to start training for a spring marathon, but that`s a story for the next post.

achilles Issues

2009-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Just come back from physio, the good news seems my achilles problem isn`t anything too serious and there is no swelling and no inflammation so I`ve been told to run a little, stretch regularly and do one or two strength exercises, have another appointment next week so all in all pretty good news, I`ve decided that the half marathon at kenilworth this weekend is definitely out as long runs and hills weren`t really prescribed by my therapist!
So as from tomorrow training starts again in earnest tomorrow with swimming in the morning followed by 30min on the eliptical trainer( which I`ve been told is fine) and then 5km on the treadmill to finish, although the treatment was expensive today glad i went its reassured me I`m not falling apart and given me some guidelines what I can and can`t do. What I definitely don`t want to do is become lazy and stop training altogether just because I`ve got a niggle like I`ve tended to do in the past. So instead I`ve made a commitment to myself this evening to improve my swimming with the aim on doing a half ironman next year, the full I`ve decided will wait till the year after or even 2012, hopefully by then I will be able to afford a better bike and my body will be better conditioned for the distance, also my swim by then will be a lot better.

Ups and Downs!

2009-09-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well its been over a week since the Nottingham half marathon, fantastic day all in all, really well organised and great atmosphere with lots of support through the whole race, the weather was good for running , not too warm a little windy but I`m glad I wasn`t doing the full marathon, the wind picked up loads later.
I gotta say I totally exceeded my own expectation with my performance with a huge PB of 1.26.55, almost 5 min faster than my last half back in 2004, especially pleasing since the course was pretty hilly. Still felt strong through the whole run and looking back reckon maybe I had a bit more left in the "tank".
After a day off on Monday, although unfortunately I had to go to work, decided to get out for slow 6 mile3r on Tues, disaster strikes!!, soreness in my achilles region within a few hundred yards of start. I went on to complete the run and tbh the last 3 or 4 miles felt fine. However it`s definitely felt tight and a bit sore since.
So I resigned myself to a week without running, I`ve still managed to get some biking in and the last three days managed to fit two good swim sessions in. The heel still feels sore though. Not really sure what to do now, I have another half in under two weeks time and I really want to run it. Had a good session on the Xtrainer today so may try that for the next week. If I can`t run then now is a good opportunity to improve my swimming for next years triathlon season. I`ve been neglecting it for far too long haven`t really been down the pool much since the rugby tri.

pre race nerves!!

2009-09-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

How ridiculous, an average 42 year old runner getting nervous before my half marathon tomorrow! but it`s true. Actually I`m really looking forward to it ..the Nottingham half marathon, my first in nearly 5 years, its the same venue as my first full marathon in 2004 so will be nice to go back. Apparently there were 11000 runners last year so should be good atmosphere. From what i remember its fairly flat and fast course so hopefully if i can dodge the throngs of people I may achieve a new PB, what I would love is a sub 1.30min but we`ll see how it goes..watch this space!! Pretty early start 10.am so being picked up by a m8 from work at 7.30 so will be have to be up at crack of dawn! Hopefully soon I will start feeling tired so I can get to bed and get a half decent nights sleep.
So race strategy?....well think I'm going to try to run an even paced race, I`m hoping the first couple of miles aren`t too slow cause of the crowds, by mile 8 if I can be averaging 6.45, then that will be nice , from there push on and hang on for that elusive sub 1.30....I know I know it`s not too scientific! Gonna take my race belt with me for my race number and then I can carry a couple of gels too, and I`ll rely on the aid stations for occasional cup of water , hopefully I`ll be fine up to the hour mark. Just picked up my gels from the post office this morning, I was at work when they were delivered so I have a nice big stock of SIS isotonic gels , definitely my favourite brand, tasty nice and thin ..not too gloopy and u don`t need to have water with them so all in all great product.
Well that`s about it for now, try and post tomorrow for race report.

A welcome rest day (I think!!!)

2009-08-31T08:01:00.001-07:00

I HATE REST DAYS!! , after yesterdays race so motivated to go and train today, but I`ve got to see sense and rest. So buzzing round the house tidying a bit, and even played a bit of warcraft this morning which I haven`t done in ages. Gonna try for an early night tonight and aim for pre work run mayb 5 miles easy pace , before heading for the swim session in the evening with my tri club. So going to go back to putting my feet up and try and enjoy the rest of my rest day...:-)
I know I`m back at work tomorrow and by the end of the week I`ll be wondering what the hell I was complaining about ...and wishing every day was a rest day!!

Whitwick 10k and Rugby sprint triathlon

2009-08-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well I`ve been a bit slack on my blog lately,as a nooby to the blogging world finding it difficult to get on here and write, also been really busy at work and with a couple of races recently it`s been pretty full on.
On the 23rd August raced the Whitwick 10k in Leicestershire, great race really well organised and great value for money, only 8 quid to enter and with a t shirt and nice goody bag at the finish. Also for those lucky enough some nice trophies and cash prizes.
Apart from a trail run earlier in the year this was my first 10k of the year, pleased with my result 13th overall and 5th in my age category, my time wasn`t amazing 40.23 but the course was very hilly especially the first half.
The weekend after took part in my first triathlon in Rugby Warwickshire, had a great time. The race was brilliant with great organisation, atmosphere, I definitely recommend it especially to virgin triathletes like myself.
To be honest the day before wasn`t sure if I was going to make the race, came down with a really bad stomach bug, come the morning of the race felt a little better so decided to risk it.
The swim comprised of a 400m pool swim, went ok, but swimming is definitely my weak point...decided to breaststroke most of it, didn`t want to risk swallowing half of the pool especially with a very dicky tummy! As it turned out I probably swam it quicker than i would have done freestyle (a sad indictment on the proficiency of my front crawl!) Came out the pool time of 9 min 20secs, flapped around in transition for a couple of minutes, then off on the bike.
The bike leg went pretty well overtook people steadily throughout the course and my health was okay at this point with T2 took about 34.20 secs, for what was described as 20k route, although i think 18.5 k was probably more accurate, still very happy with the time.
The run was a 5 k two lap route, through the grounds of the school, nice and flat and all grass, fast run although a little uneven in parts so had to watch footing. Just after T2 my stomach started to cramp up really badly so ran the 5k with a bad stomach ache but my legs felt ok and finished run in about 20.16. I`d like to think mayb i could have squeezed sub 20 if i would have felt better , but pushed hard to the end so really happy with my effort, so my final time for my my first tri was a very satisfying 1.06.16, finishing about 8th in my age group and 47th overall .
Hopefully next year i can improve on this with a year more training under my belt, and hopefully a vastly improved swim leg

hard hard run!

2009-08-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

After a relatively lazy day on Tues, managed a meagre hour on the bike but felt pretty tired after work so thought i deserved a rest!
Today though ..back to it with my longest run of the year so far 16.5 miles split in to 30 min segments 30 min easy 30 min half marathon pace, for a total of 2 hours , absolutley shattered when finished and for the last two miles had to hang on for dear life! Really chuffed though with the result though, hopefully should sleep well tonight, back to work tomorrow after weds off.

lofty goals and ambitions!

2009-08-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well where to start?! , I`m new to this blogging so i`m guessing for a while my posts will be somewhat disjointed, but hopefully will improve in time.
Well maybe its a classic case of midlife crisis, but after a few years of occasional running (between several injuries!) at 42 years of age I`ve decided to enter an Iron man distance event next year. OK OK I know I haven`t had any real triathlon experience.. although I have joined a club and have my first sprint distance at the end of Aug, also my injury history is not ideal(dodgy knees mainly) but this Ironman ambition has been with me for several years so I`ve decided next year is the year!!
My training started about 3 months ago, although mainly has involved training for several running races i`ve entered through the summer, my next one being the Nottingham half marathon in September, also I`m probably going to enter the Kenilworth half marathon in October, so I`m trying to juggle between improving my rather hopeless swimming and getting endurance training on my bike with also trying to run a decent time in a half . My PB for a half is 1.31.50 set at Gloucester in 2005 so anywhere near that would be great, but I have to be realistic and probably admit I haven`t the speed in my legs at the moment.

Training today 3.10min (51 miles) easy on the bike(longest of the summer so far)
Quick change then 30min run (4 miles)