23.05.11 - 29.05.11
I had to give in to illness this week... what started off as a sore throat, turned nasty and wiped me out big time. I had to concede defeat and took time off to recover (sun/mon/tue/wed). It was really difficult to just stay off the road and out of the water but I felt that I had missed quite a lot of quality sessions by exercising sick...
I felt a lot better when I woke up on Thursday morning and the itchy feet got the better of me and Ioaded my wetsuit into the car in preparation for my post work lake swim. I managed to escape from work on time and after driving through a rain shower arrived at the lake. I was planning on taking it really easy and just chilling in the water with maybe a lap or two. I started off my first lap with Greg and we maintained the same pace throughout and at the end of the first lap we just carried on and on and on... By the end of the session we had managed 6 laps (approx 3000m) in about 50 minutes which is fairly respectable. I felt completely comfortable in the water and my breathing was easy and when I got out out I felt more awake than when I had started. So all in all it was a good comeback session.
I decided to take Friday off as I was really worried about doing too much too soon.
Saturday was wet and windy, but I couldn't let that stop me, or affect me adversely, so I climbed into winter gear with lots of layers and headed out on my bike. I just did a short hour long session as the weather wasn't great, however it was an hour and it was a decent session. I also discovered a new loop around Oxford , which is one of the great things to come out of cycling. I felt good on the bike and although my speed was down, I didn't feel that I was too far off my pace from when the illness struck.
I had to work on Sunday and by the time I got home I was exhausted and there was only really enough time to make dinner and then call it a day...
It was a quite week but I needed to get over the illness completely and now I am ready to get back to business. There is a little voice that is telling me to realign my goals, however I will wait until I get next week over with before I start looking at that.
W
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Monday 23 May 2011
Week 20
16.05.11 - 22.05.11
AAARRGH! I fought the dreaded lurgy that followed me from last week but it got the better of me eventually and that meant that this week was a little bit of a write off but I did manage to get a few sessions in at a relaxed/recovery effort. These last 5 weeks have been a frustrating mix of working stupid interfering hours (more than 12 hours a day) and being taken down by annoying little bugs. This (illness) has however prompted a much healthier approach to eating and after just one week on the (higher quantity) vegetables with every meal I can already feel the benefits.
So this week;
On Monday my legs were a little tired from the Town and Gown and as it was meant to be a rst day, it worked out perfectly. I was still feeling a little snotty and my head felt like it was filed with cotton wool, so I just chilled and planned the rest of the week...mmm, whats that saying about the best laid plans...
I was still feeling a little ill on Tuesday, but the internet said as long as it was above the neck then I would be fine to exercise and as I had done so well on the Sunday feeling like this, I didn't think twice about exercising. However, as work progressed and the hours passed by I realised my long bike ride wasn't going to happen (I'm not a fan of cycling in the dark) I hauled out my turbo trainer, set it up outside and found a turbo session on a website I had found a while back. I cranked out an hour of intervals in the safety of my back garden but by the end my throat was starting to feel a little raw. Oh dear...
I felt awful on wednesday, I had packed my swimming stuff for the Radley swim session but I was struggling to breath, had a pounding headache and to top it all off worked a 13 hour day and missed the start... I was not a happy triathlete when I eventually got home and dropped a few paracetamol and ibuprofen down my throat and went to bed... sulking... and in a little mood... I wanted to swim, OK!
I woke up on Thursday feeling as right as rain, well almost, but better than yesterday... I packed my wetsuit and held thumbs that I would make the lake swim. I continued with the medication throughout the day and was feeling alright as I drove out of the gates with just about enough time to make the lake swim. It was a struggle, fun, but a struggle. I got out the lake and suddenly the world spun upside down and my stomach thought that some of my lunch might like to make an encore appearance (I didn't let it though) I plonked myself down and sat there just waiting to feel normal again. I was still quite shaky as I drove home... maybe another day of rest would have been a good idea...
On Friday the sore throat was back but by the end of the day I was feeling much better and there were no signs that I had even been ill, so (stupidly) I went for a run, my throat closed up and my heart rate went all the way up and after 5 kms I suffered the worst cramps, in the world, in both my calves and my left hamstring. I hobbled home and climbed into a bath to ponder the way the week was going. I decided that I was still going to go swimming, but only as a recovery session and wasn't going to push it. It was also the pre-blenheim swim and that is something that I really enjoy. The swim was nice and easy and I surprised myself by managing 5 laps without feeling like I had done anything. I did feel knackered for the rest of the day and spent the rest of the day chilling out.
Sunday was spent at work and by the time I got home I was shattered and the cold was threatening to return and so I decided to take it easy and finish some of the things that needed doing.
So I now have 10 weeks till the big day and apparently June is dead at work so hopefully with some vitamins, minerals, veg and rest I will be able to up the mileage and time spent training and get back on track...
W
AAARRGH! I fought the dreaded lurgy that followed me from last week but it got the better of me eventually and that meant that this week was a little bit of a write off but I did manage to get a few sessions in at a relaxed/recovery effort. These last 5 weeks have been a frustrating mix of working stupid interfering hours (more than 12 hours a day) and being taken down by annoying little bugs. This (illness) has however prompted a much healthier approach to eating and after just one week on the (higher quantity) vegetables with every meal I can already feel the benefits.
So this week;
On Monday my legs were a little tired from the Town and Gown and as it was meant to be a rst day, it worked out perfectly. I was still feeling a little snotty and my head felt like it was filed with cotton wool, so I just chilled and planned the rest of the week...mmm, whats that saying about the best laid plans...
I was still feeling a little ill on Tuesday, but the internet said as long as it was above the neck then I would be fine to exercise and as I had done so well on the Sunday feeling like this, I didn't think twice about exercising. However, as work progressed and the hours passed by I realised my long bike ride wasn't going to happen (I'm not a fan of cycling in the dark) I hauled out my turbo trainer, set it up outside and found a turbo session on a website I had found a while back. I cranked out an hour of intervals in the safety of my back garden but by the end my throat was starting to feel a little raw. Oh dear...
I felt awful on wednesday, I had packed my swimming stuff for the Radley swim session but I was struggling to breath, had a pounding headache and to top it all off worked a 13 hour day and missed the start... I was not a happy triathlete when I eventually got home and dropped a few paracetamol and ibuprofen down my throat and went to bed... sulking... and in a little mood... I wanted to swim, OK!
I woke up on Thursday feeling as right as rain, well almost, but better than yesterday... I packed my wetsuit and held thumbs that I would make the lake swim. I continued with the medication throughout the day and was feeling alright as I drove out of the gates with just about enough time to make the lake swim. It was a struggle, fun, but a struggle. I got out the lake and suddenly the world spun upside down and my stomach thought that some of my lunch might like to make an encore appearance (I didn't let it though) I plonked myself down and sat there just waiting to feel normal again. I was still quite shaky as I drove home... maybe another day of rest would have been a good idea...
On Friday the sore throat was back but by the end of the day I was feeling much better and there were no signs that I had even been ill, so (stupidly) I went for a run, my throat closed up and my heart rate went all the way up and after 5 kms I suffered the worst cramps, in the world, in both my calves and my left hamstring. I hobbled home and climbed into a bath to ponder the way the week was going. I decided that I was still going to go swimming, but only as a recovery session and wasn't going to push it. It was also the pre-blenheim swim and that is something that I really enjoy. The swim was nice and easy and I surprised myself by managing 5 laps without feeling like I had done anything. I did feel knackered for the rest of the day and spent the rest of the day chilling out.
Sunday was spent at work and by the time I got home I was shattered and the cold was threatening to return and so I decided to take it easy and finish some of the things that needed doing.
So I now have 10 weeks till the big day and apparently June is dead at work so hopefully with some vitamins, minerals, veg and rest I will be able to up the mileage and time spent training and get back on track...
W
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Week 19
09.05.11 - 15.05.11
The pain in my shoulder was unbearable as I tried to reach up and wash my hair on Monday morning, my arm dropped limply back to my side and my thoughts moved onto Wednesday swimming... Hmm, would I be able to swim. This was a big concern for me as I was working late on Thursday and wouldn't be able to make the lake swim... I immediately started to re-jig my training plan for this week. It was my rest day today and with a 12 hour work day ahead of me and a duathlon time trial on Tuesday I was quite glad of this. By the end of the day my shoulder had eased up but only slightly and I decided to stay away from the water for the rest of this week, just to be safe.
I woke up on Tuesday morning with my shoulder still incredibly painful but a little more mobile than yesterday. I was really looking forward to tonight as it would be my first BAR for the season and having done LOADS more exercise than last year I was eager to see an improvement in my times from last year. However... it was not too be. Thanks once again must go to work for keeping me at work for over 13 hours without any warning. I got home fairly late and feeling knackered I made a simple supper and crawled into bed, sulking a little, just a little.
I was determined to not let Wednesday go by without at least a little exercise. It was an early start at work and so no chance of an early morning workout, and with my shoulder still hurting there was no chance of swimming. I ended up staying at work longer than planned again and got home exhausted, however I got my lazy ass off the sofa and my feet into my running shoes and set off for a run. I got back an hour and 15 minutes later feeling on top of the world with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. I managed to run at a pretty decent pace for the whole time and still felt like I would be capable of running longer and further.
I had Thursday morning off as I was running a dinner at work and so after a relaxed breakfast I climbed on my bike and headed to my 'favourite' hill... I am feeling much more comfortable on my bike and the legs were turning nice and easily as I hit the hill. I cruised over the hill in a much higher gear than normal, shot over the top and screamed down the other side. I turned around and headed back up the hill and crested it STILL feeling strong. I got home almost bouncing with excitement at how much stronger I was feeling on the bike.
My shoulder was feeling much better on Friday morning and there wasn't a hint of the shooting pain that had been plaguing me throughout the week, instead it was replaced with a very sore throat and a little snotty nose. I finished up at work at a reasonable hour and once home, I looked up the course for the 10k race I was doing on Sunday. I slipped into 'something more comfortable'... for a run and went into town to try and follow as much of the course as possible. I ran a little further than the distance but still managed a PB over 10km's (51 minutes) and this made me feel very positive for Sunday.
The alarm sounded very rude at 5:30am on Saturday morning as I left dreamland behind and stepped into a reality of cold air and a still very sore throat. I munched down a nice breakfast, woke Laura up, made some coffee to go, woke Laura up again, loaded my bike into the car, dragged Laura out of bed, paced up and down in the lounge waiting for Laura to get dressed and eventually set off for the Lake... I was a bit wary about the shoulder as I squeezed into my wetsuit and dived into the lake. It was beautiful, the sun was out, the wind was nowhere to be seen and my shoulder felt good. I managed 5 laps before I felt a small twinge in my shoulder and called it a day, well at least until the Pre-Blenheim coaching sessions. As with last week I was involved in taking open water newbies out in preparation for their first open water triathlon and once again thoroughly enjoyed passing on my experiences to others. I climbed out of the lake, threw my wetsuit into the car and climbed on my bike and headed off home. I recognized the feelings in my legs from the Reading triathlon and worked hard at getting them used to being used. I made it home in good time with a headwind the whole way. As the day progressed I started to feel a little down, as the last 5 weeks training just hadn't been going according to plan and I was feeling as if things were just slipping away from me. I tried to push these thoughts out of my head and spent the day with Laura trying not to think about training or Ironman. I think I was over tired from working crazy hours, fitting in training and feeling ill, what I needed was an early night and by 9:45 I was in bed, snuggled up and heading into a ibuprofen induced dreamland.
I was a little nervous as I sat and ate breakfast on Sunday morning in preparation for the 10km Oxford Town and Gown. I was hoping for a sub 50 as I had managed a 51min on Friday, I had jokingly said to Laura that I would aim for a 45min race...yeah right, I would be lucky to make a my PB with the way I was feeling (snotty, coughy and a sore throat). I lined up on the start line in the sub 50 group, spotted a couple of other OxTri guys and set off. I tried to go away with the OxTri guys but by the first corner they were gone and as I glanced at my Garmin i realised I was running way too fast... I Settled into a nice pace, faster than normal but thought that I would see how long I could last before slipping into my normal pace. I just kept going and going and with 2 km's left I felt like I was able to make it in 45 mins. I sped up just a little bit, rounded the last corner and saw the finish line, I put my hea down and went for it and as I crossed the line I looked down and saw 43:58!! 43:58... I had shaved 7 minutes off my personal best, I couldn't believe it but it was there. I was over the moon and all the negativity I had felt the day before disappeared. I had managed a sub 45mins for a 10km race...
So this week had its ups and downs, injury and illness mixed with a couple of Personal Bests. Work is getting more demanding and with more and more early morning starts I am struggling to see where I can fit in morning training sessions. However I make my weekly plans and I stick to them as much as possible. This week I managed 9 hours and covered a rough 150kms... not enough but better than nothing.
W
The pain in my shoulder was unbearable as I tried to reach up and wash my hair on Monday morning, my arm dropped limply back to my side and my thoughts moved onto Wednesday swimming... Hmm, would I be able to swim. This was a big concern for me as I was working late on Thursday and wouldn't be able to make the lake swim... I immediately started to re-jig my training plan for this week. It was my rest day today and with a 12 hour work day ahead of me and a duathlon time trial on Tuesday I was quite glad of this. By the end of the day my shoulder had eased up but only slightly and I decided to stay away from the water for the rest of this week, just to be safe.
I woke up on Tuesday morning with my shoulder still incredibly painful but a little more mobile than yesterday. I was really looking forward to tonight as it would be my first BAR for the season and having done LOADS more exercise than last year I was eager to see an improvement in my times from last year. However... it was not too be. Thanks once again must go to work for keeping me at work for over 13 hours without any warning. I got home fairly late and feeling knackered I made a simple supper and crawled into bed, sulking a little, just a little.
I was determined to not let Wednesday go by without at least a little exercise. It was an early start at work and so no chance of an early morning workout, and with my shoulder still hurting there was no chance of swimming. I ended up staying at work longer than planned again and got home exhausted, however I got my lazy ass off the sofa and my feet into my running shoes and set off for a run. I got back an hour and 15 minutes later feeling on top of the world with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. I managed to run at a pretty decent pace for the whole time and still felt like I would be capable of running longer and further.
I had Thursday morning off as I was running a dinner at work and so after a relaxed breakfast I climbed on my bike and headed to my 'favourite' hill... I am feeling much more comfortable on my bike and the legs were turning nice and easily as I hit the hill. I cruised over the hill in a much higher gear than normal, shot over the top and screamed down the other side. I turned around and headed back up the hill and crested it STILL feeling strong. I got home almost bouncing with excitement at how much stronger I was feeling on the bike.
My shoulder was feeling much better on Friday morning and there wasn't a hint of the shooting pain that had been plaguing me throughout the week, instead it was replaced with a very sore throat and a little snotty nose. I finished up at work at a reasonable hour and once home, I looked up the course for the 10k race I was doing on Sunday. I slipped into 'something more comfortable'... for a run and went into town to try and follow as much of the course as possible. I ran a little further than the distance but still managed a PB over 10km's (51 minutes) and this made me feel very positive for Sunday.
The alarm sounded very rude at 5:30am on Saturday morning as I left dreamland behind and stepped into a reality of cold air and a still very sore throat. I munched down a nice breakfast, woke Laura up, made some coffee to go, woke Laura up again, loaded my bike into the car, dragged Laura out of bed, paced up and down in the lounge waiting for Laura to get dressed and eventually set off for the Lake... I was a bit wary about the shoulder as I squeezed into my wetsuit and dived into the lake. It was beautiful, the sun was out, the wind was nowhere to be seen and my shoulder felt good. I managed 5 laps before I felt a small twinge in my shoulder and called it a day, well at least until the Pre-Blenheim coaching sessions. As with last week I was involved in taking open water newbies out in preparation for their first open water triathlon and once again thoroughly enjoyed passing on my experiences to others. I climbed out of the lake, threw my wetsuit into the car and climbed on my bike and headed off home. I recognized the feelings in my legs from the Reading triathlon and worked hard at getting them used to being used. I made it home in good time with a headwind the whole way. As the day progressed I started to feel a little down, as the last 5 weeks training just hadn't been going according to plan and I was feeling as if things were just slipping away from me. I tried to push these thoughts out of my head and spent the day with Laura trying not to think about training or Ironman. I think I was over tired from working crazy hours, fitting in training and feeling ill, what I needed was an early night and by 9:45 I was in bed, snuggled up and heading into a ibuprofen induced dreamland.
I was a little nervous as I sat and ate breakfast on Sunday morning in preparation for the 10km Oxford Town and Gown. I was hoping for a sub 50 as I had managed a 51min on Friday, I had jokingly said to Laura that I would aim for a 45min race...yeah right, I would be lucky to make a my PB with the way I was feeling (snotty, coughy and a sore throat). I lined up on the start line in the sub 50 group, spotted a couple of other OxTri guys and set off. I tried to go away with the OxTri guys but by the first corner they were gone and as I glanced at my Garmin i realised I was running way too fast... I Settled into a nice pace, faster than normal but thought that I would see how long I could last before slipping into my normal pace. I just kept going and going and with 2 km's left I felt like I was able to make it in 45 mins. I sped up just a little bit, rounded the last corner and saw the finish line, I put my hea down and went for it and as I crossed the line I looked down and saw 43:58!! 43:58... I had shaved 7 minutes off my personal best, I couldn't believe it but it was there. I was over the moon and all the negativity I had felt the day before disappeared. I had managed a sub 45mins for a 10km race...
So this week had its ups and downs, injury and illness mixed with a couple of Personal Bests. Work is getting more demanding and with more and more early morning starts I am struggling to see where I can fit in morning training sessions. However I make my weekly plans and I stick to them as much as possible. This week I managed 9 hours and covered a rough 150kms... not enough but better than nothing.
W
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Week 18
02.05.2011 - 08.05.2011
After 2 weeks of training not going to plan, I was a little worried about how I would feel hitting the training again. I was still feeling a little washed out from the previous week but was determined to get started again.
I went for a run on Monday and had only planned on running for half an hour but I felt really good and just carried on for the full hour. I did initially struggle and needed to walk for a while, however after I had caught my breath and got into a nice rhythm the rest was really nice and I got back home feeling very positive.
Tuesday, 5:30am and I was outside, clipped into my pedals, bike was locked into the Turbo and earphones were plugged in... I spun away for about an hour in the crisp morning air, trying to keep the thoughts of the impending doom called work out of my head. I eventually had to give into the time and head up to the shower to get ready for work. I got through work unscathed and was soon home slipping on my running shoes and heading off into the Oxford evening I ran my set 10km route and managed a good pace over the full 10kms. I looked over my training journal and I worked out that I had set a new personal best pace for the distance...
I was once again looking forward to my Wednesday swim session at Radley College. I had spent the last session in Lane 2 but was a little apprehensive about staying in it this evening as there were a lot more swimmers out. I did however stay in the lane and had a cracking session, it was fast and exhausting but by the end of the session I had notched up 3600m and certainly felt it in my arms and shoulders.
Thursday rolled around and I was amped for the first Thursday Open water Swim with the club. It was a fairly nice day and work had been hectic and a dip in the lake was exactly what was needed. The lap was set at about 500m-550m and I managed to get around 5 times with a few little bobbing sessions in between. I got out feeling fantastic and refreshed albeit a little tired. I absolutely love swimming in the lake, it just so peaceful and although the water is a little cold, it's really refreshing. This is a shot of me in the lake...
I managed to get out of work fairly promptly on Friday and as soon as I got home I jumped on my bike and hit the road. I was trying to work out a way to the lake so that on Saturdays I could travel by bike to the lake and then do a fairly hard ride home after just to try get used to riding after swimming. It was a nice day, a little windy, but the sun was out and the route to the lake is fairly pleasant. I did wonder how my cycling would be with almost 2 weeks off of it, however the break seemed to do me good and although my average speed was down a fraction I felt remarkably comfortable on the bike. I did find the route and its on quiet quick roads.
The alarm waking me up at 5:30 on a Saturday was not well received but as soon as I had wiped the sleep dirt out of my eyes I remembered I was going swimming and I was filled with a new energy. I had a supporter in the form of a very tired Laura, however armed with a flask of coffee and a couple of croissants, she was ready to go. The water felt really warm as we dived in, this might have had something to do with the rain pouring down and the cold wind cutting to the bone. I managed 4 loops before it was shortened due to poor visibility and on the 2nd lap of the short loop my shoulders started to ache. First the left one and then by the end of the 2nd lap the right was also aching. I thought nothing of it, as I had been pushing to keep up with Greg and so thought the muscles were just a little tired. The session finished, but I had volunteered to coach/accompany new open water swimmers out in the lake. This is something the club organises as a build up to Blenheim Triathlon for anybody taking part that has never swum in open water before and isn't restricted to club members. It was great getting people who were apprehensive about open water out and seeing how quickly they started to love the feeling of it. It was also nice to be able to impart some of the advice given to me in the last 18 weeks onto others. I got out feeling energetic although a little tired. The rain was hammering it down now and so I chickened out of riding home and took the comfort of the car. My shoulders were a little sore driving home but they have been before after tough sessions so I wasn't overly concerned.
I had a little rest and then slipped into my running shoes and set off on my planned 2 hour run... It was disasterous. I couldn't find a rhythm in my pace, in my breathing in anything. I got exhausted after 20 minutes but persevered until 45 minutes later I was cramping and struggling for breath. I started walkinghome and after a few minutes tried running again... nothing! I just couldn't get into it t all. I walked back home looking a right state, bright red in the face, limping slighlty from the cramp in my calf and dripping sweat, or should I say pouring sweat. I was glad to get home and had a quiet little sulk in the bath. However, getting out of the bath was a little tricky as my shoulders were killing me and this was something I had never felt before. I rubbed some freeze gel into them and put on a thick jumper and then had a little doze on the sofa. when I woke up I tried to reach for my phone and I culdn't move my arm without excruciating pain shooting from my shoulder. I wasn't sure whether to be concerned or glad that I had worked so hard that the muscles were SORE! Once I had moved around a little they eased up, however it was still sore reaching up about shoulder height. I went to bed hoping that all would be well in the morning.
I woke up on Sunday morning and my shoulders were still aching but I couldn't dwell on it as I was getting ready for my first club ride. I was going to go out with the medium group and then after their 2 hours I was going to go ut for a further 2 hours on my own... only there wasn't a medium group, only a fast group and I managed to stick with them for the first 2 hours but I was knackered and I mean truly knackered. I knew I was riding faster than I had ever ridden and was pleased but at the same time I knew how much better I could be with more training. I then peeled off of the main ride with 5 others and headed back to Oxford, only this group were also all about speed and although I managed to hang onto them for 14 miles I was dropped just outside of Oxford, and so with my tail tucked between my legs I made my way home. I had ridden for about 3 maybe 3 and a half hours at a cracking pace, however as my Garmins battery had died I knew no figures. I did feel really happy aboutthe quality of my ride and by the end of the day the muscles in my butt knew they had had a tough bike ride.
My shoulders wer still incredibly painful by the end of the day and as such I did a little research online and I think I may have injured my rotator cuff. The cure is rest but keeping it mobile so that I don't develop Frozen Shoulder. My next swim session is on Wednesday, however I will have to see how the shoulder is doing before I go diving in.
I am not sure of my mileage this week, however without realising it I have done 7 days straight and managed 13.5 hours.
I am looking forward to next week as I have planned my days carefully around my scheduled working hours. Bring it on.
W
After 2 weeks of training not going to plan, I was a little worried about how I would feel hitting the training again. I was still feeling a little washed out from the previous week but was determined to get started again.
I went for a run on Monday and had only planned on running for half an hour but I felt really good and just carried on for the full hour. I did initially struggle and needed to walk for a while, however after I had caught my breath and got into a nice rhythm the rest was really nice and I got back home feeling very positive.
Tuesday, 5:30am and I was outside, clipped into my pedals, bike was locked into the Turbo and earphones were plugged in... I spun away for about an hour in the crisp morning air, trying to keep the thoughts of the impending doom called work out of my head. I eventually had to give into the time and head up to the shower to get ready for work. I got through work unscathed and was soon home slipping on my running shoes and heading off into the Oxford evening I ran my set 10km route and managed a good pace over the full 10kms. I looked over my training journal and I worked out that I had set a new personal best pace for the distance...
I was once again looking forward to my Wednesday swim session at Radley College. I had spent the last session in Lane 2 but was a little apprehensive about staying in it this evening as there were a lot more swimmers out. I did however stay in the lane and had a cracking session, it was fast and exhausting but by the end of the session I had notched up 3600m and certainly felt it in my arms and shoulders.
Thursday rolled around and I was amped for the first Thursday Open water Swim with the club. It was a fairly nice day and work had been hectic and a dip in the lake was exactly what was needed. The lap was set at about 500m-550m and I managed to get around 5 times with a few little bobbing sessions in between. I got out feeling fantastic and refreshed albeit a little tired. I absolutely love swimming in the lake, it just so peaceful and although the water is a little cold, it's really refreshing. This is a shot of me in the lake...
I managed to get out of work fairly promptly on Friday and as soon as I got home I jumped on my bike and hit the road. I was trying to work out a way to the lake so that on Saturdays I could travel by bike to the lake and then do a fairly hard ride home after just to try get used to riding after swimming. It was a nice day, a little windy, but the sun was out and the route to the lake is fairly pleasant. I did wonder how my cycling would be with almost 2 weeks off of it, however the break seemed to do me good and although my average speed was down a fraction I felt remarkably comfortable on the bike. I did find the route and its on quiet quick roads.
The alarm waking me up at 5:30 on a Saturday was not well received but as soon as I had wiped the sleep dirt out of my eyes I remembered I was going swimming and I was filled with a new energy. I had a supporter in the form of a very tired Laura, however armed with a flask of coffee and a couple of croissants, she was ready to go. The water felt really warm as we dived in, this might have had something to do with the rain pouring down and the cold wind cutting to the bone. I managed 4 loops before it was shortened due to poor visibility and on the 2nd lap of the short loop my shoulders started to ache. First the left one and then by the end of the 2nd lap the right was also aching. I thought nothing of it, as I had been pushing to keep up with Greg and so thought the muscles were just a little tired. The session finished, but I had volunteered to coach/accompany new open water swimmers out in the lake. This is something the club organises as a build up to Blenheim Triathlon for anybody taking part that has never swum in open water before and isn't restricted to club members. It was great getting people who were apprehensive about open water out and seeing how quickly they started to love the feeling of it. It was also nice to be able to impart some of the advice given to me in the last 18 weeks onto others. I got out feeling energetic although a little tired. The rain was hammering it down now and so I chickened out of riding home and took the comfort of the car. My shoulders were a little sore driving home but they have been before after tough sessions so I wasn't overly concerned.
I had a little rest and then slipped into my running shoes and set off on my planned 2 hour run... It was disasterous. I couldn't find a rhythm in my pace, in my breathing in anything. I got exhausted after 20 minutes but persevered until 45 minutes later I was cramping and struggling for breath. I started walkinghome and after a few minutes tried running again... nothing! I just couldn't get into it t all. I walked back home looking a right state, bright red in the face, limping slighlty from the cramp in my calf and dripping sweat, or should I say pouring sweat. I was glad to get home and had a quiet little sulk in the bath. However, getting out of the bath was a little tricky as my shoulders were killing me and this was something I had never felt before. I rubbed some freeze gel into them and put on a thick jumper and then had a little doze on the sofa. when I woke up I tried to reach for my phone and I culdn't move my arm without excruciating pain shooting from my shoulder. I wasn't sure whether to be concerned or glad that I had worked so hard that the muscles were SORE! Once I had moved around a little they eased up, however it was still sore reaching up about shoulder height. I went to bed hoping that all would be well in the morning.
I woke up on Sunday morning and my shoulders were still aching but I couldn't dwell on it as I was getting ready for my first club ride. I was going to go out with the medium group and then after their 2 hours I was going to go ut for a further 2 hours on my own... only there wasn't a medium group, only a fast group and I managed to stick with them for the first 2 hours but I was knackered and I mean truly knackered. I knew I was riding faster than I had ever ridden and was pleased but at the same time I knew how much better I could be with more training. I then peeled off of the main ride with 5 others and headed back to Oxford, only this group were also all about speed and although I managed to hang onto them for 14 miles I was dropped just outside of Oxford, and so with my tail tucked between my legs I made my way home. I had ridden for about 3 maybe 3 and a half hours at a cracking pace, however as my Garmins battery had died I knew no figures. I did feel really happy aboutthe quality of my ride and by the end of the day the muscles in my butt knew they had had a tough bike ride.
My shoulders wer still incredibly painful by the end of the day and as such I did a little research online and I think I may have injured my rotator cuff. The cure is rest but keeping it mobile so that I don't develop Frozen Shoulder. My next swim session is on Wednesday, however I will have to see how the shoulder is doing before I go diving in.
I am not sure of my mileage this week, however without realising it I have done 7 days straight and managed 13.5 hours.
I am looking forward to next week as I have planned my days carefully around my scheduled working hours. Bring it on.
W
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Week 17
25.04.11 - 01.05.11
Managed to catch a nasty stomach bug that saw me hurl my guts up and then it moved lower down and stuck around for 3 days and left me feeling washed out and knackered for the rest of the week. I did fit in a hour swim in the lake which was amazing however I did feel rubbish afterwards and so decided to wait until I was feeling a 100% before I did any exercise. So all in all not a great week following not a great week.
W
Managed to catch a nasty stomach bug that saw me hurl my guts up and then it moved lower down and stuck around for 3 days and left me feeling washed out and knackered for the rest of the week. I did fit in a hour swim in the lake which was amazing however I did feel rubbish afterwards and so decided to wait until I was feeling a 100% before I did any exercise. So all in all not a great week following not a great week.
W
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Week 16
18.04.11 - 24.04.11
'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'
This was a week where I failed to plan and the saying is oh so true as this week wasn't the success I had hoped it would be. I am being a bit to hard on myself as the sessions that I did were brilliant however I didn't manage to do all the sessions or the hours. Work was a little up in the air with timings and so I thought I would just do my exercise when I had the chance... I only got one bike ride in and unfortunately it was a dismal failure as my legs were so sore from all the running I had done that as soon as a little breeze came my way I could barely power myself forward... (so a little exaggeration, but that s what it felt like).
The running this week went really well and I managed 44.5kms over 3 runs, the 2 longest were stupidly back to back just before my long ride. My pace on the run seems to have come back and now I just need to find the balance between riding and running so that one doesn't become weak. This happened this week as I didn't manage to fit in a ride during the week and then on the Sunday I only managed 2 hours, which was very painful.
The swimming session was coached by an outside coach with the nickname of Evil Dave and you knew you were in for a rough session when the warm up was 1500m followed by 1000m of just kicking... I got out the pool exhausted with arms hanging limply at my side.
So like I said, it wasn't a great week but neither was it a terrible week, it was a week that could have been better.
W
'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'
This was a week where I failed to plan and the saying is oh so true as this week wasn't the success I had hoped it would be. I am being a bit to hard on myself as the sessions that I did were brilliant however I didn't manage to do all the sessions or the hours. Work was a little up in the air with timings and so I thought I would just do my exercise when I had the chance... I only got one bike ride in and unfortunately it was a dismal failure as my legs were so sore from all the running I had done that as soon as a little breeze came my way I could barely power myself forward... (so a little exaggeration, but that s what it felt like).
The running this week went really well and I managed 44.5kms over 3 runs, the 2 longest were stupidly back to back just before my long ride. My pace on the run seems to have come back and now I just need to find the balance between riding and running so that one doesn't become weak. This happened this week as I didn't manage to fit in a ride during the week and then on the Sunday I only managed 2 hours, which was very painful.
The swimming session was coached by an outside coach with the nickname of Evil Dave and you knew you were in for a rough session when the warm up was 1500m followed by 1000m of just kicking... I got out the pool exhausted with arms hanging limply at my side.
So like I said, it wasn't a great week but neither was it a terrible week, it was a week that could have been better.
W
Tuesday 19 April 2011
The First 15
So below is a summary of the first 15 weeks of my training plan which will give you and me an insight into what need to be done over the next 15 weeks.
Swimming: I started the year struggling to swim any distance, my first swim was really painful and after much gasping for air and really sore arms I managed 2.5kms in an hour and a half. I felt slow and felt like I was sinking in the water, I couldn't breath properly and felt nauseous and after a while I felt like I was making no progress what-so-ever. I was worried about swimming the 3.8kms in 2 hrs 20 in IMUK, however through coaching by the Tri club coaches I have now smoothed out my style so that I am more of a swimmer and less of a splasher. I am now confident that I will be able to do the swim in under an hour and a half and am aiming for the hour mark. I think this is a doable goal if I look back on what I have done over the last 15 weeks. A good indication is my 30 min TT which is now 1725, which even if I dont improve too much on that I will still manage 3500 in an hour and with another 300 taking about 5 minutes or so I will be on track for a sub 1:15 swim. Open water swimming is starting soon and with that I will be able to concentrate on distance as well as see how a wetsuit and the added buoyancy will benfit me. I will still be going to one or two pool sessions to concentrate on speed development.
Cycling: My cycling started off as average but not a good enough average to give me a good time in IMUK and as it's the longest leg of IMUK and the one just before a marathon I was aware that that needed a lot of improving. I started off with averages on the flat of around 24km/h after just an hour and have ended up with 28km/h over 4 hours and a 30km/h over 2 hours. I am a lot more comfortable on the bike now and that took a really long time to happen. The biggest thing to help my cycling is summer and the sun and longer days. I feel that with a bit of work I can get to the 30km/h avg goal and if I put in a little more I should get past that. I will just need to be careful and see how much energy I have after a good solid 6 hour ride prior to IMUK.
Cycling: My cycling started off as average but not a good enough average to give me a good time in IMUK and as it's the longest leg of IMUK and the one just before a marathon I was aware that that needed a lot of improving. I started off with averages on the flat of around 24km/h after just an hour and have ended up with 28km/h over 4 hours and a 30km/h over 2 hours. I am a lot more comfortable on the bike now and that took a really long time to happen. The biggest thing to help my cycling is summer and the sun and longer days. I feel that with a bit of work I can get to the 30km/h avg goal and if I put in a little more I should get past that. I will just need to be careful and see how much energy I have after a good solid 6 hour ride prior to IMUK.
Running: I struggled with running to begin with but as it was the only discipline I felt comfortable doing at night, I soon got better at it and ended up running a Half Marathon in 1:55. Since the Half Marathon I haven't been running nearly enough and as such my pace has dropped down by a good 30 seconds/km however I am still able to run for long periods of time. I need to start running 3 times a week again and this will help get my pace back up to the Half pace and combine that with the long runs I've been doing, should see a vast improvement. I feel my running will com back quickly as long as I put the hours in and hopefully it will see me run a 5 hour or faster marathon at the end of IMUK.
So at the halfway point these are my new goals (which I feel are achievable over the next 15 weeks)
Swim 3.8km - 1 hour
Ride 180km - 6 hours
Run 42km - 5 hours
These combined with good nutrition, on and before the big day, a clear focused mind and everything else going my way should see me do IronManUK in 12 hours.
Things that I have to change
1. Eating properly on a daily basis
2. Getting up earlier to make sure I fit in all my training sessions
3. Fitting in all my training sessions no matter what or how I am feeling
4. Training a little more cleverly to make sure that every second counts
5. Balancing out all the disciplines so that one does't become stronger at the expense of another
Watch this space and feel free to comment or advise, after all I am an IronMan novice ;-)
W
So at the halfway point these are my new goals (which I feel are achievable over the next 15 weeks)
Swim 3.8km - 1 hour
Ride 180km - 6 hours
Run 42km - 5 hours
These combined with good nutrition, on and before the big day, a clear focused mind and everything else going my way should see me do IronManUK in 12 hours.
Things that I have to change
1. Eating properly on a daily basis
2. Getting up earlier to make sure I fit in all my training sessions
3. Fitting in all my training sessions no matter what or how I am feeling
4. Training a little more cleverly to make sure that every second counts
5. Balancing out all the disciplines so that one does't become stronger at the expense of another
Watch this space and feel free to comment or advise, after all I am an IronMan novice ;-)
W
Week 15 - Half Way
11.04.11 - 17.04.11
I started this week with very open eyes, trying to get a feel for how much I had changed, improved and progressed and at the end of it I was very happy, Sure there were some aspects that could have been better, but they aren't so bad that I cant fix them in the following 15 weeks. So the week...
I signed up for and actually managed to attend the swim session at Rosenblatt Pool. I saw the set list and it involved a fair amount of kick and pull drills, which aren't my favourite, and wondered what I had got myself in for. However Ian and Claire, the coaches explained that they didn't believe in using swimming aids to help get through these sets and they then explained about engaging your core to provide the stability and buoyancy. I wasn't convinced and the prospect of taking of loads of water as I splashed about like a drunk in puddle seemed imminent... But I got it and after an exhausting session I felt that I had actually managed to improve my position in the water and that made my stroke that much more effective.
I had to work an evening shift on Tuesday and this left me time in the morning for a nice ride. it was really wierd watching everyone head off to work while I was cruising by on my bike. I set off for a 2 hour ride and came back on top of the world. I had once again set a average speed in excess of 30km/h and felt really good at the end of the ride. This is my ideal race pace and with he time remaining till IMUK I feel that I will be able to build on that and possibly even surpass my previous goals for the ride.
Wednesday is always my favourite day as its the long swim and this evening it was the 30 minute Time Trial. I felt a little stiff in the shoulders from Mondays swim session and the fact that I had been shifting a load of heavy chairs in the afternoon didn't help. The warm up soon sorted the stiffness out and soon it was TT time. I tried to employ all that I had learnt on Monday and as I got into the swim I could I was gliding through the water better. I finished with a new PB of 1725m, the 3rd furthest out of the session. I felt awesome as I continued with the remainder of the sets, I was a bit hesitant when I was told I would need to move lanes soon but I figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it..
I was very glad when Thursday rolled around as I was knackered and it was a rest day. I enjoyed just chilling out and relaxing but a little part of me was still eager to do some exercise.
Friday was another swim session and by now my arms were feeling very heavy and more than a little stiff in the shoulders. I got into the middle lane and was having a bit of a laugh with some of the other guys as we swam our warm ups, when I suddenly heard my name being called... Thanks Vicky. Vicky is one of the best swimmers in the club, organised the 30 MinTT and had just told the coach of the fast lane that I needed to change lanes. It was tough, good but tough! We were swimming 400m sets and I was struggling to keep up with Mark who was leading the pack, i was pushing so hard that I kept on clipping the lane divider so hard that bythe time the session was over my hand was bright red and now 3 days later is still bruised. We did however manage to swim 400's in around 7 minutes which is fairly quick. I got out the pool and for the first time in a long time I felt like I had actually had a workout, so Thanks Vicky! I was so amped by this session that I went home and spent a solid hour on the turbo trainer working up a pretty hefty sweat... I slept well!
The weather on Saturday was perfect, sunny with a little breeze just to take the edge off the heat and I set off for a quick 45 minute ride and then a 2 hour run. (Note however that this is the first run session this week) It was a good run, I went and did a little exploring found some new parks on the outskirts of Oxford, Got a tan (I had to take my t-shirt off as I didn't want to end up with nipple rash again) and was feeling tired by the end of the run. However I had run less than a half marathon and had been struggling to keep my heart rate down... Lack of running for sure! Running needs attention.
The good weather continued though to Sunday and I set off fairly early for a 4 hour ride. I am beginning to really enjoy these rides as its an opportunity to explore the countryside at a pace slower than speeding along in a car. I spent most of the time in the aero bars which is good training for IMUK as I plan on spending 6 hours hunched/tucked down. The ride was fast and I was pushing it a bit but not going crazy as I knew I had a longish ride ahead of me and wanted to make it home in one piece. I managed to cover 104kms in 3:41 and set an average spped of 28km/h which I was really happy with especially for that amount of time. I did get home with jelly legs, but was up and about walking around in half an hour. I now know what needs to be done over the next 15 weeks and feel confident that I can easily get to 30km/h over 6 hours.
So the week was successful and I managed to cover a fair few hours and kilometres,
Hours - 13
Kms - 239.2
So week 15 done, first half of the training plan done - bring on week 16 and the second half.
W
I started this week with very open eyes, trying to get a feel for how much I had changed, improved and progressed and at the end of it I was very happy, Sure there were some aspects that could have been better, but they aren't so bad that I cant fix them in the following 15 weeks. So the week...
I signed up for and actually managed to attend the swim session at Rosenblatt Pool. I saw the set list and it involved a fair amount of kick and pull drills, which aren't my favourite, and wondered what I had got myself in for. However Ian and Claire, the coaches explained that they didn't believe in using swimming aids to help get through these sets and they then explained about engaging your core to provide the stability and buoyancy. I wasn't convinced and the prospect of taking of loads of water as I splashed about like a drunk in puddle seemed imminent... But I got it and after an exhausting session I felt that I had actually managed to improve my position in the water and that made my stroke that much more effective.
I had to work an evening shift on Tuesday and this left me time in the morning for a nice ride. it was really wierd watching everyone head off to work while I was cruising by on my bike. I set off for a 2 hour ride and came back on top of the world. I had once again set a average speed in excess of 30km/h and felt really good at the end of the ride. This is my ideal race pace and with he time remaining till IMUK I feel that I will be able to build on that and possibly even surpass my previous goals for the ride.
Wednesday is always my favourite day as its the long swim and this evening it was the 30 minute Time Trial. I felt a little stiff in the shoulders from Mondays swim session and the fact that I had been shifting a load of heavy chairs in the afternoon didn't help. The warm up soon sorted the stiffness out and soon it was TT time. I tried to employ all that I had learnt on Monday and as I got into the swim I could I was gliding through the water better. I finished with a new PB of 1725m, the 3rd furthest out of the session. I felt awesome as I continued with the remainder of the sets, I was a bit hesitant when I was told I would need to move lanes soon but I figured I would cross that bridge when I got to it..
I was very glad when Thursday rolled around as I was knackered and it was a rest day. I enjoyed just chilling out and relaxing but a little part of me was still eager to do some exercise.
Friday was another swim session and by now my arms were feeling very heavy and more than a little stiff in the shoulders. I got into the middle lane and was having a bit of a laugh with some of the other guys as we swam our warm ups, when I suddenly heard my name being called... Thanks Vicky. Vicky is one of the best swimmers in the club, organised the 30 MinTT and had just told the coach of the fast lane that I needed to change lanes. It was tough, good but tough! We were swimming 400m sets and I was struggling to keep up with Mark who was leading the pack, i was pushing so hard that I kept on clipping the lane divider so hard that bythe time the session was over my hand was bright red and now 3 days later is still bruised. We did however manage to swim 400's in around 7 minutes which is fairly quick. I got out the pool and for the first time in a long time I felt like I had actually had a workout, so Thanks Vicky! I was so amped by this session that I went home and spent a solid hour on the turbo trainer working up a pretty hefty sweat... I slept well!
The weather on Saturday was perfect, sunny with a little breeze just to take the edge off the heat and I set off for a quick 45 minute ride and then a 2 hour run. (Note however that this is the first run session this week) It was a good run, I went and did a little exploring found some new parks on the outskirts of Oxford, Got a tan (I had to take my t-shirt off as I didn't want to end up with nipple rash again) and was feeling tired by the end of the run. However I had run less than a half marathon and had been struggling to keep my heart rate down... Lack of running for sure! Running needs attention.
The good weather continued though to Sunday and I set off fairly early for a 4 hour ride. I am beginning to really enjoy these rides as its an opportunity to explore the countryside at a pace slower than speeding along in a car. I spent most of the time in the aero bars which is good training for IMUK as I plan on spending 6 hours hunched/tucked down. The ride was fast and I was pushing it a bit but not going crazy as I knew I had a longish ride ahead of me and wanted to make it home in one piece. I managed to cover 104kms in 3:41 and set an average spped of 28km/h which I was really happy with especially for that amount of time. I did get home with jelly legs, but was up and about walking around in half an hour. I now know what needs to be done over the next 15 weeks and feel confident that I can easily get to 30km/h over 6 hours.
So the week was successful and I managed to cover a fair few hours and kilometres,
Hours - 13
Kms - 239.2
So week 15 done, first half of the training plan done - bring on week 16 and the second half.
W
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Week 14
04.04.11 - 10.04.11
I haven't been looking forward to writing this blog as this week has been awful and I can mainly blame it all on myself and my stupidity.
I recently had a short chat with my mother where she asked if I was following a nutrition plan and I assured her that I was, however last week saw my food intake falter and badly. I didn't eat very healthy, I didn't eat enough and I didn't drink enough water... I struggled to get through work and then once home I just just wanted to go to bed, I was extremely grumpy through out the week as I was lacking enthusiasm and energy and was just generally tired. The swim session that I went to was exhausting even though it wasn't a tough set and I ended up doing less laps than the previous week where we had the same set list. I went for a run and barely lasted 20 minutes before I had to stop and walk home, WALK home... But for some reason I just couldn't see what I was doing wrong. I must thank my girlfriend, Laura, for pointing out the obvious on Thursday eve when she asked what I had had for lunch and I hadn't had lunch or even breakfast, but not as a conscious decision, I was just not concentrating on eating properly.
So Friday came and I had a small bowl of porridge in the morning and then at lunch time I had a chicken wrap, some salad and an apple. I had signed up for a swim session and was determined to make up for the slack week. However mid afternoon approached and with it came really bad stomach cramps, nausea and a headache... I managed to leave work a little early and as I was driving home I had to stop and the chicken wrap, some salad and an apple all found itself on the side of the road. I was feeling awful and as such cancelled my place in the swim session. I spent the rest of the day sipping water and sulking... I made a decision to take my own lunch in from now on as I would know that I had food to eat and that it wouldn't give me food poisoning.
Saturday and I was feeling a little better and so set off on my bike for a short ride (after a large bowl of porridge), I had a great 2 hour ride and for the first time I managed to finish with an average speed of 30km/h. This is the speed that I want to complete the bike leg of IMUK in and now knowing what that feels like I can aim to do longer rides at that speed. I had also mounted my clip-on aero bars onto my bike and so this was the first ride in the tuck position.
Sunday was my long run day and after the awful run on Thursday, I was a bit hesitant, however after a few slices of toast with strawberry jam, i was off. I took a water bottle with me as the sun was already quite warm and it was only 8am. The run was fantastic, I loved every minute of it and I managed to do 11 miles , however as I haven't run much since the Half my pace was way off what I want it to be, but this can be fixed.
So with yet another lesson learnt I close the chapter on this week and move on to a productive week with enough nutrition and hydration to see me through all my sessions.
W
I haven't been looking forward to writing this blog as this week has been awful and I can mainly blame it all on myself and my stupidity.
I recently had a short chat with my mother where she asked if I was following a nutrition plan and I assured her that I was, however last week saw my food intake falter and badly. I didn't eat very healthy, I didn't eat enough and I didn't drink enough water... I struggled to get through work and then once home I just just wanted to go to bed, I was extremely grumpy through out the week as I was lacking enthusiasm and energy and was just generally tired. The swim session that I went to was exhausting even though it wasn't a tough set and I ended up doing less laps than the previous week where we had the same set list. I went for a run and barely lasted 20 minutes before I had to stop and walk home, WALK home... But for some reason I just couldn't see what I was doing wrong. I must thank my girlfriend, Laura, for pointing out the obvious on Thursday eve when she asked what I had had for lunch and I hadn't had lunch or even breakfast, but not as a conscious decision, I was just not concentrating on eating properly.
So Friday came and I had a small bowl of porridge in the morning and then at lunch time I had a chicken wrap, some salad and an apple. I had signed up for a swim session and was determined to make up for the slack week. However mid afternoon approached and with it came really bad stomach cramps, nausea and a headache... I managed to leave work a little early and as I was driving home I had to stop and the chicken wrap, some salad and an apple all found itself on the side of the road. I was feeling awful and as such cancelled my place in the swim session. I spent the rest of the day sipping water and sulking... I made a decision to take my own lunch in from now on as I would know that I had food to eat and that it wouldn't give me food poisoning.
Saturday and I was feeling a little better and so set off on my bike for a short ride (after a large bowl of porridge), I had a great 2 hour ride and for the first time I managed to finish with an average speed of 30km/h. This is the speed that I want to complete the bike leg of IMUK in and now knowing what that feels like I can aim to do longer rides at that speed. I had also mounted my clip-on aero bars onto my bike and so this was the first ride in the tuck position.
Sunday was my long run day and after the awful run on Thursday, I was a bit hesitant, however after a few slices of toast with strawberry jam, i was off. I took a water bottle with me as the sun was already quite warm and it was only 8am. The run was fantastic, I loved every minute of it and I managed to do 11 miles , however as I haven't run much since the Half my pace was way off what I want it to be, but this can be fixed.
So with yet another lesson learnt I close the chapter on this week and move on to a productive week with enough nutrition and hydration to see me through all my sessions.
W
Monday 4 April 2011
Week 13
28.03.11 - 03.04.11
The rest week did the trick, I didn't manage all the hours but only by an hour so I am very happy, and this week saw me turn a year older... I have however managed to hang onto my boyish good looks, wit and charm...
After a nice relaxing week I was back in business and Monday saw me splashing about in the pool as I led the lane at a 'challenging' pace, according to the coach. I now have to move up a lane so that I continue to improve and thats a good thing. I felt really comfortable in the water but did feel as if I was pushing, the arms felt like they had worked, and this came back to bite me on the ass on Wednesday...
Tuesday was a brilliant day and so in order to kill two birds (increasing petrol prices and bike fitness) I rode into work. The route is fairly flat and fast as well as being on quite roads and this made for a great start to the day. I made it to work in a little over an hour and still felt fresh for the remainder of the day. On the way home I managed under an hour (just) but felt good enough to go for a 30 minute run straight after. I could feel straight away that I hadn't been doing any brick sessions recently as my legs started to cramp up from the sudden change in motion. I have therefore decided to include more brick sessions in a week and the best place is on the weekends. Riding to work is great way to start the day as well as being cheaper than a car.
After a quiet Wednesday at work I was looking forward to my long swim, that was until I got into the pool and started swimming. My arms were killing me and the water felt like a mixture of concrete and jelly. I struggled through the session as it was also a kicking session, so combining knackered arms and uncoordinated kicking, I just about prevented myself from drowning... I was oh so glad to get out of the pool, although driving home proved a little challenging...
Thursday rolled around and although I was going to ride into work, I was shattered, my arms were dead and I could barely lift them enough to wash my hair. I was exhausted and so decided to make Thursday my rest day! Happiness all round this was also made possible by only having a half day at work...
Friday (My Birthday) and I started the day off with a nice hour long run, 34 didn't feel half bad now that it was here... The run was great, it was my first proper run since the half marathon. I also tried a negative split, which just meant running an out and back route, with the return route being run quicker than the out. I managed it, which was great. I was meant to swim on Friday evening, however as I was having friends round for a little party I had to miss it due to time/preparation constraints... My arms didn't mind so much, surprisingly... I had a good party, with good friends and good food. I also had my first birthday ever since I turned 18 (cough cough) without having any alcohol... It was a decision I had made that I wasn't going to drink like crazy, but the evening went by without me thinking of drinking. I must also thank my friends on this one, as none of them tried to pressure me into drinking, so "Thanks Guys!"
Waking up after a party feeling as right as rain and smelling of daisies is a good thing. I was going to brick it today and Saturdays has now become my long run day as I want to start riding with the Tri Club on Sundays. I jumped on my bike and headed off for a quick short ride just to start the brick session. I flew around the 20km course with an average of 31.5km/h and once home, slid into my running shoes and hit the road. The weather was brilliant and my legs felt like machines, I couldn't help feeling I had forgotten something, until I spotted a club member, Luke,running. My eyes flew to the water bottle in his hands and it all became clear. I could picture my bottle on the kitchen counter, looking refreshingly cool with condensation drops clinging to the side of the bottle. I was suddenly thirsty.
The last half hour was hell, my heart rate was up, my legs were starting to ache, my feet were hurting and I felt like I was boiling over. I stopped for a few minutes in the shade of a massive tree and cooled down a little. I knew I had twenty minutes left to run, how hard could that be... I shot off and just concentrated on trying to keep my heart rate down. I eventually got home, drenched in sweat and the first glass of water felt like magic. It was a new high pace for 10 miles and when I saw this I suddenly felt fantastic, although the lesson had been a tough one and hopefully I shall never be a forgetful idiot like that again.
I woke up expecting to feel sore legs but they were fine, no stiffness, no pain, no hint of any exercise at all... I had overslept a little and so missed the Tri ride, but still, Sunday was my log ride day and seeing as I was going for a hilly ride and was going to combine it with a short run after, I decided to just aim for 3 hours. The weather wasn't great and I needed a long sleeve jersey, I also decided to pack my raincoat as well, just in case... I jumped on my bike, made a final check on drinks and nutrition and pedalled off.
I was feeling AWESOME and the first big climb came and went in what I think was my fastest ever ascent of it. I shot over the other side and just decided to explore and have fun, while cycling hard. I pedalled merrily round a corner and came face to face with a 10% incline that was wet and muddy and that made for a hole lot of fun. I needed to get out of my saddle to get up the hill, but when ever I stood up, my back wheel spun out on all the wet mud. I eventually made it to the top after being overtaken by a tractor... He had an engine alright... I looked across the land and saw hills left right and centre... Right, I wanted climbs, I got climbs!!
I eventually saw a sign to Aylesbury (where my brother lives) and as it was only 18kms away I turned towards it and a few more climbs. I got as close as I could before hitting a very busy road and choosing to turn back, I suddenly realised that each one of those downhills on the way here, had turned into uphills on the way back. I had a great ride exploring the countryside and flexing my climbing muscles but my legs were dead by the time I got home, it took all the will power in the world for me to climb into my running shoes and go for a run. It was the first time I had run on very tired cycling legs and the feeling was really bizarre. After a few minutes they suddenly remembered what to do and I was off. It was only a 15 minute run but I feel that it did me the world of good.
Looking back, its one of those weeks I am very happy with.
I exercised for 10:35:43 out of a planed 12 and
I covered 187.61kms.
That was week 13 and I survived, bring on no. 14.
W
The rest week did the trick, I didn't manage all the hours but only by an hour so I am very happy, and this week saw me turn a year older... I have however managed to hang onto my boyish good looks, wit and charm...
After a nice relaxing week I was back in business and Monday saw me splashing about in the pool as I led the lane at a 'challenging' pace, according to the coach. I now have to move up a lane so that I continue to improve and thats a good thing. I felt really comfortable in the water but did feel as if I was pushing, the arms felt like they had worked, and this came back to bite me on the ass on Wednesday...
Tuesday was a brilliant day and so in order to kill two birds (increasing petrol prices and bike fitness) I rode into work. The route is fairly flat and fast as well as being on quite roads and this made for a great start to the day. I made it to work in a little over an hour and still felt fresh for the remainder of the day. On the way home I managed under an hour (just) but felt good enough to go for a 30 minute run straight after. I could feel straight away that I hadn't been doing any brick sessions recently as my legs started to cramp up from the sudden change in motion. I have therefore decided to include more brick sessions in a week and the best place is on the weekends. Riding to work is great way to start the day as well as being cheaper than a car.
After a quiet Wednesday at work I was looking forward to my long swim, that was until I got into the pool and started swimming. My arms were killing me and the water felt like a mixture of concrete and jelly. I struggled through the session as it was also a kicking session, so combining knackered arms and uncoordinated kicking, I just about prevented myself from drowning... I was oh so glad to get out of the pool, although driving home proved a little challenging...
Thursday rolled around and although I was going to ride into work, I was shattered, my arms were dead and I could barely lift them enough to wash my hair. I was exhausted and so decided to make Thursday my rest day! Happiness all round this was also made possible by only having a half day at work...
Friday (My Birthday) and I started the day off with a nice hour long run, 34 didn't feel half bad now that it was here... The run was great, it was my first proper run since the half marathon. I also tried a negative split, which just meant running an out and back route, with the return route being run quicker than the out. I managed it, which was great. I was meant to swim on Friday evening, however as I was having friends round for a little party I had to miss it due to time/preparation constraints... My arms didn't mind so much, surprisingly... I had a good party, with good friends and good food. I also had my first birthday ever since I turned 18 (cough cough) without having any alcohol... It was a decision I had made that I wasn't going to drink like crazy, but the evening went by without me thinking of drinking. I must also thank my friends on this one, as none of them tried to pressure me into drinking, so "Thanks Guys!"
Waking up after a party feeling as right as rain and smelling of daisies is a good thing. I was going to brick it today and Saturdays has now become my long run day as I want to start riding with the Tri Club on Sundays. I jumped on my bike and headed off for a quick short ride just to start the brick session. I flew around the 20km course with an average of 31.5km/h and once home, slid into my running shoes and hit the road. The weather was brilliant and my legs felt like machines, I couldn't help feeling I had forgotten something, until I spotted a club member, Luke,running. My eyes flew to the water bottle in his hands and it all became clear. I could picture my bottle on the kitchen counter, looking refreshingly cool with condensation drops clinging to the side of the bottle. I was suddenly thirsty.
The last half hour was hell, my heart rate was up, my legs were starting to ache, my feet were hurting and I felt like I was boiling over. I stopped for a few minutes in the shade of a massive tree and cooled down a little. I knew I had twenty minutes left to run, how hard could that be... I shot off and just concentrated on trying to keep my heart rate down. I eventually got home, drenched in sweat and the first glass of water felt like magic. It was a new high pace for 10 miles and when I saw this I suddenly felt fantastic, although the lesson had been a tough one and hopefully I shall never be a forgetful idiot like that again.
I woke up expecting to feel sore legs but they were fine, no stiffness, no pain, no hint of any exercise at all... I had overslept a little and so missed the Tri ride, but still, Sunday was my log ride day and seeing as I was going for a hilly ride and was going to combine it with a short run after, I decided to just aim for 3 hours. The weather wasn't great and I needed a long sleeve jersey, I also decided to pack my raincoat as well, just in case... I jumped on my bike, made a final check on drinks and nutrition and pedalled off.
I was feeling AWESOME and the first big climb came and went in what I think was my fastest ever ascent of it. I shot over the other side and just decided to explore and have fun, while cycling hard. I pedalled merrily round a corner and came face to face with a 10% incline that was wet and muddy and that made for a hole lot of fun. I needed to get out of my saddle to get up the hill, but when ever I stood up, my back wheel spun out on all the wet mud. I eventually made it to the top after being overtaken by a tractor... He had an engine alright... I looked across the land and saw hills left right and centre... Right, I wanted climbs, I got climbs!!
I eventually saw a sign to Aylesbury (where my brother lives) and as it was only 18kms away I turned towards it and a few more climbs. I got as close as I could before hitting a very busy road and choosing to turn back, I suddenly realised that each one of those downhills on the way here, had turned into uphills on the way back. I had a great ride exploring the countryside and flexing my climbing muscles but my legs were dead by the time I got home, it took all the will power in the world for me to climb into my running shoes and go for a run. It was the first time I had run on very tired cycling legs and the feeling was really bizarre. After a few minutes they suddenly remembered what to do and I was off. It was only a 15 minute run but I feel that it did me the world of good.
Looking back, its one of those weeks I am very happy with.
I exercised for 10:35:43 out of a planed 12 and
I covered 187.61kms.
That was week 13 and I survived, bring on no. 14.
W
Sunday 27 March 2011
Week 12
21.03.11 - 27.03.11
This was my rest week, which I was really looking forward to as this much training after years of being a couch potato can really tire a person out. However, as with most weeks that follow a god week, it didn't go as well as planned. Partly my fault, partly work and partly a little bug which has been hounding me for this week but never seemed to actually develop into a full blown sickness and then disappear. Today (Sunday) has been the worst as I woke up with a massive headache and feeling so dizzy I felt like I was going to topple over as I made my way down the stairs. I can only hope to wake up feeling better.
Work was a nightmare and had early starts and long days and just wiped me out. This coming week is dead quiet and so I plan to throw myself fully into the 12 hours I am meant to be doing. With work being quiet and the clocks going forward, I will be starting to commute by bike and that will give me 2 hours a day on the bike, of which I hope to make the return hour a high intensity workout and then head straight out for a run once I'm home.
This week became a swimming week and I managed to tick another box and a massive one at that. I swam the IronMan distance (3800m) on Wednesday in an hour and a half and felt good at the end of it.. This fills me with a great deal of confidence for the actual event and I would like to get my time down to the hour mark by the race, as well as feel fine after the swim. With 18 weeks left and 3 sessions a week I feel that this is a doable goal. So with only 3 swim sessions and a short run this week I am going to end this blog with my tail between my legs and a promise that next week will be MUCH better.
W
This was my rest week, which I was really looking forward to as this much training after years of being a couch potato can really tire a person out. However, as with most weeks that follow a god week, it didn't go as well as planned. Partly my fault, partly work and partly a little bug which has been hounding me for this week but never seemed to actually develop into a full blown sickness and then disappear. Today (Sunday) has been the worst as I woke up with a massive headache and feeling so dizzy I felt like I was going to topple over as I made my way down the stairs. I can only hope to wake up feeling better.
Work was a nightmare and had early starts and long days and just wiped me out. This coming week is dead quiet and so I plan to throw myself fully into the 12 hours I am meant to be doing. With work being quiet and the clocks going forward, I will be starting to commute by bike and that will give me 2 hours a day on the bike, of which I hope to make the return hour a high intensity workout and then head straight out for a run once I'm home.
This week became a swimming week and I managed to tick another box and a massive one at that. I swam the IronMan distance (3800m) on Wednesday in an hour and a half and felt good at the end of it.. This fills me with a great deal of confidence for the actual event and I would like to get my time down to the hour mark by the race, as well as feel fine after the swim. With 18 weeks left and 3 sessions a week I feel that this is a doable goal. So with only 3 swim sessions and a short run this week I am going to end this blog with my tail between my legs and a promise that next week will be MUCH better.
W
Monday 21 March 2011
Week 11
14.03.11 - 20.03.11
This has been a good week, a really good week, however owing to the fact that I have misplaced my training journal (an actual book) I wont be able to work out distances or my hours exactly. Work has once again been busy and a general nuisance in my training life... aaargh the frustration! Anyway...
Monday used to be my rest day, however this is now my additional swim night and it was a killer, we did the usual 400m warm up and then started on the main sets and it was a 20 minute session where we had to swim the first 25m slow, then 50m medium and then 25m flat out and then repeat until the 20minutes were up... Ouch!
Tuesday was meant to be rest day but as I hadn't done anything on Sunday I went for a short run of around 5kms. It went alright and I set a slightly faster pace than normal and came back feeling fantastic. My arms were a little sore from Mondays swim but I was still feeling alright.
Wednesday is my favourite day as its my long swim day, and this weeks session had the 30minute TT, which is something I LOVE. Last time I swam 1500m and this time I managed a good 1700m and I was puffed at the end... I also managed to finish off the entire session with a new PB distance of 3050m in an hour and a half. With 19 weeks left I am still confident that I will be able manage a good swim split on race day.
Thursday and I was still feeling good and so headed out for a 8km run, from which I returned feeling awesome. I am loving running at the minute and I finally feel like a real runner.
Friday and it was meant to be a swim night, however worked screwed me over and I ended up only getting home when the session was halfway through. I thus declared Friday a rest day... and chilled out on the sofa and watched sobby... It was Red Nose Day and most of the evening was spent with a little moisture in the eye over all the sad stories that were being shown.
Saturday looked to be a beautiful day as the sun was out and there wasn't a hint of wind, unfortunately first thing in the morning the sun wasn't producing any heat and so I headed indoors for another cup of cooffee, while I waited for the sun to warm up.While I waited I got a little bored and so decided that it was smooth leg season... and so I shaved. No pics as they still need some colour on them! The ride was fantastic! out in shorts and the legs felt strong and I was just flying. I rode to work to see how long it would take me for when I start commuting and I set a reasonable time with a faster than normal avg speed for there and back. I think I may just have started falling in love with my bike again... The rest of Saturday was spent getting thrings prepped for the Half Marathon the next day.
Sunday! Half Marathon Day! I got to Reading way too early, got on a shuttle from the parking and soon I was standing outside Madejski, the home of Reading Football Club. I now had about 2 hours to kill and so headed for the first of many toilet breaks. I wandered arounf the race 'village' before taking a seat in the stadium to just chill and get ready for the race, but not before another toilet break... I was determined that I wasn't going to need to stop for a 'break' on the route. With time remaining I handed in my bag, with all my warm clothes, slipped a very stylish black bin liner over my head to keep my arms warm, it was all the rage and I saw so many people wearing them... I wasn't nervous or worried as I lined up in the 17,580 strong field, this was just going to be another training run and I was right on schedule according to my training plan. The gun went off and after about 10 minutes I finally crossed the start line, the 'race' was on.
I set off at my prescribed heart rate but before I knew it I had gotten into the swing of running with the crowd and my heart rate had skipped Zone 2 and was sitting at the low end of zone 3. I started to slow down gradually until I was comfortable and then found my rythm, however I felt too slow and so I sped up to a slightly faster pace and pretty much stayed there the whole race. All my toilet breaks (5) didn't work and as we hit mile 4 my bladder went "HELLO"... I did however manage to ignore it for most of the race. The course was slightly undulating but very enjoyable and almost the entire route was lined with spectators. I was feeling good when... "gasp' the 1:55 pacemaker went past... What was going on, I sped up till I caught up to her and stayed there for about 2 miles and then I started feeling great and so put foot and passed her on a little climb in the town centre. The people were cheering as I ran up the inside line and I could feel them patting my shoulder and back as I passed them. It felt like they were just cheering for me, I was all smiles when suddenly... The runner in front of me stopped! not just slowed but stopped! STOPPED!! I hit him full tilt in the back and he fell forward and I just managed to awkwardly jump over him so as not to fall, I glanced back and he had stood up and was walking up the hill. I yelled an apology and he waved and I just continued forward at a smart pace.
The miles ticked by until suddenly mile 10 appeared and I had shaved 2 minutes off my PB! I felt awesome and was just having so much fun. Then, my legs suddenly got tired and I slowed down and it seemed like an eternity until the Mile 11 sign appeared. Strangely, I felt a renewed strength in my legs and I set off at a cracking pace, the last 2.1 miles flew by and I just got faster as the Stadium, where the finish line was, got closer. I looked over my shoulder and there was a guy about my age tucked in behind me matching me pace for pace. I was not going to let him beat me, whoever he was. We entered the stadium to the deafening roar of thousands of spectators and I saw him on the far side of the lane, I put my head down and went for it. I looked up just as I crossed the finish line, only to see the back of him... I stopped my watch and saw that I had done a 1:55:36. I had done it, my first Half Marathon ever and I had done a sub 2 hours and PB'd the whole way. I was the 5652 person to cross the start line and was the 5358 person to cross the finish line, so made up 296 places! I was chuffed to say the least.
I got an email today (monday) with my splits and this is how they went;
5K – 00:28:09
10K – 00:55:23
15K – 01:23:04
20K – 01:50:2
This has been a good week, a really good week, however owing to the fact that I have misplaced my training journal (an actual book) I wont be able to work out distances or my hours exactly. Work has once again been busy and a general nuisance in my training life... aaargh the frustration! Anyway...
Monday used to be my rest day, however this is now my additional swim night and it was a killer, we did the usual 400m warm up and then started on the main sets and it was a 20 minute session where we had to swim the first 25m slow, then 50m medium and then 25m flat out and then repeat until the 20minutes were up... Ouch!
Tuesday was meant to be rest day but as I hadn't done anything on Sunday I went for a short run of around 5kms. It went alright and I set a slightly faster pace than normal and came back feeling fantastic. My arms were a little sore from Mondays swim but I was still feeling alright.
Wednesday is my favourite day as its my long swim day, and this weeks session had the 30minute TT, which is something I LOVE. Last time I swam 1500m and this time I managed a good 1700m and I was puffed at the end... I also managed to finish off the entire session with a new PB distance of 3050m in an hour and a half. With 19 weeks left I am still confident that I will be able manage a good swim split on race day.
Thursday and I was still feeling good and so headed out for a 8km run, from which I returned feeling awesome. I am loving running at the minute and I finally feel like a real runner.
Friday and it was meant to be a swim night, however worked screwed me over and I ended up only getting home when the session was halfway through. I thus declared Friday a rest day... and chilled out on the sofa and watched sobby... It was Red Nose Day and most of the evening was spent with a little moisture in the eye over all the sad stories that were being shown.
Saturday looked to be a beautiful day as the sun was out and there wasn't a hint of wind, unfortunately first thing in the morning the sun wasn't producing any heat and so I headed indoors for another cup of cooffee, while I waited for the sun to warm up.While I waited I got a little bored and so decided that it was smooth leg season... and so I shaved. No pics as they still need some colour on them! The ride was fantastic! out in shorts and the legs felt strong and I was just flying. I rode to work to see how long it would take me for when I start commuting and I set a reasonable time with a faster than normal avg speed for there and back. I think I may just have started falling in love with my bike again... The rest of Saturday was spent getting thrings prepped for the Half Marathon the next day.
Sunday! Half Marathon Day! I got to Reading way too early, got on a shuttle from the parking and soon I was standing outside Madejski, the home of Reading Football Club. I now had about 2 hours to kill and so headed for the first of many toilet breaks. I wandered arounf the race 'village' before taking a seat in the stadium to just chill and get ready for the race, but not before another toilet break... I was determined that I wasn't going to need to stop for a 'break' on the route. With time remaining I handed in my bag, with all my warm clothes, slipped a very stylish black bin liner over my head to keep my arms warm, it was all the rage and I saw so many people wearing them... I wasn't nervous or worried as I lined up in the 17,580 strong field, this was just going to be another training run and I was right on schedule according to my training plan. The gun went off and after about 10 minutes I finally crossed the start line, the 'race' was on.
I set off at my prescribed heart rate but before I knew it I had gotten into the swing of running with the crowd and my heart rate had skipped Zone 2 and was sitting at the low end of zone 3. I started to slow down gradually until I was comfortable and then found my rythm, however I felt too slow and so I sped up to a slightly faster pace and pretty much stayed there the whole race. All my toilet breaks (5) didn't work and as we hit mile 4 my bladder went "HELLO"... I did however manage to ignore it for most of the race. The course was slightly undulating but very enjoyable and almost the entire route was lined with spectators. I was feeling good when... "gasp' the 1:55 pacemaker went past... What was going on, I sped up till I caught up to her and stayed there for about 2 miles and then I started feeling great and so put foot and passed her on a little climb in the town centre. The people were cheering as I ran up the inside line and I could feel them patting my shoulder and back as I passed them. It felt like they were just cheering for me, I was all smiles when suddenly... The runner in front of me stopped! not just slowed but stopped! STOPPED!! I hit him full tilt in the back and he fell forward and I just managed to awkwardly jump over him so as not to fall, I glanced back and he had stood up and was walking up the hill. I yelled an apology and he waved and I just continued forward at a smart pace.
The miles ticked by until suddenly mile 10 appeared and I had shaved 2 minutes off my PB! I felt awesome and was just having so much fun. Then, my legs suddenly got tired and I slowed down and it seemed like an eternity until the Mile 11 sign appeared. Strangely, I felt a renewed strength in my legs and I set off at a cracking pace, the last 2.1 miles flew by and I just got faster as the Stadium, where the finish line was, got closer. I looked over my shoulder and there was a guy about my age tucked in behind me matching me pace for pace. I was not going to let him beat me, whoever he was. We entered the stadium to the deafening roar of thousands of spectators and I saw him on the far side of the lane, I put my head down and went for it. I looked up just as I crossed the finish line, only to see the back of him... I stopped my watch and saw that I had done a 1:55:36. I had done it, my first Half Marathon ever and I had done a sub 2 hours and PB'd the whole way. I was the 5652 person to cross the start line and was the 5358 person to cross the finish line, so made up 296 places! I was chuffed to say the least.
I got an email today (monday) with my splits and this is how they went;
5K – 00:28:09
10K – 00:55:23
15K – 01:23:04
20K – 01:50:2
And so I survived week 11 and enjoyed every minute of it, so bring on week 12!!
W
Sunday 13 March 2011
Week 10
07.03.11 - 13.03.11
This was a funny week, and I should be upset as I didn't hit the prescribed hours, however all the sessions that I did do were all very good sessions... I missed out on my hours by 4 and that was lost by the lack of a long ride this sunday. I have hurt my back slightly while at work with lots of heavy lifting and the thought of being hunched over for 4 hours did not appeal to me. I Don't feel that it is a long term injury as after a little rest and a hot bath I am feeling as right as rain. I have also had to adjust my schedule as from next week I start the Build Phase, and this phase includes 1 more swim session and an extra brick session which is incorporated into my long ride day. This phase also concentrates on building Power and Speed as well as increasing duration. This means that my rest day will have to be moved as OxfordTri offer a 3rd swim session on Mondays.
This week was also made difficult thanks to work... if only I was rich enough not to need a full time job...
I did however manage a 3000m swim and all the runs that I did do during the week were all faster paces. I am not going to put any numbers up as they aren't really worthy.
There are a few things that have caught my attention;
1 - My kicking while swimming is very weak and if I could improve that then I feel that I would be a faster and more efficient swimmer. So I will going to all OxTri sessions as they always include kicking drills.
2 - I need to fall in love with cycling again. I love swimming and I love running. I am improving in both of these disciplines yet with my cycling I feel that I am not improving. I am riding longer at the same pace as when I started but I feel that I need to do something to improve my ability on the bike. I think a way to fix this would be to go to the OxTri indoor turbo sessions as its very structured and being amongst others who are better than me might have the same effect as the swimming sessions did. I also need to get off the same old routes and as Patrick, a Club member said 'just get out there and explore'.
3 - Running is going well, I ran 10 miles on Saturday and shaved 3 minutes off my previous time. I did this by running with my housemate, who is like a gazelle, and in order to keep up with him I was having to run outside of my Zone 2 heart rate. I did struggle to keep going at that pace for the final mile of our 11 mile run but at least I know that I can run faster when pushed.
I did spend a large portion of Saturday stripping my bike down andservicing, lubing and greasing up all and sundry and she nows look gleaming. Now just to get out there on her.
So folks watch this space for hopefully a new and improved me.
Bring on week 11
W
This was a funny week, and I should be upset as I didn't hit the prescribed hours, however all the sessions that I did do were all very good sessions... I missed out on my hours by 4 and that was lost by the lack of a long ride this sunday. I have hurt my back slightly while at work with lots of heavy lifting and the thought of being hunched over for 4 hours did not appeal to me. I Don't feel that it is a long term injury as after a little rest and a hot bath I am feeling as right as rain. I have also had to adjust my schedule as from next week I start the Build Phase, and this phase includes 1 more swim session and an extra brick session which is incorporated into my long ride day. This phase also concentrates on building Power and Speed as well as increasing duration. This means that my rest day will have to be moved as OxfordTri offer a 3rd swim session on Mondays.
This week was also made difficult thanks to work... if only I was rich enough not to need a full time job...
I did however manage a 3000m swim and all the runs that I did do during the week were all faster paces. I am not going to put any numbers up as they aren't really worthy.
There are a few things that have caught my attention;
1 - My kicking while swimming is very weak and if I could improve that then I feel that I would be a faster and more efficient swimmer. So I will going to all OxTri sessions as they always include kicking drills.
2 - I need to fall in love with cycling again. I love swimming and I love running. I am improving in both of these disciplines yet with my cycling I feel that I am not improving. I am riding longer at the same pace as when I started but I feel that I need to do something to improve my ability on the bike. I think a way to fix this would be to go to the OxTri indoor turbo sessions as its very structured and being amongst others who are better than me might have the same effect as the swimming sessions did. I also need to get off the same old routes and as Patrick, a Club member said 'just get out there and explore'.
3 - Running is going well, I ran 10 miles on Saturday and shaved 3 minutes off my previous time. I did this by running with my housemate, who is like a gazelle, and in order to keep up with him I was having to run outside of my Zone 2 heart rate. I did struggle to keep going at that pace for the final mile of our 11 mile run but at least I know that I can run faster when pushed.
I did spend a large portion of Saturday stripping my bike down andservicing, lubing and greasing up all and sundry and she nows look gleaming. Now just to get out there on her.
So folks watch this space for hopefully a new and improved me.
Bring on week 11
W
Monday 7 March 2011
Week 9
28.02.11 - 06.03.11
A GREAT WEEK! This was a week where I managed to tick off several goals/targets, I managed all my sessions and passed my target time by 15 minutes. I also dealt with a very painful dentist appointment and a busy week at work. A side-effect from all this exercise is that I now fit into medium t-shirts and size 36 jeans, which need a belt (I used to wear L t-shirts and my size 38 jeans were tight enough not to need a belt) and I still eat alot... yay.
Monday was, as always, my rest day and as I had been sick on the Sunday and didn't exercise I was going to go swimming however I felt that I should take it as a catch up day for all the chores that I missed while sleeping on the Sunday.
Tuesday and I was back in the sweaty game feeling relaxed and recovered and ready to go. I wanted to start extending my weekday runs and so I trimmed 10 minutes off my turbo session, for which my butt thanked me, and after 50 minutes and drenched in sweat I headed out the door. I headed into town and back out and ended up back home in the 40 minutes as planned. I had stayed in my Zone 2 HR and had managed a 5:54mins/km pace. I was really happy with that as previously I was always over 6mins/km. I am aiming for a 5mins/km pace especially over the shorter distances. I finished the run full of energy and for the first time actually feeling like a runner and not someone trying to run.
Wednesday is probably my favourite session. The session is hour and a half swim session at Radley College and the sets are pretty tough. The sets this week all added up to 3000m and I cracked it, this being the furthest I have ever swum before ever. I felt exhausted yet exhilarated and jut full of energy. I was singing all the way home in the car. I am still very very weak when it comes to just kicking drills and that is something I need to work on. My front crawl is strong and now all I need to work on is my speed. The IronMan swim is an additional 800m and I would like to do that in a good time as well as come out of the water feeling strong.
Thursday was a tough day at work and when I got home, the turbo growled at me from the corner and so I decided to skip it and just go for a run. I went out along the same route as Tuesday but added on an additional 5 minutes and that added up to a run of 7:64 kms which gave me a pace of 5:46mins/km. This meant that I ran longer, further and faster and still stayed in my Z2 HR. I am really feeling at peace with the road and I am getting better at listening to my body and making the changes to my pace before my HRM starts to beep at me.
Friday and that means hard swim session at Dragon School where we don't cover a great distance but you do hard sets concentrating on technique. It worked out to be 1900m for the hour but I was told that I needed to move up a lane as I had swum through the entire group in the lane I was in. I was also told that my upper body had
great technique, but my legs were a little all over the place and that I needed to invest in a pool buoy.
Saturdays are a little daunting these days as it is long ride day and my riding isn't great, its not bad, but its not great either. I have jumped away from the training program in a big way as I didn't feel that I was making any change to my riding ability with the times in the program. Last week was 3:15:00 so this week I set myself the target of 4 hours...GULP!! I planned out my route and it showed my 101kms... I hadn't ridden that distance for at least 10 years maybe even longer but I was determined and so off I set. Once again I was carefully monitoring my time and every 20 minutes I would consume something. I managed the ride in a reasonable 4:07:27, I was dead chuffed to have just ridden that long and to have covered that distance. I did sleep for the rest of the afternoon but I had ticked another box off. I have another 20 Saturdays to get up to 180kms and hopefully build some speed into the rides. My saddle seems to have broken in finally and the only discomfort is from sitting on it for 4 hours...
Sunday arrived and I did wake up with a little bit of tightness in my legs, mainly my hamstrings but after walking around for a while they loosened up and I was right as rain. The weather was brilliant as the sun had finally decided to show itself. I was able to go for my run in shorts and a t-shirt and needed my sunglasses. I had planned on running for 1:30 but once I got to an hour and noticed that I had passed 10kms a while back, I decided that today was going to be my first 10miler. I felt light on my feet, my breathing was easy and I was comfortably in the right zone, I even passed a couple of other runners. I was nearing the last mile when my legs start to mention to me that they were a little tired and could we stop, but as Jens Voight does, I just said "shut up legs!" Finally victory was mine, I had knocked off my first 10 miler (16kms) and had done it in a good time for me, 1:33:01 and that gave me a pace of 5:48mins/km, To say I was stoked is an understatement, I was over the moon but completely F***ed. I knocked back a recovery drink and slid into a bath where I silently dreamt of finish lines and victory...
...and so the boxes that got ticked this week were;
1. Swim 3000m in one session
2. Cycle 100kms in one session
3. Run 10 miles in one session
So with 21 weeks remaining here is this week in numbers
10:23:07 hours spent exercising
160.37 kms covered. (looking at that, I think I may have worked out some of my previous distance wrong...)
...and I survived so bring on week 10, the last week of the base training phase.
W.
A GREAT WEEK! This was a week where I managed to tick off several goals/targets, I managed all my sessions and passed my target time by 15 minutes. I also dealt with a very painful dentist appointment and a busy week at work. A side-effect from all this exercise is that I now fit into medium t-shirts and size 36 jeans, which need a belt (I used to wear L t-shirts and my size 38 jeans were tight enough not to need a belt) and I still eat alot... yay.
Monday was, as always, my rest day and as I had been sick on the Sunday and didn't exercise I was going to go swimming however I felt that I should take it as a catch up day for all the chores that I missed while sleeping on the Sunday.
Tuesday and I was back in the sweaty game feeling relaxed and recovered and ready to go. I wanted to start extending my weekday runs and so I trimmed 10 minutes off my turbo session, for which my butt thanked me, and after 50 minutes and drenched in sweat I headed out the door. I headed into town and back out and ended up back home in the 40 minutes as planned. I had stayed in my Zone 2 HR and had managed a 5:54mins/km pace. I was really happy with that as previously I was always over 6mins/km. I am aiming for a 5mins/km pace especially over the shorter distances. I finished the run full of energy and for the first time actually feeling like a runner and not someone trying to run.
Wednesday is probably my favourite session. The session is hour and a half swim session at Radley College and the sets are pretty tough. The sets this week all added up to 3000m and I cracked it, this being the furthest I have ever swum before ever. I felt exhausted yet exhilarated and jut full of energy. I was singing all the way home in the car. I am still very very weak when it comes to just kicking drills and that is something I need to work on. My front crawl is strong and now all I need to work on is my speed. The IronMan swim is an additional 800m and I would like to do that in a good time as well as come out of the water feeling strong.
Thursday was a tough day at work and when I got home, the turbo growled at me from the corner and so I decided to skip it and just go for a run. I went out along the same route as Tuesday but added on an additional 5 minutes and that added up to a run of 7:64 kms which gave me a pace of 5:46mins/km. This meant that I ran longer, further and faster and still stayed in my Z2 HR. I am really feeling at peace with the road and I am getting better at listening to my body and making the changes to my pace before my HRM starts to beep at me.
Friday and that means hard swim session at Dragon School where we don't cover a great distance but you do hard sets concentrating on technique. It worked out to be 1900m for the hour but I was told that I needed to move up a lane as I had swum through the entire group in the lane I was in. I was also told that my upper body had
great technique, but my legs were a little all over the place and that I needed to invest in a pool buoy.
Saturdays are a little daunting these days as it is long ride day and my riding isn't great, its not bad, but its not great either. I have jumped away from the training program in a big way as I didn't feel that I was making any change to my riding ability with the times in the program. Last week was 3:15:00 so this week I set myself the target of 4 hours...GULP!! I planned out my route and it showed my 101kms... I hadn't ridden that distance for at least 10 years maybe even longer but I was determined and so off I set. Once again I was carefully monitoring my time and every 20 minutes I would consume something. I managed the ride in a reasonable 4:07:27, I was dead chuffed to have just ridden that long and to have covered that distance. I did sleep for the rest of the afternoon but I had ticked another box off. I have another 20 Saturdays to get up to 180kms and hopefully build some speed into the rides. My saddle seems to have broken in finally and the only discomfort is from sitting on it for 4 hours...
Sunday arrived and I did wake up with a little bit of tightness in my legs, mainly my hamstrings but after walking around for a while they loosened up and I was right as rain. The weather was brilliant as the sun had finally decided to show itself. I was able to go for my run in shorts and a t-shirt and needed my sunglasses. I had planned on running for 1:30 but once I got to an hour and noticed that I had passed 10kms a while back, I decided that today was going to be my first 10miler. I felt light on my feet, my breathing was easy and I was comfortably in the right zone, I even passed a couple of other runners. I was nearing the last mile when my legs start to mention to me that they were a little tired and could we stop, but as Jens Voight does, I just said "shut up legs!" Finally victory was mine, I had knocked off my first 10 miler (16kms) and had done it in a good time for me, 1:33:01 and that gave me a pace of 5:48mins/km, To say I was stoked is an understatement, I was over the moon but completely F***ed. I knocked back a recovery drink and slid into a bath where I silently dreamt of finish lines and victory...
...and so the boxes that got ticked this week were;
1. Swim 3000m in one session
2. Cycle 100kms in one session
3. Run 10 miles in one session
So with 21 weeks remaining here is this week in numbers
10:23:07 hours spent exercising
160.37 kms covered. (looking at that, I think I may have worked out some of my previous distance wrong...)
...and I survived so bring on week 10, the last week of the base training phase.
W.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Week 8
21.02.11 - 27.02.11
Short and sweet...
A week fraught with obstacles, some of which I dodged and others which tripped me up and left me sprawling on the floor. 3 days this week I worked 12 hour days, I developed a suspected wisdom tooth infection and caught some weird 24 hr bug that left me exhausted, icy cold and a little bunged up, however I did still manage to hit 4 sessions.
It was abig week for work as we were launching the new livery of the FW33 and as such the Conference Centre underwent a DEEP clean and that was the reason for the 3 12 hr days.
Monday was a rest day
Tuesday was the first day of the toothache and it was at its worst, I had toothache, earache and a cracking headache. I merely crawled up on the sofa and slipped into a daze of painkillers.
Wednesday was better and I was able to manage the pain and hit the swimming pool (after a 12hr day) at Radley College with the Tri Club. I only managed 2200m and felt more than just exhausted. I felt great getting back in the pool, I really do enjoy swimming...
Thursday and waking up I felt exhausted, it was 5am after all!! I had a turbo session and struggled through the hour before practically collapsing into bed... I hate the turbo!!!
Friday and I had planned on swimming unfortunately the school was closed for holidays and so I went out for a run. I felt good and comfortable and my breathing was easy and I really felt like the ground was just slipping away from underneath me. I did however actually have the ground slip away from me when I attempted to jump over a big puddle of mud, slipped and landed right in the middle and as such I now have brown shoes rather than white.
Saturday was long ride day and I decided that my road bike needed to get a breath of fresh air and so I unhitched it from the dreaded turbo and headed out into a rainy and windy saturday morning. I decided that I needed to start practising my on bike nutrition and so every 20 minutes I took something, in order it was sip of water, then carbo drink, then water and bite of energy bar. It was fantastic being out on my Trek and just cruising along the open road. I hit 40kms and turned around. I ended up doing 80.5kms and took me 3:15:00. I am going to start stepping up my long ride times as it was pure bliss even though it was raining.
Sunday and I had a 1:45:00 run planned however when I woke up I was shivering so bad I couldn't even open the bedroom door. I felt ill and more than just exhausted and so though t I would hide in bed for a while, even under a duvet, and blanket with extra layers on me, I couldnt stop shivering and then Istarted to feel queasy... I drifted back to sleep at about 8:30 and woke up again at 13:00 still feeling as rough as anything. I decided to listen to my body and postponed the run...
I exercised for 6:45:00
and covered 117.5kms.
Better luck next week when I need to hit 10hrs...
W
Short and sweet...
A week fraught with obstacles, some of which I dodged and others which tripped me up and left me sprawling on the floor. 3 days this week I worked 12 hour days, I developed a suspected wisdom tooth infection and caught some weird 24 hr bug that left me exhausted, icy cold and a little bunged up, however I did still manage to hit 4 sessions.
It was abig week for work as we were launching the new livery of the FW33 and as such the Conference Centre underwent a DEEP clean and that was the reason for the 3 12 hr days.
Monday was a rest day
Tuesday was the first day of the toothache and it was at its worst, I had toothache, earache and a cracking headache. I merely crawled up on the sofa and slipped into a daze of painkillers.
Wednesday was better and I was able to manage the pain and hit the swimming pool (after a 12hr day) at Radley College with the Tri Club. I only managed 2200m and felt more than just exhausted. I felt great getting back in the pool, I really do enjoy swimming...
Thursday and waking up I felt exhausted, it was 5am after all!! I had a turbo session and struggled through the hour before practically collapsing into bed... I hate the turbo!!!
Friday and I had planned on swimming unfortunately the school was closed for holidays and so I went out for a run. I felt good and comfortable and my breathing was easy and I really felt like the ground was just slipping away from underneath me. I did however actually have the ground slip away from me when I attempted to jump over a big puddle of mud, slipped and landed right in the middle and as such I now have brown shoes rather than white.
Saturday was long ride day and I decided that my road bike needed to get a breath of fresh air and so I unhitched it from the dreaded turbo and headed out into a rainy and windy saturday morning. I decided that I needed to start practising my on bike nutrition and so every 20 minutes I took something, in order it was sip of water, then carbo drink, then water and bite of energy bar. It was fantastic being out on my Trek and just cruising along the open road. I hit 40kms and turned around. I ended up doing 80.5kms and took me 3:15:00. I am going to start stepping up my long ride times as it was pure bliss even though it was raining.
Sunday and I had a 1:45:00 run planned however when I woke up I was shivering so bad I couldn't even open the bedroom door. I felt ill and more than just exhausted and so though t I would hide in bed for a while, even under a duvet, and blanket with extra layers on me, I couldnt stop shivering and then Istarted to feel queasy... I drifted back to sleep at about 8:30 and woke up again at 13:00 still feeling as rough as anything. I decided to listen to my body and postponed the run...
I exercised for 6:45:00
and covered 117.5kms.
Better luck next week when I need to hit 10hrs...
W
Monday 21 February 2011
Week 7
14.02.11 - 20.02.11
What can be said about this week except that although I didn't quite manage all my sessions and my hours, I learnt a valuable lesson about nutrition, I hit the wall badly and I enjoyed an unexpected evening bowling with some of the guys n girls from the Tri Club.
Monday was my rest day again and I enjoyed kicking back and doing nothing after a fairly busy day at work. I didn't feel like a cheat or a fraud as I had had a good weekend of exercise.
Tuesday, and I was back in the saddle. I settled onto my indoor trainer and got through the hour relatively unscathed, except for when I tried to reach for my towel and almost ended up tipping the bike, trainer and me onto the floor, however my cat like reflexes saved the day and I was able to carry on cycling, albeit with a relatively higher heart rate then before... The ride over, I slipped on my running shoes and headed off into the rather miserable evening. The rain was falling rather heavily and the road was more like a puddle than anything else, yet I pushed on into the chilly wet night and on a slightly longer route than normal got home in 35 minutes absolutely drenched. I felt fantastic and energised and more than a little cold so skipping the cold bath I opted for a hot bath with Radox Muscle Soak...aaah, a little girly but utter bliss.
Wednesday was down to be long swim day, however I was at a funeral in Surrey and didn't make it back to Oxford until about 8 and was exhausted. I hadn't eaten much at all during the day, or had much of an opportunity to drink and so we ended up going to bed feeling very tired, very hungry and not feeling as dehydrated as we really were... big mistake which I would pay for later on in the week.
Thursday arrived to the awful sound of my alarm clock... and was followed by a headache that should have been caused by vodka. I dragged my sorry self off to work and with the thought of not exercising yesterday haunting me I turned down a bacon and egg roll and then proceeded to have a light lunch. I got home and with no energy what so ever I climbed onto my bike... Oh dear, I managed to get my legs turning at a rather lacklustre pace and eventually after merely 30minutes I all but collapsed off the bike. I hit the showers, cooked dinner and by 9:30 I was in bed, head down and in dream land!!
Friday and again I was rudely awoken by my iPhone shouting at me... I had slept 9 hours and was still exhausted. Work was work and luckily I managed to finish at 2 and so off home I shot. I jumped on the indoor bike and after half an hour was feeling puffed again, but I wasn't going to give in and so into my running shoes and off I went pounding pavement. I struggled around my 10km route in a shocking hour and 20 minutes... What was wrong with me?? I was beginning to get worried as last week I had done so well... I had a shower and slipped into my joggers prepared for an evening of feeling sorry for myself, when Laura reminded me that it was OxTri Bowling Social. I headed off just to watch as I hadn't pre-booked my place, however once there I was able to join in and had a great evening that got me out of my slump. I was chatting to some of the other members about what had happened to me and my energy levels when we hit the nail on the head...nutrition! I hadn't taken on enough calories to keep going and so had bonked...
Saturday, and the sky was grey and the wind was blowing and it was the long ride day. I Headed off for Chipping Norton on the rusty mountain bike and slowly the gears started to jam up until I couldn't change the front gears and eventually I could only use 3 of the 6 rear gears... But after the lack of hours during the week I was determined to carry on and eventually I saw the sign, the light at the end of the tunnel, almost the Holy Grail. I had reached Chipping Norton. I stopped at a service station and bought myself a Powerade, a breakfast bar (blueberry flavour) and a snickers and I was set for the return journey. I got home quicker than it took to get out there and that was probably for 2 reasons. Firstly there was a cyclist out in front of me and I was determined to catch him and so I just kept the legs turning (I didn't catch him...) and secondly I think it was mainly a slightly downhill gradient back in to Oxford. I got back home in the dark after 3 hours, wet, slightly chilly and a little exhausted... I am convinced that doing my initial riding on the steel beast will show some long term benefits when I jump on my aluminium beauty.
Sunday is long run day and after quite a hearty breakfast, 2 blueberry pancakes, a couple of rashers of bacon and a couple of eggs (I was hungry, OK) I set off for the longest planned run to date...One and a half hours. I headed into town, back out of town along the canal, crossed into Port Meadow, crossed the Thames, back along the canal out of town and then past a couple of very inviting pubs till I was back on tarmac and then homeward bound. I covered 13.5kms which isn't bad but I was hoping to manage 16kms, well that becomes the goal then. It was very muddy out along the canal and over Port Meadow and at one point I lost my running shoe to the mud... great, wet muddy shoes slipping and sliding along as if I was on ice-skates. I came out of the run feeling really good, and as of yet (monday eve) I am feeling no serious side-effects or sore muscles.
And so the week in numbers
8:45 hours spent exercising out of a planned 10
173kms covered
I did survive this week, although I could have survived better, but it is a lesson learnt...
Bring on week 8
W
What can be said about this week except that although I didn't quite manage all my sessions and my hours, I learnt a valuable lesson about nutrition, I hit the wall badly and I enjoyed an unexpected evening bowling with some of the guys n girls from the Tri Club.
Monday was my rest day again and I enjoyed kicking back and doing nothing after a fairly busy day at work. I didn't feel like a cheat or a fraud as I had had a good weekend of exercise.
Tuesday, and I was back in the saddle. I settled onto my indoor trainer and got through the hour relatively unscathed, except for when I tried to reach for my towel and almost ended up tipping the bike, trainer and me onto the floor, however my cat like reflexes saved the day and I was able to carry on cycling, albeit with a relatively higher heart rate then before... The ride over, I slipped on my running shoes and headed off into the rather miserable evening. The rain was falling rather heavily and the road was more like a puddle than anything else, yet I pushed on into the chilly wet night and on a slightly longer route than normal got home in 35 minutes absolutely drenched. I felt fantastic and energised and more than a little cold so skipping the cold bath I opted for a hot bath with Radox Muscle Soak...aaah, a little girly but utter bliss.
Wednesday was down to be long swim day, however I was at a funeral in Surrey and didn't make it back to Oxford until about 8 and was exhausted. I hadn't eaten much at all during the day, or had much of an opportunity to drink and so we ended up going to bed feeling very tired, very hungry and not feeling as dehydrated as we really were... big mistake which I would pay for later on in the week.
Thursday arrived to the awful sound of my alarm clock... and was followed by a headache that should have been caused by vodka. I dragged my sorry self off to work and with the thought of not exercising yesterday haunting me I turned down a bacon and egg roll and then proceeded to have a light lunch. I got home and with no energy what so ever I climbed onto my bike... Oh dear, I managed to get my legs turning at a rather lacklustre pace and eventually after merely 30minutes I all but collapsed off the bike. I hit the showers, cooked dinner and by 9:30 I was in bed, head down and in dream land!!
Friday and again I was rudely awoken by my iPhone shouting at me... I had slept 9 hours and was still exhausted. Work was work and luckily I managed to finish at 2 and so off home I shot. I jumped on the indoor bike and after half an hour was feeling puffed again, but I wasn't going to give in and so into my running shoes and off I went pounding pavement. I struggled around my 10km route in a shocking hour and 20 minutes... What was wrong with me?? I was beginning to get worried as last week I had done so well... I had a shower and slipped into my joggers prepared for an evening of feeling sorry for myself, when Laura reminded me that it was OxTri Bowling Social. I headed off just to watch as I hadn't pre-booked my place, however once there I was able to join in and had a great evening that got me out of my slump. I was chatting to some of the other members about what had happened to me and my energy levels when we hit the nail on the head...nutrition! I hadn't taken on enough calories to keep going and so had bonked...
Saturday, and the sky was grey and the wind was blowing and it was the long ride day. I Headed off for Chipping Norton on the rusty mountain bike and slowly the gears started to jam up until I couldn't change the front gears and eventually I could only use 3 of the 6 rear gears... But after the lack of hours during the week I was determined to carry on and eventually I saw the sign, the light at the end of the tunnel, almost the Holy Grail. I had reached Chipping Norton. I stopped at a service station and bought myself a Powerade, a breakfast bar (blueberry flavour) and a snickers and I was set for the return journey. I got home quicker than it took to get out there and that was probably for 2 reasons. Firstly there was a cyclist out in front of me and I was determined to catch him and so I just kept the legs turning (I didn't catch him...) and secondly I think it was mainly a slightly downhill gradient back in to Oxford. I got back home in the dark after 3 hours, wet, slightly chilly and a little exhausted... I am convinced that doing my initial riding on the steel beast will show some long term benefits when I jump on my aluminium beauty.
Sunday is long run day and after quite a hearty breakfast, 2 blueberry pancakes, a couple of rashers of bacon and a couple of eggs (I was hungry, OK) I set off for the longest planned run to date...One and a half hours. I headed into town, back out of town along the canal, crossed into Port Meadow, crossed the Thames, back along the canal out of town and then past a couple of very inviting pubs till I was back on tarmac and then homeward bound. I covered 13.5kms which isn't bad but I was hoping to manage 16kms, well that becomes the goal then. It was very muddy out along the canal and over Port Meadow and at one point I lost my running shoe to the mud... great, wet muddy shoes slipping and sliding along as if I was on ice-skates. I came out of the run feeling really good, and as of yet (monday eve) I am feeling no serious side-effects or sore muscles.
And so the week in numbers
8:45 hours spent exercising out of a planned 10
173kms covered
I did survive this week, although I could have survived better, but it is a lesson learnt...
Bring on week 8
W
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