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
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