The Bigger The Better

Writers block. Is this what it is? Some might say that I have it on a regular basis. But I try. 


This has been another very solid training week and I've followed the plan pretty well. I'm only doing 1 swim session a week at the moment which I'm fine with. My plan is to up that to 2 around March time and then get the open water training going in April when Histon Water, north of Cambridge, opens for the season. The running and biking is going well and I'm hitting the numbers that I need to. In fact I'm slightly ahead on the running front by a week. The main session I'm yet to get in is the brick. Now I know you'll think that this is a bad one to miss but I'm definitely going to get it up and running by the end of February. 


Highlights of the week are Mondays swim (2.7 miles) and today's run (10 miles). Both cracking sessions due to their length. I'm always happiest when I get in the bigger distances in. Speed just doesn't interest me and never has done since I started triathlons about 6 years ago. Articles, blogs and websites to do with big distances were always of far more interest. The likes of Macca, Crowie, Lieto and Wellington always a bigger draw than the ITU circuit. Anyway, what's all that drafting business about! Challenges taken on by Ben Fogle and James Cracknell, Ranulph Fiennes, Mike Stroud, Dean Karnazes, Mark Beaumont, Alastair Humphreys, Mark Kalch and Bruce Duncan involving huge distances and adventure grip the imagination and make me want to take on take on bigger things. Hence the Outlaw Ironman this year.


A new addition to my training this week has been a wheat bag. Simple little thing I know but it has certainly eased a couple of aches and pains in these old legs of mine.


And so on to week 8 of the training plan.


Oh, I also worked Monday to Friday too but that just gets in the way of the fun training doesn't it!     

Cookies and cream.....and jam!

Solid training under the belt this week. But as a few of my old teachers used to say, could do better. I followed the plan pretty much to the letter apart from 2 sessions which I haven't yet built into my week. The second swim and the brick session. If I did the sessions as they are set out in Don Finks book it all flows well but with Monday night being the clubs swim training it kind of throws things out, so I need to juggle things around, mainly to get the brick done. This is going to mean a morning run before work which I'm not a fan of. I know some people like running early but my body just doesn't play ball. I've tried eating something as soon as I get up, not eating, just having a black coffee, everything. I just always seem to have a bad run. But needs must in order to get the training done so we'll give it a go this week.


It was good to get back into the swimming this week with Walden Tri (http://www.waldentri.co.uk/). Not the biggest set but some good drills to keep us all thinking about technique. After all, a bad one will be the main problem in swimming through that imaginary hole in front of us. Only bad thing about training was being asked to return my trophy for 'outstanding swim' at last years club awards. Boo! Might be in with a chance of getting it again this year though for my swim at last years Vitruvian when I won my age group 40-44. I'm discounting the chap who actually swam faster as he failed to finish! Rules are rules eh?


The biking and running went pretty well this week. Tuesdays was particularly good with an average HR of 139. A first for me given the pace. Unfortunately, the other 2 runs didn't quite match up but were still decent enough. Thursday was the 6th day on the bounce of training and it showed a little during the day. Had a right grump on me in the morning, feeling tired etc. But food in the system at lunch turned it around. I've told my work chums that it might happen a few more times as the training ramps up. They've been warned! I also introduced them to my compression calf guards too which I was wearing under my work trousers. The ladies had a good old laugh at me for that! 


Yesterdays long bike was a testing one. Nothing to do with distance, but because it was bloody freezing. I started off in zone 2 but because it was easy my body temp just went down and down until I figured that upping the pace was a necessity to warm me up. It's surprising how much the senses go when cold which is not best when steering a bike. 


The food intake is also going well too. Have increased it a fair bit since the beginning of the year. Quite amusing really when everyone else is on a diet. Maybe everyone should just get a pair of trainers on and do a few laps around the block instead of watching crap TV. Just a thought. I got myself some new protein powder to supplement the food. Cookies and cream flavour. Not a fan! But I've found that a few spoons of jam in there takes away that tang that made me gurn after each mouthful.


So all in all a good week. And on to the next.


Oh, I also worked Monday to Friday but that just gets in the way of training doesn't it!?
          

Flicking the bird!

First week back at work after the silly season marked a welcome return to some structure in the weekly training.  Whilst I haven’t swum this week, I have managed to bank the hours in the training plan for the bike and run. And enjoyed it too! Which is half the battle. Judging by some of the tweets out there from you guys, you also seem to be enjoying your training too. Let’s see if we’re still so buoyant come page 89 of Don Finks book! We may well be getting a little tetchy by that stage.

I started the week thinking that I’d stay off the grog for the month, have a real health kick, something which I once did but come Friday evening that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Didn’t go bonkers but a few glasses of vino aren’t going to harm the training. And a saint I am not. Hope I keep to the other New Years’ resolutions I set myself.       

The training alternated from bike to run and then Friday was my day off. There were a few challenging runs with the wind blowing force 10 but I’m loath to sign up to a gym and do it on a treadmill. Are you a man or a mouse! And the turbo set up at home has become my friend after a few years of hating each other with a passion.

Saturday was long bike time. Now, at this time of year I normally take the MTB out, even on the roads. Lock out the front shocks and with nobbly tyres it’s a fair workout. Wet, greasy roads are not a friend of mine since a wipe out 2 years ago when black ice resulted in me breaking not one elbow, but two. Difficult to do I know but I managed it. Did you know they only give you one sling and you get to choose which one! Anyway, I’m a tad tentative on the road bike in the winter since. However, I was feeling good for it yesterday and so dusted it down. Very please I did too. I think it might have to become the norm this year. Also, it’s been a while since I flicked the bird at a driver but had the greatest pleasure when one started beeping me and gesturing when he went past, pointing towards the cycle lane, clearly saying that I should be in it and not on his treasured road. Highway Code 63 sunshine!

Finished the week off with a nice easy 7 mile run this morning. Zone 2 and just ticking over. I much prefer the long runs like these to interval training Z3 –Z4. Never been a fan.

My Garmin Forerunner 405cx arrived too on Friday and set up was pretty easy. Well, after I’d initially set myself up as a 50 year old lady from Venezuela that is. The two sessions this weekend have been done using it and I’m sure will benefit the training. So, a good 70 miles in the bank this week. 

Now For Some Proper Training

Well the first 2 weeks of the Ironman training plan didn't exactly go great due to illness and the festive season starting. And to be honest, the second two weren't exactly text book either. I reckon I did about 70% of what I was meant to do each week. I'm pointing the finger of blame squarely at the Outlaw organisers! Changing the date of the race from the end of July to the beginning, whilst I'm sure there was a very good reason, meant that the beginning of the Don Fink 30 week training plan had to be done over the silly season. Now I have some willpower but I'm sure that even Don would have a few problems following it 100%! I don't think I've done too bad though.


Now for some proper training without the distractions. And some good motivation. It's good that I've followed a few other Outlaw competitors on Twitter and I'm sure we can egg each other on keeping tabs on one anothers training. Not that we're competitive of course! I thought I'd keep a log of my training a bit more from now on too so I've ordered myself a Garmin 405 to log the miles and times so I can hopefully see improvement over time. So watch out for some Training Peaks links. Please don't laugh at them though!


So here's to the next 26 weeks of training. Oh, and a Happy New Year to everyone. 


"Swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, run 26.2 miles...brag for the rest of your life".