I'm Training for an Ironman

Soooo funny - Lizzie likes this :-)

Jet lag and the US of A

Well I'm finally back after a week out in the States - I really have no idea how the pros do it jetting around and still training - I managed to do some sets when I was out in Atlanta but this morning the alarm clock went off at 5:50 so I could get the pool and what did I do - turned it off and went back to sleep! My body feels like it is only just 6am and I cannot stop yawning!

Anyhow - what a week - I was at the biggest Rheumatology conference in the world - ACR - about 17,000 delegates and some fascinating research, however that did mean a week of getting up at 5.30am to do some training and working from 7am through to around 10pm - I am shattered! On the plus side, running around for a week like a maniac seems to be good for my weight - although my mass has gone up 88.9kg my % body fat has gone down 17.1%!!

Whilst I was out in the States I managed teo treadmill runs and a static bike session - no swimmimng as apparently the pool of the 5* hotel "....closes in October" :-O - and no out door running as the concierge's comments were along the lines of "...you can go running sir, but I would recommend in daylight and not around here"....great....

This weekend will be the end of my rest (!) period and the start of the next training block - what torture has Mike got planned for me next - not sure! :-)

Frustration!

So just as the training was starting to go well - running back down to 5:30-5:45/km times rather than 7min/km I have devleoped a chest infection. There are several nasty bugs going therough Anja and Julia's school at the moment and of course I have to pick one up....I wonder if it is because I am calorie restricting at the moment - in all of my training up until the IM I did not get a single bug even though there were loads knocking about...however as soon as I restrict calories to drop the weight...bang infection city - vey annoying, I'll just have to hope the Klaricid works quickly! Rather amusingly the GP suggested I take at least a week off.....hmmm can I see that happening...nope maybe a couple of days but a week.....

On the plus side however I have started to drop body fat :-) but for some reason not weight well not much....

The image above gives a snapshot of the last 28 days from Training Peaks (the software I use with my coach to manage my training - it is fantastic, works really well and does both nutrition as well as training - the image below shows my training pan for the month - on each day it is possible to look at what training I am doing and below this see what I have had to eat etc that day, that way I can manage colories in vs out.

Anyway for the next couple of days I will be trying to get over this bug and recover - hopefully I can get in a run and bike this weekend - in between sorting out a celebration as it will be eighteen years this Saturday that Lizzie and I have been together....OMG where has the time gone!

Later

I.



The new training year

I know it is only October but the new training year has begun already! I had the last two weeks of September off completely - I really needed it to recover both mentally (I was frazzled by the year's training and starting to feel fed up with early starts etc) and physically (I had a number of irritating niggles).

So into my second week of training and things are going okay so far - the swimming is picking up, focusing a lot on technique like today's session:

4 x 200 (swim, pull, swim , pull)

4 x 50 Single arm
4 x 50 Reverse catch-up
4 x 50 Kick board
4 x 50 Paddles
1 x 100 Swim - best stroke count
400, 200, 200, 100 (First half of each rep stead and relaxed, second half strong and fast) - Keep form
100 Easy - put stroke back together, finish with good form

A good set felt really smooth. In addition my running is coming back, although I am struggling with residual ankle pain a little - achilles and p brevis both hurt a bit..but the run efforts tend to be focusing on technique and pace rather than distance.....and as for the bike well anything seems a breeze around here compared to Wiltshire/Switzerland (it is a littl eflat in Cambridge!!)

My goals between now and Christmas - pick up the running pace and loose some weight (no booze in the week and NO snacking!)

Read this!

If you want to know why I did the Ironman this year - why I put myself through the 1000s of miles of training and the days of hard work read the introduction to this book - Tim Carlson has summed up superbly well exactly what drove me to do an Ironman - sure I am a little OCD and certainly a type A personality but it is more than that - read it and you will understand!

http://www.velopress.com/sample/sample_17HG.pdf

I.

FINALLY!!!!

My IMCH Medal has arrived!




Only 2months after the race :o and for those who didn't know - they ran out of medals at the finish line :shock:

First blog for an eternity!

Well what with starting a new job, moving house and training for my last race of the season I have not put a new post up in ages!!

This one will be short too...just to say I am on my two week rest from training - time to recharge batteries and let those injuries recover plus time to kick back eat rubbish and enjoy lie in's (well as much as the kids will allow!!)

Back to training in 2 weeks!

Later
I.

First good run pace in ages

Well I managed a good pace run today it was a building aerobic set:
10mins @ 70%
10mins @ 75%
10mins @ 80%
10mins @ 85%

All felt good managed to mantain a sub 6min/km on the 80-85% efforts - maybe I can do better than 1:08 on the 10km run at the HSBC tri?? Would be good!

Later
I.

Running in the rain

Well today was my first battle with the elements in ages! It was hammering down...30mins/5km(ish) in the pouring rain - after about 5mins I quite enjoyed it - was really impressed with my trainers (Brooks Ghost3s) no wet feet but not hot either!

I.

Good swim set

Well I have been laid up with the lurgy for the last couple of days (still managed work but no training) but today I felt well enough to do an early swim. Cool swim set, nice and easy but the pace is coming back :-)

W/U 600m (alt 100m swim/pull)
5x100m DRILL (catch/finger trail/thigh touch/long strokes)
4x100m RPE 13/13/14/14 on 2:00
C/D 100m (50m back/50m front)

Not long (and the RPE sets should have been 8 not 4) but easing back in gently

Later
I.