Since Wednesday

OK so i had to have a couple of impromptu rest days due to my over exertion at work. Not a massive set back as i managed to get a few jobs done around the place which have been bugging me for sometime. Off to the Physio i tootled on Wednesday to the good news of Ligament damage in my back...Dont worry though the pain is your pain and wont get worse, Your safe to train are the god like words trickling from her lips. Out for a 9 miler on Wednesday night which felt comfortable and no pain from any aspect of me, comfortable and done in 61minutes...2 days off may have helped. Into Thursday saw me out for a 50mile ride on the TT bike and a 30 minute shake out run to follow. Nutrition is a major key to this and i got in wrong throughout the whole day, lack of hydration also, schoolboy error this far in to training. Friday saw a tempo 4.9miler in 29minutes and a steady 1.2km in the pool.........Did i ever tell you the story about the idiots in the lane swim section!!!! Read every other post and it'll be in there TURDS i am an Ironman in training GET OUT OF MY LANE and save the breaststroke for when you see your girlfriend!

Saturday comes

Out for a an easy 10miler which im aiming for race pace at with no dramas except it was absolutely redders and i was blinded by my own sweat...NICE.
Over to Broughton Bridge in the PM for a steady dip in the Ancholme with a few Lincsquad lad. First on site Dave H and Rob.....Legends. Rob spent more time draining water from his kayak than anything else, maybe apart from developing cramp and needing rescuing from Dave.
Having never been to Broughton before i was in the dark with reference to distances. "Dave how fars what round here" the reply "Next bridge and back just under a mile" Cool Half Ironman in a few weeks it'll be a good little tester. Off i go thinking everyones in tow boom...that was mistake number 1, no one followed me. Back i came thinking that wasn't so bad only 0.2 of a mile to add and thats half distance. Boom mistake 2...Never listen to Dave H with regards to distance cos he knows some guy in a kayak wi a GPS paddled it once!!! On my reture we have a Lincsquad gang and Rob is still loving capsizing in his new kayak! 2.65km covered on the swim. A Great session Cheers Gang.

Rollercoaster Ride

On Monday it was all over, my back was done in, Portugal was a couple of weeks away and there was no way i could think of competing in any sort of event. What a difference a week makes. Sitting here having rode 58miles averaging over 20mph and then getting straight out for a couple of miles on my feet 6.45 min/miling after a Saturday long run and open water swim, all is good in the world. Im optimistic about Portugal and the only thing concerning me is not to overdo it as after all it is a training race. So with everything going in the right direction its time to eat some salmon!

Rollercoaster Ride Part 2

Up,Down, Up, Down What the fuck!!! Managed to get a parasitic bug from swimming in the river. Not trained since Tuesday which was a tough session from Doggers car park in Donny. I train in all the right places!! session was 20 min warm up 1x mile rep 4x 1/2 mile reps 1xmile rep to finish at 5.05min/miling 20 min cool down Like i said tough but fun. Been put on antibiotics so not training until i arrive in Lisbon.Couldn't think of worse race prep. Lost 5lbs to date,least ill be a good race weight!

First race of the season

All i managed before i went to Lisbon to compete in the Half Ironman was a steady 35mile ride which confirmed i was weak due to my little bug friends. We flew in to Lisbon on Wednesday with me still on Antibiotics....Winning race prep for sure!

Lisbon was red hot and i wasn't particularly looking forward to Saturdays race day. Thursday and Friday were spent on a training swim, ride and run checking that all my kit and myself were functioning!! Saturday Morning came and i took a steady stroll down to transition to rack my bike and layout my kit. Reminding myself that the race was a training race in preparation for Ironman i went down to the Swim start to get my season underway. This is where the fight started, I say fight i have been in less brutal fights than that swim! It took a few good kicks and 800m to get in to a decent rhythm but once i had some space i eased through the swim which had been extended to 2.06km in 40.12 goal time of 37min but i didn't expect the brawl at the start so happy with that. A long 500m run to my bike and i was out of transition in 4.35 probably a bit long but it was a long run from the swim to get my bike so i was still smiling at this point. On the bike and the plan was to keep to my nutritional goal and spin through keeping it as easy as possible, I was impressed at how well i felt on the ride even though it absolutely hammered it down with rain but then hey skins waterproof! Stopped off for a pee stop and then off the bike in 2hrs42 with a goal time 2hrs48 and feeling fresh i was enjoying myself. In to and out of T2 in 2.24 as i didn't have lock laces and my fingers didnt work at this point (lesson learned!!) Picking up the run i felt great. The first 2 of the 4 laps went by easily, 6.40min miling and going well, the 3rd lap came and just kept on going, It felt like i was running with lead in my legs. A quiet word with myself after seeing the Garmin on 7.40min/miling  and i pushed it back down to under 6.50min/miling to run an 89min half marathon 91minute goal time so all in all a finishing time of 4hrs58min27sec. Happy Days im in the Sub 5hrs Club on my 1st race and i loved it. Next stop Beaver HIM in 4weeks!!

Back to training

Not as easy as it sounds, turns out a half ironman is quite taxing on your body....who'd of thought it. Had the usual Monday off the went out for a steady 90 minute run on Tuesday with all intentions of going to the pool after. That didn't happen, i had to go home and eat. I have been constantly hungry since i finished racing. Another downside, well i do enjoy food so we'll say thats an upside. Wednesday brought an hours swim session followed by an hours run, again steady just trying to aid recovery. Tonight is Thursday and im knackered. Active recovery is one thing but killing myself before i massive weekends training is another. Im thinking the bigger picture here....Need to look good for the Sportive photos don't i!!!!!!!!!

A Long Weekend!

Nothing much to write home about today. Got a good weekends training in doing a 14mile run/10 mile ride/ 4mile run on the Saturday and the the 100+mile sportive on Sunday all done with relative ease and happily took Monday off. Watched Wouter Weylandt crash and die on stage 3 of the Giro D'Italia and it hit home as much as i enjoy what i do always ride safe. Ended today (Tuesday) with a trip to doggers for 8x 1/2mile intervals. Starting to tone the speed work down and increase the mileage. I need to increase my swimming if im honest. Better get to it!

Repetative

Its all getting a bit same old, same old training wise. I still get thredders with the old girts at the pool, i still put on my trainers and run come rain or shine, i still climb into the saddle to roll the miles out and i still constantly feel knackered. Ahh well its all for a purpose. Got the Beaver HIM coming up in 2 weeks so i have promised myself a paced race. That means sticking to my plan......Bet i dont! Something somewhere will go Pete Tong. Got a decent brick session in on sat 20k ride/20k run/20k ride/10km run getting some of the foot pain back so considering another cortisone to take the edge off. We'll see!!

Im Back

Im back online after busting my laptop. So what have i been up to??? Training and racing. I upped my mileage on the bike and started open water swim sessions at Tyram Hall. Everything seems to slowly be coming together with about 6 weeks to go. I still think i need to ride more. Im managing 80-100miles on my long rides but would like to up that 10- 20%.
I completed my 2nd race of the season. The Beaver middle distance tri. Had a brilliant day even though it pissed it down and was windy as hell! all adds to the experience.
The swim was poor with really shallow water, silty as and i managed to catch my arm in the buoy netting, glad to get out of there and up the 450metre transition run in 43 minutes. Not to fussed about the time as the run adds a chunk of time on. in and out of T1 in 3.30 or thereabouts. Inclament weather meaning time added on for putting extra bits of kit on. Out on the bike and taking it easy into the wind and rain feeling comfortable up and down the hills until my seat mounted bottle cages dropped off. Nightmare, should i leave them and get them later or stop and get them now. A quick cost calculation made the loss at around £100 time to stop, turn around and shove the lot down my tri suit. So im unable to get aero for the last few miles and lose more than a few minutes pissing around. Finally arriving in T2 after a ride of 2.24 a faster turnaround in T2 and out on the 4 lap run.
I was told the run was flat, how wrong they were. I ran within myself chatting to whomever i could to check my breathing was ok, kept my nutrtion going and crossed the line in 4.44.41. Happy days, testing but happily raced within myself throughout.
A plan is coming together.

Oh yea and get donating (link in top right corner) tight gits!!!!! ha

The time Approaches

Its getting close. 5 weeks to go until race day! Managed to pick training up after The Beaver straight away, steady recover run on Monday then on to the track for 5x800 6x400m reps on Tuesday. Steady ride on Wednesday then 95mile ride on Thursday. Rode 11mile to the gym for a 2k swim then rode back. Saturday was a 3k OW Swim. Helped out at Owsten Ferry 10km on Sunday which is a top event and will be entering next year but this meant training went out the window. A quick session change switched my rest day from Monday to Sunday and rode 170km with a 3.2km run today after work!
So at the minute this is just me listing sessions that i have done but to be honest im hooped. The roads are still shit, drivers are still stupid and training for an Ironman after being a triathlete for 11 months and a winter off injured is still nails. Ill try and be slightly more humorous in the future but not today a sweet cheeks!

Getting closer

He's only gone and done himself a mischief!!!! opposite foot and its knackered so im doing not a lot this week. Rode to cleggy and back last monday and clocked 170km with a short run after it and felt well. ticked over on Tuesday and Wednesday with a sore foot and rode the TLI Harworth race on Thursday fininshing 5th and managing a breakaway to boot. Race report on the NMRRL.org.uk website. So after that i swam the 3.8km distance on Saturday and got a short 45mile ride in after it. Got up Sunday and did a 2hr run with the M2M group and killed my foot. I thought it was better...it wasn't!!! so now im taking it easy did a km in the pool before the mongs that inhabit the water a 3pm on Wednesday broke me and i had to leave. Hoping to get out for race2 in the series tomorrow so we'll see how the foot feels. To be honest its only running that causes pain. There is no doubt i will still be running come race day this is just...............an early taper shall we say! well thats what i say anyway.