Buns of steel!

I went to bed at 9.30 last night as I was shattered following the swim but it was probably the weekends efforts that were still in the system.  I woke at 5am intending to go out for a 1.5 hour bike ride at 5.30am.  I felt rested but couldn't be bothered so I had another 75 mins in bed then had chocolate muffins and tea before my cycle - good energy!!!
As you can tell I wasn't in the mood but needs must so I decided to make the most of the time on the bike and thought through a conference call I have this morning.  Great use of time as I came up with a few angles I hadn't considered before.  That was set aide as I pulled into a B road that had been resurfaced and riding for over a mile on ball bearings certainly keeps your cheeks clenched as your chance of coming off the bike are very high - it's the horrible crunching sound as you go over them that sends a shiver down your spine.  But the benefit is you end up with buns of steel - who needs palates anyway when you can ride a bike and get the same benefits but with fresh air!
Back home for some porridge and decided to have a few more muffins washed down by coffee - now bring on the world, I'm awake and ready!

Riding the waves

Early morning swim was busy.  Plenty of waves and turbulence as too many people squeezed into the fast lane so my 1st 600 m was done in a record time.  This might sound good but it made the other two more difficult as you are meant to start off slower.
Swimming isn't that sociable however during the short breathers between laps it's great listening to, and joining in with, the group of 70 year olds that are there every day doing between 800m and 1,500m - good on them, what an example to the couch potatoes.  To these guys it's a way of life and a great way of staying fit and keeping in touch - I am full of admiration for them and hope if I reach that age I can swim as well as they do. I will miss them when I go back to the 50m pool at Tollcross which is better for my swimming.

Day off

As you know Monday is my recovery day.  Many people training for Ironman never make the start line because they get injured as they don't let their body recover.  So what do I do on a day off - eat, eat and eat.  I'm just back from a lovely Italian restaurant with my wife, who is sacrificing a social life with me during the 11 months of training.  So when possible we try and take advantage but we don't go over the top as I will be in the pool tomorrow at 7am - another 2,600 metres concentrating on my technique to allow me to exit the water in Copenhagen after 2.4 miles fit to cycle 112 miles and run a marathon.

Hottest day of the year!

Today was always going to be tough following the 5 hours on the bike yesterday, but add to that the heat and it was always going to be challenging.  A brick session was in store today which is a one hour bike followed by a 75 minute run - strong winds added to the challenge but kept the temperature down.  My legs felt great on the bike and I practiced my feeding on the bike which is so important.  During the run I was staying hydrated and feeling good but towards the end my legs could feel the effort from the weekend.  This doesn't concern me as it is all about your mindset - mine today was set for the task which was completed in the appropriate time and on 15 August the mindset will be on the three aspects of the event.
Plenty food to follow and even a couple of pints of Guinness (which contains iron!) as tomorrow is a day off.

Pot holes & punctures

Today was my 5 hr solo ride (120km) and I was all geared up for it - 4 drinks (fitted a rear mounted holder last night as I need to carry more refreshments as the distance increases), 3 protein bars, 2 gels, 2 turkey rolls and a banana).  It didn't get off to a good start when I had to bunny hop over a pothole which resulted in 2 drinks crashing to the ground and one container smashing - I'd regret that later.  Travelled through fabulous countryside and was enjoying the ride when I hit 5 small pot holes in a cluster resulting in my first on road puncture.  Being utterly useless with my hands I always carry a special canister of foam that is meant to sort punctures without having to strip the tyre.  It worked, for a full 5 minutes and then I had to pull over and replace the inner tube - new personal best it only took 15 minutes and great practice for Copenhagen as it could finish your race.
Finished all my food on the bike which is necessary as I am practicing eating without stopping however in the last 30 minutes I could have done with my water as 3 bottles of carbohydrate drinks leave you wanting more refreshing.  Got home and refueled with salmon and lots of salad - I haven't deliberately changed my diet but my body has started craving salad and vegetables and the volume of food intake has increased.  Washed that down with coke, coffee and chocolate while I watch Wimbledon and no doubt will probably end up having a wee snooze!
Tomorrow will be the tough day as my tired legs will be facing a 60 minutes bike (warm up) followed by a 75 minute run - 1 step closer to Ironman.

Beware swimming love birds

It may be news to you but there is an etiquette to swimming in lanes so I was a bit frustrated this morning when two love birds almost swam breast stroke hand in hand up the lane - there is a sign at the end of the lane saying "fast lane"!  I was under instructions to time certain parts of my swim so had to take the risk in overtaking them which knocks your rhythm out and can be dangerous if someone is swimming in the opposite direction.  The couple probably were annoyed with me creating a few waves on the way past but if the pool attendants had done their job it would have been a lot easier.  At one stage I was about to give up and get out the pool when I realised that I was wasting energy focusing on the negative.  How often do we do that in life I wonder?
So I ignored the swimming love birds and got on with the task that I'd been set.  The frustration and negativity disappeared and I felt better for accomplishing my goal.

Anyone for tennis?

If you didn't see the tennis last night I am sure you will hear about it this morning.  Two gladiators slugging it out, 59 all in the final set and it's still not finished.  Every record smashed but there a couple of points I'd like to mention.  Nicolas Mahut (who was bouncing around like a spring lamb) served to stay in the match 54 times - what does that say about his mental toughness?  On the other hand John Isner couldn't move for his cramping legs yet boomed out his serve and some how held on when his body would be telling him to give up!  Despite all of that they still played some amazing tennis.  Great motivation for me and I am sure when I am digging into my reserves during training or in the ironman event I will replay those images in my head with the message "keep going".
It made my 12 km in 49 mins this morning seem extremely easy as my running legs are really coming on.  I am getting faster within the heart rate limits set by my coach.  Still have an issue with my toes but I will get this sorted.  Just keeping the legs going until the heavy duty training at the weekend.

Real heroes

Yesterday I received an email from a friend referring to my "heroic efforts" which was appreciated as 10 months of training isn't easy.  However the real heroes are people like my pal Baldie who is going through intensive chemo at the moment - just checked in today for his 3rd bout.  His pals have gone "Kojak" to raise money for the hospital which I think is a shining example but not one I am going to follow.  The local pub, whose profits have plummeted recently, are also collecting for him.  I know Baldie checks the blog daily so if you want to give him some encouragement then feel free to post a comment - "come on baldie" will do fine.
This afternoon he will be getting pampered and watching the tennis followed by the footie followed by the tennis then a massage - no more than he deserves.
Almost forgot, started at 5.30am with a 90 minute cycle which will prepare me for the weekends efforts and Baldies progress will keep me going!

How do you eat an elephant?

....in bite sized pieces!  So how do you swim more than double what you thought was impossible 12 months ago?  Apply the same method.  Today my swim was 2 x 300m to warm up, 6 x 50m working on the efficiency of the stroke (try not to look like someone drowning!), 2 x 800m timed which will give my coach a measure of my progress and 6 x 50m warm down.  It seems like a lot but once you get started you get into a rhythm which is so important. 
Back for my 2nd breakfast of the day, my 1st was porridge at 6am, of bacon, eggs, toast and chocolate fingers - that will replace a few calories!  Motivation is high after a session like that knowing I am one step closer to my goal and that I continue to receive support for Maggie's from family, friends colleagues, clients and even strangers - thank you, you know who you are.

Normal life returns - for a day

After two hard sessions, Sat & Sun, I get a day of rest.  Today was so beautiful I was tempted to have an open water swim in the birds toilet (see earlier blog) but as the day went on my legs felt weary so I skipped the swim and organised a BBQ instead.  Is this what normal life is like?  Mind you there was no ice cold beer while cooking which is what I am used to do while burning food. So Steve the coach understands how my body works and recovery time is very important.  Tomorrow I will be back in the pool trying to perfect my technique to make my 2.4 mile open water swim easier in 54 days and 9 hours time - not that I'm counting!

Mad dogs and Englishmen

Today was a brick session - bike immediately followed by run.  I deliberately chose to go out in the heat of the day in order to prepare for the climate in Copenhagen in August.  A steady 1hr 15 mins on the bike taking in a couple of reasonable hill climbs went well with my heart rate lower than yesterday when I was chasing the mountain goats!  Immediately off the bike, running shoes on and away for an hours run.  I'm glad I ran with a drink (non-alcoholic!) because you wouldn't survive without it.  Despite that and a sore toe I ran at a good pace which is encouraging however I will have to visit the physio and the podiatrist again as I wouldn't like to run a marathon with the discomfort in my toe.
My new training schedule came in from my coach today and as expected it involves a few 6 hour bike rides and a brick session with a 2 hour run.  This is the build up phase before we ease off in the few weeks leading up to the event - I suppose you can't swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a marathon (26.2 miles) without putting in the ground work.

Riding with mountain goats

Today was my first day back at real training after my recovery week from the Bala middle distance triathlon.  Having had an easy week I did have to force myself out the door as the lure of a BBQ in the sunshine was tempting.  As you know most of my ironman training is done on my own because that is how it will be on August 15th in Copenhagen.  But today I went out with Stewart (ironman) and Jacques (mental cyclist) who are both in training for the Mont Ventoux in September - the equivalent of climbing Everest and something most sane people wouldn't attempt in a car.
So I spent 3 hrs 10 mins chasing them over 75 km.  When we reached the slightest incline, never mind hill, they pulled away and I then tried to catch them up on the downhill while they rested.  They could have left me for dead but encouraged me to "keep up".  Looking at the positive side it was a good exercise in mental strength which is so important when I will be competing for up to 15 hours - ride your own race and ignore the others.  I think I will be doing more cycling on my own as our goals and abilities are different although the banter is fun.

Emergency action!

This morning I was meant to be swimming in Loch Lomond but my swimming partner couldn't make it - things happen for a reason in life.  The great thing about triathlon is that it involves 3 disciplines so I decided to go running to loosen off the legs from the weekend.  It started well but as I was leaving town I felt a twinge in my stomach - uh oh, memories of my Holland trip came flooding back so using my experience I quickly gathered some docken leaves as a tsunami was approaching fast!
As I exited the town boundary I lept over the first hedge I could find into a farmers field and found myself up to my knees in muddy water.  No time to stop, tsunami over and two joggers go past giving me a strange look.  Obviously I didn't want to be seen by anyone due to my unsightly appearance (and fragrance) but had to cross town to get home before the commuters get up so the last 5km was done at a reasonable pace - the show must go on as they say.  As I said earlier, things happen for a reason, can you imagine if this had happened when I was in the middle of Loch Lomond in my wetsuit!  Legs felt great so back to some real training tomorrow.

Family 1st

Still in my recovery week and I was meant to be having a 1.5 hour cycle this evening but a domestic emergency meant I had to visit Sainsburys and cook the dinner for the kids.  Based on my coaches plan a rest this week will do me a lot of good as avoiding injury through training is the no 1 priority.
Tomorrow morning I will be swimming in Loch Lomond at 7.30 am - what a privilege, I can't wait.
While in Sainsburys I bumped into a friend whose boyfriend is taking part in the West Highland Way run at the weekend - that's 95 miles from Glasgow to Fort William.  I walked it once with my wife in 5 days and was knackered but they will run it in less than 24 hours - and you thought I was mad!  Good luck to all the runners - you are all bonkers but respect for the effort!

Dogging work!

Spoke to my coach last night and was pleasantly surprised that I don't have a hard week of training.  It a recovery week so today I had a long lie, 6.30am, and worked from home.  At 12.30 I dogged off work (don't tell anyone!) for an hour and went for a spin on the bike - 20km.  Legs felt great and heart rate was low so it looks like the recovery plan is working.
My Maggie's campaign (www.justgiving.com/derekmissionironman) received a lot of money yesterday and we are now up to £4,202 (including gift aid) but we need to get closer to the £10,000  so please spread the word.
The next 59 days will involve some long open water swims as I need to be able to complete 4km without being exhausted, probably Loch Lomond, and some 5 / 6 hour bike rides so I am going to enjoy the rest this week.

No rest for the wicked

Monday was my day off after completing the Bala middle distance event – the last major race before Ironman Copenhagen in 60 days and 21 hours time. So I went back into the pool today more as a recovery session than a training session. Still did 1,000 metres but nice and easy and also used fins to work on my kicking which isn’t very good. I haven’t spoken to my coach yet but swimming is going to be a major part of my training as I will be doubling the distance to 4km and need to make sure I don’t experience difficulties as I did in Bala.
With Copenhagen being almost flat the ride should have a much quicker average speed but I have to step up from 81km in Bala to 180km then double the run distance when I come off the bike. That should keep my training focused and the thought of your support and raising money for Maggie’s will keep me going. 
This afternoon I spotted a very elderly couple.  The man was helping his wife (I presume) to walk and in the 10 seconds I watched she was lucky if she took 2 steps which seemed to take a lot of effort, but she was determined.  It reminded me our goals are all relative and that brave lady was working on her own ironman.  We all need goals to keep us moving.

The Bala Middle Distance triathlon

Now I know why it is ranked in the top 10 toughest middle distance Tri's in the world - OMG!  It was the Welsh & British Middle Distance championships at the same time so some serious athletes around - a total field of about 650.  Before the swim I was nervous but excited.  I had never swam 2 km open water before and it wasn't helped as the wind picked up and waves started to appear.
I had set myself a target of 45 mins and made it in 42.  I was pleased as I had been sick at the furthest away point due to taking a wave full on in the face.  I also suffered cramp in both hamstrings and thought my race was over.  Not as bad as one guy who was 2 hours in the water and wasn't allowed to go on when he got out - well done though for perseverance.
The bike was the toughest 81 km I have ever ridden.  I lost 10 mins on the first 20 km due to hills and wind.  The hills were never ending and I thought I might end up being last cyclist back but in the last 15 km I started overtaking people.
The run can only be described as cruel / brutal.  Undulating long hills the whole way.  My coach had told me not to walk so I didn't although plenty of people did and at times I would have loved to.  It hurt but I had a great run finishing the 13 miles in 1hr 48 mins which was under the 2 hr target I had set - really pleased with that result.
Total including transitions was 6hrs 14 mins.  Lots of lessons learned on the day that I can use in Copenhagen but probably the most important one was keeping the voice in my head positive and having a purpose such as raising money for Maggie's meant I couldn't give up.  I was quite emotional when speaking to my wife on the phone afterwards as this was a big stepping stone for me in my goal to become an Ironman - lots more work to do starting again on Tuesday.

The waiting game

I arrived in Bala at 9.30 on Saturday as I couldn't get out of that hotel quick enough.  After some breakfast I went for a wee cycle and came to the conclusion that Bala is beautiful and hilly.  Checked into the Red Lion Farm B&B - highly recommended, so friendly and even gave me £10 for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres!  Went for a swim in the lake - baltic but after the first 5 minutes yo warmed up or was I numb? 
Didn't get to see my club mates so had dinner of steak and pasta before retiring to watch the world cup - not so many red crosses down here, can't imaging why?  Too much time to think and had to work hard to rationalise with the voice in my head - "yes it was 11 months since my last triathlon, but I had done the training"! Bed by 10pm.

Going commado

I Travelled down to Chester today (Friday) so I would only have a short trip tomorrow to Bala and not be too tired. Busy day meant I didn’t manage to get on the bike but I did get to speak to my coach and run through last minute preparation. Here is what I packed:
Swim: wetsuit, trisuit (for bike & run), cap, goggles, contact lenses, heart rate monitor & watch. Bike: bike, foot pump, shoes, insoles, shoes, sun glasses, helmet, gloves, socks, tribelt (to hold the number)inner tubes, repair kit, WD40, sun cream, bum cream, 6 protein bars, 6 gels, High 5 and 4 bottles for the bike, towel Run: shoes and hat. With all that to think about I forgot my boxers so I’ll be going commando!
Arrived at The Comfort Inn; good marketing in the name, it’s a dump. You couldn’t swing a Manx cat in the room and in one of the drawers along with the managers welcome letter are two free entry tickets to a lap dancing bar in town – in all the hotels I have stayed in, this one definitely has a different marketing approach and no I didn't use the tickets!
Went out for some dinner in a friendly pub, strictly fresh orange, but needed to ask what the red cross flags were for?

Hungry boy!

Triathlon training gives you an appetite due to the calorie you burn off - 4,000 in a 4 hr cycle on a Saturday so imagine what I am going to go through on Sunday when I add on the 2km swim and a 20 km run!  So my breakfast meeting at 8am included muesli, fruit, yogurt, bacon & eggs with toast.  Lunch was fish and chips and dinner was my daughters favourite, home made pork stir fry.  In between there was the odd banana and some chocolate.  If you want to eat and not put weight on, try triathlon.
Today the bike was fitted with tri bars.  After my sports massage, to keep the legs in order, I went for short and slightly wobbly ride.  Tomorrow I will have an hour on them before I head off for Bala.  This will allow me a relaxing day examining the course and getting registered.  The family aren't accompanying me as it is our annual gala day in town but I will meet up with some of my club mates - probably the last I will see of them as they are a lot faster than me!  The excitement is building.

Calm before the storm

Easy 45 min run, ironman pace and could have gone all day.  However I know that on Sunday when I pull on my shoes I will have a challenge on my hands having swam 2km and cycled 81km. 
Tomorrow I am getting tri bars fitted to my bike so it will be interesting to see how I ride with them as it alters the position quite considerably - in theory it reduces wind resistance but I am not sure about my flexibility.  I'll soon find out.

Swimming break through!

It might just be my imagination but this mornings swim session went really well.  My stroke seemed more efficient / effective and I wasn't too tired at the end.  Granted it was a shorter swim as I am tapering this week but it did boost my confidence after last nights open water swim.  This week is all about keeping it ticking over for Sunday and I will need to discuss my strategy for the race with my coach later on in the week - probably try not to get caught in the rush in the swim, knocked down on the bike and finish the run before the organisers pack up!  To be serious there is a lot of planning to make sure in the middle of the race when you change from one discipline to another that you haven't forgotten something vital such as sun cream or bum cream or even worse, getting them mixed up!!!

Tapering - yeh right!

On Sunday night I got my new training schedule through and this week I am meant to be tapering i.e. an easy week before my half ironman on Sunday.  Day off today after the hard weekend, that's a good start - swim on Tuesday, run on Wednesday, Bike Thursday & Friday and a short swim on Saturday!   Thanks Steve, I am glad it wasn't a full on week!
However Monday is the only time I can sneak in an Open Water swim and I need the practice as it's quite different from swimming in a pool - they don't get everyone out the water if there are brown objects floating.  As I hobbled across the stones (forgot my flip flops) I could see people thinking, look at that ironman - ouch, ouch, aahh, b****r.  I managed 10 minutes before my earlier pasta tried to make an appearance so I decided time for a shower.  I had applied "glide" to my arms and legs before I went out so that I could get the wetsuit off quickly as previous attempts had looked like a wrestling match.  To the amusement of the other swimmers in the changing rooms I tried to look as though I wasn't putting in any effort to extract my arms, which I was, but when I kicked my leg to get the suit off I ended up in the air and then on my bum - ironman my a**e!  Lessons learned are don't be lured in by the temptations of my wife's pasta before going training, consider the terrain I'll be walking on before swimming and only fight with the wetsuit in private!

Juggling

The morning started off in A&E with my daughter who had fallen of her trampoline the day before - we had iced it but the pain was still there.  Turns out it was broken so felling really good about that one especially as I hadn't had time to put up the safety net.  Then onto a football tournament with my son to watch parents shouting abuse at each other.  They are passed their best and really need a rest - the kids that is!
Went out for a brick (bike & run) session not feeling motivated.  However as I had very specific goals in my last major training session before Bala next weekend, my focus improved and I got stuck in.  Great bike session for 1hr 15 minutes and then straight onto the run.  It was set up for a faster than normal run and although my legs felt tired at the beginning I had a good run.  This just goes to prove that it is about your attitude and focus.  Next weeks training will be lighter as I prepare for Bala but this weekend has demonstrated the importance of mental attitude in achieving your goals.

Can't be botherd!

Started Saturday making breakfast for the girls who had stayed over for my daughters birthday.  Then off on the bike for 4 hours but I really didn't feel like it today.  As I have said before it's all about attitude.  I didn't have my usual focus when riding and bumping into my pal Jacques, who is recovering from injury, didn't help as I could have stayed and chatted all day.  But I ground it out and completed the 87 km - it is all about attitude but I didn't feel great afterwards and forgot to write up my blog!

Limits are in the head

Early morning swim covered 2,700 m - 1 year ago I was worried about completing 750 m and 1 year before that 40 m. I had a voice in my head telling me I couldn't do it.  Today I heard two very large ladies discussing completing 50 metres and how good they felt.  They had set it as a goal, planned their training and succeeded - now they are aiming for 100 metres - that's breaking the limits in your head.  If you have the desire, and that's the secret, put together a proper plan with someone monitoring your progress then you're on your way to raising the bar and silencing the voice in you head saying you can't do it.  Go for it and have fun on the journey - I certainly am.

Measuring progress

Another 5.40am start on the bike - the best part of the day.  During my 90 minute ride you get time to think about what ever comes into your head.  My thoughts turned to measuring progress because the previous night a friend had said how fast my time was in the Etape race (81 miles in 4hrs 58 mins).  I was pleased with my time but didn't think it was fast as I was 1.5 hours behind the winner and came 2,263 out of  3,616 cyclists!  But it did make me reflect that results are relative to where you are and where you set the bar.
12 months ago I took part in a 50 mile race and came off walking like John Wayne.  I did think at the time, how was I going to manage 2.4 mile swim before the bike, add another 62 miles onto my 50 and then run a marathon?  As I am 72 days away from Ironman I do believe that all the training will pay off because the structured build up of training has raised my levels of fitness and therefore my expectations.  On 13 June I will find out how my progress is going as I compete in the Bala half Ironman.
I'll leave you with the thought that a goal without a plan is just a wish - why not get some goals written down that you would like to achieve and make a start?  These light mornings are worth getting up for.

Split shift

Today was a split shift; early bike and late run.  Left the house at 5.45am and ran into congestion - a dairy herd!  Breakfast on the bike was a gel, a protein bar and a 500ml carbohydrate drink to give me energy. 34 km later back home for Muesli and fruit.  Diet is an important part so a banana mid morning is required to keep me going but I had too many coffees as I was in back to back meetings.  Lamb shank with plenty of veg for lunch with sticky toffee pudding and ice cream to follow.
I crammed in a protein bar before my 45 min run at 6.30 and had another 500 ml drink while running.  I have to practice this as it will be essential for the race.  Home at 8.30pm and 4 small poached eggs on brown toast and a wee bit of chocolate washed down with a pint of milk - reasonably healthy I think.  Just time to write the blog, help with the kids home work and not to forget a shower or I might get some complaints from the "management"!  Bed by 10.30 as I am up again for a 5.45am start on the bike.  Feeling good!

Different time zone

Following the exploits of the weekend at the kids football tournament with the amigos, I was back to training.  I went to bed early as I needed the sleep and was up cooking my porridge at 5.45 to be ready for my 7am swim.  That is when I noticed my alarm was on European time and it was 4.45am!  This was my first time in the pool in a week and while I survived the 2,700 metres workout I know it wasn't my best.  Back to proper food and my structured training plan -the thought of raising money for Maggie's and the help they provide keeps me going.