New years eve

Two days off training but plenty to do starting with fulfilling a promise to my daughter that I'd have a joint horse riding lesson with her.  It was fun following her round the arena and it gave me a different perspective of how hard she works every week to improve.  I'm not sure if they could have found a wider horse but when I got off the beast my bum hurt and I think the next couple of days will involve me feeling pain in muscles I don't normally use.  Give me a slim bike saddle every day of the week as it hurts less and you don't come off smelling of horse!!  Now to start preparing the dinner for the family and our guests this evening as we like to see out the old year and welcome in the new year in style. Goodbye 2011 it's been a year of contrasting fortunes as you'd expect in life.  The key is using these experiences to make improvements in your life where you can and just hope you stay healthy.

Neglecting duties!

Sometimes it's easy to forget that ironman training isn't a full time occupation or pastime and that there are certain duties around the house that need taken care of by me. I was reminded of that last night by my long suffering (and very supportive) wife. I might ware my pants outside my trousers (metaphorically speaking) but I still need to tidy the kitchen! Fair point well made I thought. Note to self - normal life needs to continue around my training - or maybe that should be the other way round?
This morning I finished the 1st week of the build training with a timed intervals swimming session followed by an hour on the turbo trainer. The iced my knee while having my second breakfast. Now I'm having a rest from training for 2 days and looking forward to going shopping with the family - especially as it's their money we are spending. Before I do that I'm going to put the dishwasher on!

You can do it!

I was in a deep sleep when the alarm went off this morning and getting out of bed took an extra effort.  Its a holiday so getting up when everyone else is sound asleep isn't easy.  This mornings pool session was tough (there not going to get easier!) and your mind wanders when swimming distance.  Like everyone I have an inner voice that likes to place doubt in my mind and especially when it gets tough in the pool.
On those occasions I have to remind myself why I am doing this and raising money for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres always motivates me.  In addition I have told hundreds of people and by publishing the blog it keeps me focused.  So thank you for your continued support as it means more than you may appreciate.  And finally if you are considering a "new year's resolution" then get it down on paper, plan it and execute the plan - you can do it!

Back to work

Today many return to their jobs after the Xmas break but I am lucky in that our business is closed till 4th January.  That was a promise I made to my family when I set up in business 15 years ago and to be fair, clients aren't wanting to talk to us around that time anyway.
However there is a lot of training to be done and today I did a core session, a weights session and 55 mins on the turbo trainer.  Having been out at a dinner party the night before wasn't the best preparation however I now feel fantastic.  Every session is important because if you miss one out it can lead to another and then you are on the slippery slope.  Every session is one step closer to the goal of Lanza Ironman and it a progressive build up that is so important now that I am into the "build" phase.
So as I am in my "sweat studio" there is a gale force wind and rain battering against the windows which adds to the enjoyment of the training.  Just as I have typed this there has been a huge crack of thunder and lightening and the electricity in the house went out for a minute.  I hope that doesn't continue or we'll all be huddled round the coal fire with candles!

Money money money

Today Santa visited the sales and spent a small fortune! It would have been a bigger fortune but 20% off is always tempting. The equipment side of triathlon is very important and today I splashed out on new shoes with graphite soles and extra venting. The theory is that in Lanza I will need the ventilation because of the heat - 6-7 hours in the bike before a 4 hour run, need to look after the feet!
The graphite soles mean the shoe is stiffer and more power will be delivered as there will be less flex in the shoe. This also required new pedals to maximise the investment in the shoes. I am hoping the spend will show in my bike time but in addition to lots of training you need the proper equipment.

144 days and counting

Ok so Xmas is over.  I've had too much food, too much wine and a huge amount of fun.  So today the buid up starts although I am still being careful with my knee and not running.  I will revisit the physio next week to get his opinion on my knee but I will increase the time on the turbo trainer as I feel the swelling has reduced.
Being on holiday means I will get loads of rest over the next week which is also an important part of a recovery programme.  At the same time I am reading up on Ironman training as there is always room to learn more which will help me in Lanzarote.

Busy busy

Today is one of my favourite days of the year - Christmas Eve. We're having 10 for dinner tomorrow so it was all hands on deck - by "all" i mean me and the boss as my daughter was at horse riding and my sons didn't get out their pit till well into the afternoon. So mission tidy the house and prep the food went into full action with Xmas songs to keeps us motivated.
I did manage a turbo session lasting 30 mins and the knee held up well. So now as we prepare dinner I am icing the knee (3 x a day) while sinking an ice cool beer as tomorrow is a day off. I also received my training schedule for the next 4 weeks and I've moved from base level training to build level. I'm sure you can work out the difference but I'll report back on that in the coming weeks.
I hope Santa is good to you all! Ho ho ho.

Small steps

Today when the office doors closed for 2011 and I'd finished the Xmas shopping I went home to test the knee injury out on the turbo (bike).  After 15 mins I decided not to push it and to start the recuperation with small steps.  I did follow with a goods weight session so didn't feel too guilty.  So happy holidays to everyone and I'll keep you up to date with my training regime over the festive period and any observations on life along the way.

Finish line in sight

When reading up on Ironman I cam across a very interesting fact.  It is that people running endurance events can collapse in sight of the finish line.  The reason is that the runner's brain has blocked out the pain during the race but when they see the finish line the brain stops blocking the pain out and the runner collapses.  So for Ironman when I saw the finish line I had pre-programmed my brain not to accept it as the end and that it was beyond the finish line.
In the run up to Xmas it feels like an endurance event and I can feel the finish line in sight but don't want to acknowledge it in case I "collapse".  Like most people I've been "running on empty" and I'm looking forward to a break, time with the family, a change of routing.  But that doesn't mean sitting on my bum for the holidays, but it will be a welcome break.  So tomorrow as the finish line approaches I will be looking beyond it and will probably see my family sitting round the table with a big fat turkey and all the trimmings!

Let their be light!

In case you didn't know, today is the shortest day so from tomorrow the mornings and evenings will be getting lighter - slowly!  Personally I hate getting up in the dark, travelling to work in the dark and arriving home in the dark.  But having past this landmark I hope to have more of a spring in my step although that will probably have to wait until my knee injury heals!
This morning I slept in which is not something I do.  My alarm didn't go off because my iphone had a software problem but normally I wake up before my alarm.  So I think my body is telling me I need a rest.  Having said that both last nights and this mornings swim sessions went really well but that may be due to the fact I was swimming with a floatation aid to take my legs out of the swim.  All the same it felt good and I will continue this over the holidays.  So bring on the light so we can all get out there and enjoy the beautiful country we live in.

It's a funny week

The week before Xmas is a funny week, especially when it falls on a weekend.  At work we're all trying to get tidied up and the excitement (and the hangover) of the office party has past.  So we're working at 75% to clear up while finishing off the plans for 2012 so we hit the ground running.  Otherwise there is a lull in the business in the month of January which filters through in the business performance in Feb & March.  Then you're in a state of catch up for the rest of the year.
Training for an Ironman is no different in that although "it's the season to be jolly", if you're too jolly it will impact on your performance.  As I'm injured the temptation is to do nothing for a few weeks but this would cause major catch up problems in January and with 150 days to go I can't afford to be lazy either physically or mentally.
So this morning was my 1st recuperation session with stretching, massage and ice after my core session.  Tonight I'm swimming and tomorrow I'm having the set up checked on my bike in case this is what has caused the injury.  But don't think I'm a "ba hum bug" character as I'll be enjoying some great food and lovely wine over the festive period but just making sure it's not too excessive as that has consequences!

When things go wrong, adapt the plan

I've been having niggling pains in my leg and knee for about a month but nothing really painful, until yesterdays cross country run.  That last mile hurt my knee so I thought this mornings swim would easy my legs off.  It did until I tried to climb the stairs and there was that pain again.  One call to the physio and I was booked in for the afternoon followed by my weekly meeting with my coach.
The outcome is that I won't be running for a few weeks, will be icing my knee 3 times a day, taking anti- inflammatory tablets, doing plenty of stretching and specific strengthening exercises and taking it easy on the turbo trainer.  Had I not gone to the physio when I did I could have done more damage which would have had a longer recovery period.
So with my coach we rescheduled my training for the rest of the month - it doesn't mean I'll be taking it easy, I'll just be adapting my exercise to protect the injury.  So when things go wrong you have to adapt.  Ultimately the weakness was in the "foundation" and that always comes through when put under pressure whether it be your body or a business. I suppose if there is a time to cut back running it's when the streets are covered in snow and ice so I'm lucky on that score.

Ironman goes cross country

After Saturday off training today was a 7 mile cross country run in very wintry conditions.  But it was a run with a difference - the group ran in fancy dress hence the new picture on the blog.  A few passing motorists almost drove off the road as they watched Ironman, Captain America, Bat Woman, Hong Kong Phooey, Mini Mouse, Pink Panther, Roller Girl to name but a few running through the countryside.
The wind farm can be a spooky place with the sound of the turbines but the views were spectacular.  The mountains were all covered in snow and it looked like a picture postcard.  But it was a hard 7 miles as running in snow isn't that easy.
Full on week of training before a day off at Xmas.  I can't let all the hard work slip over the festive period but I will enjoy a few long lies!

Black Friday

Yes we had our office night out on black Friday - the day when ordinary folk go mad on the booze and keep A&E departments overflowing!  Well ours was quite civilised as we had a fantastic non-christmasy meal with some fine wine.  It wasn't too late a night but I am feeling a wee bit delicate this morning.  Fortunately this was built into the training plan so today I can rest, rehydrate and recover as tomorrow on top of my training schedule we have the ATHelite Tri Club fancy dress run!
Santa outfits have been banned as we had 10 there last year and that confused the kids.  I'll let you know what I was dressed as after the event - these things are kept secret, but suspect there may be a few people in the same costume. 
So off to put the Xmas tree up and start to prepare the house for the festivities.  It's even snowing lightly outside so it must be Xmas!  Hope you enjoy your office party when it comes.

The poem says it all

It was Neil's (AKA Mr Baldy) funeral yesterday and to celebrate his life he had a sell out standing room only turn out.  Knowing him he'd have been embarrassed by all the fuss but he touched so many people's life's without realising it. 
He'd have enjoyed the banter and the stories and be delighted that I talked some of his friends into entering a triathlon as a relay team in memory of Neil and raising money for The Beatson Centre where he was looked after so well.  I have included the poem that was read out as there is a very important message in it for all of us.  I'll let the poem d the talking.

The Dash Poem

I read of a man who stood to speak,
At the funeral of a Friend.
He referred to the dates on this tombstone,
From beginning ….to the end.

He noted that first, came his date of birth,
And spoke the following tears.
But he said what mattered most of all,
Was the dash in between those years.

For the dash represents,
All the time he spent alive on earth.
And how only those who loved him,
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters most is how we live and love,
And how we spend our dash …
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough,
To consider what is true and real.

And always try to understand,
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives,

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile …
Remembering that this special dash,
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read,
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
And how your spent your dash?

By Linda Ellis

Stretching the limits

As you know the area that will make the biggest difference to my next Ironman is the bike.  My coach is pushing me hard on the turbo trainer (static bike) as the weather is too bad for outdoor training and the goal is to get my heart rate higher than the current level when I am hard.  This involves going into an area of huge discomfort as my lungs are screaming for air while my legs are crying in pain and my brain is telling me to slow down or I'll explode.  That more or less describes last nights training session and I did get my heart rate above the functional threshold of 157 to 161 - but it wasn't easy.
This isn't the way I will be riding in Ironman but it is about conditioning my body and mind to a higher level.  When I am riding in Ironman I will be at a lower heart rate as I will be in the saddle for 6 - 7 hours but because I have stretched my limits before the event I should perform better.
Sometimes however you have to know when not push the limits and when I was doing an impersonation of Bambi on ice this morning I had to slow down and change my route for the run otherwise I'd have injured myself.  This has also convinced me that until the temperature rises I won't be doing any more early morning runs as one accident could wipe out all the training.

Dark mornings

It's 6am, the wind is howling outside my bedroom window with the rain battering against the window.  It's pitch black and I know I've got to do a weights session as a carry over from yesterday which went pair shaped.  I'm not a fan of weights but understand why I need to do two sessions a week as my body needs to be strong to get me through Ironman and Marathon Des Sables.  However understanding this is not enough - you need have a real reason to drag yourself out of bed on mornings like this, especially when it's dark.
My reason is that during Mission Ironman I am raising lots of money for good causes which desperately need the funds to help people in need.  I also have you to think of as you have followed my blog and I have publicly stated my goals between now and April 2013 so I can't go back on my word.  It's when I have a "wobble" like this morning, when all I want to do is pull the cover over my head, that I think about the real reasons for doing it and the benefit it will bring to others (other than the physical and mental benefits to myself) then I swing my legs out of bed and get on with it. 
10 minutes into the weights session and I am pleased I am working out.  I believe as long as we have a good reason for doing something then we will do whatever it takes.  Give that some thought while enjoying your day.  Won't be long till we turn the corner after the shortest day (22nd December)!

...and life goes on

Despite the sad news of Neil's passing, life must go on.  He won't be forgotten and on Thursday we will celebrate his life.  More storms are predicted for tonight and today it has been snowing a little and everyone who is out seems to be wrapped up with their head down just trying to get to their destination. I think we are all trying to get to Xmas so we can have a break and recharge the batteries ready to face another year.
So today I hauled myself out of be feeling slightly less tired than I had been of late and headed off to a pool that I used to swim at a couple of years ago.  Some of the "old fellas" (in their late 60's and 70's) were there as they are most days putting in a good training session in the pool.  They also take time out at the end of the lane to socialise and support each other during their illnesses and hard times.  I caught the odd conversation when I stopped to get my breath and I just love the fact they are so active at that age.  It just shows that, if we're lucky enough, there is a life to be enjoyed if you are fit and have interests in retirement - I aim to be one of them in years to come!

Sad day

Last night we lost a good friend Neil Sutherland, AKA Mr Baldy for those of you who have followed the blog.  This was his third battle with cancer and unfortunately the odds were stacked against him.  He was a fighter and when he was in round 2 of the cancer I suggested he prepare for a triathlon when he came out - it's fair to say Neil wasn't an athlete.  Little did we know that while he was training for the event and competing in the event, his cancer had returned.  As he crossed the finishing line into his wife's arms he was completely exhaused - what an achievement.
We'll all be there to support Maz and we will always remember Neil and how he touched all of our lives.  Out of respect I'll be taking a break from the blog for a few days.

Hurricane bawbag

The Scots have a great sense of humour. As a hurricane rips across Scotland at 160 mph we don't wait for the met office to name it, we call it hurricane bawbag and have teeshirts and other merchandise for sale by lunchtime. You've got to admire the cheek of it!
As for me the morning started with taking my resting heart rate - 52 as normal. However with the hurricane and closing the office it was decided I've have a rest day. It wasn't helped by loosing all power in the house for over 4 hours. Perhaps "bawbag" was a message for me to take a rest. Can't wait to see if the BBC use the name that is going worldwide in tweets!
Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Taking stock

It's been a busy week since Sunday on the training front and my coach and I are studying the data on my heart rate as I may be tired and need an extra days rest.  The benefit of monitoring the Key Performance Indicators, to use business jargon, is that if anything isn't performing at the optimal level then it shows up and action needs to be taken.
So tonight I came back from a group turbo session having worked very hard, I couldn't get my heart rate high enough.  Tomorrow is meant to be an easy day with only a weights session and a core session but it may be skipped if my coach instructs me to rest.  One of the problems triathletes suffer from is being forced to rest when you're not injured but you always have to consider the goal and take the right action so that it isn't endangered.  I'll let you know what is decided.

Stretching the limits

I learned a very valuable lesson today in the pool, but that was after a run in the snow and ice.  The pool session was based on breathing.  We started by swimming 200m but every 25m we changed the frequency of breathing from 3/5/7/5 strokes which took up 100m and then repeated - then you had a 15 sec break before repeating the set twice.  Normally I'd breath every 3 strokes but when I get tired it drops to every 2.  5 was a push and 7 almost impossible.
We repeated the exercise on 6 x 100m and again I struggled with 7 and sometimes with 5.  And again on 8 x 50m and except this time it was breathing only every 5 or 7 strokes - I managed it.  The final set was 6 x 25 but the breathing changed to every 7 & 9 - yes 9 strokes.  Guess what?  I managed it.  To top things off I then swan 25 m without taking a breath which for me was incredible, especially when I repeated it.  In total I swam 3,000m which isn't bad considering I had run before it.
So the moral of the story is with an incremental plan you can achieve greater results.

Technology & me

I like technology but sometime it doesn't like me.  You need a PhD to programme the Garmin watch / computer I wear for triathlon but if you get it right it's excellent for the bike and running.  However it's bulky for the swim and doesn't have the best functionality.
So today I tried out a "pool mate" which is a watch specifically designed for pool swimming.  One of the best features is that is counts your lengths which is really handy, especially if doing a long continuous swim.  This mornings session was 1,500m continuous swim in a 50 m pool.  I decided to try and keep count as I found it difficult to see the lap counter on the screen while moving.  I got to the end and the watch said I had swam 4 more lengths than I thought! Having pressed the reset button I didn't see the time so I'll have to wait till I download the data tonight (assuming I can do that!) to see what the score is.
I'll be gutted if it didn't store the data as it was an important session to time as my coach is looking for these results to see how I am progressing. B****y technology!

White out

Last night a collection of finely tuned athlete's met to compare notes, eat fine food and overload in carbs - the alcoholic type!  This was my last night out, until the next one in a couple of weeks, but I took it easy as I had a one hour run planned for this morning.  The run started out ok but I had to be careful on the icy pavements and roads.  Then the snow started and the wind whipped up - it was like getting a face lift!  I looked like Frosty the Snowman when I got back home.  But a new week of training awaits and it's important to keep the momentum going in the run up to the festive period.

Friends

Last night I celebrated my 50th birthday with a bunch of "old" friends.  It was great to catch up and reminded me that I have a wonderful group of friends and that I need to work harder at keeping in touch with them.
Someone made up a dvd of old photo's of me and it was so nice to take that trip down memory lane.  My kids found the young pictures of me amusing whereas others saw how alike we looked.  What a fun night and I have to do it all over again tonight.  Then I'll be on the "wagon" for 12 days before the staff night out - difficult time of year mixing training with ultra-socialising!

Sharp reminder

It's easy to get caught up in your own life especially when you have a training schedule to keep to.  But this morning after my pool session I found out a friend of mine who is fighting cancer is in the ICU.  I think we all take our health for granted until something happens and its these sharp reminders that should make us realise what's important in life.  So take time out to give your loved ones a hug or make up with someone you've had a stupid argument with but have been too proud to make the first move. Life is for living and it's no dress rehearsal so get out there and live it.  Not everyone has that opportunity so let's keep them in our thoughts as they battle on. 

50 not out!

It's a bit of a mile stone reaching 50 but more psychological than anything else. Having made the big 50 I did a turbo training session followed by a run. I was just about to step onto the road to avoid a puddle when a White van overtook a truck behind me and I wouldn't have seen 50 + 1 day!
So I'm relaxed about the age thing, especially when I ran the course this morning faster than ever. But I have made one conscious decision and that is not to let small things bother me any more. So what will be my attitude - there are worse things in life. But if I catch that White van man........

Low motivation - man up!

With the big birthday tomorrow this week isn't a normal one and I decided to have an extra hour in bed as it had been a hard swim session the night before. But I have to be careful that "listening to my body" which is so important doesn't become an excuse for being lazy. Once home from work I got back into the swing a walked across the yard in my cycling gear as the rain was pouring down - I could quite easily have lay down in front of the fire and had a sleep.
But the only way you can complete an Ironman is by finishing these sessions having given everything. So that's what I did followed by a weights session. Then some lasagne accompanied by bubbly - just warming up for tomorrow!

Catch up

As you may have guessed, I've been away for a few days so here's what's been happening. On Saturday I did a tough turbo session, followed by a run and the a weights session. Dosed off while watching the Grand Prix qualifying which is a great way to recover.
On Sunday I went off for a couple of days of pampering with my wife and some friends as an early birthday treat. So Sunday was a day off and I had plenty of fine wine and even better food. On Monday I did a cross country run and a core session but again I had some wine and fantastic food. This isn't a pattern that will help my training but with my birthday on Thursday is going to make this a difficult week to balance training, work and family.
I returned from the break today and went to the group swimming session. It was a tough one especially with the socialising I'd been doing but I got through it feeling ok. Normal training will resume on Sunday but I'll be fitting in a few quality sessions in the next few days.

Raising the bar

When I entered my 1st Ironman I set a target time of 17 hours.  After all I was only interested in completing it.  The Copenhagen Ironman was fast due to it being flat so this time limit was reduced to 16 hours by the organisers - I can do that I thought.  Once I got into my training I started increasing my expectation and finally set a target of 13.5 hours and eventually did it in 12 hours 45 mins finishing with a 4 hr marathon.
I share this with you because it's amazing how you expectations can change.  Well today I was with my coach Gen and she informed me that she expects me to complete my bike section in Lanzarote 1 hour quicker than in Copenhagen.  Slight difference in temperature, profile (Lanza had 9,400 ft of climb and assent) and wind - but she is deadly serious.  She also explained that she is training me for a 3 hr 40 min marathon but allowing a 20 minute buffer to beat my last one.
This "raises the bar" considerably especially with Lanza being so tough.  But it does focus me on every training session so when I was struggling tonight on the turbo session I just thought about Gen's bike target for me and applied rule 5 - Man Up (the polite version!).

Knackered!

I skipped my day off on Monday and after yesterdays group turbo session its starting to tell.  Today is meant to be another day off but I thought I'd fit in a turbo session when I got back from work.  Just back after a 150 mile trip in the car and I'm knackered so I'm off for a wee sleep.
Trying to cram in sessions perhaps isn't too sensible and my coach obviously understands the strains of the training and working better than me.
So I'm not going to feel guilty about taking the scheduled rest and enjoy it!  Back to proper training tomorrow.

Lane chaos

I caused chaos today by swimming in the fast lane in an anti-clockwise direction.  The next 6 swimmers didn't mind but a rather large swimmer blocked the lane until we all changed direction.  Turns out he could only tumble turn in one direction not that I can do it at all!  No need when swimming in lochs, lakes and the sea!
I also changed my routine as it was so busy and did 2 x 750m timed.  I haven't done that in over a year and managed them both in circa 16 mins.  This isn't fast for a swimmer but then when the day comes after I complete my 3,800m swim I still have to complete 180 km on the bike and a 42 km run so pacing is everything.  Also the wetsuit will improve my body position and make me faster for less effort.  Did I mention that it will also be hot, hilly and windy?
So a turbo session followed by a core session is in store tonight.  I have a couple of days holidays coming up so I am trying to make sure I get all my training in.
December is going to be challenging with my birthday, triathlon party, staff party, various social occassions and Xmas and New Year but I've got to make sure the hard work isn't waisted.  At the same time it the season to be jolly, tra la la la la....you get the message!

Busy schedule

It's a busy week and I need to shuffle my training schedule around.  So up at 6pm and a turbo session followed by a weights session.  Before dinner I forced myself out for a run and felt a lot better when I got back in.  The turbo training has really helped my running although I am not doing a high mileage as there is no need at this stage.  But with 179 days to go the programme is starting to get tougher.
Tomorrow I'll be swimming 1st thing which is always a fantastic start to the day, as long as I can get myself out of bed! 

Seeing red

As I approach 50 I am beginning to wonder if I'm getting a "grumpy old man".  Yesterday I experienced "supermarket car park" rage when someone waited for me to return to my car and then "thanked me" for the room I'd left him.  As my car was in between the white lines I didn't feel there was an issue but we "had words".
Today I was red carded by the referee at my sons football match for suggesting he "should have gone to specsavers" - or words to that affect.  What does upset me is when our kids safety on the field is at risk because the ref can't keep up with the game because he's had too many pies!
I then went out for a relaxing 35 mile bike ride with my mates to celebrate my up coming birthday.  At least that was incident free and finished with coffee and cake.  But I am going to take stock and calm down on the sidelines and let my sons feet do the talking - assuming someone hasn't taken them away from him recklessly!

Work on the weakness

In an ironman event a lot can go wrong.  You put in all the training but there are so many elements out with your control that can easily finish your race.  Today I came up against one of these problems and not for the first time - a puncture.  Since changing to my new wheels I have puncture 4 tyres; one on the turbo trainer and three replacing the same tyre!  I was trying to save time for tomorrow when one of my friends is coming to give me a lesson on changing tyres and a few other things and managed to puncture another tyre through me being rubbish with my hands!
I despaired and went out for a run to take my mind off it but all the way round I "beat myself up".  Seems to have worked as I ran a fast time but had missed a turbo session.  So I finished off with a core workout and am starting to feel better.  I just need to work on this weakness because I can't afford this to happen in Lanzarote or all my training may be for nothing.
Tomorrow I am going out with 15 fellow athletes for a 50 km bike ride to celebrate my 50th birthday which will be on Dec 1st.  The men should be supporting moustaches and if you want to see mine go to http://mobro.co/missionironman . If your feeling generous you could throw in a couple of £ for the prostate cancer charity.  Thanks.

Pushing the limits

Swim, massage, run & weights plus a full days work with travel meant I didn't have a spare minute.  But the sports massage eased my legs and then I went for a run - not the normal order but what a difference it made to my running.  It was so easy and without trying I was flying! 
Then onto the weights and I had to increase my reps to take the muscles to exhaustion.  Seemed like a good idea but I struggled to open the bottle of Prosecco and that would have been a disaster!
So a busy weekend of kids activities and training but I am looking forward to a bit of relaxation as well.  Probably catching 40 winks in front of the telly. 

Seasonal change

The other day I had commented on how beautiful the weather was for running.  Had I run this morning I would have said the same but I was away early on business so my training happened when I got home.  A sweaty turbo session followed by a run.  The weather was horrendous as I was blown up the hill and squelched my way up the pavement, picking out the puddles with my "davy lamp".  Back home and a core session to finish.
I'm afraid that these are the conditions I will be training in for the next 3-4 months so I'm just going to have to "man up" and get on with it.  As Billy Connolly said, Scotland doesn't have bad weather, you're just wearing the wrong clothes.  So I will make sure I'm wrapped up, get my head down and convince myself that this will make me stronger!

Technical difficulties

I have a problem with my rear tire in that I have ruined 3 inner tubes trying to get a tire to remain inflated.  Today I was offered help from a fellow athlete and 5 seconds after the tyre was inflated it exploded.  The inner tube was completely wrecked plus my trousers will probably have to go to the dry cleaners!
But I was lent a rear wheel which allowed me to take part in a group turbo session tonight.  It was tough, not helped by the champagne from yesterday.  I had a bit of a fuzzy head and was tired so it wasn't the best of condition to be training but I felt great afterwards.  My recovery was steak, eggs, toast, milk and chocolate.  So I'm going to have to stay up to digest my food but I am also trying to finish my book - The Marathon Des Sables so I'm happy.  With a few nights out over the next month or so I will need to make sure I don't over do the booze as when you are fit it really sets you back.

Childhood memories

With the 50m pool closed in Glasgow my new alternative 25m pool has also closed for a refurb so this morning I travelled to a 50m pool that has just reopened after a five year refurb!  It brought back childhood memories as I used to go there 40 years ago with some friends and my big brother.  I couldn't swim but used to enjoy jumping in with a rubber ring on and splashing around.  Afterwards we'd always get a mince pie and a drink.
Today was slightly different as I had a planned set to do, timing my 200m intervals so not jumping in and splashing around.  You have to suss out the other swimmers when you turn up at a new pool and time your swimming so as not to disturb them too much.  It's a bit like an F1 race when re-entering from a pit stop.  You don't want to pull out in front of someone going much faster as you'll annoy them and at the same time try to avoid the slower swimmers so that you aren't held up when on the stop watch.  The new pool was fabulous except for a couple of "rabbit droppings" left by the swimming club which I tried not to inhale or swallow as I went up and down the lane!  Hope the chlorine has done it's job and nullified any chance of infection!
Turbo and weights tonight and then a day off training tomorrow as it's our 20th wedding anniversary and we're going out to celebrate.  I think if I suggested I slip in a quick training session I may not see my 21st anniversary!!

Tough schedule

In some people's view Sunday is a day of rest - not in mine!  My training today was a 43 minute run, a 1 hour turbo and a 40 minute core session.  However I had to build that round my sons football, furniture shopping, food shopping, preparing dinner and various drop off and pick ups.
I broke it down by running before the football.  Again a beautiful autumn day and when I started running I just felt so good.  It won't be long before it's windy, raining or snowing and blowing a gale so I was going to enjoy my run.  Then on to the sidelines to support my son - they won.
Once the shopping was over I returned and did my hour on the turbo.  It is mind numbing but so is ironman.  At least I am focused on my cadence, heart rate and my form (my reflection in the window tells me when if I am staying still and not wavering all over the place).  You sweat buckets and it's a great way of keeping fit.  Straight after that and in for my core session.
Shower, cook dinner and relax.  Only two pick ups with the kids and I'll be heading to bed as I'm up early for swimming!  Ah the life of a triathlete.  Seriously though, I feel great.

Recovered

8 days ago I twisted my knee and had to be given a piggie back into the house as I couldn't put any weight on it.  The following day I cycled the Braveheart race over 44 miles with no pain but that was because the movement on my knee didn't involve any lateral movement.  I took the week off running and concentrated on turbo training.
So today involved a 30 minute turbo session followed by a 30 minute run.  It was a beautiful day and it was such a privilege to be out running, pain free.  I didn't push it but kept a reasonable pace as I tested my knee.  It was fine but I know if I put any sideways pressure I'd be in trouble.  But it was reassuring to know that I'm getting better.
Then for a weights session as I build up my strength.  This is a critical part of my training as I need to be able to maintain my form on each discipline when tired.  So once finished I had lunch, rehydrated with lots of water and am now going to have a wee rest so I'm fresh for tomorrows training!

Every step counts

It's been a hard week with the last two days in London so when the alarm went off at 6am I didn't feel like getting up.  I actually thought of turning over but I new I'd have to face my coach so fell out of bed just to be reminded we still didn't have any central heating - week 3!  Once I was in the pool I was fine and set about my programme.  It was a relatively short session, 1,500m, and by the end I wanted to go on which was a good sign but I stuck with the programme and got out the pool because I knew I had another session later.
After a full day of meetings I got home thinking I had a 30 minute turbo session but on looking at the schedule I discovered it was a hour session.  I really was tired and didn't feel like it but was determined to do it.  After getting ready I noticed I had a flat tyre!  The perfect excuse not to train and I needed to be finished quickly so we could organise dinner.  But with an understanding wife and the tyre reflated 1st time I jumped on the bike and knocked out the 1 hour session.  I felt so good afterwards, full of energy, that I had completed the training and was now ready for dinner and relaxation with the family.  There are always reasons or excuses not to train but every session counts as it's one step closer to my objective.

Back to normal

Home from London and back to the pool tomorrow morning - I'm looking forward to it.  While I was away I started reading a book - The Marathon Des Sables.  Yes although my focus is on Lanza in May I am starting my research on the training for the event in April 2013.  It looks like Lanza Ironman will be good preparation, especially with the heat.  It will be a good opportunity to see how my body will cope with 12 hours plus in the heat.  Controlling my core body temperature will be essential.
By contrast I have returned home and there is still no central heating.  We've been without it for almost 3 weeks and sometimes its colder inside the house than it is outside! 

The big smoke

Down in London for the next two days so training will be restricted to core workout and some press ups, tricep dips and  squats i.e. exercises you can do in your hotel room.  However you also get the added benefit of fighting your way onto a packed tube which leads to constricted breathing due to the crush - the rush hour should become known as the crush hour!  I really don't know how people put up with this on a daily basis as they walk around like zombies all tuned into their head phones.  It's like something out of Dr Who!
I'm on the 16th floor of a hotel so might take the stairs rather than the lift as this will also help however sometimes it isn't easy to find the stairs in these big hotels.  I'll miss my group turbo session which is a shame but my trip was scheduled and the training for the week built round it.  Look forward to reporting on my real training when I'm back.

Measuring progress

I am having great fun this week with the focus switching to turbo training on the bike.  Short, sharp focused sessions with lots of key points to measure my progress.  It certainly does help the time pass and motivates me to work hard.  But tonight I was swimming and forgot my garmin so I had nothing to measure against.  I think I swam well but without measurements I can't tell so I won't make that mistake that again.
The gym and core sessions are also having an effect as I felt stronger in the water and kept my form which improves my swimming - unfortunately though I couldn't measure the progress.  The gym and core workouts aren't as much fun as the other sessions but the results are showing so that will keep me going.
It's small incremental improvements that will make the difference come Lanza Ironman in May so I must make sure I don't slack off with the training.

Johnny English Core Workout!

It was a very busy Sunday between kids football, taxi service, preparing Sunday dinner and training.  I managed my scheduled turbo workout (this month there is a greater focus on bike training) followed by a weights session.  I'm not trying to become muscle bound, never managed in in almost 50 years, as this would just give me more weight to carry round.  But it's about being strong enough to maintain good "form" while swimming, cycling and running.  Since starting this regime I have not had any muscle aches and pains in my back which I used to suffer from.
I still had a core training session to fit in but I found an alternative way of doing it - I went with my kids to see Johnny English.  Side splitting fun that had me doubled up with laughter working my core, or at least that is what I will be saying to my coach!  But just to make sure she sees I'm not slacking I got up at 6am and completed the core session.  More to come tonight.

Braveheart race

I arrived at the race in beautiful sunshine and no wind - perfect conditions for a 44 mile bike race.  However I was nervous about my knee lasting and within 15 minutes of arriving I had twisted it again, twice.  Any sudden change in direction was a problem but once clipped into the pedal there would be no sideways motion.
I last raced this course 2 years ago and found it tough.  It's still not easy but with two years experience of longer and hillier courses, plus two further years of training I didn't find the course a problem.  I averaged 17.6 mph and my heart rate average was good for me at 147.  These stats encourage me as they show I am getting fitter and mentally getting stronger on the bike.
Back home and iced my knee as this will need some tlc for the next week.  I'm not running my 10k race tomorrow due to my sons's football commitments but in reality with twisting my knee, it would have been a non-starter anyway.  Shame because I was looking to beating 45 mins but that will have to wait till next year.  Fed, showered and now for an afternoon power nap - all part of the recovery process.

Potential disaster

It's funny how things happen.  I had an early start with a run then a swim. At my desk for 9am and got through lots of work before my sports massage.  It was agony as my glutes needed a lot off attention and by that I mean a pointy elbow!  My quads and calfs weren't much better so I was relieved when my coach told me to miss the turbo session tonight so I could recover before my 40 mile bike race tomorrow.
When I got home my son asked me to go in goals while he practiced his shooting - what could possibly go wrong?  2nd shot was a screamer and I put my foot out to stop it.  Foot twisted which resulted in a twisted knee.  He had to give me a piggie back into the house.
Ice, elevation, compression and anti-inflammatory pills.  Know I'll need to wait till the morning to see if I am fit enough to cycle.  It just goes to show how easy it is to injure yourself and all the training goes out the window.   Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Undercover!

Today was a rest day and it was much appreciated after the build up of training.  Tomorrow I am swimming, turbo training and running so the sports massage I'm having at lunchtime should ease the legs, although not pleasant at the time.
I am also going undercover for charity!  Movember, which takes place in November, is when men (and some women!) grow a moustache to raise money and awareness of prostate cancer.  It's been 25 years since I last supported a moustache and I swore I'd never do it again.  But I'm a sucker for a good cause. If you want to follow the progress of my 'tache" growing go to http://mobro.co/missionironman where there is photographic evidence - you could also pledge some funds if you were feeling generous!
As I am writing this blog I'm watching the footie and they are talking about some of the footballers supporting the cause so it just shows the power of visibility i.e. the 'tache.  It's certainly easier than Ironman but some of the looks I'm getting is painful!

Time management

I am often asked "where do you find the time to fit the training in?" and it's a good question.  Time is not an infinite resource but we all waste so much of it.  I started by examining what I did from when I woke up to when I went to bed - I needed to find a maximum of 2.5 hours a day (currently only 1.5).  So I started by getting up 1 hour early (1.5 in the summer) while still managing 7.5 hours sleep.  Then I looked at what I did in the evening when not being a taxi driver for the kids and was surprised how much junk TV I watched - that could be 1 - 1.5 hours.
Also instead of sitting in the car when my son is at athletics, why not pull on my trainers and put in an hours run.  There are lots of ways to create time if you have a goal you really want to achieve.
That's stage 1, stage 2 is doing it however when the alarm went off at 5.40am I did think "do I really have to get up and run plus do a gym session?"  The answer was yes because tonight I have a group turbo session and I would have found it difficult to fit all three in.  I meet my coach every week and go over the results and I do not want to turn up with missing sessions.  It's a bit like my daughter cramming her homework this morning before going to school.  In the end it has become normal for me to train like this and I have never felt fitter or healthier.  Much better than watching the telly!

Progress

For three years I have worked hard at my swimming and I have now come to enjoy it even though there is a lot of technical work required.  But I am starting to see and feel the results of the hard work.  Yesterday my coach said we would reduce the swimming to twice a week for a while as you have to weigh up the time put in against the gains you will make i.e. for all this work I may shave 5/10 minutes of my current time for 2.4 miles.  She is happy with my running especially after my 16 mile race on Sunday.  I've included a picture from the last 100 yards which was taken at the top of a set of steps which came after an up hill climb - as you will see there was nothing left in the tank!
So the focus will switch to the bike which is the largest part of Ironman and the area I need to improve on the most.  I have to get two mirrors so I can watch my "form" as I work out on the turbo trainer.  I also have to video myself so we can analyse the video at a later stage.  As you can see we are taking this exceptionally seriously but if you have another look at my picture after 16 miles you'll understand why.  In 199 days I need to be fit enough to swim 2.4 miles, cycle a hilly, hot and windy 112 miles followed by a 26.2 mile marathon - but progress is being made.

Active recovery

It's very tempting after a major race to take the next few days off to recover but you aren't doing yourself any favours.  As I had an early night getting up at 5.45 am wasn't a problem (or was that because my body thought it was 6.45 with the clocks having just got back?) and the 300m warm up in the pool was fine but I had to work hard on the 5 x 200 m timed laps - it would have been easy to stop and make the excuse the event the day before.  However I completed the session and my legs are feeling better for it - they always do.  If I hadn't completed this active recovery then I would have been stiffer in the legs for a few days.
I also had the added bonus of my son on his first shift as a lifeguard where he wasn't shadowing another life guard.  He sat proudly on the high chair watching over the pool.  I'm sure he'll have some swimming tips for me when I see him tonight!

The excitement of the race

Races or events give you something to aim for and look forward to. It's what you train for so when they come around it's exciting.  I was particularly excited about this race because it was different.  16 miles around the south side of Glasgow going through 6 beautiful parks.  I checked the route out yesterday and was so pleased I did because it was a hilly course and you had to pace yourself.
I tried a different breakfast because it was a late start - bacon and eggs to get the calories in - I used 1,700 calories in the race.  I didn't run with water as there were 6 watering holes on the way round but I did take energy gels and jelly babies for energy when required - and they were required!
I had set myself a pace target and came in under the target which was pleasing.  I ran with my Ironman partner Gareth and we helped each other when required - a 16 mile race has high and low points.  I was in a bit of pain with one mile to go but Gareth got me through it which shows the benefit of working with a partner to achieve common objectives.  There is a lot of planning goes into a race and tomorrow I'll sit down with my coach and review the data from my computer.  It is essential to review the output as it will reveal what areas I need to be working on.  Now to refuel with protein and carbohydrates, and perhaps a wee glass of wine!  Back in the pool tomorrow morning which will help easy my tired legs.

Surveying the course

In the three years I have been involved in triathlon I have learned a lot of lessons - some painful!  So today I cycled the 16 mile course I will be running tomorrow.  I'm glad I did as it involves some tricky hills and pacing myself will be all important.  In the first half the hills are steeper and longer so I'll be taking it easy so there is something left in "the tank" for the end.  I don't want to be crawling over the line although it finishes with a big climb up steps - very much Rocky style if you remember the scene from the film.  I hope they will be playing the theme tune!
I rode the course on my new cx bike and when going through one of the 6 parks we went off road to have some fun which ended up with me having one fall so the bike is now officially christened.  It's a good work out and I'll be spending many hours over the winter racing down trails which should be less dangerous than the roads.  Now to rest and prepare for tomorrow.

Alarmed!!

Have you ever wondered why an alarm is called an alarm?  Well this morning I have scientific evidence to explain the answer to the question.  I am currently recording my heart rate 1st thing in the morning as this is your true resting heart rate.  So picture the scene. 6am alarm goes off.  I reach over for the chest strap and the Garmin to record my heart rate trying to be quite so as not to disturb my wife.  Knock the lamp over and my first reading is 75 bpm! Alarms, alarm you.  I lay back down and after a few minutes its down to 52.  I want to have it in the 40's by May.
Off to a different pool this morning where my son is a life guard.  Unfortunately it's only 25 m with 2 lanes roped off.  There was only 1 guy in the fast lane and I think he thought it was all his so I joined him and sat of his toes for the first 10 minutes so he got the message I was entitled to be there - it's not that he was fast but the fastest in the pool that morning (don't want to give you the wrong idea that I'm fast!).  The only other lane had 3 "icebergs" as I call them which are generally gentlemen in their late 60's whose heads are the only thing you see above the water.  Very dangerous to swim around as the width under the water is quite substantial but good on them for being up early and taking some exercise.  Now for my chocolate milk and fruit breakfast number 2 having had my porridge before I swam.  Have a good day.

Rest & repair

Today is a rest day and I took full advantage with a long lie till 6.45am.  My quads are a bit tender from the turbo session but tomorrows swim should sort them out.  Despite me not exercising I had some work to do with my bike.  I was having new wheels fitted which are more aerodynamic meaning I will go faster - having tested them for a week I have to agree with the hype and it's £600 well spent!  However a few more bits & pieces on the bike need repaired / serviced so it will be going to my favourite repair specialist - Willie Bain.  What Willie doesn't know about bikes is not worth knowing - it's so good to know someone who you can trust to do the best job possible for you.
You have to take time to look after your equipment as the last thing you want is for it to breakdown in an event after all the hard work in the training.  Now that would hurt!

Motivation

I reflected on my training today which started with an early morning run, wearing my head light as it was pitch black - I gave a few car drivers a fright!  It wasn't a long run, as I have done the hard work for the race this weekend, but I was on my own.  The only thing to keep me going was my computer which instantly feeds back my heart rate, time and pace per mile.  I use the results to drive me and know my coach will also be looking at them so I can't slack off.
This evening couldn't be more different - a group turbo training session.  The dynamics of working in a group are different to training on your own.  I am still measuring my output through my computer but I have the added motivation of making sure I'm working at least as hard as my fellow athletes.  There is a focus in this group, a respect for one another although we are at different standards of riding but have a common aim - one of self improvement.
Motivation comes in different forms but if you can gender this "group ethos" then everyone will improve and therefore a greater result will be achieved.  Why not try this at work?  Not the lycra and the sweat but the group ethos of improving your performance but you need to start with a clearly defined objective.  Go on.  Have some fun getting better.

Treacle

Today was meant to be a rest day but having missed my swimming yesterday I needed to get in the pool tonight and there was a coached swim session.  The warm up went well and I was enjoying gliding up and down the pool but when the hard work started it felt like I was dragging myself through treacle.  It's three years since I started swimming properly and going from 40 metres to 3,800 metres in open water is progress.  But the swimming is ugly and not efficient and this is what I am working on.
I am persevering as unless I can swim 3,800 metres in the sea at Lanzarote in 206 days time and come out fresh enough to cycle 112 miles in hilly, hot and windy conditions followed by a marathon then I'm stuffed.
The 206 days will fly in so every training session is vital - even if I am not particularly enjoying dragging myself through the treacle.  Sometime life is like that but we know these days will pass so always look past them and stay on target, assuming you have one!

It never rains but it pours!

In the world of "positive" sometimes you can have a crap day - like yesterday.  I felt tired all day but force myself out on the run.  However I didn't stick to my normal mantra of no food within 2 hours of running and suffered.  Looking at the results from my computer, my heart rate went racing at the beginning and although the objective was to run the second half quicker I was lucky to be running at all.  Still I managed to finish the run and although I hadn't achieved my objective at least I felt better at the end.
That was until I met my son who had strained a muscle at athletics and had to cut his session short.  This is potentially a real set back as on Friday he has been invited to train with the Scotland U15 Development Squad at football.  So some TLC for him and fingers crossed as these chances do not happen often.
And finally, the boiler went meaning substantial cost as we have to redesign the room it is sited in plus the cost of replacing it while having no heating for at least 2 weeks!  Aaaggghhhh.
However watching the news this morning put everything into perspective with floods, earth quakes and murders.  For those involved there lives could be changed forever so let's count ourselves very lucky.

Dawn chorus

This morning I dropped my son off at the leisure centre for his first early shift - he's a life guard.  Early mornings are not something he normally sees except when coming back from a party but this is a new habit he will have to get used to.  As for me I would normally go swimming but couldn't today so headed off to the early shift at the office.
When I stepped out of the car I was amazed at the beautiful dawn chorus that greeted me from the birds.  I could have pulled up a chair and sat and listened.  However a light "smir" of rain had started which discouraged me hanging around but this brought out the fragrance of the flowers which again I hadn't really noticed before - usually because I'm in the pool at this time!
It made me think.  A weeks relaxation on holiday and my senses are more tuned in.  I'm going to work hard at making an effort to take these noises and fragrances in going forward as it made me feel very grateful to be healthy and alive!  Have a sniff and listen next time your "up with the lark".

Sunday - a day of rest. Yeh right!

Today started with a long lie, a full breakfast and then watched my son play football - good victory and he scored!  Then I had to drag myself out for a 1.5 hour run with the weather starting to turn windy and wet.  But when you have a written programme and you know you will be meeting your coach in the next couple of days to examine the results, you can't skip it.  Knowing that each mile is recorded and will be compared means there are no "junk miles" - every one counts.  Also my coach likes a negative split meaning the 2nd half of the run should be quicker than the first half.  This keeps you completely focused with every step and giving it everything at the end.
So I managed to knock almost 2 minutes of last weeks time and I achieved the negative split - yeeeees!
Shower, recover and replenish with food and fluids.  After dinner I finished the weekend off with a gym workout to build my strength.  Now for a cup of tea and X factor - it doesn't require any thought or effort!

Why do it?

This is a question I get asked on a regular basis.  Especially when people see my training schedule.  Today I went out with the group for a few hours on the bike.  It was very windy but that was a good test for my new wheels.  The strong headwind made the hills tougher however after the hilly mountain bike workout yesterday I felt strong - not as strong as some of the "real" cyclists but I have come a long way in the last 2 years and can feel the difference.
Home for some lunch and then out for an hours run.  The wind had really picked up but I just got on with it.  My coach has me running a negative split i.e. faster 2nd half so that you finish strong.  I haven't been doing much running recently but I managed this at a good pace.
So why do it?  I feel fantastic and am in good shape.  This improves my quality of life which benefits my family and helps me be more effective at work. Finally it allows me to raise money for the charities I support which also makes the whole journey worthwhile.  So I hope that answers the question but every time I'm asked it it reinforces my belief in what I'm doing.

Change of scene

It's great when you get a change of scenery and yesterday and today we headed off for an over night followed by some mountain biking.  I'm new to MB but the uphills are a great workout for your legs, especially if chasing your son to the top, and the down hills are a pure adrenaline rush.  We attempted a red run and I can see how it improves your bike handling skills as you head over drops, rocks and worst of all slippy tree roots.
But I started the day with 2,000 m in the pool just to keep with my programme.  My gym session will get moved to tomorrow which means it will be a busy day.  1 hr bike, 1 hr run and the gym session I missed today.  My next event is a 16 mile run a week on Sunday so the focus turns to my running next week.

Beautiful day

At last today was what I would regard as a typical (except this year) autumn days.  It was dry, sunny and cold - 6 degrees.  So the plan was for a brick session; 1 hour on the bike followed by a 30 minute run.  Winter clothing was the order of the day but I was working hard so didn't feel the cold.  Now time for a power nap to help with my recovery.  Tomorrow is another rest day and I'm looking forward to it as I know I have some hard work ahead.

Building the core

Today is officially a rest day, the first of two this week.  But not a complete rest as I have just completed my core workout.  Strengthening you core is essential as having a strong core will make you a better swimmer, cyclist and runner as it helps you keep your form.  When you tire you lose your form and this can lead to injuries.  It's a bit like building a house or a business on weak foundations - destined to fail.
Work over finished, time to refuel and enjoy the rest of the holiday watching and listening to the rain!

Quality time

This is going to be a week of quality time with my family as it's the school holiday week.  But I was still in the pool at 7am for a good 2,300 m of time working on my fitness.  After smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, freshly baked bread toasted and strong coffee I had a wee rest before deciding I wasn't going out in the lashing rain and strong winds to do a 10 mile Time Trial on my bike - the results would have been pointless due to the wind alone.  So I went on my turbo trainer for 35 minutes concentrated effort and that was real quality training time.  When I finished I followed this with 40 minutes of weights cause that's what my coach wants.
I'll see her this afternoon to go over last weeks results and see if anything needs tweaking.  This "control mechanism" is vital in making sure we get the best from my training and that I am on course for Lanzarote which after all is only 214 days away!  All this completed and still two of the teenagers are in bed!  What a life. :)))

Next event

I have a number of events coming up and my training will fit round them while at the same time be designed to get me ready for them.  The next event is a 16 mile road race around six public parks on the south side of Glasgow.  So today I ran 10 miles and concentrated on the pace.  I needed a negative split which means a faster second half so that you finish strong which I did.  I also took an isotonic drink and a gel with me to make sure I was able to stay hydrated and had extra energy if required.
Later tonight I have a 40 minute core session and that will be me, finished my first week of Ironman training.  So having refueled I am not watching the footie and may have 40 winks to recharge the batteries.
On holiday next week but training will continue with a 7am swim.  The holiday is only from work, not training!

Pacing myself

Today was a double training session.  This morning I went out with new wheels on my bike and did my best time ever over a 16 mile hilly course.  I won't bore you with the technical reasons they are meant to be faster but they are - in addition my bike fitness is starting to come through.  I was only scheduled for an hour and compared to the five or six hours I was doing a month ago it was so easy - I was desperate to keep going.  But I knew that later on in the day I had 2,000 m to swim and tomorrow I will be running for 1.5 hours.
My coach has thought the plan out and it's pointless appointing an expert and then ignoring the advice.  So the swim went well and I feel relaxed and ready for tomorrow.  This shows the importance of having a plan and pacing yourself whether in triathlon training, business or life in general.

It's Friday

What is it about Friday's that makes us feel good?  It's not the end of the week for everyone but it is for me so the 5.40 am porridge tasted good.  The pool this morning was deserted of my normal training pals so I had the lane all to myself.  The drill was 2 x 1,000m (timed) which 4 weeks ago I couldn't have imagined.  But when you turn up with a plan in your head it's much easier to execute it than if you are uncertain about what to do.
Later today I have a 40 minute gym session before going off to watch my son play football.  The weekend will be full on with taxi duties to horse riding and football with training squeezed in between.  Hopefully a quiet night in on Saturday and a glass of wine with a nice meal with my wife and a family meal on Sunday.  Last week we all agreed that everyone was so busy we needed to have a manditory family meal so we could all catch up.  Bit like training really, you need to have targets in order to achieve certain tasks!

Testing times

Last night I was in a group of 10 people doing the same bike workout to measure our "functional threshold".  It was a hot and very sweaty session but what was interesting was that everyone was doing the same workout and putting in a similar amount of effort but with differing heart rate results.  Obviously there were differences of gender, age and level of fitness but it doesn't work in an expected pattern.  It is a great measure of your fitness and allows you to work out your heart rate zones which is so important to maximise your training.
To put this another way you can't work flat out all the time and if you do it will cause burn out.  It's about finding how to achieve optimal performance over a long period of time.  Before the session I went for a 30 min nap as the change in season seams to have affected my energy levels - this combined with my increase in exercise.  However this morning I took a long lie (6.45am) as it is a day off training and I feel the best I've felt in a couple of weeks.  Add to that last night my son has got his first job as a life guard starting next week, and there is a lot of positive energy in our household.  Back to training tomorrow.

Count your blessings

Every so often I get a wee reminder about how lucky I am to be fit and healthy which is something that is easy to take for granted.  But a few situations today reminded me that not everyone is so lucky so tomorrow when I get up I'm going to take some more time to smell the roses, metaphorically speaking, and appreciate what I have.
In the pool tonight it was a tough session, there were certain drills that I found almost impossible and once again my attitude could have been better - work to be done here.  But on reflection I have improved my swim fitness so much following my return that I know the hard work over the winter will pay off.  Swimming may be the shortest part of Ironman but if you get it wrong on the day it can finish your race so it deserves a lot of respect.  So if your healthy and perhaps fit, count your blessings.

Running on empty!

Early morning swim was almost missed due to the lack of petrol in my car!  Watching my computer tell me I had 0 miles of fuel when I had 3 miles to go was rather uncomfortable.  A lot of squirming in my seat as I cursed myself for not having filled up the day before but I had an excuse. I was soaking wet after my run and didn't want to scare anyone at the petrol station as I got out in my trisuit - looks ok in a race but not a petrol station!
I was 10 minutes late but completed my 1,800 m  swim and felt great - now to refuel myself.  1 litre of chocolate milk, a banana and 2 Frusli bars all to be washed down with a strong coffee.  Refuelling is essential as it helps repair the muscles after exercise.  Tonight I have a 40 min Gym session followed by a 40 min run so I'll need to have something in the "tank" before I start and something when I finish to replenish the system.  Ah the life of a wannabee athlete.

What a contrast!

This mornings duathlon was affected by the weather.  The wind meant the bike element was cancelled and we decided to run a 10 km in the wind and the rain.  It was a hilly 10 km and the wind made it tougher - it was "fine" rain, the sort that seems wetter!  But we made the most of the event.Back home, hot shower and some chocolate milk to help with the recovery.  Turned on the telly and guess what was on?  Lanzarote Ironman, the event I will be doing on May 19th.  It looked hot and hilly on the bike course and in 222 days time it will be me on that course.  Watching the age groupers finishing the race made me feel very emotion.
The conditions couldn't have been more different from today and the conditions I'll be training in over the winter which is why in March I will be travelling to Lanzarote to get a weeks training in the heat, on those hills, fighting with the wind which can destroy you.  But my real training starts tomorrow and there will be plenty of wet and windy weather to contend  with so I'd better get used to.

I have my focus

Met with my coach this afternoon to go over my training plan for Lanzarote Ironman.  Ignoring Sundays duathlon the "base level" training starts on Monday.  It's 9.5 hours per week of swim, bike, run, gym & core work!  This is just to get my body used to "regular" exercise before the really hard stuff!
Having been through Ironman training before I know that this is only going to increase.  What is great is having this plan to focus on.  It will determine my life / work pattern for the next 7 months and there will be a lot of changes going on in my body during that time especially with the gym and core work.  I'm not going to put on a lot of muscle as that would mean I have to carry it around but I will certainly "shape up"!
However tonight I am going to forget my training regime and enjoy quite a few beers at the Piping Hot Charity Ball as this will be a rarity in the coming months.  Remember my motto that "a goal without a plan is just a wish" so now I have my plan I just need to execute it and enjoy the journey.

The early bird gets the worm!

On my own in the pool today as the rest of my pals made all sorts of excuses - understandable in a way as they have no event ot focus on.  So 2,000m of drills and sprints and back to the office for 8.45 to enjoy my chocolate milk and banana - great way of helping the body recover.
It will be a long day with a charity dinner tonight raising money for my favourite charity (Maggie's Cancer caring Centres) so won't be doing much tomorrow before the duathlon on Sunday.
In the meantime, back to work as I've a busy day ahead but its amazing what you can achieve if you just get up an hour earlier.

Running in the moonlight!

I was down south today and when I got back I felt I needed to run.  Just a short run but it needed to be fast as I have a duathlon on Sunday (5km run/20km bike/5km run).  The duathlon is extremely tough as you go full out leaving nothing "in the tank" which means the 2nd run is hell.
I left the house just before dust and was only gone 25 minutes but returned in darkness except for the light of the moon - at 7.30pm!  This also means I am going to need to invest in a head lamp as I'll be doing many more miles in the dark.
I will be swimming in the morning and following Tuesday nights session I hope that I am starting to return to some form, but there's still a long way to go.  I'm also meeting with my coach tomorrow to discuss the plan for the next 225 days which I'm excited about.

Shattered

Yesterdays swim session plus my late night waiting for my son's return means today I am shattered.  My legs are almost fully recovered from Sundays long run but I am happily taking the night off as I have a 4.45am start to catch a flight to London tomorrow and need to catch up on some sleep.  I won't be training when I get back but will be swimming at 7am on Friday so again will need an early night.
Sleep is a major part of the training regime as you must allow your body to recover from the training.  I have to plan my sleeping pattern around what I am doing at work or my life otherwise when I do train I'll be too tired.
Friday will be a 20 hour day because having got up early to swim I am hosting a table at a charity dinner in the evening which finishes at 1am.  I'll take it easy on the Saturday with probably a longer session on the Sunday.  All the time I will be eating the right food to give me the fuel necessary for perform. 

Resistance to change

Tonight in the pool I was aware I had a bad attitude to some of the drills - my coach will certainly confirm that.  Funnily enough they were the drills I wasn't very good at.  Unfortunately in life if you need to make changes then generally you have to go through a period of discomfort while the changes are being implemented. 
In a business meeting the other week I was listening to someone who had said they needed to change but everything else that came out of his mouth, and his body language, indicated he wasn't prepared to do the hard work.
I will continue to persevere with the changes required in my swimming and the encouragement I receive from my fellow athletes is always helpful.  As I left the pool feeling I had worked hard but refreshed I was encouraged to see an excellent runner and cyclist, who are starting their swimming "careers", saying how tired they felt - maybe the changes are working for me!

It's not 3 individual discilines

I was reminded at the weekend that triathlon is not 3 individual disciplines. As you know I find swimming a challenge but now know that with hard work I can get myself through the required 2.4 miles.  My flexibility holds me back in one way but helps in another.  You see I have inflexible ankles (as well as ham strings and shoulders!) which doesn't allow me to point my toes away when I swim therefore my feet act like anchors!
However one of the swimmers in the group was explaining that she finds the running difficult as she has stability issues when she runs due to having flexible ankles!  So you may win in some aspects and lose in others.
But the key is being able to pace yourself throughout the race getting the balance between trying to get a good time yet not "blowing up" in the race.  This is where your training comes in and shortly I will be starting my ironman programme which will continually be measured against my heart rate.  In business you may be good at one discipline but "one trick pony's" rarely succeed.  You need to combine different disciplines and continually put in the hard work to improve you skills while measuring against relevant benchmarks.  Funny how triathlon and business are so closely linked!

Monsoon season continues

I had planned a longer run this morning with Gareth who is doing Ironman Lanzarote  with me.  Unlike the rest of the UK which was bathing in sunshine, it was chucking it down.  Within 50 yards of the start our feet were soaked as the water flowed off the fields and across the roads.  We ended up running 11.3 miles but I didn't know how far we were going as I wasn't familiar with the route.  It's hard keeping a pace going when you don't know where the finish line is and in future I will run with nutrition to keep fueling my body which is essential.
It was a good work out and I need more of these as I have a 16 mile race at the end of the month.  Now to refuel and start the recover process before getting on with some household chores - normal life returns.

Flexible mindset

They say there are two types of people; those with a fixed mind set and those with a flexible mindset.  I see myself in the later group and will explain how it works.  Today I went out with the ATHelite group of cyclists.  Here are the challenges we faced and what I thought.
Started in fog - I'll fit my lights when I get home to make sure I'm safer in future
We had heavy rain which wasn't forecast - a chance to improve my bike handling skills
One of the group had 3 punctures - this was not only a good refresher in how to change a tyre but a serious reminder about attention to detail.  Had we paid more attention it would only have been one puncture, not three, as a shard of glass was hiding in the tyre!
Long stretch of road covered in farmers muck - another chance to practice bike handling skills.
Slower pace than normal - more time to concentrate on technique.
You get the drift of the benefit of having a flexible mindset.  Those with a fixed mindset my not have got so much from the day.  When something happens to you, you have a choice as to how you react.  Today when we stopped for the third puncture and the heavens opened it would have been easy to feel sorry for yourself, but we still had 15 miles to go so we made the most of it.  We also supported each other which is important in a team.

Technique, technique, technique

Very early morning start to drop my son off at school for 6am as he was flying out to Spain this morning for football training.  As the other parents were returning to their beds I headed off to the pool.  None of my tri pals were there so I spent the first 15 minutes warming up in the pool but I could feel my right shoulder with every stroke.  Then one of the ATHelite coaches turned up and he made a few observations and suggested a change in my technique.  It felt odd at first and then I realised I had no more shoulder pain.
Simple body mechanics but not so simple to put into practice.  The ideal thing about this session was I was under no pressure to go fast against the clock or chasing other swimmers to avoid being lapped.  I could swim in slow motion and concentrate on the new technique and feel what was happening.  It will take a long time to make this the norm but now I have the picture in my head I will strive towards it.  Perhaps the message today is that in order to improve you need to get some outside help and then take time out to work on the improvements.  Certainly helped me today - thanks Colin.

London calling

I'm just back from 2 days in London on business.  While there I wasn't able to train but I took the opportunity to rest my sore shoulder from the swimming and spread the word about the new Mission Ironman website - www.missionironman.co.uk .  The feedback has been very positive and the encouragement from everyone I talked to was fantastic.
So many people are following my journey on the blog and have started their own journey which is one of the objectives of Mission Ironman.
Tomorrow I'll be back in the pool and am hoping that with some TLC my shoulder will get over the shock of getting back to swimming.  If over the weekend it is still sore then it will be back to the physio as I don't want to make it any worse.  The good thing about triathlon training is that if you have an injury that prevents you doing one sport, then you can concentrate on the others.  So spread the word re the new website and lets see if we can get the message out to a wider audience.  Thanks for your continued support, it drives me on.

If it doesn't kill you......

Back in the pool tonight, it was hell but it had to be done - man flu or no man flu.  It is always tough getting back in the pool after a lay off and it hurt.  Just before UK 70.3 Ironman I was swimming well and completing 3,000 m was relatively easy.  Tonight I'd be lucky if I completed 1,000 m and had to switch lanes otherwise I'd have held the real swimmers up.
I've a lot of work to do before I will be comfortable back in the pool but there are no short cuts.  I need to continually push myself because in 7 months time I have 2.4 miles to swim followed by 112 miles then a marathon.  So if it doesn't kill you it must make you stronger.

Preparing for Ironman

While suffering from "man flu", and everyone understands how serious that can be,  I was reflecting on my journey over the last 3 years and how this has impacted on how I think and my expectations.
I didn't start out to complete an Ironman, it just seemed to be a natural progression for me.  Fortunately I met people who knew what they were doing and they guided me along the right path.  It's like putting your body (and mind) through a scientific experiment - you are constantly monitoring the effects of your training and nutrition.
Having completed one I am now preparing for the toughest Ironman "where normal limits don't apply" - Lanzarote in May 2012.  I have more knowledge and experience so the next 235 days leading up to the event are going to be interesting as I prepare mind and body.  You see I am not ready for the event now.  If it was tomorrow I wouldn't finish it within the cut off time and would probably end up getting medical attention if not hospitalised.  This type of endurance event requires you to build up your body and continually convincing your mind that you can do it. I understand this process now so when people ask me how can you complete such a long event the answer is simple - you built up to it.  But most importantly it's about believing you can do it even if at this moment in time you couldn't. Now for some more lemsip!

Taking precauions

Before I went cycling yesterday I felt a sore throat coming on but it wasn't too bad.  I wore a muff to keep my neck warm and felt fine while training.  However last night is started to feel worse so today I decided not to train and spend the day indoors to speed up my recovery.  The first objective in training for Ironman is getting to the start line fit and healthy.  So you have got to listen to your body and not take unnecessary chances.
Last year Chrissie Wellington, the 3 times world champion, had to pull out of the world championships due to illness the night before the race.  It can strike at any time and you need to be fully fit for an endurance event.  The timing of this sore throat (which usually develops into "man flu"!) couldn't be better as the serious training doesn't start till October.

Back on the bike

After the Bealach Mor (the hardest cycling event in the UK) my focus switched to running for last weeks run training camp.  This isn't the way I normally train but with single sport events as apposed to triathlon events, this is how you need to approach them.  Last week I used turbo training sessions on the bike to help my legs recover.  Even on Friday I could feel tight calf muscles so running wouldn't have been a good idea.
This morning I went out on the bike with the ATHelite group and although we only did 34 miles I made sure I stayed in the big ring which takes more effort on the hills therefore making me stronger.  There were a few challenging hills on the route so it was a good workout.
I met my coach afterwards to talk about my training plan which starts at the beginning of October and it will start with testing;  a series of swim, bike and run efforts where various measures including my heart rate will be taken to give her a benchmark on which to base my training plan for the next 7 months.  It is essential that we know where we are starting from so we can map the progress and the improvements.  I can't wait to get started but in the meantime will keep my training ticking over as I am still officially "having a break"!

It all went pear shaped!

Generally speaking my day, week and even month is planned out for me so that I can run the businesses while being there for the family and squeezing in my training.  Sometimes the priorities change and the family or the business get squeezed.  But today was a classic.
For various reasons we didn't have enough coverage at the office and my wife went in to cover as I was at a conference.  However I got a call to say her mother had fallen and had to go to hospital so my wife was on her way and I left the conference to cover in the office.  Other events conspired to mean I was changing my schedule every half hour.
Add to that I needed to fit in a training session and I was struggling.  But you have to make the best of a bad situation so I squeezed in a 30 minute turbo session which did me a lot of good based on the stress levels.  The point I want to make is sometimes events overtake our plans and we need to adapt rather than feel sorry for ourselves.  In an Ironman event it is almost guaranteed to happen and when it does you have to make the best of your circumstances and get on with it.  If you have an issue with 20 miles to go then get over it as the distance doesn't get any less when you moan about it.  Oh and my Mother-in-law is recovering fine from her broken wrist.

Setting targets

David Walliams recently swam 140 miles down the Thames.  Impressive considering the sewage he had to swim through and he raised £1m for his efforts.  Most people wouldn't consider anything like this but spare a though for Charlie Whittmack - never heard of him have you?  He completed a "world triathlon" which involved swimming the length of the Thames and the Channel in fact the swim was 275 miles.  He then cycled more than 8,875 miles across Europe and Asia to Nepal.  To complete the journey he ran (and hiked) 950 miles to the Bay of Bengal and finished by climbing Mount Everest!  Not bad for a lawyer and it all started as a wee boy's dream.
It just goes to show that we can achieve anything we set our mind to.  The biggest limiter is our own mind so we must learn to challenge it and the more we do, the more we will achieve.  So well done David Walliams and Charlie Whittmack and everyone who set a stretching target and achieved or even exceeded it.  You're a long time dead to let's make the most of the opportunity we have.

Active recovery

After an endurance event there are effects.  By covering almost 40 miles running at the weekend my legs would normally be sore but having stepped up to this mileage from almost no running in the last 6 weeks, something was going to protest big style!  It was my quads and calf muscles which meant I had to walk down stairs side ways and ease myself out of chairs.  Like a Thunderbird puppet!
It was similar after Ironman last year so I knew what to expect and more importantly what to do.  So tonight after work and domestic taxi duties, I went on my turbo trainer and did 30 minutes of high cadence spinning.  This helps "flush" out the lactic acid that has built up and should speed up the recovery.
Tomorrow will be difficult as I am spending 8 hours in the car so I will probably need to stretch when I get home.  A swim in Wednesday morning and I should be as good as new.  I am still technically "resting" before I start my Ironman programme on 1 October but need to tick over until then.

Trossachs training camp

As predicted - it hurt!  On Friday we did a wee warm up run in the rain - 6 miles including cross country up mountain tracks.  On Saturday morning, in the rain, we ran 9 miles and in the afternoon, in the rain, we did "efforts" over 6.5 miles.  I was feeling stiff and sore but doing all the right things to make sure I'd be able to walk by Sunday when we did our main run.  It was scheduled for 16 miles (yes 16!) but a wrong turn meant it was 17.88 miles!  The scenery was unbelievable and it stayed dry although our feet did get wet as again a lot of it was cross country going up and down hills on mountain tracks or paths.  I finished strong on the last run and was delighted with my performance as I had only run 3 times in the last month, as the focus was on the bike, and the runs were short distances.
I am now walking like a Thunderbird puppet and it will take me a few days to manage walking downstairs without going side ways.  However it just goes to show what the body can do if you can control the "negative voice" in your head - some may say the voice of reason (why are you running when it hurts it kept saying?).
Tomorrow I'll spin my legs on the turbo trainer for 30 minutes to help get rid of the lactic acid.  In the meantime a couple of glasses of wine are in order after my 3 pints of water to make sure I remained hydrated!

Busy day

Yesterday was an 18 hour day.  I had organised a client lunch at the Riverside Museum and had a guest speaker fly up from London.  We were also doing some filming for our website so the pressure was on to make sure everything went on schedule - which it did.  Afterwards Fiona & I went out for dinner with some of our clients but it was a very relaxed evening with good food, fine wine and good company.  It's nice to show off Glasgow and all it has to offer and today they are travelling to Loch Lomond so lets hope it keeps dry!
My punishment for over loading on the liquid carbs will come later today when I have my first run in a three day running camp in the Trossachs. The forecast doesn't look too clever and staying in a hostel in dorms could be interesting - more noisy and smelly than interesting actually.  I'll report back on Sunday but, other than the dehydration I'm feeling, think this is going to hurt!

The 5 P's

Poor preparation precipitates poor performance.  After work I was going out for an hours run but when I got home various domestic arrangements (kids) meant the run had to be reduced to 30 minutes.  Flustered at all the last minute rejigging I didn't notice that my computer/watch that gives me all the measurements I need, had a flat battery.  So 200 yards into the run the screen was blank and as I was short of time I ran without any info.
It's like flying blind.  I have no idea whether or not it was a good run as I have nothing to measure.  This might not seem important but it was for me as on Friday I go off to a run training camp for 3 days and I wanted a benchmark to know how I was doing before I started.  My previous run had been the first in a week and was slow.  So I won't be making that mistake again as I now realise my new computer which has GPS needs juice on a regular basis.
So many things in life are better if we have feedback and this can only come from having milestones.  In business we call them targets which some people are put off by but if you break them down they do offer you a good measure of how you are performing.  So I'm off to bed slightly later than normal and have an extremely busy day tomorrow.  But before I go I'll charge my computer so no more silly errors.

Back to the pool

The word "should" is an interesting one.  When I typed it last night on my blog saying I "should" do a turbo session I knew than meant I probably wouldn't be doing it - and I was right!  I couldn't be bothered as I am in a rest phase.  However it's not mean to be complete rest as if it was then I'd be slow to get started in October when my Ironman training starts.
I also said I "may" go for a swim and as I was consumed with guilt over staying I "should" do a turbo session and didn't, I made sure the "may" swim became a reality.  So early to bed and up at 5.30 for porage and coffee to kick start the engine.  It's been at least 6 weeks since I have done that and it's now very dark at that time in the morning.
I wasn't surprised to find my swim fitness had gone completely.  So I worked on technical drills and would be lucky if I managed 1,200 metres.  It was extremely tough even though I was taking it easy.  This is an area where I want to improve my technique to ensure I get out of the water after 3.8km in the sea (152 lengths of an ordinary 25 metre pool) feeling fresh and ready for  180 km on the bike followed by a marathon.  So I will sneak in a few more sessions on my own before swimming with the club otherwise I will "die" trying to survive!

Calm before the storm

That statement refers to my training.  I was going to run yesterday but the weather was terrible.  Now wish I had because going out today isn't possible due to the gale force winds - I almost got blow away tethering my daughters trampoline to stop it going cross country!
I should go on my turbo later as tomorrow looks like it will be blown out.  On Friday I am away to a 3 day running camp which will probably be very tough - especially if I haven't trained!  First though I'm off to make dinner for the family and once that's settled down get on the turbo and work up a sweat.
Tomorrow I may venture into the pool and learn to swim again as it's been a while.  This "down time" will be ending at the end of the month.

Hurricane coming

The weather today is best described as "filthy". I was filming this morning so was going to go out running this afternoon but in this weather I wouldn't be doing myself any favours. As I drove back from filming I was listening to the radio which of course was replaying 9/11 ten years ago. Some of the stories were heartbreaking and it brought back the memories of that tragic day 10 years ago. It also made me reflect on life and what's important. My blog is based around achieving stretching goals, motivating others and raising money for charity. But certain events remind you how precious life is and how wars solves nothing. In the words of the late Edwin Star; "war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again"! How true.
Tomorrow I'll get out for a run but the tail end of the hurricane may change my plans. On Friday I am away to a three day running camp and that should be fun / tough! No matter what, life must go on.

Rusty

As promised in my earlier blog today, I went out for a run when I got home tonight.  As I've been concentrating on my cycling I haven't been running.  It's amazing how quickly your specific fitness can drop off.  However I was expecting that and set my goal accordingly.  I was a minute a mile slower than my race pace for 6.2 miles but hey, this was the start of my running programme although I am officially taking it easy till beginning of October.
However at the end of October I have a 16 mile race so I need to build up the mileage and the pace.  Once again having key milestones motivates me to get off my bum and get out there.  How about you?