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.