Back with a bang!

I've 2 weeks of really hard training to look forward to. Started this morning with a 3k swim which included 20 x 100m laps. Felt really good but later I had a 2 hr 15 min run. It was 19 degrees so I decided to try out my Lanza two piece Tri suit. Who would have thought this would be ok in March in Scotland?
Got a few funny looks from the locals but it didn't deter me completing almost 17 miles at a good pace for me - 8 min miles.
Not training till tomorrow night when I'm back in the pool so that will give me a little bit of recovery time.

Day of rest

Sunday was meant to be a day of rest and that was what was scheduled for today.  So up at 7.45am, which converts to 6.45am the day before, for my son's football.  Back at 11.30am and watched the GP before the Old Firm match.  It was a beautiful day and so many of my friends we out riding their bikes in various races but I was under "orders" to rest.
Tomorrow starts a 2 week schedule which is extremely tough; the last of the overload before my training starts to tail off.  But these two weeks are really important and will require every ounce of energy I have, physically and mentally.  The start line is in sight but there is still a lot of work to be done before then.

Time trial

To measure progress I complete time trials in all disciplines. Today it was 2 x 10 miles on a monotonous road - out and back. So much is dependent on the conditions and today it was foggy with a light wind. In time trials you want to leave nothing "in the tank" at the end so I went for it. 34 min 24 secs on the way out which is an average of 17.5mph. 28 min 26 sec on the return, an average of 21.1 mph. This is my best time trial ever.
When I got home I ran 3.25 miles averaging 7 min 19 per mile. All this data tells me I'm getting fitter and faster but without these measurements I wouldn't know. What measurements / benchmarks do you have in place to measure your progress?

Summer's arrived!

It may seem premature to say that summer has arrived but today was almost as good as any day we had last year!  What a shame I'm not out running or on my bike as it would be beautiful out there.  But today was an early morning swim including 20 x 100m timed laps with 10 sec rest in between.  3 Months ago this would have seemed impossible and the times I recorded were the best ever.
This is a bit of a recurring theme at the moment i.e. achieving results beyond my wildest dreams, results I would never of thought possible and it's down to the detail and planning in my training schedule which as you know is designed and monitored by my coach.  In other words it doesn't happen by chance.
I am also feeling full of energy for these sessions but that it because I am on a recovery week so I am only putting in 50% of the time which means I have more energy to give.  After this week I have another two extremely hard training weeks and then it will reduce as my body starts to get ready for the onslaught of Ironman Lanzarote.  Enjoy the great weather and take time to smell the flowers while you're at it!

Chasing daylight

The nights are getting lighter but I was pushing it to the limit tonight to complete my session before it was dark as I had no lights.  It was a 1hr 35 min session which involved hill reps, lots of them!  I just managed to get back in time but it was a little close for comfort as spotting pot holes was getting difficult. That was followed by a "run off the bike" where I completed my fastest run ever.  It's amazing how cycling improves my running and how my brain is adapting to running off the bike.  It's vital to condition your mind so that it becomes normal to run off the bike. Training is about conditioning - the last few weeks have been about overloading my body so that it gets used to the pain and preparing to cope when it comes to the event.  Overloading also prepares your mind which is vital to my success.  After all, the first time (since Ironman 2 years ago) I will swim 2.4 miles in the sea is the event, same for the 112 mile bike and the 26 mile run.  And the same applies to putting all three together so physically and more important mentally I need to believe that it's possible.  That is what every training session is based on.

Improved mindset

For those of you who have followed my progress over the last 3 years on my blog, you know how difficult I have found swimming.  It's worth going back to the blog where I describe sessions where I walked out, devastated and holding back the tears - that's how tough I found it.  In the last few months my attitude has changed and I've started to see the results.  So tonight at our coached training session there was a break through.
We were doing a hard session and after a particularly tough drill we were told to repeat it.  The "swimmers" were all waiting on me to make a negative comment.  I just smiled and started the new drill much to the surprise of the others.  I didn't realise the significance of it until we finished the 3,300m session.  I may not be a great swimmer but I can knock out 3,000m plus on a regular basis and when Ironman comes along, I'll complete the 3,800m swim without worrying too much about it - basically it's a warm up to the bike & the run.  But that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve respect.  One kick in the face and the race could be over. I'm pleased to say I now look forward to my swim sessions!

Resting doesn't come easy

This is the second day of rest before I start my recovery week and although my legs are appreciating the break, my head isn't!  I've already been onto my coach asking about this weeks activities as I need to know what I'm doing - sitting around isn't easy.
So tomorrow I will be swimming & stretching, Wednesday an hour and a half on the bike with 6 hill climbs followed by a 30 minute run off the bike and a gym session, Thursday a swim session including 20 x 100m timed laps plus stretching, a 50 minute run and core session on Friday and 1 hr 15 min including 2 x 10 time trial on the bike a 5k run and stretching on Saturday.  There you have it, A RECOVERY WEEK!
Fantastic can't wait, bring it on.  After that we only have a few more intense weeks before we start to reduce the training in the run up to the event.  I know I will start to feel stronger and have more energy as the event approaches which is exactly where you want to be.  But none of this would be possible without a plan and a cause.  Thanks for supporting me and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres (www.justgiving.com/Derek-Stewart0) - if you've been touched by cancer you'll understand how important they are in helping the patient and their family.