Friday, 7 January 2011
Quality time
In 9 weeks time I am off to Lanzarote with some real cyclists for a hard week of training. It will be nice to ride on some smooth roads but I need to get into shape for this intensive training or it will be hell. Since Ironman I have hardly been on my bike and I am certainly not venturing out on the icy pot holed roads here so I have to make do with the turbo trainer. I was scheduled to train tonight but with my wife at a yoga course, one son socialising and another at football I decided to have some father / daughter time and we went out for a chinese. Excellent company, fantastic food and I promise I'll put in an extra hard session tomorrow to make up for it - honest! It pays to give your body a rest sometimes and life is too short to miss such an opportunity.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
One Life. Live it.
One life. Live it. This was the sign I saw on the back of a jeep today - fantastic. Busy day driving to Manchester and back so I will have a light training session in the pool tonight as I help my son prepare for his Lifeguard award. Unfortunatley he takes his swimming style from me but he wants to achieve this award as it will be good on his CV plus it's handy to have as he wants to work in sports development when he leaves school / college.
Remember those days when you had the freedom to choose the direction you wanted to go in? You still can. My motto is "want it, plan it, work it, do it". The "it" is personal to you. For me other than the challange of bringing up a family, having quality time with my wife and running a successful business I have a few goals for 2011/12. The main goal is in May 2012, Lanzarote Ironman - one of the toughest in the world due to the terrain (hilly), the temparature (35 degrees) and the wind (30 mph). This will be a good guage for my 2013 - 2014 goals which culminate in Marathon Des Sables - a 6 day, 151 mile endurance race across across the Sahara Desert - that should raise a few £s for charity! Is it possible? Time will tell but anything is possible if you put your mind to it. One life. Live it.
Remember those days when you had the freedom to choose the direction you wanted to go in? You still can. My motto is "want it, plan it, work it, do it". The "it" is personal to you. For me other than the challange of bringing up a family, having quality time with my wife and running a successful business I have a few goals for 2011/12. The main goal is in May 2012, Lanzarote Ironman - one of the toughest in the world due to the terrain (hilly), the temparature (35 degrees) and the wind (30 mph). This will be a good guage for my 2013 - 2014 goals which culminate in Marathon Des Sables - a 6 day, 151 mile endurance race across across the Sahara Desert - that should raise a few £s for charity! Is it possible? Time will tell but anything is possible if you put your mind to it. One life. Live it.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Back to work
We always start the new year off with the best of intentions but the hard bit is keeping them going. As I drove to the swimming at 6.30am this morning the radio adverts were all about losing weight, giving up smoking etc etc followed by the sad news that Gerry Rafferty (Baker Street) died at 63 - I think I'll stop listening to the news. A short innings but a reminder to make the most of it - well perhaps not as much as he did! So I put an extra effort into my 500m warm up, 15 x 100m intervals, 200m kick drill and 100m warm down. A pint of chocolate milk and two bananas and I'm ready to start 2011 - start off the way you mean to go on, enjoy.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Review of 2010
I wasn't my intention to continue my blog but then again I didn't intend going beyond Ironman! Thank you for all the encouragement over the year and we managed to raise £9,000 for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. However unbelievably someone was inspired by the mission ironman story and donated £9,000 to Maggie's at the end of the year. I do not know who this generous donation came from but wanted to say a heart felt thank you.
Life after Ironman was strange, it was like falling off a cliff. No focus, no daily tasks to complete, I felt "lost". Sure I had plenty of other things to do like spend time with the family, which was great, and run the business but something was missing. Getting back to training was hard as I "couldn't be bothered" and anyway, what was the purpose?
Many lessons were learned over this period which I will share in due course but I'M BACK! I've trained over the Xmas break and had a 7am session in the pool this morning that left me feeling great, assuming that means knackered and realising I have a lot of work to do on my swimming. I have some big challanges lined up to 2011, 2012, 2013, 2104 and will share these shortly.
The highlight of 2010 wasn't completing the Ironman, it was Mr Baldy getting the all clear from his cancer treatment having battled extremely hard. Let's hope Mr & Mrs Baldy's life will return to normal and he will come through on his promise of training for a novice triathlon! Now there's a story worth following.
Life after Ironman was strange, it was like falling off a cliff. No focus, no daily tasks to complete, I felt "lost". Sure I had plenty of other things to do like spend time with the family, which was great, and run the business but something was missing. Getting back to training was hard as I "couldn't be bothered" and anyway, what was the purpose?
Many lessons were learned over this period which I will share in due course but I'M BACK! I've trained over the Xmas break and had a 7am session in the pool this morning that left me feeling great, assuming that means knackered and realising I have a lot of work to do on my swimming. I have some big challanges lined up to 2011, 2012, 2013, 2104 and will share these shortly.
The highlight of 2010 wasn't completing the Ironman, it was Mr Baldy getting the all clear from his cancer treatment having battled extremely hard. Let's hope Mr & Mrs Baldy's life will return to normal and he will come through on his promise of training for a novice triathlon! Now there's a story worth following.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Final post
Exactly a year ago I eased myself off my bike having just completed the Strathaven 50 bike ride in 3 hours 35 mins - I was walking like John Wayne and said to a friend "What have I done? I have entered an Ironman competition and in 12 months time I will have swam 2.4 miles, cycled 50 miles, then need complete another 50 plus another 12 and then run a marathon!" It's fair to say I had my doubts but I had promised Maggie's I was going to do this for them so there was no going back.
It has been a privilege to take part in this journey. It has been hell at times, there have been some real lows particularly in the swimming and some of the long,cold and wet bike rides but I find myself fitter than at any stage in my life, and mentally stronger. It's fair to say I learned a lot about myself during the journey. Without the expertise of my coach Steve I would have failed. No amount of will power would have paced me during my training and educated me on fuelling the body. To my friends and training partners who have suffered with me thank you for getting me there. To my sponsors you have been so generous and by the end of this week we will have raised approximately £9,000 which in today's climate is unbelievable but charities need all the help they can get.
My final thanks goes to my long suffering family. I don't think they realised what I was getting involved in and neither did I. They have missed me at weekends, nights out and I've had to train while on holiday. I have woken them while sneaking out the house at 5.30am to go training and on the day they were there for me screaming encouragement which got me there. Crossing the line with my 3 kids was a dream come true. Without this support it would have been impossible so a massive thank you and I promise, I won't take on any daft challenges in 2011......but there is always 2012! That's me, signing off and thank you for the interest you have shown and the encouragement you have given.
It has been a privilege to take part in this journey. It has been hell at times, there have been some real lows particularly in the swimming and some of the long,cold and wet bike rides but I find myself fitter than at any stage in my life, and mentally stronger. It's fair to say I learned a lot about myself during the journey. Without the expertise of my coach Steve I would have failed. No amount of will power would have paced me during my training and educated me on fuelling the body. To my friends and training partners who have suffered with me thank you for getting me there. To my sponsors you have been so generous and by the end of this week we will have raised approximately £9,000 which in today's climate is unbelievable but charities need all the help they can get.
My final thanks goes to my long suffering family. I don't think they realised what I was getting involved in and neither did I. They have missed me at weekends, nights out and I've had to train while on holiday. I have woken them while sneaking out the house at 5.30am to go training and on the day they were there for me screaming encouragement which got me there. Crossing the line with my 3 kids was a dream come true. Without this support it would have been impossible so a massive thank you and I promise, I won't take on any daft challenges in 2011......but there is always 2012! That's me, signing off and thank you for the interest you have shown and the encouragement you have given.
Monday, 16 August 2010
Mission Ironman complete
What a day. Met at 5am and my swim started at 7.55 - best swim of my life in 1 hr 18 mins. The bike didn't go so well as my speedo which is essential when trying to pace yourself came off my bike in the first 15 minutes. I then had to judge my speed going on my heart rate which is almost impossible and always remembering not to go too fast on the bike as I had a marathon to complete which is a mistake many people make. One other thing, I chose Copenhagen because it was flat (compared to Scotland) - flat is relentless and you get very few downhill rests. I managed it in 7 hrs 14 mins which was my fastest average speed ever however it put me well down the field. The crowd were amazing as they cheered us on and shouted our names which were on our numbers. The thought as I came off the bike with a sore foot and and even sorer bum was, at least the pain will be in other places! 3 x 14km loops of Copenhagen meant they led you up to the finish line 3 times and you then had to turn away, need a lot of mental strength for that one!
I just kept thinking about everyone that was supporting me back home and the money that was being raised for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres - it's still coming in. However I had a secret weapon on the course, my family. Fiona spent the day darting all over Copenhagen to see me and cheer me on with the kids and it made such a huge difference - no more so than the marathon which I managed in 4 hours. I passed so many people who had burned themselves out too early and had nothing left to give. I kept telling myself to forget the pain and focus on my pace. This brought my total time, including transitions, to 12 hrs 45 mins. My original target was to finish in the maximum allowable time of 15 hours but through the training I thought I could get down to 13 hrs 30 mins and possibly lower but I was entering the unknown. Chuffed to bit with this time!
At the end the kids were able to run down the winning straight with me which I had thought off ever since I started this campaign - a very special moment. The crowd went wild, the music was blaring and the flashes were going off like we were movie stars going down the red carpet. A nice touch as we entered the finishing straight was the marshals all bowing in respect.
Quick shower, beer and then had to pick up my bike and walk 2 mile back to the apartment - ouch, ouch & ouch. This will be an event that stays with me forever for so many reasons but I leave you with one thought - it just goes to prove what you can do if you have the desire, plan meticulously, have support and be determined you will achieve your goals, no matter how stretching.
I just kept thinking about everyone that was supporting me back home and the money that was being raised for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres - it's still coming in. However I had a secret weapon on the course, my family. Fiona spent the day darting all over Copenhagen to see me and cheer me on with the kids and it made such a huge difference - no more so than the marathon which I managed in 4 hours. I passed so many people who had burned themselves out too early and had nothing left to give. I kept telling myself to forget the pain and focus on my pace. This brought my total time, including transitions, to 12 hrs 45 mins. My original target was to finish in the maximum allowable time of 15 hours but through the training I thought I could get down to 13 hrs 30 mins and possibly lower but I was entering the unknown. Chuffed to bit with this time!
At the end the kids were able to run down the winning straight with me which I had thought off ever since I started this campaign - a very special moment. The crowd went wild, the music was blaring and the flashes were going off like we were movie stars going down the red carpet. A nice touch as we entered the finishing straight was the marshals all bowing in respect.
Quick shower, beer and then had to pick up my bike and walk 2 mile back to the apartment - ouch, ouch & ouch. This will be an event that stays with me forever for so many reasons but I leave you with one thought - it just goes to prove what you can do if you have the desire, plan meticulously, have support and be determined you will achieve your goals, no matter how stretching.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
The storm before the storm!
As I write the final blog before my Ironman, I can hear the sound of thunder outside and it has been hosing down for the last 2 hours and the forecast for tomorrow is dodgy. When I dropped my bike off this afternoon it was so wet that my waterproof number came off my bike. My bike bag that I will collect when I get out the water will be left out overnight and there is a great chance that everything in it will be soaking. That includes my shorts, socks and shoes. I managed to get a taxi back to my apartment but only after I was soaked right through to the skin.
So home, shower and pasta steak & chicken with the support crew. They have planned various viewing points such as the start of the swim, the transition on the bike and then various points in the run which is where I will really require their energy.
So folks the journey is almost over and I really appreciate all your support, emotional and financial. Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres are really grateful for the money that has been raised.
So, no matter what happens tomorrow, I have loved every minute of the journey and surpassed all my fitness expectations. But enough of this idle chat, I'm off to relax and run through the plan for tomorrow - again! Ironman is about overcoming whatever is put in your way - so bring it on!
So home, shower and pasta steak & chicken with the support crew. They have planned various viewing points such as the start of the swim, the transition on the bike and then various points in the run which is where I will really require their energy.
So folks the journey is almost over and I really appreciate all your support, emotional and financial. Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres are really grateful for the money that has been raised.
So, no matter what happens tomorrow, I have loved every minute of the journey and surpassed all my fitness expectations. But enough of this idle chat, I'm off to relax and run through the plan for tomorrow - again! Ironman is about overcoming whatever is put in your way - so bring it on!
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