Catching water

Today the pool was empty of the ATHelite crowd who are travelling tomorrow to Geneva for the Ironman competition on Sunday.  They are taking a big support team and should have a fantastic time, except for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run - only kidding I'm sure that will be a scream!!!
So today I practised "catching water" which will help propel me through the water more effeciently that is currently the case.  It was good to get some space and time to concentrate on technique but the motivation to do a strenuous session just wasn't in me without the troops around.  This will be a recurring problem post Ironman as it will take them between 6 weeks to 2 months to fully recover so I'd better get my head around going solo.
On leaving the pool I caught more water as Scottish summer time is officially over going by the rain falling out the sky today.  I even had to pick up a colleague whose train couldn't move due to flooding.  Funny how it happens all the time at the same spot and the train company don't seem to learn from their past experience and improve.  Perhaps they should try triathlon where that is what we do all the time.

Rest day (perhaps)

After 2 hard training sessions at the weekend today is a rest day.  We attended a wedding last night so a few beers were had and I intended to get up early, go for a run and pick up our car.  I did get up early and decided is was such a glorious day I'd walk rather than run.  I'm so glad I did because within 1 mile of my house I had noticed so many things that I had missed as I either drove, cycled or ran past.  It made me think that perhaps slowing down isn't such a bad idea and take on what's happening around you.
That theme continued as I walked to my car with my bag stuffed full of work that I'd brought home and never looked at.  Do you do that?  It's a habit that's crept back in for me but one I am going to stop.  As I was walking across the yard I though why have 2 x 30 min car journey when I have everything I need with me and my alternative office is 10 yards away looking onto a lovely garden on this sunny day?  So here I am and it will be a most productive day.
As for the rest, tomorrow's forecast is for rain so I might go out on the bike tonight and rest tomorrow.  Let's see how the day goes but so far it's been a very relaxing start.

Found my legs!

Another beautiful day but I delayed going out till the heat built up.  I went for a 23 mile time trial on the bike involving hills.  It felt great and I was happy with my average speed which was only marginally slower than yesterday without the pace makers.  But today was a brick session i.e. as soon as you get off the bike you go out for a run.  It was only 3.5 miles but I did it at pace and felt good when I had finished.  So the base fitness is there I just have to build on the bike but not ignore the run, or the swim for that matter!

Tough day

Today I went out with a couple of my mates who are real cyclists.  They always encourage me but when it gets to any kind of incline, never mind a hill, I get dropped.  Within 4 miles my hear rate was at 173 which is at the max and I was struggling with their pace.  However I wasn't out there for a jolly so I dug in.  3 hours later I returned home and reviewed the data which showed a good average speed which I was pleased with but mentally it's tough being left behind constantly and knowing I have to improve in this area or the Bealach Mor in September will be a nightmare.
Had some pasta and tuna to build back the 2,600 calories I had burned off and fell asleep watching Wimbledon.  I'd better get used to this level of training because it will continue till Ironman Lanzarote in May next year where "normal limits don't apply".  If you want something bad enough you've got to work for it.

Close encounter

Determined to start cycling during the week, I left the house in a beautiful sunny day at 5.45am.  It may have been sunny but within 5 minutes I wished my ears were covered and I should have had proper gloves to cover my fingers - it was a lot colder than it looked.
I was enjoying the "b" roads with no traffic but then had a close encounter which could have had me in hospital!  A white van squeezed past me but his pal in a 4x4 with a trailer actually scrapped my hand as it went past and I opted for the knee high grass verge rather than going under his wheels - it was that close.  Fortunately I didn't hit anything under the grass or I could have bounced back into the path of the trailer - a very scary moment.  Did the driver stop to see how I was - did he ****!
I did smile however later at a road sign that was warning of a hole in the road however it said "Pot Holing" - I was expecting someone climbing out of the hole as I went past.
Today has set me up for some hilly and tough cycling over the weekend but it has also reminded me, as if I needed it, that "b" roads can be as dangerous as other roads especially if 4x4's with trailers are been driven by idiots.

Back to training

In the pool with the Ironman / soon to be Ironman crowd.  They have less than 2 weeks to go before Ironman Switzerland and are tapering so the swim wasn't too tough, but tough enough!  It was good to be back in the pool even though I don't have a swimming event till May next year but I have a lot of technical improvements to make over the summer.
I also just learned that where I train will be closing in October / November in order for preparations to start for the Commonwealth games so we'll need to find a new pool which can cater for our numbers and that won't be easy.  The weather forecast is good for the next few days so I'm going to start more regular bike training.  I have just found out about a "vertical mile" section of road which will be about 7 miles away from my house so that will become my regular route in preparation for the Bealach Mor in September.

Time for reflection

I attended the funeral of a friend's Father yesterday and as always funerals make me reflect on life.  What always strikes me is the interesting things people have done that you didn't know about.  However the question it raised on my mind was "what picture" would I choose to have on the Order of Service?  What would that say about me at a particular time in my life?  You may think I'm being a bit morbid and not my normal self today but actually this is what Mission Ironman is all about.
It's about making the most of your life, enjoying the NOW rather than putting the enjoyment off till some stage in the future that you may never reach.  It's about your family and friends and appreciating that everyone has a story, a history and we should listen to them more.  It's just a shame that we are all so busy caught up in life that we don't appreciate what is staring us in the face.
Normal service will be resumed tomorrow as I get back to training and continue on the Mission Ironman journey.  have a good one!