All becomes clear

We all have an image of ourselves and tonight my swim coach took a video of me swimming - a very sobering experience.  You have one view of how you think you look and then there's the reality!  It does no harm to have a reality check so that I have a more accurate image and next time I'm in the pool I can work on improving my technique to make the task easier.  Once I can get the technology to work I'll let you see the video nastie.  The report card would have said "room (lots off) for improvement!"

Managing energy

Yesterday was a long day which meant I decided to stay in bed when the alarm went off and postpone the turbo session till the evening.  I was in a meeting all day and struggled to keep my energy levels up so when I climbed onto the turbo trainer tonight I wasn't feeling up to much.  However as always the session rejuvinates the energy levels and I am now away to fill up the tank again with some food /fuel.  This is the challenge we all face whether athletes or "corporate athletes".  The later category have the toughest job of maintaining energy 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year.  This takes great awareness of your body, constant eating of the right food and plenty of hydration.  Here's to you corporate athletes out there.

Goals are relative

It's difficult to measure progress if you don't have goals written down.  This mornings swimming session brought this to mind.  We did a long hard session and being passed in the same lane by the better swimmers on a number of occassions can be disheartening however when I got to the end I had taken over a minute off the time set for the same exercise the previous week.  Therefore the session was successful but had I based it on the other people around me I wouldn't have come to the same conclusion.  We all go at a different pace and some are better at different things.  I know that when we start running then I will be faster than some of the swimmers and that just goes to show that triathlon and life have a lot in common.

Blowy

Today started early at the side of a football pitch spectating and being blown away.  That made my mind up that the bike wasn't going to see the light of day so I put it in front of the tv and watched the football while the sweat poured off me.  Good practice for Lanza as the heat in the house was better than the cold and the wind outside.  Feeling good and back in the pool tomorrow at 7am.  Hope you are all continuing to work towards your stated goals?

Focus required

It wasn't a good week for training due to being in London so today I had to train despite the high winds and pouring rain meant my first stint was on the turbo trainer.  I can tell from my heart rate (average 150) that more training is required especially with an average speed of 20kmh.  With Lanzarote in March I need to increase the frequency and time on the bike.
After "Dad duties" I went out a short run to a friends house for some tips on Marathon Des Sables - Tony has completed it twice.  It was great to hear the stories from someone who has completed it and my first priority it to get in the race.  I have written to the organisers to see if I can get in for 2013.
However while MDS is the ultimate goal I have other challenges approaching fast;  Lanza bike training in March, 1 leg (13 miles) of the West Highland Way in a relay race in April, 81 Mile Caledonian Etape bike race and my "A race" for the year the UK 70.3 Ironman (1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13 mile run) - one of the toughest in the world!  I can't lose sight of these shorter term, tough and important goals and once they are out of the way I can start training for Ironman Lanzarote May 2012.
So the excitement of MDS will have to wait but the planning has begun.

Inspirational

What a day in London yesterday.  I had the privilege of listening to Alan Chambers MBE - the man who walks the talk, go to http://www.alan-chambers.com/ .  He's a polar adventurer with an unbelievable story - leader of the 1st unsupported team to walk from Canada to the Geographic North Pole.  His research into expeditions, ability to adapt and determination to succeed are inspirational so please look him up and follow his 2 expeditions this year.
Then over a few beers (liquid carbs are an essential part of the training diet!) I discovered that in the group I was with there were people who had completed olympic distance triathlons, cycled 4 stages of the Tour De France, 1 who had cycled the whole of the Tour De France and other mad 4 day challanges involving cycling/kayaking etc.  These are ordinary business people doing extra ordinary things and raising vast sums of money for charity while achieving goals they didn't initially think was possible.
A number of people on the night committed to various goals for 2011 including a 10k, a half marathon and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.  You know who you are so get that commitment onto the blog and enjoy the journey.  A truly inspirational night with "can do" people - first class.  Now back to training!

Busy, busy

It's a busy time but I still managed my 5.40 porridge and 7am swim.  Today was a 500m warm up and then 5 x 400m with a 1 minute rest in between.  Tough session but you feel great (relieved) when you get out the water.  Off to sit in a 7 mile tail back to Glasgow, then a 1.5 hour workshop on tax avoidance schemes.  Just popping out to replace some of the calories burned before another 1 hour technical session - the day you stop learning your dead (in my view)! Then I can start work!
I am often asked where do you find the time?  Get up an hour early and spend less time sitting on my bum watching telly is the answer.  Oh and a very supportive wife that makes everything else happen!  Off to London for a couple of days but I have booked into a hotel with a gym and a pool - can't let the regime slip.