Puffed out

7am in the pool and joined by 2 ATHelite's.  Fortunately as one of them was preparing for a duathlon this weekend and I was meant to be on a rest week we opted for drills which helped me improve my swimming technique which I had seemed to have lost.  Then we did 100m efforts but I had to bail out after 5 as I am not fully swim fit and still recovering from Lanza.
When you're fit it is easier to shut down the negative voice telling you to stop but when you are puffing and panting it is more difficult.  Perhaps that was what Neil was trying to say to me last night if he had been able to speak!  Normal service will be resumed next week.

Real progress

Tonight I went out with Neil to take his power walking to a new level by introducing some jogging.  When he fist started training he had done the 1.75 mile course in 40 minutes.  Last time he managed 30 minutes which was a great improvement but tonight he got it down to 27 minutes!  When I left him he was breathing rather heavily so I couldn't hear what he was saying but I am sure it was "thanks we'll need to do that again real soon! He can now manage 16 lengths of the pool without stopping so this is real progress.  It just shows what can be done with the right determination and mind set.  Well done Neil - not bad for a man who was fighting cancer last year!

Back in the pool

I couldn't make the coached session tonight so I had an early morning session instead.  A 5 week lay off is not to be recommended.  I had to use a pull bhoy, board and fins to get back into a resemblance of a swimming technique and managed 1,900 m before getting out feeling light headed and sick!  But it's a start and I intend to get back to the fitness level I was at before.
Beautiful day today and if I wasn't so busy I'd go out on the bike tonight. 
Tomorrow I am going to start Neil on a walk / jog routine and see how he is doing on his static bike.  His training is building up nicely but it's his determination to prove to people that he CAN complete a novice triathlon that impresses me.

Preparation & planning

Although a rest day it hasn't stopped me preparing for my next event.  The Ayr Duathlon will be the first time I have taken part in this type of event.  I have only run once in the last three months due to injury and weather.  The Duathlon involves a 5km run, 20 km bike and finishes with a 5km run.  Different muscle groups mean I will have to do some "brick" training i.e. cycle then run to get used to the unusual effect it has on the muscles.  That will be my main focus until the end of April then I will work on all three disciplines as although I have a 81 mile bike race in May I have to be prepared for the UK 70.3 Ironman in June and then the prep starts for Lanza IM in May 2012.
A main part of this will be the 90 mile bike race in September and I knew there was a lot of climbing but it turns out to be 9,600 of ascent - that is 200 feet more than Lanza IM and over a shorter distance!  That will give me plenty to focus on in the summer but emphasises the importance of preparation and planning.

Finished on a high

Today was the best day of the week.  Great weather, wind was slightly less and we covered 75 miles.  The mad roadies (the cyclists) went off to beat each other up over the hills but my strategy was to go out in a small group of 4 that were more interested in an easy ride as their legs had covered more miles than mine during the week.
At the first coffee stop we met the roadies who were puffing and panting - they would have left me for dust if I'd tried to tag along.  We didn't maage the original target of 90 miles but all the statistics on the 75 miles made good reading for me - right on Ironman pace and considering we climbed 4,200 feet and still averaged 15 mph I was happy with that.
I came to Lanza wanting to get through the week without creating a problem following the flu.  I feel so much fitter and also more able to tackle the hills which are always a challenge.  So in May I have the etape caledonian, in June the 70.3 IM and in September a 90 mile race with huge hills.  This will all help prepare me for Lanza IM 2012 and I now feel I can do it!  Back to the rain and snow tomorrow.  In the meantime a few well earned beers and pizza are the treat tonight - tomorrow's a day off!

Mechanical failure

Set off this morning on an easy pace with a group.  7km into a steady climb and right before the massively steep climb I have a wee accident at 3mph!  All my accidents have happened at this speed and long may that continue.  Unfortunately it involves breaking 2 spokes which means I'm heading home to get the bike repaired - no cycling today.  But that's where triathlon is good because I put my running shoes on and did 5.5km in the heat of the day, and boy was it hot!  A certain amount of acclimitisation will be required before May 2012.  This was followed by a pasta and king prawn lunch with a banana split (one of my 5 a day) and a few glasses of wine to help the digestion and keep the calarie count up.
Tomorrow is the final day so I am hoping to ride to the top of the island, now my bike is fixed, to see the last part of the IM course.  This will result in a 90 mile ride which will take up most of the day to allow for coffee/cake stops and lunch.  My next post will be when I'm home shivering in the cold and swimming as I can't get my bike through the snow.  Catch up soon.

De je vue

Day 4 in Lanza and today we got our first real sunshine.  Day 1 was getting settled in and setting the bike up, day 2 I was dropped of the back of the group after 18 minutes (some very strong cyclists here) so went off on  my own (Derek no mates!) and did 25 miles with a very nice lunch - they did 75 miles!  Day 3 was 65 miles (very hard) miles - it hurt.  Today, Day 4 was a rest day (for the very strong cyclists); it had some really easy riding (my kind of pace) and some hills that sent the HR up along with the pain - we did 50 miles (on a rest day!).
I have this feeling of de je vue.  1 Year before Ironman I completed my 1st 50 mile cycle and was walking like John Wayne wondering how I'd complete an IM, but I did it 12 months later.  Lanzarote is brutal.  Hills (9,400 feet of climb on the IM) and a constant wind that destroys you on the bike - your not allowed to draft (shelter in a group of cyclists) that's why it has the reputation of being the toughest in the world.  So my mind is saying how the heck can I manage Lanza IM in 14 months time?  A very serious training plan to work on my cycling and strength will be required along with a lot of determination and support from the family and my training partners.
The guys and gals out in Lanza have been great as I have been the "cows tail" every day and they have encouraged and helped me through this brutal regime.  Tomorrow I'm taking the day off as I need to have a rest as my body is creaking - I'm walking like John Wayne again!  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and the hills in the UK will be easier as a result - bring it on.