Black out

My blog is a day late due to the severe winds meaning I've had no electricity, internet or mobile phone signal for over 24 hours.  The only reason this is being posted is because I am back at work.
It's amazing how your life depends on those necessities and last night I was sent to the chip shop for our dinner - unfortunately half the town had the same idea so it was a bit of a wait!
The biggest benefit was we had a family "dinner" sitting round a gas fire with candles which was fun.  Then we played cards which we hadn't done in years.  The kids had a new game called "bullshit" where you bluff your way through the game.  It was an eye opener to see how good they were at lying so just wait until the next time they come out with an excuse I may have fallen for before!  That's what they get for beating me at cards.
It reminded me of "the winter of discontent" when I did the same with my parents round a coal fire.  I hope my kids look back in years to come as to how much fun we had without a computer, mobile phone, TV, DVD or any other type of gadget.

Start how we mean to go on

It may be psychological but the start of a new year for me is full of optimism.  Today was my first day of training in 2012 and it was my first run in 2 weeks following my knee injury.  The session started with weights, then a stretching session before a short run.  It felt good to be running despite the howling wind and the hailstones peeling my face.
On my return I did an extra stretching session followed by using my roller to massage my leg then some food while icing my leg.  This is the routine I need to follow to make sure my injury doesn't return.
Now I am away to hang up a couple of mirrors which will require all of my DIY skills (and I have none) and patience (and I have even less of that!).  Should make for an interesting afternoon!

2012 - bring it on!

I am always excited at the start of a new year wondering what it will bring.  Where possible I make improvements and this is where the tradition of new year resolutions come in.  I make one every year and for 2012 it will be to learn conversational French so that when I am running in the Sahara desert in 2013 I can speak to the helpers in their first language rather than mine - it could be life saving in certain circumstances!  It's something I have always wanted to do but needed an event to motivate me to take the time to learn.
At this time of year many people will go on a fitness purge which is great but statistics show that by the end of January they are either not going to the gym any more or are injured and never go back.  It's certainly a busy time for my physio for this reason.  So perhaps before signing up for the gym, or start training to run a race, give some thought as to why you are doing it and plan your activity.  Not only will this help you achieve a higher level of success it will make it feel more worthwhile so you will make the change part of your life rather than part of January!  I wish you a happy, healthy, fit and prosperous 2012 and once again thank you for your continued support.

New years eve

Two days off training but plenty to do starting with fulfilling a promise to my daughter that I'd have a joint horse riding lesson with her.  It was fun following her round the arena and it gave me a different perspective of how hard she works every week to improve.  I'm not sure if they could have found a wider horse but when I got off the beast my bum hurt and I think the next couple of days will involve me feeling pain in muscles I don't normally use.  Give me a slim bike saddle every day of the week as it hurts less and you don't come off smelling of horse!!  Now to start preparing the dinner for the family and our guests this evening as we like to see out the old year and welcome in the new year in style. Goodbye 2011 it's been a year of contrasting fortunes as you'd expect in life.  The key is using these experiences to make improvements in your life where you can and just hope you stay healthy.

Neglecting duties!

Sometimes it's easy to forget that ironman training isn't a full time occupation or pastime and that there are certain duties around the house that need taken care of by me. I was reminded of that last night by my long suffering (and very supportive) wife. I might ware my pants outside my trousers (metaphorically speaking) but I still need to tidy the kitchen! Fair point well made I thought. Note to self - normal life needs to continue around my training - or maybe that should be the other way round?
This morning I finished the 1st week of the build training with a timed intervals swimming session followed by an hour on the turbo trainer. The iced my knee while having my second breakfast. Now I'm having a rest from training for 2 days and looking forward to going shopping with the family - especially as it's their money we are spending. Before I do that I'm going to put the dishwasher on!

You can do it!

I was in a deep sleep when the alarm went off this morning and getting out of bed took an extra effort.  Its a holiday so getting up when everyone else is sound asleep isn't easy.  This mornings pool session was tough (there not going to get easier!) and your mind wanders when swimming distance.  Like everyone I have an inner voice that likes to place doubt in my mind and especially when it gets tough in the pool.
On those occasions I have to remind myself why I am doing this and raising money for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres always motivates me.  In addition I have told hundreds of people and by publishing the blog it keeps me focused.  So thank you for your continued support as it means more than you may appreciate.  And finally if you are considering a "new year's resolution" then get it down on paper, plan it and execute the plan - you can do it!

Back to work

Today many return to their jobs after the Xmas break but I am lucky in that our business is closed till 4th January.  That was a promise I made to my family when I set up in business 15 years ago and to be fair, clients aren't wanting to talk to us around that time anyway.
However there is a lot of training to be done and today I did a core session, a weights session and 55 mins on the turbo trainer.  Having been out at a dinner party the night before wasn't the best preparation however I now feel fantastic.  Every session is important because if you miss one out it can lead to another and then you are on the slippery slope.  Every session is one step closer to the goal of Lanza Ironman and it a progressive build up that is so important now that I am into the "build" phase.
So as I am in my "sweat studio" there is a gale force wind and rain battering against the windows which adds to the enjoyment of the training.  Just as I have typed this there has been a huge crack of thunder and lightening and the electricity in the house went out for a minute.  I hope that doesn't continue or we'll all be huddled round the coal fire with candles!