More work to be done

After a hard week in Lanza training, yesterday was a day off.  However it still involved a sports massage with my new smooth baldy legs - what a difference that made.  Almost worth the ridicule from my wife of having "chicken legs" - I'm sure she means tasty!  So the bald legs will remain till the Ironman on 19th May which is only 66 days away.
I then had a meeting with my coach to review last weeks performance and structure this week based on the feedback.  Starting today I have an exceptionally tough week ahead as we continue to increase my fitness, endurance and strength.  Long swim sessions, mind (and bum) numbing bike rides and longer distance runs are all planned with particular attention to my heart rate.  This is vital as in the race I will be pacing myself with my heart rate as a key performance indicator as if you get that wrong on any one discipline you are risking the unspeakable - I can't even bring myself to write it but I'm sure you know what I mean.  I've also entered a 100 mile bike race around the Trossachs in April as it has an ideal profile for my preparation - you guessed it, very hilly.  So more work to be done but I am really feeling the benefits of it and mentally am starting to look forward to the event.

Home sweet home

Travelling home from a week abroad is always a drag. But today the flight took off early and landed early. Everything went to plan. But stepping off the plane in Glasgow in a damp grey day having left blue skies in Lanza. But I got off the plane fitter and more confident of my bike ride in Lanza Ironman. There is 9 weeks to go and I am now completely focused on the race.
I am also reading Chrissie Wellington's autobiography (4 times Ironman world champion) and it is so inspirational to see how she approaches races. Even world champions go through the same process as us "weekend warriors". Their fears / doubts are the same.
So tomorrow I am meeting with my coach as we start to fine tune the training for the final 9 weeks. I will also be getting my recovery sports massage which will be the first with my new shaved legs! Yes I gave in to the pressure and tomorrow will confirm whether or not it was worthwhile! It's so good to be home.

Lanza day 6 - it´s all over

Final days training today which started with a one mile sea swim.  It was beautifully calm and it was good to get some more experience in the sea swimming with the fish which can sometime give you a wee surprise.  After that it was a full English breakfast and then back to the apartment for a rest and some rehydration which is so important in this heat.
After my rest I went out for my final run.  I made sure it was fast and hard as I knew when it was finished I had no more training to do.  There was the option of a bike ride but after yesterday I didn´t want to push the limits any more - there was nothing left to prove on the bike after that epic day.
So tomorrow we fly home.  The ATHelite team of Gareth, Graeme and Dawn all a bit browner, fitter and tired.  It´s so good being part of a team when you are pushing yourself because they help you when you need it as you do them - thanks guys.  Gareth and I will be back out for the Ironman event on May 19th and there´s a lot more training to do before we arrive here.  We´re on schedule and feeling good.  I think we deserve some good food and a few extra beers tonight!  Tomorrow is a rest day. Looking forward to getting home and seeing the family. :-))

Lanza day 5 - best day cycling EVER!

What a difference a day makes.  Today was blue skies, 32.5 degrees and a lightish wind (it´s all relative in Lanza!).  We were going to tackle the big climbs and the frightening descents as the conditions were good.  We started with the Tabayesco right up to the top where the cafe is, a 6km climb.  Then we descended fast to Teguise only to climb back up after a burger and a coke for energy.  This was followed by a steep descent with hairpin bends with 1,000 ft drops on the other side - it was awesome but would have been impossible the day before.  We worked our way up to the highest point, Mirador del Rio and then flew down the other side.
In total we climbed over 5,000 ft in the 4.5 hours we were out and the scenery was breath taking - literally.  When I got back I went for a 20 minute run off the bike to the beach and a quick swim in the sea.  It´s amazing how much I have learned about bike handling skills in the last five days but I´ve always been told it´s about time in the saddle and miles in your legs.
Tomorrow we will be going for a more leisurely ride and probably a longer run.  The the bike will be packed away and Sunday will be spent travelling home.  I´m not sure how I will react to the drop in temperature especially when I am next out on a run or the bike.  Now for some food - I´m starving!

Lanza day 4 - the road to hell

The weather forecast today was for a 10 mph wind.  So we intended to do the 112 mile Ironman course.  The first 1.5 hours was brilliant.  Then someone turned on the wind machine.  It was horrendous.  At one stage the wind brought us to an almost standstill.  One rider had to get off.  I was two yards ahead and had just about stopped but turned my wheel and the wind caught me a hurled me down the road.  We spend a large part of the day riding at an angle.
It was too windy to take a hand off the bars to reach for food.  The road around El Golfo took every inch of courage I had to stay on the bike but all I did was focus on my heart rate and cadence and I got through it.  When we reached "death valley" we made the decision not to complete the 112 mile course for safety reasons.  I had to take my contact lenses out as there was a sand storm - it was as close to cycling through the desert as I could imagine.  Yet we kept going.  Gusts of wind would either take your bike into the centre of the road and oncoming traffic or towards the rocks.
In the end we completed 75 miles in 5 hours and 15 minutes.  The average speed was low at 14.1 mph but that didn´t matter.  I finished the ride strong and having kept within a heart rate and cadence range I could easily have gone on.  My worry about a speed wobble have disappeared as I have fought side winds that could upend you at any time and stayed on the bike.  This was an epic ride but only cause I survived!  It was the road to hell but I hope tomorrow we can take on the high points in the island again in relative safety.  Bring it on!

Lanza day 3 - Risk Assessment

I could hear the wind howling as I slept and when I got up this morning it didn´t take long to come to the conclusion it was too risky to ride.  So we decided instead to go out for an early morning run along the front.  That was a hard enough battle with the wind and we realised had we gone cycling someone would have got hurt.  This was reinforced when we finished our run and watched two wetsuit clad swimmers in the "sheltered" cove swimming.  The breakers were coming in and they had got knocked about on their way across the cove but decided to go back.  We watched in horror as the waves took them towards the rocks - these were strong swimmers but mother nature generally wins.  They were in serious trouble and couldn´t swim their way out but fortunately for them someone climbed down the rocks and managed to help them in.
We were considering a swim but again decided this wasn´t wise.  So for the rest of the day we are resting, reading and eating.  Later we will go out for a second run followed by some stretching and dinner.  Tomorrow, subject to wind levels, we will tackle the full Ironman 112 miles around the island.  We´ve cycled 95% of it and all of the tough sections but want to imprint the route on our minds before the event in May.  As in life everything is a risk but some are more certain and the consequences dire so give consideration before taking them on.

Lanza training day 2

Another tough day in the windy island of Lanzarote.  We upped the mileage from the day before by 50% to 67 miles with over 3,000 ft of climbing.  Two really tough climbs to start before we hit "Fire Mountain" which is one long never ending slog.  Again the downhills were "challenging" with the cross winds but I used my experience from yesterday.  I felt strong and spend plenty of time on the aerobars to reduce my resistance to the wind.  However the cross winds had me getting onto the droops bloody quick otherwise you could end up being blown off the road.
A small disaster at lunch when the most delicious pitza arrived and to my horror was covered in garlic - no mention of it on the menu.  I had to settle for banana cake and ice cream as there was no way I could have eaten it and kept it down with the journey ahead.  The end of the ride was really tricky with guess what?  You guessed it, a strong cross wind.  A poor German who was sheltering from the wind by sneaking up my inside got a facefull of spit because I didn´t see him and he should have let me know he was there,and taken on some of the workload.
We did a short run off the bike and it felt good, even after 4.5 hours in the wind and sun.  Straight into the pool to cool the legs off which is the equivalent of an ice bath.  Then for a recovery snooze.  Now for dinner, I´m starving!