Back to training

My schedule last week took account that I was away for two days - they were my rest days!  I'd debate it was a rest but I wasn't training so this morning it was back to training.  In the pool at 7.30 and knocked out 2 x 500m (30 sec rest between), 2 x 400m (20 sec), 2 x 300m (15 sec rest), 100m warm down.  In the next lane was a swimming club and I had to "blank them out" as they were swimming so fast it could have a negative affect on me i.e. how slow I was by comparison.  But I'm not racing them and they aren't preparing for an Ironman, so ignore them.
When I returned home it was out for a 1 hour run.  My coach had me complete this in three different paces, each one getting faster. It was a hilly course but I averaged 7:49 per mile which is my fastest yet and in the right range for my training.  Again I need to work to my targets and plan and not be put off by faster swimmers or runners
Tonight we are having friends round for dinner so there will be some excellent food but I'll need to restrict my wine intake as tomorrow I have a 3 hour bike ride followed by a 20 minute run off the bike which is known as a "brick session".

Promises

Last night at the conference dinner a large number of people sought me out to say how much they had enjoyed my Mission Ironman keynote speech.  It's always nice to have your work praised so thank you to everyone that took the time out to tell me.  What was more important is that everyone had been inspired and as a result set themselves a goal using my five stage goal planner.  Now that's a result and one that can change lives for the better which is an initial success for Mission Ironman.
One person had spoken to me a year ago and had gone away to get fit and lose weight as she was getting married 10 months later.  She'd dropped two dress sizes and was loving her new found fitness.  So the message to everyone who had set a goal, made a promise, is that when they get home there will be an envelope address to them which they completed and inside will be their own five stage goal planner with their hand writing outlining their goal.  Now the hard work starts and they need to follow through with the promise but tell people about your intention because that increases your chances of success.  Enjoy the journey and the results.  Remember a goal without a plan is just a wish.

Mission Ironman delivered

Today was another milestone in that I delivered my first Mission Ironman presentation to an audience at The Belfry in Birmingham. The audience were great and understood the key messages about the journey to ironman from non-athlete, non-swimmer and how this relates to challenges in life and business.  They completed my 5 step plan to goal setting and posted it to themselves so that when they get back to their office there is a reminder of what they want to change and a structure to support the change.
Achieving unbelievable challenges is usually won or lost in the head and we tend to limit ourselves by our thinking.  Mission Ironman is all about overcoming this type of thinking and making the most out of our lives while helping those less fortunate along the way.  Enjoy the journey.

Targets create focus

As I am getting back into my running and with only 99 days to go before I complete a marathon (after the swim and bike) I need to step the mileage up.  So yesterday I ran 12 miles.  I watched my time carefully as this indicates how "run fit" I am and was delighted to average 8 mins per mile on a hilly course.  If I didn't measure it I wouldn't have anything else to go on other than feel which isn't good enough.  After my glutes problem I wasn't surprised that I had some discomfort in the last mile but this went away afterwards.  In the build up I will improve my speed slightly but it's not about getting a fast time on the marathon, it's about putting three hard disciplines together and crossing the line in a respectable time (and in one piece!).
Due to the length of the run I took out a drink and some energy jelly.  Unfortunately at -2 degrees the jelly was not easy to chew so I spent 20 minutes trying to pick it out of my teeth as I ran - another lesson learned!  However in Lanza I will have a different problem with the heat.  That's why I will be testing everything when I am out at the training camp in March as I can't afford that type of problem on race day.

Elbows to the rescue!

My lower back still felt stiff when I got up this morning having tried every sleeping position to get comfortable during the night.  I decided to do my 1 hour early morning turbo but technical glitches with my Garmin meant it was done on "feel" rather than actual data.  It's difficult to tell how I performed without that feedback but if sweat was anything to go by I worked hard as it was still pouring off me despite it being -3 outside my non-insulated, non-heated training room.  I still prefer to have the data so I can see how I am performing against targets.
This afternoon I went to Grant for a sports massage to ease my lower back pain.  He's identified my glutes were the problem so set about them with his elbows - ouch, ouch, ouch!  Feeling better and will be at swimming training tonight and am sure I will sleep well tonight!
Before sun rise tomorrow I am doing the long run I should have done last night then I won't be training till Saturday so it will give my muscles a rest.

Taking no chances

I've had some discomfort in my lower back for a week or so and it felt as though it was worse this morning.  The 2.9k swim didn't hurt but all day I've been aware it's getting slightly worse.  So I've binned the 1hr 40 min run which is disappointing as I was looking forward to it and my running is slightly behind target.  I've booked a sports massage tomorrow to see if that will sort it and if not it's off to the chiropractor.
Over the years I have had various back problems but since my core and gym sessions started I haven't had as much as a twinge, until now.
So erring on the side of caution is my plan as I can't afford to aggravate my back - the consequences of missing a couple of sessions over hurting my back isn't a hard decision to make, although annoying as I feel great otherwise.

Cold weather training

Choosing an endurance event in the first half of the year has one major drawback - a large part of your training is done in winter conditions.  This morning was too icy to be safe on the bike so I did 1.5 hours indoor on the turbo trainer which was tough.
I then travelled to Loch Lomond to complete my Mission Ironman promotion video.  This involved cycling (there was no ice as it was later in the day) and running up and down Glen Luss while being filmed from the back of a car - a good workout.  It was cold with snow on the hills and the run was wet.  Once again I was attacked by a Jack Russell (what is it with those dogs?) but managed to fend it off with my shoe otherwise it would have been "road kill" and I'd be in A&E as I was travelling at speed.  Then I finished off with a swim in Loch Lomond which was freezing cold despite the sun coming out.  I was only in for a short while but my head felt like it would explode with the cold.  I didn't see anyone else swimming funnily enough.  So it's now over to the editor to make it look good.  I will have it on my website www.missionironman.co.uk by the 19th Feb.
These conditions will offer an interesting contrast to the conditions I will face in Lanzarote in 4 weeks time at my training camp.  I think it will take a few days to get used to the heat but hey there's got to be some payoff for the hard work in these conditions!