Mechanical problems

Another rainy bank holiday although our office was open today so I was able to catch up with a lot of work as nobody rang us. It was also a rest day but my niggling calf muscle wasn't easing off so I phoned the Physio. John is a retired triathlete and was able to identify the problem as mechanical I.e. Not something that is going to be corrected after 1 or 2 visits. Basically I put more weight on my right leg than I do my left. This would explain why my left calf and quad muscles are smaller than my right. This will be redressed when I get back from Lanzarote because it will be a bigger problem when my training starts for Marathon des Sables! He had some great advice for the event; "when you feel the pain ignore it. When it gets worse press on and if it becomes unbearable then grit your teeth, man up and finish the task - you are an Ironman". Good advice and he can pick up the pieces afterwards.

Passion in sport

Another semi-final for my son this morning and they came back from 2 nil down to win 5 - 2 with Ali scoring.  It was a nerve racking game with some brutal tackles going in and the opposition players swearing at us and parents exchanging words - the ref was a joke which didn't help.  The hand shake at the end of the day turned into some ugly scenes with a few punches being thrown.  This is kids U15 football and while I love seeing passionate players, when it gets out of control it's disappointing.  However their hard work now has them in 2 finals - well done Strathaven Dynamos.
So it was a relief, after all that stress, to get on my bike and complete a 25 mile Time Trial.  My fastest ever average speed at 19 mph over the distance which was a good workout.  So now to rest and eat with a bit of stretching. My stats are backing up that the training programme has worked and that as I rest and recover I will be in peak condition for Lanza which is now 13 days away! 

Day off

It seems like a long time since I had a Saturday off but it was necessary today to give my calf muscle a rest.  So instead of training I went shopping, did DIY (unheard off for me) around the house, taxied the kids around, prepared lunch and got in the food for dinner.  I'm knackered!  But it made a nice change.  I've also been making arrangements for Lanza as it's only 9 days before I leave.  In the meantime I will take the opportunity to put my feet up and rest - coaches orders!

Getting down to business

This mornings swim session was short but good, 2,500m.  All my times were fast which shows that the rest I've been enjoying has allowed my body to recover.  This is exactly what my training plan is designed to do.  I then met with my coach briefly and we started discussing my timings for the race.  This was the first time we had discussed the subject but she had analysed all the training data on my long sessions.  We agreed on the swim and run time but have a slight disagreement on the bike time - she thinks I could be 30  minutes quicker.  This is a real compliment but in the end we ran out of time so this subject is to be revisited next week.  In the end there are so many factors that could change everything on the day, but you need a plan.
I then had a sports massage and have been nursing a tight calf muscle for the last month.  It needs a rest so tomorrows training sessions have been cancelled just to give it time to recover.  This isn't a problem as the hard work has been done and now is not the time to take a chance.  The next week will involve short quality sessions with plenty of rest days.  It feels great.

It's not about the length!

It's almost a week since I have been in the pool so I knew I'd be a wee bit rusty.  My session was a 500m  warm up, 300m fast followed by 2 x 1,000m - relatively short compared to my more recent training however that doesn't mean the value is reduced.  Quiet the opposite.  This was a quality session and I focused on my technique, not my time.  I was against the clock but concentrated on my technique and guess what - both were good!
In the pool you mix with a lot of different swimmers and at that time in the morning there are a few 70 year olds who carve through the water giving away there past as a serious swimmer.  One of them mentioned to me that he had noticed the change in my swimming from last week i.e. more relaxed and when I explained I was tapering he confirmed to me the importance of this stage based on his previous sporting experience.  I hope when I get to my 70's I'm able to get in the pool at 7.30am and knock out 2,000m before breakfast.  These guys really inspire me to keep going and they offer a lot of support by just being there and encouraging me.  Thanks guys.

Up with the lark!

After two days rest my eyes opened at 5am ready to get back to training.  At 5.30am I was on my bike heading out for some hill training.  1 hr and 22 mins later I was back for a quick transition into my running shoes and back out for a 50 minute run at 7 min 46 average pace on a hilly course.  My tapering involves quality rather than quantity - I've done the miles now it's about not taking too much out of me while keeping it ticking over.  It felt great to be back training after a 2 day rest.
Got home for 8, showered and had my porridge before heading off for work at 8.45am.  These light mornings are great and I'd encourage anyone to get up early, even if just going out for a walk before work.  You'll feel alive and perform better during the day.
It's also made me realise that after Marathon des Sables in April 2013 I won't enter an endurance event that means you have to do long hours in the winter with the short days as it really affects your life.  In the summer when I am continuing my training for MDS I'll be out there at 5am and that way get the best of the day and not interfere with family and work.  Enjoy the longer days while they are here.

Power walking

Day 2 of twiddling my thumbs and I'm now starting to get impatient although my legs are enjoying the rest.  When travelling to work this morning I couldn't help but notice the number of "power walkers" out and about enjoying the fact it wasn't raining (a good summer in Scotland that is!).  There were loads of them, mostly ladies but it's great to see people out exercising and getting some fresh air.  I remember watching the "power walking or race walking" on the telly (either the Olympics or the Commonwealth games) and realised that their funny wobbly motion let them complete 20 km about 25 minutes quicker than I could run the same distance so I'm not knocking it - although I think they will have severe ankle problems in later life.
I had my bike "pimped" with red tape going on the bars to match my outfit for ironman and also to help me find it amongst 1,800 other bikes.  Your head can be a bit fuzzy when you get out of the water and you will see athletes wandering around trying to find their bikes but hopefully mind will stand out - probably cause it's the only one left! Only kidding.
Early start tomorrow, 5.30am with a bike ride and run before work.  Can't wait to get back in the saddle!