Is This What's Called Cross Training?

Time is slipping by - not quick enough, in my book - here in the land of dust, heat and crazy mulit-national traffic gridlock! Work is busy but I am managing to get some training completed. I feel utterly out of shape and a complete OAP who is 'past it'! Basically, I do spinning, treadmill running and conditioning when I can squeeze it in. Also, recently, I have been doing some Ergo Concep 2 rowing. Man! I am a numpty on this machine! My 2k time is 7:37 - and that killed me! I had no idea what is a decent time and my form was, apparently, not good! After a quick look on the internet, it was clear that 7:37 is not good, even for a lightweight! Now a lightweight in the rowing world is 75kg. Now that seems more like a heavy weight to me! They should do a super lightweight! i reckon I must be around 65kg? Rowing sure suits the big strong guys, with long levers. Not sure That I would ever be a decent rower but the exercise is meant to compliment cycling; hence I may try and do some specific rowing training and aim to gett nearer to 7:00. At least cycling rewards a decent strength to weight ratio! Mind you, even that goes out the window when doing a spinning class! Must dash; got heaps to do! Best wishes to everyone managing to enjoy a race season!!

Some Training Done!

Well, I have managed some training now. Can't say that I felt great! I will have to stick to gym tyype training as we cannot run outside. I have started doing some conditioning training. This may actually be very good for me as I hope to form a decent strength base ready for some serious bike/run training when I return in August - can't wait!!

Tick . . . . Tick . . . Tick . . .

1 Week down. Hot, dusty and not much training completed. Update to follow.

4 Months Training Camp

Let's go . .

Reverse Brick Training

Most people call a run off the bike brick training. However, it's called brick training because you build the session like stacking bricks - bike/run/bike/run etc. These sessions are amongst my favourite, mainly because I am convinced that these efforts train one to run off the bike at a decent pace. True, the legs still feel like jelly; but you can run fast!

With duathlon being my focus now, I have been doing what I term as reverse brick sessions. I am sure that someone has called this type of sessions something different already! In triathlon, we want to run well off the bike. Whilst we also want to run well off the bike in duathlon, you could argue that it is more important to ride well after the first run. In the duathlons that I have raced in the bike leg feels terrible after the first 10k. It makes sense to me to, when training for duathlon, mash the legs by running; then mash the legs on the bike! That's what I have been doing - boy the bike (all turbo) is hard. Today I ran 10 miles pushing the hills - and the hills are monsters - followed by 30 mins of efforts on the turbo (no warm up required). Let's add some conditioning sessions and we should have the basis of a plan!!

Up the Du. 8-)

Let the 2 Year Plan Begin

As the Easter Bank holidays commenced, my last day at my current work position slipped by. I have had a great 2 years at Cambridge; however, as is the norm with RAF postings, it's time to move on again. Remaining with the triathlon focus of this blog, let's' quickly recap on the past 2 years - then, it's time to plan the next 2 years.

I started the 2010 season on the come back, following a season of just cycling due to an achilles injury. True, this helped my cycling! But I wanted to get back to running. A programme of eccentric loading finally sorted my achilles out. If anyone from work is reading this, the eccentric loading is the exercises you will have seen me doing on stairs - nope, I wasn't doing ballet!

So 2010 racing went well and I was running again - just not that quick. 2011 went even better and I ran well off the bike. I'll ignore the poor Ironman race due to injury! Yes, I over-trained! Not like me really!!

So what of the next 2 years? I mentioned in an earlier post that I was planning a focus on Duathlon (run/bike/run). That's the plan. And it starts when I move to my 4 month work placement. I will start with a conditioning phase to set a healthy base. I hope to set the exercises that will stay with me perminently in everyday training. This will include running drills; something I have never done before, but I need to in order to keep the injuries at bay. During this conditioning phase I expect my race form to dip. But, in the long run, I hope to at least maintain my current speed into the next age group.

I completed another Park Run yesterday. That was my 3rd Park Run and I really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. This time a gave it a good effort and then joined JJ and Jueby on their second lap. The course at Hanley is really nice but there are a couple of small climbs that bite and throws your pace out. I managed 17:57 for a course age group best. However, I didn't feel that good and I reckon 17:30 is possible. Oh well, won't be doing another Park Run for a few months!

Blog on

Going . . . Going . . .

. . . Almost gone! Yes, not too long now until I leave for - let's call it a change of job for 4 months out of the country! Training will be limited and racing virtually non-existent! To be honest, the recent clutch of good weather has me feeling down. I hate the winter. But love the sunshine; the hotter it is, the better for me. So today is the last race of the Lincs Services Cross Country League. The sun is shining and I aim to dream I am racing somewhere exotic! This could be difficult as the venue fills me with good and bad memories!

As far as the actual racing goes, our team is leading the league overall! Awesome! However, we recently lost a key runner (Paul Vernon - sent to the same place that I will be going to soon!). With RAF Waddington not far behind us in the team standings, we gould be overhauled by them and lose the lead in tyhis final race! They have a far stronger team then us; hence we need to run out os our skins!

I am trying not to think about going away for the summer; hopefully, I will get back and see some British summer remaining and catch the view from my turbo - It's pictured at the top! Fantastic eh?!!