Time to Get Serious

As 2011 approaches it is time to start training again. After resting and doing nothing for 3 months - c'mon! You know how I like my excuses! I have entered my draught 2011 races down on the right. The season is a direct assault on the National Age Group Champs at all distances. This plot allows me to place similar emphasis on the Inter Services Champs. As I will be in the 3rd year of my age group gaining a top 3 place in races will be tough.

It would be possible to do well if I could up my swim pace from previous seasons. Indication is that I am there now! But I need to prove it in open water racing. How many times do I have to tell myself this!

No new Christmas bling to repirt and my internet is totally imploded! I am on my phone again - not good. I did a decent turbo session on 24 Dec, followed by strength work. Never done squats directly after a full turbo session. It really is good fun! Shock the body with new training! That's what I say.

happy training guys.

Wetsuit Swimming

Circumstances today dictated that I wear my wetsuit in the pool. I am not too well and the pool boiler was broken! So the water was very cold! As I wasn’t well, I intended to just do some easy swimming – just make it up as I go along.

I warmed up with 400m easy. I noted the time of around 6:30, which seemed a bit fast, considering how easy I was swimming. I then did 5 x 100m on 2 min with my Wetronome set at my perceived optimal 1500m pace. Normally, I would come in around 1:29 – 1:30 per 100m. With the wetsuit on I was coming in at 1:23 – 1:24 hitting constant 16 strokes per 25. These felt extremely easy and the rest between reps was over 35 sec. I then did a 200m in 2:50, again relaxed. I then did 100m with a bit more oomph and clocked 1:15.

Now I know that a wetsuit provides buoyancy and, therefore, a better body position, but the difference between my non-wetsuit and with wetsuit seems too large. I was thinking what factors are different? My non-wetsuit body position is not that bad. But many people tell me that I am low in the water. I put this down to lack of natural buoyancy. I sink really well! Maybe the wetsuit doesn’t change my body positioning the horizontal plain; it just raises my body in the water?

What are the thoughts out there? Does this seem possible? My swimming has improved over the last 6 months but I have never moved so fast with so little effort when wearing my wetsuit before. It makes me excited for next season as I should be able to improve my weak point – the open water swim!

Next time I swim in the pool (when healthy!) I want to try and recreate this ease of movement through the water. Another point to note is that I have been working on my kick a lot recently. With the wetsuit I felt much more aware of what my legs were doing. This is not to say that I used a strong leg kick. More the case that I knew how to stay streamlined with the legs.

Enough ramblings. . . . .

Time Warp

Good grief! Where has the time gone? It has been a while since I blogged. I have been so busy, it's unreal. But I am not here to moan and whinge!

What's new in my training/triathlon world? Well, I have been continuing with the swim focus but I have stagnated somewhat after making good progress. This, I suppose is to be expected. I will just keep up the swimming and aim for improved open water swims next year.

This cold snap has really affected my bike commuting and I am starting to miss bike sessions as a result - not good. Recently I have taken to driving in through the snow and ice and setting up my turbo in the car park. It took me 25 minutes to warm up this morning! As for running, I have been getting 2 interval session in a week. One session is on grass and the other is mixed in with a 11.5k run. This is working well and my running is coming on nicely for this time of year.

I have also hit the gym for the first time since the winter of 2008/09. The emphasis is on swim land training and bike/core strength. I do my old favourite of 20 rep squats followed immediately by tabata intervals followed by fast feet run intervals. My legs are getting sore after these sessions now and after a weekend strength session I only really feel ok by Wednesday. This slow recovery is an age thing, which I am fighting off as best I can! How do you fight off aging?! The theory is that strength work will help maintain functional muscle by stimulating the entire muscular system of the body. That is why compound exercises are key. These are exercises that use the big muscles of the body in one motion - Squats, deadlifts etc. But I like to keep some specificity in the routine; hence the tabata and fast feet elements. Will it help? Who knows but it keeps my brain content that I am trying!

Must dash. Train safe!