Glass feet - What The. . . . .

. . . .Heck is all this about?! I have never had problems with foot injuries but since an intense period of kicking in the pool I seem to now have glass feet! I have managed one painful run since the Dambuster Duathlon and my right foot is now giving me big problems. Not only is running off the agenda, but cycling is also off the routine! This is about as bad as it gets for me. I can just about stomach not running because bike training seems to keep my running ticking over. But to stop both cycling and running hits hard. I know, I know; stopo complaining and being a drama queen!! But as JC said on his Blog: If you can't rant on your own blog, where can you dump your frustrations?

Magic Cream!

The old ‘nether regions’ have been suffering lately. So, I tried this little soother! I have never used any sort of creams when in the saddle and I have been fine. But recently I have been feeling the chafe! So what’s the verdict? It’s magic cream!! What a difference! This stuff really works and it’s back to comfortable rides!

Recovery after the Dambuster Duathlon has been very slow! My legs are still not right. Add to this a niggle in my other foot and I am wondering when I will be able to train hard again. I’ve never had that much structure in my training but I am sure that I have normally done far more intensity on the bike at this stage of the year. Hence I am getting worrid about being able to race well. All this sound familiar? It must do to you guys in Blogland because it is sounding familiar to me! I suffer every year with this ‘won’t be in shape’ syndrome. This year (as with every other year), however, it is real 8-)

Dambuster Duathlon

First race of the season done. I have to say, it was a real shock to the system! I simply have not done the intensity for a blast like this. It was a 10k (actually 9.8k) run, 42k bike, 5k run. Surprisingly, I ran ok and clocked 34:17 for the first run. I always struggle for the first few miles of a duathlon bike. However, I struggled for the first 26 miles in this one! I just never got going. My time wasn't horrendous at 1:0849 but it just wasn't 'there'. The second run was the normal painfest! But a 17:07 split was pleasing - hope the distance was accurate! I'll get some pics up soon.

so an overall 2:01:46 for 20th place overall and an Age Group win. Can't complain but my legs are shot to bits today. But I did win a box of cereal and some wine! Roll on summer!

some great RAF potential new guys out there racing yesterday, which was most pleasing.

A Fun Race

Well, I won’t pay the bucks for a branded Ironman event – it’s robbery! But one of the longest running Iron Distance races in existence takes place in Almere, Holland, late August. As it looks like 2012 will be wiped out for me due to an Operational Det during the entire racing season, and whilst I can get mega bike mileage completed cycling to work in my current job, I will attempt an Ironman distance race. It’s just for fun though. I will still have a ‘normal’ season and focus on the National Middle Distance Champs and the Inter-Services Standard Distance.

When I say ‘fun’ I mean race like your life depends on it 8-)

Rant Time

Grrrrrrrrr! Getting mightily fed up with motorists lately. I have been doing quite a bit of commuting to work on my bike. The abuse cyclists receive has really been apparant. Today was a particularly bad day and I was REALLY close to letting loose with both barrels at a motorist - And let's face it, I am a placid guy! Today's episode was made worse because the plonker was in a traffic queue on the other side of the road to me! I was not even impacting on him in any way, yet he saw fit to open his mouth and give me the benefit of his undoubtedly superior knowledge on the use of the road and cycle paths (there was no cycle path). He nearly got a mini pump and 3 steel tyre leavers stufed up his nostrils.

Training has been ok, apart from a severe lack of running due to my foot injury. I am getting it looked at tomorrow but I am resigned to the factthat I will not be running well until later in the season - hopefully! I have started to ramp up the turbo efforts but I have no idea how I am going on the bike. i need some TTs to see how I am going!

Where are Things?

I am not Blogtastic at the moment am I? Things are just too hectic and I rarely have the time to sit on the computer and indulge in Blogging – when I do, the pesky computer invariably fails to connect to the net.

My racing season is more or less planned but there is a problem. I have a foot injury that is stopping me running. I won’t bore you with the details but it is not good timing. I need to be ramping up the run effort because I really have not done that much running since September. The Dambuster Duathlon is on 19 March. I had accepted that I would run slowly for this early season race but now it is looking more like making to the finish line is the objective!

I have now entered the Cowman, which is the British national Middle Distance Champs. I am excited about this race but need to get some run legs back! There is time, as long as the injury does not linger – and yes, I am resting it!

Other races planned are the Speedy Beaver and The Dambuster. These races, added to the Cowman, mean I will race National Champs at all Distances for the first time. The objective is a medal of some sorts! But now that I am in the 3rd year of my age group, it will be tough!

I also have a fun race planned at the end of August. More on this event another time but it will mean that I will not be racing The Vit this year. I hope to be there to support the RAF team though and also to mop up left over Jaffa Cakes!

As far as training goes, bike mileage has increased markedly since the foot injury. I am doing just one effort session on the turbo. I am doing plenty of ‘sweet spot’ rides during my commuting and this should set me up nicely for the Cowman in July. Swimming is still going well and I am, by far, faster than I have ever been. As I have said many times, I will believe it when I perform faster in the open water!

I completed a set of 6 x 200m on 3:30 the other day, all timed below 3 mins. Yesterday was main set of 20 x 100m on 2 min, all times between 1:26 – 1:29. ok, these are not super fast times. But, for me, it is an improvement and should see faster 1500m and 1900m open water swim times when racing.

One last point. I have Lanzarote Blues!!!! I get them every year when 20 RAF Triathletes travel to the island to train themselves stupid for a week! I could so train myself stupid there too!