Christmas Break Straining

Over Christmas the normal routine of work, family and training gets a severe bashing. It can be difficult to train and plan - luckily I rarely plan more than a week ahead and have to be very flexible to get the training required. The best options seems to be train with big volume days followed by rest days to fit in with family stuff. This seems to have worked well so far and the last 3 weeks of training amounted to: 12 hours 10 hours 10:51 (with 3 rest days) So far so good then. The long run is up to 11 miles, though I fear that I will struggle to find any speed at all when I need to! The hamstring is holding but not entirely better. Hopefully the results of the MRI will direct a course of treatment that will get rid of the pesky problem once and for all. I am still riding with Newcastle Tri Club and have completed regular rides in excess of 60 miles. In January I am going to bin the cafe stop and either run while the group eats chip buttees or ride for an extra 30 miles mins. I have also purchased some of these babies: Yep, I have moved into roller world! These should be far easier to transport to work when time is tight - no worries around with setting up the turbo which is pretty bedded in at garagville! I can Complete specific efforts on the turbo and grab spinning and recovery endurance sessions on the rollers - once I master the technique! Should be fun! More to follow. . . .

Achieving Consistency!

The old grey matter was chugging along yesterday and I realised that I have managed to grab 6 weeks of consistent training - building up with low intensity of course. I even have meticulous record of this training - well, sort of meticulous! I have the cycling up to a reasonable distance (max 85 Miles so far) and long run up to 10 miles. I am concerned that I am not doing any speed work but I dare not risk the injury regressing at this stage. Talking of the injury, I went to Sutton Coldfield for an MRI this week. I should get the follow up visit in Jan and find out if there is anything bad still going on in the hamstring. I still have time to get some faster running in. This delay is better too as I am now leaning towards going for a place at the World Duathlon Champs in Spain on 31 May.

Even swimming is going ok, off very little pool time. I completed the Swim Smooth CSS test and managed a 400m in 6:06 and 200m in 3:00. Happy enough with that! If I an build endurance and hold this technique I am hopeful of a 1:05 I'M swim at the Outlaw in July. Received an email from old pal Roy Brunning the other day. He has suffered badly from injury over the last few years but he is back training for IMUK. Go Roy; good to have you back.

3 Weeks In. . . .

I say 3 weeks in meaning into Outlaw Iron Distance training. My head is focused on this race but I seem to be forgetting that I have an aim to compete at the World Du Champs or the ETU LD Du Champs that will be held in conjunction with the Dutch Powerman event

The ETU event actually suits better as it is earlier than the Worlds and longer. It could be good prep for the Outlaw. It will be held on 13 April 14, which is the same day as the National Du Champs - not great planning but there you go; can't have everything. The niggling hamstring/glute injury is healing slowly and I am still having treatment. But I am getting plenty of low intensity training as base work. Today`s long bike with Newcastle Tri Club was not really low intensity though. At 85 miles the distance alone makes it tough. In these group rides you sort of have to go with the flow and there is no way I could keep a lower intensity and remain in the group. It is a trade off and I know that I would struggle to ride that long on my own. On the plus side I trialled some new nutrition today in the form of home made rice cakes. I had been feeling jaded towards the end of long rides and I wanted to try this recipe. So an extra 20 miles with a lot more food and drink seemed to do the trick. Still going well at 70 miles though at 80 I started to feel the distance - that is probably my just conditioning. So the secret recipe may well form the fuel for the Outlaw 8-)