Pain in the bum - Pain in the neck!

After nearly a week of easy stuff following my bike spill I have an official pain in the neck and pain in the bum. Swimming is difficult. I can run but my glute is very sore. Man, all I seem to be doing since 13 April is recover from soreness! Good job the major aims for the season are in August! Not sure if I will get out for a ride with T Man tomorrow as we have visitors. Maybe the rest will do me good.

Kelda has a cycle sportif tomorrow so let's hope the weather is good up in Jock Land and that she stays safe. Let me know how you go Kelda. Is your daughter riding too?

Body Recovery. Bike Recovery

Bike recovery is slow! A possible replacement wheel for my aero set up is shown in this pic. Where is it from? Who makes these wheels? What is it made of? All these questions are top secret. Needless to say it is a stealthy wheel indeed! How long before Turbo Man is asking questions about this little number?! The plan is to match this front wheel with my disc wheel. If I need a non-aero set up, then I am going for a set of American Classic 420s, as recommended by that cycling legend, Daz Sharpe!

As for my recovery from the spill last Sunday, I am lucky that I had an easy week planned anyway. My glute is giving me problems and I think I have whiplash as my neck is not good. Apart from that I am fine! I managed a short swim this week but running is not really that much of an option just yet - will try and run tomorrow. Brize Sprint Tri next Wed. Not sure how it will go but remember, the aim is to enjoy our racing; I intend to do just that!

Crashed and Burnt 8-(

Here is the RAF contingent for the Shires and Spires Cycle Sportif held on 11 May 08. The weather was great and we were looking for a challenge over the 82 miles! You may have already heard that I crashed at 46 miles but I will come to that. As we set off in a bunch of about 20 riders we soon got up to speed. Before I knew it we had covered 10 miles in 27 mins exactly - not a bad pace! It felt so easy in a bunch too. Without going into too much detail, myself, Mick and Mike Masters managed to get in a good group that was shifting some! Whether it was a loss of concentration on my part or a lack of signaling from the riders ahead of me, I suddenly was faced with 4 riders almost at a dead stop and me going at about 20mph. Can't really remember much except whacking the back of my head. It was such a thud I thought that my helmet had come off. However, the helmet had actually done its job - it was cracked, as was my head! Anyway, I won't bleat on! Only one more whinge: I wrecked my carbon wheels..........sniff....... I loved those wheels. My bike was unridable (is that a word?) so it was the broom wagon for me. I would have loved to have finished the event as I was averaging a shade under 22mph for the 46 miles. Mind you, T Man explained that all the real hills were in the last 20 miles.

More recovery is needed.........again! I'm off to nurse my bruises and search for some wheels!

Shaved and Ready?

As you can see, my stick, but smooth, like legs are ready for the Shires and Spires Cycle Sportif on Sunday.

I just hope that my training buddy turbo man has removed Sherwood Forest from his legs - well I don't want any whip-lash from his foliage as we stomp up the hills!

Age Catching Up with Me?

Here I am during my recent brick session! Gone is the power running of previous years - replaced now by a shuffle and vigorous arm swinging 8-( I am coming to the end of a 3 week volume period of training and I am feeling tired. Having never ending illness in the family doesn't help as sleep is continually disturbed. It's amazing that I have not been ill, as everyone else has in the family!

It can't be all bad though! I completed my 10 mile run yesterday - including 5 x 1 mile increase in pace (won't call them efforts because they were too slow!). I had an easy 25 mile spin on the bike planned for today and a swim drill set. The drill set was reduced to 30 mins because the pool was closed. Mark Hutch came with me for the bike ride and he was feeling quite perky. He was a different person to the guy who did the brick session with me last week. I ended up going slightly faster than I wanted, averaging 18.2mph for the entire ride. It was quite windy today and the legs just weren't working well. Let's hope that they improve for the sportif on Sunday. I plan to swim tomorrow morning and do a tempo brick session later in the day - same as last week but with an extra brick added! However, if I am feeling fatigued, I may adjust the session accordingly!

Goodbye from Blog land! Did you know that the term 'blog' comes from the term Web Log? Remarkable!

Training Update

Ref the post below about fish that ride bikes well ........... they can run fast too!! We're all doomed! (said in a Dad's Army voice!)

I successfully ran 7.2 miles on monday! Yippee! Ok, it was slow but my legs are gradually getting back to normal. Yesterday was a big training day: 30 miles EZ into work (never feels EZ at 0600). 3k swim set as 30 x 100m on 2:10 nice and relaxed. 30 miles home as 3 mins effort 5 mins steady. Quite tired after that day. Today is another test on the legs: 10 miles with 5 - 6 1 mile efforts (not flat out but brisk). Update to follow.

Fish-like Triathletes

Ever heard the saying '..... like a fish riding a bike, it just doesn't happen!'. That saying often applies to triathlon. I am finding swimming frustrating........just like I have for the last 4 years! people say 'it's ok, you can bike and run well.' So how many triathletes out there can swim like a fish and take their fishlike qualities onto the bike and ride like Lance Armstrong? Seemingly loads!! Judging the way this little guy rides, they don't need saddles either!!