How to Scare Your Daughter!

Did a full on turbo session the other night in the garage. My 9 year old daughter was alone in the lounge watching the 9th episode of Hannah Montana on TV.

I was doing a session of 9 x 5 mins as 2 mins effort, 3 mins tempo. The 2 min efforts were VERY hard and pushed to the limit. As I reached the last 10 seconds of the 9th 2 min effort, my daughter strolls into the garage to ask me for a lolly. Oh dear. She got the shock of her life as she looked at the state of me utterly on the limit sprinting flat out and gasping for air like a dying man. Yep, she thought that I was dying and was very concerned and frightened.

I am not the best looking guy when fresh but contorted on the bike I make a very scary picture!! Poor little CJ! Great session though; the legs still hurt today

8-)

Swim Fatigue

Man, my swim session wiped me out this morning:







400 warm up
4 x 25 extended kick speed

4 x (4 x 50m on 45 sec, 100m EZ) 2 min RI between sets

2 x 300m as 50scull/50 pull push/50 pull

100 EZ

Really had to work on NOT making the 4 x 50m set a continuous 200m effort!

Training Volume

Training is progressing and without realising it, I have bagged 3 big volume weeks. The intensity of biking and running is not up there with what I normally do for this time of year so I need to be mindful of some slow performances in April and May. Come June, however, if I can stay healthy, I hope to be hitting some decent form.

Training has fallen into this type of routine;

Monday: Bike (10 miles) to pool for swim. Bike home 15 miles steady. Push the hills if feeling strong.
Tuesday: Run into work 9 miles with plenty of hills. This is a plod with a rucksack on. Bike home 15 miles. Push hills if feeling strong.
Wednesday: Bike to pool for swim. Bike home 15 miles in TT mode hard all the way.
Thursday: Bike EZ 15 hilly miles to work. Run home Steady 9 miles.
Friday: Bike to pool for swim. Bike home hard 10 – 15 miles depending on how much time I have.
Sat: Rest or Group ride with Bad Tri. Normally have some hard efforts in the ride somewhere. EZ 30 min run.
Sunday: If rested yesterday it’s a threshold hour on the turbo followed by an hour run. If I did the group ride it’s a 90 min long EZ run.

The Achilles is aching slightly and I do need to keep up the eccentric loading exercises. I have turned into a plodder when running now though; in fact, I cannot remember when I did a fast run? Reckon it was mid Jan when I did the 3k TT on the running track.

Just completing a triathlon this year will be a victory so let’s keep it real!!

Time Ticks BY!

Visited Cheddar Gorge yesterday. What a great place for a hill effort. I made the Gorge climb around 3 miles. I was visiting without bike and just toured the tea shops for coffee and cake. I shall return with bike to ride the Gorge at full pelt though!

Time is ticking by quickly. In the depths of winter, I always yearn for March to come round. March reminds me that the race season is nearly here but when 1st March arrives I normally go EEEKKKK! I am not ready! But since the trauma of moving to Bristol I have gradually built up some decent training, especially on the bike. The running has been consistent but northing intense – just long and slow. Hopefully, some speed can be added later in the year.

My swimming was really coming on pre-move but it is back to struggle at the moment. As with most triathletes, I have turned to a gadget to help me through this bad patch! I have ordered a wetronome. Some regular bleeping in my head is a sure way to swim faster!

Training wise, my biggest worry is the next move, planned for the last week in March. I am sure to be tired and fatigued. Still, I hope to enter the Rutland Sportif (24 April)and ride with JC. Now JC has got some major mileage in his smooth girly legs. I reckon I will really struggle to keep with him over he 100 mile route. My longest ride this year? 44 miles. But not to worry, I will try and grab a few rides that are beyond 70 miles within the next few weeks.

Train well out there! It’s nearly time to dust off the race bike and squeeze into the race lycra 8-)

That 'DOH!!!!' Moment. . . .

Happened to me on Friday! I was on leave but the logistics of commuting to work via bike and running meant that I had a bike left at work. So, I ran into work early
(8.3 Miles)to collect my bike. I would then spin back home.

Doh!!! I forgot my padlock key. So, I ran back home another 8.3 miles. I was feeling pretty shabby, to be honest, but I had to 'Man Up' as young Frank would say! 2 miles from home a pesky terrier shot out of a bush and proceeded to bite me on the lower calf! I couldn't believe it. The critter pierced the skin too so I need to be mindful of infection.

Saturday was a better day because I got to ride with the BAD Tri group ride. I ended up being beasted by a very nice chap called 'Northern John' (I think that was his name?). He was certainly a very strong bike rider and he ripped my legs off in a very nice way! Really enjoyed it and got around 44 miles don, which is the longest ride for ages for me.

Tired today after those 2 sessions.

Train well!

Moving Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. You heard it right! The powers that be are moving me to a job that will give me more promotion prospects. I know, I have only moved in here on 31 Jan! However, the move here was a job department move and not a new posting into a new job. The timing of this new move is not good - to put it mildly - but I must go. It would be easier to move so soon if I hated here in Bristol but it is actually quite a cool place.

Where will I be moving to now? On 31 March I move back to Wyton!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!! I will actually be working in Cambridge. Having only just handed my previous married quarter at Wyton back, I now have to apply for another one at the same location. It's a crazy time for sure!

No doubt my training will be totally disrupted again. But hey, look on the positive side! I may be able to use the 'too many house moves' excuse to explain poor form for most of the summer races.

Looking forward to new challenges 8-)

I'm Back!

Long time, no Blog! But back now and on-line at home too. This is my first week at work and I have to get across Bristol to get to my hot desk! Diving is a complete mare! So, it's a 10 mile commute on my bike each way. No matter how easy I try and ride, the hills take their toll! The ride is laden with traffic but there are some nice bits too. I ride over Clifton Suspension Bridge each day and the view is cool (it's more like howling icy wind at the moment!).

After the chaos of moving house, I am finding it hard to get back into the routine I had previously. Commuting to work make things different but it's the fatigue from moving that I am finding tough to shake off. I wonder if I can use this excuse during the race season?!

The area here is actually great terrain for training. I live a 10 min jog from Ashton Court estate, which is awesome for running. There seems to be a huge amount of serious cyclists everywhere. I may venture out with BAD Tri this weekend. Also, I have Sam Wright and Frank here to train with. Carl Rice (decent runner) is also here so I hope to get dragged round.

Good to be back. Not long until race season. . . . EEKKKKKKKKKKKK!