Still Easing Back

Have managed to get a few runs in a couple hard and fast a couple long and slow and a couple of structured sessions.

Still not doing as much as i should be as work is manic at the moment and I'm working 14hr days and on top of this my photography business is going really well ... www.bashimaging.co.uk .. with a lot of family portraits and child photography

shouldn't realy complain though

:o)

WW

Shouldn't Open my Mouth

No sooner do I put my aims for the season ahead down on paper, that it all goes horribly wrong

I have had a chest infection for a few weeks which has all but stopped my training, and each time I thought I was better and tried to train that I was ill again.

Never mind i am feeling a lot better now and am easing back - in the last week I have done an easy 7-8 miles a very hard 6 and an easy 9 ... so will continue to comE back slowly ...

... fingers crossed

Putting it in writing

Well I’ve had a look at what I plan to do over the next 12 months and my 2 big A races are Ironman Switzerland and the London marathon. Iv decide I don’t just want to ‘do’ these events I want to give them my all,

So over the next 12 months I want to achieve PB’s at: -

• 10k
  
• Half Marathon
  
• Marathon
  
• Ironman

So there you have it … aims down in writing – all I have to do now is make it happen.

Great North Run 2008

 Well yesterday was the Great North Run, actually it was the 28th Great North Run but only about my 7^th.

A few years back I said I would never do this race again, as its over crowded (52,000 entries this year) and full of people dressed as batman just stopping to walk in front of you after the first mile – thus stopping a medium paced runner like me from having a good ‘race’.

Well I am still doing it, yesterday the 3^rd one since I said ‘no more’ but now I enjoy it so much  more – I run around with my wife – she races it and I keep her company I am very proud of  her as yet again she ran a PB beating last years time by over a Minute- coming home in 2:12.

Also yesterday my Brother did the GNR – his first half marathon in 2:07 – he said it would be a one off (but I think he may have the bug)

So I’d like to say ‘well done to everyone who ran in yesterday race and I’ll see you all again next year’.

PLUS

The ballet result for the London Marathon are now out and I am in, along with my wife and her mate that I also train up – so time to up the mileage this winter, as I want I Marathon PB this spring

Sswwiimmiinngg W/E 20/09/2008

... that’s all last week seemed to comprise of, due to my back problems.

I swam 6 out of 7 days with each session being around 30mins long. I did a mix of easy continuous swims and drills. I cant remember the last time when I had so many pool sessions.

I may even see an improvement in my swimming if this keeps up, I aim to get 3 or 4 swims in a week if I can to help protect my back.

Great North Swim

I took part in the first ever Great North Swim on Saturday in Lake Windermere … and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The event was really well organised and Windermere was great to swim in, a bit cold at 15.1 degrees, but fun. It was a 1-mile swim with an exit and run across a timing mat at the turn round point (my back didn’t really like that).

My back problems cost me quite a bit time (probably 3-4mins) as every time I tried to increase my power I could feel it pull on my back and I didn’t want to cause further damage, so I had to settle for long slow stroke. Also on exiting the water there was a run to the finish line and I managed to fall over just before the finish line … which my wife caught on video

It ended up taking me 29mins which sore me achieve the following positions: -

17th Male 40-45 out of 107 finishers
24th Both 40-45 out of 213 finishers
167th Male out of 819 finishers
238th Overall out of 1670 finishers

I’ll be going back next year, hopeful fit, with the aim of finishing in the top 5% …. I may even try to average more than 2 swims every 3 weeks which I seem to average at the moment.

Video of me falling over just before the finish line (Including by wife laughing just at the end)

Easing ‘Back’

I had another session at the sports physio yesterday and feeling much better – I’m still using a stick for support when walking but I feel a lot better.

My physio has recommended I get back in the pool for some easy swimming to prevent the muscles healing in a knotted fashion, thus keeping them stretched out.

So I’m off to the pool for the next 3 days … 30min a time slow and with any luck I’ll still get to do the Great North Swim

Crocked

I'm CROOKED big style

Was at the gym an as i was putting a couple of dumbbells down, my back went off - i had to be picked off the floor carried back to the office and driven home ... the pain was enough to make me feel very sick

Doc - has given me 4 types of tablets and told me i'd had a muscle spasm that may have resulted (due to the weights) in a tear

Been to sports physio for treatment this morning and i can move about a lot more - i have another seesion booked for Tuesday

A Good Week - W/E 30/08/08

Yep as the title says - i think i had quite a good week this week with a good session completed for each of the 3 disciplines plus a couple of strength sessions and a couple suplimental sessions.

My training is still to hit and miss - but thats OK for base training - but i need to get more consistant in getting the 3 main sessions in.

The stats: -

SUN	AM	03:15	BIKE: 55mile Great North Bike Ride
MON	__	__	REST
TUE	PM	02:00	RUN: 13.5 mile long run
WED	AM	00:40	STRENGTH: Circuit Training
THU	PM	02:00	SWIM : 4miles non stop OW
FRI	AM	00:42	STRENGTH: Circuit Training
SAT	AM	00:27	RUN: 2.7mile short run
SAT	PM	00:30	SWIM: 1200m Dill session

SWIM	02:30
BIKE	03:15
RUN	02:27
OTHER	01:22
TOTAL	09:34

Open Water Swiming Nirvana

Do you ever have swimming sessions where you feel at one with the water like you could swim for ever?

This has happend my past two OW Swims

Last nite i did my longest ever non-stop swim - over 4 miles

The lake was very chopy when i got in but the wind droped not long after the first Mile
I only swim once per week so i was very happy, each lap was just over 1-mile and my splts were:-

• 31 Mins
• 29 Mins
• 27 Mins
• 28 Mins

I lost a bit of form towards the end - but overall very happy