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

One Hundred Push Ups

Came across this on the forum, a bunch of people are doing. So I thought I’d give it ago – I’ve never been good at push ups and thought it may be fun..

It’s basically about improving the number of push ups you can do by means of a 6-week programme, apparently most people are as cr@p asme at push ups.

You start by doing an initial test and use that to guide your training and retest at intervals throughout the programme.

On my initial test I managed 26 good form continuous push ups – so watch this space to see how I improve over the next few weeks.

LINK: http://hundredpushups.com/

Great North Bike Ride

On Sunday of this weekend I did the Great North Bike Ride, it is the first time in have done this event and it is in aid of The Chris Lucas Trust. It starts in Sea houses and winds its way down minor roads finishing at Tynemouth.

I haven’t really done much cycling and I thought id use this ride to test my cycling fitness. I wore a full backpack to add a bit of resistance and weight and set off at what I thought would be a sustainable pace.

There was a bit of a head wind but nothing to problematical – and I managed to do the 55miles in 3:15 (16.92mph) I was quite pleased at that but I faded a bit over the last 10miles as I’d been averaging much closer to 18mph up to that point – but still quite pleased.

The thing that got me was that I spotted people ‘cheating’ this was not a race just a leisure ride, so the only ones they were cheating were themselves – I saw people taking shortcuts and loading there bikes into / out of vans … shame on them.

But for me it was a great day out.

My wife also did this ride with her (retired) father – neither have ever done anything like this before and I am immensely proud of both of them … Well done Sharon & David

Swings and Roundabouts

After Tuesdays disappointing run, things turned on their heads last night with my Open water swim.

I went to the lake straight from work and the evening was wonderful, I sat in my car for about an hour watching nature at its most amazing (even dozing off at one point).

I got changed into my wetsuit when someone else arrived and went for my swim, the water was very cold due to all the bad weather we have been having, buts what new. I acclimatised with a width or so then set off on my first 1-mile lap with another guy. He wasn’t as fast as me so I waited for him at 3 points which made it a good warm up lap.

The guy I had been swimming with said farewell and off I went on a continuous swim – I felt at one with the water, smooth, fast, great! – I did 2 full laps (2 miles) non stop in 52-53mins. - considering I only swim once per week at the most

I felt I could have kept on going, but I had ran out of time

So to recap – I did 5k in 1:30 with the last 2miles in 53mins

All-in-all …a GREAT SWIM

Poor Run

I'm still not feeling on top form, still suffering with by sinuses etc so that may account for some of this but i was very disappointed in last nights run.

I did 11.5miles averaging 83% MHR for me this should have equated to around 9:15mm (or so) but i actually ran 10mm pace and didn't feel strong at all - as i said im very disappointed in this performance

:(

Lack of Trainng W/E 16/08/08

Not a lot of training happening this week last week due to being under the weather but I did enjoy a good swim on Thursday – Met up with Ed (another Pirate) and did 4 full lengths of the lake (probably just short of 4k) in 65 mins – its amazing how training with someone better than you can bring out great session.

So that was a big jump in my swim distance, at the end of the swim I felt I could have done more – but instead we ran 3 laps of the lake, about 5.5 miles in 40mins. I’m glad we didn’t swim any more as later in the evening my shoulders felt pumped and very sore.

The Stats

SUN	__	__	FLU
MON	__	__	FLU
TUE	__	__	FLU
WED	PM	00:27	RUN : 5K Easy tester
THU	PM	01:05	SWIM : 4K (see note)
THU	PM	00:40	RUN: 5.25mile Tempo
FRI	__	__	REST : Photographing a wedding
SAT	__	__	REST: Family Day

SWIM	01:05
BIKE	00:00
RUN	01:07
OTHER	00:00
TOTAL	02:12

Im still feeling a bit under the weather but hope to get back into things this week as i have the Great North Ride on Sunday

Training W/E 09/08/2008 ... Man Flu

This week was looking like it was going to be a good one, but as the week wore on I started feeling a bit on the rough side and by Friday i felt really ill. So i'm not a happy chappy

Thursdays open water swim session was a bit of an adventure this week. I went up to Northumberland to find many of the roads closed due to flooding and it was blowing a gale. When i got in for my swim ... i was of the opinion i could have taken in a surfboard. It was actually hard to find space to breath ... but all good practice.

On the run after the swim ... i think i was wetter than when i was in the lake due to the amount of rain coming down.

SUN	AM	01:24	RUN : 8mile long and easy (felt poor)
MON	AM	00:45	WEIGHTS : Circuit trainng
TUE	PM	01:35	RUN :8.5 mile easy
WED	AM	01:00	BIKE : 17.9mile spinning session
THU	AM	00:40	WEIGHTS : Circuit trainng
THU	PM	00:55	SWIM : 2.3k OW in rough conditions
THU	PM	00:25	RUN: 3.5mile Tempo
FRI	AM	00:32	BRICK : Speed brick session 21min/11min
SAT	__	__	REST - MAN FLU

SWIM	00:55
BIKE	01:21
RUN	03:35
OTHER	01:25
TOTAL	07:16

Beast of a session

We all have sessions now an then where we seem to be flying ... feel great ... on fire. Well today was one of those for me.

I did an hour on the gym bike, … you know the type where you have to mop the floor and clean down the bike when you’ve finished

Did –

Warm up	7mins
Out of the sadles (hard level)	5x1min : 1min rec
Spints @ 120-125rpm	5x1min : 1min rec
Recovery	3mins
Spead Builds	5x (20s @ 90rpm, 20s @ 115 rpm, 20s @145rpm)
Out of the sadles (hard level)	3x (2mins :1min rec)
Recovery	1min
1 legged drill	5x(30s each leg)
Tempo spinning	5mins @ 120rpm
Warm down	5mins

As I said felt on fire by the end

Training W/E 02/08/2008

Had a rather wet experience on the bike on Saturday, we we most the way round the 34mile hilly loop and the heavens opened = for what turned out to be a flash thunderstorm. within minutes the drains could no longer cope with the deluge and the roads were running like rivers. So we (my brother and myself) ended up rather wet.

Luckily the storm only covered 3 miles so we were quickly through it - but my shoes are still drying out now.

Back to the training
====================
After a big week last week (well for me at the moment it was) i took it much easier this week totaling only 6sr 30mins this week but with a focus on upping my OW swim (see previous post)

So the Stats...

SUN	__	__	REST DAY
MON	AM	00:40	Weights / Circuit Trainng
TUE	AM	00:30	SWIM : 1100m drill Session
TUE	PM	01:00	RUN : 6miles at an easy pace
WED	AM	00:40	Weights / Circuit Trainng
THU	PM	01:05	SWIM: 3k OW (see post)
FRI	__	__	REST DAY
SAT	AM	02:35	BIKE : 35 hilly miles

SWIM	01:35
BIKE	02:35
RUN	01:00
OTHER	01:20
TOTAL	06:30

A Good Swim

Yes a good swim

I've been going back to the lake now for a few weeks and last night was the first session that i actually felt like i was getting somewhere.

It was raining like cats and dogs, but it doesn't really matter when your getting in a lake anyway.

I got in and started of by swimming 2k non stop - felt smooth and quick - followed that with a couple of 200m widths and finished with a 500-600m effort.

Did over 3k in all and no sign of dizziness and felt good on leaving the lake

:o)

Training W/E 26/07/2008

Finished the weeks training with my first proper bike ride of the new campaign, went out with my brother on a hot Saturday morning and did a hilly 35miles. My legs we very heavy from a combination of Fridays long run and weights session – but I was still quite pleased to get round as it had 2400ft of climbing (biggest climb = 900ft) a good start.

SUN	__	__	REST DAY
MON	PM	01:00	RUN 5.5miles : easy pace
TUE	AM	00:35	SWIM 1200m : Drills and Intervals
TUE	PM	01:03	RUN 6.5miles : Hard pace plus stretching
WED	AM	01:35	RUN 9.5miles : Steady run into work
THU	PM	01:00	SWIM 2200m : Easy OWS
THU	PM	00:16	RUN 2miles : Tempo run
FRI	AM	00:41	WEIGHTS : Circuit training (see topic)
FRI	PM	02:51	RUN 15miles : Long slow hilly run
SAT	AM	02:38	BIKE 35mile : Hilly ride (2400ft climbing)

SWIM	01:35
BIKE	02:38
RUN	06:45
OTHER	00:41
TOTAL	11:39

Strength & Strength Endurance

Morning all

Well today i re-introduced the weights into my training, i am going to try and get to the gym twice per week and work on my core strength and general strength endurance.

My plan is to use dumbbells as much as possible, as this ensures that both sides get an equal workout and helps iron out any one sided weaknesses, such as the one in my left shoulder that i identified today.

I am going to do this in a circuit training manner moving from one exercise to the next (single set) using sets of 12-15 reps with about a 75% load and have only a short rest between exercises.

After a warm up on the bike, the exercises were: -

• Dumbbell Squat
• Dumbbell Lunge
• Dumbbell Calf Raises
• Dumbbell Chest Fly
• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Single Dumbbell Chest Pullover
• Dumbbell Bent Over Rowing
• Dumbbell Lat Raises
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Dumbbell Curl
• Single Dumbbell Overhead Extensions
• Shrugs
• Crunches
• Hyper Extensions
• Machine Leg Exemptions
• Machine Leg Curls

Followed by a warm down on the bike

Campaign Underway

First week of training of the campaign under my belt, the week ended bad with the dizziness from my swim evolving into a heavy cold but in all not a bad week.

The stats :-

SUN	AM	02:10	BIKE 21mile : Easy paced MTB ride up the cast with my wife
MON	PM	01:05	RUN 6.5mile : Negitive splt run
TUE	PM	01:00	RUN 6Mile : Steady Run
WED	__	__	REST Rest day due to business
THU	PM	00:48	SWIM 2.5k OWS at the lake
FRI	AM	00:33	BIKE 10Mile : 1st time on the new bike - Felt good
FRI	PM	01:00	BIKE 15Mile: looks like the new bike gets me 20secs per mile
SAT	PM	05:00	HIKE Hiking in North Yorkshire

SWIM	00:48
BIKE	03:43
RUN	02:05
OTHER	05:00
TOTAL	11:36

I’m so dizzy …

I’m so dizzy …

I went to the lake last night for a spot of Open Water Swimming with the intent of doing about 2miles.

Well all started well (apart from the rain coming from the heavens) I warmed up with a width, then swam 2 lengths at race pace then recovered with another width then stopped for a breather. (I needed the breather as I haven’t done much swimming lately).

I set off to do another 2 lengths and toward the latter part of the outward length I started feeling very dizzy, almost vertigo, and very sickly – I had to take it very easy ion the return swim stopping for a moment every 50m or so, I couldn’t even turn onto my back as this mad the vertigo worst.

I think it was down to cold water on my inner ear, so next week I will try to remember my ear plugs and may even take motion sickness tablets for a few weeks.

In all I did about 2.5k so not too bad but still … a bit worrying

WW

Fear, Eagerness … Anticipation

Yes, I have been down this path before, this path towards Ironman and yes it’s a year away but I already feel these emotions in the back of my mind every now and again rushing to the front of my consciousness.

The fears I have are all about what if something goes wrong, what if i get injured, will I have the time to train, can I regain my former fitness … and so on

My eagerness is the one I need to keep in check, stopping myself rushing full tilt in to masses of training and over doing it. I know I have to take my current base and slowly build upon t so my body can take the stress of the big weeks ahead. Knowing it and doing it, for me is quite often 2 totally different things … but one will try.

And as for the Anticipation ... for me this all about the journey ahead, planning it out, adjusting , analysing and all those steps along the route. Even the longest journeys start with a single step and I look forward to every step

Im Back ...

Well time to resurrect this blog

I've entered Ironman Switzerland in Zurich on the 12th July 2009. So I am going to blog my progress towards this event.

My target is to take 63mins of my Ironman time from Germany, getting me round in 12:30 a tall order as i am not a very fast athlete - but i will give it my all.

From what i learnt last time i feel the 2 keys to my success will be trying to have consistency in my training and to get more time on the bike. I lost a lot of run time last time due to injury so fingers crossed for this time round.

I am starting off now trying to get some base fitness back and loose a little bit of weight, so during the summer part of my training will include a 5hr hike every other weekend - carrying a backpack and wearing heavy boots for half a day is a good base builder in my book. I currently weigh in at around 205lbs - id like to get this down below 200lbs and keep it there is i can but continue to reduce my body fat.

So there you have it ... IMCH here i come.


WW