Looking back: On July

After loosing most of a year due to injury (I tore my calf), I decided to make this summer about getting back into training. I could feel my fitness escape me and it was getting me down. I needed to get myself back on the fitness wagon.

To this effect, I started back training in mid-May and had a solid June. In fact, he only day in June that I did no form of exercise was my birthday on the 2nd.

This led me to a good place for July. In July, I did some sort of training or exercise every day, although some of it was heavily focused on recovery.

I totalled over 86 hours for July … But as can be observed from the chart, half of this was hiking and walking. As I have said, I am still trying to come back from injury and do not want to aggravate things by pushing too hard too soon.

July By Activity

Also noticeable by its absence is swimming. I have only swam twice this year. However, I intend getting back in the pool once the school holidays are over and there is more room in the water.

The Numbers

ACTIVITY	SESSIONS	TIME	DISTANCE
SWIM	0	00:00	0
BIKE	32	27:48	372.1 Miles
RUN	18	10:28	51.05 Mile
WALK	17	44:41	55.15 Miles
OTHER	7	03:06	--

Will

Making the Most of Time: The Bike Commute (Part 2)

As I have already stated, I have started using my commute to work as active training time. For now, most of this is on the bike. That’s because I’m not very good on a bike. Last time I blogged about my easier structured sessions on the way into work. This time I will cover the harder part of my regular commute.

Travelling from work

On the way home, the need to stay fresh has passed – so I can give these sessions the extra that will push me on. Unless I am actively recovering these will always leave me feeling I have put in some work. (Even at these short distances). There are times where I will just have an easy ride if I need a level of active recovery, but most of the time I try to get some quality work done.

For me I have a 5-mile (or more) stretch up a slight but continuous hill. My most common sessions are: -

• Saw Tooth Intervals – I pick an upper HR% and a lower HR% and aim to move back and forth between the 2. For example 82% and 65%. I push myself until my HR is at 82% then ease off until it drops back to 65%. Then start to push again. 
• Heart Rate Time Trial – I will aim to ride home at between 80 and 85% MHR recording the time, to monitor improvement. (This is a bit of a LT training session for me.)
• Standard Short Intervals – These are simple 1min hard, 1 min active recovery. The 1min hard is hard but not a maximum effort. 
• High Intensity Intervals – Done as 20sec hard followed by 40sec recover. This time the hard is at my maximum effort
• Big Gear – A simple one, where I ride the majority of the ride in a much bigger gear than I am use to.
• Standing – I ride home out of the saddle, thus recruiting slightly different muscles than I normally use.
• The Long Hill Ride – once per week I will use my road bike rather than my MTB and take a longer route home (25-35mile). The aim of this is to get some quality hill climbing in. I try to hit categorised hills and aim to average well over 100ft of climbing per mile travelled.

Will

Making the Most of Time: The Bike Commute (Part 1)

For the majority of us training for Ironman, Triathlon, or any other endurance sport, the key is quite often capitalising on the time that we have available to us. Too often, I hear the excuse: “I haven’t got time to exercise.” We all have the same amount of hours in the day. It is up to us on how we choose to use them.

One way to make more time available is to make use of your commute. I know this is not available to everyone. Some people have mad 50-mile commutes. However, I do know of people that will drive part the way then use the rest of the journey as training time. (There is always a way if you want it.)

For me I am lucky. Where I live has a Sustrans cycle way running through past my house. The same cycle way, further down the line, runs past the business park where I work. Perfect!!!

I no longer drive to work, I run or ride. Bonus training time that does not eat into family time. Result.

For me the journey, depending on my choices, is only about 6-10 miles on the bike. Not a huge distance but it is a distance that I can make work for me. Especially using a heavier fat tiered MTB.

Travelling to work

Obviously going to work, I do not want to arrive there a dripping mess of mud and sweat.  However, I still want the rides to have a purpose (All training sessions should have a purpose). For me my rides into work, none of them hard – but all with a purpose, fit into one of these: -

• Recovery – Easy spin to loosen up the legs from the rigours of the previous day’s hard work. This will leave me feeling fresh and ready to go
• Drills – Could be 1-legged drills or focus on individual segments of the revolution. Alternatively, even a combination of the two. Great skills sessions.
• Constant Cadence – fixing a cadence and completing the whole ride maintain that cadence. Help me learn the feel of various spin speeds.

Next time I’ll look at the harder sessions, on my commute back home.

Will

Getting to the Start Line (Part 2 – The Plan)

I started in my previous article (here) discussing, what I see as, the initial goal of an Ironman race. Getting to the start line. This post will continue with the same theme, but now I will look at the actual need for a plan, rather than the build-up and prep to the plan.

Plan you may say … but do I really need a plan? Cant’ I just Swim a bit, Run a bit and Bike a lot?

Well you could, but that will only take you so far. The project manager in me believe that is you fail to plan, you plan to fail (and all that rubbish)

During the time before you start the actual training for your Ironman, you need to plan for the real training. Moreover, for me, being a bit of a geek, it is yet another joy of triathlon. (I like spreadsheets, schedules, etc.)

The problem is though where to start. Luckily, it does not need to be at the beginning. There are loads of Ironman training plans out there (both free and paid for). They range from 16-weeks long to 24-weeks (or so.) With that, there is also a range that range from beginner to advanced. So something for everyone.

When it comes to these plans, you have a couple of options:

1. Take them as is and aim to follow to the letter
2. Adapt them to fit you as a triathlete.

I have seen people have success with both approaches. Nevertheless, for me I need to take the latter course. I find off the peg plans too ridged to fit my lifestyle.  Real life can have the habit of getting in the way. So I study a few plans for the duration and level where I feel I should be training. Then I create my own plan from there,

... Then I forget all about it ...

Well, not really but at times it seems like it. For some weeks there seems to be a gulf between my planned training and my actual. Which just go to show even with careful planning … life can still throw a spanner in the works. However having a plan to work towards, helps provide focus. You will know what you aim to do in a given week. You will know what you training is intended to deliver in a given week. 

You will have the further steps towards that start-line.

Alternatively, you can find a coach and let them do all this for you. Although, that is not somewhere I normally go.

Good luck ... and SEE YOU AT THE START LINE ...

Will

Ironman Austria - My 2015 A Race

This is it my, my main focus for racing next year …

Yep. Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt. I'm not very fast. My best Ironman is 12hrs 56min … but I aim to better this in Austria. Hopefully close to the 12hrs mark.

To stand any chance of this I am aiming to keep up my cycling (and other training) over the winter. I never seem to manage to do this, and my cycle all but dries up. Meaning I start from scratch at the start of the session. Plus, this summer I have focused on getting a hilly ride in at least once to week ... nothing to long 30-40miles but plenty of climbing. I now find hills I used to struggle on, no more than an increase in effort. So fingers crossed.

Onwards and upwards, as they say.

Will

Planet Work – Motivation?!?

Quite frankly in all the time I have been taking part in long distance triathlon, work has not been the best place to gain motivation or support. Most people don’t know what you do (or don’t care) and then, when they find out – they just look at you like you are a few marbles short of a full bag.

But not this time.

I have starts working at a small financial firm, Victus Solutions UK, and I thought I’d try and get my work mates a bit fitter and get them going with a bit of team banter.

Enter the V-FOR-VICTUS Challenge

A fitness points league based on a similar thread on the runnersworld uk triathlon forum. People have a chance to win various points for training/exercise activities. And thus win that month’s league. The pointing I have used was designed to reflect the activities that those I worked with would (or could) take part in.

To my surprise all but 1 member of the team got involved in the challenge during the 1st month (along with a few people that we work with). Most saying that it motivated them to do more than they would have. (And for some this would have been nothing.)

We are now in month 2, and the V-FOR-VICTUS Challenge is under-way again. With handicaps of 20%, 10%, & 5% applied to last moths 1st 2nd & 3rd place challengers – thus giving more people a chance of monthly glory.

For me ... this has added to my level of motivation ... the same way as it has for my work mates: - There’s nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry and banter to get you out there. 

So Motivation can be found … even in Planet Work

For those who are interested here is our points scoring system:

Will

Getting to the Start Line (Part 1 – Before the Plan)

As I stated in a previous article that the first goal, for any long distance athlete (in my opinion), needs to be: .

TO GET TO THE START LINE

When you think about it the pace that an Ironman or other popular long distance event sells out, you are entering a race a year before it is due to take place. There is a lot that can happen to an athlete in a year: -

• Illness
• Personal Circumstances
• Injury
• Levels of Motivation
• Priority Changes 

To name a few.

Some things, as an athlete, we have no control over. So we need to look to manage those aspects that we can have influence over.

PROBLEM 1: TOO MUCH TOO SOON

As I have said a year is a long time out. It can be quite often the case that full of excitement over entering a race that we go out there and train every minute we can, beasting every session like we are Rocky. This is not going to help you achieve that first goal of getting to the start line. Far from it.

In short you are on a fast road to, injury, illness, burn out, and motivation crash.

Step back and take things easy. Spend some time exercising and cross training, preparing your body to train in earnest for the event. Most Ironman training programs are 16 to 20 weeks … not 52. Spend the time before you start your 16/20 week programme getting your body into a position where you can follow the programme without it killing you. (Though don’t get me wrong. Any Ironman programme is going to be hard work). 

A side note to maintaining motivation during this period of your year is; to do things you enjoy for some of the time. … But also spend time swimming, running, cycling and strength training, after all that’s what it’s about. 

PROBLEM 2: NOT PREPARING TO TRAIN PROPERLY

For some people 'too much too soon' is as far from their world as it can be. They are the total opposite; and they feel that they will be OK starting a plan 16 weeks out and that will sort it.

No way Jose (as the saying goes)

If you read a few programmes like those offered on sites such as beginnertriathlete.com (or similar) you will see that they recommend that you should be at a point where you are comfortably averaging 10hrs or so of training before you start the programme – What I feel I need to emphasis here is that it is COMFORTABLY AVERAGING not peeking …. So aim to get yourself to the point where 10hrs(ish) is the norm not a high.

PROBLEM 3: NOT TAKING TIME TO RECOVER

Also in your quest to make it to the start line – make sure you take time to recover.

Pushing yourself hard all the time is another short road to doom and disperse. Your body needs time to recover and adapt – to get better – to become stronger. Give it that time. For some that may mean 1 easy week in every 4 (or even 3.) for others ensuring they have 1 or 2 complete rest days each week. Whatever you need take it. You will become a strong Triathlete for it. 

Good luck ... and SEE YOU AT THE START LINE ...

Will

Goal Setting

I have been doing Ironman Triathlon for some time now ... I did my first Ironman (Ironman Germany) back in 2006. I am a slightly overweight, not to fast, middle age bloke that enjoys getting out there and doing it.

• I am not a natural sportsman.
• I am not a racing whippet.
• I do not have unlimited amounts of time to devote to training.
• 
  

BUT I get round.

In the time I have been competing, I have mentored and helped a few others in similar positions as me through training, to get to the start line of their chosen long distance race, and then to finish line within the cut-off.  So as another campaign looks to get under way, I thought I'd post my thoughts/notes to those I help here.

I must say, I am not a qualified coach preaching the ideal and there are other approaches than mine, but this is AN APPROACH that seems to work in the real world of the complicated lives us ageing age-groupers seem to lead.

GOAL SETTING

My first thoughts are on Goal Setting: 

These days a lot of races sell out almost as soon as they go on sale, so most people start planning at least a year in advance. A year is a long time. You need to have goals that will help you maintain focus across the full year. I am not talking the small more detailed stepping stones here but instead I refer to the big picture goals ... what are your goals for you long distance a race?

Now don't go running of and thing and write on a big piece of card "I will finish in 10hrs 35mins" and stick it to your gym wall. Take a step back and breathe. Goals for your first Ironman (and possibly for subsequent long distance races) should be along the lines of ...

• Make it to the start line.
• Finish within the cut off(s).
• Finish in a time of xx:xx

and maybe even

• Qualify in age group

And your goals should be approached in that order of priority. The most important thing is getting to the start line. 12 months is a long time and may things can and WILL go wrong.

• Lack of motivation
• Injury
• Illness
• etc

Next you need to focus on getting round in the cut-off time. This is not just the overall cut-off, which can range from 15-17hrs depending upon the race, but any other intermediate cut-offs, such as ...

• Out of Swim
• Midpoint bike
• Off the bike an onto run
• etc

Only  when you commit to these first two goals fully can you then start to have dreams on faster times.

Next time, Goal 1: Getting to the start line.

 

Two Months In …

Things are going well at the moment. I am managing to maintain consistency. I am enjoying my training. I am still varying my training due to it being my off season. And I am improving (a bit).

As stated above I have been varying my training.  This includes the use of pieces of gym equipment that I rarely go near. This includes the Versa Climber and the Concept 2 Rower.  I normally go on these bits of kit after a spinning session and set myself the target of, by Christmas, managing to do an hour on each. Well I managed to achieve this target this week: Monday I got up to the hour on the Versa and Tuesday an hour on the rower … well chuffed with that :)

On the weight front I have now lost a total of 15lb … this is making a massive difference on the bike. I am averaging higher speeds … getting close to the magical 20mph average for my 60mile ride. And climbing much better … something I never thought I’d hear my self say (or type in this case)

The Stats...

WEIGHT	197lb	(14st 1lb)(89.5kg)	Total Loss = 15lb
BODY FAT	16%	Combination of Scales and Calipers	Total Loss = 6.7%
WAIST	34.25in	(86.9cm)	Total Loss = 2.25in

Finally, my better half has decided it would be a good idea to enter me into a Marathon next month. All arguments to the effect that I have not been training for a marathon falling on deaf ears … so the 28th of October … I will be running a marathon in Newcastle … All good fun.

WW

August 2012

August was all about get some consistency into my training. When I look back at my preparation for the Outlaw Triathlon was dismal to say the least. I think I only averaged 3 training sessions per week, and even though they were long sessions that is not enough for Iron distance triathlon.

I trained on 20 days in August and more than half of them were double days, i.e. 2 training morning (or lunch time) and evening. So in total I managed to rack up 31 training session, an average of 1 per day.

Currently I class this part of the year as being ‘Off Season’ so include generic strength training (Weights) and other cardio work (not S/B/R) so my overall mix is slightly different than if I w as to be following a specific training program. 

The following graph shows how each week in August was made up...

In all I trained almost 48hrs in August's 5 weeks, of  which averages 1.44 hours per day and over 10hrs a week. This gives me a good staring point as I would like to be averaging closer to 12hr per week if possible in this off season.

The second graph looks at the month as a whole, split and grouped by the major elements... 

Finally the week in numbers

BIKE	14h 53m	248Mi
RUN	12h 18m	66.7Mi
SWIM	4h 14m	9600m
STRENGTH	6hr 05m
OTHER CV	3hr 26m

WW