How bloody cold is it???
As usual when the snow comes training stalls....my running was going so well and i was genuinely pleased with the progress i was making and was actually enjoying doing it...but the cold came and brought with it snow...which also meant ice the day after and running is pretty much out of the question........so guess what i did???
I Got the Turbo out!!!!
This time i've got it set up in my spare room, with a PC and a 32" screen for company...i'm going to do all the sufferfest video workouts and started with 'angels' (www.thesufferfest.com)which is an absolute killer!
I know that if i'm to succeed this time round i need to cycle for a lot longer and a lot further than i did last year...so i'm gonna build it up from now to make sure i'm further on than i was when i started last year.....oh the PAIN!!!
the only other thing that happened this month was the BCTTT annual 'awards' dinner. with awards like 'i'm not dead i'm just resting' given for showing incredible restraint on the swim by letting everyone else exit the water first, you can see what type of night it was.
I'd like to say is was memorable but i drank so much that i can hardly remember any of it. but i'm sure it was a cracking night and i hope i can win an award of some kind next year!! and if your interested pictures are here :
http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk169/andybut99/BCTTT%20Lash%20up/
thats it for now...crimbo is upon us and then we're into the 7 month journey again...and this time...i really want a happy ending!!!
Thursday 9 December 2010
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Winter is here
I hate the winter. i hate the cold...i hate the dark nights and the dark mornings..i hate the rain...am dreading the snow...and am already 'wishing my time away' waiting for spring.
I suppose you have to look on the plus side though and say running, when its cool...is great!! and running at night (not much of a morning person) when the traffic is quieter and the air is cooler has its advantages...so i'm trying to embrace it and running as much as i can.
The only measured 10k runs i've ever done were at triathlons...at liverpool OD in June i did 1.10...at Tatton park in September i did 1.20 (in the mud i must say) so when i decided to measure my 10k time properly i was surprised in a good and bad way that my first attempt was 1.08...so maybe for my ability those times in the tri's were not so bad....but also...i know i can do better than that with some focus....so thats where i'm at right now....i've already improved the time (though a different route which may have been flatter) to 1.06. so i'm going in the right direction.
Endomondo.com is helping and i'm enjoying the challenges people are laying down, even though i'm not winning any of em.
I've also purchased a Turbo trainer...but that wont get used until January when IM training starts.
Cat and i have already signed up for the edinburgh and berlin marathons....probably 3 more 'races' (blackpool half mara, Liverpool OD and Cowman half IM) to sign up for next year which i'll do a bit closer to the time.
Not really a lot else to say right now...roll on springtime!!!
I suppose you have to look on the plus side though and say running, when its cool...is great!! and running at night (not much of a morning person) when the traffic is quieter and the air is cooler has its advantages...so i'm trying to embrace it and running as much as i can.
The only measured 10k runs i've ever done were at triathlons...at liverpool OD in June i did 1.10...at Tatton park in September i did 1.20 (in the mud i must say) so when i decided to measure my 10k time properly i was surprised in a good and bad way that my first attempt was 1.08...so maybe for my ability those times in the tri's were not so bad....but also...i know i can do better than that with some focus....so thats where i'm at right now....i've already improved the time (though a different route which may have been flatter) to 1.06. so i'm going in the right direction.
Endomondo.com is helping and i'm enjoying the challenges people are laying down, even though i'm not winning any of em.
I've also purchased a Turbo trainer...but that wont get used until January when IM training starts.
Cat and i have already signed up for the edinburgh and berlin marathons....probably 3 more 'races' (blackpool half mara, Liverpool OD and Cowman half IM) to sign up for next year which i'll do a bit closer to the time.
Not really a lot else to say right now...roll on springtime!!!
Friday 8 October 2010
OK, go on then, I'll have another crack!!!!
I signed up today for IMUK 2011. after weeks and weeks of going one way then the other something finally clicked and i decided i needed to beat this thing.
After the 'glory' of Berlin i felt a little deflated...so it led me to reflect on my first full season in triathlon and i realised i'd done pretty well.
1 half marathon, 2 OD triathlons, and one of the worlds major marathons is not a bad season really...not to mention the 126 miles of Ironman i did complete...but its still tinged with the disappointment at not having the m-dot medal!!!
So i got to thinking about training again, and possible goals for next year...and i made this list without even thinking about it.
April, Conniston Half marathon
May, Edinburgh Marathon
June, Liverpool OD
July, Cowman Half Ironman
July, Ironman UK
September, Berlin Marathon
without realising i'd put IMUK, i hadn't thought about it...but subconsciously i had already decided i was going to do it....and writing the list got me a bit up for it. so i had a chat with myself, went to the website, went through the registration...then stopped....at the pay now page...and tried to talk myself out of it.....could i commit that kind of time again, would my shoulder hold up...would i rather just get old and fat, would i rather just ride my new Fireblade???
Fact is, nothing could make me close the page...i didn't need to think about it any more....i WANT to be an Ironman....and i know i can do it...so without thinking any more, i entered my card...and pressed enter now!!! no turning back now (not strictly true, i can pull out up to April.lol)
I'm going to concentrate on my running for a few weeks as i have previously said, then start my training properly in January...this time i wont miss the long runs and rides....and coupled with the schedule above, plus knowing what i'm in for this time...i'm a lot more confident i can get to the end in time.....
this time, I'm going to make it happen!!!!
After the 'glory' of Berlin i felt a little deflated...so it led me to reflect on my first full season in triathlon and i realised i'd done pretty well.
1 half marathon, 2 OD triathlons, and one of the worlds major marathons is not a bad season really...not to mention the 126 miles of Ironman i did complete...but its still tinged with the disappointment at not having the m-dot medal!!!
So i got to thinking about training again, and possible goals for next year...and i made this list without even thinking about it.
April, Conniston Half marathon
May, Edinburgh Marathon
June, Liverpool OD
July, Cowman Half Ironman
July, Ironman UK
September, Berlin Marathon
without realising i'd put IMUK, i hadn't thought about it...but subconsciously i had already decided i was going to do it....and writing the list got me a bit up for it. so i had a chat with myself, went to the website, went through the registration...then stopped....at the pay now page...and tried to talk myself out of it.....could i commit that kind of time again, would my shoulder hold up...would i rather just get old and fat, would i rather just ride my new Fireblade???
Fact is, nothing could make me close the page...i didn't need to think about it any more....i WANT to be an Ironman....and i know i can do it...so without thinking any more, i entered my card...and pressed enter now!!! no turning back now (not strictly true, i can pull out up to April.lol)
I'm going to concentrate on my running for a few weeks as i have previously said, then start my training properly in January...this time i wont miss the long runs and rides....and coupled with the schedule above, plus knowing what i'm in for this time...i'm a lot more confident i can get to the end in time.....
this time, I'm going to make it happen!!!!
Wednesday 6 October 2010
End of season blow out
This is a long one...but two races to report...so dont fall asleep!!
September...what a great month!!! I got a new motorbike....a CBR1000 HRC fireblade and that thing knocks my socks off....oh...also...the season finally ended and i managed to put a few ghosts to bed.
As i said in my last update i decided to do the Tatton Park OD and had entered the Berlin Marathon.....both were great...and both were tough...and crossing the finish in them reminded me why i do these stupid things.
Lets start with Tatton Park.
Buoyed on by Mrs B entering the sprint i decided i'd get one more Tri in before the end of the season and Tatton park is not far from where i live and is a big, and great event...i did NO swimming in the run up to it in a bid to let my shoulder heal...i have a rotator cuff injury and its honestly the most painful injury i've ever had.
Unfortunately due to illness mrsB was unable to compete on the Saturday. It was a very wet weekend and at 7am on Sunday morning i was wishing i'd got ill too.
After hanging around for an hour or so i got into my kit and went into the holding pen where they had us warming up...at this point they has us doing some 'stand up front crawl' and every time i raised my left arm it was painful and i knew this was a mistake. oh well HTFU right??
so i got in the water (cold) walked to just about the start and got near the front...determined to see if i could keep up...i was ready...10...9....8...7 blah blah...and we're off......oh...something is wrong...what is it...never mind keep swimming...right...pull...left..ouch...what is it...its not my arm...something is wrong....oh crap...goggles are on my head not my eyes...DOH...try to get them on...water...oh...empty...adjust....water...empty...adjust....thats it...look around...DEAD LAST!!!!
oh crap..oh well keep swimming....man it was hurting...i could not recover my left arm properly and could not pull with it at all....this was taking ages, i took a quick look at my watch and it said 12 minutes..i looked again 20 minutes later and it said 14 minutes...not even half way.
At this point i very nearly called in the boats to drag me out...but i cracked on, swam one handed for what felt like 3 hours and before i knew it i'd over taken a couple of BS swimmers and was out in 35 minutes. messed up T2 and got on the bike in about 8 minutes...this was me, i like the bike ride.
a very very wet...but reasonably quick bike leg of 1.21 was pretty uneventful..into T2 now for an easy jog round to finish. What i didnt bank on was mud...it was a mess and like running through treacle...now i'm not a fast runner but i honestly thought i could do about 1.05 for the 10k...but it was muddy, slippery and miserable...and it took me 1.20...lol.....i could crawl it that fast. it was grim....but crossing the line i felt totally elated....my last race (IMUK) ended in tears..and i had to remind myself the i only did my first sprint distance at this event one year earlier so i was doing ok. I felt great and was really pleased i did it, and they gave us medals this year...a tough race done.
now just one week to recover before my other big challenge of the year. BERLIN.
In the run up to Berlin my should froze up completely...we drove there with a friend (and got very drunk on the boat etc) and any driving i did was accompanied by a knife in my left shoulder and trying to indicate through the steeping wheel with my right arm. good job the car was automatic. on the saturday before the race i was having serious doubts....if the pain didnt fade...i'd think of nothing else and my race would be torture...i needn't have worried. by the end of the race something happend and my shoulder was 100% better...but still a long way from healthy. if you get what i mean.
Anyway...Race morning. If you know me you'll know what a challenge it was to go to bead early after a meal on a saturday in a big city like Berlin....but thats what we did.....nice early night.....in bed by nine....to lie awake till the alarm went off at 6am....should have got bloody pissed!!!
But up at 6...had a really great breakfast of 1/2 slice of toast (16 euro's...lol) which was all i could manage...then out into torrential rain in a running top to make our way to the start. MrsB was with on this one and we both looked at eachother on the start line wondering why the hell we thought this might be a nice idea....but hey ho, we was here and we were gonna have a crack...only rain after all HTFU.
Cat's a better runner than i am and we decided to stay together as much as we could...partly to pace her and also partly to encourage me...we managed this till between mile 11 and 12 when i felt i was holding her back and she felt she was putting me under pressure....so i put in my earphones, had a little walk and watched her jog on into the crowd.
I dont have much to report about the Marathon, other than it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. i never got down...never felt i couldnt go on....i was just running when i could and walking when i couldnt and smiling the whole way round...at 28k i remember thinking 3more and i've only got 6 miles to go....then suddenly i was there...i was elated...10k to go and i was enjoying this. The crowds were the most amazing thing...people around you everywhere...encouraging you in all different languages as they came past...a thumbs up as you passed them...amazing.
IM was very very lonely for me...most triathlons are as i'm usually at the back somewhere...but this was different....i loved it.
with 2k to go i decided to ditch my earphones and take in the crowds and what a great decision that was....the finish was in the heart of the city, with the last 1k lined with thousands and thousands of people on a long straight right under the famous Brandenburg gate and onto the finish...i was even running...people actually shout your name (on the race number) and high 5 you all the way along....my god...is there only me in the race? thats how it felt. i crossed the finish line punching the air and i have to say it one of the greatest feelings i've ever had. i admit, it might have felt the same if i'd finished Ironman....but i honestly enjoyed this more than anything i've done in the last 2 years. and if you've never done one of the 5 majors..i urge you to do one....do this one...Berlin is wonderful...and no matter what next year brings...i think we'll be back! Time. 5.26....slow...but amazing!
I rang cat on the finish line as the crowds meant i couldn't find her...she was only 15 feet away from me and was well amazed i'd finished only 25 minutes behind her...she did 5.01...she wanted under 5 but i'm sure she'll get that next time without me holding her back!!! well done babe. awesome time if you ask me!!
So we made our way very gingerly home and i could walk properly again by about Thursday.....lol....seriously i'm so proud i did this...a marathon is a great achievement and it really did put the ghost of ironman to bed, and my season to a close.
This season in a nutshell was , 1 half Marathon, 2 Olympic distance Triathons, 126 miles of Ironman, and one of the 5 major marathons in the world. IM aside...a bloody great year!!!
I have promised myself a month off, but a week and a half into that month and i feel like i want to start training...i'm climbing the walls and truly must be a changed man!!
i've decided to put together a 10 week mi-coach training plan to get my running improved, and leave the bike to get stripped down and cleaned up, it will be Christmas the end of that when i'll take a bit of time to get drunk and then (shoulder injury prevailing)hopefully, i'll be all signed up for IMUK and about to start the whole affair again.
my run up to July 31st next year will probably involve a half Mara, Edinburgh Mara, Liverpool od and cowman Half IM....if that doesn't get me ready nothing will!!!!!
Thanks for reading.
September...what a great month!!! I got a new motorbike....a CBR1000 HRC fireblade and that thing knocks my socks off....oh...also...the season finally ended and i managed to put a few ghosts to bed.
As i said in my last update i decided to do the Tatton Park OD and had entered the Berlin Marathon.....both were great...and both were tough...and crossing the finish in them reminded me why i do these stupid things.
Lets start with Tatton Park.
Buoyed on by Mrs B entering the sprint i decided i'd get one more Tri in before the end of the season and Tatton park is not far from where i live and is a big, and great event...i did NO swimming in the run up to it in a bid to let my shoulder heal...i have a rotator cuff injury and its honestly the most painful injury i've ever had.
Unfortunately due to illness mrsB was unable to compete on the Saturday. It was a very wet weekend and at 7am on Sunday morning i was wishing i'd got ill too.
After hanging around for an hour or so i got into my kit and went into the holding pen where they had us warming up...at this point they has us doing some 'stand up front crawl' and every time i raised my left arm it was painful and i knew this was a mistake. oh well HTFU right??
so i got in the water (cold) walked to just about the start and got near the front...determined to see if i could keep up...i was ready...10...9....8...7 blah blah...and we're off......oh...something is wrong...what is it...never mind keep swimming...right...pull...left..ouch...what is it...its not my arm...something is wrong....oh crap...goggles are on my head not my eyes...DOH...try to get them on...water...oh...empty...adjust....water...empty...adjust....thats it...look around...DEAD LAST!!!!
oh crap..oh well keep swimming....man it was hurting...i could not recover my left arm properly and could not pull with it at all....this was taking ages, i took a quick look at my watch and it said 12 minutes..i looked again 20 minutes later and it said 14 minutes...not even half way.
At this point i very nearly called in the boats to drag me out...but i cracked on, swam one handed for what felt like 3 hours and before i knew it i'd over taken a couple of BS swimmers and was out in 35 minutes. messed up T2 and got on the bike in about 8 minutes...this was me, i like the bike ride.
a very very wet...but reasonably quick bike leg of 1.21 was pretty uneventful..into T2 now for an easy jog round to finish. What i didnt bank on was mud...it was a mess and like running through treacle...now i'm not a fast runner but i honestly thought i could do about 1.05 for the 10k...but it was muddy, slippery and miserable...and it took me 1.20...lol.....i could crawl it that fast. it was grim....but crossing the line i felt totally elated....my last race (IMUK) ended in tears..and i had to remind myself the i only did my first sprint distance at this event one year earlier so i was doing ok. I felt great and was really pleased i did it, and they gave us medals this year...a tough race done.
now just one week to recover before my other big challenge of the year. BERLIN.
In the run up to Berlin my should froze up completely...we drove there with a friend (and got very drunk on the boat etc) and any driving i did was accompanied by a knife in my left shoulder and trying to indicate through the steeping wheel with my right arm. good job the car was automatic. on the saturday before the race i was having serious doubts....if the pain didnt fade...i'd think of nothing else and my race would be torture...i needn't have worried. by the end of the race something happend and my shoulder was 100% better...but still a long way from healthy. if you get what i mean.
Anyway...Race morning. If you know me you'll know what a challenge it was to go to bead early after a meal on a saturday in a big city like Berlin....but thats what we did.....nice early night.....in bed by nine....to lie awake till the alarm went off at 6am....should have got bloody pissed!!!
But up at 6...had a really great breakfast of 1/2 slice of toast (16 euro's...lol) which was all i could manage...then out into torrential rain in a running top to make our way to the start. MrsB was with on this one and we both looked at eachother on the start line wondering why the hell we thought this might be a nice idea....but hey ho, we was here and we were gonna have a crack...only rain after all HTFU.
Cat's a better runner than i am and we decided to stay together as much as we could...partly to pace her and also partly to encourage me...we managed this till between mile 11 and 12 when i felt i was holding her back and she felt she was putting me under pressure....so i put in my earphones, had a little walk and watched her jog on into the crowd.
I dont have much to report about the Marathon, other than it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. i never got down...never felt i couldnt go on....i was just running when i could and walking when i couldnt and smiling the whole way round...at 28k i remember thinking 3more and i've only got 6 miles to go....then suddenly i was there...i was elated...10k to go and i was enjoying this. The crowds were the most amazing thing...people around you everywhere...encouraging you in all different languages as they came past...a thumbs up as you passed them...amazing.
IM was very very lonely for me...most triathlons are as i'm usually at the back somewhere...but this was different....i loved it.
with 2k to go i decided to ditch my earphones and take in the crowds and what a great decision that was....the finish was in the heart of the city, with the last 1k lined with thousands and thousands of people on a long straight right under the famous Brandenburg gate and onto the finish...i was even running...people actually shout your name (on the race number) and high 5 you all the way along....my god...is there only me in the race? thats how it felt. i crossed the finish line punching the air and i have to say it one of the greatest feelings i've ever had. i admit, it might have felt the same if i'd finished Ironman....but i honestly enjoyed this more than anything i've done in the last 2 years. and if you've never done one of the 5 majors..i urge you to do one....do this one...Berlin is wonderful...and no matter what next year brings...i think we'll be back! Time. 5.26....slow...but amazing!
I rang cat on the finish line as the crowds meant i couldn't find her...she was only 15 feet away from me and was well amazed i'd finished only 25 minutes behind her...she did 5.01...she wanted under 5 but i'm sure she'll get that next time without me holding her back!!! well done babe. awesome time if you ask me!!
So we made our way very gingerly home and i could walk properly again by about Thursday.....lol....seriously i'm so proud i did this...a marathon is a great achievement and it really did put the ghost of ironman to bed, and my season to a close.
This season in a nutshell was , 1 half Marathon, 2 Olympic distance Triathons, 126 miles of Ironman, and one of the 5 major marathons in the world. IM aside...a bloody great year!!!
I have promised myself a month off, but a week and a half into that month and i feel like i want to start training...i'm climbing the walls and truly must be a changed man!!
i've decided to put together a 10 week mi-coach training plan to get my running improved, and leave the bike to get stripped down and cleaned up, it will be Christmas the end of that when i'll take a bit of time to get drunk and then (shoulder injury prevailing)hopefully, i'll be all signed up for IMUK and about to start the whole affair again.
my run up to July 31st next year will probably involve a half Mara, Edinburgh Mara, Liverpool od and cowman Half IM....if that doesn't get me ready nothing will!!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Thursday 16 September 2010
Back on the Horse
over 6 weeks have passed since the heartbreak of Ironman....i've gone through it time and time again in my head...i should have kept going, i should have kept going.
Its a tough thing to get over but i know that i was at the end...and that if i had kept going i would have missed the cut off anyway.
day to day my feeling on it changed....i will try again...to...i cant commit to the level of training required to finish.
I've managed to watch the TV coverage of it twice (great to see Steve-aka s11 get his mug on there)and the second time it hurt a little less....it did in fact manage to convince me that i HAVE to try again...i want that medal, i want to be an Ironman...so i have pre-registered and will enter again on the day it opens...get my Arse into gear and get training to finish it. I know i can do it, i wont be as fearful next time and i know where i have to make the time up in order to get to the line.
Most people have been incredibly supportive of my efforts. Cat (mrsB)deserves a special mention as not only did she drive around for 15 hours, she had to put up with my moods up and down in the aftermath and has been nothing but encouraging about me trying again. i think she'll even try a 70.3 herself this year. Thanks Babe...i love you
The season is almost finished now....i'm going to try and put some demons to bed in the next 2 weeks, starting with an Oly distance Tri at Tatton park this Sunday. i'm hoping to do under 3.15 total time...i've not really trained much and only been out on the bike once (about 10 miles) and haven't swam...so we'll see.
The following week will be my first marathon.
Me, Mrs B and our friend John will drive down to Berlin to run the Real Berlin Marathon....apparently one of the best 'major' marathons you can do and i'm really looking forward to it.
I'm not a runner by any means and again training hasn't been great (lack of motivation) with 12 miles the most i've run but having kept going for 13.5 hours at IMUK i'm confident i can run/walk it to the finish and get to the line and so end the season on a high note.
I'll do a race report for both and keep this blog going through the year (hoping i can persuade a few more people to read it) in the build up to another crack.
I Can - I Will
Its a tough thing to get over but i know that i was at the end...and that if i had kept going i would have missed the cut off anyway.
day to day my feeling on it changed....i will try again...to...i cant commit to the level of training required to finish.
I've managed to watch the TV coverage of it twice (great to see Steve-aka s11 get his mug on there)and the second time it hurt a little less....it did in fact manage to convince me that i HAVE to try again...i want that medal, i want to be an Ironman...so i have pre-registered and will enter again on the day it opens...get my Arse into gear and get training to finish it. I know i can do it, i wont be as fearful next time and i know where i have to make the time up in order to get to the line.
Most people have been incredibly supportive of my efforts. Cat (mrsB)deserves a special mention as not only did she drive around for 15 hours, she had to put up with my moods up and down in the aftermath and has been nothing but encouraging about me trying again. i think she'll even try a 70.3 herself this year. Thanks Babe...i love you
The season is almost finished now....i'm going to try and put some demons to bed in the next 2 weeks, starting with an Oly distance Tri at Tatton park this Sunday. i'm hoping to do under 3.15 total time...i've not really trained much and only been out on the bike once (about 10 miles) and haven't swam...so we'll see.
The following week will be my first marathon.
Me, Mrs B and our friend John will drive down to Berlin to run the Real Berlin Marathon....apparently one of the best 'major' marathons you can do and i'm really looking forward to it.
I'm not a runner by any means and again training hasn't been great (lack of motivation) with 12 miles the most i've run but having kept going for 13.5 hours at IMUK i'm confident i can run/walk it to the finish and get to the line and so end the season on a high note.
I'll do a race report for both and keep this blog going through the year (hoping i can persuade a few more people to read it) in the build up to another crack.
I Can - I Will
Wednesday 11 August 2010
Ironman: A Cruel Mistress indeed
BCTTT has had a fantastic year as far as Ironman is concerned, and before i write this i just want to say how thrilled i am for everybody that conquered a 70.3 or the full 140.6 distance races this year. Its a tough ask, i found out the hard way and i salute you all.
My journey to Ironman like many others started with a little idea of a small triathlon. Just over a year ago, feeling old, waistline getting larger and bored with not being active anymore i saw an internet ad for the Liverpool triathlon. For over 5 years i’d been pretty much a pub/couch potato since having to give up playing football due to a back injury. I secretly harboured the idea for about a month thinking everybody would laugh at me if i told them i was going to try this incredibly elite sport doing swim bike run all in one go.
Then my wife said she fancied doing the Manchester 10k, it would get her out running (something she was good at but i was not) and give her something to aim for so i decided to just go for it and entered the Liverpool supersprint event. Suddenly i was running (though not very fast) cycling (new bike etc) and even swimming (again very slowly...and this one was a shock cause i considered myself a good swimmer...well i was 25 years ago) and was loving being active again.
I did the Liverpool Race and loved it. I think the swim took me 14 minutes (my wet suit didn’t fit properly) the bike about half an hour and the run about 17 minutes...coming in with a final time of 1.04. little did i know that this mediocre effort would lead me to line up at Ironman UK in just over a years time.
If you’re reading this in the club mag then i don’t need to go into how it happened, that i joined this merry bunch of Tri-ers with all different levels of ability, a proper bunch of great people with nothing but encouragement and admiration for those who take part as much as those who win. The die was cast and at the club lash up my mind was made up. I was going to try it.
Fast forward to the 1st August at 5.30am and i was in my wetsuit, shaking with nerves that i couldn’t identify, slowly shuffling my way to the lake at Pennington flash in Leigh about to start on my Ironman experience.
i had trained for this, i’d regularly been swimming in open water, i’d spent a fortune on a wet suit, a new bike (my 3rd since the one i used at Liverpool) club shirts, countless nutrition products and gadgets all to help me get to the end.
i was not confident though, i don’t think you ever can be with Ironman, i live very close to the course, so i’d trained on it. I’d rode the loop countless times....ran on parts of the run course and swam more in this last 7 months than i had in the last 20 years. Had i done enough was all that was going through my mind walking to the lake. I was also nursing a shoulder injury known as rotator cuff syndrome caused by being a rubbish swimmer, i was worried this wouldn’t hold up, though in the end the shoulder proved to be the least of my problems.
So, here we are, and just as i’m heading to the lake in the middle of the pack i realise i’ve left my ear plugs in my bag...ok first mistake....rush back get them in (i hate to swim without them) and get back in line. This put me near the back of the pack (if you can call 1400 swimmers a pack) but i wasn’t too bothered, got in the water and swam out, looking for a little space before the gun went.
I never heard the gun, but we were off and i started swimming.
First few minutes were a little bumpy got an elbow to the ear and also felt a guy on my feet though i only know he was there when my heel struck him. After a while i settled in and just tried to take my time, concentrate on my technique and get round...it seemed to take FOREVER, at the turnaround point it wasn’t tiredness that i was struggling with, it was boredom. Still, on i ploughed starting to tire at about half way in the second lap but sure enough after about 3 hours i was on the home straight and heading for the ramp. I was really nervous swimming to the ramp, i could see loads and loads of people, and i was worried i’d get a cramp as i got out (like i did in the recent Liverpool OD race) or trip over...not to worry, i was dragged out, onto my feet safely, over to the left to kiss Mrs B who then told me i’d done 1.34 for the swim.
Chuffed with that.
Lets get on the bike.
quick change, found out somebody i’d been helping for the weekend (she didn’t know the area) had been pulled out in 41 minutes as she was struggling so i was gutted for her.
I ran to my bike trotted to the exit point to hear my name being shouted over the MC system and exited Pennington flash to claps and cheers (Brilliant).
I headed out towards the loop feeling relaxed and pleased that my day had started about as good as i could hope. Leg out to the loop was uneventful, saying hello to a few people as i passed them, i know the roads and was just trying to take it easy to get my legs going. I got to the start of the loop as i knew it in about 45 minutes but the timed start of the loop was actually half way up sheephouse lane which was about 10 to 15 minutes later. Just before the first aid station which is at the start of the lap a motorbike passed me then a guy on a bike came past almost as fast as the motorbike was going. It was the leader, Frazer Cartmell who would go onto to win the event. He was starting his second lap, i was starting my first.
I was in awe.
So, my first lap started and i knew what i was in for, spin up SH Lane done it loads of times no worries, anywhere downhill i’d go for it....at this point i was passing people and thought i might be on for a 2 hour lap (my best was 2.16 on the open roads) it seemed to be going well and quickly i was at the start of the lap again and going through the crowds up Babylon lane and loving it. I quickly stopped for a pee and (i have to say this as its now the law in race reports) the obligatory mid pee fart. Got a new Gatorade took on some water and replenished my gels into my pockets from my seat pack.
Ok off up SH lane again.
As i passed the timing mat i looked at my watch for the first time.......Hang on. Almost 2.20...that cant be right...i must have made a mistake, lets get up the hill and time it again. Over the top, down to Belmont and onto the long drag back towards Blackburn and Chorley. I knew i wasn’t going that fast but ok i still had plenty of time right.
This is where it all suddenly started to go wrong. My back started to spasm whenever i had to put the power down, not really so much in a fast gears but trying to spin up hills was getting more and more difficult. The back half of the lap is pretty up and down and quite technical meaning i was having to change gear a lot but i just couldn’t find the right one for any given situation and anything uphill was agony in my lower back...every push felt like a knife. I got to the second aid station about halfway and stopped to have a stretch and a couple of pills. Refilled my bottles and went again....just after this i heard a shout on my right, it was Hussler on his 3rd lap. He pulled alongside me for a few minutes had a little chat and gave me some encouragement. This gave me a real lift, we also passed my supporters at their 2nd vantage point which was great. Its shame Jason didn’t have a rope to pull me round, i wished him luck and he shot off like an exorcet missile.
Awesome.
After about another 10 miles i started to get really low. The pills were not easing my back i was heading back to the up hill sections and was really starting to feel i wouldn’t make it.
I fought on and got back to my supporters and pulled over. I was at about 80 miles at this point further than i’ve been able to ride before and i knew the writing was on the wall. I was almost in tears as i told my wife i didn’t think i could carry on, they all cheered me up and my wife said just to have a go. Try and get up the hill and if you cant come back down.
So i zipped up my man suit for one last effort, and headed off to massive cheers from not only my people but also people i didn’t know. This was one of the greatest feelings but strangely made it so difficult to fight back tears..i knew i was in a bit of a state here and by this time it was nearly 2 pm and i was ONE HOUR behind my schedule...with a cut off time of 4.30
i knew this would be tight.
I got up the hill down the other side and was going ok when i had a little chat with myself, i figured time was tight and it was decision time , the first of two big ones i would make today. Either pull up and admit you cant get there. Or just give it everything and try. I chose to try. The next 25 miles are a blur to me now, i have no idea how fast i went, no idea if i took on gels or Gatorade, i do know i passed people and that was my tactic, it was getting lonely out there by now but if i saw a bike in the distance (and there were not many) i set my sights on them and tried to catch them. Before i knew it it was about 4.15 and i was heading back to the uphill section...i was going to fail to beat the cut off.
I got to my supporters who were amazing, i shouted i didn’t think i’d make the cut off and they all shouted just to try...GO FOR IT!!!! So i did. Honest its not far, maybe 5 miles from where they were but i went as hard as i could ignoring the pain in my back and in my legs and just pedalled...marshals and what few supporters were left all cheered me....really incredible...i powered on and then i could see the flags of T2.....marshals were waving and yelling come on....come on.....i hit the speedbump just before the timing mat and my seat pack emptied all over the road (obviously hadn’t zipped it properly last time i got something from it) and i was in. ‘Have i made it?’ i asked a bike handler ‘you made it’ she said ‘8 seconds to spare’.
OH CRAP...that means i’ve got to carry on.
I walked into T2, not realising any food or energy i had was now lost, the guys picked up most things and put them back in my pack but i was too dazed and confused to think about getting any of it. I sat down and started to get changed. I didn’t know how much further i could go but i knew there were people in there that HAD made the cut off but decided not to go and try the run. I wasn’t going to give up just yet so out i went....i was second last out of T2 headed onto the dog leg section just walking till i got some water and a banana on board at the first aid station.....i was going to try run 10 walk 1 which i’ve done in training....Yeah right.
Running 1 walking 10 was more like it....
my legs wouldn’t work and when they did my back wouldn’t work so i was up against it...but i had 6 hours left, i’ll just walk. I got to mile 4 which again is the start of 3 laps and my supporters were there. They all cheered me on and i didn’t have the heart to stop and say that once again that i was doubting i could make it so i just carried on. I was moving slow but everybody was and it was good to be around people again.
I took water and a banana at the first aid station (bananas was all they had and by this time were warm and soggy) and tried to run any downhill sections. The sun was now out and i was hot. I got to the second aid station and this time chose flat coke. It tasted ok going down...it tasted horrible coming back 5 minutes later. Now i am NEVER sick....not even from booze...so i knew something was wrong. A few guys asked if i was ok...and told me (sensibly) not to be a hero...so i text Mrs B and told her i was sick and was just going to see how i went for a few minutes.
I got to the cycle path section, saw Gav (well done mate) and stopped for a pee...but i couldn’t pee...so i tried some water...managed about thimble full, and walked on...running was totally out of the questions now....my legs were ok, my back wasn’t even too bad but i just felt so weak. A medic on a push bike stopped me and asked if i was ok (he didn’t just stop me by the way) i told him i’d been a ‘little’ sick and he asked if i could pee...i said not for a couple of hours. He told me i could carry on but to take on at least a full cup of water at the aid station and again not to be a hero. I tried that...about a thimble full almost made me yack again. I saw S11 who gave me an encouraging shout (well done mate) and had a short chat with Gary aka Triumphant (well done mate) and kept moving.
As i neared the turnaround point i was in such a dark place.i was going from sickness to hunger and back again every minute...i couldn’t run, was moving very slow and the worst part...people were saying well done, your going to do it....they thought i was finishing...i never had the heart to say they’d see me again soon. I rounded the corner to the finish chute and it broke my heart....i had to walk to the start of the cute, with people cheering and people running past me hands in the air, cameras flashing hearing ‘YOU ARE AN IRONMAN’ being shouted at people, but i had to turn away, get a band and walk in the other direction. i knew in my heart that i wouldn’t be back, that i wouldn’t hear my name before those words.
Its at this point i had to make the second big decision of the day.
It was now 7.30pm. I’d been on the go for 13.5 hours and it had taken me 2 hours for one lap...i had 3.5 hours left to do 2 more and i knew i would be slower and had nothing more left. Do i keep going...try...see if i can find anything else...or do i admit defeat, not be a hero and call it.
I called it, left the course, called my wife and went to sit down and cried my eyes out.
Ironman was an incredible experience. I learned a lot about myself, i learned that when i thought i couldn’t go on...i actually could...i also learned i’m determined to the point of forgetting everything else i knew i should be doing. Pig headed it might be called but i wanted to finish. The most important thing i learned is that i know when i’m beaten and i was!!!
I’d like to say it was my back that prevented me from finishing...and it did contribute for sure. But i am honest enough to know i cut corners in training, i missed long sessions too often, especially on the bike, if i hadn’t missed them maybe my back would have shown its card and i could have worked on dealing with it properly. I also know the sickness i felt was because i got my nutrition wrong, maybe a sugar overload, maybe just dehydration, i don’t know enough to say for sure.
126 miles and 13.5 hours is a massive achievement people tell me...nobody else i know outside of this club (BCTTT)would even try it...but that’s little consolation to me, i didn’t finish what i started and thats a bitter pill to swallow.
Right now i don’t know if i’ll be back for another go, i’d like to think i will...but knowing how much i gave it this year without making the end,so what i’ll need to give it if i try again i don’t know if i have it in me to commit to that next year....we’ll see.
Ironman is a cruel mistress indeed.
My journey to Ironman like many others started with a little idea of a small triathlon. Just over a year ago, feeling old, waistline getting larger and bored with not being active anymore i saw an internet ad for the Liverpool triathlon. For over 5 years i’d been pretty much a pub/couch potato since having to give up playing football due to a back injury. I secretly harboured the idea for about a month thinking everybody would laugh at me if i told them i was going to try this incredibly elite sport doing swim bike run all in one go.
Then my wife said she fancied doing the Manchester 10k, it would get her out running (something she was good at but i was not) and give her something to aim for so i decided to just go for it and entered the Liverpool supersprint event. Suddenly i was running (though not very fast) cycling (new bike etc) and even swimming (again very slowly...and this one was a shock cause i considered myself a good swimmer...well i was 25 years ago) and was loving being active again.
I did the Liverpool Race and loved it. I think the swim took me 14 minutes (my wet suit didn’t fit properly) the bike about half an hour and the run about 17 minutes...coming in with a final time of 1.04. little did i know that this mediocre effort would lead me to line up at Ironman UK in just over a years time.
If you’re reading this in the club mag then i don’t need to go into how it happened, that i joined this merry bunch of Tri-ers with all different levels of ability, a proper bunch of great people with nothing but encouragement and admiration for those who take part as much as those who win. The die was cast and at the club lash up my mind was made up. I was going to try it.
Fast forward to the 1st August at 5.30am and i was in my wetsuit, shaking with nerves that i couldn’t identify, slowly shuffling my way to the lake at Pennington flash in Leigh about to start on my Ironman experience.
i had trained for this, i’d regularly been swimming in open water, i’d spent a fortune on a wet suit, a new bike (my 3rd since the one i used at Liverpool) club shirts, countless nutrition products and gadgets all to help me get to the end.
i was not confident though, i don’t think you ever can be with Ironman, i live very close to the course, so i’d trained on it. I’d rode the loop countless times....ran on parts of the run course and swam more in this last 7 months than i had in the last 20 years. Had i done enough was all that was going through my mind walking to the lake. I was also nursing a shoulder injury known as rotator cuff syndrome caused by being a rubbish swimmer, i was worried this wouldn’t hold up, though in the end the shoulder proved to be the least of my problems.
So, here we are, and just as i’m heading to the lake in the middle of the pack i realise i’ve left my ear plugs in my bag...ok first mistake....rush back get them in (i hate to swim without them) and get back in line. This put me near the back of the pack (if you can call 1400 swimmers a pack) but i wasn’t too bothered, got in the water and swam out, looking for a little space before the gun went.
I never heard the gun, but we were off and i started swimming.
First few minutes were a little bumpy got an elbow to the ear and also felt a guy on my feet though i only know he was there when my heel struck him. After a while i settled in and just tried to take my time, concentrate on my technique and get round...it seemed to take FOREVER, at the turnaround point it wasn’t tiredness that i was struggling with, it was boredom. Still, on i ploughed starting to tire at about half way in the second lap but sure enough after about 3 hours i was on the home straight and heading for the ramp. I was really nervous swimming to the ramp, i could see loads and loads of people, and i was worried i’d get a cramp as i got out (like i did in the recent Liverpool OD race) or trip over...not to worry, i was dragged out, onto my feet safely, over to the left to kiss Mrs B who then told me i’d done 1.34 for the swim.
Chuffed with that.
Lets get on the bike.
quick change, found out somebody i’d been helping for the weekend (she didn’t know the area) had been pulled out in 41 minutes as she was struggling so i was gutted for her.
I ran to my bike trotted to the exit point to hear my name being shouted over the MC system and exited Pennington flash to claps and cheers (Brilliant).
I headed out towards the loop feeling relaxed and pleased that my day had started about as good as i could hope. Leg out to the loop was uneventful, saying hello to a few people as i passed them, i know the roads and was just trying to take it easy to get my legs going. I got to the start of the loop as i knew it in about 45 minutes but the timed start of the loop was actually half way up sheephouse lane which was about 10 to 15 minutes later. Just before the first aid station which is at the start of the lap a motorbike passed me then a guy on a bike came past almost as fast as the motorbike was going. It was the leader, Frazer Cartmell who would go onto to win the event. He was starting his second lap, i was starting my first.
I was in awe.
So, my first lap started and i knew what i was in for, spin up SH Lane done it loads of times no worries, anywhere downhill i’d go for it....at this point i was passing people and thought i might be on for a 2 hour lap (my best was 2.16 on the open roads) it seemed to be going well and quickly i was at the start of the lap again and going through the crowds up Babylon lane and loving it. I quickly stopped for a pee and (i have to say this as its now the law in race reports) the obligatory mid pee fart. Got a new Gatorade took on some water and replenished my gels into my pockets from my seat pack.
Ok off up SH lane again.
As i passed the timing mat i looked at my watch for the first time.......Hang on. Almost 2.20...that cant be right...i must have made a mistake, lets get up the hill and time it again. Over the top, down to Belmont and onto the long drag back towards Blackburn and Chorley. I knew i wasn’t going that fast but ok i still had plenty of time right.
This is where it all suddenly started to go wrong. My back started to spasm whenever i had to put the power down, not really so much in a fast gears but trying to spin up hills was getting more and more difficult. The back half of the lap is pretty up and down and quite technical meaning i was having to change gear a lot but i just couldn’t find the right one for any given situation and anything uphill was agony in my lower back...every push felt like a knife. I got to the second aid station about halfway and stopped to have a stretch and a couple of pills. Refilled my bottles and went again....just after this i heard a shout on my right, it was Hussler on his 3rd lap. He pulled alongside me for a few minutes had a little chat and gave me some encouragement. This gave me a real lift, we also passed my supporters at their 2nd vantage point which was great. Its shame Jason didn’t have a rope to pull me round, i wished him luck and he shot off like an exorcet missile.
Awesome.
After about another 10 miles i started to get really low. The pills were not easing my back i was heading back to the up hill sections and was really starting to feel i wouldn’t make it.
I fought on and got back to my supporters and pulled over. I was at about 80 miles at this point further than i’ve been able to ride before and i knew the writing was on the wall. I was almost in tears as i told my wife i didn’t think i could carry on, they all cheered me up and my wife said just to have a go. Try and get up the hill and if you cant come back down.
So i zipped up my man suit for one last effort, and headed off to massive cheers from not only my people but also people i didn’t know. This was one of the greatest feelings but strangely made it so difficult to fight back tears..i knew i was in a bit of a state here and by this time it was nearly 2 pm and i was ONE HOUR behind my schedule...with a cut off time of 4.30
i knew this would be tight.
I got up the hill down the other side and was going ok when i had a little chat with myself, i figured time was tight and it was decision time , the first of two big ones i would make today. Either pull up and admit you cant get there. Or just give it everything and try. I chose to try. The next 25 miles are a blur to me now, i have no idea how fast i went, no idea if i took on gels or Gatorade, i do know i passed people and that was my tactic, it was getting lonely out there by now but if i saw a bike in the distance (and there were not many) i set my sights on them and tried to catch them. Before i knew it it was about 4.15 and i was heading back to the uphill section...i was going to fail to beat the cut off.
I got to my supporters who were amazing, i shouted i didn’t think i’d make the cut off and they all shouted just to try...GO FOR IT!!!! So i did. Honest its not far, maybe 5 miles from where they were but i went as hard as i could ignoring the pain in my back and in my legs and just pedalled...marshals and what few supporters were left all cheered me....really incredible...i powered on and then i could see the flags of T2.....marshals were waving and yelling come on....come on.....i hit the speedbump just before the timing mat and my seat pack emptied all over the road (obviously hadn’t zipped it properly last time i got something from it) and i was in. ‘Have i made it?’ i asked a bike handler ‘you made it’ she said ‘8 seconds to spare’.
OH CRAP...that means i’ve got to carry on.
I walked into T2, not realising any food or energy i had was now lost, the guys picked up most things and put them back in my pack but i was too dazed and confused to think about getting any of it. I sat down and started to get changed. I didn’t know how much further i could go but i knew there were people in there that HAD made the cut off but decided not to go and try the run. I wasn’t going to give up just yet so out i went....i was second last out of T2 headed onto the dog leg section just walking till i got some water and a banana on board at the first aid station.....i was going to try run 10 walk 1 which i’ve done in training....Yeah right.
Running 1 walking 10 was more like it....
my legs wouldn’t work and when they did my back wouldn’t work so i was up against it...but i had 6 hours left, i’ll just walk. I got to mile 4 which again is the start of 3 laps and my supporters were there. They all cheered me on and i didn’t have the heart to stop and say that once again that i was doubting i could make it so i just carried on. I was moving slow but everybody was and it was good to be around people again.
I took water and a banana at the first aid station (bananas was all they had and by this time were warm and soggy) and tried to run any downhill sections. The sun was now out and i was hot. I got to the second aid station and this time chose flat coke. It tasted ok going down...it tasted horrible coming back 5 minutes later. Now i am NEVER sick....not even from booze...so i knew something was wrong. A few guys asked if i was ok...and told me (sensibly) not to be a hero...so i text Mrs B and told her i was sick and was just going to see how i went for a few minutes.
I got to the cycle path section, saw Gav (well done mate) and stopped for a pee...but i couldn’t pee...so i tried some water...managed about thimble full, and walked on...running was totally out of the questions now....my legs were ok, my back wasn’t even too bad but i just felt so weak. A medic on a push bike stopped me and asked if i was ok (he didn’t just stop me by the way) i told him i’d been a ‘little’ sick and he asked if i could pee...i said not for a couple of hours. He told me i could carry on but to take on at least a full cup of water at the aid station and again not to be a hero. I tried that...about a thimble full almost made me yack again. I saw S11 who gave me an encouraging shout (well done mate) and had a short chat with Gary aka Triumphant (well done mate) and kept moving.
As i neared the turnaround point i was in such a dark place.i was going from sickness to hunger and back again every minute...i couldn’t run, was moving very slow and the worst part...people were saying well done, your going to do it....they thought i was finishing...i never had the heart to say they’d see me again soon. I rounded the corner to the finish chute and it broke my heart....i had to walk to the start of the cute, with people cheering and people running past me hands in the air, cameras flashing hearing ‘YOU ARE AN IRONMAN’ being shouted at people, but i had to turn away, get a band and walk in the other direction. i knew in my heart that i wouldn’t be back, that i wouldn’t hear my name before those words.
Its at this point i had to make the second big decision of the day.
It was now 7.30pm. I’d been on the go for 13.5 hours and it had taken me 2 hours for one lap...i had 3.5 hours left to do 2 more and i knew i would be slower and had nothing more left. Do i keep going...try...see if i can find anything else...or do i admit defeat, not be a hero and call it.
I called it, left the course, called my wife and went to sit down and cried my eyes out.
Ironman was an incredible experience. I learned a lot about myself, i learned that when i thought i couldn’t go on...i actually could...i also learned i’m determined to the point of forgetting everything else i knew i should be doing. Pig headed it might be called but i wanted to finish. The most important thing i learned is that i know when i’m beaten and i was!!!
I’d like to say it was my back that prevented me from finishing...and it did contribute for sure. But i am honest enough to know i cut corners in training, i missed long sessions too often, especially on the bike, if i hadn’t missed them maybe my back would have shown its card and i could have worked on dealing with it properly. I also know the sickness i felt was because i got my nutrition wrong, maybe a sugar overload, maybe just dehydration, i don’t know enough to say for sure.
126 miles and 13.5 hours is a massive achievement people tell me...nobody else i know outside of this club (BCTTT)would even try it...but that’s little consolation to me, i didn’t finish what i started and thats a bitter pill to swallow.
Right now i don’t know if i’ll be back for another go, i’d like to think i will...but knowing how much i gave it this year without making the end,so what i’ll need to give it if i try again i don’t know if i have it in me to commit to that next year....we’ll see.
Ironman is a cruel mistress indeed.
Tuesday 27 July 2010
THIS IS IT
Ironman week is really here....Its really the 1st of August (how did it come so soon)on Sunday and at 5.59am i'll be in the water floating around laughing nervously waiting for the cannon to go off so i can start my 140 mile journey to become an Ironman.
To say i feel under prepared is the understatement of the year. In fact i honestly feel i've got as much chance of winning it as i have of just finishing it but people tell me its natural to feel this way and all you can do is try your best and try to keep moving.
Last weekend was Ironman Switzerland and quite a few BCTTT members took part, and i'm happy to say every one of them finished it with times ranging from 10 hours to 15.....so no pressure on us IMUK boys to keep up eh....not half.
While i feel somewhat inspired by their efforts it brought home to me just what a mammoth task this is. just me Vs the course with nothing to think about but how much its hurting for between 14-17 hours.
As you can tell i'm nervous about this whole thing, i really cant believe its here and i'm going to have a go at it.
so....finish or not i'll write a race report then publish to this blog for the last time...i've got all my excuses (if i dont finish) ready as well as all my overcoming adversity (if i do)tales.
I'm sure all my friends and family cant wait for it to be over as much as me as they are sick of me talking about it..in fact what are we going to talk about once its over?? (IMCH maybe....oops...hope cat doesnt read this)
so come on....eat, drink, breathe, move, eat, drink, breathe, move..and come the end of my day on sunday maybe......just maybe....i'll hear.
.
.
.
.
Andrew Butler.....YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!!!
To say i feel under prepared is the understatement of the year. In fact i honestly feel i've got as much chance of winning it as i have of just finishing it but people tell me its natural to feel this way and all you can do is try your best and try to keep moving.
Last weekend was Ironman Switzerland and quite a few BCTTT members took part, and i'm happy to say every one of them finished it with times ranging from 10 hours to 15.....so no pressure on us IMUK boys to keep up eh....not half.
While i feel somewhat inspired by their efforts it brought home to me just what a mammoth task this is. just me Vs the course with nothing to think about but how much its hurting for between 14-17 hours.
As you can tell i'm nervous about this whole thing, i really cant believe its here and i'm going to have a go at it.
so....finish or not i'll write a race report then publish to this blog for the last time...i've got all my excuses (if i dont finish) ready as well as all my overcoming adversity (if i do)tales.
I'm sure all my friends and family cant wait for it to be over as much as me as they are sick of me talking about it..in fact what are we going to talk about once its over?? (IMCH maybe....oops...hope cat doesnt read this)
so come on....eat, drink, breathe, move, eat, drink, breathe, move..and come the end of my day on sunday maybe......just maybe....i'll hear.
.
.
.
.
Andrew Butler.....YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday 8 July 2010
What??? July Already?
July is months away yet....Denial is a great thing.
Finally its almost here, and am i ready?? not a chance. Truth is i hear nobody ever feels ready for Ironman so why should i be an exception.
Its been a tough journey to here and i'm not even at the start yet. i'm supposed to have been in peak training for the last 4 weeks but unfortunately i've found life getting in the way. Work has take a real dive with massive doubts over whether i'll have a job come October so that didn't help at all. my motivation went right down and i really felt i couldn't be bothered but in fact i did more training miles in June than i've done in any other month.
June also brought my first Olympic Distance Triathlon in Liverpool. It was a great event and felt special cause it was one year exactly after i did the tiny (as it feels now) super sprint tri that started this whole ball rolling.Here's how that went.
Up we got nice and early, only just, cause i ended up drinking red wine on the Saturday night (wont do that again) got in the with the elites (they gave me an 8am start) expecting them to all disappear into the distance.....and some of em did...but to my surprise i did the 1 mile swim (in the most disgusting salt water i might add) in 34 minutes....i was well chuffed and onto the bike.
Within 1 mile i was feeling sick (salt water swallowed...not the red wine... honest) and i really thought i might have to stop and throw up (and possibly face dnf) but i managed to take deep breaths and drink a bit and crack on. i did the 25 mile ride in 1.25 which again is a decent time and i was pleased with it. Then came my nemesis..running.
within 500m i was feeling i needed to walk, earlier after the swim..as i got out of the water i got a cramp in my right hamstring, i stretched it out and didn't feel it on the bike but it came back to haunt me on the run. and i struggled big time. It was hot hot hot and i never over took one single person in the 6 miles. i was running for a couple of minutes then having to walk a bit....it made it worse that you had to pass the finish and do a second lap. it was tough (especially with cramp and the fact i'd hammered the bike) anyway after an hour or so i was into the final mile and managed to keep running into the great chute to loads of cheers (1.10 for the run) for a 3.20 exactly finish....i'm not going to win any AG's with that time but i was pleased with the finish and loved the event.
Big Props need to go to Mrs B who 5 weeks before couldn't swim with her head in the water but not only did she manage a 400m swim in the Albert dock but she also came home in the super sprint race in 1.00 exactly...4 minutes faster than my time last year. (she's now entered into a sprint race...expect her IM blog next year i think)
So June numbers were Swim - 6.9 miles. Bike - 246 miles. Run - 57 Miles.
a week and half more and i'll be into taper, the next time i write will be just before the race to convey my fear and then i'll be into it. wish me luck. I'm going to really really need it.
Finally its almost here, and am i ready?? not a chance. Truth is i hear nobody ever feels ready for Ironman so why should i be an exception.
Its been a tough journey to here and i'm not even at the start yet. i'm supposed to have been in peak training for the last 4 weeks but unfortunately i've found life getting in the way. Work has take a real dive with massive doubts over whether i'll have a job come October so that didn't help at all. my motivation went right down and i really felt i couldn't be bothered but in fact i did more training miles in June than i've done in any other month.
June also brought my first Olympic Distance Triathlon in Liverpool. It was a great event and felt special cause it was one year exactly after i did the tiny (as it feels now) super sprint tri that started this whole ball rolling.Here's how that went.
Up we got nice and early, only just, cause i ended up drinking red wine on the Saturday night (wont do that again) got in the with the elites (they gave me an 8am start) expecting them to all disappear into the distance.....and some of em did...but to my surprise i did the 1 mile swim (in the most disgusting salt water i might add) in 34 minutes....i was well chuffed and onto the bike.
Within 1 mile i was feeling sick (salt water swallowed...not the red wine... honest) and i really thought i might have to stop and throw up (and possibly face dnf) but i managed to take deep breaths and drink a bit and crack on. i did the 25 mile ride in 1.25 which again is a decent time and i was pleased with it. Then came my nemesis..running.
within 500m i was feeling i needed to walk, earlier after the swim..as i got out of the water i got a cramp in my right hamstring, i stretched it out and didn't feel it on the bike but it came back to haunt me on the run. and i struggled big time. It was hot hot hot and i never over took one single person in the 6 miles. i was running for a couple of minutes then having to walk a bit....it made it worse that you had to pass the finish and do a second lap. it was tough (especially with cramp and the fact i'd hammered the bike) anyway after an hour or so i was into the final mile and managed to keep running into the great chute to loads of cheers (1.10 for the run) for a 3.20 exactly finish....i'm not going to win any AG's with that time but i was pleased with the finish and loved the event.
Big Props need to go to Mrs B who 5 weeks before couldn't swim with her head in the water but not only did she manage a 400m swim in the Albert dock but she also came home in the super sprint race in 1.00 exactly...4 minutes faster than my time last year. (she's now entered into a sprint race...expect her IM blog next year i think)
So June numbers were Swim - 6.9 miles. Bike - 246 miles. Run - 57 Miles.
a week and half more and i'll be into taper, the next time i write will be just before the race to convey my fear and then i'll be into it. wish me luck. I'm going to really really need it.
Tuesday 8 June 2010
becoming very real now
i've not updated the blog for over a month now and theres a simple reason for that...its called 'the fear' and it made me feel a little bit of a hypocrite writing this blog portraying how 'well' training has been going when actually i wonder if i've bitten off much more than i can chew entering Ironman.
i think i've got the measure of the fear for now so i thought i may as well put some more words down.
April and May were decent months...i had a spanking new bike (full carbon) that i covered miles and miles on. i've got the better of sheephouse lane now though i've never had to ride up it 3 times with 20 odd miles in between each go. i plan to try that in the coming months.
The good news is they have changed the course this week so the loop is quite a bit easier after SH Lane so again i'm feeling like i can do that.
my running is still rubbish...and it always will be...so i'm taking on riding as much as i can in the hope that i can finish the bike section on the day with enough time to walk the marathon....not exactly in the spirit of ironman but i think its the only chance i have of getting around.
swimming is improving massively in one sense but not in another. I got a new wetsuit...which made me realise how bad my old one was, at least 3 sizes too big. the new one fits like a second skin (my mrs says it was made for an umpalumpa) and is perfect. i'm only doing OW swimming now and can easily knock out a mile/mile and a half so i'm beginning to believe i can make the cut off on the day....Bad thing is i've developed 'swimmers shoulder' this is from increasing swimming way too quickly coupled with rubbish technique...nothing i can do about it now so i'm just gonna live with it (tough or what??)
I was supposed to do my first Tri of the year last week but due to an unfortunate accident mrs B had on her 2 week old bike (very intimate moment between bike and wall) i decided to stay home on the day and look after her....so my first Tri will be the olympic distance at Liverpool...exactly one year since my first ever Triathlon...and if you'd have told me then i would be doing Ironman i'd have laughed in your face.
i've ordered some new race day kit too....BCTTT cycling top for the bike leg...Teamlaws running top for the run. got to fly them flags eh??
just over 6 weeks to go and its all becoming frighteningly Real, i really am going to have to do this now so if you know me....come out and look out for me....i'll be near the back and will need your support to keep me going.
i think i've got the measure of the fear for now so i thought i may as well put some more words down.
April and May were decent months...i had a spanking new bike (full carbon) that i covered miles and miles on. i've got the better of sheephouse lane now though i've never had to ride up it 3 times with 20 odd miles in between each go. i plan to try that in the coming months.
The good news is they have changed the course this week so the loop is quite a bit easier after SH Lane so again i'm feeling like i can do that.
my running is still rubbish...and it always will be...so i'm taking on riding as much as i can in the hope that i can finish the bike section on the day with enough time to walk the marathon....not exactly in the spirit of ironman but i think its the only chance i have of getting around.
swimming is improving massively in one sense but not in another. I got a new wetsuit...which made me realise how bad my old one was, at least 3 sizes too big. the new one fits like a second skin (my mrs says it was made for an umpalumpa) and is perfect. i'm only doing OW swimming now and can easily knock out a mile/mile and a half so i'm beginning to believe i can make the cut off on the day....Bad thing is i've developed 'swimmers shoulder' this is from increasing swimming way too quickly coupled with rubbish technique...nothing i can do about it now so i'm just gonna live with it (tough or what??)
I was supposed to do my first Tri of the year last week but due to an unfortunate accident mrs B had on her 2 week old bike (very intimate moment between bike and wall) i decided to stay home on the day and look after her....so my first Tri will be the olympic distance at Liverpool...exactly one year since my first ever Triathlon...and if you'd have told me then i would be doing Ironman i'd have laughed in your face.
i've ordered some new race day kit too....BCTTT cycling top for the bike leg...Teamlaws running top for the run. got to fly them flags eh??
just over 6 weeks to go and its all becoming frighteningly Real, i really am going to have to do this now so if you know me....come out and look out for me....i'll be near the back and will need your support to keep me going.
Monday 12 April 2010
March started happy ended sad
what a mixed month march was. It started really well but ended really badly...in a way that made me question whether to continue....well more whether i could be bothered continuing really.
At the start of march something great happened....i got my hands on my new bike that i want to take me into T2 of IMUK. after much deliberation, window shopping..internet researching and question asking i made the decision to buy a Ribble Nero RC full carbon road bike. Its an absolute cracker. it rides amazing...Shimano 105's all over make it feel totally precise, Its fast enough on the downhill bits and climbs like a billy goat on the uphill bits. spending over £1000 on a bike will always place a bit of worry in your mind (especially when your no expert and everybody has their own opinions) but i'm honestly thrilled to bits with it.
Then a couple of weeks into March my beloved dog Corky died. he'd been battling an illness for months and we finally had to give up as we couldn't seem him in pain any longer. It was heartbreaking to lose my best pal and i totally lost motivation for a few weeks and considered calling it off.
We didn't run the planned Reading half marathon and just about everything suffered. But I came out of the rut and got going again and actually finished the month strongly.
so back on track now...starting to see massive cycling improvements but the swimming is suffering...but I'll keep going on that one.
Numbers for March then
Swim 2.6 miles (i know i know)
Bike 126 miles
Run 52 miles
I think its going pretty well. i have days when i seriously doubt myself...days when i think i can do it. only one way to find out i guess........
JFDI
At the start of march something great happened....i got my hands on my new bike that i want to take me into T2 of IMUK. after much deliberation, window shopping..internet researching and question asking i made the decision to buy a Ribble Nero RC full carbon road bike. Its an absolute cracker. it rides amazing...Shimano 105's all over make it feel totally precise, Its fast enough on the downhill bits and climbs like a billy goat on the uphill bits. spending over £1000 on a bike will always place a bit of worry in your mind (especially when your no expert and everybody has their own opinions) but i'm honestly thrilled to bits with it.
Then a couple of weeks into March my beloved dog Corky died. he'd been battling an illness for months and we finally had to give up as we couldn't seem him in pain any longer. It was heartbreaking to lose my best pal and i totally lost motivation for a few weeks and considered calling it off.
We didn't run the planned Reading half marathon and just about everything suffered. But I came out of the rut and got going again and actually finished the month strongly.
so back on track now...starting to see massive cycling improvements but the swimming is suffering...but I'll keep going on that one.
Numbers for March then
Swim 2.6 miles (i know i know)
Bike 126 miles
Run 52 miles
I think its going pretty well. i have days when i seriously doubt myself...days when i think i can do it. only one way to find out i guess........
JFDI
Tuesday 2 March 2010
February Made me shiver
I seriously Cant wait for the spring. Feb was cold cold cold....so cold in fact that my biking suffered and i did nowhere near as much as i wanted to....still at least my running is improving. so the Feb stats (as if you're interested)
i swam 3.4 miles...mostly drills but this did include a 45 min 1 mile session which is the first time i've done that distance in that time.
I also Biked 37 miles....this is nowhere near enough even for base training but i'm hating the turbo and have given up on it...so i'm just getting out when i can and will step that up massively this month.
As far as running is concerned...well a bit of success here. total miles is 54...which includes my first half marathon of the year. Last weekend Cat (my mrs) and i ran the Blackpool half marathon on a very brisk and snowy Sunday morning. it was a good event and i managed to come in at 2.27 (cat did 2.04) which is my best time for this distance beating my previous time by 14 minutes, Running isn't my strong suit so i'm well pleased with that progress and hope to continue it...not necessarily quicker but it certainly is getting a little easier as i put more time on my feet.
In other news, i've succumbed to the lure of carbon....yes i've sold my beloved vitus road bike for a lovely flashy all carbon Ribble Nero RC bike. Its an amazing piece of kit and will defiantly cost me a lot in WAT (Wife added Tax) but i think its worth the price and i can't wait to get my hands on it this weekend (i hope). i'll do an update on the ride once i've spent some time in the saddle.
I've also decided to do the cowman sprint distance tri on 4th July. I'm doing this as its the main event for team laws...where Ben and his son Ewan will do a full middle distance triathlon together. Visit www.teamlaws.co.uk to find out just what a fantastic achievement this will be...oh and please support and donate.
On the final note of charity, i think i am going to do some fund raising through the event, selfishly i'm i am having trouble finding time between work and training to even think about it....i sort of just want to concentrate on myself and getting to the end but i'm gonna try.
If i do then my chosen charity will be Teamlaws...as not only do i have a BCTTT interest with ben and ewan being in the club but its also one of the best causes and stories i've heard since i got into Triathlon.
again, Please check out www.teamlaws.co.uk and show your support...until next time thanks for reading.
i swam 3.4 miles...mostly drills but this did include a 45 min 1 mile session which is the first time i've done that distance in that time.
I also Biked 37 miles....this is nowhere near enough even for base training but i'm hating the turbo and have given up on it...so i'm just getting out when i can and will step that up massively this month.
As far as running is concerned...well a bit of success here. total miles is 54...which includes my first half marathon of the year. Last weekend Cat (my mrs) and i ran the Blackpool half marathon on a very brisk and snowy Sunday morning. it was a good event and i managed to come in at 2.27 (cat did 2.04) which is my best time for this distance beating my previous time by 14 minutes, Running isn't my strong suit so i'm well pleased with that progress and hope to continue it...not necessarily quicker but it certainly is getting a little easier as i put more time on my feet.
In other news, i've succumbed to the lure of carbon....yes i've sold my beloved vitus road bike for a lovely flashy all carbon Ribble Nero RC bike. Its an amazing piece of kit and will defiantly cost me a lot in WAT (Wife added Tax) but i think its worth the price and i can't wait to get my hands on it this weekend (i hope). i'll do an update on the ride once i've spent some time in the saddle.
I've also decided to do the cowman sprint distance tri on 4th July. I'm doing this as its the main event for team laws...where Ben and his son Ewan will do a full middle distance triathlon together. Visit www.teamlaws.co.uk to find out just what a fantastic achievement this will be...oh and please support and donate.
On the final note of charity, i think i am going to do some fund raising through the event, selfishly i'm i am having trouble finding time between work and training to even think about it....i sort of just want to concentrate on myself and getting to the end but i'm gonna try.
If i do then my chosen charity will be Teamlaws...as not only do i have a BCTTT interest with ben and ewan being in the club but its also one of the best causes and stories i've heard since i got into Triathlon.
again, Please check out www.teamlaws.co.uk and show your support...until next time thanks for reading.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Trainings going well .... eventually
Finally the snow went away and allowed me to get training started...January wasn't the best month but as its only base training I wasn't too worried about missing the odd session through the snow etc (also a bad cold) in the first week. but it did get going and I have to say I'm enjoying it so far.
To summarise what I've done.... I've swam 4.2 miles in 4.4hours (mostly drills in 30-40 minute sessions) I've ran 49 miles in just over 9 hours...and I've biked 66 miles in just about 5 hours.
Just about all of the bike work has been on the turbo trainer...which I hate with a passion. The sessions have been 30-45 minutes and at the moment I cant do much more than that, simply because I hate it.
Guys at BCTTT reckon I need to learn to love the turbo but to be honest I can't wait for it to warm up a little and the lighter nights to come so I can get out and ride the hills.... I really believe I'll get much more from that...maybe not psychologically in terms of fighting the boredom...but in terms of doing the miles and fighting the actual hills for race day, I think being out on the course will be unbeatable.
my running is going well.... I'm not a fast runner by any standards but I'm working a run walk strategy and doing a hilly 5 miler in about 55 minutes...so I'm going to stick to that pace and hopefully once I start adding interval training etc I'll maybe get a bit more pace in there... I just don't know right now....its deffo still hurting!!!
so then we come to swimming, I thought I was an ok swimmer but I recently went to tricentral in Manchester, where they have an endless pool (think a treadmill with water) they also film you from 4 different angles.
I'm not an OK swimmer...my stroke and style are all over the place...it was a real eye opener and a massive motivation to do more drills rather than just bash out the laps....and its all legs...my arms were OK..not too bad form....but body position and kicking action needs massive work....and that means me spending even more money...oops.....triathlon is NOT the cheap sport I thought it would be.
That's about all I have to report on, I'm enjoying the adventure so far, looking forward to more although....it's snowing again....is somebody trying to stop me?????
To summarise what I've done.... I've swam 4.2 miles in 4.4hours (mostly drills in 30-40 minute sessions) I've ran 49 miles in just over 9 hours...and I've biked 66 miles in just about 5 hours.
Just about all of the bike work has been on the turbo trainer...which I hate with a passion. The sessions have been 30-45 minutes and at the moment I cant do much more than that, simply because I hate it.
Guys at BCTTT reckon I need to learn to love the turbo but to be honest I can't wait for it to warm up a little and the lighter nights to come so I can get out and ride the hills.... I really believe I'll get much more from that...maybe not psychologically in terms of fighting the boredom...but in terms of doing the miles and fighting the actual hills for race day, I think being out on the course will be unbeatable.
my running is going well.... I'm not a fast runner by any standards but I'm working a run walk strategy and doing a hilly 5 miler in about 55 minutes...so I'm going to stick to that pace and hopefully once I start adding interval training etc I'll maybe get a bit more pace in there... I just don't know right now....its deffo still hurting!!!
so then we come to swimming, I thought I was an ok swimmer but I recently went to tricentral in Manchester, where they have an endless pool (think a treadmill with water) they also film you from 4 different angles.
I'm not an OK swimmer...my stroke and style are all over the place...it was a real eye opener and a massive motivation to do more drills rather than just bash out the laps....and its all legs...my arms were OK..not too bad form....but body position and kicking action needs massive work....and that means me spending even more money...oops.....triathlon is NOT the cheap sport I thought it would be.
That's about all I have to report on, I'm enjoying the adventure so far, looking forward to more although....it's snowing again....is somebody trying to stop me?????
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