As i said in the last post...march always seems to be a tough month and this year it was a total write off...i had the worst back injury i've had in ten years and it took me the whole month to get back straight and training again....it cast very serious doubts over my attempt this year also resulted in eating and drinking too much so weight loss stalled/went backwards too.....
but i'm happy to say i've come out of the other side and am back in full training.
I have to thank Grant @ Backinmotion (my chiropractor) for this...the guy is a genius with back problems and knew exactly what to do....exactly what i can do and never pushed...also never forced more (£32 a go) treatment on me if i didnt need it. Legend.
Another legend is Mike 'The Bike' Taylor @ Bridgetown cycles....i took my Ribble for a pro bike fitting and its incredible what this guy knows about getting the most out of your bike....he also has 'jedi mind tricks' and somehow i ended up trading in the ribble and buying a Trek Madone 3.1 Carbon road bike....WAT (wife added tax) came to 100% for this as i had to buy cat (mrsB) one too if i wanted one myself but he did a fantastic deal...took our bikes in PX and i'm thrilled to bits with the new one....on top of that it rides and feels incredible and comfortable so mike wasnt just trying to sell me a new bike...he was RIGHT...and now so is the bike.
I'm racking up the miles on it and back to full running...swimming has been very slow cause i'm bored with the pool but only 3 weeks or so till open water starts which i love doing and feel my shoulders will be ready for a decent assault.
As i said march was almost a complete write off with just 13 miles running and 68 cycling with 4 in the pool....very poor....April will be better (in fact it already is) though i've been coming back slowly and incorporating a lot of core work and back stretches.
I'm currently thinking of ditching one run a week in favour of either an extra ride or a palates / core workout but i've not yet decided and wont get hung up on it.
only 8 weeks or so to Bala and i'm going to have a right good go at being ready for that....cause if i can be ready for that i wont be far off being ready for IMUK!
famous last words eh??
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Feb was brill....March has started bad
There seems to be something about March....last year we lost Corky....which knocked me for 6....this year i've hurt my back....i've missed a week of training so far and will probably miss another week. this week is supposed to be the start of build training too...so a real step back now.
February was a very consistent month training wise....much better than last years feb....for comparison
Feb 2010 Running 54 miles (did a HM in feb though)
Feb 2011 Running 47 miles
Feb 2010 Cycling 37 miles
Feb 2011 Cycling 182 miles
much of the cycling was on the turbo...which has proved useful as can be seen via the figures....but then the bubble burst.
i'll update once i know more about the injury...i have a lot to put right but it is all do-able.
heres hoping!!!
February was a very consistent month training wise....much better than last years feb....for comparison
Feb 2010 Running 54 miles (did a HM in feb though)
Feb 2011 Running 47 miles
Feb 2010 Cycling 37 miles
Feb 2011 Cycling 182 miles
much of the cycling was on the turbo...which has proved useful as can be seen via the figures....but then the bubble burst.
i'll update once i know more about the injury...i have a lot to put right but it is all do-able.
heres hoping!!!
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Started with a splutter not a bang
a month in already!!!! it seems so close now...lol
January finally finishes and Training has been pretty good if i do say so myself...it started out slowly as in halfway through the first week and into the second week i was full of a cold..a nasty one too (man flu if not swine flu or worse :-) )which totally hampered training. at least the snow wasn't around this year.
Once i got over the cold training got kick started and its been going great. running...although still not fast is really coming on good and i'm feeling better every run i do...i'm even running up hills these days....in a strange way i enjoy the running the most..even though its what i'm worst at...i suppose its cause you don't have to think...just put in your ear buds turn up the music and see how you feel. all shortish runs up to 10k at the mo...under 70 mins and all at z2 HR.
Cycling at the moment is restricted to the Turbo trainer....i'm still not a fan of the turbo but after last year i know i need to embrace it...and build the legs up (which it is great for) before i start taking on the hills again come march....this time i'm going to ride, ride and ride more and really hope to knock maybe an hour off my ride time on the day....this will give me more time to try and relax into the run...anyway...more of race plans closer to the time.
I've also started swimming, the physio did a great job on getting my shoulder moving again and so far no adverse affects...no real distances done yet...but i'm taking it slow so as to avoid a setback.
In other news i've changed my schedule and have pulled out of the edinburgh marathon, it felt a bit close and people suggested i'd struggle to get back into long runs after it so i've decided to have a crack at Bala half ironman in june....it will be a really strong test as its very hilly...also a great event and one i'm looking forward to.
Also a big shout to MrsB here who has taken the plunge into the dark world of long distance triathlon and will be attempting to do the 'cowman' 70.3 in July...a real challenge and one that takes courage just to turn up at the start line for...Good luck Cat.x.
I'm feeling incredibly positive about it all at the moment...start of Jan i did have moments where i felt i didn't want to have another go cause i couldn't face all the training but now i'm into it and starting to see the improvements i feel differently...i've certainly eclipsed the training i did in January last year with the training i have done this year
Jan 2010 66 miles cycling 49 miles running
Jan 2011 112 mile cycling 60 miles running
I'm hoping i can keep it up and the more i do the more i cant wait to get to the finish line....every single run or ride i do i think of the moment in last years race when i knew i couldn't make it....
that's great motivation.
January finally finishes and Training has been pretty good if i do say so myself...it started out slowly as in halfway through the first week and into the second week i was full of a cold..a nasty one too (man flu if not swine flu or worse :-) )which totally hampered training. at least the snow wasn't around this year.
Once i got over the cold training got kick started and its been going great. running...although still not fast is really coming on good and i'm feeling better every run i do...i'm even running up hills these days....in a strange way i enjoy the running the most..even though its what i'm worst at...i suppose its cause you don't have to think...just put in your ear buds turn up the music and see how you feel. all shortish runs up to 10k at the mo...under 70 mins and all at z2 HR.
Cycling at the moment is restricted to the Turbo trainer....i'm still not a fan of the turbo but after last year i know i need to embrace it...and build the legs up (which it is great for) before i start taking on the hills again come march....this time i'm going to ride, ride and ride more and really hope to knock maybe an hour off my ride time on the day....this will give me more time to try and relax into the run...anyway...more of race plans closer to the time.
I've also started swimming, the physio did a great job on getting my shoulder moving again and so far no adverse affects...no real distances done yet...but i'm taking it slow so as to avoid a setback.
In other news i've changed my schedule and have pulled out of the edinburgh marathon, it felt a bit close and people suggested i'd struggle to get back into long runs after it so i've decided to have a crack at Bala half ironman in june....it will be a really strong test as its very hilly...also a great event and one i'm looking forward to.
Also a big shout to MrsB here who has taken the plunge into the dark world of long distance triathlon and will be attempting to do the 'cowman' 70.3 in July...a real challenge and one that takes courage just to turn up at the start line for...Good luck Cat.x.
I'm feeling incredibly positive about it all at the moment...start of Jan i did have moments where i felt i didn't want to have another go cause i couldn't face all the training but now i'm into it and starting to see the improvements i feel differently...i've certainly eclipsed the training i did in January last year with the training i have done this year
Jan 2010 66 miles cycling 49 miles running
Jan 2011 112 mile cycling 60 miles running
I'm hoping i can keep it up and the more i do the more i cant wait to get to the finish line....every single run or ride i do i think of the moment in last years race when i knew i couldn't make it....
that's great motivation.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Happy New year
and a warm welcome back to my old friends 'Pain', 'Fatigue' and an early appearance from DOMS.
wow, its incredible how quickly you lose fitness.
I must admit that december was just about a complete washout...with no running, 2 turbo sessions (to test it after i bought it from a mate) and loads of beer and food. surprisingly i didnt put on any weight....i know this cause at the beginning of december i joined weight watchers on-line...not because i want to lose a load of weight...but so i can properly manage my calorie intake..rather than thinking just cause i've been running for an hour means i can eat all the pies!
Its incredibly easy and in the 4 weeks of december i actually lost 3lbs...lol...not what i expected in december. so thats good.
anyway training has officially started now...the snow has gone...the turbo is set up in the spare room with a big tv/computer monitor and i've had the go-ahead from my physio to start swimming.
On the subject of swimming i probably wont do much until about april...when the open water season starts...this is because i have two local pools and both are rubbish....one is full of the erm....lesser privileged people (best way i can put it) and is a nightmare with loads of kids...the other is 'the pool that time forgot' built in 1923 or something and hardly ever open....not to mention its boring going up and down in a pool. so i'll just go a few times...get some help with technique and test out the old shoulder...i'm not worried about the swim though, its the easy bit.
I had a lot of doubt over Christmas about how much i wanted to do this (in fact i still have them every day) but when people ask me about it i start chatting..and i go on and on...and i realise that i have to finish this...i have to have that ironman medal and put this thing to bed.....also...a mate has signed up after i convinced him...so i cant pull out now.....He'll be fine...barring any mechanical problems he'll finish easy (though he doesnt think so) so i have to deal with the doubts and work hard on it....and you know what?...DOMS is with me right now and it feels kind of good......i'm happy to be back!!!
my plan this time is to concentrate on getting very strong on the bike...and strengthening my core...so i dont have the same problems i had last year.
At the moment 'the fear' isnt with me....mainly i guess cause i know what to expect...but i still dont know if i can finish or not....so only one way to find out.
Here we go again then..........
wow, its incredible how quickly you lose fitness.
I must admit that december was just about a complete washout...with no running, 2 turbo sessions (to test it after i bought it from a mate) and loads of beer and food. surprisingly i didnt put on any weight....i know this cause at the beginning of december i joined weight watchers on-line...not because i want to lose a load of weight...but so i can properly manage my calorie intake..rather than thinking just cause i've been running for an hour means i can eat all the pies!
Its incredibly easy and in the 4 weeks of december i actually lost 3lbs...lol...not what i expected in december. so thats good.
anyway training has officially started now...the snow has gone...the turbo is set up in the spare room with a big tv/computer monitor and i've had the go-ahead from my physio to start swimming.
On the subject of swimming i probably wont do much until about april...when the open water season starts...this is because i have two local pools and both are rubbish....one is full of the erm....lesser privileged people (best way i can put it) and is a nightmare with loads of kids...the other is 'the pool that time forgot' built in 1923 or something and hardly ever open....not to mention its boring going up and down in a pool. so i'll just go a few times...get some help with technique and test out the old shoulder...i'm not worried about the swim though, its the easy bit.
I had a lot of doubt over Christmas about how much i wanted to do this (in fact i still have them every day) but when people ask me about it i start chatting..and i go on and on...and i realise that i have to finish this...i have to have that ironman medal and put this thing to bed.....also...a mate has signed up after i convinced him...so i cant pull out now.....He'll be fine...barring any mechanical problems he'll finish easy (though he doesnt think so) so i have to deal with the doubts and work hard on it....and you know what?...DOMS is with me right now and it feels kind of good......i'm happy to be back!!!
my plan this time is to concentrate on getting very strong on the bike...and strengthening my core...so i dont have the same problems i had last year.
At the moment 'the fear' isnt with me....mainly i guess cause i know what to expect...but i still dont know if i can finish or not....so only one way to find out.
Here we go again then..........
Thursday, 9 December 2010
BRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr
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!!!
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!!!
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!!!!
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