Well the good news is that the sinusitis has cleared and I feel back to my old self. This is great as I was able to get stuck into work again this week and I feel much better.
I started training again yesterday with a one hour spin session on the bike in the gym. I just mixed it up with a few hills, some seated and some standing followed by some sprints to clear the lactic out of my legs. It felt fantastic to be training again.
Today I went backwards in my plan and did my weekend long run. I covered just under 8 miles in 1.13 - slow and steady but I finished knowing I could carry on easily and that I'm getting stronger again.
The other thig that happened today was my weekly battle with Mr Salter - my scales. We have two sets of scales in the house, the heavier results set and the lighter weighing set. Guess which set I use!!! Anyway it's all relative so I clambered on, remembering the 1600 calories from the Nigella (she's just lovely!) cheesecake I enjoyed on Sunday, and was delighted to see that in the two weeks since starting I've lost 6lb. That would be a huge amount for some of the cyclists from the club but it's a scratch in the surface off this fat bloke! It's going to be a long road but at least the car is started!
I'm still not doing much in the way of speed stuff running but can build that later when I shift a few pounds.
Having decided in 2006 that I wanted to try a triathlon I set off online to find out it. I decided to join Edinburgh Triathletes and armed with a 1980's white Peugeot bike I went down to my first training session. The club met at a swimming pool close to where I lived so I pedalled down quite early and filled with nerves. Meeting any new club can be daunting. Now it was my first time, I didn't know the drill and certainly didn't have the kit. I was a runner, well a plodder who had completed a 2 marathons and my initial enthusiasm was completely burst by the initial meeting with the club.
When I arrived there were 2 lycra clad chaps sat on the kerb and when I enquired if this was Edinburgh Tri group they responded yes, avoided eye contact and went back to chatting together. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they were shy but as more and more riders arrived I got strange looks and began to feel that this wasn't for me. Obviously a baggy tee shirt, shorts and training shoes was not exactly racing kit but I was a beginner and as I said didn't have a clue.
I was just about to slope off when a voice called my name, I looked round to see the father of one of my daughters friends and he smiled and asked if I was here for the club ride. I pedalled over and explained I had just joined and he welcomed me, took my bike away to do a wee check of it and introduced me to a couple of the lads. He came back having pumped up my tyres, they were very flat (well I was a beginner) and said he would ride with me. He was brilliant and we rode with the slower of the groups. I was told to stay out of the chain gang and ride at the back of group. My pal stayed with me and as he was part of the gang others came up and spoke to me.
We did a loop to Gullane and back into town and I was really chuffed that I managed to keep up. I think all of the running had built my strength and the biking came on quite quickly. During the course of the next week I splashed out and bought some new kit, straps for my pedals and when I met the tri group the following week was welcomed into the group.
Edinburgh tri organised the annual New Year Day race at the Commonwealth Pool and new year 2007 I entered my first triathlon. I was really nervous and hardly slept the night before the race, Hogmanay 2006 was a quiet night and very dull for Danielle as I messed about with race kit. I didn't have a tri suit so wasn't sure what to race in so I took everything. The day was freezing but the race organisers felt the road were safe enough to race.
I decided to leave my kit in the kids pool area as I thought I would throw on my bike/run kit in there before heading out into the cold. This was a genius plan I though. Now I'm couldn't swim really at all. My breast stroke was terrible and now I was faced with 400 metres. The swim is based on swimming up one lane, going under the rope and then down the next lane until you come out the pook at the far side having swum all 8 lanes. I have to confess that I took a few wee brakes on the journey and I eventually crawled out of the pool absolutely shattered. I walked through to the trainig pool, dried off and pulled on my three layers of tops sadly I pulled them on back to front and when I pulled them off I looked to my left to see my number floating off into the training pool. By this time the elites guys were gliding up and down through the pool and I had to shout to get my number rescued from the 4 foot of water.
Time was passing and I eventually managed to put my tops on, pull on my longs. attach my number and set off for my bike. By this time I had a shiny new Trek 1500 with cleats so I ran with the bike out of transition and set off on my bike. As it turned out I was dead last out of the water and started on the bike miles behind the person above me. I had no idea of this at the time which I was good in many ways. The bike course was three times around Arthers Seat. Now we had done this in training.
A few months previously the tri club had set up a time trial round the same course. I was on my Peugeot and sent out second of the 12 riders taking part - I worked out this meant that I was expected to finish 11th. This was all I needed to spur me on and I completed the 3 laps in a good time with no-one passing me. It turned out I was third fastest on the night which came as a surprise to everyone!
So my bike was strong and although my time wasn't fast it was steady enough. I managed to get going on the run and felt I was picking up places. In the end I finished 184th out of the 317 finishers with splits of
Swim 15:23
Bike 45:05
Run 31:50
Total 1:35:45
Not great but I was happy it was over. My love of triathlon was ignited!
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