The commonwealth games are a year and a bit away in 2014 so I went up to test the refurbished pool in Edinburgh in full expectation that I'll be selected for Scotland following my weekend TI course!
The pool is impressive and the refurbishment has improved the facility considerably from the dingy place it used to be. I parked the car up outside and was amazed to see a fox relaxing in the sun right by the path. He didn't flinch as I was within a metre of him and cast me a glance in the hope of some scraps.
I arrived, excited to put all that I had learned to the test. The pool is a 50m pool all 2m deep and kept at a decent temperature. I had no nerves, no anxiety, no fear just enthusiasm - what a change from a couple of weeks ago. Jai kept saying focus on one thing so that's what I did. I started with a few balance drills, they were a bit tricky in 2m deep water but I just headed for the side each time. Then I moved on to swims few lengths. I have decided for the next few weeks to forget about speed and completely focus on technique with one thought on each length.
First length was head position, let it bob out in front of me and that was ok. Breathing seemed better with half of my goggles in the water and half below, using the roll of the body from the hips to reach the air. Next length was the skating position to make sure my leading arm was relaxed and in the right position. I stuck with that for a few lengths as I worked on my timing and hand entry position. Then it was on to wide arms which helps release the stroke into the right position. All up I felt things were going well.
So I decided to count my strokes, total of 44 for the 50m pool. Now I used to take 27 or 28 for a 25m pool so that means if I build and sustain my current stoke length I will use 3,344 strokes in an ironman. This compares to 4,180 with my old stroke which means that if I even do the same time I will be 836 strokes better off and less tired for the run and bike which equates to a 20.14% improvement in my swimming efficiency. Not bad for a weekend away!!! You can't take the quantity surveyor out of me!
The interesting thing was that the more I relaxed and just let the calm envelope my stroke the easier it became. I wasn't pulling hard on the catch part of the stroke, I just chilled out focused on the one thing each length and let it happen. I may have looked rather odd in the pool but I don't care. Practice makes perfect and I enjoyed today.
After I posted the blog last night I spent 40 minutes cross training to completely toast my legs. I've started taking recovery shakes, no idea if they make a difference but I'm prepared to give it a go. So once I'd finished my work I headed into the gym and did another 40 minutes cross train tonight followed by 20 minutes on the abs. They are still well hidden but with the inches coming off the waist I hope that they will make a summer appearance!
I'm enjoying the training this time. I suppose because I've finished 3 ironman races in the past the pressure is off and I feel that although the schedule is a big commitment I have time to relax and enjoy the training time I have. After all a few hours out on a bike or running on a day like today is hardly a hardship is it?
My head is full of exciting ideas for this year but more of them later.
Let's make 2013 something special!
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Monday, 25 February 2013
from a stone to a fish - is it a miracle?
Well it's been a few days since I've been around to blog.
This weekend I was fortunate to be able to go on a swim course to help my freestyle. Anyone that has seen me swim will know exactly how unfreestyle my swimming was. My previous approach was firstly change to enter water, stage 2 grow increasingly uptight, stage 3 become stressed, stage 4 thrash up and down the lane to a point of exhaustion and final stage was to get out of the pool depressed at my inability. So this weekend I bit the bullet and went to a swim course on Saturday morning.
There were 12 of us in the group all with different objectives and targets - mine was fairly simple I wanted to come away with the belief that I could swim and not get completely stressed every time I go near water. When I went to Lake Placid I had a panic attack in the water on the Wednesday practice before the race and it shredded my brittle confidence. At that point a personal coach talked me round and gave me some ways of tackling the problem should it arise on race day. It didn't and I somehow pulled off a 1:35 swim which was pretty fast for me.
So the morning started with an explanation of what was ahead, how the process would work and a chance for us all to talk about what we were aiming for. There were a couple of folk starting out on the triathlon journey, a couple more aiming to Ironman and few that just wanted to swim more efficiently. The course was led by Jai Evans of Total Immersion with support from Salka Hintikka and a local coach Jan Moffat Osband, they were all excellent.
You could see everyone was itching to get in the pool and show there swim techniques off. Apart from a couple of folk who had little freestyle experience I reckon that 90% of the rest of the people secretly hoped that the first video review would be a pat on the back and told that they were excellent and only need a minor change to reach perfection!! So the first session included the video recording and we started with the drills that would become the focus of the weekend. I should of said that the programme is geared up to give you the tools to go away and with practice improve your swimming. The journey to perfection starts with the weekend training.
So the start was easy - pretend to be superman in the water. Sounds easy because it's not superman as we know him but a drill to get your hands into the right place in the water and part of the balance drills. Balance I have learned is very important in swimming and finding your own balance point will help. I would get the DVD's that Total Immersion sells to get you started. Anyway after the initial drills and having spent time in the pool it was back to the classroom to review the techniques. This was again not as I expected because Jai picked out a lot of positives with everyone as well as some of the challenges that they faced. The chap I was sat beside was called Heston, not the Blumental version, but a really nice guy who was a regular and very competent swimmer.
So after the reviews it was back to the pool - sadly I missed that session due to a prior dinner engagement but Jai took me through the work that was going to be done. Day 2 started bright and early and we were in the pool just after 8.30. It wasn't very warm but 2 inches of fat and a rash vest kept me comfortable!!
We went back to some of the earlier drills to reinforce the balance stuff before progressing into being able to understand slipping through the water efficiently, relaxed hands, point of entry and timing. There were more classroom sessions which reviewed effective training and the good and bad of group practice sessions before heading back to the pool for more drills before we put it all together and started swimming.
I felt brilliant. Everything that we had been taught made sense and the tip of only focusing on one thing on each length gave me a few victories as the session went on. We then had the final video shoot and headed back to the class for the final review and advice of what to work on.
Jai had a iPad with sports video software so he could move quickly back and forward and show everyone the good and not so good parts of their stroke. One chap, a would be Ironman, seemed to have improved significantly and Jai drew a dolphin shape around him, I wondered if I would get a dolphin shape around me! Sadly not but the improvement is significant. Most of swimming is in your head and if you open your mind, forget the years of poor technique and free yourself from over thinking and trying too hard suddenly it seemed easier. To me the challenge was the messages that my brain sent when I go swimming were all negative. I enjoyed swimming at the end. The style of coaching suited me and because the learning experience was relaxed and good fun I think I approached the pool more relaxed and prepared to enjoy myself.
I look forward to my next pool session and I got the belief that I can swim and go on to be a better, more confident swimmer in the future. I've not explained it all very well but I remember the drills and will practice to improve my technique.
Our coaches in Jai, Salka and Jan all brought something different to the learning experience and I enjoyed working with them all. I think everyone will go to these sort of course with different expectations. My expectations were exceeded, I didn't expect to come home swimming like Michael Phelps and of course I didn't but I have now got all the tools to improve and be the swimmer I know that I can be. So no longer will I be the stone and soon I hope to be the fish! If you want to swim better then I'd happily recommend Jai and the team at TI because as you know if I can do it anyone can!
I kept it all real running 10 miles in the afternoon sun this afternoon. It was stunning! Maybe the miracle will be complete if I can run the 2.4 mile swim section of the Ireman! Ok that's impossible but maybe I might just enjoy it now!
This weekend I was fortunate to be able to go on a swim course to help my freestyle. Anyone that has seen me swim will know exactly how unfreestyle my swimming was. My previous approach was firstly change to enter water, stage 2 grow increasingly uptight, stage 3 become stressed, stage 4 thrash up and down the lane to a point of exhaustion and final stage was to get out of the pool depressed at my inability. So this weekend I bit the bullet and went to a swim course on Saturday morning.
There were 12 of us in the group all with different objectives and targets - mine was fairly simple I wanted to come away with the belief that I could swim and not get completely stressed every time I go near water. When I went to Lake Placid I had a panic attack in the water on the Wednesday practice before the race and it shredded my brittle confidence. At that point a personal coach talked me round and gave me some ways of tackling the problem should it arise on race day. It didn't and I somehow pulled off a 1:35 swim which was pretty fast for me.
So the morning started with an explanation of what was ahead, how the process would work and a chance for us all to talk about what we were aiming for. There were a couple of folk starting out on the triathlon journey, a couple more aiming to Ironman and few that just wanted to swim more efficiently. The course was led by Jai Evans of Total Immersion with support from Salka Hintikka and a local coach Jan Moffat Osband, they were all excellent.
You could see everyone was itching to get in the pool and show there swim techniques off. Apart from a couple of folk who had little freestyle experience I reckon that 90% of the rest of the people secretly hoped that the first video review would be a pat on the back and told that they were excellent and only need a minor change to reach perfection!! So the first session included the video recording and we started with the drills that would become the focus of the weekend. I should of said that the programme is geared up to give you the tools to go away and with practice improve your swimming. The journey to perfection starts with the weekend training.
So the start was easy - pretend to be superman in the water. Sounds easy because it's not superman as we know him but a drill to get your hands into the right place in the water and part of the balance drills. Balance I have learned is very important in swimming and finding your own balance point will help. I would get the DVD's that Total Immersion sells to get you started. Anyway after the initial drills and having spent time in the pool it was back to the classroom to review the techniques. This was again not as I expected because Jai picked out a lot of positives with everyone as well as some of the challenges that they faced. The chap I was sat beside was called Heston, not the Blumental version, but a really nice guy who was a regular and very competent swimmer.
So after the reviews it was back to the pool - sadly I missed that session due to a prior dinner engagement but Jai took me through the work that was going to be done. Day 2 started bright and early and we were in the pool just after 8.30. It wasn't very warm but 2 inches of fat and a rash vest kept me comfortable!!
We went back to some of the earlier drills to reinforce the balance stuff before progressing into being able to understand slipping through the water efficiently, relaxed hands, point of entry and timing. There were more classroom sessions which reviewed effective training and the good and bad of group practice sessions before heading back to the pool for more drills before we put it all together and started swimming.
I felt brilliant. Everything that we had been taught made sense and the tip of only focusing on one thing on each length gave me a few victories as the session went on. We then had the final video shoot and headed back to the class for the final review and advice of what to work on.
Jai had a iPad with sports video software so he could move quickly back and forward and show everyone the good and not so good parts of their stroke. One chap, a would be Ironman, seemed to have improved significantly and Jai drew a dolphin shape around him, I wondered if I would get a dolphin shape around me! Sadly not but the improvement is significant. Most of swimming is in your head and if you open your mind, forget the years of poor technique and free yourself from over thinking and trying too hard suddenly it seemed easier. To me the challenge was the messages that my brain sent when I go swimming were all negative. I enjoyed swimming at the end. The style of coaching suited me and because the learning experience was relaxed and good fun I think I approached the pool more relaxed and prepared to enjoy myself.
I look forward to my next pool session and I got the belief that I can swim and go on to be a better, more confident swimmer in the future. I've not explained it all very well but I remember the drills and will practice to improve my technique.
Our coaches in Jai, Salka and Jan all brought something different to the learning experience and I enjoyed working with them all. I think everyone will go to these sort of course with different expectations. My expectations were exceeded, I didn't expect to come home swimming like Michael Phelps and of course I didn't but I have now got all the tools to improve and be the swimmer I know that I can be. So no longer will I be the stone and soon I hope to be the fish! If you want to swim better then I'd happily recommend Jai and the team at TI because as you know if I can do it anyone can!
I kept it all real running 10 miles in the afternoon sun this afternoon. It was stunning! Maybe the miracle will be complete if I can run the 2.4 mile swim section of the Ireman! Ok that's impossible but maybe I might just enjoy it now!
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Stone shifter!
Well it's been another cracking day! Weather turned a bit cloudier and cooler but a text to Derek established a 12.15 rendezvous to go over Cliesh round to Powmill and back over Knockhill.
Derek fessed up to 3 PB's on our Sunday afternoon ride which explains why I was left trailing in his wake. The roads were quiet, the wind was out of the East and my legs felt like lead. I couldn't understand why every pedal felt like I was wading through treacle but I soldiered on. The climb up Cliesh is one that we know well and Derek was in fine form leading the way and setting a cracking pace.
We were careful on the decent, seen too many folk crash on the way down and then set off to Powmill. The wind was behind and I was struggling to hold Derek's wheel. I shouted as something was rubbing and I thought my mudguards needed a tweak. I turned the bike up and spun the wheels, the front wheel took a second and although still rubbing it wasn't too bad. The back wheel didn't spin at all. I looked and realised that there was a huge collection of mud between the wheel and the mud guard. I found a stick and pushed a wedge of mud out and the wheel run free - what a donkey I was. Everything seemed a little easier after that.
Waved at a DCC rider heading out over Knockhill - say hello if you read this!
Made some sesame flatbread for lunch, did some work and then spent an hour doing circuits and abs work. So yesterday's session was a morning circuits with a 4 mile run later in the day.
Going to rest tomorrow and spend some time stretching.
I had my weekly weigh in today and I've now lost a stone since the turn of the year! Only another stone to go and even then I'll still be obese according to BMI!
Derek fessed up to 3 PB's on our Sunday afternoon ride which explains why I was left trailing in his wake. The roads were quiet, the wind was out of the East and my legs felt like lead. I couldn't understand why every pedal felt like I was wading through treacle but I soldiered on. The climb up Cliesh is one that we know well and Derek was in fine form leading the way and setting a cracking pace.
We were careful on the decent, seen too many folk crash on the way down and then set off to Powmill. The wind was behind and I was struggling to hold Derek's wheel. I shouted as something was rubbing and I thought my mudguards needed a tweak. I turned the bike up and spun the wheels, the front wheel took a second and although still rubbing it wasn't too bad. The back wheel didn't spin at all. I looked and realised that there was a huge collection of mud between the wheel and the mud guard. I found a stick and pushed a wedge of mud out and the wheel run free - what a donkey I was. Everything seemed a little easier after that.
Waved at a DCC rider heading out over Knockhill - say hello if you read this!
Made some sesame flatbread for lunch, did some work and then spent an hour doing circuits and abs work. So yesterday's session was a morning circuits with a 4 mile run later in the day.
Going to rest tomorrow and spend some time stretching.
I had my weekly weigh in today and I've now lost a stone since the turn of the year! Only another stone to go and even then I'll still be obese according to BMI!
Monday, 18 February 2013
Lazy summer days....
What a day! Absolute cracker. It was the sort of day that helps you see Scotland at it's best. The birds were up early heralding the rising sun and walking the pooch was a joy. I decided to get my work done and dusted as quickly as I could so I started at 6.30 and got stuck in. By 12.15 I had most of it out of the way despite my new metallic kettle destroying the tea that keeps me going when I work.
I texted my neighbour to see if she fancied coming out on the bike for an hour. The response was positive and a few minutes later we set off for the cycle track. Anna is a yoga teacher, a very good one at that and keeps herself fit walking and biking so we made good time down the path sharing stories of the last few days. When we found the sun it was warm and very pleasant, out of the sun the frost hinted at danger on the path and it remained cold.
The run along to Forestmill and then back via Saline was stunning, the deer are down off the hill seeking food and I realised how good their hearing is when my rubbing mudguards disturbed there grazing and they shot off over the hill. It was a day to be outside and a day to revel in the fact that I work for myself!
When I got back I finished off some work and then set off for an hour of circuit training. I'm enjoying the circuits and I think it is doing me good. I'm able to do more of the workout as the weeks go by so hopefully I'm building a stronger core which I hope will help my biking later in the year.
Tomorrow is going to be a long run as the weather prediction is that it's going to get colder later in the week so I thought I'd try and get the long run out of the way. I'm pretty convinced the difference between winter and summer in Scotland is a few extra hours daylight and about 5 degrees!
I texted my neighbour to see if she fancied coming out on the bike for an hour. The response was positive and a few minutes later we set off for the cycle track. Anna is a yoga teacher, a very good one at that and keeps herself fit walking and biking so we made good time down the path sharing stories of the last few days. When we found the sun it was warm and very pleasant, out of the sun the frost hinted at danger on the path and it remained cold.
The run along to Forestmill and then back via Saline was stunning, the deer are down off the hill seeking food and I realised how good their hearing is when my rubbing mudguards disturbed there grazing and they shot off over the hill. It was a day to be outside and a day to revel in the fact that I work for myself!
When I got back I finished off some work and then set off for an hour of circuit training. I'm enjoying the circuits and I think it is doing me good. I'm able to do more of the workout as the weeks go by so hopefully I'm building a stronger core which I hope will help my biking later in the year.
Tomorrow is going to be a long run as the weather prediction is that it's going to get colder later in the week so I thought I'd try and get the long run out of the way. I'm pretty convinced the difference between winter and summer in Scotland is a few extra hours daylight and about 5 degrees!
Sunday, 17 February 2013
The Iron Monster.....
Well I was up early and did an hour and a bit cross training which did what it said on the tin. That left the afternoon free to go out on my bike with Derek. Derek's been away for a week in Club La Santa which has made a big difference. He left me in his wake all day and smashed his way up anything that looked like a hill. I have much work to do!!
One of my favorite races was the Iron Monster in my home town of Inverness. They have stopped running the race which is a shame as it was a well organised good race. The start was in the Bught Park at 7am on a rainy and dark September morning. It was a mixed race with teams and individuals taking part. The race was billed as 120k duathlon with the first 40k on foot and the last 80k a mix of mountain bike and road biking.
It was a mass start with solos and teams and we soon formed into groups and I joined up with a bunch of solo racers all with the aim of finishing the race. The route was hilly with most of the run being down the Great Glen Way. There were feed stations every 10k which also served as the handover points for the teams. We were moving along at about 10k per hour in our group and all went well until just after the 20k feed station an enthusiastic team runner knocked over one of the girls that was in the group. She picked herself up but was both shocked and struggling with the damage done to her legs both by the gravel trail and the scrub bushes. So at 30k she went off to get medical help and we all carried on. Bizarrely we passed the offending runner a few miles up the road when he had run out of steam and was walking. A few words were shared!
The hills were taking there toll and we had slowed to a stagger on the uphills. I was still moving when I went past another solo racer who was in worse shape than me. I stopped and he told me he was giving up. I stopped and we began to chat - he was a boxer who had done some amazing challenges but felt this was a stage too far. I suggested that we start to jog so we didn't get cold and then using distraction ie chatting managed to keep him going to the transition - we had lost a bit of time and I completed what turned out to be 43.5k in just under 5 hours.
The major transition was brilliant and as I pulled on my mountain bike shoes one of the volunteers appeared with a bowl of porridge which went down a storm. The next 35k was on the mountain bike - I had set off ahead of the boxer but within 15k he flew past me shouting that he had got his second wind. He was flying. Next thing the girl who had fallen went past on a tandem with her boyfriend - they were very fast. I felt pedestrian but kept my head down and ground out the miles. As we came out of the forest I looked ahead and saw Danielle who had driven down from Inverness - it was brilliant and a real pick up.
The second transition was in the middle of a field - I grabbed some more pasta, pulled on my bike shoes and set off on the last 45k leg along the Dores Road on the East Side of Loch Ness. As you turn out of Drumnadrochit there is a climb of over 1,000ft ahead. I was on my home ground on the road bike and started picking off a few riders. Well about two thirds of the way up I bumped into my boxer friend. He said he was done! Again! I told him to grab my wheel and sit behind me and we'd make it home together. So we ploughed on and once the hill was crested it was a fairly flat run into Inverness. We were picking up a few of the solo guys and passing a few teams as we worked together.
It was brilliant and the miles flew by. We had made it to the finish, the boxer and the other guys that had shared my wheel all stopped and let me finish ahead of them. It was a fab thing to do and I felt pretty emotional.
We then had to clear all of the bikes and kit into the car - no fun after a long race but after a quick shower Danielle and I headed out into town for something to eat and to celebrate the result - I had finished in 23 out of 39 Iron (solo) racers and 225 out of the 256 teams and solos - I was dead chuffed to beat a few of the teams! I'd finished in 9.03.
It's a shame that they no longer do the race as it was brilliantly run, good fun and I would love to do it again.
Not sure why I am writing this down other than I was thinking about it today on the hill out of Dollar....
A new week begins and the weather looks set fair which hopefully means a few good outings!
One of my favorite races was the Iron Monster in my home town of Inverness. They have stopped running the race which is a shame as it was a well organised good race. The start was in the Bught Park at 7am on a rainy and dark September morning. It was a mixed race with teams and individuals taking part. The race was billed as 120k duathlon with the first 40k on foot and the last 80k a mix of mountain bike and road biking.
It was a mass start with solos and teams and we soon formed into groups and I joined up with a bunch of solo racers all with the aim of finishing the race. The route was hilly with most of the run being down the Great Glen Way. There were feed stations every 10k which also served as the handover points for the teams. We were moving along at about 10k per hour in our group and all went well until just after the 20k feed station an enthusiastic team runner knocked over one of the girls that was in the group. She picked herself up but was both shocked and struggling with the damage done to her legs both by the gravel trail and the scrub bushes. So at 30k she went off to get medical help and we all carried on. Bizarrely we passed the offending runner a few miles up the road when he had run out of steam and was walking. A few words were shared!
The hills were taking there toll and we had slowed to a stagger on the uphills. I was still moving when I went past another solo racer who was in worse shape than me. I stopped and he told me he was giving up. I stopped and we began to chat - he was a boxer who had done some amazing challenges but felt this was a stage too far. I suggested that we start to jog so we didn't get cold and then using distraction ie chatting managed to keep him going to the transition - we had lost a bit of time and I completed what turned out to be 43.5k in just under 5 hours.
The major transition was brilliant and as I pulled on my mountain bike shoes one of the volunteers appeared with a bowl of porridge which went down a storm. The next 35k was on the mountain bike - I had set off ahead of the boxer but within 15k he flew past me shouting that he had got his second wind. He was flying. Next thing the girl who had fallen went past on a tandem with her boyfriend - they were very fast. I felt pedestrian but kept my head down and ground out the miles. As we came out of the forest I looked ahead and saw Danielle who had driven down from Inverness - it was brilliant and a real pick up.
The second transition was in the middle of a field - I grabbed some more pasta, pulled on my bike shoes and set off on the last 45k leg along the Dores Road on the East Side of Loch Ness. As you turn out of Drumnadrochit there is a climb of over 1,000ft ahead. I was on my home ground on the road bike and started picking off a few riders. Well about two thirds of the way up I bumped into my boxer friend. He said he was done! Again! I told him to grab my wheel and sit behind me and we'd make it home together. So we ploughed on and once the hill was crested it was a fairly flat run into Inverness. We were picking up a few of the solo guys and passing a few teams as we worked together.
It was brilliant and the miles flew by. We had made it to the finish, the boxer and the other guys that had shared my wheel all stopped and let me finish ahead of them. It was a fab thing to do and I felt pretty emotional.
We then had to clear all of the bikes and kit into the car - no fun after a long race but after a quick shower Danielle and I headed out into town for something to eat and to celebrate the result - I had finished in 23 out of 39 Iron (solo) racers and 225 out of the 256 teams and solos - I was dead chuffed to beat a few of the teams! I'd finished in 9.03.
It's a shame that they no longer do the race as it was brilliantly run, good fun and I would love to do it again.
Not sure why I am writing this down other than I was thinking about it today on the hill out of Dollar....
A new week begins and the weather looks set fair which hopefully means a few good outings!
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Hobbling along....
After a couple of days of doing nothing I decided to get the cut and sore knee moving again so I headed back to the Parkrun in Edinburgh. I decided not to bike down this week and take the time to print my number. Could I get my printer to work! Anyway I couldn't believe it when I was running late again.
I drove, within the speed limit for all the police on the DCC Facebook page, and parked up at the top of the hill. Jumped out of the car at 9.30 and ran to the start Justin time to see the race disappearing over the start line.
I sped up and crossed the start line about a minute after the gun, started the garmin and managed to start passing people. My knee felt loose, the only way I can describe it but once I got moving I didn't notice it too much. The race went pretty much to plan and my number gave me a finish time of 23.58 which if a minute is deducted would be under the 23 minutes - almost 2 minutes outside of my PB. I forgot to switch off my garmin and messed up the timing on that as well. Bumped into my friends Andrew and Jane again today and both did PB's which was a fantastic result for both of them. It's a great race and very friendly.
So this afternoon I did a cross training session for 50 minutes which went to plan. Every week I seem to be getting stronger - time will tell!
Danielle is currently looking rather crossly at me as I turned my muddy kit inside out on Wednesday night and washed it on Thursday. She is now turning out dry mud onto the living room floor and looks like my socks are heading back to the wash!!!
It's 26 weeks to the race and my proper race training schedule will kick in this week. It's always a nerve racking time when you realise the challenge that lies ahead. The constant training, building up time and distances week by week and knowing that from now on it's time to get serious. As I said before I'm good with programmes and sticking to them. Iain Taylor is hopefully joining me in County Down (thus the title Up for Down) - his programme will be different to mine. We race each other but in reality I'm not at his level so the only people we actually race is ourselves. We will both have our targets and goals that we are aiming to achieve but the real challenge is being able to stay fit, complete the training and make the start line. The second target is to finish and third is to deliver a time.
I've seen disasters on race day with people lost in a world of pain where there energy supplies have run out and the next thing people in that state remember is waking up on a saline drip!
The Ironman community is really special as finishing is seen as a success and after the race your time is almost incidental. I've been lucky and met some serious racers who have been happy to chat with me and treated me like a winner in post race parties. I love it!
Weight loss is on target and to date, after from the night time fall, everything is working out. Having the support network around me is also brilliant - the guys on the DCC Multi Sport Facebook page have been great, Iain Taylor is always available for advice and my family are incredibly supportive and encouraging. I'm a lucky man and look forward to getting the traing plan started next week!
I drove, within the speed limit for all the police on the DCC Facebook page, and parked up at the top of the hill. Jumped out of the car at 9.30 and ran to the start Justin time to see the race disappearing over the start line.
I sped up and crossed the start line about a minute after the gun, started the garmin and managed to start passing people. My knee felt loose, the only way I can describe it but once I got moving I didn't notice it too much. The race went pretty much to plan and my number gave me a finish time of 23.58 which if a minute is deducted would be under the 23 minutes - almost 2 minutes outside of my PB. I forgot to switch off my garmin and messed up the timing on that as well. Bumped into my friends Andrew and Jane again today and both did PB's which was a fantastic result for both of them. It's a great race and very friendly.
So this afternoon I did a cross training session for 50 minutes which went to plan. Every week I seem to be getting stronger - time will tell!
Danielle is currently looking rather crossly at me as I turned my muddy kit inside out on Wednesday night and washed it on Thursday. She is now turning out dry mud onto the living room floor and looks like my socks are heading back to the wash!!!
It's 26 weeks to the race and my proper race training schedule will kick in this week. It's always a nerve racking time when you realise the challenge that lies ahead. The constant training, building up time and distances week by week and knowing that from now on it's time to get serious. As I said before I'm good with programmes and sticking to them. Iain Taylor is hopefully joining me in County Down (thus the title Up for Down) - his programme will be different to mine. We race each other but in reality I'm not at his level so the only people we actually race is ourselves. We will both have our targets and goals that we are aiming to achieve but the real challenge is being able to stay fit, complete the training and make the start line. The second target is to finish and third is to deliver a time.
I've seen disasters on race day with people lost in a world of pain where there energy supplies have run out and the next thing people in that state remember is waking up on a saline drip!
The Ironman community is really special as finishing is seen as a success and after the race your time is almost incidental. I've been lucky and met some serious racers who have been happy to chat with me and treated me like a winner in post race parties. I love it!
Weight loss is on target and to date, after from the night time fall, everything is working out. Having the support network around me is also brilliant - the guys on the DCC Multi Sport Facebook page have been great, Iain Taylor is always available for advice and my family are incredibly supportive and encouraging. I'm a lucky man and look forward to getting the traing plan started next week!
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Oops upside your head night 10k
What a day! A six o clock alarm call found me awake and writing emails - funny how things seem very important during the long dark nights! Danielle appeared at the door and after a quick change we headed in to do our circuit training. It was a tough 45 minutes of mixed stuff that included some yoga and stretching which I'm enjoying.
The snow was coming down and I decided to set off into Edinburgh early in case my car wouldn't make it through the inch of snow. German engineering at it's best!
Iain Taylor sent me a text to enquire if I was doing the evening head torch 10k race in Dalkeith Country Park. I replied that I'd wait and see. The day wore on and as I watched the rain thrash the Morningside roads I decided that I would just head home. I phoned Iain and advised of my decision. It was a short lived decision as 5 minutes later I changed my mind and decided to do it. I needed to nip to Decathlon, the Tesco of the sporting goods world, to pick pa base layer and gloves which I had forgotten. Muppet!
I changed at dad and mums house with a welcome cup of tea and a slice of mums amazing fruit cake. I was well set with that energy boost on board. Once I'd registered I found Iain and John Woodrow sitting in their car and we blethered away the time. I find both of these guys inspirational because they are both hugely talented athletes but down to earth and are happy to swap stories with a back of the pack like like myself. It was good because I also met Andrew Kinninmonth another Dunfermline Multi Sport athlete just before the start.
So the the race brief was basically the course is wet, it's cold and muddy. No great dangers - more of the dangers later! The race start was fast, Iain was at the front of the pack and I started towards the back. The paths at the start were very boggy and slippy. I not sure where but I understand that John Woodrow twisted an ankle in the mud and ruts. It wasn't long before his race was over when he twisted the other ankle - nightmare for John and I hope he recovers quickly with no long term damage.
My race was a bit of a slog as I slipped and slided through the mud. to be honest I wasn't sure if I was enjoying myself. Things were ok with people round me but when the pack split up I could see hee haw with my failing head torch - schoolboy error not checking the batteries! The last section is a downhill run to the finish and with no vision I tripped on a branch and my knee landed heavily on another. I hobbled to the finish line and was advised that I was the muddiest finisher to date! I crossed the line in 58.55 and to be honest I was quite pleased to break and hour.
My knee was seizing up so I decided to jump in the car and get home. It was a muddiest in the utility when I stripped off. My knee had a nice golf ball sized lump and is all cut. So I'm limping around the house! I called Iain and he let me know about John's troubles and that he had finished in 44 minutes and in the top 15 finishers. Very impressive stuff! Not sure how Andrew got on but I'm sure he was well ahead of me.
I suppose a few days rest will do me no harm so I'm going to take it easy and start to plan the next 26 weeks before the Ireman!
This s a picture of Iain towards the finish - still looking strong!
The snow was coming down and I decided to set off into Edinburgh early in case my car wouldn't make it through the inch of snow. German engineering at it's best!
Iain Taylor sent me a text to enquire if I was doing the evening head torch 10k race in Dalkeith Country Park. I replied that I'd wait and see. The day wore on and as I watched the rain thrash the Morningside roads I decided that I would just head home. I phoned Iain and advised of my decision. It was a short lived decision as 5 minutes later I changed my mind and decided to do it. I needed to nip to Decathlon, the Tesco of the sporting goods world, to pick pa base layer and gloves which I had forgotten. Muppet!
I changed at dad and mums house with a welcome cup of tea and a slice of mums amazing fruit cake. I was well set with that energy boost on board. Once I'd registered I found Iain and John Woodrow sitting in their car and we blethered away the time. I find both of these guys inspirational because they are both hugely talented athletes but down to earth and are happy to swap stories with a back of the pack like like myself. It was good because I also met Andrew Kinninmonth another Dunfermline Multi Sport athlete just before the start.
So the the race brief was basically the course is wet, it's cold and muddy. No great dangers - more of the dangers later! The race start was fast, Iain was at the front of the pack and I started towards the back. The paths at the start were very boggy and slippy. I not sure where but I understand that John Woodrow twisted an ankle in the mud and ruts. It wasn't long before his race was over when he twisted the other ankle - nightmare for John and I hope he recovers quickly with no long term damage.
My race was a bit of a slog as I slipped and slided through the mud. to be honest I wasn't sure if I was enjoying myself. Things were ok with people round me but when the pack split up I could see hee haw with my failing head torch - schoolboy error not checking the batteries! The last section is a downhill run to the finish and with no vision I tripped on a branch and my knee landed heavily on another. I hobbled to the finish line and was advised that I was the muddiest finisher to date! I crossed the line in 58.55 and to be honest I was quite pleased to break and hour.
My knee was seizing up so I decided to jump in the car and get home. It was a muddiest in the utility when I stripped off. My knee had a nice golf ball sized lump and is all cut. So I'm limping around the house! I called Iain and he let me know about John's troubles and that he had finished in 44 minutes and in the top 15 finishers. Very impressive stuff! Not sure how Andrew got on but I'm sure he was well ahead of me.
I suppose a few days rest will do me no harm so I'm going to take it easy and start to plan the next 26 weeks before the Ireman!
This s a picture of Iain towards the finish - still looking strong!
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