Sunday 6th 2008

Today was Bounemouth Olympic Triathlon day…But the weather had other ideas!

It has been an eventful few weeks. I moved house just after my last blog, and what with that and all that goes with it life has been pretty hectic…And in the background looming over me the thought of Bournemouth Olympic triathlon.
So, whenever possible I have been trying to down tools and get out for a bit of training. It has all been a bit hit and miss, with little structure to it, but I was pleased just to get out there at all.

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Sunday 8th June 2008

Well, I am happy to report that training for the first time since Ironman back in October has been consistent, and going well. I feel really well and have no injury issues…Hurray!
It is funny how when everything feels better, the motivation comes back, and with that, a little hunger for a race or two.

The training has been good. I am really pleased, despite having such a slow/late start I am beginning to feel fit again, however, I think I lack the sharpness and am still a little way off being properly race fit.
My swimming is now consistently back at two pool sessions a week. I have also joined a lake swimming club, and have been loving getting some open water swimming in. I do a regular Sunday morning club session, but also try to get down to the lake mid-week, especially when the weather is good (…so, as of fairly recently!). Overall I am pleased with my progress.
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Sunday 11th May:

Since my last blog I’ve had a short break in the Marin area of northern California. The excuse was a close pals wedding, and despite a bit of disruption to regular training there was an opportunity for a few fantastic bike rides. In great weather and fantastic countryside I couldn’t help but love the biking (on and off road). Hilly, challenging terrain, but fantastic road quality with considerate car drivers!! What a pleasant change. The off road trails were tough, but in that environment one hardly notices. I also slipped in a fair amount of surfing. Now, I wouldn’t usually class this as training, but a couple of hours out in the Pacific surf was plenty tough enough to let me know I had endured a work out, and with lots of paddling I am sure it must have helped the swimming. The main training conflict was a certain amount of boozing that had to occur (California wedding and all that)…but that’s good for the soul…right?
Returning to fantastic weather back here has been a wonderful motivating factor in terms of training. And, I now feel injury FREE, for the first time in ages. It is great to be out training and not feeling twinges, and not having to hold back.
My running however, is poor by my standards and I think it has suffered the most through my winter of injury troubles and low motivation. But, I am getting out there regularly now, 3 times a week, mixing up the sessions, and really enjoying it. However, I am way off my usual pace and this will have to be one of my focuses.
The cycling has pleasantly surprised me. I still feel quite good on the bike. The sharpness I have lost, but I still have good endurance and reasonable strength on the hills. The rides in California certainly helped that. I am now riding 3 times a week and mixing intervals, hills and long rides. Today was a good benchmark for me as I did a 65mile ride (averaging 16.5 mile/hour), after a 2K swim…It looks like Triathlon may be attainable in a month or two after all. I was really pleased how it went today. It was a really good boost.
My swimming is steady, as usual! I will never be swift, but we had our first open water session today. 2K steady and I felt really good. I am so much more comfortable in the open water, with a wetsuit on. The buoyancy really helps me.
So, all is looking brighter again. I held back from entering any events as I wanted to avoid any more disappointment if I wasn’t fit, but now I am looking to the diary for forthcoming events. Late June early July I hope to be getting into reasonable/raceable shape. And then a couple more races through the summer would be good. I have no great expectations, which is actually quite nice, but a race in the diary will give me a target. In the meantime I have a small matter of moving house, oh yes, and work as well!
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Sunday 13th April

Finally, my training seems to be shaping into something like a regular program again. With many interruptions in the early part of the year, it is nice to get some regularity back. I tend to be better off in quite a structured routine, and if out of that routine I find the self discipline and self motivation wane somewhat.

The knees seem to be holding out well now when running on the flat, but they still don’t like hills! So rather sensibly I pulled out of the last Coastal half marathon in Exmoor. Another race missed, but I would rather keep myself fit right now.
I have been running regularly on the flat. This is going OK. I am however, nowhere near the fitness I was hoping to be at this stage, and Im well off the sort of pace I would like to be. Well never mind, my training has been very stunted.
On the bike I have been feeling good. I have been getting out 2 to 3 times per week, and I feel quite good. I have been doing hill reps once a week and that has really been helping my strength up those hills. I have even had a few dry sunny rides (bonus!)
I have managed a more frequent showing at the regular club swim sessions. Now, I am a bit of a plodder but in my own special way I feel like it is going OK.
Im one of those swimmers that do much better in open water, in a wetsuit. (Yes, the annoying one with poor technique). So plodding up and down the pool, for me is fine for the moment. I shall enjoy it more getting in some cold water…soon!
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Sun 16th March.

I’ve had another rather mixed and inconsistent training period. The usual excuses apply (tired, very busy, minor injury niggles, other priorities etc…) and I guess that’s the distinguishing features between me (along with many others, I guess) as a rather social athlete, and those of us that are more focused and driven, and as a result more competitive.
Last year my training was focused towards a particular goal (ironman). Mentally and physically I prepared well and as a result reaped the benefits of personal success. This year without that big goal, I don’t seem to have engaged that mental dedication. That fear of not performing come race day. That competitive edge is lacking and so with it my motivation (it seems!!).

After finishing 25th in the Coastal half (which if I’m honest I was pleased to get round) my knees blew up like balloons in protest of the punishing steep descents in the race.
Following this, I had a great week of altitude training, in the form of a ski holiday. A great break from the busy few months. Pushing it hard on the slopes I’m sure would have done my fitness no harm, although the good stuff was promptly countered by some very committed “après ski”!!

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Sun 24rd Feb

It has been a while since my last blog (forgive me!). I feel like I have been in a time warp and skipped a week, but actually it was just me feeling crap and not doing anything…I confess training has been a bit up and down (perhaps more down than up!). Be it the time of year or just being massively busy, but I have been feeling tired and a little de-motivated and not very disciplined about getting out for training.

That said I did a few runs without leg issues, and on 10th Feb came in a resounding 69th in the Dursley Dozen ( a very hilly off road 12 miler). I was reasonably happy with that as my first race for a long while, and come to think of it I cycled 45 miles the previous day, so all in all a good outing.
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Wiggle Blog 3: Alex Prince (Osteopath, and triathlete!)
Sun 3rd Feb

January is over in a flash, and training is MOSTLY going to plan, although my plan is generally fairly relaxed.
A couple of unusual additions to my training week:

1.Yoga- I did a dynamic yoga class, which really was DYNAMIC, I was breaking a sweat whilst contorting myself. I’m sure this will pay off with better flexibility. I have to say though; I was crap!

2. I went with a pal to the Newport Velodrome. Now this was the Business! I loved it and can’t wait to go again. We did a drills session followed by a 10 minute race at the end. It was manic but an awesome feeling. I think that it is probably very good for handling skills and definitely good speed training.

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Wiggle Blog 2. Alex Prince-Osteopath.

18th January 2008.

Well, fitting into the old training routine has come to me relatively easily. Far better than I had expected anyway.
I managed to sort my back out with a bit of Osteopathic treatment. It’s not until you have these problems attended to that you realise just what a state the body is in…But it feels great now.
Usually I really struggle with my early swims, but they have been going really well, and for someone who swims like a brick I am encouraged to keep it up.
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Another new Bloggle contributor will be Alex Prince.
Coming from an Osteopathic background and also a keen triathlete Alex will be able to give us his own personal insight into training.

Read more about Alex in his Profile

Wiggle Blog 1. Alex Prince Osteopath:

January2008.
Having indulged myself in a extended recovery period following my Elbaman (Italy’s Ironman distance event), at the end of last season, and then over eaten and under exercised my way through the festive period, the new year now seems like another mountainous climb back to fitness.
No doubt once I m into it I will feel better.
My new years days plod was much the same as the boxing day one. Waddling along feeling rather flabby and just a tad hungover, hoping that the Garmin is fibbing about my pace and heart rate.
Actually, despite feeling ludicrously out of shape I have got that urge to get stuck into a new season, back to training and then into races.
I have been trying to work out a plan for the year and decided to target a few races but I think I will also leave some of the year open to add things in as I feel fit.
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