Sunday 31 March 2013

I have a lot to learn

  This week I have stuck to my training plan except for Saturday where with some persuasion from Dan I decided after the recurring pain in my ankle to have a rest. On Wednesday I did a horrible interval sprint session around the park with Dan as my coach. This consisted of 3x10sec sprints with 20sec jog, followed by 3x20sec sprints with 40sec jog, 3x30sec sprint with 60sec jog, 1x40sec sprint with 80sec jog and then I had to work my way back down. Dan said it would've been the best session to own a heart rate monitor. Therefore, he could've seen whether I was giving it my all during the sprints or just bluffing. When I had finished Dan said we would be bumping it up to 5 repitions of each sprint next time, I wasn't convinced I could do that, but Dan had guaranteed me that he would make me faster by the London Marathon in 4 weeks if we did this twice a week. (He also told me sprint sessions are one of the best ways to increase leg muscle so I was spurred on with that knowledge). This may seem a short amount of time to be bumping up my marathon training but I know I will get round at my pace at the moment so increasing my interval training is only going to help and hopefully increase my speed.
  Anyway, whilst struggling around the park with the excruciating pain in my ankle Dan told me "do not try and be a hero. The pain will not get better by over-ruse".  He constantly kept saying, if your injured we are stopping but I kept being 'a hero' (stubborn) and resisting saying it was bearable (I was in fact I was trying to hide my tears). I am not one to cry especially about my own injury pain so this did knock me back a little about how much it was hurting and could potentially be a real worry. Despite this I still went for a run the day after during my lunch break. I hated it and felt like it was a waste of time. I only had 20minutes so wanted to push myself as fast as a could for 10 minutes then turn around but I just couldn't go faster no matter how hard I seemed to try.
  Moreover, when I showed Dan my plans he instantly questioned why I didn't include a rest day for the week. This was followed by personal trainer spiel about how rest is just as important as the training as it gives the body time to recover and improve, to which he ended, "WHEN you get an injury don't expect any sympathy from me". So I rested. I regretfully have to admit he may have been right as with just 2 days of no running my ankle pain has disappeared (for now at least).

  Having a plan is a massive help to me as once I have made it I then don't have to think about what I'm doing before/after work. As well as this it is a good way to test and check my ability. I am averaging 12hours a week of training, which is a just above average for an amateur athlete. If I keep this stamina up throughout the winter and into next June ready for Ironman Austria I should be fitter, thinner and ultimately faster. The question which Dan posed is will my good form detoriate when the weather gets even worse and when the triathlon events I rely on for training stop for the winter? Time will tell on that note, but at the moment I am feeling motivated and strong about being able to keep it up. (Also as Dan has planted the seed that it will be tough to maintain, my competitive side has made me want to prove that I can stick to it).

  After my run on Wednesday morning with Dan I got ready to go to Oxford to see my best friend Ele who I haven't seen in ages. I didn't realise how close I was to Oxford now, only a measley 35miles which took 40minutes. It would be a good training ride. One thing that was instantly noticable when arriving in Oxford was the amount of bikes there were. I felt as if I have arrived in Amsterdam! There were more bikes than cars and much better cycle lanes than I had seen in London. Admitedly the majority were commuter bikes with baskets on the front which you half expect to see a dog hanging out of. These were in sharp contrast to my type of cycling; a road bike in full lycra. However, despite being a little frustrating to drive around them all it was nice to see. I instantly loved the atmosphere of Oxford and was suprised when I realised I hadn't been there before. It did remind me of a more cycle infused Bristol (another city I recently visited and love).
  Ele and I went for lunch and chatted endlessly. It was so lovely and confirmed that when you have a good friend, no matter what happens, where you move, they will always be there and things will click back into place. She asked the question I find hardest to answer about my Ironman, why? And I was stumped. I blatantly said why not? I want to see how far I can push my body and prove to myself and others I can do it. (Maybe I don't find it that hard, but I stumbled then, no one had asked me face-to-face before).
  Ele's boyfriends' Dad was a professional cyclist, winning many events over the world including 'Giro d'Italia' (affectively the Tour de France but in Italy). He now owns his own bike shop and cafe as well as having his own bike brand, 'Zappi'. Under Zappi he also has his own professional cycle team (they are currently in Portugal competing). Narurally this means that Ele's boyfriend, Sam, knows a lot about cycling, being a keen and good cyclist. Ele told me he stopped competing as he didn't like getting too skinny which professional endurance cycling naturally makes you. It was the first time I had met him and we immediately began talking about bikes. It was mentioned that they may be able to get hold of an ex pro Zappi bike at a good price for me. A brand newone is around £3000-£4000! Yes I would probably look like I had all the gear and no idea but what the hell! When Ele mentioned me training for an Ironman Sam said "not even my dad would do that", a further indication of the fear and toughness of the event I was going to put myself through.
  Ele and Sam had been living together for a while now and they looked happy. Seeing Ele looking so well after a tough few years was really humbling. We have known eachother since nursery and although we were never in eachothers pockets we both knew we would be friends for life. My mum will never forget when Ele told her that I was more like a sister to her and that is probably the best way to describe our friendship. I rushed off to go swimming with the tri club at 7pm after a really nice day. We vowed to see eachother more seeing as we are so close in distance now. I'm trying to get them both over for a meal one night in the very near future.

  My swim session on Wednesday was great. I was beginning to feel the improvements of my training efforts in the swim. I was always right on the feet of the people infront and when I was at the front of the chain I could tell the person behind was struggling to keep up with me. I was now naturally breathing bilaterally which was allowing me to have more air and made my stroke more fluid. I was still desperate however, for a swim watch especially one with a heart rate (HR) monitor as well. For some reason though on the Thursday night open water swims I seem to fall apart. This week I was going strong and felt great to start. I was keeping to the times set which was 11x400m (8 lengths) in 4min10. The last five were a struggle. However our lane were having to put a lot of effort in as for the majority of the session as there were only three of us rotating each time. This means that there wasn't much rest to be had when normally at the back in the 'chain'. When at the front it is almost a sprint and with three to go there was only two of us meaning almost every set was a sprint. I was knackered by the end but knew I had pushed myself. Another reason I was desperate for a HR monitor.

  Before the swim session on Thursday I went for a long bike ride with Dan. I didn't actually calculate how far we went, but there were some very cheeky climbs in there, all of which I got up without struggling too much. The Chilterns are a great place to train for Exmoor. Dan commented about my improvements on the bike which was a boost. He is a brilliant cyclist and can beast me around any terrain so it was nice to hear that my efforts in cycle fitness and my focus on technique was at least paying off a little. However, the area I need to improve on is standing up when going uphill. I don't know why, perhaps too many spin sessions at the gym, but when I stand up I hover which in spinning is meant to burn the legs as it is focussing on building and toning muscle in the quads. However, I don't want this when trying to get up a tough hill. I haven't got my position right when standing up so I am not getting the benefit of putting all of my weight through each pedal. Instead I have adopted the technique of slogging up a tough hill whilst sitting which is a skill in itself but draining, especially as I have made myself pretty quick at this method. At least I know if I am really struggling during a race I can always slog my way up. (I overtook everyone at the tough hill during the Winchester Duathlon with this method). Dan insists the way to get the right technique is to overdo it and get the confidence to rock the bike from either side, maybe no as much as you see Mark Cavendish do for the sprint to the finish of a stage in an event but that is the idea.
  From now on, as the clocks have gone forward and it is staying lighter longer, I want to cycle to and from Chesham where the club swims take place. Training is all about incorporating it into your lifestyle and this is a great way increase my bike endurance and save some petrol money too! This means that I would have to negotiate the 14% incline everytime I went training and then tackle some horrendous hills on the way back, if anyone knows the area 'Gore Hill' is much to be desired. As well as that Chesham Leisure Centre where we train on a Wednesday and Friday is at the top of the steepest I have ever seen. Dan and I have estimated it is about 20-25% incline which is deemed impossible for amateurs by many scientists. (I have included some pictures which try to explain this theory, this links explains them properly http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/dotphysics/page/2/). Embarrassingly if and when I have to get off to walk up, which is the inevitable, I will have to face the shame that many of the members of the club may see me do so. I would love to think that the thought of them seeing me do this would get me up, but honestly it is hideous. I also want to start cycling to and from work when on the early shifts, but upping to this amount of cycling (over 50miles in total) isn't going to happen overnight.














  All in all there have been more positives than negatives this week. The only other thing I have been struggling with is my nutrition. This is especially true when on my days off and I am doing the longer sessions. On Thursday for example when I did the 4hour bike ride I had some porridge and made it through till dinner where I had a big meal before going swimming. All in all I had just over 1800 calories when I probably burned over 2200. However I am just not hungry enough to eat more. I had wanted to again try my gels on the bike as I need to get used to doing this, but the roads were too busy for me to feel comfortable enough to do so. I am really interested in nutrition, if I could do a degree on anything else it would that. Therefore with the amount of books and amount I think I know about the subject I would have thought I would've found it easy to get right. How wrong I was, it seems that this may be the most difficult and yet it is probably the most important as without the fuel there is no physical or mental capacity and therefore definitely no Ironman. I have a lot to learn but I am enjoying every second. (Even more so now as Dan bought me a very sickly easter egg that I had requested as a treat - we all need a treat every now and then! HAPPY EASTER!).

Guess who's is who's!

Tuesday 26 March 2013

A girl can dream

  I never really understood the frustration of an injury. Before I used to see it as an excuse to not train and pretended I was annoyed about it therefore meaning my performance was not my fault. Now however I hate it. I want to train, I NEED to train. My ankle is still sore when walking and driving and am getting increasingly worried that it is something that may hinder me. Despite this and my resolution to listen to my body I am going to run, spin and swim today. I am going to see if the pain goes away when running and my muscles are hot as if this is the case I may be able to warm my ankle up before exercise. I am also going to see my friend in Oxford tomorrow so want to make sure I get some training in before going.

  Despite my seemingly hostile reaction towards training programs I have begun to make my own. After the weekend I realised I need to step the length of my sessions up and in order to do that I need to structure it. I am pleased however that I am able to do a training plan myself based specifically on my shifts every fortnight. I have looked at some free 12 week half-Ironman training plans online which was a base to see what length of bike rides I should be at by now. These are my plans for the next two weeks.



 
  On another note I have begun to think about upgrading my bike through the Cycle to Work scheme as I am really not sure if I'll get round an Ironman very well with mine due to small amount of gears and the clicking noise it always makes due to being a basic model. I couldn't stop thinking about bikes over the weekend and was ogling at which one I would get if money wasn't an object. My only annoyance is that I wish I had spent the extra on a better one when buying the bike I have now. However that is the beauty of hindsight, I did not know my ambitions would get so high.
A girl can dream!
  My bike at the moment is at the bottom end of the road bike spectrum, although with my colour scheme and some new wheels it does look better. I had looked into upgrading my components, most importantly my gears, but was told that it would be pointless. Bascially it would be like putting F1 car tyres on an old Corsa; my frame just isn't good enough to make it beneficial. Since looking into the scheme as much was I would love and am desperate for a new bike I cannot really justify it as the bike still wouldn't be mine through the scheme, and I probably wouldn't be able to get the one I want due to cost. So me and Sora (my bikes' name) will live to see another season, hopefully she will do me justice and get round the Ironman.

  Another want is a new training watch, especially one that does everything meaning I can therefore swim with it too. I have mentioned before about the difficulty I have assessing any improvements in swimming, I don't even have a basic watch that I can use to time myself that is swimproof. Triathlon watches can break down every discipline and see improvements (it can get very geeky) but more importantly I would be able to train based on my heart rate. This is the most effective way to get the best out of a session based on fact not just my body feeling tired. Being able to do this in the pool is relatively new to the market but would be a great option to have espcecially in technqiue sessions and the open water sessions I have been struggling in. The one I have at the moment has been good, but the battery doesn't last very long and the touchscreen option I loved so much when I got it is now rather annoying now as it doesn't work when wet. During the Duathlon I couldn't even start the stopwatch and it kept bleeping the whole way round the course. I am much like my Dad with technology by the end of the bike course I wanted to throw the damn thing! The majority of the tri club swear by their Garmin watches and would love to upgrade mine. Unfortunately, like the bike, it is not a cheap upgrade. Maybe I'll get a tax rebate?! (I can dream).

Monday 25 March 2013

A long weekend and a new running partner

  Dan and I were extremely excited to go to Devon on the weekend. My parents own a holiday home on a caravan park in Devon (we have a running joke in the family that we have to call it a holiday home now as it is a brand new caravan and therefore too good to just be named a caravan). I have been there with my parents since I was little and am making good use of it on my own now. It is in such an idyllic part of the country. Time and worries seem to standstill.
My Mum and I call it our happy place and Dan and I have gone there every summer since being together easily spending weeks there at a time.

  Anyway, before we could get there I still had two days of work. I went spinning as scheduled on Wednesday straight after a very busy 'Budget day' at work. The pain in my ankle was still niggling away at me, however the only positive from this was that it forced me to do the correct cycling technique therefore making sure I was pushing down from my heel as opposed to pushing my toes forwards. On Thursday I also went to the gym straight after work, as much as I didn't want to, and did an interval session on the treadmill.

  Friday was a busy day as it was the day we went to the caravan. We both slept through our alarms which meant we left late. Dan and I always seem to have a barney when getting ready to go on holiday and today was no different. Apparently this time it was my fault because I didn't help put the bikes on the car, but in reality there was nothing I could've done anyway! Our arguments are never serious and we had laughed off our silent treatment with eachother within 20 minutes of driving. We had to stop off at my parents to get some stuff for the 'holiday home' as we were the first ones to go down there this year. However, because we were late I had to go straight to my hairdressers, Tammie in Andover. After my hair had a new lease of bright blonde we stopped off at our old work where the majority of my family and some friends work. I had a quick chat to my old colleagues, gave my mum and sister a hug and was on the way home to see my Dad and collect the stuff for Devon. I also spent 15 minutes seeing my eldest niece who has recently been in hospital.

Our Friday night at the caravan
  We had a pretty clear run on the roads down to Devon and were unloaded and in the caravan by 7.30pm. We got some fish and chips (it is the law to have them on the night you arrive) and chilled out ready for our adventure in Exmoor on Saturday. The TV wasn't working due to the relentless rain and wind so we really had to enjoy life without technology and enjoy eachothers company. We began playing Monopoly with a cup of tea and a chocolate yoghurt. When I posted the picture on Facebook of our night one of our friends commented on how rock n' roll our lifestyle is on a Friday night! By Saturday night when the game finished we remembered why we don't play very often. I am a very bad loser in Monopoly due to my competitiveness and get stressed and angry when I have to re-mortgage in order to pay Dan. I ended up losing and not gracefully!

Wimbleball lake and me posing for the shot
  I was having an amazing sleep on Saturday morning before Dan woke me to tell me we had better get ready for the half-Ironman recce in Exmoor. We continued playing monopoly for a bit in the morning, moaned about the weather and just when I thought Dan would give in and we could just chill out for the day, we were out of the door in full lycra on the way to Exmoor. The weather was pretty miserable and very cold. However, it was only evident how bad it was when we were driving through the hills (mountains) in Exmoor. We could hardly see other cars headlights as the fog was so thick. This meant that it would've been impossible for us to see and virtually impossible for anyone to see us on a bike making it a very dangerous ride. Therefore we unfortunately had to abandon the idea of cycling the route today. We did however drive the majority of the route on our way towards Wimbleball lake. This is the base of the Ironman, were the swim and transition will take place. Even though I am a swimmer and love open water swimming the lake looked huge and it was very daunting. (On this particular day it must've been freezing). I was pretty overwhelmed when I thought in 12 weeks time I would be jumping in there to swim over a mile in it.
  The cycle route was however, even more harrowing. Every time I went up a hill immediately after there would be a a downhill and then soon enough I would be climbing again. It was relentless. Even my car was struggling to get up what seemed like mountains. I was just looking in awe and shock at the small amount of flat roads there were. We were constantly in the fog when driving round due to the altitude we were at. What also suprised me was how long the course was. When driving one lap it seemed to take forever. I drove away feeling pretty scared and one part of me wished we hadn't bothered at all because at least at home I still had some positives in my training.
  The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing. After getting back from the seemingly unsuccessful trip in Exmoor we walked to Otterton Mill were we bought some cider, scones, clotted cream and jam. We then had a nap, got some more fish and chips from the BEST chippie in Devon and finished our game of Monopoly. Tonight we had cider and wine instead of tea, but were bitterly disappointed when our favourtie cider was undrinkable. We put it down to a bad harvest.




Not quite how we envisioned our return journey going
  On Sunday we did nothing and slept in until 12.30; such a treat! Dan was then lucky enough to have the F1 on in the afternoon (he must be on holiday for me to allow that). We started the 3hour journey back home at 6pm.We did not however, anticipate breaking down on the M4 just 40 minutes from home due to lack of diesel. I take the blame for this one as although Dan was driving it was my car and "I should've known my cars fuel tank limitations". After getting the AA to tow us to a garage to fill up we were home at 11pm and it was straight to bed ready for a 5am start for work.
  

  It was tough getting out of bed this morning so much so I missed my alarms and luckily woke up at 5.50am by which time I leapt out of bed. I began rushing to get ready and then remembered I was meant to be running with a work colleague at lunch today so had to pack some gym kit. Andy looks like a runner and from what I had accumulated when talking to him was pretty good runner too. He has been out of training due to being knocked of his motorbike last year. He was doing four marathons in four days or some other ridiculous ultra running thing the weekend just gone but didn't recover in time to get the training in. Instead he is doing a 106 mile run and cycle over 2 days with a friend in June. That still sounds bonkers to me, at least my events push my body to the limit during one day and know that I can relax the day after! I hate the idea of waking up in a tent and having to do the same thing all over again. Anyway, he asked me on Thursday how fast I ran. I was instantly daunted but was honest and said not very fast, averaging about 7mph or 9minute miles. He is, as I suspected a lot faster at about 7minute miles. He reassured me that at the moment I am more endurance as he hasn't run for a while due to his injury, so therefore we can help eachother out.
  After all this chat he inevitably asked me if I wanted to do a 3.5mile run around Osterley Park during Monday lunchtime. I couldn't and didn't want to say no, although was worried about my slower pace. However, we would be helping eachother out. Despite seeing myself as a lone runner he may make me push myself more making me faster which is inevitably what I want and need, and I may help his endurance training by slowing him down. 
  The run actually wasn't too horrendous however it was instantly obvious I was a lot slower than Andy. I didn't want him to hold up too much to accomodate my pace as I didn't want to ruin his training. I was going a little faster than I would be comfortable alone but never have been a naturally fast runner as he seems to be. He just reassured me that it was nice to be running with someone and I admit it is quite enjoyable chatting to someone and enjoying some nice surroundings. I may not be a complete convert but I would like to do it again. I do however like my own company which is not a bad thing when training for an endurance sport.
  On a negative note, although my ankle seemed to heal from little exercise over the weekend, after my run today I began to get the sharp pain again. It was beginning to become a very horrible pain to put up with especially when driving. Dan told me it is probably tendons as I said it is the most painful when my muscles are cold ie. when not exercising. Hopefully with some RICE; Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate it will get better again.

 
j

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Reality check and injury worries

  On Sunday night I began to struggle with a sharp pain down the back of my ankle which was more prominent when walking up and down stairs, by Monday I couldn't drive without the pain. I did remember hitting the back of my leg with my pedal when walking to the event registration on Sunday so it could've been that. I was really praying it was just that as an injury in my achilles would put me out of training for a few months and would definitely jeopardise the half-Ironman. I was planning on a bike ride on Monday as I was in high hopes about my cycling after the Duathlon. Dan thought it was too soon to go for a ride and when I told Dan where I was having pain his reply was "that is why you have rest days". So I decided to go swimming but would not waste my day off on Tuesday. It turned out that I started to make my homemade curry too late and we didn't eat until 10pm (woops) so I missed swimming, but at least I had a proper rest day.

  On Tuesday I stepped up the training again. I went on a short 12 mile bike ride at midday which was for me just a test as opposed to endurance training. I found out that the toughest hill incline in Exmoor is 14% and had found a hill 6 miles down the road that was the same. I had tried this hill about 2 months ago with Dan and we both couldn't get to the top. I was going so slow I just fell off! So I was excited to test myself (weird what excites me now). When I made it to the top without walking or slowing down too much I wanted to text Dan and exclaiming I DID IT, but it was too much effort to get my phone out. I had achieved what I wanted and headed off on a detour back home.
The profile of Exmoor half-Ironman
  I then began working out in the shower what times I would need in order to achieve the times I want, sub 7hours overall. (I was writing my maths on the shower screen). I am averaging about 13 miles an hour on the bike which means 55 miles would take me about 4hr15. However I also need to take into account the horrible bike leg in June which climbs 3904ft. I am not going to get my swim much faster that what it is already at 45minutes. So that means I need to get my half marathon run time under 2hours and considering I did 2hr10 in Bath on a flat course with no exercise before it either my ambitions have got to change or my times have got to get faster. The bike is where you can make the time up so I need to get my bike stronger as well as get my run faster. The bike will take a lot practicing my technique making sure I push down with my quads and and pull up with my feet. As well as focussing on technique I also need to focus on my cadence (the number of revolutions of the crank per minute) and my strength up hills and this means only one thing, hill reps. Getting my run quicker can only be achieved with horrible interval training sessions which will also have a positive impact on my bike ability.
  With all this in mind I did a tough leg strength workout with Dan before dinner. I managed to do it all, but struggled with the pain in my achilles when doing jump squads and high knees. I began to get upset and started to worry that it is something more serious than a bruise. I tried to assess whether there was any swelling there, as I had done the day before, hoping there wouldn't be but couldn't really see it myself. It seems to be only when I pull my foot upwards that the sharp pain happens which affects running, walking, jumping and driving. I didn't find it hurting too much when cycling so it didn't hold me back from riding earlier. I also knew it wouldn't affect swimming, in fact it might've helped it so after dinner I headed to the gym. I wanted to do an Ironman distance swim of 2.4miles (160 lengths) but wouldn't have enough time as it is only open for an hour and that would take me about 1hr30. So instead I did the half-Ironman distance of 1.2miles which I did in 41 minutes. It was a reasonably comfortable and slow pace for me, but I just wanted to focus on my new bilateral breathing and my technique. Although I have estimated 45 minutes for Exmoor and my time tonight shows that I could do it quicker it is very different when actually doing an event. When swimming open water in a triathlon I have to factor in the 'washing machine'. This is basically what we call the dash for the front which happens at the start of every triathlon race. It is not uncommon to be hit in the head, swum over, kicked you name it and if your not careful can result in a bad injury meaning you fall at the first hurdle. Sometimes you have to give what you get, or hold back. I always hold back a little but am never hit free and have swum over people before to get my way (it's all part of the fun of triathlon). Despite experiencing this washing machine effect before, I don't know what it'll be like in June particularly as it is probably the biggest event I have been in so it is impossible to estimate the added time it'll take for me to get into a rhythm. As well as that I believe there is a short uphill run to the transition area which will become part of the swim time.
  Another thing I have found difficult is how to judge my swimming. It is unlike running where you can constantly check your watch for your mph. Swimming you just have to go at the pace your comfortable with, or to make you faster uncomfortable with. I know however that unlike the bike where I am constantly questioning myself "is this hurting enough?" that I do not want to use the same tactic on the swim. My swim is of a reasonable pace that will set me above a lot of people (many peoples worse discipline is the swim). Therefore I want to swim comfortably and try to keep my lead on the bike by pushing myself to my maximum.


  Anyway, it is back to work tomorrow and I am expecting a very busy day with the Budget being a major part of the news. So I am going spinning before work and then laying off the cycling. I want fresh legs for Saturday where I am doing a recce of the cycle course in Exmoor (although I am only cycling one lap of the two). I am also going to try and run a lap of the run route.
  I'll probably do my next update after the weekend in Devon, I'm sure it'll be a harrowing reality check of how hard the cycle route is going to be. At least I'm thinking the worst, it can be any worse than that can it?

Monday 18 March 2013

The relentless rain, hail and snow

  I got to my parents at 9.30pm on Saturday and after Dad made me some yummy seafood pasta I was in bed as early as possible in preparation for the 4.45am wake up for the Duathlon the next day. However, I was still cleaning the mud off my trainers at midnight, oh how my Saturday nights have changed! This change of lifestyle was also evident on Friday night when Dan and I were watching the drunken revelers going to the pub next door while we fitted the bike rack to my car.
My yummy pre-race fuel
  When I finally got to sleep after sorting all my kit out I realised I only had just under 5 hours sleep before I needed to wake up. When my alarm went off before 5am I wished it wasn't true. I decided to not bother with an unnecessary shower as I would be getting wet and sweaty anyway so touched the snooze button gaining an extra 10 minutes in bed. I always find this theory very strange as in the grand scheme of things, what is 10 minutes going to do? Anyway, I was so worried about oversleeping and missing the event I was up and ready by 5.15. I had my trusty pre-race breakfast of porridge with two teaspoons of sugar and a banana. This amount is perfect for me and even before a longer event I don't think I could stomach anymore. I wasn't even nervous before the Duathlon and that was all I could manage, so I have no chance of fitting anymore in when I really am nervous. When chatting about pre-race nutrition with the Chiltern Tri members everyone has a different method that they swear by and I have not found anyone with the same as me. The key is to stick to your method when you find one that works for you. So with my small amount of pre-race nutrition not budging Dan says I need to load up more the day before, so I will try that before my next event in 3 weeks, my first triathlon of the year in my home town Andover.

  My Dad, naturally, wasn't awake when I left at 5.30 so I said goodbye to my lovely dog Harry and I was on my way to Winchester. Apart from the race details having the wrong postcode on I got there OK and on time for once! I may have finally conquered my event stress-out and can only put this down to prior preparation (I probably did this more than normal as I was on my own this time). I registered and racked my bike with no problems. For once I didn't forget anything.
  The one thing that could not be ignored today was the weather. I had expected it to be bad but this was horrendous. It was relentless rain which throughout the race turned to hail and snow. Everything and everyone was soaked before we had started and the run route had to be changed as otherwise it would've been a Triathlon not a Duathlon. The bad weather (and possibly the ridiculously early start) meant that almost 50% of the competitors DNS (did not start). This also meant that there was only a small group of 100 people taking part in the longer distance. These small events are what I like to avoid as there is a greater chance of me coming last as the majority of people taking part are men and have been doing these sorts of events for a years. Despite these worries I eyed up the competition and put myself nearer the back of the pack, where the small collection of women had placed themselves. I had a chat with some people who were expressing that we must be mad to be doing this. It was there that I realised this event was some peoples 'A' race whereas mine was a lot tougher and in 3 months time.
  We started at 7.06am and knew from the Bath half marathon I did well when I didn't get caught up in the moment and went off too fast runners with the quicker runners. This can affect a your race a lot more than what you would think. So despite being worried about being last I just hung back and stuck to my own pace, something that paid off. Within half a mile the majority of people who had got 'caught in the moment' were slacking meaning I ran straight past them. I ended up placing myself behind two men who I didn't lose sight of and wasn't overtaken throughout the two laps of the run course.
  Once the run was over it was onto the bike. I had a fairly slow transition of 1m44 but it wasn't disastrous. I began cycling with a guy whose Boardman bike I was jealous of. He then told me he was drunk, which I assumed he meant as a joke meaning that he must be drunk to be doing what he was doing so I laughed his comment off. He just reiterated it explaining he was serious. I hung back from him as I didn't fancy his sick or himself falling onto me. (He ended up pulling away pretty quick once he sorted his gears and didn't see him or his nice bike again, although I did see a police van follow him so maybe he was stopped). This did also make me think that less than a year ago it wouldn't be unlikely for me to still be out drinking at this time with my girlfriends.
  The cycle started with a lovely 12% hill incline. We were warned in the race briefing that we would need every gear off in order to get up and that he wouldn't be suprised if people were walking up it. I know that getting up tough hills on the bike is something I have been working on in preparation for the very hilly half-Ironman in June so was sceptical as I am no mountain goat but also keen to test myself. I needn't have been worried. I was ready for it and had expected the worst so powered up it overtaking everyone in my sight. For once I was going faster than the people who were walking as well as the people cycling. It went on for longer than I had thought and it was hard to keep my pace up to the top but managed it and I got a huge motivation boost when I got there. Despite the hailing winds and hailstones the ride was quite enjoyable, going through small idealic villages and along undisturbed country roads. At about 7 miles I was yet to be overtaken so when I was I was not happy and also not having it. I should've let him have it as his legs looked like Chris Hoy's, but I was being stubborn and competitive today. Luckily for me I was now better at going up hill and as he heard someone breathing heavily behind him he shouted "Well done man", he was shocked when he had to change his statement to "Shit, well done girl!". Unfortunately going downhill is still my weakness due to confidence issues and my brake pad didn't sound great so he overtook me again. This chopping and changing went on all the way back. Around mile 9 when I overtook him again I said "your not making this easy for me". We were constantly on eachothers back and it made me push myself. The course ended on the hill we climbed at the beginning so I naturally slowed right down. He ended up a minute faster than me on the bike but it was all still to play for during the run. Beating him was now my target. This wasn't me trying to be cocky it is just a tactic I use to get me round to the best of my ability. I am sure many people play the game with other competitors of a similar ability (I know he was playing with me too).
  As I entered transition I could see my competition at the other end. I tried to do as quick a transition I could but struggled as someone had taken my spot. This had meant my kit was all over the place and also meant there was little room for my bike. I had no regard for their bike when racking mine away as they had courtesy for my kit. I managed to just about fumble my trainers on, which was a lot harder than normal as they were completely numb from being so cold. I ran past my target just as he was leaving so had already made up the lost time going down hill in transition. I wasn't quite sure how I would run with no feeling in my feet, but it just happened. I let my legs do what they wanted. My target however was hot on my heels, he shouted to me "you should be in pain after what I just did to you on the bike" (sounds quite dodgy written down). Well that comment made it clear to me that I would not let him pass me. I may be a woman but I can ride just as well, potentially better if I could sort my confidence out, and wasn't going to be beaten on the run. I managed to keep a 5 metre gap between us for the first lap but it wasn't secure enough for me, I was worried that he may be able to gain that back. So I must've sped up (not that I could feel it as my feet remained dead until halfway through the second lap). I ended up with a distance between us that I knew he couldn't come back from. I sprinted to the finish in 1hr51m13s and shook my competitors hand as he came in at 1hr52m33s. We spoke when both in transition and we realised we are both competing in the Andover Triathlon in 3 weeks, so depending on whether our swim wave times are similar I will have a very competitive and gruelling bike ride again. However if not with him I will find someone else to play my cat and mouse game with.

Me crossing the line, the grit on my face shows it all 

   All in all I was nowhere near the top of the field but also nowhere near the bottom. (I was in fact the third woman - but there a lot more men so was no amazing feat). I felt comfortable during the race which is a great confidence boost seeing as they are my worst disciplines. I had anticipated 2hours so was happy to be under that, especially as I couldn't time myself during the race as my watch broke. In fact my bike was a pretty good time of 54 minutes which was faster than some of the people who ended up with a faster time overall. Moreover, the event has given me loads of confidence in my bike leg and proves that the training I have done on hill climbing has been worth it (even against someone with legs the size of tree trunks). It also proves that a lot can be made up on the bike and that I have the ability and fitness now to work on that. It has also highlighted that I need to work on my downhill confidence as I cannot afford to put all my energy into getting up a hill and see it go to waste downhill.

  The weather added to the challenge of the event making it a lot more rewarding when I finished but I would not like to have done much longer in it. I was soaking the whole way round and the hailstones when on the bike hurt. Furthermore by the time I got to the run the fields were boggy and slippy. It further confirmed my decision to do my Ironman abroad. I have bad circulation as it is and especially hate having cold feet. The bike leg for me would be the worst in those conditions and doing 112 mile bike ride in them would be miserable and very de-motivational.

  I had finished the event by 9am, probably before the majority of the UK are awake on a Sunday morning. I finally managed to put my bike on my bike rack after a massive struggle. I think anyone could tell that I normally have a man doing it for me, but being the stubborn bitch I am didn't want to give into that mentality today. When I got some senses back into my hands I looked at my phone. My Dad was meant to be going down to our caravan in Devon to open it up for the season but had text me to say he wasn't going due to his hip. He has been struggling with his hip for ages now, having an operation 5 months ago to try and sort it without a hip replacement but it hasn't worked so he is in a lot of pain all the time. Walking anywhere is painful and even trying to drive 15 minutes down the road was too much so he turned back. He is a lot quieter than normal as it is getting him down as he has always been pretty fit and very mobile. Dad goes to the gym three times a week and always travels with business but he struggles to do it now. He has had to work from home and cancel business meetings abroad in plush hotels with great activities. Only 2 years ago we went on a Dad and daughter trip (something we have done since I was one) to the Peak District where he was beating me up the hills on a bike! (He was always the cyclist). Me, mum and dad would make a good triathlon relay - Me swim, dad bike and mum run (she has always been a good runner) if I had all of the genes maybe I could've been good enough to be an elite! Anyway I was back at my parents to the shock of my Dad by 10am. He had left a note out after he left for the caravan which was lovely. I don't know if he realised it (he will now) but I took it and shall keep it. I know this is a personal blog but this I shall keep to myself. If your reading Dad, I shall try to make you even more proud this June and next June.

  After a hot bath and some relaxing I decided to go home before I fell asleep and left it too late. I didn't like leaving, especially as Dad was home alone (my mum was away with my sister skiing). I was home by 4pm and had a nap on the sofa which was abruptly disturbed when Dan was banging on the door to be let in as I had put all the locks across the front door. I then cooked a lasagne which Dan immediately said tasted out of date (can't get anything past him with his ultra sensitive taste buds) so that was thrown away. With nothing open we decided to get a treat, a Chinese takeaway. We spent and therefore had substantially less than we ever used to and were full. We also had it without an alcoholic drink (unheard of 3 months ago). We were then in bed at 9.30pm only woken at 1.30am to the screams of a drunken woman. What a rock and roll lifestyle we live in now! 

Saturday 16 March 2013

Tiredness, some quality time and some reflections on life

  After my red wine and poker treat night on Saturday I decided to run home on the Sunday while Dan drove. This area was Dan's playground when he was a child so he explained the off-road route to me. On the four miles on-road running there was Dan greeted me at every corner, driving past me and tooting making me smile. He was like my support network that elites have. Needless to say I got lost when it came to the off-road section. The day was freezing with a blisteringly cold hard wind. I began to get a pain in my thigh from running across the uneven and waterlogged fields in trainers that aren't suited for cross country running. Following that my earphones broke and I lost my earring. So when I had to admit defeat and call Dan to ask where to go I was relieved when I saw him waiting for me at the next corner (even missing the England rugby to do so). I got back in the car with him and he showed me where to go for next time. The next four miles were even harder to navigate that even Dan had forgotten. I had run six miles so I wasn't too disheartened, I would have easily had made the last four if things didn't go against me. My earphones breaking was the most annoying set back as I hate not running to music, I have become reliant on it getting me through my runs. When we got back I had a bath, made a Sunday roast and got an early night in preparation for my worst shifts the float 9am-9pm. People may assume that I would think the night shifts would be the worst, but the float shifts are horrible as you are waking up early yet getting home really late. On top of this I would have to put training around this, either before or after. Getting the energy to do a session after work at 9pm is tough.

  On the Monday morning I got up at 6am to go spinning before work. I know for a lot of people 6am is nothing, but I have never been a morning person so doing this before a 12 hour shift and still recovering from nights meant that I was shattered the whole day. I took a blanket with me to sleep in the back of my car during my lunch break but couldn't bear the walk to my car. I hate the feeling of being so tired you can't keep your eyes open and couldn't wait to get to bed that night. However, that night I yet again had a crap nights sleep, feeling like I got nothing so I listened to my body for the first time since upping my training schedule and slept in the extra hour instead of going spinning. Technically I was tapering in preparation for my duathlon on Sunday. Despite it only being a training event, it isn't an event to be thought that lightly of. The event consists of 5km run: 20km cycle: 5km run. As Dan said, "It's not like you have an easy event this weekend".

  The Wednesday I was able to get a lie in until 9am which was heaven before meeting mum in London. I was treating her to a night in London, seeing a show and then having afternoon tea on the Thursday all in aid of Mothers Day. We had a lovely day and a right laugh. It was so nice to spend some quality time with my mum as I don't see her as much since moving. We vowed to do it at least once a year as London is our middle point. I took her to see 'Burn the Floor' which was a ballroom dancing show including all the favourite dances. I was suprised to see three dancers from 'Strictly Come Dancing'. The show was great, their effortless dance moves and energy was just outstanding. I also vowed to take up Tango lessons, something Dan and I have wanted to do for ages, but that'll have to wait even longer. I did find though that I have an obsession with muscles. It may sound pervy but I kept staring at the dancers perfectly formed muscles. I don't know why some women have a fear of gaining muscle mass, I love the look of former muscles. Not to the extent of looking like a body builder, but the look of a healthy athlete. My legs have always been quite muscly and this is probably why they are my favourite part of my body so will improve on them (to the dismay of my mum) and will continue my arm and back weight training. Cycle and swim training will naturally increase my muscle strength in my legs and arms but weight training is essential for more. My running will lower my body fat meaning the muscles will look more defined. Although my training is so I can call myself an Ironman I also would like to tone up and 'look' better. Bear in mind my idea of looking good is more Jessica Ennis than Kate Moss so there is no chance of me getting too thin. As well as looking better I would also like to lose some weight so the impact on my joints when running is less which will also have a positive impact on my pace.
  Anyway, me and mum drank too much, tried to eat too much but realised our stomachs are too small and were defeated by a seafood platter at a nice Fish restaurant by Oxford Street, 'The Cape Town Fish Market'.
  Thursday ended up being a rush as I left my door and car keys at home. Dan was leaving for a course at 5pm so I had to be back before then otherwise I would be stranded in a pub until 11pm and I wanted to go open water swimming with Chiltern tri at 7.30pm. So after our afternoon tea at 'The Leonards Hotel' mum and I both rushed off for our trains (at different stations). I had about an hour at home before heading off to swimming. It took a lot more will power to get out the the door than I thought.

  After the disastrous open water swim last time I was determined to make this session better. However, yet again I left the session feeling frustrated and like I had let myself down. The main set was 21x100m to 1m55. I started off great, but began to lose it. I began to get annoyed and hot. A quarter of the way through I took my wetsuit off and swam with just my swimming costume, something only a select few of the group do. I felt like the Hulk who had just ripped off his purple tshirt, I felt free and was swimming a lot better. However, I need to improve as although I was not physically tired I couldn't keep up. When I stopped to have a drink I tried to calm myself down and focussed on what I was or was not doing. I realised I was not reaching for the 'catch and pull' of my stoke. All I was doing was swimming and not thinking about my technique. I have came to the conclusion that I have acquired some bad habits thoughout the years of not being involved in competitive swimming and I need to assess these. I was a long way away from my county swimming days. I shouldn't have really have beaten myself up so much as my pace is not slow and I completed all the lengths that were set out for us. But for some unknown reason in the outdoor pool I go slower than the people of the same ability as me when in an indoor pool. This just frustrates me as I have no fear of outdoor swimming in fact I love open water swimming more and choppy water doesn't bother me either. I just hope this isn't a serious set back, I think I just need to relax a little but also not forget about my technique. One thing I will keep doing though is going in without a wetsuit on!
  Despite the swim I met someone in the club who is also doing Exmoor half-Ironman in June. We spoke about our concerns on the very hilly bike course and about the logistics of the whole event. It was nice to talk about it. We were both speaking with anxiety but more so with enthusiasm and excitement. The difference with us however, is that she is sticking to a very strict training schedule. Whereas she paid for a specific plan I said I knew how to assess my own fitness levels and had Dan as a personal trainer on hand. She then asked whether he did triathlons too, where I bluntly and honestly said no. Although Dan's excuse of not being able to swim due to his muscle mass is rubbish I quite like being the only triathlete in our relationship. Firstly it means that the emphasis is on me and I have my own sport and secondly there is too much competitiveness in our relationship anyway for us to both be interested in the same sport. It probably wouldn't be a nice household. How elites can make it work I will never know.

  On Friday spinning at 7am seemed impossible. I slept appalingly again. I felt like I was awake the whole night which was now frustrating me and getting me down. However I knew I had to do some excercise tonight otherwise I would beat myself up about that. So I decided to go swimming to focus on my stroke technique. I know all the components to make a perfect frontcrawl stoke from my own training as well as being trained swim instructor. I wanted to focus on four issues; kick, reach, bilateral breating and catch and pull.

  Kick: I know my kick is strong as when I was younger I used to just do kick and float races and in my first swim session at Chiltern Tri someone told me so. However, although strong kicking when swimming in triathlons is not recommended due to using them so much afterwards, I thought maybe I wasn't using them enough when I put the stroke altogether. I ended up doing 4x100m of kick making sure that my thighs burned after every 100m.
  Reach: One of the exercises during the tri club swim sessions is to count the amount of strokes it takes to do a length making sure you reach and get the number as low as possible. My lowest stroke count is 19 at a slow pace so I know that I have the potential to get this quicker when going faster with a strong kick. I did 100m focussing on this before putting it together in the stroke.
  Bilateral breathing: When I was taught to swim bilateral breathing (breathing to both sides, normally on the third stoke) was not taught. Every child was taught to breathe every fourth stroke meaning I always breathe to my left. Although this has worked well I have known for a few years that bilateral breathing makes a more fluent stroke as you are narurally rolling from side to side. As well as this I decided I wanted to learn how to do this naturally as due to the length of an Ironman swim breathing both sides must be more comfortable. When wearing my wetsuit I have found that it rubs on the one side I breathe on and I am beginning to get neck strain. By 50 lengths I was getting used to breathing on every third stroke, I just had to remind myself every now and again not to go back to my old habit of four.
  Catch and pull: I think this is were I have become the most lazy. I know that from teaching children you should enter the water with all fingers together then catch it pull it back making a half 'keyhole' shape in the water. This is the easiest to do when breaking the stroke down, not so much when putting it altogether.
  By the end of my session I had focussed on the components which makes the 'perfect' stroke and topped this off with 400m (this may well have been a PB but didn't have the exact time as I had no watch on, but it was around 6m30).

On another note, I have been thinking recently (I have a lot of time to myself training) what I want to do with my life (not as drastic as it sounds). My only woe is that I wish I was good enough to be paid to train and compete. I want my natural talent to be in triathlon as that is what I love doing. Even if I dedicated all of my time to train like an elite, I would be penniless, and still lacking the natural talent. However, although I am mighty competitive, for me doing an Ironman isn't about the winning it is about me doing MY best and achieving it, I just wish I could do this as my job. That is where mum told me I need to find a way to combine my passion for triathlons into a career that I can do. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and know how fortunate I am to have a job in the same industry as the degree I graduated from but I have been thinking where to take it. I have been thinking of trying to write for a triathlon magazine, or getting into triathlon events on the side but need more days in the week. I physically (and probably mentally) cannot do it all. Another want is that I wish I could split my life into four and pursue everything I want/wanted to do and see which life gets me the most fulfilled and successful. Both being important to me. Number 1; stick on my broadcast journalism route. Number 2; go into sporting, particularly triathlon, event management. Number 3; to have gone on a gap year and explore the world (you never know I could've "found" myself in Nepal). Number 4; join the army (from the bottom) I always wanted to join the Air Corps.
It is so difficult to know which route to take from where I am now. I am beyond the army and gap year idea (also don't have the funds) so it is how to mix triathlon management and journalism to a career. Mum can see me as a Bridget Jones type presenter, putting myself through intense training that people will want to watch. She may be on to something but apart from my own mum and family I need to find who would want to watch that? Or who would air it? Sounds like a daytime 'Dave' or 'Really' channel show but would that really be the epitome of preventing success?! I love business and management and have always seen myself in a business suit waltzing around London. It may be a dream but shouldn't we aim for them?
Anyway, this is getting a bit deep for a triathlon blog so I'll finish up. After work today (Saturday) I am going back to my parents for the night as the Duathlon in Winchester is only 25 minutes from their house. It is a very early start for a relatively small race, registration starting at 6.15am and the first wave beginning at 7am. Considering how wet, cold and miserable it has been today I am not looking forward to the 5am wake up, especially as I'll be going all alone as Dan is on a course all weekend. I shall update on my time and sodden state soon.

Saturday 9 March 2013

It's only going to get worse

  It's been a tiring and successful few days for training. Since Tuesday I have had night shifts so was back to the same woes of cramming training in when I can. However I have began to make my own training plan around my dodgy hours which is a massive feat. The only negative is that I am ALWAYS tired as I am cutting back my hours of sleep in order to get an extra 2 hours of training out of every day. In order to be able to train whilst doing nights I have made a suitable solution. So after getting back from work at 7.30/8am I then go straight to bed until 1.30pm. Normally I would wake up around 3pm and then have 3 hours before heading off to work again. However, this extra 1 and a half hours enabled me on Wednesday to do a spinning session at the gym before eating and going to work. I stepped this up on Thursday were I did a brick session involving 45 minutes on the turbo then immediately after a 45 minute run. This type of session is great for getting used to the jelly legs that occurs once getting off the bike. Although I have never felt this too severely on my shorter distance triathlons it will be a major factor after 55 or 110 miles of cycling. My session on the turbo trainer consisted of 'pyramids'. This starts with a 10minute warm-up followed by a one minute at top intensity, then one minute at normal intensity. I repeated this again with two minutes at top intensity then normal intensity at two minutes. I carried these repetitions on for four minutes and finished with a 10minute spin before getting my running shoes on. On Friday night I went spinning, had a quick dinner at home and got back in the car to meet Chiltern Tri for a swim session.
  My life has become completely obsessed with training. The Ironman is my one and only focus at the moment and I am consumed with it. When I am not training I am either thinking about it, writing about it, working or sleeping. However, I am not as bad as some. When asked today about whether I have a training plan I am sticking to I had to reply not really. I believe this is good for me as there are so many stories about people being dominated by one that they can no longer be flexible. I am becoming absorbed with my training and feel guilty if I miss a session but I have other commitments and work my own training schedule around them so don't want to start obsessed with someone else's idea of a 'perfect' training plan. (I also think I am doing well on my lone ranger sessions as I unlike some people I do push myself to my max). As well as that due to my hours I cannot stick to the majority of plans that are free online as they all relate to the stereotypical 9-5 worker.  
   Anyway, I can for once say I am enjoying training and am beginning to feel the benefits. When running on Thursday I felt strong and took a lot quicker to get into a rhythm. I am finally enjoying running! 
  However there are of course times, like any athlete (even elites), when I just want to stay on the sofa. Someone at work asked me, when they couldn't gain the motivation to do a cardio workout, whether I ever felt like not training (they thought because I enjoy training it came easy). The hardest bit of any training is starting. Getting yourself out the door takes the most motivation and doing just that was tough on Friday night. As I was getting ready to leave I heard people outside heading to the pub. On top of that I have to leave Dan alone on a Friday night when just 2 months ago we would be having a drink together or with others. My response to his sad face was "It's only going to get worse" to which he sadly agreed. I feel bad leaving but know he is supportive of me. I can safely agree that triathlon (particularly an Ironman) and a social life do not go together and I am lucky that I have such a supportive network behind me, especially in Dan.

  Another issue I am struggling with at the moment is nutrition. When I started this blog I said I would be writing about my food intake. However, that intake is lacking. After the half marathon on Sunday I decided I shall be sticking to gels throughout my Ironman as they don't upset my stomach like they can some people and everything else I've tried is too chewy. I did try some jelly cubes from a sports nutrition brand called 'Cliff' but found them too difficult to eat without doing exercise let alone on a bike (as well as that I hate jelly). I found fig rolls too much effort to chew and swallow when cycling and other sports nutrition bars are too dry for me. What I am struggling with, especially over the last 2 weeks on nights is when and what to eat. I get hungry after waking up after a night shift so eat something that will help my training session before work as well as not be too filling, normally a bagel or some crumpets. However, I am aware that this is probably not enough. I then find I am not hungry to eat at 5 before work as well as being too early for Dan to eat dinner. So I cook something and take it with me to eat later. At about 3am, three-quarters of the way into my shift I am starving so have recently grabbed a coffee and a chocolate bar to see me through, not ideal. First off I know that I am not fueling my body enough in preparation for my tough training sessions and am struggling to find enough time to make and eat proper protein and carbohydrate enriched meals and snacks. However this will hopefully be something I will learn and adapt on with time.

  Back to training. On Friday, I got back from swimming around 10.30pm but wasn't particularly tired, neither was Dan so I had some 'me' time and played the Sims on the computer until midnight. (Everyone who knows me will know I have had an obsession with this kiddy game since I was young but hadn't played it for years). By midnight I was shattered, so set my alarm for 8am ready for my run session with Chiltern Tri.
The state of my new trainers after short hills - they had a proper christening!
  I woke up to my alarm this morning (Saturday) after the worst nights sleep in a long time. I wished I could've laid in bed but I couldn't sleep anyway so was quite glad it was time to get up. Dan however heard my alarm and immediately said "yeah right, there is no way I'm getting up to that". Good job the alarm was only for me! I had my porridge and went off running. We did 'short hills' today. This consisted of three hills in Chesham Woods which grouped together are 2kilometres. Each runner chooses to run in whatever order and whatever intensity they want. I did four laps of the three hills equaling 8k. I would write what time I did it here but my Garmin watch died after one lap. I can estimate at about 40 minutes which I would've been happy with considering the horribly muddy conditions and intense hills. After that I had a well needed shower and headed off for coffee in Chesham with the members. I said to Gill it was great as when I run alone I just do endurance and run constantly for as long as possible. Therefore this type of training is great for my VO2 max (the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during exercise).


  Once I was back home I was all geared up for hilly bike ride to Dan's parents. We were invited to spend the evening there with an Indian takeaway and some drinks. I had already decided what I was going to order during my run (I had to think about something!). I have become a woos with spice recently and am not keen on rice unless I make it in my own special way. I decided to have two starters, Chicken Tikka and Prawn Puri as I could estimate the calorie intake.  (I was nearly persuaded to have a calorific and fatty Korma when greeted with the menu). I had decided to go on a bike ride after talking to Gill about training. I had been working out the times that I would complete the half Ironman and come to the conclusion that I won't get my swim down by any dramatic time as I am already at a good pace as I am originally a swimmer. I will never get my half marathon below two hours during the event as I am not a natural runner and that is my peak. Therefore the bike leg is mine (and many others) make it or break it discipline and although I go spinning and go on the turbo trainer, nothing can beat actually go on a ride. (I am now aiming for a sub 7-hour half-Ironman and sub 13-hour Ironman next year). However, my grand ideas of a bike ride were dashed when I tried to change the tyre (alone) and the inner tube valve was broken. Dan's response was "that's what you get for buying cheap inner tubes". So the bike ride hopes were over and I now had another expense. I have no luck on two wheels!

  Anyway, I'm starting to feel a little tipsy from the small amount of red wine I have had so shall stop writing before this post is unreadable. I may have missed my Friday night but shall enjoy tonight! This is the last free weekend I have left until June as after this weekend I am either working or have an event.

Thursday 7 March 2013

Post race blues and an exciting decision

  After the excitement of an event the worst thing is getting back to reality. I had already had my only rest day of the week on the Monday in Bath so it was straight back to training and a night shift on the Tuesday. I was also put back into reality when the smallness of what I had achieved over the weekend was put into context of what I want to eventually achieve. A half marathon feels like nothing. This is not me being big-headed, that is just what traning and the reality of my goal has taught me. Despite this I have been unindated with people offering congratulations and many expressions saying they could never run one mile yet alone 13. However, in my head a half marathon is achievable for anyone. It does require training and is a great achievment but I do not believe anyone when they say it is impossible. Anything is possible and that is exactly what I am trying to prove by becoming an Ironman.
  Getting back to reality also means the post race blues kick in. The hype of a race gives me such a buzz, the whole atmosphere from beginning to end is a feeling I relish. So when the feeling of euphoria is over the depression starts. It isn't so much that I am back to work it is purely that the race is over, which is ironic as all I want is for the race to finish when I'm struggling through it. Now, the word depression may seem a bit strong, but it is actually a scientific fact that some people do struggle with post race depression. I am not saying I suffer so severely, but I certainly do get a massive low. It is a good job I have another event in two weeks!
  However, today Dan and I made a decision that has got me excited and cleared my depressed head a little. Dan is now fully on board and supportive of my Ironman journey. The majority of Sunday night we were talking about it. Since knowing becoming an Ironman was not just an impossible dream but a real goal my next thoughts had always been on where to do it. I had mentioned this to Dan before but got a flat response then as my motivation obviously didn't seem strong enough for Dan to get the bug of my excitement. (I believe this blog has helped cement my determination). 
  There are only two locations in the UK that a full Ironman event takes place; Bolton and Wales. Now, I am sure Bolton has some lovely scenery and I don't want to offend anyone I know who lives there but it would not be my first choice of location to complete the event. There is just no competition in comparison to some of the places where an Ironman takes place ranging from Cotes d'Azur, Lake Placid and New Zealand. As well as this, I am not shunning Pembrokeshire in Wales for their lovely scenery as I love Wales. But the almost guaranteed bad weather conditions and route of this event makes it one of the toughest (probably second to Lanzarote with its extremely tough bike leg and blistering heat). This may sound like I am trying to avoid the tougher event which is no way to call yourself an Iroman, but that is not the case. (If was doing that I wouldn't have picked my Ironman 70.3 in the non-forgiving Exmoor as this is argued to be the toughest middle distance Ironman there is). All I am trying to do is help myself and find somewhere I WANT to be doing such a gruelling event. Either way I play it it is naturally going to be a tough event and then there is the extra pressure of going abroad. The weather abroad is different and most likely hotter which will inevitably mean different training methods, possibly doing my previously discussed Bikram turbo session.
  Anyway, on Sunday I tried to start the conversation again that I was unsure where to do the Ironman. I had narrowed it down to three locations; Nice in France (Cotes d'Azur), Frankfurt in Germany and Klagenfurt in Austria. However, when we started talking I began thinking of the expense of getting my bike to such an event as a bike box which guarantees it's safety costs around £400, then there are the flights, hotel. food etc. I always had the thought of turning an event into a holiday, but always felt bad mentioning the idea to Dan as it seems like I would be choosing the location and because of the expense of it it would mean it would be our only holiday of the year. This tactic is used by a lot of triathletes. Gill from Chiltern Tri for example did a half Ironman in America and made a road trip holiday out of it with her family. So I had admitted defeat and said I would do the event in Bolton. It was then that Dan planted the seed of the Eurostar to cut costs, but it wasn't discussed further.
  So, this morning. I don't know how it came up again but we got onto the subject of my Ironman location. With the hope that the Eurostar would get us over to an event on the cheap my dreams of doing one outside of the UK still lingered. It was then that we thought of the Eurotunnel meaning we could take our own car and bike rack, or better yet hire a campervan and sleep in it to cut even more costs. From here the dream expanded. We have both always wanted to do a roadtrip around Europe and this just seemed perfect. We were flying off of eachothers ideas. We had so many ideas we couldn't get them all out. We instantly decided to go to town to get a map of Europe and sit with a coffee deciding where to go, what van to get and at the base of it all, finally decide where to do the Ironman. We painstakingly started circling everywhere we wanted to go in Europe until we had to stop logistically. I had to decide where I was going to do the Ironman as it meant going down throughthe centre of Germany to Frankfurt or sticking to the edges and going to Berlin and then down to Austria or France. It was decided we were more keen on seeing Berlin so that narrowed it down to either Nice in France or Klagenfurt in Austria. I decided on Austria as it meant it would be dead in the middle of the holiday, is underestimated for its stunning scenery and would be a damn sight cheaper than the Cote d'Azur! (We decided that although we would be sleeping in the van for the majority of the trip we would get a hotel for the night after the Ironman so I can try and recover a little in some luxury). So I shall be competing in Ironman Austria in 2014.

You may be able to see the circled places we plan to visit
 
  With my Austian decision made we had a vague route mapped out on where we would be going on our road trip. After some suprisingly calm discussions we cut out some destinations as they were too far out of the way these included Amsterdam and Hamburg. The list of planned destinations we ended up with was; Brussels, Cologne, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Klagenfurt, Venice, Milan, Turin, Monaco, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Nantes, Versailles, Paris and Reims. We then worked out the distance of travel between them all, worked out how long we would stay at each and it equalled to 20 days. This may seem like a lot of places in such a short space of time, but the idea is to just experience each city and the list is not a strict schedule, we can cut and add places as we chose. The aim is to be spontaneous for once! We also agreed that it would be difficult to stay in places like Milan, Turin and Monaco so they would have to be swift visits anyway.

  We had a great idea of getting a van on ebay that we could get cheaply and convert, but we worked out by the time we had made it safe, liveable for 3 weeks, insured and taxed it it would cost more than renting one that is already the full package with a bed, sink and storage. It would be a different story if we could afford to get a proper VW campervan and proudly keep it (something I one day hope to do as I have always had a fascination with them). We were however looking at old Ford transits that looked like after two weeks in Europe would combust. (The place which we are looking at renting from also have some awesome spray paint jobs on their vans which adds to the fun of it).

An example of the 2-berth rented campervan

  I never had a gap year and although I have been privileged to go to some amazing countries when I was younger whilst at school and with my parents on holiday I have still got many places I want to travel to. I get jealous when I see a lot of my friends still exploring the world. I read their blogs from amazing places that only the spontaneous get to see. I want my own little part of that excitement and spontaneity and although I do want to travel further afield one day to India, China, New Zealand etc there are some amazing gems in Europe, just across the channel, that I want to experience as well.
  Although I am already loaded up with a map of Europe, a lonely planet about Europe and a caravan and camping guide to Europe I have a long wait yet. I also do want not to, as well as cannot do much planning due to the nature of the trip. However, I cannot forget that the Ironman is really the basis and major part of this long awaited trip and there is a lot of training to do between now and then. 
  On another note I am so glad I have decided to do the trip for another reason. People keep reminding me lately do things while you can. It may seem morbid, but I have been told this twice in the last month. A friend at work, although still very young, is cramming in everything she wants to see and do before she dies.This is after a family member of hers regrets not doing so. As well as this Gill told me that if it is something you want to do just do it, as the feeling and want will not go away and you will regret it if you don't. An Ironman and my own mini gap year Eurotrip are two lifetime wishes I shall experience in 2014 and I cannot wait!

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Running is a selfish sport

  I can now say that I have completed my first event on my long road to becoming an Ironman. The Bath half-marathon couldn't have gone better.
  So as I said on my last post I had a very busy day on Saturday after a 4 hour recovery sleep from my night shift. The majority of my day was spent at the Triathlon Show in Sandown. The show was a triathlons dream, with hundreds of stalls filled with wetsuits, trisuits, nutrition, trainers, bikes...the list goes on. I had 3 things that I was looking out for specifically as I considered these the most urgently needed. I only ended up getting 1 of these. A 2-piece trisuit was my top priority so I decided to start with that. A trisuit is basically a swimming costume with shorts that you wear under your wetsuit and throughout the triathlon meaning no unnecessary extra minutes changing in transition. (It is also instant disqualification if you get naked during an event in transition). So basically I was trying to find a comfortable short-top combination. I normally dislike wearing shorts and top when exercising especially in a race as I want my main focus to be on competing and not pulling my shorts and top around to make it comfortable. However, it has been recommended on many forums that when doing a long-distance triathlon a trisuit poses all sorts of problems when the inevitable happens and I need the toilet.
  Many brands decide to release their 2013 kit at these events as well as sell old 2012 gear at sale price. So as my favourite brand 2XU hadn't released anything for a long time I was eagerly awaiting their 2013 clothing. I have to say I was bitterly disappointed. The trisuits looked like a 70's skiers dream. I was annoyed that they opted for a more colourful scheme as opposed to their minimalistic design before. Their compression gear is known as one of the best in the industry and this just did not sell the brand to me at all. I found the 2012 compression trisuit I had been after last year in the sale but it was the wrong size. (I have been trying to track one down for ages but due to the new kit being launched it had been discontinued and as it was so popular stock had dwindled almost immediately). The only trisuit I liked the look of at the show was from Speedo, but it was only a cheap beginners suit and had no added benefits such as compression or the support any woman needs.
The 2XU trisuit I have decided I like
  After looking online at 2XU's 2013 collection there is one I like which does not have the bright pastel pinks, greens and blue all over it. I have also decided after running in my trisuit yesterday I am going to stick to a full all in one trisuit as I love the flexibility of them. They don't need any assistance, don't ride up, and in all honesty I don't take that long getting it off. I would be naked if I had to get it off to pee when during a race, but will I care during an Ironman? I believe I won't and I highly doubt anyone would have any interest in looking. The only other trisuit I really considered was a leopard print one. For everyone that knows me you shouldn't be suprised by this! I even saw a leaflet with a picture of such trisuits, but for the sake of Dan, my parents and any of my spectators I decided to not pick it up.

  My second most needed item was a transition/training bag. Basically a bag that can hold all of my kit when training and at an event. This can amount to quite a bit of kit. Wetsuit, trisuit, cycling trainers, running trainers, goggles, swim hats (I always use 2), nutrition etc. The only bag that was on offer was a TYR training bag which I liked but wanted to see some competition. I ended up getting one through 220 Triathlon magazine as I finally subscribed to the magazine and when doing so got a free Hubb transition bag (the cost of the bag was worth a lot more).
  The third bit of kit I needed was new trainers. I love looking at new trainers and trying to understand the technology of what makes them the best. I spent the best part of last year researching and decided I wanted some 'Newton' trainers. These aid natural running and like all my previous trainers come in a bright colour scheme. I have always been a loyal 'Asics' customer because they offer extra support on the arch of the shoe to over-pronators like me. I basically roll inwards severely when running, even walking, which explains why I get knee problems. I also have to wear custom orthotics to try and support my feet so they are pushed to a natural straight position as opposed to collapsing inwards. Anyway, after realising I'm not and never will be a natural and neutral runner I steered away from 'Newton' trainers and towards 'Cloudrunners'. These trainers were reviewed on 'The Gadget Show' over a year ago and had a hefty price tag to go with them (the price has come down considerably). The idea of these trainers is to dramatically reduce the impact you put through your body when running and have the feel of running on clouds. This is achieved by having what I can only describe as 'bubbles' underneath the sole of the trainer (the picture will help). After being assessed for the right pair I tried them out by having a little jog around the show. I instantly decided these were the new trainers for me. I have wrongly been running flat-footed for years putting extra impact through my joints and wasting energy by doing so. These trainers felt like they were aiding me to running heel-to-toe and rolling which is what I have been painstakingly trying to teach myself to do naturally.

My new trainers - 'Cloudrunners'
  As well as trainers, a free bag and subscription to the 220 Triathlon magazine I managed to just about meet and get a signature from Chrissie Wellington as she was leaving for an interview. Thankfully her agent took pity on me standing at the end of the line clutching her book that he asked if she could squeeze me in. She was in a rush and the signature isn't anything special or personal but I got it. We left for my parents at 4.30 after grabbing some 'High5' nutrition boxes for £5 from £20 and I got some new swimming goggles which are so clever. The technology behind them is amazing. I only have mirrored googles which is perfect for when swimming outside in daytime as it reduces any glare. However, they aren't very practical when swimming outside at night as I cannot see a lot, therefore I needed some clear ones. After only finding one pair of googles I liked enough to never lose I wanted the same style as my mirrored ones but with clear lenses. The ones I ended up getting automatically change their lense colour depending on what conditions your swimming in. If your outside in daylight they become mirrored, if outside and dark they'll be clear. In theory you will only need one pair of goggles, but I don't know if I can let my other ones go just yet.

  So after some rambling I shall talk about the main event of the weekend, the Bath half marathon. After staying with my parents on Saturday night and having my favourite seafood carb loading pasta I went to bed early. I had some weetabix and banana in the morning and was on the way to Bath at 8am (I made Dan drive). It was only then that I began to get the tingling in my stomach that I get before any event; nerves. However, I wasn't worried about the race at all, I knew I could do it and Dan calmed the feeling away with his wise words, "It is not a race so you don't need to be nervous, just stick to your own pace". I had said to everyone who asked I was aiming for 2hr20. It isn't a particularly fast time, rather average really at 11minute miles. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment when doing an event, running off to fast and then feeling it a few miles in by which point it is hard to keep up any pace. As per usual I made it a rush to the start line. I was priding myself on how early and prepared I was at 10am when we were sat down enjoying a preliminary coffee. However, I had jinxed it. I realised I had dropped my head band which I desperately needed to not have hair going in my face and had forgotten safety pins to pin my number on my t-shirt. So we waited for H&M to open so I could get a head band, found one and was told that due to trading laws I couldn't buy anything untill 11am (when I should be across the line). What is the point of opening at 10.30 then?! So I had to hope the runners village had some. So I started the long walk to the runners village. I then needed to toilet, and sorry for the lack of dignity here, but anyone who has done an event will understand the NEED for a nervous shit 30minutes prior to an event start. So with 10minutes until I was meant to be starting I rushed to the toilet, a lovely portaloo, managed to steal some cellotape to stick my number on with, and scouted the place with no luck to find a head band. I even managed to pose for a picture! I have now decided my events would not be the same without a stressed start. Although I think it makes Dan just as stressed as it does me, but at least it makes the time go quick!


Contrary to what it looks like I am not scratching my boob
  I headed off to the orange start line, obvious from the colour of my number, and Dan headed off towards the spectator area. I had no idea where I was meant to looking out for him, but knew he would shout if he saw me. The walk to the actual start line was 20 minutes, so I crossed the line at 11.15am. I soon realised that I had been put in the wrong wave as I was overtaking every person infront of me. I first thought I was yet again getting caught up in the moment and running off too fast, but it was evident after half a mile I wasn't as people were walking. I didn't stop overtaking people throughout the whole race and although it was motivational for the first 5 miles it began to get annoying. The route was a 2 lap event, so the elite and good for age runners were overtaking us on the right. The road was split into two lanes, but the congestion of the 'normal' runners meant it was overflowing onto the elite's side. I had to do some annoying quick dashes past the slower runners, doing mirror checks every time to not ruin the faster runners race. I also had to do some undertaking. I think there should be a motorway lane system in these circumstances. (I also think this should be the case on Oxford Street and any shopping malls, the browsers stay on the left and then the pace gets faster the farther right you go). With 13,000 runners in such a small space it was difficult and I know without this I would've been able to do a quicker time by 5minutes at least. I begrudge people who overestimate the time they can do it in as this messes up the wave times and affects people like me when competing. However this is unavoidable in any event as many people when signing up for an event are unrealistic with the time they will complete in and as Dan said there will always be people who just do not train and on race day try and struggle through it.
  I had grabbed a time split bracelet before starting with the finish time of 2hr20 on it so I could assess how I was going at every mile. I had also set my Garmin watch to having time split of 5minutes for every km. This was faster than I was expecting to run but wanted to be inbetween 5-6 so went for the lower with the mindset I have some slack if need be. This turned out to be a perfect ploy as at the end of the race my average speed was 5.30m per km.
  I don't know whether it was the overtaking going to my head but I was 2 minutes ahead of my time split for the first mile, so decided to try and slow it down by the second. By then I was 2.30m ahead, so I decided to carry on as I was comfortable. Every mile I was knocking seconds off. By 5 miles I was 7 minutes ahead of my 2hr20 time splits and by 7 miles was 10 minutes ahead! At mile 10 I was getting restless but plodded along. I had taken 2 energy gels on throughout the race, one before starting and one at mile 7. I also had some sips of Lucozade when it was offered twice on the course. I now know that my body doesn't struggle with gels as some can and will definitely up the amount I take next time as I didn't enjoy the slump in energy. I also saw Dan just after 6 miles where he took a charming picture. He was also at mile 2 but I couldn't see him and looked like a lost dog trying to find the direction that I heard his voice come from.

Six miles in and going strong, I even break into a massive smile

  I managed to keep 10 minutes ahead of my 2hr20 time splits and sprinted across the line with Bruno Mars' Lazy Song in my ears in 2hr10. I always sprint to the finish of an event, it has been something I was always taught to do by my mum. I even do it on my training runs. At the end of the London Marathon in 2010 I remember hearing the tannoy say "We have a sprinter" and then calling my name out to everyone, so it is a nice way of getting some attention. The only bad thing is that you have to stop immediately after crossing the line or you'll whack into someone, which is no good for the joints. Anyway, I was really pleased with my time, a whole 1h20 quicker than my injured and unfit attempt at Reading in 2011! My pace was consistent and I believe I can stick to it even after a 1.2m swim and 55m bike so I shall be aiming for nothing less than 2h20 in the half Ironman. It also means I'm on track for a 4h20 marathon in April as although I was pleased to finish my pacing was perfect and with some more interval training I believe I could even pick the pace up.
Post half marathon (The angle makes my legs look funny)
  I finally caught up with Dan after he had his own special tour of Bath and we headed back to the hotel (which was up a horrible hill). He had seen Radio 1's DJ Greg James come in 4 minutes before me. I was gutted as I wanted to either see him or beat him. Both of which I think I could've done had I not been in the wrong wave. Dan took a post race photo of me when we got back to the hotel (excuse the weird angle we were on a massive slope).


  I had a quick shower and we headed back down the hill for something to eat.
Celebratory hot dog in Bath centre (any chance to sit d


My legs were aching already, which was frustrating me as I had done 10miles in training and didn't have such severe pain walking up and down stairs. I put it down to the fact that I couldn't stretch my quads properly straight after the race as every time I tried I got really bad cramp. Dan said I had DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) although there was no delay in my soreness. We had decided to have an early dinner and head back to the hotel and relax, but we ended up going to a bar called 'Graze' that overlooks the town and having a rewarding glass of wine (or 2) and then eating dinner there at 7pm. This also seemed to be a hotspot for many of the marathon competitors. I was lucky that Graze happened to be my favourite type of restaurant, a Steakhouse. We shared a lovely bottle of Malbec and we both had a 10oz Ribeye which I had with bone marrow gravy and chips. I was in heaven and had no guilt about my pig out. After the meal I stumbled up the hill to the hotel (I'm not sure whether it was the wine or my muscles that made me walk worse).
  We sadly had to say goodbye to Bath on Monday following a cultured day at the Roman Baths. We had those electronic tour handsets and listened intently to the explanation of every object and room. After seeing my parents quickly and getting the bike rack from there in preparation for my next event in 2 weeks, the Winchester Duathlon, we finally got home at 10pm.
  So all in all a great weekend. You may never see my write this again, but I actually enjoyed running! So much so, even though I am still aching, I am going to go for a run today (this could also be because I want to try out my new trainers). The only negative I have against running is that it is a selfish sport. I say this mainly because in triathlons there is a sense of camaraderie, I say well done to almost everyone I pass especially when you reach the run, yet when I did so on Sunday I just got a glare. People seem to think I'm mad or think I'm trying to rub it in that I am overtaking them. I'm just trying to be nice! Although I did have a positive effect on one woman who at the last hill with about 800m to go started walking. I ran past, slowed down myself, shouted well done you can do it, just the last push and she began running again. However, even though I moved her on when she had given up I was selfish enough to not slow down anymore and carried on at my own pace to complete it by myself. Everyone when racing or training has their own goals, their own tactics and most importantly their own pace. I was selfish when I was under and overtaking people for example. Even people who have regular training partners are separate runners. There will always be someone who is slightly faster meaning one is struggling and there will always be a difference in a runner come race day. Some people may find they can push more on race day meaning the other may be left or feeling demotivated which could mean they never want to participate in a race again. I also think with any event it is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Many may cross the line and actually mean it when they say never again, however, people like me think that but within an hour are thinking of the next event. I get a massive high from the endorphins of finishing a race and crave more. For others they don't get this and just train for their own benefit. I personally cannot see this persons point of view just as they may not be able to understand mine. (My good friend Yuliya is doing a PhD in neurological science and I would love her to do research into this, I'll happily be the guinea pig!). Therefore, running, in my opinion, due to the personal style every individual has is a selfish sport and as a lone ranger runner I wouldn't want it any other way.