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.
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