OMG It's almost time!

Is this just self-indulgent twaddle?  Well you don't have to read it.  In fact is this whole venture just some narcissistic exercise in middle-aged preening?  i don't know, but what I do know is that it's here.  The time has come (well in 5 days) so it's time to seriously consider my targets.

When I started out on this "journey", I casually set myself a target of 90 minutes (which secretly I thought would be a "piece of piss").  then I hurt my leg and frankly anything under 2 hours and finishing at all seemed like a reasonable plan.  But the training's been going well and I'm feeling quietly confident (not so quiet now I've broadcast it to the world) so i'm going to stick my neck out and make a prediction.

What has brought this on really is looking at last year's event results. You can too at www.sprinttriathlon.org if you feel so inclined.  90 minutes would place me more than half way down the field and way down in my age category.  I'm in the latter half of my age category in terms of age, if you see what i mean, so I probably shouldn't be surprised.

So, predictions. (excluding transitions for which there are very generous allowances)

Swim 09:45
Cycle 41:15
Run/hobble/walk 34:00

That makes 85 minutes and probably the inability to walk for a week afterwards.  You gotta have a goal, and there's mine.

Just a couple more training sessions to go.... Bike tomorrow, swim Thursday and I'll see how I feel Friday before taking saturday as a rest day.  Wish me luck!

12 days

I know that most of you who sponsored me, only did so to make sure I go through with this madness so you you can really see me suffer all kinds of middle-aged man agonies! Good news, I ache all over and all I did was swim 1km this morning. OK I gymed (is that a word?) yesterday, but my poor shoulders!

Silly old sod that I am, I'm counting down with a mixture of dread and excitement. Gone are my sub 90 minute ambitions, and frankly just getting round and being able to walk on monday 4th is the key ambition now!

Good news (ish) for me is that I did manage an 8 minute jog(shuffle) on the treadmill yesterday, without a major painful reaction, so i do plan to complete the course without resorting to walking and that will be a personal victory.

So, cycle tomorrow, swim, Thursday, gym Friday, weekend of cycling and we'll see. Wish me luck, and wipe those evil grins off your faces!

Weekend of cycling

Just a quick update, triathlon fans! Been out on the bike twice this weekend and I have to say that the cycling is by far the most pleasurable of the three disciplines. It's still hard, but managed 13 miles this morning, which is plenty further than the event, so I know I can do it at least.

This morning out around the lanes of Welwyn and Codicote other proper cyclists even deigned to acknowledge me. I must look "proper"! Got a bit hairy at one point when being followed down a steep hill, by a fellow (can't think of another word for cyclist), went over a bump and my water bottle jumped out of its holder and nearly took the bloke behind me out of the game.

By the way, in case you're wondering why I went out twice in 2 days, it's cos I'm in Dublin the next 2 days and won't be able to do any training. Up at 4 tomorrow to get early flight and back at midnight tuesday, so may miss Wednesday morning training too, or is that just wimpy? Yes, it is just totally wimpy isn't it! So gym Wed at 07:00 it is!!

BTW, half way round this morning's jaunt, arse numbness really kicked in. I guess you just get used to it, do you?

Anyway, time to go! 3 weeks today till the event. Bring it on!!

I Ate All the Pies

Well, when I say "all", it was just one pie, but it was a big fat steak & kidney, with chips (and beans). My body is a temple and I am an athlete in training. Then I wake up and I'm a lazy over-eating slob again.

Enough self-loathing, surely an unedifying spectacle. Bright spots on the charity triathlon horizon are.....

1. good gym workout this morning
2. Really good bike ride yesterday before work
3. Swimming back on track now body remembers what to do
4. worked out how to pump up the bike tyres (but track pump cheap and nasty and knackered)
5. still 3 weeks to go!

Black spots on the horizon
1. Just one big fat one (no, not me) the injury to my left calf - only fit for veal now and definitely not for running on!

But as I always say, "onward and upward" - don't know why, and I'm sure very annoying to family and friends, but we all need our catchphrases (don't we Brucie!).

Weekend of cycling ahead, really looking forward to that (no, really, I am).

So dear sponsors and those who will get round to it before the event (honest), have a great weekend and I promise to report back on cycle training on Monday (when I shall be in the beautiful city of Dublin).

Bye!

Idiot Boy

Yes that's me!  Idiot boy!

Been wondering why there have been no training updates?  Simple!  There's been no training.

So I thought "right, 4 weeks to go, do 3 weeks hard labour and then wind down with a week to go"  but a gentle start after 2 weeks off. Don't want to overdo it.

Off I went slowly (jogging) to the woods.  In my day that would have been a warm up or what I liked to note in my training diary as the "short wood loop".  It all started so well, "Jokerman" on the ipod (remember those day kiddo?) and then the annoying voice of Runkeeper kicked in, "5 minutes" and the pain started.  The old pain.  The lower left leg, calf pain.  The lay-off for 2 years and give up running pain.  Oh joy of unbelievably deep joys!!!

So I stopped.

But then i thought b*gg*r it.  Only 4 weeks to go, what have I got to lose (my leg?).  Ro I ran (hobbled/staggered) for another 20 mins.  Funnily enough it hurts quite a bit now.  Even "old Compton St Blues" couldn't help take the pain away (nice try Al).

So tomorrow, bike, Monday swim, then by tuesday, I'll be running again.  I ran nearly 5k today, bad leg and all, so 5k in 4 weeks bad leg and all won't be a problem will it!!!