Winter Training

Decided on whim this morning that I need to do more endurance training through the winter and that today is the start of winter.  So to that end I swam 1500M this morning.  Took about 45 mins and now my shoulders ache quite a lot!

Still haven't quite decided what I'm training for.  I'm thinking Olympic distance triathlon (hence the 1500M swim) but I need to

1. decide I can actually do it
2. find an event and enter
3. train harder and longer

Need to decide soon, because right now I'm goal-less and I know from experience that means I'll skip training, because, what am I doing it for anyway?

So by the end of this week, I'll announce the next challenge, mainly to myself, but I'll let you know too!

In the meantime, need to get up earlier, swim further, run further, cycle further.  heck, sounds hard!

The results Are In

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for the final official results of yesterday's sporting endeavours.

Well wait no more.  The official times and positions are....

Swim 09:38 (76th fastest - must try harder)

Cycle 37:43 (41st fastest - going in the right direction)

Run 25:47 (39th fastest - much better)

from my overall position of 36th (much better than my 97th of last year) I can only conclude that I'm a better all-rounder than many of those who beat me in each discipline.

Oh and if you read yesterday's post, I didn't swim extra lengths, but the woman in my lane certainly swam 2 too few - still it's all about me, me, me!  And I'm content with my performance.

There's more to be done, and as soon as I decide on the next big challenge, you'll be the 2nd to know (I'd better tell Julie first.)

I'll share the official photos as and when any appear of me.  thanks for listening.  Goodnight!

Goals Achieved - Job Done

We're too old for this lark

So there you have it!  Another triathlon completed for the wonderful charity Hope and Homes for Children and as you can see from the pic here on the right, I left nothing out there on the course.

I started out with 4 stated goals this time.

1. raise £500 for the charity (raised £556 so far)
2. do it faster than last year - (1:13:07 this year, vs 1:22:41 last year)
3. Beat martin Branagan (the other bloke in the photo) - it was his first time and he put up a fight, but I scraped home in front
4. finish in the top 50 - I'll let you know when the results are published

It was tough today, I'd trained hard, and was fit and healthy - unlike last year, but no amount of training prepares you for the extra amount of effort you are prepared to put in during a race.  I drove myself so hard.

The swim did not go well.  One length of front crawl, my goggles filling up with water, i switched to breast stroke and almost immediately lost count of my lengths.  What i do know is that of the 3 of us in my lane, 2 of us either did 2 lengths too many, or one of us did 2 lenghts too few - I'll know when i get my official time - but you're finished when the marshalls say so, nothing we can do now.

I was on the cycle start line with Branagan and a rush of blood to the head meant I sprinted the first half mile to get some distance between us. It worked, but by the time I hit the hill, I was done in. I just, somehow made it to the top, recovered a little and hit 38 MPH down the other side.  Passed lots of other cyclists, none passed me - major achievement.  Sadly the GPS on Runkeeper didn't track me properly so once again waiting for the official stats.

Still standing

To the run.  Again, somehow was back on the line with Martin B (in this race, your transition times are deducted) as we set off for the 5.5 km.  After the pain of last year and the humiliation of having to walk, I was looking forward to this.  What I wasn't looking forward to was the pain. I'd worked so hard on the bike, I felt sick in the first couple of kms.  But this time I kept going, winding it up, staring ahead, reeling in other runners, blanking out the pain, breathing away the nausea.  The run I can tell you I finished in the unofficial time of 25:48, compared to 30:51 last year, almost 1 minute per Km faster.  It's not Mo Farrah, but it is running and it is good!  Just like on the bike, I overtook many and was overtaken by none, it felt good!

And now it's done. I need a new challenge.  But first, tomorrow morning at 07:00, I'll be back in the pool.  The swimming bugs me, so weak, so slow, time to get serious!

By the way, thanks again to all who sponsored me!  Great effort raising the money for a great charity, thank you!

3 Days To Go

That's it, no more training.  I've done all I can to be ready.  Last session this morning out on the bike.  Only 30 minutes, but quite a hard 30 minutes.  Take a look at the Runkeeper link for today and see the elevation. http://runkeeper.com/user/Yannapleby/activity/54193440 That hill from 5 miles through to 7 miles, 2 miles of climbing, it's not steep but at that time of the morning it's bloody hard work.

So that's it.  Funny thing is that I'm already stressing about NOT training tomorrow and Saturday.  Think I'd be grateful for the rest, wouldn't you, after all this time of daily sessions?  But I'm not.  And if I can let you into a little secret, it's because my mind is already straying towards the next challenge.Must focus on Sunday.  Good news is the weather is looking friendly.

So people.  If you feel like supporting me financially (you know where to sponsor me), physically (go to www.sprinttriathlon.org for the details - St Albans, not far).  I'll be in the pool if the timings are correct at 8:12 and on the bike around 8:30 - 9:10 and then running from around 9:20 to 9:50.  If you do turn up, hang around the transition area, that's where all the action is.

Anyway, for those of you who have contributed to the £476 I've raised so far, thank you again, and again!

Next blog will be my race report where I'll give you a warts and all rundown of how I fare on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Count Down - 5 days to go!!

So, only 5 days now and counting down very quickly.  After yesterday's dramatic post about feeling ill, i though a quick up date was only fair.

Still feel ill!

So thought this morning would go for a gentle jog instead of trying to run as hard as I can, which I realise is what I do every time I go out.  This morning was lovely.  Quite a thick fog, and running into the woods was still relatively, dark and the fog and the low music in my ears made me feel strangely cocooned.

I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed a run, rather than just feeling a sense of achievement.  It was a beautiful morning to be out and about.  If my head hadn't been pounding and my body over-heating, it would have been perfect.  Still, got round the 3.6 miles, so all is just about ok.

This morning's playlist for those of you who like that little extra insight into my head...

War Baby - Tom Robinson
The High Road - Broken Bells
Babylon - David Gray
Persuasion - Tim Finn
Kaleidoscope - James
Like A Star - Corinne Bailey Rae
Bad Bad You, Bad Bad Me - Stephen Fretwell
Summersong - The Decemberists
Train Under Water - Bright Eyes

Listen to any of them, you won't be disappointed!

Sponsor me, need all the encouragement I can get, to get through this latest virus and carry on till Sunday!

Thanks for listening!

Counting Down

Only 6 days to go - oh heck!

While I'm feeling generally ready to go on Sunday, outside of the generally ready, I actually feel ill again. This is the 3rd time in a month I've had that virussy, not-quite-well feeling.  So am I worried?  Very!

Can't back out, all you lovely people have donated so much sponsor money for this great charity, so I've decided, no matter what, I'll be there by the poolside at 8:12 Sunday morning.  Even if all I do is get round, I'll get round - if you see what I mean.

Still, went for my swim this morning, kept it to 800M and took it easy, but got to keep the old body ticking over.  So to that end, I intend to jog in the morning, swim on Wednesday, cycle Thursday and then have 2 luxury days off the exercise.

Wish me luck, looks like I might need it this year.

Nearly There

Nearly there for the Triathlon, only 11 days now, and bring it on I say, I'm ready for you.  At least nearly, probably, nearly ready.  Ready as I'm going to be.

Running is going well, better, less painful and even showing signs of getting faster.  Not like real running, but like fast jogging, and that feels good.  Swimming is ok and cycling must be better than last year when I didn't even own a bike!!

Anyway, training update.  Been a bit coldy; had to miss saturday's session.  but ran this morning and here peeps is my wonderful playlist provided by the shuffle fairy from the My Top Rated playlist on my iPhone.

Road Rage - Catatonia
The Rose Society - Mark Olson & Gary Louris
Valerie - Amy Winehouse
A Design For Life - Manic Street Preachers
Winner Takes It All - Abba
Gracie - Ben Folds
Leslie Anne Levine - The Decemberists
Shiver - Coldplay

So a right old mix of classics and stuff you've never heard of (as usual)

So 11 days, for you to sponsor me, so go on, dig deep!

And thank you!

Totally Deflated

At least my rear tyre was this morning after about 8 miles.  Then had that decision to make.  Do I do the right thing, change it and cycle home, or do I thank my good fortune in having opted for SPD shoes and pedals and push the bike the last half mile?  Don't need that on a work morning when everything is timed so precisely.

I pushed.

Then got scuppered by ridiculous traffic coming to the office.

And, it was flippin' cold out there this morning.  Winter is a coming, my poor little skinny thighs were all goose-pimpled and my fingers cold even through the gloves.  If only I'd bought the bib-tights for myself instead of giving them to Julie to give to me for my birthday.  Not sure I can wait till the end of October to have warm legs.

Still, I've got the tyre change to look forward to tonight.  I'm so inept, I reckon I could sell tickets!  back to the "how-to" You-Tube videos!

The Big Test

Morning peeps,

Today, Mr Martin Branagan and I decided it would be a good idea to test ourselves over the triathlon cycling and run distances.  Now in the history of good ideas, this probably doesn't feature at the top of the all time lists.  Followers of my Runkeeper activity will have spotted no action for a few days.  I have been feeling pathetic and "virussy" and have done nothing for 3 whole days, a long time for me, but probably normal for you lard-arses out there!

So today, at 08:30, we did a 17.36km cycle, 3 laps of a course close to home in case either of us needed urgent attention and then a 5.5km run.

And you know, it was ok.   Martin B has clearly been training. He led out the first lap on the bike in just under 12 mins, with me on his wheel, getting coated in his spray (from the road - what were you thinking?). I took the lead for laps 2 & 3 and the pace stayed pretty consistent.  Got off the bike feeling sick, but that's just normal for me these days.

Then the run.  It's funny getting off the bike and trying to run - nothing works, and it takes a good half mile to get going - but get going we did and while little Mo needn't feel threatened, we proved that we can do this thing.

So 2nd October - bring it on.  I (we) am (are) ready.  Aiming for sub 1hr 20min this time and the virus seems to have gone.

If I can walk tomorrow I'll be in the pool at 7 (if that makes sense).  All I need now is a little more sponsor money and Laura Marling's new album which is out tomorrow!

Thank you for listening.

Thirty

An insight into my brain.  The number 30.  It all started while running this morning.  I was approaching a 30 speed limit sign and it was some time since the nice Runkeeper lady had announced "Time, 25 minutes!" and I was averaging just outside 9 minute mile pace.  So I promised myself that if I reached the 30 sign before she announced 30 minutes then I'd dip under the 9 minute barrier (more like a brick wall these days).  So I picked up the lamentable pace and reached the sign just as she announced "Time 30 minutes".

But then I had 30 stuck in my head.  I started thinking what I would think if the me from 30 years ago saw the me of now out "running".  I'd have been a git and laughed at the old me.  I'd have called the old me a "jogger" nothing more derogatory to us runners in those days.  I would have been running sub 6 minute miles even out training and I'd be imagining that in 30 years I'd be rich and retired!

Another quick insight into my brain, another "shuffle" offering my "My Top Rated" playlist from the run this morning.  Each of these tracks gets 5 stars from me, though not necessarily as an accompaniment to running....

Supernaturally - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Just Like Fred Astaire - James
How the West Was Won.... - R.E.M.
You're A Big Girl - Bob Dylan
Trap Doors - Broken Bells
To Hell With The World - David Ford
It Ain't You - Tom McRae
Is This Love - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Leslie Anne Levine - The Decemberists

Big surge in sponsorship.  Thank you all so much.  Big day is exactly one month today, getting nervous!

In A Change To The Advertised Programme

The training has taken on a different look this week.  Monday (Bank Holiday) was a cycling day and Tuesday a running day, so in an unusual twist, both Wednesday and today became swimming days.   Swimming on a Thursday is a bit of a treat.  We get to go in the small pool, so shallow, my fingers touch the bottom in the shallow end when I front crawl and much less busy than Mon/Wed/Fri in the big pool.  It's clear the serious swimmers just don't like the small pool and that suits me.  4 or 5 to a lane is really quite tedious and all you can do is adapt your pace to the prevailing average of the pack (shoal?), or should that be procession as we're all in a straight line (though I do tend to snake about a little when crawling).  So relatively empty lanes is a joy to me.

Short swim today - just 800M - meeting to get to at work, but still, how many of you swam half a mile before work today?  Oh!  A few of you.

Still facing a major swim dilemma.  My breast stroke is still quicker than my crawl, despite a year of training, but the crawl looks "proper" in a "tri". I think I'm going to have to give in, breast stroke, and just look like the desperate amateur I clearly am.  because while I'm in this to get fit and raise money, the competitor in me wants to do 3 things

1. Be faster than last year
2. Beat Martin Branagan
3. Place in the top 50 (97th last year)

Please remember, click on tab at top, sponsor me, feel good about yourself!

Ta very much!

Another Playlist

So here we go again.  Another early morning run playlist, courtesy of the shuffle fairy.  OK it's not totally random, it is a selection from my "My Top Rated" playlist.  Yes I do rate all the songs I listen to and group them all in multiple playlists.  What was that?  Anal?  Moi?

So this morning in a dark and dingy woodland and a lovely empty Brocket Hall golf course, I listened to the following eclectic mix:

Map of the World - Monsters of Folk
Sparks - Coldplay
There She Goes - The La's
The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve
Fade In-Out - Oasis
Lovesong - Adele
I'd Do It All Again - Corinne Bailey Rae
Pretty Amazing Grace - Neil Diamond

And it was a very pleasant run, about 6:40 in the woods, nice and quiet, not even the dog walkers out, just a sad old jogger, all red-faced and sweaty - yes, me!

So, there we have it, another day, another training session, another escaping of injury, another reason to celebrate.

Another reason to celebrate would be your sponsorship.  Go on, give me a reason!

A Quick One

Quick update on the weekend.

Woke Saturday morning with a pain in my left calf and the neurotic in me kicked in with all sorts of worst case injury scenarios.  Happily, got up, stretched, ran just short of 5 miles and no reaction, so that's good then...

Sunday morning, 28.5 miles on the bike, all good, no problems, sun shining.  Actually went over part of the triathlon cycle route and remembered that it is really quite hilly.

Sitting here now getting through a bowl of apple and hazelnuts in natural yoghurt, having just had my morning 1km swim and feeling very virtuous!

That's all folks!

Video Blog

First attempt (and probably last) at a video entry to the blog.

A Routine Matter

Or rather a matter of routine.  That's what this training lark is, routine, and without routine I'd be struggling.  If you know me, you know that I'm a creature of habit (Friday night dinner etc.) and my training/fitness routine is very much evidence of that.

Take this morning: alarm at 05:59 (somehow more invigorating than 06:00), tea in bed with Julie (I make it - the tea), read a few pages of a book, leave house shortly after 06:30, arrive pool just after 07:00, swim 1km (about 30 mins), shower, work by 08:10. 

At the moment that's every Monday, Wednesday and Friday circumstances permitting.

The whole routine, you want the whole routine?  This then, because you asked, is my current training regime. (subject to change due to anything from work appointments, Jury service, children on work experience, visits from family etc etc)

Mon - swim 1km

Tues - run 3-4 miles

Wed - swim 1km

Thurs - cycle 8 miles

Fri - swim 1km

Sat - run 4-5 miles

Sun - cycle 25 miles

It's all there for the triathlon, every element, so on 2nd October, 7 weeks from now, I should be ready to go.  And a s a by-product, i'm feeling well and healthy and fit, which at my age is a very pleasant side-effect!

Time to Take it Seriously

It was about this time last year that I started to take the training for my Triathlon challenge a little more seriously.  Happily, this year, currently injury free, I've been pretty serious for a little while now.  So hopefully won't look quite this bad when I cross the finish line this year!

Last Summer, I spent 2 idle weeks in Florida.  This summer, 1 week in France and went running 3 times while away.

Last Summer (and right up to the event) I only had one good leg, and ran only indoors on a treadmill.  This summer, I'm outside and "running" 2 or 3 times a week.  So all looking pretty good so far.

Using Runkeeper to track all my activities (except the swimming) and looking back you and I can see that I'm much more active this year than last.  So all in all I'm in pretty reasonable shape for a bloke approaching 48 years old (so hard to believe, I know).

Now I'm after sponsorship, and so I will be reporting more frequently on my activities/progress/health etc so those of you kind enough to donate to Hope and Homes for Children can at least track your investment.

When the Runkeeper servers recover, you will see that since my hol, (back in the UK since Tuesday 9th) I've been out on the bike 3 times (just short ones) and been running twice.  I intend to be fitter and faster than last year, and though I've not been swimming nearly as much as last year, I have 7 weeks to put that straight, the running and cycle legs of the "tri" should both be significantly faster!

So please, click on the link above and sponsor me.

This Morning's Playlist

As I ran this morning, I listened to the following:-

White Boy - James
In Remote Part - Idlewild
high ideals - Elbow
Filmstar - Suede
Hallelujah (Live at Sin-e) -Jeff Buckley
Dust on the Ground - Bombay Bicycle Club
The Belle Sisters - Bathers

Nothing if not eclectic!

Good news is that the run was fine if still much slower than I'd like, and no pain apart from the aches of old age.  So all going well.  2nd October still feels like a really long way off but it's not far in training terms. - or in sponsorship terms.  So go on, dig deep!

Thank you.

Back In The Swim

Well, I went for a swim.  First one for 38 days according to "Days Since" on my Google homepage!  and I felt it!

So where have I been?  Away, ill, hungover (possibly all 3 together on one inauspicious day).  Anyway, end result is I'm out of my routine and out of shape and need to get back to my version of normality pretty damn quick.  This morning was a start.  Up at 6, out by 6:30, pool just after 7, office at 8. - this following my run on Saturday and my cycle yesterday is as comforting to me as my friday night sausage!

While we're on the bike ride of yesterday, I hit my nemesis of a hill again, and got off and walked again.  I need to know if it's physical or psychological.  So if any of you out there are ever cycling the lanes between Kimpton and Codicote and hit that sharp rise into Codicote, do you ever need to get off and push?  Do I need to just put my head down, my arse up and work it?  Or is it really as mean a little climb as I'm likely to meet in these parts? Here is the link to the ride, the climb is at just about the 20 mile mark (maybe that's the problem - just knackered by then?) http://runkeeper.com/user/Yannapleby/activity/40816992

Anyway, sponsor me please, my current total of £10 is frankly embarrassing.

Thank you

X

Feeling Sorry For Myself

I'm hoping, dear reader, that you are not appalled and turned off by self-pity.  I'm feeling all weak and virussy (not a word, I know) for the third time in around a month.  I'm thinking that this isn't fair.  Let's face it, I try pretty hard to keep myself fit and healthy and yet I get iller than the average ill person in Ilfracombe!

So?  So sponsor me!  Cheer me up.  Click on the tabs at the top of this blog, pledge money to Hope and Homes for Children, force me up off my sorry backside and get me running/cycling/swimming again.

To be fair, it is only Monday, and I did cycle yesterday and I ran the day before that.  I even managed a couple of jogs in the intense heat in Annapolis last week.  So i've had a day off, but I'm taking tomorrow off as well - no way to prepare for a triathlon.

By the way, there is an added interest this year.  My friend Martin.  He's doing it too.  And you know what that means.  Competition.  Sod the other 200 participants, got to beat Martin (I know he's thinking the same about me - probably got some sort of voodoo doll thing going - I know I would if I thought it would work).  Don't get me wrong, I want him to do really well, he's a mate!  Just not as well as me!!

So after that unedifying spectacle of whatever you call trying to beat your friends, I'm signing off with a "please sponsor me".  Read the links, see where your money went last year and where it will go again.  I'll get off my lazy arse and start training and tell you interesting tales of my sporting endeavours.

Thank you and goodnight!!

Still running - still not hurting!

All credit to Susannah King, my patient Physiotherapist (obviously I was the patient!), who finally seemed to find the problem with my poorly left leg and through a series of painful manipulation sessions, ultrasound, some weird electric-shocky stuff and exercises (my daughter finds both the "lunges" and the "kicking your head off" exercises particularly hilarious) has, dare I say, cured me!  After best part of 3 years of not being able to run because of the pain, I seem to be finally free of that particular injury.

Unfortunately, I am finding that at the age of 47 (hard to believe I know) no running is really pain-free anymore.  Exercise just hurts, quite a lot really.  My left leg, (the poorly one) is in almost constant pain of some sort, but not the pain I used to feel, so that's good isn't it!

The reason I'm writing this today though is that I "ran" about 3.6 miles this morning and it didn't hurt at all. My 2nd run in 3 days and it didn't hurt.  My lungs hurt, and my quads ache, but ache isn't pain is it!  So good old Susannah of the North West London Physiotherapy Clinic, thank you.   It was a pleasure to be treated by you, and you were good company as you inflicted all sorts of agony on me for all those half hour sessions

Playlist from this morning's gym session

Time to blog the training again, but before all that, this is what I listened to in the gym this morning.  Thought someone out there may be interested....


Lippy Kids - Elbow
Map of The World - Monsters of Folk
Ant Farm - Eels
Anyone's Ghost - The National
Clocks - Coldplay
We Used To Wait - The Arcade Fire
Ocean of Noise - The Arcade Fire
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
West Ryder Silver Bullet - Kasabian
Dreaming of You - The Coral
I Remember When - The Coral
New Product - Athlete
Know Your Quarry - Biffy Clyro
Tokyo - Athlete

And I did some training.

Signed up for the charity triathlon again, but I'll wait till you've all re-filed your pockets following London marathon sponsorship before I get out the begging bowl again.

As well as this blog, my runs and cycle rides will (are) be posted via Runkeeper on Twitter and Facebook so there's no excuse at all not to be bored and totally irritated by me going on about how fit I'm getting.

Thanks for reading.