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!