Ahhhh Balls!!

Just as things finally seem to be happening there's a problem - grrrrr!!!!!

Training actually went pretty well last week. It wasn't the longest week in the world but I managed 2 x 20mile bike rides (Monday & Wednesday) and 2 x 40mile bike rides (Saturday and Sunday) with Sundays hilly and windy ride to Bude followed by a Sprint Triathon. The Triathlon is where the problems started though.
It's a long time since I've done a bike heavy week and although the distances weren't great it was a good solid start to biking fitness and I was happy with it. The Monday ride was a Time Trial with tired legs in which I wasn't too far off last years pace and Sundays ride was a Point to Point with a constant headwind and close to 2,300ft of climbing.
So onto the race .......

Bude Sprint Triathlon 2008 - 500m sea swim/10.5mile bike/5k run.

The swim was a real bun fight. The biggest swim scrap I'd been in for a long time. There were tales after the race about how we were funnelled through a small gap inbetween some boats and how a wave caught a bouy and moved it about 10ft just as we all got to it, I never pay to much attention to my surroundings though and can't really comment on any of it. All I know is that I got puched a lot. It seemed to take a long while to escape the pounding but soon we were turning the bouy and heading in which (as always) meant I was catching and passing people with the added benefit of a bit of bodysurfing as the breakers came in. The swim out was hard work, the swim back was great fun

Out of the water and onto the beach I could see a couple of my clubmates around me (we made up 10% of the field so it wasn't hard) who are about my swim standard so I was relatively happy, as we ran up the beach towards T1 I ran past them while trying, trying and trying again to unzip my wetsuit. Both clubmates had put their bikes in prime slots and were soon out on the road, I'd been a bit more casual with my racking choice as I'd ridden down and wasn't expecting great things, then as I removed my wetsuit fully there was a near disaster. While trying to get my wetsuit over my sizeable feet I felt a small cramp like twinge in my right Hamstring. Immediately I stopped what I was doing and thankfully the cramping subsided just as quickly.

Finally out onto the bike and my clubmates were out of sight and well on their way, I didn't feel that I could go chasing them because a) I'd already done 40 hard miles and b) I was mindful that the cramp I'd just had could return at any time. I decided that the steady option was the way to go, having said that though I'd left T1 in a small group of 3 and the others were soon dropped as I 'steadily' headed off in search on my clubmate prey. Around halfway up the bike courses main climb I caught and passed the first of my clubmates. The rest of the ride was a lonely affair as the other one who exited the water with us was taking time out of me but one of the lads who'd swam faster than us slowly came into sight.

After a couple of traffic problems near the end of the bike section I made it to T2 only to spend what seemed like an age looking around for my transition spot (idiot). Finally I found my trainers and got myself sorted for the run, now it was time to make up some places. The closest person to me was my clubs speedy swimmer who was leaving T2 as I entered which meant that he was a good way ahead and I'd only got 5k to run him down.

I ran out of T2 like a man on a mission, it starts with a good small but sharp climb and I flew up it, that's followed by a small run through the town where we'd pass loads of supporters as we head out to the canal. I hit the canal hard and I couldn't have been happier, I was flying. Not only had I already almost run down my clubs swimmer but there were two other people in sight and moving a lot slower than I was - happy days. Next target was my Tri clubs lead man, he was quickly dispensed with and I could now relax safe in the knowledge that all I had to do was run people down and that nobody from my club was likely to catch me.


By the time we exited the canal I'd cut the next runners lead in half and we'd got a real biatch of a hill to climb, he was mine for the taking............. or so I thought!!! As soon as I hit the hill BANG!! My quads just exploded with cramps, both together. I stopped so suddenly that I nearly fell over, I gave them a quick rub and the cramping seemed to subside a bit so I started running again, not catching the lad in front wasn't a problem I just needed to cruise in and finish first in my club. BANG!! There they went again and my language turned blue, I looked down the hill just as the first of my clubmates came around the corner - balls!


That was it really. I ran a bit, cramped a bit, jogged some more, cramped some more and slowly drifted further and further back through the field (no idea how far, there's no results yet). Ah well, these things happen I suppose. I put it all down to experience and hobbled back to the finish line where I rejoined my clubmates and we all went out for a feed (which was great).

Now is where I have my problem though........ My quads which spent the last 2k of the run constantly cramping are fine. My hamstring though which had a tiny little spasm as I removed my wetsuit feels totally wrecked and is causing PAIN! I managed a steady 40min run with the dog last night without anything snapping but it's struggle to straighten my leg at the moment. I'm hoping that a few days of kneeding it and Nurofen will sort it out, but if it's still niggling me next week I'll be looking up one of those dreaded Physio type folks - grrrr!

Weekend Warrior

After last weeks post where things were finally picking themselves up I had a bit of a slack one.
On Tuesday I did nothing and on Wednesday I did the most pathetic 30min turbo session ever, a real waste of time if ever there was one. Thursday was more interesting as I went out for a messy old run from Gordano Services in Bristol where I got totally lost, ran along a public footpath through 4ft grass only for it to suddenly stop in the middle of nowhere and where I ran across the M5 Avon Bridge.

On Friday the weather was awful and I was asked to do some extra stuff at work so I only managed my normal Squad swim session, although it did include 13 continuous 4x25m IM's and a 50m Butterfly Time Trial in 39secs at the end.

Saturday was the day of the Goldcoast Beach Aquathlon. Pre-race I had to do a couple of laps of the run course putting signs and tape out, then when I got back with 15mins to spare I thought I might as well have a go so I slipped on my wetsuit, talced up my trainers and headed down to the start.

There was no pressure for the race and the run from the start line to the sea was done near the back of the field while chatting to one of my clubmates. My first dive into open water for the 'M' shaped swim reminded me of something ---- the sea is bladdy cold, brrrrrr!!!! As my head froze I swam to bouy 1 with my head up in the air and with occasional breaststroke (girlie). The swim back to the beach for the small run section was steady but once back in the water sections 3&4 seemed to be real easy and I was flying past people as if they weren't there.

The field was stacked with some seriously quick swimmers but even so 23rd out of the water in a field of 65 was pathetically slow for me, I'd normally have been aiming for top 10, still there was no rush as it was just a bit of fun.

There were 3 of my clubmates ahead of me and it doesn't matter how lightly you're taking the race Club Pride matters so I set off in hot persuit. Very quickly I started moving up the field and soon there was only 1 clubmate ahead, gradually I reeled him in and listened to his potty mouth as I ran past him to take the lead in the only race that really mattered, the race for club honours. As the race went on I slowly worked my way through the field until I eventually finished happily in 4th position not far behind 3 very classy athletes and ahead of some equally classy athletes.

Job Done for the day ---- or was it???? Not quite...

After the race there was the small matter of clearing up all of the race gubbins before heading out on my planned run home, all 11 miles of it. The run was an absolute pig and included a 4 mile stretch of beach which was like running into a sandstorm. At one point my HR was close to 160bpm and I was running 9:30 min/miles, crazy slow. I fought my way back though averaging 8min/miles.


The plan for Sunday was a 90+ mile ride to Perranporth, Cornwall. I didn't fancy 6+hrs of riding into a headwind though so after riding the first 23miles in 90mins I turned around and headed back before tacking on a little loop to take the total to 60miles. The 2nd wind assisted 23miles took 60mins.

That'll do for now, some of us have work to do and there's already far too much rubbish on here.


Iain

Finally training?

It almost seems as though I've started to get my head around IM training, even if it is 6 weeks later than planned. That's not to say that I've suddenly smashed out a couple of century bike rides, but I have managed a few decent sessions.
After last weekends long bike I had a rest day on Monday to recover, then with my work hours having changed lately I managed to have a rare session at my home town running club. I got there to be told that this was the night for the 'Tarka Mile' - balls!!! The Tarka Mile is a monthly challenge and my Running Club, basically you run 2.5miles out along an old railway track (the Tarka Trail) where I do lots of my training at a nice steady pace. The whole club groups up at a line and then we all race for a measured mile before heading off in various directions to finish our session in whatever way we want.
On the way out my legs were feeling really tired and I wasn't looking forward to the mile at all. I'm no sprinter and to run eyeballs out for that distance would hurt a lot.
I knew the boys that I 'should' go off with, but decided that I'd be better setting off behind them and running with the next group, so that's what I did. It wasn't long before I decided that I'd probably made the wrong decision, I was feeling far to comfortable sitting in my pack and decided to push on ahead. I chased down two of the four members in the lead group and finished in 5:10 which I was really happy with after expecting a 5:30 at best.
Wednesday I was off work so put in a 1h40m bike ride and an hours run over the Burrows with the pup (Rosie).
Thursday was a long day at work and I ended up in the middle of nowhere so had another day off.
On Friday myself and my training pal Phill had our normal Squad swim session, but for the first time this year we rode the 28mile round trip there and back. We're a good 5-6 weeks behind the time of year where we normally start this activity, but now we've started we'll hopefully continue for the rest of the summer. That's a good 90mins a week training rather than sitting in the car and driving there. The swim session was very congested as the local beach lifeguards seem to have decided that they need to get back in shape for all of the holiday making girls that will be hitting the beach in the near future.
Saturday was my first proper solid long run for a good while. I drove to Fremington Quay which is an 8 mile run away, then I ran home and collected the dog (and Shelly on her bike) for the return trip. We then had something to eat and drink at the hideously expensive Fremington Quay cafe while we cooled down.
Oh yeah, nearly forgot.............. I got sunburnt!!!! Summer is here!
Yesterday was supposed to be a 4hr+ bike ride, but my legs were in pieces after Saturdays run and I only managed a 2hr 36mile out and back ride before returning home to sit like a vegetable infront of the TV for the rest of the day.

Well, that's it. Update complete for now.

Oooops, nearly forgot. Congratulations to Kit 'the git' Stokes who was obviously so buoyed by his victory over me at Burnham on Sea Sprint Triathlon 2 weeks ago that it spurred him on to 9th overall and 1st Age Grouper in the IMUK 70.3 race at Wimbleball yesterday. Once again his swimming was disgraceful, but once out of the water the boy's an absolute monster. I hate him so much :-)

Hit and Miss

Well May finished with a fluster and a 10hr week, June on the other hand has started with a bit of a splutter. The month started well enough last Sunday with the Burnham on Sea Sprint Triathlon.
Barring a total disaster for my old sparring partner Kit Stokes I was only going to be racing for 2nd place. The days of challenging him have long gone, he may swim like a brick, but once he's out of the water he's awesome. Look out for him going sub 9hrs at Chellenge Roth this year.
The Swim - 4 of us started in a lane together (including Kit), we seeded ourselves and being the quickest I headed off first with the others following at 10 second intervals. Kit was last to leave 30secs behind. I caught him after 3 lengths and then caught him again near the end so followed his feet to the wall. 500m and out of the pool in 6:49, a pb for the race.
The Bike - A small shower just before we started made the early corners a bit tricky but that feeling soon disappeared as the road dried. I got stopped for a few seconds at a set of traffic lights but they're accounted for in the results. Other than that the ride was pretty uneventful, except for Kit (grrr!!). I'd got 90seconds on him, could I hold on ahead of him uptil T2? Could I heck!!!! Just 7miles had passed when I heard what sounded like a low flying fighter plane by my side, it was Kit on his new Cervelo P3C with his disc wheel humming away. A few seconds later he was away ahead of me - git!!! That was the last I saw of him until I rolled into towards T2 and he was running out.
The Run - It was solid enough without actually being anything special. I was quicker than last year and this was really the big difference between the 2 years times, I was still a minute slower than Kit who went on to set a new course record of 57:52. I worked solidly but just failed to push it hard enough to crack the hour mark for the first time.
The Result - I managed to hold 2nd place with a time of 1:00:12 which shows that although training has been lacking there's obviously something hiding away in there. Now I just need to work out how to make the pace last for 4 or 5 times the distance.

After the race the week fell apart somewhat. For my work I had to spend a week in (not so) sunny Bedford. This involved lots of hours, working through from Monday to Saturday and also lots of company paid food & drink. To say that I expect to have put on a couple of pounds is an underestimation. I only managed one run on Tuesday night where I found a nice Country Park to run in, at least it would have been nice if Bedford hadn't just recieved a months rain in 48hrs. There were times where Wellington boots would have been more use than my trainers. It was right up my street though, I loved it. After my run I made my way to the Hotel room where I preceeded to stand fully clothed under the shower and turn 'everything' a lovely shade of dirt brown.
The weekend has seen things pick up slightly although I can't pretend to have enjoyed either yesterdays 1hr run, or todays 3h45m bike ride. At least the fact that they're done has helped my training volume look lightly more respectable.
Hopefully, now that I'm back at work and (for the moment) working more sensible hourse then there's the chance of a slight improvement in training - we'll see I guess.

Nothing exciting to report

It's amazing how little there can be to write when there are no races going on. The new Iain has stuck partly to his plan and there have been no more last minute race entries to mess up my weekends. The only problem is that the training has hardly kicked off in the way I'd planned, so I may as well have been racing somewhere.

It all started well enough with my announcement that I was now 'Base' training and the weekend after my disasterous Marathon I managed two consecutive 50mile bike rides - nice and steady. It's real hard for me to try starting from scratch when everybody I know and could train with is ramping up the intensity in preperation for the upcoming season. I'm someone who needs training partners to drag my carcase out of the house, without them the days just tend to pass by without me doing anything.

The original plan was to hit the bike every Saturday AND Sunday while I build my cycling fitness back up, I can get enough running in during the week to cover any sessions that I need and swimming just isn't an issue. The original plan only lasted 1 week though as last weekend I only managed to scrape together a 2h30m session on the Sunday and this week I've only managed 2x1hr turbo session, although the weather has been horrendous so going out on the road would have been a daft option really.

I've managed a couple of good comfortable LSD runs (1h30m & 2hrs) in the last fortnight which has done wonders for the confidence after Neolithic but it's the bike I need to be working on. In my head my bike:run ratio should be at least 60:40 but it's closer to 40:60 at the moment, now if I can only get that ratio where it should be without my run volume dropping off then I'll be where I think I should be. My gym membership has now run out so that'll come to an abrupt stop unless the weather is ever really really really bad and there's just no other option.

At work things are going through a few changes which could well screw up the training a little. After 3+ years of going to the same places week in and week out my job's going through a bit of an upheaval and from next week I've no idea where I'm going to end up. It may sound a bit dull having that repetitive sort of job but knowing where I'll be on any given night has been more than useful because it's meant that I've been able to hook up with some local running clubs.

At the beginning of this month the first changes happened and my Tuesday night run sessions with Tiptree Road Runners came to an end. I haven't managed to train on a Tuesday night since. This Thursday will be my last night running with Marlow Striders. I've been running with them for the last 3+ years and have almost become part of the Thursday night fixtures and fittings. It'll leave a big space in the training calender when these have both gone, if I don't find myself somewhere easy to train I could be in trouble. Both Tiptree and Marlow have been great to me in allowing some bloody foreigner to infiltrate their clubs, I'll miss both their training and the people there greatly. Thanks for looking after me folks.

That's about it really, other than that life's pretty dull. I've bought a new car, but it's so sensible it's hardly worth a mention. My old bucket has gone to the car park in the sky - RIP - and has been replaced by a new van type thing with extra windows and seats which I should be able to get the bike inside comfortably alongside the dog and all the luggage without having to rip the bike apart. Dull as dishwater really, but hopefully it'll do the job a lot better than anything I'd rather have bought.

That's about it really, it'll be back to normal next weekend as I've got one of my few remaining races. There will be no pressure on it though as the day before I'll be riding the 80miles to get there so no doubt my legs will be shot to bits as it'll be far longer than anything else so far this year. It's a race I won last year though, so watch this space, stranger things have happened.

Until next time (I'll try not to leave it so long)

Neolithic Marathon

From here

to here

Oh dear! What a disaster! Rather now than November though I suppose.

What went wrong? I really can’t be sure.

There are many possible reasons for Sunday’s performance, but nothing stands out alone as a big enough excuse. Maybe it was a combination of many things, a solid week of enforced inactivity (which I’d hoped would leave me buzzing), a lack of sleep in the previous nights, possibly some dehydration, my hectic race schedule, there’s no way to be sure. One thing I couldn’t blame it on was my niggling hamstring injury as that was possibly the only thing to go well on race day.

After finishing last weekend with my niggle (I refuse to call it an injury) I had a solid weeks rest where my only training was a Friday night swim. Saturday night was a bit of a late one as we went out partying to celebrate one of Shells work colleagues birthday. I’m a bit of a dull boy at parties these days though and spent the evening chatting to other bores and staying sober while Shell danced the night away with her friends, no hangover excuses then.

My alarm went off at 5am after less than 4hrs sleep and after some breakfast I was on the road at 6am for the 2hr drive to Stonehenge. Once there I met up with a couple of lads from my Marlow Striders running club and we discussed race tactics and predicted performances. Both of the Marlow lads had raced London Marathon the day after I got lost at my last off-road Marathon 3 weeks ago so none of us were expecting to set the world alight.

We caught the 8:30am bus from Stonehenge (the race finish) to Avebury (the race start), then registered and picked up our timing chips before finding a café for a cuppa. As race time approached we dropped our bags off and headed for the start line.

The Neolithic Marathon isn’t a big event, only a few hundred people. It’s spawned from a walk between the two sets of stone circles at Avebury and Stonehenge called the Sarsen Trail. This attracts many many more hikers/ramblers/walkers than the Marathon as it crosses Salisbury Plain via some Ministry of Defence land that’s closed to the public for the rest of the year. The walkers (and their dogs) start throughout the day from 7am and would be a constant source of company throughout the event, quite often making for a bit of extra off-roading as you found a way around them.

My plan for the day was to run by my Heart Rate and aim to keep at around 150bpm, I’d allow up to 160bpm, but once there I’d back off, I knew that 160+ would probably be pushing it a bit to hard. I’d also totally ignore my Garmin for the first 3miles because I always take some time to settle down into a rhythm. I’d got 6 SIS gels and would take one before the start then at 45m, 1h15m, 1h45m, 2h15m and my special SIS Smart caffeine gel at 2h45m. I’d finish comfortably inside 3h15m so that would cover me. I’d also got a 500ml drink bottle with the last of my Hornet Juice in it; I’m still not convinced by people’s claims of the wonder drink, sorry HJ.


At 10:30am the race started and I settled into a nice gentle pace a few rows back from the front. After the initial few twists and turns I found myself just behind a small group of 4 runners at the head of the race (including one I knew I was faster than), I soon joined them to make 5. We seemed to be cruising along as we pulled away from the rest of the field. I heard my Garmin beep at 1 mile, 2 miles and 3 miles. 167bpm!!!! WTF!!! That couldn’t be right I was hardly breaking a sweat.

I’ve lost count of the amount of people I’ve spoken to in the past who’ve been racing Marathons aiming for a certain pace and a certain HR, when they’ve been faced with the option of slowing down or lifting their HR limit I’ve always told them that their HR rules and if it’s high there’s a reason for it, a sensible person would slow down. Since when have I been sensible though, “do as I say not as I do” is the phrase that springs to mind. I thought that after 15+ years of running I knew my body better. My HR was 167 when it felt as though it should have been nearer 145; this was silly so I ignored it.

I completed the first 10k in 41mins still comfortably running as part of the lead group. It was a bit lumpy and there were some good climbs in it, but also some nice stretches of road so there was nothing surprising about the time, then I looked at my HR again. 172!!!! It struggles to get that high on a 5k so I ignored it again and carried on, then at 7 miles it all went very wrong. There was no warning, no gradual tiring, just a sudden feeling that my legs had turned to mush. No problem though, I eased off the pace straight away and let the other 4 runners go, I was still cruising along at a decent pace I’d just drop my HR and go back to plan A. Or so I thought!

I eased my pace and then eased it some more. My legs had no response and nor did my HR, it seemed that no matter how much I slowed up my HR refused to drop below my 160bpm limit. I had a horrible feeling that it might be a long day but there was still time to recover things. I stopped and walked for 30secs just to drop my HR and then set off again at a fast jog, then I came to a good climb and had no option but to walk it. Things went from bad to worse from there and soon I was getting cramp in my quads, a familiar scenario when I race Long Distance Triathlons, not on a straight run though. Then came the run/cramp/walk strategy as I slowly dropped further and further back through the field. Each mile took longer than the last and my (close to) 3hr target soon became 3h15m, 3h30m, 3h45m, surely surely not 4hrs.

The last 2 miles I simply walked and even walking I had to stop and stretch my quads after they cramped up. Both of my Marlow club mates ran past me, I cheered them both on and they both thought I’d already finished and headed back along the course to find them. How little they new.

Finally with a mile to go I crested the last hill and saw Stonehenge in the distance, I was ‘almost’ emotional with the knowledge that what was probably my worst performance in a running race ever was almost over. I finished in 3h53m37s (not that it matters) ate some food and then had the 2hr drive home to sit and ponder what had happened, what and why it had gone wrong and what I was going to do with the rest of my season. I know I hadn’t prepared, trained or any of the other things that you’re supposed to do before a Marathon but that’s no consolation. I’ve a reputation as someone who can seemingly turn up at almost any race anywhere with next to no preparation and get round in a decent time. I’ve run just under 3hrs with no training, I’ve done an 11hr Ironman when I’d only entered it the day before. This sort of performance just isn’t in my repertoire. Looks as though it is now!!!!

I’m supposed to be racing a Middle Distance Tri in 2 weeks time but I’ve offered my place to some of my clubmates. If somebody wants it and the organisers are happy to let us change names I’ll be spending the weekend ‘trying’ to train rather than risking another race disaster.

I don’t take this sport seriously, which annoys a lot of people because (normally) I’m quite quick; Florida is a big aim though. I want to finally nail a really good performance at an Ironman and at the moment I’d gladly pay a coach and scrap every other race this season to get it right. Give me a week to get this out of my system though and I’ll be back to my normal self, back to my normal unstructured training and wishing I hadn’t given up my Middle Distance race entry.
We live and learn I suppose. I’m just leaving the learning a bit late in life.

Now for the geeky bit!!!!

I thought it would be a good idea to take a voice recorder around the race with me. It would be good fun to make comments every 10k and say how I was feeling and how the race was going. Little did I know it would go quite so badly.
Anyway....... For my sins I don't read many blogs, but my life on the road means that I listen to LOADS of podcasts. Thinking it'd be quite interesting I emailed Tyler Darby (otherwise known as Jetpack) asking him if he'd be interested in some race day audio, "Hell yeah" came back the reply. Luckily Tyler proclaims to only have 3 listeners so my dull monosylabic drone will be spared the masses (unless he's lying of course). Isn't it funny how these start as good ideas until you have a shocker of a race and hear your own voice back, I was very tempted to 'accidentally' erase the whole lot. I'm a man of my word though and I'd promised a warts and all report so that's what he got.
If any of you are really sad losers and you want to hear me droning on then click here or go on iTunes and search out the Jetpack Show. For those of you with more sense then you can still click on the link and listen to the show, just turn it off after 53mins and you'll be safe.

Ciao for now

Iain

Morning. Zzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick post to say Hi before I hit the road ready for race number 5 in the last 22 days. It's 5:30am on the morning after the night before and I'm tired. I'm sure I need more than 4 hrs in bed on a Saturday night. Ever wake up on a race morning yust thiking "Why???", that's me today.

Quick training update. This will be nice and easy because I've done nothing all week except for one swim session on Friday night. Why?!!! Well at some time last weekend I gave my hamstring a bit of a tug and it's been playing up a bit all week. I don't think that it's anything to major but with todays race looming on the horizon and the weeks awful weather it's seemed an appropriate reason to have a bit of time off. The timing hasn't been great though because I was planning on May 1st being the big kick off to my IM Florida training, looks as though that will have to wait until tomorrow I guess.

Anyway, I'm finishing off this mad few weeks of racing in the same way that I started, with an off road Marathon. Hopefully this one will be better marked and I won't get lost causing a DNF, actually as this one's a point to point race getting lost could cause a whole heap of problems.

More on my next post when my race report will be telling of a joyous (fingers crossed) end to my racing fit, talking about how my quad gave me no problems at all (hmmmmm) and how I'm now looking forward to the Ironman build................. that's until 2 weeks time of course when I've a half IM to do with no bike training at all. Ah joy.

Right, I'm off now. I need to be at Stonehenge by 8am.

Goodnight Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!