2013

So it's the end of the year. Time to look back at what could have been, nearly was and what was  actually achieved. I have just logged onto my Training Peaks account to find out some numbers for this year.

 I have cycled over 2500 miles this year not including turbo sessions. I have spent 165 hours on a bike. This totalled 70% of my training time.  Baring in mind that I didn't really get onto a bike properly until around May I'm quite pleased with the bike numbers and I've enjoyed the training and tting that I have done. I knocked almost a minute off my 10 mile tt time this year so I must be doing something right. Next year I will be working hard to get my tt times down. In particular I would like to go under the hour for a 25 tt. That's quite a big target but I should get there or thereabouts. I am very confident of new pbs in all tt distances with me being on board a new set of wheels and with a very solid base of bike miles now in my legs. I won a few club events which was nice, but ultimately I have really enjoyed my time on the bike this year. It's been a real highlight of all the things that I have done.

I have run for 385 miles which has taken me 47 hours. This was 20% of my training time
The year started well with a comeback pb over a half marathon (1:27:50) but after that running has been very frustrating. Yes, I got round the London Marathon but it wasn't very pretty and I am still nowhere near achieving a sub 3 hour time. The vast majority of my running has been zone 2 steady running, which is ok, but I enjoy the faster stuff a lot more and my body responds well to it; well, the aerobic part of me. To be honest, I'm just not sure my muscles, tendons and ligaments have got it in it to cope with the training required to do this and gradually I am starting to see that this is a bit unrealistic at the moment. I think that I can cope with 3 gentle plods per week and at the moment that is going to have to suffice. That said, to do a much quicker Ironman race than my current best effort does not actually require a fast run off the bike, I just need to be able to run off the bike, slowly, and I'll get a pb.  My running fitness is going to have to be earned on the bike.

I swum 27,000 metres which took me 13.5 hours. This was 5.5% of my training time
I need to swim more.

In total I have averaged 4.5 hours exercise per week.
This doesn't sound very much and lower than I thought but there was quite a lot of inactivity between late February and April when my back injury flared up as I ramped up the mileage towards the London Marathon. This only works out at about 35 minutes per day, but it's been enough to see me keep my weight under control and stay relatively fit and healthy. I'll take that. The percentages I have quoted above are in the right ball park but skewed by the fact the first 3 months were run heavy and the last 6 months have been bike heavy. If I can get that more balanced throughtout the year then that will be a really good start.

Have I enjoyed it? Thankfully, yes. Despite not doing enough racing I have really enjoyed most of my training. It would be nice if I could start a training schedule and stick with it before injury strikes.

I am targeting going long again next year. It maybe that I have to be realistic and enter a half or two rather than the full IM distance. There are a couple of races that are grabbing my attention but at the moment nothing is entered. The Anglian or Cotswold 226 long course races looks like fun. To be honest, I'm still dreaming about Enbrunman but that looks like it's still on the back burner and will have to wait another year.


These were my targets for the year that I wrote at the beginning of 2013.

1. Marathon PB. Currently 3.18. Realistically, sub 3.10 should be doable, sub 3 on a stellar day, sub 3.15 for a London marathon 'good for age' time as a minimum.

Nope, not even close. But did run another marathon which is never a bad thing.

 2. Olympic tri; sub 2.20. Qualifying for the World's is very unlikely but sub 2.20 may well be within my grasp if I can....

Nope, not close to this one either. I didn't actually do a triathlon this year. My early season injuries just didn't give me the confidence or hope to try.

 3. PB my 10 and 25 mile tt times. Ideally 23.30 for a 10. I'll probably need to invest in some aero help to achieve that, but you can never own enough bikes.

Well, one out of three isn't too bad.  ;-) 

So, targets for 2014.

Go long again. No time to aim for, Just get to the start line. At the moment that will be enough.
Sub 1hr for 25m time trial.

Thanks for reading. Have a great new year.

Not quite going to plan

Following a solid month of cycling and commuting I have spent the whole of this week resting. I just ended up finding myself being really tired and no amount of sleep was helping to relieve how I was feeling. I knew that trying to train through it all would have been counter-productive so I decided to kick back and relax as we head into Christmas. I started to get back into it this morning with a very relaxed 30 minute run and tomorrow I will have another bimble around Surrey on the bike.

So next season. Well, it's all changed already. I was hoping to enter Embrunman for 2014 but it's not happening now. Unfortunately the date just doesn't fit with some other things that we have planned as a family so my European IM debut will have to wait for another season. As a result I've decided to not use Coach Cox for my training plans anymore. His plans were great but as I only had the one goal in mind, the ascent of the Col D' Izoard and then to run a marathon afterwards I decided to call time. It's a big shame but there's a few other things for me to focus on.

Firstly, the Thunder Run. A group of us are going to enter this 24 hour running event as a team of 8. I heard about it via the Marathon Talk podcast and it just seemed like a really good fun event. Hopefully we will all run the equivalent of around 30km over the day and night while camping in the Derbyshire Dales. What's not to like? In order to help get the ball rolling I am going to be taking part in Jantastic again this year, but I am reining it in a bit. Instead of 5 runs per week which has seen me crocking myself for the past two years I will be capping it at 3 in order that I can get to the start line uninjured.

Secondly, I have become the TT Secretary of the Kingston Phoenix which will mean I am responsible for organising our evening 10s and promoting time trialling within the club. With that in mind there is a group of us looking at doing the National 24hr TT in June which should be quite a laugh and is the focus I need at the moment. So, some new things and some disappointments, but hey, it's only a hobby.

Argon 18 E-80

So rather than my usual whinging and whining I thought I would try to put together a useful post about my thoughts on the Argon 18 E-80, my reasons for purchasing it and my first thoughts on riding it.

Why buy a specific time trial bike?

Well, this was a bit of a no-brainer. I have owned a road bike for the last 7 years, first my entry level Trek 1000s which was then replaced by my Van Nicholas Euros. In that time I have done everything on this bike and it's great for most things, but particularly what it's been designed for, that being all day comfortable riding. I always think of this bike as the equivalent of a GT car; long legged comfort for all day cruising but ultimately it's not designed for aero-efficiency. It has fat tubes, cables sticking out everywhere and a very relaxed seat tube angle which makes it great for hill climbing but it's all but impossible to get into the most optimally powerful and aerodynamic position. I was able to put on clip-on tri bars to improve my body position but ultimately my hips were still a long way back, I was very stretched out and my clip-ons had to be quite wide apart owing to the design of my drop bars which meant my elbows were acting as parachutes in the airflow. Most definitely, sub-optimal.

 This is where a tt bike comes in and with my increased involvement in time trial riding with the Kingston Phoenix I knew that I basically had a considerable handicap over the other riders who were on full time trial rigs when I was riding the 10, 25 and 50 mile tts. It seemed to me that a tt bike would be a worthwhile investment. Not free speed, but definitely extra speed.

So I have ended up buying an Argon 18 E-80. How did I come to that choice?

I guess I was looking for the 'most bang for my buck'. I was always going to have a fairly limited budget by tt bike standards, absolutely no more than £1300, but around that price point there are an awful lot of tt bikes to choose from, mostly frames with fairly basic wheels and running gear, so I was looking at the best frame that would fit me and allow the potential to upgrade over the years as funds become available. The usual advice is to ensure that you get a bike that fits. I am lucky in that I am 'Mr Average' and my anthropometrics are not particularly unusual. I'm slightly long in the leg but no excessively so and at 5' 10" tall, most medium frames would fit somehow. The one other useful piece of advice I got was to pick a bike that would allow the most amount of adjustability so that the bike position could be tinkered with as much as possible.

So, aero benefits, budget, fit and adjustability. The last thing I wanted was a certain degree of exclusiveness. I wanted a bike that was at least a little bit unusual; a bit of a head turner. You can imagine then that that pretty much ruled out every Trek, Giant, Scott bike. I ended up narrowing it down to three bikes.

Nice, but not nice enough.

Planet X Stealth. There's no doubt that this bike cannot be considered unusual or exclusive. Every TT start sheet and triathlon transition area is littered with them. They are amazing value and Planet X have become a leader at selling road and TT bikes where it does not seem possible for them to be able to sell them at the price that they do. A couple of months ago they were doing their Stealth, complete with a set of Planet X deep section wheels for £1100. I very, very nearly signed up on the dotted line. There were two reasons that I didn't. Firstly, the carbon frame. I would be absolutely paranoid about dinging, dropping, scratching or otherwise ruining it. I am quite haphazard and accident prone and I like to ride my bikes in all weathers and I don't want to be prissy about ruining it through my clumsiness. The main reason was though, that it just didn't excite me looking at it. Yes, it would be a great tt bike but I wouldn't feel great on it. So, that was the Stealth out of the running.

Yummy

Cube Aerium Race. I looked at this bike for a long time too. Aluminium framed, so tougher if dropped. The paint scheme looked fabulous and the build quality and components looked great but the thing that put doubts in my mind was the geometry of the frame. The seat post angle was 76 degrees and while this is not unusual for some tt frames, many others were 78 and I wanted to be able to achieve a more aggressive fit. I saw this almost as a fast aero road bike rather than an all out time trial frame.

Lush bike. Stupidly long extensions. Lawn needs raking.

Argon E-80. I had seen a few Argon frames at various tts, usually the carbon framed 112 or 114 and they were stunning bikes but well out of my budget, but when I did a bit of research I found out about their bottom of the range aluminium framed model, the E-80. Firstly the geometry was right, being the same as the 112 and having a reversible seat post  that could give either a 78 or 76 degree seat tube angle.

2 way seat post gives 76 or 78 degrees. A nice touch.

This would give me the adjustability I need to get a really good position on the bike. The other  factor that sold me on this frame was the small aero touches that had been designed in; the hidden front and rear brakes and the internal cable routing. Small things that actually probably make little difference aerodynamically on their own but add to the package and make it look faster and sets the frame apart from the other two I was considering.

Except for one area, the frame is beautifully made with welds that have been ground flat and aero tubing throughout and a fully aero-tubed seat post. You would be hard pressed to recognise it as an aluminium frame and it could easily be mistaken for a carbon one. It just looks like it's really been thought about and the design of the frame has not been skimped on.  The tubing of the seat stays and forks have a very flat profile which with the predominantly black paintwork looks quite 'skunk works stealthy'. I like. :-)   The bit that's not so good? The welding around the bottom bracket which looks like it's been done by an out of control chimpanzee with a welding fetish. The bb is where most of the stresses in the frame get concentrated so the welding has to be integrally perfect and with so many tubes congregating at one point it's pretty hard to smooth the welds out there, but still, it's the one eye sore on an otherwise beautifully made frame.




The hidden front brake.  A nice touch. The rear brake sits under the bb too.

Having said all that, most of the deals on a build with this frame were still too expensive (around £1500-1600), but then a few months ago it started to come down in price, first to £1299 and then all of a sudden TriUK brought it down to £999 and therefore I'd be able to purchase it on the cycle to work scheme and achieve a tax saving too. A double win. The reason for the price reduction was the fact that they still had stock of the 2012 frames and the 2014 frame was about to hit the shelves. Exactly the same frame but with a slightly different paint scheme. My order for one of the final 2012 frames went in the following day. It just goes to show that it pays to be patient and wait for winter and see what the sales bring.


The TriUK build featured fairly basic running gear. Shimano 105 crankset, front and rear mechs with dura ace shifters and fulcrum 7 wheels. I have the fulcrum 5 wheels on my Euros and while basic they are absolutely bombproof and have coped with the worst conditions that the roads of Surrey have dished out over the years. While not particularly aero they would be a great set of training wheels for the rest of the winter. The bars and seat are standard components at this price and the bars in particular could be something else to upgrade in the future with its round tubing to a set of wing base bars would look really nice on here.

The bike arrived fully assembled and I have to say very well made. I checked it over and all was good with the build. I should also point out that with Tri UK being based in Yeovil I was not able to get down for a fitting but they were very helpful and helped sort out an appropriate stem and crank lengths. Pretty good service I thought. There's plenty of stack height left so I am able to tinker around with the spacers and bar height before getting it cut to length. The same with the bar extensions which are stupidly long and will need cutting down so that I can shift gear without having to move my arms.

First Ride

So I have had my first couple of rides this week as up until now it's been bolted to the turbo. I spent the first 10 minutes on the bull horns, spinning gently and it felt very comfortable and stable. The most noticeable thing, coming from a road bike, was that my nose was almost directly over the front axle, a long way further forward that on the Euros, but even so it felt very stable. I have it set up at the steeper of the two seat tube angles but again, while it felt very different it didn't feel weird and was very comfortable. Once I got onto a more open piece of road I got down onto the bar extensions and this is when things really began to perk up. My knees are much further up behind my elbows and my back is a lot flatter than I could ever achieve on the Euros and it feels a lot more compact. The only time that this becomes a problem is when I am stopped and my knees are very close to the bars; I just have to be careful I don't clunk them as I move off.

I didn't push it particularly hard but when up to speed I was able to push quite comfortably and it felt like it was cutting through the air with a lot less effort. The factor I am going to have to adjust to is the gearing. The bike comes with a standard double gearing which is quite different from the compact gearing I am used to with slightly wider ratios. It will require a bit of getting used to in order to keep in the sweet spot but once the bars are cut down and I can shift while remaining aero I am sure it won't be too much of a problem.

I have ridden on it for a couple of hours now and I'm glad to say that I have not had any reactions from my back or joints(blimey, I sound old) and there's still a lot of adjustability left in order for me to find my best position.

So in short, I am really pleased with it and I feel that I have bought the right bike for me with plenty of scope for improvement. I am really excited about next season.

War on the roads?

A bit of a better week, despite having lots on at home and at work I have managed to get into double figures for hours trained this week, the first time that's happened since the end of the TT season. Lots of commuting still, trying to vary what I do and trying to ensure that I don't batter myself too much every time as it just ends up wiping me out.

Commuting has not been much fun this week though. I try not to get drawn into the 'them and us' arguments between cyclists and drivers as I am 'one of us' and I am also 'one of them' but there seems to be a lot of hostility out there at the moment. I would have thought that the recent high profile deaths of commuters in London would have awakened both drivers and cyclists to the dangers but it seems not. I try to take real care when I am cycling; I'm a bit anal about stopping at reds, signalling, thanking those that see me and wait or move out the way for me. I genuinely feel I do what I can to be as safe as possible and also to show respect for other road users. Unfortunately that didn't stop me almost being t-boned at a roundabout and shouted at by a complete turd. I'm still not quite sure what it was that I did wrong and I doubt he does either, except for the fact I could filter through the stationary traffic and he couldn't. I did see it from the other side a couple of days later. I was driving down a very quiet  dark road when up ahead was a cyclist who was really well lit up; fluro vest, 2 lights, the works. I gave them plenty of space as I went round them to pass, for them to suddenly and without warning come right across the front of my bonnet. They didn't look or  signal at all. I found myself doing a full emergency stop with my heart rate through the roof while the cyclist merrily went into a side alley. I have also lost count of the numbers of cyclists I have seen cycling in the dark with dark clothing on and no lights at all. These people must really have a death wish.

I am wondering if with the cycling boom that we seem to be in at the moment that there is a massive influx of cyclists on our road who are not very aware of how to ride safely and this combined with intolerant drivers is making for a toxic mix. I think it would be very hard to legislate for this and the idea of a cyclists' tax I find rather absurd, but I don't think a high profile campaign to get newer cyclists thinking about road safety would go amiss.

It's a shame because usually I really enjoy commuting. It cannot help but give you a self satisfied smile at burning fat not fuel; training without having to put aside specific time; greatly reducing our household bills. It's all a win, win, win situation except for the potential to have an accident where I will always come off worse.

My Argon has stayed resolutely bolted to the turbo. I keep meaning to take it for a spin on the road but it's just been easier to get on the Van Nic instead. I did take the front wheel of the Argon for a ride when I discovered a puncture on my front wheel just as I was leaving for work (my 4th puncture in a week!) This week I will break my duck on it and report back. Promise.

And now for something completely different

I have spent the last two Fridays mountain biking in the afternoon with some kids from school. I was volunteered for this as I apparently know how to ride a bike. Unfortunately these two afternoons have proved that I am not quite as good as I or my colleagues at work believe me to be. Lots of mud, deep ruts and loose gravel make for a bumpy and twitchy ride which is very different from a head down blast up a dual carriageway.  The rides have been led by a chap called Barry, who is an amazing rider.  He is basically a pair of quad muscles with lungs attached in a Lycra package.  I can hang on to him just, when going uphill but I don't stand a chance when descending.

We've looped around Epsom Downs and made our way up and down the hills of Headley with some steep climbs and narrow descents which had me hanging onto the bars for dear life at times.  Despite all this it was a hell of a lot of fun and another few hours on a bike. I guess it all counts.

I'm back running again. Two runs this week of 20 and 30 minutes sticking to soft ground to take as much stress off my Achilles as possible. A third and final run tomorrow and then a final road ride on Sunday.

Hibernating

In the last couple of weeks I have been in tickover, just bumbling along doing bits and pieces while the season lies dormant. I had hoped that I would get my run legs back and enter a 10 km or half marathon race but my Achilles is still stubbornly refusing to play ball. Fine one day; knackered the next.  My run shoes are completely shot to bits so I guess a new pair of shoes would be a good start as well as all the boring stretches and exercises that I need to do.

Cycling has been lots of commuting and a long ride at the weekend. I should have been getting on the turbo but having to muck about changing wheels when I need the Van Nic for riding to work the next day kept putting the kybosh on that, until last Friday anyway when a shiny new Argon 18 e-80 landed on my doorstep. :-). So far I have only 'ridden' it on the turbo and started to sort out my position which is significantly different to the Van Nic even when it has tri bars attached. Stack height, reach, seat post height all need to be tinkered and tampered with until I have a position which is both aerodynamic and comfortable. I'm sure that my antique body is going to require a fair bit of time to adapt. But I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do on it next year.

Another tumble

On Thursday morning I spun over to Simon's house to get in a couple of steady hours on the bike but I just wasn't feeling the bike love and I guess the dire weather I was cycling into was giving me the heebeegeebees. I just knew it was going to go wrong; and it did. As we went through Leatherhead one way system I completely got a tight right hand turn wrong, taking the wrong line and going slightly too fast on the damp road. I clipped the curb and found myself on my back dumped on the pavement taking a hearty whack on the bonce and a nice line of gravel rash all down my left hand side. I felt pretty shaky but Simon went and got his car and gave me a lift home where I was able to lick my wounds. Thankfully no lasting damage done and the Van Nic was ok except for a few scrapes on the qr skewers.

We tried again on Sunday and got in a solid 3 hours with a climb of Whitedown and Boxhill at the end in much better conditions and no major reaction from the crash. I'm definitely not feeling as powerful on the bike as in recent months. It all just seems like quite hard work again when only 6 weeks ago or so it all felt so good and easy.

Some really good news is that I got three runs in last week. My Achilles is still letting me know it's there but I feel pretty good when running. Not fast but plodding comfortably, which I will take for the time being.

A gentlemen's TT

This week has been a bit of a washout. After returning from my long ride last Sunday I started to feel quite ropey and by the evening I felt so tired that I literally couldn't keep my eyes open at the dinner table so I ended up being in bed by 6 o' clock, thinking that would sort me out. It didn't. I ended up taking two days off work lying on the sofa watching rubbish daytime tv and sleeping. No head cold or sore throat but lots and lots or tiredness and my body fighting something off.

Needless to say nothing happened until yesterday when Simon and I were entered into the Redmond Cycling club's 2 up 'Gentlemen's time trial'. Another quirky event where one of the riders (me) has to be a veteran over 40 and they are towed around by the other rider. It meant that for 15 miles all I had to do was keep in Simon's slipstream and enjoy the ride, as much as I could with all the water being thrown up at me from his back wheel. Still, I had by far the better ride while Simon turned himself inside out while all I had to do was dab the brakes now and again to ensure I didn't clatter into him. I had elected not to use my tri bars on the Van Nic as I didn't think I would need them for drafting behind Simon and it was only after the event that I realised that this was probably my last tt on it. An Argon with my name on it is currently being built. :-)

I still don't feel right. I have just been to do an hour's swim and managed 40 ponderous minutes before calling it quits. The very gentle 20 minute run went much better with my Achilles not self destructing. I'm still doing my exercises and stretching on it and it feels quite strong, but then 20 minutes is hardly a marathon. I really want to get back running soon.

Watching an Ironman

A pretty standard week except for one notable exception. Two swims! Yes, I said TWO swims! Two slow and achy swims, but two swims nonetheless. The first was at Kingfisher Tri, with me using flippers for the first time in a long time and trying to perfect a drill called the 'broken arrow'. Apparently it helps with a high elbow in the recovery phase of the stroke. By the end of the session I had just about got it but the first half an hour saw me completely cocking it up with lots of over rotation and trying to breathe in while my face was underwater. The second swim was a Coach Cox set with 2x500 and 4x250 as the main set. The 500s were ok but I rapidly went downhill during the 250s mainly due to both feet cramping up. I could barely get out the pool at the end and cramped up again as I made my way to the shower. I don't think there can be a sight as unattractive sight in the world as a middle age man in budgie smugglers hobbling round the outside of a pool while almost every muscle in his legs refuses to work.

Last night I was watching the Ironman World Championships from Kona. I watched the swim and most of the bike before going to bed dreaming of trip to the Big Island, only to wake up eight hours later with it tipping down in greyand overcast Surrey. Simon and I had another steady three hour ride a la last week, taking it easy and having a chin wag. The only real effort was on the second half of Boxhill when a whipper snapper went past us. Anyway I got my head down and pushed on with him hanging onto my back wheel. I beat him to the top. He had a beard so I couldn't let him get ahead.

Sunday ride

A gorgeous morning today taking in the lanes around Newdigate, Betchworth and Dorking, finishing with a spin up Whitedown.

Idling over

Long time no blog. Sorry. Training has had to take a necessary back seat over the last month. I won't bore you with why but I have had the kind of month where I wish that I had the talent and time to be a pro athlete instead of my actual day job, which most of the time I love but has given me a fair few headaches.

The main casualty has been swimming which had started to click recently but as I can only get along to the pool in the evenings I just have not been able to get the sessions ticked off. Of the three disciplines this is the one that requires most planning and organisation to get to and the slightest spanner in the works tends to end up with me missing my session.

Running. I am actually running again which is a good thing. Only 40 minutes at the moment and it's only a controlled shuffle but it is a start. Once again, I seem to be getting back to running Again just as the race that I was going to work up to comes into view. The Bournemouth Marathon is next week and I withdrew a couple of weeks ago when walking downstairs was proving achy. I think I would like to work up to running a couple of half marathons over the winter which should give me a good balance of stamina and speed and get down to sub 1:25.

Cycling has been in tickover with quite a bit of commuting to and from work forming the bulk of my work. I have been getting back into Strava and enjoyed hitting some of the segments hard and the work that I have put in over the last six months has seen me achieve some top 10 positions in some quite big segments. It's a nice vindication of the work that I have put in and while it doesn't count for anything it's nice to see a little gold cup next to my name.

I have been paddling taking some kids on their BCU 1 star award and as a result I have paddled a tor for the first time. I even stayed upright and yesterday we took some tubs out and did some weir
shoots. A big wobble on the last drop but I just about kept it the right way up. It's the Liffey Descent today so maybe I need to give that a go in a year or two. ;-)
So things are in bit of transition at the moment as I head towards the off season.

Bonk and Honk

So it was the Hilly 12 yesterday, a quirky time trial that takes in a climb over Boxhill and tot Hill at the back with a few fast and bumpy descents. Neither Simon or Stuart were able to do this so I knew I was in with a chance of a club win and I was sent off as the scratch rider in the handicap as a result. I used it as a training session by spinning over to the start for 50 minutes or so. The day before had been Little Wheezy's eighth birthday so I had spent all day on Saturday eating rubbish and I tried to compensate by having a bowl of cereal and some High5 energy drink as I made my way over. Despite the poor preparation I felt good and confident of a fast ride. From the start it's a fast, narrow and bumpy descent down Lodgebottom Road which has a high grin factor and I enjoyed overtaking a load of cyclists as I barrelled down the hill. It was a double left turn to begin the climb up the zig zag of Boxhill and straight away I didn't feel right, not having the power in my legs that I had felt the week before when training with Simon. I got into a rhythm, again overtaking quite a few people up the climb, although no one in the tt. I always hate the bit from the cafe at the top with its false flat before the descent down Headley so I worked hard across there knowing the descent was only a couple of minutes away, as my legs started to feel more and more weak. The descent was fast and fun and I hoped it would allow me to recover for the final climb up Mill Way. I had ridden it just 45 minutes before, spinning up easily but this was completely different. I was now well and truly into bonk territory with my legs completely spent and I felt truly awful over the last mile. Another unique part of this event is that the very end climb called Tot Hill is timed independently to find the club hill climb champion. As I hit the bottom I gave it everything I had but that was not very much to be honest. I wobbled over the line and felt my stomach begin to revolt and I ended up dumping my bike in the middle of the road while I puked into the bushes. I can confirm that High5 tastes EXACTlY the same coming back up as it does going down. The upshot of all this? Well, I won the Hilly 12 (beaten by most of the Kingston Wheelers but they're a different breed) and won the Phoenix hill climb by 2 seconds. And I've learnt that scotch eggs, mini Cornish pasties and pickled onions should never be used for race prep fuelling.

Feeling good.

I was meant to head out on a 3 hour ride on Sunday but I just felt absolutely wiped out with too many late nights catching up with me and with the rain teeming down I decided to take another day off. I was so glad I did as Coach Cox had scheduled in an optional long ride on the Bank Holiday Monday instead, so with an early start to meet Simon and James, a clubmate of his, I got an early night and felt a lot better for it. We did our lumpy 3 hour ride with the only deviation seeing us heading out to Newlands Corner to do that climb which I have not done in a while. We 3-upped down the main road before heading left and up to Newlands. This was the first time in over two years that I was able to stick with Simon and go past him on a hill which is indicative ( I hope) of how my fitness and ME has improved over the last couple of months. I was really pleased with how I was going and I felt even better on the ascent of Coombe Bottom with it's nasty last 30 metres. Boxhill was even better. I was not pushing it particularly but just kept a really solid cadence and big-ringed it up the hill, passing dozens of other riders as I went, with Simon glued to my back wheel. It felt really, really good. At the top James had to leave us so Simon and I did a recce of the Hilly 12 time trial which I'll be riding next week. Can't wait.

Final 10 of the year

You would think that being a teacher and on holiday that I would have a lot of time for training, but it just never seems to work out that way with something continually cropping up and my days often having no real structure like normal. Usually my commute ride home via Boxhill is a solid 60 to 90 minute session that I can tick off but finding that time during a holiday day seems difficult. That said, it's about spending a lot of decent time with my children so if I am more lax with my training at this time then I cannot say that I mind. I suppose on top of that my latest injury to my achilles has stopped me running completely and that's always the discipline that is most easy for the time crunched triathlete to train in. No faffing about with kit or getting to a pool; just stick on your pumps and get out the door and 40 minutes later you're done.

Saturday afternoon was the last 10 of the year where I was hoping to maybe duck under 24 minutes but with a strong 25-30mph gusting southerly it was never going to happen. Again, a major mojo dip as I spun over to the start. I don't know what it is but I just don't get up for it when I am warming up. It's not until I have a number on my back that I seem to mentally switch and get my race face on. Anyway, 25:00 which in the conditions I was pleased with, even though I was beaten by Russ, my two-up partner by 1 measly second.  

Coach Cox had been prescribing me one swim session per week but I have been going back to Kingfisher Tri to get a second swim in per week. With no running happening at the moment and my Achilles injury being unlikely to let me to for the foreseeable future it seems that I need to be burning the calories elsewhere. All my swimming equipment has decided to give up the ghost so a mammoth wiggle order has been put in for a winter of pool work.

So my racing schedule for the next month or so is my last three time trials of the season; two 25s and the hilly 12.

August 15th!!

This is Embrunman race day.

One year to go.

Ironman UK

So while I was away on holiday, the Ironman UK race was taking part in sunny Bolton. It's an event that usually attracts a lot of the Tritalk crowd and in particular I wanted to try to follow Lee's progress during the race. Unfortunately it was not to be with my phone conking out as soon as we arrived and due to a technical hitch, no way of charging it until the following Wednesday. I spent most of that Sunday, mentally ticking off where Lee should have probably go to on the course and hoping that his race was progressing as planned. It turns out that it had and then some.


I had been following Lee's progress on his blog for a couple of years and I  had given him some of my thoughts on how to go about it but I have to say that his approach was far superior to my rather haphazard approach to the Forestman and his dedication to his 30 week plan really paid dividends. I had told him that if he beat my Forestman time then I would double my sponsorship for his charity and needless to say that is precisely what I will now have to do. Can't say that I mind. :-)

Lee's written a great blog about his race here.

Another IMUK blog comes from another member of the Tritalk community, Dave Rowe. Again, it's a wonderful read, even though he is a pirate. ;-) It's encouraging to read about a couple of Ironman athletes where the wheels don't fall off and it proves that with the correct training, pacing and nutrition that it can be done.

In other news..

Yep, mullered my Achilles. I did a lot of stretching yesterday and tried a gentle run as it didn't feel too bad but I only managed 5 minutes before turning round and coming home . Thanks to Phil to pointing me in the direction of the Alfredson protocol which will become a focus over the next few weeks in place of running while I continue to bike and swim.

Onwards

Holibobs

Last week was a much needed family holiday to Cornwall. I was in two minds about how much training I was going to try to squeeze in and the decision was eventually made for me with my right Achilles reacting badly to a gentle run just before going.  So the plan of putting in a few runs along sun drenched Cornish beaches were scuppered as was the idea of taking my wettie and doing a few open water kilometres when the bottom literally fell out of my wetsuit. I found the most enormous tear in it and it was time to pension it off. So I had a whole week off doing nothing except a few stretches, lots of frisbee throwing and some endurance pastie eating. Pretty good.

The Achilles continues to be problematic. I had a very comfortable and gentle 30 minutes' running yesterday and felt great but it was a different story when I woke up this morning as it was stupidly tight and tender. More stretching and then a hour's ride before breakfast; it was good to be back on the bike again. I have my last 10 mile tt on Saturday and then a couple of 25 tts which I would like to round off the season with a pb if possible before I get down to some hard work over the winter. TheBournemouth  Marathon looks doubtful unless I can shake this injury off soon.

In the words of Nenah Cherry.....

7 seconds away.

It was another evening 10 last night and once again, as I set out on the ride over to the start on the other side of Dorking, my heart was not really in it. A strong evening wind was going to make slow times likely, but just like last time as I pedalled over the temperature dropped slightly and so did the strength of the wind And my mojo picked up. There's nothing quite like pining a number on your back to make you increase your work rate. I was hoping to take a few more seconds off my current pb set 2 weeks ago and I set out harder than last time, intending to commit much earlier to a faster pace. At the turn around I was working hard but still felt in control except for the copious amounts of snot and mucus pouring out of my head. I had a few guys to chase in front and used them to focus on, over the last couple of miles.

It turns out it must have been a pretty fast night as I recorded a time of of 24:07, a pb of over 40 seconds!kaboooom. It seems that the hard work I have been putting in on the bike over the last 3 months is really starting to pay off and a sub 24 time is now well within my reach, although there is only 1 club 10 left to do it. I might have to enter a few more and try to find a faster course.

A fly in the ointment has been I have pulled my lower right calf. An easy 45 minute run on Tuesday became a 15 minute achy shuffle and a  15 minute walk. No major damage done but once again I have neglected my strength, core and stretching work and this is the result. Hopefully I can do a very gentle run tomorrow and another swim tonight. Onwards.

School's out

I have spent the last week sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee, watching Le Tour, doing a bit of diy and doing a bit of training. And the sun has been shining while all that's been going on, so at the moment it's all pretty good.

Monday was a scheduled rest day but I had already arranged to go for a ride with Lee as he was doing one of his last long rides before IMUK and he fancied seeing the Surrey lanes and climbing Boxhill. Coach Cox was ok with that, so Monday was a lumpy 91 miles in 6 hours. Lee had the disadvantage of having done his last long 3 hour run the day before, so the heat and the hills began to take their toll on him towards the end, but he looked really strong for most of the day and I'm sure that he'll have a great time in three weeks. I have to say that I felt pretty good too even though I had done the Kingston to Worthing time trial the day before, a 45 mile point to point race and apprently the only one on its kind left. It's pretty much a blat down the A24 which is an honest, rolling course. I was last man off and had a good ride and worked my way through most of the field in front of me. The only fly in the ointment was losing my bearings in the last 2 miles.

On Worthing Pier

I thought that I had gone off when in fact I had not and another club member, Jake went past as I was stopped checking my position. My delay cost me second place overall and I was once again, just over 2 minutes behind Simon although I was pleased to be one of three riders to duck under 2 hours. Overall, very pleased. We ended up having a picnic on the beach with the kids who had come down too and went onto the pier to play the penny arcades. Lots of fun.

Running's still hard and achy. Russell has got me doing some longer intervals at the moment and a weekly long run. I don't know if the heat's having more effect than I had realised but it's just not fluid yet and feels quite laboured.  Swimming is still a bit of comedy splashing about and trying to remember to count the correct number of lengths which I am finding quite hard to do at the moment. One of the problems of a mamil I guess. :-/ Tomorrow I am attempting a couple of laps of Heron lake with Simon before he heads off to do the Alpe d' Huez Triathlon next week. If I can do a lap without being dragged out by the safety boat then I'll be doing well.

Another pb

Another Kingston Phoenix 10 mile tt last night and my third tt pb within a month. I guess that I must be doing something right. 24:49,  so still quite a way from the sub 24 that I want, but I am getting there. The G10/42 course is quite rolling with a couple of the climbs at the end being the points where I have blown-up badly. Last night I felt a lot stronger on the climbs and I was able to maintain the tt position rather than having to get out of the saddle. I did have a problem early-on when I dropped the chain onto the small chainring and couldn't shift back and I had to brake for a car on the last roundabout, so there still might be some free time to take off yet. A pb's always a good thing, whatever.

By chance, a guest rider from another club turned up on an Argon 18 E-80 so I was able to look at it close-up and he even let me have a short spin on it. It was lush. I want one. I want one now.

Piccy from SCCU 50

Almost smiling with 10 miles to go.

A great day for British sport

Because I set a personal best time for a 25 mile time trial at the Bec 25. 1:04:45. Very pleased with that, beating last season's time by 2 minutes. Oh, and apparently some Scottish bloke won a tennis match.

Not often I am number 1

I received an e-mail earlier this week from the organiser of the SCCU 50mile time trial that I took part in a couple of weeks' ago and it turns out that I won the handicap! My prize? A whole £20. I am quite chuffed and I can put this towards my tt bike; it should buy about one eighth of a seat stay. I think this does actually qualify me as a professional athlete. ;-)  Unfortunately the only reason I won it was because when I last did this event I went over 3 miles off course, therefore I was always going to get a significant pb. Oh well, a win's a win.

My first week following Coach Cox's training plan has gone well, except for the swimming, which was laughable. Russell has scheduled me to do one swim session per week for the next month to get me back into it. Arrogantly, I have always thought that because swimming is so technique driven and my technique is pretty good, that I could jus pick it up again, no problem. I was truly rubbish. What technique I have has seeped out of my body over the last 18 months. The set that Russell wrote for me was quite gentle with only 1500m of swimming and with long rest intervals but I felt like I was swimming in soup. My 100m times I can barely think of without breaking into a cold sweat at how far I have fallen. At least there can only be improvement from now on. The only other error on my part was that I had organised a ride with some friends from work on Tuesday when the schedule stated I should be doing turbo intervals, so Tuesday became my longer ride, doing 44 hilly miles while my 'interval' session will be the Bec 25 mile tt tomorrow.

Talking of tts, I am starting the process of getting myself a tt bike. Planet-x had a great offer on their Stealth bike with Sram groupset, but the only problem was it was going to be pretty difficult to get to actually sit on one. I cannot spend a fortune on one and it will be really important that I get a good fit, so I am going to get a bike fit over the summer and then see what frames might suit me (long legs, short body, average height, therefore I seem to fall exactly between most manufcturers small and medium sized frames. Small if I want full on tt mode over short distances, medium if I want something more comfortable. Decisions decisions) The Planet-x does offer great value but if I am honest I would like something a bit rarer and at the moment, one of these is very tempting;

An Argon 18 E80. It's an aluminium frame, with internal cabling, hidden brakes and very aero. There are some good deals on complete bikes and framesets at the moment with a Shimano 105 groupset (I like Shimano) and with a set of Planet-x wheels like this one pictured, I think I would have a pretty fast bike to tt on (if it fits of course). Anyway, I 'll get the fit done and then take it from there.

2 up time trial

A warm and calm evening greeted us on Wednesday for the Phoenix 2 up tt, with me partnering Russell. The two of us are normally within 10-15 seconds of each other when doing a solo 10 so we seemed to be a good match, although we are very different. Russell is a good deal taller and bigger than I am and pushes a much larger gear, while I am more of a spinner. We decided to take turns of about a minute or more, rather than the much quicker turnover usually recommended. The less amount of swinging out into the traffic on the A24 we could do, the better.

I took the first turn and felt a bit guilty as I swung out about a third of the way up the first significant rise on the G42/10 course (no need to thank me Russell). Russell then took a really long turn on the front after that before handing back to me as we approached the turn at Beare Green. A nice rest for me as I tucked into Russ' slipstream, even having to dab the brakes now and again to avoid touching his back wheel. We crossed the line together in a time of 23:42, which is a good 40 seconds or so faster than my solo pb. It felt quite fartlekky, with a really hard effort followed by a good rest, just coasting. All good fun.

Backing myself

Another good week's training with a solid 10 hours in the bag. Cycling is improving well while running continues to be a bit of a struggle, because the cycling's going well I guess. The culmination was yesterday's SCCU 50 mile time trial, which was my first 50 tt in two years. With the windy conditions and a long run in my legs from the day before I took it fairly steady, only really pushing hard over the last 8 miles or so. 2:19:03 plus a couple of minutes going off course was a very solid, if unspectacular result with me being some 6 minutes or so behind Simon. Me on a road bike with clip-ons and him on a full Cervelo P3 tt rig; I'll take that. To be fair, Simon is in the last block of training for the Outlaw and he's been looking quite tired and in need of his taper, so while it was also a pb for him I think that he's got a lot more in the tank when he's rested.

So the news is this. I have gone and got myself a coach. Let's go back a stage or two.

Anyone who has shown the remotest interest in this blog, (Mum, Dad and errrrr..) will have realised from my ramblings that the thing most lacking in what I do is the C word. No, not cake, my life most definitely does not lack cake, but my training does lack consistency. Every week I am out doing something to keep the cake from hitting my middle too hard but with little regard for an overall plan. I do make plans but they are quite short term, usually some race in the next few months where I end up over-cooking it too soon, get injured and  then beat myself up over not reaching a fairly modest target. The cycle then repeats itself.  I know about periodisation, training blocks, specificity, tapering, drills, race simulation etc but I seem unable to put all this different stuff into practise and make it work for me, so the time has come to ask for help.

So what do I hope a coach can do for me? Well I know what he's not going to do and that's turn me into a pro, Kona qualifier or age group winner. My expectations are a good deal more realistic and limited than that. But what I think a coach can do is help to give me some focus and get me enjoying my training, get me trying new things and ultimately progressing towards a better me. Hmm, that sounds pretty deep and very pretentious but it's heartfelt. I seem to operate best when I pick a big target and work towards it. I like targets and I like to work towards a biggie and then nail it, like I did with Ad and Jamie in the DW. Embrunman is a biggie. Running a sub-3 marathon is a biggie. Combining them together seems virtually impossible for me at the moment and so I am waving the white flag and admitting that I need some help to get there.

So I've spent the last month or so looking at coaches who I could use, and again, readers of this blog will not be surprised that I picked Russell Cox. Russell was a regular poster on the TriTalk forum and he was always ready to give constructive advice to those who asked. His website has been a mine of useful information and has given me a lot to think about and when I was training for the Forestman two years ago; it was one of his Ironman schedules that I used as a basis for my training. His blog tends to be remarkably candid, despite him being an Ironman Kona qualifier himself he has not shied away from describing the downs, as well as ups, of his own training. He's also a data and numbers man. I am not. Percieved effort, feel, all that stuff is my modus operandi and therefore a little bit more of a scientific approach could well increase my training efficacy. Ulitimately, I am paying Russell to rustle me up some plans (see what I did there?) and as such I am investing in myself; backing myself to be better and do better while I have the chance. The very fact I am paying for this means that I will put more effort into following the structure that he's laid out for me. If this doesn't work then I probably will only have myself to blame.

Cycling; lots of.

I have had two solid weeks of training, just getting back into the habit of running and cycling. Most of the running has been pretty steady and achy. Yesterday was different; an interval session while waiting for Wheezy Junior to finish a tennis lesson which was a 1 mile warm up followed by 6 x 3 minutes hard. I felt pretty rugged towards the end and was trying to focus more on running tall rather than fast, running from the hips. It was my first interval session since I got injured back in February and it showed. I binned today's steady run in favour of a rest from running but it was a faster than planned commute into work as I got into a race with another commuter. Pathetic I know but after going past him I found him latched onto my wheel so I ended ripping my legs off while he sat up behind me, although he dropped off as soon as we went up a rise about a mile later. The n this evening it was a steady long commute over Boxhill and home. I almost felt the warmth of the sun on my face.

I had a good ride out with Simon on Sunday with another 50 miler taking in a few new roads. I was pleased that I was able to stay with him, most of the time and even got the jump on him on the last bend at the top of Boxhill although he flicked past me within a few wheel lengths while my quads twitched like a bag of rabbits with myxomatosis. Still, some improvement which is all good. I have the SCCU 50 mile tt on Sunday. Unless I have a mechanical I should be guaranteed a pb as the last time I did this event I went 4 miles off course. So I 'd better read the course map a lot more closely between now and Sunday.

Got a plan in the pipeline and I will reveal all next post. No, it's not a new tt bike but hopefully it will have even more benefits than that.

100 miles.....

Well, almost. 98 actually and over 2 rides on Sunday and this evening. Basically the same hilly route taking in Combe Bottom (gyick gsnerk) and Crocknorth with a Boxhill aperitif. Sunday's ride was on smashed legs attempting to dodge the millions of people who were also out at 6.30am. What IS wrong with these people? Happy that I managed to burn a couple of them off my back wheel. Went out on the same loop with a couple of mates from work. It was a lot slower but good fun, good weather and good company. Also managed to burn a couple more off my wheel on the way back home. Something's happening. I seem to be getting competitive again and it feels good.

I have a couple of ideas for blowing a stupid amount of cash on triathlon related nomenclature but I need to tell Mrs W when it's the right time. When she's asleep?

Onwards.

Buying some time

With it being half term I have been able to get out most days for a ride or a run. Running is hard work at the moment as I am carrying a few extra pounds and I just feel generally sluggish but I'm just aiming to get out 3 times per week at the moment. On Thursday I bimbled round Oxshott and Malden Rushett for an hour and by the end I was shuffling with a little more style.

To be fair, I had battered myself to bits the night before at the latest Phoenix 10 mile time trial and I had cycled over to the start and back giving me a solid 35 miles. I was wearing a tt helmet for the first time and that, combined with newly laid tarmac replacing the Somme-esque lumps and bumps that used to be on that section of the A24 gave me a quite respectable 25:13. The most remarkable thing about wearing a tt lid, other than the fact I look a complete twonk, is how hot my ears got. I still need to work on getting more aero on the bike (hard to do on one designed for sportive riding) so maybe as few cockpit tweaks might help me get a few more seconds. I paced it pretty well, feeling good until 7 miles but the penultimate hill at 9 miles always catches me out. I just never seem to hit it right and slowed far too much. Friday saw me head out for another 45 miles with Simon. He was taking it easy as he's got the Outlaw Half IM tomorrow; I was in bits just trying to keep up.

Ultimately, I just need to ride my bike a lot more and drop this weight so with that in mind and the thought of Embrunman I am going to make a concerted effort to start getting my long Sunday ride going again. Tomorrow's a 5.30am start to fit it in. I had forgotten what they were like.

O.M.G.

I've spent the last 6 years or so reading and listening about the exploits of friends and triathlon aquantances racing in far flung destinations. Phil at Ironman Switzerland and New Zealand, Matt going to Kona, Slacko at Ironman Austria and attempting to qualify for Kona; the list goes on. I really enjoy reading about these events and the Tritalk forum is full of tales from guys n' gals heading off to every destination imaginable, usually fairly exotic, warm and fast.  It's now Simon's turn, as in 6 weeks' time he will be taking part in the Alpe D' Huez triathlon. I am very jealous.

It's been an ambition of mine for quite some time to join them and a couple of years ago I was looking at the Norseman as a potential event (still well and truly on my bucket list by the way). However a race like that requires a not inconsiderable amount of spare cash and spare time, two things that have been in short supply in the wheezy household. Until now. :-)

Yes, I could jet off on my own but as this is merely a hobby of mine, leaving the wife and kids at home while I went off and had a holiday and a race on my own would be about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit, so the race or at least the immediate area needs to be family friendly, somewhere where we could all have a good couple of weeks' holiday before or after the event. It also needs to be in the school holidays, which actually rules out quite a few of the European Ironman branded events like Lanza, France etc. But most importantly, the event needs to scare me. I need something that will ensure that I am getting out there, getting the training done. Ultimately that's been my downfall with my triathlon so far this year with the age group qualification from the Dambuster; it just hasn't grabbed me, made me frightened, made me commit. The DW frightens me still, despite three starts, running a sub-3 marathon frightens me and is still tantilisingly out of reach but for whatever reason, the goal of AG qualification has not floated my boat. So, what's out there that would give me a good kick up the backside and get me tri training?

Norseman; Would absolutely LOVE to do this race but a support crew is needed. Another layer of stress and complexity and I don't want Sue to have to do the supporting. One day, but not now.

Ironman Switzerland; Looks fab, heartbreak hill looks immense, big crowds, great venue, sells out in a heartbeat but I would need a third mortgage to race it. With proper training would be a good pb course.

Embrunman. First heard about it properly about a year ago on the IMtalk podcast. OMG. Ironman distance race with a climb of the Col d' Izoard, an absolute monster of an alpine climb on the bike course, regularly seen on LeTour plus quite  a few other lumps en route so it's obviously not a fast course; no pbs here. Now that scares me; it looks genuinely epic. The perfect destination for a family holiday to boot and it's half the price of an mdot race.The clincher is though that Sue thinks it's a pretty good idea too. We are game on.

Words of caution. It's 15 months away. That's a long time. Can I keep motivated and injury free for that long? This race, like the DW, is not the type of event where I could just rock up and bimble my way around  It simply looks too hard and too unforgiving. But bloody hell, I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

Replies.
Hodge; All good mate. :-)

There are worse commutes in the world

Half way up Boxhill with the sun actually shining.

Pearson 150km Sportive

I've had a nice couple of weeks. Work stress has tailed off drastically as well as stuff at home so all of a sudden I have got more time on my hands than I have had in a long time. Early last week Jamie and I met up for another condor paddle which went really well. A paddle up and around the island at Elmbridge a couple of times and back through the Desborough Cut. A solid hour of  K2 paddling which we both walked away from without doing any damage to ourselves. It felt pretty darn good. :-)

Sunday was a bit more challenging. Simon had been given a couple of entries to the Pearson Sportive and asked me along. 150 kilometres of bike miles on some patchy commuting and a couple of 10 mile time trials? Oh go on then. Last time we did a sportive together Simon had basically dragged me round 90 miles while I was slumped over my handlebars trying to keep at least near his back wheel and while I knew that it would be difficult I also knew I was a lot fitter than I was that day.

It didn't start too well. We cycled the 6 miles from Simon's house to the start at the Royal Marsden Hospital, for whom the ride was raising funds for. Unfortunately we didn't make it out of the car park before Simon had a puncture. At least we were able to repair it before our timing chips were dibbed. I then realised I had left my drinks bottle in my car so I ended up stopping at a local co-op to get water and food to last me until the first aid station at halfway. Then 10 minutes later we had our heads down following a group through Banstead and descended a long hill to reach a junction at the bottom which then didn't an arrow to follow. Doh. We had taken a wrong turn so now we had to turn around and climb the hill to retrace our route. Oh well, lesson learnt. Keep a better look out for the arrows at junctions and don't rely on others. About one hour later as we made our way towards East Sussex Simon suffered another puncture, so he replaced it only to find his new tube had a faulty valve. By this time I think he was ready to throw his bike into the nearest hedge as he had now used all his spares and was starting on mine, which were patched up as well. So another 20 minutes while we sorted it. At least it was getting a bit warmer and the roads were good, so we ended up passing people that we had already past 3 or 4 times before.

I felt really very good. I was keeping a pretty good cadence and was able to take turns on the front as we basically 2-upped our way over Ditchling Beacon and into Brighton as it started to try to rain and the temperature dropped. Brighton was the only real downside to this whole event as the route takes the riders into the centre of town and along the beachfront before heading out again towards Devils Dyke. It just meant that we encountered a lot of stop-starting at traffic lights which I think would have been better avoided by missing out the town centre entirely. Nay bother, a quick break at the first aid station where I gorged myself on flapjacks, cakes and bananas before heading north and home.

More 2-upping back home, feeling comfortable but as we approached the second aid station at 75 miles I could feel my legs tightening and my energy levels dipping. I felt briefly better after the quick stop at Rusper but I soon emptied again 5 miles later and from that moment on it was pretty tough. Thank the lord for compact gearing as I just spent the next couple of hours spinning up the rises and freewheeling down the hills. Simon was really strong all day and while I was able to keep up on the flats and do my share on the front as soon as the road kicked up he was gone and would be waiting for me at the top and by the end of the ride he was still looking very fresh.

 As we rolled into the finish we had over 100 miles on the clock and with the extra cycling to and from Simon's house we completed 110 miles. A solid day's riding in anyone's book. I was really pleased with how it went and up to 80 miles was feeling pretty strong so I have to be pleased with that. With a few more miles in the bank maybe I can challenge my 10 and 25 mile tt times after all. I would recommend this event to do. It was well signposted and was a very pretty route and was not too busy, although we crossed paths with at least another 2 sportive events on the day. All in all, a grand day out.

Taking my time

I've been out of a routine for some time, except for wake up, go to work, come back from work, do a bit more work then go to bed. I've done bits here and there but not with any regularity as you can probably tell. I was meant to do the second Phoenix 10 mile tt last night but everything conspired against me, the most important of which was not having a bike. It's gone in for a service and it's turned out that it has needed a pretty major overhaul. I must have put some miles in on it at some point, but not lately.

I am running again, slowly and comfortably. I'm taking my time and ensuring that I do not muck my back up again by sticking to soft ground which is a lot easier now the sun's out and it's not constantly tipping down. The need to run a good marathon is burning brightly so I've entered the Bournemouth Marathon in October. I have 20 odd weeks so it's going to be a gradual build for 4-6 weeks before launching into a marathon schedule to build for a <3.10 marathon.

I just have not been able to get on the river in the last 2 weeks but hopefully over the weekend I can get back in a laance and meet up with the improvers' group at the Royal. Jamie and I are still threatening to go and race a Hasler if we can both get a weekend pass at the same time.

A change of place and change of pace.

I have spent the weekend trying to keep up with some A level students taking part in the 3 peaks challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. I did the last 2 and was a driver for the rest of it. Unfortunately they could not get to the top of Nevis as they would have to have gone well past the snow line. It was still a great thing for them to do. Legs behaved themselves but I need to get my running shoes back on next week.

London Marathon 2013

A beautiful morning for a run.

I had a little bit of a reality check the night before the marathon. It started to dawn on me that I could potentially be walking a long way the following day. Sue,who's always supported me in my shenanigans was openly concerned about my decision to run. I do tend to be too impulsive at times, and deciding only six days before to do the London Marathon and with only 4 x 40 minute runs in the proceeding 8 weeks, this was taking my impulsivity quite far. I had made the decision with the best of intentions and it was made firmly with my heart and not my head, but as it drew nearer I was getting a bit concerned with how things could pan out. My stock answer when questioned on things like this is "I know my own body." Which I do. And I knew that my back was healed but I didn't know whether it would stand the stress of 26 miles on the pavement. It would just be a case of giving it my best shot and believing everything would be OK.

On the Saturday night I got to bed early but I found myself awake at 1am, staring at the ceiling worrying about it and I didn't really get back to sleep. With some relief I found myself getting up at my six o' clock alarm to start fuelling. Sue and the kids got me to Wimbledon Station and despite South West Trains doing some major engineering works I found myself at Greenwich in under an hour, with plenty of time to kick back and relax. I ended up using the loos three times, mainly through nerves rather than over-hydration.

Hedging my bets; which pace band to use?

I should point out that when I filled in the application form I gave my estimated time as 3.10, which at that time in January was looking really good. Therefore I found myself in pen 2, right at the front of approximately 17,000 runners on the red start. Yikes.  After the thirty seconds' silence which was very moving, everyone walked forward to the start while I did my best to let as many people overtake me as possible in order that I would be with runners more around a sustainable pace for me, not that I knew what that was. I crossed the mat, hit the start button on my Garmin and mentally crossed fingers that everything would be ok.

Two, very obvious things helped. The weather and the crowd. At the start the weather was perfect with a beautiful blue sky and a cool breeze. Once again, the first six miles to the Cutty Sark went

by in a flash, with lots of drum and bass, drum bands and spectators cheering us on the way. My one and only "Oh s##t" moment came when I passed under the 5 mile banner, realising that I was now doing my longest run in two months and I still had 21 miles to go. I just pushed that to the back of my mind and carried

on taking my mind off things by making a conscious effort to look around and take in as much of the atmosphere as possible, hi-fiving as many kids as possible and enjoying the day. While my legs were playing ball I was going to enjoy myself.

As we reached halfway in around 1.40 I found myself running next to Iwan Thomas and almost simultaneously gave Denise Lewis a big shout who dutifully waved back. Two Olympians for the price of one. The crowds here were phenomenal at four or five deep all shouting and cheering us on, well Iwan on, but hey I could soak up some of it too.

I had been checking off the distance in 5 mile chunks and as I went through 15 miles I was feeling really good and pretty pleased with myself. So far, the wheels were still firmly in place and my pace was still around 8.05-8.10 minute miles. Through miles 16, 17, 18 and 19 all was still well and I started to think about upping my pace a bit. This idea was quickly put into check as I approached to 20 mile banner and within the space of half a mile I went from feeling quite bouncy to absolute no bounce at all. Ok, time for the mental games to begin. Six miles to go, that's a lap of Richmond Park, that's all. It was now that the crowds really helped, constantly encouraging, cajoling, shouting, cheering. It really was a very special thing to be a part of. And it was at this point that something really strange happened.

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about being beaten by a man dressed as a banana in 2008, and how disappointed I was that I, a 'serious' runner should face such ignominy. At 20 miles I heard the crowd shouting "Go on Bananaman." I looked round and there was a bloke dressed in a full bananaman costume. I couldn't believe it. He was really suffering but he was holding a great pace considering how hot he was. For the next six miles we swapped places although he would have gone past me comfortably if it was not for the fact that he was interviewed by Colin Jackson at the side of the road.

Those last six miles were just about keeping my steady shuffle going and not getting phased by how rugged I was feeling. Although I had been taking on fluids regularly I think my dip had a lot to do with overheating. AT 23 miles something had to give and it was a double whammy with both my hamstrings tightening up, which immediately brought me to a halt. It turned out that was the best thing that could have happened. I walked hard for a minute and used this time to eat a few jelly babies and have some water. I felt better straight away and I was able to resume my shuffle to the finish, being steadily chased down by bananman. I think I beat him by a metre or so on the line but I took the opportunity  to say well done to him as we walked through the funnel; to say I was impressed would be an understatement. I had no qualms about being beaten by him.

My final time was 3:45:26, my slowest marathon to date, but it was never about the time, it was about the finish.

My slowest marathon but my best one, by a very long way. #RunForBoston

London Marathon expo

Listening to Martin Yelling. He's saying 'not to worry because you've done the training.' Eerrrr...
And I've just realised that it looks like I am going to be beaten by the man dressed as a banana after all.
:-)

A funny kind of week

I have been all over the place this week. It started on Sunday when I took part in my first time trial of the season, the SCCU 25. Having been battered to bits the week before and with hardly any miles in the tank I knew that I could not expect very much and I approached it purely as a training ride. I started steady and stayed that way throughout. The last couple of miles were tough, riding into a direct headwind that had tears streaming from my eyes and the bike crawling along with barely any forward movement. My time of 1:11xx was a personal worst by quite a long way and I was a long way down the leaderboard. I've got to say that without the pressure of feeling that I had to do well I really enjoyed myself.

The next evening I went out for a paddle and a run. The paddle was in a llance for 45 minutes and i did a few fartlek efforts of approximately 3 minutes' duration. The last 10 minutes was a steady paddle to warm down. I had the river all to myself except for literally dozens of bats; great fun. I finished it off with a slow, easy 40 minute run into Teddington and back. I felt pretty comfortable and my back seems fully healed up. Happy days. Until, that is I got home and saw the news about the Boston Marathon, which prompted my last post. I just felt straight away that I should try to run the London Marathon as a mark of solidarity and respect. I know it's only a small thing but it's something I can do. So I'll do it. That's not to say I am not a little bit concerned as I know from past experience how far 26 miles is, but what's keeping me going is the fact that before my back stopped me I was in better running shape than I had been for years and had comfortably run 21 miles. My plan is to go out at 4 hour pace and see how it goes. If I'm feeling ok at 20 then I'll see if I can up the pace a bit, but ultimately my achievement will be to finish the race, enjoy the experience and show my respect for the people of the running community effected by the events of last week.

As if this was not going to be hard enough, there has been a slight fly in the ointment. Once again I have been fighting something off. I think it's more to do with being stressed at work and home but achy eyeballs and extreme tiredness have been the tell-tale signs, so I have been over-loading with vit-C  and getting early nights.

I will report back on how well an eight week, no running taper with excessive carbo-loading works next week.

Sod you

I wasn't going to run London. I will now. I'll walk it in 8 hours if I have to. Your way will never win. That is all.

An easy run

A couple of really hard days at home with wheezy junior doing his best to remove the lower part of his leg with, of all things, a spinning bike that had pedals on it like bear traps. He won't be climbing on one of those again to look at his squash club ladder.  :-( So a night with him in hospital while they stitched him back up has taken its toll.

Last night I was meant to meet the boys for a cheeky beer but with junior's injury, a load of diy stuff planned for the previous day didn't get done until late. By 10.30pm I had had enough and headed out the door for a 40 minute run, with my back behaving itself. Despite a simple out and back along a very unnatractive main road, the run did its job. It blew away the cobwebs and put a smile on my face. It felt good and it was good. More of them over the summer are desperately needed.

Sponsored by Walkers

90 minutes in the llance last night with a steady paddle up to Raven's Ait and back. Still just trying to keep my hands high and spearing my feet. One thing I have decided is I am buying myself a comfortable seat before too long but at the moment it's just about building up some paddle time. It is all rather ouchy at the moment.

I'm going to try to get back into some running next week. There's only so many bags of crisps that can be eaten before they start to take their toll.