Summer Programme

I'm a bit knackered - did 50 miles on the bike at the weekend along with a day of rallying and visiting family and I've just got back from my first session in the pool for my summer programme - in a nutshell this will be short!

Here is the ride from Sunday morning:


For some time now I've been training by swimming, running and cycling.  I was doing weights too at one point but I was struggling to feel like I was structuring my training and was feeling a bit lost.  Since I recently got a road bike, and indeed one of the influencing decisions to buy one was that I wanted to try a triathlon, particularly with open water swimming.  I've not decided on an event yet, or distance but I found a middle distance training plan on tri radar here the time rich plan looked a bit hardcore so I've opted for the time poor plan which is closer to what I am doing already.

I did a race pace crack at a local 2 mile Strava segment as a bit of a benchmark, I'm down to 8:35 min/miles on the golf course loop which is part of a 3.5 mile run from work:



It will be interesting to see how the training pans out.  I'm going to try and be disciplined so that I can make the most of the programme but with sportives and ldwa events tempting me plus some downhill riding I've got to try and keep focused as much as possible.

I had my first pool session tonight with drills.  I haven't done any since I was a kid.  I bought myself a float and pull buoy.  It's interesting putting it all together when you take an element out and focus on it and how much that improves you stroke, although I feel its more an issue of fitness and intensity rather than technique for the time being, I can happily bang out a couple of miles but my technique does slide.  One revelation was crawl with closed fists.  It's a lot to remember though!  Here's a post swim pick of my notes!

Fellsman 2013

Well, it's been some time since the Fellsman and although I mean to update this more often I've not got into the routine of it again just yet.  Thankfully I roped Jo into coming to Yorkshire with me.  I was worried about driving back and concerned that I might need someone to prop me up.

I think I'd built the event up in my own mind a lot.  I had plans to do the TMB and this was a qualification event that I wanted to get in my back pocket.  We stayed in a B&B the night before after arriving late, I slept ok but didn't eat that well the night before but started the day with a proper bowl of oats in the morning (not the normal instant microwave guff I eat at work).  I got stuck into the event and had a few ups and downs but nothing major.  During the night we crossed Fleet Moss en route to Cray.  I hadn't eaten for a while or taken any pain killers.  Part of the lack of eating was the fact I thought I only had 2 energy bars left - when I got home I had 4/5 - you don't check things properly when your tired!  The tendons in my right knee were sore and I'd gone over on my left ankle I think a few times so that was quite sore.  I was ok with all of that though.  As I came down off the hill I was looking forward to a closed tent to get warm - I'd started getting very cold.  Sadly the Cray checkpoint wasn't the best and the tent was wide open and I got colder and colder until I was shivering.  At that point the Doc checked me and suggest I quit as the next checkpoint was 6 hard miles.  I only had 1000ft and 15 miles left after climbing 10,000ft and travelling 45 miles.  I think it was 17hrs ish.  I warmed up soon enough when I got back.  I'm glad I dropped out as my right knee was quite creaky and my ankle was painful for a week after.  I think masking it with diclofenac wouldn't of made that any better!

After the first (biggest?) hill - Ingleborough

On the way up Whernside

I was ok after a cup of tea but felt cold for quite a while after.  There was no reception in the pub Jo was waiting at so she arrived around 6am, so I was looking forward to bed by that point!  I got back to the pub had a couple of hours sleep before the road in front of the pub was dug up!  Stihl saw and jack hammers!  I had scrambled egg and Jo drove us back.  My muscles felt ok Monday, I didn't ache too much.  Overall I was pleased with the performance - writing this retrospectively I've decided on a change of direction.

Looking forward to doing it again in 2014!