Where have all the blogs gone?

It's okay you've not missed anything, I must confess i haven't blogged in a while due to lack of training, therefore lack of anything to write about

So what's been happening? Well we've made plum jam (nothing to do with training) we've made plum vodka (again where is the training?) we've also been out picking plums to put into the jam and vodka, been sorting out the garden, it's all setup for vegetable harvesting now and I've done a bit of sitting on the sofa eating snacks

(oh my god you must have been ill or something, what was it? are you okay?) well no I haven't been sick, I've been lazy again, with the time rapidly reducing before my next duathlon and also my triathlon, you would have thought that i would be spending time sorting out my training

My excuse? well I'm human like the rest of you and I've just felt like sitting on my arse for a bit to be honest, training is hard work, you have to believe in yourself, you have to try hard and you have to want to be better than you were before

I was a bit crushed with my previous race position and i know that not training isn't going to help my next race but that's what i went with

I felt a bit pulled in a few directions, I'm busy at work, I'm started a part-time job, I've got to do strength training and learn to swim outdoors as well, i know that I'm just making excuses but its the truth of the matter

Okay where do i go from here, I've got 2 options give up or carry on


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Okay I'll carry on, what have i got to lose? Dani has said that she would like to start going to the gym in the mornings to start the day off well, so I'll start there, i then need to start swimming again so i need to find somewhere to train again and buy a bulk load and then i need to start a heavy strength training regime

lets get back on that horse and start a fresh, I'll get my new stats up soon so we can see where we are starting from again and step to it

I'll get the swimming times ready so i know when i can train

I'll get a new personal best on the runs and bike ready for Silverstone

Watch this space people

15km Cycle

It’s now Tuesday, where does the time go, Went out for a cycle last night for a bit of endurance training to get ready for this Thursday, I Worked out on MapMyRun.com that I done about 15km on the bike, I was pedalling hard but I had no competition this time to push me

I’ve now registered online for Silverstone race so there’s no backing out now, I’m quite confident in my ability to complete it, I’m just worried about my times now, I’m hoping that the element of competition will help me go faster (but with a good pace as well so I don’t push it too hard)

Should I be this excited already? I’ve still got 2 days to go, I still need to get a bike helmet yet

Dani the race starts at 7 so I was thinking of getting there for 6 then warming up properly

Swimming and Biking

Went swimming this morning with my new nose clip thingy-ma-jig and new speedos goggles, the goggles are a vast improvement over my last pair, technology in the swimming goggles field has obviously undergone a mass overhaul since they found out that Billy Knowles is swimming now, they don’t fog up as quickly, I was able to get at least 6 lengths before I noticed they needed a bit of a clean

Swimming must be one of those things like maths, if you don’t do it often enough you forget things but when you start doing it again it comes back to you pretty quick, I haven’t swam since Monday morning as I missed the Wednesday early bird session, it took me a couple of lengths to get back into it and get used to my nose clip, I can now start to see at what point I was breathing water in through my nose as the clip tightens around my nose whenever I try to breath in though it

I’m finding that really focusing on how I am swimming helps with my technique, I’ve never really understood focus before, I guess because I haven’t needed to, but looking forward and squinting isn’t focusing its just squinting, I’ve found that really clearing my mind and concentrating on nothing else but my swim gave me the lengths that I was after, it’s a difficult thing to explain
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I was on my bike last night bombing around the streets, I must have looked like I was 10 again on my first bike, all wobbly getting used to pedals with cages and handlebars that go downwards, embarrassingly the only thing I couldn’t get working was the computer on it, anyone know a decent IT tech? As I came round the corner I saw Dani trying to call me as she’d seen some thug looking guy on a bike just like mine speeding off on it, she thought I’d been beaten up round the corner and this guy had stolen my bike, ah bless, I’m not actually 10 years old Dani (I just paid the guy my lunch money and he was happy, I got to keep the bike, lol), I reluctantly let Dani have a go, off she went round the corner (I was waiting for the crash but nothing happened) I’m really pleased with it

Bike Comparison

To see the stem problem clearer, first one is mine, second is a Giant picture

New Bike

Picked up my new bike today, had to have my seat pushed forward and my nose up against the windscreen to fit it in my car but the awkward 20 minute ride home was well worth it in the end

The entire box was much lighter than i was expecting, I started dragging it to my car then just picked it up in the end, if the box was smaller I could have easily just used one hand comfortably, that’s not to say I have arms like Schwarzenegger (From 'Pumping Iron' not ‘Around the World in 80 Days’) just that the box was that light

Here it is boxed up (Thank you Dani for the product placement there, I did want to put Golden Grahams in the picture)

 

 

Here it is naked

 

The keen eyed viewer will notice that it doesn’t yet have the pedals or seat attached, £600 and not an Allen key in sight, I bought a £3 nose clip for swimming the other day and even that came with a handy carry case (that arrived on Billy 2nd Christmas, which was yesterday, the bike was opened on Billy 2nd Boxing Day, today) I’ll need to dust of the tool kit in the garage to finish the bike build

Also Dani noticed that the writing on the stem (check out my bike knowledge, it’s the part that holds the handlebars for those that are not so well informed) was upside down, so I’m not sure if this needs to be re-fitted or whether that’s the way it needs to be

Training cancels swim

Mondays Gym session went well as well, i did some more muscle strength training like the chiropractor said, heavy weights with low reps of 6-8

I've thought of many excuses as to not to get up early and go swimming so i thought i would get up early and write my blog to show that i have got up early but due to a circuit training at the gym last night I'm not sure my swimming arms will be up to much, I'll need to look into swimming a bit later today if i can

I'd never done circuit training sessions before and you really feel great afterwards, okay you feel like it would be easier to curl up in a ball in the corner and not speak to anyone in a while, but once the ache goes you really feel that you've had a good workout

I've got confirmation that my new bike will be delivered today and my tri-suit as well should also be here today, it's like my own mini Christmas, you know without all the going to church and praying... do people still do this?

Happy bike and tri-suit xmas to me, i hope you all get your new bikes today as well

How was your weekend?

Only 68 days to go, Argh! (And by argh i don't mean in a pirate "argh" i mean in a panic Argh!!!)

Swimming again this morning and yet more excuses as to why I’m not at my best yet, this time it's those nose clip thingy-ma-jigs, I’ve got much better from when i first started and I’m actually breathing now while doing lengths but for some reason I’m still coughing and spluttering when i get to the end of each length, I believe it's because I’m trying to breathe through my nose as i go along, not consciously of course

So I need to look into getting some of them

I did mean to go to the gym this weekend as well but with the weather being so nice me and Dani walked for about 6-7 hours over Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday we walked to Willen lake to see about the possibility of me being able to swim in the lake there to get some open water practise but unfortunately the lake isn’t open for this kind of activity, they did say that they were looking to open this up next year, so something to keep in mind for Dani who will be doing the Swimming leg of an Olympic length Triathlon next year

We did get to walk the route I planned for my Silverstone training and we found out that on Sunday they would be doing the Dragon boat racing on the lake

So on Sunday we walked back down there to watch the races, for some reason every time we walked the red ways around Milton Keynes but every time we managed to walk a different red way route, I would put up the distance travelled but I couldn’t even re-trace it on mapmyrun.com… so I haven’t but we did get to see Rehan, Mark and their little girl Daisy as well which was another bonus for the weekend

This week then, I want to get as much swimming in as I can before my bike gets here because when that turns up I won’t be off it it.

Apart from my car (which I got on finance) it’s been my biggest purchase, oh yeah the house but that doesn’t count, and the boiler last year, that doesn’t count either, holiday to Costa Rica?

Hmmm…

So it’s my most expensive bike purchase to date

I've bought the best triathlon bike in the world

As the title says I have actually bought the best triathlon bike in the world, there isn't another bike on the market like it, it's totally unique, only 1 made, it's the (wait for it) Giant Defy 3 2011

Whoa! I know what you're thinking that is NOT the best triathlon bike in the world, it's not even a triathlon bike at all it's a road bike

However this my friend is where you are wrong and I'll tell you why...

It is going to be MY bike

It's going to be the bike that i ride on to compete in the Silverstone Duathlons

It's going to be the bike i use for the Cotswold Triathlon in Sept

Like i said it's totally unique, I'm not going to be riding any other bike, only this one (until i upgrade it of course) we're going to have great days together and we're going to have bad days together but this will be my bike that sees me through it all and one day it will be worth quillions, trust me

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On another note i went swimming again today, but this time without Dani, don't panic it's all cool, she's gone off to do her Supporting Artist work (Extras to you and me) I think i done about 20 lengths, trying my hardest to keeping doing at least 2 lengths at a time and then having to stop for a short breather

I didn't feel that i done that well, although i was swimming more my technique was a little off and i had some trouble getting my legs and arms working together again, i think next time i will start with the float again as i found that really helped get coordinated

Gym and Swim

OK went back down to the gym last night
Took on board a Niteworks and shake beforehand again

Workout

10 Min's Walk
10 Min's Run (3km including walk)
4 x 100 (5kg each) arm and back toning on a resistance machine
20 Min's Cycle machine (over 5km but didn't log how much in the end)

Took a shake and vitamins for afterwards

My recovery time is improving and I'm finding a better breathing pace for my running as well, i now breath in for four steps and out for 4 steps, before i was doing in for 2 and out for 2

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Found myself wanting something healthly for a supper snack, so went to the supermarket and get various tinned sardines in tomato and bbq sauces, had the bbq one on toast, very nice, and good for you, i don't think that i'd even had sardines before that

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Went for a swim this morning as well, no aches or pains from yesterdays gym session and i took my goggles

With my goggles i could really start to concentrate on my breathing and arm technique

We did get asked to leave the fast lane though as i was swimming a bit slow and kept getting ion the way of this other guy, Sorry, saw him in the changing rooms later and found out that he's also training for a triathlon and will be going to do the Emberton triathlon this Sunday, just looked it up here: http://www.big-cow.com and this must be the triathlon he's doing:

Date: 05-Jun-2011
Location: Emberton Country Park
First Sprint of the Series
750m Swim ; 20km Bike ; 5km Run

I think this is a sprint triathlon, actually i've just looked it up and it is, so sorry for getting in your way


Note to self: look into getting a nose blocker for swimming

Off T' Gym

Been working out the prices of things and figured that to keep going swimming every morning world cost £39 for 10 sessions, whereas a Gym membership would only cost 20 something with swimming pool included

I worked out as long as i keep swimming running and cycling the gym would be the best option in the long run (see what i did there?)

So spent an hour going through all the gym equipment and what they can offer with the membership, it's pretty good there, it was weird as i was at the same gym 5 years ago just doing simple workouts to try and keep fit

They've got all these cardio machines and loads of resistance machines

We're going swimming again tomorrow morning

Note to self: take goggles this time

Learning to swim again

OK so I was working again yesterday so no luck on the training side of things, but I think I made up for it today, I went to my local pool at learnt to swim, well I re-learnt how to swim, I could doggy paddle just fine but I'm not sure that would have seen me through my triathlon
Dani is an awesome swimmer and was teaching me the basic arm movements and breathing skills, I felt like complete idiot waving my arms around whilst standing still in the water but after a few widths (I told you i was re-learning) I started getting the hang of it
Planning on going swimming again (wait its past 12 now so my yesterday from before is now invalid and I now mean I was working Sunday as well as Saturday) today now I guess, going to the early swimming sessions, I better get some sleep
Oh yeah before I forget I cleared down my bike as well, need to take it to my local bike shop to sort the gears out

Bicycle?

Okay so after work i went to my local bike shop and got a bog standard bike pump and chain oil

I've pumped the tires back up and to my surprise they were just flat and not punctured in anyway, I've oiled the chain but for some reason (most likely rust) the gears don't appear to function properly, they seem to keep setting themselves back when i change them

Needs a good clean up anyways so I'll have to get on with that

I'm really not sure about it's capabilities as a triathlon bike but i did have a cycle around my street, felt like i was a teenager again, although I'm sure it looked like i had just stolen some kids bike as the seat wasn't at my level, i had trouble keeping it in a straight line and was tearing around the road on it

I've seen a nice hybrid bike that i like though that isn't too expensive and would be good for my triathlon and general day to day stuff, it's the Giant Escape 4 (Link) i can get it for about £250 online

My new bicycle and other stories

I picked up my bike yesterday, it's not really suited to a leg in a triathlon as its a full suspension bike with rusty gears and flat tyres, but beggars can't be choosers and i did get it for free (good ol' freecycle.org)

I started looking at Marin bikes and their road bikes are around £1000 for a new one so this one will have to do for now

I fell at my first hurdle last night as i skipped training to go to the cinema instead (watched Blitz)

I've planned to go tonight instead to make up for it

I think I'm quite confident now in completing the super sprint level of the triathlon but i need to get some swimming practise in quick

I like to ride my bicycle

I'm picking up my bicycle today from a freecycler

Distance

I walked part of the distance yesterday that i ran on Monday but this time with my (brothers) GPS watch, it turns out that i'm probably already running the 2.5k required

I've planned to run again tonight, the same distance, to improve my cv and endurance, this time with the GPS watch to track distance and pace, the only problem i can see is that Wednesday is cinema night

I need to start swimming soon so i've looked into our local pool to find out when the lanes swimming is, swimming is my weakest side to the whole triathlon, i never really swam lengths before, i normally just done widths and depths in the pool, I remember saying in school that i couldn't swim to get out of lessons, but even then i never really put much effort in

I asked Dani to look on freecycle for a bike for me and i need to call the lady back today in regards to picking it up if it's right for me