Day 117 of 210

This was the first time I've actually cycled in and back from work and it panned out quite well. The cycle in was easy going (you don't want to get too sweaty before work) and allowed time to concentrate/experiment on technique whilst the journey back was for proper training. This means that it's now not even 6:30pm and my training for the day is done. Awesome! The extra cycle in will be good extra training as well, I'm sure.

Day 34 - long bike

Thankfully, Siân is all onboard with #OperationIronman2016 and took Rosy swimming this morning in order to allow me to head out on the bike while it was still light.

The session was only an hour and three quarters, and therefore only a fraction of the total time I'll be spending on the bike, but I almost cut it short. Not because I was tired or finding it hard but because I knew I had plenty of other things to do. I didn't cut it short though and it was only because I know that I have to do this training otherwise I will not finish the race in time.

"Respect the training!" is a phrase that keeps going through my mind as the training will be far harder than the race itself.

Long Bike Ride has been completed. An hour and three quarters at an average of 14mph, the minimum speed I need to do.

Day 33 - swim only

Another day with only a swim session being completed. I really didn't want to run, incase it made the quads worse, but now at the end of the day I think they feel my children better.

The swim session with Born2Tri was another good session. A good focus on not kicking too hard and focussing on twisting at the hips.

Day 5 - Christmas day cycle

Christmas day this year means a bike ride after breakfast and present opening.

Being a bit on the wet and windy side meant that it wasn't the nicest of rides but it was still an hours ride at an average speed of 13mpg.

During the ride I had enough time to start thinking a little bit more about how I can stay motivated during the next 29 weeks and keep that "Hell yes" attitude. I believe I'll be able to get Rosy to make a monthly motivational poster for me to wake up to and I'll be able to get both Rosy and Siân to send a little good luck text once a week for me to wake up to before going swimming. I must remember to talk to them about this but I reckon this can be done during the journey down to Portsmouth tomorrow.

Day 1 of 210

... aaaaand the training begins with a 6:30am alarm call for a 30 minute run.

It felt good to be out there training again but I wonder if I should have done more than I have over these last couple of months. Have I lost lots of fitness (or any that I did have) as a result, will it make it harder on my achilles, has it made it impossible to complete the ironman next year? The simple answers to these questions are yes, yes and a resounding no. Of course it's going to be harder to do this without that little extra training but it most definitely is not impossible, as long as I keep to the program I will be absolutely fine and will survive the course.

The run today was a little hard on the knees but I'm hoping that will soon pass as my body gradually gets used to training again. It was only 30 minutes but I decided to head up the hills of Halstead to begin to try and get used to them as I'm sure Bolton will be far worse than I could imagine.

Anyway, Christmas is coming and I've just got back in from the gym so I should grab a shower and think about the rest of the week.

Right Intention - (15 days till training commences)

HELL YES!

I'm sitting here on a Sunday with a massive 224 days to go until IMUK but only 15 days till I officially start my training.

Previously during training for larger events, I have lacked motivation at certain times and have focussed too much on one aspect of my life too much (work life/family life/personal life). As a direct result of this I have lost sleep while trying to catch up, become lethargic and missed training days or important family times.

THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS TIME AROUND.

Over the following few days I'll be setting up a routine that will help me become motivated, refreshed and ready. It starts now with creating the right intention for my training, a right feeling for my training. That feeling/intention is quite simply "HELL YES!" - I must remember what I'm doing this for and that I'm in it to become an Ironman, to be called an Ironman and to earn "bragging rights forever!"

22 days to go

Only 22 days to go now until I formally start my Ironman training. 21st December is the big day for starting my training but I'm thinking that I really need to get some form of pre-base training completed. I just need to get into the habit of training again so that it isn't so much of a shock.

Today was my first run outside since my half -ironman in August and I certainly felt it. It was a 5 mile run and was my slowest on that route since May of 2014 (almost 19 months ago).

This training should be fun.

Half Term Training - 271 days to go!

It's half term and with the extra time I find myself having available to train, I've completed two sessions in one day. The first being a lovely little swim session that I cut short to 45 minutes and the second being a 45 minute indoor cycle.

Whilst swimming I was really trying to focus on my pull in order to make it more efficient. I started with a 400m warm up that I completed in just under 10 minutes. A 100m sculling drill was next after which I did another 400m but this time focussed on pushing my arm all the way to the end of the stroke to result with it flicking out the water. I really don't know if this is a good technique or not (especially as it took me just over 10 minutes) but I wouldn't mind to keep experimenting with it in the future as I need to really get my stroke rate down and to be more efficient. My average stroke rate during this set was 14spl and 19spm. Apparently my best rates were 11spl and 27spm. Up until this point I'd always thought the stroke rate is more efficient the lower it is, but looking at the data I'm now guessing that if I have a high 'stroke per minute' yet a low 'stroke per length' then that is optimum. Time to get back in the pool, because when I completed another 400m it then took me over 11 minutes... I need to get my stamina up.

On a slightly different matter, there are 271 days until "Operation Ironman" and, even though there are still two months until I will officially start my training, I'm feeling the pressure. I know it is going to be a hard journey and that IMUK-Day is going to be even harder, but this no-mans-land of  time/training is just plain strange. I'm feeling that I should be doing more to get to a good level of fitness prior to the 'Base Phase' of my training yet I also feel that if I do too much training I will suffer some sort of burn-out and end up not putting in the full effort needed to complete the training.

Thinking about it, the only way forward is to be proactive. At home we're in the process of redesigning the house, so many hours have been spent tidying, moving and redecorating. The office is pretty much done now so my next step is to also look at my training schedule for December and work up to that level of training whilst still trying too enjoy it.

Be Brave, Be Strong, Be Bold. See you later.

New Bike Routes

The morning started off lovely at just gone 7am with a nice coating of sun lotion as it just looked too good outside not to put something like that on. After all, the last colour I'd want to be tomorrow is red.

I'd decided to take a different route today that would take me over to Dedham. It seemed quite far on the map and fairly straightforward to get to, I just hoped that it wouldn't be too quick a ride or that I'd get lost again. That should have been the least of my worries though as the heavens absolutely opened when I eventually arrived at the furthest point of my route from home.

The rain was actually quite cooling, which was just as well as with it being a new route I had to stop to check the route a few times which in turn made me forget about refueling every 20 minutes. Obviously I wasn't quite as on the ball with it as I thought I was, because by the time I hit the 35 mile mark my legs were pretty tired.

The main thing though, is that I've now got another bike route I can use and won't get as bored during these longer rides.

Only 42 days to go till the race now. Wish me luck.

The Beginning of an Iron Journey

And so it begins... after reading much of Don Fink's book, Be Iron Fit, I have started my journey but nothing really goes to plan does it.

My first session was swimming which was actually pretty good, apart from my elbow hurting a bit after which meant I didn't complete the second swim session in the week. After that was a couple of runs and a brick session. All of these training sessions have been at a nice easy pace and a low heart rate, so it hasn't exactly been strenuous, but while getting the bike out tonight it had yet another flat on the back tyre. Needless to say, I didn't change it in the rain with rumblings of thunder in the background but managed to get the exercise bike into the house and do the time indoors while watching "The Almighty Johnsons".

So, everything is still on track at the moment I just need to fix the wheel and get back on it tomorrow in order to wear my outdoor kit.

Half Ironman Triathlon coming up

After much deliberation I have taken my first step towards becoming a possible ironman. I've thought about it, written notes about it, talked about it and even dreamt about it, but now I'm going to do something about it. On the 2nd June 2013 Dengie Events will be holding a half ironman triathlon in Fambridge, near Chelmsford. It involves a 1.3 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike ride and finished off with a 13 mile run. I've completed marathons and half marathons before, have cycled London to Paris in three days but now I've set my sights on this challenge as a stepping stone towards the Bolton full Ironman distance event in 2014 (2.4mile swim, 112mile bike, 26.2mile run).

Admittedly, I haven't actually paid for the event yet but I have just bought a new pair of trainers, after a running analysis, and actively made enquiries to join a triathlon club. As soon as my membership to Born2Tri has gone through, and I've been paid again, I'll sign up and be well on my way to being an official M-Dot owner.... hopefully maybe all things going well.

Wish me luck.