Swimming

I did nothing this week, except for Wednesday swimming. Monday Sarah was off out, Tuesday I was feeling too good, Thursday Oliver left his bag on the bus and lost it! Swimming was good though. I still lag behind everyone else, and still can't imagine doing 1500m non stop. How do I deal with going from 6 days a week running to 1 day a week swimming? Well I tell myself this is a rest week. Next week I am 'home alone' and intend to do something every night, so I see this week as a recovery week.

I found a triathlon to do this week. The Hayle Sprint Tri, August 5th http://www.hayletri.co.uk/sprint.html The swim is 750m open water and is filling me with dread and fear

Owwww, my sore butt

I became a cyclist this weekend, clocking up a 46mile ride. Not bad for my first proper ride. It was a DMVAC club ride, but there was only 3 of us. Martin, 2 times Ironman, fitness instructor and club triathlon chief. Then there was Robin DMVAC club Secretary, super fast runner, recently back from a triathlon training camp and super fast cyclist. Finally me, first serious ride, bowl of porridge, bottle of High Five 4:1 mix with added Hornet Juice. Get the picture? I'm out of my class!

Getting to Dorking SC was easy enough, its downhill for 4 miles. Met the guys and we were off out of Dorking, chatting about cycling I had not done, my new bike and marathons I had.

We set off to Shere, then onto Cranleigh, and back south of Leigh hill, through Newdigate and Brockham, before I had to climb Boxhill again. We passed through some amazing villages that I knew nothing about and all the time kept up a good pace. I did my best to keep up. The hills were hardest and I quickly got dropped. But they would slow and I would catch up again.

It's incredible how quickly the miles tick off on a bike and after about 30 miles the guys told me they were impressed by my endurance, and I was really impressed with myself. I would not thought it possible to cycle this distance.

It was 10:49 and we were still far from anywhere. I needed to be home by 11:30 and still had to climb Boxhill. By 11:10 we were back in Dorking, Martin said he was going around again, and I set off to conquer the hill.

Didn't quite conquer the hill, everyone overtook me, if I stood to pedal my muscles burned, and sitting was now uncomfortable as I was not taking any weight off my butt. 11:30 and I made it home, arghhhhhh, collapsed on the floor for all of 5 minutes before taking Oliver to his Football Tournament. Life still goes on, sore butt or not.



I think I realised something this week. I realised that if you want to push yourself you have to train with a club or others.

Swimming, I would never be able to swim the distance I do on a Wednesday night if it was not for doing it with the Dorking SC Masters Swim session. Running, there is no way I would give myself the beasting around the running track that I did on Thursday and Cycling, I would never have thought I could have done 46miles, if were not for Robin and Martin on Sunday, I would have gone home much earlier.

What training alone is good for, is, building endurance and maybe training with others is not so good for endurance as you always end up pushing yourself harder than you would on your own and that means you will tend to miss sessions.

Return to Iron Horse

This week I returned to the bike to start some proper cycling not the sweaty turbo trainer but the open road. Early Sunday I was off, just over an hour at an average of 16.7mph. I am Lance(not)! But it felt great, the difference to running is that you cover so much ground so much quicker. Can't wait to get back on it and out again.

One of the podcasts I listen to recently started to talk about Hornet Juice. This is an Amino acid concoction that apparently helps your body convert body fat into energy instead of using carbs. So helps with endurance. I sent off for a few packets to try. If the podcast (Zen and the Art of Triathlon) is right, I will be blistering along for hours. (Watch this space).

Need to find a local Sprint tri to do. There are some that do the swim in the swimming pool so that looks like a good place to start and the 400m swim I have a good chance of being able to do.

Marathon Casualties

This post is dedicated to ‘Johnny Second Toe’ of Left platoon. Johnny is a dedicated soldier, nothing was too much for Johnny and he showed great courage in battle. It was in battle that Johnny Second Toe gave everything, not complaining or slacking when Johnny sustained a terrible injury. Blisters a common injury sustained in battle claims many toes and heels, and Johnny was hit by a blister. The blister was dealt with immediately after the battle by the surgical fingers unit that joined Foot brigade on April 22nd. But quick intervention could not prevent Johnny Second Toe from loosing his armour and on May 5th Johnny succumbed and lost his nail. We wish Johnny Second Toe a speedy recovery and will be thinking of him.

Also injured was ‘Charlie Third Toe’ of Right platoon. Charlie’s injuries are not as severe as Johnnie’s, but look worse. Charlie, a committed toe who would always stand up with his mates is considered to be a great team player. He has black nail but is expected to recover. However latest news just back from the front line is that poor Charlie has lost his armour as well. Our thoughts are with his family.

Swim Bike Run

I returned to focus on triathlon training this week. Thats the 3 sports, swimming, cycling and running. I started by cycling to the running club on Monday and Masters swim session on Wednesday.

Mondays bike down the hill was great. The first puncture was not so great. Still plenty of experience and help at the running club. So after the 7 mile run, I started to replace the inner tube, only to knick the spare tube and puncture that one as well! 'Sarah, darling wife, whom I love the most, will you come down in the car and rescue me?'

Still I need the practice at puncture repairing. 2 inner tubes later and Oliver offered to help. 'Daddy, why don't your puncture repair patches work?'
'I don't know Oliver'.
'Why don't you use sellotape?' So heres my first ever puncture repair

'Sarah, darling wife, whom I love the most, will you goto the bike shop tomorrow for me?' 2 new inner tubes later and I got the wheel back on the bike. Thought I would spin it around, theres a awful flat spot where the tyre is sitting properly. Back off, back on, pump up, let down, repeat several times. Look for talcum powder (who uses the stuff? Not us). Use Pledge, pump up again, keep on pumping, keep on pumping, keep on pumping, keep on pumping. Thats about 160lbs/in pressure, spin the wheel. Ahh no flat spot. Ohhh joy. Now I can go swimming.

Not been swimming recently so I totally floundered along again at the back of the slow lane. I am not a dolphin. I am one of those strange shaped bottom feeders. 1500m is so totally out of the question. If is was not for the end of the pool every 25m I would be in trouble. Still all the ladies in the slow lane (these ladies are all swimming off ahead of me, leaving me in their wake), are impressed that I ran a marathon! I'm impressed at their ability to swim and breathe.

My 'thank you' to everyone

So many people have congratulated me or wanted to know how I did, that I must say "thank you" to everyone for your wishes. I am surprised that anyone should 'give a hoot' about how I did really, but so many people have emailed me, phoned me or asked how I did. It's great. I feel like a superstar athlete!! Only I really do know that I am lightyears away from being one.

Time to move on and attack that Triathlon goal.