3 days to go

My last 9km run on Monday felt good, I have been eating and drinking like never before and I missed my swim last night. So only the gerbil to sort out, 1 trip to Bolton via Norfolk, pack and take everything, and carry on eating and drinking to go. Ohhh and finalise all the defects at work, ha!

I have started to feel good this week, feel like I have energy in me, probably all the eating I'm doing, have had a couple of cramps in my foot the other night, and I had 2 cups of decaf coffee the other day and that made me start to feeling all jumpy, I'm sure the decaf has caffeine in it. I've not been drinking alcohol or coffee for a couple of weeks at least now. I now have a huge pile of kit on the lounge floor ready to go. I guess I am not too sure aabout nutrition plan though, I need to sort out how I'm going to get the prerace energy in.

Ohhhhh, can't wait, all excited!!!

Taper

Tapering always seems to start early with me, not that I ever reached a full on volume of training in the first place.  I had a panic session on Monday, but then, Sophies school leavers concert and then Dan's birthday party meant I did nothing for 2 days.  Worse though, I had a glass of wine, I've been off alcohol & caffeine for a week of more.  When I had my lunchtime run on Thursday I felt weak.  I hope this was the wine not the loss of conditioning.

 

Just over a week to go now, my good stress free taper is surprisingly stressful.  Worry about whether I have enough conditioning to make it around, stress from Ollie and his football, stress from Ollie being a teenager, stress from Ollie upsetting Sarah (school holidays have started, day 1 did not go well), stress from work, extra issues to think about getting to my aunts funeral, (God bless you Helen), and now going to Houston for work immediately after IMUK.  Then add on the normal Dan's spending habits, how to get to Bolton, where to stay enroute and piles of paper work.  It all adds upto 'think about loads of stuff not clear my mind and relax'.

 

Tapering is harder than training

Fwd: Last big week ...... or ill?

Last week was to be the last big week of training for me. Did not start well though when I did not get out for any evening sessions, thinking, 'I'll have to hammer myself at the weekend'. I did run each lunchtime though. Come Saturday, I started feeling lethargic, tired, weak and later on a headache started. I mooched about all day never having the energy to get up and go out, even took to my bed in the afternoon. So much for hammering myself this weekend. Sunday I felt a bit better, but prudently did not do any training. Monday and I feel OK again. Big sigh of relief, I did suspect swine flu or some other virus but it appears to have been fatigue.

The TT forum is full of postings from people doing their last big weeks and publishing their hours of training. It all makes me feel inadequate and wander if I will make it around. I was starting to think I would and that I had done the minimum needed, but now I'm not sure again. Still what will be will be and I can't change it in the next 2 weeks.

Here are my totals. Remember I started this plan back in December, initially training up for the London marathon

Totals

Swim 37 hours

Bike 41 hours

Run 81 hours

Which might not look too bad, but that's over 7 months and I think it looks lightweight, especially on the bike. Notable achievements in this have been the London marathon, swimming 3750m in the lake and the long rides across to Aldershot with Andy Fay and the solo effort down to Shoreham/Worthing. The low point must be the Arundel/Worthing ride where I just ran out of steam.

I shall run this week at lunchtimes and swim on Wednesday and probably ride next Sunday, but nothing too hard.

Bike, swim, run

Instead of going for the distance I decided I would go for a more concentrated bit of training this weekend and follow the 'Legs of Steel' route around the hills. 81km and 1600m of climb in 4 hours. The rest of the day was looking after children whilst Sarah and Tam went shopping.

Sunday, another early start and another 3750m swim around the lake, 1:15 again, so I must have got it right the first time and not be mistaken. The afternoon came and I set out for a run. 'over the hills and far away', then back up the hill.

However, since the weekend I have been making excuses again and not done any evening sessions. I am a looser.

Top tip: Don't leave your running kit in a plastic bag all week

I discovered todays top tip this week. Monday I set off for my lunchtime run and within 3 minutes it chucked it down on me. I was absolutely soaked, shoes, shorts, socks, shirt, the lot absolutely drenched. Still it meant I sped up for the run. After I chucked all the wet kit into a plastic bag. The next day I opened the bag and whoa, the ponk. Not nice. So did I take it home? No I stuck it back in the bag. After a week of lunchtime runs it was at really, really bad ponk status.

So if your kit gets wet, especially your trainers. Take it home and wash it

Head in the other direction and don't stop till you see the sea

After last weeks ride, this morning I got up early, ate porridge, yep porridge in the middle of summer, and set off in the other direction. First stop Boxhill Viewpoint, check out the video.

Onwards from there, this was an eat and drink fest of a ride. So I broke out the midmorning brunch, steak, 2 veg, gravy ..... no, nothing as tasty. Eat powerbar, and power gels, drink gatorade, eat powerbars, drink gatorade. Ummmm nice, not, but it's energy and I was determined to keep getting it in. Even then I don't think I did enough. So I cycled on, Dorking, Brockham, Leigh, Charlwood, Gatwick and Crawley. Yeah my favourite destination, all rides should lead to Crawley. But not ending there, South out of Crawley, towards Horsham, cut off towards Colgate, get lost, end up going towards Pease Pottage, cut off down towards Lower Beeding, somehow end up in Henfield, then onwards to Shoreham. Stop to see brothers old boat, still moored there, have a chat with owners, then off to Worthing, up the A27 to Horsham, cut back over towards Crawley to miss 10% hill into Rusper (wimp), then head to Rusper as it's like a magnet drawing me in, and Newdigate, Brockham, Pixham and back up the zigzag to home. 6 hours of riding, 1 sore arse, 2 swollen balls, found my sun glasses I left hanging on a gate a month ago and I still can't see how I am going to make the Ironman 112miles.

But holy balls ache Batman, the pressure of sitting on a saddle for 6 hours is pain. It's must be like getting bedsores or something, I slap loads of that cyclists cream on but that area still hurts, man what do TdF riders do?

Took the bike to Cycles Dauphin to service before Ironman UK. I can forsee that come the middle of August I am not going to want to see that bike again.

Things I learnt today

It's better to head away from London.

All roads lead to Crawley

My right knee is not playing the game and is complaining when I stand and pump the pedals

Need to stand every now and again to get the blood back into my 'mens bits'