A Big Skirt

Todays bike ride was a big skirt because it goes all the way around an area thats full of hills and I avoided them like the plague. The consequence was a 50 mile bike ride. That will teach you for whimping out from a hill! Didn't really set out to do that far, it just kind of ended up that way.

The day started with a swim in the lake. A couple of curcuits to knock up 1900m.

Then after all this to balance out my ying and my yang I have done some house work and went to the garden centre to make up some hanging baskets and put all the Waitrose shopping away. So now feeling balanced, I am putting my feet up.

Tomorrow is the Dorking 10, luckily I'm not running it, I'm a marshall so you will find me standing on a corner in the country.

Bye

Holy fly in my eye

Summer early evening rides ...... a fantastic time to ride your bike as you race along country roads, greenery everywhere. A time of day that you share the countryside with a few million insects flying the opposite way. Someone needs to send these flys to flight school and tell them to fly on the left. That way we could avoid the air accidents and near misses.

Last night I was determined to get a brick session done. Thats twice around the 8 mile 'Ballbuster' loop and then a 9km run. Powered by 4 macaroons and a Hornet Juice. The bike route comes back up Boxhill twice, and its not the climb thats the problem its the speed or lack of speed at which I do it. But last night not having ridden 30 odd miles before reaching the hill I climbed it a bit better. In fact I felt better on the second climb, was this the HJ kicking in? Still I felt good throughout the ride, and my heartrate was good and low as well.

I came off the bike and straight into a run. My legs felt like jelly at first, but soon became running legs. Hopefully as I do more of these bricks this will improve and by September I will be OK for the triathlon. After 45 minutes running I felt good, and still had energy to go. Thats the second time I have felt good towards the end of a run and both times I have used HJ.

Andy's Awesome Triathlon Training Day

Andy’s Awesome Triathlon Training Day, bought to you by 3 servings of Hornet Juice, a hot cross bun and a cup of tea. Every Englishman needs a cup of tea first thing in the morning, theres a gene for it. So with that out of the way, I had my first HJ. Swam 1900m around a cold lake, came home, mixed a second HJ with energy drink and hopped on my bike for a 4 hour ride. Once back I was straight out for a 2.5 mile run and then the last serving to help recovery.
'But, how do you feel Andy?’
'Well not too bad, ache a bit but feel good and ready to get on with the rest of my day. Not hungry, not dizzy and no stomache upset either.'

‘So, Hornet Juice is good for you then.’
‘Heck yeah boy, I mean yes it is jolly good.’

It's a real surprise that I made any of this today. It was 7am before I thought about setting off for the lake, I thought I would be too late. Then there was no diesel in the car, so I decided to go in the opposite direction to a garage, fill up and go home again, but a sudden rush off blood to my head said 'No' and I found myself heading for the lake. I had 1hr when I got there before it shut. So quick park, pull on my wetsuit and head straight for the water. Spent a short time acclimatizing and then in and off. 2 curcuits in about 45 minutes, straight off and without going off course too much. So excellent.

After that I returned home to get on my bike. Now theres a hill out of Westhumble, I have never seen it, but heard about it. I have seen it now and the sign before it saying 20%. But 20% is not so bad at the beginning of a ride. Can't say the same at the end of the ride as I made my way back up Boxhill being overtaken by everyone.

Back home I pulled on my trainers and set off, I was going to go for a 8 mile run, but 2.5 miles seemed a much better idea. Again I had that terrible backache thing going on.

My thoughts? Well certainly not so worried about the swim anymore, more worried about the saddle soreness on the bike and the back pain on the run!

It begins

Sunday I got up early to jump in the lake again.  First the Hornet Juice, 250ml before I set off, this stuff is a mixture of amino acids and helps your body to convert its fat into energy.  Does it work?  Yep I think it does do something, anyhow I drank it back, eat a clif bar and drove to the lake.  The water was not any warmer than the week before but thankfully my wetsuit works a treat.  After a short while on the pontoon getting use to the water, adjusting my goggles, being nervous, I plunged in and started on a circuit (950 metres apparently).  Sighting as I went I did not go to far off course, but probably could sight less and end up faster.  Up the lake to the bouys, round the bouys, sighting as I rounded.  Follow the lake bank down to the bottom bouy.  You can't see it until close by.  Round the bouy and sighting for the blue motorway sign, looking straight into the sun.  Nightmare and way off course, found the last bouys and headed back for the pontoon.  Back on the pontoon I thought about my swim, looked at the bouys again thinking of ways to not go off course next time.  A lady who had set off ahead of me then swam up.  Ohhhhh, I've managed to overtake someone somewhere.  Then I jumped in again, not expecting to be able to make another circuit, but I did.  Sighting was better and I came out feeling good.  A bit wobbly but full of energy.  Called it a day right there and drove home to find everyone just getting out of bed! 

 

Monday, Tuesday - Nothing. 

 

Wednesday, got home early and thought I would go for a run.  Oliver was going to come with me, then Dan and Sophie came home and they were going to come as well.  Whilst Sophie got a drink and changed into trainers, I checked out the garage to find Oliver and Daniel having a row about Oliver using Dans bike, and Dan wearing Ollies belt.  For goodness sake I said, your just turning a simple fun thing like a run into a nightmare.  Boys, or is it 2 boys 2 years apart in age?  They can play together great, but they can also be such pains.  Neither will share with the other, and they both end up in these confrontations about their stuff and before you know where you are one of them will get hurt.  This just gets on my whick, so I told them they were not coming with me and Sophie and I went for a run.  For 6 years old she ran awesomely and we did a mile, and it was great, and it would be great if the boys can get over their issues and come too. 

 

Wed night, more HJ and a masters swim session.  Does this HJ work?  Well I did the session and was still in the pool after everyone else had left.  So after this and Sundays lake swim that I did not expect to be able to do, I have believe it does do something.  Lets see what happens at the weekend.

 

 

Let the training begin

Time is ticking down to the start date (Sun 18th) for my training plan. 'you have one? well thats an eye opener'. Well actually I don't have one but it starts Sunday. Top of the plan is to get to swim better and the first step was an open water swim session with a proper triathlete. Thats why I found myself upto my neck in a cold lake at 7am last Saturday morning. So first tick, test new wetsuit. It works hurray. Next tick to get is to pick up my running to a decent distance again. ohhh and make a plan. ohhhh and stop being such a wuss. Rick (full on triatlete and awesome fit guy) showed us how to turn a bouy, sight and breathe, get the wetsuit off and experience close quarter swimming. It was great fun

Look away if you are not worthy!

This is a picture from Busselton. The Ironman course is marked out on the pavement with this M dot logo.

I showed it to Dan and Ollie and then told them to look away because they were 'not worthy' to look at the Ironman logo. Only Ironmen and Ironmen pretenders (like me), are allowed to look at the logo. Needless to say, they took no notice and laughed at me, told me I would never be an Ironman and then jumped on it. Sometimes I wander what impression I am leaving on their developing minds!

But I'm over it now! This week I have been getting back to normal. Dealing with the post took 2 days. Took the opportunity to get the car serviced, which allowed me to run up Boxhill and cycle down again, also went out for a ride with Martin (just back from IM South Africa), think he did a time of 12hrs (ish). Quite awesome I think, sure I could not do that. But we rode 40 miles and whilst he struggled on a few of the hills, he left me on the serious ones, even though he did an Ironman a week or 2 ago.

Work looked thin on the ground until Friday when all of a sudden it appears I could be in demand. I have a couple of weeks work starting Tuesday (in Newbury!) but then hopefully something more longterm nearer to home to see me back in the harness and complaining about not having any time! Hey ho, onwards.

Is this the closest I will get to the start of an Ironman?

(Me at the start of the Ironman WA swim course)

We are back. We have been on holiday for the last month in Western Australia. Home for everything thats out to get you. Fish that eat you, venomous snakes and poisonous spiders. It's also got an Ironman.

I just had to go there and see the place. Busselton WA. Theres an awesome long pier there and the swim course goes around it. I thought I would swim around it, but my head did overtime about sharks and I got nervous. I did swim to a bathing platform, I got there at the same time as a couple of young guys who swam from the pier. Their first words were, 'wheres the shark net?'. Ummm confidence booster? Not. I swam back double fast. Back on dry land I was admiring a Trek with aerobars, (Modone?), started to chat to the guy and got another bit of advice about sharks. 'Don't be at the back'. He called it the sick seal principle! So what with there not being another swimmer in sight I chickened out. I have done some other swims though, including in the Southern Ocean and also at Cottesloe Beach, Perth (where there were loads of swimmers).