My big secret

Here it is, I'm coming out of the closet. What you are looking at here is my official race number for IMUK - Ironman UK. Thats my 2009 goal. First I need to get a London marathon done and then onwards to Ironman, August 2nd in the ever so exotic location of Bolton, England.

There you go, it's out in the open. I'm excited about it and will be spending alot of time talking and thinking about it, ohhh and training for it.

Another week of swimming and running .....

Monday 2.5km swim, 8km run
Wednesday 8km run
Thursday 3.0km swim 8km run
Sunday 25km run

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday I had work to do, which is good because after all I am meant to be doing some, and with a recession on actually getting paid is good. Then Sarah was ill on Saturday so I had a full day taking boys and picking up boys from Brockham and just as I got back home, thinking, no more trips in the car, Sophie asked to go swimming. Back in the car, down to the pool and that was the end of the running plan for Saturday.

By Sunday and a morning reading about 'Mental training', I was ready for a run! Mental training is enlightening. It's about dealing with that little voice in your head, the one that keeps on saying, 'I can't', 'I'll never make it' and it's something you need to train for to have ways of answering it's negativity. More about this another time I think.

Hope the couch of doom was comfortable this week.

starting to feel stronger

this week has been another good week of training. If your on the 'couch of doom', then eat extra crisps and have a beer, I worked it off for you this week.

Mon - 2500m swim

Tues - 8km treadmill at speed as I only had a short time before going to pick up Oliver

Wed - 43km bike ride with hills and a 2500m masters swim session

Thursday - 8km run

Friday - 6.5km run

Sat - 21km run

and apart from feeling weak from the last run, I am starting to feel stronger, more able to cope with the training volume rather than just hanging in. But then this was a easier week on the plan. Next week the long run goes upto 24km and the midweek runs start to replace the shorter distances with longer distances.

The strange thing is that I would have expected my weight to drop off a couple of pounds by now, but it has not. Now I'm hoping that this is increased muscle, but it's probably more to do with all the cake that still needs eating up.

End of a good week

That was a good week. I kept up with the running plan, thanks to the treadmill and a good long run today (25km), the first day the temperature has got above freezing all week. There is a load of ice out there on the minor roads around the north side of Boxhill but a lovely day for a run.

Would like to have got another swim in, but Saturday morning 6:30am I found a thick layer of ice on the windscreen built up over 3 days frosts and it was not coming off, so I went back to bed. Committed me!

Feel good about staying on the couch of doom for another week!

Snowman on Boxhill

It snowed on Monday and to show how industrious children can be here is the snowman they built before going to school. When they want to do something they are little powerhouses. Not one of them thought, 'we'll make a snowman tonight', they all got out there asap and in 20 minutes had built a 5ft snowman. If I had the same attitude then I would be doing an awesome amount of training!

My Tadworth 10 time was nothing spectacular. 1:23:05 and position 301, but then I did not expect anything great.

On the positive side, dispite the weather I am doing some good training. Monday in the evening I ran with DMVAC, cold but good and a fair pace. Tuesday was a day of rest and Wednesday I did 8km on the treadmill and a Masters swim session. Swimming really felt good, a tough session but it did feel like I was 'slipping through the water'. I feel good about it. The next couple of days are lower intensity before a long run at the weekend.

All this means that if you signed up to the 'couch of doom', you can stay there and feel good about that post Christmas extra weight. I'm loosing it for you.

Christmas has come ..... and gone .....

and marathon training has been on hold. It all ended on Christmas eve with a good swim. Being so near to 100 lengths I had an eye on the clock and only just made the 100 before the pool closing time. I walked off feeling good with myself! But from then on it was all downhill, that evening we went to a bash at 'the Manor' and the next day was deep into Christmas and the New Year. All with a grand total of zero running, zero swimming and no biking. No I feel like a blobby middle aged blob................... So, what with no contract and the kids back at school, time to start training again. Except it's colder than a freezer, but no matter.

Tadworth 10 last Sunday. I have done it a few times before and the marathon training called for 22 km, so 16km across the Epsom Downs in minus 3 degrees centigrade was a great way to get back into the swing of it. Finishing off with another 6 km on the treadmill to make up the 22km long run forthe week. As long as I get the long runs in each week I should be OK. Today I swam this morning and will run tonight with DMVAC. Time for the thermal running gear to come out.