The waiting is over

My moob is feeling OK again, I'm sure it's not OK and should be rested for longer just to make sure, but I don't have longer and need to get going. My marathon plan starts on the 22^nd (first day is a rest day!), and it assumes you are already running a lot; which I am not. In fact I am just about making it around an 8 mile loop at the moment. I need to target a 13 mile run this coming weekend or maybe before as we have friends coming all weekend.

Since my last post I have done a lot of resting my moob and a little bit of running. Was going to bike last Sunday, but that got changed to an 8 mile run because of the weather and potentially ice on the road. I can do without road rash and a broken bike right now. Monday I went to the running club. Yep, my second visit this year. Chatted with a few people I had not seen for a longtime and then joined the 4 strong fast group. Was this wise? Did it align with my Base training goals? No. Should I have gone with the medium paced group? Yes, but I recognized more people in the fast group. So off we went at a quick pace, led by Graham. Graham did the 2007 FLM on a club entry like me. He did it about 10 minutes quicker than me, but since then he has imporved his marathon time by 30 minutes and is now running a 3:05 marathon, which is truly awesome. So he led us off at a quick pace, I was managing to keep up. Then we did 5 sprint circuits around the library and that was my 'game over', and from there on I just about hung on as a back marker. Tuesday was a treadmill night. I really hope that having the treadmill in the garage now means that I won't miss any training runs like I have in the past.

Swimming tonight, and it's the last day of my contract, so I will have time available and hope to get some decent training in. Just wait for the whinging and whining!

Health Warning

'Before starting/modifying your training consult a doctor ..... ' the sign says. What it does not say is,'assembling this treadmill, can lead to injury .....'.

In assembling the treadmill there was a particularly difficult bit that needed some force. In forcing it, I pulled, sprained, bruised my left moob. Well it was a tad sore but I did not think anything of it and continued on, until Wednesday's swimming. By 50 mins into the swim I had a pain in my moob. By the time I went to bed I was having trouble everytime I flexed the muscle. The next day any sneeze or cough was pain and it felt like I could not get a decent breath. Various diagnoses then took place, from a bit of a bruise, to punctured lung, cracked rib, and sprain. So I took a neurofen, seemed to help and today it feels almost pain free again.

I was doing well until then. Running on the treadmill and swimming so it was a shame for this to happen.

Still another week ahead

treadmill

Dictionary: treadmill (trĕd'mĭl')

n.

An exercise device consisting of a continuous moving belt on which a person can walk or jog while remaining in one place.

Dansk (Danish)n. - trædemølle
Nederlands (Dutch)tredmolen (ook figuurlijk0
Français (French) n. - (Hist) trépineuse, roue à cheville, (fig) train-train, engrenage
Deutsch (German) n. - Tretmühle
Italiano (Italian) lavoro ingrato, mola da tortura, mulino azionato dal camminare
Português (Portuguese) n. - tarefa monótona e árdua (f), uma máquina de exercício (f)
Español (Spanish) n. - rueda de ardilla, rutina
Svenska (Swedish) n. - trampkvarn, ekorrhjul, grottekvarn

It has arrived ....... it has been put together ........ let the beasting begin. But first the weather outside is horrible so ..... time to get out on yer bike then! Thats what I did, poor bike. Cold, wet and hilly for a mornings hill climbing training. In the saddle and out of the saddle. Well done Martin a great time.

I got back home wet and cold but I know what to add to my Christmas list. waterproof overshoes.

So this week really has been a triathlon week, swimming, biking and running. Let it continue.

Unleash the Hamster within

Another week closer to the start of real training and another week of base building missed, but the excuses stop here.  We have the technology to overcome those excuses.  'It's dark', ha, no matter, 'it's cold', just does not cut it anymore.  'Can't leave the kids alone', well we have a solution for that. We now have a hamster wheel, aka 'a treadmill'.  Woooooo, the garage is turning into a gym.  Ollie and Dan are excited and reckon they will be doing 5km every other day.  Sarah is not committing, but I have the BUPA 5km training plan printed out and ready to go.  It will be excellent if Ollie and Dan actually do use it and will help them in all the other sports they do.  Everytime I talk to one of their coaches I get told they need to run to increase their fitness levels, (hold on, how come they have coaches, I want a coach), and as they grow, fitness becomes more important for them.

Wednesday this week saw me in the pool again, no surprise there then, and another 100 lengths.  What I don't understand about all this swimming is, why am I so slow?  Why at the end of a set am I the only one puffing and panting?  How does everyone else manage to do this swimming thing and make it look effortless? 

Thursday, Sarah and I went to Dorking Halls to see some climber chap, Andy Kirkpatrick (or something).  He must be an awesome climber as the place was packed with climbers.  He does loads of climbing in Patagonia and really has a 'down to earth' and humorous view of it all, he was good and you realise that even 'legends' ask themselves, 'what am I doing this for?'

IMUK still has not published a definite location or date and speculation is driving people nuts on Tritalk.  I have been sucked in and have posted a few times.  If the current rumours are true it's early August and the Olympic sail training base in Weymouth, which sounds like an awesome location.  Just like going back to my roots and adds another reason to why I should do it.

Hey slacker, get a move on .............

Are you all comfortable on the 'couch of doom'? Paid the dues and feeling good about laying back whilst I get on with the training? Well, maybe you shouldn't get too comfortable! Even I have been thinking that it is time to do a run. Any run will do.

What have I been doing? Laying on the 'couch of doom' feet up. Ummmm, now would I do that? Yep, too right I would. What I have been doing is swimming. 100 lengths is becoming a new goal to achieve for each session, and I know I can't swim the marathon, but it's good for your 'core strength' and I think there is something is building that up more so I can keep my manly torso : ) above my legs as they whir around in a blur. I have also been in the garage on the turbo trainer. Turbo training is good base training. Then today, just because it is probably the worst weather we have had recently, I thought I should run again. So zero degrees, rain, snow on the ground, I set off for 8 miles across the heath and back up the hill, (OK, start to feel good about laying on the couch again).

Not showing you the speed graph. It's too slow. Carry on like this and I will not be breaking a 4hr marathon.

This graph of elevation is good as I started and finished from home, but apparently my house has gone downhill whilst I was out. I don't remember an earthquake.

Next week I should see the new toy arrive. A treadmill. Apparently Ollie, Dan and I are all going to be running on it all the time and I hope to see my training improve.

Enjoy the 'couch of doom'.

To treadmill or not to treadmill ...... that is the question

100 lengths of the swimming pool. Sounds like a torture handed out to a school boy, so if I tell you I think this is an epic swim, then you will probably think, 'he's nuts'. Your probably right but I am chuffed to have done 100 lengths of the pool on Wednesday. 100 lengths is about 2500m. An Ironman distance swim is 3.8km so I still have a way to go yet. 3000m will be the next target (another 20 lengths).


But you cannot swim the London Marathon, so I had better do some running soon. I have been searcing ebay for treadmills recently and the arguments to get one are increasing. The boys and Sarah all think it would be a good idea and even promise me they would use it, well, when I tell them it would be in the garage they suddenly backtrack, and I would have no excuses about the dark and wet, so it would seem like a good idea. Ummmmm, treadmill?

What a week, who would have thought that I would have woken up to find the place covered in snow?


It's been a good training week this week. Sunday I went swimming and had a 8 mile run, Monday I went to the running club! Yeah first time this year! Tuesday, turbo trainer, Wednesday, swimming. Thursday, turbo trainer again, Friday a rest! Saturday was an awesome group bike ride 40 miles taking in Winterfold hill (3rd time I have done that hill!). We got a bit lucky with the rain and I just managed to get back home before it really set in. Sunday I had an 8 mile run and took Sophie and Dan swimming. I have a plan for my training runs. I think they should all include coming back up the Boxhill zig zag road.

'So, hows the training going Andy?'
'Well not too bad, thank you!'.

This week is back to normal. Sarah, Ollie, Dan and Sophie are back which means the house won't be so quiet anymore!