Cycling - base session

18 mile off road steady ride last night. Average heart-rate 136bpm, so right on the nose for intensity. Lost a bit of power on the hills, but this will return once the season starts next summer. Trying to be consistent at the moment, so this means one session of each discipline and anything else is a bonus. This will be ramped up slowly until I am doing two of each by early next year.

Did the first weekend of my BTA Lvl 2 coaching course this weekend. Was very interesting and met some great people. Passed the first coaching assessment (cornering session) and looking forward to the next weekend in February.

2008 Goals

Now that winter training is well and truly underway, I thought I'd set out some goals - as I did last year. They are (in no particular order):

1. sub-4 hour marathon - have entered Hamburg Marathon
2. open water triathlon - Olympic
3. open water triathlon - half Ironman
4. MTB race season - at least 5 races
5. Tri race season - at least 10 races (at least one with a top-20 age group finish)
6. Take part in an adventure race
7. Achieve Level 2 BTA Coaching Qualification

Coach Craig

On Saturday I passed my Level 1 BTA Coaching Qualification! So that means that I'm now a qualified triathlon coach. I honestly didn't think I'd be blogging that a year a go.

I've been busy over the past few weeks practicing my coaching (mainly in the pool) and swotting up for the exam. I must say, I really enjoyed it and would recommend to any budding coaches.

Training has been a bit patchy, but I will be getting back to it this week and trying to work hard over the Christmas period. A swimming session of note:

200m fc/50m bks kick
150m fc/50m bks kick
100m fc/50m bs kick
50m fc/50m bs kick

12x25m 95% effort - 10 secs rest
8x50m 85% effort - 15 secs rest
6x100m 80% effort - 15 secs rest
4x200m 75% effort - 20 secs rest

A good winter session this, as long as you do the rest 'properly'. Very tiring indeed.

More training, more results

After the relative disappointment of my last MTB race, I made sure I was fully recovered from the virus I had caught before I got back to training for my next one. I had my sights on the last round of the Southern XC as I was so impressed with the fourth round. So, I decided to continue to train hard in the pool and focus on the weaker aspects of my MTBing - technical singletrack. Whilst I'm quite fast on singletrack, I do tend to get a bit twitchy (in that I panic and tense up, just right for a fall!) on looser surfaces, roots and off-camber sections. There are plenty of such sections around Guildford, so I rode one of my favourite sections three times a week. Each lap is approximately six miles, so I would do one steady and one at race pace making sure I concentrated on the tricky bits. I basically learned to relax in the saddle and 'go with the flow more'.

This approach seemed to work.  I also got a stiffer set of race wheels built up, and this coupled with my new found confidence on the bike meant that I was going faster and, importantly, smoother.

So, when the race came around I was quietly confident that I would improve on my last preformance. To keep things simple, I wanted to improve my average speed, get consistent lap times and try and relax on the first lap more. Pace is key to MTB racing, especially during the first lap - you shouldn't never go out to fast. I was told by a veteran racer than an MTB race should be approached as a time-trial as very often you'll never really know what position you are in due to the pack nature of the race.

Sunday was great, a really fantastic course and one worth working hard on. My first lap was far more comfortable and it became clear to me that I must have been pretty unwell at the last round. I hit the first 4.6 mile lap in just under 24 minutes, but pretty much at the back of the pack. I had, however, saved some energy by drafting a slower rider and then overtaking him on  one of the hills - I decided that I would use this tactic on the second and third laps as I knew I was strong on the climbs. Interestingly, I was also proving to be quite fast on the tricky stuff and overtook a few riders on these sections - the practice worked.

My last two laps were enjoyable and around 24mins. I came home in 18th place, out of 26 finishers. Compared with the last round, I was 8mins behind the leader instead of 18mins. The guys behind me were quite some way in front of me at the last round - a good sign of my improving fitness and skill.

A good day in the saddle. Looking forward to some more!

Bumper race results update!

This week saw your faithful blogger compete twice - a triathlon on Bank Holiday Monday and a Mountain Bike race this afternoon. The triathlon went better than expected and the bike race didn't exactly go to plan...read on....

Monday's triathlon was the last round of the Thames Turbo series and took the form of a sprint - 438m swim, 21km bike and 5km run - at Hampton outdoor swimming pool and the surrounding roads.

I was expecting to do well in the swim, improve my bike time since May and hang on for the run! Because of my swim time, my start was in amongst the 'top dogs' including Dan Corner who grabbed a bronze medal in the 30-34 age group at this weekend's ITU World Championships in Hamburg. Whilst he was the man to beat, I wasn't planning on getting close. Back to my race - it was fantastic to be amongst such talented triathletes, and it inspired me to hit the pool leg hard and fast. I then realised that the cold I had been suffering was going to play a part in my race and the pace I had been acheiving in training simply wasn't there. However, I finished the 438m swim, got on my bike and was clear in 7mins43. I reckon the swim time would have been 6m 10secs or 5min 30secs for the 400m. Not bad at all, considering my PB is 5min 24secs.

After May's race I had decided to focus on getting my bike speed up, and have been training hard to improve my average speed by 3mph. Although I could feel the negative effects of the cold in my system, I pushed for an average of 20mph plus for the 21km course. I managed just over 21mph, which was fantastic. I quick dash through transition and it was run time.

Strangely, I kind of forgot to go fast on the run until it was too late. I was so elated about my bike time I dawdled. As a result my 5km time (inc. transition) was 24mins! Horrendous! I finished feeling quite fresh, which is not normal for me.

So, a total time of 1hr 11mins 16secs - 34/118 for my age group and 77/380 overall. I was pretty chuffed.

So it was with great anticipation that I headed over to Yateley to take part in the 4th Round of the Southern XC series. I was still feeling pretty rough, and had been off-work for two days, so decided to take it easy. This didn't happen!

The race was fast, very fast. I soon started to feel the effects of illness again, and my legs seemed to have no power in them whatsoever. A strange feeling, one that I have never felt before. I finished the 19 mile race in 1hr 39min, an average speed of almost 12mph which is quite slow for what was a fast course. For the first time ever, I was almost sick on the finish line after an up hill sprint finish - bleurgh. I'll put that one down to experience, but I did enjoy the race. Not sure where I came, but it wasn't as good as my placing in the triathlon - but, good fun all the same.

UPDATE: I came 33rd/45 entrants. If I had entered the less competitive 'Open' category I would have come in the top 20 quite easily! But that would be TOO easy.....

Running

Easy 6 mile run tonight, wanted to take it easy on the quads.

I've got some races coming up - The Thames Turbo Sprint Triathlon on the 27th August, Southern XC Series Rounds 4 and 5 MTB races which take place on the 9 and 30 of September respectively. Really looking forward to them.

Have also applied to my Tri club to be put forward for the British Triathlon coaching course. I'm really excited about this and I'll let you know how it goes....fingers crossed.

Bike ride - 55 miles

Lovely ride in the Surrey Hills today, 55 miles in total. Was more of a social ride, but I worked hard on the hills.

Quads back to normal now.

Injury time

Here's a lesson for you - do NOT try speed work if you haven't been running for a while. I suffered the consequences of Monday's hard session - partial tears in both quads. They haven't been that sore since the Marathon!

I'll be taking it easy for a few days to let them heal

06/08/07 - Track session

Back to running this evening, and boy was it a shock to the system. My brain couldn't understand why my legs were not pushing pedals when I was working hard! The 8,400m session looked like this:

Warm-up

All reps were done at sub-10km race pace

1x400m - 1m 36secs

Rest

2x400m - 3m 06secs

Rest

4x400m - 6m 16secs

Rest

8x400m - 14m 28secs

Rest

4x400m - 6m 36secs

Rest

2x400m - 3m 02secs

Warm down

Cycling progress

I'm hoping the awful weather we have been experiencing over the past couple of months has finally gone away. That means I can get out on the MTB more often without having to clean it after every ride!

The one positive that has come out of the weather is the amount of road miles I have been putting in and the way it has helped my MTBing The past four weekends have seen rides of between 30 and 50 miles, which is a huge improvement on the 20 milers I used to put out when I first got the road bike. Since then I've adopted a more relaxed 'spinning' pedalling technique which at first was odd, but has now allowed me to conserve energy on hard climbs. Climbing speed has increased as well using this technique, and I'm capable of sitting at 12-13 mph on hard inclines now without pushing punishing gears.

A measure of my success is the couple of official and unofficial time trials I have done. The Charlotteville TT bought an unexpected time of 30mins 04 and I've managed to get my Box Hill climbing time down from 9 minutes to 8 minutes in a matter of weeks. All positive stuff.

Hopefully all this focus on the cycling will help my overall fitness in the long term. I just need to do some races!

More results...

The last couple of weeks since the Tour rolled through Southern England have seen some hard effort on the road and MTB bikes.

Monday 16th July saw the return of the bleep test and I manage to push beyond my previous score of 12.3 and achieve 13.2. I felt more comfortable at my limits this time around, I think the hard cycling has pushed back my lactic threshold.

Wednesday 18th July as Club Time Trial day. This was run by Charlotteville Cycle Club and featured an 11 mile rolling course. I managed 30mins 4secs, an average speed of 22mph. My average heart rate was 178bpm and my max 203. Again, the lactics came into play late in the circuit and slowed me down, so I've got some work to do!

Vive Le Tour!

Saturday saw the Tour de France come to London for the first time and I was in Hyde Park to witness it first hand. It ended up being quite a wonderful day, with an indescribable atmosphere. It was very encouraging to see so many people coming to watch what is really a minority sport here in the UK.

On the back of the excellent time had in London, myself and a couple of club-mates headed down to Tunbridge Wells to watch the peloton pile through the old spa town. We had to cycle, of course, so drove to Lingfield and jumped on the bikes for a nicely paced 20 miler. We ended up in a park with a huge screen, so we were able to sit in the sun and watch the race and then head up to the road to watch the riders as they passed through. It's great because you get this incredible wave of anticipation as you hear the team cars and police vehicles approaching, as well as the helicopters in the sky. Once the peloton appeared it was gone in a wave of brilliant colour. Lots of cheering for the british contingent, of course. I really cannot wait to take part in the Etape du Tour next year, it should be amazing.

We then headed back to the car positively inspired by what we had just seen. I made a point of hitting any hills hard and fast and putting my new spinning technique into practice, which saves my muscles and works my CV instead. This allows for greater endurance over a long period of time. I felt great on the bike this weekend, the hill work on the MTB has paid off big time. All I need is some lighter wheels!

Rain, rain, rain

Anyone else getting slightly bored of the wet weather? Even though I was away last week, I've had enough of it already!

Rode the MTB last night and this evening and it was pretty messy. My investment in Gore Tex shorts seems to have paid off, they really are fantastic and having a dry bum on a 2 hour ride is a godsend! The Epic continues to inspire and I'm loving the tubeless system that I've had fitted - hopefully no more punctures.

The ride tonight was in aid of the Tour of the Black Mountains, an 114 sportive in the Welsh mountains on the 28 July. Purposely did 2 hours at 60-65% heart rate to boost my endurance. Going to do a hilly 50 miler on Sunday.

I'm off to the Tour de France Prologue on Saturday with club mates, should be an amazing afternoon.

Sea swimming success

Back from holidays in Spain, which is a shame! Had a relaxing time, stayed away from bikes and running shoes but plowed on with the swimming.

Managed to clock up some distance in the sea for the first time ever, I think I may have conquered my fear of open water swimming.

Back on the MTB tonight.

The end of a good week and off on holiday!

Did a bleep test for the first time in about, mmmmm, 13 years last night. I can't for the life of me remember what I got when I was 17, but it was the school record at the time. This time around I managed 12.3, which I am very pleased with. This makes my Vo2 max 56.4.

This morning I headed off to the pool with a view to doing a straight 1500m swim. I felt so good at 1000m that I decided to try for a PB, and that is what I got. 22mins, 2 minutes off my previous best (in a 50m pool). So, two months training=2 minutes off PB. Pleased with that.

Off to Spain tomorrow for a rest, but may try out some sea swimming.

Take it easy

Craig

MTBing - 17/06/07

Headed off on solo 32 mile MTB ride today. Took in part of the North Downs Way (heading towards Dorking) and dropped down into Wotton. Was then on familiar territory as I headed up to Leith Hill and then down into Holmbury St Mary's. Then it was up past the cricket club, over the top of Holmbury Hill and down into Peaslake. From there I headed up to the Windmill car park, over to Winterfold and down to Farley Green. All that was left was a ride over Blackheath and then down into Shalford.

Took 3.5 hours which included numerous map stops and some dead ends. I also had to help out some lost Duke of Edinburgh Award types! Average heart rate was 144bpm which wasn't bad considering the hills.

Training Update - 14/06/2007

Has been a good while since my last post. Fear not, I have been training hard!

Cycling has been a primary focus after the Hart Triathlon and have been putting the miles in on both the road bike and MTB. Since I now have a full suspension MTB (Specialized Epic) I've been enjoying the local trials with friends and club mates.

Running has taken a bit of a back seat (it usually does at this time of year) but I did do a very useful track session last week which comprised of 20x400m (one rest, one fast). I averaged around 1minute 24secs for the fast laps, with my fastest lap coming in at 1m18secs. I must admit, I did overdo it at bit and come Wednesday's MTB ride I was really tired after doing a hard swim session on the Tuesday. Once I get my hamstring sorted out, I'll be doing more running, especially track work as I really enjoyed it (plus I got to be competitive!).

My 30th birthday rolled around on the 7th June. Not sure what to think, but I guess I feel the same as I did when I was 29! Had a great time in Bruges to celebrate.

Have got a number of MTB races lined up and Bath Olympic Triathlon in July. Will update you on progress!

Race Report - 07/05/07

Race report - Hart Sprint Triathlon (400m/20km/5.5km)

My first competitive triathlon! Mixed feelings coming out of this one as a couple of things went wrong. As this was my first triathlon I guess this is to be expected, but as I am a perfectionist I am, over course, kicking myself!

First of all, I did two extra lengths in the pool. I was expecting the 'two lengths left' sign to appear and it seems that the marshalls got a little slack with their lap counting. They forgot, so I kept going. The ensuing argument (once I'd done 450m) added about 30secs on to an already slow time. I shrugged it off and headed off to transition 1 with a 6min40 swim time (OUCH).

The bike went pretty smoothly. I made sure I took time at the transition to get everything right, I basically treated it like a practice. Time for 20km - 40mins. I need to some tri bars though, that would have made a huge difference.

More farce on the run. A lack of marshalls on the 5.5km route meant that I took an accidental short cut (no one was ahead of me to follow) and cut off about 0.5km of the run. Made up for the swim muck-up though!!! Came home in 20mins.

Final time: 1:08, 52nd overall (out of 400+), 17th male under 35. I reckon that time could be adjusted to 1:09 with the swim and the run issues.

Overall though I had fun, and I've got some things to work on. Yesterday marked the completion of one of my goals (see my very first post): first triathlon by Spring 2007.

Training Update

Well done to all those who finished the London Marathon. I must say, I was very glad I wasn't running in the heat this year. The death of a 22 year old was tragic and underlines the dangers of running a marathon - I believe he died from taking on too much water.

I've been gearing up for my first competitive triathlon taking place on 7 May. The main focus has been working out the transitions and what kit I need to have ready and when. Very confusing, but a chat with some more experienced club members has put my mind at rest. I'm really looking forward to it, should be good fun. I don't really have a time goal in mind, I'm simply looking to enjoy it and get some experience.

I bought yet another new bike last week - this time a full suspension mountain bike. Is a Specialized Epic Expert and it is fantastic. Its maiden outing was on the South Downs and it handled the terrain impeccably. I'm looking forward to a busy summer on it!

PB in the pool

A 400m time trial was sprung upon us at swim training last night. You'll remember that on the 14th February I achieved a time of 5mins 54secs, well I managed to knock 29 seconds off this time to come home in 5mins 25secs. The goal is to dip this below 5 minutes over the summer.

Chuffed with the time, especially after my 24 minute 1500m at the weekend.

Back, back, BACK!

It's been a while hasn't it?

I took a week off to recover from Bath and then eased back into the training, focusing on my cycling and swimming which had taken a bit of a back seat in the run up to the half marathon.

Last Saturday I did a 50 mile cycle route with a chap who is training for an Ironman. I found it surprisingly comfortable, helped by my £100 Assos Mille cycling shorts. You read that correctly, £100. They are, however, the best shorts that money can buy and if you are a keen cyclist they are a great investment if you like to spend 3+ hours in the saddle. The only problem is, they are so well designed and manufactured you hardly realise you wearing them!

I'm also into the Mountain Biking season now, with the trails nicely dried out after the wet winter. I've started a club ride every Wednesday and last week was the inaugral outing. Testing a full-suspension bike next week.

So - Triathlon. I did my first Olympic distance Triathlon on Saturday. This incompassed a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run. I finished in around 2hrs 50mins, transitions excluded. As it was a club 'race' and the fact that I don't have my tri-suit yet, I took the liberty of getting changed after every section. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to do some more. There is talk of doing a half-Ironman in June!

I have managed to twist my right knee slightly, so will be easing off running and cycling next week. I do need to get some more swimming sessions in though, so will concentrate on that.

Last week of tapering is about to start for London Marathon runners - I wish you all the very best. I will be around to cheer you on, so I'll keep an eye out. Special thanks to the FLM Virgin forumites for the wonderful 'Coach Bowi' t-shirt, I can't wait to see how you all get on next Sunday. Remember, take it easy this week!!

Bath Half Marathon - Race Report

So, three months of hard training, did it work? 1hr 35mins 38 seconds says yes - an improvement of 7 minutes since last year. I'm very pleased.

I was, to be honest, nervous on the start line because of the task ahead - to run non-stop for 13.1 miles at a fast pace, a pace I know I am capable of but one that really hurts. Then, as I crossed the line, I knew I was in for a good race.

Apart from one loo stop and a stop to get rid of a stone from my left shoe (praise be to elastic laces!), I coped very well with the pace and, dare I say it, I could have pushed it a little harder in the second half. I reckon I could have saved 30 seconds by upping the pace slightly. But that is experience talking!

I stuck to my plan of a negative split and increasingly faster times in the last three. Splits were as follows:

7:16 - fast start
7:28 - composed myself
7:13 - found my pace
7:53 - loo stop! (GEL)
7:09 - Lucozade
7:22
7:18
7:10 - GEL
7:40 - stopped to get stone out of shoe
7:16 - Lucozade
7:19
6:51
6:46 - UPHILL FINISH!

Average pace: 7m 18secs
Average Heart Rate: 178
Heart Rate Max: 195

New shoes performed well, felt the benefits of a lighter model from 6 miles onward. The two gels did their job and the on course Lucozade provided the fluids needed to maintain the fast pace.

A great day all round really, Bath Half is a great race in a lovely city. Friends of mine also did well, including Terry who knocked a good 10 minutes off of his PB to come in at 1:55:55.

The endurance training has been spot on, with hill work a definite bonus. Swimming and cycling (done at a hard pace) has been very beneficial. It will be interesting to see how things go from here, but I'm taking a week off running!

Race week!

Apologies for a complete lack of updates over the past couple of weeks, I've been too busy!

So this is the week where we find out if the harder training has paid off. Yikes, it's been a while hasn't it?

Training has been going well, bar a sore lower back which hopefully is sorted now. I've been focusing on the running for the past two weeks with some swimming and cycling for cross training. Thanks to Kate for repairing me over the past couple of weeks!

Running sessions have been pure speed work. My base fitness is as good as it is going to get for the time being, so work concentrated on race pace and improving lactic acid threshold. This meant doing reps at half-marathon race pace and 10km pace. An ideal session for this was a 10Km route from where I work. I did this four times in two weeks, each time breaking my 10km personal best. Hard work, but hopefully they have paid off.

I also did a 10 miler in preperation two weeks a go. I would have liked to have done one more but time was an issue. First four miles were awful but picked it up in the last six. Came home in 1hr 20, average of just over 8min miles which is positive for a mainly aerobic training run.

Picked up some racing shoes at the weekend, Saucony Fastwitch Endurance, and tried them out on a five miler this evening. They felt great, very light and fast, if a little hard. There isn't as much cushion in these as my Hurricanes, but that won't matter on Sunday! I'm turning into something of a running ponce (as well as a cycling ponce)!

So, predicted times and race strategy? Steady out of the blocks (I will have warmed up) and pick it up to 7.5 minute mile pace within a couple of miles. Once I'm comfortable (half way I reckon) I'l ramp it up to 7 minute miles with a couple of 6.5 minute miles to finish. Time - hopefull sub 1hr 40, 1hr 35 would be superb, 1hr 30 a dream race! Fingers crossed! Oh, and I'm looking forward to a great weekend in Bath!

Break from running starts next Monday and focus will turn to swimming and cycling. News on that next week!

Last week I did two gigs in a row - LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire (pics below). Both were out of this world. Got !!! on Thursday.

Update

Thursday 1 March - Running - Hill session (1 hour)
Sunday 4 March - Swim (drill session, 1 hour)

Today: Double session!

Did a 6 mile run at lunchtime and didn't feel very sharp. My back is still playing up, but is improving. Legs felt heavy towards the end, but it was quite warm and I could have been slightly dehydrated (I didn't take any water with me).

In the evening I went to club for a hard, hard swimming session (2,400m). It looked something like this:

200m
6 x 100m (every other 25m - drill)

5x100m x 3 (various intensities, including hard)

100m swim down

First time I have doubled up training on a day, I think this will become the norm for a Tuesday from now on.

27/01/07 - Swimming (club)

Swimming looked a little like this tonight:

6 x 100m (50m drills/50m swim)
4 x 400m

1 - 30 beats below max
2 - 50 beats below max
3 - Pull (50 beats below max)
4 - 50m moderate/50m 20 below max

100m Swim Golf

Managed well, especially on the last 400m. Feeling strong in the pool at the moment, but my back is still bothering me. Need to work on my core!

MEGA-UPDATE

Been a bit slack on the blogging front recently, so I'll do one big training update. Things are going along quite nicely at the moment. My training runs are averaging at 8 miles now, at an average pace of 8min/miles (which includes any stops for stretching, recovery etc). I'm regularly running mile reps at just over 7min/miles, with an average heart rate of 158bpm. Recovery is good as well, using SIS Rego helps me a great deal and I can easily train the next day, when necesarry.

Tuesday 21 Feb - Swimming (hard club session, 1hr)
Thursday 22 Feb - Running (8 miles threshold, 1hr 09)
Sunday 25 Feb - Running (easy 4.5 miles)
Monday 26 Feb - Running (hard 8.33 miles threshold, 1hr 08)

19/02/07 - Running (club)

Took a break yesterday and went for a walk instead.

Back to running today. Tough fartlek session with the club. Did 5.5 miles in just under an hour, including some hill-based shuttles and sprints. 150bpm average HR, topping out at 180bpm. My max seems to be changing at the moment, anyone know why this is? Last week I managed 193bpm.

Feeling good though, the legs are getting used to the pounding again!

17/02/07 - Bike ride (club)

26 miles on the roadie this morning. Was a fantastic ride with club mates. Managed to keep HR at around 145-150 (70%) and put in a few sprints. Also did a 'road train' exercise where the rider at the front sets the pace for 30 seconds and then peels back.

Swithering on whether to run or not tomorrow, see how I feel.

16/02/07 - Swimming

An easy 2000m session this evening. Feeling the running session from last night, so kept the HR at an aerobic level for around 45 minutes.

Put emphasis on smoothing out my breathing as it is still affecting my lower back. Not so much though, things are improving.

15/02/07 - Running

Good, tough, run tonight. 8 miles @ 156bpm average, 1hr 7mins. Threw in some tough hills and some Fartlek towards the end. The swimming has definitely helped my endurance and base fitness, very pleased. Upper body strength and tone has also risen, which can only help in the long run.

Legs were sore when I got back, which is due to my lack of mileage in the last month. Will do an easy couple of miles on Sunday, but that is it for me this week with regards to running. Good to be back to it!

13/02/07 - Swimming (club)

Hard session again tonight, coach seems to be ramping up the training now. Felt tired going into the pool and things didn't really improve. However, managed the session OK but looking forward to a rest day tomorrow after three days of hard back to back training.

8 x50m swim/drill alternate 50

4 x 50 kick (hard)

15 x 100m

1st 5 - Decreasing times, last 100m flat out
2nd 5 - Last 15m hard
3rd 5 - Hypoxic breathing (1/3/5/7)

100m warm down

Inspiration

I like to be inspired by other people, that is one of the reasons why I did the London Marathon. I also hope that some of my feats will inspire others to do similar things.

A friend of mine directed me to a brilliant website this afternoon and it has really gee'd me up. The site focuses on Alex Vero's goal of competing in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Bear in mind that this guy is a 'mere mortal' like you and I and you'll see what I mean by inspiration.

Alex Vero's Road to Beijing

Really going to knuckle down to training now, really want to hit that 1hr 30 mark at Bath Half!

In other news: I've entered the ballot for this year's NYC Marathon! Fingers crossed....

12/02/07 - Running (!)

Yes, you read correctly, back to running tonight.

Did a club hill session. Now, I wouldn't normally recommend anyone who has not been running for a while should do a hill session as their first run back, but I was keen and felt that I had enough miles in my legs to warrant a go.

Luckily it went well. I took it easy to start with and then tried some maximum effort. My HR Max seems to have risen to 193 which is good (previous was 186 when tested). The legs didn't seem to understand running to start with but they soon got with the programme.

Session as follows:

15 min warm up
3 x 5min hill reps with recovery runs
15 warm down

5 miles total in just under 50 minutes.

I also had my back looked at today. Nothing major, I've just been overdoing it in the pool recently (no??!!) and need to work on my form in the pool.

11/02/07 - Swimming (Club)

2 x 200m warm-up (1st 50m of each drill)

5x200 (various intensities)

4 x 100m hypoxic training - using pulbouys and hand paddles.

100m swim down

A hard session - especially the hypoxic training where we were breathing every six strokes and pushing it quite hard.

09/02/07 - Swimming

Another 2km session this evening. Cannot for the life of me remember what I did though!

06/02/07 - Swimming (club)

Back to the pool again tonight for a club session. Cannot for the life of me remember what we did, but I know that it was 2000m! Still feeling good, although my lower back is getting a bit tender.

04/02/07 - Swimming (distance work)

Couldn't make club training tonight so headed off to train on my own. This gives me the advantage of being able to go further and for longer as I'm not having to compensate for the slower members of the group. I managed to do a 2100m session with minimal stopping, and it looked a bit like this:

400m warm up

100m Kick
100m Pull
100m Swim
100m Kick
100m Pull
x3

200m warm down

I kept the pace at moderate and felt good afterwards.

In music news: I've 'happened upon' the new LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire albums this weekend (they're not out for a while) and I can happily say that they have met expectations and in many ways exceeded them. More reports later and I'll try and post some selections from the LPs.

03/02/07 - Cycling (25 miles)

Wonderful weather so heading out on the new road-bike for a 25 mile club run. Kept a steady pace and managed to lock down a 164bpm heart rate average which kept me in the upper limits of my aerobic threshold. Felt good afterwards and it felt good to be out on the road....

New bike pics coming, I promise!

30/01/07 - Swimming Session

You'll have noticed that I'm doing quite a bit of swimming at the moment? That's because I'm LOVING it! I've also got a dicky chest, so going outside really isn't an option at the moment

100m warm up
200m 50 swim/kick/pull/swim

20x50m
1st Last 15m hard
2nd Drill
3rd First 15m hard
4th Drill
5th Recovery

100m FC kick
2x 50m Fly kick
100m FC kick

200m warm down

28/01/07 - Swimming Session

Hard session in the pool tonight:

400m warm up

4 x 50 FC kick at moderate pace
3 x 200 FC at moderate pace
4 x 50 Fly kick at moderate pace
3 x 300 FC at threshold pace

Swim down

I've developed a bit of a cough, so will be missing running on Monday. It's strange, I'm becoming increasingly passionate about getting in the pool, and the running has taken a bit of a back seat. Maybe it's a good thing?

I'm liking the idea of putting pictures up, so I'm going to grab some old running shots and some of my new bike and put them up.

Take it easy

Craig

26/01/07 - Bike ride (and a concert)

Took the new bike out for a spin this morning. Managed 17 miles in just over 1hr 10mins. Data suggests I kept an average heart rate of 153bpm with a max of 181bpm. I did a couple of serious climbs (well, serious for Surrey) so I could get used to the different gear ratios (and the Look pedals - they are a bit clumsier than SPDs).

Was a fantastic experience and one completely removed from riding an MTB. The main difference is the distance you can cover in a relatively short distance, and in relative comfort. I was expecting to be in all sorts of pain afterwards, but I was remarkably relaxed. I think I'm going to get the bug....

Off to see a hero of mine tonight - Will Oldham or Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - who is playing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Can't wait. I've seen him before and he is stunning live. Check him out on Wikipedia, I highly recommend his latest album 'The Letting Go'. Here's a pic of the man himself:

Socialising!

Too busy being social to train for the remainder this week, but I have found a new bike (Specialized Allez Sport) and will be trying it out on a longish ride this Sunday and back in the pool on Sunday.

My girlfriend, Chloe, is training for the Moonwalk which takes place in May this year. I'm helping her get into walking long distances so accompany her on her weekend long walks. We are up to 4 miles now and she's in the pool three times a week. The training proper starts in February, and considering it is marathon distance, it will take a lot of focus and dedication. She'll do it!

22/01/07 - Swimming Session

Another drills session with Chris tonight. He got us working on our underwater follow through, making sure we were push the water down and behind us. His main drills for this were doggy paddle and water polo. By doing these you can see and feel the hands working their way through the water and learn to adjust them. The problem I have is keeping this efficient technique going when I am tired, but this will come with time.

Dissappointment today - the bike I ordered was wrongly advertised as a 54cm, when it was a 58cm! Back it goes and the search continues.....

20/01/07 - Swimming session (drills)

Good times - the leg has recovered. I'm still getting a twinge, so will be taking it easy this week, but I'm happy with my progress.

Drills session in the pool tonight, so nothing too strenuous. Val took us through a Total Immersion session which focused on getting our balance in the pool correct. Was very interesting and I've learnt to get my head lower in the water, thus freeing up my shoulders. I'll be trying out my new technique on Tuesday when Chris puts us through our paces.

Have entered Guildford Summer Aquathon series today, should be good. Also looking out for triathlons to enter today, they ain't cheap!

Also managed to 'score' a bike on eBay on Friday, so hopefully it will arrive in one piece sometime this week.

19/01/07 - Bike

Did a wonderful 9mile night ride on the MTB tonight. Was a very crisp evening so the ground wasn't too soft.

Highly recommend Lumicycle lights for all you MTBers looking for a new experience. Riding your local trails in the dark is a completely different ball game. An enjoyable one though!

Essential Kit!

As I'm injured (boooo), let's talk about kit. I love kit, it's one of the reasons why I run. It also allows me to feel comfortable when I run, which is really important.

It can be expensive, but with a bit of effort you can get top-quality kit at much cheaper prices. I thought I'd take this opportunity to give a brief list of useful kit.

Shoes:

Go to a proper shop and get fitted up with the correct pair. I favour Saucony Hurricane's mainly because of the support they offer (they are a stability shoe) and the extra width that they have.

Clothing:

Nike dri-fit is a good bet. Is relatively inexpensive, does the job and looks good. For winter gear get yourself a Helly Hansen LIFA long sleeve top, they are perfect for wearing on their own or under a gillet (Nike do fab fleece lined ones) on colder days. Ron Hill also make some great clothing, from running tights to long sleeved tops. If you are feeling extravagant try the Gore Running range. This used to be branded as Concurve, so keep an eye out for some bargains. I have their winter tights (micro fleece lined) and Windstopper N2S jacket. The jacket is amazing - you don't need to wear anything underneath it even on the coldest days.

Don't scrimp on kit - it can make or break a training session, comfort-wise.

Drinking:

Runners Aid bottles and Camelbaks. End of. Carrying water can be a pain. Make it easy for yourself.

I use Maxim powdered carbo drink. I buy it in two kilo tubs and it lasts me ages. Try and make sure whatever you buy doesn't contain any added sugars - it can really go for your teeth.

For recovery I use SIS Rego. It is a carb/protein drink that should be drunk right after a hard session. It works for me, but Slimfast also provides similar nutrition.

Safety:

Ron Hill do great 'snap-on' wrist and leg bands which are made of reflective material. You don't know you've got them on but they can save your skin!

Gadgets:

I use the Polar 625x HRM and speed/distance monitor. It is the ultimate runners/cyclists training tool which offers downloadable data, HR zones, altitude and temperature sensors and a speed/distance foot pod. Training wise, I would be lost without this piece of kit. There are cheaper versions, but for robustness and range of functions you can't beat it.

I used to have a Garmin GPS watch but got tired of loosing signals.

Websites:

Google Pedometer is a god send. Measure routes before you run them. Indispensible! The link is to the left.

Where do I buy?:

I use Wiggle a lot (link on left). It's cheap and arrives quick. Don't use their 'priority' delivery as the free delivery usually arrives within one or two days!!

For shoes I always visit my local running shop for fitting and advice. However, if you are looking for a replacement pair, try eBay.

Doing a Long Slow Run

Many of you will incorporate a LSR into your weekly training schedule. These runs are useful as they train your body to deal with long distances and the pounding that ensues. They are also very useful for practicing fueling strategies and trying out kit that you will wear during a race.

What about distance? Well, for marathon runners you will need to be able to do at least 20 miles before the event. Build up to this slowly over a period of weeks. I started at 10 and built it from there a mile a week. For half marathon it is useful to get a number of runs in over 10 miles. 10km races can also benefit from LSRs, try doing a few 8 milers before your race (again building up gradually) - you'll improve your endurance no end.

It is important that you do these runs relatively slowly, this will allow your body to recover a lot quicker and allow you to train the following week. It will also train your body to be more efficient when burning fuel. I usually add on about a minute per mile to my normal training pace, or a heart rate of about 150bpm. If you have a speed/distance monitor try and set an alarm that warns you if you are going too fast.

You should finish your run feeling that you could continue on for a couple of miles. I find this hard and my body is usually trying to get me to speed up over the last few miles! Resist this and settle into a comfortable pace all the way through. Again if you have a speed/distance monitor, check your mile/km splits to see if your pace is consistent.

Anything over a six mile run or an hour on your feet will require you to take fluids with you. I have a 'Runners Aid' bottle which is effectively a big plastic donut and can hold 500ml of liquid. If I am going to be on my feet for longer than an hour I'll fill it with a carbohydrate sports drink. Once you runs go over 12 miles, you will need more than 500ml - in this case I use a Camelbak hydration system that I wear on my back. You can get small ones that are perfect for running.

You may also find that you get hungry during your LSRs. This is fine and should be encouraged, as during a marathon you are going to need to keep your glycogen stores topped up, otherwise you will hit the wall. Personally I use carbohydrate gels, jelly sweets (wine gums are great) and energy bars. I use a sports specific bum bag to carry these around a long run.

Take a phone with you - you never know when you might need it. Some people also like to listen to music, I find it takes the boredom out of long runs but try to avoid using them when I will be running in traffic or amongst pedestrians.

Try and include some off-road sections in your LSR. It breaks up the boredom of running on the road and gives your knees a break. Plus, it gives you a chance to enjoy the countryside!

The main thing is to get out there and enjoy it. I found the LSRs to be the most enjoyable aspect of my marathon training.

15/01/07 - Hill session (minor disaster)

Hit the hills with the club tonight. 1 mile warm-up followed by 5 x 30secs up hill. I was managing fine until my hamstring decided to throw a fit. I'm no finding it hard to sit down and go up stairs! Bad times.

I had felt a twinge during my LSR on Saturday. I should have known. The problem is that when you are training well you feel invincible, whereas you can be quite susceptible to injuries. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!!

So, three days rest and will shall take it from there. I'm a good healer, so fingers crossed.

Take it easy

Craig

14/01/07 - Swimming (400m TT)

Tonight coach threw us a curve ball tonight - a 400m time trial. This was AFTER we had done our session.

Turns out he wants us to have a benchmark time so we can compare in a few months, which is a great idea as it is always good to have some kind of goal. I managed 5m 56secs, so it will be interesting to see if I can drop that to a 5m 45secs before the Hart Triathlon. With that kind of time I'll have a great advantage going into the cycling (I'm going to need it!).

Anyway the session looked like this:

2 x 200m warm up
4 x 50m build-ups

600m of drills, various.

400m time trial

Swim down.

Feeling good, although my right knee was complaining a little. We shall see.

Hills tomorrow night!

Take it easy

Craig

13/01/07 - Long Slow Run (LSR)

First LSR in a while, so went for a relatively easy (and flat) 9 miles.

My mile splits were great, not particularly fast but very even. Usually a difference of plus or minutes between each. This is unusual as I'm normally all over the shop, so maybe I'm finally getting some consistency together. Time will tell.

Came home in 1hr 20mins. Felt like I could have blasted the second half but decided to keep it steady and keep heart rate at around 155bpm. This will allow me to train hard in the pool on Sunday.

Take it easy

Craig

11/01/07 - Swimming Session

Swimming session tonight. I missed club on Tuesday, so it was a self-coach job.

3 x 300m warm up (last 50m pull)
4 x 50m x 4 (15m of 3 50m's at flat out, alternating between start, middle and end) - working of 1m for each 50m.
3 x 100m drills
Swim down

Felt pretty good, slowly getting my stroke count steady and trying to get my breathing sorted. Coaching will help this.

I always feel great in the pool, no matter how hard the session is, until I get out. Then I have trouble standing up!

10/01/07 - Steady session

First run since falling ill last week. I felt a bit wobbly to start with but soon got into my stride. Was careful not to over do it so kept my heart rate in the 160-170 zone and made sure I didn't creep into the anaerobic zone - I want to make sure I don't get ill again so soon.

If you are training for FLM at the moment and are feeling under the weather with a cold or 'flu, don't panic. Now is a 'good' time to be ill and as long as you are aiming to get 'round and not particularly worrying about a target time or PB, you have still got time to get the miles under your belt. Be sure NOT to train if you are feeling poorly as this can exacerbate the situation. Rest up, take plenty of fluids and vitamin C and you'll be back on the road in no time.

That's all for now - swimming tonight, long run on Saturday and my first road bike session for about 15 years on Sunday!

Craig

Back to it.....

Christmas has come and gone, hope you all had a good break. I managed to keep the miles ticking over, including a speed session on Christmas morning. I think I managed about 20 miles over the break.

But, after New Year's Eve it all went pear shaped. I managed to pick up the mother of all stomach bugs which I have only just recovered from. At first I thought it was a hangover, but I was then proved to be incorrect. Not nice.

So, in order to get back into the swing of things I hit the pool last night for a club session. I didn't feel marvelous, but managed OK. I took the opportunity to work on my stroke. I've now joined Charterhouse pool as a member so will be going there on a regular basis, which I am really looking forward to. I can also take part in all of their classes as part of my membership, so will be giving spinning a go in the near future.

However, for now, I'm taking it easy and will be running on Wednesday with the boys. Got the Wokingham Half Marathon on the 3rd February so will be gearing up the training for that soon.

For you FLM lot, you should be into your programme by now. Hopefully you will have done a couple of Long Slow Runs (LSRs) by now and will be looking to improve your base fitness. Now is a good time to look for clubs to join and to break in new shoes.

Take it easy

Craig