Running away with myself

Need to focus.

Next Saturday I am hopefully running in the 1/2 marathon at Cape Cornwall. Need to sort out:

1. Entry - I am currently entered in full marathon so need to find out if I can swap!
2. Emergency foil blanket and camel back - two of required kit list (*)
3. Directions.

Have at least bought myself some, reasonably discreet, running shorts so that is a start.

* = I have a camel back - just need to make sure it works! Not exactly sure where to go for blanket so had better start looking tomorrow.

Come on you Tigers

Ended up listening a bit of the radio commentary from the Rugby League this afternoon whilst in the car and nicely it was Castleford Tigers. As we have seen them twice in Boxing Day friendlies in the last 2 years even Julie was interested.

When we turned off the radio Castleford were losing so it was a pleasant surprise when I checked the score on ceefax later and saw 'Castleford snatch victory'.

(This has reminded me I need to sort tickets for Wakefield v Wigan IF we are going to Yorkshire next month for 3 Peaks Race...)

All work no play

Not exactly a true reflection of the day as I did 'play' this afternoon - visiting friends.

Decided that work must be a priority this morning and so no exercise.

Will aim to take Wednesday afternoon off in lieu of this morning and will cycle to the Lizard - Tom reliably informed me that this would be 54 mile round trip from Truro.

(Note: I have just AA route planner to give me an indication of mileage and 27 miles to the Lizard and 37 miles back from Lizard to Perranporth, so including the 10 miles into Truro that would give me a 74 mile cycle - might be a bit ambitious for a Wednesday afternoon even with the clocks going forward and giving me an extra hours daylight... May instead opt for trip to Helford Passage - 49 miles in total. This is all hypothetical as it would mean me being organised enough at work to get away for the afternoon! A challenge in itself!)

Lack of focus takes me to Chacewater

Telephone rang at 8.45am on Saturday morning. The result of the phone call was I ran to Chacewater and back to collect some keys from Scott.

Scott was quite fortuitous as:

1. On a normal Saturday morning I would have been out and about cycling by the time he rang but I was feeling so tired I had decided to sleep in; and,
2. I had no idea where I was going to run to that morning only that I wanted to do about 16 and Chacewater was about 7 - 8 miles away

Really enjoyed the run and felt quite strong.

So a 'win-win'.

In danger of falling short

After cycle to St Ives and back (c 50 miles), followed by a quick run (2 miles) yesterday and quick dip in the sea this morning I was looking forward to Julie saying she wanted to go for a walk this afternoon and I could use this as an excuse to miss my 'planned' 14 mile run.

But Julie said she was gardening so after a quick nap on the sofa following lunch I headed out.

Heavy footed, so heavy footed I fell over, pace was laborious at first.

Not sure when I started to feel better but views from top of Beacon and along the coast path from Wheal Coates to St Agnes were especially beautiful.

Need to hold the positive feeling and push on from here - next weekend needs to be a 70 mile cycle and 16 mile run. (Also need to remember I can not sleep between the disciplines in the Norseman!).

3 Peaks Race: Map Refs

Have been reading website for 3 Peaks Race and have been reminded that in addition to compass etc, I need to know how to read a map, as you have find your own route!

Given I struggled to find Mr T-Shirt when I got out of the sea this morning my basic sense of direction would also seem to need to some work.

Have started preparation by goggling 'map references' and found http://website.lineone.net/~galaxypix/maprefs.html which I found useful, particularly picture with 513827 on it. I think next stage is for me to get a map of the 3 Peaks area, find the map references on the 3 Peaks Race website and then try and understand what map is telling me re terrain and best route - may need to ask Peter for help (he seemed to be able to distill a map quickly).

Also, need to sort accommodation for night before race - tomorrow's task.

P.S. All the above on basis that I satisfy Julie I am fit enough to do run

Nice day for it

Above expression was ushered to me by one of the surfers in at Penhale this morning and weather wise he was correct - not sure how rideable surf there was.

I was in swimming, at what was a new spot for me and one I shall definitely be returning to. A fantastic visage when we got out of the car and stood looking out over the tops of the dunes.

Admittedly on reflection I should have paid greater attention to my surroundings as when I got out and finally saw Mr T-Shirt waving to me I headed up the dunes in his general direction, only to find I was lost! Spend about 10 minutes wandering around before giving up and thinking I would have to walk home. At that stage I fortuitously saw Mr T-Shirt by his car, so all ended well.

Whilst in the water had a flashback to 2004 Perranporth triathlon at one stage when I found myself waist deep after what felt like 10 minutes of swimming 'through' the breakers

Regardless, must try and persuade Si to come for a surf at Penhale as it was quite stunning: when in the water I felt I could have been in at Famara, Lanzarote - one of my favourite beaches (based on my one visit).

Quantitative easing

Thought a bit about macro economic theory as I was running today.

As soon as I was at least 1 mile from the nearest public toilet I felt an urge to pooh and despite myself I could not stop thinking it: looking at every bush and off track clearing as a possible site to squat and surveying the vegetation for anything I could use as toilet paper.

Then I thought about whether I could apply 'quantitative easing' to my situation - which in my case was to ease pressure with small explosion of air from my bottom; without 'following through'.

The technique worked to a degree - but I was very pleased when I found toilets were open at Holywell Bay!

(For a better understanding of 'quantitative easing' in its economic use suggest reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_easing for a starter for ten... Not entirely sure I understand yet)

Back in the running

Lovely run this morning. Sun was shinning, nice cool breeze as I ran to St Agnes and then back along the cliffs - superb start to the day.

Need some big weekends of exercise if I am going to be ready for 100 mile cycle on 19/4 and 3 Peaks Race the following weekend. Have pencilled in 2 weekends with 70 mile bike rides and 16 mile runs for weekends following this one.

Have also decided to downgrade from marathon to 1/2 marathon for first weekend in April...

Busy: Fool

The song lyric which kept running through my head this week was 'I sit and chew on daffodils and struggle to answer why' from a song on Marillion 'Script for a Jester's tear', I think.

No exercise for 4 days as work took over. Did 2 of the longest days I have ever worked. At the end of the week, however, very little satisfaction for me and I managed to erode good feeling I had built up with some people at work...

On the positive side, it could be a 'life changing experience' IF I learn from the mistakes made. I am resolved to do so. What this means is a more focused cost/ benefit analysis of tasks and assignments carried out at work - and also to deploy the same skills to Norseman training.

Happy Birthday to Mr T-Shirt

It was Mr T-Shirt's birthday this weekend. I was so pleased with the present we bought him (obviously hope he was at least equally pleased!)

I hope the gift will inspire him to get back into surfing - with first session of the year pencilled in for next Sunday. Fingers crossed for clean surf.

Not a bad week for exercise but room for improvement...

On the positives managed to cycle into work 3 times, did one, albeit short, run during the week and managed one sea swim.

On the negative; no long bike ride or run at the weekend and no swims during the week.

Next weeks target:

1. Swim during the week x 2 (Tuesday and Friday)
2. Cycle to work x 3 during the week
3. Cycle down to St Just on Saturday
4. Sea swim + 6 mile run on Sunday
5. Continue to collect 'tips'
6. Book arrangements for Norway

I know I have been here, i.e., setting targets, before but must persevere. Need to hit targets and build 1 to 4, or similar, into weekly routine...

No progress on Norway bookings this week as problems with PC/ Norton.

'it is dangerous to fall asleep on the cycle'

I have lent my copy of this months 220 to Si but the quote from an experienced participant in the deca ironman was something like that in my blog title.

A Deca Iron man is 10 x Ironman distances; that is:

• 24 mile swim
• 1120 mile cycle
• 262 mile run

from the reading I have done participants usually have 14 days to do the event; which the writer of the article in 220 broke down, I recall, as one day for the swim and 6 days each for cycle and run.

Why was I reading this? No, Julie I am not stupid enough to think I could do this, but it is amazing the first of these events in the UK will be held in Fowey, Cornwall. Out of curiosity I logged onto the website http://www.enduroman.com/decaironuk.html and will leave with the following for now...

• Only 12 days allowed for this event
• Swim is in pool, circa 1,600 lengths
• Cycle is laps of 187 miles (a day)
• Run is 52 miles (a day)
• A day = 21 hours maximum (yes, they stipulate '21 hours cut off')
• The max entrants = 24; 5 people have entered so far.

P.S. just reading the training regime of the person who wrote the article for 220 was sufficient to leave me feeling very very tired... Awesome.

cold feet (and rest of body)

Had another most enjoyable swim yesterday (Saturday 7/3) morning. Went in the sea at Great Western and for some reason abandoned my normal sensible motto of 'swim parallel to the shore' and swam 'out to sea'. I was aiming for a rock which looked a little way out but within swimming distance. I never made it as even after swimming for circa 30 minutes and getting to edge of the cliff with the Atlantic Hotel on it, the rock was still some way off.

Began to feel a little cold as I swam back to shore and by the time I met up with Si and we headed in I was feeling more than a little cold. I did not warm up for some hours after. Regardless, I felt pleased with my efforts.

I had asked someone from Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club for one tip and the response was 'reach and roll' - I did experiment with my interpretation of this and did feel for a brief time that I was swimming better. Difficult to bench mark with nobody else swimming though.

Not sure I am ready for another swim session with Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club yet though Simon L, still haunted by my experience last time (my stroke was described, accurately, as 'a blind man reaching tentatively in the dark').

Need to build some swimming into my weekly routine and need to have lessons to compliment my 'tips'... (I shall continue with my request for tips on all disciplines)

Nine Inch Nails and musical top trumps

In addition to sport one of my other 'loves' is music and one of my favourite bands, if not my favourite is Nine Inch Nails. Consequently, I was very pleased when I received an email telling me I could down load their new album - thanks royzy.

I will hopefully by able to master the technology required and buy a CD this week and add the album to my collection; currently in the car for this months listening...

I play a kind of 'top trumps' when people talk about the bands they have seen and had to admit defeat early on when talking to one of the ladies at work who had seen Marvin Gaye (with Stevie Wonder on piano) and the Sex Pistols amongst others!

Norway here we come

Subject to some fine tuning of itinary (see below) we are ready to book flights, boat, car and accomodation etc for Norway.

Si's one change to itinary would be for us to try and fit in a visit to 'pulpit rock' (Preikestolen).

Images and views - 2

After getting changed following sea swim this morning I did something I do not normally do - took in the view.

I was standing outside Fistral Blu looking at the sea. The sun was shinning and the sea was a turquoise and the sands golden. I thought 'I am so fortunate I live by the sea'. (Which is a little strange as I had no desire to live by the sea when the family moved down here and it is only in the last 8 - 10 years I actually spent any significant time in or by the sea).

Later, when I was planning my afternoon run I decided I would run up onto the cliffs so that I could see the expanse of sand at Perranporth as I rounded the corner at Droskyn Point - a beautiful view particualarly when the tide is right out as it was.

Did a slow 7+ miles and felt content.

Images and views - 1

Had a really unpleasant image cross my mind a couple of times whilst I was in the sea this morning...

I was in the water first, swimming, while Si was fastening his leash and got a head start in the 'race' (I see it as a race anyway!) to get out back. The swim/ paddle out was difficult as white water was 'relentless' and waves were breaking some way out.

Si quickly over took me on my left. Next time I looked up he was on right and then he disappeared.

I assumed he got out back, so my initial response was to try even harder to make my way through the waves.

Eventually got behind the last set and looked for Si and could not see him.

I must have then panicked a bit because an image similar to that in the 'kill your speed or live with it' adverts floated into my mind - with the body in the water, face looking up at me...

I did not stay in the water long, returning to the beach to scan the waves for Si.

Ended up watching what I thought was Si at South Fistral, only for Si to appear from the north of the beach - explaining that he had struggled a bit but having been beaten back once, he refocused, shouted at himself and made his way out back.