June - Big effort required

'Plan' for June:

1. Swimming - 3 times a week (with one swim to get to 160 lengths)
2. Swimming - lessons on front crawl
3. Cycling - get bike serviced
4. Cycling - get bike carrying bag (and roof rack)
5. Cycling - long ride on Saturday (to get at least 100 miles x 2)
6. Running - Wharfedale 1/2
7. Running - at least one 17-18 miler

1/2 ironman but long way to go

Did Hayle (Marazion) 1/2 marathon today and finished in 6 hours 35 minutes - overall I was 'pleased'.

Not so pleased with some specifics:

1. Swim (see below)


2. Brief altercation with Marshall over racking of my bike or rather my preference to just lean my bike against the fence


3. Being shouted at my motorist whilst cycling


4. Problems re chain slipping (must mention this when I drop bike in for service week after next)


5. Fuelling - felt hungry/ sick on the run


6. Hydration - ran out of water on bike

Swim was again frustrating: all 'training' I do is front crawl but come the event I usually end up doing breast stroke... Must sort this (physical and mental) before Norseman.

Event was superbly organised, beautiful scenery and a 'scorchio' hot day.

Phil Mitchell and the Jellyfish

A friend, Dean, did the Castle to Castle swim today Falmouth to St Mawes - which I would have done if not for fact that I had already entered another event on the same day (see next post).

If I had been there I may have seen Phil Mitchell (or rather the man that plays him) and a jellyfish the size of an armchair; both of which/whom Dean saw.

Dean finished the c1.2m swim in 36 minutes. I am impressed.

5.8 miles - a measure of my over estimation

Ran with Brother in law on bank holiday Monday. Did some 'dune' running, whilst running the length of the beach. Really enjoyed the run but was a bit disappointed when Christian's GPS fancy thingy logged run at 5.8 miles - I would have said '7'.

This probably means I have been overestimating all of my runs...

On this note I must get milometer on bike fixed so I have some indication of how far and fast I am cycling.

Like Spiderman 3 - only much better

I was a bit concerned when I set off on Saturday morning cycle this week that I may have over hyped beauty of the Lizard following conversation with Dave and Tom at work and brief conversation with 2 people in CMC on Friday.

The last 'event' I over hyped was Spiderman 3 which I had really looked forward to only to be gravely disappointed. It was a film that changed my life - robbing me of the youthful anticipation (in my late 30's/ early 40's).

Anyway, suffice to say the Lizard was not a disappointment. I hope I can keep the clarity of the sea colour in my mind for some time...

(P.S. Coincidentally when I did image search for 'Lizard' on google the first image was the one shown with article on future Spiderman films. Also, may have managed to upset my cousins boy this afternoon by asking him whether he liked S3, which he said yes, only for me to say how much I did not!)

Praa Sands - I pressume

Found Praa Sands this weekend and it was certainly worth the detour from my 'planned' cycle route. I use the word planned in its loosest sense.

All I had decided before setting off on Saturday was to cycle to the Lizard and stop there for a coffee.

Got there in good time (c 2 and half hours) and felt fresh: freshness was confirmed when someone was chatting to at coffee stop remarked that I 'looked like I had only walked across the road' to cafe.

If only he could have seen my for last 20 miles of cycle (from Hayle back to Perranporth), when I was 'hurting'... so fatigued I was coasting even on the slightest declines. Also right foot felt sore where cleat goes - shoe problem?

Overall felt satisfied with my effort - hope I covered c 70 to 80 miles - and I had a nice breakfast and two nice (origin) coffees.

P.S. Picture is Kynance Cove; somewhere I almost went when I left the Lizard. Maybe next time.

Harbouring bad practice

No this is not a blog commenting on 'MP expenses' saga.

My swim this morning was 'good' in the sense that I swam from Tolcarne to Harbour wall and back. I struggled to get any rhythm in stroke repeating the same inadequate practices I have used for the past say 5 years (need to, at least, dig out one of the books that I have acquired over the years to see what I should be doing with stroke under the water and/or speak to some of the good swimmers I know).

Si did me make feel better when I met up with him after his surf when he noted that due to high tide swim was 'long' this morning.

Also need to:

1. Get wetsuit and boots mended
2. Work on changing out of wetsuit - this morning it must have taken me 20 minutes to get out of wetsuit: not the quickest T1 transition. Time will be of the essence in Norseman...

Strange - Fruit

Strange run this afternoon for someone who:

1. Prides himself on 'never' walking on a run
2. Never thinks of the garden
3. Has had nothing but comfortable runs in my Walshs
   

Pulled myself out of slumber in the arm chair in porch and put on Walsh running shows before heading off on route that would take me to top of St Agnes Beacon and then back along the cliff path.

Felt good until part way along footpath from Wheal Coates and I began to feel very hungry: Regretting not eating a banana before I left or having any sustenance with me. Was also having 'problems' with Walshs - with right foot tunring in (due in part I think to running style and not having laces tight enough).

By the time I got to the other side of Trevallas Coombe I was obviously looking quite haggard as a nice lady said some words of encouragement as I passed by her and her dog... Walking was an increasingly tempting option as I dragged my feet round to Perranporth.

Until that is the final 1/2 mile when I had a surge of energy and sprinted home.

Picked up a some 'sea pinks' on final stretch of cliff path - which I planted when I got home.

Mike and the Dorchester triathlon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCf9u_-T9tE

Link is to video footage of a friend of mine taking part in Dorchester triathlon.

Very impressed by fact that Mike's resolve: last year London Marathon was his target which he completed and this year's was obviously a triathlon.

Very impressed by cinematography as well - particularly at the end.

P.S. I have just watched it again with sound on - excellent musical score

Swim:slow and cut off times

Did 2nd week of pool swimming this week. Clocked up 98 lengths in 80 minutes.

Feel I need to get up to c110-120 in that time to feel comfortable re achieving cut off on the day: requirement is equivalent of 156 lengths in 150 minutes MAX (my aim will be to get within 120 minutes as my cycling is not that strong either!)

I was getting a lot slower the longer I swam which is worrying - if not surprising.

Will have a another go next week...

Full cut off times for Norseman:

1. Exit the water - 2 hours 30 minutes
2. Exit transition zone from bike to run in Austbygde (T2) - 12 hours
3. Exit cut off point at 32,5 kilometers, to finish at Gaustatoppen. The point is at the cross road to Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell - 14 hours 30 minutes
4. Exit cut off point at 37,5 kilometers, to finish at Gaustatoppen - 15 hours 30 minutes
5. Exit cut off point at 32,5 kilometers, to finish at Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell to get the white t-shirt -17 hours 30 minutes

B3280

Despite tiredness (one of my bosses rang me at gone midnight to ask what entry code for work was - alarm was going off apparently) and probably the strongest wind I have cycled in, I did cycle to Penzance and back this morning/ afternoon.

Was very slow getting there - due to:

1. Cycling into the wind


2. Getting 'lost' round Redruth


3. Need to look at map at regular intervals to ensure I was still on 'right track' (Still managed to confuse Perran Sands with Praa Sands and fail in my attempt to see the later!)

Quite quick (for me) on way back from Penzance to Perranporth - less than 2.5 hours - wind assisted.

Note: B3280 is the road I cycled down this morning not work's alarm code.

Arsenal I still love you...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/10/arsenal-chelsea-premier-league

12 weeks to change my life

12 weeks to go.

Must get myself in shape to finish the Norseman.

Should also the opportunity to become more like the person I wish I was...

Need for a revision plan

Last week was again 'not the best' for exercise:

• 1 x 3 mile run
• 1 x 7 mile cycle
• 3 x swims (one in pool - see below)

The pool swim was 'ok' but slow - 68 lengths took me c 1 hour. Need to check cut off time but expect it is c 2.5 hours for equivalent of 160 lengths...

Until Thursday night I had not really thought (enough) about the Norseman for a number of weeks. Nor had I remembered how close I was to missing the cut off time on the bike leg at Lanzarote. Next week (tomorrow) I need to look at Norseman website and remind myself on all cut off times etc.

Also, need to construct training schedule that I stick to!

For next week:

• Monday - cycle (20) + run (10)
  
• Tuesday - cycle (20) + swim (60l)
  
• Wednesday - swim (100l)
• Thursday - run (6)
  
• Friday - swim (or cycle, if can change work arrangements for Thursday night)
• Saturday - cycle (60)
  
• Sunday - run (10) + swim in sea

Most stick to this (and plan out longer-term schedule).

Not a spot on the old me

Got a huge spot on my back at the moment, which follows on from one on my nose. A sign of tiredness?

Condoms and beer cans

Went in for swim with Si (reluctantly, if there had been even anything that looked like a wave Si would have gone in for a surf) at Newquay Bay. We ended up parking alongside a (used?) condom and further illustration of Newquay's less than picturesque side were provided by the collage of beer cans and cigarette butts on the rocks as we made our way into the sea.

Water was cold - so cold in fact that I could not compete with Si and acknowledged that the only way I could continue swimming was with rash vest hood well and truly over my head...

Swam to Tolcarne beach and back and felt 'good'.

All guns blazing

Tuesday sees Arsenal take on Man Utd in second leg of Champions League semi-final.

Julie and I will be sitting down full of anticipation (which is building here already!).

My hope is of course for a Arsenal victory that sees them through to the final.

And I hope they just go for it... as I feel Man Utd will score and consequently Arsenal will need to win by 2 clear goals.

I feel they can do it! (the image below is one I would like to see repeated on Tuesday - although scoreline on that day would not be sufficient...)

The week ahead in terms of exercise

Monday - swim and run?
Tuesday - swim (can not cycle as need to have car at work)
Wednesday - swim or cycle after work with James?
Thursday - run before work
Friday - cycle with Simon M (60?) ie aim is take 1/2 day off
Saturday - sea swim
Sunday - cycle (8-9 off road) with Si and Royzy(*) + run?

* = a royzy request

Looking forward to it all.

P.S. Have entered Hayle 1/2 Iron Man on 31/5 so must must start swimming seriously!

Born Again?

After a swim at Great Western yesterday and a run on Perranporth beach today I feel rejuvenated...

Run was especially good; went up onto the coast path before running down onto the beach (so hopefully 7-8 miles all together) and felt 'strong'.

Swim was 'ok' if a bit directionless - spent c45 minutes in the water concentrating on 'technique' - 'reach and roll'. Apres swim was lovely: coffee and then breakfast on Tolcarne beach with Julie and Si. Relaxing...

(Picture is cover from my favourite comic book - highly recommend anyone to read it)

Lost for speed

On the weekend on 18/4 and 19/4 I was outpaced on all three triathlon disciplines:

Run - Si out sprinted me along footpath at top of Fistral beach (*)

Cycle - everyone overtook me on any flat or downhill part of the North Cornwall Tor

Swim - Si (again) this time on our swim round the Headland

* = I did get some revenge on way back across beach but this was after being completely out swam (and Si had not been in swimming for weeks - whereas I had!).

Lesson learned (maybe) was that I need to train with others/ compete in events in the lead up to Norseman to ensure I do not get into 'ploddy pace'.

(Must give Anthony a call re running - once he has recovered from his 3.27 London Marathon - well done Anthony).

100 miles (and short on smiles)

Maybe it has taken me 3 weeks to recover from North Cornwall Tor (completed 19/4).

It was certainly tough. I have been asked whether it was the toughest cycle I have done - and I responded 'yes'. (Not that I have done a great deal of cycling...)

Very, very pleased to finish and, despite my claims to enjoy uphills, did not want to see another hill to cycle up. In fact, had lost all sense of humour towards the end and felt my energy being drained into the tarmac of the last 2 hills in particular (cumulative effect).

Superbly organised (albeit by people with sadistic tendencies - one of the hills was so steep an ambulance was stuck, waiting to be towed, when I got there...)

Took me 9 hours 11 minutes and I heard someone remark 'he does not looked happy!' when I crossed the finish line.

Finished with sun tanned (some may say burned) wrists and knees - must remember sun cream for future rides on lovely sunny days - and could not sleep the night after as gels (caffeine?) still working through my system.

I will not be doing the 100 again but I am looking forward to doing 70 next year with (hopefully) James.

P.S. I realised when I printed off the manual that I was on the front cover and on the North Cornwall Tor website front page.

Time...

'Doesn't time fly'...

I have no idea why I have not blogged for 2 +weeks but then again I have not done much exercise to blog about - e.g., last week the only exercise I did during the week was one cycle to and from work.

I am very prone to letting work 'take over' and feeling I 'have to' work longer and longer hours to get 'things done'. Trouble is I get (mentally) absorbed in work to the detriment of everything else and the problem is exasperated if I do not exercise.

Solution = exercise.

Maybe I should enter an event to ensure I get out there and exercise regularly.

Well there's a corking idea. Wish I had thought of that earlier.

I had...

The Norseman...

(only 13 weeks to go)