Daz Does Tri

Legs felt ok after track yesterday, think going a bit easier is helping. To be fair I seem to run much quicker than most on track but converting to road form is shocking. I is shit to be fair! How septic dan is disappointed with 10 miles in 64 mins when I couldn't race that is beyond me. Maybe I should stick to the track lol! I need to get my road times down, got to be doing some tempo work soon.

Interesting if title for an interesting blog. Actually just seeing if that gets picked up by Google! I rank on page 2 for 'p&d book' and have lots of hits for various injuries via google images. Interesting considering I just ripped the images off !! So yesterday, again a classic nail hitting session from the plan. The plan says track session and track session I done - perfect! Picked up Mr T on route and we get to the track half way through the warm ups (early starters??) 3 laps feeling rough and Mr T is already complaining.

One day in and I'm all over the master plan!! Easy 10k with Andy at work on the nature/river run. This is one gorgeous 10k route, nature trail for 4 miles and apart from the shit smell house it's a stunning location. Then along the high street on to the river then relief channel for the last couple of miles. Today Andy bottomed out on pace, he's not been feeling great and the 10:59.97 6th mile was pretty close to being outrun by the earth turning!! Run done, hip grumbly then dash home to take the boys swimming (them not me) and home. 3 hour 10 minute round trip every week that. Later on it was into the #mancave for a proper turbo session with the Spinervals DVD. Fuck that was tough! Really enjoyed it, was no easy spinning, recoveries were done in a decent gear and covered 18 miles in 55 mins.

I have no idea, I guess I should do something like - 2 x swim per week 5 x run per week 3 x bike per week Does this sound about right? Maybe I could do 1 less run. Fuck knows. I'm only writing this blog to make it look like I'm doing work while the wife tidies the house ;)

Last few days I really have had no oomph. Just kind of been going through the motions. Do not feel great and really want to get out and smash some training in but when it comes down to it I really can't be arsed. After Wednesdays shite ride, Thursday I rested up to see if that would help. Friday I planned to do a big brick but ended up poncing about with the tri bike on he turbo for an hour pretending I knew what the hell I was doing by loosening bolts, moving anything that would move, retightening then peddling for about 100m and repeating.

Lets start with a positive - DC will love that !! I got a run and a bike in for 2.10 training time today. An easy run and an easy bike. Well easy bike on paper. Base work. Only it wasn't, I properly had my arse handed to me by Mr Turner!! He turned up on his single speed bike. That means he cannot free wheel. And he's got one gear. So basically he's on a BMX.

Monday was an exceptionally slow 10k at lunch followed by a 35 min turbo session with 4 x 30 secs at about 30 mph with steady spinning. Pretty standard day really and I'll mix it up with some swimming in future. Hours in the bank kind of day. Hip was grumbling like a bastard at the end of it though. Think I'm getting a bit old for all this shit! Today was just a track session. Not just any session but a lazy ass session. Picked up mr T and junior and tried to kill us all with my shite driving skills but alas that could not stop us getting there. DC set a session that sounded like a timetable for a southern league with 200s 400s 800s and mile reps all mixed up in a big confusing bundle. As I was looking for 4 x mile without pushing my old man hips too hard I decided to do just that. So as the boys chatted and did their hair I set off on my simple session!

So after a well earned rest yesterday today was set for a long run. The skinny - 8 miles at 7/mm !! Not long and not quick but job done. The week layout looks good for winter and sets me up to be in good shape I reckon. Will do some turbo sets this week and am hoping my hip flexors are recovered for track Tuesday ! Will get a good volume swim in there too and I have an endless pool technique session and 5k zombie race on Saturday (wtf!!!) Will also get a decent bike in maybe Wednesday and keep the Friday brick going.

Thursday, after a long day at work I could only manage a steady - hard 5 mile run. 6.40ish pace and felt really tired. Wasn't great and I had only 40 mins to run but I was glad I did something with a decent level of effort. Today is brick Friday. Wenny turned up for what turned out to be 20.5 mile on the turbo trainer straight into a 10k run. The aim is to get this session to 30 miles so just over a quarter ironman! Paces were 19.1 mph on the bike and 7.30 pace on the run. Legs and body absolutely smashed to bits from track tuesday and 2 swim sessions.

It's the halfs for me - Cambridge Half Marathon in March and Outlaw Half Ironman in June. 2 races that are key springboard to my A races - London Marathon and Ironman Zurich. They should both give me a really good indicator of where I am at. The entire #stIvesElite will be at the Cambridge Half for a smackdown and PB fest. Quick course, local knowledge and local pride at stake. I have no idea what sort of shape to expect to be in but sub 75 always seems a reasonable and achievable target at any stage. If I nail it at St Neots then that will be seriously re-assesed!

After last weeks sporadic week, Monday started this week really well. Easy 10k run at work on the reverse usual route. Along the relief river, river Lea & nature park big loop. Really nice easy run and just under 8/mm for a nice recovery. Monday evening was a great technique swim session with coach Josh and Ian T joined us. Really good session concentrating on swimming longer and getting more power through the stroke. 50's coming in at 47ish avge which is quick for me and felt within my comfort zone. Averaging 21 strokes per length which is great for me. The aim is to get more and more power through the stroke and work up to low 1.40's for 100m up until new year. Once I am there I am in the ball park for swim :)

....again !!! After a big bike day on Wednesday, I carded zero days for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday was preparing for Edinburgh, Friday was booze fuelled mayhem and Saturday was recovery !!!

Nice commute to work and back yesterday - 34 miles each way. 17.9 mph avge on the way in and 19.1 on the way home. Really pleased with that as I'm not feeling great and the riding was comfortable. I am definitely progressing from time on the bike and I have a 50 with Ed on Sunday morning for some nice weekly hours this week. I need to focus more specifically on the bike going forwards though so turbo sessions in the mancave will be target rides from here to the new year.

After a great session on Friday I managed a nice curry & beer brick afterwards :) Saturday was a simple HR test run. Went better than expected as I felt a bit wiped. Paces were around 7.30, 6.50, 6.30, 6.15 for 140, 150, 155 & 160 bpm which is positive. Happy with that running form and this week aim to put in some extra miles than the 29 I finished up with last week. Sunday was long ride day. Only wanted a 50 on roughly the same route I rode with Ian T & Kye a while back + extra. Found pretty much the same course but the wind and tired legs (plus pushing the first 10 mins for a KOM :) left me powerless after an hour or so. Managed the 19mph avge which is great but dissapointed on the bike for the first time in I don't know how long! Tough ride that was and I slept or monged most of the day after that. Went to watch Jack Dee at the Corn Exchange afterwards and slept heavy last night! So a good 9 hour training week. Was tired at the end of it. 29 run, 1.3 swi

So Friday was Duathlon day! Nice easy 4.5 mile loosener with some easy strides and drills and a brisk 6.05 mile, but mainly very easy running. Spent a nice relaxing day chilling before the main session - 21 mile steady ride and 6 mile steady run. Kye & Ed joined in the session so was great company. The ride was Ian T's hilly route and decided to hit a couple of hard segments. First one was the Rogues lane -> Church end and into Hiton (thought the segment was longer) but the 1 mile was 24.9 mph with me doing all the driving!

Rest day yesterday after 8 days training - a good streak for me, in fact best for some time! Had meetings in London and a pretty small hangover after seeing Michael McIntyre at the O2 the previous evening. 5 beers was all I had and that was enough to take the edge off ! Actually think lack of sleep accounts for more 'hangover' than drinking nowadays. So today, worked from home and all 3 kids at school / nursery and made the most of time off with a solid 7 mile trail run (Ange joined on her bike) at 7:37/mm and 144bpm feeling really easy. Legs felt good and around that route it's not criminal for me! Did a 10 min tinkering with the Tri bike and 30 mins conditioning tonight (glutes & roller). Was going to do a turbo session but not having the cadence / speed meter on the tri bike makes it too hard. Will have to get another one set up on that this month ! Feeling a little like I have something in my system as well. Diet / sleep not helping with recovery but lungs

Did an easy 10k Monday on very tired legs. Pace was slow, Andy feeling it after not getting consistent weeks banked, but good company and nice to get an easy recovery hour banked. Tuesday decided to have another crack at the swim. Went to Manor of Groves with Andy & Bob with a view to just doing 'stuff' for an hour. Got in the pool and did 300m warm up. Felt tired and lazy and really CBA. Did some more lengths forgetting to hit lap and just start / stop and eventually got into it.