First Tester

So, this week has been fairly standard up till now.

Monday just a 45 min endurance swim for about 2.3km.
Tuesday (am) 4 easy (pm) 8 steady @ 6:37 pace feeling heavy
Wednesday Spinnervals DVD - always a tough workout

Then today was long run - 18 miles at around 7:30 pace (although probably quicker). Long runs are a bit of a mind fuck at the minute so plan was no Garmin, no time, no iPod just head down and run. Started with a lap of the nature park (4 miles) easy enough. Then headed towards Broxbourne on the river. Loads of choices from here but headed to the 12 mile route turnaround which left me at 10 miles. Planned to do same again in reverse but a good wind really tired me out in the 6 miles back to Abbotts and deamons had set in already. Managed to jog up to the next lock heading towards Hertford and back along the relief channel for 18 miles total.

Really pleased to bank this as the first proper long run is always the hardest. Legs were fairly tired throughout so glad to get it in the book.

Plan is for long ride tomorrow with Ed ~70 miles and mega tough swim on Saturday morning for a real hard 3 day block of Ironman training. Hopefully then it's rest and a couple of easy days and I should be ready to roll for Cambridge Half next weekend.

Feeling OK after today. Eaten plenty and will get a good 8 hours kip tonight. Want to ride comfortable tomorrow and maybe smash a few hills. Nice start to March !!

Some good stuff coming up. Cambridge Half next weekend, weekend after is the Wiggle No-Excuses sportive PLUS ride to and from for first 100 mile ride PLUS 24 mile training run the day after. That should put some hairs on my chest! Will start to taper down towards Paris after that although I will want to do a hard 15/16 mile training run before hand as a sharpener. Once Paris is done have Cambridge 100 sportive 2 weeks after (again will cycle there and back to make it a long 'un) then 3.8km open water race, club 100 ride (plus commute) and Bedford middle distance (my triathlon debut) in May. Then it's Notts sprint and Outlaw Half in June. Then end of July the big one :)

So plenty of opps to go long in cycling, 2 middle distance triathlons and a marathon in the books before the Ironman. Need to bank some longer runs over the summer but will play it all by ear. At the minute averaging 10 hours a week training and enjoying it. Things are progressing nicely and as long as they do I am not panicking. If I was looking at a PB in Paris I would but get round at a decent pace is the aim there!