Daz Does Tri

To get straight to the point, things are not progressing quite as well as I'd like. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with where I am at considering some of the runs I've had recently but it's not where I want to be. Base training isn't really happening, I just don't seem to be able to hit the volume I need to. And with my race limit coming up at a mighty 5 miles over the next few months I think I need to take the gamble and start reducing the volume and increasing the pace. At least it means dropping (mainly) to one run a day I can hit some of the triathlon stuff I want to get done. I'm away from Friday - Friday with the family and friends and training is going to be frowned upon so I need to work out where I can fit that in. In my head I am thinking run wise that my week will look something like this... Mon pm) 5 recovery @ 7:30/mm Tue am) 30 easy pm) track Wed 1hr35 @ 140 bpm Thur Long intervals Fri 1 hour (6:45/mm) Sat REST Sun 45 stea...

Hatfield Broad Oak 10k today, plenty of fun and games beforehand - forgot rucksack and had to turn back from the M11 !! Had to dump family in the car early due to long traffic delays in town, 10 min delay to start - not ideal prep !! Met up with Al and Rich Holland just before the the start. Settled into pace (5:45's) after fighting through the crowds, some people were far too far up the front! Never understand why people do this, it's bloody chip timing, if you're going to run over 40 mins, why start with people running under 34 !!! First mile went through in 6:06 and Al isn't hanging about for me! Strange mile as it was 5:45 bang on and then long drag up hill it quickly crept up to +6/mm. 2nd mile 5:52. Catch Brotherjohn from Fetcheveryone at 3k and work with him, guy from Ely & Garden City man (whose breathing really heavy). Feel not too great here, working hard and it's full force of the wind into face. 3rd mile 5:49. Same group working hard, John ...

After Tuesdays great run, Wednesday was planned rest and rest was well needed! On Thursday I got 11 miles done for a long run. OK, not a proper long run but was still very tired after Tuesday and one of those runs where everything seemed to go wrong. Random dog attack, too hot for wind jacket but bit cold without, VERY windy and hilly and HR playing up. Didn't stop the Garmin for the dog attack but stopped it when I took my jacket off and didn't re-start! Got to roughly half way and reset the Garmin. Came back faster - 7.30 pace and got 5.35 miles. Added the extra 0.3 to round up to 11. Hot bath, lots of rest and food Thursday night to aid recovery !! Friday went to Hinchingbrook Park and did 6 x 3:40 with recoveries ranging from 90 secs to 3 mins. Bit of a random fartlek and didn't turn the GPS on as was in the trees. Session was sandwhiched between 40 mins of jogging. Really happy as I had to tough it out over the trails, physically and mentally !! Very ha...

Swam at lunchtime with Mike. 250 warm up, 10 x 50, 100, 250, 200. Much better this time, starting to feel more comfortable swimming longer and getting breathing right. There is hope for me yet! Lots to work on - Mikey is very technical! Main concern is making stroke longer (both forward and back) but this felt much easier than last week so hoping to keep improving everything over time. Main thing Mike pointed out was shape of my body in the water - far too upright and need to swim downhill. Will probably do the novice tri on Wednesday week now and see what happens. 400 yard swim, 10 mile bike and 3.5 mile run should be within my capability but don't think the first 2 disciplines will be very fast !! Drove home from work wondering what session to do. Track was out so eventually decided to do a 6 at a decent lick. Managed 6.20 pace a month or so ago when in reasonable shape. Set out and got to 2 miles in 11.57 and decided it was to be a 10k tempo! 3rd mile passed into ...

One week on, I did my standard HR test that I did last week. Stats are (last week in brackets for comparison).. 1.00 139bpm 7:44 (8:26 @ 138) 1.00 152bpm 6:50 (7:01 @ 151) 1.00 156bpm 6:58 (7:10 @ 156) 1.00 162bpm 6:30 (6:33 @ 163) 1.15 146bpm 7:46 (7:18 @ 153) For 7.11/mm @ 150 bpm for 1078 beats per mile. Nice improvement from last week although no swim in the afternoon due to being flat out at work. Pace felt very easy today and main concern was keeping HR down. Like last week, 3rd mile was slower than 2nd due to base fitness not being strong enough. Best ever session for this was 2 weeks before Amsterdam.. 1.00 7:07 135 bpm 1.00 6:39 150 bpm 1.00 6:22 156 bpm 1.00 5:58 163 bpm 1.00 6:48 151 bpm And funny enough I actually feel like I can get somewhere close with a good block of training! Busy week at work this week so going to play it by ear. Main thing is track session (my back ached tonight so not sure that I'll be able to get it done) and ...

Looks like today will be a day of rest !! Lola didn't wake up till 7.45 (Sawyer screaming at Jacob woke us all up !) so didn't get a bike done. Off to football today so doubt I'll be able to get out tonight and will probably be a few beers in so resting is not the worst option. Took my resting heart rate this morning (2 hours after waking up and a coffee down) and came out at 47 bpm which is around abouts lowest I've seen for years. Think a tough training week has benefitted and I just need to make this week count. Plan for today is complete REST ! Will do a good stretch/massage/band work tonight. Monday - am) Gym (4 treadmill, 40 swim) pm) 6 easy 140 bpm Tuesday am) 6 very easy 135 bpm pm) track 3 x 1000m Wednesday BIKE Thursday 14 easy 145 bpm Friday 15 @ MP, 15 @ HMP Seassion Saturday 8 easy 140 bpm w/strides & drills Sunday REST Monday Race Should give me a good run in to the race. Still hoping to pb which is a long shot but in good conditio...

Wow, ups and downs this week. After my very slow long 'un on Wednesday I made the track on Thursday night with intentions of doing an extended warm up / cool down and 4 x 200m strides. Mile warm up @ 7/mm ish pace with DC then stretch (not nearly enough) and into strides and the session. 200m slow walk recovery and running with DC & 2 kids. 30 for the first rep off the back. 30 for the 2nd getting dropped by just over a second. Rest their 3rd and 31 for my 3rd waaayyy off the back (2 and a bit secs). 31 for the last one - same gap and I just can't get my leg turnover up. 6 laps cool down with out barriers this week after my calves tightened last week. Plan was 17 miles on Friday but due to things at home only managed to get out for a planned hour. 3 miles in I had dropped it to 6 miles. Felt awful, 8:20/mm was a slog and seriously felt a minute a mile quicker. Today wasn't sure what to do. Could (should) have rested but felt like doing something quicker ...

Long VERY slow run today. Plan was to do 12 at sub 140 bpm. Regularly I would expect the 142 bpm it came out with to be worth 7:45 pace. Today it came out at 8:23 pace. From the off it was slow going and HR rose until about 7 miles when it steadied off at 145 bpm. I quite enjoyed it today, felt a bit tired but a hard session on the legs last night was always going to make it tough and the equal longest run for 6 weeks was always going to be extra hard work. Interestingly on the 3rd May I ran 6 miles after a hard track session and I ran 6 miles for same HR and pace so I have increased it to double distance for the same return which is an improvement although 1186 beats per mile is an apalling 150 beats too high !! Think I am immersing myself in hard training which is making the HR raise so high. Work rate being there I think will get me to improve, all I need to do is pick the right day to rest and then nail it afterwards. I think as long as I can nail a longer interval sess...

Swim at Manor of Groves pool yesterday for the first time. Wow, it's better than I thought but a LONG way from swimming 400m non-stop !! Started by doing some lengths with a break. Concentrated on swimming long and kicking from the hips. Started with 24 strokes per length but was down to a much better 20 by the end. 20 strokes for 20m sounds reasonable after my first session! Started doing 40m after about 10 mins and finished with 100m straight. What I notice is that when I am comfortable it's all easy but when I start to struggle EVERYTHING falls apart !! Not a bad first effort. 25 mins in the pool and felt like a reasonable workout. Will aim to do 40 mins next week and see how that goes. Surprisingly my legs felt much fresher afterwards - take note - may have to do this instead of a morning run occasionally. Got home from the pool, had dinner, took Jacob to his swimming lesson then it was time to do my run. Decided to do my 5 mile HR test route. Took rest...

First LSR of the comeback !! Will call this week week 1 and see where we build on this. 12 miles with DC today, feeling very tight and very tired we both went out with the intention of an easy couple of miles start and just aim to keep it steady. DC ran 17.14 at Parkrun yesterday on tired legs and hasn't gone long for some time either. Started out as usual with no Garmin signal. Took overall distance from DC's Garmin but old blue was showing that we ran a bit further with a 1:23 for 0.12 before I notice it picked up a signal. Miel splits after that were - 7.36, 7.10, 7.14, 7.09, 7.11, 7.22, 7.25, 7.26, 7.07, 7.06, 7.08, 7.13 (with last half mile very easy). Legs battered but felt not too bad at the end - certainly better than waking about yesterday. Hope that this just spun my legs out a bit. Not comfortable enough to run again today - still not 100% that I don't have something in my system but should be back and ready to roll tomorrow. Best session of the w...

Thursday managed 6 nice and easy to loosen the legs off at 9/mm for 140 bpm. Far too high for pace but I was shattered. Got out in the evening for a track session, mile warm up and then 5 x 200 in 31, 30, 29, 30, 29. Not bad but fading last 50 with lack of strength. Followed up with 6 laps including 3 barriers at SC high warm down at a brisk pace. Nice and lots to come so happy with where my base speed is at. Friday managed the same 18 mile bike ride, Garmin (all 3!) dead but felt faster and wasn't nearly as tired at the end. Windy as fu*k too! Think the route is too hilly for me at the minute, its basically up and down all the way with some big lumps in there. Will do something flat this week, just to compare what it feels like because to be perfectly honest the hour on the bike feels harder than 3 running and I always thought it was supposed to be the other way around !!! No run off the bike on Friday, I was far too tired. Bike was a hard session (no bike legs) and Th...

8.66 miles @ 7.36/mm for 150 bpm today in the end today. Felt much higher HR and felt slower over all so pleased to see the stats when I finished. Didn't manage to get out in the afternoon, too busy at work so just got as much done as I could this evening which meant 8.66 miles instead of the budgeted 16 today. Legs were very tired - think I still have something in my system which makes HR climb too much. Still plenty of room for improvement but confident that my Hatfield Broad Oak I'll be in sub 35 shape. Need to get some speed and strength in my legs but at least it's not a total lost cause!! Sitting here tonight in Skins under PJ's - feels wrong but something I need to keep doing to keep legs fresh. Once I get my bounce back things will be much better. 60+ mpw needed to get the running where it needs to be. Will knock out a 20 on the bike on Friday and maybe do a quick 4 mile run afterwards to see what happens. Ordered trunks and goggles today and will d...

Down to 52 bpm today (did drop to 49 but only for a split second). Not measured for a while but I think thats as low as it's been. Have roughly been on plan this week (4+5 Monday, 7 Tuesday) and aiming for 12 today. Legs and body feeling hungry and tired and still not up for it. Need a few weeks of good miles and to get my mojo back. It's hardwork being down and not racing but it's a neccessary evil for where I am at. Today is all about the HR - aim to keep it 130-140 bpm all the way. Know pace will be slow (8/mm) but thats the work I need this week. Also have a scheduled 4 this evening but again well see how the old body holds up under pressure! Planning to go track and do some short, sharp reps tomorrow (4 x 2 or 300m) so that should help things along. Be nice to see 60+ miles this week in the bank but I am feeling battered already and I'm only 15 in haha. Meeting in a minute, get that done and I'm outy !

I am induced! No need to show how all the mod cons work, just let me in the pool and at the treddy I said. Cool! After a body test (height 169cm, weight 70.5 kg, BMI 24.1, fat content 22.6) it was decided I need to loose weight! After a boozy weekend I have put some timber on! Need to have a good weekend and get down below 10.5 stone again. This is making running so much harder so head down this week and train hard. Did 30 mins easy on the treadmill (yawn) & 10 mins bike easy followed by some stretching. Plan for the week is... Mon 30 min treadmill + 5 miles Tue 8 miles steady Wed 12 miles Thur 6 easy + 4 x 200 at track Fri 20 bike + 4 Sat 6 inc 3 x 3 mins Sun 12 61 miles running = spot on. That will do for the week. Would like to start swimming but not sure where I'll get it in?

After biking on Friday I had a rest day on Saturday. With Friday on the beers with the boys and staying out, I knew taking Jake Kung Fu and going to Spurs would leave me on a zero so didn't even attempt a run. Got back from footy late and very tired. Went for a curry and a few beers with Coleman and had another late night. Sunday managed a lazy run in the sun to pick the car up. 6 miles around Cambourne trails and up to Bourn, starting at 8 m/m ish and well below 7's by the end. Lovely run and felt strong into the wind and on the hills. Good nights sleep was WELL needed!

Worked out how to get the gears shifting this morning - the Shimano 105 flightdeck you have to down shift using the WHOLE brake/gear.  To shift up you use just the gear.  Confusing huh and I learn't it properly while riding! Set out from home doing the long Cambourne route out through lower Cambourne and down to Caxton, left on the B1198 to Bourne and then straight through Toft and Comberton.  Stopped at the caravan park in Comberton for a drink break (31 mins in) and then left on through Hardwick onto the old A428 past Caldecot (stopped at the airfield to text the missus I hadn't been ironed out yet) and straight back home to Cambourne. Overall it was 18 miles in 1.04 and lapped the hour in 16.97 miles. Not a bad ride, arse is very tender but not as bad as I expected.  the wind was a shock, it was very strong today and felt like a headwind for the most part.  Need to angle the seat forward a bit as my back was a bit tight.  Actually found it a hard w...

Run, Bike, Swim, Rest, Eat - that sums up training !  Each as import as the last. Running wise, I'm good for 70 miles per week and in shape I'm well capable of a 2.40 marathon (2.30 prediction off my 5 mile pb) Bike - it turned up today (yay)!  I'm keen to get in the saddle and 2/3 rides a week won't be a problem with my work/life set up and won't affect running. Swim - I havn't a clue, we'll try and see what happens.  I sorted out my GYM induction today so from next week there's nothing stopping me. That leaves rest and nutrition. Rest wise I have 3 kids, simples I can only do what I can! Food needs improving - vastly! Today's intake is the following... 2 x coffee 3 x tea 1 x dr pepper 3 sausage and chips Bacon baguette 2 x bananas 1 x kit kat I'll post food intake daily and calorie consumption to shame me into eating better!

Legs felt battered today, left running lunchtime to try and ease them in a bit. Got home and bike had arrived (get in)!! Set it up with basic peddles and had a quick blast around Cambourne. Jesus it's quick !! Got out for a run and decided to do 2 solid efforts of around marathon pace and then 10k pace. Mixed it up with some easy and steady and felt ok by the end. 5.15 miles in around 36 mins so happy with that. My first brick session lol! Looking forward to getting on the bike tomorrow and setting up the new peddles. Hopefully do an hour and an hour run.

Originally I had planned to race the Great East Anglia Run and Eye 10k this month.  Both races were at the start of the month and I've missed one and am about to miss the other! I have entered the Hatfield Broad Oak 10k at the end of the month now.  Gives me a solid months training to assess where I am at.  I'm hoping to get close to 35 mins here and push on from that.  I'm a little surprised to get in this race as it's usually popular but happy as I've done it before.  I know the course and it suits my style - hold back for 4k and then blast it home. Todays plan calls for 2 x 10 min efforts in a 40/50 min run so I will do that tonight as my legs are still achy.  I'll probably go for a walk lunch time to ease them off. Still got to get my gym induction sorted - I'll get on that now !!!

Was a bit worried that I was actually fit after the last 2 days but today stopped any worries on that front ! 6 miles (half session again) at recovery pace.  Aim was to keep 135 bpm for around 8.15 pace.  Reality was 143 bpm for 8.20 pace.  Even saw 156 bpm at 8.17 at one stage lol. Not really worried, felt OK and HR is due to a combination of issues - lack of training, 2 hard days in a row, heat and bad diet.  I know this will come down when I get back on the miles.  Really happy that I'm sticking to my 50% plan for the week and still feeling good.  Also still coughing both on the run and afterwards so know I am not 100% healthy just yet so even more to come when I do. Need to sort out my Gym induction today (what a pain) so I can get in the pool.  Chased up the bike with Wiggle and they say it's another 5-9 days to build.  Hmmm, would probably have gone to a shop and got one direct if I'd have known how long it'd take.

Track session tonight and 50% as planned (6 x 400 with 200m walk recovery).  Felt stiff and achey warming up and stretching (1 mile @ 6:30 pace).  Into the session, aim was to ease through the gears so started with an 81 nice and steady to blow the cobwebs away.  Next one my turn to lead, oops, 76 - about a second too quick but 35 at 200!  Next one 73 following DC and number 4 a slightly quicker 73 ( 0.1 quicker so keeping the progress up ;) ) 72 penultimate one and after a coughing fit led off the last one through 200 in 32 and finished in 69.  Respectable for a fat old git !! Decent warm down (7:00 pace) for 3.5 miles @ 5:59 m/m.  Happy with the session overall, it's a stepping stone towards getting fit and after doing nothing for a week thats back to back hard runs.  Will take tomorrow very easy (50% of a 12 & 4 double day). Next week I'll probably aim to get the 12 x 400 in at 75 average and after tonight I'll be confident of nailling that....

So back to running.  April was supposed to be my 'base' month of training - lots of slow miles with some quick stuff thrown in to build the engine to kick on for a track and 5k road season.  Unfortunately things weren't to be.   2 days off in week 1, 3 days off in week 2, 3 days off in week 3 and 5 days off in week 4 meaning I only ran 135 miles for the month although if I had run to capacity it would have been way over 250 miles. So, I am in a quandary as to just go back to base work OR incorporate a base / speed programme.   I think sucking it up and doing more hard stuff and some miles (although not big miles) is the way forward. Monday  am) 6 pm) 6 Tuesday Track session Wednesday am) 12 easy pm) 4 Thursday Longer intervals (2 x 10min) Friday am) 6 pm) 6 Saturday 8 steady with 3 x 3 min @ 5k pace Sunday  12 steady Gives me a nice base and some speed to build off.  A month of this and I will be race fit.  If I h...

First run for a week tonight.  6 miles @ 6.56 pace with DC around the wildlife park.  Really happy with that, wasn't easy but Im just hoping the fitness comes back fast.  This is what I was running before I got ill so just hoping to keep it here and bring the fitness right up.  Looking to get half marathon fit pretty quick.  I know the running will take care of itself and this Tri lark will be about bike power and swim technique for me. Aiming to run 50% of shedule this week and 2 x 6 miles is what todays said so day one is checked :) Tomorrow will go to the track and do a bit, maybe 6 x 400 or something to tick the legs over.  Time to get serious now and head towards some races in shape. Can't wait for my bike to arrive and get out for a spin.  Have been looking at some Ironman schedules and all seems pretty straight forwards.  Basically A long run, a medium long run, couple of maintanance runs, long bike, couple of steady bikes and a long...

A long long (long) time ago (1995/6), I was an international athlete.  Fair enough I got both my GB vests for 3000m steeplechase in weak years but a vest is a vest and I had done all the training I could to take me to what I had always dreamed of as a kid - to represent my country at sport.  After having my 3 kids and marrying my wife it is one of my proudest moments.  When my first invitation letter dropped through the door, reading the words made 10 years of hard training, bad races, baron spells and injuries worthwhile.  I had done it. Unfortunatley, although I got 2 vests I seemed to have mentally hit a plateaux on what I wanted and felt I could achieve.  My focus was never the same and 3 track seasons after getting my first vest I had effectively retired.  A couple of short lived comebacks and starting my own business eventually lead to me becoming 3 stone over weight and literally obease.  I had a wedding approaching and I wanted to loose some ...