Daz Does Tri

Up early today to pick up the new bike. 5 hour round trip to Royal Tunbridge Wells via Maccy D's on the way back (I took Sawyer). Bless him he played on his DS the whole bloody way! Picked up the bike, did the dirty with the cash and got Jezobel home. Massive spec on the bike and got it for a song.  Really pleased as Im more into looks that performance tbh (Mr Vain haha). Here she is -   Rained when I got back so got a 7 mile trail run in.  Nice and comfy at 145bpm and 7.21/mm pace.  Still a little tired and hilly for me but getting slowly stronger week by week. Went out between a break in thunderstorms for a quick 10 mile spin on Jezzy.  Wow, the TT bikes are TWITCHY compared to road bikes.  Nearly fell off 3 times doing stuid things like forgetting the breaks are on the wings and trying to stand up when in the aero bars.  Also, you need really, REALLY subtle movements or you start swinging over the road. Good ride though, on the flat p...

After my long commute double ride Tuesday, Wednesday was a total rest day. Certainly for now I want to have a complete rest in there. Sunday was rough, Monday & Tuesday easy but very long (5 1/2 hours in 2 days) so it was nice to give the legs a break. Thursday decided last minute to work from home and test out a Strava structured interval session on the bike first thing. Idea from Ian T is to ride very easy between 4 Strava segments and hammer the segments. Total ride was 20.6 miles at 17.1 mph BUT the main segments were - 2.5 miles @ 24.3 mph 2.6 miles @ 21.4 mph 0.9 miles @ 16.6 mph (223 W)  2.2 miles @ 20.4 mph (224 W) Really good workout and an easy hour on the bike without too much to think about. Ian T said Strava was the best structured interval session on a bike and it really is. Recovered well during the day then off to St Ives in the evening for a 3 mile tempo run. After not much quality in the past week or so wanted to nail a day of fast riding...

Today's target was to ride into work and back and get a big bike day in the bag. The driving route into work is down 2 main fast, single carriage way national limit roads (B1198 and A10). Planned the route avoiding these roads as much as possible but the only realistic way for today was to go the main roads to Royston and then back roads to work, only avoiding the A10. Set off 8.30 and gently plodded out of Cambourne at 15 mph. Nightmare at 2 miles the Garmin decided it was full and wouldn't play ball so had to stop, delete everything (including what I had already done) then start again. Ride down to Royston via bassingbourne was OK, not too many cars on the road. It's a hilly route but I was taking it easy. Through Royston and then a mega tough segment through Barley to Barkway. Eased off through to Dassells & Broughing, down to Puckeridge and across the A10 to the old A10. Tough ride up to Thunderidge then a mega quick ride down through Ware pretty much all...

Yesterday th eplan was for 10 miles at 6.40ish pace - a 2 mile step up from the week before with Kye & DC.  Nothing out of hand, should be fine.  However, a mile into the run started to feel dog rough and struggle.  Managed to get to 4 miles on about target when the wheels started coming off.  At 5.5 left DC & Kye and myself trotted back to Fenstanton.  Must have been dehydrated slightly as I was very wobbly all afternoon.  Kye looked worse than me and DC didn't fare much better dropping to 9 miles.  Was very hot and I just chilled all day afterwards. Good week in the bank with a 45 mile bike, 2 mile tempo and 2k swim all ticked. Today was just a recovery day - 10k with Andy in a shade under a hour at lunch time.  Just what the legs needed.  Then a later 3 mile shake out.  Picked pace up towards end same as last week as I got carried away! 9.25 miles and 85 mins aerobic - good start to the week but feeling a little fatigu...

Great old saying my coach had was slowly-slowly-cachee-monkey.  As long as you are getting fitter, stronger and thus faster then everything is good in the hood. In real terms my A race is now the Ironman which is just under 50 weeks away so I have light years to improve and in any case I dont want to be hitting peak volume or load anytime soon.  But, I do have races and targets in between so I am not entirely lapse at the minute and I have PLENTY to work on! After Tuesdays tough ride I rested Wednesday as planned.  Took the family to a hotel just outside Oxofrd and and a couple of nice days just playing with the kids and spending time with the family.  Training was on the back burner and it was nice to zone out and relax. Saying that did get a good pool session in.  1.3k in total working on stroke count and trying to be longer inn the water.  Didn''t eat pretty well so that's the 4th discipline for me at the moment - fuck transitions haha !! ...

Decided to try and get a long ride in today.  Was tired but am resting tomorrow so thought may as well have a go! Route plan was - Cambourne -> Knapworth -> Fenstanton -> St Ives -> Houghton -> Huntingdon -> Godmanchester -> Offards -> St Neots -> Abbotsley -> Gransdens -> Longstowe -> Caxton -> Home Result was 43.32 miles in 2.25 @ 17.8 mph. First hour was great, clipping along at 20's nicely, once I got through Godmanchester and turned into the wind the going was really tough.  The hills into St Neots were the toughest I have ridden then Abbostsley to Gransdens just took the sting out of me.  Really struggled today and had my first doubts.  Been a tough week though and a welcome rest day tomorrow is long coming.  Will recover well and come back strong next week.

Sunday I set off for a steady 8.  Was feeling tired and not expecting much really, hoping for 7.15 pace to be fair. Felt good and was checking pace by the 2nd mile (6.40) and by half way I felt a little tired but was nice to finally run at a decent clip. Finished up the 8 miles in 53.39 for 6.42/mm which is great at this stage.  All about improving daily and that was certainly achieved! Monday was double recovery day - my core marathon training start to the week of a nice easy double.  First up was an easy 10k with Andy at work.  Worked out at 9.20ish pace as he is struggling since Zurich. Legs felt happy at the end of that which is what I need.  In the evening I got an easy 3 done over the trails, think I got excited as I was running a bit quick for a recovery but more than happy with that. First day of the week and 9.2 miles of easy base running in the bank and 17 for day-to-day which is perfect for what I am trying to achieve. Today I am in work but...

Wow, the Olympics is nearly over.  What an amazing event to be proud of in this country, so many great memories and after several average Olympiads, London has pulled off a master stroke in matching the memories of 80, 84 & 88 for me. It's been brilliant being able to watch so much, I am fortunate to have been to 7 events and finally witnessed a Team GB Gold (Mo's 5000m), a WR (Jamaica 4x100m) and countless amazing performance and moments. I have hardly done any work ( I know a couple will laugh but I have actually made some big contributions to decisions though :) ). Training has been a stretch ( although got some quality in ) and  family time has been a minimum ( again a good bit of quality )!! So today the 30th Olympiad ends.  Work starts in earnest tomorrow as does my Ironman & running plans. After squeezing in a short sharpe tempo run on Thursday, I managed to get my swim session in on Friday.  Coach Josh set out the schedule 300m warm up 4 x...

Andy & I have an old saying - get out or you won't get it done.  If we delay a run we know it's going to end up going in the bin.  Same happened today, after yesterdays rest day and evening at the Olympics, woke up dead tired today.  Monged out on the sofa, late breakfast and by the time I got my act together the missus is going out and I am not going to be able to get out. Off to watch GB Hockey semi final tonight, should be a good experience and I am loving the Olympic park! Yesterday was supposed to watch Boxing but pal managed to swap for 2 athletics tickets.  Really great seats - check out the view of Bolty winning the 200m semi final :) Late dinner and a few beers then it was last train home.  The rattler into Cambridge is shocking, takes about 2 hours so didn't get back till 2am.  Like I say really tired today !! So, depending on what time Ange gets back I may try and do a 25 mins TT session to get something done but I am out at 4.15 and ...

Lazy day watching the Brownlees tear up the Olympic triathlon in my pants today, was an amazing race those guys are animals.  Gutted for Johnny to get a stop-go pen for transition error but goes to show it could happen to any of us. Those guys really laid it on the line today and it's great to see smaller sports inspiring the nation. Decided to ride today, need to do a couple a week and set on the 21.3 hilly route that Ian showed me. Set off OK, quads have been sore for a few days off the volume I have been doing (18 miles on Sunday were tough on them). Really good pace first few miles down to Elsworth but after a slow climb up the hill I knew it would be a tough ride in the latter miles.  Descended OK down to the main road and set a really good pace up to Hilton and into Fenstanton.  Turning into the wind was double tough.  The run from Fenstanton to Bourn is very tough for me (as I have blogged a few times about), the long slow climbs and it's really open. ...

Early pool session with my swim coach Josh on Saturday morning.  Aim was to get the session done so we could get back and watch the womens Triathlon! Got into the pool then a 300m warm up with Josh watching me thrash about. Good news is that I am buoyant, bad news is that there is lots to work on! Did 300m of drills working on kick, straighter arms, catch & push.  Got down from 32 strokes per 25m length down to 23 at my best which is where it needs to be. Main set was 5 x 100m concentrating on form.  It was 50/50 to be fair and struggled to go quick.  Times were 1.48 - 158 but it was harder trying to work on so much.  Like rubbing your head and stomach at the same time.  Did notice that the lengths I nailled it we down to 25 strokes per length but when I struggled and tensed up trying to push too long or thinking about the catch it was 32 again.  Loads to work on but pretty good start and glad that I can get my times down. 200m warm dow...

7 miles route over the trails today. Good news is that calf had NO reaction whatsoever - first time since it went at the start of July.  Bad news was that I was tired, it was hot and windy and HR was through the roof! Pace wasn't criminal - 7.24/mm but at 154 bpm shows there's a lot of work to be done in the next 4 weeks. Until I can hit tempo pace without reaction to the injury it will always be a struggle though. Happy enough but will be much better once I have a good 16 in the bag Sunday morning. Swimming tomorrow morning with coach Josh.  Technique session, just want to work on getting quicker.  Will do another timed mile in the week and hopefully see the pace coming down closer to 30 mins.  Need a pool mate !! Eyeing up bikes still, going to turn a £50 bet into £3000 so I can buy one :) Gone for a nice match betting treble at the Olympics - Powell to beat Bailey over 100m, Farah to beat Bekele over 10,000 and Merritt to beat Liu over 110m hurdles. ...

I am loving the Olympics.  Judo last Saturday, Canoeing on Monday then Fencing last night. Fencing sounded to me the most boring sport on the planet but wow, I was so surprised.  It was fast, exciting and the fencers had loads of passion.  Not sure completely on the rules but was really, really good event. Went to Westfield by the Olympic park for dinner afterwards and the atmosphere was electric.  There were athletes, stewards, officials and fans walking around soaking it all up. I cannot wait for the athletics on Sunday night, we are going to go really early and make the most of the day. Still have 4 events to go to and I am so excited watching the games today on telly with team GB smashing golds in left right and center now !! Slack week of training so far with just a 5 mile run and 25 min TT in the bank so go out for a long ride (longest ever today) of 34 miles. Flatter route but still not easy.  Did this in March when I was injured and managed 2 h...

Off to the olympics today - Canoe slalom with the boys at Lea Valley White Water Center.  It's in Waltham Abbey - close to my office and near where I grew up.  Absolutely amazing venue and the walk from the venue to Chesunt station was superb with displays and lots happening. I always loved team events as a kid - not as in football vs tennis but events like the London Youth games and English schools champs.  People from all over the world cheering their athlets on and in lots of cases the supporters will be friends and family of the people involved. Team GB were the nuts, mens C2 doubles both brits made the final with the 2nd pair with Florence 'the machine' needing to go better in their second run to qualify and the womens K1 girl ran 2nd fastest going into the semi. We were watching at the middle of the course on the most technical section where people were getting most time penalties and it was great viewing. The food & toliet facilities were also the nuts,...