Katy's Tri blog

Un-lost property

2012-02-05T21:40:00.002Z

I found it! My Garmin wasn't lost, it had fallen off my desk on to a little ledge where I couldn't see it. I'm so glad to know I am not stupid enough to leave it in the shower room...

In other news, my manic weekend did allow me time for a walk (!) to work with my camera in hand, capturing the snow we got dumped overnight. My determination not to derail is so far still intact, although I am feeling the pressure. Five days to go. With a repeated thaw-freeze cycle forecast for the week, I think there might be heavy use made of my Sportspark card this week for swimming and gymming - since I'm not keen on the idea of respraining my ankle.

Photos: 215/365 - Tan Lines by aithom2, on Flickr; UEA sledgers 2 by ermintrude75 (me!), on Flickr

Staying on track

2012-02-04T20:13:00.001Z

Potential distraction ahoy - a bit of an issue with a work deadline coming up. No point in dwelling on the whats or the whys, just a staement: I'm not going to let this derail me so early on. A week or so and it will all be over (it's a bit of a concentrated crisis, this one), but a lot of damage could be done in a week, mentally if nothing else. If I stick with the plan and keep running, biking and gymming this week as planned, I'll get some important mental space and energy to get me through the deadline. And as an aside, I'm not going to get through it by eating crap either.

The last week's been pretty good and I look forward to building on it. Another mile swum (broken into 4 fast, 4 slow x 8), a good gym session, and two runs - the last one at 9:29/mile for 3.6 miles and feeling pretty good. On the downside, I managed to lose my Garmin :( - think I left it in the shower room at work, so here's hoping Lost Property can help...

Staying on track.. by etgeek (Eric), on Flickr

What a difference...

2012-01-24T14:37:00.005Z

...new goggles make. Barely knew they were there. So refreshing not to be emptying them every 4 lengths, or have them digging into my face.

I was so happy, I did a mile! Except I didn't. My counting skills failed me and I did 62 lengths. I was hitting the lap button on my watch after each 100m, but either I got super-fast around 500m or I only did 50m that time. D'oh. Multiplied up I would have done the mile in about 38:15, or just under 36s per length. There was a pretty straight fade from 32s/25m to 37s/25m over the session. Anyway, it's not pretty, but it's a baseline.

Right, I'm off to watch Sesame Street now and practice my counting for next time.

Photo: skydiving by dollie_mixtures, on Flickr

Take aim...

2012-01-22T22:23:00.002Z

Pondering is done. I have a monster in my sights. This one. So, a middle distance/half ironman it is - let's see if I can NOT get a puncture, and beat 7hrs this time. The course is flat, so no hills to slow me down, but on a windy day cycling in the Fens will be a b*gger... but the swim is downstream at least!

I've also signed up to Norwich Tri (aiming again for sub 3hrs, this time I'll remember to refuel on the bike). The 20-week plans I am looking at have an Olympic distance tri at 16 weeks - this one's a bit early but there is wiggle room as I'm starting early. R(ace) minus 20 weeks makes April 2nd for the start of The Plan, or 12th March if I want to hit the oly at 16w and have an extra 3w between then and the full (half) monty, which sounds better.

I've got 6 weeks between now and 12th March to get myself running, swimming and biking to a level that's ready to go. Sounds good. Bring it on.

Hanako! by sally_monster, on Flickr

New year...

2012-01-19T16:31:00.004Z

OK, so last year kind of went out with a feeble whimper, as evidenced by this blog. Some issues turned up and squashed a lot of things (like enthusiasm and motivation for a start), and winter has been cold and dark so far in more ways than one. What I have learned, though, is that these things do not magically resolve themselves, and happy endings don't just appear because you think you don't deserve any more crap. At some point you have to lend a helping hand to make good things happen - like going looking for them.

If I hesitate to make full-on resolutions, I can at least take stock. 2011 was a mixed year, some good times, but overshadowed in the end by things outside my control - including work trips, neverending colds, back pain, and finally a badly sprained ankle which has me laid off running for a week or two yet, to be followed by a slow comeback. Taking a long, hard look at what I did with the year, I could certainly have done better - both Waveneys were lacklustre, to say the least, and while my 5k time got better within the year, I'm a way off my best. The adventure race weekend was the real shining highlight, though, and if nothing else I am glad I did that. But compared to a year ago I'm less fit, more fat, and I sure as hell don't want to be sitting here next year thinking "could have done better" all over again. I need to train - even if I don't make the start line for whatever reason, time spent training is never wasted, right?

So I'm looking for a race to focus on. Nothing too big, but just the right amount of pressure to keep me motivated. No big trip abroad (i.e. flying) tied up with it, and nothing any longer than I've done before. Ironman 70.3 Ireland (Galway) is a contender, but I'm still checking out options closer to home like the Ely Monster middle distance. Another adventure race is massively tempting, although the only Questar weekenders are Exmoor or the South Downs - not quite as handy as one on my back doorstep in Thetford. A side adventure that's looking good is the ~120 mile overnight Dunwich Dynamo, and I hope I'll be up to running a selection of local races just for fun, but for my main focus I really want something multisport. I'll find out what my buddies are doing, but my main goal will be for me.

Hmm... time to sit down with a cuppa, a laptop, and the training bible, and have a good old think...

Happy New Year 2012! by Creativity103, on Flickr

A shout out!

2011-11-01T17:05:00.001Z

I've just seen that I got a shout in the Blogger News section of my favourite podcast, Two Fit Chicks And A Microphone! That's made my day, especially as I can now download the new episode to listen to as I fly to Vancouver tomorrow... thanks, Fit Chicks! But how embarrassing to be caught out being a blogging slackarse... *blush*

Photo: a.k.a. Flow by lars_in_japan, on Flickr

Getting adventurous

2011-10-07T12:51:00.004+01:00

Something a little different - a Questars three-discipline adventure race weekend, comprising kayaking, trail running and mountain biking. I took part in this along with Clare and Rosie (as Tri-Girls Cubed), and Trish, Debbie and Debbie's friend Birgit (as Adventure Girls), making up two teams of three in the Novice Ladies category. The overall event consists of a number of rounds combining kayak, run and/or bike with a few other activities. In each round you have a map and notes for number of checkpoints for each activity; CPs have a points value attached and you 'dib' an electronic widget to get the points. The route and the number of CPs you do are totally up to you, but there's a bonus for completing a colour set and a penalty for coming back late.

The weekend went like this:

Friday evening: arrived and set up camp. The campsite (ok, field - this was not glamping!) was gently buzzing and the friendly atmosphere was one of the things that really made the whole weekend. Clare, Trish and I got our tents up in the dark, tucked into nachos (pre-race fuel of champions) from the catering tent, enjoyed a fabulous view of the stars in the absence of light pollution, and then retreated for the night as the cold and damp drew in. Well, Trish retreated to her four solid walls at home, while Clare and I toughed it out under canvas...

Saturday morning: a dewy and misty start (and early, with trains whooshing past from 0630), but the temperature soon rose as the sun appeared just in time for breakfast. Our team mates arrived and we prepped the bikes and enjoyed the campsite banter before heading off for the race briefing - thankfully pretty comprehensive, which allayed some of our novice nerves. An hour later it was time for round 1: up to 50 minutes' kayak, followed by running to make a total time allocation of 200 minutes. Paddling straight in a two-person kayak was the most difficult of the weekend's activities, and must have provided much entertainment for those watching. Still, we got a few CPs, returned the kayak on time, and headed out on the run. By now (~11am) the sun was blazing but thankfully the trails included many shady forest paths. We completed about 7 miles of running plus the teambuilding type activity (a compulsory check-in, even if you chose not to complete it) to finish in around 150 minutes - strategic thinking having suggested that finishing early and saving our legs for the bike was better than breaking our necks to try and get to and from just one more CP. Our score of 185 put us in third place for our class, with Adventure Girls ahead on 195.

After a couple of hours' break and it was on to round 2, a 150 minute mountain bike course with the challenge activity being a sample of the High Lodge orienteering course. We found this tough going after a morning on foot, but with 40 points on offer (as much as the highest-value CP) for a couple of miles, we decided to go for it at the start of the round. After that we clocked up around 13 miles on the bike trails around Brandon Country Park, and a rather nice fast stretch of the High Lodge exit road, pausing to help out when we stumbled over Trish dealing with a puncture, but clocking up 190 points to come top of our class in that event.

Another change of kit, some dinner (curry was on offer from the caterers, not ideal but it was that or nachos again!), and round 3 saw a night trail run of up to 75 minutes and the surreal experience of scampering around the forest with a bunch of other people wearing head torches. Feeling pretty weary by now, and mindful of the big final round in the morning, we took it easy and stayed close to home while the Adventure Girls ventured a little further and picked up 20 more points. We weren't the only ones run-walking, with some people obviously limping or otherwise suffering a bit. I managed to twist my ankle on an uneven track, and Clare's knee was also becoming painful, but we both held up well to complete the round and pick up 15 bonus points for coming in under 60 minutes. We sat around for a little while to wind down, but again it was getting chilly so we called it a night pretty early.

Sunday's round was all three disciplines, 240 minutes for novices, with a fixed 60 minute slot for the kayak and then the split between run and bike up to each team. With a couple of injuries between us and some impressive blisters that I seemed to develop overnight, Tri-Girls opted to play to our strengths and maximise bike time.We still had to hit one run CP to avoid a 100-point penalty, but with one about half a mile from transition that requirement was taken care of quickly to leave us three hours for the bike and the challenge activity (a brain teaser this time). We followed our previous successful strategy of heading for the distant, high-value CPs and covered around 18 miles in total, with just one "where the hell is it?" moment and one particularly slow trudge up a tortuous sandy hill (Harling Drove, which some may remember as the old off-road section of RNR stage 13). We came in with 15 minutes to spare and 335 points gained, second in our class just ahead of Aventure Girls with 300. We celebrated our finish with a dip in the river (some dipping more than others...)

All told, we amassed 800 points in just over 9:30 total time, coming second in Novice Ladies, with Adventure Girls hot on our heels in third, getting 753 points in 10:30. Nice job, ladies!

Overall verdict: absolutely fantastic! Of course, the incredible weather helped, and I'm not sure what I'd be saying if it had been pouring all weekend, but we had the most amazing time. We came home tired, sore, sunburned, blistered and bruised but with very big grins! The best thing was that the whole weekend was really friendly with lots of hellos and smiles when you passed other competitors on the trails, and a good buzz to the campsite. The team aspect was also a nice contrast to the often solitary nature of triathlons.

The season's over now, but I would really recommend these races to anyone looking for something different for next year. Entries open soon, and you can enter solo as well as in a team of 2, 3 or 4, and you can do a Duo event if you don't want to kayak. This particular one's right on our doorstep (and uncovers some glorious bits of Thetford forest to boot), but there are others, mostly down south, and including one-day events as well as weekends. The challenge is pitched just right so that you can push yourself a bit whatever fitness/experience level you start from - it needs a bit of thought and strategy as well as speed and endurance, and of course you can have your own little competition going if you're with friends! Here's hoping for more next year...

Heavy, man

2011-08-05T18:20:00.001+01:00

I've neglected the blog a bit. Been bimbling along, same old same old - running seems to be a bit of a struggle in terms of getting faster, but it's still enjoyable so I keep getting out there. My niggly hip is not quite so bad at the moment, and doing non-running sessions seems to sort it out. Strange, but good!

The weekly routine is looknig approximately like this at the moment, but how it can be a routine when it seems to vary week by week I don't know!

Monday - club run in the evening
Tuesday - aerobics, provided there's no holiday substitute (as they're never as good!)
Wednesday - swim
Thursday - club efforts session
Friday - Gym
Saturday - parkrun
Sunday - social bike ride

I am making a concerted effort to get one good weights/strength session in per week. I'm feeling the benefit and enjoying the buzz of upping my weights/reps. At the moment I don't want to drop anything else from my week, but I know another session would be good... after Waveney I may give swimming the boot for a bit and really focus on strength. Or maybe aerobics, but that's *fun* where swimming, honestly, isn't really.

Today's session

Row, 5 mins
Plank, 3 x 38s (42s rest) (new time)
Twists, 3 x 15 @ 5kg (not sure what weight the next ball up is - might have to use a dumbbell to increase?)
Half pressups - 3 x 13
Biceps - 3 x 8 @ 8kg (new weight)
Squats - 3 x 10 @ 12kg (first time with weights - 6kg dumbbell each shoulder. Next time: grab an advisor to get the lowdown on the squat rack)
Lats - 3 x 8 @ 35kg
Triceps (cable): 3 x 6 @ 20kg (not so new, but done *properly* today, i.e. elbows fixed. Less rest at the top, harder work!)

So - a few weight increases, pleasantly fatigued afterwards, feeling good :) :)

Photo: Weight & Horoscope by wblj, on Flickr

Quick roundup

2011-07-11T10:42:00.000+01:00

Back to normal on the knee front, so a fairly normal week/weekend (sort of):

Thursday eve: crikey. Sprint efforts on the cinder track with Richard in charge. 200m pairs relays, mixed-distance pyramid relays, 50m shuttle runs, all kinds of short sharp delights. The final 400m was about the hardest thing I have ever done. A very slow run back to base (all together, which was nice) with some severe cases of jelly legs. Wowsers. Come back Nigel!!

Friday: feeling the after-effects a bit, but managed a 3.5 mile lunchtime run with Natalia and Alice. Not fast, but not bad at all. My arms ached more than anything, evidence of my amazing sprint technique (and you can take "amazing" in any way you like...)

Saturday: parkrun not happening, uh-uh, no way. I thought the Friday run would loosen me up and leave me ready to at least amble round on Saturday, but no. Two sleeps is the killer for that old friend DOMS... so, a quiet morning and the off to Essex (above) with the girls for a nice weekend :)

Sunday: "the usual", quick evening bike ride with Clare - biggest achievement, not getting wet! Had a little daft panic moment starting off on a barely-there hill, but no harm done apart from feeling an idiot. It was a good pace.

Photo: Wally, by me! From Mellisa's hen weekend.

Back in the swing of things!

2011-07-07T14:25:00.000+01:00

My knee seems fine. Wheeee!

Weekend: no actual exercise (oops) but I did cycle to parkrun (volunteering) and the shops, stand for hours on Sunday volunteering at the tri, and go for a little swim in the river.

Monday: 3.7 mile run with the club - all fine. No problems with my (mostly healed) blisters either.

Tuesday: aerobics, being careful of twisting and changing direction, but again no ill effects during or afterwards. We had a good old cardio set in the middle, which rocked, but I am looking forward to a new routine! Might miss next week due to a school group session in the lab though :(

Wednesday: 30 min steady but strong swim (short because I was fitting it in between classes). My right ankle (I twisted it a while back slipping on wet grass, but seem not to have blogged that...) started to ache, but my knee didn't! The whole swim felt good and today I'm feeling it in my shoulders, which is a pretty good sign of having worked well.

Thursday (tonight) will be efforts, Friday a gentle and probably short lunchtime run (meeting at 1.30pm), Saturday parkrun, and if I can make it (and if clean kit allows), a little run on Sunday morning too (hen weekend away).

Photo: zero gravity by [auro], on Flickr (CC-BY-ND 2.0)

After all that...

2011-07-01T17:02:00.000+01:00

...I seem to be on the mend! A day strapped up yesterday, a good night's sleep with my knee on a pillow, and today is almost, well, normal. I'm being careful, and haven't had time to run anyway, but it's looking OK. I cycled in to work and that was fine. Clearly my knee is an attention seeker.

Volunteering at parkrun and then the Norwich tri this weekend, so no epic workouts for me, but I might try a little jog up the lane and back, maybe a bike ride on Sunday evening, and some strength work at home (no squats or lunges, though!).

Photo: Othello Tunnels - Stretching into the Light by That Guy Who's Going Places, on Flickr

sigh

2011-06-30T14:01:00.000+01:00

Still not able to exercise. My knee can go from being almost normal to making me hobble and sound like a chimp ("oohh! ooh! aahh!") for no apparent reason. Even though I figured it would be futile, I went to the medical centre this morning. Rest, elevate, ice and heat, painkillers, bandage, come back on Monday if it's bad, yada yada. At least I got a free tubigrip, but even that keeps rolling down.

I am going stir crazy. I really hope it's eased enough to allow a swim (with pull buoy to avoid kicking if necessary) tomorrow.

Photo: No Cop, No Stop, I Don't Care *Explored* by Sean Molin Photography, on Flickr

Ouch :(

2011-06-28T12:14:00.002+01:00

What the...? I woke up this morning, and my knee hurts. (That sounds like the start to the worst blues song ever.) I feel like I'm not going anywhere for a little while.

I had a good night's sleep despite the 20°C temperature, don't think I was tossing and turning too much, but when I turned over first thing there was a definite OW moment. It seemed to settle down, I was able to get up and get myself to work (favouring one leg on the bike - SPDs would have been very handy), but after sitting on my arse for a couple of hours, it's bloody painful and I'm hobbling around like Long John Silver. Feels like I have twisted or otherwise strained it, rather than a bruise or knock. Barely any swelling, if at all. Hmph.

Until this point, it had been a good week. Well, possibly until last night, when I forgot my socks but decided to run anyway. Bzzt, wrong answer. Heel blisters threatening after 2 miles, and a walk home, with bare feet on the grass when possible. They don't seem too bad today but that's because I have a knackered knee occupying my thoughts!

The weekend got off to a good start with a gentle Friday run and then a guided river swim followed by a barbecue. Nothing on Saturday but a good day on Sunday, starting with 20 miles in the forest with Trish on her spare mountain bike, and then the usual circuit in the evening on the road bike with Clare and Alice. Followed by a cheeky dip in the river because it was bloody hot :) Feeling a tad saddle sore after all that, but a good day - biking the trails is fun, but hard work.

Photo: Pink by *Kicki*, on Flickr

Successful outing for the stripes

2011-06-22T22:33:00.019+01:00

My Conac club vest (not pictured above, but similarly stripy) had its second outing at the Broadland 5k series tonight. The rain poured just before and after but stayed off for the race (although with plenty of puddles around to ensure we got wet one way or another). I ran without a watch, not necessarily by design but it worked well - all I could do was go for it and not be tempted to slack. I ran a good strong race for the first half, including the hill just after 2km, and hung on to 3km but as soon as that downhill ended I ran out of steam a bit. About 4km I found a bit of energy and kept going right up until that last hill when (guess who) Mr "I'm going to take it really slow tonight" Mark appeared on my heels. Grrrr. He obliterated me on the last corner to beat me by 5 seconds, and I had nothing left to come back at him. SO ANNOYING! Still, I was a minute faster than the previous race, so I am well pleased with 26:40. But one of these days I shall have my revenge... (and in any case my age graded % is better than his, so ner)

Alice ran well at 25:35, and Claudia was under 30 minutes so pleased with that. Andy picked up an individual and a team prize, so a succesful night all round. Especially as Sue brought cake! Just not sure whether some people went to the wrong pub...

Since last week, I've mainly been running - Friday lunchtime (Bowthorpe marshes), Saturday parkrun (28:52 - nice easy run), and Monday (also lunchtime to fit it in around other stuff). Sunday was a rest day, including a massage and lots of lounging around at the spa/pool at Sprowston Manor :) On Tuesday it was back to aerobics again, definitely not a very high impact routine at the moment but Sarah did have us doing the old run around the room in the middle of the set, which helped raise the old heart rate. The final abs work felt very hard at the time, but there's not too much sign of that a day later! So on the whole I felt much fresher and more rested than I did for the last race, and it showed, but I need to sort out that last km for next time, dammit.

Photo: Stripes @ Wollaton Park, Nottingham by timparkinson, on Flickr

Get lost!

2011-06-15T21:04:00.002+01:00

I tried a little trail run* with the orienteering club tonight - not only did I not get lost, but I won a prize :) And (carto-geek alert) I got to keep the map.

It was great fun, although it somehow feels a little bit like cheating to know the area well beforehand - the paths were 99% ones that I run often at lunchtimes. There was only one that I hadn't been on, which I did miss first time around because it was deceptively narrow, but it didn't make a big difference to the route. Nonetheless I had to do the distance like everyone else, and think on my feet. It was an interesting experience to find myself catching up with people who were clearly much better runners than me, while they were standing looking at their map (usually followed by them overtaking me a few seconds later). However, on an unknown course that would undoubtedly be me scratching my head, so I consider myself to have enjoyed it while it lasted.

It was an informal affair, with a small number of edible prizes (I am liking this orienteering lark more and more already). My Mars bar was gained for "fastest lady over the final stage, barring those who already won a prize or went home before the presentations". My time (over my own personal route of 3.3 miles) was 32:26 or 9:49/mile average. Given that I ran out of steam at one point, that's not bad going. It was a good strong run but better than that it was bloody good fun. I think I shall do more when the season starts in September. Thank you, Norfolk Orienteering Club!

Since the last update, I have been a busy bunny and am feeling on top of the world. Friday saw a social run with Tally and Alice, a nice steady pace after Thursday's efforts. After helping rather than running at parkrun on Saturday, I went out for a bike ride around the usual loop with Kerry and Clare in the evening sunshine, which was lovely, and then when it rained (finally) on Sunday I did the without-weights bit of my strength/core circuit from the gym. However, on Monday my legs were pretty stiff from the lunges etc. so I hung out at the back on the club run and walked the last bit with Hannah and a couple of newer ladies. On Tuesday I made a return to aerobics and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially since I found I could cope with both the routine and the intensity - but only some of the abs work at the end. I think I will keep that session up for a few weeks. Then today included a swim as well as the trail run - my first foray into the pool since Waveney, I think, so just 30 minutes getting reacquainted with the water and seeing how my technique has fared. Not too bad, I think, but a more structured session next time will tell.

Photo: IMG_5802 by timbobee, on Flickr
* no, this is not an actual control point from the UEA course...

Not quite ten thousand men...

2011-06-10T18:39:00.000+01:00

...and I'm not quite elevating Nigel to the aristocracy (king of efforts though he may be). But yesterday there was certainly a lot of up and down hills going on, essentially just for the sake of it, but then again we know it's good for us. Over at the playing fields, we did 2 sets of 3 easy-ish hills to warm up, and then the last "set" was a cheeky surprise consisting of three hills per lap. I was in the "two laps" group, needless to say.

I just wish I hadn't decided to add weights to my squats in the gym the day before. Lazily (!) I started with 7kg each side, because that's what I use for the bicep curls in between lunge sets and I didn't want to be swapping (or hogging) 2 sets of dumbbells. I dropped down to 2 sets of 10 static lunges each side, and was certainly feeling it a day later if not at the time. Poor old quads... It was a good progression session (ha) overall, as I did 3 x 40s on planks, 3 x 15 on twists, and 3 x 20kg triceps.

Other than that, my week has involved a round the (Ketteringham) block cycle with Clare, a commuter-bike ride to Wroxham and back (24 miles), Monday night club run, and Friday lunchtime run with Natalia and Alice (actually a good gentle stretch for my tired legs). Not too shabby - plans are now that the weekend will see another bike ride and maybe a swim.

Photo: Oh, The Grand Old Duke Of York.. by zawtowers, on Flickr

Shady ladies

2011-06-03T18:15:00.000+01:00

Bloody hot again for a lunchtime run - mad dogs, Englishmen, yada yada. Natalia and I stayed in the trees as far as possible. A surprisingly comfortable run given it's #3 in a row for me, but probably because it was slow, only about 3 miles (although it's hard to map the twists and turns in the trees so maybe it was further) at 11 min miles.

Photo: Through trees by Autumnsonata, on Flickr

Back to efforts

2011-06-02T22:16:00.000+01:00

Thursday night efforts, in Eaton Park with Nigel at the helm. Two 1-2-3-2-1 pyramids, a minute in between each effort and 3 minutes between the two sets. It was my first club effort session for, oh, a million years or so. But... I wasn't at the back. I was kind of at the front of the back if that makes sense. I don't have any handle on pace, really, but I tried to imagine what I'd like to be able to run a 5k at (looking at it in terms of realistic aspiration rather than pipe dreams).

It was a hot day and it was hard, sweaty work turning myself into a human beetroot - but that's the point of efforts. I'd describe it as tough but do-able, so I reckon I pitched it right... calf cramp was threatening on the way back to base but it didn't appear during the session so that's good. I did wish I'd taken a drink - I was probably dehydrated by the end, which can't have helped.

I haven't done anything other than running since the lake swim at the weekend - the next day my nose/head was totally stuffed (allergic reaction?) and so I gave it a rest. Now I hear there's suspected blue-green algae at the lake, so I wonder if that's what it was?

Photo: sweaty. by dearsomeone, on Flickr

First open water of the year

2011-05-28T16:37:00.000+01:00

Is it down to the lake I fear? Yes it is. Too early - Saturdays don't need two 8ams really.

The lake was colder, greyer and greener than I remembered. I always think of still summer mornings with the sun in a wide clear sky, the lake like a mirror, and the water a balmy umpteen degrees. Today wasn't like that.

After 100m I could breathe. After 200m my goggles had more or less demisted. After 400m I had feeling back in my face again. After 800m I turned around the buoy and into a headwind that was whipping up a few choppy waves - coming back took 3-4 minutes longer than going out, and at times I was aware of the swell.

Still, I'm glad I went. There's something hypnotically satisfying about just swimming continuously, getting into a rhythm and not turning. If I could swim in a straight line it would be even better :) Today's highlight was the hot shower and the cup of coffee afterwards - bliss. Even though there weren't any biscuits left :(

Photo: A point of view by angelocesare, on Flickr

A little record

2011-05-26T16:34:00.000+01:00

Not a PB, but a year's best at last night's Broadland 5k. So just a little record (groan). Perfect conditions, not too hot and not too cold, quiet roads, lovely countryside, a little bit of up and down but nothing serious. If they hadn't said it had been organised quickly due to some problem with the old Wroxham venue, you'd never have known. Loads of marshals and the best cake stall around (not that I had any!).

I had a really good run, considering I did squats and lunges the day before - a warm up eased my stiff legs (more or less), then the race was comfortable and rock steady at around 5:30 for each km. Although it was chip timed, there was no start-line chip mat so the official results say 27:43. It was 27:21 for 'im indoors, who sped off in front for the first km, slowed up for the second, dogged my heels for the next two and then pulled away up the last hill. Sneaky bugger. I'm not going to the gym the day before the next race, that's for sure.

Photo: Untitled by maxw, on Flickr

Blustery day

2011-05-22T19:37:00.001+01:00

Despite the energetic dancing of the trees outside, I agreed to go for a bike ride with Clare and Marie. Definitely a bit gusty at times, but not nearly as bad as we feared, and the sun and lack of traffic at 4-5pm on a Sunday definitely made up for the headwind. A lovely social ride - 24 miles via Barford and Wramplingham.

Yesterday I did parkrun (number 9 for me), 28:28 which is a personal second best - ran without a watch, with mp3 player, just doing what I felt like and could have sworn it was much slower than that. So the result was a nice surprise!

Photo: Trees and wind by nyoin, on Flickr

I'm still here!

2011-05-20T17:30:00.000+01:00

Blogging has taken a bit of a back seat since the tri, but I am still here, honest... I'm not quite back into the full routine but I'm getting there. I've veered between a shocking run(-walk) and a great 10k averaging 9:20/mile. I've been out around the block on my bike, had a just-stretching-out swim which was nice, and returned to the gym (just yesterday, as my muscles insist on reminding me).

I'm aiming for a parkrun bimble tomorrow and the Broadland (previously Wroxham) 5k next Wednesday. If the weather's good, a bike ride on Sunday is on the cards too. It's nice having no particular focus, but it may also be my downfall if it means I start skipping too many sessions. I'll keep an eye on that.

Photo: *shrug*, by me, on Flickr

Back in the saddle (just about)

2011-05-08T20:08:00.001+01:00

My first sprint tri for two and a half years (!). The training I'd done was somewhat undone by a week and a half away from home immediately before the race, and it was a bit of a struggle at times - as reflected in my slow times for the bike and run, leading to a PW for the race. All of the newbies I brought along beat me fairly comprehensively, but I don't care. It was fun :)

The forecast heavy rain stayed away and instead it was pretty warm with a strong breeze. Nothing untoward apart from a minor gears issue while setting up, which was fixed with a bit of help from Alice's Andy. I did have to stop for a few seconds to be overtaken at the end of length 14 of the swim, only to then find myself stuck behind the guy. I've never had to let someone past before and it was kind of annoying especially to be then on his toes, but at least it was only for 2 lengths.

Alice and I started in the same wave - she was mere seconds behind me out of the swim as she had to wait twice to be passed, but caught me about 1/3 of the way into the bike and then gradually pulled away, even on the main road where I thought I might make up a bit. However, a bit of faffing in T2 let me catch up with her again and we started the run together. Not that we were together for very long - I had totally leaden legs for the first mile, which in a 2-mile run is not great. It definitely added a certain something to have someone else so close though.

Barney and Rom also did brilliantly, with Barney only just over the hour and Rom around 1:03.

Now to get fitter and bounce back at Waveney 2... hopefully a good summer will see me improve on the bike. Or maybe even a new bike would help :D

Results: W1'11 {W2'08} (W1'08) [W2'07]

Swim: 7:57 {7:28} (8:01) [8:46]
T1 + bike: 41:43* {39:50} (40:02*) [40:47] *includes T2 as well
T2 + run: 19:15* {18:05} (18:12*) [17:57] *does not include T2
Total: 1:08:55 {1:05:23} (1:06:15) [1:07:30]

Overall position: 97/150 {61/114} (88/130) [72/115]
Women's race position: 19/48 {9/29} (10/31) [15/36]
Age group position: 3/9 {2/5} (2/7) [5/10]

Photo: '08 06-07 171 by JeepFleeb, on Flickr - of course I look like this when I do a tri...

What I Did On My Holidays

2011-05-07T10:10:00.032+01:00

Sums it up...

Well, not quite. But after the (relatively) super speedy swim from my previous post, I got stuck into some much needed spring cleaning and DIY over the (for once, glorious) holiday weekend and didn't do any training. The following week saw a 2-day conference where I did at least get out for a 30-minute run each morning, just to keep myself ticking over.

I had reasonably high hopes for the field course the following week, and duly packed two sets of kit. Sunday morning saw a 5-mile walk, but on Monday I finally got out for a wander along the path by the Ley, and back up through the village, trying to make it back so as to be able to shower before breakfast at 7.30am.

Little word, "up". But Devon has steep hills, for a girl from the flatlands, and "up through the village" might as well have been the north face of the Eiger. Ouch. So, what turned into a run-walk was actually the last of my training, as the rest of the week saw me too tired to do anything in the early mornings that were the only realistic time to go. And I freely admit that spending a few nights at the pub over the course of the week might not have been the best way to spend a taper... but dammit, I slept well :)

So, there we go. Excuse-ducks all in a row! I'm not feeling as excited about the race as I could be, just because I haven't had full control over the past week, but I'm still up for it. More "let's give it a go" than "bring it on", but sometimes life gets in the way a bit and all you can do is bumble on. Let's see what tomorrow brings. The forecast says heavy rain!

Photo: open to possibilities 2 by Chris Blakeley, on Flickr

On fire in the pool

2011-04-21T18:28:00.001+01:00

Yesterday's run was truly rubbish, and I felt crap about it all afternoon. I had a long stressful day after that, and this morning didn't go much better. I wasn't even supposed to be in the office, really we get Thursday and Tuesday as additional closure days, but I had too much to do. I planned to leave at lunchtime via the pool, but finally hauled my arse away from my desk at 3pm. I nearly, SO nearly just went home, but my swim stuff was right there... I gave myself a swift talking to, ignored the fact that I hadn't had any lunch (I'd had a banana and my two remaining Graze punnets, hardly starving), and went up to the pool for at least a short swim.

Once in there, I realised this may well be the last swim I get before the tri, seeing as I am away from Weds 27th to Fri 6th, just 2 days before. So, time for one last time trial, even if I'm not feeling up for it - 2 slow lengths to check goggles and nose clip (pah), and then off.

It was hard going. My stroke felt scrappy, desperate even. I had to fumble my nose clip back on twice, and then dumped it in passing at the end of one length in disgust - immediately getting water up my nose. I was breathing hard, every 2 strokes almost, and it felt like my legs were not kicking so much as having some kind of fit. I knew it was going to be bad, but I forced myself to push on. "If you can't swim fast, at least swim strong" was what I was telling myself as I reached and grabbed on to the water in as big handfuls as I could manage, but it felt leaden and messy, not at all efficient or smooth.

I counted lengths all the way, determined not to mess up like last time. Four, I'm a quarter there... eight, that's half... ten, into double figures... twelve, that's three-quarters done... fourteen, come on, last two... push that last one all the way to the end... grab, stop the watch, squint at it... HUH?

7:46

7:46 !!

No way. Is there any way I could have miscounted, should have swum an 8:46? No. It felt slow but not that slow. So 7:46 it is. That's 10 seconds off - insane.

After that I did four recovery lengths in a state of shock (and exhaustion), and then chanced my arm with 5 x 25m sprints - all at 23-24 seconds. Another four recovery and I called it a day and went home. Still stunned.

So, a rough and scrappy, slow-feeling 400m - 7:46.

Goes to show you never can tell... sounds like the cue for a song :)

Photo: The water's on fire! by Mukumbura, on Flickr

Sticky

2011-04-20T15:25:00.001+01:00

Sticky weather, sticky suncream, sweaty hair, unwilling legs, sore hip, crap run. Bah humbug.

I don't know what I have done/am doing to my right hip. After running, it's getting quite stiff, especially if I then go and sit on my arse for a while like I do when I run at lunchtime. But it doesn't hurt as such, just feels like it needs a good stretch. Today my knees felt like they were coming out in sympathy, kind of creaky - often I just felt like I was running through treacle, pushing hard to barely move at all. Yet there were times when I felt I was running strong, if not fast, I was holding decent form and could just about maintain the pace.

Oh yeah, pace? Ha - not timed, not mapped, a few walks thrown in for good (bad) measure... maybe 35 minutes? This is not good. I have 2 weeks to pull this together, most of which I am spending away from home. Back to the spreadsheets I think.

Photo: Lyle's Black Treacle by Sifter, on Flickr

Catch up

2011-04-19T23:18:00.003+01:00

Friday: Gym session. Up to 3x10x8kg on biceps, 3x12x15kg on triceps, 3x35s plank, and other Good Stuff. Listened to the last Now Show of the series, managed not to drop any weights while giggling.

Saturday: Riverside run from the Aylesbury Premier Inn. Rock and roll! Actually it was quite nice... wide, surfaced paths along the immediate floodplain of the Thame, a minor excursion up to the top of a hill (bump) to look at the voo (as they say in Norfolk), and then across the river to follow an older path all the way over to the Bicester road, and back again. Lots of dog walkers out, but no poo in evidence (hurrah). Only later was I told about the woman who was murdered down there not so long ago. Damn. I'd have gone faster if I'd known.

Sunday: cheering on Tally (and 34,999 other people) in the London Marathon. And just for a change, not walking 10 miles while doing it, which Mark was probably pleased about.

Monday: Campus run with Conac, didn't log time or distance, probably 3-3.5 miles @ 10 min miles.

Today: biked the Intwood/Ketteringham loop with Kerry, not really a training session as such but I did reach the heady heights of 55kph on the downhill between East Carleton and the Ketteringham monument :)

Photos: 40/365 by Jack Fussell, Flickr, New Estate. by dlanor smada, Flickr, Tally at 14.5 miles by me, Footbridge across the River Yare, UEA by Nigel Chadwick, Geograph Cattle pasture south of High Ash Farm, Ketteringham by Evelyn Simak, Geograph

Bluebell run

2011-04-13T16:45:00.000+01:00

A bit early, they are only just coming out, but in a week or so this will be glorious!

3.5 miles (ish - there's more zigzagging in the woods loop than I can see from the aerial imagery) in 33:32 (so close...) = 9:32/mile, which is not bad for offroad. More to the point, it was pretty (but not as pretty as Monday when the sun was out and I went for a walk!).

Photo: Bluebells in Alsa wood, Elsenham by hungrybrowser, on Flickr

Brrrr

2011-04-12T16:47:00.004+01:00

The pool was quiet today, which was odd - I thought (school) Easter holidays would cancel out (university) Easter holdays. But no - I had a choice of 3 empty lanes. Perhaps the fact that it was BLOODY FREEZING had something to do with it (or maybe the pool suffered from the lack of bodies to heat it up?).

Anyway, 7 x 100 max (at uninspiring times ranging from 1:55 to 2:00) and 5 x 50m sprint (ditto, 55s to 58s). A guy got in with me and proceeded to do slowish front crawl, but I just timed the rests so as to keep out of his way completely or overtake him early on. When I moved to the next (empty) lane later, for the sprints, he was keeping pace with me doing breaststroke...

Photo: swimming polar bear. by Brad Cross, on Flickr

I dunno...

2011-04-11T23:33:00.000+01:00

About 4.5 miles at Conac, with Jeanette and Emily and a few others. In the rain, but leading to a lovely sunset and, opposite, sunlit dark clouds. No idea of the time I ran for. Probably about 10 minute miles, but my pace sense is not the most reliable... Ah well. Call it a recovery run!

Photo: Question mark in Esbjerg by alexanderdrachmann, on Flickr

Wheeeeee!

2011-04-10T22:48:00.000+01:00

Same bike ride route as last week. One more companion (Kerry). Same lovely weather. Added in three sprints (High Ash Road, and two on the B1135) after realising that I only have this and the Easter weekend left to do any proper bike training. Eeek.

The sprints felt great... for about 30 seconds each time. Then my quads started complaining - gently whingeing at first, but moving into full on Monty Python Dead Parrot mode. I was wary in case I got cramp, but that never materialised, so I pushed on. No idea how fast I went for the most part, because my bike computer was being temperamental, but on the last (flat, straight, headwind) sprint I was nudging (and struggling to keep) 30kph. I think gym + parkrun + lots of cleaning isn't really the best way to prepare (so no housework for me before the race :)

Photo: P ä i v ä n s ä d e k ä s by Pörrö, on Flickr

PRPB

2011-04-09T21:57:00.001+01:00

First parkrun in yonks today. There were about 199 more people than in the photo above :) Glorious weather, not a cloud in the sky - perhaps a teeny bit chilly in the shade, but that's all to the good. Keeps me moving. The cool headwind along the only incline was welcome too.

No watch so no pressure for a particular time, I was just out to enjoy it and I did. Despite stiff legs and various other aches from yesterday, it felt good to run and I was steadily passing people all the way. I couldn't put a finger on a time while I was running, but judging my pace as best I could I thought I was in with a reasonable chance of a PB (previous PB 28:35). It turns out I knocked 43s off, running 8:58/mile to get 27:52. Wheeee :D

About halfway I looked back down the course as I rounded a corner and saw Mark (training regime: bugger all) about 20-30s behind me. For the rest of the race I expected him to appear over my shoulder but he never did, and I had the fun of watching him sprint finish with a bunch of other guys (it was the timekeepers I felt sorry for!). It's not often I beat 'im indoors in a race so clearly the training is paying off - although I have to say I won't be doing weights in the gym the day before the tri. Now I'm wondering what I could do on fresh legs...

Photo: Weak? Thought ee, too? by harry harris, on Flickr

Raaaa!

2011-04-08T18:26:00.000+01:00

Time seemed to fly by today at the gym, and everything felt good. Tricep pulldowns: 3 x 12 @ 15kg, no problem. Dynamic lunges: went on for ever, but fine. Bicep curls: need to go up to 8kg next time. Half press-ups: 3 x 10, not quite "no problem" but I did it :) Planks: 3 x 35sec, ditto.

Bring it on, world.

Photo: Strong Man Bot by Jenn and Tony Bot, on Flickr

Steamy windows

2011-04-07T22:25:00.001+01:00

By the time I got my goggles to actually stop leaking today, they were so steamed up I could barely read the (big, red, illuminated) clock, let alone my watch (had I even remembered it). I couldn't face removing them and having them start leaking again, so I just went with the fog. So, no timing for me this time. My nose clip was misbehaving again too - I wonder if it's just lost its springiness? Grr.

250m warm up
pyramid @ mod/hard effort: 50, 100, 150, 200, 150, 100, 50; 50, 100, 50
250m cool down

1500m total, just under 40 mins incuding rests and goggle faff.

Not concentrating on blistering (?!) speed today, but staying strong and keeping form. Turns were mostly pretty decent (one was a bit early and I barely touched the wall... duh), I was doing OK at kicking slower and from the hip, and given the way my shoulders felt by the end, catch and pull were not too shabby either :) I probably had longer rests in between the pyramid elements than I usually would, but it worked well for form (if not for developing endurance at that speed).

Photo: Heat by AmoraInk, on Flickr

Phew what a scorcher

2011-04-06T21:32:00.000+01:00

Today I went out for some of these (above), making the most of the short time I had at lunchtime for a run. Well, to be honest, being where I am, the hills are more like:

What made it tougher, though, was lots of this:

Which meant I had to run here:

So, 35 minutes. Didn't really count the distance but I did 10 hills altogether around the pitches/Colney lane/metal bridge area, with minimal resting (but slow active recoveries), playing around on the paths through the woods which were in very welcome dappled shade. Running back across the plain to the office, I could have sworn it was July, if only the leaves had all been out. I reckon 20-21ºC, easy. Plenty of people out enjoying the sun.

The hill reps were OK, given they were the first for a while. I felt good at the start, and even at the start of the later reps, but by the top of each I was gritting my teeth. Recovery jogs down again helped, though, and wending my way back after the last one felt a bit like the cool down on a swim, when I'm just flowing easily, all the effort done and dusted. Well, it felt like that until I hit the blazing sun and the sneaky slight uphill leading back to the office.

After all that, I definitely enjoyed this:

Photos: Nestled by .aditya., A-Molehill by tölvakonu, Blue Skies! by ..::K2::.., Spring Green by Turkinator, Shower by Woman of Scorn, all on Flickr

Seven!!

2011-04-05T17:54:00.000+01:00

Woohoo - finally went sub-8 minutes on 400m today. Got off to a bad start by losing my nose clip after 6 lengths (weird, as usually it stays firmly put), reluctantly deciding to stop, and then noticing I never zeroed my stopwatch before I started. However, subtracting my memory of last night's run time I reckon I had done 6 lengths plus a push-off in 2:55, so it wasn't looking too shabby.

I did a couple of slow lengths to check the clip was sorted out and staying in place, then started my 400m again. It was a good swim, but I could tell it was getting sloppy as I got more tired, especially the kick - I reckon from behind I probably look like I am having a convulsion. It ended up as about 7:56, which (although some way off my best) is great. I'm very happy to be sub-8 again, and hope I can shave a little bit more off that over the next few weeks.

After that I did some drills as a mid-session recovery, and then pairs of 25m sprints, taking 35s for the first one plus a rest, and then having a longer rest after the second. I cranked out the first 25m in 23s, 22s and 24s (woohoo!), but was more like 24-27s on the second of each pair. Three of those wiped me out, so I called it a day and cooled down. Not bad for a lunchtime's work.

Photo: 7 by duncan, on Flickr

Team pink

2011-04-04T21:22:00.000+01:00

Club run tonight, youngster Chloe was there again so Claudia and I ran with her - 3.5 miles, just under 37 minutes tonight. Chloe and I were matching in hi-vis pink, and I'm running out of inspiration for a blog picture today so that will do :)

I could have gone for a quick trip around the Fiveways block after I got back, thought about it and probably should have done it but unless I get out there straight away it doesn't happen - if I pause and chat and stretch, I'm done. Next time I shall declare my intentions up front and then it'll be less easy to wimp out. I do need to up my speed training before the tri.

Photo: Floating Marble by spettacolopuro, on Flickr

Social ride and sloshy run

2011-04-03T22:24:00.001+01:00

After spending the morning marshalling at the Diss Duathlon, I went out for a lovely hour-long social ride with Clare - so lovely to have company on a ride, the roads were really quiet and the weather was perfect too. It's all good for getting used to the bike again and feeling more comfortable, having someone to chat to instead of fretting about stopping and starting.

I couldn't really call it a brick, but I did go for a run after I got back. There was a few minutes' gap between the bike and run, and I only went for 25 minutes' slow shuffle around the marshes. Mainly it was tough because I stupidly glugged half a bottle of water after getting off the bike and my stomach felt like a washing machine on slow spin cycle. Slosh slosh slosh... after about 20 minutes it eased, but my legs had had enough by then :)

Photo: Chaos in a Cup by DillonH, on Flickr

Wrong, wrong, wrong

2011-04-01T18:15:00.001+01:00

Wrong frame of mind, wrong headspace, whatever. I had to force myself to go to the pool, and I just couldn't keep count, focus or do anything useful at all, so I just swam. Didn't help that most of the lanes were full, for some reason, and I was in with a lady doing 2 lengths for my 3 (even at my "just swim" pace). One of those days. At least I went!

Photo: meh by Яick Harris, on Flickr

Noises off

2011-03-30T16:39:00.004+01:00

For a change I didn't have my mp3 player on today - went over to Bowthorpe marshes for the usual circuit. It was a lovely spring day, I was enjoying the birds singing and the ducks quacking and the lambs across the river bleating... and then a pony I was running past farted really loudly. For a few minutes I couldn't run for laughing (as opposed to the usual situation of couldn't run for toffee).

Still feeling very stiff from Monday, I deliberately went out for a plod, and achieved my aim. 3.8 miles in 40 mins. But a slow run and a laugh were probably just what the doctor ordered :)

Photo: #98/365 by crumpart, on Flickr

Catching up

2011-03-29T15:07:00.005+01:00

Sunday: a little swim and a little lounge in the jacuzzi, giving a few tips to Rom to help improve his swimming for Waveney. He's currently on 11 minutes, let's see how he does on the day! A little R&R was certainly on the cards, Saturday's 330m of climb also involved, let's not forget, 330m of descent, something my glutes are keen to remind me about every time I move.

Monday: double the fun, or should that be double trouble. A lunchtime gym trip (the usual, but swapping lateral lift out and shoulder press in, and moving up to stepped lunges rather than static) so as to leave myself free to help with the beginners' running session later. Except I wasn't needed on the run 1/walk 1 session and instead chaperoned new youngster Chloe on her first club run and longest ever at 34 minutes. We didn't quite make 10 min miles (3.2 miles in the 34 mins) but she was pleased and, given my lunchtime efforts, I was too!

Tuesday: feeling pretty stiff and sore today, but dragged myself off to the pool and managed 250m warm up, 8x75m max (1:25, 1:28, 1:27, 1:25, 1:28, 1:30), 200m drills, 4x50m sprint (55, 58, 56, 55), and 250m cool down to make 1500m total. Surprised at how good the times were considering how I felt, especially around my core. Since I worked out how to do russian twists properly, my obliques certainly feel it the next day.

Photo: Two of Arts - 2000 Visual Mashups by qthomasbower, on Flickr

Something different

2011-03-26T14:28:00.017Z

Friday saw us in Preston for a wedding. Having had no time to do anything on Thursday (thanks to travelling), I squeezed in 4 miles first thing, choking for the first 5-10 minutes on fumes from the M6 and the traffic held up by nearby roadworks - I forget how clean and fresh Norfolk air is! Just under 10-min miles, which is not bad given the initial effects on my lung capacity.

On Saturday, after only a slight (cough) diversion en route from Preston to the Peaks (who knew the M60 just magically turned into the M62 and whisked you off to Huddersfield with no warning?), we met up with Emma and Rom at the Fairholmes car park of Ladybower/Derwent reservoirs, and went off for this walk. Total: 8.5 miles, 330m of climb, a chilly wind, and a blister. Day-old sandwiches (sorry, barms) hit the spot too. They were bought from local sandwich shop in Grimsargh that I'd spotted on my run, and intended to stave off any hunger pangs before the late-afternoon wedding breakfast, but were so northernly huge that we had no more than a couple of bites. After 330m they were absolutely delicious, although not quite as good as the burger in the pub that evening...

The photo's not mine, although I took a couple - will drag them off the camera later.

Photo: Back Tor (SK1991) by ron layters on Geograph

If you go down to the woods today...

2011-03-23T14:27:00.001Z

...you're sure to end up completely knackered.

No, it doesn't really work, does it? Nor do my legs, now.

It was just too beautiful not to get out today, even though I had to squish a run in between a course and a seminar, which left me sitting in said seminar in my hi-vis pink top, with hi-vis pink cheeks and sweaty hair, eating my lunch and trying very unsuccessfully to be inconspicuous.

I did what turned out to be 3.5 miles with Alice, taking in as much nature and general greenery around campus as possible. The blackthorn blossom is out in abundance along the hedgerows and in the more open bits of the woods, but the trees are still more or less bare so there was lots of sun and blue sky to be had as well.

Going with Alice made it a bit quicker than I would have gone on my own, 33:40 or 9:37/mile. And I know there were some very slow bits in there (the map doesn't show all the wiggles through the woods) so there must have been some fast ones too :) But with the last 3 days being 8 miles, then 5 miles, then a mile swim plus 10 miles extra on the bike, I think I'm pretty happy with that. Must be all that sunshine.

Photo: Blackthorn at Otmoor by Jon Evans, on Flickr

Throw me a line

2011-03-22T18:18:00.000Z

1600m:
250 warm up
150 drills
50 kick
600: 8 x 75m @ max (1:21, 1:24, 1:24, 1:26, 1:27, 1:27, 1:25, 1:26)
300: 6 x 50m @ sprint (54, 54, 56, 57, 56, 56)
250m cool down

End state: pooped, but pleased. Working at keeping my form even when tired and/or pushing it is paying off, little by little. And getting out of the office for a break certainly was a lifesaver today!

Photo: salvagente by ganaverre, on Flickr

'B' run

2011-03-21T21:59:00.017Z

B for boring? Not really, an unusual route tonight if anything, although fair enough it wasn't exactly thrilling :) Brilliant? Hmm, not outstanding in terms of pace or distance, so no. Bracing? Hardly, it was quite mild. Just B-class as opposed to A-class? Yeah, perhaps. Good and solid, showing potential but nothing too special.

Actually I just thought the route was B-shaped. In my head, anyway. On the map... err, no.

3.4 miles, I was under 34 mins but not by much - however I know I had a strong last mile or so as I overtook a few people on the way back to base, so definitely an uneven run. Oh for a GPS ;)

Eight and cake

2011-03-20T22:58:00.000Z

I did eight miles (eight!!) with Natalia this morning. She arrived on my doorstep bang on time having done 6, and made her way home via another 4, and we had a rock-steady 11:30/mile run out to the Ketteringham monument and back. It was excellent, the longest run I have done in ages, and I just really enjoyed being out there. It was good for both of us to have company, and I was reminded of my admiration for anyone training for a marathon. I like to think I could have done more miles but I would probably be telling porkies, so I shall shut up and donate some cash instead.

There was hardly anyone around, which is a real shame as it was shaping up into a lovely day. Not quite as glorious as yesterday (when I did nothing but cycle to the city and back), but the sun peeked out and there were daffodils on the road verges. Surely the next best thing to a cheering crowd.

The run was followed up later in excellent style by Tally's fundraising tea and cake afternoon. How very civilised. Cake in abundance, and £200 raised for her marathon charity. Fan bloody tastic.

Photo: Countdown to Spring by aussiegall, on Flickr

A rest, a walk and a milestone

2011-03-18T17:11:00.001Z

I took a rest day today - had planned on the gym but remembered I had a lunchtime "Calm Course" session (Wabi sabi - pretty interesting), and I need to get home tonight for a visit from the mothership :) I did make it for a walk before the session, at least: I found a new path in the woods that was quite pretty, heard (I think!) a Cetti's warbler plus robins and blackbirds, and saw the fantastic mass of daffs at the end of Chancellor's Drive.

Also, when I weighed myself this morning, I found that I am finally in the merely "overweight" category - I don't put too much store by BMI generally, but it's good to tick off the milestones as they pass. Onwards and downwards!

Weekend plans are parkrun or a quick bike loop on Sat (although heavy frost is expected overnight), and then 8 miles with Tally on Sunday. She gets to do another 10, lucky thing!

What I learned today: my blog gets hits from Google Finland and searches for "the world according to marty". Now it will presumably get more...

Photo: 6 by practicalowl, on Flick

Meh.

2011-03-17T16:32:00.000Z

Still feeling lethargic, but made myself push it a bit more today, even if the results weren't as fast as I'd expect for the effort put in. I did 6 x 100m moderate (2:00 to 2:05) and then 5 x 50m sprints (all 54-56s). 250m warm up and cool down, and an odd 50m interlude between them makes 1400m. Just one of those weeks I guess.

I am still sporting a lurvely bruise above my left knee, acquired (I think) while dismantling the finish gantry at the half. Doesn't hurt but looks quite impressive. Very purple. Matches my swimsuit and hat ;)

Photo: Dimensions by jurvetson, on Flickr

Brrrr

2011-03-16T22:33:00.001Z

Yucky, grey, windy, penetrating cold/damp... 5.4 miles, 54 mins (ish, forgot to start my watch until ~15 mins in, d'oh). Oh, and a pit stop at Waitrose loos. I suppose this sort of run makes the good ones seem even better!

Photo: five minutes before rain by davide.tarasconi, on Flickr

Time trials and tribulations

2011-03-15T18:19:00.001Z

I didn't swim my 4-weekly 400m time trial last week, so I put it in today. It went pretty well, apart from me making it a 450m time trial. Well, I hope that's what I did - otherwise I am pretty damn slow.

So, apparently I can't count. I think I lost track around 12 lengths in, but anyway, it came out as 9:07 or so. Assuming I swam an even pace, that would be about 8:06 for the 400m. It's quicker than last time, but by a measly half a second a length. I'd be fibbing if I said I hadn't hoped for better. I was sharing a lane with two others but they really weren't in the way, and were actually very good about letting me past. My one excuse is that I'm still pretty tired from the weekend, just being on my feet all day(s) at the half, never mind a bit of lifting here and there. But that feels like a bit of a cop out.

After the 400m, I couldn't get going again. I tried setting myself up for a pyramid, and I was using nearly all the 35s on swimming each length, with nothing for rest! I was getting frustrated, so I called it a day and "just swam" for the rest of it, stretching out and trying to improve my catch and pull. Felt better at the end, but I still have some work to do.

Photo: 806 by mag3737, on Flickr

Night shift

2011-03-14T22:58:00.002Z

Back to club running for the first time in ages tonight. After spending the weekend helping at the City of Norwich Half Marathon, I realised that I was actually missing the Monday nights and my fellow back-of-the-pack-ers, so tonight it was five miles around the streets of Norwich. I had been out for my dose of vitamin D with a walk around the broad this afternoon, so the lack of greenery and sunlight wasn't felt too keenly. It was a nice run, just a small group too, although it got smaller after I was forced to pit stop cheekily at the Gibraltar Gardens - Claudia kindly waited and we ran the rest on our own. A good steady 10 min mile pace, and home via Waitrose to get something delicious for dinner (steak - yum). Not a bad night at all :)

The shoe saga is now complete, too. My bargainous size 7.5s were no good (even though I have other (non-running) shoes as low as size 6), but Trish is trying them to see if they fit her. I then trawled Amazon and found some size 8 Triumph 3s for £55 - funnily enough it was my old edition 3s that I'd gone back to when the last pair died, so I've gone from very grubby and tired ones to spangly shiny new ones. I swapped the insoles for my new orthotics (as the old ones were tired) and transferred my funky knobbly Xtenex laces just before running, which took way longer than I thought - sorry chaps! The whole run was comfortable, so that's a big relief. Here's to them not staying white for long!

Photo: Night Street Light by Sheffield Tiger, on Flickr

Six

2011-03-11T14:29:00.000Z

The same six mile route as a few weeks ago, but slower - poor Natalia is still recovering from her nasty bug but the six was her suggestion! And we weren't ridiculously slow... 1:04, which is 10:20 per mile. It was a beautiful (and quite warm out of the wind) sunny day and well worth getting outside, especially as a busy weekend with the Norwich half marathon and other things means I might not get much else in before Monday.

Photo: Cricket Scoreboard Number 6 by Leo Reynolds, on Flickr - we ran within sight of this very number!

Squeezed

2011-03-10T16:28:00.000Z

Darn lunchtime seminars. Interesting stuff that's on just when I want to be doing some training. I literally had an hour to myself today, so adding on walking, changing and showering, that's half an hour in the gym. I packed it with a swift warm up, planks, press-ups and twists, lunges and squats, biceps and triceps, a stretch and then outta there. I barely stopped, but alternated exercises so as to rest the bits that had just worked while I worked other bits.

Thought for the day: People faffing about doing a bazillion bicep curls with 1kg weights... what's that all about?

Photo: Day 90 - Facing Forward by Menage a Moi, on Flickr

Double trouble

2011-03-09T22:27:00.003Z

Well, no trouble really, but two sessions today. A nice short lunchtime run with Alice (10 min miling - no oomph today), and then a return to the pool for a coached swim session in the evening. The session was fine, some good focus on hand entry and catch/pull, and I managed to just about hold my own in the second-slowest lane over the ~2km we swam, but I remembered why I stopped going. I was way too hot, I got cramp at the end, and I reek of chlorine now. And I was starving when I finished! I'm not sure I'll go back unless I really find I can't keep cutting my swim time on my own.

Photo: double bubble drop reflection by Andreas., on Flickr

Up a gear

2011-03-08T15:49:00.000Z

While I've sort of fallen off The Plan as far as running and biking go, I still stick to the swim sessions. Today the main set used longer high-speed reps than I've done before:

6 x 75m max (45s rest): 1:22, 1:25, 1:25, 1:27, 1:26, 1:27
4 x 50m sprint (25s rest): 0:54, 0:53, 0:53, 0:54

That's not bad. Not as fast as I would like to be, but OK for where I am in the programme. You can't really double a 25m sprint time to get a 50m one as there's the turn to factor in. Might be time to get some coach advice...

Photo: clock by NontrivialMatt, on Flickr

A sad farewell

2011-03-08T15:31:00.000Z

Today I think I finally killed my running shoes. They've done a good old stint, in fact I think they did all of last year (and maybe even some of the year before). Not great for my feet, even if it is good for my wallet.

For some time now I've had a hole in the toe of one. My big toenails just seem to angle up a bit, so I'm used to going through my socks occasionally, but this is a new one. Still, the trainers are well-ventilated anyway, one bigger hole doesn't make much difference...

But this morning I walked from home to work in them and noticed my heel was a bit sore, and when I put them on for a run at lunch time, it was sore in the same place. On inspection, there was a fair old chunk missing (of my shoe, not my foot) around the inside of the heel, and I've given myself the beginnings of a blister.

So, time to retire these, probably my 6th or 7th pair of Saucony Triumphs, and move on to... another pair. They're half a size smaller (they were in a sale at almost a third of the price of the size I wanted, although that size has always been roomy) and I can't wait to find out whether that was a false economy...hmmm.

Run: 3.5 miles in (mumble) 34 minutes or so (no watch). Slow start, strong middle and end, beautiful beautiful day.

Top photo: Remembering Mortality by Andrew Stawarz, on Flickr

Drizzle

2011-03-05T16:03:00.000Z

Drizzle. Almost 30 miles of it. It was dry (if grey) when I left, but after stopping by the office to pick up my forgotten cycling glasses I was soon greeted by an advancing wall of murk as I cycled towards Thickthorn. So above you can see pretty much what I could see for the next 2 hours.

I was reasonably well togged up, thankfully. I had wiggled my way into my neoprene overshoes (then realised they were on the wrong feet - d'oh - but couldn't be arsed to swap them) so I had toasty toes, and my top half was snug in a thermal, a short sleeved bike top, and my favourite cycling jacket from Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada, which I ♥ even more now I know it's showerproof. Add on running plus cycling gloves, and a buff under my helmet, and the only part of me that was cold was the fronts of my thighs which soon had that special tingly-and-numb-at-the-same-time, school cross-country feeling thanks to my lightweight tights. Still, as long as I kept moving, I was fine. And I did keep moving - The Fear was thankfully more or less absent this ride, although I had a bit of stiffness from yesterday's gym session to keep me company instead.

I knew most of the route already, and managed to follow it without retrieving my soggy map. Only one stop, as my close-fitting Crud mudguards got a bit clogged on the back roads and I had to clean them out with a pointy stick (the one thing my multi-tool lacks), and otherwise I was moving pretty steadily at 25km/h or more. That is, at least until right near the end when I hit what I can only describe as A Proper Hill at Croxton - who put that there?! I was definitely tiring over the last 5-10 miles, despite grazing on Haribo, apple juice, and a nice mix of almonds, sultanas and Green & Black's milk chocolate, but that hill was nearly the end of my legs! After that it was a nice coast downhill to my only meeting with a numpty driver on the whole ride. Welcome to Thetford, eh?

Amusingly, at my final destination, not only did I enjoy a long-awaited cup of tea, hot shower, and a lovely afternoon with friends, but there was cake later. What kind? Lemon Drizzle.

Drizzle by HAMED MASOUMI, on Flickr

Pressing engagement

2011-03-04T22:10:00.000Z

With a bike ride planned for tomorrow I thought I'd do the gym today. A shame really, as it would have been a lovely day for a run!

I just did the usual circuit: squats and lunges, biceps and triceps, lats and side lifts. I slotted the planks and press-ups in early, and managed to increase both of those - planks to 2 x 35s (and an attempt at a third which made it to 15s), and (knee) press-ups to 3 x 11, which was pretty much to failure on the last one, so I'll stay at that for a couple of weeks. I also tried upping the weight on the triceps pulldown, but it steps up by 5kg, and the difference between 10kg and 15kg is a huge jump. I can do 12 x 10kg but only 4 x 15kg. Something to work on.

Pyramuddle

2011-03-03T22:52:00.000Z

I think there was a flaw in The Plan today. Undoubtedly mine, somewhere during the process of transcribing things out of The Book to The Spreadsheet I got in a muddle. Today's swim session was headed "fartlek swim" but the content was the same as Tuesday. Bugger.

Doing the same thing two sessions running (or swimming...) is more than a bit dull, so I went for a pyramid session instead. I used to do them in Kerry's coached sessions and although it's a bit more complex than "6x100m", even I can cope with counting up to 4 and back again. Set the watch to 35s intervals and then swim 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 lengths, resting until the next beep after the given number of lengths. I know I should be swimming 30s or quicker per length, so that would give me 5s of rest (or more, if I work harder) per length swum. And each pyramid is a neat 400m total.

It worked pretty well. After 300m warm up (OK, 250 warm up plus 50m where I failed to start my watch properly - d'oh), I did three pyramids at moderate effort. For the first one, I was consistently swimming 28-29s average per length and a couple of vital extra seconds of rest. Not too shabby. For the second, 29-30s, and for the third, you guessed it, 30-31s. I was getting tired and my turns were getting sloppy and costing me time - by the last few lengths I was really working to maintain the pace, and the rests were flying by. The 250 cool down, on the other hand, was bliss :)

It was actually a really enjoyable session that felt very productive, so maybe the typo worked in my favour. It's been a good week overall so far - now to try and surf that wave! The day finished off nicely too, catching up with the Conac crowd in the pub over a well earned pint. I may even have A Reader Or Two... *wave* :)

Photo: Muttart Conservatory by bulliver, on Flickr

Whoosh

2011-03-02T21:19:00.002Z

Same route as two weeks ago, same situation: busy day, no time to do anything at lunch, almost reluctantly forced myself out the door when I got home (it was bloody cold).

However...

Different result.

Four minutes quicker (29:10).

Sub-9 minute miles (8:50).

That is all.

Photo: 29, back lights by yeraze, on Flickr

Shavings

2011-03-01T21:09:00.000Z

Back to the pool today. Main set: 6 x 100m moderate, 8 x 25m sprint.

100m: 1:58, 2:01, 1:58, 2:01, 2:04, 2:02
25m: 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 24

That's pretty cool. I'm never going to take huge great chunks off my swim time, but if I can keep shaving the seconds off like that I'll be all right come race day :)

Interestingly I didn't have noodle arms today - I didn't go to the gym yesterday though. Doesn't take Poirot to work that one out, does it?

Photo: Pencil Shavings by LuluP, on Flickr

There goes the fear again

2011-02-27T17:39:00.008Z

It happened again. All set for a bike ride, just about to start off, and

Yeah, like that. I just stopped. I got The Fear, whatever you want to call it. Outside my own house, on a quiet suburban street, beautiful day... just couldn't go. I've never bungee jumped or skydived, but it was kind of how I imagine that would feel, that first step into nothing, and something instinctively going "noooo!". It was very weird. I ended up going inside to get a drink of water (well, just to get off the bike), shaking like a leaf, and eventually Mark came out with me and ended up physically getting me going with a big push. Deeply embarrassing - I felt like a complete idiot.

Happily, the rest of the ride was incident-free and really rather enjoyable. I didn't stop much, but I had to once or twice at junctions, and after a deep breath just got going again. I'm trying to fix those times in my mind ready for the next ride, rather than dwell on the weird vertigo thing.

Overall, I did just over 40km with an average of nearly 24km/h (and a maximum of 40 :) - that's a nice little ride. I saw more pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders than cars on the country roads, too. Definitely a nice day for it - I'm glad I made it out there eventually!

Photo of me just to prove I got out :)

Photo: Vertigo by darkmatter, on Flickr

Puddlejumping

2011-02-26T18:31:00.002Z

My first parkrun for a while today. It was cold and drizzly, and I ended up running in my decidedly non-breathable €5 waterproof. Actually, the waterproofs I needed were wellies.

Unfortunately, despite quite a bit of recent investment, the paths in the park are not very even, and there are lots of puddles. LOTS of quite deep puddles, and lots of mud created by people running on the grass to get around the puddles. The run used to finish wonderfully through the northern entrance to the bandstand/colonnade, but that's one of the biggest puddles so they moved it back a bit. It's a shame - all it would take to fix things would be a bit of thought and some good workmanship. I finished with very soggy, cold feet, and some people looked more like they'd been doing a cross-country!

At the time of posting this, the results aren't yet available. I chose to run without a watch, so I'm not really sure what I did, but I'm guessing close to or even over 30 mins. I got lapped quite early, so either the winner was really fast or I was pretty slow. I'll have to wait and see!

Edit: 30:20. Pretty slow but still a massive (*cough*) 7 seconds ahead of my PW!

Edit 2: Blog post no. 500! Woohoo!

Photo: Running part 2 by The World According To Marty, on Flickr

Spring has sprung!

2011-02-25T19:51:00.001Z

Well, that's what it felt like at lunchtime. By the time I cycled home tonight it had started to rain. sigh

I had a quick gym session planned at lunchtime, but then realised I'd left something at home that I'd need later. Looking longingly out of the window at the spring sunshine, I decided to get changed into my kit but then cycle home and back to work via a scenic route - who wants to be stuck in a gym when the sun's out anyway?

Apart from the fact that I didn't really have time to get out into the "proper" countryside, it was lovely. A healthy dose of fresh(ish) air and at least some exercise, plus vitamin D, birds singing, a few flowers scattered in the verges... that'll do me.

Photo: sprung by FatMandy, on Flickr

Noodle arms

2011-02-24T23:44:00.000Z

The set was only 6x100m and 6x25m sprints, with 250m warm up and cool down. The 100m were done in 2:01, 2:05, 2:03, 2:03, 2:04, 2:02. Consistent, but not super fast (which is as it should be) - but by the time it came to cool down my arms felt like noodles, all floppy and wibbly (but less tasty). I have days that feel strong and just kind of "graaahhh, take that, world" but this was not one. I have to confess - I skipped the drills and the kick sets...

Photo: udon noodles, with vegetables and tofu by massdistraction, on Flickr

Squelch

2011-02-23T22:48:00.002Z

Over to Eaton Park, around the park (splosh), through the woods (squish), back to UEA, around the Broad (splat), over the bridge (splodge), up the hill (slippyslide), across to the playing fields (*gurgly quagmire noises*) and back to the office. A dead even split, 2 miles/20 mins with Natalia and her funky insoles, 2 miles/20 minutes with P!nk, ending with her dragging me up the hill telling me I'm "F***ing Perfect". Steady, love. It was a good run but there's a way to go yet.

Photo: img128 by chris salzman, on Flickr

Steppin'

2011-02-22T14:25:00.002Z

Decided not to risk irritating my eye by swimming today, so went to the gym. I did a decent strength circuit on Sunday so today I did two 12-minute interval profiles on the stepper (c.500m total climb), then some very quick weights (biceps, triceps) and core (crunches, pressups). Stepping was hard work, probably because I haven't done it for so long, but I made sure to keep the technique right - not supporting myself on my arms or do any of the bizarre contortions my neighbour was doing (almost a pike position at one point) means that only my legs suffered. I've been noticing my pressups are getting better too - I'm up to 3 x 10 and feeling strong. Still on the half version (knees) but definitely improving.

While in the gym I watched both the TV weather and the brightening sunshine outside. I'm aiming to run tomorrow, and typically the forecast is torrential rain...

Photo: Single Tank Stairway by Ed Siasoco (aka SC Fiasco), on Flickr

A little pampering...

2011-02-21T23:20:00.012Z

A weekend away with the girls... It was just a small hen weekend, including one spa treatment and use of the pool and other facilities - certainly a lovely, lazy break. Not much in the way of training!

I didn't really want to try and head off for a run while everyone else was relaxing, so I didn't take any run kit, just swim and gym. At 18m and with playing kids as well as other swimmers the pool wasn't really up to any kind of serious swimming so I just did a few lengths here and there when it was quieter, and enjoyed the novelty of having a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna on hand. On Sunday morning I did manage to get a 45 minute gym session in, doing a chunk of my usual weights/core circuit, but (a full cooked) breakfast with the others was calling.

Monday rolled around and I woke up suffering from a swollen eye that I could barely open. I've had this before - some kind of allergic reaction to something (the facial?), and my eyelid and surrounding skin puffs up. It was bad enough that I went to the health centre on the way to work to get checked out, but they said it should be fine with antihistamines. It was, eventually, but I passed on doing anything at lunch time - goggles would have been impossible and I didn't know whether sweating would just make it worse too. It's pretty much fine now, so it's back to a normal routine tomorrow.

Photo: Jurlique Organic Facial 2 by FoundryParkInn, on Flickr

Perfect 10

2011-02-18T17:08:00.001Z

Well, I mean, it's alright, it's not actually perfect, but... yeah, it was quite good. For lunchtime. A shiny 10km (sounds so much better than 6.1 miles, don't you think?) in, ooh, let's call it a round hour. Which allows for a quick loo stop (thanks Lizzie :), pausing to fend off a lolloping, off-the-lead Great Dane "puppy" (the approximate size of a small horse), and Natalia not restarting her watch straight after my cheeky pause to use the facilities.

I still don't get this pace thing. I would have sworn we were slower than 10 min miles. It didn't feel as easy as Wednesday night. And I didn't like the hilly bits at all. But calling it an hour is definitely on the cautious side, so I'll take the 9:50 per mile and I'll use it to polish my halo (before I probably tarnish and dent it a bit on a hen do this weekend...). Natalia's verdict: "we rock". Yeah :)

Photo: 10 by duncan, on Flickr

Thursday = rush day

2011-02-17T21:54:00.000Z

Thursdays are a bit of a rush - I have a lunchtime seminar to get to at one o'clock, but never feel quite right leaving for the pool at 11:30am. So it's usually 30-35 minutes of swimming, a quick shower, and then tearing back to eat lunch and smell of chlorine while listening to social science. I still managed to complete 250m warm up, 5 x (50m easy, 25m fast), 4 x 25m sprint, 6 x 25m drill (stroke count 20-21 if I think reeeeally hard), and then steady/cool down for the rest of the time which turned out as 400m. That's 1275m but I must have done another length as I got out at the same end of the pool I got in :)

The easy + fast sets were interesting, I haven't done any for a while where you move from slow to fast without a rest. Definitely different to pushing into a fast length from stationary (usually those are the best). I'm thinking more sets where steady is interspersed with faster lengths, without stopping, is probably better than the massive peaks and troughs of sprints. I'll have to see what pops up later in the plan.

Photo: curve e rette by hidden side, on Flickr

That'll do, pig

2011-02-16T21:59:00.000Z

That'll do, pig. That'll do.

That's what I said to myself as I slowed down and stopped my watch tonight. You could take it two ways: one, I've been nibbling on chocolates* today, enjoyable yes, but perfectly capable of turning into a hoovering episode that demolishes the whole box. So, that'll do, pig(gie). The second, kinder way to look at it is as a comment of respect and approval at a creature doing something it was by no means born to do, but making a decent enough job of it. I'll take that one.

Actually I think it was just an instant word association to my mental statement of "that'll do" when I saw I'd passed my goal of a 30 minute run tonight, but I quite like the second option.

Anyway, it's just good to be back blogging. The past few days have been pretty busy, and I chose to actually do the training rather than yap about it here :)

Monday: the usual gym session. Mat congestion pushed the planks to the end (again) and it sucked. Also I nearly dropped a 4kg dumbbell thanks to the News Quiz**. Will I never learn?

Tuesday: swim session, by the book (4x100m, 4x25m). It was a bit short (so I padded out the cool down), but that's because I am supposed to be on the more advanced training plan where swim sessions are paired with runs. Might have to get to that next week... *cough* ...will up the meaty bit of tomorrow's session accordingly.

Today: bit of a manic day, didn't squeeze in a lunchtime run but sternly talked myself into going out when I got home. My first night time run for quite a while! Nice and relaxed, no sprints or anything just a good solid 10 min mile run. Maybe chocolate isn't so bad after all ;)

* Valentines chocolates. From work... yeah, I know. Volunteering to do the coffee rota is potentially bad for your waistline, but thankfully there's a willing crowd to help with the large box of Lindt Collection, just like there was for the biscuits at Christmas...
** Jeremy Hardy's line about shunning popery, but it actually being quite useful in the downstairs loo. Maybe it loses something written down. (popery / pot-pourri? no? I'll get my coat...)

Photo: Pig. by Adam Glasgow, on Flickr

What a difference a day makes

2011-02-13T15:43:00.002Z

At 7am I was awake enough to go for breakfast #1, one of my tried and trusted snack bars. As 8am I was out of the house to meet Kerry. An hour and ten minutes later (more accurately, 1:11:11 - cool) I'd left her to do lap 2 (these crazy marathon people...) and I'd run nearly 7 miles myself. Where the hell did that come from?

It was just a Really Good Run. Worth missing parkrun for, not that I want to do that too often, but I did enjoy running longer and with company. I was having so much fun I passed on the chance to come home via Sunningdale (shorter) and kept going up Church Lane to finish at the top of the hill and walk from there as a cool down.

The run has really set me up for the day too. Following breakfast #2* and a nice hot shower, I've cleaned the kitchen, made soup, made a cake, washed up, done laundry, put the recycling out... no big deal really but this is very productive for me! I'm sure I'll crash later, but for now I seem to have lots of energy. The kitchen might even get its last coat of paint...

* porridge made with Dorset muesli, plain oats, extra sultanas, a cheeky scattering of candied peel, a positively mischievous but virtuously small pinch of dark chocolate chips, a hefty dollop of ground ginger, and soya milk.

What I learned today: a rest day can work wonders.

Photo: plasma 3 by limowreck666, on Flickr

Shattered...

2011-02-12T21:06:00.019Z

Confession time. I gave parkrun a miss this morning - when the alarm went off my only thought was "nooo... I'm exhausted" (actually I doubt it was that coherent). I seriously felt like I needed the sleep, rather than resting my legs, so I called a rest day. Thought I possibly, might be tempted for a bike ride after doing the open day at work, but no - as much as anything there wasn't really enough daylight left. So, apart from walking home from work, a rest day it was.

And now I seem to have set myself up on a training date with Kerry for 8am tomorrow...

What I learned today: I need a decent early night if I'm going to make it to parkrun!

Photo: Absolutely Shattered by Breff, on Flickr

Spot the difference

2011-02-11T22:52:00.003Z

Lunchtime, aiming for a fairly relaxed run with Natalia. Didn't really have time for a proper gym session, so I went off-plan on the "just do something" principle. We did just shy of 5.1 miles in 50:30 = 9:56/mi, which was a nice surprise on both pace and distance! I figured we were on for 10:15-10:30 pace - it definitely felt much slower and more comfortable than Wednesday with Alice, when we did a chunk of the same route. My pace radar clearly needs calibrating.

Pace aside, it's my longest run in quite a while, possibly since November when I was training for the Hereward, so I'm really pleased. It does mean I'd have to revise my expectations (upwards) for a "long" run, though! Ah well - it's good to cruise into the weekend on a high. Let's see how parkrun goes tomorrow...

What I learned today: the difference between two paces in terms of "feels like" is really not that much.

Photo: Surprise!!! 4/365 by bensonkua, on Flickr

8:13

2011-02-10T18:23:00.002Z

That was my time for a 400m time trial in today's swim. I just did a gentle 250m warm up and then tried to swim as if it was the tri. It felt pretty good, and in particular the turns were all pretty tight. I don't tumble-turn, although maybe I should give it a go now I have a nose clip and won't drown - but at Waveney it's too shallow at one end to do that so I kind of think 'why bother?'. I just need to keep focus on technique, strong pulls and good hip rotation, that's what will shave off the seconds. When I get distracted, I get fluffy.

So, to compare... my previous times for 400m pool swims, in a race, are 8:46, 8:01, 7:28. When you consider that also involves extricating myself from the pool (never pretty) and getting out of the door where the timer is, then I've clearly been considerably quicker than I am now. But hey - it's a baseline, and I never said I was in racing shape right now. I'm going to do the time trial every 4 weeks, so twice more before the tri and then race day, and I'll see how I do at improving on 8:13. Sub-8 here I come.

What I learned today: I have some work to do on the swimming, but I think it's do-able.

Photo: 813 by Eva the Weaver, on Flickr

Making time

2011-02-09T20:06:00.002Z

I had a really busy day today. By the time 12:15 rolled around I was starving and barely knew whether I was coming or going. I almost started to eat lunch, skipping a run in favour of eating now and "going later" - but I know that's just a cop out and I'm likely to find some excuse. I was glad I made the effort as the afternoon just got busier and busier and I would never have made it.

So, with only about an hour to run, shower and lunch, it was time to up the pace. I only did a short route but the average pace of 9:39 min/mile over 30:30 included warm up, cool down, and a couple of hills (i.e. slowness). Given that I've been around (mostly over) 10 minute miles lately, that's pretty cool and I'm pleased. The pace was hard but do-able - training plan said 16 mins @ threshold with 10 each of warm up and cool down. I reckon I was more like 8 warm up and 6 cool down, but it's the middle bit that counts, right? :)

What I learned today: I haven't got as slow as I thought I had...

Photo: Time is running too fast by *0* PrincessCCCC, on Flickr

No overtaking

2011-02-08T19:41:00.001Z

The pool was crazily crowded today. I feel like kind of a whiner for saying that - there were only 2 other people in my lane, because as usual there were 8 deep water lanes open as well as a whole shallow pool - but with 2 or more people in every lane, that's busier than I've ever seen it on a lunchtime.

The downside is that it cuts overtaking as there's usually someone coming towards me as well as the person I am trying to overtake. And also people get a bit miffed at the apparent faffing involved in swimming efforts. All that fast-then-slow business means they can overtake you one length and have you nipping at their heels the next, or it looks like you wait, let them turn and go, and then swim up behind them just to be annoying.

Aaand in any case, I forgot to check what set I was supposed to be doing :S I had meant to run, as it was such a nice day, but being a doofus I brought 2 tops and no tights so that was out. In the rush to do something with my lunchtime, I was soon up to the pool without watch, float, or indeed a clue. I did what I could - no rests as such, and no overtaking, but various combinations of fast/slow as traffic allowed.I ache enough to be moderately pleased with the session :)

What I learned today: the showers run much hotter when there are more people using them. Huh?

Photo: prohibido adelantar by Neil Wykes, on Flickr

Mixing it up

2011-02-07T15:30:00.002Z

Nothing radical, mind. Just a good excuse for a blog title and another pretty Creative Commons photo :)

The gym was busy today. I only went in for free weights, core strength, and with a vague hope of adding lat pulldowns to my routine (which I can only do on a machine). After my warmup on the rower (5 mins : 1999m (!) ) there were SIX people vying for space at the small free-weights area, but I managed to sneak in at the cable jungle for triceps (3x12 @ 15kg). After that, the lats machine was still busy, the free weights area was still too crowded, so time for.... planks (3x25s and feeling strong - wahey). In fact I did my whole mat set right there towards the start of the session and it felt really good. I upped my (half) press-ups to 3x10 (from 8 or 9), nailed the russian twists, and got through the abs as 3x20.

At this point the weights area was magically free, so I went over there and interspersed static lunges (3x12 e/s) with bicep curls (3x10 @ 7kg, rah), and squats (3x12) with lateral raises (3x10 @ 4kg, just). I thought I might suffer from leaving them until last, but they were no better or worse than usual - so maybe this order is worth keeping. Never did get to the lats, but hey.

(Yes, I am too wussy to go and mix it with the big boys in the back weights room. I might die of testosterone poisoning...)

What I learned today: I'm a technique snob on the rowing machine.
Soundtrack: P!nk - Greatest Hits

Photo: The joys of sweeties! by Ali A, on Flickr

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off...

2011-02-06T22:33:00.000Z

Well, I'm not quite starting all over again... but I've had a lazy week or so. It started with a long weekend in Bristol where I went in the hotel pool once (I got my stroke count down to 7, but using a 10m pool is cheating...) and in the gym the same number of times as I went for a run (zero). We did go for a walk though! Ooh, 4 miles... and a roast dinner afterwards. With pudding. and beer. But there was a hill, so that was totally justified. I don't really have an excuse for cooked breakfasts, though.

In mitigation, m'lud, I did go for one run (3 miles. Ish.) and one swim (35 mins inc. 10x100m efforts) during the three days I actually worked last week, and then did a bit of utility cycling on Saturday (to the city, and back with many kilos of vegetables, in a strong wind).

Hmm. Yeah, I agree, it's not really that convincing, is it? Right. I sentence myself to having a bloody good crack at the last week of my 4-week buildup to the actual tri training plan, and eating clean while I'm at it. Time to get with the program, as they say.

I'll soon be like this:

OK, maybe this:

(I realise this may come back to haunt me if anyone takes photos at the tri...)

Photos:Feeling lazy (13/365) by LifeSupercharger, Lazy dog by kirainet, Running Dog by surfneng, Running Dog by findgareth, all on Flickr

Bah.

2011-01-27T17:45:00.004Z

Pool's still closed - argh.I failed to plan for that contingency. Didn't fancy running or gymming in my swimming cossie so went for a walk....

Photo: Shut Happens by psd, on Flickr

Missing the pool

2011-01-26T14:22:00.004Z

Day 3 without a pool... (to be read in a Big Brother voice over stylee)

Back to the gym, for bike "short hills" efforts today. I have to say I am really missing the pool - I hadn't realised how much swimming balances my workout week. It almost felt wrong to be back in the gym! The bikes were pretty busy when I arrived and there wasn't much choice - this week's was even worse. I guess over time I'll get to know which ones are ~~most comfortable~~ least uncomfortable.

I cheated a weeny bit - I cycled longer this morning (coming to work via the city, adding on 20-25 minutes) and I'll do the same tonight, so I cut down the non-effort bits of the session and concentrated on the crux of it: 8x 1 min hard + 2 mins recovery. This left me time for... the dreaded planks I wimped out of on Monday. And they were pretty good for where I'm at right now - 3x 22-25 seconds.

The Old Planks of Narrabeen Rock Pool by brentbat, on Flickr

Isn't that beautiful? I would love to be able to do my planks on these planks (apart from the splinter potential). Just amazing.. and pretty nice swimming too. All the photos I'm using in this blog are found on Flickr and have Creative Commons licensing - it's very cool that people make such great photos freely available.

What I learned today: that my gym card is at home on the shelf in the hall. D'oh!

Medicine

2011-01-26T08:45:00.005Z

Over to Eaton Park for a fartlek run (that's what the training plan calls it - to me a fartlek is more ad-hoc, but never mind). Warm up by running out to and around the park for 16 minutes, then 6x 30s sprint + 90s recovery, and 8 minutes cool down/return to base.

It's a tougher session than it sounds (and/or I've lost more fitness than I thought)... the recoveries were definitely getting more and more important (and laboured) as the reps went on. I'm not quite sure how I'll do with 8x next week, but I know effort sessions do me good so I sort of look forward to them in a perverse way. Like cod liver oil, maybe - not pleasant at the time, but repeated regularly you really do see the benefits, so you just have to hold your nose, screw up your face to let the world know you're not bonkers enough to actually enjoy this, and get it done.

The drizzle decided to up its game as the session went on, leaving us to squelch back to the office, but to be honest it felt lovely and cool on my beetroot face so I didn't care. Training buddy Alice had enough energy to go back quicker than me - she hadn't done the sprints, but I still say she's darn good for a beginner. Keeps me on my toes, anyway. First back, first in the shower :)

What I learned today: the pool is going to re-open on Thursday at the earliest :(

Photo: Red Potion by A3sthetix, on Flickr

Solidity

2011-01-24T14:23:00.007Z

I had a good, solid gym workout - the same as last week apart from the planks (oops). I had to dash to get back to work - too much resting going on I think. Next week I will get them in nearer the start.

As usual, I spent some time idly contemplating my own reflection during the squats, lunges and weights. Not an activity I would usually rush to do, but once a week is no bad thing. The same word came to mind - solid. It's just the way I look at the moment - from hips to shoulders especially. Not necessarily a bad thing, it's just interesting that that's what immediately sprang to mind rather than squishy. Here's to gradually getting less solid but not squishy (a waist would be nice too!).

What I learned today: some girlies think nothing of hogging the stretching mats and reading Grazia (that top quality fitness publication). Sigh.

Photo: brick face by nualabugeye, on Flickr

One week down...

2011-01-23T21:00:00.006Z

So, week one is done. That wasn't a bad week to start with - nothing got in the way of training, and circumstances actually conspired to help me out at the weekend with the social bike ride and additional rest day. I feel like I achieved what I wanted to, and needed to, and I feel like I might just about be able to say I am triathlete again. So after a small pat on the back (yay me! OK, that's enough...) it's time to look ahead to week two.

This week's going to be a little trickier, organisation wise. I have a weekend away that starts on Friday, although it involves a hotel with a pool (unknown size - probably 10m) and gym (also unknown), and I can always take my trainers. I thought there might have been a parkrun to go to, but there isn't (pull your finger out, Bristol!). I will manage, though - perhaps not the perfect mix of disciplines, but definitely enough activity to keep me ticking over and balance out the eating out and other assorted merriment with friends and family, which I am really looking forward to.

Edit on Monday: I've also just learned that the pool I use is closed for maintenance, with no reopening date/time as yet. Hopefully that will be fixed before tomorrow's swim!

Other assorted learnings from this week: I found various things I thought I had lost... my other running tights (just in time, since the older ones died yesterday), my gym card (too late, paid for a new one), and my cycling overshoes (too late for this week but there will be other chilly rides). I also learned how much I missed having a spreadsheet, aka The Plan.

Photo: One year on .... by Mrs Logic, on Flickr

Finding my feet again

2011-01-22T19:14:00.006Z

I said at the start of the week that I hadn't been on the road bike for a while (OK, about 5 months). I felt it today! Not in terms of the saddle, or tired legs, but getting used to a smaller, twitchier bike (I missed you, Bluebird) and... (cue dramatic music) clipless pedals.

No, I did not fall off.

Where I seem to get bizarrely paralysed is starting off. Making that move to actually get going took a lot of mental effort this morning - I can't even put my finger on why, it just felt scary somehow.

Zelda by elana CXLIV, on Flickr

I need to practice, I think. It did improve over the course of the ride, thankfully! The ride was the Norwich sprint tri route, plus riding to parkrun beforehand (that was what made me give myself a mental kick up the arse to stop being a scredy cat, get moving and not be late). There were eight of us, all ladies, and it was just a nice, relaxed social ride, with a healthy helping of bloody long hills in the middle. The only thing missing was my waterproof, windproof overboots - when I finished the ride I half expected there to be a few deep-frozen toes rattling around in my shoes.

Parkrun beforehand, not much to say about that but two words: personal worst. But not by much - 30:27. With 5 days' training in my legs and trying to bear in mind I was about to go for a bike ride, that's OK. I ran the whole way and I wasn't last :)

So, I have cunningly combined both my weekend sessions into one day, and I can have tomorrow off. Yay!

What I learned today: I need to do some more work on starting off on the road bike. And I need new running tights as I wore out my old pair and suffered chafing as a result (ouch)

What lies beneath

2011-01-21T15:08:00.005Z

"Short hills" on the bike poses a problem. There are not many hills that I can cycle up hard for a whole minute, where I can also turn right around and actively recover for 2 minutes (without being run over, at least). The plan actually acknowledges this and suggests a turbo trainer - I don't have one of those either. So I headed off to the gym...

...well, the session was an hour and that was about all I could endure. Which is bad as from here on in, the sessions get longer. It's the saddles they have - a big, wide, fat, shiny saddle that means I slide forward as my legs work, with a bump on the 'nose' that is a rather uncomfortable place for ladies (and I can't imagine it's much better for the boys?). I'm half tempted to wear cycling shorts next time but I think they would make the sliding worse.

Ride Upright by poetas, on Flickr

My legs are OK and just feel "worked", but... um... other bits are complaining. *sigh* This one needs a rethink - maybe I can shorten the total session, but still get the efforts in? Today was 20 mins either side of the effort set of 7 x (1 min max, 2 mins recovery). I'd rather do another short, moderate weekend ride to get the saddle time in if that's what it takes. And then I'd be on my own bike more.

What (else) I learned today: the maximum exercise period on the gym bikes is 20 mins before it defaults to cooldown. Cue faffing to cancel the cooldown and start again.

Oh boy - I'm not really this much of a whinger. It was a good session and I'm pleased with that. My playlist was chucking out some good tunes (no News Quiz today) - this was the last song, now stuck in my head but I don't really mind:

Wibble wobble, wibble wobble, jelly... in my arms

2011-01-20T14:28:00.010Z

Jelly arms. That's what I have now... not the bingo wing variety (well, I have those too but I didn't grow them over lunch) but the puppet-stings-cut, boneless feeling that comes from A Good Swim Session.

Today it included:

drills - working on catch and pull, especially on the left where it all goes a bit Pete Tong.
25m sprints / 10s rest - ranging between 25 and 27 seconds. I'd like to see that nearer 23s by the tri, but for my current state that's not too shabby.
200m threshold intervals / 45s rest - 4:11, 4:07, 4:14, 4:16. These should have been at a faster speed than the 100m reps from Tuesday, but weren't. Either I wasn't quick enough today or I was too quick on Tues. I couldn't have maintained anything faster for 200m so I'm putting it down to over-enthusiasm last time.
kick - complete tedium, only did 4 (out of 6) and then another one to return the borrowed float to the other end of the pool. I'm not sure what I am supposed to be getting out of this... shall buttonhole a friendly swim coach and find out.

What I learned today: I should read the plan properly before I go to the pool. I wasn't supposed to do any sprints, but I was supposed to do one more 200m rep.*rolls eyes* Sadly I was not imagining the kick set!

Photo: Red jelly by net_efekt, on Flickr

New blood

2011-01-19T13:53:00.003Z

No, not mine! I'm still in one piece...

I've convinced my swim buddy, new colleague Alice, to do the Waveney tri as well (it didn't take much convincing to be honest :), which will be her first ever triathlon, and so today she came out for her first run since school. I was down for a fartlek session of 30 mins including six 30-second sprints, so I fitted that in by running ahead and then back to her as needed. Not that it was needed much - I think she'll be beating me before too long - but it was good to have company! And boy oh boy those sprints felt foreign... wobbly legs ahoy.

What I learned today: I can't run my watch's interval timer and stopwatch at the same time. If I'm doing intervals, it's not counting up my total run time. Boo.

Settling in to The Plan

2011-01-18T14:43:00.004Z

First swim session of The Plan today, nothing too taxing but a good one nonetheless - felt quite strong. I'd forgotten how quickly the session flies by when you are concentrating on reps and interval times rather than overall minutes.

The main set was 8 x 100m @ moderate intensity with 5s rests. I swam 1:59, 2:05, 2:06, 2:05, 2:05, 2:05, 2:07, 2:08, which I am pleased with considering my lack of focused training. Technique definitely tailed off as I got tired, especially catch/pull, and I could feel the residue of yesterday's gym session, although nothing as bad as it has been. I need to remember my float so I can do some pull drills next time.

With warm up and cool down, drills and kick, total session distance was 1600m.

What I learned today: it's like what they say about money - take care of the seconds (pennies), and the minutes (pounds) take care of themselves.

Week 1, day 1...

2011-01-17T14:12:00.002Z

(I'm going to have to work on blog post title inspiration. So far it's either nicked or dull. Onwards and upwards!)

Started off gently with a gym session today. Static lunges, squats; biceps, triceps and lats; russian twists, abs and planks (very weak planks...), and half (kneeling) pressups. Not too many of each, nothing too heavy, paying attention to form, and finishing off with a good old stretch. It felt good!

Question of the day: what are you supposed to do with an mp3 player on an armband when you want to do bicep curls?

What I learned today: don't listen to the News Quiz podcast in the gym. Grinning like an idiot and occasionally chuckling out loud marks you out as a bit of a freak. But on the upside, you get plenty of room on the free weights mat...

Tomorrow: swim base intervals.

There will be spreadsheets

2011-01-15T14:15:00.007Z

(OK, so I ~~borrowed~~stole the blog post title from one of my favourite bloggers - but I like it and more to the point it is true :)

It's been too long. Last year was slack, slack, slack - apart from a trip to France and the National Relays, I barely got on my road bike. Silly girl. Time to rectify that and find some focus.

I've done a few editions of Waveney sprint tri in the past (1 - 2 - 3), and marshalled a few more, so when it opened to club members this week I figured it was time to race again, and signed myself up before I could come up with some lame-arsed excuse. I've been swimming and running regularly, so it's not like I am starting from rock bottom.

Plus race day, May 8th, is 16 whole weeks away, which gives me time to follow one of the 12-week plans from the training bible plus 4 weeks extra at the start to build up a really good base. My overall goal is to beat my Waveney PB of 1:05:23. I figure that along the way I should also be able to crack my frankly dismal parkrun PB of 28:35 (if not my all-time 5km PB of 24:38), and lose a few kg as well - plenty of those to spare at the moment.

So, the plan is this.

Follow weeks 5-8 of the level 4 sprint training plan ("modest initial fitness level; 6 workouts per week"), which is three "build" weeks and a recovery week.
Follow weeks 1-12 at level 5 of the same plan ("decent base fitness; not just finish, but finish well; three workouts per week per discipline"). That's 3 weeks of "base", one recovery, three "build", one recovery, three "peak", and one taper leading up to the race.

I have a big spreadsheet where I am putting the training plan elements into a quick-to-read format. (I'm also tracking calories in/out, and weight. I said there would be spreadsheets, didn't I?). Next week's schedule is:

Monday: off-plan - hit the gym for some gentle strength and core work
Tuesday: swim - base intervals plus drills and kick
Wednesday: bike - (in the gym seeing as it's still dark when I'm not in work...) "hills", plus core
Thursday: swim - tempo intervals plus drills and kick
Friday: run - steady including short sprints
Saturday: bike - steady
Sunday: run - steady

I might change the order to find myself training buddies and do parkrun on Saturday - perhaps swap Weds/Fri and Sat/Sun.

So, goal for this week, 17th-23rd January: complete the above training plan! Eat to fuel the training, and stay hydrated. And keep blogging - I feel better for writing all that down, so that's a good start :)

Back to basics

2010-04-12T22:00:00.002+01:00

Managed the 30 min (more like 45) weights session:

5 mins rower warm-up
biceps (free, 6kg each side) 3 x 12
triceps (cable, 15kg), 3 x 11
shoulder press (free, 4kg each side) 3 x 12
pulldown (machine, 35kg) 3 x 11
one arm row (free, 9kg, one side at a time) 3 x 12
side lifts (free, 3kg each side) 3 x 11
abs, 40 upper, 20 each side, 20 lower.

Then ran with beginners tonight to help out. 3 x 15 mins at probably 12 min miles, plus about 20 mins walking in total. It was a pleasant change to chat to some new people, they were a lovely bunch and are doing well.

Plans for a tricky week

2010-04-12T12:04:00.003+01:00

Off to a conference in London for a couple of nights, so more running and less gym/swim this week. Let's try not to forget anything this time....

Mon: lunchtime gym session (weights only, 30 mins), run with the club in the evening (~40 mins).
Tue: aerobics
Weds: nothing (travelling early).
Thurs, Fri: 40-50 min morning run in Regent's Park - looking forward to that!
Sat: morning run, 1:15-1:30?
Sun: sort my road bike out with its new tyres and a general once-over, and get out for a test ride.

Bit of a theme here

2010-04-11T17:37:00.003+01:00

Yesterday:
Out with Lizzie for an early morning (for me! 8am...) run. Found I'd left my trainers (with orthotics) at work. D'oh AGAIN. Got to get it together... Still, I went out in an old pair figuring one run wouldn't hurt (it didn't).

We went on an old favourite route, the monument loop. Just a squeak over 10 min miling but a glorious day to be out. Skylarks singing, sun shining, just enough breeze to be refreshing - perfect. Great way to start the weekend. And I even managed to bike to the city and the greengrocer's afterwards!

Today:
Early start for the Diss duathlon. All went well, including the cake stall which I helped with (temptation resisted) and baked for. After that we went for a walk with Jenna and Simon, 5.6 miles from Tyrrel's wood. Another lovely day, bit of a chilly nor-easter blowing but with the sun out who cares? Lots of little planes buzzing around from the various airfields, all kinds of birds singing in the hedges, and an interesting church to investigate at Shelton. Shame the farm shop shut up just before we got there for a post-wallk tea :(

Work it...

2010-04-09T18:05:00.008+01:00

Down to the gym at lunchtime. I seem to be going through a phase of "what can I forget today?" - this time it was trainers. The new ones were at home, thankfully the old ones were still in the office. Sadly I didn't realise until I had got changed, so had to nip back (in gym gear!) to get them. D'oh. The other week it was my top - thankfully I was going straight home so just worked out in my normal t-shirt... only to find my gym top hanging up in the changing rooms when I got back. Must have fallen on the floor. D'oh again.

Anyway.

Today's workout - pretty good.

10:09 for 2500m on the rower, with pretty even 500m splits. Target there is sub-10. I need to remember to dig out my gloves, though. Sweaty hands - yuk.
2 x 10 minute interval sessions on the stepper, one short and sharp and one a more gradual variation. Managed the first at level 8 of 12, dropped the second to 7. Target there is both @ level 8.
No time for a whole load of weights and core, but managed biceps (free, 6kg each side, 3 x 12), triceps (pulldown, 15kg total, 2 x 8; 10kg total, 1 x 12), shoulder press (free, 4kg each side, 2 x 12, 1 x 8, 1 x 4), abs (straight upper x 60, L/R side x 20 each, straight lower x 20).

I'm still not bored of my gym playlist either. Here's what was keeping me going today (good song, if a tad cheesy-80s, but an awful video)...

Operation Butt Kick

2010-04-08T18:08:00.003+01:00

Okay - it's time to stop faffing about and get serious. When I'm avoiding going out on the bike because I look like michelin woman in my bike gear, and not signing up for events because I feel too unfit, something needs to be done! Operation Butt Kick cropped up last week on Weight Loss Resources, and as I have a whole lot of butt that really needs kicking (preferably kicking off), I'm in.

It doesn't involve any rocket surgery, that's for sure. It's right back to basics - tracking what I eat and getting regular exercise, and also trying to "eat clean" (no processed junk) and not obsess over the scales. From April 1st to June 1st (and beyond - I'll be off to France with my bike on the 12th), that's two months of just doing the right thing. I reckon I'm 90% of the way there on the clean eating, and although I tend to weigh in daily, I've always looked at the scales with a scientific eye and an "yeah, right" rather than letting the numbers rule my life. As for the rest of it, I've done it before and so I can damn well do it again. If I can really focus on it for 2 months then I reckon I will be back in the groove and keep it going.

So, given it was the extended Easter weekend, how did I do so far? Pretty well, I think - one curry, one social gathering where I ate pretty cleanly (just quite a bit of it...), and a few pints (*cough*). But, on the other side of the scales, a couple of good runs and a day's hard graft digging holes. I've got through my days at work drinking plenty of water and not sneaking off to the shop for chocolate... It adds up to a pound down over the week, but more importantly a whole lot of positive mental energy, something I haven't had for a while.

It's probably not the easiest month coming up, with a conference and a couple of other trips away to come (long train journeys and catered food are never the greatest combination), but that's no excuse. Let the positive energy flow...

And let the plans flow, because if I say it then I've got to do it!

Plan for the rest of this week:
Today: run 45 mins - done, listening to Two Fit Chicks' latest offering and some uplifting tracks
Tomorrow: gym: 30 mins cardio + strength (upper body/core)
Saturday: run 1hr
Sunday: 4-5 mile social walk

Longer term plans:

One Yarmouth 5 miler (14th April, 28th April, 12th May (!))
All 3 Wroxham 5k races unless I'm away (26th May, 23rd June, 25th August), aiming for a PB at the last?
Breckland 10k (3rd May) - entered
Wibbly Wobbly Log Jog (early August) or the Worsted Festival 5 (late July)
September triathlon: North Norfolk Oly or Waveney2 sprint
Noises have been made about entering a ladies' team for the National Triathlon Relay Championships on 21st August, and doing the Coast2Coast bike ride at some point... they rely on other people, but I'm up for it.
A bit less sure about Alpe d'Huez on the France trip in June... might give that one a miss, sorry guys!

So, butt - prepare for a damn good kicking...

Two outta three

2010-02-03T17:15:00.002Z

Monday - gym FAIL due to insufficient time (tech support issues - today's theme tune "Hanging on the Telephone" by Blondie).

Tuesday - good aerobics session, with Clare and her friend Karen along too. New routine, couple of killer moves. Think I need new shoes - third week of blisters :(

Wednesday - forced myself to swim and had a really good one. Not timed, not counted, just felt really really good. 40 minutes, minimal stoppage (goggle issues). Raaaa.

I've been slack :(

2010-01-31T18:26:00.002Z

I've been slack both on training and blogging. Time to rectify both. I'm currently at low fitness and high weight, so this is the start of reversing that situation...

This morning I went for a run with Lizzie. It was icy, so a bit stop-start as we gingerly walked the slipperiest bits. By UEA (~8.8km, 47 mins running + some walking) my achilles was grumbling (It's been doing that since I spent a bikeless week walking to and from work) so I cut straight back while Lizzie went over to Earlham. From the balloon field I pretty much had to walk due to a funny sharp stinging pain as if my heel was grazed. It was fine if I walked.

I've ordered new shoes, since my current pair is a year old now. If that doesn't fix it, it's straight off to the physio...

Off for a swim @50m tonight, 40 mins or so, with Kerry, Clare and Jane. Looking forward to it.

Plan for the rest of the week:
Mon: gym, row/strength (was going to run with Conac, but no more runs until my new shoes arrive)
Tue: aerobics
Wed: swim
Thu: run (shoes should be here)
Fri: gym
Sat: run or rest
Sun: swim

Lead legs

2009-08-03T21:53:00.001+01:00

Lead as in "lump of" not "in the".

Bowthorpe marshes, 37:45, so 9:48/mile. Wearying.

Tour de loos

2009-08-01T21:54:00.000+01:00

Out with Lizzie for a weekend run, she requested staying close to civilisation, so it was an extended round-the-block with pit stops at Waitrose and the Holiday Inn! About 1:05 or something, so pretty slow. Still got achy legs and I think my PF is coming back :(