Up with The Larks, Swimming with the Fishes!

Discipline: Swim
Distance: 1000m
Time: 35 minutes
What: Easy recovery swim after tough bike ride

Hmmm - this tri training is mad. Up at sparrow-fart to get to the pool before work. I felt fine when I woke up, and stuffed two slices of toast down at 5:30am with aplomb, and set off to the pool full of vim and vigour, but then quickly lost my enthusiasm. My arms ached, and my breathing just felt really heavy and hard work.

To make matters worse - there was a man there who had a habit of standing in the shallow end, a couple of metres out from the wall, in a pose not entirely unlike someone on a surfboard. It made it really hard to tell if he was just standing there like a statue (why??) or about to set off on another length. Plus he was in the way half the time!

I had some odd experiences - the cod liver oil tablets gave me the taste of fish even though I wasn't swimming like one, and I kept getting a taste of hairspray in my mouth - maybe it was one of the blue-rinse breastroke mafia brigade whi still insist on going in the fast lane when there are lanes for medium and slow swimmers - grrrr!!

Half Way to Iron! Well - on the bike at least!

Discipline: Cycling
Distance: 56.43
Time: 3:55:42
Av Speed: 14.3mph (disappointing drop from last week)
Weather conditions: Cold, bright, icy in places and very windy


Whew! My longest bike ride yet. It didn't start well. I got to the end of my road (a T-junction), and hit the brakes gently, only to go into a very scarey skid which twisted the bike road about 30 degrees! Not sure how I managed to stay upright! I was aware that there could be cars coming, so I had to stop, and it really was a case of feathering the brakes. Not nice! I nearly turned round and went home!

Anyhow, I kept going, and set out to cycle down to Lindi's (about 21 miles) and got there in just over 1:20, in spite of there being a lot of uphill climbs, so I was pleased to that. I stopped for coffee, choccie cake, and a great chat with Lindi and Stuart, a bike techie peep who is Lindi's bloke. He reckons my cleats are wrongly positioned, and I'm going to pop in to see him and get a proper fitting on the bike next weekend hopefully. I probably stayed too long - I think I may have stiffened up a tad.

Lindi gave me a route to add on about 15 extra miles, not telling me just what a git of a hill there was. Well - she said "a nice hill", which really is an oxymoron in my book! I was imagining a nice gentle one, but it just went on and on without a break (okay - some short flats), but there three or four horrible climbs where I was close to hitting the lowest gear. There was a very steep downhill, but that was over in a fraction of the time it takes to tell, and certainly did not make up for al that climb!

I decided to head home a slightly different way as I didn't fancy the climb up Reigate Hill, so stuck to the A23 after I came off the B2036. I cut across at Merstham, on what I remembered as a lovely flat road, but quickly found it wasn't. I guess my legs were tiring, but I just couldn't manage that climb, and had run out of gears with about quarter of a mile (and the steepest bit of climb) to go. I walked the last bit, much to my annoyance. I think maybe I need to take more carbs on too - must sort my nutrition needs well before Frankfurt - it can badly mess you up if it goes wrong.


The journey back to Sutton from the M25/A217 junction was okay - I took several detours to avoid coming up short on the miles, including a gorgeous descent into Epsom, where I hit a new top speed of 39.1mph - even with tired legs. I slowed part way down for what I thought was a roundabout but turned out to be just a long curve and no reason to slow. I reckon with fresh legs I can top 40mph down there. Unlike Reigate Hill, it's a gorgeously smooth surface too, which makes a heck of a difference! I'm convinced that good road helps a lot on climbs especially.

It's odd - on the flat or even a slight downhill, my legs were really earning their keep, even at this late stage, but more than a small incline and they quickly started screaming at me! Fortunately I managed to avoid hills (I ducked out of Howell Hill and headed across Nonsuch Park - not a good move!). Nonsuch is flat, but packed with dogs and people who see the path as their property and made absolutely no effort to give me even the slightest hint of a route through on the concrete - I had to go into the mud and icky ground several times. Annoying - as tehre was even a notice saying that tne path was to be shared.

The final few miles were a real slog - almost like the last few of a marathon. Probably a sign that my nutrition plan really let me down. I even had a spare gel I coudl have taken but didn't - but I'm going to have to figure out a way to handle that side of things, otherwise I'll be in trouble!

Right now I can't imagine how I could run even a half mara, let alone a full one, and certainly not after the same bike distance again, but then again I can remember when a half marathon left me flat out! I've got six months' training left, so hopefully it'll come good.

Although my time was worse than last week, I'm putting that down to:

• hills - there seemed a lot more nasty ones
• wind in my face a lot of the time
• possibly staying too long at Lindi's
• getting the nutrition wrong - not that it was totally great last week!

I'm hoping to get a swim in before work tomorrow - if I can get up - just to loosen me up!

Saturday Swim

Discipline: Swimming
Distance: 1600m (1 mile) - drills etc
Time: 60 minutes


The final session of my training week (which runs from Sunday to Saturday), and I didn't want to run or bike as Sunday is the long bike ride. I decided to go to the pool and do 2000m, but due to a slightly late start I only had time to fit in a mile before the pool closed. I did manage to get in an hour of drills and stuff though. I was pretty exhausted though.

I tried to work on getting a bit more "S" into my stroke as mentioned in my last post, and although it still needs work, got more of a feel for this. I think this helped as towards the end I put in a PB equalling 48.6 for 50 metres. I was also working on a final wrist flick at the end of the stroke, an d brushign my thighs. This had felt like a great 50 metres, with my position just right. I could have kicked my legs more - this still needs some more drilling (a lot!).

Okay - so the summary for the week is:

Bike: 3:17
Run: 50 mins
Swim: 2:13

Giving a grand total of 6:20 for the week :o)

Tomorrow - a logn bike ride - hoping to do 56 miles (half the IM distance) but not sure of a route as yet. I think I may make it up as I go along!

Whale of a Time

Discipline: Swim
Time: 1:13
Distance: 2000m of various drills etc

Decided it was time I had another swim, and hoped to ease off the legs that had been a bit achey, particularly in the quads. I arrived at the pool about 5:15, and there was still a fair number of people there. For next time I think I'll leave it until about 6pm.

Anyway - got down to it, and it took a while to get back into it. I did a mix of kicks, arm drills with the pull buoy, plus just some general head position and bilateral breathing drills. I've always felt a lot less balanced breathing to the right, and I think I tracked this down to not keeping my left arm out as long (i.e. I start the "Pull" bit of the stroke earlier than I do on the other side). I'm not sure if I do that if it's not on a "breathing" stroke. Anyhow - I experimented, and my impression was that it definitely helped.

Pool was a bit too crowded to do too many lengths on the trot. I did do a 100m time trial and did 2:12 (oops - slowed down too much!) and a final 50m in 50.7 (good, but it felt better than that - maybe it was the after effects of the lurgy).

Things to work on

• reinforcing the better balance for bilateral breathing
• getting the "S" shape back in my "pulls" - I've been going a bit straight back
  

lately I think and potentially losing power

Training - Come Rain or Shine

Discipline: Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 49:33

I'd been feeling ill since last night - sneezy, lurgified, generally very tired, and sinuses aching like crazy. I'd even spent most of the day in bed today. And yet, perhaps somewhat crazily, at around 6pm I decided that I needed to run.

Part of me said that this was stupid. It was freezing out, it'd make my lurgy worse, etc etc. And yet, somehow, I got out there and did it - perhaps partly to try to keep somewhere close to my schedule! Okay, it meant that I lost a swim session Monday, but a swim Tuesday and I'd be back on track (nearly), as the planned swim Wednesday was always going to be a bit hopeful.

Anyhow - I got out there and ran. The legs didn't feel too bad, and there were no obvioius twinges or aches, save in my fingers - why oh why didn't I wear gloves? I thought I was taking it a bit easy, but the time shows otherwise, and even though I was breathing heavily (partly the cold air, partly the lurgy?) I finished in not a bad time, although by no means my best. I was really glad to get back indoors - I was getting real nerve twinges in my arms when I pressed the stop watch button. I had a hot shower and my hands were aching like mad at the sudden contrast between cold and hot!

So - next session - I try an eight miler again. This could be interesting! I think last time I did this my back had probably gone out, as I was finding it tough from about two miles! This time - I've done a six several times on the trot without it taking half a week to recover, so hopefully my legs are stronger. I'm toying with the idea of going over to Kingston and doing the lap from there to Thames Ditton and Hampton Court along the river. I may even meet up with Gym Freak :o)

Fell at the First Hurdle!

Planned: 2000m Swim
Achieved: Got me shopping done!

That'll teach me to check - the tri club does indeed have a 9pm session at the pool, but prior to that is the local swimming club, so my planned 2000m loosen up after yesterdayy's bike ride couldn't happen. I've resolved to go in the morning before work instead.

Think I might do some core strengthening stuff and stretching tonight too.

Monday - The Plan

Morning After

Hmmm - legs not too tired - not bad at all. A bit sluggish, a few aches around the joints, but nothing overly stiff. I plan a swim tonight to help loosen everything off before a run Tuesday.

The Plan

Sunday: 50 miles on the bike (done!)
Monday: 2000m swim
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Wednesday: 2000m swim
Thursday: 8 mile run
Friday: 26 miles bike to work and back
Saturday Bodypump and swim 1600m

I had hoped to shove that in a table but blogger is being a pain in the @rse!

Oooo Me Clackerbag!!

Discipline: Cycling
Distance: 50 miles
Time: 3:17
Av speed: 15.2 mph

Some might call me daft. Heck - I'd call me daft! I haven't cycled for several weeks, but rather than start off gently with a 20 miler midweek and then maybe stretch to 35 today, I decided to go out and do a forty miler. Seemed like a psychological barrier. Then I thought "heck - how do I do forty miles?". I felt like doing two laps (see map - but two of the laps on the left) around Esher and Cobham, and even though I knew that took the total up to 47 odd miles, I decided to go for it. Then it was a simple matter of adding on a few extra miles to crash through the 50 mile barrier.

The ride started off well, except that my left quad had been twingeing a bit for the past few days. It was a bit sluggish going up hills, but overall not at all bad. I tried a new route out through Epsom, but messed it up, and ended up in the one way system! Still - not bad. I was soon on the road to Oxshott and cruising along nicely, although I don't think I quite reached the speeds I have done in the past. No need to push it - even at this point I was going for 40 miles - three miles longer than I'd done before.

I reached the ten mile mark in 36:20, with an average speed of 16.6mph. I put my foot down (can you do that on a bike?) and headed towards Esher at a fair old lick. All was going well and feeling comfortable.

the road out of Esher is a real switchback - a few downhills, but the road surface is extremely rough, and going at high speeds is just plain uncomfortable! My perenium was taking a lot of buffeting - not sure what to do about that - it's the roads really. Some are just so smooth that pedalling is no effort whatsoever, and the bike is smooth as silk on then, but other bits of road just throw the bike around and really stress the arms as well as the bum! There's also a lot of nasty climbs on this bit of road, before a long descent through Cobham, and the road flattens out after that. There's a few ups and downs from there to Leatherhead, and at this point I got a bit lost. I hadn't intended to go onto a dual carriageway (or maybe I had - just hadn't realised the road was that big), but found my way back onto the road to Oxshott.

Another rough bit of road here, and at this point I remembered Viz, and yelled out a phrase I'm sure I've seen it in "Ooooo me clackerbag". Not strictly accurate, it's the perenium, the soft spongy bit behind the aforementioned clackerbag, but ruddy painful when the road's rough. This became a bit of a running joke, and every time I went over a rough bit of road, I yelled it out again! This was fine until another cyclist passed me, and by the look he gave me he'd obviously heard what I said! We did have a nice little chat - he'd been down to the coast :o) There's a great camaraderie between endurance athletes - or to put it another way - nutters like to stick together ;o)

Anyhow - a steep climb in to Oxshott, and then off to start the second lap. I stopped at the top of the long descent down to the A3 to have more drink and some energy bar, as I was feeling a bit spangly headed by then. This in a way is rather worrying - I was only about 1:20 into the ride (half way point - shows how fab my time could have been) and presumably not using as much energy as running, and yet - I'm getting a bit of a sugar low. Perhaps the after effects of the booze last night? Average speed at this point was above 17mph - I was feeling strong. I didn't let up heading towards Esher, but this time the nasty roads and succession of tough climbs really got me. It was about 32 miles by this point, and I was noticeably dropping to a lower gear than the first time on this bit of road. I kept going - the long downhill into Cobham, through there and towards Leatherhead. I stopped just past here for a stretch and an energy gel, and had a leak in a bush! Then back on the back, feeling rejuvenated. I'd needed the gel - more spangly headedness, and the climb to the top of the last hill had left me quite wobbly.

The climb into Oxshott wasn't as bad as I'd remembered, and I turned right back towards Epsom. This was a tough bit of road - I'd avoided it the previous ride by getting lost and going back through Ashtead, but this time it really stretched me. The mileometer was on about 40 miles by now, and my legs knew it. I really lost a lot of time down here. Then I turned left instead of going into Epsom, and headed down towards Horton Country Park. The road here was beautifully smooth, and cyclign felt easy. The downhill probably helped a bit too!! I swung back into Ewell, but there was a road clouse, so I took a mini detour, and then headed left at the lights back towards Northey Avenue. A few wiggles here to avoid the hills of Northey, I headed towards Cheam Village and then right down West Drive, and then back along Mulgrave. I thought that I'd come up just shy of 50 miles, so went along to the far end of Worcester Road before turning back. It worked a treat - 50.02 miles.

Right now my ITB on both legs (but particularly the left) are quite stiff. The quads are sluggish but not achey. I have a feeling tomorrow may see a fair bit more stiffening in the ITBs. A swim seems a good way to get some exercise and loosen them up. I want to run at least six, if not eight on Tuesday.

Early night tonight - glad I didn't do the ride yesterday before M visited - I'd have been sod all use as company!

The Importance of Being Earnest

Training for the Week: absolutely zero

The response to my last post was fantastic - and I've realised that I need to get more serious. Twenty-six weeks to go - and I really do need to get out there and train regardless of how pooped I feel. Doing an Ironman is not "a bit of a laugh" - it needs serious, in earnest training. Which is just what I'm not doing now.

It's also making me wonder just why my job is leaving me so worn out. Okay - I'm "performing" all the time, more than a lot of non-teachers might realise, but I should be able to come home from a day's work and not just feel like flaking out in front of the telly!

Anyhow - I had a long bike ride planned for today - but got busy tidying up and doing odds and sods as M's coming over for the first time. In the end I decided doing a bike ride tomorrow after she'd gone was a better option, and opted for a swim after visiting the supermarket. Which was when the problem hit - I'd lost the key to my scooter, so couldn't head off to the pool. I've found it now (it had dropped out of my pocket while I was shopping), but it was too late by then as the pool shuts early on a Saturday.

Anyhow - my training weeks start on Sunday, so I'll kick the week off with three hours on the bike, and put my zero training week behind me with a blitz!!

On the plus side - I've sent off the London to Brighton form this morning, and I'm just about to complete and send off the one for the Bala middle-distance (not quite half IM) tri. Should be a good way to get used to doing a serious long distant event with the madness of an open water swim prior to IMDE. It's about six weeks before so is pretty much ideally timed. Bala is a gorgeous area - near to Lake Vyrrnrywyrry or whatever it's called!

Fantastic Training Week - NOT!

Hmmmmmm!

Well - been a very enjoyable week - went out for a curry on Tuesday with the RW peeps, and then back to M's. A very enjoyable night out, all things considered. The next day I felt knackered, and although there may have been shreds of a lurgy around, it was probably the alkyhol. My planned bike ride went to pot. The after effects of the curry were....um...mildly explosive, and by Thursday my weight was back down to 100.0kgs!

Friday morning it was back up to 101.6kgs! I didn't cycle last night - just managed to fit in a haircut (well - it'll make me a tad more aerodynamic, but otherwise pretty usless for IMDE!!)

So - sod all training for over a week! Must get a lot done. I am struggling to fit in work, seeing M, and training, plus I've got study to do for biology unless I get an unconditional offer from St George's. Life is very busy but very fun. Training requires pushing myself - and at the moment I'm just not doing it. Hmmmm :os

Right - as Meldy pointed out last night, there's 26 weeks to go (slightly over, surely?), bu the last bit of that is the taper, so I really *must* get going. The plan at the mo is to do a 40 mile bike ride either tonight (problem - it'll be dark), tomorrow (problem - will be tired for seeing M), or Sunday. I also want to fit a run in. Sod it - I'll do two laps of the old running route - that's over 20 miles and is all on main roads - but they are unpleasantly busy. Ever felt like you're trying to juggle too much?

All You Can Eat

Discipline: Eating
Time: 48 hours
Amount: About 7.23 million calories worth :os

Hang on - I'm s'posed to be training for an Ironman, not a feckin' trencherman!

Friday
Dashed home from wuk, packed a bag for the weekend, an headed off for St Reatham to see M :oD. We were visiting a Chinese, and Chinese is one of my favourites. And how wonderful - an "all you can eat" stylee buffet, and unfortunately that was like a red rag to a bull!

Three platefuls later, I was feeling extremely bloated!

M somehow managed four (more vegetables, ya see) and got away without the unfortunate "farting" side effect. Must be the Monosodium Glutamate. Or something.

Saturday
Got up early, bade farewell to M, and headed off towards Kings Cross Thameslink, and then to Brum for a wonderful weekend back at Raptor Caverns. It was good to get back there. That Evil Pixie had been exceedingly evil and baked cookies and muffins, and I felt duty bound to try them. Seven of them - I wanted to make sure of course! Plus the useful volume of food from the dino. Although the raptorites did give me plenty of exercise!

Sunday
Off to Benz's for lunch - and three choices of main course (all delicious) and three choices of pud (likewise). We saw Benzy as a teenager via some old photos (phwoar!) and once again I ate way too much.

So - this morning I've gained 2kgs from 7th January (oops!) - partly the eating, partly the lack of exercise.

On the plus side - I've spent an awful lot of time with great people, doing things that - well - that make life a lot of fun, and more than just an existence. :oD

Hang on - Isn't it UCCA??

IM Training:
Hmmm - sod all done!

This is, in many ways, worrying. I'm having a ball at the moment, but work is getting in the way, and there's so much to fit in that it's tough to get the training in. Still - I've got some very important bits and bobs out of the way now, so I can press on with it next week hopefully.

Weight shot up at the beginning of the week (didn't think I'd eaten that much Saturday night!), and has been gradually dropping since. Still higher than seven days ago though - grrrr!

Career:
Last night I did it - I got the personal statement together to apply for the physio course, and fed it all into UCAS. Last time I did it it was called UCCA. Still - that was back in 1980, which is a long time ago, and it was on a paper form. This was all done on the interweb thingy!

Vrap did a wonderful reference for me, which really was touching. Okay, I know these things do tend to get a tad effusive, but this was really great stuff. :o) It's good to have friends like her!

And then, this morning, after having a final check through (I was very tired by the time I got all the bits together), I hit the submit button, filled in the credit card details, and it's all gone off for consideration.

I'm excited and nervous both at the same time!

Straining with Training

Discipline: Resting!

Back at work - and I'm finding it harder to do training. I'm tired :o(

Plus I went out Saturday, had a fab time with another forumite, drank rather a lot, and felt rather knackered on Sunday. The planned bike ride went for a burton, and the same the next day. To be honest, I've been full of excuses. Tuesday was also spent socialising.

I do rather enjoy socialising. Training like a nutter is one thing, but balance in life is good too :o)

I said a while back that I had a great feeling about 2006. Well - so far it's been just that. I've just heard that while it's not certain, St George's are pretty much happy to offer me a place studying physio based on my A level grades from 25 years ago (1981 - I kid you not), and my ITEC Diploma in Anatomy, Physio, and Holistic Massage.

Social-wise - there was the forum social on 30th December, a fab start to the year with the Serpies' New Year's Day 10k, and then a great lunch in good company.

And recently I've been getting to know someone rather better, and spending a lot of time with her :oD

Yup - 2006 is great!

Oops on two counts :o(

Discipline: Sitting on me arse
Time: 24 hours

Was supposed to be doing a 40 mile bike ride today, but after a great evening out, several pints of alkyhol, and a late night in great company, I really didn't feel up to it. An extremely good fry-up in a Streatham greasy spoon also didn't help, although it was very welcome!

New scales showed my weight to be near as damn it what my fancy ones showed, so I guess the gym machine must be fecked :o( So my hopes for a dramatic weight loss are out of the window!

Plus I seem to have gained the best part of a kilo - never mind, it's probably temporary.

And last night was a very good night - there are other things than training ;o)

Oooh - Big Weight Loss!

Discipline: weights - Body Pump

Did a body pump class - great stuff and really left me feeling achey in a pleasant sort of way. &.5kgs each end for the squats, and we didn't do lunges, and a great abs track. Then into the sauna to help get rid of the aches.

Plus - the gym scales showed that I'm actually about 10 pounds lighter than my ones at home - I've been having doubts about them as the body fat percentages are ridiculously high - time to get some new scales. Would be great to "lose" that much in one fell swoop!

Lost Half a Stone!!

Oooooh!

Pleasant surprise this morning - was a bit worried that my campaign to lose a kilo a week (since the start of the Crimbo hols) had stalled, as I was nearly a pound over yesterday, but this morning revealed that I'd made it.

Okay - the pedantic amongst you will note that it's actually just short of half a stone, but it's damn nearly, and I've crashed down through the 100kgs barrier by quite a sizeable chunk. Here's hoping that my meal out tonight doesn't send the weight spiralling, but it should be a fun night so sod it - it'll only be a short term weight gain!

Weights today at the gym (can't decide whether to do Body Pump and hence leg weights today, as I have a big cycle ride planned tomorrow).

The Length of a Length!

Discipline: Swim
Distance: Hmmm - good question!


Had a student not turn up for an exam that I was supposed to be invigilating, so I managed to head down to the leisure centre near work for a swim. It's much more expensive than the local pool, but there weren't more than six people in the entire pool, which was divided into three lanes, and three of those were me and my two wuk colleagues!

The problem I have with this pool is that I don't know the length, so I don't really know distances! I'm confident it's longer than my usual pool, which is 25m, but then I'm not sure by how much! Two lengths took me 70 seconds, as opposed to the usual 50, but how much of that is due to the push off the wall having less effect I'm not sure. I'm going to assume that it is at least 33m, which made my 30 lengths a round kilometre, although in some ways the times for lengths make me wonder if it isn't more like 37.5m - or 75m for two lengths. Who knows? probably the leisure centre staff - but I forgot to ask them!

I practised right side breathing, and general reach stuff, but I'm getting to the stage where I think I need to structure the sessions more, so I'm off to Ztri (local tri club) on Monday evening to see what they can come up with. I'll hopefully see Graham (see last pool session) and meet some new tri peeps to chat to about tri!

Northey Route - Six Miles

Discipline: Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 48:32

Well, the plans for doing a bike ride went out the window - after getting my blood taken, there really wasn't time to do a 30 mile ride. Plus I didn't want to leave it too late or it would be too close to the weekend long ride.

Anyhow - instead I decided to do a run - my old Northey route, which is probably a smidge under six miles, but close enough.

I have to say that it felt good! It wasn't anywhere near as cold as I'd imagined coming home from work on the scooter, when I nearly froze my extremities off! I reached the end of Mulgrave in 7:42 (rather slow compared to lately), but I think I maintained the pace more evenly. Then a long climb up to Northey, which was hard but didn't seem to aggravate my quads the way I'd thought it might.

The rest of the run was hard on the breathing in places, but the legs seemed to cope admirably - a few twinges on the knee, but nothing major. Then into a nice hot bath and plenty of stretching!

Overall, around 8:05 miling. Probably a fraction better than the performance on Sunday - I think my breathing has improved :oD

Wednesday - Rest Day

Discipline: Rest
Time: 24 hours

Well, today was going to be a long bike ride, but it was *soooo* cold out, plus I was knackered after my first day back at work. Oh yeah, and my legs were aching - felt really quite sore in the back too, so opted instead for rest.

The plan is to do the ride tomorrow morning.

Body Pump

Discipline: Body Pump

Legs were still a bit sore from Sunday's race, but I decided to go down the gym and do a class, and to mix with some of my gym mates. Who sad to say weren't there! The gym was pretty much empty! Did have one other person turn up.

Had a good session - the knee seemed to hold out okay - 7.5kgs either end for squats, no lunges, and some great abs stuff to Liberty X.

And a lovely warm sauna - great stuff!

2k but Pool Rage!!

Discipline: Swim
Distance: 2000m

Quads have been pretty stiff since this morning, and also my back woke up feeling decidedly out of alignment. So a swim seemed the ideal training to do to help gently work the tired muscles. I was a bit worried when I arrived a t the pool as there was already 11 peeps in the swim lane, but half of them disappeared and things got a bit more manageable. Even so - there were still a couple of slow moving jellyfish, I actually had to do a reverse stroke at one point they were going so slowly!!

Anyhow - the lengths ticked by nicely - I worked a bit on right hand side breathing, which I never felt cam as easily as breathing to the left, and generally trundled out the lengths. I did have a go at a 200m time trial, but encountered "Pool jam" at the end of 150m, when my watch showed 3:02, so I may well have beaten the 4:09 time, as I can do 50m in 66 seconds feeling very comfortable.

I'd planned to do 2k, but my arm was hurting a bit (left one), but I'd got to 50 lengths reasonably okay. A guy arrived who I'd seen there a few times before, so I said hello. Soon after a bloke had a go at him for cutting him up, and then one of the lifeguards had a word with the new person, but he seemed to be arguing vociferously!

Anyhow - a few lengths later, the guy had a go at me for swimming in the middle of the lane. I wouldn't mind, but it was complete bollox! In any case, hwe wasn't exactly swiming to the rules of the lane - cutting people up and all sorts. I had a moan to the lifeguard about him, who told me that he'd been banned once but that head office had let him back in. I decided to just finish off my lengths and go. However, it did get me chatting to the person who I'd seen there several times before, and I found out he goes to Ztri and we had a good old chat.

I did a couple of time trials over 50m, and recorded 48.9 and 49.6, which isn't bad at all. I was deliberately rolling a bit more. I can't decide between the flatter Spans technique and the more rolling TI stylee. Both seem to have good bits. Either way, I now have a much better kick, which is good, and I'm sure my legs aren't as splayed or snaking as much. Must have a sesh practising my kick (still not really done that - sorry coach Spans!).

Anyhow - 2k in the bank - arms a bit sore afterwards.

Serpentine New year's Day 10k

Discipline: Running
Distance: 10k
Time: 52:59 (watch time)

I decided to start 2006 with a race. And of course a social, as with a whole load of forumites there, there was bound to be a party afterwards! It was rather odd setting out to a race, as I hadn't done one all through 2005, and I nearly forgot to collect my safety pins! I pootled up to London on my scooter (roads were gawjusly clear, even at 9:30 and beyond), wish they were like that for my ride into work! I found somewhere to park in a nearby side street, hoped I didn't forget where it was, and headed towards Hyde Park, where I quickly met up with Johnny J and Mava, and soon afterwards Pinkie and co in the cafe.

I hadn't run 10k for over a month, but my recent four milers had gone well, and I optimistically said that I might sneak uner 50 minutes if I ran well. The start gun went, and we were off! I'd positioned myself slightly too far back, and spent the first few hundred metres weaving in and out of people. The paths were a bit narrow at this stage, but the grass verges were nice and even.

I reached the 1km mark in 5:06, which was disappointing, but I tried to reassure myself that it had been a bit uphill and I'd had to weave a fair bit. I reached the 2km marker in 10:09, and decided that I was unlikely to get under fifty minutes. The race had setled by now without much overtaking, except of me on the rather sharp incline between two and three kilometres - maybe my hip flexors not working too well? My knee was nagging slightly, but it had done that before, so no worries. I rounded the bend just before 3k and saw Mava and Pinkie cheering, which was great.

I grabbed a cup of water at the drinks station, walked while I downed it, and then set off and quickly overtook the runners who'd passed me at the drinks station. The second lap was similar to the first, but just after the 5km marked I got lapped by the eventual winner, who finished in just over 31 minutes. The wind down the back straight of the park was quite strong and in our faces, so this wasn't a bad time. I got lapped by four more runners, but they were few and far between, and I'm not sure I would have done much better if I'd run a 45 minute time in terms iof how many passed me - the whippets are just so fast!

The end of the lap - more cheers from the supporters, another drink, and this time a stretch as the right quad was pulling a bit. I set off again, in pursuit of Everton mint hatted woman, who I'd been trading places with all the way so far. I overtook, and thought I'd put her well behind me, but she passed me again on the sharp uphill with about 1km to go. I tried to get back, but everyone was increasing speed towards the end, and even a strong sprint, which I wasn't sure I had in me anyway, wouldn't have caught her. I finished slightly out of breath but not too much so, with a slightly pulling right quad, but overall very happy to have finished, and particularly to have squeezed inside 53 minutes - not my original target, but one that at one point had looked decidedly iffy! An excellent start to the year, well organised and marshalled.

Then it was back to cheer in the other finishers, and head over to the pub for lunch and a complete lack of alcohol on my behalf. Wonder how long that resolution will last!!

New Year, New Bear!

New Year's Day!

A day for fresh starts!

But no - this is not going to be a one day thing, this is going to be a year long thing. Not a resolution that last a few weeks, but an ongoing process of change. I have some major stuff to achieve this year.

I start the year without a hangover, having spent a wonderful weekend so far with friends (RW social, Wumbly and Aim High's, and Vrap visiting), and with plans today to run a 10k and spend more time with friends from the forums afterwards.

Plus my weight has come down some more - that's 5lbs I've lost in the last fifteen days.

Life is good, but there are still areas that need work. 2006 is the year I get them sorted too :oD