Time to Kick Back and Relax

Thanks for all your comments ref bike shoes and clipping in; I'll post my article in the next couple of days. It's a bit long at the moment and I'm scared you will fall asleep if you attempt to read it all.

It was the Brampton Summer Ball last night and it's midday on the Morning After. I didn't overdo the Magners so I don't have a hangover but I'm feeling very tired. It was a great evening - as well as loads of really good food (and of course I had to try it all, purely in the interests of research of course!) the entertainment was excellent. With a Las Vegas theme the night started with some "traditional" dancing girls, yes very nice but a couple of them looked like they needed a good meal or 2. Very bendy though. We then had an Elvis impersonator - absolutely superb (although I had consumed a couple of Magners by this stage!). After more food, a couple of rides on the dodgems and watching the GDP of a small African country go up in fireworks (no, I'm not a fan of fireworks), it was time for the second band - Manhattan Swing (or something like that). They were really excellent, bags of energy and doing loads of songs that made people get up and dance. Yes, even I managed to get up for some quality "Dad Dancing". I managed to sneak in some more food from the BBQ along with waffles and ice cream before the evening drew to a close. We were around for the early breakfast but I just couldn't face any more food - I was beaten. We had a nice walk back from the Mess whilst I finished off my last Magners and then I had to take the dog for a walk before I got to my bed. Mary had forgot to turn her alarm off so we were woken at 6:30am to Planet Rock radio - just what I really didn't need.

I'm chilling out watching the Moto GP races from Assen and will use the afternoon to sort my bikes out; I haven't unpacked the Dolan since Bala and it needs a clean and some fine tuning of the position before CowMan next week. I then need to give the Litespeed a quick once over as I'm out on the bike with Sags tomorow morning. Time to rehydrate and recover now.

Do you have your bike shoes pre-clipped on your pedals in T1?

In preparation for my forthcoming journalistic masterpiece on the pros and cons of having your bike shoes pre-clipped on your pedals in T1, please complete the poll (to the right --->).

If you feel that I haven't covered all the angles, please let me know.

Train Short for Going Long

A quick post today. There's an interesting article in this week's Cycling Weekly about how it's not necessary to spend hour after hour doing base miles to improve your long distance cycling. Definitely worth a read, especially for those of you who don't have the time or the inclination for regular 5 or 6 hour training rides.




Talking of which, and somewhat ironically bearing in mind what I've just written, a big WELL DONE to Jackie Wren for completing her first 100 mile cycle ride in the howling gales on Sunday.

Bala Formation Finish

Just got hold of this pic of Reg Swallow and I finishing the Bala Middle Distance Tri a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure the SWO would be well chuffed!

Dambuster 2008

Dambuster

A BIG well done to all those who completed the Dambuster at Rutland Water today. What horrible weather; spectating was brilliant fun, though, made all the more enjoyable with pre-race bacon butties and hot coffee while all the competitors were faffing around sorting kit out.

Well done to Andy Reardon and Vicky Webb on becoming RAF Champs 2008. Vicky also won 30-39 AG overall as well. Kelda won 40-49 AG and Bev won 50-59 AG so a great day for the ladies.

I took a number of pictures that I will load onto Photobucket later today and post the link and password on the RAF Tri forum. I also spent a very enjoyable 20 minutes or so at the exit of T1 and will post another piece here about what I saw. Suffice to say that "Why do 95% of those people that have their bike shoes clipped on in T1 do it?"

Iron Bally

Iron Bally stayed at "Chez Turbo Man" last night. It was good to see him again and, to be honest, he's not as lardy as I was expecting him to be. He's playing a bit of squash and doing "some" running, but not much, and focussing on not eating too much. He found my awful attempt at cooking too much for him to bear so took over and produced a very pleasant meal. A couple of bottles of red wine were also consumed so my planned turbo session went out the window and, funnily enough, I wasn't up to training this morning either!

Best of luck to all the competitors at Dambuster this weekend; I've not looked at the weather forecast but it's racing at Rutland Water so it's bound to be raining!

Father's Day means ...

CHOCOLATE! And chocolate means Toblerone, my absolute favourite. And having 2 kids meant I received 2 HUGE bars plus a Homer Simpson mug that reads: "Trying is the first step to failure". Not sure about that!

I did earn it though. This morning my running partner (Bandit) and I ran to the Meadow, did 1 lap of the Meadow and then headed over the road for a lap of Hinchinbrooke Park before running back alongside the river. 16.5km by my reckoning in 1 hour 25 minutes - that's good for me in case you were wondering.

Looking forward to some decent bike mileage this week.

Sunburn - BEWARE!

After my turbo session this morning I jumped in the shower (as you do) only to find that my sunburn has now blistered; not pathetic little ones either, large fluid filled blisters. This is not good.

Remember, prevention is better than the cure. Even though the weather forecast for Bala wasn't that good I should have applied suncream anyway. I will certainly be slapping it on for the rest of my races this year.

I would post a picture but children have access to the site!

Back on the Bike

It was a beautiful morning but family commitments meant I had to ride the turbo. This was the first time I'd been on the bike since last Sunday and I wanted it to be hard but not ridiculously so. The session I decided on was a 60km pyramid-type effort, getting steadily harder, peaking in the middle and then easing back towards the end. Managed the 60km in 1:33:40 without going above threshold so am pleased with that. Legs felt good.

Am looking to have 2 solid bike-orientated weeks now in preparation for the CowMan HIM on 6 July; will keep the swimming and running ticking over and also try to lose a few pounds.

I've just got my legs back

Hi folks, thanks for all the comments re Bala; maybe a few more of us will be there next year?

I've been at Honington for a few days which is why I've not posted any training updates, but the truth is I haven't done anything. On the plus side, my legs actually feel normal today so I will be easing myself back into training tomorrow with ... a hilly run session down at Luton! Am I mad? Am planning a long ride Saturday morning (not sure if Sags can make it) and a half marathon run on Sunday and then I've got a 2 week block to get some quality bike mileage in along with 2 more half marathon runs and some steady swim sessions. That should lead me nicely into my taper for CowMan.

Well done to Sags for winning at Odiham - I noticed that the bike course was 2 laps; where did it go? And Vicky Webb seemed to have an absolute stormer to be just a minute or so behind a pack of you challenging for 3rd place.

Train smart.

Bala Middle Distance - Long Report

This was Leg 1 of the Half Ironman Tour of the UK that Reg Swallow and I had decided to do in 2008. Set against a truly glorious backdrop of Lake Bala and the hills and mountains of North Wales the course was a tough one. Due to road subsidence on the latter part of the bike leg, the course was changed for this year; you would ride the first 25.1 miles and then turn around and go back the way you came. Sounds straightforward enough but the first 25 miles include a rather large mountain so this year you would get the pleasure of going over it twice.

I arrived early the day before and had an opportunity to drive the bike course before setting up my tent at the excellent Glanllyn Caravan and Camping Park (http://www.glanllyn.com/) that was recommended to me by Russ Watson. This is some 5 miles from the race start and Bala town centre. After setting up, getting my kit sorted and going for an easy 20 minute jog I headed into Bala for dinner with a couple of TriTalk colleagues; the town was full of triathletes and many of the pubs and restaurants were serving “Triathlon Special” meals. I had an excellent chicken and pasta meal but felt that the £11.50 price tag was a little excessive. I then headed back to my tent to wait for Reg to arrive; he had to work so was flying into Birmingham and was going to be somewhat late. I’m afraid to say that I fell into a deep sleep and failed to hear my phone when Reg rang to ask “I’m at the campsite, where’s your tent?” Consequently Reg guessed (he knew my car) and fortunately he got it right!

Next morning we were up bright and early and after breakfast we headed to the start area to get everything ready. Reg had to build his bike and I’m glad to report that he actually managed to bring a complete bike with him! We were set up in good time and had an opportunity to soak up the atmosphere as the sun rose and it started to get warm. Very warm.

Reg was in Wave 1 and at 0930 the hooter went to get the race underway. I was in Wave 2 and 10 minutes later we were off. Starting at my usual position towards the rear of the pack I quickly found clear water. It seemed that the pack split and either went towards the bank or towards the buoys leaving plenty of space in the middle that I took full advantage of. I got into a nice rhythm but noticed water was finding its way into my goggles. They were new but I had used them twice in the pool without any problem; I can only assume that adding a swim hat must alter the way they sit on my face and allow water in. This proved to be a problem throughout the swim and I had to stop on 4 occasions to empty them out – a small amount of water wouldn’t normally be a problem but as a contact lens wearer I couldn’t risk losing a lens.

Out of the water in 39 minutes and into a leisurely T1. Wetsuit came off easily (a first!) and I kitted myself out and off onto the bike. I really wish I had some suncream. The first hill out of Bala is steep but it then flattens down a bit and you can get into a good rhythm spinning away. There were a few descents in the first few miles but these were fairly short and the general thrust was uphill. It was quite warm now and I was getting the first thoughts that the TT bike with a disk wheel was perhaps not the wisest choice of weapon. The first major descent launches you down a 10% hill, something that training in Cambridgeshire just cannot prepare you for! I approached it cautiously and hit 55kmh but others were going much faster, however, there were several other opportunities to practice fast descents and my confidence grew and I was soon descending quicker than most of those around me and the Dolan proved a super stable companion at the 60-65kmh speeds that we were regularly experiencing. 7 miles from the turnaround point you turn left and the route is then very fast, mainly downhill, from this point to the turnaround and I was tucked on the tribars for most of this, making up a number of places. The downside to this speed, though, is that you then turn around and have to go back up! And it was about this point that my bike leg started to come apart. The 7 miles of almost continuous uphill was sucking the life out of my legs, and I knew I still had that 10% monster to come. The next hour was spent going uphill with only the occasional downhill to provide temporary relief. The 10% bit saw me crawling up at about 8 – 9 kmh and being passed my loads of people – I was REALLY struggling. And in the back of my mind were those little words “Should have rode the Litespeed!” Amazingly I made it to the top without stopping (looking back, if I had stopped I would never have got going again) and the downhill sections that followed allowed some sort of recovery. I ate and drank and mentally prepared myself for the run. Amazingly, within a short period of times my legs felt good and I really gave it some stick back into Bala – I really enjoyed that (apart from one or 2 short and nasty uphill sections).

Into T2 and it was now baking hot. I slipped into my trainers and put my hat on and headed off at a very easy pace, stopping at the first feed station to grab some water and High-5. I reached the 2 mile point in 16 minutes and was feeling OK; 4 miles passed in 33 minutes but then my heart sank. Round a corner and the road headed for the heavens and it would be like that all the way to the turnaround point! Oh poo! I gritted my teeth and with a combination of shuffling and power walking headed skywards. I saw Reg coming down, he looked tired but seemed to be moving OK – with hindsight I now know that gravity was providing Reg with all his momentum and that the wheels were about to well and truly fall off his race wagon. I reached the turnaround point and enjoyed the run down, stretching my legs and taking loads of time out of people who were just shuffling down, seeming to hold themselves back. To be honest I didn’t have the energy to try and control it and just let myself go. At the bottom the route seemed a lot bumpier than on the way out and I was really struggling – my tired legs and the heat were combining to make this a really hard race. With a mile or so to go I thought I caught a glimpse of an RAF trisuit ahead – surely not Reg? I thought I was hallucinating but round the next corner there was Reg, going VERY slowly. I caught him easily with just half a mile to go and did the decent thing and ran with him to the end – he was really spent, looked awful (sorry mate, but you did) and commented that he felt like he was going to feint. Turns out that Reg had his bike nutrition in T1 to load into his pockets after the swim but forgot to pick it up. Consequently he only had something like 2 gels on the bike and, surprise, surprise, bonked on the run. As we approached the finish line Reg’s family was waiting and giving him a massive cheer and urging him on to a sprint finish. Poor fellow could barely put one foot in front of the other let alone sprint!

I finished in 5:24:21 and Reg was exactly 10 mins down in 5:34:21. Neither of us had covered ourselves in glory but we had both finished, unlike many who found the conditions on the day to be just too much. We went and dangled our legs in the Lake for a bit and then treated ourselves to an ice cream before heading home.

Splits:

Swim + T1 Bike + T2 Run Total Position Position
Overall Age Group
Mick 40:13 2:48:25 1:55:43 5:24:21 160 26
Reg 43:07 2:41:03 2:10:11 5:34:21 195 46

That was the toughest race I have ever done and Bala 2008 now heads my list of hardest races I have completed. But I also learned a few things along the way. The Dolan is a damn quick bike, very stable at speed, but completely unsuited for hilly courses and I need to do some small changes to the set up to make it more suited for longer courses. The Trek bars were easy to eat on the bike but I couldn’t face anything other than gels on the run. Oh yes, and lose the extra half stone I’m still carrying around. We had a photo opportunity before the start and Reg looked at the image and said “You really should hold your stomach in on photos”. Cheers mate.

The next leg of the HIM UK tour sees Reg and I racing in England; Reg at the Trentham Big Half on 27 July and me at the CowMan on 6 July. The CowMan course should suit the Dolan better and so I’m hoping to crack 5 hours for that one. I suppose I should do a bit of run training as well?

Bala - Quick Report

That was the hardest race I have ever done (and I include IM, 3 x Aberfeldy HIM and the 07 IS at Wimbleball in that). Some of that was down to me; I should have taken a road bike. The TT bike with disk wheel was completely inapropriate for riding all those hills. The run was brutal; the race director mentioned in his briefing that there is no flat on the run, it's either up or down. Other than the first half mile he was absolutely right.

Both Reg and I finished but neither of us covered ourselves in glory. I finished in 5:24:21 and Reg was exactly 10 minutes behind me; Reg started 10 minutes in front of me so hopefully there will be a picture or 2 of our formation finish somewhere.

And I'm very sunburned.

Full report later.

Sort of Packed and Sort of Ready!

Tonight was set aside for sorting all my kit out for the weekend. First off was the bike - change cassette (not even I am mad enough to tackle the Welsh hills with an 11-21!), fit bottle cages and spare tub and check everything worked - it did. Next it was time to lay all the other kit out - wetsuit .... now where did I put that after the Vitruvian last year? That's right, I haven't done any open water swimming since the Vit! Eventually I got everything together, including the tent, sleeping bags, air bed and pillows and managed a nice soak in the bath. Feeling very relaxed now.

A complete rest day again tomorrow and then an early start on Saturday. I want to get to Bala in plenty of time to register and drive the bike route before heading to the camp site for a gentle 20-25 minute run and get everything sorted before heading to a local pub/restaurant for dinner. Reg won't be there until late but the race doesn't start until 0930 so at least we don't have to get up at some completely ridiculous hour.

I have also packed a camera so hopefully will get some decent pics for the blog.

Too Much Too Young

Ah, The Specials, great band, nothing to do with today's post though. It was my turbo session that was too much, and me that's too old.

Having had my last long run yesterday I attempted my last hard turbo session tonight, a Level 3 3 x 20 min session. During the last L3 session I did my HR was below what a L3 session should be so I decided to increase the wattage to 300 watts. However, I think ambition got the better of me and there was probably some fatigue still in the legs from yesterday's run. I managed the first 20 mins Ok (it was hard, but manageable) but at the beginning of the 2nd interval I started to have doubts that 6 days before a HIM I should be working this hard, so backed off after 10 mins and reduced the power to a more comfortable level. However, whilst happily spinning the minutes away and flicking through my ipod I came across Dexys Midnight Runners live version of " R E S P E C T"; if you haven't heard it it is a fabulous version of a fabulous song, and brilliant turbo trainer music. For the last 2 - 3 minutes the band is really rocking along (do Dexys rock?) and I found myself spinning away at 110rpm and 340 watts! AWESOME.

Anyway, that is my last hard session done. I have some easy sessions planned between now and Thursday and then a day of rest Friday.

Countdown ... 3 - 2 - 1

Well the first leg of my half ironman tour is almost upon me, and I must say it has come round very quickly. It only seems like yesterday that I had several weeks to go and was planning what training I needed to do. Now it is down to a few days and I'm planning what I need to pack. For some reason I'm a bit nervous about it but I don't know why. I've done some good training with regular 9 hour weeks over the last 6 or 7 weeks (I only averaged 9 hours per week when I completed Ironman in 2006) and I have previously completed 5 HIMs. I guess it's just early season lack of confidence, so finishing will be the priority. That's not to say that I won't be putting in a good effort.

Talking of good efforts, I went along to give Sags some moral support yesterday on his 25 mile TT. 1:00:07 is a great effort and oh so close to that psychological "Magic" hour. Sags had just passed his minute man when I saw him and I'm sure he was smiling. He did a mean run session straight afterwards so I can only assume he wasn't trying hard enough on the bike - if you're not seeing stars or black spots in front of your eyes at the end of a TT you really haven't tried hard enough!

I managed a 9.5 mile run yesterday in 1 hour 17 minutes, that included the time spent standing by the side of the road cheering Sags on. The good news is that is very close to my PB pace for a half-marathon so I know I am running as well as I ever have (which I know it isn't that great!). Legs feel a bit tired this morning but I got to the pool and did 50 lengths (and remembered to start my watch) and some drills. I'm happy with my swim pace as well. Let's hopeI can put it all together on Sunday.