So a semblance of a plan for next year is starting to form, we are fortunate enough to have a family holiday cottage up there so I'm intending to cycle the course as much as possible, which is something new to me. i don't think i have ever pre rode a course. I've got my support team all sorted. I actually like the idea of having a support team on the road. it gives the GF a chance to get involved with the race instead of just sitting around waiting for me to finish. it also means I can have a verity of food:)

I just hope the weather isn't like that we experienced this weekend, 50mph winds with driving hail!!

I've been thinking about what races to do, I've got some single sport stuff in the diary, but I'm struggling to find a suitable half. The Swashbuckler would be perfect, and on my old stomping ground, but it's just to far away. I could probably to the Mallorca 70.3 for the same cost! I will do the Bealch race in May as usual, hopefully this time I'll get under 3 hours, I've been 3:04 and 3:15 the past couple of years. This has the advantage of probably taking in some of the Celtman course as well. I normally tack this on to the end of a weeks holiday up north, and I'm going to use the week as a bit of a high mileage cycle week as well.

Current training is going well, I'm starting to get back into the groove of things, though I do need to swim more regularly.]]>
had a great week at out place up North, there is something incredibly relaxing about going somewhere where you know everything, have all your stuff there and can just chill out. we headed up late on Saturday after watching a friend do the Firth or Forth Swim, which is basically a 2km along the Forth rail bridge. quite intrusting watch a proper open water swimming race, especially as most people were without wetsuits. Definitely an even I would like to do in the future. But I might have to do some proper swim training as they won't just let any old punter in.

As I was on holiday training took a bit of a back seat, though i did manage to get in a couple of runs and 3 bike rides. The best of which was a 130km loop up to Lochinver than back along some very narrow single track roads. i lucked out with the weather as well, the only dry and wind free day of the whole time we were up there. for those of you who know North west Scotland more for hill walking I basically went up past Ben More Assynt, then looped back round past Stac Polly. highlight of the ride was definitely the beef and ale pie at Lochinver. Hat tip to mountain girl for finding this route. I'm almost a bit embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it befor.



Average speed was a very slow 22.6kph but a nice max speed of 68kph. The route had almost 2.2 km of climbing in it, and a lot of the decants are on very twisty and narrow single track roads, so you can't get a whole load of speed up. I'm always paranoid about riding in to a car.

this was by far the longest bike ride I've done in over 18months, so I was actually quite pleased about how good I felt, my back was complaining a bit but the legs weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be.

saying that I went out for a run the next morning and boy did i suffer, and I was a good 45 seconds per km slower than usual.

other than that just did a couple of other rides around 2:30 and a 10km run.

My main highlight of the break was going to Loopallu a music festival in Ullapool http://www.loopallu.co.uk/ . Absolutely brilliant, very low key but with some class acts, and to top it all off my favriote beer company, An telach ales had a bar there.

this week is just about ticking the sessions off, nothing exciting and sexy, 3 sessions in each and some gym and yoga work. Only slight difference is I'm planning on heading up North again on Friday night to climb Ardvakie wall on Saturday, so lets hope it stays dry.

KP- I am a complete sucker for a good spread sheet or tracker.]]>
I also keep a paper based journal, which I put the basic stats of each session and bit bit of general chat. It's more of a journal of how I feel rather than recording proper stats. But it is useful to have a glance at and see how I felt at a particular week or after a particular session. It's a lot more subjective than any of the electronic hard number recorders. I used to use it as a food diary, but can be bothered now.

I'm averaging 9 to 12 hours a week at the moment, the biggest difference in time is made up of my long bike ride. Taking that out of the equation, I'm remarkably consistent. I would expect that I'll actually drop down in time a bit as the year gets later on and I shorten my long bikes a bit.

Swim, is a bit mehh I need to change my training which for the last few months has basically consisted of doing 10x 200m with a few drill thrown in. I've brought a Swimsmoth plan which I'm aiming to start the week after next.

Bike is good- The plan has been to have no plan. I've just been getting out on the bike. That's starting to change now, as the nights draw in. The TT bike is all set up on the Turbo and the Sopranos box set has been dusted off. did my first Turbo session on Monday night, and I actually enjoyed it. kept the intervals short- 3 minutes max and varied it up a bit. next thing i knew it was all over.

Running- again at the moment it's more about time on feet, no intensity. I'm actually faster than I think I am. Most of my running is done in the rather hilly Hollrood park, so a run along the flat cannel side did wonders for the confidence.

I'm on holiday next week, so it will have a bit of a bike focus,

I'm starting to form a bit of a plan for next year, with the aim of doing well in Roth. Roth is obviously the A race, but I'm going to do a couple of half maras, Baal middle and a few other local races, both tri and single sport.]]>
The first week was good, I managed a couple of sessions across each discipline along with a couple of bonus gym sessions. No intensity in anything, just kept it nice and easy. It was very much just about getting back in to the swing of things.

I then did my first race in over a year. Gullane tri. which is a great honest race. like all the best races it's put on by a club and as a bonus you get a bottle of beer at the end. Although the weather was almost perfect, the sea wasn't playing ball. A combination of wind and tide had moved the buoys meaning that they had to be re-set. But the waves meant they couldn't get the boat out. Long shot was, that after 20-30 minutes hanging about on the beach, the buoys were sorted but the swim was cut to 750 meters. Mixed emotions if I'm honest. I wasn't overly looking forward to a sea swim, but then I would have actually like to do the whole shbang.

Any way, the swim was actually OK and didn't give me any great difficulties, apart from the odd sighting issue. it was actually fun coming back in with the waves behind us. My chip time shows 17:55 but is was more like 14:30 as there is a long run up a sand dune path to T1.

Bike- nothing much to report other than nearly been taken out by a couple of people as I over took them. Just kept it steady, tried to stay on my aero bars and dank my drink. i did get held up by some traffic lights coming back into town, but lost 30 seconds max. came home in 1:24. I'd reckoned on 1:25 so was pretty much bang on my prediction.

Run, it's brutal, basically its a 2 loop figure of eight. the first 2km of are up down up flat. Ran just over a 52, which is a bit on the slow side for me if I'm honest. I had been hoping for a 50, but then again i haven't been running a great deal before hand.

So i finished in 2:37, which even if you take in to account the sort swim I am reasonably happy with.

that was the Saturday, then Sunday we were of on holiday down south.

I took my bike with me, and running shoes. the aim was to just try and do something easy every day, which actually I did with the exception of the Sunday heading home.

It has been a bit of a shock getting back to Edinburgh though. I've got no motivation at all this week, and am feeling a bit tired and under the weather. Plan for this week is just to get some sort of rhythm going again.

I'm toying with entering the Highland warrior up in fort William mid September. I might hold of a week or two though until I see how the training goes.

Replies

Sue - ta. it's time to put in to practise everything from the last couple of years.
Soooooz- cheers

Wheezy- you must have a sick and twisted mind then. OW swimming, I'm actually better in OW than I am in the pool for some reason.]]>
The goal is sub11 hours, which is

1:20 swim
5:30 bike
4 run

Then 10 minutes for transitions

Looking some of my training times I think this is realistic,the swim will be the hardest as I have always struggled to train consistently in the pool.

I've learnt a lot over the last 4 years about what works for me and what doesn't and I'm in a much better place work and life wise to be able to give more focus to the training now.

I haven't been training as such recently, more just going out for a run or a ride when I fancied it. I'm off on holiday next week, but August and September will be mainly devoted to getting back in to the swing of things and learning to do some structure again. I've always worked on a 3x3 routine. with a couple of bonus gym session. The gym is more because I enjoy chucking weights around more than anything else.

So the next couple of months will be all about frequency and a little ramp up volume. The plan is definitely to keep the intensity light for at least the next 3 months.

My rules for training will be
Consistency, consistency, consistency
regular testing
Train first thing, this is the only time when I can be absolutely sure that life wont get in the way.
Be realistic
Swim
Roth here I come]]>
Monday 7th

Well deserved rest day, I even had a bit of a lie in until 7:30, and given that it was a rest day I got a lift into work instead of cycling. All in all a very lazy day. I had a physio session in the afternoon, to look at my dodgy ankle. Basically I was probably trying to do to much to soon. Had a few knots worked out of my calf, which hurt like buggery and then got fancy pink tape put on my calf. Which lasted about 12 hours.

Tuesday

Pre work 2.1km swim as:

400m warm up (Swim, Kick, Pull, Swim)
200m kick
200m pull
200m paddles pull
200m paddles only
4x50m HARD 30 secs rest each 50
100m easy
4*25m HARD 30 secs rest each 25
100m easy
100m Max
100 kick
200 warm down


Felt OK, the paddles left my shoulders feeling a little tight, but nothing special.

Went to the pub after work and didn't drink!! well I had a couple of mineral waters, but no beer!

Wednesday Evening,
60 min 10km run through the park to Duddingston. Avg HR was 155 which is reasonably low for me. all in all a very easy run.

Thursday pre work
Swim TT's bit of a warm up then
100m TT -1:47
400m TT- 8:17

I haven't done a Swim TT for about a year, so it's good to have some base line figures. What have I learnt from them, well apart from proving than I'm slow, I need to work on my endurance. I am toying in buying a swim smooth training program to give me a bit more structure. I sort of know what I'm doing bike and run wise, but I'm a fish out of water when it comes to swim training.

Then in the evening we headed tup north, which for some reason took an age.

Friday, had a nice lie in to recover from the car journey. Fafed about in the morning, drank lots of coffee and then headed out on the bike, over Destitution road and down to Dunddonell.


I really wasn't feeling the love at first, the first 40 minutes were telling my self, just another 10, or I'll turn round at the top. In the end I came good and was actually feeling on good form after 60 minutes.


Little Loch Broom

Just over 60km in just over 3 hours. I love riding up north, having quite roads makes all the difference, and then when you throw in the hills and scenery it's almost perfect.

Saturday- Again another lazy morning, drinking coffee and watching Sunday morning TV. I decided to turn left this time and head towards Ullapool and then further North.

80km in 3 hours 35. This route has a nice bit of climbing in it. Saturdays route is basically 15km up, 15km down and then turn around. Where as this route is more rolling as it follows the coast a bit. I also hit a new top speed of 67 kph.

I was actually very happy with this ride, for a couple of reasons. Firstly despite having been out the day before I felt reasonably strong and secondly I actually rode the hills instead of dumping my gears in to the lowest on and riding slowly up.

Sunday- Long run. 16km in 1:30

just kept it easy, it's quite an undulating run, in fact it reminds me a lot of the run at Bala Middle as it's hilly and goes along a loch (Loch Broom). The rain started coming down quite heavly, but I actually get a preverse enjoyment about running in the rain, it's just the wind I don't like!

Totals

Swim 2hr 3.8km
Bike 6:40 143km
Run 2:32 26km
Gym 0

Total- 11 hours 12 minutes

Reasonable week, no gym, but that was intentional. I am following a strength routine from a book called The New Rules of Lifting and it called for a week off. I probably should have done a bit of core work, but I find it hard to get the motivation if I'm not going to be in the gym.

The swim TT's were educational and have given me something to think about and work on.I am very guilty of not putting in enough effort in the pool. I'll go through and do the distance, but I don't do a lot of speed work, which is something I am going to have to change.

Bike- very happy with my two longer rides, Run again happy with where I am endurance wise, I would like to be a bit faster but I'm sure it will come.

This week will see me introducing a bit more speed work in to my running and swiming and the hours are ramping up a bit. I'm also starting a new phase in my streangth routiene which involves a few exercises I haven't done befor which will be intresting.

Sue- it's somthing I am learing listerning to my body. to be honest the weather doesn't normaly bother me. Living in Scotland if you waited for decent weather you would never do anything.

Poet- Ta, don't think I'll be bothering you though!]]> Woke up feeling a little jaded but still managed to get to the gym,

Prework- Gym. squats, lunges, DB rows and some press-ups. Followed by a bit of core work and stretching. I managed to do a whole additional press up. I aslo spent 10 minuites doing my physio exercises.
Evening- Fartlack Turbo, 1 hour, 18.5 km, Avg HR 136 max 169. So a little down on last week, but wasn't feeling the love quite so much though am am enjoying the first series of the Sopranos.

Tuesday
Ankle still felt a wee bit stiff first thing

Pre Work- swim 1 hour, 2.1 km. A streangth focused session with some paddle work, 4 x 50 meter sprints, 4 x 25 meter sprints and a 100m all out effort. 50's were all done in around 55 seconds and the 100 in 2:01. So not fast even by my standards. If I want to swim a 35 min 2,000 swim leg. I'll need to get a lot quicker. felt good in the swim though, I am certainly getting my endurance back.

Evening- Hill reps, or no hill reps. Got home and wasn't feeling to hot. Was a bit knackered. Still got changed and went out though. But I got down to the bottom of the road and decided to bin it. Combinmation of weather, dodgy ankle and tierdness.

Wednesday
Had a bit of a lie in untill 7:15
Lunch time- 45 minuite easy run, 8km at 5.55min/km pace. Felt harder than it should have done given the wind, but anjkle behaved it self which was a good sign.

Thursday
Got up at 5:30, looked out the window to see that it was blowing a gale and lashing down with rain- went back to bed!

Lunchtime- weather had eased off it bit, still windy, but not raining. 45 min Fartlack run- 8km lots of 30 sescond efforts with decending rest. Ankle was still a little tender I especially notticed it when I was trying to put down a little bit of speed. Most of the reps were done around 4.10 pace, which was a bit on the slow side. this time last year i was doing them at 3:50 ish pace.

Evening Turbo 50 mins 18.5 km. 10 min warmup then 5 x 4 min TT efforts with 2 minuites rest, 10 min cool down. Felt preaty good actually

Friday
Another fing puncture on my way to the pool, 2nd of the week.

Pre work- Swim 2.5 km 1hr 10 min. 500m warm up then 8 x 200m of 4:30 alternating between pull & paddles and just paddles. swim down. Shoulders felt a bit sore afterwards.

Lunch time- Gym- deadlift, step ups DB shoulder press, lat pull down all done as 2 sets of 15. finnished off with a bit of planking.

Saturday

Morning- 5km Park run race-22:34. 10 min warm up and 10 min cool down. First 5km race I have done since last March. Mixed emoutions about the result. I'm blaming my shoe lace coming undone(no I didn't stoip to tie it up). I surpose it's not a bad result when you think that I have only done 3 harder run sessions since last July!! I also got the paceing totaly wrong. splits were 4:14, 4:23, 4:26, 4:36, 4:42 !!! and the last couple of K realy realy hurt!

Afternoon- 2km recovery swim, lots of drilling. 1 hr

I did have a rough and optional plan to do a long run in the evening, but tierndess and sore legs got the better of me.

Sunday

80km long bike, 3hr 15 min. Avg speed 24.2 kph. Avg HR 130. Bit wet, but the wind wasn't up for once, so was happy about than. All in all a decentish bike. Took a gell after 1 and 2 hours respectivily.

Totals for the week.

Swim- 3:15, 6.6 km
Bike- 5:12 124km
Run-2:18 25km
Gym- 2:15

Total-13 hours 155km

Not unhappy with the week, I'm a bit light on the running front, but than is down to my ankle. I am concious that i havent run over 45 minuits for the last couple of weeks and will need to sort that out. My ankle is feeling a lot stronger plus i've got a physio session this afternoon. This week is a bit of a rest one although I'm going up north for the weekend on Thursday night so will proaberbly get a couple of long bike rides in.

January
Swim 7:40 17.4 km
Bike 15:30 341 km
Run 9:30 97 km

Total- 40.5

Resonably happy with my first month back, running is a bit light, which is down to injury, but given that my early season targets are a couple of half maras this is a bit worrying. I am hopeing that things are getting better on this front and i'll be able to get a few longer runs in. also now i've done a 5km race I can start to set a few pace zones. whilst i don't think my run speed is there the endurance is in a lot better shape.

Bike is so so,

Swim, very happy with, I'm actually starting to enjoy my swiming now.

Sue- I think your right, just need to tak it easy and keep up in the other side of things.

Carl- get down and do one, they are great and it's a nice flat and fast course.]]>
Monday
Pre work- 2.5 km swim as 12x 200 and 1 x 100 20 seconds rest between reps.
Lunch time- 45 min easy run. Avg Pace 5:20 -8.4 km

The swim felt Ok, it took me 400 meters or so to really get into it and warmed up. But the distance wasn't a problem at all which is encouraging.
Run, although it didn't feel to hard, I think I pushed the pace a bit much. This is meant to be a super easy run and an average HR of 162 is not easy.

Tuesday
Pre Work- Gym- a combination of squats, lunges and some upper body and core work. 2 lots of 15 reps.
Evening- Hill reps. 15 min warm up then 6 x 4 min efforts with jog down recovery. 15 Min cool down.

Not much to say about the gym session, other than I enjoyed it. I am not getting sucked it to the mind set of I must lift heavy weights. keep it lightish and concentrate on form.
The run was good, conviently the IM talk I had been listening to in the gym that morning was about hill reps, so I tried to incorporate their advise of not smashing my self and concentrating on form. The reps were fairly even with the pace of the first 4 all being within 3 seconds. I lost it a bit for the last two which were 10 seconds slower.

Wednesday
Woke up feeling fairly tired and my ankle (the broken one from last year) was very sore and swollen.
Pre work- 2.5 km swim as 12x 200 and 1 x 100 20 seconds rest between reps.
Afterwoork. I had a Turbo session planned but binned it. I'd been struggling all day with tiredness, so had a good feed and went to bed at 9pm.

Thursday
Woke up feeling a lot lot better, much fresher and rested.
Pre Work- 45 Fartlack run, lots of 30 second efforts. with descending rest.
After work 50 min turbo 5 x 4 min hard efforts of 2 min rest.

The run was OK, most of the faster efforts were in the 3:50 category, so not to unhappy with those, but iIdid slow a bit towards the end.
Turbo was a turbo, I still struggle to get my HR up on it.

Friday
Pre work- Gym- Deadlifts, steps up, upper body and core. Again just light weight and 2 lots of 15
Lunch time 45 min easy run, not particularly fast at 5:40 min per KM. but it did feel nice and easy. Again though my ankle was playing up.

Saturday
Nothing, I did have a long run planed but decided not to do it as my ankle was still very sore and swollen.

Sunday
2 hour bike over Sherifmuir and the lanes of the shire.

First bit of climbing I've done in a while and it showed.

Totals
Swim 2:05 - 5km
Bike 3 hours- 70 km
Run 3hr 32 min 36 km
Gym 2hr 30 min

Total 11 hours

Not unhappy with the week, another one in double figures and apart from Wednesday nights wobble not overly taxing. I am a bit concerned about my ankle though, so I've got a physio session booked in for next week and I'll try and rest it as much as I can. the plan is to do just the 3 key runs and miss out the two easy "recovery" ones to try and protect it a bit.

This week I have had a bit of a re-jig and made Wednesday a rest day, I've got half a plan to do a park run on Saturday, but that will depend on the ankle. But I would like to get a bit of a base line to work out some running paces from. But other than that it's more of the same. Swiming is kicking up a gear though. I'm starting to incoperate some speed and streangth work. If it all goes to plan i should hit around 13 hours. Then it's a bit of a rest week the following one.

Weight loss isn't going overly well! this weekend certainly didn't help, night out on the beer Friday, dinner out on Saturday and then Sunday lunch at the in-laws on Sunday doesn't make for a slim and trim Jamie. Couple that with my inability to do much run volume and I am struggling.

Sue - Thanks
Carl- Got those 10ks on my radar, for the TT's I've been looking at the cycle scotland event calender and there are a few about. Most seem to be up north though, so might have to do a bit of traveling.
DHCM- Cheers and here's hopeing]]>
Monday
Pre work- 2k swim in 50 mins as 10 x 200m with 20 seconds rest between.
Lunch time - 45 min run 8.44 km pace 5:21. Went along the cannel side, so nice and flat. I started off a bit fast so the end was harder work than it should have been. But was actually quite enjoyable

Tuesday
Pre work- Gym. squats, lunges, DB rows and some press-ups. Followed by a bit of core work and stretching. My press-ups are rubbish, I only managed 12 and 9 I think I'm weaker than a 12 year old girl! The rest of the stuff was 2 sets of 15 reps concentrating on form
Evening- Turbo 4x 4 min TT efforts. I wanted to try and get my HR up to around 160-165 for theses but struggled and most of the reps were done around 150. I do struggle some times to get my HR up on the bike. The only time it goes really high is when I'm climbing long hills. I expect its a case that my muscular endurance isn't up there with my CV fitness.

Wednesday
Well deserved rest.

Thursday
Pre Work- 2.5km swim 1hr 5 min as 12x 200m and 1x 100 with 20 seconds rest. The additional distance started to tell as my stroke went a bit towards the end, but I was happy with the additional distance.
Evening 45 min run 7.4 km avg pace 6:06. This was meant to be a very easy slow run. But I think I actually took it a bit to easy. Though the hills in Hollyrood probably added a bit of difficulty.

Friday
Pre Work- Gym. Deadlifts, step ups, DB shoulder press, lat pull downs all 2 sets of 15. Finished of with core work and stretching
Evening- Turbo 1 hr, lots of shorts efforts with varying degrees of rest. Got my HR up to 167 though.

Saturday
AM- 2.5km swim 1hr 5 min as 12x 200m and 1x 100 with 20 seconds rest. I actually remembered to wear a watch with a stop watch this time so times all the 200m I was coming in around 4:20 to 4:30 so not fast by any ones standard. But then they aren't meant to be fast just steady.
PM- Run 1hr 15 min. I tried a bit of a new route for this one, ran through Hollyrood park then over to the Meadows and did a couple of laps of it before running back home through the park. highlight of the run was seeing a Fox! Avg pace 5:45 which actually didn't feel hard at all. I did have a cold bath afterwards though. I have to sort of sit at an angle as my feet for some reason can't handle the cold.

Sunday
AM- Long Bike. 3 hours 72 km. Along the coast to North Berwick and back. It was a nice calm day for once so I didn't have to battle home into the wind which was a bonus. I'm enjoying riding the fixed and I hope it is doing wonderful stuff for my cycling.

Totals
Swim 2:55 -7km
Bike 4:54 -115 km
Run 2:45 -28.86 km
Gym 2:15

Total- 12 hours 50 minutes

All in all I'm very happy with the week, managed to do every session without much drama, and I didn't feel to knackered either. I am still in a bit of a base mode, just getting my body and mind used to proper training again. This week I am going to introduce a hill session and interval session into my running plan. Then the following week is going to be a bit of a rest with some testing thrown in to get a few benchmarks.

Weight loss is going OK, I'm still on track, though I was down to 69.2 kgs on Sunday morning. I think Sunday lunch out consisting of a very creamy seafood chowder and a big ice cream didn't help matters! I'm doing all of my morning sessions in a fasted state, mainly because I don't like eating first thing in the morning (5:30 am) not sure if this is helping or not. I'm also off the booze which is helping. Not to sure how long I will stick at it though.

All my main races for the first half of the season (up to Bala) have been entered, post Bala it's a bit of a case of lets see how I'm getting on. I spent an hour or so last night looking at time trials, so I'll hopefully get round to doing a few of those, I need to find a few 10km road races as well.

Replies:

Patricia and Sue: Thanks just need to keep it up for another 40 weeks or so.

Iain- Ta. To be honest I had never thought about it, so I expect the answer is no. I've just started reading Kiss or Kill so hopefully it will provide a bit of motivation.]]> Stirling Duathlon

Edinburgh Half Marathon 1

Belach-na- Ba Chalange

Edinburgh Half Marathon 2

Bala Middle

Couple Challenge

Aberfeldy MD

Highland Warrior

Loch Ness Marathon]]>