Most people I know will tell you I'm annoying most the time! But I've learnt this week when I'm injured I'm 10 times worse!
Frustrated, restless, winey are the best ways to describe me since midweek after a recurring trapped nerve in my neck flared up!
Part of the problem is its not an injury that stops me completely, it's just painful. So I have the dilemma of... Should I train through the pain, or should I rest. Then if I do rest I'm constantly thinking "I should be training, I feel ok."
Added to these thoughts is the tiredness and the fact that I cant sit still anymore! Makes for one arsey person! Ha ha!
So I'm dedicating this post to all the people who have to put up with the moaning, fidgeting athlete while they can't train!
I have also realised that the people around you are much more logical about it all, reminding it's November and doesn't really matter at this time of the year!
God knows what I would be like if I had a proper injury!!
Heal strong and relax all you injured triathletes out there! Friends as family will be grateful!
Update: My injury has cleared up, so i will be back to moaning about being tired and having no spare time... sorry i guess you can't win! :-)
Originally a story of me becoming an Outlaw... What will happen after? Stay Tuned...
Monday, 21 November 2011
Saturday, 24 September 2011
The New Bike! Shiny!!
The Planet X Stealth arrived a few weeks ago now... haven't had much chance to go out on it yet but it feels very fast and light... love it!
The time trial handle bars are taking a bit to get used to but I have all winter to get used to it, hopefully coming into next season flying on it!
Season End/Review and a Trophy
Quite a lot to catch up on a few different topics.
Trophy
Well the season is finished for me! Finished with a Pool based Sprint Distance Race last weekend that went great. Finished second in my age group! took 3 minutes off my time i did the race in, in May so I'm still getting fitter and faster which is great.
Even got a Trophy for the Age Group win (mainly because the age group winner came 2nd overall!) but I'll take it! :-) The first of many I hope!
Finally got a timed 5km below 20 minutes too! 19:17... next is the 10km below 40 minutes.
End of Season
I have decided to give myself a full two week break, no exercise at all... I thought it would have been easy but its really boring! ha ha! Although waking up on Saturday morning naturally without the alarm is great!
The reason behind the 2 week break is partly for my legs, but mainly for my mind... It got really hard to motivate myself to train during the last few weeks, maybe because the season was coming to an end but its a long journey to the Outlaw and I don't want to lose my motivation again, so I'm making the most of these two weeks!
As an end of season review... It's been a great year, I have got faster and stronger which is obviously the main goals. Highs and Lows....
The low is an obviously one... Llandudno my first and only ever DNF (Did Not Finish) the weather was atrocious and the bike didn't feel safe, so i stick by my decision to stop that race... it wasn't an "A" race so i will treat it as a lesson learnt... but i do know i want to go back and do that race again... on a good day the course looks great.... I will be back!
The Highs, well... there are quite a few... Hyde park was a great race... really enjoyed every minute of it and happy with my 2:29 finish time, the first race i think i have done where i felt good all the way through... maybe i wasn't pushing hard enough! ha ha! Also, Birmingham, mainly for the 2:20 time i finished in... felt like a huge progression from my first Olympic distance race at Trentham Gardens (11/07/10) where i finished in 2:49. A 29 minute improvement over 14 months is great... which is a 17% improvement! Onward and upwards.
But looking forwards, the speed will be doing out the window for a while... it will be all about endurance for the Ironman season... who knows what i will do after this season, I enjoy the shorter races and i want to get close to the 2:10s.. so will be back again.
So after my 2 weeks off, it will be base training until Xmas... long slow miles... bring it on...!
Trophy
Well the season is finished for me! Finished with a Pool based Sprint Distance Race last weekend that went great. Finished second in my age group! took 3 minutes off my time i did the race in, in May so I'm still getting fitter and faster which is great.
Even got a Trophy for the Age Group win (mainly because the age group winner came 2nd overall!) but I'll take it! :-) The first of many I hope!
Finally got a timed 5km below 20 minutes too! 19:17... next is the 10km below 40 minutes.
End of Season
I have decided to give myself a full two week break, no exercise at all... I thought it would have been easy but its really boring! ha ha! Although waking up on Saturday morning naturally without the alarm is great!
The reason behind the 2 week break is partly for my legs, but mainly for my mind... It got really hard to motivate myself to train during the last few weeks, maybe because the season was coming to an end but its a long journey to the Outlaw and I don't want to lose my motivation again, so I'm making the most of these two weeks!
As an end of season review... It's been a great year, I have got faster and stronger which is obviously the main goals. Highs and Lows....
The low is an obviously one... Llandudno my first and only ever DNF (Did Not Finish) the weather was atrocious and the bike didn't feel safe, so i stick by my decision to stop that race... it wasn't an "A" race so i will treat it as a lesson learnt... but i do know i want to go back and do that race again... on a good day the course looks great.... I will be back!
The Highs, well... there are quite a few... Hyde park was a great race... really enjoyed every minute of it and happy with my 2:29 finish time, the first race i think i have done where i felt good all the way through... maybe i wasn't pushing hard enough! ha ha! Also, Birmingham, mainly for the 2:20 time i finished in... felt like a huge progression from my first Olympic distance race at Trentham Gardens (11/07/10) where i finished in 2:49. A 29 minute improvement over 14 months is great... which is a 17% improvement! Onward and upwards.
But looking forwards, the speed will be doing out the window for a while... it will be all about endurance for the Ironman season... who knows what i will do after this season, I enjoy the shorter races and i want to get close to the 2:10s.. so will be back again.
So after my 2 weeks off, it will be base training until Xmas... long slow miles... bring it on...!
Sunday, 4 September 2011
The Reason we Tri
The last few weeks I have been having those thoughts that can sneak into a long season of training.... "Why am I bothering", "Is there any point to this?", "Is this actually making a difference?"
I have missed a few nights out with friends because of race preparation, the early morning sessions have become harder and harder since the nights started drawing in, and i thought to myself, "Am i really improving, is this making a difference?"
Today answered these questions and also made me realise the progress I had made over the last 2 years.
I competed in Birmingham (BRAT) Olympic Triathlon this morning. Out of bed at 4am, after missing another night out last night, I trudged over and the slow but steady rain was already dampening my day... but I was soon racing.
The swim went as normal, I try to enjoy it and get into a rhythm, but secretly, I am just planning for when it's over and the real part of the race begins. (Something I know i need to work on)
Then the revelations started, out onto the bike course in the driving rain, I was pushing hard and enjoying myself. Regularly passing people and keeping up with the faster bikers who were over taking me. I then over took a few people who were struggling up a small incline, I thought to myself "This is where i would have been struggling last year", and now I am flying up this hill. I smiled inside and forgot the rain for a moment.
Then on the run, which called for three journeys up a 500 metre long steady hill... again people were struggling and I thought to myself on the first climb, that the third time I was going to do this, would hurt a lot... along came the third time and I powered up the hill as well as i did the first time, again passing other runners.
This triggered memories of my 5:30am Hill Reps every Friday morning... so they were making a difference! the training i was doing was making me stronger.
Obviously, logically I knew all of this already, from my steadily improving race times etc... but sometimes i think we need these little revelations to spark our fight again, and remind us that the 5am starts, the rain filled training sessions and the pain is all worth it in the end.
BTW... I finished the Birmingham Triathlon in 2:20:02... a personal best by 4 minutes.
I have missed a few nights out with friends because of race preparation, the early morning sessions have become harder and harder since the nights started drawing in, and i thought to myself, "Am i really improving, is this making a difference?"
Today answered these questions and also made me realise the progress I had made over the last 2 years.
I competed in Birmingham (BRAT) Olympic Triathlon this morning. Out of bed at 4am, after missing another night out last night, I trudged over and the slow but steady rain was already dampening my day... but I was soon racing.
The swim went as normal, I try to enjoy it and get into a rhythm, but secretly, I am just planning for when it's over and the real part of the race begins. (Something I know i need to work on)
Then the revelations started, out onto the bike course in the driving rain, I was pushing hard and enjoying myself. Regularly passing people and keeping up with the faster bikers who were over taking me. I then over took a few people who were struggling up a small incline, I thought to myself "This is where i would have been struggling last year", and now I am flying up this hill. I smiled inside and forgot the rain for a moment.
Then on the run, which called for three journeys up a 500 metre long steady hill... again people were struggling and I thought to myself on the first climb, that the third time I was going to do this, would hurt a lot... along came the third time and I powered up the hill as well as i did the first time, again passing other runners.
This triggered memories of my 5:30am Hill Reps every Friday morning... so they were making a difference! the training i was doing was making me stronger.
Obviously, logically I knew all of this already, from my steadily improving race times etc... but sometimes i think we need these little revelations to spark our fight again, and remind us that the 5am starts, the rain filled training sessions and the pain is all worth it in the end.
BTW... I finished the Birmingham Triathlon in 2:20:02... a personal best by 4 minutes.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Signed up!
Well, this is what happens when I'm bored on a Saturday afternoon... I have signed up for the Outlaw 2012!
A lot of people saying well done, and I'm crazy and also people telling me I can't do it. Well this just makes me more determined to do it.
I think its important to use the positive comments as well as the negative to complete things like this, The positive comments will get me through the race, but I will make sure the negative comments are ringing in my ears as i cross this finish line. Mainly so I can be happy at how I have proved them all wrong!
The boring Saturday afternoon also lead me to finally buy the bike i have been looking at for the past month. Planet X stealth TT Bike. Pictures will be posted and more details when i get it - obviously!
Also a great week in training last week, 10 and a half hours. including a 80km ride yesterday, practicing nutrition. Built my confidence for the 180km in the Ironman.
2 weeks until my next race. Birmingham Triathlon, Olympic distance. Looking forward to it!
A lot of people saying well done, and I'm crazy and also people telling me I can't do it. Well this just makes me more determined to do it.
I think its important to use the positive comments as well as the negative to complete things like this, The positive comments will get me through the race, but I will make sure the negative comments are ringing in my ears as i cross this finish line. Mainly so I can be happy at how I have proved them all wrong!
The boring Saturday afternoon also lead me to finally buy the bike i have been looking at for the past month. Planet X stealth TT Bike. Pictures will be posted and more details when i get it - obviously!
Also a great week in training last week, 10 and a half hours. including a 80km ride yesterday, practicing nutrition. Built my confidence for the 180km in the Ironman.
2 weeks until my next race. Birmingham Triathlon, Olympic distance. Looking forward to it!
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
The Beginning, The Background and The Decision
The Background
Well... (if you don't already know, If you do skip forwards a bit!) I have been doing triathlons for about 2 seasons now. All started from a casual running background.
I cant remember what actually started me off as a Triathlete. But i got the kit, got started racing and have done about 7 sprint distance and about 7 Olympic so far.
My best Olympic distance (so far) was this year at Shropshire, I completed in 2:24. So by no means at the pointy end of the results, but I'm in the top half of finishers.
The Decision
The thought of an Ironman has been gnawing away in my mind since my first race. Seeing people with the Ironman tattoo and wondering if I could do that... originally I thought i would leave it a few years and see how up to Olympic distance went and then consider it.
After speaking to people who have completed the Outlaw this year the gnawing got further into my mind until i got to the point where i thought... yes... I'm going to do it.
So I am writing this blog to chart my training, my laziness, my pains and my eventual completion (fingers crossed!)
What Next!?
I guess I actually need to book my place?!
I also have 2 more races left of this season, an Olympic and a Sprint i should concentration on first.
The training plan i have is for 30 weeks. and is due to start 5th December.
Well... (if you don't already know, If you do skip forwards a bit!) I have been doing triathlons for about 2 seasons now. All started from a casual running background.
I cant remember what actually started me off as a Triathlete. But i got the kit, got started racing and have done about 7 sprint distance and about 7 Olympic so far.
My best Olympic distance (so far) was this year at Shropshire, I completed in 2:24. So by no means at the pointy end of the results, but I'm in the top half of finishers.
The Decision
The thought of an Ironman has been gnawing away in my mind since my first race. Seeing people with the Ironman tattoo and wondering if I could do that... originally I thought i would leave it a few years and see how up to Olympic distance went and then consider it.
After speaking to people who have completed the Outlaw this year the gnawing got further into my mind until i got to the point where i thought... yes... I'm going to do it.
So I am writing this blog to chart my training, my laziness, my pains and my eventual completion (fingers crossed!)
What Next!?
I guess I actually need to book my place?!
I also have 2 more races left of this season, an Olympic and a Sprint i should concentration on first.
The training plan i have is for 30 weeks. and is due to start 5th December.
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