*insert strangled running uphill noise here*

Hmmm...a busy week. 1,000m swim on Sunday at Spenborough, one on Wednesday at Boiling Pool, then a 7.1 mile cycle followed by an uphill stagger tonight. I'm fine now, but aaargh! The Corporal showed us both up: Nom had to retire to the bath after the cycle due to cramp, but I, foolishly followed the Corporal for the Run of Doom.

Ilkley tomorrow - swim/bike. Yay!

Oooo!

Running tonight! Although probably not wise to run after tea (thank goodness there wasn't a reunion of the Corporal and his fish and chips) we did 3.913 miles in 35 minutes. And some of it was uphill. I'm pretty happy with that. I could have gone further (but don't tell the Corporal!)

Nom has broken glasses so he can't cycle and he had to run blind. Bless. Ten days until new eyes.

In other news, tonight was the first night of recovery drink sampling. Bleugh. Chocolate or strawberry? Now most people would expect me to choose strawberry as being the most 'natural' but in fact the opposite is the case. I tried the strawberry one - I must say, I think I'd rather not recover!

Can't wait for my first gel > <
Mmmmmmmmmm, lovely. U

Brick of win!

I feel much better now.

After a faintly disappointing training week so far (no swimming on Wednesday, less than stellar bike ride on Thursday), I'm really very pleased with the brick session I just completed. After doing a 50 minute Greenway circuit on the bike, I got round a hilly 3 mile run course in an extraordinary 23:30! Rather impressed with myself, it has to be said. Although it was probably the energy drink, rather than me...

Another run.

I'm lonely...

Anyway, Nom and I ran for 22 minutes on the greenfly-free Greenway tonight. A really enjoyable run (!) with lovely sun, a nice breeze and enough swallows and bunnies to keep me entertained!

Unfortunately I should not be put in charge of the GPS as I accidentally set it to Chrono Mode, which means that it only records time, not distance. Sob!

So now we have to do the same run again very soon.

Run around the block...some more numbers

Poor Nom arrived home from work and was almost immediately whisked out for a run. In the rain. Not a bad little trundle, 2.102 miles in 19:58 averaging 6.3 miles per hour, which isn't a bad old whack. Felt fine, if soaked on the return home, but I was pleased to discover that I could easily have done more.

Bendy lessons tonight though, so didn't want to overdo it. Another run tomorrow night, this time on the Greenway. It's run week!

Having a Tri's official visit to Ilkley (and some numbers)

Numbers first, or I'll forget.

Last Monday's second cycle: 10.96 miles in 54.39. Average speed 12mph.

Yesterday was the my first view of the Ilkley course. It's about one third flat, one third uphill and one third of amazing downhill. Thank everything that the course isn't the other way round because Curly Hill is a SERIOUS slope. We got up to (and in the Corporal's case above) 40mph on the steep bit, officially the fastest I've ever travelled on a bike.

Got round the nine mile bike in 39 minutes, then went for a trundle around it on foot. Next trip's a swim-bike as we haven't done one of those yet.

We actually cycled 22 miles yesterday, then replaced the calories with chicken and sausages. Oh, and Doritos.

Last minute amendment.

Make that 21 miles cycle yesterday. Hmm. Cramp in hip? Now that's a new one...

Of course I couldn't be missed out of Nom and the Corporal's 45 minutes yesterday so went out again in the evening after my morning journey. Yay! Ouch... Yay! Ouuuucccchhhh...

Veg's solo bike ride

...And I've just noticed that 'someone' changed the title bar. How long ago was that?

I went for a solo bike ride this morning. Unfortunately I branched out from my usual fail of not pressing 'Start' on the sports watch to entirely forget it! Still, 10.7 miles of texture ain't bad. And just under 30 minutes for 3.2 miles textured running yesterday.

So here's this week:

Sunday: 30 minute run
Monday: 10.7 mile hill bike
Tuesday: 30 minute run
Wednesday: 45 minute swim
Thursday: rest (I'm going out)
Friday: Death hill cycle
Saturday: Try to cram in a brick
Sunday: Ilkley day of pain

Hmmm. Can you tell it's 10 weeks to go? Eeek!

Sunday, bloody Sunday

Actually, it was a pretty good Sunday, but I'm currently unaware of any well-known songs reflecting those sentiments. Pretty tough going at times, though.

Started off with a rather odd cycle, 90 minutes and 22 miles worth, requiring 2 toilet stops, a forgotten debit card, and (eventually) a whole load of bargain fresh bread. And a lovely pizza. 8 minutes cooking time is definitely the way forward.

(Which reminds me to mention that earlier, I'd lucked out and found www.discountsupplements.co.uk, a site which sells window blinds (not really). For some non-obvious reason, it sells those High5 packs which I've been relying on for some time. £2.99 including shipping, and you can order multiple packs - it's a nailed-on winner, especially as we near the heat of midsummer. Even earlier than that, I'd wandered off to Wiggle and bought this lovely item, positively reviewed by Bikeradar and with which I'll be pumping my tyres to exactly 120psi this coming week. All in all, a good weekend of bargain-hunting.)

A few hours, 2 mowed lawns and an England cricket victory (yes, really!) later, I headed out to jog in the last of the evening sun, a time which I'm really starting to enjoy. A shade over 5 miles in 45 minutes, it turned out. And again, it turns out that I've got an ideal distance circuit around my house - up Shetcliffe Lane, across Tong Street, over to Bierley Lane, down to Spen View Lane, up home, up Ferrand Avenue and across to Bierley roundabout and back is exactly 5 miles. Spooky.

So I managed to salvage my 6.5 hours from the problems of Saturday (briefly: I'm too hot and I want to claw my eyes out, oh hey a free monitor! Let's cart that back home instead of finishing my cycle...)

Coming next: 7.5 hours this week! The longest week of the lot, in fact. Which is apt, as this is the week with the longest days of the year (ish.) If I can get through without hay fever and high temperatures wrecking my training, I'll be a happy bunny.

In fact, if I can make it through the week without dying of breakfast overdose, that'd help...

P.S. Exactly 3 months to go (despite what the little tracker thing says). Anyone who's not been quite keeping up with training, now's the time to step up. You know who you are...

21:57

It hurt.

An increase of 2:02 on my previous best run, which was in February. It would be fair to say that the weather today was slightly less conducive to fast running, more to collapsing in a sweat-drenched heap. So I was pretty impressed once I came round.

Fans of numbers (so that's me, then) will note with relish that a run leg of 21:57 would rank as the 18th fastest in Ilkley last year. Of course, it's one thing to run that pace on a relaxed Saturday morning, quite another to pull it off after a swim and a ride. What it does, though, is give me some leeway for my 25 minute target.

I must sleep now.

*snore*

Some maths...

Please don't run away. Not just yet, anyway.

I've been crunching some numbers regarding the Ilkley bike leg. Now, it's fairly well established that the circuit comprises three fairly distinct sections. I usually call them "the flat bit", "the up bit" and "the down bit", but let's call them M1, M2 and M3.

What I've been looking at is what speeds are required for each section, in order to make a certain time for the bike leg. This is what I came up with:

M1: 20mph
M2: 11 mph
M3: 25 mph

That gives roughly 32mins 30secs, add 2mins 30secs for two transitions, and magically we arrive at the 35mins mark. Which, coincidentally (not coincidentally) is what my target time for the bike leg is.

Looking at those speeds, M1 and M3 seem pretty easy (especially now we've had a "levelling" of bike speeds), leaving M2 as the only tricky spot. Which, seeing as it's the hill, is the case anyway. It's very clear to me that this is the part of the course where the time is gained or lost, so it's tremendously important that we do a whole bunch of hill training. Hooray! *sigh*

Lovely day for it!

'It' being a brick, of course.

Really, I don't think it's possible to have a more ideal day for training - warm enough to ride in a tri suit, but not too hot to run comfortably, no wind to speak of, morale-boosting blue skies and enough sport on TV to reduce Greenway traffic noticeably.

The insects were out to play again, but luckily I had the rare pleasure of being able to breathe out of my nose. Otherwise I'd probably have tripled my protein consumption for the day.

Pretty happy with the workout itself too - 12.3mi in 50mins cycling, 2.3mi in 20mins running. That's not too far off race pace, and I didn't feel destroyed by the end. A nice way to finish off a 7 hour training week.

Finally, I would like to propose a brick session on the Ilkley course on 27th June (should be a Saturday). It'll be really useful to see exactly what times we can post with a couple of months to go. It has to be a few weeks away, so I can find an ingenious solution to the problem of where to put our helmets while we're running...

53.03

Well, that wasn't too bad.

Turns out that the route to Ilkley isn't a bad one really, except mainly that hill at Silsden. Perception of that probably not helped by the downpours we encountered both going and coming back. It was nice to experience the route at a decent speed, and particularly to take Carter's Lane in one go. The times we took equate to about 40 mins for the bike leg (assuming that both transitions are included, which I think is the case), which is more or less bang on halfway from last year's figures. We've still got almost 4 months to improve, and we won't have ridden 25 miles just before the race (hopefully). We can, therefore, declare a success.

I'm putting my half of the achievement down to science - 2 energy drinks, an energy gel and an (extremely pleasant) energy bar. Mm, tasty glycogen. Seriously kids, refuelling is important. I believe Nom came around to this way of thinking around the 45 mile stage...

EDIT: Nicky Wire is a lovely bloke from what I've heard, a decent bassist and a passable lyricist. He should never be allowed to sing. Not even in his own shower.

Blub, blub, splash

Well, how wet was that? Answer: literally as wet as it's possible to be. I've managed to soak three pairs of footwear (including, somehow, my slippers) and one pair of socks will never be the same again.

Fun though, wasn't it?

Well, wet, mainly.

Extra protein on the brick...

It was greenfly-ageddon on the Green(fly)way this morning. In our eyes, in our mouths (see title) up our noses (I kid you not) and flying off us in a cloud when we stopped at the traffic lights in Heckmondwike. Yeugh!!

Despite this, a hard, but good cycle with the Corporal. Nom had a headache (no doubt overexcitement for his new bike - did I mention we're getting new bikes?) Biked to Heckmondwike on the Green(fly)way, then back on the road, removing greenfly from my person as I went. Averaged 13ish mph I believe (Corporal?) then back for a 1.5 mile (Corporal? You know me and numbers!) run, this time avec Nom.

Nom is making me do another run in three minute's time. People are trying to kill me...

Rah!

My bike...
http://www.rutlandcycling.com/10785/Giant-Avail-Alliance-W.html

Nom's bike...
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-AU/bikes/road/2172/31841/

...but Nom's isn't green, it's black and grey.

I can't wait until Monday!!

Incredibly funky but expensive day

Well, Nom and Veg should not be allowed out on their own. What began as a perfectly innocent steady recovery-level cycle to Saltaire and back with lunch at Salt's Diner became a full-on bike-ogling fest!

Veg and Nom have bought new bikes. Rah! I pick mine up on Monday. Will I sleep this weekend? I doubt it.

Brick and swim tomorrow. Ow. At least I only have bendy lessons on Monday and rest on Tuesday.

Death Hills Part II

...someone let Nom plan the route.

I haven't Mapped my Tri yet because I'm scared of the elevation, but it felt um...good. It certainly feels good now, healthy tea, one glass of red wine and a mega-deep hot bath away.

Thank you Corporal Odd for those kind comments about yesterday. I think it's really taking a hold now and I think we're going to do pretty well. Although that could just be my brain trying to convince me...

In fact, I'm a little worried that now, three hours later, the Corporal may still be circling the streets playing with my heart rate monitor. I'm going to have to keep an eye on him as it may have to be confiscated for the sake of his internal organs not exploding.

Keep on running...

Does Monday count as Day 1? If so, day 3 went well for all concerned.

25 mins for Nom and 30 for Veg (both approx.) was a top effort, especially bearing in mind that that's basically the full distance required. I don't think anyone was particularly destroyed by the distance or the pace, either, which was a respectable race pace. We were helped, of course, by the flat course and the temperate weather conditions, but it was still very reassuring.

As for me, I stopped after 45 minutes, out of concern for my connective tissues, feeling that my muscles at least could have carried me further. Seems that there's something to be said for not running up a great big hill at the beginning of every session...

Running!!

Now I've had a bath and a sit down, some steak and veg noodles and a glass of wine, I can say that I enjoyed that run.

No, actually it was really good fun, although I forgot to cool down everywhere and have now strained my shoulder taking off my socks :(

I seem to now be living in a bit of a bootcamp; Corporal Odd being my personal trainer, or rather personal kick up the bottom. I'm cycling tomorrow night, so I'm told. Yay, back on the bike!

Death in September

Now there's a good name for a band. *goes pale* Hang on, I'm doing a triathlon in September. Aaargh.

Yes, we're now booked in. Thanks Corporal Odd.

And if Map My Tri recovers from the Corporal's efforts to destroy it, I'll map what we did today round Halifax on bikes. What a hill, I'm glad I was going down it, although going down it behind Nom with duff brakes may have been a bad idea.

First 1,000 calorie day

So there. Hope everyone's been putting their Easter Monday to good use (I keep forgetting that everybody's off today). 12 miles cycling (thanks to IB) and 3.9 miles running. And some Ralgex on my (mild) groin strain. Mm, warmth.

I assume that y'all are back to work tomorrow - if not, there's a ride to Steeton on the cards. Yup, that's about 30 miles...

In other news, might IB be joining the merry triathlon gang? Watch this space!

(actually, you can probably stop watching for a bit, at least)

A good weekend

Just concluded what I'd have to call a pretty solid weekend. Started on Friday (as weekends often do) with a big breakthrough run (4.1 miles in 35 minutes, yes), returning just in time to watch the Bulls beat the dirty, dirty Rhinos (very dirty).

Saturday, of course, was the Ilkley trip. After a false start (albeit not quite as false as last time), myself and Fromage managed to actually board a train and everything, and magically (not magically) arrive in Ilkley some 30 minutes later.

The course, then. It's basically what I thought it would be - Denton Road is pretty much flat and boring. Carter's Lane is the biggie, it's pretty much a mile, and it isn't quite as horrible as I might have built it up as. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid hill, but it pales in comparison with Cliff Hollins Lane. I suppose the hill training we've been doing (thanks, Nom) has made it feel a bit more normal. Curly Hill is genuinely very steep indeed and fairly terrifying, yet fun. It's very easy to miss the turn onto Middleton Avenue, which is also downhill, but dead straight, and hence not as terrifying. And that's the whole course, really. Fromage certainly was less concerned about it having completed a lap.

After that, we bombed up and down Denton Road for a while, and that was more or less that.

Sunday was pretty standard, cycling to Spenborough (passing Veg and Nom, except I was in the zone so I just mumbled weakly, sorry), putting in a stint in a fairly deserted pool, and riding back in some very pleasant sunshine indeed.

And now I'm going to inhale a big pile of pork and chips, have some cake, and settle down for an evening of baseball. Rah!

Yippee

I can't believe it, I managed to hit my target 20 lengths (500m) without stopping once. Not only that I did it in 15 mins which I think is a very respectable time all things considered.

The wind subsides...

It's going to be a decent week of weather, so my advice is to take advantage of it and get training. Makes a change from my feet almost falling off with the cold last Saturday, anyway.

Managed to run 3.5 miles in 30 minutes today, which I'm very happy with, especially bearing in mind the lovely hills I prepared for myself. Stark contrast to Friday's run, which was frankly appalling. The difference is in the rest beforehand, I guess.

Also hyped about Good Friday - as well as the first day of my holiday, it's the first official Having A Tri trip to Ilkley! (This may be news to some of you.) Can't wait to test myself against the allegedly fearsome Carter's Lane and fly down Curly Hill.

Rah.

A new Fromage

Well actually the same Fromage as always, but I have made a new commitment to my training regime.

No longer will I be training adhoc, the new plan goes as follows.

Tuesdays:- Swim
Thursdays:- Run
Weekend:- Bike

Plus any extra training I can be bothered to do in between.

Wish me luck

6 months to go

Well, 26 weeks, which probably makes more sense as a measure of time, anyway.

Nonclemature aside, it's about time to step the training up. Especially as the weather has become jolly amenable (and is forecasted to remain so for a while, at least). There's no excuse. Unless, for example, you've knackered your ankle. (Can still work on core exercises though, eh?)

Today was a lovely brick session, if such a thing can exist. Basically due to the weather, which was lovely with the sun out, and acceptable when it wasn't. In fact, I did the run in just my tri suit (er, and trainers), presenting my bare shoulders to a disbelieving world.

The best thing, though, is that I was done, showered and changed by 12:30. That really does rule.

Riding in the wind

I think the wind speed must've been in excess of 450 mph this afternoon. Massively strength-sapping, even though it was mainly a cross-wind (it also seemed to be blowing a bit down the hill, which is the worst possible direction). In fact, it nearly blew me clean off the bike a few times. Although I'm clipped to the bike, so I suppose I couldn't really be blown off.

I can console myself with the fact that it must be really good exercise. Bit of a shame, then, that the first thing I did after returning was eat a juicy pork pie (508 calories, egads.) Reduced to 22p in Asda, like. I'll be needing to do a bunch more core exercises this evening, methinks.

Should've waited until the afternoon...

Seriously.

Rain, hail and snow to contend with this morning. Not amused. Cycling when you basically can't see is the very opposite of fun. I was fortunate, I suppose, that everyone else was more sensible than me and stayed away from the Greenway, hence I didn't need to pass that many people.

Oh, and my hands got so cold that I had to stop twice to warm them up. That's never happened before, even when I was riding in -2 degrees last year.

All in all, tremendously dispiriting, even more so when, 5 minutes after I got back home, the sun came out. Bah.

Saturday was much more pleasant, however. Those scary hills aren't quite as scary anymore. In fact, at the moment, the downhills are probably scarier, especially when combined with a strong crosswind. My old bike was resistant to wind (and, indeed, all other attempts at propulsion), my lightweight lovely not so much. Still haven't fallen off yet, mind. Or, amazingly, forgotten to clip out of the pedals (had some close calls, though).

I have access again

Seems I have access to the blog again, so expect my usual lack of updates on my progress to recommence.

In other news, didn't go swimming tonight, intend to make up for this by swimming Thursday night. This does ofcause mean that I'll be swimming twice on Thursday, oh dear.

In more humerous news, I fell off my bike yesterday. What isn't humerous is the fact that my handle bars are now bent a funny shape.