Day 25 - Spinning on New Years Eve

In a previous life I would have been spinning due to the amount of alcohol content in my body not because I had to do 30 min spin session with an rpm of over 100. So whilst on my bike it gave me a chance to reflect over the year and decided it has been a good one. Millie was born, moved house, new job and set a date for our wedding. So how are we celebrating this momentous year, by being in our pyjamas since 7pm and watching Love Actually on TV. I got reminded what IM training is all about tonight - tired legs, permanent tired legs and always feeling full.

2010 - has a lovely ring to it doesn't it. Wedding planned for June 5th and Ironman July 4th two big events planned and this year I am determined to learn to play the guitar. I've owned it for a year and now really need to get a shift on with it. Oh yeah and I'm turning 40! but shhhhh about that one.

Day 24 - Night time Brick

Didn't start the brick session till really late - 9pm! Freya and Millie were looked after by Grandma so that Susan and I could rest. I thought I would do the training then, but ended up sleeping I was so tired after all the recent late nights and illness in the house. Took a couple of photos the first one is of the bike session in the garage and it's freezing again in there. The second is head torch on pounding the nearby lanes. Not a lot to say tonight apart from it was trying to snow again tonight.

Day 23 - Rain, Sleet and Ice in the Face

Well it was certainly North Wales weather comes to Essex. Boy oh boy it was cold today the wind was swirling and flying around, behind, in front from the side and along with the wind came the driving rain. Thank goodness for running tights and Gore bike wear jackets. Luckily I only had to do a 30 min session as it is the first time during this programme where we get a breather and go back a week to recuperate before increasing the out put again.

It is training during weather like this that I must remember when racing in Austria. All these horrible days of being cold and wet are the important days come next July.

In a sick sort of way I loved my cheeks stinging in the cold and feeling water leaking into my trainers and feeling the water penetrating the thighs of my tights and start to chill my legs. Strange aren't I but it just reminded me of being in North Wales as a kid running in winter up there.

One thing is certain is I need to purchase some new running shoes the old Asics Keyano XIII are almost dead. They have done me proud but time for the to go to the eternal running track in the sky.

Day 22 - Official Day off but I went turboing

Susan is still ill so no hope with me catching up with the missed training but I had to do something. So in the afternoon an opportunity popped up so I took it and spun those pedals for an hour whilst watching Human Traffic. What a fantastic film that is to turbo to but all good things must come to an end so I had to get off and wake Freya and make sure Millie was alright before having a shower. However, suddenly realised no water as there was a burst main poor dripping in sweat me! Ah well at least I trained. Every second counts eh Lance!

Day 21 - Switch the Monday for the Sunday.

Susan still ill, parents still down and Freya and Millie playing up so no hope of getting on the turbo. However, tonight Susan started to get better and hopefully will have enough energy to look after girls with my parents so that I can be selfish and get in the garage for the hour 45. Fingers crossed.

p.s. Waist line still getting a pounding ouch trousers pinching!!! not a good look :-(

Day 20 - A day for boxing but I went running

Susan caught a bug last night and is really ill in bed today so managed not to do the planned 1hr 45 min bike ride but switched to do the Sunday 1 hour run. Got out early evening after my parents arrived and they kindly looked after the girls. Found a lovely loop that took me down by the ford it was very high and i shared the route with two other cars the whole way around. Will defiantly be doing doing this one again. Love the little lanes around us in Danbury.

Day 19 - Christmas Day

No exercise just abuse to the waist line and the kidneys, a lovely day spent at the Parkers.

Day 18 - 'Twas the night before Christmas

Was tempted to name this snow, ice and mud but since it is Christmas Eve changed my mind. Well did the Friday session today instead of the planned one and went on a long run through the woods. Some parts were ankle deep in mud then in the snow and then in the shadows and doing a good impression of a duck on ice and skidding all over the place. Still working on the theory that off road is the best for the ankle but it is very up and down so no hope of staying in zone 2 heart rate.

So day off tomorrow as it is Christmas Day so relaxing with a nice glass of wine watching Four Weddings and a Funeral by candle light. Happy Christmas everyone and happy training.

Day 17 - Turbo Turbo Turbo

Well decided to get back on track and as my book is in school and I didn't get a chance to retrieve it today I opted for an hour on the turbo. So I plugged in a DVD in the laptop (Life on Mars, series 1, episode 3) plugged in my headphones got down on the tri bars and started pounding the peddles. Really got into it and time seamed to whizz by.

It was certainly warmer in there and the new Garmin cadence and speed monitor was brill and worked really well.

Lesson of the night find a DVD you enjoy and the turbo flies past.

Day 16 - An unofficial rest day

By the time I decided to get my arse in gear to go for a run the slush was icing over and would have been too dangerous to run so - took the day off.

Day 15 - Day of rest 2

The title sums it up pretty well. But a lot of energy was spent trying to get the Christmas food shop done in Sainsburys. Carnage pure carnage. Thank God for Nectar points to pay for at least half of it. Still snow on the ground but I think it's on the way out now and works Christmas do tonight - hopefully will be a good one.

Day 14 - Snow Way

Well I decided to brave the cold and the snow conditions and went for a run in the snow through the woods. Man alive it was beautiful the ground was really crunchy and crisp and had amazing grip with the old Salomon Speed Cross 2 on my feet. I basically started off the same as the Hoot Route but diverted onto different paths. At one point I got really quite lost and ended up cutting across 'open' land. Should have realised that snow makes everything flat! one minute was standing on a fallen tree and next step knee deep in snow but I got through with a massive smile on my face - loved it.

2 lessons were learnt on this trip. If you want to wear clothes to make sure you are seen - don't wear white! and make sure your watch is set to auto start stop so when you stop to check which way you don't automatically press stop and then forget to press start again for at least 10 minutes.

All in all it was fantastic, quiet, peaceful and very exhilarating.

Ran for about 50 mins in total

Day 13 - In the Baltic Garage

Man alive that was a long 1.5. hours today in the garage. Not only was my breath visible I had to snap it off ! I have never worn so many clothing for a turbo session rather I have never finished a turbo session with so many cloths on.

However, I did the session whilst watching an episode and half of Life on Mars.
Nothing else really to report apart from not too sure how I am going to run tomorrow with the roads being icy but I'm sure I'll find a way.

Day 12 - And it snowed and snowed and snowed

Not a hope of following the book today as it started snowing last night and awoke this morning to a winter wonderland. Went for a long walk with the double buggy up to the shop then around through Lingwood Common. It was wonderful the snow was fresh and deep with only a few people there before us. As we got deeper into the wood less people ventured that far. It was hard work and in places had to 'wheelie' the pram to get it through the snow as it was so deep. Oh yeah Freya screamed the whole way around!

Felt really tired all day so took a lot of effort to go to the garage and turbo for 30+ min but I did it and like Sophie said you'll feel batter later. Understand now what Lance said 'every second counts' isn't actually about the race but about your prep towards the race.

Day 11 - See below

Yep no hope of training see below for details. The only difference was it was chucking it down with snow and the electric went off. Woke up to a good amount of snow.

Day 10 - The longest day

No training just so much going on in school and I was there for 14 hours without a break ! Same again tomorrow but might be free for a sneaky hour straight after school so will try and squeeze the swim in.

Day 9 - Back on it

Went to a different park tonight to run around. No one there and it was baltic some areas the ground hadn't thawed all day so it was really crunchy under foot. One lap was just over .5 of a mile so it was really nice to plod around and do the 6 laps I needed to do in the time limit.

Next couple of days i might have to differ from the program or re-arrange as I have the school concerts on for two nights. Wont be home to 9.30 - 10ish after being in school from 7.30 ish. Ah well I will train every day but not too sure it will be what it says on the packet.

Day 8 - Rest Day

How lush was that! Loved it certainly needed it as legs were feeling heavy. 1 down 30 to go.

Day 7 - The Hoot Route

What a cracking way to finish the week. The plan to go for an early run to get max rest went totally wrong as the kids were playing up all night so had lie in till 8.10 am.
So as a result went for a run at 4.45 pm in the dark, donned the head torch and went into to Raffhams Wood cut into Blakes Wood then slipped into Lingwood Common. I know I didn't run the required time but running off road in the dark, skidding and sliding all over the place, climbing and descending so I think it more than makes up for the 5 mins I missed.
Why the name I hear you all ask? Well in the middle of the darkest depths of Blakes Wood an owl was tooting and a hooting at me. It was very close but the beam on my head torch just was not good enough the spot it.

Rest day and rest I shall, 7 days training not done that since August 2007.

Day 6 - Bonking on a Turbo

Well another session and an other lesson learnt. Remember if you are going to do the bike session on the turbo make sure you stick to what it tells you to do and not get carried away; and make sure your body is properly fueled before starting the session because feeling the bonk with 15 mins to go is no fun at all.

Run tomorrow and then rest day. Plan to get up really early and then should have more than 48hrs off as wont be training again till Tuesday after school.

Final note - love the garage to turbo in, headphones on, lap top on, DVD in and off we go - LUSH

Day 5 - Back on track

Happy happy days back on track, managed to do the required run tonight and yesterdays bike today, which means I haven't missed my run or cycle training this week. Swimming yes but will skip over that for now.

Bike seat was a bit hard and not used to it so put some padding on which raised it by 2cm and boy what a difference it made to how the bike felt. What more do I have to tweak to get a better cycling position.

More good news about the achilles - didn't hurt at all on the run.

Long bike ride tomorrow, long run Sunday then 1st day off in the 30 week program.

Day 4 - Not a good one

Haven't managed to do the session today as Millie and Freya have been doing tag crying since 6.30pm! Freya was complaining about her tummy hurting her and during bed time stood by her door and spewed everywhere, all over her gate, pajamas, landing carpet and her bedroom one. Had to get the dustpan to scoop all the bits up before washing the carpet. But straight after she was full of beans and was wanting to run through it to get her teddy! Must admit the fuse paper was lit and it blew - felt gutted after. Settled down Freya (the power of Shrek on DVD in her mum and dad's bed!) then Millie kicked off again. 20 mins later and a massive burp she fell asleep. And to top it all missed Gavin and Stacey to boot.

So plan of action is to get up early and do bike session before going to school.

Achilles is so so news, she shifted a lot a scar tissue, which may I had had my back arching like a dead gold fish. But it worked. I'm allowed to run on soft ground for only 20 mins at a time to begin and slowly build it up.

All in all not a disaster day but a day where I've learnt I need to be even more disciplined and take opportunities to train when ever possible.

Day 3

Managed to fit in the session, turbo'd in the garage whilst watching Lance on a DVD on the laptop and then managed to waddle / run for the required time afterwards.

Two things struck me during this brick session:

1 - My God it is easier to train for an Ironman without kids, I really need to be so disciplined now and take opportunities to train and fit sessions in when ever I can and not when I want like before. and,

2, I can already feel the effects of training in my legs and core and I realize how much I do enjoy the physical activity when I have a fantastic goal at the end of the program.

Can certainly tell it is the start of the program and not hit the mid-program blues yet!

Day 2

Well I did something after school that I have not done in a very very long time .......... I ran!!!! and the best news is the achilles didn't hurt at all. Admittedly it was not over a great distance but it was still a run. 10 laps of the school field turns out to be just over 2 miles but 2 miles pain free is better than walking 10 meters and feeling every step which has been the case in the last 2 months.

However, this isn't the whole story as I did run longer than this as I played football with the school team straight after school and according to my Garmin covered a distance of just under 2 miles. Now this was a lot tougher on the old lungs as it was stop, start, change direction, go back again, forward, backward etc. (isn't go back the same as backward?????)

Like that old proverb states: each long journey but first be started with a small step.

Weighed myself today a humungus 78 kg which means I need to loose a lot before Austria.

Day 1

Nothing really to report apart from cleared an area in the garage where I can put the bike ready for the hours of turbo sessions that are going to happen.

Booked for physio on Thursday to hopefully get the all clear with my right achilles that I partly tore back in September. Should be good news but we will have to wait and see.

Lastly, before going to bed tonight got to do my core exercises, for some strange reason I know they only last for a max of 20 mins I just can not stand them. I'd prefer to sit on a turbo for 2 hours or swim 100 lengths in a pool before doing another 30 seconds of 'the plank'. Ah well needs must and boy does my core need a good work out at the moment.

Eve of Day 1

Just set up this blog and feeling really nervous. I've always wanted to do IM Austria and now have signed up and am on the eve of the 30 week training program. In a away I am really looking forward to it but am also really quiet scared as I know how much training is involved.

IMUK finish time of 13 hours and 34 seconds - I would love to beet this time but my main objective is to complete the race within the 17 hour time frame.

So this is it no more over indulging and never loosing focus on the final goal - completion!