Run & Run

Whilst the weekend in Perth was blue skies and no rain, the temperature was cold.

I decided to bite the bullet and do a long run on Sunday and again got all the warm weather gear on including gloves and headed out the door at 7.45am .

I ran from home to the city for 1 hour and then turned back and ran home. Managed a negative split of 2.5 minutes but I was running steady and not so fast.the legs were ok and managed to keep it all together. Had just 500ml of gatorade .

Took the kids out for lunch and then JJ to the park and then home.Did another 45 min easy run in the afternoon .Legs were holding up well.Just a sore heel and middle toe in the left foot which I will need to watch. It maybe the shoe which is a Saucony Hurricane and not the Kayanos I usually run with.

Again it was pretty quiet on the road this morning . Just some cars , workmen resurfacing the road and not a lot else. It was pretty easy run and I may decide to run to work later in the training.

Le Ride

My first week back toward Busso went well.It was slow but steady. I had decided to skip the Thursday ride and instead ran at lunch time for 1 hr round kings park and then again in the evening I did a 45 min run on the threadmill with 10 minutes at 12.5kph and the rest at 10kph. On Friday , I swam in the evening and did the usual warm up and some drills and then 2 x 300, 3 x 200 and 3 x100 and a cooldown. 2.3km in total.

Saturday morning was really cold but I managed to get out of bed and headed for the hills . It was a slow 3.5 hr ride averaging about 25kph .There was 2 large pelotons coming from the hills and then just a handful of cyclist in the hills. It was pretty cold .The minumum was 0.7 C but in Jandakot , a suburb of Perth , it got down to -2.5C .It felt that cold in the hills and my feet and hands were just numb for the whole ride. I took it slow and did not blow my legs up the climbs .I only had one bottle of gatorade but did not feel tired. At Kalamunda Town I stopped at the Le Croissant for coffee and pastry before heading home through the Zig-Zag (used to be a rail line at the turn of the century to Kalamunda). It was a cloudless sky and the view of Perth city some 40 km away was great.

http://food.libertine.au.com/2010/01/le-croissant-du-moulin-gooseberry-hill-wa/

http://www.lecroissant.com.au/

The legs were ok the next day so I hadn't pushed myself.

Sent Ross my plans and had a chat after the swim on friday. The great obstacle to training and improving remains my nutrition and weight. As he reminded me on friday I have been telling him I will get my weight down for the last 2 years.

May just have to start skipping the Le croissant on the Le ride....

Week 1 ....

I started the week of with a hour run found the park near my home. I was still aching from the weights class on Saturday so it was an easy run.Kept up my cadence and felt good.I then headed off for my first swim in a while.It was a small group and the weather was fine.I did a 2.2 km session with some drills and 6 x 200m .It was a great first workout.

Tuesday I got up early and headed out the door at 5.10am and to the city .I rode on to Birwood and met the group again.There were about 8 of us .Rod and Juliana were back after their African Odyssey

The adventure is at the South Perth Group rides .
http://bikeshopsp.wordpress.com/blogs/rod-julianas-tour-dafrique/



Well after 12000km , a ride along the river is just a waddle . We did a 45 min session which was not too hard although at the end Stuart took off and I could not hang on to his wheel. Rode back for the best bit.....coffee and muffin . I was slow but everyone was just starting to get back into the grind.Quite a few of the guys have started their training for the Worlds in Budapest and the long course in Germany.I am in my first week of training for Busso .

After work this evening I headed to the gym and did some core exercises and stretches for 20 minutes and then did a spin class . It wasn't too taxing but did have a good sweat. Did about 3 hours today and feel good. Total ride mileage was about 65 km .

Sore

I decided to give the Saturday ride a miss and opted for a threadmill run and pump class as my stomach was sore as.I didn't think I could take the long ride in the hills I had planned.

The run on the threadmill was a 40 min run with 20 mins at 12.5kph and the rest at 10kpm . I then did an hour pump class .I was pretty sore from not having done a pump class for so long .Seriously would consider returning to the class if my schedule allows as it is a good workout particularly for upper body and leg strength.I used to be a serious combat and pump addict till I stumbled on to triathlons.

I had a pretty easy week getting back into training.Probably too easy.But will now have to crank it up this coming week whilst trying to fit in a busy work week.Unfortunately it is always a balancing act which is hard.No easy fix solutions and I will just have to do the best.

Swim training starts up again . I have missd far too much in the past 3 weeks. But again stuff happens. My focus has to be in the clarity of decisions I have to make and priorities in my life and training. Like anything there is so much more going on both information and activity .The important and single issue is disecting what is important.

After 3 years of training, I have great difficulty in knowing what is maximising my time training wise and what is effective. It is a constant adventure of balance and making sure whatever I do is right and will work. Whatever it is , I do feel sometimes it is better to not worry about the detail but to keep moving.

The plan today is to run easy and then sit down and map out the events I will be doing. The Plan for the next 2 months as they will be the build period but critically I hope to compete in the Painathon which is only 5 weeks away and the City to surf which is about 10 weeks away.

Not quite the ideal preparation for the painathon . My diet remains critical and I may need to get some direction on this eventually. For the moment it is just trying to cut down the food intake in the evenings as much as possible and start getting back into my training .

see : 180 Degree Health
http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/

Whislt not easy .I am trying to simply my life.

Here is one of the websites I found on Zen Habits:










http://zenhabits.net/new-e-book-the-zen-habits-handbook-for-life/

Section 1: Simplicity

* Decluttering
* Single-tasking
* Edit Your Commitments
* Eiminate All But the Essentials
* Don’t Do Everything on Your To-do List
* The Art of Doing Nothing
* Declutter Your Mind
* 72 Simplicity Tips
* Eat Slower

Section 2: Productivity

* Purpose Your Day: Most Important Tasks
* Focus on the Big Rocks
* Clear Out Your Inbox
* Clear Your Desk
* Become an Early Riser
* Become Motivated When You’re in a Slump
* Make the Most of Your Laziest Days
* Decompress After High Stress

Section 3: Happiness

* Cultivate Compassion in Your Life
* Escape Materialism
* Practical Tips for Living the Golden Rule
* Accept Criticism With Grace and Appreciation
* Have Faith in Humanity, and Restore Kindness
* Boost Your Self-Confidence
* Live Your Life Consciously

Brrr...cold

I have started back down the road of training. Not a lot of sleep which is a bad thing but I was just too restless last night. I had less than 5 hours of sleep before I forced myself to get out of my warm bed.

Atleast it wasn't raining. Headed off round the river in the cold. There wasn't too many cyclist about. I wander why? I found it a little hard going but did manage to stay with 5 cyclist riding pass me at Point Preston Road near East Fremantle. They rode all the way back to the city. I then rode home via the gym and did a half hour core workout .All in over 3 1/2 hours .

Last night I skipped the swim and did a run in Kings Park .It was dark by 5.30pm and I was running around the Park in the dark.The run back was through a sandy footpath in the dark and that was quite exciting.I half expected a werewolf or axe murderer to jump out .Made me run a little quicker but it was hard on the sand.Again not too many people about .I saw one other runner.

I am presently 76 kgs with my gear and shoes . I start my training proper in 2 weeks and hopefully the Painathon and City to Surf will prove good markers as to whether Iam heading in the right direction.

Despite the cold start today , I did feel better for it.

Finally , I have decided on my race for mid next year . My credit card is poorer for it but I am still not on the participants list . At least it won't be cold...
just lots of hills.



Picture from competitor.com

The Slow Grind

It rained this morning so I slept in.The luxury of early season training I console myself.I did get an email from Rod who is doing the worlds in Budapest ,that there were 3 lonely souls riding and it did rain for the whole ride.Well I don't feel sorry as I would rather recover fully than have a relapse of this awful flu I had.

I did do a spin class and felt much better . It will be hopefully back to swim session and a run tomorrow .

I had a great email from an old friend who did his first triathlon last week. Hopefully the first of many. I also have been scouring the websites and it looks like IM China has a new site Jixian in Tianjin Province.

http://www.triathlonbusiness.com/news-articles/view-news-article.aspx/newsarticle/new-stage-for-ironman-china-

Will have to decide soon what races to do next year as they fill pretty quick.

It looks like Malaysia is out .It was a race I wanted to do and assumed it would be there for a few more years. Well there are lots of non ironman branded races as well. The next 2 months will probably sort everything out. Just need to get started.

Finally , had a great clip sent to me which sorts of sums up my life and probably many others in the middle of training:

object width="480" height="390">

CHILL PILLS

Over the weekend , I have done nothing but spend the pass 36 hours at the Hospital...a children's Hospital.All manner of traumas and injuries suffered by kids each weekend flow through the hospital.It is chaotic and at the same time organised. Operations have a sense of priorities and there is constant juggling of such priorities.It is a world that is fluid. There is the human factor to deal with .Children in pain , parents and family and staff.

For me , it took approximately 20 over hours and 2 trips to the hospital before my son got into theatre. Lots of waiting and sitting around a hospital bed.The staff were great but it was difficult to just sit and do nothing or at least for me very little physical activity.

I did get a chance to read the newspapers and my book Empire by Niall Ferguson

Two little lessons I picked from all the reading on the weekend.

Lesson One from a piece by Amanda Keenan in the West Australian Weekend magazine on self-help Guru John Demartini. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Demartini)

"Every individual has a set of priorities , values , things that are the most and least important .Whenever they set goals , intentions and objectives according to their highest values , then they're inspired from within to go after it and they don't need outside motivation to do it"

And his pearls of wisdom:

Save Money ...bank at least 10% of your earnings or more
Find your path ...define what you would love to do in your life
Surround yourself with positive thinkers
Read , read , read ...whether it be self help books or a great novel
Count your blessings...keep a gratitude diary
Eat wisely. Eating moderately at regular times optimises physical function.


All of which I continue to strive to attain.

Lesson 2
In reading the book Empire which is about the British Empire from the early beginnings and the slave trade among many other topics. Among the many characters of the early 18th century Slave trade was John Newton , a slave ship captain and very devout Christian clergyman who is more well known for the stirring hymn he wrote ...Amazing Grace. What was amazing was that he became a slave trader after his religious awakening and a few years after leaving the trade became a clergyman and studied theology.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.



The words by Newton are probably from his direct experience in the trade which was very profitable .

It seems no matter what happens in our lives , we can all have life changing moments as John Newton did .Be it religious , spiritual or otherwise. Being open to these and other experiences is a start. I have much to be grateful for and much more to be thankful for after this weekend .

Adapting

The secret is adaptation.I have struggled to get my running legs as I shake off the flu.But I console myself with the possibly misguided view that some deconditioning and downtime has to be good.I read somewhere that constant training which is what most athletes in conducive climates do , does lead to a higher incidence of chronic injuries and ultimately a skewered race/ training plan and possibly a shortened career as an endurance athlete.

So I hope the enforced rest will help .The cold mornings have made it difficult to get started and I have had difficulty with any activity.But I I am on antibiotics so that should help alot.I was hoping to start off the weekend with a hills ride but that has had to take a back seat.

I have 6 -7 weeks to the painathon so I do need to crank up he training and then 10 weeks to the marathon.With little training in the past 6 weeks I am hoping I can make a solid start back next week .It was an unexpected and longer break than I wanted.

I will start getting my act together and draw up a plan .This week was a non starter because of the lingering flu and my son accidentally got his left middle finger caught in the door and I had to spend 5 hours at the emergency department and the Saturday morning again at the hospital as he underwent surgery to the finger.Life's unexpected twist and turns . That put an end to any possible plans for training on the Saturday.

Fortunately , there is approximately , 22 weeks before IMWA and I have the advantage of time and a good break.The races in between are secondary to IMWA.

I have a little more time to enjoy reading the many blogs and news items on triathlon.I do wish I was in Sardenia at Luke McKenzies Training camp .I did spend a few weeks in Sardenia over 10 years ago and it is truly beautiful in Summer .

I will hopefully sign up for a camp one day.

For now life is one of adapting and trying to learn from the experiences of the past and counting ones blessings no matter how tough it gets I am reminded that it could be alot worse .As this weekend has proven ...

Its a cold

The cold is lingering and so decided to give swimming a miss this morning .Just did an hour run on a thread mill in the evening and stretch exercises after the run .Slowly getting better but will get some antibiotics as 2 weeks of this cold and flu is taking its toll.

I have been taking vitamin C tablets , fish oil and glucosamine and hopefully that will make a difference in the long term.Read a piece in SMH on exercise and diet and the upshot of the piece is having a balance and organic diet is so important.Avoid caffeine ,refined sugar ,alcohol, and processed foods.

How to get a body like Elle Macpherson's
SARAH MCINERNEY
June 8, 2010

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/how-to-get-a-body-like-elle-macphersons-20100607-xpme.html

Well the alcohol isn't a problem but following a strict regime isn't.I presently weigh 76kg with my joggers and clothes. We will see .I don't really want the Elle body but the weight will be good.

If all else fails I did toy with the idea of seeing a hypnotherapist as it will help me to break my bad eating habits.All the training isn't really going to help if I can't get my weight down.

Back into the Groove

It is cold in the mornings in Perth...not mind numbing cold weather but cold all the same.It was about 8 degrees centigrade today .I was still spluttering a bit and decided to just give the morning ride a miss .Feeling very lethargic but after work I did get to the gym and did an hour in a spin class.

It is odd that after a few years being a gym junkie , be it an unfit one, I do not feel any attraction to working out in doors .I would rather be out riding or running or swimming.

The class was fun but I did feel quite exhausted and weak after the session.It justified my decision to get back into training slowly to avoid any relapse. I do need to start running and will hopefully get some runs in the next few days. Less than 3 months to the Marathon and I will need to start doing some long runs.I start a proper programme in July for the IMWA in December.

I hope to start riding again this week as well and will need to set up my wind trainer for some long sessions indoors as there are going to be wet days in the next few weeks and it definitely will not be safe out on the roads.

An Mp in Ontario is proposing a 3 feet law which would require all vehicles to keep at least 3 feet or 1 m from a cyclist on the road. That would be a good law and ope it gets proposed here .Had my fair share of near misses with vehicles coming really close.

The weekend has also been a busy one on the racing circuit.Chrissie Wellington won Kansas 70.3 and her victory finish and interview was great.she is an inspiration and races from the heart .As she said after the finish ...she loves racing and triathlons.Its always a lot easier achieving your goals when doing something you love.

After the Storm

The past 2 weeks and the month after the Busselton Half haven't gone to plan.I was hoping on a little down time but continuing my training particularly swimming and workouts at the gym .Unfortunately the past two weeks have been an enforced rest with the flu really taking its toll.

In a way it has been good as it is the start of winter in Perth and its probably the best time to get sick if I had too.

It has allowed me the opportunity to catch up with a normal life...work and family . My young son has been exploring playgrounds around Perth and I have seen lots .He has drawn up a list with descriptions and addresses and has them referenced to a map . So I have had the opportunity to explore Perth from a child's perspective.

It has allowed me to start my focus on the upcoming training as I start my programme towards IMWA on 5 December.I have had more time to read on the net and also to try and start planning for next year.The way the Ironman races are selling out it has been difficult. It seems that IM Malaysia may not be on next year , China is still undecided and with japan axed this year , there will be a wave of demand next year. I was thinking of New Zealand next year but it sold out super quick. Anyway , the focus remains IMWA with the intent to do a race mid year next year .

As for goals .I have IMWA and hopefully a PB. Short term goals are to also get my weight sorted out with a race weight about 6-8 kgs less than my present weight. I have 2 immediate races to train for:

1 The Painathon on 1 August 2010

http://www.painathlon.com/

2 The city to surf Marathon at the end of August

http://www.citytosurf.activ.asn.au/1/3379/3377/home.pm

With a goal of finishing the Painathon and a PB for the marathon.Last year I only did 8 legs of the Painathon and my marathon time was 4.06.

I hope with the emphasis on losing weight I will be able to achieve the results. I will have to run a lot more in the next 2 months and with some niggling aches it will be interesting.

It leaves me lots of time for a good base build and focus on my core strength . I am riding better but my running has remained much the same. I went into the Busselton half at 76kg so I was a little heavier then normal.

I hopefully will be blogging more now and plan to try and be more disciplined about my training which for most of this year has been a little more relaxed, fun and unstructured.

It is the business end of the plan now. The forced break has been welcomed relief to stop and smell the roses and enjoy life.It isn't all training and particularly learning to train smart is a sense of feel and building up to it. I still feel I have so much to learn and at times nothing seems to work and Iam confused .But at the end of the day , I take a back step and I realise I am doing what I enjoy .That with all the mistakes still makes it so much more fun.

Today as I did absolutely nothing other than take my son to 2 playgrounds in Perth's Eastern suburbs I drove on roads in the hills I have ridden . I knew all the roads well and it was with a sense of achievement , I don't get lost in the hills these days .At least one advantage from all that training.