Two more sleeps!

Yes getting excited. Bike is sitting in bike box and rest of kit is packed. Last day at work tomorrow, then drive to my folks - Dad's taking us to the airport. You have to love Dad's!!

Feeling well and relaxed about racing in 11 days - am I counting! Except for dodgy calf, putting me out of running for last week. But trainings all done and in the bank. My fingers are crossed it gets better with rest, Simon's massages, acupuncture and lots of stretching.

If Gebrselassie can run a 2:03:59 Marathon, breaking his own world record having had a dodgy calf and not run for a week two weeks before Berlin - Anything is possible. That man's amazing he looked so relaxed running - Crazy!

Final big weekend - Taper from here on in!

So last weekend was my last race simulation brick. In the back of my head this session was important to do. Despite knowing I'd done lots of good training. It's funny how the brain works and can play silly games with your confidence.
10km run, 40km bike very hard, 10km run, 40km bike steady and 10km run - The runs getting faster each time. Wearing lots of layers and a hat! This was the session i was meant to do a few weeks ago when my seat post bolt sheared and I had to abort. Despite some people belief (KW, you know who you are), I had wanted to complete this session. The session went really well. But i must have looked a complete fool running along Eastbourne seafront in tights, long sleeve and woolly hat. Hopefully will pay off in Kona!

Nearly killed myself in DIY heat chamber last week. Humidity and temperature in bathroom (which i wasn't measuring- already had knuckle slapped by physiologist friend). was way too high. I now have a measuring device on loan from Olly Freemann and the subsequent session was not a near death experience.

Hopefully post once more before i fly on the 2nd.

Two weeks today!

Since last post not very much exciting stuff has happen, to write about.
Training going well and no serious injuries from fall off bike!
Received new Speedzoot, from Zoot USA. The new 2009 long legged version, which only the pro's have. Very excited! Tried out in Eastbourne sea last weekend. Managed a 20 min and 15 min swim. But took me two hours to warm up afterwards. Later found out water not even 17 degrees.
Started humidity/heat training in the bathroom, with wall paper steamer and heater last night - only did 20 mins and that felt hard going. Tonight is 45 minutes!!!
Two weeks today we fly, so that puts race day in 24 day!

Kitchen Bike Crash!

Who would have thought that riding your bike on the turbo could be so dangerous!

My session yesterday morning was meant to go something like this run 10km @ 7:45min/mile pace, bike 40km very hard, run 10km @ 7:35, bike 40km steady then finally run 10km @7:25.

First run went well. wearing winter hat and lots of clothes to stimulate getting hot. Didn't look to much of an idiot, since pissing down with rain and windy. Hopped of turbo. 15 minutes in the bolt sheared off the seat post, saddle came off and I fell off. Shoulder meeting corner of washing machine, head against kitchen worktop before hip hitting the ground. I think I may have even lost a bit of time!!

Dazed and tearfully I attempted to continue with training session swapped race bike for road bike and made an effort to carry on. Kind of a half hearted attempt. Out on second run started to feel left groin pull a bit (think i pulled it when i toppled off) and head was really hurting from the knock. Welcome break from running when my first aid skills were called int0 action, in assisting a young boy, who had fallen off his bike. Tears stopped and no serious injury I took a detour and ran along side him on the way back home to mum, a bag of frozen peas and some chocolate - for him not me unfortunately ;-). It was nice to have a chat, made me forgot I was feeling so rotten! Back on turbo for steady ride, missed out the last run due to sore leg.

So today was my first training session which i haven't done as I'd like. Okay so external factors (broken seat post) made me come off, but also mentally and physically starting to fatigue from week of training, and not completely focused on pushing myself. So how did I handle this - Badly! In a grumpy and tearful mood all afternoon and evening.

Simon came home with some parts, but not a quick job. So race bike remains out of action :-(

Training on the sunshine coast - or not!

When the coach first suggested I did another week large week of training immediately after racing the world long course championships. I did question his logic, starting to think all the flying may be killing off brain cells. But he reassured me I'd be nice and rested prior to the worlds and it would be great timing for kona!


So crash week number 2.


Monday - easy run when we finally got home after getting very confused with french diversions. Decided to take a different route, see some sights, stop somewhere nice for early lunch as had plenty of time to spare. Diversions and Road closures everywhere -Travelled a zillion extra miles, missed ferry, had to wait 2 hours for the next!


Tuesday - Yoga, eating, sleeping, yoga, eating and massage- The rest day


Wednesday - 60 min swim with 400m efforts, 2.5 hour steady bike, 70 min run with last 10 mins tempo. Legs felt great! Must be Nocte and Green and Black's Hot Chocolate combo! And my cupboard full of Science in Sport Goodies that keep me going strong.


Thursday - 5 hour bike (wet and windy, came home looking like a drowned rat). I was riding through a couple of inches of water on one stretch of road. Looping past home about 4:20 into ride the heavens opened. Already very cold and wet, now my chain started squeeking. Tempted by the warmth of home, swapped tarmac for turbo for the last 40 mins. Treadmill run with steady efforts, recovery in the sauna between. Everyone in the gym must have thought i was a fruit loop. Again a very wet session - but this time sweaty wet, not rain wet! The aim, to get used to being in the heat, before i start exercising in my heat acclimatisation chamber! Bathroom, with wallpaper stripper running to create heat and humidity - are my instructions from the Dr Jamie Pringle.


Friday - 60 min swim, 3 hour bike (even wetter and windier- I recon i was carrying an extra 5kg of water just in my overshoes) What doesn't break me, will make me stronger! - apparently!

Forcast for the weekend dosen't look much better - rain and wind continues. On the positive side it's giving my killer sunburn from racing on sunday a chance to heal.

Long Course World Championships - Almere, Holland 31st August 2008

We drove over to Holland on Thursday (I say we loosely because I mainly slept and Simon drove). The normal hellish traffic around Antwerp made 100% worse by a multiple lorry smash up on the southbound side and everyone rubber necking. Finally arrived at the campsite, having left home 13 hours earlier. Campsite just 5km from race start etc. Better than almost 20km away in centre parc's were 'Team GB' were based. I love camping and on this trip had the bonus of meeting and making friends with 'Dan', an athlete from the USA and having good camping weather.

Dan in Transition pre race

Friday was registration and Saturday was bike racking. Other than that lazying, drinking coffee and short training sessions (or reconnaissance -checking out 90 corners on the bike course). Legs felt good and rested and mind was eager to race.

Race day - relatively social start at 9:00am. Pros sent off at 8:30am (pro men) and 8:35am (pro women). Age group men 8:55am. Swim was total carnage. Even though it was only age group women sent off together, it felt worse than IM Florida mass start. Was kicked in the head and chest a couple of times. I did my fair share of Cat fighting to jostle for position! We than were catching the slower Age group men pretty quickly - Now having burly men to swim through and get kicked and semi-drowned by! The swim wasn't pleasant. Out of the first loop - apparently 1.3km in 27 mins. Dreadful swim or very long 1.3km. More Carnage and choppy waves on the next loop and then more again on the way into the harbour. Never felt comfortable on the swim. Finally emerged all wrinkly from the swim in 1:28. I was aiming for 1:10. Reports coming out are it was between 4.5 - 5km. Pro women out in 1:10 ish - either very slow or long. Out of the water in 15th place in my age group. I was always going to be down out of the 4km swim, being a relatively week swimmer. But the swim being even longer meant i had even more ground to make up.

Out on the bike, my legs didn't feel like pedalling for the first 50km. Really enjoyed the bike, even though flat and windy. Constantly reminded of the wind by the wind turbines everywhere. Biked 3:28. 2nd faster bike in women's 25- 29 age group. Moved up to 4th place in my age group.

Out on to the run, started off running 7:30 min/miles as planned. But it was getting hot. Race day 29 degrees with minimal cloud cover - pretty much the single day of summer weather I'd seen this year. Water and cold sponges over my head at every opportunity. Managed to hold run together. Was slowly catching 2nd and 3rd place as they were slowing, but had lost 5 plus minutes to those girls in the swim. Finished 30km run in 2:23. Overall time 7:26:45. 4th place.

Even with long swim, beat 2006 time by almost 40 minutes. Happy with race performance overall, after initial disappointment of missing out on podium place by 3 minutes. Especially since finished in front of girls who had beat me at 2006 and 2007 Europeans. Also just to big nyself up a bit more was the 1st British age group female finisher. 2nd british female finisher - only 1h10 behind Chrissy wellington!

Dan finishing - actual time 9:22:23 11th in men's 60 - 65 age group - A true legend in my eyes.

Simon with Chrissy -