What I've been doing!

I've been getting stuck into some good training recently, even with all the snow and cold weather. Since I started my winter training I've managed to put together a real solid block with plenty of swimming and running with only a small amount of biking. I've seen a steady improvement in both my swimming and running over the last few weeks, which I put down to improved strength in my swim and a bit of weight loss which has helped my run, not to mention the overall consistent training which is probably the most important part to see an improvement.
I've been really mixing the strokes up a lot in the swim and one of my key strength sessions in the week has been a session which consists of: 1000m w/up - 8 x 100 IM off 1.40 - 40 x 25 fly off 30sec - 1500 pull/band/pads - 400ez bk/fr - Not a massive session at 4700m but a solid strength session that I've really felt the benefit from. My run training has been going well, been getting in some solid long miles off road with some solid treadmill sessions that have really helped improved my leg speed. The bike training has been minimal at the minute, which hasn't been a bad thing with all the snow, but I will be stepping up the bike training over the Christmas period. One added session has been the Watt bike session that I am taking at The Bike Studio, above Lutterworth Cycle Centre in Lutterworth. These bikes are fantastic with all the info you get off them you can really track your progress from week to week. Been getting a good group of cyclists and fitness enthusiasts coming to the class.
No colds or infections yet! Thanks Elagen there for helping with that!
Until next time, be careful out there in the ice!

Training Update

Well I've been back training now for a few weeks and all is going OK. Apart from the one crash that I had on my bike! Well it just wouldn't be British if I didn't crash my bike at least every two months! I think I'm going to be getting some stabilizers form Santa this Christmas! All was OK though and I managed to pick myself up with just a little road rash. The funniest part was looking round and seeing my mate Rob Orr upside down in a hedge! Yea, sorry about taking you out there Rob but I blame our other training buddy, Tim Mcdowell, who was on the front and didn't tell us about the ice until we hit it! Shrewd move by Tim as he used it to his advantage and put the boot in and sprint away from us! We will retaliate Tim, just got to get my stabilizers first!
Whilst I'm on the subject of crashing, I went round to see my old mate Terry Vaughn last week who is recovering from a really nasty crash. He broke six ribs and broke his sternum, punctured a lung and then to top it off he caught pneumonia! With all those nasty injuries he still tried to ride his bike after as he had to get back to his car then managed to drive fifty miles home! But then spent two weeks in hospital. He is recovering and he's up and about walking and gardening.
The last couple of weeks I have started teaching a bike class at the www.bikestudio.co.uk on Wattbikes based at Lutterworth Cycle Centre. These bikes are awesome bits of kit and especially good this time of year when its freezing cold and snowing. So if you live in the Lutterworth area and want to improve your cycling with other like minded people then get yourselves booked in. I teach the Wednesday night classes where we focus on speed! The other classes are endurance based classes.
Well thats it for now, be safe out there!

2011 AND A NEW START!

Well it's been a long time since I wrote anything on this blog, too long! So much has happend in the last 16 months since my last post, most of it bad too. The last post featured my dissapointing debut at the Ironman distance, and thing's haven't exactly improved since then.
The bad luck all kicked off on August 6th 2009 when I rode my bike into the back off a generator at 25mph! Not good and it left me with my left hand shattered and my thumb hanging off, a smashed left kneecap, a serious injury to my right thigh and torn ligaments and tendons to my right shuolder, a week in hospital, four months off training (well I did get back on my bike after two!) All of which I'm still recovering from now! So all in all not good when your looking at doing another Ironman season.
I managed to start back with some structure to my training in January 2010 and was confident I would have a good season. It all started well with a win at the "No Frills Duathlon" and a new bike course record! Although it was only a small event, it did show that I was getting some fitness back.
As the season went on my fitness was improving, I managed a top 20 placing in both 70.3 New Orleans and Half Challenge Barcelona, although I was quite far behind the winners so I still had a long way to go.
The first big goal of the year was Ironman France in Nice, and the scene of my next disaster. I got knocked off my bike the night before the race on the way to transition and the impact bust my headset which I didn't find out about until 40mins before the race start! I couldn't get it repaired so no race start for me! Still not an Ironman!!!
Next up I managed to get into Ironman UK in sunny Bolton. The race was going well and I was holding 5th Place until 4 miles into the run when the knee I had an operation on after my accident started hurting and reduced me to a walk. I so wanted to finish so I switched my stopwatch off and dicided to walk and jog to the line to claim my first Ironman finish! Not quite the result I'd trained for but at least I got across that line.
Next disaster was at the Vitruvian Middle distance Tri where I managed to crash into some crowd control barriers within the first 500m of the bike. There was no crowd there though, luckily!
Then onto the last big race of the year, Challenge Barcelona. I felt I'd got into the shape of my life going into this one as some of my sessions where awesome and I felt amazing. Then the bad luck came and I managed to get a cold which developed into a chest infection where i couln't stop coughing, especially during the night. The night before I had a good nights sleep with no waking up coughing etc. So I woke up feeling pretty good and looking forward to the race. The swim was OK my chest was a little tight which made me need to ease up a little. But the water was nice, not rough, just a standard sea swim I guess. I rode OK and started the run in 8th place. then the chest kicked in, I ended up walking again, and coughing up blood! Not good. but again I finished.
So onto 2011 and my training has already begun. Its time to put the last 16 month behind me and to look forward to a beast of a season! I have a few plans in the pipeline and will post my race plans shortly.
A big thanks goes out to Elagen Sport for their continued support in keeping me training at such a high level. Also to Total Fitness Nottingham for supplying me with all my kit. I only hope I can repay you both with some good race results in 2011.

Back on it!!

I'd had a week a moping around feeling sorry for myself, getting over the disappointment of Austria, eating rubbish and not alot of training! But now its time to get back into the routine of train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep and mixed in there work and seeing Marija!
My goals for the season have had to be changed due to my mess up at Ironman and I'm really motivated again!
My big goal now is going to be Challenge Barcelona Ironman on October 4Th (Austria didn't put me off the distance, just made me want to do it more!) and before that I'll try and do a 70.3 Half Ironman, possibly Monaco on September 6Th.
So along with some UK based events hopefully I can turn my season around.
I've even started to look at next year already! Its funny what you do when your motivated and not training that much! My good friend "Oakley Tim" is getting married next year and I think he wants to go and do 70.3 New Orleans Half Ironman for his stag do!! Then after that I'm going to plan to do Ironman South Africa in April, another good friend of mine Nino Baglioni is going over to do it so that should be good fun. Then it will be back to Austria in July to lay a few demons to rest.
Before I go I'd just like to say congratulations to my friends Ady "Sweat" and Bekki on the birth of their second child together, Mason. I went to see the little fella and he was only 17hrs old! I think he smiled at me!
I'd also like to wish good luck to Mesh and Keis on their wedding on Saturday!
Best go get some training in.... see ya!

Well my first Ironman experience is over and it wasn't the happy ending that I was hoping for. To cut a long story short my total inexperience showed and I completely messed up my nutrition plan which ultimately caused me to collapse 5km into the run and put me in hospital!

The week leading up to the race was spot on in terms of training and resting and my pre race nutrition was fantastic. The whole build up to the race and atmosphere was buzzing and I don't think I'd ever been so excited to do a race before........ I was absolutely loving the whole Ironman experience!

In the race I had a decent swim exciting in 15Th place with a time of 51min. I found the swim comfortable and was looking forward to ripping the bike. I started the bike strong and then somewhat unexpectedly a pack formed. You sort of expect it in shorter races but I never expected it during an Ironman, I thought I'd be on my own during the ride. The pack was riding with the legal drafting rules but I found it so much easier at the back of the pack than at the front, so decided that's where I'd ride, saving my legs for the run!

This is where the problems sort of started, it wasn't until I was packing my bike up to come home that I realised that I'd only eaten half of what I'd planned to eat! Big mistake! I guess I got taken in to the race too much and wasn't concentrating on what I was doing. I really showed my inexperience here. It's good to race but I also need to pay attention to what I'm doing nutrition wise.

So anyway I got round the bike in 4.40:52 and started the run in 14Th place. I felt comfortable and did as I'd planned by starting slowly so that I could build my pace as my legs loosened off. Then it just all went wrong and I collapsed and was carted off to hospital!

5hrs and about 10 magnesium drips later I was released. Physically I was OK but mentally I was distraught, all that work that I had put in and all for nothing! It was time to pick myself up and re-focus.

So at this time I'm possibly thinking of doing Monaco 70.3 on the 6Th September and then on the 4Th October Challenge Barcelona Ironman.

This year has been a bit of a disaster to say the least, but I'm still focused and am as motivated as ever, so hopefully I can turn my season around and really show what I'm capable of.

Big thanks to my sponsors, Elagen sport, Energicer, Saltstick and Extreme Endurance. Your product are fantastic!

Until next time,

Twiggstar!