9K post Christmas run off

Did a quick 9K on the ice with the dog to run off my red wine and turkey excess. Very cold and slippy but a nice day. Wasn't too hard and no real problems apart from wet feet after crashing through the ice on a puddle.

Three's a charm

Conf call at 5pm and again at 7:30, so I went out at 4pm for a quick run with the dog. Third time in 6 days, so I seem to have picked up my mojo again. I only did 6K as it was cold(-2C) and I had limited time. I was out and back in no time and really enjoyed it. Bright sky and howling wind meant I came back in feeling like I'd just been out for a walk, not even sweating. I found the distance very easy and was even sprinting up the couple of hills.I didn't have any painful lag at the start as I'd experienced in my two other runs earlier in the week.

Dog was going mad as its the first time she's been out for a run for ages and so she was hyper. I've go a new Nena CD on my MP3 player. Trashy German Pop songs being an addiction I picked up when I was living there, along with an extra 10kg's or so, dam the man who invented Becks Gold...

ooohh the pain is mainly in the brain

Up on Sunday and my legs are very sore as is my hip. I'm determined to get a second run in this weekend as clearly the second run is where I've been failing over the last two lazy months. It’s very cold and just above freezing with a light but cutting wind. Its one of those amazing mainland days, blue sky but with the temperature in the basement. I get the gear on and this time I include a hat and gloves which were dearly missed on Friday.
Opposite route this time, I've got my music on, my sun glasses and I'm in the sun although clearly there is no heat from it. The first 3k is stiff and sore but it eases up as I join the N5 as I’m going in reverse from Friday. Wind is a factor and I find the hills particularly difficult and I slow down. I’ve clearly lost a lot of my technique as I find my shoulder getting sore and I’m fretting about how I hold my hands and the length of my stride.
Actually regressing a bit is a nice experience as I know I can up my fitness with more effort and I was finding previously that single runs were rarely taxing. I could still taste blood or something metallic in my throat but it’s a great way to start the day. I've dropped to 75kg from 76kg from pre run weight Friday. Another 12K in the bank....

A trip to the dark side

As you can see from lack of recent activity my get and up go has got up and went. I just had a great week at work and have been pretty upbeat. What better way to finish the week than with a cheeky wee 12k on Friday night. First 3K was a killer but it eased off after that. I was running in the dark and across the fields..pitch black and freezing cold. I could taste blood in my mouth and my feet were sore but I managed it all the way to Lasne, up hedgehog hill then back across the fields the long way. 1hr 10 minutes. So not fast but I was happy just to get a decent run under my belt. Post run I was sore and had a few blisters on the soles of my feet......

ooohh no

Did my first run in a month. 8 or 9K distance cross country with the dog. Not particularly fast but quite good fun. I felt OK during the run with not too much fatigue or tiredness. I was a little out of breath on the steeper hills but I was quite surprised how easy it was. I felt fantastic on Saturday night after the run...my runners high kicking in later. Just need to keep going but this time of year I find very demotivating.

5K - Kickoff

Trying to kickstart my running. Did a 5K cross country run with the dog. In an effort to keep some targets to aim for I signed up for a Kilomarathon in March in England. Its a new distance and this is to be the first one globally, its a 26KM run between Derby and Nottingham.

Great North Run 2009

Its billed as the World's largest half marathon event. Its got more than 50,000 runners and when you get there its on a scale that blows you away. So many people milling about and organisation on a miltary scale. I got offered a place at the last minute from a friend who could not make the run. I was of course very happy to take it on as I know places are hard to come by.

When I checked the course last week I was surprised to see it's not a circular course, so you don't end up back where you started. You start just north of Newcastle and run through the town and into Gateshead and then out to the coast at the seaside resort of South Shields :O).

I slept poorly on Saturday night, having nightmares about not being able to run and about being late for the start. I'm up early and down for breakfast. I down two packets of Alpin and two Weetabix. A plate of grapefuit segments(Citrus fruits are not recommended by athletes but I do like them). A couple of bananas and I'm all set.

They run a taxi shuttle service to the event at a very respectable £3 each. I'm there early at 8:50am for a 10:30am start :O) I walk down the start line which is broken into coloured segments. It takes up both sides of a motorway and its over a km long....I find my bag bus(to take my gear to the other end of the race). I have a seat in the sun and get my music on and drink an iso and eat a couple of Gels.

I'm in the start area for 10am as after 10:10am they make you just join at the back rather than in your selected group. Sun shining and Mr Motivator is doing his best to warm up the troops. You can feel the nerves of the group around me.

We're off and I'm through the start in 2min:37seconds so I was quite close to the startline. Its an easy start and mainly downhill into town before you get to the iconic Tyne Bridge. As we go under the tunnels people are shouting out and the crowd and runners all join in. There are thousands of supporters, the atmosphere is electric.

I cross the bridge and climb into Gateshead. Its to be the first climb of many today. We go through Gateshead and its pretty flat and I'm lulled into a false sense of well being. The heat is starting to build up and already a girl has fallen in front of me after clipping the heels of a guy in front as she tried to cut through the crowd of runners. At 5K I'm at 23minutes and feeling generally OK but a little windy on the hilly sections. It usually wears off later.

I feel as though its been a non stop climb out of Gateshead, nothing really steep, just a relentless gradient. You can just see the people in front rising into the distance. At 10K I'm at 47minutes and so pace wise I'm fine for a 1:40 finish. I've not taken anything onboard regarding drinks as I find it ruins my concentration and I struggle to keep motivated.

Its getting hot at the 15K mark and I know I need to take on fluid. I drink water and an Isotonic drink and as predicted it blows my momentum. The next hill forces me to drop the pace to over 5:30min per km. I just can't keep it any faster. Its a mix of mental weakness and tired legs. The crowds during the run also stifle my pace on and off and I find it hard to get into a steady beat.

At 17K I'm blowing like a steam train, really struggling and my head is wandering all over the place. I take another drink and walk through the drink station getting my head together. I start off again and get a reasonable pace going. At 19K I feel the end is coming and so I get the finishing energy burst that always magically appears. We drop onto the shore at South Shields and the crowds are heaving both sides of the road. The sun is shining and its a great day. I can see the end its just 1.5 km away....

We're heading down the front and I see Gordon Ramsey in front, I pass him with a km to go and he is walking and saying to his friend that his legs are like jelly, probably aspic I think but don't say.

I go over the line and the clock says 1:50 so I know my time is under 1:50 as it took me a couple of minutes to reach the start line. The internet finish time was recorded at 1:47:44. A full 7 minutes slower than Glasgow but the heat, crowds and most of all the hills have all taken their toll.

I'm glad to be finished. Its an amazing event and seeing all the charity runners with photos of friends and loved ones on their T-Shirts has been a real eye opener for me, I tip my hat to them all. They have restored my faith in humanity.

At 17K I was never running again and would have walked off the course if it was a training session and no one else was around. At finish plus 15 minutes I'm certain I want to do it again next year......

Up and out

I was planning to run yesterday but my legs still felt tired and I was feeling a bit worn out in general, so I didn't go out. I knew this meant I would run today Sunday as I'm travelling most of this week coming.

I got up about 9 and went straight out. I was thinking about 18K but Team Kennedy manager suggested I should keep it low key given the proximity of my race last Sunday and my race to come next Sunday plus reminding me of the experience of the hard 10K on Tuesday. I re-adjusted my mindet to just a 10K.

The start felt good and I had no real pain and setting the pace was easy and I soon hit the 5K mark in 22:50. As I climbed the school hill I really started to feel the pace in my legs and my speed dropped off to 5:30 km pace and slower. I just could not go any faster and my legs and lungs were both complaining loudly.

After the hill I got a slight second wind and managed a 49:08 10K time which although not fast for me was hard work and a good effort. I was glad to get it over early and get in for breakfast and a read of the papers knowing I'd already done my bit for the day.

10K leg stretcher - legs like lead

Did a 10K to see how my legs were recovering. Pretty painful at the start but eased off a little but there was no energy. At 5K mark I was 26 minutes and I walked for 200m as the heat(25C) was getting to me.

I ran the remaining 5K but it was very difficult and I really had to work at it. I had little or no energy in my legs and I had no will left to push myself above and beyond. Obviously you only have so much reserves with regards to the ability to push the boundaries of performance. I just could not go any faster and I felt dead on my feet. I finished in 51:33 and was very happy to be done.

Glasgow Half Marathon 2009

So I'm back at the place where it all started a year ago. Weather looked OK early on with overcast but no wind. Glasgow was as you can imagine heaving with people and a lot of pre race tension was written on the faces.

I felt pretty good with no injury or illness worries. Team Kennedy manager and I met up with old friends and we kept up a good rate of nervous chatter with a good exchange of medicines, lotions and potions going on pre race topped with frequent visits to the toilets.

The start is staggered so they pulse people through the start in groups based on your original estimated finish time. I can't remember what I'd put on the application but I was in the white section which was third group to go after the wheelchair athletes and the elites. I took my position right at the very back.

The start was delayed a little but eventually the wheelchair athletes started then the elites went off. The cattle fodder followed on like wee sheep, although the ones at the front set off at what looked to me like a full on sprint.

I go through the start line without too much bother and up and away. After the first km or so you climb and then drop down onto the ramp to the Kingston Bridge that crosses the Clyde at the west end of Glasgow city centre. The road narrows a bit here and it became obvious lots of people were in the wrong group or were starting very very slowly.

I spent most of the time on the bridge threading through folks and even passed a guy who had stopped for a rest after about 3km. This was a forced slow down my usual quick first few km's. So it may not have been a bad thing. At the 5km mark I was at 24 minutes which is a good pace but not overly quick for the first 5km for me.

The rain was now on pretty constant and you needed to keep up a pace to keep comfortable. I passed the first water stop but my race plan was take nothing on during the race at all. I'd found previously at Alloa that eating or drinking broke my concentration and during my training as the runs got longer I needed less and less for anything under two hours of effort. The weather conditions being very cool also reduced any need for fluids.

I found the course to be less hilly than I remembered and the climb into Pollock park and 10K mark at (48 minutes)went past without any problem. As I left Pollock Park my race plan was to lift my pace for from that point for the last 8K. I was however finding it hard to keep my pace never mind lift it. I was 1:12 at the 15K mark so knew that 5 minute km's would get me under the 1:45 which was my target. So that gave me a boost as I knew that every minute that my pace was kept faster than 5mins per km that I was skimming time off. In the last few km's any slight incline was killing my legs and keeping the pace better than 5min/km was getting progressively more difficult(as you can see from the photo). I had a speed alarm on my watch so I was getting pinged when my pace went slower than 5min/km or faster than 4:15/km. My split times were all pretty even so that approach worked. I think the secret is setting the pace at a reasonable and achieveable level.

The route was slightly different this year and I got surprised by my proximity to the finish. As I rounded the last corner a guy behind me said come on then lets finish this and we both broke for the line. It was still a good 300m to go so a fair distance. I went over with the clock showing 1:42:30 and I knew I was well in as I'd only went over the start line around the 2 minute mark. My watch was saying 1:40:20 so I was a bit gutted not to dip my toes into the 1:30's, although it would be a little cheekily. Official time was 1:40:48 so a little out from my personal timing.

Team Kennedy Manager finished in 2:00:33 in a run that was hindered by the knee problem she
picked up two weeks ago. A good time for a first ever competitive race and a great effort in taking on a half marathon as her first race. I think she'll be back next year.

Hat tip to Dougie for pulling off a fantastic 1:41:57 after only a few weeks training(don't you just hate people like that :O) )and Chico who finished in 2:00:58 in a race that he said he had to fight for every mile.

We headed off for a big pasta lunch and some well deserved Peroni's...

As a dessert I've been offered a place at the Great North run in two weeks, so I'm pretty excited about that given the scale of the event and its a great incentive to keep up the training for another few weeks.

Last 10K - I think

Round in 45:50 and pace wise it felt easier than yesterday and only 1 minute slower. Windy and cold so probably a good dummy run for Sunday as the Glasgow weather forecast looks typical for December :O).

Team Kennedy manager did no training as her knee is still sore and pre race nerves are kicking in. I see the initial symptoms of the fear with only a few days to go so her adrenal gland is kicking in nicely. I'm more excited for her than for myself...

winding down - 10K

Rain comes at last to Belgique, first serious rain and colder temperature for a good few weeks. 10K in 44:50 , started well, dipped in the middle a bit and finished well. Could have ran on so still something left I think. I won't be able to keep that pace for for 21K but after a weekend where I endulged a wee bit too much in the Vin Rouge and beers I'm happy my fitnesss wasn't affected negatively. Team Kennedy manager clicked off a 10K today as well. One more run each I think and we're done.

Next Year

Still thinking about what to do next year. I'll probably sign up for Glasgow/Alloa runs. I'

Consolidation

I've been on a training course all day. So essentially stuck in front of a PC and reading a big manual, spending most of the day static on my backside isn't the best preparation for a running session. I'd eaten enough but was probably short on fluids as I'd just been cramming down expresso coffee and fruit smoothies and they both make you need more water. Despite knowing all this and understanding what it meant I still went out without taking any extra fluid on.

I'd set my watch speed alarm to keep me between 6:00 min per km and 4:15min per km. This is a wide enough band that should mean it rarely triggers even on hills and on the fast side it keeps me to within 15 seconds per km of my fastest 10K average speed.

I set out with an easy 18K in mind and specifically said to Team Kennedy manager "no new Personal Best tonight". The first 5K flashed by in 24 minutes so a bit quicker than my PB from earlier in the week.

After the drop into Ohain there is an uphill section about 400m long, I took this on at quite a quick pace and at the end it drops through the village and takes you to about the 6K mark. I overcooked this part by going too fast and lost some of my rhythm as a result. I'd confused my thinking a bit by getting caught between my original plan of easy 18K and then seeing 5k come off quick and feeling alright. I pulled back the pace a bit and seemed to lose my concentration for about 10 minutes. I felt my foot again getting sore and my legs felt very heavy. I knew that I was hurting myself at this point with little or no likelihood of any benefit to my race next week. I decided then to cut it short and take a differnt route back. I walked for a couple of minutes to reset everything then started running again.

Getting going again was hard but after 5 minutes I'd warmed back up and was in a bit of a routine, hardly 'In the zone' but at least moving. I climbed a hilly section mostly through mud and sand on a small track that had recently been washed away and is still awaiting repair. This made for uneven pace setting but probably good for my balance.

I got back for just over 12K in 1:04. I certainly noticed that as I was running a slow pace effort wise just to get home that on my watch it wasn't too bad a speed wise around the 5:00 to 5:15 per km mark. I think my recent faster paced runs have upped my perception and capabilities to keep a higher average pace.

I need to see how I feel but I think just one more pacy 18K run this weekend and a few shorter faster runs either side and I think I'm finished. I'll stop running on Wednesday or Thursday depending on how I feel. Anything towards the end of the week will be short leg stretchers rather than looking to add to my fitness. I know I get a good bit of reserve strength by taking a few days off training after I've been doing a lot of miles.

18K big run - more progress

Felt pretty good this morning after last nights 10K. Legs were fresh and not in anyway tight, tired or painful. I thought a long session tonight would be on the cards so I had a big curry and fried rice for lunch followed by a fruit salad and a smoothie. A couple of cans of ice tea in the office. I drank about 250ml of Isotonic when I got home and drank a couple of expressos and set out.

First 5k in 25 minutes. 10K dropped off in 51 minutes. I got a real second wind heading past the nunnery at the 11K mark and the climb to the Butte du Lion went past in a flash with little over-exertion but I knew I was working. I headed down the N5 and thought at that point that my time was going to be OK but not record breaking. I had my eye on my 1:33.07 time from last Friday night.

I got to the turn at the farm around 1:15 and thought then that I would be close to the 1:30 mark which was a surprise as I had some juice left in my legs. I really upped the pace and was running 4:30's per km and under until I hit the last hill which I really powered up its whole 500m length, mostly in the 4:40's and 4:50's per km.

I then bust a gut for the last km. I could hardly stand at the end and the watch was saying 1:30:17. Gutted not to have dipped under the 1:30 but my improvement in the last 10 days has been amazing with 1:41 ,1:50,1:33 and 1:30 times for 18K. All in the space of 8 days.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I was running this same distance in around 1:50 in August last year before the half marathon.

Next set of challenges

I've got 2 weeks to go and my last scheduled race will be done. I do still have half an idea on Brussels marathon in October but its dormant at the moment until after Glasgow.

My bike lies in the garage with wheels packed away and i binned my speedos at the end of the holiday in Greece. I need to think about challenges for next year. I don't see me stepping up to a full Ironman distance. I can't see how I'll manage the training over the winter and to be honest it just seems too long.

This team challenge has been offered up by Team Kennedy Manager

Aberfeldy Half Ironman - which is at least a home game for me :0)...a great chance for Chico to get his new bike out and for Stumagoo to learn to swim. :O) Its a full year away.

Any other opportunities and suggestions most welcomed as if I don't put events in the calendar then I won't train during the winter and be back to square one.

Monday night is 10K night

Did 10K after work. Preparation was better as I had a nice healthy salad when I met Team Kennedy Manager for lunch. This was followed by an afternoon treat of fruit salad and fruit smoothie in the office. When I got home I had an expresso, 750ml Isotonic drink and a paracetamol chaser just 15 minutes before I went out.

I wasn't as tight or unco-ordinated as yesterday and right from the start my pace was 4:30's and 4:20's....per km My running felt more balanced and although I was puffing up the hill at 5K around the 5:40's per km I didn't feel it was getting ragged at any point. I finished in 46:55 which is just over 2 minutes faster than last night. I'm not yet up to challenging my personal best of 45:01 for 10K but I'm feeling better. I was tired when finished but not wiped out completely.

I'm still staggered by yesterday's athletics on TV. Its only when you run yourself do you see the enormous gap between professional athletes and the man in the street. Women's marathon in Berlin had them running at a 5K pace of 17 minutes around the 32km mark, so with 12km to go in the marathon they were running 5K in 17 minutes. I don't think I could run a single 5K in 20 minutes never mind running multiple 5K's at 17 minutes pacing.....The mens 10K final was won in just a little over 15 minutes and it was a slow race.

Countdown starts now

Two weeks today till Glasgow Half Marathon, definate ground rush from here on in. I did 10k tonight after a very lazy day reading(Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden), watching the cricket, the football and again watched Kenneth More Sinking the Bismark.

I finished in 49:03 and I felt pretty groggy for the first 7K. I couldn't lift my pace faster than 4:40 per km and even then it felt very unbalanced, I was only comfortable around the 5:30 mark. I got a second wind about 7K and was managing to keep a higher pace much easier but I was glad to finish in what was a very warm evening. My pre run snack of a roll and crisps, packet of fruitella and a choc ice probably wasn't ideal.

Team Kennedy manager dropped off 10K in about 60 minutes including a sore knee episode after 6k :0)...that sub 2 hour half marathon looks in a lot of danger from where I'm sitting. I'm on large with William Hill on a 1:55 finish :0)

Coming up on the rails

Team Kennedy manager has been piling up the miles since our return from holiday. She's dropped 3 x 18K runs and a 13K this week alone. Friday afternoon 18K came in at a very impressive 1:49.18. Like all good fillies near the end of the season she is just coming into form for the big race :O) Its certainly keeping the pressure on me to keep up the training. Well done Alison and keep up the hard work, I think you're in for a great race.

Friday fright night

An 18K run on Friday night, shod in new Asics Gel Nimbus 11 trainers and the temperature was only 20 Degrees. I had high hopes and knew it was finish this training session or my race in two weeks was probably busted due to injury. So plenty of nerves in the lead up.

First 5K were quite quick and I was holding back a bit to try and keep a good finish in reserve, 23 minutes for 5K and I felt fresh. The 10K mark follows easily at 52 minutes. I try to keep the pace up until I get to Butte Du Lion. I'm up the hill past the nunnery and its hard hard work but I know that after that I only have one short hill right at the end. I turn left down the N5 and keep the pressure on and get a nice second wind. I manage to keep my mind from wandering and so concentrate on keeping the pace up

3K to go and I pull out the stops and try and keep the pace as high as possible. I'm looking for a 1:30 time which would be in Personal Best territory. I see with just over a Km to go I'm not going to be under the 1:30 time but I finish in 1:33:07. Thats a good time and with only limited foot pain. Average heart rate was 177 which is very high for me so I was obviously pushing it.

New trainers made a difference and although I didn't get through without some pain I certainly didn't need to stop this time. I found them a little heavier and stiffer than the Nike Zoom Vomero's I've been running with for the last 18 months. I was worried that the stiffer soles would not give me the cushioning my foot needed. However they worked a real treat and felt much more secure on my feet. I had to get a half size larger than the Nikes as they were snug in the shop. A snip at €150.......

I'm going through trainers amazingly fast. I've now got two pairs of Nike Vomero's with perfect uppers and worn out heels. I'll be building a fine collection of 'leisure' shoes if I keep the mileage up. Its a little frightening to think that something that lasts you only about 50 hours of use costs nearly 100quid.

Too much too young(soon)

18K run tonight did not go to plan. I was OK fluid and energy wise but I was very stiff at the start and the first few km's were painful. I dropped 5k in 26 minutes and 10K in 59 so much slower than yesterday. My foot began to hurt badly around the 10K mark and I had to effectively stop running at the 15K mark and walk-run the rest. I finished around the 1:51 mark but last few km's were walk/jogged. Same sore point as before but this time much more intense and pain coming over the top and down to my big toe....not good. I'm going to change my trainers as this resolved it a bit before and I must be near the 500K mark with those ones now.......nice video link to the Specials there..seems a long long time ago "Chained to the cooker cooking current buns"

Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Back from holiday and just over 3 weeks till Glasgow half marathon, my running pack arrived just in time to inspire me to train again. I ran 18K in 1:41:48 and it was very very hard going. I could have went a bit faster as I was lagging the last 3-4k in a dreamy haze. First 5K was 23:35 and 10K was around 52 minutes so a reasonably quick start on my first run back with a slow finishing 8K. I think the hills in the first 12K just sapped the energy from my legs. I started at 76.6kg and finished at 74.3kg so over 2 litres of fluid lost. I suspect I'll be stiff in the morning.

Holiday lazyitis

Just back from two weeks on Isle of Lewis. I managed a 30K cycle and 8k run in the whole two weeks. The cycle was very different in that it was right along the coast with huge atlantic waves breaking on the cliffs and so I had a permanent wind across my face plus the road had no flat sections at all. It was either up or downhill plus dealing with the cattle grids and teh wandering sheep on my bike was pretty bizzarre. The first 5k was torture but I got back into it after that. I could have went longer but the weather was rubbish and I just wasn't motivated to exercise when the girls were having fun at the beach.

As a result of nearly 3 weeks of no exercise I'm starting to get tired during the day and feeling all lethargic again. I've lost all motivation and can't even visualize myself exercising. I haven't went near the scales but I can see soft bits appearing where before there were none.

I therefore managed to drag myself out last night as I have another weeks holiday next week and this will be followed in 3 weeks by a half marathon in Glasgow. 18K in 1hr 46min , I could have ran faster but I wanted to break myself in easily. It was quite hot around 23C but a nice night. I also managed to drag Team Kennedy manger round with me so the 18K is a new record run length for her. Well done Alison :O)

62K cycle run

Up early and out at 8am for total time of 2:15 including 5K of hill sprints at the end(not so much sprinting as grunting up the hill). Went round Terveurn, Overise and surrounding areas. A little wet and windy but roads quiet and plenty of cycle paths and quiet tracks.

10k lunchtime

46:03.03 with a 22:58 5K split time. I was pretty OK at the end so definately sandbagged it a bit regarding pace.Its a minute slower than my previous Personal best 10K. Conditions were good and I had high hopes....not lack of fitness just a pacing error I think. I'm certainly not bursting 40 minutes anytime soon or probably in this life.

Long week - poor training commitment

Its been a difficult week to get motivated. I've been busy at work, its been incredibly hot here and I've started a book I like, so I've lots of excuses not to do anything. The bottom line is that I find it hard to be motivated without a race or some other end point to focus on. I obviously don't need to keep up 9-10 hours of training per week without a long distance triathlon to race towards but I'd expect to still be doing 5-6 hours per week.

I waited till around 1:30 to go out today, it was very hot with occasional cloud but mainly sunny and I'd estimate around 25C in the shade. I wanted it to be hot so I could have similar conditions to the run last week. I set out with a 20Km distance target. I wanted to do a full 20Km but without having the swim and bike in front of it so I can get some confidence back after a difficult run leg last week. I've also got one eye on Glasgow Half marathon on 7th September and possibly Brussels Marathon on 6th Oct.

I felt good at the start and the sun wasn't really a factor. I knocked off 5K in 22:10 which is fast for me and 10K in 50:40 but this would have been faster except that 5K leg takes in 3 big hills. I then ran a bit outside my normal route towards Braine L'alleud and back past Butte de Lion but from the Butte side in, past all the tourists. At 12K it was very hot and I was feeling the pace. My heart rate had been high the whole run and this is I think down to my heart having to work harder to keep me cool. I still felt OK physically and I was in good shape with breathing despite the higher heart rate.

At 15K I had to get my to off to try and cool down. I really really felt the last hill as I went up it but it wasn't the same death march feel as last week where my whole body was struggling and it was my head that made me just keep going. I could feel lactic acid building in my legs as I kept the pace high up into and over the hill and my breathing and heart rate was getting ragged as a result. I clocked off 21.5K in 1:51. Nice pace for a training run in big heat.

Brasschaat Photos

Photos of the race on Sunday......


Bike setup and not showing the nerves I'm really feeling. Check that tee shirt...

.
Mayhem at the start, I'm on the nearside and I think I can see my stroke....just to left of nearest big buoy just above the bow of the boat.



Cammy the fish...I like that position, head down and the low arm shows I'm thinking about it. Feet high up in the water so I'm not dragging and hand closed. This is a few hundred metres from the end and I was really cruising. I could have done a victory lap after the swim I was so happy.

Showing the colours....they still all spoke to me in Flemish, must be a cycling thing.


40k and not out...aber noch eine runde...nuer fuer spass....naturlich(Once more round , just for fun of course)

Looking surprisingly fresh, my ribs had chucked it in about here.




The end, face showing the strain, I'd shed 3kg during the race. Arms and legs showing signs of a long day session. Might still have to shave those legs though.


The end of a long day and all I have is a big black bag and a tough session in the training bank and a bucketful of pride....

When asked why do you do this ?

The cardiovascular plus points of exercise are obvious and in general I feel much better for my activities. However there are other positive side benefits that may help avoid 'accidents'.....I don't think I can take their advice as our freezer is very small and usually full.

click here for BBC story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8124458.stm

Race times - Brasschaat 2009

Swim then bike then run.....

Pos Nr Name Age Time Gap Pos Name

Swim Leg
390. GBR 355 KENNEDY Campbell 42 57:39 +26:51 133 V1H

Bike Leg
389. GBR 355 KENNEDY Campbell 42 2:42:19 +51:48 135 V1H

Run Leg
386. GBR 355 KENNEDY Campbell 42 2:09:52 +59:36 123 V1H

T1 Time
385. GBR 355 KENNEDY Campbell 42 4:17 +3:10 130 V1H

T2 Time
330. GBR 355 KENNEDY Campbell 42 2:12 +1:34 101 V1H

Official Link

I knew the swim was under an hour which is fantastic. Bike leg at 2:42 is 22 minutes faster than Switzerland but with 10K less so about right and the same pace or a little faster.

Run leg as you can see is a disaster at 2:09:53 for 20K. I did 21.1K in Switzerland in 1:56 so my suffering during that leg yesterday is evident. My split times on the lap was fast,slow,slow,fast. T1 was shorter than Switzerland and T2 longer but not much in it either way and probably down to zone layout.

Loneliness of the long distance triathlon.

I slept OK despite the concerns from the day before. I woke up at 4am and still managed to get back to sleep OK. I was up at 7am and Alison went out and picked up rolls and croissants. After a very quiet 1 hour drive we arrived in Brasschaat to find the place buzzing. I could feel the pressure mounting as we parked up in the car park. I got the bike off the rack and we walked up to Transition point 2 where I left my running gear. I was keeping a sharp eye out for people who might look slower than me. The fact that I was the only one without shaved legs told me this was a serious event.We walked the 3km up to T1 and the swim start. I jumped on my bike halfway as it was getting a little close to start time and I wanted to be well settled before the start. A helmet check and some strap adjustment and I was in. I parked up my bike and started slathering on the factor 50 sun cream as I could see we were in for a scorcher.They had put out new buoys and some hope was creeping into my thinking. If it was just round the new buoys then the distance looked OK. I downed a quick gel and headed over to the swim start.

We crowded under the motorway/railway bridge and waited on the OK to enter the water. The professionals came in and started pretty quickly. I got into the water and fought my way through the masses. My plan was to start nearer the front but at the side furthest away from the first turn point. My thinking being that everyone would crowd out the left hand side as we were swimming clockwise. I asked a guy which buoy it was and he confirmed my fears, it was the furthest away one and it was two full circuits…..too late to do anything now….The race organisers tried hard to pull the crowd over from the left to the right but with little success. Eventually the gun went. We were off.

I started a little bit quicker than normal and was in free water for about 75% of the first leg up to the first turn. As I pulled across to the left to round the buoy the water became more crowded. I got round and started the down leg. I was 14 minutes to this point and started to get positive thoughts about making it. The down leg on the first lap back towards the bridge lasted an age but I wasn’t tiring just swimming a nice easy pace. I was occasionally checking behind and I could see that I was far from last. I took this as a big positive. Eventually I’m back at the start and it’s just over 32 minutes at the start of the up leg of the second lap. I started to up the pace a little as I knew I was taking it a bit too easy and I also knew the scale of the swim as I’d done a full lap.

I did a fair bit of zig zagging and was obviously swimming further than technically needed, this is something I need to work on. I got to the top of the first leg of second lap and I was at 42 minutes. A quick mental calculation and I thought sub 60 was definitely possible. I wouldn’t be on the broom wagon this race and so my first DNF would be another day.

I kept a couple of folk in my sight and just paced myself to them. I started really getting into a rhythm and was bi lateral breathing(every third stroke using both sides). I did notice at first this made me feel a little bit dizzy as I’d been breathing mostly on my right. After 5 minutes of bi lateral breathing and I felt better. The climb out point was of course right at the bottom and I had to swim the whole length of the transition zone….eventually I reached it and got up on my feet with some assistance. I was shaky on my legs and had difficulty standing up but a quick jog to the bike and it cleared. This definitely gets easier with practice as you know what to expect. I got my wetsuit off pretty easily myself and I had what felt like an OK transition and didn’t have any major cramps. Shoes, Socks, Helmet, number and Cycling top on and I’m jogging out with the bike to the start point. I pick up a bottle of juice and slip it into my cradle to drink right away. I mount the bike and I’m away. The bottle falls out in the first 100m’s…I’ve still got 750ml on the bike so its not a problem. I don’t stop.

First 5k on the bike I drank half my juice and down a gel. My legs were stiff but eased off. I’d raised the saddle a bit and flattened it out the night before and this was proving to be a little bit less comfortable than usual. It’s also been 10 days since I was on the bike. I really missed my computer as I could not tell how fast I was going and given I was a back marker I hardly saw anyone else for reference. I caught two people at the start and that was me. I got passed by 6 folks including number 1 and 2 who were flying into the finish just as I was just short of starting my second lap. The roads were in great condition and the stewards/police had it all locked up so it was virtually car free. Its clearly an area that has a lot of affinity to cycling given the disruption it caused and the great support being handed out by the locals.

Second lap as ever was easier than the first and seemed quicker. I knew I was drying out as I could feel it(you get shivery despite it being hot). I was drinking and eating as much as I could stomach but it’s a delicate balance between keeping hydrated and being sick.

I took 4x500ml bottles of water and isotonic on the way round the bike leg and finished my own 750ml. I ate 5 gels of various types.

I felt OK coming off the bike and my only concern was back pain on the left side and sore undercarriage, both of which I knew should go away on the run. I had a pretty fast transition and was out and running. I felt OK and was looking to concentrate on the first 10K under an hour and see how it went after that. I managed about 500m and I started getting a very very painful cramp right across the front of my rib cage…A stitch I was sure and something I never ever suffer from. Every step was agony. I knew the right treatment was run it off. Usually a km or so and it would be gone or so I’d read. I reached the 5km mark and I could still feel it although the worst of it was over. I managed a better second lap but the 400m circuit of the running track in the athletics stadium was a killer as the heat was intense in there. It was here that had the dubious honour of being the place where you picked up your band for each one of the 4 curcuits. The first I was in a daze due to the pain, the second was better but I was nearly in tears at the thought of another 10k. The third lap when I ran past the finishing line for the last time was great and I was now running better as the cramp was fully gone and I was no longer feeling sick. Last trip into the stadium and picked up the lovely red band. A quick drink and just 800M to go. I tried to up the pace as I knew I was close to the 6Hr mark. I went over the line with the clock saying 6:01 but my watch said 5:56 so I’m assuming the clock was started when the professionals went off as they had a 5 minute start on the age groupers. I was shattered at the end, really worn out. I knew I was struggling with fluids and tried to ram down an isotonic drink. It wasn’t easy as it was a balance between drinking it and being sick.

A kiss and congratulations from Alison and I felt really great, she was right about that swim but confirmed later she was worried too. We picked up the bike from the T2 and signed out. I cheered on a guy who was just finishing, nearly there…..As I got changed at the car the temp was 27C and it was 6:30pm. Who knows how hot it was out there when I was racing round.

Overall I found this a very hard race , especially on the run leg for the first 10K. I think I drank too much water too late on in the bike leg which carried over problems to the start of the run. The temperature was clearly difficult for me to deal with. The swim leg I was just pleased to finish and was especially pleased with my time and the fact that really I could actually swim that far. I spent Saturday dreading and verging on panic about the swim and having to talk myself out of not not doing the race. At the end of Sunday the longest swim was tucked in the bank with a smile on my face. I’d done 2.7k and I now know I could do the 3.8km full Ironman swim distance, certainly as they give you 2hrs20.

The bike leg I found difficult as I spent a lot of time on my own, it’s a 40km circuit and only 500 riders and I was near the back. I also missed my computer to tell how fast I was going and how far I’d gone. It’s a great coach when you slack off. The course while it was flat brings a challenge that isn’t normal on an everyday bike ride. There are no uphill sections and so no downhill. Therefore you are pedalling all the time and there is zero opportunity for any recovery/respite. I think the tri-bars would have been easy enough to use and of great benefit on this race as it was flat and straight and I spent ages in the same gear with limited braking. So a missed opportunity I think.

There were plenty of times when I was thinking of stopping on the run but I never really came close to throwing in the towel. I was fantasizing about it just being 3 circuits on the run and how it would be nice to drop down my distance to Olympic or Sprint triathlons. That Roybon race I did earlier in the year(750m,21km,5km) seems like nothing now and as I ran round I thought of how nice it would be to just do those from now on. The bike run was just an 80K slog and I was fine if a little uncomfortable due to the heat but I felt fine getting off the bike. The run was hard as it started badly and I’m not proud to say that I took strength from those who I saw throwing up, walking and talking to the trees. It helped me to keep going and I sincerely hope you all finished.

Bottom line is that as they say “when going through hell, you just need to keep going”….I’m looking forward to a holiday

Photos and official results link later.

Pre Race - Thoughts

I was at Brasschaat today for the race briefing and to register. I picked up my number(355) and a nice new bag. I had a quick survey of the swimming course and right away I was blown away by how long it was, it was enormous. Its a full two circuits and I'd say from what I could see today that one circuit looked about the same size as Rapperswill in total. The distance should only be 800m-1100m longer as its somewhere between 2.7 and 3km( must be within 10% of 3K). Rapperswill swim leg was only 1.9km.

I'm not actually as worried about the distance as I am about making the time cut off which is only 70 minutes. Its a 12:00 start for professionals and then a 12:05 start for everyone else and anyone out of the water after 13:15 is in the broom wagon and not allowed to continue.

Therefore I'm officially bricking it and can see from my previous 42mins for 1.9km that 70minutes will be very very close, especially given the swim looks enormous. The full ironman swim distance is 3.9km and you get a full 2hrs20minutes, so twice the time for only 30% more distance.

Weather is forecast to be 25C and with potential thunder storms. I'm just hoping that is the max temp as its right on my limit heat wise. I've packed plenty to drink and a good whack of Gels for the bike leg. I hope I need them.

Itching to go

I could not get settled this evening at all without feeling like I was needing to do something on the exercise front. I'm still struggling to bring down my bodies expectations of normal levels of exercise.

I set out for a quick 10K run to keep my heart and legs ticking over. 50 minutes dead in around 25C Heat. It felt very easy and I felt like I'd hardly done anything...nice sensation :O) My foot was a little painful at the start and while running over the dirt paths at the end. Nothing serious enough to stop my planned race on Sunday.

Big Race # 2

I've managed at short notice to get a starting place on Sunday's ITU race in Brasschaat near Antwerp. Its a bit of a different format from the Ironman 70.3 in that its a longer swim(2.7km) and a shorter bike leg at 80km. I think its also has 2 different transition zones but I'll get that cleared up on Saturday at the pre race briefing. The different format is probably down to local routes but the bottom line is the swim will be a real stretch for me and a big test with the cutoff time being very tight as well. Time wise it should be similat as 10K is about 20 minutes on the bike and 800m swim is about 18mins. The flat circuit should mean a slightly quicker average speed though. The best thing is its only an hour from my house so why not have a go. Worst case its an Open Water training day.

The bike leg looks to be flat so no big climbs so that should be OK. The run leg will be similar topography and its a straight half marathon distance(21km). I'm just hoping the weather isn't too hot(needs to be under 25C) and its not raining. I may not start if its really really chucking it down. I don't fancy another bike crash this year.

I'll limit my training this week and hope to carry it off on my base fitness and I have had a couple of bike rides and runs in the last 2 weeks so i haven't been totally lazy. I'm still carrying the foot injury on my right foot but having had a break from running for nearly a week now its not feeling anywhere as bad as it was.

Weekend Update

I went to the gym on Saturday. Its the first time I've been in a few months and I'll be adding a gym session per week to my schedule to try and build up specific muscle groups. I spent a fair bit of time working on my legs and shoulders. Idea being to build up additional strength for swim and cycle legs.

I did 20 minutes of 50kg leg presses with my legs starting from very close to my chest and lots and lots of repeats, basically until I could not do it without some pain. I could feel this working the large Gluteus Maxiumus muscles that go from the top of my thighs over my backside. This is the starting point of any cycle stroke so by building up more power here my downward stroke should be transfering more power to the wheels from the very top of the stroke. I definately felt the after effects of this workout when I got up this morning before my bike session.

I was up early for a bike ride on Sunday(7am) and out for 8:30am and was back just after 10am I didn't have my computer on as I've lost it but I was out for 1:30 on my watch with average heart rate of 137BPM. Therefore I was probably looking at between 42 and 45km's, not a big distance but I was trying to keep the pace up and I was looking for hills. My Gluteus Maximus muscles were very painful at the end of the ride. So they were getting well worked out :O)

I'm keeping off my feet at the moment as my painful foot injury seems to be getting worse. I won't run till the weekend to see if the break helps fix the issue.

Team Kennedy manager pulls off a new PB on 14K run at 1:13:47 so thats around a 1:40 half marathon time.....impressive. The distance needs to be checked as the footpod is calibrated for me but clearly regardless of distance she has knocked at least 7 minutes off her previous time for the same distance. The increase in training mileage is showing big benefits.....Chapeau Alison.

I'm still looking for the next big event and am thinking seriously of full Ironman in Austria next year but in the meantime I'm still looking for something to keep my training focussed for the rest of the summer. I won't be able to keep motivated to keep the high level of training up that I had pre Rapperswil without something to aim for. We're signed up for Glasgow Half in early Sept and I'll try Full Marathon in Brussels in October. This will give me an indication if the run leg is possible. Its important I feel confident in that leg as thats the last leg and currently my strongest event. So if I can't do a full marathon in October then a full Ironman just isn't possible.

Its the quiet ones you need to watch

Team Kennedy manager has managed 57km in running this week, this on top of her 3 classes at the gym. I've got a sore foot but need to get back out there as the pressure is now being applied just to keep up with the manager.

keeping my eye in

Quick run after work. 17k run in the sun in 1:27:13, evening temp around 18-20C. I finished 10K in 52:27 but heart rate was very low so it was an easy and long session. I was hardly out of breath at the end. I could have talked all the way round. Some foot pain on my right foot again but nothing terminal.

Running Dry

I spent most of today lying around reading and feeling tired, not a sensation I've been used to for the last 6 months. I decided to get out for a run after Team Kennedy manager threw down the gauntlet with a 14.5K run in the afternoon sun. I set out and am feeling pretty good with an inspiring 18 minutes for the first 4.3KM. I then head up the hill out of Lasne and the heat starts to build up. I'm feeling dizzy and very tired. I keep going but by 8km its worse and I'm flopping around on my feet.

I'm heading back and will have at least done 10K. I try to up the pace to get a reasonable 10K time but I go over the 45 minute mark at 9.56km. So I stop and walk the rest of the way in. I shower and then weigh myself. I've dropped 1.5kg since yesterday, so its clearly dehydration and that explains why I was tired all morning as well. I did the 46k bike ride yesterday without water bottles as I wasn't planning to be out so long. Its obviously a hangover from that. I drink a litre of Isotonic and had my dinner. I was feeling much better.

Back in the Saddle

First bike training since the big race, nice sunny day and only a moderate wind. I was going to just do a 20KM time trial but there is a village fete in Lasne today and so I thought passage through the main street might be slow. I'm only just ducking under the 40 minute mark on that route by 20-30 seconds so I can't afford setbacks due to big queues of people buying Barba Papa(Candy Floss).

I did a mixed loop round the area of 47km in 1:38 so 28kmph average. Climb total was 1108ft so not flat but not quite Switzerland either. The first 10K were fine but the next 10K were hard hard work and my legs felt tired. I did manage a second wind about the 26km mark and this held out till I was finished. Amazingly I've actually forgotten how hard it was last week and can't really remember anything about the cycle leg apart from snippets and certainly nothing about how my legs felt.

I'm still looking at what to do next challenge wise but will definately take in a marathon before the season is out and also maybe another 70.3 triathlon race(same distance I did last week(1.9km swim,90km bike and 21.1km run).

I'll look to up my swim length outdoors to 4km before the end of the year and so I'll hopefully have marathon distance run and a 4km swim in my armoury before the winter starts to kill off my big training opportunities. I'll of course keep up the bike rides but I need to look at how I do this without boring myself to death on endless loops of the area I live in. I might take my bike on holiday.

In Race Photos

Not looking too bad coming out of the swim......apart from the cyclists tee shirt suntan on my arms.



On the rivet , grinding my way up the hill....gritted teeth or still needing a pee ? :O)



Thunder thighs exits the bike leg. I must say I was feeling better than I looked in this photo but I need to remember I'd just completed 90K in the Swiss Alps so you do expect some sweat. The positive mental impact of having finished the bike leg was obviously overcoming the physical impact of the ride. This shows that a lot of it is in the head rather than in the legs.



First circle of the run. Forgot to take off cycling gloves :O)



I've finished at last....1.9k swim, 90km bike, 21km run and 8263 calories lighter and I still can't believe the time. It needs to be the big one next time I think. I don't look tired enough in this photo :O)

10K run

Did 10K tonight in 53:24, felt like I could sprint right from the start so had to hold myself back. It felt very very easy and it was hard to hold myself back. No pain from the weekend so no injuries sustained. I'm keeping my training up until I decide what challenge to do next.

Interesting race stats

Bike max speed was 60.2kmph....the above graph shows the topography of the hills.

Average cadence on bike was 86RPM

Calories consumed during whole event according to my Heart Rate monitor...8263cals.....4 days worth of normal adult intake.

Average speed on bike of 28.9kmph.....that doesn't add up as I did 90km in 3:04...must be impacted by time to wheel bike from transition zone and get started.

Average heart rate for the whole event 153.

Max heart rate for the whole event 172



Average speed on the run 10.9kmph as you can see from the above graph. It clearly shows you the stairs section that you needed to climb. It was OK first time but second time was a nightmare.



The above image shows my Heart rate over the whole race period. It also shows total energy consumption of over 8000 calories...

Photos of Rapperswil-Jona 70.3

Pre Race orientation meeting......ooh no i don't have a granny ring for my bike !!!!!



So it doesn't just rain in Belgium then....Saturday afternoon. Praying all the rain would fall today..It really really did.



Technical prep for the bike before handing into the transition zone. Great hotel and food, wine a speciality which was a double blow given I was on a strict no alcohol regime until after the race.

Getting bike checked-in, I cycled down from hotel to test gears and brakes after I rebuilt the bike, thats why I have my jeans tucked into my sock.


Its the Team Kennedy Management Group on day of the race, technical manager on the right(mostly hands off and theoretical) and Team manager on the left.



Transition zone on the day, starting to heat up...



Professionals ready for the off......my nerves were jangling at this point





Ready for the off......I think that swimming cap is too tight....



I'm right at the very very back....but not the guy in the canoe.



Technical manager, sponsored by A&F. No oil on the fingers from the bike thats for sure.



Finishing at last.....its been a long day.



Ya beauty !!!!!!! Post race euphoria....I think I've pulled as well.




Back at the hotel....heart rate returning to normal....Bike getting loving care and attention after a great shift.

Hopp Hopp Hopp Hopp Hopp

I can now say that the 2009 Rapperswil-Jona Ironman Switzerland 70.3 is something I've done rather than something I'm going to do, I finished in 5:52:14 which is quite a bit faster than I'd estimated before the race. Therefore performance wise I'm really really pleased. I'm also very happy to have finished without incident.

My 1.9KM swim time was 42:03.
My 90KM bike time was 3:04:12.
My 21KM run time was 1:58:17.
T1 time from swim to bike was 4:47min.
T2 bike to run was 2:53min.

I was hoping for under 6:30 with a realistic mental stretch target of around 6:15 so I was much faster overall than I thought I would be. My individual race legs were all close to or just over my previous single leg personal best times.

I'd dropped off my bike on the Saturday evening and had made sure my tyres were at the right pressure. It was torrential rain most of Saturday so this added to the pressure. All the bikes were covered with plastic rain covers to protect them from the ongoing downpour.

We got up early for breakfast 6:30am. I checked the skyline, I could see the snow on the alps and there was hardly any clouds. The weather didn't look like it would be a factor for the big race. I'd slept OK despite the day ahead and ate a hearty if nervy breakfast. Alison and Wallis surprised me with Go Daddy Go /Go Campbell Go Team Kennedy Scotland Tee shirts , its always nice to have a couple of beautiful groupies supporting you at a big race :O) Its especially good for your legs to have a friendly face there shouting you on on each lap.

We got down there around 8am and I got my box and gear setout in the transition zone. We then watched the professionals start at 8:55. They were swimming like the Waverley I was off at 10:20. I was nervous but not so much that it was likely to be affecting my performance, it probably helped a little. I spoke with a few people and everyone was very friendly and we all joked about our nerves and about just wanting to get started. Only one guy said he wasn't nervous at all but he still managed to misplace his car keys and put his wetsuit on back to front and then was flapping to get it switched round just 5 minutes before the start. Calmness personified.

I started the swim leg in the middle right at the very back so to keep in-swim jostling to a minimal, a lesson I'd learned at my first open water swim mass start earlier this year in Roybon, France. This worked well although I did catch a few folk up and had to weave my way through folks who must have been breast strokers. I swam with a slow to medium speed strokes but concentrating on keeping my technique right. I had no oxygen debt or dizzyness at the start and so starting slow and steady is the right way for me.

Swim was a good time and overall it felt quite a short duration both mentally and physically. I left the water feeling good. No real dizzyness or disorientation. I had a little leg cramp on both thighs and one calf running the 150M from water to the transition area but nothing major. I managed a thumbs up to the flag waving Alison and Wallis so they knew my head was OK after the swim. Great to see friendly faces in the crowd.

I took 2 gels and 500ml of Isotonic drink before the bike leg. Got my shoes,gloves,top and helmet on and jogged out the 200m to the bike start with my cycling tap shoes clicking and I got started without any problems.

The first 15km is pretty flat so plenty of time to get into the spin of the bike before the first climb. The first hill is left and up a road called Witches hill. Pretty steep and very winding for about 2km with up to 15% climb in parts. There were loads of people there watching the cyclists suffering. They did however add a huge atmosphere with bands, lots of people dressed as witches ringing huge cow bells and of course the continuous Swiss chants of Hopp Hopp Hopp to help us up the hill. Listen for it the next time you watch Ski Sunday.

The next leg breaker was "The Beast" , we'd been warned about this at the previous days pre race orientation. The warning was , "Make sure you have a granny ring on your bike", again it was up to 16% at points but this time only around 1km in length but steeper and straight up so the winding didn't hide its length nor its steepness. I did see a handful of folk walking it. After this section it was down then flat for what seemed a long time then more gradual climbs and then the final backbreaker hill into Goldingen which is the summit. After the previous 2 big climbs this seemed less extreme but there was still plenty of pain etched on the faces and a fair bit of groaning around me. The big crowds in Goldingen helped a lot and the DJ was shouting out peoples names when they looked especially tired. I managed to keep it in the big chain ring for almost everything except for Witches hill and The Beast or when I got caught up in traffic.

The next section is mostly downhill followed by the flat with only a handful of smallish(relatively) uphill sections so plenty of time to get rejuvinated before getting back to the town. I got back into town at the roundabout turn point at 44.5KM at 1:30:00 so right on schedule for a 3 hour bike leg time which was fast for me.

At this point I was just under halfway and now felt confident I'd finish as I only had half the bike and the whole run leg to go which should be my strongest event . This added some extra power to my legs and mentally gave me a big boost.

I thought my second leg on the bike would be harder and slower as I now knew the reality of it. I think the mental boost from realising I was over the hump boosted me physically. As a result the second leg felt quicker mentally and my split times were very close over the two legs at a total of 3:04.

I ate a lot on the bike and took 3 gels of my own plus 1 from a feed station as well as an Energy bar which actually made me dry heave a few times after I swallowed it. I did however eventually manage to get it down for good. I drank both my Isotonic 750ML bottles plus I took a bottle of water at one station and took 3 or 4 gulps. I never stopped the whole race even though I was needing to pee from around halfway on the swim....

I got off the bike and was a little leg/back weary but feeling OK and knew I still had a good run section left in my legs. I had a super transition straight into my running shoes and I ran in my cycling top showing off my Scotland Cycling Club colours(hat tip Stu and Chico)

The first run leg was OK but the stairs really took it out of my legs. I felt the heat through the town as the buildings were radiating the heat back into the air. I came round past the train station and saw the actual time was 14:40 so I knew with around 15K to go I was at 4hrs 20mins. So I quickly worked out 3x 5K's under 30min each and I'd be under the 6 hours. The pressure was building just as my legs were starting to feel the previous exertions

You finish the first lap just short of the finish line and you can hear the DJ and I was wishing it was me who was running up the finish line. However I needed another 10K lap and so round the roundabout and out on the run again. Alison and Wallis cheered and waved me past and I managed to run a little faster for a while. The atmosphere was absolutely electric round the finishing arena. I was also getting more and more hyper as I now knew I'd finish. It was just about what time.

The second lap was harder and hotter and I was feeling my legs starting to go around the 15K mark. I had continued to take water and Isotonic drinks and use the sponges thoughout the second leg. I really needed them to keep me going. As I grinded the last 5k out I knew the 6hrs mark would be very close. As I ran up the finish line I could hear the music and see the faces but all I was thinking about was the work I'd put in the previous 6 months and all the support I'd been given. It was an amazing sensation to finish. When I think of where I've come from to this point it still amazes me. Running up the finish line I knew it was all worthwhile and I could not have been happier nor prouder of myself for all the work I'd put in. To many people its not a big deal, to me its been life changing. To put it in perspective , as of 1st Jan this year the furthest I've ever been on a bike was 12km and I only got my real racing bike delivered 14 weeks ago. At 41 its the first one I've ever owned.

I went through the line at 5:52....the feeling was amazing. I picked up my medal and my can of freezing Red Bull. I needed to find my two supporters to start the celebrations for real.

I was 270th in the M40 age group and 1149th overall from a starting list of 2000.

The Online Stats are on here

I'll post some photos later

Pre Match Nerves

I spent the night dreaming I was bike racing, it was so real I could feel that I had sore legs when I woke up this morning. Its a mix of nerves and the fact I'm currently devouring bike racing books to fill in the gaps due to training less.

I'm starting to get terrors about not training enough now as I'm tapering down my activity to conserve and build up energy for race day. I have expected this as I'd read about it in a few books but since I was aware of it then I thought I would not suffer from it. I was wrong. Its quite a surreal experience, I know its all mental but I still can't shift the worry that I'm wasting away. Surely you can't lose 6 months of training effort in 12 days...

I've been training 6 days out of 7 for the last 8-12 weeks and doing double sessions on some of those days. The last 4-5 weeks I've been training up to 12 hours solid per week. The last week excepted where I've dropped down to a single short session every second day. In most normal people's lives keeping fit with 3 x 1hour long sessions of mixed sport a week would be more than enough. I spent most of my teenage years thinking a 90 minute game on a Sunday and an hours football training on a Tuesday night made me superman.

I did a 20K time trial today round the usual route. I needed to bed in/test the new tyres and chase away my training demons. The tyres were pretty deflated when I checked them this morning, I suspect this is due to using pure CO2 rather than just pumping with air. I know that racing cars use pure nitrogen in their tyres as the molecules are bigger and so don't escape so quickly though the natural gaps in the rubber. As any party animal knows , when you wake up on the couch in the morning the balloons have always deflated overnight as the air escapes through the wall of the balloon. Its the same principal for tyres and tubes , especially at such high pressure of 8bars. I'm assuming C02 escapes easier than Nitrogen as the molecules are smaller than pure Nitrogen and therefore its not as good at keeping the pressure up as a normal air mix which is 80% nitrogen naturally and only 1-2% of CO2(dependent on your proximity to Al Gore).

It was quite blustery so I didn't think I'd be breakng any world records. The new tyres felt very smooth on the good road sections. The gear changes were better but still not 100% perfect and it even slipped off the big chainset to the small at one point. I think maybe more lubricant as I just cleaned it up yesterday.

I finished in 39:29 which is I think is just 15 seconds slower than my previous personal best, its certainly under the magical 40 minute mark which shows me I'm still as fit as I was and am not quite wasting away yet. My heart rate was pretty high throughout and averaged 159 but I did have two double expresso's before heading out. A short sharp session was all I needed to keep my mind at rest and I recovered very quickly apart from feeling a bit sick at the end but that was due to me having drank coffee and eating two croissants shortly before I set off.