Swim

After yesterday's disaster, I thought today wouldn't be too hot either.

I was wrong.

I went swimming in LA Fitness, and did 60 lengths easily in their 15M pool. 900M. I was trying to swim faster, but was still slow. 20 of those lengths were breaststroke, and I had to stop and demist my googles every 10 laps It took about 30 minutes altogether.

Left calf muscles are feeling a bit better actually.

Goals: Part 2

So I've decided I need some goals. Short term goals are fine, but I need som medium and longer term goals to really get this thing going. I need to work out what I really want from this sport - what would make me happy, after all, isn't that what doing this exercise is for in the first place.

Having done two triathlons now, what I most enjoyed about them was being out there on the bike racing loads of people, and passing a lot of them. Once was a closed road, almost like a racetrack. The other did have traffic, but it was early on a Sunday morning, and the police were on hand waving us through junctions. Both days were bright and sunny.

I just wanted to finish those races, to say I'd done it, but the good weather definitely enhanced the experience a lot.

So I think I'd like to do more races in nice weather, preferrably on roads with little or zero traffic. I think I'll have a better chance of this if I do them abroad, in a warm country. This will obviously cost me more in time and money, but maybe I can make mini holidays out of it.

I thought I'd found a good one here - Seattle Escape From the Rock. The cycle over that bridge looks awesome. But it's not a dry place - some of the photos on the Brightroom website for this event from previous years look a little grim.

The search is on though.

Goals

I have far too few goals. Now I've done my Olympic Distance Triathlon, I don't have anything on the calendar. I think this is a mistake.

I've been doing some searching on Blogger for triathlon, and found a community of people who seem to know each other and all have training blogs. They are all in the US - here are a few I've read a bit of:

http://curlysu.blogspot.com/
http://lanasmarathonjourney.blogspot.com/
http://tri4ever.blogspot.com/
http://trirunning.blogspot.com/

There is a very positive, upbeat feel to these blogs. Very American in the "Have a nice day" vein with a lot of mutual support and back slapping. I like it really, and the blogs are all very readable, almost addictive. It would be nice to find a similar group in the UK to join.

Another thing they all have in common, is a list of goals for the coming year. 10K races, sprint and olympic triathlons, 1/2 Ironmans and Ironman races too, with dates and estimated times. Some have a nice table of these dates, some keep weekly and monthly training summaries. It's all a lot more interesting than my blog, but of course, a lot more work. So I'm going to try and get myself entered into some more events, and put a calendar online, to see if I can structure my training better and achieve more.

Talking of goals, would *love* to be able to do this http://www.envirosports.com/events/displayevent.php?eventid=1547

Run/Row/Swim

Sounds like a tough session from the title, but it really was a bit of a disaster.

Went to LA Fitness gym, and walked on the treadmill for a few minutes, trying to warm up my left calf. Took the speed up to a jog, and after only 2 minutes, my leg was throbbing and I had to stop.

So I gave up and did 100kcals on the rowing machine. Unsure what to do next really, and not having swum for a week, went to the pool and did 20 lengths. I tried to put more strength into my pull, but I'm still going far too slowly. Ran out of time.

Really must book more sessions with SwimForTri

Bike

Yes, Bike again.

Decided that I need to build stamina, and a 3 hour ride was in order. Despite making up the route as I went along, I managed to do almost exactly that.

Started in Ascot and finished in Datchet:

Time 3:02:??
Distance 89km
Average 28.34 knm/h

I didn't have any food, only one gel and 500ml of PSP22. This was a mistake. After 1 hour my average speed was 32km/h, but it gradually waned as I got more tired. I did a series of big hills outside Henley too, which slowed me down, though the ride back down the other side was pretty fast. In the last hour I just couldn't keep the pace any more even on the flat. I haven't done any rides this long for ages though.

On finishing, I could hardly get off the bike - back a bit stiff. Also, the suncream on my forehead had some flies stuck in it.

(Route, over to A30, then zig-zag up to Drift road. Over to Twyford and up to Henley. As mentioned, went up big hill there for a change and to add distance, past places like Rotherfield Greys and Shepherds Green and turned around at Nettlebed for a long downhill back to Henley. Then round to my usual journey home to Datchet through Marlow, Bourne End, Maidenhead, Dorney and Eton. Must do that Henley bit again soon.)

Bike

After a whole day spent ferrying family around, and seeing all the cyclists out enjoying themselves in the sunshine, I just had to get out there.

So as Dr Who was starting in Datchet, I got on my bike and cycled round to Ascot. Went via Old Windsor, Egham, A30.

Went up through South Ascot, and into the town which was full of drunk people trying to get home from the last day of the races.

Was careful with the tightness in my left calf, though there wasn't that much need - cycling doesn't affect it that much.

Bike/Injury

Another week of commuting, another 45 miles or so on my Brompton.

Arrived in Datchet this evening, and pedalled really hard back to the house.

Feeling OK, I started running up the stairs, when suddenly my left calf exploded, and I was brought to my knees just like the scene in Terminator 2 where the silver terminator gets frozen and tries to keep running and his legs fall off. I'd thought this injury from last night was feeling a bit better. It doesn't really hurt when cycling.

Put an ice pack on it and did some stretching.

Admin

I'm messing with the Blogger template - expect some things not to look right on here for a few days...