Week 36 Training Log

A Long 3 hour ride on a foggy Monday morning was the start of my week 36. Got vey lost but still produced the same milage that I set out to do. (50 miles)
My speed walking seems to be going quite well, Every now and then I break into a little run just to test the knee. I don't do this until I've had at least an hours warm up. I took the waliking to the mountains on Tuesday to get some hill work done.

After 1.30 hrs of speed walking, it was off to the pool for an endurance swim of 1 hour.

Relaxing rest day on Wednesday with just Yoga.

Thursday, Strength and Muscular endurance session on the bike. A shallow hill of about three quarters of a mile is a good training ground. Stick it in a big gear, stay seated and grind away up the hill. This was followed by another 1.30 hr power walk, on flatter ground this time.
Friday was a tough day. I packed the bike in the car and headed off to the local pool. An hour endurance swim straight into a two hour strength hill climbing session. Unlike Thursdays shallow hill, Fridays hills were real hills. The kind that make your legs shake when you get near the top. Broke a spoke about four miles from the finish.

Managed 15 minutes in the sea this week. Got myself some ear plugs which stopped the dizzy period when leaving the water. The problem was apparently cold water on the inner ear.
Hoping to reach twenty minutes next week.

Week 35 training log

I am 2 weeks into the build period of training, and this week I have mostly been building my cycling.
Monday and Friday were dedicated to endurance rides 5.15 hours between them, over some pretty hilly terain as well. I seem to be learning a lot from my rides at the moment. I think it's because I'm always looking for improvements in all areas. Thus my mind is occupied and the miles fly by.

As running is off the menu for the moment I decided to try my hand at speed walking.
Apparently a combination of running and speed walking have produced sub 2.30 open marathon times, pretty impresive. Either way be it running or walking I have to get round a marathon course, so the sooner I learn about speed walking the better.
Because of the possibility of not running the marathon, I have had to put any ideas of finishing times firmly behind me and just focus on getting round. I may be able to put in a stirling bike leg and walk the marathon but I'm still going to be looking at a 7 hour marathon. Ouch!!

Worked on skills and strength in the pool this week and did some strength training on the bike in the wood up in the mountains.

Sunday March 11th 2012 saw me get in the sea for the first time this year. First time with the wet suit and probably first time in the sea before June. Ever!
I only swam for about ten minutes but it was more a suck it and see exercise. For all I new I may of hit the water and bounced straight back out again. It wasn't as unpleasant as I had expected. Yes it was cold but the suit kept my body nice and warm. Only my hands, feet and face were cold. My feet went numb so I didn't have to worry about those any more and my hands were coping just fine. There was a point on my forehead, just between the eyebrows that felt like someone was pushing an ice cube into my head, that was painful. Next time I'll try Vasaline on my face.
The other issue I had came when I stood up to come back into shore. Oh my God, I've never felt so dizzy, and a bit sick. Quite a common thing apparently, something to do with the ears and your hearing. By all accounts ear plugs will sort it out, but wow that was not nice.
I have lots of work to do with regards to sea swimming but I'm pleased that I've made quite an early start.

Week 34 Training log

A week of two halves this week.
The first half of the week I was a little down, I had booked an appointment to see the sports massage guy on Thursday. So untill then I was a bit worried about what he may find and tell me. All sorts were going through my mind, from, "Your running days are over, or, You wont be competing in Ironman this year with knees like that". surgery, six weeks of complete rest.The list goes on. Of course what I wanted to hear was. " Ahh no problem here, I'll just manipulate this muscle here and you'll be back on track in no time". Well I can dream.

Monday I went to the pool and carried out one hour of pull, tough on the arms and sholders but upper body is all I can do at this stage.
Tuesday I spent fourty five minutes in the gym, again working on my upper body, mostly swim specific exercises.
Took Wednesday off to rest the arms which mentaly was the worst thing I could have done because it gave me time to think about what the specialist might say tomorrow.

Thursday came around. I packed a bag to go swimming after. At least if it was bad news I could suburge myself in water after.

So, I'm laying on his table and I'm telling him the story of the knee and what I think the problem may be from things I've read on the web. Internet self diagnosis is a terrible thing. I had just about every knee injury under the sun. He then poked about and rolled a few lumpy ligaments around, asked some more questions then gave his diagnoses. "Nothing too serious" he said. The knee had travelled sidways during my off roading, which knees are not built for and they don't like it.
I have strained the ligament where it attaches to the Tibia. He can't be 100% sure but strongly suspects that to be the case. He gave my knee a really nice massage while he told me how I should be going on it. " Go steady with it" he said, " Keep it moving and try to keep it going in a straight line, ie not twisting to the side".
I can carry on riding, which was my biggest worry. I can even run on a treadmill if I concentrate on the positioning of my leg. the only thing he strongly advised against was strength training for the legs, so no squats or leg presses.

All in all a far better result than I realisticly expected. The running on a treadmill I can live with, I'm just so greatfull that I can run at all. I just need to start low and slowly build up the distance before taking to the road. Swimming and cycling arn't effected at all. BRILLIANT!!!

Even though he hasn't actually fixed anything it feels much better knowing what to do, and that I don't have to rest. If it starts to hurt during exercise, stop.

I went to the pool on the way home and did another hour of pull. I wanted to rest the legs because I had decided on the way back from the specialist that Friday I was going on a long ride to celebrate.
Friday. 3.20 hrs endurance ride. Fortunatly any ride around Pembrokeshire over an hour will consist of different types of training, endurance because of the time spent on the bike, muscular endurance for all the long shallow graidients in a big gear. Strength training for the steep hills of which there are many. Pembrokeshire really is a fantastic bike training ground.

Week 33 Training log / Not too much training going on round here at the moment.

Week 33. God where do I begin. I'm cheesed off.
Did some riding, did some weights had a swim. Knee hurt. ouch 4 days rest. #+#~ it. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!

Week 32 Training Log

Half term fell nicely on a three day training week. I was working Monday so I had to shunt things on a day, makes no difference.
Another two and hopefully my last treadmill sessions this week, each off the back of a gym bike ride.
A nice swim on Tuesday. After a twenty minute warm up I set about doing kicking drills with pull sets between. The aim is to improve balance and posture in the water. For this stage in my training I have no complaints about my swimming. The same can't be said for my running and riding, both are flagging. I have a marathon in the middle of April and at the moment my longest run is half an hour on a treadmill. I have to try it on the road very soon but I'm still not completely happy with my knee. On a treadmill, after a good warm up on the bike the knee is fine for half an hour, I don't even feel it.

I've always been a keen cyclist and consider myself to be of a fairly good standard on a bike. But it turns out that the bike is probably my biggest limiter. I stand to make the most time gains on race day by improving the bike leg. Based on Thursdays endurance ride I'm going to be lucky to complete 112 miles in less than eight hours, that's nowhere near good enough. I need to shave about one and a half hours off of that. I've got a lot more work to do on the bike than I have in any of the other legs. No amount of training in my lifetime is going to shave that time off a marathon.
I have one week left in the base period so I may dedicate alot of that week to bike training, both on and off the bike in the form of strength training. I'll also throw in some brick training to get the knee re-introduced to the tarmac.

Week 31 Training Log

Spent lots of time in the gym this week, riding fixed bikes and running on fixed roads, (Treadmills, yawn). Every ride and run session was a brick so I'm really getting used to running off the bike. With combinations of skills and speed, muscular endurance and strength, I've had a good variety before stepping onto the treadmill.
Runs have just been thirty minutes up to now, still at a steady ten to ten point five KPH, although at the end of the week I was using some incline while maintaining the pace.
I was unable to attend any classes this week but still managed a couple of visits to the pool. It's a funny thing swimming, I find that if I'm in a lane of my own I swim beautifuly, very efficiant and with some ease. The same can be said when I'm in a lane with people who perhaps arn't as comfortable in the water as I have become. Although the same cannot be said when I'm sharing a lane with those who are far superior to me. My technique goes right out of the window. I don't know if it's just nerves or I'm trying to hard to keep up and not look slow. Either way it doesn't do my skills training any good.

I started planning my build period sheduals this week, this is when things get a little more serious with regards to session groupings and fatigue levels. There won't be much increase in total hours to start with but the sessions will be closer together, if not back to back. This is also the period when I start stretching out the endurance training, so eventualy the total hours will increase. For now though, I still have about two weeks left in base period, (injury pending). I'll keep you posted on when the change happens. Over and out

Week 30 Training Log

A fairly consistent week this week. I was able to complete everything that I set out to do. Lot's of time on the turbo trainer due to the frosty weather but that's fine.
Pilates was cancelled this week so I made use of a gym session instead and did some upper body strength work.
After a thirty min workout on the gym bike I ventured onto the teadmill to attempt a thirty min run. My train of thought was, it was better to have a softer surface to run on, what with the on going knee saga. I paced myself at a steady and fairly relaxed ten kph and found it quite comfortable. I didn't even feel the knee.
I know however that the issue hasn't gone away because whenever I do something that moves the knee slightly out of line, I feel the twinge. A little longer on the treadmill I think, Blaaaaghh!!! needs must.

Enjoyed my three swims this week, it's good to be back in the pool. The best thing is entering the warm changing rooms after being out side in the -5 air temp. Even the water feels warm 27 degrees, practicly tropical.