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Sunday, 28 October 2012
CTC Ruff Stuff 2012
Not an overly exciting week again, although i did take part in an off road MTB event today. Was really looking forward to doing this extended version of last years fun ride, which was my first cycle event.
http://www.norfolkcycling.co.uk/RuffStuff.html
It was looking like a grim weekend for the event. Hail, rain, gale force winds on the Saturday which thankfully dropped in time for the Sunday ride start. This years Ruff Stuff, CTC had hooked up for Iceni Velo to apparently make the event bigger & better. Unfortunately it had an adverse effect on the 'better' front.
First gripe was having to print off an application form & post it with a cheque, did i just warp back into the 80's? Last year we just rocked up and paid £5. (£10 this year, Iceni's cut?) Job done. So, after rooting about to find my cobweb covered cheque book i sent it off. No acknowledgement if it had been received so i didn't know if i was even registered until i got there this morning. After all that, an on line entry system opened a week before the event & you could also pay on the day after all???
No GPX routes were available until someone questioned this on the facebook page at 9pm Saturday night. GPX routes were then posted for the 10 & 25 mile routes but non available for the 40 miler as it hadn't tracked properly.
So, got to the event HQ at 8am ready to start at 8.30am. Registration was straight forward & we were given a route description (no map, unlike last year). I headed to the start & was told by a marshall to follow the red signs for the 40 mile route. Sounds simple doesn't it?
Start went well & was looking good, but at 5 miles the first lack of red signs sent me off too far down Marriotts Way. Back tracked with another cyclist who had gone even further out the way, to the road we should have turned down, didn't help the road was signed with a different name to what was on the route description either.
I wont bore you with the rest of the details as it was just uneventful & annoying for the rest of the ride. There were eventually 10 of us in a group getting lost and having to backtrack every 10 minutes & take another punt on which direction to try next.
Everyone was pissed off by 25 miles due to the frustration of a crap route, the fun had vanished 10 miles ago & it then started to rain :-) So, as soon as we hit a road again we all headed straight back to Reepham on the tarmac.
Thanks to the ladies at the school who had made the sandwiches, cake & tea. This was the highlight of the day. Doubt i will do this event again now unless it reverts back to just CTC organising. Shame because there are some good off road sections, just a pity there had been such a lack of organisation & planning. Never mind, one bad event out of all Ive done this year isn't bad i suppose.
Here's the route, well part of the 40 mile route , part of the 25 mile route & lots where we just winged it.
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/198475047
Oh, & its mucked my knee up again, grrrrr
Training (lack of)
Tues - 3.5 mile run
Thurs - 3.5 mile run
Sun - 30 mile ride
Missed Weds Swimming due to working late & skipped a weekend long run due to today's ride.
I'm stopping the cycling for a good couple of weeks now (other than 10k on Thurs), including the weekends to try and settle this knee down once & for all, i guess the harder off road work didn't do it any favours.
That is all
Happy Training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Triathlon World Championships 2012
Another weekend, another triathlon world championship, another GB world champion. Well done to Jonathan Brownlee.
In my world, no championships won but managed to take pole position in the Boardman Britpak National league table for distance ridden & total time spent on the bike :-)
Knee seems to be pretty much mended now. Did no cycling during the week but went out on the Tri Anglia confidence ride to Reedham Ferry yesterday. 32 mile round trip with no pain or issues. I'll stay off the bike till next Sundays Cawston ruff stuff event just to be on the safe side though.
Few pics from the ride. Wasn't foggy, my phone lens was a bit misty.
Training
Mon - rest day
Tues - 3 mile run
Weds - 1.3 mile swim
Thur - 3 mile run
Fri - rest day
Sat - 32 mile bike - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/195559295
Sun - 6 mile run
Signed up for another event, only because it was a freebie if I'm honest, but looks like it will be fun. The Virgin Active indoor Triathlon.
This takes place between 1st & 3rd November, 3 different events & in reverse order. Run - Bike - Swim.
http://www.virginactive.co.uk/indoor-triathlon/the-event.aspx
Finished the Born to Run book & started on Chi Running. Again, eye opening stuff for me. Going to be looking at some Tai Chi classes & maybe some Yoga to help with my natural running plan. Couple of friends have also mentioned how Yoga has helped them.
That's it then, MTB event time next week, really looking forward to that, haven't had a good off road cycle for a long while.
Arleya offered to donate her November pocket money if i take part in Movember so I've signed up for that. Heres a link to my Mospace if you would like to donate to the charity http://uk.movember.com/mospace/3111897
About Movember - http://uk.movember.com/about/
Finally this latest news, Andy Holgate's new book will be out 1st January 2013, title now confirmed as 'Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop! : More Misadventures in Triathlon'
Anyone who's read the first book Can't Swim, Can't ride, Can't run will be counting the days for the new one.
happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journey
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
In my world, no championships won but managed to take pole position in the Boardman Britpak National league table for distance ridden & total time spent on the bike :-)
Knee seems to be pretty much mended now. Did no cycling during the week but went out on the Tri Anglia confidence ride to Reedham Ferry yesterday. 32 mile round trip with no pain or issues. I'll stay off the bike till next Sundays Cawston ruff stuff event just to be on the safe side though.
Few pics from the ride. Wasn't foggy, my phone lens was a bit misty.
 |
| Rob & Alison |
 |
| Crossing the river on the ferry |
 |
| The pub & cup of tea time |
Training
Mon - rest day
Tues - 3 mile run
Weds - 1.3 mile swim
Thur - 3 mile run
Fri - rest day
Sat - 32 mile bike - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/195559295
Sun - 6 mile run
Signed up for another event, only because it was a freebie if I'm honest, but looks like it will be fun. The Virgin Active indoor Triathlon.
This takes place between 1st & 3rd November, 3 different events & in reverse order. Run - Bike - Swim.
http://www.virginactive.co.uk/indoor-triathlon/the-event.aspx
Finished the Born to Run book & started on Chi Running. Again, eye opening stuff for me. Going to be looking at some Tai Chi classes & maybe some Yoga to help with my natural running plan. Couple of friends have also mentioned how Yoga has helped them.
That's it then, MTB event time next week, really looking forward to that, haven't had a good off road cycle for a long while.
Arleya offered to donate her November pocket money if i take part in Movember so I've signed up for that. Heres a link to my Mospace if you would like to donate to the charity http://uk.movember.com/mospace/3111897
About Movember - http://uk.movember.com/about/
Finally this latest news, Andy Holgate's new book will be out 1st January 2013, title now confirmed as 'Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop! : More Misadventures in Triathlon'
Anyone who's read the first book Can't Swim, Can't ride, Can't run will be counting the days for the new one.
happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journey
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Kona Ironman World Championships 2012
Time to write this weeks blog, which is going to seem even duller than usual after just
watching Felix Baumgartner's world record sky dive from 24 miles up, he even landed on his feet! Amazing.
Other exciting news brings me onto a new event coming to Cromer in East Anglia next year,
our first Ironman distance triathlon. Link below to register.
http://www.theanglian.co.uk/
Unfortunately i wont be able to participate as it's only a week before Ironman UK. I am looking forward to helping out & marshaling though.
Tim Lebbon's new book was released this week.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coldbrook-Hammer-Tim-Lebbon/dp/0099571560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350239511&sr=8-1
I mention Tim & the book because he is someone whom i have got to know in cyber world & who will also be popping his cherry at Ironman UK 2013.
You can follow his journey through his blog. http://www.runwalkcrawl.com/back-in-the-saddlepoolon-the-trails/
I began logging rides on a page in facebook a couple of months after i began cycling, if you
remember from my earlier blogs, this was the site where i won the carbon Boardman bike.
Since 7th August 2011 i have ridden 4817 miles. I haven't driven my car that much.
Training hasn't gone too bad this week. Off the back of my planned transition into more natural running I've tried incorporating a bit of landing on my mid foot during my runs. It definitely feels more comfortable & i can feel less impact travelling up into my knees. Trade off is really stiff calf muscles, but this will ease as i get more used to the new running style. New minimalist shoes are the next purchase.
Training
Mon - Rest day
Tues - 2.51 mile run
Weds - 1.24 mile swim & 2.3 mile bike
Thurs - 2.51 mile run & 2.3 mile bike
Fri - Rest day
Sat - 37.5 mile bike
Sun - 5 mile run
Started my half marathon training this week which felt good. I'll be slowly increasing the mileage each week up to the event, at the end of November.
I have suffered some more knee pain this weekend which is no doubt due to the 37+ mile ride on Saturday. More cycle rest needed. I'll jst do a 20 miler next weekend to see what happens, if still issues then a trip back to the Doc to arrange some physio & cycle rest.
Didn't get any pain whilst i was riding which was a bonus, especially as I've now signed up for this years Ruff Stuff ride. For those who have followed my blog from the start you will know the 25 mile Ruff Stuff ride was my first ever cycle event last year. I did it with a miserable daughter in tow. She doesn't want to do it this year, good job because I'm doing the new 40 mile route.
http://www.norfolkcycling.co.uk/RuffStuff.html
Finally, as the title of the blog suggests, this weekend, the Ironman World championships in Kona took place. Unfortunately we didn't have Chrissie Wellington representing GB this year.
But not to worry, we had Leanda Cave, who did the business for GB & brought home the Woman's World Champion title in a time of nine hours, 15 minutes and 54 seconds. Well done to her & everyone else who took part.
.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/triathlon/19940336
Thats all for this week.
Happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Barefoot running
A week of rest has been the perfect remedy for my knee.
Done plenty of IT band stretches & used the foam roller twice a day, seems to have helped.
However, did a 20 mile cycle ride on Saturday & started to feel some discomfort returning to the knee, although no pain like I'd experienced before. Also did a run today which was quite comfortable. 35 mins cross country which was quite easy despite the fact i haven't actually ran for 4 weeks either.
Had my number through for the Norwich half marathon which is on Sunday 25th November.
Brings me on to the title of this blog, Barefoot Running. I have nearly finished reading a book called Born to Run by Chris McDougall.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Run-Hidden-Ultra-Runners-Greatest/dp/1861978774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349624762&sr=8-1
Some great characters in the book, Jenn Shelton, Billy Bonehead, Barefoot Ted, Cabello Blanco, google them to find out more.
Anyway, it's a fantastic book which has made me think about my running & the constant having to deal with niggles. Shin splints, knee pain, ankle pain, blah blah blah. I've done the gait video thing & bought the extra padded shoes, but still have niggles. So i now intend to learn to practise running properly (no more heal stomping) & incorporate some barefoot training to strengthen my feet, particularly the arches where it would seem, weak arches could be an underlying cause for a bad running posture & overpronation .
From a bit of research on the internet it would seem a lot of modern day leg problems from running was a lot less years ago when running shoes were not so bulky & padded. I guess our feet get weaker due to all the assistance they get from our super Nike's or equivalent. Although i say barefoot, i don't mean I'm going to be running marathons with no shoes (some short no shoe runs is apparently good though) i do intend switching to a minimalist shoe. How successful this will be, will it work for me, who knows? Worth a try in my book though.
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/5BarefootRunning&TrainingTips.html
So, that's the latest development, in my obsessive way, Ultra Marathons have now been added to my bucket list. Once the Ironman is nailed in 2013 I will look to increase my run distances. A 50 mile then a 100 mile run are great goals to aim for.
Training this week
Thurs - Bike 2.5 miles
Sat - Bike 19.22 miles
Sun - Run 3.54 miles
Not a lot done & will be similar this coming week, although a bit more running. Hopefully be back to a 6 day training plan in a couple of weeks.
Going to do The Great Barrow Christmas Challenge on 30th December. 26.2 mile hike for me, my daughter Arleya is planning on doing it as well. Burn off some of those Christmas calories.
http://greatbarrowchallenge.co.uk/sign-up/christmas-sign-up.html
Nearly forgot. Link to Trianglia's new 'Norwich Triathlon facebook page'
https://www.facebook.com/#!/NorwichTriathlon?fref=ts
This event was recently awarded the 'Triathlon England Eastern Region Event of 2012.'
That's it then
Happy Training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Done plenty of IT band stretches & used the foam roller twice a day, seems to have helped.
However, did a 20 mile cycle ride on Saturday & started to feel some discomfort returning to the knee, although no pain like I'd experienced before. Also did a run today which was quite comfortable. 35 mins cross country which was quite easy despite the fact i haven't actually ran for 4 weeks either.
Had my number through for the Norwich half marathon which is on Sunday 25th November.
Training begins for this on Tuesday. Planning to do 2 short runs during the week then a longer one at the weekends.Brings me on to the title of this blog, Barefoot Running. I have nearly finished reading a book called Born to Run by Chris McDougall.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Run-Hidden-Ultra-Runners-Greatest/dp/1861978774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349624762&sr=8-1
At the heart of Born to Run lies a mysterious tribe of Mexican Indians, the Tarahumara, who live quietly in canyons and are reputed to be the best distance runners in the world; in 1993, one of them, aged 57, came first in a prestigious 100-mile race wearing a toga and sandals. A small group of the world's top ultra-runners (and the awe-inspiring author) make the treacherous journey into the canyons to try to learn the tribe's secrets and then take them on over a course 50 miles long. With incredible energy and smart observation, McDougall tells this story while asking what the secrets are to being an incredible runner. Travelling to labs at Harvard, Nike, and elsewhere, he comes across an incredible cast of characters, including the woman who recently broke the world record for 100 miles and for her encore ran a 2:50 marathon in a bikini, pausing to down a beer at the 20 mile mark.
Some great characters in the book, Jenn Shelton, Billy Bonehead, Barefoot Ted, Cabello Blanco, google them to find out more.
Anyway, it's a fantastic book which has made me think about my running & the constant having to deal with niggles. Shin splints, knee pain, ankle pain, blah blah blah. I've done the gait video thing & bought the extra padded shoes, but still have niggles. So i now intend to learn to practise running properly (no more heal stomping) & incorporate some barefoot training to strengthen my feet, particularly the arches where it would seem, weak arches could be an underlying cause for a bad running posture & overpronation .
From a bit of research on the internet it would seem a lot of modern day leg problems from running was a lot less years ago when running shoes were not so bulky & padded. I guess our feet get weaker due to all the assistance they get from our super Nike's or equivalent. Although i say barefoot, i don't mean I'm going to be running marathons with no shoes (some short no shoe runs is apparently good though) i do intend switching to a minimalist shoe. How successful this will be, will it work for me, who knows? Worth a try in my book though.
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/5BarefootRunning&TrainingTips.html
So, that's the latest development, in my obsessive way, Ultra Marathons have now been added to my bucket list. Once the Ironman is nailed in 2013 I will look to increase my run distances. A 50 mile then a 100 mile run are great goals to aim for.
Training this week
Thurs - Bike 2.5 miles
Sat - Bike 19.22 miles
Sun - Run 3.54 miles
Not a lot done & will be similar this coming week, although a bit more running. Hopefully be back to a 6 day training plan in a couple of weeks.
Going to do The Great Barrow Christmas Challenge on 30th December. 26.2 mile hike for me, my daughter Arleya is planning on doing it as well. Burn off some of those Christmas calories.
http://greatbarrowchallenge.co.uk/sign-up/christmas-sign-up.html
Nearly forgot. Link to Trianglia's new 'Norwich Triathlon facebook page'
https://www.facebook.com/#!/NorwichTriathlon?fref=ts
This event was recently awarded the 'Triathlon England Eastern Region Event of 2012.'
That's it then
Happy Training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Injured
Biggest break from training since I began back in June 2011 so not a great deal to write
about today.
Rest period not out of choice I hasten to add, but due to my injury picked up during
The Great Barrow Challenge. Although I don’t think the one event is the sole reason
for the injury.
As one runners world poster pointed out, I have done rather a lot of training & events
this year with little time off so I guess a 480 mile bike event was the straw that broke
the camels back.
As you know from my previous blog I had experienced some bad knee pain during my
recent cycling challenge.
I ceased cycling & by Wednesday it seemed my knee issues were better so
decided to do my Wednesday Swim session. However, during the night the pain was
agonizing & kept me up most of the night.
I managed to get a doctors appointment on Thursday morning where the doctor diagnosed
the problem as Iliotibial Band Syndrome. He then referred me to Google to read up on the
best treatments??? No need for doctors going forwards, I’ll just go straight to 'Ask Jeeves'.
Description of the syndrome.
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/itbs.htm
I’ve carried on with the RICE way but also bought a foam roller. Using this is more painful
than the knee pain but it is definitely helping no end. I will be keep using it daily even when
the knee is better. I think part of the problem has been down to my slackness in stretching
pre & post workouts.
Foam roller links
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg
Training So, training this week has been pretty much non existent this week.
Did an hours swimming on Wednesday, only other exercise has been
walking a couple of miles to work & back each day
Couple of hours digging down the allotment on Saturday & a 3 mile walk today.
Next event is Norwich half marathon, hoping to begin training again by next
weekend but will see how the knee is.
Finally, had a rejection come through from the London marathon people so
no VLM for me in 2013.
Happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journey
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
about today.
Rest period not out of choice I hasten to add, but due to my injury picked up during
The Great Barrow Challenge. Although I don’t think the one event is the sole reason
for the injury.
As one runners world poster pointed out, I have done rather a lot of training & events
this year with little time off so I guess a 480 mile bike event was the straw that broke
the camels back.
As you know from my previous blog I had experienced some bad knee pain during my
recent cycling challenge.
I ceased cycling & by Wednesday it seemed my knee issues were better so
decided to do my Wednesday Swim session. However, during the night the pain was
agonizing & kept me up most of the night.
I managed to get a doctors appointment on Thursday morning where the doctor diagnosed
the problem as Iliotibial Band Syndrome. He then referred me to Google to read up on the
best treatments??? No need for doctors going forwards, I’ll just go straight to 'Ask Jeeves'.
Description of the syndrome.
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/itbs.htm
I’ve carried on with the RICE way but also bought a foam roller. Using this is more painful
than the knee pain but it is definitely helping no end. I will be keep using it daily even when
the knee is better. I think part of the problem has been down to my slackness in stretching
pre & post workouts.
Foam roller links
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg
Training So, training this week has been pretty much non existent this week.
Did an hours swimming on Wednesday, only other exercise has been
walking a couple of miles to work & back each day
Couple of hours digging down the allotment on Saturday & a 3 mile walk today.
Next event is Norwich half marathon, hoping to begin training again by next
weekend but will see how the knee is.
Finally, had a rejection come through from the London marathon people so
no VLM for me in 2013.
Happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journey
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 23 September 2012
The Great Barrow Challenge 2012
Despite now lying on the sofa with a swollen knee & a badly bruised posterior, what a fantastic week I've had. Completed the most challenging event i have done so far & also made some fantastic new friends along the way.
Quick training overview which includes the Great Barrow rides, then a run through of the 4 day challenge.
Monday - 2 hr bike ride
Tuesday - Rest day
Wednesday - 7 hr 33min bike ride
Thursday - 8 hr 3min bike ride
Friday - 9 hr 33min bike ride
Saturday - 8 hr 58min bike ride
Sunday - Rest day
The Great Barrow Challenge http://www.greatbarrowchallenge.co.uk/
The Great Barrow Challenge is a four day endurance event in the heart of Suffolk that offers something for individuals and teams, from novices and families to serious athletes.
The Great Barrow Challenge takes place in September and, for those who can’t wait a whole year, we also host the one day Christmas and Spring Challenges and the two day Summer Challenge!
Entrants can walk, run and/or cycle the four day challenge. The full challenge is 26.2+ miles per day for walkers and runners and 120 miles for cyclists! However, there are also 6, 10 and 30 mile courses for runners and walkers and 30 and 60 mile courses for cyclists. Prices range from £20 to £80 for the four days.
Based on the Nijmegen military training marches in Holland, The Great Barrow Challenge is the only UK event that offers extreme running, cycling and walking over four days. The event is well marshaled and the routes are well planned with easy to follow directions. There are excellent camping facilities and several fully licensed bars as well as optional evening activities and free sports massages to keep those aches and pains at bay from the team at Sports Injury Clinic.
So, i took on the cycling challenge which was roughly 120 miles riding per day which has a cut off time of 11 hours. The courses consisted of two 60 mile loops from the Barrow HQ. Each day was a different route.
I camped there so arrived on Tuesday about 4pm. Camping was £6 per night. Toilet & shower facilities were the best Ive seen at any event. In fact, the toilet blocks were so posh they even had hand moisturiser on tap, pictures on the wall & piped music.
So, pitched my tent on the edge of what turned out to be a football pitch, i must have misheard the camping instruction from Glen, something i regretted two days later when i had to move the bloody thing after a ride & loaded it up with all the crap i had taken with me.
Once all set up i wasn't really sure what to do so headed in to the village for some chips then back to the campsite bar area to see about picking up my race pack & do some socialising. Bar area was a great social centrepiece with comfy sofas for us all to chill. Got to know a few people on the first night, everyone was really friendly & planned to start the first ride with a lady called Heather, as we would be going at roughly the same pace (for now)
Day 1 - woke up at 5.45am after a shite nights sleep, coldest it had been for ages & temps dropped to around 3 degrees. Not to mention the teradactyl that had been screeching it's head off outside the tent since about 4am.
Had a coffee, bowl of frosties, banana & headed off to the start line for the morning briefing. This was done with those taking part in the full distance walking challenge as we both started a 7am (6pm cut off time). Met Darren at the start, a guy who i have communicated with on FB prior to the challenge. Didn't recognise him at first as it turned out his hair in his FB pic wasn't real, it was a scouse wig :-) Couldnt see Jake, another guy I'd previously arranged to ride with (turns out his pace would have been too quick for me anyway) so we set off, Heather, Darren & me.
Route West - Ely - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696469
Nice flat route although a couple of roads had some very strong headwinds. Pace was 15.8 mph so a bit quicker than i had planned, in hindsight i think this may have attributed to my knee issues later on.
After about 50 miles Darren decided that the 4 days of 120 miles wasn't going to be for him so told us to carry on. He decided to do 4 days of 60 miles instead.
Still felt good after the first lap & we headed out again, looking for a shop as some lunch was required, took us about 20 miles riding before we found a co-op & was able to buy some sandwiches. Suggestion for the challenge is to have a buffet at the HQ for the cyclists who are doing the 120.
At 90 miles my legs got really tired & i found the final 30 miles quite tough. Thankfully Heather was still strong and I was able to draft her for a lot of the final 30.
Darren was a legend. He lived local & came back to Barrow at the same time Heather & i had finished the second lap with extras duvets & a sleeping bag for us because we had been bitching about the cold. He also brought his laptop & downloaded the next 3 days routes onto my Garmin for me, top bloke.
Cup of tea, showered then headed to the bar for tea. Meals were £6 per night & you had a couple of choices. Sausage & mash for me, tasted great but i could have eaten it twice.
Spent the evening lying on the sofas talking about the days event with other cyclists, walkers & runners. Bed time around 9.30pm, knackered.
Day 2
Up at 5.45am again, lot better sleep but still patchy. Getting up was a struggle but cracked on anyway.Same ol routine, Coffee, Frosties, banana briefing, go. Although had a second cup of coffee at the briefing. Had to stop for a pee after 20 minutes due to that.
Route North - Norfolk http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696295
No Darren but myself & Heather set off with a guy called Dan who was doing 3 days of 60 mile rides. Great route, headed up into Norfolk then looped back through Thetford woods, not so windy & well sheltered. Pace was going even faster so after about 20 miles i had to ask for it to be slowed down as i knew i wouldn't last all day at that speed. Even so, by the time we got to 50 miles i started to get pain in my right knee which was a bit of a concern so i dropped the speed right down & fell off the back of the others.
Was a bit worried about going out again but thought I'd give it a go. Said to Heather i need to take it really slow & she was cool about that & really supportive. Second lap went fine though with no real problems, we had a nice break at a pub in Weeting where the land lady had laid on loads of sandwiches. I think we ate a third of them :-)
Got back & went through the same routine. Chilli for tea in the bar then relaxed & watched the football. Had been a few more drop outs now & there were only 7 left in the full distance cycle challenge. Couple of the army boys doing the marathon challenge were having real bad times with various injuries as well. Only 1 out of the 4 of them completed their challenge in the end.
Day 3
Route - South - Safron Walden http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696141
yep, 5.45am wake up blah blah blah.
This turned out to be my worst day where i came closest to quitting after 6 miles, also the longest ride, 124 miles. Few more of us riding in a group today. Consisted of Dan, who had decided to do a 120, Heather & two others, not sure of their names.
Set off ok although my knee was a bit stiff, i had been taking Ibuprofen, paracetamol & smearing my knee in ibru Gel but it still hurt. By 6 miles I'd been dropped off the back & i was finding it difficult to even pedal let alone keep a pace that would get me in within the 11 hours.
The others had waited for me, but i told them to crack on as i wasn't sure if i would be able to get round. Managed to gradually get up to an 11/12mph pace which would just about get me round. There were quite a few good long downward stretches where i could get the speed right up.
Was also suffering from bad stomach pain where i nearly had an accident a couple of times when going up hills. It got so bad i was looking on the side of the road for some newspaper or other suitable wiping material. I did not want to do a Chrissie Wellington & just shit in my shorts on the bike, although the thought was becoming very tempting. Managed to get to the 30 mile checkpoint & dived into the toilet. Diarrhoea was all i needed. Made sure i was totally empty, filled my pockets with spare toilet paper just in case & headed off again.
The rest of the time i had to keep in a real easy gear so i didn't have to press hard. I couldn't stand to get up hills as the knee just gave out. Then the pain would subside for a while followed by an excruciating pain which would run from my knee to my foot. Nightmare, i was in a dark place & really pissed off.
Got back in to HQ after the first lap at 12pm, so first lap had been 5 hours. The two riders who's names i didn't know had binned the second lap due to bike mechanical issues. I decided to go for the second lap but knew I couldn't take much of a break so went straight out, just in case i had major problems. Had to skip lunch & so survived on Gels, toffees & haribo for the rest of the day. Took the second lap easy trying not to put any pressure on my knee & got in at 5.15pm. 45 mins to spare. Happy days for now, but very concerned about day 4.
James & Nicky (Nicky is a fantastic athlete, 5th lady in The Outlaw triathlon this year), a couple i knew from FB, were doing sports massages when i got back so decided to have one to see if it would help my knee. James did a great job removing & reducing the abundance of knots in my legs & stretching me out. This definitely helped make the completion of the challenge possible for me. Note to self is more sports massages.
Everyone was really encouraging & supporting that evening which was really appreciated & meant i would definitely be on the start line in the morning. Said bye to Dan who'd hung around till I'd got back.
Another top meal, lasagna & Jacket potato. Had some live music on that evening, bed by 9.15pm though
Day 4 - final day
Route - East - Lavenham http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184695881
Had a result in the morning. Paul, one of the marathon challenge runners (this guy must have drank 10 pints a day & still done the marathon the next day) had a load of pills in his tent & some turned out to be codeine that he gave me. Chris another cyclist also brought me some 600mg ibuprofen. So, ate them & set off, just Heather & myself this morning. Stayed together for about 8 miles before i had to slow it down a bit, I'd already said to her in the morning, crack on if i started struggling so she hooked up with Jake (another FB cyber buddy) & his cycling partner, i was on my own again, this suited me fine as you don't have the added worry & stress that your holding others up. Daryl (a guy from Attleborough, used to be a Norwich ABC club rider) & his group passed me a bit later , again with words of encouragement.
My plan was to aim for a 10 hour finish (allowing a spare hour for disasters & stopping), so a normally easy 12mph average would suffice. Was the warmest day which helped, the drugs were helping also & i came into the 30 mile checkpoint whilst the two other groups were still there, av pace was over 13mph. Quick stop & i even left before Daryl & crew, although they still passed me again within 10 minutes. Drug top up at 10am was just in time as the knee was getting quite painful again. Had a nice young blond lady, (walking a horse) shout to me in her Essex accent that i had nice legs, guess she'll never know how much she lifted my spirits
Arrived back at Barrow HQ, again. all the others were still there. I had to change my shorts as my backside was killing me. Turns out my cheeks are really bruised, hence that pain.
Set off on the final 60 miles at around 12pm, 6 hours to complete the challenge, it all seemed possible now. My immediate thought was 2pm though, when i could take some more pills. Second lap was a real struggle again with the left knee also starting to play up now. Both were so painful it even made me stop at one point. Still, i worked out even with a 7mph average i would still get in now, so cracked on. Pain eased off with light peddling. Came in with over an hour to spare. I was the last 4 day 120 mile challenge participant in. Lots of handshakes & 'well dones' going on.
Final part of the day was a piper leading the 4 day challenge participants in to collect their medal & certificate from Glen.
This is a great event & i would recommend it to everyone. I want to do all three disciplines now so will be back next year to do the 4 day walking challenge
So whats next. Rest for this week then i will begin training for the Norwich Half Marathon.
After that, not sure, but my structured Ironman training begins on January 7th.
Happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Quick training overview which includes the Great Barrow rides, then a run through of the 4 day challenge.
Monday - 2 hr bike ride
Tuesday - Rest day
Wednesday - 7 hr 33min bike ride
Thursday - 8 hr 3min bike ride
Friday - 9 hr 33min bike ride
Saturday - 8 hr 58min bike ride
Sunday - Rest day
The Great Barrow Challenge http://www.greatbarrowchallenge.co.uk/
The Great Barrow Challenge is a four day endurance event in the heart of Suffolk that offers something for individuals and teams, from novices and families to serious athletes.
The Great Barrow Challenge takes place in September and, for those who can’t wait a whole year, we also host the one day Christmas and Spring Challenges and the two day Summer Challenge!
Entrants can walk, run and/or cycle the four day challenge. The full challenge is 26.2+ miles per day for walkers and runners and 120 miles for cyclists! However, there are also 6, 10 and 30 mile courses for runners and walkers and 30 and 60 mile courses for cyclists. Prices range from £20 to £80 for the four days.
Based on the Nijmegen military training marches in Holland, The Great Barrow Challenge is the only UK event that offers extreme running, cycling and walking over four days. The event is well marshaled and the routes are well planned with easy to follow directions. There are excellent camping facilities and several fully licensed bars as well as optional evening activities and free sports massages to keep those aches and pains at bay from the team at Sports Injury Clinic.
So, i took on the cycling challenge which was roughly 120 miles riding per day which has a cut off time of 11 hours. The courses consisted of two 60 mile loops from the Barrow HQ. Each day was a different route.
I camped there so arrived on Tuesday about 4pm. Camping was £6 per night. Toilet & shower facilities were the best Ive seen at any event. In fact, the toilet blocks were so posh they even had hand moisturiser on tap, pictures on the wall & piped music.
So, pitched my tent on the edge of what turned out to be a football pitch, i must have misheard the camping instruction from Glen, something i regretted two days later when i had to move the bloody thing after a ride & loaded it up with all the crap i had taken with me.
Once all set up i wasn't really sure what to do so headed in to the village for some chips then back to the campsite bar area to see about picking up my race pack & do some socialising. Bar area was a great social centrepiece with comfy sofas for us all to chill. Got to know a few people on the first night, everyone was really friendly & planned to start the first ride with a lady called Heather, as we would be going at roughly the same pace (for now)
Day 1 - woke up at 5.45am after a shite nights sleep, coldest it had been for ages & temps dropped to around 3 degrees. Not to mention the teradactyl that had been screeching it's head off outside the tent since about 4am.
Had a coffee, bowl of frosties, banana & headed off to the start line for the morning briefing. This was done with those taking part in the full distance walking challenge as we both started a 7am (6pm cut off time). Met Darren at the start, a guy who i have communicated with on FB prior to the challenge. Didn't recognise him at first as it turned out his hair in his FB pic wasn't real, it was a scouse wig :-) Couldnt see Jake, another guy I'd previously arranged to ride with (turns out his pace would have been too quick for me anyway) so we set off, Heather, Darren & me.
Route West - Ely - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696469
Nice flat route although a couple of roads had some very strong headwinds. Pace was 15.8 mph so a bit quicker than i had planned, in hindsight i think this may have attributed to my knee issues later on.
After about 50 miles Darren decided that the 4 days of 120 miles wasn't going to be for him so told us to carry on. He decided to do 4 days of 60 miles instead.
Still felt good after the first lap & we headed out again, looking for a shop as some lunch was required, took us about 20 miles riding before we found a co-op & was able to buy some sandwiches. Suggestion for the challenge is to have a buffet at the HQ for the cyclists who are doing the 120.
At 90 miles my legs got really tired & i found the final 30 miles quite tough. Thankfully Heather was still strong and I was able to draft her for a lot of the final 30.
Darren was a legend. He lived local & came back to Barrow at the same time Heather & i had finished the second lap with extras duvets & a sleeping bag for us because we had been bitching about the cold. He also brought his laptop & downloaded the next 3 days routes onto my Garmin for me, top bloke.
Cup of tea, showered then headed to the bar for tea. Meals were £6 per night & you had a couple of choices. Sausage & mash for me, tasted great but i could have eaten it twice.
Spent the evening lying on the sofas talking about the days event with other cyclists, walkers & runners. Bed time around 9.30pm, knackered.
Day 2
Up at 5.45am again, lot better sleep but still patchy. Getting up was a struggle but cracked on anyway.Same ol routine, Coffee, Frosties, banana briefing, go. Although had a second cup of coffee at the briefing. Had to stop for a pee after 20 minutes due to that.
Route North - Norfolk http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696295
No Darren but myself & Heather set off with a guy called Dan who was doing 3 days of 60 mile rides. Great route, headed up into Norfolk then looped back through Thetford woods, not so windy & well sheltered. Pace was going even faster so after about 20 miles i had to ask for it to be slowed down as i knew i wouldn't last all day at that speed. Even so, by the time we got to 50 miles i started to get pain in my right knee which was a bit of a concern so i dropped the speed right down & fell off the back of the others.
Was a bit worried about going out again but thought I'd give it a go. Said to Heather i need to take it really slow & she was cool about that & really supportive. Second lap went fine though with no real problems, we had a nice break at a pub in Weeting where the land lady had laid on loads of sandwiches. I think we ate a third of them :-)
Got back & went through the same routine. Chilli for tea in the bar then relaxed & watched the football. Had been a few more drop outs now & there were only 7 left in the full distance cycle challenge. Couple of the army boys doing the marathon challenge were having real bad times with various injuries as well. Only 1 out of the 4 of them completed their challenge in the end.
Day 3
Route - South - Safron Walden http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184696141
yep, 5.45am wake up blah blah blah.
This turned out to be my worst day where i came closest to quitting after 6 miles, also the longest ride, 124 miles. Few more of us riding in a group today. Consisted of Dan, who had decided to do a 120, Heather & two others, not sure of their names.
Set off ok although my knee was a bit stiff, i had been taking Ibuprofen, paracetamol & smearing my knee in ibru Gel but it still hurt. By 6 miles I'd been dropped off the back & i was finding it difficult to even pedal let alone keep a pace that would get me in within the 11 hours.
The others had waited for me, but i told them to crack on as i wasn't sure if i would be able to get round. Managed to gradually get up to an 11/12mph pace which would just about get me round. There were quite a few good long downward stretches where i could get the speed right up.
Was also suffering from bad stomach pain where i nearly had an accident a couple of times when going up hills. It got so bad i was looking on the side of the road for some newspaper or other suitable wiping material. I did not want to do a Chrissie Wellington & just shit in my shorts on the bike, although the thought was becoming very tempting. Managed to get to the 30 mile checkpoint & dived into the toilet. Diarrhoea was all i needed. Made sure i was totally empty, filled my pockets with spare toilet paper just in case & headed off again.
The rest of the time i had to keep in a real easy gear so i didn't have to press hard. I couldn't stand to get up hills as the knee just gave out. Then the pain would subside for a while followed by an excruciating pain which would run from my knee to my foot. Nightmare, i was in a dark place & really pissed off.
Got back in to HQ after the first lap at 12pm, so first lap had been 5 hours. The two riders who's names i didn't know had binned the second lap due to bike mechanical issues. I decided to go for the second lap but knew I couldn't take much of a break so went straight out, just in case i had major problems. Had to skip lunch & so survived on Gels, toffees & haribo for the rest of the day. Took the second lap easy trying not to put any pressure on my knee & got in at 5.15pm. 45 mins to spare. Happy days for now, but very concerned about day 4.
James & Nicky (Nicky is a fantastic athlete, 5th lady in The Outlaw triathlon this year), a couple i knew from FB, were doing sports massages when i got back so decided to have one to see if it would help my knee. James did a great job removing & reducing the abundance of knots in my legs & stretching me out. This definitely helped make the completion of the challenge possible for me. Note to self is more sports massages.
Everyone was really encouraging & supporting that evening which was really appreciated & meant i would definitely be on the start line in the morning. Said bye to Dan who'd hung around till I'd got back.
Another top meal, lasagna & Jacket potato. Had some live music on that evening, bed by 9.15pm though
Day 4 - final day
Route - East - Lavenham http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/184695881
Had a result in the morning. Paul, one of the marathon challenge runners (this guy must have drank 10 pints a day & still done the marathon the next day) had a load of pills in his tent & some turned out to be codeine that he gave me. Chris another cyclist also brought me some 600mg ibuprofen. So, ate them & set off, just Heather & myself this morning. Stayed together for about 8 miles before i had to slow it down a bit, I'd already said to her in the morning, crack on if i started struggling so she hooked up with Jake (another FB cyber buddy) & his cycling partner, i was on my own again, this suited me fine as you don't have the added worry & stress that your holding others up. Daryl (a guy from Attleborough, used to be a Norwich ABC club rider) & his group passed me a bit later , again with words of encouragement.
My plan was to aim for a 10 hour finish (allowing a spare hour for disasters & stopping), so a normally easy 12mph average would suffice. Was the warmest day which helped, the drugs were helping also & i came into the 30 mile checkpoint whilst the two other groups were still there, av pace was over 13mph. Quick stop & i even left before Daryl & crew, although they still passed me again within 10 minutes. Drug top up at 10am was just in time as the knee was getting quite painful again. Had a nice young blond lady, (walking a horse) shout to me in her Essex accent that i had nice legs, guess she'll never know how much she lifted my spirits
Arrived back at Barrow HQ, again. all the others were still there. I had to change my shorts as my backside was killing me. Turns out my cheeks are really bruised, hence that pain.
Set off on the final 60 miles at around 12pm, 6 hours to complete the challenge, it all seemed possible now. My immediate thought was 2pm though, when i could take some more pills. Second lap was a real struggle again with the left knee also starting to play up now. Both were so painful it even made me stop at one point. Still, i worked out even with a 7mph average i would still get in now, so cracked on. Pain eased off with light peddling. Came in with over an hour to spare. I was the last 4 day 120 mile challenge participant in. Lots of handshakes & 'well dones' going on.
Final part of the day was a piper leading the 4 day challenge participants in to collect their medal & certificate from Glen.
This is a great event & i would recommend it to everyone. I want to do all three disciplines now so will be back next year to do the 4 day walking challenge
 |
| Getting my medal from Glen |
 |
| The Great Barrow Challenge Medal |
So whats next. Rest for this week then i will begin training for the Norwich Half Marathon.
After that, not sure, but my structured Ironman training begins on January 7th.
Happy training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Ironman UK 2013 - signed up
Bit of a quiet week. Bike went in to Halfords for some tweaking ready for next weeks challenge. That turned into a right drama but resulted in me getting a new chain & cassette for free due to their incompetence. Caused me to lose 3 days of cycling opportunities during the week. Cancelled the Halfords care plan as lost faith in them now.
Did my first run since the Club relays which was ok, ankle held up well.
Got a couple of PB's swimming as well this week, getting a bit quicker & managed 1.34 miles front crawl.
Training
Monday - Bike 2.1 miles & Run 56 mins
Tuesday - Bike 2.1 miles
Wednesday - Bike 2.1 miles & Swim 1 hr (pace 45.26 min/mile)
Thursday - Bike 2.36 mile
Friday - Bike 3.38 mile
Saturday - Bike 3 hr http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/136538063 (Trianglia confidence ride)
Sunday - Swim 1 hr (pace 44.52 min/mile) PB
As the title suggests, i have taken the plunge and signed up for Ironman UK 2013. Event takes place on 4th August, 1 week after my 45th birthday.
http://ironmanuk.com/index.php/ironman-uk/race-entry/enter-now
A week off before & after the event has been booked. 3 nights at Bolton Travelodge also sorted over Ironman weekend. Two less things to stress about as the event gets nearer.
I will be following Don Finks 30 week training plan which begins on 7th January 2013.
Due to cost of Ironman event i will have to reduce other event activity next year so will probably just do a sprint, Olympic & middle distance tri during.
This is a great vid from the 2012 Ironman in Bolton
http://youtu.be/Vxp_ZjbCc5c
Other news for this week was my weight loss, which has now dropped to 13 st 9 lbs. A 2st 5lb loss for the year.
That's all for this week, next Sunday will be a review of The Great Barrow cycling challenge which i start Wednesday morning & runs through to Saturday evening.
Happy Training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
Did my first run since the Club relays which was ok, ankle held up well.
Got a couple of PB's swimming as well this week, getting a bit quicker & managed 1.34 miles front crawl.
Training
Monday - Bike 2.1 miles & Run 56 mins
Tuesday - Bike 2.1 miles
Wednesday - Bike 2.1 miles & Swim 1 hr (pace 45.26 min/mile)
Thursday - Bike 2.36 mile
Friday - Bike 3.38 mile
Saturday - Bike 3 hr http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/136538063 (Trianglia confidence ride)
Sunday - Swim 1 hr (pace 44.52 min/mile) PB
As the title suggests, i have taken the plunge and signed up for Ironman UK 2013. Event takes place on 4th August, 1 week after my 45th birthday.
http://ironmanuk.com/index.php/ironman-uk/race-entry/enter-now
A week off before & after the event has been booked. 3 nights at Bolton Travelodge also sorted over Ironman weekend. Two less things to stress about as the event gets nearer.
I will be following Don Finks 30 week training plan which begins on 7th January 2013.
Due to cost of Ironman event i will have to reduce other event activity next year so will probably just do a sprint, Olympic & middle distance tri during.
This is a great vid from the 2012 Ironman in Bolton
http://youtu.be/Vxp_ZjbCc5c
Other news for this week was my weight loss, which has now dropped to 13 st 9 lbs. A 2st 5lb loss for the year.
That's all for this week, next Sunday will be a review of The Great Barrow cycling challenge which i start Wednesday morning & runs through to Saturday evening.
Happy Training
Join the Facebook Group - The Ironman Journeyhttps://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/287319678021088/
Say hello on the Fatman to Ironman forum
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?dt=&UTN=191464&last=1&V=1&SP=
My charity page for event listings & making a donation
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz
The allotment Journey Blog
http://allotmentjourney.blogspot.co.uk/
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