Happy Easter

Ironman UK Training Week 12

Week twelve became the first week of training where i have had to deviate from the planned sessions.

Woke up on Monday morning and could barely walk down the stairs, my calves were hurting so much, the right calf had bruised up quite nicely on the inside of the leg as well. Led me to think I'd actually torn the muscle.
Decision was made in that painful trip downstairs that i would be binning the running for a week . As i didn't want to reduce the training hours i planned to do cycling instead.

Following swimming Monday night, Speedo Stan suggested i wore my compression calf things at work as this would help, so, I've worn them full time since Tuesday, only removing for bed and showers.

Seems to have done the trick, thanks Speedo Stan. I'm writing this bit on Good Friday & calves are feeling OK now. Definitely be doing my 3 hour run on Sunday. Bit gutted i couldn't get into the Trowse 10k on Sunday but my fault for faffing about & not booking up in good time.

Had to make even more changes this week as well though. Suddenly came down with man flu at 9.30pm on Tuesday. It was an instant cold, I couldn't believe it. Spent the whole night awake with painful cough and sore throat. Managed to do an hours cycle instead of a run on Wednesday but drew the line at going swimming. Also witched my rest day from Friday to Thursday as still felt ropey.

Signed up for another event this weekend. Regretted not doing it last year so thought I'd best get in early to avoid similar Trowse disappointment. The Norwich Six Bridge River Swim 2013 on July 7th.
http://www.activeoutdoorsport.co.uk/?p=4110

Training

Calorie burn January = 29,160
Calorie burn February = 34,932
Calorie burn for March = 47,799
Calories burnt for the year = 111,891

You want to lose weight, train for an Ironman! Big ramp up in calorie burn for March.

Training hours this week = 11 hours 4 minutes (planned 12 hours)

Monday

Swim 1 hour

300m warm up
4 x 50m kicking drill (20 second rest in between sets)
100m wide arm catch up drill

5 x 200m at CSS (30 second rest in between sets)

100m Breaststroke

Tuesday

Bike 1 hour 4 minutes - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/249005702

Headed out to Dunston Hall and cut through to Stoke Holy Cross, where i picked up the trianglia sprint route again. OK ride & didnt have any light disasters this time.

Wednesday

Bike 1 hour - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/249402466

Out and back to Rockland st Mary. One of my favourite areas to go cycling but for some reason i don't go too much. Nice and flat which was good due to me feeling shite with the man flu.

Thursday

Rest day, Pizza & feeling sorry for myself

Friday

Bike 1 hour - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/250383968

First day of 10 days off work for me today.Woke up to blue sky's and sunshine, which was how the day was supposed to go. So, spent the morning doing up another cycle ready for selling on Ebay & planned to do my hours ride later.
By the time i was ready to go it had started snowing again ?? So, another cold ride. Ride was OK though & was quite nice riding my bike since I'd sorted out the gears in the morning.

Saturday

Run - 30 minutes

Was struggling to decide whether to run this or not today. My calf was feeling about 80% OK but i didn't want to go do a 5k and muck it up for tomorrows long run. So, ignoring my wise caution I decided to run, although at a slow pace with a "my ribs hurt", "my legs hurt" Arleya.

Bike 3 hours - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/250768394

Guess what, yep, snow again, when will this weather turn? Moving back to Thailand is becoming more & more appealing with all this rubbish cold weather.

Rode 43 miles today, wasn't actually too bad, considering the snow flurries i felt relatively warm. Was less windy than it had been for the past couple of weeks, had a 12mph head wind out to Repps, no biggy.
Ride became even more enjoyable once past Potter Heigham as i had a tailwind pretty much all the way home. Dropped down into Horning through back roads I'd never been down before. Brought back a few memories riding through Horning from my wayward youth & the nights spent in the various pubs & gutters here.

Started snowing as i came into Horning which clouded my visibility a bit, clearing my glasses i nearly missed a left turn & had to pull up sharpish to make it, where i then nearly went into the side of a 4x4 coming down the lane. Evasive action into a field prevented a disaster there.

Had another sign of how my fitness as improved going through Wroxham. Coming out of Wroxham is an uphill drag, although not very steep. I remember when i first rode up this road I struggled to get to the top, on one occasion i even took a left turn down The Avenues to take a break. Didn't even notice it today, kept up the same pace without even breaking a sweat.

Past another 5 churches today taking the count to over 100 now. http://thecyclingnorfolkchurchspotter.blogspot.co.uk/

Sunday

Another great start to the day. No swimming as pool closed for a Gala, grrrrr. Sure this news wasn't on the UEA website the other day when i checked for closures. Planned 3 hours swimming this week reduced to 1 hour.

Will skip the coached session tomorrow and go for a longer swim at UEA to make up for it. Will swim the Ironman distance to see what my time for that is now. Pretty sure it took me 2 hours 10 minutes last time i did it. Although that was open water.

Bike 30 minutes - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/251259700

Got this in early seeing as the swimming was cancelled. Means i can be home to watch The Tour of Flanders before going for my long run this afternoon.

Run 3 hours - http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/251434888

Really wasn't looking forward to this one. Although the bruising from the side of my calf had gone and it was no longer painful i could still feel twinges in the back of the muscle. No doubt aggravated by yesterdays pointless park run. Not to mention the thought of a 3 hour run wasn't exactly appealing.

I'd also nodded off on the sofa before i was due to go. Something i haven't done for a long while. Used to happen all the time when i was a fat smoker. Must be due to the clocks going forward & not getting home from the Easter Vigil until nearly 10.30pm the night before.

Anyway, after I stopped trying to think of lame excuses not to go I  got out the door and started the run, cool, snow again. Which i don't actually mind whilst running. Did the usual route Ive done as the distances have increased. Down to Whitlingham Broad, round that then over to the UEA Lake. Calf just felt stiff for over 2 hours & the whole run just felt like a struggle.

After 90 minutes i started to get a rubbing on my arch, couldn't tell if i had some grit in my shoe or what so i just tried to juggle it about as i ran. Seemed to work, for about 5 minutes. Came to the conclusion that it was my foot rubbing against the insole. Do i stop & try sort it out? Nah, can sort the blister out when i get home, it would probably have popped by then anyway. Took my mind off my niggly calf.

I'd decided to wear the new shoes, I've only actually ran about 3 hours in them, longest time was an hour. Thought i needed to get them fully broken in asap as the marathon is in three weeks time. Would rather get a few blister issues now rather than during the race.

Apart from painful feet and calves that's about it for that run, no other mishaps or excitement. Plus i want to get this blog done and dusted so i can watch the rest of the Tour Of Flanders. Don't know who won so having to avoid Twitter & FB till I've watched the finish

Other

Race for life - A bunch of the ladies from my workplace will be taking part in the race for life. If you would like to sponsor them here's a link to their fund raising page. http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/aviva-gpp-girls

Next weeks classic cycle race is my favourite. Paris - Roubaix, 'Hell of the North'. The sportive the day before is also the main event i want to do next year. Will again be on Eurosports.

Put the bike on ebay if any ladies or girls are interested in a cheap racer bike.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271181798596&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

That's about it. Enjoy your Easter Eggs, i got two :-)

Have a nice Easter

Andy

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