Feeling good feels, well......Good actually

Isn’t it funny that when you are frustrated or not making progress that the light at the end of the tunnel seems distant and faint, and yet when things feel like they are on a more positive plane that things just seem to fall in to place and make sense.

Ove the last week or two I feel like I’ve really started to make progress again in terms of coming back to a very basic level of fitness and being in a physical state to take on more training and importantly get my head in the right place about striking the balance between wanting to and being able to.

Off the back of what felt like a positive outing at the Run in the Dark 10k I have been able to mentally adjust my view of what is a longer run these days and now see 10k as not a bother (even though I haven’t actually bothered to run this distance since last week) and I can now see myself moving up towards 8 or 10 miles again pretty soon.  Maybe not such a big deal but mentally it feels good.

I am really enjoying our Club Group rides at the weekends, and I know that I am getting stronger as a result.  I’m still far from being the type of cyclist that I want to be by the time I get to early July next year, however taking a long term view on it and comparing where I am now to where I was a couple of years ago, I have now got a different mental view of what is achievable.

Last couple of times for Ironman the goal on the bike was definitely about competing the distance without feeling too tired for the run and then rely on my strength (not pace) to carry me through, and to be fair it did work well for me as an approach.  This time however I want to be in a position where I can push harder on the bike and still feel strong for the run.  It seems very obvious but the key to this is not being a fantastic runner but about being a decent cyclist who can run with strength.

The other side of the Group ride is that it gives affirmation of progress when I am able to see how I stack up against my club mates week on week but also it’s motivating to see them improving every week too. It’s a simple thing but it feels good.

I have been pairing up with “Big Ring” Pollard quite a bit, especially for swimming and I have to say the level of improvement he has displayed over just a month is fantastic and it is driving me on to make sure I improve at the same level, although to be honest he is improving faster than me at the moment and I just hope I can narrow the margins of difference as we progress. It’s great to see improvement in others and I do feel somewhat responsible, as I sort of talked him in to the whole IM Frankfurt experience. So I better make sure I keep the motivation levels up and am pressing myself onwards to do justice to his efforts too.  It’s a bit strange feeling accountable to someone else for your training but that’s pretty much what Ian and I have created.  

Basically he’s a Bollox who isn’t going to let me off with anything and I’m going to be the same with him!!

Next week marks the start of my formal training plan for Frankfurt and I feel good about going in to it. It feels important to me to be in a good state of mind as it’s a long road and it is tiring physically without having to battle inner demons as well.

To quote the lyrics of the Allman Brothers – I’ve got to “Keep on Keepin on.” (It's a great song, give it a listen)

https://youtu.be/-b-HS4sXhs0?list=PLPLP60S6bGa3eNfM5GEf6Bb-p6XQvN4bp

Few recent workouts for anyone interested:

The oldest Newbie in town.

So, it’s been a few weeks since the last update in the “Tales from Wounded Knee.”

I definitely feel like I am over the hump of recovery from the knee surgery which is 9 weeks ago now.  My focus is now very much on trying to get some basic level of fitness back so that I can start in to my Ironman 32 week training plan with at least the ability to complete all the requirements of week 1 without being completely destroyed at the end of it.

Progress against this objective is decent, with the odd set-back, most of which have not been injury related but more to do with work interruptions and general business in life.

I’ve committed to at least two swim sessions per week and my Fish-like swim Buddy “Big-Ring” Pollard has been keeping me honest. (Don’t ask about the nickname – it’s not as bad as it sounds.)

We are keeping each other straight and ensuring that if we commit to training that we turn up – it’s also good to have someone to bounce off – and given both of our needs to hit the salad bar – bouncing off is pretty much what we do!

Swimming is coming back slowly but surely – I am trying to work on the technique side of things again early in the pre-season and the sessions the last couple of weeks from Coach Harkin have been really enjoyable.  Swimming? Enjoyable? I’ve lost the plot – what I really mean is that I didn’t completely hate it.  I can feel a bit of strength coming back – maybe not speed but a little bit more endurance.

Cycling has been very enjoyable and the really mild October was fantastic as it meant the Club Saturday runs have been in reasonable weather conditions and well supported with 8-12 of us out each week. It’s amazing how quickly I can feel improvements in the cycling.  On a flat or downhill I feel OK at holding my own at a steady pace.  As usual the hills are not my friend, and I know that the front loaded Camel Hump is not helping my power to weight ratio, hence the need to hit the salad bar more than the Tiki bar!  It is true that if you ride with people who are better than you then you will improve.

I’m relatively encouraged in the very early stages of my aim to become a better cyclist and earn the right to look good on my new Cervélo rather than someone who just stole it.  There are a lot of miles to go yet but the start is positive and I’m enjoying it.

Now, when it comes to running, this is my first love in terms of the Triathlon disciplines, and this time last year I was in really good shape after knocking out a Marathon PB in Dublin and had my sights set on a couple of Ultras and several other marathons over the next 6 months.  Roll forward 12 months and my sights are set somewhat differently.

Last Wednesday I did the Run in the Dark 10k at Stormont.  My goal for this was primarily to get through it feeling Ok and if that happens to be in the region of 55-60 minutes I’d consider this as a step forward.  

I’m glad to say that I managed a decent 53.57 for the 10K.  Not exactly blistering but not bad and well ahead of my estimated time. I felt pretty strong and was rarely passed on the second lap and managed a 90 second negative split.

It’s scary how the lack of running has destroyed my running fitness and where I was running 32 miles over Mountains just 7 months ago, I now have to work hard on a four mile flat run round the Tow path in Belfast. 

I just need to get it in my head that I’m on a long journey back and it may even be two years to get back to the sort of running shape I was in last year – but then again I need to also remember that I hopefully will enjoy less injuries now compared to when the big miles were going in. Give and take really.

On the whole it’s a very positive view for me as I’m back in all three sports, I’m enjoying them all and I can see improvement almost every time I go out.  In some ways it feels a bit like just starting out where improvement comes every time.  I must be the oldest newbie in town.

The big training plan for Ironman Frankfurt starts in just over one week’s time and I’m really looking forward to it but also I am beginning to remember what hard work it is and the commitment and motivation levels required to keep going through crap weather, tiredness, work requirements, family time and all the other things that life throws our way but that’s half the challenge and the fun.