TW3 IMFF Week 15

Monday 30th January 2012

Week 15completed
Hours Trained: 10H 54Mins
Swimming: 5.3K (3.3 Miles)
Cycling: 73.15 Miles
Running: 27.80 Miles

Week 15 was another decent week of training under the belt. That is now 3 weeks of around 11 Hrs training per week.
This was the first week where the legs started to feel a bit tired and I suppose that is part of the increased load coming on now.  Run time and distance is up and that is probably the biggest factor.
However, I am pleased that the effort, pace and HR all stayed strong throughout - even if the legs felt like they wanted to go home before the Brain did.

Next week is pretty similar to this week.

A Long winded blog and mild hypothemia.

Sunday 21st January 2012

Cycling
02:48:08 - 41.61 Miles (14.80 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 75% Max / Cadence 79)

I set out on a planned 3HR ride with a lot of optimism as it looked like it was going to be a nicer day than I have experienced recently.  Oh how wrong can I be!

The first 1HR went really well and average pace was up around 17 MPH and the route was not flat at all.  it was a bit wet and the drizzle had soaked me but it was not cold or windy so it didn't feel too bad. At this stage the wet in the air and on the roads was starting to take it toll.  My feet were soaked, even though my new Overshoes are class, there is only so much they can take.  The waterproof gloves I was wearing were doing a great job at stopping the water getting in - except for one major flaw.  The water was running down my jacket arms and in to the gloves.  the waterproofing was now doing a great job at keeping the water in the gloves and they were rapidly filling up.  This was bizarre.

At around 30 miles I had to take a diversion because of a closed road and this added a few extra miles of very wet roads that I really could have done without.

By this stage the rain had picked up and the wind, which was very light earlier, was really blowing.
I was coping well with both the elements and the cold up to this point.

At around 35 miles I noticed a slow puncture on the front tyre and this made pushing in to wind even harder. 
By the time I got to Moira it was clear that I would have to stop and repair the puncture .  This is where things went pear shaped.  I stopped at a garage and realised that I was actually totally freezing and couldn't even get the valve cap off the wheel.  I took my gloves off and literally about half a pin of water came out of each glove.  My hands were totally numb and pretty blue.

I realised I had no chance of changing the puncture and decided to swallow my pride and call Keara to come and get me. 
The 15 minutes waiting for her to come were actually a bit scary as I think it is the closest I have come to feeling what hypothermia is like.  I had uncontrollable shivering and pains in my hands.
Thankfully Keara arrived with a coffee as well.  It was an absolute life saver.
A warm bath and some food and I was back to normal.

I feel a bit disappointed that I had to cut the ride short and also that I had to call for help - but things were not good.  I am however confident that if I had not got the puncture I would have made it home easily enough and I definitely felt like I worked hard today.

Long gone.

Saturday 28th January 2012

Running
01:45:35 - 11.50 Miles (09.11 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)

Longest run for quite a while and it was good to go long again  It's been too long. (note to self - too many "longs" in that pre-amble).  Not that 11.5 miles is really long, but it is compared to the shorter stuff I have been doing.

The first 4 miles or so were pretty hard going.  The running felt laboured and tough but the HR and breathing etc were all fine and pace was good so I just pressed on.
The rest of the run went well and I got in to a nice rhythm and every mile was pretty much at the same pace and HR.

The good thing about this run was that this pace would still give me a sub 2Hr Half Marathon and staying well within effort and HR zones.

Just go straight through - it's easier.

Friday 27th January 2012

Swimming
2500M - 00:51:36 in 18M pool at Gym
2500M straight throughI am delighted at this swim.  I just got in to the pool and went for it and did not bother thinking about sets or drills.  I just went for it and it paid off.  Fastest 2500M so far and it all felt very comfortable too.  Nice one.

Running
01:00:00 - 6.35 Miles (09.27 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 84% Max)
Went OK - that's about it!

Hard Days Night.

Thursday 26th January 2012

Cycling
01:15:00 - 19.66 miles (15.70 MPH / HR Zone 1 / 71% Max / Cadence 95) Turbo Trainer
I was supposed to do a spin session at +100RPM.  It didn't quite work out as planned and he average RPM was a bit low and it dropped below 100 after about 45 mins.  Not sure why.  It did feel a bit like hard work tonight - but the positive side is that it did feel like a good strength workout on the legs.

Also the blog has now gong through the 4000 views mark today - thanks for reading.

Everyday I'm Shufflin'

Wednesday 25th January 2012

Brick Session

Cycling
00:45:00 - 11.88 miles(15.88 MPH / HR Zone 1 / 69% Max / Cadence 87 ) Turbo Session
I really felt heavy in the legs again today on this session and found it hard to get up a decent speed and cadence.  Bit disappointing, but I am pleased at the effort I put in because I just had to knuckle down and get on with it.

Running
00:30:00 - 3.32 Miles (09.02 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 78% Max)
The tired legs carried through to the run unfortunately too, but it really didn't seem to affect speed or Heart rate - I just felt like I was running on dead legs with no bounce - more of a shuffle than a glide.

I wonder is it the fact that I am now up to 4 round per week, 3 of which are at 1hr or more, plus longer rides too.  I am sure this is just part of the training effect but it is a bit frustrating.  The good thing is though that the aerobic capacity is good and is shown in the steady range of HR readings.

My Left Foot

Tuesday 24th January 2012
Swimming
2800M - 00:59:30 in 18M pool at Gym

2800M straight through

The pool was like a mad house this afternoon with 6 people sharing the limited width of an 18M pool.  Not good.  Thankfully there were no collisions and most people were OK swimmers  Needless to say I was the last one left in.  No one else seems to be doing sessions as long as mine.  I wonder why??

Running
01:00:00 - 6.63 Miles (09.03 per mile / HR Zone 3 / 86% Max)
Heavy legs in diving boots.  That's what it felt like this evening.  It could have been the swim this afternoon or it could have been taking Ben to the pool for a few lengths as he has a Kids School Duathlon tomorrow and he needed a bit of confidence that he could handle the swim - so I took him to Olympia Pool for a wee bit of a swim.  He did OK but is definitely more of a runner than a swimmer.  Saying that, he is probably better than I was this time last year

My Heart rate monitor was going haywire for the first mile or two this evening so my HR levels seemed elevated compared to the effort I was putting in.

Despite the heavy legs, my time and pace was actually pretty good.

 

I can feel a very slight niggle in my left foot again in the same place that it flared up last time - so hopefully it will not amount to anything.

TW3 IMFF Week 14

TWTWTW IMFF Week 14

Monday 23rd January 2012

Week 14 completed

Hours Trained: 10H 39Mins
Swimming: 5.0K (3.1 Miles)
Cycling: 79.15 Miles
Running: 24.87 Miles

Week 14 turned out to be a pretty good week on the whole.

I got most of the training time done – apart from 30 mins less due to being in a tiny Gym in London, but all key sessions were done to plan this week, and once again it was over 10 hrs training time

Thankfully any minor niggles have not emerged to date and I hope that this continues.

I think I am most pleased about getting a bit quicker on the run whilst still keeping in the important Aerobic HR Zone.  I am also pleased at hitting a new (well last 6 yrs) low in weight.

Next week is pretty much the same as this week except for a slight increase in long run time – now up to 1hr 45mins.broadly similar to this week, except that the Brick session run goes up to 30 mins from 15 mins.  This should be a bit more of a test and I think I will aim to take it a bit slower than previous Brick runs.

This is how the week ahead looks

I like the wind at my back - not so much at the front.

Sunday 14th January 2012

Cycling
03:00:00 - 43.15 (14.40 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 76% Max / Cadence 80)

I hooked up with my friend and fellow Triathlete Donald for a spin around the bike course of the Groomsport Half Ireman.

It was a really enjoyable ride, however it was incredibly windy.  I didn't notice it being too bad for the first 10 miles or so on the first loop but then as we headed in to the wind it was really hard work back to Groomsport. 
I decided then to be clever and do my second loop in reverse to take advantage of the wind.  This was a perfect plan for the first 7 miles or so.  I was sweeping along very nicely with the wind at my tail, but then as I turned inland the wind become a strong crosswind and then a really strong headwind.  It is fair to say that the last 10 miles of the loop was incredibly tough and possibly the strongest wind I have had to ride in.

That would explain the slightly lower pace today, bit it certainly felt like  a workout and  I am pleased with the way I got through the second loop.  Am I becoming Hardcore?  Probably not.

Will I get faster as I get older? I couldn't get slower.

Saturday 21st January 2012

Running
01:30:00 - 10.02 Miles (08.59 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 81% Max)

Another really pleasing run as the course was a bit tougher than the 10 miler least week and the wind was pretty strong at times.  I am so pleased to be able to knock out a 10 mile run at sub 9 min miles with the HR in the right zone.  I hope this continues, because in the last 6 months I have been able to run in the right HR zone and bring my average pace down from abut 10.15 per mile to probably just under 9 mins per mile. 
This must be the training effect they talk about.

While I was running I was listening to a podcast of an interview with a legendary runner and coach from the 60s and 70s called Bruce Tullah.  He had a cracking quote from an old Jazz musician who when he reached his 100th Birthday said - "If i knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself!"  I absolutely loved this.

Bruce himself was not too shabby in his old age and knocked out a 57 mins for 10 miles when he was 60 and 36 mins for a 10K.  I couldn't do either of those times in a car!

The early bird swims like a fish?

Friday 20th January 2012

Swimming
2500M - 00:59:20 in 25M pool at Lisburn Leisureplex
2500M straight through

I had a REALLY early session this morning with a 5.45 start to the swimming session.  It was great to get the session over with and be back home with a quickest yet 2500M under the belt by 7.15am.

Very pleased with how the session went and it probably helped that I was in the lane with some pretty decent swimmers.

I think I will do this early session again - but I don't know if I can promise that it will be every week.

Running
01:00:00 - 6.50 Miles (09.14 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 85% Max)
A decent run in windy conditions.

Great Stuff

Thursday 19th January 2012

Cycling
01:15:00 - 27.00 miles (21.60 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 72% Max / Cadence 88) Turbo Trainer
A brilliant session on the Turbo - speed great - cadence great and HR great - pretty much Great.

BYOB and the smallest Gym in the world.

Wednesday 18th January 2012

Brick Session

Cycling
00:30:00 - 09.00 miles(18.00 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 73% Max / Cadence 95) Gym Bike
Had to use a gym exercise bike - bloody awful thing.  I don;'t know how people use these things regularly.  Give me areal bike on a Turbo any day of the week.
Running
00:15:00 - 1.80 Miles (08.20 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 79% Max) Treadmill in Gym
God I hate treadmills.

the best thing about this unenjoyable workout in the smallest Hotel Gym in the world was going out for a Curry afterwards at the Lahore Kebab House on Commercial Road in London.  Stunning food in a somewhat surprising location.  Looks like nothing inside or out but food was amazing.  And it was BYOB too - Class!!

A clean ride is a good ride.

Tuesday 17th January 2012
Swimming
2500M - 01:09:48 in 18M pool at Gym

Warm up 300M (WU 300)
8X 50 M Drills (Kick only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only)
1X300 with 10 secs rest between intervals
3X200M with 10 secs rest
1X300M with 10 secs rest between intervals
8 X 50M Drills (Arms only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only)
200M Cool Down
Total 2500M

Swim went well but on reflection it was actually quite boring.  To be honest swimming is a bit boring just ploughing up and down 150 lengths of an 18M pool looking at a black line on the bottom of the pool.  It must be done though

Running
01:00:00 - 6.55 Miles (09.09 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)
I am very happy with this one on a couple of levels.  The average pace was good and importantly every mile was within a couple of seconds of the overall average, which indicates good pacing and an even level of effort.  Just what I am looking for.

 

Nothing to do with running or swimming but I spent about an hour and a half last night cleaning my bike.  It was really dirty and hadn't been cleaned for some time and  it really needed a bit of TLC as the wet and dirt on the roads recently has really gunged up the the chain and gear changes.  Making it a bit harder to pedal and just not as efficient.  So now my ride is clean again and I am looking forward o getting back on her.

 

 

TW3 IMFF Week 13

TWTWTW IMFF Week 13

Monday 16th January 2012

Week 12 completed

Hours Trained: 11H 06Mins
Swimming: 5.5K (3.4 Miles)
Cycling: 77.92 Miles
Running: 24.59 Miles

Week 13 was a total contrast that was the frustration and disappointment of Week 12.  I got every planned session done and was pleased with the overall quality of each one.

It was also a step up as well, in so much as I went over 11 hours in training and more than 100 miles combined between the 3 disciplines.  I know that this is still a drop in the ocean compared to what is to come and indeed what has to be done on the actual day but it is now starting to feel like I really am in proper Ironman training mode with bigger hours and mileage.

I felt a bit tired at the end of the week but not too bad and the motivation levels are high, which is probably most important.

Next week is broadly similar to this week, except that the Brick session run goes up to 30 mins from 15 mins.  This should be a bit more of a test and I think I will aim to take it a bit slower than previous Brick runs.

This is how the week ahead looks.

Toasty Toes.

Sunday 14th January 2012

Cycling
03:07:50 - 45.62 (14.60 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 73% Max / Cadence 78)

My longest ride for quite a while and it was really nice.  Weather stayed dry!  Yee Hah! It was such a pleasure to have the first dry cycle for quite some team.  It was still a bit windy and not the warmest but still a lot better than what I have been through recently.  My new Overshoes were really good and my feet stayed pretty warm, which is a first on a cool day. Loving my Toasty toes.

I loved the route today - through Belfast to Comber and then on to Ballygowan, Saintfiled to Hillsborough and then the Maze to Magheragall and back home.  A fairly undulating route with over 400 metres of climbing.
Average speed was a bit below what I was hoping for but that was only to be expected with the amount of traffic lights and junctions I had to stop at in the first 10 miles.

Overall I am really pleased with the ride and it topped out my biggest week of training to date.  After the injury interrupted week last week, I managed to get over 11 hours of training this week.  Nice one.

Had a nice day

Running
01:30:00 - 10.04 Miles (08.50 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)

Yee hah!  One of my best and most enjoyable runs for quite a while. 
I chose a lovely route down the tow path from Sprucefield in Lisburn down to near Lady Dixon's Park at Drumbeg and back again.
Pace was great, Heart Rate was great, foot felt good and the weather was lovely and clear.  This is what I have been waiting for - everything coming together at one and it felt good.

If Carlsberg did Runs. . . . .

Running
01:00:00 - 6.47 Miles (09.17 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)
A nice run tonight and an even better Cider when I got back and showered.   A Carlsberg run

Pity Da Fool.

Thursday 12th January 2012

Cycling
01:00:00 - 16.58 (16.58 MPH / HR Zone 1 / 70% Max / Cadence 101) Turbo Trainer - Spin Session +100RPM
A good effort today and I am happy with how it went. Speed and effort very consistent through the hour.

Swimming
2500M - 01:07:27 in 25M pool at Lisburn Leisureplex
Warm up 300M (WU 300)
8 X 50 M Drills (Kick only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only) (8X50 Drill)
16X25M with 10 secs rest between intervals
1X400M with 20 secs rest
16X25M with 10 secs rest between intervals 8 X 50M Drills (Arms only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only) (8X50 Drill)
200M Cool Down
Total 2500M

This session went so well tonight.  I was not really all that enthusiastic about heading out for a 8.30 session this evening but I am so pleased that I went.  I felt extremely comfortable throughout and got out of the pool feeling like I could have done another 50 lengths. 

In the words of Hannibal from the A-Team -" I love it when a plan comes together."
I really loved the A-Team - think I will look for a box-set on eBay.

Drizzle Schmizzle.

Wednesday 11h January 2012

Brick Session

Cycling
00:45:00 - 15. 72(21.00 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 73% Max / Cadence 92) Turbo Trainer
A decent wee session tonight and the best part was that I have now started Season 5 of 24.  Season 4 ended really well and Season 5 has started well too. Great Stuff.

Running
00:15:00 - 1.76 Miles (08.32 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)
Pretty good run off the bike and pace was decent.  I am really looking forward to the weather turning a bit better as I am getting totally p'd off with running in the rain even though it was only a light drizzle it is still enough to be annoying.  The foot still held up quite well which is encouraging.

Breaststroke Tsunami.

Tuesday 10th January 2012

Swimming
3000M - 01:21:29 in 18M pool at Gym

Warm up 300M (WU 300)
8 X 50 M Drills (Kick only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only)
4X125M with 20 secs rest between intervals
4X175M with 40 secs rest
4X125M with 20 secs rest between intervals
8 X 50M Drills (Arms only / Swim fist / Doggy Paddle / Arms only)
200M Cool Down
Total 3000M

I was half dreading this swim today given that I had only one swim last week and that I had done virtually no training last week.  I was worried that my fitness would show me up and there is no hiding place on a 3K swim for me.

Happily things went pretty well and I felt decent at least until half way when I started to feel a little bit queasy.  I think this is down to trying to figure out the nutrition properly for a long early morning swim.  Not sure if the porridge is working or not. 

It could also have been down to the Tsunami like swell being created in the pool by the Guy swimming beside me doing breaststroke.  I have never seen anyone create so much of a wave in the pool – it was like being on a proper triathlon swim with swell and spray.
Thankfully he got out after about 20 minutes and the calm was restored.
Coincidentally I started to feel a good bit better too and it was really just a bit of fatigue setting on towards the end which slowed me down a bit – but that was to be expected.

 Overall it went better than expected and it is nice to be back on the right path again.

Running
01:00:00 -  6.34 Miles (09.28 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 85% Max)
First Run back on the sore foot, although it is not really sore at the moment.  i was with Colin the Physio and he inflicted a little bit of pain but nothing too bad.  It appears to be a couple of joints on the upper outside of the foot rubbing together and causing pain and inflammation.  Nice to know but not a desperate amount can be done to prevent it given I have feet as flat as a pancake.

Anyway,I was feeling good so went out for a run and took it pretty easy and did 1Hr.  Perhaps a bit longer than I should have but it felt good so I carried on.  I hope I don't pay for that enthusiasm. 

TW3 IMFF Week 12

TWTWTW IMFF Week 12

 

 

Monday 9th January 2012

That Was The Week That Was (Or rather the week that WASN'T!)

Week 12 completed

Hours Trained: 2H 52Mins
Swimming: 2.5K (1.5 Miles)
Cycling: 15.10 Miles
Running: 8.29 Miles

Week 12 was a dreadful week.  To say I am disappointed and annoyed is a massive understatement.
I started to get a sore foot on Tuesday and on Wednesday it was clear that it was getting a bit worse.
It is a severe pain on the top outside of my left foot and it was so bad on Thursday that I was hobbling badly and not able to train at all.  On Friday it got even worse and it was hard to get a shoe on.

Eventually it eased off on Sunday and I was walking pretty normally again but the result of the injury is that I missed 5 sessions this week totalling about 7 hours.  This meant I missed my long run and long bike ride at the weekend.  This is bad as these are the foundation of Ironman training.

The good news is that it feels better and I will hopefully be back to normal training this week.
I am also going back to the Physio (http://www.iaingettyphysio.com/) on Tuesday to see if they can work their magic for me.  Colin has got me moving in the past when I didn't think it would work - so no pressure Colin!

This is the week ahead.  All being well.

I've entered a 5K.. . . . . (Swim that is!!)

Wednesday 4th January 2012

Brick Session

Cycling
00:45:00 -  15.1 Miles (20.3 MPH / HR Zone 1 / 70% Max / Cadence 88) Turbo Trainer
A bit slower on the pace tonight as I upped the resistance on the trainer and worked a harder gear - so a bit slower but probably a higher power output.
Running
00:15:00 - 1.81 Miles (08.18 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 83% Max)
This was another run where it was hard to go out the door as it is a windy, wet and miserable night - AGAIN.  I must be getting hard core because at no point did I think of not going out - it has to be done - so it is!
I was really pleased with the pace tonight and this is the fastest I have gone on a brick run and that is encouraging.

It is interesting how the average pace is much higher on a run after a bike session compared to a stand alone run.  it must be that the Bike session gets the heart Rate going and allows the run to pick up where it left off.

Last Year I did a Swimathon event in April.  The entries are out again for this year and I decided to enter again - except instead of the 1500M (60 lengths) that I did last year, I have entered the 5000M (200 lengths) this year. I am not sure if I can do it but I think that the swimming training will give me a nice build up to it, even though the longest swim in training will be 3500M - so just an extra 60 lengths to make it up to the 5K!

Wet in the morning and soaked in the evening.

Tuesday 3rd January 2012

Swimming
2500M - 00:52:30 in 18M pool at Gym
2500M straight through
Decent enough session this morning although I did feel a bit tired towards the end.

Running
01:00:00 - 6.48 Miles (09.15 per mile / HR Zone 2 / 82% Max)
I have to admit that heading out the door tonight seemed like an act of pure madness.  I think it was the worst conditions that I have started a run in.  it was blowing hard, raining heavily and cold.  The rain very soon gave way to sleet and snow and the wind didn't get any easier at all.  It was horrific.

Fortunately it eased off after 2 or 3 miles and just became rain and wind!!

I could have easily quit but I thought it was a good test of toughing it out and I am glad that I stuck with it and actually did pretty well in the conditions.  Mind you; I wouldn't want to do it every day.

TWTWTW IMFF Week 11

Monday 2nd January 2012

That Was The Week That Was

Week 11 completed

Hours Trained: 9H 38Mins
Swimming: 5K (3.1 Miles)
Cycling: 73.97 Miles
Running: 18.07 Miles

Week 11 was a significant step up in training time - heading towards 10 hours.  The mileage is starting to creep up in both Running and Cycling, mainly due to increases in the long run and cycles going to 1.5 and 2.5 hrs respectively.

Next week represents a bit of milestone as I now move to 4 runs per week and this adds to the overall time and increase in mileage on my feet too.  I am looking forward to it but it is becoming more challenging to squeeze things in now - but I will find a way.

This is a look at the week ahead - oh Joy!

Review of 2011 as a Novice Ironman

I thought I would do a bit of a review of the year and see what I actually did in terms of training, events and some highlights.

Right, the stats!
Overall 271 activities – for 1919 miles and 128,000 Calories burned (excluding swimming)
Running – 101 activities – 591 miles - average distance 5.85 miles – average speed 9.22 per mile – 75693 calories burned
Cycling – 72 activities – 1252 miles – average distance 17.4 miles – average speed 14.7 mph – average cadence 82rpm – 52620 calories burned.
Swimming – 98 activities – 76 miles – average distance 1250M – average speed 1.3mph               

Events

I did quite few events this year and a number of them were a bit different for me and probably the biggest point of note was that I only did 1 marathon this year.  This is the first year in a few that I have not done 3 Marathons.  This was a conscious decision on my part and I am happy enough with the choice.

I did 1 Marathon (Belfast City Marathon), 1 Half Marathon (Lisburn), 1 10K (Craigavon), 6 Triathlons (Roe Valley, Glenarm, Belfast, Lough Neagh, Stena, Strangford 888).  I also did the Brownlee Challenge Duathlon and Lap the Lough and North Down Coastal Challenge cycling events.

It is hard to pick out a specific favourite or highlight as each of the triathlons brought a new challenge and fortunately quite a few PBs on the Triathlon front and also for the 10K.

I was delighted with the whole Triathlon season and the effort that I put in to working on my swim from last January really paid off.  I started out being unable to get more than 250M without stopping and being completely knackered, to where I am now comfortably knocking out 3000M in training.

This improvement in the swimming gave me the confidence to tackle the Triathlons this year and to take the plunge and go for Open Water events.  These are a real experience and scary as hell to start with.

Highlights
It was great to complete an Olympic Distance event in Lough Neagh and smash my expected goal time, coming in at 2:52.

Another Tri highlight was the Strangford 888 and again I surpassed my expectations with a great time and a massive sense of achievement at swimming The Narrows from Strangford to Portaferry.

Lap the Lough and the North Down Coastal Challenge were terrific cycling events and I was pleased at how they went for me.

I think the one thing that really sticks in my head from 2011 was getting to compete in the same event as the Brownlee Brothers at a Duathlon in September.  They are both sporting Heroes of mine and it was great not just to see them but to meet them and get to chat with them for a wee while.  They did not disappoint as they were lovely lads and very down to earth.

Ironman
I can’t talk about 211 without mentioning the madness that was my entry for Ironman Germany in Frankfurt in July 2012.
This is a challenge that I had been thinking about for a while and I decided that it would be a great way to mark my 40^th Birthday next year.  Luckily I have great support from my wife and family and friends that allow me to commit to the mammoth training regime to get me to the start line on 8^th of July.  With 11 weeks of training gone in 2011 I have already racked up over 60 hrs. of training time with 37K of swimming, nearly 600 miles of cycling and 200 miles running.  All within a specific Heart rate zone.  With a further 26 weeks to go, I am expecting things to get progressively tougher now.

I am relishing the prospect of what is to come and the challenges that lie ahead for 2012.  Hope everyone else has the year that they all hope for.

Frozen Fingers. Mine not Captain Birdseye.

Sunday 1st January 2012

Cycling
02:32:30 - 37.01 Miles (14.60 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 76% Max / Cadence 82)

Out for my long ride today and I picked a pretty nice route.  The weather was pretty good albeit a bit windy but nothing too horrible.

I went out to Hillsborough -Anahilt - Ballynahinch - Carryduff - Belfast - Lisburn.
Pace and HR were excellent and I was averaging over 16 mph for the first 1.5 hrs - but then the weather changed dramatically.  It literally started to chuck it down, the wind picked up even more and the temperature dropped about 5 degrees.
The end result was that for the last 40 mins of my ride I was in absolute agony with frozen wet fingers which I couldn't feel apart from the agonising pain of them being frozen.
I was so pleased to get home and I spent about 25 mins in the shower getting sensation back in to my fingers and toes.

I was pleased with the ride and the fact that I stuck at it and made it through in pretty tough conditions.

The scary part!!  This was only 1/3 of the bike distance I will need to do on the day of the Ironman.  A very scary prospect.