Ran over 100 miles in July

In July I ran over 100 miles. :-)

This is the 3rd highest amount I have run in a month ever!!

The other two where the month before the London marathon in 2005 and Dublin marathon in 2006. Both of which I improved my then marathon PB with the London marathon before I started to do or train for triathlons.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Only 19 days to go, now counting down in days!!!

Weekly Update

This week I have done just under 10 hours of training. It was 60% cycling and 40% running. The pool that I normally us before a run session was closed this week due to flooding.

This time includes a long bike ride (4.5 hours) from today plus during the week my longest run before the ironman.

This week I will try and get some swimming including lake swims and some more cycling. This will be the last big week of training before ironman which is now less than 3 weeks away now.

Weekly Weigh in

This week I have put on 1 lb (0.5 kg) but my % body fat is down 0.5%.

The amount of training this week has been affected by the weather conditions. I have now don my longest run before the ironman I just need to do some more endurance on the other two disciplines.

A Long Training Run for Ironman

Yesterday I did my longest run of the year, a 16 mile run. Which now July is the month I have run the most miles this year.

This was to try and simulate how the run at the Ironman will feel like. The day before in the evening I had done 7 miles at a relatively fast pace, I then deliberately had less sleep by going to watch the simpsons movie at the first showing locally at 1 minute past midnight.

Then after work I did 6 miles at about 1 minute per mile slower than my 10km pace and then did another 10 mile run. All of this was in light rain but with no flooding on the roads.
For the last 8 miles my legs did feel heavy and I was doing 10 to 11 minute mile pace, however this did include a few walk breaks for drinks and gels.
The route did have a few hills and undulations which is similar to the run course. This felt tougher than previous marathons I have done and was good practice to get used to running in this state which will likely be even worse on the day but hopefully the weather will be better.

Also tried some new running kit for the first time which was fine. The trainers I had used for only the second time where ok for the whole run. After lacing them differently from the previous day as yesterday they had starting to make my feet sore after 5 miles.

Last Week’s Training

Last week I did just under 7 hours of training this was affected by the torrential rain that week. This was about 60% Running which included some longer runs, 25% Swimming pool and lake and 15% Cycling.

However I did include my last triathlon before Ironman UK, which tried a few new things and learned a few items which should benefit me for this race next month.

Milton Keynes Olympic Distance Triathlon

Earlier today I completed the Milton Keynes Olympic Distance Triathlon in 2 hours 41 minutes. This was a good time for me but the course had been made slightly shorter due to the torrential rain and flooding of the past few days.

It did not start that well as the hotel I stayed at nearby had a wedding reception their so I could hear all the cheesy 80's/90's wedding songs. I think I got about 5 hours sleep before the alarm went off. I waited for a few more of my alarms before getting up.

When I got to transition I noticed that they had rotated it by 90 degrees to reduce the saturated area in the transition area. However it ended up muddy with patches/puddles of water or mud, this was not helped by their being I think 1,000 people doing this event.
I was unpacking my stuff and I was thinking their is something missing. I realized it was in my cycling shoes which where in the boot of the car. I checked the time which was 5 minutes before the transition should have closed. I checked with the stewards who said I would be allowed back in if the first wave was not out of the water. I ran to the car and back with my cycling shoes, that was my warm up. I then had a further 40 minutes before my wave started. So I put on a old race t shirt instead of being done up in my wet suit and getting really warm.

The 1500m swim was a M shaped course (starting on th right edge) followed by a short ^ shape to the swim finish. I stayed at the back of the wave and did not go of course much on the first turn, the second turn I noticed half way that I was of course by a bit so corrected my direction to the next turning point. About 2/3 the way around I noticed my googles had started to mist up so was making sightening the buoys a bit more difficult especially when the sun was in the line of sight reflecting off the lake. I managed the swim in under 34 minutes, which I was pleased with.

The first transition I took just over 6 minutes which was pretty quick for me. It was helped by my bike being near one of the rack ends near the bike exit. The thing I struggled with was getting my cycling top on when I was still wet, I eventually managed this with the tri suit on top. I was glad I was trying some new black running socks as by the time I made the 10m run out with my bike, my cycling shoes where covered in mud.

The cycle I struggled for the first few miles to get one of my shoes clipped into the peddle. A marshall even helped my get some mud of them, eventually I was able to get them both clipped in to the peddles. The course had been altered and slightly reduced by 2 miles (3km) by the recent flood. This meant the big hill at the end of the loop was not done but they took you on a route which a few more longer undulations before joining the planned route until the last 5 miles (7km) or so. You could see some of the fields below the road to the left which had been turned in to lakes. I completed the cycle in 1 hour 16 minutes which is an average speed of 17 mph (27 kmph). During the first half of the ride I did seem to struggle, this could be due to the lack of cycling done recently and therefore the loss of cycle fitness, in addition to struggling to get the shoes clipped in correctly. However the average speed was about right for this sort of distance.

The next transition I completed it in just over 1 minute, as it is a relative quick change. As it was fairly cool on the cycle only 16C (61F) I decided to keep my long sleeve cycling top on underneath my trisuit to save some time in transition. As a lot people had been in the transition area by now for each of the stages it was really muddy now, so more cycling shoes where covered even further.

The run was 3 laps which a section of about 100m had been removed as it had been turned in to a waist high lake. This made the run 9.6km (just under 6 miles). As you left th transition area their where various puddles and muddy sections which where about ankle deep. I was glad I double knotted the shoe lace before leave, as the mud or water went totally over the show and as they are more breathable fabric, some of the moisture got inside the shoe. I was glad I took a sports drink with me on the run as it was starting to warm up, I was not too impressed of my decision to keep the cycling top on, although it could be partly undone to cool down. Most of the lap was on the road around the park their was a section of about 1km (0.6 miles) off road on the grass/mud and trail paths. I did the run in under 45 minutes which was only a few minutes away from my normal running 10km PB, so I was pleased with that time.

Overall I was pleased I did this event as I learned a few more things and tried some new kit out, I will try some others in training runs.

However this was the last race before Ironman UK which is now less than 4 weeks away!!!

Run after the Rain

Tonight I did a 6 mile (10km) run, which was nothing special apart from the conditions from earlier in the day. Until just after lunchtime for the previous 18 hours or so there had been torrential rain which had caused flooding including Thunder and Lightening in the surrounding areas.



The above photo from the BBC South Today web site flood photo gallery. The photo is only 0.5 mile (0.7km) away at most from my home. As you can see in the photo it is at the bottom of a slope. However it is the major route to the nearest city and the a main supermarket (begins with T).

On driving home from work and only seeing the flood water before turning off the roundabout I knew a different route based on recent training runs since moving to this part of the town. This route also had a flood diversion not as bad as the above which the traffic was diverted through an industrial estate.

When we run past this area about an hour later their was cars and vans both that had attempted to go through it. So got stuck going through and look like they got pulled back by rescue vehicles. Some had made it through the water, only to stop working just a few meters afterwards with the inside flooded.

Hopefully the weather may be better soon. I should then be able to get some more long cycling rides done.

Weekly Update

This week my weight is the same with my % body fat down 0.5%.

However this week I have done my first training run this year of double figures with a 10 mile (16km) run midweek.

Already this month I have ran more than each of the months of May and June, so at least my running is coming together at the right time for Ironman UK.

Ironingman Training

Tonight I added a bit of a twist to my training. As I left my house I started my washing machine which had a dozen shirts to be washed. The aim was to beat the washing while doing the training session.

I jogged to to the training session which was only 0.6 miles (1 km) away. We then did the hill session, without me mentioning my session tonight so the length was not changed. Afterwards I chatted to the other runners for a few minutes before setting of on the easy jog back of the same distance. I then did some stretches and walked back about 100m to my house.


As I opened my front door I could still hear the washing machine going, I had beaten it. It was another 25 minutes before it finished.

As I treat for beating the machine after dinner I ironed all 12 shirts. :-)

Last week's training (or lack of)

Last week I did 4 hours of training. This was 1 hour of swimming and 3 hours of running. The planned long sessions (5 hours +) at the weekend I was unable to do due to weather (weather warnings issued) and also a sore shoulder, I think I must have slept on it awkwardly.

Hopefully this week should be better but the current forecasts are poor. I will go out unless it is really heavy rain or windy for a run but cycling may be another story.

Longest run of the Year ...so far

Tonight I did my longest run of the year* (so far) a massive 8.36 miles (13.45km).


*This excludes about 6 running races or triathlons which I have have run further than this.

Highlights of Ironman UK on TV

The highlights of this years Ironman UK will be shown in the UK on Channel 4 on 4th November at 8:30am, according to the British Triathlon news article.

That is about 2 1/2 months after the event.

Swim Improvements

The last two pool swims I have had a good sessions. I felt I have improved my technique at the rotation phase of the stroke. This has increased my speed slightly without additional effort.

Weekly Weigh in

This week I have lost 1.3 lb (0.6 Kg) but my body fat increased by 0.5%.

Weekly Update

Last week I did 7 1/2 hours of training, this back to the sort of levels I need to be at least doing.

This was virtually all the Cowman Triathlon plus 2 other runs earlier in the week. This amount of time was affected by me getting a cold at the start of the week.

Cowman Triathlon

The Cowman Triathlon could also be described as the Milton Keynes Half Ironman Distance Triathlon and was based in Emberton Country Park which is to the north of Milton Keynes.

This year their was only 2 waves for the Cowman, which I was in the last wave which started at 7.10am. They also had a sprint event their which started an hour later.

In addition to the chip timing you had stick on numbers, which the a lot fell off on the cycle due to how many I saw on the road. My front number fell off but the back one stayed on all day. They where quite good as in addition to the race number they had your first name on them, so you got some encouragement from the spectators. They also had some stickers for your supporters displaying I am supporting 123 or whatever your number was.

The lake did not seem that cold. I suppose that was helped by walking across the grass to the start area which was still cold due to the dew that was still on it.

The swim I did in 45:30 which was fairly good time for me. The main difference from last year was I did not get cramp in my legs and felt like I could have done it again, good news for less than 6 weeks time!!!

I could have done it slightly quicker if I had listened carefully to the race briefing while I was getting my wetsuit on before the race. As in the last swim lap instead of heading to the next lap buoy as on the first lap you should swim straight to the swim exit. I think this would have only added 30 seconds to my time, however typically my sighting to this buoy was the best I had done all day.

In the transition (T1) I was fairly quick for me 6:25 apart from getting to and from my bike the longest thing was getting out of the wetsuit which I seemed to struggle with.

The cycle I managed 3:16:59 which is an average of 17.4 mph (28 kmph). There were a few undulations and short climbs plus at the end of each of the 3 laps (2 long and 1 short lap) was a big hill. I was able to overtake a few people going up this hill. I could have done with one more bar to eat on the bike as there was only a water stop on each lap. Luckily I took some gels with me in addition to the 2 bars. It started to warm up on the last lap of the cycle which was then 21C (70 F).

In the transition (T2) I was fairly quick for me 2:40. T2 is always a lot quicker due to the lack of kit to change and its ease of doing so.

The run was 4 laps of a 5km (3.2 miles) circuit which was on the local village roads, off road around some fields and through the country park. This year their was plenty of food/drink on the route the main section being just near the start of each loop with a water stop 2/3 they way round.
From T2 I also took a bottle of sports drink and some gels with me. The drink was very useful as I sipped the drink occasionally in between the water stops. I only had some of the gels on the last 2 laps once I had drunk my sports drink. To ensure I got enough fuel on the run I also walked though the food stops. On some of the laps I walked up the inclines as my HR was slightly higher than I would expect possible due to the extra heat as it was now 25C (77 F). I tried to chase a person in the last 400m of the run which we had been overtaking each since the last lap of the cycle. However I started to get cramp in my calf muscles so I eased back. I managed the half marathon run in 1:52:48 which was good considering I have not done any long runs recently in training.

My time for the event was 6:04:23 which was 9 minutes quicker than last year. I also got sunburnt due to the lot better than forecasted weather.

Weigh in for the last two weeks

During the last 2 weeks I have put on another 3 lbs (1.5 Kg). This was due to reduced exercise and increased unhealthy food intake.

Over the last 3 weeks I have now put on 1/2 stone (3.5 Kg), this should be corrected as my training will be increasing again.

Last Two Weeks Training

Two weeks ago my training was 5 1/2 hours, this did include an olympic distance triathlon (Fritton Lake). Nearly half this time was swimming which I felt I had made some improvements in my performance. The remaining time was fairly evenly split with running being slightly ahead of cycling.
The next week I only managed 3 hours due to the weather conditions. About half of this was time was spent at a children's activity center where I was running, climbing and lifting my 2 year old nephew then the remaining time was evenly distributed between the 3 disciplines.

So far this week I have done 30 minutes and now I have a cold which should take about a couple of more days of rest before training again.

Also Ironman UK as less than 7 weeks away!!!

Norwich Olympic Distance Triathlon - DNS

I had planned to do the Norwich Olympic Distance Triathlon on Sunday but instead DNS'd (Did Not Start) it.
I got up early to get to the venue and was their by an hour before the race start. The previous few days their had been some significant rainfall and the 30 minutes drive to the race was virtiually all in heavy rain. As I got to the race car park I noticed the marshals already looked like drowned rats. I parked my car and noticed I few other people sitting in the cars thinking about doing it. I waited 5 minutes to see if it would pass but it was still bouncing up of the car park, so I decided not to do this event.

I have done this race before and knew the first half of the cycle route is on small country lanes which where likely to already be flooded. I also did not fancy getting even more wet and cold after getting out of the lake and on to the bike. If my main race of the year was not Ironman UK I would have been tempted to do the race despite the conditions.

On the way back the rain did not stop until I was about 20 miles east of the race venue.

I have since seen from some race reports that the rain stopped about 5 minutes before the race start, typical. Also about 1/5 of people who entered did not do it, normally you would expect at most 10% fall out rate.

Fritton Lake Olympic distance Triathlon

On Sunday 24/6 I took part in the inaugural Fritton Lake Triathlon, at Fritton Lake which on the Norfolk/Suffolk Border to the west of Lowestoft. Their was also a sprint distance triathlon at this venue.
The swim I quite enjoyed it as I had already done a practice swim in the lake a few weeks before. Apart from the bit of lake water that got into my goggles at the start I could have quite easily done the swim again. Out of the swim their was a slight incline and 100m run to the grass area where the transition area was. I picked and end closer to the swim exit although it would have been better to pick a space nearer the cycle and run exit. This area in a slight valley where the supporters could stand on the embankments on either side. This was where the pony rides used to be when I last visited here some 15+ years ago.
Including my normal siesta in transition (T1) I managed the swim in 34:09, although my brother timed my swim (start to out of water) in 27 minutes, I planned for about 40 minutes so I was impressed with that time.

The bike was a two lap course which I had practiced the last few times I was back in the area. Parts of the course I used to bike as a child to my grandparents and back. Despite being in east anglia their was one significant hill on each lap which was fairly near the start and their was some undulating parts. I did not push it to hard on the bike and did not get to use the aerobars much due to the slight wind in places which where fairly exposed places. I was trying out eating more solid food on the cycle instead of just sports drinks and water which went well. The only problem I had was with my cadence sensor not sending a value to my GPS device. My time from the cycle including T2 was 1:17:03.

The run was 10km which the first part was on grass and gravel that was for just the first 1.5km. For about the next 7.5km it was off road through the woodland area next to the lake. The previous few days their had been some heavy rain and some light rain started as I was getting in to the transition from the cycle. This section was worse than the cross country league races I do in the winter. Their was numerous places where I thought I was going to lose my shoes and socks in the mud as it went half way up to my knees. In some places it they had covered some sections with boards to help. I ended up going through the woodland in places to avoid the worst mud sections but had to dodge the various undergrowth and low hanging tree branches. The last 1.5km was across a grass field and finally a short section (0.5km) of road. From T2 I took a bottle of Lucozade Sport Lemon with Caffeine Boost out as I know their was only 1 water stop which was within the first 1km. This was quite useful as I took sips as I went round the course until I finished it with about 2km to and give it to the next marshal, I felt it helped me on the run. My run time was 54:32 which given the conditions I felt it was a good time.

I was pleased with my time of 2:45:44 as I had not pushed myself but did have good sections and learn about more about various nutrition options.

Weigh In from 2 Weeks Ago

As I did not have any internet access for nearly two weeks below is my weigh in from 23/6.

This week I put on 4 lbs (1.8 Kg). This was due to doing just 6 hours of exercise but this did include an Olympic distance triathlon.