This is the difficult bit between races. Having completed UK 70.3 and Ironman UK, there's a real mental slump before the next race is due. The inital challenge of the distance has been met and nobody died. Nobody fell off or cramped or was sick or too dehydrated or grazed, blistered or bruised. There is no "let's go faster at the next one" because they're so close together and the risk of not finishing Ironman Wales is too high to lamp it at any point in that race.
It's proving a bit difficult to keep the momentum up in this maintenance period. There's no real gains to be made during the recovery period after Ironman UK and then it's already time to taper a bit for Ireland 70.3. So the key at the moment is to keep things ticking over and stop thinking about anything other than a well managed race.
I think I'd be buggered without a coach at this point. I'd either do almost nothing or far too much/too hard. This was always going to be the challenge with the Ultimate Ironman Challenge - getting around all four races safely and without making a mess of it and getting injured towards the end. With Rich coaching me, I'm 100% confident in doing that from a physical readiness point of view. The only thing I'm really worried about... is something happening in a race that's outside of my control, like someone crashing into me on the bike course and breaking me or my bike. *fret*
Showing posts with label core. Show all posts
Showing posts with label core. Show all posts
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Back in the gym
Finally! A week where I went to the gym three times! And I already feel loads better for it. My core supporting bits and bobs are feeling so much more -there- and useful. OK, so I didn't get my planned swim in (as wasn't well early in the week) and due to busyness at work I didn't get to get a run in either (though I'm planning to get out tomorrow), but THREE gym sessions! Woooo!
It's now that I need to get the base levels of strength and endurance on the increase; start to get some longer and longer bikes and runs in. And that's where I run into some difficulties...
The "easiest" way to get a long run in, given time constraints, is to get on the treadmill at the gym in a lunch break at work. But I can't use treadmills. I can't run on them at any decent speed and feel seasick when I get off the damned things. So. Sod that. It will have to be the old trick of using my commute to get a run in. Start off by getting on the tube and going part way home before getting out and running the rest of the way. Gradually making the tube journey shorter and shorter until I'm not using it at all and just running all the way home. I can make that a 15km run if I start from the door of the office and finish at the front door at home, which is good enough for me for now.
Thankfully, cycling on a turbo trainer is actually not difficult (in terms of getting used to the sensation). Plus, it gives the chance to get long, constant power output stints in. That's something you can't do on the roads around here as there are so many interruptions (remember, 75 traffic lights from home to office... that's a lot of stop start if even only 15% of those lights require a full stop). So, when we get back from holiday later on in the year, I'll be cutting back the bushes in the garden and erecting a gazebo (kindly lent to us by my parents), so the turbo trainer can be set up in the garden (we don't have anywhere in the house with a large enough expanse of concrete floor to put it on to absorb the anti-socially loud vibrations which make it sound like a jet turbine) underneath it for lots of sitting and grinding through turbo sessions and not getting too cold or wet.
I've not got a plan laid out yet as I've not sat down and thought it through and done all of the research around building a base level of fitness just yet. I'm thinking November, December and part of January should be a good start to that before the real training plan begins 16 weeks out from Wimbleball. Some re-reading and thinking to be done, then I can lay out a plan that's achievable rather than too difficult to fit in and resulting in huge amounts of stress.
It's now that I need to get the base levels of strength and endurance on the increase; start to get some longer and longer bikes and runs in. And that's where I run into some difficulties...
The "easiest" way to get a long run in, given time constraints, is to get on the treadmill at the gym in a lunch break at work. But I can't use treadmills. I can't run on them at any decent speed and feel seasick when I get off the damned things. So. Sod that. It will have to be the old trick of using my commute to get a run in. Start off by getting on the tube and going part way home before getting out and running the rest of the way. Gradually making the tube journey shorter and shorter until I'm not using it at all and just running all the way home. I can make that a 15km run if I start from the door of the office and finish at the front door at home, which is good enough for me for now.
Thankfully, cycling on a turbo trainer is actually not difficult (in terms of getting used to the sensation). Plus, it gives the chance to get long, constant power output stints in. That's something you can't do on the roads around here as there are so many interruptions (remember, 75 traffic lights from home to office... that's a lot of stop start if even only 15% of those lights require a full stop). So, when we get back from holiday later on in the year, I'll be cutting back the bushes in the garden and erecting a gazebo (kindly lent to us by my parents), so the turbo trainer can be set up in the garden (we don't have anywhere in the house with a large enough expanse of concrete floor to put it on to absorb the anti-socially loud vibrations which make it sound like a jet turbine) underneath it for lots of sitting and grinding through turbo sessions and not getting too cold or wet.
I've not got a plan laid out yet as I've not sat down and thought it through and done all of the research around building a base level of fitness just yet. I'm thinking November, December and part of January should be a good start to that before the real training plan begins 16 weeks out from Wimbleball. Some re-reading and thinking to be done, then I can lay out a plan that's achievable rather than too difficult to fit in and resulting in huge amounts of stress.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Think I'm back on track
Lovely gym on Friday. I did try to use the 30kg bar-bell for my clean and press now that I'm nearly comfortably doing 10x3 with 25kg but, well, it didn't work very well. Not even one :oD Maybe Monday!
Today I had a reasonable cardio/intervals session with a teensy bit of core work, plus having a go at pull-ups on the easier (where I can get my hands closer together) apparatus and if I jump into it a bit so I'm not starting from completely hanging down, I can actually do it. Nearly there!
Nice foodz and dinner on its way:- rose veal escalope in garlic and lemon sauce with roasted sweet potato wedges and mushrooms.
Rest day tomorrow I think; my shoulders are saying Hello! quite a bit still from yesterday. Hope youse are all having a great weekend, lots of (interesting) sport on now with Wimbledon and Le Tour :o) Who's following and who do you want to win? I'm rooting for Bradders (Wiggins) for sure!
Today I had a reasonable cardio/intervals session with a teensy bit of core work, plus having a go at pull-ups on the easier (where I can get my hands closer together) apparatus and if I jump into it a bit so I'm not starting from completely hanging down, I can actually do it. Nearly there!
Nice foodz and dinner on its way:- rose veal escalope in garlic and lemon sauce with roasted sweet potato wedges and mushrooms.
Rest day tomorrow I think; my shoulders are saying Hello! quite a bit still from yesterday. Hope youse are all having a great weekend, lots of (interesting) sport on now with Wimbledon and Le Tour :o) Who's following and who do you want to win? I'm rooting for Bradders (Wiggins) for sure!
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Mmmmfeeesh
B - greek yogurt with 1 scoop MP Max, fruit compote and flaked almonds
S - banana
S - smoked almonds
L - salad; lettuce, celery, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, sweet peppers and a chicken breast in a Discovery wholemeal tortilla wrap
S - carrots and houmous
S - greek yogurt with fresh mango and chopped mint
D - baked tilapia fillet with baby new potatoes, broccoli, flaked almonds and olive oil
| Calories (kcal) [kcals to maintain weight (inc. exercise) | 1545 1790] |
| Protein (g) | 131.0 (34.8%) |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 155.3 (38.7%) |
| Fat (g) | 44.2 (26.5%) |
| Fibre (g) | 30.7 |
| Fruit & Veg | 13.6 |
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