Sunday 24 February 2008

Life is good, leg pain and teaching starts

I have been suffering leg/hip pain discomfort attributed to the cycling cleat wedges. I decided to remove one therefore making the rise on the right instep less severe. As usual I had added another one months ago because the ones I had added were working and I always think if this works one more might make it better. Anyway removing it has already made a difference.

run; made my second week of running 24miles. Although I almost didn't make it on Friday. I had to use every mental trick in the book to get myself out the door. My leg was stiff and I had a stiff neck. The really stiff leg was probably after removing the wedge and cucling on it Thursday night. But I also slept very badly and had to get up at 4.50 to make sure I ran before geting ready to relieve in a yr2 class (6year olds). I got out the door 'just to see how it was going to be' then 'I'll turn and go back but I'll just go a bit further' and gradually I new I could run.

bike: very good sessions on the turbo Tuesday and Thursday but Saturday I did Middle rd which starts a gradual clinb at 10 mile and goes mostly until I turned around. There was a tail window and I went almost a mile further on the way out than I planned. The return was a nightmare the wind was so strong I was almost in my lowest gear going downhill. I averaged 15.2 mph 2.2mph slower than last Saturday . I was just happy to get it done and legs felt really tired. I just hope the wind drops for today last Sunday I did a flat ride and I hated it because of the wind 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. There is a lot of satisfaction completing a hard ride whether it is hard mentally or physically.

swim: Concentrating on a smaller kick that helps me rotate because when I do it really hard it cause my legs to open like scissors. So I am keeping my kicks small and tring to spear my entry arm into the water. On Friday night I finished with 4 25m without the gloves. And it felt great my outstretched out just floated in front of me, the hand felt like it had a good anchor point in the water and when my other arm entered the water the front arm automatically pulled without me consciouly making it pull. I think it did exactly what TI and fistgloves are supposed to. On top of that I have started using my swim cords again prompted by an article on the Vasa trainer. I just do 10pulls on each arm (not a lot of resistance) concentrating on pulling back with a high elbow.

I have been taking Cameron on his trike (me pulling him) to Kindergarten this week trying to get his legs turning correctly. He has had about 5rides on it. While I was clearing up some big tree braches in the front garden (both emily and Teresa were sleeping) yesterday he stops helping, comes back with the trike and pedals a bit. Of course I stop and get him to go up and down the driveway. I want him to be riding his proper bike (without training wheels) by the time he is 4, Emily did this when she was 4and a half. But I have a better idea what is needed.

Emily is doing great in swimming. They get in the school pool almost everyday and has her lesson on Saturday.. It is very important to me, not just because I would like her to be involved in triathlon (she will - the clubs puts on lots of races for children) and I don't want her to struggle with the swim like her dad but we live near the ocean and it is just a really important life skill. We are thinking about getting her involved with surf life saving not pool swimming. Teresa thinks it will be more social and variety of fun activities. I immediately thought it would be better for her triathlon swimmimg. I am not a pushy dad, as long as she is involved in sport I will be happy but if she chooses triathlon I will be even happier.

Sunday 17 February 2008

The final piece of the puzzle...

The final piece of the puzzle is practising good recovery and knowing when to back off and not force thing. I never really got this and like so many compulsive types I always had to get the workout done at the required intenity, no matter (unless it could be proven I was really sick).
Bike:After last Saturday's tough ride, I had a great ride Sunday no real hint of the tired legs from the day before. Tuesday is when I do the first of my 2 harder threshold interval sessions and I often look forward to these but this time I wasn't looking forward and had very tired shoulders. (I had been soring down trees at the weekend -although I have done it befor). I decided to start the session but I just knew that my HR wasn't going to climb the old me would have exhausted myself in doing the session, the new me backed off span for a little bit and got off after20 min.
All other sessions gone to plan.
Run:Monday's run was also hard and I wasn't looking forward to it. However running a few minutes after getting up at fiveam is often like this so I've learny to get out the door and start moving slowly and see how I warm up. I missed Wednesday morning's run because of the tiredness I felt. I often feel the night bike session followed by the morning run are an integral part of one session.
Swim: Started concentrating on my legs - stopping the none rotation kick leg from splaying out (this makes sense to me) and my swimming felt better than ever.

Nothing much else to report, business is busy again despite the job I didn't get. Aquahawks swimming club have their funding and I am excited about their design, just doing the last few changes to text and images for Andrew's Excavating business, annual auction updates for Ashley and Graham at Fernhill Stud (one of my original clients - initially (about 4yrs ago)did a redesign of their existing website , then a completely new one, and small updates for on of my wedding photographer client who needs some bigger changes soon (she passed on a nice compliment , saying that a lot of her clients chose her because of her website). Waiting to hear back from a guy from the UK who has big plans and lots of potential design work (no backend) if his own business takes off.

It is weeks like this I feel it won't be long before I can work full time in it and not teach and although when that time comes I will miss the classroom I look forward to creating the flexible working environment I want so I can achieve my athletic dreams.

Sunday 10 February 2008

Grumpy and tired linked to Cameron's waking

Cameron has been waking quite a few times through the night and increasingly early. Saturday morning he woke at4.50am we left him to cry but he kept it going till 6. One of the reasons I run at 5am is to do it before the rest of the family wake up. So he was now threatening what I call my free time between 5 and 6 7 days a week which is my time to do what I want. He has had a bad cough so I went to the chemist to ask for medicine that would help his cough and would help him (and us) sleep. It seemed to work he slept from 6pm to 5.30am without any waking in the night, it is the waking in the middle of the night that is the biggest problem.

I remembered to keep a list this week of things to write about.
Run:I ran 24miles new biggest week since 2003 I am going to try and be consistant at this mileage for a couple of months until I am running them well. Although Monday and Wednesday I did make the mistake of running to make a time which makes me run harder (but still aerobic) than I want (although now and again it is okay). What I call running well means getting used to the different distance, becoming comfortable, aerobically and inserting some play (fartlek) if I want. When this feeling happens (as if I haven't done much) every run then I start thinking about increasing the distance. I think the mistake a lot of people make is they don't just run comfortably, they want to be faster or longer yesterday and head to the track or increasing their distance. However there is no shortcut to fitness.
Swim:A new large lady has started swimming in the lane next to my beginners lane(most people move into a 'real lane' as soon as they can)she is very pleasant and her name is Sam. She is a returning swimmer, speaks her mind and claims to says things at the wrong time. She had been asking me about the fistgloves (I am often asked about them) and I was explaining about efficiency, body positioning, etc, etc. At the end of the next length she stops me again and tells me my legs are flaring and looks like I am kicking from the knee, but I have a nice upperbody rotation. I was told the same thing by the new masters coach at the end of last year but I thought I had sorted it. But in my search for swim improvement I have to be brutally honest with myself I have developed a new bad habit. A powerful bad kick. Total immersion says the propulsion and rotation comes from as the recovery arm enters the water and surges forward and the 2 beat kick will just happen because it is natural. I think this kick has happened because I started off wearing fins and then I discovered because of my better balance I could kick and then I decided (subconsciously to kick hard).
Sam was apologising for sticking her nose in. But I was grateful for taking the trouble of telling me. I know what to do to change it .

Bike: Has a bad patch for 4mile (between 20 and 24 miles) on Saturday but came through it and the legs felt a bit yuck on Tuesday's turbo session. It could of been from increasing run distance, running a bit harder, Cameron waking us up in the night or missing cycling last weekend. On the positive side most of my riding I did exactly what I wanted and I was completely comfortable on the bike for the 29 miles. Because since using the wedges on my right shoe I haven't always been comfortable.

Work:I have been trying to get some bigger websites to do because of the bigger challenge. I thought I had landed one last week but I think I lost it because I couldn't work to her deadline and wasn't going to compromise myself. Almost finished a small site for locl excavating company but my online muffler company is on hold because Daniel the owner has a few issues to sort out. Thats all I have at present until the Aquahawks swim club get their funding through. I am getting lots of enquiries and seeing anothet possible client next Tuesday. If I have a quiet period I want to rewrite my own website and I am redesigning Teresa's school intranet for free , it is my contribution as a parent now that Emily is attending the school.

Sunday 3 February 2008

Busy, exciting week

An old friend steve was coming to visit he is New Zealand on 3 week flying visit from the uk. He is a short, ugly , vulgar man that used to have red hair and beard and makes me laugh he insults me and I insult him. He is 10 years older than me and we first met (he reminds me) at my first ever triathlon in 1990 and he was counting my lengths and taking my swim time (he was already an experienced triathlete by then) and apparently I complained to him that he miscounted my lengths. I was so bad at swimming and cycling I didn't race another tri until 12months later and actually did some training but I was hooked and steve became one of my training partners and one of the old hands who fed me advice and I was soon outperforming him. He came late Thursday he had been staying a few days with another old friend and former triathlete from my old club in the UK Jo, she lives on the North Shore in Auckland not far from where I used to live but she hasn't been there very long.
I hadn't seen Steve since a visit to the uk in 2003 and then we just caught up at my dad's place. We kept in touch via email. It was good to catch up and find out about other old friends , what they were up to, etc Steve no longer races triathlons he still likes to keep fit but he lost interest and he also says that the rising cost of races in the Uk didn't help. He is leaving this morning Sunday (some idiots tried to break into his hire car last night - it was parked outside the house). We live in a very quiet street in Hastings a small town in Hawkes Bay New Zealand and we have had anything like that happen before. But his car is new and looks sporty but isn't, we moved it down the drive way and closed the gates .


Other events Cameron started afternoon Kindergarten and it is hard to say who is the most excited him or me because for me it means I get three afternoons to myself after dropping him off so I am free to concentrate on me (or work). He turned 3 on Saturday and we had a picnic at Cornwall park, the children and made a star shaped cake.

Teresa decided she is going to race the Bloke Triathlon today (she decided at short notice) she last did this race before she was pregnant with cameron (I think) distances are 300m (in the pond), 14km bike (2 laps of the pond) and a 3k run. Teresa used to do a lot of sprint tri with me back in the uk and has struggled to get back into it. She isn't a big fan of cycling but likes calling herself a triathlete . So we got a very quiet stationary trainer so she can pedal away while watching the soap shortland st. She doesn't watch much tv but shortland st is how she unwinds. I love watching race because in the past and has done welll on very little cycle training. It is important that Emily sees her race as she is Emily's most important role model.


The impact on my training.
Bike: All of the above means that I will be missing my cycling this weekend. I was goin to have an easier week next week so it isn't a big deal missing 2 bike rides.
Swim: Still really enjoying it and steve came along Friday night. Steve is now the rehab business for people have been sick are sick , overweight, etc and has has a degree in the science of the physiology (not quite sure the actual title) so I have enjoyed talking science of training and nutrition, etc
Running: My runs are now 8miles and feeling good. This week becuse I didn't know when steve was arriving I was doing my bike sessions in the morning, usually I do them Tuesday and Thursday nights and run Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. My legs definitely felt fresher but I like to run and tired legs I think it makes up for lack of run miles.