Found a flaw in my bike training

I was feeling a bit fed up about Sunday rides when I realised what I needed was a bit of a change. This year I had been picking an area and then doing several weeks riding in that area. So I went back to an old route that I had done early in the summer along Puhetiri RD towards Rissington (a school, a few houses and farms), the bit I knew had a few hills but nothing too hard. This was going very well until I reached Rissington and then had another 10miles before turning round and coming back. I prefer doing out and back on my own and it is easier if Teresa ever has to come rescue me.

I had planned to 47miles and it was taken forever to get to 23miles, it was pretty much uphill into a small headwind all the way. The conversation in my head was going along the lines of I'll cut it short and say that the hills made it longer,etc This argument was backed up by the fact for the last 2 months I had been riding mostly flat. The only thing to be said for continuing was the benefit from not quitting and smug satisfaction of finishing my longest and hilliest for a long time. And that is exactly how I felt when I got back home after completing it. In fact I realised that it had taken less out of me than some of the flatter rides riding into a headwind on the way home for 20miles, but I have always preferred the variety hills provide.

After a quick shower, watched Emily and Cameron perform a dance (I had to pay 20cents for the pleasure) and then went and get on with building the raised veggie bed. Went swimming in the pond and would have set a pb(pr) if some idiots had stolen the club's bouys.

Next post garden photos and the new raised veggie bed built with my two helpers.

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Seeking motivation

Started doing a bit of training but Monday I had Emily home sick. But with the house move in 3 weeks the trip to the uk in 4 weeks I'm seriously lacking in motivation and I've been in a really foul mood.

On Sunday I marshaled at one of the multi sport club's duathlons down in Havelock North. It felt good to be involved and I plan to spend more time getting involved and training with club members and do the club races in the summer. I realised I've been missing and have been putting family first. So Teresa has agreed I can do more club stuff after we get back from the UK.

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Sick again and new house

Two weeks of my life gone, sick with flu. Teresa had a flu jab at school to prevent her getting the flu and she was wiped out for almost2 weeks and I think I caught it off her.

We have bought a new house in Napier a villa at 13 McDonald St much more expensive than Coote Rd but it was recently refurbished so needs very little work doing to it. And it has a clawed foot bath which Teresa has always wanted.

Hopefully back to some sort of training next week, there are only 5 weeks before our trip to the UK so I don't know how much training I'll get in.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Training and stuff

Not such a good training week again. Monday I was waiting in all day to talk to estate agents, etc. Then I had Cameron off sick Wednesday and Thursday. On Sunday were I have been cycling around 28 miles and enjoying it on flat roads was ruined today by a peice of glass. Only 5miles in I hit a big piece of broken bottle and it punctured both tyres . I only had one inner tube with me so I had to get Teresa to rescue me. And it wrecked my rear tyre which was a newish specialized armadillo at $60 which are very good puncture resistant tyres.

So I got home and did a set of Tabatha sprints on the turbo which is what I normally do mid week. Then went to the farmers market - Esk Hill pork produce really thick bacon and other delicious treats from well looked after pigs.

House wise we offered 280 000 for the coote rd house and they settled for 285 000 they or originally wanted 300 000+. So it was good for us but we haven't had an offer on ours yet although we've had plenty of viewers. I had to dive out three times last week so somebody could look at it which in some ways is a pain because I have a lot of work on in fact I'm fully booked till August.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 1Mar-6Mar

Eased back into training and decided I wasn't going to panic into trying to do pre sickness training. The race on the 13th will happen and its to late to try and do more training.

Swim

3 swims 50m sprints total 5300m

Bike

3 bikes Tabata sprints on the turbo total 26.94miles

Run

3 runs total 12miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 15Feb-21Feb

Great week (last week) of training and felt tired on the bike Sunday. I started the new week Monday 22Feb swam out of this world and then I fell sick later that night and haven't trained all this week.

Swim

3 swims Total:7800m

Bike

3 bikes Total:66.16miles

Run

3 runs Total: 26miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 8Feb - 14Feb

The missing ingredient - harder faster work. After my downer from the race I had a swim session of 15x100m on Friday (which I haven't done for a while and then on Saturday I did a timed 2400m swim in the pond. I just swam normally and put in a hard effort in the last 200m. The time was 37.07min. So I was relieved - I knew I was swimming ok. I think at the race I got complacent after Whangamata and I got myself boxed right in the middle of the pack, lack of racing. And on Sunday's bike ride I rode really well. I am now where I should be a month before my first race not at the end of the season. In swimming I'm now doing lots of timed 100s and always timing myself in the pond -accountability. I felt embarrassed about my last performance.

Swim

2 swims total:5100m

Bike

2 rides total:53.02miles

Run

2 runs total:15miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 25Jan-31Jan

Had an easy week in swimming and cycling.

Swim

Only one pool swim . I was supposed to swim in the pond but the weather was atrocious. Wettest January in Hawkes Bay for a 10years total:2700m

Bike

2 bike rides. Sundays ride on the road was another 3 hour ride in torrential rain .I decided I had to harden up in the UK I used to ride in all weather rain and snow in winter, this was warm summer rain. I was also thinking what would Armstrong do? What would Whitfield do? What would Brownlee do? The answer each time was ride in the rain. total: 52.49miles

Run

3 runs and loved it. total:25.5miles

Racing next weekend at Kinloch hopefully I've fixed my bike setup issues and should actually finish - I'm in really good shape.

yesterday the children and I were stuck in the house all day because of the weather and Teresa was at a teacher only day so I read the Michael Phelps book 'No limits'. It reinforced in me -to do what others won't. This what I have been doing learning to swim from scratch starting from just floating, swimming with the ankle band and balls in each hand , to undo all my bad habits. To aim (dream)really high - this means for me my goal is to swim 20minutes for 1500m, which I am told is impossible for somebody my age - soon to be 43 from a none swimming background. And lastly I got from the book the correlation between hard work and success. I have seen the difference already in my swimming in open water by taking the plunge and adding 500m of band swimming per session in my pool swims. I am planning to add another 500m in the build up to my race in Wellington on the 13th March.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 18Jan-124Jan

A great week of training my best for many years. I did something in each of the 3 disciplines that challenged me both mentally and physically.

SwimmingI swam a main set of 3x500m with ankle band and 60sec rest. I had done 3x400m previously which had also been a challenge.

BikeI rode to the bottom of the hill into Waimarama like I have been doing but this time I went back down and did it a second time.

RunI put up my mileage to 24.5 miles the .5 was a repeat of the hill half way on my ten mile run.

Swim

3 swims total:7200m

Bike

3 bikes total:65.37 miles

Run

3 runs total: 24.5miles

Easier week next week.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 11Jan-17Jan

Swim

3 sessions total:7100m

Bike

3 sessions started using G14 instead of G20(53x12) for turbo sessions legs felt much better on Sunday's road ride(10 min faster than last week for same ride) total:63.27 miles

Run

2 sessions I missed Sunday's run because Teresa was racing - total:14 miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 4Jan-10Jan

Swim

2 swims 2400m in pool 1800m in pond total:4200m . After my swim at the race I really feel my retraining is working, I am training with renewed vigour and adding more swimming metres with just the band and no balls in hand. I may have forgot to mention that my technique work is still progressing with a warm up 1000m with balls and band and I 've added a 500gram weight to the band because I felt I was getting too sloppy.

Bike

2 rides, one turbo on a very hot day and it was a hard session I did because of not finishing the race . The session left me feeling yuck and buzzing in my ears. My legs felt it today on my road ride total:50.42miles

Run

2 runs total:14miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 21Dec-27Dec

After only doing my usual weekend long sessions after being sick all the previous week it was back to full training.

Swim

3 sessions total:6200m

Bike

3 sessions total:62.34 miles

Run

3 sessions total:21 miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 7Dec-13Dec

Didn't enjoy my long ride on Sunday. I was feeling off and by Sunday night I had to admit I was sick with a cold. Although I had some really good training sessions especially Saturday's open water swim, I enjoyed an open water session for the first time ever, I mean really enjoyed it!

Swim

3 swims total:6800m

Bike

3 rides total:59.58miles

Run

3 runs total:21miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 30Nov-6Dec

Ihad to miss some sessions listening to my body and it was saying don't train. It was a combination of torrential rain, poor sleep partly caused by horrible ugly people moving into a house down the road and playing excessively loud music at all times of the day and night. Slowly training them how to behave amongst civilised people. This time it isn't just me other neighbours are complaining although they far retaliation. It is noise with an excessive bass beat which really travels and drills into the skull especialy when I was trying to work on Friday. I forgot to mention I had to pay a visit to the original ugly neighbour 2 weekends ago. I found myself saying to him I didn't want to hear his music in my house and and by the way its crap music.

Swim

2 swims total:4600m

Bike

2 rides total:44.64miles

Run

2 runs total:13miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 23Nov-29Nov

Swim

2 swims 2200m pool and 2400m pond total: 6800m

Bike

2 turbo and 1 road total:56.14miles

Run

3 runs total:22miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 16Nov-22Nov

Easier week

Swim

1 swims 2350m pool and 2400m pond total: 4750m

Bike

2 turbo and 1 road total:54.43miles

Run

2 runs total: 15miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - separate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 9Nov-15Nov

Swim

2 pool 4550m open water 2100m total:-6650

Bike

2 turbo big gear sessions , missed rode ride on Sunday because Teresa was racing total:- 23.4miles

Run

3 runs total:- 23miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 2Nov-8 Nov

After being sort of sick last week this is a return to training, still feel tired.

Swim

3 swims total:5600m

Bike

2 turbo sessions and 1 road total:52.63miles

Run

3 runs of 6,7,8 = total:21miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training and life

Where to start? Over the last 3 weeks I've been feeling really tired and not really enjoying training just getting it done, feeling grumpy and the continued poor winter/spring were combining to get me down. I know it is time to back off when I have to make myself go train and even not hearing my alarm clock go off.

I had a rest week about 4 weeks ago were I only trained one session of the 3 disciplines, then had 2 full weeks (and they were good weeks) but then I had an easy week last week when I only did 2 of my usual 3 sessions. Then it was supposed to back into two more full weeks of training but I still felt exhausted on Monday at swimming but swam really well but felt shattered afterwards , I just I'd overdone it especially as I had swum 2 quick in Pandora's Pond the day before (second open water swim of the season and it was very cold). Come Tuesday morning and the rain was coming down in bucket loads I and just couldn't 10miles on another rainy day.

I tried a turbo session on the bike Wednesday and all I could of was reasons to get off although at the end it was okay. I didn't run yesterday (Thursday), no swim today. I might run tomorrow I'm going to see how I feel and hopefully I'll do 2and half hours on the bike on the road Sunday and three laps of the pond Sunday afternoon.

All this hasn't been helped by being stressed with work, this doesn't happen very often I usually pick my clients and not take on too much. A job I just finished was for the rudest client ever for a month everything was going great, until she got fussy, demanding, ignoring my advice, wanting complicated things done quickly and changing her mind constantly with a deadline I never agreed too. I almost quit when she got really offensive saying my work was for want of another word rubbish.

So I told her what I thought of her behaviour I was calm , polite but firm and I explained to her her website was looking so bad because she had ignored my advice about how much content to add and that if she insisted on doing it her way it would break the design which is of course she did and it did.

It was a typical situation where somebody doesn't know anything about the subject but ibsists they are right. I took to emailing her all the stuff that needs to be on a website that goes unseen such as the testing on all the different browsers, refining the coding.

She made me feel sick.

I've spent the last few days catching up with my other clients who are all very patient laid back people who are a mixture of existing clients having another website built, upgraded, refrshed and a couple of new ones. I explained this to this other client and said I must be doing something right because I 've got long term clients and this year I've had a lot of referrals.

On top of all this it is Emily's ballet performance week - this means lots of extra practices, late nights and the performance s on Saturday. I'm going to go and get her now.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly traing 5Oct-11Oct

Swim

All 3 sessions total:8250m

Bike

2 turbo one on road might have been 25 but computer broke total:46.19miles

Run

All 3 runs total:30miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.