Back on the road... (well grass)

Having been given the all clear to start running again I did some thinking last night about the whole bike thing:

1.) I'm a runner, not a cyclist, so let's start running again
2.) I'll be smashed by Monday if I carry on trying to cycle 50kms a day as quick as I can!

So, with that, it was time to pull the trainers on today for my first run in 7 weeks. A 15 minute jog around Birchgrove Oval. I felt like a kid on his first day at school... and thankfully it all went OK. No twinges, no aches or pains... just a very steady 15 minute run at around 5min 30sec pace... and it felt pretty good.

Iced the leg when I got back, and tomorrow I will cycle, and then back to another 15 minute run... every other day until next Saturday... then I'll do a few back to back 30 minute runs.

A state of mind...

So I was battered last night, but managed to haul myself down the gym and do yet another PB on the bike - 1hr 25mins and 8 seconds... it goes to show that it is a state of mind and that you can do it. Now I'm asking myself the same question again as I sit here at work at 6:20pm, having only just had my lunch an hour ago, which consisted of half a muffin. Half a bloody muffin all day long, and I'm just utterly shattered.

It's been a massively heavy week at work, and I'm wondering if I should even bother going down the gym given that I've eaten just half a muffin all day? This is not intentional as you might guess... I literally havent had time to even think about lunch... Plus the rugby is on tonight... maybe I will forgo this evening... or should I do double tomorrow... that won't work. Depends what time I get out of this place as well... it could be a while...

Dan, you're back in play...

so i saw the physio this morning and as of Monday I'm back in training... albeit very gentle to begin with. A week of 15 minutes every other day, followed by a second week of upping it to 20-30mins and some back-to-back runs... slowly and surely. Nothing crazy, just nice and easy. All being well, I may even get out onto the GNW before I head back to the UK and do a 20km run... that would be grand. I know I can physically do it, it's whether my leg wants to!

BONZA!

p.s. so tired today... this is where tonight will be a real test of character on the bike...

Dull......................

It's getting harder doing this challenge this week... tonight I managed to better the time though - 1hr 25mins and 8seconds... so taking off nearly 50 seconds from last night... this is going to get tougher I can see if I keep on insisting on beating the time from the previous night.

Mentally this was a tough one too... it's going to get harder I can see... but hopefully come Sunday I will have achieved what I set out to do and I can reveal all :)

Day two...

Job done... well day two job done, and 43 seconds quicker than last night - 1hr 25mins 57 secs. I'm now thinking that I have to try and beat the time each night now. I'll explain all at the end of the week - I have a fear of jinxing things.

I have a very heavy work day tomorrow... but I'll have to try and find the time to get down the gym for stage three.

A big week...

I've decided to do something this week, which I only thought about yesterday. This should be my last full week of cycling, before I get back on the running trails soon - maybe a week to 10 days. So whilst I don't want to mouth off about it yet, we'll wait and see how it goes first. It's nothing major or special, but is more a test of the mind than anything else. Physically I should be fine with it, I was for the first stage last night - it's more a mental thing. However it would be good to do it, let's say that.

The good and the bad...

I'm getting very bored of the gym now... and it's showing in that I've only trained 4 times this week. Yesterday was a hard session. An hour on the cross-trainer, and then 45 mins hard cardio on the bike.

The first session was an easy 40 mins on the cross-trainer, followed by 20 mins harder work, switching better 5 mins hard and the 5 mins easy. That was tough graft, and then 45 mins of speed work on the bike really did me over to be honest. The speed one is tough. It's a bit like interval training in that you hard and short sessions in the whole session, but the tough sessions get longer, and the breaks of easy sessions in between get shorter. Plus I put myself under more pressure by setting myself certain rev per minute targets as well. Needless to say I was pretty smashed afterwards.

Today however I did nothing. I was working for most of it, but was pretty tired (and sunburnt) afterwards, so in the end didnt go. Plan is to get up early tomorrow and go to the gym. The swimming has taken a real backward step, but its not too much of an issue as the bike work is a good workout.

I also bought a fair bit of kit this weekend too. The Kayano 15's are teh trainer of choice for me, and I've only gone half a size up. I think to go anymore is just plain stupid in my book. I've raced in hot conditions over here and the feet just dont swell that much. As long as you look after them, raise them in the evening, and I think you should be fine. so size 11's it is for me. I also bought some Wiley X sunglasses too - pretty expensive, but worth it I feel. Great sunglasses, and should serve me well.

On the food front, I've also got a mix of things. I'm taking some Tinderry food as I know I'll be craving some sort of vegetable and decent food out there. The expedition foods are great for calories per weight, but it's really not all about calories I feel. You have to get the right nutrients in you too. I whilst some of the Expedition Foods are nice, I also feel that much of it is a bit like slop, with not the great nutritional benefits. The Tinderry stuff, whilst not overly calorific, is extremely tasty, and has vegetables in there too. The chilli beef cous cous is great, and I have a chicken curry with rice tonight and it was top. Shame it's only 400 calories.

The easy option

Well I say easy option - I wasn't going to head to the gym at all, but did in the end and went for the cop out option of a 45min 'fat burner' - knocking off 27kms and keeping the heart rate nuder 124 the whole way. Bit boring, but these things are goo mental tests as they say. I'm getting bored of the gym now though and want to get out running again, not for another couple of weeks though. Must resist the temptation to get out too early.

Strong like bull

Last night was the dreaded Kilimanjaro bike ride - the one that is effectively riding up a hill, and then coming back down the other side. It gets progressively tougher and tougher...

However last night, it seemed, well pretty easy. I think it's because I took it easier on the initial gradients, and the challenge was to maintain 100+revs per minute for an 8 minute period right at the top end of it - which I did. However I then continued to keep at way over 100 revs as it got progressively easier, and managed to do a very good 36.70km in the hour. Not bad for a hill climb.

Need to get back on it again tonight... not sure what though... maybe a recovery style, or some speed work... or maybe I should do something different and do some cross-trainer? The gym is my oyster....

A little harder...

After 50kms yesterday on the bike I wasn't sure how the legs would feel today, but they felt good and I racked up 36.5kms in a hour of interval work. This is the one minute on, one minute off session where the aim is to make sure I'm above 100 revs per minute (which I achieved), when it's on the hard cycle, and at least 95 revs per minute when I'm on the easy one minute, which was almost kept.

Either way it was a tough session and I do sweat buckets loads when I do this. I'm also burning a heel of a lot of calories too on the bike, racking up over 800 an hour in the process. Not quite sure if I'll be able to do another cardio session tomorrow. I should try, but maybe not one that's so intensive... we'll see how the legs feel in the morning.

A little lazy...

Friday was a day off and then on Saturday, well I was just darn lazy. Well not quite lazy, but had life stuff. However back on the wagon today with a tough-ish 50kms on the indoor bike in 90 mins. Starting off nice and easy before ramping it up and getting the heartrate up there at just under 160bpm.

Also did a bit more shopping today and picked up some cheesecake as a possible desert and it's not too bad I must admit, quite high calories as well 540 for 100grams, so me thinks this could be in my pack for some nice pudding, maybe a breakfast or two as well? Who knows... another week of cycling planned after the 175kms this week. Not much swimming done, but hey it's all about what you can do and when.

The easy day...

So last night was a gentle 45mins on the bike following the three days of hard graft as I like to put it. Keeping the heart rate under 120bm was the goal, and a nice and simple 23kms was the order of the day in the allotted time. Technically I call these my 'rest days'... i.e. still training, but at a much lower intensity to keep the legs going.

I'll be buying my trainers for the MDS real over the weekend too, so that when I get back to running in a few weeks, I'll be able to get at least 50-80 miles in them before the actual race. Gaiters is also something else I nee to sort out too. I've been to a few shops over here and none of them have any idea what I'm talking about... Oh well... I'll have to keep searching.

Plan is for a few more harder sessions over the weekend. Saturday will be a high cardio workout, followed by a gentle, but not too gentle workout on Sunday to take me towards the 200km mark for cycling this week.

Good news?

Well sort of... I went to see the physio today and he confirmed that I have indeed got a stress fracture, nothing new there then. But it looks like I'm responding well to things, and he said that running could start again around the beginning of March. Excellent... so I'll be able to get some kind of running in before the MDS, although I'm very conscious of pushing it. I dont want more injury!

On another note, I was back on the bike tonight and another 37kms of speed work. This workout is probably the toughest of the lot. so again on level 12 setting and it's almost like intervals, but longer and harder periods of tougher work. Still really good mental training too, and I really enjoyed busting a gut on there. In fairness, I feel very strong at the moment, probably due to the extreme amount of quad work I've been doing.

The week is going well with over 100kms already in 3 days. Again the swimming is taking a back seat. But I'd rather do the cycling and fitness there.

In the zone...

Hopefully that's where I'll stay now with regards to this cycling lark. Today was the workout that I dislike the most, but actually enjoy in terms of how tough it is if that makes sense?

It's the Kilimanjaro climb. admittedly I've moved down a notch this week on the difficulty level from 13 to 12 as I'm cycling for an hour, not 45 mins. And going from last week, I was battered by Thursday... this week, so far so good. So not more than 12 hours after my session last night I was on the bike at 6:15am this morning for the Kili climb... the first 20 mins is easy as you gradually get more and more resistance. But for 20 mins it's bloody hard work and I was sweating in a big way and the heart rate got up to 158, which was good.

So another 30kms clocked up today to go with the 36kms from yesterday. Tomorrow morning is physio 'D' day where I get told not to do the MDS... yeah right... the only way I'm not completing this race is if my bloody leg actually breaks. Still onwards and upwards...

Swimming I think will be order of the day tomorrow morning before my physio, and then I'll do some more cycling tomorrow night with some speed work to top three hardcore cardio session on the trot.

Feeling hot hot hot...

It's been another scorcher here in Sydney, so the lady and I ventured down the coast for some relaxation and camping this weekend. Not before I got up on Saturday though and did a nice long slow ride on the indoor bike. An hour this time, but never letting my heart rate get about 130, which culminated in 35kms on the bike and a grand total of 138kms for the week. The swimming hasn't been so great this week, but it's a case of trying to fit everything in that I want to do. Still, things are ramping up nicely, and it will get more and more intense over the next few weeks. It's just a shame that its 35 degrees outside and I can't go running... still, nevermind.

Smashed...

I thought this cycling lark was meant to be easy, just sitting there. Hell no... I'm beasted this week. A little over 100kms in the first four days this week, and this morning showed I was tired. I haven't just been sitting there either. They've been intensive rides with lots of bursts of energy, then short rests inbetween, but still cycling if you know what I mean. I think I might have to vary it up a little more as if I carry on at this rate I'll be wrecked every single day. I had to take the difficulty down a notch half way through as the quads were just getting shot to bits.

But it's all good, the intensive rides are keeping me fit and varying the heart rate quite a bit... I just need to build in some of the longer slower rides now to act almost as resting periods. I've had four days of really smashing myself to bits and I can't sustain that for 7 days a week, 7 weeks.

As a result the swimming has taken a slightly backwards step, with only 3kms down in the pool so far. I think I'll take a rest from the cycling tomorrow and do a longish swim instead.

It's getting close now. I'm in the final throws of sorting kit out. I have pretty much all of it. Need to order some bits and pieces and we'll be done. 18 months of training and planning. Let's hope the leg doesn't break out in the desert :)

Smack ma bitch up...

The bitch being me... I smashed myself last night on the bike, quite literally. I wasn't feeling overly great and thought I was getting ill - but I think my chest was tight from spraying the house with some seriously strong chemicals to get rid of the vast amount of wildlife that inhabit our home.

Over here it's a fact of life are creatures. Beetles and cockroaches are the favourite and you become almost passe about them after a while. But I'd had enough, so bought some super strength killer and set about the bastards. As a result my chest was so tight last night, but I still flogged myself on the bike. It was intervals last night, so 45 mins of smashing yourself on resistance level 14, one minute off one minute on - cycling a total of 27kms. a kilometre further than I've gone before...

I was going to go swimming afterwards but I felt so light headed that I couldn't! So this morning I got up and did a hills workout on the bike at a much less intense pace. Again 45 mins, but only covering 24kms... a big difference. Still it almost felt like a recovery cycle to be honest. Following that I did 36 laps (1.8kms) in the pool in 45 mins too, so a good workout all in all.

Speed work is the par de course tomorrow, with another "swim as many lengths as you can in 45 mins". I wonder what it will be like when I return to running? I'm doing all I can not to lose fitness, but need a longer endurance style swim/cycle me thinks at the weekend - which incidentally is going to be stinking hot - up around 40 they reckon. The UK has snow... shame :)

Beautiful weekend....

... For running, not not for me! Saturday was a 45 minute 'Kilimanjaro' climb on the bike. The programme where it gradually gets tougher and tougher as you ride up the imaginary hill... whilst watching the Queensland Reds take on the Waikato Chiefs in the Super 14's :) Here's a random picture of 'Kili' just to speic up the blog!



It starts off all very easy, but to be fair that soon changed as the hill gets harder and the resistance tougher and my God for 20 mins you're sweating like a demon. Anyway's 26kms in 45 mins to round off a 95km week on the bike. Not the thing to set the world alight, but with anything like this where you've never done much of it before, you have to start off nice and easy. I don't want anymore injuries ahead of the MDS.

On Sunday, I organised the inaugural Bondi Beach marathon. It's based around the concept of 'Fatass' where anyone can just set-up a race with no fees, no competition, no winners etc... it's a just turn up and run kind of thing. So with a grand total of 2 starters, I sat on the beach offering water and lap counting given that I couldn't run myself. After the MDS, I'm going to organise another one on Manly Beach me thinks, hopefully with some more starters!

I did then intend to get up this morning, but to be honest I was shattered and thought better of it. I'm not the best in the mornings, and though I'd end up doing 'shit' mileage - so I'm off tonight now instead. Another week of 45mins on the bike and I'll then move up to an hour each day, in addition to the swimming, which I need to up as well.

I was thinking about whether I'm doing enough, and yes, I probably am for now - but for some more endurance style stuff, I need to be doing much longer rides and swims as we get closer. So I'm even considering doing some 3 hour swims, just to make sure that I get some really long ones in.

Anyway, moving on... back to some work now and then 45mins of speed training tonight on the bike, with 20 mins blast on the cross trainer and then some swimming... then perhaps some time for a life? :)