1 down.....

Well what an eventful weekend! Sunday was the day of the Fylde Tri-ology Series Ribby Hall Triathlon - my first event!

After registration and a recce on Saturday afternoon, Sunday came around all too quickly after a relatively sleepless night.

Arriving at Ribby Hall Holiday Village in good time to setup, the bike was racked and I was in my swimmers ready to go. Those that have some of the older posts and those that know me will appreciate I'm not always a morning person so 9am in the pool wasn't a great start for me! Getting into the pool the nerves had subsided somewhat after many helpful words from seasoned competitors of all ages and levels. I got the red hat which meant I was off first in our lane of 3, game plan in mind based on previous training swims, slow and steady.

3,2,1 Go and I was off and was I off! Call it Red Mist or White Line Fever they all boil down to one thing, adrenaline got the better of me and I had set off like a scalded cat (although I appreciate the irony that a scalded cat would have probably welcomed the cooling water in the pool). 4 lengths in, game plan out of window and breathing and technique to pot I just had to push through the end. Eventually I was caught and over taken on around lap 10 but I just kept pushing on to the end. I think my swim time was around 9mins according to the watch, but transition added nearly another 3 on to that. Despite the bad start the end time is around what I expected and of course can only be improved on!

Having donned trainers, glasses and helmet I was no off on the 10.something bike around some country lanes. The out-leg was awesome, it felt almost effortless in places with smooth, flat, flowing lanes. The return-leg was a very different story! a few gentle rises and an awful head wind coupled with now tired and heavy legs made parts of it feel like I was going backwards.

Returning to Ribby Hall in a respectable time (compared to previous training efforts) re-rack the bike, ditch the lid and start running on what were apparently someone elses legs!! Thankfully the 5k run was all but flat around around the holiday complex and despite the knee pain rearing its ugly head at 1.5k I staggered on to complete the run in 28mins which is only a few mins adrift of my normal pace regardless of the swim, bike and dodgy knee.

Across he finish line being cheered by everyone around all I could hear was the voices of my very own cheer squad Helen & Amy!! Medal collected and first event completed, and it wasn't half as daunting as I'd given it credit for. A very well organised, extremely friendly and well supported event - now I'm looking forward to Round 2 in 3 weeks time at St Annes.

Well done to all of Team Penguin - event photos can be seen here (Parental Warning - Partial Nudity!)

Swim Leg - Details to follow

Bike Leg

Run Leg

Happy Penguins!

Team Splits!

The Final Countdown.....

The last fortnight has been rather positive I must admit, since the last physio session the new stretch & ice regime has apparently done me wonders. No longer do I have the daily ache up and down my leg and I almost feel confident about the impending doom of the Ribby Hall Tri

Since my last musings there hasn't been too much activity really but what I have done has felt good.

Monday 14th April after some relaxation from running & a last minute squash canacellation I thought it high time to make sure I can still complete a 5k run in one piece, I can!, albeit a good 5mins slower than when at my best but right now I will take a 5 min setback over a DNF. Nothing fancy just my old faithful tarmac route bisected with a couple of small respite walks:

Road Test Monday 14.04.2014

Wednesday 16th April saw an impromptu bike ride taking full advantage of the lighter evenings and half decent weather. With a couple of hours to play with I plotted a last minute route through Hornby, Gressingham, Arkholme, Borwick, Warton & Carnforth. "We'll take it easy" I said to Doug before heading off with a max height of 100m how tough could this get. Well, the answer in all honesty is not very, apart from the 1 section that went from 12% to 19% in the blink of an eye - man what a brief but tough climb that was!!

Full Route - No Splits

Part Route - Splits

Despite the watch malfunction missing the first 8k it was a pretty enjoyable evening

Just what the doctor ordered followed the Wednesday ride a nice long Bank Holiday weekend and what better way to use it than gardening!! Well actually I can think of a much better way. Good Friday I squeaked an early swim in with my new pull buoy in tow (pun intended) followed by the dreaded gardening and a little stroll around the river. Saturday we had another little stroll this time up on Arnside Knott, Sunday as we all know was chocolate day - well for some it was I didn't get any eggs (cue world's smallest violin playing just for me....) which brings us to the Bank Holiday Brick. 

With less than a week to race day I thought it prudent to make sure I remember the feeling of 'jelly legs' post bike. Nothing too elaborate just in case so once again an old faithful cycle to Hornby Pool where I was flat out into the wind all the way there and suitably exhausted upon arrival at the half way point, the way home was clearly a different a story with an average speed 5kph higher than the out leg. Jumping off the bike the legs were less like jelly and more like lead and due to the classic school boy error of not wearing padded shorts my ass was deader than after hours at a morgue. Onwards I pounded though cutting the 5k route short before doing myself too much damage. Home, ice, stretch and relax.

A final swim tonight (data to follow no the clip is ordered!) and just sit back and count down to Sunday's Tri at Ribby Hall - if I said I wasn't nervous I'd clearly being lying but I think it is more to do with the logistics of transition rather the the physical exertion, any way it will be what it will be and we will all have a good laugh and enjoy it - weather permitting!! Also, keep your eye out for all members of team penguin sporting their custom race tattoos!! 

Bank Holiday Brick - Bike

Bank Holiday Brick - Run

Not much to report really

As you would expect with a title like that there hasn't been much training on of late. Since the last post almost a fortnight ago I think I have tallied an impressive 4 sessions!

1st up was the trail run on the 30th March - I thought maybe a change of terrain and a change of shoe would make a difference, apparently not! Following a 7 mile walk on the Saturday I think I may have overdone it, that said despite the pain it was awesome to be back out along the river in the glorious sunshine!

Interspersed with a hobble of squash (it's a new term I'm testing out for activities I do!) the next session was a cycle, having walked, run & played squash over the previous 3 days I didn't want to go too far but it seems even the 16Km I managed was too far the knee felt like someone had driven a re hot poker through it on the way home.

A day of rest then back to the pool fro some more pull buoy training - pretty pics to follow again as I still haven't got the download clip or software for the training watch! A full 3 day of rest as I was definitely feeling it all down the leg by now which brings us into this week. Again Monday's ritual game of squash (a game this week as I was spritely and even won some!!), a physio appointment Tuesday with yet more pushing and pulling. Wednesday was a post physio rest to let things settle and then into tonights dismal affair of a run. I felt quite good in the 1st quarter but it soon spiralled out of control and even forced a walk, there is clearly something amiss with my gait/run style as I can feel a limp or a hip issue when running - all of which of course bodes well for the 1st Tri 2 weeks on Sunday, I genuinely don't think I am going to complete it but where there is a will there is an alcoholic reward at the end!!!