Mud, Snow and Running

IN the spirit of my first run in my Mudclaw's, I figured I'd try today's blog a little differently. Embracing the multi media age, here's my first video entry!!

It was gorgeous, if a little wild, out there, as you can see from these:

The mark of the Mudclaw!

Multiple Shoes!

As I've talked about previously, I started making the transition to front foot striking some time back to reduce the stress on parts of my legs, particularly my ITBs. While I have made great improvements in my running thanks to the shift, (and I give a lot of credit to the Inov-8 Road-X 255s as they helped keep me from getting lazy), I do not believe that my legs will be ready to run a marathon in them by July, let alone one off the bike. So my plan here is to do the long runs with cushioned shoes and continue with the Inov-8s for the shorter sessions. What I hope to achieve from this is to continue to work the technique & muscles hard on the short sessions, so that it becomes more and more natural even on longer sessions, but allow myself that extra support on the long runs, so that as I tire I won't suffer if my technique gets sloppy.

So off to Run-4-It in the sales I went.

First up, I was going to see if there were any Inov-8s in the sale, and I picked up a SWEEEEET pair of Mudclaw 272s in my size for 45 quid, so now I must find some muddy, messy tracks to go get durty on.

Next, onto the cushioned shoes.

What I love about buying from a shop, even where I could buy them for less on t'interweb, is the advice & proper fitting you get. The woman who helped me today is studying podiatry and a runner herself, so knows plenty about whats going on in feet. We talked about what I'm training for and how my gait has changed, history of footwear, all that kind of stuff then I got the gait analysis with the camera on the treadmill running in a neutral shoe, and it was very heartening to see big improvements in my biomechanics since I was last checked, prior to buying my first Inov-8's. My feet are sliding about way less and I'm crossing less. Then tried a couple of different pairs of shoes with limited pronating support (I've needed to go for lots of support previously, but I'm confident that my ever improving technique is limiting the need for the support, and I ran well in them on the treadmill), so I've gone for a pair of Adidas Supernovas. I'll take them to the gym, hit the treadmill & see how they hold up. And if they suck, I can take them back (as long as they've only been used indoors and are clean).

Today's blog is brought to you by:
The Shoe People Theme
My Name is Mud by Primus
Do What I Say by Clawfinger

Don't Be A Flea!

Now, a flea in the wild can jump so high compared to its body size that it is the equivalent of us jumping a house. You take a few fleas of the same type and shove them in assorted sizes of boxes and leave one outside of the box. The fleas will jump around inside their boxes for a while, bashing off the roof. Over time, they'll learn how high they can jump so as not to batter their heads off of the top of the box. Once this has been learned, once you take them out of their box, they'll never jump higher than that again. Their mate who was left out, he's still jumping around happy as Larry, but the others are now limited (that's how they'd train them for flea circuses by the way).

We continually do this to ourselves, build mental boxes around ourselves, limiting what we will be able to achieve. People around us can keep us in the box like the flea, so we are trapped, unable to jump as high as we could. For every person who has wholeheartedly supported and encouraged me along in triathlon there has probably been two or three at least who have been negative, ranging from the dismissive 'Good luck, but really, you're a bit mental ain't you' to the downright condescending and rude "why would you ever want to do that, you must be crazy, you'd never catch me doing that". For a long time I was my own worst enemy. I thought I couldn't do any of these things, that I'd never be good at sports, and that my brother and sister were clearly STARK RAVING BONKERS for entering Monaco 70.3. But unlike the flea, we can break through the mental ceilings we have constructed and undo the mental conditioning we have been put through. Out of the box, you can jump higher than you believed, then realise you can jump higher still.

With my first sprint under my belt, I still thought my brother & sister were bonkers for doing the 70.3, but I was starting to understand why they did it. Once I got talked into signing up for Lisboa, it all snowballed. Once I finished Lisboa and started getting some faster times at sprints, I then had a choice for 2012, aim long, or aim fast - take an Ironman distance race or focus on once particular distance and get better. For me, the challenge was to go long.

Hell, if I had the time and inclination, I believe that I could train for and complete a Deca Ironman event (though the one where you do 38km swim followed by 1800km bike followed by the 10 marathon distance sounds more like it rather than one a day for 10 days - you've got to plan your sleep & food breaks in!).

This is not the way for everyone, but find the challenge that suits you, that pushes you onward to a better physical  and mental condition and you have succeeded.

I mean, look at what you can achieve if you set your mind to it:
42 year old ex overweight chainsmoker wins first UK Deca Ironman event
This guy can't use his right arm for climbing, but refuses to give up & so pushes himself up routes most people can't do with two hands
These guys travelling by bicycle from London to Australia
Aaron Fotheringham with Spina Bifida landing the first double backflip in a wheel chair


Step out of the mental box and you have no ceiling to limit you. The world is at your feet.


Tonight's blog is brought to you by
The Shaman: Move Any Mountain
S Club 7: Reach
Machine Head: The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
Pantera: A New Level
Paradise Lost: Yearn For Change

Oh Happy Days!

So after a disastrous start to the day with a turbo tyre that refused to go on, reverting to normal tyre, only to find somewhere amongst my raging anger trying to fit the thing I'd given the inner tube a pinch puncture, I went into a strop & gave up. The looking out the window I decided I'd best go for a run & enjoy that weather, so on went the fell shoes and to the park I went.

Pure magic :)

Springburn Park from the climbing frame

Yes I'm a big wain & love to hang out in the ropes still

More Snow

The pond was a bit icy

But thankfully the ducks found a bit to paddle in

Listen to Tommy. Run Home Slow.

You've finished another great but hard session. You're pumped up yet getting tired. You want to get back to the car park, stretch off, get in the car then go home for that tasty, tasty dinner that's waiting for you. But the lead home runners are ssssoooooooooooooo ssssllllooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. You're not coming close to the fantastic speed you were nailing through the session, or even you're normal long run pace, but its OK, you're up at the front with them. Excellent, they're going faster. Then a little bit faster still. Brilliant!

No its not. Look at them. They're puffing out as hard as during a session, and that's not what its about, this is the warm down folks. Stay off their shoulder and allow the lead home people to keep their own pace. They need it. I've been at the front on a run home, getting pulled on faster than was comfortable for me, and I didn't want to feel like I was holding people up, so I kept pace, even as the speed kept creeping up, so that when I got to the car park I was hanging oot ay mur a***. That's not how its supposed to be.

Remember as well - if everyone goes off at their own pace, the pack stretches & splinters, and the slower & tireder runners feel they need to push harder to stay in touch. You are also not getting as good a warm down as you could.

This is why Tommy sets it up the way he does - everyone should be able to get a gentle warm down and part of it can be unwinding a bit with some banter, talk to people (particularly the newer folk I say) and find out how they're getting on. And if they are breathing hard, encourage them to slow down a little until they can carry on the conversation, then you know they're at a better pace for them.

I'll get off me soapbox now.

This public service announcement was brought to you by Bad Religion's Nobody Listens

Acceptance Speech

I want to thank my manager, my agent, sniff, mom, dad, the persuaders I sent round to the judges houses. Can't say more. So choked with emotion.

Anyway.

At the GTC Christmas Lunch yesterday I was awarded Most Improved Athlete of the Year, along with  the even more prestigious bag o jelly beans  for Most Persistent Poster of Pish and Blogger of Bull. Or something. Can't remember the actual award name. But thanks everyone :)

I really appreciate the help & support everyone at the club has given to me over the last year, providing the perfect environment for a enthusiastic yet very very green triathlete to begin to flourish in a way I didn't believe I could until recently. (neither did anyone else. just ask my family ;p )

Lots of points in time stand out for me across the year. Nervously entering the pool for my first club session. Run sessions in the snow, with the moisture from my breath freezing on my buff. The cold of my first club cycle, the punctures and eventual hot chocolate & cake. Aberfeldy training weekend & struggling up Ben Lawers. The support of Ele, Seb, Heike & David at Lisbon, the nerves at the start, the rain, the pain, the finish, the casino. Strathclyde park Sprint and a conversation with Vicky that changed my running style. Back to Aberfeldy to show Ben Lawers what I was made of. Tighnabruach and the ferry home where I decided long distance triathlons would be possible for me. The formation of Team Roth. The Bolton road trip. Aberfeldy in a caravan for the Middle distance relay. Mud and fun at Glentress. And there are so many more good times to come.

This blog is written for myself, but the fact that some people have enjoyed what I've written and others have been motivated to get out and train when otherwise they may have just stayed in makes it all the more satisfying for me.

A tongue in cheek reminder to never take things too seriously.

Today's blog is brought to you by:
Abba's The Winner Takes It All
Mad Capsule Markets Good Day
Nailbomb Sum of Your Achievements (its the first song)
Opeth Godhead's Lament
Deadmau5 Raise Your Weapon
*edit*
Great idea Jo:
Yazz The Only Way Is Up
You should be able to find something you like amongst that.

Fruits of my Blogging Labour

WINNING!!!!!!!!!

Awards

It would appear I won two.

Where Has My Booze Tolerance Gone?

Oh yeah, thats right, I gave up for most of the year whilst training.

I hope I'm not mashed by the end of the club Christmas lunch on Saturday.....


Altar of Plagues - Feather and Bone

Hills

So I'm still gash at hills. But I'm better than I was.

Enjoyable day out today, despite the cold & sleet. I felt a bit weak starting the session, possibly due to a slight hangover, dehydration and general lack of sleep, but it was well worth going out for.
I feel more comfortable on the hills, and I feel like I'm using more of the full stroke (though I daresay I still; have dead spots along with shoddy technique) but its noticeable after being on the mountain bike (for me at least) how much more I'm using. My power is going up as well, but really, the stamina just doesn't exist for now. But it will come. Right now, when I top out a steep hill, I'm busted and need time to allow my quads to recover before I can crank up the speed on the flat. Though the cold probably wasn't helping. Its my excuse, & I'm using it

Tonight's post is brought to you by Machine Head's Halo

Tonight's [CENSORED] Run Session

So tonight we were in [CENSORED], doing a [CENSORED] session, where we [CENSORED][CENSORED][CENSORED] then [CENSORED][CENSORED][CENSORED] before [CENSORED][CENSORED][CENSORED] leaving my calves a bit tender. My ITB started to tighten up towards the end just as we were starting the [CENSORED] portion of the set, probably due to a combination of my recent lack of running, that I haven't been stretching enough and the cold tightening everything up. But I managed to run a couple of kilometers at reasonable pace stretching it out a bit more, which held the worst of it off. The slow jog back was probably the most painful part, possibly the dynamic stretch when I'm running faster helps....

And the point of the censored malarky? Aparently we shouldn't be putting the session details online. And I'm cool with that (particularly when I can have a larf with it :D )

This song is most definatly not censored: Rage Against The Machine: Killing In The Name Of

Winter Sun

I took advantage of the fact that the wind appeared to have blown all the rain clouds from the last few days away and jumped on my road bike this afternoon, for the first time in a good few weeks (maybe 6?).

This being my down period, I was going out there to see the sun & turn my legs. No heart rate monitor. No target time. No target mileage. No training goals. Just enjoyment.

And you know what?

I loved it!

Wintersun - Beyond the Dark Sun has some brutal drumming and obscene guitar work and helped me through the head wind sections of my ride.

"What kind of preparation do you call that Colm?"

"What are you playing at Colm? You're sitting eating your dinner when you could be at a run session! What kind of preparation do you call this for Roth??!!??"
"Well now its true, I could be at running, and I could be enjoying myself. Admittedly it could look that the weather is whats keeping me indoors, but damnit! This is supposed to be my off season when I get to chill out."
"But what kind of preparation do you call this for Roth? For Germany?"
"With my schnitzel for dinner, accompanied by a frosty beer, I call this excellent preparation my friend."

Freedom

Practice Makes Better

Seeing how as my cornering is shocking, after rooting around on youtube, I came across mtbtips video on balancing for corners, so after I'd got myself muddy blitzing (or nervously edging mayhaps) round the blue run a couple of times in Pollok Park, I got myself onto a flat patch of grass and went round and round in circles & figures of eights. And round. And round. And round. My circles were fairly wide, but I started getting them a bit smaller. It was weird though - I'd done a big circle, then switched into a smaller one for the other part of the figure of eight, but coming back to the first, I couldn't make it any smaller!
Still, when I got back home, I had another wee shot, and found that my turning circle on teh road was fantastically improved because I was starting to get a better body position.

Pollok park also turned out to be great for randomly bumping into people I know. Cooool.

This evenings post is brought to you by NIN's The Downward Spiral

Deconstruction of a Choking Mountain Biker

What I want to do today is rip apart what I'm doing so that I can try and break down the blocks that are holding me back, because I do believe a lot of it is in my head. Practicing will bring improvements, which will increase my confidence, relaxing me further, but if I could get that relaxation first, I'm sure the improvements would come much faster.

Where to start? Lets look at where it all started to go wrong on Wednesday. I was in a good mood, I was attacking the uphill section more than normal, trying to get my speed up & get the flow going. And I was having fun doing it. I was moving up the gears, getting into the middle ring at the front on the flatter bits so I could boost up & down any wee dips. As I came to a steeper bit, I dropped down to the wee ring, and the chain popped off on the inside - I was expecting a sudden change in cadence with the shift, so it just confused me when there was no traction. By the time I realised what was going on, I was heading sideways without any chance to unclip my foot (thankfully I fell uphill), giving my left knee the first rattle of the day (the bike is new and I'm guessing its just the cables are bedding in & need tweaked).
That first blow to my confidence, so early on, was killer. Uphill, I was scared to go up the front gears for fear of it happening again. For the next wee while, the adrenaline dump that I'd got from it, along with the fact that I was working hard uphill (and maybe had one layer too many on) left me feeling that I was ripping all the energy out of my blood, and I wasn't replenishing it fast enough. Really, what I probably needed to do was stop at the end of a trail, have a banana, chill out, relax and get my heart rate back down to normal but I was being stubborn & didn't want to admit defeat or wanted to get stuck in & prove I could do this, so just cracked on, choking on numerous corners and taking a couple of more wee tumbles.
My bottle had well and truly crashed.
We left the top car park heading on up the track. I attacked going up the short steep climb just after the red has rejoined harder than before, trying to get that flow back, but topped out in typically sketchy affair. I went straight down the wee incline though, which gave me another increase in stress levels and everything started to tense up. So frustrating. I choked on so many corners on that stretch; some of them that I'd done with no problem the first time I'd been to Glentress.
Cranked on up to the top of Betty Blue, and was feeling better, but as we started to descend, I just baulked at so many corners it was unreal. I couldn't see the corners, but rather I was mostly only seeing the edge & the steep hillside away from it. Right hand turns were the worst - I think I unclipped for every one of them.
Anyways. Betty blue was done and I got to unleash high speeds on the fire track back round to the next section. The sheer enjoyment I get from going fast on a bike calmed me down nicely in advance of the next section, and things started flowing again, if not as well as I would've hoped. But it was feeling good & I was getting my speed up again, so that I was able to cane it down the hill into the dip where the uphill route passes, and blitz back up the other side in my middle ring at the front (I then lost momentum & had to drop to the small ring, but hey, it was a massive improvement on any other time I've hit that dip). Was feeling good, but also very hungry at this point, so cracked on down Blue velvet. Coming out of the section, I wanted to flow straight down into Berm Baby Berm, but, me being me, there was someone coming up the hill, and I didn't turn fast enough, so I stacked it so as I didn't rattle into him, giving my left knee a hefty whack in the process. Berm Baby Berm rather than being a fast flowing fun section, became a tentative slow section as I made sure my knee was holding up. Thankfully there was no restriction in my movement - it just hurt!
I was still fairly nervous heading down from the carpark on Electric Blue, foot out on many corners (again with those tight right handers), slowed up and foot off for the three rapid bumps that I'd flown over the time before. I did have a go at the wee drop offs however, and really nailed one of the bigger (hey! they are big to me :p ) ones, but my landing at speed was a little sketchy and I felt BOOF! the stress in my body shoot back up. But the thing was, it was sketchy but completly under control - it was a beautiful movement which should've felt amazing, instead of the mix of amazement and fear I had.
So the last section was fun but slower and more cautious than before.

Where does this leave me? Clearly, I need more practice. Lessons would be a good idea. I've got some books to read up on technique. I then need to go out & use the techniques. I need to sort out nutrition & learn how to best to deal with the stress & what it does to my body (whats best after an adrenaline dump like that? Fast energy like a gel? Slow like bananas? A combination?).

Theres always more to learn.

Today's blog is brought to you by Deconstruction

Jimmy Irvine Bellahouston 10km

After the horror show that was my performance at SS6, I needed this to go well, to wipe away the memories & the pain, allowing my season to finish on a high with me in a good mood. And you know what???? It did!!!!

When I signed up for this, it was with the intention of finishing the season on a massive effort, crushing my last PB into the dirt, leaving me striding along the landscape like a giant. Considering the last few weeks, I worked out that there was no way that was going to happen, and had even got myself to agree internally that if I wasn't feeling fit for a sub 50, I wasn't going to do it. While I have been feeling tired all week, physically I felt up to it and the excitement of the season ending (and having next week off work) brought an end to the internal debate and an early night last night.

Waking up to sunshine, I could tell it was the right choice, though turning up an hour before the start time suggests I may be too used to racking a bike in transition before a race...

Ran a gentle warm up with Stephen Macintyre and I knew for sure that while I'd be able to run a good race, it wasn't going to be a PB crusher, so the most important thing was to remember to enjoy myself, and see how I coped on my longest run to date in my Inov8s.

It was a mass start from up at the top of the hill in the middle of the park, so a fast downhill run, made a little slower by having to weave in and out of assorted people. After that, it flattened out and I settled into a steady pace for the next few kms, with the first appearance of the ever cheering Jo Hewitt not far after the first km marker.

Out of the park I caught up with Andrea & we paced each other for the next 3km until she dropped off my shoulder only to reappear a km and a half later & shoot past.

Around the 7.5km mark I started to feel the twinges of my right ITB, a tightness round the knee and a jabby pain in the hip, and my pace, which had dropped off a little after the first 4km, suffered. The pain at this point though was manageable, and with a little over 2km to go, I quickly quashed any thoughts of stopping. What it did make me do though was think more about my stride, upping my cadence and maintaining better posture.

After a sluggish 5min km to reach the 9km mark, I knew a sub 45 was out the window, but no way I was going to allow myself finish over the 46 mark, so I stood taller, engaged the core properly, upped the cadence, stretching those legs, relieving some of the ITB discomfort, pushing forward, the end in sight. One final push at the end, and I crossed at 45:24 (according to Garmin).

Very pleased all in all!

I would like to point out that my time is based on my Garmin, started as I crossed the start line and stopped (or lapped, since I hit the wrong button & left in running) at the finish line and not the gun time, which will be the official race time. This race wasn't chip timed & it took me a good few seconds to cross the start line with the pack in front of me. So I'm sticking to this time!

So what does this mean in real terms? It means I get to go and have a beer tonight :)

This afternoon's blog is brought to you by VNV Nation's Resolution

Pre Race

Last race of the season is about to begin. I'm not 100%, but feel fit enough to give it a decent crack (its 'just' a 10k). Then I take a month of chilling, fun, alcohol and swimming technique, before the focus shifts to Roth.

Result to follow

Confession of a Coke Fiend

I need to 'fess up. I need help. The substance abuse must end. I've slipped back into using stimulants to help me through the day at work. Not just coke, but Irn-Bru and Orange Lucazade Energy as well.

What did you think, that I'm like Contador or something (allegedly)???

I know how bad these drinks can be when you over indulge - masses of empty calories, caffeine & sugar rushes & crashes, increased attack on your teeth, dehydration and more - but if I'm tired & sluggish getting into the office the sweet soothing call from the vending machine is enough to spark the endorphin rush from the addiction to start the craving, dooming me to be unable to walk past without the clink of money being deposited, the clunk of the can falling and the hiss if escaping gas then finally the sweet sweet nectar caressing my taste buds. And I perk up.

But it doesn't last. The morning wears on and fatigue creeps back in along with tetchiness, so at lunch another can must be bought. Then again in the afternoon, to get me over to the end of the day, the third comes. And so the cycle continues, day after day, spiralling in towards a future where a can must be cracked open upon awakening and consumed through a straw due to the lack of teeth (and possibly a jaw bone that has had all the calcium leeched out of it).

NO MORE! NO MORE! I must break free! Return to good habits and hydration.

I'm gonna have to go cold turkey next week folks. Wish me luck

DON'T DO SOFT DRINKS KIDS!!!!!!!!

Beer is where its at.

Today's blog is brought to you by Devin Townsend's Addicted (natch)

It Nears! It Nears!

Seasons end approaches!!

Following my utter disaster at the Southside 6 (no one can accuse me of over overstating things, can they?), I had a week of nursing my cold and doing little more than a bit of stretching and (unsurprisingly) the rest has done the trick I reckon, though I will reserve judgement on whether I'm properly fit to do the Bellahouston 10k on Saturday at full pelt until after Thursdays run session, which I intend to complete at a reserved pace.

I had a cracking time out at Glentress on Sunday, though I still felt the lingering effects of the cold, a great yoga session last night to stretch out the muscles after the afore mentioned ride (and I nailed a Headstand/Sirsasana Pose for the first time unaided last night, yes! Work that core!), then a reasonable effort in the pool tonight - I started out feeling bushed, fatigue or the tail end of the the cold or just the lack of exercise the last week had me feeling drained. After the warm up, I felt worse, but as the drills progressed, I felt some strength come back with the confidence. Always, always, always I have sooooo much more to learn, but its slowly improving.


So, the plan is more yoga tomorrow, run session Thursday, chill on Friday, race on Saturday. And if I'm not feeling it, I can always go do the mountain biking skills in Pollok Park with the club, eh?


Tonight's blog is brought to you by Ziltoid, Color Your World and The Greys
You may not believe this (particularly after the first couple of minutes) but Color Your World is a rather introspective song and turns rather delicate about 03:56. It starts building to epic from about 7:50 too. And the Greys? Thats just a magnificent chill out song after the climax of Color Your World

Question your reality. We are all puppets.

More fun at Glentress

Whats not to love about today? The sun was shining in the sky & I only needed to wear 2 layers (is it really November??). There was a great squad of mates. There was bikes, food & hot drinks. And there was fun.

So I had my moments of choking, and verging on hissy fits (though I was normally fine by the timne I caught up with everyone). I bottled out of the Spooky Wood & opted to go the rest of the Blue route by myself, but in doing so, I began to relax properly, taking my own time & not worrying about holding folks up and it started to come together. I bottled out of too many corners, but the grin came properly back and I felt comfortable all the way back down to the bottom car park (though, again, I bottled out of the bridge & slowed right down for some of the small jumps). It did mean, however, after a thoroughly pleasant break at the Hub Cafe (its a crying shame that its shutting down, as the other cafe, while a nice building, just does not have that decking & that fantastic wee view, and has a bit of a soulless scool canteen vibe), when we went up to have a fun wee blast back down several parts of the blue run, I knew where I was going, I knew what to expect so I could just go for it (still sketchy on a few corners mind) and actually attacked (for me) a few of the bumps and jumps, the grin getting bigger and bigger all the way down. Totally awesome.

So yeah, big picture, learning this mountain bike malarky is going to give me so much more confidence in my ability to control a bike, its making me more aware of my body on the bike & its forcing me to work the core to stay stable & balanced. Grinding up the hills has me working the pedals a bit more efficiently.

Always onwards!

Always better!

Tonights blog is brought to you by This Will Destroy You's The World is Our _______ Its not heavy, its instrumental and teh album cover has a bear with a house on its back. Whats not to love?

Cabin Fever

I chose to be sensible and stay indoors tonight. I'm frustrated, mind, cos I wanted to run.

As long as I'm feeling good for a little mountain biking on Sunday, I'll be fine though!

Today's blog is brought to you by The Muppets with Cabin Fever

Chicken Soup

I sit here tonight writing this blog frustrated. Following on from the Southside 6 my cold came back, leaving me wiped out all week, so I've been behaving, having early nights & putting minimum stress on my body to try and let it clear. I missed swimming last night, and yoga Monday and tonight to give me the total rest. I'm hoping I'll feel up to a gentle run tomorrow, and if so will join in the club session, though since it'll be the hills again, I'll just be turning at the first cone everytime, taking it very easy
I want shot of this cold. I want to be training and I want to out there enjoying myself. Mostly, I want to be ready to put in a god showing in Bellahouston park a week on Sunday for the 10k. Since I signed up for it, its been a burning focus for me, a way to mark the end of my season, signalling an active rest month before the Roth program begins, with the full belief that I could take a chunk of time off of my Edinburgh 10k time. Right now the way I'm feeling, and the way I felt on Sunday, I've lost a lot of the confidence I had in the past month that I'll be ready to do that. With careful preparation of my body, this confidence will also return however.

Its already edging back in though, along with the desire to run at 100% & leave nothing in reserve.

The feeling of the air rushing past.

The breath heaving in and out of my lungs.

Legs and arms pumping in sync.

Run tall! Run strong! Run hard!

It could be fucking awesome... :)

Tonights blog was brought to you by a stonking big bowl of of chicken & sweetcorn soup, Amy MacDonald's Run and Amon Amarth's Cry of the Black Birds

Southside 6

So first up, I'd like to say that the course was lovely, particularly with all the different coloured leaves all around the course. And much respect to all the marshalls & volunteers anlong the way, they all did a sterling job. As for the nosh at the end, that was soup worth running for!

After having spent the majority of the 36 hours on the run up to the race in bed trying to sweat out a cold, I knew that I shouldn't be running the race, but I let myself get talked into it anyways. At the start line, I was actually feeling alright and ran off at my normal half marathon pace. I quite quickly however realised that my legs were feeling sluggish from the cold I'd had, so peeled it back a little, and cracked on at a comfortable pace, holding the heart rate at around about the 160bpm, and so, the first 10km past in about 54 minutes - not exactly setting the world alight, butwhat I was aiming for in my fatigued state. Unfortunately in the last couple of km's in the first 10 km, my tempo was dropping, my legs weren't responding and runners were streaming past me. From there it just got steadily worse and within a couple more km I was getting the first ITB pain, by about 14km I was down to a walk hobble walk pattern, with any real attempt to run resulting in stabbing pain in the knees that had me on the verge of tears, so I gave up and entered a real sense of humour failure. If I met anyone I knew at this point, I would've either shouted at them or burst into tears, I was just so frustrated. The continued trickle of people passing didn't help in the slightest ("keep it up, you're doing great" no I'm not, I'm doing pish and my legs are fucked. But I never said that, because everyone was being supportive and it wasn't their fault I was in a vile mood.), particularly as I knew that by this point normally I could outrun everyone that was going past me. What did help me was the marshalls; cheery and doing a great job, I'd have a we blether with them going past (plenty of time at that speed and since by this point my heart rate wasn't going much above 120bpm, with my second 10km taking 84 minutes, it wasn't like a I was struggling for breath) which gee'd me on. Coming out of Pollock Park I was tempted just to turn for Queens park direct, but with Bellahouston Park so close, it didn't feel worth it, figured I may as well finish the bastard thing properly. Round through Bellahouston & at the water station were a couple of runners marshalling who could appreciate the pain of ITB problems and now it was just trying to do a fast walk. In the last km my left knee started hurting while walking and I just begged for the finishing line. For once in my life I was glad there was no-one I knew at the finishing line. I'd rather no-one had witnessed my finish.

Hindsight is wonderful. I shouldn't've run. I should've bailed out before entering Pollock Park. Should've should've should've. But I did it all and now I just need to do my best to recover and forget about it.

I know I maybe shouldn't be, but right now, I'm fucking disgusted with my performance; I'd rather've got a DNF than that time.

Now that I have vented, I am going to lie back in the bath & listen to some Machine Head and try and restore my good humour

Running Up Yon Hill

We were back at the railway bridge over the Crow Road today, and really, it felt like an old friend. I'd say that this hill is where my first big improvement came in my running. Yes there was something of the fact that I'd been going to the sessions for a while so my body was getting used to running, but there was so much more. They were hard going and a struggle for me to complete without my lungs cracking their way out of my rib cage, but I did it and went back for more. To get myself out of a warm flat on a cold winters night to face busting a gut up the hill was a mental challenge for me*, but one I gritted my teeth & went out and faced. I really felt the changes over those weeks. There may have been more reps the following week, but each rep was that little bit easier to me.

Tonight I felt the benefit of the training I've put in throughout the year. I went at the first two reps hard, and obviously found I could tramp up it much faster for the same perceived effort. And then I slowed up and relaxed, stretching the legs but not over cooking them in prep for my run on Sunday.

*I did, however, avoid the week of howling winds & icy rain, but that might've been week 1 anyways

Tonight's blog is brought to you by The Who's Tommy- Pinball Wizard. See what I did there? Eh?
And thinking about Running up That Hill - it is a cover, mind
And here's one for balance Run to the Hills

Challenge 2013?

Celticman

A new Extreme event for Scotland is coming soon!

Centered around the stunning Torridon mountains we will take you on an adventure unlike any other.

CELTMAN! is a long distance EXTREME triathlon.  Please take note - this race is HARD.  The distances are Ironlike and the terrain severe.  You will be expected to complete a sea-loch swim, an arduous cycle and a mountainous run.
This will require endurance, stamina, great bike handling skills and off-road running experience.

Please do not enter this race if you question your own ability to do anything mentioned above.

Hope in my Swimming

Thanks to the last few weeks of technique work, I feel like there is big improvements coming in my stroke - the power is there and my arm positioning feels like its moving towards what the coaches are telling me. The big limiting factor for me still however is my breathing. When I'm relaxed and streamlined & tall in the water, I can comfortably do a 4 stroke breathing pattern, but as soon as I tense up or get a little bit agitated, I just seize up and feel like my breath is catching in my throat, which obviously just makes things worse. But there were a few lengths today when I stayed relaxed & it felt like I could power through the lane & just keep going. It felt good.

One thing I found today that will help that is Vikky told me not to let my right elbow drop so much (when I roll onto my right side to breathe out the left, my right arm just plunges down). In focusing on keeping that elbow up & engaging the muscles properly, it didn't plunge & started to feel like it was more stable in the water.

Today's post is brought to you by the headliners of yesterdays gig, envy, with Thousand Scars

Hip Hop Bip Bop

Duno if it was the cycling, the stretching I did after I got home or the time I landed on my right hip, but the niggly pain I've had the last week or so is gone! Haha!

This blog was written on my phone whilst waiting for envy to come on stage. Go to youtube and find some envy. 

First Trip to Glentress

So I got to properly christen my new bike today down at Glentress, in the delightful company of Alex, Hannah & Jo. There was banter, falling (only me though), fun, a snapped chain, a puncture and some mud.

I suspect my falling off (slowly and at corners) is to do with nerves and dodgy technique - I think I was putting my weight too far back on the bike & just not committing to it. Once I took my first wee tumble, I was far to aware of the edges that would've taken me downhill so tensed up a bit more. The next two tumbles came shortly after and I walked a big wide uphill road just to give myself time for my nerves to settle back down. There were a lot of downhill corners that I would take my left foot out & slow down for on the next section and I really struggled to get comfortable & feel safe. In that respect, the downhill corners reminded me a little of the ski run down to Vallorcine, from the Domaine de Balme. Did a similar thing, though the really wide piste let me get my confidence back quicker!

Maybe I should've gone with flat pedals rather than in the cleats, so I could've gotten a foot off much quicker & started back up faster (I'm still chronic at finding the cleat quickly) but I felt I should push myself out of my comfort zone quickly. That and it made going up most hills a lot easier - I was finding that I was selecting the correct gear quicker than I would on a road bike, hitting a reasonable cadence and using much more of the full rotation on the pedal and a lot more naturally than I have been on the road bike. Still not all the way there, but it gives me hope!

And on the downhills towards the end, when I got myself clipped in & forgot to be bricking it, I had a lot of fun (felt like I came close to majorly stacking it a couple of times mind, but those tyres are so grippy I pulled it back).

The important points for me was that I have an awfy lot to learn when it comes to mountain biking, but its fun & worth learning, and having friends there makes it easier to get back on the bike & keep going. I should be a fun addition to my winter training & will make me up my general bike handling skills & general co-ordination on a bike!

Today's blog, in honour of the spooky wood, is brought to you by the quite frankly hilarious Call of the Wintermoon by Immortal. Most of you will want to watch it muted, however.

More Yoga, More Flexibility

My flexibility continues to improve, if slower than I'd like, and more core strength is coming along nicely too, those head stands are getting a bit easier and so is plank.

Swimming Drills

Now that autumn is clearly on us and with winter fast approaching the swim sessions are into technique work. I know I have a lot of work to do, but I'm heartened by how removed I am from this time last year, and how even in the last few weeks I've started to feel these technique sessions begin to make the changes that will lead to a increase in power and speed through the efficiency I'll gain.

A couple of the coaches pointed out to me after the session that I'm pushing my head forward, so the top of the spine is curved, before I tuck my chin in. This probably explains why I feel like my throat is restricted & breathing is difficult! (and if you've been following my blog for a while, my shocking posture as seen in a previous post probably isn't helpingking posture

Getting my breathing right would make such a difference to my style - if I mess up my breathing, I start to panic & tense up, making it harder to get a good breath, so I get more panicy. Very much a negative feedback loop.

There were several kicking drills tonight where I used the fins, and I felt the benifit in the lengths that came afterwards; with the fins on, it was way easier to engage the core and get the glutes working the legs rather than the thighs, and I managed to carry that feeling over into some of the later lengths. Many of the other drills were about getting the arms to be going into the water 'wide', so that there was no crossing over and being horribly inefficient. COncentrating on those, I found it easier to go 4 strokes between breaths than normal, probably because my body position was so much better! In a 4 stroke pattern, I feel so much more stable in the water. Doing these drills I could feel the catch properly, that rippling down my forearm that Robert from Discover Swimming has talked to me about before, and that sense of speed. It just felt so right!


A lot of it is about the core, engaging the muscles and putting yourself into a nice flat position in the water, and there were a few lengths towards the end where I felt I was achieving this, making myself long and thin, so those lengths just flew in. When I do hit those lengths, I power up without any noticable effort, and can hitting the far wall at a fair old pace. I need to get those lengths happenning all the time

So yeah, my posture needs improving, but then it needs improving for all disciplines, so its an ongoing process. So many other things need improving, but as long as I stick at it, and particularly start getting to Tuesday & Sunday coached sessions, I know the coaches can drag a reasonable technique out of me. And once the technique is there, the stamina to swim a 3.8km will come.

Tonights blog was brought to you by Knife Party's Ibiza Mix

A Challenge For Another Year???

I've read about the Tour Divide before, and at the time it sounded amazing yet foolishly hardcore.

Now it just sounds amazing.

I've been reading this blog all evening.

Its not healthy for me.

One of the few tunes that would fit tonight, the enchanting and mellow Deep Peace

Because....

runners can get muddy too

Pretentious? Moi?

Bold Typeface Required

Muddy Leg

More Mud

Mud Gets Everywhere

Even the Seat

Because everything is sexier in black and white

New Bike + Mugdock Park = Happy Me

Autumnal Splendor

Its dirty. Honest

Job Done

Winter Fun

I've bougt myself a mountain bike for the winter season, so I can get out and get that grin you only get when you've been sprayed head to toe in mud.

Style Transition Progress

I was talking to GP after this evenings run session and it got my reflecting on how the transition to front foot striking & the use of minimal shoes is coming along.
The recap.
I pronate. I was a mid foot striker. I had ITB problems. On coach's recommendation I upped my cadence, which put me more to a front foot strike, relieving much of the problems with my ITBs. I ran a half marathon in my old shoes at Aberfeldy and got a massive blister on the arch of my right foot. Went to get fitted at Run-4-It and after several hours trying on assorted shoes and discussing running styles with Don, I got the Innov8 Road 255s. I use them for club sessions and shorter runs. For my 10Ks, I've been using my old old trainers (with pronating support).

We're now up to date.

During the process, my calves have been taking a bit of a beating, as is to be expected. Stretching and yoga classes are helping counter this. There is a noticeable change to my calves through this however - before the front foot striking, the outsides of my calves were doing all the work, so they were firming up, whereas the insides were quite frankly quite floppy. Now, with the more up down nature of my running for my feet & legs (rather than my foot  crossing over too far & sliding about in the shoe), the work is being spread more evenly throughout the calf, and the inner part is starting to firm up. My stability feels better, as I'm using muscles round the ankles better, particularly for my left leg that I never rehabbed properly after the dislocation. I'm faster and feel like I can go faster still (or at least begin to stretch the time I can go at around top speed for)

The downsides include however that on uneven surfaces I can feel quite exposed - the support is gone and if I hit a divot I worry about spraining an ankle, particularly my dodgy left one. The flip of that however is that with the high cadence and fast turn over of my feet, I'm not applying the same force through them, so when I do hit an uneven patch I sometimes feel like I'm skimming over it, add in less lateral movement & I can end up feeling more stable. I just feel that if I do catch it wrong, its going to hurt.

I'm under no illusions that I'm going to be running in these shoes at Roth (or if I've progressed to an even more minimal pair those). So why persevere with them if I should be basing everything around Roth preparation? Well, I feel like I'm moving towards a more efficient style, which is being carried back over when I run in other shoes. The muscles I'm using are strengthening and will improve my stability at the ankles further which can only be a good thing. Add in that I really enjoy running in them, the feeling of speed and control they give me is like no other shoe I've worn.

My current plan is to run the Bellahouston 10k in mid November, to see how close to 40 minutes I can get, then put thoughts of a sub 40 minute 10k behind me until after Roth. Then they will be used for club sessions and shorter solo session until it starts getting icy (as there is almost zero grip on them, it'd be insane).

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Go forth an listen to Taboo by Tim Minchin, dedicated to the Prince

Multiple Yoga Sessions and the Need For Flexibility

What can I say; my glutes and my hips are all kind of tight, my hamstrings are so short I can't get close to my toes and the transition in running styles is putting plenty of pressure on those calves & so they're shortening,  so if I want to train clever, unlock further potential & stay fit through the winter & into next race season I need to be doing something about it, which is why I'm back at the yoga.
Over the next few months I'm aiming to get to at least 2 sessions per week, and having been last Monday, this Monday and now tonight (Wednesday) I can feel a marked difference around some of my joints, particularly my hips. After all the running I've been doing recently they were getting tighter & tighter, particularly my right one, but tonight I can feel that most of that tightness & the pressure it caused is gone. C'mon - I ran a half Marathon on Sunday, and after Monday's session my legs felt about ready to go run another!
Some people have the patience to sit at home and go through a whole stretching routine - currently, I struggle to do that, I get distracted & lose focus or I just don't sink the stretches deep enough, so the classes give me the structure to make sure I'm using my time best.
I really do feel that yoga has an important place in my training over the next year, plus I rather enjoy it.

Find a class and try it out
iheartmyyogi.com

And on that calming note, for the ying to the yang, tonights blog is brought to you by Machine Head's Davidian

Yoga

Its good

Neil McCover Memorial Half Marathon

I never knew Neil, but by the way those that did know him talk about him, he was a great guy & is missed.

A donation from the entry fee went to Brake, the road safety charity. Donations can be made via their website, http://www.brake.org.uk/

It wis a gey dreicht day to be running a half marathon, but there were plenty of folks out for the morning, including a good group of GTCers, including Rent-A-Supporter Craig.

I'd originally planned on taking this race as an easy one and just make sure to go sub 2 hours, but as the gun neared, I knew the chances of me holding too much back were pretty slim, so when the start came, I set off at a reasonable pace. As we'd been starting pretty close to the back, that meant I got to overtake 100 to 150 people!


Looking at my Garmin splits, I'm quite pleased with the relative consistency I had. I pushed a little hard on the first few miles, so consciously eased off a little to control my heart rate, and for the next few miles just held it as steady as I could in the worst weather of the day. With the autumnal leaves falling along the course, there was a relaxing end of season feeling to this race, which helped quite a bit through that period.

Dropping into Torrance after the 7 mile mark, I could feel myself starting to flag, but as luck would have it, from behind me I heard "Oh, look there's Colm" as Caroline caught up with me, which brought my pace back up as we ran on for the next 3 miles. Strangely, Craig turned up on a borrowed mountain bike, complete with baby seat. Alas, my arse wouldn't fit in it, so hopes of a backie for a mile or two were dashed.

Not long after the third water station, Caroline decided she was tired and fed up running in the cold, so sped up to reach the finish line quicker. For me it was just about not slowing down any!

About a mile out from the finish I could feel my right ITB tightening quite badly and that familiar pain on the outside of the right knee. Unfortunately I just didn't have it in my legs & hips to increase my cadence too much, which really does help stretch it out for me, so it was just about management of the pain & ITB for the last wee bit. There would be no walking until I crossed the finish line and before long, there it was. Job done.

Met up with the faster finishers from GTC, then cheered on the rest as they crossed the finishing line, applauded at the prize givings then went to the Stables for lunch with mates. Top day.

For the race itself, the route was lovely (and would be magic in the sun) and there was an army of marshalls out there who all did a top job. A worthy addition to your race calender next year.

Things I've learned from today.
My Lonsdale compression top is not suitable for running long distances in.
I obviously need more distance running, but my legs are adapting to it, so I'm sure I can get faster. And do a marathon without crippling myself.
Pussy juice tastes alright


Today's blog is brought to you by an electronic violin cover of Hysteria by Muse

Run in the Sun

So I got out from my training course early today & back home at 3. Tonnes to do in the flat. So I did the sensible thing.

Went for a run in the sun.

Lovely

Chrysalis

When discussing the end of season running I'm doing (I had a 10k last weekend, got a half marathon this weekend, another 10k the week after, a 16 miler 2 weeks after that then another 10k 2 weeks after that now. Oh, and the 10k Turkey Trot on boxing day), it was put to me that I was going at it a bit hardcore & addicted. Looking at that line up, it does kinda look it, eh?

What I am doing here is increasing the lifestyle changes that started last year, and pushing myself to make sure that they stick. To make a new habit stick, you have to repeat it enough times, and in doing all the races this year along with the training I'm trying to irradicate many of my bad habits and make these new ones stick. Numerous times I've got into something, stuck at it for a while, and then when somethings got in the way of it, I've drifted out of the habit, then moved onto something shiney and new, or I've allowed obstacles to knock me out of my pattern, and gotten lazy. With what I'm getting from training & Triathlon & everything around it, I want exercise to become a fundemental part of my life.

In deciding this, I have moved to remove things from my life that unnecessarily drain time and resources from me. I unplugged my digital box a month ago, which, even though I was only watching about 6 hours of programs a week, has given me back more time than that. I still watch somethings on iPlayer, but with Dr Who finished, theres about 1 program I'm following & that only has a few weeks to run. I actually feel rather liberated. The games consoles gather dust. The comics are no longer bought.


I am not, however, retreating into exercise at the expense of everything else, I must retain the balance of the other things I love, which is why I'm still grinning ear to ear after having come out of the VNV Nation gig. I do enjoy a good bevvy, but I neither need nor want a heavy session very often. I embrace the out doors & now get outand enjoy it instead of always saying "I must get outside more" and then watching some dross on the goggle box, or lying around nursing a hangover.

Roth is going to be a culmination of two years graft & training and a milestone in my life. I'm excited for the race, to cross that finish line, and to be able to look back at the transformation I will've put myself through to that point and to look forward to further challenges. More importantly though, I'm just as excited for all the steps along the way.

Today's blog is brought to you by VNV Nation's Gratitude. Naturally.
"Thank you for all the doubts, and for all the questioning,
for all the loneliness and for all the suffering.
For all the emptiness, and the scars it left inside.
it inspired in me, an impetus to fight.
To all who stood with me, when we stood as one.
Thank you for guiding me, for bringing me home.
And if it seems that I'm obliged to say these words,
I write this in gratitude, the least that you deserve."

The Buzz of Running

I get a buzz out of running.
I get a buzz out of running hard.
I get a buzz out of running & pushing my physical limits.
I get a buzz out of running fast.
I get a buzz out of running with other people.
I get a buzz out of running in front of people cheering.
I get a buzz out of running a faster time.

This might go someway to explaining why I have signed up for a run on boxing day.

And my desire to run a sub 40min 10k

This blog is brought to you by Covenant's Speed (Club Edit)

Edinburgh 10k

Driving over it was pissing down and I was doubting my decision, but by the time the start came, it had dried up. I switched back from my Inov8s to my old Nikes, as a 10k run at pace on roads felt a sure fired way to mess up my calves.

The route kicks off up the road round Arthur's Seat, which is quite a harsh way to start to be fair. My heart rate was quickly up & stayed up above 170 for pretty much the entire run (zone 5, apparently). There were way more draggy uphills than I'd thought on the course, and very few sections that were flat for long enough to get a good rythmn while allowing my pulse to lower, particularly if I was going to beat my PB.

The Garmin has become an important tool for me, and in this instance gave me something to focus on, to keep pushing onwards, as I could always see that my target was achievable.

So what went right? I picked a pace and stayed as close as I could throughout. THe pace was hard, yet achievable. I only occassionally let what other people were doing effect me; rather than reacting to someone passing me, I stuck to my race and pulled myself round. Job done.

What went wrong? Stupidly, I forgot to double knot my laces, so inevitably they both fell out. D'oh.

Garmin Data

This blog is brough to you by Machine Head's Locust and Bjork's Violently Happy

Season Breakdown

Event              Overall    Swim   T1      Bike        T2       Run
Lisboa             06:45:45  45:10  05:39  03:20:13  06:37  02:22:04
Strathy Sprint  01:32:51  16:32             00:47:35             00:23:41
Stirling Sprint   01:28:39  17:52  01:26  00:44:14  01:17  00:23:48
Tighnabruach   01:24:59  15:22  02:23  00:43:17  00:54  00:23:02
Strathy Stand  02:39:48  31:02  02:46  01:17:30  01:02  00:47:26
Lochgilphead   01:28:08  10:54  01:56  00:41:10  01:03  00:33:05

For comparison, from 2010 on my hybrid:
Kelso              02:01:15  17:47  03:00  01:00:43  01:58  00:37:47

So what does this tell me? Everything needs to get better. My transitions are shocking, my swimming is a bit hit and miss, theres big savings to be made on the bike and if I can improve there, I can put myself in a better position for a stronger run leg. But. I've come a massive distance from my prologue year!

Reflections on a Great Year

The short attention span PC summary:
I was weak.
I got better.
I'm going to get better still.


Like I've said before, last year with its two sprint triathlons was the prologue to this years stage 1, and now that Lochgilphead has come and gone, the triathlon season has finished and I think now is a good time to step back and reflect on what I've done.

About a year ago, my big brother Ciaran was talking me into signing up for Lisboa Middle Distance triathlon. I'd completed two sprint tris in around about 2 hours each. I'd set a new PB for a 10k run of 57:09. I was in the best shape I'd been in physically for at least 4 or 5 years. I knew to get into triathlon I needed to upgrade from my cheap as hybrid, which brought me to Evans during the sales and my wonderful piece of carbon. Best purchase.

In November I bought myself a turbo trainer, and between my lack of enthusiasm for that, and my shocking swimming technique, I knew training solo was not going to work out for me, which led me to the Glasgow Traithlon Club. Joining the club ranks alongside signing up for Lisboa as greatest decisions of the year.

Over the winter I did a lot of swimming and running sessions, and the coaching (obviously) has been instrumental in the massive gains I've made. Being surrounded by like minded people of all ages and abilities gave let me reference points to show what I could do and how I was progressing. And progress I did.

More important than that though was the easy friendships and support offered by people all round the club. Turning up for my first club ride from Pollock Park late in winter I was nervous - I didn't know anyone, I was weak on the bike and the weather wasn't too great either, but soon I was on the road with Alastair, Jo & Charlotte and everything was hunky dorey (well, except for the weather and the punctures), ending with a cake & hot chocolate stop, and no need to be nervous turning up for one of those group rides, because you could be as weak on the bike as I was back then, but you know you'll get help along the way.

Onwards. The group rides started a bit more often, and my bike skills slowly started to improve. At Stirling Sprint Duathlon I found that just by wearing Glasgow club kit you got cheered on, as there was a name to shout, and that GTCers are very vocal in support of their own, even when they don't know you yet. Then came the Aberfeldy Spring Training camp, which was all about hanging out with a great bunch of folk, making new friends and pushing myself & finding out how poor nutrition strategy wipes you out after getting talked into the longer cycle route and under fueling myself such that I was wiped out & weak as a kitten by the end (still, best decision of the weekend to do that route).

Lisboa approached and the support from all round varied; by now my mates had accepted the oddity that I was up to and even my lack of drinking & were all behind me, including Jamie o'er in Afgahnistan, pushing me on as he pushed himself; supprt from around the club was great, even if I was looking a little (ahem) underprepared for it, but support at work was unfortunately mixed. There were plenty of folk who were impressed with what I was about to attempt, but there were others who were downright condescending, calling me mad to my face in a very disparaging way. But then they tended to be fat, unfit and wouldn't know what exercise was if it jumped up and slapped them in the face.
And then of course there was my family. Spread out across the country and the globe, emails of support and encouragement flash back and forth between us on a regular basis, and we've become a self feeding encouragement group. Its fantastic!

Lisboa, what can I say, the toughest race of my life and the beginning of something special I think. Many thanks to Heike, David, Seb & Ele for their support throughout the weekend. The support from the crowds and volunteers was immense on the day. Before the race, I hadn't done the distance in each of teh individual elements, so it was a massive step up, far bigger than it should've been if I'd trained better, but I am immensly proud of myself for doing it, even with the pain.

The following week I was lap counting in Bishopbriggs pool, and a cracking day that was. Soon I was back racing at Strathclyde Park, where a shoddy run leg following by a conversation with Vikky began the ongoing transformation of my running style and the reduction in ITB problems. Not long after, I went to Stirling and did my first sub 1:30 sprint triathlon, then crushed 2010's 10k PB by 12 minutes 2 weeks after that. Tighnabruach came soon after and a sub 1:25 finish (by 1 second mind!). That weekend was perfect; the weather, the race & the friends.

With nothing on the radar for a couple of months I did slacken off a bit over the summer, pulling in a few longer rides, but just generally ticking over, untill the Aberfeldy Middle distance where I put down a marker time for myself in a half marathon; a marker time I expect to be able to quickly lower. My first standard distance race came soon after, on an up and down strathclyde park course, which while I am pleased with how I have progressed, on the day I was still annoyed that I hadn't trained properly for it. But my bike leg was a little better than I'd feared & my run if taken to the full 10k would've been my 2nd fastest 10k run.

Then was 'Gilp, the day after a wedding, where I'd spent the morning with a grim red wine hangover, wet and windy, still feeling a bit grim, way off my game, but it was another sub 1:30 and at the end of the day, lots of fun with a lot of friendly faces from the club. Had I been in the race the year before, I would've struggled round in about 2 hours, then shuffled to my car to drive home on my tod to lie around in pain. Instead I happily stood in the rain cheering on the rest of the club on the course from the later waves before hitting the pub with a bunch of mates. The increase in physical & mental strength over the year has been phenominal and my mind still boggles at what I have achieved this year. Talking to Seb after Gilp, he pointed out to me the massive diffence he's seen from me fighting to get round in Lisboa to the controlled strength at Gilp, and that on that days performance, even though it would take a long time, he reckoned at current level, even if it was slow, I could finish an Ironman

And you know what, if I had to, I could finish one tomorrow.

Catch-up

Had a rather stressful week & got zero training done. Woke up today with the sun shining so got myself out for a short run in the new shoes.

I'm still loving them.

Today's blog is brought to you by Paulo Nutini's New Shoes

Reflections on a Century Ride

So after a chance to reflect a bit more, time for some thoughts on what the Glasgow to Edinburgh ride has brought to me.
1. You can pick the race, but not the weather
 That will always be the case, so I've got to be prepared for whatever is thrown at me. And as horrible as the conditions were yesterday, they could've been worse.
2. How hard can the metal aspect of endurance events be? Very
I spent long periods of the route on my own, cursing the weather and my tired legs & tight hips, but as I prepare for Challenge Roth, I need to be able to fight through these kind of things. So much work goes into the fitness side of things, and often the changes are clearly visible, but I guess a lot on non-athletes don't really know quite how much mental training is required to get you through these events. In that side of things, this event could prove invaluable for me.
3. Going long is achievable
A year ago, I bought my first (and current) road bike. 20km on it and I was blowing hard. Through longer and longer rides out with the club, nutrition failures and pushing myself up hills on my own I've come a long way since then; I know so much more about what it take and what my body can do when pushed. At the end of the ride today (thanks in part to the massive downhill I'm well aware) I could've carried on. Could I have got off and run a marthon? No, but then, thats for next year, isn't it! Even my recovery times feel faster, when popping out to the shops last night I took a gentle jog for the short 500m it was & my legs felt relatively fresh. After my first 10km run 3 years back, my legs were in bits for days. I've just done my first ton ride, and they feel so much better. I carry on, and long distance is mine.
4. Friends make it so much easier
I can't stress how important the support of Mark, Martin & Ross was on the day; they held back & waited at times for me to catch up, when they could've been finished much quicker and been out of the grim weather that much sooner. I know, you go out as a group and you stay as a group as much as possible, leave no-one behind, etc. But still. Appreaciated. And the run in at the end was plenty of fun with the banter.
5. My hill work still needs to be vastly improved
I've made good progress in this department, but there's still so much more to go. Practice & technique are two things, but I should also look at my positioning to make sure the power is where it should be. And then more practice. I should probably look at setting up some kind of program on the turbo looking at getting a good spin going for starters. And spin classes. Both worthy things to do over teh inevitable long, cold winter we have on our way.
6. Cleat positioning is important.
During the Strathclyde standard bike, I could feel my ITBs tightening up. I shifted my cleat round so that my foot & leg were in a more normal position for me, so that rather than knee being over the middle of the foot (as I've seen recommended as best technique), my toes were pointing out the way a little (when I stand I have duck feet). This seems to have relieved the pressure on my ITB, so I need to make some tweaks to my right shoe to get the same effect. After the bike, my left knee & ITB felt fine, my right... not so fine. If I can get this sorted, not only does it minimise the damage to myself, but it should also mean I can run faster off the bike. This actually came to mind after a conversation with Alasdair Marshall about biomechanics & running. So cheers Alasdair!
7. Find the positives wherever you can
During some of the darker moments, I managed to distract myself occasionally by thinking how this was all about prep for Roth & the fact that I was having such a horrific time at that point meant that I will be able to overcome so much in the future.
8. Sense of Humour Failures Happen
As Jo Hewitt keeps saying, these things happen. You can't control them, but you can control what you do next & you can refuse to be broken by it. So I will refuse.
9. Brighten the world, brighten your mood
During the route, I changed from TSR gray tint to amber high contrast lens that brightened everything on a dull day, and it did help improve my mood remarkably. It makes green lights look blue though.
10. I can be proud of myself
I gave myself a big challenge & didn't train for it specifically, heck, I only agreed to it a couple of weeks ago! I was relying on the fitness I've gained over the last year to pull me through, and it did. As a guage, it shows the massive leaps I've made since signing up for Lisboa, and that is something I'm immensly proud of. Now to make similar gains in the next 12 months!!!!


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Glasgow To Edinburgh Century Ride

Wooft! What a day! It had all the highs and lows you could expect from an endurance event at this time of the year in Scotland. And I make no apologies for my blatant wheel sucking at every opportunity.

Started the day off bright and early heading to register at 06:30, then meeting up with Ross, Mark & Martin. In some Bizarro World way, it was dry & relatively windless for the start of the ride! After the usual ramblings over the microphone, they started letting us go in waves, and we were off in the second wave, at around 07:11. Sadly I think I double tapped the start button on my garmin at this point, so didn't have it going.

The first section out of the city was a meandering stop/start through the traffic light ridden south side, but eventually we were out & into some familiar countryside, thanks to those GTC group rides. Down onto the A77 and the weather had most definitely turned for the worst and lo! we were heading into the gusty wind. I dropped off the back of the pack me & the guys were with when we hit a climb, and there was no way back for me for a while, cos struggling into that wind on my own was horrific. A few solo cyclists or pairs came past me, but I didn't have the inclination to try and catch onto them as they were all going quite hard. Then next group that came past however, I latched onto the back and tucked in for some blessed relief from the wind, if not the rain.

The pack stayed together for a while, until the guys at the front's mate made it back from his pit stop, and then then put the foot down and took off. which started the fragmenting of this particular group. Without a strong rider at the front, the pace dropped noticeably and then a few people started dropping off the back. As we hit the roundabout for the time trial turn I pushed up to the 3 guys at the front who were starting to draw away and clung on as best I could for a good few miles. I dropped off the back of them on a climb (the story of my day, sadly) so it was back to a face full of wind & pushing on.

A little while longer & the route turned off this south west heading road to head out south east, so surely that'd ease the wind? No danger. Heading down through Waterside (I think that's where the guys were waiting for me to catch up) and Moscow there was no let up, and as Loudon Academy approached, the rest stop was greatly needed.

After a quick caramel wafer & banana stop, my water bottle was refilled and a wee mechanical check because my rear bearings were sounding like there was a stone rattling around inside, and then we were back off before the chill could set in.

We dropped into Galston then out east along the A71. At Newmilns I noticed my cycle computer had reset itself due to the pissing rain, so checked my Garmin so that I could keep track of time for my gel schedule (around about every 50 minutes I was aiming for). Oh. Shit. Its not running. Oh well, better late than never I guess. It wasn't too bad along that road to be fair, but when we turned off towards Dungavel is when the road surface turned to shit and there was still worse to come.

I lost contact with the guys again somewhere along the road, and plowed on cursing the wind blasting me in the face, and caught up with them again briefly (possibly around about Glengavel Reservoir), but again got dropped on a hill and then the mental horror show kicked in. On my own, with a brutal wind blasting me with the pissing rain right in the face, Jo's aptly named Humour Failure was in full effect. I have never wanted out of anything so much as I did at that point. My brain told me several times, "What the fuck did you think you were doing signing up for this, you're clearly not ready". On several of the climbs I was so close to tears that if someone had passed me and said something I might've just burst. If I'd had to stop for any reason, I doubt I could've made it back on the bike at that point. Even the downhills were little relief - on a couple of them I tried freewheeling it so I could catch my breath, but between the shit road surface and the wind I was slowing down drastically when I stopped pedalling. To make things worse because I'd been forcing myself down onto my bars so much they'd twisted down, so I was having to lean forward more, which left me in a precarious feeling position.

But I knew I had two options, stop at the side of the road a broken man, waiting to catch a cold, or plow on through the distress, so I obviously chose the later, trying to silence the doubts with a mantra of "nothing will ever be as bad as this, nothing will ever be as bad as this".

Eventually I got through this hell section of road and turning left at Muirkirk got me out of the wind for a time, and my spirits bounced back a little. The section on from there to the second fuel stop in Douglas was not too bad apart from feeling very nervous that my bars were going to spin right forward away form me. Eventually we rolled into the fuel stop sodden & cold and in need of some food. Sarnies & more caramel wafers were the order of the day & the bike mechanics quickly got my handle bars back where I wanted them. I also knew that I had to do something to break the mood that was threatening to wreck my ride, so I think it was here that the yellow lenses got put on. Before we started off again, I got out of the wind for a bit, but my body just went into the shakes, but the only way to get heat back into my muscles was to start moving again, and off we went.

Again it took a while to get the blood warmed & moving well, but at least the wind wasn't quite as bad, though we were getting some nasty crosswinds that threatened to take the bike away from the unwary. The yellow lensed glasses were doing the trick & making everything look brighter and less miserable which helped and the road surface was a million times better so the speed lifted, but then were turning off of this lovely tarmac towards Carmichael & the sadistic 80m climb over 1k, not long after the 60 mile marker.

As we reached the bottom, my nerves were shot and I started weakly before a gust from the side nearly took my wheels and my bottle crashed. Just managing to get my right leg unclipped at 2km/hr I narrowly avoided dropping the bike (and me). Then, it was just a long walk.

The guys were again kindly waiting for me at the top of the first bit, so we pushed on up the hill and over the otherside (where Mark got himself attacked by an errant wasp).

Oh. Steep downhill. Wet. Gusty wind. I'd better take this easy. Naaaah, its a straight line.

I picked my line that would take me through the minimum puddles at the bottom, cranked on a little then tucked as aero as I could and let gravity do its thang. The grin that this brought managed to erase more of the mental anguish that was still kicking round from earlier, and I topped out at 72.8km/hr. Had it've been dry & less windy, I would've got way faster.

The road rolled for a while now past Thankerton, but at Quothquan a long draggy climb started. I'd managed to convince myself that Carmichael was the high point of the route, so this on tired legs with a still fragile mental state was torture; over 120m of climb over 12km with very little respite was excruciating for me, particularly factoring in my general (but slowly improving) suckiness at hills and the fact that one I hit that 60 mile mark I was pretty much in new territory for me on a road bike. Somehow I managed to fight back a little, refusing to lie down and accept that big back ring, pushing myself  onto smaller gears at every opportunity, even if it was only for 30 seconds before I had to drop. I. Would. Not. Break.

Topping out, the guys had hung back for me, and then we took off down hill. There was one significant climb to go, but I managed up it in reasonable time, then it pretty much was downhill all the way and little risk of losing the guys, and the fun stayed on the ride eventually. Head down, tucked in, blasting up short inclines with momentum carrying me over. Even the bout of gas I had to get rid of before it turned to vomit can't really bring this stretch down for me. There were still some inclines that made me slow & curse & beg to be over, but the 80 mile marker was replaced by the 90 mile marker in next to no time and the smiles were up and the end beckoned.

I'll wash over the little incident with being in the wrong gear as I came over the timing mat, so couldn't get up the hill and subsequently following someone the wrong way. The finish from the mat was on the end section of the 9 mile Edinburgh family ride, which brought us in through Murrayfield stadium itself where the photo op was taken, and then out again to the finish line, for medals and goodie bags.

I've done it. Yas!

Before

After

Yas!

Deserved dinner

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