Friday 29 June 2012

Atmospheric Loch Lomond II

I finished up work today for 2 weeks off and a swim in Loch Lomond felt like the perfect way to round off the week and also gave me the chance to meet up with Wendy to get her bike box that I am borrowing for Roth. Driving up I began to doubt my decision to head for the loch given the grim weather, but as I neared Balloch, the rain eased and the sky brightened from a dark grey to a dull grey. Wendy arrived not long after me, and it was quite obvious that we were going to be the only ones heading to the water, and for everyone else I have two words: your loss.

Slightly colder than Wednesday with a slight breeze, but really, once again it was all about being out there in the calm, isolated, peaceful place that it can be.

Love it.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Atmospheric Loch Lomond

Its days like today when I regret not carrying a camera in my car, and also not thinking to use the guff one on my phone, as Loch Lomond was pretty awesome tonight. Low clouds obscured the surrounding hills, the heavy rain of the previous days held off and there was barely a whisper of wind, so as I entered the water the level was up and the water was much clearer than normal yet not as cold as feared. The surface was the stillest I've seen as I started to swim out to the start of the loop and given that there were so few of us in the loch at that time, and the lack of no boat movement, it remained so.

Swimming out the front of the group it almost felt like I was alone in the loch. The diffused light through the low clouds added a sense of dislocation from the world that I'd left behind when I headed out of the office earlier in the afternoon.

Glorious.

It looked something like this by the way.

Tonight's blog is brought to you by:
The Corries - Loch Lomond

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Tighnabruaich

So on Sunday I was back at Tighnabruaich for the second Tighnabruaich Sprint Triathlon, and what a lovely event it was! The weekend didn't start so well; work commitments meant I couldn't meet Duggie to sail round, then driving up after work I was sent on a detour after Arrocher, then due to being a bit scudded convinced myself to go the wrong way at Inverary, adding an extra detour meant that I finally reached my destination exhausted & wire to the moon at half past midnight. The Grim weather on the Saturday monring did mean that I took a leisurely lie on on the sofa bed as people came and went from the cottage, before lunch, setting up transition and the car park, then a cheeky wee course reccie (which put me in good stead for the race the following day it has to be said, thanks to being well aware of the dodgier road sections).

It has to be said, the local wildlife can be a bit brutal, and not just the midgies - having a swan attempt to pick my pocket than start hissing and snapping at me as I tried to get my bike set up outside the door of the cottage was not what I had anticipated doing at 6am. But food was sent out to lead them away and we made our escape to the race.

Competitors and marshals roamed around with far to much energy for that time of the morning (or were they just trying to prevent the midgies swarming?) and in no time at all I was signed up, the bike was racked and I was sporting a brand new Glasgow tri top, the only thing left to do then was get into the wetsuit and line up for the briefing.

The water was a bit nippy, but I've been in colder at Loch Lomond this year, and getting in early for a longer warm up did help me get used to it. I was also sporting a new pair of Speedo Rift goggles, and the larger lenses felt great on my face for sighting - I felt the benefit during the race, and reckon I managed to stay a bit better on course for it.

As for the swim itself, I started out steady and stayed reasonably comfortable throughout, though again I was producing plenty of snot and phlegm out of my nose and mouth. Yep, triathlon is glamorous for sure.

Out of the water and a fairly slow transition ensued, based partly on the reduced feeling in hands and feet out of the water and my continued inability to get out of a wetsuit quickly. I tugged on some socks  then wheeled the bike out to the mount line to attempt a moving mount which worked! Huzzah! Apart from the fact that I squished down the velcro straps such that I couldn't get my feet in. Boo. Still, you live and learn, and today was about learning.

Once I stopped to sort that out (out of view of transition and the spectators), I got moving again a bit too hard as I was frustrated at the mess up. I blasted along for a while, then realised I was going to blow up, so trimmed the speed back and got on with enjoying the ride whilst picking out a few targets for over taking. The kilometers disappeared, punctuated by the cheery calls of the marshals around the course (thanks guys) and before I knew it I was slipping my feet out of my shoes and chickening out of a rolling dismount (I bottled it as I felt I was coming in too hard and as there was a crowd of people who would see an epic failure were I to stack it), but running into transition without the bike shoes on is way easier, it must be said.

On with the run shoes, tie the laces, then out for another less than epic transition time the run was a relatively flat out and back along the start of the bike route - if anything, there is an overall height gain on the out leg - and it was clear from the get go that my legs just weren't going to be up for a fast time, my cold feet and calves off the bike were just not responding quickly and given the closeness of Roth, I was in no mind to force them to, so settled into a steady pace and let the final section unfold, cheering on at first the leaders and club mates, but as I neared the turn point, I started cheering on everyone I went past. I hope some of my enthusiasm rubbed off on a few people :) My run may not have been my fastest, but for the area in the field I was in, it was fast enough, as only one person went past me early on and I managed to take maybe 8 or 9 people on my way round. My legs finally started waking up at around 3km, so I pushed on harder, until I caught up with Alex, about 400m from the finish line. I could've headed on past her, but given my goal for the day, to have fun and enjoy myself, crossing the finishing line with my running buddy seemed the best way to do it.

Very enjoyable race, made by the scenery, the organisation and the cheery support of the locals. I'll see you all next year!

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Sunday 17 June 2012

3 Weeks To Go

So in 21 days, I hope to be finished Challenge Roth - its not long now!
Friday after work I was cream cracked and given that the weather was grim, gave the loch swim a miss. Saturday it was up to Aberfeldy to escape the grim weather in the central belt and go round the Aberfeldy middle distance bike route. Damp and a bit cold, the rain stayed off for most of teh day, though the midgies were terrible whenever we stopped. The good news is the pain in my knee was down to a dull ache - I suspect this is left over from the problem because the area is still ab it irritated, so I'm going to ease back on the cycling until race day. I also had a few sustained periods on the aero bars, one all the way down off of Schehallion towards Loch Rannoch (except when I sat up back onto the brakes past the various sheep on the road) and a second all the way along the north side of Loch Rannoch (except when having to get out to change the gears - I totally want a TT bike, and no Ciaran, I'm not changing the bars on this one, as the thought of changing it back and forth for group riding is not one I'd consider) - on the second occasion I popped round from the back, said I was off for a sustained period on the bars then cranked it up to get clear so that there would be no dubiety, not expecting anyone to follow. After a bit, I settled into a steady tempo and cranked on. 5 or 10 minutes on, I heard a cough from behind meand turned to see that I had a tail of three from the group; pleasingly for me I think part of the reason I hadn't realised they were there is that they (or at least some of them) were working as hard as me to keep together. Only thing on that 45 minute section was I didn't bother going down to get any water, as I was feeling so good and didn't want to break it up. I'll have the aero bottle on at Roth, but its something I need to remind myself better about; I was also working harder than I entend to at Roth.
The only downside to the ride was that my hill climbing was relatively poor - part of it was over exertion & not enough food & fluids into me, part protecting my knees and part general fatigue I think.

Anyways, with that done it was off out to Loch Ore this morning to support the guys and gals from GTC up at the Sprint Triathlon. Some great performances on a pretty miserable and cold day. Well done everyone!

Finally, my weekend has ended tracking Craig and Fiona at Regensburg and Ross, Sharon and Gayle at IM 70.3 UK. I find it pretty cool to be able to follow how people are getting on round their course and I hope they found it helpful to know that their friends were out there supporting them all the way round - I suspect it'll help me through some bad spells on the day (and I'm sure that there will be some!!)

So, very excited :) Can't wait!!

Tonights blog is brought to you by:
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And especially for GP:
Hayseed Dixie - War Pigs

Thursday 14 June 2012

Better Spirits

So after the concern regarding my knee, I've bounced back into better spirits.

Firstly, there was the bike fit, using a camera and strategically placed LEDs to track the movements of my joints - raising the seat by 20mm, sliding it back a further 20mm then reducing my stem from 110 to 90 and sliding the cleats backwards have put me into a more neutral position on the bike, and should allow my leg to extend properly on the downstroke. I've yet to get out and cycle in this new position, but I have high hopes for Saturday's ride.

Next came the Loch Lomond swim - I swam out to the start point and looked back to see most people faffing around in the shallows, so took off on my swim accompanied by Cameron, who was as equally unwilling to wait around for the groups of people to catch up then hang around talking in teh cold water rather than swimming. Over the following three laps, the waits at each point of the triangle got shorter and shorter, which was exactly what I was after, so I could get a better feel for how I would be continuous swimming, and it felt very good I tell you. Few wee niggles here and there, and fiddling with my suit a bit, but generally, no reason I can't do the swim in Roth.

Then tonight there was the 2:30 run. Starting in Yorkhill, Jo & myself headed out along the old rail way line towards Erskine bridge; relatively flat, relatively steady pace, relatively comfortable. I struggled a bit towards the end as I think I hadn't fuelled quite enough, but very happy all in all!

I'm back in the water tomorrow, then the final test comes Saturday when I see how my legs feel on the bike, but I'm feeling quietly confident about it. Bring on Sheihalion.


Tonight's blog is brought to you by:
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Monday 11 June 2012

Knee Concerns

So during the Cairgorms Sportive 2 weekends ago I started getting some pain on the inside of my right knee. I rested up & wasn't on the bike for a week untill Saturday, when I did a 60km loop. Reaching Kilsyth I was getting a bit of pain on the outside of the right knee, but also under both knee caps. Given that I was wearing tri shorts under cycling shorts, as I'm considering this for Roth, I dropped the seat down a few mm and the back of the kneecap pain subsided. I also changed the cleat position on my right foot to try and alleviate the side of knee pain. It seemed fine for a bit, and I climbed the Tak without any problem, setting a new PB in the process (granted, it was only my third time up the road, but still, I'm chuffed), but halfway down through Carron valley the pain set in big time. I hobbled into Fintry and crawled up the Crow (at what would've been a respectable pace 12 to 18 months ago!) relying heavily on my left leg to power me up. At the top was a nasty surprise to give my spirits a good kick when they were down; a heavy jaggy rain storm, and me without a jacket. The cold compounded the knee problems I think, but onwards and homewards was the only option, so glasses came off as they were utterly useless in the downpour leaving me to take the full brunt of the jagginess (who knew rain could be jaggy?) down the hill and into the blessed relief of a Lennoxtown bus shelter, when I donned my arm warmers to try and retain some body heat in my sodden frame. With sodden, squidgy gloves, I limped home fairly miserable with thoughts of Roth being doomed before I reached the start line, my enthusiasm (which may seem endless to some of you) well and truly sapped.
Good company that evening in the shape of my girlfriend and a self-indulgent Sunday spent in the cinema (Prometheus and Ill Manors in case you are interested) helped bring back my normal humour, but being in a good mood isn't going to sort out whatever this problem is so step one is that I've signed up for a bike for, to make sure I'm not damaging myself through dodgy posture. Its not cheap, but I'm hoping it will be worth it - its gotta be better than the alternatives of not doing Roth or damaging myself. And thinking about it critically on my miserable journey home, there are a lot of things I'm doing wrong or that don't really feel right.

So we shall see.


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Plan B - ill Manors

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Cairngorm Classic 100

As part of my race prep for Roth this weekend I entered the world of road cyclists at the Cairngorm Classic 100 sportive.
A fatal crash on the A9 meant a detour was set up on Friday on my way up, sending me driving over Pitlochry to Braemar, Glen Shee & the Lecht, with lots of ideas for future cycles to be had.
With a group of GTC'ers staying in Aviemore Youth Hostel, we were up, breakfasted and off to the start line to register before 9. Dibbing in not long after 9.30, the day had begun in earnest.
The descent from the Cairngorm's car park was a fantastic way to start, and a fantastic way to get the eyes nice and streaming with water! Going what felt fast yet controlled for the corners, it was a joy to be heading down with plenty of other cyclists. At the bottom I caught up with Charlotte & one of the Stirling Tri bunch, then we waited until we picked up a second Stirling Tri'er and headed on at a reasonable pace for me, though the big groups of cyclists going past showed what can really be achieved. After a brief hello by Paul, he took off up through the field to find more people to catch to and help round the course. We caught up with Duggie and formed a 5.
After too long, I remembered that I hadn't had any drink or gel yet, so reached for my bottle to have a swig and... there was nothing there. As the tops were leaking a little, I'd put the bottles upright in the foot well rather than in the cage lying down in the boot & never picked them up. What a dumb ass! Thankfully Duggie took pity and gave me his second bottle, else I'd've had to have turned round at the first aid station. It did mess up my nutritional strategy however, as it was an energy drink & I find them rather sticky, and much prefer water & gels.

Onwards, through Nethy Bridge, then a stop for jacket removal split are group up, with Charlotte getting pulled on behind a big group & me starting up again thinking the others would be right behind me so I ended up on a solo mission for a while. As there was some climbing to be done, I settled into my own pace and carried on.

Charlotte was waiting at the 50/100 route split, but since we couldn't see the others on the road behind us, we headed on, as some of the others were slower on the climbs. Lindsey caught up with me and kindly let me sat behind him on a long flat high section into a headwind. Dropping down into a valley I stopped for Charlotte to catch up, then had a nice steep hill to grind up, with one torturously steep bit them almost had my breakfast coming back up.

A rolling section followed, where we went back and forth with a female cyclist, until at one point as I went to accelerate past her on a down hill and she caught onto my wheel, except she had no real control there; at one point I looked back and down to see the front of her wheel level with my rear mech. When she went past and offered a wheel, Charlotte pulled up due to her scarily bad group riding skills (or lack of), and I'd been unaware of the worst of it.

At the next feed station we refuelled and then got caught up by more GTCers. When myself and Charlotte took off, not wanting to hang around too long Duggie join us, forming a trio that would pull each other through the rest of the ride. Over the next wee while, we all took spells where we flagged, but thankfully as we stuck together, there was always two more to help.

Another pitstop at Grantown on Spey and we headed off, briefly joined by Lindsay, Gav and Lesley, but their prowess up hills split us soon after. I held the front up a steady incline into a headwind for a substantial length of time, wanting to make sure the other two were getting as much benefit as possible from some of my Ironman training, but I was mightily relieved when Duggie took over. I do think I over cooked it as I really took a while to get the zip back in my legs afterwards but I was well chuffed with the sustained effort I'd put in - I had know idea I could actually go that fast in those conditions!

Up onto the moors and round out of the headwind Duggie got a puncture, giving my legs a wee rest on a sunny loch side, before the back markers reached us along with the ominous broom wagon, which did focus the mind a little bit for the rest of the journey.

Starting out again, a niggle I'd had in my right knee since about the half way mark starting getting worse, and I started to struggle on the hills more. Thankfully a substantial downhill wasn't too far away, easing the pressure somewhat. Into the last feed station, we only had a brief stop to top up water, but it was enough for something to tighten up in my leg so that when I restarted and stood up on my right leg the pain almost caused me to drop. It quickly eased off to a dull ache, but I lagged off the back of the other pair for quite a while, wishing for my aerobars to help me catch them up. My knees were starting to get cold as well, and then the knee caps started aching. The predominantly up hill drag to the foot of the Cairgorm climb was torture for me between the pain and the fear of the hill to follow - it felt that if I really started to struggle on the steepest bits I wouldn't be able to stand up out of the saddle (I'd tried it on a couple of shorter hills and it hurt like hell on that knee) and was worrying how I was going to make it up. I was also toiling with a severe energy dip and clung to the wheels offered to me by Charlotte and Duggie as I stuffed some food into myself in prep for the climb.

Reaching the foot of the climb, it had to be everyone for themselves as I was in no state to help anyone, though Charlotte & I kept pace fairly well together, gee'ing each other on & lifting each other's spirits with invented song lyrics about how this was a stupid idea, and a crazy, painful way to spend the day. Surprisingly, as I settled into a rhythm the pain in my knee eased off and progress up the steepest section was swifter than expected - the recent expeditions to the Tak have clearly paid off!

As it eased off, we waited for Duggie before tackling the last steep section, then regrouping for the final time to cross the line together.

YA FUCKING DANCER!!!!!!!!!!

My heart felt thanks go out to everyone who had a kind word or a wheel for me to sit on on the day, but most of all to Charlotte and Duggie - you guys made the day more bearable, more enjoyable and faster than I expected.

The route:
http://app.strava.com/rides/10064613#

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De La Soul - Three is the Magic Number