A worthy effort

Today is a good day, a productive day, today (training wise) I'm on top of the world.

The day got off to a good start in that when the alarm rang (at 5:50) I actually did get out of bed and get my rear end to the gym. I got on the bike and did a 30 minute workout at a harder level than usual on a hill programme - the total distance was 17.5km which was satisfying. I'm on course for a sub 35 minute ride if I do manage to translate time on the exercise bike to actual time on the road.

I followed the 30 minutes with a 5 minute run at 10.5km/ph ... faster than I usually run over the longer times/distance and hopefully it will be a sign of faster times to come.

That was the morning session.

This evening I decided to head back to the gym and into the pool. You will recall my last swim was a 1k slog which I intended to surpass either in terms of time or in terms of distance. I managed to do both. I calculated that the 750m sprint triathlon distance took me between 20-25 mins and I kept on going. Before long the 30 lengths (750m) of the 25m pool had become 40, after which I went for 50. At 49 I was still feeling fairly good so I decided to plough on and go for the magical (for me, yes) 1500m, double the required distance for the sprint triathlon and the distance of the actual olympic triathlon. I am really really chuffed with the effort. It is, in fact, the furthest I've ever swum in my life.

For the first time in my training sessions I've actually done all three events in one day. God only knows how sore I'm going to be tomorrow, but whatever the result, its been worth it.

Footy at last

Monday came along and our 5-a-side team 'FIGO' had its first game of our MOnday lunchtime league. We're a team that has never played together before and a number of us haven't played football in a long long time (myself included as I haven't played footy in over 1 year) so my expectations were quite low. The team we played seemed to have been together a while, and in the first 5 minutes it showed. We didn't really have a look in in the first 5-10 minutes, but to be honest, over the course of the 20 minute game we acquitted ourselves fairly well. In the end we lost 4-2. Its a loss, but one with dignity intact. I'm fairly pleased with my performance. I was kept busy and it meant that I got quite a bit of exercise and as well as being sick today I am fairly stiff.

Upon recovery it will be time to resume normal standard training.

In anticipation of some sport

I'm still sore from the run yesterday, but more surprisingly, its my back and my shoulders which are the most sore. How? You may ask considering it was a run ... well, I had a golf lesson yesterday afternoon (a hobby I have picked up and somethin that I play fairly badly) ... it had been 6 months since I had played so the soreness shouldn't have come as such a huge surprise.

So I've decided to take a rest day and watch the London marathon on tv, and the Bahrain GP. I ave such an incredible admiration for the elite athletes and the impressive times in which they run the marathon. Respect going out to all the rest of the 36 odd thousand ppl who actually were running the marathon.

One of the reasons for my rest day is that I don't want to be sore for tomorrow. I've set up a 5-a-side office team to take part in a league, which starts tomorrow at lunchtime. It won't be much exercise for me, I play in goal, but I don't want to be slow or sore tomorrow. I owe it to the team not to. Its been over a year since I played the last game of 5-a-side so I'm quite excited about it and very much looking forward to the game.

So I'll pick up again tomorrow evening. I'm due a good few kilometres on the exercise bike.

The Longest Yard

I'm fairly chuffed this morning. Woke up this morning and headed off to the gym for what I knew was going to be a long hog on the treadmill. I set myself an unrealistic goal of spending an hour on the treadmill, which if you are wondering, didn't happen.

But it was a long one (for me) and I'm happy with the result ... 7.3km in 50 mins, 6 mins (and 350m) of which were at a slow walk. So I did 44 minutes at 9.3km/ph ... which I'm fairly happy with.

It will be getting longer as the training intensifies but it'll do for now. Onwards and upwards.

For Shame

So, yes, I know, I should really be ashamed of myself.

So here goes, "hello, my name is David, and I have neglected my blog".

Or if you prefer the more religiously inspired apology "forgive me
readers for I have 'sinned' (is there a blogging equivalent?), it's
been I don't know how long since my last blogging expression".

The inspiration has come back, riding on the coat tails of renewed
enthusiasm and a smidgeon of self-confidence.

After weeks plagued with injuries of the body and laziness of the mind
I am back in training (I never really actually stopped but the
frequency and consistency of my workouts had become laughable) and I'm
feeling good about it.

So, what stage of training are we at you might ask ... Well ... The
news is not spectacular, but solid.

This week's training achievements in building the fitness base for the
12 weeks of training (which start in 3 weeks) are as follows:

Running - 5km in 33.40 (slow but steady);

Cycling - 23.5km in 40 mind (and a mighty sore rear end to prove it);
and

Swimming - 1000m non-stop in just under 30 mins

So I've officially done (this week alone) the individual distances for
each event ... And to me it is a big deal (especially the swim) ...
Now we have the little matter of stringing them all together into one
mammoth, concerted effort ... Piece of cake!!!!

On another note, this Sunday is the London Marathon ... My greatest
admiration and best wishes go out to every single one of those runners
out there who will be taking part ...

I will do my best to not allow myself to neglect this blog again as I
have just done ... I'm sure my lovely wife will play a role in
that ... More updates soon, I'll shortly be going shopping for a bike,
a wetsuit and one of those sexy one-piece cycling/running stretchy
affairs I'm sure you're all dying to see me in

Until next time ...