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Tuesday 29 June 2010

Personal Training

As of June 6th I qualified as a Personal Trainer. Personally I prefer to think of myself as a Personal Fitness Coach. I'm a facilitator, enabling people to achieve their health and fitness goals by a combination of support and leadership, whatever their current level of fitness or their level of sporting ability.
If anyone reading is interested in my services please do get in touch. I am currently developing a personal training website which will have all the information on what I have to offer. I can also offer online personal training for people who have no access to gyms or prefer to train themselves but just need someone on hand to help with programming and planning and just to monitor their progress or lend an ear.
Future plans will be to add triathlon coaching to my skillset, as I know there are loads of age group triathletes out there like me who try to juggle family and work commitments with the demands of training for this fantastic sport. The level of support I have received from my own coach Harry Wiltshire of http://www.driventotri.com/ has been excellent and it has enabled me to hit my targets and reach my goals.
My personal goal now is to help others hit their own targets and realise that a healthy lifestyle is possible. Let's face it, if I can do it then anyone can!!

Sunday 27 June 2010

Oh well, World Cup over, wonder what they made of it in Roth!

So we are now out of the World Cup, poor effort and I am sure all those involved with the England team are just as disappointed. They did not do themselves justice, simple as that. No excuses, it just didn't happen for them on the day. theymay well have been prepard and in the best shape of their lives, but for some reason they didn't perform. Such is sport, a great leveler.
And so is triathlon. My training is just so good at the moment, getting faster, leaner, stronger, harder!! Weekend of quality finished off 2 weeks of excellent work. My bike legs are now returning, helped by some new pedals! I didn't quite realise how worn the old ones were. Instant improvement. So saturday was key session day, 73.5 miles on the bike in 3 hours 8 minutes with loads in the legs, followed by 21 x 800m with 1 minute jog recovery between each, and at the height of the heat at midday! Thankfully I did this over a 2k loop near my house and was able to pop in after every 5 reps to hose myself down! It was HOT! Covered 20km in 1 hr 35mins. Got my nutrition pretty much spot on, and another confidence booster to take forward. So recovey today from that was a 3 x 1000m swim set and a 2 hour easy bike, lovely out in the sun. Bash out 10 x 400m swim tomorrow after giving someone an open water swim lesson and then a 40 minute easy run off-road. One tough session to go on Wednesday and then start to taper down for Roth, mixture of long easy and short sharp stuff. So far so good! And loving this weather!!!!

Thursday 24 June 2010

Forget the 10 TTs Steve

OK, I rode out with James Gilfillan last night and we ventured out for a Poole Wheelers club '10'. James is in awesome form at the moment and riding very strong. I've been going well over distance and the last couple of weeks have seen my riding getting back to some sort of form. Then we get to last night! A good hour and a half of solid riding beforehand and I felt tired at the start and yet strangely I felt quick for most of the ride, found the last 4 miles tough, and crossed the line in 23' 57". Disappointing. Trying not to think about it as in 3 weeks I will be pushing the pace over 112 miles, which is a big difference. But I feel I have lost so much top end speed. Same course this time last year and in tougher conditions I was a whole minute quicker. 30 minute post 10 ride home at pace and I was feeling better. Tired today and I have a bike to fix. 23 days to get my mind right and find my bike legs!!

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Latest News

http://www.frasercartmell.com/
Fraser gets a much deserved win at Wimbleball to take Ironman UK 70.3 title. Bella Bayliss won the women's race.
As seems to be happening at these very popular Ironman races there was a shortage of top quality age groupers there and it was shown in the times. And a massive amount of first timers at that distance and even people who were doing there first ever triathlon. Fair play and hats off to everyone taking part. Great for the sport and to see how triathlon is really taking off. Unfortuantely the downside is these events get booked up so quickly now and it is very difficulty to have to plan one's season so far in advance just based on the fact you want to get a slot in a race. I'm a bit stuck for races after Roth for the rest of the season. The two races I wanted to do, the Vitruvian and New Forest Middle Distance were both booked up by January!!
Big well done to Dave Woodgate who has been out with injury earlier this season but went back to Wimbleball for a great 11th place finish.

Training continues to go well. 160 quality miles at the weekend, 3k sea swim and 4.5k pool session, some shorter runnig off the bike and a long 2 hour run to come today. Feeling in good shape.
And this weather is loverleeee!!!! Long may it continue!

Saturday 19 June 2010

Training

Back on it this week, with regular bikes and two solid run sessions, one 80 minute build run and a very tough 21 x 800m with 1 minute jog recovery on the track. 5 hours in the saddle today with 30 minute run off and then for a 3k sea swim early tomorrow and 3 hours build on the bike at race pace. Pool swim Monday and spin on bike, 2 hour run on Tuesday with a recovery sea swim and then pool Wednesday and more to follow. The weather is helping, the body is feeling good and I'm strong. Happy Days!
This weekend I will finally sort out my nutrition. Trying the High5 sachets for drinks today, and will try eating more food. Got to try and work out how many calories I need to take on per hour. Well, more like grams of carbs. Also, for me in the heat, vital I take on more liquids, at 90kg I will be among the heavier athletes out there.

Friday 18 June 2010

Start em young!

Had to post this one of my youngest, Elliot, just turned 2. Haven't got the heart to tell him the helmet is on back to front!! He loves bikes and I will be amazed if he does not take up some sport when he's older!

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Challenge Roth Swim Waves

http://www.challenge-roth.de/en/index.html

Swim waves have now been confirmed for Roth and I have got in a good wave. 3rd wave, following the Pro wave and the sub 9 hour finish wave. I'm in the with the fastest age groupers which has given me a huge mental lift and I'm now really excited about it. Everything is now booked, flights and accommmodation etc. so all systems go. Now to put 3 weeks solid work in and then taper nicely and just hit that line raring to go!

Sunday 13 June 2010

Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon 2010 Race Report

Lovely morning for this race, but a firm westerly wind was beginning to blow as the race started.
7am and I was stood on the beach with misty goggles, just unable to get them clean and promptly got myself in the wrong position for the start, off to the left furthest from the first turn buoy(2nd from left in white cap). See pic left! D'oh!! But despite the swim position I had a really solid swim and actually enjoyed it! Water was very calm and once I got rid of my annoying swim cap and stopped the water geting in my goggles I settled into a good rythmn. The swim was definitely long, as well as the fact I have to get my sighting sorted, needs work. Probably would have saved me a minute.
Anyway, after a good swim I exited onto the stoney beach, ouch!! ANd then up some steep steps into transition, and successfully ran straight past my bike, and then ensued the sight of me runing up and down my lane trying to spot it! The front wheel had been turned on it's side, hence I couldn't see it! Steady change, made sure all sorted and out onto bike.
And what a difference this week. My bike legs were there from the word go and I was soon into my riding. Didn't know the first part of the course, but it takes you into the cenre of Weymouth along the seafron and a right turn at a mini roundabout takes you to traffic lights! Thankfully I hit them just on the change and carried on. The firt section is a steady climb up to Dorchester, think it's about 4 or 5 miles, so just settled into a nice cadence and was able to push on passing a few people as I went. Once at the top, new road surface for the next 2 miles let me get up to 40mph on a slight downhill to the first big roundabout which gets you onto the Dorchester bypass and dual carriageway to Bere Regis.
At this point I was flying along and the following wind made riding at pace a real joy! Great fun. I caught maybe one rider from Dorchester to Bere Regis but I could see them coming back on the other side of the dual carrageway and the leaders had about 4 or 5 minutes on me at about 20 miles. The turnaround came and thenit was a real slog into a strong headwind back up the dual carruageway to Dorchester. I did manage to pickoff another 2 riders, one of them Jack Wiltshire, brother of Harry who is an excellent triathlete, and elite swimmer. He was obviously finding the wind hard work and I tried to exchange a few words, but he was in deep concentration, so I pushed on.
Left turn before Dorchester sees the race go out towards Wool via Warmwell, and this section was quick with a following wind, and even though undulating, I was finding the uphill sections pretty easy. I caught another rider and worked out I must have been up to fourth, and that was confirmed at the next turnaround point by my wife Tracey who shouted out where I was in the race. 3 riders ahead and I saw from the turnaround I had made up some ground on them. The return to Weymouth was into a strong headwind again and I was tiring a little, but the last 3 miles are more or less all downhill and I coasted in, past only by one guy flying along on the descent. So I hit T2 after a 2:15 ride. I had ridden strong but cetainly well within myself, and was delighted to hit transition at the front end of the race.
T2, I took my time, socks and shoes on, laced them up and got my gels in hand, watch on and off we go. First mile is flat and then next few miles are gradual uphill over about 3 miles, then downhill and undulating for 3. And repeat. So the first mile and I was ticking along feeling really good at 6:30 mile pace. No problems, I hit first 'ascent' and slowed a little, trying to find the right pace. Got passed by a couple of runners and held back from chasing them down, just focussing on my own race. By this time, the sun was out and it was sheltered, and by 10am it was already very warm. I am not good in the heat. That said, I pushed on and at the end of the first lap I was doing ok, but then my mind and body started to faulter. Oh dear, the wheels were about to come off, I was feeling rubbish. More gel and water and I was back to feeling better, but then mile 8 and 9 were dark. 'I am not doing this any more!!' was the biggest thought in my mind, quickly followed by 'why am I putting myself through this!' I decided to stop at the next water station which was mile 8 and then the next one at mile 10. This worked for me, and after two very slow miles I then pushed on for the last 3. I got my second wind, the legs revived and I pushed on til the end finishing the run leg in a (for me) a very respectable 1:35. 4:32 in the end, on a warm day. I finished the race in 7th, but there were a couple of waves that set off after the one I was in and a few athletes just came infront by a few minutes. I was 20th overall, picked up the Age Group prize and collected the team prize with driventotri.
As this was a training race as prep fo Roth, and on the back of little quality run training and not as much riding as I usually would do, 10 weeks of a full on intensive course in Personal Training, I was delighted to get that result, and really pleased by my performance. Some of my strength has returned and I am now very confident that I can do well at Roth on the 18th July. Lacking top end speed on the bike, and certainly short on run legs, but I have 5 weeks to really get strong, and if I get to the start line in good shape and mentally in the right place, then I will do well. Just got to get that nutrition right. Still not enough eating at Weymouth. I'm 88kg and I keep forgetting that I need to take on more calories. I'm no racing snake, so I will be trying to work on that when out for long rides and brick sessions.
Good friend of mine, Kerry Mclean was 11th lady home, she is in training for Ironman Germany in July, and in good shape. Well done Kerry!
As I write, James Gilfillan will be in the water at Bala middle distance, the National Age Group Championships. The form he is in, I cannot see anyone else getting near him. Go James, positive vibes going out to you!!!

Thursday 10 June 2010

Personal Fitness Coach


This is me! Now a qualified Personal Trainer and Gym Instuctor. Very exciting to be starting out on a new venture. Building new website and a lot of promotional stuff and already training/coaching some people. Good Times!!!
More info and race report from Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon to follow. I won my age group and driventotri won the team prize!!

Saturday 5 June 2010

Time calculator

Here's just about the best time/distance/speed calculator that I know. Great little tool.

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~gazzanic/distance.html

Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon 2010

Tomorrow, 7am, I will hit the water, head down and concentrate on not getting bashed about!

Treating this race more like a solid training session and trying to replicate what I have been banging out in training over the last few months. Eating and rest and recovery has been very good this week. I feel rested and will be getting some more sleep and more rest today as the family are away in Legoland visiting more family! Actually would love to be going along, but Legoland in hot sun all day long and a drive there and back would not be the right preparation for a race, and as this is only my second race of the year, I would like to go into it in good shape and able to at least put in a solid performance.
Weather is perfect, maybe a little on the warm side, but hopefully I shall be on to the run before 10 before it has had chance to get too hot. Plenty of liquid, get my food right today and tomorrow and I should be good to go. After a fall out with my disc wheel, it's back on again. It's a pretty quick bike course. 2:10 for 52 miles is a comfortable marker for me, as I know the course very well. But we'll see what happens on the day. Swim strong, ride solid, and push on the run.
More info on the race at http://www.conceptsport.co.uk
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