Tag: Life

Training & Comps

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Everything’s been going good, had a little unmotivated few days last week, but apart from that on track.

Benn running about 3 times a wee, and swimming around times, my biking hasn’t been really going anywhere. Started commuting to work (when the weather is good), but that is more of a 9km sprint to see if can do it faster than the car!

I did the Maltby Sprint Triathlon a month or so back, this was a new event put on by Huub, the wetsuit/triathlon brand, was really well orgainsed. Really enjoyed it, but it made me realise how shit my bike is/was, so i bought a new one.

This is my ride home from the shop buying the bike, i know its only 4km, but the point is i got to the top of a Strava leaderboard 😉

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After that i did another Dark & White event, this was a 26km run. This was the most annoying event to date, I smashed the first 21km (half marathon) in less than 2 hours (this is all off road on trials, so i was really happy with this time), then my knee proper fucked up, i had to hobble the last 5km, which ended up taking me 45mins. I was so disappointed with is, i could have finished in around 2:20 which would have put me in the top 30! I got over it though, and just focused on the fact i was doing so well for the first 21km.

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We then had a Triathlon orgainsed by the Tri Club i go to, Manvers. This was an 800m outdoor swim, 15km bike ride and a 5km run. I enjoyed this, was a good day, and really nice that other clubs turned up and took part. The bike was off-road, which meant i had to use my mountain bike, which is slow as fuck when compared to road. You just feel like you’re peddling like mad to get nowhere! The swim and run went well though.

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And yesterday i did another Trail Marathon, this was the Peakrunners Ladybower Marathon. I love running in the Peak District, the views are incredible and the terrain is ever changing, and some of it gets really technical on the downhill trails. I did this in 4hours 36mins, which i was over the moon with for a trail marathon. The run was really good, as normal the last 6 miles were hard going, and they decided to throw in a huge hill at mile 15! always nice.

So all in all a god few months. And last week i also book this 🙂

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So this will be in September, i’m going with a mate who owns a pub in London, which he also lives in (the flat above the pub, not just randomly in a pub), which worked out brill, as we’re flying from Gatwick. The holiday is Friday to Monday, i’m going to London on the Thursday, and coming back from London on the Wednesday. I have never been more excited about a trip!

And finally here are some snaps of a few runs, swims etc and other shit. Oh and the Vibram 5 Fingers are awesome, but fuck me start of steady, i did the 4km run and honestly i could not train for about 4 days, my calves were in bits. The picture below with the blue skies and 28 degree heat (Celsius) was a run to my sisters, about 15km the heat was pretty unbearable (not used to it in the UK), the other pic of me having run 15.67km, in a Salomon waterproof coat, with constant heavy rain and wind was exactly a week before the other one!The 50km one is a bike ride, the other is the Lake and a few open water laps. Next week is the Ripon Triathlon, Olympic Distance.

 

End of the year, nearly!

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Yesterday i ran the Hobopace Wheatley 10.1 trail race. This is the last event until the New Year, I enjoyed this run, although i had a few problems with my shin at the beginning of the race and my knee at the end. I’m convinced this is down to my running technique, or lack of, i might get a coach to have a look for me, i convinced of this as today my body is perfectly fine, and surely if it was something injury wise it would hurt when i don’t run too? I go to Tenerife over Christmas, so will be chilling out doing no more than a few 5k’s and a spot of swimming, maybe in the sea 😉

Next year i plan to hit the road running and smash up the events, i’m going to look at when the last half Ironman of the year is and plan my year around doing that. I’m doing the Yorkshire Marathon in October with my sister, but that shouldn’t really get in the way, i don’t have to specifically train for this, as i will already be ready fitness and running wise. I have a 17km trial race at the end of Jan, and i intend to hit as many Sprint Tri’s and Olympic distance Tri’s as possible. While also still going touring on my bike, i could incorporate the two for some trail runs.

This is some of the training over the last few weeks, not all of it but some of it.

 

This is a few snaps of scenery from the runs and bike rides.

And a new bit of training kit, to sooth those aches and pains, by submitting yourself to more pain in the process of recovery.

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These are the achievements of this year, The Sprint Triathlon, the Fan Dance Race, The North Yorkshire Coastal Marathon and the Wheatley 10.1.

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Training……….

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Soooo, last week i planned to do about 10-15 miles trail run, i got to mile 8 and my knee kind of packed up! i tried to ‘jog it off’ that didn’t work too well. I’ve been doing other stuff to try and compensate, but the not running is doing my nut in. I did about 2km yesterday and a small bike ride and 1km in the gym in the middle of the week. Had a few twinges but the knee is getting better.

I’ve bought some straps, and some supplements for my joints, this is more of a future prevention than cure though. Been doing a spot of Yoga too to improve my range of motion and flexibility. Its only a 30 min class off the iPad. I daren’t go to a real class as i’m fucking terrible and have bad flexibility (at the minute)!

I have a 10km in two weeks, and booked a 17km for next year. Have the Yorkshire Marathon at the end of next year, plus the North Yorks Coastal one again (which is a week apart, fuck). I plan on doing as many Tri’s and Sprint Tri’s as possible too. My swimming is improving, which is good. The exception being i’m still not bike riding, and i’m now using dark nights as an excuse! I need to man up!

I bought some new trail running pumps too, then fucked my knee up!!!

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Only managed to wear them once! They are good though, and a bargain at £32! I get 50% off with Vitality (life and health insurance) and they were also reduced due to no one buying this style due to the colour! like i care about the colour, and which sad pricks do! They are black after a few runs.

I also get 30% of Garmin too with Vitality and i though i would treat myself to the best thing ever!

This things is awesome, its the Fenix 3 HR. It literally is amazing. Before i had the polar heart monitor that worked through bluetooth on my phone which was highly annoying as i couldn’t check my heart rate or distance or anything basically without getting my phone out and fucking about. Honestly just get one, that is my review. Oh and it does indoor and outdoor swimming. Fantastic shit.

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This is a new exhaust for the motorbike, the Yamaha XT660Z, the bike is wrapped up and in the garage for the winter. Then this will be going on for some adventure trips next year.

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My only problem is i haven’t figured out how to properly use the Garmin Connect proper;y yet. I need to sit down and figure it out, i just figured while i’m not actually doing much i’ll figure it out when i’m busy. That makes sense doesn’t it!

 

Catch Up

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Ok, so its been a month since the last blog. At te end of September i did the CTS Endurance Life Coastel marathon, this was the North Yorkshire one. Just to clarify and stroke my own ego, this is a trail/cross country run, the course record is around 4:30 this year.

I ended up going for the Friday & Saturday nigth, as it was near the wedding anniversary the wife suggested it! I was glad i didnt have get up at 5:30 to drive 2 hours to run 26 mile to run home!

Anyway, nice place, good food, good wine, worth a stay if you’re in the area. Not the most important part though.

The marathon, started at Ravenscar, ran down towards Scarbrough, back up the old Railway lines, saw some spectacular houses, especially the old railway station converted into houses (see pics). We then ran past the starting point and down towards Boggle Hole, along the beach, which is picturesque to run on, but a fucking bastard to do so after 15 miles already! We then run up through Boggle Hole, which is a hell of a climb, on some wonderfull cobbles (ballache). Towards Robin Hoods Bay/Whitby, then onto the Flying dale Moors. The last stretch was a nice run, but all i wanted to see was the sign that said 1 mile left! That was the longest mile of my life, so far!

This was my first marathon, everyone who asked me about the race and what i’d done before was pretty shocked i choosen this as my first one!! i wish i had met these people beofre i’d booked it.

All in all an awesome eperience, and i’m defo in for next year, with one slight problem, my sister wants to do a marathon, and has signed me up to the Yorkshire Marathon (in York, on the roads), now these marathons are 1 week apart!!!!!!! fuck it still doing em.

After the marathon went back to the hotel, chilled out in a bath, had some food and wine and a good nights kip! Now surprisingly it took me around 2 days to feel absolutly fine, don’t get me wrong after 2 days i didn’t start back in the gym or running, but my legs felt fine and i felt good.

The day after we went into Whitby onto Silver Street to the famous ‘Rusty Shears’, if you like Gin and good food, then i implore you to go, get to Whitby and go here, get drunk on Gin and eat good food.

 

This is my last two runs, so as i said signed up for Yorkshire Marathon next October, have a small 10k trail run race end of November, and i plan on doing Sprint Tris and Olymic Tris next year. Need to practice on the push iron though.