Same Old, Same Old

MRI appointment today, so judgement day if you will, I'm looking forward to it as a final resolution to the ankle problem, hopefully they will look inside and say "yes there is an issue we can fix it so you will be back to 100%" at the moment all i have is a "well we can do this and normally it helps". its been a very long road is the end in sight?
so looking on the brightside, my new Kit has arrived, and i have to say im really really pleased.

Slow, Slow, Slow...

Just as it was going well, it has not really got any better, the ankle seems intent on ruining another season, the doctor wants to operate, after an MRI scan to see if there any other issues going on? we are well into the summer holidays now so the training would always be on a back seat, but it has given me time to work on www.lifeperformancewellness.com
Coaching and lots of other services which myself and two friends can now offer. please feel free to check it out.

She Is A God

Well I have not posted for a while mainly because I have been in a bit of a downer, the ankle was still bad, Tried to cycle, but ankle just kept giving up, so resigned to surgery, when I booked in to see my very good friend (and rehab sports therapist – Gizela Payne) After some very painful manipulation around the joint Giz is confident that with some more treatment and the rehab exercises. The future is looking up. As a last note Good Luck to Richard Hughes, Emma Osenton & Simon Day who will race Ironman Lanzarote tomorrow (Saturday 22nd May 07:00) Remember Normal Limits Do Not Apply........

Pick yourself up

The Rehab is finished, Im back at home ready to continue my recovery. I am using this time to re-invent myself as an athlete, i know im over weight, i put on 2stone since the injury, this will drop as soon as i can restart training, so looking at a blank canvas.
My training regime at the moment is 1hr cycle (then ankle swells up) Rehab exercises (until Ankle swells up) this is my never ending circle until im fit to go back to work.

The Sun Comes to the rescue

As posted before, Im of to Devon for two weeks rehab and it's Easter in the midddle weekend, so being in lovely Devon I thought Karen and Leo could come down for a few days, so looking for somewhere to stay looked everywhere no spaces anywhere. Cheapest accomadation I could find was £229 for a caravan at Devon Cliffs, so I was prepared to drive home..
Then Friday evening an e-mail drops in from the Sun newspaper, as we have been on a Sun £9.50 holiday they were offering the last few spaces, So in a sprint to get through the booking process I find Devon Cliffs for £35 a saving of £194 Amazing.... 

Rub Me Down, But Please Be Gentle

Injury update -
it has now been 5 Weeks since the Accident at work, the swelling and bruising has gone, but I have a ridge of Scar tisue along the ankle joint which is really tender to touch, And what looks like a deformed ankle bone, its pretty Horrible.
I can walk for 5mins before it starts to swell up and become to painful to get about on, its really hard to know when I wil be able to get around as normal.
On a good note I am off to Devon for two weeks for some intensive rehab thanks to the Fire Fighters Charities for this chance to speed up my recovery. I am really looking forward to this experience. Oh had to ditch the crutches they were not helping.

Thanks....

So I have withdrawn from Roth 2010, it was useless trying to kid myself that i would be ready for the race in July, But i would like to say thanks to all my friends and Athletes who have phoned, text, visited you have all been amazing, but especally thanks to Karen who has really looked after me, even when i was feeling low she was always there to lift me up, love you Honey!!

Bored!!!!

It has now been 2 weeks 1 day... And I'm offically BORED. I have watched nearly every film on Sky, caught up on 24, NCIS, seen some good and some not so good films, been missing my wrestling matches with Leo, But one good thing has come of this silly injury and thats how much I love and care for the Friends and Family who have texted, rang, Visited all to offer words of support. It has also given me time to re-assess my targets for Roth 2010. I'm still going to give 100% but is the magic 10hr target gone?? only time will tell...Oh I'm even growing a beard,

It Had to Be Me!

At work on Tuesday had a small mishap, I fell and sprained my Ankle, very painful and very swollen. So now the new challenge is to learn how to use Crutches, never actually realised how difficult they are I'm sure i will break my leg if i keep using these damn things.
One bit of good news I have been offered a place on a training camp in Poland at the end of June with John Newsom (One of the best Coaches in the business) only question now is how long will i be out for?

Back to reality

Sunday morning, Long bike ride with some friends, aimed for 2 1/2 hrs, managed 3hrs 15mins Good ride but left me feeling a bit deflated, legs were sore neck ached and don't even mention my undercarriage. But after some thought, this was the longest ride since last May so maybe it was not such a poor effort after all.

Boys Day Out

After a long week on a course sat in a class room all day, I really wanted to spend some quality time with Leo, So as Karen was working and Jade was Horse riding we decided to have a day out.

Part 1. Drive to Tesco's to stock up on sweets and treats for the long day ahead.

Part 2. Cineworld in Northampton for a early morning show of Astro Boy, My review was Better than expected.

Part 3. Swimming at Towcester Pool, Wave machine, Slide, Inflatable assualt course, 2hrs later very wrinkled, very tired but a brilliant day.

It Has Finally Gone!

The snow has left the roads, it was one of the happest day's of my life, I could remove the bike from the Turbo trainer and head out on to the open roads - feel the breeze in my hair take a nice deep breath aaahhhh lovely.....

So what really happened, I went for ride, 45mins later got home frozen solid, coughing my guts up, my face had become a big red blotch, still better than being at in a garage looking at a blank wall.

Running In The Snow

Picture
As a child I would always look forward to the snow. Mainly as it would be a day off school. As time goes by, now it's my kids that look forward to the snow, I love watching it fall, I love how the countryside looks, when there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground. But after a day or two, it just becomes a big inconvenience. As an Ironman in training for Challenge Roth, I felt I had to try to run. It was Amazing the Views were beautiful (I did not take the camera, I did not want to fall and break it) So after an hour and 3 slips here I am on my way home very cold but very pleased.

 

Update and rants

As you may be aware, I have not posted for some time; this was due to problems with my PC. So no Internet, no Training Diary, no ITunes, no nothing, it’s amazing I had no idea that a PC played such a big part of my life. But due to an amazing friend and computer boffin (Simon Byrch) everything is back running again!

 

So Christmas is fast approaching, tomorrow to be exact. This is my favourite time of the year, seeing Karen, Jade & Leo opening their presents is always a wonderful sight, so Merry Christmas to you all.Oh, my wrist has been operated on, all was excellent, bit painful but after 24hrs it was all well, full mobility, no pain, amazing – so I feelconfident about Challenge Roth now I can really push on with the training (after Christmas) BRING IT ON!

To train or not to train?

So a very brief period of training it has been stopped due to a very major event. After 8 years in our house it’s time for a complete re-model.

We have gone for a Kitchen/Diner instead of the Lounge/Diner, we currently have. So in comes the builders and lots of mess & dust, but the main inconvenience has been the interruptions to the training schedule. So I have cancelled all training until the house renovations have been complete allowing me to focus all my attention on helping Deano (builder Highly recommended) to get finished as soon as possible.

That’s finished, now let’s go!

Even Fire-fighters need hero’s... That’s the U.S.A.R (Urban Search and Rescue) Motto, or was it just made up to annoy someone? Either way I like it.

Anyway two weeks of breaking concrete and shoring up unsafe buildings, that’s the real USAR, two weeks at the Fire service college Morton –in- Marsh, two words to sum up the course – TOTALLY AMAZING.

Below are some pictures.

So as for training, it had to be put on hold, during the two weeks, I did a tiny bit of running and swimming. Wrist update – Had MRI scan last week and I get the results and hopefully a date for surgery on the 14th Nov.

How can a wrist hurt so much?

My Winter training phase has officially begun, with only one planned interruption, which is a course with work. everything is going well, except for my wrist, I have to be honest, I really do not think I will be able to compete in the Ride 101 event which is planned for Oct 11th. I have my surgical appointment on the 14th and I have to be honest, I really think I will be having an operation at some point. The sooner the better, but on a good note, new LPW t-shirts have arrived, pictures coming soon. Oh congratulations to Brian & Annie who finished Challenge Barcelona this past weekend. WELL DONE.

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I'm happy!

1st week of my Winter training phase managed to clear 8 hrs which for week 1 is excellent, I will be aiming for double figures next week.

Had a horrible run on Friday, did not enjoy the session at all, but on the bright side, it was lovely weather.

Ooohhh the Pain…

Training Week 2 started really well, I had a fantastic run, felt really strong, then Tuesday evening I started to feel sick, a headache started pounding me relentlessly. So what a crappy week, no training, no work, no nothing. Well except TV. (Thank god for Sky +) started to feel better on Sunday but this really wiped me out. So now I have 2 weeks to Ride 101, not really feeling confident about it but as ever will always give it a good go.

Yippee!

Well the Kids are back at school I have 6 weeks until I am away on a course (which has a pool and a gym on site). Its time to start Winter training Phase, I have 4 weeks of solid build until Ride 101, I’m really looking forward to testing myself over the 100mile as this will be the first ride of this distance since March.

My attention is totally focused on Roth 2010 and it will be a really hard winter if I’m going to achieve my time.

Oh Have a follow up appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon on 14th Oct so fingers crossed, my wrist is really painful and it hurts whenever I ride my bike, but looking on the bright side I have been riding in the Aero position a lot more.

Wow - Top Video

 

Quelle Challenge Roth 2010

This morning I received confirmation that I have a place for Roth 2010; I am really pleased as this is always a complete sell-out. This race also doubles up as the Fire-fighters long course championships, but as a taste I found this video have a look at how awesome this is…I can’t wait.

Knockout Punch

Received some really bad news yesterday, got a call from the Doctor, ref the wrist injury. He said the X-ray shows excessive wear and tear in the joint with some Arthritis, now I don’t know a great deal about Arthritis but I know it’s not good. So feeling very down about the whole thing, just waiting for the Surgeons appointment... So below is a motivational speech from Rocky.




Good News…Bad News

Bad news - My Right wrist really painful now, not sure what the problem is – hope to get some answers next Friday when I get the X-ray results, only able to ride for 3 hrs max as pain is to severe, and Bloody annoying.

 Good news – the Open air swimming pool in Banbury has reopened after a prolonged closure, its amazing swam 3 times this week 50mtr pool in the fresh air, It could almost be Club La Santa, Lanzarote…Well maybe not.



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Revenge of the Bugs..

At work I'm lucky enough to be able to fit in some training sessions, today I had a 2hr turbo ride, nothing special a tempo effort – get my heart rate to 75% and hold it. 75% is my Ironman Bike section limit. So the theory is to get as fast as I can whilst being able to hold 75%. Anyway I completed the session, after a shower felt a bit cold, then hot, add to that a headache, things were not good. The bug I have had does seem to be very persistent and is really trying to grind me down. Will it win? It did today.

Back In The Saddle

Fed up with the sore legs, I decided to get out on the bike to try to ease the soreness out of the legs - it was raining but I can cope with a cold, I just wanted rid of the sore legs - nice steady 2hrs, few hills few efforts and the DOMS have subsided only a little, but enough for me to be able to get upstairs to the toilet. Back on duty tomorrow so easy turbo session followed by an easy treadmill run. But a bigger problem is on the horizon - Summer Holidays Kids at home for 6 weeks - Will I survive? Or more importantly will they?

Will I ever learn?

From top of the world to bottom of a well – that’s my summary of training for this week. Felt excellent after the run on Wednesday, But as usual too much to soon - Revenge of the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and yes I hobbled everywhere, even taking Leo to school was painful! Will I ever learn?

Kick up the ASS

Woke up feeling very tired, feeling unfit and Fat - needed a big kick - so got changed, got the IPod, even had to change the battery in my foot-pod - ready to go

1hr 3mins later 8miles – ave. speed 7mph - hilly route - FEEL GREAT ON TOP OF THE WORLD....  .

From Bad to Worse

After a Fantastic holiday, I was really looking forward to kicking back in to training and I had a really good 6 week block planned before a mini break with Karen. Unfortunately plans do not always work - Whenever I have a sustained break from training I always pick up some sort of Bug, this time was no different, but this was horrible - ear ache and blocked sinus, feeling wobbly and totally de-motivated, so after another weeks break, back to training.



Scarborough Pictures

Holidays

After a disappointing block of training (Disappointing due to hours complete) it’s holiday time, off to sunny Scarborough which will be Fantastic we are expecting a heat wave, but as this is England I will believe it when I see it.

So when I get back red and sore (unless it rains) I will get some pictures uploaded.

3 Course Lunch

Riding in summer is the best, its always something I look forward to, getting out into the open country side its amazing. Now as a Triathlete, nutrition on the bike is something I take seriously, but whilst riding the other day I had a lunch, which I really did not choose.

Starter: several midges at the top of Epwell hill.

Main: Nice juicy Flies along Edge hill

Desert: as an athlete I skip pud's but I was still peckish, so I had another Fly YUMMY!

Sore Bits

Over the past few days I have had bit of a dodgy tummy, But on Tuesday morning felt much better, So time for Big Run number 1. So headed off on a hilly 13mile route really looking forward to the challenge ahead, did not take long for me to stop looking forward to the challenge, one word..Hills. the route covers some big climbs, and I was really suffering but i made a promise to push myself and decided if I walked up any part of the hill I would descend back to the bottom and start again, so after running all the hills and I managed to keep smiling, I returned home, very sore legs very tired but pleased with myself.

Memories

Sat at the Fire Station the other day we were talking about how gutted we are that we are on duty on Xmas day. But with our limited attention span, thoughts soon turned to secret Santa gifts and which ones were the best. Last Year someone brought me wax strips, We wanted to test them but I’m always cleanly shaven.... Dave, However, was not. (Oh just to be sure, don't adjust your screen - he really is that white and boney).

 

Stratford Triathlon

Stratford Sprint Triathlon, what can I say? Well after a 3yr break to pursue my Ironman Adventure. The first thing which hit me is they hurt..a lot. It is a race that lasts for just over an hour, you Swim, Bike And Run as fast as your legs can go. After being involved with Ironman Racing for so long you forget what an achievement finishing any triathlon is, Seeing the smile of some of the first-timers was brilliant the support on the course is excellent, if you aspire to race - Stratford is an excellent choice. (Full race report in race calendar section)


Party Time

Surrounded by screaming kids, nowhere to run. But a great time was had by everyone, We played Musical Bumps, Musical chairs, Corners and to top it off we had a Dragon Piñata. The kids battered the poor thing, it spilt its guts everywhere Lollies and treats were devoured in seconds. End result i was tired, I had a headache, Leo was happy which is all i hoped for. so my attention turns to Stratford..Time To Race.

Intervals...Vomit Inducing Level 4

So one last interval session before Stratford Triathlon at the weekend. I decided to brave the taunts of Kids and passer-by's and go for the Full tri-short and compression sock look but a must have accessory is an iPod to potentially stop any fights..if i cant hear them I cant react..

Session went very well Compression socks really make a difference, any calf pain was banished, however the sessions did introduce something, a new scale to work with, I saw this phrase on the Team BB site from one of their pro athletes, vomit inducing level, so I only reached a level 4 which means close but no show. Only 1 more day to the race, however I last event to get past before race day...Leo's 5th birthday party and I’m chief entertainer..

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Massages

I have come to terms with the fact that a sports massage is essential for an athlete. Massages help with Recovery, Injury prevention and keep you feeling good, but bloody hell do they hurt, Pain! You have not known anything like it. I really think that the Government should employ these Sports massage therapists as interrogators; there would never be any secrets....


I Spoke too Soon

So the Weather Gods were reading my blog about my panda eyes and how I suffer in the sun, so they decided to test my resolve and change the weather for the rest of the Epic week, suffice to say it was very wet and very cold.. As expected the training volume dropped, so they won, this time!!

Mini Epic Update..

So it's Day 4 of my mini epic week all is well, and having completed just under 12hours of training, and i have to be honest I’m pretty pleased with myself, yes there is a certain glow about me, Pride or Sunburn, Whatever I don't care..wanted to hit 14hrs by today but made a school boy error on the bike today, lets just say it may have looked like summer but it was bloody freezing....the thing about cold toes is they go numb, which you may think is good, but as they re-warm its not a pleasant experiance..more to follow..

Panda Eyes Return

Picture
Panda eyes !!
So the kids are back at school, and after 2 weeks of poor training its time to push things forward...So mini Epic week..and the sun is shining..well looks like my Panda eyes will be making another appearance very soon, let me explain, being of the fairer skin colour. I go very red in the sun then back to white the next day even with Sun factor balaclava smothered all over (note the picture, after Ironman very red and sore) anyway.. Its time to give myself a little push, so I’m planning a big training week, let the fun begin..

Hummm, running in the rain!

April and its raining, I know the saying is April Showers, but April down pours are not fun! Have Limited training time, so rather than being sat on my Turbo trainer tucked away in the garage I decide to do a track session. So heading up to the local running track, seems almost funny that today I have to run in circles around a track not the most interesting session I’ve done, but luckily I have Lance Armstrong and Chris Carmichael as my personal coaches for today’s session...well a podcast...Do coaches stand in the rain shouting times and motivational slogans at you?? Well all I had was 2 workmen looking at me as if I’m totally crazy to be out in this weather, Laughing every time I ran through the muddy puddle they created. And it was only thing they had done well..Ha I don't care. When I’m the next Ironman Triathlon Superstar I'll be laughing.


 

Time to unleash the Beast

So it's been confirmed, all signed up for Stratford Sprint Tri on May 10th. I have raced this 3 times before and it promises to be a fast day in the saddle especially if I remember to bring my legs this year!


                                    

Welcome - hope you enjoy this site

So here it is my first Blog entry on my very own webpage, WOW, I almost feel professional (not sure at what I’m professional in).

So as time goes on I will update you on my journey to Ironman Germany 2010, the highs and lows of training, and anything else worth talking about.


Same Old, Same Old

MRI appointment today, so judgement day if you will, I'm looking forward to it as a final resolution to the ankle problem, hopefully they will look inside and say "yes there is an issue we can fix it so you will be back to 100%" at the moment all i have is a "well we can do this and normally it helps". its been a very long road is the end in sight?
so looking on the brightside, my new Kit has arrived, and i have to say im really really pleased.

Slow, Slow, Slow...

Just as it was going well, it has not really got any better, the ankle seems intent on ruining another season, the doctor wants to operate, after an MRI scan to see if there any other issues going on? we are well into the summer holidays now so the training would always be on a back seat, but it has given me time to work on www.lifeperformancewellness.com
Coaching and lots of other services which myself and two friends can now offer. please feel free to check it out.

She Is A God

Well I have not posted for a while mainly because I have been in a bit of a downer, the ankle was still bad, Tried to cycle, but ankle just kept giving up, so resigned to surgery, when I booked in to see my very good friend (and rehab sports therapist – Gizela Payne) After some very painful manipulation around the joint Giz is confident that with some more treatment and the rehab exercises. The future is looking up. As a last note Good Luck to Richard Hughes, Emma Osenton & Simon Day who will race Ironman Lanzarote tomorrow (Saturday 22nd May 07:00) Remember Normal Limits Do Not Apply........

Pick yourself up

The Rehab is finished, Im back at home ready to continue my recovery. I am using this time to re-invent myself as an athlete, i know im over weight, i put on 2stone since the injury, this will drop as soon as i can restart training, so looking at a blank canvas.
My training regime at the moment is 1hr cycle (then ankle swells up) Rehab exercises (until Ankle swells up) this is my never ending circle until im fit to go back to work.

The Sun Comes to the rescue

As posted before, Im of to Devon for two weeks rehab and it's Easter in the midddle weekend, so being in lovely Devon I thought Karen and Leo could come down for a few days, so looking for somewhere to stay looked everywhere no spaces anywhere. Cheapest accomadation I could find was £229 for a caravan at Devon Cliffs, so I was prepared to drive home..
Then Friday evening an e-mail drops in from the Sun newspaper, as we have been on a Sun £9.50 holiday they were offering the last few spaces, So in a sprint to get through the booking process I find Devon Cliffs for £35 a saving of £194 Amazing.... 

Rub Me Down, But Please Be Gentle

Injury update -
it has now been 5 Weeks since the Accident at work, the swelling and bruising has gone, but I have a ridge of Scar tisue along the ankle joint which is really tender to touch, And what looks like a deformed ankle bone, its pretty Horrible.
I can walk for 5mins before it starts to swell up and become to painful to get about on, its really hard to know when I wil be able to get around as normal.
On a good note I am off to Devon for two weeks for some intensive rehab thanks to the Fire Fighters Charities for this chance to speed up my recovery. I am really looking forward to this experience. Oh had to ditch the crutches they were not helping.

Thanks....

So I have withdrawn from Roth 2010, it was useless trying to kid myself that i would be ready for the race in July, But i would like to say thanks to all my friends and Athletes who have phoned, text, visited you have all been amazing, but especally thanks to Karen who has really looked after me, even when i was feeling low she was always there to lift me up, love you Honey!!

Bored!!!!

It has now been 2 weeks 1 day... And I'm offically BORED. I have watched nearly every film on Sky, caught up on 24, NCIS, seen some good and some not so good films, been missing my wrestling matches with Leo, But one good thing has come of this silly injury and thats how much I love and care for the Friends and Family who have texted, rang, Visited all to offer words of support. It has also given me time to re-assess my targets for Roth 2010. I'm still going to give 100% but is the magic 10hr target gone?? only time will tell...Oh I'm even growing a beard,

It Had to Be Me!

At work on Tuesday had a small mishap, I fell and sprained my Ankle, very painful and very swollen. So now the new challenge is to learn how to use Crutches, never actually realised how difficult they are I'm sure i will break my leg if i keep using these damn things.
One bit of good news I have been offered a place on a training camp in Poland at the end of June with John Newsom (One of the best Coaches in the business) only question now is how long will i be out for?

Back to reality

Sunday morning, Long bike ride with some friends, aimed for 2 1/2 hrs, managed 3hrs 15mins Good ride but left me feeling a bit deflated, legs were sore neck ached and don't even mention my undercarriage. But after some thought, this was the longest ride since last May so maybe it was not such a poor effort after all.

Boys Day Out

After a long week on a course sat in a class room all day, I really wanted to spend some quality time with Leo, So as Karen was working and Jade was Horse riding we decided to have a day out.

Part 1. Drive to Tesco's to stock up on sweets and treats for the long day ahead.

Part 2. Cineworld in Northampton for a early morning show of Astro Boy, My review was Better than expected.

Part 3. Swimming at Towcester Pool, Wave machine, Slide, Inflatable assualt course, 2hrs later very wrinkled, very tired but a brilliant day.

It Has Finally Gone!

The snow has left the roads, it was one of the happest day's of my life, I could remove the bike from the Turbo trainer and head out on to the open roads - feel the breeze in my hair take a nice deep breath aaahhhh lovely.....

So what really happened, I went for ride, 45mins later got home frozen solid, coughing my guts up, my face had become a big red blotch, still better than being at in a garage looking at a blank wall.

Running In The Snow

Picture
As a child I would always look forward to the snow. Mainly as it would be a day off school. As time goes by, now it's my kids that look forward to the snow, I love watching it fall, I love how the countryside looks, when there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground. But after a day or two, it just becomes a big inconvenience. As an Ironman in training for Challenge Roth, I felt I had to try to run. It was Amazing the Views were beautiful (I did not take the camera, I did not want to fall and break it) So after an hour and 3 slips here I am on my way home very cold but very pleased.

 

Update and rants

As you may be aware, I have not posted for some time; this was due to problems with my PC. So no Internet, no Training Diary, no ITunes, no nothing, it’s amazing I had no idea that a PC played such a big part of my life. But due to an amazing friend and computer boffin (Simon Byrch) everything is back running again!

 

So Christmas is fast approaching, tomorrow to be exact. This is my favourite time of the year, seeing Karen, Jade & Leo opening their presents is always a wonderful sight, so Merry Christmas to you all.Oh, my wrist has been operated on, all was excellent, bit painful but after 24hrs it was all well, full mobility, no pain, amazing – so I feelconfident about Challenge Roth now I can really push on with the training (after Christmas) BRING IT ON!

To train or not to train?

So a very brief period of training it has been stopped due to a very major event. After 8 years in our house it’s time for a complete re-model.

We have gone for a Kitchen/Diner instead of the Lounge/Diner, we currently have. So in comes the builders and lots of mess & dust, but the main inconvenience has been the interruptions to the training schedule. So I have cancelled all training until the house renovations have been complete allowing me to focus all my attention on helping Deano (builder Highly recommended) to get finished as soon as possible.

That’s finished, now let’s go!

Even Fire-fighters need hero’s... That’s the U.S.A.R (Urban Search and Rescue) Motto, or was it just made up to annoy someone? Either way I like it.

Anyway two weeks of breaking concrete and shoring up unsafe buildings, that’s the real USAR, two weeks at the Fire service college Morton –in- Marsh, two words to sum up the course – TOTALLY AMAZING.

Below are some pictures.

So as for training, it had to be put on hold, during the two weeks, I did a tiny bit of running and swimming. Wrist update – Had MRI scan last week and I get the results and hopefully a date for surgery on the 14th Nov.

How can a wrist hurt so much?

My Winter training phase has officially begun, with only one planned interruption, which is a course with work. everything is going well, except for my wrist, I have to be honest, I really do not think I will be able to compete in the Ride 101 event which is planned for Oct 11th. I have my surgical appointment on the 14th and I have to be honest, I really think I will be having an operation at some point. The sooner the better, but on a good note, new LPW t-shirts have arrived, pictures coming soon. Oh congratulations to Brian & Annie who finished Challenge Barcelona this past weekend. WELL DONE.

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I'm happy!

1st week of my Winter training phase managed to clear 8 hrs which for week 1 is excellent, I will be aiming for double figures next week.

Had a horrible run on Friday, did not enjoy the session at all, but on the bright side, it was lovely weather.

Ooohhh the Pain…

Training Week 2 started really well, I had a fantastic run, felt really strong, then Tuesday evening I started to feel sick, a headache started pounding me relentlessly. So what a crappy week, no training, no work, no nothing. Well except TV. (Thank god for Sky +) started to feel better on Sunday but this really wiped me out. So now I have 2 weeks to Ride 101, not really feeling confident about it but as ever will always give it a good go.

Yippee!

Well the Kids are back at school I have 6 weeks until I am away on a course (which has a pool and a gym on site). Its time to start Winter training Phase, I have 4 weeks of solid build until Ride 101, I’m really looking forward to testing myself over the 100mile as this will be the first ride of this distance since March.

My attention is totally focused on Roth 2010 and it will be a really hard winter if I’m going to achieve my time.

Oh Have a follow up appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon on 14th Oct so fingers crossed, my wrist is really painful and it hurts whenever I ride my bike, but looking on the bright side I have been riding in the Aero position a lot more.

Wow - Top Video

 

Quelle Challenge Roth 2010

This morning I received confirmation that I have a place for Roth 2010; I am really pleased as this is always a complete sell-out. This race also doubles up as the Fire-fighters long course championships, but as a taste I found this video have a look at how awesome this is…I can’t wait.

Knockout Punch

Received some really bad news yesterday, got a call from the Doctor, ref the wrist injury. He said the X-ray shows excessive wear and tear in the joint with some Arthritis, now I don’t know a great deal about Arthritis but I know it’s not good. So feeling very down about the whole thing, just waiting for the Surgeons appointment... So below is a motivational speech from Rocky.




Good News…Bad News

Bad news - My Right wrist really painful now, not sure what the problem is – hope to get some answers next Friday when I get the X-ray results, only able to ride for 3 hrs max as pain is to severe, and Bloody annoying.

 Good news – the Open air swimming pool in Banbury has reopened after a prolonged closure, its amazing swam 3 times this week 50mtr pool in the fresh air, It could almost be Club La Santa, Lanzarote…Well maybe not.



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Revenge of the Bugs..

At work I'm lucky enough to be able to fit in some training sessions, today I had a 2hr turbo ride, nothing special a tempo effort – get my heart rate to 75% and hold it. 75% is my Ironman Bike section limit. So the theory is to get as fast as I can whilst being able to hold 75%. Anyway I completed the session, after a shower felt a bit cold, then hot, add to that a headache, things were not good. The bug I have had does seem to be very persistent and is really trying to grind me down. Will it win? It did today.

Back In The Saddle

Fed up with the sore legs, I decided to get out on the bike to try to ease the soreness out of the legs - it was raining but I can cope with a cold, I just wanted rid of the sore legs - nice steady 2hrs, few hills few efforts and the DOMS have subsided only a little, but enough for me to be able to get upstairs to the toilet. Back on duty tomorrow so easy turbo session followed by an easy treadmill run. But a bigger problem is on the horizon - Summer Holidays Kids at home for 6 weeks - Will I survive? Or more importantly will they?

Will I ever learn?

From top of the world to bottom of a well – that’s my summary of training for this week. Felt excellent after the run on Wednesday, But as usual too much to soon - Revenge of the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and yes I hobbled everywhere, even taking Leo to school was painful! Will I ever learn?

Kick up the ASS

Woke up feeling very tired, feeling unfit and Fat - needed a big kick - so got changed, got the IPod, even had to change the battery in my foot-pod - ready to go

1hr 3mins later 8miles – ave. speed 7mph - hilly route - FEEL GREAT ON TOP OF THE WORLD....  .

From Bad to Worse

After a Fantastic holiday, I was really looking forward to kicking back in to training and I had a really good 6 week block planned before a mini break with Karen. Unfortunately plans do not always work - Whenever I have a sustained break from training I always pick up some sort of Bug, this time was no different, but this was horrible - ear ache and blocked sinus, feeling wobbly and totally de-motivated, so after another weeks break, back to training.



Scarborough Pictures

Holidays

After a disappointing block of training (Disappointing due to hours complete) it’s holiday time, off to sunny Scarborough which will be Fantastic we are expecting a heat wave, but as this is England I will believe it when I see it.

So when I get back red and sore (unless it rains) I will get some pictures uploaded.

3 Course Lunch

Riding in summer is the best, its always something I look forward to, getting out into the open country side its amazing. Now as a Triathlete, nutrition on the bike is something I take seriously, but whilst riding the other day I had a lunch, which I really did not choose.

Starter: several midges at the top of Epwell hill.

Main: Nice juicy Flies along Edge hill

Desert: as an athlete I skip pud's but I was still peckish, so I had another Fly YUMMY!

Sore Bits

Over the past few days I have had bit of a dodgy tummy, But on Tuesday morning felt much better, So time for Big Run number 1. So headed off on a hilly 13mile route really looking forward to the challenge ahead, did not take long for me to stop looking forward to the challenge, one word..Hills. the route covers some big climbs, and I was really suffering but i made a promise to push myself and decided if I walked up any part of the hill I would descend back to the bottom and start again, so after running all the hills and I managed to keep smiling, I returned home, very sore legs very tired but pleased with myself.

Memories

Sat at the Fire Station the other day we were talking about how gutted we are that we are on duty on Xmas day. But with our limited attention span, thoughts soon turned to secret Santa gifts and which ones were the best. Last Year someone brought me wax strips, We wanted to test them but I’m always cleanly shaven.... Dave, However, was not. (Oh just to be sure, don't adjust your screen - he really is that white and boney).

 

Stratford Triathlon

Stratford Sprint Triathlon, what can I say? Well after a 3yr break to pursue my Ironman Adventure. The first thing which hit me is they hurt..a lot. It is a race that lasts for just over an hour, you Swim, Bike And Run as fast as your legs can go. After being involved with Ironman Racing for so long you forget what an achievement finishing any triathlon is, Seeing the smile of some of the first-timers was brilliant the support on the course is excellent, if you aspire to race - Stratford is an excellent choice. (Full race report in race calendar section)


Party Time

Surrounded by screaming kids, nowhere to run. But a great time was had by everyone, We played Musical Bumps, Musical chairs, Corners and to top it off we had a Dragon Piñata. The kids battered the poor thing, it spilt its guts everywhere Lollies and treats were devoured in seconds. End result i was tired, I had a headache, Leo was happy which is all i hoped for. so my attention turns to Stratford..Time To Race.

Intervals...Vomit Inducing Level 4

So one last interval session before Stratford Triathlon at the weekend. I decided to brave the taunts of Kids and passer-by's and go for the Full tri-short and compression sock look but a must have accessory is an iPod to potentially stop any fights..if i cant hear them I cant react..

Session went very well Compression socks really make a difference, any calf pain was banished, however the sessions did introduce something, a new scale to work with, I saw this phrase on the Team BB site from one of their pro athletes, vomit inducing level, so I only reached a level 4 which means close but no show. Only 1 more day to the race, however I last event to get past before race day...Leo's 5th birthday party and I’m chief entertainer..

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Massages

I have come to terms with the fact that a sports massage is essential for an athlete. Massages help with Recovery, Injury prevention and keep you feeling good, but bloody hell do they hurt, Pain! You have not known anything like it. I really think that the Government should employ these Sports massage therapists as interrogators; there would never be any secrets....


I Spoke too Soon

So the Weather Gods were reading my blog about my panda eyes and how I suffer in the sun, so they decided to test my resolve and change the weather for the rest of the Epic week, suffice to say it was very wet and very cold.. As expected the training volume dropped, so they won, this time!!

Mini Epic Update..

So it's Day 4 of my mini epic week all is well, and having completed just under 12hours of training, and i have to be honest I’m pretty pleased with myself, yes there is a certain glow about me, Pride or Sunburn, Whatever I don't care..wanted to hit 14hrs by today but made a school boy error on the bike today, lets just say it may have looked like summer but it was bloody freezing....the thing about cold toes is they go numb, which you may think is good, but as they re-warm its not a pleasant experiance..more to follow..

Panda Eyes Return

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Panda eyes !!
So the kids are back at school, and after 2 weeks of poor training its time to push things forward...So mini Epic week..and the sun is shining..well looks like my Panda eyes will be making another appearance very soon, let me explain, being of the fairer skin colour. I go very red in the sun then back to white the next day even with Sun factor balaclava smothered all over (note the picture, after Ironman very red and sore) anyway.. Its time to give myself a little push, so I’m planning a big training week, let the fun begin..

Hummm, running in the rain!

April and its raining, I know the saying is April Showers, but April down pours are not fun! Have Limited training time, so rather than being sat on my Turbo trainer tucked away in the garage I decide to do a track session. So heading up to the local running track, seems almost funny that today I have to run in circles around a track not the most interesting session I’ve done, but luckily I have Lance Armstrong and Chris Carmichael as my personal coaches for today’s session...well a podcast...Do coaches stand in the rain shouting times and motivational slogans at you?? Well all I had was 2 workmen looking at me as if I’m totally crazy to be out in this weather, Laughing every time I ran through the muddy puddle they created. And it was only thing they had done well..Ha I don't care. When I’m the next Ironman Triathlon Superstar I'll be laughing.


 

Time to unleash the Beast

So it's been confirmed, all signed up for Stratford Sprint Tri on May 10th. I have raced this 3 times before and it promises to be a fast day in the saddle especially if I remember to bring my legs this year!


                                    

Welcome - hope you enjoy this site

So here it is my first Blog entry on my very own webpage, WOW, I almost feel professional (not sure at what I’m professional in).

So as time goes on I will update you on my journey to Ironman Germany 2010, the highs and lows of training, and anything else worth talking about.