Doing an Ironman, or any kind of sporting event, is about pushing your limits, physically and mentally. Going beyond what you thought you could do. As an introduction to this post, just after Christmas, I found one of my limits. Financially. The following is what I wanted to buy:
A 2013 Zipp Super 9 carbon clincher disc rear wheel
These retail for £2000. Yes, £2000. Yes, crazy. Just after Christmas, before the 2014 models were released, the last of these 2013 wheels in the UK was on sale online for £1400. A £600 discount. I really wanted it. Depending on who you talk to, these disc wheels provide an aerodynamic advantage that is worth anything from 5 to 15 minutes in an Ironman cycle, and at my level, an extra ten minutes could make a massive difference in terms of qualifying for Kona, or indeed reaching the podium in my age group. I was set to buy it... credit card primed... and I couldn't. £1400 for something I'd use once - I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Disc wheels are not permitted on some courses as they are difficult to control and can be dangerous in windy conditions. They are not permitted at Kona due to the strong winds that blow across the lava plains. Disc wheels are of most benefit on a flat, straight, non-technical course. Ironman UK, my target qualifying race, is very hilly, very technical, and very twisty-turny. So a disc wheel would be of less benefit on this course, and I can only hope that I don't miss out on qualification by a couple of minutes...
In training, I am constantly pushing my limits, and this inevitably means that sometimes I pick up injuries, like the sore back I mentioned last week. This has been a somewhat frustrating week, with my painful back refusing to get better in a hurry. Thankfully, this week was a scheduled "easier" week, and during these easier weeks, I generally don't do any intense training. I would maybe spin the bike for an hour, take an easy half-hour run, or an easy swim, and I would also continue with my stretching, core work and weights, and also include 2 or 3 days of complete rest in my easier weeks. These easy weeks facilitate both physical and mental rest and recovery, so that by the time the next tough 2-week period begins, I am fresh and raring to go. In theory anyway...!
In any case, I wouldn't have been able for a tough week this week, as my back has been giving me a lot of pain. It was touch and go as to whether I would actually make it to work on Monday morning, as I really struggled to physically get out of bed, to put on socks and shoes, and even to walk. I ploughed on and went to work, but any sudden movements, turning, standing or sitting were all really sore. My sleep was badly disrupted too. I tried an easy bike on Wednesday evening but this did me no good at all. After a few days, it became clear that I would have to get my back seen to.
So in frustration I went to the physio/osteopath. He put me through 30 minutes of even worse pain, and I left hoping that over the coming week, it would ease. Admittedly, it is not as bad as it was a week ago, but it is still restrictive and still sore. A short swim and run today confirmed that I'm still not ready to tolerate full training, and furthermore, the arch of my left foot is still giving me problems. It hasn't been the most auspicious of starts to my focused Ironman training.
I will hope that by Tuesday I will be in some sort of shape to get back into another fortnight of heavy training, but at the minute it is very much a case of seeing how things go. I'll probably see the osteopath again next week again for another session of physiotherapy. This is where a full-time athlete has an advantage, in that he or she would probably have unlimited, easy access to an excellent triathlon-specific physio on a daily basis. But my situation is what it is, and I'll try to make the best of it.
Training (or lack of it) this week was as follows:
In any case, I wouldn't have been able for a tough week this week, as my back has been giving me a lot of pain. It was touch and go as to whether I would actually make it to work on Monday morning, as I really struggled to physically get out of bed, to put on socks and shoes, and even to walk. I ploughed on and went to work, but any sudden movements, turning, standing or sitting were all really sore. My sleep was badly disrupted too. I tried an easy bike on Wednesday evening but this did me no good at all. After a few days, it became clear that I would have to get my back seen to.
So in frustration I went to the physio/osteopath. He put me through 30 minutes of even worse pain, and I left hoping that over the coming week, it would ease. Admittedly, it is not as bad as it was a week ago, but it is still restrictive and still sore. A short swim and run today confirmed that I'm still not ready to tolerate full training, and furthermore, the arch of my left foot is still giving me problems. It hasn't been the most auspicious of starts to my focused Ironman training.
I will hope that by Tuesday I will be in some sort of shape to get back into another fortnight of heavy training, but at the minute it is very much a case of seeing how things go. I'll probably see the osteopath again next week again for another session of physiotherapy. This is where a full-time athlete has an advantage, in that he or she would probably have unlimited, easy access to an excellent triathlon-specific physio on a daily basis. But my situation is what it is, and I'll try to make the best of it.
Training (or lack of it) this week was as follows:
Monday 20th January - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - 1 hour turbo
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 1 hour turbo
Sunday - 3k swim, 30 minute run.
There's not much to say about this other than none of it was particularly good, all of it was particularly sore, and none of it was particularly enjoyable or beneficial. Here's hoping next week is better....
I read a good book over Christmas written by an Irish guy named Gerry Duffy who completed 10 Ironmans in 10 days - a Deca Ironman... It seems it's always possible to find people who push the limits further and further... It reminds me a bit of when I cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, the length of Britain, in 2011. I got to John O'Groats and I decided to carry on to Orkney and Shetland. On Orkney, I met a German guy who had also cycled to Orkney from Land's End. Where we differed was that prior to arriving at Land's End, he had cycled the length of Spain and France as well.... I also know a couple of girls who cycled from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego - the entire length of North and South America.
Anyway, in the Deca Ironman book, there is a section on motivation and reasons. The author's reason, his philosophy, his motivation is that he GETS to do these sorts of things. He doesn't have to. He chooses to. He gets to. There are people who can't, or won't, or are physically unable to swim, cycle, run, or be active. I'm grateful I can do these things, as much as they frustrate me sometimes. I'm just having a bit of a blip at the minute and I hope in a week or two it will be all systems go again.
On a similar note, Rick and Dick Hoyt are two magnificent Ironmen who have competed at Kona, and who have overcome hurdles far worse than I endure. I watch the awesome and inspiring video below with admiration, a belief that challenges can be overcome, and I am reminded that I GET to do what I do....
There's not much to say about this other than none of it was particularly good, all of it was particularly sore, and none of it was particularly enjoyable or beneficial. Here's hoping next week is better....
I read a good book over Christmas written by an Irish guy named Gerry Duffy who completed 10 Ironmans in 10 days - a Deca Ironman... It seems it's always possible to find people who push the limits further and further... It reminds me a bit of when I cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, the length of Britain, in 2011. I got to John O'Groats and I decided to carry on to Orkney and Shetland. On Orkney, I met a German guy who had also cycled to Orkney from Land's End. Where we differed was that prior to arriving at Land's End, he had cycled the length of Spain and France as well.... I also know a couple of girls who cycled from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego - the entire length of North and South America.
Anyway, in the Deca Ironman book, there is a section on motivation and reasons. The author's reason, his philosophy, his motivation is that he GETS to do these sorts of things. He doesn't have to. He chooses to. He gets to. There are people who can't, or won't, or are physically unable to swim, cycle, run, or be active. I'm grateful I can do these things, as much as they frustrate me sometimes. I'm just having a bit of a blip at the minute and I hope in a week or two it will be all systems go again.
On a similar note, Rick and Dick Hoyt are two magnificent Ironmen who have competed at Kona, and who have overcome hurdles far worse than I endure. I watch the awesome and inspiring video below with admiration, a belief that challenges can be overcome, and I am reminded that I GET to do what I do....
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