Post 58 - Winter miscellany

Through the winter, I’ve continued to train without too much structure. The aim is to maintain a decent base level of fitness, keep spinning the pedals two or three times a week, swim once or twice a week and do some shorter and faster running sessions in an effort to get fit for a few Christmas running races. Then I want to come off Christmas in good shape to launch into another 7 months of focussed training that will hopefully end with Kona qualification.

I used to be a regular at the Highbury Fields ParkRun in London when I was living locally, almost 3 year ago. ParkRun is a great concept that started up around 5 years ago – in simple terms it’s a free 5km Saturday morning run around a park. It has really taken off around the UK and internationally. It’s totally free, organised by volunteers who are runners themselves, and ParkRun is “owned” by everyone. ParkRun communities are awesome - runners of all ages and levels who combine to create an event that is so much greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Highbury gang

I’ve ran the Highbury ParkRun a good few times and was a regular volunteer. I even took on the role of Run Director. There’s a great group at Highbury, and a great visit to the pub after every run. There are all sorts of runners – guys and girls of all ages, kids, fast people, slower people, people from different parts of the world, Chelsea fans, Arsenal fans, QPR fans, all united by coming down to Highbury Fields every Saturday morning in sun, rain, hail or snow, to get involved and to run 5km. And then maybe hit the pub afterwards to talk about running, personal bests, running shoes, that last damn hill, recovery drinks, turmeric, horse massage machines, and will I have another drink – inevitably the answer is “yes I will…”

"Mine is more disgusting than yours..."

Because I’m now living further away and because my weekends are usually taken up with long bike rides and long runs, I don’t get to go to Highbury anywhere nearly as often as I’d like. There are a load of people there who I’d say have become really good friends, and I made a trip in to Highbury recently for a winter blast and to see people again. This involved a 6am wake-up call one Saturday morning to get there for the 9am start. My PB at Highbury is 16:08. Highbury is 5-and-a-half laps, with 6 hills. 6! It’s a tough course. I reckon 16:08 at Highbury is worth 15:30 on the flat. This time round, I guessed I was in shape for something like 16:40 or so. I did 16:38. It doesn’t get any easier…! 16:38 wasn’t bad given that I do very little training for shorter and faster running distances. Ironman training is very different to the training I used to do when I was just running. Anyway, with the run done, by 10am I was in the pub eating porridge and drinking Guinness. Not long afterwards, I looked at my watch. 2pm?! Where did the time go?

I’ve also recently bought a boxful of Ironman cowbells. These are highly sought-after items. I’ve started 5 Ironman triathlons, and attended 5 Ironman expos where all manner of Ironman-branded gear is available to buy. Ironbaby t-shirts. Ironmum hats. Ironman towels. Ironfamily picture frames. You get the idea. I wouldn’t buy most of it, but the Ironman cowbells are different. They are cool. And useful. The perfect souvenir. They are cheap, small, and you can give them to your supporters and the supporters can then ring them in your face when you are on the go, the idea being that the noise makes you 20-odd minutes faster… maybe…

The noise going up Heartbreak Hill at Ironman Wales was something else. Anyway, the cowbells always sell out really quickly and I’ve never managed to get any. So when they came up online, I snapped up a whole boxful. They were delivered to work and the receptionist asked me why I had bought a big box full of jingle bells. It took a while to explain first of all what an Ironman is, and then what an Ironman cowbell is, and what they are used for… I’ve also been trying to work out what sunglasses suit me best…

 

The temperature has really dropped now. It’s tough to do a hard bike indoors on the turbo, and be dripping with sweat, and then go straight out into a freezing cold night for a run. For some reason, the big change in temperature makes my legs itch like crazy. It’s also really tough to get into the pool. To me, the pool is cold at the best of times, but in winter I’m usually shivering on the way to the pool, and shivering when I’m paying at the pool reception, and shivering in the changing rooms. Then, after all that, actually getting into the pool is a nightmare. 30 lengths later, I start to warm up and feel better. Maybe they need IronWimp merchandise at their expos, I deserve it.

 IronWimp surroundings

 

A couple of weeks ago I had another trip to Italy with work. It was freezing there too. One evening I took myself out into the cold and jogged to a murky industrial estate. I found a loop of about 1km, and did a good few 1km sprints. The car park which was my start-finish area soon had a few big lorries pull in, and the drivers huddled together, chatting and smoking. I don’t know what they made of me, but judging by the looks on their faces, I’m not sure they quite grasped the concept of exercising… I also spent a few days on Lanzarote. It’s a small island, much smaller and quieter than Tenerife. It looks like Ironman Lanzarote would be a great event. Something from Italy is Italian, that's obvious. Something from Lanzarote? Lanzarotten? And what about Tenerife? Tenereefer?

Italian sunrise

Lanzarotten palm trees

 

I’ve turned into a semi-regular visitor to Italy for short-notice work trips. I’ve also been to Worcester a few times, and to Norway. From a training point of view, these trips are tough – no bike, no control of diet, no access to the things that I need. It came to a point where I was going to have to pay out a fortune to enter Ironman UK next year – I didn’t get a regular entry as they had sold out before I even did Ironman Wales. A late entry means paying an agency an extortionate amount for a hotel/entry “package”. I’ve also been eyeing up a power meter for my bike to help me with the effectiveness of my training. Power meters aren’t cheap. I’m also thinking of shaving my legs – I never ever thought I’d even consider doing this – but it will enable me to have more regular massages which will help my performances. I’m mentally getting geared up for 7 tough training months. It’s a huge commitment in every way – financially, physically, mentally.

To me, it’s not worth making these commitments and then not being able to train to do myself justice – Kona qualification is a tough thing, and I would rather put it off for a year or two than try to train in uncertain, stressful, sub-optimal conditions. So I felt it was worth having a chat with my company to see what their feeling would be, in regards to working with me to minimise my travel commitments. I didn’t like asking, and if I’d been a contractor I wouldn’t have felt it was a question I could reasonably ask. But given that I’m “staff” rather than “contract”, and given that the opportunity to compete in the Ironman World Championships isn’t one that comes around every day, I felt it was worth raising.

It was almost like a sales pitch, and I put a good deal of thought into how to raise and discuss the issue in as correct and proper a way as possible, while still making a strong case for myself. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t come across the wrong way, and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t come across as demanding or pushy. I decided to describe the situation and then to ask for advice on the situation, rather than directly asking for less or no travel. If the feeling had been that the company’s position was that all travel was essential, then that’s what I would have done. I’d have had to think up another strategy for Ironman, probably putting it off for a year.

Anyway, I had discussions with a few different people, and I asked the opinions of management, and of my team. All were of the opinion that we could work to minimise my travel commitments for 6 months next year. There will still be times next year when I will have to travel, but hopefully it won’t be too frequently and without warning. I was happy with this, and it clears a good path towards Ironman UK next year. So I bought the power meter, and made arrangements with regards to my race entry and accommodation.

So now I’ve got no excuses and everything in place. I’ve got a good house to train in, I’ve linked up with a physio who is willing to treat me once a week, I’ve got the equipment, I know I’ve got the ability, I’ve got 3 seasons of experience, and I’ve got the support of my company which I’m very grateful for. So, no excuses, just Christmas to get through, then 6-7 months of hard work, I’ll do everything I can to avoid getting sick or injured, and then one good race… sounds straightforward enough, surely?

Cool London Christmas lights - Watling Street and Bow Lane
It's nice because it's pedestrianised

House tree...