Swam 100 lengths
Biked 40km
Ran 5km
Into my last week of training and the tapering down stage, giving my muscles time to recover ready for the big day, sorry for my lack of blogging in the last few weeks but trying to get ready for the Ironman and working, its been pretty manic. As I sit in my apartment in Nice with the big day tomorrow its been quite a journey and as I said before all I have to do now is pick up my medal : ) No matter the outcome thank you so so much to my family and friends for all your support and kind and generous donations to my chosen charity, I hope to make you all very proud, and will be thinking of you all when I have to dig deep to get me over that finish line, wish me luck!! Role on EXTREME Pain ; ) x
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Week Twenty One
Swam 252
Biked 180 km
Ran 21 km
As the big day gets closer I thought that I would try the distance of two of the events on consecutive days to see how my body would cope with the punishment. So on Friday evening I went to the Lido and completed the 3.8km swim. I am now consistently finishing the distance around the 70 minute mark but feel I could go faster.
Went down to the New Forest the next day for a 180km bike ride with my friend Marc, who is also training to be an Iron Man and will be competing in the UK Iron Man in July. With both of us not yet completing the 180km distance, we set off at a steady pace and kept that going. 7 hrs later we had made it home, minus the time it takes to change three punctures, one for me and two for Marc. We made the terrible mistake of earlier in the day saying "I've been so lucky Marc, not had a puncture whilst training yet." "Me neither." Oops! Without meaning to sound obvious, 7 hrs on a bike is an extremely long time, and I certainly wouldn't do it as a regular training exercise, but Marc and I kept the banter going and the miles flew by. After the ride I thought that it was about time I treated my muscles to a massage to cure any unwanted muscle aches, but it wasn't the relaxing massage you would imagine. I was slightly worried that Becky the masseuse seemed to be enjoying the cries and yelps far too much as she pushed her thumb hard into my calf muscles. So a big thank you to Becks for giving me a good beating! A hard day but not the end, come race day ONLY a marathon to run and the medal to collect, till next week roll on pain!
Week Twenty
Swam 200 lengths
Biked 147km
Ran 31km
I hit the outdoor pool at Brockwell Lido for a couple of sessions with the wetsuit on, the pool is a 50m pool and so it is a lot easier to get into a rythmn and just concentrate on your technique. I'm reaching the pinnacle of my trainning now with longer sessions in all disciplines. Went for an amaizing ride in Devon whilst visiting Mum, Dad and Fin; I rode from Mary Tavy to Totnes and back, hill after hill and strong winds made it extremely tough but the views were amazing! With all the training I have now lost 8kg and am down to a lean 83kg which certainly has helped my running, and although still not super quick, I ran a personal best: 21km in 1hour 40.
Until next week roll on pain!
Monday, 2 May 2011
Week Nineteen
Swam 150 lengths
Biked 46 km
Ran 15 km
Competed in the New Forest Triathlon Swam 1.1km, Cycled 36km, Ran 10km
My Results = Swim 26:27, Bike 1:10:42 Run, 50:08 Total 2:27:19 Place 164th out of 320
I completed my first triathlon this weekend and absolutely loved it! With my trusty support team behind me, Cinny, Mum, Dad, oh and not to forget the woofers Lily and Fin, I made it on time to the to the New Forest Tri. It was an early start and by seven thirty I had donned my wetsuit, Tommy Turbo had given me some last minute tips, and we were on the start line. The swim was a bit frantic at the start and with the culmination of the excitement, cold water, tight wetsuit and the fact I started quicker than I should have, I found myself having a little panic about 100m into the swim. By 150m I had calmed down and found my stroke. From then on I really started to enjoy the swim. The extra buoyancy in my suit helped me to keep my body position a lot flatter, enabling me to me to glide more easily through the water. Lack of experience meant that my transition times were pretty average spending 5 mins before I was on the bike. The bike went well and transition two onto the run went a lot more smoothly. The run was tough in places with numerous hills through the forest to master but I managed to pace myself well and even had a little in left in the tank for a sprint finish which topped off a really enjoyable race. A great way to put into practice the training I have done and to focus my mind on the larger task ahead: my Nice Iron Man 2011.
Big congrats to Tommy Turbo for coming 26th! He was flying :)
A massive thank you to Char, my sister, and her flatmates for accommodating the troops, Mum and Dad for getting up at 3 am to support another one of their son’s crazy sports, and to Cinny for her continuous support and editing my triathlon video and making me look cool haha. Till next week… roll on pain!
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Week Eighteen
Swam 152
Biked 82km
Ran 30km
Experienced my first incident of RACING RAGE this week. There I was cycling along, minding my own, and this chap who seemed to think he was racing in the Tour De France, came up so close he almost crashed into me. So here is the conversation that followed:
Si: That's a bit close mate
Idiot on bike: If we're in a peloton (group of cyclists) in the Tour De France I'd slipstream you and then overtake you.
Si: We're not in the bleeping peloton, you bleep we're in Richmond Park you bleep.
Idiot on bike: Don't call me a bleep you bleep.
Si: Do you wanna stop and discuss this matter?
Idiot on bike: No I don't, don't be such a child.
Si: Well bleep off then.
Idiot retreats on his bike, Iron Si continues full steam ahead to train another day!
Achieved a personal best in the pool, 152 lengths in 66 minutes.
Til next week, roll on pain!
Biked 82km
Ran 30km
Experienced my first incident of RACING RAGE this week. There I was cycling along, minding my own, and this chap who seemed to think he was racing in the Tour De France, came up so close he almost crashed into me. So here is the conversation that followed:
Si: That's a bit close mate
Idiot on bike: If we're in a peloton (group of cyclists) in the Tour De France I'd slipstream you and then overtake you.
Si: We're not in the bleeping peloton, you bleep we're in Richmond Park you bleep.
Idiot on bike: Don't call me a bleep you bleep.
Si: Do you wanna stop and discuss this matter?
Idiot on bike: No I don't, don't be such a child.
Si: Well bleep off then.
Idiot retreats on his bike, Iron Si continues full steam ahead to train another day!
Achieved a personal best in the pool, 152 lengths in 66 minutes.
Til next week, roll on pain!
Week Seventeen
Swam 182 lengths
Biked 200 km
Ran 20km
With Tommy Turbo away training in Mexico.... (laying on the beach) there was no one with me to explore the Surrey Hills so my impressive support team, Cinny my girlfriend and Lily the dog came along as my cheerleading team. Their duties included, sunbathing, eating ice creams and cheering "GO IRONSI GO" whilst laying in the middle of Richmond Park, as I completed laps at race speed. 12 laps later and 140 km under my belt, it was a good ride. I managed to keep a good flow of nutrition, and one of the reasons I stopped was because I had run out of energy bars and could feel my energy levels dropping. The other reason was because as beautiful as Richmond Park is, after 12 laps I knew all the deer by name and could tell you where every one of the 163 pot holes were ... ouchy! Is there any way of strapping a cushion to my bike seat, please send in your suggestions! In fact I think they should produce a saddle for people with boney bums. THE SI BOMB SADDLE "the number one saddle for bikers with no rump on their hump" Back in the pool and after watching my swim video footage it is clear that I need to work on keeping my legs closer together, better kicking rythmn and most importantly, wear a swim cap to cover up my bald patch whilst filming! Till next week.....roll on pain! :)
Biked 200 km
Ran 20km
With Tommy Turbo away training in Mexico.... (laying on the beach) there was no one with me to explore the Surrey Hills so my impressive support team, Cinny my girlfriend and Lily the dog came along as my cheerleading team. Their duties included, sunbathing, eating ice creams and cheering "GO IRONSI GO" whilst laying in the middle of Richmond Park, as I completed laps at race speed. 12 laps later and 140 km under my belt, it was a good ride. I managed to keep a good flow of nutrition, and one of the reasons I stopped was because I had run out of energy bars and could feel my energy levels dropping. The other reason was because as beautiful as Richmond Park is, after 12 laps I knew all the deer by name and could tell you where every one of the 163 pot holes were ... ouchy! Is there any way of strapping a cushion to my bike seat, please send in your suggestions! In fact I think they should produce a saddle for people with boney bums. THE SI BOMB SADDLE "the number one saddle for bikers with no rump on their hump" Back in the pool and after watching my swim video footage it is clear that I need to work on keeping my legs closer together, better kicking rythmn and most importantly, wear a swim cap to cover up my bald patch whilst filming! Till next week.....roll on pain! :)
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Week Sixteen
Swam 152 lengths
Biked 140km
Ran 25km
Still really enjoying getting out on the bike in the evenings and completing laps of Richmond park. You will be pleased to know that there have been no more getting stuck in my peddles incidents although I did see a girl at the weekend fall off in exactly the same way, and felt bad for her but also glad it was not me : ) With the Iron man fast approaching it time to start putting some real distances on to my weekly updates. I have been focusing on bike followed by run sessions this week, to build up the tolerance and ability to run on tired legs. An evenings exercise consists of 45km, three laps of Richmond Park and home, followed by a 5km run. Exercise time 2.5hrs. Till next week.......Roll on Pain !
Biked 140km
Ran 25km
Still really enjoying getting out on the bike in the evenings and completing laps of Richmond park. You will be pleased to know that there have been no more getting stuck in my peddles incidents although I did see a girl at the weekend fall off in exactly the same way, and felt bad for her but also glad it was not me : ) With the Iron man fast approaching it time to start putting some real distances on to my weekly updates. I have been focusing on bike followed by run sessions this week, to build up the tolerance and ability to run on tired legs. An evenings exercise consists of 45km, three laps of Richmond Park and home, followed by a 5km run. Exercise time 2.5hrs. Till next week.......Roll on Pain !
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Week Fifteen
Swam 152 length
Biked 304 km
Ran 30 km
I picked up my bike on Sat after a 10km run around Richmond Park with G Force, a fellow Ironman wannabee! On Sunday morning I climbed into the Lycra, new shoes, put on the new helmet and off I cycled on my new bike to pick up G force for a gentle first ride around Richmond Park. The expression "all the gear no idea" came to mind, as I road away a little unsteady on my wafer thin tyres ! Moments after picking up Mr Force it was clear that I had not really got to grips with the clip IN peddles, and that it was a good idea to clip OUT before coming to a stand still. The next few minutes were spent laughing, as I found my self on my back with the bike still clipped to my feet. I would like to say I lernt my lesson after the first failed attempt but thought it best to entertain George some more and so did it again a couple junctions on! The expression "all the kit totally s@*T "suddendly came to mind! This could turn out to be a long day I thought! Luckily there was no harm done to bike or man, well, except a slightly bruised ego ; )
The rest of the week was really enjoyable, riding laps of Richmond park in the evening followed by a run straight after, what triathletes like to call a brick session. On Sunday I was given a real lesson in biking by my best friend Tom. Just to refresh your memories, it was Tom who originally laid down the gauntlet in the curry house some months ago, and roped me in to the Ironman adventure. We went for a 100km bike ride around the Surrey Hills, and there were plenty, and across the South Downs at what Tom descibed as a reasonable pace, others including myself would probably use the word relentless, they don't call him Tommy Turbo for nothing! After running out of energy and hitting the wall at 95km it was clear that more attention is to be paid to nutrition whilst riding. This was soon fixed by a Sunday Carvery in a pub. It was clear that we should call it a day there and I persuaded Tom that the train would be a good option for returning home. Till next week.... Roll on Pain !
Biked 304 km
Ran 30 km
I picked up my bike on Sat after a 10km run around Richmond Park with G Force, a fellow Ironman wannabee! On Sunday morning I climbed into the Lycra, new shoes, put on the new helmet and off I cycled on my new bike to pick up G force for a gentle first ride around Richmond Park. The expression "all the gear no idea" came to mind, as I road away a little unsteady on my wafer thin tyres ! Moments after picking up Mr Force it was clear that I had not really got to grips with the clip IN peddles, and that it was a good idea to clip OUT before coming to a stand still. The next few minutes were spent laughing, as I found my self on my back with the bike still clipped to my feet. I would like to say I lernt my lesson after the first failed attempt but thought it best to entertain George some more and so did it again a couple junctions on! The expression "all the kit totally s@*T "suddendly came to mind! This could turn out to be a long day I thought! Luckily there was no harm done to bike or man, well, except a slightly bruised ego ; )
The rest of the week was really enjoyable, riding laps of Richmond park in the evening followed by a run straight after, what triathletes like to call a brick session. On Sunday I was given a real lesson in biking by my best friend Tom. Just to refresh your memories, it was Tom who originally laid down the gauntlet in the curry house some months ago, and roped me in to the Ironman adventure. We went for a 100km bike ride around the Surrey Hills, and there were plenty, and across the South Downs at what Tom descibed as a reasonable pace, others including myself would probably use the word relentless, they don't call him Tommy Turbo for nothing! After running out of energy and hitting the wall at 95km it was clear that more attention is to be paid to nutrition whilst riding. This was soon fixed by a Sunday Carvery in a pub. It was clear that we should call it a day there and I persuaded Tom that the train would be a good option for returning home. Till next week.... Roll on Pain !
Week Fourteen
Swam 60 lengths
Biked 80km
Ran 15km
Feeling a bit frail from my sick/rest week, I returned to training as usual, only to get food poisoning, with only half a bowl of soup in 48 hrs i was in no shape to do any training. Although every cloud has a silver lining and mine was a phone call from Mark Henley the Manager of Prologue Bikes, 232 Upper Richmond Road West. He had rang to say that he had managed to up grade my Cube GTC Pro to a GTC Race and that because I was doing it for such a worthy cause there would be no charge. So a massive thank you to Mark and the lads at Prologue for their excellent service getting me setup and their contribution to a worthy charity. If you are interested in buying a bike, please give Mark a ring on the shop number 0208 878 6266 and mention Ironsi and I am sure he will be as helpful to you as he was with me. He also kindly gave me a Prologue biking shirt which I will be wearing with pride whilst training! Till next week...... roll on PAIN!
Biked 80km
Ran 15km
Feeling a bit frail from my sick/rest week, I returned to training as usual, only to get food poisoning, with only half a bowl of soup in 48 hrs i was in no shape to do any training. Although every cloud has a silver lining and mine was a phone call from Mark Henley the Manager of Prologue Bikes, 232 Upper Richmond Road West. He had rang to say that he had managed to up grade my Cube GTC Pro to a GTC Race and that because I was doing it for such a worthy cause there would be no charge. So a massive thank you to Mark and the lads at Prologue for their excellent service getting me setup and their contribution to a worthy charity. If you are interested in buying a bike, please give Mark a ring on the shop number 0208 878 6266 and mention Ironsi and I am sure he will be as helpful to you as he was with me. He also kindly gave me a Prologue biking shirt which I will be wearing with pride whilst training! Till next week...... roll on PAIN!
Week Thirteen
Week Thirteen proved unlucky for me and I came down with man flu...AGAIN : ( even worse than the last time ; ) so I took a week off iron man training to recover. A big thank you to Nurse Maddison for taking extra special care of me! Till next week... another lempsip please nurse.!
Monday, 14 March 2011
Week Twelve
Swam 180 lengths
Biked 90
Ran 15km
With longer sessions on the bike I have recently purchased in the sale a very fetching pair of thick padded cycling shorts and after a two hour ride I no longer have a numb bum. I have also purchased a helmet and a pair of cycling shoes, one small problem.... still no bike! Testing out a Cube bike next week, so hopefully I will riding on the roads soon. Starting to try out energy gels whilst training and finding that they are very effective for sustaining high intensity training sessions, although orange gel tastes like no orange fruit I have ever eaten! Till next week role on Pain! Oh and black current flavoued gels !
Biked 90
Ran 15km
With longer sessions on the bike I have recently purchased in the sale a very fetching pair of thick padded cycling shorts and after a two hour ride I no longer have a numb bum. I have also purchased a helmet and a pair of cycling shoes, one small problem.... still no bike! Testing out a Cube bike next week, so hopefully I will riding on the roads soon. Starting to try out energy gels whilst training and finding that they are very effective for sustaining high intensity training sessions, although orange gel tastes like no orange fruit I have ever eaten! Till next week role on Pain! Oh and black current flavoued gels !
Week Eleven
Swam 240 lengths
Biked 65km
Run 25km
I am finding out that the combination of longer and harder training sessions and a weeks physical labour, including working weekends for extra money for the overpriced bike I would like, that Ironsi is a very tired man indeed! Next time I banter in a curry house it will not be about an endurance sport.......Any one for chess?!
Biked 65km
Run 25km
I am finding out that the combination of longer and harder training sessions and a weeks physical labour, including working weekends for extra money for the overpriced bike I would like, that Ironsi is a very tired man indeed! Next time I banter in a curry house it will not be about an endurance sport.......Any one for chess?!
Week Ten
Swam 240 lengths
Biked 50km
Ran 30km
After the fourth morning in a row of resetting my alarm for an extra hour of snoozy time rather than sixty lengths of the pool it is clear that mornings are still not my thing! I am still looking for a bike, but it looks like the Cube GTC carbon frame is the clear favorite. I have found that with increasingly longer runs, that I have to keep my body position steady and not bounce too much as it makes my stomach feel sick! Till next week, roll on PAIN!
Biked 50km
Ran 30km
After the fourth morning in a row of resetting my alarm for an extra hour of snoozy time rather than sixty lengths of the pool it is clear that mornings are still not my thing! I am still looking for a bike, but it looks like the Cube GTC carbon frame is the clear favorite. I have found that with increasingly longer runs, that I have to keep my body position steady and not bounce too much as it makes my stomach feel sick! Till next week, roll on PAIN!
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Week Nine
Swam 120 lengths
Biked 80 km
Ran 40km
Increased the bike and run distances this week and found that the running really saps a lot of your energy, and leaves your muscles very sore the next day. Going to have to start building a training schedule that incorporates rest days for each discipline. Another thing i will struggle with is there are not enough hours in the evening to complete enough training to progress, this will inevitably mean getting up early to fit in an extra training session, and we all know i am no good at mornings! oh well here goes ... until next week....Roll on Pain!!
Biked 80 km
Ran 40km
Increased the bike and run distances this week and found that the running really saps a lot of your energy, and leaves your muscles very sore the next day. Going to have to start building a training schedule that incorporates rest days for each discipline. Another thing i will struggle with is there are not enough hours in the evening to complete enough training to progress, this will inevitably mean getting up early to fit in an extra training session, and we all know i am no good at mornings! oh well here goes ... until next week....Roll on Pain!!
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Week Eight
Swam 350 lengths
Biked 65km
Ran 32km
I Noticed a fellow swimmer in the pool this week swimming like a torpedo through the water and thought to my self, now that's how i need to be swimming! After a short chat with ex pro swimmer before he raced off again for another blistering length, he kindly gave me a few handy tips. The tips included, keep your elbow high, relax your shoulder roll and concentrate on the efficiency of your stroke. My swimming instantly improved, i am still not a torpedo, but a welcome improvement!. The following session i completed 170 lengths in 1hr 25mins, and now confident i have the swim sorted! Keeping the momentum going i decided to test the limits of my running and the next day wished i hadn't! I ran 22km in 1hr 55mins and i won't lie it was tough, still feeling sore three days later. Going to focus on my running this week, so until next time, roll on pain!
Biked 65km
Ran 32km
I Noticed a fellow swimmer in the pool this week swimming like a torpedo through the water and thought to my self, now that's how i need to be swimming! After a short chat with ex pro swimmer before he raced off again for another blistering length, he kindly gave me a few handy tips. The tips included, keep your elbow high, relax your shoulder roll and concentrate on the efficiency of your stroke. My swimming instantly improved, i am still not a torpedo, but a welcome improvement!. The following session i completed 170 lengths in 1hr 25mins, and now confident i have the swim sorted! Keeping the momentum going i decided to test the limits of my running and the next day wished i hadn't! I ran 22km in 1hr 55mins and i won't lie it was tough, still feeling sore three days later. Going to focus on my running this week, so until next time, roll on pain!
Monday, 7 February 2011
Week Seven
Total Distances for Week Seven:
Swam: 120 lengths
Biked: 60km
Ran: 10km
A busy week at work equals a slow week training. Really going to have to allocate more time to train this week. Whilst in Devon I dug out my Dad's old Raleigh 5 speed racer and took it out for a spin with my friend Dave, a keen biker, who put me through my paces with a 20km bike ride over the VERY hilly, but beautiful Dartmoor. Wind blowing at what can only be described as hurricane force, I pedaled hard on the rusty Raleigh and at points thought I was going backwards. From the bike I went straight into a 10km run...more hills, rain and wind left me red-faced and with a serious calf muscle burn. A good end to a slow week's training.
Until next week, roll on pain...
Monday, 31 January 2011
Week Six
Week Six Distances:
Swam: 220lengths
Biked: 90km
Ran: 15km
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Week Five
Iron Si turned into snotty Si this week and came down with a ferocious case of man flu, a particularly strong strain...unable to barely survive the day. Known to many as the COMMON COLD : ) haha so the weeks training was somewhat tame, but luckily my good friend, Lemsip, helped me to get back on track. Next week SIRON will return! : )
Week Five Distances
Swam 180 lengths
Biked 90km
Ran 12km
Week Five Distances
Swam 180 lengths
Biked 90km
Ran 12km
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Week Four
Distances for Week 4
Swam 280 lengths
Biked 65km
Ran 21km
After a good break at Christmas hit the pool hard. Completed 100 lengths in 1hr and felt really great...next day everything felt like jelly! Note to self: pace yourself Bawden.
Finding the gym spin sessions really enjoyable, but change of scenery needed. So looking forward to getting out on the road! Till next week, roll on pain...
Swam 280 lengths
Biked 65km
Ran 21km
After a good break at Christmas hit the pool hard. Completed 100 lengths in 1hr and felt really great...next day everything felt like jelly! Note to self: pace yourself Bawden.
Finding the gym spin sessions really enjoyable, but change of scenery needed. So looking forward to getting out on the road! Till next week, roll on pain...
Monday, 3 January 2011
Week Three
Christmas! Iron men don't train over the festive period. FACT!
I'll return with a vengeance in the new year, when it starts to get serious...
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ho ho ho :)
I'll return with a vengeance in the new year, when it starts to get serious...
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ho ho ho :)
Week Two
Bit of a slow week. Felt pretty drained at the beginning of the week. So took a couple of days off. Running has improved most this week, haven't really pushed too hard on the bike, and had a technical swimming session with a gym friend of mine.
Week Two's Total Distances -
Swam 170 lengths (4,250m)
Biked 30km
Ran 8km
And so it begins...
So I dug out the arm bands, attached the stabilisers, dusted off the muddy trainers and training has begun...
I have 6 months to prepare for the hardest endurance race of my life. I've paid for the medal, all I have to do is collect it!!
After concentrating hard on getting massive I have really let the fitness levels drop.
Week One.
The first week has been enjoyable, I have a real buzz about the Iron Man adventure. It's going to be tough and expensive, but it will definitely be worth it. I'm starting to read about the different kit you need and trying to find a bike at the right price is proving hard, so if anyone can help me with that...? :)
Started telling friends who are all very supportive but correctly think I am mad. Decided to limit alcohol intake, trying to go tee-total would be unrealistic so I'm allowing myself a glass of wine with meals.
Total distances for Week One-
Swam 170 lengths, (4250 meters)
Swam 170 lengths, (4250 meters)
Biked 60k
Ran 15k
Problems:
Water in my nose and ears from swimming - ear plugs used, nose plug doesn't work - will have to suffer...
Bike - no problems as of yet, but predicting a sore bottom.
Running - need a better technique, finding this hard, research needed.
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