Week 4

So this is my fourth week of Ironman training, only 26 to go!

Week 4 is a recovery week, which has fitted in well with the way I was feeling at the end of Week 3. Monday's rest day is very welcome indeed.

Pool still cold on Tuesday morning, but at least it was at the normal level and had increased in temperature by a degree or two. The main set was a testing 4 x 125m, 4 x 175m, 4 x 125m; all in all including warm up drills and cool down a solid 3km of swimming.

Took the easy option and avoided the hills on my 30 minute run and was rewarded with my fastest run of the year, with a pace of 5:05 kilometres. Which is none too shabby for a Z2 run.

Another indoor brick session on Wednesday morning, this was followed by a strength and core session. The weights session hurt this morning, which I guess is the objective, but it didn't make it particularly enjoyable.

Hurrah, the pool was back to normal temperature on Thusday morning, so the swim was much more pleasurable. The main set was 16 x 25m; 1 x 400m; 16 x 25m. A nice solid swim, which I could feel across my back, arms and shoulders later in the day.

Span out a 30 minute Z1 session, nice and easy - if only all training was this easy.

Mixed up the planned sessions this week and did the 'long' run on Friday morning. A 60 minute 11.1km run that took in 110m of climbing.

Another busy Saturday, meant it was another early morning turbo session. but the benefit being that I'd spend the afternoon watching rugby and having a beer or three.

The beers didn't seem like a good idea when I woke up for Sunday's cross country, and the Jagerbomb even less so. But, it's only 4 miles so how bad can it be. Very is the answer to that particular question. Cold, wind, mud and hills do not mix well with a hangover.

I think I took about 32 minutes but I'm not sure as I forgot to switch off my watch. I guess I'll have to wait for the results to see my time.

A summary of my training is shown below

Summary of Week 4

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	2:25	2:00	+0:25	31%
Bike	2:30	2:30	+0.00	32%
Run	2:18	2:30	-0:12	29%
Other	0:41	0:45	-0:04	9%
Total	7:54	7:45	+0:09

I gave the sessions a bit of a shuffle, but still got them all ticked off.

Cumulative Summary

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	8:51	8:00	+0:51	27%
Bike	10:01	10:00	+0.01	30%
Run	9:54	10:00	-0:06	30%
Other	4:15	3:00	+1:15	13%
Total	33:01	31:00	+2:01

Over 2 hours up on the plan, but not in the areas that I need to see some gains, i.e. bike and run

Week 3

With the victory of Sunday's cup final behind me it was time to continue with my training and focus on my goals and aspirations

Monday's rest day involved driving back from London, so that worked out quite well.

Tuesday's swim set was a 2,500m time trial; I wasn't looking forward to this as it can be quite tedious. However the session wasn't too bad and was completed in a time of 53:16 which I was pleasantly pleased with. Tuesday's run had to compete with the Swansea City victory parade as well as James's rugby training so it ended up being a late one

Wednesday's 30/15 brick session was done in the gym again, and followed up with a strength and core session.

Damn! The pool was cold this morning, a fault in the system meant  the water level was dropped and the temperature was down a couple of degrees. And boy did  I feel it. The main set was 12 x 100m.

The 45 minute spin out on the turbo was very enjoyable.

Happy St David's Day! I took Friday's 60 minute run outside, much more enjoyable than being on the treadmill.

Another busy Saturday meant I had to get up early (for me). Up and on the turbo by 7 o'clock to ensure I was done and dusted before taking Thomas to play football and then off to watch the Swans. I'm really hoping that I can get out on my bike next week

Sunday's run was a brisk 60 minute run, 11.5km meant this was a decent pace for me, especially with 109m of climbing.

This was the first run where I felt it, even on the flat, pretty sure this is the effect of a tough weeks training

On Sunday, the news filtered through to me of the tragic death of the young cyclist Junior Heffman, who died whilst competing in the Severn Bridge Road Race. I would like to take this opportunity  to pass on my condolences to the friends and family of Junior at this difficult time.




A summary of my training is shown below

Summary of Week 3

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	2:00	2:00	+0:00	23%
Bike	3:00	3:00	+0.00	34%
Run	3:02	3:00	+0:02	35%
Other	0:43	0:45	-0:02	8%
Total	8:45	8:45	+0:00

Still got all the sessions ticked off, but definitely a tougher week

Cumulative Summary

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	6:26	6:00	+0:26	26%
Bike	7:31	7:30	+0.01	30%
Run	7:36	7:30	+0:06	30%
Other	3:34	2:15	+1:19	14%
Total	25:07	23:15	+1:52

After only 3 weeks in, I'm already feeling that I'm making some gains.

Week 2

With the spectre of Swansea City playing in a Wembley final on the horizon, I hope it won't have a detrimental effect on my training this week.

Monday again, safe in the knowledge that I put in a good week training last week and keen for the week ahead. Time to kick back and enjoy the rest day.

Tuesday's swim was went well; the main set was 16x25m, 1x400m, 16x25m. Very pleased not to have had an attack of cramp. This was possibly aided by the addition of a High 5 Zero tablet in my water. The most satisfying part of my swim was my new goggles, they are Aqua Sphere Kayenne (in my usual red motif). I was really pleased with the lack of misting and the comfort was good too.

Managed to squeeze in a 30 minute run in whilst James was at rugby training. I was going to pootle up and down the cycle path, but Ang convinced me to hit the hills. Hills, be buggered! 110m of climbing in a 6km run!

My legs were somewhat laboured in the bike element of Wednesday morning's brick session, but I felt fresh on the run. Sort of sums up my abilities really. I followed this up with a weights and core session.

Thursday's swim set was a testing main set of 1 x 300m, 3 x 200m, 1 x 300m. I felt strong through the session and no indication of foot cramp was a benefit.

A 30 minute spin on the turbo was nice and easy on my legs.

Friday's 45 minute run was done on the treadmill, as these sessions start to get longer, I can't see me doing them indoors for much longer. This was followed by a session on the TRX. Finding out I'd hit my target weight of 11st 7lbs was a bargain, I'm not sure that'll still be the case after the shenanigans of the upcoming weekend. 

A busy Saturday morning meant that I was on the turbo again, the 90 minute ride was helped along its way by watching The Wire. After a quick wash and brush up, Ang and I were were on our way to London in preparation for the Capital One Cup Final.

Despite being away from home, I still managed to complete my training week with a  60 minute run around Highbury Fields and the Emirates Stadium.

The run was followed by a very enjoyable trip to Wembley, winning 5-0 is more than we could have asked for. The only thing missing was an element of drama in the game.

A summary of my training is shown below

Summary of Week 2

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	2:14	2:00	+0:14	26%
Bike	2:31	2:30	+0.01	29%
Run	2:33	2:30	+0:03	30%
Other	1:16	0:45	+0:31	15%
Total	8:34	7:45	+0:49

All sessions ticked off again, in another straight forward week

Cumulative Summary

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	4:26	4:00	+0:26	27%
Bike	4:31	4:30	+0.01	28%
Run	4:34	4:30	+0:04	28%
Other	2:51	1:30	+1:21	17%
Total	16:22	14:30	+1:52

Two weeks done and it all rather feels quite good

Week 1

The hardest part of deciding if I was going to do Ironman Wales is the commitment of time required to get to the start line. But as always I have the support of my wonderful wife, which means I will have the motivation and time to be able to give it my all.

Well here we go, start of the base phase. This shouldn't really task me much compared to what I've been doing already over the winter.

Monday is a rest day, and who am I to argue.

I was able to just about squeeze both of Tuesday's sessions in before work. First up was a 30 minute Z2 run, which I did on the treadmill, which was followed by a 60 minute swim set. As I'm used to doing a 90 minute session before work this is pretty much par for the course.

A short brick session was the key session on Wednesday (all done in the comfort of the gym). This was followed by a strength and core session and quick blast of #febrowary.

Thursday morning and the swim was a bit of shock to the system. It was probably the longest swim I'd done since Ironman Wales. But it was soon done and ticked off. The main set was 4 x 125m; 4 x 175m; 4 x 125m. First evening session today a gentle Z1 30 minute ride on the turbo.

Friday was a very easy day, just a thirty minute Z2 run. So I bulked it out with a row and some work on the TRX

The building block of any training plan is the steady bike ride, this week's is a 60 minute session which I did on the turbo.

At last I get a session outside, I don't think a 45 minute run counts as long, but it was steady and at a decent pace. 8.6km in 46 minutes, giving me a pace of 5:07km.

A summary of my training is shown below

Summary of Week 1

Activity	Actual Time	Planned Time	Variance +/-	Percentage
Swim	2:12	2:00	+0:12	28%
Bike	2:00	2:00	+0.00	26%
Run	2:01	2:00	+0:01	26%
Other	1:35	0:45	+0:50	20%
Total	7:48	6:45	+1:03

All sessions ticked off, but it was an easy week

Living like a caveman

I have a tendency to be little on the overweight side, not necessary fat, but definitely overweight. Therefore I'm keen to be in a position to be able to control my weight, which is part of the reason for this whole exercise malarkey.

Over the years I really have had an antipathy towards fad diets, and there have been plenty that have come across my radar.

There have been the bog-standard calorie deficit schemes like Weight Watchers and Slimmers' World. These diets are created by corporations to make money, ultimately they are designed to fail, as the whole premise is that you can earn the right to have treats.

Also there have been the extreme diets like the cabbage soup diet; a diet where you eat, well, cabbage soup. Pretty tedious and in no way a life choice.

I've always been drawn to foods that don't have many ingredients and aren't rammed full of chemicals and additives. So when some of the good people on TriTalk started talking about the Paleo diet, I took good look at it.

My uneducated take on it was you eat food that the cavemen ate, with the primary tenet being no processed food. Not eating (overly) processed food can only be a good thing can't it?

So what are the paleo commandments, and how would they affect my life:

1. No processed foods - This seems to be a no-brainer to me. However in these days of mass production, it is very hard to avoid
2. No refined sugars - another tick in the common sense box
3. No grains - I'm not a massive fan of bread, so that wouldn't be too much of a hit. However I enjoyed a large bowl of porridge to kick start my day, this could be an issue. Another loss would be no pasta which is a quick and easy regular meal in the Harris household. No rice is another one that will effect what we'd eat on a regular basis
4. No potatoes - Meh, not bothered. I've never been much of a fan, be they mashed, fried, roasted or boiled. I've always seen potatoes as something to get over and done with as quickly as possible before getting to the good stuff
5. No legumes - This means beans, peas and peanuts. This one is a bit confusing to me, but the premise as I see it is that they have to be cooked to be eaten and that is why they are on the list
6. No Dairy - This is a biggy. Lots of stuff in this food group that I enjoy.
7. Eat lean unprocessed meats and eggs
8. Eat your veggies, and plenty of them.
9. Eat fruit, but try and minimise the amount of sugars
10. Eat nuts

Prior to committing to the paleo diet, my typical working day meals may have looked a little like this

Breakfast
Large bowl of porridge
Small glass of orange juice

Lunch
Couple of tortilla wraps with various fillings
Various fruit
Yogurt

Evening meal
Pasta dish
Bowl of ice-cream

In addition to this I'd probably have 3-4 mugs of coffee with milk and one sugar.

Now, even with the benefit of hindsight, this strikes me as a traditionally understood healthy diet. But under the paleo structure, most of this would not be acceptable.

In November 2011, I challenged myself to have one month of strict paleo eating and see how what worked for me and what didn't. I even went as far as making paleo ketchup, as I'm a bit of a bugger when it comes to having moist meals.

Since the change, my daily working day meals look something like this

Breakfast
Boiled egg
Fruit smoothie 

Lunch
Salad or soup
Various fruit

Evening meal
Roasted veg with chicken/lamb/steak/pork

But yes, I'm still having my bowl of ice-cream.

I've cut the coffee right down and am now having green tea.

The benefits I've seen are quite marked, the most noticeable is that I've lost a bit of excess weight. I don't feel so bloated after eating a meal (even if it a huge portion). My whole digestive system seems to be operating much better and I've got a general feeling of, well, feeling well.

So this seems to be the way forward for me. I'm by no means strict and I will eat processed crap like a good 'un when it takes my fancy. But, I have taken the option to cut out some of these toxins from my life and it seems to be doing the job

The Road to Tenby - mk II

It seems inevitable that I will be racing at Ironman Wales for the second time this September. I've not quite made the financial commitment, but I've certainly made the emotional commitment.

I've got unfinished business in Pembroke, as I had a slight hamstring tear the last time I did this race. This obviously had a detrimental effect on my bike time.

Once again I'll be using the Fink book, Be Iron Fit. But this time I'll be going with the intermediate plan for swimming and running and the competitive plan for the bike.

If I took nothing else from the last time I raced in Pembrokeshire, is that the bike is brutal and the better you are on the bike, the more you'll have left for that tough hilly run. This means I'll be focusing on getting my bike legs up to speed.

So, lets see what the next 30 weeks has in store, one thing is for certain the weather is going to get better.

New Balance 880V2

The nice people at New Balance have sent me a pair of shoes to review. Now, I'm not sure does that mean I am now a sponsored athlete? (if so I'm gonna have to put a link somewhere on this blog)

I've got to lay my cards on the table, I've been wearing New Balance shoes for the last few years and they are my shoes of choice. I'm not saying I'm some kind of fan boy, but yes I do like them

The retail price for these shoes is £84.99, but with a little bit of shopping around you can get them for about £70

This is what New Balance have to say about them

The New Balance 880v2, the second edition of the popular 880 running shoe, is built on the ACTEVA® LITE midsole with groundbreaking T-Beam® to provide a lightweight, supportive, and well-cushioned ride. Perfect for a runner with a neutral gait, this comfortable trainer is packed with premium features but still weighs in at only 11 ounces.

Type: Cushioning

Weight: 311 grams (11 oz)

Features
Synthetic/mesh upper provides lightweight comfort and support
Blown rubber outsole is extremely flexible, light, and helps provide cushioning
Abzorb® Strobel Board runs full length of shoe to maximize shock absorption and comfort 

And this is what I have to say

The first thing I noticed is that the shoes come in pairs, which is handy because so do my feet!

I find the shoes to be very appealing to look at, obviously I'm not going to wear them to a high society function, but they are suitable for purpose. A subtle use of red and blue on a mesh of grey, very understated.

I usually run with elastic laces, but for the purposes of this road test I ran in laces supplied. I was pleased to find out that the laces gripped well and that stayed tied for the whole run (one of the reasons I use elastic laces is to stop them undoing during races).

I chose to run on a route that I run quite regularly, which meant I'd be able to make a comparison. The shoes initially felt nice and light compared to my current shoe, and I was running at a good speed (for me).

Now I know that when you run, sometime you have good runs and sometimes they are bad. But whilst running in these shoes I was averaging a speed of 5 minute kilometres compared to my usual Z2 running speed of 5:30ish. I'd be very surprised if this gain was purely down to the shoe but I can only assume that they contributed.

The day I ran was in November, so obviously it was cold and wet. I didn't experience any issues with regards to slipping on steep sections or going around corners. But my feet did feel a bit colder once I'd finished the run.

So to the crux of the matter, would I buy these shoes? And the unequivocal answer is yes.

Keep up the good work New Balance, and if you can find out who stole my 1080 Chilli Peppers I'd be eternally grateful