September Round-Up

Ironman Update #9 - September 2010

September has been a transitional month - its the half way point between the birth of this idea and the culmination, both in time and mentally. It also marks the end of Summer when training becomes a lot harder to fit in with the weather and the darkness! Mentally its been very difficult, motivation to get out and exercise has been easy - I love exercising its no problem, but as I alluded to in my earlier blogs focusing on Ironman has been tough because I have come so far and yet have so far to go!

Anyway the month has looked like this: -

Swim - 6.3 Miles - 4 Hours

Bike - 0.0 Miles - 0 Hours

Run - 83.4 Miles - 12.4 Hours

Cross-Training - 26.2 miles - 5.2 Hours

Total - 116 miles - 21.6 Hours

Swim -
An average month on this front, nothing special just ticking over! Swimming is an odd sport, whilst you obviously do improve the more you train, it only takes one 'off' session to suddenly feel like your sinking and flapping around in the water! So I've just been putting in the time and the miles in the pool and that's fine - a few good coached sessions and the most amazing open water swim!

It was a couple of Saturdays ago and when I left to drive to the lake at 6am it was 2 degrees Celsius - yes you are right that is very cold! It was also dark and foggy, however I stuck at it - on arrival there were a few others waiting around till the fog had cleared over the lake. It soon became apparent this wasn't going to happen so we agreed to swim up and down the near shore in vague sight of the jetty! Thankfully the water was a warm 17-18 degrees so it was fine once in! I set off with another lad and we did four 400m ish out and back routes - it was amazing though because for the majority of the laps the fog was so thick you couldn't see any land, trees or anything around you - every now and again another swim would slide out of the fog and disappear in another direction! Being in water and surrounded by fog (like a horror movie) is an eerie but incredibly stunning experience (just don't mention sharks)! Thankfully I don't get scared being in water very easily and enjoy the feeling of being completely immersed - but I wouldn't recommend it if your not a confident swimmer!

Bike -
Not done any! 2 reasons - first I've haven't felt like it, after the 80 mile TT I wasn't ready to hop back on the road for the first few weeks, secondly - once I found I could run again I didn't wish to harm my progres through cycling so soon! I have been doing some mountain biking though so which is what the cross training is so the pedals have been turning - albeit slower and with more messing around

Run:-
Brilliant, super, smashing wonderful! I am back up and running and September was the biggest since I started in January with plenty left in the tank so really pleased - I am also running faster for longer so I have no complaints here at all! Not gone for more than a steady ten so far but there is plenty in the tank and the half marathon on the 17th should be fine providing my hamstring issue clears up! As for the 1/2 I'm going slow and steady so anything around the 2 hour mark is fine for me - not the fastest I know but its all in the build up!

Unfortunately I didn't make the cut for the 2011 London Marathon which is a shame, not because of any long standing dream to do it, but its one of those things that would be fun! I'll be doing a low key local one instead for training!

Cross-training -
I've been doing some mountain biking just to keep my eye in - its estimated mostly because I tend to go on my own and stop start quite a lot but its made a nice change to be off the tarmac!

So overall its been a very quiet and steady month, I wouldn't say I am yet fully ready to go 100% hard because I haven't yet hit that 6 month barrier when I will get scared but I will continue to up the running and get back on the bike and build the base fitness. Its all about building that endurance now over the winter, working within certain heart rate zones and staying injury free! I feel more refreshed mentally than I have since the end of August but I'll be happy when I hit that startline!

Its definitely all about the charities and raising money for EdUkaid and See Saw but when its you and your body going through it, its very easy to get wrapped up in the here and now, thankfully a great run or a great swim snaps it all back into reality that I am pretty lucky just to be able to do this, so I should stop whinging and get on with it!

As I mentioned in a previous blog - the only way to justify the steady months like this one is to make the most of the months to come - this is ever present in my mind so there are some big sessions to come!

I wouldn't say I am looking forward to getting back to the heavy training but I am certainly ready for it...that has to be a good start!

for the blog go to... http://ironmantd2011.blogspot.com/

For daily training updates and other rubbish on twitter go to www.twitter.com/IronmanTD2011
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Thanks for the support from everyone!