Week 2 - setbacks and learning

A bit of a slow week this week.  Much of this was due to workload, which was not only heavier than usual but took me to several locations around the UK.  However, if I'd managed to get up early instead of lounging around in bed, I would have got a lot more training done!   Only managed around 8 hours training this week, with virtually no cycling, which wasn't good.

Finished the week with my first competitive open water swim this year, taking part in the 1 mile event at The Great Scottish Swim, Strathclyde Park.  Very cold for the first ten minutes, but I took a nice steady pace and got round the course without too much trouble, albeit in a slow time. 

As a source of inspiration, check out Elizabeth Hawker - a virtually unknown GB athlete who is an awesome endurance racer:

http://www2.thenorthface.com/sa/athletes/athletes-EH.html

I saw her compete in her winning run on the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc this year and 4 weeks later she has just beaten all-comers in a gruelling 24 hour race.  There's much I could learn from her in keeping going despite weather, pain and suffering! 

On the plus side, weight continues to drop.

First week over

So, the first week of proper training is over and first challenge completed.  I'd set myself the task of doing 5 sprint distance triathlons in the gym (at a nice easy pace!).  Really, it was just to get back into the discipline of training again.  This went remarkably well, considering the lack of training in last 12 months.  The fourth one was bit of an ordeal as I'd eaten less than 300 calories before starting, so 'bonked' on the run.  I ended up having to do it as set of intervals!  On the spur of the moment, I finished the week by entering the British Heart Foundation 'Midnight Ride' from Manchester to Blackpool.  It seemed like a good opportunity to have an experience of riding through the night.  It was a hugely enjoyable experience, if a bit cold and wet, but that was all forgotten with a bowl of hot porridge at the finish line.  Did the 52 miles in 3h 5min, which I was quite pleased with, mostly because I held a steady pace throughout, so there must be a little bit of fitness in there!  Now suffering from a lack of sleep.  (Weight now down to just over 82 kg, so progress is being made!).  It's going to be harder to train this week, as I've a heavy workload which is also taking me away from home.

Total hours training 11h 30min approx.

My first discovery

Well, started training in earnest yesterday.  After a year off from 'proper' training, I'm starting easy, with a series of gentle sprint distance tris in the gym. My main focus is to lose weight initially, and build a base level of fitness again.  I'm ashamed to say that the stats show I'm currently 84kg and 23% body fat!!  How did I get like this?  Too much food and a lot of studying is the answer.  Last time I had my VO2 max measured it was around 55, so lots of work to do before Xmas.  I'm not going to focus on any speed or performance measures at the moment, just on losing weight and building base fitness.

And my first discovery?  'Doing the Deca' seems to be a search term used by body builders who are using a particular 'stacking' regime for steroid intake.  Just for the record I am TOTALLY OPPOSED to drug taking in sport, although having studied it as part of my Sports Psychology Masters, I can understand how people get to the point where they do it.  It's still dirty and wrong though, and nothing to do with what my personal project is about!

Taking the plunge

It's the first day of my training for Deca Ironman - 38Km of swimming, 1800Km of cycling with 422Km of running to finish.  Right now it feels crazy and impossible, but that's why we set ourselves these goals - to test ourselves and to see what lies beyond our limits.  I'll be putting up posts as my training progresses, but this first post is a way of building my own commitment to the project.  Not having done anything like this before, I've decided to train up until Christmas, set myself a few goals between now and then and, at that point, if my fitness and commitment are sufficiently strong I'll make a decision on whether the Deca is a realistic goal for me.  I already know that support is going to be a big factor for me, so your company on the journey will be appreciated and I hope you enjoy reading my blog.