Training Waits for no man...

Blog 9 – 23^rd May 2013

It’s been nearly a month since my last post and how time flies!! Arrgghh, only 136 days until Challenge Barcelona Ironman. Lots have happened within the last month, mostly training but everything is still moving in the right direction. On the 13^th of this month I had to return to Hertfordshire University for a testing update. No one ever enjoys being tested but I had mixed emotions as I wanted to see if all that hard work has been paying off. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the results, the changes were all positive but they weren’t as good as I would have liked them to be. Now we can all make excuses and mine is that I rode for 4 hours the day before testing, on my birthday I might add. Hence, training waits for no man. Anyway back to the results, in hindsight, I will definitely avoid doing a long ride the day before the next testing session.

We are nearly half way, in fact the lab rats and I have been on this journey for 122 days and the training has certainly started to ramp up. As my friend and fellow lab rat Dan mentioned the other day, yes we are nearly half way in terms of days but we are nowhere near with regard to the training volume. Cheers Dan, glass half full, cake half gone!

So how am I doing? Well, as mentioned the physiological assessment despite my excuse was still positive:

- My resting heart rate is lower than the previous testing session

- My VO2max (oxygen uptake) has improved

- My exercise economy has improve

- The all important lactic acid production against intensity has improved but still lots more work is required

From an actual event perspective, training weeks are ranging from 10-14 hours. My swimming is getting better, I’m up to approximately 2-3km. Although I still need to work on maximising my catch and pull, and ideally I’ve come to the conclusion of chopping my feet off as they are like a pair of anchors, slowing my down on every lap. Just in case that isn’t a request as I’m going to need my feet for the rest of the race. For the bike, I’m regularly doing 4 hour rides which are getting easier each time both from speed perspective and the way I feel afterwards. Months back I would have been fit for nothing after 4 hours in the saddle but now I’m feeling like I could probably go on if I needed to. That’s lucky hey, as I’ve got just the small matter of a marathon after the bike. Which brings me on to the run; this is also going well. Up to now most of my running has been trying to get used to running off the bike. There’s been a few long runs in the programme and strange as it sounds but I’m pretty confident that I could go out tomorrow and run a half marathon fairly easily. Please note that this doesn’t mean that I’m going to. It’s another swim session for me tomorrow.

Training for a long distance event is funny, especially when I talk to my friends about their weekends, mine of course are training orientated but it’s funny when someone asks, so what have you got on tomorrow? I reply, oh just a short bike tomorrow, it’s just a 3 hour ride. My friend’s response is then one of laughter followed by, 3 hours!! Just a short ride! Are you mad! Do you know what, I think I might be.

One last thing to say before I sign off, I went for my first Open Water swim in Hyde Park’s Lido the other day. I was down there with work and fortunate enough to get some hints and tips from GB Olympian and all round nice guy, Stuart Hayes. He was very nice to disguise rapturous laughter after watching me either drowning or swimming diagonally across the Lido. Glad to get my first open water session out of the way but I’m definitely going to be getting back in there as much as possible.

To help with getting the confidence and giving myself some mini goals I have signed up to both the Blenheim and London Triathlons, I’ll keep you posted on how I get on. Thanks for reading and wish me luck...[GN]

It's time to get serious...

Blog 8 – 26^th April 2013

Just over five months until the Ironman and training has definitely moved up a chain set! This week has been a toughie, enjoyable yes but hard going. My fellow lab rats and I have moved into block 4 of the training plan and the blocks have changed to a three week rotation. I think that Justin is just trying to keep us guessing and not get too excited about the increase in training volume and intensity.

At this point, I just want to apologise to my friends and work colleagues for going on and on about this week’s training. I think it’s just to share the surprise that I have actually managed to get through it. Now hold the chorus of violins but if I wasn’t an absolute bore before, well I’m sure I will be after this. My days and weeks have changed to a simplistic way of living that consists of: training, working, eating, maybe more training, definitely more eating, and then thankfully sleeping, then repeat. Ok, so if I haven’t bored already, here’s this week’s training:

Saturday: long ride – 50 miles

Sunday: long run – 1hr 40mins

Monday: tech swim (am), weights (legs focused, pm)

Tuesday: brick session – 40 min bike (intervals and hill climb), 30 min run

Wednesday: long swim – 2km (am), weights (upper body focused, pm)

Thursday: steady run – 60mins (am), bike (spin steady) – 40mins (pm)

Friday: REST DAY

Oh thank god for today (Friday), having said that, I’m on the eve of going for another long bike tomorrow and then a long run on Sunday. Huh, how my weekends have changed!? But, do you know what? I’m actually really enjoying it! Yes its hard work and yes it has started to take over my life but it’s a challenge and I’m glad to be a part of it.

Just over 5 months to go.... It didn’t seem that long when this all started back in January. How time flies (when you’re having fun) and I’m sure it won’t seem that long until I’m standing on the beach in Calella, waiting for that gun to go. Along with the step up in training, the level of seriousness, thanks to Justin, also went up a notch last week. On Monday the ‘labs rats’ had a cohort meeting, a catch up you might say. Scaremongering some would call it but whatever it was, it certainly did the trick on me. It’s nice to catch up with the other crazy fools that have decided this should be the way we spend the next 10 months of our lives. I did say ‘next’ and not ‘last’! One thing that really brought it home for me, was a very inspiring video that Justin showed us of a guy called Matt Hoover, if you haven’t seen it take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTPpXpoF54s Inspiring stuff, right?! Now, I’m pretty sure that I’m somewhat slimmer and better trained that Matt. So if he can do it, then we all can I guess (hope)?

Definitely! We can do this! Yes, it’s going to take some training but it’s definitely doable. The only other thing that has stuck in my mind from our meeting is the cut-off times. Basically, I’ve got 15 and half hours to get this done, which is split by a few conditions. We’ve got just over 2 hours to complete the swim and then the cycle has to be done by 1800, which means a worst case scenario of approximately 7 hours to complete the bike, then finally the run has to be finished before midnight; otherwise we’ll all turn into pumpkin juice. With that all in mind, I have decided to make my goal of a finish time just over 14 hours, this is to ensure that I’m back before last orders are called. Haha, as if, this is Spain, last orders are never called or more to the point, like many mine might be a pint of the delicious saline squash in an IV drip please. Sorry Mum... Only joking.. It’ll all be fine.

Right, I must dash it’s nearly bed time and I need to be firing on four cylinders tomorrow on the bike. I’ll write again in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading. Oh and before I go, Dan this one’s for you, cake is an anagram of bike, honestly... [GN]

Ironman! Huh, April Fools...

Blog 7 – 1^st April 2013

April fools, I wish! Well, I’m into the 3^rd block of my training, en route to the Challenge Barcelona Ironman event in October (6 months and 5 days to go). It’s all starting to sink in, I’m really doing this. Backing out is not an option, so if that makes me a fool then I’ll see you on the start line wearing a jesters outfit (by that I mean a tri-suit of course).

Since my last post, I have been trying to train within my heart rate training zones, as prescribed by Dr Justin Roberts. He advised me that to progress further I need to work on improving my fitness levels that will closely replicate the intensity of the event itself. Justin explained that my body has become used to producing lactic acid and up to a point clearing it, but I need to become more efficient at lactate clearance or ideally reduce the early onset production. For this Justin has advised that on my longer runs and cycle sessions, I should try and keep my heart rate below 152 and 136 beats per minute, respectively.

So far, so good! Training for heart rate is another great way to take your mind of the training itself. A great monitoring aid and shows me what’s actually happening. I do have to make one admission of guilt though. At work we decided in support of CSjt Danny Splender’s Canoe Marathon http://www.justgiving.com/Daniel-Spender that we would complete a 125 mile relay race, thanks to my ‘so called friends’, I had been signed up to complete a 10 mile run and then later that day a 5 mile run. Fine I thought, the 10 miler can be done nice a steady, integrated into my weekly training plan. The 5 miler though, different story, obviously after the 10 miler my legs were saying, “come on now, you’ve done your bit. Oi, why are you getting back into shorts?” Needless to say that I had to get this 5 miler done as quick as possible, therefore my heart rate, didn’t just go above the 152 bpm threshold but I’m pretty sure the heart rate monitor was flashing ‘DEATH IMMINENT’ at some point. 

It didn’t stop there! This bit I definitely need to work on. After all that running it was straight to the sports therapist and a plunge into the ice bath... Yeah right, instead it was straight into London and head first into the Ice bar (well Zebrano’s). Now, in case you weren’t aware drinking alcohol after a hard days training leads to 3 things: 1. Massive dehydration, 2. Memory loss and 3. A much need rest day. Justin, I promise this wont (is unlikely) to happen again!

Ok let’s talk about training. So block 3 has been a step up and the introduction of brick sessions. Brick sessions, joy, they sound fun. I know that a brick session was the combination of a bike session followed immediately by a run but where does the ‘ick’ bit come in? Having a quick scout on the internet, someone suggested that it stands for ‘Bike Run It Can Kill’, well sign me up!!! Another suggests that they’re called brick sessions because that’s how your legs feel when you start running. Oh well whatever the definition, Brick session are on the cards and I’m ready, cement and all.  

Oh before I go and build a triathlete, just need to thank Sean Lerwill (@SeanLerwill) for his swimming tips. I’m slowly moving from a depth charge, to more of a bouncing bomb and on my way towards being a torpedo. Really finding a benefit from using fins and paddles, yes I know that I can’t use these on the day but I’m finding that they are helping me get the right body and arm positions. Hopefully this will translate when I’m not using them.

Ok, right I must go B and Q closes early today... Thanks for reading [GN].

The third Brownlee brother...

Blog 6 – 17^th March 2013

Happy St Patricks Day!! Hold the Guinness, Irish Stew and all things potato, for today is testing day....cheers! The funny thing is that I only have myself to blame, as I picked the date; it’s not my first mistake. Ok let’s pause the celebrations and get on with this. It’s the end of training block 2, 8 weeks down and time to see whether all this training is working. With the pub on speed dial and the green silk suit on standby, off to the University of Hertfordshire I go (didn’t mean for that to sound like a song by the seven dwarfs).

To replicate the battery of tests conducted back in January, I will be getting my basic body compositions measured, functional analysis, power measurements, biomechanical assessment, running economy analysis, lactate sub-maximal cycle test and then the unavoidable pièce de résistance, the VO2max test. Sounds a lot, right? It is! Well I’m not going to sugar coat it any longer, how did I do? Well, Alistair and Jonathon can breathe a sigh of relief; first, third and hundreds of other places are safe for now. I did however see some improvements in:

 

ü  Body weight and fat reduction

ü  Jump height improvement

ü  Running economy improvement

ü  Heart rate reductions for relative work

ü  VO2 max increased

 

Great news!! So it’s all going in the right direction but as discussed with the head of the study Dr Justin Roberts, to keep things on track I need to work on improving my endurance economy and capacity, working at a lower intensity with minimal changes in my blood lactate accumulation. In the words of Dr Roberts, I’m an acid producer. Rub litmus paper on my forehead and it’ll turn orange – not quite but you get the idea. It’s great that I can keep exercising during high levels of lactate production but ultimately fatigue and the will to stop will take over. This fitness component, although important, is more akin to high intensity exercisers but far removed from the world of an Ironman.

 

To help, Justin has given us all homework - heart rate training zones to follow, stick to and live by (see chart below). For me, I need to become more accustomed to working in those lower ranges, trying to make a rightward shift of the lactate curve... Brrr that reminds me of my physiology lectures back at Brunel. Basically, I need to train my body to lower the acclimation of lactate – work more in zone 1-3, a closer representation to the intensity that I will be following during the Ironman, slow and snail like.

 

Training Zone	Heart Rate (bpm)
	Cycling	Running
1 – Recovery	97-110	108-123
2 – Steady State	110-123	123-137
3 – Lactate Threshold	123-136	137-152
4 – Tempo	136-143	152-159
5 – Intervals	143+	159+

 

Ok well, I better get back to my post testing recovery, sat drinking tea contemplating the training week ahead and putting the heart rate training zones into practise. Anyway have a good week and thanks for reading... [GN]

The strange world of triathlon training...

Blog 5 – 15^th March 2013

Almost 8 weeks complete and I’m starting to be consumed by training. Not in a bad way, quite the opposite but it is funny how you can become addicted to training. Of course I’m being mindful of overtraining and following the structured training programme that I’ve been given but I think it’s a little funny how I can become strangely fond of getting out in the wind and rain for a run or cycle.

That brings me on to my second disturbing worry about the psychological ‘damage’ that triathlon has on a person. So last night I found myself dressing up in all things lycra and heading out in the dark. Now, if that’s not a bit weird then I don’t know what is. Seriously though, I went out for what I thought would be an hour or so, little did I know the ‘so’ part was an extra 45 mins. After a short sit down and the obligatory cuppa, I logged on to the internet and to my excitement I’d clocked up 11.5 miles. Ha good news, that’s the long run ticked off for this week. ‘Glass half full kinda guy’.

Although I’m still relatively new to the sport of triathlon I will definitely be recommending to all and sundry. I really enjoy the training variety, yes the duration of some sessions can get a bit boring but by breaking  the week up with weight training, running, cycling and swimming, getting bored of doing the same old routine just isn’t possible. It’s great sport for people that struggle with the monotony of the gym or need a new challenge. Anyway I’m getting off the soap box, I’m only 8 weeks in, let’s just see if I’m this enthused with triathlon in a few months time. ‘Glass half empty kinda guy’.

Right, that’s it from me for now. I’ll report back after the testing day at the weekend. Oh and sorry I got my weeks a little muddled. On my last post I wrote that my testing session was on the 10^th but I was wrong and it’s actually on the 17^th. Anyway, I’m off out in the dark ;-)... [GN]

Micros to macros – into block 2....

Blog 4 – 26^th February 

One month down, with many more to go...Thankfully! Each month has been split into training blocks of four weeks (or micro cycles). This helps to focus on particular training objectives and slowly but concisely, work towards peaking at the right time; in my case the Challenge Barcelona (Ironman) on the 6^th October 2013. With a background in sport science, I understand the application of training periodisation; the aim of splitting your training into cycles, towards a long term goal or event. Periodisation involves a combination of smaller micro cycles that form part of a larger macro cycle. In a way, it’s a bit like having a 12 sliced pizza. You would be pretty annoyed if the pizza delivery man dropped off your eagerly awaited take-away but there was only 11 slices. Each slice represents a micro cycle but the whole pizza; all twelve equally valuable slices represent a macro cycle. You want them all; you need them all; and they all work together. Hmm, think I’d quite like some pizza.... Anyway, back to periodisation.

A periodised training plan is split into phases:  phase 1 is the General preparation, phase 2 is the specific preparation, phase 3 is the taper and competition and finally, phase 4 is the transition (recovery), see the diagram below. Not to bore you too much, I know I already am, yawn yawn, but at the minute the training programme is about building my base fitness, ‘the general preparation’. In this first month of the general preparation phase specific preparation sessions have been included to build the drills and skills to improve technique in the three disciplines.

Adapted from Trent Stellingwerff, Ronald Maughan & Louise Burke, 2011

So I’m into week 6 of the training plan provided by Dr Justin Roberts of Herts University and hand on heart, I’m actually really enjoying it, including the swimming. Swimming is clearly my weakest of the three disciplines; probably in part due to the fact that I always found it really boring and wanted to get out of the pool quicker than I got in. Fortunately my thoughts have changed; by no means am I going to threaten Michael Phelps’ reign as a swimming legend but I’m getting there... slowly, tortoise and hare spring to mind. Speaking of which, yesterday was my first official swim in a 50 metre pool, very interesting I thought, just 77 laps and that’s the swim cracked. 77!!! Holy crap, that’s a lot. Not forgetting of course that you can stop in a pool, no such luck in the sea..... Haha, you’ve got to love a challenge.

Putting the distances of each discipline aside for a moment, something else that slipped my mind when I agreed to this challenge is weather conditions that I would have to endure whilst training. As the sessions get longer, training in the gym just isn’t feasible but facing the great outdoors with the cold and wet wintery weather, well hold the excitement. I now understand why many triathletes venture off to places like Lanzarote to train.  I did however manage a 2 hour turbo session (indoor) the other day but it was incredibly tedious and quite a drain on my motivation. Fortunately, I had the athletics on the TV and my ipod on the stereo but 2 hours felt like 2 days, stuck in one place on the turbo. Oh well, hopefully the weather will brighten up and get warmer, it needs to.

For my next post, I hope to tell you that my fitness levels are improving. I’ve got the next set of physiological testing to go through on 10^th March. For now though I’m off for another swim in the mini ocean. Thanks for reading! [GN] 

To do an Ironman you need to train like an Ironman...

Blog 3 – 21^st January

Ping, ping, ping goes my emails, as Dr Justin Roberts gets us geared up for the start. Providing us with all the details, training plans, nutrition diary, illness reports, exercise videos; pretty much everything except my race number. This brings me on to the point that I have now entered the Ironman, so there’s no turning back now. It’s serious; game on!

So the training plan is all based around volume, getting all areas and disciplines covered off without killing me in the first four weeks; build the fundamentals, getting a good base to build upon. Basically, each week is an eight session week with 2 swim sessions, a turbo session, a steady state run, 2 functional strength training session, a long bike and a long run; just the one day off, on Friday, and a double session day on Wednesday. To be honest over the past 3 months, I’ve been used to doing that many sessions in a week, with a few double days. Admittedly, I’ve be doing more strength based sessions and cycling but the plan seems fun. Nicely broken up with the disciplines and oddly I’m excited about getting back into running and improving my horrendous swimming technique.

Strange really, at the minute I talk quite candidly to friends and family that the 180 km bike ride and the marathon isn’t phasing me but the swim, oh my god the swim. Why on earth would I think like that? Not the swim bit, that’s standard being apprehensive about the swim. After all if the bike gets too much you can just slow down; if the run gets too much I can just walk; if the swim gets too much, I drown... That’s motivation, right there. That is most definitely off Dr Roberts’ plan and mine, irrespective of what my doctor thinks. Anyway added to that, how and why am I not worried about the bike or run? Yes, I may have cycled that far but I have never run a marathon and in fact I’ve never run even ten steps after a long bike ride, let alone a marathon. Sounds fun, right?

Anyway I must go, I’ve got to get training, I’ll be back in a few weeks to give you a project Ironman update. I’ll provide you with a bit more detail to the training and of course the interaction of my nutrition plan. Wish me luck...[GN]