Friday was a rest day in effect ... we went out for dinner with Lynne's work mob straight after work and didn't get home until late (well - 10.30ish, which is pretty late for us - lol)
Saturday was a ride ... took Lynne out for a practise ride in a park off the River Road - nice and quiet and private for her to continue her reacclimitisation to the joy of biking. A nice little ride together, then we packed Lynne's bike back up on the back of the car and she drove home while I rode. Not a very big ride, only 15K or so, but it was pretty much all on gravel paths which added to the workout a bit. It was pretty obvious that I haven't been riding enough lately. Putting all the extra time into running and swimming cos they are less familiar ... but I must be careful not to let the riding slip just because I am more comfortable with it.
Sunday we went to the gym - I did a short 1K run, aiming more for time than for endurance this time ... I think I will start trying to do that for a bit now. Set myself a time goal (say 25 minutes) and see how far I can get in that time. Then just try and increase the distance I get each subsequent time. After the run I did a weights workout. I got hold of a workout plan done by a professional personal trainer and wanted to give it a try. It is probably quite a good idea to throw this sort of thing in from time to time just to keep the gym time interesting. I don't want to go off the boil with the Tri training by just doing that all the time to the point that I get sick of it. Not that I have yet, but I don't want to chance it.
All in all a good positive weekend on the training front. I am happy with it, even if I am feeling the burn in my arms a bit today :)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday night swim
Went for a swim this evening. Went reasonably well ... only swam 400m but swam it fairly steadily.
Lynne made some observations on my backstroke that may well help me improve that. And I played around with a change to my method for freestyle based on observations of other swimmers that I think has made a huge difference and which I will try to turn into a habit from now on.
I've come away from the pool feeling really good. Nothing much is hurting and I am just generally feeling very well for the exercise. (if maybe a little too tired to post well)
Lynne made some observations on my backstroke that may well help me improve that. And I played around with a change to my method for freestyle based on observations of other swimmers that I think has made a huge difference and which I will try to turn into a habit from now on.
I've come away from the pool feeling really good. Nothing much is hurting and I am just generally feeling very well for the exercise. (if maybe a little too tired to post well)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
oh boy
Was just looking at the stats from last year ...
In my age group last year the fastest guy on the 4K run did 15:51 ... and the slowest did 25:00
So far my best is 3.5K in 34:00
I have a long way to go ...
In my age group last year the fastest guy on the 4K run did 15:51 ... and the slowest did 25:00
So far my best is 3.5K in 34:00
I have a long way to go ...
much better
So, I went to the gym last night as planned. Did a 25 minute turn on the tread, which wasn't what I planned to do in the afternoon - but the idea came upon me on the way home and Lynne decided she didn't want to go tonight so I was able to head down there half an hour earlier than I otherwise might.
The running was relatively good - did about 2.5K before it was time to go in for the Body Balance class. Body Balance was excellent. For anyone who doesn't know it is a combination of yoga, pilates and tai chi - lots of stretching, twisting and balancing, which makes it excellent for someone with sore muscles.
I floundered rather more than usual with the balancing parts of the class, probably because I was already slightly tired from the running, but all in all it was very good and I felt very loose and relaxed afterwards.
And this morning I feel really good - no more stiffness in my quads. Just stretched it all away it would seem, which is fantastic.
The running was relatively good - did about 2.5K before it was time to go in for the Body Balance class. Body Balance was excellent. For anyone who doesn't know it is a combination of yoga, pilates and tai chi - lots of stretching, twisting and balancing, which makes it excellent for someone with sore muscles.
I floundered rather more than usual with the balancing parts of the class, probably because I was already slightly tired from the running, but all in all it was very good and I felt very loose and relaxed afterwards.
And this morning I feel really good - no more stiffness in my quads. Just stretched it all away it would seem, which is fantastic.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ahh there's that pain
OK, after being all surprised at the lack of stiffness and pain yesterday it has finally caught up with me ... my quads are now officially stiff and sore.
Just the sort of day when I want work to have a fire drill so that I have to walk down and then BACK UP seven floors. Ouch.
I think tonight will be a quiet Body Balance session at the gym rather than anything overly vigorous. Some nice stretching for my legs would be just the ticket.
Just the sort of day when I want work to have a fire drill so that I have to walk down and then BACK UP seven floors. Ouch.
I think tonight will be a quiet Body Balance session at the gym rather than anything overly vigorous. Some nice stretching for my legs would be just the ticket.
A Good Day
Despite last night's exertions I have felt pretty good today. I little tightness in the upper legs, but nothing too bad. Once again, a pleasant surprise. I halfway expected to be hobbling around like an old man ... alright, an older man :P
Lynne and I went for a swim this evening. Only swam 400m, couldn't really get myself quite right. I think I was worrying a bit much about not hurting my arm again. I pulled a muscle a couple of weeks ago with some over-enthusiastic use of some loppers in the garden and it has been giving me grief ever since. I was coming right last week and then pulled it again while swimming, so I was a bit paranoid this evening. It held up and I don't seem to have done it any more harm which is a great relief. 400m doesn't seem like much but I only need to be able to do 300m for the tri so it is all good.
Lynne and I went for a swim this evening. Only swam 400m, couldn't really get myself quite right. I think I was worrying a bit much about not hurting my arm again. I pulled a muscle a couple of weeks ago with some over-enthusiastic use of some loppers in the garden and it has been giving me grief ever since. I was coming right last week and then pulled it again while swimming, so I was a bit paranoid this evening. It held up and I don't seem to have done it any more harm which is a great relief. 400m doesn't seem like much but I only need to be able to do 300m for the tri so it is all good.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Running Man ... well almost
Given my earlier thoughts about the running leg I thought I'd better test the waters as it were and see how I would go. So when Lynne and I ventured down to the gym tonight I eschewed all my usual delights in favour of some quality time on the treadmill.
Ultimately I was reasonably pleasantly surprised. I did 3.5K which is probably the furthest I have run in my adult life and I didn't feel like I wanted to die afterwards.
Obviously I will need to be able to do a good deal more than just the 4K that the triathlon calls for to account for the difference between running on the tread and running on the road, but all in all I feel that it was a good beginning.
I came away from the gym feeling really pumped and upbeat.
Ultimately I was reasonably pleasantly surprised. I did 3.5K which is probably the furthest I have run in my adult life and I didn't feel like I wanted to die afterwards.
Obviously I will need to be able to do a good deal more than just the 4K that the triathlon calls for to account for the difference between running on the tread and running on the road, but all in all I feel that it was a good beginning.
I came away from the gym feeling really pumped and upbeat.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Here we go ...
I thought I'd start this blog up as a way of recording my progress as I stumble my way towards achieving one of my long standing goals of participating in a Triathlon.
This is the event that is going to catapult me into the world of Triathlons
The target date for this is Sunday 2nd November ... so that means I have a mere 69 days in which to train up to be able to run 4K, then bike 18K then swim 300m all in the space of less than an hour and a half!
Well ok ... there's no real time limit on it - but last year the slowest guy in my age group did it in 1 hour 22 minutes and while I have no objection to coming last I don't want to disgrace myself by turning in too dramatically slow a comparative time...
Of the three sections of the race the only one I have serious doubts about at this point is the running. The cycling is only 18K and I know I can ride a lot more than that. I know I can swim a lot further than the 300m required too, although I need to put in a lot of work to be able to do it in one continuous (preferably freestyle) swim rather than stopping and starting all the way. The running though... oh boy... I hate running. I've tried my hand (foot?) at it at the gym a couple of times recently and never managed to get over 2K before piking out completely... So - lots of practise going to be necessary for that.
Anyway ... I will try (tri) and record my progress etc here over the next 70 days - hopefully culminating in my triumphant completion of the Hutt City Triathlon 2008...
Stay tuned!
This is the event that is going to catapult me into the world of Triathlons
The target date for this is Sunday 2nd November ... so that means I have a mere 69 days in which to train up to be able to run 4K, then bike 18K then swim 300m all in the space of less than an hour and a half!
Well ok ... there's no real time limit on it - but last year the slowest guy in my age group did it in 1 hour 22 minutes and while I have no objection to coming last I don't want to disgrace myself by turning in too dramatically slow a comparative time...
Of the three sections of the race the only one I have serious doubts about at this point is the running. The cycling is only 18K and I know I can ride a lot more than that. I know I can swim a lot further than the 300m required too, although I need to put in a lot of work to be able to do it in one continuous (preferably freestyle) swim rather than stopping and starting all the way. The running though... oh boy... I hate running. I've tried my hand (foot?) at it at the gym a couple of times recently and never managed to get over 2K before piking out completely... So - lots of practise going to be necessary for that.
Anyway ... I will try (tri) and record my progress etc here over the next 70 days - hopefully culminating in my triumphant completion of the Hutt City Triathlon 2008...
Stay tuned!
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