Mission Impossible? Done.

I sit here now, shortly after midnight and completely exhausted, staring at my beer-filled cup in front of me, not knowing whether to drink it or frame it.

Two things happened as the clock struck midnight. Firstly, I submitted the final of a trillion of my clients' Tax Returns, just meeting the 31st January deadline. And, secondly, I completed my first ever month of my self-imposed alcohol ban.

I had promised myself that at 12.01am on 1 February I would crack open a bottle of beer, upon completion of the final Tax Return, but to be honest now that I have succeeded this seemingly impossible mission I don't know what to do. I feel a bit numb and all I want to do is sleep for a week.

Seriously, though, I am well chuffed with myself for having the willpower to stay off the booze. Not since the days of the late 80's when I first started drinking with my mates at the Brewery Tap in my home town of Luton on a Friday night have I gone so long without a drink, and to achieve this now that I am a lot longer in the tooth was a big ask and is a big achievement. It just goes to show that if I put my mind to something I CAN achieve it.

I am determined to apply this positive thinking into my training too and so I need to abandon all thoughts of sleep and rest and get to the job in hand. I now look forward to putting all my time and effort into the swim, bike, run stuff and what better way to kick-start the enthusiasm than with a trip to the TCR show next weekend.

The week gone by was my 'easy' training week, so there's nothing to report, except for a couple of runs and some more press-ups. No swimming or cycling though. Next week that's all set to change, as I get back on track with my run plan and start cranking up the bike and swim training too. And of course there's the TCR show at the weekend to look forward to.

Another successful mission impossible was my football team's two successive games without defeat. This week we drew 1 - 1 which continues our meteoric rise up the table. There's still a long way to go, but you can see the boys' confidence lifted as the weeks go by. Hopefully I will have the same confident feeling as I get back into training.

Bye for now.

C

(EDIT: Just in case you're wondering whether I drank it or framed it, I drank it. And a few more. Here's me and Jev celebrating the end of our joint alcohol ban.)

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

I have drunk not a drop of beer or any alcohol whatsoever since New Year's Eve. Nor do I intend to do so for the whole of January, which means that there's only a week to go.

This is an idea inspired by Jev who has refrained from the juice every January for years. I thought I would give it a go this year in an attempt to a) see if I had the willpower, b) see how it affects my training and c) see how it affects my work (I need all the concentration I can during January which is by far my busiest month of the year - see my business blog here). And I can happily report that so far the answers are a) yes, I do, b) very positively and c) very positively. All in all, a very useful period of self-imposed cold turkey.

Training this month has gone off the scale, ably assisted by having a clear head and not suffering from hangovers on Saturday mornings. It has gone from virtually nothing in December to 12'ish hours each week since 1st Jan. And none of it has been easy stuff with every session being planned and nurtured so as to achieve maximum benefit.

My running, in particular, has been coming on leaps and bounds (pun completely intended) by following the tri247 plan devised by Mike Trees. Cycling continues to benefit from the MTB interval sessions and now with the addition of spinning sessions at the gym. I have even been continuing my regime of daily press-ups!

A new find as a spin-off from all this has been running late at night. I know it sounds crazy, but this week - armed with head-torch and flourescent clothing - I braved the dark streets of Buckinghamshire at midnight and set off for a refreshing and totally invigorating 60 minute interval run. It wasn't without it's incidences, though. En route there are a couple of farms where dogs are tied up outside over night, and when you're happily running in your own little world it comes as a great shock to see these dogs pelting towards you at 1000 mph ready to lunge, just to be pulled back at the last second like a yoyo when the leads around their necks finally (and thankfully) run out. Phew - alive to see another day.

Then there's the fallout from the local pub, although I think the alcohol-fuelled drinkers spilling out onto the street were more shocked than I was to see a bright shining light running towards them at sub-6 minute p/mile speeds (I wish!).

Here's what my training looked like last week:-

Monday – rest
Tuesday – run - 75m sprints, 43 press-ups
Wednesday – bike - gym spin (fixed wheel), run - treadmill at constant 180 strides/min, 44 press-ups
Thursday – run - 69 minutes hard Ashridge run with Alex, 45 press-ups
Friday - run - easy pace, incorporating 3000m at 4:30 m/km pace, 46 press-ups
Saturday – rest
Sunday – 47 press-ups

Next week is my 'easy' week (easy weeks are every fourth week), and I shall be testing how the new run plan is doing by running a 5K time-trial around the village. My best time is currently a tad below 22 minutes and I'll keep you posted on how I do.

A professional UK triathlete who some might think is a bit crazy is a guy called Hywel Davies. For the uninitiated, Hywel is UK Double Ironman champion (yes, that's a 7.6km swim (in a pool!), 360km bike (laps!) and 84km run (laps!) - non-stop), and a thoroughly nice guy to boot (not literally). Hywel is a regular contributor to the Tritalk forum and this week posted up a message to advertise for sale some spinning bikes which he is selling. I arranged to go up to buy one, and whilst I was there Hywel was briefly telling me about his training exploits for the Double and also how he is currently trying for the Welsh (believe it or not, he is Welsh) Ironman record at Roth this year (he is currently second behind Richard Jones at about 8:45hours). Very inspiring guy, even in just the few minutes we spoke.

I remember reading Hywel's report of the Double - from training to race day and after - and that he had 'found' night-time training and how invigorating it was. I wonder whether he came across the same problems as I did. I am sure he would have simply growled back and the dogs would have cowered back to their kennells. Alas, I am not so brave but it's a damn good way of making me run faster!

Cheers for now.

C

Over in a flash

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems an hour; sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity. Who said that? Answers on a postcard, please.

Why is it that all those things we love to do are over so quickly, yet all those boring jobs - washing the dishes, cleaning the house - seem to take an age to get done?

I went on my weekly jaunt on the mountain bike this week and it was over in a flash. Actually, I was out there for an hour or so, but it seemed like 2 minutes. I keep telling myself that I must get back onto the road bike, but why should I? I love MTB'ing and it's giving me a fantastic interval-type workout. So, I've decided that MTB'ing comes first and if I have any time left-over then I will get out on the Giant. Having said that, I have started up spinning at the gym and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Another moment in time which passed so quickly was a recent photo-shoot with the family - kids, parents, brother and his wife and kids. A professional shoot which brought us all together for the first time in ages. The photographer made us feel very comfortable and as soon as you could say cheese it was all over. 300 photos later, we have chosen 35 of the best, some of which have already taken pride of place in my living room, together with the new LCD TV. They weren't cheap, but you don't get this type of thing done too often. Here's one with me being squashed by the three midgets (not so midgety nowadays!).



Another big week of training...

Monday – bike - Calshot velodrome, 37 press-ups
Tuesday – rest, 38 press-ups
Wednesday – bike - gym spin (fixed wheel), run - treadmill at constant 180 strides/min, incorporating 3000 metres (broken) at 4 min/km, and 39 press-ups
Thursday – run - 72 minutes hard Ashridge run with Alex, and 40 press-ups
Friday - bike - gym spin, run - sprints, and 41 press-ups
Saturday – run - 400 metre intervals, and 42 press-ups
Sunday – run - easy 60 minute road run, and 43 press-ups

Next week more of the same. No special MTB rides planned, although I am sure I will get out sometime over Ashridge or Apsley.

Finally, the photo up-top is of Adam shortly after having won Man of the Match for his fantastic performance in this week's match. OK, his dad might be the team's coach, but his MoM was well-deserved, AND he scored the winning goal in a 1 - 0 victory! Our first win of the season and the start of our rise to the top of the league no doubt. Well, I can dream, can't I? Better than thinking about the next DIY job I need to do around the house, that's for sure!

Cheers, C

Drat! Double Drat!

Over the past couple of years I have hosted a fun (?) run from my house, up, into and around Ashridge, then back again. Total distance about 14 miles. Of course, to the pub for post run drinks. The run has become commonly known as the Wacky Races.

Wacky Races was of course a TV cartoon from the 80’s which starred Dick Dastardly and his sidekick Muttley the Dog. It was basically a race between various characters whilst Dick D and Muttley tried to cheat everybody out of the race and, therefore, win as the last men (or, rather, man and dog) standing. Of course, his plans never worked, and whenever he was foiled he would mutter the words “drat, double drat!”. One thing that always confused me was that in order to set his traps, Dick D had to be out in front, so why did he need to stop and place the traps?

Anyway, these two characters also appeared in another cartoon called Catch the Pigeon, along with Klunk and Zilly who made up Vulture Squadron. They were fearless fliers whose main mission was to catch Yankee Doodle Pigeon, the message bearer for the enemy, but they never quite managed it. Dick D always ended up falling out of his plane, and it sometimes got very ugly.

Another favourite was the Road Runner. A similar theme, in that Wile E. Coyote would tirelessly chase the Road Runner endlessly around the desert, but again would never seem to catch him. All very frustrating for Wile, no doubt.

This cat and mouse game was of course made famous by, er, a cat and a mouse going by the name of Tom and Jerry. As we all know, the mouse would always just escape the clutches of its enemy at the very last moment.

This week I found out that the BTA have changed their qualifying procedure for the Worlds and it’s made me feel a little like Dick Dastardly, Wile E. Coyote and Tom the Cat combined. I had always realised that my best chance of qualification was via the roll-out procedure, but now the BTA have decided to tighten the rules such that the roll-out procedure has been rolled-in a little. Their motive behind this is to strengthen the team, which obviously is commendable, but it does mean that qualification for me will be like trying the catch the proverbial Pigeon, Road Runner and Mouse in that no sooner do I feel I am getting a little closer then the goal-posts are moved. Just as I feel that qualification is a real possibility, the rules are changed - one step forward, two steps back, it seems.

Not only that, I took a sneaky look at the results in my Age Group from last year’s Worlds in Vancouver and, wouldn’t you know, 6 out of the top 7 finishers were from the GB team. So, not a particularly easy group in which to qualify. Doh...

But no matter. Those of you who know me will know that I am very focused in my training and racing plans this year and this little set-back will just push me to up the anti and get my butt moving quicker. Probably a blessing in disguise really.

Up the anti I did last week where I did as much training as I did in the previous four weeks combined.

Monday – swim - tri club - intervals, and 30 press-ups

Tuesday – run - sprints, and 31 press-ups

Wednesday – bike - gym spin (fixed wheel) at constant 90 revs/min, run - treadmill at constant 180 strides/min, incorporating 3000 metres (broken) at 4 min/km, and 32 press-ups

Thursday – run - 90 minutes very easy with A-M, and 33 press-ups

Friday - bike - mountain bike, and 34 press-ups

Saturday – run - 400 metre intervals, and 35 press-ups

Sunday – bike - 4 hour mountain bike with tri club (see below), run - easy treadmill run at constant 180 strides/min with Alex, and 36 press-ups

You'll notice a pattern developing with the press-ups, but without doubt the highlight of the week was the mammoth 4 hour mountain bike session over Ashridge on Sunday morning with the tri club, hosted by Jo. For me, it actually turned into an inpromptu brick session because I got a puncture 2 miles from home and so ran back home whilst pushing my bike along. Must have looked very strange to passing motorists, but hey we all know that this sport is not about what you look like, but how fast you go.

In the meantime, I have just returned from a highly enjoyable cycling track session at Calshot Velodrome. My first experience of track cycling and highly enjoyable it was too. As we all know, following the successes of Hoy et. al. during the summer, track cycling includes the individual pursuit whereby racers start at opposite sides of the track and try to catch each other up. I was most definitely the pigeon, except this time I changed the ending by being caught every time!

Bye for now.

C

Little Gems

New Years Eve provided plenty of laughs (and B52's) as we entertained long-time friends, Bill and Anne-Marie, and their kids – Hannah and Chris, who are both good friends with Emily and Adam respectively. Joe was out for the evening seeing the New Year in with his friends.

We played the Wii all evening, specifically the Wii Sports game. The game starts with the user creating a profile based on age, etc. It also incorporates a BMI (Body Mass Index) test, and mine told me that I was overweight. No surprises there then, and a timely reminder that I need to watch what I eat and drink from now on. Nevertheless, a gem of an evening which we all enjoyed thoroughly, although I am not so sure that the neighbours particularly enjoyed our fireworks at 1am.

Another gem was this Saturday when, on a bright afternoon, I decided to get out on the MTB and cycle into Dunstable via Totternhoe Knolls. I have lived in the area for about 12 years now and I have never been up the knolls and what an amazing discovery it was for me. A true gem of a ride – fantastic bike tracks and stunning views from the old castle at the top of the knoll. Brilliant stuff.

Having dusted down my wallet after its hammering over Christmas, I entered, and paid for, my 2009 races this week. One thing which struck me was the ever-rising entry fees nowadays. I was going to enter a team into the London triathlon but that idea was quickly dismissed when I saw the entry fee a whopping £199.00!!!

A race which hasn't been affected by the recent spate of price increases is the Brighton Marina Triathlon. I stumbled across this race by accident about 6 or 7 years ago with my mate Simon. It is a small privately run race which hasn’t been affected by the rising popularity of triathlon – entry levels normally don’t exceed 50 or so athletes, and the cost is a very modest £29.00.

I am hoping that the word doesn’t get around about this race and the big organizers take hold of it because it is one of the last races which have retained their small-race atmosphere, as was the infamous Cleveland Long Course which alas is no more. It isn’t actually in my race plans this year, but it certainly will be in 2010. I urge you to try it. You won't be disappointed - a true gem of a race.

Nothing to report on the training front from last week, except a highly enjoyable end of year Gala at our usual Monday night swim session. Alas, my team lost, so the less said about that the better. And of course there was THAT bike ride over the knolls.

Onward and upward and I must bid you farewell as I sit here about to embark on new horizons. I have finalised my 2009 training and racing plans - the former having been formulated from tips provided by a gem of a triathlete at a seminar earlier this year - yes, you’ve guessed it, Queen Chrissie. As I have said in previous blogs, if I can emulate a fraction of what she has achieved over the past couple of years then I am sure to be on my way to Australia before you can pop open a can of Fosters.

C