Monday, June 25, 2007

Training Monday 18th June - Sunday 24th June. Taper definitely starts next week !!!

Just couldn't bring myself to drop off the exercise as much as I needed to. Had a good week and felt really comfortable with my training. Am going to taper in earnest from today.

Monday 18th June - 45 mins swim (1.5k drills), 45 mins run (10k)
Tuesday 19th June - 45 mins swim (1.5km), 1 hr 50 mins bike (33 miles)
Weds 20th - 1 hr 25 mins swim (4km)
Thurs 21st - 45 mins run (10km), 1 hr 30 mins bike (25.5 miles)
Fri 22nd - day off
Sat 23rd - 1 hour swim (3km), 2 hrs 15 mins bike (38.5 miles)
Sun 24th - 45 mins run (10km)

Totals for week

Swim - 3 hrs 55 mins (10km)
Bike - 4 hrs 35 mins (97 miles)
Run - 2 hrs 15 mins (30km)

Total training this week - 10 hrs 45 mins

Friday, June 22, 2007

Morning Will

All fine... knee feels a little "loose" and 'clunky' but otherwise clean bill of health.
Suggest you take a look at the knee and make sure you're happy with it and then we can do some leg stuff - calves again, IT, glute as well as the back and shoulders/neck.
That should keep us busy !!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Feeling good

Got to say that I'm feeling good at the moment. Strong and fit. Not doing that much tapering though!! Did a 160 length non stop pool swim yesterday... slightly more than IronMan distance (4km).
The tri-talk website - http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17759&start=900
has loads of tips for IM which is helping focus my mind.
Top on my list of priorities (now I know I'm fit enough) is nutrition (especially on the bike) and avoiding sun burn with ten hours on the bike and run (maybe more! :-( )

Monday, June 18, 2007

Notes for Will

Hi Will
All good this morning. Much running and hip still improving. Suggest we continue on the glutes and IT band and maybe do a massage too.

Training Monday 11th June - Sunday 17th June

Can't believe that this is the last week of full training. From here it's the start of my taper. Still much to do of course, but it's good to be at this point. Anyway, a funny week this week due to being busy... but capped off with a good weekend's work.

Monday 11th June - 45 mins open water swim
Tuesday 12th June - 45 mins pool swim (2km), 65 mins run (approx 14.5km)
Weds 13th June - 45 mins swim (2km)
Thurs 14th June - Day off
Fri 15th June - No training
Sat 16th June - Back to Back session: 35m 2km open water swim, 3 hrs 50 mile bike ride, 40 mins run 10k
Sunday 17th June, 45 mins run 10k

Weekly totals

Swim 2 hrs 50 mins
Bike 3 hrs
Run 2 hrs 30 mins

Total training time this week: 8 hrs 20 mins

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Shropshire Olympic Triathlon - Sun June 10th

My first full Olympic distance tri and really enjoyed it although I found it hard work due to the extensive training the week before. Still, it's important to remember I have only one 'A' race this year and that this was a 'B' race.

1.5k swim 28' 56"(bumpy swim with opponents' elbows, only got into rhythm later on - not a fast swim time)
40k bike 71'44" (bike felt good)
10k run 44'41" (slow run due to returning to running after 5 week lay off and v. hilly course... plus tired from previous week's hard training)

Total time 2 hrs 25 mins 20 secs (satisfactory +)

Some serious athletes there. I felt really tired on the run but feel more and more that I'll be able to cope with the longer distances better than these shorter events.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Training Monday June 4th - Sunday June 10th

Good week, back in the swing of things:

Monday June 4th - 45 mins swim (2km), 30 mins run (5km)
Tuesday June 5th - 45 mins swim (2km), 45 mins run (10km)
Weds June 6th - 45 mins swim (2km), 1 hr 20 mins bike (42km), 50 mins run (10km)
Thurs June 7th - Day off
Fri June 8th - 30 mins swim (1.5km), 1 hour 5 mins (13.6 km)
Sat June 9th - 3hrs 22 mins bike (88 kms), 22 mins run (5km)
Sun June 10th - 2 hrs 26 mins Olympic triathlon ( 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run)

Totals

Swim - 9 km
Bike - 170 km
Run - 53.6 km

Total time training this week: 13 hours 03 mins

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Team O'Neill

Team O'Neill as it stands at the moment (in alphabetical order):

Colin Bradley - friend who introduced me to triathlon. Doesn't know it but provides a huge base of knowledge and experience from which I draw.
Martin Jones - GP and marathon runner (he definitely has an IronMan in him!)
Mark Kleanthous - coach, trainer, motivational guru (28 IronMan competitons completed)
Fiona O'Neill - wife, muse, understanding partner in crime
Sean O'Neill - All important IronMan point man in Austria, with me for the full four days
Michael O'Neill - As Sean O'Neill, ex Army cyclist and Time Trialist and bike expert
Will Tullett - Sports Injury specialist who has been performing miracles for a year in keeping me on the road.

Dr Jones says...

"no" to cortisone injections. Unless I want a hip operation in the near future. Which I don't.
So he's put me on anti-inflamatory tablets until the pain goes away. I've also got some antibiotics for the chest infection.
Dr Jones doesn't know it yet but he's just become part of Team O'Neill.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Olympic training

Put in an Olympic session this morning for training as back to back events.
Early 2km swim followed by 43km bike followed by 10km run.
Felt good.
Felt good to be running.
Bloody good.

Hip news...

I've decided to reclaim the physical high ground from my hip.

I'm not ready to let this small joint dictate what the rest of a supremely fit body can do.

So, last night, I disappeared into my changing room and made myself a DIY orthotic, cutting up an old insole. It gently pushes my foot inwards to correct what I feel was happening with my right foot. I went for a 5k run and focussed on foot striking cleanly and balanced, not letting my hip roll or my foot start to pronate (if that's the right one).

I also went back to my old running style. Harder impact, longer strides.

I finished with optimism. There was pain in the glute but no problem in the IT band and only a faint hip pain. Last night in bed there was a bit more hip pain but this morning it was not too bad.

Today I did an Olympic triathlon as training. 2km swim, 43km bike ride and 10km run. On the run I worked on the same disciplines. The pain was much more manageable. There IS pain in the hip but I feel I'm beginning to contain it by regulating my gait and am thinking this might be half the problem.

I feel more in control and pro active rather than reactive.

As I speak I have good mobility (I'm icing and cold bathing after each run) and some pain in the hip. But even in my walking I'm focussing on keeping a straight leg and balanced foot.

So, we're going to keep on with IT band and glutes manipulation with Will (especially glutes) and we'll see what the Doc comes up with tomorrow in terms of cortisone injections.

This approach is much more 'me'... there can be only one winner in this situation !!! The hip is going to have to run and that's the end of it. It's just a case of how it runs !!

Monday, June 04, 2007

Note for Will in advance of our session 4th June

Will
No better, mate, I'm afraid. Had a gentle run of 5km on Saturday and resulted in the hip problem again. Think we need to switch tactics. Am going to pen a note to my GP explaining the situation, in advance of a 9.10 appointment I have with him on Wednesday this week.

Training Monday May 21st to Sunday June 3rd

A two week training history to catch up on. Let's call them week 1 and week 2.

Week 1 (from memory)

Was feeling very weak and flu-ey and tired. Managed several sessions of swimming and a couple of bike sessions for an hour or so but did manage a 50 mile ride just before going on holiday to Portugal.

Week 2

On holiday in Portugal. Swam every day for at least half an hour, sometimes in the sea, somtimes in the pool with swimming rope. Did some running in the pool too.
On saturday returned home and did a 5km run - bad news is my hip injury is no better at all. Think we need to switch to Plan B and instigate alternative treatments.
On Sunday 3rd did an easy 36 mile bike ride. Still getting the sharp pain around my right patella but figure this is just an occupational hazard of riding so much.