Greetings fellow athletes and couch potatoes. I hope all is well with you and that, like me, you are feeling a certain lightness of being as winter begins to give way to summer and hope is once again restored to our hearts.

This weeks photo is of myself and my Dad following our Sunday bike ride. For those of you who may doubt my father’s athletic prowess, let me tell you that the man you see in the photo once cycled for the British Army, rode from Preston to Lancaster and back again the morning of his Wedding Day (when the Wedding was at 1030 am !) and, in 1956 on a steel framed, fixed gear bike, rode 4 hours 17 minutes for 100 miles. There, that wiped the smiles off your faces, eh. Anyway, riding with my Dad is always a highlight and this was no exception.

Last week was a short but productive week. Following the trauma of the arctic brick sessions with Team MK, I settled down to some solid training. I was concerned that although fit, my long runs weren’t long enough and so I rectified this by introducing a longer session to my Tring Running Club Wednesday night exertions.

This means I plough my own, lonely furrow as my club mates go about their off road relays and muddy exertions, but it’s the only way of getting a solid long run in outside of weekends which I use to concentrate on my long bike ride. So Wednesday saw a solid if uneventful 15 mile run in freezing rain with a time of 2 hours 7 minutes and an average heart rate of 135. The important thing for me was that I felt very strong and ‘in the zone’ and perfectly capable of running another ten miles or so at the same pace.

Saturday saw a long bike ride with some of the faster riders from Team MK. I’d cycled over to Newport Pagnell to meet them - which meant I’d done 23 miles before we started – and managed to stay with them for a further 50 miles before turning for home as they disappeared into the distance. I rode 83 miles all told and, although the average time of 17mph wasn’t startling, I’m convinced I’m riding better and stronger than last year. Once again, working with better cyclists will only work in my favour.

I also returned to swimming on Friday after eight days rest to try and cure a left shoulder injury which had sprung up from nowhere. Although not totally gone it is much improved and I came through my 3.2km session unscathed and happy to be back in the water.

On the injury front I’m having work on my right calf which is teetering on the brink of pulling. Dave, my IronMan mate and training partner from last year seems to have replaced Will as my injury guru of choice. That’s no reflection on Will, just that Dave does house calls and trains with me so knows me and my regime a little better.

I’m going to drop in on Will soon and let him be horrified at my right knee.

So… a shorter week (as I included Monday in last week’s training stats) but a strong one.

Tuesday: 70 minutes high cadence turbo cycling
Weds: 60 minutes bike turbo, working at heart rate below 80% of max. 2 hrs 7 minutes, 15 mile run.
Thurs: 20 minutes recovery bike ride with Fiona!
Friday: Swimming: 75 minutes broken 300m sets plus drills to 3.2km. 45 minutes pyramid bike heart rate session on the turbo. Warm up, warm down plus extended periods at 75%, 80% and 85% plus. 15 minute run immediately afterwards.
Saturday: 4 hr 34mins, 83 mile bike ride. 17 mph average, HR average 135bpm.
Sunday: 1 hour recovery cycle with my Dad. 75 minute tempo cross country run.

Total training this week (6 day period) 13.68 hours.

I know you’re itching to hear about the film quote so here’s the answer. Last week’s
Quote was:

"I have to go to the bathroom. Is that all right?"

and was spoken by Michael Corleone prior to retrieving the gun taped behind the toilet cistern and shooting dead Captain McCluskey and Virgil Solozzo. The movie was ‘The Godfather’.

Can you tell me which film this week’s exchange comes from and what use was the woodchipper put to?

STAN
You're sayin' - what're you
sayin'?

WADE
You're sayin' that we put in
all the money and you collect
when it pays off?

JERRY
No, no. I - I'd, I'd - pay you
back the principal, and interest
- heck, I'd go - one over prime -

STAN
We're not a bank, Jerry.

Train hard, smile harder.