B Story...

Good morning my blogging friends. Here's a photo of my heroes (or should that be heroines? I always think that sounds like a bunch of female drug dealers). Reading from left... Erin, Fiona's sister Jane, Fiona, other sister Claire and (front row) Alice... all took part in Sunday's Race For Life, walking 5km in aid of Cancer Research and, more specifically, in memory of my mother in law, Margaret, who succumbed to cancer after a long and brave battle several years ago.

It was a great event and a privilige for me to go and support them when it's usually they that are braving the elements to cheer me on.

Well done girls.

And this event got me thinking... 'B story'... what's that all about, then? Well, as you know I'm busy constructing the story and plot of my next script and I'm at that point when I have to give some thought to the B story.

Y'see a movie isn't just about one thing. Oh no. That would be too easy. A movie's usually about several things. One of them is always the key story - the main theme - but there is ALWAYS a B story (and often a C and D story) that supports that theme, underpinning it and eventually influencing the resolution of the story in its finale. An example? Oh dear... I figured you might ask for that...

Okay... Let's take my favourite movie of all time - THE GRADUATE. This is a story about Benjamin Braddock being worried about his future life. We're very clear on this. It's stated at the beginning of the movie and it's drilled into us all the way through. Even the poster screams at us... 'This is Benjamin - he's a little worried about his future'. He's a boy/man in flux, having just left university and struggling to come to terms with growing up and the direction his life is going to take. That's our A story.

As a result of our A story, Ben starts a misguided affair with Mrs Robinson, a friend of his parents. This is still part of our A story... Ben is confused, not only in life but love. However, a B story emerges when Ben meets Elaine, Mrs Robinson's daughter, and begins to fall in love with her.

As Ben's life unravels (A story) so his love for Elaine (B story) grows. The two are seemingly irreconcilable until, in a dramatic finale, Ben rushes to the church where Elaine is marrying another man, drags her from it and they escape together into a happy future. Finally, in a glorious moment we have A and B story synthesis. Ben's love for Elaine has finally been requited (B story), he's become a man by 'rescuing' her from the unhappy marriage she was about to commit to and secured his own future happiness (A story) by so doing.

So... that's how a B story works. Every movie has one. Go find them in your favourites and report back :-).

But Sunday got me thinking. There I was, watching those I love doing their thing at the Race For Life having struggled through the previous week to complete my training and to thread the B story through my own story idea. (Thanks for asking - I'm getting there!)

It struck me that Ironman is one of those things that starts off as a B story in one's life but can rapidly become the A story. Now... it's important that a B story stays where it belongs - in the background - underpinning the main A story. Otherwise the story becomes unbalanced and unfocussed. It's important, I think, to remember that Ironman is something which drives us forward and informs our life, not the other way round. Hard I know... but important at this time to keep things in check and go forward to the race with a balanced mind, happy that all elements of our lives are moving in sync.

So ... with those pompous words of wisdom in mind... BIG UP to my Ironbuddy Gabriel who left his sleeping wife and kids at 1am on thursday morning and went out with a friend to ride 120 miles in circuits around London's Regents Park, returning home at 8am to kiss the kids, grab 3 hours sleep and go to work. Dude... awesome... and, as Roy Castle once said, "Dedication's what you need". If anyone can beat that for a training frenzy... please, please let me know.

My training has been solid and focussed once again. I feel this week has possibly been my best week's training this year. Every session has counted and I'm now officially beginning to taper down my volumes. Here's what was done:

Monday - 45 mins pool swim (drills and 25m sprints), 45 mins run at 80% of Max heart rate
Tuesday - 45 mins open water swim, 2km. 30 mins non fatigue bike, 70 mins strong run at 85% max HR
Weds - Rest Day
Thurs - 45 mins open water swim, 2km, 90 mins bike (60 mins at full pace in aero position), 60 mins run back to back with bike at sub 8 min miles pace.
Fri - 45 mins intense short bike sprints, 60 mins easy run at 75% Max HR
Sat - strong open water swim, 3km at 51 minutes followed by 15 minute run. 70 minutes bike (turbo due to weather) medium pace, back to back run 55 minutes - strong and controlled concentrating on good form
Sun - 2 hours 15 mins bike fatigue session (turbo due to weather) including 1 hour 45 minutes at Half Ironman pace, 45 minutes back to back run at 85% Max Heart Rate

Total time training this week 15.11 hours.

Last week's film quote:

"You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day".

was spoken by Dr Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster) in the movie FIELD OF DREAMS.

Well done to Carl and Richard who got it right. However, several of you are getting a bit leery and dissing my cryptic clues... so let's see how you go without the clue this week. Particularly apt for some of us:

"I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind. It's inspiring in a way. "

Congratulations to my mate Dave Harvey who completed the grueling Ironman France course yesterday.

Welcome to the world of triathlon to my housemate at Manchester Uni - Dan Moore. Dan, we'll have you doing an Ironman faster than you can say "I used to be managing partner of a prestigious law firm".

Best get on with my A story... in the words of Ken Dodd...

"Tatty Bye"...