Well, what can I say? Got in a lake, was numbingly cold, swam for over 3 hours and froze into vacant apathy upon exit.
The BIG SWIM was on Sunday. I became intermittently nervous from Friday onwards as I travelled to the Lake District. Thoughts going through my head were:
"Holy f*** I wasn't expecting it to be 13 degrees, now I don't want to get in"
"I've never swum 10km before. Crap should I have done it in a pool first? No. Don't be daft- that would be insanely boring"
"I wonder how ducks cope"
"10km - easy peasy. Not a problem"
"Damn you Sarah Clarke"
We arrived at the Cartwheel Lodge in Keswick Saturday afternoon after a leisurely morning forgetting the purpose of our travels up north. The rooms looked so cosy and welcoming I genuinely thought I might back out of the swim just to stay enveloped in white Egyptian cotton sheets. There was something restful and cathartic about that room. I felt as if I were there to heal; perhaps heal my head from any more crazy ideas; perhaps to stop thinking about entering a 3 day, spread-out iron man next year before we'd even completed this event; perhaps to shut up that niggling voice in the back of my mind that whispers "channel swim channel swim channel swim".
I thought of nothing but technique the entire way round, I stretched, rotated, kicked, pulled, pushed, experimented. I felt that I didn't get into a solid rhythm until the second lap when everyone was out of the way, It was a solitary experience; your senses are totally cut off. I had ear putty and a nose clip to stop the chilly water from circulating around my head. My goggles were shaded and misty on an already overcast afternoon. Then of course you don't get to talk to anybody, make eye contact or nod a reassurance at your fellow racers. No smiles, painful looks of solidarity or contact with spectators.
Not only do you need to be confident in your ability to swim the distance, but also to cope with the tedious monotony and the icy feel of the water. On entering, as the water hit what bare skin we had deigned to leave exposed, it felt like needles and cuts. stinging sensations spread to all parts of my body as the water entered the wetsuit to eventually stay there being heated up by my warmth and retain my heat.
My hands had set into place by the end of the first 5 km lap so I got out to have some tea that was on offer; more because I could rather than I had to. I was hoping that holding the polystyrene cup would warm me more than drinking it's contents but the tea looked like something you might scoop out of the Thames and wasn't much warmer either; so drank it down for the modicum of energy it would give, plus it helped wash down the millionaire shortbread pretty well.
I am pleased to say that my second lap was only a minute slower than my first so kept pace well - in fact, I wonder how I would have done with a third lap. I found myself using the 'bite-sized' psychology of sport where I just had to get to each marker and I would have achieved something. The last leg, however, did seem to drag on and it seemed as though the finish was moving at the speed with which I approached it.
All that space out there in the deep dark lake and I still found myself sandwiched between two men on the last 400m leg. My competitive side kicked in (literally) as I was suddenly aware that there were indeed others in the event and pulled out a hard kick for the remainder of the swim which pushed me out in front and had me stumbling over stones towards the marshals before the men had even got to their feet.
The numb I felt physically, had spread to my psychology and even though I knew that what I had just achieved was a personal best in distance but also time (best pool time for 5km is 1;38, and my laps in the lake were more like 1;30) I felt nothing.
I am of course pleased now and find myself thinking of further and more challenging swims. The other day whilst coming back from the Isle of Skye, I drove the length of the 37km Loch Ness and all I could think of was, "wouldn't that be lovely for a swim..."
Wednesday 12 November 2014
Thursday 21 August 2014
Windrush Swim Training 18th August 2014
This is the session I gave at Brockwell Lido, a 50m pool. Most people were swimming in wetsuits save about 3 hardcores in the 19.5 degree water.
Warm up
500m swum as:
200m front crawl, setting off at a brisk pace to really get the body warm
100m kick, no kick boards, torpedo arms
200m front crawl using catch up.
With catch up, make a "window frame" with the hands by sticking the thumbs out and placing the tips together so when the arms are outstretched they stay just inside shoulder width, no narrower. This ensures that you don't get into bad habits with crossing the centre line of the body when you swim front crawl.
Drills and Main set focusing on developing lung capacity
400m swum as:
4 x 50 kick and 50 front crawl with a hard kick.
To make this a bit more fun and competitive, I asked the swimmers to kick down the centre of the lane in pairs, peel off to the outside at the end of the lane and sprint back.
600-800m swum as:
6-8 x 10-15 m underwater and the remainder of the 50m hard front crawl with a 50m active recovery either back stroke or front crawl.
2 x 300m breathing pyramid
50m bilateral breathing every 3 strokes
50m breathing every 5
50m breathing every 7
50m breathing every 7
50m breathing every 5
50m breathing every 3
With the breathing pyramid, you will need to slow down, relax and stretch more, the higher up the pyramid you go. Try and stick with the numbers for the length as much as you can, TAKE YOUR TIME. If you get to the end of the length and haven't completed the set number of strokes, don't take a breath until you turn and finish the remainder. For example, if you are on number 7, and get to the end of the lane on 3, turn and finish the remaining 4 before breathing!
Cool down
100m as 50m back stroke and 50m slow and stretchy front crawl.
Total time 60mins
Total distance 2200-2400m
Good Luck!
Warm up
500m swum as:
200m front crawl, setting off at a brisk pace to really get the body warm
100m kick, no kick boards, torpedo arms
200m front crawl using catch up.
With catch up, make a "window frame" with the hands by sticking the thumbs out and placing the tips together so when the arms are outstretched they stay just inside shoulder width, no narrower. This ensures that you don't get into bad habits with crossing the centre line of the body when you swim front crawl.
Drills and Main set focusing on developing lung capacity
400m swum as:
4 x 50 kick and 50 front crawl with a hard kick.
To make this a bit more fun and competitive, I asked the swimmers to kick down the centre of the lane in pairs, peel off to the outside at the end of the lane and sprint back.
600-800m swum as:
6-8 x 10-15 m underwater and the remainder of the 50m hard front crawl with a 50m active recovery either back stroke or front crawl.
2 x 300m breathing pyramid
50m bilateral breathing every 3 strokes
50m breathing every 5
50m breathing every 7
50m breathing every 7
50m breathing every 5
50m breathing every 3
With the breathing pyramid, you will need to slow down, relax and stretch more, the higher up the pyramid you go. Try and stick with the numbers for the length as much as you can, TAKE YOUR TIME. If you get to the end of the length and haven't completed the set number of strokes, don't take a breath until you turn and finish the remainder. For example, if you are on number 7, and get to the end of the lane on 3, turn and finish the remaining 4 before breathing!
Cool down
100m as 50m back stroke and 50m slow and stretchy front crawl.
Total time 60mins
Total distance 2200-2400m
Good Luck!
Wednesday 13 August 2014
Windrush Swim Training 5th August 2014
Warm up
200m front crawl
100m kick with board, head up
200m catch up with pull buoy
Technique Drills
These drills are to put emphasis on the underwater phase; the catch with the hand, wrist position and forearm position. Think about where to exert the most power.
4 x 75m as:
25m sculling
25m fists
25m catch up
Main Fitness Set
8 x 25m
4 x 50m
2 x 100m
1 x 200m
Each set is meant to be swum in the same total time but with a different speed and different rest periods. If you're not sure of your capabilities, I would go with turnarounds of:
0.30
1.00
2.00
4.00
However, if you do want to make it tougher, only reduce the times of your 25's by a couple of seconds as it makes a big difference to your overall 200m time.
NO REST IS TO BE TAKEN BETWEEN SETS (only reps)
Cool down
100m back stoke
Total set distance 1700m, total time, 40-50 minutes
If you have more time and are feeling fit, do the fitness set in reverse straight after finishing the 200m
200m front crawl
100m kick with board, head up
200m catch up with pull buoy
Technique Drills
These drills are to put emphasis on the underwater phase; the catch with the hand, wrist position and forearm position. Think about where to exert the most power.
4 x 75m as:
25m sculling
25m fists
25m catch up
Main Fitness Set
8 x 25m
4 x 50m
2 x 100m
1 x 200m
Each set is meant to be swum in the same total time but with a different speed and different rest periods. If you're not sure of your capabilities, I would go with turnarounds of:
0.30
1.00
2.00
4.00
However, if you do want to make it tougher, only reduce the times of your 25's by a couple of seconds as it makes a big difference to your overall 200m time.
NO REST IS TO BE TAKEN BETWEEN SETS (only reps)
Cool down
100m back stoke
Total set distance 1700m, total time, 40-50 minutes
If you have more time and are feeling fit, do the fitness set in reverse straight after finishing the 200m
Windrush Swim Training 29th July 2014
Warm up
The idea of a warm up, as well as getting the body going, is to get the mind thinking. Swimming is a thinking sport. Use the warm up to go slowly and get into the mindset of lengthening and putting focus into whereabouts in the stroke the most force should go.
200m front crawl
100m kick, head up kick board
200m pull with buoy
Technique Drills
150m set x 4 as:
50m left arm only
50m right arm only
50m kick with board
This is to emphasise what the muscles' roles are in each part of the stroke. The one arm only also helps breathing technique to keep the head low and role to breathe, especially if you have a tendency to use the push of the arm stroke to lift the head out of the water.
Main fitness set
4 x 50m on 0.55 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.00 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.05 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.10 turnaround
4 x 50m on 0.55 turnaround
To make this set easier, include a minute or 2 to rest in between sets and make the last 0.55 another 1.10
Cool down
50m slow front crawl
50m back or breast stroke
Total set distance, 2200m total time, 45mins-60mins
The idea of a warm up, as well as getting the body going, is to get the mind thinking. Swimming is a thinking sport. Use the warm up to go slowly and get into the mindset of lengthening and putting focus into whereabouts in the stroke the most force should go.
200m front crawl
100m kick, head up kick board
200m pull with buoy
Technique Drills
150m set x 4 as:
50m left arm only
50m right arm only
50m kick with board
This is to emphasise what the muscles' roles are in each part of the stroke. The one arm only also helps breathing technique to keep the head low and role to breathe, especially if you have a tendency to use the push of the arm stroke to lift the head out of the water.
Main fitness set
4 x 50m on 0.55 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.00 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.05 turnaround
4 x 50m on 1.10 turnaround
4 x 50m on 0.55 turnaround
To make this set easier, include a minute or 2 to rest in between sets and make the last 0.55 another 1.10
Cool down
50m slow front crawl
50m back or breast stroke
Total set distance, 2200m total time, 45mins-60mins
Sunday 3 August 2014
Go Bananas, I came first in my category- whoop!
I have to say, I was particularly excited about this one as these nutters above provided some friendly and worthy competition AND my Dad, just a week shy of his 64th birthday took part in his first Triathlon- Fantastic!
My good friend Tammy (the girl on the left in the photo) is a little machine; she's been training really well throughout the year and this would be the first triathlon (and not the last) where we race side by side. She got her 5 km run time down to an intimidating 20 mins something which I don't know if I've ever done, certainly not in the past 12 months anyway. I was definitely apprehensive about going side by side with her in this race.
It's great having a bit of competition in your training and direct competition in your racing. If you know the person and respect their ability to beat you, it pushes your efforts to levels you wouldn't exert on your own. I would say that it is essential to train with people better than you or people on your level who have the potential to progress as quickly or quicker than you for you to make the biggest and best gains.
So this is how I won my category: I swam without a wetsuit for the first time (apart from testing the waters at Shepperton the Wednesday before) as the water was 21.something degrees. I got to the front of the pack before the horn went off and I stayed calm throughout my swim. I picked up the pace on the second lap and increased my leg kick and stroke rate for the last 200 meters or so. It felt great just in my tri-suit and made T1 a lot faster! I saw Tammy running up the ramp out of the water at what I judged was about 10 seconds ahead of me and didn't take my eye off her until I sped past her on the bike. For her, psychologically, that was the end of her race; and it's true, psychology plays a massive part in sports racing. Your body is always capable of that extra percent of effort, and only practice and experience in all sorts of moods, environments and circumstances can help you realise this; then of course, overcome it.
On the cycle, I kept my eye on other people who I passed and passed me again and again. (My weakness is inclines but I compensate by going hard on flats and actually DO pedal fast on down hills too) I spotted people up in front who I aimed to catch up with, then once I'd caught them, I'd aim for the next. Some people I was chasing for a whole lap before I got irritated and put in that extra burst of energy to finally get there. In my head I was constantly thinking that it's no use going too hard then "actively resting" because it's that small overall consistent speed that gets you there over all those laps. So instead, I went hard and when I couldn't and more, maintained an above-comfortable steady pace until I found it it me to go hard again.
Having no desire to feel like I felt off the bike at Hyde Park, I got in a couple of last minute runs before this tri and have been doing Bikram Yoga to loosen those tight inhibiting muscles so I got off the bike feeling good. I started slow and steady, then reminded myself of all those small techniques to stay ahead. "Run from the bum" "1,2,3,1,2,3" "lean forward!" At one point I'm pretty sure I came in violation of someone's personal space, just to use them as a pacer. The run was close-knit laps so I saw Tom and smiled at him to bring him out of his serious competitive face, high-fived Dan a few times and got the 2 fingers from Tammy.
Personally this Banana man is an important one for me because it's the only same one that I did last year so I'm able to compare my times. However, last year's run was cut short due to incredibly hot weather. Here is the comparison:
|
Leg
|
2013
|
2014
|
|
Swim 800m
|
00:13:44
|
00:13:42 (no wetsuit)
|
|
T1
|
00:01:52 (suit to take off)
|
00:01:40
|
|
Bike 31.8km
|
01:19:09 (hybrid bike)
|
01:07:27 (road bike)
|
|
T2
|
00:00:55 (no cycle shoes)
|
00:01:36
|
|
Run 7.5km
|
4mins53/km (6km run)
|
4mins43sec/km
|
You can see from the brackets, there are actually loads of variables so I don't know if you can really call it a fair comparison, or whether my training has improved time or not. I think it has with the swim even though the difference is only 2 seconds better, I didn't have a wetsuit which does make you slower anyway. I'm pleased with the difference in the cycle and don't think it's just down to a better bike. I still have a long way to go with the bike but WATCH THIS SPACE it's going to happen!!!
The atmosphere for the Lidl Banana man is friendly, non-judgemental and fun (if you can't tell that from the ridiculous bananas on our bright yellow t-shirts). You get the serious triathletes racing with their thousand-pound gear, the aspiring competitors and also those that just fancy a go on and with any equipment they have found in the garage and dusted off. If you've not done triathlon before and fancy something, this event by Human Race offers all sorts of distances and relays to choose from and remember my 64 year old Dad decided to enter a few days before the cut off date which was only a week before the event and still achieved a 23 minute 5km!!! (and no he didn't train)
YOU CAN DO IT TOO! So go on!
Friday 4 July 2014
Week 3 of the Buttermere Training plan
Sarah and I are in week 3 of our training now.
I've set us some tough targets, I'm trying to be realistic in terms of our ability but also in terms of the seriousness of our goal. A 10 km swim is not an easy target therefore a new level of dedication is needed to set us up well to not only succeed, but to get around the lake in good time, with relative ease, and to ENJOY IT!
The first week's target was to swim 10 km in anyway we wanted to complete it. That wasn't too bad at all, apart from the last 2 km where I wasn't motivated and had a headache.
I split it as:
mon
tue 2000m total of drills, IMs and timed swims with a masters club, was really good, and tough!!
wed 4000m of technique focus and continuous kms
thur
fri 2000m continuous
sat 2000m continuous
sun
The second week I fell short by 1.5km
tue 2000m with a tri club, but I felt it was too easy and not enough focus
thur 4000m split as 1 km in the afternoon and 3 km in the evening. went hard for the 3 as was training with Tammy.
fri 2500m
I feel like I want to blame the flimsy swim with the club and the fact that I was away for the weekend on my shortfall. Really I should have just put the extra metres in around work in the mornings. I'm not good with early mornings, I can manage about 2 a week and that's it!
This is the third week and the only swimming I've done was on Wednesday.
I did 3000m of moderate to hard in a pool in the afternoon
then another 1600m at Shepperton. THAT was lovely, warm, clear evening and I even dared to swim the last 400m without a wetsuit and I loved it! I might even try the tri without too.
I'll be doing 800m in the triathlon on Saturday so that brings my total to 5400m.
The aim by the 3rd week was to test out a continuous 6000m which we'll have to push back to week 4 (shakes finger at self) but I don't even feel guilty about my lack of swimming this week because of the tri and I've gone to Bikram yoga twice which equates to 3 hours of tough core and stretching to try and recover - so important and I've been neglecting that part of my training.
Will try and get back on track on Monday but it's going to be tough as we're upping the total distance AND I already felt sick of swimming by the end of the 2nd week so much so that I rebelled by getting a TAKE-AWAY PIZZA!!!
Double whammy as don't really do pizzas let alone take away!!!
I say good luck to us for the remaining 9 weeks aaaaaarrrrrgh!
I've set us some tough targets, I'm trying to be realistic in terms of our ability but also in terms of the seriousness of our goal. A 10 km swim is not an easy target therefore a new level of dedication is needed to set us up well to not only succeed, but to get around the lake in good time, with relative ease, and to ENJOY IT!
The first week's target was to swim 10 km in anyway we wanted to complete it. That wasn't too bad at all, apart from the last 2 km where I wasn't motivated and had a headache.
I split it as:
mon
tue 2000m total of drills, IMs and timed swims with a masters club, was really good, and tough!!
wed 4000m of technique focus and continuous kms
thur
fri 2000m continuous
sat 2000m continuous
sun
The second week I fell short by 1.5km
tue 2000m with a tri club, but I felt it was too easy and not enough focus
thur 4000m split as 1 km in the afternoon and 3 km in the evening. went hard for the 3 as was training with Tammy.
fri 2500m
I feel like I want to blame the flimsy swim with the club and the fact that I was away for the weekend on my shortfall. Really I should have just put the extra metres in around work in the mornings. I'm not good with early mornings, I can manage about 2 a week and that's it!
This is the third week and the only swimming I've done was on Wednesday.
I did 3000m of moderate to hard in a pool in the afternoon
then another 1600m at Shepperton. THAT was lovely, warm, clear evening and I even dared to swim the last 400m without a wetsuit and I loved it! I might even try the tri without too.
I'll be doing 800m in the triathlon on Saturday so that brings my total to 5400m.
The aim by the 3rd week was to test out a continuous 6000m which we'll have to push back to week 4 (shakes finger at self) but I don't even feel guilty about my lack of swimming this week because of the tri and I've gone to Bikram yoga twice which equates to 3 hours of tough core and stretching to try and recover - so important and I've been neglecting that part of my training.
Will try and get back on track on Monday but it's going to be tough as we're upping the total distance AND I already felt sick of swimming by the end of the 2nd week so much so that I rebelled by getting a TAKE-AWAY PIZZA!!!
Double whammy as don't really do pizzas let alone take away!!!
I say good luck to us for the remaining 9 weeks aaaaaarrrrrgh!
Wednesday 18 June 2014
First day of training for the 10km Buttermere swim in 3 months.
I joined the Leander Masters swim club last night after work hoping to be whipped into shape and remember what it feels like when someone pushes you to your limits.
That's exactly what I got.
I've never belonged to a swim club and actually had to teach myself butterfly. I'm glad I've been practising fly recently as I threw myself into the deep end (no pun intended) with this full-on, classic swim club training set.
If you fancy trying it, here it is. It will make you aware that you do actually have muscles and what it is like to PROPERLY USE THEM for swimming:
Get it done in 55 mins or under
Warm up
200m f/c
100m b/c
Main Set
400m f/c kick with head up aim to get it done in 8;30 (I took a minute longer, never before have I worried about cramping in my quads)
4 x 100m sprints in 1;45 turn around
400m IM kick set
4 x 100m IM in 2;15 turn around
Cool down
100m old fashioned back stroke.
TOTAL 2000m
That's exactly what I got.
I've never belonged to a swim club and actually had to teach myself butterfly. I'm glad I've been practising fly recently as I threw myself into the deep end (no pun intended) with this full-on, classic swim club training set.
If you fancy trying it, here it is. It will make you aware that you do actually have muscles and what it is like to PROPERLY USE THEM for swimming:
Get it done in 55 mins or under
Warm up
200m f/c
100m b/c
Main Set
400m f/c kick with head up aim to get it done in 8;30 (I took a minute longer, never before have I worried about cramping in my quads)
4 x 100m sprints in 1;45 turn around
400m IM kick set
4 x 100m IM in 2;15 turn around
Cool down
100m old fashioned back stroke.
TOTAL 2000m
Sunday 18 May 2014
Sometimes, training is just not meant to be...
Friday 16th, finish work early at 1730, get Clarkey and go for training in Hampton Court's 36m open air pool.
Her pants are off.
I cry in dismay "where is it!?"
I've forgotten my costume.
Sometimes training is just not meant to be.
Chill out and have a BBQ in the last of the evening sun.
Her pants are off.
I cry in dismay "where is it!?"
I've forgotten my costume.
Sometimes training is just not meant to be.
Chill out and have a BBQ in the last of the evening sun.
My Dirty Weekend 2014
When Clarkey came home from work with the idea that we should enter 'this assault course' she'd been told about, I thought "cool, sounds like something I'd do" so I started drumming up some interest to create a team.
Surprisingly our other two house mates, I-eat-too-much-pizza-and-chocolate and I'm-the-worst-client-my-PT-has-ever-had (otherwise known as Jess and Farrell) expressed interest too!
I blasted Facebook with posts of enthusiasm, the official website and YouTube vids and soon comments were popping up every few hours.
With a good potential of 10 people to join our team I went on the site and created "The Invincibles". Rat Race have this great option that if you can get 5 people to join, you'll all receive a tenner back on the entry fee and if you can get 10, you'll receive a 20! My hopes where high; brothers, friends, colleagues were all getting involved, I just had to sit back and wait for people to join The Invincivbles.
Have a look at this 20 min video a guy made a year ago with a wrist cam as it gives a very realistic representation of the feel of the race.
I especially like this snippet of dialogue between the camera man and a racer being interviewed; it makes me chuckle every time...
"Tell me about your race so far."
"...I'm a wuss, I don't like getting wet...I don't like getting cold..."
"What ever possessed you to do this, then"
"My mate who never came...I hate you mate, who never came, you know who you are!" (points finger at camera)
Fortunately MY mate, who sparked the idea DID come, however, I know how he feels in relation to the other EIGHT people who I think wear the title of "wuss" much better than that muddy racer on YouTube.
Once, signed up and paid for months in advance, Clarkey and I were so busy that the weekend stalked us like a preying tiger and finally bit our asses into action that fateful Friday 9th May.
The 13/20 mile assault course is set across the vast 12, 750 acres of the majestic Elizabethan Burghley House. It's carefully planned to get you climbing, crawling, swimming and wading, over, under and through 150-200 obstacles depending on whether you've chosen the Half or Full Mucker.
There was a camping ground to accommodate 1000's of participants and supporters over the 2 nights (you can pay for camping and a party pass to join your friends even if you're not taking part in the race).
The BIG TOP was set up with a bar and stage for the after party but aside from the obvious, the organisers had though of everything! There were posts with pens to scribble your race number over any bare skin (most chose to decorate their faces) little guarded envelopes to place valuables in, a hose to wash off afterwards and enough toilets that we didn't have to queue! (unlike the beginning of a tri race where going 3 times before the race just doesn't seem to be enough and you still feel the need to battle through cross-legged people to bag one last toilet trip even as your wave is being called to the starting line)
We did originally pay for camping but Sarah managed to book us a hotel which, for reasons I will tell later on, I am very grateful for. Registration opened the afternoon before so we drove straight there Friday night into a field tiled with cars; you pay a tenner to park (come and go as you please) for the entire weekend.
Upon checking in, you receive a brown envelope full of presents! Timing chip, Rat Race T-shirt and best of all, knowledge; the key to filling up your calender with more tough Rat Race events, held all over the country for the cautiously challenged people to throw themselves into trouble.
Our wave was called to the pen around 10.05 where 2 men in morph suits gave us an aerobic warm up and a brief, then at 10.15 we were set free!!!
First hurdle was a 6ft "wall" and I am chuffed to say that after giving Sarah a leg up, I took a running jump and hauled myself over confidently much to the surprise of a guy there who offered me a hand. As I dropped off the other side, I grinned as he said "some people just love to show off" HELL YEAH!
We kept a steady jog going in between all the obstacles; there were groups of others running, walking and waiting around us, and I have to say it was great to see so many teams sticking together. We came across a fair few couples too, clearly taking a brave step in their relationships; willing to show their wettest, muddiest and potentially shittiest looking selves to each other- what a great test!
It wasn't long (about 3 miles in) before we met the bit I had been dreading; a carefully crafted trench in the woods filled with grey gunge. There was actually no choice to avoid it. You either threw yourself in willingly or crawled under the netting with as much fear and poise as a hissing cat meeting the neighbour's dog for the first time. We chose the second option and avoided the shoulders, face and hair getting caked in mud for a gallant 5 seconds longer than our gung-ho counterparts before slipping and falling on exit of the mud bath. Sarah slid into fame as her performance of a fall was captured 5 times by the strategically placed photographer.
With grit in our shoes and a hole in our pride we squelched on to the next obstacle. The organisers had some kindness in their hearts as only a short jog later, we were climbing into a reservoir and getting to wash off. I loved getting into the water, my (not bad) mood lifted as the goo floated away and we got to cool off. And I tell you now, never so quickly has delight turned into as much disgust as when we got to the end where a gaseous smell smacked us in the face and "refreshing water" turned into shit. Sarah coached me well through that one- thank you Sarah for your encouragement!
Hay bales, ditches, walls of tyres, scaffolding climbing frames, balance beams over murky water, steep gravel ditches, log carrying, hill running and miles later came the big 80m water assault course and the beginning of my demise.
The sun that had graced us for the first part of the race had buggered off. The wind had picked up and the clouds cast a grey shadow over the meadows. It was then that I realised it was external factors keeping me warm in my soaking wet clothes. My body heat was dropping fast. First my teeth started to chatter, then my shoulders shivered, after that my legs were shaking uncontrollably. My lips had gone blue and my mood was gravely deteriorating.
Having said that the event was meticulously planned, improvements can always be made. I would say that a big failing here, was the build up of people at some of the obstacles. Bottle necks could have been avoided by a more even spacing of obstacles and in the case of the 80m water assault course, adding even one more queue for twice as many life jackets would have helped tremendously. I had cooled down too much. Sarah rounded up some military group to huddle around me, and when that phased out, she kept her arms around me. I started becoming desperate for some internal heat so removed myself from the queue to start doing press ups, I felt good for the distraction but it wasn't enough to sustain any sufficient warmth. I said to Sarah that she should go on, and I would skip that part as I couldn't wait any longer. She promptly skipped to the front, grabbed a couple of life jackets so we could continue straight away. Getting into the water again took so much mental determination; I just wanted to go. I didn't care where or how, I couldn't bare keeping still. We clambered over floating platforms, hauled ourselves up a slippery slope via a rope to see looming in front of us a couple of platforms (approx 3 and 5 metres high) with people throwing themselves off into a giant paddling pool. My heart sunk at the sight of another long wait and more water. It's such a shame as I would have loved to have made that 5m jump. We began ascending the scaffolding, Sarah ahead of me. A man with a microphone doing karaoke (queue entertainment?!?) announced we'd have a 20 minute wait here and I panicked. I swallowed a sob, tried to called for Sarah but couldn't. I reached out to get her attention and immediately broke down on her shoulder.
We were pointed in the direction of the space blankets and "warm air" tent. It wasn't working and plus even in my hypnotised state, I knew that space blankets don't warm you, they keep you warm if you're dry and warm, if you're wet and cold, you need a towel first. So we put 2 fingers up at the tent and toiled on.
The sun came out, land opened up, blue skies were visible, miles went by and my core was slowly warming through our laboured jog. From that point on, I could tackle the rest of the high, low and wet obstacles with as much vigour as if that episode hadn't happened.
We enjoyed watching few guys complete the world's longest monkey bar challenge (120m) and soon we were working with the fellow runners to scale the mammoth final hurdle:
Anyone can do this kind of challenge. There's no pressure, only fun. We saw all shapes, sizes, ages and a pretty even mix of gender taking part in this weekend. You will only know if you try and it's worth it for the sense of achievement when crossing the finish line. You will not be doing it alone. There's so much team work involved; you offer help where you can, even if you're a skinny 5'4" girl offering a hand to a hunk of 6" man muscle (because girl, he's the one that's going to boost you up all those 10" walls) - it's all appreciated and makes the day a pleasure for everyone.
Take with you, clothing and tight, fast-drying determination and you'll make it!
The cherry on top, our medals...
ARE BOTTLE OPENERS!
CHEERS GUYS!
http://www.ratracedirtyweekend.com/
Surprisingly our other two house mates, I-eat-too-much-pizza-and-chocolate and I'm-the-worst-client-my-PT-has-ever-had (otherwise known as Jess and Farrell) expressed interest too!
I blasted Facebook with posts of enthusiasm, the official website and YouTube vids and soon comments were popping up every few hours.
With a good potential of 10 people to join our team I went on the site and created "The Invincibles". Rat Race have this great option that if you can get 5 people to join, you'll all receive a tenner back on the entry fee and if you can get 10, you'll receive a 20! My hopes where high; brothers, friends, colleagues were all getting involved, I just had to sit back and wait for people to join The Invincivbles.
Have a look at this 20 min video a guy made a year ago with a wrist cam as it gives a very realistic representation of the feel of the race.
I especially like this snippet of dialogue between the camera man and a racer being interviewed; it makes me chuckle every time...
"Tell me about your race so far."
"...I'm a wuss, I don't like getting wet...I don't like getting cold..."
"What ever possessed you to do this, then"
"My mate who never came...I hate you mate, who never came, you know who you are!" (points finger at camera)
Fortunately MY mate, who sparked the idea DID come, however, I know how he feels in relation to the other EIGHT people who I think wear the title of "wuss" much better than that muddy racer on YouTube.
Once, signed up and paid for months in advance, Clarkey and I were so busy that the weekend stalked us like a preying tiger and finally bit our asses into action that fateful Friday 9th May.
The 13/20 mile assault course is set across the vast 12, 750 acres of the majestic Elizabethan Burghley House. It's carefully planned to get you climbing, crawling, swimming and wading, over, under and through 150-200 obstacles depending on whether you've chosen the Half or Full Mucker.
There was a camping ground to accommodate 1000's of participants and supporters over the 2 nights (you can pay for camping and a party pass to join your friends even if you're not taking part in the race).
The BIG TOP was set up with a bar and stage for the after party but aside from the obvious, the organisers had though of everything! There were posts with pens to scribble your race number over any bare skin (most chose to decorate their faces) little guarded envelopes to place valuables in, a hose to wash off afterwards and enough toilets that we didn't have to queue! (unlike the beginning of a tri race where going 3 times before the race just doesn't seem to be enough and you still feel the need to battle through cross-legged people to bag one last toilet trip even as your wave is being called to the starting line)
We did originally pay for camping but Sarah managed to book us a hotel which, for reasons I will tell later on, I am very grateful for. Registration opened the afternoon before so we drove straight there Friday night into a field tiled with cars; you pay a tenner to park (come and go as you please) for the entire weekend.
Upon checking in, you receive a brown envelope full of presents! Timing chip, Rat Race T-shirt and best of all, knowledge; the key to filling up your calender with more tough Rat Race events, held all over the country for the cautiously challenged people to throw themselves into trouble.
Our wave was called to the pen around 10.05 where 2 men in morph suits gave us an aerobic warm up and a brief, then at 10.15 we were set free!!!
First hurdle was a 6ft "wall" and I am chuffed to say that after giving Sarah a leg up, I took a running jump and hauled myself over confidently much to the surprise of a guy there who offered me a hand. As I dropped off the other side, I grinned as he said "some people just love to show off" HELL YEAH!
We kept a steady jog going in between all the obstacles; there were groups of others running, walking and waiting around us, and I have to say it was great to see so many teams sticking together. We came across a fair few couples too, clearly taking a brave step in their relationships; willing to show their wettest, muddiest and potentially shittiest looking selves to each other- what a great test!
It wasn't long (about 3 miles in) before we met the bit I had been dreading; a carefully crafted trench in the woods filled with grey gunge. There was actually no choice to avoid it. You either threw yourself in willingly or crawled under the netting with as much fear and poise as a hissing cat meeting the neighbour's dog for the first time. We chose the second option and avoided the shoulders, face and hair getting caked in mud for a gallant 5 seconds longer than our gung-ho counterparts before slipping and falling on exit of the mud bath. Sarah slid into fame as her performance of a fall was captured 5 times by the strategically placed photographer.
With grit in our shoes and a hole in our pride we squelched on to the next obstacle. The organisers had some kindness in their hearts as only a short jog later, we were climbing into a reservoir and getting to wash off. I loved getting into the water, my (not bad) mood lifted as the goo floated away and we got to cool off. And I tell you now, never so quickly has delight turned into as much disgust as when we got to the end where a gaseous smell smacked us in the face and "refreshing water" turned into shit. Sarah coached me well through that one- thank you Sarah for your encouragement!
Hay bales, ditches, walls of tyres, scaffolding climbing frames, balance beams over murky water, steep gravel ditches, log carrying, hill running and miles later came the big 80m water assault course and the beginning of my demise.
The sun that had graced us for the first part of the race had buggered off. The wind had picked up and the clouds cast a grey shadow over the meadows. It was then that I realised it was external factors keeping me warm in my soaking wet clothes. My body heat was dropping fast. First my teeth started to chatter, then my shoulders shivered, after that my legs were shaking uncontrollably. My lips had gone blue and my mood was gravely deteriorating.
Having said that the event was meticulously planned, improvements can always be made. I would say that a big failing here, was the build up of people at some of the obstacles. Bottle necks could have been avoided by a more even spacing of obstacles and in the case of the 80m water assault course, adding even one more queue for twice as many life jackets would have helped tremendously. I had cooled down too much. Sarah rounded up some military group to huddle around me, and when that phased out, she kept her arms around me. I started becoming desperate for some internal heat so removed myself from the queue to start doing press ups, I felt good for the distraction but it wasn't enough to sustain any sufficient warmth. I said to Sarah that she should go on, and I would skip that part as I couldn't wait any longer. She promptly skipped to the front, grabbed a couple of life jackets so we could continue straight away. Getting into the water again took so much mental determination; I just wanted to go. I didn't care where or how, I couldn't bare keeping still. We clambered over floating platforms, hauled ourselves up a slippery slope via a rope to see looming in front of us a couple of platforms (approx 3 and 5 metres high) with people throwing themselves off into a giant paddling pool. My heart sunk at the sight of another long wait and more water. It's such a shame as I would have loved to have made that 5m jump. We began ascending the scaffolding, Sarah ahead of me. A man with a microphone doing karaoke (queue entertainment?!?) announced we'd have a 20 minute wait here and I panicked. I swallowed a sob, tried to called for Sarah but couldn't. I reached out to get her attention and immediately broke down on her shoulder.
We were pointed in the direction of the space blankets and "warm air" tent. It wasn't working and plus even in my hypnotised state, I knew that space blankets don't warm you, they keep you warm if you're dry and warm, if you're wet and cold, you need a towel first. So we put 2 fingers up at the tent and toiled on.
The sun came out, land opened up, blue skies were visible, miles went by and my core was slowly warming through our laboured jog. From that point on, I could tackle the rest of the high, low and wet obstacles with as much vigour as if that episode hadn't happened.
We enjoyed watching few guys complete the world's longest monkey bar challenge (120m) and soon we were working with the fellow runners to scale the mammoth final hurdle:
Anyone can do this kind of challenge. There's no pressure, only fun. We saw all shapes, sizes, ages and a pretty even mix of gender taking part in this weekend. You will only know if you try and it's worth it for the sense of achievement when crossing the finish line. You will not be doing it alone. There's so much team work involved; you offer help where you can, even if you're a skinny 5'4" girl offering a hand to a hunk of 6" man muscle (because girl, he's the one that's going to boost you up all those 10" walls) - it's all appreciated and makes the day a pleasure for everyone.
Take with you, clothing and tight, fast-drying determination and you'll make it!
The cherry on top, our medals...
ARE BOTTLE OPENERS!
CHEERS GUYS!
http://www.ratracedirtyweekend.com/
Sunday 13 April 2014
Improving CV capacity in swimming
For Peter
This programme is aimed at Improvers to help with speed in swimming.
It's important to feel comfortable with good technique before you start sprinting so you don't reinforce bad habits. If there is something you find particularly difficult like keeping a straight leg kick, or a smooth hand entry, then drill yourself on it before attempting this short set.
Once warmed up:
8 x 25m front crawl with minimal breathing. Try the whole length with no breathing even if you can only do this once. Allow yourself 30 seconds rest after each one.
8 x 25m front crawl sprints with breathing. Allow 10-15 seconds rest after each one.
4 x 50m front crawl kick. 10 seconds rest
4 x 50m full stroke front crawl broken down as 25m sprint with minimal breathing and 25m normal breathing active recovery. 10 seconds rest.
That's simple 800m set which can be adapted for advance swimmers simply by doubling distance or repeating the set twice over. If your endurance is good, you can significantly reduce rest times BUT DO NOT COMPROMISE EFFORT IN SPEED.
Have fun!
This programme is aimed at Improvers to help with speed in swimming.
It's important to feel comfortable with good technique before you start sprinting so you don't reinforce bad habits. If there is something you find particularly difficult like keeping a straight leg kick, or a smooth hand entry, then drill yourself on it before attempting this short set.
Once warmed up:
8 x 25m front crawl with minimal breathing. Try the whole length with no breathing even if you can only do this once. Allow yourself 30 seconds rest after each one.
8 x 25m front crawl sprints with breathing. Allow 10-15 seconds rest after each one.
4 x 50m front crawl kick. 10 seconds rest
4 x 50m full stroke front crawl broken down as 25m sprint with minimal breathing and 25m normal breathing active recovery. 10 seconds rest.
That's simple 800m set which can be adapted for advance swimmers simply by doubling distance or repeating the set twice over. If your endurance is good, you can significantly reduce rest times BUT DO NOT COMPROMISE EFFORT IN SPEED.
Have fun!
Tuesday 1 April 2014
PHA Training 2
Here's another PHA programme to get your muscles working and heart pumping hard!
Have a go at doing 3 sets with no rest between exercises and only a minute between sets. Do 15, 12, and 10 reps (where there's alternating sides, double the reps so each side gets the 15, 12, 10)
If you'd like to make it harder and YOU HAVE GOOD FORM then simply take put the minute rest between sets and perform the exercises with SPEED.
Jumping squats
Have a go at doing 3 sets with no rest between exercises and only a minute between sets. Do 15, 12, and 10 reps (where there's alternating sides, double the reps so each side gets the 15, 12, 10)
If you'd like to make it harder and YOU HAVE GOOD FORM then simply take put the minute rest between sets and perform the exercises with SPEED.
Jumping squats
Start with a
low squat, explosively jump into air and land light and low again, keep
repeating with no pause.
Press up
t-twist
After each
press up, lift one hand off the floor and with a straight arm, rotate the body
and arm around so the finger tips are pointing at the ceiling. Alternate
between each side with a press up between each.
If you can’t
yet do press ups, try normal press ups from the knees or from the feet with
hands on raised platform or even leaning against the wall standing. The higher
the hands, the easier the press up.
Lunges with
knee lift on step
On a low
step, place one foot on and leave it there for one whole set on one side. With the
other leg, take a backward lunge. Press up on the front leg to drive the back
leg off the floor and up to chest. To involve the arms, raise them to ceiling in
the lunge position and bring them down on knee drive.
Dumbbell pull
overs
Lay on a
bench or step. Place feet firmly on floor and tighten abs to pull spine into
step. Take a fairly heavy dumbbell in both hands and hold straight up directly
above chest. With straight arms, lower the dumbbell so that the finishing position
is behind the head. Keep core controlled as you pull the dumbbell back over
your head to start position in air above chest.
Hamstring curls
on Swiss ball
Lay on floor
on back, arms flat by side. Bend knees and bring the feet in close to your
bottom. Lift hips off the floor, squeeze abs and bottom and try to keep a
straight line between the points of your shoulder, hips and knees.
If this
feels okay, practise the same position but instead of feet on floor, put feel
on a Swiss ball. If your balance is good at this point, you are ready for the
hamstring curls. Without letting the hips drop (so squeeze tight) extend the
legs to roll the Swiss ball out, and bend knees again to bring it back to
start. Repeat this movement fairly quickly and you’ll really feel It on the
hamstrings!
Tuck and
pike on Swiss ball
With hands
on floor and toes on Swiss ball, position into a plank. Keeping the hips as
level as you can, roll the ball in towards your body to tuck the knees under
chest. Roll out again then roll in with straight legs and push hips up to
ceiling to form a pike. This is one repetition.
Sumo squats with
heel lift
Ultra wide
squat. Rather than repeatedly squatting, hold it in a static position and quickly
alternate lifting your heels off the floor.
Plank single
arm row
In a straight-arm
plank position, holding the handles of light-medium dumbbells. Row one dumbbell
at a time off the floor from under the shoulder to diagonally up and back to
the hip. Squeeze back and triceps on the lift phase.
For extra
balance, widen the legs.
ENJOY!
ENJOY!
Sunday 30 March 2014
Swimathon for Sport Relief 2014
Today was the day we had been waiting for, training for, eating for....
OUR FIVE THOUSAND METRE Swimathon for Sainsbury's Sport Relief:
In all honesty, our motivation for doing it wasn't in the spirit of charity; we decided pretty last minute to get involved and I wasn't even sure if I would be able to get any sponsorship money. We were using the Swimathon as a "C event" for our anticipated Lake Coniston end to end swim.
(TAKE A LOOK, especially if you're looking for some good, long, hard, chilling swimming; it's EPIC http://www.chillswim.com/the-swims/coniston-end-to-end)
Despite my less than angelic intentions, I did take the sponsorship form to work and between some of my colleagues and clients have raised about £100 including a little on Justgiving, which I think isn't too shabby.
If you've not done Swimathon before,enjoy swimming and have been waiting for ways to drag your friends into the sport then THIS IS IT. There are hundreds of pools to chose from all around the country but I think your experience of the event does depend on which one you choose and of course who you bring with you!
The Pool in question gets sent a CD, various coloured hats, lap counting sheets and of course the most important thing; medals! If the managers are on the ball they'll appoint lap counters for each lane, or make sure that people are willing to volunteer on the day and will designate lane direction properly; clockwise-anticlockwise alternating.
During the signing up process you get the opportunity to state how fast you think you are so don't worry if you feel intimidated by those sharks that race past or concerned that the slow ones might inhibit your personal best.
After the first kilometre I started to develop what turned out to be a raging headache that lasted the rest of the day. I did think to myself "crap, not again, I'm not sure I really want to carry on". The thing is, it's not really a triathlete's mentality to give up (no matter professional or amateur) and even though the thought of doing four more of the same daunted me with this headache I decided that a massive percentage of training is attitude- train your attitude and you can conquer anything!!!
I thought of nothing but stroke technique for that whole hour thirty eight minutes- a great meditation and essential for learning about the way your body works in the water. I would definitely recommend dedicating a long swim every few weeks to check off a head-list of swim components: kick pattern and speed; pointed toes; rotation; stroke length and speed; hand entry, head position and breathing. Think about it all individually then two things at once, then three and so on...
I was the first to finish out of my lane so got to cheer Sarah on and take some good photos of her finish.
We both topped our PBs so all in all a good morning's work.
Our supportive friend, Farrell, carrying out a makeshift awarding ceremony. Thanks Farrell!
OUR FIVE THOUSAND METRE Swimathon for Sainsbury's Sport Relief:
In all honesty, our motivation for doing it wasn't in the spirit of charity; we decided pretty last minute to get involved and I wasn't even sure if I would be able to get any sponsorship money. We were using the Swimathon as a "C event" for our anticipated Lake Coniston end to end swim.
(TAKE A LOOK, especially if you're looking for some good, long, hard, chilling swimming; it's EPIC http://www.chillswim.com/the-swims/coniston-end-to-end)
Despite my less than angelic intentions, I did take the sponsorship form to work and between some of my colleagues and clients have raised about £100 including a little on Justgiving, which I think isn't too shabby.
If you've not done Swimathon before,enjoy swimming and have been waiting for ways to drag your friends into the sport then THIS IS IT. There are hundreds of pools to chose from all around the country but I think your experience of the event does depend on which one you choose and of course who you bring with you!
The Pool in question gets sent a CD, various coloured hats, lap counting sheets and of course the most important thing; medals! If the managers are on the ball they'll appoint lap counters for each lane, or make sure that people are willing to volunteer on the day and will designate lane direction properly; clockwise-anticlockwise alternating.
During the signing up process you get the opportunity to state how fast you think you are so don't worry if you feel intimidated by those sharks that race past or concerned that the slow ones might inhibit your personal best.
After the first kilometre I started to develop what turned out to be a raging headache that lasted the rest of the day. I did think to myself "crap, not again, I'm not sure I really want to carry on". The thing is, it's not really a triathlete's mentality to give up (no matter professional or amateur) and even though the thought of doing four more of the same daunted me with this headache I decided that a massive percentage of training is attitude- train your attitude and you can conquer anything!!!
I thought of nothing but stroke technique for that whole hour thirty eight minutes- a great meditation and essential for learning about the way your body works in the water. I would definitely recommend dedicating a long swim every few weeks to check off a head-list of swim components: kick pattern and speed; pointed toes; rotation; stroke length and speed; hand entry, head position and breathing. Think about it all individually then two things at once, then three and so on...
I was the first to finish out of my lane so got to cheer Sarah on and take some good photos of her finish.
We both topped our PBs so all in all a good morning's work.
A fuzzy photo of my f/c
Sarah's tired but happy finish and us showing off our Pool Mates
Our supportive friend, Farrell, carrying out a makeshift awarding ceremony. Thanks Farrell!
Wednesday 12 March 2014
Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) Training 1
I love this kind of training. It's personally my favourite kind of workout as you can feel both the cardio and muscular improvements PLUS it's SHORT AND EFFECTIVE. You can adapt the exercises to make it as manageable or challenging as you like; the formula is simple: 8 exercises alternating between upper and lower body.
I'll put a series of these PHA workouts up, all the exercises will be functional, multi-planar, floor based and using minimal/ inexpensive equipment.
Here is the first one:
ENJOY!
I'll put a series of these PHA workouts up, all the exercises will be functional, multi-planar, floor based and using minimal/ inexpensive equipment.
Here is the first one:
ENJOY!
Clock lunges
Lunges on all
planes; front, diagonal, side.
Round the
step press up
I use a
reebok step with one side higher than the other but any raised platform can be
used. To get a range of positions with the press ups, start in the regular
position then move one arm and one leg to a new position, press up, then follow
with the other arm and leg.
Curtsey
lunges
Face forward
but cross one leg behind the other in a lunge to hit the gluteals of the front
leg
Lat roll
outs on Swiss ball
Keep a
plank-like body position and roll the ball out under the arms by extending
them. The exercise can be done from the knees or the toes to make it harder.
Dumbbell/
kettle bell swings
As you push
up through the squat, thrust the hips forward to swing the weight with long
arms to shoulder height. Squeeze the glutes together tight to stop the momentum
of the swing from hyper extending the spine.
Tricep dips
on a step or tricep bar for more difficulty
Scissor twists
with Swiss ball
Lay on your
back on the floor with a Swiss ball between your lower legs. Raise our legs vertically
into the air and rotate the ball left to right whilst tensing the abs to keep
the back supported and close to the floor.
Plank with
sliding disc
Plank from
the hands rather than the elbows over a 5-15kg bag or disc, take a wider stance
with the feet if needed for balance and pull the weight from the left to the
right with the right arm and visa versa. Throughout the exercise keep the hips
level.
Monday 10 March 2014
2000m speed-focused set
10 length warm up "meditating" on your stroke, taking your time, and thinking methodically and meticulously about technique.
3 x 250m (10 lengths) Going 80% effort on lengths 3,6 and 9. Take your time on the other lengths to REGAIN and REFOCUS good technique.
2 x 250m split as the following:
50m 60% effort
50m 95% effort
50m 30% effort
50m 60% effort
50m 95% effort
Make sure there is a noticeable difference in your speed via PULL STRENGTH and KICK SPEED between the 30, 60 and 95% efforts.
6 x 25m
2 x 75m
1 x 150m
2 x 75m
6 x 25m
To work out your turn around time (time taken to sprint swim + approx 10 seconds of rest time) swim the big set of the pyramid (in this case 150m) at a comfortable pace (60% effort) and time yourself. Divide that by the number of sets and that gives you the time you need to take for that set distance.
For example if this 150 set takes 3 mins (180seconds) then:
180/6 = 30sec- the 25m must be swum in under 30 seconds, hopefully leaving around 5-10 sec to rest each time.
180/2 = 90sec- the 75m must be swum in under 90 seconds, leaving ~ 10 sec to rest each time.
COOL DOWN with some easy back stroke (2-4 lengths)
HAVE FUN!
Approximate total time:
novice 60 mins
intermediate 40 mins
pro 30 mins
3 x 250m (10 lengths) Going 80% effort on lengths 3,6 and 9. Take your time on the other lengths to REGAIN and REFOCUS good technique.
2 x 250m split as the following:
50m 60% effort
50m 95% effort
50m 30% effort
50m 60% effort
50m 95% effort
Make sure there is a noticeable difference in your speed via PULL STRENGTH and KICK SPEED between the 30, 60 and 95% efforts.
6 x 25m
2 x 75m
1 x 150m
2 x 75m
6 x 25m
To work out your turn around time (time taken to sprint swim + approx 10 seconds of rest time) swim the big set of the pyramid (in this case 150m) at a comfortable pace (60% effort) and time yourself. Divide that by the number of sets and that gives you the time you need to take for that set distance.
For example if this 150 set takes 3 mins (180seconds) then:
180/6 = 30sec- the 25m must be swum in under 30 seconds, hopefully leaving around 5-10 sec to rest each time.
180/2 = 90sec- the 75m must be swum in under 90 seconds, leaving ~ 10 sec to rest each time.
COOL DOWN with some easy back stroke (2-4 lengths)
HAVE FUN!
Approximate total time:
novice 60 mins
intermediate 40 mins
pro 30 mins
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Upper body workout for swim@gym
Yesterday I met with Beth for the first time after being approached by her in the gym asking for a session to help her with her upcoming sprint tri.
I put some leg stuff in her programme but here will give you just the swim specific upper body stuff. Bite-sized is good.
Warm up and kick in to action the muscle groups we will be using:
Light jog on the spot - 30 sec
followed immediately by a standing balance on LEFT leg keep RIGHT knee high - 10 sec
Light jog on the spot - 30 sec
followed immediately by a standing balance on RIGHT leg keep LEFT knee high - 10 sec
REPEAT the above set 2 more times increasing the balance by 10 seconds each time.
Total time = 5 mins
This gradually increases the heart rate whilst activating the most instinctive core muscles for the balance.
Mountain climbers 30 sec slow and controlled; focus on keeping the body flat and parallel to the floor in a plank position, squeezing the buttocks and abs, bring one knee at a time as far up to the chest as possible without raising the hips.
Followed by 30 seconds fast and hard maintaining good technique
REPEAT the above set 2 more times taking 10 seconds off the slow and adding 10 seconds to the fast each time. If you're feeling hard core, add another set AND YES the last set is 60 seconds off the back of a 50 seconds!
Total time 3-4 mins
"Suitcase squats"
Squats with a heavy dumbbell in one hand only - use a weight that you can manage to lift 10 times without failing technique. On the lift phase, maintain a vertical upper body - resist leaning to the side of the weight.
2 sets each side, total = 40 squats rest up to 60 seconds if needed between each set.
Single arm lat pull down
Using a top cable, attach a single handle and with one hand, pull the cable back but keep it above your head so the weights are off the stack and with a straight arm pull the handle down to the outside of your thigh.
20 reps on each arm, 3 sets
Front crawl cable
Move the cable joint to shoulder height, again attach a single handle and pull the cable back to take the weight off the stack. Take a spilt stance and lean forward at the hip with a flat back as if you're lying in the water. Start with the arm extended fully, drop the forearm but keep the elbow high to engage the lats then explosively extend the arm back to the hip, recover low but like you would for front crawl.
20 reps on each arm, 3 sets
Double and single arm roll-outs
Use dumbbells that allow the handle to roll independently of the weights either side. Kneel on a mat and place the 2 dumbbells (disregard the weight) in front of your knees on the floor. Rollthe dumbbells forward away from the body with straight arms whilst maintaining a plank-like position with the rest of the body. bring the body as low as possible, to a point of tension then return to the upright kneeling position by pressing into the floor and rolling them back, not by leading the hips back.and pulling the body up. keep the arms straight and body rigid.
To increase difficulty, instead of doing the exercise from the knees, do it from the feet as in a full plank.
The single arm roll outs are the same, but with arms moving alternately; this increases the use of the core and obliques as creates instability. it mimics the resistance your core should face when going hard through the water.
10 reps double followed immediately by 10 sets single (5 on each side) 3 sets.
Don't forget to include an all over body stretch at the end of your workout.
Good luck!!!
I put some leg stuff in her programme but here will give you just the swim specific upper body stuff. Bite-sized is good.
Warm up and kick in to action the muscle groups we will be using:
Light jog on the spot - 30 sec
followed immediately by a standing balance on LEFT leg keep RIGHT knee high - 10 sec
Light jog on the spot - 30 sec
followed immediately by a standing balance on RIGHT leg keep LEFT knee high - 10 sec
REPEAT the above set 2 more times increasing the balance by 10 seconds each time.
Total time = 5 mins
This gradually increases the heart rate whilst activating the most instinctive core muscles for the balance.
Mountain climbers 30 sec slow and controlled; focus on keeping the body flat and parallel to the floor in a plank position, squeezing the buttocks and abs, bring one knee at a time as far up to the chest as possible without raising the hips.
Followed by 30 seconds fast and hard maintaining good technique
REPEAT the above set 2 more times taking 10 seconds off the slow and adding 10 seconds to the fast each time. If you're feeling hard core, add another set AND YES the last set is 60 seconds off the back of a 50 seconds!
Total time 3-4 mins
"Suitcase squats"
Squats with a heavy dumbbell in one hand only - use a weight that you can manage to lift 10 times without failing technique. On the lift phase, maintain a vertical upper body - resist leaning to the side of the weight.
2 sets each side, total = 40 squats rest up to 60 seconds if needed between each set.
Single arm lat pull down
Using a top cable, attach a single handle and with one hand, pull the cable back but keep it above your head so the weights are off the stack and with a straight arm pull the handle down to the outside of your thigh.
20 reps on each arm, 3 sets
Front crawl cable
Move the cable joint to shoulder height, again attach a single handle and pull the cable back to take the weight off the stack. Take a spilt stance and lean forward at the hip with a flat back as if you're lying in the water. Start with the arm extended fully, drop the forearm but keep the elbow high to engage the lats then explosively extend the arm back to the hip, recover low but like you would for front crawl.
20 reps on each arm, 3 sets
Double and single arm roll-outs
Use dumbbells that allow the handle to roll independently of the weights either side. Kneel on a mat and place the 2 dumbbells (disregard the weight) in front of your knees on the floor. Rollthe dumbbells forward away from the body with straight arms whilst maintaining a plank-like position with the rest of the body. bring the body as low as possible, to a point of tension then return to the upright kneeling position by pressing into the floor and rolling them back, not by leading the hips back.and pulling the body up. keep the arms straight and body rigid.
To increase difficulty, instead of doing the exercise from the knees, do it from the feet as in a full plank.
The single arm roll outs are the same, but with arms moving alternately; this increases the use of the core and obliques as creates instability. it mimics the resistance your core should face when going hard through the water.
10 reps double followed immediately by 10 sets single (5 on each side) 3 sets.
Don't forget to include an all over body stretch at the end of your workout.
Good luck!!!
Tuesday 4 March 2014
220 Triathlon Show at Sandown Race Course, Esher
Yesterday- Sunday 2nd March- Sarah and I made a last minute decision to visit the 2014 TRI SHOW in Esher and I'm SO glad we did!
We arrived at 1100 and paid £12 on the door which is a standard price at these kind of exhibitions. The 10km morning run was just finishing - which neither of us fancied at the time as I am nursing a cold and she had just come off a night shift on the tracks dealing with locomotives. It would have been and extra £4 to enter the run which is pretty good going.
We spent 6 hours there and I feel even that wasn't enough, especially if you're going to take advantage of the guest speakers. We heard Terry Laughlin, the founder of Total Immersion swimming, talk about his thing; being calm in the water; having emotional control when entering an open water swim and so on.
Here is a demonstration of him swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC8ZZZhabp4
Sarah asked me about this style of swimming a good 6 months ago, I hadn't heard of it so looked it up and to me, it looked like how front crawl should look- not a new stroke as she had thought. I don't blame her confusion. The way Total Immersion is presented, it does sound like this revolutionary way of swimming yet throughout my research 6 months ago and even throughout that 60 minute talk sitting IN FRONT of Terry, I was struggling to get a handle on WHAT it actually was and what it meant. My initial thought was that front crawlers should be swimming like this anyway and a good teacher will teach you this way. I think I was looking for something obviously PHYSICAL about the stroke that set it apart as TOTAL IMMERSION. What I surmise now, after the show, is that it's more of a psychological approach than a physiological approach to swimming. Terry promoted staying calm, working WITH the physics of the water, keeping the head down and the body aligned with each stroke, stretching long and gliding far. However, I STILL feel this is everything a "standard" swim coach should be advocating and do not see the specialised niche for 'Total Immersion'. All I can say is I guess this "brand" works for Terry and his coaches and those that are coached because of the angle of approach; the emphasis on making the water work for you.
Looking at the programme which was thrust upon us as we entered, I would have liked to have gone for the entire weekend. You could spend a half a day or more JUST looking at the products and gadgets (which left me £200 poorer) LET ALONE attending the talks on the timetable:
Insights from world champions
Nutrition advice
Chi running (what the hell is that?!)
Run biomechanics - now THAT would have been interesting and useful.
Choosing the right bike for you
And the list goes on... the fountain of useful tips help and information was endless, especially for a novice triathlete.
Downstairs was filled with samples of gels, protein shakes, protein bars, energy flapjacks, energy powder. All the flavours of the magical Bertie Botts. I must say though, I did really like the flavour of toRQ http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/acatalog/torq_energy_gels.html raspberry ripple which as the guy said, really DOES taste like the ice cream. I am sceptical of using these isotonic powders, energy gels and whey proteins as they do nothing natural food wouldn't do yet are charging 4 times as much. (I'll go more in depth in another post.)
Two things I did find particularly useful were the WATT BIKE and the VASA ERGOMETER SWIMBENCH. Both of these pieces of equipment allow you to assess your cycle and swim technique respectively.
There is actually a Watt Bike at work which I had been on but was oblivious as to how I could use it's technology to my advantage. The thing I loved about the computer on the bike was the graph that assess the power output of the entire revolution of then pedal stroke. For example, how much emphasis is on the down stroke, are you using the hamstrings to pull on the up stroke? I was pleased to see that my pedal graph produced a fuller rounded shape which meant that when I put my mind to it, I was maintaining momentum and pulling and pushing with even force throughout each cycle.
The shapes are explained here on page 87/88 of the training guide http://wattbike.com/uk/guide
Now, the Vasa Swimbench... this is COOL. Rod Hart, the lead guy of Swimmergy www.swimmergy.com, took me for a few laps on this land-based swim machine and MAN he worked me hard. It was GREAT! I could feel my lats working hard, my triceps were burning, all the right parts were driving my stroke forward. I must say, I did have a little trouble getting the co-ordination right as it's not like pool swimming but it DID make me realise that I am just NOT working my muscles hard enough when I swim. It too, of course, has a small computer which assesses power and stroke rate, distance etc... so a perfect tool for analysing stroke.
I applied the feeling of the Vasa Ergometer to my swim workout the next day, engaging all the right parts of the body, plus the spanking new Speedo hand paddles I'd bought at the show and went hard in the pool.
There's much more I could write about this show, but for me, these things were the highlights of my 6 hours there. I am now looking forward to sifting through the snow storm of leaflets that scatter the sofa to find my perfect getaway - a triathlon training holiday abroad in the sun!
We arrived at 1100 and paid £12 on the door which is a standard price at these kind of exhibitions. The 10km morning run was just finishing - which neither of us fancied at the time as I am nursing a cold and she had just come off a night shift on the tracks dealing with locomotives. It would have been and extra £4 to enter the run which is pretty good going.
We spent 6 hours there and I feel even that wasn't enough, especially if you're going to take advantage of the guest speakers. We heard Terry Laughlin, the founder of Total Immersion swimming, talk about his thing; being calm in the water; having emotional control when entering an open water swim and so on.
Here is a demonstration of him swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC8ZZZhabp4
Sarah asked me about this style of swimming a good 6 months ago, I hadn't heard of it so looked it up and to me, it looked like how front crawl should look- not a new stroke as she had thought. I don't blame her confusion. The way Total Immersion is presented, it does sound like this revolutionary way of swimming yet throughout my research 6 months ago and even throughout that 60 minute talk sitting IN FRONT of Terry, I was struggling to get a handle on WHAT it actually was and what it meant. My initial thought was that front crawlers should be swimming like this anyway and a good teacher will teach you this way. I think I was looking for something obviously PHYSICAL about the stroke that set it apart as TOTAL IMMERSION. What I surmise now, after the show, is that it's more of a psychological approach than a physiological approach to swimming. Terry promoted staying calm, working WITH the physics of the water, keeping the head down and the body aligned with each stroke, stretching long and gliding far. However, I STILL feel this is everything a "standard" swim coach should be advocating and do not see the specialised niche for 'Total Immersion'. All I can say is I guess this "brand" works for Terry and his coaches and those that are coached because of the angle of approach; the emphasis on making the water work for you.
Looking at the programme which was thrust upon us as we entered, I would have liked to have gone for the entire weekend. You could spend a half a day or more JUST looking at the products and gadgets (which left me £200 poorer) LET ALONE attending the talks on the timetable:
Insights from world champions
Nutrition advice
Chi running (what the hell is that?!)
Run biomechanics - now THAT would have been interesting and useful.
Choosing the right bike for you
And the list goes on... the fountain of useful tips help and information was endless, especially for a novice triathlete.
Downstairs was filled with samples of gels, protein shakes, protein bars, energy flapjacks, energy powder. All the flavours of the magical Bertie Botts. I must say though, I did really like the flavour of toRQ http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/acatalog/torq_energy_gels.html raspberry ripple which as the guy said, really DOES taste like the ice cream. I am sceptical of using these isotonic powders, energy gels and whey proteins as they do nothing natural food wouldn't do yet are charging 4 times as much. (I'll go more in depth in another post.)
Two things I did find particularly useful were the WATT BIKE and the VASA ERGOMETER SWIMBENCH. Both of these pieces of equipment allow you to assess your cycle and swim technique respectively.
There is actually a Watt Bike at work which I had been on but was oblivious as to how I could use it's technology to my advantage. The thing I loved about the computer on the bike was the graph that assess the power output of the entire revolution of then pedal stroke. For example, how much emphasis is on the down stroke, are you using the hamstrings to pull on the up stroke? I was pleased to see that my pedal graph produced a fuller rounded shape which meant that when I put my mind to it, I was maintaining momentum and pulling and pushing with even force throughout each cycle.
The shapes are explained here on page 87/88 of the training guide http://wattbike.com/uk/guide
Now, the Vasa Swimbench... this is COOL. Rod Hart, the lead guy of Swimmergy www.swimmergy.com, took me for a few laps on this land-based swim machine and MAN he worked me hard. It was GREAT! I could feel my lats working hard, my triceps were burning, all the right parts were driving my stroke forward. I must say, I did have a little trouble getting the co-ordination right as it's not like pool swimming but it DID make me realise that I am just NOT working my muscles hard enough when I swim. It too, of course, has a small computer which assesses power and stroke rate, distance etc... so a perfect tool for analysing stroke.
I applied the feeling of the Vasa Ergometer to my swim workout the next day, engaging all the right parts of the body, plus the spanking new Speedo hand paddles I'd bought at the show and went hard in the pool.
There's much more I could write about this show, but for me, these things were the highlights of my 6 hours there. I am now looking forward to sifting through the snow storm of leaflets that scatter the sofa to find my perfect getaway - a triathlon training holiday abroad in the sun!
Monday 3 March 2014
Aim of this blog
I suppose there are a few aims of this blog:
- I will post workouts I have done myself or with clients so others can follow how I'm training for TRI and try the workouts themselves.
- I will write about how I am managing a training-life balance and HOPE that people will comment and share their experiences so we can HELP each other.
- To be an information board of events and to get everybody entering something!
- I am a SWIM TEACHER and so a lot of the focus will be swim specific plans, technique and exercises. I hope that people will come to me for tips and advice as I am here to give it!
- Lastly, the blog will log and document my journey as a Personal Trainer in years to come.
ENJOY!
Introduction
Getting hyped up on free samples of energy gels, bars and coffee (that last one was my fault) I decided to start a USEFUL blog for like-minded people who also find themselves ripping small tubes of black plastic with their teeth whilst moving at 30mph and sucking out the apple crumble flavoured gunge inside.
A 29 year old lady came to me in October 2012 saying she had entered herself for the 2013 Windsor Triathlon and could I teach her to swim; little did I know what I was getting myself in to when with an enthusiastic smile I said "of course". She works hard and plays hard in central London and wanted to break the monotony by entering a big event. So of course she went and picked The British Triathlon Federation's 7-time award winner to the 'Event of the Year'.
Sarah couldn't swim a length (25m) of front crawl in a swimming pool and we had 8 months to get her ready for 1500m of an Olympic distance triathlon in the Thames.
At first, I saw her on a weekly basis for 30 minutes of 1:1 technique training. She had to come back in her own time and practice the lesson before I saw her next. Fortunately for me, Sarah is a hard-working, determined individual who, once set her mind on something, will go out of her way to achieve.
Over the 8 months our relationship evolved and I suggested she come work out with me in the gym as I could show her some sport-specific exercises to help make her stronger and faster and fitter. Sarah really loved her gym sessions with me despite the evil looks she shot me for the entire hour and her fitness improved vastly.
We were both training up to 8 times a week in open water swims, cycles, runs and gym sessions when Sarah asked the obvious, "why don't you just do a triathlon? you've done all the training."
It's true, I'd scrutinised her food diary, repetitively drilled her in the pool, nagged her to stretch whilst unwittingly putting myself through the same process.
Sarah took part in the Windsor Triathlon on the 16th of June 2013, I dragged myself out of bed at 4.30am (I am NOT a morning person) to drive up to support her. I got to the swim exit just in time to see her climb out so I could scream like a mad woman all sorts of positive (positively ridiculous) things. She completed the swim in an impressive 33 minutes 32 seconds (remember she couldn't do a length 8 months prior!) and finished her first triathlon at 3:16:36.
I want to say a massive well done Sarah and THANK YOU for kicking my arse in to gear to get signed up for my first tri too.
I completed the Votwo Eton Dorney Triathlon on 29th September 2013 in 2:59:37 and THAT is the beginning of my story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)