Despite a sore ankle and cutting one of my runs short during the week, and not getting a swim in, training seems to have gone reasonably well this week.  Today’s 7 mile run felt good, and I was still feeling strong at the end which gives me confidence for the 9 mile Plym Valley Challenge in 4 weeks time.

I’ve been in contact with a local swimming coach and have filled out an enrolement form, so I’m hoping to hear back over the next few days and get some proper swimming lessons started ASAP.

This week’s trianing log

Running : 12.5 miles (3 sessions, 1 cut short due to a twisted ankle)
Cycling :  90 minutes (2 sessions)
Swimming : none
Plus and hour’s yoga class, several stretching/yoga sessions, and 3 weights/push-up sessions!

This coming week will up the running mileage, with 2 4 mile runs during the week and an 8 mile run on Sunday.  I’m also playing squash again starting this week (after several weeks off due to holidays), and with a bit of luck I’ll be able to start swimming lessons this week, if not I’ll just head over to the pool and carry on working on my stroke based on the Total Immersion book.

The more I’ve been looking at effective training for triathlons, and specifically iron distance, the more I’ve learned that using a heart rate monitor (HRM) is generally considered the best way to train.  The 30 week training schedules from Be Iron Fit which I’m planning on using as the basis for my training are totally reliant on using an HRM so I’ve been looking at the various models on the market this week, and it’s not an easy choice…

HRMs seem to come in all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of features, from very basic models to units with more processing power than the average netbook!  While most of them have the basic features like wireless chest straps, training zones, zone alarms and workout memories, some of the more expensive models have so much more – GPS with map and waypoint features, foot pods, bike speed/cadence sensors, usb or wireless connections allowing upload of training workouts to a PC or online training apps and more.

I’ve been reading reviews, comparing specs, and asking questions on Twitter and seem to have narrowed the choice down to a few options from 3 of the top brands – Polar, Garmin and Timex.

Polar have been making heart rate monitors for years, in fact I remember seeing adverts for them in the cycling magazines when I was a kid.  They offer a huge range for all budgets, but the RS300X has caught my eye as a mid-priced unit with basic but sold features and good reviews.

Garmin, being a GPS manufacturer, have GPS functionality in most of their HRMs but that comes at a price of bulk, weight and short battery life.  The Forerunner 205 looks very good (if a little bulky) but it only has a 10 hour battery life, which is too short for the Ironman (well, certainly for my first attempt at the distance anyway!)  I have found an interesting blog post about building an external PSU for the ForeRunner 205 for use on the bike.  That would certainly solve the problem, making the unit a very viable option.

The third option I’m looking at are the Timex Ironman range, which are offcially “Ironman” branded.  Apparently Timex have been making Ironman watches since 1986 so they should know what they’re doing by now.  Again they have quite a range from simple watches to fully loaded kits with all the bells and whistles.  The Timex Ironman Race Trainer Kit looks like the best solution from this brand, which is a fully featured HRM with digital 2.4 transmission to prevent cross-talk, wireless computer transfer and access to online training software.  The biggest advantage is that the Timex HRMs look like regular watches so could be used day to way – while the Polar and Garmin options are too big and bulky to be worn as a watch for day to day use.

So – if you have used any of the above models, or have any other suggestions I’d love to hear from you.  I’m after a decent HRM at a reasonable price, comfortable and easy to use, GPS would be nice but not essential as would the ability to upload workout data.  If you have any insights or suggestions then please leave a comment or Tweet me and I’ll continue reading reviews and hope to make a decision over the next couple of weeks…

I ordered Becoming An Ironman (by Kara Douglass Thom) from Amazon the day I made the decision to start training for Ironman UK 2011.  The blurb says it’ an “unforgettable ode to an extraordinary endurance sport – a book for anyone who wants to become an Ironman” and it doesn’t dissapoint.

The author writes well and gives a good introduction (after the foreward by John Collins, founder of the Ironman) and the rest of the book is a collection of other people’s first time experiences, some more successful than others but all of them truly inspiring.

Kara did interviews with nearly 200 Ironman athletes, and took the 37 most interesting and inspiring of those stories to relay in the book.  They are grouped into several lose categories, such as fast finishes, close calls (almost didn’t make it), DNF (did not finish) and early years (tales from the first Ironman events) and each story tells of the training, the fitness but most of all the emotion of completing 140.6 miles under your own steam.

I loved the book, though it did scare me a little in places and had me thinking “what have I got myself into”.  Stories like Lucie Martin who was hypothermic by the time she finished with a temperature of 93 degree, and ended up needing 3 litres of saline IV in the medical tent, or comments like Jane Fratesi’s after finishing – “No way was I going to train next year because it had killed me that year… I am not training for the Ironman next year, no way!”

But even after reading some of the “horror stories” of people not making it, needing medical attention or being disqualified and having to stop half way, the book has really inspired me that this is something I really want to do.  Without exception every single story was about pure joy and satisfaction on completing the Ironman – I wonder how my own Ironman story will play out next year?

Came across a fun post at GeeksAreSexy.net this morning called The Geek Alphabet.  It’s just a bit of fun, but check it out. They made up a poem of geekiness using Flickr images.  I love anything that mentions books, Starwars, programming and NASA all on the page, but while some of it’s good I couldn’t help thinking that maybe they could have come up with a better idea for “Q”!

QWERTY?
Qux?
Q-bert?
QuickTime?

Any other suggestions?

I can across a cool little site HundredPushups.com and thought it was a nice little challenge to try.  Basically the site is about a simple challenge of being able to do one hundred pushups (or “press ups” as we call them here in the UK!) by training for 6 weeks, for just a few minutes a day.

Now I used to do quite a lot of press ups when I was doing martial arts, but I’ve not really done a lot for many years and had no idea how many I could do, though I know it wouldn’t be 100!  So, I thought I’d test myself, see how many I could do now, and then see how many I could do in 6 weeks if I train for it – I figure it can only help my swimming and training, and sounds like fun.

What is a press up?

I figure most people know what a push up is, but just in case you’re unsure, here’s the Wikipedia definition:

“A push-up (USA English), or a press-up (UK English), is “a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms.”

Essentially you place the hands flat on the floor, shoulder width apart with the arms straight.  The body is held rigid with the shoulders, hips and ankles in line and your feet together, balls of the foot on the floor, what is known in yoga as the “plank” position.  The body is then lowered and raised using the arms, keeping the body in a straight line.  See the image on the right for the up and down positions (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

A “good form” push up lowers the body so that the nose almost touches the floor, and then raises again until the arms are straight without allowing the body position to change (i.e. the hips don’t dip and the butt doesn’t stick up!) so the challenge is to see how many “good form” push ups can be done. I guessed I could probably do around 20 – 25, but that was really only a guess.  So I did a few stretches, took a deep breath, assumed the plank position and managed…

24

Not great, I can certainly improve on that!  So, the challenge will be to see how many I can manage 6 weeks from now which will be 23rd June.  Now, that happens to be the first day of the Glastonbury Festival and so the start of several days break from training and blogging (and the start of several days eating festival food, drinking cider and partying hard!) so it seems like suitable timing!

I have to admit it, I’m a bit of a book addict.  I love books – books about computers, books about travel, books about science, books about poker, sci-fi books, classic literature, cyberpunk you name it – if it’s a book I’ll read it.  One of my favourite types of book though are books about action and adventure, books about people pushing the boundaries, taking risks, and really experiencing life.

My book shelves are packed with these sorts of books, and I thought I’d share ten of my favourites in the hope that it might inspire people to share some their own.  So if you have some suggestions make sure you leave a comment below…

Over The Edge
Michael Bane

This book charts Michael’s attempts to try everything on his list.  From ice climbing to extreme mountain biking, kayaking off a waterfall to running the Death Valley ultramarathon this is the story of someone going all out to try some awesome adventure sports, and it’s well written and funny too!  This is the book which inspired me to start my own LIST and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in action, adventure, extreme sports and in finding and pushing your own limits.

Base 66
Jevto Dedijer

This is the story of one man’s quest to become a BASE jumper.  After jumping with a parachute from a building, an antenna tower, a bridge and a cliff Jevto became the 66th official fully fledged BASE jumper.  The book charts his attempts to make his early jumps, some near death experiences, and tells of adrenaline, terror, horror, joy and friendship.  If you’re interested in extreme sports them this one needs to be on your bookshelf.

Flying With Condors
Judy Leden

This is the only book on the list I’ve read twice!  It’s about Judy’s adventures with hang gliders and para gliders.  It starts with her struggling to learn to fly, and follows her journey to becoming a three times world champion, six times British womens champion, and from crossing the English channel to flying with the eponymous condors in the Andies.  If you’re at all interested in flying or adventure you’ll love this.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place
Aron Ralston

This book alternates chapters telling stories of climbing in Colorado – avalanches, snowstorms and adventure, with a detailed account of a near-death accident when the author was canyoning alone and his arm got trapped by a rock which moved as he climbed over it.  Knowing he was in a place that few people visit, he spent several days hoping for rescue and trying to free himself before eventually amputating his own arm, knowing the alternative was to die.  Aron holds nothing back in his telling of the story, but don’t think this is a book about someone cutting their arm off – it’s a book about living life to the full, adventure, climbing, and pushing your own limits.  One of my favourite books of all time.

A Bike Ride
Anne Mustoe

This is the story of an ex-headmistress who gave up her job and cycled solo around the world for 15 months during the 1980s.  It’s quite refreshing to read about someone who you wouldn’t expect to be much of an adventurer doing a trip like this.  Anne was 54 at the time, and wasn’t in great physical shape before she set off – she just decided that she was going to do it, and nothing would stop her.  Really makes you think “if she can do it, I can do it”

Long Way Round
Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman

I watched the TV series of this adventure when it was first shown in 2004, and instantly wanted to get a motorcycle!  The book is just as good as the series, and charts an awesome 20,000 mile ride around the world.  Even though they had a support crew and cameras on them you get a real sense of adventure which is infectious.  I’ll always remember this as the reason I got into motorcycling!

Triumph Around The World
Robbie Marshall

There are a lot of motorcycle adventure books, such as Jupiter’s Travels and Running With The Moon, but this one captured my imagination.  I’m not sure if it was the style of writing, the encounters he describes along the way, or the fact he was riding a Triumph Trophy, but when I do my first long distance motorbike trip this is the book I’ll cite as being a major inspiration!

Dark Shadows Falling
Joe Simpson

Joe is probably better known for Touching The Void, another great book, but this one  is even better in my opinion.  It covers Joe’s own climbing adventures, mixed in with reflections on a number of climbing tragedies and goes into the morals and ethics of climbing and adventure sports in general.  While Touching The Void is a more powerful story, this goes a lot deeper into why people choose to attempt extreme climbs, head into the mountains and put themselves at risk.

One Step Beyond
Chris Moon

Quite a different book to the others on this list, but even more inspiring.  While this book certainly involves adrenaline and adventure, it’s not about someone seeking adventure, but rather a brave and hugely inspirational individual coping with harrowing adversity and showing immense inner strength.  Chris was working on a landmine clearance team in Cambodia when he was captured by the Khmer Rouge, but through superb leadership skills managed to free himself and his colleagues with their lives.  After than, an accident while clearing landmines and lost his lower right leg and arm.  Not only did he survive, but he completed the London Marathon less than one year afterwards, and went on to become the first amputee to complete the 250km Great Sahara Run 2 years later.  A truly inspirational book.

Last Breath
Peter Stark

Another book which doesn’t immediately seem to fit with the others on this list, but I still felt I should include it.  The other books on this list are about life, and living it to the full.  At first glance this book appears to be about death – what happens to our minds and bodies in those final moments when an adventure goes wrong, but in fact it’s through talking about what can go wrong and explaining both the science and psychology behind it that Stark manages to shed some light on why people are drawn to extreme sports and adventure.  It’s certainly not for everyone, but I found it very interesting, and there is lots of real-world useful information in there which could help save lives for anyone who finds themselves in a perilous situation.

So there we go, my top ten adventure books.  So come on, why not share some of your own favourites?  Please leave a comment below telling everyone what your favourite books about action and adventure are!

I’ve been mentioning Ironman Triathlon, and sprint Triathlon recently, but just how far is a “normal” triathlon and what does it involve?

Well, a triathlon is typically a swim, followed by a cycle and then a run, and there are a number of standard distances.  A sprint triathlon consists of a 0.75km swim, 20km cycle and then 5km run.  One step up from that is what’s known as Olympic distance.  Olympic triathlon is 1.5km swim, 20km cycle and then a 10k run.  Next up is the ITU (International Triathlon Union) Long Distance, otherwise known as Double Olympic Distance so you can probably guess that each of the three disciplines is doubled – 3km swim, 80km cycle, 20km run.  There is also an ITU triple distance, where the Olympic distance is tripled.

Next we get to the half Ironman (known as Ironman 70.3, or middle distance) which is 1.93km (1.2 miles) swim, 90km (56 mile) cycle and then 21.09km (13.1 miles – a half marathon) run, and the full Ironman which is 3.86km (2.4 mile) swim, 180km (112 miles) cycle and then a full marathon of 42.2km (26.2 miles) running to finish!

There are also some shorter distances such as a super sprint which is 0.4km swim, 10km cycle and 2km run and the “Ironkids” event for children which varies in distance but tends to be about half of the super sprint distance.

Here’s a table to compare the various triathlon distances:

So next time someone asks you have far a half Ironman is, or read a blog post mentioning an ITU triple length triathlon you’ll know what it means!

I struggled to get out the door today, probably partly due to being a little tired from yesterday’s swim, and partly because it looked grey and cold outside!

Once out of the door however I felt OK, did a 6 mile run without any problems apart from a slight stitch about half way around.  I was wearing a hoody due to the cold which I had taken off and tied around my waist once I had warmed up, so I wondered if that was causing it.  I put the hoody back on and walked for about 60 seconds and then started running again with no more pain, and managed to run the rest of the route – even the hills – with no worries!

This week’s training log

Running : 13 miles (3 sessions)
Cycling: 45 minutes (1 session)
Swimming: 50 minutes (1 session)
Plus an hour’s yoga!

This week will be much the same, just a slightly longer (7 mile) long run on Sunday, and an extra hour on the bike (on Saturday).  I’m really hoping to get a reply to my email about swimming lessons too, and maybe start them next week!

I got up this morning at 6am to be at the pool for opening, figuring it would be nice at quiet at 7am on a Saturday morning and I could have my first serious attempt at teaching myself to swim properly in peace!

Well, while there were a reasonable number of people already swimming when I arrived, I did manage to find a bit of free space and began my long journey towards being a triathlon swimmer.  I began by attempting a couple of lengths of “front crawl” (well – my pitiful version of it anyway!) based on the information in the YouTube videos I’ve been watching, and what I’ve read in Terry Laughlin’s Total Immersion book.  That wasn’t a total disaster, since I did manage to get to the other end of the pool, but it was a struggle, I kept losing my breath and timing, and I’m sure it didn’t look too pretty (in fact, I glanced up at the lifeguard and I’m sure he was staring right at me, thinking I was about to drown!)

After that I did a few lengths of my “almost-breaststroke” to recover, since I know I can do quite a few lengths of that reasonably comfortably (if rather slowly) and then tried some of the balancing drills from the Total Immersion book.  The idea being to lie on one side in the “sweet spot” with one arm extended and the head in the water but the face out to breath.  I found I could kick myself to the other side of the pool like that, but it took a really long time and didn’t feel anywhere near as relaxed as it sounds from the book.

Finally I did a few more attempts at the crawl, interspersed with breaststroke, and finally got out tired and a little frustrated after about 50 minutes.  I certainly felt like I’d had a workout, but doubted whether I was going to make any real progress trying to learn like this.  So, as soon as I got home I emailed a local fitness center about getting some lessons – I think that might be the only way to make any real progress at a decent speed.  Hopefully I’ll hear back from them within the next day or two, but in the meantime at least my cycle later today should be easier

I’m not the only one in the family training hard at the moment – I want to give a quick shout out to my father-in-law Steve, who is currently training for cycling John O’Groats to Land’s End later this year.

Steve is blind (which makes steering a little tricky!) so he has teamed up with his friend Pete and they will be riding a Cannondale tandem.  They are aiming to ride their 856 mile end to end route in 11 days, slightly faster than I rode it back in 2003 but hey, they’re on a tandem so they have 2 sets of legs pedalling – I only had mine (plus the route I took was over 65 miles longer, detouring slightly through the Welsh hills!)

The ride will be raising money for 2 great causes – Bowel Cancer UK, and A.B.L.e.

Good luck guys, and hope you have better luck with the weather than the 12 days of non-stop rain I had!

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