I notched up just over 27 miles in 7 runs and over 6miles in 7 swims during January.

January 2012 Running

2010
Cycling 1254 miles
Running 168 miles

2011
Cycling 1082 miles
Running 125 miles

Not exactly huge mileage but more than most people do. I’m going to try to see if I can top last years stats anyway.

One very bad aspect to this year has been my poor diet and instead of losing weight I put on 10lb. I’m now trying to get this back on track.

Foor Quantum Wetsuit

Friday: 4Km swim – 5 x (200m freestyle, 200m kick board & 200m hand paddles) + 1000m freestyle
Saturday: 60mi cycle – this was a large charity run – I had a great first 30 ave 20.8mph but the return I had cramp for last 20miles
Sunday: 3.5mi run
Monday: 30mi cycle
Tuesday:  4Km swim – 5 x (200m freestyle, 200m kick board & 200m hand paddles) + 1000m freestyle
Wednesday: 31mi cycle (cold & wet not fun)
Thursday: 6mi run (slow but steady 9:40min/mi)
Friday rest day
Saturday: 34mi cycle

Monday’s ride was nice as there was a few of us out doing it; Dave, Ian, Nev & Jim. On Tuesday Jim tuned up bike gears and it’s shifting better than it ever has, thanks Jim.

I’ve also signed up for an open water sprint triathlon on Saturday week, it’s the only sea sprint this year and I’m really looking forward to see how I do. My swimming is going great and I feel strong in the pool but I’ve never been able to transfer this into open water. I got a new wetsuit so let’s hope that does the trick. I think Ian & Dave are doing it with me.

Nutrition wise I’ve also been doing well, rarely have I manage to sustain training and dieting but for now it’s working.

I cycled to work on Tuesday and returned via Doagh.
Then cycled to work on Wednesday
On Thursday I was doing swim drills before work and after took the bike to get the gears fixed as they ware jumping following a wee fall a couple of week ago.
Then on Friday I hit the gym before work but just did some time on treadmill and the exercise bike.

Since my heel didn’t get any worse on the running machine I going to go for a wee run with Mark in a short while. To get me in the mood I’m watching the Madrid ITU triathlon and have just had some toast with Nutella as a late lunch.

In other new I’m switching my phone an broadband to Sky and as a result I’ll not have any broadband for about 10days. So I’m guessing this’ll be the first month I ever come close to maxing out my data usage on the iPhone. I’m using it now to post this.

The hope is to be able to train loads this summer as I’m off for two months. I’ve loads of work to do while off but I can do it on my schedule so I’ll leave it for the raining days, if we get any LOL.

Roe Valley 2010

Next Saturday 7 May is the Roe Valley sprint triathlon and last year I finished it in 1:26:45 coming 114 out of 158. The splits were Swim: 14:47 (90th), T1: 1:24, Cycle: 44:11 @17.1 mph (113th), T2: 1:34 and Run: 24:52 @08:24 min/mi (122).

On a side note about Roe Valley, I hope they give us a t-shirt this year instead of a dodgy country music CD. Also it was the event I first made contact with Lisa and Austin, two slightly more dedicated Triathletes.

I got new shoes for running. I went to Podium 4 Sports, got a gait analysis done and the Asics GT 2160 did the job on straighting out my wonky ancles. I tried them out last night and my leg are only slightly sore today. Time will tell if they help. My last pair of trainers did 300miles in the year I wore them. Let’s hope over the next year I manage 500mi.

Asics GT 2160

I’ve been up to my neck in marking. It turns out I’m very slow at it and I’ll probably be at it most of Easter. I should have known this would be the case I’m a slow reader but I’ll just have to work hard at keeping on top of thing more next year.

Speedo Elite Kick Board

Speedo Power Paddle

As for training I’ve been trying to fit in. My swimming has been going great. For the first time ever I’ve started doing drills, as I treated my self to some new equipment for my birthday. Just three simple ones, 200m Free Style, 200m Kick Board (Speedo Elite Kick Board) and 200m Hand Paddle (Speedo Power Paddle). I usually do two set of this with a 200m freestyle to finish off but this morning as I was in no rush I did 5 sets and it felt great. The paddles really make your upper arm work.

Profile Jammer

Yesterday I did 36miles on the bike and got to try out my new tri-bars. They do help you go faster but it’s not that easy to stay down in them for very long. Probably due to my big belly.

The next Tri is 2weeks tomorrow in Limavady. The target is last year’s 1:26. Before that I have a 5miles running race on Monday in Whitehead, last year I didn’t finish so it should be easy enough to beat that (I hope).

Girls' Model School

This was a big week for me as I had a job interview. Not just any job interview but an interview for the job I’m currently doing. I’ve been teaching and managing the websites at the Girls’ Model since September but my job was only a post for the year and it was advertised as a permanent post last month. While I knew it was in my favour that I have been doing the job and I pretty certain keeping everyone happy, in today’s climate there are lots of people looking for a job and they very well could have got the job. Glad to say the interview went very well and I got the job.

On Monday night I was pretty nervous, actually very very nervous. I don’t normal get nervous for interviews, as I’ve said on one of my older blogs, what’s to worry about sitting in a room talking about yourself to a captive audience. However, for this one I was nervous. I tried to easy my nerves by going for a run, it was really good but I’ll not be running along the top from Troupers lane in the dark again, kinda hard to see in parts. I was happy that I managed 6.2mi (10Km) for the first time since I got injured at the start of the year.

Cycling to work

After resting on Tuesday I was on the bike today commuting to work for the first time since last summer. Glad to say my slightly sore calves didn’t bother me and I managed an average of 17mph, my best was just 18mph for that run so I’ll be grand in a few weeks.

All in all a good week, my running is coming back, I’ve started cycling to work and I have a job sorted for after the summer. Praise God for all three!

First of all life

Today was the deadline for applications for a full time post doing the job I’ve been doing for the past year at work, let’s hope no one else has applied!!

Swimming

Last Tuesday I manage a sub 30min for 1500m (60 lengths) for the first time, granted it was only just under 30mins but it was good to do it. Then this morning I did 750m in 14:03, which is great because I’ve been struggling to get under the 15min mark and I’ve only came close to that time in races when I’ve been able to draft a faster swimming and also had all the extra adrenalin that comes with race day.

Today's run

Running

After 6 weeks away from running due to injury I started 3 weeks ago to run again. The first run I did was 1.5mi and my leg got sore after 1mi, the next two were the same run and thankfully my leg held up, Last Saturday I did 3.1mi and my leg held up and today I did just under 4mi and again my leg held up but it’s starting to get a little sore now.

Today’s run was round the middle dam at Woodburn forest, it’s a really nice place to run and the sun setting across the dam was really colourful.

ESV study Bible

After completing my first run of the new year (due to neck injury) Monday week ago I signed up for a half marathon in March. The next day I hurt my right calf at football, it’s still sore a week later so I’m guessing it’ll really effect my training. I’ve still not hit the bike or even the pool and my eating has been rubbish. My new year goals are not starting well but I’m still aiming for them.

This year I didn’t set my usual new year resolution of reading my Bible more as I’ve never managed to stick to it, I don’t like reading and even though when I do get stuck into the Bible I always love it I usually give up after a couple of weeks. However without making the resolution I started a reading plan online at ESV Study Bible and it’s been going great. This site reads out the passage as you read and to this dyslexic it really helps on those tired days when I can’t quite process what I read. Our pastor is encouraging the church to join together in reading through the whole bible this year and I hope at the end of the year; as well as having lost weight, gotten faster, finished my first Olympic Triathlon I’ll also have read the Bible in a year.