Road to Ironman 2014, or confusing ambition with ability

Well, things are still stuttering along, regarding the running. My calfs are feeling much better now, but there's a bit of tightness behind the knee that's preventing me from running properly. I'm off to The Endurance Store tomorrow night, to have my gait analysis done. If I'm lucky, maybe Santa will get me some Hoka's, if they're suitable. Yesterday (10th November) saw me do my first winter duathlon of the season. It was a bit icy, so I took my time and was a lot more cautious on the bends, but I enjoyed getting back out on the bike again and doing some good speed work. It was certainly a contrast in conditions compared to last Saturday, when I went out with Phil Love and we got absolutely drenched. I honestly don't remember ever cycling in that sort of rain...... ever. My swimming is getting back to something like it was before Helvellyn, I'm in the pool at least 2 or 3 times a week and my fitness is improving slowly. I just need to learn how to be...

Stumbling through October Well, what a frustrating month this is turning out to be. I competed in the Helvellyn Triathlon on the 1st September and finished in a time that I was really pleased with,. I'd said that I wanted to complete the course in 5hrs 30mins and I all but managed that. I did a PB in the swim of around 27mins for the 1 mile course and then it was a case of recovering, getting out of the wetsuit and onto the bike and setting in for a tough ride. I'd ridden the course a few weeks previously and I knew how tough sections of it were going to be. I felt like I did ok though, I was climbing well going up to Docray overtaking quite a few competitors, then onto the tri bars for the drag down towards Thirlmere. I was deliberatley holding my pace back a bit because I knew what was coming, The Struggle! When I'd ridden it a few weeks earlier I wasn't able to get all the way up it, without getting off the bike, such was the incline of some of the climbs, over 20%...

Well, this is my first ever blog post. I've not really got much of an idea what I'm doing, so I'll start with a bit of background. I'm supported by my amazing wife, Ruth, who has been awesome throughout my training for the past few years and this line from one of my favourite songs sums up how much she means to me "All that I am, All that I ever was, Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see" We've also got a great little girl called Hannah, who's just turned 9 (going on 29 though). Who keeps us on our toes and is showing signs of starting tri training. I've just turned 40 and have been competing in triathlon for about 5 years now, although my results leave a lot to be desired.It all started a few years ago, I was playing a lot of golf and was really trying to improve my game, but I found that by about the 14th hole I was feeling tired and it was affecting my score. So I decided something needed to be done about it. I wasn...