A renewed vigour
Well, where to start? Things are definitely looking up and I'm thoroughly enjoying all my training at the moment. Although I'm still losing training sessions due to work, which is a bit frustrating, but there's nothing I can do about that, just make the most of the sessions that I do attend. I've had / still got a fair bit of pain in my calves and my knee is giving me loads of jip when I'm running, but I'm managing it with painkillers etc. So it's not so bad, I just need the knee to last another few months and then I can rest it and let it settle down.
Coach Atkinson is really starting to crank it up now, although a few of the other lads have said we've barely started yet! I'm absolutely loving it at the moment though, I get a real buzz from pushing myself hard and love the cameraderie between all the team members. Encouraging each other, praising each other, making fun of each other etc. It's all brilliant stuff. Training up to 6 days a week and every single session is giving all of us a real buzz. I've been feeling so good, with all the endorphins floating round my body, that I've even been able to stop taking my tablets for my depression. It's true what people say, exercise really is a great drug.
When I look at my stats on Garmin Connect, for each session, I'm noticing definite improvements. There's a marked improvement in my running, I just need to work on stamina aswell. I felt I was really pushing hard at last Mondays Team True Spirit interval session, when we were doing 10 x 800m intervals. Some of the timings that I was hitting were a new high for me, so it was very frustrating when my knee really started playing up after about the 6th or 7th rep. I just need to be able to build stamina and then, hopefully, my longer runs will see similar improvements.
We've also been doing a long swim once a week, which is usually 4km. This weeks was great fun, split up in to different distance intervals. The last one was a no holds barred 600m interval, with no etiquette allowed. Supposedly to simulate a bit of race conditions. It was great fun swimming over the top of each other and grabbing ankles, wrists and just generally being a pain in the arse to each other. I don't think there was anyone that hadn't got a bit grin on their face at the end of it. Not to mention the Friday night mini triathlon in the pool, then spin bikes, then treadmills etc. at Total Fitness. Although we do attract a few funny stares from the gym queens when they're pushing big weights and flexing in the mirrors, as we come running out of the spin studio and jump on a treadmill.
I ordered my Team True Spirit tri kit last weekend and it turned up on Tuesday, I'm very happy with it and it looks absolutely awesome. If I was nit picking though, I'd have preferred the tri shorts to be the same style as the legs on the tri suit. The current shorts seem to have been styled off the cycling bibs. I'm still looking forward to wearing it though and will do so with immense pride in all that it represents.
Ruth and Hannah have also got a couple of t-shirts to wear when they come to support me on the Ironman. We're pretty pleased with the "Team Sutty" logo, although I think we'll be no competition at all for the gazillions of "Team Deane" supporters, if last year is anything to go by.
This Sunday is my first long bike-run brick session with the club. I'm really looking forward to it and think that these sorts of sessions will be invaluable, come the 20th July. I don't know the course or distances, but it's going to be fun.
With the weather looking a bit more spring like, I think it's about time I took the winter wheels and mudguards off my bike and put the nice carbon wheels back on it. At least the bike will look smart, even if I'm no faster. After all, everyone knows it's not how fast you are that matters, it's how good you look ;-). I'm still trying to work out who's who on the picture, below, but I'm sure I've seen more than one of them at some of our sessions :-)
Next weekend me, Ruth and Hannah are going away for a long weekend and I think we're all really looking forward to it, spending some real quality time together. As much as I love the training and how good it makes me feel, I can't wait to get back to doing all the normal family stuff together. Hopefully the next 99 days, 21 hours and 55 mins (at time of writing this) will fly by and culminate in me becoming an Ironman. Then it's all focus turned back towards my two best friends, Ruth and Hannah xx
As you know, I'm not averse to a bit of skin ink. With that in mind, I've been thinking about the obligatory "M-dot" tattoo that I'm going to get on my calf. As this is going to be the only Ironman that I ever do, I think I'll get something slightly different from just the "M-dot" alone. Probably something symbolising that I did it in the UK and one of my favourite phrases around it.
Anyway, I think that about wraps it up for now.
Til next time
Sutty
Coach Atkinson is really starting to crank it up now, although a few of the other lads have said we've barely started yet! I'm absolutely loving it at the moment though, I get a real buzz from pushing myself hard and love the cameraderie between all the team members. Encouraging each other, praising each other, making fun of each other etc. It's all brilliant stuff. Training up to 6 days a week and every single session is giving all of us a real buzz. I've been feeling so good, with all the endorphins floating round my body, that I've even been able to stop taking my tablets for my depression. It's true what people say, exercise really is a great drug.
When I look at my stats on Garmin Connect, for each session, I'm noticing definite improvements. There's a marked improvement in my running, I just need to work on stamina aswell. I felt I was really pushing hard at last Mondays Team True Spirit interval session, when we were doing 10 x 800m intervals. Some of the timings that I was hitting were a new high for me, so it was very frustrating when my knee really started playing up after about the 6th or 7th rep. I just need to be able to build stamina and then, hopefully, my longer runs will see similar improvements.
We've also been doing a long swim once a week, which is usually 4km. This weeks was great fun, split up in to different distance intervals. The last one was a no holds barred 600m interval, with no etiquette allowed. Supposedly to simulate a bit of race conditions. It was great fun swimming over the top of each other and grabbing ankles, wrists and just generally being a pain in the arse to each other. I don't think there was anyone that hadn't got a bit grin on their face at the end of it. Not to mention the Friday night mini triathlon in the pool, then spin bikes, then treadmills etc. at Total Fitness. Although we do attract a few funny stares from the gym queens when they're pushing big weights and flexing in the mirrors, as we come running out of the spin studio and jump on a treadmill.
I ordered my Team True Spirit tri kit last weekend and it turned up on Tuesday, I'm very happy with it and it looks absolutely awesome. If I was nit picking though, I'd have preferred the tri shorts to be the same style as the legs on the tri suit. The current shorts seem to have been styled off the cycling bibs. I'm still looking forward to wearing it though and will do so with immense pride in all that it represents.
Ruth and Hannah have also got a couple of t-shirts to wear when they come to support me on the Ironman. We're pretty pleased with the "Team Sutty" logo, although I think we'll be no competition at all for the gazillions of "Team Deane" supporters, if last year is anything to go by.
This Sunday is my first long bike-run brick session with the club. I'm really looking forward to it and think that these sorts of sessions will be invaluable, come the 20th July. I don't know the course or distances, but it's going to be fun.
With the weather looking a bit more spring like, I think it's about time I took the winter wheels and mudguards off my bike and put the nice carbon wheels back on it. At least the bike will look smart, even if I'm no faster. After all, everyone knows it's not how fast you are that matters, it's how good you look ;-). I'm still trying to work out who's who on the picture, below, but I'm sure I've seen more than one of them at some of our sessions :-)
Next weekend me, Ruth and Hannah are going away for a long weekend and I think we're all really looking forward to it, spending some real quality time together. As much as I love the training and how good it makes me feel, I can't wait to get back to doing all the normal family stuff together. Hopefully the next 99 days, 21 hours and 55 mins (at time of writing this) will fly by and culminate in me becoming an Ironman. Then it's all focus turned back towards my two best friends, Ruth and Hannah xx
As you know, I'm not averse to a bit of skin ink. With that in mind, I've been thinking about the obligatory "M-dot" tattoo that I'm going to get on my calf. As this is going to be the only Ironman that I ever do, I think I'll get something slightly different from just the "M-dot" alone. Probably something symbolising that I did it in the UK and one of my favourite phrases around it.
Anyway, I think that about wraps it up for now.
Til next time
Sutty
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