That was the week that was.

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted. To be perfectly honest if I am not at work, training or asleep I am struggling to stay awake. So what has happened since I last posted:



Positives:

• I have had my teeth cleaned. Americans have a different approach to dental care compared to our own NHS and last week was the first time in my life that my teeth have had a thorough cleaning. I am amazed, it has been so long since they have been this colour I have completely forgotten what they were supposed to look like.


• I found out I have been selected for promotion with an effective date of the 1st Oct 08 just in time for Kona.


• I saw Sam McGlone's Fizik advert in Triathlete Magazine and although it is a great looking advert it shows a side of Sam that didn't come accross when I met her at the Cadence Kona Challenge selection weekend (she seemed like such a nice, genteel, Canadian lady). I am waiting to see if Scott my fellow challengee and also a nice Canadian goes for a similar tattooClick here to see the advert.


• I got to watch the last two episodes of the wire which I had recorded - by far the best show on TV at the moment.


• I caught the sun on my neck and face.


• I completed the first week of this base phase.

The last bullet may seem like a small one but it is a minor victory. The week started with an hours recovery ride and 1 hour endurance run on Monday. Tuesday was a 2 hour bike ride with 3 overgear/fast cadence intervals and 3 lactate threshold/super lactate threshold/sub lactate threshold intervals. Last time I tried to do this I could not mantain the intervals but this time I completed the workout. Wednesday was a 1.5 hour endurance run and 30 mins strength training. Thursday a recovery swim, 50 min run and weights session. Friday a day off and Saturday a 3 hour ride. The week finished on Sunday with a 1 hour pyramid swim and then a 2 hour bike, run, bike, run brick workout. Holden told me to let the reigns out on the run and up the speed and I took him at face value. I ran hard for the first 30 minutes run, really shook the cobwebs out and used parts of my lungs I have not used for a really long time.

It was a big week but more importantly I was able to cope with it. I am sure if I was faced with this week a couple of months ago I would not have completed all the workouts. I think the marathon was bit of a breakthrough session for me and I am feeling really good after marathon recovery week.

This week I am doing the same sessions as last week but all the runs are that little bit longer.

On the negative side:

• I got sunburnt on my neck and face.


• I had a flat on last weekends ride. It was my first for a long time and I used CO2 inflators for the first time. I wasted the first one but managed to use the second one correctly and complete the ride.


• I looked at my Shimano Ultegra pedals and cleats and realised that they had seen better days. There is a line on the cleats, similar to car tyres, which indicates when they are worn out. The plastic panel on the pedals was also worn and I had started to wear away at the metal of the pedals. I have replaced them with this years sexy looking shimano dura ace pedals (had to go out and buy an 8mm allen key to fit them). The new pedals look great and the plastic piece has been replaced by a tougher metal piece. They are also wider than the older pedals to help transfer power to the cranks.


• When I changed my tube on last Saturdays ride I also noticed that after 10 months of hard use my Hutchinson Fusion tyres needed replacing aswell. I got hold of another set of Hutchinson Fusion Discovery team tyres cheap from Performance Bikes but when I fitted them I managed to burst my inner tubes. No matter how many times I change the tyre I always struggle to get the tube to sit properly within the trye without getting it pinched against the rim - any suggestions?

This weekend Wendy and I are going to Philly for the weekend. I am going to join the Cadence group ride from their store just outside the city and hopefully get to swim under the watchful eye of my coach Holden. On Sunday I am going to have another set of Lactate Threshold testing which will be interesting.

I look forward to letting you know how I get on.

Finally I would like to say hi to any one from Sutton Coldfield or Josiah Mason College and thank you for visiting. It turns out that my dad has been talking about the competition with his ILEX students and some of them have been good enough to check out my Blog.