2013: Tri-ing something new

[Sweder]

Dear friends,

I regret to inform you that I too have been 'outed' as using performance enhancing substances, dobbed in by SP after my attempt to go straight in recent weeks failed. I shall be appearing on Doprah very soon.

T'was all for nought. Turns out Harveys does not guarantee a podium finish after all. I shall be sueing the brewery and various outlets for compensation. JDRF have disavowed me, issuing a public statement to say they never suspected a thing due to the general crapness of my performances.

My book, 'It's Not About The Beer', will be on shelves in the spring.

[Bierzo Baggie]

That Harveys sounds like good stuff, where can i get some?

[marathondan]

Just back from the weekly water torture. Week 3, and it's still hell. Tonight, during some bloody stupid one-armed kick drill or something, the thought of chucking it all in began to occur to me. It's a possibility of course, but it would be ill-advised. I've been through worse than this. Maybe it's slightly worse because I'm doing it in public. No-one else seems to mind, though. I did a little mental fast-forward to 5 years hence, when I'm actually competent in all three disciplines and in the best shape of my life, and how many moments there would have been when I'd considered giving up but carried on. It's great that distance running gives you this long-term view of things, something I certainly never had until I trained for a marathon. Then again, maybe it just comes with age.

Oddly, despite the general nightmarish nature, both last week's and this week's lessons have offered a glimmer of hope towards the end of the session, which almost made it worthwhile.

Last week it was the drill involving touching your hip, shoulder and eyebrow during each stroke. I could only manage any one out of three, but the eyebrow really gave me a sense of how the entry should feel - in contrast to how I was doing it before.

This week, after 4x50m "fast" crawl (each 50m set consisting of 25m flailing, 25m drowning) our now regular teacher, the generally kind but occasionally sadistic Merlem (how she chuckled as she joked we should do 4x50m butterfly - we believed her) set us to more sets of crawl, but this time only breathing on every 6th stroke. The slow half of the slow half of the intermediate class (the slowest class of those who can swim actual strokes) consists of me and Linda, and we whimpered at this suggestion, so Merlem downgraded us to every 4 strokes - only 1 more than I normally (try and) do. Even this sounded bonkers to me, as I was already running out of breath, but I gave it a go... and it felt remarkably good. After 50m Merlem actually commented that my stroke looked better and more relaxed, a genuine unprompted compliment from the teacher. So I might actually have learned something tonight.

It's becoming hugely apparent that this is not just a case of a quick brush-up on technique - this is going to be a journey of several years.

If we're all an experiment of one, I can simultaneously play the roles of scientist and subject. Today the scientist wrote in his notebook: "Ah, the subject has reached the stage of wanting to give up. This is good, it shows that we have set a sufficiently hard challenge."

All biking was suspended over the weekend due to snow - a frustration of the sport when compared to the simplicity of running. Glaconman's rollers are beginning to look attractive - not a phrase you often hear. By Sunday night I felt I should put some work in, so took to the snow for 6 road miles running in pleasant conditions around the freezing mark. The pace was slow, and today hips and groin were seriously stiff due to the extra traction control needed. Good to get some honest graft in though, in a discipline in which I really feel at home.

Browsed the online results of a few Olympic distance triathlons from last summer (no, not that one in Hyde Park). Based on current expectations, I would be in serious danger of coming last in one of these. Triathlons, at least over that distance, don't seem to attract the same type of happy amateur that runs of all distances do. Definitely too early to commit to an event yet.

[marathondan]

Based on current expectations, I would be in serious danger of coming last in one of these.

However, I only need to scroll back one page to find the quote "the real heroes are at the back of the field" - thanks MCLM!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Based on current expectations, I would be in serious danger of coming last in one of these.

However, I only need to scroll back one page to find the quote "the real heroes are at the back of the field" - thanks MCLM!

You're welcome, Dan ... if you did come last in your first tri, or even in all of your events, I'm sure all of the regulars here would still find that incredibly motivating, as we know only too well what you've gone through to get the job done. The time or placing isn't the inspiring part, it's the effort, committment, sacrifice and discipline that's the thing.

As Yoda said (ahem), 'Do or do not, there is no tri'

[Bierzo Baggie]

As Yoda said (ahem), 'Do or do not, there is no tri'

That Yoda bloke seems to be getting a few mentions these days!

Great stuff Dan. I'll be reading and rereading these swimming journals for next Summer.

[Sweder]

I tip my cap to you, Dan. Recognising you've reached the point where you want to bail out is one thing. Staying on board to steer the craft to safety is something else. It's that kind of inner steel that tells me you won't need to worry about finishing last when the time comes.

[marathondan]

I tip my cap to you, Dan. Recognising you've reached the point where you want to bail out is one thing. Staying on board to steer the craft to safety is something else. It's that kind of inner steel that tells me you won't need to worry about finishing last when the time comes.

Well this is just the first of no doubt many wobbles on what promises to be a long, hard, and potentially doubt-laden, frustrating, even sometimes tedious, road. The hardest part is laying myself bare as a complete novice in both the swimming and cycling. No matter what your level, when you've got a few marathon medals on the wall you can rightly claim to have a pretty good idea of what running is all about. I'm back to the equivalent of trying to run my first mile without stopping.

[marathondan]

SWIMMING LESSON NOT HELL SHOCK

Last night's lesson wasn't utterly terrible. Mainly because we didn't do any kick drills - all proper swimming. But my swimming is getting marginally better - I can now manage 50m crawl without expiring. I just need to add another 1450m onto that and I'll be fine.

The earlier comparison to learning to dance seems to be holding true. There are so many minor adjustments to make to the stroke and it's very difficult to do them all at once. Brushing my eyebrow before hand entry is still keeping me in good form. Last night a point of focus was to accelerate the hand as it passes the hip and then exits the water. I try and do that, any everything else goes to cock. But then after 10 minutes or so of working on that, it's possible to start to bring it all together, like a new dance step. And so tiny, tiny progress is made.

800m covered this week. Now she wants us to get some fins.

Reluctantly, but realistically, from February I should probably start making a second trip to the pool per week.

PS - was feeling fed up beforehand after a typically tedious Monday at work. Returned home invigorated, mentallly and physically.

[Sweder]

I try and do that, any everything else goes to cock.

Swimming lessons sure have changed since I were a lad.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I try and do that, any everything else goes to cock.

Swimming lessons sure have changed since I were a lad.

[marathondan]

I try and do that, any everything else goes to cock.

Swimming lessons sure have changed since I were a lad.

Yes, see your point, perhaps not the best choice of phrase. The hand was meant to be brushing the hip.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I try and do that, any everything else goes to cock.

Swimming lessons sure have changed since I were a lad.

Yes, see your point, perhaps not the best choice of phrase. The hand was meant to be brushing the hip.

Hey, whatever works for you Dan ... we're not judgmental here on RC...

[marathondan]

** Stat-fest **

January totals:

Swim: 4 sessions / 4 hours
Bike: 4 sessions / 2h20 (curtailed a bit by snow)
Run: 8 sessions / 3h20
Total time: 9h40 / equivalent to about 65 miles running

In terms of total training volume it's about where I would normally be in a January, maybe a little bit below.

In terms of quality for improving my swim and bike, I will have to increase next month. But I'm settling into a routine now, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[marathondan]

I really hate to admit it, but I quite enjoyed this week's swim session.

Ever so slowly, I'm starting to see improvements. I'm beginning to realise that it's not the end of the world if you can't do a particular drill properly (which for me tends to be any that don't involve my arms). Just by trying to do the drill in the proper form, you somehow absorb some of the point of the drill by osmosis. It feels stupid at the time, but then 10 minutes later you're back to crawl laps, and it somehow feels just a tiny bit smoother. Something has rubbed off.

On the bike front, I'm continuing a session of around 40 mins with a 2 mile run after. The run is surprisingly pleasant - a chance to loosen up after sitting in a crouched position. All I can really do here is gradually increase the bike miles.

I upgraded my short lunchtime run to a tempo session last week, and it was a hearty blast. It's my only quality run session of the week so I ought to make it count.

It's clear that I'm only really scratching the surface of this sport, doing less than the most basic get-you-round programmes suggest. But this is the only practical option open to me really. Funny to read about the likes of Sweder, MLCM and Tom ramping up their marathon prep right now. Other years I'd be doing the same, getting all technical over my plan and fretting over a few seconds per mile here or there. Instead I'm back in kindergarten, as much of a newbie as it's possible to be. Humbling, bewildering, interesting, fun.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Instead I'm back in kindergarten, as much of a newbie as it's possible to be. Humbling, bewildering, interesting, fun.

and exciting... and probably healthier than just running. This is a most excellent project...

[marathondan]

... and probably healthier than just running.

That's the main drive behind it. Not that I think running is a big problem. I'm just intrigued to find out whether multi-sport is a better way of life.

I must say, it's a nice feeling to be working on three different sports instead of one. But a strange feeling that I'm not working on them at anything like the level I normally put into marathon prep. It feels much more like leisure than training. But I guess that's because I'm not much good at the new ones yet.

[marathondan]

A nice piece here. Nothing ground-breaking, but I expect it will solicit a fair bit of smiling and nodding.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A nice piece here. Nothing ground-breaking, but I expect it will solicit a fair bit of smiling and nodding.

Indeed. [smiles] [nods]

At the moment I'm at the horrible point of marathon training where I've lost focus because the goal is still a ways off, but am doing the miles, which are longer and tougher. I'm not so much questioning "why" but saying to myself "just get it over with and you'll never have to do it again" which is hardly motivating.

And yet ... and yet ... I still want to catch that damn antelope.

[smiles] [nods]

[marathondan]

At the moment I'm at the horrible point of marathon training where I've lost focus because the goal is still a ways off, but am doing the miles, which are longer and tougher. I'm not so much questioning "why" but saying to myself "just get it over with and you'll never have to do it again" which is hardly motivating.

Yes indeed, February and March are when the rubber hits the road, the shit hits the fan, the pedal is to the metal and the tough get going. The goal is to hit the start line in great shape. Manage that, and there'll be antelope for supper on race day . Keep at it mate.

(You are taking step-back weeks by the way, aren't you?)