Immediately following the Tadcaster Tri back in May and the Leeds half marathon soon after, I began following a 10week training plan that I downloaded from a beginners triathlon website. There is loads of info out there but I decided to choose this particular one as it was dead simple to follow if a tad monotonous at times.
The plan worked on the principle of 3 weeks hard graft with the 4th week one of recovery and a less intense training schedule.Then after the body recovers its back to the action again. In the third week in May I had a holiday planned in Lanzarote but it fell nicely into one of these recovery weeks so I wasn't too concerned about it. I did get the chance to do some cycling and swimming albeit at a leisurely pace interspersed with plenty of beers and food around the poolside.
On my return I was straight back into the plan and here is a snapshot from week 10. (Can supply the full plan upon request)
Monday - Day Off
Tuesday - AM 5 mile run PM Swim 1250mtrs
Weds -Cycle 20miles
Thursday -AM 4mile run PM Swim 1500mtrs
Friday -Cycle 15miles
Saturday -Run 7miles Swim (1000 mtrs optional)
Sunday -Cycle 30miles
As the plan didn't include any interval training, I would use at least one each of the disciplines of the midweek sessions for a fast, recover, fast style training session. A scientifically proven method to increase cardio vascular fitness. I felt really good over the Tuesday-Thursday sessions and really buzzed of the training here. But by Friday I was starting to flag as the working week came to an end. Saturday and Sunday are the long run and cycle endurance sessions which I got through but started to struggle with as the hot summer weather started.
During the training plan my swimming vastly improved and I was going further and quicker than before. In contrast I felt that my running remained in a plateau and actually got worse as the plan came to an end. My cycling improved in terms of endurance but I haven't mastered other elements such as the strength and power needed to cope with undulating and hilly conditions.The mixing up of the sessions also played an important part. Once a week I would use a treadmill or a spin bike for instance. Also myself and Gary another triathlete would do some open water swimming in a local dam.
Overall, I was fairly happy with the effort that I had put in over the weeks and months but I admit I was feeling tired only a few days before Ripon even with a week training at lower intensity and days off to recover. I can only guess that it has been the recent usually hot weather making me feel lethargic.
Ripon Triathlon - The Main Event
So with all the hard graft and hours of training and sacrificing many social events, it was time to put it all together. In the week leading up to the event I had ordered a fresh pack of 'High5' energy gels. I have been using them and seem to cope ok. A lot of athletes struggle digesting them but I don't seem to have the same problems. I carb loaded in the days leading up and ate a lot of pasta, fruit, porridge and more fruit. Also drank loads of water to stay hydrated and kept of the booze.
On the morning of the event I was up at 8.00am and downed a pint of water and made a large bowl of porridge whilst another batch of pasta was cooking on the stove. My friend Jules arrived an hour later and I showed her how to use my camera as she was going to take a few shots and watch myself and Gary slog our guts out. I packed all my kit, food and bike in the car and then did a mental checklist to see if I had missed anything and off we went.
It was already a warm morning and by the time we arrived at Ripon around 11.00am, it was fairly hot. I got registered and bumped into Rob Whittaker who is an elite triathlete who also happens to work at Bradford College. In most events he comes in the top 20 so I wished him well as I wouldn't be seeing him again after the hooter goes off. I went to fetch the rest of my kit and Jules hit the beer wagon at 11.45am, but had to wait until 12noon to be served as it wasn't open, to much laughter. As I had a couple of hours to kill I took advantage of the massage tent and that help me chill out and relax a bit.
We went for a walk around and visiting a few stalls etc. I bought a race tee shirt which was an XL but felt like a large. The smell of beer and hot hogs was good but I was already fueled up so it didn't bother me. But I did consider wolfing down a hot dog loaded with ketchup and mustard in front of the skinny elite guys just for the laugh. But told myself not too. The location and set up looked impressive. There was plenty going on and help and assistance was prompt and available.
They was a lot of club athletes here so I sensed it was a more serious crowd from what you find at the sprint distance events. Your certainly don't see super heroes, piss takers and fancy dressers of the like that you encounter at 10k and Half Marathon events. After a a quick scoff of my pasta we were called into briefing at 1.30pm so myself and Gary listened on and enjoyed the increasing temperature. They announced that due to the heat it was a non wetsuit swim. This made me slightly nervous as I had done all my open water sessions in a wetsuit. A chap next to me told me that he was uneasy about this, but I said that it would be fine (without disclosing that I felt the same).
1.5k Swim
We watched the preceding waves of swimmers going forward. We were in wave 4. As I moved forward I saw my dad through the fence in the spectator area. I jogged over to him and chatted, that gave me a boost and I was ready to go now. As we queued for our turn a band of drummers were banging out a groovy beat which only served to make me more nervous. Looking at the gloomy lake in front of us, I laughed to myself as I read beforehand on the website - 'The lake is of high quality and is monitored regularly'.
We got in and swam over to the start line.Whilst I was looking for a decent spot to start amongst the other 200 or so swimmers in my wave the Marshall started the countdown and it was time to go. Gary shot off immediately and I wouldn't see him again for the next few hours. Luckily the water was just warm enough so I didn't have the added problem of breathing heavily to compensate for the cold. I got whacked a few times in the body and head but this soon calmed down as the swimmers found their own pacing. I quickly got into rhythm and made good progress. I began to veer too much on the inside but a Marshall in a kayak put me back on course. At the first buoy the swimmers funnel in somewhat and I had a few minor collisions but not bad enough to cry about.
I was glad to be heading for home but felt strong and was really enjoying myself. I got that relaxed that I remember humming a few of my favorite songs as I concentrated on my swim. I veered off line again and had to cut inside as I neared the exit. At about 300 meters out I hit my knee on a large rock which caused a small cut but nothing more. On exit I took advantage of the group of helpers offering a helping hand as swimmers around me fell about the floor.
40k Cycle
I ran past the spectators who were cheering and shouting encouragement and reached my bike. I took an energy gel, water and unracked my bike. I had left the bike in an easy gear so that I could spin for the first 10mins or so whilst my legs adjusted to the different mode of exercise. On the road it was fairly steady going but I was getting passed a lot by stronger cyclists. Even when I was feeling okay and put the hammer down, I was being munched away. I counted at least 30or 40 at first, then a steady trickle as the miles progressed. I felt demoralised. The course was mainly flat with undulating parts, certainly no significant hills. On one stretch it was a long drag going into a head wind. I could see a long stream of riders ahead of me and attempted to catch up. As I made some progress the wind picked up and spoiled the party. With this wind in force I abandoned my plans and concentrated on a steady cadence.
The majority of the ride was hard due to the wind and it really pissed me off. I certainly wasn't having any fun here. As I came upto 15miles I went passed a few riders from earlier and this started a cat and mouse affair right to the end. They would pass me on the inclines and I would do them on the flats and declines. At least it took my mind of the increasing pain in my legs. The rest of the ride was all about getting back through in one piece and seeing what effect the heat would have on me during the run.
10k Run
Although I was pleased so far with my efforts, the heat finally became apparent as I racked my bike up and headed out on the final run. I munched a banana and headed out on the run which went over at the side of the main racecourse on a grassed area. This was a nightmare. My legs were already jelly like and the grass was uneven so it was a real struggle. Eventually I reached the road and the course went into some quiet country lanes. I said to myself at 2k my legs should be ok and I'll put a decent pace in. Wrong, my body just wouldn't respond to what I was telling it. Its was weird and frustrating. I wasn't the only one, looking ahead a lot of runners were finding it tough. So I though right, plan b then. Jog 1k and then walk 30 secs etc, then jog to the next marker and so on. This was ok on paper, but it just got hotter and hotter. The locals played their part though and many had garden hoses out spraying everyone with cold water. One pub had a live band playing as you went past, not sure what they were singing about, but it was a nice touch anyway.
I eventually reached 5k and wished it was all over. I was now in a group of 3 who were doing a sort of jog, zombie shuffle, moan and then jog again. So I suggested that we do this all together and get a part on the walking dead which we did until one lad carried on running. At 8k I was with a younger lady who was well built and very bossy shouting 'Dont stop', 'Come on', 'Keep Going'. Which of course I did just to try and stay away from her. However she kept catching me up and I told her that she had the heart of a lion and had more bottle than I had. We decided to cross the line together but she very slyly put in a finishing burst and then collapsed in a big heap over the line, much to my amusement. And that was that, I'd completed my debut at this longer distance in what I learned later was the hottest day of the year.
I met up with Gary at the timing section and he congratulated me. I was glad when he said that most people were hanging out of their ass with the heat being so bad. I though it was just me. I also met Dad and Jules who were chatting to me, but even simple stuff didn't make any sense as my head was in some euphoric mind numbing haze, for quite some time. A cold beer shandy not long afterwards tasted like the best drink that I have ever had in my life. So I had another just to make sure. We all chatted to other athletes and supporters and had some great banter to finish what was a very arduous but brilliant day all round.
Looking back I now need to focus in on two areas, one is to develop leg strength and power for cycling and to shed a lot more weight if I am to make any significant improvements. Plus of course to have more fun and enjoy it all along the way.
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