Running and me

Those who don't follow me on Twitter and are new to this blog may not realise how much I detest running.

A brief history about me and running.

I have never been a runner. I used to despise cross country at high school. I didn't see the point in punishing myself as I have always been a big lump of a lad and running hurt.

The only time I have enjoyed running was when there was a point to it such as when I was playing a team sport like football or ultimate frisbee.

I played football through school and ultimate through university.

I graduated from university in 2002 and have barely played ultimate since, which means I had barely run in 10 years before I started this quest.

Pre quest the last time I ran was in 2006.

Fast forward 6 years and I decided to take up triathlon after giving up smoking.

I always knew the running would be the hardest discipline in triathlon for me as it is something I have never enjoyed, but the challenge had been set.

Running and triathlon 

My triathlon running career hardly got off to the greatest of starts. I managed a full three runs before injury, which saw me unable to run between 7th Feb 2012 and 22nd April 2012 as I had achilles tendinitis.

So here I sit in January 2013 with my running career under 9 months old and I thought it prudent to compose this post.

Given my team sport background I was a forefoot striker but some bad advice that I received from numerous people told me transition to heel striking.

I persevered with this until after the London Triathlon after a running coach advised me to run how my body wanted to run which was forefoot striking.

It took me a long time to get my head into running and I was so unfit. I tried the usual couch to 5k programmes with no success. I used to run walk to different number of lampposts to assist me with running.

My team sport background means I was used to sprinting for short periods of time and then recovering by walking before sprinting again. When I started run training I couldn't get my head around lowering my pace to enable me to run longer and honestly it is only since September that I have learnt to pace myself.

If we compare two of my speed graphs there is a vast difference.

First we have a run from May 2012 where you can clearly see the run walk strategy I was used to using. The distance of this run was 2.08 miles at an average pace of 14:46/mile.

Then we have my run from today where I have learnt to pace myself, I manmaged to run for a total of 49 minutes with one minute of walking and shock horror I even started to enjoy some of the running today. My distance today was 4.72 miles at an average pace of 10:30/mile.

You can clearly see I have learnt to pace, the peaks and troughs have disappeared. This is a huge achievement for me given my relative infancy when it comes to running.

I also managed to reduce my average pace by 29%.

I couldn't be happier that I have learnt to pace and because of this I can increase the distances I run. I know I bitch and moan about running but I am starting to enjoy it and in nine months I have come a bloody long way through my own hard work and determination.

One of the challenges I blogged about earlier (http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/2012-retrospective-look-at-year-which.html) has seen me turn a corner with regards to running and that is the #12runsofchristmas. During the 12 days from boxing day I ran everyday with varying distances. I set PB's for 1km, 1 mile and 2.5km. I reached a milestone by completing 2.5km in under 15 minutes.

This challenge was the brainchild of Karen Weir (www.runwithkaren.com) and I would like to thank Karen for a lot of help she has given me for it was Karen who told me to listen to my body and forefoot strike when I was at a low in my running (three weeks before the London Triathlon), it was because of Karen boosting my confidence that I managed to complete my first 5km constant run.

If you are struggling with your running in any respect, I could not recommend a better running coach than Karen. The only problem being she is based in London but if you're down that way, look her up.

There are a few issues with running that I have to sort such as I am getting blisters and the fact that over the next 25 weeks I have to increase the distance I can run by 550% so that I can complete the Outlaw but honestly I am over the moon tonight as I am starting to enjoy running.

Thanks for reading,

Michael

Most popular posts from 2012

Just thought I'd do a quick link to my most popular blog posts from last year for those that are new to me blogging exploits. Who knows you may read something useful in these gems (and thats those as viewed by my discerning readers i.e. you)

I'll also include a brief summary of the blog post to save you reading them all unless you really want to.

And starting the countdown of at

Number 5 - http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/i-have-officially-left-reservation-four.html

This blogpost detailed four days of training on the bounce and how I had reached 60 days nicotine free. I even got a comment from the Worldwide Director of Allen Carr.

Number 4 - http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/and-on-seventh-day-god-created-rain.html

This blogpost detailed my exploits at the London Triathlon in the most horrendous weather I have had the misfortune of being stuck outside for. A total of 3 hours and 32 minuts later I crossed the finish line. This triathlon was the main aim for 2012 and I was proud to complete.

Number 3 - http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/where-has-time-gone.html

This post detailed the gems of wisdom that were taught to me by two of my coaches at swimming and running. Things which I still use to this day

Number 2 - http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/training-or-lack-thereof-update.html

This post was one of the first I ever wrote and I can only think it had so many views because it was mentioned by Jonny Brownlee on Twitter. Not just a RT but an actual mention.

And at Number 1 - http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/im-not-virgin.html

This blogpost detailed my first ever triathlon and if any future triathletes find it useful then I'm glad I was of some assistance.

Thanks for reading,

Michael

7 triathlons in 2013 - well it seemed like a good idea at the time

After I completed the London Triathlon I contemplated what to do for 2013 now that the triathlon bug seems to have taken hold.

I knew I wanted to make the jump to long distance as I feel I am definitely built for endurance rather than speed, especially given how stubborn I can be.

So I had already decided I would be completing the Outlaw Triathlon on the 7th July. Then I got to thinking about completing a minimum of one triathlon at every distance up to iron in 2013.

This would mean completing the following triathlons in 2013

1. Supersprint (0.4k swim, 10k bike and 2.5k run)
2. Sprint (0.75k swim, 20k bike and 5k run)
3. Olympic (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run)
4. Half iron (1.9k siwm, 90k bike and 21.1k run)
5. Iron (3.8k swim, 180k bike and 42.4k run)

So far I have managed to enter all but one of these distances

1. Not entered
2. Rother Valley Triathlon on 9th June
3. London Triathlon on 28th July
4. Mallorca Ironman70.3 on 11th May
5. Outlaw on 7th July

I have also entered the Clitheroe Triathlon on 14th April as it is quite a hilly course and I think I will need some hill practice before the Mallorca Ironman 70.3 in May.

The course profile for Mallorca is a little extreme and sees you rise 600m over 20km which is an average gradient of approx 3% which admittedly doesn't sound a lot but it is for an unrelenting 20km and given I live in one of the flattest areas of the country, I don't get much practice at climbing.

Course profile for Ironman 70.3 Mallorca

Thankfully I am also going on a training camp to Mallorca in March which will see me complete the bike route before the triathlon in May.

I have also signed up to be part of a relay team for the Leeds Triathlon on 8th September where I will be completing the swim.

Anyway the reason for this blog is I am currently contemplating completing a supersprint triathlon in July.

Now before you all go off thinking I am mad for contemplating a third triathlon in July, which I probably am, there are valid reasons behind all three triathlons.

Outlaw

I realise I am never going to set the triathlon World on fire given the fact I am currently tipping the scales at 15 stone 11 (woohoo I've lost a whole 6 lbs in just under a year since I started this quest) so I purposely picked the Outlaw due to its relatively flat nature and proximity to my home for my first iron distance event. If I am bitten by the iron distance bug, there is a good chance that I will complete other iron distance events with more hills. After all I would like to get an M. tattoo at some stage. Who knows Bolton in 2014 may be on the agenda but I will delay making statements like that until after I have survived the Oultaw.

London

This is the one that started it all, the one that caught my eye some 11 months ago when I was starting this quest. I've been there and done it but given the horrendous weather (http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/and-on-seventh-day-god-created-rain.html) I was unhappy with my time and feel we have unfinished business so I need to go back and redeem myself and I will smash my PB from 2012.

And now for the supersprint I am contemplating..........

On the 21st July 2013, 14 days after the Outlaw and 7 days before London. www.fun2tri.co.uk are holding the City of Birmingham Triathlon which includes a supersprint distance event. Now why has this triathlon in particular caught my eye. Well for two reasons.

1. Firstly it will be good to get the legs working after a break post Outlaw given I have to swimbikerun for 51.5km 7 days later.
2. But most importantly www.fun2tri.co.uk have chosen HelpHarryHelpOthers as their official charity partner for 2013 and given I have chosen to raise money for HHHO in 2013 it seems quite fitting. There is also the fact that Harry Moseley was born in Birmingham, his charity is based in Birmingham and the people of Birmingham cherish Harry (there have been sponsored walks, cycles and a Ball in his honour and now some idiot has decided to run triathlons for HHHO) so it all seems like a good idea at the time of writing. Who knows www.fun2tri.co.uk may even want to stock my custom design trisuit for the event. I am sending the design and a pricelist to Harry's mum this week once I recieve them off my supplier.

My HHHO custom trisuit

So do I go for my third triathlon in July or would this be considered lunacy by some?

Remember you can sponsor me by clicking on the following link www.justgiving.com/triathlon4harry

That's all from me for now.

Michael

2012 - A retrospective look at the year which changed my life

I sit here writing this blog reminiscing over the previous 12 months.

One year ago today, if you'd asked me what 2012 would mean for me. I would have responded that the Olympics would be a big deal and I would get one year older. That was the scale of my sedentary lifestyle.

Who knew how much my life would change following a decision I made on the 26th January?

It was on this fateful day that I decided to give up smoking. It was also on this day that I thought that I could complete an Olympic distance triathlon.

So here I sit looking back at all I have achieved and 2012 looked like this for me.

• Distance travelled under my own steam - 703 miles
• Distance Swum - 26 miles
• Distance Cycled - 511 miles
• Distance Run - 166 miles
• Number of workouts - 141
• Calories burnt - 78679 kcal
• Time spent training - 86 hours and 9 minutes
• Times this blog has been read - 11305

This is astounding in itself but if we break things down further the scale of improvement is massive

Comparison between 2011 and 2012

As well as this I have completed a sprint and an olympic distance triathlon and in the process raised £1025 for Cancer Research. 

Not bad for a years work but if we consider what I have planned for 2013, there's a long way to go.

2013 will mean for me

• Completing 5 triathlons ranging in distance from sprint to ironman on my own.
• Completing an olympic triathlon as part of a relay.
• Swimming a minimum of 210km as someone on Twitter challenged me. This is equal to swimming the channel six times.
• Training as a BTF level 1 coach
• Assisting in the running of a new triathlon club in Sheffield.
• Raising as much money as I can for Help Harry Help Others
• Beginning to enjoy running
• Training everyday in January as I have signed up for the Poppyfields January Challenge.

01/01/13 edit

It seems that I have signed up to several challenges for 2013 through the wonderful medium of Twitter

I have signed up to

• #DryAthlon and aim to become a #DryAthlete by not drinking for a minimum of one month. This should help with my planned weight loss.
• #ChannelChallenge which involves swimming the English Channel as many times as possible in 2013. Obviously I will not be swimming the English Channel for real but will be completing the 35km as many times as possible in 2013 by swimming in pools and outside and logging the distances completed.
• #12runsofchristmas this involves running everyday for 12 days from the 26th December. I am currently on day 7 and will be going for a run later. This challenge has seen me set new personal bests for 1km, 1 mile and 2.5km and there is still another 6 days of running to go.
• #PoppyfieldsJanuaryChallenge involves me exercising every day throughout January and if I miss any days I have to pay a fine to charity of £1. For more information on this challenge please check out the blog here. http://www.shortfatbaldsid.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/poppyfields-january-challenge.html?m=1
• #FitTeam13. This is not a challenge but more of a Twitter movement set up by Stuart Amory who is a personal trainer to celebrities like Jake Humphrey. Every month he posts a video on YouTube which his followers aim to complete. The hashtag #FitTeam13 connects like minded people on Twitter and has put in touch with some wonderful people. For more information on this please check out Stuart's blog. http://stuartamorypt.com/2012/12/28/what-was-fitteam12-and-what-is-fitteam13/

If you're feeling particularly generous and would like to donate to my quest, you can do so at www.justgiving.com/triathlon4harry 

Thanks everyone for reading and continuing to support me in my quest.

Michael

Training bits and bobs

Well my blog post last week was received very well. I can't believe the support my honesty got. If you missed it you can read it here.

http://smoker2triathlete.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-hardest-thing-i-have-ever-written.html

I am a little shocked that I haven't blogged since the 5th November about my training. It's been going okay apart from the fact that my knee is a little painful today although that could be as a result of 8 training sessions in 8 days.

I've been steadily improving in my swimming and my running. And finally I don't have an excuse not to go out on my bike during the winter.

Swimming

Since the 5th November I have been swimming a total of 5 times and have accumulated over 4 miles in the pool. I really do find that swimming helps me forget the stresses of work. I've been concentrating on both technique and speed this month. I've also set myself a target of being able to complete 1500m non stop in the pool in a time of 00:27:30. My best time to date has been 00:29:30 so I have some work to do but I think it will be achievable.

One of my Twitfriends commented on how well my swimming has been going and as a result I am now signed up to the Leeds Triathlon as part of a relay. I will be completing the swimming leg with @thebaldygit completing the bike leg and  @nicolaclarefox completing the run. We have named the relay team "The Twitter Trio" as we have all met on Twitter and not in real life.

Cycling

My cycling workouts since my last post have totalled 38.55 miles split over two workouts. I've been struggling to find the time to train at weekends as I have been busy. The other reason behind my lack of training has been my nervousness over crashing on my Trek Madone during winter.

I formulated a plan for this with the help of my friends and family. I debated getting a second bike using the Governments Bike to Work Scheme but decided against this. I debated buying a second cheaper bike but in the end I decided to take my 1996 GT Tempest mountain bike to a local bike shop to see how much it would cost to repair and turn into a winter training bike. This was the cheapest option and I really don't know why I didn't do this sooner. I picked my refurbed bike up today and took it out on two rides. It's definitely not as quick as my road bike but at least if I crash, it should be cheaper to repair.

My refurbed training bike

This month has also seen me purchase my race wheels for 2013. I decided on some Planet X 60mm carbon clinchers and I can't wait to try them out in Mallorca in March.

My new wheels

The turbo chamber has also been outfitted with a telly to make my sessions less tedious, this training in winter lark is a lot different to training during summer.

The latest addition to the Turbo "Torture" Chamber

Running

This month I've mostly been concentrating on increasing my run distance in weekly increments with the aim being to be able to complete most of my runs without walking next season. This has been going very well until yesterday when I seem to have tweaked something in my right knee. Yesterday was my first trail run since I was 14 and (apart form the pain today) I really enjoyed it which was a shock in itself.

My muddy trainers

My Newton trainers have been a really good purchase and I'm really glad the ran the BOGOF offer. Two pairs for £120. They really suit my forefoot strike. I think I prefer the Sir Isaac to the Terra Momentus but this is probably due to the fact I ave worn them more.

In total since the 5th November I have run 11.37 miles and set a new PB for 1km. 5 minutes and 33 seconds. Who knows maybe there is a runner hidden in me somewhere. I'm not gonna lie I was knackered after this but at least I set a new PB.

The other interesting thing I have learnt about my running this month is I appear to not be using my glutes when running. I think this is the case as I am getting a lot of pain in my quads when running. I need to remedy this as my legs are beginning to look like Robert Forstemann's. They are bordering on ridiculous. I would put a pic up but instead you'll have to make do with the aforementioned sprint cyclists.

I resorted to Twitter and think I have a plan to make my glutes start firing but if this doesn't work I am sure the wonders of Google can come to the rescue.

Other bits and bobs

Centurions Triathlon has moved on in the last month or so. I met with the bloke who's brainchild it is and should be attending my first training session this week (knee pain depending). I've been given a Centurions Triathlon hoodie as thanks for my help in getting things moving. The trisuit design has been finalised by Quest Sportswear and it largely replicates my initial design and is looking really good.

Centurions Triathlon trisuit

Also this month I have ordered a mug to provide motivation with regards to the London Triathlon next year. I am still annoyed I missed my target by 2 minutes and 57 seconds.

My daily motivation and reminder

Just so you all know I finally managed to beat my sponsorship target for Cancer Research. In total I raised £1025. Thank you all for your support.

November in numbers

Training sessions - 15

Training days - 15

Non training days - 15

Swimming miles - 4.06

Cycling miles - 47.48

Running miles - 12.57

Average speed - 7.63 mph

Total calories burnt - 5173

Remember you can sponsor me for next season by clicking on this link. It is for a great cause (Help Harry Help Others) and your sponsorship could make a huge difference to someone.

Thats all from me folks. Thanks for reading.

Michael (30 days without a cigarette and going strong)