Isotonic Turtle

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

2011-12-24T08:10:00.000+01:00

I had an offer I just could not refuse: enough air miles to get me to UAD and free accommodation plus an amazing looking early season race: the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. Can´t wait to swim the the Gulf, cycle through the desert and on the Formula One Yas Marina Circuit, and run passed Emirates Palace.

I signed up for the Short Distance: 1.5k swim / 100k bike / 10k run

Body Composition - Dez 2011

2011-12-03T08:14:00.000+01:00

Weight	85.6kg
Body Fat	14.5% (LA 10.9 RA 9.0 RL 12.1 LL 12.3, B 16.8)
Total Body Water	61.5%
Muscle Mass	69.6kg (LA 4.2 RA 4.4 RL 11.7 LL 11.7, B 37.6, 5)
Physique Rating	6
Basal Metabolic Rate	2113 KJ
Metabolism Age	28
Bone Mass	3.6kg
Resting Heart Rate	51

That's it. The 30 week training plan for Ironman Germany is about to start. Weight a bit higher than expected, but still ok. The body fat values cannot be compared with previous results as I changed my profile on the scales to athlete mode. Resting heart rate is very good!

I am a bit concerned about 2 niggles: my hamstring started playing up 2 days ago after sitting on the train for 5 hours. Also, my right knee has been giving me grief for some time now. I have been doing regular strengthening exercises on a wobble board and hopefully this will improve things.

Stadtlauf Eppelheim

2011-11-06T18:04:00.001+01:00

Stadtlauf Eppelheim 10k - 46:04 [Results]

km 1: 4:36
km 2: 4:36
km 3: 4:35
km 4: 4:26
km 5: 4:36
km 6: 4:40
km 7: 4:27
km 8: 4:45
km 9: 4:37
km 10: 4:36

M40: 12th out of 22
Male: 67th out of 139

Total: 70th out of 185

Nice little local race in perfect conditions. 3 laps round my old school village in Eppelheim. Felt much better than on Tuesday. Really wanted to crack the 46:00, but somehow things didn't work out at the end, even though I kept overtaking all the time. Garmin showed 220m more again?

Hockenheimring 10k

2011-11-01T19:57:00.002+01:00

Hockenheimring 10k - 47:08 [Results] [Certificate]

km 1: 4:38
km 2: 4:44
km 3: 4:41
km 4: 4:42
km 5: 4:42
km 6: 4:36
km 7: 4:43
km 8: 4:50
km 9: 4:44
km 10: 4:36

M40: 80th out of 173
Male: 449thout of 947

Total: 508th out of 1244

First time I ran on a Formula One course. Great feeling!

I hadn't prepared for this at all, but was still surprised about the lack of speed. But, as usual, there are a number of excuses: it was quite windy and Garmin showed 240m more than 10k. It is still a very poor performance, so I decided to run another 10k on Sunday to see if I can come up with more excuses... Race report and more pictures.

Movement Analysis

2011-11-01T19:40:00.000+01:00

I underwent a very professional gait and movement analysis. Details can be seen in the detailed report. The bottom line is that I need to strengthen my core (no surprise there) and also have to make sure my knees get stronger as they bend inwards which has a knock-on effect on the rest of the body while running. Highly recommended!

Elbaman

2011-10-01T17:49:00.005+02:00

Elbaman 70.3 (1.9 / 94 / 21.1) 6:38:09 [Results] [Certificate]

Swim - 36:47
T1 - 1:56
Bike - 3:35:05
T2 - 1:17
Run - 2:22:11

M1: 54th out of 73
Male: 221st out of 311
Overall: 238th out of 346

This was probably the most spectacular race I have done so far: swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, cycling in beautiful Elba and running along the beach. The time has been disappointing - again - and things went all wrong on the run - again.

Picking up race pack and checking in the bike on Saturday was a very low-key affair. No stands, no fuzz, and hardly any checks. Easy. A last 10 minute swim in the sea to get used to the salt water and swimming without wet suit, which we were told are not allowed as the water was supposed to be 25 Celsius.

As there was only a single transition area, setting up kit on Sunday morning was relatively straightforward. We made it to watch the long-distance start and then went on to get changed and started preparing for the race. To our surprise everybody was wearing a wet suit and word spread that they are allowed after all. Hooray. I was just about to go into the water for a bit of a warm-up when I realised that some Mussolini marshall was handing out dozens of 10 minute penalties as it was apparently not allowed to enter the water prior to the race. Weird, but who argues with a little dictator with a whistle and a yellow card… A bit of a panic set in when I realised 5 minutes before the start and already in the start block, that my mobile phone was still in my tri-suit. So out again, taking off the wet suit to get the phone and everything in reverse.

There was about 350 starters in the race and the start was not as hectic as expected. There was a sand bank after approximately 100m and much of the swimmers starting walking again for about 30 seconds. As always, I started to slow down a bit at the half-way point, but got through the first leg in no problem. The time was not spectacular, but ok. Through the sand, underneath some showers to get rid of the salt and approximately 400m through Marina di Campo into T1 and ...

... on to the bike for 2 tough laps. I had cycled the route once a few days prior to the race, so knew what to expect. I managed to hold back on the first lap and, apart from 2 near collisions on very technical downhill serpentines, I felt quite good. I started to feel the lack of training on the up-hill sections on the second lap and the last undulating and windy 20km were quite tough. The bike leg was supposed to be 94km, but everybody I spoke to had clocked somewhere between 96 and 98km. Must be Italian miles.

I knew that my running is extremely poor at the moment, so I started at a very moderte pace of around 5:30 km/h. Despite the heat, I felt quite good until the half-way point when I started to get sick. Every time I ran, my stomach started to cramp up and I had to revert to walking. Not sure whether this was caused by the isotonic drinks that were handed out or the fact that I couldn't go to the loo properly before the race. Either way, it was quite frustrating as my legs seemed perfectly fine.

The finish was great as Aileen joined me for the first time. We got a nice medal, a finisher shirt and some lovely food. All in all a highly recommended race in a beautiful setting.

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Darmstadt Half-marathon

2011-09-05T08:39:00.001+02:00

Darmstadt Half-marathon - 1:47:13 [Certificate] [Results]

km 1: 5:12
km 2: 5:08
km 3: 4:29
km 4: 4:50
km 5: 4:59
km 6: 5:06
km 7: 4:45
km 8: 5:04
km 9: 5:01
km 10: 4:53
km 11: 5:02
km 12: 5:03
km 13: 5:10
km 14: 4:50
km 15: 5:19
km 16: 5:36
km 17: 4:57
km 18: 5:13
km 19: 5:13
km 20: 5:36
km 21: 5:11

M40: 51st out of 146
Male: 295th out of 801
Overall: 332nd out of 1084

Another half-marathon, another poor race, just a different set of excuses: I expected a flat, fast run, on tarmac and, given that the start time was 9am and most of route went through forest, good running conditions. What we got was an undulating race (almost 200m in altitude), mostly run on gravel. What was the real killer though was the high humidity - it was like running through a rain forest. I don't think I have ever lost so much liquid on such a short distance. I never really found a rhythm and faded on the last few kms. Well, it was a good and tough workout, but nothing worth repeating...

Power to the people

2011-08-28T13:35:00.001+02:00

Finally, managed to get out on my new wheels (HED Jet Flamme Rouge 6&9) with Powertap SL+, courtesy of eBay. I decided to sell my Zipp wheels and change to wheels that are

Not as deep as the Zipps as I was struggling on the fast downhills
Have clinchers as I know how to fix them and need to carry less stuff with me on the bike
Have aluminium rims so breaking as less of a gamble
Change to 28x11 at the back to get up those hills

The fact that the wheels came with a Powertap was a big bonus.

Did the first ride as part of the RTF St.-Ilgen. I have now silly amounts of power data; just need to find out what it all means and what I can do with it...

70.3 Germany

2011-08-14T20:01:00.007+02:00

70.3 Germany WIesbaden (1.9 / 90 / 21.1) 6:14:10 [Results] [Certificate]

Swim - 37:48
T1 - 4:23
Bike - 3:17:17
T2 - 1:34
Run - 2:13:07

M40: 167th out of 273
Male: ???th out of ???
Overall: 944th out of 1547

They call it the toughest half day, and tough it certainly was.

Because of the 70.3 label and the race hosting the European Championship, everything was done by the rule book. The race briefing lasted for 90 (!) minutes before I made my way to the checkin area and swim start on Saturday, which was almost 20 miles away.

An early start was needed on Sunday morning. Why a half-distance has to kick off at 7am remains a mystery to me. The swim was in a relatively small lake that includes quite a number of turns plus a short exit after two thirds of the distance. The M40 was the biggest group again which resulted in the usual nonsense throughout the swim. I struggled to find a proper rhythm and got out of the water about 2 minutes slower than expected. T1 required covering a distance of 700m, hence the slow transition splits.

Off we went on the cracker of a bike course with almost 1500m of climbs. I managed to keep it easy on the first third, before the rain started. Nothing heavy, but enough to make the downhills a bit more challenging. I really felt the benefit of having ridden the course 3 times prior to the race, as I overtook a lot of riders on the last third. I reached well over 80 km/h on the last long downhill into Wiesbaden. Apparently, the pros hit almost 110 km/h - total and utter madness.

I was almost 3 minutes ahead of schedule when I started the run and was optimistic to beat my 6 hour target. The run course is 4 laps through a nice park. It is never really flat; nothing serious, but enough to make finding a rhythm difficult. The same holds for a lot turns and changes of the surface. All was good until km 7 when all came to a halt and I started to walk. I just couldn't get myself to run through the pain barrier. I realised at the start of lap 3 that 6 hours is not doable which resulted in even more walking breaks. The result was a half-marathon personal worst.

A great event with a very tough bike course. Would I do it again? Maybe to get the daemons out of my system.

Lesson learned: Improving the bike at the cost of running and the lack of bricks doesn't really improve things at all. My running has to get better again. Not sure where the mental block comes from as I can torture myself on the bike any time. Plenty of work ahead after a well needed rest. 6 weeks until Elbaman!

Aqua Sphere Kayenne

2011-08-05T21:16:00.000+02:00

First swim using my new goggles. Very impressed, especially with the fastening and adjusting mechanism.

Römerman

2011-07-23T21:40:00.001+02:00

Römerman (1.8 / 42 / 10) 2:46:30 [Results]

Swim - 23:12
Bike - 1:35:10
Run - 48:07

M40: 43rd out of 89
Male: 203rd out of 378
Overall: 228th out of 448

This is a fantastic, but tough local race. Swim downstream in the river Neckar - hence the good times -, a tough bike course with 600m of climbs (up to 16%) and a tricky run as there are no real straights. Got mild cramps in my calves on the big climb and started to cramp up in my right upper leg on the last 3k. Quite happy with my time, but would have liked to crack the 2:45. My running has to improve!

Speyerer Brezellauf

2011-07-11T16:45:00.001+02:00

Was pacemaking my dad to a 2nd place in the M65 at the 8.2km Brezellauf in our home town:

Lampertheim Sprint

2011-06-26T20:50:00.000+02:00

Lampertheim Sprint Triathlon (0.5 / 20 / 5) 1:08:00 [Results]

Swim - 10:10
T1 - ??
Bike - 32:15
T2 - ??
Run - 23:15 (approx)

M40: 33rd out of 113
Male: 71st out of 261
Overall: 74th out of 332

This was a great little race. The swim was very hectic and there was too much fighting going on for my taste. I panicked a bit at the first turn after I was hit quite heavily and had to slow down a bit. The bike part was very flat and very fast. An average of over 37 km/h says it all. My run was average - I have no idea where my pace is gone.

All in all a nice local race. Shame I missed the 1:08 by 8 tenths of a second. Definitely doing this again if it fits in the IM schedule.

IM Frankfurt Registration

2011-06-17T16:15:00.002+02:00

Here we go again. Just signed up for Frankfurt IM 2012. And so have Jeff and Michael from Up & Runners. Great stuff!

Lisburn 10k

2011-06-17T16:14:00.001+02:00

Lisburn 10k - 47:04 [Results]

km 1: 5:28
km 2: 4:38
km 3: 4:24
km 4: 4:31
km 5: 4:41
km 6: 4:34
km 7: 4:43
km 8: 4:46
km 9: 4:40
km 10: 4:39

This was an unplanned race, but as I was in Belfast on business I thought I might as well use the 10k as a good speed session. Unlike the start, conditions were perfect. Even though the race was chipped, there wasn't a timing mat at the beginning. That wasn't helped by the fact that a lot walkers decided it would be best to position themselves towards the front and trot along 4 breast. I lost more than a minute on the first km and had to slalom through people for another km. I had also forgotten how undulating the course is and that I haven't really done any speed work lately. I came home in 47:00, but reckon that it would have been a sub 46 net time without the walkers at the start.

Was great to meet up with the gang from Up & Runners again!

TriTime

2011-05-30T21:33:00.002+02:00

Somehow a picture with me in it made it in the latest edition of the TriTime magazine. I am the fat bloke in the back row.

29 May 2011

2011-05-30T06:55:00.004+02:00

Tristar 111 Germany Worms (1 / 100 / 10) 4:24:57 [Results]

Swim - 18:23
T1 - 4:59
Bike - 3:01:49
T2 - 1:47
Run - 57:57

M40: 82nd out of 138
Male: 411th out of 643
Overall: 451st out of 780

It all started with a big shock on Friday evening when I looked up the race web site: I wasn't registered! I simply forgot to register for the race months ago and there was no late entries. Friday evening was a very grumpy one. A team mate came to the rescue. He was registered, but couldn't race, because of lack of form. So, I raced incognito in the age group M25.

The swim start was really well organised. We took off in batches of 10 every 5 seconds or so. I felt really comfortable in the water and was out in an acceptable time. Then came a 400m run into T1 on the pavement - not very pleasant on your feet, but ok once you were on the carpet.

A bit of a struggle when I jumped on my bike as one of the rubbers I used to attach my shoes to the bike didn't snap. The first 15km were flat and very fast as the wind came from behind. Then, the real part of the bike course started. A couple of hills, nothing serious, but undulating all the way and very, very windy. This was probably the windiest conditions I have cycled in in a race. I was glad that I had changed the front wheel from the Zipp to the Easton. From approx. 70km onwards, both my upper legs started to cramp up. This wasn't too bad on the bike, but was horror on the run.

T2 was easy, but what followed wasn't. I had severe cramps in both upper legs from the very beginning. I was able to jog for a few hundred meters, before I had to stop, stretch and walk. The time says it all.

I was glad when it was all over as the pain was everything, but pleasant. Very impressive post race food area, a good T-Shirt and a nice medal. If it fits in next year, definitely a race I am going to do again!

21 May 2011

2011-05-22T08:19:00.006+02:00

Mannheim Half-marathon - 1:45:28 [Certificate] [Results]

km 1: 4:55
km 2: 4:46
km 3: 4:47
km 4: 4:52
km 5: 4:57
km 6: 4:52
km 7: 4:55
km 8: 4:56
km 9: 4:57
km 10: 4:59 - 49:01
km 11: 4:54
km 12: 4:57
km 13: 5:02
km 14: 5:03
km 15: 5:00
km 16: 5:01
km 17: 5:15
km 18: 5:04
km 19: 5:06
km 20: 5:06
km 21.1: 5:25

M40: 84th out of 406
Male: 446th out of 2343
Overall: 481th out of 3233

Hm, this was not the race I was expecting. Woke up with a sore throat after very little sleep, but felt okish during the day. It was quite warm at the start, but cooled down a little bit during the race. I was aiming for a sub 1:40, but realised after 15 minutes that this is not going to happen. Just felt really weak throughout the entire race and even though I took on loads of fluids, my throat was dry througout. At 14k I was even taken over by the 3:30 marathon pacemaker...

Let's put this down as a bad day. If things don't improve next weekend, I will have to do a major re-think and maybe get a checkup done. Taper time.

2011-05-08T20:14:00.003+02:00

Calw Sprint Triathlon (0.5 / 19 / 5) 1:15:00 [Results]

Swim - 9:54
T1 - ??
Bike - 39:33
T2 - ??
Run - 25:32

M40: 25th out of 37
Male: 120th out of 205
Overall: 135th out of 260

It was scheduled as a B race and a B race it was. I turned up quite late as I got lost on my way to Calw.
Great way to organise a swim in a pool: a competitor started every 20 seconds on the first lane. After finishing a lane, you changed over to the next lane until all 5 lanes were completed. My swim (no wet suite) was quite eventless and I was quite happy with my time.The bike course was quite tough. A long hill right at the start, followed by an equally long downhill. After a few more undulating km, a stinker of a climb towards the end with 18% ascents. I got into T2 with a pulse of 180...
... and out of it with an equally high heart rate. The run started with a hill! I wasn't the only one who had to walk parts of it - otherwise my pulse would have exploded. I got quite sick quite early in the run and never found a good rythm. There weren't really any flat parts on the course that explains the pathetic time (which includes the transitions). Really tried to crack the 1:15, but had nothing left in my body and the heat didn't help either. Was rather sick after the race and couldn't eat for a couple of hours, but recovered quite quickly.
All in all a good event, but not the performance I had hoped for. Still loads to do before the important races take place.

Body Composition - May 2011

2011-05-08T19:46:00.000+02:00

Weight	85.4kg
Body Fat	19.1% (LA 17.4 RA 14.7 RL 14.7 LL 15.8, B 22.0)
Total Body Water	56.5%
Muscle Mass	65.7kg (LA 3.8 RA 4.0 RL 11.1 LL 10.7, B 36.1, 5)
Physique Rating	7
Basal Metabolic Rate	2006 KJ
Metabolism Age	30
Bone Mass	3.4kg
Resting Heart Rate	58

Weight moving in the right direction, but body fat far too high. 1kg (acceptable) and 3% (unacceptable) higher than a year ago. Also, resting heart rate a bit too high.

Compact Crankset

2011-05-05T16:07:00.003+02:00

Given the upcoming races with ascent of up to 18%, I have decided to change to a compact crankset. And what a difference it makes. Rode the Römerman bike leg yesterday with no real problems. Great.

So, 50/34 on the front instead of 52/39 and a new chain to round things off.

Gertfred Sprotte Gedächtnisfahrt

2011-04-24T11:07:00.002+02:00

Another act of madness: have been talked into doing the Gertfred Sprotte cycling tour. 201km and 2750m of climbing. This feels impossible, especially on a day when you had to cancel the planned ride due to cold / man flu.

Finis Swimsense

2011-04-23T11:55:00.000+02:00

Did my first swim with the newly acquired Finis Swimsense.

It is supposed to measure the number of strokes and the time for each length and it claims to recognise turns no matter what stroke you do. This works great, but not when you do drills. Unfortunately, this is what we do most Thursdays. I think this will be a great tool when swimming distances as it gives you great stats and shows when you are starting to worsen.

Training Camp Day 7

2011-04-11T14:08:00.000+02:00

Last day of an amazing, but very exhausting week with 23(!) hours training. Did an easy 2 hour ride, followed by a 45 min run.

Thank you Friends on Bikes for a good week. Time to go home now.

Training Camp Day 6

2011-04-08T18:31:00.000+02:00

... and a killer stage it was. 2,700m in climbs and 6 hours in the saddle. Toughest ride I have ever done, but well worth the experience. This would be much easier if (a) I had a 34 chain ring and (b) would weigh 10 pounds less. This is the climb to Mount Limbara (1,360m):

The climb even made it on www.quaeldich.de. I think I am going to have a beer tonight!

Training Camp Day 5

2011-04-08T07:25:00.000+02:00

Easy ride today in preparation for tomorrow's killer stage. Best scenery so far, when riding around the Island of Magdalena.

Training Camp Day 4

2011-04-08T07:22:00.000+02:00

Rest day. Well, rest from cycling. We went for an easy run in (very) undulating terrain and almost 30 degrees, but stunning scenery.

Training Camp Day 3

2011-04-05T18:57:00.000+02:00

That was the toughest ride so far, but all good. Starting to get the hang of the hills, hills, and more hills. 123km and 1,600m of climbing, and over 5 hours in the saddle.

Rest day tomorrow. No cycling, but probably going for a little run.

Training Camp Day 2

2011-04-04T17:33:00.000+02:00

Much easier ride today. Less speed, fewer hills, and shorter distance. Did a brick session instead of joining the others for their monster ride and managed a 30 min (very) hilly run.

Training Camp Day 1

2011-04-04T07:36:00.000+02:00

Arrived late in the hotel on Sat evening and didn't sleep too well. My snoring room mate didn't help ;-)

We decided to join the crowd from the organizers for their introduction tour. Moved on at 30km since it was too slow and had a nice break at km 50. Got lost after that and ended up doing a few extra miles and hills... Oh, and got sub burned even with sun lotion applied.

Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

2011-03-24T16:35:00.001+01:00

Just received my new toy to take measurements first thing in the morning.

13 Mar 2011

2011-03-13T19:03:00.002+01:00

Kandel Half-marathon - 1:42:34 [Certificate] [Results]

km 1: 5:04
km 2: 4:57
km 3: 4:56
km 4: 4:50
km 5: 4:49 - 24:36
km 6: 4:46
km 7: 4:51
km 8: 4:51
km 9: 4:50
km 10: 4:50 - 24:04
km 11: 4:45
km 12: 4:51
km 13: 4:48
km 14: 4:46
km 15: 4:49 - 24:01
km 16: 4:46
km 17: 4:58
km 18: 5:02
km 19: 5:01
km 20: 4:47 - 24:34
km 21.1: 5:20

M40: 111 (206)
Men: 435 (994)
Total: 475 (1288)

First race of the season. Had it down as a C race and a test race it was. Just couldn't pick up the pace as planned and started to slow down from km 17. Too much weight, too much body fat and not enough speed. Perfect conditions and a perfect / fast course.

Body Composition - March 2011

2011-03-11T08:11:00.000+01:00

Weight	87.2kg
Body Fat	18.4% (LA 17.8 RA 15.8 RL 14.9 LL 15.7, B 20.4)
Total Body Water	57.1%
Muscle Mass	67.7kg (LA 3.9 RA 4.0 RL 11.3 LL 11.0, B 37.5, 5)
Physique Rating	7
Basal Metabolic Rate	2067 KJ
Metabolism Age	30
Bone Mass	3.5kg
Resting Heart Rate	57

Things haven't really improved. Time for some strength training and low-carb diet.

Red Wine is a pain in the ar$e...

2011-02-14T17:18:00.001+01:00

... literally. Had too much red wine on Friday evening and fell down the stairs. Hurt my bum quite badly. I could hardly walk on Saturday, cycling was sort of ok. Sunday was equally painful, so I skipped my planned long run. Things were slightly better today. I ran for 30 minutes - things improved throughout, so I am hoping to be ok(ish) tomorrow.

Lessons learned? Probably none ;-)

Update:
Well, a week on, the pain has mostly gone, but a lovely spectrum of blues has appeared...

ZEO Personal Sleep Coach

2011-02-06T07:06:00.004+01:00

This is the best toy I have bought in a very long time. In short, you wear a silly looking headband during the night and the ZEO measures your sleep (deep sleep, light sleep, REM and wake phases) and also calculates a ZQ (sleep quotient). You then then enter some values for a number of so called sleep stealers, e.g. having exercises vigorously in the evening. Over time, their online software provides you with very good analyses about your sleep, factors that impact on good and poor sleep, and also effects it has during the next day. Here's a couple of screenshots and also a report from the first week of usage.

Spinning Marathon

2011-02-05T19:42:00.001+01:00

Took part in the first 2 out of 3 legs of the TSG Weinheim Spinning Marathon. 3 hours with a 15 minute break at half-time took its toll after about 2 hours. Good fun, but very exhausted...

Swimming Technique

2011-02-03T22:16:00.002+01:00

Got filmed again in training. Getting a bit frustrated as I haven't really made much progress recently. Technique still very poor.

Dein linker Arm zieht unter Wasser zu weit nach aussen und ist zudem extrem im Ellbogengelenk gestreckt! Denk daran dass Du ein Bierfass unter Deinem Körper durchschieben möchtest!! Oder einen großen Gymnastikball!

Ellbogen taucht zu erst ins Wasser ein. Es sollten aber die Fingerkuppensein die als erstes Eintauchen. Du musst auch noch viel viel mehr den Unterarm ans Wasser anstellen. D.h. HALT am Wasser finden. Momentan schneiden beide Arme durchs Wasser und geben Dir so kaum Vortrieb!!

Spinning

2011-01-20T07:23:00.001+01:00

Took part in my first ever spinning class with the tri club. This felt like 90 minutes of lactic acid. Very tough, but very good. Also signed up for the club spinning marathon in 3 weeks time...

Race Plan for 2011

2011-01-16T20:18:00.001+01:00

After a lot of deliberation, I have decided for a race plan for 2011. Unfortunately, St. Pölten 70.3 is out and I hope I can transfer my number to 2012. See 'Upcoming Races' block on the side bar.

Doctor

2011-01-03T15:51:00.000+01:00

After struggling with flu-like symptoms, I went to see my GP today. Diagnosis is that a previous viral infection hasn't cured properly plus an infection of the sinuses. So, I am on ant-biotics for the next 7 days and have been told to reduce exercising outdoor in the cold.

2010 Summary

2010-12-31T17:22:00.002+01:00

This has been a great year with Challenge Roth being the obvious highlight. Cologne 226half in sub 5 hours was another great race after which I should have ended the season to avoid the Frankfurt Marathon fiasco... Here's the obligatory summary:

What's the plan for 2011? I would like to focus on shorter distances and do 2 half Ironman races. 70.3 Wiesbaden will be the highlight plus 70.3 Austria or Elbaman, depending on how things pan out.

I am also going to make some changes in how to record workout. So far, I had an Excel spreadsheet (see above) plus Garmin Connect and also the blog here. In the spirit of moving your entire life in the cloud, I am moving to a great system called TrainingPeaks. So, any individual workout information (more data you can ever digest) will be at www.trainingpeaks.com/isotonicturtle supplemented by sporadic posts on the blog (new kit, gear and gadgets, race reports and any other relevant information).

31 Dec 2010

2010-12-31T16:56:00.001+01:00

Running:
8km - 45:30

First run in almost 2 weeks. Have been down with some very persistent form of flu. Still not 100%, but slowly getting better. I hope.

Body Composition - End 2010

2010-12-31T16:55:00.000+01:00

Weight	88.2kg
Body Fat	18.1% (LA 17.2 RA 15.4 RL 16.1 LL 16.1, B 19.6)
Total Body Water	57.4%
Muscle Mass	68.7kg (LA 4.0 RA 4.1 RL 11.3 LL 11.0, B 38.3, 5)
Physique Rating	7
Basal Metabolic Rate	2099 KJ
Metabolism Age	29
Bone Mass	3.6kg
Resting Heart Rate	??

Wow. Heaviest in more than a year plus desperate body fat measurements. Time for some serious training.

19 Dec 2010

2010-12-31T16:52:00.000+01:00

Running:

11.8km - 1:06km

First good run in a while at moderate speed.

15 Dec 2010

2010-12-16T13:03:00.002+01:00

Running:
10.25km - 53:00

Nice run in Belfast at moderate speed.

14 Dec 2010

2010-12-14T22:10:00.001+01:00

Swimming (Endurance):
2300m - 60:00

Quite a demanding session.

Last of 4 physio sessions in the morning. Plenty of exercises to do for a month, before we review the situation. Bottom line is some of my core muscles don't seem to trigger at all!

10 Dec 2010

2010-12-11T11:37:00.002+01:00

Running:
13.75km - 1:18 (Z1)

Easy earl;y morning run. Had to do a couple of detours to avoid flooding.

09 Dec 2010

2010-12-10T20:11:00.000+01:00

Swimming (Technique)
1200m - 60:00

Very tough session. 10 * 100 technique, followed by 50m drills interrupted by planks and push-ups!

08 Dec 2010

2010-12-08T20:29:00.001+01:00

Running:
60:00 - 11.8km (Z2 - Z3)

2km easy, rest moderate / hard. First good run in weeks. Hamstring also getting better thanks to physio treatment and new exercises.

07 Dec 2010

2010-12-08T13:37:00.002+01:00

Swimming (Speed):
2000m - 60:00

After a mini break (mini trip away, mini flu and loads of snow), winter training is starting today.

Oh, and I got a little certificate and a pineapple(!) at the club's xmas do for being 1 of 17(!) members who completed an ironman in 2010 - nice touch.

30 Nov 2010

2010-12-08T13:29:00.000+01:00

Swimming (Speed):
2000m - 60:00

29 Nov 2010

2010-11-29T17:33:00.001+01:00

Running:
10km - 54:00 (Z1 - Z3)

First 7km hilly and moderate effort, then 2km fast (4:48). First run in snow this winter - quite enjoyed it.

Oh, and I got a fantastic pair of heated insoles for cycling in the freezing cold for my birthday. Can't wait to try them out!

24 Nov 2010

2010-11-24T22:22:00.001+01:00

Running:
60:00 - 10.8km

Easy run with the Up & Running club in Belfast.

21 Nov 2010

2010-11-22T18:54:00.002+01:00

Bike:
48km - 1:38

Easy flat bike ride. Legs slowly willing to take on something a bit more daunting...

19 Nov 2010

2010-11-20T06:25:00.000+01:00

Running:
9.35 - 50:00

Easy / moderate speed and undulating run. Had to stop early because my eye sight went after 40 minutes. Lack of sleep, I guess.

18 Nov 2010

2010-11-19T07:30:00.000+01:00

Back Training 60 minutes

Last session unfortunately. Time to sign up for a gym again, I guess.

Swimming (Technique): 1200m

Physio

2010-11-18T10:28:00.001+01:00

Finally went to see a physio about my back and hamstring issue. He reckons that it is to do with a nerve. A few more exercises and a few more sessions and we'll see.

16 Nov 2010

2010-11-18T10:27:00.001+01:00

Swimming (Speed):
2100m - 60:00

Quite a tough but good session.

14 Nov 2010

2010-11-14T10:46:00.001+01:00

Bike:
36.3km - 1:20 (180m / 78rpm / 27.2kmh / ???bpm)

First ride in 4 weeks in very mild conditions. Very pleased with the new (black!) Garmin 500 which has replaced my old Garmin 705.

13 Nov 2010

2010-11-13T19:48:00.001+01:00

Geocaching

First attempt to track down a few caches near home. Found the first two, but had to abandon at the first stage of a multi-stage cache. Here's the tracks of the Garmin Oregon 550:

11 Nov 2010

2010-11-11T12:33:00.005+01:00

Back Training 60 minutes

Quite a tough session - very good. Left hip not great - need to see a physio.

Swimming (Technique): 1200m

Another excellent session. I was told that I don't use my latissimus muscle while swimming. And that's the most important one apparently...

09 Nov 2010

2010-11-10T11:29:00.002+01:00

Swimming (Speed):
1600m - 45:00

6 Nov 2010

2010-11-06T12:19:00.001+01:00

Running:
8km - 45:00 (Z1)

Easy run, hamstring not great.

04 Nov 2010

2010-11-05T18:18:00.001+01:00

Swimming (Technique): 1500m

First technique session in the pool. Very, very good, but sometimes hard to concentrate when the coach is the June model of the latest triathlon calendar...

02 Nov 2010

2010-11-03T09:58:00.000+01:00

Swimming:
1500m - 45:00

Very easy swim session; a lot of pull buoye usage to give the legs a bit more rest.

31 Oct 2010

2010-11-01T06:50:00.005+01:00

Frankfurt Marathon - 4:17:05 [Certificate] [Results]

km 1: 5:12
km 2: 5:25
km 3: 5:23
km 4: 5:23
km 5: 5:24 - 26:48
km 6: 5:27
km 7: 5:18
km 8: 5:30
km 9: 5:30
km 10: 5:23 - 27:10 - 53:58
km 11: 5:14
km 12: 5:20
km 13: 5:23
km 14: 5:22
km 15: 5:22 - 26:43 -1:21:41
km 16: 5:24
km 17: 5:17
km 18: 5:22
km 19: 5:23
km 20: 5:19 - 26:50 - 1:47:31
Half - 1:53:47
km 21: 5:43 (pee stop)
km 22: 5:20
km 23: 5:22
km 24: 5:28
km 25: 5:21 -27:16 - 2:14:47
km 26: 5:12
km 27: 5:19
km 27: 5:19
km 28: 5:29
km 30: 5:28 - 26:50 - 2:41:37
km 31: 5:42
km 32: 6:02
km 33: 6:03
km 34: 7:35
km 35: 6:37 - 31:59 - 3:13:36
km 36: 7:04
km 37: 9:14
km 38: 9:00
km 39: 8:37
km 40: 9:36 - 43:37 - 3:57:13
km 41: 9:09
km 42: 9:12

M40: 1406 (1729)
Men: 5981 (7858)
Total: 6912 (9555)

What a total and utter disaster. Conditions were perfect. 12 degrees, sunshine, no wind. First 25km were like clockwork and bang on time. I then tried to speed up a bit as planned to see how the legs were and I realised quickly that they didn't want to speed up, so I adjusted back to 'normal' pace which was ok until 30km when I started getting cramps in both(!) calves. Things started to get unpleased very quickly and I stopped every so often to stretch which didn't help much. The last 5km must have been the most painful ever as I simply couldn't run. Every time I started in a slow jog the cramps and spasms got so bad that I had to walk again. I guess the km splits say it all. I considered pulling out 35km, but decided not to after last year's exit.

The red-cross people grabbed me as soon as I crossed the finish line, but let me go after a short while. I hobbled into the athlete's area and took a drink of something fizzy after which I got quite sick and back out it went again... The weird thing is that I don't really know what went wrong as I started at a slower pace than usual. I have never had cramps like these before and I can only put it down to 3 things: lack of salt / isotonics (which I didn't take), not enough training (two 25km runs are probably not sufficient) and the realisation that a body can only take so much in one season. It shows again that the full marathon is not a distance you should run unless you are 100%. Marathon #14 was a personal worst - time for a well needed rest period.

Here are a couple of videos of the misery: [Video]

29 Oct 2010

2010-10-29T17:56:00.000+02:00

Running:
8km - 44:00

Last tapering run before Frankfurt Marathon, last km fast (4:30). Feeling good; well as good as it gets at the end of a very long and quite hard season. Hamstring still not great, but it'll hold.

The strategy is to run the first 25km in 2:15 (5:24 min/km). If I feel good I'll speed up a bit to 5:12 min/km aiming at 3h45 (best case), if not I continue and hopefully get in under 3h50. If I hit the wall then hopefully I beat my PB from Berlin; if it gets even worse it doesn't really matter as long as I finish.

Body Composition - Pre Frankfurt Marathon

2010-10-29T09:26:00.000+02:00

Weight	86.1kg
Body Fat	16.5% (LA 16.6 RA 14.5 RL 13.8 LL 14.8, B 18.0)
Total Body Water	58.6%
Muscle Mass	68.4kg (LA 3.9 RA 4.0 RL 11.4 LL 11.0, B 38.1, 5)
Physique Rating	6
Basal Metabolic Rate	2083 KJ
Metabolism Age	26
Bone Mass	3.5kg
Resting Heart Rate	??

Weight quite high at the moment - let's see how it goes on Sunday.

28 Oct 2010

2010-10-29T09:21:00.000+02:00

Back Training 60 minutes

Quite a good session. Decided not to go back to the spine session.

27 Oct 2010

2010-10-27T17:21:00.001+02:00

Running:
8km - 43:30

Very easy tapering run, last km fast (4:30).

26 Oct 2010

2010-10-27T17:19:00.002+02:00

Swimming (Speed):
1000m - 30:00

Very easy swim session - a lot of talking between splits.

25 Oct 2010

2010-10-25T17:13:00.001+02:00

Running:
50:00 - 9.25km (Z1 - Z2)

Easy undulating tapering run.

24 Oct 2010

2010-10-24T16:04:00.000+02:00

Core: 30 minutes

My training plan says 3 hours easy on the bike. The weather says wet, cold and windy; just couldn't be bothered going outside. Winter just came 2 weeks too early.

23 Oct 2010

2010-10-24T16:02:00.001+02:00

Running:
1:30 - 16.8km (Z1 - Z2)

Last longish test run before Frankfurt. Feel like I am running on 60% - hope it is just the usual tapering blues...

21 Oct 2010

2010-10-22T12:21:00.002+02:00

Running:
10km - 53:00

Another run on a very dodgy treadmill in my hotel in Paris.

20 October 2010

2010-10-20T18:51:00.002+02:00

Running:
30:00 - 5km

Easy run on a treadmill in hotel in Paris. Wanted to check out hamstring which feels much better.

19 Oct 2010

2010-10-19T10:15:00.002+02:00

Core: 30 minutes

I had planned to go for an asy run, but my hamstring didn't feel good (andd it is freezing cold outside), so I did a core session instead. Let's hope the sensibility will pay off...

Massage

2010-10-18T16:17:00.001+02:00

Well needed massage. Felt good.

17 Oct 2010

2010-10-17T16:20:00.005+02:00

Schönbuchlauf 25km - 2:03:47 [Certificate] [Results]

km 1: 5:19
km 2: 5:37
km 3: 4:46
km 4: 4:33
km 5: 4:42 - 24:57
km 6: 4:43
km 7: 4:48
km 8: 4:53
km 9: 4:54
km 10: 4:54 - 24:12
km 11: 4:49
km 12: 5:08
km 13: 5:08
km 14: 5:06
km 15: 5:27 - 25:38
km 16: 5:43
km 17: 4:45
km 18: 4:58
km 19: 5:11
km 20: 5:15 - 25:52
km 21: 4:26
km 22: 4:25
km 23: 4:42
km 24: 4:40
km 25: 4:32 -22:45

M40: 58 (121)
Total: 233 (655)

It was 5 degrees at the start, so long sleeves and tights it was. Heart rate was quite high at the start which wasn't helped by a hill after 3 minutes. Had a mini AF thereafter and was struggling the next 10km which were all down-hill. As soon as the uphill started, I was fine and overtook half the field. Good time in the end, given the undulating course, the rough ground and the freezing cold. A bit confused about the A, but optimistic about Frankfurt. Tapering time...

16 Oct 2010

2010-10-17T16:04:00.000+02:00

Bike:
75km - 2:40 (90m / ??rpm / 28.2kmh / ???bpm)

Ride was supposed to be 3 hours, but couldn't cope being out there in the cold, wet and wind.

15 Oct 2010

2010-10-17T16:01:00.001+02:00

Spine Training: 60 minutes

Running:
12km - 1:05 (Z1 - Z2)

Good, undulating run. Autumn is here.

14 Oct 2010

2010-10-15T08:51:00.004+02:00

Core: 20 minutes

Quick session in hotel before heading to work.

13 Oct 2010

2010-10-15T08:51:00.000+02:00

Running:
60:00 - 11.3km (Z1 - Z3)

Nice run in Greenwich Park which is far hillier than I expected. Hamstring not great.

Note for the German readrs: It is 'Grenitsch', not 'Grienwhitsch' ;-)

10 Oct 2010

2010-10-11T09:30:00.000+02:00

Bike:
100km - 3:27 (250m / 82rpm / 28.8kmh / 128bpm)

First long bike ride in quite some time. Rather tedious at times, but ok.

09 Oct 2010

2010-10-09T17:21:00.001+02:00

Bike:
50km - 1:45 (60m / 78rpm / 28.4kmh / 108bpm)

Running:
20km - 1:44 (Z1-Z4)

Very easy bike ride, followed by quite a good and controlled run. Did get some stomach problems after an hour on the run, so needed an unplanned stop at the local athletics stadium - maybe those gels aren't right after all?

08 Oct 2010

2010-10-09T17:17:00.003+02:00

Spine Training 60 minutes

First session of spine training class. Quite good, apart from being the only male...

07 Oct 2010

2010-10-07T18:15:00.000+02:00

Back Training 60 minutes

First hour of back training in an organised group. Targetted at a slightly older generation, but good exercises nevertheless.

06 Oct 2010

2010-10-06T20:58:00.000+02:00

Running:
2:15 - 25.2km (Z1 - Z2)

Good test run, but hamstring wasn't great afterwards. Would need to do another 17km in 1:30 - hmmm..

Ran in new shoes. Sticking with the Brooks Racer ST4. Unfortunately, this year's model comes in bright yellow - not sure if my image consultant would approve with that. Also, need yet another half size bigger than last year. Either my feet keep growing or Brooks shoes get smaller every year. Start on a 45 3 years ago and am now at 46 1/2!?

05 Oct 2010

2010-10-05T18:25:00.002+02:00

Running:
10.5km - 57:00

Easy undulating run. Feeling much better, even though half a back tooth has broken off.

Swimming:
1600m - 45:00

First indoor session after the summer. Definitely prefer the outdoors...

03 Oct 2010

2010-10-03T17:59:00.004+02:00

Bike:
48.5km - 1:37 (80m / 81rpm / 30.1kmh / 118bpm)

Running:
17km - 1:30 (Z1-Z3)

Very easy bike ride, first in over 3 weeks. The intention was to run 90 minutes easy, mimicking a long run (which I won't be able to do before Frankfurt) without the strain on the body. Strangely, this was quite hard from 45 minutes on. Maybe driving for over 10 hours the day before didn't help. Got quite sick afterwards. Slightly confused.

01 Oct 2010

2010-10-01T14:56:00.000+02:00

Swimming:
1000m

Short swim in a rather cold 20m hotel pool.

30 Sep 2010

2010-10-01T09:34:00.002+02:00

Running:
1:15 - 15km

10 minutes easy
12km - 57:00 (Z2-Z3)
Rest easy barefood on grass

Very good run in Elba. Fast test on a running track. Quite promising.

Dropped my Garmin on the tiled floor which caused the glass to break. Not so promising...

29 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:44:00.002+02:00

Swim: 500m

Quick splash in 20m pool in lovely hotel on Elba.

28 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:43:00.001+02:00

Running:
8.5km - 48:00

Early morning run with a couple of sprints towards the end to loosen legs.

Core: 30 minutes

26 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:42:00.000+02:00

Running:
2:00 - 21.4km (Z1 - Z2)

Longest run since Roth. Undulating and very windy all the way.

25 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:40:00.002+02:00

Running:
10km - 55:00
3km easy / undulating
5 * 400m hard, mostly uphill into head wind / 400m jog downhill
3km easy / undulating

23 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:39:00.000+02:00

Core: 45 minutes

Running:
1:35 - 17.3km

Easy to moderate and undulating run. Starting to get the grasp of Ceosican hills...

21 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:37:00.000+02:00

Core: 30 minutes

First session - very, very stiff...

Running:
1:15 - 13.9km

Moderate and undulating run. Very scenic.

20 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:35:00.003+02:00

Swimming: 500m

Lovely swim in the Mediterranean in Corsica.

19 Sep 2010

2010-09-30T09:34:00.000+02:00

Running:
60:00 - 11.1 km

First holiday run in Corsica. 3.5km uphill alongside a busy road as I trusted female instructions...