4 days to Ironman Lake Placid 2010

Well it was a 6 hour drive that could have been the worst drive of my life, but it was the complete opposite.  amazing clear free flowing roads and in the last 40miles the scenary was really something.  So was the rain, it absolutly came down with thunder and lightning.  Some of the roads and their descents were crazy and there's me thinking it was the cycle route, it was but the other way, so climbing, more about the bike route later.  Arrived at our accomodation for the next 6 days, Schulte's Lodge right on the roadside of the bike and run course and only a mile from the transition and Start/Finish.

Unpacked and put bike together, need to borrow a track pump to inflate tyres.  Up for a morning swim in the lake then some breakfast and then a reckie of the bike course tomorrow I think will be good with picnic lunch on course.  Went to the "local store" today Big stocked up on breakfast and lunch food and some high calorie food.

Will get a 20min jog in tomorrow in the afternoon, also the Ironman Village opens so will have a visit there.

1 Week to IM Lake Placid

The past few weeks have been a mix of training and racing, finally recovered from my crash over in Seychelles at the Mid Year tour.  My swimming has taken a back seat with the lack of disciplin and my work shifts clashing with time for Lake sessions.  Biking has been really good getting in some good long rides and also combination of 1-2hr TT's with 2hr runs off the bike. 

Norwich Tri was my last race before IM LP,  a hot day ahead and having trained the bike course I felt I was on for a good finishing time.  The swim was long after a 26min swim (very long 1700m), I struggled to get the bike going slight head wind 61min and as for the run well this was good for me as IM training with distance, run should have been 10km but it was 11.5km I took 47min.  Finishing in 2:16hr, a whole 13min longer than Fritton lake.  I came 4th overall for Norwich.

Recovered well and continued training, now with only a week until I depart to New York I have decided not to Taper but just tick over as I have not hit the 17hrs /week of training more like 10-12hr and then the last week I will reduce down to 3-4hrs with very short sessions.

They have changed the Bike course for IM LP, but for the better as they have taken out a hill, but it is still going to be challenging.

The Run course is one of the toughest hilly courses on the IM circuit but looking forward to it.

Seychelles Tour Ends in Crash Stage 4 of 5 Stages....more later

25th May 2010

Sponsorship Reynolds Wheels
I have recently been in contact with the UK Rep for Reynolds Wheels and they have agreed to offer me sponsorship for the season.  I will riding two different wheels which I can vary on the rear.

Well I have started to be very busy with races under way now for 2010.

999 Emergency Service Sprint Tri Champs

Very cold water conditions caused the swim to be reduced from 750m to 500m swim thankfully, however the sun was shining.  Swim went ok I guess could have been better came out the water in in 32nd position 7:45min   40seconds down on the leaders.  With a head wind on the back straight for the bike and tail going out  I soon got into rythym and a very pleasing ride for the 20km in 29:32min (avg 25.24mph)  and heading out onto the run in 7th place.  Chasing down and running very well managed to bring in 3 others to finish a 19min  5km run and in 4th place overall.      

www.xtramileevents.com/eventresults/2010/VUE-National-Emergency-Services-Triathlon/9.html

Coventry 1/2 Marathon

Wow what a scorcher  27C and also a fast day for me.  Really pleased with my performance and was able to run 1:23:33hr   6:22min/mile.  My quads were starting to tighten up in the last 2 miles,  being chased down I pressed on and was able to hold a 6:25 and 6:49 min mile for mile 12 & 13.  Finishing 14th out of 2200 entrances and 1900 finishes for the day.

Suffolk 50mile Ride

There is me thinking the weather is going to be getting better, turned up to Woodbridge Bike event in Suffolk on Sunday.  Decided to change to the 100km route rather than the 100m, but due to signage being moved I ended up doing only 50miles.  Used my QR TT bike and felt very comfortable and was able to maintain an average speed of 20.1mph, finishing in 2:30hr.  Got back to the car wet and cold, and managed to get changed and drag my self off for a 6mile run.  Very happy with my motivation to do brick session and through the run i ran out of drink and had no gels with me.  Felt like I had done an Ironman, far from it.

Last week I did my first 10mTT Kettringham,  25:02min,  lumpy course but pleased with first TT of the Year.  I also took part in the Ixworth Criterium racing, different sort of racing and hard and fast miss the front row from the grid and you will be left behind.  800meter loop ride for 20min then 5laps.  Hard, did I say that already.

Trying to sort out a new Road racing bike as my training Felt is good for training and started to wear, but need something lighter and faster for road races. 

Monthly Totals

My Totals for the past 28 Days :-

SWIM  - 24,000 m      10 hrs
BIKE    - 430 miles      23 hrs
RUN     - 69 miles        10 hrs

RACING - Duathlon  2.2m Run/ 25m bike / 4.4m       1:50 hr

Warm Weather Welcome

Temperatures have started to increase in the UK, sun is shining but still rain loomes every now and then.  The past few weeks haver entailed an average of 7-9 hrs training mainly bike sessions.  However my running pace is becoming comfortable and relaxed, working on running under the body, upright, not overstriding, mid-fore foot striking and a rythmic cadence of 90-95/min.

Yesterdays run was 13.8 miles, the time does not really matter, it is more about looking at my Heart Rate and which was an average of 144bpm  I finished fresh and was even able to run the last 2 miles at an increased pace.  The majority of my run was 7-8 min/mile pace,  looking at maintaining this for another 13 miles.  Possible !!!  It is all about the initial pace from off the bike, find your feet slow and steady,  maintain a relaxed style and comfortable for the first 10miles.  Then the next 10miles will require concentration to maintain good body position, foot strike, relaxed upper body, nutrition and bring it home.

EPiC Week ended on a HIGH

For the past week Sun 21 - Sun 28 March I decided to increase my amount of training hours,  seeing that I had a few days off work but still had to work night shifts.

Sunday 21st   Bike   1:50 hr 33.32 miles  18.2mph

Tues    23rd   Swim       1 hr  2000 meters

Wed    24th    Bike   3:30 hr 65.55 miles  18.7mph
                       Run        51min 6.2  miles  9:38/mile

Thurs   25th   Swim        1hr   2500meters
                       BikeTT 1:02hr  23.06miles 22.2mph
                       Run      1:56 hr  13.6 miles 8:32/mile

Fri        26th   SwimTT 23:22min  1500 meters
                       Bike    1:24hr 25.59 miles 19.5 mph

Sat       27th   Bike    4:07 hr 70.41 miles 17.1 mph

Sun      28th   Run/Bike/Run  2.25/25/4.5

POS Name              Run1         Bike              Run2        Total

1 Simon Brierley 00:13:57      01:06:54     00:29:24     01:50:15        6:12/mile  22.42mph  6:32/mile
2 Mark Nowell      00:15:59       01:07:09      00:34:12      01:57:20
3 Dave Maslen      00:14:24       01:11:44      00:32:05       01:58:13
4 Chris Clarke       00:14:24       01:11:46      00:32:41      01:58:51
5 Matt Spillman      00:15:52      01:10:12      00:34:10      02:00:14
6 Graham Coulter    00:15:30     01:13:25      00:32:43      02:01:38
7 Radek Bohm       00:14:38      01:19:02      00:28:59      02:02:39
8 Nigel Hodge       00:14:37       01:20:59      00:31:52      02:07:28
9 Mark Philo         00:16:38       01:16:39      00:34:34      02:07:51
10 Lynn Emmett    00:15:00       01:21:30      00:32:50      02:09:20
11 Roland Shaw    00:16:33       01:18:45      00:34:34      02:09:52
12 Roger Slee       00:16:38       01:16:40      00:37:26       02:10:44
13 Ian Chatten       00:18:25      01:22:21      00:36:56       02:17:42
14 Glyn Thomas     00:17:11      01:24:35     00:41:56       02:23:42
15 George LWilliams 00:16:28   01:29:52     00:39:19       02:25:39

TOTALS 
SWIM         6000 m                                     3   hrs
BIKE          242.93 miles  (391km)              13  hrs
RUN            25.67 miles  (41.3km)             3.5  hrs
                                                                   19.5 hrs        

EPiC Camp

Well next week I was supposed to be travelling to Seychelles to launch the Seychelles Triathlon Federation, however due to delay in the launch I have found myself with a week off work.  So I have arranged to do a solid week of training, otherwise known as an EPiC week.  A week of training that trains the body and the brain to make it through, doing more than a normal weeks training.  To help me get through this I have invited some fellow Triathletes  to accompany me on some of the sessions.  Some can make it some can't, the likes of Rob Lines who is in his Taper weeks to Ironman Oz    http://www.roblines.blogspot.com/   check out his build up 2 weeks to go.

Drop me an email to say if you would like to jon me on some of the sessions  ironmansimon@yahoo.co.uk

or Join the Facebook Group

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=372350049548

Wednesday 24th

0900 - 1000 UEA SWIM
1030 - 1400 UEA SportsPark BIKE Long bike (4hrs) Run 60min off bike

Thursday 25th
1000 - 11:30 Whittlingham Lake BIKE TT 25 mile
1130 - 1400 Whittlingham Lake RUN Long Run (2:30hr)
2000 - 2100 Riverside SWIM, EAST SWIMMING CLUB

Friday 26th
0900 - 1000 UEA Sports Park SWIM TT 3000m
1100 - 1300 Whittlingham Lake DuathlonRUN/BIKE/RUN

Saturday 27th
0800 - 0900 UEA SWIM, EAST SWIMMING CLUB
0930 - 1430 UEA BIKE Long Bike (5hrs)

Wymondham 20 miler

Well it was a good start to the 20mile run today, 10 mile at 65min, but then at 15 miles my niggle from the begining of the week came and haunted me.  Left outside calf really sharp and sore, could not run for too long so was resorted to walk/run/walk/run and so on.  Will now have to recover and not run for the rest of the week will have chance to swim and bike but will have to see and get leg sorted, need to keep moving and will try and sort runnig out by next week.