How Hard Can it Be!?: May 2013

Friday 31 May 2013

May Training Update

The weather improved a bit during May, but still unseasonably cold. Glad to finally get some Open Water swimming done but bitterly cold water, particularly the first swim at Salford Quays in 12'c water and 9'c air!

Some good cycle rides done this month including a good climb up Mow Cop getting the closest I've ever been to cycling it all... I will crack this! :-) Also had my first bike fall in over 30years this month clipping a kerb and landing heavily on elbow and knee. Fortunately no damage to the bike!

RNLI fundraising is going well for our Findel Triathlon Team Relay challenge... £250 raised so far! Donate here if the mood takes you ~ http://www.justgiving.com/Findel-RNLI-TriTeam-Challenge

Here's the training update for May...

The folly atop of Mow Cop

~ 02/05/13 ~ 13.5mile Bike loop around Sandbach, Malkins
                      Bank and Haslington in 47mins 57secs
                      averaging 17.2mph
~ 04/05/13 ~ 750m pool swim at Total Fitness in 18mins
                      41secs (SWOLF =53)
                  ~ 45mile Bike ride up Mow Cop and around Rode
                      Heath, Crewe, Middlewich, Holmes Chapel
                      back to Sandbach in 3hours 20mins averaging
                      13.5mph
~ 05/05/13 ~ 3mile run along Pwllheli sea front in 30mins
                      40secs
~ 06/05/13 ~ 20mile mountain bike ride from Pwllheli to
                      Criccieth & back in 1hour 34mins averaging
                      12.3mph

A chilly Salford Quays!

~ 16/05/13 ~ First UK open water swim of 2013 at Boundary
                     Water park. 820m in 19mins 34secs (15'c water
                      temp)
~ 18/05/13 ~ First open water swim at Salford Quays of 2013.
                      820m in 20mins 4secs (12'c water temp!)
~ 19/05/13 ~ 22mile bike loop around Holmes Chapel,
                      Middlewich, Crewe and Winterley in 1hour
                      18mins averaging 16.9mph
~ 23/05/13 ~ 750m Open water swim at Boundary water park in
                     16mins 25secs
~ 25/05/13 ~ 35mile bike ride around Rode Heath, Crewe,
                     Middlewich, Warmingham back to Sandbach in
                     2 hours 5mins averaging 16.6mph. Fell 4miles
                     into the ride when I clipped the kerb... Ouch!
~ 27/05/13 ~ 45mins cycle spin at Gimblet Rock Gym
~ 28/05/13 ~ 45mins cycle spin at Gimblet Rock Gym
~ 29/05/13 ~ 6mile run around Pwllheli Marina in 56mins 37secs
~ 31/05/13 ~ 9mile Mountain Bike ride around part of Pwllheli Tri Bike route

Friday 3 May 2013

April Training Update

It seems Winter continued into April this year with temperatures remaining cold. The much anticipated start of the open water swim season being delayed until May due to the cold. A real shame as it's traditionally this time of year that it gets easier to get out and about! Looking forward to the warmer weather!

The RNLI team triathlon challenge I've been organising with colleagues from work is taking shape, 4 teams and 12 participants confirmed! Thanks all concerned for pitching in!

The event is Capesthorne sprint relay Triathlon on Sunday 9th June ~ http://www.cheshiretriathlon.co.uk/

Thanks also to Kevin Sharpe who agreed to let us use this stunning composite image he created from a photo of the Eastbourne Lifeboat crew. It now adorns our fundraising donation page here... http://www.justgiving.com/Findel-RNLI-TriTeam-Challenge

Not a full month of training but some good outings when I've been able to squeeze them in, here's the summary, aiming to pick it up a few notches in May!

~ 07/04/13 ~ 30mile bike ride around Sandbach, Crewe & Middlewich in 1hour 56mins
                      averaging 15.6mph
~ 14/04/13 ~ 30mins Weight Training at The Warren Gym in Abersoch
                  ~ 6 mile run around Pwllheli Marina in 55mins 40secs
~ 15/04/13 ~ 7.6mile bike ride around Sandbach in 28mins averaging 16.3mph
~ 18/04/13 ~ 3 mile run around the Wheelock rail trail in Sandbach in 28mins
                      56secs
~ 20/04/13 ~ 1 hour spin class at Total Fitness gym in Crewe
~ 21/04/13 ~ 13.5mile ride around Sandbach and Winterley in 51mins 11secs
                      averaging 15.9mph

Why am I doing this?!

I got drawn in to running in 2007 to raise funds for charity and discovered it's a great way to keep in shape! I expanded the fundraising to open water swimming in 2010 and loved that too which lead to taking up cycling and Triathlon's in 2011! I've kept a training blog for the past few years and found it a huge motivator to get out and do something to report on so here I am again! I'll be keeping a record here of all my training and event ups and downs as well as a few deviations on my hobbies. I'm planning a few events this year for my own benefit and a couple of major events to raise funds again for two charities that mean a lot to me:

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution ~ http://www.rnli.org/

In September 2007 I had an accident whilst sailing my Laser Pico dinghy out at sea off Abersoch, North Wales. The Abersoch crew came to my aid and I'll be eternally grateful ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk6edftmHtg

I spend a lot of time out at sea with family and friends and it made me realise just how dependent we are on this life saving volunteer emergency service funded entirely by charity. I ran the Great North Run Half Marathon to raise funds for the Abersoch RNLI station in 2008 & 2009. In 2010 I taught myself front crawl and swam a mile in open water at The Great Salford Swim and in 2011 rolled it all up taking on the Tatton Triathlon Olympic Distance. 2012 saw me raising funds by competing in a Triathlon team challenge at Capesthorne early in the year and then cycling 180miles Coast to Coast from Morcambe to Bridlington over the August Bank Holiday along the 'Way of the Roses' route ~ http://www.wayoftheroses.co.uk/.
This year I've decided to rope in a few helpers and build on the team Triathlon fund raising of last year which was really good fun... Capesthorne Triathlon on Sun 9th June has been targeted... Watch this space!

The Isaiah Trust ~ http://www.isaiahtrust.org/

A registered charity started in 2001 by two good friends with big hearts, Nicky and Tim. The charity helps kids in Kenya orphaned by aids and surviving on their own on the streets in some of the most apalling conditions imaginable. The lives that these kids endured prior to the charity beggars’ belief. The Trust has and continues to do some amazing things for these kids... Providing outreach and rehabilitation centres to give safe havens and remedial education, setting up orphanages and foster parent programmes. Helping children get back in to the state educaion system and providing 'resource centres' for older child who have missed too much schooling to teach them a skill or trade to earn a living. The Trust is now working hard setting up farms to establish sustainable food programs as well as teaching children farming skills. The trust has helped change the lives of so many kids but there are so many more yet to help...

After a four years of running the Great Manchester 10km Run from 2007 through to 2010, to raise awareness and funds for the trust I ran the Edinburgh Marathon in 2011 which was awesome! 2012 saw me completing the Liverpool Triathlon Olympic Disatance event (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run) and finally breaking the previously elusive 3 hour mark whilst raising further funds.

This year I've entered the Prudential 'Ride London 100' cycling sportif to raise much needed funds. It's a 100mile bike ride covering much of the 2012 Olympic Road race circuit heading out from the Olympic Park, around the Surrey hills and back in to London to finish on Pall Mall... How hard can it be?! :-)